bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exercise Training and Plasma C‐Reactive Protein and Interleukin‐6 in Elderly People
Authors: Nicklas Barbara J. , Hsu Fang‐Chi , Brinkley Tina J. , Church Timothy , Goodpaster Bret H. , Kritchevsky Stephen B. , Pahor Marco 
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of a long‐term exercise intervention on two prominent biomarkers of inflammation (C‐reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6)) in elderly men and women.DESIGN: Single‐blind, randomized, controlled trial: The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Trial.SETTING: The Cooper Institute, Dallas, Texas; Stanford University, Stanford, California; University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Wake Forest University, Winston‐Salem, North Carolina.PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred twenty‐four elderly (aged 70–89), nondisabled, community‐dwelling men and women at risk for physical disability.INTERVENTION: A 12‐month moderate‐intensity physical activity (PA) intervention and a successful aging (SA) health education intervention.MEASUREMENTS: CRP and IL‐6.RESULTS: After adjustment for baseline IL‐6, sex, clinic site, diabetes mellitus, treatment group, visit, and group‐by‐visit interaction, the PA intervention resulted in a lower (P=.02) IL‐6 concentration than the SA intervention. Adjusted mean IL‐6 at month 12 was 8.5% (0.21 pg/mL) higher in the SA than the PA group. There were no significant differences in CRP between the groups at 12 months (P=.09). Marginally significant interaction effects of the PA intervention according to baseline functional status (P=.05) and IL‐6 (above vs below the median; P=.06) were observed. There was a greater effect of the PA intervention on participants with lower functional status and those with a higher baseline IL‐6.CONCLUSION: Greater PA results in lower systemic concentrations of IL‐6 in elderly individuals, and this benefit is most pronounced in individuals at the greatest risk for disability and subsequent loss of independence.
Death Certificate Inaccuracy and Underreporting of Injury in Elderly People
Authors: Betz Marian E. , Kelly Sean P. , Fisher Jonathan 
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether resident physicians (MDs) could complete a death certificate for elderly patients with injury‐related fatalities and whether their abilities were related to training or other factors.SETTING: A large tertiary teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred thirty‐six MDs.DESIGN: Through an anonymous Web‐based test, MDs were questioned regarding prior training and experience in completion of death certificates. The MDs read a case of an elderly patient who died from intracranial bleeding after a fall and then completed a test death certificate. Whether proper completion was associated with MD characteristics such as year of residency, self‐assessment, or previous death certificate experience was examined.RESULTS: Almost two‐thirds (63.6%) of MDs completed the test. Of participants, 52% (95% confidence interval (CI)=46–59%) filled out the death certificate with the correct primary cause of death and 10% (95% CI=6–14%) listed the three major contributing causes of death. Only 35% (95% CI=28–41%) correctly reported injury as a contributing cause of death, but 51% of the participants reported a high level of confidence in their ability to complete a death certificate accurately.CONCLUSION: Accurate completion of the sample death certificate and identification of injury was low, and MDs overrated their abilities. Death certificates completed by MDs may not be accurate and may underestimate the contribution of injury to elderly mortality.
Adolescents' Time Use and Academic Achievement: A Test of the Reproduction and Mobility Models*
Authors: Dumais Susan A. 
Published: October 2008

Objectives. Following up on Bourdieu's (1973) model of reproduction and DiMaggio's (1982) model of mobility, I determine whether there are socioeconomic differences in the academic benefits provided by adolescents' use of free time.Methods. I analyze the associations that students' uses of time have with mathematics achievement test scores and grade point averages, using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 and OLS regression models.Results. Time spent on school‐sponsored activities is associated with improved math test scores, while time spent on social activities is negatively associated with them. School activities are more beneficial for students in the bottom SES quartile than in the top two SES quartiles.Conclusions. Limited support is found for the mobility model; however, lower‐SES students are more likely to engage in activities such as television watching and videogame playing that are associated with lower test scores and grades, and higher‐SES students are more likely to participate in beneficial school‐sponsored activities.
State Income Inequality and Presidential Election Turnout and Outcomes*
Authors: Galbraith James K. , Hale J. Travis 
Published: October 2008

Objective. This study examines the links among income inequality, voter turnout, and electoral choice at the state level in recent presidential elections.Methods. We introduce two new state‐level ecological data sets, estimated annual Gini coefficients of income inequality from 1969 to 2004 and a measure of income segregation across Census tracts within states in 1999. We test for associations among inequality, turnout, and party preference with cross‐sectional, fixed‐effects, and multilevel analyses.Results. The cross‐sectional effect of inequality on voter turnout and electoral choice is ambiguous. However, a fixed‐effects analysis links higher income inequality to lower voter turnout and also to a stronger Democratic vote. Multilevel results indicate that higher levels of economic segregation likewise are associated with depressed turnout, after controlling for individual voter characteristics and for state‐level income.
Women Running for Judge: The Impact of Sex on Candidate Success in State Intermediate Appellate Court Elections*
Authors: Frederick Brian , Streb Matthew J. 
Published: October 2008

Objective.This article will examine whether candidate sex impacts electoral outcomes in judicial elections.Methods.We examine the success of male and female candidates in contested, nonretention elections for state intermediate appellate courts (IACs) from 2000–2006 using OLS and logistic regression analysis.Results.We find that there is no systematic bias against women candidates in IAC races over this period. In fact, there is some evidence that women may actually perform slightly better than men.Conclusions.Contrary to the claims of some scholars, these results suggest judicial elections do not hinder diversity on the state appellate bench.
Democracy, Participation, and Life Satisfaction*
Authors: Owen Ann L. , Videras Julio , Willemsen Christina 
Published: October 2008

Objectives.We examine whether democracy, political participation, and differing systems of democracy influence individual levels of subjective well‐being.Methods.We use individual data on life satisfaction and characteristics related to satisfaction for approximately 46 countries. We estimate ordered probit models with country and time dummy variables and cluster‐adjusted robust standard errors.Results.Democracy is positively correlated with individual levels of well‐being. The opportunity to participate in the political process and whether the democracy is parliamentary or presidential are related to individual well‐being.Conclusions.Democratic institutions influence subjective well‐being. The well‐being of individuals with minority political views decreases in parliamentary systems.
Intra‐Household Specialization in Housework in the United States and Denmark*
Authors: Bonke Jens , Deding Mette , Lausten Mette , Stratton Leslie S. 
Published: October 2008

Objective. Focusing on housework activities, we hypothesize that the degree of specialization is influenced by economic notions of efficiency, as well as by time constraints and egalitarian values.Methods. Employing time‐use data on U.S. and Danish couples, we construct a composite index measure of intra‐household specialization. We analyze the comparability of reported time use and our specialization index using different types of data, and then model specialization using a multivariate two‐limit Tobit.Results. We find evidence that Danish households specialize less than U.S. households and that children, particularly preschool‐aged children, are associated with significantly increased specialization in the United States but not in Denmark.Conclusions. We postulate that the more egalitarian social structure in Scandinavia is a driving force behind the lower rate of specialization observed in Denmark. Further, we believe the subsidized child‐care services provided by the Danish welfare system reduce the impact children have on specialization in ordinary housework tasks.
Regulatory roles for histone deacetylation in IL‐1β‐induced nitric oxide release in pancreatic β‐cells
Authors: Susick L. , Veluthakal R. , Suresh M. V. , Hadden T. , Kowluru A. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractHistone (de)acetylases control gene transcription via modification of the chromatin structure. Herein, we investigated potential roles for histone deacetylation (or hypoacetylation) in interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β)‐mediated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) release in insulin‐secreting INS 832/13 (INS) cells. Western blot analysis suggested localization of members of Class 1 and Class 2 families of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in these cells. Trichostatin A (TSA), a known inhibitor of HDACs, markedly reduced IL‐1β‐mediated iNOS expression and NO release from these cells in a concentration‐dependent manner. TSA also promoted hyperacetylation of histone H4 under conditions in which it inhibited IL‐1β‐mediated effects on isolated β cells. Rottlerin, a known inhibitor of protein kinase Cδ, also increased histone H4 acetylation, and inhibited IL‐1β‐induced iNOS expression and NO release in these cells. It appears that the putative mechanism underlying the stimulatory effects of rottlerin on acetylation status of histone H4 are distinct from the HDAC inhibitory property of TSA, since rottlerin failed to inhibit HDAC activity in nuclear extracts isolated from INS cells. These data are suggestive of potential regulatory effects of rottlerin at the level of increasing the histone acetyltransferase activity in these cells. Together our studies present the first evidence to suggest a PKCδ‐mediated signalling step, which promotes hypoacetylation of candidate histones culminating in IL‐1β‐induced metabolic dysfunction of the isolated β cell.
NFκB mediates IL‐1β‐induced down‐regulation of TβRII through the modulation of Sp3 expression
Authors: Baugé C. , Beauchef G. , Leclercq S. , Kim S. J. , Pujol J. P. , Galéra P. , Boumédiene K. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractWe previously showed that interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) down‐regulation of type II TGFβ receptor (TβRII) involves NFκB pathway and requires de novo synthesis of a yet unknown protein. Here, we demonstrate that this effect is mediated through Sp1 site located at position ‐25 of human TβRII promoter. Inhibition of transcription factors binding (decoy oligonucleotides or mithramycin) abolished IL‐1β effect. EMSA and ChIP revealed that this treatment induced Sp3 binding to cis‐sequence whereby IL‐1β exerts its transcriptional effects whereas it decreased that of Sp1. Moreover, although the cytokine did not modulate Sp1 expression, it increased that of Sp3 via NFκB pathway. Experiments of gain and loss of function clearly showed that Sp3 inhibited TβRII expression whereas its silencing abolished IL‐1β effect. In addition, both Sp1 and Sp3 were found to interact with NFκB, which therefore may indirectly interact with TβRII pro moter. Altogether, these data suggest that IL‐1β decreases TβRII expression by inducing Sp3 via NFκB and its binding on core promote at the expense of Sp1, which could explain the loss of cell responsiveness in certain conditions. These findings bring new insights in the knowledge of the interference between two antagonistic transduction pathways involved in multiple physiopathological processes.
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III secretion system plays a dual role in the regulation of caspase‐1 mediated IL‐1β maturation
Authors: Galle M. , Schotte P. , Haegman M. , Wullaert A. , Yang H. J. , Jin S. , Beyaert R. 
Published: October 2008

Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that forms a serious problem for immunocompromised patients and also the leading cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis. The overall importance of a functional Type III secretion system (T3SS) in P. aeru inosa virulence has been well established, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Using in vitro infected macrophages as w as a murine model of acute lung infection, we show that the Caspase‐1 mediated maturation and secretion of IL‐1β needs a translocation competent T3SS and Flagellin, but not the Type III effector proteins ExoS, ExoT and ExoY. However, ExoS was found to negative regulate the P. aeruginosa induced IL‐1β maturation by a mechanism that is dependent on its ADP ribosyltransferase activity. Moreov ExoS deficiency also switched the mode of macrophage death from apoptosis to pro‐inflammatory pyroptosis. Altogether, these da demonstrate a dual role for the P. aeruginosa T3SS in the regulation of Caspase‐1 mediated IL‐1β production and provide new insigh into the mechanisms of immune evasion by this pathogen.
Neural stem cells improve neuronal survival in cultured postmortem brain tissue from aged and Alzheimer patients
Authors: Wu L. , Sluiter A. A. , Guo Ho‐fu , Balesar R. A. , Swaab D. F. , Zhou Jiang‐Ning , Verwer R. W. H. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractNeurodegenerative diseases are progressive and incurable and are becoming ever more prevalent. To study whether neural stem cell can reactivate or rescue functions of impaired neurons in the human aging and neurodegenerating brain, we co‐cultured postmortem slices from Alzheimer patients and control participants with rat embryonic day 14 (E14) neural stem cells. Viability staining based on the exclusion of ethidium bromide by intact plasma membranes showed that there were strikingly more viable cells and fewer dead cells in slices co‐cultured with neural stem cells than in untreated slices. The presence of Alzheimer pathology in the brain slices did not influence this effect, although the slices from Alzheimer patients, in general, contained fewer viable cells. Co‐culturing with rat E14 fibroblasts did not improve the viability of neurons in the human brain slices. Since the human slices and neural stem cells were separated by a membrane during co‐culturing our data show for the first time that neural stem cells release diffusible factors that may improve the survival of aged and degenerating neurons in human brains.
Cell‐to‐cell cross‐talk between mesenchymal stem cells and cardiomyocytes in co‐culture
Authors: Plotnikov E. Y. , Khryapenkova T. G. , Vasileva A. K. , Marey M. V. , Galkina S. I. , Isaev N. K. , Sheval E. V. , Polyakov V. Y. , Sukhikh G. T. , Zorov D. B. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe goals of the study were: (1) to explore the communication between human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and rat cardiac myocytes resulting in differentiation of the stem cells and, (2) to evaluate the role of mitochondria in it. Light and fluorescence microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy revealed that after co‐cultivation, cells formed intercellular contacts and transient exchange with cytosolic elements could be observed. The transport of cytosolic entity had no specific direction. Noticeably, mitochondria also could be transferred to the recipient cells in a unidirectional fashion (towards cardiomyocytes only). Transmission electron microscopy revealed significant variability in both the diameter of intercellular contacting tubes and their shape. Inside of these nanotubes mitochondria‐resembling structures were identified. Moreover, after co‐cultivation with cardiomyocytes, expression of human‐specific myosin was revealed in MSC. Thus, we speculate that: (1) transport of intracellular elements to MSC possibly can determine the direction of their differentiation and, (2) mitochondria may be involved in the mechanism of the stem cell differentiation. It looks plausible that mitochondrial transfer to recipient cardiomyocytes may be involved in the mechanism of failed myocardium repair after stem cells transplantation.
Nitric oxide decreases the excitability of interstitial cells of Cajal through activation of the BK channel
Authors: Zhu Yaohui , Huizinga Jan D. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractNitrergic nerves are structurally and functionally associated with ICC. To further understand mechanisms of communication, the hypothesis was investigated that NO might affect large conductance K channels. To that end, we searched for IbTX‐sensitive currents in ICC obtained through explant cultures from the mouse small intestine and studied effects of the NOS inhibitor omega N‐nitro‐L‐arginine (LNNA) and the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). IbTX‐sensitive currents acquired in the whole‐cell configuration through nystatin perforated patches exhibited high noise levels but relatively low amplitude, whereas currents obtained in the conventional whole‐cell configuration exhibited less noise and higher amplitudes; depolarization from −80 to + 40 mV evoked 357 ± 159 pA current in the nystatin perforated patch configuration and 1075 ± 597 pA using the conventional whole‐cell configuration. Immunohistochemistry showed that ICC associated with ganglia and Auerbach's plexus nerve fibers were immunoreactive to BK antibodies. The IbTX‐sensitive currents were increased by SNP and inhibited by LNNA. BK blockers suppressed spontaneous transit outward currents in ICC. After block of BK currents, or before these currents became prominent, calcium currents were activated by depolarization in the same cells. Their peak amplitude occurred at −25 mV and the currents were increased with increasing extracellular calcium and inhibited by cobalt. The hypothesis is warranted that nitrergic innervation inhibits ICC excitability in part through activation of BK channels. In addition, NO is an intracellular regulator of ICC excitability.
Identification by a differential proteomic approach of the induced stress and redox proteins by resveratrol in the normal and diabetic rat heart
Authors: Dekkers D. H. W. , Bezstarosti K. , Gurusamy N. , Luijk K. , Verhoeven A. J. M. , Rijkers E. ‐J. , Demmers J. A. , Lamers J. M. J. , Maulik N. , Das D. K. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractA recent study showed cardioprotective effects of resveratrol on the diabetic heart. The present study sought to compare the protein profiles of the normal versus diabetic hearts after resveratrol treatment using differential proteomic analysis. Rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and diabetic. Both groups of rats were fed resveratrol (2.5 mg/kg/day) for 7 days, and then the rats were sacrificed, hearts were isolated and cytoplasmic fraction from left ventricular tissue was collected to carry out proteomic profiling as well as immunoblotting. Compared to normal hearts, diabetic hearts show increased myocardial infarct size and cardiomy‐ocyte apoptosis upon ex vivo global ischaemia of 30 min. followed by 2 hrs of reperfusion. Resveratrol reduced infarct size and apop‐totic cell death for both the groups, but the extent of infarct size and apoptosis remained higher for the diabetic group compared to the normal group. The left ventricular cytoplasmic proteins were analysed by 2D‐DIGE and differentially displayed bands were further analysed by nano Liquid Chromatography‐Mass Spectroscopy (LC‐MS/MS). The results showed differential regulation of normal versus diabetic hearts treated with resveratrol of many proteins related to energy metabolism of which several were identified as mitochondrial proteins. Of particular interest is the increased expression of several chaperone proteins and oxidative stress and redox proteins in the diabetic group including Hsc70, HSPp6, GRP75, peroxiredoxin (Prdx)‐1 and Prdx‐3 whose expression was reversed by resveratrol. Western blot analysis was performed to validate the up‐ or down‐regulation of these stress proteins. The results indicate the differential regulation by resveratrol of stress proteins in diabetic versus normal hearts, which may explain in part the beneficial effects of resveratrol in diabetic induced cardiovascular complications.
Use of a novel collagen matrix with oriented pore structure for muscle cell differentiation in cell culture and in grafts
Authors: Kroehne V. , Heschel I. , Schügner F. , Lasrich D. , Bartsch J. W. , Jockusch H. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractTissue engineering of skeletal muscle from cultured cells has been attempted using a variety of synthetic and natural macromolecular scaffolds. Our study describes the application of artificial scaffolds (collagen sponges, CS) consisting of collagen‐I with parallel pores (width 20–50 μm) using the permanent myogenic cell line C2C12. CS were infiltrated with a high‐density cell suspension, incubated in medium for proliferation of myoblasts prior to further culture in fusion medium to induce differentiation and formation of multinucleated myotubes. This resulted in a parallel arrangement of myotubes within the pore structures. CS with either proliferating cells or with myotubes were grafted into the beds of excised anterior tibial muscles of immunodeficient host mice. The recipient mice were transgenic for enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) to determine a host contribution to the regenerated muscle tissue. Histological analysis 14–50 days after surgery showed that donor muscle fibres had formed in situ with host contributions in the outer portions of the regenerates. The function of the regenerates was assessed by direct electrical stimulation which resulted in the generation of mechanical force. Our study demonstrated that biodegradable CS with parallel pores support the formation of oriented muscle fibres and are compatible with force generation in regenerated muscle.
Role of aquaporins and regulation of secretory vesicle volume in cell secretion
Authors: Sugiya H. , Matsuki‐Fukushima M. , Hashimoto S. 
Published: October 2008

IntroductionRole of AQPs in cell secretionConclusionsAbstractIn exocrine glands, secretory proteins synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) exhibit vectorial transport from ER through a succession of membrane‐bounded components such as Golgi complex, condensing vacuoles and secretory granules. The secretory granules migrate to particular locations within the cell close to the apical membrane prior to the release of their contents into the acinar lumen. Currently, to release intragranular contents, secretory granules have been demonstrated to transiently dock and fuse at ‘porosome’, a permanent cup‐shaped structures at the cell membranes. Then swelling of secretory granules occurs to allow explusion of intragranular contents. In this process, water and ion fluxes in the granule membrane appear to contribute to maintain secretory granule integrity and morphologyviaosmoregulation in secretory granules. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of small, hydrophobic, integral membrane proteins, which function as channels to permeate water and small solutes. The AQPs reside constitutively at the plasma membrane in most cell types. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the AQPs are present in secretory granules in exocrine glands, synaptic vesicles and intracellular vesicles in liver and kidney, implying that AQPs in secretory granules and vesicles are involved in their volume regulation. This paper reviews the possible role of AQPs on secretory granules, especially in exocrine glands, in secretory function.