bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synergistic Activity of Ceftobiprole and Vancomycin in a Rat Model of Infective Endocarditis Caused by Methicillin-Resistant and Glycopeptide-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Fernandez Jeffrey , Abbanat Darren , Shang Wenchi , He Wenping , Amsler Karen , Hastings James , Queenan Anne Marie , Melton John L. , Barron Alfred M. , Flamm Robert K. , Lynch A. Simon 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTThe therapeutic activity of ceftobiprole medocaril, the prodrug of ceftobiprole, was compared to that of vancomycin, daptomycin, and the combination of a subtherapeutic dose of ceftobiprole and vancomycin in a rat model of infective endocarditis due to methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) (ATCC 43300) or glycopeptide-intermediateStaphylococcus aureus(GISA) (NRS4 and HIP 5836) strains. The minimum bactericidal concentrations of ceftobiprole, vancomycin, and daptomycin at bacterial cell densities similar to those encountered in the cardiac vegetation in the rat endocarditis model were 2, >64, and 8 μg/ml, respectively, for MRSA ATCC 43300 and 4, >64, and 8 μg/ml, respectively, for the GISA strain. Ceftobiprole medocaril administered in doses of 100 mg/kg of body weight given intravenously (i.v.) twice a day (BID) every 8 h (q8h) (equivalent to a human therapeutic dose of ceftobiprole [500 mg given three times a day [TID]) was the most effective monotherapy, eradicating nearly 5 log10CFU/g MRSA or 6 log10CFU/g GISA organisms from the cardiac vegetation and had the highest incidence of sterile vegetation compared to the other monotherapies in the endocarditis model. Inin vitrotime-kill studies, synergistic effects were observed with ceftobiprole and vancomycin on MRSA and GISA strains, andin vivosynergy was noted with combinations of subtherapeutic doses of these agents for the same strains. Additionally, sterile vegetations were achieved in 33 and 60%, respectively, of the animals infected with MRSA ATCC 43300 or GISA NRS4 receiving ceftobiprole-vancomycin combination therapy. In summary, ceftobiprole was efficacious both as monotherapy and in combination with vancomycin in treating MRSA and GISA infections in a rat infective endocarditis model and warrants further evaluation.
Double-barrel entanglement of intracranial Enterprise stents resulting from undetected incomplete stent apposition
Authors: Heller Robert S , Safain Mina , Malek Adel M 
Published: January 2012

ObjectiveAlthough intracranial stents have expanded the spectrum of aneurysms amenable to coiling, closed cell design variants can be prone to incomplete stent apposition around tightly curved arterial bends. A case is presented illustrating the technical ramifications of this phenomenon during subsequent treatment.Clinical presentationA 49-year-old woman who had previously undergone Enterprise (closed cell design) stent mediated coiling of a wide necked ophthalmic carotid artery aneurysm was noted to harbor residual central filling on follow-up imaging, and was scheduled for additional embolization.InterventionDuring retreatment, performed with a second concentrically placed Enterprise and further coil packing using the jailing technique, the proximal portion of the second Enterprise stent failed to expand as expected. C-arm cone beam CT (CBCT) revealed the second stent to have been navigated into and out of the orphaned lumen created by the incompletely apposed first Enterprise stent at the carotid siphon. This stent entanglement resulted in the formation of a trapped proximal double-barrel lumen in the curved segment and resolution to a single barrel lumen in the distal straight segment of the parent vessel facing the aneurysm neck.ConclusionCaution is urged when navigating around curved vessel segments through previously deployed intracranial stents, which may be incompletely apposed to the vessel wall, to avoid deleterious and potentially catastrophic entanglement. CBCT imaging may be helpful in delineating the spatial relationship of previously deployed intracranial stents during subsequent endovascular navigation.
Individual-based analyses reveal high repeatability in timing and location of reproduction in lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
Authors: Forsythe Patrick S. , Crossman James A. , Bello Nora M. , Baker Edward A. , Scribner Kim T. 
Published: January 2012

Few studies have quantified the repeatability of reproductive decisions by individuals or assessed their relationship with environmental variables over multiple seasons for long-lived iteroparous fish species. Using individual-based data collected for 678 lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) over 8 consecutive years, we evaluated hypotheses regarding spawning periodicity and repeatability of spawning location, spawning time, and environmental cues associated with spawning. At our study site (Upper Black River, northern Michigan, USA), interspawning interval differed between males (2.3 ± 0.08 years) and females (3.7 ± 0.16 years), but was not significantly related to age. Individual spawning behavior was highly repeatable with respect to spawning time (relative day within the spawning season) for both sexes regardless of size or age, but was less repeatable, though still significant, relative to water temperature, river discharge, and lunar phase. Breeding area was also repeatable, with individuals spawning earlier in the season selecting locations further upstream than those spawning later. Repeatability in spawning times and locations suggest that subpopulation differentiation may develop among different spawning groups, even within small and spatially contiguous areas.
Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) runs and consumer fitness: growth and energy storage in stream-dwelling salmonids increase with salmon spawner density
Authors: Rinella Daniel J. , Wipfli Mark S. , Stricker Craig A. , Heintz Ron A. , Rinella Matthew J. 
Published: January 2012

We examined how marine-derived nutrients (MDN), in the form of spawning Pacific salmon, influenced the nutritional status and δ15N of stream-dwelling fishes. We sampled juvenile coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) and Dolly Varden ( Salvelinus malma ) during spring and fall from 11 south-central Alaskan streams that ranged widely in spawning salmon biomass (0.1–4.7 kg·m–2). Growth rate (as indexed by RNA–DNA ratios), energy density, and δ15N enrichment in spring-sampled fishes increased with spawner biomass, indicating the persistence of spawner effects more than 6 months after salmon spawning. Point estimates suggest that spawner effects on nutrition were substantially greater for coho salmon than Dolly Varden (268% and 175% greater for growth and energy, respectively), indicating that both species benefitted physiologically, but that juvenile coho salmon accrued more benefits than Dolly Varden. Although the data were less conclusive for fall- than spring-sampled fish, they do suggest spawner effects were also generally positive during fall, soon after salmon spawned. In a follow-up analysis where growth rate and energy density were modeled as a function of δ15N enrichment, results suggested that both increased with MDN assimilation, especially in juvenile coho salmon. Our results support the importance of salmon runs to the nutritional ecology of stream-dwelling fishes.
Removal of hexavalent chromium in tannery wastewater by Bacillus cereus
Authors: Zhao Changqing , Yang Qinhuan , Chen Wuyong , Teng Bo 
Published: January 2012

Bacillus cereus was used to remove chromium (Cr(VI)) from medium containing tannery wastewater under different conditions. The maximum rate of Cr(VI) removal was attained at a temperature of 37 °C, pH of 7.0–9.0, and biomass of 20 g/L when the initial Cr(VI) concentration was less than 50 mg/L. Under the optimum conditions, the Cr(VI) in tannery wastewater was treated with each cellular component of B. cereus to detect its ability to reduce Cr(VI). The results showed that the removal rate of Cr(VI) for the cell-free extracts could reach 92.70%, which was close to that of the whole cells (96.85%), indicating that the Cr(VI) reductase generated by B. cereus is primarily intracellular. Additionally, during continuous culture of the B. cereus, the strain showed good consecutive growth and removal ability. After treatment of 20 mg/L Cr(VI) for 48 h, the B. cereus was observed by SEM and TEM–EDX. SEM images showed that the B. cereus used to treat Cr(VI) grew well and had a uniform cellular size. TEM–EDX analysis revealed large quantities of chromium in the B. cereus cells used to treat Cr(VI). Overall, the results presented herein demonstrate that B. cereus can be used as a new biomaterial to remove Cr(VI) from tannery wastewater.
In-vitro characterization of the pharmacological effects induced by (–)-α-bisabolol in rat smooth muscle preparations
Authors: de Siqueira Rodrigo J.B. , Freire Walter B.S. , Vasconcelos-Silva Alfredo A. , Fonseca-Magalhães Patrícia A. , Lima Francisco J.B. , Brito Teresinha S. , Mourão Lívia T.C. , Ribeiro Ronaldo A. , Lahlou Saad , Magalhães Pedro J.C. 
Published: January 2012

The present study deals with the pharmacological effects of the sesquiterpene alcohol (–)-α-bisabolol on various smooth-muscle preparations from rats. Under resting tonus, (–)-α-bisabolol (30–300 µmol/L) relaxed duodenal strips, whereas it showed biphasic effects in other preparations, contracting endothelium-intact aortic rings and urinary bladder strips, and relaxing these tissues at higher concentrations (600–1000 µmol/L). In preparations precontracted either electromechanically (by 60 mmol/L K+) or pharmacomechanically (by phenylephrine or carbachol), (–)-α-bisabolol showed only relaxing properties. The pharmacological potency of (–)-α-bisabolol was variable, being higher in mesenteric vessels, whereas it exerted relaxing activity with a lesser potency on tracheal or colonic tissues. In tissues possessing spontaneous activity, (–)-α-bisabolol completely decreased spontaneous contractions in duodenum, whereas it increased their amplitude in urinary bladder tissue. Administered in vivo, (–)-α-bisabolol attenuated the increased responses of carbachol in tracheal rings of ovalbumin-sensitized rats challenged with ovalbumin, but was without effect in the decreased responsiveness of urinary bladder strips in mice treated with ifosfamide. In summary, (–)-α-bisabolol is biologically active in smooth muscle. In some tissues, (–)-α-bisabolol preferentially relaxed contractions induced electromechanically, especially in tracheal smooth muscle. The findings from tracheal rings reveal that (–)-α-bisabolol may be an inhibitor of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.
Myocardial and metabolic dysfunction in type 2 diabetic rats: impact of ghrelin
Authors: Hussein Abdel-Aziz M. , Abdel-Aziz Azza , Gabr Mahmoud , Hemmaid Kamel Z. 
Published: January 2012

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is commonly associated with metabolic and cardiac dysfunctions. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ghrelin on metabolic and cardiac dysfunctions in a type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model. For this, 48 male adult Sprague–Dawley rats were divided equally into 4 groups: Group I, fed normal chow, served as normal control group; Groups II–IV, were fed a high-fat diet for 2 weeks followed by injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (35 mg/kg body mass) to create a model of T2DM; Group II, were not treated; Group III, were treated with the vehicle (saline); Group IV, were treated with ghrelin (40 µg/kg body mass) twice daily for 10 days. The untreated diabetic rats showed a significant increase in serum fasting blood glucose, insulin homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index, triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total serum cholesterol (TC), and body mass, with a decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p < 0.05). Hearts isolated from diabetic rats showed a significant increase in myocardial fat content, a significant decrease in GLUT4, and an increase in acyl-CoA oxidase enzyme mRNA (p < 0.05). Ghrelin administration for 10 days caused a significant improvement in lipid profile, HOMA index, and body mass, and significantly corrected the myocardial mass, significantly reduced the fat content of the myocardium, significantly increased GLUT4, and decreased acyl CoA oxidase mRNA (p < 0.05). Thus, ghrelin improves both the metabolic functions and the disturbed energy metabolism in the cardiac muscle of obese diabetic rats.
PARTIALLY ORDERED TWO-WAY BÜCHI AUTOMATA
Authors: KUFLEITNER MANFRED , LAUSER ALEXANDER 
Published: January 2012

We introduce partially ordered two-way Büchi automata and characterize their expressive power in terms of fragments of first-order logic FO[<]. Partially ordered two-way Büchi automata are Büchi automata which can change the direction in which the input is processed with the constraint that whenever a state is left, it is never re-entered again. Nondeterministic partially ordered two-way Büchi automata coincide with the first-order fragment Σ2. Our main contribution is that deterministic partially ordered two-way Büchi automata are expressively complete for the first-order fragment Δ2. As an intermediate step, we show that deterministic partially ordered two-way Büchi automata are effectively closed under Boolean operations. A small model property yields coNP-completeness of the emptiness problem and the inclusion problem for deterministic partially ordered two-way Büchi automata.
Novel Genetic Markers of Breast Cancer Survival Identified by a Genome-Wide Association Study
Authors: Shu Xiao Ou , Long Jirong , Lu Wei , Li Chun , Chen Wendy Y. , Delahanty Ryan , Cheng Jiarong , Cai Hui , Zheng Ying , Shi Jiajun , Gu Kai , Wang Wen-Jing , Kraft Peter , Gao Yu-Tang , Cai Qiuyin , Zheng Wei 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
Only two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted to date to identify potential markers for total mortality after diagnosis of breast cancer. Here, we report the identification of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with total mortality from a two-stage GWAS conducted among 6,110 Shanghai-resident Chinese women with tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stage I to IV breast cancer. The discovery stage included 1,950 patients and evaluated 613,031 common SNPs. The top 49 associations were evaluated in an independent replication stage of 4,160 Shanghai patients with breast cancer. A consistent and highly significant association with total mortality was documented for SNPs rs3784099 and rs9934948. SNP rs3784099, located in the RAD51L1 gene, was associated with total morality in both the discovery stage (P = 1.44 × 10−8) and replication stage (P = 0.06; P-combined = 1.17 × 10−7). Adjusted HRs for total mortality were 1.41 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18–1.68] for the AG genotype and 2.64 (95% CI, 1.74–4.03) for the AA genotype, when compared with the GG genotype. The variant C allele of rs9934948, located on chromosome 16, was associated with a similarly elevated risk of total mortality (P-combined = 5.75 × 10−6). We also observed this association among 1,145 patients with breast cancer of European ancestry from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS; P = 0.006); the association was highly significant in a combined analysis of NHS and Chinese data (P = 1.39 × 10−7). Similar associations were observed for these two SNPs with breast cancer–specific mortality. This study provides strong evidence suggesting that the RAD51L1 gene and a chromosome 16 locus influence breast cancer prognosis. Cancer Res; 72(5); 1182–9. ©2012 AACR.
Smoking Attenuates Transforming Growth Factor-β–Mediated Tumor Suppression Function through Downregulation of Smad3 in Lung Cancer
Authors: Samanta Debangshu , Gonzalez Adriana L. , Nagathihalli Nagaraj , Ye Fei , Carbone David P. , Datta Pran K. 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
Epidemiologic studies have shown that most cases of lung cancers (85%–90%) are directly attributable to cigarette smoking. Although much information has been gained about the effects of cigarette smoking on various signaling pathways causing lung cancer, nothing is known about the effect of cigarette smoking on the TGF-β–induced tumor suppressor function in lung cancer. To address this issue, lung adenocarcinoma A549 and immortalized bronchial epithelial HPL1A cells were chronically treated with cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) and dimethyl sulfoxide (as a control) to mimic the conditions of long-term cigarette smoking. Prolonged exposure of these cells to CSC resulted in a decrease in Smad3 and Smad4 complex formation and TGF-β–mediated transcription due to reduced expression of Smad3. Long-term CSC treatment reduced apoptosis, increased cell viability, decreased TGF-β–mediated growth inhibition, and enhanced tumorigenicity. The decrease in apoptosis is due to the upregulation of Bcl-2, which is a downstream target of Smad3. Re-expression of Smad3 in the CSC-treated cells restored TGF-β signaling, increased apoptosis, and decreased cell viability and tumorigenicity. Withdrawal of CSC treatment resulted in the restoration of Smad3 expression, reduction in cell viability, and increased TGF-β–mediated growth inhibition. Expression of Smad3 is lower in lung tumors of current smokers than that observed in never-smokers. Collectively, these data provide evidence that cigarette smoking promotes tumorigenicity partly by abrogating TGF-β–mediated growth inhibition and apoptosis by reducing expression of Smad3. Cancer Prev Res; 5(3); 453–63. ©2012 AACR.
Blood Lipid Levels, Lipid-Lowering Medications, and the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Lopez Faye L. , Agarwal Sunil K. , MacLehose Richard F. , Soliman Elsayed Z. , Sharrett A. Richey , Huxley Rachel R. , Konety Suma , Ballantyne Christie M. , Alonso Alvaro 
Published: January 2012

Background—
Several cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Limited and inconsistent evidence exists on the association of blood lipid levels and lipid-lowering medication use with AF risk.

Methods and Results—
We analyzed 13 969 participants (25% African American, 45% men) free of AF at baseline from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), triglycerides, and total cholesterol were measured at baseline (1987–1989) and each of 3 follow-up visits. The incidence of AF was ascertained through 2007. The association of the use of statins and other lipid-lowering medications with AF was estimated in 13 044 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities participants attending visit 2 (1990–1992), adjusting for covariates from the previous visit. During a median follow-up of 18.7 years, there were 1433 incident AF cases. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs of AF associated with a 1-SD increase in lipid levels were as follows: HDLc, 0.97 (0.91–1.04); LDLc, 0.90 (0.85–0.96); total cholesterol, 0.89 (0.84–0.95); and triglycerides, 1.00 (0.96–1.04). Participants taking lipid-lowering medications had an adjusted HR (95% CI) of AF of 0.96 (0.82–1.13) compared with those not taking medications, whereas those taking statins had an adjusted HR of 0.91 (0.66–1.25) compared with those taking other lipid-lowering medications.

Conclusions—
Higher levels of LDLc and total cholesterol were associated with a lower incidence of AF. However, HDLc and triglycerides were not independently associated with AF incidence. No association was found between the use of lipid-lowering medications and incident AF.
Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction After the Death of a Significant Person in One's Life
Authors: Mostofsky Elizabeth , Maclure Malcolm , Sherwood Jane B. , Tofler Geoffrey H. , Muller James E. , Mittleman Murray A. 
Published: January 2012

Background—
Acute psychological stress is associated with an abrupt increase in the risk of cardiovascular events. Intense grief in the days after the death of a significant person may trigger the onset of acute myocardial infarction (MI), but this relationship has not been systematically studied.

Methods and Results—
We conducted a case-crossover analysis of 1985 participants from the multicenter Determinants of Myocardial Infarction Onset Study interviewed during index hospitalization for an acute MI between 1989 and 1994. We compared the observed number of deaths in the days preceding MI symptom onset with its expected frequency based on each patient's control information, defined as the occurrence of deaths in the period from 1 to 6 months before infarction. Among the 1985 subjects, 270 (13.6%) experienced the loss of a significant person in the prior 6 months, including 19 within 1 day of their MI. The incidence rate of acute MI onset was elevated 21.1-fold (95% confidence interval, 13.1–34.1) within 24 hours of the death of a significant person and declined steadily on each subsequent day. The absolute risk of MI within 1 week of the death of a significant person is 1 excess MI per 1394 exposed individuals at low (5%) 10-year MI risk and 1 per 320 among individuals at high (20%) 10-year risk.

Conclusions—
Grief over the death of a significant person was associated with an acutely increased risk of MI in the subsequent days. The impact may be greatest among individuals at high cardiovascular risk.
Gender and Asset Dimensions of Seasonal Water Insecurity in Urban Philippines
Authors: Mason Lisa Reyes 
Published: January 2012

AbstractSeasonal water insecurity is a social and climate-related problem of growing concern in many urban areas. From 2000 to 2050, the global urban population affected by seasonal water shortage is projected to increase from 312 million to 1.3 billion. This increase is due to a combination of drivers, including population growth, urbanization, and climate change. To advance understanding of the social dimensions of this problem, this study uses qualitative methods—archival research, informal interviews (N = 7), and in-depth interviews (N = 15)—to explore how gender and assets relate to water insecurity in the rainy and dry seasons in three urban neighborhoods in Baguio City, the Philippines. Analytic methods include memo production and qualitative text analysis. Key findings are that households manage complex water portfolios that change seasonally or more frequently; women and men have gendered roles in managing water portfolios, providing versus managing income for water purchases, and physically carrying water; and particular assets (specific physical, financial, and social capitals) seem to matter for reducing seasonal water insecurity, in ways that may be gendered as well. Implications for more gender-sensitive and asset-focused research and policy are discussed.