bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phytosociology and ecology of the high‐alpine to subnival scree vegetation of N and NW Iran (Alborz and Azerbaijan Mts.)
Authors: Noroozi Jalil , Willner Wolfgang , Pauli Harald , Grabherr Georg 
Published: March 2013

AbstractQuestionsThe vegetation of high‐alpine and subnival scree habitats in Iranian mountains has been poorly investigated so far despite the large variety of narrowly distributed vascular plant species and the expected vulnerability of these ecosystems to global warming. Which plant communities occupy these ecosystems and what is their syntaxonomic position? Which environmental factors determine the species composition of these habitats?LocationAlborz and Azerbaijan Mountains in N and NW Iran.MethodsA total of 141 phytosociological relevés were collected from 3200 to 4800 m a.s.l. This data set was classified using TWINSPAN, and the numerical classification was translated into a syntaxonomic system. Floristic differences between vegetation types were evaluated with detrended correspondence analysis (DCA). We determined the means and SD of measured environmental and vegetation parameters for all associations. Differences in the major environmental parameters among associations and alliances were analysed using ANOVA and post‐hoc tests. Moreover, we determined the mean cover percentage of life forms in all associations.ResultsAll high‐alpine and subnival scree communities are arranged in one class (Didymophyso aucheri‐Dracocephaletea aucheri), two orders (Physoptychio gnaphalodis‐Brometalia tomentosi, Didymophysetalia aucheri), three alliances (Elymo longearistati‐Astragalion macrosemii, Erigerontion venusti, Didymophysion aucheri) and ten associations, which are new to science, except for one association. The territory of the class extends from Alborz to NW Iran and probably to E Anatolia, Transcaucasia and the Zagros Mountains. Altitude, aspect and edaphic qualities are the major ecological factors influencing the species composition and vegetation mosaic.ConclusionsOur study introduces a formal syntaxonomic classification of the scree vegetation at high altitudes in Iran, thus providing a scheme for ongoing ecological surveys and monitoring programmes to assess the impacts of climate warming and of human land use on these unique ecosystems.
Factors predicting distress among parents/caregivers of children with neurological disease and home enteral nutrition
Authors: Pedrón‐Giner C. , Calderón C. , Martínez‐Costa C. , Borraz Gracia S. , Gómez‐López L. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBackground & aimsCaregivers of children with chronic diseases included in a home enteral nutrition (HEN) programme are at risk of experiencing a feeling of burden, high level of anxiety and psychological distress. The aims of this study were: first, to examine the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety–depression in caregivers of children with neurological diseases requiring HEN by gastrostomy tube (GT); second, to compare the characteristics of caregivers with high or low risk of exhibiting symptoms of anxiety–depression; and third, to investigate possible associations to child disease severity and nutrition support mode.MethodsA cross‐sectional observational study was performed in 58 caregivers of children (31 boys, aged 0.3–18 years) with neurological diseases and GT feeding. The characteristics of caregivers with high or low risk of presenting symptoms of anxiety–depression were compared regarding the following variables: socio‐demographic characteristics, the primary caregiver's intrapsychic factors, anthropometric parameters of the child, length of HEN, type of nutrients delivered by GT and infusion regime.ResultsAll primary caregivers were mothers. Fifty‐three per cent of them showed high risk of exhibiting symptoms of anxiety–depression. Mothers with high or low risk of presenting symptoms of anxiety–depression were comparable in age and family socio‐economic status. They were also similar in terms of age, anthropometric conditions and length of HEN in their children.No differences were found between the two groups of mothers according to the level of the child's motor function impairment, type of nutrients delivered by GT and infusion regime. Higher levels of psychological distress and perception of burden overload were found in mothers with high risk of exhibiting symptoms of anxiety–depression.ConclusionsThis study found a high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety–depression, perception of burden overload and psychological distress in caregivers of children with HEN. Thus, greater practical and emotional support is required for these families.
Racial disparities in trajectories of dental caries experience
Authors: Liang Jersey , Wu Bei , Plassman Brenda , Bennett Joan , Beck James 
Published: March 2013

AbstractObjectivesThis study charted the trajectories of dental caries, including decayed teeth, missing teeth and filled teeth among older Americans over a 5‐year period. In particular, it focused on racial differences in the levels of and rates of change in dental caries experience.MethodsData came from the Piedmont Dental Study. The sample included 810 older Americans who were dentate at the baseline with up to 4 repeated observations between 1988 and 1994. Hierarchical linear models were employed in depicting intrapersonal and interpersonal differences in dental caries experience.ResultsDifferent measures of caries outcomes exhibited distinct trajectories. On average, the number of decayed teeth decreased over time, whereas missing teeth increased. In contrast, the number of filled teeth remained stable during a 5‐year period. Relative to their white counterparts, older black Americans had more decayed teeth and missing teeth but fewer filled teeth. Blacks and whites differed in the levels of dental caries but not in their rates of change except for missing teeth. Even when demographic and socioeconomic attributes were adjusted, racial variations in dental caries experience remained significant.ConclusionsAlthough significantly correlated, various dental caries outcomes move along different paths over time. In view of the persistent racial disparities in dental caries trajectories, future interventions to minimize such variations among older Americans in the levels of and the rates of change in dental caries experience are clearly warranted.
Improvements in kidney transplantation from donors after cardiac death
Authors: Hoogland E. R. Pieter , Snoeijs Maarten G. J. , Habets Margot A. W. , Brandsma D. Steven , Peutz‐Kootstra Carine J. , Christiaans Maarten H. L. , van Heurn L. W. Ernest 
Published: March 2013

AbstractTo reduce the growing waiting list for kidney transplantation, we explored the limits of kidney transplantation from donors after cardiac death by liberally accepting marginal donor kidneys for transplantation. As the percentage of primary non‐function (PNF) increased, we evaluated our transplantation program and implemented changes to reduce the high percentage of PNF in 2005, followed by a second evaluation over the period 2006–2009. Recipients of a kidney from a donor after cardiac death between 1998 and 2005 were analyzed, with PNF as outcome measure. During the period 2002–2005, the percentage of PNF increased and crossed the upper control limits of 12% which was considered as unacceptably high. After implementation of changes, this percentage was reduced to 5%, without changing the number of kidney transplantations from donors after cardiac death. Continuous monitoring of the quality of care is essential as the boundaries of organ donation and transplantation are sought. Meticulous donor, preservation, and recipient management make extension of the donor potential possible, with good results for the individual recipient. Liberal use of kidneys from donors after cardiac death may contribute to a reduction in the waiting list for kidney transplantation and dialysis associated mortality.
Levels of the EMT‐related protein Snail/Slug are not correlated with p53/p63 in cutaneous squamouscell carcinoma
Authors: Chen Hongxiang , Takahara Masakazu , Xie Lining , Takeuchi Satoshi , Tu Yating , Nakahara Takeshi , Uchi Hiroshi , Moroi Yoichi , Furue Masutaka 
Published: March 2013

BackgroundThe contribution of the E‐cadherin transcriptional repressors Snail and Slug to invasion and metastasis has strengthened the evidence for the importance of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) in carcinoma progression. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has described the immunohistochemical staining of the EMT‐related proteins Snail/Slug in skin tumors and the correlation between Snail/Slug and tumor suppressor p53/p63.MethodsWe performed immunohistological staining of Snail, Slug, E‐cadherin, p53 and p63 in 20 archived specimens each of seborrheic keratosis (SK), actinic keratosis (AK) and squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS), and 53 specimens of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Fifteen normal skin (NS) specimens served as controls.ResultsSignificant negative correlations were observed between Snail and E‐cadherin expression and between Slug and E‐cadherin expression (Snail: R2 = 0.5432, p < 0.01; Slug: R2 = 0.4666, p < 0.01).ConclusionsThe staining intensities of Snail and Slug are associated with decreased E‐cadherin staining in SCC and this may promote EMT. However, the staining intensities of p53 and p63 are not significantly correlated with the loss of E‐cadherin.
TheIn Situ Upgrading of Japanese Electronics Firms inMalaysian Industrial Clusters
Authors: Edgington David , Hayter Roger 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe ability of clusters generated by direct foreign investment (DFI) in emerging economies to generate sustained, value‐added growth is a matter of controversy. This article assesses this debate with reference to the role of Japanese electronics multinational corporations (MNCs) in the development of clusters inMalaysia. Conceptually, we present a typology ofDFI‐generated industrial clusters that represent increasing degrees of commitment to local value creation and upgrading. Empirically, we conducted a survey of 10 Japanese firms inMalaysia that examined whether or not their factories increased technological upgrading, increasingly embedded their operations through using local skilled labor and supply firms, and responded positively to national policies and cluster‐governance measures supporting the electronics industry. We found thatJapanese firms had clearly moved beyond simple assembly‐based to embedded clustering but had not progressed further to technology‐intensive behavior because of the poor technological environment inMalaysia, as well asJapaneseMNCs' strategies that depend on technology from headquarters. Nonetheless,JapaneseMNCswere sufficiently embedded inMalaysia to upgrade production to digital consumer products, and semiconductor assembly has flourished, warding off competition fromChina and low‐cost locations in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. At the end of the study period,Malaysia remained an attractive location forJapanese electronicsMNCs.
Lateral reticular nucleus modulates the cardiosomatic reflex evoked by intrapericardial capsaicin in the rat
Authors: Han Man , Liu Xiao‐Hua , Sun Na , Du Jian‐Qing , Zhu Juan‐Xia , Li Qiang , Tang Jing‐Shi 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe current study examined the role of the lateral reticular nucleus (LRN) in modulating the cardiosomatic reflex (CSR) induced by intrapericardial capsaicin in the anesthetized rat. Intrapericardial capsaicin was administered, and the CSR was monitored via electromyogram responses of the dorsal spinotrapezius muscle. Electrical stimulation of the LRN (10, 20 and 30 μA) depressed the CSR induced by intrapericardial capsaicin in an intensity‐dependent manner. Microinjection of glutamate (4, 10, 20 and 40 nmol, in 0.2 μL) into the LRN replicated the effects of electrical stimulation. Furthermore, bilateral transections of the dorsolateral funiculus (DLF) decreased the LRN electrical stimulation‐induced inhibition of the electromyogram responses. Intrathecal administration of the α2‐adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine or the serotonergic receptor antagonist methysergide significantly attenuated the LRN electrical stimulation‐induced inhibition of the electromyogram responses. However, intrathecal application of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone had no effect on the LRN electrical stimulation‐induced inhibition. These results suggest that the LRN–DLF–spinal cord pathway is involved in descending inhibition of the CSR, and spinal α2‐adrenergic and serotonergic receptors participate in this descending inhibition.
Ethosuximide reduces epileptogenesis and behavioral comorbidity in the GAERS model of genetic generalized epilepsy
Authors: Dezsi Gabi , Ozturk Ezgi , Stanic Davor , Powell Kim L. , Blumenfeld Hal , O'Brien Terence J. , Jones Nigel C. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryPurposeEthosuximide (ESX) is a drug of choice for the symptomatic treatment of absence seizures. Chronic treatment with ESX has been reported to have disease‐modifying antiepileptogenic activity in the WAG/Rij rat model of genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) with absence seizures. Here we examined whether chronic treatment with ESX (1) possesses antiepileptogenic effects in the genetic absence epilepsy rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) model of GGE, (2) is associated with a mitigation of behavioral comorbidities, and (3) influences gene expression in the somatosensory cortex region where seizures are thought to originate.MethodsGAERS and nonepileptic control (NEC) rats were chronically treated with ESX (in drinking water) or control (tap water) from 3 to 22 weeks of age. Subsequently, all animals received tap water only for another 12 weeks to assess enduring effects of treatment. Seizure frequency and anxiety‐like behaviors were serially assessed throughout the experimental paradigm. Treatment effects on the expression of key components of the epigenetic molecular machinery, the DNA methyltransferase enzymes, were assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).Key FindingsESX treatment significantly reduced seizures in GAERS during the treatment phase, and this effect was maintained during the 12‐week posttreatment phase (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the anxiety‐like behaviors present in GAERS were reduced by ESX treatment (p < 0.05). Molecular analysis revealed that ESX treatment was associated with increased expression of DNA methyltransferase enzyme messenger RNA (mRNA) in cortex.SignificanceChronic ESX treatment has disease‐modifying effects in the GAERS model of GGE, with antiepileptogenic effects against absence seizures and mitigation of behavioral comorbidities. The cellular mechanism for these effects may involve epigenetic modifications.
The Experience of Headaches in Health Care Workers: Opportunity for Care Improvement
Authors: Hughes Mary D. , Wu Jun , Williams Terry C. , Loberger Jeremy M. , Hudson Matthew F. , Burdine Joselyn R. , Wagner Peggy J. 
Published: March 2013

Objective/BackgroundThis study assessed the relationship between health care workers' self‐reported experience of headaches/migraines, their overall quality of life, and treatment outcomes.MethodsThe study sample consisted of adults employed by a self‐insured hospital system located in the Southeast United States. Study participants responded to a web‐based survey disseminated via work email accounts. The survey measured headache medication use, health care service utilization, and impacts on quality of life and treatment optimization using standardized instruments.ResultsWe received responses from 2453 employees (response rate 33.8%), of which 84.4% reported headaches, suggesting that those with headaches were more likely to complete the survey. Forty percent of respondents reported mild to severe disability due to headaches, and approximately 65% used prescription or over‐the‐counter medications to treat headaches. Approximately 45% of participants taking headache medications reported unsatisfactory treatment. Among all respondents, those with mild, moderate, or severe migraine disability were 2.35, 1.7, or 2.08 times more likely to take headache medications than those with little or no migraine disability. Among those taking headache medications for treatment, respondents with nonclinical job titles, presenting better physical health status, or reporting little or no migraine disability were more likely to achieve treatment optimization.ConclusionsRecognizing the potential over response by employees who have headaches, our study remains suggestive of a care improvement opportunity in the health care workforce.
IgG4‐related sialadenitis is rare: histopathological investigation of 129 cases of chronic submandibular sialadenitis
Authors: Harrison John D , Rodriguez‐Justo Manuel 
Published: March 2013

AimsThe incidence of IgG4‐related sialadenitis among cases of chronic sialadenitis is unknown, and so we investigated the presence of IgG4 plasma cells in 129 specimens from an archival collection of consecutive cases of chronic submandibular sialadenitis collected from 1969 to 1989 that had been previously extensively characterized.Methods and resultsImmunohistology revealed that only three of the 129 specimens contained areas over the threshold for IgG4‐related sialadenitis of 50 IgG4 plasma cells per high‐power field, and these cells were part of a non‐specific chronic inflammatory infiltrate associated with ducts that had contained sialoliths. The infiltrate of IgG4 plasma cells in the series was significantly positively related to the total infiltrate of inflammatory cells, fibrosis, atrophy, lymphoid germinal centres and sialoliths.ConclusionsIgG4‐related sialadenitis is rare and was not found in the present series. The IgG4 plasma cells that were present in the glands were part of a non‐specific chronic inflammatory infiltrate.
Factors associated with guideline‐based hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment initiation in HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients: role of comorbidities and physicians' perceptions
Authors: Winnock M , Bani‐Sadr F , Pambrun E , Loko M‐A , Carrieri P , Neau D , Morlat P , Marchou B , Dabis F , Salmon D ,   French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS) CO13 HEPAVIH Study Group
Published: March 2013

ObjectivesMany HIV‐infected patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection do not receive treatment for HCV infection, often because of contraindications or poor adherence to anti‐HIV therapy. The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing guideline‐based HCV treatment initiation in a large cohort of HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients.MethodsBetween 2005 and 2011, 194 (40.5%) of 479 coinfected patients not previously treated for HCV infection started this treatment based on current recommendations, i.e. a Metavir score > F1 for liver fibrosis; HCV genotype 2 or 3 infection; or HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection and low HCV viral load (< 800 000 IU/mL), whatever the fibrosis score. Clinical and biological data were compared between patients who started HCV therapy during follow‐up and those who did not.ResultsIn multivariate analyses, good adherence to treatment for HIV infection, as judged by the patient's physician, was associated with HCV treatment initiation [odds ratio (OR) 2.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–4.81; P = 0.017], whereas patients with children (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.30–0.91; P = 0.022) and those with cardiovascular disease or respiratory distress (OR 0.10; 95% CI 0.01–0.78; P = 0.03) were less likely to be treated.ConclusionsAdherence to treatment for HIV infection, as judged by the patient's physician, appears to have a major influence on the decision to begin treatment for HCV infection in coinfected patients. This calls for specific therapeutic education and adherence support in order to ensure timely anti‐HCV therapy in this population.
Use of statins and prostate cancer recurrence among patients treated with radical prostatectomy
Authors: Chao Chun , Jacobsen Steven J. , Xu Lanfang , Wallner Lauren P. , Porter Kimberly R. , Williams Stephen G. 
Published: March 2013

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?
Statins have shown broad spectrum anti‐cancer properties in laboratory studies. In epidemiological studies, use of statins has been associated with reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer. However, the effects of statins on prostate cancer disease progression following curative treatment have not been extensively studied, and previous studies reported conflicting results.
This study found no clear association between overall statin use and risk of disease progression, as well as lack of a monotone dose–response relationship between the use of statins, whether it was use before or after prostatectomy, and prostate cancer disease progression.
Objective
To investigate whether use of HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors (‘statins’), which have shown broad spectrum anti‐cancer properties in laboratory studies, is associated with a reduced risk of recurrence in patients with prostate cancer who undergo radical prostatectomy.
Patients and Methods
All men with incident prostate cancer diagnosed between 2004 and 2005 who subsequently underwent radical prostatectomy by the end of 2005 in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) health plan were identified using KPSC's cancer registry.
Subjects were followed for up to 5 years after prostatectomy for (i) biochemical recurrence, defined as a single PSA measurement >0.2 ng/mL, and (ii) clinical disease progression, defined as diagnosis of metastatic disease or prostate‐cancer‐related death.
Information on statin use, demographics, comorbidities, patho‐clinical factors and outcomes were ascertained from KPSC's electronic medical records.
The effects of statin use prior to and after prostatectomy were both examined using bivariate and multivariate Cox models, adjusting for known prognostic factors. For postoperative statin exposure, a time‐dependent Cox model was used.
Results
A total of 1200 men were included; 37% had preoperative and 56% had postoperative statin use.
Neither preoperative nor postoperative statin use was associated with biochemical recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.00 [0.72–1.39] and 1.05 [0.76–1.46], respectively) or clinical disease progression (HR = 0.63 [0.31–1.27] and 1.20 [0.63–2.30], respectively).
No clear dose–response relationship was found for duration of use.
Conclusions
Statin use may not prevent prostate cancer progression following radical prostatectomy.
These findings do not provide support for the pursuit of a prospective clinical trial of statin use as a secondary prevention among surgically treated patients with prostate cancer.