bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sulphonylurea therapy improves cognition in a patient with the V59M KCNJ11 mutation
Authors: Slingerland A. S. , Hurkx W. , Noordam K. , Flanagan S. E. , Jukema J. W. , Meiners L. C. , Bruining G. J. , Hattersley A. T. , Hadders‐Algra M. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground  KCNJ11 mutations are a common cause of diabetes diagnosed in the first 6 months of life, and approximately 25% of patients have neurological features. Sulphonylureas have been shown to improve glycaemic control and also motor function, but the impact on cognitive function has not been extensively addressed previously.Methods  The patient had a low birth weight and was found to have diabetes at the age of 2 days. The patient was treated with insulin from diagnosis. The child also had marked developmental delay so that his average functional age was 2.5 years when he was 12 years old. A V59M mutation in KCNJ11 was found on sequencing, resulting in a diagnosis of intermediate developmental delay, epilepsy, neonatal diabetes (DEND) syndrome. Identification of a Kir6.2 mutation allowed insulin injections to be replaced by glibenclamide tablets.Results  This resulted not only in improved glycaemic control (HbA1c fell from 8.1 to 6.5%), but also an impressive improvement in many aspects of cognitive function, with the functional age increasing to 4 years within 6 months of treatment change.Conclusions  This is the first clear report of cognitive function improving in a patient with the neurological features associated with a KATP channel mutation following transfer to sulphonylureas. The finding of cognitive improvement suggests that glibenclamide is likely to be acting directly on the brain and not just on nerve and muscle, improving muscle strength.
Elevated glucose concentrations during an oral glucose tolerance test are associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome in childhood obesity
Authors: Sabin M. A. , Hunt L. P. , Ford A. L. , Werther G. A. , Crowne E. C. , Shield J. P. H. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAims  To investigate whether changes in glucose concentrations during an OGTT in obese children reflect the presence of peripheral insulin resistance and/or cardiovascular risk factors more closely than single measurements of fasting plasma glucose (FPG).Methods  One hundred and twenty‐two obese children attending our Paediatric Obesity Service underwent formal OGTTs, following the measurement of blood pressure and fasting levels of insulin, glucose and lipid profiles in the majority. Fasting insulin was used as a surrogate measure of insulin sensitivity. Three different child‐specific definitions for metabolic syndrome were used to identify clustering of cardiovascular risk factors in 65 of these children.Results  In the whole group, 10.7% had IGT but changes in glucose during the OGTT were not influenced by age, sex, pubertal status or raw (or age‐ and sex‐adjusted) body mass index (BMI). During the OGTT, FPG, glucose at 60 min and area under the glucose curve correlated highly with fasting insulin. Children with metabolic syndrome (defined using any of three definitions) had comparable FPG levels to those without metabolic syndrome, but they demonstrated significantly elevated glucose levels at 60 min. On sub‐group analysis, obese children with normal carbohydrate metabolism were significantly more likely to have a 1 h glucose level ≥ 7.8 mmol/l if they had metabolic syndrome (P = 0.026).Conclusions  These data suggest that an elevated 1 h post‐load glucose measurement is seen in obese children who have a coexistent clustering of cardiovascular risk factors.
Vegetation differentiation in the patterned landscape of the central Everglades: importance of local and landscape drivers
Authors: Givnish Thomas J. , Volin John C. , Owen V. Dianne , Volin Valeria C. , Muss Jordan D. , Glaser Paul H. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACTAim  We present a model to account for self‐assembly of the slough–ridge–tree island patterned landscape of the central Everglades in southern Florida via feedbacks among landforms, hydrology, vegetation and biogeochemistry. We test aspects of this model by analysing vegetation composition in relation to local and landscape‐level drivers.Location  We quantified vegetation composition and environmental characteristics in central Water Conservation Area (WCA) 3A, southern WCA‐3A and southern WCA‐3B in southern Florida, based on their divergence in water management and flow regimes over the past 50 years.Methods  In 562 quadrats, we estimated species coverages and quantified maximum, minimum and average water depth, soil depth to bedrock, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and proximity to the nearest tree island. We used non‐metric multi‐dimensional scaling (NMS) to relate compositional variation to local and landscape‐level factors, and evaluated environmental differences among eight a priori vegetation types via anova.Results  Water depth and hydroperiod decreased from sloughs to ridges to tree islands, but regions also differed significantly in the abundance of several community types and the hydroregimes characterizing them. NMS revealed two significant axes of compositional variation, tied to local gradients of water depth and correlated factors, and to a landscape‐scale gradient of proximity to tall tree islands. Sawgrass height and soil thickness increased toward higher ridges, and NDVI was greatest on tree islands.Main conclusions  This study supports four components of our model: positive feedback of local substrate height on itself, woody plant invasion and subsequent P transport and concentration by top predators nesting on taller tree islands, compositional shifts in sites close to tree islands due to nutrient leakage, and flow‐induced feedback against total raised area. Regional divergence in the relationship of community types to current hydroregimes appears to reflect a lag of a few years after shifts in water management; a longer lag would be expected for shifts in landscape patterning. Both local and landscape‐level drivers appear to shape vegetation composition and soil thickness in the central Everglades.
Do Rapoport's rule, the mid‐domain effect or the source–sink hypotheses predict bathymetric patterns of polychaete richness on the Pacific coast of South America?
Authors: Moreno Rodrigo A. , Rivadeneira Marcelo M. , Hernández Cristián E. , Sampértegui Sandra , Rozbaczylo Nicolás 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACTAim  We evaluated the bathymetric gradient of benthic polychaete species richness from the Chilean coast, as well as its possible underlying causes. We tested three possible hypotheses to explain the richness gradient: (1) Rapoport's effect; (2) the mid‐domain effect (MDE); and (c) the source–sink hypothesis.Location  South‐eastern Pacific coast of Chile.Methods  The bathymetric gradient in richness was evaluated using the reported ranges of bathymetric distribution of 498 polychaete species, from the intertidal to abyssal zone (c. 4700 m). Rapoport's effect was evaluated by examining the relationship between bathymetric mid‐point and bathymetric range extent, and species richness and depth. The MDE was tested using the Monte Carlo simulation program. The source–sink hypothesis was tested through nestedness analysis.Results  Species richness shows significant exponential decay across the bathymetric gradient. The pattern is characterized by a high presence of short‐ranged species on the continental shelf area; while only a few species reach abyssal depths, and they tend to show extremely wide bathymetric ranges. Our simulation analyses showed that, in general, the pattern is robust to sampling artefacts. This pattern cannot be reproduced by the MDE, which predicts a parabolic richness gradient. Rather, results agree with the predictions of Rapoport's effect. Additionally, the data set is significantly nested at species, genus and family levels, supporting the source–sink hypothesis.Main conclusions  The sharp exponential decay in benthic polychaete richness across the bathymetric gradient supports the general idea that abyssal environments should harbour fewer species than shallower zones. This pattern may be the result of colonization–extinction dynamics, characterized by abyssal assemblages acting as ‘sinks’ maintained mainly by shallower ‘sources’. The source–sink hypothesis provides a conceptual and methodological framework that may shed light on the search for general patterns of diversity across large spatial scales.
Taxes and Decision Rights in Multinationals
Authors: BO NIELSEN SØREN , RAIMONDOS‐MØLLER PASCALIS , SCHJELDERUP GUTTORM 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe examine how a multinational's choice to centralize or decentralize its decision structure is affected by country tax differentials. Within a simple model that emphasizes the multiple conflicting roles of transfer prices in multinational enterprises (MNEs)—here, as a strategic precommitment device and a tax manipulation instrument—we show that centralization is more profitable when tax differentials are large. When tax differentials are small, decentralization can be performed in two different ways each providing the highest profits in a particular range of the tax differential. Hence, the paper emphasizes the organizational flexibility that MNEs have in pursuing tax optimization.
Do Your Neighbors Influence Your Health?
Authors: BEDNAREK HEATHER L. , PECCHENINO ROWENA A. , STEARNS SALLY C. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWhen individuals make decisions regarding their allocation of time and income, the health investment and health that they achieve may fall short of the goals prescribed by medical guidelines and health policymakers. Instead of the oft‐observed policy responses such as additional spending on public awareness campaigns, it may be more fruitful to determine how individuals can be induced to choose behaviors that will lead to the prescribed health. That is, one must recognize the trade‐offs between health investment and consumption or leisure today in the face of factors such as social norms, job stress and advances in health technology.
Upstream Solutions: Does the Supplemental Security Income Program Reduce Disability in the Elderly?
Authors: HERD PAMELA , SCHOENI ROBERT F. , HOUSE JAMES S. 
Published: February 2008

Context:The robust relationship between socioeconomic factors and health suggests that social and economic policies might substantially affect health, while other evidence suggests that medical care, the main focus of current health policy, may not be the primary determinant of population health. Income support policies are one promising avenue to improve population health. This study examines whether the federal cash transfer program to poor elderly, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, affects old‐age disability.Methods:This study uses the 1990 and 2000 censuses, employing state and year fixed‐effect models, to test whether within‐state changes in maximum SSI benefits over time lead to changes in disability among people aged sixty‐five and older.Findings:Higher benefits are linked to lower disability rates. Among all single elderly individuals, 30 percent have mobility limitations, and an increase of $100 per month in the maximum SSI benefit caused the rate of mobility limitations to fall by 0.46 percentage points. The findings were robust to sensitivity analyses. First, analyses limited to those most likely to receive SSI produced larger effects, but analyses limited to those least likely to receive SSI produced no measurable effect. Second, varying the disability measure did not meaningfully alter the findings. Third, excluding the institutionalized, immigrants, individuals living in states with exceptionally large benefit changes, and individuals living in states with no SSI supplements did not change the substantive conclusions. Fourth, Medicaid did not confound the effects. Finally, these results were robust for married individuals.Conclusions:Income support policy may be a significant new lever for improving population health, especially that of lower‐income persons. Even though the findings are robust, further analyses are needed to confirm their reliability. Future research should examine a variety of different income support policies, as well as whether a broader range of social and economic policies affect health.
Cellulite and skin ageing: is there any interaction?
Authors: Ortonne JP , Zartarian M , Verschoore M , Queille‐Roussel C , Duteil L 
Published: February 2008

AbstractObjective  This study aimed to identify the characteristics of cellulite in women of different age and to appreciate whether cellulite could interfere with skin ageing or not.Methods  94 healthy females, divided into three age groups (21–30yrs; 31–40yrs; 51–60yrs) and two grade groups of cellulite (grade 2; grade 0 or control group), were investigated using non invasive techniques. The “orange peel appearance” was quantified by measuring the shadowed surfaces under low angle light. The biomechanichal properties were measured (extensibility‐retractability‐elasticity). The thicknesses of the skin structures were also evaluated using ultrasound. Echogenicity of the dermis was recorded and dermis density determined in two bands (superficial and low dermis).Results  In grade 2, the shadowed surfaces are significantly different according to age; i.e. smaller and more numerous after age of 30; the total skin thickness including hypodermis is increased of about 30% irrespective to age, compared to control group.The biomechanical properties of the skin are significantly modified as age increases without any grade effect. In grade 2, retractability and elasticity parameters are altered from age 30 whilst only from age 50 in the control group. Echogenicities of the superficial and deep dermis also decrease from age 30 and become significantly lower than the ones of grade 0.Conclusion  Population with cellulite presents earlier skin ageing characteristics than the control population. Two sub‐populations may exist: the under 30 age with large dimpled surfaces, normal biomechanical and density properties; and the over 30 age with smaller and numerous dimpled surfaces and already altered dermis properties. This premature skin ageing should be prevented accordingly.
Immunological assessment of familial tinea corporis
Authors: Gazit R , Hershko K , Ingbar A , Schlesinger M , Israel S , Brautbar C , Mandelboim O , Leibovici V 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground  The mechanisms involved in the immune resistance to fungal infection of the skin are not well understood. We assessed the levels of the various lymphocyte subsets, the HLA haplotypes, the expression of various receptors on natural killer (NK) cells and the serum levels of cytokines, in a family in which four siblings had tinea corporis, while four others were healthy, in order to reveal potential factors of susceptibility to dermatophytes.Observations  Normal numbers of T, B and NK cells were found in the peripheral blood, without significant differences between healthy and infected siblings. The frequency of CD14‐positive monocytes was elevated in infected compared with healthy siblings. The proportion of NKG2A+ NK cells was reduced in the patients compared with healthy siblings (23.8% vs. 33.8%), whereas CXCR3+ NK cells were increased (41.5% vs. 25.6%, respectively). MHC class I and class II haplotypes were disease independent. Elevated levels of intereron‐γ, interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), IL‐2 and tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) were observed only in part of the infected siblings. The serum level of TNFα was strongly correlated with the percentage of CD14+ monocytes.Conclusions  We studied here in detail the NK functions of a family of patients suffering from tinea corporis and observed skewed frequencies of specific NK receptors, which imply possible involvement of NK cells in susceptibility to fungal infection.
Photoprotection of bacterial‐derived melanin against ultraviolet A–induced cell death and its potential application as an active sunscreen
Authors: Geng J , Tang W , Wan X , Zhou Q , Wang X‐J , Shen P , Lei T‐C , Chen X‐D 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground  The increase in the incidence of non‐melanoma skin tumours, photoaging, and immunosuppression demand for more effective sunscreen on ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation.Objectives  The aim of the study is to evaluate the photoprotective effects of a bacterial‐derived melanin against UVA‐induced damages in vitro and in vivo.Methods  Human fibroblasts were used to assess the role of the bacterial‐derived melanin on cell viability against UVA. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and nuclear morphology were employed to evaluate the photoprotection at the cellular level. Fluorometric assays were performed to detect the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells. Evaluations of the bacterial‐derived melanin as a sunscreen were measured by transmission test and persistent pigment darkening on human skin.Results  Bacterial‐derived melanin efficiently scavenged ROS in the fibroblasts after UVA irradiation. The cell viability of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) fibroblast treated with varied doses of melanin increased dramatically in comparison with untreated control and the treated XP fibroblasts became more resistant to UVA‐induced apoptosis than normal fibroblasts. Although the relative transmission didn't change too much with different concentration of bacterial‐derived melanin, this melanin could keep UVA‐irradiated skin from pigment darkening and act as an active sunscreen on skin.Conclusions  The bacterial‐derived melanin provided significant protection to fibroblast cell and human skin against the UVA radiation. It has the potential to be developed as an active sunscreen for the patients with photosensitivity skin to sun exposure.
Clinical effectiveness and safety experience with alefacept in the treatment of patients with moderate‐to‐severe chronic plaque psoriasis in Taiwan: results of an open‐label, single‐arm, multicentre pilot study
Authors: Huang PH , Liao YH , Wei CC , Tseng YH , Ho JC , Tsai TF 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground  The effectiveness and safety of alefacept for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe chronic plaque psoriasis has been established in several clinical trials conducted in the United States and Europe. No clinical trial of alefacept has been conducted in Asia.Objective  To determine the effectiveness and safety of alefacept in the treatment of psoriasis in Chinese population.Design and methods  This was an open‐label, single‐arm, multicentre pilot study conducted at three centres. Patients with a body surface area ≥ 10% and psoriasis area and severity Index (PASI) ≥ 12 were given 15 mg alefacept intramuscularly once a week for 12 weeks and were then followed up for a further 12 weeks.Results  A total of 46 patients was enrolled. Only one subject (2%) achieved a ≥ 75% improvement in PASI at week 14. The median improvement in PASI at week 14 after the 12‐week treatment was 39%. At any time during the 6‐month course, 3 subjects (7%) achieved a Physician Global Assessment (PGA) of ‘almost clear’, and a ≥ 50% and ≥ 75% improvement in PASI was seen in 46% and 9%, respectively. There is a trend for decreased counts of CD4+ and CD8+ cells after alefacept treatment, but subjects who achieved PASI50 showed a lesser degree of decrease in CD4+ and CD8+ counts compared with those in patients who did not achieve PASI50.Conclusions  This small pilot study indicated that intramuscular alefacept was effective and safe in psoriasis in Chinese patients over 12 weeks of treatment. Further studies are needed to clarify the reason for low PASI 75 effectiveness and the paradoxical lesser decline of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in those who responded.
Tumour necrosis factor (TNF‐α) alpha converting enzyme and soluble TNF‐α receptor type 1 in psoriasis patients in relation to the chronic alcohol consumption
Authors: Serwin AB , Sokolowska M , Dylejko E , Chodynicka B 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground  Tumour necrosis factor alpha converting enzyme (TACE) is a major sheddase of TNF‐α and its receptors, essential for the generation of soluble, mature molecules. The regulation of the TACE activity by ethanol in vitro has been suggested recently. The alcohol abuse is a frequent problem among psoriasis patients. The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between long‐term alcohol consumption and the concentration of TACE in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and its substrate – soluble TNF‐α receptor type 1 (sTNF‐R1) in plasma in psoriasis patients.Methods  The study has been conducted among 44 patients (aged 30–59 years) with early‐onset, plaque‐type psoriasis. Thirty‐eight patients (aged 29–61 years) with other than psoriasis chronic dermatologic disorders were controls. The data on alcohol consumption during previous 10 years were obtained with a structured questionnaire. The severity of the disease was assessed using Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), and concentrations of TACE in PBMC lysate and sTNF‐R1 in plasma was assessed with a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique.Results  The TACE concentration correlated to that of sTNF‐R1 (R = 0.52 in psoriasis patients and R = 0.56 in controls, P < 0.05). The concentrations of TACE were 2.62 ± 0.32 ng/mL in patients and 1.29 ± 0.25 ng/mL in controls (P < 0.05), and corresponding sTNF‐R1 concentrations were 2.54 ± 0.27 ng/mL and 1.79 ± 0.14 ng/mL (P < 0.05), respectively. The concentrations of TACE and sTNF‐R1 in patients correlated to the intensity of alcohol consumption (R = 0.56, and R = 0.52, P < 0.05, respectively) and were the highest in excessive drinking psoriasis patients (2.94 ± 0.34 and 2.67 ± 0.13 ng/mL).Conclusion  The alcohol abuse may contribute to the increase of TACE expression in PBMC and also to the elevated plasma sTNF‐R1 concentration in psoriasis patients.
Identification and characterization of 20 immunocompetent patients with simultaneous varicella zoster and herpes simplex virus infection
Authors: Giehl KA , Müller‐Sander E , Rottenkolber M , Degitz K , Volkenandt M , Berking C 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground  It has been shown that varicella zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) can co‐localize to the same sensory ganglion. However, only a few case reports on VZV/HSV co‐infections exist. Objective To identify and characterize patients with concurrent VZV and HSV infection at the same body site.Subjects/Methods  In 1718 patients, the presence of VZV and HSV in suspicious skin lesions was investigated by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Clinical characteristics of co‐infected patients were compared with matched control patients infected with either VZV or HSV. The data are discussed in the context of an extensive review of the literature.Results  Twenty (1.2%) of 1718 patients were infected with both VZV and HSV at the same body site. The mean age was 54 years (range, 2–83). The clinical diagnosis was zoster in 65%, herpes simplex in 20%, varicella in 10% and erythema multiforme in 5% of cases. The trigeminus region was affected in 60% and the trunk in 25%. Involvement of the head was most commonly associated with a severe course of disease and with older age.Conclusion  Simultaneous VZV/HSV infection is rare but can occur in immunocompetent patients, which is often overlooked. The majority of cases is localized to the trigeminus region and affects elderly people.
Beyond These Mythical Shores: Asian American History and the Study of Race
Authors: Jung Moon‐Ho 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe field of Asian American history has witnessed a sharp increase in monograph publications since the 1990s, reflective of the field's growing recognition and sophistication. Anti‐Asian racism, particularly in the form of immigration restrictions and prohibitions, continues to dominate the historical literature on Asian Americans, but historians are building on earlier calls to move the field beyond liberal narratives of immigration and assimilation. Recent publications on the nineteenth century extend the temporal and geographical scope of Asian American history and offer radical critiques of race, nation, and empire in U.S. history.