bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
X‐ray fluorescence elemental mapping and microscopy to follow hepatic disposition of a Gd‐based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent
Authors: Delfino Riccarda , Altissimo Matteo , Menk Ralf Hendrik , Alberti Roberto , Klatka Tomasz , Frizzi Tommaso , Longoni Antonio , Salomè Murielle , Tromba Giuliana , Arfelli Fulvia , Clai Milan , Vaccari Lisa , Lorusso Vito , Tiribelli Claudio , Pascolo Lorella 
Published: September 2011

Summary1. Spatially resolved X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation is a technique that allows imaging and quantification of chemical elements in biological specimens with high sensitivity. In the present study, we applied XRF techniques at a macro and micro level to carry out drug distribution studies on ex vivo models to confirm the hepatobiliary disposition of the Gd‐based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent B22956/1.2. Gd presence was selectively quantified allowing the determination of the time dependent disappearance of the drug from blood and its hepatic accumulation in mice after administration. Elemental mapping highlighted the drug distribution differences between healthy and diseased livers. XRF microanalyses showed that in CCl4‐induced hepatitis, B22956/1 has greatly reduced hepatic accumulation, shown as a 20‐fold reduction of Gd presence. Furthermore, a significant increase of Fe presence was found in steatotic compared with healthy livers, in line with the disease features.3. The present results show that XRF might be useful in preclinical pharmacological studies with drugs containing exogenous elements. Furthermore, quantitative and high‐sensitivity elemental mapping allows simultaneous detection of chemical variation, showing pathological conditions. This approach was useful in suggesting reduced B22956/1 accumulation in steatotic livers, thus opening possible new diagnostic perspectives for this drug.
Application of colour Doppler in encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein in primary deep venous insufficiency of the lower limbs
Authors: Wang Ting , Wang Ling , Yi Jun , Yao Qing , Chen Jiang‐Hao , Yuan Shi‐Fang , Zhang Ju‐Liang , Yun Jun , Han Zeng‐Hui , Ren Jun , Ling Rui 
Published: September 2011

Summary1. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical value of colour Doppler application in encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein in deep vein insufficiency.2. A total of 87 patients with primary deep venous insufficiency (PDVI) using ascending venography were randomly divided into group A (44 patients) and group B (43 patients). All patients underwent encircling constriction of the superficial femoral vein, high ligation and ablation of the great saphenous vein and perforator vein. The duration of venous reflux at operation was monitored with colour Doppler in group A (but not group B) to evaluate the immediate effects. Clinical grading and scoring of the clinical, etiological, anatomical, pathophysiological (CEAP) classification system were used to evaluate the follow‐up curative effect.3. In four cases from group A, completely destroyed valves were identified at the time of operation and autografting of the vein segment with a valve was carried out. The intraoperative examination of colour Doppler in group A showed a much shorter duration of vein reflux after the encircling constriction procedure than the presurgery condition. According to the results of CEAP grading, the success rate of group A (95.0%, 38/40) was significantly higher than that of group B (76.7%, 33/43). Postoperative clinical scores were markedly lower than preoperative scores in both groups A and B.4. In conclusion, our data suggest that application of colour Doppler in encircling constriction of superficial femoral vein might enhance surgical pertinence and improve surgical effect for PDVI.
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa sensor RetS switches Type III and Type VI secretion via c‐di‐GMP signalling
Authors: Moscoso Joana A. , Mikkelsen Helga , Heeb Stephan , Williams Paul , Filloux Alain 
Published: September 2011

SummaryAcute bacterial infections are associated with motility and cytotoxicity via the type III secretion system (T3SS), while chronic infections are linked to biofilm formation and reduced virulence. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the transition between motility and sessility involves regulatory networks including the RetS/GacS sensors, as well as the second messenger c‐di‐GMP. The RetS/GacS signalling cascade converges on small RNAs, RsmY and RsmZ, which control a range of functions via RsmA. A retS mutation induces biofilm formation, and high levels of c‐di‐GMP produce a similar response. In this study, we connect RetS and c‐di‐GMP pathways by showing that the retS mutant displays high levels of c‐di‐GMP. Furthermore, a retS mutation leads to repression of the T3SS, but also upregulates the type VI secretion system (T6SS), which is associated with chronic infections. Strikingly, production of the T3SS and T6SS can be switched by artificially modulating c‐di‐GMP levels. We show that the diguanylate cyclase WspR is specifically involved in the T3SS/T6SS switch and that RsmY and RsmZ are required for the c‐di‐GMP‐dependent response. These results provide a firm link between the RetS/GacS and the c‐di‐GMP pathways, which coordinate bacterial lifestyles, as well as secretion systems that determine the infection strategy of P. aeruginosa.
Proportion of patients at HbA1c target <7% with eight classes of antidiabetic drugs in type 2 diabetes: systematic review of 218 randomized controlled trials with 78 945 patients
Authors: Esposito K. , Chiodini P. , Bellastella G. , Maiorino M. I. , Giugliano D. 
Published: September 2011

Aim: We assessed the efficacy of eight classes of diabetes medications used in current clinical practice [metformin, sulphonylureas, α‐glucosidase inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, glinides, dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) analogues and insulin analogues] to reach the HbA1c target <7% in type 2 diabetes.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from inception through April 2011 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving antidiabetic drugs. RCTs had to report the effect of any diabetes medication on the HbA1c levels, to include at least 30 subjects in every arm of the study, and to report the effect of therapy after a minimum of 12 weeks. Data were summarized across studies using random‐effects meta‐regression.Results: A total of 218 RCTs (339 arms and 77 950 patients) met the inclusion criteria. The proportion of patients who achieved the HbA1c goal ranged from 25.9% (95% CI 18.5–34.9) with α‐glucosidase inhibitors to 63.2% (54.1–71.5) with the long‐acting GLP‐1 analogue. There was a progressive decrease of the proportion of patients at target for each 0.5% increase in baseline HbA1c, ranging from 57.8% for HbA1c ≤7.5% to 20.8% for HbA1c ≥10% (p for trend <0.0001), with some difference between insulin and non‐insulin drugs: for insulin, the proportion of patients at goal reached a plateau for basal HbA1c value >9.0% with no further decrease, whereas for non‐insulin drugs the relationship was continuous without any evidence of plateau.Conclusions: There is a considerable variability with regard to attainment of HbA1c goal of <7% among the different classes of diabetes medications; baseline HbA1c is an important determinant of observed efficacy.
Does theory of mind performance differ in children with early‐onset and regressive autism?
Authors: Matthews Nicole L. , Goldberg Wendy A. , Lukowski Angela F. , Osann Kathryn , Abdullah Maryam M. , Ly Agnes R. , Thorsen Kara , Anne Spence M. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractA deficit in theory of mind (ToM), or the ability to infer the mental states of others, has been implicated as one of the major characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); however, little attention has been devoted to possible differences in ToM ability within ASD. The current study examined ToM performance in children with early‐onset autism and regressive autism in comparison to typically developing children. Results indicated that children in the regressive autism group performed significantly better than the early‐onset autism group on the non‐verbal appearance–reality task. Additionally, Fisher’s exact tests indicated a pattern of lowest scores in the early‐onset group and highest scores in the typically developing group, whereas the regressive autism group tended to score in between the early‐onset and typically developing groups. The apparent heterogeneity in ToM performance within ASD could account for the lack of universality in ToM ability found in previous studies.
Action production influences 12‐month‐old infants’ attention to others’ actions
Authors: Cannon Erin N. , Woodward Amanda L. , Gredebäck Gustaf , von Hofsten Claes , Turek Colleen 
Published: September 2011

AbstractRecent work implicates a link between action control systems and action understanding. In this study, we investigated the role of the motor system in the development of visual anticipation of others’ actions. Twelve‐month‐olds engaged in behavioral and observation tasks. Containment activity, infants’ spontaneous engagement in producing containment actions; and gaze latency, how quickly they shifted gaze to the goal object of another’s containment actions, were measured. Findings revealed a positive relationship: infants who received the behavior task first evidenced a strong correlation between their own actions and their subsequent gaze latency of another’s actions. Learning over the course of trials was not evident. These findings demonstrate a direct influence of the motor system on online visual attention to others’ actions early in development.
Selected eating behaviours and excess body weight: a systematic review
Authors: Mesas A. E. , Muñoz‐Pareja M. , López‐García E. , Rodríguez‐Artalejo F. 
Published: September 2011

SummaryThe relationship between obesity and the intake of macronutrients and specific foods is uncertain. Thus, there is growing interest in some eating behaviours because they may reflect the joint effect of several foods and nutrients and, thus, increase the likelihood of finding a link to obesity. This study examined the association between selected eating behaviours and excess weight in the general population throughout a systematic review of publications written in English, Spanish or Portuguese identified in a PubMed search up to 31 December 2010. We included 153 articles, 73 of which have been published since 2008. Only 30 studies had a prospective design; of these, 15 adjusted for sociodemographic variables, physical activity and energy or food intake. Moreover, definitions of eating behaviours varied substantially across studies. We found only small or inconsistent evidence of a relationship between excess weight and skipping breakfast, daily eating frequency, snacking, irregular meals, eating away from home, consumption of fast food, takeaway food intake, consumption of large food portions, eating until full and eating quickly. In conclusion, this review highlights the difficulty in measuring human behaviour, and suggests that a more systematic approach is needed for capturing the effects of eating behaviours on body weight.
Government regulation to promote healthy food environments – a view from inside state governments
Authors: Shill J. , Mavoa H. , Allender S. , Lawrence M. , Sacks G. , Peeters A. , Crammond B. , Swinburn B. 
Published: September 2011

SummaryFood policy interventions are an important component of obesity‐prevention strategies and can potentially drive positive changes in obesogenic environments. This study sought to identify regulatory interventions targeting the food environment, and barriers/facilitators to their implementation at the Australian state government level. In‐depth interviews were conducted with senior representatives from state/territory governments, statutory authorities and non‐government organizations (n = 45) to examine participants' (i) suggestions for regulatory interventions for healthier food environments and (ii) support for pre‐selected regulatory interventions derived from a literature review. Data were analysed using thematic and constant comparative analyses. Interventions commonly suggested by participants were regulating unhealthy food marketing; limiting the density of fast food outlets; pricing reforms to decrease fruit/vegetable prices and increase unhealthy food prices; and improved food labelling. The most commonly supported pre‐selected interventions were related to food marketing and service. Primary production and retail sector interventions were least supported. The dominant themes were the need for whole‐of‐government and collaborative approaches; the influence of the food industry; conflicting policies/agenda; regulatory challenges; the need for evidence of effectiveness; and economic disincentives. While interventions such as public sector healthy food service policies were supported by participants, marketing restrictions and fiscal interventions face substantial barriers including a push for deregulation and private sector opposition.
Life quality of Chinese patients with chronic urticaria as assessed by the dermatology life quality index
Authors: Liu J.‐B. , Yao M.‐Z. , Si A.‐L. , Xiong L.‐K. , Zhou H. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractBackground  No report focused on the life quality of Chinese patients with chronic urticaria (CU). It was also due to lack of data to assess the usage of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) in Chinese patients.Objectives  We explored the quality of life (QoL) of Chinese patients with CU and assessed the factor structure and reliability of the Chinese version of the DLQI.Methods  The DLQI scores were recorded to evaluate the life quality of out‐patients with CU. The reliability and the factor structure of the DLQI were assessed using reliability analysis and factor analysis.Results  A total of 131 patients completed the DLQI. The mean score was 9.93 that was significantly associated with the patient’s age (P = 0.01). Chronic urticaria had the greatest effect on the ‘Syndrome and Feeling’ (50.64%), followed by ‘Work/School’ (41.98%). A reliability analysis showed that the value of the Cronbach’sα reached 0.85 if item 1 in the DLQI was excluded. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that there were two latent common factors underlying the items in the questionnaire.Conclusions  Chronic urticaria has a moderate impact on the life quality. More attention should be paid to the interference from item 1 in assessing the QoL by the DLQI, although it remains a concise tool with high reliability.
Associations between eNOS polymorphisms and susceptibility to Behcet’s disease: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee Y.H. , Song G.G. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractObjective  To determine whether endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) polymorphisms confer susceptibility to Behcet’s disease (BD).Methods  A meta‐analysis was conducted on the associations between the G894T and 4b/a polymorphisms of eNOS and BD using: (i) the allele contrast, (ii) the recessive model, (iii) the dominant model and (iv) the additive model.Results  A total of eight studies, which included 841 cases and 866 controls, were included in the meta‐analysis. Meta‐analysis of the G894T polymorphism revealed no association with BD in all study subjects or in Turkish and Asian populations. However, one Tunisian study of the T allele showed a significant association with BD (OR = 0.707, 95% CI = 0.510–0.980, P = 0.038), but the OR of the T allele among Tunisians was lower, whereas it was higher in Europeans (OR = 2.129, 95% CI = 1.407–3.220, P = 0.0003). Meta‐analysis showed no association between BD and the 4b/a polymorphism in all study subjects. Stratification by ethnicity indicated no significant association between the a allele of the 4b/a polymorphism and BD in Turkish and Asian populations.Conclusions  This meta‐analysis shows that the eNOS G894T and the 4b/a polymorphisms are not associated with BD in the Turkish and Asian populations. These data suggest that the G894T and the 4b/a polymorphisms may not confer susceptibility to BD in the Turkish and Asian populations.
Cross‐talk between human mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs) and rat hippocampal slices in LPS‐stimulated cocultures: the MSCs are activated to secrete prostaglandin E2
Authors: Foraker Jessica E. , Oh Joo Youn , Ylostalo Joni H. , Lee Ryang Hwa , Watanabe Jun , Prockop Darwin J. 
Published: September 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 1052–1063.AbstractMesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs) improve functional outcome in a number of disease models through suppression of inflammation. However, their effects on neuroinflammation are unknown. In this study, we show that MSCs suppress endotoxin‐induced glial activation in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs). Lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated OHSCs activated MSCs to increase the expression of cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 and produce prostaglandin E2. MSC‐derived prostaglandin E2, then suppressed pro‐inflammatory cytokine production by the OHSCs. Together, the results suggest the potential anti‐inflammatory mechanism of MSCs in models of disease and support earlier observations that MSCs may offer a therapy for neuroinflammation produced by trauma or disease.
Technetium‐99m‐labelled HL91 and technetium‐99m‐labelled MIBI SPECT imaging for the detection of ischaemic viable myocardium: a preliminary study
Authors: Liu Min , Ma Zhanhong , Guo Xiaojuan , Zhu Jianguo , Su Jun 
Published: September 2011

SummaryPurpose:  The assessment of myocardial viability has become an important aspect of the diagnostic and prognostic work‐up of patients with coronary artery disease. Technetium‐99m labelled sestamibi (99mTc‐MIBI) myocardial perfusion imaging may underestimate the viability of ischaemic myocardium. Technetium‐99m labelled 4,9‐diaza‐3,3,10,10‐tetramethyldodecan‐2,11‐dione dioxime (99mTc‐HL91) is a hypoxia‐avid agent which can identify acutely ischaemic viable myocardium in a canine model using a standard gamma camera. The aim of this study was to evaluate uptake character of ischaemic viable myocardium and diagnostic performance of single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging by 99mTc‐HL91 and 99mTc‐MIBI in detecting ischaemic viable myocardium in coronary heart disease.Methods:  A total of 41 patients with coronary artery disease were recruited from March 2008 to May 2009. For detecting ischaemic viable myocardium, SPECT imaging by 99mTc‐HL91 and 99mTc‐MIBI were performed in all patients before coronary revascularization. Six patients with single ischaemic myocardial segment received a 2‐day SEPCT/CT imaging protocol and the uptake of 99mTc‐HL91 in ischaemic myocardium was quantitatively analysed. The remaining 35 patients received a 1‐day 99mTc‐HL91 and 99mTc‐MIBI SPECT imaging protocol. Resting 99mTc‐MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging in 3–18 months after revascularization was used as the standard methodology to evaluate the myocardial viability.Results:  In 41 patients, 66 ischaemic myocardial segments were proven to be viable and 12 to be necrotic by resting 99mTc‐MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging after coronary revascularization. Furthermore, 60 viable segments with negative uptake of 99mTc‐MIBI showed positive uptake of 99mTc‐HL91. The remaining six viable segments and 12 necrotic segments showed both negative uptake of 99mTc‐HL91 and 99mTc‐MIBI. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Younden Index, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for evaluating ischaemic viable myocardium were 90·9%, 100%, 92·3%, 90·9%, 100% and 66·7%, respectively. Ischaemic viable myocardium had the negative 99mTc‐MIBI uptake and positive 99mTc‐HL91 uptake, which demonstrated a mismatched uptake character. Quantitative analysis indicated the uptake of 99mTc‐HL91 in viable myocardium was increasing in the first 1–3 h and remained stable at the 3–4 h after injection.Conclusion:  Functional SPECT imaging with 99mTc‐HL91 and 99mTc‐MIBI can be used to detect the seriously ischaemic but viable myocardium with a mismatched uptake character. The uptake of 99mTc‐HL91 in the viable myocardium reached a stable level at 3–4 h after injection.
Comparison of Preload‐Sensitive Pressure and Flow Controller Strategies for a Dual Device Biventricular Support System
Authors: Gaddum Nicholas Richard , Timms Daniel Lee , Stevens Michael , Mason David , Lovell Nigel , Fraser John F. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThe use of rotary left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) has extended to destination and recovery therapy for end‐stage heart failure. Incidence of right ventricular failure while on LVAD support requires a second device be implanted to support the failing right ventricle. Without a commercially available implantable rotary right ventricular assist device, rotary LVADs are cannulated into the right heart and operation modified to provide suitable support for the pulmonary system. While this approach can alleviate the demand for transplant through long‐term biventricular support, it uncovers a new challenge with respect to controller strategies for these dual device support systems. This study compares the preload sensitivity of rotary, dual device biventricular assistance controllers in light of their ability to adjust the flow rate according to physiological demand. A Frank–Starling‐like flow controller which requires both inlet pressure and flow sensors is compared to pressure controllers which maintain atrial or inlet cannula pressures through the use of a single pressure sensor. It was found that cannula selection and the location of a pressure controller's single pressure sensor can be tailored to adjust the preload sensitivity. When located within the atria, this sensitivity is effectively infinite. Moving the sensor to the base of a 450‐mm cannula, however, decreased the sensitivity to 0.22 (L/min)/mm Hg. This indicates the potential for simple and reliable VAD controllers with increased preload sensitivity without the need for complex controllers requiring an array of hemodynamic sensors.
Image Recognition With a Limited Number of Pixels for Visual Prostheses Design
Authors: Li Sheng , Hu Jie , Chai Xinyu , Peng Yinghong 
Published: September 2011

AbstractWith the rapid development and crossover among the information science, microelectronics, material science, and biomedical disciplines, the visual prosthesis makes visual reparation possible. Because the number of stimulation electrodes is strictly limited by various complicated factors, it is necessary to determine the minimum visual requirements to achieve useful artificial vision for image recognition. This research has studied how many pixels individual images need to have to be correctly and economically recognized by blind subjects. In order to extract the figure of the image with a limited number of pixels, we have proposed a wavelet‐based image processing methods, and six resolutions (8 × 8, 16 × 16, 24 × 24, 32 × 32, 48 × 48, and 64 × 64) are investigated. Psychophysical experiments have been designed to verify our proposed image processing method and to investigate the recognition accuracy with a limited number of pixels. The results show that the recognition accuracy increases with the number of pixels. The recognition accuracy varied with tested images, when a resolution of 24 × 24 was used: six of the eight image objects were recognized with an accuracy of >50%, and the remaining two of the eight image objects were recognized with an accuracy of <50%. Moreover, when the resolution is more than 32 × 32, the increase of the recognition accuracy is no longer obvious. We also have investigated the impact of different perspectives of the same object to the recognition accuracy. The experiment shows that providing multiview image sequences, subjects can receive more visual information to obtain higher recognition accuracy.