bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are retinal microvascular abnormalities associated with large artery endothelial dysfunction and intima-media thickness? The Hoorn Study
Authors: van Hecke Manon V. , Dekker Jacqueline M. , Nijpels Giel , Stolk Ronald P. , Henry Ronald M. A. , Heine Robert J. , Bouter Lex M. , Stehouwer Coen D. A. , Polak Bettine C. P. 
Published: April 2006

It has been hypothesized that microvascular dysfunction affects endothelial dysfunction of the large arteries, which may explain the relationship of microvascular disease with macrovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship of retinal microvascular disorders with endothelium-dependent FMD (flow-mediated vasodilatation) and carotid IMT (intima-media thickness). A total of 256 participants, aged 60–85 years, 70 with normal glucose metabolism, 69 with impaired glucose metabolism and 109 with Type II diabetes, were included in this study. All participants were ophthalmologically examined, including funduscopy and two field 45° fundus photography, and were graded for retinal sclerotic vessel abnormalities and retinopathy. Retinal arteriolar and venular diameters were measured with a computer-assisted method. Brachial artery, endothelium-dependent FMD and carotid IMT were assessed ultrasonically as measurements of endothelial function and early atherosclerosis respectively. After adjustment for age, sex and glucose tolerance status, retinal vessel diameters, retinal sclerotic vessel abnormalities and retinopathy were not significantly associated with FMD. In contrast with other retinal microvascular abnormalities, retinal venular dilatation was associated with increased IMT [standardized β value (95% confidence interval), 0.14 (0.005–0.25)]. This association was attenuated and lost statistical significance after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, in particular after correction for fasting insulin. In the present study, retinal microvascular disorders are not independently associated with impaired FMD. In addition, retinal venular dilatation is associated with increased IMT, although non-significantly after multivariable adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore our data provide evidence that retinal microvascular disease is of limited value in risk stratification for future cardiovascular events.
Increased visfatin concentrations in women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Krzyzanowska Katarzyna , Krugluger Walter , Mittermayer Friedrich , Rahman Rupa , Haider Dominik , Shnawa Nadja , Schernthaner Guntram 
Published: April 2006

The recently discovered adipocytokine visfatin has insulin-like properties. It lowers blood glucose and improves insulin sensitivity; however, clinical data on visfatin are limited. To evaluate the role of visfatin in GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus), we determined visfatin levels in women with GDM and in healthy pregnant controls. Furthermore, visfatin concentrations were investigated longitudinally during pregnancy and after delivery in a subgroup of women with GDM. Blood for measurement of visfatin and metabolic parameters was obtained from 64 women with GDM [median week of gestation, 34 (interquartile range, 27–36) weeks] and 30 healthy pregnant controls [median week of gestation, 34 (interquartile range, 28–36) weeks]. In a subgroup of 24 women with GDM, visfatin, leptin and metabolic parameters were investigated twice during pregnancy (28–30 and 38–40 weeks of gestation) and 2 weeks after delivery. In the cross-sectional analysis, median visfatin levels were significantly elevated in women with GDM [64.0 (interquartile range, 50.9–74.8) ng/ml] compared with controls [46.0 (interquartile range, 36.9–54.6) ng/ml; P&lt;0.0001]. In women with GDM, visfatin correlated with week of gestation at the time of blood draw (R=0.35, P=0.005). No association with fasting glucose, insulin, homoeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance or body mass index was observed. According to the longitudinal analysis, visfatin increased during pregnancy (P=0.002) and rose further after delivery (P=0.014), whereas leptin and insulin levels decreased after parturition (both P&lt;0.001). In conclusion, visfatin is elevated in women with GDM and increases during the course of pregnancy as well as after delivery. Furthermore, visfatin shows no association with insulin and leptin in women with GDM.
Use of growth-hormone-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) for the prevention of multiple organ failure
Authors: Cibrián Danay , Ajamieh Hussam , Berlanga Jorge , León Olga S. , Alba Jose S. , Kim Micheal J.-T. , Marchbank Tania , Boyle Joseph J. , Freyre Freya , Garcia Del Barco Diana , Lopez-Saura Pedro , Guillen Gerardo , Ghosh Subrata , Goodlad Robert A. , Playford Raymond J. 
Published: April 2006

Novel therapies for the treatment of MOF (multiple organ failure) are required. In the present study, we examined the effect of synthetic GHRP-6 (growth hormone-releasing peptide-6) on cell migration and proliferation using rat intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) and human colonic cancer (HT29) cells as in vitro models of injury. In addition, we examined its efficacy when given alone and in combination with the potent protective factor EGF (epidermal growth factor) in an in vivo model of MOF (using two hepatic vessel ischaemia/reperfusion protocols; 45 min of ischaemia and 45 min of reperfusion or 90 min of ischaemia and 120 min of reperfusion). In vitro studies showed that GHRP-6 directly influenced gut epithelial function as its addition caused a 3-fold increase in the rate of cell migration of IEC-6 and HT29 cells (P&lt;0.01), but did not increase proliferation ([3H]thymidine incorporation). In vivo studies showed that, compared with baseline values, ischaemia/reperfusion caused marked hepatic and intestinal damage (histological scoring), neutrophilic infiltration (myeloperoxidase assay; 5-fold increase) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde assay; 4-fold increase). Pre-treatment with GHRP-6 (120 μg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneally) alone truncated these effects by 50–85% (all P&lt;0.05) and an additional benefit was seen when GHRP-6 was used in combination with EGF (1 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneally). Lung and renal injuries were also reduced by these pre-treatments. In conclusion, administration of GHRP-6, given alone or in combination with EGF to enhance its effects, may provide a novel simple approach for the prevention and treatment of MOF and other injuries of the gastrointestinal tract. In view of these findings, further studies appear justified.
Improved scoring of functional groups from gene expression data by decorrelating GO graph structure
Authors: Alexa Adrian , Rahnenführer Jörg , Lengauer Thomas 
Published: April 2006

Abstract
Motivation: The result of a typical microarray experiment is a long list of genes with corresponding expression measurements. This list is only the starting point for a meaningful biological interpretation. Modern methods identify relevant biological processes or functions from gene expression data by scoring the statistical significance of predefined functional gene groups, e.g. based on Gene Ontology (GO). We develop methods that increase the explanatory power of this approach by integrating knowledge about relationships between the GO terms into the calculation of the statistical significance.
Results: We present two novel algorithms that improve GO group scoring using the underlying GO graph topology. The algorithms are evaluated on real and simulated gene expression data. We show that both methods eliminate local dependencies between GO terms and point to relevant areas in the GO graph that remain undetected with state-of-the-art algorithms for scoring functional terms. A simulation study demonstrates that the new methods exhibit a higher level of detecting relevant biological terms than competing methods.
Availability: topgo.bioinf.mpi-inf.mpg.de
Contact: alexa@mpi-sb.mpg.de
Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Scleral rupture in dogs, cats, and horses
Authors: Rampazzo Antonella , Eule Corinna , Speier Sandra , Grest Paula , Spiess Bernhard 
Published: April 2006

AbstractObjectives  The aim of this retrospective study was to summarize the most frequent clinical signs, ultrasonographic, and histological findings accompanying scleral rupture as a result of blunt trauma in dogs, cats, and horses.Animals studied and procedures  Thirty small animals and three horses diagnosed with scleral rupture resulting from blunt trauma. B‐mode ultrasonography was performed on 20 animals. Histopathology was carried out on 18 enucleated globes.Results  In small animals, 80% presented hyphema, 60% subconjunctival hemorrhage, and 53% eyelid and conjunctival swelling. In horses, 100% presented eyelid and conjunctival swelling, 67% hyphema, subconjunctival hemorrhage, and collapsed anterior chamber. Ultrasonographic findings were an area with ill‐defined scleral margins (90%), echoic/hyperechoic contents in the anterior and posterior chamber (55%) and in the vitreous (80%). In small animals, scleral rupture location noted on gross examination was: at the posterior pole (4), close to the optic nerve (3), near the limbus (2), and in the dorsal aspect of the globe (1). In horses, the lesion was located at the limbus (3). In small animals, histopathology showed presence of hemorrhage in the anterior, posterior chamber, and vitreous (94%), retinal detachment (94%), choroidal edema and hemorrhages (88%), and choroidal detachment as a result of suprachoroidal hemorrhage (88%). The same lesions were found in the globes of two horses. In small animals, rupture location noted on histopathology was: at the posterior pole (8), close to the optic nerve (4), near the limbus (1), near the ciliary body (1).Conclusions  The most frequent clinical signs observed were hyphema, subconjunctival hemorrhage, and eyelid and conjunctival swelling. Ultrasonographic findings suggestive for scleral rupture were ill‐defined scleral borders and/or echoic/hyperechoic material in the cavities of the globe. On histopathology, lesions severely altering the anatomy of the eye structures were: hemorrhage into the chambers of the globe, subretinal and suprachoroidal hemorrhage leading to retinal and choroidal detachment, respectively. In small animals, the most frequent locations for scleral rupture were the posterior pole and close to the optic nerve, whereas in horses it was the limbus.
Ontology mappings to improve learning resource search
Authors: Gašević Dragan , Hatala Marek 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis paper proposes an ontology mapping‐based framewrowrk that allows searching for learning resources using multiple ontologies. The present applications of ontologies in e‐learning use various ontologies (eg, domain, curriculum, context), but they do not give a solution on how to interoperate e‐learning systems based on different ontologies. The proposed solution uses a mapping ontology that is a part of a recent Semantic Web initiative, the Simple Knowledge Organisation System. On top of that, we develop and implement two search algorithms. Finally, we evaluated the solution by developing a system that helps students search for relevant learning resource using a local context (ie, course curriculum) ontology.
On the International Linkages between Trade and Merger Policies*
Authors: Saggi Kamal , Yildiz Halis Murat 
Published: April 2006

AbstractIn a three‐country model, this paper investigates linkages between merger incentives of exporting firms and the trade policy of an importing country. When exporting firms come from only one country, the tariff response of the importing country reverses the welfare effects of a merger in the exporting country. If there exist two exporting countries, a merger creates two types of conflicting international externalities. First, a merger in one exporting country increases profits of all firms. Secondly, non‐merged firms lose if the importing country is free to raise its tariff in response to a merger of foreign exporters.
The Intervention Principle
Authors: Grinols Earl L. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis paper investigates efficient policy interventions in market economies, establishing a general policy intervention result and explaining why more general results are not possible. The paper shows the applicability of the methodology to a number of new results in the theory of international trade, including policy intervention in the presence of increasing returns to scale. The analytical tools are not based on calculus, but set theory, agent optimization, and market clearing. They apply to discrete comparisons as well as for small changes.
Transboundary Pollution and International Migration
Authors: Kondoh Kenji 
Published: April 2006

AbstractWe analyze the welfare effects of international migration in the presence of transboundary pollution. We use a simplified Copeland and Taylor (1999) model, where the (developed) home country's pollution abatement technology is superior to that of the (less developed) foreign country. If there is no trade, workers will migrate from the foreign country to the home country. The foreign country gains from migration, but whether the home country gains or not depends on the abatement‐technology gap and the magnitude of the coefficient of transboundary pollution. World welfare will increase under migration. If there is free trade in goods, international migration occurs when the home country specializes in the production of the environmentally sensitive good. In this case, migration will result in increased production of the manufactured good and increase the level of world pollution.
Multinational Firms and Strategic FDI Subsidies
Authors: Ishii Yasunori 
Published: April 2006

AbstractA simple three‐stage game model of an international Cournot duopoly, consisting of domestic and foreign multinational firms, is exploited to examine strategic FDI subsidies. While in the first stage the governments decide the optimal FDI subsidies, the firms endogenously choose their FDI levels (or subsidiary plant sizes) in the second stage and their output–export levels in the third stage. Thus, this paper finds that while the outflow and inflow FDI subsidies have different effects on firms’ FDI choices, the FDI subsidies are used as tools for the implementation of strategic policies and that the optimal FDI subsidies vary, depending on whether the governments assess labor employment.
Reconsidering Real Interest Parity for Traded and Nontraded Goods
Authors: Kim Jaebeom 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe goal of this paper is to examine the hypothesis of real interest rate parity by contrasting real interest rates across traded and nontraded goods under flexible exchange rates. We employ panel unit root tests to investigate the stationarity of real interest rate differentials. In particular, empirical results support the mean‐reverting property of real interest rate differentials for interest rates measured in terms of traded goods.
Children's Explanations of Aggressive Incidents at School Within an Attribution Framework
Authors: Joscelyne Trish , Holttum Sue 
Published: April 2006

Background:  Previous research suggests children use different types of attribution to explain bullying. The research, however, has not explored links between children's attributions.Method:  This study explores the types of, and links between, attributions made by children about bullying situations. Seventeen 9‐ and 10‐year‐olds were interviewed at school. Types of attributions and links between attributions were categorised using content analysis.Results:  The results suggest that children make a range of linked attributions that can be coded into characterological and behavioural and a new category named ‘feelings’.Conclusions:  The findings are linked to previous research, and implications for clinical and school interventions are discussed.
Diethyl Ether Inhibits Ethanol Metabolism in Vivo by Interaction with Alcohol Dehydrogenase
Authors: Normann Per Trygve , Ripel Åse , Mørland Jørg 
Published: April 2006

The ethanol disappearance rate was determined in fed rats given 20‐40 mM ethanol and anesthetized with pentobarbital (control group) and diethyl ether. The control ethanol disappearance rate was 0.27 ± 0.02 mM/min (±SD, n= 4). Rats anesthetized with diethyl ether (blood levels of 9–13 mM) revealed an ethanol disappearance rate of 0.13 ± 0.05 mM/min (±SD, n= 7), i.e., 52% inhibition of the control rate.Kinetic studies on crystalline and lyophilized alcohol dehydrogenase from equine liver demonstrated that 20 mM diethyl ether inhibited the initial rate of ethanol oxidation by 55%. By using ethanol as the variable substrate the inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase was described by a mixed noncompetitive/uncompetitive mechanism.
Effects of Alpha‐Methylparatyrosine on Voluntary Consumption of Ethanol, Water, and Solid Food in UChA and UChB Rats
Authors: Contreras Selfa , Alvarado Rosa 
Published: April 2006

The effect of daily doses of 80 mg/kg (intraperitoneal) of alphamethylparatyrosine, AMPT (inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase) on the voluntary consumption of ethanol, water, and solid food was studied in rats of both sexes belonging to the UChA (lower ethanol consumer) and UChB (high ethanol consumer) strains. The consumptions during the treatment period were compared to those of the preceeding one (basic).Decrease of ethanol and solid food intake and increase of that of water in UChB rats and only a decrease of solid food intake in UChA rats were observed.These effects cannot be ascribed to blocking of dopaminergic or noradrenergic synapses, since this dose of AMPT inhibits the in vivo synthesis of both catecholamines.
Increase in Tryptophan Oxygenase Activity in Alcoholic Patients
Authors: Buydens‐Branchey L. , Branchey M. , Worner T. M. , Zucker D. , Aramsombatdee E. , Lieber C. S. 
Published: April 2006

This study was conducted in order to assess whether chronic excessive alcohol consumption affects the activity of the liver enzyme tryptophan oxygenase which is rate limiting along the most important pathway of catabolism.Five alcoholics were studied twice, once shortly after admission to an Inpatient unit and the second time 1 month later. On each study day patients were given a trptophan load of 50 mg/kg. Kynurenine in the urines (which reflects tryptophan oxygenase activity) was measured for a period of 8 hr following the load and showed a significantly enhanced activity of the enzyme shortly after cessation of drinking. This increased activity enzyme could explain the lowered tryptophan levels we have previously reported in alcoholics. The increase in enzyme activity may have been mediated by a rise in glucocorticoid hormones. In all instances, plasma cortisol measured hourly for 6 hr after the start of the experiment, was higher shortly after cessation of drinking than 1 month later.
Roles of Hormonal and Nutritional Factors in the Regulation of Rat Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activity and Ethanol Elimination Rate in Vivo
Authors: Lakshman M. R. , Chambers Laura L. , Chirtel Stuart J. , Ekarohita Nisa 
Published: April 2006

Fasting reduced the liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity by 51% (p < 0.001). Insulin, within 2 hr, increased the ADH activity found in fasted animals by 28% (p < 0.02). Insulin administration failed to stimulate the reduced ADH activity in diabetic rats. However, ADH activity in the diabetic‐fed rats decreased by 52‐54% (p < 0.001) compared to normal‐fed rats regardless of whether they were meal‐fed or refed the normal chow. Glucagon blocked by 15% (p < 0.02) the increase in ADH activity associated with refeeding. Furthermore, insulin caused a marginal stimulation of ethanol elimination rate (EER) when administered to fasted rats. All these results imply that insulin and glucagon may not be the only determining factors in the control of liver ADH activity associated with fasting and refeeding.Meal‐feeding or refeeding a high carbohydrate fat‐free diet compared to the normal chow‐diet caused 29% (p < 0.001) and 36% (p < 0.05) decreases in ADH activity, respectively. Concomitant decreases in EER caused by high carbohydrate fat‐free diet feeding were also observed under identical conditions. These results raise the possibility that the amount and the type of carbohydrate may be crucial in the regulation of ADH and EER. Alternatively, the presence of fat may be important in maintaining the normal level of ADH and EER.
Judgments of “Normal” and “Problem” Alcohol Use as Related to Reported Alcohol Consumption
Authors: Danko George P. , Johnson Ronald C. , Nagoshi Craig T. , Yuen Sylvia H. L. , Gidley Jane E. , Ahn Melinda 
Published: April 2006

We obtained alcohol use data and judgments of individual (“What do you think?”) and cultural (“What do people in general think?”) norms for normal and problem quantity and frequency of alcohol use, as well as ratings of whether particular alcohol‐related behaviors indicated a drinking problem, from 928 adult respondents who were members of Hawaii's five major racial/ethnic groups [Chinese, European (Caucasian), Filipino, Hawaiian/Part‐Hawaiian, and Japanese ancestry]. As compared with older survey data (but consonant with recent survey data), Hawaiians have substantially increased in alcohol use, as have Filipinos (if they drink at all; a high proportion are abstainers), and to a lesser extent, Japanese. Chinese remain very low in alcohol use, while Caucasians have relatively decreased in use.Alcohol use norms (especially of own judged normal use) vary across sexes and ethnic groups and are predictors of consumption both within and across groups. Family resemblances are substantial with regard to alcohol use category (present users, former drinkers, abstainers). Among present users, family resemblances are often significant with regard to amount used; resemblances are more substantial between mothers and offspring than between spouses or between fathers and offspring. There were small but significant ethnic group differences in the number of specific behaviors judged to be indicative of a drinking problem, with the groups reporting the highest mean alcohol consumption (Caucasians and Hawaiians/Part Hawaiians) also indicating more behaviors, particularly pathological as opposed to celebratory behaviors, as being problematic. Abstainers judged more celebratory behaviors as being problematic compared with low and high quantity‐frequency users of alcohol, but both abstainers and low alcohol users judged more pathological behaviors as being problematic than the high use group. These results were discussed in terms of cultural norms and individual expectations of alcohol effects.
Thyrotropin‐releasing Hormone Antagonism of Ethanol Inebriation
Authors: Knutsen Håvar , Dolva Lars Øystein , Skrede Sverre , Bjørklund Roald , Mørland Jørg 
Published: April 2006

The effect of ethanol [1 g/kg per orally (p.o.) during 1 hr] after thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH) pretreatment (five doses of 20 mg p.o. during 30 hr preceeding ethanol intake) was studied in a placebo‐controlled, double‐blind design in 11 healthy subjects. Computerized reaction tests measuring errors and reaction time, as well as clinical testing and a self evaluation (modified Osgood test) were performed before, 75, 150, and 225 min after ethanol intake.TRH treatment did not influence blood ethanol concentrations. The effect of ethanol to produce errors was substantially reduced in all three reaction tests after TRH treatment compared to placebo treatment. The reaction times were slightly increased in simple and four choice reaction tests and up to 20% increased in a complex test in the TRH‐ethanol situation compared to the placebo‐ethanol situation. The effects caused by ethanol were also significantly reduced in three clinical tests and in two subjective tests of inebriation by TRH treatment compared to placebo treatment.In conclusion the study demonstrated that several acute effects of ethanol intake in humans were reduced by TRH pretreatment which did not interfere with the blood ethanol concentration versus time curve.