bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Working criteria of mild cognitive impairment in community: findings from Gwangju Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Study (GDEMCIS)
Authors: Lee Kang Soo , Cheong Hae Kwan , Oh Byoung Hoon , Na Duk L. , Hong Chang Hyung 
Published: July 2009

AbstractIntroduction:The clinical determination of relative severity of impairment along the spectrum of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may be valuable for the prediction of dementia. The purpose of the present study is to suggest the working criteria of MCI based on severity in the community sample.Methods:The MCI group was divided into three groups by severity according to cognitive and functional status. The grade I MCI group was based on the original concept of Petersen's MCI. The grade II MCI group was in the same condition as grade I MCI, except that the general cognitive function was not intact. The grade III MCI group was defined as the condition not essentially preserved instrumental to the activity of daily living, but not definite in dementia regardless of general cognitive and functional state.Results:A total of 38.5% of the subjects were classified as not cognitively impaired (NCI), 41.4% as MCI, and 10.3% as having dementia. Preliminary results showed that the grades I, II, and III MCI groups had a tendency to lie between the NCI and dementia groups.Discussion:Prospective cohort studies with clinical correlations are needed to determine whether our working criteria of MCI considering characteristics of the rural elderly, such as low education and less comprehensive activities of daily living (ADL), would be useful.
Women as Benefactors at Catalan Benedictine Nunneries
Authors: Herder Michelle 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThis study explores secular women's gift-giving to women's monasteries as well as other institutions, through the records of two late medieval Catalan Benedictine nunneries. It examines the ways in which female donors to the nunneries created permanent legacies and affected the nuns' daily existence. From the evidence of women's wills, the study also examines women's gifts to a wider range of religious and charitable institutions. The wills tend to fall into one of a few patterns, with some female testators prioritizing legacies for their families, and others giving the bulk of their goods to charity.
Secular and Religious Women and the Abbaye aux Dames de Saintes
Authors: Church Rebecca 
Published: July 2009

AbstractMonastic cartularies and the charters they contain are some of the most extensive medieval writings done under the directorship of women. Here the twelfth-century cartulary produced for Notre Dame de Saintes by Agnes of Barbezieux reveals key aspects about religious women and their secular sisters. The women who populate the charters of Saintes moved between the secular and religious worlds relatively easily, acting publicly in courts and in courtyards, sometimes secular and religious women in concert, sometimes in opposition to each other. They managed substantial economic resources as well as being recipients of pious acts of donation. Women in the monastery maintained strong connections with family members, bringing them into the monastery's circle of influence. While violence was a backdrop to many acts, the women in the cartulary successfully combatted its effects. Among tenants of the abbey, women make only limited appearances in the records in comparison to men of their economic class, but have equal economic status when they do.
Female Founders: Exercising authority in Thirteenth-century Flanders and Hainaut
Authors: Jordan Erin 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe many houses of Cistercian nuns founded in Flanders and Hainaut by the mid thirteenth century produced large numbers of documents about their female founders and patrons. Although some of these abbeys owed their foundation to the countesses Jeanne and Marguerite of Flanders, analysis here concentrates on the lives and foundations of other noblewomen who continued to have power over property in the thirteenth century. Their religious patronage was often an aspect of their public (rather than private) authority.
Searching for Women in the Records of Women: Two Examples from the South German Dominicans
Authors: Lindgren Erika Lauren 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries saw surprising growth in the female branch of the Dominican Order in the south of Germany and broad support of these women across both gender and socio-economic lines. The records of Unterlinden in Colmar, France, and Adelhausen near Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany, show women involved in the foundation, support and daily life of these communities. It was especially in the foundation of these houses that we see such women, often widows, many of whom eventually joined the religious communities they had patronized.
Identification of Athletes at Future Risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Ruptures by Neuromuscular Screening
Authors: Zebis Mette K. , Andersen Lars L. , Bencke Jesper , Kjær Michael , Aagaard Per 
Published: July 2009

Background A high percentage of female athletes who sustain an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture suffer serious long-term consequences such as osteoarthritis and disability. Thus, identification of risk factors has high clinical relevance in the prevention of ACL rupture. Hypothesis Noninjured athletes with low knee flexor electromyography (EMG) preactivity and high knee extensor EMG preactivity during sidecutting are at increased risk of future ACL rupture. Study Design Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods Fifty-five elite female athletes (team handball and soccer) aged 24 ± 5 years with no history of ACL injury were tested for EMG preactivity of vastus lateralis and medialis, rectus femoris, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris during a standardized side-cutting maneuver. The incidence of ACL ruptures was registered in the following 2 match seasons. Results During the subsequent 2 match seasons, 5 athletes sustained a confirmed noncontact ACL rupture. Before injury, all 5 players displayed a neuromuscular pattern that differed from the noninjured players, characterized by reduced EMG preactivity for the semitendinosus (ST) and elevated EMG preactivity for the vastus lateralis (VL) ( P < .01). On the basis of these findings, a high-risk zone was defined as one standard deviation above the mean VL-ST difference. In our population, 5 of 10 subjects with a VL-ST difference in this zone sustained an ACL injury during the study period. Conclusion In the present study, currently noninjured female athletes with reduced EMG preactivity of the ST and increased EMG preactivity of the VL during side cutting were at increased risk of future noncontact ACL rupture. Our data indicate that a high-risk zone can be used to identify noninjured players at high risk of future ACL rupture. Consequently, individual preventive efforts can be introduced in time. However, large prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding before definitive clinical recommendations can be made.
Evaluation of creatinine-based formulas in dosing adjustment of cancer drugs other than carboplatin
Authors: Jennings Sarah , de Lemos Mário L , Levin Adeera , Murray Nevin 
Published: July 2009

Background. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is often used to determine initial dosing of renally excreted cancer drugs. GFR can be calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault (CG) or the modified diet in renal diseases (MDRD) study formulas, both of which are based on serum creatinine levels. The MDRD formula is more accurate in noncancer patients, does not require patient weight, and is reported automatically by all laboratories in British Columbia, Canada. We previously showed that the CG and MDRD formulas have similar accuracy for carboplatin dosing in patients with gynecological malignancies. We now examine dosing of all renally excreted cancer drugs in the general cancer population. Since this setting does not include routine measurement of GFR, we report the concordance of estimates of GFR derived from the CG and MDRD formulas. Methods. Patient data were collected retrospectively at the BC Cancer Agency. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who would have received a different initial dose due to difference in the GFR. Each patient’s dose was determined from dose adjustment tables stated in specific treatment protocols. The secondary outcome was concordance of the GFR derived from CG and MDRD, using the method of Bland and Altman. A difference of >30% was assumed to be clinically significant because this difference would usually lead to dose adjustment based on reclassification of renal function. Results. A total of 313 patients were evaluated, with 40% male. The median age was 56 years, weight 67.5 kg, height 166 cm, and serum creatinine 74 µmol/L (0.84 mg/dL). The median GFR derived from the CG and MDRD formulas were 86.8 mL/min (mean 91 mL/min, SD ± 30 mL/min) and 87.6 mL/min (mean 88 mL/min, SD ± 26 mL/min), respectively. A total of 8.6% (27/313) of patients would have received a different dose due to difference in the GFR; of these, 67% (18/27) would have received a higher dose. A difference of >30% in GFR was found in 17.9% (56/313) of patients. Conclusions. There is good concordance of the GFR derived from the CG and MDRD formulas for most cancer patients, with less than 10% of patients expected to receive a different initial dose of chemotherapy. The MDRD formula may be a reasonable alternative to the CG formula for dosing of cancer drugs which are renally excreted or nephrotoxic. J Oncol Pharm Practice (2010) 16: 113—119.
Relationship between leisure-time physical activity and metabolic syndrome using varying definitions: 1999-2004 NHANES
Authors: Churilla James R. , Fitzhugh Eugene C. 
Published: July 2009

Purpose: To examine the relationship between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and the metabolic syndrome in the U.S. adult population. Methods: The sample (N=5,620) in this cross-sectional study included adults aged 20 years and older. Physical activity was measured in two ways: a six-level measure based upon those reporting no LTPA and quintiles of LTPA, and a three-level categorical measure, according to participants who were found to be inactive, insufficiently active, and those meeting the current public health PA recommendation. SAS and SUDAAN were used for the statistical analysis. Results: When utilising the AHA/NHLBI criteria, adults acquiring between 736 and 1,360 MET·minutes per week (MET·min·wk-1) of LTPA were found to be 35% (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.48, 0.88) less likely to meet the metabolic syndrome diagnosis criteria compared with those reporting no LTPA. However, protection (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.51, 0.96) started earlier when utilising the WHO criteria (393—737 MET·min·wk-1). Significant inverse associations (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.44, 0.66) and (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.48, 0.77) for WHO and AHA/NHLBI criteria respectively, were also found for the metabolic syndrome when examining LTPA by the current public heath PA recommendation. In addition, the overall age-adjusted prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among U.S. adults was estimated to be 21.9% and 36.3% for the WHO and AHA/ NLHBI definitions respectively. Conclusion: Our findings estimate that adults engaging in a level of LTPA similar to the current public health recommendation may have a decreased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. Also, depending on the definition used, between one in three and one in five U.S. adults are estimated to have the metabolic syndrome.
Changes seen in the aging kidney and the effect of blocking the renin—angiotensin system
Authors: Inserra Felipe , Basso Nidia , Ferder Marcelo , Userpater Marcelo , Stella Inés , Paglia Nora , Inserra Pablo , Tenembaum David , Ferder León 
Published: July 2009

Background: The objective was to evaluate structural changes of glomeruli during aging and the role of chronic renin—angiotensin system inhibition (RASi) on these changes; starting RASi on Wistar rats at two different moments: the first group after weaning and the second at the midpoint of their lifespan (12 months). Methods: Thirty rats were divided, after weaning, into three groups of 10: group 1: control (C); group 2 : 30 mg/kg/day losartan (L); group 3 : 10 mg/kg/day enalapril (E). At 18 months, rats were placed in metabolic cages to evaluate proteinuria, then killed. Another group of 24 rats, 12 months old, were divided into three groups of eight: group 1: C; group 2: L; group 3: E. At 18 months the same procedure described above was carried out. Finally, a third group of 20 rats was studied as healthy controls and killed: 10 rats at 7 months and ten at 12 months of age. Tissue samples were collected after sacrifice. To evaluate glomerular fibrotic changes, both focal and periglomerular sclerosis, and mesangial matrix expansion, a scoring scale was established. We also evaluated anti-α-SM-actin and anti-collagen-III immunolabeling. Glomerular area was measured using an image analyzer. Results: Proteinuria and serum creatinine increased with age but were reduced in treated animals. Main glomerular changes present in 18-month-old rats were reduced by half in treated animals. Glomerular area showed significant increase with normal aging and all treatment strategies protected against it. Conclusion: RAS plays a central role in natural process of renal aging, probably by producing effects influencing the biology of aging, the effects of which can be attenuated by RASi.
Pathogenic role of angiotensin II and oxidised LDL in obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Kizawa T. , Nakamura Y. , Takahashi S. , Sakurai S. , Yamauchi K. , Inoue H. 
Published: July 2009

A sustained elevation of oxidative stress in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) might help to explain their increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. We tested the hypothesis that the values of oxidative stress are increased in otherwise healthy subjects with OSAS when compared with closely matched control subjects.We performed a prospective study of 38 subjects who did not have OSAS and 37 patients with OSAS. Plasma indices of angiotensin (Ang) II, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), oxidised low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), and circulating endothelial precursor cells (CEPs) were measured in OSAS patients and in matched controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from both groups and co-cultured with endothelial cells to examine the effects on tube formation.The OSAS group showed increased levels of Ang II, VEGF, oxLDL and CEPs, which were decreased after nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) treatment.In vitro, PBMCs from the OSAS group induced tube formation. Ang II, oxLDL, and Ang II-stimulated PBMCs induced lectin-like oxLDL receptor (LOX-1) expression and VEGF receptor-2 activation on endothelial cells, respectively.These observations suggest an important role of Ang II and oxLDL-mediated LOX-1 upregulation in endothelial cell injury in patients with OSAS.
Effect of sleeping alone on sleep quality in female bed partners of snorers
Authors: Blumen M. , Quera Salva M. A. , d'Ortho M-P. , Leroux K. , Audibert P. , Fermanian C. , Chabolle F. , Lofaso F. 
Published: July 2009

The aim of the present study was to objectively measure the effect of sleeping alone for one night on sleep quality in female bed partners of male snorers.Females complaining of poor sleep due to snoring by their bed partner and having no known hearing loss or snoring were included in a prospective multicentre cross-sectional study. 23 females underwent one polysomnography recording while sleeping with their bed partner and another while sleeping alone. Their sleep parameters were compared between the two nights.We excluded seven couples because the female partner snored for >10% of the sleep time (n = 6) or had obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (n = 1). In the remaining 16 females, sleep time, sleep efficiency, arousal index and percentages of deep sleep (stages 3–4) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were not significantly different between the two nights. Percentages of light sleep (non-REM stage 2) and awakening index were lower when sleeping alone (p = 0.023 and p = 0.046, respectively).Sleep quality was decreased and sleep fragmentation increased in females sleeping with male snorers. Some females had unrecognised snoring. However, our data do not suggest that objective sleep quality improves substantially in the female nonsnoring partner when she sleeps alone for one night.
Interaction of T-cell and antigen presenting cell co-stimulatory genes in childhood IgE
Authors: Bottema R. W. B. , Postma D. S. , Reijmerink N. E. , Thijs C. , Stelma F. F. , Smit H. A. , van Schayck C. P. , Brunekreef B. , Koppelman G. H. , Kerkhof M. 
Published: July 2009

It is likely that multiple genes contribute to immunoglobulin (Ig)E production. Co-stimulatory molecules are crucial for the cross-talk between antigen presenting cells and T-lymphocytes which drives the IgE response.We evaluated gene–gene interactions of haplotype tagging polymorphisms in a pathway of 24 co-stimulatory genes in relation to serum IgE levels. We assessed this at ages 1–2 yrs and 6–8 yrs in 3,062 Dutch children from a pooled data set of three birth cohorts: PIAMA (Prevention and Incidence Asthma and Mite Allergy), PREVASC (Prevention of Asthma in Children) and KOALA (Child, parents and health: lifestyle and genetic constitution).Single- and multi-locus associations with serum IgE levels (3rdversus1st tertile) were evaluated by Chi-squared tests and the multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method in the following co-stimulatory genes:VTCN1,TNFRSF4,TNFRSF18,TNFRSF14,TNFSF18,TNFSF4,CD28,CTLA4,ICOS,PDCD1,BTLA,CD80,CD86,HLA-G,CD274,PDCD1LG2,CD276,LILRA4,LILRB1,LILRB2,LILRB4,CD40,ICOSLG, andCD40LG. We found multiple statistically significant single-locus(S)and multi-locus(M)associations for the genesVTCN1SM,TNFSF18SM,TNFSF4S,CD28S,CTLA4M,ICOSS,BTLAM,CD80M,CD86SM,CD274SM,PDCD1LG2M,LILRA4SM,LILRB4M, andCD40SMwith serum IgE. Two-locus interactions ofCD86withVTCN1andCD274withLILRA4were confirmed by logistic regression.In conclusion, serum IgE levels are regulated by multiple gene–gene interaction effects in the co-stimulatory pathway. We suggest using research strategies that model multiple gene–gene interactions in genetic studies.
Bleomycin induces pleural and subpleural fibrosis in the presence of carbon particles
Authors: Decologne N. , Wettstein G. , Kolb M. , Margetts P. , Garrido C. , Camus P. , Bonniaud P. 
Published: July 2009

The pathological changes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) typically start in subpleural lung regions, a feature that is currently not explained. IPF, as well as bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, are more common in smokers. We hypothesised that carbon particles, which are major components of cigarette smoke that are transported to alveoli and pleural surface, might be involved in the development of subpleural fibrosis through interaction with pleural mesothelial cells.Carbon particles were administered to mice in combination with bleomycin through intratracheal and/or intrapleural injection and fibrosis was assessed using histomorphometry.Carbon administered to the chest cavity caused severe pleural fibrosis in the presence of bleomycin, whereas bleomycin alone had no fibrogenic effect. The pleural response was associated with progressive fibrosis in subpleural regions, similar to IPF in humans. Matrix accumulation within this area evolved through mesothelial-fibroblastoid transformation, where mesothelial cells acquire myofibroblast characteristics. In contrast, carbon did not exaggerate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis after combined intratracheal administration.This represents a novel approach to induce a robust experimental model of pleural fibrosis. It also suggests that carbon particles might be involved as a cofactor in the initiation and/or progression of (subpleural) pulmonary and pleural fibrosis. Mesothelial cells appear to be critical contributors to this fibrotic process.
Arginine deficiency augments inflammatory mediator production by airway epithelial cells in vitro
Authors: Fan Xiao-Yun , van den Berg Arjen , Snoek Mieke , van der Flier Laurens G , Smids Barbara , Jansen Henk M , Liu Rong-Yu , Lutter René 
Published: July 2009

AbstractBackgroundPreviously we showed that reduced availability of the essential amino acid tryptophan per se attenuates post-transcriptional control of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 leading to hyperresponsive production of these inflammatory mediators by airway epithelial cells. Availability of the non-essential amino acid arginine in the inflamed airway mucosa of patients with asthma is reduced markedly, but it is not known whether this can also lead to an exaggerated production of IL-6 and IL-8.MethodsIL-6 and IL-8 were determined by ELISA in culture supernatants of NCI-H292 airway epithelial-like cells and normal bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells that were exposed to TNF-α, LPS or no stimulus, in medium with or without arginine. Arginine deficiency may also result from exposure to poly-L-arginine or major basic protein (MBP), which can block arginine uptake. Epithelial cells were exposed to these polycationic proteins and L-14C-arginine uptake was assessed as well as IL-6 and IL-8 production. To determine the mode of action, IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA profiles over time were assessed as were gene transcription and post-transcriptional mRNA degradation.ResultsFor both NCI-H292 and NHBE cells, low arginine concentrations enhanced basal epithelial IL-6 and IL-8 production and synergized with TNF-α-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production. Poly-L-arginine enhanced the stimulus-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production, however, blocking arginine uptake and the enhanced IL-6 and IL-8 production appeared unrelated. The exaggerated IL-6 and IL-8 production due to arginine deficiency and to poly-L-arginine depend on a post-transcriptional and a transcriptional process, respectively.ConclusionWe conclude that both reduced arginine availability per se and the presence of polycationic proteins may promote airway inflammation by enhanced pro-inflammatory mediator production in airway epithelial cells, but due to distinct mechanisms.