bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Oncolysis of T Lymphocytes Requires Cell Cycle Entry and Translation Initiation
Authors: Oliere Stephanie , Arguello Meztli , Mesplede Thibault , Tumilasci Vanessa , Nakhaei Peyman , Stojdl David , Sonenberg Nahum , Bell John , Hiscott John 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTVesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a candidate oncolytic virus that replicates and induces cell death in cancer cells while sparing normal cells. Although defects in the interferon antiviral response facilitate VSV oncolysis, other host factors, including translational and growth regulatory mechanisms, also appear to influence oncolytic virus activity. We previously demonstrated that VSV infection induces apoptosis in proliferating CD4+T lymphocytes from adult T-cell leukemia samples but not in resting T lymphocytes or primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells that remain arrested in G0. Activation of primary CD4+T lymphocytes with anti-CD3/CD28 is sufficient to induce VSV replication and cell death in a manner dependent on activation of the MEK1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway but not p38. VSV replication is specifically impaired by the cell cycle inhibitor olomoucine or rapamycin, which induces early G1arrest, but not by aphidicolin or Taxol, which blocks at the G11S or G21M phase, respectively; this result suggests a requirement for cell cycle entry for efficient VSV replication. The relationship between increased protein translation following G0/G1transition and VSV permissiveness is highlighted by the absence of mTOR and/or eIF4E phosphorylation whenever VSV replication is impaired. Furthermore, VSV protein production in activated T cells is diminished by small interfering RNA-mediated eIF4E knockdown. These results demonstrate that VSV replication in primary T lymphocytes relies on cell cycle transition from the G0phase to the G1phase, which is characterized by a sharp increase in ribogenesis and protein synthesis.
A randomised controlled trial on whether a participatory ergonomics intervention could prevent musculoskeletal disorders
Authors: Haukka E , Leino-Arjas P , Viikari-Juntura E , Takala E-P , Malmivaara A , Hopsu L , Mutanen P , Ketola R , Virtanen T , Pehkonen I , Holtari-Leino M , Nykänen J , Stenholm S , Nykyri E , Riihimäki H 
Published: April 2008

Objectives:To examine the efficacy of a participatory ergonomics intervention in preventing musculoskeletal disorders among kitchen workers. Participatory ergonomics is commonly recommended to reduce musculoskeletal disorders, but evidence for its effectiveness is sparse.Methods:A cluster randomised controlled trial among the 504 workers of 119 kitchens in Finland was conducted during 2002–2005. Kitchens were randomised to an intervention (n = 59) and control (n = 60) group. The duration of the intervention that guided the workers to identify strenuous work tasks and to seek solutions for decreasing physical and mental workload, was 11 to 14 months. In total, 402 ergonomic changes were implemented. The main outcome measures were the occurrence of and trouble caused by musculoskeletal pain in seven anatomical sites, local fatigue after work, and sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders. Individual level data were collected by a questionnaire at baseline and every 3 months during the intervention and 1-year follow-up period. All response rates exceeded 92%.Results:No systematic differences in any outcome variable were found between the intervention and control groups during the intervention or during the 1-year follow-up.Conclusions:The intervention did not reduce perceived physical work load and no evidence was found for the efficacy of the intervention in preventing musculoskeletal disorders among kitchen workers. It may be that a more comprehensive redesign of work organisation and processes is needed, taking more account of workers’ physical and mental resources.
Psychosocial factors at work and risk of depression: a systematic review of the epidemiological evidence
Authors: Bonde J P E 
Published: April 2008

Objectives:Major depression is a leading cause of psychiatric morbidity and may be influenced by psychosocial factors in the workplace, although evidence so far remains circumstantial. This paper reviews follow-up studies addressing the risk of major depression and depressive symptoms relative to psychosocial stressors in the working environment and evaluates the evidence for causality.Method:Follow-up studies were identified by a systematic Medline search combining search terms for the outcome and measures of job-related psychosocial factors. The quality of the studies was evaluated using 22 criteria related to their potential for bias and confounding.Results:Sixteen company or population-based studies including some 63 000 employees were identified. Validated multi-item scales were used to measure perceived psychosocial stressors in most of the studies. Major depression was defined by clinical criteria in seven studies and by symptom scales in another seven. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 13 years. The prevalence of depressive disorder varied substantially, suggesting a high degree of study heterogeneity. The adjusted relative risk for onset of a major depressive episode according to job stressors ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 in 44 of 61 reported associations with various psychosocial factor dimensions. Associations were strongest and most consistent for job strain defined as high demand and low decision latitude among men. Most studies shared common limitations such as lack of independent measures of exposure and outcome and potential confounding. Although a meta-analysis would technically be possible, heterogeneity across studies evidenced by variation in the prevalence of depression made this unfeasible.Conclusion:This review provides consistent findings that perception of adverse psychosocial factors in the workplace is related to an elevated risk of subsequent depressive symptoms or major depressive episode; however, methodological limitations preclude causal inference. Studies implementing objective measures of job stressors or independent outcome ascertainment are warranted.
Kinetic study and characterization of sewage sludge for its incineration
Authors: Rodriguez R. , Gauthier D. , Udaquiola S. , Mazza G. , Martinez O. , Flamant G. 
Published: April 2008

The sewage sludge from San Juan, Argentina, was characterized in an attempt to improve the thermal treatment efficiency and to reduce the environmental impact of incineration. The ash content is about 50% dry basis, and its weight loss at 105 °C was high. Taking into account the moisture content, it required drying for an autothermal combustion, thus imposing an additional combustible for incineration. The sludge contains high concentrations of several trace elements, and all but Hg are two to fivefold more concentrated in its ash. Thermogravimetric analyses were carried out on dry samples of sludge in inert and oxidative atmosphere. Three peaks can be observed in all differential thermogravimetric curves during the organic matter decomposition. The pyrolysis curve is over the combustion curve and parallel to it up to high temperatures. A kinetic model of the sludge weight loss during its incineration, based on these studies and combining the multi-step pyrolysis and combustion processes, is proposed and discussed.
Color Change and Life History Observations of the Spider Gea Heptagon (Araneae: Araneidae)
Authors: Sabath Laura Elsa 
Published: April 2008

With the great interest in orb webs and their makers at the present
time (Witt, et al, 1968; Witt, ed., 1969) any observations on webs
and habits of orb weavers of genera other than the ones (Araneus,
Zygiella, Argiope and Uloborus) used currently by experimenters
are of interest.Although spiders of the genus Gea are widespread, with species
in the subtropics and tropics around the world, no studies of life
history or careful web observations of any species of Gea have been
made. Since Gea is believed related to the much larger Argiope
(Levi, 1968), it was of interest to see whether Gea species have
similar habits, as resting in the center of the web and building a
stabilimentum (a zigzag swatch of silk above and below the hub),
and whether they made a similar eggcase. Levi (1968) reviews our
limited knowledge of Gea as follows: the web is vertical with a dense
viscid spiral and apparently without a stabilimentum; it is probably
made in low vegetation and the spider drops from it when slightly
disturbed.
Late Quaternary Ant Fossils From PackratMiddens (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Implicationsfor Climatic Change in the Chihuahuan Desert
Authors: MacKay William P. , Elias Scott A. 
Published: April 2008

Packrat (Neotoma spp.) middens in rock‐shelters provide important
paleoecological records for the desert regions of North America.
Specimens of various arthropod species accumulate in the
middens and are cemented into a black, tarry mass by packrat
urine.We collected a variety of ants, including the genera Labidus,
Pseudomyrmex (?), Aphaenogaster, Crematogaster, Pheidole,
Pogonomyrmex, Solenopsis, Trachymyrmex, Liometopum, and
Camponotus in packrat middens from the Chihuahuan Desert. Our
data suggest a climatic change in the Chihuahuan Desert from
mesic to arid during the past 45,000 years. The coniferous forest,
oak‐juniper woodland of the early Holocene changed to desert‐grassland
about 8250 radiocarbon years before present (yr BP),
with a corresponding shift in ant species composition. By about
7500 yr BP, the presence of several arid adapted species suggests
the establishment of desert environments. Finally after about 2500
yr BP, we see the occurrence of primarily desert adapted ant
species in the Chihuahuan Desert, although mesic adapted species
continue to occur in moist "islands" within the area. The paleoenvironmental
data derived from the ant fossil records agrees closely
with previous reconstructions based on other arthropods.
Stigmatization and Discrimination of HIV/AIDS Women in Kenya: A Violation of Human Rights and its Theological Implications
Authors: Mwaura Philomena Njeri 
Published: April 2008

AbstractDespite spirited efforts by the African governments, the church, faith based organizations, non-governmental organizations, individuals and communities, available statistics confirm that the AIDs epidemic continues to advance. This has been exacerbated by grinding poverty, patriarchal gender power relations that render women powerless, damaging practices supported by both traditional and modern cultures, ineffective health care systems, stigma and discrimination. Women and girl children suffer in greater proportions relative to men. Their human rights have been violated inside and outside the church. There is therefore a need to prioritize women's human rights in order for nation states and individuals to implement successful public health strategies, behaviour change and the restoration and maintenance of human dignity. The church should consistently condemn the sin of stigmatization and discrimination. It should revise its education in this area and develop an ecclesiology that would effectively respond to the HIV/Aids epidemic in a just, loving and gender inclusive manner.
Variability of the Great Plains Low-Level Jet: Large-Scale Circulation Context and Hydroclimate Impacts
Authors: Weaver Scott J. , Nigam Sumant 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
Variability of the Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ) is analyzed from the perspective of larger-scale, lower-frequency influences and regional hydroclimate impacts as opposed to the usual analysis of its frequency, diurnal variability, and mesoscale structure. The circulation-centric core analysis is conducted with monthly data from the high spatiotemporal resolution, precipitation-assimilating North American Regional Reanalysis, and the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) (as necessary) to identify the recurrent patterns of GPLLJ variability and their large-scale circulation links. The links are first investigated from regressions of an index representing meridional wind speed in the climatological jet-core region; the core region itself is defined from analysis of seasonal and diurnal variability of the jet structure and moisture fluxes.
The analysis reveals that GPLLJ variability is, indeed, linked to coherent, large-scale, upper-level height patterns over the Pacific and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability in the Atlantic. A Rossby wave source analysis shows the Pacific height pattern to be potentially linked to tropical diabatic heating anomalies in the west-central basin and in the eastern Pacific sector. EOF analysis of GPLLJ variability shows it to be composed of three modes that, together, account for ∼75% of the variance. The modes represent the strengthening/expansion of the jet core (38%), with a strong precipitation impact on the northern Great Plains, and linked to post-peak-phase ENSO variability; meridional shift of the GPLLJ (23%), with a Gulf states precipitation focus, and linked to pre-peak-phase ENSO variability; and in-place strengthening of the GPLLJ (12%), with dipolar influence on Great Plains and Gulf states precipitation, and linked to summer NAO variability.
A Simple Equation for Regional Climate Change and Associated Uncertainty
Authors: Giorgi Filippo 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
Simple equations are developed to express regional climate changes for the twenty-first century and associated uncertainty in terms of the global temperature change (GTC) without a dependence on the underlying emission pathways. The equations are applied to regional temperature and precipitation changes over different regions of the world, and relevant parameters are calculated using the latest multimodel ensemble of global climate change simulations. Examples are also shown of how to use the equations to develop probability density functions (PDFs) of regional climate change based on PDFs of GTC. The main advantage of these equations is that they can be used to estimate regional changes from GTC obtained either from simple and intermediate complexity models or from target CO2 stabilization concentrations.
Markers of Inflammation in Patients With Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Debing Erik , Peeters Els , Demanet Christian , De Waele Marc , Van den Brande Pierre 
Published: April 2008

Objectives There is evidence that inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We compared levels of inflammatory markers between patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and controls, and between patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. Materials and Methods A total of 180 patients with ICA stenosis were compared with 180 age-matched and sex-matched controls. The biomarkers evaluated were high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Results The levels of hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, and IL-6 in the CEA group were significantly higher than in the control group (1.87 mg/mL vs 1.44 mg/mL, P = .011; 1408 ng/dL vs 672 ng/dL, P < .001; 11.9 pg/mL vs 6.3 pg/mL, P < .001). Multivariate linear regression analysis, adjusted for all clinical and physiologic parameters, showed a significant association between ICA stenosis and hs-CRP, sVCAM-1, and IL-6 concentrations. Analysis of symptomatic (n = 101) and asymptomatic (n = 79) ICA stenosis did not detect a difference in levels of these markers. Conclusions Our study suggests that inflammatory markers could serve as markers for ICA atherosclerosis but are not useful to identify carotid plaque at risk for symptomatic conversion.
Changes in exercise haemodynamics during treatment in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Provencher S. , Hervé P. , Sitbon O. , Humbert M. , Simonneau G. , Chemla D. 
Published: April 2008

Improvement in exercise capacity may not be associated with significant changes in resting pulmonary haemodynamics. The present prospective study documented the relationships between improvement in 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and changes in resting and exercise pulmonary haemodynamics after treatment in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH).A total of 42 IPAH patients underwent supine submaximal exercise haemodynamic assessments at baseline and after 5±2 months of therapy. The 6MWD, the corresponding chronotropic response (peak minus resting heart rate), and resting and exercise haemodynamic variables were analysed. The isoflow was defined as the lowest of the pre- and post-treatment peak cardiac index (CI). The extrapolated isoflow mean pulmonary artery pressure (P̄pa) was used to characterise changes inP̄pa–CI regression lines following treatment.Patients were given bosentan (n = 28), epoprostenol (n = 12) or both. The 6MWD increased significantly, from 399±88 to 442±86 m. On univariate analysis, changes in 6MWD correlated with changes in isoflowP̄pa, chronotropic response, resting haemodynamics (CI, pulmonary vascular resistance and mixed venous oxygen saturation) and exercise haemodynamics (peak CI). On multivariate analysis, only changes in isoflowP̄paand chronotropic response were independently associated with changes in 6MWD.Improvement in exercise tolerance with chronic therapy is independently related to improvement in pulmonary haemodynamics measured in exercise but not in resting conditions.
Impact of acute exposure to tobacco smoke on gelatinases in the bronchoalveolar space
Authors: Glader P. , Eldh B. , Bozinovski S. , Andelid K. , Sjöstrand M. , Malmhäll C. , Anderson G. P. , Riise G. C. , Qvarfordt I. , Lindén A. 
Published: April 2008

Clinical studies have indicated increased gelatinase activity in the airways of patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by tobacco smoke. The present study aimed to determine whether acute exposure to tobacco smokeper secauses a substantial and lasting impact on gelatinases and their inhibitors in the peripheral airways of atopic and nonatopic human subjects.Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed on occasional smokers with and without atopy before and after smoking 10 cigarettes over a 48-h period. Samples from a group of never-smokers not exposed to tobacco smoke served as controls. Gelatinase identity and activity were measured using zymography, and gelatinase activity assay and concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 were measured using ELISA.The results revealed no pronounced changes in identity, net activity or concentration of the gelatinases or changes in concentrations of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in BAL fluid before and after acute exposure to tobacco smoke.In conclusion, the present experimental study indicates that acute exposure to tobacco smoke does not cause any substantial impact on gelatinases or their inhibitors in the peripheral airways, irrespective of atopy status, a finding that is compatible with the fact that it takes many years of tobacco smoking to establish chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Health belief model predicts adherence to CPAP before experience with CPAP
Authors: Olsen S. , Smith S. , Oei T. , Douglas J. 
Published: April 2008

Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is often poor. Biomedical indices explain little of the variance in CPAP use. The present study tested a health belief model of adherence in order to determine the contribution of psychological constructs as compared to biomedical indices in the prediction of CPAP adherence.Consecutive patients (n = 77) newly diagnosed with OSA and naïve to CPAP treatment (had never tried CPAP before) completed questionnaires at baseline (prior to CPAP treatment). The questionnaires assessed: outcome expectancy with treatment, self-efficacy, functional outcomes of sleepiness, and perceived risk of negative health outcomes. Physiological data were obtained from a standard clinical diagnostic sleep study. CPAP adherence was assessed at 4-month follow-up.Health belief model constructs alone explained 21.8% of the variance in CPAP adherence, whereas health belief model constructs and biomedical indices together explained 31.8% of the variance in CPAP adherence. The greatest proportion of CPAP adherence was explained by higher outcome expectancies with treatment, greater functional limitations as a result of sleepiness and lower risk perception.The results suggest that patients have developed beliefs and expectations about obstructive sleep apnoea and continuous positive airway pressure even before they try continuous positive airway pressure treatment. These beliefs and expectations predict the patients' adherence to effective therapy.
Reference values for peak flow and FEV1variation in healthy schoolchildren using home spirometry
Authors: Brouwer A. F. J. , Roorda R. J. , Duiverman E. J. , Brand P. L. P. 
Published: April 2008

Current reference values for diurnal peak flow variation in healthy children (median 8.2%; 95th percentile 31%) are so high that considerable overlap exists with those of asthmatic children. These values have been obtained using written peak flow diaries, which are unreliable. The aim of the present study was to obtain reliable reference values for the variation in peak flow and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in healthy schoolchildren using home spirometry with electronic data storage.Healthy schoolchildren (n = 204; 100 males) aged 6–16 yrs measured their peak flow and FEV1twice daily for 2 weeks using an electronic home spirometer. The variation in peak flow and FEV1were calculated as a diurnal amplitude as a percentage of the day’s mean.The mean peak flow variation was 6.2% (95th percentile 12.3%) and the mean FEV1variation was 5.7% (95th percentile 11.8%).Using home spirometry with electronic data storage, healthy schoolchildren show considerably less peak flow and forced expiratory volume in one second variation than previously reported on the basis of written peak flow diaries. Being the 95th percentiles of the distributions in healthy children, a peak flow variation of 12.3% and an forced expiratory volume in one second variation of 11.8% are suggested as cut-off values for disease when using home spirometry.