bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ABO and RhD blood groups and gestational hypertensive disorders: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Lee BK , Zhang Z , Wikman A , Lindqvist PG , Reilly M 
Published: June 2012

Please cite this paper as: Lee B, Zhang Z, Wikman A, Lindqvist P, Reilly M. ABO and RhD blood groups and gestational hypertensive disorders: a population‐based cohort study. BJOG 2012;119:1232–1237.Objective  To examine the association between ABO and RhD blood groups and gestational hypertensive disorders in a large population‐based cohort.Design  Cohort study. Risks of gestational hypertensive disorders, pre‐eclampsia, and severe pre‐eclampsia, estimated by odds ratios for maternal ABO blood group and RhD status.Setting  National health registers of Sweden.Population  All singleton deliveries in Sweden born to first‐time mothers during the period 1987–2002 [total n = 641 926; any gestational hypertensive disorders, n = 39 011 (6.1%); pre‐eclampsia cases, n = 29 337 (4.6%); severe pre‐eclampsia cases, n = 8477 (1.3%)].Methods  Using blood group O as a reference, odds ratios of gestational hypertensive disorders, pre‐eclampsia, and severe pre‐eclampsia were obtained from logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounding factors.Main outcome measures  Gestational hypertensive disorders, pre‐eclampsia, and severe pre‐eclampsia.Results  Compared with blood group O, all non‐O blood groups had modest but statistically significantly higher odds of pre‐eclampsia. Blood group AB had the highest risk for pre‐eclampsia (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.04–1.16) and severe pre‐eclampsia (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.07–1.30). RhD‐positive mothers had a small increased risk for pre‐eclampsia (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.03–1.10).Conclusions  In the largest study on this topic to date, women with AB blood group have the highest risks of gestational hypertensive disorders, pre‐eclampsia, and severe pre‐eclampsia, whereas women with O blood group have the lowest risks of developing these disorders. Although the magnitude of increased risk is small, this finding may help improve our understanding of the etiology of pre‐eclampsia.
Regional expression and subcellular localization of the voltage‐gated calcium channel β subunits in the developing mouse brain
Authors: Ferrándiz‐Huertas Clotilde , Gil‐Mínguez Mercedes , Luján Rafael 
Published: June 2012

J. Neurochem.(2012)122, 1095–1107.AbstractCa2+channel β subunits determine the maturation, biophysical properties and cell surface expression of high voltage‐activated channels. Thus, we have analysed the expression, regional distribution and subcellular localization of the Cavβ subunit family in mice from birth to adulthood. In the hippocampus and cerebellum, Cavβ1, Cavβ3and Cavβ4protein levels increased with age, although there were marked region‐ and developmental stage‐specific differences in their expression. Cavβ1was predominantly expressed in thestrata oriensandradiatumof the hippocampus, and only weakly in the cerebellum. The Cavβ3subunit was mainly expressed in thestrata radiatumandlucidumof the hippocampus and in the molecular layer of the cerebellum. During development, Cavβ3protein expression in the cerebellum peaked at postnatal days (P) 15 and 21, and had diminished drastically by P60, and in the hippocampus increased with age throughout all subfields. Cavβ4protein was detected throughout the cerebellum, particularly in the molecular layer, and in contrast to the other subunits, Cavβ4was mainly detected in the molecular layer and the hilus of the hippocampus. At the subcellular level, Cavβ1and Cavβ3were predominantly located post‐synaptically in hippocampal pyramidal cells and cerebellar Purkinje cells. Cavβ4subunits were detected in the pre‐synaptic and post‐synaptic compartments of both regions, albeit more strongly at post‐synaptic sites. These results shed new light on the developmental regulation and subcellular localization of Cavβ subunits, and their possible role in pre‐ and post‐synaptic transmission.
Expression of p16INK4a as a biomarker of T‐cell aging in HIV‐infected patients prior to and during antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Nelson Julie A. E. , Krishnamurthy Janakiraman , Menezes Prema , Liu Yan , Hudgens Michael G. , Sharpless Norman E. , Eron Joseph J. 
Published: June 2012

SummaryThe p16INK4a tumor suppressor gene is a mediator of cellular senescence and has been suggested to be a biomarker of ‘molecular’ age in several tissues including T cells. To determine the association of both active and suppressed HIV infection with T‐cell aging, T‐cell p16INK4a expression was compared between 60 HIV+ suppressed subjects, 23 HIV+ untreated subjects, and 18 contemporaneously collected HIV‐negative controls, as well as 148 HIV‐negative historical samples. Expression did not correlate with chronologic age in untreated HIV+ patients, consistent with an effect of active HIV replication on p16INK4a expression. In patients on cART with suppressed viral loads, however, p16INK4a levels were similar to uninfected controls and correlated with chronologic age, with a trend toward an inverse correlation with CD4 count. These data show that p16INK4a is a reliable biomarker of T‐cell aging in HIV+ patients with suppressed viral loads and suggest that poor CD4 cell recovery on cART may be associated with increased T‐cell expression of p16INK4a, a marker of cellular senescence.
Intravenous Adenosine to Predict Conduction Recurrence in Cavotricuspid Isthmus Early After Ablation of Typical Atrial Flutter: Myth or Reality?
Authors: MARCHANDISE SÉBASTIEN , SCAVÉE CHRISTOPHE , BADOT DAMIEN , DECEUNINCK OLIVIER , XHAËT OLIVIER , HAUSMAN PIERRE , MEESTER CHRISTOPHE DE , LE POLAIN DE WAROUX JEAN‐BENOÎT 
Published: June 2012

Adenosine and Ablation of Typical Atrial Flutter. Introduction: Early recovery of conduction (ER) after cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation for typical atrial flutter (AFl) occurs in approximately 10% of the patients. If not recognized, ER might lead to AFl recurrences. In this study, we hypothesized that intravenous adenosine (iADO) can be used to predict ER in the CTI immediately after RF ablation and distinguish functional block from the complete destruction of the CTI myocardium.Methods: We prospectively included 68 consecutive patients (age: 65 ± 14 years; male: 78%) referred in our centers for AFl ablation. Immediately after bidirectional isthmus block validation, a bolus of iADO was given during continuous pacing from the proximal coronary sinus. Patients with functional block revealed under iADO (iADO+) and those without (iADO−) were subsequently observed for a 30‐minute waiting period (ER−) or until sustained recovery of the conduction through the CTI (ER+).Results: Seven patients presented a persistent recovery (ER+, 10.3%, mean time to recovery: 14 ± 9 minutes). None of them presented even a transient resumption of conduction under iADO (iADO+: 0). With univariate analysis, we identified a heavy patient weight (>95 kg) as a predictor of ER (sensitivity: 71%).Conclusions: Adenosine does not predict early recovery in the CTI after linear ablation for atrial flutter. We found that a patient weight over 95 kg predicted early recovery of conduction through the CTI with a sensitivity of 71%. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 1201–1206, November 2012)
Postoperative Heart Block in Children with Common Forms of Congenital Heart Disease: Results from the KID Database
Authors: ANDERSON JEFFREY B. , CZOSEK RICHARD J. , KNILANS TIMOTHY K. , MEGANATHAN KARTHIKEYAN , HEATON PAMELA 
Published: June 2012

Postoperative Heart Block in Congenital Heart Disease.Introduction: Cardiac conduction system injury is a cause of postoperative cardiac morbidity following repair of congenital heart disease (CHD). The national occurrence of postoperative complete heart block (CHB) following surgical repair of CHD is unknown. We sought to describe the occurrence of and costs related to postoperative CHB following surgical repair of common forms of CHD using a large national database.Methods and Results: Retrospective, observational analysis performed over a 10‐year period (2000–2009) using the Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID). Visits for patients ≤24 months of age were identified who underwent surgical repair of ventricular septal defects (VSD), atrioventricular canal defects (AVC), and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Patients were identified who were diagnosed with postoperative CHB, further identifying those requiring a new pacemaker placement during the same hospitalization. Costs associated with visits were calculated. There were 16,105 surgical visits: 7,146 VSD, 3,480 AVC, and 5,480 TOF. There was a decrease in postoperative mortality (P = 0.0001) with no significant change in postoperative CHB. Hospital stay and cost were higher with CHB and placement of a permanent pacemaker. Repair of AVC (OR 1.77; [1.32–2.38]) was associated with a higher rate of postoperative CHB. Length of hospital stay and total cost were significantly increased with the development of postoperative CHB and increased further with placement of a permanent pacemaker.Conclusion: There has been little change over time in the frequency of postoperative CHB in patients undergoing repair of VSD, AVC, and TOF. Postoperative CHB results in major added cost to the healthcare system. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 1349‐1354, December 2012)
Atrial Support Pacing in Heart Failure: Results from the Multicenter PEGASUS CRT Trial
Authors: MARTIN DAVID O , DAY JOHN D , LAI PETER Y , MURPHY ALLAN L , NAYAK HEMAL M , VILLAREAL ROLLO P , WEINER STANISLAV , KRAUS STACIA M , STOLEN KIRA Q , GOLD MICHAEL R 
Published: June 2012

Atrial Pacing in Heart Failure.
Introduction:
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) efficacy trials to date used atrial‐synchronous biventricular pacing wherein there is no or minimal atrial pacing. However, bradycardia and chronotropic incompetence are common in this patient population. This trial was designed to evaluate the effect of atrial support pacing among heart failure patients receiving a CRT defibrillator.
Methods and Results:
PEGASUS CRT was a multicenter, 3‐arm, randomized study. At 6 weeks, patients were randomized to DDD mode at a lower rate of 40 bpm (DDD‐40; control arm), or one of the following 2 treatment arms: DDD‐70, or DDDR‐40. The primary endpoint was a clinical composite endpoint that included all‐cause mortality, heart failure events, NYHA functional class, and patient global self‐assessment. Subjects were classified as improved, unchanged, or worsened at 12 months. There were 1,433 patients randomized, of whom 66% were male, mean age was 67 ± 11 years, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 23 ± 7%. The average follow‐up time was 10.5 ± 3.5 months and 1,309 patients contributed to the primary endpoint. No significant differences were observed in the composite endpoint between either of the 2 treatment arms compared to the control arm (P>0.05 for both comparisons). Additionally, there were no differences among the groups in mortality or heart failure events.
Conclusion:
In advanced heart failure patients treated with CRT, atrial support pacing did not improve clinical outcomes compared to atrial tracking. However, atrial pacing did not adversely affect mortality or heart failure events. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 1317‐1325, December 2012)
Livestock and land share contracts in a Hindu society
Authors: Aryal Jeetendra P. , Holden Stein T. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThis article examines factors related to a livestock rental market in western Nepal and assesses whether this market is associated with caste differentiation and land rental market participation. Theoretical models for asset‐rich (i.e., high‐caste) households, rich in land and livestock, and asset‐poor (i.e., low‐caste families) households are presented to provide logical explanations for the existence of a livestock rental market and the synergy between livestock and land rental markets participation. A combination of double hurdle models and bivariate‐ordered probit models were used to test the implications of the models. Consistent with the theoretical models, land‐ and livestock‐rich high‐caste households were more likely to rent out land and/or livestock, whereas land‐ and livestock‐poor and credit constrained low‐caste households were more likely to rent livestock and land from others. Participation in the two markets was positively correlated, indicating a synergistic relationship that may be due to production and transaction costs reducing benefits. Policies that can enhance the allocative efficiency of livestock and land rental markets can improve equity as well as efficiency of land use in Nepal. Provision of livestock credit to land‐poor low‐caste households is also crucially dependent on their access to more long‐term contracts for land.
Genome‐wide profiling in melatonin‐exposed human breast cancer cell lines identifies differentially methylated genes involved in the anticancer effect of melatonin
Authors: Lee Seung Eun , Kim Seung Jun , Yoon Hyo‐Jeong , Yu So Yeon , Yang Hana , Jeong Seong Il , Hwang Seung Yong , Park Cheung‐Seog , Park Yong Seek 
Published: June 2012

AbstractEpigenetic alterations have emerged as an important mechanism involved in tumorigenesis. The epigenetic impact of DNA methylation in various types of human cancer is not completely understood. Previously, we observed melatonin‐induced differential expression of miRNA and miRNA‐related genes in human breast cancer cell lines that indicated an anticancer effect of melatonin. In this report, we further characterized epigenetic changes in melatonin‐exposed MCF‐7 cells through the analysis of DNA methylation profiles in breast cancer cells to provide new insights into the potential mechanisms of the anticancer effect of melatonin. Microarray‐based DNA methylation and gene expression profiling were carried out using human breast cancer cell lines. We further identified a number of mRNAs whose expression levels show an inverse correlation with DNA methylation levels. The mRNA expression levels and methylation status of candidate genes in melatonin‐exposed cells were confirmed by real‐time quantitative PCR and bisulfite PCR. This approach led to the detection of cancer‐related genes, which were oncogenic genes, including EGR3 and POU4F2/Brn‐3b were down‐regulated, while the tumor suppressor gene, GPC3, was up‐regulated by 1 nm melatonin‐treated MCF‐7 cells. Our results provide detailed insights into the DNA methylation patterns induced by melatonin and suggest a potential mechanism of the anticancer effect of aberrant DNA methylation in melatonin‐treated breast cancer cells.
Working memory subsystems are impaired in chronic drug dependents
Authors: Soliman Abdrabo Moghazy , Gadelrab Hesham Fathy , Elfar Rania Mohamed 
Published: June 2012

BackgroundA large body of research that has investigated substance dependence and working memory (WM) resources, yet no prior study has used a comprehensive test battery to examine the impact of chronic drug dependence on WM as a multi‐component system.ObjectivesThis study examined the efficiency of several WM components in participants who were chronic drug dependents. In addition, the functioning of the four WM components was compared among dependents of various types of drugs.MethodIn total, 128 chronic drug dependents participated in this study. Their average age was 38.48 years, and they were classified into four drug‐dependence groups. Chronic drug dependents were compared with a 36‐participant control group that had a mean age of 37.6 years. A WM test battery that comprised eight tests and that assessed each of four WM components was administered to each participant.ResultsCompared with the control group, all four groups of drug dependents had significantly poorer test performance on all of the WM tasks. Among the four groups of drug users, the polydrug group had the poorest performance scores on each of the eight tasks, and the performance scores of the marijuana group were the least affected. Finally, the forward digit span task and the logical memory tasks were less sensitive than other tasks when differentiating between marijuana users and the normal participants.ConclusionThe four components of WM are impaired among chronic drug dependents. These results have implications for the development of tools, classification methods and therapeutic strategies for drug dependents.
Trends and periodicities in observed temperature, precipitation and runoff in a desert catchment: case study for the Shiyang River Basin in Northwestern China
Authors: Ma Jinzhu , Chen Lihua , He Jianhua , Zhang Yurui , Li Xianghu , Edmunds W. Mike 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe Mann–Kendall test, wavelet analysis was used to analyse the long‐term trends and periodicities in temperature, precipitation and streamflow in China's Shiyang River Basin since 1950. The Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to quantify the impacts of climate change and human activities on water resources. The annual mean air temperature has increased, consistent with increasing global temperatures. The annual precipitation fluctuated but has generally increased since the 1990s. The air temperature and precipitation showed changes on periods ranging from 2 to 28 years. The correlation between annual runoff and precipitation variation was 0.61 (P < 0.05), indicating precipitation is the main source of the runoff. Human activities played the dominant role in the lower reaches, accounting for 58.5% of the total effect. The results have important implications for water resources management to support harmonisation of the relationship between humans and nature to combat the effect of climate.
A Characterization and Targeting of the Infarct Border Zone in a Swine Model of Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Duran Jason M. , Taghavi Sharven , Berretta Remus M. , Makarewich Catherine A. , Sharp III Thomas , Starosta Tim , Udeshi Foram , George Jon C. , Kubo Hajime , Houser Steven R. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractIntroduction: Novel therapies for myocardial infarction (MI) involving stem cells, gene therapy, biomaterials, or revascularization strategies have shown promise in animal studies and clinical trials, but results have been limited partially due to the injection of therapeutics into ischemic myocardium that cannot support their mechanism of action. Accurate targeting of therapeutics precisely to the infarct border zone (BZ) may be essential for effective repair of the ischemic heart.Methods: Ischemia‐reperfusion MI was induced in Yorkshire swine by inflation of an angioplasty balloon in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Fluorescent microspheres were injected into the BZ under NOGA catheter guidance, and this location was identified grossly then examined by immunohistochemistry and Western analysis.Results: Analysis of the infarct zone two hours post‐MI revealed a frankly necrotic region devoid of contractile proteins with marked activation of caspase‐3. The NOGA‐defined BZ closely approximates the grossly‐defined BZ and contains intact myocytes and vasculature. Western analysis detected Akt expression and levels of Ca2+ handling proteins equivalent to that of viable tissues.Conclusions: Histological and Western analysis revealed that NOGA mapping precisely identifies grossly and molecularly defined infarct BZ at a location where there are still viable cells and vessels capable of supporting novel therapeutic strategies. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 416–421
Pan-β-Lactam Resistance Development in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Strains: Molecular Mechanisms, Penicillin-Binding Protein Profiles, and Binding Affinities
Authors: Moyá Bartolomé , Beceiro Alejandro , Cabot Gabriel , Juan Carlos , Zamorano Laura , Alberti Sebastián , Oliver Antonio 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

We investigated the mechanisms leading to
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
pan-β-lactam resistance (PBLR) development during the treatment of nosocomial infections, with a particular focus on the modification of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) profiles and imipenem, ceftazidime, and ceftolozane (former CXA-101) PBP binding affinities. For this purpose, six clonally related pairs of sequential susceptible-PBLR isolates were studied. The presence of
oprD
,
ampD
, and
dacB
mutations was explored by PCR followed by sequencing and the expression of
ampC
and efflux pump genes by real-time reverse transcription-PCR. The fluorescent penicillin Bocillin FL was used to determine PBP profiles in membrane preparations from all pairs, and 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC
50
s) of ceftolozane, ceftazidime, and imipenem were analyzed in 3 of them. Although a certain increase was noted (0 to 5 2-fold dilutions), the MICs of ceftolozane were ≤4 μg/ml in all PBLR isolates. All 6 PBLR isolates lacked OprD and overexpressed
ampC
and one or several efflux pumps, particularly
mexB
and/or
mexY
. Additionally, 5 of them showed modified PBP profiles, including a modified pattern (
n
= 1) or diminished expression (
n
= 1) of PBP1a and a lack of PBP4 expression (
n
= 4), which correlated with AmpC overexpression driven by
dacB
mutation. Analysis of the essential PBP IC
50
s revealed significant variation of PBP1a/b binding affinities, both within each susceptible-PBLR pair and across the different pairs. Moreover, despite the absence of significant differences in gene expression or sequence, a clear tendency toward increased PBP2 (imipenem) and PBP3 (ceftazidime, ceftolozane, imipenem) IC
50
s was noted in PBLR isolates. Thus, our results suggest that in addition to AmpC, efflux pumps, and OprD, the modification of PBP patterns appears to play a role in the
in vivo
emergence of PBLR strains, which still conserve certain susceptibility to the new antipseudomonal cephalosporin ceftolozane.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication Inhibitor That Interferes with the Nucleic Acid Unwinding of the Viral Helicase
Authors: Adedeji Adeyemi O. , Singh Kamalendra , Calcaterra Nicholas E. , DeDiego Marta L. , Enjuanes Luis , Weiss Susan , Sarafianos Stefan G. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious disease, caused by SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), for which there are no approved treatments. We report the discovery of a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV that blocks replication by inhibiting the unwinding activity of the SARS-CoV helicase (nsp13). We used a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based helicase assay to screen the Maybridge Hitfinder chemical library. We identified and validated a compound (SSYA10-001) that specifically blocks the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and dsDNA unwinding activities of nsp13, with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC
50
s) of 5.70 and 5.30 μM, respectively. This compound also has inhibitory activity (50% effective concentration [EC
50
] = 8.95 μM) in a SARS-CoV replicon assay, with low cytotoxicity (50% cytotoxic concentration [CC
50
] = >250 μM), suggesting that the helicase plays a still unidentified critical role in the SARS-CoV life cycle. Enzyme kinetic studies on the mechanism of nsp13 inhibition revealed that SSYA10-001 acts as a noncompetitive inhibitor of nsp13 with respect to nucleic acid and ATP substrates. Moreover, SSYA10-001 does not affect ATP hydrolysis or nsp13 binding to the nucleic acid substrate. SSYA10-001 did not inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) helicase, other bacterial and viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, or reverse transcriptase. These results suggest that SSYA10-001 specifically blocks nsp13 through a novel mechanism and is less likely to interfere with the functions of cellular enzymes that process nucleic acids or ATP. Hence, it is possible that SSYA10-001 inhibits unwinding by nsp13 by affecting conformational changes during the course of the reaction or translocation on the nucleic acid. SSYA10-001 will be a valuable tool for studying the specific role of nsp13 in the SARS-CoV life cycle, which could be a model for other nidoviruses and also a candidate for further development as a SARS antiviral target.