bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological survey of vulvovaginal candidosis in Sfax, Tunisia
Authors: Amouri I. , Sellami H. , Borji N. , Abbes S. , Sellami A. , Cheikhrouhou F. , Maazoun L. , Khaled S. , Khrouf S. , Boujelben Y. , Ayadi A. 
Published: October 2010

SummaryVulvovaginal candidosis (VVC) is a common infection of the female genital tract affecting 75% women at least once in their lifetime. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and potential risk factors associated with VVC and recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis (RVVC). A prospective study of women with vaginitis symptoms was conducted over 2 years in the regional clinic of population and family education in Sfax. A discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the association between the incidence of Candida vaginitis and potential risk factors. Sporadic and recurrent VVC were documented respectively in 48% and 6.1%. The most frequent factors associated with positive Candida culture were employed women, uncontrolled diabetes, history of genital infection and intrauterine device contraception. Increased episode numbers of VVC and condom/spermicidal contraception were positively associated with recurrences. Candida albicans was the predominantly isolated species (76.3%) followed by Candida glabrata (19.3%). Infection with C. glabrata occurred in 34% and 17.5% of patients with RVVC and VVC respectively. The discriminant investigation had provided further insights into the basis for prevention and control of RVVC. Increased prevalence of C. glabrata in patients with RVVC and observed risk factors should be taken into consideration to achieve success in the management of this infection.
Artemisinin inhibits extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and matrix metalloproteinase‐9 expression via a protein kinase Cδ/p38/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase pathway in phorbol myristate acetate‐induced THP‐1 macrophages
Authors: Wang Yue , Huang Zhou‐Qing , Wang Chang‐Qian , Wang Lian‐Sheng , Meng Shu , Zhang Ya‐Chen , Chen Ting , Fan Yu‐Qi 
Published: October 2010

Summary1. Overexpression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by monocytes/macrophages has been proposed to play a significant role in atherosclerotic plaque progression and rupture. The aim of the present study was to explore whether artemisinin, a natural extract from Artemisia annua, could decrease EMMPRIN and MMP‐9 expression in phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)‐induced macrophages by regulating the protein kinase (PK) Cδ/c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK)/p38/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) pathway.2. Human monocytic THP‐1 cells were pretreated with 20–80 μg/mL artemisinin for 4 h or 1–10 μmol/L rottlerin for 1 h prior to stimulation with PMA (100 nmol/L) for another 48 h. Cells were collected to analyse the induction of EMMPRIN and MMP‐9. Upstream pathway analysis using the PKCδ inhibitor rottlerin detected activation of the PKCδ/JNK/p38/ERK pathway.3. Artemisinin (20–80 μg/mL) significantly inhibited the induction of EMMPRIN and MMP‐9 at both the transcriptional and translational levels in a dose‐dependent manner in PMA‐induced macrophages. In addition, artemisinin (20–80 μg/mL) strongly blocked PKCδ/JNK/p38/ERK MAPK phosphorylation. The PKCδ inhibitor rottlerin (1–10 μmol/L) also significantly inhibited JNK/p38/ERK phosphorylation and decreased EMMPRIN and MMP‐9 mRNA and protein expression.4. The results of the present study suggest that artemisinin inhibits EMMPRIN and MMP‐9 expression and activity by suppressing the PKCδ/ERK/p38 cascade in PMA‐induced macrophages.
Protective effect of phloroglucinol against myocardial ischaemia–reperfusion injury is related to inhibition of myeloperoxidase activity and inflammatory cell infiltration
Authors: Li Ting‐Ting , Zhang Yi‐Shuai , He Lan , Li Nian‐Sheng , Peng Jun , Li Yuan‐Jian 
Published: October 2010

Summary1. It has been shown that phloroglucinol has anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidant properties. Both inflammatory cell infiltration and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activation play an important role in myocardial reperfusion injury. The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of phloroglucinol on myocardial reperfusion injury and the mechanisms involved.2. Anaesthetized rats were pretreated with phloroglucinol (15 or 30 mg/kg, i.g.) or vehicle (5 mmol/L carboxymethyl cellulose sodium) 30 min prior to experimentation. The left main coronary artery was subjected to 1 h occlusion followed by 3 h reperfusion. Infarct size, the release of creatine kinase (CK), inflammatory cell infiltration, MPO activity and protein content, catalase in the blood and myocardium, and myocardial apoptosis were measured.3. Following myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion in vehicle‐treated rats, infarct size was 43.5 ± 3.7% (relative to the area at risk). Accompanying detrimental changes included elevated CK, enhanced inflammatory cell infiltration, high numbers of myocardial apoptotic cells, elevated caspase 3 activity, increased MPO activity and content in the plasma and myocardium and reduced catalase activity. These effects were attenuated by pretreatment with both doses of phloroglucinol (15 and 30 mg/kg, i.g.).4. The results of the present study suggest that phloroglucinol protects the myocardium against ischaemia–reperfusion injury in rats and that its beneficial effects are related to inhibition of MPO activity and inflammatory cell infiltration.
Microbats in a ‘leafy’ urban landscape: are they persisting, and what factors influence their presence?
Authors: BASHAM ROCHELLE , LAW BRADLEY , BANKS PETER 
Published: October 2010

AbstractUrbanization is an extreme form of habitat modification, but retention of native vegetation in bushland reserves may improve the ecological sustainability of cities. We focused on bats (Microchiroptera) and investigated the use of the urban matrix and surrounding bushland in a region of Sydney, Australia, where remnant bushland persists and gardens often support large trees. Ultrasonic surveys were conducted at 40 sites over one summer season in the backyard matrix, bushland remnants and surrounding National Parks to determine which species were present, and the influence of landscape elements and habitat characteristics on activity, species richness and presence of individual species. In total, 15 of the 17 microbat species known from the Sydney region were recorded in the study area. Yet only three of these species, Chalinolobus gouldii, Mormopterus species 2 and Miniopterus schreibersii were present in more than 40% of sites. Bat activity was significantly higher in remnant bushland on shale soils and in backyards, compared with sandstone gully and ridge remnants, or reference sites in nearby National Parks. Furthermore, species assemblages in urban areas were different from assemblages in reference sites. Of all the habitat characteristics examined, the amount of bushland within 0.5–3 km surrounding a site and tree density were the most common predictors of individual species presence, particularly rare species. Area of bushland, hollow abundance and average tree diameter were positively correlated with species richness, while tree diameter was the strongest predictor of total microbat activity. The proximity of large areas of bushland and the many trees remaining in residential areas of the northern ‘leafy’ suburbs of Sydney allowed the persistence of a range of bat species. The higher bat activity on fertile shale soils indicated that bushland remnants embedded within cities can have high conservation value for bats. Surveys in more urbanized areas of Sydney are needed to test predictions of the models derived in this study.
A stochastic fatigue damage model for composite single lap shear joints based on Markov chains and thermoelastic stress analysis
Authors: JOHNSON S. , WEI B. , HAJ‐ALI R. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTQuantitative damage detection in composite single lap joints during fatigue is difficult and not practical with many traditional experimental methods. The objective of this study is to combine a new experimental analysis method with existing stochastic models that is capable of taking the scatter inherent in composite fatigue data into account for better representation of damage evolution in single‐lap joints. This study presents a new quantitative approach where thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA), a remote sensing and non‐destructive evaluation technique, is used for in situ continuous monitoring for fatigue damage detection of Fibre Reinfoced Polymeric (FRP) S2‐glass/E733FR single‐lap joints. Image analysis algorithms are developed to capture the debonding fronts, and Markov Chain models (MCMs) are developed to capture the fatigue damage evolution in composite lap‐joints based on the experimental analysis. The TSA damage index at the last fatigue cycle is used to calibrate the MCMs, and damage predictions using the MCMs are then examined at different fatigue cycles. Methods to construct a predictive stochastic S–N curve utilizing the MCMs are discussed. The proposed IR‐TSA with MCMs is shown to be very effective in predicting the damage evolution and allowed constructing S–N curves that take the variability into account for damage in composite single‐lap joints.
Change in manipulation with muscle fatigue
Authors: Todd Gabrielle , Gandevia Simon C. , Taylor Janet L. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractMuscle fatigue is defined as an exercise‐induced reduction in the force‐generating capacity of muscle. Here, we investigated the effect of muscle fatigue on hand dexterity. Healthy adults (n = 17) gripped and lifted an object (0.342 kg) five times before and after two interventions. The interventions, performed on separate days, involved 2 min of rest (control) or sustained maximal pinch grip that reduced maximal force by 60% (fatigue). Horizontal grip force (GF), vertical lift force (LF) and first dorsal interosseous electromyographic activity (EMG) were measured. The lift (dynamic) and hold (stationary) phase of the task were analysed. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the control and fatigue conditions for the 15 measured parameters. However, post‐intervention GF was reduced with fatigue compared with the control condition (hold phase), whereas GF coefficient of variation (hold phase) and root mean square EMG (lift phase) increased with fatigue. Fatigue also disrupted the temporal relationship between GF and LF (assessed by cross‐correlation of the derivative of GF and LF). The maximum cross‐correlation coefficient was significantly reduced with fatigue compared with the control condition. Grip strategy and the kinetics of the lifting movement (minimum LF, maximum LF, maximum derivative of LF, and maximum acceleration) were unchanged with fatigue. Our results suggest that fatigued subjects generate more EMG to lift and hold an object but produce less force and are less able to match changes in LF with changes in GF. Fatigued subjects also exhibit greater fluctuation in GF while holding objects.
Postnatal exposure to N‐ethyl‐N‐nitrosurea disrupts the subventricular zone in adult rodents
Authors: Capilla‐Gonzalez V. , Gil‐Perotin S. , Garcia‐Verdugo J. M. 
Published: October 2010

Abstract N‐ethyl‐N‐nitrosurea (ENU), a type of N‐nitrous compound (NOC), has been used as inductor for brain tumours due to its mutagenic effect on the rodent embryo. ENU also affected adult neurogenesis when administered during pregnancy. However, no studies have investigated the effect of ENU when exposured during adulthood. For this purpose, three experimental groups of adult mice were injected with ENU at different doses and killed shortly after exposure. When administered in adult mice, ENU did not form brain tumours but led to a disruption of the subventricular zone (SVZ), an adult neurogenic region. Analyses of the samples revealed a reduction in the numbers of neural progenitors compared with control animals, and morphological changes in ependymal cells. A significant decrease in proliferation was tested in vivo with 5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine administration and confirmed in vitro with a neurosphere assay. Cell death, assessed as active‐caspase‐3 reactivity, was more prominent in treated animals and cell death‐related populations increased in parallel. Two additional groups were maintained for 45 and 120 days after five doses of ENU to study the potential regeneration of the SVZ, but only partial recovery was detected. In conclusion, exposure to ENU alters the organization of the SVZ and causes partial exhaustion of the neurogenic niche. The functional repercussion of these changes remains unknown, but exposure to NOCs implies a potential risk that needs further evaluation.
Rate maintenance and resonance in the entorhinal cortex
Authors: Haas Julie S. , Kreuz Thomas , Torcini Alessandro , Politi Antonio , Abarbanel H. D. I. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThroughout the brain, neurons encode information in fundamental units of spikes. Each spike represents the combined thresholding of synaptic inputs and intrinsic neuronal dynamics. Here, we address a basic question of spike train formation: how do perithreshold synaptic inputs perturb the output of a spiking neuron? We recorded from single entorhinal principal cells in vitro and drove them to spike steadily at ∼5 Hz (theta range) with direct current injection, then used a dynamic‐clamp to superimpose strong excitatory conductance inputs at varying rates. Neurons spiked most reliably when the input rate matched the intrinsic neuronal firing rate. We also found a striking tendency of neurons to preserve their rates and coefficients of variation, independently of input rates. As mechanisms for this rate maintenance, we show that the efficacy of the conductance inputs varied with the relationship of input rate to neuronal firing rate, and with the arrival time of the input within the natural period. Using a novel method of spike classification, we developed a minimal Markov model that reproduced the measured statistics of the output spike trains and thus allowed us to identify and compare contributions to the rate maintenance and resonance. We suggest that the strength of rate maintenance may be used as a new categorization scheme for neuronal response and note that individual intrinsic spiking mechanisms may play a significant role in forming the rhythmic spike trains of activated neurons; in the entorhinal cortex, individual pacemakers may dominate production of the regional theta rhythm.
When transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) modulates feature integration
Authors: Rüter Johannes , Kammer Thomas , Herzog Michael H. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractHow the brain integrates visual information across time into coherent percepts is an open question. Here, we presented two verniers with opposite offset directions one after the other. A vernier consists of two vertical bars that are horizontally offset. When the two verniers are separated by a blank screen (interstimulus interval, ISI), the two verniers are perceived either as two separate entities or as one vernier with the offset moving from one side to the other depending on the ISI. In both cases, their offsets can be reported independently. Transcranial magnet stimulation (TMS) over the occipital cortex does not interfere with the offset discrimination of either vernier. When a grating, instead of the ISI, is presented, the two verniers are not perceived separately anymore, but as ‘one’ vernier with ‘one’ fused vernier offset. TMS strongly modulates the percept of the fused vernier offset even though the spatio‐temporal position of the verniers is identical in the ISI and grating conditions. We suggest that the grating suppresses the termination signal of the first vernier and the onset signal of the second vernier. As a consequence, perception of the individual verniers is suppressed. Neural representations of the vernier and second vernier inhibit each other, which renders them vulnerable to TMS for at least 300 ms, even though stimulus presentation was only 100 ms. Our data suggest that stimulus features can be flexibly integrated in the occipital cortex, mediated by neural interactions with outlast stimulus presentations by far.
Blockade of endogenous neuraminidase leads to an increase of neuronal excitability and activity‐dependent synaptogenesis in the rat hippocampus
Authors: Isaeva Elena , Lushnikova Irina , Savrasova Alina , Skibo Galina , Holmes Gregory L. , Isaev Dmytro 
Published: October 2010

AbstractPolysialic acids are widely distributed in neuronal tissue. Due to their position on glycoproteins and gangliosides on the outer cell membranes and anionic nature, polysialic acids are involved in multiple cell signaling events. The level of sialylation of the cellular surface is regulated by endogenous neuraminidase (NEU), which catalyses the hydrolysis of terminal sialic acid residues. Using the specific blocker of endogenous NEU, N‐acetyl‐2,3‐dehydro‐2‐deoxyneuraminic acid (NADNA), we show that downregulation of the endogenous NEU activity causes a significant increase in the level of hippocampal tissue sialylation. Acute application of NADNA increased the firing frequency and amplitude of spontaneous synchronous oscillations, and frequency of multiple unit activity in cultured hippocampal slices. The tonic phase of seizure‐like activity in the low‐magnesium model of ictogenesis was significantly increased in slices pretreated with NADNA. These data indicate that the degree of synchronization is influenced by the amount of active NEU in cultured hippocampal slices. Pretreatment with NADNA led to an increase of the density of simple and perforated synapses in the hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum region. Co‐incubation of slices with NADNA and high concentrations of calcium eliminated the effect of the NEU blocker on synaptic density, suggesting that synaptogenesis observed following downregulation of the endogenous NEU activity is an activity‐dependent process.
Designing simple PK–PD studies in children
Authors: Thomson Alison H. , Elliott Henry L. 
Published: October 2010

SummaryConducting clinical pharmacology research studies in pediatric patients is challenging because of ethical and practical constraints but necessary to ensure that drugs are used safely and effectively in this population. Developments in laboratory analytical techniques, such as improved assay sensitivity and the use of alternative sample matrices, can reduce blood loss and offer less invasive blood sampling, causing less trauma to the patient and fewer ethical concerns. Recent advances in data analysis techniques, which aim to extract the maximum amount of useful information from small sample numbers, should be considered when planning a clinical trial and incorporated into the study design. Using ‘population’ methodology allows a more flexible sampling strategy that enables valuable data to be collected in the course of routine clinical practice, rather than in a rigid, and potentially artificial, setting. Integration of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and the application of physiological approaches and simulation techniques to the analysis and interpretation of drug concentration and effect data offer new opportunities that have particular relevance to pharmacological research in the field of pediatric anesthetics.
Prostate cancer in Asian Americans: incidence, management and outcomes in an equal access healthcare system
Authors: Raymundo Eliza M. , Rice Kevin R. , Chen Yongmei , Zhao Jinxiu , Brassell Stephen A. 
Published: October 2010

Study Type – Therapy (outcomes research) Level of Evidence 2c What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? While epidemiological studies have shown a significantly lower incidence of adenocarcinoma of the prostate in Asia than the United States, several studies have demonstrated that Asian Americans present with more advanced stages, higher tumour grades, and worse mortality‐incidence ratios than Caucasian Americans.This study, conducted in an equal access military healthcare system, reveals improved pathological and survival outcomes in Asian Americans compared to other races. This may indicate that worsened outcomes previously reported among Asian Americans diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the prostate may be related to access to care, language barriers, socioeconomic status, or cultural factors.OBJECTIVE• To characterize the incidence, management and clinicopathological characteristics of prostate cancer (CaP) in a population of Asian Americans undergoing mandatory annual screening in an equal access healthcare system.PATIENTS AND METHODS• Men registered into the military‐based Center for Prostate Disease Research multi‐institutional database from 1989–2007 with biopsy‐proven CaP and categorized as Asian American, Caucasian or African American were included.• Demographic information, treatment modality, clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes were compared.RESULTS• In total, there were 10 964 patients; 583 (5.3%) were Asian Americans. Asian Americans had lower clinical stage (P < 0.001) but worse biopsy grade (P < 0.001) than other groups. They were more likely to choose radical prostatectomy (RP) (P < 0.001) and showed a higher percentage of organ‐confined disease (P < 0.001).• Asian Americans had improved biochemical recurrence free (P < 0.01) and overall survival (P < 0.001) rates compared to African Americans or Caucasians treated with RP or external radiation therapy.CONCLUSIONS• Asian Americans with CaP treated in an equal access healthcare system have improved pathological outcomes and survival characteristics compared to other races.• Asian ethnicity’s negative impact on survival noted by others appears to be the result of factors other than the tumour’s intrinsic behaviour, such as language barriers, socioeconomic status and cultural norms.