bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms
Authors: De Kievit T. R. 
Published: October 2008

SummaryIn nature, the bulk of bacterial biomass is believed to exist as an adherent community of cells called a biofilm. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a model organism for studying this mode of growth. Over the past decade, significant strides have been made towards understanding biofilm development in P. aeruginosa and we now have a clearer picture of the mechanisms involved. Available evidence suggests that construction of these sessile communities proceeds by many different pathways, rather than a specific programme of biofilm development. A cell‐to‐cell communication mechanism known as quorum sensing (QS) has been found to play a role in P. aeruginosa biofilm formation. Because both QS and biofilms are impacted by the surrounding environment, understanding the full involvement of cell‐to‐cell signalling in establishing these complex communities represents a challenge. Nevertheless, under set conditions, several links between QS and biofilm formation have been recognized, which is the focus of this review. A role for antibiotics as alternative QS signalling molecules influencing biofilm development is also discussed.
Tetradecylthioacetic acid attenuates dyslipidaemia in male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, possibly by dual PPAR‐α/δ activation and increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation
Authors: Løvås K. , Røst T. H. , Skorve J. , Ulvik R. J. , Gudbrandsen O. A. , Bohov P. , Wensaas A. J. , Rustan A. C. , Berge R. K. , Husebye E. S. 
Published: October 2008

Aim:  We previously demonstrated that a modified fatty acid, tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA), improves transport and utilization of lipids and increases mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in animal and cell studies. We conducted an exploratory study of safety and effects of this novel drug in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and investigated the mechanism of action in human cell lines.Methods:  Sixteen male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus received 1 g TTA daily for 28 days in an open‐labelled study, with measurement of parameters of lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism and safety (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00605787). The mechanism of action was further investigated in a human liver cell line (HepG2) and in cultured human skeletal muscle cells (myotubes).Results:  Mean LDL cholesterol level declined from 4.2 to 3.7 mmol/l (p < 0.001), accompanied by increased levels of the HDL apolipoproteins A1 and A2, and a decline in LDL/HDL ratio from 4.00 to 3.66 (p = 0.008). Total fatty acid levels declined, especially the fraction of the polyunsaturated n‐3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (−13%, p = 0.002) and eicosapentaenoic acid (−10%, p = 0.07). Glucose metabolism was not altered and the drug was well tolerated. In cultured liver cells, TTA acted as a pan‐PPAR agonist with predominant PPAR‐α and PPAR‐δ activation at low TTA concentrations. In myotubes, TTA and a PPAR‐δ agonist, but not the PPAR‐α or PPAR‐γ agonists, increased the fatty acid oxidation.Conclusions:  We demonstrate for the first time that TTA attenuates dyslipidaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. These effects may occur through mechanisms involving PPAR‐α and PPAR‐δ activation, resulting in increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.
Pioglitazone treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus when combined with portion control diet modifies the metabolic syndrome
Authors: Gupta A. K. , Smith S. R. , Greenway F. L. , Bray G. A. 
Published: October 2008

Background:  Treatment with thiazolidinediones (TZDs) produces weight gain.Objective:  To test whether a portion control diet could prevent weight gain during treatment with pioglitazone in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Design:  This 16‐week randomized, open‐label, parallel arm study compared three groups: (i) pioglitazone plus the American Diabetes Association diet (Pio + ADA); (ii) pioglitazone plus a portion control weight loss diet (Pio + PC); (iii) metformin plus the American Diabetes Association diet (Met + ADA). All participants received the same advice about calorie reduction, lifestyle change and exercise.Methods:  Fifty‐one men and women with T2DM, naive to TZDs, were randomized to a 16‐week study. Pioglitazone (Pio) was titrated to a dose of 45 mg/day and metformin (Met) to a dose of 2 g/day. Fasting blood was collected for lipids, insulin and glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at baseline and 16 weeks.Results:  Forty‐eight of fifty‐one randomized subjects completed the study. Patients treated with Pio + ADA gained 2.15 ± 1.09 kg (mean ± SD) compared with a weight loss of 2.59 ± 1.25 kg (p < 0.05) in the Pio + PC group, and a weight loss of 3.21 ± 0.7 kg (p < 0.05) in the Met + ADA group. Waist circumference and visceral adipose tissue decreased significantly more in the Pio + PC group than in the Pio + ADA group. High‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly increased in the Pio + PC group compared with the Met + ADA group. Pioglitazone reduced insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR)) more than metformin. No significant differences between groups were seen for glucose, insulin, HbA1c or low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.Conclusions:  Pio + PC, prevented weight gain, reduced waist circumference and visceral fat compared with Pio + ADA diet.
Effects of elevated fatty acid and glucose concentrations on pancreatic islet function in vitro
Authors: Hong J. , Jeppesen P. B. , Hermansen K. 
Published: October 2008

Aims/Hypothesis:  The aims of this study were to elucidate long‐term effects of increased fatty acids and glucose concentrations on islet hormone secretion, triglyceride (TG) accumulation and fuel metabolism, and to determine the role of insulin on glucagon secretion.Methods:  Isolated normal mouse islets were exposed to palmitate (0.6 mM) in the presence of high glucose (16.7 mM). After 48 h culture, glucagon secretion and content, insulin secretion and content, TG content and glucose oxidation were measured. The impact of etomoxir, an inhibitor of carnitine palmitoyl transferase‐1, as well as of insulin, and alterations in gene expression were also investigated.Results:  In the presence of palmitate, (i) high glucose caused no statistically significant suppression of glucagon while this was seen in the absence of palmitate; (ii) the insulin response to high glucose was impaired and (iii) an accumulation of TG and a decline in glucose oxidation were detected, whereas the glucagon content remained unchanged. However, etomoxir was capable of reducing glucagon secretion. Addition of exogenous insulin (10−10–10−6 M) failed to restore alpha cell response to normal. Furthermore, 0.6 mM palmitate reduced the mRNA levels of acetyl‐CoA carboxylase‐1 and sterol regulatory element–binding protein‐1c.Conclusions/Interpretation:  In summary, high concentrations of palmitate and glucose cause a relative increase in glucagon secretion, a decline in insulin secretion, a loss of alpha cell sensitivity to glucose and an accumulation of TG. The inability of insulin to suppress glucagon may be because of insulin resistance of alpha cells.
Adherence in patients transferred from immediate release metformin to a sustained release formulation: a population‐based study
Authors: Donnelly L. A. , Morris A. D. , Pearson E. R. 
Published: October 2008

Aim:  Metformin is the most commonly prescribed oral agent used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is effective at reducing glycosylated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) and decreasing microvascular and macrovascular disease. However, up to 25% of patients develop gastrointestinal side effects leading to cessation in 5–10% of users. Metformin XL (glucophage SR) is a once a day preparation that delays absorption, leading to decreased peak metformin concentrations. We hypothesised that the XL preparation of metformin would be better tolerated than the standard immediate release (IR) preparation leading to improved adherence to therapy.Methods:  In a retrospective observational study, we studied adherence and glycaemic control in patients prescribed metformin IR and XL preparations in Tayside, UK.Results:  Metformin XL was used by 137 patients during the study period. Overall adherence was greater in the XL group (80%) compared with the 10 772 patients in the IR group (72%, p = 0.0026). In the 40 patients who changed from metformin IR to metformin XL who had sufficient data to determine adherence, the adherence increased from 62% in the IR group to 81% in the XL group (p < 0.0001). This was associated with an HbA1c reduction from 9.1 to 8.4% (p = 0.0739, n = 29).Conclusions:  Metformin XL use is associated with increased adherence compared with the IR preparation, although the mechanism for this cannot be determined from this study. In patients intolerant of metformin IR the XL preparation should be considered.
Morphology and phylogenetic position of two novel marine gregarines (Apicomplexa, Eugregarinorida) from the intestines of North‐eastern Pacific ascidians
Authors: Rueckert Sonja , Leander Brian S. 
Published: October 2008

Eugregarine apicomplexans parasitize marine, freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates, and have lifecycles involving trophozoites (feeding stages) with complex morphologies and behaviour. The genus Lankesteria refers to marine aseptate eugregarines that parasitize ascidians. We described the surface ultrastructure of two new gregarine species, L. chelyosomae sp. n. and L. cystodytae sp. n. that inhabit the intestines of Chelyosoma columbianum and Cystodytes lobatus, respectively, collected from the North‐eastern Pacific Ocean. Apart from inhabiting different hosts and major differences in the cell size of L. chelyosomae sp. n. (mean length 182 µm) and L. cystodytae sp. n. (mean length 70 µm), the morphology of both gregarine species was quite similar. The trophozoites ranged from elliptoid to obdeltoid in shape and were brownish in colour. The nucleus was situated at the anterior end of the cell just behind a pointed mucron. A dense array of epicytic knobs was present over the entire surface of trophozoites in both species, and longitudinal epicytical folds were only weakly developed. We also sequenced the small subunit rDNA from the gregarines collected from both hosts, which supported the establishment of two new Lankesteria species. Phylogenetic analyses of the new DNA sequences and those derived from other alveolates, demonstrated that both new species clustered in a strongly supported clade consisting of other Lankesteria species, Lecudina species, and some environmental sequences. These morphological and molecular phylogenetic data suggested that improved knowledge of gregarine diversity could lead to the recognition of more than one distinct clade (genus) of gregarines within ascidian hosts.
Effects of auditory input in individuation tasks
Authors: Robinson Christopher W. , Sloutsky Vladimir M. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractUnder many conditions auditory input interferes with visual processing, especially early in development. These interference effects are often more pronounced when the auditory input is unfamiliar than when the auditory input is familiar (e.g. human speech, pre‐familiarized sounds, etc.). The current study extends this research by examining how auditory input affects 8‐ and 14‐month‐olds’ performance on individuation tasks. The results of the current study indicate that both unfamiliar sounds and words interfered with infants’ performance on an individuation task, with cross‐modal interference effects being numerically stronger for unfamiliar sounds. The effects of auditory input on a variety of lexical tasks are discussed.
Sex, drugs, and politics: the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer
Authors: Casper Monica J. , Carpenter Laura M. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractHPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. While most strains are relatively harmless, some increase a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer. This article explores the intimate, contested relationships among etiologies of cervical cancer, development and use of the new HPV vaccine, and contested notions of sexuality. We particularly focus on shifts in US health care and sexual politics, where the vaccine has animated longstanding concerns about vaccination (e.g. parental rights, cost, specialisation) and young women's bodies and behaviour. We conclude that vaccines are a distinctive kind of pharmaceutical, invoking notions of contagion and containment, and that politics shape every aspect of the pharmaceutical lifecourse.
Pharma in the bedroom . . . and the kitchen. . . . The pharmaceuticalisation of daily life
Authors: Fox Nick J. , Ward Katie J. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThis paper examines the consequences of a new emphasis on lifestyle in the production, marketing and consumption of pharmaceuticals. Over the past decade, a range of medicines have become available that address aspects of lifestyle, while others have been the subject of lifestyle marketing. We argue, with recourse to a broad literature from the social sciences, economics and health services research and from our study of pharmaceutical consumption, that two processes can be discerned. First, there is a domestication of pharmaceutical consumption, with drugs available via home computers, and marketing of pharmaceuticals that focuses upon private or personal conditions and addresses domestic activities such as sex and cooking. Secondly, there is a pharmaceuticalisation of everyday life as the pharmaceutical industry introduces profitable medicines for a range of daily activities and pharmaceuticals come to be seen by consumers as a ‘magic bullet’ to resolve problems of daily life. We suggest that the pharmaceuticalisation of daily life links the economics and politics of pharmaceutical production to the private lives of citizens.
The great ambivalence: factors likely to affect service user and public acceptability of the pharmacogenomics of antidepressant medication
Authors: Barr Michael , Rose Diana 
Published: October 2008

AbstractWhilst antidepressant medications are widely used, they are ineffective for nearly 40 per cent of users and cause numerous adverse drug reactions. The pharmacogenomics of depression attempts to better understand the role of genetic variation in antidepressant metabolism in the hope of improving drug efficacy and tolerability. In this paper we present findings from a series of focus groups with the general public and with mental health service users in four European sites. Results indicate broad support for genome‐based therapies for depression. Findings, however, also show a wide spread of ambivalence regarding the nature and causes of depression, as well as the use of antidepressant medication. We argue that these uncertainties may negatively impact public and user acceptability of the pharmacogenomics of antidepressants.
LOVE AS SACRIFICE, LOVE AS MUTUALITY: RESPONSE TO JEFFREY TILLMAN
Authors: Browning Don 
Published: October 2008

Abstract.Jeffrey Tillman is perceptive in noticing that certain Protestant theologians have used evolutionary theory to become more sympathetic to Roman Catholic views of Christian love. But he is incorrect in saying that these formulations deemphasize a place for self‐sacrifice in Christian love. Christian love defined as a strenuous equal‐regard for both other and self also requires sacrificial efforts to restore love as equal‐regard when finitude and sin undermine genuine mutuality and community.
IN PRAISE OF FOLLY? THEOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY
Authors: Peterson Gregory R. 
Published: October 2008

Abstract.To suppose the possibility of dialogue between theology and science is to suppose that theology is an intellectually worthy partner to engage in dialogue with science. The status of theology as a discipline, however, remains contested, one sign of which is the absence of theology from the university. I argue that a healthy theology‐science dialogue would benefit from the presence of theology as an academic discipline in the university. Theology and theologians would benefit from the much closer contact with university disciplines, including the sciences. The university and the sciences would benefit from the presence of theology, providing a department of ultimate concern, where big questions may be asked and ideologies critiqued. A university theology would need to meet standards of academic integrity.
IS THEOLOGY RESPECTABLE AS METAPHYSICS?
Authors: Jones Nicholaos 
Published: October 2008

Abstract.Theology involves inquiry into God's nature, God's purposes, and whether certain experiences or pronouncements come From God. These inquiries are metaphysical, part of theology's concern with the veridicality of signs and realities that are independent from humans. Several research programs concerned with the relation between theology and science aim to secure theology's intellectual standing as a metaphysical discipline by showing that it satisfies criteria that make modern science reputable, on the grounds that modern science embodies contemporary canons of respectability for metaphysical disciplines. But, no matter the ways in which theology qua metaphysics is shown to resemble modern science, these research programs seem destined for failure. For, given the currently dominant approaches to understanding modern scientific epistemology, theological reasoning is crucially dissimilar to modern scientific reasoning in that it treats the existence of God as a certainty immune to refutation. Barring the development of an epistemology of modern science that is amenable to theology, theology as metaphysics is intellectually disreputable.
MAINTAINING RESPECTABILITY: RESPONSE TO NICHOLAOS JONES
Authors: Peterson Gregory R. 
Published: October 2008

Abstract.Nicholaos Jones argues that theology is not a respectable discipline because of its inability to meet the standards of contemporary science. Although Jones makes a bold claim, I suggest that he has not made his case by focusing on the question of defining science and metaphysics appropriately, the analysis of the literature he cites, and his central claim that theology presupposes the absolute certainty of God.
UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO HUMAN EVIL: A MULTICAUSAL APPROACH
Authors: Peters Karl E. 
Published: October 2008

Abstract.One task of religion is delivering human beings from evil within and between themselves. Defining good as well‐being or functioning well, evil as impaired functioning, and doing evil as impairing the functioning of others, this essay explores how religions in consort with other social institutions might understand and respond to evil in light of contemporary scientific knowledge. To understand evil I use a multicausal approach that includes both biological and sociocultural environmental causes. I illustrate the use of this approach by analyzing how we might understand and respond to human rage and violence.
DEVELOPMENT OF OBJECTIVE CRITERIA TO EVALUATE THE AUTHENTICITY OF REVELATION
Authors: Mustafa Tariq 
Published: October 2008

Abstract.Science has been dazzlingly successful in explaining nature. Scientific advances also have led to certain undesirable, though unintended, side effects, one of which is alienation from the spiritual. Revelation comes from the Divine. But what is the status of authenticity of a particular piece claimed to be revelation? What is its historical validity and current state of preservation? This essay proposes to develop a list of rational criteria, in consultation with all stakeholders, for addressing the subject. The aim is to bring objectivity into this discourse by placing it more on the turf of reason rather than basing it on considerations of faith and prior allegiance.
Which Factors Affect Bond Underwriting Fees? The Role of Banking Relationships
Authors: Iannotta Giuliano , Navone Marco 
Published: October 2008

Abstract The question of which factors are relevant in determining bond underwriting fees is empirically investigated by analysing 2,202 bond issues completed by European firms during the 1993 – 2003 period. Four major results emerge from the analysis. First, the introduction of the single currency in 1999 has generated an increase in competition among banks, and, as a result, a reduction in underwriting fees. Second, a strong relationship with the issuer's main bank reduces the level of underwriting fees. Third, new issuers are charged with lower underwriter fees relative to firms that have completed issues without building any strong relationship with a bank. Fourth, higher reputation banks charge lower underwriting fees. The implications of these findings are also discussed.
Levels of Generality in the Legal Reasoning of the European Court of Justice
Authors: Conway Gerard 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe level of generality or of abstraction used to describe a precedent, a right, or the legislative intent behind a statutory provision or constituent purpose behind a constitutional provision can have a decisive impact on the outcome of a case. Characterising it in narrow terms has the effect of reducing the scope of decision of a judgment; conversely, a broader characterisation provides more leeway for a judge in a case to encompass its facts within the precedent, right or purpose in issue. The issue raised by the level of generality problem is the extent to which courts have a discretion or freedom of manoeuvre as to the level of generality they decide upon, and thus whether generality and abstraction are manipulable in the hands of judges and are not really predetermined by the legal sources in question or an established judicial method of interpretation. Uncontrolled judicial discretion of this kind is problematic from the point of view of the rule of law and democracy, especially when adjudication concerns constitutional provisions, the equivalent in the EU being interpretation by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) of the EU Treaties; reversal of ECJ interpretation through Treaty amendment is particularly difficult to achieve because it requires unanimous coordination by the Member States. This article examines two alternative ways of determining the correct or appropriate level of generality issue in ECJ interpetation, coherence or the legal traditions of the Member States, and argues in favour of the latter as a less subjective method. Application of the two alternative approaches is tested in two areas of EU law, state liability and criminal law.
Enlargement at the European Court of Justice: Law, Language and Translation
Authors: McAuliffe Karen 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe enlargement of the EU to 25 Member States in May 2005, followed by the accession of two more states in January 2007, raised a number of questions concerning the organisational structure of that Union—the sheer scale of the largest EU expansion to date highlighted the need to restructure EU institutions. For the European Court of Justice (ECJ), enlargement meant a huge influx of people to staff new divisions in the administrative hierarchy of the Court. This article describes the process and effects of enlargement at the ECJ, particularly in relation to translation and the language regime of that Court. Prior to the May 2004 and January 2007 enlargements there was a general perception among those working at the Court that enlargement would result in significant dislocation of life at that institution. In particular, it was felt that the translation directorate would not be able to cope with the addition of 11 ‘new’ languages to the list of official EU languages. The reality, however, was far from the disaster that many had predicted. That said, even a mere year following the May 2004 enlargement, a number of changes in the functioning and dynamics of that Court were already noticeable.