bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing health-related quality of life in patients suffering from schizophrenia: a comparison of instruments
Authors: Reine Gilles , Simeoni Marie-Claude , Auquier Pascal , Loundou Anderson , Aghababian Valérie , Lancon Christophe 
Published: September 2005

AbstractObjectiveTo compare three different kinds of health-related quality of life (HRQL) questionnaires available for use in patients suffering from schizophrenia: the SF-36 (a generic instrument), the QoLI (an instrument designed to a broad range of mental illnesses), the S-QoL (a questionnaire specific to schizophrenic patients), in terms of external validity and sensitivity to change.MethodsTwo hundred and five patients were included at D0 and one-third retested at D30. Socio-demographic data and clinical history were recorded, clinical evaluation comprised psychotic symptoms (PANSS), depression (Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia), global functioning (GAF), clinical severity (CGI), and extrapyramidal symptoms (ESRS). HRQL was assessed using the SF-36, the QoLI and the S-QoL.ResultsA better agreement is observed between the SF-36 and the S-QoL than between the QoLI and the two other instruments. S-QoL and SF-36 are more strongly correlated with clinical status than QoLI. Compared to the SF-36 and the QoLI, the S-QoL better discriminates patients with comorbidity from others. The S-QoL shows better responsiveness than the QoLI and the SF-36.ConclusionFor descriptive purpose, either generic tools like SF-36 or specific ones should be used, whereas when aiming at evaluating health treatment and care for schizophrenic patients, specific instruments like the S-QoL should be favoured.
The Taq IA polymorphism linked to the DRD2 gene is related to lower attention and less inhibitory control in alcoholic patients
Authors: Rodríguez-Jiménez R. , Ávila C. , Ponce G. , Ibáñez M.I. , Rubio G. , Jiménez-Arriero M.A. , Ampuero I. , Ramos J.A. , Hoenicka J. , Palomo T. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThe TaqIA polymorphism linked to the DRD2 gene has been associated with alcoholism. The aim of this work is to study attention and inhibitory control as per the continuous performance test and the stop task in a sample of 50 Spanish male alcoholic patients split into two groups according to the presence of the TaqIA1 allele in their genotype. Our results show that alcoholics carrying the TaqIA1 allele present lower sustained attention and less inhibitory control than those patients without such allele.
Oral glucose tolerance tests in treated patients with schizophrenia.
Authors: De Hert Marc , Van Eyck Dominique , Hanssens Linda , Peuskens Hendrik , Thys Erik , Wampers Martien , Scheen Andre , Peuskens Jozef 
Published: September 2005

AbstractObjectiveA recent consensus conference has proposed guidelines for the monitoring for diabetes in patients with schizophrenia and also identifies the need of long-term prospective studies.MethodsA large scale prospective study on metabolic risks of antipsychotic medication is currently ongoing. At baseline, patients get a full laboratory screening, ECG and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Baseline data on 100 non-diabetic patients at study inclusion and stable on medication for at least 6 months are presented.ResultsGlucose abnormalities are found in 22% of patients at baseline. A monitoring protocol based only on fasting glucose would not have detected 63.6% of these patients with classifiable glucose abnormalities in our sample. Fasting insulin and measures for insulin resistance have a high predictive value for abnormalities late in the OGTT.ConclusionsAlready at baseline, metabolic problems are frequently present in patients with schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics. Adding assessment of fasting insulin in a monitoring protocol improves detection of glucose abnormalities late in an OGTT.
Executive function and memory in posttraumatic stress disorder: a study of Bosnian war veterans
Authors: Koso Maida , Hansen Stefan 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThe present study assessed neuropsychological functions related to attention, executive function and everyday memory in a group of men with a diagnosis of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Twenty Bosnian male combat veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD were tested using the Sustained Attention to Response Task, the Hayling Sentence Completion Test, the Trail Making Test, Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (verbal scales). Their performance was compared with age- and IQ-matched male war veterans with no PTSD. The study disclosed pervasive cognitive impairments with large effect sizes pertaining to attention, working memory, executive function, and memory. The effects did not appear to be attributable to alcohol abuse, loss of consciousness, or educational level. We speculate that, in the present group of combat veterans, PTSD was associated with dysfunction of a higher-level attentional resource which in turn affected the activity in other systems concerned with memory and thought.
Financial deregulation and efficiency: An empirical analysis of Indian banks during the post reform period
Authors: Das Abhiman , Ghosh Saibal 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe paper investigates the performance of Indian commercial banking sector during the post reform period 1992–2002. Several efficiency estimates of individual banks are evaluated using nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Three different approaches viz., intermediation approach, value‐added approach and operating approach have been employed to differentiate how efficiency scores vary with changes in inputs and outputs. The analysis links the variation in calculated efficiencies to a set of variables, i.e., bank size, ownership, capital adequacy ratio, non‐performing loans and management quality. The findings suggest that medium‐sized public sector banks performed reasonably well and are more likely to operate at higher levels of technical efficiency. A close relationship is observed between efficiency and soundness as determined by bank's capital adequacy ratio. The empirical results also show that technically more efficient banks are those that have, on an average, less non‐performing loans. A multivariate analysis based on the Tobit model reinforces these findings.
Loci Contributing to Adult Height and Body Mass Index in African American Families Ascertained for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Sale M.M. , Freedman B. I. , Hicks P. J. , Williams A. H. , Langefeld C. D. , Gallagher C. J. , Bowden D. W. , Rich S. S. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryHeight and body mass index (BMI) have high heritability in most studies. High BMI and reduced height are well‐recognized as important risk factors for a number of cardiovascular diseases. We investigated these phenotypes in African American families originally ascertained for studies of linkage with type 2 diabetes using self‐reported height and weight. We conducted a genome wide scan in 221 families containing 580 individuals and 672 relative pairs of African American descent. Estimates of heritability and support for linkage were assessed by genetic variance component analyses using SOLAR software. The estimated heritabilities for height and BMI were 0.43 and 0.64, respectively. We have identified major loci contributing to variation in height on chromosomes 15 (LOD = 2.61 at 35 cM, p = 0.0004), 3 (LOD = 1.82 at 84 cM, p = 0.0029), 8 (LOD = 1.92 at 135 cM, p = 0.0024) and 17 (LOD = 1.70 at 110 cM, p = 0.0044). A broad region on chromosome 4 supported evidence of linkage to variation in BMI, with the highest LOD = 2.66 at 168 cM (p = 0.0005). Two height loci and two BMI loci appear to confirm the existence of quantitative trait loci previously identified by other studies, providing important replicative data to allow further resolution of linkage regions suitable for positional cloning of these cardiovascular disease risk loci.
The Influence of Past Endogamy and Consanguinity on Genetic Disorders in Northern Sweden
Authors: Bittles A. H. , Egerbladh I. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryIt has been widely believed that consanguineous marriage was infrequent in northern Europe. As part of ongoing studies into the population structure of northern Sweden, the Demographic DataBase of Umeå University has undertaken digitization of the parish record books of the Swedish Lutheran Church, which date back to the late 17th century. To examine the prevalence and patterns of consanguineous marriage, information from the DataBase was abstracted for the Skellefteå region during the period 1720–1899 and extended family pedigrees constructed. Of the 14,639 marriages recorded, 3,043 (20.8%) were between couples related as sixth cousins or closer. Following changes in the Swedish civil law in 1844 that removed the requirement of royal dispensation for first cousin unions, a significant increase in first cousin marriages occurred during the next two generations, even though the total population of the region grew significantly. There was also strong evidence that consanguineous marriages were favoured within particular families. The findings of the study are consistent with the patterns of single gene disorders reported in specific communities in the region, and they suggest that founder effect, drift and consanguinity all were important influences on population genetic structure in previous generations.
The Capacity for Thermal Protection of Photosynthetic Electron Transport Varies for Different Monoterpenes inQuercus ilex
Authors: Copolovici Lucian O. , Filella Iolanda , Llusià Joan , Niinemets Ülo , Peñuelas Josep 
Published: August 2005

AbstractHeat stress resistance of foliar photosynthetic apparatus was investigated in the Mediterranean monoterpene-emitting evergreen sclerophyll species Quercus ilex. Leaf feeding with fosmidomycin, which is a specific inhibitor of the chloroplastic isoprenoid synthesis pathway, essentially stopped monoterpene emission and resulted in the decrease of the optimum temperature of photosynthetic electron transport from approximately 38°C to approximately 30°C. The heat stress resistance was partly restored by fumigation with 4 to 5 nmol mol−1 air concentrations of monoterpene α-pinene but not with fumigations with monoterpene alcohol α-terpineol. Analyses of monoterpene physicochemical characteristics demonstrated that α-pinene was primarily distributed to leaf gas and lipid phases, while α-terpineol was primarily distributed to leaf aqueous phase. Thus, for a common monoterpene uptake rate, α-terpineol is less efficient in stabilizing membrane liquid-crystalline structure and as an antioxidant in plant membranes. Furthermore, α-terpineol uptake rate (U) strongly decreased with increasing temperature, while the uptake rates of α-pinene increased with increasing temperature, providing a further explanation of the lower efficiency of thermal protection by α-terpineol. The temperature-dependent decrease of α-terpineol uptake was both due to decreases in stomatal conductance, gw, and increased volatility of α-terpineol at higher temperature that decreased the monoterpene diffusion gradient between the ambient air (FA) and leaf (FI; U = gw[FA − FI]). Model analyses suggested that α-pinene reacted within the leaf at higher temperatures, possibly within the lipid phase, thereby avoiding the decrease in diffusion gradient, FA − FI. Thus, these data contribute to the hypothesis of the antioxidative protection of leaf membranes during heat stress by monoterpenes. These data further suggest that fumigation with the relatively low atmospheric concentrations of monoterpenes that are occasionally observed during warm windless days in the Mediterranean canopies may significantly improve the heat tolerance of nonemitting vegetation that grows intermixed with emitting species.
Diurnal and Seasonal Variation of Isoprene Biosynthesis-Related Genes in Grey Poplar Leaves
Authors: Mayrhofer Sabine , Teuber Markus , Zimmer Ina , Louis Sandrine , Fischbach Robert J. , Schnitzler Jörg-Peter 
Published: August 2005

Abstract
Transcript levels of mRNA from 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (PcDXR), isoprene synthase (PcISPS), and phytoene synthase (PcPSY) showed strong seasonal variations in leaves of Grey poplar (Populus × canescens [Aiton] Sm.). These changes were dependent on the developmental stage and were strongly correlated to temperature and light. The expression rates of the genes PcDXR and PcISPS were found to be significantly correlated to each other, whereas the expression of the PcPSY gene showed a different seasonal pattern. Protein concentration and enzyme activity of PcISPS showed distinct seasonal patterns peaking in late summer, whereas highest transcription levels of PcISPS were observed in early summer. Moreover, correlation between PcISPS protein concentration and enzyme activity changed, in particular in autumn, when PcISPS protein levels remained high while enzyme activity declined, indicating posttranslational modifications of the enzyme. The positive correlation between dimethylallyl diphosphate levels and PcISPS protein content was found to be consistent with the demonstrated synchronized regulation of PcDXR and PcISPS, suggesting that metabolic flux through the 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate pathway and isoprene emission capacity are closely intercoordinated. Transcript levels of PcISPS showed strong diurnal variation with maximal values before midday in contrast to PcDXR, whose gene expression exhibited no clear intraday changes. During the course of a day, in vitro PcISPS activities did not change, whereas leaf dimethylallyl diphosphate levels and isoprene emission showed strong diurnal variations depending on actual temperature and light profiles on the respective day. These results illustrate that the regulation of isoprene biosynthesis in Grey poplar leaves seems to happen on transcriptional, posttranslational, and metabolic levels and is highly variable with respect to seasonal and diurnal changes in relation to temperature and light.
Mitochondria-Driven Changes in Leaf NAD Status Exert a Crucial Influence on the Control of Nitrate Assimilation and the Integration of Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism
Authors: Dutilleul Christelle , Lelarge Caroline , Prioul Jean-Louis , De Paepe Rosine , Foyer Christine H. , Noctor Graham 
Published: August 2005

Abstract
The Nicotiana sylvestris mutant, CMS, lacks the mitochondrial gene nad7 and functional complex I, and respires using low-affinity NADH (alternative) mitochondrial dehydrogenases. Here, we show that this adjustment of respiratory pathways is associated with a profound modification of foliar carbon-nitrogen balance. CMS leaves are characterized by abundant amino acids compared to either wild-type plants or CMS in which complex I function has been restored by nuclear transformation with the nad7 cDNA. The metabolite profile of CMS leaves is enriched in amino acids with low carbon/nitrogen and depleted in starch and 2-oxoglutarate. Deficiency in 2-oxoglutarate occurred despite increased citrate and malate and higher capacity of key anaplerotic enzymes, notably the mitochondrial NAD-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase. The accumulation of nitrogen-rich amino acids was not accompanied by increased expression of enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation. Partitioning of 15N-nitrate into soluble amines was enhanced in CMS leaf discs compared to wild-type discs, especially in the dark. Analysis of pyridine nucleotides showed that both NAD and NADH were increased by 2-fold in CMS leaves. The growth retardation of CMS relative to the wild type was highly dependent on photoperiod, but at all photoperiod regimes the link between high contents of amino acids and NADH was observed. Together, the data provide strong evidence that (1) NADH availability is a critical factor in influencing the rate of nitrate assimilation and that (2) NAD status plays a crucial role in coordinating ammonia assimilation with the anaplerotic production of carbon skeletons.
Secretome Analysis Reveals anArabidopsisLipase Involved in Defense againstAlternaria brassicicola
Authors: Oh Il Seok , Park Ae Ran , Bae Min Seok , Kwon Sun Jae , Kim Young Soon , Lee Ji Eun , Kang Na Young , Lee Sumin , Cheong Hyeonsook , Park Ohkmae K. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe Arabidopsis thaliana secretome was analyzed by the proteomic approach, which led to the identification of secreted proteins implicated in many aspects of cell biology. We then investigated the change in the Arabidopsis secretome in response to salicylic acid and identified several proteins involved in pathogen response. One of these, a secreted lipase with a GDSL-like motif designated GDSL LIPASE1 (GLIP1), was further characterized for its function in disease resistance. glip1 plants were markedly more susceptible to infection by the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola compared with the parental wild-type plants. The recombinant GLIP1 protein possessed lipase and antimicrobial activities that directly disrupt fungal spore integrity. Furthermore, GLIP1 appeared to trigger systemic resistance signaling in plants when challenged with A. brassicicola, because pretreatment of the glip1 mutant with recombinant GLIP1 protein inhibited A. brassicicola–induced cell death in both peripheral and distal leaves. Moreover, glip1 showed altered expression of defense- and ethylene-related genes. GLIP1 transcription was increased by ethephon, the ethylene releaser, but not by salicylic acid or jasmonic acid. These results suggest that GLIP1, in association with ethylene signaling, may be a critical component in plant resistance to A. brassicicola.
Why link personal research and teaching?
Authors: Berman Brown Reva 
Published: September 2005

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight issues concerning the linking of research to teaching.Design/methodology/approachThe paper engages with two assumptions which appear to be taken for granted: there should be an overt and strong link between one's own research and one's teaching; and one's active involvement in the research process should, at the very least, underpin, the quality of one's teaching, and at best, improve it.FindingsThere is a link between research and teaching (though the strength of the link is problematic). The link is not only a matter of intellectual or disciplinary import, but is complicated by political and vested interests. The two extremes of research and teaching can be bridged by scholarship or learning, or both together. It is unnecessary and counter‐productive to demand of academics that they should be simultaneously good researchers and good teachers, although this requirement is unlikely to be realised in practice. There is no obligation whatever for academics to overtly link their own personal research to their teaching in order to be considered good teachers.Originality/valueThe paper queries both these assumptions which appear to be influencing how policy concerning research and teaching is dealt with in higher education institutions, and investigates the implications of feeling obliged to teach students using personal research.
“Bioneering” – teaching biotechnology entrepreneurship at the undergraduate level
Authors: Collet Chris , Wyatt David 
Published: September 2005

PurposeThe authors have developed an educational model that operates at the undergraduate level and aims to produce graduates who can comfortably operate in the gulf between the laboratory bench and the commercial marketplace. The purpose of the paper is to describe the course, approaches, activities and initial outcomes of the Bachelor of Biotechnology Innovation course at Queensland University of Technology.Design/methodology/approachStudents undertake “hard science” subjects and business subjects on entrepreneurship, innovation and market development. Synthesis of these disparate disciplines is driven through formation of virtual companies that serve to contextualize subject content and provide start‐up company experience across the four‐year course. Student companies design biotechnology products and processes and can progress their product through initial research and development phases or undertake an industry‐based internship working as a team on initial concept projects. This focused, team‐based approach to learning is contrary to traditional science courses that focus on the individual.FindingsOutcomes include graduates of high quality that have moved into positions associated with commercialization and technology transfer where previously a PhD and MBA were required qualifications. Other measures of course success include acceptance and promotion of the new course by business, academia and government.Originality/valuePostgraduate courses provide the most common pathway for assisted self‐development of entrepreneurial skills in science and engineering graduates. In contrast, this model aims to train entrepreneurs in technological disciplines at an undergraduate level in a framework where innovation and enterprising behaviour are embedded in the fabric of the degree.
Developing thoughtful students: using learning styles in an HE context
Authors: Pheiffer Gary , Holley Debbie , Andrew David 
Published: September 2005

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the use of learning styles in developing learning in a higher education context.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs a case study of a year one introductory module for first‐year university students in a post‐1992 university.FindingsIt is suggested that learning styles in association with concepts of engagement and identity may be usefully and successfully employed in supporting, guiding and developing student learning. The importance of contextual factors is a factor that will influence learning strategies.Originality/valueThe paper is critical of other uses of learning styles and makes suggestions to develop and broaden the role of learning styles.
Educational and occupational preferences of high school students in Greece
Authors: Dimaki Katerina , Kaminioti Olympia , Kostaki Anastasia , Psarakis Stelios , Tsourti Zoi 
Published: September 2005

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of personal and structural characteristics in the development of educational and occupational preferences, and examine the formation of students' perceptions about the labour market and the factors influencing the formation of these perceptions.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a survey of high school students in urban areas. The findings are investigated using appropriate statistical tests.FindingsStudents' choice of educational discipline is fairly evenly distributed, and seems to be influenced by the educational level of their parents. Other important influencing factors are family income, grades achieved by the students at school, and choice of future profession.Originality/valueConclusively, the present study finds that background variables such as family education and income are significant in the formation of students' education and occupational preferences. The development of an occupational orientation program for students could contribute to a fit between the personal preferences of students and the occupational characteristics of the current labour market, possibly leading to positive consequences for both students and the labour market.