bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fiber‐optic assessment of LMA position in children: a randomized crossover comparison of two techniques
Authors: Ghai Babita , Ram Jagat , Makkar Jeetinder K. , Wig Jyotsna 
Published: June 2011

SummaryBackground:  This crossover study compared fiber‐optic assessment of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) position in children using two LMA insertion techniques, i.e., standard and rotational.Methods:  Seventy‐eight ASA I children, aged 2.5 months to 10 years, undergoing elective cataract surgery were included in this study. LMA was inserted in random order using either standard or rotational technique, removed, and thereafter crossed over to alternate technique. Positioning of LMA was assessed using fiber‐optic bronchoscope with each technique. Change in the incidence of fiber‐optic assessment grades 1 and 2 between two insertion techniques was measured as the primary outcome. Secondary outcome measures studied were first‐attempt success rate, overall success rate, time for successful insertion, visual analogue scale for placement, complications, and maneuvers used to relieve airway obstruction.Results:  Incidence of fiber‐optic grades 1 and 2 was 61.5% with standard technique and increased to 92.3% with rotational technique (P < 0.001, McNemar’s test) (RR 3.0, 95% CI 2.2–4.2). Median (IQR) fiber‐optic grading was significantly better with rotational technique [2 (1–2)] as compared to standard technique [2 (2–3)], (P < 0.001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). First‐attempt success rate was significantly higher (96.2%) with rotational technique compared with standard technique (80.7%) (P = 0.04, McNemar’s test). Overall success rate (i.e., successful insertion with two attempts) was 100% with rotational technique compared with 89.7% with standard technique (P = 0.003, Fischer’s exact test). Time for successful insertion and incidence of complications were significantly lesser with rotational technique.Conclusion:  Rotational technique of LMA insertion in children is associated with better seating of LMA (as observed on fiber‐optic assessment) compared with the standard technique. Also, it is associated with higher success rate and lower incidence of complications.
Leukocyte telomere length is associated with complications of Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Testa R. , Olivieri F. , Sirolla C. , Spazzafumo L. , Rippo M. R. , Marra M. , Bonfigli A. R. , Ceriello A. , Antonicelli R. , Franceschi C. , Castellucci C. , Testa I. , Procopio A. D. 
Published: June 2011

Diabet. Med. 28, 1388–1394 (2011)AbstractObjective  The key goal of diabetes management is to prevent complications. While the patho‐physiological mechanisms responsible for diabetes complications have been extensively studied, at present it is impossible to predict which patient with diabetes could develop complications. In recent years, the role of leukocyte telomere length in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes has been investigated. However, studies aiming to investigate the role of telomeres in the development and progression of Type 2 diabetes, as well as diabetic complications, are still lacking. As a consequence, this study aimed to verify whether leukocyte telomere length is associated with the presence and the number of diabetic complications in a sample of patients with Type 2 diabetes.Methods  This is a cross‐sectional study. Nine hundred and one subjects were enrolled, including 501 patients with Type 2 diabetes, of whom 284 had at least one complication and 217 were without complications, and 400 control subjects. Leukocyte telomere length was measured by quantitative real‐time PCR.Results  Patients with diabetes complications had significantly shorter leukocyte telomere length than both patients without diabetes complications and healthy control subjects. Moreover, among patients with diabetes complications, leukocyte telomere length became significantly and gradually shorter with the increasing number of diabetes complications. The magnitude of the effect of the decrease of the abundance of telomeric template vs. a single‐copy gene length (T/S ratio) on complications is described by the estimated odds ratio OR = 5.44 (95% CI 3.52–8.42).Conclusions  The results of the study support the hypothesis that telomere attrition may be a marker associated with the presence and the number of diabetic complications.
Domesticated crop richness in human subsistence cultivation systems: a test of macroecological and economic determinants
Authors: Freeman Jacob 
Published: June 2011

ABSTRACTAim  To describe patterns of crop richness at a global scale and investigate the potential influence of energy, water, habitat heterogeneity, area and economic commitment to agricultural practices on patterns of crop species richness.Location  World‐wide.Methods  Ethnographic literature for 86 subsistence‐oriented societies was surveyed; 55 of these societies grow crops and 31 do not. These 86 societies occupy the range of latitudes at which subsistence‐oriented groups manage domesticated plant species. The number of domesticated plants that each society cultivates is reported. Regression analyses were conducted to evaluate predictions for relationships between crop richness, energy, area, habitat heterogeneity, commitment to cultivation and species taxonomic descriptions.Results  Crop richness is positively and significantly related to energy availability and commitment to cultivation. The warmer the environment in which cultivators live, the more crop species cultivators grow. The more subsistence farmers commit to cultivation, the more crop species subsistence farmers grow. Above a threshold of 500 m in elevation range, crop richness is positively related to topographic heterogeneity. Mean annual rainfall, elevation, area, commitment to domesticated animals and exchange are not significantly related to crop richness.Main conclusions  Crop richness in subsistence‐oriented farming systems is conditioned by energy availability via the physiological tolerances of crop species. Crop richness is secondarily conditioned by topographic heterogeneity, which may serve as an estimate of spatial climatic heterogeneity. Where energy availability is a relatively weak constraint on crop production, commitment to cultivation for subsistence strongly conditions how much effort producers invest in diversifying their crop base. It is postulated that tolerance to freezing temperatures limits the ranges of domesticated plant species. This range limitation might be the result of niche conservation among domesticated crop species and a legacy of greater rates of speciation and lower rates of extinction among ‘free living’ species in tropical settings.
Global and grain‐specific accumulation of glycoside hydrolase family 10 xylanases in transgenic maize (Zea mays)
Authors: Gray Benjamin N. , Bougri Oleg , Carlson Alvar R. , Meissner Judy , Pan Shihao , Parker Matthew H. , Zhang Dongcheng , Samoylov Vladimir , Ekborg Nathan A. , Michael Raab R. 
Published: June 2011

SummaryIn planta expression of cell wall degrading enzymes is a promising approach for developing optimized biomass feedstocks that enable low‐cost cellulosic biofuels production. Transgenic plants could serve as either an enzyme source for the hydrolysis of pretreated biomass or as the primary biomass feedstock in an autohydrolysis process. In this study, two xylanase genes, Bacillus sp. NG‐27 bsx and Clostridium stercorarium xynB, were expressed in maize (Zea mays) under the control of two different promoters. Severe phenotypic effects were associated with xylanase accumulation in maize, including stunted plants and sterile grains. Global expression of these xylanases from the rice ubiquitin 3 promoter (rubi3) resulted in enzyme accumulation of approximately 0.01 mg enzyme per gram dry weight, or approximately 0.1% of total soluble protein (TSP). Grain‐specific expression of these enzymes from the rice glutelin 4 promoter (GluB‐4) resulted in higher‐level accumulation of active enzyme, with BSX and XynB accumulating up to 4.0% TSP and 16.4% TSP, respectively, in shriveled grains from selected T0 plants. These results demonstrate the potential utility of the GluB‐4 promoter for biotechnological applications. The phenotypic effects of xylanase expression in maize presented here demonstrate the difficulties of hemicellulase expression in an important crop for cellulosic biofuels production. Potential alternate approaches to achieve xylanase accumulation in planta without the accompanying negative phenotypes are discussed.
Barriers to Exporting: What are They and Who do They Matter to?
Authors: Kneller Richard , Pisu Mauro 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe international trade literatures on gravity modelling and firm‐level export behaviour have established that nontariff barriers are important impediments to international trade flows. In this paper, we provide fresh evidence on the actual barriers to exports firms face and how they vary with firm‐level characteristics. Our results indicate that the higher the export experience of firms the lower are the trade costs they face. These barriers are not related to other firm‐level characteristics, such as productivity and size, found by the literature to be associated with export market entry. Overall, these results suggest the existence of a process of learning to export whereby firms learn how to cope with export barriers through direct experience in export markets.
Globalisation, Growth and Convergence
Authors: Villaverde José , Maza Adolfo 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThis paper, devoted to the study of globalisation, analyses two distinct but closely related issues: First, it aims at evaluating disparities in the degree of globalisation observed in a sample of 101 countries over the period 1970–2005. Second, the paper tries to shed some light to the much debated issue of whether globalisation affects economic growth and, in so doing, whether convergence in globalisation brings about convergence in per capita income. The results obtained are both encouraging: on the one side, as it is shown that there has been a clear process of globalisation convergence; on the other, the paper concludes that globalisation has been one of the main drivers of economic growth, thus fostering convergence in per capita income.
The effectiveness of anticellulite treatment using tripolar radiofrequency monitored by classic and high‐frequency ultrasound
Authors: Mlosek R.K. , Woźniak W. , Malinowska S. , Lewandowski M. , Nowicki A. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBackground  Cellulite affects nearly 85% of the female population. Given the size of the phenomenon, we are continuously looking for effective ways to reduce cellulite. Reliable monitoring of anticellulite treatment remains a problem.Objective  The main aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of anticellulite treatment carried out using radiofrequency (RF), which was monitored by classical and high‐frequency ultrasound.Methods  Twenty‐eight women underwent anticellulite treatment using RF, 17 women were in the placebo group. The therapy was monitored by classical and high‐frequency ultrasound. The examinations evaluated the thickness of the epidermal echo, dermis thickness, dermis echogenicity, the length of the subcutaneous tissue bands growing into the dermis, the presence or absence of oedema, the thickness of subcutaneous tissue as well as thigh circumference and the stage of cellulite (according to the Nürnberger–Müller scale).Results  Cellulite was reduced in 89.286% of the women who underwent RF treatment. After the therapy, the following observations were made: a decrease in the thickness of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, an increase in echogenicity reflecting on the increase in the number of collagen fibres, decreased subcutaneous tissue growing into bands in the dermis, and the reduction of oedema. In the placebo group, no statistically significant changes of the above parameters were observed.Conclusion  Radiofrequency enables cellulite reduction. A crucial aspect is proper monitoring of the progress of such therapy, which ultrasound allows.
Excision of apocrine glands and axillary superficial fascia as a single entity for the treatment of axillary bromhidrosis
Authors: He J. , Wang T. , Dong J. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBackground  Surgical excision of apocrine glands is the effective treatment for axillary bromhidrosis. Skin necrosis, the most serious adverse result observed postoperatively, results in a prolonged wound healing and leads to unsightly scars in the axillary fossae. It is mainly caused by the skin damage during the operation and postoperative seroma or haematoma formation.Objective  To investigate the effects and complications of our surgical modality for axillary bromhidrosis.Methods  Sixty‐three patients with bromhidrosis were treated. An incision about two‐thirds of the length of the widest transverse diameter was made on the axillary crease. The loosened layers between the dermis and axillary superficial fascia containing apocrine glands were carefully undermined with an iris scissor. The entire apocrine glands‐axillary superficial fascia complex was dissected from the centre to the superior and inferior margins with an electrosurgical pencil.Results  Of the 126 axillae, malodour was eradicated in 112 axillae and reduced sharply in 14. There were three cases of skin necroses. The Dermatology Life Quality Index score decreased significantly and the quality of life improved after the operation.Conclusion  Our surgical technique can achieve minimal tissue damage and maintain no hematoma postoperatively. The rate of skin necrosis was low. Quality of life improved after the procedure in this patient population.
Is atopy and autoimmunity more prevalent in patients with alopecia areata? A comparative study
Authors: Serarslan G. , Savaş N. , Yenin J.Z. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractObjective  We aimed to determine whether there was a difference between adult and paediatric alopecia areata patients with respect to the severity and pattern of the disease, nail changes and personal and family history of autoimmune diseases and also in comparison with controls.Methods  Two groups were included: patients with onset of alopecia before the age of ≤18 years and >18 years. The total number of the patients were 124. The control group was comprised of 114 age‐ and gender‐matched patients.Results  There were 81 adults and 43 children. No statistically significant difference was present between disease severity and gender, age, personal and family history of autoimmune disease in the adult and paediatric group (P > 0.5). Thirteen adults with scalp involvement had nail changes. 61.5% had mild and 38.46% had severe disease (P > 0.5). Of the 43 paediatric patients, 10 patients had nail changes. Severe alopecia was present in 40% of patients with nail changes; however, 9.1% had severe alopecia in patients without nail changes (P = 0.04). There was no statistical significance in patients with and without familial autoimmune diseases when compared with pattern and severity of the diseases between the two groups.Conclusion  The frequencies of autoimmune and atopic diseases were not different between adult and paediatric patients and the control group. We did not find a statistically significance between disease severity and personal and family history of autoimmune disease in the two groups. Disease severity was not related to nail changes in the adult group. However, severe alopecia areata was more prevalent in children with nail changes. Furthermore, ophiasis pattern was more prevalent in the paediatric group with nail changes compared with the adult group.
Associated comorbidities in psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Binus A.M. , Han J. , Qamar A.A. , Mody E.A. , Holt E.W. , Qureshi A.A. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBackground  The association between psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been previously reported although a great deal remains unknown about associated comorbidities.Objectives  The aim of this study was to examine comorbidities in individuals diagnosed with both psoriasis and IBD, and to compare those with individuals diagnosed with psoriasis‐only. We also looked at differences within the IBD group by clearly defining that cohort.Methods  We included 146 patients diagnosed with both psoriasis and IBD and 146 controls diagnosed of psoriasis‐only without previous records of IBD, matched by gender, ethnicity and age (±5 years). Patients were obtained from the research patient data repository of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital. Controls were obtained from the psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis follow‐up study (PAFS) at BWH. The comparison between the two groups included socio‐demographics, comorbidities and laboratory inflammation parameters.Results  Compared to individuals with psoriasis‐only, patients with both psoriasis and IBD had significantly higher rates of autoimmune thyroiditis (2.1% vs. 6.8%), hepatitis (0.7 vs. 6.2%) and diabetes (11.0% vs. 26.7%). In addition, of the 146 patients with psoriasis and IBD, 60 (41.1%) were diagnosed with seronegative arthritis. The average C‐reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of the last visits in our clinics were significantly elevated compared to the individuals with psoriasis‐only (ESR, 33.5 vs. 4.0 mm/h; CRP, 9.1 vs. 2.3 mg/L; both P‐values <0.0001).Conclusions  We found that patients with both, psoriasis and IBD have a number of further associated comorbidities, some at significantly higher levels than individuals with psoriasis‐only. Common inflammatory pathways and genetic predispositions for specific patterns in the immune response may play an important role in the evolution of associated conditions.
Potentiation of μ‐opioid receptor‐mediated signaling by ketamine
Authors: Gupta Achla , Devi Lakshmi A. , Gomes Ivone 
Published: June 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 294–302.AbstractKetamine, a clinically relevant drug, has been shown to enhance opioid‐induced analgesia and prevent hyperalgesia. However, the molecular mechanisms involved are not clearly understood. As previous studies found that activation of opioid receptors leads to the phosphorylation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases, we investigated whether ketamine could modulate μ‐opioid receptor (μOR)‐mediated ERK1/2 phosphorylation. We find that acute treatment with ketamine enhances (∼2‐ to 3‐fold) the levels of opioid‐induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation in recombinant as well as cells endogenously expressing μOR. Interestingly, we find that in the absence of ketamine ERK1/2 signaling is desensitized 10 min after opioid exposure whereas in its presence significant levels (∼3‐fold over basal) are detected. In addition, ketamine increases the rate of resensitization of opioid‐mediated ERK1/2 signaling (15 min in its presence vs. 30 min in its absence). These results suggest that ketamine increases the effectiveness of opiate‐induced signaling by affecting multiple mechanisms. In addition, these effects are observed in heterologous cells expressing μOR suggesting a non‐NMDA receptor‐mediated action of ketamine. Together this could, in part, account for the observed effects of ketamine on the enhancement of the analgesic effects of opiates as well as in the duration of opiate‐induced analgesia.
Repeated exposure to cocaine alters medial prefrontal cortex dopamine D2‐like receptor modulation of glutamate and dopamine neurotransmission within the mesocorticolimbic system
Authors: Liu Kun , Steketee Jeffery D. 
Published: June 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 332–341.AbstractRepeated exposure to cocaine progressively increases drug‐induced locomotor activity, which is termed behavioral sensitization. Previous studies have demonstrated that sensitization to cocaine is associated with a decrease in dopamine D2 receptor function in the medial prefrontal cortex. The present report tested the hypothesis that reduced medial prefrontal cortex D2 receptor function as a result of repeated cocaine exposure results in augmented excitatory transmission to the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area, possibly as a partial result of enhanced inhibition of local dopamine release. Dual probe microdialysis experiments were conducted in male Sprague–Dawley rats 1, 7 or 30 days following the last of four daily injections of saline (1.0 mL/kg) or cocaine (15 mg/kg). Infusion of quinpirole (0.01, 1.0 and 100 μM), a D2‐like receptor agonist, into the medial prefrontal cortex produced a dose‐dependent decrease in cortical, nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area extracellular glutamate levels in control but not sensitized animals. Quinpirole also reduced basal dopamine levels in the medial prefrontal cortex in sensitized animals following 1 day of withdrawal from cocaine. Following 30 days of withdrawal, quinpirole also reduced dopamine levels in sensitized animals relative to saline controls, but not relative to baseline levels. These findings indicate that the expression of sensitization to cocaine is associated with altered modulation of mesocorticolimbic glutamatergic transmission at the level of the medial prefrontal cortex.
Differences in spirometry and diffusing capacity after a 3‐h wet or dry oxygen dive with a PO2 of 150 kPa
Authors: van Ooij P. J. A. M. , van Hulst R. A. , Houtkooper A. , Sterk P. J. 
Published: June 2011

SummaryRationale:  Breathing oxygen with a partial pressure of >50 kPa causes pulmonary oxygen toxicity (POT), resulting in a decrease in vital capacity (VC) and in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco). As submersion is thought to potentiate POT, we hypothesized that submerged oxygen divers are at increased risk for POT.Objective:  To compare changes in lung function after submerged (wet) and non‐submerged (dry) oxygen dives.Method:  Thirteen healthy male divers (mean ± SD: 25 ± 2 years, 184 ± 7 cm, 85 ± 10 kg) made a dry and a wet dive to 150 kPa for 3 h, during which they breathed 100% oxygen. At baseline, within 1 and 4 h after their dives, spirometry and diffusing capacity were measured. Data were analysed with ANOVA using Bonferroni correction and paired t‐tests.Results:  Compared with baseline, there was a significant reduction in DLco (−1·6 mmol kPa−1 min−1) after a wet oxygen dive but not after a dry dive. In addition, relative to baseline, there was a significant difference in ΔDLco and ΔVC when comparing wet and dry oxygen dives.Conclusion:  Diffusing capacity is more impaired after a wet oxygen dive than after a dry one. This suggests that wet oxygen divers are at increased risk for POT. Monitoring studies during daily practice of professional divers are mandatory to determine the exact operational relevance of the present findings.
The impact of depression and anxiety disorder symptoms on the health‐related quality of life of children and adolescents with epilepsy
Authors: Stevanovic Dejan , Jancic Jasna , Lakic Aneta 
Published: June 2011

SummaryThis study evaluated the effects of depression and anxiety disorder symptoms on the health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of children and adolescents with epilepsy. Sixty children and adolescents and their parents participated in the study. Symptoms of anxiety disorders were identified by the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders questionnaire (SCARED) and symptoms of depression by the Mood and Feeling Questionnaire (MFQ). The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was used for HRQOL assessments. A series of simple and partial correlations revealed that the levels of HRQOL significantly decrease as symptoms of depression or anxiety disorders increase and vice versa. Stepwise regression method of children’s ratings resulted in a final model of school achievement and symptoms of generalized anxiety and separation anxiety disorder as predictors that explain 50.9% of the variation in HRQOL (F = 11.21, p < 0.000). For parents’ ratings, the final model included symptoms of depression and separation anxiety disorder as predictors that explain 38.4% of the variation in HRQOL (F = 10.82, p < 0.000). In summary, symptoms of depression and generalized and separation anxiety disorders have the most significant impact on HRQOL.