bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chiari Syndrome and Respiratory Failure
Authors: Kijsirichareanchai Kunut , Limsuwat Chok , Mankongpaisarnrung Charoen , Nantsupawat Nopakoon , Nugent Kenneth 
Published: April 2013

Background: Patients with failed extubation requiring reintubation have increased morbidity and mortality. This situation may reflect the severity of the underlying disorder or may reflect an undiagnosed condition that was not apparent at the time of the initial intubation. Methods: Case report and literature review. Results: A 49-year-old man developed acute hypercapneic respiratory failure during an episode of community-acquired pneumonia. This patient failed extubation 4 times. Routine neurological evaluation, including computed tomography of the head, was within normal limits. A magnetic resonance imaging revealed a severe Chiari malformation type I. The patient eventually required tracheostomy and prolonged mechanical ventilation. We identified 28 cases with Chiari malformations (CM) in the medical literature, who presented with respiratory failure. The mean age was 29.5 years, 46% of the cases were male, 50% had an associated syringomyelia, and 64% required a decompressive surgery. Twenty-five percent had recurrent symptoms postsurgery. Conclusions: Patients with CMs can have repeated extubation failures. Some of these patients have normal neurological examinations and studies and are not identified until they have an MRI study. Clinicians need to consider this possibility in patients who are difficult to wean.
Apathy in Patients With Parkinson Disease as a Function of Side of Onset
Authors: Harris Erica , McNamara Patrick , Durso Raymon 
Published: April 2013

Background: In previous studies among patients with Parkinson disease (PD) who were administered the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), between 12% and 51% evidenced clinically significant apathy. Although apathy is a risk factor for dementia, its causes and clinical correlates have not been adequately studied. In particular, side of onset of disease, though a likely predictor of apathy and dementia, has not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: A total of 30 mid-stage patients with PD and 35 community-dwelling elderly control patients (CPs) were administered the AES (self version) along with a battery of cognitive and neuropsychiatric assessments. Persons close to patients with PD and CPs completed the AES—other (informant) version about the patient or CP. Multiple linear regression analysis examined predictors of apathy severity after controlling for mood, levodopa dosage equivalents (LDEs), gender, age, and disease severity (Hoehn–Yahr [H-Y] stage). Results: Patients with right-onset disease more frequently exhibited apathy and evidenced significantly higher total AES scores than left-onset patients with PD or CPs ( P < .03). Of all the patients, 42% with right-onset PD versus 11.1% of the patients with left-onset PD exhibited clinically significant levels of apathy. There were no differences for self versus informant scores for right-onset patients with PD. The AES scores were not correlated with depression, stress, anxiety, LDEs, gender, age, and H-Y stage. There were no gender differences for any AES variables. Conclusion: Clinically significant levels of apathy are much more likely to occur in patients with right-onset disease. These patients may be at greater risk of PD-related dementia.
Meclofenamic acid blocks the gap junction communication between the retinal pigment epithelial cells
Authors: Ning N , Wen Y , Li Y , Li J 
Published: April 2013

Aim: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to manage the pain and inflammation. NSAIDs can cause serious side effects, including vision problems. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of meclofenamic acid (MFA) on retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Materials and methods: In our study, we applied image analysis and whole-cell patch clamp recording to directly measure the effect of MFA on the gap junctional coupling between RPE cells. Results: Analysis of Lucifer yellow (LY) transfer revealed that the gap junction communication existed between RPE cells. Functional experiments using the whole-cell configuration of the patch clamp technique showed that a gap junction conductance also existed between this kind of cells. Importantly, MFA largely inhibited the gap junction conductance and induced the uncoupling of RPE cells. Other NSAIDs, like aspirin and flufenamic acid (FFA), had the same effect. Conclusion: The gap junction functionally existed in RPE cells, which can be blocked by MFA. These findings may explain, at least partially, the vision problems with certain clinically used NSAIDs.
Analgesic effects of mad honey (grayanotoxin) in mice models of acute pain and painful diabetic neuropathy
Authors: Gunduz A , Eraydin I , Turkmen S , Kalkan O F , Turedi S , Eryigit U , Ayar A 
Published: April 2013

Objectives: The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effects of mad honey (grayanotoxin, GTX), used in complementary medicine for a variety of purposes besides being food, on pain thresholds in normal mice as model for acute pain and diabetic mouse as model for neuropathic pain. Methods: Hind paw withdrawal pain threshold to thermal stimulus was measured with a plantar analgesia meter in a mice model using healthy intact animals for acute pain and streptozotocin-induced diabetic animals for chronic neuropathic pain. Time and dose-dependent effects of intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered GTX were investigated in both acute and neuropathic pain. Results: In the acute pain model, administration of GTX caused a dose- and time-dependent marked increase in the pain latency values. In diabetic mice, which had markedly increased threshold to pain, GTX (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) restored the mean pain latencies by decreasing from the pre-GTX treatment values of 3.2 ± 0.6 to 3.0 ± 0.9s at 10 min, 3.2 ± 0.6s at 20 min, 3.4 ± 0.6s at 30 min, 2.6 ± 0.5s at 60 min and 2.4 ± 0.6s ( p < 0.05) at 100 min. Conclusion: The results from this experimental study indicate that GTX exhibits significant analgesic activity and has potential benefits against painful diabetic neuropathy. This is compatible with the widespread use of GTX containing mad honey for alleviating pain. Further studies involving long-term applications are needed for a more decisive conclusion regarding the usefulness of GTX as an analgesic, especially in the treatment of painful neuropathy.
Reduction of wheel force variations with magnetorheological devices
Authors: Makowski Michal , Knap Lech 
Published: April 2013

At present, owing predominantly to advances in measurement technology and microprocessor control, development of a new generation of smart materials may lead to widespread adoption of semi-active damping systems into everyday life. An important class of such materials includes so-called “intelligent” magneto-rheological. A dominant feature of these materials is that their physical properties can be altered relatively easily under the influence of an external magnetic field. In this paper, a simplified model of a vehicle equipped with in-time controlled semi-active magneto-rheological suspension system is presented. Moreover, simple algorithms employed to control it are described and their efficacy studied by computer simulation and direct experiment. Torsional as well as reciprocating vibration magneto-rheological dampers (MRD) were used as in-time semi-active controls. In addition, a magneto-rheological rotary brake (MRB) was employed as a torsional vibration damper. As a result of direct experiments and simulations we were able to obtain characteristics of both devices showing dissipative features and relationship between model parameters. The main goal of this paper is to present methods for assessing the impact of changes in properties of MRD and MRB dampers for a reduction in variations in vertical wheel forces. These properties are controlled by demonstrated optimization algorithm responsible for an optimal selection of friction in magneto-rheological dampers. Also, an optimization criterion has been proposed. A control algorithm presented in this paper has been verified by means of conducting an extensive experimental investigation employing a Ford Transit van. Based on the results of our numerical and experimental studies it has been proved that through properties changes in MRD and MRB dampers it had been possible to reduce the variations in vertical wheel forces. Thus, an increase in the safety of the vehicle is possible.
Diabetes self-management in a low-income population: impacts of social support and relationships with the health care system
Authors: Vest Bonnie M , Kahn Linda S , Danzo Andrew , Tumiel-Berhalter Laurene , Schuster Roseanne C , Karl Renée , Taylor Robert , Glaser Kathryn , Danakas Alexandra , Fox Chester H 
Published: April 2013

Objectives: This article reports on results of a qualitative study of social supports and institutional resources utilized by individuals living with diabetes in a high-poverty urban setting. The goal was to examine how access to social capital among low-income populations facilitates and impedes their self-efficacy in diabetes self-management. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 patients with diabetes from a safety net primary care practice in Buffalo, New York. Results: Facilitators and barriers to successful self-management were identified in three broad areas: (1) the influence of social support networks; (2) the nature of the doctor–patient relationship; and (3) the nature of patient–health care system relationship. Patients’ unmet needs were also highlighted across these three areas. Discussion: Participants identified barriers to effective diabetes self-management directly related to their low-income status, such as inadequate insurance, and mistrust of the medical system. It may be necessary for patients to activate social capital from multiple social spheres to achieve the most effective diabetes management.
A diabetes peer support intervention that improved glycemic control: mediators and moderators of intervention effectiveness
Authors: Piette John D , Resnicow Ken , Choi Hwajung , Heisler Michele 
Published: April 2013

Objective In a randomized trial, a guided diabetes peer support intervention improved glycemic control (A1c), with a difference in A1c change between groups of 0.58% ( p = 0.004). The current study examined whether improvements in insulin uptake and perceived diabetes social support mediated the intervention’s impact on A1c. We also examined potential moderation by patients’ health literacy, diabetes social support, or diabetes distress. Methods We conducted secondary analyses for 212 type 2 diabetes patients participating in the trial using accepted methods for testing mediation and moderation effects. Results: Roughly half (49%, 95% CI: 3–80%) of the A1c effect was mediated by increased insulin use, while changes in diabetes social support had a negligible impact. A1c impacts varied across subgroups defined by baseline diabetes social support and functional health literacy (both p < 0.01). The intervention was particularly beneficial among patients with low baseline diabetes support or literacy levels. The intervention had a greater impact on A1c among patients with more frequent engagement in peer support calls ( p < 0.01). Discussion Patients receiving increased peer support had improved glycemic control largely due to their greater likelihood of initiating insulin. Greater intervention engagement was associated with stronger effects. The intervention had its greatest benefits among patients with low support or poorer health literacy.
Living with chronic low back pain: a metasynthesis of qualitative research
Authors: Snelgrove Sherrill , Liossi Christina 
Published: April 2013

Objectives The purpose of this qualitative metasynthesis is to articulate the knowledge gained from a review of qualitative studies of patients’ experiences of chronic low back pain. Methods Meta-ethnographic methodology guided the review of 33 articles representing 28 studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2012. A systematic comparison of the main themes from each study was conducted and ‘synthesised’ to create superordinate themes. Results Three overarching interrelated themes were identified: the impact of chronic low back pain on self; relationships with significant others that incorporated two streams – health professionals and the organisation of care and relationships with family and friends; coping with chronic low back pain. Coping strategies were predominantly physical therapies, medication and avoidance behaviours with very few successful strategies reported. Professional and family support, self-efficacy, motivation, work conditions and exercise opportunities influenced pain experiences. Review authors’ recommendations included psychological therapies, education, the facilitation of self-management strategies and support groups. Discussion The review substantiates chronic low back pain as complex, dynamic and multidimensional, underpinned by experiences of persistent distressing pain, loss, and lowered self-worth, stigma, depression, premature aging, fear of the future. Future research should address the paucity of longitudinal studies, loss and issues of ethnicity, gender, ageing.
Evaluation of home testing to improve follow up after gestational diabetes (Fingerstick Assessments of Sugar Two-months postpartum or FAST)
Authors: Carson Michael P , Lewis Beth G , Pagan Elvis R , Evers Martin 
Published: April 2013

Objective Historically the rates of postpartum glucose tolerance testing for women with gestational diabetes (GDM) average a suboptimal 33%. Barriers include the need for new mothers to miss work and/or arrange for childcare in order to engage in a two-hour test at a commercial lab. This pilot study was initiated to test the theory that a home testing regimen would be accepted by patients and increase the rate of postpartum glucose assessments relative to published rates, without requiring additional health-care staff or resources to achieve this goal. Study design Six weeks postpartum, women with GDM from an academic private practice were asked to check fingerstick blood glucose (FAST Protocol) four times a day for two days, and then obtain an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The physician consultants saw the women each month during pregnancy and arranged the postpartum testing. Results Two of 69 refused to be consented. Twelve of the remaining 67(18%) women completed both the FAST regimen and the OGTT, three completed only the OGTT and five completed only the FAST regimen for a final follow-up rate of 20/67 (30%). The demands of caring for a newborn, or the annoyance of fingersticks, were barriers to compliance. Conclusions In spite of intense physician involvement, this home testing regimen was not associated with an increase in the rates of women participating in postpartum glucose assessments.
Predicting substrates of the human breast cancer resistance protein using a support vector machine method
Authors: Hazai Eszter , Hazai Istvan , Ragueneau-Majlessi Isabelle , Chung Sophie P , Bikadi Zsolt , Mao Qingcheng 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background
Human breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporter that confers multidrug resistance in cancers and also plays an important role in the absorption, distribution and elimination of drugs. Prediction as to if drugs or new molecular entities are BCRP substrates should afford a cost-effective means that can help evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties, efficacy, and safety of these drugs or drug candidates. At present, limited studies have been done to develop in silico prediction models for BCRP substrates.
In this study, we developed support vector machine (SVM) models to predict wild-type BCRP substrates based on a total of 263 known BCRP substrates and non-substrates collected from literature. The final SVM model was integrated to a free web server.

Results
We showed that the final SVM model had an overall prediction accuracy of ~73% for an independent external validation data set of 40 compounds. The prediction accuracy for wild-type BCRP substrates was ~76%, which is higher than that for non-substrates. The free web server (http://bcrp.althotas.com) allows the users to predict whether a query compound is a wild-type BCRP substrate and calculate its physicochemical properties such as molecular weight, logP value, and polarizability.

Conclusions
We have developed an SVM prediction model for wild-type BCRP substrates based on a relatively large number of known wild-type BCRP substrates and non-substrates. This model may prove valuable for screening substrates and non-substrates of BCRP, a clinically important ABC efflux drug transporter.
Conserved microstructure of the Brassica B Genome of Brassica nigra in relation to homologous regions of Arabidopsis thaliana, B. rapa and B. oleracea
Authors: Navabi Zahra-Katy , Huebert Terry , Sharpe Andrew G , O’Neill Carmel M , Bancroft Ian , Parkin Isobel AP 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background
The Brassica B genome is known to carry several important traits, yet there has been limited analyses of its underlying genome structure, especially in comparison to the closely related A and C genomes. A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of Brassica nigra was developed and screened with 17 genes from a 222 kb region of A. thaliana that had been well characterised in both the Brassica A and C genomes.

Results
Fingerprinting of 483 apparently non-redundant clones defined physical contigs for the corresponding regions in B. nigra. The target region is duplicated in A. thaliana and six homologous contigs were found in B. nigra resulting from the whole genome triplication event shared by the Brassiceae tribe. BACs representative of each region were sequenced to elucidate the level of microscale rearrangements across the Brassica species divide.

Conclusions
Although the B genome species separated from the A/C lineage some 6 Mya, comparisons between the three paleopolyploid Brassica genomes revealed extensive conservation of gene content and sequence identity. The level of fractionation or gene loss varied across genomes and genomic regions; however, the greatest loss of genes was observed to be common to all three genomes. One large-scale chromosomal rearrangement differentiated the B genome suggesting such events could contribute to the lack of recombination observed between B genome species and those of the closely related A/C lineage.
Non-canonical protein-DNA interactions identified by ChIP are not artifacts
Authors: Bonocora Richard P , Fitzgerald Devon M , Stringer Anne M , Wade Joseph T 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background
ChIP-chip and ChIP-seq are widely used methods to map protein-DNA interactions on a genomic scale in vivo. Waldminghaus and Skarstad recently reported, in this journal, a modified method for ChIP-chip. Based on a comparison of our previously-published ChIP-chip data for Escherichia coli σ32 with their own data, Waldminghaus and Skarstad concluded that many of the σ32 targets identified in our earlier work are false positives. In particular, we identified many non-canonical σ32 targets that are located inside genes or are associated with genes that show no detectable regulation by σ32. Waldminghaus and Skarstad propose that such non-canonical sites are artifacts, identified due to flaws in the standard ChIP methodology. Waldminghaus and Skarstad suggest specific changes to the standard ChIP procedure that reportedly eliminate the claimed artifacts.

Results
We reanalyzed our published ChIP-chip datasets for σ32 and the datasets generated by Waldminghaus and Skarstad to assess data quality and reproducibility. We also performed targeted ChIP/qPCR for σ32 and an unrelated transcription factor, AraC, using the standard ChIP method and the modified ChIP method proposed by Waldminghaus and Skarstad. Furthermore, we determined the association of core RNA polymerase with disputed σ32 promoters, with and without overexpression of σ32. We show that (i) our published σ32 ChIP-chip datasets have a consistently higher dynamic range than those of Waldminghaus and Skarstad, (ii) our published σ32 ChIP-chip datasets are highly reproducible, whereas those of Waldminghaus and Skarstad are not, (iii) non-canonical σ32 target regions are enriched in a σ32 ChIP in a heat shock-dependent manner, regardless of the ChIP method used, (iv) association of core RNA polymerase with some disputed σ32 target genes is induced by overexpression of σ32, (v) σ32 targets disputed by Waldminghaus and Skarstad are predominantly those that are most weakly bound, and (vi) the modifications to the ChIP method proposed by Waldminghaus and Skarstad reduce enrichment of all protein-bound genomic regions.

Conclusions
The modifications to the ChIP-chip method suggested by Waldminghaus and Skarstad reduce rather than increase the quality of ChIP data. Hence, the non-canonical σ32 targets identified in our previous study are likely to be genuine. We propose that the failure of Waldminghaus and Skarstad to identify many of these σ32 targets is due predominantly to the lower data quality in their study. We conclude that surprising ChIP-chip results are not artifacts to be ignored, but rather indications that our understanding of DNA-binding proteins is incomplete.
Thermal adaptability of Kluyveromyces marxianus in recombinant protein production
Authors: Raimondi Stefano , Zanni Elena , Amaretti Alberto , Palleschi Claudio , Uccelletti Daniela , Rossi Maddalena 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background

Kluyveromyces marxianus combines the ease of genetic manipulation and fermentation with the ability to efficiently secrete high molecular weight proteins, performing eukaryotic post-translational modifications. It is able to grow efficiently in a wide range of temperatures. The secretion performances were analyzed in the host K. marxianus L3 in the range between 5°C and 40°C by means of 3 different reporter proteins, since temperature appears a key parameter for production and secretion of recombinant proteins.

Results
The recombinant strains were able to grow up to 40°C and, along the tested temperature interval (5-40°C), the specific growth rates (μ) were generally lower as compared to those of the untransformed strain. Biomass yields were slightly affected by temperature, with the highest values reached at 15°C and 30°C. The secretion of the endogenous β-fructofuranosidase, used as an internal control, was efficient in the range of the tested temperature, as evaluated by assaying the enzyme activity in the culture supernatants. The endogenous β-fructofuranosidase production was temperature dependent, with the highest yield at 30°C. The heterologous proteins HSA, GAA and Sod1p were all successfully produced and secreted between 5°C and 40°C, albeit each one presented a different optimal production temperature (15, 40, 5-30°C for HSA, GAA and Sod1p, respectively).

Conclusions

K. marxianus L3 has been identified as a promising and flexible cell factory. In a sole host, the optimization of growth temperatures for the efficient secretion of each individual protein can be carried out over a wide range of temperatures.