bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Aliskiren ameliorates chlorhexidine digluconate‐induced peritoneal fibrosis in rats
Authors: Ke Chun‐Yen , Lee Chia‐Chi , Lee Chung‐Jen , Subeq Yi‐Maun , Lee Ru‐Ping , Hsu Bang‐Gee 
Published: March 2010

Eur J Clin Invest 2010; 40 (4): 301–309AbstractBackground  Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is a recognized complication of long‐term peritoneal dialysis (PD) and can lead to ultrafiltration failure. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of aliskiren on chlorhexidine digluconate‐induced PF in rats.Materials and methods  The PF was induced in Sprague–Dawley rats by daily administration of 0·5 mL 0·1% chlorhexidine digluconate in normal saline via PD tube for 1 week. Rats received daily intravenous injections of low‐dose aliskiren (1 mg kg−1) or high‐dose aliskiren (10 mg kg−1) for 1 week. After 7 days, conventional 4·25% Dianeal (30 mL) was administered via a PD catheter with a dwell time of 4 h and assessed of peritoneal function. At the end of dialysis, rats were sacrificed and the liver peritoneum was harvested for microscopically and immunohistochemistry.Results  There was no significant difference in mean arterial pressure and heart rate between groups. After 4 h of PD, the D4/P4 urea level was reduced, the D4/D0 glucose level, serum and dialysate transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) level was increased, the liver peritoneum was markedly thicker, and the expression of TGF‐β1, alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), fibronectin, collagen, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were elevated in the PS group compared with the vehicle group. Aliskiren decreased the serum and dialysate TGF‐β1 level, decreased the thickness of the liver peritoneum, and decreased the expression of TGF‐β1, α‐SMA, fibronectin, collagen, and VEGF‐positive cells in liver peritoneum. Moreover, high‐dose aliskiren had better protective effects against PF than low dose in rats.Conclusions  Aliskiren protected against chlorhexidine digluconate‐induced PF in rats by decreasing TGF‐β1 production.
Lack of oxygen in articular cartilage: consequences for chondrocyte biology
Authors: Lafont Jérôme E. 
Published: March 2010

SummaryControlling the chondrocytes phenotype remains a major issue for cartilage repair strategies. These cells are crucial for the biomechanical properties and cartilage integrity because they are responsible of the secretion of a specific matrix. But chondrocyte dedifferentiation is frequently observed in cartilage pathology as well as in tissue culture, making their study more difficult. Given that normal articular cartilage is hypoxic, chondrocytes have a specific and adapted response to low oxygen environment. While huge progress has been performed on deciphering intracellular hypoxia signalling the last few years, nothing was known about the particular case of the chondrocyte biology in response to hypoxia. Recent findings in this growing field showed crucial influence of the hypoxia signalling on chondrocytes physiology and raised new potential targets to repair cartilage and maintain tissue integrity. This review will thus focus on describing hypoxia‐mediated chondrocyte function in the native articular cartilage.
Searching for the Hebb effect in Down syndrome: evidence for a dissociation between verbal short‐term memory and domain‐general learning of serial order
Authors: Mosse E. K. , Jarrold C. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractBackground  The Hebb effect is a form of repetition‐driven long‐term learning that is thought to provide an analogue for the processes involved in new word learning. Other evidence suggests that verbal short‐term memory also constrains now vocabulary acquisition, but if the Hebb effect is independent of short‐term memory, then it may be possible to demonstrate its preservation in a sample of individuals with Down syndrome, who typically show a verbal short‐term memory deficit alongside surprising relative strengths in vocabulary.Methods  In two experiments, individuals both with and without Down syndrome (matched for receptive vocabulary) completed immediate serial recall tasks incorporating a Hebb repetition paradigm in either verbal or visuospatial conditions.Results  Both groups demonstrated equivalent benefit from Hebb repetition, despite individuals with Down syndrome showing significantly lower verbal short‐term memory spans. The resultant Hebb effect was equivalent across verbal and visuospatial domains.Conclusions  These studies suggest that the Hebb effect is essentially preserved within Down syndrome, implying that explicit verbal short‐term memory is dissociable from potentially more implicit Hebb learning. The relative strength in receptive vocabulary observed in Down syndrome may therefore be supported by largely intact long‐term as opposed to short‐term serial order learning. This in turn may have implications for teaching methods and interventions that present new phonological material to individuals with Down syndrome.
Working memory and educational achievement in children with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Henry L. , Winfield J. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractBackground  There is little previous research examining whether measures of working memory are related to educational achievement in children with intellectual disabilities (ID).Methods  A battery of working memory and achievement measures was administered to 11‐ to 12‐year‐old children with ID; younger typically developing children of comparable mental age were also assessed.Results  The working memory measures that assessed phonological short‐term memory (PSTM) accounted for the most variance in reading and spelling in children with ID, whereas the working memory measures that assessed central executive‐loaded working memory (CELWM) accounted for the most variance in number skills. These relationships were broadly similar among typically developing children.Conclusions  Compensatory strategies for weak PSTM may help to improve reading and spelling skills in children with ID, whereas reducing CELWM loads may be more helpful in aiding their number skills.
High frequency of ETFDH c.250G>A mutation in Taiwanese patients with late‐onset lipid storage myopathy
Authors: Lan M‐Y , Fu M‐H , Liu Y‐F , Huang C‐C , Chang Y‐Y , Liu J‐S , Peng C‐H , Chen S‐S 
Published: March 2010

Lan M‐Y, Fu M‐H, Liu Y‐F, Huang C‐C, Chang Y‐Y, Liu J‐S, Peng C‐H, Chen S‐S. High frequency of ETFDH c.250G>A mutation in Taiwanese patients with late‐onset lipid storage myopathy.Lipid storage myopathies (LSMs) are characterized pathologically by the accumulation of lipid droplets in muscle fibers due to impaired cellular lipid metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine etiologies and genetic mutations associated with LSMs in ethnic Han Taiwanese. The usefulness of the blood acylcarnitine (AC) profile for diagnosing LSMs in adult patients was also investigated. Nine patients were diagnosed with late‐onset LSMs following a review of muscle biopsies and medical records and were recruited retrospectively. Genetic studies were performed to detect mutations in the SLC22A5 for primary carnitine deficiency, PNPLA2 for neutral lipid storage disease with myopathy, ABHD5 for neutral lipid storage disease with ichthyosis, ETFDH for multiple acyl‐CoA dehydrogenation deficiency (MADD), and CPT2 for carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency. Blood AC levels were measured by tandem mass spectrometry. The mutation c.250G>A in ETFDH was detected in seven (78%) patients, six of whom were homozygous for the variant. Patients with ETFDH mutations had elevated blood levels of ACs ranging from C8 to C16 species, a pattern consistent with MADD. ETFDH c.250G>A mutation is common in Taiwanese patients with late‐onset LSMs. The blood AC profile is a sensitive biochemical marker for diagnosing MADD arising from ETFDH mutations in adults.
Seasonal variation in nitrous oxide and methane emissions from subtropical estuary and coastal mangrove sediments, Australia
Authors: Allen D. , Dalal R. C. , Rennenberg H. , Schmidt S. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractMangrove sediments can act as sources of the greenhouse trace gases, nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Confident reporting of trace gas emissions from mangrove sediments at local levels is important for regional emissions inventories, since small changes in N2O and CH4 fluxes greatly influence greenhouse gas budgets due to their high global warming potentials. It is also important to identify the drivers of trace gas emission, to prioritise management for minimising emissions. We measured N2O and CH4 fluxes and abiotic sediment parameters at midday low tide in winter and summer seasons, at four sites (27°33′S, 152°59′E) ranging from estuary to ocean sub‐tropical mangrove sediments, having varied anthropogenic impacts. At all sites, sediment N2O and CH4 emissions were significantly lower during winter (7–26 μg N2O m−2·h−1; 47–466 μg CH4 m−2·h−1) compared to summer (28–202 μg N2O m−2·h−1; 247–1570 μg CH4 m−2·h−1). Sediment temperature, ranging from 18 to 33 °C, strongly influenced N2O and CH4 emissions. Highest emissions (202 μg N2O m−2·h−1, 1570 μg CH4 m−2·h−1) were detected at human‐impacted estuary sites, which generally had higher total carbon (<8%) and total nitrogen (<0.4%) in sediments and reduced salinity (<16 dS·m−1). Large between‐site variation highlights the need for regular monitoring of sub‐tropical mangroves to capture short‐lived, episodic N2O and CH4 flux events that are affected by sediment biophysico‐chemical conditions at site level. This is important, particularly at sites receiving anthropogenic nutrients, and that have variable freshwater inputs and tidal hydrology.
Identification and application of a DNA‐based marker that is diagnostic for the pepper (Capsicum annuum) bacterial spot resistance gene Bs3
Authors: Römer P. , Jordan T. , Lahaye T. 
Published: March 2010

With 1 figure and 1 table AbstractThe pepper (Capsicum annuum) disease resistance gene Bs3 mediates recognition of avrBs3‐expressing strains of the bacterial spot pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. We established the co‐dominant DNA marker PR‐Bs3 that detects a functional nucleotide polymorphism in the Bs3 promoter. Analysis of 20 F2 segregants demonstrated complete linkage between PR‐Bs3 and Bs3 resistance. Furthermore the analysis of 17 Capsicum accessions from diverse geographical origins demonstrated that PR‐Bs3 was diagnostic for Bs3 resistance in all cases. Given that marker PR‐Bs3 allows the identification of Bs3 resistant lines in a co‐dominant fashion it will be a valuable tool for marker assisted selection of Bs3 resistant lines in bacterial spot resistance breeding programs.
Attenuation of warm ischemia–reperfusion injury in the liver by bucillamine through decreased neutrophil activation and Bax/Bcl‐2 modulation
Authors: Junnarkar Sameer P , Tapuria Niteen , Mani Alireza , Dijk Sas , Fuller Barry , Seifalian Alexander M , Davidson Brian R 
Published: March 2010

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Liver transplantation and resection surgery involve a period of ischemia and reperfusion to the liver, which initiates an inflammatory cascade resulting in liver and remote organ injury. Bucillamine is a low molecular weight thiol antioxidant that is capable of rapidly entering cells. We hypothesized that bucillamine acts by replenishing glutathione levels, thus reducing neutrophil activation, modulating Bax/Bcl‐2 expression, and subsequently, attenuating the effects of warm ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) in the liver.Methods:  The effect of bucillamine was studied in a rat model of liver IRI with 45 min of partial (70%) liver ischemia and 3 h of reperfusion. Liver injury was assessed by measuring serum transaminases (aspartate aminotransferase [AST] and alanine aminotransferase [ALT]) and liver histology. Oxidative stress was quantified by measuring F2 isoprostane and glutathione levels. Leukocyte adhesion was assessed by intravital microscopy, and inflammatory cytokine response was assessed by measuring serum cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant‐1 (CINC‐1) levels. Bax and Bcl‐2 expression was measured by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction.Results:  The model produced significant liver injury with elevated transaminases and an acute inflammatory response. Bucillamine reduced the liver injury, as indicated by reduced AST (932 ± 200.8 vs 2072.5 ± 511.79, P < 0.05). Bucillamine reduced Bax expression, serum CINC‐1 levels, and neutrophil adhesion, and upregulated Bcl‐2. However, bucillamine did not affect tissue glutathione levels nor the levels of oxidative stress, as measured by plasma and hepatic F2 isoprostane levels.Conclusions:  Bucillamine reduces warm ischemia–reperfusion in the liver by inhibiting neutrophil activation and modulating Bax/Bcl‐2 expression.
Multi‐host ectomycorrhizal fungi are predominant in a Guinean tropical rainforest and shared between canopy trees and seedlings
Authors: Diédhiou Abdala Gamby , Selosse Marc‐André , Galiana Antoine , Diabaté Moussa , Dreyfus Bernard , Bâ Amadou Moustapha , De Faria Sergio Miana , Béna Gilles 
Published: March 2010

SummaryThe diversity of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi on adult trees and seedlings of five species, Anthonotha fragrans, Anthonotha macrophylla, Cryptosepalum tetraphyllum, Paramacrolobium coeruleum and Uapaca esculenta, was determined in a tropical rain forest of Guinea. Ectomycorrhizae were sampled within a surface area of 1600 m2, and fungal taxa were identified by sequencing the rDNA Internal Transcribed Spacer region. Thirty‐nine ECM fungal taxa were determined, of which 19 multi‐hosts, 9 single‐hosts and 11 singletons. The multi‐host fungi represented 92% (89% when including the singletons in the analysis) of the total abundance. Except for A. fragrans, the adults of the host species displayed significant differentiation for their fungal communities, but their seedlings harboured a similar fungal community. These findings suggest that there was a potential for the formation of common mycorrhizal networks in close vicinity. However, no significant difference was detected for the δ13C and δ15N values between seedlings and adults of each ECM plant, and no ECM species exhibited signatures of mixotrophy. Our results revealed (i) variation in ECM fungal diversity according to the seedling versus adult development stage of trees and (ii) low host specificity of ECM fungi, and indicated that multi‐host fungi are more abundant than single‐host fungi in this forest stand.
An assessment of adverse effects of vildagliptin versus comparators on the liver, the pancreas, the immune system, the skin and in patients with impaired renal function from a large pooled database of Phase II and III clinical trials
Authors: Ligueros‐Saylan M. , Foley J. E. , Schweizer A. , Couturier A. , Kothny W. 
Published: March 2010

Aim: To assess the safety of vildagliptin versus all comparators (ACs) with regard to organs, systems or tissues of particular interest in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and areas of potential concern with dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV (DPP‐4) inhibitors. Methods: Data were pooled from 38 studies where vildagliptin was given for ≥12 to > 104 weeks in patients with T2DM. Absolute and exposure‐adjusted incidence rates and Peto odds ratios (ORs) versus ACs with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: There were > 7000 subject‐years of exposure (SYE) to vildagliptin 50 mg bid and > 6500 SYE to ACs. For mild hepatic enzyme elevations with and without elevated bilirubin levels, the ORs for vildagliptin 50 mg bid were 1.24 (95% CI: [0.80, 1.93]) and 1.19 (95% CI: [0.29, 4.90]), respectively. The exposure‐adjusted incidences of markedly elevated hepatic enzymes and for enzyme elevations with bilirubin ≥ 2× ULN with vildagliptin 50 mg bid were ≤ those in the ACs group. For hepatic and pancreatitis‐related AEs, the ORs for vildagliptin 50 mg bid were 0.87 (95% CI: [0.64, 1.19]) and 0.70 (95% CI: [0.26, 1.88]), respectively, and for any AE in the infections and infestations SOC, this was 1.04 (95% CI: [0.96, 1.13]). The incidences of skin‐related AEs were low and the risk with vildagliptin 50 mg bid was not significantly different from ACs [(OR = 1.10 (95% CI: [0.80, 1.51])]. Conclusions: The present meta‐analyses indicate that vildagliptin was not associated with increased risk of hepatic events or hepatic enzyme elevations indicative of drug‐induced liver injury, pancreatitis, infections or skin‐related toxicity.
Assessing the cardio–cerebrovascular safety of vildagliptin: meta‐analysis of adjudicated events from a large Phase III type 2 diabetes population
Authors: Schweizer A. , Dejager S. , Foley J. E. , Couturier A. , Ligueros‐Saylan M. , Kothny W. 
Published: March 2010

Aim: To assess the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular (CCV) safety of the dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV inhibitor vildagliptin. Methods: Data were pooled from 25 Phase III studies of vildagliptin, used either as monotherapy or combination therapy, with durations of 12 weeks to ≥ 2 years. The safety of vildagliptin [50 mg qd (N = 1393) or 50 mg bid (N = 6116)] was assessed relative to a pool of all comparators [both placebo and active comparators (N = 6061)]. CCV events were adjudicated in a prospective, blinded fashion by an independent CCV adjudication committee. Meta‐analysis of confirmed CCV events was performed with Mantel–Haenszel risk ratios (RRs); categories included in the composite endpoint were acute coronary syndrome, transient ischaemic attack (with imaging evidence of infarction), stroke and CCV death. Subgroup analyses by age (< and ≥ 65 years), gender and cardiovascular (CV) risk status [high CV risk status defined as a previous history of events in the Standard MedDRA Queries of ischaemic heart disease, cardiac failure, ischaemic cerebrovascular conditions and/or embolic/thrombotic events, arterial) were also carried out. In addition, unadjusted and exposure‐adjusted incidences are presented for both the composite endpoint and its components. Results: Relative to all comparators, the RRs for the composite endpoint were < 1 for both vildagliptin 50 mg qd [RR = 0.88; 95% CI (0.37, 2.11)] and vildagliptin 50 mg bid [RR = 0.84; 95% CI (0.62, 1.14)]. The results were consistent across subgroups defined by age, gender and CV risk status, including the higher CV risk subgroups of elderly patients [RR for vildagliptin 50 mg bid vs. all comparators = 1.04; 95% CI (0.62, 1.73)], males [RR = 0.87; 95% CI (0.60, 1.24)] or patients with a high CV risk status [RR = 0.78; 95% CI (0.51, 1.19)]. The exposure‐adjusted incidences of each component of the composite endpoint for vildagliptin 50 mg bid were also lower than or similar to those of all comparators. Conclusions: In a large meta‐analysis, vildagliptin was not associated with an increased risk of adjudicated CCV events relative to all comparators in the broad population of type 2 diabetes including patients at increased risk of CCV events.
Effect of insulin glargine on glycaemic control and weight in obese and non‐obese people with type 2 diabetes: data from the AT.LANTUS trial
Authors: Khunti K. , Srinivasan B. T. , Shutler S. , Davies M. J. 
Published: March 2010

Aims: To explore glucose lowering response to insulin initiation or switch to insulin glargine in obese and non‐obese individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to examine weight gain and hypoglycaemic episodes in this group. Methods:
Post hoc subgroup analysis using data of obese and non‐obese participants from a large multi‐centre (4555 participants with T2DM), multi‐national 24‐week randomized controlled trial of investigator titrated insulin glargine versus patient self‐managed titrated insulin glargine. This analysis was carried out to compare two subgroups: obese (≥30 kg/m2) and non‐obese (<30 kg/m2) participants. Results: The mean body mass index (BMI) values were 33.7 kg/m2(n = 1833) and 25.9 kg/m2(n = 2755) in obese and non‐obese subjects, respectively. There was a significant reduction in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline in both subgroups but no significant difference between subgroups (1.15 vs. 1.15%, p = 0.50). Overall, there was a 1.21 kg (s.d. 3.3) increase in weight in individuals who were non‐obese and a 1.08 kg (s.d. 3.9) increase in obese individuals (p = 0.67). There was no significant difference in the proportion of participants achieving an HbA1c of <7.0% at 6 months in both the subgroups (28.8 vs. 27.1%, p = 0.20). In multiple logistic regression, BMI was not a prognostic factor in achieving a target of HbA1c ≤ 7.0%. There was no significant difference in severe hypoglycaemic episodes between obese and non‐obese subgroups (1.3 vs. 1.0%); however, significantly more non‐obese individuals experienced nocturnal hypoglycaemic episodes(4.5 vs. 2.4%, p < 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, treatment with insulin glargine in people with T2DM was associated with a significant reduction in HbA1c without differential increase in weight gain in obese and non‐obese subgroups. Rates of severe hypoglycaemia were not different between obese and non‐obese subgroups.
Androgen‐suppression therapy for prostate cancer and the risk of death in men with a history of myocardial infarction or stroke
Authors: Hayes Julia H. , Chen Ming‐Hui , Moran Brian J. , Braccioforte Michelle H. , Dosoretz Daniel E. , Salenius Sharon , Katin Michael J. , Ross Rudi , Choueiri Toni K. , D’Amico Anthony V. 
Published: March 2010

Study Type – Prognosis (inception cohort) Level of Evidence 1bOBJECTIVETo examine the effect of short‐course androgen‐suppression therapy (AST) before brachytherapy on all‐cause mortality (ACM) rates, stratified by the presence or absence of a history of myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke. AST is used to reduce prostate size to enable men with favourable‐risk prostate cancer to undergo brachytherapy, but no disease‐specific benefit has been reported for this practice, and AST use has been associated with an increased risk of ACM in some men with pre‐existing cardiovascular disease.PATIENTS AND METHODSThe study comprised 12 792 men with favourable‐risk disease, i.e. a prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level of <20 ng/mL, Gleason score ≤7 and clinical category ≤T2c, treated between 1991 and 2007 at community‐based medical centres with brachytherapy ± neoadjuvant AST. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess whether there were significant associations between AST use in men with a history of MI or stroke and the risk of ACM, adjusting for age, treatment year, and known prognostic factors of prostate cancer.RESULTSAfter a median (interquartile range) follow‐up of 3.8 (2.0–5.9) years there were 1557 deaths. The risk of ACM was lower in men with no history of MI or stroke than in those with this history, whether AST was used (adjusted hazard ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.67–0.92; P= 0.003) or not (0.74, 0.65–0.85; P < 0.001). However, men with a history of MI or stroke treated with AST had a greater risk of ACM than those not treated with AST (1.2, 1.05–1.38; P= 0.008).CONCLUSIONThe use of short‐course AST in men with a history of MI or stroke is associated with a greater risk of ACM in men with favourable‐risk prostate cancer.