bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modulation of taste sensitivity by GLP‐1 signaling
Authors: Shin Yu‐Kyong , Martin Bronwen , Golden Erin , Dotson Cedrick D. , Maudsley Stuart , Kim Wook , Jang Hyeung‐Jin , Mattson Mark P. , Drucker Daniel J. , Egan Josephine M. , Munger Steven D. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractIn many sensory systems, stimulus sensitivity is dynamically modulated through mechanisms of peripheral adaptation, efferent input, or hormonal action. In this way, responses to sensory stimuli can be optimized in the context of both the environment and the physiological state of the animal. Although the gustatory system critically influences food preference, food intake and metabolic homeostasis, the mechanisms for modulating taste sensitivity are poorly understood. In this study, we report that glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) signaling in taste buds modulates taste sensitivity in behaving mice. We find that GLP‐1 is produced in two distinct subsets of mammalian taste cells, while the GLP‐1 receptor is expressed on adjacent intragemmal afferent nerve fibers. GLP‐1 receptor knockout mice show dramatically reduced taste responses to sweeteners in behavioral assays, indicating that GLP‐1 signaling normally acts to maintain or enhance sweet taste sensitivity. A modest increase in citric acid taste sensitivity in these knockout mice suggests GLP‐1 signaling may modulate sour taste, as well. Together, these findings suggest a novel paracrine mechanism for the regulation of taste function.
Characterization of PINK1 processing, stability, and subcellular localization
Authors: Lin William , Kang Un Jung 
Published: April 2008

AbstractMutations found in PTEN‐induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), a putative mitochondrial serine/threonine kinase of unknown function, have been linked to autosomal recessive Parkinson’s disease. It is suggested that mutations can cause a loss of PINK1 kinase activity and eventually lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. In this report, we examined the subcellular localization of PINK1 and the dynamic kinetics of PINK1 processing and degradation. We also identified cytosolic chaperone heat‐shock protein 90 (Hsp90) as an interacting protein of PINK1 by PINK1 co‐immunoprecipitation. Immunofluorescence of PINK1 protein and mitochondrial isolation show that the precursor form of PINK1 translocates to the mitochondria and is processed into two cleaved forms of PINK1, which in turn localize more to the cytosolic than mitochondrial fraction. The cleavage does not occur and the uncleaved precursor stays associated with the mitochondria when the mitochondrial membrane potential is disrupted. Metabolic labeling analyses show that the PINK1 processing is rapid and the levels of cleaved forms are tightly regulated. Furthermore, cleaved forms of PINK1 are stabilized by Hsp90 interaction as the loss of Hsp90 activity decreases PINK1 level after mitochondrial processing. Lastly, we also find that cleaved forms of PINK1 are degraded by the proteasome, which is uncommon for mitochondrial proteins. Our findings support a dual subcellular localization, implying that PINK1 can reside in the mitochondria and the cytosol. This raises intriguing functional roles that bridge these two cellular compartments.
A novel intracellular role of matrix metalloproteinase‐3 during apoptosis of dopaminergic cells
Authors: Choi Dong Hee , Kim Eun‐Mee , Son Hyo Jin , Joh Tong H. , Kim Yoon Seong , Kim Donghou , Flint Beal M. , Hwang Onyou 
Published: April 2008

AbstractWe have previously demonstrated that the active form of matrix metalloproteinase‐3 (actMMP‐3) is released from dopamine(DA)rgic neurons undergoing apoptosis. Herein, whether actMMP‐3 might be generated intracellularly, and if so, whether it is involved in apoptosis of DArgic neurons itself was investigated in primary cultured DArgic neurons of wild‐type, MMP‐3 knockout animals, and CATH.a cells. During apoptosis, gene expression of MMP‐3 is induced, specifically among the various classes of MMPs, generating the proform (55 kDa) which is subsequently cleaved to the catalytically active actMMP‐3 (48 kDa) involving a serine protease. Intracellular actMMP‐3 activity is directly linked to apoptotic signaling in DArgic cells: (i) Pharmacologic inhibition of enzymatic activity, repression of gene expression by siRNA, and gene deficiency all lead to protection; (ii) pharmacologic inhibition causes attenuation of DNA fragmentation and caspase 3 activation, the indices of apoptosis; and (iii) inhibition of the pro‐apoptotic enzyme c‐JunN‐terminal protein kinase leads to repression of MMP‐3 induction. Under the cell stress condition, MMP‐3 is released as actMMP‐3 rather than the proform (proMMP‐3), and catalytically active MMP‐3 added to the medium does not cause cell death. Thus, actMMP‐3 seems to have a novel intracellular role in apoptotic DArgic cells and this finding provides an insight into the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease.
Adenosine A1 receptors inhibit GABAergic transmission in rat tuberomammillary nucleus neurons
Authors: Yum Do‐Seop , Cho Jin‐Hwa , Choi In‐Sun , Nakamura Michiko , Lee Jong‐Ju , Lee Maan‐Gee , Choi Byung‐Ju , Choi Jae‐Kap , Jang Il‐Sung 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe adenosinergic modulation of GABAergic spontaneous miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) was investigated in mechanically dissociated rat tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) neurons using a conventional whole‐cell patch clamp technique. Adenosine (100 μM) reversibly decreased mIPSC frequency without affecting the current amplitude, indicating that adenosine acts presynaptically to decrease the probability of spontaneous GABA release. The adenosine action on GABAergic mIPSC frequency was completely blocked by 1 μM DPCPX, a selective A1 receptor antagonist, and mimicked by 1 μM CPA, a selective A1 receptor agonist. This suggests that presynaptic A1 receptors were responsible for the adenosine‐mediated inhibition of GABAergic mIPSC frequency. CPA still decreased GABAergic mIPSC frequency even either in the presence of 200 μM Cd2+, a general voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channel blocker, or in the Ca2+‐free external solution. However, the inhibitory effect of CPA on GABAergic mIPSC frequency was completely occluded by 1 mM Ba2+, a G‐protein coupled inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channel blocker. In addition, the CPA‐induced decrease in mIPSC frequency was completely occluded by either 100 μM SQ22536, an adenylyl cyclase (AC) inhibitor, or 1 μM KT5720, a specific protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor. The results suggest that the activation of presynaptic A1 receptors decreases spontaneous GABAergic transmission onto TMN neurons via the modulation of GIRK channels as well as the AC/cAMP/PKA signal transduction pathway. This adenosine A1 receptor‐mediated modulation of GABAergic transmission onto TMN neurons may play an important role in the fine modulation of the excitability of TMN histaminergic neurons as well as the regulation of sleep‐wakefulness.
Haplotype Analysis Confirms the Association Between the HCRTR2 Gene and Cluster Headache
Authors: Rainero Innocenzo , Gallone Salvatore , Rubino Elisa , Ponzo Paola , Valfre Walter , Binello Eleonora , Fenoglio Pierpaola , Gentile Salvatore , Anoaica Mihaela , Gasparini Mauro , Pinessi Lorenzo 
Published: April 2008

Background.— Several studies suggested that genetic factors play a role in cluster headache (CH) susceptibility. We found a significant association between the 1246 G>A polymorphism of the hypocretin receptor‐2 (HCRTR2) gene and the disease. This association was confirmed in a large study from Germany but was not replicated in a dataset of CH patients from Northern Europe.Objective.— The purpose of this study was to further evaluate the association between CH and the HCRTR2 gene using new polymorphisms, estimating the frequency of different gene haplotypes, searching for gene mutations, and evaluating the effects of the examined polymorphisms on hypocretin binding sites.Methods.— We genotyped 109 CH patients and 211 healthy controls for 5 new polymorphisms of the HCRTR2 gene and we inferred different gene haplotypes. Complete HCRTR2 sequencing was undertaken for 11 independent CH patients, 5 of whom had a positive family history. The effects of the 1246 G>A polymorphism on the hypocretin binding sites were evaluated using different computer‐assisted analyses.Results.— Three new polymorphisms of the HCRTR2 gene resulted significantly associated with CH. The GTAAGG haplotype resulted more frequent in cases than in controls (OR: 3.68; 95% CI: 1.85‐7.67). No point mutation of the HCRTR2 gene was found. Binding analyses showed that the 1246 G>A polymorphism (substitution of valine at position 308 by isoleucine) has no effect on the hypocretin binding sites but could influence the dimerization process of the receptor.Conclusion.— Our data confirm previous studies suggesting that the HCRTR2 gene or a linked locus significantly modulates the risk for CH. In addition, we suggest that the V308I substitution of the HCRTR2 may interfere with the dimerization process of the receptor, thereby influencing its functional activity.
Human MHC architecture and evolution: implications for disease association studies
Authors: Traherne J. A. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryMajor histocompatibility complex (MHC) variation is a key determinant of susceptibility and resistance to a large number of infectious, autoimmune and other diseases. Identification of the MHC variants conferring susceptibility to disease is problematic, due to high levels of variation and linkage disequilibrium. Recent cataloguing and analysis of variation over the complete MHC has facilitated localization of susceptibility loci for autoimmune diseases, and provided insight into the MHC's evolution. This review considers how the unusual genetic characteristics of the MHC impact on strategies to identify variants causing, or contributing to, disease phenotypes. It also considers the MHC in relation to novel mechanisms influencing gene function and regulation, such as epistasis, epigenetics and microRNAs. These developments, along with recent technological advances, shed light on genetic association in complex disease.
Improved Follow‐Up Care of Hypertensive Patients By a Nurse Practitioner in a Rural Clinic*
Authors: McClellan William M. , Craxton Linda Connell 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTThe usefulness of nurse practitioners in the care of hypertension has been demonstrated in a variety of settings. In a randomized prospective comparison between physicians and nurse practitioner care, observations are extended to rural ambulatory hypertensives. Data indicate that for patients who remain actively in follow‐up, blood pressure control was the same when treated by either physicians or the nurse practitioner. However, patients treated by the nurse practitioner had a significantly better follow‐up adherence rate than did those treated by physicians. The data presented support the use of nurse practitioners in the care of hypertension, particularly in rural populations where a need for intermediate level practitioners is likely to persist despite an expanding supply of physicians.
Establishing a Quality Laboratory In a Rural Medical Practice
Authors: Chick Ernest W. , Walker Robert 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTLaboratory services are not as readily accessible to the rural medical practitioner as to the practitioner in an urban setting. Thus, the office laboratory in a rural medical practice, by necessity, becomes an integral component of that practice. In addition to procedural methodologies, the rural physician must give consideration to the types of laboratory services needed, the requirements for test performance, the factors influencing test costs, the establishment of charges, the necessary protocols and paperwork, the arrangements of the laboratory work area, and the requisite quality control to insure that the office laboratory functions expediently and cost‐accountable.
Impact of Federal Primary Health Care Policy in Rural Areas: Empirical Evidence from the Literature*
Authors: Horner Ronnie D. 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:This review examines the equity, efficiency and effectiveness of federal rural primary care policy as documented by the existing literature. The focus is on the Community Health Center and National Health Service Corps programs which have constituted the major components of the policy. The literature relating to the policy is limited in the number of studies available and in the quality of the research. The available evidence indicates that the policy is associated with an improvement in the distribution of health resources between rural and urban areas, and among rural areas. There is also partial evidence that the policy has been cost‐efficient. For federally subsidized practices, the cost of delivering a similar quality of health care is shown to be up to 50 percent less in rural than in urban areas. Rural private practitioners, though, may be more cost‐efficient than federally subsidized rural practitioners, at least under certain conditions which have yet to be fully delineated. Program effectiveness is the least well documented, but the literature does suggest that the policy has had a positive effect on the health status of rural populations. Substantially more research on the efficiency, and particularly the effectiveness, of federal rural primary care policy is required for the development of a rational basis for the policy.
Patterns of Travel for Rural Individuals Hospitalized in New York State: Relationships Between Distance, Destination, and Case Mix.*
Authors: Hogan Christopher 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:The travel patterns of individuals living in rural areas of New York State who were discharged from short‐term general hospitals in New York State in 1983 are examined. Counties are used as the geographical unit, and rural individuals who cross geographic boundaries to obtain inpatient hospital care are compared with those who receive such care in their own geographic area. Hospitals serving the rural population of New York are classified into three types: urban, consisting of all hospitals located in MSAs; rural referral centers; and other rural hospitals. Next, the rural patients who are admitted to each of these three types of hospitals are characterized in terms of distance traveled, case mix, length of stay, and age. Individuals who travel beyond the counties adjacent to their county of residence had a higher case mix index but were less likely to be more than 75 years old. Distance traveled and the expected cost of care were strongly positively related for patients admitted to urban and rural referral center hospitals, but were only weakly related for other rural hospitals. Finally, comparisons of rural patients in these three types of hospitals were performed adjusting for DRG mix, a comparison which is relevant to hospital reimbursements under the Medicare Prospective Payment System. Using several measures of illness severity, rural patients in urban hospitals and rural referral center hospitals were more severely ill than rural patients in other rural hospitals after adjusting for DRG mix. We conclude that somewhat higher payments to urban hospitals and rural referral center hospitals in New York are justified based on the more severely ill patients which they treat.
Stress on the Farm: A Test of the life‐Events Perspective Among Iowa Farm Operators*
Authors: Geller Jack M. , Bultena Gordon , Lasley Paul 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:Although a great deal is known about the nature and severity of the recent financial crisis in agriculture, there has been little systematic study of the social and psychological effects of this crisis upon farm operators and their families. Using data from a statewide sample of Iowa farmers, this study tests some hypotheses about correlates of psychological stress. The findings suggest that many farm operators find their situations to be stressful and that such stress is related to the severity of their financial problems. In addition, the life‐events perspective is examined in its utility to explain how adverse economic changes impact psychological well‐being.
Organizational Characteristics, Occupational Stress, and Depression in Rural Emergency Medical Technicians
Authors: Revicki Dennis A. , Whitley Theodore W. , Landis Sandra S. , Allison E Jackson 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:A model of organizational characteristics, occupational stress and mental health in emergency medical technicians (EMTs) is developed and tested. Supervisor behavior and work group support are used as predictors of negative role perception. Negative role perception is specified as intervening between the organizational variables and occupational stress. Occupational stress is hypothesized to directly influence depression. Data collected from 250 EMTs is used in a structural equation analysis to estimate model parameters. The sample is mostly male (74%), white (94%), and married (68%). Results suggest that there is a direct relationship between perceived occupational stress and increased depression. Role perception is a critical intervening variable between supervisor behavior, work group support, and occupational stress. The findings suggest that EMTs are more satisfied when supervisory practices result in an environment which encourages open expression and group problem solving. This work environment leads to more supportive relationships among squad members, reduced role ambiguity, and decreased occupational stress and depression.
Determinants of Primary Caregiver Stress and Burden: Area of Residence and the Caregiving Networks of Frail Elders*
Authors: Dwyer Jeffrey W. , Miller Michael K. 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:This research examines the association among characteristics of the caregiving network, primary caregiver stress and burden, and area of residence. The purpose is two‐fold: to determine whether the structure of the relationship between the caregiving network, and stress and burden is uniform across rural, small city, and urban samples; and, to assess whether stress and burden are explained by a similar set of variables within area of residence categories. The data are drawn from a matched sample of 1,388 impaired elders and their primary caregivers from the 1982 National Long‐Term Care Survey and the National Survey of Informal Caregivers. In general, the analysis shows that several characteristics of the care‐receiver and the primary caregiver have a differential effect on stress and burden across residential categories, and that, within rural, small city, and urban samples, the determinants of stress and burden are not homogeneous. When the frail elder is able to reciprocate by doing chores, babysitting, or providing some other type of assistance for the primary caregiver, however, both stress and burden are reduced in all three residential categories. Similarly, the increased provision of assistance with instrumental activities of daily living by the primary caregiver uniformly increases stress and burden. These findings suggest that interventions designed to alleviate primary caregiver stress and burden may be able to have some common components, but may also need to be tailored in some ways to specific residential environments.
Farm Safety and Federal Responses to Occupational Health
Authors: Kelsey Timothy W. 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT: There is always a trade‐off in occupational safety policy between the right for one person to make decisions and the right for others to avoid the consequences of that person's decisions. This conflict has driven the federal response to agricultural safety. Agriculture was an integral part of the original Occupational Safety and Health Administration bill, but farm owner and farm group lobbying contributed to the granting in 1976 of an exemption for all farms with 10 or fewer workers.Finding a proper balance between farm owners' and farm employers' interests is important, but copying the federal response to safety in other occupations will not lead to resolution. Comparing current federal safety expenditures on different federal occupational safety programs, such as to mine safety, slights fundamental differences between agriculture and other occupations, and improperly implies that agriculture is being discriminated against by federal safety efforts. The rights issue and the unavoidable value judgments they entail cannot be ignored. Because the people who would be protected by regulations are also largely the people who would be restricted by those regulations, the decision to create mandatory safety rules in agriculture is much more difficult than in other occupations.
Patterns of Illness Behavior Among Rural Elderly: Preliminary Results of a Health Diary Study
Authors: Stoller Eleanor Palo , Forster Lorna Earl 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:This paper summarizes the responses of rural elderly people to a variety of symptoms experienced during a three‐week period. Responses to symptoms included causal attributions, consultation patterns, and intervention strategies. Data recorded in diaries during a three‐week period highlight the importance of lay care in the illnesses of older people. Most symptoms were managed by older respondents themselves. When symptoms were discussed with someone else, the consultant was most likely a family member or friend rather than a health care professional. Only one third of the respondents contacted any formal provider about any of their symptoms. The majority of respondents combined medical and nonmedical explanations in interpreting their symptoms. The most frequent response to a symptom was doing nothing. The next two most commonly reported interventions were over‐the‐counter medications and activity limitation. Analyses revealed few differences among residential categories in patterns of illness behavior. Rural‐urban differences often disappeared when controlling for demographic and socioeconomic background which covarv with residence.
Maternal Care Coordination for Migrant Farmworker Women: Program Structure and Evaluation of Effects on Use of Prenatal Care and Birth Outcome
Authors: Larson Kim , McGuire Joan , Watkins Elizabeth , Mountain Karen 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:Nearly three fourths of the migrant farmworkers in the U.S. are Hispanic. Cultural and social barriers, along with constant travel, make coordination of care a significant concern for migrant health centers providing perinatal services to female farmworkers. As part of a demonstration project, a migrant‐specific maternal care coordination program was developed that used bilingual staff, outreach services, lay health advisers, and a multistate tracking system. Following the initiation of the project, first‐trimester entry into prenatal care and number of prenatal visits increased over a five‐year period among the target population. Successful tracking methods provided outcome data on more than 80 percent of participants during the project period.The results of this study suggest that migrant health centers should focus on employing public health‐oriented bilingual or bicultural health professionals and that an outreach strategy must be an integral part of a health care delivery system serving migrant farmworkers. Without these key ingredients, health care services will not be accessible or acceptable for this hard‐to‐reach population. Collaboration among the National Migrant Resource Program, the Migrant Clinicians Network, and the National Perinatal Association can facilitate development of a regionwide perinatal service system for female migrant farmworkers.