bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of caloric restriction on myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury and new therapeutic options to mimic its effects
Authors: Rohrbach Susanne , Aslam Muhammad , Niemann Bernd , Schulz Rainer
Published: February 2014

Caloric restriction (CR) is the most reliable intervention to extend lifespan and prevent age‐related disorders in various species from yeast to rodents. Short‐ and long‐termCRconfers cardio protection against ischaemia/reperfusion injury in young and even in aged rodents. A few human trials suggest thatCRhas the potential to mediate improvement of cardiac or vascular function and induce retardation of cardiac senescence also in humans. The underlying mechanisms are diverse and have not yet been clearly defined. Among the known mediators for the benefits ofCRareNO, theAMP‐activatedPK, sirtuins and adiponectin. Mitochondria, which play a central role in such complex processes within the cell as apoptosis,ATP‐production or oxidative stress, are centrally involved in many aspects ofCR‐induced protection against ischaemic injury. Here, we discuss the relevant literature regarding the protection against myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury conferred byCR. Furthermore, we will discuss drug targets to mimicCRand the possible role of calorie restriction in preserving cardiovascular function in humans.
Discovery of Novel Secretory Phospholipase A2 Inhibitors Using Virtual Screen
Authors: Qiu Shunchen , Chen Fangjin , Liu Ying , Lai Luhua
Published: February 2014

Human non‐pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 was reported to be associated with inflammatory diseases and considered as a potential drug target for inflammation and other related disease treatment. Although many human non‐pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 inhibitors were reported, few entered into the drug development stage due to various problems. In this study, we discovered seven novel human non‐pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 inhibitors using virtual screen. Of the 99 compounds tested by continuous fluorescence assay, seven are potent human non‐pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 inhibitors with micromolar IC50 values. Typical molecules include 9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl protected α‐phenylalanine derivatives and azo compounds, which may serve as novel scaffold for developing potent human non‐pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 inhibitors. These compounds bind to human non‐pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 by interacting with the catalytic calcium ion and the hydrophobic regions in the substrate‐binding pocket.
Airway epithelial barrier function regulates the pathogenesis of allergic asthma
Authors: Heijink I. H. , Nawijn M. C. , Hackett T.‐L.
Published: February 2014

The integrity of the airway epithelium in patients with asthma is often disrupted, with loss of epithelial cell–cell contacts. Airway epithelial barrier dysfunction may have important implications for asthma, because structural epithelial barrier function is tightly interwoven with the ability of the epithelium to regulate the immune system. We propose that changes at the airway epithelial barrier play a central role in the sensitisation to allergens and pathogenesis of allergic asthma. Many of the recently identified susceptibility genes for asthma are expressed in airway epithelium. However, the exact mechanisms by which the expression of epithelial susceptibility genes translates into a functionally altered response to aeroallergens in asthma are still unknown. In this review, we will focus on the role of airway epithelial barrier function in the susceptibility to develop allergic asthma and discuss therapeutic strategies aimed at the epithelial barrier.
Polyclonal B cell activation for accurate analysis of pre-existing antigen-specific memory B cells
Authors: Karahan G E , Eikmans M , Anholts J D H , Claas F H J , Heidt S
Published: February 2014

The enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay is a widely used tool for enumeration of antigen-specific memory B cells in several disciplines, such as vaccination, cancer immunotherapy and transplantation. For the accurate estimation of antigen-specific memory B cell frequencies, a well-defined B cell activation protocol is pivotal. In this study, we aimed to characterize a polyclonal B cell activation protocol to facilitate optimal monitoring of antigen-specific memory B cell frequencies. Total, naive and memory B cells were activated polyclonally with an α-CD40 monoclonal antibody, cytosine–phosphate–guanine (CPG) oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) 2006, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-10 and IL-21. Polyclonal activation of B cells resulted in equal cell death ratios in naive and memory B cells. When tested in an antigen-specific system, immunoglobulin (Ig)G spots were detected only in the memory fraction. There was no change in B cell polyclonality due to in-vitro activation. Our data show that the current polyclonal activation protocol may be used reliably to estimate the frequency of memory B cells in ELISPOT assays.
Suppression of allo-human leucocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies secreted by B memory cellsin vitro: intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) versusa monoclonal anti-HLA-E IgG that mimics HLA-I reactivities of IVIg
Authors: Zhu D , Ravindranath M H , Terasaki P I , Miyazaki T , Pham T , Jucaud V
Published: February 2014

B memory cells remain in circulation and secrete alloantibodies without antigen exposure > 20 years after alloimmunization postpartum or by transplantation. These long-lived B cells are resistant to cytostatic drugs. Therapeutically, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is administered to reduce allo-human leucocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies pre- and post-transplantation, but the mechanism of reduction remains unclear. Recently, we reported that IVIg reacts with several HLA-I alleles and the HLA reactivity of IVIg is lost after its HLA-E reactivity is adsorbed out. Therefore, we have generated an anti-HLA-E monoclonal antibody that mimics the HLA-reactivity of IVIg to investigate whether this antibody suppresses IgG secretion, as does IVIg. B cells were purified from the blood of a woman in whose blood the B memory cells remained without antigen exposure > 20 years after postpartum alloimmunization. The B cells were stimulated with cytokines using a well-defined culture system. The anti-HLA-E monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly suppressed the allo-HLA class-II IgG produced by the B cells, and that this suppression was far superior to that by IVIg. These findings were confirmed with HLA-I antibody secreted by the immortalized B cell line, developed from the blood of another alloimmunized woman. The binding affinity of the anti-HLA-E mAb for peptide sequences shared (i.e. shared epitopes) between HLA-E and other β2-microglobulin-free HLA heavy chains (open conformers) on the cell surface of B cells may act as a ligand and signal suppression of IgG production of activated B memory cells. We propose that anti-HLA-E monoclonal antibody may also be useful to suppress allo-HLA IgG production in vivo.
Dimensions of the healthy gingiva and peri‐implant mucosa
Authors: Parpaiola Andrea , Cecchinato Denis , Toia Marco , Bressan Eriberto , Speroni Stefano , Lindhe Jan
Published: February 2014

Objective

To determine the dimensions of the soft tissue cuff present at various aspects of teeth and to compare these dimensions to those of the mucosa surrounding single implants.

Material and methods

Fifty volunteers were recruited that were ≥25 years of age and exhibited no signs of (i) untreated caries; (ii) loss of periodontal tissue support in the incisor, canine, and premolar regions; (iii) systemic or local disease. Furthermore, among the 50 patients recruited (iV), 27 had one single implant in the maxilla with teeth present mesial and/or distal to the implant. Probing pocket depth (PPD) and transmucosal sounding depth (TS) were assessed by five experienced, carefully calibrated examiners and with the use of a periodontal probe at the proximal (mesial, distal) and flat (facial, buccal and palatal/lingual) surfaces of all teeth/implants. The width of the keratinized mucosa (KM) was also determined.

Results

It was demonstrated that (i) PPD and TS were greater at proximal than at flat surfaces at both tooth and implant sites. In addition, both PPD and TS were deeper at implant than at tooth sites. The TS values documented that the cuff of healthy soft tissue that surrounded a tooth varied between 2 mm at flat surfaces and 4 mm at proximal surfaces, while at implant sites, the mucosa at proximal as well as flat surfaces was 1–1.5 mm greater.

Conclusion

The probing pocket depth (PPD) and the transmucosal sounding depth (TS) values were greater at proximal than at flat, that is, facial/palatal (lingual) surfaces at tooth sites and frequently also at implant sites. Furthermore, the PPD and the TS dimensions were greater at implant than at adjacent tooth sites.
Investigational new insulin glargine 300 U/ml has the same metabolism as insulin glargine 100 U/ml
Authors: Steinstraesser A. , Schmidt R. , Bergmann K. , Dahmen R. , Becker R. H. A.
Published: February 2014

Insulin glargine is processed in vivo into soluble 21A‐Gly‐human insulin (M1), the principal moiety responsible for metabolic effects, and subsequently into M2. This sub‐study compared metabolism and metabolite pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of investigational new insulin glargine U300 (Gla‐300) with insulin glargine 100 U/ml (Gla‐100, Lantus®, Sanofi‐Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany) in people with type 1 diabetes. Participants received 0.4 (n = 18) or 0.6 U/kg Gla‐300 (n = 12), and 0.4 U/kg Gla‐100 (n = 30) once daily in randomized order for 8 days prior to a 36‐h euglycaemic clamp. Metabolites were quantified using immunoaffinity enrichment and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Glargine metabolism was the same regardless of Gla‐100 or Gla‐300 administration; M1 was confirmed as the principal active moiety circulating in blood. Steady state concentrations of M1 were achieved after 2 days for Gla‐100, and 4 days for Gla‐300. Steady state M1 values defined prolonged and even flatter PK profiles after Gla‐300 administration compared with M1 profiles after Gla‐100.
Glucagon dynamics during hypoglycaemia and food‐re‐challenge following treatment with vildagliptin in insulin‐treated patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Farngren J. , Persson M. , Schweizer A. , Foley J. E. , Ahrén B.
Published: February 2014

Aims

To determine the effects of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibition on glucagon dynamics in patients with insulin‐treated type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods

The study was a single‐centre, double‐blind, randomized, placebo controlled crossover study in patients with T2D, mean age 59 ± 6 (s.d.) years and mean haemoglobin A1c 7.7 ± 0.8%, treated with exogenous insulin with or without oral antihyperglycaemic agents. Patients received vildagliptin (50 mg BID) or placebo as add‐on to insulin for 4 weeks in random order with a 4‐week washout in‐between. On day 28 of the respective treatment, patients were served a standard meal (500 kcal) followed by a hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemic clamp (target 2.5 mmol/l) and a subsequent food re‐challenge (700 kcal). The completers population (n = 29) was analysed.

Results

Glucose levels were lower with vildagliptin than with placebo during the meal [areas under the curve (AUC) 1.23 ± 0.07 vs. 1.46 ± 0.05 mol/l min, P < 0.001] and similar between the groups during the clamp. During the meal, glucagon levels were lower with vildagliptin (AUC 1.98 ± 0.15 vs. 2.15 ± 0.17 nmol/l min, P = 0.016). In contrast, the glucagon counter‐regulation to the insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia was sustained by vildagliptin (6.05 ± 1.20 pmol/l during vildagliptin vs.6.94 ± 1.09 pmol/l during placebo, NS). During the food re‐challenge after hypoglycaemia, glucagon levels were, again, significantly lower after vildagliptin (AUC 1.30 ± 0.11 vs. 1.52 ± 0.12 nmol/l min, P < 0.039). Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) levels were significantly elevated by vildagliptin compared to placebo during meal, hypoglycaemia and food re‐challenge.

Conclusions

Vildagliptin action to block GLP‐1 and GIP inactivation by DPP‐4 improves glucagon dynamics during hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia and food re‐challenge.
Are different facets of plant diversity well protected against climate and land cover changes? A test study in the French Alps
Authors: Thuiller Wilfried , Guéguen Maya , Georges Damien , Bonet Richard , Chalmandrier Loïc , Garraud Luc , Renaud Julien , Roquet Cristina , Van Es Jérémie , Zimmermann Niklaus E. , Lavergne Sébastien
Published: February 2014

Climate and land cover changes are important drivers of the plant species distributions and diversity patterns in mountainous regions. Although the need for a multifaceted view of diversity based on taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic dimensions is now commonly recognized, there are no complete risk assessments concerning their expected changes. In this paper, we used a range of species distribution models in an ensemble‐forecasting framework together with regional climate and land cover projections by 2080 to analyze the potential threat for more than 2500 plant species at high resolution (2.5 × 2.5 km) in the French Alps. We also decomposed taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity facets into α and β components and analyzed their expected changes by 2080. Overall, plant species threats from climate and land cover changes in the French Alps were expected to vary depending on the species' preferred altitudinal vegetation zone, rarity, and conservation status. Indeed, rare species and species of conservation concern were the ones projected to experience less severe change, and also the ones being the most efficiently preserved by the current network of protected areas. Conversely, the three facets of plant diversity were also projected to experience drastic spatial re‐shuffling by 2080. In general, the mean α‐diversity of the three facets was projected to increase to the detriment of regional β‐diversity, although the latter was projected to remain high at the montane‐alpine transition zones. Our results show that, due to a high‐altitude distribution, the current protection network is efficient for rare species, and species predicted to migrate upward. Although our modeling framework may not capture all possible mechanisms of species range shifts, our work illustrates that a comprehensive risk assessment on an entire floristic region combined with functional and phylogenetic information can help delimitate future scenarios of biodiversity and better design its protection.
The ‘filling in’ of community‐based planning in the devolved UK?
Authors: Pemberton Simon , Peel Deborah , Lloyd Greg
Published: February 2014

Political devolution in the UK has afforded opportunities for studying policy differences and similarities in relation to local‐level community‐based planning initiatives in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Organised around the concepts of ‘lesson‐drawing’ and the ‘filling in’ of local governance, this paper critically considers aspects of policy design and development associated with community‐based planning within and between the devolved UK polities. In practice, policy instruments vary with respect to their institutional, scalar and organisational rationalities. A policy mobility perspective may enable a relatively more critical understanding of how local governance arrangements are being externally and internally shaped in the respective devolved nation‐regions.
Age‐related changes of leptin and leptin receptor variants in healthy elderly and long‐lived adults
Authors: Roszkowska‐Gancarz Malgorzata , Jonas Marta , Owczarz Magdalena , Kurylowicz Alina , Polosak Jacek , Franek Edward , Slusarczyk Przemyslaw , Mossakowska Malgorzata , Puzianowska‐Kuznicka Monika
Published: February 2014

Aim

Aging is usually associated with hyperleptinemia and leptin resistance, both increasing the risk of age‐related diseases. It was relevant to establish if healthily aging, non‐obese individuals develop changes in leptin, the soluble leptin receptor (OB‐Re), free leptin index (FLI), in methylation of the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) promoter, and in the expression of long (OB‐Rb) and short (OB‐Ra) leptin receptor isoforms.

Methods

We analyzed these parameters in 38 young (aged 26.8 ± 3.6 years), 37 elderly (aged 64.7 ± 3.1 years) and 39 long‐lived (aged 94.2 ± 3.7 years) healthy, non‐obese Polish Caucasians.

Results

In elderly men, the median concentration of leptin and the median FLI were significantly higher than in young men (P = 0.009 and P = 0.007, respectively), which was probably partly due to a higher mean body mass index of the elderly study participants. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the expression of functionally active OB‐Rb did not depend on age or sex, whereas the expression of OB‐Ra was lower in the elderly and long‐lived groups than in the young group (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.002, respectively), mostly due to changes observed in women. Most likely, this age‐related decrease was not due to hypermethylation of the LEPR promoter, as methylation of the +20 to +281 fragment of the CpG island did not change with age.

Conclusions

In healthy, non‐obese individuals, only some elements of the leptin axis slightly change with age. On that basis, we suggest that proper function of this axis might be required for this particular phenotype of aging. The present results should, however, be replicated in prospective studies and in other ethnic groups. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 365–371.
Attitudes to weight and weight management in the early teenage years: a qualitative study of parental perceptions and views
Authors: Wills Wendy J. , Lawton Julia
Published: February 2014

Background

As most young teenagers grow up in families, parents might be well situated to facilitate and support their weight management and thereby prevent or manage obesity prior to adulthood.

Aim

This paper explores parents' perceptions of, and views about, their teenage children's weight and the factors that influence parents' weight management strategies.

Design, setting and participants

We conducted two qualitative studies in Scotland, UK, involving in‐depth interviews with the parents of overweight/obese and ‘normal’ weight 13–15 year olds (n = 69).

Findings

Parents' concerns about their own weight provided useful context for understanding their attitudes or actions with regards to their teenage child. Some parents described their teenager's weight as being of concern to them, although puberty often introduced confusion about a child's weight status. Genetic explanations were very often put forward as a way of making sense of teenage weight or body size. Frustration about advising teenagers about weight management was expressed, and some parents worried about giving their growing child a ‘problem’ if they directly raised concerns about weight with them.

Discussion

Parents' views about their own weight as well as social and moral norms about labelling a teenager as overweight or as needing help with their weight could usefully inform patient‐centred service development. Parent/teenage partnerships and supporting parents to create a healthy home in which teenagers can make healthier choices are suggestions for intervention development.

Conclusion

The study highlights the importance of taking parents' perceptions into account when developing family‐based interventions to address teenage overweight and obesity.
Physicochemical characterisation of the exopolysaccharides of Streptococcus thermophilus ST‐143
Authors: Mende Susann , Dong Tingting , Rathemacher Anne , Rohm Harald , Jaros Doris
Published: February 2014

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) excreted by lactic acid bacteria used in the dairy environment are either liberated into the medium (free EPS) or remain attached to the cells (capsular EPS). After batch fermentation of Streptococcus thermophilus ST‐143 at pH 6.0, three EPS fractions were isolated and purified: free EPS (EPSf), capsular‐derived EPS (EPScd) and the entire total EPS (EPStotal). EPSf and EPScd were uncharged, consisted of rhamnose, galactose, glucose and N‐glucosamine in different amounts and showed a molecular mass of 2.6 × 106 Da (EPSf) and, in case of EPScd, 7.4 × 103 Da and 1.4 × 105 Da in a ratio of 9: 1. Intrinsic viscosity of the polymers was 1.14 mL mg−1 (EPSf), 0.06 mL mg−1 (EPScd) but 1.23 mL mg−1 for EPStotal. The higher functionality of the entire EPS that was also observed in shear rheology measurements indicates that the presence of small capsular‐derived EPS facilitates the entanglement of the larger polymeric carbohydrates of the EPSf fraction.
Discussion
Authors: Hunter David R.
Published: February 2014

The paper by Lange, Chi and Zhou (hereafter ‘the authors’) serves not only as a useful reminder about the importance of optimization techniques in implementing modern statistical methods but also as a collection of various techniques along with citations for further study. The authors point out that it is useful to be able to ‘mix and match’ these techniques. My brief comments will focus on a few aspects of this mixing and matching.
Effects of a new nutraceutical substance on clinical and molecular parameters in patients with chronic venous ulceration
Authors: Serra Raffaele , Grande Raffaele , Butrico Lucia , Buffone Gianluca , Caliò Francesco G , Squillace Aida , Rizzo Barbara A , Massara Mafalda , Spinelli Francesco , Ferrarese Alessia G , de Caridi Giovanni , Gallelli Luca , de Franciscis Stefano
Published: February 2014

Pathophysiological events involved in the onset of chronic venous ulceration (CVU) are inflammation, activation of polymorphonucleates (PMNs) and secretion of proteases such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) that is a support for vascular and tissutal wall. MMPs, neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) and inflammatory cytokines are overexpressed in CVUs and they could play a central role in pathophysiological mechanisms of skin lesion and delayed wound healing. Bioflavonoids, such as diosmin and other compounds, appear to have several provessel function activities including anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant and phlebotonic effects and are widely used in the treatment of chronic venous disease (CVD)‐related problems.

In this article, we evaluated the effects of Axaven®, a new nutraceutical on both clinical and molecular parameters in patients with CVUs.

During the study period, 83 patients with CVUs of both sexes were enrolled and divided into two groups: group A (treated group): 25 females and 19 males (median age is 67·7 years) received standard treatment (compression therapy and surgical correction of superficial venous incompetence) + Axaven® once a day for 8 months as adjunctive treatment.

Group B (control group): 24 females and 15 males (median age is 65·2 years) were treated only with basic treatment according to their clinical conditions.

In our study, the administration of Axaven® in patients with CVUs was able to decrease inflammatory cytokines, MMPs and NGAL, inducing an improvement of both symptoms with an increase of the speed of wound healing.
Interactions of manufactured silver nanoparticles of different sizes with normal human dermal fibroblasts
Authors: Avalos Alicia , Haza Ana I , Mateo Diego , Morales Paloma
Published: February 2014

Silver compounds have been used for their medicinal properties for centuries. At present, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are reemerging as a viable topical treatment option for infections encountered in burns, open wounds and chronic ulcers. This study evaluated the in vitro mechanisms of two different sizes of AgNPs (4·7 and 42 nm) toxicity in normal human dermal fibroblasts. The toxicity was evaluated by observing cell viability and oxidative stress parameters. In all toxicity endpoints studied (MTT and lactate dehydrogenase assays), AgNPs of 4·7 nm were much more toxic than the large AgNPs (42 nm). The cytotoxicity of both AgNPs was greatly decreased by pre‐treatment with the antioxidant N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine. The oxidative stress parameters showed significant increase in reactive oxygen species levels, depletion of glutathione level and slight, but not statistically significant inactivation of superoxide dismutase, suggesting generation of oxidative stress. Thus, AgNPs should be used with caution for the topical treatment of burns and wounds, medical devices etc, because their toxicity depends on the size, the smaller NPs being much more cytotoxic than the large.
Challenges in efficacy research: the case of feeding alternatives in patients with dementia
Authors: Zapka Jane , Amella Elaine , Magwood Gayenell , Madisetti Mohan , Garrow Donald , Batchelor‐Aselage Melissa
Published: February 2014

Aims

To explore factors at the family caregiver and nursing home administrative levels that may affect participation in a clinical trial to determine the efficacy of hand feeding vs. percutaneous gastrostomy tube feeding in persons with late‐stage dementia.

Background

Decision‐making regarding use of tube feeding vs. hand feeding for persons with late‐stage dementia is fraught with practical, emotional and ethical issues and is not informed by high levels of evidence.

Design

Qualitative case study.

Methods

Transcripts of focus groups with family caregivers were reviewed for themes guided by behavioural theory. Analyses of notes from contacts with nursing home administrators and staff were reviewed for themes guided by an organizational readiness model. Data were collected between the years 2009–2012.

Results

Factors related to caregiver willingness to participate included understanding of the prognosis of dementia, perceptions of feeding needs and clarity about research protocols. Nursing home willingness to participate was influenced by corporate approval, concerns about legal and regulatory issues, and prior relationships with investigators.

Conclusion

Participation in rigorous trials requires lengthy navigation of complex corporate requirements and training competent study staff. Objective deliberation by caregivers will depend on appropriate recruitment timing, design of recruitment materials and understanding of study requirements. The clinical standards and policy environment and the secular trends there‐in have relevance to the responses of people at all levels.
The nursing role in the use of insulin coma therapy for schizophrenia in Britain, 1936–1965
Authors: Adams John
Published: February 2014

Aim

To explore the nursing role in the use of insulin coma therapy for schizophrenia in Britain, 1936–1965.

Background

The only history of mental health nursing in Britain published to date gives a minor role to insulin coma therapy and emphasizes nursing opposition to it.

Design

An historical study using documentary and oral history sources obtained in 2003–2008 and supplemented by material drawn from interviews in 2010.

Method

Historical method was used involving the collection and analysis of primary documentary and oral history material, together with relevant secondary sources.

Findings

A range of contemporary sources suggest that nurses in Britain were generally supportive of this treatment regime. The scope for using physical nursing skills was particularly attractive, while the emphasis on close interaction with patients also laid the foundation for later developments in social therapy. The debates surrounding its evidence base are also examined. Faced with a lack of rigorous research findings, clinicians preferred to rely on their clinical judgement. The issue of whether the treatment was abandoned as worthless or merely superseded by still more effective regimes is also explored.

Conclusion

A nuanced account of the rise and fall of insulin coma therapy provides a lens through which to examine the development of mental health nursing and a case study of the challenges involved in implementing care based on the best evidence.
Decreased serum CA19‐9 is associated with improvement of insulin resistance and metabolic control in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes after Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass
Authors: Tu Yinfang , Yu Haoyong , Zhang Pin , Di Jianzhong , Han Xiaodong , Wu Songhua , Bao Yuqian , Jia Weiping
Published: February 2014

Aims/Introduction

Patients with type 2 diabetes are known to show elevated serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 (CA19‐9). The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible relationships of CA19‐9 with metabolic control, insulin resistance (IR), and pancreatic β‐cell function in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes who underwent Roux‐En‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

Materials and Methods

The present study included 81 healthy volunteers, and 33 patients diagnosed with obesity and type 2 diabetes who underwent RYGB. Anthropometry, serum levels of CA19‐9, glucose and lipid metabolic profiles, and serum insulin levels were determined at baseline and at 12 weeks after RYGB.

Results

Changes in CA19‐9 were significantly and positively correlated with changes in fasting plasma glucose (r = 0.552, P = 0.001), 2‐h post‐challenge plasma glucose levels (r = 0.623, P = 0.000), glycated hemoglobin levels (r = 0.819, P = 0.000), glycated albumin levels (r = 0.711, P = 0.000), total cholesterol (r = 0.449, P = 0.009) and the Homeostasis Model of Assessment‐IR index (r = 0.407, P = 0.019). Furthermore, a multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the changes in serum levels of CA19‐9 were independently and significantly associated with changes in glycated hemoglobin (β = 0.598, P = 0.000), fasting plasma glucose (β = 0.309, P = 0.000) and Homeostasis Model of Assessment‐IR (β = 0.235, P = 0.010) after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusions

CA19‐9 could be an effective indicator of IR, and glycemic and lipid metabolism in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes after rapid metabolic control by RYGB. Additionally, CA19‐9 might be a marker with which to evaluate the short‐term effects of glycolipid toxicity on IR in these patients.
Development and Application of a Loop‐Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Method for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Enterococcus faecalis in Drinking Water
Authors: Xu Xiaoke , Zhang Shuhong , Wu Qingping , Zhang Jumei , Li Fei , Cheng Jianheng
Published: February 2014

The genus Enterococcus comprises opportunistic pathogens such as Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium, and is used to assess water quality. E. faecalis has become prominent in recent decades because of its ability to develop resistance to various antibiotics. A loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for rapid and sensitive detection of E. faecalis in drinking water samples was developed and applied in this study. Four primers were specifically designed by targeting the mtlf gene. The mtlf‐based LAMP assay was able to specifically detect all of 54 E. faecalis isolates without amplification of 36 nontarget bacterial strains. The detection limit was 74 cfu/mL in pure culture, which was as high as 100‐fold more sensitive than that of the groES‐polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. When applied to artificially contaminated water, the LAMP assay was able to detect E. faecalis with low concentration (3.2 cfu/250 mL), after 10 h enrichment culture. In the case of drinking water samples, 7.14% (7/98) of the samples were found to be positive by LAMP, which was in accordance with the results from the GB/T 8538‐2008 method. The LAMP assay established in this study may provide a candidate method for rapid and sensitive detection of E. faecalis in drinking water samples.

Practical Applications

E. faecalis contamination in drinking water source and drinking water has been reported. In developing countries, such as China, the LAMP assay may prove as a useful tool for rapid assessment of water quality as it is more cost‐effective, simple and sensitive than PCR.
miR‐494 acts as an anti‐oncogene in gastric carcinoma by targeting c‐myc
Authors: He Weiling , Li Yuhuang , Chen Xinlin , Lu Liya , Tang Bin , Wang Zhixiong , Pan Yunbao , Cai Shirong , He Yulong , Ke Zunfu
Published: February 2014

Background

We recently showed that miR‐494 was downregulated in gastric carcinoma (GC). The objectives of this study were to determine the role of miR‐494 in GC malignancy and to identify its target genes.

Methods

Real‐time polymerase chain reaction was employed to quantify the expression level of miR‐494 and c‐myc in gastric cancer tissues. Bioinformatics was used to predict the downstream target genes of miR‐494, which were confirmed by luciferase and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Cell functional analyses and a xenograft mouse model were used to evaluate the role of miR‐494 in malignancy.

Results

miR‐494 was downregulated in human GC tissues and in GC cells and was negatively correlated with c‐myc expression. High level of c‐myc or low level of miR‐494 correlated with poor prognosis. The miR‐494‐binding site in the c‐myc 3′ untranslated region was predicted using TargetScan and was confirmed by the luciferase assay. Additionally, c‐myc and miR‐494 were enriched in coimmunoprecipitates with tagged Argonaute2 proteins in cells overexpressing miR‐494. Furthermore, a miR‐494 mimic significantly downregulated endogenous c‐myc expression, which may contribute to the delayed G1/S transition, decreased synthesis phase bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, and impaired cell growth and colony formation; on the other hand, treatment with a miR‐494 inhibitor displayed the opposite effects. Reduced tumor burden and decreased cell proliferation were observed following the delivery of miR‐494 into xenograft mice.

Conclusion

miR‐494 is downregulated in human GC and acts as an anti‐oncogene by targeting c‐myc. miR‐494 plays a role in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer in a recessive fashion.
Prospects for discriminating Zingiberaceae species in India using DNA barcodes
Authors: Vinitha Meenakshi Ramaswamy , Kumar Unnikrishnan Suresh , Aishwarya Kizhakkethil , Sabu Mamiyil , Thomas George
Published: February 2014

We evaluated nine plastid (matK,rbcL,rpoC1,rpoB,rpl36‐rps8,ndhJ,trnL‐F,trnH‐psbA,accD) and two nuclear (ITS and ITS2) barcode loci in family Zingiberaceae by analyzing 60 accessions of 20 species belonging to seven genera from India. Bidirectional sequences were recovered for every plastid locus by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons in all the accessions tested. However, only 35 (58%) and 40 accessions (66%) yielded ITS and ITS2 sequences, respectively, by direct sequencing. In different bioinformatics analyses,matKandrbcLconsistently resolved 15 species (75%) into monophyletic groups and five species into two paraphyletic groups. The 173 ITS sequences, including 138 cloned sequences from 23 accessions, discriminated only 12 species (60%), and the remaining species were entered into three paraphyletic groups. Phylogenetic and genealogic analyses of plastid and ITS sequences imply the possible occurrence of natural hybridizations in the evolutionary past in giving rise to species paraphyly and intragenomic ITS heterogeneity in the species tested. The results support usingmatKandrbcLloci for barcoding Zingiberaceae members and highlight the poor utility of ITS and the highly regarded ITS2 in barcoding this family, and also caution against proposing ITS loci for barcoding taxa based on limited sampling.
Intermediate granulite produced by transformation of eclogite at a felsic granulite contact, in Blanský les, Bohemian Massif
Authors: Štípská P. , Powell R. , Racek M. , Lexa O.
Published: February 2014

Layers or bodies of intermediate granulite on scales from a centimetre to a hundred metres occur commonly within the felsic granulite massifs of the Bohemian Massif. Their origin is enigmatic in that they commonly have complex microstructures that are difficult to interpret, and therefore even the sequence of crystallization of minerals is uncertain. At Kleť, in the Blanský les massif, there is a revealing outcrop in a low‐strain zone in which it is clear that intermediate granulite can form by the interaction of felsic granulite with eclogite. The eclogite, retains garnet from its eclogite heritage, the grains at least partially isolated from the matrix by a plagioclase corona. The original omphacite‐dominated matrix of the eclogite now consists of recrystallized diopsidic clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and plagioclase, with minor brown amphibole and quartz. The modification of the eclogite is dominated by the addition of just K2O and H2O, rather than all the elements that would be involved if the process was one of pervasive melt infiltrations. This suggests that the main process involved is diffusion, with the source being the felsic granulite, or local partial melt of the granulite. The diffusion occurred at ~950 °C and 12 kbar, with the main observed effects being (i) the un‐isolation and preferential destruction of the interior part of some of the garnet grains by large idiomorphic ternary feldspar; (ii) textural modification of the matrix primarily involving the recrystallization of clinopyroxene into large poikiloblasts containing inclusions of ternary plagioclase; and (iii) conversion of low‐K plagioclase in the matrix into ternary feldspar by incorporation of the diffused‐in K2O. The phase equilibria in the intermediate granulite are consistent with the chemical potential relationships that would be superimposed on the original eclogite by the felsic granulite at 950 °C and 12 kbar.
Oxytocinase in the Female Rat Hypothalamus: A Novel Mechanism Controlling Oxytocin Neurones During Lactation
Authors: Tobin V. A. , Arechaga G. , Brunton P. J. , Russell J. A. , Leng G. , Ludwig M. , Douglas A. J.
Published: February 2014

In addition to its peripheral actions, oxytocin released within the brain is important for birth and essential for milk ejection. The oxytocinase enzyme (placental leucine aminopeptidase; P‐LAP) is expressed both peripherally and centrally. P‐LAP controls oxytocin degradation in the uterus, placenta and plasma during pregnancy, although its role in the hypothalamus is unclear. We investigated P‐LAP expression and activity in the hypothalamus in virgin, pregnant and lactating rats, as well as its role in vivo during the milk‐ejection reflex. P‐LAP mRNA and protein were expressed in magnocellular neurones of the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei. Oxytocin neurones co‐expressed P‐LAP without strong subcellular co‐localisation of oxytocin and P‐LAP, indicating that they are packaged in separate vesicles. Examination of the intracellular distribution of oxytocin and P‐LAP showed a redistribution of P‐LAP to within 1 μm of the plasma membrane in the somata of oxytocin neurones during lactation. Both P‐LAP mRNA expression and hypothalamic leucyl/cystinyl aminopeptidase activity in the soluble fraction were higher during lactation than in late pregnant or virgin states. Inhibition of central enzyme activity by i.c.v. injection of amastatin in anaesthetised suckling mothers increased the frequency of reflex milk ejections. Because hypothalamic P‐LAP expression and activity increase in lactation, and the prevention of its action mimics central oxytocin administration, we conclude that P‐LAP regulates auto‐excitatory oxytocin actions during the suckling‐induced milk‐ejection reflex.
Cyp19a1 (Aromatase) Expression in the Xenopus Brain at Different Developmental Stages
Authors: Coumailleau P. , Kah O.
Published: February 2014

Cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom; aromatase) is a microsomal enzyme involved in the production of endogeneous sex steroids by converting testosterone into oestradiol. Aromatase is the product of the cyp19a1 gene and plays a crucial role in the sexual differentiation of the brain and in the regulation of reproductive functions. In the brain of mammals and birds, expression of cyp19a1 has been demonstrated in neuronal populations of the telencephalon and diencephalon. By contrast, a wealth of evidence established that, in teleost fishes, aromatase expression in the brain is restricted to radial glial cells. The present study investigated the precise neuroanatomical distribution of cyp19a1 mRNA during brain development in Xenopus laevis (late embryonic to juvenile stages). For this purpose, we used in situ hybridisation alone or combined with the detection of a proliferative (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), glial (brain lipid binding protein, Vimentin) or neuronal (acetylated tubulin; HuC/D; NeuroβTubulin) markers. We provide evidence that cyp19a1 expression in the brain is initiated from the very early larval stage and remains strongly detected until the juvenile and adult stages. At all stages analysed, we found the highest expression of cyp19a1 in the preoptic area and the hypothalamus compared to the rest of the brain. In these two brain regions, cyp19a1‐positive cells were never detected in the ventricular layers. Indeed, no co‐labelling could be observed with radial glial (brain lipid binding protein, Vimentin) or dividing progenitors (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) markers. By contrast, cyp19a1‐positive cells perfectly matched with the distribution of post‐mitotic neurones as shown by the use of specific markers (HuC/D, acetylated tubulin and NeuroβTubulin). These data suggest that, similar to that found in other tetrapods, aromatase in the brain of amphibians is found in post‐mitotic neurones and not in radial glia as reported in teleosts.
Partial HELLP syndrome: Maternal, perinatal, subsequent pregnancy and long‐term maternal outcomes
Authors: Aydin Serdar , Ersan Fırat , Ark Cemal , Arıoğlu Aydın Çağrı
Published: February 2014

Aims

Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome, in its complete form, is associated with increased risk of maternal mortality and increased rate of serious obstetric complications, such as acute renal failure, hepatic failure, abruptio placentae, pulmonary edema, sepsis, hemorrhage and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. To compare maternal and perinatal outcomes, we investigated the subsequent pregnancy outcomes and long‐term complications of women with partial HELLP (pHELLP) and complete HELLP (cHELLP) syndromes.

Material and Methods

In this retrospective study, patients complicated with HELLP between the years 2002 and 2007 were analyzed. cHELLP syndrome was defined by the presence of all of the three laboratory criteria according to the Tennessee Classification System. pHELLP syndrome was defined by the presence of one or two features of HELLP, but not the complete form.

Results

Sixty‐four patients had cHELLP syndrome and 67 had pHELLP syndrome. Maternal complications and neonatal outcomes of the indexed pregnancies were similar. The rate of blood product transfusion was significantly higher in the cHELLP group (P < 0.0001). Twenty‐eight patients within the cHELLP group and 26 within the pHELLP group had subsequent pregnancies with a mean interpregnancy interval of 2.9 ± 1.5 years and 2.4 ± 1.1 years, respectively. Elective termination of pregnancy (dilatation and curettage) was more frequent in the cHELLP group. Pre‐eclampsia recurrence was higher in the pHELLP group than in the cHELLP group (7.1% vs 34.6%).

Conclusions

Partial and complete HELLP syndrome are not distinct groups based on neonatal, long‐term and subsequent pregnancy outcomes. They probably represent a continuum in the natural evolution of the same disease.
Effectiveness of estrogen in the prevention of intrauterine adhesions after hysteroscopic septal resection: A prospective, randomized study
Authors: Roy Kallol Kumar , Negi Neha , Subbaiah Murali , Kumar Sunesh , Sharma Jai Bhagwan , Singh Neeta
Published: February 2014

Aim

The aim of this prospective randomized study was to evaluate the efficacy of estrogen in preventing intrauterine adhesions following hysteroscopic septal resection and to investigate its effect on reproductive outcome.

Materials and Methods

After hysteroscopic septal resection, 90 women received either estrogen or placebo (n = 45 per group) for 30 days. A second‐look hysteroscopy was performed after 2 months. All pregnancies occurring during the study period were recorded.

Results

Adhesions developed in three of 43 (6.9%) patients in the control group compared to none in the estrogen group. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.24). Regarding reproductive outcome, the differences between the two groups were also not significant.

Conclusion

Estrogen treatment was not found to prevent intrauterine adhesions or improve reproductive outcome after hysteroscopic septal resection.
Pseudo‐Meigs' syndrome associated with hydropic degenerating uterine leiomyoma: A case report
Authors: Oguma Tomoko , Yamasaki Noriyuki , Nakanishi Kentaro , Kinoshita Dan , Mitsuhashi Tamae , Nakagawa Shoko
Published: February 2014

Pseudo‐Meigs' syndrome secondary to uterine leiomyoma is a rare entity. A 50‐year‐old Japanese woman presented with a 3‐month history of shortness of breath. Chest X‐ray and magnetic resonance imaging revealed massive right pleural effusion, ascites and a large subserosal uterine myoma. She underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy. The pathology was consistent with a benign leiomyoma. The ascites and pleural effusion rapidly disappeared postoperatively. The serum interleukin‐6 level was 3.9 pg/mL before surgery and declined to 1.6 pg/mL postoperatively. Previous published work has demonstrated that vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin‐6 may play a role in the pathogenesis of Meigs' syndrome and that vascular endothelial growth factor may contribute to the development of pseudo‐Meigs' syndrome due to metastatic ovarian cancer. This is the first English‐language study showing the possibility that interleukin‐6 is relevant to the pathogenesis of pseudo‐Meigs' syndrome caused by degenerating uterine leiomyoma.
Renal failure due to renal vein thrombosis in a fetus with growth restriction and thrombophilia
Authors: Has Recep , Corbacioglu Esmer Aytul , Kalelioglu Ibrahim H. , Yumru Harika , Yüksel Atil , Ziylan Orhan
Published: February 2014

We report a case of renal vein thrombosis diagnosed at 27 weeks of gestation in a dichorionic twin pregnancy. The left kidney of one fetus was hyperechoic and enlarged with echoic streaks following the direction of interlobular veins and the loss of corticomedullary differentiation. In the following weeks, left kidney became smaller and echoic, and Doppler examination showed no flow in both artery and vein. The right kidney had totally normal appearance in the beginning, but it became enlarged and hyperechoic, and progressed into a small echoic kidney with no flow in artery and vein. In the postnatal ultrasound examination, both kidneys appeared hyperechoic with no vascularization in the hilum region. There was thrombosis in arteries and veins of both kidneys, as well as in the inferior vena cava. The investigation for thrombophilia resulted with the combined presence of heterozygote mutation in factor V Leiden and prothrombin 20210 genes.
Isolated hydatid cyst of uterine cervix: A case report
Authors: Küçük Zahide , Karcaaltincaba Deniz , Ergün Yusuf , Doğan Ayşe Çitil , Çaydere Muzaffer , Küçük Hamit
Published: February 2014

Hydatid disease is an endemic infection which can affect any organ, mainly the liver and lungs. Peritoneal echinococcosis is usually known to occur secondary to hepatic hydatid cyst rupture into the peritoneal cavity. An isolated cyst in the pelvic cavity is considered as primary only when there are no other hydatid cysts. Herein, we report an isolated pelvic‐cervical hydatid cyst which presented without any involvement of the other abdominal organs or lungs. Our patient, a 27‐year‐old woman with the primary complaints of dyspareunia and chronic pelvic pain, had thin‐walled large cystic mass originating from the cervix, diagnosed by ultrasonography. She underwent surgery with the most likely initial diagnosis of exophytic fibroid with cystic degeneration. Gynecologists should be aware of the possibility of isolated primary hydatid cyst of the pelvic cavity and should consider this condition in the differential diagnosis of cystic pelvic masses, especially in areas where the disease is endemic.