bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clusterin increases post‐ischemic damages in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures
Authors: Hakkoum David , Imhof Anouk , Vallet Philippe G. , Boze Helène , Moulin Guy , Charnay Yves , Stoppini Luc , Aronow Bruce , Bouras Constantin , Giannakopoulos Panteleimon 
Published: June 2008

AbstractClusterin or apolipoprotein J is a heterodimeric glycoprotein which is known to be increased during tissue involution in response to hormonal changes or injury and under circumstances leading to apoptosis. Previous studies in wild‐type (WT) and clusterin‐null (Clu−/−) mice indicated a protective role of clusterin over‐expression in astrocytes lasting up to 90 days post‐ischemia. However, in in vitro and in vivo models of neonatal hypoxia‐ischemia, clusterin exacerbates necrotic cell death. We developed recombinant forms of clusterin and examined their effect on propidium iodide uptake, neuronal and synaptic markers as well as electrophysiological recordings in hippocampal slice cultures from Clu−/− and WT mice subjected to oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGD). WT mice displayed a marked up‐regulation of clusterin associated with electrophysiological deficits and dramatic increase of propidium iodide uptake 5 days post‐OGD. Immunocytochemical and western blot analyses revealed a substantial decrease of neuronal nuclei and synaptophysin immunoreactivity that predominated in WT mice. These findings contrasted with the relative post‐OGD resistance of Clu−/− mice. The addition of biologically active recombinant forms of human clusterin for 24 h post‐OGD led to the abolishment of the ischemic tolerance in Clu−/− slices. This deleterious effect of clusterin was reverted by the concomitant administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist, d‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonopentanoate. The present data indicate that in an in vitro model of ischemia characterized by the predominance of NMDA‐mediated cell death, clusterin exerts a negative effect on the structural integrity and functionality of hippocampal neurons.
Diagnostic Accuracy of a New Software for Complex Fractionated Electrograms Identification in Patients with Persistent and Permanent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: CALÒ LEONARDO , DE RUVO ERMENEGILDO , SCIARRA LUIGI , GRICIA ROBERTO , NAVONE GIOVANNA , DE LUCA LUCIA , NUCCIO FRANCESCA , SETTE ANTONELLA , PRISTIPINO CRISTIAN , DULIO ALESSANDRO , GAITA FIORENZO , LIOY ERNESTO 
Published: June 2008

Introduction:
The elimination of complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) has been proposed as a potential target for guiding successful AF substrate ablation. The possibility to efficiently map the atria and rapidly identify CFAEs sites is necessary, before the CFAEs ablation becomes a routine approach. The aims of this study, conducted in patients with persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation (AF), were to analyze by CARTO mapping in the right (RA) and in the left atrium (LA) during AF: (1) the diagnostic accuracy of a new software for CFAEs analysis, (2) the spatial distribution of CFAEs, (3) the regional beat to beat AF intervals (FF).
Methods and Results:
Twenty‐five consecutive patients (four women, 58.8 ± 11.4 years) undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation for persistent and permanent AF were enrolled in the study. The CFAE software showed a high sensitivity (90%) and specificity (91%) in the identification of CFAEs, using a specific setting of parameters. The LA had a significantly higher prevalence of CFAEs as compared with the RA (30.5% vs 20.3%, P = 0.016). The CFAEs were mostly present in the septum and in the area of coronary sinus ostium (CS os). The FF intervals were significantly shorter in the LA than in the RA (P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
CARTO system has a high diagnostic accuracy in the identification of CFAEs. Atrial electrical activity (CFAEs, mean FF intervals) during AF showed a significant spatial inhomogeneity.
Alzheimer's disease beyond the genomic era: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy‐based metabolomics
Authors: Barba Ignasi , Fernandez‐Montesinos Rafael , Garcia‐Dorado David , Pozo David 
Published: June 2008

Introduction
Rationale for metabolomics in Alzheimer's disease
Metabolomics of Alzheimer's disease
Methodology: NMR metabolomics at work
Conclusions

AbstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex disease, with no definitive biomarkers available that allow clinical diagnosis; this represents a major problem for the advance of efficient drug discovery programs. A successful approach towards the understanding and treatment of AD should take into consideration this complex nature. In this sense, metabolic networks are subject to severe stoichiometric restrictions. Metabolomics amplifies changes both in the proteome and the genome, and represents a more accurate approximation to the phenotype of an organism in health and disease. In this article, we will examine the current rationale for metabolomics in AD, its basic methodology and the available data in animal models and human studies. The discussed topics will highlight the importance of being able to use the metabolomic information in order to understand disease mechanisms from a systems biology perspective as a non‐invasive approach to diagnose and grade AD. This could allow the assessment of new therapies during clinical trials, the identification of patients at risk to develop adverse effects during treatment and the final implementation of new tools towards a more personalized medicine.
Endogenous anti‐inflammatory neuropeptides and pro‐resolving lipid mediators: a new therapeutic approach for immune disorders
Authors: Anderson Per , Delgado Mario 
Published: June 2008

IntroductionTuning immune tolerance with anti‐inflammatory neuropeptidesResolution of inflammation by endogenous lipid mediatorsTherapeutic perspectives: rationale for using endogeneous neuropeptides and lipid mediators in immune disordersAbstractIdentification of the factors that regulate the immune tolerance and control the appearance of exacerbated inflammatory conditions is crucial for the development of new therapies of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Although much is known about the molecular basis of initiating signals and pro‐inflammatory chemical mediators in inflammation, it has only recently become apparent that endogenous stop signals are critical at early checkpoints within the temporal events of inflammation. Some neuropeptides and lipid mediators that are produced during the ongoing inflammatory response have emerged as endogenous anti‐inflammatory agents that participate in the regulation of the processes that ensure self‐tolerance and/or inflammation resolution. Here we examine the latest research findings, which indicate that neuropeptides participate in maintaining immune tolerance in two distinct ways: by regulating the balance between pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory factors, and by inducing the emergence of regulatory T cells with suppressive activity against autoreactive T‐cell effectors. On the other hand, we also focus on lipid mediators biosynthesized from ω‐3 and ω‐6 polyunsaturated fatty‐acids in inflammatory exudates that promote the resolution phase of acute inflammation by regulating leucocyte influx to and efflux from local inflamed sites. Both anti‐inflammatory neuropeptides and pro‐resolving lipid mediators have shown therapeutic potential for a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders and could be used as biotemplates for the development of novel pharmacologic agents.
The effectiveness of peer support groups in psychosis: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Castelein S. , Bruggeman R. , Van Busschbach J. T. , Van Der Gaag M. , Stant A. D. , Knegtering H. , Wiersma D. 
Published: June 2008

Objective:  To investigate the effect of a (minimally) guided peer support group (GPSG) for people with psychosis on social network, social support, self‐efficacy, self‐esteem, and quality of life, and to evaluate the intervention and its economic consequences.Method:  In a multi‐center randomized controlled trial with 56 patients in the peer support group and 50 patients in the control condition, patients were assessed at baseline and after the last meeting at 8 months.Results:  The experimental group showed GPSG to have a positive effect on social network and social support compared with the control condition. In the experimental condition, high attenders favored over low attenders on increased social support, self‐efficacy, and quality of life. Economic evaluation demonstrated groups to be without financial consequences. The GPSG‐intervention was positively evaluated.Conclusion:  Peer support groups are a useful intervention for people suffering from psychosis by improving their social network.
Reducing emotional distress in nurses using cognitive behavioral therapy: A preliminary program evaluation
Authors: BRUNERO Scott , COWAN Darrin , FAIRBROTHER Greg 
Published: June 2008

AbstractIntroduction:  Workplace stress among nurses has been associated with high absenteeism, low work satisfaction, and poor retention rates.Aim:  This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of a 1 day stress management program on nurses' stress levels.Methods:  The nurse participants attended an 8 h face‐to‐face interactive workshop based on cognitive behavioral therapy. The subjects also were given a self‐directed manual with reading and exercises to use after the workshop. The nurses were assessed at baseline and at 6 weeks postworkshop attendance using the Nurse Stress Scale (NSS). They were asked to rate their level of stress at work, outside of work, and their overall stress. The participants also were asked to evaluate the perceived usefulness of the workshop at follow‐up.Results:  The sample consisted of 18 new graduate nurses halfway through their first year. The NSS subscales “nurse–doctor conflict”, “death and dying”, and “nurse–nurse conflict” showed statistically significant improvement at follow‐up. The ratings of stress at work, outside of work, and the overall stress also showed statistically significant improvement.Conclusions:  The workshop was well‐received by the new graduate nurses. The pre/post findings suggest a beneficial effect of the intervention. The authors are encouraged by the results and now plan to conduct a multisite, randomized controlled trial to seek to establish a wider evidence base for the intervention.
Predicting susceptibility to future declines in the world's frogs
Authors: Bielby Jon , Cooper N. , Cunningham A.A. , Garner T.W.J. , Purvis A. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe 2004 Global Amphibian Assessment demonstrated that almost 400 anuran species have recently moved closer to extinction due to a host of threat mechanisms. Of particular concern is the role of the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), for which more traditional conservation management is not effective. Determining which biological and environmental factors affect a species' susceptibility to these mechanisms would greatly aid conservation prioritisation and planning. We performed phylogenetic comparative analyses to determine which biological and environmental factors predict species' susceptibility to rapid declines, both generally and in the context of Bd. Our results extend the findings of previous finer scale studies: we find that high‐altitude, restricted‐range, aquatic species with low fecundity are most likely to suffer Bd‐related declines. We use our findings to identify those species most at risk of Bd‐related declines and global extinction in the future, and identify areas where many species are predicted to be susceptible. Identifying susceptible species in advance of their decline is particularly important in setting priorities when, as here, declines are hard to arrest once underway.
Toward a biocultural theory of avoided extinction
Authors: Ladle Richard J. , Jepson Paul 
Published: June 2008

AbstractAvoiding extinction is one of the main aims of the global conservation movement and its study has historically been dominated by ecological thinking about the consequences of small population size and the identification of the proximate causes of population decline. Here we argue that any successful theorization on avoiding extinction has to look beyond ecology to incorporate the behavior of conservationists, conservation organizations, and other societal actors. We develop a “biocultural” framework based on a typology of extinction that emphasizes the different meanings and power of the term and discuss how these might inform more effective global conservation policy and practice. Seen through a biocultural perspective, we argue that extinction will only be effectively reduced when scientific evidence, cultural frames, institutional frameworks, and organizational interests align.
Oxidative stress and hippocampus in a low‐grade hepatic encephalopathy model: protective effects of curcumin
Authors: Roselló Diego Martín , Balestrasse Karina , Coll Carlos , Coll Sebastian , Tallis Silvina , Gurni Alberto , Tomaro María Lujan , Lemberg Abraham , Perazzo Juan Carlos 
Published: June 2008

Aim:  The present study was performed on prehepatic portal hypertensive rats, a model of low‐grade hepatic encephalopathy, designed to evaluate whether oxidative stress was a possible pathway implicated in hippocampal damage and if so, the effect of an anti‐oxidant to prevent it.Methods:  Prehepatic portal hypertension was induced by a regulated portal vein stricture. Oxidative stress was investigated by assessing related biochemical parameters in rat hippocampus. The effect of the anti‐oxidant curcumin, administered in a single i.p. dose of 100 mg/kg on the seventh, ninth and eleventh days after surgery, was evaluated.Results:  Oxidative stress in the rat hippocampal area was documented. Curcumin significantly decreased tissue malondialdehyde levels and significantly increased glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in the hippocampal tissue of portal hypertensive rats.Conclusion:  Oxidative stress was found to be implicated in the hippocampal damage and curcumin protected against this oxidative stress in low‐grade hepatic encephalopathic rats. These protective effects may be attributed to its anti‐oxidant properties.
Current-Induced Fluidelastic Instabilities of a Multi-Tube Flexible
Riser: Theoretical Results and Comparison With Experiments
Authors: Price S. J. , Pai¨doussis M. P. , Al-Jabir A. M. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
Previous experiments on a five-riser cluster in steady cross-flow have indicated that for certain orientations of the cluster the peripheral, or wing, risers can undergo violent flow-induced vibrations. It was shown that these vibrations were not due to vortex shedding; furthermore, it was suggested that they are due to a classical self-excited fluidelastic instability. In the present paper, a previously developed quasi-steady fluidelastic stability analysis for a group of circular cylinders in steady crossflow is modified to enable the stability of a flexible riser in a five-riser bundle to be analyzed. As input to the theoretical model, the static fluid force coefficients on a peripheral riser, and the manner in which they vary with displacement, are required. These were measured for a number of orientations of the cluster with respect to the free-stream current, using a wind tunnel model. Using this data in the analysis, the stability of a five-riser cluster was investigated. Instability is predicted to occur for the same orientations of the riser as obtained from the experimental results; however, the quantitative agreement between experimental and theoretical critical flow velocities for instability to occur is not as good. Theory also predicts the system to be stable for those orientations where no instability was obtained experimentally.
Tubular Conical Columns for Offshore Structures
Authors: Cox S. J. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
We examine submerged nonlinear tubular columns with slenderness ratios between 40 and 160 and ratios of diameter to thickness between 20 and 50. We demonstrate that the column’s Euler buckling load can be increased nearly 30 percent by a volume preserving taper of only a few degrees. We determine the effect of hydrostatic pressure and self-weight on such conical columns and offer some preliminary remarks on the role played by model imperfections.
Fracture of Surface-Cracked Undermatched Weld Joint in High-Strength
Steel
Authors: Petrovski B. , Kocak M. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
The objective of this paper is to study the combined effects of weld metal undermatching and crack location on the fracture behavior of transversely loaded butt-welded joints in high-strength steel. Surface-cracked tensile panels were instrumented with stain gages and tested with notch locations at the heat-affected zone (HAZ), base and 30 percent undermatched weld metals. It can be expected that for a given applied strain, the level of the strain concentration developed in undermatched weld region will be significantly lower in the high strain-hardening welds compared to the low work-hardening weld joint in high-strength steels. Therefore, in higher strength steel undermatched welds, substantial increase of the strain accumulation should be expected. Detailed strain measurements and tensile panel tests of this study reveal that if there is a defect in the undermatched weld, a combination of the low weld metal toughness and resulting strain accumulation in the weld metal lead to poor fracture performance. The HAZ notched tensile panel results indicate that weld metal undermatching causes an unsymmetrical strain distribution at the crack vicinity. Despite the occurrence of the high applied strain concentration at the weld metal side of HAZ notched panel, the gross section yielding (GSY) occurred similar to the base metal notched one. On the other hand, weld metal notched panels showed net section yielding (NSY) with a considerably reduced ductility. An important difference in 30 percent undermatched weld joint fracture performance, however, emerges when results are analyzed in terms of crack growth resistance curves. The J R-curves of the HAZ and weld metal notched panels have shown lower resistance behavior compared to the base metal panel. Therefore, it is concluded that the fracture performance of the undermatched welds cannot be fully understood if only strength or total strain capacity (applied side) of the entire panel is considered. The fracture toughness (material resistance side) of the undermatched weld joint should also be an integral part of the fracture performance assessment procedure.
Evaluation of Uncertainties in Loadings on Offshore Structures due to
Extreme Environmental Conditions
Authors: Bea R. G. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
This paper summarizes results from a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) sponsored study of the uncertainties associated with extreme (1000 to 10,000-yr return periods) environmental loadings acting on offshore structures (Bea, 1991). The evaluations of the loadings addressed loading effects that resulted from dynamic and nonlinear interactions of the structures. Loading uncertainties were organized and characterized in two categories: 1) inherent randomness (aleatory uncertainty), and 2) analytical variability (epistemic uncertainty). The study addressed the global ultimate limit state performance of three structures designed according to the provisions of the draft CSA guidelines (1989a, 1989b) for offshore structures: 1) a concrete Gravity Base Structure (GBS) located off the East coast of Canada (Hibernia), 2) a steel pile template located on the Scotian Shelf off Sable Island, and 3) a caisson retained island located in the Mackenzie Delta area of the Beaufort Sea (Amuligak). The results of this study indicate that, based on presently available information and data, it is often not possible to develop unambiguous characterizations of uncertainties. The different technical communities that background environmental conditions and forces (storms, earthquakes, ice) recognize and integrate these uncertainties into loading characterizations in different ways. In many cases, major sources of uncertainty are not included in probabilistic characterizations. Because of the needs for design code information sensitivity and consistency in demonstrating compliance with target reliability goals, there is a need for well-organized and definitive evaluations of uncertainties in extreme environmental loadings and load effects (Bitner-Gregersen et al., 1993).
Analysis of Non-Gaussian Surge Response of Tension Leg Platforms
Under Wind Loads
Authors: Kareem A. , Zhao J. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
The nonlinearity in the wind loading expression for a complaint offshore structure, e.g., a tension leg platform (TLP), results in response statistics that deviate from the Gaussian distribution. This paper focuses on the statistical analysis of the response of these structures to random wind loads. The analysis presented here involves a nonlinear system with memory. As an improvement over the commonly used linearization approach, an equivalent statistical quadratization method is presented. The higher-order response cumulants are based on Volterra series. A direct integration scheme and Kac-Siegert technique is utilized to evaluate the response cumulants. Based on the first four cumulants, the response probability density function, crossing rates, and peak value distribution are derived. The results provide a good comparison with simulation. A nonlinear wind gust loading factor based on the derived extreme value distribution of nonlinear wind effects is formulated.
Strength of Tubular Members Containing Holes
Authors: Hsu T. M. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
A small-scale, compressive-load test program was conducted at Chevron to determine the strength of tubular members with 1 to 3 holes. The parameters evaluated include the hole size, hole shape, hole location, and number of holes. Results from these tests provide a basis for platform ultimate strength calculations that are needed in making decisions on platform repairs. More than 50 specimens were tested in air under displacment control. Test specimen lengths were limited by the test apparatus to 45 in. (1,143 mm). Tubulars used in the test had an outside diameter of 3.5 in. (89 mm), which gave member slenderness ratios of about 40. The tests were needed because of the lack of relevant compression tests on members with holes. Based on test results, there appears to be a limiting value of hole size below which the compression-load capacity of the member is practically not affected by the existence of the hole. For example, a hole that is 10 percent of the member diameter does not significantly reduce member strength. This means remedial treatment is not necessary for many small holes, when ultimate strength is the controlling consideration. Nonlinear finite element shell analyses using both ADINA and FACTS computer programs and a simplified analysis using DENTA-II PC program were performed and results compared with data. We found that nonlinear finite element programs provide good predictions of capacities of members with holes, and that a simplified DENTA-II program provides adequate and efficient predictions.