bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High plasma homocysteine levels contribute to the risk of stroke recurrence and all-cause mortality in a large prospective stroke population
Authors: Zhang Weili , Sun Kai , Chen Jinxing , Liao Yuhua , Qin Qin , Ma Aiqun , Wang Daowen , Zhu Zhiming , Wang Yibo , Hui Rutai 
Published: June 2009

Plasma homocysteine concentrations have been associated with the risk of stroke, but its relevance to secondary vascular events and mortality after stroke remains unclear because of inconsistent results from clinical trials. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether plasma homocysteine levels and the MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) variant C677T contributed to the risk of stroke recurrence and all-cause mortality in a large prospective cohort of stroke patients in a Chinese population. A total of 1823 stroke patients (age, 35–74 years) were recruited during 2000–2001 and prospectively followed-up for a median of 4.5 years. During the follow-up, 347 recurrent strokes and 323 deaths from all-causes were documented. After adjustment for age, gender and other cardiovascular risk factors, a high homocysteine concentration was associated with an increased risk of 1.74-fold for stroke recurrence {RR (relative risk), 1.74 [95% CI (confidence interval), 1.3–2.3]; P&lt;0.0001} and 1.75-fold for all-cause mortality [RR, 1.75 (95% CI, 1.3–2.4); P&lt;0.0001] when highest and lowest categories were compared. Spline regression analyses revealed a threshold level of homocysteine for stroke recurrence. By dichotomizing homocysteine concentrations, the RRs were 1.31 (95% CI, 1.10–1.61; P=0.016) for stroke recurrence and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.15–1.88; P&lt;0.0001) for all-cause mortality in patients with homocysteine levels ≥16 μmol/l relative to those with levels &lt;16 μmol/l. The association of elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations with all-cause mortality was mainly due to an increased risk of cardiovascular deaths. No significant association was found between MTHFR C677T and stroke recurrence or mortality. In conclusion, our findings suggest that elevated homocysteine concentrations can predict the risk of stroke recurrence and mortality in patients with stroke.
A pattern-based nearest neighbor search approach for promoter prediction using DNA structural profiles
Authors: Gan Yanglan , Guan Jihong , Zhou Shuigeng 
Published: June 2009

Abstract
Motivation: Identification of core promoters is a key clue in understanding gene regulations. However, due to the diverse nature of promoter sequences, the accuracy of existing prediction approaches for non-CpG island (simply CGI)-related promoters is not as high as that for CGI-related promoters. This consequently leads to a low genome-wide promoter prediction accuracy.
Results: In this article, we first systematically analyze the similarities and differences between the two types of promoters (CGI- and non-CGI-related) from a novel structural perspective, and then devise a unified framework, called PNNP (Pattern-based Nearest Neighbor search for Promoter), to predict both CGI- and non-CGI-related promoters based on their structural features. Our comparative analysis on the structural characteristics of promoters reveals two interesting facts: (i) the structural values of CGI- and non-CGI-related promoters are quite different, but they exhibit nearly similar structural patterns; (ii) the structural patterns of promoters are obviously different from that of non-promoter sequences though the sequences have almost similar structural values. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed PNNP approach is effective in capturing the structural patterns of promoters, and can significantly improve genome-wide performance of promoters prediction, especially non-CGI-related promoters prediction.
Availability: The implementation of the program PNNP is available at http://admis.tongji.edu.cn/Projects/pnnp.aspx.
Contact: jhguan@tongji.edu.cn; sgzhou@fudan.edu.cn
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Natriuretic peptides and echocardiography in acute dyspnoea: implication of elevated levels with normal systolic function
Authors: Shah Keyur B. , Kop Willem J. , Christenson Robert H. , Diercks Deborah B. , Kuo Dick , Henderson Sue , Hanson Karen , Li Shu‐Ying , deFilippi Christopher R. 
Published: June 2009

AimsPrevious evaluations of natriuretic peptide (NP) levels in patients with acute dyspnoea presenting to the emergency department (ED) have selected only a minority of patients for echocardiography. We aimed to evaluate the association between NPs and more subtle echocardiographic findings and to assess the potential for NPs to provide additional prognostic information beyond that provided by echocardiography in ‘all‐comers’ with acute dyspnoea.Methods and resultsProspective echocardiograms were performed on 338/412 patients presenting to the ED with acute dyspnoea. B‐type natriuretic peptide and NT‐proBNP were measured on presentation. Patients were followed‐up for 1 year. Decompensated heart failure was diagnosed in 37% of patients and 13% died. The diagnostic accuracy (c‐statistic) of BNP and NT‐proBNP for identifying LVEF ≤ 40% was 0.88 (P < 0.001) and 0.86 (P < 0.001), respectively. The c‐statistics for BNP and NT‐proBNP for identifying diastolic dysfunction were 0.67 (P < 0.001) and 0.67 (P < 0.001); but only 0.57 (P = 0.09) and 0.60 (P = 0.02) in patients with LVEF ≥ 50%. Natriuretic peptides, but not LV mass or diastolic parameters, independently predicted mortality at 1 year in all patients and in those with an LVEF ≥ 50%.ConclusionIn an acute dyspnoea population with ‘all‐comers’ undergoing echocardiography, NPs correlate strongly with structural abnormalities and identify those with preserved LVEF at highest risk for death. Careful interpretation of elevated NP values is needed in the presence of preserved systolic function.
Clinical trial: lansoprazole 15 or 30 mg once daily vs. placebo for treatment of frequent nighttime heartburn in self‐treating subjects
Authors: PEURA D. A. , RIFF D. S. , SNODDY A. M. , FENNERTY M. B. 
Published: June 2009

SummaryBackground Frequent nighttime heartburn is common. Lansoprazole 15 mg is indicated for treatment of heartburn and other gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease‐related symptoms.Aim To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lansoprazole in self‐treating subjects with frequent nocturnal heartburn.Methods A total of 864 subjects with heartburn on ≥2 days/week over the past month were randomized to double‐blind treatment with lansoprazole 15 or 30 mg or placebo each morning. Endpoints were percentage of nighttimes without heartburn (primary), percentage of 24‐h days without heartburn and percentage of subjects without heartburn on day 1.Results Mean percentage of nighttimes without heartburn was significantly greater with lansoprazole 15 mg (61.3%) or lansoprazole 30 mg (61.7%) vs. placebo (47.8%) over 14 days (P < 0.0001 vs. placebo for both doses). Percentage of 24‐h days without heartburn and percentage of subjects without heartburn on day 1 were significantly greater with lansoprazole 15 or 30 mg vs. placebo.Conclusions Both lansoprazole 15 and 30 mg were highly effective and well tolerated in reducing symptoms in subjects with frequent nighttime heartburn. The benefit of therapy on 24‐h heartburn and nighttime heartburn on day 1 of treatment was also evident. Lansoprazole 15 mg is a suitable choice for management of frequent nighttime heartburn.
Impact of ribavirin plasma level on sustained virological response in patients treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C
Authors: BREILH D. , FOUCHER J. , CASTÉRA L. , TRIMOULET P. , DJABAROUTI S. , MERROUCHE W. , COUZIGOU P. , SAUX M.‐C. , DE LÉDINGHEN V. 
Published: June 2009

SummaryBackground  The main goal of therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is to achieve a sustained virological response (SVR). However, the impact of the pharmacological properties of ribavirin on the SVR has not been fully investigated.Aim  To evaluate, through a prospective study, the association between ribavirin plasma level and SVR response in HCV patients treated with pegylated interferon (PEG‐IFN) and ribavirin.Patients and methods  Patients treated with PEG‐IFN and ribavirin had plasmatic ribavirin dosage at weeks 4 and 12. SVR was evaluated 6 months after the end of treatment.Results  At week 4, a strong correlation was found between HCV‐RNA and Cmin of ribavirin plasma level (r = −0.376, P = 0.002) and AUC0→12h of ribavirin plasma level (r = −0.277, P = 0.018). At week 12, a strong correlation was found between HCV‐RNA and Cmin of ribavirin plasma level (r = −0.384, P < 0.0001) and AUC0→12h of ribavirin plasma level (r = −0.257, P = 0.002). In genotype 1 patients, AUC0→12h ribavirin and Cmin were significantly correlated with negative HCV‐RNA at week 12 and SVR. In the multiple logistic regression model, the only factor independently associated with SVR in genotype 1 patients was negative HCV‐RNA at week 12.Conclusion  Cmin of ribavirin at weeks 4 and 12 was significantly higher in sustained virological responders compared with relapser or nonresponder patients. However, in genotype 1 patients, plasma ribavirin level at weeks 4 and 2 was not associated with SVR.
Thromboprophylaxis in patients with lower limb immobilisation – review of current status
Authors: Nokes Timothy J. C. , Keenan Jonathan 
Published: June 2009

SummaryThe risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with lower limb immobilisation is unclear, owing to of a lack of evidence from studies in this patient group. However, six small, randomised control trials (RCTs), totalling 1536 patients, compared low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) with controls and showed a significant reduction in asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) from 17·1% to 9·8%, with very low bleeding rates. This is likely to be an underestimate of the real risk reduction as most trials excluded high‐risk patients from randomisation. There have been no other controlled trials in cast‐immobilised patients using alternative prophylactic measures. Together with the RCTs, other cohort studies have identified risk factors that increase the risk for VTE in lower limb immobilisation. In summary, patients in lower limb cast (or brace) immobilisation should be risk assessed and those deemed high risk for VTE should receive prophylactic LMWH for at least the duration of cast immobilisation.
Phase II study of a TLR‐9 agonist (1018 ISS) with rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma
Authors: Friedberg Jonathan W. , Kelly Jennifer L. , Neuberg Donna , Peterson Derick R. , Kutok Jeffery L. , Salloum Rabih , Brenn Thomas , Fisher David C. , Ronan Elizabeth , Dalton Virginia , Rich Lynn , Marquis Diana , Sims Paul , Rothberg Paul G. , Liesveld Jane , Fisher Richard I. , Coffman Robert , Mosmann Tim , Freedman Arnold S. 
Published: June 2009

SummaryToll‐like receptor‐9 (TLR‐9) agonists have pleotropic effects on both the innate and adaptive immune systems, including increased antigen expression, enhanced antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and T helper cell type 1 shift in the immune response. We combined a TLR‐9 agonist (1018 ISS, 0·2 mg/kg sc weekly × 4 beginning day 8) with standard rituximab (375 mg/m2 weekly × 4) in patients (n = 23) with relapsed/refractory, histologically confirmed follicular lymphoma, and evaluated immunological changes following the combination. Treatment was well‐tolerated with no significant adverse events attributable to therapy. Clinical responses were observed in 48% of patients; the overall median progression‐free survival was 9 months. Biologically relevant increases in ADCC and circulating CD‐3 positive T cells were observed in 35% and 39% of patients, respectively. Forty‐five percent of patients had increased T cells and dendritic cells in skin biopsies of 1018 ISS injection sites 24 h post‐therapy. Pre‐ and post‐biopsies of tumour tissue demonstrated an infiltration of CD8+ T cells and macrophages following treatment. This group of patients had favourable clinical outcome despite adverse prognostic factors. This study is the first to histologically confirm perturbation of the local immune microenvironment following systemic biological therapy of follicular lymphoma.
Impaired activation of Stat1 and c-Jun as a possible defect in macrophages of patients with active tuberculosis
Authors: Esquivel-Solís H , Quiñones-Falconi F , Zarain-Herzberg A , Amieva-Fernández R I , López-Vidal Y 
Published: June 2009

SummaryStudies of patients with active tuberculosis (TB) and infected healthy individuals have shown that interferon (IFN)-γ is present in sites of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in comparable levels. This suggests that there is a deficiency in the macrophage response to IFN-γ in TB patients. We used recombinant human IFN-γ to stimulate adherent monocyte-derived macrophages from three groups of people: patients with active tuberculosis (TBP), their healthy household contacts (HHC) and healthy uninfected controls from the community (CC). We then evaluated the ability of the macrophages to inhibit the growth of M. tuberculosis H37Rv as well as their cytokine profile at early in infection (48 h). After IFN-γ treatment, macrophages of healthy individuals (HHC and CC) controlled M. tuberculosis growth and produced mainly nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin (IL)-12p70, whereas TBP macrophages did not kill M. tuberculosis. Additionally, TBP macrophages produced low levels of NO and IL-12p70 and high levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-10. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β levels were similar among all three groups. M. tuberculosis infection had little effect on the cytokine response after IFN-γ stimulus, but infection alone induced more IL-10 and TGF-β in TBP macrophages. There were no differences in Stat1 nuclear translocation and DNA binding between the groups. However, the phosphorylated Stat1 and c-Jun (AP-1) in nuclear protein extracts was diminished in TBP macrophages compared to macrophages of healthy individuals. These results indicate an impairment of Stat1-dependent and Stat1-independent IFN-γ signalling in macrophages of people with active tuberculosis, suggesting a different molecular regulation that could impact macrophage functionality and disease outcome.
Spring 2007 warmth and frost: phenology, damage and refoliation in a temperate deciduous forest
Authors: Augspurger Carol K. 
Published: June 2009

Summary 1. Climate change is predicted to bring earlier bud break and perhaps a greater risk of frost damage to developing leaves and flowers. Given the rarity and unpredictability of major frost events and limited community‐level phenological observations, comparisons among deciduous forest species experiencing frost damage and refoliation are rare. 2. This study used phenological observations ongoing at the time of a hard freeze to compare leaf and flower development, frost damage and leaf refoliation of 20 deciduous woody species in Trelease Woods, Champaign Co., IL, USA. Freezing temperatures from 5 to 9 April 2007 followed 22 days after very warm temperatures began in March. 3. Bud break was the earliest in 17 years. Frost caused damage to leaf buds, developing shoots and/or expanding leaves of canopy trees of six species and saplings of two species. Undamaged species were inactive, or in bud break or shoot expansion. Among damaged species, 11–100% of individuals exhibited some frost damage. Mean damage level per individual ranged from 20% to 100% among species. 4. Refoliation from dormant buds led to mean final canopy fullness that ranged from 46% to 99% among damaged species, but time of full leaf expansion was extended by 16–34 days for refoliating species. 5. Frost damaged flowers, but not flower buds or developing fruit, of five of eight species that flowered during the frost period. 6. The extent of frost damage in 2007 was unusual; damage was greater than any of the other 4 years with frost damage from 1993 to 2009 because record‐breaking March temperatures in 2007 caused more species to be at later vulnerable stages with the advent of subfreezing temperatures in April. 7. Differences among individuals and species in frost damage and ability to refoliate caused strong selection on individuals and differences in carbon gain that could, in the long‐term, affect species’ abundances. The frost also reduced fruit/seed abundance for insects and mammals.
Floristic heterogeneity between forested sites in Kibale National Park, Uganda: insights into the fine‐scale determinants of density in a large‐bodied frugivorous primate
Authors: Potts Kevin B. , Chapman Colin A. , Lwanga Jeremiah S. 
Published: June 2009

Summary 1. Despite a long history of research on the influence of fruit availability on the population density of large‐bodied vertebrate frugivores, operational understanding of the factors regulating density in these taxa remains elusive. We propose that fruit resources can be distinguished from one another on the basis of their functional role for the animals in question, and that such a classification system can aid in identifying the most influential determinants of frugivore density. 2. We compared the availability of several resource classes between two sites in Kibale National Park, Uganda separated by only 12 km yet differing threefold in density of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). 3. We categorized plant species used for fruit by chimpanzees according to their availability relative to habitat‐wide fruit productivity, and by their tendency towards inter‐individual fruiting synchrony. We predicted that the site of high chimpanzee density would support a higher density of food plant species tending to produce crops during periods of high habitat‐wide productivity [high fruit abundance (HFA foods)] and of those tending to fruit synchronously among individuals during times of low habitat‐wide availability (sLFA foods). The first food class should provide chimpanzees with a high nutrient density (and thus promote population growth), whereas the second should provide stable subsistence during lean periods and thus a temporally consistent resource base. 4. Counter to our prediction, only sLFA resources were more abundant at the site of high chimpanzee density than at the site of low density. We suggest that sLFA resources are most important in influencing density of large‐bodied frugivores.
Impacts of forest fragmentation on species richness: a hierarchical approach to community modelling
Authors: Zipkin Elise F. , DeWan Amielle , Andrew Royle J. 
Published: June 2009

Summary
1. Species richness is often used as a tool for prioritizing conservation action. One method for predicting richness and other summaries of community structure is to develop species‐specific models of occurrence probability based on habitat or landscape characteristics. However, this approach can be challenging for rare or elusive species for which survey data are often sparse.
2. Recent developments have allowed for improved inference about community structure based on species‐specific models of occurrence probability, integrated within a hierarchical modelling framework. This framework offers advantages to inference about species richness over typical approaches by accounting for both species‐level effects and the aggregated effects of landscape composition on a community as a whole, thus leading to increased precision in estimates of species richness by improving occupancy estimates for all species, including those that were observed infrequently.
3. We developed a hierarchical model to assess the community response of breeding birds in the Hudson River Valley, New York, to habitat fragmentation and analysed the model using a Bayesian approach.
4. The model was designed to estimate species‐specific occurrence and the effects of fragment area and edge (as measured through the perimeter and the perimeter/area ratio, P/A), while accounting for imperfect detection of species.
5. We used the fitted model to make predictions of species richness within forest fragments of variable morphology. The model revealed that species richness of the observed bird community was maximized in small forest fragments with a high P/A. However, the number of forest interior species, a subset of the community with high conservation value, was maximized in large fragments with low P/A.
6.
Synthesis and applications. Our results demonstrate the importance of understanding the responses of both individual, and groups of species, to environmental heterogeneity while illustrating the utility of hierarchical models for inference about species richness for conservation. This framework can be used to investigate the impacts of land‐use change and fragmentation on species or assemblage richness, and to further understand trade‐offs in species‐specific occupancy probabilities associated with landscape variability.
Self‐injurious behaviour in Cornelia de Lange syndrome: 1. Prevalence and phenomenology
Authors: Oliver C. , Sloneem J. , Hall S. , Arron K. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractBackground  Self‐injurious behaviour is frequently identified as part of the behavioural phenotype of Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). We conducted a case‐control study of the prevalence and phenomenology of self‐injurious behaviour (SIB) in CdLS.Methods  A total of 54 participants with CdLS were compared with 46 individuals who were comparable on key variables including age, degree of intellectual disability and wheelchair use, using questionnaire and observational measures.Results  Clinically significant self‐injury was not more prevalent in the CdLS group (55.6%), nor was it different in presentation from that seen in the comparison group. Hyperactivity, stereotyped and compulsive behaviours predicted clinically significant self‐injury in all participants. Hand directed, mild self‐injury was more prevalent in CdLS.Conclusions  The results show that clinically significant self‐injury may not be part of the behavioural phenotype of CdLS but a specific body target for proto‐SIB is more common.
Self‐injurious behaviour in Cornelia de Lange syndrome: 2. association with environmental events
Authors: Sloneem J. , Arron K. , Hall S. S. , Oliver C. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractBackground  Self‐injurious behaviour is commonly seen in Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). However, there has been limited research into the aetiology of self‐injury in CdLS and whether environmental factors influence the behaviour.Methods  We observed the self‐injury of 27 individuals with CdLS and 17 participants who did not have CdLS matched for age, gender, level of intellectual disability and mobility. Descriptive analyses were used to determine the extent to which environmental events were associated with self‐injury.Results  Lag sequential analysis of the association between self‐injurious behaviour and environmental events revealed no differences between the two groups in terms of either the number or degree of environmental associations.Conclusions  The results suggest that the associations between the environment and self‐injury in CdLS do not differ from those seen in the broader population of people with intellectual disability. By implication the social reinforcement hypothesis is equally applicable to both groups.