bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Purinergic regulation of vascular tone and remodelling
Authors: Burnstock G. 
Published: June 2009

Summary1 Purinergic signalling is involved both in short‐term control of vascular tone and in longer‐term control of cell proliferation, migration and death involved in vascular remodelling.2 There is dual control of vascular tone by adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP) released from perivascular nerves and by ATP released from endothelial cells in response to changes in blood flow (shear stress) and hypoxia.3 Both ATP and its breakdown product, adenosine, regulate smooth muscle and endothelial cell proliferation.4 These regulatory mechanisms are important in pathological conditions, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, restenosis, diabetes and vascular pain.
Pharmacology of the internal anal sphincter and its relevance to faecal incontinence
Authors: Mills K. , Chess‐Williams R. 
Published: June 2009

Summary1 The internal anal sphincter (IAS) has a spontaneous tone and is the main contributor to the maintenance of faecal continence. The spontaneous resting tone exhibited by the sphincter can be modified by neurotransmitters from the autonomic and enteric nervous systems.2 In this review, the influence of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems on IAS tone are discussed and the putative roles of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, vasoactive intestinal peptide and adenosine triphosphate in non‐adrenergic non‐cholinergic transmission are considered.3 Faecal incontinence is a common condition that places a heavy financial burden on the health service and severely affects patients’ quality of life. Resting anal pressure is reduced in patients with faecal incontinence and agents that increase sphincter tone tend to relieve symptoms. The results of clinical studies of the use of phenylephrine to treat faecal incontinence are reviewed.4 It is concluded that the IAS is a potential target for drug development for the treatment of faecal incontinence.
The role of nitric oxide in A3 adenosine receptor‐mediated cardioprotection
Authors: Hussain A. , Karjian P. , Maddock H. 
Published: June 2009

Summary1 Limiting the impact of ischemia reperfusion‐related cell death is of vital importance given the enormous figures of heart related mortality in the world.2 Coronary heart disease (CHD) is responsible for over 100 000 deaths in the UK each year, and is the most common cause of premature death in the UK and as a whole it is estimated that there are just over 1.5 million men, and 1.1 million women, who have suffered CHD in the form of either angina or myocardial infarction (http://www.heartstats.org).3 In patients undergoing standard clinical reperfusion treatment today such as thrombolysis, percutaneous coronary angioplasty (primary PCTA), and bypass surgery, there remains an underscored need for novel therapies and strategies to reduce post‐ischemic infarct size.4 This review focuses on some of the intracellular signalling pathways that have been proposed to be coupled to A3 adenosine receptors in order to reduce post‐ischemic infarct size, in particular the role of nitric oxide in A3 adenosine receptor‐mediated cardioprotection is discussed.
Mechanical weeding effects on soil structure under field carrots (Daucus carota L.) and beans (Vicia faba L.)
Authors: Ball B. C. , Crawford C. E. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe successful production of organic vegetables relies heavily on mechanical weeding, flame weeding and stale seedbeds. These operations involve repeated passes by tractors. Mechanical weeding also involves regular tillage. This combination of repeated tillage and compaction changes soil structure. We studied these structural changes in two fields of organic carrots and one field of beans in eastern Scotland. Structure was described by measuring soil strength with a vane shear tester and a cone penetrometer, by measuring bulk density and by visual assessment. Under beans, vane shear strength below the growing root zone was highly variable and in some areas was high enough to restrict root growth (>50 kPa). The carrots were grown in beds containing crop rows separated by bare soil. The bare soil was regularly weeded mechanically. The structure of this weeded soil in the top 10 cm layer of a loam eventually became disrupted and compacted enough to deter root growth (vane shear strength of 70 kPa). In addition the topsoil and subsoil in the wheel‐tracks between the beds became very compact with little distinguishable structure. This compaction extended to the subsoil and persisted into the next cropping season (cone resistance >3 MPa at 35–50 cm depth). Reduced tillage by discing without ploughing was used to incorporate the straw used to protect the carrots overwinter and prepare the soil for the next crop. The resulting topsoil quality was poor leading to anaerobic growing conditions which restricted growth of the following crop and led to losses of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. The greatest threat to soil quality posed by mechanical weeding was subsoil compaction by tractor wheeling.
Physiological evidence for interaction between the HIV‐1 co‐receptor CXCR4 and the cannabinoid system in the brain
Authors: Benamar Khalid , Yondorf Menachem , Geller Ellen B , Eisenstein Toby K , Adler Martin W 
Published: June 2009

Background and purpose: The chemokine, stromal cell‐derived growth factor‐1α (SDF‐1α/CXCL12), a member of the CXC chemokine family, and the ligand for CXCR4, the co‐receptor involved in the entry of human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1), was tested for its possible interaction with a physiological response to a cannabinoid.Experimental approach: The cannabinoid agonist, an aminoalkylindole, (+)‐WIN 55,212‐2 [(4,5‐dihydro‐2‐methyl‐4(4‐morpholinylmethyl)‐1‐(1‐naphthalenyl‐carbonyl)‐6H‐pyrrolo[3,2,1ij]quinolin‐6‐one], was infused directly into the preoptic anterior hypothalamus (POAH), the primary brain area involved in thermoregulation.Key results: WIN 55,212‐2 (5–15 µg) evoked a dose‐related hypothermia, which was attenuated by SDF‐1α/CXCL12 microinjected directly into the POAH. The inhibitory effect of SDF‐1α/CXCL12 on WIN 55,212‐2‐induced hypothermia was reversed by 1,1′‐[1,4‐phenylenebis(methylene)]bis[1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane] octohydrobromide dihydrate, an antagonist of SDF‐1α/CXCL12, acting at its receptor, CXCR4.Conclusion and implications: This study provides the firstin vivoevidence for a thermoregulatory interaction between the HIV‐1 co‐receptor and the cannabinoid system in the brain.
The Sultan's organ: presents and self‐presentation in Thomas Dallam's Diary
Authors: Danson Lawrence 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe Diary of the organ‐builder Thomas Dallam recounts his part in giving a magnificent ‘present’ from Queen Elizabeth and a group of English merchants to Sultan Muhammad III in 1599. The language of gift‐giving in Mediterranean commerce is a symptomatic anomaly. The ‘present’ stands in for a wider semantic field that includes bribery, extortion, and the paying of diplomatic tributes; Dallam's present to the Sultan followed other such English offerings, and is part of a widespread system of presentations at all social levels of European–Ottoman dealings. But Dallam's participation in the gift game, on his voyage and during his residence in Constantinople, cuts across the binary of east–west. Dallam is befriended by Muslims and by Englishmen ‘turned Turk’, and in his writing avoids the commonplaces of religious self‐righteousness. The ship that carries him also carries a virtual cross‐section of English society, from the English ambassador to his under‐butler to the young seaman who dies along the way, and is lorded over by a captain who adds the idea of ‘theft’ to the range of the word ‘present’. Dallam's account of the taking, giving, and avoiding of presents exposes English hypocrisy as well as Turkish opportunism. On the occasion of his organ's debut, and during his residence in Constantinople, he comes as close as any English traveller did to the inner sanctum of the mystified Ottoman empire, literally touching the Sultan and taking as his present a close‐up view of his harem.
In Vivo Preclinical Anticoagulation Regimens After Implantation of Ventricular Assist Devices
Authors: Saeed Diyar , Fukamachi Kiyotaka 
Published: June 2009

AbstractVentricular assist devices (VADs) have demonstrated successfully their ability to treat failing circulation of patients with end‐stage heart failure. Among the main obstacles with these VADs is thromboembolic events that increase device‐related morbidity and mortality. Prior to the clinical application of any newly developed VAD, the feasibility of the device is tested on animal models. Animal species have different hemostatic properties than human patients, and this factor creates a margin of error when comparing the occurrence of VAD‐induced thrombosis in an animal versus a human. This detailed literature review provides a thorough documentation of various preclinical anticoagulation protocols used to date, including their outcomes and recommendations for future anticoagulation management strategies. In summary, the outcomes favor a sheep or pig model over other animal models, and discourage the application of a single anticoagulative agent to improve outcomes with any of the currently available devices.
Extracorporeal Life Support: A Simple and Effective Weapon for Postcardiotomy Right Ventricular Failure
Authors: Liu Kuo‐Sheng , Tsai Feng‐Chun , Huang Yao‐Kuang , Wu Mon‐Yue , Chang Yu‐Sheng , Chu Jaw‐Ji , Lin Pyng Jing 
Published: June 2009

AbstractPostcardiotomy right ventricular (RV) failure develops during the perioperative period following pulmonary hypertensive crisis or acute myocardial infarction. This study reports our institutional experience in treating these patients with extracorporeal life support (ECLS). Between June 2002 and July 2005, 46 adults were treated with ECLS for postcardiotomy shock. Acute RV failure was the cause of support in 14 (30%). Patient mean age was 55.7 ± 15.4 years. Cardiac pathologies were valvular (n = 7), coronary (n = 1), combined coronary and valvular disease (n = 2), complex congenital heart (n = 2), aortic aneurysm (n = 1), and cardiomyopathy post heart transplant (n = 1). The triggers of RV failure were pulmonary hypertension (n = 6), RV infarction (n = 4), and not defined (n = 4). Patients were supported on ECLS for a mean duration of 71 ± 52 h (range, 10–183 h). Major complications included acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis (n = 4), reexploration for bleeding (n = 2), and acute subdural hematoma (n = 1). Nine (64%) patients were successfully weaned from ECLS, and seven (50%) survived to discharge. Preexisting pulmonary hypertension had a favorable tendency for weaning, and acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis correlated with in‐hospital mortality. ECLS is beneficial for treating postcardiotomy RV failure when conventional therapy is exhausted. As it can be deployed rapidly and does not require resternotomy for weaning, ECLS could be regarded as the first choice of mechanical support for postcardiotomy RV failure.
Assessment of Five Interleukins in Human Synovial Fluid as Possible Markers for Aseptic Loosening of Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Beraudi Alina , Stea Susanna , Cremonini Sara , Visentin Manuela , Toni Aldo 
Published: June 2009

AbstractOne of the most important factors that seems to be involved in total hip replacement is periprosthetic osteolysis. As it is well documented that several interleukins (ILs) are triggered in periprosthetic osteolysis, this article investigates the role of five ILs in primary and replacement total hip arthroplasty, understanding if one of them can also predict hip implant loosening, secondary surgery, and prosthesis breakage. The levels of IL‐1α, 1β, 6, 8, and 10 in synovial fluid were examined, using a high sensitivity enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit (Pierce Biotechnology, Inc., Rockford, IL, USA) to determine whether these cytokines could be used as markers of enhanced periprosthetic osteolysis, leading to aseptic loosening of total/partial hip arthroplasty or revision surgery. Synovial fluid was harvested from 23 patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty and 35 patients undergoing total/partial hip revision due to aseptic loosening. In the revision group, four cases had suffered a prosthesis fracture and five were second revisions. ILs 6 and 8 were significantly higher in the revisions (305 and 817 pg/mL) compared with the primary arthroplasties (151 and 151 pg/mL), including cases with prosthesis fracture and those requiring a second revision. IL‐10 levels were lower (not significantly) in second revision samples compared with those of revision samples. IL‐1β levels were significantly higher in prosthesis fracture samples compared with those of all the other revision samples. No statistically significant differences in IL levels were found between osteoarthritis samples and those of other diseases. These results are a step forward to elucidating the complex network of events that are involved in loosening of hip implants.
Correlations Between Spiritual Beliefs and Health‐Related Quality of Life of Chronic Hemodialysis Patients in Taiwan
Authors: Kao Tze‐Wah , Chen Pau‐Chung , Hsieh Chia‐Jung , Chiang Hong‐Wei , Tsang Lap‐Yuen , Yang Ing‐Fang , Tsai Tun‐Jun , Chen Wan‐Yu 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThis study evaluated the correlations between spiritual beliefs and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of hemodialysis (HD) patients in Taiwan. Participants had to complete two questionnaires: the 36‐item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire and the Royal Free Interview for Spiritual and Religious Beliefs. They were then divided into three groups according to their strength of spiritual beliefs—having no, weak, or strong beliefs. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data among groups were compared. Correlations between spiritual beliefs and HRQOL were then determined by the analysis of covariance and the post hoc Scheffe tests. Six hundred thirty‐three patients completed the study. There were more women in the group of patients with strong beliefs (P =  0.005) and more less‐educated patients in the group of patients with weak beliefs (P = 0.005). Patients with no or with strong spiritual beliefs had higher role physical (P =  0.01) and social functioning (SF) (P = 0.001) scores than patients with weak beliefs. After adjustment for gender, age, marital status, education, comorbidities, and time on dialysis, patients with no or with strong spiritual beliefs were found to have higher SF scores (P = 0.02) than patients with weak beliefs. HD patients with no or strong spiritual beliefs had higher SF HRQOL than those with weak spiritual beliefs.
Chronic Kidney Disease, Transplantation Practices and Transplantation Law in Pakistan: Opportunity for a Global Meditation
Authors: Akhtar Faheem 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe majority of countries have enacted edicts to regulate organ transplantation due to mounting recognition of its intricacies and increasing level of global disquiet. Frail national economy and status of health care infrastructure restricts access of the local population to both dialysis and transplantation in Pakistan. There is a surge in kidney transplantation activities, however. I have reported the enormity of organ crime in Pakistan. The number of commercial renal transplants range from 3000 to 4500. Foreign nationals share the marketplace. There are current attempts from the government to stop organ trade by strictly enforcing a recently sanctioned law on organ transplantation. Scarcity of comprehensive reliable data has hampered plausible assessments and indispensable modifications to facilitate designs for the future health care. Alternatives to organ transplantation will augment the choice of treatment modalities for a proliferating end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) population. The whole array of existing therapeutic modalities for ESRD has to be utilized. Promoting a fresh culture of organ donation by strengthening of the family institution may be another objective.
Fabrication of a Novel Hybrid Heart Valve Leaflet for Tissue Engineering: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Hong Hao , Dong Nianguo , Shi Jiawei , Chen Si , Guo Chao , Hu Ping , Qi Hongxu 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe objective of this study was to fabricate biomatrix/polymer hybrid heart valve leaflet scaffolds using an electrospinning technique and seeded by mesenchymal stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells were obtained from rats. Porcine aortic heart valve leaflets were decellularized, coated with basic fibroblast growth factor/chitosan/poly‐4‐hydroxybutyrate using an electrospinning technique, reseeded, and cultured over a time period of 14 days. Controls were reseeded and cultured over an equivalent time period. Specimens were examined biochemically, histologically, and mechanically. Recellularization of the hybrid heart valve leaflet scaffolds was significantly improved compared to controls. Biochemical and mechanical analysis revealed a significant increase of cell mass, 4‐hydroxyproline, collagen, and strength in the hybrid heart valve leaflets compared to controls. This is the first attempt in tissue‐engineered heart valves to fabricate hybrid heart valve leaflets using mesenchymal stem cells combined with a slow release technique and an electrospinning technique.
Rapid Oral Transmucosal Absorption of Sumatriptan, and Pharmacodynamics in Acute Migraine
Authors: Dilone Enrique , Bergstrom David , Cabana Bernard , Nedumpara Mercy , Fox Anthony W. ,   the Sumatriptan Lingual Spray Study Group
Published: June 2009

Objectives.— (1) To determine whether sumatriptan can be absorbed across the oral mucosa, and, if so; then (2) to describe its pharmacokinetics; and (3) to investigate whether there are pharmacodynamic correlates of such pharmacokinetics in patients experiencing migraine attacks.Methods.— Two clinical trials. The first, in normal volunteers, compared the pharmacokinetic performance of a lingual spray (LS) formulation of sumatriptan (2 dose sizes, one of which in both the fed and fasted state) with an orthodox 50‐mg sumatriptan tablet. The second clinical trial, in a patient population enriched by documenting suboptimal response to an initial 50‐mg sumatriptan tablet, was a multiple‐attack, crossover, fixed dose‐order, open‐label comparison of sumatriptan administered by LS (up to 3 different dose sizes) and a 100‐mg sumatriptan tablet.Results.— The LS formulations resulted in double‐peaked time‐plasma concentration curves that are consistent with absorption of sumatriptan across the oral mucosa. The first Tmax was usually about 10‐15 minutes. In the enriched patient population, this corresponded with evidence of earlier efficacy for the LS in comparison with a 50‐mg tablet; the lower dose size for the former was consistent with oral mucosal drug absorption, and evasion of first‐pass metabolism.Conclusions.— The initial pharmacokinetics of LS approximate to those of a subcutaneous injection, albeit some fraction of these doses is also swallowed. These pharmacokinetics correspond with earlier effectiveness of LS in comparison with a 50‐mg sumatriptan tablet, and at lower dose, in an enriched, relevant patient population. These initial studies support further development of this innovative formulation of sumatriptan and this new route of administration.
Headache Prophylaxis With BoNTA: Patient Characteristics
Authors: Silberstein Stephen D. , Marmura Michael J. , Shaw James , Yu Shengsheng 
Published: June 2009

(Headache 2010;50:63‐70)Objective.— To assess the characteristics of patients receiving botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA; BOTOX®) in the treatment of headache (HA) disorders.Methods.— The following observational epidemiologic data and baseline patient characteristics were prospectively collected from eligible patients treated with BoNTA at 10 US HA specialty centers: demographics; HA diagnoses and characteristics (frequency, severity, and disability); prior and current HA treatments and response; clinical response to BoNTA; Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire; and adverse events. Patients maintained a daily HA diary and were evaluated at each follow‐up visit.Results.— Of 703 patients enrolled (mean age 43.1 years, 78.5% females, 95.4% white), nearly 66% had a diagnosis of chronic migraine (CM), with or without medication overuse. Approximately 75% had severe disability (MIDAS grade IV), and the mean pain rating was 6.5 (where 0 = no pain, 10 = pain as bad as it can be). More than 90% of patients had ≥1 prophylactic HA treatment failure; median number of failures was 4. Significant association was observed between HA frequency and MIDAS grade (P < .001). Approximately 80% of patients with CM had severe (grade IV) disability. The median number of monthly medication days was higher in the group with MIDAS grade IV (P < .001). HA frequency and severity, failed prophylactic therapies, and greater number of coexisting medical conditions were all negatively associated with measures of health‐related quality of life.Conclusions.— Majority of patients treated with BoNTA in a specialty HA center presented with a CM diagnosis. HA disability was correlated with measures of frequency and treatment utilization.
Distributed source modeling of language with magnetoencephalography: Application to patients with intractable epilepsy
Authors: McDonald Carrie R. , Thesen Thomas , Hagler Jr Donald J. , Carlson Chad , Devinksy Orrin , Kuzniecky Rubin , Barr William , Gharapetian Lusineh , Trongnetrpunya Amy , Dale Anders M. , Halgren Eric 
Published: June 2009

SummaryPurpose:  To examine distributed patterns of language processing in healthy controls and patients with epilepsy using magnetoencephalography (MEG), and to evaluate the concordance between laterality of distributed MEG sources and language laterality as determined by the intracarotid amobarbital procedure (IAP).Methods:  MEG was performed in 10 healthy controls using an anatomically constrained, noise‐normalized distributed source solution (dynamic statistical parametric map, dSPM). Distributed source modeling of language was then applied to eight patients with intractable epilepsy. Average source strengths within temporoparietal and frontal lobe regions of interest (ROIs) were calculated, and the laterality of activity within ROIs during discrete time windows was compared to results from the IAP.Results:  In healthy controls, dSPM revealed activity in visual cortex bilaterally from ∼80 to 120 ms in response to novel words and sensory control stimuli (i.e., false fonts). Activity then spread to fusiform cortex ∼160–200 ms, and was dominated by left hemisphere activity in response to novel words. From ∼240 to 450 ms, novel words produced activity that was left‐lateralized in frontal and temporal lobe regions, including anterior and inferior temporal, temporal pole, and pars opercularis, as well as bilaterally in posterior superior temporal cortex. Analysis of patient data with dSPM demonstrated that from 350 to 450 ms, laterality of temporoparietal sources agreed with the IAP 75% of the time, whereas laterality of frontal MEG sources agreed with the IAP in all eight patients.Discussion:  Our results reveal that dSPM can unveil the timing and spatial extent of language processes in patients with epilepsy and may enhance knowledge of language lateralization and localization for use in preoperative planning.