bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Myocardial cell injury is common in children with septic shock
Authors: Lodha Rakesh , Arun Sasi , Vivekanandhan Subbiah , Kohli Utkarsh , Kabra Sushil K 
Published: January 2009

AbstractObjective: To determine the prevalence of myocardial cell injury in children with septic shock by estimating the levels of biochemical markers of myocardial injury, troponin I (TnI) and creatine kinase MB (CK‐MB).Patients: Children aged 3 months to 16 years were admitted to paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with septic shock. Children with sepsis without shock and children with hypovolaemic shock were enrolled as controls.Measurements and Main Results: Serum TnI and CK‐MB levels were measured at admission and serially at 24 h, 48 h and 96 h in children with septic shock, while baseline measurement of the same markers was taken from the controls. In total, 88% (15/18) of children with septic shock had elevated TnI levels compared with 25% (5/20) with sepsis and 6.7% (1/15) with hypovolaemic shock (p < 0.001). Serial TnI levels at admission, 24 h, 48 h and 96 h were higher in the nonsurvivors. There was a positive correlation between the baseline TnI levels and the predicted mortality using the paediatric index of mortality (PIM2) scores at admission (r = 0.51, p = 0.03).Conclusion: A majority of children with septic shock have evidence of myocardial cell injury. The estimation of serum TnI levels may help in better prognostication of children with septic shock.
Quantitative study on cerebral blood volume determined by a near‐infrared spectroscopy during postural change in children
Authors: Kim Yasuko Taeja , Tanaka Hidetaka , Takaya Ryuzo , Kajiura Mitsugu , Tamai Hiroshi , Arita Mikio 
Published: January 2009

AbstractAim: To investigate changes in cerebral blood volume during standing in healthy children with or without abnormal cardiovascular responses.Methods: We studied 53 children (age, 10–15 years). Cerebral oxygenated haemoglobin (oxy‐Hb) and deoxygenated Hb (deoxy‐Hb) were non‐invasively and continuously measured using near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) (NIRO 300, Hamamatsu Photomedics, Shizuoka, Japan) during active standing. Beat‐to‐beat arterial pressure was monitored by Portapres.Results: Of 49 children with complete data acquisition, 33 had a normal cardiovascular response to the test (Group I) and 16 showed an abnormal response (Group II); nine with instantaneous orthostatic hypotension, three with postural tachycardia syndrome, three with neutrally mediated syncope and one with delayed orthostatic hypotension. At the onset of standing, Group II showed a significantly larger fall of oxy‐Hb than Group I did (−2.9 ± 2.8 μmol/L vs. −6.4 ± 7.2 μmol/L, respectively, p < 0.05). During min 1 to 7 of standing, with one exception, changes in oxy‐Hb were normally distributed over the level of −4 μmol/L in Group I. Group II also showed a significantly marked decrease in oxy‐Hb compared to Group I. Decreases in oxy‐Hb were not correlated with blood pressure changes.Conclusion: This study shows that precise change in cerebral blood volume caused by orthostatic stress can be determined by NIRS in children in a quantitative manner of NIRS. Children with abnormal circulatory responses to standing showed a significant reduction of oxy‐Hb compared with normal counterparts, suggesting impairment of cerebral autoregulation in these children.
Alcohol Use Among Rural Middle School Students: Adolescents, Parents, Teachers, and Community Leaders’ Perceptions*
Authors: DeHaan Laura , Boljevac Tina 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND:  Although rural adolescents use of alcohol is at some of the highest rates nationally, rural adolescent alcohol use has not been studied extensively. This study examines how community attitudes and behaviors are related to adolescent drinking in rural environments.METHODS:  Data were gathered in 22 rural communities in the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming). Surveys were collected from 1424 rural sixth‐ to eighth‐grade adolescents and 790 adults, including parents, teachers, and community leaders. Census data were also collected.RESULTS:  Drinkers differed from nondrinkers by the following factors: higher perceptions of peer, parental, and overall community drinking, as well as lower levels of parental closeness and religiosity. Factors distinguishing binge and nonbinge drinkers were increased drinking to reduce stress, drinking to fit in, perceptions of peer drinking, and perceived lack of alternatives to drinking. Parents were significantly less likely to perceive adolescent alcohol use as a problem than other community adults; school officials were most likely to perceive it as a problem. Parental perceptions were also the least correlated to actual adolescent use, while adolescent perceptions were the most highly correlated.CONCLUSIONS:  Community fac tors such as overall prevalence of drinking, community support, and controls against drinking are important predictors of reported use in early adolescence. School officials were more likely to view adolescent alcohol use as a problem than were parents. School officials’ perceptions of adolescent use were also more related to actual adolescent use than were parental perceptions of adolescent use.
Exchange Rate Pass‐through in China
Authors: Shu Chang , Su Xiaojing 
Published: January 2009

AbstractDuring the second half of 2007 and early part of 2008 when there were intense inflationary pressures in China, RMB appreciation was advocated as a means of helping to curb inflation. The effectiveness of appreciation in controlling inflation depends on the impact of exchange rate movements on import and domestic prices. Our analysis finds fairly large and speedy exchange rate pass‐through (ERPT) to import prices: 50 and 60 percent for the short run and long run, respectively. However, the degree of ERPT decreases along the price chain from upstream to downstream prices. ERPT for consumer prices, the most downstream prices, is much milder and has substantial lags. A 10‐percent rise in the nominal effective exchange rate will dampen consumer prices by 1.1 percent within a year, with very little pass‐through in the first half year, and by 2.0 percent over the long run. These findings, particularly the ERPT to consumer prices, suggest that RMB appreciation can help to reduce inflationary pressures over the longer term. However, it is unlikely to provide rapid relief to the current round of high inflation because of the long lags in ERPT. The RMB needs to strengthen in effective terms to exert the desired dampening impact on prices.
How Good Is Corporate Governance in China?
Authors: Lu Tong , Zhong Jiyin , Kong Jie 
Published: January 2009

AbstractBased on the revised OECD Principles of Corporate Governance of 2004 and China's regulatory framework, we develop a corporate governance index (CGI) to measure overall corporate governance and disclosure practices of the 100 largest listed companies in China. The results show that Chinese companies have been making progress in corporate governance reform and there is significant difference in CGI between the top and the bottom companies' performance. Among the six parts of CGI, Chinese listed companies perform better in disclosure and transparency, but show weakness in board of supervisor and stakeholders roles. Further tests show that the improvements in corporate governance of state‐owned enterprises have resulted in some initial signs of success.
The Place of Modeling in Cognitive Science
Authors: McClelland James L. 
Published: January 2009

AbstractI consider the role of cognitive modeling in cognitive science. Modeling, and the computers that enable it, are central to the field, but the role of modeling is often misunderstood. Models are not intended to capture fully the processes they attempt to elucidate. Rather, they are explorations of ideas about the nature of cognitive processes. In these explorations, simplification is essential—through simplification, the implications of the central ideas become more transparent. This is not to say that simplification has no downsides; it does, and these are discussed. I then consider several contemporary frameworks for cognitive modeling, stressing the idea that each framework is useful in its own particular ways. Increases in computer power (by a factor of about 4 million) since 1958 have enabled new modeling paradigms to emerge, but these also depend on new ways of thinking. Will new paradigms emerge again with the next 1,000‐fold increase?
Homo Heuristicus: Why Biased Minds Make Better Inferences
Authors: Gigerenzer Gerd , Brighton Henry 
Published: January 2009

AbstractHeuristics are efficient cognitive processes that ignore information. In contrast to the widely held view that less processing reduces accuracy, the study of heuristics shows that less information, computation, and time can in fact improve accuracy. We review the major progress made so far: (a) the discovery of less‐is‐more effects; (b) the study of the ecological rationality of heuristics, which examines in which environments a given strategy succeeds or fails, and why; (c) an advancement from vague labels to computational models of heuristics; (d) the development of a systematic theory of heuristics that identifies their building blocks and the evolved capacities they exploit, and views the cognitive system as relying on an “adaptive toolbox;” and (e) the development of an empirical methodology that accounts for individual differences, conducts competitive tests, and has provided evidence for people’s adaptive use of heuristics. Homo heuristicus has a biased mind and ignores part of the available information, yet a biased mind can handle uncertainty more efficiently and robustly than an unbiased mind relying on more resource‐intensive and general‐purpose processing strategies.
HowDoesthe Mind Work? Insights from Biology
Authors: Marcus Gary 
Published: January 2009

AbstractCognitive scientists must understand not just what the mind does, buthowit does what it does. In this paper, I consider four aspects of cognitive architecture: how the mind develops, the extent to which it is or is not modular, the extent to which it is or is not optimal, and the extent to which it should or should not be considered a symbol‐manipulating device (as opposed to, say, an eliminative connectionist network). In each case, I argue that insights from developmental and evolutionary biology can lead to substantive and important compromises in historically vexed debates.
Worked Examples and Tutored Problem Solving: Redundant or Synergistic Forms of Support?
Authors: Salden Ron J. C. M. , Aleven Vincent A. W. M. M. , Renkl Alexander , Schwonke Rolf 
Published: January 2009

AbstractThe current research investigates a combination of two instructional approaches, tutored problem solving and worked examples. Tutored problem solving with automated tutors has proven to be an effective instructional method. Worked‐out examples have been shown to be an effective complement to untutored problem solving, but it is largely unknown whether they are an effective complement to tutored problem solving. Further, while computer‐based learning environments offer the possibility of adaptively transitioning from examples to problems while tailoring to an individual learner, the effectiveness of such machine‐adapted example fading is largely unstudied. To address these research questions, one lab and one classroom experiment were conducted. Both studies compared a standard Cognitive Tutor with two example‐enhanced Cognitive Tutors, in which the fading of worked‐out examples occurred either in a fixed way or adaptively. Results indicate that the adaptive fading of worked‐out examples leads to higher transfer performance on delayed posttests than the other two methods.
Toll-Like Receptor 2 Deficiency Is Associated with Enhanced Severity of Group B Streptococcal Disease
Authors: Puliti Manuela , Uematsu Satoshi , Akira Shizuo , Bistoni Francesco , Tissi Luciana 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTGroup B streptococcus (GBS) has been recognized as an ever-growing cause of serious invasive infections in nonpregnant adults, in particular, in association with severe underlying diseases. The most common manifestations include primary bacteremia, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, meningitis, peritonitis, and osteoarticular infections. Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) mediates host responses to gram-positive bacteria. TLR2 function was investigated in murine GBS-induced sepsis and arthritis in wild-type (wt) and TLR2-deficient (TLR2−/−) mice. Mice were infected with different doses of GBS (107, 5 × 106, or 106CFU per mouse). Mortality, appearance of arthritis, GBS growth in the organs, and local and systemic cytokine and chemokine production were examined. TLR2−/−mice showed earlier and higher mortality rates and increased incidence and severity of arthritis than wt mice at all the infecting doses employed. Histopathological analysis of the joints confirmed clinical observations. TLR2−/−mice exhibited a higher microbial load in blood, kidneys, and joints than wt animals. In vitro experiments performed with peritoneal polymorphonuclear cells and macrophages showed a significantly lower bactericidal ability of cells from TLR2−/−mice. Increased systemic and local levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), and MIP-2 accompanied the more severe development of sepsis and arthritis in TLR2−/−mice. In conclusion, the lack of TLR2 was associated with an impaired host resistance to GBS infection, likely due to a diminished bacterial clearing and a consequent enhanced inflammatory response.
Antimicrobial Effects of Interferon-Inducible CXC Chemokines againstBacillus anthracisSpores and Bacilli
Authors: Crawford Matthew A. , Zhu Yinghua , Green Candace S. , Burdick Marie D. , Sanz Patrick , Alem Farhang , O'Brien Alison D. , Mehrad Borna , Strieter Robert M. , Hughes Molly A. 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTBased on previous studies showing that host chemokines exert antimicrobial activities against bacteria, we sought to determine whether the interferon-inducible Glu-Leu-Arg-negative CXC chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 exhibit antimicrobial activities againstBacillus anthracis. In vitro analysis demonstrated that all three CXC chemokines exerted direct antimicrobial effects againstB. anthracisspores and bacilli including marked reductions in spore and bacillus viability as determined using a fluorometric assay of bacterial viability and CFU determinations. Electron microscopy studies revealed that CXCL10-treated spores failed to undergo germination as judged by an absence of cytological changes in spore structure that occur during the process of germination. Immunogold labeling of CXCL10-treated spores demonstrated that the chemokine was located internal to the exosporium in association primarily with the spore coat and its interface with the cortex. To begin examining the potential biological relevance of chemokine-mediated antimicrobial activity, we used a murine model of inhalational anthrax. Upon spore challenge, the lungs of C57BL/6 mice (resistant to inhalationalB. anthracisinfection) had significantly higher levels of CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 than did the lungs of A/J mice (highly susceptible to infection). Increased CXC chemokine levels were associated with significantly reduced levels of spore germination within the lungs as determined by in vivo imaging. Taken together, our data demonstrate a novel antimicrobial role for host chemokines againstB. anthracisthat provides unique insight into host defense against inhalational anthrax; these data also support the notion for an innovative approach in treatingB. anthracisinfection as well as infections caused by other spore-forming organisms.
Protection from Pneumonic Infection withBurkholderiaSpecies by Inhalational Immunotherapy
Authors: Goodyear Andrew , Kellihan Lisa , Bielefeldt-Ohmann Helle , Troyer Ryan , Propst Katie , Dow Steven 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTBurkholderia malleiandB. pseudomalleiare important human pathogens and cause the diseases glanders and melioidosis, respectively. Both organisms are highly infectious when inhaled and are inherently resistant to many antimicrobials, thus making it difficult to treat pneumonicBurkholderiainfections. We investigated whether it was possible to achieve rapid protection against inhaledBurkholderiainfection by using inhaled immunotherapy. For this purpose, cationic liposome DNA complexes (CLDC), which are potent activators of innate immunity, were used to elicit the activation of pulmonary innate immune responses. We found that mucosal CLDC administration before or shortly after bacterial challenge could generate complete or nearly complete protection from inhalational challenge with 100% lethal doses ofB. malleiandB. pseudomallei. Protection was found to be dependent on the CLDC-mediated induction of gamma interferon responses in lung tissues and was partially dependent on the activation of NK cells. However, CLDC-mediated protection was not dependent on the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase, as assessed by depletion studies. We concluded that the potent local activation of innate immune responses in the lung could be used to elicit rapid and nonspecific protection from aerosol exposure to bothB. malleiandB. pseudomallei.
Monoclonal Antibodies to Heat Shock Protein 60 Alter the Pathogenesis ofHistoplasma capsulatum
Authors: Guimarães Allan J. , Frases Susana , Gomez Francisco J. , Zancopé-Oliveira Rosely M. , Nosanchuk Joshua D. 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTHeat shock proteins with molecular masses of ∼60 kDa (Hsp60) are widely distributed in nature and are highly conserved immunogenic molecules that can function as molecular chaperones and enhance cellular survival under physiological stress conditions. The fungusHistoplasma capsulatumdisplays an Hsp60 on its cell surface that is a key target of the cellular immune response during histoplasmosis, and immunization with this protein is protective. However, the role of humoral responses to Hsp60 has not been fully elucidated. We generated immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) toH. capsulatumHsp60. IgG1 and IgG2a MAbs significantly prolonged the survival of mice infected withH. capsulatum. An IgG2b MAb was not protective. The protective MAbs reduced intracellular fungal survival and increased phagolysosomal fusion of macrophages in vitro. Histological examination of infected mice showed that protective MAbs reduced the fungal burden and organ damage. Organs of infected animals treated with protective MAbs had significantly increased levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor alpha and decreased levels of IL-4 and IL-10. Hence, IgG1 and IgG2a MAbs to Hsp60 can modifyH. capsulatumpathogenesis in part by altering the intracellular fate of the fungus and inducing the production of Th1-associated cytokines.
Helicobacter pylori-Induced Interleukin-12 p40 Expression
Authors: Takeshima Eriko , Tomimori Koh , Teruya Hiromitsu , Ishikawa Chie , Senba Masachika , D'Ambrosio Daniele , Kinjo Fukunori , Mimuro Hitomi , Sasakawa Chihiro , Hirayama Toshiya , Fujita Jiro , Mori Naoki 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTInterleukin-12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine produced by antigen-presenting cells that promotes the development of T-helper lymphocyte 1 (Th1). Chronic gastritis induced byHelicobacter pyloriis considered a Th1-mediated process. IL-12 levels in gastric biopsy samples ofH. pylori-infected patients are higher than in those of uninfected individuals, but the cellular source of IL-12 remains elusive. IL-12 staining was detected in mucosal epithelial cells, lymphocytes, and macrophages in specimens of patients withH. pylori-positive gastritis. Therefore, we investigated IL-12 p40 mRNA induction byH. pyloriin gastric epithelial cells and T cells. Althoughcagpathogenicity island (PAI)-positiveH. pyloriinduced IL-12 p40 mRNA expression, an isogenic mutant of thecagPAI failed to induce it in both cell types. Supernatants fromH. pyloricultures andH. pyloriVacA induced IL-12 p40 mRNA expression in T cells but not in epithelial cells. The activation of the IL-12 p40 promoter byH. pyloriwas mediated through NF-κB. The transfection of IκB kinase and NF-κB-inducing kinase dominant-negative mutants inhibitedH. pylori-induced IL-12 p40 activation. Inhibitors of NF-κB, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Hsp90 suppressedH. pylori- and VacA-induced IL-12 p40 mRNA expression. The results indicate thatH. pyloriinduces IL-12 p40 expression by the activation of NF-κB, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Hsp90 is also a crucial regulator ofH. pylori-induced IL-12 p40 expression. In addition to thecagPAI, VacA might be relevant in the induction of IL-12 expression and a Th1-polarized response only in T cells.
Development and validation of a ζ-globin-specific ELISA for carrier screening of the (−−SEA) α thalassaemia deletion
Authors: Tang L , Zhu P , Zhou W J , Zheng J , Zhou Y Q , Fu N , Xu X M 
Published: January 2009

Aims:The Southeast Asian (SEA) deletion (−−SEA) represents the most common determinant causing α thalassaemia in Southeast Asian countries. The embryonic ζ-globin chain has been defined as a marker for the detection of this deletion in adults. The aim of this study was to develop an appropriate low-cost ELISA for ζ-globin chain detection as a routine screening test for (−−SEA) α thalassaemia deletion.Methods:A sandwich ELISA system for ζ-globin chains was established with a pair of ζ-globin-specific monoclonal antibodies prepared in-house, and locally made products. Against a gap-PCR method that was taken as the standard, this assay was validated in a cohort study testing a total of 526 individuals comprising patients scheduled for haemoglobinopathy diagnostic analysis and normal individuals. Routine screening of the (−−SEA) deletion in 300 random student volunteers was conducted using the assay.Results:While the cut-off point was set at a percentage positive value of 30, the sensitivity and specificity of this ELISA method were 100% and 99.24%, respectively. The mean intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation among the different concentrations in the optimised ELISA conditions were 2.1–11.4% and 4.3–13.2%, respectively. Seventeen of the 300 volunteers sampled were determined by the ELISA to have the (−−SEA) deletion; these results were in 100% agreement with the gap-PCR results.Conclusions:This study validates the ELISA method described here as a simple, rapid and cost-effective assay that is potentially adaptable for application in large-scale population screening for this prevalent disorder in SEA areas such as southern China.