bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, nocturnal disturbances and quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a case-controlled study using the rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire
Authors: Suzuki Keisuke , Miyamoto Tomoyuki , Miyamoto Masayuki , Watanabe Yuka , Suzuki Shiho , Tatsumoto Muneto , Iwanami Masaoki , Sada Tsubasa , Kadowaki Taro , Numao Ayaka , Hashimoto Kenichi , Sakuta Hideki , Hirata Koichi 
Published: February 2013

Abstract

Background
Increasing evidence provides a clear association between rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorders (RBD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the clinical features that determine the co-morbidity of RBD and PD are not yet fully understood.

Methods
We evaluated the characteristics of nocturnal disturbances and other motor and non-motor features related to RBD in patients with PD and the impact of RBD on their quality of life. Probable RBD (pRBD) was evaluated using the Japanese version of the RBD screening questionnaire (RBDSQ-J).

Results
A significantly higher frequency of pRBD was observed in PD patients than in the controls (RBDSQ-J ≥ 5 or ≥ 6: 29.0% vs. 8.6%; 17.2% vs. 2.2%, respectively). After excluding restless legs syndrome and snorers in the PD patients, the pRBD group (RBDSQ-J≥5) showed higher scores compared with the non-pRBD group on the Parkinson’s disease sleep scale-2 (PDSS-2) total and three-domain scores. Early morning dystonia was more frequent in the pRBD group. The Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) domain scores for cognition and emotional well-being were higher in the patients with pRBD than in the patients without pRBD. There were no differences between these two groups with respect to the clinical subtype, disease severity or motor function. When using a cut-off of RBDSQ-J = 6, a similar trend was observed for the PDSS-2 and PDQ-39 scores. Patients with PD and pRBD had frequent sleep onset insomnia, distressing dreams and hallucinations. The stepwise linear regression analysis showed that the PDSS-2 domain “motor symptoms at night”, particularly the PDSS sub-item 6 “distressing dreams”, was the only predictor of RBDSQ-J in PD.

Conclusion
Our results indicate a significant impact of RBD co-morbidity on night-time disturbances and quality of life in PD, particularly on cognition and emotional well-being. RBDSQ may be a useful tool for not only screening RBD in PD patients but also predicting diffuse and complex clinical PD phenotypes associated with RBD, cognitive impairment and hallucinations.
The impact of a team-based intervention on the lifestyle risk factor management practices of community nurses: outcomes of the community nursing SNAP trial
Authors: Chan Bibiana C , Jayasinghe Upali W , Christl Bettina , Laws Rachel A , Orr Neil , Williams Anna , Partington Kate , Harris Mark F 
Published: February 2013

Abstract

Background
Lifestyle risk factors like smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity (SNAP) are the main behavioural risk factors for chronic disease. Primary health care is an appropriate setting to address these risk factors in individuals. Generalist community health nurses (GCHNs) are uniquely placed to provide lifestyle interventions as they see clients in their homes over a period of time. The aim of the paper is to examine the impact of a service-level intervention on the risk factor management practices of GCHNs.

Methods
The trial used a quasi-experimental design involving four generalist community nursing services in NSW, Australia. The services were randomly allocated to either an intervention group or control group. Nurses in the intervention group were provided with training and support in the provision of brief lifestyle assessments and interventions. The control group provided usual care. A sample of 129 GCHNs completed surveys at baseline, 6 and 12 months to examine changes in their practices and levels of confidence related to the management of SNAP risk factors. Six semi-structured interviews and four focus groups were conducted among the intervention group to explore the feasibility of incorporating the intervention into everyday practice.

Results
Nurses in the intervention group became more confident in assessment and intervention over the three time points compared to their control group peers. Nurses in the intervention group reported assessing physical activity, weight and nutrition more frequently, as well as providing more brief interventions for physical activity, weight management and smoking cessation. There was little change in referral rates except for an improvement in weight management related referrals. Nurses’ perception of the importance of ‘client and system-related’ barriers to risk factor management diminished over time.

Conclusions
This study shows that the intervention was associated with positive changes in self-reported lifestyle risk factor management practices of GCHNs. Barriers to referral remained. The service model needs to be adapted to sustain these changes and enhance referral.

Trial registration
ACTRN12609001081202
Numerical investigations of MRI RF field induced heating for external fixation devices
Authors: Liu Yan , Shen Jianxiang , Kainz Wolfgang , Qian Songsong , Wu Wen , Chen Ji 
Published: February 2013

Abstract

Background
The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) field induced heating on external fixation devices can be very high in the vicinity of device screws. Such induced RF heating is related to device constructs, device placements, as well as the device insertion depth into human subjects. In this study, computational modeling is performed to determine factors associated with such induced heating.

Methods
Numerical modeling, based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, is used to evaluate the temperature rises near external device screw tips inside the ASTM phantom for both 1.5-T and 3-T MRI systems. The modeling approach consists of 1) the development of RF coils for 1.5-T and 3-T, 2) the electromagnetic simulations of energy deposition near the screw tips of external fixation devices, and 3) the thermal simulations of temperature rises near the tips of these devices.

Results
It is found that changing insertion depth and screw spacing could largely affect the heating of these devices. In 1.5-T MRI system, smaller insertion depth and larger pin spacing will lead to higher temperature rise. However, for 3-T MRI system, the relation is not very clear when insertion depth is larger than 5 cm or when pin spacing became larger than 20 cm. The effect of connection bar material on device heating is also studied and the heating mechanism of the device is analysed.

Conclusions
Numerical simulation is used to study RF heating for external fixation devices in both 1.5-T and 3-T MRI coils. Typically, shallower insertion depth and larger pin spacing with conductive bar lead to higher RF heating. The heating mechanism is explained using induced current along the device and power decay inside ASTM phantom.
Thiolated chitosan-modified PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles for oral chemotherapy of lung cancer
Authors: Jiang Liqin , Li Xuemin , Liu Lingrong , Zhang Qiqing 
Published: February 2013

Abstract
Oral chemotherapy is a key step towards ‘chemotherapy at home’, a dream of cancer patients, which will radically change the clinical practice of chemotherapy and greatly improve the quality of life of the patients. In this research, three types of nanoparticle formulation from commercial PCL and self-synthesized d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (PLA-PCL-TPGS) random copolymer were prepared in this research for oral delivery of antitumor agents, including thiolated chitosan-modified PCL nanoparticles, unmodified PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles, and thiolated chitosan-modified PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles. Firstly, the PLA-PCL-TPGS random copolymer was synthesized and characterized. Thiolated chitosan greatly increases its mucoadhesiveness and permeation properties, thus increasing the chances of nanoparticle uptake by the gastrointestinal mucosa and improving drug absorption. The PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles were found by FESEM that they are of spherical shape and around 200 nm in diameter. The surface charge of PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles was reversed from anionic to cationic after thiolated chitosan modification. The thiolated chitosan-modified PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles have significantly higher level of the cell uptake than that of thiolated chitosan-modified PLGA nanoparticles and unmodified PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles. In vitro cell viability studies showed advantages of the thiolated chitosan-modified PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles over Taxol® in terms of cytotoxicity against A549 cells. It seems that the mucoadhesive nanoparticles can increase paclitaxel transport by opening tight junctions and bypassing the efflux pump of P-glycoprotein. In conclusion, PLA-PCL-TPGS nanoparticles modified by thiolated chitosan could enhance the cellular uptake and cytotoxicity, which revealed a potential application for oral chemotherapy of lung cancer.
DHEA Prevents Mineralo- and Glucocorticoid Receptor-Induced Chronotropic and Hypertrophic Actions in Isolated Rat Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Mannic Tiphaine , Mouffok Mounira , Python Magaly , Yoshida Takehisa , Maturana Andres D. , Vuilleumier Nicolas , Rossier Michel F. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractCorticosteroids have been involved in the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias associated with pathological heart hypertrophy, although molecular mechanisms responsible for these effects have not been completely explained. Because mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists have been demonstrated to be beneficial on the cardiac function, much attention has been given to the action of aldosterone on the heart. However, we have previously shown that both aldosterone and corticosterone in vitro induce a marked acceleration of the spontaneous contractions, as well as a significant cell hypertrophy in isolated neonate rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Moreover, a beneficial role of the steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been also proposed, but the mechanism of its putative cardioprotective function is not known. We found that DHEA reduces both the chronotropic and the hypertrophic responses of cardiomyocytes upon stimulation of MR and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in vitro. DHEA inhibitory effects were accompanied by a decrease of T-type calcium channel expression and activity, as assessed by quantitative PCR and the patch-clamp technique. Prevention of cell hypertrophy by DHEA was also revealed by measuring the expression of A-type natriuretic peptide and BNP. The kinetics of the negative chronotropic effect of DHEA, and its sensitivity to actinomycin D, pointed out the presence of both genomic and nongenomic mechanisms of action. Although the genomic action of DHEA was effective mostly upon MR activation, its rapid, nongenomic response appeared related to DHEA antioxidant properties. On the whole, these results suggest new mechanisms for a putative cardioprotective role of DHEA in corticosteroid-associated heart diseases.
Parathyroid Hormone (1-34) Counteracts the Suppression of Interleukin-11 Expression by Glucocorticoid in Murine Osteoblasts: A Possible Mechanism for Stimulating Osteoblast Differentiation Against Glucocorticoid Excess
Authors: Kuriwaka-Kido Rika , Kido Shinsuke , Miyatani Yuka , Ito Yuji , Kondo Takeshi , Omatsu Takashi , Dong Bingzi , Endo Itsuro , Miyamoto Ken-ichi , Matsumoto Toshio 
Published: February 2013

Abstract
Glucocorticoid (GC) excess causes a rapid loss of bone with a reduction in bone formation. Intermittent PTH (1-34) administration stimulates bone formation and counteracts the inhibition of bone formation by GC excess. We have previously demonstrated that mechanical strain enhances interleukin (IL)-11 gene transcription by a rapid induction of ΔFosB expression and protein kinase C (PKC)-δ-mediated phosphorylation of phosphorylated mothers against decapentaplegic (Smad)-1. Because IL-11 suppresses the expression of dickkopf-1 and -2 and stimulates Wnt signaling, IL-11 appears to mediate at least a part of the effect of mechanical strain on osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of PTH(1-34) and GCs on IL-11 expression in murine primary osteoblasts (mPOBs). PTH(1-34) treatment of mPOBs enhanced IL-11 expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner. PTH(1-34) also stimulated ΔFosB expression and Smad1 phosphorylation, which cooperatively stimulated IL-11 gene transcription. PTH(1-34)-induced Smad1 phosphorylation was mediated via PKCδ and was abrogated in mPOBs from PKCδ knockout mice. Dexamethasone suppressed IL-11 gene transcription enhanced by PTH(1-34) without affecting ΔFosB expression or Smad1 phosphorylation, and dexamethasone-GC receptor complex was bound to JunD, which forms heterodimers with ΔFosB. High doses of PTH(1-34) counteracted the effect of dexamethasone on apoptosis of mPOBs, which was blunted by neutralizing anti-IL-11 antibody or IL-11 small interfering RNA. These results demonstrate that PTH(1-34) and GCs interact to regulate IL-11 expression in parallel with osteoblast differentiation and apoptosis and suggest that PTH(1-34) and dexamethasone may regulate osteoblast differentiation and apoptosis via their effect on IL-11 expression.
Altered lipid homeostasis inDrosophilaInsP3 receptor mutants leads to obesity and hyperphagia
Authors: Subramanian Manivannan , Metya Suman Kumar , Sadaf Sufia , Kumar Satish , Schwudke Dominik , Hasan Gaiti 
Published: February 2013

SummaryObesity is a complex metabolic disorder that often manifests with a strong genetic component in humans. However, the genetic basis for obesity and the accompanying metabolic syndrome is poorly defined. At a metabolic level obesity arises from an imbalance between nutritional intake and energy utilization of an organism. Mechanisms that sense the metabolic state of the individual and convey this information to satiety centers, help achieve this balance. Mutations in genes that alter or modify such signaling mechanisms are likely to lead to either obese individuals, who in mammals are at high risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, or excessively thin individuals with accompanying health problems. Here we show that Drosophila mutants for an intracellular calcium signaling channel, the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R) store excess triglycerides in their fat bodies and become unnaturally obese on a normal diet. Although excess insulin signaling can rescue obesity in InsP3R mutants to an extent, we show that it is not the only cause of the defect. Rather, through mass spectrometric analysis of lipid profiles we find that homeostasis of storage and membrane lipids are altered in InsP3R mutants. Possibly as a compensatory mechanism, InsP3R mutant adults also feed excessively. Thus reduced InsP3R function alters lipid metabolism and causes hyperphagia in adults. Together the metabolic and behavioral change leads to obesity. Our results implicate altered InsP3 signaling as a previously unknown causative factor for metabolic syndrome in humans. Importantly our studies also suggest preventive dietary interventions.
Promoting blood vessel growth in ischemic diseases: challenges in translating preclinical potential into clinical success
Authors: Dragneva Galina , Korpisalo Petra , Ylä-Herttuala Seppo 
Published: February 2013

Summary
Angiogenic therapy, which involves the use of an exogenous stimulus to promote blood vessel growth, is an attractive approach for the treatment of ischemic diseases. It has been shown in animal models that the stimulation of blood vessel growth leads to the growth of the whole vascular tree, improvement of ischemic tissue perfusion and improved muscle aerobic energy metabolism. However, very few positive results have been gained from Phase 2 and 3 clinical angiogenesis trials. Many reasons have been given for the failures of clinical trials, including poor transgene expression (in gene-therapy trials) and instability of the vessels induced by therapy. In this Review, we discuss the selection of preclinical models as one of the main reasons why clinical translation has been unsuccessful thus far. This issue has received little attention, but could have had dramatic implications on the expectations of clinical trials. We highlight crucial differences between human patients and animal models with regards to blood flow and pressure, as well as issues concerning the chronic nature of ischemic diseases in humans. We use these as examples to demonstrate why the results from preclinical trials might have overestimated the efficacy of angiogenic therapies developed to date. We also suggest ways in which currently available animal models of ischemic disease could be improved to better mimic human disease conditions, and offer advice on how to work with existing models to avoid overestimating the efficacy of new angiogenic therapies.
An inducible knock-out mouse to model cell-autonomous role of PTEN in initiating endometrial, prostate and thyroid neoplasias
Authors: Mirantes Cristina , Eritja Núria , Dosil Maria Alba , Santacana Maria , Pallares Judit , Gatius Sónia , Bergadà Laura , Maiques Oscar , Matias-Guiu Xavier , Dolcet Xavier 
Published: February 2013

SummaryPTEN is one of the most frequently mutated tumor suppressor genes in human cancers. The role of PTEN in carcinogenesis has been validated by knockout mouse models. PTEN heterozygous mice develop neoplasms in multiple organs. Unfortunately, the embryonic lethality of biallelic excision of PTEN has inhibited the study of complete PTEN deletion in the development and progression of cancer. By crossing PTEN conditional knockout mice with transgenic mice expressing a tamoxifen-inducible Cre-ERT under the control of a chicken actin promoter, we have generated a tamoxifen-inducible mouse model that allows temporal control of PTEN deletion. Interestingly, administration of a single dose of tamoxifen resulted in PTEN deletion mainly in epithelial cells, but not in stromal, mesenchymal or hematopoietic cells. Using the mT/mG double-fluorescent Cre reporter mice, we demonstrate that epithelial-specific PTEN excision was caused by differential Cre activity among tissues and cells types. Tamoxifen-induced deletion of PTEN resulted in extremely rapid and consistent formation of endometrial in situ adenocarcinoma, prostate intraepithelial neoplasia and thyroid hyperplasia. We also analyzed the role of PTEN ablation in other epithelial cells, such as the tubular cells of the kidney, hepatocytes, colonic epithelial cells or bronchiolar epithelium, but those tissues did not exhibit neoplastic growth. Finally, to validate this model as a tool to assay the efficacy of anti-tumor drugs in PTEN deficiency, we administered the mTOR inhibitor everolimus to mice with induced PTEN deletion. Everolimus dramatically reduced the progression of endometrial proliferations and significantly reduced thyroid hyperplasia. This model could be a valuable tool to study the cell-autonomous mechanisms involved in PTEN-loss-induced carcinogenesis and provides a good platform to study the effect of anti-neoplastic drugs on PTEN-negative tumors.
A Polynomial Time Algorithm for Rayleigh Ratio on Discrete Variables: Replacing Spectral Techniques for Expander Ratio, Normalized Cut, and Cheeger Constant
Authors: Hochbaum Dorit S. 
Published: February 2013

A general form of minimizing the Rayleigh ratio on discrete variables is shown here, for the first time, to be polynomial time solvable. This is significant because major problems in clustering, partitioning, and imaging can be presented as the Rayleigh ratio minimization on discrete variables and an orthogonality constraint. These challenging problems are modeled as the normalized cut problem, the graph expander ratio problem, the Cheeger constant problem, or the conductance problem, all of which are NP-hard. These problems have traditionally been solved, heuristically, using the “spectral technique.” A unified framework is provided here whereby all these problems are formulated as a constrained minimization form of a quadratic ratio, referred to here as the Rayleigh ratio. The quadratic ratio is to be minimized on discrete variables and a single sum constraint that we call the balance or orthogonality constraint. When the discreteness constraints on the variables are disregarded, the resulting continuous relaxation is solved by the spectral method. It is shown here that the Rayleigh ratio minimization subject to the discreteness constraints requiring each variable to assume one of two values in {−b,1} is solvable in strongly polynomial time, equivalent to a single minimum s,t cut algorithm on a graph of same size as the input graph, for any nonnegative value of b. This discrete form for the Rayleigh ratio problem was often assumed to be NP-hard. Not only is it shown here that the discrete Rayleigh ratio problem is polynomial time solvable, but also the algorithm is more efficient than the spectral algorithm. Furthermore, an experimental study demonstrates that the new algorithm provides in practice an improvement, often dramatic, on the quality of the results of the spectral method, both in terms of approximating the true optimum of the Rayleigh ratio problem on both the discrete variables and the balance constraint, and in terms of the subjective partition quality. A further contribution here is the introduction of a problem, the quantity-normalized cut, generalizing all the Rayleigh ratio problems. The discrete version of that problem is also solved with the efficient algorithm presented. This problem is shown, in a companion paper, to enable the modeling of features essential to clustering that are valuable in practical applications.
Structures of the 2:1 Layers of Pyrophyllite and Talc
Authors: Drits Victor A. , Guggenheim Stephen , Zviagina Bella B. , Kogure Toshihiro 
Published: February 2013

AbstractTo determine the relationships between the symmetry of the overall pyrophyllite and talc structure and the symmetry of individual layers, the geometry and symmetry of each 2:1 layer of pyrophyllite and talc were analyzed. For each, the previously published, refined unit cell may be rotated clockwise by ~60° for comparison to a layer unit cell. In pyrophyllite, the layer unit cell is ideal and shown to be orthogonal with C2/m symmetry. The agreement between the refined atomic coordinates and those calculated for the layer with C2/m symmetry confirms that the symmetry of the pyrophyllite layer is C2/m. The obliquity of the pyrophyllite refined cell results from the layer stacking and the choice of unit cell, but the interlayer stacking sequence does not disturb the layer symmetry. In contrast, talc has an oblique layer cell, without a mirror plane. For the most part, the distortion of the talc 2:1 layer is probably caused by an elongation of unshared O-O lateral edges around M1 that creates a slight corrugation of the octahedral sheet surface. Perhaps of lesser importance, the distortion of the talc layer cell may result from Coulombic interactions between cations of adjacent layers, and these cation-to-cation distances are sufficiently large (~6–7.5 Å) that the weak van der Waals forces that stabilize the stacking are not overcome. Because pyrophyllite has a vacant octahedral site, similar interactions are not present, and this results in a more idealized layer symmetry.Phyllosilicates consisting of layers with an orthogonal cell and mirror plane (pyrophyllite, kaolinite, sudoite) were shown to have similar stacking faults. In these structures, the 2:1 or 1:1 layers have uniform orientation, and stacking faults occur owing to interstratifications of two alternative interlayer displacements in the same crystal that are related by a mirror plane in the projection on the (001) plane. In talc, stacking faults are associated with layer rotations by ±120°, whereas the lateral displacement between the adjacent tetrahedral sheets across the interlayer region is relatively ordered.