bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Imeglimin increases glucose‐dependent insulin secretion and improves β‐cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Pacini G. , Mari A. , Fouqueray P. , Bolze S. , Roden M. 
Published: February 2015

AimsTo assess the glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion effect of imeglimin in patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsWe conducted a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study in 33 patients with type 2 diabetes [glycated haemoglobin 6.8 ± 0.1% (51 mmol/mol)], who were drug‐naïve or withdrawn from their previous metformin monotherapy for 2 weeks and received imeglimin 1500 mg twice daily or placebo for 1 week. Glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion was assessed using a hyperglycaemic clamp. The primary endpoint was insulin secretion as defined by total insulin response [incremental area under the curve (iAUC)0–45 min] and insulin secretion rate (ISR) calculated from C‐peptide deconvolution. β‐cell glucose sensitivity at steady state (second phase: 25–45 min), hepatic insulin extraction and insulin clearance were also calculated.ResultsImeglimin treatment for 7 days raised the insulin secretory response to glucose by +112% (iAUC0‐45, p = 0.035), first‐phase ISR by +110% (p = 0.034) and second‐phase ISR by +29% (p = 0.031). Imeglimin improved β‐cell glucose sensitivity by +36% (p = 0.034) and tended to decrease hepatic insulin extraction (−13%; p = 0.056). Imeglimin did not affect glucagon secretion.ConclusionsIn patients with type 2 diabetes, imeglimin improves β‐cell function, which may contribute to the glucose‐lowering effect observed with imeglimin in clinical trials.
Utility of labile plasma iron and transferrin saturation in addition to serum ferritin as iron overload markers in different underlying anemias before and after deferasirox treatment
Authors: Porter John B. , El‐Alfy Mohsen , Viprakasit Vip , Giraudier Stephane , Chan Lee Lee , Lai Yongrong , El‐Ali Ali , Han Jackie , Cappellini Maria D. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractObjectivesPlasma markers in addition to serum ferritin (SF) may be useful for the assessment of iron overload; however, predictive utility may differ depending on underlying, transfusion‐dependent, anemias.MethodsData were collected before and after 1 year of deferasirox treatment (end of study; EOS) from the large, 1‐year EPIC (Evaluation of Patients’ Iron Chelation with Exjade®) study. Trends were evaluated between liver iron concentration (LIC), transferrin saturation (TfSat), predose labile plasma iron (LPI) and their relationship to SF categories in 1530 patients: thalassemia major (TM; n = 1114), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS, n = 336), and sickle‐cell disease (SCD, n = 80).ResultsBaseline and EOS SF values showed a clear and similar relationship to LIC for all disease groups. TfSat also showed a relationship to SF, most clearly in patients with SCD, where TfSat was lowest in the lowest relative SF category. Unlike SF or LIC, TfSat did not decrease at EOS in any disease group. Baseline LPI was raised in TM and MDS, but not in patients with SCD, decreasing at EOS in both patient groups. After 1 year of chelation therapy, there was a significant trend for greater LPI reduction in patients with TM achieving LIC <7 mg Fe/g dw (P = 0.0137).ConclusionsDespite limitations, SF showed the clearest relationship, of the plasma markers evaluated, to LIC before and after 1 year of deferasirox in patients with TM, MDS, and SCD. In patients with TM, changes in LPI with chelation show a significant relationship to EOS LIC and may provide an additional indicator of chelation response (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00171821).
Preservation of resin–dentin interfaces treated with benzalkonium chloride adhesive blends
Authors: Sabatini Camila , Ortiz Pilar A. , Pashley David H. 
Published: February 2015

Reducing collagen degradation within hybrid layers may contribute to the preservation of adhesive interfaces. This study evaluated the stability of resin–dentin interfaces treated with benzalkonium chloride (BAC)‐modified adhesive blends and assessed collagen degradation in dentin matrices treated with BAC. The etch‐and‐rinse adhesive, Adper Single Bond Plus, modified with 0.5% and 1.0% BAC, was evaluated for microtensile bond strength (μTBS) and nanoleakage (NL) after 24 h and 1 yr. Thirty completely demineralized dentin beams from human molars were dipped for 60 s in deionized water (DW; control), or in 0.5% or 1.0% BAC, and then incubated in simulated body fluid (SBF). Collagen degradation was assessed by quantification of the dry mass loss and the amount of hydroxyproline (HYP) released from hydrolyzed specimens after 1 or 4 wk. Although all groups demonstrated a significant increase in NL after 1 yr, adhesive modified with 0.5% BAC showed stable bond strength after 1 yr (9% decrease) relative to the control (44% decrease). Significantly less HYP release and dry mass loss were observed for both 0.5% and 1.0% BAC relative to the control. This in vitro study demonstrates that BAC contributes to the preservation of resin–dentin bonds for up to 1 yr by reducing collagen degradation.
Paracrine crosstalk between human hair follicle dermal papilla cells and microvascular endothelial cells
Authors: Bassino Eleonora , Gasparri Franco , Giannini Valentina , Munaron Luca 
Published: February 2015

AbstractHuman follicle dermal papilla cells (FDPC) are a specialized population of mesenchymal cells located in the skin. They regulate hair follicle (HF) development and growth, and represent a reservoir of multipotent stem cells. Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that HF cycling is associated with vascular remodeling. Follicular keratinocytes release vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that sustains perifollicular angiogenesis leading to an increase of follicle and hair size. Furthermore, several human diseases characterized by hair loss, including Androgenetic Alopecia, exhibit alterations of skin vasculature. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying HF vascularization remain largely unknown. In vitro coculture approaches can be successfully employed to greatly improve our knowledge and shed more light on this issue. Here we used Transwell‐based co‐cultures to show that FDPC promote survival, proliferation and tubulogenesis of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) more efficiently than fibroblasts. Accordingly, FDPC enhance the endothelial release of VEGF and IGF‐1, two well‐known proangiogenic growth factors. Collectively, our data suggest a key role of papilla cells in vascular remodeling of the hair follicle.
Vitiligo patient‐derived keratinocytes exhibit characteristics of normal wound healing via epithelial to mesenchymal transition
Authors: Banerjee Poulomi , Venkatachalam Sandhyaa , Mamidi Murali Krishna , Bhonde Ramesh , Shankar Krupa , Pal Rajarshi 
Published: February 2015

AbstractVitiligo is an autoimmune disorder that leads to depigmentation of skin via melanocyte dysfunction. Keratinocyte‐induced toxicity is one among the several etiological factors implicated for vitiligo, and hence, autologous keratinocyte grafting is projected as one of the primary mode of treatment for vitiligo. However, reports indicate that perilesional keratinocytes not only display signatures of apoptosis but also could secrete cytokines and mediators which have antagonistic effect on proliferation or survival. Therefore, we investigated how vitiligo patients' derived keratinocytes respond to surplus amounts of inflammatory cytokines and whether they recapitulate events that take place during conventional wound healing. The primary objective of our study was to determine whether keratinocytes isolated from a vitiligo patient would undergo epithelial–mesenchymal transition similar to their normal counterparts upon induction with inflammatory cytokines such as TGF‐b1 and EGF. We found that these keratinocytes undergo EMT during wound repair accompanied with increase in the levels of mesenchymal markers and ECM proteins; decrease in the levels of epithelial markers and enhanced migratory ability. Besides, we also demonstrated that EMT induction leads to activation of SMAD and MAPK pathways via Ras, Raf, PAI 1, Snail, Slug and ZO1. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the characterization of primary keratinocytes isolated from vitiligo patients with respect to their wound healing capacity.
Ionizing radiation‐inducible miR‐30e promotes glioma cell invasion through EGFR stabilization by directly targeting CBL‐B
Authors: Kwak Seo‐Young , Kim Bu‐Yeon , Ahn Hyun‐Joo , Yoo Je‐Ok , Kim Joon , Bae In Hwa , Han Young‐Hoon 
Published: February 2015

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non‐coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and post‐transcriptional levels. Here we show that miR‐30e, which was previously identified as an ionizing radiation‐inducible miRNA, enhances cellular invasion by promoting secretion of the matrix metalloproteinase MMP‐2. The enhancement of cellular invasion by miR‐30e involved up‐regulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and subsequent activation of its downstream signaling mediators, AKT and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase. EGFR up‐regulation by miR‐30e occurred due to stabilization of the EGFR protein. The E3 ubiquitin ligase casitas B‐lineage lymphoma B (CBL‐B) was down‐regulated by miR‐30e, and this led to increased EGFR abundance. A 3′ UTR reporter assay confirmed that CBL‐B is a direct target of miR‐30e. Knocking down CBL‐B expression phenocopied the effects of miR‐30e, whereas ectopic expression of CBL‐B suppressed miR‐30e‐induced EGFR up‐regulation and invasion. Collectively, our results suggest that targeting miR‐30e may limit the invasiveness induced during glioma radiotherapy.
Bending fatigue life characterisation of direct metal laser sintering nickel alloy 718
Authors: Scott‐Emuakpor O. , Schwartz J. , George T. , Holycross C. , Cross C. , Slater J. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBending fatigue behaviour of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), Nickel (Ni) Alloy 718 has been assessed as preliminary qualification to additively manufacture advanced gas turbine engine components. Motivation for this work comes from the possibility of using DMLS to improve functionality of hot‐section components. By using DMLS, turbine blades and heat exchangers cooling passages can be enhanced, leading to improved engine performance. This study focuses on vibratory high cycle fatigue (HCF) assessment of DMLS Ni Alloy 718 from two suppliers. Specimens were fatigued via vibration‐based bending and compared with published rotating bending cold‐rolled Ni Alloy 718. Tensile analysis and microscopy were also conducted to understand fatigue and fracture trends. HCF, tensile properties and microscopy comparisons show that fatigue and strength of DMLS Ni may be sensitive to post‐fusion treatments. Nonetheless, fatigue performance of DMLS Ni compares well with rotating bending fatigue of cold‐rolled Ni.
Fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth in Ti‐6Al‐4V friction stir welds
Authors: Edwards P. , Ramulu M. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractFriction stir welding of titanium holds the promise for producing joints with microstructures and mechanical properties that are more comparable to wrought material than traditional fusion welding processes. Extensive data exist on the microstructure and static mechanical properties of titanium friction stir welds, but very little are available on the durability (fatigue) and even less on the damage tolerance (fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth). This paper presents the results of an investigation into the damage tolerance of friction stir welds made in 6 mm thick Ti‐6Al‐4V after a post‐weld heat treatment. It was found that the apparent fracture toughness was lower than the wrought base material, 7–25% depending on the crack orientation relative to the weld, but the crack growth performance (ΔK vs. da/dN) of the weld in the absence of weld‐induced residual stresses was identical to the base material.
End‐stage renal disease from hemolytic uremic syndrome in the United States, 1995–2010
Authors: Sexton Donal J. , Reule Scott , Solid Craig A. , Chen Shu‐Cheng , Collins Allan J. , Foley Robert N. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractManagement of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) has evolved rapidly, and optimal treatment strategies are controversial. However, it is unknown whether the burden of end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) from HUS has changed, and outcomes on dialysis in the United States are not well described. We retrospectively examined data for patients initiating maintenance renal replacement therapy (RRT) (n = 1,557,117), 1995–2010, to define standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and outcomes of ESRD from HUS) (n = 2241). Overall ESRD rates from HUS in 2001–2002 were 0.5 cases/million per year and were higher for patients characterized by age 40–64 years (0.6), ≥65 years (0.7), female sex (0.6), and non‐Hispanic African American race (0.7). Standardized incidence ratios remained unchanged (P ≥ 0.05) between 2001–2002 and 2009–2010 in the overall population. Compared with patients with ESRD from other causes, patients with HUS were more likely to be younger, female, white, and non‐Hispanic. Over 5.4 years of follow‐up, HUS patients differed from matched controls with ESRD from other causes by lower rates of death (8.3 per 100 person‐years in cases vs. 10.4 in controls, P < 0.001), listing for renal transplant (7.6 vs. 8.6 per 100 person‐years, P = 0.04), and undergoing transplant (6.9 vs. 9 per 100 person‐years, P < 0.001). The incidence of ESRD from HUS appears not to have risen substantially in the last decade. However, given that HUS subtypes could not be determined in this study, these findings should be interpreted with caution.
Altered intrahepatic microcirculation of idiopathic portal hypertension in relation to glutamine synthetase expression
Authors: Sato Yasunori , Harada Kenichi , Sasaki Motoko , Nakanuma Yasuni 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAimAlteration in intrahepatic microcirculation of idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) has been poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize altered intrahepatic microcirculation of IPH focusing on the expression pattern of glutamine synthetase (GS).MethodsImmunohistochemical staining of GS was performed using liver sections of IPH (n = 28). Serial section analysis was performed to determine microcirculatory disturbances of IPH.ResultsParaportal shunt vessels were observed in 20 cases of IPH, and they were divided into two types according to the GS staining pattern; hepatocytes surrounding the vessels were negative for GS (type 1) and positive for GS (type 2). All 20 cases had one or more type 1 vessels within a section, and 10 cases were further associated with type 2 vessels. The cases with type 2 vessels showed infrequent symptoms of esophageal varices. Regarding the GS staining as an indicator of hepatic veins, some type 2 vessels were supposed to represent portovenous shunts. Isolated arteries in hepatic parenchyma were present in 21 cases, and they were located around terminal hepatic venules in six cases, corresponding to centrizonal arteries. Broad hepatocellular GS staining in hyperplastic lesions was noted in five cases, whereas nodular regenerative hyperplasia lacked GS expression.ConclusionGS immunostaining revealed microcirculatory disturbances of IPH that were associated with abnormalities in both venous and arterial vessels.
Enhanced survival of mice infused with bone marrow‐derived as compared with adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Shiratsuki Shogo , Terai Shuji , Murata Yasuhiko , Takami Taro , Yamamoto Naoki , Fujisawa Koichi , Burganova Guzel , Quintanilha Luiz Fernando , Sakaida Isao 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAimLess invasive therapies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are being developed to treat patients with severe liver cirrhosis. MSC constitute a promising cell source for regenerative therapy and are frequently isolated from bone marrow (BMSC) or adipose tissue (ASC). Therefore, this study assessed the characteristics of these two cell types and their safety for cell infusion.MethodsIn vitro, exhaustive genetic analysis was performed using human (h)BMSC and hASC. Subsequently, the expression of mRNA and protein was evaluated. In vivo, mouse (m)BMSC or mASC was infused into serial mice via the peripheral vein, and 24‐h survival rate, prothrombin time and cause of death were analyzed.ResultsOn polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, enzyme‐linked immunoassay and fluorescence‐activated cell sorting, tissue factor was found to be expressed at higher levels in hASC than in hBMSC. Prothrombin time in mice infused with mASC (>120 s) was markedly longer than that of untreated mice (6.5 ± 1.7 s) and that of mice infused with BMSC (6.7 ± 0.8 s) (P < 0.001), indicating that pro‐coagulation activity was potently enhanced after ASC infusion. The 24‐h survival rates in the mASC‐ and mBMSC‐infused groups were 46.4% (13/28) and 95.5% (21/22), respectively; in the former, the rate decreased with increasing number of infused mASC. This cell number‐dependent effect was not observed with mBMSC. A histopathological analysis of mice that died immediately following mASC infusion revealed multiple thrombi in the blood vessels of the lungs.ConclusionThese results indicate that BMSC are a superior and safer cell source for regenerative therapy.
Developing a rehabilitation programme for male urinary incontinence: detailed schemes and results on 122 patients
Authors: Terzoni Stefano , Montanari Emanuele , Mora Cristina , Ricci Cristian , Destrebecq Anne 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACTUrinary incontinence (UI) is a common complication of prostatectomy. International guidelines suggest using pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) as a first‐line intervention (grade A) to help patients reduce the involuntary urine leakages. In the literature it is hard to find a complete exercise scheme, with full details (e.g. body position during PFMT, how to avoid antagonist synergies), information on how to make exercises progressively more difficult, and data showing the efficacy of the whole programme. This study presents a complete PFMT programme, with full details and outcomes. A scheme of five progressive exercises was built, each with precise characteristics and times. Totally 131 patients with stress UI after radical retropubic prostatectomy were enrolled and followed a written scheme of PFMT with the five exercises. Leakages were quantified using the 24‐h pad test. Rehabilitation ended when patients had leakages less than 10 g/d. Nine patients could not achieve results and decided to exit the programme after a median of five sessions (InterQuartile Range, IQR = [4;7]). Out of the 122 patients, 90 patients who followed the full programme achieved the rehabilitation (70.3%); they had median leakages of 150 g, IQR = [90;300]. Those who did not reach the result had higher leakages [540 g/d, IQR = (300;840)] but obtained clinically significant reduction and reached a median of 90 g/d, IQR = [90;157] after comparable rehabilitation times (median of 6 or 7 sessions, corresponding to 8 or 10 weeks, for rehabilitated and non‐rehabilitated patients, respectively). Future studies will investigate the long‐term results of this programme.
On Invariant Post‐randomization for Statistical Disclosure Control
Authors: Nayak Tapan K. , Adeshiyan Samson A. 
Published: February 2015

SummaryIn this paper, we investigate certain operational and inferential aspects of invariant Post‐randomization Method (PRAM) as a tool for disclosure limitation of categorical data. Invariant PRAM preserves unbiasedness of certain estimators, but inflates their variances and distorts other attributes. We introduce the concept of strongly invariant PRAM, which does not affect data utility or the properties of any statistical method. However, the procedure seems feasible in limited situations. We review methods for constructing invariant PRAM matrices and prove that a conditional approach, which can preserve the original data on any subset of variables, yields invariant PRAM. For multinomial sampling, we derive expressions for variance inflation inflicted by invariant PRAM and variances of certain estimators of the cell probabilities and also their tight upper bounds. We discuss estimation of these quantities and thereby assessing statistical efficiency loss from applying invariant PRAM. We find a connection between invariant PRAM and creating partially synthetic data using a non‐parametric approach, and compare estimation variance under the two approaches. Finally, we discuss some aspects of invariant PRAM in a general survey context.
Glucose control and fatigue in type 2 diabetes: the mediating roles of diabetes symptoms and distress
Authors: Park Hanjong , Park Chang , Quinn Laurie , Fritschi Cynthia 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAimThe purpose of this study was to examine the mediating influence of diabetes health characteristics (diabetes distress, depression symptoms and diabetes symptoms) on the relationship between glucose control and fatigue in adults with type 2 diabetes.BackgroundIn patients with type 2 diabetes, fatigue is common and can affect diabetes self‐management behaviours. Although long thought to result from hyperglycaemia, little evidence supports a relationship between fatigue and glucose control.DesignA cross‐sectional, descriptive study design was used.MethodData were combined from two studies conducted at a large urban university in the Midwestern United States, resulting in a total sample of 155 urban‐dwelling adults with type 2 diabetes. Data were collected over the course of 6 days from 2013–March 2014. Fatigue and related biological and psychological phenomena were measured to perform path analyses using structural equation modelling methods. The STATA software was used to analyse the data.FindingsIn patients with A1C less than or equal to 7%, fatigue was related to diabetes distress and diabetes symptoms, but not to A1C directly or indirectly. In the group with A1C greater than 7%, fatigue was indirectly related to A1C; this relationship was mediated through diabetes symptoms, depression and diabetes distress.ConclusionOur findings suggest that fatigue is indirectly related to glucose control, but only in patients who have elevated A1C levels. In those with adequate glucose control, fatigue is mainly influenced by the presence of diabetes symptoms and distress. In both groups, the number and severity of diabetes symptoms were the strongest predictors of fatigue, regardless of blood glucose control.
The Mass and Energy Exchange of a Tibetan Glacier: Distributed Modeling and Climate Sensitivity
Authors: Li Binquan , Acharya Kumud , Yu Zhongbo , Liang Zhongmin , Su Fengge 
Published: February 2015

AbstractMost glaciers in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are not closely monitored for mass balance (MB) due to their inaccessibility, which makes it difficult to better understand the dynamics of glacial advancement or retreat. Surface energy budget, MB, and the resulting melt runoff were calculated for Zhadang glacier (5,710 m above sea level) of the central TP. Energy balance was calculated on 30‐m square grids for the summers of 2007 and 2008. On average, net radiation dominated the total energy source (66%) while the residual was supplied by sensible heat flux. More than 67% of the energy sink was available for melting on the glacier. Thus, less than 33% of the total energy was consumed by latent heat flux. A large and a slightly negative summer MB were calculated for the 2007 and 2008 summers, respectively. The high sensitivity of the glacier to air temperature may indicate that the lower than average seasonal temperature was more important than the increased precipitation for the slightly negative MB in the summer of 2008. Comparisons of glacial melt runoff indicated that rainfall and snowmelt were the dominant contribution to total runoff in the glacierized basin and the ice melting is also very important. Glacial melt calculation provides a basis for quantifying glacial melt‐runoff contribution to the river streamflow in the TP.