bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Insights into Mesenchymal Stem Cell Aging: Involvement of Antioxidant Defense and Actin Cytoskeleton
Authors: Kasper Grit , Mao Lei , Geissler Sven , Draycheva Albena , Trippens Jessica , Kühnisch Jirko , Tschirschmann Miriam , Kaspar Katharina , Perka Carsten , Duda Georg N. , Klose Joachim 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Progenitor cells such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have elicited great hopes for therapeutic augmentation of physiological regeneration processes, e.g., for bone fracture healing. However, regeneration potential decreases with age, which raises questions about the efficiency of autologous approaches in elderly patients. To elucidate the mechanisms and cellular consequences of aging, the functional and proteomic changes in MSCs derived from young and old Sprague–Dawley rats were studied concurrently. We demonstrate not only that MSC concentration in bone marrow declines with age but also that their function is altered, especially their migratory capacity and susceptibility toward senescence. High-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of the MSC proteome, under conditions of in vitro self-renewal as well as osteogenic stimulation, identified several age-dependent proteins, including members of the calponin protein family as well as galectin-3. Functional annotation clustering revealed that age-affected molecular functions are associated with cytoskeleton organization and antioxidant defense. These proteome screening results are supported by lower actin turnover and diminished antioxidant power in aged MSCs, respectively. Thus, we postulate two main reasons for the compromised cellular function of aged MSCs: (a) declined responsiveness to biological and mechanical signals due to a less dynamic actin cytoskeleton and (b) increased oxidative stress exposure favoring macromolecular damage and senescence. These results, along with the observed similar differentiation potentials, imply that MSC-based therapeutic approaches for the elderly should focus on attracting the cells to the site of injury and oxidative stress protection, rather than merely stimulating differentiation.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Possible relationship between the stress‐induced synaptic response and metaplasticity in the hippocampal CA1 field of freely moving rats
Authors: Hirata Riki , Matsumoto Machiko , Judo Chika , Yamaguchi Taku , Izumi Takeshi , Yoshioka Mitsuhiro , Togashi Hiroko 
Published: February 2009

AbstractHippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP) is suppressed not only by stress paradigms but also by low frequency stimulation (LFS) prior to LTP‐inducing high frequency stimulation (HFS; tetanus), termed metaplasticity. These synaptic responses are dependent on N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors, leading to speculations about the possible relationship between metaplasticity and stress‐induced LTP impairment. However, the functional significance of metaplasticity has been unclear. The present study elucidated the electrophysiological and neurochemical profiles of metaplasticity in the hippocampal CA1 field, with a focus on the synaptic response induced by the emotional stress, contextual fear conditioning (CFC). The population spike amplitude in the CA1 field was decreased during exposure to CFC, and LTP induction was suppressed after CFC in conscious rats. The synaptic response induced by CFC was mimicked by LFS, i.e., LFS impaired the synaptic transmission and subsequent LTP. Plasma corticosterone levels were increased by both CFC and LFS. Extracellular levels of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), but not glutamate, in the hippocampus increased during exposure to CFC or LFS. Furthermore, electrical stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which caused decreases in freezing behavior during exposure to CFC, counteracted the LTP impairment induced by LFS. These findings suggest that metaplasticity in the rat hippocampal CA1 field is related to the neural basis of stress experience‐dependent fear memory, and that hippocampal synaptic response associated stress‐related processes is under mPFC regulation. Synapse 63:549‐556, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tetranuclear and One‐dimensional Cobalt Complexes with 5‐tert‐Butyl Isophthalic Acid and Chelating Neutral Ligands
Authors: Du Zhong‐Xiang , Wang Li‐Ya , Hou Hong‐Wei 
Published: February 2009

AbstractTwo new CoII coordination polymers [Co4(tbip)4(bipy)4(H2O)4] (1) and [Co(tbip)(phen)(H2O)]·H2O (2) (H2tbip = 5‐tert‐butyl isophthalic acid, bipy = 2,2′‐bipyridine, phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline) have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Compound 1 is a tbip‐bridged tetranuclear cobalt(II) complex, which is further linked by hydrogen bonds to form a supramolecular network. Compound 2 shows a tbip‐bridged linear chain structure, which is extended by hydrogen bonds to generate a double chain. Magnetic measurements show that there are weak ferromagnetic interactions between the adjacent CoII ions in 1.
Synthesis and Structure Determination of AgScP2Se6, AgErP2Se6 and AgTmP2Se6
Authors: Pfitzner Arno , Seidlmayer Stefan 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAgScP2Se6, AgErP2Se6 and AgTmP2Se6 were obtained by high temperature reaction of stoichiometric amounts of the elements in evacuated silica ampoules. They crystallize in the space group P1c, Z = 2 with the lattice constants a = 6.463(1) Å,c = 13.349(1) Å (AgScP2Se6), a = 6.578(1) Å, c = 13.410(2) Å (AgErP2Se6), and a = 6.567(1) Å, c = 13.422(1) Å (AgTmP2Se6). The crystal structures of AgScP2Se6 and AgErP2Se6 were refined from merohedrally twinned crystals. No twinning was observed for AgTmP2Se6. The crystal structures are isotypic and can be described as a variant of the CdI2 structure type. Thus, selenium atoms are hexagonally close packed. The octahedral voids of every second layer are occupied by Ag, M3+ (M = Sc, Er, Tm), and P2 dumbbells in an ordered fashion. The crystal structures are isotypic to AgScP2S6 and AgInP2S6.
Lithium Therapy and Hyperparathyroidism: An Evidence‐Based Assessment
Authors: Saunders Brian D. , Saunders Erika F. H. , Gauger Paul G. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractBackgroundProlonged therapeutic exposure to lithium compounds can have adverse consequences on calcium homeostasis. A unique form of hyperparathyroidism appears to be causally linked to chronic lithium exposure. We provide a comprehensive review of relevant literature using a structured, evidence‐based approach.MethodsPublished data were identified from systematic electronic literature searches. References are assigned a level of evidence according to a validated classification schema.ResultsLevel III and V evidence supports an etiologic link between sustained lithium therapy and both hypercalcemia and hyperparathormonemia (grade C recommendation). Level V evidence supports the use of preoperative parathyroid imaging if a focused exploration is planned (grade C recommendation). Level V evidence supports the use of intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring to guide appropriate surgical therapy (grade C recommendation). There is conflicting and equally weighted level V evidence supporting a routine preoperative plan of bilateral neck exploration versus selective unilateral exploration (no recommendation). There may be a role for calcimimetic drug therapy as an alternate, nonsurgical means of controlling lithium‐associated hyperparathyroidism (grade C recommendation).ConclusionsEvidence‐based recommendations support screening of patients on chronic lithium therapy for hypercalcemia. Appropriate surgical therapy may consist of either a bilateral or a unilateral approach when performed by an experienced endocrine surgeon. Focused approaches should be guided by preoperative imaging and intraoperative hormone monitoring. Calcimimetic therapy is a potential alternative to parathyroidectomy.
The Search for a Politically Reflective Clinical‐Community Approach
Authors: Llorens Manuel 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe following paper explores how working in Venezuela, a country that has gone through 20 years of economic and political problems, has highlighted the gap between clinical and community approaches in dealing with the sufferings of our consultants. Our efforts to develop theoretical and practical tools that can address the historical and political dimensions of people's lives are reviewed. These efforts illustrate how the community paradigm can help expand clinical perspectives, thus allowing a practise which can address the needs of people who have neither the time nor the economic means to engage in a traditional therapeutic relationship. The shift in perspective, the revision of our “therapeutic” stance and the use of de‐naturalisation and problematization are illustrated.
Ecotones in vegetation ecology: methodologies and definitions revisited
Authors: Hufkens Koen , Scheunders Paul , Ceulemans Reinhart 
Published: February 2009

AbstractIn this review paper, we highlight some of the trends and issues that have dominated ecotone research over the decade of 1996–2006. The terms and definitions of ecotone research in vegetation ecology are reviewed. We summarize the most important techniques and highlight the discrepancies between the definitions and their scientific application in vegetation ecology. We see a need for semantic uniformity with regard to the term and the definition of “the ecotone”, as the variable and the non‐exclusive use of terms and definitions can be a source of confusion when interpreting and comparing different studies. To avoid further confusion, a unique definition of the term “ecotone” should be agreed upon, based upon a set of general characteristics. We therefore adapted and extended the definition from Holland et al. (Ecotones: the role of landscape boundaries in the management and restoration of changing environments, 1991) to “A multi‐dimensional environmentally stochastic interaction zone between ecological systems with characteristics defined in space and time, and by the strength of the interaction”. We also advocate that (1) a shift in focus from one‐dimensional to two‐dimensional techniques in ecotone characterization is desirable and (2) more research into novel techniques, including multi‐dimensional data and time series, is needed in view of local and global ecotone changes.
Brief report: Performing on the stage, the field, or both? Australian adolescent extracurricular activity participation and self‐concept
Authors: Blomfield Corey J. , Barber Bonnie L. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe relationship between Australian adolescents' participation in extracurricular activities and their self‐concepts was investigated. A total of 1489 adolescents (56% female; mean age 13.8 years) completed measures of social self‐concept, academic self‐concept, and general self‐worth, and reported on their extracurricular activity participation. In general, participation in any type of extracurricular activity was associated with a higher social and academic self‐concept, and general self‐worth, compared to no participation. Adolescents who participated in both sports and non‐sports also reported a more positive social self‐concept and general self‐worth, compared to those who only participated in one of the activity types. This research provides support for extracurricular activities as a context facilitative of positive self‐concept, and demonstrates the importance of a mixed participation profile for an adolescent's self‐concept.
HPV genotyping from invasive cervical cancer in Chile
Authors: Roa Juan Carlos , Garcia Patricia , Gomez Jorge , Fernández Wanda , Gaete Fancy , Espinoza Arturo , Lepetic Alejandro , Suarez Eugenio 
Published: February 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the prevalence rates of the different HPV types in cervical cancer lesions in Chile to facilitate the development of prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines effective for that country.MethodBiopsy samples of 312 cervical cancer lesions were assessed for HPV type by reverse‐line blotting assay.ResultsHPV DNA was found in 94.2% of the lesions, 67.2% harboring 1 viral type and the remainder harboring more than 1 type. HPV‐16 was the most frequent type in single infections (50.5%), followed by HPV‐18 (7.8%), HPV‐31 (2.4%), and HPV‐45 (2.0%). HPV‐16 was also present in 98.7% of dual and multiple infections, its most frequent association being with HPV‐18.ConclusionsHPV types 16, 18, 31, and 45, alone or combined with other types, were observed in the biopsy samples of up to 80.5% of cervical cancer lesions.
Uterine cavity shape and the best site for embryo transfer
Authors: Sun Yingpu , Fang Lanlan , Su Yingchun , Guo Yihong 
Published: February 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the best site for embryo placement in uterine cavities of varying shapes.MethodIn this prospective investigation, 638 embryo transfers were allocated to two groups: for group 1 (n = 558) embryos were transferred into uterine cavities of normal shape; for group 2 (n = 80) embryos were transferred into uterine cavities of abnormal shape. The uterine cavity was divided into 3 equal regions: upper, middle, and lower. Pregnancy outcomes for placements in each region were compared within and between the 2 groups.ResultsNo significant differences were found in rates of pregnancy or implantation among the 3 regions in group 1. In contrast, the implantation rate in group 2 was highest when embryos were placed in the middle region of the uterine cavity: 28.8% compared with 6.8% and 8.3% for the upper and lower regions, respectively (P < 0.05).ConclusionFor the normal uterine cavity, pregnancy outcomes do not depend on embryo placement. However, for uterine anomalies, embryo placement in the middle region of the uterine cavity gave the best outcome.
Analgesia and anesthesia for assisted reproductive technologies
Authors: Vlahos Nikos F. , Giannakikou Iosifina , Vlachos Athanasios , Vitoratos Nikolaos 
Published: February 2009

AbstractBackgroundOocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the most common minor surgical procedures.ObjectivesTo give an update on anesthesia practices used currently in the United States and Europe in assisted reproductive technology, and discuss the safety or the potential risks for oocyte and embryo quality.Search strategyElectronic search of MEDLINE for literature published between 1972 and 2008.Selection criteriaRelevant studies on the types of anesthesia used for oocyte retrieval and the impact on oocyte and embryo quality.Data collection and analysisRelevant studies were reviewed by the authors and the ones of significant scientific merit, based on methodology, were included.Main resultsTypes of anesthesia that may be used for transvaginal follicular aspiration and oocyte retrieval include: general anesthesia, neuraxial anesthesia, conscious sedation, injection of local anesthetic agents into the cervix or the vaginal wall, or any combination of the above. Conscious sedation is most commonly used in IVF because it is relatively safe and does not require the presence of an anesthesiologist when opioids or benzodiazepines are used. Propofol is the preferred anesthetic agent, but should be used by specially trained personnel.ConclusionConscious sedation is the most popular method of anesthesia used in IVF. Presently, a combination of propofol, fentanyl, and midazolam is used frequently. It is easy to administer in cooperative and motivated patients and is safe in healthy individuals; it has a relatively low risk for adverse effects on oocyte and embryo quality and pregnancy rates.
Corporate voluntary action: A valuable but incomplete solution to climate change and energy security challenges
Authors: Southworth Katie 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
In recent decades, regulators and policymakers have grappled with the emergence of two global phenomena: globalization of the world marketplace and global climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While the scale of each is staggering, the interests behind them are by and large considered to lie on opposing fronts in the battle between economic development and environmental protection. Although corporations fueled by fossil fuel dependent industries are thought to be largely responsible for both the recent global expansion of the market and increased GHG emissions, they have been operating in the absence of uniform regulations and mandatory controls. This paper looks at voluntary corporate GHG emissions reporting and reduction measures as in the context of what some critics describe as a moral vacuum, and reaches the conclusion that voluntary measures are a useful, but insufficient, mechanism for addressing the related problems of climate change and energy security.
Fermentation products of inulin-type fructans reduce proliferation and induce apoptosis in human colon tumour cells of different stages of carcinogenesis
Authors: Munjal Umang , Glei Michael , Pool-Zobel Beatrice Louise , Scharlau Daniel 
Published: February 2009

Epidemiological evidence suggests that the intake of prebiotic dietary fibres, for example, inulin, protects against colorectal cancer. However, little is known about cellular responses to complex fermentation samples. Therefore, we prepared a fermentation supernatant fraction of inulin and studied biological properties in human colon cell lines, LT97 and HT29 (representing early and late stages of colon cancer). Inulin enriched with oligofructose (Synergy 1) was incubated under anaerobic conditions with faecal inocula and the supernatant fraction was characterised for content of SCFA and secondary bile acid deoxycholic acid (DCA). A Synergy fermentation supernatant fraction (SFS) and a synthetic fermentation mixture (SFM) mimicking the SFS in SCFA and DCA content were used in the concentration range of 1·25–20 % (v/v) for 24–72 h. The effects on cell growth were determined by quantifying DNA. Effects on apoptosis were analysed by measuring poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage using Western blotting. Compared with the faecal blank, produced without the addition of inulin, the SFS resulted in an almost 2·5-fold increase of SCFA and 3·4-fold decrease of DCA. In comparison with HT29 cells, LT97 cells responded more sensitively to the growth-inhibitory activities. Additionally, a significant increase in PARP cleavage was observed in LT97 cells after incubation with the SFS, demonstrating induction of apoptosis. The present results indicate growth-inhibiting and apoptosis-inducing effects of fermentation supernatant fractions of inulin. Moreover, since early adenoma cells were found to be more sensitive, this may have important implications for chemoprevention when translated to the in vivo situation, because survival of early transformed cells could be reduced.
PATHS NOT TAKEN IN THE BRITISH REFORMATIONS
Authors: RYRIE ALEC 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTTraditional historiographies of the Reformation, seeing it as a unified, directed transition from Catholicism to Protestantism, seem increasingly untenable. This article looks in detail at three individuals from the British Reformation whose careers did not fit this pattern: a Scotsman, John Eldar, and two Englishmen, John Proctor and John Redman. Enthusiasts for Henry VIII's Reformation, they found themselves alarmed, but disempowered and compromised, in the face of Edward VI's more radical religious changes. Redman died in 1551, but Proctor and Eldar both celebrated Mary I's Catholic restoration, while not entirely forgetting their Henrician sympathies. The article argues that these men represent a distinctive religious strand in Reformation Britain. Such ‘latter-day Henricians’ valued Henry VIII's distinctive Reformation: anti-papal, anti-heretical, sacramental, Erasmian, and Biblicist. The vicissitudes of religious politics in both England and Scotland in the 1540s and 1550s left no space for such beliefs, although the article suggests that traces of Henricianism can be seen in Elizabeth I herself. It also argues that the impotence of the latter-day Henricians under Edward VI is a symptom of the paralysing weakness of all English religious conservatives in the reign, a predicament from which they were rescued only by Mary's restoration.
THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF ROBERT PERSONS'S CONFERENCE IN CONTINENTAL CONTEXT
Authors: TUTINO STEFANIA 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTThis article seeks to explain some political and theoretical layers of Robert Persons's Conference about the next succession (1595). By examining a Latin manuscript version of the text which appeared in Rome in 1596 and by analysing the context in which this Latin version was composed and the aims which it was intended to fulfil, this article elucidates the political and religious implications of Persons's text, not only in the context of English or British debates over the succession to Elizabeth, but also in a European-wide scenario. Such an approach, I argue, can allow historians of early modern England to gain a deeper and wider understanding of English Catholicism and of its relevance in European political and religious history.
THE ANTI-CORN LAW LEAGUE AND BRITISH ANTI-SLAVERY IN TRANSATLANTIC PERSPECTIVE, 1838–1846
Authors: MORGAN SIMON 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTThis article reassesses relations between the free-trade and anti-slavery movements in the mid-nineteenth century. It places well-known controversies over the removal of preferential import duties on free-grown sugar into the context of a broader and more complex relationship, in which the Anti-Corn Law League borrowed many of the tactics pioneered by the abolitionists, while also attempting to assume anti-slavery's mantle of moral reform. In particular, the article situates the campaigns in a transatlantic context complicated by the domestic agendas of American anti-slavery groups and southern cotton growers, both of whom tried to take advantage of the British free-trade movement for their own ends. Finally, it is argued that the apparent success of the League in forcing the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 not only contributed to the decline of anti-slavery as an effective extra-parliamentary movement, but also ensured that other moral reform campaigns such as the peace movement were forced to adopt the language and tactics of free-trade liberalism to survive, generating a lasting legacy that came to fruition with the emergence of the Gladstonian Liberal Party.
BRITISH PLANS FOR THE PARTITION OF PALESTINE, 1929–1938
Authors: SINANOGLOU PENNY 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTThe 1937 Peel Commission proposal for the partition of British mandatory Palestine has generally been framed as the precursor to the United Nations partition plan of 1947. This article demonstrates the importance of tracing the roots of the 1937 Peel Commission plan back to conversations taking place in the Colonial Office and government of Palestine as early as 1929. A close analysis of dialogues over territorial division and of preliminary partition plans, particularly those drawn up by L. G. Archer Cust and D. G. Harris, leads to the conclusion that Britain's focus on the ideal of representative government played a primary role in the development of partition proposals. This article argues that inter-ethnic violence played a much smaller role in the development of partition proposals than has previously been thought. Instead, partition was proposed as a solution to the political implications of non-representative government in Palestine, a topic constantly in the spotlight thanks to the League of Nations.