bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The differential anti‐inflammatory effects of exercise modalities and their association with early carotid atherosclerosis progression in patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Kadoglou N. P. E. , Fotiadis G. , Kapelouzou A. , Kostakis A. , Liapis C. D. , Vrabas I. S. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractObjectiveAdipokines, visfatin, apelin, vaspin and ghrelin have emerged as novel cardiovascular risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the effects of different exercise modalities on the aforementioned novel adipokines and carotid intima‐media thickness in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodsOne hundred patients with Type 2 diabetes were equivalently (n = 25) randomized into four groups: (1) a control group with patients encouraged to perform self‐controlled exercise; (2) a supervised aerobic exercise group (exercise four times/week, 60 min/session, 60–75% of maximum heart rate); (3) a resistance training group (60–80% baseline maximum load achieved in one repetition); and (4) a combined aerobic exercise plus resistance training group, as in groups 2 and 3. All participants had HbA1c levels ≥ 48 mmol/mol (≥ 6.5%), without overt diabetic vascular complications. Blood samples, clinical characteristics, peak oxygen uptake and carotid intima‐media thickness measurements were obtained at baseline and at the end of the study, after 6 months.ResultsAt baseline, there were non‐significant differences between groups. All active groups significantly ameliorated glycaemic profile, insulin sensitivity and triglycerides levels compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Aerobic training further improved lipids, systolic blood pressure and exercise capacity compared with the resistance training and the control groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein and visfatin decreased, while vaspin and apelin circulating levels increased within the aerobic exercise group and the aerobic exercise plus resistance training group, and compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). Within‐ and between‐group comparisons showed negligible alterations in ghrelin serum levels and body weight after all exercise modalities. Finally, aerobic training attenuated the carotid intima‐media thickness progression (0.017 ± 0.006 mm) compared with the control subjects (0.129 ± 0.042 mm, P < 0.001). That effect was independently associated with visfatin and amelioration of peak oxygen uptake.ConclusionsIn subjects with Type 2 diabetes, all exercise training modalities improved metabolic profile. Importantly, aerobic training predominantly ameliorated adipokines concentrations and carotid intima‐media thickness progression.
Exenatide once weekly improved glycaemic control, cardiometabolic risk factors and a composite index of an HbA1c < 7%, without weight gain or hypoglycaemia, over 52 weeks
Authors: Bergenstal R. M. , Li Y. , Porter T. K. Booker , Weaver C. , Han J. 
Published: October 2012

AimsType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is often associated with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate potential effects of exenatide once weekly (ExQW), a GLP‐1 receptor agonist, on glycaemic control and CV risk factors.MethodsThis analysis included 675 Intent‐to‐Treat patients with T2DM [baseline (mean ± SD) HbA1c, 8.1 ± 1.2%; fasting blood glucose (FBG), 166 ± 48 mg/dl; weight, 94.3 ± 19.4 kg; systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP), 129 ± 15/78 ± 9 mm Hg; total cholesterol, 178.5 ± 41.9 mg/dl; low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), 100.1 ± 35.0 mg/dl; high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), 44.5 ± 11.6 mg/dl; triglycerides, 155.6 ± 3.3 mg/dl; alanine aminotransferase (ALT), 32.1 ± 19.5 U/l] treated with diet and exercise alone or in combination with metformin, sulfonylurea, and/or thiazolidinedione who received 52 weeks of ExQW in four clinical trials.ResultsAt 52 weeks, ExQW significantly improved HbA1c [mean (SE) change from baseline, −1.3 (0.05)%], FBG [−36.3 (2.02) mg/dl], body weight [−2.6 (0.19) kg], SBP/DBP [−3.6 (0.56) mm Hg/−1.2 (0.34) mm Hg], total cholesterol, −4.4 (1.33) mg/dl; LDL, −2.6 (1.08) mg/dl; HDL, 1.1 (0.31) mg/dl; triglycerides, −7 (1.6)%], and ALT [−4.3 (0.71) IU/l] concentrations, with greater improvements in patients with elevated analyte levels at baseline. Improvements were observed across a range of background antihyperglycaemia therapies. Of patients completing 52 weeks, 19% achieved the composite American Diabetes Association goal (HbA1c < 7.0%, BP < 130/80 mm Hg, LDL < 100 mg/dl), compared to 1% at baseline. Nearly half (48%) achieved HbA1c < 7.0% without weight gain or major/minor hypoglycaemia. Nausea was the most frequent adverse event and was predominantly mild. Hypoglycaemia was infrequent, and more common with a sulfonylurea.ConclusionsWith 52 weeks of ExQW, patients experienced sustained improvements in glycaemic control and CV risk factors, with an increased likelihood of achieving both a clinically relevant composite outcome (HbA1c < 7% without weight gain or increased risk of hypoglycaemia) and a composite of key therapeutic goals (HbA1c < 7%, BP < 130/80 mm Hg, LDL < 100 mg/dl).
Fabricated Illness: Working within the Family System to Find a Pathway to Health
Authors: Kozlowska Kasia , Foley Sue , Savage Blanche 
Published: October 2012

The term medically unexplained symptoms refers to a clinical presentation where the child's symptoms and impairment cannot be explained by any known organic pathology, and may include conversion disorders, somatoform pain disorders, factitious disorder, and factitious disorder by proxy. In this case study, we present our treatment of a 9‐year‐old girl with a 2‐year history of medically unexplained abdominal cramping and vaginal discharge. During the 9 months that we worked with this family, we were never able to clarify in our own minds the source of the child's symptoms—that is, who was responsible for their induction or who was the instigator or maintainer of the exaggerated symptoms. Nor did we come to fully understand the function of the symptoms in the family system. Our case report does not answer either of these questions. Instead, we describe how we worked with the family despite the ongoing ambiguities as to why the symptoms were occurring and who was inducing them. The functional outcome was disappearance of symptoms, return to full school attendance, and improved parenting behavior.
Evidence for a dual functional role of a conserved histidine in RNA·DNA heteroduplex cleavage by human RNase H1
Authors: Alla Nageswara R. , Nicholson Allen W. 
Published: October 2012

Ribonuclease H1 is a conserved enzyme that cleaves the RNA strand of RNA·DNA heteroduplexes and has important functions in the nuclear and mitochondrial compartments. The therapeutic action of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides involves the recruitment of RNase H1 to cleave disease‐relevant RNA targets. Recombinant human (Hs) RNase H1 was purified from a bacterial expression host, and conditions were identified that provided optimal oligonucleotide‐directed RNA cleavage in vitro. Hs‐RNase H1 exhibits optimal catalytic activity in pH 7.5 HEPES buffer and a salt (KCl) concentration of ~ 100–150 mm. Mg2+ best supports Hs‐RNase H1 with an optimal concentration of 10 mm, but at higher concentrations inhibits enzyme activity. Mn2+ and Co2+ also support catalytic activity, while Ni2+ and Zn2+ exhibit only modest activities as cofactors. The optimized assay was used to show that an antisense oligonucleotide, added in substoichiometric amounts to initiate RNA cleavage, supports up to 30 rounds of reaction in 30 min. Mutation to alanine of the conserved histidine at position 264 causes an ~ 100‐fold decrease in kcat under multiple‐turnover conditions, but does not alter Km. Under single‐turnover conditions, the H264A mutant exhibits a 12‐fold higher exponential time constant for substrate cleavage. The defective activity of the H264A mutant is not rescued in either assay condition by higher Mg2+ concentrations. These data implicate the H264 side chain in phosphodiester hydrolysis as well as in product release, and are consistent with a proposed model in which the H264 side chain interacts with a divalent metal ion to support catalysis.
The expression and role of Lysyl oxidase (LOX) in dentinogenesis
Authors: Tjäderhane L. , Vered M. , Pääkkönen V. , Peteri A. , Mäki J. M. , Myllyharju J. , Dayan D. , Salo T. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAimTo establish whether eliminating Lysyl oxidase (LOX) gene would affect dentine formation.MethodologyNewborn wild‐type (wt) and homo‐ and heterozygous LOX knock‐out (Lox−/− and Lox+/−, respectively) mice were used to study developing tooth morphology and dentine formation. Collagen aggregation in the developing dentine was examined histochemically with picrosirius red (PSR) staining followed by polarized microscopy. Because Lox−/− die at birth, adult wt and Lox+/− mouse tooth morphologies were examined with FESEM. Human odontoblasts and pulp tissue were used to study the expression of LOX and its isoenzymes with Affymetrix cDNA microarray.ResultsNo differences between Lox−/−, Lox+/− and wt mice developing tooth morphology were seen by light microscopy. Histochemically, however, teeth in wt mice demonstrated yellow‐orange and orange‐red polarization colours with PSR staining, indicating thick and more densely packed collagen fibres, whilst in Lox−/− and Lox+/− mice, most of the polarization colours were green to green‐yellow, indicating thinner, less aggregated collagen fibres. Fully developed teeth did not show any differences between Lox+/− and wt mice with FESEM. Human odontoblasts expressed LOX and three of four of its isoenzymes.ConclusionsThe data indicate that LOX is not essential in dentinogenesis, even though LOX deletion may affect dentine matrix collagen thickness and packing. The absence of functional LOX may be compensated by LOX isoenzymes.
Functional changes in regulatory T cells during an experimental infection with sparganum (plerocercofid of Spirometra mansoni)
Authors: Kim Hyung‐Ran , Lee Su‐Min , Won Jong‐Wha , Lim Woosung , Moon Byung‐In , Yang Hyun‐Jong , Seoh Ju‐Young 
Published: October 2012

SummaryRegulatory T (Treg) cells are important in the regulation of immune response, but the exact regulation of Treg‐cell function in vivo is still not well known. In the present study, we investigated the functional activity of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells as well as the frequency and number of CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ Treg cells in the spleens of experimentally infected mice with a tissue‐migrating parasite, sparganum (plerocercoid of Spirometra mansoni) for 3 weeks. The results demonstrated fluctuations in the Treg‐cell function during the parasite infection, being up‐regulated at day 3, down‐regulated until day 14, and thereafter up‐regulated again at day 21. We also investigated the cytokine‐producing capability of the splenocytes to study the pattern of immune response of the mice to the parasite. The results showed decreased capabilities of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and IL‐17α production, whereas IL‐4‐producing and IL‐10‐producing capabilities were increased along with the parasitic infection. Meanwhile, IL‐6‐producing capability was increased to reach a peak at week 2, and thereafter was decreased to the baseline level. As a regulatory mechanism, we found that Treg‐cell function was attenuated in the presence of the crude extracts of sparganum, but was enhanced in the presence of the excretory–secretory products, suggesting that sparganum products were involved in the triggering and regulation of immune response in the acute and chronic phases, respectively. Results show that Treg cells are central in the immune homeostasis in vivo that is maintained by host–parasite interactions during the parasitic infection.
Anti‐interleukin‐33 inhibits cigarette smoke‐induced lung inflammation in mice
Authors: Qiu Chuan , Li Yan , Li Mingcai , Li Min , Liu Xiaojin , McSharry Charles , Xu Damo 
Published: October 2012

SummaryThe mechanism by which cigarette smoke (CS) causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is poorly understood. Interleukin‐33 (IL‐33) is a pleiotropic cytokine predominantly expressed in lung tissue and can elicit airway inflammation in naive mice. We tested the hypothesis that IL‐33 is induced by CS and contributes to CS‐mediated airway inflammation in a mouse model of CS‐induced COPD. Groups of mice were exposed to CS three times per day for 4 consecutive days. The expression levels of IL‐33 and ST2 were markedly enhanced in the lung tissue of mice inhaling CS. Exposure to CS also induced neutrophil and macrophage infiltration and expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, tumour necrosis factor‐α, IL‐17), chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1) and mucin 5, subtypes A and C in the airways. More importantly, all of these CS‐induced pathogenic changes were significantly inhibited by treatment with neutralizing anti‐IL‐33 antibody delivered intranasally. Hence, our results suggest that IL‐33 plays a critical role in CS‐mediated airway inflammation and may be a therapeutic target in CS‐related diseases, including COPD.
Influenza A viruses dual and multiple infections with other respiratory viruses and risk of hospitalisation and mortality
Authors: Goka Edward , Vallely Pamela , Mutton Kenneth , Klapper Paul 
Published: October 2012

Please cite this paper as: Goka et al. (2013) Influenza A viruses dual and multiple infections with other respiratory viruses and risk of hospitalisation and mortality. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(6), 1079–1087.Introduction Recent literature suggests that dual or multiple virus infections may affect disease severity. However, few studies have investigated the effect of co‐infection with influenza A viruses.Objectives To identify the association between influenza A and respiratory viruses co‐infections with disease outcome.Methodology Data for samples from North West England tested between January 2007 and June 2011 was analysed for patterns of co‐infection between influenza A viruses and eight respiratory viruses. Risk of hospitalisation to ICU or general ward in single versus co‐infections was assessed using logistic regression.Results Of the 25 596 samples analysed for respiratory viruses 40·7% (10 501) were positive for any virus. Co‐infections were detected in 4·7% (137/2879) of all patients with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, and 7·3% (57/779) of those with other influenza A virus infections. Co‐infection between seasonal influenza A viruses and influenza B virus was associated with a significant increase in the risk of admission to ICU/death (OR: 22·0, 95% CI: 2·21–219·8, P = 0·008). Respiratory syncytial virus/influenza A (RSV/Flu A) co‐infection also increased this risk but was not statistically significant. For influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, RSV and AdV co‐infection increased risk of hospitalisation to general ward whereas Flu B increased risk of admission to ICU, but none of these were statistically significant.Conclusion Co‐infection is a significant predictor of disease outcome; combined treatment, introduction of an integrated vaccine for all respiratory viruses and development of multi‐target rapid diagnostic tests is recommended. Integration of respiratory viruses’ co‐infections into public health reports could also contribute to the accumulation of evidence.
Influence of renal replacement therapy on immune response after one and two doses of the A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccine
Authors: Quintana Luis F. , Serra Nuria , De Molina‐Llauradó Patricia , Blasco Miquel , Martinez Mikel , Campos Begoña , Bayas Jose M. , Pumarola Tomás , Campistol Josep M. 
Published: October 2012

Please cite this paper as: Quintana et al. (2012) Influence of renal replacement therapy on immune response after one and two doses of the A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccine. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI: 10.1111/irv.12024.Background  Patients with end‐stage renal disease have a reduced response to vaccination because of the general suppression of the immune system associated with uraemia.Objectives  We evaluated the immune response and differential factors in the immunogenecity to an adjuvanted A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccine (Pandemrix®) in four populations of renal patients after one and two doses of vaccine.Patients Methods  151 patients were included in this study: 58 chronic haemodialysis patients, 52 renal allograft recipients, 14 peritoneal dialysis patients and 27 patients with advanced chronic kidney disease in preparation for kidney replacement therapy. Influenza‐specific antibody levels were measured by monitoring A(H1N1) pdm09 titres using a haemagglutination inhibition assay.Results  The seroconversion rate at 42 days after two vaccine doses was 80% in the haemodialysis group, 64·9% in the renal allograft recipients group, 100% in the advanced chronic kidney disease group and 71·4% in the peritoneal dialysis group (P = 0·041).Conclusions  Immune response to two doses of the influenza A H1N1 vaccine is dissimilar in the four renal conditions, confirming that seroprotection in pre‐dialysis, haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis is similar to that in the general population vaccinated with one dose. In contrast, renal transplant recipients with good allograft function showed inadequate protection and triple immunosuppressive therapy including calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate and steroids negatively influenced seroconversion after vaccination in renal recipients.
Organic soils provide evidence of spatial variation in human‐induced vegetation change following European occupation of Tasmania
Authors: Folco Maj‐Britt di , Kirkpatrick James B. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAimWe test the hypothesis that the European destruction of western Tasmanian Aboriginal society, and consequent changes in burning patterns, resulted in succession towards rain forest near the coast, and an increase in the area of more fire‐resistant sedgeland in inland areas.LocationSouth‐western and western Tasmania, Australia.MethodsAttributes of organic soils (surface and underlying dominant horizons) beneath rain forest and sedgeland were described and measured from 559 soil pits in areas with highly siliceous surface geology. Multiple logistic regression was used to discriminate the dominant horizons of rain forest and sedgeland soils. This equation was used to derive scores for all soil pits. The hypothesis that change was greater near existing boundaries was tested using correlation. The hypothesis that change was greater at coastal than inland locations was tested using ANOVA.ResultsBoth upper horizons of the soils under the fire‐sensitive rain forest (14C‐dated to be younger than 60 years) and dominant horizons of these soils had significantly higher organic contents, lower bulk density and more nitrogen than the soils under the fire‐requiring sedgeland. Twenty‐nine per cent of the soils under sedgeland had dominant horizons that indicated past rain forest. One‐quarter of the soils under rain forest had dominant horizons characteristic of sedgeland soils. Although results were heterogeneous in both locations, the former difference was more common inland and the latter near the coast. Change was not higher close to present boundaries.Main conclusionsThe characteristics of the dominant horizons and the post‐colonial surface horizon give a strong indication of the vegetation that formed them. Changes in fire regimes, caused by the displacement of Tasmanian Aborigines by Europeans, appear to have caused vegetation changes that differed within and between the coast and inland areas. Thus, there has been a strong human role in determining the distributions of vegetation types in the region.
Using cross‐correlation for automated stitching of two‐dimensional multi‐tile electron backscatter diffraction data
Authors: PILCHAK A.L. , SHIVELEY A.R. , SHADE P.A. , TILEY J.S. , BALLARD D.L. 
Published: October 2012

SummaryA method for automatically aligning consecutive data sets of large, two‐dimensional multi‐tile electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) scans with high accuracy was developed. The method involved first locating grain and phase boundaries within search regions containing overlapping data in adjacent scan tiles, and subsequently using cross‐correlation algorithms to determine the relative position of the individual scan tiles which maximizes the fraction of overlapping boundaries. Savitzky‐Golay filtering in two dimensions was used to estimate the background, which was then subtracted from the cross‐correlation to enhance the peak signal in samples with a high density of interfaces. The technique was demonstrated on data sets with a range of interface densities. The equations were implemented as enhancements to a recently published open source code for stitching of multi‐tile EBSD data sets.
A new method for exact three‐dimensional reconstructions of diatom frustules
Authors: FRIEDRICHS L. , MAIER M. , HAMM C. 
Published: October 2012

SummaryExact geometric description, numerical analysis and comparison of microscopic objects such as the frustules of diatoms are of increasing importance in basic research (e.g. functional morphology, taxonomy and biogeochemistry). Similarly, applied research and product development in the fields of lightweight construction and nanotechnology can benefit from machine‐readable data of such structures. This paper presents a new method to combine data from scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy to generate exact three‐dimensional models of diatom frustules. We propose a method to obtain a high‐quality mesh for subsequent analysis through finite element analysis, for example, for biomechanical research on diatom frustules. A specific lightweight value as a universal tool to describe and compare the biomechanical quality of microscopic objects is introduced. Our approach improves the precision of three‐dimensional reconstructions, but the generation of usable finite element meshes from complex three‐dimensional data based on microscopic techniques requires either a transformation of grid points into elements or smoothing algorithms. Biomechanical analyses of differently obtained models indicate that more complex three‐dimensional reconstructions lead to more realistic results.
Multi‐Component Theories of Well‐being and Their Structure
Authors: Sarch Alexander F. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe ‘adjustment strategy’ currently seems to be the most common approach to incorporating objective elements into one's theory of well‐being. These theories face a certain problem, however, which can be avoided by a different approach – namely, that employed by ‘partially objective multi‐component theories.’ Several such theories have recently been proposed, but the question of how to understand their mathematical structure has not been adequately addressed. I argue that the most mathematically simple of these multi‐component theories fails, so I proceed to investigate more sophisticated ways to formulate such a theory. I conclude that one of these – the Discount/Inflation Theory – is particularly promising.