bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Age‐specific neuromuscular interaction during elderly habitual running
Authors: Sano K. , Akiyama M. , Hoffrén‐Mikkola M. , Ito A. , Komi P. V. , Ishikawa M. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAimIt has been reported that advancing age causes tendons to become more compliant and fascicles length shorter. This could then lead to enhancement of movement efficiency provided that the elderly adults can activate their muscles in the same way as the younger adults (YOUNG) during dynamic movements. This study was designed to examine the age‐specific behaviour of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) fascicles and tendinous tissues together with lower‐leg muscle activities when the well‐trained elderly runners ran on the treadmill at preferred speeds.MethodsThe well‐trained 11 elderly subjects (ELD) who have running experiences and 11 YOUNG were recruited as subjects. While ELD were running on the treadmill at their preferred speed, the lengths of the MG fascicles and tendinous tissues (Lfa and LTT respectively) were measured by ultrasonography together with kinematics and lower‐leg muscle activities.ResultsAlthough the behaviour of the MG muscle–tendon unit did not show any significant differences between both groups during the contact, our results showed significant differences in fascicle–tendinous tissue behaviour as well as muscle activities. The LTT during the entire contact phase was greater in ELD than in YOUNG (P < 0.001). Co‐activation of lower‐leg muscles from pre‐activation to braking phases was higher in ELD than in YOUNG (P < 0.01). The changes of the Lfa during contact were less, and the LTT shortening was greater in ELD than in YOUNG (P < 0.001).ConclusionThese results imply that ELD cannot activate their muscles similar to YOUNG during running, and those different activities may modify the Lfa to utilize the tendon elasticity effectively.
Frequency and time to onset of community‐acquired respiratory tract infections in patients receiving esomeprazole: a retrospective analysis of patient‐level data in placebo‐controlled studies
Authors: Estborn L. , Joelson S. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryBackgroundDebate continues on whether a causal association exists between the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and the risk of respiratory tract infections, in particular pneumonia.AimTo investigate the occurrence of community‐acquired respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, in patients receiving esomeprazole.MethodA retrospective investigation of pooled data on adverse events related to respiratory tract infections, originally reported in 24 randomised, double‐blind clinical studies, was conducted. The frequencies of respiratory tract infections and their relative risks were calculated retrospectively for the total patient population (9602 patients receiving esomeprazole and 5500 receiving placebo) and for sub‐populations defined according to sex, age, esomeprazole dose, indication and geographical region. The cumulative frequency of first occurrence of events was calculated over 180 days.ResultsFrequencies of respiratory tract infections were similar in patients receiving esomeprazole and in those receiving placebo (any respiratory tract infection or signs/symptoms potentially indicating an respiratory tract infection, 0.278 and 0.296 patients per patient‐year; lower respiratory tract infections, 0.048 and 0.058 per patient‐year; pneumonia, 0.006 and 0.009 per patient‐year, respectively). The relative risk for any respiratory tract infection in patients receiving esomeprazole compared with placebo was 0.94 (95% CI, 0.86–1.04). For lower respiratory tract infections, the relative risk was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.65–1.03) and for pneumonia, 0.66 (95% CI, 0.36–1.22). Sub‐analyses by demographics, dose and indication yielded similar results to the overall analysis. The occurrence of respiratory tract infections was evenly distributed over time and similar in the esomeprazole and placebo groups.ConclusionThere is no causal association between treatment with esomeprazole and the occurrence of community‐acquired respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia.
Consecutive monitoring of faecal calprotectin during mesalazine suppository therapy for active rectal inflammation in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Yamamoto T. , Shimoyama T. , Matsumoto K. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryBackgroundNo studies have monitored the levels of faecal calprotectin (FC) during mesalazine suppository therapy for proctitis in ulcerative colitis (UC).AimsTo evaluate the value of consecutive monitoring of FC in patients with UC during mesalazine suppository therapy.MethodsOne hundred and sixty patients with active inflammation limited to the rectum were treated with mesalazine 1 g suppository once daily for 8 weeks. Patients who achieved clinical remission were advised to maintain the treatment, and were followed up for further 40 weeks. FC levels were measured every 8 weeks during the study.ResultsAt week 8, 118 patients (74%) went into clinical remission, of whom 88 achieved endoscopic healing. The median FC level significantly decreased in patients with clinical and endoscopic remission (both P < 0.0001), while it did not change significantly in those without remission. Eighty (68%) of the 118 patients with remission continued the treatment. Twenty‐four patients (30%) relapsed during the 40‐week follow‐up. In patients with clinical relapse, the median FC level elevated already 8 weeks before the diagnosis of relapse. In contrast, in patients who maintained remission it remained at a low level and did not significantly change during the follow‐up. Elevated FC level (≥55 μg/g) was useful for the early diagnosis of relapse (88% sensitivity and 80% specificity).ConclusionsFaecal calprotectin may represent a useful biomarker for the assessment of disease activity in UC patients treated with mesalazine suppositories. Serial monitoring of faecal calprotectin appears to be valuable for the prediction and early diagnosis of relapse during maintenance therapy.
Population pharmacokinetics and dosing optimization of teicoplanin in children with malignant haematological disease
Authors: Zhao Wei , Zhang Daolun , Storme Thomas , Baruchel André , Declèves Xavier , Jacqz‐Aigrain Evelyne 
Published: July 2015

AimChildren with haematological malignancy represent an identified subgroup of the paediatric population with specific pharmacokinetic parameters. In these patients, inadequate empirical antibacterial therapy may result in infection‐related morbidity and increased mortality, making optimization of the dosing regimen essential. As paediatric data are limited, our aim was to evaluate the population pharmacokinetics of teicoplanin in order to define the appropriate dosing regimen in this high risk population.MethodsThe current dose of teicoplanin was evaluated in children with haematological malignancy. Population pharmacokinetics of teicoplanin were analyzed using nonmem software. The dosing regimen was optimized based on the final model.ResultsEighty‐five children (age range 0.5 to 16.9 years) were included. Therapeutic drug monitoring and opportunistic samples (n = 143) were available for analysis. With the current recommended dose of 10 mg kg–1 day–1, 41 children (48%) had sub‐therapeutic steady‐state trough concentrations (Css,min<10 mg l–1). A two compartment pharmacokinetic model with first order elimination was developed. Systematic covariate analysis identified that bodyweight (size) and creatinine clearance significantly influenced teicoplanin clearance. The model was validated internally. Its predictive performance was further confirmed in an external validation. In order to reach the target AUC of 750 mg l–1 h 18 mg kg–1 was required for infants, 14 mg kg–1 for children and 12 mg kg–1 for adolescents. A patient‐tailored dose regimen was further developed and reduced variability in AUC and Css,min values compared with the mg kg–1 basis dose, making the modelling approach an important tool for dosing individualization.ConclusionsThis first population pharmacokinetic study of teicoplanin in children with haematological malignancy provided evidence‐based support to individualize teicoplanin therapy in this vulnerable population.
The mediating roles of coping and adjustment in the relationship between personality and academic achievement
Authors: Perera Harsha N. , McIlveen Peter , Oliver Mark E. 
Published: July 2015

BackgroundExisting literature has documented relationships between personality traits and academic achievement as well as some of the mechanisms underlying these links. However, the pathways by which personality traits are associated with achievement during stressful educational circumstances require further investigation.AimsThis study examined a model of the roles of conscientiousness and neuroticism in achievement during the typically stressful university transition, with a focus on coping strategies and academic adjustment to university as mediators in the putative chain of events linking the dispositional traits with achievement.SampleThe sample comprised 498 first‐year students attending a metropolitan university in Australia.MethodsA multiwave design was used with measures of the personality traits administered at the beginning of the semester, measures of coping administered 4 weeks thereafter, and data on academic adjustment collected mid‐semester. Students’ GPA data were retrieved at the end of the semester.ResultsIn structural equations analyses, conscientiousness was associated with greater primary control engagement coping and lesser narrow disengagement coping, whereas the opposite was found for neuroticism. Furthermore, conscientiousness and neuroticism were indirectly associated with academic adjustment via the coping strategies, and the personality factors were also indirectly associated with achievement via the coping strategies and academic adjustment linked serially in three‐path mediated sequences.ConclusionsThe findings of this study replicate existing data concerning the direct and indirect relationships of personality with coping and adjustment, and extend these data by elucidating the pathways through which conscientiousness and neuroticism are linked with achievement during a typically stressful educational event.
A novel insulinotropic mechanism of whole grain‐derived γ‐oryzanol via the suppression of local dopamine D2 receptor signalling in mouse islet
Authors: Kozuka Chisayo , Sunagawa Sumito , Ueda Rei , Higa Moritake , Ohshiro Yuzuru , Tanaka Hideaki , Shimizu‐Okabe Chigusa , Takayama Chitoshi , Matsushita Masayuki , Tsutsui Masato , Ishiuchi Shogo , Nakata Masanori , Yada Toshihiko , Miyazaki Jun‐ichi , Oyadomari Seiichi , Shimabukuro Michio , Masuzaki Hiroaki 
Published: July 2015

Background and Purposeγ‐Oryzanol, derived from unrefined rice, attenuated the preference for dietary fat in mice, by decreasing hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress. However, no peripheral mechanisms, whereby γ‐oryzanol could ameliorate glucose dyshomeostasis were explored. Dopamine D2 receptor signalling locally attenuates insulin secretion in pancreatic islets, presumably via decreased levels of intracellular cAMP. We therefore hypothesized that γ‐oryzanol would improve high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced dysfunction of islets through the suppression of local D2 receptor signalling.Experimental ApproachGlucose metabolism and regulation of molecules involved in D2 receptor signalling in pancreatic islets were investigated in male C57BL/6J mice, fed HFD and treated with γ‐oryzanol . In isolated murine islets and the beta cell line, MIN6 , the effects of γ‐oryzanol on glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was analysed using siRNA for D2 receptors and a variety of compounds which alter D2 receptor signalling.Key ResultsIn islets, γ‐oryzanol enhanced GSIS via the activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway. Expression of molecules involved in D2 receptor signalling was increased in islets from HFD‐fed mice, which were reciprocally decreased by γ‐oryzanol. Experiments with siRNA for D2 receptors and D2 receptor ligands in vitro suggest that γ‐oryzanol suppressed D2 receptor signalling and augmented GSIS.Conclusions and Implicationsγ‐Oryzanol exhibited unique anti‐diabetic properties. The unexpected effects of γ‐oryzanol on D2 receptor signalling in islets may provide a novel; natural food‐based, approach to anti‐diabetic therapy.
Tissue‐specific up‐regulation of arginase I and II induced by p38 MAPK mediates endothelial dysfunction in type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Pernow J , Kiss A , Tratsiakovich Y , Climent B 
Published: July 2015

Background and PurposeEmerging evidence suggests a selective up‐regulation of arginase I in diabetes causing coronary artery disease; however, the mechanisms behind this up‐regulation are still unknown. Activated p38 MAPK has been reported to increase arginase II in various cardiovascular diseases. We therefore tested the role of p38 MAPK in the regulation of arginase I and II expression and its effect on endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus.Experimental ApproachEndothelial function was determined in septal coronary (SCA), left anterior descending coronary (LAD) and mesenteric (MA) arteries from healthy and streptozotocin‐induced diabetic Wistar rats by wire myographs. Arginase activity and protein levels of arginase I, II, phospho‐p38 MAPK and phospho‐endothelial NOS (eNOS) (Ser1177) were determined in these arteries from diabetic and healthy rats treated with a p38 MAPK inhibitor in vivo.Key ResultsDiabetic SCA and MA displayed impaired endothelium‐dependent relaxation, which was prevented by arginase and p38 MAPK inhibition while LAD relaxation was not affected. Arginase I, phospho‐p38 MAPK and eNOS protein expression was increased in diabetic coronary arteries. In diabetic MA, however, increased expression of arginase II and phospho‐p38 MAPK, increased arginase activity and decreased expression of eNOS were observed. All these effects were reversed by p38 MAPK inhibition.Conclusions and ImplicationsDiabetes‐induced activation of p38 MAPK causes endothelial dysfunction via selective up‐regulation of arginase I expression in coronary arteries and arginase II expression in MA. Therefore, regional differences appear to exist in the arginase isoforms contributing to endothelial dysfunction in type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Review of null hypothesis significance testing in the ophthalmic literature: are most ‘significant’ P values false positives?
Authors: Sanfilippo Paul G , Casson Robert J , Yazar Seyhan , Mackey David A , Hewitt Alex W 
Published: July 2015

AbstractP values associated with null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) are almost universal in the ophthalmic literature. A P value < 0.05 is traditionally considered ‘significant’. This concept may deflect further thought about the veracity of the results. P values influence the publishability of the data and have flow‐on effects for funding success and the direction of future research. Despite their importance, the problems inherent in P values have been recognized since their inception, and in more recent years have been increasingly highlighted in some scientific fields. In this review, we aim to bring the problems associated with P values and NHST to the attention of the ophthalmic research community. We do not offer a universal solution to the problem of determining the veracity of a scientific claim; however, we demonstrate the need for caution in interpreting ‘significant’ P values by performing a Bayesian re‐analysis of t‐tests in the ophthalmic literature.
Register Efficient Dynamic Memory Allocator for GPUs
Authors: Vinkler M. , Havran V. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWe compare five existing dynamic memory allocators optimized for GPUs and show their strengths and weaknesses. In the measurements, we use three generic evaluation tests proposed in the past and we add one with a real workload, where dynamic memory allocation is used in building the k‐d tree data structure. Following the performance analysis we propose a new dynamic memory allocator and its variants that address the limitations of the existing dynamic memory allocators. The new dynamic memory allocator uses few resources and is targeted towards large and variably sized memory allocations on massively parallel hardware architectures.
Tobacco smoking and hand eczema – is there an association?
Authors: Sørensen Jennifer A. , Clemmensen Kim K. , Nixon Rosemary L. , Diepgen Thomas L. , Agner Tove 
Published: July 2015

SummaryBackgroundNumerous risk factors have been suggested for hand eczema. This systematic review evaluates the association between tobacco smoking and hand eczema.ObjectiveTo review the literature systematically on the association between smoking and hand eczema.MethodsThe PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched up to 27 January 2015 for articles on the association between tobacco smoking and hand eczema, including human studies in English and German only. Experimental studies, studies on tobacco allergy, case reports, reviews and studies on second‐hand smoking were excluded.ResultsTwenty articles were included. Among studies in occupational settings, three of seven found a statistically significant positive association between tobacco smoking and hand eczema prevalence rate, as did four of eight population‐based studies. The association was stronger for studies in occupational settings than for population‐based studies. No studies reported tobacco to be a clear protective factor for hand eczema. Two of five studies regarding severity found a positive association between smoking and hand eczema severity.ConclusionOverall, the data indicate that smoking may cause an increased frequency of hand eczema, particularly in high‐risk occupations. However, data from studies controlling for other risk factors are conflicting, and few prospective studies are available. Studies controlling for other risk factors are needed, and information regarding the diagnosis of subclasses of hand eczema, as well as severity, may be important.
Blood flow occlusion pressure at rest and immediately after a bout of low load exercise
Authors: Barnett Brian E. , Dankel Scott J. , Counts Brittany R. , Nooe Allison L. , Abe Takashi , Loenneke Jeremy P. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryThe purpose of this study was to determine whether arm circumference is predictive of arterial occlusion in the standing position and to determine the change in pressure before and immediately after exercise. Thirty‐one participants had their arm circumference, blood pressure and standing arterial occlusion determined before exercise. Participants then completed elbow flexions at 40% of resting arterial occlusion at 30% of their one repetition maximum (1RM). The goal repetitions for the exercise included one set of 30 repetitions followed by 3 sets of 15, with 30s rest between sets. Immediately following the last set, postexercise arterial occlusion was determined. Two different models of hierarchical linear regression were used to determine the greatest predictor of standing arterial occlusion. Our final model explained 69% of the variance in arterial occlusion with arm circumference (β = 0·639, part = 0·568) explaining more than brachial systolic blood pressure (β = 0·312, part = 0·277). Standing arterial occlusion increased from pre‐ [138 (15) mmHg] to post‐ [169 (20) mmHg] exercise (P<0·001). In conclusion, the cardiovascular response to blood flow restriction (BFR) in the upper arm following 4 sets of elbow flexion exercise decreases the relative arterial occlusion pressure. In addition, we confirm previous data that circumference explains the most unique variance in arterial occlusion pressure in the upper body. These findings are important as they provide additional insight into making the pressure more uniform between participants throughout exercise.
Non‐local high cycle fatigue strength criterion for metallic materials with corrosion defects
Authors: El May Mohamed , Saintier Nicolas , Palin‐Luc Thierry , Devos Olivier 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThis paper proposes a volumetric high cycle fatigue (HCF) strength criterion able to quantify the influence of natural corrosion pits on the fatigue limit of a martensitic stainless steel with high mechanical strength. Elastic–plastic numerical simulations were performed for real pits geometry, identified by X‐ray microtomography, to determine the local stress distribution. The analysis revealed that calculation of the fatigue strength for material with real (irregular) pit geometry required a non‐local HCF strength criterion. Such model was proposed based on the Crossland equivalent stress averaged within a volume limited by a critical distance. This criterion was validated with HCF tests on specimens with natural corrosion defects of different sizes.
Thermal niche predicts tolerance to habitat conversion in tropical amphibians and reptiles
Authors: Frishkoff Luke O. , Hadly Elizabeth A. , Daily Gretchen C. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractHabitat conversion is a major driver of the biodiversity crisis, yet why some species undergo local extinction while others thrive under novel conditions remains unclear. We suggest that focusing on species' niches, rather than traits, may provide the predictive power needed to forecast biodiversity change. We first examine two Neotropical frog congeners with drastically different affinities to deforestation and document how thermal niche explains deforestation tolerance. The more deforestation‐tolerant species is associated with warmer macroclimates across Costa Rica, and warmer microclimates within landscapes. Further, in laboratory experiments, the more deforestation‐tolerant species has critical thermal limits, and a jumping performance optimum, shifted ~2 °C warmer than those of the more forest‐affiliated species, corresponding to the ~3 °C difference in daytime maximum temperature that these species experience between habitats. Crucially, neither species strictly specializes on either habitat – instead habitat use is governed by regional environmental temperature. Both species track temperature along an elevational gradient, and shift their habitat use from cooler forest at lower elevations to warmer deforested pastures upslope. To generalize these conclusions, we expand our analysis to the entire mid‐elevational herpetological community of southern Costa Rica. We assess the climatological affinities of 33 amphibian and reptile species, showing that across both taxonomic classes, thermal niche predicts presence in deforested habitat as well as or better than many commonly used traits. These data suggest that warm‐adapted species carry a significant survival advantage amidst the synergistic impacts of land‐use conversion and climate change.