bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hyperglycaemia, inflammation, RAS activation: Three culprits to blame for acute kidney injury emerging in healthy rats during general anaesthesia
Authors: EFRATI SHAI , BERMAN SYLVIA , ABU HAMAD RAMZIA , EL NAKIB RANIN , CHANIMOV MICHAEL , SIMAN‐TOV YARIV , WEISSGARTEN JOSHUA 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT:Aim:  Major surgery under general anaesthesia might evoke acute kidney injury (AKI), sometimes culminating in end stage renal disease. We investigated the roles of hyperglycaemia, inflammation and renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) activation in induction of AKI following anaesthesia by different anaesthetic drugs and/or regimens.Methods:  Ninety‐four Sprague‐Dawley rats underwent 1 h‐anaesthesia by various protocols, including repeated blood glucose and insulin measurements. Blood samples and kidneys were allocated at sacrifice, for evaluation of renal function, inflammatory status and Angiotensin‐II availability.Results:  Hyperglycaemia emerged in unconscious rats irrespective of anaesthetic drug choice or anaesthesia regimen. Insulin increase correlated with hyperglycaemia levels. Levels of Cystatin‐C, as well as serum and urine neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocain (NGAL), were significantly augmented. Serum transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) and interleukins (IL)‐1β, ‐4, ‐6, and ‐10 were significantly increased. Intra‐renal Angiotensin‐II, TGF‐β, IL‐6 and‐10 were significantly increased. IL‐1 was decreased. IL‐4 remained unaltered.Conclusions:  Acute hyperglycaemia, systemic and intra‐renal inflammation and RAS activation were independently triggered by induction of anaesthesia. Each confounder aggravated the impacts of the others, bringing about concomitant deterioration of renal function. Increased insulin secretion attenuated but did not abolish hyperglycaemia. Systemic inflammation was counterforced by anti‐inflammatory cytokines, whereas intra‐renal inflammation persisted, so that AKI progressed unopposed.
Experience of socioeconomic‐related inequality in dental care utilization among Thai elderly under universal coverage
Authors: Somkotra Tewarit 
Published: June 2012

Aim:  To assess the socioeconomic‐related inequality in dental care utilization among Thai elderly and to determine factors associated with the observed inequality after the country achieved universal coverage.Methods:  The data were taken from the nationally representative Thailand Health & Welfare Survey 2007. Data of 10 096 Thai elderly (aged over 60 years) were selected. Descriptive analyses of the features of dental care utilization among Thai elderly were carried out, in addition to the concentration index (Cindex) being used to quantify the extent of socioeconomic‐related inequality in dental care utilization. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with inequality in dental care.Results:  Socioeconomic‐related inequality in dental care utilization among Thai elderly was shown. Also, utilization was more concentrated among wealthier older adults, as shown by the positive value of Cindex (equals 0.244). The poor elderly, however, were more likely to utilize dental care at public facilities, particularly primary care facilities. Multivariate analysis showed that certain demographic, socioeconomic and geographic characteristics were particularly associated with poor–rich differences in dental care utilization among Thai elderly.Conclusions:  Although socioeconomic‐related inequality in dental care utilization among Thai elderly exists, the pro‐poor utilization at public facilities, particularly primary care facilities, substantiates the concerted effort to reducing inequality in dental care utilization for Thai elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 298–306.
Laparoscopic versus open inguinal hernia repair in octogenarians: A follow‐up study
Authors: Dallas Kai B , Froylich Dvir , Choi Jacqueline J , Rosa Jonatan Hernandez , Lo Christopher , Colon Modesto J , Telem Dana A , Divino Celia M 
Published: June 2012

Aim:  The elderly population is the fastest growing demographic in developed countries. It is thus imperative to assess common medical procedures in this age group. Inguinal hernia repair is a commonly carried out operation in the USA with two methods of repair existing – laparoscopic and open. Although the advantages of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in the general population have been shown, its role in the elderly has yet to be elucidated.Methods:  A retrospective medical record review with prospective follow up of 115 patients aged over 80 years who underwent either open or laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair was carried out. Outcome measures included postoperative pain score, recovery time, chronic pain, wound infection, urinary retention, urinary tract infection, hematoma and recurrence. Patient satisfaction was measured with the Likert score.Results:  Of the 115 repairs, 31 repairs were carried out laparoscopically and 84 open. Mean patient age was 83.3 years (range 80–95 years), with no difference in demographics or comorbidities between the two groups. Mean recovery time was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group (7.5 vs 23.1 days, P = 0.02), as was the mean duration of pain in the laparoscopic group (1.4 vs 9.6 days, P = 0.04). There were no significant differences in other outcomes. There was a trend towards increased patient satisfaction in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.10).Conclusion:  In octogenarians, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair confers a significantly shorter duration of pain and recovery time as compared with open inguinal hernia repair, with no increase in complications. For elderly patients, laparoscopy is a viable alternative to open repair. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 329–333.
Multi‐scale experimental study on fatigue damage behaviour and its effect on structural nonlinear response
Authors: HE D. D. , LI Z. X. , SHENG H. Q. , CHEN C. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTExperimental analyses on the structural response caused by local fatigue damage accumulation in welded details are accomplished to perform failure process and nonlinear effect analysis at different structural levels. The experiment is carried out by using welded compact tension (CT) specimens and a scaled truss specimen, and all of them have a notch at the weld toe to facilitate damage initiation. Cyclic loads are applied to those specimens to generate accumulative fatigue damage, respectively. The process of fatigue accumulation including initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks in the welded detail and resultant structural responses of CT specimens and the truss are measured with integration of multiple testing techniques. Multi‐scale experimental results show that microscopic‐/mesoscopic‐concentrated strain and extension of plastic zone in the vicinity of notch tip are both affected significantly by the fatigue damage accumulation and present appreciable nonlinear behaviour; however, the macroscopic response such as the frequency and stiffness parameters of the welded truss specimen are less sensitive to the low‐level fatigue damage. It is concluded that the fatigue failure of the welded truss is a multi‐scale progressive process due to fatigue damage trans‐scale evolving, in which the local meso‐damage firstly affects local strain of plastic zone in the vicinity of the notch tip, and then fatigue damage evolving from meso‐ to macro‐scale affects nonlinear responses of the damaged components; lastly, the fatigue failure could be expected as the results of the propagation of macroscopic fatigue cracks.
Digital image correlation measurement of near‐tip fatigue crack displacement fields: constant amplitude loading and load history effects
Authors: NOWELL D. , KARTAL M. E. , DE MATOS P. F. P. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTRecent work by de Matos and colleagues employed digital image correlation to measure near tip displacement fields for fatigue cracks in 6082 T6 aluminium alloy. The main focus of this work was to directly measure fatigue crack closure, but the measurements can also be used to examine conditions at and ahead of the crack tip. In this paper, the results are re‐analysed and compared to two crack‐tip deformation models. The first assumes simple elastic deformation (according the Westergaard solution). This allows the history of crack‐tip stress intensity to be examined. Reasonable agreement with the elastic model is obtained, although there is a residual stress intensity caused by the plastic wake, which gives rise to crack closure. The second model examined is a simple elastic–plastic assumption, proposed by Pommier and colleagues. This can be applied to constant amplitude loading, although the results obtained here are very similar to the elastic case. A slightly more complex load case (a single overload in an otherwise constant amplitude variation of load) gives a much more complicated crack‐tip history. Here, the importance of crack‐tip plastic displacement, represented by the second term in Pommier's model becomes much clearer. Load history effects are captured by the residual value of this term and its associated displacement fields as well as by stress intensity factor. The implications for further modelling and experimental work are discussed.
Increased population growth rate in invasive polyploid Centaurea stoebe in a common garden
Authors: Hahn Min A. , Buckley Yvonne M. , Müller‐Schärer Heinz 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBiological invasions are inherently demographic processes, but trait differences between native and introduced genotypes are rarely linked to population growth rates. Native European Centaurea stoebe occurs as two cytotypes with different life histories (monocarpic diploids, polycarpic tetraploids); however, only tetraploids have been found in its introduced range in North America. In a common garden experiment using artificial populations, we compared the demographic performance of the three geo‐cytotypes in the presence and absence of a specialist herbivore using periodic matrix models. We found no difference in population growth rate between the two European cytotypes and no significant effects of herbivory in all geo‐cytotypes. However, there was a pronounced increase in population growth rate for North American compared with European tetraploids due to increased seed production and juvenile establishment. These results suggest that genetic drift or rapid evolution, rather than pre‐adaptation through polyploidy may explain the invasion success of tetraploids.
Intensive agriculture erodes β‐diversity at large scales
Authors: Karp Daniel S. , Rominger Andrew J. , Zook Jim , Ranganathan Jai , Ehrlich Paul R. , Daily Gretchen C. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBiodiversity is declining from unprecedented land conversions that replace diverse, low‐intensity agriculture with vast expanses under homogeneous, intensive production. Despite documented losses of species richness, consequences for β‐diversity, changes in community composition between sites, are largely unknown, especially in the tropics. Using a 10‐year data set on Costa Rican birds, we find that low‐intensity agriculture sustained β‐diversity across large scales on a par with forest. In high‐intensity agriculture, low local (α) diversity inflated β‐diversity as a statistical artefact. Therefore, at small spatial scales, intensive agriculture appeared to retain β‐diversity. Unlike in forest or low‐intensity systems, however, high‐intensity agriculture also homogenised vegetation structure over large distances, thereby decoupling the fundamental ecological pattern of bird communities changing with geographical distance. This ~40% decline in species turnover indicates a significant decline in β‐diversity at large spatial scales. These findings point the way towards multi‐functional agricultural systems that maintain agricultural productivity while simultaneously conserving biodiversity.
Bile salts induce long polar fimbriae expression favouring Crohn's disease‐associated adherent‐invasive Escherichia coli interaction with Peyer's patches
Authors: Chassaing Benoit , Etienne‐Mesmin Lucie , Bonnet Richard , Darfeuille‐Michaud Arlette 
Published: June 2012

SummaryIleal lesions of patients with Crohn's disease are colonized by adherent‐invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC). The earliest lesions of recurrent Crohn's disease are erosions of Peyer's patches (PP). We recently reported the presence of a functional lpf operon in AIEC, encoding long polar fimbriae (LPF), that allows AIEC bacteria to interact with PP and to translocate across M cells. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of gastrointestinal conditions on LPF expression in AIEC strains. The LF82 bacterial growth in an acid pH medium or at high osmolarity medium had no effect on lpf transcription level, in contrast to bacterial growth in the presence of bile salts, which promoted activation of lpf transcription. When cultured in the presence of bile salt, LF82 wild‐type bacteria, but not the isogenic mutant deleted for lpfA, exhibited a higher level of interaction with PP and a higher level of translocation through M cell monolayers. The FhlA transcriptional factor was found to be a key bacterial regulator at the origin of LPF expression in the presence of bile salts.
Tuber‐specific silencing of asparagine synthetase‐1 reduces the acrylamide‐forming potential of potatoes grown in the field without affecting tuber shape and yield
Authors: Chawla Rekha , Shakya Roshani , Rommens Caius M. 
Published: June 2012

SummarySimultaneous silencing of asparagine synthetase (Ast)‐1 and ‐2 limits asparagine (ASN) formation and, consequently, reduces the acrylamide‐forming potential of tubers. The phenotype of silenced lines appears normal in the greenhouse, but field‐grown tubers are small and cracked. Assessing the effects of silencing StAst1 and StAst2 individually, we found that yield drag was mainly linked to down‐regulation of StAst2. Interestingly, tubers from untransformed scions grafted onto intragenic StAst1/2‐silenced rootstock contained almost the same low ASN levels as those in the original silenced lines, indicating that ASN is mainly formed in tubers rather than being transported from leaves. This conclusion was further supported by the finding that overexpression of StAst2 caused ASN to accumulate in leaves but not tubers. Thus, ASN does not appear to be the main form of organic nitrogen transported from leaves to tubers. Because reduced ASN levels coincided with increased levels of glutamine, it appears likely that this alternative amide amino acid is mobilized to tubers, where it is converted into ASN by StAst1. Indeed, tuber‐specific silencing of StAst1, but not of StAst2, was sufficient to substantially lower ASN formation in tubers. Extensive field studies demonstrated that the reduced acrylamide‐forming potential achieved by tuber‐specific StAst1 silencing did not affect the yield or quality of field‐harvested tubers.
Antibodies to heteromeric glycolipid complexes in multifocal motor neuropathy
Authors: Galban‐Horcajo F. , Fitzpatrick A. M. , Hutton A. J. , Dunn S. M. , Kalna G. , Brennan K. M. , Rinaldi S. , Yu R. K. , Goodyear C. S , Willison H. J. 
Published: June 2012

BackgroundMeasurement of anti‐GM1 IgM antibodies in multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) sera is confounded by relatively low sensitivity that limits clinical usefulness. Combinatorial assay methods, in which antibodies react to heteromeric complexes of two or more glycolipids, are being increasingly applied to this area of diagnostic testing.MethodsA newly developed combinatorial glycoarray able to identify antibodies to 45 different heteromeric glycolipid complexes and their 10 individual glycolipid components was applied to a randomly selected population of 33 MMN cases and 57 normal or disease controls. Comparison with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted for selected single glycolipids and their complexes.ResultsBy ELISA, 22/33 MMN cases had detectable anti‐GM1 IgM antibodies, whereas 19/33 MMN samples were positive for anti‐GM1 antibodies by glycoarray. Analysis of variance (anova) revealed that of the 55 possible single glycolipids and their 1:1 complexes, antibodies to the GM1:galactocerebroside (GM1:GalC) complex were most significantly associated with MMN, returning 33/33 MMN samples as positive by glycoarray and 29/33 positive by ELISA. Regression analysis revealed a high correlation in absolute values between ELISA and glycoarray. Receiver operator characteristic analysis revealed insignificantly different diagnostic performance between the two methods. However, the glycoarray appeared to offer slightly improved sensitivity by identifying antibodies in four ELISA‐negative samples.ConclusionsThe use of combinatorial glycoarray or ELISA increased the diagnostic sensitivity of anti‐glycolipid antibody testing in this cohort of MMN cases, without significantly affecting specificity, and may be a useful assay modification for routine clinical screening.
Deciphering µ‐opioid receptor phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in HEK293 cells
Authors: Doll Christian , Pöll Florian , Peuker Kenneth , Loktev Anastasia , Glück Laura , Schulz Stefan 
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The molecular basis of agonist‐selective signalling at the µ‐opioid receptor is poorly understood. We have recently shown that full agonists such as [D‐Ala2‐MePhe4‐Gly‐ol]enkephalin (DAMGO) stimulate the phosphorylation of a number of carboxyl‐terminal phosphate acceptor sites including threonine 370 (Thr370) and serine 375 (Ser375), and that is followed by a robust receptor internalization. In contrast, morphine promotes a selective phosphorylation of Ser375 without causing rapid receptor internalization.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Here, we identify kinases and phosphatases that mediate agonist‐dependent phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the µ‐opioid receptor using a combination of phosphosite‐specific antibodies and siRNA knock‐down screening in HEK293 cells.KEY RESULTS We found that DAMGO‐driven phosphorylation of Thr370 and Ser375 was preferentially catalysed by G‐protein‐coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) 2 and 3, whereas morphine‐driven Ser375 phosphorylation was preferentially catalysed by GRK5. On the functional level, inhibition of GRK expression resulted in enhanced µ‐opioid receptor signalling and reduced receptor internalization. Analysis of GRK5‐deficient mice revealed that GRK5 selectively contributes to morphine‐induced Ser375 phosphorylation in brain tissue. We also identified protein phosphatase 1γ as a µ‐opioid receptor phosphatase that catalysed Thr370 and Ser375 dephosphorylation at or near the plasma membrane within minutes after agonist removal, which in turn facilitates receptor recycling.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Together, the morphine‐activated µ‐opioid receptor is a good substrate for phosphorylation by GRK5 but a poor substrate for GRK2/3. GRK5 phosphorylates µ‐opioid receptors selectively on Ser375, which is not sufficient to drive significant receptor internalization.
Allosteric nature of P2X receptor activation probed by photoaffinity labelling
Authors: Bhargava Y , Rettinger J , Mourot A 
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In P2X receptors, agonist binding at the interface between neighbouring subunits is efficiently transduced to ion channel gating. However, the relationship between binding and gating is difficult to study because agonists continuously bind and unbind. Here, we covalently incorporated agonists in the binding pocket of P2X receptors and examined how binding site occupancy affects the ability of the channel to gate.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We used a strategy for tethering agonists to their ATP‐binding pocket, while simultaneously probing ion channel gating using electrophysiology. The agonist 2′,3′‐O‐(4‐benzoylbenzoyl)‐ATP (BzATP), a photoaffinity analogue of ATP, enabled us to trap rat homomeric P2X2 receptor and a P2X2/1 receptor chimera in different agonist‐bound states. UV light was used to control the degree of covalent occupancy of the receptors.KEY RESULTS Irradiation of the P2X2/1 receptor chimera – BzATP complex resulted in a persistent current that lasted even after extensive washout, consistent with photochemical tethering of the agonist BzATP and trapping of the receptors in an open state. Partial labelling with BzATP primed subsequent agonist binding and modulated gating efficiency for both full and partial agonists.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our photolabelling strategy provides new molecular insights into the activation mechanism of the P2X receptor. We show here that priming with full agonist molecules leads to an increase in gating efficiency after subsequent agonist binding.
Treatment‐Resistant Medication Overuse Headache Can Be Cured
Authors: Munksgaard Signe B. , Bendtsen Lars , Jensen Rigmor H. 
Published: June 2012

Objective.— To evaluate the long‐term efficacy of a structured, multidisciplinary treatment program in patients who had been treated unsuccessfully for medication overuse headache by specialists in an open‐label design.Background.— Medication overuse headache is a common and disabling disease. Management is complicated by substantial treatment failure and relapse, and those who relapse and nonresponders to treatment are often excluded from studies on medication overuse headache.Methods.— Patients with medication overuse headache who had previously been unsuccessfully treated by specialists and referred to a specialized, tertiary headache centre were recruited. They underwent a structured 2‐month detoxification program and were subsequently closely followed up for 10 months by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and psychologists.Results.— Eighty‐six of 98 patients completed the study.Primary Outcome.— At 12‐month follow‐up, headache frequency was reduced by 39.3% (P < .001), 71 patients (82.6%) remained cured of medication overuse, reduction in headache frequency of more than 50% occurred in 42 patients (48.8%), and 52 (60.5%) reverted to episodic headache. Both of these figures had increased significantly from month 2 to month 12 (P < .001). Medication use was reduced by 62.8% (P < .001).Conclusion.— Patients with medication overuse headache previously regarded treatment‐resistant benefit considerably from multidisciplinary treatment in a structured detoxification program with close follow‐up.