Temple University

About: Temple University is a education organization based out in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 32154 authors who have published 64375 publications receiving 2219828 citations.

Distribution and characterization of estrogen receptor G protein-coupled receptor 30 in the rat central nervous system

Abstract: The G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR 30) has been identified as the non-genomic estrogen receptor, and G-1, the specific ligand for GPR30. With the use of a polyclonal antiserum directed against the human C-terminus of GPR30, immunohistochemical studies revealed GPR30-immunoreactivity (irGPR30) in the brain of adult male and non-pregnant female rats. A high density of irGPR30 was noted in the Islands of Calleja and striatum. In the hypothalamus, irGPR30 was detected in the paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus. The anterior and posterior pituitary contained numerous irGPR30 cells and terminal-like endings. Cells in the hippocampal formation as well as the substantia nigra were irGPR30. In the brainstem, irGPR30 cells were noted in the area postrema, nucleus of the solitary tract, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus; a cluster of cells were prominently labeled in the nucleus ambiguus. Tissue sections processed with pre-immune serum showed no irGPR30, affirming the specificity of the antiserum. G-1 (100 nM) caused a large increase of intracellular calcium concentrations [Ca(2+) ](i) in dissociated and cultured rat hypothalamic neurons, as assessed by microfluorometric Fura-2 imaging. The calcium response to a second application of G-1 showed a marked homologous desensitization. Our result shows a high expression of irGPR30 in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, hippocampal formation, and brainstem autonomic nuclei; and the activation of GPR30 by G-1 is associated with a mobilization of calcium in dissociated and cultured rat hypothalamic neurons.

The Five-Factor Model of Personality Traits and OrganizationalCitizenship Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract: Using meta-analytic tests based on 87 statistically independent samples, we investigated the relationships between the five-factor model (FFM) of personality traits and organizational citizenship behaviors in both the aggregate and specific forms, including individual-directed, organization-directed, and change- oriented citizenship. We found that Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and Openness/Intellect have incremental validity for citizenship over and above Conscientiousness and Agreeableness, 2 well- established FFM predictors of citizenship. In addition, FFM personality traits predict citizenship over and above job satisfaction. Finally, we compared the effect sizes obtained in the current meta-analysis with the comparable effect sizes predicting task performance from previous meta-analyses. As a result, we found that Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Extraversion have similar magnitudes of rela- tionships with citizenship and task performance, whereas Openness and Agreeableness have stronger relationships with citizenship than with task performance. This lends some support to the idea that personality traits are (slightly) more important determinants of citizenship than of task performance. We conclude with proposed directions for future research on the relationships between FFM personality traits and specific forms of citizenship, based on the current findings.

A Randomized Study on the Effect of Weight Loss on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Among Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The Sleep AHEAD Study

Abstract: Weight loss is frequently recommended to improve obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among obese patients, yet the empirical support for this recommendation is weak. 1,2 Descriptive studies have assessed the apneahypopnea index (AHI) before and after weight loss, although most have examined the effects of surgically induced weight loss.3 The existing studies are limited by small samples (N=8-26 participants), short durations (≤6 months), predominantly male samples (90%), and the lack of comparison groups that do not lose weight.3 One nonrandomized study of 23 participants with a mean (SD) AHI of 55 (8) events per hour and a mean (SD) weight of 112 (7) kg found that the AHI was reduced by 46% in those individuals who had lost 10% of initial weight, while those who were weight stable demonstrated no change in AHI.4 The only randomized study to date was among 72 predominantly male patients with mild apnea (AHI, 5-15) who weighed approximately 97 kg. An 11-kg weight loss reduced the risk of OSA by 76% relative to the control group, which lost 2 kg.5 Epidemiological studies have shown that weight loss reduced the AHI and weight gain increased the AHI, but very few participants in those cohorts had OSA or lost clinically significant amounts of weight.6,7 Therefore, there are few studies indicating whether the amount of weight loss (10%) recommended by expert and government panels is sufficient to improve OSA.8 Such data are necessary to help physicians and their patients understand the expected benefits of weight loss in the management of OSA. Recently, we documented an extremely high rate (86%) of OSA among obese patients with type 2 diabetes seeking to lose weight.9 The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of weight loss, produced through an intensive lifestyle intervention, on OSA in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that weight loss would significantly improve OSA. This study addressed the limitations of previous investigations by enrolling a large sample (n=264), with nearly equal numbers of men and women, and by using a randomized controlled trial design over a 1-year period.

Weight and metabolic outcomes after 2 years on a low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diet: a randomized trial.

Abstract: Data from several randomized trials over the past 6 years have demonstrated that low-carbohydrate diets produced greater short-term (6 months) weight loss than low-fat, calorie-restricted diets (1-5). The longer-term (1 to 2 years) results are mixed. Some studies found greater weight loss with low-carbohydrate diets than with low-fat diets (5, 6), whereas others found no difference (1, 7-9). However, weight loss with either diet was usually minimal (10-12), presumably because of the modest dose of behavioral treatment provided in these studies (1, 6). The only 2-year randomized, controlled trial of a low-carbohydrate diet to date found greater 2-year weight loss with a low-carbohydrate than a low-fat diet (6). The Israel-based study used visual prompts in a cafeteria setting to guide the selection of the main meal (lunch). Whether the results would be similar in different settings and cultures is unknown. In addition, few previous studies have evaluated the effect of low-carbohydrate diets on symptoms or bone, and the assessments have been limited to 6 months (3, 4). The purpose of our randomized, 3-center trial was to evaluate the effects of long-term (2-year) treatment with either a low-carbohydrate or low-fat, calorie-restricted diet on key clinical end points, namely body weight, cardiovascular risk factors, bone mineral density, and general symptoms. The primary outcome was weight loss at 2 years. All participants received comprehensive behavioral treatment (13, 14) to enhance weight loss associated with both diets. We hypothesized that a low-carbohydrate diet would produce greater weight loss at 2 years than a low-calorie, low-fat diet. Context Previous studies comparing low-carbohydrate with low-fat diets focused on short-term outcomes and did not uniformly include interventions to change physical activity and other aspects of lifestyle. Contribution This randomized trial compared outcomes of a behavioral intervention combined with either a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet and found that after 2 years, participants in both groups lost about 7% of body weight. Greater improvement in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels was observed with a low-carbohydrate diet, but other metabolic measures were similar in both groups. Implication Overweight persons can achieve substantial weight loss at 2 years if they participate in a behavioral intervention combined with a low-fat or a low-carbohydrate diet. —The Editors

Institutional ownership, capital structure, and firm performance

Abstract: In most studies of ownership and firm performance, researchers have assumed different forms of ownership do not interact in their effect on firm strategy or performance. Focusing on the role of institutional owners, this study poses two related questions: (1) What are the relationships between outside institutional shareholdings, on the one hand, and a firm's capital structure and performance, on the other? and; (2) Does the size of stockholdings by corporate executives, family owners, and insider-institutions modify those relationships? The data, collected from 40 pairs of manufacturing firms selected from as many industries over a 3-year period, shows that the size of outside institutional stockholdings has a significant effect on the firm's capital structure. We have also found that family and inside institutional owners' shareholdings moderate the relationship between outside institutional shareholdings and capital structure. Likewise, corporate executives' shareholdings supplement the relationship between outside institutional shareholdings and firms' performance. These findings suggest that internal and external coalitions interact with each other to influence the firm's conduct.