bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nurse assistants’ experience of an intervention focused on a palliative care approach for older people in residential care
Authors: Beck Ingela , Törnquist Agneta , Edberg Anna‐Karin 
Published: August 2012

Background.  Nurse assistants working in residential care facilities need support to ensure that they provide high‐quality care for the residents and support for relatives, from admission to bereavement.Aim.  The aim was to describe the nurse assistants’ experience of how an intervention with a palliative care approach, had influenced them in their work in residential care for older people.Participants.  Fourteen nurse assistants working in three different municipal residential care facilities.Methods.  Data were collected by means of semi‐structured individual interviews following an intervention consisting of study circles combined with workshops. The data were analysed using content analysis.Result.  The nurse assistants felt that, through the intervention, they had gained insight into their understanding of the importance of quality of care. This included an increased awareness of, and respect for, residents’ and relatives’ needs, and an increased understanding of the importance of the outcome of encounters with residents and their relatives. After the intervention, they also felt there was increased openness and understanding between colleagues. However, the nurse assistants also expressed frustration over obstacles to implementing a palliative care approach, such as lack of resources and supportive leadership.Conclusion.  The nurse assistants felt that the intervention was positive and encouraged them to provide more person‐centred care within the framework of a palliative care approach. Although the intervention was intended to involve and support the management, it was not sufficient. Nurse assistants described lack of resources and supportive leadership. There is, therefore, a need to place greater emphasis on leadership and their support of nurse assistants so that they can provide high‐quality care.Implications for practice.  To support nurse assistants in the provision of care, clear leadership and opportunities to discuss and reflect on issues associated with care, including systematic improvement work in practice, appear to be essential to ensure high‐quality care.
Molecular and Morphologic Correlates of the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres Phenotype in High‐Grade Astrocytomas
Authors: Nguyen Doreen N. , Heaphy Christopher M. , de Wilde Roeland F. , Orr Brent A. , Odia Yazmin , Eberhart Charles G. , Meeker Alan K. , Rodriguez Fausto J. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractRecent studies suggest that the telomere maintenance mechanism known as alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) is relatively more common in specific glioma subsets and strongly associated with ATRX mutations. We retrospectively examined 116 high‐grade astrocytomas (32 pediatric glioblastomas, 65 adult glioblastomas, 19 anaplastic astrocytomas) with known ALT status using tissue microarrays to identify associations with molecular and phenotypic features. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against ATRX, DAXX, p53 and IDH1R132H mutant protein. EGFR amplification was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Almost half of fibrillary and gemistocytic astrocytomas (44%) demonstrated ALT. Conversely all gliosarcomas (n = 4), epithelioid (n = 2), giant cell (n = 2) and adult small cell astrocytomas (n = 7) were ALT negative. The ALT phenotype was positively correlated with the presence of round cells (P = 0.002), microcysts (P < 0.0002), IDH1 mutant protein (P < 0.0001), ATRX protein loss (P < 0.0001), strong P53 immunostaining (P < 0.0001) and absence of EGFR amplification (P = 0.004). There was no significant correlation with DAXX expression. We conclude that ALT represents a specific phenotype in high‐grade astrocytomas with distinctive pathologic and molecular features. Future studies are required to clarify the clinical and biological significance of ALT in high‐grade astrocytomas.
Strengthening the case for saproxylic arthropod conservation: a call for ecosystem services research
Authors: Ulyshen Michael D. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractWhile research on the ecosystem services provided by biodiversity is becoming widely embraced as an important tool in conservation, the services provided by saproxylic arthropods – an especially diverse and threatened assemblage dependent on dead or dying wood – remain unmeasured.A conceptual model depicting the reciprocal relationships between dead wood and saproxylic arthropod biodiversity, wildfires, climate change, forest productivity and pest outbreaks is presented. This model suggests that the ecological influence of saproxylic arthropods may extend far beyond their effects on wood decay.Several predictions arising from this view are briefly summarised with the hope of stimulating research that may ultimately help strengthen the argument for saproxylic arthropod conservation.
Astragaloside IV inhibited the activity of CYP1A2 in liver microsomes and influenced theophylline pharmacokinetics in rats
Authors: Zhang Yan-Hui , Zhang You-Jin , Guo Yan-Lei , Li Wen-Juan , Yu Chao 
Published: August 2012

Abstract

Objectives
With the growing popularity of herbal and natural medicinal products, attention has turned to possible interactions between these products and pharmaceutical drugs. In this study, we examined whether astragaloside IV (AGS-IV) could inhibit the activity of CYP1A2 in rat liver microsomes in vitro and in vivo.

Methods
The effect of AGS-IV on CYP1A2 activity was investigated using probe substrates: phenacetin in vitro and theophylline in vivo. Phenacetin was incubated in rat liver microsomes with or without AGS-IV, and the mechanism, kinetics and type of inhibition were determined. The inhibitory effect of AGS-IV on CYP1A2 activity in rats was also determined using theophylline in vivo. The pharmacokinetics of theophylline were observed after a single or week-long treatment with AGS-IV.

Key findings
AGS-IV was found to be a competitive inhibitor with a Ki value of 6.29 μm in vitro. In the multiple-pretreatment rat group, it was found to have a significantly higher area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) for theophylline, as well as a lower apparent oral total body clearance value (CL/F). In contrast, no significant difference in metabolism of theophylline was found for the single pretreatment group.

Conclusions
These findings suggest that AGS-IV is a potent inhibitor of CYP1A2. This work offers a useful reference for the reasonable and safe use of clinically prescribed herbal or natural products to avoid unnecessary herb–drug interactions.
Ultrasound‐Guided Venous Access for Pacemakers and Defibrillators
Authors: SETO ARNOLD H. , JOLLY AARON , SALCEDO JONATHAN 
Published: August 2012

Ultrasound‐Guided Lead Placement. Introduction: Ultrasound guidance is widely recommended to reduce the risk of complications during central venous catheter placement. However, ultrasound guidance is not commonly utilized for implanting leads for cardiac rhythm management devices.
Methods and Results: We describe our technique of ultrasound‐guided pacemaker implantation, including a novel pull‐through technique that allows percutaneous guidewire insertion prior to the first incision. We review the literature and recent advances in ultrasound imaging technology that may facilitate the adoption of ultrasound guidance.
Conclusions: Ultrasound guidance provides a safe and rapid technique for extrathoracic subclavian or axillary venous lead placement. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 24, pp. 370‐374, March 2013)
The N‐terminal domain of the myelin enzyme 2′,3′‐cyclic nucleotide 3′‐phosphodiesterase: direct molecular interaction with the calcium sensor calmodulin
Authors: Myllykoski Matti , Itoh Kouichi , Kangas Salla M. , Heape Anthony M. , Kang Sung‐Ung , Lubec Gert , Kursula Inari , Kursula Petri 
Published: August 2012

Abstract2′,3′‐cyclic nucleotide 3′‐phosphodiesterase (CNPase) is a quantitatively major enzyme in myelin, where it localizes to the non‐compact regions and is bound to the membrane surface. Although its catalytic activity in vitro has been characterized, the physiological function and in vivo substrate of CNPase remain unknown. Especially the N‐terminal domain has been poorly characterized; previously, we have shown it is involved in CNPase dimerization and RNA binding. Here, we show that purified CNPase binds to the calcium sensor protein calmodulin (CaM) in a calcium‐dependent manner; the binding site is in the N‐terminal domain of CNPase. CaM does not affect the phosphodiesterase activity of CNPase in vitro, nor does it influence polyadenylic acid binding. The colocalization of CNPase and CaM during Schwann cell myelination in culture was observed, and CaM antagonists induced the colocalization of CNPase with microtubules in differentiated CG‐4 oligodendrocytes. An analysis of post‐translational modifications of CNPase from rat brain revealed the presence of two novel phosphorylation sites on Tyr110 and Ser169 within the N‐terminal domain. The results indicate a role for the N‐terminal domain of CNPase in mediating multiple molecular interactions and provide a starting point for detailed structure‐function studies on CNPase and its N‐terminal domain.
Differential neurite outgrowth is required for axon specification by cultured hippocampal neurons
Authors: Yamamoto Hideaki , Demura Takanori , Morita Mayu , Banker Gary A. , Tanii Takashi , Nakamura Shun 
Published: August 2012

AbstractFormation of an axon is the first morphological evidence of neuronal polarization, visible as a profound outgrowth of the axon compared with sibling neurites. One unsolved question on the mechanism of axon formation is the role of axon outgrowth in axon specification. This question was difficult to assess, because neurons freely extend their neurites in a conventional culture. Here, we leveraged surface nano/micro‐modification techniques to fabricate a template substrate for constraining neurite lengths of cultured neurons. Using the template, we asked (i) Do neurons polarize even if all neurites cannot grow sufficiently long? (ii) Would the neurite be fated to become an axon if only one was allowed to grow long? A pattern with symmetrical short paths (20 μm) was used to address the former question, and an asymmetrical pattern with one path extended to 100 μm for the latter. Axon formation was evaluated by tau‐1/MAP2 immunostaining and live‐cell imaging of constitutively‐active kinesin‐1. We found that (1) neurons cannot polarize when extension of all neurites is restricted and that (2) when only a single neurite is permitted to grow long, neurons polarize and the longest neurite becomes the axon. These results provide clear evidence that axon outgrowth is required for its specification.
Maternal corticosterone regulates nutrient allocation to fetal growth in mice
Authors: Vaughan Owen R. , Sferruzzi‐Perri Amanda N. , Fowden Abigail L. 
Published: August 2012

Key points
Stress during pregnancy leads to fetal growth restriction.
Natural glucocorticoids, such as corticosterone, are elevated by maternal stress and, hence, may mediate the effects of stress on fetal growth.
This study shows that increasing corticosterone levels in pregnant mice limits fetal growth by reducing the amino acid supply and density of blood vessels in the placenta.
The findings suggest that excess corticosterone may act to defend maternal resources during times of stress by constraining the placental allocation of nutrients to the fetus.
The results also provide a potential mechanism by which stresses during pregnancy can program intrauterine growth and development with consequences in later life.
Abstract  Stresses during pregnancy that increase maternal glucocorticoids reduce birth weight in several species. However, the role of natural glucocorticoids in the mother in fetal acquisition of nutrients for growth remains unknown. This study aimed to determine whether fetal growth was reduced as a consequence of altered amino acid supply when mice were given corticosterone in their drinking water for 5 day periods in mid to late pregnancy (day, D, 11–16 or D14–19). Compared to controls drinking tap water, fetal weight was always reduced by corticosterone. At D16, corticosterone had no effect on materno‐fetal transfer of [14C]methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB), although placental MeAIB accumulation and expression of the Slc38a1 and Slc38a2 transporters were increased. However, at D19, 3 days after treatment ended, materno‐fetal transfer of MeAIB was increased by 37% (P < 0.04). During treatment at D19, placental accumulation and materno‐fetal transfer of MeAIB were reduced by 40% (P < 0.01), although expression of Slc38a1 was again elevated. Permanent reductions in placental vascularity occurred during the earlier but not the later period of treatment. Placental Hsd11b2 expression, which regulates feto‐placental glucocorticoid bioavailability, was also affected by treatment at D19 only. Maternal corticosterone concentrations inversely correlated with materno‐fetal MeAIB clearance and fetal weight at D19 but not D16. On D19, weight gain of the maternal carcass was normal during corticosterone treatment but reduced in those mice treated from D11 to D16, in which corticosterone levels were lowest. Maternal corticosterone is, therefore, a physiological regulator of the amino acid supply for fetal growth via actions on placental phenotype.
Adverse cardiac remodelling in spontaneously hypertensive rats: acceleration by high aerobic exercise intensity
Authors: da Costa Rebelo Rui Manuel , Schreckenberg Rolf , Schlüter Klaus‐Dieter 
Published: August 2012

Key points
Physical exercise is recommended as first line therapy for hypertensive patients. However, studies investigating long‐term effects of high intensity exercise on the progression of hypertensive heart disease have revealed conflicting results.
We show that high intensity aerobic exercise accelerates hypertensive heart disease and improves fibrosis.
Surprisingly, high intensity aerobic exercise in the presence of an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor not only attenuated training induced mal‐adaptation but exerts positive repair processes. These effects were independent of blood pressure effects.
The results of this study provide evidence that high physical activity in hypertensives must be considered as an important risk factor rather than a therapeutic intervention.
Abstract  In the present study it was hypothesized that voluntary aerobic exercise favours a pro‐fibrotic phenotype and promotes adverse remodelling in hearts from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) in an angiotensin II‐dependent manner. To test this, female SHRs at the age of 1 year were started to perform free running wheel exercise. Captopril was used to inhibit the renin–angiotensin system (RAS). Normotensive rats and SHRs kept in regular cages were used as sedentary controls. Training intensity, expressed as mean running velocity, was positively correlated with the left ventricular mRNA expression of TGF‐β1, collagen‐III and biglycan but negatively correlated with the ratio of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA)2a to Na+–Ca2+ exchanger (NCX). A pro‐fibrotic phenotype was verified by Picrosirius red staining. Sixty‐seven per cent of SHRs performing free running wheel exercise died either spontaneously or had to be killed during a 6 month follow‐up. In the presence of captopril, aerobic exercise did not show a similar positive correlation between training intensity and the expression of fibrotic markers. Moreover, in SHRs receiving captopril and performing free running wheel exercise, a training intensity‐dependent reverse remodelling of the SERCA2a‐to‐NCX ratio was observed. None of these rats died spontaneously or had to be killed. In captopril‐treated SHRs performing exercise, expression of mRNA for decorin, a natural inhibitor of TGF‐β1, was up‐regulated. Despite these differences between SHR‐training groups with and without captopril, positive training effects (lower resting heart rate and no progression of hypertension) were found in both groups. In conclusion, high aerobic exercise induces an angiotensin II‐dependent adverse remodelling in chronic pressure overloaded hearts. However, high physical activity can potentially induce reverse remodelling in the presence of RAS inhibition.
Zinc induces long‐term upregulation of T‐type calcium current in hippocampal neurons in vivo
Authors: Ekstein Dana , Benninger Felix , Daninos Moshe , Pitsch Julika , van Loo Karen M. J. , Becker Albert J. , Yaari Yoel 
Published: August 2012

Key points
Zinc induces various acute and persistent effects in neurons and it acutely blocks T‐type voltage‐gated calcium current (ICaT).
I
CaT contributes to pilocarpine status epilepticus (SE)‐induced epileptogenesis (transformation of normal brain into epileptic) by mediating the increase in intrinsic excitability of CA1 hippocampal neurons. Therefore, since SE causes both zinc release into the extracellular space and long‐lasting increase in ICaT, zinc may actually upregulate ICaT on the long‐term.
We demonstrated that when injected into the lateral ventricles of rats zinc upregulated ICaT in a subset of CA1 hippocampal neurons for about 2 weeks.
This shows that zinc has a dual effect on ICaT, blocking it acutely while causing its long‐term upregulation.
This finding provides a possible explanation to the mechanism of epileptogenesis induced by pathological conditions associated with enhanced release of zinc, such as SE.
Abstract  Extracellular zinc can induce numerous acute and persistent physiological and toxic effects in neurons by acting at their plasma membrane or intracellularly following permeation or uptake into them. Zinc acutely and reversibly blocks T‐type voltage‐gated calcium current (ICaT), but the long‐term effect of zinc on this current has not been studied. Because chemically induced status epilepticus (SE) results in the release of zinc into the extracellular space, as well as in a long‐lasting increase in ICaT in CA1 pyramidal cells, we hypothesized that zinc may play a causative role in ICaT upregulation. We tested this hypothesis by monitoring for 18 days the effects of zinc and ibotenic acid (a neurotoxic agent serving as control for zinc), injected into the right lateral ventricle, on ICaT in rat CA1 pyramidal cells. Both zinc and ibotenic acid caused marked hippocampal lesions on the side of injection, but only minor damage to contralateral hippocampi. Zinc, but not ibotenic acid, caused upregulation of a nickel‐sensitive ICaT in a subset of contralateral CA1 pyramidal cells, appearing 2 days after injection and lasting for about 2 weeks thereafter. In contrast, acute application of zinc to CA1 pyramidal cells promptly blocked ICaT. These data indicate that extracellular zinc has a dual effect on ICaT, blocking it acutely while causing its long‐term upregulation. Through the latter effect, zinc may regulate the intrinsic excitability of principal neurons, particularly in pathological conditions associated with enhanced release of zinc, such as SE.
Discrimination of gastric cancer from normal by serum RNA based on surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and multivariate analysis
Authors: Chen Yanping , Chen Gang , Zheng Xiongwei , He Cheng , Feng Shangyuan , Chen Yan , Lin Xiaoqian , Chen Rong , Zeng Haisan 
Published: August 2012

Purpose:Here, the authors explore the feasibility of discriminating cancer patients from healthy controls by serum RNA detection based on surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and multivariate analysis.Methods:MgSO4‐aggregated silver nanoparticles (Ag NP) as the SERS‐active substrate presented strong SERS signals to RNA. SERS measurements were performed on two groups of serum RNA samples: one group from patients (n = 31) with gastric cancer and the other group from healthy volunteers (n = 34).Results:Tentative assignments of the Raman bands in the normalized SERS spectra demonstrated that there are differential expressions of circulating RNA between the gastric cancer group and the control group. Principal component analysis (PCA) combined with linear discriminate analysis (LDA) was introduced to differentiate gastric cancer from normal and achieved sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 94.1%.Conclusions:This exploratory study demonstrated potential for developing serum RNA SERS analysis into a useful clinical tool for noninvasive screening and detection of cancer.
A novel segmentation method for breast ultrasound images based on neutrosophic l‐means clustering
Authors: Shan Juan , Cheng H. D. , Wang Yuxuan 
Published: August 2012

Purpose:Fully automatic and accurate breast lesion segmentation is an essential and challenging task. In this paper, the authors develop a novel, effective, and fully automatic method for breast ultrasound (BUS) image segmentation.Methods:The segmentation method utilizes a novel phase feature to improve the image quality, and a novel neutrosophic clustering approach to detect the accurate lesion boundary. First, a region of interest is generated to cut off complex background. After speckle reduction, an enhancement algorithm based on phase in max‐energy orientation (PMO) is developed to further improve the image quality. The PMO is a newly proposed 2D phase feature obtained by filtering the image in the frequency domain and calculating the phase accumulation in the orientation with maximum energy. Finally, the authors propose a novel clustering approach called neutrosophic l‐means (NLM) to detect the lesion boundary. NLM is a generalized clustering method that can be used to solve other clustering problems as well. In this paper, NLM is used to segment images with vague boundaries, and to deal with uncertainty better. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, the authors compare it with the traditional fuzzy c‐means clustering, active contour, level set, and watershed‐based segmentation methods, using a common database. Radiologist's manual delineations are used as the golden standards. Five assessment metrics are utilized to evaluate the performance from different aspects. Both accuracy and efficiency are analyzed. Sensitivity analysis is also conducted to test the robustness of the proposed method.Results:Compared with the other methods, the proposed method generates the most similar boundaries to the radiologist's manual delineations (TP rate is 92.4%, FP rate is 7.2%, and similarity rate is 86.3%; Hausdorff distance is 22.5 pixels and mean absolute distance is 4.8 pixels), with efficient processing speed (averagely 9.8 s per image). Sensitivity analysis shows the robustness of the proposed method as well.Conclusions:The proposed method is a fully automatic segmentation method for BUS images that can generate accurate lesion boundaries even for complicated cases. The fast processing speed, robustness, and accuracy of the proposed method suggest its potential applications in clinics.