bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ceftazidime dosage regimen in intensive care unit patients: from a population pharmacokinetic approach to clinical practice via Monte Carlo simulations
Authors: Georges Bernard , Conil Jean‐Marie , Ruiz Stéphanie , Seguin Thierry , Cougot Pierre , Fourcade Olivier , Houin Georges , Saivin Sylvie 
Published: October 2011

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECTThe large variability in drug pharmacokinetic disposition has already been described in ICU patients leading to important variations in drugs concentrations.The usual recommended dosage of ceftazidime is not adapted for all ICU situations and ceftazidime should be monitored closely. New recommendations have to be given for some specific cases.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDSOur results propose individual therapeutic drug monitoring taking into account:• For the patient: the reason of admission in the ICU, the mechanical ventilation status and the creatinine clearance calculated by the modified diet in enal disease (MDRD).• For the antibiotics: the lung distribution, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the strain to eradicate and the potential toxicity.AIM To predict the ceftazidime dosage regimen as a function of the glomerular filtration rate expressed by the modification of the diet in renal disease (MDRD), reason for admission and mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit (ICU) patients to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia.METHOD A published and qualified population pharmacokinetic model was used to perform Monte Carlo simulations of ceftazidime concentrations. The serum target of 40–100 mg l−1 was defined based on the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), the European break point (EBP), the pulmonary drug diffusion and toxicity. The recommended dosage regimens were based on the maximum percentile of the patients with simulated steady state concentrations reaching the target.RESULTS Steady‐state was reached at 72 h whatever the MDRD. The simulations of serum concentrations generated higher percentiles of the population reaching the target after continuous administration. We recommend a 4 g continuous dose after the usual 2 g loading dose for patients with MDRD from 10 to 30 ml min−1, 6 g for MDRD between 40 and 80 ml min−1, 8 g for MDRD from 90 to 110 ml min−1, 10 g for MDRD from 120 to 190 ml min−1 and 12 g day−1 for patients with MDRD higher than 200 ml min−1.CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that in ICU patients for a given MDRD, steady‐state takes longer to reach in polytrauma patients than in patients with medical or post surgery reasons for admission. Continuous infusion ensures that a higher percentage of patients reaches the target than the same dose given by discontinuous administration and this only depends on MDRD.
Association of vitamin D and antimicrobial peptide production during late‐phase allergic responses in the lung
Authors: Liu M. C. , Xiao H.‐Q. , Brown A. J. , Ritter C. S. , Schroeder J. 
Published: October 2011

SummaryBackgroundVitamin D may play important roles in regulating immune responses and in defence against infectious diseases by effects on both innate and adaptive immune responses. Little is known regarding activation of vitamin D within airway tissues and its relationship to inflammation and antimicrobial responses.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the activation of vitamin D within the airways and to define relationships between vitamin D metabolites and measures of inflammatory and antimicrobial responses assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) during late‐phase responses following allergen challenge of allergic subjects.MethodsSegmental allergen challenge was performed with saline and allergen in 16 adult allergic subjects. BAL was performed in both saline and allergen‐challenged sites 20–24 h. after challenge. Following extraction from BAL fluids, levels of 25‐hydroxy‐vitamin D (25(OH)D) and 1,25‐dihydroxy‐vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) were assayed by specific radioimmunoassays. The cleavage product of cathelicidin, LL‐37, was assayed by ELISA. Cellular constituents and albumin were measured.ResultsLevels of vitamin D metabolites were increased in concentrated BAL fluids after allergen compared to saline challenge. Levels of 1,25(OH)2D increased from largely undetectable to 2.5 pm (median; range: 1–29.5; P = 0.005) while 25(OH)D increased from 3.2 (0.8–6.2) to 6.2 (1.5–184.9) nm (P = 0.0006). Levels of LL‐37 increased from 2.1 (1.4–4.1) to 14.5 (2.2–106.7) ng/mL BAL (P = 0.0005). Levels of LL‐37, 1,25(OH)2D, and 25(OH)D following allergen challenge were correlated with each other (P < 0.0001), cellular changes, and levels of albumin (P < 0.001).Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceLevels of vitamin D metabolites, particularly 1,25(OH)2D, were low within the airways and increased after allergen challenge. The increases correlated with the magnitude of inflammation and increases in cathelicidin. Normalization to albumin suggested plasma exudation as a mechanism for the increases. The findings support a role for vitamin D in allergic and innate immune responses in the lung.
Activation of a prophage‐encoded tyrosine kinase by a heterologous infecting phage results in a self‐inflicted abortive infection
Authors: Friedman David I. , Mozola Cara C. , Beeri Karen , Ko Ching‐Chung , Reynolds Jared L. 
Published: October 2011

SummaryBacteria in their struggle for survival have evolved or acquired defences against attacking phage. However, phage often contribute to this defence through mechanisms in which a prophage protects the bacterial population from attack by another, often unrelated, phage. The 933W prophage, which carries Shiga toxin genes that enhance pathogenicity of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli strain O157:H7, also carries the stk gene encoding a eukaryotic‐like tyrosine kinase that excludes (aborts) infection by phage HK97. This exclusion requires the kinase activity of Stk. Little, if any, protein tyrosine phosphorylation can be detected in a 933W lysogen prior to infection with HK97, while extensive Stk‐mediated tyrosine phosphorylation is evident following infection. This includes autophosphorylation that stabilizes Stk protein from degradation. Although increased levels of Stk are found following HK97 infection, these higher levels are not necessary or sufficient for exclusion or protein phosphorylation. An HK97 open reading frame, orf41, is necessary for exclusion and Stk kinase activity. We hypothesize that interaction with gp41 stimulates Stk kinase activity. Exclusion of HK97 appears to be specific since other phages tested, λ, φ80, H‐19B, λ‐P22dis and T4rII, were not excluded. Infection of the 933W lysogen with a non‐excluded phage fails to induce Stk‐determined phosphorylation.
Expression of the Aeluropus littoralis AlSAP gene in rice confers broad tolerance to abiotic stresses through maintenance of photosynthesis
Authors: BEN SAAD RANIA , FABRE DENIS , MIEULET DELPHINE , MEYNARD DONALDO , DINGKUHN MICHAEL , AL‐DOSS ABDULLAH , GUIDERDONI EMMANUEL , HASSAIRI AFIF 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTThe expression of AlSAP, in rice cv. Nipponbare, enhances plant tolerance to cold, drought and salt stresses. AlSAP lines showed 100% survival rate and set seeds while control plants did not recover from the cold treatment. Under a severe drought stress treatment (fraction of transpirable soil water down to 0.1), AlSAP lines exhibited enhanced Transpiration Efficiency (TE) and maintained a high A (Assimilation rate) value (22 µmol·m−2 s−1) while these values dramatically decreased (A = 4 µmol·m−2 s−1) in control plants which were subsequently unable to recover from the stress. Of noteworthy is that AlSAP rice plants yielded a similar and a 60% seed set under control and stress conditions respectively, with regard to wild‐type (WT) plants grown under control conditions. This indicates that AlSAP expression imposes no yield penalty and allows seed production even following a severe drought stress at the vegetative stage. Furthermore, AlSAP rice was shown to accumulate transcripts of a pilot set of eight stress‐related genes at a significantly higher level than WT plants, both under control and stressed conditions. The results suggest that AlSAP expression generates stress tolerance in plants through maintenance of the photosynthetic apparatus integrity and by stimulating an endogenous adaptive potential which is not effectively accomplished in WT plants.
Arabidopsis growth under prolonged high temperature and water deficit: independent or interactive effects?
Authors: VILE DENIS , PERVENT MARJORIE , BELLUAU MICHAËL , VASSEUR FRANÇOIS , BRESSON JUSTINE , MULLER BERTRAND , GRANIER CHRISTINE , SIMONNEAU THIERRY 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTHigh temperature (HT) and water deficit (WD) are frequent environmental constraints restricting plant growth and productivity. These stresses often occur simultaneously in the field, but little is known about their combined impacts on plant growth, development and physiology. We evaluated the responses of 10 Arabidopsis thaliana natural accessions to prolonged elevated air temperature (30 °C) and soil WD applied separately or in combination. Plant growth was significantly reduced under both stresses and their combination was even more detrimental to plant performance. The effects of the two stresses were globally additive, but some traits responded specifically to one but not the other stress. Root allocation increased in response to WD, while reproductive allocation, hyponasty and specific leaf area increased under HT. All the traits that varied in response to combined stresses also responded to at least one of them. Tolerance to WD was higher in small‐sized accessions under control temperature and HT and in accessions with high biomass allocation to root under control conditions. Accessions that originate from sites with higher temperature have less stomatal density and allocate less biomass to the roots when cultivated under HT. Independence and interaction between stresses as well as the relationships between traits and stress responses are discussed.
Transient gibberellin application promotes Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyl cell elongation without maintaining transverse orientation of microtubules on the outer tangential wall of epidermal cells
Authors: Sauret‐Güeto Susanna , Calder Grant , Harberd Nicholas P. 
Published: October 2011

SummaryThe phytohormone gibberellin (GA) promotes plant growth by stimulating cellular expansion. Whilst it is known that GA acts by opposing the growth‐repressing effects of DELLA proteins, it is not known how these events promote cellular expansion. Here we present a time‐lapse analysis of the effects of a single pulse of GA on the growth of Arabidopsis hypocotyls. Our analyses permit kinetic resolution of the transient growth effects of GA on expanding cells. We show that pulsed application of GA to the relatively slowly growing cells of the unexpanded light‐grown Arabidopsis hypocotyl results in a transient burst of anisotropic cellular growth. This burst, and the subsequent restoration of initial cellular elongation rates, occurred respectively following the degradation and subsequent reappearance of a GFP‐tagged DELLA (GFP‐RGA). In addition, we used a GFP‐tagged α‐tubulin 6 (GFP‐TUA6) to visualise the behaviour of microtubules (MTs) on the outer tangential wall (OTW) of epidermal cells. In contrast to some current hypotheses concerning the effect of GA on MTs, we show that the GA‐induced boost of hypocotyl cell elongation rate is not dependent upon the maintenance of transverse orientation of the OTW MTs. This confirms that transverse alignment of outer face MTs is not necessary to maintain rapid elongation rates of light‐grown hypocotyls. Together with future studies on MT dynamics in other faces of epidermal cells and in cells deeper within the hypocotyl, our observations advance understanding of the mechanisms by which GA promotes plant cell and organ growth.
A meta‐analysis of the prevalence of somatic mutations in the hMLH1 and hMSH2 genes in colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhang R. , Qin W. , Xu G.‐L. , Zeng F.‐F. , Li C.‐X. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractAim  The study aimed to understand better the somatic mutations in the human MutL Homolog 1 (hMLH1) and human MutS Homolog 2 (hMSH2) genes in colorectal cancer (CRC) and to investigate the differences derived from ethnicity, family history, detection method and microsatellite instability (MSI).Method  The terms ‘hMSH2’ or ‘hMLH1’and‘colorectal cancer’‘colorectal carcinoma’ or ‘colorectal tumour’ were searched in the PubMed, Springer, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins and HighWire Press databases for the publication period December 1993 to September 2010. The Comprehensive Meta Analysis V2 software (Biostat Inc.) was used to explore the prevalence and 95% confidence intervals.Results  The prevalence of somatic mutations in the hMLH1 and hMSH2 genes in CRC was 0.15 (95% CI 0.10–0.22) and 0.10 (95% CI 0.07–0.16), respectively. A higher prevalence of somatic mutations in hMSH2 was found in hereditary non‐polyposis CRC than in sporadic CRC: 0.36 (95% CI 0.14–0.67) and 0.10 (95% CI 0.07–0.13) respectively. In addition, a higher prevalence of somatic mutations in the hMLH1 gene was observed relative to hMSH2 in the European group. The prevalence was higher in the high‐level instability (MSI‐H) group than in both the low‐level instability (MSI‐L) and the microsatellite stable (MSS) groups.Conclusion  Somatic mutations in the hMLH1 and hMSH2 genes play a vital role in CRC and a high prevalence was found in this meta‐analysis. Furthermore, more studies are needed which focus on somatic mutations in the American population and in patients with MSI‐L and MSS.
Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) in routine clinical practice: who benefits?
Authors: Keen A. J. A. , Duncan E. , McKillop‐Smith A. , Evans N. D. , Gold A. E. 
Published: October 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 670–676 (2012)AbstractAims  To explore the effectiveness of Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating in routine clinical practice in the UK.Methods  Participants were 124 adults with Type 1 diabetes who had completed a Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating course. Data were collected before the course and again 1 year later on a variety of biological, psychological and social measures.Results  There were a range of significant benefits consistent with Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating aims, including: better control among those with baseline HbA1c≥ 81 mmol/mol (9.6%) (z = −2.8, P = 0.004); reduced number of participants reporting severe hypoglycaemia (χ² = 4.27, P = 0.039); total eradication of diabetic ketoacidosis (χ² = 4.17, P = 0.041) and lower diabetes‐related distress (z = −4.5, P < 0.001). The most deprived of the clinic population were significantly under‐represented (χ² = 17.8, P = 0.001) and the levels of clinical depression were unusually low.Conclusions  These results indicate that Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating delivered in routine clinical practice is associated with a range of benefits and that certain clinical and psychosocial characteristics are associated with better outcomes.
A Service Oriented Geoprocessing System for Real‐Time Road Traffic Monitoring
Authors: McCullough Aengus , James Philip , Barr Stuart 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThe emergence of the Sensor Web has paved the way for a new set of innovative software applications that exploit the enhanced availability of real‐time information. This article describes one such application built from Sensor Web components that aggregates GPS track data from a fleet of vehicles to provide an overview of road traffic congestion at the city scale. The application embodies a Service Oriented Architecture; web service components are used to archive and pre‐process incoming sensor observations, to encapsulate a horizontally partitioned spatial database that performs geoprocessing, and to disseminate results to client applications. Our results confirm that floating car data can provide an accurate depiction of current road traffic conditions. The presented solution uses Open Geospatial Consortium web services where possible and serves to highlight the difficulties inherent in achieving horizontal database scalability in sensor based geoprocessing systems.
Constructing a Near Real‐time Space‐time Cube to Depict Urban Ambient Air Pollution Scenario
Authors: Fang Tianfang B. , Lu Yongmei 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThis study adopts a near real‐time space‐time cube approach to portray a dynamic urban air pollution scenario across space and time. Originating from time geography, space‐time cubes provide an approach to integrate spatial and temporal air pollution information into a 3D space. The base of the cube represents the variation of air pollution in a 2D geographical space while the height represents time. This way, the changes of pollution over time can be described by the different component layers of the cube from the base up. The diurnal ambient ozone (O3) pollution in Houston, Texas is modeled in this study using the space‐time air pollution cube. Two methods, land use regression (LUR) modeling and spatial interpolation, were applied to build the hourly component layers for the air pollution cube. It was found that the LUR modeling performed better than the spatial interpolation in predicting air pollution level. With the availability of real‐time air pollution data, this approach can be extended to produce real‐time air pollution cube is for more accurate air pollution measurement across space and time, which can provide important support to studies in epidemiology, health geography, and environmental regulation.
Integrated Hazards Mapping Tool
Authors: Tate Eric , Burton Christopher G. , Berry Melissa , Emrich Christopher T. , Cutter Susan L. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThe Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 formally establishes a national program for pre‐disaster mitigation. As part of the mitigation planning effort, state and local governments are required to perform assessments of hazards vulnerability, including the development of multi‐hazard maps. However, the number of communities possessing the technology, expertise, and time to create multi‐hazard vulnerability maps is limited due to technical and resource constraints. The use of Internet mapping technology has the potential to overcome these hurdles because it does not require users to possess a high level of GIS expertise or costly software, and it standardizes the vulnerability mapping approach. This article describes the Integrated Hazards Assessment Tool, a web‐based multi‐hazard vulnerability mapping application for local and state hazard mitigation practitioners in the state of South Carolina. The initial findings suggest the application holds strong potential as a viable decision support tool for hazard mitigation planning.
RIP1 mediates the protection of geldanamycin on neuronal injury induced by oxygen‐glucose deprivation combined with zVAD in primary cortical neurons
Authors: Chen Wei‐Wei , Yu Hailong , Fan Hong‐Bin , Zhang Cui‐Cui , Zhang Min , Zhang Caiyi , Cheng Yanbo , Kong Jiming , Liu Chun‐Feng , Geng Deqin , Xu Xingshun 
Published: October 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 70–77.AbstractCaspase‐dependent apoptosis is considered one of the most important cell death pathways. When the apoptotic process is blocked, a form of programmed necrosis called necroptosis occurs. Apoptosis and necroptosis may share some regulatory mechanisms. Recent studies indicated that receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1), an Hsp90‐associated kinase, is an important regulatory switch between apoptosis and necroptosis. In this study, we showed that oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGD) combined with a caspase inhibitor zVAD (OGD/zVAD)‐induced RIP1 protein expression in a time‐dependent manner. We found that geldanamycin (GA), a benzoquinone ansamycin, protected against neuronal injury induced by OGD/zVAD treatment in cultured primary neurons. More importantly, GA decreased RIP1 protein level in a time‐ and concentration‐dependent manner. In this study, we found that GA also decreased the Hsp90 protein level, which caused instability of RIP1 protein, resulting in decreased RIP1 protein level but not RIP1 mRNA level after GA treatment. We concluded that the GA‐mediated protection against OGD/zVAD‐induced neuronal injury was associated with enhanced RIP1 protein instability by decreasing Hsp90 protein level. GA and its derivatives may be promising for the prevention of neuronal injury during ischemic injury.
Surface microdialysis sampling: a new approach described in a liver ischaemia model
Authors: Abrahamsson Pernilla , Åberg Anna‐Maja , Winsö Ola , Johansson Göran , Haney Michael , Blind Per‐Jonas 
Published: October 2011

SummaryWe recently have shown that samples from microdialysis (MD) probes placed on the surface of the heart reflect metabolic events in the myocardium. This new interesting observation challenges us to consider whether surface application of MD applies to other parenchymatous organs and their surfaces. In 13 anesthetized pigs, transient liver ischaemia was achieved by occlusion of arterial and venous inflow to the liver. Two probes on liver surface and two in parenchyma were perfused with a flow rate of 1 μl per min (n = 13). An identical set‐up was used for probes with a flow rate of 2 μl per min (n = 9). Samples were collected for every 15‐min period during 60 min of baseline, 45 min of ischaemia and 60 min of reperfusion. Lactate, glucose, pyruvate and glycerol were analysed in MD samples. We focused on relative changes in the present study. There was a strong agreement in relative lactate and glucose levels between probes placed on liver surface and those on parenchyma. No significant differences in relative changes in lactate and glucose levels were seen between samples from surface probes and probes in liver parenchyma during equilibration, baseline, ischaemia or reperfusion with a flow rate of 1 μl per min. MD sampling applied on the liver surface is a new application area for the MD technique and may be used to monitor liver metabolism during both physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
Motivating and improving attitudes to reading in the final years of primary schooling in five New Zealand schools
Authors: Fletcher Jo , Grimley Michael , Greenwood Janinka , Parkhill Faye 
Published: October 2011

AbstractTeachers are influential in motivating and improving attitudes towards reading. This article reports on an investigation of eight teachers of 10‐ to 12‐year‐old students from five New Zealand schools and the strategies they used to improve attitudes to reading. Each school had been identified as implementing effective reading programmes by a panel of literacy experts and supported by standardised tests demonstrating overall improvements in reading achievement. A reading culture developed by using sophisticated picture books and novels for discussion and debate along with ready access to age‐related, high‐interest appropriate books in the classroom and school library. Teachers worked with children on a whole class, group and individually and demonstrated explicit teaching using texts that engage the reader. The research suggests that children need support by their teachers to negotiate them away from potential points of discouragement in learning to read. Also, teachers need to be aware that reading may not be considered ‘cool’ at this time of early adolescence and initiate strategies to make reading fun.