bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A novel kinase regulates dietary restriction‐mediated longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Chamoli Manish , Singh Anupama , Malik Yasir , Mukhopadhyay Arnab 
Published: March 2014

SummaryAlthough dietary restriction (DR) is known to extend lifespan across species, from yeast to mammals, the signalling events downstream of food/nutrient perception are not well understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, DR is typically attained either by using the eat‐2 mutants that have reduced pharyngeal pumping leading to lower food intake or by feeding diluted bacterial food to the worms. In this study, we show that knocking down a mammalian MEKK3‐like kinase gene, mekk‐3 in C. elegans, initiates a process similar to DR without compromising food intake. This DR‐like state results in upregulation of beta‐oxidation genes through the nuclear hormone receptor NHR‐49, a HNF‐4 homolog, resulting in depletion of stored fat. This metabolic shift leads to low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), potent oxidizing agents that damage macromolecules. Increased beta‐oxidation, in turn, induces the phase I and II xenobiotic detoxification genes, through PHA‐4/FOXA, NHR‐8 and aryl hydrocarbon receptor AHR‐1, possibly to purge lipophilic endotoxins generated during fatty acid catabolism. The coupling of a metabolic shift with endotoxin detoxification results in extreme longevity following mekk‐3 knock‐down. Thus, MEKK‐3 may function as an important nutrient sensor and signalling component within the organism that controls metabolism. Knocking down mekk‐3 may signal an imminent nutrient crisis that results in initiation of a DR‐like state, even when food is plentiful.
Absorption and Peak Blood Alcohol Concentration After Drinking Beer, Wine, or Spirits
Authors: Mitchell Mack C. , Teigen Erin L. , Ramchandani Vijay A. 
Published: March 2014

BackgroundBoth the amount and the rate of absorption of ethanol (EtOH) from alcoholic beverages are key determinants of the peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and exposure of organs other than gut and liver. Previous studies suggest EtOH is absorbed more rapidly in the fasting than in the postprandial state. The concentration of EtOH and the type of beverage may determine gastric emptying/absorption of EtOH.MethodsThe pharmacokinetics of EtOH were measured in 15 healthy men after consumption of 0.5 g of EtOH/kg body weight. During this 3‐session crossover study, subjects consumed in separate sessions, beer (5.1% v/v), white wine (12.5% v/v), or vodka/tonic (20% v/v) over 20 minutes following an overnight fast. BAC was measured by gas chromatography at multiple points after consumption.ResultsPeak BAC (Cmax) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) after vodka/tonic (77.4 ± 17.0 mg/dl) than after wine (61.7 ± 10.8 mg/dl) or beer (50.3 ± 9.8 mg/dl) and was significantly higher (p < 0.001) after wine than beer. The time to Cmax occurred significantly earlier (p < 0.01) after vodka/tonic (36 ± 10 minutes) compared to wine (54 ± 14 minutes) or beer (62 ± 23 minutes). Six subjects exceeded a Cmax of 80 mg/dl after vodka/tonic, but none exceeded this limit after beer or wine. The area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) was significantly greater after drinking vodka/tonic (p < 0.001) than after wine or beer. Comparison of AUCs indicated the relative bioavailability of EtOH was lower after drinking beer.ConclusionsFindings indicate that BAC is higher after drinking vodka/tonic than beer or wine after fasting. A binge pattern is significantly more likely to result in BAC above 80 mg/dl after drinking vodka/tonic than beer or wine. Men drinking on an empty stomach should know BAC will vary depending on beverage type and the rate and amount of EtOH.
Postnatal Ethanol Exposure Simplifies the Dendritic Morphology of Medium Spiny Neurons Independently of Adenylyl Cyclase 1 and 8 Activity in Mice
Authors: Susick Laura L. , Lowing Jennifer L. , Provenzano Anthony M. , Hildebrandt Clara C. , Conti Alana C. 
Published: March 2014

BackgroundFetal exposure to alcohol can have multiple deleterious effects, including learning disorders and behavioral and executive functioning abnormalities, collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Neonatal mice lacking both calcium‐/calmodulin‐stimulated adenylyl cyclases (ACs) 1 and 8 demonstrate increased vulnerability to ethanol (EtOH)‐induced neurotoxicity in the striatum compared with wild‐type (WT) controls. However, the developmental impact on surviving neurons is still unclear.MethodsWT and AC1/8 double knockout (DKO) mice were administered 1 dose of EtOH (2.5 g/kg) between postnatal days 5 to 7 (P5–7). At P30, brains were removed and processed for Golgi–Cox staining. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from the caudate putamen were analyzed for changes in dendritic complexity; number of branches, branch points and terminals, total and average dendritic length; spine density and soma size.ResultsEtOH significantly reduced the dendritic complexity and soma size in surviving MSNs regardless of genotype without affecting spine density. In the absence of EtOH, genetic deletion of AC1/8 reduced the dendritic complexity, number of branch points, spine density, and soma size of MSNs compared with WT controls.ConclusionsThese data indicate that neonatal exposure to a single dose of EtOH is sufficient to cause long‐term alterations in the dendritic complexity of MSNs and that this outcome is not altered by the functional status of AC1 and AC8. Therefore, although deletion of AC1/8 demonstrates a role for the ACs in normal morphologic development and EtOH‐induced neurodegeneration, loss of AC1/8 activity does not exacerbate the effects of EtOH on dendritic morphology or spine density.
Islam, Islamism, and Post‐Islamism: Rediscovering Politics after the War on Terror
Authors: Crowder George , Griffiths Martin , Hasan Mubashar 
Published: March 2014

Over the past twenty years, an influential body of conservative scholarship has focused on the alleged conflict between Islam and the West. Following widespread criticism of this scholarship, a number of commentators have revived its core assumptions to claim that the real conflict is between liberal democracy within Muslim societies and the political ideology of Islamism. In this article we trace the evolution of this scholarship, and suggest that recent empirical developments in the Muslim world suggest the potential for post‐Islamist parties to successfully adapt to the demands of democratic competition within Muslim societies. In this context, the emerging conflict is not between Islam and the West, or Islamism and the West, but between two very different discursive practices within the Muslim world that invoke Islam for radically different purposes.A traveler enters the world into which he travels, but a tourist brings his own world with him and never sees the one he's in.
Activation of histamine H1 receptors in the nucleus tractus solitarii attenuates cardiac baroreceptor reflex function in rats
Authors: Takagishi M. , Gouraud S. S. , Bhuiyan M. E. R. , Kohsaka A. , Maeda M. , Waki H. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAimThe nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) is a central brainstem structure that plays an important role in regulating cardiovascular homeostasis. In this study, we examined whether H1 receptors in the NTS can control the baroreceptor reflex function by modulating synaptic transmission.MethodsCardiac baroreceptor reflex function was assessed before and after the microinjection of 2‐pyridylethylamine (10–25 nmol), a histamine H1 receptor‐specific agonist, into the NTS of urethane‐anaesthetized Wistar rats. The cardiovascular responses induced by l‐glutamate microinjection into the NTS were also examined before and after the NTS administration of 2‐pyridylethylamine.ResultsNucleus tractus solitarii microinjections of 2‐pyridylethylamine significantly inhibited the gain of the cardiac baroreceptor reflex and bradycardiac/depressor responses induced by l‐glutamate microinjection into the NTS. These findings suggest that histamine H1 receptors regulate the cardiac baroreceptor reflex in a post‐synaptic manner to inhibit barosensitive NTS neurons.ConclusionTaken together with our previous findings, the present results provide further evidence that histamine may play a role within the NTS in regulating cardiovascular homeostasis.
Early Skin‐to‐Skin Contact, Rooming‐in, and Breastfeeding: A Comparison of the 2004 and 2011 National Surveys in Taiwan
Authors: Chiou Shu‐Ti , Chen Li‐Chuan , Yeh Hsing , Wu Shu‐Ru , Chien Li‐Yin 
Published: March 2014

AbstractObjectivesWe examined progress in the practice of early skin‐to‐skin contact and rooming‐in, and their association with breastfeeding, using national samples of postpartum women in the years 2004 and 2011 in Taiwan.MethodsThis study was a secondary data analysis using 2004 and 2011 national surveys of 12,201 and 12,405 postpartum women, respectively.ResultsMore women had early skin‐to‐skin contact in 2011 than in 2004 (54.9% vs 20.6%, p < 0.001). Although fewer women practiced rooming‐in in 2011 than in 2004 (33.8% vs 45.8%, p < 0.001), the percentage of women rooming‐in for 24 hours improved from 6.1 percent to 22.7 percent from 2004 to 2011, and for rooming‐in from 12 to less than 24 hours, the percentage improved from 4.3 percent to 10.9 percent (p < 0.001). The rate of breastfeeding increased by 50 percent during hospitalization (from 57.4% to 85.6%) and by 150 percent at 6 months postpartum (from 20.1% to 50.2%). After adjustment for background characteristics, women who had early skin‐to‐skin contact were more than twice as likely to breastfeed their infants during hospitalization, and about 1.2 times as likely to breastfeed at 6 months postpartum. The odds ratio for breastfeeding at 6 months generally increased as the duration of rooming‐in increased in 2004 (OR ranged from 1.37 to 2.47). In 2011, only rooming‐in for 12 to less than 24 hours (OR = 1.31) and 24 hours (OR = 1.98) daily significantly increased the odds ratio for breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum.ConclusionsSignificant improvements in early skin‐to‐skin contact, the duration of rooming‐in, and breastfeeding were observed in Taiwan. Early skin‐to‐skin contact and rooming‐in for more than 12 hours were associated with increased chances for exclusive breastfeeding and breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum.
Creating a Safe Haven—Women's Experiences of the Midwife's Professional Skills During Planned Home Birth in Four Nordic Countries
Authors: Sjöblom Ingela , Idvall Ewa , Lindgren Helena ,   Nordic Homebirth Research Group
Published: March 2014

AbstractObjectiveThe midwife assisting a birth has a considerable influence on the woman's experience of the birth. The aim of this study was to investigate the experience of the midwife's professional skills among women in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden who chose a planned home birth.Design and SettingAll known home birth midwives were asked to inform the mothers about the project and invite them to complete a questionnaire about different aspects of their home birth experience.MethodThe women were asked to assess 10 different aspects of the midwives' professional skills on a 4‐graded scale below the main question: What was your experience of the midwife who assisted the labor? Furthermore, the mothers' experiences with the attending midwives were identified in the free text birth stories. The chosen method was a mixed method design.FindingsThe home birth midwives' professional skills were generally high scored. No statistically significant differences were found with respect to the assessment of the midwife. The content analyses yielded one overarching theme: The competence and presence of the midwife creates a safe haven, and three categories, midwife's safe hand, midwife's caring approach, and midwife's peaceful presence.ConclusionWomen choosing a home birth in the four Nordic countries experienced that their midwives were highly skilled and they found the presence of the midwives valuable in helping them to feel safe and confident during birth. Despite differences in organization and guidelines for home births, the women's experience of the midwife's professional skills did not differ between the four countries.
Sotatercept in patients with osteolytic lesions of multiple myeloma
Authors: Abdulkadyrov Kudrat M. , Salogub Galina N. , Khuazheva Nuriet K. , Sherman Matthew L. , Laadem Abderrahmane , Barger Rachel , Knight Robert , Srinivasan Shankar , Terpos Evangelos 
Published: March 2014

SummaryThis phase IIa study evaluated the safety and tolerability of sotatercept, and its effects on bone metabolism and haematopoiesis in newly diagnosed and relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Patients were randomized (4:1) to receive four 28‐d cycles of sotatercept (0·1, 0·3, or 0·5 mg/kg) or placebo. Patients also received six cycles of combination oral melphalan, prednisolone, and thalidomide (MPT). Thirty patients were enrolled; six received placebo and 24 received sotatercept. Overall, 25% of patients received all four sotatercept doses; 71% of sotatercept‐treated patients had ≥1 dose interruption mainly due to increases in haemoglobin levels. Grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) were reported in 17% of patients receiving placebo and 58% receiving sotatercept. Grade 4 AEs in sotatercept‐treated patients were neutropenia, granulocytopenia, and atrial fibrillation (one patient each). In patients without bisphosphonate use, anabolic improvements in bone mineral density and in bone formation relative to placebo occurred, whereas bone resorption was minimally affected. Increases in haemoglobin levels, versus baseline, and the duration of the increases, were higher in the sotatercept‐treated patients, with a trend suggesting a dose‐related effect. Multiple doses of sotatercept plus MPT appear to be safe and generally well‐tolerated in MM patients.
Inverse Procedural Modelling of Trees
Authors: Stava O. , Pirk S. , Kratt J. , Chen B. , Měch R. , Deussen O. , Benes B. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractProcedural tree models have been popular in computer graphics for their ability to generate a variety of output trees from a set of input parameters and to simulate plant interaction with the environment for a realistic placement of trees in virtual scenes. However, defining such models and their parameters is a difficult task. We propose an inverse modelling approach for stochastic trees that takes polygonal tree models as input and estimates the parameters of a procedural model so that it produces trees similar to the input. Our framework is based on a novel parametric model for tree generation and uses Monte Carlo Markov Chains to find the optimal set of parameters. We demonstrate our approach on a variety of input models obtained from different sources, such as interactive modelling systems, reconstructed scans of real trees and developmental models.
High impact of rejection therapy on the incidence of post‐transplant diabetes mellitus after kidney transplantation
Authors: Schweer Torben , Gwinner Wilfried , Scheffner Irina , Schwarz Anke , Haller Hermann , Blume Cornelia 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBackgroundAlthough major risk factors for post‐transplant diabetes (PTDM) after kidney transplantation have been identified, a systematic study on the impact of rejection and rejection therapy is missing so far.MethodsFive hundred and twenty‐six kidney transplant recipients transplanted in the years 2000–2007 were included. PTDM was defined according to WHO guidelines, and patients' data were compared with special attention to protocol and for cause biopsies and rejection therapies. Survival analyses were made for graft loss and patient death.Results16.7% of all patients developed PTDM. Among common risk factors as higher age, body mass index (BMI), and others, the factor “acute cellular rejections” was comparably most relevant with a hazard ratio of 3.7. Consequently, antirejective treatment with steroid pulses and conversion to tacrolimus was the factor with the highest relative risk for the onset of PTDM (RR 3.5). PTDM itself had no impact on graft or patients' survival, but the decreased graft survival in PTDM patients was dominantly influenced by the higher frequency of acute cellular rejections, and patients' survival was reduced due to higher age.ConclusionBased upon a higher rate of acute rejections (AR), the necessity of frequent antirejective treatments was more relevant for the induction of PTDM than age or BMI.
Pancreatic autoantibodies after pancreas–kidney transplantation – do they matter?
Authors: Martins La Salete , Henriques Antonio C. , Fonseca Isabel M. , Rodrigues Anabela S. , Oliverira José C. , Dores Jorge M. , Dias Leonidio S. , Cabrita Antonio M. , Silva José D. , Noronha Irene L. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractType 1 diabetes recurrence has been documented in simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplants (SPKT), but this diagnosis may be underestimated. Antibody monitoring is the most simple, noninvasive, screening test for pancreas autoimmune activity. However, the impact of the positive autoimmune markers on pancreas graft function remains controversial. In our cohort of 105 SPKT, we studied the cases with positive pancreatic autoantibodies. They were immunosuppressed with antithymocyte globulin, tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and steroids. The persistence or reappearance of these autoantibodies after SPKT and factors associated with their evolution and with graft outcome were analyzed. Pancreatic autoantibodies were prospectively monitored. Serum samples were collected before transplantation and at least once per year thereafter. At the end of the follow‐up (maximum 138 months), 43.8% of patients were positive (from pre‐transplant or after recurrence) for at least one autoantibody – the positive group. Antiglutamic acid decarboxylase was the most prevalent (31.4%), followed by anti‐insulin (8.6%) and anti‐islet cell autoantibodies (3.8%). Bivariate analysis showed that the positive group had higher fasting glucose, higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lower C‐peptide levels, and a higher number of HLA‐matches. Analyzing the sample divided into four groups according to pre‐/post‐transplant autoantibodies profile, the negative/positive group tended to present the higher HbA1c values. Multivariate analysis confirmed the significant association between pancreas autoimmunity and HbA1c and C‐peptide levels. Positivity for these autoantibodies pre‐transplantation did not influence pancreas survival. The unfavorable glycemic profile observed in the autoantibody‐positive SPKT is a matter of concern, which deserves further attention.
Factors associated with breastfeeding at discharge differ by maternal diabetes type
Authors: Kachoria R. , Oza‐Frank R. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAimsTo investigate the factors associated with breastfeeding initiation in mothers with gestational and prepregnancy diabetes mellitus vs those without diabetes.MethodsOhio Vital Statistics birth certificate data from 2006 to 2011 on all singleton births to women resident in Ohio aged 16–44 years were used to determine the factors associated with breastfeeding initiation by diabetes status. Logistic regression models stratified by diabetes status were used to analyse the association of breastfeeding with characteristics of the mother and infant.ResultsAmong the 792 730 infants born in Ohio between 2006 and 2011 used in the analysis, 5.3% were born to mothers with gestational diabetes and 0.8% to mothers with prepregnancy diabetes. Although some associations of breastfeeding initiation with maternal and infant characteristics were similar across all diabetes statuses, they differed by maternal prepregnancy weight, age and race, prenatal care, county type and infant's gestational age. Unlike mothers without diabetes, overweight mothers with gestational diabetes were equally likely to breastfeed compared with those of normal weight (odds ratio 0.95; 95% CI 0.87, 1.03) and mothers in rural (odds ratio 1.0; 95% CI 0.9, 1.1) and metropolitan counties (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0, 1.1) were equally likely to breastfeed compared with those in suburban counties. Although significantly associated with breastfeeding initiation among mothers without diabetes, the mother's prepregnancy weight status and age, county type and prenatal care were not found to be significant factors among mothers with prepregnancy diabetes.ConclusionsFurther research is needed to understand how these factors influence the initiation of breastfeeding decisions made by mothers.
Diagnostic values of different definitions of metabolic syndrome to detect poor health status in Iranian adults without diabetes
Authors: Amiri P. , Deihim T. , Hosseinpanah F. , Barzin M. , Hasheminia M. , Montazeri A. , Azizi F. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAimsThis study aimed to compare the diagnostic impact of four definitions of the metabolic syndrome for detection of poor health status in adults without diabetes living in Tehran.MethodsA representative sample of 950 individuals (64% women), aged ≥ 20 years, participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study in 2005–2007, were recruited for the study. Health status was assessed using the Iranian version of the 36‐item Short Form Health Survey. We assessed the detectability of poor health status by definitions of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, the International Diabetes Federation, the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and the Blood Institute and the Joint Interim Statement.ResultsCompared with other definitions, the Joint Interim Statement identified more participants (46.9%) having the metabolic syndrome. Using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, the International Diabetes Federation and the Joint Interim Statement, the metabolic syndrome was significantly related to poor physical health status, even after adjustment for confounding variables, in women, but not in men. None of the four definitions of the metabolic syndrome was related to the mental health status in either gender. The receiver operating characteristic curves showed no significant difference in the discriminative power of the metabolic syndrome definitions in detecting poor health status in either gender. However, women showed a higher area under the curve for all definitions, in comparison with men.ConclusionThere was no difference in the four different definitions of the metabolic syndrome in detecting poor health status among Iranian adults.