bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting the Use of Social and Health Services Among the Elderly
Authors: Wan Thomas T. H. , Odell Barbara Gill 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTThis study has systematically examined the use of health and social services among non-institutionalized elderly people according to the Andersen model which groups factors influencing use into predisposing, enabling and need variables. Need for service as evidenced by physical and psychological functioning was the most important predictor of use of physician services and hospitalization. Predisposing factors had the most effect on use of dental services. On the other hand, knowledge of services, an enabling factor, was most relevant to use of social services. Since this factor is manipulable to planned change, several program strategies were suggested for increasing awareness of social services particularly among the impaired elderly.
Monetary cost of self-reported diet in relation to biomarker-based estimates of nutrient intake in young Japanese women
Authors: Murakami Kentaro , Sasaki Satoshi , Takahashi Yoshiko , Uenishi Kazuhiro ,   the Japan Dietetic Students’ Study for Nutrition and Biomarkers Group
Published: November 2008

AbstractObjectiveAll previous studies on monetary diet cost have examined the relationship of monetary cost of self-reported diet to self-reported, rather than biomarker-based, estimates of dietary intake. The present cross-sectional study examined the association between monetary costs of self-reported diet and biomarker-based estimates of nutrient intake.DesignMonetary diet cost (Japanese yen/1000 kJ) was calculated based on dietary intake information from a self-administered, comprehensive diet history questionnaire using retail food prices. Biomarker-based estimates of nutrient intake (percentage of energy for protein and mg/1000 kJ for K and Na) were estimated based on 24 h urinary excretion and estimated energy expenditure.SettingA total of fifteen universities and colleges in Japan.SubjectsA total of 1046 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18–22 years.ResultsTotal monetary diet cost showed a significant positive association with biomarker-based estimates of protein, K and Na. Vegetables and fish were not only the main contributors to total monetary diet cost (16·4 % and 15·5 %, respectively) but also were relatively strongly correlated with total monetary diet cost (Pearson’s correlation coefficient: 0·70 and 0·68, respectively). Monetary cost of vegetables was significantly positively associated with all three nutrients, while that of fish showed a significant and positive association only with protein.ConclusionsTotal monetary cost of self-reported diet was positively associated with biomarker-based estimates of protein, K and Na intake in young Japanese women, and appeared mainly to be explained by the monetary costs of vegetables and fish.
Trends in dietary intakes of vitamins A, C and E among Japanese men and women from 1974 to 2001
Authors: Kato Yoshimi , Ikehara Satoyo , Maruyama Koutatsu , Inagawa Mieko , Oshima Miyuki , Yokota Kimiko , Yamazaki Taeko , Kishi Masa , Murai Sachiko , Umesawa Mitsumasa , Ma Enbo , Yamagishi Kazumasa , Tanigawa Takeshi , Kurokawa Michinori , Sato Shinichi , Shimamoto Takashi , Iso Hiroyasu 
Published: November 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate long-term trends in dietary intakes of vitamins A, C and E in Japanese adults.DesignTime series by community-based nutrition survey.SettingTwo rural communities (Ikawa and Kyowa) between 1974 and 2001 in Japan.SubjectsA total of 3713 men and 3726 women aged 40–69 years.MethodsDietary intake data were collected by the 24 h dietary recall.ResultsIn Ikawa, mean intake of vitamin A (β-carotene and retinol) increased by 13–40 %; vitamins C and E increased by approximately 23–33 % among men and women from 1974–1977 to 1998–2000. In Kyowa, mean intake of vitamin A, primarily retinol, increased by 13–21 % among men and women; vitamin C from fruits decreased by 16 % among men; and vitamin E increased by 29 % among women from 1982–1986 to 1998–2001. Mean intake of vitamin E in the latest survey period was lower than the Adequate Intake among men and women in both communities. Generally, there were increased intakes of β-carotene and vitamin C from green/yellow and other vegetables; increased retinol intake from fish/shellfish, eggs, milk/dairy products and fats/oils; and increased vitamin E intake from green/yellow and other vegetables, fish/shellfish, eggs, milk/dairy products and fats/oils.ConclusionsMean intakes of the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E increased among middle-aged Japanese men and women between the 1970s and the 1990s except for decreased vitamin C among Kyowa men. The lower mean intake of vitamin E than the Adequate Intake should be considered a potential public health issue for the prevention of CVD.
Environmental microarray analyses of Antarctic soil microbial communities
Authors: Yergeau Etienne , Schoondermark-Stolk Sung A , Brodie Eoin L , Déjean Sébastien , DeSantis Todd Z , Gonçalves Olivier , Piceno Yvette M , Andersen Gary L , Kowalchuk George A 
Published: November 2008

Abstract
Antarctic ecosystems are fascinating in their limited trophic complexity, with decomposition and nutrient cycling functions being dominated by microbial activities. Not only are Antarctic habitats exposed to extreme environmental conditions, the Antarctic Peninsula is also experiencing unequalled effects of global warming. Owing to their uniqueness and the potential impact of global warming on these pristine systems, there is considerable interest in determining the structure and function of microbial communities in the Antarctic. We therefore utilized a recently designed 16S rRNA gene microarray, the PhyloChip, which targets 8741 bacterial and archaeal taxa, to interrogate microbial communities inhabiting densely vegetated and bare fell-field soils along a latitudinal gradient ranging from 51 °S (Falkland Islands) to 72 °S (Coal Nunatak). Results indicated a clear decrease in diversity with increasing latitude, with the two southernmost sites harboring the most distinct Bacterial and Archaeal communities. The microarray approach proved more sensitive in detecting the breadth of microbial diversity than polymerase chain reaction-based bacterial 16S rRNA gene libraries of modest size (∼190 clones per library). Furthermore, the relative signal intensities summed for phyla and families on the PhyloChip were significantly correlated with the relative occurrence of these taxa in clone libraries. PhyloChip data were also compared with functional gene microarray data obtained earlier, highlighting numerous significant relationships and providing evidence for a strong link between community composition and functional gene distribution in Antarctic soils. Integration of these PhyloChip data with other complementary methods provides an unprecedented understanding of the microbial diversity and community structure of terrestrial Antarctic habitats.
Gene transfer agent (GTA) genes reveal diverse and dynamic Roseobacter and Rhodobacter populations in the Chesapeake Bay
Authors: Zhao Yanlin , Wang Kui , Budinoff Charles , Buchan Alison , Lang Andrew , Jiao Nianzhi , Chen Feng 
Published: November 2008

Abstract
Within the bacterial class Alphaproteobacteria, the order Rhodobacterales contains the Roseobacter and Rhodobacter clades. Roseobacters are abundant and play important biogeochemical roles in marine environments. Roseobacter and Rhodobacter genomes contain a conserved gene transfer agent (GTA) gene cluster, and GTA-mediated gene transfer has been observed in these groups of bacteria. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity of these two groups in Chesapeake Bay surface waters using a specific PCR primer set targeting the conserved Rhodobacterales GTA major capsid protein gene (g5). The g5 gene was successfully amplified from 26 Rhodobacterales isolates and the bay microbial communities using this primer set. Four g5 clone libraries were constructed from microbial assemblages representing different regions and seasons of the bay and yielded diverse sequences. In total, 12 distinct g5 clusters could be identified among 158 Chesapeake Bay clones, 11 fall within the Roseobacter clade, and one falls in the Rhodobacter clade. The vast majority of the clusters (10 out of 12) lack cultivated representatives. The composition of g5 sequences varied dramatically along the bay during the wintertime, and a distinct Roseobacter population composition between winter and summer was observed. The congruence between g5 and 16S rRNA gene phylogenies indicates that g5 may serve as a useful genetic marker to investigate diversity and abundance of Roseobacter and Rhodobacter in natural environments. The presence of the g5 gene in the natural populations of Roseobacter and Rhodobacter implies that genetic exchange through GTA transduction could be an important mechanism for maintaining the metabolic flexibility of these groups of bacteria.
Difference in upper airway collapsibility during wakefulness between men and women in response to lower-body positive pressure
Authors: Su Mao-Chang , Chiu Kuo-Liang , Ruttanaumpawan Pimon , Shiota Satomi , Yumino Dai , Redolfi Stefania , Haight James S. , Yau Brian , Lam Jennifer , Bradley T. Douglas 
Published: November 2008

Fluid shift from the legs to the neck induced by LBPP (lower-body positive pressure) increases UA (upper airway) collapsibility in healthy men. Rostral fluid displacement during recumbency may therefore contribute to the pathogenesis of OSA (obstructive sleep apnoea). There is a higher prevalence of OSA in men than in women. We therefore hypothesized that UA collapsibility increases more in men in response to rostral fluid displacement than in women. UA collapsibility was assessed in healthy, non-obese men and women while awake by determining UA Pcrit (critical closing pressure) during application of different suction pressures to the UA. Subjects were randomized to 5 min control or LBPP arms after which they crossed-over into the other arm following a 30 min washout. LBPP was applied by inflating anti-shock trousers wrapped around both legs to 40 mmHg. Pcrit, leg fluid volume and neck circumference were measured at baseline and after 5 min of both control and LBPP periods. LBPP caused a decrease in leg fluid volume and an increase in neck circumference that did not differ between men and women. However, compared with the control period, LBPP induced a much greater increase in Pcrit in men than in women (7.2±1.8 compared with 2.0±1.5 cmH2O, P=0.035). We conclude that rostral fluid displacement by LBPP increases UA collapsibility more in healthy, non-obese men than in women. This may be one mechanism contributing to the higher prevalence of OSA in men than in women.
A CATALOG OF EXTENDED GREEN OBJECTS IN THE GLIMPSE SURVEY: A NEW SAMPLE OF MASSIVE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT OUTFLOW CANDIDATES
Authors: Cyganowski C. J. , Whitney B. A. , Holden E. , Braden E. , Brogan C. L. , Churchwell E. , Indebetouw R. , Watson D. F. , Babler B. L. , Benjamin R. , Gomez M. , Meade M. R. , Povich M. S. , Robitaille T. P. , Watson C. 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACT
Using images from the Spitzer Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE), we have identified more than 300 extended 4.5 μm sources (Extended Green Objects (EGOs), for the common coding of the [4.5] band as green in three-color composite InfraRed Array Camera images). We present a catalog of these EGOs, including integrated flux density measurements at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0, and 24 μm from GLIMPSE and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer Galactic Plane Survey. The average angular separation between a source in our sample and the nearest IRAS point source is greater than 1′. The majority of EGOs are associated with infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), and where high-resolution 6.7 GHz CH3OH maser surveys overlap the GLIMPSE coverage, EGOs and 6.7 GHz CH3OH masers are strongly correlated. Extended 4.5 μm emission is thought to trace shocked molecular gas in protostellar outflows; the association of EGOs with IRDCs and 6.7 GHz CH3OH masers suggests that the extended 4.5 μm emission may pinpoint outflows specifically from massive protostars. The mid-IR colors of EGOs lie in regions of color–color space occupied by young protostars still embedded in infalling envelopes.
Predicting DNA recognition by Cys2His2 zinc finger proteins
Authors: Persikov Anton V. , Osada Robert , Singh Mona 
Published: November 2008

Abstract
Motivation: Cys2His2 zinc finger (ZF) proteins represent the largest class of eukaryotic transcription factors. Their modular structure and well-conserved protein-DNA interface allow the development of computational approaches for predicting their DNA-binding preferences even when no binding sites are known for a particular protein. The ‘canonical model’ for ZF protein-DNA interaction consists of only four amino acid nucleotide contacts per zinc finger domain.
Results: We present an approach for predicting ZF binding based on support vector machines (SVMs). While most previous computational approaches have been based solely on examples of known ZF protein–DNA interactions, ours additionally incorporates information about protein–DNA pairs known to bind weakly or not at all. Moreover, SVMs with a linear kernel can naturally incorporate constraints about the relative binding affinities of protein-DNA pairs; this type of information has not been used previously in predicting ZF protein-DNA binding. Here, we build a high-quality literature-derived experimental database of ZF–DNA binding examples and utilize it to test both linear and polynomial kernels for predicting ZF protein–DNA binding on the basis of the canonical binding model. The polynomial SVM outperforms previously published prediction procedures as well as the linear SVM. This may indicate the presence of dependencies between contacts in the canonical binding model and suggests that modification of the underlying structural model may result in further improved performance in predicting ZF protein–DNA binding. Overall, this work demonstrates that methods incorporating information about non-binding and relative binding of protein–DNA pairs have great potential for effective prediction of protein–DNA interactions.
Availability: An online tool for predicting ZF DNA binding is available at http://compbio.cs.princeton.edu/zf/.
Contact: mona@cs.princeton.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Decomposition of complex microbial behaviors into resource-based stress responses
Authors: Carlson Ross P. 
Published: November 2008

Abstract
Motivation: Highly redundant metabolic networks and experimental data from cultures likely adapting simultaneously to multiple stresses can complicate the analysis of cellular behaviors. It is proposed that the explicit consideration of these factors is critical to understanding the competitive basis of microbial strategies.
Results: Wide ranging, seemingly unrelated Escherichia coli physiological fluxes can be simply and accurately described as linear combinations of a few ecologically relevant stress adaptations. These strategies were identified by decomposing the central metabolism of E.coli into elementary modes (mathematically defined biochemical pathways) and assessing the resource investment cost–benefit properties for each pathway. The approach capitalizes on the inherent tradeoffs related to investing finite resources like nitrogen into different pathway enzymes when the pathways have varying metabolic efficiencies. The subset of ecologically competitive pathways represented 0.02% of the total permissible pathways. The biological relevance of the assembled strategies was tested against 10 000 randomly constructed pathway subsets. None of the randomly assembled collections were able to describe all of the considered experimental data as accurately as the cost-based subset. The results suggest these metabolic strategies are biologically significant. The current descriptions were compared with linear programming (LP)-based flux descriptions using the Euclidean distance metric. The current study's pathway subset described the experimental fluxes with better accuracy than the LP results without having to test multiple objective functions or constraints and while providing additional ecological insight into microbial behavior. The assembled pathways seem to represent a generalized set of strategies that can describe a wide range of microbial responses and hint at evolutionary processes where a handful of successful metabolic strategies are utilized simultaneously in different combinations to adapt to diverse conditions.
Contact: rossc@biofilms.montana.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Flow-induced vascular remodeling in the mesenteric artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Gao Yu-Jing , Yang Lu-Fang , Stead Shelley , Lee Robert M.K.W. 
Published: November 2008

The effect of an increased blood flow on vascular remodeling was studied in the mesenteric arteries of 11–12-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age-matched normotensive Wistar–Kyoto rats (WKY). Increased blood flow was induced by selective ligation of mesenteric arteries. Nearby arteries with normal blood flow were used as controls. 7–10 days after the ligation procedure, mesenteric arteries were fixed in situ at maximal relaxation by perfusion fixation. Morphometric measurement of vascular dimension was carried out with confocal microscopy. Apoptotic cells were detected by the TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling method. Cell growth was quantified by using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in sections of paraffin-embedded vessels. In SHR, elevated blood flow increased the vessel wall dimension and the number of smooth muscle cell (SMC) layers and also increased the wall-to-lumen ratio and the number of PCNA-positive SMC, but did not change lumen size or number of apoptotic SMC. In WKY, on the other hand, increased blood flow resulted in an increase in lumen diameter, a reduction of apoptotic SMC, but no change in wall-to-lumen ratio, number of SMC layers, or number of PCNA-positive SMC. These results showed that mesenteric arteries from hypertensive and normotensive rats respond to an increase in blood flow differently: a lumen enlargement with reduced SMC apoptosis in WKY, but an increased wall-to-lumen ratio with enhanced SMC growth in SHR. Although it remains to be determined whether flow alteration is one of the initiating factors in the development of vascular remodeling in hypertension, we speculate that an increase in cardiac output, and therefore an increase in shear stress that occurs in young SHR, contributes to vascular remodelling in this model of hypertension.
Intracoronary endothelin receptor blockade improves endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease
Authors: Böhm Felix , Jensen Jens , Svane Bertil , Settergren Magnus , Pernow John 
Published: November 2008

Endothelin (ET)-1 receptor blockade improves endothelial function in the forearm of patients with atherosclerosis. The aim was to investigate whether intracoronary ET receptor blockade improves coronary endothelial function and increases blood flow in patients with coronary artery disease. Ten patients received a 60-minute infusion of either the selective ETAreceptor antagonist BQ123 (40 nmol/min, n = 6) or BQ123 + the ETBreceptor antagonist BQ788 (40 nmol/min, n = 4). In all patients, substance P, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, did not increase baseline coronary flow reserve with thermodilution (CFRThermo) (0.71 ± 0.14 s during NaCl versus 0.59 ± 0.14 s during substance P) or baseline quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) (2.74 ± 0.16 mm versus 2.83 ± 0.20 mm). After ET receptor blockade, however, the response to substance P was significantly improved as determined both by CFRThermo(0.62 ± 0.14 s during NaCl versus 0.48 ± 0.10 s during substance P, p < 0.05) and by QCA (2.70 ± 0.18 mm versus 2.85 ± 0.19 mm, p < 0.05). In addition, ET blockade increased blood flow in all patients by 16% ± 10% (n = 10, p < 0.05) and in the BQ123 group by 22% ± 16% (n = 6, p < 0.05). Furthermore, ETAblockade increased blood flow significantly more than did dual ETA/ETBblockade (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that ET receptor blockade may be a new therapeutic strategy to improve coronary vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease.
Cardiovascular and airway relaxant activities of peony root extract
Authors: Ghayur Muhammad N. , Gilani Anwarul H. , Rasheed Huma , Khan Abdullah , Iqbal Zafar , Ismail Muhammad , Saeed Sheikh A. , Janssen Luke J. 
Published: November 2008

Paeonia emodi (peony) is a well known plant used medicinally to treat hypertension, palpitations, and asthma. Despite its popularity, there are few reports in the scientific literature examining its use in such conditions. We prepared a 70% ethanolic extract of peony root (Pe.Cr) and applied it to segments of guinea pig atria and trachea and rat aorta suspended separately in tissue baths. Activity against arachidonic acid (AA)-induced platelet aggregation was measured in human platelet-rich plasma. Airway relaxant effect was evaluated against acetylcholine (ACh)-induced airway contraction in mouse lung slices loaded with fluo-4. Pe.Cr (0.3–10 mg/mL) showed an atropine-resistant negative inotropic effect in atria. In rat aorta, an endothelium-independent vasodilatory effect (0.3–10 mg/mL) was seen in phenylephrine- and high-K+-induced contractions. Pe.Cr (0.01–1 mg/mL) also inhibited AA-induced platelet aggregation. In isolated trachea, Pe.Cr (0.3–10 mg/mL) relaxed carbachol- and histamine-induced contractions independently of β-adrenergic receptors. In mouse lung slices, Pe.Cr (0.3–1 mg/mL) inhibited ACh-induced airway narrowing and oscillations of intracellular Ca2+in airway smooth muscle cells. The results showed cardiosuppressant, vasodilatory, antiplatelet, and tracheal and airway relaxant activities of peony, providing potential justification for its medicinal use in different hyperactive cardiovascular and respiratory disorders.
Influence of quinidine, fluvoxamine, and ketoconazole on the enantioselective pharmacokinetics of citalopram in rats
Authors: Rocha Adriana , Coelho Eduardo B. , Lanchote Vera L. 
Published: November 2008

Citalopram (CITA) is available as a racemic mixture or as (+)-(S)-CITA. In humans, CITA is metabolized to demethylcitalopram (DCITA) by CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A and to didemethylcitalopram by CYP2D6. There are no data regarding the enzymes involved in CITA and DCITA metabolism in rats. The present study investigated the influence of CYP inhibitors on the enantioselective metabolism of CITA in rats. Male Wistar rats (n = 6) received a single dose of 20 mg·kg–1CITA after pretreatment with 80 mg·kg–1quinidine, 10 mg·kg–1fluvoxamine, 50 mg·kg–1ketoconazole, or vehicle (control). Blood samples were collected up to 20 h after CITA administration. The CITA and DCITA enantiomers were analyzed by LC-MS/MS using a Chiralcel OD-R column. The kinetic disposition of CITA was enantioselective in rats (AUCS/Rratio = 0.4). Coadministration with quinidine resulted in non-enantioselective inhibition of the metabolism of CITA. Coadministration with fluvoxamine or ketoconazole, however, inhibited only the metabolism of (+)-(S)-CITA, but not of (–)-(R)-CITA when the racemic drug was administered to rats.