bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modeling stress and drug craving in the laboratory: implications for addiction treatment development
Authors: Sinha Rajita 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTAddition is a chronic relapsing illness affected by multiple social, individual and biological factors that significantly impact course and recovery of the illness. Stress interacts with these factors and increases addiction vulnerability and relapse risk, thereby playing a significant role in the course of the illness. This paper reviews our efforts in developing and validating laboratory models of stress and drug cue‐related provocation to assess stress responses and stress‐related adaptation in addicted individuals compared with healthy controls. Empirical findings from human laboratory and brain imaging studies are presented to show the specific stress‐related dysregulation that accompanies the drug‐craving state in addicted individuals. In order to adequately validate our laboratory model, we have also carefully examined relapse susceptibility in the addicted individuals and these data are reviewed. The overarching goal of these efforts is to develop a valid laboratory model to identify the stress‐related pathophysiology in addiction with specific regard to persistent craving and compulsive seeking. Finally, the significant implications of these findings for the development of novel treatment interventions that target stress processes and drug craving to improve addiction relapse outcomes are discussed.
Effect of parental ageing on offspring developmental and survival attributes in an aphidophagous ladybird, Cheilomenes sexmaculata
Authors: Singh K. , Omkar  
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe present study is the first attempt to investigate the effect of parental ageing of Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius) on total developmental period, developmental rate, adult weight on emergence, longevity, egg to adult survival and age‐specific survivorship of the offspring. Young parents (10–20 day old) produced offspring with the shortest total developmental period, highest development rate, highest weight on emergence, greater longevity and highest survival. Age‐specific survivorship of the offspring of younger parents declined later than the offspring of middle (30–40 day old) and old (50–60 day old) aged parents. This study would help in understanding the effect of parental ageing on future generations of predaceous ladybird beetles and would be helpful in designing mass multiplication programme of the bioagent, C. sexmaculata, in the laboratory.
NORMAL AND ABNORMAL VARIATION IN THE DIMENSIONS OF PAIRS OF KIDNEYS
Authors: Blandy JohnP. , Pead John 
Published: December 2008

SUMMARY1. Study of kidney weights in post‐mortem material defined the limits of normal variation in weight between the members of pairs of healthy kidneys.2. There is an almost identical variation in the areas of pairs of kidneys in normal pyelograms.3. In a large series of pyelograms it was found that abnormally small kidneys were found more frequently on the right side than on the left.4. This preponderance of contracted kidneys on the right side cannot be explained by hypo‐plasia, dysplasia or hypertensive vascular disease.5. Post‐mortem weights of pairs of pyelonephritic kidneys show a disproportionate number of contracted kidneys on the right side.
CYTOLOGICAL VERSUS HISTOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF NEEDLE BIOPSY SPECIMENS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PROSTATIC CANCER
Authors: Ekman Hans , Hedberg Kersti , Person P. Sigvard 
Published: December 2008

SUMMARYBiopsy specimens of the prostate were obtained by both fine‐needle transrectal puncture for cytological examination and by perianal puncture with a punch biopsy needle (Veenema's type) for histological examination in 100 cases of clinically manifest or suspect prostatic cancer. The former method produced material sufficient for examination in 96 per cent.; the latter, in 99 per cent. The results obtained by the two methods were concordant in 76 per cent.Forty‐one cases were diagnosed as cancer cytologically and 45 histologically. Malignancy was suspected cytologically in 11 and histologically in five.Of seven cases interpreted cytologically as cancer and histologically as benign or suspect, repeated histological biopsy revealed cancer in six.Of 34 cases of malignant tumours graded cytologically and histologically, the results were concordant in 24.Fine‐needle puncture is only a minor operation, it does not require hospitalisation or anzsthesia of the patient and its range of indications is wide. Judging from the above, cytological examination is from a practical point of view preferable to liistological examination as a routine procedure in the diagnosis of prostatic cancer.
CYTOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF URINE USING A MEMBRANE FILTER1
Authors: Trott P. A. 
Published: December 2008

SUMMARYOne hundred and fifty‐six samples of urine from 148 patients were examined using a Gelman membrane filter, and 31 of these patients were seen to have a tumour cystoscopically at the time of urine examination. In two of these cases neoplastic cells were present on the filter, but absent in the smear made from the centrifuged deposit. The significance of the “false positive” result, and its relationship to carcinoma in situof the bladder is discussed.
One Store, Two Employment Systems: Core, Periphery and Flexibility in China's Retail Sector
Authors: Gamble Jos , Huang Qihai 
Published: December 2008

AbstractResearch on ‘flexible’ or ‘contingent work’, derived primarily from manufacturing and production contexts in Western settings, has often been theorized in terms of a core‐periphery model. Based upon ethnographic research on vendor representatives and regular store employees conducted at a multinational retail firm in China, we indicate that this model is insufficient to capture the complexity of employment arrangements in this context. This article delineates the coexistence of two employment systems and a quadrilateral relationship in which workers' interests sometimes overlap but often compete. Our research also indicates that institutional arrangements in China significantly affect the strategies that are open to firms and the consequent structure of employment relations.
Attenuation of positive and negative affect in men and women at increased risk for hypertension: A function of endogenous barostimulation?
Authors: Wilkinson Daniel Z. , France Christopher R. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractWe hypothesized that activation of endogenous baroreflexes would be associated with reduced responsivity to affective stimuli and that this effect would be enhanced in individuals at risk for hypertension. Images from the International Affective Picture System were presented during systolic and diastolic phases of the cardiac cycle. Affective responsivity was measured using electromyographic activity, skin conductance, and ratings of arousal and valence. Compared to offspring of normotensives, individuals with a parental history of hypertension showed reduced responsivity to both positive and negative affective stimuli; however, responsivity did not differ as a function of cardiac cycle phase. Although these findings do not support a barostimulation mechanism of affective dampening, it is premature to discount the baroreflex inhibition hypothesis given the limited affective reactions elicited by visual stimuli presented in the laboratory.
Trait anxiety and conflict monitoring following threat: An ERP study
Authors: Dennis Tracy A. , Chen Chao‐Cheng 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThreat‐related attentional disruptions in anxiety may relate to changes in cognitive control during task processing. The present study examined this question using the N2 event‐related brain potential. It was predicted that threat stimuli will selectively influence the N2 for those showing elevated trait anxiety and that reduced N2 may reflect a compensatory process predicting better attention performance. EEG was recorded while 36 participants completed a cued flanker task with threat or nonthreat distracters. N2 amplitudes were greater to incongruent versus congruent flankers. Following threat, high trait anxious participants showed reduced modulation of the N2 by flanker type and greater N2 amplitudes to congruent flankers. Reduced N2 was associated with better attention performance. This study was among the first documenting the emotional modulation of the N2 related to the threat bias and its links with attention interference in anxiety.
Spatial distribution of canine faeces in Buenos Aires suburbs: implications for public health
Authors: Milkovic Mayra , Carbajo Aníbal E , Rubel Diana 
Published: December 2008

Canine faecal contamination contributes to environmental degradation and increases the exposure of humans – mainly children – to helminth infections. We studied the magnitude and spatial distribution of faecal contamination on the pavements of two neighbourhoods representative of Buenos Aires suburbs. The pavements of a low‐income neighbourhood (LIN) and a middle‐income neighbourhood (MIN) were selected at random. Field maps including all substrates and objects observed on each pavement were drawn, viewed from above, on millimetre paper at 1:100 scale. Data were then loaded into a geographic information system (GIS) Arc View 3.1 with a digitiser board. The spatial distribution of faeces and its association with substrates or standing elements were analysed at three scales: substrate, pavement and neighbourhood.Permeable substrate cover was higher in LIN (75%) than in MIN (35%). The faeces were not homogeneously distributed on the substrates. In both neighbourhoods, the substrates with >50 per cent grass cover showed a significantly higher proportion of faeces than those with <50 per cent grass cover, bare soil and tile. At pavement scale, the number of faeces on pavements was not related to either the number of trees, posts and domiciled dogs in the block, or with the number of faeces and percentage cover of each substrate. At patch scale, substrate patches with faeces were larger than those without faeces. Patches with faeces did not differ in shape between neighbourhoods and were more regularly shaped than patches without faeces.The spatial distribution of faeces relative to each other was almost random, even when analysed in relation to trees or standing objects. Strategies for the sustainable control of this problem are suggested.
Seletracetam (ucb 44212) inhibits high‐voltage–activated Ca2+ currents and intracellular Ca2+ increase in rat cortical neurons in vitro
Authors: Martella Giuseppina , Bonsi Paola , Sciamanna Giuseppe , Platania Paola , Madeo Graziella , Tassone Annalisa , Cuomo Dario , Pisani Antonio 
Published: December 2008

SummaryPurpose:  We analyzed the effects of seletracetam (ucb 44212; SEL), a new antiepileptic drug candidate, in an in vitro model of epileptic activity. The activity of SEL was compared to the effects of levetiracetam (LEV; Keppra), in the same assays.Methods:  Combined electrophysiologic and microfluorometric recordings were performed from layer V pyramidal neurons in rat cortical slices to study the effects of SEL on the paroxysmal depolarization shifts (PDSs), and the simultaneous elevations of intracellular Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]i. Moreover, the involvement of high‐voltage activated Ca2+ currents (HVACCs) was investigated by means of patch‐clamp recordings from acutely dissociated pyramidal neurons.Results:  SEL significantly reduced both the duration of PDSs (IC50 = 241.0 ± 21.7 nm) as well as the number of action potentials per PDS (IC50 = 82.7 ± 9.7 nm). In addition, SEL largely decreased the [Ca2+]i rise accompanying PDSs (up to 75% of control values, IC50 = 345.0 ± 15.0 nm). Furthermore, SEL significantly reduced HVACCs in pyramidal neurons. This effect was mimicked by ω‐conotoxin GVIA and, to a lesser extent, by ω‐conotoxin MVIIC, blockers of N‐ and Q‐type HVACC, respectively. The combination of these two toxins occluded the action of SEL, suggesting that N‐type Ca2+ channels, and partly Q‐type subtypes are preferentially targeted.Conclusions:  These results demonstrate a powerful inhibitory effect of SEL on epileptiform events in vitro. SEL showed a higher potency than LEV. The effective limitation of [Ca2+]i influx might be relevant for its antiepileptic efficacy and, more broadly, for pathologic processes involving neuronal [Ca2+]i overload.
Globalization and Economic Development: Impact of Social Capital and Institutional Building
Authors: Cheng Ming Yu , Mittelhammer Ron 
Published: December 2008

AbstractCountries engaged actively in globalization have experienced phenomenal changes in economic, social, cultural, political, and technological progress. Some countries have benefited significantly from greater integration, while others have held globalization accountable for their economic failure and instability. Globalization introduces new political and social challenges. Benefiting from globalization requires complementary institutions and social development to deal with the changes and risks introduced by greater openness. This article examines whether globalization benefits economic development and how the developing countries could gain from globalization through their social capital and institutional building.
Entrepreneurial Culture and Economic Growth: Revisiting McClelland's Thesis
Authors: Beugelsdijk Sjoerd , Smeets Roger 
Published: December 2008

AbstractWe reestimate McClelland's (1961) thesis on entrepreneurial culture and economic development. McClelland found a strong positive correlation between measures of need for achievement (N achievement) imagery in school textbooks and the subsequent rate of economic growth. Benchmarking our findings against generally accepted empirical growth models, we find no support for his thesis. This leads us to rethink the relationship between entrepreneurial culture and economic growth.
The Evolution of the Allied Social Science Associations
Authors: Clary Betsy Jane 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe organization of the meetings of the approximately 50 economics associations of the Allied Social Science Associations has evolved over the past 140 years, beginning with meetings of the American Social Science Association in 1865, which included social scientists from political science, history, sociology, and economics. Out of this association, the separate disciplines formed their own organizations beginning in the 1880s. Though several of these associations continued to meet together until the 1930s, each discipline gradually separated its meetings from those of the others. During the 1940s, however, other newly formed economics associations began meeting at the same time and place as the AEA, and the Allied Social Science Associations evolved out of these meetings. Though the name of the organization includes “social science,” the associations meeting together are predominately, if not completely, economics associations. These associations, however, profess many different approaches to the study of economics. This paper traces the evolution of these meetings and attempts to come to some conclusions concerning the significance of this association, the most important of which is the role of the ASSA in providing a broad and tolerant platform and a vehicle through which different points of view toward economic theory and policy can be discussed.
A Brief History of the American Economic Association
Authors: Bernstein Michael A. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe 20th‐century American economics profession and its leading professional organization—the American Economic Association (AEA)—were privileged and shaped by the federal government's need to direct resources and to call on experts. Bureaucratic tendencies to classify and count had an impact on the discipline's self‐concept, the articulation of subdisciplines, and the establishment of multiple research agendas. They also powerfully framed the strategies for growth and development formulated and deployed by the AEA itself. A consensus of professional opinion and the standardization of curriculums emerged out of the involvement of economists and the AEA with governmental affairs. At the same time, such public engagement was fraught with risks and contradictions—posing challenges and difficulties with which the AEA and the profession would have to contend for decades to come.
A Prospective Observational Study of the Effect of Etomidate on Septic Patient Mortality and Length of Stay
Authors: Tekwani Karis L. , Watts Hannah F. , Rzechula Kathleen H. , Sweis Rolla T. , Kulstad Erik B. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractObjectives:  Etomidate is known to cause adrenal suppression after single‐bolus administration. Some studies suggest that when etomidate is used as an induction agent for intubation of septic patients in the emergency department (ED), this adrenal suppression leads to increased mortality, vasopressor requirements, and length of hospital stay. The authors sought to determine differences in the in‐hospital mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS) between septic patients given etomidate and patients given alternative or no induction agents for rapid‐sequence intubation in our ED.Methods:  This was a nonrandomized, prospective observational study of all patients meeting sepsis criteria who were intubated in an ED over a 9‐month period. Times of patient presentation, intubation, admission, discharge, and/or death were recorded, as well as the intubation agent used, if any, and corticosteroid use. The authors also recorded relevant laboratory and demographic variables to determine severity of illness using the Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score. Mortality and survivor LOS between the patients given etomidate and those given alternative or no induction agents were compared.Results:  A total of 106 patients with sepsis were intubated over the study period. Of these, 74 patients received etomidate, while 32 patients received ketamine, benzodiazepines, propofol, or no induction agents. Age in years (median = 78; interquartile range [IQR] = 67 to 83), gender (45% male), MEDS score (median = 13; IQR = 10 to 15), and receipt of supplemental corticosteroids (56%) were statistically similar between the two groups. In‐hospital mortality of patients given etomidate (38%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 28% to 49%) was similar to those receiving alternatives (44%; 95% CI = 28% to 61%). Surviving patients had a median hospital LOS after receiving etomidate of 10 days compared to those receiving alternatives (7.5 days; p = 0.08).Conclusions:  No statistically significant increase in hospital LOS or mortality in patients given etomidate for rapid‐sequence intubation was found. Suggestions that the use of etomidate for intubation in the ED be abandoned are not supported by these data.
A Retrospective Study on 287 Implants Installed in Resorbed Maxillae Grafted with Fresh Frozen Allogenous Bone
Authors: Carinci Francesco , Brunelli Giorgio , Franco Maurizio , Viscioni Alessandro , Rigo Leone , Guidi Riccardo , Strohmenger Laura 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTBackground: Several studies have been performed to evaluate the clinical outcome of implants inserted into maxillae grafted with autogenous bone but few reports have focused on maxillae grafted with fresh‐frozen allogenous bone (FFAB).Purpose: The purpose of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcome of implants installed in resorbed maxillae augmented with FFAB.Materials and Methods: A total of 69 patients whom had been treated with FFAB grafts to their maxillae and implant placement 4 to 6 months later were retrospectively evaluated. Edentulism was total and partial in 22 and 47 cases, respectively. A total of 287 implants of various systems had been used. A life table analysis was performed. Marginal bone loss was calculated in radiographs.Results: Five of the 287 implants were lost, giving a survival rate (SVR) of 98.3% over a mean follow‐up time of 26 months. The marginal bone resorption at the implants was 1.68 mm (SD = 0.44) after 1 year and 1.85 mm (SD = 0.98) after 4 years. The cumulative success rate based on defined criteria was 96% in the first year but decreased to 40% at 4 years because of marginal bone loss. The Kaplan–Meier algorithm demonstrated a better outcome for female patients, removable dentures, and total edentulism. No differences were detected among diameters, lengths, and implant site.Conclusion: Implants placed in FFAB showed a high SVR similar to that reported in previous studies on maxillae grafted with autogenous iliac crest bone. Although our data point to more marginal bone loss in partially edentulous patients and for fixed prosthetic restorations, the use of FFAB for reconstruction of the atrophic jaw prior to implant placement can be considered as a reliable alternative to autogenous bone.
Laboratory Forum: Experimental Models of Peyronie’s Disease. Implications for New Therapies
Authors: Gonzalez-Cadavid Nestor F. , Rajfer Jacob 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Despite its high prevalence and impact on the quality of life of patients, and that it is an excellent model for the study of fibrotic processes, Peyronie’s disease (PD) is an orphan disease in biomedical research. The development of animal and cell culture models has advanced substantially the understanding of its molecular and cellular pathology and the proposal of new therapies.

Aim
To review the literature pertaining to the use of these models for the study of PD.

Methods
PubMed search conducted from the first report of an animal model for PD.

Results
This model, based on the finding that transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) is overexpressed in the PD plaque, consists on the injection of TGFβ1 into the tunica albuginea of the rat. This leads to a PD-like plaque retaining many of the histological and biochemical features of human PD. Another rat model, based on the hypothesis that the PD plaque arises from trauma to the penis, causing fibrinogen extravasation that initiates as fibrin a fibrotic response, consists on injection of fibrin into the tunica. The cell culture model is based on the demonstration that myofibroblasts are abundant in the human PD plaque.

Conclusions
These models have: (i) clarified the role of microtrauma, myofibroblasts, and oxidative stress in plaque development; (ii) demonstrated that this tissue is under sustained turnover by fibrotic and antifibrotic mechanisms; (iii) showed the interplay of collagenolytic and fibrinolytic systems and their inhibitors; (iv) detected an endogenous antifibrotic process consisting of the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase that counteracts oxidative stress, collagen synthesis, and myofibroblast generation; (v) characterized the antifibrotic effects of chronic treatment with phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors; (vi) discovered the cytogenetic instability of PD cells and alterations in their gene expression; and (vii) detected stem cells in the tunica albuginea with a potential role in fibrosis and ossification.