bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of linseed consumption for a short period of time on lipid profile and atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits fed a hypercholesterolaemic diet
Authors: Prim Camila Rodrigues , Baroncini Liz Andréa Villela , Précoma Leonardo Brandão , Caron Pedro Henrique Lamach , Winter Guilherme , Poletti Mônica Olímpia Dall'Oglio , Précoma Dalton Bertolim 
Published: July 2011

Linseed contains biologically active substances, such as lignans, fibres and linoleic acid, which are believed to provide cardioprotective effects. The objective of the present study was to assess the potential hypolipaemic, anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory effects of linseed consumption using an experimental animal model, with rabbits fed a hypercholesterolaemic diet (1 % cholesterol extracted from lyophilised egg). A total of twenty white male rabbits were selected and divided into two groups: group I (GI), control group, ten rabbits; group II (GII), ten rabbits. The animals were fed a hypercholesterolaemic diet for 56 d. For the GII diet, ground linseed was added from day 29 through to day 56. Animals underwent aortic arch and descending aorta dissection on day 56 for histological, morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis. At the end of the experiment, GII animals presented with lower levels of total cholesterol (TC, 10 068·3 v. 16 767·0 mg/l; P < 0·05) and lower levels of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C; 10 743·2 v. 15 961·2 mg/l; P < 0·05) when compared with the GI control group. There was no significant difference in serum HDL-cholesterol and TAG between the two groups. Almost all animals exhibited type III atherosclerotic lesions in the descending aorta. There was no statistically significant difference between the intima area and the intima:media layer area ratio in both groups. There was no difference between the positive areas for vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 molecules between the groups. Linseed consumption showed hypolipaemic action by reducing LDL-C and TC levels; however, this cholesterol-lowering effect did not reduce the atherosclerotic lesions induced by a hypercholesterolaemic diet (1 % cholesterol) for a short period of time.
Repeated and long-term treatment with physiological concentrations of resveratrol promotes NO production in vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Takahashi Satoru , Nakashima Yukiko 
Published: July 2011

In the present study, we examined the effect of repeated and long-term treatment with resveratrol on NO production in endothelial cells as a model of routine wine consumption. Repeated treatment with resveratrol for 5 d resulted in an increase in endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein content and NO production in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) in a concentration-dependent manner. A significant increase in functional eNOS protein content was observed with resveratrol, even at 50 nm. In contrast, eNOS phosphorylation was not stimulated and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) was not detected after resveratrol treatment. Both eNOS protein and mRNA expression were promoted by 50 nm-resveratrol in a time-dependent manner. Increased eNOS mRNA expression in response to resveratrol was not decreased by an oestrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI182780, a PPARα inhibitor MK886 or a sirtuin inhibitor Salermide. However, a combination of ICI182780 and MK886 significantly inhibited resveratrol-induced eNOS mRNA expression. Salermide had no effect even in the presence of ICI182780 or MK886. These results demonstrate that resveratrol within the physiological range increases eNOS mRNA and protein expression through ER and PPARα activation, thereby promoting NO production in endothelial cells. eNOS induction might result from the accumulative effect of nanomolar concentrations of resveratrol. The present study results can account in part for the observation that cardiovascular benefits of red wine are experienced with routine consumption, but not with acute consumption.
Negative predictive value of normal nasal endoscopy for sinus disease as a cause of isolated facial pain
Authors: Kieff D A , BuSaba N Y 
Published: July 2011

AbstractObjective:To determine the negative predictive value of normal nasal endoscopy in assessing paranasal sinus disease as the cause of isolated facial pain in the sinus regions.Subjects and methods:The study group comprised 42 consecutive adult patients presenting with the isolated symptom of facial pain, and a negative nasal endoscopy. Patients underwent sinus computed tomography to determine whether radiographic findings indicated a sinugenic aetiology.Results:Patients comprised 27 women and 15 men, with a median age of 38 years. Twenty patients had unilateral pain, 33 per cent had sinus radiographic findings that might explain their facial pain, and 10 per cent had imaging demonstrating mucosal disease in one or more sinuses correlating with the location of the facial pain. Thirty-one per cent had anatomical radiographic findings that could potentially obstruct the osteomeatal unit.Conclusion:Normal nasal endoscopy had a negative predictive value of 67 per cent in excluding a sinugenic cause of isolated facial pain, if radiographically determined anatomical factors and mucosal disease were both included as positive findings; this rose to more than 90 per cent if only those patients with mucosal sinus disease were considered as true positive patients.
An unusual cause of nasal airway obstruction in a neonate: trans-sellar, trans-sphenoidal cephalocoele
Authors: Steven R A , Rothera M P , Tang V , Bruce I A 
Published: July 2011

AbstractIntroduction:Neonates are obligate nasal breathers, and nasal obstruction may have serious implications. We present an extremely rare cause of neonatal nasal obstruction, and its management.Case report:An eight-day-old neonate was referred for upper airway obstruction. Initial investigations had identified no obvious cause. Rigid airway endoscopy revealed a large, cystic lesion appearing to arise from the roof of the posterior nasal space. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging indicated a basal cephalocoele projecting inferiorly into the oropharynx, with an intracranial connection to the pituitary fossa. Histology showed fibrovascular tissue lined on one aspect by respiratory type epithelium, with mucous glands present. The tissue contained multiple cystic spaces lined by choroid plexus epithelium, with glial tissue present in the walls of the mass. A transpalatal excision of the nasopharyngeal cephalocoele, with closure of the intracranial connection, palatal repair and lumbar drain placement was undertaken. Post-operative recovery was uneventful, with no evidence of cerebrospinal fluid leakage or palatal dysfunction.Conclusion:This surgical approach gave excellent access whilst avoiding the obvious morbidity associated with an intracranial approach. Nasal masses should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neonatal respiratory distress due to nasal obstruction.
Back from the brink: ageing, exercise and health in a small gym
Authors: TULLE EMMANUELLE , DORRER NIKA 
Published: July 2011

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses findings from a qualitative study which explored older adults' experiences of becoming regular exercisers in a gym triggered by health problems and their interactions with their younger gym instructors. A key question which the study sought to address was whether becoming embedded in the sub-field of exercise challenged traditional discourses of ageing (age habitus). While these older gym users reported significant benefits (greater health capital, expanded social networks and a return to active life after illness), they nevertheless were engaged in a complex and ambiguous negotiation of attitudes to bodily ageing and meanings of fitness and competence. In contrast, the instructors subscribed to a model of physical activity oriented towards physical capital as greater fitness. The paper suggests that these positions manifest competing understandings about what constitutes appropriate and desirable physical capital in later life. Budgetary constraints, beliefs about physical ability, professional expectations and the persistence of the discourse of decline prevent this gap from being easily bridged and allow alternative notions of ageing physicality to colonise the sub-field of exercise. The paper concludes that there is a need to develop ways of breaking down barriers in communication to overcome divergent understandings of what constitutes legitimate physical capital as we get older.
Children's interpretation of disjunction in the scope of ‘before’: a comparison of English and Mandarin
Authors: NOTLEY ANNA , ZHOU PENG , JENSEN BRITTA , CRAIN STEPHEN 
Published: July 2011

ABSTRACTThis study investigates three- to five-year-old children's interpretation of disjunction in sentences like ‘The dog reached the finish line before the turtle or the bunny’. English disjunction has a conjunctive interpretation in such sentences (‘The dog reached the finish line before the turtle and before the bunny’). This interpretation conforms with classical logic. Mandarin disjunction (‘huozhe’) can take scope over ‘before’ (‘zai … zhiqian’), so the same sentence can mean ‘The dog reached the finish line before the turtle or before the bunny (I don't know which)’. If children are guided by adult input in the acquisition of sentence meanings, English- and Mandarin-speaking children should assign different interpretations to such sentences. If children are guided by logical principles, then children acquiring either language should initially assign the conjunctive interpretation of disjunction. A truth-value judgment task was used to test this prediction and English- and Mandarin-speaking children were found to behave similarly.
Mycoplasmas in the urine of HIV-1 infected men
Authors: JIAN-RU W. , BEI W. , HAO C. , JIN-SHUI X. , XI-PING H. 
Published: July 2011

SUMMARYThe aim of this study was determine the prevalence ofMycoplasma hominis, M. genitalium,M. fermentans,M. pirum,M.penetransandUreaplasma urealyticumin HIV-infected patients. Culture and PCR were used to detect six species ofMycoplasmain first-void urine of HIV-1 infected men. A total of 497 HIV/AIDS patients (age range 5–75 years, mean 37 years) were screened in the study. All presented positive for at least one kind of mycoplasma, especiallyU.urealyticumandM. hominis. Six mycoplasmas were significant in the homosexual contact and heterosexual contact groups. The distribution ofM. hominis,M.penetrans, andM. pirumwere significantly different in this four-transmission category. CD4+cell count levels were lower in the AIDS-associatedMycoplasma-positive group than in theMycoplasma-negative group (P<0·01). This study indicates thatU.urealyticum,M. hominisandM.fermentansare prevalent in HIV-1-infected male patients. This may be an indication of whether mycoplasmas are co-factors in the progression of HIV disease.
Premeiotic transformation of germ plasm-related structures during the sea urchin spermatogenesis
Authors: Reunov Arkadiy A. 
Published: July 2011

SummaryThe germ plasm-related structures (GPRS) and the transformation that occurs to them during the spermatogenesis of the sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina were studied by electron microscopy and morphometry. The GPRS were observed in spermatogonia and spermatocytes, but not in spermatids and sperm, which suggests an important role for these structures during the onset of meiosis. It was proposed that the germinal granules are fragmented into the compact electron-dense nuage, and fragments of the latter penetrate into the periphery of the compact electron-lucent nuage. The process of nuage integration is completed with the formation of the combined nuage, which aggregates some mitochondria into clusters. Once formed, the mitochondrial clusters undergo dissemination and assume the appearance of the dispersed nuage with mitochondrial derivatives, which in turn develops into the scattered nuage. The scattered nuage, which presumably presents the composite mixture saturated with mitochondrial matrix, terminates the GPRS transformation.
Cat fertilization by mouse sperm injection
Authors: Jin Yong-Xun , Cui Xiang-Shun , Yu Xian-Feng , Lee Sung-Hyun , Wang Qing-Ling , Gao Wei-Wei , Xu Yong-Nan , Sun Shao-Chen , Kong IL-Keun , Kim Nam-Hyung 
Published: July 2011

SummaryInterspecies intracytoplasmic sperm injection has been carried out to understand species-specific differences in oocyte environments and sperm components during fertilization. While sperm aster organization during cat fertilization requires a paternally derived centriole, mouse and hamster fertilization occur within the maternal centrosomal components. To address the questions of where sperm aster assembly occurs and whether complete fertilization is achieved in cat oocytes by interspecies sperm, we studied the fertilization processes of cat oocytes following the injection of cat, mouse, or hamster sperm. Male and female pronuclear formations were not different in the cat oocytes at 6 h following cat, mouse or hamster sperm injection. Microtubule asters were seen in all oocytes following intracytoplasmic injection of cat, mouse or hamster sperm. Immunocytochemical staining with a histone H3-m2K9 antibody revealed that mouse sperm chromatin is incorporated normally with cat egg chromatin, and that the cat eggs fertilized with mouse sperm enter metaphase and become normal 2-cell stage embryos. These results suggest that sperm aster formation is maternally dependent, and that fertilization processes and cleavage occur in a non-species specific manner in cat oocytes.
Selection of bovine oocytes by brilliant cresyl blue staining: effect on meiosis progression, organelle distribution and embryo development
Authors: Silva D.S. , Rodriguez P. , Galuppo A. , Arruda N.S. , Rodrigues J.L. 
Published: July 2011

SummaryThe selection of competent oocytes for in vitro maturation is still a major problem during bovine in vitro embryo production. Markers for in vitro cytoplasmic maturation, based on the organization of cortical granule and mitochondria, are lacking. We examined the pre-selection of immature bovine oocytes by brilliant cresyl blue stain (BCB test) based on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity during oocyte development. Oocytes were recovered from ovarian follicles exposed to 26 μM BCB stain and classified according to the aspect of their cytoplasm: BCB+ (oocytes with blue cytoplasm) and BCB− (unstained cytoplasm) and then in vitro matured into a conventional in vitro maturation (IVM) medium and standard procedure. In Experiment 1, nuclear maturation was determined by polar body identification, while cytoplasmic maturation was based on cortical granule (CG) migration (peripheral) and mitochondria distribution (central). Evidence of polar body, cortical granule migration and of centrally located mitochondria was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in BCB+ oocytes than in BCB− (polar body present: 65% vs 20%; peripheral CG: 72% vs. 14%; and central mitochondria: 85% vs. 19%, respectively). In Experiment 2, the efficiency pre-selection of bovine oocytes by BCB on embryo development in vitro was assessed. Cleavage rates were similar (75%) among control, BCB+ and BCB− groups, while blastocyst rates on D7 were (p < 0.05) higher (35%) in BCB+ vs BCB− (10%) or control (28%). We showed that the BCB test is efficient to identify competent immature bovine oocytes to undergo synchronous nuclear and cytoplasmic in vitro maturation thus yielding higher in vitro embryo development to blastocyst stage.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy training for clinicians: an evaluation
Authors: Richards Rachel , Oliver Joseph E. , Morris Eric , Aherne Keith , Iervolino Alessandra C. , Wingrove Janet 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe third wave of cognitive behavioural therapies has a developing evidence base and there is an increasing demand for specialist training. However, methods for training clinicians have not yet been evaluated in terms of effectiveness and usefulness. This evaluation seeks to assess: (1) the effectiveness of one-day introductory Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshops for clinicians in a NHS setting in terms of increasing knowledge of ACT; (2) the impact of experiential techniques as a method for delivering ACT training. A total of 73 participants took part in the workshops and completed questionnaires were administered pre-workshop and post-workshop; a further 29 participants completed follow-up questionnaire after 12 months. Participants demonstrated an increase in ACT knowledge, indicated that their interest had been stimulated, viewed the workshop positively and reported that their clinical work had been influenced by the workshop. In terms of the training process, experiential techniques are integral to ACT practice and training. Participants reported that their training experiences and engagement with the training group had not been aversive. Moreover, there was no evidence that participants’ own levels of experiential avoidance had affected training outcomes.
Laser Face-Lifts: A New Paradigm in Face-Lift Surgery
Authors: McMenamin Patrick 
Published: July 2011

AbstractLaser-assisted liposuction has been successfully applied to remove fat and contract skin in nonfacial areas. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of this technique in the face. Patients (n = 40) requesting improvement and a shorter recovery time received one of four laser face-lift (LFL) procedures. The target area was divided into ~15 squares, each around 5 × 5 cm. Each square was treated individually by laser-assisted liposuction to surface temperature end points of 38°C to 40°C. Anatomic areas treated included the submentum, jowls, neck skin, jaw line, cervicomental angle, oral commissures, and nasolabial grooves. Wavelengths were 1064 nm and 1319/1320 nm. Patients returned to their normal lifestyle within 6 to 7 days after treatment. Patient satisfaction was generally higher than that seen in patients receiving a conventional face-lift. Adverse events were limited to burns in two patients. The LFL is a less invasive treatment with acceptable efficacy, reduced downtime, shorter recovery, and lower cost compared with the traditional face-lift.
Laser-Assisted Facial Contouring Using a Thermally Confined 1444-nm Nd-YAG Laser: A New Paradigm for Facial Sculpting and Rejuvenation
Authors: Holcomb J. David , Turk Jon , Baek Sung-Jong , Rousso Daniel E 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe micropulsed 1444-nm neodymium-doped lipolysis laser exhibits favorable characteristics for novel application in facial contouring. The study described herein is the first clinical report of laser-assisted facial contouring (LAFC). We retrospectively reviewed records of 478 LAFC patients (mean age 52) who underwent contouring of 1278 individual mid- and lower facial treatment sites over 18 months. Along with clinical assessment, study parameters evaluated among “original” and “modified” (where protocol updates included deep dermal soft tissue coagulation as an optional step) protocol groups included laser power, pulse energy, and total energy delivery as well as lipoaspirate volume at each treatment site. Mean power and pulse energy were similar (within 5%) and total energy use was greater (70% higher for mid- and lower face) in the original protocol group. Lipoaspirate volume was similar for both groups for the midface (within 10%) but elevated in the modified protocol group for the lower face (40% higher). Treatment complications were observed in 47 of 363 treatment sites (13%) in the original and in 12 of 915 treatment sites (1%) in the modified protocol group with the majority (63%) of the complications comprising over- versus undercorrections of desired tissue contour. Clinical efficacy varied with improvements of mid- and/or lower facial contour ranging from marginal to subtle to very apparent. LAFC as detailed herein is a novel treatment modality that enables selective soft tissue removal for greater precision in three-dimensional contouring of the face. Protocol modifications based on laboratory and observed tissue photothermodynamics have improved LAFC safety.
Diversity in Habitat Use and Trophic Ecology of Brook Trout in Lake Superior and Tributary Streams Revealed Through Stable Isotopes
Authors: Robillard Melissa M. , McLaughlin Robert L. , Mackereth Robert W. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractTwo distinct types of brook troutSalvelinus fontinalishave been hypothesized to occur in Lake Superior: large fish that inhabit Lake Superior for much of the year but spawn in tributary streams, and small fish that are resident in tributary streams. The lake type has declined markedly in range and abundance, and a greater understanding of the behavior and ecology of these populations is needed to support conservation efforts. Comparisons of stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) signatures between fish caught in the lake and those captured in streams supported the hypothesis of relatively distinct types differing in habitat use and trophic ecology. Comparisons of δ13C values for brook trout, other fishes, and aquatic invertebrates collected from stream, stream‐mouth, and lake habitats suggested that large‐type brook trout are lake specialists, whereas small‐type brook trout are stream specialists, stream–lake generalists, or some mixture of the two. Delineating the diversity in habitat use and trophic ecology of Lake Superior brook trout represents a crucial initial step toward understanding the mechanisms responsible for the observed phenotypic diversity and for developing science‐based plans to conserve or restore this diversity.
Estimation of Short‐Term Tag‐Induced Mortality in Horseshoe Crabs Limulus polyphemus
Authors: Mattei J. H. , Beekey M. A. , Potter H. R. , Bond C. S. , Woronik A. R. , Roberts J. A. , Smith K. A. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractHorseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus range along the East Coast of the United States and over 150,000 of them have been marked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service disk tags. It has been assumed that the tags do not harm the animals and are similar to common epibionts often found on the shells of horseshoe crabs. We investigated whether newly tagged adult female horseshoe crabs would exhibit higher short‐term mortality rates than untagged adult females. All crabs were collected from a beach in Connecticut and then were transported to a laboratory for the experiment. Tagging involved drilling a small hole through the carapace in the lower back corner of the prosoma and then inserting the tag into the hole. Overall mortality of tagged and untagged females held in flow‐through raceways for 44 d was minimal (0% mortality among 53 tagged crabs; 4% mortality among 52 untagged crabs). None of the horseshoe crabs lost or shed their disk tags over the course of the experiment. In field mark–recapture studies of horseshoe crabs, typically between 11% and 20% of the initial numbers of tagged crabs are recaptured. Crabs that are recaptured but reported dead are unlikely to have died from the initial tagging process. Our results indicate that newly tagged adult horseshoe crabs have the potential to survive as well as untagged crabs through the Connecticut spawning season (∼30–45 d). Recapture data also suggest that these crabs can survive for as long as 8–10 years with the tags in place.