bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Socioeconomic factors and childhood overweight in Europe: results from the multi‐centre IDEFICS study
Authors: Bammann K. , Gwozdz W. , Lanfer A. , Barba G. , De Henauw S. , Eiben G. , Fernandez‐Alvira J.M. , Kovács E. , Lissner L. , Moreno L.A. , Tornaritis M. , Veidebaum T. , Pigeot I. ,   the IDEFICS Consortium
Published: August 2012

Summary
What is already known about this subject
Overweight and obesity can be linked to different parental socioeconomic factors already in very young children.
In Western developed countries, the association of childhood overweight and obesity and parental socioeconomic status shows a negative gradient.
Ambiguous results have been obtained regarding the association between socioeconomic factors and childhood overweight and obesity in different countries and over time.

What this study adds
European regions show heterogeneous associations between socioeconomic factors and overweight and obesity in a multi‐centre study with highly standardized study protoco.
The strength of association between SES and overweight and obesity varies across European regions.
In our study, the SES gradient is correlated with the regional mean income and the country‐specific Human development index indicating a strong influence not only of the family but also of region and country on the overweight and obesity prevalence.
ObjectiveTo assess the association between different macro‐ and micro‐level socioeconomic factors and childhood overweight.MethodsData from the IDEFICS baseline survey is used to investigate the cross‐sectional association between socioeconomic factors, like socioeconomic status (SES), and the prevalence of childhood overweight. Differences and similarities regarding this relationship in eight European regions (located in Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Sweden) are explored. 11 994 children (50.9% boys, 49.1% girls) and their parents were included in the analyses.ResultsIn five of the eight investigated regions (in Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Spain and Sweden), the prevalence of childhood overweight followed an inverse SES gradient. In the other three regions (in Cyprus, Hungary and Italy), no association between SES and childhood overweight was found. The SES‐overweight association in a region was best explained by the country‐specific human development index and the centre‐specific mean income. For the investigated association between other socioeconomic factors and overweight, no clear pattern could be found in the different regions.ConclusionThe association between socioeconomic factors and childhood overweight was shown to be heterogeneous across different European regions. Further research on nationwide European data is needed to confirm the results and to identify target groups for prevention.
The appropriateness of opt‐out consent for monitoring childhood obesity in Australia
Authors: Lacy K. , Kremer P. , de Silva‐Sanigorski A. , Allender S. , Leslie E. , Jones L. , Fornaro S. , Swinburn B. 
Published: August 2012

SummaryChildhood obesity monitoring is a fundamental component of obesity prevention but is poorly done in Australia. Monitoring obesity prevalence in children provides important population health data that can be used to track trends over time, identify areas at greatest risk of obesity, determine the effectiveness of interventions and policies, raise awareness and stimulate action. High participation rates are essential for effective monitoring because these provide more representative data. Passive (‘opt‐out’) consent has been shown to provide high participation rates in international childhood obesity monitoring programs and in a recent Australian federal initiative monitoring early child development. A federal initiative structured like existing child development monitoring programs, but with the authority to collect height and weight measurements using opt‐out consent, is recommended to monitor rates of childhood obesity in Australia.
Postexercise hypotension and sustained postexercise vasodilatation: what happens after we exercise?
Authors: Halliwill John R. , Buck Tahisha M. , Lacewell Alisha N. , Romero Steven A. 
Published: August 2012

New findings
What is the topic for this review?During the exercise recovery period, the combination of centrally mediated decreases in sympathetic nerve activity with a reduced signal transduction from sympathetic nerve activation into vasoconstriction, as well as local vasodilator mechanisms, contributes to the fall in arterial blood pressure seen after exercise.
What advances does it highlight?Important findings from recent studies include the recognition that skeletal muscle afferents may play a primary role in postexercise resetting of the baroreflex via discrete receptor changes within the nucleus tractus solitarii and that sustained postexercise vasodilatation of the previously active skeletal muscle is primarily the result of histamine H1 and H2 receptor activation.
A single bout of aerobic exercise produces a postexercise hypotension associated with a sustained postexercise vasodilatation of the previously exercised muscle. Work over the last few years has determined key pathways for the obligatory components of postexercise hypotension and sustained postexercise vasodilatation and points the way to possible benefits that may result from these robust responses. During the exercise recovery period, the combination of centrally mediated decreases in sympathetic nerve activity with a reduced signal transduction from sympathetic nerve activation into vasoconstriction, as well as local vasodilator mechanisms, contributes to the fall in arterial blood pressure seen after exercise. Important findings from recent studies include the recognition that skeletal muscle afferents may play a primary role in postexercise resetting of the baroreflex via discrete receptor changes within the nucleus tractus solitarii and that sustained postexercise vasodilatation of the previously active skeletal muscle is primarily the result of histamine H1 and H2 receptor activation. Future research directions include further exploration of the potential benefits of these changes in the longer term adaptations associated with exercise training, as well as investigation of how the recovery from exercise may provide windows of opportunity for targeted interventions in patients with hypertension and diabetes.
Peripheral chemoreceptors mediate training‐induced plasticity in paraventricular nucleus pre‐autonomic oxytocinergic neurons
Authors: Cruz Josiane C. , Cavalleri Marina T. , Ceroni Alexandre , Michelini Lisete C. 
Published: August 2012

New findings
What is the central question of this study?This study addresses the role of carotid chemoreceptors in mediating exercise training‐induced plasticity in the paraventricular nucleus and changes in heart rate and blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive rats.
What is the main finding and its importance?The present data show that peripheral chemoreceptor afferent signalling is crucial to drive the plasticity/activity of paraventricular nucleus oxytocinergic pre‐autonomic neurons, thus mediating training‐induced resting bradycardia in normotensive and hypertensive rats and pressure reduction in hypertensive animals.
We showed previously that sino‐aortic denervation prevented training‐induced plasticity in pre‐autonomic oxytocinergic neurons and blocked the beneficial effects of training. In this study, we investigate the combined effect of training and removal of specific chemoreceptor afferents on both cardiovascular parameters and oxytocin (OT) gene and protein expression within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Wistar rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) underwent carotid body denervation or sham surgery and were trained or kept sedentary for 3 months. After haemodynamic measurements at rest, rats were anaesthetized for brain perfusion. Fresh (perfused with PBS) and fixed brains (perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde) were processed for PVN OT mRNA (real‐time PCR) and OT immunoreactivity within PVN subnuclei. In sham‐operated rats, training improved treadmill performance and reduced resting heart rate (Wistar, −8%; SHRs, −10%), with a reduction in blood pressure only in SHRs (−8%). Training was accompanied by increased PVN OT mRNA expression (twofold increase in sham‐operated SHRs) and peptide density in the posterior, ventromedial and dorsal cap PVN subnuclei (on average 70% increase in both strains), with significant correlations between OT content and training‐induced resting bradycardia in sham‐operated groups. Carotid body denervation did not interfere with the performance gain, abolished chemoreflex activation (without changing baroreflex control) and blocked training‐induced cardiovascular adaptations and training‐induced changes in PVN OT content in both strains. After carotid body denervation, there was no correlation between OT mRNA or OT immunoractivity and resting heart rate. The chronic absence of chemoreceptor inputs uncovers an unknown role of chemoreceptor signalling in driving the plasticity/activity of PVN oxytocinergic pre‐autonomic neurons, thus mediating training‐induced cardiovascular adaptive responses.
Role of the parasympathetic nervous system in cardioprotection by remote hindlimb ischaemic preconditioning
Authors: Donato Martín , Buchholz Bruno , Rodríguez Manuel , Pérez Virginia , Inserte Javier , García‐Dorado David , Gelpi Ricardo J. 
Published: August 2012

New findings
What is the central question of this study?Ischaemia–reperfusion of peripheral tissues protects the heart from subsequent myocardial ischaemia–reperfusion‐induced injury and cardiac dysfunction, a phenomenon referred to as ‘remote ischaemic preconditioning’ (rIPC). This study addressed whether activation of sensory afferent nerves in the ischaemic hindlimb and vagal efferent nerves innervating the heart mediate rIPC.
What is the main finding and its importance?Spinal cord section, bilateral vagotomy or blockade of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in vivo abolished rIPC and cardioprotection measured in vitro. Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve induced cardioprotection, thus mimicking rIPC. The finding that sensory and parasympathetic neural mechanisms mediate rIPC confirms and extends previous results, with implications for translational studies in patients with coronary artery disease.
This investigation was designed to determine the participation of the vagus nerve and muscarinic receptors in the remote ischaemic preconditioning (rIPC) mechanism. New Zealand rabbits were anaesthetized, and the femoral artery was dissected. After 30 min of monitoring, the hearts were isolated and subjected to 30 min of global no‐flow ischaemia and 180 min of reperfusion (non‐rIPC group). The ventricular function was evaluated, considering the left ventricular developed pressure and the left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure. In the rIPC group, the rabbits were subjected to three cycles of hindlimb ischaemia (5 min) and reperfusion (5 min), and the same protocol as that used in non‐rIPC group was then repeated. In order to evaluate the afferent neural pathway during the rIPC protocol we used two groups, one in which the femoral and sciatic nerves were sectioned and the other in which the spinal cord was sectioned (T9–T10 level). To study the efferent neural pathway during the rIPC protocol, the vagus nerve was sectioned and, in another group, atropine was administered. The effect of vagal stimulation was also evaluated. An infarct size of 40.8 ± 3.1% was obtained in the non‐rIPC group, whereas in rIPC group the infarct size decreased to 16.4 ± 3.5% (P < 0.05). During the preconditioning protocol, the vagus nerve section and the atropine administration each abolished the effect of rIPC on infarct size. Vagal stimulation mimicked the effect of rIPC, decreasing infarct size to 15.2 ± 4.7% (P < 0.05). Decreases in infarct size were accompanied by improved left ventricular function. We demonstrated the presence of a neural afferent pathway, because the spinal cord section completely abolished the effect of rIPC on infarct size. In conclusion, rIPC activates a neural afferent pathway, the cardioprotective signal reaches the heart through the vagus nerve (efferent pathway), and acetylcholine activates the ischaemic preconditioning phenomenon when acting on the muscarinic receptors.
Antisense Transcription Is Pervasive but Rarely Conserved in Enteric Bacteria
Authors: Raghavan Rahul , Sloan Daniel B. , Ochman Howard 
Published: August 2012

ABSTRACT

Noncoding RNAs, including antisense RNAs (asRNAs) that originate from the complementary strand of protein-coding genes, are involved in the regulation of gene expression in all domains of life. Recent application of deep-sequencing technologies has revealed that the transcription of asRNAs occurs genome-wide in bacteria. Although the role of the vast majority of asRNAs remains unknown, it is often assumed that their presence implies important regulatory functions, similar to those of other noncoding RNAs. Alternatively, many antisense transcripts may be produced by chance transcription events from promoter-like sequences that result from the degenerate nature of bacterial transcription factor binding sites. To investigate the biological relevance of antisense transcripts, we compared genome-wide patterns of asRNA expression in closely related enteric bacteria,
Escherichia coli
and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium, by performing strand-specific transcriptome sequencing. Although antisense transcripts are abundant in both species, less than 3% of asRNAs are expressed at high levels in both species, and only about 14% appear to be conserved among species. And unlike the promoters of protein-coding genes, asRNA promoters show no evidence of sequence conservation between, or even within, species. Our findings suggest that many or even most bacterial asRNAs are nonadaptive by-products of the cell’s transcription machinery.

IMPORTANCE
Application of high-throughput methods has revealed the expression throughout bacterial genomes of transcripts encoded on the strand complementary to protein-coding genes. Because transcription is costly, it is usually assumed that these transcripts, termed antisense RNAs (asRNAs), serve some function; however, the role of most asRNAs is unclear, raising questions about their relevance in cellular processes. Because natural selection conserves functional elements, comparisons between related species provide a method for assessing functionality genome-wide. Applying such an approach, we assayed all transcripts in two closely related bacteria,
Escherichia coli
and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium, and demonstrate that, although the levels of genome-wide antisense transcription are similarly high in both bacteria, only a small fraction of asRNAs are shared across species. Moreover, the promoters associated with asRNAs show no evidence of sequence conservation between, or even within, species. These findings indicate that despite the genome-wide transcription of asRNAs, many of these transcripts are likely nonfunctional.
Sustained H
2
Production Driven by Photosynthetic Water Splitting in a Unicellular Cyanobacterium
Authors: Melnicki Matthew R. , Pinchuk Grigoriy E. , Hill Eric A. , Kucek Leo A. , Fredrickson Jim K. , Konopka Allan , Beliaev Alexander S. 
Published: August 2012

ABSTRACT

The relationship between dinitrogenase-driven H
2
production and oxygenic photosynthesis was investigated in a unicellular cyanobacterium,
Cyanothece
sp. ATCC 51142, using a novel custom-built photobioreactor equipped with advanced process control. Continuously illuminated nitrogen-deprived cells evolved H
2
at rates up to 400 µmol ⋅ mg Chl
−1
⋅ h
−1
in parallel with uninterrupted photosynthetic O
2
production. Notably, sustained coproduction of H
2
and O
2
occurred over 100 h in the presence of CO
2
, with both gases displaying inverse oscillations which eventually dampened toward stable rates of 125 and 90 µmol ⋅ mg Chl
−1
⋅ h
−1
, respectively. Oscillations were not observed when CO
2
was omitted, and instead H
2
and O
2
evolution rates were positively correlated. The sustainability of the process was further supported by stable chlorophyll content, maintenance of baseline protein and carbohydrate levels, and an enhanced capacity for linear electron transport as measured by chlorophyll fluorescence throughout the experiment.
In situ
light saturation analyses of H
2
production displayed a strong dose dependence and lack of O
2
inhibition. Inactivation of photosystem II had substantial long-term effects but did not affect short-term H
2
production, indicating that the process is also supported by photosystem I activity and oxidation of endogenous glycogen. However, mass balance calculations suggest that carbohydrate consumption in the light may, at best, account for no more than 50% of the reductant required for the corresponding H
2
production over that period. Collectively, our results demonstrate that uninterrupted H
2
production in unicellular cyanobacteria can be fueled by water photolysis without the detrimental effects of O
2
and have important implications for sustainable production of biofuels.

IMPORTANCE
The study provides an important insight into the photophysiology of light-driven H
2
production by the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium
Cyanothece
sp. strain ATCC 51142. This work is also of significance for biotechnology, supporting the feasibility of “direct biophotolysis.” The sustainability of the process, highlighted by prolonged gas evolution with no clear sign of significant decay or apparent photodamage, provides a foundation for the future development of an effective, renewable, and economically efficient bio-H
2
production process.
Intramuscular Stimulation Therapy for Healthcare: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials
Authors: Kim Tae-Hun , Lee Cha-Ro , Choi Tae-Young , Lee Myeong Soo 
Published: August 2012

Objective A systematic review of randomised controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of intramuscular stimulation (IMS). Methods Electronic databases including Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, KoreaMED, Korean Studies Information Service System, RISS and DBPIA were searched through June, 2012. The Cochrane criteria were used to assess the risk of bias for the individual studies. Results A total of 416 publications were initially collected and four studies were included in this review. One study evaluated the efficacy of IMS for chronic tension-type headaches; IMS showed a better effect than the sham (headache index: mean difference (MD) −4.90, 95% CI −9.53 to −0.27). Three studies tested the effectiveness of IMS for various conditions. In the first study no significant difference was observed in a comparison of IMS and meloxicam therapy for chronic shoulder pain (pain-visual analogue scale (VAS): MD −0.05, 95% CI −0.25 to 0.16). The second study in patients with myofascial pain syndrome of the upper trapezius muscle found that IMS had a greater effect than simple dry needling measured by the pain-VAS (MD −2.70, 95% CI −3.77 to −1.63). In the third study, patients with lower back pain who received IMS plus the standard treatment had a better status at discharge than those receiving the standard treatment alone (relative risk 1.63, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.24). Conclusions Despite the positive results of these individual studies, the level of evidence supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of IMS for several conditions remains insufficient because of concerns about a lack of precision and a high risk of bias of the included studies. Rigorous large-scale clinical trials of IMS are needed to evaluate the clinical utility of this technique.
Predicting mortality for paediatric inpatients where malaria is uncommon
Authors: Clifton Dana C , Ramadhani Habib O , Msuya Levina J , Njau Boniface N , Kinabo Grace D , Buchanan Ann M , Crump John A 
Published: August 2012

ObjectiveAs the proportion of children living low malaria transmission areas in sub-Saharan Africa increases, approaches for identifying non-malarial severe illness need to be evaluated to improve child outcomes.DesignAs a prospective cohort study, we identified febrile paediatric inpatients, recorded data using Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) criteria, and collected diagnostic specimens.SettingTertiary referral centre, northern Tanzania.ResultsOf 466 participants with known outcome, median age was 1.4 years (range 2 months–13.0 years), 200 (42.9%) were female, 11 (2.4%) had malaria and 34 (7.3%) died. Inpatient death was associated with: Capillary refill >3 s (OR 9.0, 95% CI 3.0 to 26.7), inability to breastfeed or drink (OR 8.9, 95% CI 4.0 to 19.6), stiff neck (OR 7.0, 95% CI 2.8 to 17.6), lethargy (OR 5.2, 95% CI 2.5 to 10.6), skin pinch >2 s (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.9 to 12.3), respiratory difficulty (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.9 to 8.2), generalised lymphadenopathy (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 8.3) and oral candidiasis (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.4 to 8.3). BCS <5 (OR 27.2, p<0.001) and severe wasting (OR 6.9, p<0.001) were independently associated with inpatient death.ConclusionsIn a low malaria transmission setting, IMCI criteria performed well for predicting inpatient death from non-malarial illness. Laboratory results were not as useful in predicting death, underscoring the importance of clinical examination in assessing prognosis. Healthcare workers should consider local malaria epidemiology as malaria over-diagnosis in children may delay potentially life-saving interventions in areas where malaria is uncommon.
Using Six Sigma to improve once daily gentamicin dosing and therapeutic drug monitoring performance
Authors: Egan Sean , Murphy Philip G , Fennell Jerome P , Kelly Sinead , Hickey Mary , McLean Carolyn , Pate Muriel , Kirke Ciara , Whiriskey Annette , Wall Niall , McCullagh Eddie , Murphy Joan , Delaney Tim 
Published: August 2012

BackgroundSafe, effective therapy with the antimicrobial gentamicin requires good practice in dose selection and monitoring of serum levels. Suboptimal therapy occurs with breakdown in the process of drug dosing, serum blood sampling, laboratory processing and level interpretation. Unintentional underdosing may result. This improvement effort aimed to optimise this process in an academic teaching hospital using Six Sigma process improvement methodology.MethodsA multidisciplinary project team was formed. Process measures considered critical to quality were defined, and baseline practice was examined through process mapping and audit. Root cause analysis informed improvement measures. These included a new dosing and monitoring schedule, and standardised assay sampling and drug administration timing which maximised local capabilities. Three iterations of the improvement cycle were conducted over a 24-month period.ResultsThe attainment of serum level sampling in the required time window improved by 85% (p≤0.0001). A 66% improvement in accuracy of dosing was observed (p≤0.0001). Unnecessary dose omission while awaiting level results and inadvertent disruption to therapy due to dosing and monitoring process breakdown were eliminated. Average daily dose administered increased from 3.39 mg/kg to 4.78 mg/kg/day.ConclusionsUsing Six Sigma methodology enhanced gentamicin usage process performance. Local process related factors may adversely affect adherence to practice guidelines for gentamicin, a drug which is complex to use. It is vital to adapt dosing guidance and monitoring requirements so that they are capable of being implemented in the clinical environment as a matter of routine. Improvement may be achieved through a structured localised approach with multidisciplinary stakeholder involvement.