bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Retro-Cueing on an ERP Marker of VSTM Maintenance
Authors: Murray Alexandra , Kuo Bo-Cheng , Stokes Mark , Nobre Anna 
Published: March 2009

AbstractPrevious research has found that Contralateral Delay Activity (CDA) is correlated with the number of items maintained in Visual Short Term Memory from one visual field (VF) (Vogel & Machizawa, 2004). CDA is usually elicited by a to-be-remembered array after a prospective cue (pro-cue) signalling the relevant side of the visual display, and is interpreted as a putative electrophysiological signature of WM maintenance. Attention can also be directed to the contents of VSTM, after the presentation of a visual array, using a retroactive cue (retro-cue) (Nobre, Griffin, & Rao, 2008). Because retro-cueing directs attention within a memory trace, potentially reducing the load of items to be maintained, we hypothesised that this would significantly attenuate the CDA. Participants were initially presented with a spatial pro-cue which reduced the number of to-be-remembered items to one side. After a delay, a memory array of either four (low load) or eight (high load) items was displayed. A retro-cue then cued participants to one location within the relevant VF, further reducing the load of to-be-remembered items; or provided no information, requiring participants to hold all items in the relevant VF. At the end of the trial, participants performed a same/different judgement on a test stimulus. Retro-cues significantly improved VSTM performance. Unexpectedly, the CDA was found to be abolished by the presentation of both spatially predictive and neutral cues, independently of the VSTM load participants had to maintain.
Eicosapentaenoic acid stimulates AMP-activated protein kinase and increases visfatin secretion in cultured murine adipocytes
Authors: Lorente-Cebrián Silvia , Bustos Matilde , Marti Amelia , Martinez J. Alfredo , MORENO-ALIAGA Maria J. 
Published: March 2009

Visfatin is an adipokine highly expressed in visceral AT (adipose tissue) of humans and rodents, the production of which seems to be dysregulated in excessive fat accumulation and conditions of insulin resistance. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), an n−3 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid), has been demonstrated to exert beneficial effects in obesity and insulin resistance conditions, which have been further linked to its reported ability to modulate adipokine production by adipocytes. TNF-α (tumour necrosis factor-α) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine whose production is increased in obesity and is involved in the development of insulin resistance. Control of adipokine production by some insulin-sensitizing compounds has been associated with the stimulation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase). The aim of the present study was to examine in vitro the effects of EPA on visfatin production and the potential involvement of AMPK both in the absence or presence of TNF-α. Treatment with the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α (1 ng/ml) did not modify visfatin gene expression and protein secretion in primary cultured rat adipocytes. However, treatment of these primary adipocytes with EPA (200 μmol/l) for 24 h significantly increased visfatin secretion (P&lt;0.001) and mRNA gene expression (P&lt;0.05). Moreover, the stimulatory effect of EPA on visfatin secretion was prevented by treatment with the AMPK inhibitor Compound C, but not with the PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) inhibitor LY294002. Similar results were observed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Moreover, EPA strongly stimulated AMPK phosphorylation alone or in combination with TNF-α in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and pre-adipocytes. The results of the present study suggest that the stimulatory action of EPA on visfatin production involves AMPK activation in adipocytes.
Metalloporphyrins, used for HO‐1 Inhibition, Themselves Affect Hepatic Microcirculation, Liver Function, and Hepatocellular Integrity
Authors: SCHEINGRABER STEFAN , MESSNER SVEN , MATT SUSANNE , ABEL KATHRIN , GOGER SIMONE , KÖSTNER KIM , SCHILLING MARTIN K. , MENGER MICHAEL D. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTBackground:Metalloporphyrins (MPs) are broadly used in the studies of the role of the heme oxygenase (HO)‐1 system in different stress models. However, possible side effects of the MP administration itself have to be further investigated.Methods:Sin IV mesoporpyhrin IX (SnMP; 10 μmol/kg body weight), tin protoporpyhrin IX (SnPP; 50 μmol/kg body weight), or chromium mesoporpyhrin IX (CrMP; 40 μmol/kg body weight) were administered to Sprague‐Dawley rats (each group,n=5). The hepatic microcirculation was assessed by intravital microscopy (IVM). Blood samples were taken and the activity of HO‐1 inhibition was measured by the determination of bilirubin accumulation after bile duct ligation.Results:CrMP administration led to a decrease in mean arterial pressure. CrMP induced a marked hemolysis, a significant decrease of sinusoidal diameter and blood flow, and a marked inflammatory response. SnMP decreased sinusoidal diameters; however, this was compensated by an increase of sinusoidal red blood cell velocity. SnPP, but not SnMP, led to an increase of the number of nonperfused sinusoids. SnPP and CrMP revealed a two‐fold increase in aspartite aminotransferase values after the completion of the IVM. The administration of MPs led to a 40%–50% decrease in the levels of conjugated bilirubin therapy, indicating that they actually inhibit HO‐1 activity.Conclusions:The administration of MPs affects both the systemic macrohemodynamics and the hepatic microcirculation. As SnMP displayed the smallest number of side effects, this MP can be recommended for the studies of the HO‐1 action on the liver microcirculation.
5 Proximity and Presence
Authors: Rotman Andy 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Chapter 5 continues an analysis of prasāda, first focusing on the Toyikā story, which offers an egalitarian vision of the practice of prasāda in a time after the Buddha’s final nirvāṇa This account offers additional insight into the specifics of ritual action and the construction of shrines, and the importance of proximity and place for the mechanics of prasāda. This configuration of prasāda stresses a logic of presence, and the geography of practice that emerges may offer a subaltern perspective on early Buddhist pilgrimage.
7 Past and Present
Authors: Rotman Andy 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Chapter 7 returns to the Koṭikarṇa-avadāna and considers what monastics say about seeing the Buddha and what they do when confronted with the opportunity. The chapter then focuses on two accounts from the Aśoka cycle of stories that address the problem of how to see the Buddha’s physical body after he has passed into final nirvāṇa. The first concerns King Aśoka and the logistics of pilgrimage, and the second involves Upagupta and the veneration of images.
Visualization of genomic data with the Hilbert curve
Authors: Anders Simon 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn many genomic studies, one works with genome-position-dependent data, e.g. ChIP-chip or ChIP-Seq scores. Using conventional tools, it can be difficult to get a good feel for the data, especially the distribution of features. This article argues that the so-called Hilbert curve visualization can complement genome browsers and help to get further insights into the structure of one's data. This is demonstrated with examples from different use cases. An open-source application, called HilbertVis, is presented that allows the user to produce and interactively explore such plots.Availability: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/huber-srv/hilbert/Contact: sanders@fs.tum.deSupplementary information: Supplementary Data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Ecological consequences of Late Quaternary extinctions of megafauna
Authors: Johnson C.N. 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Large herbivorous vertebrates have strong interactions with vegetation, affecting the structure, composition and dynamics of plant communities in many ways. Living large herbivores are a small remnant of the assemblages of giants that existed in most terrestrial ecosystems 50 000 years ago. The extinction of so many large herbivores may well have triggered large changes in plant communities. In several parts of the world, palaeoecological studies suggest that extinct megafauna once maintained vegetation openness, and in wooded landscapes created mosaics of different structural types of vegetation with high habitat and species diversity. Following megafaunal extinction, these habitats reverted to more dense and uniform formations. Megafaunal extinction also led to changes in fire regimes and increased fire frequency due to accumulation of uncropped plant material, but there is a great deal of variation in post-extinction changes in fire. Plant communities that once interacted with extinct large herbivores still contain many species with obsolete defences against browsing and non-functional adaptations for seed dispersal. Such plants may be in decline, and, as a result, many plant communities may be in various stages of a process of relaxation from megafauna-conditioned to megafauna-naive states. Understanding the past role of giant herbivores provides fundamental insight into the history, dynamics and conservation of contemporary plant communities.
Examining the relationship between typical drinking behavior and 21st birthday drinking behavior among college students: implications for event‐specific prevention
Authors: Lewis Melissa A. , Lindgren Kristen P. , Fossos Nicole , Neighbors Clayton , Oster‐Aaland Laura 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTAims  The purpose of this research was to: (i) compare 21st birthday drinking with typical drinking; (ii) assess the prevalence of negative consequences and risk behaviors experienced during the 21st birthday week; and (iii) examine the role of typical drinking and 21st birthday drinking in explaining 21st birthday week negative consequences and risk behaviors.Setting and participants  Participants (n = 306; 50% male) included college students turning 21 at a Midwestern public university in the United States.Design and measurement  Approximately 1 week prior to their 21st birthday, students completed measures of typical past 3‐month alcohol consumption via a web‐based survey. Following their birthday, students (n = 296; 50% male) completed measures of 21st birthday week drinking as well as negative consequences and risk behaviors.Findings  Findings indicated that students consumed considerably larger amounts of alcohol during the week of their 21st birthdays in comparison to typical weekly consumption. Additionally, students experienced a variety of negative consequences and risk behaviors during the week of their 21st birthday, including hangovers, vomiting and not remembering part of the previous evening. Negative binomial regression results indicated that those most likely to experience more negative consequences and risk behaviors associated with 21st birthday drinking were those who consumed heavy amounts of alcohol the week of their birthday, but who did not typically drink excessively.Conclusions  Findings underscore the need to develop event‐specific prevention approaches for occasions associated with extreme drinking and provide direction for considering who may be at greatest risk for problems associated with celebratory drinking.
Retention in methadone maintenance drug treatment for prescription‐type opioid primary users compared to heroin users
Authors: Banta‐Green Caleb J. , Maynard Charles , Koepsell Thomas D. , Wells Elizabeth A. , Donovan Dennis M. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTAims  To assess retention in methadone maintenance treatment for prescription‐type opioid primary (PTOP) users compared to heroin users.Design and participants  A retrospective cohort study was carried out to examine the association between opiate types used on 12‐month retention. The study population consisted of adults admitted to one of 11 not‐for‐profit methadone maintenance clinics in 2004 and 2005 throughout Washington State (n = 2308). Logistic regression analyses with fixed effects for treatment agencies were conducted.Measurements  Opiate use type in past 30 days: any heroin use or primary prescription opioid without heroin use. Demographics, other drugs used, self‐reported medical and psychiatric concerns, social, familial and legal issues, public assistance type and housing stability were documented at intake using a comprehensive biopsychosocial instrument, the Treatment and Assessment Reports Generation Tool.Findings  The odds of being retained in treatment for PTOP compared to heroin users not adjusting for other factors was 1.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03, 1.71). In the final logistic regression model the odds of retention for PTOP compared to heroin users was 1.25 (95% CI, 0.93, 1.67), indicating that there was no statistically significant difference in treatment retention by opiate type after adjusting for demographics, treatment agencies, other drug use, public assistance type, medical, psychiatric, social, legal and familial factors.Conclusion  The findings of this study suggest that PTOP can be treated at methadone maintenance treatment facilities at least as effectively as heroin users in terms of treatment retention.
The Hewitt airway – the first known artificial oral ‘air‐way’ 101 years since its description
Authors: Haridas R. P. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe year 2008 marked 100 years since the publication of Sir Frederic W. Hewitt’s description of his artificial airway. Hewitt’s airway was the first known oral airway and laid the foundations for the numerous other airways that were later developed. Oral airways made anaesthesia safer and significantly reduced the trauma associated with earlier attempts at managing the obstructed airway.
Awake intubation using the LMA‐CTrach™ in patients with difficult airways*
Authors: López A. M. , Valero R. , Pons M. , Anglada T. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryWe studied 21 patients with known difficult airways who underwent awake tracheal intubation using the LMA CTrach™. Patients were given midazolam, atropine, a continuous infusion of remifentanil and topical lidocaine applied to the oropharyx. We limited the number of insertion attempts to three and the time to adjust the view to 5 min. In case of failure, we performed awake fibreoptic tracheal intubation. We found insertion of the device was successful and well tolerated in all patients. Vocal cords could be seen immediately in nine patients and following corrective manoeuvres in 10 patients. Tracheal intubation was successful in 20 patients: 19 cases under direct vision and in one blindly. In one patient with undiagnosed lingual tonsil hyperplasia, tracheal intubation was impossible using the device. No patient had an unpleasant recall of the procedure. We conclude that the LMA CTrach is easy to use, well tolerated and suitable for awake orotracheal intubation in patients with known difficult airways.
Patient information about general anaesthesia on the internet
Authors: Tallgren M. , Bäcklund M. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe internet is a frequently consulted source of health information. Using the Google search engine, we searched for patient information about general anaesthesia on the world wide web, using four synonyms of the term in four languages and analysing the top 20 results. Of the 320 search results, 104 (32%) contained relevant information: 36 (45%) with the English (UK); 39 (49%) with the English (US); 13 (16%) with the Swedish; and 16 (20%) with the Finnish search terms (p < 0.001). ‘Good’ websites, defined as those with a DISCERN rating of 4–5 stars, were found in all languages: 12 with the English (UK); 11 with the English (US); two with the Swedish; and one with the Finnish search terms (p = 0.012). Few good websites showed a reading grade level of ≤ 8 that is recommended for consumer health information. Of the good quality sites, 18/22 (82%) remained within the top 20, three months later.
Effects of reverse Trendelenburg position and inguinal compression on femoral vein cross‐sectional area in infants and young children
Authors: Suk E. H. , Kim D. H. , Kil H. K. , Kweon T. D. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThis study evaluated the effects of the reverse Trendelenburg position and additional inguinal compression on the cross‐sectional area of the femoral vein in paediatric patients. Seventy subjects were allocated to two groups: the infants group and the children group. Cross‐sectional area of the femoral vein was measured just below the inguinal ligament using ultrasound. Three measurements were obtained for each patient: (i) supine, (ii) reverse Trendelenburg position and (iii) reverse Trendelenburg position with inguinal compression. In the infants group, femoral vein cross‐sectional area increased by a mean (SD) of 21.1 (15.2) % in the reverse Trendelenburg position and by 60.7 (30.8) % in the reverse Trendelenburg position with inguinal compression; whereas in the children group, femoral vein cross‐sectional area increased by 24.7 (15.8) % in the reverse Trendelenburg position and by 100.3 (50.7) % in the reverse Trendelenburg position with inguinal compression. Inguinal compression in the reverse Trendelenburg position offers a useful means of increasing femoral vein cross‐sectional area in paediatric patients.
Validation of a bedside activated clotting time test (Hemochron® Jr II Signature) with low dose heparin therapy
Authors: Racioppi L. , Quinart A. , Biais M. , Nouette‐Gaulain K. , Revel P. , Sztark F. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe purpose of this study was to validate a device designed to measure activated clotting time in low‐range heparin plasma concentrations (ACT‐LR) prospectively during the post‐operative period of vascular surgery. Measurement of ACT‐LR and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were performed before heparinisation (T0) and at the end of surgery (T1). ACT‐LR(T1) and ΔACT‐LR (defined as ACT‐LR(T1) – ACT‐LR(T0)) were evaluated as diagnostic tests for excessive anticoagulation, defined by APTT more than twice the laboratory’s normal, by Bland‐Altman method and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. In 103 patients, mean (SD) ACT‐LR was 137 (33) s at T0 and 176 (39) s at T1. Bland‐Altman graph did not show a good agreement between APTT and ACT‐LR. Areas under ROC curves were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.75–0.89) and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.80–0.93) for ACT‐LR(T1) and ΔACT‐LR, respectively. Using a threshold of 32 s for ΔACT‐LR, test sensitivity was 87% (95% CI: 81–93%), specificity was 85% (95% CI: 78–92%), positive predictive value was 90% (95% CI: 84–96%) and negative predictive value was 81% (95% CI: 73–86%). While ΔACT‐LR may have some potential in evaluating excessive anticoagulation in vascular surgery, the poor correlation between ACT‐LR and APTT does not support its routine use.
Widespread syn‐sedimentary deformation on a muddy deep‐water basin‐floor: the Vischkuil Formation (Permian), Karoo Basin, South Africa
Authors: Van Der Merwe W. C. , Hodgson D. M. , Flint S. S. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThe ∼380‐m‐thick mudstone–siltstone‐dominated Vischkuil Formation represents the initiation phase of a 1.3‐km‐thick prograding basin floor to slope to shelf succession that marks a significant increase in the rate of siliciclastic sediment supply to the early Karoo Basin in the Permian. In the upper Vischkuil Formation three well exposed, widespread (∼3000 km2) 10–70‐m‐thick intervals of deformed strata are encased within undeformed sediments. Such chaotic mass movement deposits that are mappable over areas comparable with seismic‐scale mass transport deposits are commonly associated with submarine slope settings. However, the surrounding lithofacies and the correlation of distinctive marker beds indicate that these deformation intervals developed in a distal low gradient basin floor setting. The deformed intervals comprise a lower division of tight down‐flow verging folds dissected by thrust planes that sole out onto a highly sheared décollement surface that are interpreted as slides. The lower divisions are overlain by an upper division of chaotic lithofacies with large contorted clasts of sandstone supported by a fine‐grained matrix interpreted as a debrite. The juxtaposition of these lithofacies, the distribution of thickness of the divisions, and their close kinematic relationships indicate that the emplacement of the debris‐flows triggered and drove the underlying slide, in a low‐gradient distal setting. Individual beds in the deformed intervals can be mapped laterally into undeformed strata indicating limited movement of the slide. Therefore, widespread zones of syn‐sedimentary deformation in deep‐water settings do not necessarily indicate a slope setting and should not be used as single criterion to determine depositional setting. When associated with major debrites they may be developed on a flat basin floor.
Silymarin inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in hepatic cancer cells
Authors: Ramakrishnan G. , Lo Muzio L. , Elinos‐Báez C. M. , Jagan S. , Augustine T. A. , Kamaraj S. , Anandakumar P. , Devaki T. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjectives:  The aim of this study was to investigate mechanisms involved in the growth inhibitory effect of silymarin, in humanhepatocellular carcinoma.Materials and Methods:  The human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 was utilized and the MTT assay was performed to study the antiproliferative effect of silymarin. Dual staining was undertaken for ethidium bromide/acridine orange, propidium iodide staining and DNA fragmentation studies were executed to confirm the presence of apoptosis. Cell‐cycle analysis was revealed by flow cytometry and mitochondrial transmembrane potential was measured by uptake of the mitochondrial‐specific lipophilic cationic dye rhodamine 123. Western blotting analysis for cytochrome c, p53, Bax, Bcl‐2, APAF‐1, caspase‐3, survivin, β‐catenin, cyclin D1, c‐Myc and PCNA was carried out.Results:  Silymarin inhibited population growth of the hepatocellular carcinoma cells in a dose‐dependent manner, and the percentage of apoptotic cells was increased after treatment with 50 and 75 µg/ml silymarin for 24 h. Silymarin treatment increased the proportion of cells with reduced DNA content (sub‐G0/G1 or A0 peak), indicative of apoptosis with loss of cells in the G1 phase. Silymarin also decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potential of the cells, thereby increasing levels of cytosolic cytochrome c while up‐regulating expression of pro‐apoptotic proteins (such as p53, Bax, APAF‐1 and caspase‐3) with concomitant decrease in anti‐apoptotic proteins (Bcl‐2 and survivin) and proliferation‐associated proteins (β‐catenin, cyclin D1, c‐Myc and PCNA).Conclusions:  Our results demonstrate that silymarin treatment inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2.