bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection and risk of parkinson’s disease in Denmark
Authors: Nielsen H. H. , Qiu J. , Friis S. , Wermuth L. , Ritz B. 
Published: January 2012

Background and purpose:  It has been speculated that gastrointestinal infection with Helicobacter pylori (HP) contributes to the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). We used nationwide Danish registers to investigate this hypothesis.Methods:  We identified 4484 patients with a first time PD diagnosis between 2001 and 2008 from the Danish National Patient Register (DNPR) and 22 416 population controls from the Danish Civil Registration System (CRS). Information on drug use was obtained from the National Prescription Registry (NPR). We used logistic regression to compute odds ratios (OR) for the association between treatment for HP and risk of PD.Results:  Prescriptions for HP‐eradication drugs and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) 5 or more years prior to the diagnosis of PD were associated with a 45% and 23% increase in PD risk, respectively. Hospitalizations and outpatient visits for gastritis and peptic/duodenal ulcers, however, were not associated with PD.Conclusions:  Our population‐based study suggests that chronic HP infections and/or gastritis contribute to PD or that these are PD‐related pathologies that precede motor symptoms.
Medial temporal lobe is vulnerable to vascular risk factors in men: a population‐based study
Authors: Qiu C. , Zhang Y. , Bronge L. , Herlitz A. , Aspelin P. , Bäckman L. , Fratiglioni L. , Wahlund L. ‐O. 
Published: January 2012

Background and purpose:  Vascular risk factors (VRFs) are known to cause cerebral microvascular disease, but evidence supporting an effect of VRFs on regional brain atrophy is mixed. We investigate whether an aggregation of VRFs is associated with volume of hippocampus and entorhinal cortex in elderly people living in the community.Methods:  This cross‐sectional study consists of 523 participants (age ≥60 years, 59.3% women) of the SNAC‐K Study in central Stockholm, Sweden, who were free of clinical stroke and cognitive impairment. We collected data on VRFs through interviews, clinical examination and inpatient register system. Hippocampal and entorhinal cortex volume was manually measured on magnetic resonance images. Data were analysed with general linear regression models controlling for demographics and total intracranial volume.Results:  In men, high total cholesterol and diabetes were significantly or marginally associated with smaller hippocampus and entorhinal cortex; when current smoking, binge alcohol drinking, high cholesterol and diabetes were aggregated, an increasing number of VRFs were significantly associated with decreasing volume of hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (P for linear trend <0.01). In women, none of individual VRFs or their aggregation was significantly associated with the volume of these brain regions, except former smoking that was significantly associated with a larger volume of these regions.Conclusions:  Aggregation of VRFs is associated with reduced hippocampal and entorhinal cortex volume in apparently healthy elderly men, but not in women. This implies that in men, the medial temporal lobe is vulnerable to cardiovascular risk factors.
The efficacy of maggot debridement therapy – a review of comparative clinical trials
Authors: Zarchi Kian , Jemec Gregor BE 
Published: January 2012

Over the last decade, maggot debridement therapy (MDT) has been recognized by many clinicians as a potential adjunct to conventional therapy, and many patients with non healing, chronic ulcers have been treated. Numerous case reports and case series have described the successful use of MDT in a variety of ulcers. However, comparative clinical trials and in particular randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of MDT are sparse.A systematic search in the literature showed three randomized clinical trials and five non randomized studies evaluating the efficacy of sterile Lucilia sericata applied on ulcers with various aetiologies. Of these, seven studies had debridement and/or healing as an outcome variable.When evaluating maggots as debriding agents, the studies report MDT as being significantly more effective than hydrogel or a mixture of conventional therapy modalities, including hydrocolloid, hydrogel and saline moistened gauze. However, the design of the studies was suboptimal, with important differences in the use of other therapies, such as compression, that may influence both debridement and healing between the compared groups, as well as inappropriately short follow‐up times. The quality of the studies therefore makes it difficult to conclude that MDT shortens healing time. The poor quality of the data used for evaluating the efficacy of MDT highlights the need for more and better designed investigations.
Cultivars, Culture Conditions, and Harvest Time Influence Phenolic and Ascorbic Acid Contents and Antioxidant Capacity of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa)
Authors: Pincemail Joël , Kevers Claire , Tabart Jessica , Defraigne Jean‐Olivier , Dommes Jacques 
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  Strawberries are a good source of micronutrients, especially antioxidant phenolics. More information is needed to better exploit the health‐promoting effect of such fruits. Several studies focused on the effects of genotype, cultural practices, and seasonal variation on the antioxidant potential of strawberries, but often yielding contradictory results and/or focusing on only 1 source of variability. In the present study, we showed that total phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant capacity strongly differed between genotypes of strawberry. The precise results revealed the importance of genetic background for the antioxidant capacity and for the content of total phenolics (with up to 3.3‐fold variations). Other parameters may also influence the antioxidant capacity in strawberry such as harvest time, culture conditions, and environmental factors. Moreover, in this study, the harvesting time (at the same ripening stage) appeared to be very important, more important than genotype. Variations of the antioxidant capacity of up to 4.1‐folds were observed following the harvesting time of “Elsanta” cultivar.Practical Application:  This article compares the antioxidant capacity and the content in ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds of strawberries of different varieties and of fruits harvested from April to December at the same ripening stage. The importance of strawberry antioxidant capacity resides in its benefits for human health.
The Relationship of Thioredoxin-1 and Cisplatin Resistance: Its Impact on ROS and Oxidative Metabolism in Lung Cancer Cells
Authors: Wangpaichitr Medhi , Sullivan Elizabeth J. , Theodoropoulos George , Wu Chunjing , You Min , Feun Lynn G. , Lampidis Theodore J. , Kuo Macus T. , Savaraj Niramol 
Published: January 2012

AbstractElimination of cisplatin-resistant lung cancer cells remains a major obstacle. We have shown that cisplatin-resistant tumors have higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and can be exploited for targeted therapy. Here, we show that increased secretion of the antioxidant thioredoxin-1 (TRX1) resulted in lowered intracellular TRX1 and contributed to higher ROS in cisplatin-resistant tumors in vivo and in vitro. By reconstituting TRX1 protein in cisplatin-resistant cells, we increased sensitivity to cisplatin but decreased sensitivity to elesclomol (ROS inducer). Conversely, decreased TRX1 protein in parental cells reduced the sensitivity to cisplatin but increased sensitivity to elesclomol. Cisplatin-resistant cells had increased endogenous oxygen consumption and mitochondrial activity but decreased lactic acid production. They also exhibited higher levels of argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) and fumarase mRNA, which contributed to oxidative metabolism (OXMET) when compared with parental cells. Restoring intracellular TRX1 protein in cisplatin-resistant cells resulted in lowering ASS and fumarase mRNAs, which in turn sensitized them to arginine deprivation. Interestingly, cisplatin-resistant cells also had significantly higher basal levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS). Overexpressing TRX1 lowered ACC and FAS proteins expressions in cisplatin-resistant cells. Chemical inhibition and short interfering RNA of ACC resulted in significant cell death in cisplatin-resistant compared with parental cells. Conversely, TRX1 overexpressed cisplatin-resistant cells resisted 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid (TOFA)-induced death. Collectively, lowering TRX1 expression through increased secretion leads cisplatin-resistant cells to higher ROS production and increased dependency on OXMET. These changes raise an intriguing therapeutic potential for future therapy in cisplatin-resistant lung cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(3); 604–15. ©2012 AACR.
Antitumor Activity of a Novel Bispecific Antibody That Targets the ErbB2/ErbB3 Oncogenic Unit and Inhibits Heregulin-Induced Activation of ErbB3
Authors: McDonagh Charlotte F. , Huhalov Alexandra , Harms Brian D. , Adams Sharlene , Paragas Violette , Oyama Shinji , Zhang Bo , Luus Lia , Overland Ryan , Nguyen Stephanie , Gu Jinming , Kohli Neeraj , Wallace Matt , Feldhaus Michael J. , Kudla Arthur J. , Schoeberl Birgit , Nielsen Ulrik B. 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
The prevalence of ErbB2 amplification in breast cancer has resulted in the heavy pursuit of ErbB2 as a therapeutic target. Although both the ErbB2 monoclonal antibody trastuzumab and ErbB1/ErbB2 dual kinase inhibitor lapatinib have met with success in the clinic, many patients fail to benefit. In addition, the majority of patients who initially respond will unfortunately ultimately progress on these therapies. Activation of ErbB3, the preferred dimerization partner of ErbB2, plays a key role in driving ErbB2-amplified tumor growth, but we have found that current ErbB2-directed therapies are poor inhibitors of ligand-induced activation. By simulating ErbB3 inhibition in a computational model of ErbB2/ErbB3 receptor signaling, we predicted that a bispecific antibody that docks onto ErbB2 and subsequently binds to ErbB3 and blocks ligand-induced receptor activation would be highly effective in ErbB2-amplified tumors, with superior activity to a monospecific ErbB3 inhibitor. We have developed a bispecific antibody suitable for both large scale production and systemic therapy by generating a single polypeptide fusion protein of two human scFv antibodies linked to modified human serum albumin. The resulting molecule, MM-111, forms a trimeric complex with ErbB2 and ErbB3, effectively inhibiting ErbB3 signaling and showing antitumor activity in preclinical models that is dependent on ErbB2 overexpression. MM-111 can be rationally combined with trastuzumab or lapatinib for increased antitumor activity and may in the future complement existing ErbB2-directed therapies to treat resistant tumors or deter relapse. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(3); 582–93. ©2012 AACR.
Dilemmas in the reliable estimation of the in-vitro cell viability in magnetic nanoparticle engineering: which tests and what protocols?
Authors: Hoskins Clare , Wang Lijun , Cheng Woei Ping , Cuschieri Alfred 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
Magnetic nanoparticles [MNPs] made from iron oxides have many applications in biomedicine. Full understanding of the interactions between MNPs and mammalian cells is a critical issue for their applications. In this study, MNPs were coated with poly(ethylenimine) [MNP-PEI] and poly(ethylene glycol) [MNP-PEI-PEG] to provide a subtle difference in their surface charge and their cytotoxicity which were analysed by three standard cell viability assays: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium [MTS], CellTiter-Blue and CellTiter-Glo (Promega, Southampton, UK) in SH-SY5Y and RAW 264.7 cells The data were validated by traditional trypan blue exclusion. In comparison to trypan blue manual counting, the MTS and Titer-Blue assays appeared to have consistently overestimated the viability. The Titer-Glo also experienced a small overestimation. We hypothesise that interactions were occurring between the assay systems and the nanoparticles, resulting in incorrect cell viability evaluation. To further understand the cytotoxic effect of the nanoparticles on these cells, reactive oxygen species production, lipid peroxidation and cell membrane integrity were investigated. After pegylation, the MNP-PEI-PEG possessed a lower positive surface charge and exhibited much improved biocompatibility compared to MNP-PEI, as demonstrated not only by a higher cell viability, but also by a markedly reduced oxidative stress and cell membrane damage. These findings highlight the importance of assay selection and of dissection of different cellular responses in in-vitro characterisation of nanostructures.
La politique environnementale de Vichy
Authors: Pearson Chris , Poncharal Bruno 
Published: January 2012

Résumé Cet article examine l’histoire environnementale de la France de Vichy. Il constate que le régime de Vichy a traité l’environnement de façon contradictoire. S’efforçant de refaire la France en accord avec son projet politique réactionnaire et afin d’exploiter au maximum les ressources naturelles, le régime a mobilisé la forêt, la montagne et les champs. En même temps, il a déclenché une « guerre contre la friche », essayant de mettre en culture tout le territoire français, mais cette politique a échoué. De plus, et en accord avec la recherche historique selon laquelle le régime de Vichy n’était pas une parenthèse de l’histoire française, cet article montre que sa politique environnementale n’était pas exceptionnelle. Enfin, sa politique vis-à-vis de l’environnement rappelle celles d’autres gouvernements pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.
Reproducibility of Retinal Blood Flow Measurements Derived From Semi-Automated Doppler OCT Analysis
Authors: Konduru Ranjith K. , Tan Ou , Nittala Muneeswar G. , Huang David , Sadda Srinivas R. 
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate reproducibility and intergrader agreement of total retinal blood flow (TRBF) measurements obtained by semi-automated grading of Doppler Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) scans.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Doppler FD-OCT scans were obtained from 20 eyes of 18 subjects (10 glaucomatous, 10 normal). Scans were obtained using a circumpapillary scan protocol and analyzed using the Doppler OCT of Retinal Circulation software (version 2). Two masked, independent human graders manually refined the scans, adding or deleting vessels, changing vessel boundaries, and classifying vessels as veins or arteries. TRBF was calculated automatically by software summing flow in all veins. Agreement between various vessel parameters and TRBF values generated by the graders was analyzed.

RESULTS:

Mean difference and mean absolute difference (± standard deviation, range) for TRBF were −0.55 (± 5.37, −8.53 to 13.6) and 3.84 (± 3.70, 0 to 13.6) μL/min, respectively, with an intraclass correlation (ICC) of 0.933 and limits of agreement (95% confidence interval [CI]) of −11.1 to +10.0. Venous area measurements showed similar levels of agreement with mean difference and mean absolute difference (± standard deviation, range) of −2.91 (± 4.29, −10.95 to 6.43) and 3.59 (± 3.70, 0 to 10.9) mm
2
with an ICC of 0.933 and limits of agreement (95% CI) were −11.3 and +05.5. The agreement for vessel identification between graders was almost perfect with a weighted kappa of 0.86.

CONCLUSION:
Reproducible measurements of TRBF can be obtained from Doppler OCT data using semi-automated software with manual refinement. These findings should be of value in future studies evaluating retinal blood flow in various diseases.
Release property of microgels formed by electrostatic interaction between poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐methacrylic acid) and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate)
Authors: Kang Mi Kyoung , Hong Sung Kyeong , Kim Jin‐Chul 
Published: January 2012

AbstractMicrogels were prepared by taking advantage of electrostatic interaction between poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐methacrylic acid) and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate). The maximum interaction, investigated by measuring the size of complex and the turbidity of the mixture, took place at pH = 6.5. The microgel prepared at pH = 6.5 using the copolymer ratio of 1/1 (w/w) was globular on scanning electron microscopy, and the size was a few to tens of micrometer. The phase transition of the microgel, observed by turbidometry and differential scanning calorimetry, occurred around 31°C. % Release, in 24 h at room temperature, of FITC‐dextran from the microgel was higher under an acidic (64% at pH = 4.0) and an alkali condition (69 % at pH = 9.0) than the % release at pH = 6.5 (41%). The disintegration of microgels would be responsible for the higher % release. The % releases, in 24 h at pH = 6.5, were lower at higher temperatures (53% at 35°C, 50% at 40°C) than at lower temperatures (71% at 25°C, 61% at 30°C). The suppressed release at higher temperatures is possibly due to the skin formation on the surface of microgel. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Expression levels of the PiT‐2 receptor explain, in part, the gestational age‐dependent alterations in transduction efficiency after in utero retroviral‐mediated gene transfer
Authors: Ozturk Ferhat , Park Paul J. , Tellez Joseph , Colletti Evan , Eiden Maribeth V. , Almeida‐Porada Graça , Porada Christopher D. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractBackgroundA fundamental obstacle to using retroviral‐mediated gene transfer (GT) to treat human diseases is the relatively low transduction levels that have been achieved in clinically relevant human cells. We previously showed that performing GT in utero overcomes this obstacle and results in significant levels of transduction within multiple fetal organs, with different tissues exhibiting optimal transduction at different developmental stages. We undertook the present study aiming to elucidate the mechanism for this age‐dependent transduction, testing the two factors that we hypothesized could be responsible: (i) the proliferative status of the tissue at the time of GT and (ii) the expression level of the amphotropic PiT‐2 receptor.MethodsImmunofluorescence was performed on tissues from sheep of varying developmental stages to assess the proliferative status of the predominant cells within each organ as a function of age. After developing an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a quantitative reverse transcription chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) assay, we then quantified PiT‐2 expression at the protein and mRNA levels, respectively.ResultsThe results obtained indicate that the proliferative status of organs at the time of fetal GT is not the major determinant governing transduction efficiency. By contrast, our ELISA and qRT‐PCR analyses demonstrated that PiT‐2 mRNA and protein levels vary with gestational age, correlating with the observed differences in transduction efficiency.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study explain the age‐related differences that we previously observed in transduction efficiency after in utero GT. They also suggest it may be possible to achieve relatively selective GT to specific tissues by performing in utero GT when levels of PiT‐2 are maximal in the desired target organ. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Early experience of radio frequency coblation in the management of intranasal and sinus tumors
Authors: Syed Mohammed Iqbal , Mennie Joanna , Williams Alun T. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the use of radiofrequency coblation for endoscopic resection of intranasal and sinus tumors. A review was conducted of 15 adult patients with intranasal and or sinus tumors endoscopically treated with radio frequency coblation between November 2008 and November 2010 at St. John's Hospital at Livingston, a tertiary referral center that covers otolaryngology services for the southeast of Scotland. Fifteen patients with intranasal and sinus tumors were treated with transnasal endoscopic resection using radiofrequency coblation. The tumors included inverted papilloma (seven), paraganglioma (one), glomangiopericytoma (one), capillary hemangioma (one), hemangiopericytoma (one), juvenile angiofibroma (one), juvenile ossifying fibroma (one), oncocytic adenoma (one), and transitional cell carcinoma (one). We found that radiofrequency coblation is a useful and safe tool associated with minimal blood loss (<200 mL to 600 mL) in the resection of these tumors, and the average operating time was 1.67 hours. Radio frequency is a rapidly evolving technique and in the future will have an increasing role to play in the endoscopic resection of intranasal and sinus tumors.
Wideband and compact erbium‐doped fiber amplifier using parallel double‐pass configuration
Authors: Hamida B. A. , Cheng X. S. , Harun S. W. , Naji A. W. , Arof H. , Khan S. , Alkhateeb W. , Ahmad H. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractIn this article, a wide‐band erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) that operates in both C‐ and L‐band wavelength regions is demonstrated. The amplifier employs two pieces of 1.5 m and 9 m‐long erbium doped fibers (EDFs) optimized for C‐band and L‐band operations, respectively, in double‐pass parallel configuration to achieve a wideband operation from 1530 to 1605 nm. The chirp fiber Bragg grating is used in both stages to allow a double propagation of signal and thus increases the attainable gain in both C‐ and L‐band regions. At an input signal power of −30 dBm, a measured gain varies from 23 to 36 dB within a wide wavelength region from 1530 to 1605 nm. The corresponding noise figure varies from 5.6 to 8.2 dB within this wavelength region. The gain and noise figure of the proposed parallel configuration is much better when compared to that of a serial amplifier. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:629–631, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26599
A compact coplanar waveguide‐fed monopole antenna with dual band‐notched functions for ultra‐wideband applications
Authors: Cai De‐Shui , Lei Zhen‐Ya , Ding Yang , Zhao Dan 
Published: January 2012

AbstractA novel compact coplanar waveguide‐fed planar monopole ultra‐wideband (UWB) antenna with 3.5/5.4 GHz dual band‐notched functions is proposed in this article. To minimize the electromagnetic interferences between WiMAX/WLAN and UWB, a pair of inverted U‐shaped slots is etched in the center of the radiation element. The proposed UWB antenna achieves a wide band of 3–10.6 GHz for the VSWR less than 2, except the notched bands of 3.16–3.85 GHz and 4.96–5.82 GHz. Furthermore, a nearly omni‐directional radiation pattern and a stable gain ranging from 2.8 to 5.8 dBi are obtained except the rejected frequency bands. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:677–681, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26601
Quality estimation of the optical n‐quadrature amplitude modulation signals utilizing the eye opening penalty
Authors: Turkiewicz Jarosław Piotr , Kościelska Agata 
Published: January 2012

AbstractA novel method to estimate n‐quadrature amplitude modulation (n‐QAM) signal quality using the eye opening penalty is proposed and verified. Operation of the proposed method in the presence of most typical distortions like chromatic dispersion and accumulated noise is evaluated. Further, the proposed method is compared with other well‐established methods. The presented results indicate excellent applicability of the proposed method to estimate the n‐QAM signal quality and therefore, great potential in applications in the transmission system simulations and the production environment. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:564–569, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26621