bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A coastal reservoir of terrestrial resources for neanderthal populations in north‐eastern Iberia: palaeoenvironmental data inferred from the small‐vertebrate assemblage of Cova del Gegant, Sitges, Barcelona
Authors: López‐García Juan Manuel , Blain Hugues‐Alexandre , Sanz Montserrat , Daura Joan 
Published: August 2011

AbstractCoastal areas as reservoirs of resources for hominid groups have been widely studied in recent years. These areas combine marine with terrestrial and wetland resources and would have been optimum sites for hominids, including Neanderthals. This is the case with the Cova del Gegant, a cave that today opens directly onto the Mediterranean Sea and is located in the north‐eastern Iberian Peninsula. The geomorphological evolution of the Massis del Garraf has provided evidence that during the late Pleistocene there was a littoral platform between 8 and 13 km wide in front of the Cova del Gegant. Within this framework, the data derived from analysis of the small vertebrates and large mammals recovered from Cova del Gegant, including taxa currently absent from the Massis del Garraf, suggest that the landscape surrounding the cave provided a richer terrestrial ecosystem for Neanderthals than is available in this zone today. Analysis of the small‐vertebrate association from the cave reveals that the landscape surrounding the cave was dominated by woodland‐edge and open environments and that the climate was Mediterranean. The results have been compared with the only Iberian site with similar characteristics to the Cova del Gegant, Gorham's cave (southern Iberia, Gibraltar), revealing differences and similarities in the landscape and climate on the basis of the small‐mammal assemblages as well as the differences in the accessibility to terrestrial mammalian resources for the Neanderthal groups. The landscape and the climate were reasonably similar at the two sites, but the differences in the accessibility of resources for the Neanderthals are directly related to the location of the sites and the coastal position. Whereas the Cova del Gegant was on a route of mammal migration (between the Ebro Valley and France) suited for securing terrestrial resources, Gorham's cave is located on a small peninsula with a lower abundance of terrestrial mammal resources. This is probably why the Neanderthal groups at Gorham's cave exploited marine resources, whereas there is no evidence of marine resources having been exploited at Cova del Gegant, even though the seashore was nearby. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local therapy and survival in breast cancer with distant metastases
Authors: Noguchi Masakuni , Nakano Yasuharu , Noguchi Miki , Ohno Yukako , Kosaka Takeo 
Published: August 2011

AbstractThis review article presents an evaluation of the effects of local therapy on survival of breast cancer patients with distant metastases along with a discussion of their relevance. Primary and recurrent breast cancers with distant metastases are systemic diseases with poor prognosis. However, several retrospective studies have demonstrated that surgical removal of the primary breast tumor has a favorable impact on the prognosis of stage IV breast cancer patients. Similarly, it has been reported that surgical resection of metastatic lesions in the lung as well as the liver yields unexpectedly promising results. The interaction of local treatment and systemic therapy may be important, because surgery and radiotherapy are only local treatments. However, it remains uncertain whether these encouraging findings are due to the surgical procedure itself or preoperative patient selection. Only a randomized prospective study can definitively show whether local treatment can prevent death from stage IV disease or recurrent breast cancer with distant metastases. Until data from prospective studies are available, clinicians must weigh retrospective experiences and clinical judgment in deciding whether to offer surgery or radiotherapy to these patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 105:104–110. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determination of darusentan enantiomers in rat plasma by enantioselective liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry using cellulose‐based chiral stationary phase
Authors: Gu Jianmin , Shi Xiaowei , Du Yumin , Wang Wei , Du Xiufang , Zhang Lantong 
Published: August 2011

AbstractA sensitive, specific and rapid liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for enantioselective determination of darusentan enantiomers, orally active potent endothelin‐A receptor antagonist, in rat plasma. The plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with methanol and baseline chromatographic separation was performed on a Chiralcel OD‐RH column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/water/formic acid (50:50:0.1, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The detection was accomplished by multiple‐reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning via electrospray ionization (ESI) source operating in the negative ionization mode. The calibration curve was linear over the investigated concentration from 0.500 to 2500 ng/mL (r≥0.995) for each enantiomer using 50 μL of rat plasma. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) for each enantiomer was 0.500 ng/mL. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were not more than 10.2% and the accuracy was within the range from −5.4 to 6.3% for darusentan enantiomers. No chiral inversion was observed during the plasma preparation, storage and analysis. The method proved adequate for enantioselective pharmacokinetic studies of darusentan enantiomers after oral administration of three different doses of racemic darusentan.
Alkaloids in the human food chain – Natural occurrence and possible adverse effects
Authors: Koleva Irina I. , van Beek Teris A. , Soffers Ans E. M. F. , Dusemund Birgit , Rietjens Ivonne M. C. M. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAlkaloid‐containing plants are an intrinsic part of the regular Western diet. The present paper summarizes the occurrence of alkaloids in the food chain, their mode of action and possible adverse effects including a safety assessment. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are a reason for concern because of their bioactivation to reactive alkylating intermediates. Several quinolizidine alkaloids, β‐carboline alkaloids, ergot alkaloids and steroid alkaloids are active without bioactivation and mostly act as neurotoxins. Regulatory agencies are aware of the risks and have taken or are considering appropriate regulatory actions for most alkaloids. These vary from setting limits for the presence of a compound in feed, foods and beverages, trying to define safe upper limits, advising on a strategy aiming at restrictions in use, informing the public to be cautious or taking specific plant varieties from the market. For some alkaloids known to be present in the modern food chain, e.g. piperine, nicotine, theobromine, theophylline and tropane alkaloids risks coming from the human food chain are considered to be low if not negligible. Remarkably, for many alkaloids that are known constituents of the modern food chain and of possible concern, tolerable daily intake values have so far not been defined.
Acrolein‐mediated injury in nervous system trauma and diseases
Authors: Shi Riyi , Rickett Todd , Sun Wenjing 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAcrolein, an α,β‐unsaturated aldehyde, is a ubiquitous pollutant that is also produced endogenously through lipid peroxidation. This compound is hundreds of times more reactive than other aldehydes such as 4‐hydroxynonenal, is produced at much higher concentrations, and persists in solution for much longer than better known free radicals. It has been implicated in disease states known to involve chronic oxidative stress, particularly spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. Acrolein may overwhelm the anti‐oxidative systems of any cell by depleting glutathione reserves, preventing glutathione regeneration, and inactivating protective enzymes. On the cellular level, acrolein exposure can cause membrane damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and myelin disruption. Such pathologies can be exacerbated by increased concentrations or duration of exposure, and can occur in normal tissue incubated with injured spinal cord, showing that acrolein can act as a diffusive agent, spreading secondary injury. Several chemical species are capable of binding and inactivating acrolein. Hydralazine in particular can reduce acrolein concentrations and inhibit acrolein‐mediated pathologies in vivo. Acrolein scavenging appears to be a novel effective treatment, which is primed for rapid translation to the clinic.
Prevalence of self‐reported double incontinence in the Urban population of a Brazilian city
Authors: Santos Claudia Regina de Souza , Santos Vera Lúcia Conceição de Gouveia 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAimsTo determine the prevalence, and sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with combined fecal and urinary incontinence in adults living in Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil.MethodsThis epidemiological study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of São Paulo School of Nursing. The participants were selected using a stratified cluster sampling design. The final sample consisted of 519 individuals, randomly selected, aged ≥18 years, living in 341 households in the urban area. Prevalence was adjusted for age and gender.ResultsThe total prevalence of double incontinence was 3.0% (men 1.0%; women 5.0%). The results of the final logistic regression model showed that changes in the habit of going out (odds ratio = 62.2; P < 0.001), duration of incontinence (odds ratio = 39.2; P < 0.001), female gender (odds ratio = 21.6; P < 0.001), and widowhood (odds ratio = 19.4; P < 0.001) were associated with the presence of double incontinence.ConclusionThe study allowed a better understanding of the epidemiology of double incontinence and may contribute to the development of public policies and programs for primary and secondary prevention and treatment of double incontinence, at least at the municipal level. Neurourol. Urodynam. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30: 1473–1479, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pelvic floor muscle and transversus abdominis activation in abdominal hypopressive technique through surface electromyography
Authors: Stüpp Liliana , Resende Ana Paula Magalhães , Petricelli Carla Dellabarba , Nakamura Mary Uchiyama , Alexandre Sandra Maria , Zanetti Miriam R. Diniz 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAimsThe abdominal hypopressive technique (AHT) is performed mainly via transversus abdominis (TrA) activation and has been indicated for pelvic floor muscle (PFM) disorders. In some European countries, this technique has become widely used. This study aimed to investigate PFM and TrA activation during the AHT through surface electromyography.MethodsThirty‐four nulliparous physical therapists in good general health were asked to participate in the trial. To ascertain a correct PFM contraction, each of the participants was assessed by inspection and digital palpation. Ability to contract the TrA was assessed by surface electromyography and AHT training was given before analysis. TrA and PFM activity was recorded using surface electromyography.ResultsThe mean age of the volunteers was 28.1 (±6.0) years and the mean body mass index was 23.7 (±3.3) kg/m2. More than half of the volunteers were physically active (61.3%) and regularly performed PFM training (52.9%) but not TrA exercises (58.8%). Although the AHT activates the PFM when compared to resting tone (P < 0.001), this method is significantly less effective than PFM alone (P < 0.001). Additionally, the combination of the two techniques (AHT + PFM) was similarly effective as isolated PFM contraction (P = 0.586). Although the AHT activated the TrA significantly more than did PFM alone (P = 0.002), the addition of PFM contraction to the AHT significantly increased the amount of TrA activation (P < 0.001).ConclusionsBased on our results, the AHT is less effective than PFM contraction alone, and adding PFM contraction to AHT also improves the TrA contraction. Neurourol. Urodynam. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30: 1518–1521, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of intravesical acetylsalicylic acid instillation on tissue prostaglandin levels after partial bladder outlet obstruction in rabbits
Authors: Kibar Yusuf , Irkilata Hasan C. , Yaman Halil , Onguru Onder , Coguplugil Adem E. , Ergin Giray , Seyrek Melik , Yildiz Oguzhan , Dayanc Murat 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAimsTo examine whether obstruction changes the expression of prostaglandins (PGs) in bladder, intravesical low‐dose aspirin could be used as a new route of drug administration, this way of administration influences PGs' expression, and contractile function of the bladder is protected after treatment.MethodsEighteen rabbits were divided into three groups. Sham‐operated group (group 1) included 6 rabbits. Twelve rabbits were partially obstructed for 70 days. Six of these 12 rabbits not receiving any treatment constituted obstructed group (group 2). The remaining six rabbits received 2 mg/kg/day aspirin (group 3). One rabbit in each group was evaluated on 1st, 7th, 14th, 28th, 42nd, and 70th days following obstructive surgery. After scarification, the percentage of collagenous area and concentrations of PGE2 and PGF2‐alpha were measured. Contractile responses to field stimulation (EFS), carbachol, and potassium chloride (KCl) were determined.ResultsWet tissue PGE2 and PGF2‐alpha levels were higher in obstructed group than the other groups. Aspirin decreased the percentage of collagenous area in group 3 compared to the group 2, but this difference was not statistically significant. The strips from aspirin groups resulted in better contractile response to cholinergic stimulation with KCl, but this difference was not statistically significant between the obstructed and aspirin groups. Similarly, carbachol did not elicit significantly greater concentration‐dependent contraction in strips from obstructed group compared to those from aspirin groups. Maximum responses to EFS were not significant in aspirin group compared to those from obstructed group.ConclusionsIntravesical aspirin may have protective effect on partially obstructed bladder. Neurourol. Urodynam. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30: 1646–1651, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Strain‐dependent urethral response
Authors: Haworth Donna J. , Kitta Takeya , Morelli Brian , Chew Douglas W. , Yoshimura Naoki , de Groat William C. , Vorp David A. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAimsThe Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat, an out‐bred, all‐purpose strain, has served well for lower urinary tract research. However, to test new cellular therapies for conditions such as stress urinary incontinence, an in‐bred rat strain with immune tolerance, such as the Lewis rat, may be more useful. The objective of this study was to reveal any differences in lower urinary tract continence mechanisms between the Lewis and SD rat.MethodsThe contribution of (1) the striated and smooth muscle to the mechanical and functional properties of the urethra in vitro, and (2) the striated sphincter to leak point pressure (LPP) and reflex continence mechanisms in vivo were assessed in normal (control) Lewis and SD rats and in a model of stress urinary incontinence produced by bilateral pudendal nerve transection.ResultsControl, Lewis rats had significantly lower LPP, significantly less fast‐twitch skeletal muscle and relied less on the striated sphincter for continence than control, SD rats, as indicated by the failure of neuromuscular blockade with alpha‐bungarotoxin to reduce LPP. Nerve transection significantly decreased LPP in the SD rat, but not in the Lewis rat. Although the Lewis urethra contained more smooth muscle than the SD rat, it was less active in vitro as indicated by a low urethral baseline pressure and lack of response to phenylephrine.ConclusionsWe have observed distinct differences in functional and mechanical properties of the SD and Lewis urethra and have shown that the Lewis rat may not be suitable as a chronic model of SUI via nerve transection. Neurourol. Urodynam. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30: 1652–1658, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reducing bias in pelvic floor disorders research: Using directed acyclic graphs as an aid
Authors: Sung Vivian W. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractAimsThe aim of most pelvic floor disorders (PFD) research is to obtain an unbiased effect estimate and to make causal inferences. New developments in epidemiologic research, including the use of causal directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), have shown that traditional analytical strategies for research can be inadequate, leading to unintended consequences such as introducing additional bias. Although DAGs have been proven to be useful in other medical fields, their use has been limited in PFD research. The aim of this paper is to introduce DAGs and then demonstrate their application in PFD research. This paper will also illustrate how relying purely on statistical techniques can lead to pitfalls in reducing bias in research studies.Methods/ResultsDAGs are a graphical epidemiologic tool that provide a method to select for potential confounders and minimize bias in the design and analysis of research studies. We start by providing an introduction to DAGs. We then describe six scenarios in PFD research in which DAGs can be helpful: (1) identifying appropriate confounding variables for adjustment; (2) identifying potential over‐adjustment when conditioning on a mediator; (3) identifying unintended confounding due to inappropriate adjustment; (4) identifying unintended selection bias due to inappropriate adjustment; (5) planning analyses in cross‐sectional studies; and (6) using DAGs as a framework to help plan data collection and analyses in PFD research.ConclusionsWe demonstrate how the application of DAGs as an aid to PFD research can help to decrease bias and discuss the insights and implications for study design and analytical approaches. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:115–120, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of pyruvate dose on in vivo metabolism and quantification of hyperpolarized 13C spectra
Authors: Janich M. A. , Menzel M. I. , Wiesinger F. , Weidl E. , Khegai O. , Ardenkjaer‐Larsen J. H. , Glaser S. J. , Haase A. , Schulte R. F. , Schwaiger M. 
Published: August 2011

Real‐time in vivo measurements of metabolites are performed by signal enhancement of [1‐13C]pyruvate using dynamic nuclear polarization, rapid dissolution and intravenous injection, acquisition of free induction decay signals and subsequent quantification of spectra. The commonly injected dose of hyperpolarized pyruvate is larger than typical tracer doses, with measurement before complete dilution of the injected bolus. Pyruvate is in exchange with its downstream metabolites lactate, alanine and bicarbonate. A transient exposure to high pyruvate blood concentrations may cause the saturation of cellular uptake and metabolic conversion. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of a [1‐13C]pyruvate bolus on metabolic conversion in vivo.Spectra were quantified by three different methods: frequency‐domain fitting with LCModel, time‐domain fitting with AMARES and simple linear least‐squares fitting in the time domain. Since the simple linear least‐squares approach showed bleeding artifacts and LCModel produced noisier time signals. AMARES performed best in the quantification of in vivo hyperpolarized pyruvate spectra.We examined pyruvate doses of 0.1–0.4 mmol/kg (body mass) in male Wistar rats by acquiring slice‐selective free induction decay signals in slices dominated by heart, liver and kidney tissue. Dose effects were noted in all cases, except for alanine in the cardiac slice below the dose of 0.2 mmol/kg. Our results indicate unlimited cellular uptake of pyruvate up to this dose and limited enzymatic activity of lactate dehydrogenase. In the cardiac slice above 0.2 mmol/kg and in liver and kidney slices, reflect limited cellular uptake or enzymatic activity, or a combination of both effects. The results indicate that the dose of pyruvate must be recognized as an important determinant for metabolic tissue kinetics, and saturation effects must be taken into account for the quantitative interpretation of the observed results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predicting long‐term survival and treatment response in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy by MR metabolic profiling
Authors: Cao Maria D. , Sitter Beathe , Bathen Tone F. , Bofin Anna , Lønning Per E. , Lundgren Steinar , Gribbestad Ingrid S. 
Published: August 2011

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate whether MR metabolic profiling can be used for prediction of long‐term survival and monitoring of treatment response in locally advanced breast cancer patients during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods: High resolution magic angle spinning (HR MAS) MR spectra of pre‐ and post‐treatment biopsies from 33 patients were acquired. Tissue concentrations of choline‐containing metabolites (tCho), glycine and taurine were assessed using electronic reference to access in vivo concentration (ERETIC) of the signal and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was used to define their potential to predict patient survival and treatment response. The metabolite profiles obtained by HR MAS spectroscopy were related to long‐term survival and treatment response by genetic algorithm partial least squares discriminant analysis (GA PLS‐DA).ResultsDifferent pre‐treatment MR metabolic profiles characterized by higher levels of tCho and lower levels of lactate were observed in patients with long‐term survival (≥5 years, survivors) compared to patients who died of cancer recurrence (<5 years, non‐survivors). A significant decrease in glycerophosphocholine (GPC) post‐treatment was associated with long‐term survival (p = 0.046) and partial response (p = 0.014) to NAC. Long‐term survival was best predicted by GPC using ROC analyses (sens. 66.7%, spec. 62.5%), while taurine had the best predictive value of treatment response (sens. 72.7%, spec. 63.2%). GA PLS‐DA multivariate classification models successfully discriminated between survivors and non‐survivors, resulting in 82.7% and 90.2% cross‐validation (CV) classification accuracy, pre‐ and post‐treatment, respectively. Classification of treatment response using GA PLS‐DA was not successful for this patient cohort.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that HR MAS MR metabolic profiles consisting of important metabolic characteristics of breast cancer tumors could potentially assist the classification and prediction of long‐term survival in locally advanced breast cancer patients, in addition to being used as an adjunct for evaluation of treatment response to NAC. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.