bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of rhizome and root trimming on the growth and survival of Phyllospadix iwatensis transplants: a case study in Shandong Peninsula, China
Authors: Hou Xin , Cheng Ran , Song Jia , Zhong Chongfeng , Zhang Pei-dong , Kang Bin , Li Wen-Tao 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Surfgrass Phyllospadix iwatensis has been declining in the past decades. Transplantation is considered to be the best option to restore the degraded surfgrass beds due to its low seed production. To develop a surfgrass transplanting strategy to increase transplant survival rate and also to minimize damage to donor beds when harvesting transplants, an experiment was conducted to assess the effects of rhizome and root trimming on transplant survival and growth. P. iwatensis shoots with different rhizome and root trimming treatments were planted in a subtidal area in Mashanli at the east end of Shandong Peninsula, China in September 2018, and after the transplantation, a bi-monthly sampling had been conducted for one year. The results showed that, at the early stage of transplantation, the transplant survival rates of all four treatment groups decreased to the lowest at four months after transplantation, and then gradually increased until reaching at least 103.2% in all the treatment groups at the end of the experiment, and the transplants with roots on both short and long rhizomes had a significantly higher survival rate than those without roots. The results also showed that, although the morphological measurements, as well as the above- and below-ground productivity varied greatly with time and among different treatments during the study period, most of them showed no significant differences between treatments at the end of the experiment. These results suggest that surfgrass shoots with roots and a short rhizome are the most strongly recommended transplant candidates, and those with a short rhizome without roots are also good candidates, which might help make full use of harvested plants, optimize transplant harvesting strategies, and hence minimize damage to donor meadows.
Communities Beyond Society: Divergence of Local Prehistories on the Bothnian Arc, Northern Europe
Authors: Hakonen Aki 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
This article presents a comparison of material records of two nearby regions on the coast of the Bothnian Bay. The timeframe is 5300–2000 BCE. The focus is on regional differences, which indicate a schizmogenesis of communal identities. The study calls for a reorientation of research concerning Fennoscandian prehistory. More attention should be paid to localized prehistories. It is argued that when prehistoric society is used as a fundamental group category, especially in the context of forager communities, the modern concept of state society distorts the underlying framework. Focusing on the regional level by constructing local prehistoric narratives limits the anachronistic effect and allows the proliferation of local communal identities. Such local prehistories, when collated and compared, offer a pathway to understanding prehistoric stateless societies, which are misrepresented by simplistic material cultural zones and the inherent homogeny ingrained within the concept of society. In this paper, the analysis is focused on practices representing local traditions. Two divergent themes that arise from the local prehistoric narratives are the Late Mesolithic use of local stone materials and regional changes in Neolithic dwelling forms.
Use of Negative Apical Pressure Technique for Removal of Apically Extruded Gutta-percha Fragment
Authors: ARSLAN Hakan , DOĞANAY YILDIZ Ezgi , KARATAŞ Ertuğrul 
Published: April 2021

The aim of this case report was to present using
negative apical pressure technique for removal of apically extruded
gutta-percha during retreatment procedures. A 22 year-old female patient was
referred to the clinic with severe pain, swelling, and tenderness to percussion
and palpation in the tooth of #26. Periapical radiograph showed previous root
canal treatment of tooth #26 with incomplete root canal fillings. During
retreatment procedures gutta-percha apically extruded from mesial root canal. The
patient was recalled after one day. At the second session, it was observed that
the swelling was increased. One of the tips for calcium hydroxide paste
application was adjusted to suction of dental unit. Tip was placed into the
canal as deep as possible. After a few attempts, apically extruded gutta-percha
was removed and the patient was recalled after one day. At one day from the
fragment removal, the swelling was decreased. Calcium hydroxide paste was
placed into the canals for one week. At the fourth session, the patient was
asymptomatic and the treatment was completed at this session. Keywords: gutta-percha, negative
apical pressure, retreatment
Caudate nucleus volume mediates the link between glutamatergic neurotransmission and problematic smartphone use in youth
Authors: Yoo Jae Hyun , Chun Ji-Won , Choi Mi Ran , Cho Hyun , Kim Jin-Young , Choi Jihye , Kim Dai-Jin 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackground and aimsProblematic smartphone use (PSU) is growing rapidly among teens. It has similar presentations as other behavioral addictions in terms of excessive use, impulse control problems, and negative consequences. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain undiscovered. We hypothesized that structural changes in the striatum might serve as an important link between alteration in glutamate signaling and development of PSU.MethodsAmong 88 participants, twenty (F:M, 12:8; age 16.2 ± 1.1) reported high scores in the smartphone addiction proneness scale (SAPS) with a cut-off score of 42; the other 68 (F:M, 19:49; age 15.3 ± 1.7) comprised the control group. Sociodemographic data and depression, anxiety, and impulsivity traits were measured. Striatal volumes (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens) were estimated from T1 imaging data. Serum glutamate levels were estimated from peripheral blood samples. Group comparisons of each data were performed after controlling for age and gender. Mediation analyses were conducted to test the indirect effects of glutamate level alteration on PSU through striatal volumetric alteration.ResultsThe PSU group showed a decrease in both caudate volumes than the control group. Left caudate volume was positively correlated with serum glutamate level, and negatively with impulsivity traits and SAPS scores. The mediation model revealed a significant indirect effect of serum glutamate on SAS scores through the reduced left caudate volume.Discussion and conclusionsThis study suggests that altered glutamatergic neurotransmission may be associated with PSU among teens, possibly through reduced left caudate volume. Current findings might support neural mechanisms of smartphone addiction.
Expression of Megsin mRNA, a Novel Mesangium-Predominant Gene, in the Renal Tissues of Various Glomerular Diseases
Authors: SUZUKI DAISUKE , MIYATA TOSHIO , NANGAKU MASAOMI , TAKANO HIDEO , SAOTOME NOBORU , TOYODA MASAO , MORI YASUO , ZHANG SHAO-YU , INAGI REIKO , ENDOH MASAYUKI , KUROKAWA KIYOSHI , SAKAI HIDETO 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
Mesangial cells play an important role in maintaining a structure and function of the glomerulus and in the pathogenesis of glomerular diseases. Recently, we discovered a new mesangium-predominant gene termed “megsin.” Megsin is a novel protein that belongs to the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily. To elucidate the pathophysiologic role of megsin in the kidney, the expression and localization of megsin mRNA in renal tissues of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgA-N), diabetic nephropathy (DN), minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), membranous nephropathy (MN), and normal human kidney (NHK) was evaluated by in situ hybridization using digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide. Individual cells positive for megsin mRNA were observed only in glomeruli in all renal tissues. Their localization coincided with those of mesangial cells. The percentage of positive cells for megsin mRNA in total glomerular cells was significantly greater in IgA-N than in MCNS, MN, and NHK. It was also significantly greater in DN than in MCNS and NHK. In IgA-N, the percentage of megsin mRNA-positive cells was greater in tissues from those with mesangial cell proliferation and slightly mesangial matrix expansion (periodic acid-Schiff-positive area in the total glomerulus area, <30%; cell number in mesangial matrix area, >30; assessed in cross-sections through their vascular poles) than in tissues from those with severe mesangial matrix expansion (periodic acid-Schiff-positive area in total glomerulus area, >30%; cell number in mesangial matrix area, <30). In conclusion, megsin mRNA was predominantly expressed in glomerular mesangial cells in all renal tissues. The expression of megsin mRNA was upregulated in IgA-N and DN, both of which are diseases accompanied with mesangial cell proliferation and/or mesangial matrix expansion. These data suggest a link of megsin expression to the pathogenesis of IgA-N and DN, two major causes of end-stage renal failure.
Contrasting Effects of Vasodilators on Blood Pressure and Sodium Balance in the Hypertension of Autonomic Failure
Authors: JORDAN JENS , SHANNON JOHN R. , POHAR BOJAN , PARANJAPE SACHIN Y. , ROBERTSON DAVID , ROBERTSON ROSE-MARIE , BIAGGIONI ITALO 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
Supine hypertension, which is very common in patients with autonomic failure, limits the use of pressor agents and induces nighttime natriuresis. In 13 patients with severe orthostatic hypotension due to autonomic failure (7 women, 6 men, 72 ± 3 yr) and supine hypertension, the effect of 30 mg nifedipine (n = 10) and 0.025 to 0.2 mg/h nitroglycerin patch (n = 11) on supine BP, renal sodium handling, and orthostatic tolerance was determined. Medications were given at 8 p.m.; patients stood up at 8 a.m. Nitroglycerin was removed at 6 a.m. Compared with placebo, nifedipine and nitroglycerin decreased systolic BP during the night by a maximum of 37 ± 9 and 36 ± 10 mmHg, respectively (P < 0.01). At 8 a.m., supine systolic BP was 23 ± 7 mmHg lower with nifedipine than with placebo (P < 0.05), but was similar with nitroglycerin and placebo. Sodium excretion during the night was not reduced with nitroglycerin (0.13 ± 0.02 mmol/mg creatinine [Cr] versus 0.15 ± 0.03 mmol/mg Cr with placebo), but it was increased with nifedipine (0.35 ± 0.06 mmol/mg Cr versus 0.13 ± 0.02 mmol/mg Cr with placebo, P < 0.05). Nifedipine but not nitroglycerin worsened orthostatic hypotension in the morning. It is concluded that nifedipine and transdermal nitroglycerin are effective in controlling supine hypertension in patients with autonomic failure. However, nifedipine has a prolonged depressor effect and worsens orthostatic hypotension in the morning. The decrease in pressure natriuresis that would be expected with the substantial decrease in BP obtained with nitroglycerin and nifedipine may be offset by a direct effect of both drugs on renal sodium handling.
Human Mesangial Cells in Culture and in Kidney Sections Fail to Express Fc Alpha Receptor (CD89)
Authors: WESTERHUIS RALF , VAN ZANDBERGEN GER , VERHAGEN NICOLE A. M. , KLAR-MOHAMAD N. , DAHA MOHAMED R. , VAN KOOTEN CEES 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
The mechanism of deposition of IgA in the renal mesangium in primary IgA-nephropathy is poorly understood. It has been suggested that membrane receptors for IgA on mesangial cells (MC) of the kidney may be involved. To obtain more insight in the occurrence of the myeloid receptor for IgA (CD89) on MC, both in situ and in culture, rabbit and goat polyclonal antibodies and mouse monoclonal antibody against recombinant CD89 were raised. Kidney sections from five control subjects and five patients with primary IgA-nephropathy failed to be positive for CD89 in the mesangium, using our polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Also, five primary human MC cultures assessed for CD89 expression showed no protein expression of CD89. Furthermore, reverse transcription-PCR failed to detect mRNA expression of CD89 in the cultured MC. It was demonstrated that all five human primary MC bound human IgA in a dose-dependent manner, which was not inhibitable by blocking monoclonal anti-CD89 antibody (My43). In contrast, binding of IgA to U937 cells was blocked efficiently by My43. Finally, incubation of human MC with either human or rat IgA led to increased interleukin-6 production, whereas only human IgA, but not rat IgA, was able to bind to human CD89. Therefore, it is concluded that human MC do not express CD89 (to a significant extent). These results strongly suggest that binding of IgA to human MC occurs via an IgA receptor distinct from CD89.
Intake of Vitamins B6 and C and the Risk of Kidney Stones in Women
Authors: CURHAN GARY C. , WILLETT WALTER C. , SPEIZER FRANK E. , STAMPFER MEIR J. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
Urinary oxalate is an important determinant of calcium oxalate kidney stone formation. High doses of vitamin B6 may decrease oxalate production, whereas vitamin C can be metabolized to oxalate. This study was conducted to examine the association between the intakes of vitamins B6 and C and risk of kidney stone formation in women. The relation between the intake of vitamins B6 and C and the risk of symptomatic kidney stones were prospectively studied in a cohort of 85,557 women with no history of kidney stones. Semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaires were used to assess vitamin consumption from both foods and supplements. A total of 1078 incident cases of kidney stones was documented during the 14-yr follow-up period. A high intake of vitamin B6 was inversely associated with risk of stone formation. After adjusting for other dietary factors, the relative risk of incident stone formation for women in the highest category of B6 intake (≥40 mg/d) compared with the lowest category (<3 mg/d) was 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.98). In contrast, vitamin C intake was not associated with risk. The multivariate relative risk for women in the highest category of vitamin C intake (≥1500 mg/d) compared with the lowest category (<250 mg/d) was 1.06 (95% confidence interval, 0.69 to 1.64). Large doses of vitamin B6 may reduce the risk of kidney stone formation in women. Routine restriction of vitamin C to prevent stone formation appears unwarranted.
Cytokine Removal during Continuous Hemofiltration in Septic Patients
Authors: DE VRIESE AN S. , COLARDYN FRANCIS A. , PHILIPPÉ JAN J. , VANHOLDER RAYMOND C. , DE SUTTER JOHAN H. , LAMEIRE NORBERT H. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
A potential application of the continuous renal replacement therapies is the extracorporeal removal of inflammatory mediators in septic patients. Cytokine elimination with continuous renal replacement therapies has been demonstrated in several clinical studies, but so far without important effects on their serum concentrations. Improved knowledge of the cytokine removal mechanisms could lead to the development of more efficient treatment strategies. In the present study, 15 patients with septic shock and acute renal failure were observed during the first 24 h of treatment with continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) with an AN69 membrane. After 12 h, the hemofilter was replaced and the blood flow rate (Q
B) was switched from 100 ml/min to 200 ml/min or vice versa. Pre- and postfilter plasma and ultrafiltrate concentrations of selected inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured at several time points allowing the calculation of a mass balance. Cytokine removal was highest 1 h after the start of CVVH and after the change of the membrane (ranging from 25 to 43% of the prefilter amount), corresponding with a significant fall in the serum concentration of all cytokines. The inhibitors of inflammation were removed to the same extent as the inflammatory cytokines. Adsorption to the AN69 membrane appeared to be the main clearance mechanism, being most pronounced immediately after installation of a new membrane and decreasing steadily thereafter, indicating rapid saturation of the membrane. A Q
B of 200 ml/min was associated with a 75% increase of the ultrafiltration rate and a significantly higher convective elimination and membrane adsorption than at a Q
B of 100 ml/min. The results indicate that optimal cytokine removal with CVVH with an AN69 membrane could be achieved with a combination of a high Q
B/ultrafiltration rate and frequent membrane changes.
Hemodynamic Effects of Endothelin-1 and Big Endothelin-1 in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: OTTOSSON-SEEBERGER ASTRID , AHLBORG GUNVOR , HEMSÉN ANETTE , LUNDBERG JAN M. , ALVESTRAND ANDERS 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
Increased plasma concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) have been reported in patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRD). In the present study, which included hemodialysis (HD) patients with (n = 21) and without (n = 32) ischemic heart disease, the putative association between plasma levels of ET-1 and big ET-1 and ischemic heart disease and the influence of the dialysis procedure on ET concentrations was investigated. This study also examined in an additional five HD patients without cardiac disease whether intravenously infused ET-1 and big ET-1 (0.2, 1, and 4 pmol/kg per min, each dose for 20 min) preserve their vasoactive potency and whether exogenous big ET-1, which in healthy humans is converted in the kidney, is still converted to ET-1 in ESRD. HD patients with ischemic heart disease demonstrated higher plasma levels of ET-1 and big ET-1 than HD patients without this disorder, and HD reduced plasma ET-1 and big ET-1 concentrations. In HD patients, the big ET-1 infusion, resulting in a 1.5-fold increase in plasma ET-1, caused a more marked and prolonged rise in mean arterial BP than ET-1 (20% versus 13%, P = 0.0001) and a slightly smaller but more prolonged decrease in estimated splanchnic blood flow than ET-1 (37% versus 44%, P = 0.02). Furthermore, big ET-1 lowered heart rate by 9% (P = 0.01) but ET-1 did not. Plasma half-lives of ET-1 and big ET-1 were longer in HD patients than in healthy humans. Thus, ET-1 and big ET-1 preserve their vasoactive potency, and circulating big ET-1 is still converted to active ET-1 in ESRD. Consequently, the increased plasma levels of ET-1 and big ET-1 noted in HD patients, especially in patients with ischemic heart disease, might play a role in the development of uremic cardiovascular complications.
Immunomodulatory Functions of Low-Molecular Weight Hyaluronate in an Acute Rat Renal Allograft Rejection Model
Authors: KNOFLACH ANDREAS , AZUMA HARUHITO , MAGEE COLM , DENTON MARK , MURPHY BARBARA , IYENGAR ANAND , BUELOW ROLAND , SAYEGH MOHAMED H. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
Low molecular weight hyaluronate (LMW-HA) blocks interactions between T lymphocyte CD44 and hyaluronate (HA), a heteropolysaccharide that is expressed on the surface of endothelial cells and ubiquitously in the extracellular matrix. This study was undertaken to assess the ability of LMW-HA to modify the course of experimental acute renal allograft rejection. Lewis (LEW) rats were bilaterally nephrectomized and received an orthotopic, fully MHC-mismatched, Wistar-Furth (WF) kidney transplant. Animals received either no treatment, low doses of cyclosporin A (CsA) on days 0 to 5, LMW-HA on days 0 to 5, or CsA plus LMW-HA on days 0 to 5 after transplantation. With no treatment, CsA monotherapy, or HA monotherapy, animals rejected their allografts at a median of 15, 13, and 7.5 d, respectively (P = NS). In contrast, combined CsA plus LMW-HA therapy prevented acute rejection and significantly prolonged graft survival (P = 0.008) to a median of 49.0 d. CsA/LMW-HA-treated grafts also demonstrated better preservation of renal function at day 30 (serum creatinine level, 1.38 ± 0.8 mg/dl), compared with surviving animals treated with CsA alone (2.9 ± 0.55 mg/dl, P < 0.05). Histologic graft analysis of CsA/LMW-HA-treated animals at day 7 after transplantation showed minimal rejection and leukocyte infiltration, compared with all other groups. Intragraft gene expression analysis, using semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR, at the same time point showed reductions of CD4, CD8, and interferon-γ transcript levels in the combined-treatment group. This is the first study demonstrating the immunomodulatory functions of LMW-HA in vivo in the setting of organ transplantation. Defining the exact mechanisms that underlie this immunomodulation may provide the rationale to develop novel strategies for use in clinical transplantation.
Lessons on Renal Physiology from Transgenic Mice Lacking Aquaporin Water Channels
Authors: VERKMAN A. S. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
Several aquaporin-type water channels are expressed in kidney: AQP1 in the proximal tubule, thin descending limb of Henle, and vasa recta; AQP2, AQP3, and AQP4 in the collecting duct; AQP6 in the papilla; and AQP7 in the proximal tubule. AQP2 is the vasopressin-regulated water channel that is important in hereditary and acquired diseases affecting urine-concentrating ability. It has been difficult to establish the roles of the other aquaporins in renal physiology because suitable aquaporin inhibitors are not available. One approach to the problem has been to generate and analyze transgenic knockout mice in which individual aquaporins have been selectively deleted by targeted gene disruption. Phenotype analysis of kidney and extrarenal function in knockout mice has been very informative in defining the role of aquaporins in organ physiology and addressing basic questions regarding the route of transepithelial water transport and the mechanism of near isoosmolar fluid reabsorption. This article describes new renal physiologic insights revealed by phenotype analysis of aquaporin-knockout mice and the prospects for further basic and clinical developments.
Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Suboptimal Care before Initiation of Dialysis in the United States
Authors: OBRADOR GREGORIO T. , RUTHAZER ROBIN , ARORA PRADEEP , KAUSZ ANNAMARIA T. , PEREIRA BRIAN J. G. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract.
Despite improvements in dialysis care, the mortality of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States remains high. Factors that thus far have received scant attention, but could significantly affect morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients, are the timing and quality of care before the initiation of dialysis (pre-ESRD). Data from the new version of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) 2728 Form were used to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with hypoalbuminemia, severe anemia, and erythropoietin (EPO) use among 155,076 incident chronic dialysis patients in the United States between April 1, 1995 and June 30, 1997. At initiation of dialysis, the median serum albumin and hematocrit were 3.3 g/dl and 28%, respectively. Sixty percent of patients had a serum albumin below the lower limit of normal and 51% had a hematocrit <28%. Overall, only 23% had received EPO pre-ESRD. Among patients with hematocrit <28%, only 20% were receiving EPO, compared to 27% among patients with hematocrit ≥28%. In a multivariate analysis that adjusted for diabetes, functional status, and demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors, the odds ratios for hypoalbuminemia, hematocrit <28%, and lack of EPO use were higher for African-Americans, patients with non-private insurance or no insurance, and patients who were started on hemodialysis. There were also significant differences in odds ratios for these outcomes between different geographic regions in the United States. The high prevalence of pre-ESRD hypoalbuminemia, hematocrit <28%, and lack of EPO use suggests that the quality of pre-ESRD care in the United States is suboptimal. Improvement in pre-ESRD care could potentially improve outcomes among ESRD patients.