bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Correlation of the International Prostate Symptom Score bother question with the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index in a clinical practice setting
Authors: O’Leary Michael P. , Wei John T. , Roehrborn Claus G. , Miner Martin ,   BPH Registry and Patient Survey Steering Committee
Published: April 2008

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the association between the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) bother question (BQ) and a validated disease‐specific quality‐of‐life questionnaire, the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Impact Index (BPH‐II), using the BPH Registry and Patient Survey database.PATIENTS AND METHODSThe BPH Registry and Patient Survey is a multicentre, longitudinal, observational database of management practices and patient outcomes in a population of patients with BPH in the USA, managed with watchful waiting or pharmacotherapy. Men enrolled in the BPH Registry who completed the IPSS BQ and the four‐item BPH‐II at enrolment were identified. The association between the IPSS BQ score and the BPH Impact Index was assessed using Spearman rank correlation.RESULTSAt baseline (enrolment visit), 6439 men (mean age 66 years) completed the IPSS BQ and the BPH‐II. The mean (sd) score of the IPSS BQ was 2.5 (1.4) and of the BPH‐II was 2.8 (2.8). Based on responses to the BPH‐II, at least half the men reported that their urinary symptoms were associated with physical discomfort, worry about their health, and bothersomeness. The IPSS BQ score was significantly correlated (P < 0.001) with the BPH‐II (r = 0.68) and each of its four questions (physical discomfort, r = 0.52; worry about health, r = 0.53; bothersomeness of trouble with urination, r = 0.67; and time kept from usual activities, r = 0.44).CONCLUSIONSThe IPSS BQ score has a strong and positive correlation with the BPH‐II among men enrolled in the BPH Registry. The IPSS BQ is a convenient tool for assessing disease‐specific quality of life when determining treatment strategies and evaluating treatment outcomes in men with BPH.
Anchorage to the cytosolic face of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane: a new strategy to stabilize a cytosolic recombinant antigen in plants
Authors: Barbante Alessandra , Irons Sarah , Hawes Chris , Frigerio Lorenzo , Vitale Alessandro , Pedrazzini Emanuela 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThe levels of accumulation of recombinant vaccines in transgenic plants are protein specific and strongly influenced by the subcellular compartment of destination. The human immunodeficiency virus protein Nef (negative factor), a promising target for the development of an antiviral vaccine, is a cytosolic protein that accumulates to low levels in transgenic tobacco and is even more unstable when introduced into the secretory pathway, probably because of folding defects in the non‐cytosolic environment. To improve Nef accumulation, a new strategy was developed to anchor the molecule to the cytosolic face of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. For this purpose, the Nef sequence was fused to the C‐terminal domain of mammalian ER cytochrome b5, a long‐lived, tail‐anchored (TA) protein. This consistently increased Nef accumulation by more than threefold in many independent transgenic tobacco plants. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction of mRNA levels and protein pulse‐chase analysis indicated that the increase was not caused by higher transcript levels but by enhanced protein stability. Subcellular fractionation and immunocytochemistry indicated that Nef‐TA accumulated on the ER membrane. Over‐expression of mammalian or plant ER cytochrome b5 caused the formation of stacked membrane structures, as observed previously in similar experiments performed in mammalian cells; however, Nef‐TA did not alter membrane organization in tobacco cells. Finally, Nef could be removed in vitro by its tail‐anchor, taking advantage of an engineered thrombin cleavage site. These results open up the way to use tail‐anchors to improve foreign protein stability in the plant cytosol without perturbing cellular functions.
Young Chinese Children's Authority Concepts
Authors: Yau Jenny , Smetana Judith G. , Metzger Aaron 
Published: April 2008

AbstractUsing multilevel analyses, we examined the influence of domain (moral, conventional, and personal) and the familiarity of different authority figures (mother, teacher, person in charge, and stranger) in public, school, or home settings in 123 four to seven‐year‐old Chinese children (M = 5.6 years) in Hong Kong. Children affirmed authority more for moral and conventional than personal events, based primarily on punishment avoidance and conventional justifications. Children judged that they should obey mothers more than all other authorities and the person‐in charge in the associated setting and the teacher more than strangers. At school, teachers were seen as having more authority over moral and conventional events than mothers whereas at home, mothers had more authority than teachers over all issues. With age, children increasingly evaluated mothers' authority as generalizable across contexts for the moral event; reflecting the importance of familiarity, mothers were seen as having more authority to extend her regulation outside the home, including for personal events, than teachers' authority outside the school.
More‐than‐Representational Knowledge/s of the Countryside: How We Think as Bodies
Authors: Carolan Michael S. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe empirical hypothesis that is explored in this article is: if we think with our bodies then we must think about the countryside with our bodies too. Working toward this end, the article begins by briefly reviewing the literature on embodied knowledge. From here, attention turns to the rough, empirical ground of everyday life. Before doing this, however, discussion centres briefly on methods, where the methodological implications of studying the ‘more‐than‐representational’ are discussed. The remainder of the article is devoted to examining the findings of fieldwork conducted in rural Iowa. In this discussion, attention centres specifically on how understanding the countryside is an embodied, lived event.
Researcher and Employee: Reflections on Reflective Practice in Rural Development Research
Authors: McAreavey Ruth 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis article describes an ethnographic study that was used to critically assess the links between rural development policy and practice. It does so from the novel perspective of the researcher as an employee in the organisation where the ethnography study was conducted. The article argues that this distinctive position gives rise to specific methodological issues. Particular attention is paid in the analysis to marginalised issues in reflexive practice literature, namely, the structural context. In so doing this research places at centre stage the importance of reflexivity in the field of rural sociology, an area in which to date it has had limited acceptance.
CaM kinase II and protein kinase C activations mediate enhancement of long‐term potentiation by nefiracetam in the rat hippocampal CA1 region
Authors: Moriguchi Shigeki , Shioda Norifumi , Han Feng , Narahashi Toshio , Fukunaga Kohji 
Published: April 2008

AbstractNefiracetam is a pyrrolidine‐related nootropic drug exhibiting various pharmacological actions such as cognitive‐enhancing effect. We previously showed that nefiracetam potentiates NMDA‐induced currents in cultured rat cortical neurons. To address questions whether nefiracetam affects NMDA receptor‐dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, we assessed effects of nefiracetam on NMDA receptor‐dependent long‐term potentiation (LTP) by electrophysiology and LTP‐induced phosphorylation of synaptic proteins by immunoblotting analysis. Nefiracetam treatment at 1–1000 nM increased the slope of fEPSPs in a dose‐dependent manner. The enhancement was associated with increased phosphorylation of α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) receptor through activation of calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) without affecting synapsin I phosphorylation. In addition, nefiracetam treatment increased PKCα activity in a bell‐shaped dose–response curve which peaked at 10 nM, thereby increasing phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine‐rich protein kinase C substrate and NMDA receptor. Nefiracetam treatment did not affect protein kinase A activity. Consistent with the bell‐shaped PKCα activation, nefiracetam treatment enhanced LTP in the rat hippocampal CA1 region with the same bell‐shaped dose–response curve. Furthermore, nefiracetam‐induced LTP enhancement was closely associated with CaMKII and PKCα activation with concomitant increases in phosphorylation of their endogenous substrates except for synapsin I. These results suggest that nefiracetam potentiates AMPA receptor‐mediated fEPSPs through CaMKII activation and enhances NMDA receptor‐dependent LTP through potentiation of the post‐synaptic CaMKII and protein kinase C activities. Together with potentiation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function, nefiracetam‐enhanced AMPA and NMDA receptor functions likely contribute to improvement of cognitive function.
Transcriptional regulation of the human CYP46A1 brain‐specific expression by Sp transcription factors
Authors: Milagre Inês , Nunes Maria João , Gama Maria João , Silva Rui Fernando , Pascussi Jean Marc , Lechner Maria C. , Rodrigues Elsa 
Published: April 2008

AbstractBrain defective cholesterol homeostasis has been associated with neurologic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. The elimination of cholesterol from the brain involves its conversion into 24(S)‐hydroxycholesterol by CYP46A1, and the efflux of this oxysterol across the blood–brain barrier. Herein, we identified the regulatory elements and factors involved the human CYP46A1 expression. Functional 5′deletion analysis mapped a region spanning from nucleotides ‐236/‐64 that is indispensable for basal expression of this TATA‐less gene. Treatment of SH‐SY5Y cells with mithramycin A resulted in a significant reduction of promoter activity, suggesting a role of Sp family of transcription factors in CYP46A1 regulation. Combination of Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 over‐expression studies in Drosophila SL‐2 cells, and systematic promoter mutagenesis identified Sp3 and Sp4 binding to four GC‐boxes as required and sufficient for high levels of promoter activity. Moreover, Sp3 and Sp4 were demonstrated to be the major components of the protein‐DNA complexes observed in primary rat cortical extracts. Our results suggest that the cell‐type specific expression of Sp transcription factors – substitution of Sp1 by Sp4 in neurons – is responsible for the basal expression of the CYP46A1 gene. This study delineates for the first time the mechanisms underlying the human CYP46A1 transcription and thereby elucidates potential pathways underlying cholesterol homeostasis in the brain.
REPORTING OF INFORMED CONSENT, STANDARD OF CARE AND POST‐TRIAL OBLIGATIONS IN GLOBAL RANDOMIZED INTERVENTION TRIALS: A SYSTEMATIC SURVEY OF REGISTERED TRIALS
Authors: COHEN EMMA R.M. , O'NEILL JENNIFER M. , JOFFRES MICHEL , UPSHUR ROSS E.G. , MILLS EDWARD 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTObjective:  Ethical guidelines are designed to ensure benefits, protection and respect of participants in clinical research. Clinical trials must now be registered on open‐access databases and provide details on ethical considerations. This systematic survey aimed to determine the extent to which recently registered clinical trials report the use of standard of care and post‐trial obligations in trial registries, and whether trial characteristics vary according to setting.Methods:  We selected global randomized trials registered on http://www.clinicaltrials.gov and http://www.controlled‐trials.com. We searched for intervention trials of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis from 9 October 2004, the date of the most recent version of the Helsinki Declaration, to 10 April 2007.Results:  We collected data from 312 trials. Fifty‐eight percent (58%, 95% CI = 53 to 64) of trial protocols report informed consent. Fifty‐eight percent (58%, 95% CI = 53 to 64) of trials report active controls. Almost no trials (1%, 95% CI = 0.5 to 3) mention post‐trial provisions. Most trials measure surrogate outcomes. Twenty percent (20%, 95% CI = 16 to 25) of trials measure patient‐important outcomes, such as death; and the odds that these outcomes are in a low income country are five times greater than for a developed country (odds ratio (OR) 5.03, 95% CI = 2.70 to 9.35, p = < 0.001). Pharmaceutical companies are involved in 28% (CI = 23 to 33) of trials and measure surrogate outcomes more often than nonpharmaceutical companies (OR 2.45, 95% CI = 1.18 to 5.09, p = 0.31).Conclusion:  We found a large discrepancy in the quality of reporting and approaches used in trials in developing settings compared to wealthier settings.
Adaptive visual memory reorganization in right medial temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Figueiredo Patrícia , Santana Isabel , Teixeira João , Cunha Catarina , Machado Egídeo , Sales Francisco , Almeida Eduarda , Castelo‐Branco Miguel 
Published: April 2008

Summary
Purpose: We investigated functional reorganization mechanisms of the human medial temporal lobe (MTL) for episodic memory, in patients suffering from medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) with hippocampal sclerosis (HS).
Methods: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity changes during matched episodic encoding tasks of abstract words (Verbal) and line drawings (Visual), in patients with unilateral right MTLE undergoing presurgical evaluation and healthy controls.
Results: As expected, a significant interaction between material type and the side of MTL activity was present in the control group, with preferential involvement of the left hippocampus in verbal encoding and the right parahippocampal region in visual encoding. When compared with controls, right MTLE patients with intact performance activated a region in the left hippocampus more during visual encoding, which resulted in an interaction between group and hemisphere. Importantly, an effect of memory performance on visual encoding activity was observed in the patients, with greater engagement of the left MTL being associated with higher recognition scores. Interestingly, activity in the left MTL also depended on the epileptic seizure frequency, suggesting a role for this clinical parameter in the recruitment of contralateral regions.
Discussion: Taken together, these results indicate functional reorganization of the MTLs in right HS, through transfer of function from the right to the left hemisphere, and strongly suggest an adaptive role for such reorganization mechanism in supporting preserved visual memory.
COMBINED EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION AND TEMPERATURE ON MORPHOLOGY, PHOTOSYNTHESIS, AND DNA OF ARTHROSPIRA (SPIRULINA) PLATENSIS (CYANOPHYTA)1
Authors: Gao Kunshan , Li Ping , Watanabe Teruo , Walter Helbling E. 
Published: April 2008

Natural levels of solar UVR were shown to break and alter the spiral structure of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis (Nordst.) Gomont during winter. However, this phenomenon was not observed during summer at temperatures of ∼30°C. Since little has been documented on the interactive effects of solar UV radiation (UVR; 280–400 nm) and temperature on cyanobacteria, the morphology, photosynthesis, and DNA damage of A. platensis were examined using two radiation treatments (PAR [400–700 nm] and PAB [PAR + UV‐A + UV‐B: 280–700]), three temperatures (15, 22, and 30°C), and three biomass concentrations (100, 160, and 240 mg dwt [dry weight] · L−1). UVR caused a breakage of the spiral structure at 15°C and 22°C, but not at 30°C. High PAR levels also induced a significant breakage at 15°C and 22°C, but only at low biomass densities, and to lesser extent when compared with the PAB treatment. A. platensis was able to alter its spiral structure by increasing helix tightness at the highest temperature tested. The photochemical efficiency was depressed to undetectable levels at 15°C but was relatively high at 30°C even under the treatment with UVR in 8 h. At 30°C, UVR led to 93%–97% less DNA damage when compared with 15°C after 8 h of exposure. UV‐absorbing compounds were determined as negligible at all light and temperature combinations. The possible mechanisms for the temperature‐dependent effects of UVR on this organism are discussed in this paper.
POPULATION DYNAMICS OF GREENNOCTILUCA SCINTILLANS(DINOPHYCEAE) ASSOCIATED WITH THE MONSOON CYCLE IN THE UPPER GULF OF THAILAND1
Authors: Sriwoon Rujinard , Pholpunthin Pornsilp , Lirdwitayaprasit Thaithaworn , Kishino Motoaki , Furuya Ken 
Published: April 2008

Population dynamics ofNoctiluca scintillans(Macartney) Kof. et Swezy containing the photosynthetic endosymbiontPedinomonas noctilucae(Subrahman.) Sweeney was investigated in relation to environmental conditions in the upper Gulf of Thailand. A clear association was observed between the abundance ofN. scintillansand the monsoon cycle, with its blooms occurring during the southwest (SW) monsoon from May to September, and low abundance during the northeast (NE) monsoon from November to February. Nutrient concentrations were higher during the SW monsoon than during the NE monsoon due to the combined effect of increased river discharge into the northern upper gulf and the transport of the riverine inputs by the prevailing clockwise circulation of the water. These nutrient conditions favored the growth of both phytoplankton and the endosymbiont. Correlation analysis revealed that the higher abundance ofN. scintillansin the SW monsoon was manifested primarily by higher growth through both sexual and asexual reproduction supported by phagotrophy. However, the dependence ofN. scintillanson the nutrient concentration was not significant, probably because the nutrient supply for the endosymbiont was sufficient due to intracellular accumulation of nutrients within the host cells. Sexual reproduction occurred only during the SW monsoon, and its potential importance in population growth was suggested. These findings showed the bottom‐up control of the population dynamics ofN. scintillansthrough growth of phytoplankton as prey. The seasonal shift in the circulation pattern associated with the monsoon cycle played a crucial role in blooming ofN. scintillansby producing favorable food conditions.
Ethnic Differences in Positive Alcohol Expectancies During Childhood: The Pittsburgh Girls Study
Authors: Chung Tammy , Hipwell Alison , Loeber Rolf , White Helene Raskin , Stouthamer‐Loeber Magda 
Published: April 2008

Background:  Positive expectancies about alcohol’s effects are more likely to be endorsed with increasing age through adolescence, and the strength of positive alcohol expectancies in children appears to differ by ethnicity. Little is known about the extent to which differences in a measure’s psychometric properties as a function of development and ethnicity may account for changes that are observed over time and ethnic differences. This study used measurement invariance methods to examine ethnic differences in the development of alcohol expectancies, and examined risk factors associated with girls’ positive expectancies.Methods:  African‐American (56%) and Caucasian (44%) girls (n = 570) in the age 7 cohort of the Pittsburgh Girls Study, and the girl’s primary caretaker, were followed annually for 4 years (ages 7–10). Girls reported on alcohol expectancies at each wave, and physical aggression at Year 1. In Year 1, caretakers reported on neighborhood drug use, their own substance‐related problems, and depression in the girl. Structural equation modeling was used to examine measurement invariance of positive alcohol expectancies, and to test associations of risk factors to initial level and change in expectancies.Results:  Five of 8 positive alcohol expectancy items showed measurement equivalence for African‐American and Caucasian girls in cross‐sectional, but not longitudinal, analyses. Measurement equivalence over ages 7–10 was demonstrated for Caucasian girls, and over ages 7–8 and 9–10 (i.e., a two‐part model) for African‐American girls. Risk factor analyses indicated that, for Caucasian girls, greater physical aggression was associated with higher initial positive expectancies.Conclusions:  Some developmental change and ethnic differences in the performance of positive expectancy items were identified, highlighting the utility of measurement invariance methods. Risk factor analyses suggest the potential benefit of targeted alcohol prevention interventions for certain girls.
Ethanol and Pain Sensitivity: Effects in Healthy Subjects Using an Acute Pain Paradigm
Authors: Perrino Albert C. , Ralevski Elizabeth , Acampora Gregory , Edgecombe Javon , Limoncelli Diana , Petrakis Ismene L. 
Published: April 2008

Background:  The primary objective of this study was to determine whether healthy subjects without a history of heavy alcohol use or a family history of alcoholism exhibit a concentration‐dependent analgesic effect of ethanol. In a preliminary fashion, we also compared this sample to a group of subjects with a strong positive family history for alcoholism (FHP) to test the secondary hypothesis that FHP individuals will be more sensitive to the analgesic effects of alcohol compared to healthy subjects who are negative for a family history of alcoholism (FHN).Methods:  Forty‐one healthy FHN subjects and 19 FHP subjects participated. Test days included an ethanol high concentration (breathalyzer = 0.100 g/dl), ethanol low concentration (breathalyzer = 0.040 g/dl) or placebo. The infusion of ethanol was via computerized pump to achieve a steady‐state (“clamp”) ethanol concentration. Noxious electrical stimulation and pain assessments were performed prior to start of placebo/ethanol infusion and at the 60‐min infusion mark. The applied current was progressively increased until the pain was reported as 5 or higher on an 11‐point Verbal Numeric Scale (VNS). Outcome variables included measures of pain threshold and tolerance and Visual Analog Scales of mood states.Results:  Among FHN subjects there was a significant ethanol concentration effect on pain tolerance (F = 3.0, p = 0.05). The average change in pain stimuli required to reach a VNS of 5 or greater were (−2.4, −1.0, and 2.2 mAmps respectively) for high concentration, low concentration, and placebo. There were no ethanol concentration related differences in pain threshold. The analgesic effect of ethanol was not correlated with changes in mood states, suggesting an independent analgesic effect of the drug. A comparison of FHP to FHN subjects produced no differences on pain responses.Conclusion:  The findings support the hypothesis that in healthy subjects intravenous ethanol administration has a concentration effect on pain tolerance but not on pain threshold. Additional studies are planned to further elucidate the mechanisms of ethanol’s analgesic effects.