bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immortalized porcine liver sinusoidal endothelial cells: an in vitro model of xenotransplantation‐induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Wang Zheng‐Yu , Paris Leela L. , Chihara Ray K. , Tector A. Joseph , Burlak Christopher 
Published: August 2012

Wang Z‐Y, Paris LL., Chihara RK., Tector AJ., Burlak C. Immortalized porcine liver sinusoidal endothelial cells: an in vitro model of xenotransplantation‐induced thrombocytopenia. Xenotransplantation 2012; 19: 249–255.. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract: Background:  Xenotransplantation has the potential to solve the critical shortage of human organs available for allotransplantation. The major barrier to porcine liver xenotransplantation is sequestration of human platelets causing thrombocytopenia. Porcine liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) bind and phagocytose human platelets at least in part through binding of the asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1). Our purpose was to generate an immortalized porcine LSEC (iLSEC) line that mimics primary LSEC in ASGR1 expression and phagocytosis of human platelets. Porcine iLSEC would enable continued study of xenotransplantation‐induced thrombocytopenia in vitro with fewer animals sacrificed.Methods: Primary domestic porcine LSEC were transduced with lentiviral vector expressing the large and small T antigen of SV40 (SV40 TAg). The phenotype and genotype of the immortalized LSEC were compared with primary LSEC.Results: A total of eight clones expressing SV40 TAg were isolated, and one clone was subcultured and analyzed for growth, phenotype, and function during passages 15–40. Expression of the SV40 TAg was confirmed by confocal microscopy and western blot. MTS cell proliferation assay demonstrated that the clone rapidly grew in culture medium with 2–10% fetal bovine serum. iLSEC expressed the endothelial cell marker, CD31, as determined by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Activation of iLSEC by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in upregulation of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL 6) by qPCR and ELISA. iLSEC phagocytosed human serum albumin and latex beads as measured by flow cytometry. Human platelets were phagocytosed by immortalized porcine LSEC.Conclusions: Immortalized porcine LSEC retain a phagocytic phenotype, making them a good model for the study of xenotransplantation‐induced thrombocytopenia and may provide further insight into the phagocytic role of LSEC.
Abundance and composition of decapod larvae at Saint Paul's Rocks (equatorial Atlantic)
Authors: Brandão Manoela Costa , Koettker Andréa Green , Freire Andrea Santarosa 
Published: August 2012

AbstractWe investigated the effect of interannual variation on the biodiversity and distribution of decapod larvae at Saint Paul's Rocks, an isolated small group of equatorial islands linked to the Atlantic Mid‐Ocean ridge. Zooplankton samples were collected between 2003 and 2005 from a range of different environments off the archipelago. Horizontal surface hauls were conducted in the inlet and at three increasing distances from the archipelago, both in the morning and at night, using a 200‐μm mesh net. Decapod larvae collected included 11 species and 37 individual taxa. Seven of them have not previously been recorded in the area. Samples taken at the shortest distance from the archipelago exhibited a significantly greater abundance than samples taken further away. No significant differences were detected between months in terms of decapod larvae abundance in the inlet. However, in the open ocean at night, the mean abundance was much higher in May and July. Decapod larvae abundance was much higher at night for both the open ocean and the inlet. Brachyuran and caridean larvae exhibited the greatest abundance and frequency in the inlet, mainly represented by the first‐stage larvae of: Grapsus grapsus, Plagusia depressa, Platypodiella spectabilis and Alpheidae. In contrast, Sergestidae holopelagic shrimps were the most abundant and the most frequent larvae in the surface waters of the open ocean. The composition, abundance and distribution of decapod larvae were very similar during the 2 years sampled. Species accumulation curves indicate that even greater diversity exists, demonstrating that long‐term research is important for acquiring accurate knowledge about the biodiversity of dynamic ecosystems such as those at Saint Paul's Rocks.
Effect of the Bovine Oviductal Fluid on In Vitro Fertilization, Development and Gene Expression of In Vitro‐Produced Bovine Blastocysts
Authors: Cebrian‐Serrano A , Salvador I , García‐Roselló E , Pericuesta E , Pérez‐Cerezales S , Gutierrez‐Adán A , Coy P , Silvestre MA 
Published: August 2012

ContentsOviductal microenvironment generally provides better conditions for early embryo development than the conventional in vitro system. In an attempt to simulate the oviduct conditions or the main potentially influencing factors, the effect was studied of a bovine oviductal fluid (bOF) treatment applied prior to IVF on (i) IVF parameters, (ii) cleavage rate, (iii) blastocyst yield and (iv) blastocyst quality. Embryo quality was assessed by morphological embryo quality and relative transcript abundance of several developmental genes in bovine blastocysts. Furthermore, to study the effect of bOF without the male effect and zona–sperm interaction, artificially activated metaphase II oocytes were also treated with bOF. In vitro‐matured bovine oocytes from abattoir ovaries were treated or untreated with bOF for 30 min and then washed prior to IVF or activation. Subsequently, in vitro‐fertilized and parthenogenetic embryos were in vitro cultured for 7 to 8 days. The bOF treatment had no effect on fertilization parameters, cleavage, blastocyst rates both on parthenogenetic and IVF bovine embryos and neither on morphological quality of IVF blastocysts. G6PD and SOD2 genes from IVF blastocysts showed significant changes in their expression after a bOF treatment. Significant differences were found for the expression of SCL2A1, GPX1, BAX, AKR1B1 and PLAC8 genes between excellent or good blastocysts (Grade 1) and fair blastocysts (Grade 2). To our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates the effect of bOF oocyte treatment on fertilization parameters, development and quality of bovine embryos.
Impact of the new national health standard for rail safety workers on ischaemic heart disease risk factors in train drivers
Authors: Ng K. L. , Quinn S. , Gill T. K. , Hill C. , Shanahan E. M. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackgroundIn 2004, a compulsory National Standard for the Australian rail industry was introduced outlining health standards that drivers must meet to be deemed fit to drive.AimTo examine the trend in ischaemic heart disease (IHD) risk factors in train drivers between 2004 and 2009, following the introduction of a National Standard.MethodsA retrospective analysis of IHD risk factors of drivers (n = 386) of an Australian train company, who underwent health assessments between February 2004 and November 2009, was performed. The Framingham Score for 10‐year risk of coronary artery disease, body mass index (BMI), cigarette smoking, diabetes, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), low‐density lipoprotein and total cholesterol were compared with that of controls at these two time periods.ResultsThere were significant reductions in the rates of 10‐year coronary heart disease risk/year (OR = 0.47; 95% CI 0.19, 0.75) in the train drivers compared with the control population. This was driven by a reduction in the rate of cigarette smoking (OR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.79, 0.96) and total cholesterol (OR = −0.05; 95% CI −0.09, 0.003) and an increase in HDL cholesterol levels (OR = 0.02; 95% CI 0.006, 0.03) between groups over time. This was despite an increase in BMI (OR = 0.10; 95% CI 0.01, 0.19).ConclusionFollowing the introduction of a National Standard for drivers in Australia, there has been a significant improvement in the health of drivers. Such a programme may have a significant impact in this group of safety critical workers.
Patterns of care for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients compensated by the Dust Diseases Board in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Kao S. C.‐H. , Clarke S. , Vardy J. , Corte P. , Clarke C. , van Zandwijk N. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackgroundThe silent epidemic of mesothelioma in Australia is steadily increasing, and 30% of cases occur in New South Wales (NSW).AimTo describe the patterns of care and outcomes of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in NSW.MethodsMPM patients in NSW applying for compensation at the NSW Dust Diseases Board from 2007 to 2009 were included. Survival from time of diagnosis was determined by the Kaplan–Meier method. The Chi‐squared test was used to determine if there was an association between utilisation of treatment and geographical location.ResultsA total of 138 patients was included: median age was 72.5; 91.3% male; 60.1% epithelial subtype; and 65.2% lived in major cities. All patients had at least one chest X‐ray and computed tomography scan, and 21% had a positron emission tomography scan; 93.5% and 4.3% had histological or cytological confirmation respectively. Thoracoscopy (59.4%) was the most commonly used diagnostic procedure. Treatment utilisation: 53.6% chemotherapy; 35.5% radiotherapy; 9.4% extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP); and 72.5% had palliative care involvement. There were no major differences in treatment utilisation between patients living in major cities and those in regional NSW (chemotherapy P = 0.42; radiotherapy P = 0.13 and palliative care P = 0.60), except for a higher rate of EPP in regional patients (16.7% vs 5.6%; P = 0.03). Median survival was 9.7 versus 12.3 months for city and regional patients respectively (P = 0.22).ConclusionSurvival and treatment utilisation was not significantly different between MPM patients living in major cities and regional NSW, except for a higher rate of EPP in patients in regional NSW.
An asymmetry in niche conservatism contributes to the latitudinal species diversity gradient in New World vertebrates
Authors: Smith Brian Tilston , Bryson Robert W. , Houston Derek D. , Klicka John 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe Tropical Niche Conservatism hypothesis is a leading explanation for why biodiversity increases towards the equator. The model suggests that most lineages have tropical origins, with few dispersing into temperate regions. However, biotas are comprised of lineages with differing geographical origins, thus it is unclear whether lineages that originated on different continents will exhibit similar patterns of niche conservatism. Here, we summarised biogeographical patterns of New World vertebrates and compared species diversity patterns between families that originated in North and South America. Overall, families with southern origins exhibit niche conservatism with many lineages restricted to the Neotropics, whereas many northern‐origin families are distributed across the Neotropics and the Nearctic. Consequently, northern lineages have contributed to high tropical biodiversity, but southern lineages have contributed relatively little to temperate biodiversity in North America. The asymmetry in niche conservatism between northern and southern lineages is an important contributor to the biodiversity gradient.
Bacteria and diatom co‐occurrence patterns in microbial mats from polar desert streams
Authors: Stanish Lee F. , O'Neill Sean P. , Gonzalez Antonio , Legg Teresa M. , Knelman Joseph , McKnight Diane M. , Spaulding Sarah , Nemergut Diana R. 
Published: August 2012

SummaryThe ephemeral stream habitats of the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica support desiccation and freeze‐tolerant microbial mats that are hot spots of primary productivity in an otherwise inhospitable environment. The ecological processes that structure bacterial communities in this harsh environment are not known; however, insights from diatom community ecology may prove to be informative. We examined the relationships between diatoms and bacteria at the community and taxon levels. The diversity and community structure of stream microbial mats were characterized using high‐throughput pyrosequencing for bacteria and morphological identification for diatoms. We found significant relationships between diatom communities and the communities of cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria, and co‐occurrence analysis identified numerous correlations between the relative abundances of individual diatom and bacterial taxa, which may result from species interactions. Additionally, the strength of correlations between heterotrophic bacteria and diatoms varied along a hydrologic gradient, indicating that flow regime may influence the overall community structure. Phylogenetic consistency in the co‐occurrence patterns suggests that the associations are ecologically relevant. Despite these community‐ and taxon‐level relationships, diatom and bacterial alpha diversity were inversely correlated, which may highlight a fundamental difference between the processes that influence bacterial and diatom community assembly in these streams. Our results therefore demonstrate that the relationships between diatoms and bacteria are complex and may result from species interactions as well as niche‐specific processes.
Increased dietary fruit intake was associated with lower burden of carotid atherosclerosis in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Chan H.‐T. , Yiu K.‐H. , Wong C.‐Y. , Li S.‐W. , Tam S. , Tse H.‐F. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackground  Previous studies demonstrated that high fruit consumption was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the relationship between fruit intake and carotid atherosclerosis in these patients is unknown. We studied the relationship between dietary fruit intake and carotid intima‐media thickness in patients with Type 2 diabetes.Methods  A total of 255 Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes were recruited. Dietary fruit intake was assessed by a validated food‐frequency questionnaire, and carotid intima‐media thickness was measured by high‐resolution ultrasonography.Results  Among patients with three different tertiles of fruit intake (14.5 ± 8.6 vs. 41.5 ± 7.1 vs. 92.6 ± 39.7 g/day), there was no difference in their clinical characteristics (all P > 0.05). Patients with the highest tertile of fruit intake had a significantly higher BMI and diastolic blood pressure than those with the lowest tertile intake. Furthermore, serum high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, 8‐isoprostane and superoxide dismutase were similar among the three tertiles of patients (all P > 0.05). However, patients with the highest tertile of fruit intake had lower carotid intima‐media thickness (0.97 ± 0.02 vs. 1.08 ± 0.03 mm, P = 0.046) and prevalence of carotid plaque (11.76 vs. 1.18%, P = 0.022) than those with the lowest tertile of fruit intake. Multivariate regression analysis revealed the highest tertile of fruit intake (β = −0.086, P = 0.049) was independently associated with carotid intima‐media thickness.Conclusions  Our results demonstrated that, in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes, higher dietary fruit intake was associated with a lower burden of carotid atherosclerosis as reflected by lower carotid intima‐media thickness and prevalence of carotid plaque.
Changes in physical activity and modelled cardiovascular risk following diagnosis of diabetes: 1‐year results from the ADDITION‐Cambridge trial cohort
Authors: Barakat A. , Williams K. M. , Prevost A. T. , Kinmonth A.‐L. , Wareham N. J. , Griffin S. J. , Simmons R. K. 
Published: August 2012

Diabet. Med. 30, 233–238 (2013)AbstractAims  To describe change in physical activity over 1 year and associations with change in cardiovascular disease risk factors in a population with screen‐detected Type 2 diabetes.Methods  Eight hundred and sixty‐seven individuals with screen‐detected diabetes underwent measurement of self‐reported physical activity, cardiovascular disease risk factors and modelled cardiovascular disease risk at baseline and 1 year (n = 736) in the ADDITION‐Cambridge trial. Multiple linear regression was used to quantify the association between change in different physical activity domains and cardiovascular disease risk factors at 1 year.Results  There was no change in self‐reported physical activity over 12 months. Even relatively large changes in physical activity were associated with relatively small changes in cardiovascular disease risk factors after allowing for changes in self‐reported medication and diet. For every 30 metabolic equivalent‐h increase in recreational activity (equivalent to 10 h/brisk walking/week), there was an average reduction of 0.1% in HbA1c in men (95% CI −0.15 to −0.01, P = 0.021) and an average reduction of 2 mmHg in systolic blood pressure in women (95% CI −4.0 to −0.05, P = 0.045).Conclusions  Few associations were observed between change in different physical activity domains and cardiovascular disease risk factors in this trial cohort. Cardiovascular disease risk reduction appeared to be driven largely by factors other than changes in self‐reported physical activity in the first year following diagnosis.
Intrapersonal HbA1c variability and the risk of progression of nephropathy in patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Rodríguez‐Segade S. , Rodríguez J. , García López J. M. , Casanueva F. F. , Camiña F. 
Published: August 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 1562–1566 (2012)AbstractAim  To investigate the association between nephropathy and HbA1c variability (assessed as the standard deviation of each patient’s HbA1c measurements) among patients with Type 2 diabetes.Methods  Albumin excretion rate and HbA1c were measured in 2103 patients followed up for a mean 6.6 years. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine the influence of HbA1c variability on the risk of progression of nephropathy after adjustment for age, sex, duration of diabetes, baseline condition (two cohorts defined by duration of diabetes, retinopathy and albumin excretion rate), baseline HbA1c, insulin use, BMI, use of anti‐hypertensive agents, smoking, lipid status, retinopathy, updated mean HbA1c and number of HbA1c measurements.Results  Nephropathy progressed in 18.3% of subjects. HbA1c variability was significantly greater among progressors than among non‐progressors (12 vs. 10 mmol/mol; 1.12 vs. 0.90%; P < 0.0001) and was a significant predictor of progression of nephropathy even after adjustment for updated mean HbA1c and other risk factors (hazard ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.12–1.69).Conclusion  In patients with Type 2 diabetes, the risk of progression of nephropathy increases significantly with HbA1c variability, independently of the influence of updated mean HbA1c.
Eating problems in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes: a systematic review with meta‐analysis
Authors: Young V. , Eiser C. , Johnson B. , Brierley S. , Epton T. , Elliott J. , Heller S. 
Published: August 2012

Diabet. Med. 30, 189–198 (2013)AbstractAims  We report a systematic review to determine (1) prevalence of eating problems compared with peers and (2) the association between eating problems and glycaemic control in young adults with Type 1 diabetes.Method  We conducted a systematic literature search via electronic databases and meta‐analysis. Cohen’s d (the mean difference score between Type 1 diabetes and comparison groups) was calculated for 13 studies that met inclusion criteria.Results  Eating problems [both disordered eating behaviour (39.3 and 32.5%; d = 0.52, 95% CI 0.10–0.94) and eating disorders (7.0 and 2.8%; d = 0.46, 95% CI 0.10–0.81)] were more common in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes compared with peers and both were associated with poorer glycaemic control (d = 0.40, 95% CI 0.17–0.64). In restricted analyses involving measures adapted for diabetes, associations between eating problems and poorer glycaemic control remained (d = 0.54, 95% CI 0.32–0.76). Disordered eating behaviour (51.8 and 48.1%; d = 0.06, 95% CI −0.05 to 0.21) and eating disorders (6.4 and 3.0%; d = 0.43, 95% CI −0.06 to 0.91) were more common in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes compared with peers, but differences were non‐significant.Conclusions  Eating problems are common among this age group. Future work in populations with Type 1 diabetes should develop sensitive measures of eating problems and interventions, and establish predictors of eating problems. Screening in clinics is recommended.
A New 3‐D Solar Radiation Model for 3‐D City Models
Authors: Hofierka Jaroslav , Zlocha Marian 
Published: August 2012

AbstractEstimates of solar radiation distribution in urban areas are often limited by the complexity of urban environments. These limitations arise from spatial structures such as buildings and trees that affect spatial and temporal distributions of solar fluxes over urban surfaces. The traditional solar radiation models implemented in GIS can address this problem only partially. They can be adequately used only for 2‐D surfaces such as terrain and rooftops. However, vertical surfaces, such as facades, require a 3‐D approach. This study presents a new 3‐D solar radiation model for urban areas represented by 3‐D city models. The v.sun module implemented in GRASS GIS is based on the existing solar radiation methodology used in the topographic r.sun model with a new capability to process 3‐D vector data representing complex urban environments. The calculation procedure is based on the combined vector‐voxel approach segmenting the 3‐D vector objects to smaller polygon elements according to a voxel data structure of the volume region. The shadowing effects of surrounding objects are considered using a unique shadowing algorithm. The proposed model has been applied to the sample urban area with results showing strong spatial and temporal variations of solar radiation flows over complex urban surfaces.
Modelling Flow Routing in Permafrost Landscapes withTWI: An Evaluation against Site‐Specific Wetness Measurements
Authors: Persson Andreas , Hasan Abdulghani , Tang Jing , Pilesjö Petter 
Published: August 2012

AbstractIn northern peatlands the thawing of permafrost increasing the active layer depth and changing the hydrology may lead to feedbacks in the climate system through changes in the biogeochemistry of carbon. We are examining this association on theStordalen peatland complex in subarcticSweden by analyzing aDEMderived fromLiDAR‐data and the calculatedTWI. TheDEM, with a spatial resolution of 1 m, and theTWIare evaluated against two seasons of water level measurements from 30 sites in the peatland. TheTWIis calculated with a form‐based flow routing algorithm which produces a natural flow routing pattern. In permafrost wetlands the topography is the major driver and is very important even though its magnitude is low. Site‐specific wetness (SSW) measurements from the sites were compared with the different peatland types that occur in the study area, i.e. fen, internal fen and palsa. The results showed a strong correlation between theTWIand the palsa. TheTWIwas better at describing general patterns than site‐specific hydrology. The evaluation of spatial patterns ofTWIagainst SSW reveal the resolution required to develop the technique to be useful for climate change studies.
PRICE DYNAMICS, FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND ANTICIPATED SHOCKS IN A TOURISM ECONOMY
Authors: CHAO CHI‐CHUR , HU SHIH‐WEN , LU LEE‐JUNG 
Published: August 2012

AbstractUsing a dynamic model of an open monetary economy, this paper examines the effects of tourism‐related anticipated shocks on goods prices and foreign exchange reserves. Foreign tourists consume mainly non‐traded goods in holiday destinations, converting them into exportable goods. This gives rise to a tourism terms‐of‐trade effect that affects the accumulation of foreign exchange. Announcements of anticipated events bring tourist visits forward, resulting in an initial under‐adjustment or an over‐adjustment in the prices of the non‐traded goods when the tourism terms‐of‐trade effect is positive or negative. This leads to an increase or a decrease in foreign reserves in the long run.