bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Sodium Restriction on Renal Hypertension and on Renin Activity in the Rat
Authors: MIKSCHE L. W. , MIKSCHE ULRIKE , Gross F. 
Published: June 2012

Control rats and rats with experimental renal hypertension due to unilateral stenosis of one renal artery received a standard diet (0.23% sodium) and a sodium-deficient diet (0.004% sodium), alternately, during which time blood pressure and plasma renin activity were determined. At the end of the experiment, renin content of the kidneys was measured.
In normotensive control rats, the sodium-deficient diet did not affect blood pressure, but plasma renin activity and renin content of the kidneys increased. In rats with renal hypertension, restriction of sodium supply was followed by a fall in blood pressure to normotensive levels, provided that an intact contralateral kidney was present. Similarly, sodium-deficient diet prevented the development of hypertension if given immediately after placing the clip on one renal artery. Restriction of sodium supply provoked a marked increase in plasma renin activity, whereas renin content of the ischemic kidney was only slightly, but significantly, higher than in rats with normal sodium intake. Contrary to this, in unilaterally nephrectomized rats with renal hypertension, neither hypertension nor plasma renin activity or renin content of the kidneys was affected by sodium-deficient diet. In control rats with unilateral nephrectomy, plasma renin activity was only half that of intact rats, and restriction of sodium provoked no more than an increase up to normal values of intact rats. Sodium loss by the contralateral kidney may contribute to both the antihypertensive effect of a sodium-deficient diet and the increase in plasma renin activity.
Observations on the Vasodilator Properties of Urine
Authors: SARNOFF S. J. , CASE R. B. , MACRUZ R. , SARNOFF L. C. , SUSSMAN K. E. , PIERCE J. V. 
Published: June 2012

These experiments trace the recent interest in the vasodilator properties of urine. This interest was triggered by the incidental observation of a potent coronary dilator influence when urine was introduced into the reservoir of the isolated supported heart preparation. A comparison of human urine with nitroglycerin then revealed that 10 ml. of urine had 2 to 3 times the dilator potency of 0.6 mg. nitroglycerin. Neither agent altered myocardial oxygen consumption or efficiency at the peak of their effect.
The development of a simple, rapid and reproducible bioassay technic which would permit the comparative examination of numerous samples in the same preparation was a necessary precursor to realizing the broader objective of ascertaining whether the vasodilator substance in urine has physiologic significance for circulatory regulation. Accordingly, a re-examination was made of the limitations of the femoral arterial flow technic. The irregularity in the amplitude and contour of sequential responses to the same test substance in spite of an apparently steady hemodynamic state suggested the possibility of inadequate mixing after injections into the external circuit. Model studies with blue dye confirmed this impression and a magnetic mixer was therefore introduced into the external circuit in order to thoroughly mix the injected material. This resulted in substantially improved reproducibility and the obtaining of satisfactory dose-response curves.
This technic was then used to assay the 24 hour output of vasodilator activity in the urine of 5 hypotensive patients and 5 normal individuals. The hypotensive group exhibited something less than 15 per cent of that secreted by the control group. The substance under examination is non-dialyzable and, chemically, resembles callicrein. The urines from 9 mammalian species all exhibited high activity. These observations were construed as being compatible with the hypothesis that the vasodilator agent under examination is, in some way, associated with autonomic function and/or the regulation of arterial pressure. This view was supported by the observation of a diminished vasodilator output in the sheep while under the influence of ganglionic blockade with hexamethonium.
Relative Effects of Heart Chambers, Lungs, and Mitral Insufficiency on the Shape of Indicator Dilution Curves
Authors: EMANUEL RICHARD W. , LACY WILLIAM W. , NEWMAN ELLIOT V. 
Published: June 2012

The shape of dilution curves obtained by sampling from different sites was studied in dogs following superior vena caval injections of dye. Synchronous sampling from paired sites enabled observations to be made on the separate effects of the right heart, left ventricle and aorta on the dye dilution curves, with and without mitral insufficiency.
The results show that tile left ventricle and aorta have little effect on the final slope of a dilution curve across the lungs in dogs with normal hearts. In the presence of mitral incompetence the final slope across both lungs and heart was slower than in the normal, but these changes were related to cardiac output and increase in lung mixing volume rather than primarily to the incompetence of the valve.
Action of Long-Chain Polymers on Kidney Juxtaglomerular Cells and Connective Tissue Mast Cells
Authors: CORBASCIO ALDO N. 
Published: June 2012

The histochemical nature and the biologic characteristics of the specific cytoplasmic granulations of the juxtaglomerular (J-G) cells of the kidney have been reinvestigated. In the rat, it appears that these cells are mesenchymal in origin and capable of reacting as part of the reticuloendothelial system when exposed to the action of long-chain polymers like dextran or ovomucoid.
The substance contained in the granules is probably constituted by a mixture of polysaccharide sulfate esters and lipoids, accounting for their staining properties with metachromatic dyes. Hyaluronic acid is not responsible for the latter reaction.
The J-G granules respond in a manner strikingly similar to that of mast-cell granules after treatment with dextran or ovomucoid. The attempt to quantitate the amount of histamine liberated by degranulation of J-G cells has been less successful than with degranulated connective tissue mast cells, owing to the low J-G cell/parenchyma ratio in the kidney.
The presence of mast-cell-like elements at the vascular pole of the kidney glomerulus is stressed in view of their possible role in the functional activity of the nephron, owing to the fact that degranulation of these cells is capable of releasing anticoagulant and vasoactive substances like heparin, histamine, and serotonin proximal to 1 of the most important circulatory districts of the body.
The finding of elements with analogous characteristics in the subintimal layer of arterioles in other organs raises the question as to whether J-G cells play a less specialized role in the kidney than hitherto supposed.
Special Issue: Significance of Tissue Chromaffin Cells and Mast Cells in Man
Authors: PHILLIPS JOHN H. , BURCH GEORGE E. , HIBBS RICHARD G. 
Published: June 2012

Tissue mast cells have been a source of great curiosity since their conclusive description by Ehrlich over 80 years ago. They have been implicated in a vast majority of connective tissue reactions both of physiologic and pathologic nature. In some species at least, mast cells have been implicated in the production, storage and release of potent cardiovascular substances including heparin, serotonin and histamine.
The present report is directed particularly toward man. Evidence is presented suggesting that human tissue cells previously lumped into one large group on the basis of granular metachromasia and termed tissue mast cells, represent at least two morphologically distinct cellular types. Difference in function of these cells may be great. There is evidence that one type may be a local tissue source for epinephrine, norepinephrine, or both. It is suggested that mast cells as a whole may represent a spectrum of cell types having numerous differences in ultrastructure and function. It is believed that their continued study in various physiologic and pathologic states should prove fruitful.
Cofibrins and Fibrin-Intermediates as Indicators of Thrombin Activity in Vivo
Authors: SHAINOFF JOHN R. , PAGE IRVINE H. , Andrasi Miss Dolores 
Published: June 2012

A cold-precipitable, thrombin-coagulable protein, tentatively designated "cryoprofibrin," was separated from plasma of rabbits treated with
E. coli
endotoxin. It was shown to contain fibrin-intermediates, consisting of fibrinogen that has lost only a portion of the peptides liberated during the conversion of rabbit fibrinogen to fibrin. These peptides have been called cofibrins. On reaction with thrombin, fibrinogen and cryoprofibrin yielded the same amount of cofibrin B (0.9 moles per 220,000 Gm. of fibrin clot); however, cryoprofibrin yielded 30 per cent less cofibrin A than did fibrinogen. Cryoprofibrin and fibrinogen yielded 0.7 and 1.0 moles of cofibrin A per 220,000 Gm. of fibrin, respectively. The deficit of cofibrin A in preference to cofibrin B provides evidence that, cryoprofibrin consists of fibrinogen that had lost cofibrin A by limited action of thrombin, because cofibrin A is liberated from fibrinogen by thrombin more rapidly than is cofibrin B.

Only a small portion of the cryoprofibrin could have been produced by action of thrombin subsequent to exsanguination, because the plasma contained only about one-third of the cofibrin A that had been liberated from fibrin-ogen during its conversion to cryoprofibrin. Accordingly, cryoprofibrin provides a valid measure of thrombin activity in vivo, at least in the endotoxin-treated rabbits.
An alternative approach to measurement of thrombin activity involving recovery of cofibrin A from urine proved inapplicable, because no confibrin A was found to be excreted in urine.
An average of 0.264 ± 0.038 mg. cryoprofibrin per ml. was obtained from plasma of treated rabbits, as compared with 0.044 ± 0.016 mg. of cold-precipitable fibrinogen per ml. of normal plasma. The demonstration of increased thrombin activity after endotoxin treatment, as evidenced by the cryoprofibrin, implicates thrombin in the mechanism of fibrinoid deposition. The demonstration that cryoprofibrin consists of fibrin-intermediates supports Thomas' hypothesis that fibrinoid consists of fibrin-intermediates.
Distribution and Transcapillary Exchange of Albumin in Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: ROSS RICHARD S. , WALKER W. GORDON , HAMMOND JOHN D. S. 
Published: June 2012

The distribution and transcapillary exchange of albumin have been studied in patients with congestive heart failure and the results compared with a group of control subjects who did not have heart failure.
The normal relation between vascular albumin mass and plasma volume on the one hand and transcapillary albumin exchange on the other does not exist in patients with congestive failure. The transcapillary albumin exchange rate, which presumably reflects capillary permeability, is decreased relative to the plasma volume and vascular albumin mass. It appears that decreased permeability of capillaries to albumin is associated with congestive failure and may be responsible for the increased plasma volume characteristic of this disease.
The appearance of labeled protein in edema fluid has been studied in 7 patients and compared with the simultaneously determined serum disappearance curves. The albumin contained in the edema fluid constitutes a small fraction of the total extravascular albumin pool. The vascular albumin mass equilibrates less rapidly with the local edema albumin mass than with the total extravasenlar albumin mass.
Ventricular Nonmixing as a Source of Error in the Estimation of Ventricular Volume by the Indicator-Dilution Technic
Authors: SWAN H. J. C. , BECK WALTER 
Published: June 2012

1. In the anesthetized dog, end-diastolic, end-systolic and stroke volumes for the left ventricle have been calculated according to the method of Holt from dilution curves recorded at the aortic root. For heart rates of less than 120 beats per minute, the catheterdensitometer systems used gave 90 to 95 per cent of the true concentration in the aortic root at the end of diastole.
2. Average volumes of 2.96, 1.63 and 1.33 ml./Kg. of body weight were calculated for each of these parameters. The interindividual and intraindividual variations about these means amounted to ± 30 to 50 per cent.
3. In approximately 15 per cent of the dilution curves the concentration of dye in the aortic root during early systole (phase of maximal ejection) showed a transient, markedly low value compared with that of the end of diastole. This can be explained only on the basis of the preferential ejection from the heart in early systole of the undyed, newly entering blood from the left atrium, which had mixed poorly with the residual volume of the ventricle. Qualitative inspection of cineangiograms confirmed this impression and demonstrated that a residuum of contrast medium failed to mix with the incoming blood from the left atrium.
4. In addition, there is evidence for the possibility of overestiination of stroke volumes from dilution curves recorded immediately proximal to the injection chamber.
5. Incomplete mixing of the left artial blood with the residual volume of the ventricle precludes accurate quantitation of the changes of volume in the ventricle by the simple formulas proposed by previous authors. This phenomenon may serve to explain the considerable variability that is found in the present study and in the literature.
Localization of Renin in Juxtaglomerular Cells of Rabbit and Dog Through the Use of the Fluorescent-Antibody Technique
Authors: EDELMAN ROBERT , HARTROFT PHYLLIS M. 
Published: June 2012

Canine antisera to rabbit and hog renin were coupled to several fluorescein dyes. The antiserum was immunologically adsorbed once each with rabbit-liver and with bone-marrow powder, thereby removing excess dye and eliminating nonspecific staining. Mounted frozen-dried sections of kidneys from sodium- deficient rabbits (in which hyperplasia and hypergranulation of juxtaglomerular [JG] cells were present), from control rabbits, from a sodium-deficient dog, and from sodium-deficient rats were treated with the adsorbed labeled antiserum. Ultraviolet microscopy (direct technique) revealed an intense yel low-green fluorescence sharply limited to the granules of the juxtagloinerular cells in all sections studied from kidneys of rabbit and dog. JG granules in rats did not fluoresce, an observation in accord with the species spe cificity of renin.
The indirect ("sandwich") method was also employed (with adsorbed, labeled, rabbit antiserum to canine globulin), and although slight staining of gloinerular epithelium resulted, that in the JG granules was far more intense. In our hands, the faint glornerular staining was not blocked by prior treatment with unlabeled renin. Staining of JG granules in any kidney paralleled the intensity of JG granulation by light microscopy and the amount of extractable renin in the same kidney. JG-granule staining (direct and indirect techniques) was blocked by neutralization of the antirenin with renin. Heterogenous anti sera (to insulin; to human gamma globulin) failed to stain. Other rabbit tissues (heart, lung, liver) similarly treated with labeled antirenin never stained.
If this work can be repeated with immunologically pure renin, the evidence presented here, together with previously published studies from this and other laboratories, will establish beyond any reasonable doubt that the source of renin in the kidney is the juxtaglomerular cell, as postulated first by Goormagh tigh nearly a quarter of a century ago.
Strategies to deliver dementia training and education in the acute hospital setting
Authors: Chater Kathryn , Hughes Nic 
Published: June 2012

Aims and objectives: This UK study aimed to generate new ideas about training strategies for healthcare staff caring for people with dementia in the acute hospital setting. Background: A review of related literature exposed topical debate regarding current educational deficits, yet revealed few examples of the implementation of training initiatives for practising healthcare professionals. Design: A descriptive qualitative approach was used. Methods: Data were generated using two focus groups comprised of Staff Nurses (four) and Healthcare Assistants (three) working in a mixed gender acute elderly care unit in the North of England. Dialogues explored individuals’ experiences of delivering care to people with dementia hospitalised with physical illnesses and, usefully, their thoughts about learning in the workplace. Results: Four broad categories emerged from transcript-based analysis: learning about dementia; learning about the person; learning from each other; learning from specialists. Specific recommendations included the improvement of staff preparedness through fundamental training, improved flow of information about individuals, dementia-specialist input for situation-based advice, and structured opportunities to reflect on practice. Conclusion: The National Dementia Strategy for England emphasises the pressing need to improve care for people with dementia when they are admitted to hospital with physical illness, and highlights the importance of staff education in contributing to improved care. This study provides an insider view from a potential target population of such healthcare providers regarding their perceived educational needs. Relevance to clinical practice: The results of this study point the way forward to practical and achievable ways of increasing and improving knowledge about dementia, and enhancing skills in caring for people who are cognitively impaired, among general hospital staff.
Staphylococcus epidermidis recovered from indwelling catheters exhibit enhanced biofilm dispersal and “self-renewal” through downregulation of agr
Authors: Dai Lu , Yang Liang , Parsons Chris , Findlay Victoria J , Molin Søren , Qin Zhiqiang 
Published: June 2012

Abstract

Background
In recent years, Staphylococcus epidermidis ( Se) has become a major nosocomial pathogen and the most common cause of infections of implanted prostheses and other indwelling devices. This is due in part to avid biofilm formation by Se on device surfaces. However, it still remains unknown that how the process of Se biofilm development is associated with relapsed infection in such patients.

Results
We have identified clinical Se isolates displaying enhanced biofilm dispersal and self-renewal relative to reference strain. These isolates also exhibit enhanced initial cell attachment, extracellular DNA release, cell autolysis and thicker microcolonies during biofilm development relative to reference strain. Our genetic analyses suggest that these clinical isolates exhibit significant downregulation of RNAIII, the effector molecule of the agr quorum sensing system, and upregulation of the autolysin gene atlE. Isogenic deletion of the agr system in Se 1457 confirmed that agr negatively regulating atlE resulted in enhanced initial cell attachment, extracellular DNA release, cell autolysis and biofilm formation abilities. In contrast, double deletion of agr and atlE significantly abolished these features.

Conclusions
Collectively, these data reveal the role of agr system in long-term biofilm development and pathogenesis during Se caused indwelling devices-related relapsed infection.
Activity in GEriatric acute CARe (AGECAR): rationale, design and methods
Authors: Fleck Steven J , Bustamante-Ara Natalia , Ortiz Javier , Vidán María-Teresa , Lucia Alejandro , Serra-Rexach José A 
Published: June 2012

Abstract

Background
The Activity in GEriatric acute CARe (AGECAR) is a randomised control trial to assess the effectiveness of an intrahospital strength and walk program during short hospital stays for improving functional capacity of patients aged 75 years or older.

Methods/Design
Patients aged 75 years or older admitted for a short hospital stay (≤14 days) will be randomly assigned to either a usual care (control) group or an intervention (training) group. Participants allocated in the usual care group will receive normal hospital care and participants allocated in the intervention group will perform multiple sessions per day of lower limb strength training (standing from a seated position) and walking (10 min bouts) while hospitalized. The primary outcome to be assessed pre and post of the hospital stay will be functional capacity, using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and time to walk 10 meters. Besides length of hospitalization, the secondary outcomes that will also be assessed at hospital admission and discharge will be pulmonary ventilation (forced expiratory volume in one second, FEV1) and peripheral oxygen saturation. The secondary outcomes that will be assessed by telephone interview three months after discharge will be mortality, number of falls since discharge, and ability to cope with activities of daily living (ADLs, using the Katz ADL score and Barthel ADL index).

Discussion
Results will help to better understand the potential of regular physical activity during a short hospital stay for improving functional capacity in old patients. The increase in life expectancy has resulted in a large segment of the population being over 75 years of age and an increase in hospitalization of this same age group. This calls attention to health care systems and public health policymakers to focus on promoting methods to improve the functional capacity of this population.

Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01374893.
Reliability of movement workspace measurements in a passive arm orthosis used in spinal cord injury rehabilitation
Authors: Rudhe Claudia , Albisser Urs , Starkey Michelle L , Curt Armin , Bolliger Marc 
Published: June 2012

Abstract

Background
Robotic and non-robotic training devices are increasingly being used in the rehabilitation of upper limb function in subjects with neurological disorders. As well as being used for training such devices can also provide ongoing assessments during the training sessions. Therefore, it is mandatory to understand the reliability and validity of such measurements when used in a clinical setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of movement measures as assessed in the Armeo Spring system for the eventual application to the rehabilitation of patients suffering from cervical spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods
Reliability (intra- and inter-rater reliability) of the movement workspace (representing multiple ranges of movement) and the influence of varying seating conditions (5 different chair conditions) was assessed in twenty control subjects. In eight patients with cervical SCI the test-retest reliability (tested twice on the same day by the same rater) was assessed as well as a correlation of the movement workspace to retrieve self-care items as scored by the spinal cord independence measure (SCIM 3).

Results
Analysis of workspace measures in control subjects revealed intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) ranging from 0.747 to 0.837 for the intra-rater reliability and from 0.661 to 0.855 for the inter-rater reliability. Test-retest analysis in SCI patients showed a similar high reliability with ICC = 0.858. Also the reliability of the movement workspace between different seating conditions was good with ICCs ranging from 0.844 to 0.915. The movement workspace correlated significantly with the SCIM3 self-care items (p < 0.05, rho = 0.72).

Conclusion
The upper limb movement workspace measures assessed in the Armeo Spring device revealed fair to good clinical reliability. These findings suggest that measures retrieved from such a training device can be used to monitor changes in upper limb function over time. The correlation between the workspace measures and SCIM3 self-care items indicates that such measures might also be valuable to document the progress of clinical rehabilitation, however further detailed studies are required.