bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuronal activity alters BDNF-TrkB signaling kinetics and downstream functions
Authors: Guo Wei , Ji Yuanyuan , Wang Shudan , Sun Yun , Lu Bai
Published: March 2014

Differential kinetics of the same signaling pathway may elicit different cellular outcomes. Here we show that high-frequency neuronal activity converts BDNF-induced TrkB signaling from a transient to a sustained mode. A prior depolarization (15 mM KCl, 1 hour) resulted in a long-lasting (>24 hours) activation of TrkB receptor and its downstream signals which otherwise lasts less than an hour. The LTP-inducing theta-burst stimulation but not the LTD-inducing low-frequency stimulation also induced sustained activation of TrkB. This sustained signaling facilitated dendritic branching and rescued neuronal apoptosis induced by glutamate. The change in TrkB signaling kinetics is mediated by calcium elevation and CaMKII activation, leading to an increase in TrkB expression on the neuronal surface. Physical exercise also alters the kinetics of TrkB phosphorylation induced by exogenous BDNF. Sustained TrkB signaling may serve as a key mechanism underlying synergistic effects of neuronal activity and BDNF.
FHL1 mutations that cause clinically distinct human myopathies form protein aggregates and impair myoblast differentiation
Authors: Wilding Brendan R. , McGrath Meagan J. , Bonne Gisèle , Mitchell Christina A.
Published: March 2014

FHL1 mutations cause several clinically heterogeneous myopathies including Reducing Body Myopathy (RBM), Scapuloperoneal Myopathy (SPM) and X-Linked Myopathy with Postural Muscle Atrophy (XMPMA). The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of FHL1 myopathies are unknown. Protein aggregates designated “Reducing Bodies” (RBs) containing mutant FHL1 are detected in RBM muscle but not several other FHL1 myopathies. Here RBM, SPM and XMPMA FHL1 mutants were expressed in C2C12 cells and showed equivalent protein expression to wild-type FHL1 and formed aggregates positive for the RB stain Menadione-NBT, analogous to RBM muscle aggregates. However HCM and EDMD FHL1 mutants generally exhibited reduced expression. Wild-type FHL1 promotes myoblast differentiation however RBM, SPM and XMPMA mutations impaired differentiation, consistent with loss-of-normal function. Furthermore, SPM and XMPMA mutants retarded myotube formation relative to vector control consistent with a dominant-negative/toxic function. Mutant FHL1 myotube formation was partially rescued by expression of the FHL1-binding partner constitutively-active NFATc1. This is the first study to show FHL1 mutations identified in several clinically distinct myopathies lead to similar protein aggregation and impaired myotube formation suggesting a common pathogenic mechanism despite heterogenous clinical features.
MicroRNA-30a regulates zebrafish myogenesis via targeting the transcription factor Six1
Authors: O'Brien Jenean H. , Hernandez-Lagunas Laura , Artinger Kristin Bruk , Ford Heide L.
Published: March 2014

Precise spatiotemporal regulation of the SIX1 homeoprotein is required to coordinate vital tissue development, including myogenesis. While SIX1 is downregulated in most tissues following embryogenesis, it is re-expressed in numerous cancers, including tumors derived from muscle progenitors. Despite critical roles in development and disease, upstream regulation of SIX1 expression has remained elusive. Here we identify the first direct mechanism for Six1 regulation in embryogenesis, through microRNA30a (miR30a)-mediated repression. In zebrafish somites, we show that miR30a and six1a/b are expressed in an inverse temporal pattern. Overexpression of miR30a leads to a reduction in six1a/b levels, and results in increased apoptosis and altered somite morphology, which phenocopies six1a/b knockdown. Conversely, miR30a inhibition leads to increased Six1 expression and abnormal somite morphology, revealing a role for endogenous miR30a as a myomiR. Importantly, restoration of six1a in miR30a-overexpressing embryos restores proper myogenesis. These data demonstrate a novel role for miR30a at a key node in the myogenic regulatory gene network through controlling Six1 expression.
Impaired OMA1 dependent OPA1 cleavage and reduced DRP1 fission activity combine to prevent mitophagy in OXPHOS dependent cells
Authors: MacVicar Thomas D. B. , Lane Jon D.
Published: March 2014

Mitochondrial dynamics play crucial roles in mitophagy-based mitochondrial quality control, but how these pathways are regulated to meet cellular energy demands remains obscure. Using non-transformed human RPE1 cells, we report that upregulation of mitochondrial OXPHOS alters mitochondrial dynamics to inhibit Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Despite basal mitophagy rates remaining stable upon switch to OXPHOS-dependency, mitochondria resist fragmentation when RPE1 cells are treated with the protonophore, CCCP. Mechanistically, this is because cleavage of the inner membrane fusion factor L-OPA1 is prevented due to the failure to activate the inner membrane protease OMA1 in mitochondria with collapsed membrane potential. In parallel, OXPHOS-active mitochondria are protected from damage-induced fission, through impaired recruitment and activation of mitochondrial DRP1. Using OMA1-deficient MEFs, we show that the preservation of a stable pool of L-OPA1 at the inner mitochondrial membrane is sufficient to delay mitophagy, even in the presence of Parkin. The capacity of OXPHOS-dependent cells to maintain significant mitochondrial content in the face of acute damage has important implications for mitochondrial quality control in vivo.
CPEB1 promotes differentiation and suppresses EMT in mammary epithelial cells
Authors: Grudzien-Nogalska Ewa , Reed Brent C. , Rhoads Robert E.
Published: March 2014

Down-regulation of CPEB1, a sequence-specific RNA-binding protein, in a mouse mammary epithelial cell line (CID-9) causes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), based on several criteria. First, CPEB1 knockdown decreases E-cadherin and β-catenin but increases vimentin and Twist1. Second, the motility of CPEB1-depleted cells is increased. Third, CID-9 cells normally form growth-arrested, polarized, three-dimensional acini upon culture in extracellular matrix, but CPEB1-deficient CID-9 cells form nonpolarized, proliferating colonies lacking a central cavity. CPEB1 down-regulates Twist1 expression by binding to its mRNA, shortening its poly(A) tract, and repressing its translation. CID-9 cultures contain both myoepithelial and luminal epithelial cells. CPEB1 increases during CID-9 cell differentiation, is predominantly expressed in myoepithelial cells, and its knockdown prevents expression of the myoepithelial marker p63. CPEB1 is present in proliferating subpopulations of pure luminal epithelial cells (SCp2) and myoepithelial cells (SCg6), but its depletion increases Twist1 only in SCg6 cells and fails to down-regulate E-cadherin in SCp2 cells. We propose that myoepithelial cells prevent EMT by influencing the polarity and proliferation of luminal epithelial cells in a mechanism that requires translational silencing of myoepithelial Twist1 by CPEB1.
Blending mass self-communication with advertising in Facebook and LinkedIn: Challenges for social media and user empowerment
Authors: Heyman Rob , Pierson Jo
Published: March 2014

The commodification process on Facebook and LinkedIn limits the potential of mass self-communication on these SNS. This is especially noticeable with regard to personal identifiable information (PII) used in advertising. This article is an analysis of Facebook and LinkedIn through desk research and website analysis of their advertising products. We illustrate how the commodification of personal identifiable information influences user empowerment, defined as mass self-communication. We have found that users are not able to control production, selection and distribution of PII, when this information is used in advertising. The commodification of PII is now portraying and distributing user-generated content and PII differently. Economically interesting content is shown more prominently, but commercial messages are also invading UGC to become economically valuable.
Predicting, securing and shaping the future: Mechanisms of governance in online social environments
Authors: Humphreys Sal
Published: March 2014

In online environments, the issues of governance, privacy and security are in a state of emergence, with consensus on institutional frameworks and practices not yet settled. The dynamic relations between governments, corporations and citizens are being renegotiated through the algorithmic formations of data mining and through contract law in the form of End User Licence Agreements. To analyse how the current practices and discourses associated with the socio-technical assemblages of online social worlds work within the broader political economy this article considers discourses associated with risk and security (Dean 2010), practices and discourses associated with algorithms (Gillespie forthcoming 2014) and the new shape of ‘predictive surveillance’ in the form of panspectralism (Palmås 2011). The emerging patterns of governance through contractual law and algorithms are enabling the discursive construction of a differently balanced set of relations between citizens, governments and corporations. The overlapping interests of these stakeholders are considered, and the strong alliances between corporations and the security arms of governments are identified.
Technology design and power: Freedom and control in communication networks
Authors: Shepherd Tamara , Landry Normand
Published: March 2014

The design of technologies with particular sets of affordances for user action reflects and embeds particular sociopolitical values in the technological artefacts themselves. In relation to networked communication technologies like the Internet, design values of openness and decentralization accord with the hegemonic value of freedom as an inherently positive social and political concept. Yet freedom is also an elastic concept that contains the possibility for the freedom of powerful interests to exert controls – technological, state and legal – over the very networks designed to facilitate freedom. This article reviews how such controls are made manifest, with a particular focus on the role of technology design, in the areas of surveillance, censorship and intellectual property. It then concludes by addressing how such controls might be resisted using the affordances of open and decentralized networks. The interplay between freedom and control in communication networks is crucial for the construction of contemporary modes of citizenship, publics and participation.
The geopolitical vs. the network political: Internet designers and governance
Authors: Braman Sandra
Published: March 2014

With the recognition that communication networks in general and the Internet in particular are not only infrastructural but socio-technical in nature comes the responsibility to think such networks through from the perspective of how they influence – and/or are – forms of power and governance. The notion of citizenship is one that appears relative to both social and technical systems, and thus at their conjuncture, because it is the concept through which the rights and responsibilities of individuals relative to governance are refracted. It was in fact the case that citizenship was a concern for those responsible for technical design of the Internet as that history both unfolded through and is recorded in the technical document series known as the Internet Requests for Comments, or RFCs. This paper analyzes the two types of citizenship of concern from the perspective of Internet design – geopolitical (oriented around the state) and network political (oriented around the network) – and interactions between the two as they were discussed within and affected the Internet design process. These network-inspired ideas about citizenship in turn contribute to the ongoing discussion about the evolution of new forms of citizenship in today’s environment, including in particular those that are global and/or technological in nature.
Current perspectives and future challenges in feminism and media studies
Authors: Dorer Johanna , Hipfl Brigitte
Published: March 2014

This contribution gives an overview of the historical analysis, current assessment and future prospects of feminism. The challenges of future feminist media studies are presented in the context of the appeal by Nancy Fraser, who assumes that the fundamental claims of second-wave feminism are still of central relevance. These observations are based on the contributions that were compiled by Lisa McLaughlin and Cynthia Carter on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the international journal ‘Feminist Media Studies’.
Reviews
Authors: Corredoira Loreto , Lobinger Katharina , Balestrini Mara
Published: March 2014

International Internet Law, Joanna Kulesza (2012) Translated by Magdalena Arent and Wojciech Wołoszyk, Oxford, UK: Routledge, 196 pp., ISBN-13: 9780415674683 (hbk), £80.

The Mediatization of Culture and Society, Hjarvard, Stig (2013) London: Routledge, 173 pp., ISBN: 978-0415692366, Eur 75,

Beyond Smart Cities. How Cities Network, Learn and Innovate, Campbell Tim (2013) London: Routledge, 236 pp., ISBN: 978-1849714266, Eur 45.
‘Think of me fondly’: Voice, body, affect and performance in Prince/Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera
Authors: McKee Alison L.
Published: March 2014

This article argues that Lloyd Webber’s megamusical The Phantom of the Opera, and specifically Michael Crawford’s original performance of the title role in London, New York and Los Angeles, combined sound, voice, gesture and technology in a unique physical expression of desire that reinscribed, exceeded and even redefined spectacle at the level of both the visual and the aural realms (paradoxical as that may seem). This argument runs counter to existing arguments about the separation of scopophilia and audiophilia in the theatre and also departs from some of the arguments about the narrative in different forms which is often discussed as privileging sound and hearing over image and sight.
Anything Goes on an ocean liner: Musical comedy as a carnivalistic heterotopia
Authors: Burrows George
Published: March 2014

This article argues that the ocean-liner setting of the 1934 Broadway musical Anything Goes provides a rich place from which to explore how such seemingly frivolous musical comedy can otherwise be viewed as socially discursive and critical. It explores the way Anything Goes represents a typical product of the Great Depression and suggests its function in re-envisioning identities in the face of the apparent failure of the ‘American Dream’. The nature of the carnivalistic comedy offered in the shipboard narrative of Anything Goes further suggests that it offers an important salve for Depression-era anxiety. From this Bakhtinian perspective, Anything Goes is figured as a subversive space for the performance of social deviance of one sort or another. Bakhtin’s vision of carnival spaces suggests that musical comedy has an important function in social renewal but it also might be too utopian to articulate to ‘real’ society. However, Michel Foucault’s notion of heterotopias allows for a reconnection of Bakhtin’s utopianism with the ‘real’ world and thus serves to show that Anything Goes and, indeed, musical comedy more generally might be as vital a location as passenger ships for functional socio-critical discourse.
Introduction to the Bruce Kirle Memorial emerging scholars Debut Panel 2013: Celebrating and challenging inconsistency, authenticity and difference
Authors: Everett William A.
Published: March 2014

In 2007, the distinguished scholar of musical theatre Bruce Kirle died unexpectedly. In tribute to his contribution to this field of scholarship, the Music-Theatre-Dance focus group of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) established a competition for new scholars researching in the field. This is now the fifth season in which three prize-winning entries to this competition have been presented both as conference papers (at the 2013 ATHE Conference in Orlando), and as written articles in Studies in Musical Theatre. William A. Everett, respondent to the papers at the ATHE Conference, introduces them in this short introduction.
Muddy waters: The complexities of casting a musical about race
Authors: Accetta Valerie
Published: March 2014

In 2005, two high-school seniors from Glenelg Country Day School in Maryland were denied permission to perform the song ‘Muddy Water’ from the musical Big River on the C-SPAN television programme, Close Up (Close Up Foundation 2005). The broadcasting licence was not granted by the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization because Jay Frisby, who played Huckleberry Finn, is African American, and Nick Lehan, a caucasian, played slave Jim. This article explores the event from numerous angles, detailing the media firestorm that followed. The author discusses the complexities of casting a musical about race and questions the terminology often used to describe casting practices. Are terms such as ‘colour-blind’ and ‘non-traditional casting’ accurate? More importantly, what ideology do these terms support?
Breaking it down: An exploration of the musical Fela! in relationship to Greek tragedy and Nietzsche’s Apollonian/Dionysian duality
Authors: Spector Lynn
Published: March 2014

The unique duality of ‘authentic performance’ and ‘polished art’ in the Broadway musical Fela! recalls and embodies the interplay that, as Friedrich Nietzsche asserts, ‘eventually generate[s] the art-product, equally Dionysian and Apollonian, of Attic tragedy’. This article investigates the elements that constitute this duality and how they function both within the context and content of the musical. Specifically, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s connection to Greek tragedy, choreographic styles and the structural implications of the Broadway musical are analysed in light of Nietzsche’s duality.
Anomalous Subdiffusive Measurements by Fluorescence Correlations Spectroscopy and Simulations of Translational Diffusive Behavior in Live Cells
Authors: Baumann Gerd , Kinjo Masataka , Földes-Papp Zeno
Published: March 2014

Using a combination of optical experiments and computer simulations, we found that live cells act as traps to produce anomalous subdiffusive translational motion of molecules exemplified by the glucocorticoid receptor α. The glucocorticoid receptor α was expressed as a fusion protein with the green fluorescent protein in living mammalian U2OS cells. The measurements were carried out by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The glucocorticoid receptor α was either a homodimer or a monomer in the nucleoplasm depending on the presence or absence of the stimulus dexamethasone. Our simulations showed that the experimentally measured rates of translational diffusion could be attributed to spatial and temporal traps. Thus, traps acted by spatial and temporal heterogeneity and randomness, respectively. As we prove here for the first time, anomalous translational diffusion caused by spatial randomness was different from anomalous translational diffusion caused by heterogeneous temporal randomness. For this purpose, we explored two classes of transformations in the time domain for which the assumption that they are stable and have probability density functions was satisfied. The first one was the Inverse Gamma distribution and the second class was a stable Levy distribution. The spatial exponent α that was extracted from time series expressed scale invariance in the space domain. The time exponent γ measured limited time scaling of the embedding complex dynamics. Hence, both exponents must not be mixed up by a single exponent. Fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy (FCS) is the method of choice for measuring the exponents of anomalous subdiffusive translational motion of molecules in live cells.
Pressure-Controlled Mechanical Ventilation Is More Advantageous in the Follow-up of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease after Open Heart Surgery
Authors: Ugurlucan Murat , Basaran Murat , Erdim Filiz , Selimoglu Ozer , Caglar Ilker Murat , Zencirci Ertugrul , Filizcan Ugur , Ogus Noyan Temucin , Yildiz Yahya , Tireli Emin , Isik Omer , Dayioglu Enver
Published: March 2014

Objective: Cardiopulmonary bypass deteriorates pulmonary functions to a certain extent. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with increased mortality and morbidity risks in the postoperative period of open-heart surgery. In this study we compared 2 different mechanical ventilation modes, pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) and volume-controlled ventilation (VCV), in this particular patient population.

Patients and Methods: Forty patients with severe COPD were assigned to 1 of 2 groups and enrolled to receive PCV or VCV in the postoperative period. Arterial blood gases, respiratory parameters, and intensive care unit and hospital stays were compared between the 2 groups.

Results: Maximum airway pressure was higher in the VCV group. Pulmonary compliance was lower in the VCV group and minute ventilation was significantly lower in the group ventilated with PCV mode. The respiratory index was increased in the PCV group compared with the VCV group and with preoperative findings. Duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter with PCV; however, intensive care unit and hospital stays did not differ.

Conclusion: There is not a single widely accepted and established mode of ventilation for patients with COPD undergoing open-heart surgery. Our modest experience indicated promising results with PCV mode; however, further studies are warranted.
Refractory Ascites as the Only Presenting Symptom of Chronic Calcified Constrictive Pericarditis: A Diagnostic Challenge
Authors: Yuan Shi-Min
Published: March 2014

Extracardiac manifestations of constrictive pericarditis, such as massive ascites and liver cirrhosis, often cover the true situation and lead to a delayed diagnosis. A young female patient was referred to this hospital due to a 4-year history of refractory ascites as the only presenting symptom. A diagnosis of chronic calcified constrictive pericarditis was eventually established based on echocardiography, ultrasonography, and computed tomography. Cardiac catheterization was not performed. Pericardiectomy led to relief of her ascites. Refractory ascites warrants thorough investigation for constrictive pericarditis.
Giant Vegetation in the Right Ventricle Caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Candida mycoderma
Authors: Ouyang Hui , Wu Xiaochen , Zhang Jinbao
Published: March 2014

Introduction: Infective endocarditis (IE) is considered a multifactorial disease. Providing an early diagnosis and invasive treatment together with effective antibiotic treatment remain critical tasks for the cardiologist and the surgeon. Right ventricular endocarditis is a rare type of endocarditis usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Candida mycoderma.

Case Presentation: We present a 25-year-old male patient who presented with persistent malaise, fever, cough, and anorexia after 55 days of antibiotic treatment. Lung computed tomographic scanning excluded severe lung infection. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a giant vegetation in the right ventricle. Blood culture was positive for S. aureus and C. mycoderma, and antibiotic therapy was immediately applied. Considering the large burden of infected tissue, an early surgical intervention was planned. The cultures of the vegetation specimen were negative. Intraoperative and histological findings confirmed the echocardiographic diagnosis of IE.

Conclusions: Giant vegetations in the right ventricle caused by S. aureus and C. mycoderma are rare. In addition to medical treatment, more attention should be paid to early surgical consultation.
Valve-Sparing Repair of Aortic Root Aneurysms: An Update on the Florida Sleeve
Authors: Hess Philip , Caranasos Thomas , Siegal Steve , Klodell Charles , Beaver Thomas , Martin Tomas
Published: March 2014

Aortic valve-sparing reimplantation remains an effective technique for repair of aortic root aneurysms. Studies indicate that the Florida Sleeve procedure is dimensionally stable and durable in the early postoperative period; however, our technique has evolved. We describe a 10-year institutional experience and the technical update of the Florida Sleeve repair for root aneurysms.
Evaluation of Systemic Inflammatory Response in Cardiovascular Surgery via Interleukin-6, Interleukin-8, and Neopterin
Authors: Uyar Ihsan Sami , Onal Suleyman , Uysal Ayhan , Ozdemir Ugur , Burma Oktay , Bulut Vedat
Published: March 2014

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and neopterin as a sign of systemic inflammatory response syndrome after open-heart surgery. In this study, we evaluated the influences on the levels of IL-6, IL-8, and neopterin of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve replacement surgeries with and without the use of extracorporeal circulation (ECC).

Materials and Methods: This prospective study was performed in 30 patients. In this study, we evaluated patients who underwent valve replacement surgery (group 1, n = 10), CABG with ECC (group 2, n = 10), or CABG using the beating-heart technique (group 3, n = 10). With the Human Investigation Ethics Committee consent, blood samples were obtained from the patients before the surgery (T0) and after 1 hour (T1), 4 hours (T2), 24 hours (T3), and 48 hours (T4) of protamine injection. IL-6, IL-8, and neopterin levels were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.

Results: The demographic data and preoperative and operative characteristics of the patients were similar. Neopterin IL-6 and IL-8 levels significantly increased first at the fourth hour after the surgery. When compared to the levels before the surgery, this increase was statistically significant. Unlike the other 2 groups of patients, those who experienced CABG with the beating-heart technique (group 3) had decreased neopterin levels at the first hour after the surgery, but this decrease was not statistically significant. Neopterin levels increased later in the OPCAB group, but these increased levels were not as high as the neopterin levels of groups 1 and 2. Neopterin reached maximum levels at the 24th hour and, unlike groups 1 and 2, in group started to decrease at the 48th.

Conclusions: Complement activation, cytokine production, and related cellular responses are important factors during open-heart surgery. It is certain that ECC activates the complement systems, and activated complement proteins cause the production of several cytokines. In our study, neopterin levels in patients who underwent beating-heart method surgery were lower than those in the other groups, and these levels started to decrease at the 48th hour. These data suggest that the systemic inflammatory response was less activated in that patient group. The beating-heart method might be an important alternative in CABG surgery to minimize the complications and mortality related to surgery.
Dual Protection Therapy with Staged Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Stenting in Patients with Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Long-Term Results from a Single Center
Authors: Hsieh I-Chang , Lin Pyng-Jing , Chang Shang-Hung , Hsieh Ming-Jer , Lin Fen-Chiung , Wu Delon , Chen Chun-Chi
Published: March 2014

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of dual protection therapy with staged coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and bare-metal stenting (BMS) in patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease.

Background: CABG is currently the preferred therapy for complex LMCA disease; however, the long-term patency rates of these grafts are unsatisfactory, and stenting alone for LMCA may be associated with the potentially fatal consequences of stent thrombosis or restenosis.

Methods: Between January 1997 and October 2005, 42 patients underwent staged bypass surgery and BMS, with the latter procedure performed 2 weeks after the initial CABG. Of these patients, 40 received left internal mammary artery (LIMA) grafts, 34 saphenous vein grafts, 6 radial artery grafts, and 3 right IMA (RIMA) grafts. Minimally invasive bypass surgery was performed in 10 patients.

Results: There were no operative complications. Forty-two stents were implanted in 42 lesions without complications. During the follow-up period of 135 � 55 months, 1 patient died of cancer, 2 of cardiac causes, and 5 patients (12%) experienced target lesion revascularization. The target vessel failure rate was 24%. Forty patients (95%) underwent a 6-month angiographic follow-up. Restenosis was noted in 7 patients (18%). Reocclusion was also noted in 5 LIMA grafts, 5 saphenous vein grafts, 1 radial artery graft, and 1 RIMA graft. Only 1 patient experienced both restenosis of LM stenting and total occlusion of the 2 bypass grafts.

Conclusions: Dual protection therapy with staged CABG and stenting is not an appropriate therapeutic strategy because of unacceptable graft patency rate. A higher occlusive rate of the bypass grafts may result from decreased blood flow because of competing blood flow between the bypass graft and the native coronary vessel.
Prophylactic Effects of Metoprolol on the Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation after Cardiac Surgery Are Dose Dependent
Authors: Cheng Nan , Gao Changqing
Published: March 2014

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common complications after cardiac surgery. Many studies have reported an incidence of 20%-40% in patients undergoing open heart surgery, and the peak incidence usually occurs between the postoperative days [Fuller 1989; Aranki 1996; Svedjeholm 2000; Maisel 2001]. AF is commonly self-limited and rarely results in postoperative death. However, postoperative AF (POAF) is often associated with complications, including stroke, heart failure, prolonged hospital stay, and increased costs [Maisel 2001; Bramer 2010]. Many pharmacological methods have been used to prevent this complication, and beta-blockers, which have been investigated in several studies, have demonstrated effectiveness [Ali 1997; Connolly 2003; Crystal 2004; Halonen 2006; Imren 2007]. There is currently a consensus in the use of beta-blockers for the prevention of POAF. However, whether the effect of beta-blockers on POAF is dose dependent has not been widely studied [Coleman 2004; Lucio 2004]. In addition, patients with different racial backgrounds have a different response to metoprolol based on body shape. In addition, the CYP2D6 genotypes are different among white and Asian patients. In this study dose-dependent prophylactic effects of beta-blockers, which were obtained in a single center.
Study of carD gene sequence in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Sarmadian Hossein , Nazari Razieh , Zolfaghari Mohammad , Pirayandeh Mina , Sadrnia Maryam , Arjomandzadegan Mohammad , Titov Leonid , Rajabi Fariba , Ahmadi Azam , Shojapoor Mana
Published: March 2014

Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth rate is closely coupled to rRNA transcription which is regulated through carD gene. The aim of this study was to determine the sequence of carD gene in drug susceptible and resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis and designing of a PCR assay based on carD sequence for rapid detection of this bacterium.Specific primers for amplification of carD gene were carefully designed, so that whole sequence of gene could be amplified; therefore primers were positioned at the upstream (promoter of this gene and ispD gene) and downstream (in ispD gene). DNA from 41 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis with different pattern of drug resistance was used in the study. PCR conditions and annealing temperature were designed by means of online programs. PCR products were sequenced by ABI system.PCR product of carD gene was a 524 bp fragment. This method could detect all resistant and susceptible strains of M. tuberculosis. The size of amplified fragment was similar in all investigated samples. Sequence analysis showed that there was similar sequence in all of our isolates therefore probably this gene is considered to be conservative. Translation of nucleotide mode to amino acids was showed that TRCF domain in N-terminal of protein CarD was found to be fully conservative.This is the first study on the sequence of carD gene in clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis. This conservative gene is recommended for use as a target for designing of suitable inhibitors as anti-tuberculosis drug because its importance for life of MTB. In the other hand, a PCR detection method based on detection of carD gene was recommended for rapid detection in routine test.
Detection and genotype analysis of Giardia duodenalis from asymptomatic Hungarian inhabitants and comparative findings in three distinct locations
Authors: Plutzer Judit , Törökné Andrea , Szénási Zsuzsanna , Kucsera István , Farkas Kata , Karanis Panagiotis
Published: March 2014

The transmission route of giardiasis not yet understood and why some infected individuals remain asymptomatic while others become quite ill. The drinking water quality is supposedly responsible for the prevalence of asymptomatic Giardia duodenalis infections in different areas, therefore asymptomatic giardiasis has been investigated in three water supply areas of Hungary: three hundred stool samples from inhabitants of Budapest, Füzér and Mátrafüred were examined by immunological and molecular methods for the presence of G. duodenalis infections. Individuals were asked to fill out a validated questionnaire at the time of stool collection and the interview covered demographic data, family life, education and travel history.In Budapest and in Mátrafüred in one stool sample G. duodenalis Assemblage A, whereas in Füzér once G. duodenalis Assemblage A, once Assemblage B and twice mixed infection were detected. We found higher prevalence rate of 4% of G. duodenalis infections of asymptomatic people in the village Füzér, where the removal of the Giardia cysts of the drinking water treatment plant was not effective. This study throws a light the need to look into the possibility of other risks of Giardia infections such as water transmission routes. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the prevalence of G. duodenalis infections in asymptomatic persons in Hungary.
Molecular identification key of the family Streptococcaceae
Authors: Kanyó István , Nagy Dénes
Published: March 2014

The gene order conservation (GOC) between the species of family Streptococcaceae was analysed. The rate of GOC in the strains belonging to the same species is 70% or more. When we compared different species belonging to the same genus, the rate of GOC was 30–47% while it was below 20% when the species were from different genera. A molecular identification key was established for identifying those genera and species within the family Streptococcaceae which have an already known full genome sequence (24 Streptococcus and 2 Lactococcus species). Identical genome parts of the species belonging to the same genus were used for determination of genera. These are the sections surrounding the replication origin dnaA, the sequence from gene phaB to the gene accA, and the sequence of alr acpS secA. Sections around the genes pepX, leuS and rplM were used for identifying the species. The gene order analysis and data in molecular identification key showed that S. uberis and S. parauberis also belong to the same species, and our suggestion for their new names is S. uberis subsp. uberis and S uberis subsp. parauberis. Based on this data, a new definition of bacterial species is proposed: two isolates belong to the same species if the order of the genes in their genomes is almost identical.
Serum interleukin-6 levels in murine models of Candida albicans infection
Authors: Kovács Renátó , Czudar Anita , Horváth László , Szakács Levente , Majoros László , Kónya József
Published: March 2014

Two Balb/C mouse models of Candida infection were used to detect serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) responses. The first model used systemic infection by Candida albicans ATCC 10231 strain infected through the lateral tail vein of mice without any specific pretreatment. The median Candida burdens of the kidneys were 1.5 × 106 CFU/ml 24 h postinoculation (p.i.) and 1.2 × 107 CFU/ml 72 h p.i., while median serum IL-6 levels were 479.3 pg/ml and 934.5 pg/ml, respectively. The Candida burden showed significant correlation with serum IL-6 24 h p.i. (R2 = 0.6358; P = 0.0082) but not 72 h p.i.The second model was a mouse vaginitis model applying intravaginal inoculation of mice pretreated with subcutaneous estradiol-valerate (10 mg/ml) 3 days before infection. Candida cell count in vaginal lavage fluid was 2.8 × 106 CFU/ml 24 h p.i. and 1.4 × 108 CFU/ml 72 h p.i. Serum IL-6 response was detected in 4 of 15 mice 24 h p.i. and 9 of 15 mice 72 h p.i. Even the responders had low IL-6 serum levels (mean values 29.9 pg/ml and 60.1 pg/ml, respectively) not correlating with Candida cell count in vaginal lavage fluid.In conclusion, serum IL-6 had strong relationship with systemic C. albicans infection while the local C. albicans infection of the vagina led to partial, prolonged and limited serum IL-6 response.
Isolation of Kurthia gibsonii from non-gonorrheal urethritis: Implications for the pathomechanism upon surveying the literature
Authors: Ongrádi Joseph , Stercz Balázs , Kövesdi Valéria , Nagy Károly , Chatlynne Louise
Published: March 2014

The incidence and number of species involved in the spectrum of sexually transmitted infections continue to increase. Laboratories have to be prepared for identification of unusual microbes. In our practice, a male patient had recurring urethritis and balanitis after having repeated unprotected insertive sexual intercourse with female piglets. He also had allergy to scents and some metals, otherwise he showed no general symptoms. Specimens were swabbed from the urethra, inflamed glans, rectum, mouth onto several culture media, subsequently isolates were tested for their morphology, biochemical activity. Kurthia gibsonii was isolated from urethra and glans. No concomitant infection with other microbes was detected, haemoculture was negative. Relying upon antibiotic sensitivity test, he was cured with 2 × 500 mg oral cefuroxime for 15 days, and topical gentamycin cream for 2 months. This is the first reported sexually transmitted, zoonotic infection without generalization by Kurthia spp. We report first the antibiogram of K. gibsonii. Slight differences in the antibiotic sensitivity suggest independent infection and sensitivity of urethral and mucous membrane tissues to distinct K. gibsonii strains. Allergy of the patient might predispose to opportunistic infection. Such aspects ought to be tested in details in further cases.
Comparative cath-lab assessment of coronary stenosis by radiology technician, junior and senior interventional cardiologist in patients treated with coronary angioplasty
Authors: Brunetti Natale Daniele , Carri Felice Delli , Ruggiero Maria Assunta , Cuculo Andrea , Ruggiero Antonio , Ziccardi Luigi , De Gennaro Luisa , Di Biase Matteo
Published: March 2014

Background

Exact quantification of plaque extension during coronary angioplasty (PCI) usually falls on interventional cardiologist (IC). Quantitative coronary stenosis assessment (QCA) may be possibly committed to the radiology technician (RT), who usually supports cath-lab nurse and IC during PCI. We therefore sought to investigate the reliability of QCA performed by RT in comparison with IC.

Methods

Forty-four consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome underwent PCI; target coronary vessel size beneath target coronary lesion (S) and target coronary lesion length (L) were assessed by the RT, junior IC (JIC), and senior IC (SIC) and then compared. SIC evaluation, which determined the final stent selection for coronary stenting, was considered as a reference benchmark.

Results

RT performance with QCA support in assessing target vessel size and target lesion length was not significantly different from SIC (r = 0.46, p < 0.01; r = 0.64, p < 0.001, respectively) as well as JIC (r = 0.79, r = 0.75, p < 0.001, respectively). JIC performance was significantly better than RT in assessing target vessel size (p < 0.05), while not significant when assessing target lesion length.

Conclusions

RT may reliably assess target lesion by using adequate QCA software in the cath-lab in case of PCI; RT performance does not differ from SIC.
‘Electrical exclusion’ of a critical myocardial mass by extended pulmonary vein antrum isolation for persistent atrial fibrillation treatment
Authors: Mamchur Sergey E. , Mamchur Irina N. , Khomenko Egor A. , Bokhan Nikita S. , Scherbinina Diana A.
Published: March 2014

The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of pulmonary vein antrum isolation (PVAI), extended PVAI and ganglionic plexi (GP) ablation in persistent AF.

Methods

One hundred and twenty patients 56.2 ± 8.8 years old were randomized into three groups: GP ablation (n = 37), PVAI (n = 42), and extended PVAI (n = 41). The following parameters were studied: sinus rhythm restoration, vagal reactions, fluoroscopy time, procedure duration, lesion surface area. In 16 months after the procedure, echocardiography and Holter monitoring were performed.

Results

Significant differences were found in the amount of X-ray exposure, procedure duration, lesion surface area and vagal reactions. In all the cases, atrial mechanical function worsened after the procedure. However, there were no significant differences between the groups. Sixteen months after the procedure, sinus rhythm without antiarrhythmic therapy was maintained in 38% of patients in GP group, in 56% of patients in PVAI group and in 69% of patients in extended PVAI group.

Conclusions

In persistent AF, the extended PVAI is more effective than PVAI and GP ablation. After the PVAI or extended PVAI, abnormalities of the left atrial mechanical function occurred if the lesion area exceeded 25% of the total LA surface area.
A dynamic sign of alveolar consolidation in bedside ultrasonography: Air bronchogram
Authors: Ünlüer Erden Erol , Karagöz Arif
Published: March 2014

Acute dyspnoea is one of the most common reasons patients present to the emergency department (ED). In most cases, the physical examination and bedside radiographs are inconclusive, resulting in the need for more sophisticated diagnostics. These diagnostics may delay treatment or expose the patient to unnecessary radiation. Here, we present the case of a dyspnoeic patient. The patient was diagnosed with pneumonia by bedside thoracic ultrasonography (TUS). TUS was performed by the emergency physician and revealed bilateral pleural effusion, which was more significant on the right side of the thorax. The right lower lung lobe was consolidated, and dynamic air bronchograms were present on TUS. Computerised tomography of the chest was ordered. Bilateral multilobar consolidations were clearly appreciated with bilateral pleural effusion. Because of the dynamic nature of the disease process, we were able to diagnose pathological changes in the lung. In conclusion, TUS may be used for diagnosing pneumonia in the ED because it has high accuracy, low cost and no radiation exposure. Furthermore, it can be used bedside, and there is no need to transport an emergent patient to the radiology unit.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy induced by the use of diet pills and unbalanced diet
Authors: Tóth Adrián , Aradi Gabriella , Várallyay György , Arányi Zsuzsanna , Bereczki Dániel , Vastagh Ildikó
Published: March 2014

Wernicke’s encephalopathy is an acute, potentially life-threatening, neurological syndrome resulting from thiamine deficiency. The disorder is still greatly underdiagnosed and, without prompt treatment, the condition can lead to the chronic form of the disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome or even death. In developed countries Wernicke’s encephalopathy has been associated with alcoholism, but in recent years there has been an increasing number of non-alcoholic cases. Authors report the case of a 23-year-old woman who developed oculomotor dysfunction, encephalopathy and ataxia as a result of an extreme diet and use of diet pills. The diagnosis of Wernicke’s encephalopathy was supported by the resolution of neurological signs after parenteral thiamine replacement. This case is presented because of the rare etiology and diagnostic difficulty, and the latest diagnostic and therapic guidelines are also highlighted. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(12), 469–474.
Mitochondria, oxidative stress and aging
Authors: Szarka András , Bánhegyi Gábor , Sümegi Balázs
Published: March 2014

The free radical theory of aging was defined in the 1950s. On the base of this theory, the reactive oxygen species formed in the metabolic pathways can play pivotal role in ageing. The theory was modified by defining the mitochondrial respiration as the major cellular source of reactive oxygen species and got the new name mitochondrial theory of aging. Later on the existence of a “vicious cycle” was proposed, in which the reactive oxygen species formed in the mitochondrial respiration impair the mitochondrial DNA and its functions. The formation of reactive oxygen species are elevated due to mitochondrial dysfunction. The formation of mitochondrial DNA mutations can be accelerated by this “vicious cycle”, which can lead to accelerated aging. The exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase γ, the polymerase responsible for the replication of mitochondrial DNA was impaired in mtDNA mutator mouse recently. The rate of somatic mutations in mitochondrial DNA was elevated and an aging phenotype could have been observed in these mice. Surprisingly, no oxidative impairment neither elevated reactive oxygen species formation could have been observed in the mtDNA mutator mice, which may question the existence of the “vicious cycle”. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(12), 447–452.
The multiple meanings of ‘disability’ in interviews with amputees
Authors: Heavey Emily
Published: March 2014

The link between having a lower-limb amputation and being disabled might seem self-evident. Indeed, the medical model of disability would suggest that lower-limb amputation causes disability, and that all lower-limb amputees are disabled people. Conversely, social models of disability would argue that limb loss does not determine disability, but that disabilities are rather caused by social structures and prejudices, while the interactional model suggests that there are both individual and social causes of disability. This paper draws on interviews with nine lower-limb amputees to address amputees’ own accounts of disability, in order to determine how (if at all) they make links between being an amputee and being disabled. The analysis shows that participants draw on various models of disability, as well as their own lived experiences, to construct subjective and diverse definitions of disability. Three interlinking definitions of disability recurred across the data: disability as a measure of personal (in)abilities; disability as a stigmatizing mask; and disability as an official status. Overall, disability was constructed as a complex, context-dependent label, which could not be reduced to any singular concept.