bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A population pharmacokinetic model of remifentanil in pediatric patients using body-weight-dependent allometric exponents
Authors: Staschen Carl-Michael , Mahmood Iftekhar 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background: Allometric exponents in population pharmacokinetic analysis are regularly used but the issue of fixing or estimating an allometric exponent remains controversial. The objective of the current analysis is to evaluate the performance of a body-weight-dependent allometric exponent (BDE) model of remifentanil.

Methods: The study was conducted in 34 patients (neonates to 17 years and 2.5 to 97 kg body weight) following a single intravenous (IV) infusion of remifentanil (5 μg/kg). A population pharmacokinetic approach was taken to describe drug clearance by the following BDE equation: CL=CLpop(BW/14.6 kg)
L

×
BW(
-

M

). Three allometric models were used to explore the impact of allometric exponents on the total clearance of remifentanil.

Results: All model-fitted structural, covariate, and statistical parameters were estimated with good to excellent precision (%RSE). However, on the basis of calculated Akaike weights (0.000 for model 1, 0.004 for model 2, and 0.996 for model 3), model 3 is the most robust model to describe individual clearance estimates.

Conclusions: The BDE model performed best for the estimation of remifentanil clearance and is realistic and of practical value. Further investigation should be conducted for such models.
Septin functions in organ system physiology and pathology
Authors: Dolat Lee , Hu Qicong , Spiliotis Elias T. 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Human septins comprise a family of 13 genes that encode for >30 protein isoforms with ubiquitous and tissue-specific expressions. Septins are GTP-binding proteins that assemble into higher-order oligomers and filamentous polymers, which associate with cell membranes and the cytoskeleton. In the last decade, much progress has been made in understanding the biochemical properties and cell biological functions of septins. In parallel, a growing number of studies show that septins play important roles for the development and physiology of specific tissues and organs. Here, we review the expression and function of septins in the cardiovascular, immune, nervous, urinary, digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, and integumentary organ systems. Furthermore, we discuss how the tissue-specific functions of septins relate to the pathology of human diseases that arise from aberrations in septin expression.
Awareness, acceptability, and use of female condoms among university students in Nigeria: implications for STI/HIV prevention
Authors: Tobin-West Charles I. , Maduka Omosivie , Onyekwere Victor N. , Tella Adedayo O. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBackground:Most university students in Nigeria are sexually active and engage in high risk sexual behaviors. The aim of this study was to assess the acceptability and use of female condoms in the context of HIV prevention in order to provide basic information that can stimulate female condom programming to promote sexually transmitted infection and HIV prevention among youths in tertiary institutions.Materials and methods:A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out among 810 undergraduate students of the University of Port Harcourt from October to November 2011, using a stratified sampling method and self-administered questionnaires.Results:Most of the students, 589 (72.7%) were sexually active; 352 (59.7%) reported having just one sexual partner, while 237 (40.3%) had multiple partners. The mean number of sexual partners in the past six months was 2.2±0. Consistent condom use was reported among 388 (79.2%) students, 102 (20.8%) reported occasional usage, while 99 (16.8%) did not use condoms at all. Only 384 (65.2%) of the students had ever been screened for HIV. Although 723 (89.3%) were aware of female condoms, only 64(8.9%) had ever used one due to unavailability, high cost, and difficulty with its insertion. Nevertheless, 389 (53.8%) of the students expressed willingness to use them if offered, while 502 (69.4%) would recommend it to friends/peers.Conclusion:This study highlights significant challenges in the use of female condoms among university students. These include unavailability, high cost, and difficulty with insertion. Therefore, deliberate efforts using social marketing strategies, appropriate youth-friendly publicity, and peer education must be exerted to provide affordable female condoms and promote usage; such efforts should target vulnerable youths in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
An exploration of adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury and religious coping
Authors: Westers Nicholas J. , Rehfuss Mark , Olson Lynn , Wiemann Constance M. 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Many adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) self-identify as religious, but the role of religion in their NSSI is not known. This exploratory study examined the relationship between religious coping and religiousness among adolescents who self-injure and the function of their NSSI. Thirty adolescents aged 12–19 years who had engaged in NSSI participated in an interview and completed questionnaires. Multiple regressions were used to examine the relationship between religious coping and NSSI, and Pearson correlations were used to assess the relationship between religiousness and function of NSSI. Greater use of positive religious coping was associated with lower likelihood of engaging in NSSI to rid oneself of unwanted emotions, whereas greater use of negative religious coping was associated with greater likelihood of engaging in NSSI for this reason as well as to avoid punishment or unwanted responsibility. Higher religiousness was associated with greater use of NSSI to communicate with or gain attention from others, whereas lower religiousness was associated with greater use of NSSI to relieve unwanted emotions. Having a greater understanding of how religious constructs are related to the various functions served by NSSI may inform treatment of this population, particularly among religious youth who self-injure.
Temporal expression of IL-1β and IL-10 in rat skin, muscle, small bowel, and colon wounds: a correlative study
Authors: Alzoghaibi Mohammed A. , Al-Oraini Abdullah I. , Al-Sagheir Ali I. , Zubaidi Ahmad M. 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background: Cytokines play a major role in coordinated wound healing events. We hypothesized that rapid intestinal healing is due to an early upregulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β), followed by increases in the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.

Methods: We characterized the time course of IL-1β and IL-10 release at four wounds (skin, muscle, small bowel, and colonic anastomosis) after surgery on 38 juvenile male Sprague-Dawley rats. The tissue samples of each site were harvested at 0 (control), 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days postoperatively (n=6–8 per group) and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits for IL-1β and IL-10.

Results: IL-1β expression peaked at days 5 and 7 in small bowel and colonic wounds when compared to skin or muscle. Similarly, IL-10 showed high expression in these time points in small bowel and colonic wounds. However, IL-10 showed the same expression in all time points in muscle and skin tissues except at day 1.

Conclusions: The high expression in IL-1β and IL-10 levels in small bowel and colon might explain the accelerated healing process in these wounds in comparison to skin and muscle tissues. Additional studies are required to determine whether IL-1β and IL-10 expression is the major factor defining site-specific differences in healing rates in different tissues. Understanding cytokine action in the wound healing process could lead to novel and effective therapeutic strategies.
Decreased metabolism of 13C-caffeine via hepatic CYP1A2 in marasmus and kwashiorkor based on breath test
Authors: Oshikoya Kazeem Adeola , Smith Kenneth , Sammons Helen , Choonara Imti 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background: Hepatic metabolism of drugs has been rarely studied in children with malnutrition. Caffeine breath test (CBT) has been used to determine the activity of cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) enzymes in children. We used the CBT to assess how marasmus and kwashiorkor differentially affect 13C-caffeine metabolism.

Methods: A total of 45 children composed of 15 children per group of malnutrition (marasmus, marasmic-kwashiorkor, and kwashiorkor) were studied during malnutrition and after nutritional recovery. After an overnight fast, patients ingested 3 mg/kg 13C-caffeine at 0900 h. Duplicate breath samples were collected into an Exetainer bottle at –20, –10, and –1 min and at 15-min intervals for 2 h. The mean cumulative percent dose recovered (CPDR) of 13C-caffeine in the expired 13CO2 was determined over the study period.

Results: The CPDR in the expired 13CO2 in 2 h significantly increased after nutritional recovery in children with marasmus (from 6.80%±3.00% to 7.67%±2.81%; Student’s t-test, p=0.001), marasmic-kwashiorkor (from 6.61%±2.26% to 7.56%±2.46%, p=0.041), and kwashiorkor (from 6.29%±1.06% to 7.20%±1.80%, p=0.002). When the three groups of malnutrition were compared, there was no significant difference in their mean CPDR in 2 h during malnutrition [p=0.820, analysis of variance (ANOVA)] and after nutritional recovery (p=0.810, ANOVA).

Conclusions: Hepatic metabolism of caffeine significantly decreased in children with marasmus, marasmic-kwashiorkor, and kwashiorkor compared to after they had recovered nutritionally. This suggests a decreased CYP1A2 activity in all categories of malnutrition.
Inequality-growth nexus along the development process
Authors: Lin Yi-Chen , Huang Ho-Chuan (River) , Yeh Chih-Chuan 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe paper examines whether the effect of inequality on growth varies with the level of economic development. Using a comprehensive panel of annual data for the 48 contiguous US states over the period 1945–2004, we find overwhelming evidence in support of threshold effects in the relationship between inequality and growth. Our analysis shows that while the effect of inequality on growth is significantly negative at lower levels of development, this effect diminishes along the growth process and then turns significantly positive at higher levels of development. Quantitatively, the coefficient estimates imply that when real income per capita is below the threshold of $12,140 (2004 US dollar), a one standard deviation increase in the share of income held by the top 1% of the population
Distyrylbenzene oligoelectrolyte (DSBN+) for human cervical carcinoma cells imaging
Authors: Pawlowska Roza , Gwozdzinska Paulina , Garner Logan , Chworos Arkadiusz 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTIn the presented study, a new application for distyrylbenzene oligoelectrolyte, named DSBN+, as a marker for bioimaging is presented. DSBN+ is a water-soluble, conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE) with novel photophysical and solvatochromatic properties. Previous studies have shown that this compound spontaneously inserts into bilayer membranes in both synthetic and microbial living systems and can facilitate visualization of cell membranes through fluorescence imaging. In the presented research, we seek to further study and exploit the multifunctional nature of DSBN+ in terms of membrane interactions and photophysical properties for visualization of membranous structures of more complex mammalian cells, namely a human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cell line. Obtained results confirm the possibility of applying DSBN+ as a fluorescent dye for bioimaging of membranes in human cell cultures systems, both in live-cell imaging and in the studies required formaldehyde fixation. Due to the defined structure of this conjugated oligoelectrolyte we suspect that it will display organelle membrane selectivity, but this has to be further investigated.
Electrically Conducting PEDOT:PSS – Gellan Gum Hydrogels
Authors: Warren Holly , Panhuis Marc in het 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTHydrogels consisting of the conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS and the biopolymer gellan gum (GG) were characterized using electrical, mechanical and rheological methods. Compression testing and rheological analysis showed that the gels weakened with increasing PEDOT:PSS content. In contrast, the increasing PEDOT:PSS content resulted in an increasing electrical conductivity.
Should a Patients BMI Status be Used to Restrict Access to Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty? Functional Outcomes of Arthroplasty Relative to BMI - Single Centre Retrospective Review
Authors: Lash H. , Hooper G. , Hooper N. , Frampton C. 
Published: October 2013

We reviewed the experience of a dedicated orthopaedic elective service to determine whether we could establish a BMI group where arthroplasty was no longer effective as assessed by the patient’s functional outcome. This was a prospective observational study with retrospective analysis of data collected on 1439 total hip arthroplasty, 934 total knee arthroplasty and 326 unicompartment knee arthroplasty patients. Functional scores (WOMAC, Oxford hip and knee scores and HAAS) were obtained preoperatively and at 12 months post op. Patients had their BMI recorded at the preoperative assessment and were divided into BMI groups (BMI<25, BMI 25-30, BMI 30-35 and BMI > 35).
Patients with a BMI of ≤ 30 had significantly better functional scores at 12 months post op compared to those with a BMI of > 35. The absolute gain in functional scores from pre op to 12 months post op did not differ significantly between BMI groups, the only significant difference we found for absolute gain showed patients with a BMI of > 35 have a greater increase in HAAS scores following total hip arthroplasty compared to patients with a BMI of 30 or less (p = 0.0435).
Our patients with higher BMI’s had worse preoperative and post operative functional scores but their benefit from surgery measured by the change in functional scores showed no difference compared to patients with lower BMI. We could find no reason on the basis of the 12-month results to limit surgery to obese patients because of an expected poorer functional outcome.
Accuracy of Ceramic Restorations Made Using an In-office Optical Scanning Technique: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Tidehag P , Ottosson K , Sjögren G 
Published: October 2013

SUMMARYThe present in vitro study concerns determination of the pre-cementation gap width of all-ceramic crowns made using an in-office digital-impression technique and subsequent computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) production. Two chairside video camera systems were used: the Lava Oral scanner and Cadent's iTero scanner. Digital scans were made of a first molar typodont tooth that was suitably prepared for an all-ceramic crown. The digital impressions were sent via the Internet to commercial dental laboratories, where the crowns were made. Also, an impression of the typodont tooth was made, poured, and scanned in order to evaluate the pre-cementation gap of crowns produced from scanning stone dies. These methods and systems were evaluated by creating replicas of the intermediate space using an addition-cured silicone, and the gap widths were determined using a measuring microscope. Hot-pressed leucite-reinforced glass-ceramic crowns were selected as a reference. The mean value for the marginal measuring points of the control was 170 μm, and the values for all the evaluated crowns ranged from 107 to 128 μm. Corresponding figures for the internal measuring points were 141-210 μm and 115-237 μm, respectively. Based on the findings in the present study, an in-office digital-impression technique can be used to fabricate CAD/CAM ceramic single crowns with a marginal and internal accuracy that is on the same level as that of a conventional hot-pressed glass-ceramic crown. In the present study, however, slight differences could be seen between the two types of ceramic crowns studied with respect to the internal fit obtained.
Comparative In Vitro Effect of TiF4 to NaF and Potassium Oxalate on Reduction of Dentin Hydraulic Conductance
Authors: Calabria M , Porfirio R , Fernandes S , Wang L , Buzalaf M , Pereira JC , Magalhães AC 
Published: October 2013

SUMMARY
Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is related to an increase in dentin permeability. This study tested the effect of titanium tetrafluoride (TiF4) compared with sodium fluoride (NaF) and potassium oxalate gel on reducing hydraulic conductance (Lp) from the perspective of diminishing dentin permeability. The Lp of the dentin disks (1.0 ± 0.2 mm) was evaluated using Flodec. The maximum Lp values of each disk were taken after phosphoric acid etching (15 seconds) and randomly allocated to seven groups (n=8) according to the treatments. The minimum (smear layer) and the maximum (after acid etching) Lp values were recorded. Treatments were performed for 4 minutes as follows: 1) NaF varnish 2) and solution (2.45% F, pH 5.0), 3) TiF4 varnish and 4) solution (2.45% F, pH 1.0), 5) 3% potassium oxalate gel, 6) free fluoride varnish (placebo, pH 5.0), 7) and no treatment (control). The Lp after each treatment was assessed. Samples were exposed to an erosive challenge (6% citric acid, pH 2.1, 1 minute), and the final Lp was recorded. The data were statistically analyzed using repeated measures two-way analysis of variance (p&lt;0.05). All treatments were effective in reducing dentin Lp compared with the control immediately after the application. However, only potassium oxalate and NaF varnish significantly differed from placebo varnish (p&lt;0.0001). The same results were found after the erosive challenge. Therefore, the TiF4 was less effective than the NaF varnish and potassium oxalate gel in reducing dentin permeability. Using this experimental model, both NaF varnish and potassium oxalate gel reduced the Lp similarly to the presence of smear layer.
Asymptotic behavior of a sixth-order Cahn-Hilliard system
Authors: Miranville Alain 
Published: October 2013

AbstractOur aim in this paper is to study the asymptotic behavior, in terms of finite-dimensional attractors, of a sixth-order Cahn-Hilliard system. This system is based on a modification of the Ginzburg-Landau free energy proposed in [Torabi S., Lowengrub J., Voigt A., Wise S., A new phase-field model for strongly anisotropic systems, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. A Math. Phys. Eng. Sci., 2009, 465(2105), 1337–1359], assuming isotropy.
Quantifying the sorting efficiency of self-propelled run-and-tumble swimmers by geometrical ratchets
Authors: Berdakin Iván , Silhanek Alejandro , Moyano Cortéz Hernán , Marconi Verónica , Condat Carlos 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Suitable asymmetric microstructures can be used to control the direction of motion in microorganism populations. This rectification process makes it possible to accumulate swimmers in a region of space or to sort different swimmers. Here we study numerically how the separation process depends on the specific motility strategies of the microorganisms involved. Crucial properties such as the separation efficiency and the separation time for two bacterial strains are precisely defined and evaluated. In particular, the sorting of two bacterial populations inoculated in a box consisting of a series of chambers separated by columns of asymmetric obstacles is investigated. We show how the sorting efficiency is enhanced by these obstacles and conclude that this kind of sorting can be efficiently used even when the involved populations differ only in one aspect of their swimming strategy.
The influence of debris cover and glacial lakes on the recession of glaciers in Sikkim Himalaya, India
Authors: Basnett Smriti , Kulkarni Anil V. , Bolch Tobias 
Published: October 2013

AbstractWe investigated area changes in glaciers covering an area of ∼200 km2 in the Tista basin, Sikkim, Eastern Indian Himalaya, between ∼1990 and 2010 using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Indian Remote-sensing Satellite (IRS) images and related the changes to debris cover, supraglacial lakes and moraine-dam lakes. The glaciers lost an area of 3.3 ± 0.8% between 1989/90 and 2010. More detailed analysis revealed an area loss of 2.00 ± 0.82, 2.56 ± 0.61 and 2.28 ± 2.01 km2 for the periods 1989–97, 1997–2004/05 and 2004–2009/10, respectively. This indicates an accelerated retreat of glaciers after 1997. On further analysis, we observed (1) the formation and expansion of supraglacial lakes on many debris-covered glaciers and (2) the merging of these lakes over time, leading to the development of large moraine-dam lakes. We also observed that debris-covered glaciers with lakes lose a greater area than debris-covered glaciers without lakes and debris-free glaciers. The climatic data for 24 years (1987–2011), measured at the Gangtok meteorological station (1812 m a.s.l.), showed that the region experienced a 1.0°C rise in the summer minimum temperature and a 2.0°C rise in the winter minimum temperature, indicating hotter summers and warmer winters. There was no significant trend in the total annual precipitation. We find that glacier retreat is caused mainly by a temperature increase and that debris-covered glaciers can retreat at a faster rate than debris-free glaciers, if associated with lakes.
Glacier velocity measurements in the eastern Yigong Zangbo basin, Tibet, China
Authors: Ke Chang-Qing , Kou Cheng , Ludwig Ralf , Qin Xiang 
Published: October 2013

AbstractWe apply the feature-tracking method to L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to derive detailed motion patterns of glaciers in the Yigong Zangbo basin during summer 2007. The results indicate that the flow patterns are generally constrained by the valley geometry and terrain complexity. The mean velocities of the 12 glaciers were 15–206 m a−1,with a maximum of 423 m a−1 for Glacier No. 5a. The majority of the glaciers exhibited high and low velocities in their upper and lower sections, respectively. The glacier area ranges from 3 to 42 km2. It is found that velocity shows a positive correlation with the glacier area and length. Many small-scale temporal/spatial variations in the glacier flow patterns were observed along the central glacier flowline.
Dependence of century-scale projections of the Greenland ice sheet on its thermal regime
Authors: Seroussi H. , Morlighem M. , Rignot E. , Khazendar A. , Larour E. , Mouginot J. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractObservations show that the Greenland ice sheet has been losing mass at an increasing rate over the past few decades, which makes it a major contributor to sea-level rise. Here we use a three-dimensional higher-order ice-flow model, adaptive mesh refinement and inverse methods to accurately reproduce the present-day ice flow of the Greenland ice sheet. We investigate the effect of the ice thermal regime on (1) basal sliding inversion and (2) projections over the next 100 years. We show that steady-state temperatures based on present-day conditions allow a reasonable representation of the thermal regime and that both basal conditions and century-scale projections are weakly sensitive to small changes in the initial temperature field, compared with changes in atmospheric conditions or basal sliding. We conclude that although more englacial temperature measurements should be acquired to validate the models, and a better estimation of geothermal heat flux is needed, it is reasonable to use steady-state temperature profiles for short-term projections, as external forcings remain the main drivers of the changes occurring in Greenland.