bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The pancreas allograft donor: current status, controversies, and challenges for the future
Authors: Fridell Jonathan A. , Rogers Jeffrey , Stratta Robert J. 
Published: April 2010

Fridell JA, Rogers J, Stratta RJ. The pancreas allograft donor: current status, controversies, and challenges for the future. Clin Transplant 2010: 24: 433–449. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  The pancreas allograft is a scarce resource that is currently underutilized. The selection of appropriate deceased donors for pancreas procurement is of paramount importance for minimizing technical failure and optimizing long‐term outcomes in pancreas transplantation. Despite the increasing demand for pancreas transplantation, increases in overall organ donation rates and the evolution of criteria that constitute an “acceptable” pancreas donor, the number of deceased donor pancreas transplants being performed in the United States has actually declined in recent years. Although there are many factors that must be considered during evaluation of the potential pancreas allograft donor to minimize morbidity and graft loss, it is evident that there are transplantable organs that are not used. In this review, deceased donor pancreas identification, management, selection, allocation, assessment, preservation, and the problem of pancreas underutilization will be discussed.
Nitric oxide for post‐liver‐transplantation hypoxemia in pediatric hepatopulmonary syndrome: Case report and review
Authors: Schiller Ofer , Avitzur Yaron , Kadmon Gili , Nahum Elchanan , Steinberg Ran M. , Nachmias Vered , Schonfeld Tommy 
Published: April 2010

Schiller O, Avitzur Y, Kadmon G, Nahum E, Steinberg RM, Nachmias V, Schonfeld T. Nitric oxide for post‐liver‐transplantation hypoxemia in pediatric hepatopulmonary syndrome: Case report and review. Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: E130–E134. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  HPS is rare in the pediatric population. Liver transplantation is the ultimate treatment for severe HPS. There are only a few case reports and one series of children in whom HPS was the main indication for liver transplantation. Outcome was good in most of them, with full regression of the pulmonary process. However, hypoxemia in the early post‐operative course can have severe consequences, and effective treatment modalities are needed. There are rare instances of the use of iNO for the treatment of post‐operative hypoxemia. We describe a 10.5‐yr‐old boy with severe HPS owing to chronic liver disease after bone marrow transplantation. Liver transplantation from a living related donor (the same sister who donated the bone marrow) was complicated by severe hypoxemia on POD 2. iNO was administered via the ventilator circuit and, after extubation, through nasal prongs. It was slowly tapered down and stopped on POD 10. The child had an otherwise uneventful course and was discharged home on POD 21 with normal oxygen saturation. Liver transplantation should be offered to children with severe HPS. iNO can reverse the hypoxemia that may occur after the operation.
Lipopolysaccharide induced connective tissue growth factor gene expression in human bronchial epithelial cells
Authors: NISHIOKA Michiyoshi , OGAWA Emiko , KINOSE Daisuke , HARUNA Akane , OHARA Tadashi , ITO Isao , HOSHINO Yuma , ITO Yutaka , MATSUMOTO Hisako , NIIMI Akio , MIO Tadashi , CHIN Kazuo , HIRAI Toyohiro , MURO Shigeo , MISHIMA Michiaki 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is up‐regulated in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cigarette smoke and repeated bacterial infections, both of which are rich sources of LPS, are major causes of COPD. The high levels of LPS in lung epithelial lining fluid also suggest that it may have a considerable impact on the airway epithelium, in terms of cytokine and growth factor production. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of LPS‐induced CTGF expression in bronchial epithelial cells.Methods:  The expression and transcriptional regulation of the CTGF gene were assessed using the cultured human bronchial epithelial cell line, BEAS‐2B.Results:  LPS significantly up‐regulated CTGF mRNA expression in a dose‐dependent fashion, with 100 µg/mL LPS causing a twofold increase after 2 h. CTGF protein expression was also up‐regulated by LPS after 8 h. Transforming growth factor‐β1 mRNA expression was not changed by LPS treatment. A pharmacological inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)‐κB, MG132, inhibited LPS‐induced CTGF mRNA expression. Furthermore, luciferase assays demonstrated that deletion of base pairs −253 to −53 from the CTGF promoter, where the Smad and proximal NF‐κB binding sites are located, decreased the induction of CTGF by LPS. After stimulation with LPS, the p65 subunit of NF‐κB was shown to be bound to the CTGF promoter in vitro and in situ.Conclusions:  LPS directly induced CTGF expression in bronchial epithelial cells, independently of transforming growth factor‐β1, suggesting a possible mechanism for airway remodelling in COPD that is induced by smoking and repeated bacterial infections.
Peak power estimated from 6‐minute walk distance in Asian patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: KOZU Ryo , JENKINS Sue , SENJYU Hideaki , MUKAE Hiroshi , SAKAMOTO Noriho , KOHNO Shigeru 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Pulmonary rehabilitation guidelines recommend cycle ergometry training at an intensity that exceeds 60% of peak power (Ppeak) with the aim of achieving a physiologic response. However, many clinicians do not have access to an incremental cycle ergometry test (ICET) to allow prescription of training intensity. No studies have investigated whether the 6MWT can be used to estimate the Ppeak achieved during an ICET in subjects with IPF or in Asian subjects with COPD.Methods:  A total of 90 Japanese subjects (IPF n = 45, COPD n = 45) undertook a 6MWT and a symptom‐limited ICET in random order. Anthropometry, quadriceps strength and lung function were measured.Results:  Exercise tests were prematurely terminated in 10 subjects with IPF due to profound oxygen desaturation (SpO2 < 80%). The ICET elicited higher peak heart rates, dyspnea and leg fatigue in both subject cohorts (all P < 0.01). The magnitude of oxygen desaturation was greater during the 6MWT (P < 0.01). 6MWD was strongly associated with Ppeak (r = 0.80, P < 0.01) in both subject cohorts. In subjects with IPF, the predictive equation that accounted for the greatest proportion of variance in Ppeak included 6MWD and FVC %pred (R2 = 0.70). In the COPD subjects, 6MWD alone accounted for 64% of the variance in Ppeak and the inclusion of other variables did not increase R2.Conclusions:  Ppeak can be estimated from the 6MWT in Japanese subjects with IPF and COPD. This may allow individualized prescription of the intensity for cycle‐based training based on the 6MWT.
Primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in China
Authors: LAN Fen , TONG Yao‐Zhi , HUANG Hong , XIONG Wei‐Ning , XU Yong‐Jian , XIONG Sheng‐Dao 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTCoccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to south‐west USA, north Mexico and parts of Central and South America. We report here a case of primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in a previously healthy 14‐year‐old boy in China, which is considered a non‐endemic country. The patient had non‐specific symptoms of pulmonary infection, including fever, non‐productive cough and night sweats. Both spherules and endospores of Coccidioides immitis were seen histologically following transbronchial biopsy of a cavitary lesion. The patient was treated with amphotericin B and fluconazole. Follow up 6 months post discharge found that the patient made a good recovery.
The use of non‐invasive ventilation for life‐threatening asthma attacks: Changes in the need for intubation
Authors: MURASE Kimihiko , TOMII Keisuke , CHIN Kazuo , TSUBOI Tomomasa , SAKURAI Ayako , TACHIKAWA Ryo , HARADA Yuka , TAKESHIMA Yoshimi , HAYASHI Michio , ISHIHARA Kyosuke 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Although non‐invasive ventilation (NIV) has been shown to be effective in a wide variety of respiratory diseases, its role in severe asthma attacks remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to clarify the effectiveness of NIV in patients experiencing severe attacks of asthma.Methods:  A retrospective cohort study was performed, comparing the periods November 1999–October 2003 (pre‐introduction of NIV) and November 2004–October 2008 (post‐introduction of NIV). The data and clinical outcomes for patients who experienced severe attacks of asthma, and who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, were retrieved and compared.Results:  Fifty events (48 patients) from the pre‐NIV period and 57 events (54 patients) from the post‐NIV period, which required hospitalization, were included in the analysis. Nine of the 50 pre‐NIV events (mean PaO2/fraction of inspired O2 (FiO2) 241 ± 161; PaCO2 79 ± 40) were treated primarily by endotracheal intubation (ETI), while 17 of the 57 post‐NIV events (PaO2/FiO2 197 ± 132, P = 0.39; PaCO2 77 ± 30, P = 0.95) were treated primarily by NIV. The rate of ETI decreased in the post‐NIV period (2/57 (3.5%) vs 9/50 (18%), P = 0.01). NIV was started earlier than mechanical ventilation (MV) with ETI (mean time interval between arrival and start of MV 171.7 ± 217.9 min vs 38.5 ± 113.8 min for NIV, P < 0.05). In the post‐NIV cohort, there was a trend towards a reduction in the duration of MV with ETI or NIV (36.9 ± 38.4 h vs 20.3 ± 35.8 h, P = 0.09), and hospital stay was shortened (12.6 ± 4.2 vs 8.4 ± 2.8 days, P < 0.01). No deaths occurred during this period as a consequence of asthma attacks.Conclusions:  The need for ETI in patients with severe attacks of asthma was decreased after introduction of NIV. The ready availability of NIV enabled the rapid commencement of MV and may decrease the need for ETI. NIV is an acceptable and useful method of stabilizing patients experiencing severe attacks of asthma.
Endocannabinoid regulation of spinal nociceptive processing in a model of neuropathic pain
Authors: Sagar Devi Rani , Jhaveri Maulik D. , Richardson Denise , Gray Roy A. , De Lago Eva , Fernández‐Ruiz Javier , Barrett David A. , Kendall David A. , Chapman Victoria 
Published: April 2010

AbstractModels of neuropathic pain are associated with elevated spinal levels of endocannabinoids (ECs) and altered expression of cannabinoid receptors on primary sensory afferents and post‐synaptic cells in the spinal cord. We investigated the impact of these changes on the spinal processing of sensory inputs in a model of neuropathic pain. Extracellular single‐unit recordings of spinal neurones were made in anaesthetized neuropathic and sham‐operated rats. The effects of spinal administration of the cannabinoid CB1receptor antagonistN‐(piperidin‐1‐yl)‐5‐(4‐iodophenyl)‐1‐(2,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐4‐methyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxamide (AM251) and the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) receptor antagonistN‐[(1S)‐endo‐1,3,3‐trimethylbicycloheptan‐2‐yl]‐5‐(4‐chloro‐3‐methylphenyl)‐1‐(4‐methylbenzyl)‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxamide (SR144528) on mechanically‐evoked responses of spinal neurones were determined. The effects of spinal administration of (5Z,8Z11Z,14Z)‐N‐(3‐furanylmethyl)‐5,8,11,14‐eicosatetraenamide (UCM707), which binds to CB2receptors and alters transport of ECs, on evoked responses of spinal neurones and spinal levels of ECs were also determined. The cannabinoid CB1receptor antagonist AM251, but not the CB2receptor antagonist, significantly facilitated 10‐g‐evoked responses of spinal neurones in neuropathic, but not sham‐operated, rats. Spinal administration of UCM707 did not alter spinal levels of ECs but did significantly inhibit mechanically‐evoked responses of neurones in neuropathic, but not sham‐operated, rats. Pharmacological studies indicated that the selective inhibitory effects of spinal UCM707 in neuropathic rats were mediated by activation of spinal CB2receptors, as well as a contribution from transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels. This work demonstrates that changes in the EC receptor system in the spinal cord of neuropathic rats influence the processing of sensory inputs, in particular low‐weight inputs that drive allodynia, and indicates novel effects of drugs acting via multiple elements of this receptor system.
Risk‐preference differentiates orbitofrontal cortex responses to freely chosen reward outcomes
Authors: Roitman Jamie D. , Roitman Mitchell F. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractTo successfully evaluate potential courses of action and choose the most favorable, we must consider the outcomes that may result. Many choices involve risk, our assessment of which may lead us to success or failure in matters financial, legal or health‐related. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been implicated as critical for evaluating choices based on risk. To measure how outcomes of risky decisions are represented in the OFC, we recorded the electrophysiological activity of single neurons while rats made behavioral responses to obtain rewards under conditions of either certainty or risk. Rats exhibited different risk‐preferences when given the opportunity to choose. In risk‐preferring rats, OFC responses were enhanced following the delivery of large rewards obtained under risk compared with smaller, certain rewards and reward omission. However, in risk‐neutral rats, neurons showed similarly enhanced responses to both large rewards obtained under risk and smaller, certain rewards compared with reward omission. Thus, the responses of OFC neurons reflected the subjective evaluation of outcomes in individuals with different risk‐preferences. Such enhanced neural responding to risky rewards may serve to bias individuals towards risk‐preference in decision‐making.
Expression of cell fate determinants and plastic changes after neurotoxic lesion of adult mice spinal cord by cholera toxin‐B saporin
Authors: Gulino Rosario , Perciavalle Vincenzo , Gulisano Massimo 
Published: April 2010

AbstractRecent studies have attempted to repair the damaged spinal cord (SC) by stimulating neurogenesis or neuroplasticity. Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Notch‐1 and Numb are involved in the stem cell functioning. Additionally, Notch‐1 has a role as modulator of synaptic plasticity. However, little is known about the role of these proteins in the adult SC after removal of motoneurons. In this study, we have injected cholera toxin‐B saporin into the gastrocnemius muscle to induce a depletion of motoneurons within the lumbar SC of adult mice, and analysed the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), Synapsin‐I, Shh, Notch‐1 and Numb proteins. The functional outcome of the lesion was monitored by grid walk and rotarod tasks. The neurotoxin lesion determined a motoneuron depletion and a transient decrease of ChAT, Synapsin‐I, Shh and Numb levels in the lumbar SC. ChAT was associated with Synapsin‐I expression and motor performance at 1 week but not 1 month after lesion, suggesting that the recovery of locomotion could depend on synaptic plasticity, at least in an early phase. Shh and Notch‐1 were associated with Synapsin‐I levels, suggesting a role in modulating synaptic plasticity. Numb expression also appeared reduced after lesion and linked to motor performance. Moreover, unlike other lesion models, we observed glial reaction but no evidence of cell proliferation within the depleted SC. Given the mentioned roles of Shh, Notch‐1 and Numb, we believe that an in vivo manipulation of their signalling after lesion could represent a suitable way to improve functional recovery by modulating synaptic plasticity and/or neurogenesis.
Caffeine prevents sleep loss‐induced deficits in long‐term potentiation and related signaling molecules in the dentate gyrus
Authors: Alhaider Ibrahim A. , Aleisa Abdulaziz M. , Tran Trinh T. , Alkadhi Karim A. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractWe have previously reported that caffeine prevented sleep deprivation‐induced impairment of long‐term potentiation (LTP) of area CA1 as well as hippocampus‐dependent learning and memory performance in the radial arm water maze. In this report we examined the impact of long‐term (4‐week) caffeine consumption (0.3 g/L in drinking water) on synaptic plasticity (Alhaider et al., 2010) deficit in the dentate gyrus (DG) area of acutely sleep‐deprived rats. The sleep deprivation and caffeine/sleep deprivation groups were sleep‐deprived for 24 h by using the columns‐in‐water technique. We tested the effect of caffeine and/or sleep deprivation on LTP and measured the basal levels as well as stimulated levels of LTP‐related molecules in the DG. The results showed that chronic caffeine administration prevented the impairment of early‐phase LTP (E‐LTP) in the DG of sleep‐deprived rats. Additionally, chronic caffeine treatment prevented the sleep deprivation‐associated decreases in the basal levels of the phosphorylated calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (P‐CaMKII) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as well as in the stimulated levels of P‐CaMKII in the DG area. The results suggest that chronic use of caffeine prevented anomalous changes in the basal levels of P‐CaMKII and BDNF associated with sleep deprivation and as a result contributes to the revival of LTP in the DG region.
Distribution and diversity of carbon monoxide‐oxidizing bacteria and bulk bacterial communities across a succession gradient on a Hawaiian volcanic deposit
Authors: Weber C. F. , King G. M. 
Published: April 2010

SummaryRelatively little is known about the distribution and diversity of CO‐oxidizing bacteria during succession on volcanic deposits even though they are among the primary colonists. We surveyed CO‐oxidizing communities across a vegetation gradient on a 1959 cinder deposit using coxL (large subunit gene of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase) sequences. Sequences most closely related to a coxL sequence from Ktedonobacter racemifer, dominated unvegetated cinders, while Proteobacteria‐like sequences dominated vegetated sites. The number of coxL operational taxonomic units (OTUs) increased threefold with increased vegetation, and correlated most strongly with the increased β‐Proteobacteria richness (r = 0.987). These compositional shifts were also reflected in overall bacterial community compositions as determined by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Notably, coxL OTU:16S rRNA OTU ratios increased with increased vegetation, indicating that CO oxidizers became a larger fraction of total bacterial richness during succession. Results from most probable number estimates and maximum potential CO uptake activity assays indicate that increased richness is paralleled by increased CO oxidizer abundance, which likely results from increased vegetation and organic carbon content. Collectively, results suggest that in contrast to patterns observed for plant succession, a versatile bacterial functional group that is important during early colonization and succession can remain important in later stages of succession, irrespective of dramatic environmental changes.
Spectral Mesh Processing
Authors: Zhang H. , Van Kaick O. , Dyer R. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractSpectral methods for mesh processing and analysis rely on the eigenvalues, eigenvectors, or eigenspace projections derived from appropriately defined mesh operators to carry out desired tasks. Early work in this area can be traced back to the seminal paper by Taubin in 1995, where spectral analysis of mesh geometry based on a combinatorial Laplacian aids our understanding of the low‐pass filtering approach to mesh smoothing. Over the past 15 years, the list of applications in the area of geometry processing which utilize the eigenstructures of a variety of mesh operators in different manners have been growing steadily. Many works presented so far draw parallels from developments in fields such as graph theory, computer vision, machine learning, graph drawing, numerical linear algebra, and high‐performance computing. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive survey on the spectral approach, focusing on its power and versatility in solving geometry processing problems and attempting to bridge the gap between relevant research in computer graphics and other fields. Necessary theoretical background is provided. Existing works covered are classified according to different criteria: the operators or eigenstructures employed, application domains, or the dimensionality of the spectral embeddings used. Despite much empirical success, there still remain many open questions pertaining to the spectral approach. These are discussed as we conclude the survey and provide our perspective on possible future research.
Optical Image Processing Using Light Modulation Displays
Authors: Wetzstein Gordon , Heidrich Wolfgang , Luebke David 
Published: April 2010

Abstract We propose to enhance the capabilities of the human visual system by performing optical image processing directly on an observed scene. Unlike previous work which additively superimposes imagery on a scene, or completely replaces scene imagery with a manipulated version, we perform all manipulation through the use of a light modulation display to spatially filter incoming light. We demonstrate a number of perceptually motivated algorithms including contrast enhancement and reduction, object highlighting for preattentive emphasis, colour saturation, de‐saturation and de‐metamerization, as well as visual enhancement for the colour blind. A camera observing the scene guides the algorithms for on‐the‐fly processing, enabling dynamic application scenarios such as monocular scopes, eyeglasses and windshields.
Wages, participation and unemployment in the economic transition of urban China1
Authors: Han Jun , Zhang Junsen 
Published: April 2010

AbstractWages, participation and unemployment are major topics for researchers of the labour market. How have these measures evolved in the economic transition of urban China? Have they evolved in accordance with those in the Statistical Yearbook of China (produced by the National Bureau of Statistics, China) and previous studies? We find that the estimated wage level based on Urban Household Survey (UHS) data was higher than that in the Statistical Yearbook in earlier years, but the relationship has reversed since 1999. Our estimated participation rate is lower than that of Giles et al. (2006) but higher than Dong et al. (2007) and Maurer‐Fazio et al. (2007). The analysis shows that the unemployment rate is lower than that estimated with the China Urban Labor Survey data in Giles et al. (2005). Our estimation results on unemployment rates turn out to be more similar to those in Dong et al. (2007) but are different from those in Hu and Sheng (2007). This analysis provides the first systematic comparison of the wage level from different sources, and supplements the existing estimates on participation and unemployment using a more representative dataset for urban China.
Soaring dragons, roaring tigers, growling bears
Authors: Badunenko Oleg , Tochkov Kiril 
Published: April 2010

AbstractWe perform a comparative analysis of regional growth and convergence in China, Russia and India over the period 1993–2003 by means of non‐parametric methods and kernel density estimates. Our results indicate that wealthy regions were largely responsible for the rapid growth in all three countries. For China and India, capital dissipation was identified as the major determinant of regional growth. In Russia, capital deepening impeded positive changes in labour productivity, leaving technological change as the only source of regional growth. Furthermore, we find that the increasing regional income inequality in all three countries was driven by technological change which more than offset the convergence resulting from capital deepening in China and India.