bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Time and the consultation – an argument for a ‘certain slowness’
Authors: Sturmberg Joachim P. , Cilliers Paul 
Published: September 2009

AbstractWhen natural time sequences were replaced by clocks, time became a measurable commodity and the ‘speedy use of time’ a virtue. In medical practice shorter consultations allow more patients to be seen, whereas longer consultations result in a better understanding of the patient and her problems. Crossing the line of time‐efficiency and time‐effectiveness compromises the balance between short‐term turnover and long‐term outcomes. The consultation has all the hallmarks of a complex adaptive system whose characteristics are not determined by the characteristics of the components, but by the patterns of interaction among the components. Systems are dynamic and change over time; the dynamic nature is not incidental, but necessary as complex systems operate at conditions far from equilibrium. The central notion when we talk of time and complexity is that of ‘memory’. Memory is carrying something from the past over into the future. Memory is filtered/interpreted, separating noise from information. Memory therefore is not an instantaneous thing, it takes time to develop; it is slow. The dynamics between the participating agents in the consultation will create shared memories that live on to shape future interactions. Shared memories are stronger and contain more relevant knowledge if they are based on frequent interactions and ongoing doctor–patient relationships, leading to a better understanding of the whole person – a process that takes time. Sufficient time, that is, ‘a certain slowness’, is an essential element of the healing relationship in the consultation. It creates a sufficiently stable, but adaptive, environment that can withstand changing demands. Hence a more complete understanding of the consultation and its time demands will not only lead to more effective treatment, it will also humanize a situation which has become to a large extent purely instrumental. This process of humanization is important not only for the patient, but also for the doctor.
Distribution and movements of fin whales in the North Pacific Ocean
Authors: MIZROCH SALLY A. , RICE DALE W. , ZWIEFELHOFER DENNY , WAITE JANICE , PERRYMAN WAYNE L. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTWe summarize fin whaleBalaenoptera physaluscatch statistics, sighting data, mark recoveries and acoustics data. The annual cycle of most populations of fin whales had been thought to entail regular migrations between high‐latitude summer feeding grounds and lower‐latitude winter grounds. Here we present evidence of more complex and varied movement patterns.During summer, fin whales range from the Chukchi Sea south to 35 °N on the Sanriku coast of Honshu, to the Subarctic Boundary (ca. 42 °N) in the western and central Pacific, and to 32 °N off the coast of California. Catches show concentrations in seven areas which we refer to as ‘grounds’, representing productive feeding areas.During winter months, whales have been documented over a wide area from 60 °N south to 23 °N. Coastal whalers took them regularly in all winter months around Korea and Japan and they have been seen regularly in winter off southern California and northern Baja California. There are also numerous fin whale sightings and acoustic detections north of 40 °N during winter months. Calves are born during the winter, but there is little evidence for distinct calving areas.Whales implanted with Discovery‐type marks were killed in whaling operations, and location data from 198 marked whales demonstrate local site fidelity, consistent movements within and between the main summer grounds and long migrations from low‐latitude winter grounds to high‐latitude summer grounds.The distributional data agree with immunogenetic and marking findings which suggest that the migratory population segregates into at least two demes with separate winter mating grounds: a western ground off the coast of Asia and an eastern one off the American coast. Members of the two demes probably mingle in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands area.Prior research had suggested that there were at least two non‐migratory stocks of fin whale: one in the East China Sea and another in the Gulf of California. There is equivocal evidence for the existence of additional non‐migratory groups in the Sanriku‐Hokkaido area off Japan and possibly the northern Sea of Japan, but this is based on small sample sizes.
HIV‐infected Patients with a Large Thymus Maintain Higher CD4 Counts in a 5‐year Follow‐up Study of Patients Treated with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Kolte L. , Ryder L. P. , Albrecht‐Beste E. , Jensen Frank K. , Nielsen S. D. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractCD4 recovery in HIV‐infected patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is in part believed to be dependent on the degree of preserved thymic function. We investigated whether the thymus has a prolonged effect on CD4 recovery. Total and naïve CD4 counts as well as thymic output determined as the number of CD4 +  cells containing T‐cell receptor‐rearrangement excision DNA circles were measured prospectively in 25 HIV‐infected patients with known thymic size during 5 years of HAART. Patients with larger thymic size had at all time points of follow‐up significantly higher CD4 counts than patients with minimal thymic size (P = 0.0036). The CD4 increase from time of initiation of HAART until 6 months of follow‐up differed significantly between the two thymic groups (P = 0.045), but did not at later time points. Thymic output remained significantly higher in patients with larger thymic size at follow‐up. However, no difference in the increase in thymic output was seen between thymic groups. In conclusion, the importance of the thymus to the rate of cellular restoration seems primarily to lie within the first two years of HAART. However, patients with larger thymic size are able to maintain higher CD4 counts even after 5 years of HAART.
Complement Receptor 1 (A3650G RsaI and Intron 27 HindIII) Polymorphisms and Risk of Gallbladder Cancer in North Indian Population
Authors: Srivastava A. , Mittal B. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractDecreased expression due to genetic variations in complement receptor 1 (CR1) on erythrocytes might result in reduced clearance of immune complexes, conferring interindividual variation for gallbladder cancer (GBC) susceptibility. We studied role of CR1 (A3650G RsaI and Intron 27 HindIII) polymorphisms in gallstone disease and GBC in north Indian population. Study included 185 GBC patients, 185 gallstone patients and 200 controls. Genotyping was done by PCR‐RFLP. Result showed GG genotype and G allele of CR1 A3650G RsaI were conferring significant risk for GBC [(P = 0.022; OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.1–3.4) and (P = 0.035; OR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.0–3.8) respectively]. Also, comparison of GBC patients with gallstone patients showed increased risk for GBC in presence of GG genotype and G allele GBC (P = 0.048; OR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.0–3.0) and (P = 0.027; OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.0–1.8) respectively. No association of CR1 A3650G RsaI polymorphism was observed when gallstone patients were compared with controls. CR1 Intron 27 HindIII polymorphism was not associated with GBC and gallstone susceptibility. Haplotype analysis showed increased risk of GBC in presence of G,L haplotype (P = 0.046; OR = 1.35: 95% CI = 1.0–1.8). Subgroup stratifications on basis of gender and gallstone status showed GG genotype of CR1 A3650G RsaI polymorphism imparted high risk for GBC in females (P = 0.043; OR = 1.99: 95% CI = 1.4–3.9). Also there was increased risk for GBC in presence as well as absence of gallstones (OR = 1.85 and 1.76 respectively), but it was not statistically significant. We conclude that CR1 A3650G RsaI polymorphism plays an important role in conferring genetic susceptibility to gallbladder cancer GBC in north Indian population.
Feedback Regulation of Mitochondria by Caspase‐9 in the B Cell Receptor‐Mediated Apoptosis
Authors: Eeva J. , Nuutinen U. , Ropponen A. , Mättö M. , Eray M. , Pellinen R. , Wahlfors J. , Pelkonen J. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractDuring the germinal centre reaction (GC), B cells with non‐functional or self‐reactive antigen receptors are negatively selected by apoptosis to generate B cell repertoire with appropriate antigen specificities. We studied the molecular mechanism of Fas/CD95‐ and B cell receptor (BCR)‐induced apoptosis to shed light on the signalling events involved in the negative selection of GC B cells. As an experimental model, we used human follicular lymphoma (FL) cell line HF1A3, which originates from a GC B cell, and transfected HF1A3 cell lines overexpressing Bcl‐xL, c‐FLIPlong or dominant negative (DN) caspase‐9. Fas‐induced apoptosis was dependent on the caspase‐8 activation, since the overexpression of c‐FLIPlong, a natural inhibitor of caspase‐8 activation, blocked apoptosis induced by Fas. In contrast, caspase‐9 activation was not involved in Fas‐induced apoptosis. BCR‐induced apoptosis showed the typical characteristics of mitochondria‐dependent (intrinsic) apoptosis. Firstly, the activation of caspase‐9 was involved in BCR‐induced DNA fragmentation, while caspase‐8 showed only marginal role. Secondly, overexpression of Bcl‐xL could block all apoptotic changes induced by BCR. As a novel finding, we demonstrate that caspase‐9 can enhance the cytochrome‐c release and collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) during BCR‐induced apoptosis. The requirement of different signalling pathways in apoptosis induced by BCR and Fas may be relevant, since Fas‐ and BCR‐induced apoptosis can thus be regulated independently, and targeted to different subsets of GC B cells.
How the psychiatrists of a mental health department managed their patients before an attempted suicide
Authors: Scocco Paolo , Toffol Elena , Pilotto Elisa , Riccardo Pertile , Pavan Luigi 
Published: September 2009

Aims:  The aim of this survey was to describe patients in care at a large mental health department in northern Italy who attempted suicide, and the clinical management adopted by their psychiatrists before the event.Methods:  Data collection was based on a questionnaire administered to the reference psychiatrists.Results:  Over a period of 12 months, 166 catchment area residents attempted suicide. Sixty‐six (40%) had contacted the mental health department in the previous two years and completed data were obtained on 63. Twenty‐nine (46%) suffered from mood, 26 (41%) from personality and 11 (18%) from schizophrenic disorders. Thirty‐four attempts occurred within one year of psychiatric ward discharge, mostly in the first quarter.The reference psychiatrists reported that, at the last evaluation, 38 of 63 patients (60%) presented no change in clinical conditions, and 41 of 63 (68%) were considered at no immediate risk of suicide. Most of the attempted suicides in question (45, 72%) were judged to be unpreventable. In the two logistic regression analyses carried out, no independent variables were able to statistically significantly explain the variance in judged suicidal risk or the preventability of the index attempted suicide.Conclusions:  According to the psychiatrists' descriptions of their last contact with the patients, most attempted suicides have not been preceded by a change in clinical conditions. Moreover, psychiatrists, irrespective of their age and gender, and of patient diagnosis, frequently judged the attempts to have been unpreventable.
Low level of parental bonding might be a risk factor among women with prolonged depression: A preliminary investigation
Authors: Handa Hiroko , Ito Akinori , Tsuda Hitoshi , Ohsawa Isao , Ogawa Toyoaki 
Published: September 2009

Aims:  The aim of the present study was to determine whether or not the effect of parenting by the father and mother on outcomes for depression may be different between male and female subjects.Methods:  A total of 115 patients were involved in this investigation: 74 had states of depression that continued for more than 2 years, and 41 had symptoms that remitted within 4 months. The Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) was used to test for gender differences in the PBI score, the level of education, and the age at which the depression began, using an unpaired t‐test.Results:  It is suggested that female patients with low paternal care and low levels of education have a higher likelihood of showing symptoms of prolonged depression in a primary episode. No relationship was found among prolongation of depression, educational level, and parental care in male patients. Furthermore, comparing the PBI quadrants established by Parker showed that female patients who were exposed to paternal care as ‘Affectionless Control’, had a tendency towards a higher risk of prolonged depression than female patients who received ‘Optimal Parenting’.Conclusion:  Especially in female patients, the prolongation of depression is likely a result of low levels of paternal care and low education.
Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview: Development, reliability and validity of the Chinese version
Authors: Lu Lu , Wang Lie , Yang Xiaoshi , Feng Qiaolian 
Published: September 2009

Aims:  To develop a specific scale used in measuring caregiver burden in China, and to evaluate its reliability and validity.Methods:  Participants from the First and Second Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University and the Hospital of Tiefa Coal Industry Group completed the Chinese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview.Results:  A total of 523 caregivers were included. The internal consistency of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview was high (Cronbach's α 0.875). The item–total correlations were all statistically significant (P < 0.01). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the five factors of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview in this study, and the goodness‐of‐fit indices reported for this 5‐factor model all fell within the acceptable range.Conclusions:  The Chinese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview is reliable and valid for use. This study has important implications for burden measurement in Chinese caregivers.
Association between masticatory performance and anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in the elderly
Authors: Okada Kiwako , Enoki Hiromi , Izawa Sachiko , Iguchi Akihisa , Kuzuya Masafumi 
Published: September 2009

Aim:  The association between chewing ability and physical constitution and nutritional status remains uncertain in the elderly. We examined the relationships between chewing ability and anthropometric measurements or nutritional status in the elderly.Methods:  A total of 200 subjects (78 men and 122 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 76.6 ± 7.1) were enrolled from geriatric clinical settings. Chewing ability was evaluated by color‐changeable chewing gum. Bodyweight, body mass index, mid‐upper‐arm circumference (MAC), and triceps skinfold, grip strength, serum albumin, physical and cognitive functions, depressive status, and dental status were determined.Results:  Correlations were found between chewing ability and bodyweight, MAC, dental status, physical and cognitive functions, and depressive status after adjusting for age and sex. The concentrations of serum albumin were well‐correlated with chewing ability and anthropometric measurements. Stepwise linear regression analyses revealed that the masticatory cycle, dental status, bodyweight and MAC are predictors of chewing ability, and that age, chewing ability, grip strength and sex are predictors of serum albumin concentrations.Conclusion:  Chewing ability is associated with not only oral health status but also the physical constitution of the elderly. In addition, chewing ability may add to the regulation of the nutritional status in the elderly.
The limbic circuitry underlying cocaine seeking encompasses the PPTg/LDT
Authors: Schmidt Heath D. , Famous Katie R. , Pierce R. C. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe direct glutamatergic projection from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to the nucleus accumbens plays a critical role in mediating the reinstatement of cocaine seeking behavior. The mPFC also sends glutamatergic projections to the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT), which in turn send glutamatergic and cholinergic efferents to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) where they synapse on dopaminergic cells that innervate limbic structures including the nucleus accumbens. The goal of these experiments was to examine a potential role for the PPTg/LDT in the reinstatement of cocaine seeking. All rats were trained to self‐administer cocaine (0.25 mg, i.v.) on a fixed‐ratio 5 schedule of reinforcement. Cocaine self‐administration behavior was extinguished and a series of subsequent pharmacological experiments were performed to assess the potential role of the mPFC, PPTg/LDT and VTA in the reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Administration of the D1‐like dopamine receptor agonist SKF‐81297 (1.0 μg) directly into the mPFC produced a small, but statistically significant, increase in cocaine seeking behavior. Furthermore, microinjection of the ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist CNQX (0.3 μg) into the PPTg/LDT attenuated the reinstatement of drug seeking induced by a priming injection of cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.). Intra‐VTA administration of CNQX, the nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine (10.0 μg) or the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine (24.0 μg) also blocked cocaine seeking. Taken together, these results suggest that cocaine priming‐induced reinstatement of drug seeking is mediated in part by a serial polysynaptic limbic subcircuit encompassing the mPFC, PPTg/LDT and VTA.
Influence of age on behavioral, immune and endocrine responses to the T‐cell superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A
Authors: Kohman Rachel A. , Crowell Beth , Urbach‐Ross Daniella , Kusnecov Alexander W. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAged subjects are more vulnerable to administration of the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide, but research on age‐associated sensitivity to other immune stimulants has been limited. The current study examined the effects of administering the superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), to young (4‐month‐old) and aged (20‐month‐old) male C57BL/6J mice on consumption of a novel liquid, cytokine production, corticosterone levels, and expression of central mRNA levels of cytokines and corticotropin‐releasing hormone. SEA produced exaggerated hypophagia in aged mice, as they showed decreased consumption that persisted for 24 h. SEA increased hypothalamic mRNA levels of interleukin‐1β in the aged, but not the young, mice 2 h after administration. No differences in cytokine expression were observed 24 h after SEA. Both age groups showed increased plasma corticosterone levels 2 h after SEA administration. However, 24 h after SEA exposure the aged, but not the young, mice showed an augmented corticosterone response to the consumption test. Collectively, these data show that aging may exacerbate the behavioral and neuroinflammatory response to superantigen exposure. Further, the present study suggests that immune activation may result in delayed alterations in stress‐induced corticosterone production in aged subjects.
Zn2+ mediates ischemia‐induced impairment of the ubiquitin‐proteasome system in the rat hippocampus
Authors: Chen Min , Chen Qian , Cheng Xue‐Wen , Lu Ting‐Jia , Liu Han‐Xing , Jia Jie‐Min , Zhang Chi , Xu Li , Xiong Zhi‐Qi 
Published: September 2009

AbstractDeposition of ubiquitinated protein aggregates is a hallmark of neurodegeneration in both acute neural injuries, such as stroke, and chronic conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the role of Zn2+ in ischemia‐induced impairment of the ubiquitin‐proteasome system in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus after transient global ischemia. We found that scavenging endogenous Zn2+ reduced ischemia‐induced ubiquitin conjugation and free ubiquitin depletion. Furthermore, exposure to zinc chloride increased ubiquitination and inhibited proteasomal enzyme activity in cultured hippocampal neurons in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent manner. Further studies of the underlying mechanisms showed that Zn2+‐induced ubiquitination required p38 activation. These findings indicate that alterations in Zn2+ homeostasis impair the protein degradation pathway.
The membrane cytoskeletal protein adducin is phosphorylated by protein kinase C in D1 neurons of the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum following cocaine administration
Authors: Lavaur Jérémie , Mineur Yann S. , Picciotto Marina R. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractRepeated cocaine administration results in persistent changes in synaptic function in the mesolimbic dopamine system that are thought to be critical for the transition to addiction. Cytoskeletal rearrangement and actin dynamics are essential for this drug‐dependent plasticity. Cocaine administration increases levels of F‐actin in the nucleus accumbens and is associated with changes in the phosphorylation state of actin‐binding proteins. The adducins constitute a family of proteins that interact with actin and spectrin to maintain cellular architecture. The interaction of adducin with these cytoskeletal proteins is regulated by phosphorylation, and it is therefore expected that phosphorylation of adducin may be involved in morphological changes underlying synaptic responses to drugs of abuse including cocaine. In the current study, we characterized the regulation of adducin phosphorylation in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum in response to various regimen of cocaine. Our results demonstrate that adducin is phosphorylated by protein kinase C in medium spiny neurons that express the dopamine D1 receptor. These data indicate that adducin phosphorylation is a signaling event regulated by cocaine administration and further suggest that adducin may be involved in remodeling of the neuronal cytoskeleton in response to cocaine administration.
The gastrointestinal effects that may follow the administration of theophylline reflect the pharmacodynamic profiles of both the parent drug and its metabolites
Authors: Psarra Theophano A. , Batzias Georgios C. , Peeters Theo L. , Koutsoviti‐Papadopoulou Maria 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThis study investigates the effect of theophylline along the rabbit gastrointestinal tract in comparison with the pharmacodynamic effect produced by the combined application of its three major metabolites. At concentrations up to 10−3 m, theophylline relaxed, in a declining order from the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) to pylorus, all regions of the upper gastrointestinal tract, but only the ascending colon from the intestinal regions studied. At concentrations higher than 10−3 m, instead of relaxing, theophylline strongly contracted the antrum and pylorus. In all three small intestinal regions, at concentrations up to 10−3 m, theophylline produced a weak contraction, which at higher concentrations became very strong, and at 10−2 mwas comparable to that produced by a supramaximal dose of acetylcholine. The additive relaxing effect resulting from the combined application of the theophylline’s metabolites was, from oesophagus to pylorus, weaker than that produced by theophylline, while on the ascending colon it was comparable to that of the parent drug. In contrast, the additive contractile effect of the metabolites on the three small intestinal regions was four to five times higher the one produced by theophylline. In conclusion, this study shows that the additive effect of the combined application of theophylline’s major metabolites on the rabbit gastrointestinal tract plays a major role in the final response of the intestine, and a minor one in the final responses of the gastric regions, while both the parent drug and the metabolites contribute to the final responses of the oesophagus and LOS.