bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coronary stent management in elective genitourinary surgery
Authors: Gupta Angela D. , Streiff Michael , Resar Jon , Schoenberg Mark 
Published: December 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?Withdrawal of dual antiplatelet therapy before the recommended, 12 months for drug‐eluting stents and 1 month for bare‐metal stents increases the rate of major adverse coronary events and mortality. However, in those undergoing surgery the risk of bleeding is increased substantially for those on antiplatelet agents. Successful management in patients with coronary stents who must undergo elective or non‐elective urological surgery should be a multidisciplinary decision.This article reviews the literature and recommends a protocol for clinical management of patients undergoing urological procedures after coronary stent placement.To review the literature on coronary stents and genitourinary surgery and provide a protocol for perioperative. The keywords, ‘elective surgery’, ‘aspirin’, ‘clopidogrel’, ‘guidelines for percutaneous coronary intervention’, and ‘antiplatelet therapy after coronary stent placement’ were used to search PubMed for any relevant articles relating to coronary stents. Recommendations were made based on the whether the procedures patients were exposed to placed them at low‐, moderate‐ or high‐bleeding risk based on the extent of the procedure. All elective procedures should be delayed for 1 month after bare‐metal stent placement and 1 year after drug‐eluting stent placement. In patients classified as low risk (endoscopy and laser prostatectomy), aspirin should be continued throughout the perioperative period and dual antiplatelet therapy should continue 24–48 h postoperatively, if there is no concern for active bleeding. In those classified as moderate risk (scrotal procedures, transurethral resection of bladder tumours, transurethral resection of the prostate, urinary sphincter placement) dual antiplatelet therapy should be discontinued 5–7 days before the procedure and continued within 7 days after procedure, if there is no concern for active bleeding, in consultation with cardiology. In high‐risk procedures (cystectomy, nephrectomy, prostatectomy, penile prosthesis placement) dual antiplatelet therapy should be discontinued 10 days before the procedure and continued postoperatively within 7–10 days of the procedure, when there is no longer a concern for active bleeding with the assistance of a cardiologist. Coronary artery disease is becoming more prominent in our society, increasing the use of coronary stents and antiplatelet agents. With the proposed protocol, it is safe to proceed with surgical intervention in those that have adequate stent endothelialisation.
Gastrointestinal symptoms and obesity: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Eslick G. D. 
Published: December 2011

SummaryWeight loss is a recognized alarm symptom for organic gastrointestinal (GI) disease, yet the association between obesity and specific GI symptoms remains poorly described. A meta‐analysis was conducted to determine which GI symptoms predominate among obese individuals.A search of the literature using the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE PubMed and Current Contents (1950 – November 2011) was conducted. All studies assessing GI symptoms and increasing body mass index (BMI)/obesity were included. English and non‐English articles were searched. A random effect model of the studies was undertaken.Overall, significant associations between GI symptoms and increasing BMI were found for upper abdominal pain (odds ratio [OR] = 2.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23–5.72), gastroesophageal reflux (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.70–2.09), diarrhoea (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.26–1.64), chest pain/heartburn (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.49–2.04), vomiting (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.28–2.41), retching (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.01–1.74) and incomplete evacuation (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.03–1.71). However, no significant associations were found for all abdominal pain, lower abdominal pain, bloating, constipation/hard stools, fecal incontinence, nausea and anal blockage.Several key GI symptoms are associated with increasing BMI and obesity. In addition, there were a number of other GI symptoms that had no relationship with obesity. A greater knowledge of the GI symptoms associated with obesity along with the physiology will be important in the clinical management of these patients.
“Independent” Consultants' Role in the Executive Remuneration Design Process under Restrictive Guidelines
Authors: Kostiander Leena , Ikäheimo Seppo 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTManuscript Type: EmpiricalResearch Question/Issue: This study explores the remuneration consultant–client relationship in a non‐Anglo‐American context, focusing on what consultants do under heavy political remuneration guidance.Research Findings/Insights: A qualitative social constructivist approach was adopted, drawing on interviews with the CEO and “independent” chairman of the board of 23 Finnish state‐owned enterprises, as well as four leading consultants. The research context considerably differs from that of the US, since the State takes an active role in providing remuneration guidelines. Finland also represents a country with a high level of corporate governance and low level of corruption. Nonetheless, our results strongly support the managerial entrenchment perspective fraught with problems and filled with game playing, where “specialized” consultants and CEOs play the major roles, resulting in increased salary levels, slack, an emphasis on share‐based incentives, and public outrage. The effectiveness of these guidelines would be hard, even impossible, to understand, without proper analysis of human interaction related to it.Theoretical/Academic Implications: The study questions the definition of consultant independence based on external data. Second, routine practices commonly bypass rules, leading to the unintended consequence of forced change. Third, the structure of consultancy markets and long consultant–client relationships play an important role in the services offered by consultants.Practioner/Policy Implications: The findings show that restrictive remuneration guidelines can be ineffective and lead to standardized pay designs without providing competitive advantage. Shareholders should request greater transparency concerning remuneration design. The role of consultants should be considered proactively in the guidelines, even by limiting the length of the consultant–client relationship or increasing their transparency.
(Re)Placing Path Dependence: A Response to the Debate
Authors: MARTIN RON 
Published: December 2011

AbstractMy aim in this contribution is to respond to the three preceding critiques of my Roepke Lecture on ‘Rethinking Regional Path Dependence: Beyond Lock‐in to Evolution’. Each critique raises some pertinent and challenging issues: specifically that Marxist regional political economy is a more powerful perspective with which to ‘take history seriously’; that I should have given due recognition to the idea of ‘punctuated evolution’; and that my attempt to revise and extend the concept of path dependence has ontological problems. I welcome these commentaries, as they contribute to the very debate that my Roepke Lecture was intended to initiate. But I argue that these critiques are themselves contestable, and that none of them undermines the main thrust of that lecture. My aim in the latter was to suggest that we need to widen and revise the concept of path dependence if it is to function as a an evolutionary concept, to set it free from the overly restrictive and conservative interpretation (of ‘lock‐in’) that it has all too often been given in economic‐geographic applications. I defend that aim here.RésuméCette contribution répond aux trois critiques présentées précédemment sur ma ‘Roepke Lecture’ intitulée ‘Rethinking regional path dependence: Beyond lock‐in to evolution’. Chacune soulève des questions pertinentes et passionnantes, à savoir: l’économie politique régionale marxiste offre une perspective plus efficace pour ‘prendre l’histoire au sérieux’; j’aurais dû donner une place à la notion d’‘évolution ponctuelle’; ma tentative de réexamen et d’extension du concept de sentier de dépendance présente des problèmes ontologiques. Ces commentaires sont bienvenus car ils nourrissent le débat que cette intervention cherchait à susciter. Toutefois, selon moi, ces critiques sont elles‐mêmes contestables et aucune ne compromet les idées‐forces de mon propos. Le but de celui‐ci était de proposer d’élargir et de corriger le concept de sentier de dépendance pour qu’il puisse opérer en tant que concept évolutionniste et pour qu’il s’affranchisse de l’interprétation conventionnelle et trop restrictive (de ‘blocage’) qui lui a trop souvent été attribuée dans les applications de géographie économique. C’est cet objectif qui est défendu ici.
Genome‐Wide Patterns of Genetic Distances Reveal Candidate Loci Contributing to Human Population‐Specific Traits
Authors: de Magalhães João Pedro , Matsuda Alex 
Published: December 2011

SummaryModern humans originated in Africa before migrating across the world with founder effects and adaptations to new environments contributing to their present phenotypic diversity. Determining the genetic basis of differences between populations may provide clues about our evolutionary history and may have clinical implications. Herein, we develop a method to detect genes and biological processes in which populations most differ by calculating the genetic distance between modern populations and a hypothetical ancestral population. We apply our method to large‐scale single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from human populations of African, European and Asian origin. As expected, ancestral alleles were more conserved in the African populations and we found evidence of high divergence in genes previously suggested as targets of selection related to skin pigmentation, immune response, senses and dietary adaptations. Our genome‐wide scan also reveals novel candidates for contributing to population‐specific traits. These include genes related to neuronal development and behavior that may have been influenced by cultural processes. Moreover, in the African populations, we found a high divergence in genes related to UV protection and to the male reproductive system. Taken together, these results confirm and expand previous findings, providing new clues about the evolution and genetics of human phenotypic diversity.
Harpagoside attenuates MPTP/MPP+ induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration and movement disorder via elevating glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor
Authors: Sun Xiaoyu , Xiong Zhongkui , Zhang Yongfang , Meng Ya , Xu Gang , Xia Zhiming , Li Jiamei , Zhang Rui , Ke Zunji , Xia Zongqin , Hu Yaer 
Published: December 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 1072–1083.AbstractParkinson’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. New therapeutic approaches aiming at delaying or reversing the neurodegenerative process are under active investigations. In this work, we found that harpagoside, an iridoid purified from the Chinese medicinal herb Scrophularia ningpoensis, could not only prevent but also rescue the dopaminergic neurodegeneration in MPTP/MPP+ intoxication with promising efficacy. Firstly, in cultured mesencephalic neurons, harpagoside significantly attenuated the loss of TH‐positive neuron numbers and the shortening of axonal length. Secondly, in a chronic MPTP mouse model, harpagoside dose‐dependently improved the loco‐motor ability (rotarod test), increased the TH‐positive neuron numbers in the substantia nigra pars compacta (unbiased stereological counting) and increased the striatal DAT density (125I‐FP‐CIT autoradiography). Thirdly, harpagoside markedly elevated the GDNF mRNA and GDNF protein levels in MPTP/MPP+ lesioned models. However, the protecting effect of harpagoside on the dopaminergic degeneration disappeared when the intrinsic GDNF action was blocked by either the Ret inhibitor PP1 or the neutralizing anti‐GDNF antibody. Taken together, we conclude that harpagoside attenuates the dopaminergic neurodegeneration and movement disorder mainly through elevating glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor.
Enhanced neuronal plasticity and elevated endogenous sAPPα levels in mice over‐expressing MMP9
Authors: Fragkouli Apostolia , Papatheodoropoulos Costas , Georgopoulos Spiros , Stamatakis Antonios , Stylianopoulou Fotini , Tsilibary Effie C. , Tzinia Athina K. 
Published: December 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 239–251.AbstractEvidence accumulating during the past few years points to a significant role of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) enzymatic activity in synaptic plasticity and cognitive processes. We have previously demonstrated that MMP9 is involved in receptor‐mediated α‐secretase‐like cleavage of APP in vitro, resulting in increased secretion of sAPPα, the soluble N‐terminal product of the non‐amyloidogenic pathway known to be involved in neuronal plasticity and memory formation. To study the in vivo role of MMP9, we have generated transgenic mice over‐expressing MMP9 in the brain. Herein, we demonstrate that MMP9 transgenic animals display enhanced performance in the non‐spatial novel object recognition and the spatial water‐maze task and that their enhanced performance was accompanied by increased dendritic spine density in the hippocampus and cortex following behavioural testing. Consistent with the above observations, the electrophysiological analysis revealed prolonged maintenance of long‐term synaptic potentiation in hippocampal slices from MMP9 transgenic mice. Moreover, elevated sAPPα levels in the hippocampus and cortex of MPP9 transgenic animals were also observed. Overall, our results extend previous findings on the physiological role of MMP9 in neuronal plasticity and furthermore reveal that, APP may be one of the physiological proteolytic targets of MMP9 in vivo.
Two Center, Randomized Pilot Study of Migraine Prophylaxis Comparing Paradigms Using Pre‐Emptive Frovatriptan or Daily Topiramate: Research and Clinical Implications
Authors: Cady Roger K. , Voirin James , Farmer Kathleen , Browning Rebecca , Beach M.E. , Tarrasch Jeanne 
Published: December 2011

(Headache 2012;52:749‐764)Objective.— To compare the efficacy and clinical benefit of 2 paradigms of migraine prevention using pre‐emptive frovatriptan and daily topiramate. The study compares the paradigms of pre‐emptive use of frovatriptan, a drug approved for acute migraine, and the daily use of topiramate, a Federal Drug Administration‐approved and ‐accepted standard for migraine prophylaxis.Background.— Traditionally, preventive treatment of migraine required daily medication. However, recent studies suggest that pre‐emptive prophylaxis may be beneficial to those migraineurs who can predict an attack of migraine based on premonitory symptoms and treat during that phase.Methods.— A total of 76 adult subjects with a diagnosis of migraine were screened for the study. During a 1‐month baseline period, subjects demonstrated through a daily diary that they predicted at least 50% of migraine attacks during the premonitory phase and treated with their usual medication. Of these, 55 were randomized to either Group A (daily topiramate) or Group B (frovatriptan during premonitory symptoms); 44 completed the study. The treatment period lasted 2 months. The subjects answered the Migraine‐Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire at randomization, and at Weeks 4 and 8. The revised Patient Perception of Migraine Questionnaire was answered 24 hours after taking frovatriptan (Group A, for break‐through headaches; Group B, treatment during premonitory symptoms).Results.— The number of migraine attacks and headache days per month decreased significantly from baseline for both Groups A and B. Subjects in Group A had considerably more adverse events leading to study withdrawal than in Group B (18% vs 4%). Though this study was not powered to directly compare the efficacy of the 2 drugs, topiramate showed superiority over frovatriptan at Month 2 in reduction of headache days, which was a secondary end point in the study (P = .036).Conclusions.— This pilot study demonstrated that statistical benefit for reduction of headache days over baseline for both pre‐emptive frovatriptan and daily topiramate. Subjects utilizing pre‐emptive frovatriptan experienced fewer adverse events leading to study withdrawal. Subjects utilizing daily topiramate had fewer headache days at Month 2.
Familial clustering of epilepsy and behavioral disorders: Evidence for a shared genetic basis
Authors: Hesdorffer Dale C. , Caplan Rochelle , Berg Anne T. 
Published: December 2011

SummaryPurpose:  To examine whether family history of unprovoked seizures is associated with behavioral disorders in epilepsy probands, thereby supporting the hypothesis of shared underlying genetic susceptibility to these disorders.Methods:  We conducted an analysis of the 308 probands with childhood onset epilepsy from the Connecticut Study of Epilepsy with information on first‐degree family history of unprovoked seizures and of febrile seizures whose parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at the 9‐year follow‐up. Clinical cutoffs for CBCL problem and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)–Oriented scales were examined. The association between first‐degree family history of unprovoked seizure and behavioral disorders was assessed separately in uncomplicated and complicated epilepsy and separately for first‐degree family history of febrile seizures. A subanalysis, accounting for the tendency for behavioral disorders to run in families, was adjusted for siblings with the same disorder as the proband. Prevalence ratios were used to describe the associations.Key Findings:  In probands with uncomplicated epilepsy, first‐degree family history of unprovoked seizure was significantly associated with clinical cutoffs for Total Problems and Internalizing Disorders. Among Internalizing Disorders, clinical cutoffs for Withdrawn/Depressed, and DSM‐Oriented scales for Affective Disorder and Anxiety Disorder were significantly associated with family history of unprovoked seizures. Clinical cutoffs for Aggressive Behavior and Delinquent Behavior, and DSM‐Oriented scales for Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder were significantly associated with family history of unprovoked seizure. Adjustment for siblings with the same disorder revealed significant associations for the relationship between first‐degree family history of unprovoked seizure and Total Problems and Aggressive Behavior in probands with uncomplicated epilepsy; marginally significant results were seen for Internalizing Disorder, Withdrawn/Depressed, and Anxiety Disorder. There was no association between family history of unprovoked seizure and behavioral problems in probands with complicated epilepsy. First‐degree family history of febrile seizure was not associated with behavioral problems in probands with uncomplicated or in those with complicated epilepsy.Significance:  Increased occurrence of behavioral disorders in probands with uncomplicated epilepsy and first degree family history of unprovoked seizure suggests familial clustering of these disorders. This supports the idea that behavioral disorders may be another manifestation of the underlying pathophysiology involved in epilepsy or closely related to it.
Do antiepileptic drugs or generalized tonic–clonic seizure frequency increase SUDEP risk? A combined analysis
Authors: Hesdorffer Dale C. , Tomson Torbjorn , Benn Emma , Sander Josemir W. , Nilsson Lena , Langan Yvonne , Walczak Thaddeus S. , Beghi Ettore , Brodie Martin J. , Hauser W. Allen ,   for the ILAE Commission on Epidemiology; Subcommission on Mortality
Published: December 2011

SummaryPurpose:  In an analysis of four case–control studies of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), we found that yearly frequency of generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCS) and antiepileptic drug (AED) polytherapy were associated with an increased risk for SUDEP. The prior analysis, however, did not evaluate AEDs and GTCS frequency concurrently.Methods:  We combined data from the three case–control studies with information on the frequency of GTCS and AED therapy, that is, carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproic acid, and other AED therapy. Number of AEDs was also considered. Lamotrigine and GTCS frequency were considered separately in two of the case–control studies. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate GTCS frequency, each of the AEDs, and number of AEDs. Adjusted analysis of the different AEDs accounted for study, age at death, gender, and GTCS frequency.Key Findings:  In crude analysis, GTCS frequency, AED polytherapy, and number of AEDs were associated with an increased risk for SUDEP. Analysis of individual AEDs and of number of AEDs, adjusting for GTCS frequency, revealed no increased risk associated with AEDs as monotherapy, polytherapy, or total number. GTCS frequency remained strongly associated with an increased risk for SUDEP.Significance:  Our findings—that none of the AEDs considered were associated with increased SUDEP risk as monotherapy or as polytherapy when GTCS frequency was taken into account—provide a consistent message that number of GTCS increases SUDEP risk and not AEDs. These results suggest that prevention of SUDEP must involve increased efforts to decrease GTCS frequency in order to avert the occurrence of this devastating epilepsy outcome.
Prenatal stress promotes development of spasms in infant rats
Authors: Yum Mi‐Sun , Chachua Tamar , Velíšková Jana , Velíšek Libor 
Published: December 2011

SummaryWe have developed a new model of cryptogenic infantile spasms with prenatal betamethasone brain priming to increase susceptibility to development‐specific spasms triggered by N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA). A recent clinical study linked severe prenatal stress to increased risk for development of infantile spasms. Here, we determined whether prenatal restraint stress (2 × 45 min) in rats on gestational day 15 would increase susceptibility to develop spasms on postnatal day 15. Prenatal stress significantly accelerated onset and increased number of NMDA‐triggered spasms compared to handled controls. A single adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH or corticotropin) dose delivered acutely had no effects, whereas long‐term (3 day) ACTH pretreatment significantly increased latency to onset and decreased number of spasms (an effect similar to that in the human condition). Our data support the notion that extra care should be provided during pregnancy to minimize stress.