bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sulfated cholecystokinin‐8 increases ghrelin secretion but does not affect oxyntomodulin in Holstein steers
Authors: YANNAING Swe , THIDARMYINT Hnin , ZHAO Hongqiong , THANTHAN Sint , KITAGAWA Kouki , KUWAYAMA Hideto 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTThe effect of appetite regulatory hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) on the secretions of oxyntomodulin (OXM) and ghrelin, and the effect of ghrelin on the secretions of CCK and OXM were studied in ruminants. Eight Holstein steers, 7 months old, 243 ± 7 kg body weight (BW), were arranged in an incomplete Latin square design (8 animals × 4 treatments × 4 days of sampling). Steers were intravenously injected with 10 µg of sulfated CCK‐8/kg BW, 20 µg of acyl ghrelin/kg BW, 100 µg of des‐acyl ghrelin/kg BW or vehicle. Blood samples were collected from −60 min to 120 min relative to time of injection. Plasma concentrations of ghrelin, sulfated CCK and OXM were measured by double‐antibody radioimmunoassay. Plasma acyl ghrelin was increased to peak level (428.3 ± 6 pg/mL) at 60 min after injection of CCK compared with pre‐injected levels (203.3 ± 1 pg/mL). These results showed for the first time, that intravenous bolus injection of CCK increased ghrelin secretion in ruminants. In contrast, injection of ghrelin did not change CCK secretion. Administration of ghrelin or CCK has no effect on plasma OXM concentrations. In conclusion, our results show that administration of CCK increased ghrelin secretion but did not affect OXM release in ruminants. Ghrelin did not affect the secretions of CCK and OXM.
Examining factors influencing patient satisfaction with nurse practitioners in rural urgent care centers
Authors: Ryan Kimberley , Rahman Ateequr 
Published: January 2012

AbstractPurpose: To examine if demographic factors influence patients' self reports of satisfaction with care provided by nurse practitioners (NPs) in rural urgent care centers (UCCs).Data sources: Data were collected between December 2009 and February 2010 using an 18‐item self‐report survey from a convenience sample of 53 patients in two rural UCCs.Conclusions: No statistical significance was noted in regards to patient satisfaction for the demographic factors age, gender, country of upbringing, or education level. Presence of health insurance was a significant factor, with uninsured patients rating higher levels of satisfaction. However, based on patients' responses to role clarity for this survey, it is evident that there continues to be insufficient public understanding of the role of NPs.Implications for practice: The future of the NP relies on patient approval as well as acceptance of the role. This study joins the pioneering efforts towards describing what patient satisfaction is and supports NPs serving as providers in rural, nonprimary care venues. By identifying influential factors of satisfaction, NPs can bridge the gap between availability of quality care versus a lack of access and inform policy changes in the future.
A comparative study of ipsilateral intertrochanteric and femoral shaft fractures treated with long proximal femoral nail antirotation or plate combinations
Authors: Wang Wen‐yue , Yang Tian‐fu , Liu Lei , Pei Fu‐xing , Xie Li‐ming 
Published: January 2012

Objective:  To compare the results of long proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA‐long) and plate combinations in the treatment of ipsilateral intertrochanteric and femoral shaft fractures.Methods:  Between March 2004 and April 2009, 23 patients with ipsilateral intertrochanteric and femoral shaft fractures were treated with PFNA‐long or plate combinations. The patients were divided into two groups. Group I contained 13 patients who were treated with dynamic hip screws (DHS) combined with compression plate fixation. The 10 patients in Group II were treated with PFNA‐long.Results:  The average follow‐up was 17.8 and 16.8 months for Groups I and II, respectively. The average union time for intertrochanteric fractures was 17.4 and 16.6 weeks in Groups I and II, respectively, and for femoral shaft fracture 22.2 and 21.5 weeks, respectively. There were nine good, two fair, and two poor functional results in Group I, and eight good, one fair, and one poor in Group II. There was nonunion of two femoral shaft fractures in Group I and one in Group II. There were no significant differences between the two groups in functional outcomes or major complications.Conclusion:  Both treatment methods achieve satisfactory functional outcomes in patients with ipsilateral intertrochanteric and femoral shaft fractures. PFNA‐long is the better choice for the treatment of complex fractures, having the advantages of minimal exposure, reduced perioperative blood loss, and achievement of biological fixation of both fractures with a single implant.
Beyond macroprudential regulation: Three ways of thinking about financial crisis, regulation and reform
Authors: Lothian Tamara 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThis paper considers the debate about the ‘macroprudential regulation’ of finance in the context of a broader view of the relation of finance to the real economy. Five ideas are central to the argument. The first idea is that the two dominant families of ideas about finance and its regulation share a failure of institutional imagination. Neoclassical economists blame localized market and regulatory failures for the troubles of finance. Keynesians invoke the way in which the money economy may amplify cycles of despondency and euphoria. Neither current of thought recognizes that the institutions of finance in particular, and of the market economy in general, can take different forms, with different consequences for the organization of production and exchange as well as for distribution. The second idea is that, under present arrangements, finance readily becomes the master rather than the servant of the real economy and lays itself open to recurrent booms and busts. The third idea is that present arrangements can be reformed in ways that more effectively put finance at the service of the productive agenda of society. The fourth idea is that the regulation of finance, including what we now call macroprudential regulation, can and should be designed as initial moves in such an institutional reshaping. The fifth idea is that neoclassical and Keynesian conceptions are inadequate guides to the execution of this task. We can find in law and legal thought many of the intellectual and practical tools that we need.Policy Implications
Macroprudential regulation should be seen as the first step in the institutional reshaping of the financial system. The central principle of macroprudential regulation should be to hold finance to its central task of serving the productive agenda of society.
Regulatory reform, operating at both the national and the supranational level, should incorporate the following elements: (1) repudiation of regulatory dualism; (2) heightened scrutiny of certain classes of financial transactions lacking in any plausible relation to the expansion of GDP and the enhancement of productivity; and (3) a series of international and multilateral rules giving pride of place to all forms of investment in the real economy, and providing restrictive treatment for short term portfolio capital.
Comparative law and legal analysis, viewed as the study of actual and potential institutional set ups for different areas of social practice, including the area of finance, has a crucial role to play in expanding our understanding and imagination of alternative institutional strategies of reform.
Altered Kv3.3 channel gating in early‐onset spinocerebellar ataxia type 13
Authors: Minassian Natali A. , Lin Meng‐Chin A. , Papazian Diane M. 
Published: January 2012

Key points
Mutations in the Kv3.3 voltage‐gated potassium channel cause the human genetic disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 13.
Depending on the mutation, the disease emerges during early childhood or during adulthood.
Kv3.3 mutations affect channel function but previous work did not clarify the relationship between changes in channel activity and the age of disease onset.
In this study, we showed that mutations that cause early‐onset disease have similar effects on the voltage dependence and kinetics of channel opening, whereas a mutation that causes adult‐onset disease reduces current amplitude but has little effect on voltage dependence or kinetics.
We conclude that changes in channel gating contribute substantially to an early age of onset in spinocerebellar ataxia type 13.
Virulence-Suppressing Effects of Linezolid on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Possible Contribution to Early Defervescence
Authors: Yoshizawa Sadako , Tateda Kazuhiro , Saga Tomoo , Ishii Yoshikazu , Yamaguchi Keizo 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT

In the present study, immunomodulatory effects of linezolid (LZD) on methicillin-resistance
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) infections were evaluated. We have retrospectively reviewed treatment effects of LZD on 52 patients with severe MRSA infections. Sixty-four percent of the febrile patients demonstrated significant defervescence within 3 days, despite the presence of positive culture results. We speculated that this finding might be due to early anti-inflammatory effects of LZD, and to investigate this further we initiated
in vivo
experiments using mice MRSA pneumonia models. Mice were treated with either LZD or vancomycin (VCM) immediately after intranasal administration of MRSA. Bacterial numbers and levels of inflammatory cytokines in the lungs were determined. Although the bacterial burden in the lungs was not apparently different between the two groups, LZD but not VCM treatment significantly reduced induction of inflammatory cytokines in the lungs (
P
< 0.05). To evaluate whether this anti-inflammatory response was due to suppression of virulence factor expression, filter-sterilized supernatants of MRSA incubated in broth overnight with sub-MICs of LZD were subcutaneously administered to mice. To clarify whether LZD possesses direct host-modulating activity, cytokine responses to the supernatants were examined in mice pretreated with LZD. Interestingly, MRSA solutions prepared in the presence of sub-MICs of LZD revealed significant suppression of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in a dose-dependent manner (
P
< 0.05), but pretreatment of mice with LZD revealed no changes in cytokines. These findings suggest that sub-MICs of LZD might suppress virulence factors of MRSA, which may be associated with a reduction in endogenous pyrogens. These data may explain at least in part early defervescence observed in LZD-treated individuals.
Hypoxia Increases Antibiotic Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through Altering the Composition of Multidrug Efflux Pumps
Authors: Schaible Bettina , Taylor Cormac T. , Schaffer Kirsten 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT

Antibiotic resistance is a significant and developing problem in general medical practice and a common clinical complication in cystic fibrosis patients infected with
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. Such infections occur within hypoxic mucous deposits in the cystic fibrosis lung; however, little is known about how the hypoxic microenvironment influences pathogen behavior. Here we investigated the impact of hypoxia on antibiotic resistance in
P. aeruginosa
. The MICs of a selection of antibiotics were determined for
P. aeruginosa
grown under either normoxic or hypoxic conditions. The expression of mRNAs for resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) multidrug efflux pump linker proteins was determined by real-time PCR, and multidrug efflux pump activity was inhibited using Phe-Arg β-naphthylamide dihydrochloride. The MIC values of a subset of clinically important
P. aeruginosa
antibiotics were higher for bacteria incubated under hypoxia than under normoxia. Furthermore, hypoxia altered the stoichiometry of multidrug efflux pump linker protein subtype expression, and pharmacologic inhibition of these pumps reversed hypoxia-induced antibiotic resistance. We hypothesize that hypoxia increases multidrug resistance in
P. aeruginosa
by shifting multidrug efflux pump linker protein expression toward a dominance of MexEF-OprN. Thus, microenvironmental hypoxia may contribute significantly to the development of antibiotic resistance in
P. aeruginosa
infecting cystic fibrosis patients.
Sesquiterpene Farnesol Contributes to Increased Susceptibility to β-Lactams in Strains of Burkholderia pseudomallei
Authors: Brilhante R. S. N. , Valente L. G. A. , Rocha M. F. G. , Bandeira T. J. P. G. , Cordeiro R. A. , Lima R. A. C. , Leite J. J. G. , Ribeiro J. F. , Pereira J. F. , Castelo-Branco D. S. C. M. , Monteiro A. J. , Sidrim J. J. C. 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the
in vitro
combination of farnesol and β-lactams against
Burkholderia pseudomallei
. A total of 12 β-lactamase-positive strains were tested according to CLSI standards. All strains were inhibited by farnesol, with MICs ranging from 75 to 150 μM. The combination of this compound with β-lactams resulted in statistically significant β-lactam MIC reduction (
P
≤ 0.05). This study provides new perspectives for the use of farnesol combined with β-lactam antibiotics against strains of
B. pseudomallei
.
In Vitro
and
In Vivo
Activities of Posaconazole and Amphotericin B in a Murine Invasive Infection by Mucor circinelloides: Poor Efficacy of Posaconazole
Authors: Salas Valentina , Pastor F. Javier , Calvo Enrique , Alvarez Eduardo , Sutton Deanna A. , Mayayo Emilio , Fothergill Anette W. , Rinaldi Michael G. , Guarro Josep 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT

The
in vitro
susceptibility of 17 strains of
Mucor circinelloides
to amphotericin B and posaconazole was ascertained by using broth microdilution and disk diffusion methods and by determining the minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC). We evaluated the efficacy of posaconazole at 40 mg/kg of body weight/day and amphotericin B at 0.8 mg/kg/day in a neutropenic murine model of disseminated infection by
M. circinelloides
by using 6 different strains tested previously
in vitro
. In general, most of the posaconazole MICs were within the range of susceptibility or intermediate susceptibility, while the small inhibition zone diameters (IZDs) were indicative of nonsusceptibility for all isolates tested. The MFCs were ≥3 dilutions higher than the corresponding MICs. In contrast, amphotericin B showed good activity against all of the strains tested regardless of the method used. The
in vivo
studies demonstrated that amphotericin B was effective in prolonging survival and reducing the fungal load. Posaconazole showed poor
in vivo
efficacy with no correlation with the MIC values. The results suggested that posaconazole should be used with caution in the treatment of infections caused by
Mucor circinelloides
or by strains of
Mucor
not identified to the species level.
Low Cefepime Concentrations during High Blood and Dialysate Flow Continuous Venovenous Hemodialysis
Authors: Wilson F. Perry , Bachhuber Marcus A. , Caroff Daniel , Adler Rebecca , Fish Douglas , Berns Jeffrey 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT

Dosing of cefepime during high blood flow (Qb; 300 ml/min), high dialysate flow (Qd; 3 liter/h) continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD) is undefined. Six patients on CVVHD had serum and effluent cefepime concentrations measured at 0.5, 1, 2, 6, and 12 h after dosing. Three patients had cefepime concentrations less than the MIC for
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. A dose of 2,000 mg every 12 h or 1,000 mg every 8 h may increase time at a therapeutic concentration.
Mutations in the β Subunit of RNA Polymerase Alter Intrinsic Cephalosporin Resistance in Enterococci
Authors: Kristich Christopher J. , Little Jaime L. 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT
As major causes of hospital-acquired infections, antibiotic-resistant enterococci are a serious public health concern. Enterococci are intrinsically resistant to many cephalosporin antibiotics, a trait that enables proliferation in patients undergoing cephalosporin therapy. Although a few genetic determinants of cephalosporin resistance in enterococci have been described, overall, many questions remain about the underlying genetic and biochemical basis for cephalosporin resistance. Here we describe an unexpected effect of specific mutations in the β subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP) on intrinsic cephalosporin resistance in enterococci. We found that RNAP mutants, selected initially on the basis of their ability to provide resistance to rifampin, resulted in allele-specific alterations of the intrinsic resistance of enterococci toward expanded- and broad-spectrum cephalosporins. These mutations did not affect resistance toward a diverse collection of other antibiotics that target a range of alternative cellular processes. We propose that the RNAP mutations identified here lead to alterations in transcription of as-yet-unknown genes that are critical for cellular adaption to cephalosporin stress.
Extending the Definition of the GyrB Quinolone Resistance-Determining Region in Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA Gyrase for Assessing Fluoroquinolone Resistance in M. tuberculosis
Authors: Pantel Alix , Petrella Stéphanie , Veziris Nicolas , Brossier Florence , Bastian Sylvaine , Jarlier Vincent , Mayer Claudine , Aubry Alexandra 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT

Fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance is emerging in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. The main mechanism of FQ resistance is amino acid substitution within the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of the GyrA subunit of DNA gyrase, the sole FQ target in
M. tuberculosis
. However, substitutions in GyrB whose implication in FQ resistance is unknown are increasingly being reported. The present study clarified the role of four GyrB substitutions identified in
M. tuberculosis
clinical strains, two located in the QRDR (D500A and N538T) and two outside the QRDR (T539P and E540V), in FQ resistance. We measured FQ MICs and also DNA gyrase inhibition by FQs in order to unequivocally clarify the role of these mutations in FQ resistance. Wild-type GyrA, wild-type GyrB, and mutant GyrB subunits produced from engineered
gyrB
alleles by mutagenesis were overexpressed in
Escherichia coli
, purified to homogeneity, and used to reconstitute highly active gyrase complexes. MICs and DNA gyrase inhibition were determined for moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, and enoxacin. All these substitutions are clearly implicated in FQ resistance, underlining the presence of a hot spot region housing most of the GyrB substitutions implicated in FQ resistance (residues NTE, 538 to 540). These findings help us to refine the definition of GyrB QRDR, which is extended to positions 500 to 540.
A Serotype 3 Pneumococcal Capsular Polysaccharide-Specific Monoclonal Antibody Requires Fcγ Receptor III and Macrophages To Mediate Protection against Pneumococcal Pneumonia in Mice
Authors: Weber Sarah , Tian Haijun , van Rooijen Nico , Pirofski Liise-anne 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT

Antibodies to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (PPS) are required for PPS-based vaccine-mediated protection against
Streptococcus pneumoniae
. Previous work established that 1E2, a mouse IgG1 to PPS3 that does not induce serotype 3 (ST3)
S. pneumoniae
killing by phagocytes
in vitro
, protects mice from death after intranasal infection with ST3, but its efficacy was abrogated in FcγR (F common gamma receptor)-deficient mice. In this study, we determined whether 1E2 efficacy against pulmonary ST3 infection requires FcγRIII. 1E2 did not protect FcγRIII-deficient (FcγRIII
−/−
) mice. Studies of the mechanism of 1E2-mediated effects showed that it resulted in a marked reduction in lung inflammation in ST3-infected wild-type (Wt [C57BL/6]) mice that was abrogated in FcγRIII
−/−
mice. 1E2 had no effect on early bacterial clearance in the lungs of ST3-infected Wt, FcγRIIB
−/−
, or FcγRIII
−/−
mice, but it reduced levels of bacteremia and serum macrophage inflammatory protein-2) (MIP-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in Wt and FcγRIIB
−/−
mice, strains in which it is protective. As previous work showed that neutrophils were dispensable for 1E2 efficacy, we investigated whether macrophages are required for 1E2 efficacy against intranasal infection with ST3 and found that its efficacy was abrogated in Wt mice depleted of macrophages intranasally.
In vitro
studies revealed that1E2 promoted ST3 internalization by naïve alveolar macrophages but did not induce early intracellular killing. Macrophages from 1E2-treated ST3-infected mice studied
ex vivo
exhibited more apoptosis than those from FcγRIII
−/−
mice. These findings suggest that 1E2 mediates protection against ST3 in mice by affecting the inflammatory response, perhaps in part via macrophage apoptosis, rather than by inducing early bacterial clearance.
Occupation and the risk of bothersome tinnitus: results from a prospective cohort study (HUNT)
Authors: Engdahl Bo , Krog Norun Hjertager , Kvestad Ellen , Hoffman Howard J , Tambs Kristian 
Published: January 2012

ObjectivesEstimates of occupation-specific tinnitus prevalence may help identify high-risk occupations where interventions are warranted. The authors studied the effect of occupation on prevalence of bothersome tinnitus and estimated the attributable fraction due to occupation. The authors also studied how much of the effect remained after adjusting for noise exposure, education income, hearing thresholds and other risk factors.DesignA prospective cohort study.SettingA health survey of the Nord-Trøndelag county of Norway.ParticipantsA sample of the general adult population (n=49 948).Primary outcome measureThe primary outcome measure is bothersome tinnitus.ResultsOccupation had a marked effect on tinnitus prevalence. The effect of occupation on tinnitus was reduced in men by controlling for self-reported occupational noise exposure and in women by controlling for education and income. Adding hearing loss as a predictor increased the effect of occupation somewhat. In men, age-adjusted prevalence ratios of tinnitus ranged from 1.5 (workshop mechanics) to 2.1 (crane and hoist operators) in the 10 occupations with highest tinnitus prevalence. In women, the most important contribution to the tinnitus prevalence was from the large group of occupationally inactive persons, with a prevalence ratio of 1.5.ConclusionThis study found a moderate association between occupation and bothersome tinnitus.