bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Toll-like receptors 1–9 are elevated in livers with fructose-induced hepatic steatosis
Authors: Wagnerberger Sabine , Spruss Astrid , Kanuri Giridhar , Volynets Valentina , Stahl Carolin , Bischoff Stephan C. , Bergheim Ina 
Published: October 2011

Studies in animals and human subjects indicate that gut-derived bacterial endotoxins may play a critical role in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In the present study, we investigated if the liver is also sensitised by other microbial components during the onset of fructose-induced steatosis in a mouse model. C57BL/6 mice were either fed with 30 % fructose solution or tap water (control) with or without antibiotics for 8 weeks. Expression of toll-like receptors (TLR)1–9, TNF-α, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and number of F4/80 positive cells in the liver were assessed. Occludin protein, DNA of microbiota in the small and large intestine and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) in plasma were analysed using Western blot, DNA fingerprinting and ELISA, respectively. F4/80 positive cells were determined by immunohistochemistry. The accumulation of TAG found in the livers of fructose-fed mice was associated with a significant induction of TLR 1–4 and 6–8. Plasma RBP4 concentration and hepatic mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, iNOS, MyD88 and number of F4/80 positive cells of fructose-fed animals were significantly higher than those of controls; however, these effects of fructose were attenuated in antibiotic-treated mice. Whereas protein concentration of occludin was lower in the duodenum of fructose-treated mice, no systematic alterations of microbiota were found in this part of the intestine. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that (1) an increased intestinal translocation of microbial components and (2) an increased number of F4/80 positive cells and induction of several TLR and dependent pathways (e.g. MyD88 and iNOS) may be involved in the onset of fructose-induced NAFLD.
Seasonality of the dietary dimension of household food security in urban Burkina Faso
Authors: Becquey Elodie , Delpeuch Francis , Konaté Amadou M. , Delsol Hervé , Lange Matthias , Zoungrana Mahama , Martin-Prevel Yves 
Published: October 2011

Food insecurity is affecting an increasing number of urban poor in the developing world. Yet seasonal characteristics of food intakes have rarely been studied in West African cities. The objective of the present study was to assess the seasonality of the dietary dimension of household food security in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). In 2007, two sets of data were collected during the lean and post-harvest seasons, respectively, on a representative sample of 1056 households. At each season, two non-consecutive 24 h recalls were performed at the household level. Food prices were also recorded. Household food security was assessed by the household's mean adequacy ratio (MAR) for energy and eleven micronutrients. Changes in the MAR according to the season were analysed by mixed multivariate linear regression. Results showed that intakes of energy and of ten micronutrients were significantly lower during the lean season than during the post-harvest season, leading to a lower MAR in the lean season (49·61 v. 53·57, P < 0·0001). This was related to less frequent consumption and consumption of smaller amounts of vegetables and of foods prepared at home. Food security relied heavily on food expenses (P < 0·0001) and on the price of meat/fish (P = 0·026). Households with economically dependent adults (P = 0·021) and larger households (P < 0·0001) were the most vulnerable, whereas education (P = 0·030), social network (P = 0·054) and urban origin other than Ouagadougou (P = 0·040) played a positive role in food security. To achieve food security in Ouagadougou, access to micronutrient-dense foods needs to be ensured in all seasons.
Evaluation of general nutrition knowledge in elite Australian athletes
Authors: Spendlove Jessica K. , Heaney Susan E. , Gifford Janelle A. , Prvan Tania , Denyer Gareth S. , O'Connor Helen T. 
Published: October 2011

The aim of the present study was to investigate and benchmark the level of general nutrition knowledge in elite Australian athletes (EA) against a similar aged community (CM) and criterion sample with dietetic training (DT). EA (n175), CM (n116) and DT (n53) completed the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (GNKQ), which assesses four domains (sections A–D) of general nutrition knowledge (section A: dietary guidelines; section B: sources of nutrients; section C: choosing everyday foods; section D: diet–disease relationships). Age, sex and education level were collected in all groups, and athletic calibre and sport type (team or individual) in EA. Dietitians and nutrition scientists (n53) re-examined the GNKQ for content validity, resulting in instrument revision (R-GNKQ; ninety-six items). Psychometric assessment (internal consistency: Cronbach-α; test–retest: Spearman rank correlation) was performed in a sub-sample (n28). Independentttests, ANOVA and ANCOVA (χ2for categorical variables) were used to assess between-group differences. DT scored higher than EA and CM in all sub-sections and overall (P < 0·005). EA scored lower than CM in GNKQ for section B (P < 0·005) and overall (P < 0·005), and in R-GNKQ for section B (P < 0·005), section C (P < 0·005), section D (P = 0·006) and overall (P < 0·005). Overall score was influenced by age (P = 0·036 for GNKQ:P = 0·053 for R-GNKQ), sex (P = 0·016 for GNKQ:P = 0·003 for R-GNKQ) and athletic calibre (P = 0·029 for R-GNKQ only), but not level of education, living situation or ethnicity. EA and CM performed best on section A and worst on D. EA had lower overall general knowledge scores than CM. This was significantly influenced by age and sex.
Effects of plant sterol esters in skimmed milk and vegetable-fat-enriched milk on serum lipids and non-cholesterol sterols in hypercholesterolaemic subjects: a randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover study
Authors: Casas-Agustench Patricia , Serra Mercè , Pérez-Heras Ana , Cofán Montserrat , Pintó Xavier , Trautwein Elke A. , Ros Emilio 
Published: October 2011

Plant sterol (PS)-supplemented foods are recommended to help in lowering serum LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C). Few studies have examined the efficacy of PS-enriched skimmed milk (SM) or semi-SM enriched with vegetable fat (PS-VFM). There is also insufficient information on factors predictive of LDL-C responses to PS. We examined the effects of PS-SM (0·1 % dairy fat) and PS-VFM (0·1 % dairy fat plus 1·5 % vegetable fat) on serum lipids and non-cholesterol sterols in hypercholesterolaemic individuals. In a placebo-controlled, crossover study, forty-three subjects with LDL-C>1300 mg/l were randomly assigned to three 4-week treatment periods: control SM, PS-SM and PS-VFM, with 500 ml milk with or without 3·4 g PS esters (2 g free PS). Serum concentrations of lipids and non-cholesterol sterols were measured. Compared to control, LDL-C decreased by 8·0 and 7·4 % (P < 0·015, both) in the PS-SM and PS-VFM periods, respectively. Serum lathosterol:cholesterol (C) ratios increased by 11–25 %, while sitosterol:C and campesterol:C ratios increased by 70–120 % with both the PS-fortified milk. Adjusted LDL-C reductions were variably enhanced in participants with basal low serum lathosterol/C or conversely high sitosterol/C and campesterol/C. Subjects with post-treatment serum PS:C ratios above the median showed mean LDL-C changes of − 5·9 to − 10·4 %, compared with 1·7 to − 2·9 % below the median. In conclusion, consumption of 2 g/d of PS as PS-SM and PS-VFM lowered LDL-C in hypercholesterolaemic subjects to a similar extent. Basal and post-treatment changes in markers of cholesterol metabolism indicating low cholesterol synthesis and high cholesterol absorption predicted improved LDL-C responses to PS.
A large-scale intervention to introduce orange sweet potato in rural Mozambique increases vitamin A intakes among children and women
Authors: Hotz Christine , Loechl Cornelia , de Brauw Alan , Eozenou Patrick , Gilligan Daniel , Moursi Mourad , Munhaua Bernardino , van Jaarsveld Paul , Carriquiry Alicia , Meenakshi J. V. 
Published: October 2011

β-Carotene-rich orange sweet potato (OSP) has been shown to improve vitamin A status of infants and young children in controlled efficacy trials and in a small-scale effectiveness study with intensive exposure to project inputs. However, the potential of this important food crop to reduce the risk of vitamin A deficiency in deficient populations will depend on the ability to distribute OSP vines and promote its household production and consumption on a large scale. In rural Mozambique, we conducted a randomised, controlled effectiveness study of a large-scale intervention to promote household-level OSP production and consumption using integrated agricultural, demand creation/behaviour change and marketing components. The following two intervention models were compared: a low-intensity (1 year) and a high-intensity (nearly 3 years) training model. The primary nutrition outcomes were OSP and vitamin A intakes by children 6–35 months and 3–5·5 years of age, and women. The intervention resulted in significant net increases in OSP intakes (model 1: 46, 48 and 97 g/d) and vitamin A intakes (model 1: 263, 254 and 492 μg retinol activity equivalents/d) among the younger children, older children and women, respectively. OSP accounted for 47–60 % of all sweet potato consumed and, among reference children, provided 80 % of total vitamin A intakes. A similar magnitude of impact was observed for both models, suggesting that group-level trainings in nutrition and agriculture could be limited to the first project year without compromising impact. Introduction of OSP to rural, sweet potato-producing communities in Mozambique is an effective way to improve vitamin A intakes.
Oral administration of insulin-like growth factor-I from colostral whey reduces blood glucose in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice
Authors: Hwang Kyung-A , Hwang Yu-Jin , Ha Woelkyu , Choo Young-Kug , Ko Kisung 
Published: October 2011

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of oral administration of the insulin-like growth factor-I-rich fraction (IGF-I-RF) from bovine colostral whey on the regulation of blood glucose levels in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. We obtained a peptide fraction containing IGF-I (10 ng/mg protein) from Holstein colostrum within 24 h after parturition by using ultrafiltration. The blood glucose levels of STZ-induced diabetic mice fed with IGF-I-RF (50 μg/kg per d) were significantly reduced by 11 and 33 % at weeks 2 and 4, respectively (P < 0·05). The body weights of STZ-induced diabetic mice increased following the oral administration of the IGF-I-RF. The kidney weights of STZ-induced diabetic mice decreased significantly (P < 0·05) following the administration of the IGF-I-RF, and the liver weights of STZ-induced diabetic mice decreased significantly (P < 0·05) following the administration of 50 μg/kg per d of the IGF-I-RF. The present results indicate that the IGF-I-RF obtained from Holstein colostrum could be a useful component for an alternative therapeutic modality for the treatment of diabetes in insulin-resistant patients.
Molecular and morphological characterisation of Pseudococcidae surveyed on crops and ornamental plants in Spain
Authors: Beltrà A. , Soto A. , Malausa T. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractMealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are common invasive pests in Europe, causing major problems on crops and ornamental plants. However, very few data are available concerning the mealybug fauna of southern Europe. This lack of data and the difficulty of identifying mealybugs morphologically by traditional techniques currently limit the perspectives for efficient specific pest management. The aim of this study was to provide multi-criterion characterization of mealybugs surveyed in eastern Spain in order to facilitate their routine identification through DNA sequencing or the use of derived species-specific molecular tools. We characterised 33 mealybug populations infesting crops and ornamental plants in eastern Spain, using a combination of molecular and morphological techniques, including the sequencing of the universal barcode DNA region cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). This characterisation has led to the identification of ten species and provides sequence data for three previously unsequenced species, contributing to the phylogenetic knowledge of the family Pseudococcidae. In addition, the intraspecific variations found in the populations of five mealybug species provide insight into their invasion history.
Explaining Mass Support for Agricultural Protectionism: Evidence from a Survey Experiment During the Global Recession
Authors: Naoi Megumi , Kume Ikuo 
Published: October 2011

AbstractWhy are citizens in advanced industrialized countries willing to accept high prices for agricultural products? Conventional wisdom suggests that agricultural interests secure government protection because producers are concentrated and better politically organized than diffused consumers. Due to its focus on producer capacity for collective action, however, the literature fails to account for the high levels of mass support for agricultural protectionism in advanced industrialized nations. This article presents new evidence from a survey experiment in Japan conducted during the recent global recession (December 2008) that accounts for this puzzle. Using randomly assigned visual stimuli, the experiment activates respondents' identification with either producer or consumer interests and proceeds to ask attitudinal questions regarding food imports. The results suggest that consumer priming has no reductive or additive effects on the respondents' support for liberalizing food imports. Surprisingly, producer priming increases respondents' opposition to food import, particularly among those who fear future job insecurity. We further disentangle the puzzling finding that consumers think like producers on the issue of food import along two mechanisms: “sympathy” for farmers and “projection” of their own job insecurity. The results lend strong support to the projection hypothesis.
Explaining External Support for Insurgent Groups
Authors: Salehyan Idean , Gleditsch Kristian Skrede , Cunningham David E. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractMany rebel organizations receive significant assistance from external governments, yet the reasons why some rebels attract foreign support while others do not is poorly understood. We analyze factors determining external support for insurgent groups from a principal-agent perspective. We focus on both the supply side, that is, when states are willing to support insurgent groups in other states, and the demand side, that is, when groups are willing to accept such support, with the conditions that this may entail. We test our hypotheses using new disaggregated data on insurgent groups and foreign support. Our results indicate that external rebel support is influenced by characteristics of the rebel group as well as linkages between rebel groups and actors in other countries. More specifically, we find that external support is more likely for moderately strong groups where support is more likely to be offered and accepted, in the presence of transnational constituencies, international rivalries, and when the government receives foreign support.
Older women and their representations of old age: a qualitative analysis
Authors: QUÉNIART ANNE , CHARPENTIER MICHÈLE 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTIn this article we shall be analysing the representations of old age and ageing made by three generations of older women with different life stories (single, married, children and childless). Our principal findings, based on a qualitative analysis of 25 in-depth interviews conducted with three generations of older women (65–74, 75–84 and 85 and older), mainly reveal their reluctance and even refusal to define themselves as ‘older or elderly women’, largely due to persistent stereotypes linking old age to dependency, social isolation and fragility. Aware of the social prejudice regarding women and old age, they reject it unanimously. Older women represent a challenge to these homogenising preconceptions of old age, which they, on the contrary, experience in a multitude of ways, often enjoyable. Their conceptions of ‘ageing well’ are diverse and do not correspond to a clinical definition of ageing. Their representations of ‘ageing well’ and of ageing express positive values of autonomy, independence, consistency and integrity, maintenance of physical and intellectual health, and being socially active so they can ‘stay in the swing of things’, in the continuum of their lives and future projects, rather breaking with contemporary life or existing on the margins of society.
Juvenile xanthogranuloma with lichenoid appearance
Authors: YONEDA Kozo , DEMITSU Toshio , KUBOTA Yasuo 
Published: October 2011

AbstractJuvenile xanthogranulomas are benign histiocytic cell tumors that develop mainly in infancy and early childhood and then spontaneously regress. We report a 2‐year‐old boy who presented with generalized eruption of a mixture of micronodular and macronodular juvenile xanthogranuloma with a large number of widely distributed lichenoid papules. Light microscopic and immunocytochemical analyses of the lesion were consistent with juvenile xanthogranuloma. Abdominal ultrasonography did not detect any visceral lesions, and brain magnetic resonance imaging did not detect any mass lesions. We decided to observe the course without treatment in this case because there are no internal masses of juvenile xanthogranuloma. Regular follow up has therefore been scheduled. To our knowledge, this is the third report of a case demonstrating juvenile xanthogranuloma with lichenoid appearance. Future analyses of various cytokines such as granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor and/or tumor necrosis factor‐α in juvenile xanthogranuloma lesions should be of great help in elucidating the pathogenesis of this disease.
Mechanism‐based population pharmacokinetic modelling in diabetes: vildagliptin as a tight binding inhibitor and substrate of dipeptidyl peptidase IV
Authors: Landersdorfer Cornelia B. , He Yan‐Ling , Jusko William J. 
Published: October 2011

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT• Vildagliptin is a novel antidiabetic agent that acts by inhibiting dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP‐4).• DPP‐4 inhibition results in higher active concentrations of incretin hormone, glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1), leading to reduced glucose concentrations.• Mechanism‐based modelling of the pharmacokinetics (PK) of vildagliptin and its DPP‐4 inhibition effects in type 2 diabetic patients has not been performed.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS• Population pharmacokinetic modelling of the vildagliptin concentrations from three different doses indicated the presence of a small saturable elimination pathway for vildagliptin.• Simultaneous population modelling of the pharmacokinetics and DPP‐4 activity in patients with type 2 diabetes after treatment with vildagliptin revealed: 1) Saturable binding of vildagliptin to DPP‐4 in plasma and tissues and partial hydrolysis of vildagliptin by DPP‐4. 2) Vildagliptin is both an inhibitor and a substrate for DPP‐4.AIMS To assess the pharmacokinetics of vildagliptin at different doses and build a mechanism‐based population model that simultaneously describes vildagliptin pharmacokinetics and its effects on DPP‐4 activity based on underlying physiology and biology.METHODS Vildagliptin concentrations and DPP‐4 activity vs. time from 13 type 2 diabetic patients after oral vildagliptin 10, 25 or 100 mg and placebo twice daily for 28 days were co‐modelled. NONMEM VI and S‐ADAPT were utilized for population modelling.RESULTS A target‐mediated drug disposition (TMDD) model accounting for capacity‐limited high affinity binding of vildagliptin to DPP‐4 in plasma and tissues had good predictive performance. Modelling the full time course of the vildagliptin‐DPP‐4 interaction suggested parallel vildagliptin dissociation from DPP‐4 by a slow first‐order process and hydrolysis by DPP‐4 to an inactive metabolite as a disposition mechanism. Due to limited amounts of DPP‐4, vildagliptin concentrations increased slightly more than dose proportionally. This newly proposed model and the parameter estimates are supported by published in vitro studies. Mean parameter estimates (inter‐individual coefficient of variation) were: non‐saturable clearance 36 l h−1 (25%), central volume of distribution 22 l (37%), half‐life of dissociation from DPP‐4 1.1 h (94%) and half‐life of hydrolysis 6.3 h (81%).CONCLUSIONS Vildagliptin is both an inhibitor and substrate for DPP‐4. By utilizing the TMDD approach, slow dissociation of vildagliptin from DPP‐4 was found in patients and the half‐life of hydrolysis by DPP‐4 estimated. This model can be used to predict DPP‐4 inhibition effects of other dosage regimens and be modified for other DPP‐4 inhibitors to differentiate their properties.
Obesity and aspirin intolerance are risk factors for difficult‐to‐treat asthma in Japanese non‐atopic women
Authors: Fukutomi Y. , Taniguchi M. , Tsuburai T. , Tanimoto H. , Oshikata C. , Ono E. , Sekiya K. , Higashi N. , Mori A. , Hasegawa M. , Nakamura H. , Akiyama K. 
Published: October 2011

SummaryBackgroundAsthma is a clinical syndrome characterized by variabilities in disease expression and severity. The pathophysiological mechanism underlying anti‐asthma treatment resistance is also assumed to be different between disease phenotypes.ObjectiveTo elucidate the effect of gender and atopic phenotype on the relationship between clinical factors and the risk of treatment resistance.MethodsWe compared outpatients with difficult‐to‐treat asthma (DTA; n = 486) in a tertiary hospital for allergic diseases in central Japan with those with controlled severe asthma (n = 621) with respect to clinical factors including body mass index (BMI) and aspirin intolerance using multivariate logistic regression analysis stratified by gender and atopic phenotype.ResultsWhen analysis was performed on the entire study populations, obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2; adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.92; 95% confidence interval (95% CI: 1.07–3.43) and aspirin intolerance (OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.44–4.57) were found to be the significant risk factors for DTA. However, after the stratification by gender and atopic phenotype, the association between obesity and DTA was significant only in women (OR: 2.76, 95% CI: 1.31–5.78), but not in men (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.38–2.81), and only in non‐atopics (OR: 4.03, 95% CI: 1.15–14.08), but not in atopics (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 0.79–3.02). The similar gender and phenotypic differences were also observed in the association between aspirin intolerance and DTA: namely, the association was significant only in women (OR: 3.96, 95% CI: 1.84–8.50), but not in men (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.46–3.05); and only in non‐atopics (OR: 5.49, 95% CI: 1.98–15.19), but not in atopics (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 0.65–2.98).Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceSignificant associations of obesity and aspirin intolerance with DTA were observed only in women and in non‐atopics. These findings suggest that a phenotype‐specific approach is needed to treat patients with DTA.