bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does cultural context make a difference to women’s experiences of maternity care? A qualitative study comparing the perspectives of breast‐feeding women of Bangladeshi origin and health practitioners
Authors: McFadden Alison , Renfrew Mary J , Atkin Karl 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground  Maternity services struggle to provide culturally appropriate care that meets the needs of women from diverse populations. Problems include simplistic understandings of ethnicity and the role of culture in women’s lives, and stereotypes held by health practitioners.Objective  To explore the extent to which cultural context makes a difference to experiences of breast‐feeding support for women of Bangladeshi origin and to consider the implications for the provision of culturally appropriate care.Methods  The study comprised individual interviews with 23 women of Bangladeshi origin and four health service managers, and focus group discussions with 28 health practitioners between February and December 2008. Participants were recruited from four localities in northern England.Results  Women’s rich descriptions of various facets of their identities were in contrast to practitioners’ representations of women of Bangladeshi origin as homogenous. Practitioners did not recognize when the needs of women of Bangladeshi origin were similar to those of the majority white population, or where cultural context made a difference to their experiences of breast‐feeding and breast‐feeding support. Some practitioners used cultural stereotypes which, combined with organizational constraints, resulted in services not meeting many of the women’s needs.Conclusions  Implications for education, policy and practice include the need for training of health practitioners to work with diverse populations, implementing evidence‐based practice and providing an organizational context which supports practitioners to respond to diversity without using cultural stereotypes.
Beyond rose colored glasses: the adaptive role of depressive and anxious symptoms among individuals with heart failure who were evaluated for transplantation
Authors: Madan A. , White‐Williams C. , Borckardt J.J. , Burker E.J. , Milsom V.A. , Pelic C.M. , Thurstin A.H. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThe prospect of and the evaluative period for transplantation can be stressful for individuals with heart failure (HF). Little is known about the impact of psychosocial factors on service utilization and health outcomes. The current study examined the impact of depression, dysthymia, and anxiety on two‐yr hospitalization and mortality among 96 individuals with HF who were evaluated for transplantation. Results revealed that only a small percentage of individuals endorsed sufficient symptomatology to meet criteria for a psychiatric, Axis I disorder (3.1% = anxiety; 2.1% = depression; 1.0% = dysthymia) although a significant proportion of the sample was prescribed an antidepressant or an anxiolytic (37%). Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between significant independent demographic, medical, and psychiatric predictors and total duration of hospitalizations; logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relation between predictors and mortality. An increase in anxious symptoms was associated with a decrease in total number of days hospitalized during the two‐yr period following the initial evaluation. Similarly, as depressive symptoms increased, risk of two‐yr mortality decreased. Future research should assess communication between the patient and providers to further elucidate the potential relationship between psychiatric symptoms, service utilization/hospitalization, and mortality in this patient population.
Atorvastatin protects obese mice against hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury by Toll‐like receptor‐4 suppression and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation
Authors: Ajamieh Hussam , Farrell Geoffrey , Wong Heng Jian , Yu Jun , Chu Eagle , Chen Jeffrey , Teoh Narci 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Steatosis accentuates the severity of hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI). 3‐Hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (“statins”) protect the heart and brain against post‐ischemic injury, without necessarily lowering serum cholesterol. We tested whether 10‐day or 1‐day atorvastatin administration protects livers with fatty change or non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) against IRI.Methods:  Mice with dietary or genetic simple steatosis (SS) or NASH were subjected to 60 min of partial hepatic ischemia/24‐h reperfusion, with/without atorvastatin administered with food (5 mg/kg body weight) for 10 days, or injected intravenously (5 mg/kg) 24 h before ischemia. Liver injury, Toll‐like receptor‐4 (TLR4), cytokines/chemokines, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), activation and thromboxane B2 production were determined.Results:  Atorvastatin conferred 70–90% hepatic protection against IRI in obese animals with SS or NASH, in which IRI was accentuated twofold to fivefold. IRI markedly upregulated TLR4 and activated nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB); atorvastatin abrogated these effects, as well as activating eNOS. Atorvastatin dampened the post‐ischemic induction of thromboxane B2, macrophage inflammatory protein‐1a, monocyte chemotactic protein‐1, tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin (IL)‐12 p40, γ‐interferon, IL‐6, and adhesion molecules (vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1, E‐selectin, vascular endothelial–cadherin), and reduced macrophage and neutrophil recruitment. There was no reduction in serum cholesterol that could explain these effects, and hepatic cholesterol was normal in these mice. A single 24‐h injection of atorvastatin conferred equivalent hepatoprotection.Conclusion:  Statins exert major hepatoprotection against IRI in lean, fatty, and NASH livers that is not due to cholesterol removal. Rather, statins downregulate TLR4 to prevent NF‐κB activation, with resultant suppression of adhesion molecules, chemokines/cytokines, and thromboxane B2 production. Short‐term statin treatment is an effective, readily‐available preventive agent against hepatic IRI, irrespective of obesity and fatty liver disease.
Impact of pretransplant antinuclear antibody and antismooth muscle antibody titers on disease recurrence and graft survival following liver transplantation in autoimmune hepatitis patients
Authors: Dbouk Nader , Parekh Samir 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground and Aims:  Disease recurrence following transplantation occurs in 20–45% of patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Factors associated with an increased risk of recurrence include human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DR3 and HLA DR4 positivity, inadequate immunosuppression, and severity of inflammation in the native liver. Titers of several autoantibodies can be elevated in patients with AIH, including antinuclear antibody (ANA) and antismooth muscle antibody (SMA); however, it is unclear whether or not the degree of elevation influences the risk of disease recurrence following transplantation.Methods:  We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the potential impact of pretransplant titers on post‐transplant outcomes for patients with AIH. Sixty‐three patients with AIH who underwent 72 liver transplants between 1 January 1989 and 1 January 2009 were included, with a median follow up of 10 months. Patients were divided into group A (ANA or SMA ≥ 1 : 160) and group B (titers ≤ 1 : 160).Results:  There was no significant difference in the recurrence rates or death between patients in groups A and B, respectively. Only race appeared to impact outcomes, with African American patients having a higher incidence of death and recurrent disease post‐transplant compared to other ethnicities.Conclusions:  Based on our findings, pretransplant ANA and SMA levels do not appear to impact recurrence rates or outcomes following liver transplantation for AIH.
Assessment of inflammation and fibrosis in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease by imaging‐based techniques
Authors: Cobbold Jeremy F L , Patel Dhupal , Taylor‐Robinson Simon D 
Published: March 2012

AbstractNon‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD) is a burgeoning global health problem, and the assessment of disease severity remains a clinical challenge. Conventional imaging and clinical blood tests are frequently unable to determine disease activity (the degree of inflammatory change) and fibrotic severity, while the applicability of histological examination of liver biopsy is limited. Imaging platforms provide liver‐specific structural information, while newer applications of these technologies non‐invasively exploit the physical and chemical characteristics of liver tissue in health and disease. In this review, conventional and newer imaging‐based techniques for the assessment of inflammation and fibrosis in NAFLD are discussed in terms of diagnostic accuracy, radio‐pathological correlations, and practical considerations. In particular, recent clinical studies of ultrasound (US)‐based and magnetic resonance elastography techniques are evaluated, while the potential of contrast‐enhanced US and magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques is discussed.The development and application of these techniques is starting to reduce the clinical need for liver biopsy, to produce surrogate end‐points for interventional and observational clinical studies, and through this, to provide new insights into the natural history of NAFLD.
Metabolic syndrome is an independent risk factor for synchronous colorectal neoplasm in patients with gastric neoplasm
Authors: Park Wan , Lee Hyuk , Kim Eun Hye , Yoon Ji Young , Park Jun Chul , Shin Sung Kwan , Lee Sang Kil , Lee Yong Chan , Kim Won Ho , Noh Sung Hoon 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground and Aim:  There are no data on how metabolic syndrome (MetS) affects the prevalence of synchronous colorectal neoplasm (CRN) in gastric neoplasm (GN) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate a model for risk stratification for colorectal screening by evaluating the clinical characteristics of synchronous CRN in GN patients classified according to the presence of MetS.Methods:  A cross‐sectional, case‐control study of 492 patients (368 males and 124 females) with GN, and 492 age‐matched healthy controls undergoing simultaneous upper endoscopy and colonoscopy, was conducted.Results:  The GN group involved 446 patients without MetS, and 46 patients with MetS. In total, 177 (39.7%) and 28 (60.9%) synchronous CRN were detected in GN patients without MetS and with MetS, respectively (P = 0.006). A total of 143 (34.7%) synchronous colorectal adenomas were detected in GN patients without MetS, whereas 17 (48.6%) were detected in GN patients with MetS (P = 0.101), as well as more synchronous colorectal cancers (11.2% vs 37.9%, P < 0.001). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of GN (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.18–2.00, P = 0.001) and the presence of MetS (odds ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval: 1.19–2.78, P = 0.006) were significant independent risk factors associated with the prevalence of CRN. The frequency of synchronous CRN in GN patients with MetS was 1.96 times greater than that in the GN group without MetS.Conclusion:  The risk of synchronous CRN is significantly increased by the presence of GN, especially in MetS patients. Screening for synchronous CRN is highly recommended for GN patients with MetS.
Interleukin‐28B single nucleotide polymorphism of donors and recipients can predict viral response to pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy in patients with recurrent hepatitis C after living donor liver transplantation
Authors: Kawaoka Tomokazu , Takahashi Shoichi , Takaki Shintaro , Hiramatsu Akira , Waki Koji , Hiraga Nobuhiko , Miki Daiki , Tsuge Masataka , Imamura Michio , Kawakami Yoshiiku , Aikata Hiroshi , Ochi Hidenori , Onoe Takashi , Tashiro Hirotaka , Ohdan Hideki , Chayama Kazuaki 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Interleukin‐28B (IL28B) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) influences viral response (VR) to interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with hepatitis C. We studied the relationship between VR and the IL28B polymorphism (rs8099917) in patients on long‐term pegylated IFN plus ribavirin (PEGIFN/RBV) therapy for recurrent hepatitis C after living‐donor liver transplantation (LDLT).Methods:  Thirty‐five patients with recurrent hepatitis C after LDLT were treated with PEGIFN/RBV. We evaluated the effect of IL28B SNP on the outcome in 20 patients infected with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 who completed IFN therapy.Results:  The sustained VR (SVR) rate was 54% (19/35) for all patients; 46% (13/28) for genotype 1. The SVR rate of donors' TT group (major genotype) was higher than that of donors' TG + GG group (minor genotype) (73% vs 20%), while that of recipients' TT group was similar to that of recipients' TG + GG group (64% vs 50%). With regard to the combined effect of donors' and recipients' IL28B SNP, the SVR rates of TT : TT (donors' : recipients'), TT : TG + GG, TG + GG : any group were 81%, 50%, and 20%, respectively. The VR rate of TT : TT, TT : TG + GG and TG + GG : any group at 12 weeks were 28%, 0%, and 0%; those at 48 weeks were 70%, 50%, 20%, and those at the end of treatment were 100%, 50%, 20%, respectively. The multivariate analysis identified IL28B of donors : recipients (TT : TT) as the only independent determinant of SVR (odds ratio 15.0, P = 0.035).Conclusion:  Measurement of donors' and recipients' IL28B SNP can predict the response to PEGIFN/RBV therapy, and the donors' IL28B SNP might be a more significant predictor than that of the recipients.
Non‐genetic risk factors and predicting efficacy for docetaxel–drug‐induced liver injury among metastatic breast cancer patients
Authors: Wang Zheng , Liang Xu , Yu Jing , Zheng Xiaohui , Zhu Yulin , Yan Ying , Dong Ningning , Di Lijun , Song Guohong , Zhou Xinna , Wang Xiaoli , Yang Huabing , Ren Jun , Lyerly Herbert Kim 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Docetaxel has been chosen as one of the most popular anticancer drugs in the treatment of breast cancer for more than a decade. There is increasingly awareness for the occurrence of docetaxel and/or docetaxel–drug‐induced liver injury (DILI), although the underlying mechanism of occurrence and its risk factors remain unclear.Methods:  We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify non‐genetic risk factors for docetaxel–DILI among 647 metastasis breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel‐containing regimens.Results:  Sixty‐seven (10.36%) patients were diagnosed as docetaxel–DILI. By logistic regression analysis, premenopausal status (odds ratio [OR][95% confidence interval {CI}] = 2.24 [1.30–3.87]), past hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections (OR [95% CI] = 4.23 [1.57–11.42]), liver metastasis (OR [95% CI] = 3.70 [2.16–6.34]). The predominant occurrence of DILI was seen in groups with docetaxel combination regimens. (OR [95% CI] = 2.66 [1.59–4.55]). The potential increasing occurrence of docetaxel–DILI was associated with multiple risk factors in an exposure–response manner (P < 0.001), and patients with more than three risk factors would be exposed to a 36.61‐fold risk of DILI (95% CI = 10.18–131.62). Further analysis by the risk score and area under the receiver–operator characteristic curve (AUC) showed that those four factors contributed to an AUC of 0.7536 (95% CI = 0.70–0.81), with a predictive sensitivity of 74.63% and specificity of 65.17%.Conclusions:  Docetaxel–DILI with a relatively higher incidence should be addressed among metastatic breast cancer patients. Four predominant risk factors, including premenopausal status, past HBV infection, liver metastasis, and docetaxel combination regimens, were potential predicators for DILI.
Clinical utility of single‐operator cholangiopancreatoscopy using a SpyGlass probe through an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography catheter
Authors: Kawakubo Kazumichi , Isayama Hiroyuki , Sasahira Naoki , Kogure Hirofumi , Takahara Naminatsu , Miyabayashi Koji , Mizuno Suguru , Yamamoto Keisuke , Mohri Dai , Sasaki Takashi , Yamamoto Natsuyo , Nakai Yousuke , Hirano Kenji , Tada Minoru , Koike Kazuhiko 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground and Aim:  A single‐operator cholangiopancreatoscopy was developed to overcome a problem in conventional peroral cholangiopancreatoscopy. The aim of this pilot study was to clarify the clinical utility of single‐operator cholangiopancreatoscopy using a SpyGlass probe through an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) catheter.Methods:  Patients undergoing ERCP with a SpyGlass probe passed through a catheter were included in this study. The SpyGlass probe was inserted into the catheter following successful cannulation, and cholangiopancreatoscopy was performed by a single operator. We retrospectively analyzed the successful visualization rate of this technique.Results:  Fifteen patients were included in this study. SpyGlass cholangiopancreatoscopy was technically successful in all patients. Successful visualization was obtained in nine patients (60%). The median SpyGlass procedure time was 10 min. Cholangiopancreatoscopic diagnoses were as follows: bile duct carcinoma in three patients; intraductal papillary mucinous adenoma in two; and intraductal pancreatic stone, benign biliary stricture, gallbladder cholesterolosis, and gallbladder carcinoma in one each. There were no cases of post‐ERCP pancreatitis.Conclusions:  While the low rate of successful visualization must be improved, single‐operator cholangiopancreatoscopy using a SpyGlass probe through an ERCP catheter is a safe and effective procedure.
Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing human forkhead box A2 gene in the regeneration of damaged liver tissues
Authors: Cho Jong‐Woo , Lee Chul‐Young , Ko Yong 
Published: March 2012

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Although a liver transplantation is considered to be the only effective long‐term treatment in many cases of liver diseases, it is limited by a lack of donor organs and immune rejection. As an autologous stem cell approach, this study was conducted to assess whether forkhead box A2 (Foxa2) gene overexpression in bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) could protect the liver from hepatic diseases by stimulating tissue regeneration after cell transplantation.Methods:  Rat MSC (rMSC) were isolated, characterized, and induced to hepatocytes that expressed liver‐specific markers. Four different treatments (control [phosphate‐buffered saline], rMSC alone, rMSC/pIRES–enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) vector, and rMSC/pIRES–EGFP/human Foxa2) were injected into the spleen of carbon tetrachloride‐injured rats. Biochemical and histological analyses on days 30, 60, and 90 post‐transplantation were performed to evaluate the therapeutic capacities of MSC overexpressing hFoxa2.Results:  rMSC transfected with hFoxa2 were induced into hepatogenic linage and expressed several liver‐specific genes, such as, Foxa2, α‐fetoprotein, cytokeratin‐18, hepatocyte nuclear factor‐1α, and hepatocyte growth factor. A group of animals treated with MSC/hFoxa2 showed significant recovery of liver‐specific enzyme expressions to normal levels at the end of the study (90 days). Furthermore, when compared to the fibrotic areas of the samples treated with MSC alone or MSC/vector, the fibrotic area of the samples treated with rMSC/hFoxa2 for 90 days significantly decreased, until they were completely gone.Conclusions:  Human Foxa2 efficiently promoted the incorporation of MSC into liver grafts, suggesting that hFoxa2 genes could be used for the structural or functional recovery of damaged liver cells.
The effect of partial acclimatization to high altitude on loop gain and central sleep apnoea severity
Authors: ANDREWS GARETH , AINSLIE PHILIP N. , SHEPHERD KELLY , DAWSON ANDREW , SWART MARIANNE , LUCAS SAMUEL , BURGESS KEITH R. 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Loop gain is an engineering term that predicts the stability of a feedback control system, such as the control of breathing. Based on earlier studies at lower altitudes, it was hypothesized that acclimatization to high altitude would lead to a reduction in loop gain and thus central sleep apnoea (CSA) severity.Methods:  This study used exposure to very high altitude to induce CSA in healthy subjects to investigate the effect of partial acclimatization on loop gain and CSA severity. Measurements were made on 12 subjects (age 30 ± 10 years, body mass index 22.8 ± 1.9, eight males, four females) at an altitude of 5050 m over a 2‐week period upon initial arrival (days 2–4) and following partial acclimatization (days 12–14). Sleep was studied by full polysomnography, and resting arterial blood gases were measured. Loop gain was measured by the ‘duty cycle’ method (duration of hyperpnoea/cycle length).Results:  Partial acclimatization to high‐altitude exposure was associated with both an increase in loop gain (duty cycle fell from 0.60 ± 0.05 to 0.55 ± 0.06 (P = 0.03)) and severity of CSA (apnoea‐hypopnoea index increased from 76.8 ± 48.8 to 115.9 ± 20.2 (P = 0.01)), while partial arterial carbon dioxide concentration fell from 29 ± 3 to 26 ± 2 (P = 0.01).Conclusions:  Contrary to the results at lower altitudes, at high‐altitude loop gain and severity of CSA increased.
Climate change impacts on tree ranges: model intercomparison facilitates understanding and quantification of uncertainty
Authors: Cheaib Alissar , Badeau Vincent , Boe Julien , Chuine Isabelle , Delire Christine , Dufrêne Eric , François Christophe , Gritti Emmanuel S. , Legay Myriam , Pagé Christian , Thuiller Wilfried , Viovy Nicolas , Leadley Paul 
Published: March 2012

Ecology Letters (2012)AbstractModel‐based projections of shifts in tree species range due to climate change are becoming an important decision support tool for forest management. However, poorly evaluated sources of uncertainty require more scrutiny before relying heavily on models for decision‐making. We evaluated uncertainty arising from differences in model formulations of tree response to climate change based on a rigorous intercomparison of projections of tree distributions in France. We compared eight models ranging from niche‐based to process‐based models. On average, models project large range contractions of temperate tree species in lowlands due to climate change. There was substantial disagreement between models for temperate broadleaf deciduous tree species, but differences in the capacity of models to account for rising CO2 impacts explained much of the disagreement. There was good quantitative agreement among models concerning the range contractions for Scots pine. For the dominant Mediterranean tree species, Holm oak, all models foresee substantial range expansion.
Phosphorus and DOC availability influence the partitioning between bacterioplankton production and respiration in tidal marsh ecosystems
Authors: del Giorgio Paul A. , Newell Roger E. I. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryThe organic carbon consumed by aquatic bacteria (BCC) is partitioned between bacterial production (BP) and respiration (BR), but the factors that determine BCC and its partition into BP and BR are not well understood. We explored the coupling between BR, BR and BCC, and their links to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient availability in natural and restored tidal marshes and in the adjoining waters of Delaware Bay estuary. Labile DOC (LDOC) ranged from 3% to 22% of the DOC pool, and explained more of the variance in both BR and BCC than did bulk DOC. Bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) was highly variable (0.09–0.58), and natural Spartina alterniflora marshes had consistently higher BGE than both restoration marshes and tidal floodwaters. BGE was negatively related to the ratio of LDOC to total dissolved phosphorous, which was highest in natural marshes. The enhancement of BP observed in the marshes relative to the estuarine floodwaters had different origins: In natural marshes it was mostly due to increases in BGE, whereas in restored marshes it followed increased BCC. These results highlight the importance of P in regulating microbial metabolism in coastal areas, and the need to understand the pathways that lead to BP in these systems.