bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shakuyaku‐kanzo‐to inhibits smooth muscle contractions of human pregnant uterine tissue in vitro
Authors: Tsuji Shoko , Yasuda Katsuhiko , Sumi Genichiro , Cho Hisayuu , Tsuzuki Tomoko , Okada Hidetaka , Kanzaki Hideharu 
Published: May 2012

AbstractAim:  Shakuyaku‐kanzo‐to (SK) is a herbal medicine and is known to possess an antispasmodic effect on skeletal muscle and intestinal smooth muscle. However, it is unclear whether SK is effective in antagonizing uterine smooth muscle contractions. Herein, we investigated the effects of SK on smooth muscle contractions of human pregnant uterine samples.Material and Methods:  We prepared myometrial strips from uterine tissues of pregnant women who underwent cesarean section for obstetrical indications, and examined the inhibitory effects of SK and its components, shakuyaku (S) and kanzo (K), on agonist‐induced and spontaneous contractions in vitro. Oxytocin, prostaglandinF2α, and high KCl were utilized as agonists in this study.Results:  SK inhibited agonist‐induced and spontaneous contractions in a dose‐dependent manner. Inhibition of SK on oxytocin‐induced contractions occurred at a concentration of 100 µg/mL and reached maximum effect at a concentration of more than 1000 µg/mL. The half max inhibitory concentration of SK was approximately 440 µg/mL in oxytocin‐induced contractions. SK at 1000 µg/mL completely inhibited the oxytocin‐ and prostaglandinF2α‐induced contractions but not the high KCl‐induced contractions. The inhibitory effects on agonist‐induced contractions of K, but not S, matched those of SK.Conclusion:  These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of SK on smooth muscle contractions is due to K. The mechanism of the inhibitory effects of SK on oxytocin‐ and prostaglandinF2α‐induced contractions may differ from that on KCl‐induced contractions.
Early‐onset group B streptococcal disease following culture‐based screening in Japan: A single center study
Authors: Miyata Akane , Takahashi Hironori , Kubo Takahiko , Watanabe Noriyoshi , Tsukamoto Keiko , Ito Yushi , Sago Haruhiko 
Published: May 2012

AbstractAim:  We investigated trends in early‐onset group B streptococcal disease (EOD) after the introduction of culture‐based screening in Japan.Material and Methods:  A retrospective cohort study examined EOD trends in 9506 pregnancies and 10 715 neonates at our center from 2002 to 2009.Results:  EOD occurred in four neonates (4/7332: 0.55/1000 live births). The EOD incidence among infants born to women positive for GBS by screening was 0.90 cases per 1000 live births (1/1107). In contrast, the EOD incidence among infants negative by GBS screening was 0.48 cases per 1000 live births (3/6225). Thus, of the four affected neonates, three had mothers who tested negative on antepartum GBS screening. Two neonates had symptoms of infection during labor and intrapartum antibiotic agents were administered. The other two neonates received no antibiotics because deliveries were uneventful and they were negative on GBS screening.Conclusion:  The incidence of EOD is 0.90 cases per 1000 live births among GBS‐positive women and 0.48 cases per 1000 live births among GBS‐negative women. The results of our study implied that EOD can develop regardless of GBS screening and intrapartum clinical course, although the method of sample collection, indications for antibiotic prophylaxis, and the antibiotics regimen should be considered.
Retrospective evaluation of tumor markers in ovarian mature cystic teratoma and ovarian endometrioma
Authors: Kataoka Taeko , Watanabe Yoh , Hoshiai Hiroshi 
Published: May 2012

AbstractAim:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between clinicopathological characteristics and serum levels of tumor markers in patients with ovarian endometrioma (OE) and ovarian mature cystic teratoma (MCT).Material and Methods:  Values of CA125, CA19‐9, and sialyl Tn antigen (STN) were retrospectively investigated in 321 patients with OE. CA125, CA19‐9, STN, and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) were examined in 435 patients with MCT.Results:  Mean values of CA125, CA19‐9, and STN were 105.3 U/mL, 58.0 U/mL, and 31.1 U/mL in OE, while the values were 26.8 U/mL, 246.8 U/mL, and 24.7 U/mL in MCT. Abnormal elevation of CA125, CA19‐9, and STN was observed in 53.3%, 38.9, and 13.5 of OE, and in 12.9, 50.6, and 4.6% of MCT, respectively. CA125 level was significantly higher in bilaterally occurring OE and premenopausal patients with MCT, while the value of CA19‐9 was significantly higher in cases of bilaterally occurring MCT. Furthermore, the levels of CA125 and CA19‐9 showed significant correlations with tumor diameter, while the levels of STN and SCC showed no significant correlations with tumor diameter. The highest CA125 level (9513 U/mL) was observed in OE and the highest CA19‐9 level (25 590 U/mL) was observed in MCT.Conclusion:  Although abnormal increases in the levels of CA125 and CA19‐9 were often observed, the levels of STN were not influenced by clinicopathologic factors in OE and MCT. Further studies of the clinical usefulness of STN for detecting malignant tumors in OE and MCT are needed.
Xanthogranulomatous salpingitis and oophoritis associated with endometriosis and uterine leiomyoma presenting as intestinal obstruction
Authors: Abeysundara Prabath K. , Padumadasa Goluhewage S. , Tissera Warnakulasooriya G. M. , Wijesinghe Prasantha S. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractXanthogranulomatous inflammation is a rare form of chronic granulomatous inflammation. Bacterial infections, immunosuppression, chronic inflammatory conditions, luminal obstruction, endometriosis, leiomyoma, abnormal lipid metabolism, ineffective antibiotic therapy, ineffective clearance of bacteria by phagocytes and chronic irritation of the urachal remnant have been implicated in the pathogenesis. There are very few reported cases of xanthogranulomatous salpingitis and oophoritis. We present such a case in a 34‐year‐old female, with primary subfertility for eight years, endometriosis, uterine leiomyoma, type II diabetes mellitus and a history of surgery for endometriosis and fibroids and surgical wound infection, who presented with symptoms of intestinal obstruction. The patient underwent emergency laparotomy followed by total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy. Histology revealed xanthogranulomatous salpingitis and oophoritis. Chronic inflammation due to inadequate treatment of bacterial infection, coupled with pelvic endometriosis and uterine leiomyoma may have led to xanthogranulomatous salpingitis and oophoritis.
Molecular and morphological diversity of fungi and the associated functions in three European nearby lakes
Authors: Jobard Marlène , Rasconi Serena , Solinhac Laurent , Cauchie Henry‐Michel , Sime‐Ngando Télesphore 
Published: May 2012

SummaryThis study presents an original rDNA PCR and microscopic survey of pelagic freshwater fungal communities, and was designed to unveil the diversity of true Fungi (i.e. the kingdom Eumycota) in three contrasting lake ecosystems (Lakes Pavin, Aydat and Vassivière) located in the French Massif Central. Three clone libraries were constructed from samples collected in the euphotic layers of the lakes during spring 2007. Phylogenetic analysis of the combined data from the three lakes clustered our sequences into thee divisions: Chytridiomycota (50% of total sequences), Ascomycota (40%) and Basidiomycota (10% in Pavin and Aydat only). Several sequences were assigned to a novel Chytridiomycota clade first recovered in Lake Pavin in 2005. Most of the sequences retrieved in the investigated lakes were affiliated with known fungal species, most of which were apparently well adapted to thrive in the pelagic realm. Their main functions (i.e. parasitism and saprophytism), putatively inferred from the closest relatives of the retrieved molecular sequences, were confirmed by microscopic approaches and by enrichment experiments with pollen grains. The occurrence of three fungal forms (zoosporic, yeast and mycelial) was associated with different trophic modes, establishing fungi as strong potential competitors for various niches in pelagic ecosystems, primarily in relation to the processing of particulate organic matter and the production of propagule food sources for grazers. For the first time, this study provides insight into the diversity and the associated functions of all members of the Kingdom Eumycota investigated in the whole plankton fraction of aquatic ecosystems.
Excess nitrate loads to coastal waters reduces nitrate removal efficiency: mechanism and implications for coastal eutrophication
Authors: Lunau Mirko , Voss Maren , Erickson Matthew , Dziallas Claudia , Casciotti Karen , Ducklow Hugh 
Published: May 2012

SummaryTerrestrial ecosystems are becoming increasingly nitrogen‐saturated due to anthropogenic activities, such as agricultural loading with artificial fertilizer. Thus, more and more reactive nitrogen is entering streams and rivers, primarily as nitrate, where it is eventually transported towards the coastal zone. The assimilation of nitrate by coastal phytoplankton and its conversion into organic matter is an important feature of the aquatic nitrogen cycle. Dissolved reactive nitrogen is converted into a particulate form, which eventually undergoes nitrogen removal via microbial denitrification. High and unbalanced nitrate loads to the coastal zone may alter planktonic nitrate assimilation efficiency, due to the narrow stochiometric requirements for nutrients typically shown by these organisms. This implies a cascade of changes for the cycling of other elements, such as carbon, with unknown consequences at the ecosystem level. Here, we report that the nitrate removal efficiency (NRE) of a natural phytoplankton community decreased under high, unbalanced nitrate loads, due to the enhanced recycling of organic nitrogen and subsequent production and microbial transformation of excess ammonium. NRE was inversely correlated with the amount of nitrate present, and mechanistically controlled by dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and organic carbon (Corg) availability. These findings have important implications for the management of nutrient runoff to coastal zones.
Addressing Scale in Open Space Preservation: Learning from the Hague Region in the Netherlands
Authors: Padt Frans J.G. , Westerink Judith 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTLandscapes can be understood as the dynamic interplay between biophysical, social, policy and political processes. The ‘politics of scale’ approach is a promising approach to study these dynamics. Biophysical processes are often excluded from the politics of scale however. This study seeks to follow a more encompassing political‐ecological approach. After a theoretical account we present the results of a case study on open space preservation in The Hague Region in the Netherlands using data from the PLUREL project (peri‐urban land use relationships) carried out within the European Commission's Sixth Framework. Findings indicate that the existence of green open space can be understood by the interplay between biophysical, social and policy processes on the one hand and the politicisation thereof on the other. The analysis also suggests that green open space preservation may cause social conflict when climate change, urbanisation, counter‐urbanisation and demographic change put new claims on these spaces.
PRACTICES IN INTERNATIONAL VALUE CHAINS: THE CASE OF THE KENYAN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CHAIN BEYOND THE EXCLUSION DEBATE
Authors: DANNENBERG PETER , NDURU GILBERT M. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTThe emerging role of private standards as new forms of regulation and co‐ordination in international trade and production is discussed in various fields including economic geography. A prominent example is the impact of the European standard GlobalGAP (former EurepGap) in Kenyan export horticulture. While today this standard is a quasi mandatory precondition for entering the EU market, several studies came to conclude that its high requirements led to market exclusion of most Kenyan farmers. This paper analyses how far farmers have in fact been excluded or have found alternative ways to enter the chain. Based on our own surveys, we identify and analyse different informal possibilities that are frequently used to produce for EU markets without a GlobalGAP certificate. Here we argue that informal production flows can take place even in highly standardised sophisticated consumer markets and should therefore be integrated into analyses on global value chains.
THE BRIDGING ROLE OF INTERMEDIARIES IN FOOD PRODUCTION NETWORKS: INDIAN ORGANIC PEPPER IN GERMANY
Authors: HASSLER MARKUS , FRANZ MARTIN 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTProcesses of globalisation create flows of goods and information and lead to the phenomenon of transnational cultural processes. The culture of food consumption is a distinct example for this. The paper aims to unravel the way tribal farmers of Kerala are integrated into the global economy. This is linked to the question how intermediaries construct global production networks (GPN) and play a bridging role in the diffusion of information. This includes, for example, information on the circumstances of production as well as the distinctive life‐style consumption of consumers. Based on the case of organic pepper, grown by indigenous Mannan people, it will show how the embeddedness of the production of pepper is marketed in another cultural surrounding. The paper combines the GPN approach with elements from the global value chain and the commodity cultures literature.
Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and increased risk of stillbirth
Authors: O’Leary C , Jacoby P , D’Antoine H , Bartu A , Bower C 
Published: May 2012

Please cite this paper as: O’Leary C, Jacoby P, D’Antoine H, Bartu A, Bower C. Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and increased risk of stillbirth. BJOG 2012;119:945–952.Objective  To investigate the association between heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and stillbirth.Design  Data linkage cohort study.Setting  Western Australia (WA).Population  The exposed cohort included mothers with an alcohol‐related diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, ninth/tenth revisions) recorded in health data sets and all their offspring born in WA (1983–2007). Mothers without an alcohol‐related diagnosis and their offspring comprised the comparison cohort.Methods  Exposed and comparison mothers were identified through the WA Data Linkage System. Odds ratios for stillbirth at 20 + weeks of gestation were estimated by logistic regression, stratified by Aboriginal status.Main outcome measures  The proportion of stillbirths at 20 + weeks of gestation is presented per 1000 births, as well as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and population‐attributable fractions.Results  Increased odds of stillbirth were observed for mothers with an alcohol‐related diagnosis at any stage of their life for both non‐Aboriginal (aOR 1.36; 95% CI 1.05–1.76) and Aboriginal (aOR 1.33; 95% CI 1.08–1.64) births. When an alcohol diagnosis was recorded during pregnancy, increased odds were observed for non‐Aboriginal births (aOR 2.24; 95% CI 1.09–4.60), with the highest odds of Aboriginal stillbirth occurring when an alcohol diagnosis was recorded within 1 year postpregnancy (aOR 2.88; 95% CI 1.75–4.73). The population‐attributable fractions indicate that 0.8% of non‐Aboriginal and 7.9% of Aboriginal stillbirths are the result of heavy alcohol consumption.Conclusions  Prevention of heavy maternal alcohol use has the potential to reduce stillbirths. The lack of an association between exposure during pregnancy and Aboriginal stillbirth in this study needs further investigation.
A clinical prediction model to assess the risk of operative delivery
Authors: Schuit E , Kwee A , Westerhuis MEMH , Van Dessel HJHM , Graziosi GCM , Van Lith JMM , Nijhuis JG , Oei SG , Oosterbaan HP , Schuitemaker NWE , Wouters MGAJ , Visser GHA , Mol BWJ , Moons KGM , Groenwold RHH 
Published: May 2012

Please cite this paper as: Schuit E, Kwee A, Westerhuis M, Van Dessel H, Graziosi G, Van Lith J, Nijhuis J, Oei S, Oosterbaan H, Schuitemaker N, Wouters M, Visser G, Mol B, Moons K, Groenwold R. A clinical prediction model to assess the risk of operative delivery. BJOG 2012;119:915–923.Objective  To predict instrumental vaginal delivery or caesarean section for suspected fetal distress or failure to progress.Design  Secondary analysis of a randomised trial.Setting  Three academic and six non‐academic teaching hospitals in the Netherlands.Population  5667 labouring women with a singleton term pregnancy in cephalic presentation.Methods  We developed multinomial prediction models to assess the risk of operative delivery using both antepartum (model 1) and antepartum plus intrapartum characteristics (model 2). The models were validated by bootstrapping techniques and adjusted for overfitting. Predictive performance was assessed by calibration and discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic), and easy‐to‐use nomograms were developed.Main outcome measures  Incidence of instrumental vaginal delivery or caesarean section for fetal distress or failure to progress with respect to a spontaneous vaginal delivery (reference).Results  375 (6.6%) and 212 (3.6%) women had an instrumental vaginal delivery or caesarean section due to fetal distress, and 433 (7.6%) and 571 (10.1%) due to failure to progress, respectively. Predictors were age, parity, previous caesarean section, diabetes, gestational age, gender, estimated birthweight (model 1) and induction of labour, oxytocin augmentation, intrapartum fever, prolonged rupture of membranes, meconium stained amniotic fluid, epidural anaesthesia, and use of ST‐analysis (model 2). Both models showed excellent calibration and the receiver operating characteristics areas were 0.70–0.78 and 0.73–0.81, respectively.Conclusion  In Dutch women with a singleton term pregnancy in cephalic presentation, antepartum and intrapartum characteristics can assist in the prediction of the need for an instrumental vaginal delivery or caesarean section for fetal distress or failure to progress.
Impact of stress coping capacity on recovery from abdominal hysterectomy in a fast‐track programme: a prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Kjølhede P , Borendal Wodlin N , Nilsson L , Fredrikson M , Wijma K 
Published: May 2012

Please cite this paper as: Kjølhede P, Borendal Wodlin N, Nilsson L, Fredrikson M, Wijma K. Impact of stress coping capacity on recovery from abdominal hysterectomy in a fast‐track programme: a prospective longitudinal study. BJOG 2012;119:998–1007.Objective  To evaluate the effect of stress coping capacity in combination with mode of anaesthesia on postoperative recovery in fast‐track abdominal hysterectomy.Design  Prospective longitudinal study.Setting  Five hospitals in the south‐east of Sweden.Population  A cohort of 162 women undergoing fast‐track abdominal hysterectomy for benign conditions.Methods  Self‐administered questionnaires, the Stress Coping Inventory (SCI) and the Swedish Postoperative Symptom Questionnaire (SPSQ), and clinical information were collected prospectively. Stress coping capacity was categorised as high or low according to the summed score of the SCI. Comparisons of effect variables were adjusted using a propensity score‐matching model.Main outcome measures  Associations between stress coping capacity and hospital stay, sick leave, use of analgesic and self‐reported postoperative symptoms.Results  Women with high stress coping capacity had a significantly shorter sick leave, experienced postoperative symptoms significantly less often, and with lower intensity, than women with low stress coping capacity. With the exception of symptom intensity, these findings were related to having had the operation under spinal anaesthesia as opposed to general anaesthesia. Hospital stay, use of analgesics and abdominal pain were not related to stress coping capacity.Conclusions  In patients for whom spinal anaesthesia was applied, high stress coping seems to be a quality that helps patients manage the burden of surgery. It is desirable for the individual, as well as for the healthcare system, to enhance recovery by using intervention programmes designed to improve or manage stress coping, particularly for individuals with low stress coping capacity. This recommendation merits further investigation.
Multiobjective multiproduct parcel distribution timetabling: a real‐world application
Authors: Ben‐Ayed Omar , Hamzaoui Salem 
Published: May 2012

AbstractMultiobjective multiproduct parcel distribution timetabling problem is concerned with generating effective timetables for parcel distribution companies that provide interdependent services (products) and have more than one objective. A parcel distribution timetabling problem is inherently multiobjective because of the multitude of criteria that can measure the performance of a timetable. This paper provides the mathematical formulation of the problem and applies the model to a real‐world case study. The application shows that without a common ground with the practitioners, it would be impossible to define the actual requirements and objectives of the company; problem definition is as important as model construction and solution method.
5‐HT6 receptor agonists and antagonists enhance learning and memory in a conditioned emotion response paradigm by modulation of cholinergic and glutamatergic mechanisms
Authors: Woods S , Clarke NN , Layfield R , Fone KCF 
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 5‐HT6 receptors are abundant in the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens and striatum, supporting their role in learning and memory. Selective 5‐HT6 receptor antagonists produce pro‐cognitive effects in several learning and memory paradigms while 5‐HT6 receptor agonists have been found to enhance and impair memory.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The conditioned emotion response (CER) paradigm was validated in rats. Then we examined the effect of the 5‐HT6 receptor antagonist, EMD 386088 (10 mg·kg−1, i.p.), and agonists, E‐6801 (2.5 mg·kg−1, i.p.) and EMD 386088 (5 mg·kg−1, i.p.) on CER‐induced behaviour either alone or after induction of memory impairment by the muscarinic receptor antagonist, scopolamine (0.3 mg·kg−1, i.p) or the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK‐801 (0.1 mg·kg−1, i.p).KEY RESULTS Pairing unavoidable foot shocks with a light and tone cue during CER training induced a robust freezing response, providing a quantitative index of contextual memory when the rat was returned to the shock chamber 24 h later. Pretreatment (−20 min pre‐training) with scopolamine or MK‐801 reduced contextual freezing 24 h after CER training, showing production of memory impairment. Immediate post‐training administration of 5‐HT6 receptor antagonist, SB‐270146, and agonists, EMD 386088 and E‐6801, had little effect on CER freezing when given alone, but all significantly reversed scopolamine‐ and MK‐801‐induced reduction in freezing.CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Both the 5‐HT6 receptor agonists and antagonist reversed cholinergic‐ and glutamatergic‐induced deficits in associative learning. These findings support the therapeutic potential of 5‐HT6 receptor compounds in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction, such as seen in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.