bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Melanocortin-4 Receptor Deficiency in Europeans and Their Age-Dependent Penetrance in Multigenerational Pedigrees
Authors: Stutzmann Fanny , Tan Karen , Vatin Vincent , Dina Christian , Jouret Béatrice , Tichet Jean , Balkau Beverley , Potoczna Natascha , Horber Fritz , O'Rahilly Stephen , Farooqi I. Sadaf , Froguel Philippe , Meyre David 
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE— Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) deficiency is the most frequent genetic cause of obesity. However, there is uncertainty regarding the degree of penetrance of this condition, and the putative impact of the environment on the development of obesity in MC4R mutation carriers is unknown.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— We determined the MC4R sequence in 2,257 obese individuals and 2,677 nonobese control subjects of European origin and established the likely functional impact of all variants detected. We then included relatives of probands carriers and studied 25 pedigrees, including 97 carriers and 94 noncarriers from three generations.
RESULTS— Of the MC4R nonsynonymous mutations found in obese subjects, 68% resulted in a loss of function in vitro. They were found in 1.72% of obese versus 0.15% of nonobesed subjects (P = 6.9 × 10−10). Among the families, abnormal eating behavior was more frequent in both MC4R-deficient children and adults than in noncarriers. Although BMI was inversely associated with educational status in noncarrier adults, no such relationship was seen in MC4R mutation carriers. We observed a generational effect, with a penetrance of 40% in MC4R-deficient adults aged &gt;52 years, 60% in 18- to 52-year-old adults, and 79% in children. The longitudinal study of adult carriers showed an increasing age-dependent penetrance (37% at 20 years versus 60% at &gt;40 years).
CONCLUSIONS— We have established a robust estimate of age-related penetrance for MC4R deficiency and demonstrated a generational effect on penetrance, which may relate to the development of an “obesogenic” environment. It remains to be seen whether appropriate manipulation of environmental factors may contribute to preventing the development of obesity even in those strongly genetically predisposed to it.
Brain Apolipoprotein E: an Important Regulator of Food Intake in Rats
Authors: Shen Ling , Tso Patrick , Woods Stephen C. , Clegg Deborah J. , Barber Kyna L. , Carey Katherine , Liu Min 
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE—The worldwide prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, along with the associated increased rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. While efforts to address environmental factors responsible for the recent epidemic must continue, investigation into the anorectic functions of potential molecules we present here, such as apolipoprotein (apo)E, offers exciting possibilities for future development of successful anti-obesity therapies.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Changes in feeding behavior after intracerebroventricular injection of apoE, the regulation of hypothalamic apoE gene expression by energy status, and the interaction of hypothalamic apoE with other neuropeptides were studied.
RESULTS—Intracerebroventricular apoE significantly decreased food intake without causing malaise, whereas intracerebroventricular infusion of apoE antiserum stimulated feeding, implying that endogenous apoE tonically inhibits food intake. Consistent with this, apoE was present in the hypothalamus, a brain site intimately involved in the integration of signals for energy homeostasis. Fasted rats exhibited significantly decreased apoE gene expression in the hypothalamus, and refeeding of these rats for 4 h evoked a significant increase of hypothalamic apoE mRNA levels. Both genetically obese (ob/ob) mice and rats with high-fat diet–induced obesity had significantly reduced hypothalamic apoE mRNA levels compared with their lean control counterparts, suggesting that decreased apoE may contribute to hyperphagia in these obese animals. Additionally, apoE-stimulated hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin gene expression and SHU9119, a melanocortin 3/4 receptor antagonist, attenuated the inhibitory function of apoE on feeding.
CONCLUSIONS—These data demonstrate that apoE suppresses food intake via a mechanism enhancing melanocortin signaling in the hypothalamus.
Pericyte Migration
Authors: Pfister Frederick , Feng Yuxi , vom Hagen Franziska , Hoffmann Sigrid , Molema Grietje , Hillebrands Jan-Luuk , Shani Moshe , Deutsch Urban , Hammes Hans-Peter 
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE— The mechanism underlying pericyte loss during incipient diabetic retinopathy remains controversial. Hyperglycemia induces angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) transcription, which modulates capillary pericyte coverage. In this study, we assessed loss of pericyte subgroups and the contribution of Ang-2 to pericyte migration.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Numbers of total pericytes and their subgroups were quantified in retinal digest preparations of spontaneous diabetic XLacZ mice. Pericytes were divided into subgroups according to their localization, their position relative to adjacent endothelial cells, and the expression of LacZ. The contribution of Ang-2 to pericyte migration was assessed in Ang-2 overexpressing (mOpsinhAng2) and deficient (Ang2LacZ) mice.
RESULTS— Pericyte numbers were reduced by 16% (P &lt; 0.01) in XLacZ mice after 6 months of diabetes. Reduction of pericytes was restricted to pericytes on straight capillaries (relative reduction 27%, P &lt; 0.05) and was predominantly observed in LacZ-positive pericytes (−20%, P &lt; 0.01). Hyperglycemia increased the numbers of migrating pericytes (69%; P &lt; 0.05), of which the relative increase due to diabetes was exclusively in LacZ-negative pericytes, indicating reduced adherence to the capillaries (176%; P &lt; 0.01). Overexpression of Ang-2 in nondiabetic retinas mimicked diabetic pericyte migration of wild-type animals (78%; P &lt; 0.01). Ang-2 deficient mice completely lacked hyperglycemia-induced increase in pericyte migration compared with wild-type littermates.
CONCLUSIONS— Diabetic pericyte loss is the result of pericyte migration, and this process is modulated by the Ang-Tie system.
Carbon Monoxide and Nitric Oxide Mediate Cytoskeletal Reorganization in Microvascular Cells via Vasodilator-Stimulated Phosphoprotein Phosphorylation
Authors: Li Calzi Sergio , Purich Daniel L. , Chang Kyung Hee , Afzal Aqeela , Nakagawa Takahiko , Busik Julia V. , Agarwal Anupam , Segal Mark S. , Grant Maria B. 
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE— We examined the effect of the vasoactive agents carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) on the phosphorylation and intracellular redistribution of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP), a critical actin motor protein required for cell migration that also controls vasodilation and platelet aggregation.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— We examined the effect of donor-released CO and NO in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and platelets from nondiabetic and diabetic subjects and in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) cultured under low (5.5 mmol/l) or high (25 mmol/l) glucose conditions. VASP phosphorylation was evaluated using phosphorylation site-specific antibodies.
RESULTS— In control platelets, CO selectively promotes phosphorylation at VASP Ser-157, whereas NO promotes phosphorylation primarily at Ser-157 and also at Ser-239, with maximal responses at 1 min with both agents on Ser-157 and at 15 min on Ser-239 with NO treatment. In diabetic platelets, neither agent resulted in VASP phosphorylation. In nondiabetic EPCs, NO and CO increased phosphorylation at Ser-239 and Ser-157, respectively, but this response was markedly reduced in diabetic EPCs. In endothelial cells cultured under low glucose conditions, both CO and NO induced phosphorylation at Ser-157 and Ser-239; however, this response was completely lost when cells were cultured under high glucose conditions. In control EPCs and in HMECs exposed to low glucose, VASP was redistributed to filopodia-like structures following CO or NO exposure; however, redistribution was dramatically attenuated under high glucose conditions.
CONCLUSIONS— Vasoactive gases CO and NO promote cytoskeletal changes through site- and cell type–specific VASP phosphorylation, and in diabetes, blunted responses to these agents may lead to reduced vascular repair and tissue perfusion.
The Fatty Acid Receptor GPR40 Plays a Role in Insulin Secretion In Vivo After High-Fat Feeding
Authors: Kebede Melkam , Alquier Thierry , Latour Martin G. , Semache Meriem , Tremblay Caroline , Poitout Vincent 
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE—The G-protein–coupled receptor GPR40 is expressed in pancreatic β-cells and is activated by long-chain fatty acids. Gene deletion studies have shown that GPR40 mediates, at least in part, fatty acid–amplification of glucose-induced insulin secretion (GSIS) but is not implicated in GSIS itself. However, the role of GPR40 in the long-term effects of fatty acids on insulin secretion remains controversial. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that GPR40 plays a role in insulin secretion after high-fat feeding.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—GPR40 knockout (KO) mice on a C57BL/6 background and their wild-type (WT) littermates were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 11 weeks. Glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance, and insulin secretion in response to glucose and Intralipid were assessed during the course of the diet period.
RESULTS—GPR40 KO mice had fasting hyperglycemia. They became as obese, glucose intolerant, and insulin resistant as their WT littermates given HFD and developed a similar degree of liver steatosis. Their fasting blood glucose levels increased earlier than those of control mice during the course of the HFD. The remarkable increase in insulin secretory responses to intravenous glucose and Intralipid seen in WT mice after HFD was of much lower magnitude in GPR40 KO mice.
CONCLUSIONS—GPR40 plays a role not only in fatty acid modulation of insulin secretion, but also in GSIS after high-fat feeding. These observations raise doubts on the validity of a therapeutic approach based on GPR40 antagonism for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes in Patients With Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Becker Claudia , Brobert Gunnar P. , Johansson Saga , Jick Susan S. , Meier Christoph R. 
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE—Previous observational studies reported inconsistent results on the association between diabetes and Parkinson's disease, and data on the risk of developing incident diabetes in relation to Parkinson's disease are scarce. We aimed at comparing the diabetes prevalence between patients with or without Parkinson's disease and at exploring the risk of developing incident diabetes associated with Parkinson's disease.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We used the U.K.-based General Practice Research Database (GPRD) to 1) compare the diabetes prevalence between Parkinson's disease cases and a matched comparison group free of Parkinson's disease between 1994 and 2005 and to 2) conduct a follow-up study with a nested case-control analysis to quantify the risk of developing new-onset diabetes in association with Parkinson's disease.
RESULTS—The diabetes prevalence was similar in patients with and without Parkinson's disease (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.95 [95% CI 0.80–1.14]). In the cohort analysis (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.55 [95% CI 0.38–0.81]) and in the nested case-control analysis (adjusted OR 0.53 [95% CI 0.33–0.87]), the risk of developing diabetes was lower in patients with Parkinson's disease than in subjects without. The adjusted OR for patients with Parkinson's disease who were current levodopa users of five or more prescriptions was 0.22 (0.10–0.48) and was 1.11 (0.50–2.45) for Parkinson's disease patients not using levodopa.
CONCLUSIONS—In this observational study, diabetes prevalence was closely similar between patients with Parkinson's disease and subjects without. The risk of developing incident diabetes was lower for patients with Parkinson's disease than for patients without, a finding that was limited to Parkinson's disease patients who were using levodopa.
Association of Brominated Flame Retardants With Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome in the U.S. Population, 2003–2004
Authors: Lim Ji-Sun , Lee Duk-Hee , Jacobs David R. 
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE—Chlorinated persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disruptors accumulated in adipose tissue, were associated with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) or polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), are another class of POPs for which body burden is increasing. Cross-sectional associations of serum concentrations of BFRs with diabetes and metabolic syndrome were studied.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2004, 1,367 adults were examined with respect to diabetes status. Five PBDEs and one PBB were selected, detectable in ≥60% of participants. For the outcome metabolic syndrome, we restricted the analysis to 637 participants with a morning fasting sample.
RESULTS—Compared with subjects with serum concentrations below the limit of detection, prevalent diabetes had differing dose-response associations with serum concentrations of PBB-153 and PBDE-153. Adjusted odds ratios across quartiles of serum concentrations for PBB-153 or PBDE-153 were 1.0, 0.7, 1.4, 1.6, and 1.9 (P for trend &lt;0.01) and 1.0, 1.6, 2.6, 2.7, and 1.8 (P for quadratic term &lt;0.01), respectively. PBB-153 was also positively associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome with adjusted odds ratios of 1.0, 1.5, 3.1, 3.1, and 3.1 (P for trend&lt;0.01). As in its association with diabetes, PBDE-153 showed an inverted U-shaped association with metabolic syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS—Pending confirmation in prospective studies, lipophilic xenobiotics, including brominated POPs stored in adipose tissue, may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Diplectanum parvus sp. nov. (Monogenea, Diplectanidae) from Cephalopholis urodeta (Perciformes, Serranidae) of New Caledonia
Authors: Justine Jean-Lou 
Published: June 2008

AbstractDiplectanum parvus sp. nov. is described from the coral reef fish Cephalopholis urodeta collected off New Caledonia, South Pacific, and is the first diplectanid described from this fish. The new species has a very small male copulatory organ (24 μm in length) and a minute body (246 μm in length) and is close to D. nanus Justine, 2007 from which it can be distinguished by the shape of dorsal bars and various measurements. These species belong to a group of diplectanids found in groupers (Serranidae, Epinephelinae), characterised by small funnel-shaped male copulatory organs and no sclerotized female organs. The attribution of these parasites to Diplectanum Diesing is provisional. Other parasites are briefly listed.
A new species of Chitwoodiella Basir, 1948 with first report on Mirzaiella asiatica Basir, 1942 (Nematoda, Travassosinematidae) from Manipur, North-East India
Authors: Shah Mohammad 
Published: June 2008

AbstractChitwoodiella longicardia sp. nov. is characterized by having modified cardia into a long tubular structure and extends upto anterior portion of the intestine. This character is present in all the specimens collected from North-East India and represents the third species described under the genus globally. A short note on Mirzaiella asiatica Basir, 1942 is also given. Moreover, key to known species of Chitwoodiella and Mirzaiella are also provided. A comparative measurement table of known species of Chitwoodiella and Mirzaiella are given in Table I and Table II.
Splenic hydatid cyst: is splenectomy necessary?
Authors: Rabie Mohammad , Al-Naami Awaji , Arishi Abdul , Ageeli Hussein , Al-Harbi Nasser , Shaban Abdul 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe spleen is a rare location for hydatid cysts with the larvae reaching the site after escaping the hepatic and pulmonary filters. For most surgeons, splenectomy is the primary treatment in such cases which aims at eradicating the disease while decreasing the chances of recurrence by removing the intact cyst. While this is true, the risks of other two parasitic infections are increased, namely malaria and babesiosis. In the case presented here, the spleen was preserved after extirpating the cyst to keep the patient’s immunity against malaria, which is endemic in our region.
"Opti-Marine-Ware" (Optimization of Vessel's Parameters through Spreadsheet Model)
Authors: De Abhijit , Kumar Ashish 
Published: June 2008

[THIS PAPER IS PLAGIARIZED FROM 'Artana, K. B. and Ishida, K.(2003): The Determination of Optimum Ship’s Design and Power Prediction Using Spreadsheet Model, Journal of the JIME, Vol. 37, No. 6', http://www.mesj.or.jp/mesj_e/english/pub/ap_papers/pdf/2003AP7.pdf]The objective of this paper is to describe and evaluate a scheme of engineering-economic analysis for determining optimum ship's main dimensions and power requirement at basic design stage. We have divided the optimization problem into five main parts, namely, Input, Equation, Constraint, Output and Objective Function. The constraints, which are the considerations to be fulfilled, become the director of this process and a minimum and a maximum value are set on each constraint so as to give the working area of the optimization. The outputs (decision variables) are optimized in favor of minimizing the objective function. Microsoft Excel-Premium Solver Platform (a spreadsheet modeling tool is utilized to model the optimization problem). This paper is commenced by the description of the general optimization problems, and is followed by the model construction of the optimization. A case study on the determination of ship's main dimensions and its power requirement is performed with the main objective to minimize the Economic Cost of Transport (ECT). After simulating the model and verifying the results, it is observed that the spreadsheet model yields considerably comparable results with the main dimensions and power requirement data of the real operated ships (tanker). It is also experienced that this kind of optimization process needs no exhaustive efforts in producing programming codes, if the problem and the optimization model have been well defined.Keywords: Optimization; design; Ship power requirementDOI: 10.3329/jname.v3i2.919Journal of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering 3(2006) 49-58
Effect of Pressure Stress Work and Viscous Dissipation in Natural Convection Flow along a Vertical Flat Plate with Heat Conduction
Authors: Alam MD M , Alim MA , Chowdhury Md MK 
Published: June 2008

In this paper, the effect of viscous dissipation and pressure stress work on free convection flow along a vertical flat plate has been investigated. Heat conduction due to wall thickness b is considered in this investigation. With a goal to attain similarity solutions of the problem posed, the developed equations are made dimensionless by using suitable transformations. The non-dimensional equations are then transformed into non-linear equations by introducing a non-similarity transformation. The resulting non-linear similar equations together with their corresponding boundary conditions based on conduction and convection are solved numerically by using the finite difference method along with Newton's linearization approximation. Numerical results for the details of the velocity profiles, temperature profiles, skin friction coefficients and the surface temperature distributions are shown both on graphs and tabular form for different values of the parameters entering into the problem. Keywords: Free convection, viscous dissipation, pressure work and conduction. DOI: 10.3329/jname.v3i2.921 Journal of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering 3(2006) 69-76
Study of Molten Salt Corrosion of Superni-75 using Termogravimetric Technique
Authors: Sidhu TS , Prakash S , Agrawal RD 
Published: June 2008

The present study aims to evaluate the hot corrosion behaviour of the Ni-based alloy Superni- 75 in the molten salt environment of Na2SO-60%V2O5 at 900°C under cyclic conditions. The thermogravimetric technique was used to establish the kinetics of corrosion. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive analysis and electron probe microanalysis techniques were used to analyse the corrosion products. Superni-75 has successfully provided the hot corrosion resistance to the given molten salt environment. The hot corrosion resistance of the Superni-75 has been attributed to the formation of uniform, homogeneous and adherent thick layer of the scale consisting mainly of oxides of nickel and chromium, and refractory Ni(VO3)2. These oxides and refractory nickel vanadates have blocked the penetration of oxygen and other corrosive species to the substrate. Keywords: Hot corrosion, nickel-based alloy, superalloy, molten salt environment DOI: 10.3329/jname.v3i2.922 Journal of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering 3(2006) 77-82
Ultimate strength of square plate with rectangular opening under axial compression
Authors: Kumar M Suneel , Alagusundaramoorthy P , Sundaravadivelu R 
Published: June 2008

Unstiffened plates are integral part of ship structures, offshore oil platforms, lock gates and floating docks. Openings are provided in these plates for access and maintenance. Provision of opening influences the ultimate strength of plate elements. In this paper the effect of increase in the size of rectangular opening along the loading direction on the ultimate strength is determined using nonlinear finite element analysis. A general purpose finite element software ANSYS is used for carrying out the study. The software is validated for the ultimate strength of unstiffened plate under axial compression. A parametric study is done for different plate slenderness ratios and by varying the area ratio of opening to plate to determine the effect of ultimate strength on the size of rectangular opening. It is found that increase in area ratio along the loading direction decreases the ultimate strength. The variation in ultimate strength varies linearly for plate slenderness ratio less than 2.23 and varies nonlinearly for plate slenderness ratio beyond 2.23 for area ratio ranging between 0.02 - 0.18. Based on nonlinear regression analysis, a design equation is proposed for square plate with rectangular opening under axial compression. Keywords: Unstiffened Plate, Ultimate Strength, Rectangular Opening, Axial Compression, Design Equation DOI: 10.3329/jname.v4i1.913 Journal of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering 4(2007) 15-26
Maternal 2nd to 4th digit ratio does not predict lifetime offspring sex ratio at birth
Authors: Helle Samuli , Lilley Thomas 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe low ratio of second‐to‐fourth digit length (2D:4D) of parents, a putative indicator of high prenatal and even adult testosterone levels, has been suggested to predict a male‐biased secondary offspring sex ratio. We investigated this question in 244 contemporary postreproductive Finnish women. Information on the lifetime offspring birth sex ratio of women was collected by questionnaires and the 2D:4D of both their hands were measured from scanned photographs. We found no evidence that the right hand 2D:4D, the left hand 2D:4D, the mean of the right and the left hand 2D:4D, or the difference between the right and the left hand 2D:4D was related to offspring sex ratio at birth among these women. Our results thus do not support the suggestion that offspring birth sex ratio is related to 2D:4D in women. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.