bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes of urinary bladder contractility in high‐fat diet‐fed mice: The role of tumor necrosis factor‐α
Authors: Fan Eric Wen‐Chou , Chen Li‐Jen , Cheng Juei‐Tang , Tong Yat‐Ching 
Published: March 2014

ObjectivesTo study the role of tumor necrosis factor‐α in bladder dysfunction associated with obesity.MethodsMale 8‐week‐old C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: (i) control mice; (ii) vehicle‐treated high‐fat diet‐fed mice; and (iii) etanercept‐treated high‐fat diet‐fed mice. High‐fat diet feeding lasted for 12 weeks, vehicle or etanercept (0.8 mg/kg/day, a tumor necrosis factor‐α antagonist) treatment was given during the last 4 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, serum tumor necrosis factor‐α, total cholesterol, triglyceride and blood glucose were measured. Bladder strip contractile responses to 1 μmol/L acetylcholine or 50 mmol/L KCl were studied in an organ bath. Bladder protein kinase Cζ, nuclear factor‐κB and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expressions were analyzed using western blots.ResultsSerum levels of tumor necrosis factor‐α total cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose were significantly elevated in high‐fat diet‐fed mice; and the levels were not ameliorated by etanercept treatment. High‐fat diet‐fed mouse bladder showed reduced contractile responses to acetylcholine and KCl stimulation accompanied by high expression levels of phospho‐protein kinase Cζ, nuclear nuclear factor‐κB and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1. Etanercept restored normal bladder contractile responses, as well as protein kinase Cζ nuclear factor‐κB and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expressions.ConclusionsA high‐fat diet induces bodyweight gain, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in mice. Elevated serum tumor necrosis factor‐α level associated with increased protein kinase Cζ phosphorylation, nuclear factor‐κB nuclear migration, intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expression and impaired muscle contractility are shown in the high‐fat diet‐fed mouse bladder. Tumor necrosis factor‐α antagonist treatment restores normal bladder contractility, and protein kinase Cζ nuclear factor‐κB and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 levels.
Use of methodological tools for assessing the quality of studies in periodontology and implant dentistry: a systematic review
Authors: Faggion Clovis M. , Huda Fahd , Wasiak Jason 
Published: March 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the methodological approaches used to assess the quality of studies included in systematic reviews (SRs) in periodontology and implant dentistry.Materials & MethodsTwo electronic databases (PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) were searched independently to identify SRs examining interventions published through 2 September 2013. The reference lists of included SRs and records of 10 specialty dental journals were searched manually. Methodological approaches were assessed using seven criteria based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Temporal trends in methodological quality were also explored.ResultsOf the 159 SRs with meta‐analyses included in the analysis, 44 (28%) reported the use of domain‐based tools, 15 (9%) reported the use of checklists and 7 (4%) reported the use of scales. Forty‐two (26%) SRs reported use of more than one tool. Criteria were met heterogeneously; authors of 15 (9%) publications incorporated the quality of evidence of primary studies into SRs, whereas 69% of SRs reported methodological approaches in the Materials/Methods section. Reporting of four criteria was significantly better in recent (2010–2013) than in previous publications.ConclusionThe analysis identified several methodological limitations of approaches used to assess evidence in studies included in SRs in periodontology and implant dentistry.
Effect of treatment with methotrexate and coal tar on adipokine levels and indices of insulin resistance and sensitivity in patients with psoriasis vulgaris
Authors: Rajappa M. , Rathika S. , Munisamy M. , Chandrashekar L. , Thappa D.M. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesRecent studies have implicated adipokines in the pathogenesis of the immune‐mediated inflammatory disease, psoriasis and its associated comorbidities. Hence, we undertook to study adipokine levels and indices of insulin resistance and sensitivity in patients with psoriasis vulgaris, in comparison with controls and their association with disease severity and response to therapy.MethodsSixty cases of psoriasis vulgaris and 60 age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls were included in this study. Severity grading according to psoriasis area severity index scoring was done in all psoriatics. Serum levels of adipokines [leptin, adiponectin, resistin and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6)] and insulin were estimated in all psoriatics at baseline and at 12 weeks on follow‐up and in controls.ResultsBaseline levels of the inflammatory adipokines (leptin, resistin and IL‐6) and insulin resistance indices were significantly higher in psoriatics, as compared to controls, while that of the anti‐inflammatory adipokine, adiponectin and insulin sensitivity indices were significantly lower in psoriatics, as compared with controls. Baseline inflammatory adipokines, serum insulin level and insulin resistance indices demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the severity of psoriasis, while the anti‐inflammatory adipokine, adiponectin and insulin sensitivity indices demonstrated a significant negative correlation with the disease severity. After 12 weeks of therapy (both topical and systemic), there was a significant reduction in the levels of inflammatory adipokines and a significant increase in the levels of anti‐inflammatory adipokine‐adiponectin. However, a significant decrease in insulin levels and insulin resistance indices were observed only with systemic therapy with methotrexate.ConclusionThe present results implicate that adipokines are significantly associated with pathogenesis of psoriasis and hence adequate and early control of psoriasis may contribute to the decreased development of metabolic syndrome, including the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Public knowledge and perceptions of connected health
Authors: Barr Paul J. , Brady Shauna C. , Hughes Carmel M. , McElnay James C. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractRationale, aims and objectivesThis study aims to examine the public's knowledge and perceptions of connected health (CH).MethodsA structured questionnaire was administered by face‐to‐face interview to an opportunistic sample of 1003 members of the public in 11 shopping centres across Northern Ireland (NI). Topics included public knowledge of CH, opinions about who should provide CH and views about the use of computers in health care. Multivariable analyses were conducted to assess respondents' willingness to use CH in the future.ResultsSixty‐seven per cent of respondents were female, 31% were less than 30 years old and 22% were over 60 years. Most respondents had never heard of CH (92%). Following a standard definition, the majority felt CH was a good idea (≈90%) and that general practitioners were in the best position to provide CH; however, respondents were equivocal about reductions in health care professionals' workload and had some concerns about the ease of device use. Factors positively influencing willingness to use CH in the future included knowledge of someone who has a chronic disease, residence in NI since birth and less concern about the use of information technology (IT) in health care. Those over 60 years old or who felt threatened by the use of IT to store personal health information were less willing to use CH in the future.ConclusionIncreased public awareness and education about CH is required to alleviate concerns and increase the acceptability of this type of care.
Comparative effectiveness of implementation of a nursing‐driven protocol in reducing bronchodilator utilization for hospitalized children with bronchiolitis
Authors: Pinto Jamie M. , Schairer Janet L. , Petrova Anna 
Published: March 2014

AbstractObjectiveThe goal of our study was to determine whether the administration of bronchodilators is affected by implementation of a nursing‐driven protocol in the care of children hospitalized with bronchiolitis.MethodsWe included children less than 2 years old, hospitalized with bronchiolitis, but without chronic lung problems, immunodeficiencies or congenital heart disease in the 1‐year periods before, during and after implementation of a nursing‐driven bronchiolitis protocol. The protocol is based on nursing assessments of respiratory status prior to initiation and continuation of bronchodilator therapy. Utilization rates of bronchodilators were compared with respect to implementation of the nursing‐driven protocol using Chi‐square, analysis of variance, and regression analysis that is presented as adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of the OR.ResultsAmong the 80 children who were hospitalized before, 63 during and 89 after the implementation of the nursing‐driven bronchiolitis protocol, 70.0, 60.3, and 29.2%, respectively, received treatment with bronchodilators (P < 0.0001). Reduction in the use of bronchodilators in association with the implementation of the nursing‐driven bronchiolitis protocol was also observed after controlling for the child's age and evidence of pneumonia (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.61–0.79). The mean number of bronchodilator doses administered among patients in the three groups who received at least one treatment was comparable.ConclusionsImplementation of a nursing‐driven bronchiolitis protocol was associated with significant reduction in initiation of bronchodilator treatments, which suggests a benefit from nursing involvement in the promotion of evidence‐based recommendations in the management of children hospitalized with bronchiolitis.
Analysis of asphaltic binders modified with PPA by surface techniques
Authors: DOURADO ERICO R. , PIZZORNO BIANCA S. , MOTTA LAURA M. G. , SIMAO RENATA A. , LEITE LENI F.M. 
Published: March 2014

SummarySamples of unmodified and modified asphalt binders containing 1% polyphosphoric acid were studied. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy was used to evaluate the structural indices of the functional groups present in the samples and the results indicated there was a strong interaction between the polyphosphoric acid and oxygenated species. Contact angle measurements indicated that adhesion of the binder to the aggregate depended on the polyphosphoric acid content. Atomic force microscopy was used to relate features observed on the surface of the asphalt binder 50/70, with their local mechanical properties such as stiffness and elasticity. It was observed that the surface of the sample containing 1% polyphosphoric acid provides stiffness values lower than the unmodified asphalt binder.
Distribution of caveolin in the muscle spindles of human skeletal muscle
Authors: Peikert Kevin , Kasper Michael , May Christian Albrecht 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to demonstrate the location of the different members of the caveolin (cav) family in human muscle spindles. Twenty spindles of three human muscles (vastus medialis, ischiocavernosus, bulbospongiosus) from 12 cadavers were immunohistochemically stained for cav‐1, cav‐2, and cav‐3, and the equatorial and polar regions evaluated. All layers of the outer and inner spindle capsule and all blood vessels within the spindle stained for cav‐1 and cav‐2. In the muscle spindle, intrafusal muscle fibres stained selectively for cav‐3, but with a patchy appearance. Caveolinopathies may therefore also include changes in muscle spindle function.
Complete Genome Sequence of Peanut stripe virus Isolated in China
Authors: Xu Manlin , Gao Fangluan , Yang Jinguang , Wu Juxiang , Xie Lianhui , Chi Yucheng 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe complete genome sequence of a Laixi isolate of Peanut stripe virus (PStV‐Laixi) from China was determined to be 10, 056 nucleotides in length, excluding the 3′‐terminal poly (A) tail. The viral genome contains a single long open reading frame of 9669 nucleotides encoding a polyprotein of 3222 amino acids. The polyprotein was predicted to be cleaved into ten functional proteins by three viral proteases. An additional protein, termed ‘PIPO’, is also found in the P3 cistron. The complete genome sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis indicated that PStV‐Laixi was most closely related to three other isolates of PStV (two from USA and one from Taiwan). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the complete sequence of a PStV isolate from China.
Hardiness as a mediator between perceived stress and happiness in nurses
Authors: Abdollahi A. , Abu Talib M. , Yaacob S. N. , Ismail Z. 
Published: March 2014

Accessible summary
The relevance of the study of happiness and stress in nurses has been emphasized. In this sense, the intelligent use of hardiness is enable nurses to cope better with stress and contribute to being happier.
This study aimed to examine the relationship among hardiness, perceived stress, and happiness in nurses. Moreover, we examined the mediator role of hardiness on the relationship between perceived stress and happiness in nurses.
Our study revealed that hardi‐attitude nurses evaluate situations as less stressful which results in a higher happiness.
This study showed hardiness as being a protective factor against perceived stress and a facilitating factor for happiness in nurses. The findings could be important in training future nurses so that hardiness can be imparted, thereby giving them the ability to control their stress.
AbstractNursing is a stressful occupation with high levels of stress within the health professions. Given that hardiness is an important construct to enable nurses to cope better with stress and contribute to being happier; therefore, it is necessary we advance our knowledge about the aetiology of happiness, especially the role of hardiness in decreasing stress levels and increasing happiness. The present study sought to investigate the role of hardiness as a mediator between perceived stress and happiness. The participants, comprising 252 nurses from six private hospitals in Tehran, completed the Personal Views Survey, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Oxford Happiness Inventory. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and answer the research hypotheses. As expected, hardiness partially mediated between perceived stress and happiness among nurses, and nurses with low levels of perceived stress were more likely to report greater hardiness and happiness. In addition, nurses with high levels of hardiness were more likely to report happiness. This study showed hardiness as being a protective factor against perceived stress and a facilitating factor for happiness in nurses. The findings could be important in training future nurses so that hardiness can be imparted, thereby giving them the ability to control their stress.
Ozone as an adjunct to conventional nonsurgical therapy in chronic periodontitis: a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Al Habashneh R. , Alsalman W. , Khader Y. 
Published: March 2014

Background and ObjectiveCurrently, only limited data are available from controlled clinical trials regarding the effect of irrigation by ozonated water in the treatment of periodontitis. The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical and biological effects of the adjunctive use of ozone in nonsurgical periodontal treatment.Material and MethodsForty‐one patients with chronic periodontitis were randomized to treatment with either subgingival scaling and root planing (SRP) followed by irrigation with ozonated water (test) or subgingival SRP followed by irrigation with distilled water irrigation (control). The following parameters were evaluated at baseline (T0), 3 mo (T1): plaque index; gingival index; bleeding on probing; probing pocket depth; gingival recession; and clinical attachment loss. In addition, the serum concentrations of high sensitivity C‐reactive protein were measured at T0 and T1.ResultsForty‐one patients with chronic periodontitis were included in the analysis (20 in the test group and 21 in the control group). There was statistically significant improvement in the study parameters in both groups between T0 and T1, except for gingival index. However, there were no significant differences in any study parameter between test and control groups.ConclusionIrrigation with ozonated water as an adjunctive therapy to SRP produces no statistically significant benefit compared with SRP plus distilled water irrigation.
Do subjects with aggressive and chronic periodontitis exhibit a different cytokine/chemokine profile in the gingival crevicular fluid? A systematic review
Authors: Duarte P. M. , Bastos M. F. , Fermiano D. , Rabelo C. C. , Perez‐Chaparro P. J. , Figueiredo L. C. , Faveri M. , Feres M. 
Published: March 2014

Background and ObjectiveMicrobiological and immunological hypotheses have been raised to explain the differences in the clinical manifestations of aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis. However, studies comparing the cytokine/chemokine profiles in gingival crevicular fluid between these two clinical conditions have so far not been compiled. This systematic review aimed to answer the following question: “Do subjects with aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis have a different profile of cytokines/chemokines in the gingival crevicular fluid?”Material and MethodsAn electronic database search of MEDLINE/PubMed and Embase was performed from 1990 up to and including August 2013, using MeSH terms and other keywords. Titles and abstracts were screened and the papers that satisfied eligibility criteria were assessed.ResultsOf 1954 titles, 17 studies reporting the levels of 21 different cytokines/chemokines were included. Most studies did not find any significant differences in the gingival crevicular fluid levels of cytokines/chemokines between aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis. Some studies demonstrated that the levels of specific proinflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokines/chemokines were higher (n = 5) and lower (n = 3), respectively, in aggressive periodontitis than in chronic periodontitis. The studies differed in the manner in which they reported the results (e.g. concentrations or total amounts). It was not clear in some studies whether the sample sites from both groups were matched for disease severity. Some studies did not take into account confounders, such as smoking.ConclusionThe current weight of evidence is not sufficient to prove that there are distinct gingival crevicular fluid cytokine/chemokine profiles for patients with aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis.
Phylodynamics of vampire bat‐transmitted rabies in Argentina
Authors: Torres C. , Lema C. , Dohmen F. Gury , Beltran F. , Novaro L. , Russo S. , Freire M. C. , Velasco‐Villa A. , Mbayed V. A. , Cisterna D. M. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractCommon vampire bat populations distributed from Mexico to Argentina are important rabies reservoir hosts in Latin America. The aim of this work was to analyse the population structure of the rabies virus (RABV) variants associated with vampire bats in the Americas and to study their phylodynamic pattern within Argentina. The phylogenetic analysis based on all available vampire bat‐related N gene sequences showed both a geographical and a temporal structure. The two largest groups of RABV variants from Argentina were isolated from northwestern Argentina and from the central western zone of northeastern Argentina, corresponding to livestock areas with different climatic, topographic and biogeographical conditions, which determined their dissemination and evolutionary patterns. In addition, multiple introductions of the infection into Argentina, possibly from Brazil, were detected. The phylodynamic analysis suggests that RABV transmission dynamics is characterized by initial epizootic waves followed by local enzootic cycles with variable persistence. Anthropogenic interventions in the ecosystem should be assessed taking into account not only the environmental impact but also the potential risk of disease spreading through dissemination of current RABV lineages or the emergence of novel ones associated with vampire bats.
Calibrating Rail Transit Assignment Models with Genetic Algorithm and Automated Fare Collection Data
Authors: Zhu Wei , Hu Hao , Huang Zhaodong 
Published: March 2014

AbstractRecently, automated fare collection (AFC) systems using smart card technology have become the main method for collecting urban rail transit (URT) fares in many cities around the world. Transaction data obtained through these AFC systems contain a large amount of archived information including how passengers use the URT system, and thus can be used in calibrating assignment models for precise passenger flow calculation. We present a methodology for calibrating URT assignment models using AFC data. The calibration approach uses a genetic algorithm‐based framework with nonparametric statistical techniques. Three initial numerical tests show that the proposed approach finds more reasonable solutions than traditional approaches for the calibrated parameters. Furthermore, after calibration by the proposed approach, the existing assignment model delivers more accurate calculations of passenger flows in the network.
Some Thoughts on Material Agency, Urban Practices, and Collecting Strategies
Authors: Lawrence‐Zúñiga Denise 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe concept of material agency can and should apply to museum collection strategies. Drawing on studies of preservationist homeowners who, in restoring their homes, discover the agency of previous builders and occupants in shaping the house's material qualities, this study proposes a broad concept of “habitability” to guide collecting and for actualizing the agency of older objects. A second area of inquiry examines domestic technologies designed to help humans with daily tasks. Some of these include “smart appliances” and robotics that become increasingly “normalized” through habitual use. [domestic consumption, preservation, smart appliances, designer intention, object assemblage]
Representing Tenochtitlan: Understanding Urban Life by Collecting Material Culture
Authors: Brumfiel Elizabeth , Millhauser John K. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractHow can museums best document and represent the complexity of urban life and the significance of modern cities? We consider this question through an examination of theAztec Worldexhibit, presented at the Field Museum of Chicago from October 2008 through April 2009. We explain how the effort to represent Tenochtitlan, the heterogeneous urban capital of the Aztec Empire (C.E. 1428–1521), was affected by the acquisitions policies of museums in the United States and Mexico, and by the curators' own ideas about how urban societies should be represented. Drawing on this background, we outline how a careful and comprehensive collection program can resist poor interpretation and misrepresentation, and may even prefigure new and better understandings of cities that will be gained in the future. [urbanism, material culture, Aztec Empire, Mexico]
The Banality of Everyday Consumption: Collecting Contemporary Urban Materiality
Authors: Mullins Paul R. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis article examines what defines contemporary urban materiality, focusing on the politics of banality and everyday life and examining how museums might collect quotidian material things. Rather than engage in guesswork about what future audiences will define as early 21st‐century urban significance, the article argues for a curatorial focus on the apparently prosaic dimensions of urban materiality. Such a curatorial strategy will use commonplace material things to illuminate the contemporary imagination and social construction of urban life by focusing on the things contemporary people reduce to banality and consign to the boundaries of consciousness. [material culture, consumption, everyday life]