bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dietary fish oil preserves cardiac function in the hypertrophied rat heart
Authors: McLennan Peter L. , Abeywardena Mahinda Y. , Dallimore Julie A. , Raederstorff Daniel 
Published: November 2011

Regular fish or fish oil intake is associated with a low incidence of heart failure clinically, and fish oil-induced reduction in cardiac remodelling seen in hypertrophy models may contribute. We investigated whether improved cardiac energy efficiency in non-hypertrophied hearts translates into attenuation of cardiac dysfunction in hypertrophied hearts. Male Wistar rats (n33) at 8 weeks of age were sham-operated or subjected to abdominal aortic stenosis to produce pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy. Starting 3 weeks post-operatively to follow initiation of hypertrophy, rats were fed a diet containing 10 % olive oil (control) or 5 % fish oil (ROPUFA® 30 (17 % EPA, 10 % DHA))+5 % olive oil (FO diet). At 15 weeks post-operatively, ventricular haemodynamics and oxygen consumption were evaluated in the blood-perfused, isolated working heart. Resting and maximally stimulated cardiac output and external work were >60 % depressed in hypertrophied control hearts but this was prevented by FO feeding, without attenuating hypertrophy. Cardiac energy efficiency was lower in hypertrophy, but greater in FO hearts for any given cardiac mass. Coronary blood flow, restricted in hypertrophied control hearts, increased with increasing work in hypertrophied FO hearts, revealing a significant coronary vasodilator reserve. Pronounced cardiac dysfunction in hypertrophied hearts across low and high workloads, indicative of heart failure, was attenuated by FO feeding in association with membrane incorporation ofn-3 PUFA, principally DHA. Dietary fish oil may offer a new approach to balancing the high oxygen demand and haemodynamic requirements of the failing hypertrophied heart independently of attenuating hypertrophy.
Effects of dietary strawberry powder on blood lipids and inflammatory markers in obese human subjects
Authors: Zunino Susan J. , Parelman Mardi A. , Freytag Tammy L. , Stephensen Charles B. , Kelley Darshan S. , Mackey Bruce E. , Woodhouse Leslie R. , Bonnel Ellen L. 
Published: November 2011

Obesity is a strong risk factor for the development of CVD, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The overall goal of the present pilot study was to feed strawberries, in the form of freeze-dried powder, to obese subjects to determine whether dietary strawberries beneficially altered lipid profiles and reduced blood markers of inflammation compared with a control intervention. A total of twenty healthy subjects (thirteen females and seven males) aged between 20 and 50 years with a BMI between 30 and 40 kg/m2completed the present 7-week double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial. Each subject received a prepared diet 7 d/week for 7 weeks consisting of approximately 35 % of energy from fat, 20 % protein, 45 % carbohydrate and 14 g fibre. Blood was collected on days 1 and 8 for baseline information. After the first week, subjects were randomly assigned to the strawberry powder (equivalent to four servings of frozen strawberries) or control (strawberry-flavoured) intervention for 3 weeks. For the remaining 3 weeks, subjects crossed over to the opposite intervention. Blood was collected again at the end of weeks 3, 4, 6 and 7. A comprehensive chemistry panel, lipid profile analyses and measurement of inflammatory mediators were performed for each blood draw. A 3-week dietary intervention with strawberry powder reduced plasma concentrations of cholesterol and small HDL-cholesterol particles, and increased LDL particle size in obese subjects (P < 0·05). Dietary strawberry powder reduced risk factors for CVD, stroke and diabetes in obese volunteers, suggesting a potential role for strawberries as a dietary means to decrease obesity-related disease.
THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION, COUNTERINSURGENCY, AND IRAQ'S FIRST BAʿTHIST REGIME
Authors: Matthews Weldon C. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThis article explores the relationship between the administration of President John F. Kennedy and the Arab Baʿth Socialist Party's first regime in Iraq from February to November 1963. It demonstrates that Kennedy administration officials had adopted a paradigm of modernization through which they believed recently decolonized countries could achieve high-consumption economies with democratic governments. Because this process appeared threatened by communist-supported insurgencies, the administration developed a doctrine of counterinsurgency, which entailed support for the repressive capacities of developing states. Administration officials regarded the Iraqi Baʿth Party as an agent of Iraq's modernization and of anticommunist counterinsurgency. They consequently cultivated supportive relationships with Baʿthist officials, police commanders, and members of the party's militia, despite the regime's wide-scale human rights violations. The American relationship with militia members began before the coup that brought the Baʿthists to power, and Baʿthist police commanders involved in the coup were trained in the United States.
CAPITALIST BINATIONALISM IN MANDATORY PALESTINE
Authors: Shafir Gershon 
Published: November 2011

AbstractIn response to the outbreak of the Arab Revolt of 1936, a coterie of five prominent entrepreneurs and intellectuals in the Mandatory Jewish community formulated a capitalist binationalist resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This paper examines the genesis of and debate over the little-known Concord they proposed and compares it with better-known liberal and socialist binationalist plans. “The Five,” as they came to be known, were the only binationalists seeking to base political parity on economic integration. The occasion of their blueprint allows further exploration of the preconditions for an effective binationalist program, among them the structure of labor markets, political preferences of minorities and majorities in regard to sovereignty, and levels of mutual trust. Ultimately, binationalist resolutions of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict were precluded by the Labor Settlement Movement's separatist state-building strategy.
Lobbying for trade barriers: a comparison of poultry producers' success in Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana
Authors: Johnson Martha C. 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTOver the last two decades, developing countries have lowered trade barriers considerably. As a result, they have experienced a surge in food commodity imports. In Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon, a flood of frozen poultry imports in the late 1990s and early 2000s threatened domestic poultry producers. In response, they organised to demand protectionist measures. This article examines why the Cameroonian and Senegalese governments responded to these demands while the Ghanaian government did not. Employing data from interviews in Senegal, newspaper coverage in all three countries, and documentation from non-governmental organisations, it argues that Cameroonian, and to a lesser extent Senegalese, producers were able to influence government policy because they faced few barriers to collective action and built alliances with consumers before lobbying government. The findings suggest that a public choice, interest group-focused approach is still useful for explaining policy outcomes in West Africa.
Access to land for urban farming in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: histories, benefits and insecure tenure
Authors: McLees Leslie 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTPeople in sub-Saharan Africa rely on a variety of informal mechanisms to gain access to land for urban farming. However, the literature on land tenure focuses on gaining access to land for housing, whereas farming, which is highly visible in the urban landscape of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, requires farmers to negotiate their access in ways distinct from housing. A close examination of four open-space farms in Dar es Salaam reveals that there are different methods of gaining access to land for farming as opposed to housing. Additionally, theorising this access reveals that the landowners who allow farmers on their land for food production also derive benefits. This can provide a framework for current efforts to integrate urban agriculture into the city zoning plans.
Emotional and symptomatic reactivity to stress in individuals at ultra-high risk of developing psychosis
Authors: Palmier-Claus J. E. , Dunn G. , Lewis S. W. 
Published: November 2011

BackgroundThe stress–vulnerability model of psychosis continues to be influential. The aim of this study was to compare emotional and symptomatic responses to stress in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) of developing psychosis, in age- and gender-matched healthy controls, and in patients with non-affective psychosis.MethodA total of 27 UHR, 27 psychotic and 27 healthy individuals completed the experience sampling method, an ambulant diary technique, where they were required to fill in self-assessment questions about their emotions, symptoms and perceived stress at semi-random times of the day for 6 days. Quesionnaire and interview assessments were also completed.ResultsMultilevel regression analyses showed that individuals at UHR of developing psychosis reported greater negative emotions in response to stress than the healthy individuals. Against the initial hypotheses, the UHR individuals also experienced greater emotional reactivity to stress when compared with the patient group. No significant differences were observed between the patients and the non-clinical sample. Stress measures significantly predicted the intensity of psychotic symptoms in UHR individuals and patients, but the extent of this did not significantly differ between the groups.ConclusionsIndividuals at UHR of developing psychosis may be particularly sensitive to everyday stressors. This effect may diminish after transition to psychosis is made and in periods of stability. Subtle increases in psychotic phenomena occur in response to stressful events across the continuum of psychosis.
Risk of schizophrenia in relation to parental origin and genome-wide divergence
Authors: Pedersen C. B. , Demontis D. , Pedersen M. S. , Agerbo E. , Mortensen P. B. , Børglum A. D. , Hougaard D. M. , Hollegaard M. V. , Mors O. , Cantor-Graae E. 
Published: November 2011

BackgroundSecond-generation immigrants have an increased risk of schizophrenia, a finding that still lacks a satisfactory explanation. Various operational definitions of second-generation immigrants have been used, including foreign parental country of birth. However, with increasing global migration, it is not clear that parental country of birth necessarily is informative with regard to ethnicity. We compare two independently collected measures of parental foreign ethnicity, parental foreign country of birth versus genetic divergence, based on genome-wide genotypic data, to access which measure most efficiently captures the increased risk of schizophrenia among second-generation immigrants residing in Denmark.MethodA case–control study covering all children born in Denmark since 1981 included 892 cases of schizophrenia and 883 matched controls. Genetic divergence was assessed using principal component analyses of the genotypic data. Independently, parental foreign country of birth was assessed using information recorded prospectively in the Danish Civil Registration System. We compared incidence rate ratios of schizophrenia associated with these two independently collected measures of parental foreign ethnicity.ResultsPeople with foreign-born parents had a significantly increased risk of schizophrenia [relative risk (RR) 1.94 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.41–2.65)]. Genetically divergent persons also had a significant increased risk [RR 2.43 (95% CI 1.55–3.82)]. Mutual adjustment of parental foreign country of birth and genetic divergence showed no difference between these measures with regard to their potential impact on the results.ConclusionsIn terms of RR of schizophrenia, genetic divergence and parental foreign country of birth are interchangeable entities, and both entities have validity with regard to identifying second-generation immigrants.
Emotion modulates cognitive flexibility in patients with major depression
Authors: Murphy F. C. , Michael A. , Sahakian B. J. 
Published: November 2011

BackgroundDepression is associated with alterations of emotional and cognitive processing, and executive control in particular. Previous research has shown that depressed patients are impaired in their ability to shift attention from one emotional category to another, but whether this shifting deficit is more evident on emotional relative to non-emotional cognitive control tasks remains unclear.MethodThe performance of patients with major depressive disorder and matched healthy control participants was compared on neutral and emotional variants of a dynamic cognitive control task that requires participants to shift attention and response from one category to another.ResultsRelative to controls, depressed patients were impaired on both tasks, particularly in terms of performance accuracy. In the neutral go/no-go task, the ability of depressed patients to flexibly shift attention and response from one class of neutral stimuli to the other was unimpaired. This contrasted with findings for the emotional go/no-go task, where responding was slower specifically on blocks of trials that required participants to shift attention and response from one emotional category to the other.ConclusionsThe present data indicate that any depression-related difficulties with cognitive flexibility and control may be particularly evident on matched tasks that require processing of relevant emotional, rather than simply neutral, stimuli. The implications of these findings for our developing understanding of cognitive and emotional control processes in depression are discussed.
Decreased heart rate variability during emotion regulation in subjects at risk for psychopathology
Authors: Di Simplicio M. , Costoloni G. , Western D. , Hanson B. , Taggart P. , Harmer C. J. 
Published: November 2011

BackgroundDysfunctions in the regulation of emotional responses are related to poor psychological well-being and increased impact of cardiovascular disease. It has been suggested that the relationship between negative affect and higher morbidity could be mediated by a dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), for example, of heart rate variability (HRV). Neuroticism is a personality trait associated with a maladaptive emotion regulation and also with alterations in ANS function. However, it is unknown whether subjects with high neuroticism present with specific biases in emotion regulation associated with reduced HRV.MethodIn total, 33 healthy subjects (n=13, highly neurotic) performed an emotion regulation task, during which they were instructed to either passively view negative pictures or attempt to down-regulate the affect elicited by the images. During the task an electrocardiogram was recorded and HRV was measured by calculation of the high frequency spectrum (HF-HRV).ResultsA significant interaction between task condition and personality group was observed on HF-HRV measures (F1,31=6.569, p=0.016). This was driven by subjects with low neuroticism presenting higher HF-HRV during down-regulation compared to passive exposure to negative stimuli, while subjects with high neuroticism reported an opposite tendency.ConclusionsOur results show reduced HF-HRV during cognitive reappraisal of negative stimuli in high neuroticism and indicate a specific link between loss of flexibility in the parasympathetic cardiovascular tone and emotion regulation, consistent with previous work. Such findings support the importance of exploring the combination of ANS adaptability and emotional dysregulation in neuroticism as different facets of a common psychosomatic vulnerability factor.
Evolving conceptions of justice in international law
Authors: ARMSTRONG DAVID 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThe article examines the argument that international law is already beginning to reflect cosmopolitanism. It does so by briefly reviewing the history of the ways in which concepts of justice have been represented in international law and then considering the case that cosmopolitanism is present in various forms in contemporary international law. While dismissing some of the stronger cosmopolitan claims it argues that the fuller picture has complexities that International Relations Realists and legal Positivists tend to ignore.
Effect of androstenedione on the growth and meiotic competence of bovine oocytes from early antral follicles
Authors: Taketsuru Hiroaki , Hirao Yuji , Takenouchi Naoki , Iga Kosuke , Miyano Takashi 
Published: November 2011

SummaryMedium that contains 17β-estradiol has been reported to support in vitro growth of bovine oocytes, isolated from early antral follicles, until the final stage. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of androstenedione in medium on such growing bovine oocytes. Oocyte–granulosa cell complexes were collected from early antral follicles and cultured for 14 days in medium supplemented with 17β-estradiol (0, 10 and 100 ng/ml) or androstenedione (0, 10 and 100 ng/ml). The mean diameter of oocytes measured after seeding on the culture substrate was 96.9 μm (n = 191). Either steroid was necessary for maintainance of the organization of oocyte–granulosa cell complexes over the 14-day culture period. In the 17β-estradiol- or the androstenedione-supplemented medium about 80% or 65%, respectively, of viable oocytes were recovered. In both groups the increase in oocyte size was significant after 14 days. The in vitro grown oocytes were cultured for a further 22–24 h for oocyte maturation; 13% and 30% of oocytes grown in the 10 and 100 ng/ml 17β-estradiol-supplemented medium reached metaphase II, respectively; more than 64% of oocytes grown in the androstenedione-supplemented medium matured to metaphase II. These results show that androstenedione, as 17β-estradiol, can maintain the viability of bovine oocyte–granulosa cell complexes and support the growth of oocytes, and that androstenedione promotes the acquisition of oocyte meiotic competence efficiently at a low dose.
A nonsense variation p.Arg325X in thevascular endothelial growth factor-Agene may be associated with congenital tricuspid aortic valve stenosis
Authors: Zhao Wu , Wang Jian , Shen Jie , Sun Kun , Chen Yiwei , Ji Wei , Fu Lijun , Wu Yurong , Li Fen 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBackgroundIn our recent study, we first reported that mutation invascular endothelial growth factor-Ais associated with bicuspid aortic valve stenosis. However, to date no groups have explored the role ofvascular endothelial growth factor-Avariations in the aetiology of congenital tricuspid aortic valve stenosis.MethodsWe sequenced all eight coding exons and exon–intron boundaries of thevascular endothelial growth factor-Agene in deoxyribonucleic acid samples of a cohort of 32 sporadic patients with tricuspid aortic valve stenosis, 300 normal controls, and 103 disease controls – conotruncal defects – in order to identify sequence variants.ResultsWe identified a c.973C > T heterozygous nonsense variation in exon 6 of thevascular endothelial growth factor-Agene in a patient with an isolated tricuspid aortic valve stenosis. The c.973C > T variation, which was absent in all controls, changes a highly conserved arginine at amino acid position 325 to a stop codon (p.Arg325X) and is predicted to produce a truncated protein of 324 amino acid residues. The proband's parents had a normal cardiac phenotype; however, his father was a carrier of the p.Arg325X variation, which indicates that the p.Arg325X variation is inherited and incompletely penetrant.ConclusionWe report for the first time that the p.Arg325X nonsense variation in thevascular endothelial growth factor-Agene may be associated with congenital tricuspid aortic valve stenosis.
Total isovolumic time relates to exercise capacity in patients with transposition of the great arteries late after atrial switch procedures
Authors: Tay Edgar L. W. , Gibson Derek , Inuzuka Ryo , Josen Manjit , Alonso-Gonzalez Rafael , Giannakoulas Georgios , Li Wei , Dimopoulos Konstantinos , Gatzoulis Michael A. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBackgroundSystemic right ventricular systolic dysfunction is common late after atrial switch surgery for transposition of the great arteries. Total isovolumic time is the time that the ventricle is neither ejecting nor filling and is calculated without relying on geometric assumptions. We assessed resting total isovolumic time in this population and its relationship to exercise capacity.MethodsA total of 40 adult patients with transposition of the great arteries after atrial switch – and 10 healthy controls – underwent transthoracic echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing from January, 2006 to January, 2009. Resting total isovolumic time was measured in seconds per minute: 60 minus total ejection time plus total filling time.ResultsThe mean age was 31.6 plus or minus 7.6 years, and 38.0% were men. There were 16 patients (40%) who had more than or equal to moderate systolic dysfunction of the right ventricle. Intra- and inter-observer agreement was good for total isovolumic time, which was significantly prolonged in patients compared with controls (12.0 plus or minus 3.9 seconds per minute versus 6.0 plus or minus 1.8 seconds per minute, p-value less than 0.001) and correlated significantly with peak oxygen consumption (r equals minus 0.63, p-value less than 0.001). The correlation strengthened (r equals minus 0.73, p-value less than 0.001) after excluding seven patients with exercise-induced cyanosis. No relationship was found between exercise capacity and right ventricular ejection fraction or long-axis amplitude.ConclusionResting isovolumic time is prolonged after atrial switch for patients with transposition of the great arteries. It is highly reproducible and relates well to exercise capacity.
Long-term inhaled iloprost use in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Alehan Dursun , Yıldırım Işıl , Şahin Murat , Özkutlu Süheyla , Özer Sema , Karagöz Tevfik 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBackgroundWe performed a retrospective analysis of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension receiving inhaled iloprost in a single centre to evaluate long-term tolerability, safety, and efficacy of chronic inhaled iloprost therapy in children.MethodsA total of 20 patients with either idiopathic or associated pulmonary arterial hypertension were treated with iloprost between April, 2003 and January, 2010. The median age and weight of the patients were 3.8 years – ranging from 4 months to 19 years – and 12.3 kilograms – ranging from 4 to 73 kilograms – respectively. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was idiopathic or hereditary in eight patients (40%) and associated with congenital cardiac disease in 12 patients (60%).ResultsOf the 20 patients, 15 had combined therapy – 12 patients with two and three patients with three different classes of drugs. In all, six patients died during follow-up. The median follow-up time was 18 months, ranging from 6 to 74 months. The 6-minute walking test was performed in 7 out of 20 patients at baseline and on follow-up. The median 6-minute walking test increased from 420 to 490 metres after iloprost therapy (p = 0.028). After initiation of iloprost therapy, one patient complained of headache and another had a rash around his mouth, none necessitating discontinuation of therapy. Overall compliance with inhaled iloprost was good.ConclusionPulmonary hypertension is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Careful assessment of each patient and timely combination of specific vasodilator therapy is needed to improve clinical outcomes. This study suggests that inhaled iloprost, with or without concomitant endotelin receptor antagonist and/or phosphodiesterase inhibitor, is safe and efficacious for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in children.