bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trends in Hypertension Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control Rates in Shandong Province of China
Authors: Zhao Yong , Lu Fanghong , Sun Hui , Liu Zhendong , Zhao Yingxin , Sun Shangwen , Wang Shujian , Diao Yutao , Zhang Hua 
Published: June 2012

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012; 14:637–643. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The authors retrospectively examined data from 3 surveys on hypertension according to the 2010 Chinese Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension. These surveys were conducted in 1991, 1999, and 2007, and included 85,371 individuals 18 years and older who were living in Shandong Province, China. Age‐standardized prevalent hypertension increased from 15.6% in 1991 to 17.3% in 1999 and 32.7% in 2007 (both P<.0001). The ascending prevalence can be partially explained by increasing body weight. Among individuals with hypertension, awareness increased significantly from 27.8% in 1991 to 39.1% in 1999 and 49.2% in 2007. The proportion of pharmacologic treatment also considerably improved, with the estimate of 12.9%, 28.1%, and 43.3% in the 3 surveys, respectively. Hypertension control increased from 3.0% to 4.4% to 7.1% in the past 20 years. The upward trend in blood pressure control was mostly attributable to a rise among men and persons at middle age. This study suggests that the prevalence of hypertension increased in the Shandong population from 1991 to 2007. Although substantially improved, control rates were still unacceptably low. Comprehensive strategies are urgently required to put into practice for the management of hypertension in Shandong Province, China.
Hypertension and the Risk of Incident Gout in a Population‐Based Study: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Cohort
Authors: McAdams‐DeMarco Mara A. , Maynard Janet W. , Baer Alan N. , Coresh Josef 
Published: June 2012

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012; 14:675–679. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The authors quantified the impact of hypertension on gout incidence in middle‐aged white and African American men and women. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) was a prospective population‐based cohort that recruited patients between 1987 and 1989 from 4 US communities. Using a time‐dependent Cox proportional hazards model, the authors estimated the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of incident gout by time‐varying hypertension and tested for mediation by serum urate level. There were 10,872 participants among whom 45% had hypertension during follow‐up; 43% were men and 21% were African American. Over 9 years, 274 (2.5%) participants developed gout (1.8% of women and 3.5% of men). The unadjusted HR of incident gout was approximately 3 times (HR, 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.24–3.78) greater for those with hypertension. Adjusting for confounders resulted in an attenuated but still significant association between hypertension and gout (HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.54–2.61). Adjustment for serum urate level further attenuated but did not abrogate the association (HR, 1.36, 95% CI, 1.04–1.79). There was no evidence of effect modification by sex (P=.35), race (P=.99), or obesity at baseline (P=.82). Hypertension was independently associated with increased gout risk in middle‐aged African American and white adults. Serum urate level may be a partial intermediate on the pathway between hypertension and gout.
Effect of diabetes mellitus on corneal biomechanics and measurement of intraocular pressure
Authors: Scheler Annabelle , Spoerl Eberhard , Boehm Andreas G. 
Published: June 2012

Abstract.Purpose:  To determine whether corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF) are altered in diabetes and whether these parameters are related to HbA1c.Methods:  One randomly chosen eye of 35 healthy subjects and 31 patients with diabetes was examined. Patients with diabetes were divided into group 1 with HbA1c <7% (n = 14) and group 2 with HbA1c ≥7% (n = 17). CH and CRF were measured using ocular response analyzer (ORA); central corneal thickness (CCT) using ultrasound pachymetry; increased intraocular pressure (IOP) using Goldmann tonometer (IOPGAT), Pascal dynamic contour tonometer (IOPpasc), and ORA (IOPcc). As CH and CRF are dependent on IOP and CCT, they were adjusted for IOP and CCT resulting in CHcorr and CRFcorr.Results:  Mean HbA1c was 5.44 ± 0.46% in healthy subjects, 6.00 ± 0.78% in diabetic group 1, 8.58 ± 2.44% in group 2. CHcorr (p = 0.071) and CRFcorr (p = 0.067) were not statistically significantly different between healthy subjects and diabetic group 1, but significantly lower in healthy subjects compared to diabetic group 2 [CHcorr (p = 0.031), CRFcorr (p = 0.029)]. IOPpasc (p = 0.012), IOPGAT (p = 0.032) and HbA1c (p = 0.0001) were statistically significantly different between healthy subjects and all patients with diabetes (groups 1 + 2), but not age, sex and CCT. Over all patients with diabetes, CHcorr (p = 0.012, R2 = 0.197) and CRFcorr (p = 0.008, R2 = 0.217) were correlated to HbA1c but not in healthy subjects [CHcorr (p = 0.931, R2 = 0.0001), CRFcorr (p = 0.837, R2 = 0.001)].Conclusion:  In poorly controlled diabetics, CHcorr and CRFcorr are significantly higher compared with those of the healthy subjects and patients with well‐controlled diabetes. In diabetes, CHcorr and CRFcorr are correlated to HbA1c, suggesting that the biomechanical properties of the cornea are altered depending on the glucose control.
Macular thickness predictive of visual field sensitivity in ischaemic optic neuropathy
Authors: Papchenko Taras , Grainger Brian T. , Savino Peter J. , Gamble Greg D. , Danesh‐Meyer Helen V. 
Published: June 2012

Abstract.Purpose:  To investigate the ability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters of macular thickness (MT) and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness to differentiate eyes with nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) from uninvolved eyes and to identify the relationship between macular and RNFL parameters and visual field sensitivity (VFS).Methods:  Thirty patients with unilateral NAION participated in a prospective observational cross‐sectional study. Patients underwent Humphrey visual field (SITA Standard 24‐2, HVF) testing and OCT to measure MT and RNFL. The contralateral uninvolved eye was used as controls. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of MT and RNFL for discriminating NAION from control eyes were also determined. The prespecified outcome measure was the correlation between RNFL, MT and mean deviation (MD).Results:  Average RNFL and MT were thinner in NAION eyes: 72.8 μm versus 98.9 μm (p < 0.0001) and 231.9 μm (SD, 21.4) vs. 251.1 μm (SD, 14.8; p = 0.0001), respectively. The largest AUROCs were for average MT (0.87) and average RNFL thickness (0.88). Overall, macular parameters showed stronger correlation with VFS than RNFL parameters. The highest correlation was average MT (0.71; p < 0.0001) followed by RNFL parameter nasal quadrant RNFL (0.40; p = 0.030).Conclusion:  Both MT and RNFL show strong correlations with level of VFS in NAION. Macular thickness showed more robust correlations with VF and provides strong surrogate marker of the level of damage in NAION.
Subjective sleep quality in lung cancer patients before and after chemotherapy
Authors: Zarogoulidis Paul , Steiropoulos Paschalis , Perantoni Eleni , Archontogeorgis Konstantinos , Eleftheriadou Ellada , Porpodis Konstantinos , Charpidou Anna G. , Angelopoulou Christina , Nena Evangelia , Zarogoulidis Konstantinos , Tsara Venetia 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBackground:  Sleep disturbances, such as difficulty in falling asleep, maintaining sleep, poor sleep efficiency, early awakening, and excessive daytime sleepiness, are common in patients with cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate sleep characteristics in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients before and after three months of chemotherapy treatment.Methods:  Forty‐nine patients with lung cancer, without brain metastasis, were included. Anthropometric and disease characteristics were collected. Upon diagnosis and after three months, a polysomnographic examination was conducted and the patients completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea scale.Results:  Before chemotherapy, the mean PSQI score was 7.1 ± 4, the FSS score was 3.92 ± 2, and the ESS score was 6.8 ± 4. The MRC score was low at 1.6 ± 1.1. A significant correlation between FSS and global PSQI was revealed (r = 0.424, P < 0.01), as well as with several of the PSQI components. After chemotherapy, no statistically significant change was observed in the PSQI (mean: 6.6 ± 4.5, t‐score: 0.784, P = 0.438), or the FSS score (4.4 ± 2.2, t‐score: −1.375, P = 0.177). Sleep efficiency was significantly reduced (P = 0.008), without any change in the distribution of sleep stages.Conclusion:  The perception of sleep quality is poor among newly diagnosed lung cancer patients and is correlated with fatigue. After chemotherapy, self‐reported sleep impairment is present and sleep efficiency is reduced, without significant change in sleep architecture.
Evaluation of the Andromas Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry System for Identification of Aerobically Growing Gram-Positive Bacilli
Authors: Farfour E. , Leto J. , Barritault M. , Barberis C. , Meyer J. , Dauphin B. , Le Guern A.-S. , Leflèche A. , Badell E. , Guiso N. , Leclercq A. , Le Monnier A. , Lecuit M. , Rodriguez-Nava V. , Bergeron E. , Raymond J. , Vimont S. , Bille E. , Carbonnelle E. , Guet-Revillet H. , Lécuyer H. , Beretti J.-L. , Vay C. , Berche P. , Ferroni A. , Nassif X. , Join-Lambert O. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

Matrix-associated laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a rapid and simple microbial identification method. Previous reports using the Biotyper system suggested that this technique requires a preliminary extraction step to identify Gram-positive rods (GPRs), a technical issue that may limit the routine use of this technique to identify pathogenic GPRs in the clinical setting. We tested the accuracy of the MALDI-TOF MS Andromas strategy to identify a set of 659 GPR isolates representing 16 bacterial genera and 72 species by the direct colony method. This bacterial collection included 40
C. diphtheriae
, 13
C. pseudotuberculosis
, 19
C. ulcerans
, and 270 other
Corynebacterium
isolates, 32
L. monocytogenes
and 24 other
Listeria
isolates, 46
Nocardia
, 75
Actinomyces
, 18
Actinobaculum
, 11
Propionibacterium acnes
, 18
Propionibacterium avidum
, 30
Lactobacillus
, 21
Bacillus
, 2
Rhodococcus equi
, 2
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae
, and 38 other GPR isolates, all identified by reference techniques. Totals of 98.5% and 1.2% of non-
Listeria
GPR isolates were identified to the species or genus level, respectively. Except for
L. grayi
isolates that were identified to the species level, all other
Listeria
isolates were identified to the genus level because of highly similar spectra. These data demonstrate that rapid identification of pathogenic GPRs can be obtained without an extraction step by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
Low sperm counts in genitourinary medicine clinic attendees: results from a case–control study
Authors: Carne Christopher A , Chilcott Sian , Palmer Christopher , Green Oliver , Bridge Simeon , Walsh Richard , Gramy-Mason Anna , O'Donovan Maria 
Published: June 2012

ObjectivesTo conduct a case–control study of abnormalities in the semen of genitourinary (GU) medicine clinic attendees compared with general practice (GP) controls and in patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic non-specific urethritis (NSU) before and after the urethritis resolves.MethodsRates of semen abnormalities were compared between the different groups (19 with symptomatic and 27 with asymptomatic NSU, seven with symptomatic non-NSU and 64 clinic controls) and between clinic attendees and 417 patients attending GP for the first investigation of possible infertility. Those with symptomatic or asymptomatic NSU gave repeat semen samples on resolution of the NSU.ResultsThe study included 117 clinic volunteers. They were shown to have statistically significantly worse total sperm counts (p=0.002), volume of semen (p<0.001) and percentage of abnormal forms (p<0.04) compared with 417 GP controls. Compared with the rest of the clinic volunteers, asymptomatic NSU patients had statistically significantly lower total sperm counts (p<0.02). Asymptomatic NSU patients had statistically significantly lower total sperm counts compared with symptomatic NSU patients (p<0.02). Compared with GP controls, clinic controls had statistically significantly inferior total sperm counts (p=0.009) and semen volume (p<0.001).ConclusionsGU clinic attendees are more likely to have abnormalities of semen than patients attending GP for the first check for possible infertility. A high rate of abnormal semen findings are found in patients with and without NSU but the highest rate occurred in those with asymptomatic NSU. Is asymptomatic NSU therefore pathogenic and does it require treatment like symptomatic NSU?
Cylindrical or spherical dust-ion acoustic soliton in an adiabatic dusty plasma with electrons following a q-nonextensive distribution
Authors: Eslami Parvin , Mottaghizadeh Marzieh , Pakzad Hamid Reza 
Published: June 2012

Using the reductive perturbation technique, a cylindrical and (or) spherical Korteweg – de Vries (KdV) equation is derived for a dust-ion acoustic solitary wave (DIASW) in an unmagnetized dusty plasma, whose constituents are adiabatic ion ﬂuid, nonextensive electrons, and negatively charged static dust particles. The solution of the modiﬁed KdV equation in nonplanar geometry is numerically analyzed. The change of the DIASW structure due to the effect of the geometry, nonextensive parameter, dust density, and ion temperature is investigated by numerical calculation of the cylindrical and (or) spherical KdV equation. It is found that both compressive and rarefactive type DIA waves are obtained depending on the plasma parameter.
Half-metallic ferromagnetism in Wurtzite MS (M = Li, Na, and K)
Authors: Moradi M. , Rostami M. , Afshari M. 
Published: June 2012

The magnetic properties of MS (M = Li, Na, K) compounds in a Wurtzite structure at zero pressure are investigated by using first principle calculations and the pseudopotential self-consistent method based on density functional theory. It is shown that MS compounds in Wurtzite structure are half-metallic ferromagnets with a magnetic moment of μB per formula unit and half-metallic gaps of 0.24, 0.52, and 0.62 eV for LiS, NaS, and KS, respectively. We also consider the effect of pressure on the half-metallicity of these compounds and we find that LiS, NaS, and KS in Wurtzite structure maintain their half-metallicity up to lattice compressions of 9%, 37%, and 60%, respectively, and as a result one can grow them over the semiconductors in Wurtzite structures that are produced experimentally. These properties cause Wurtzite MS compounds to be appropriate choices to create useful devices in spintronics.
Autoionization resonances in the argon iso-electronic sequence
Authors: George Juby , Pradhan G.B. , Rundhe Milind , Jose Jobin , Aravind G. , Deshmukh P.C. 
Published: June 2012

We report results of theoretical studies of 3s → np and 2s → np autoionization resonances, respectively, in the 3p and the 2p photoionization cross sections of a few members (Ar, K+, Ca2+, Fe8+, Zn12+, and Kr18+) of the argon isoelectronic sequence, within the framework of the relativistic random phase approximation and using the relativistic multichannel quantum defect theory. The present approach would enable analysis of complex atomic spectra especially of atomic and (or) ionic species that are found in stellar gases in a computationally economical way. The shape profiles of the autoionization resonances have been analyzed in the present work using appropriate Fano parameters. The quantum defects determined for some of the lower or intermediate excited states are found to be in good agreement with the experimental and (or) theoretical results.
Asymptotic behavior of eigenenergies of nonpolynomial oscillator potentials V(x) = x2N + (λx m1)/(1 + gx m2)
Authors: Nanayakkara Asiri 
Published: June 2012

Analytic semiclassical energy expansions of nonpolynomial oscillator (NPO) potentials V(x) = x2N + (λx[Formula: see text])/(1 + gx[Formula: see text]) are obtained for arbitrary positive integers N, m1, and m2, and the real parameters λ and g using the asymptotic energy expansion (AEE) method. Because the AEE method has been previously developed only for polynomial potentials, the method is extended with new types of recurrence relations. It is then applied to the preceding general NPO to obtain expressions for quantum action variable J in terms of E and the parameters of the potential. These expansions are power series in energy and the coefficients of the series contain parameters λ and g explicitly. To avoid the singularities in the potential we only consider the cases where both λ and g are non-negative at the same time. Using the AEE expressions, it is shown that, for certain classes of NPOs, if potentials have the same N, and the same m1 – m2 or m1 – 2m2 then they have the same asymptotic eigenspectra. It was also shown that for certain cases, both λ and –λ as well as g and –g will produce the same asymptotic energy spectra. Analytic expressions are also derived for asymptotic level spacings of general NPOs in terms of λ and g.
CDK Inhibitors Upregulate BH3-Only Proteins to Sensitize Human Myeloma Cells to BH3 Mimetic Therapies
Authors: Chen Shuang , Dai Yun , Pei Xin-Yan , Myers Jennifer , Wang Li , Kramer Lora B. , Garnett Mandy , Schwartz Daniella M. , Su Florence , Simmons Gary L. , Richey Justin D. , Larsen Dustin G. , Dent Paul , Orlowski Robert Z. , Grant Steven 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
BH3 mimetic drugs induce cell death by antagonizing the activity of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors that function as transcriptional repressors downregulate the Bcl-2 family member Mcl-1 and increase the activity of selective BH3 mimetics that fail to target this protein. In this study, we determined whether CDK inhibitors potentiate the activity of pan-BH3 mimetics directly neutralizing Mcl-1. Specifically, we evaluated interactions between the prototypical pan-CDK inhibitor flavopiridol and the pan-BH3 mimetic obatoclax in multiple myeloma (MM) cells in which Mcl-1 is critical for survival. Coadministration of flavopiridol and obatoclax synergistically triggered apoptosis in both drug-naïve and drug-resistant MM cells. Mechanistic investigations revealed that flavopiridol inhibited Mcl-1 transcription but increased transcription of Bim and its binding to Bcl-2/Bcl-xL. Obatoclax prevented Mcl-1 recovery and caused release of Bim from Bcl-2/Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, accompanied by activation of Bax/Bak. Whether administered singly or in combination with obatoclax, flavopiridol also induced upregulation of multiple BH3-only proteins, including BimEL, BimL, Noxa, and Bik/NBK. Notably, short hairpin RNA knockdown of Bim or Noxa abrogated lethality triggered by the flavopiridol/obatoclax combination in vitro and in vivo. Together, our findings show that CDK inhibition potentiates pan-BH3 mimetic activity through a cooperative mechanism involving upregulation of BH3-only proteins with coordinate downregulation of their antiapoptotic counterparts. These findings have immediate implications for the clinical trial design of BH3 mimetic-based therapies that are presently being studied intensively for the treatment of diverse hematopoietic malignancies, including lethal multiple myeloma. Cancer Res; 72(16); 4225–37. ©2012 AACR.
Inhibition of Akt Potentiates 2-DG–Induced Apoptosis via Downregulation of UPR in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: DeSalvo Joanna , Kuznetsov Jeffim N. , Du Jianfeng , Leclerc Gilles M. , Leclerc Guy J. , Lampidis Theodore J. , Barredo Julio C. 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
The ability to pair the regulation of metabolism and cellular energetics with oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes provides cancer cells with a growth and survival advantage over normal cells. We investigated the mechanism of cell death induced by 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG), a sugar analog with dual activity of inhibiting glycolysis and N-linked glycosylation, in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We found that, unlike most other cancer phenotypes in which 2-DG only inhibits cell proliferation under normoxic conditions, ALL lymphoblasts undergo apoptosis. Bp-ALL cell lines and primary cells exhibited sensitivity to 2-DG, whereas T-ALL cells were relatively resistant, revealing phenotypic differences within ALL subtypes. Cotreatment with d-mannose, a sugar essential for N-linked glycosylation, rescues 2-DG–treated ALL cells, indicating that inhibition of N-linked glycosylation and induction of ER stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR) is the predominant mechanism of 2-DG's cytotoxicity in ALL. 2-DG–treated ALL cells exhibit upregulation of P-AMPK, P-Akt, and induction of ER stress/UPR markers (IRE1α, GRP78, P-eIF2α, and CHOP), which correlate with PARP cleavage and apoptosis. In addition, we find that pharmacologic and genetic Akt inhibition upregulates P-AMPK, downregulates UPR, and sensitizes ALL cells to remarkably low doses of 2-DG (0.5 mmol/L), inducing 85% cell death and overcoming the relative resistance of T-ALL. In contrast, AMPK knockdown rescues ALL cells by upregulating the prosurvival UPR signaling. Therefore, 2-DG induces ALL cell death under normoxia by inducing ER stress, and AKT and AMPK, traditionally thought to operate predominantly on the glycolytic pathway, differentially regulate UPR activity to determine cell death or survival. Mol Cancer Res; 10(7); 969–78. ©2012 AACR.
Racial Differences in Risks for First Cardiovascular Events and Noncardiovascular Death
Authors: Feinstein Matthew , Ning Hongyan , Kang Joseph , Bertoni Alain , Carnethon Mercedes , Lloyd-Jones Donald M. 
Published: June 2012

Background—
No studies have compared first cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and non-CVD death between races in a competing risks framework, which examines risks for numerous events simultaneously.

Methods and Results—
We used competing Cox models to estimate hazards for first CVD events and non-CVD death within and between races in 3 multicenter, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–sponsored cohorts. Of 14 569 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study participants aged 45 to 64 years with mean follow-up of 10.5 years, 11.6% had CVD and 5.0% had non-CVD death as first events; among 4237 Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) study participants aged 65 to 84 years and followed for 8.5 years, these figures were 43.2% and 15.7%, respectively. Middle-aged blacks were significantly more likely than whites to experience any CVD as a first event; this disparity disappeared by older adulthood and after adjustment for CVD risk factors. The pattern of results was similar for Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants. Traditional Cox and competing risks models yielded different results for coronary heart disease risk. Black men appeared somewhat more likely than white men to experience coronary heart disease with use of a standard Cox model (hazard ratio 1.06; 95% CI 0.90, 1.26), whereas they appeared less likely than white men to have a first coronary heart disease event with use of a competing risks model (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60, 1.00).

Conclusions—
CVD affects blacks at an earlier age than whites; this may be attributable in part to elevated CVD risk factor levels among blacks. Racial disparities in first CVD incidence disappear by older adulthood. Competing risks analyses may yield somewhat different results than traditional Cox models and provide a complementary approach to examining risks for first CVD events.