bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A population‐based binational register for monitoring long‐term outcome and possible disease concordance among blood donors and recipients
Authors: Edgren G. , Hjalgrim H. , Tran T. N. , Rostgaard K. , Shanwell A. , Titlestad K. , Jakobsson L. , Gridley G. , Wideroff L. , Jersild C. , Adami J. , Melbye M. , Reilly M. , Nyrén O. 
Published: August 2006

Background and Objectives  Even with appropriate donor deferrals and advanced screening tests, the risk of disease transmission through blood transfusion cannot be completely disregarded. Efficient monitoring of possible disease transmission between blood donors and recipients should be an important component of a comprehensive haemovigilance system.Materials and Methods  We assembled the Scandinavian Donations and Transfusions (SCANDAT) database, with data on virtually all blood donors and recipients who have been registered at least once in any of the computerized local blood bank databases in Sweden and Denmark since the start of computerized registration in 1966. The records of these individuals, with their entire computerized donation and/or transfusion histories and all donor‐component‐recipient connections, were linked to nationwide population and health registers to attain essentially complete follow‐up for up to 36 years regarding reproduction, hospital morbidity, cancer, and death.Results  After data cleaning, the database contained 1 134 290 blood donors who contributed 15 091 280 records of donations and 1 311 079 recipients who received 11 693 844 transfusions. The data quality in the existing data sources was satisfactory. From the data obtained from local blood banks, 4·6%, 1·6%, and 6·4% of the person, donation, and transfusion records, respectively, had to be discarded after review of the legitimacy of recorded values, and comparisons with independent, external databases.Conclusion  It is possible to use existing computerized data, collected in routine health care, in haemovigilance systems for monitoring long‐term outcome and disease concordance in blood donors and transfusion recipients.
Use of a (proposed) standard protocol to validate Terumo TSCD‐II connections between dissimilar blood bag tubing
Authors: Nightingale M. J. , Lees B. , Biset R. , Mertens W. 
Published: August 2006

Background and Objectives  ISO standards for blood bags do not adequately define and control the dimensions of blood bag transfer tubing. This lack of standardization presents potential difficulties when making sterile connections between the wide range of tubing that has evolved in the absence of such standards. We aim to validate the suitability of the TSCD‐II and provide a minimum standard for assessing the suitability of sterile connections (welds) between dissimilar tubing.Materials and Methods  The Terumo TSCD‐II was used in this study to connect by hermetic welding seven tubing types with a wide range of dimensions from five suppliers. Thirty sterile connections were made between each combination split between dry/dry, wet/wet and dry/wet connections. Welds were assessed for visual defects, by tensile stress test (TST) and pressure tests.Results  All welds passed visual inspection and pressure tests. All welds had a minimum tensile strength of greater than 40 N and mean of greater than 45 N.Conclusion  Successful connections have been made between dissimilar tube types and this work does not support the requirement for ‘tight’ tubing dimensional specifications. We have recommended to the ISO Technical Committee 76 Work Group 1 that ISO 3826‐1 be revised and should include a minimum standard validation protocol for joining dissimilar tubing.
Mycological flora of the Hammams, traditional Turkish bath
Authors: Goksugur Nadir , Karabay Oguz , Kocoglu Esra 
Published: August 2006

SummaryTraditional Turkish baths, Hammams, occupy a prominent place in public health in history and at present. It is well‐known that baths are major sources of fungal skin infections, but according to our knowledge fungal flora of Turkish Hammams was not defined yet. In Bolu, Turkey, two Hammams were open to public and for detecting fungal flora, we collected 209 samples from different part of floors, tools and screened for the fungal pathogens. From floors of the dressing rooms, Trichophyton rubrum and Candida albicans; from slippers T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum, Candida albicans and C. tropicalis were isolated. While we could not isolate any dermatophyte species and yeasts from the vicinity of the bath windows and walls of baths, Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. were isolated from the same locations. Samples taken from marble floors of baths, central massage platforms (hottest part of the Hammam) and towels did not show any fungal growth. This report reveals that components of the Turkish Hammams have low risk for fungal contamination as a result of frequent cleaning and environmental high temperature. But shared tools like slippers were found to be an important source of fungal contamination.
Tinea capitis due to Trichophyton rubrum in a 3‐month‐old infant
Authors: Valari M. , Stefanaki C. , Karteri G. , Zarkadi E. , Katsambas A. 
Published: August 2006

SummaryTinea capitis as a result of Trichophyton rubrum has very rarely been reported in infants. A 3‐month‐old girl with tinea capitis as a result of T. rubrum is reported. Our patient was treated with a 3‐week course of oral fluconazole, which resulted in clearance of the scalp lesion. To our knowledge this case is the first in the literature in which fluconazole was used to treat T. rubrum tinea capitis in children.
The Influence of Pre‐ and Post‐ovulatory Insemination and Early Pregnancy on the Infiltration by Cells of the Immune System in the Sow Oviduct
Authors: Jiwakanon J , Persson E , Dalin A‐M 
Published: August 2006

ContentsThe aim of this study was to investigate the influence of pre‐ and post‐ovulatory insemination and early pregnancy on the distribution of immune cells in the oviduct. Eighteen sows were pre‐ovulatory and sixteen sows were post‐ovulatory inseminated and slaughtered at different times, 5–6 h after insemination, 20–25 h and approximately 70 h after ovulation, day 11 and day 19. Immediately after slaughter, oviductal samples of three different segments (isthmus, ampulla and infundibulum) were fixed, embedded in plastic resin and stained with toluidine blue or cryofixed and stored in a freezer at −70°C until analysed by immunohistochemistry (pre‐ovulatory inseminated sows) with an avidin–biotin peroxidase method. Quantitative and qualitative examinations of oviductal epithelium and subepithelial connective tissue were performed by light microscopy. After pre‐ or post‐ovulatory insemination, neutrophils were not observed in the oviductal epithelium from any of the segments or groups. The numbers of intraepithelial lymphocytes of all sows as well as CD2‐ and CD3‐positive cells of the pre‐ovulatory inseminated sows were higher in the infundibulum than in the other segments (p ≤ 0.001). In the subepithelial connective tissue of the pre‐ovulatory inseminated sows, significantly higher numbers of lymphocytes (p ≤ 0.001) and plasma cells (p ≤ 0.001) were found in infundibulum than in isthmus. Neutrophils were found mainly in infundibulum, the number approximately 40 h after pre‐ovulatory insemination was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) than in the other groups and segments. Significantly higher numbers of CD2 than CD3‐positive cells were found for all groups and segments. In the subepithelial connective tissue of post‐ovulatory inseminated sows, the numbers of lymphocytes was higher (p ≤ 0.001) at day 19 than up to 50 h after insemination and lower (p ≤ 0.001) in isthmus than in ampulla and infundibulum. Neutrophils were found in infundibulum in almost all groups and the number was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the infundibulum up to 50 h after insemination than in other segments. In the oviductal epithelium, no influence of insemination was found on the presence of phagocytes, i.e. neutrophils and macrophages, but on lymphocytes. In the infundibular connective tissue, pre‐ovulatory insemination had an effect on neutrophil distribution, indicating an active immune response to insemination in the upper segment. Post‐ovulatory insemination changed the oviductal immune cell pattern.
DELAYED PRECONDITIONING VIA ANGIOTENSIN‐CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITION: PROS AND CONS FROM AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Authors: Marktanner Ralph , Nacke Peter , Feindt Peter , Hohlfeld Thomas , Schipke Jochen D , Gams Emmeran 
Published: August 2006

SUMMARYBradykinin B2receptor activation confers preconditioning from ischaemic injury. In the present study, we tested whether an angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (captopril) could mediate delayed preconditioning and, thus, cardioprotection.New Zealand white rabbits received 15 mL infusion of either saline (control group;n = 7) or drugs (0.3 mg/kg captopril (CAP group;n = 7) or 0.3 mg/kg captopril + 0.1 mg/kg HOE 140 (CAPHOE group;n = 7)) via a marginal ear vein over 30 min. After 24 h, hearts were connected to a Langendorff apparatus and buffer perfused. The experimental protocol consisted of 20 min global normothermic hypoxia, followed by 120 min reperfusion.Compared with baseline, the mean (SEM) contractile state (= dP/dtmax) at 120 min reperfusion was decreased to 42 ± ;23, 72 ± ;16 (*P < 0.05vscontrol) and 49 ± ;22% in the control, CAP and CAPHOE groups, respectively. Early relaxation (= dP/dtmin) was reduced to 55 ± ;28, 73 ± ;15 (*P < 0.05vscontrol) and 52 ± ;19% in the control, CAP and CAPHOE groups, respectively. The estimate for myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2= rate–pressure product) was decreased to 52 ± ;15, 69 ± ;24 (*P < 0.05vscontrol) and 56 ± ;15% in the control, CAP and CAPHOE groups, respectively. Similarly, coronary flow was decreased in the control, CAP and CAPHOE groups to 49 ± ;20, 67 ± ;18 and 46 ± ;19%, respectively. In contrast, ventricular extrasystoles during reperfusion were significantly elevated in both the CAP and CAPHOE groups (1.3 ± ;0.2 and 1.1 ± ;0.3 /min, respectively) compared with control (0.4 ± ;0.2 /min).Captopril confers delayed preconditioning against stunning via a B2receptor‐mediated pathway. This pharmacological preconditioning protects against systolic and diastolic stunning, against vascular stunning and preserves cardiac metabolism. In addition to its accepted cardioprotective effects in early preconditioning, captopril should induce delayed preconditioning (e.g. for routine interventional cardiology or in elective cardiac surgery).
PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF PRAVASTATIN IN MURINE LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE‐INDUCED ACUTE LUNG INJURY
Authors: Yao Hong‐Wei , Mao Lian‐Gen , Zhu Jian‐Ping 
Published: August 2006

SUMMARY

The present study was designed to determine whether pravastatin, a 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, could attenuate acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in BALB/c mice.
Acute lung injury was induced successfully by intratracheal administraiton of LPS (3 mg/g) in BALB/c mice. Pravastatin (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to mice 24 h prior to and then again concomitant with LPS exposure.
Challenge with LPS alone produced a significant increase in lung index and the wet/dry weight ratio compared with control animals. Pulmonary microvascular leakage, as indicated by albumin content in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and extravasation of Evans blue dye albumin into lung tissue, was apparently increased in LPS‐exposed mice. Lipopolysaccharide exposure also produced a significant lung inflammatory response, reflected by myeloperoxidase activity and inflammatory cell counts in BALF. Furthermore, histological examination showed that mice exposed to LPS also exhibited prominent inflammatory cell infiltration and occasional alveolar haemorrhage.
Pravastatin (3, 10 or 30 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a significant reduction in multiple indices of LPS‐induced pulmonary vascular leak and inflammatory cell infiltration into lung tissue. Elevated tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐a levels in lung tissue homogenates of ALI mice were significantly decreased after administration of 10 or 30 mg/kg pravastatin.
These findings confirm significant protection by pravastatin against LPS‐induced lung vascular leak and inflammation and implicate a potential role for statins in the management of ALI. The inhibitory effect of pravastatin was associated with its effect in decreasing TNF‐a.
PRE‐ECLAMPSIA: CONTRIBUTION OF MATERNAL CONSTITUTIONAL FACTORS AND THE CONSEQUENCES FOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Authors: Barden Anne 
Published: August 2006

SUMMARY

Pre‐eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy that is potentially life threatening for both the mother and baby. It encompasses a number of abnormalities that may be present in other clinical conditions.
A placenta is essential for the development of pre‐eclampsia and can be important in the pathogenesis of pre‐eclampsia. Normal pregnancy is associated with remodelling of the maternal spiral arteries, which deliver blood to the placental villous space. Remodelling involves invasion by placental cytotrophoblasts that cause the maternal spiral arteries to lose their smooth muscle and become capacitance vessels; this process, known as placentation, is complete by 20 weeks of pregnancy. Poor placentation is associated with small‐for‐gestational‐age fetuses and some cases of pre‐eclampsia. It is thought that poor placentation can result in a hypoxic placenta that releases ‘toxic substances’ into the maternal circulation, contributing to the maternal syndrome. A number of candidate ‘toxic substances’ have been proposed, but none is universally raised in pre‐eclampsia.
Although the placenta is necessary for the development of pre‐eclampsia, the extent to which placental abnormalities contribute to the condition varies. It is becoming apparent that maternal constitutional factors may also be important in this syndrome. Underlying hypertension, diabetes and obesity strongly predispose to pre‐eclampsia. However, a continuum of risk may exist for blood pressure, bodyweight, glucose and lipids, which, in combination with each other and some degree of placental abnormalities, may lead to the development of pre‐eclampsia.
The present review will focus on the maternal constitutional factors that define the metabolic syndrome and examine their contribution to pre‐eclampsia and the long‐term consequences for cardiovascular health.
OBESITY IN CHILDHOOD AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK
Authors: Burke Valerie 
Published: August 2006

SUMMARY

Childhood obesity is increasing worldwide and is associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk factors in childhood.
In children, obesity is associated with hypertension, impaired vascular function, dyslipidaemia, atheroma, the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Greater risk is associated with clustering of risk factors.
Obesity tracks from childhood to adult life and predicts adverse levels of risk and an increase in cardiovascular end‐points.
Adults who were obese as children have higher rates of obesity and its sequelae: greater intima–media thickness, left ventricular hypertrophy and atherosclerosis. There is greater all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as a greater risk of stroke, in long‐term follow‐up of obese children.
Genetic and environmental factors contribute to familial aggregation of obesity, with parental obesity as a strong predictor of obesity in children. However, clustering of adverse health‐related behaviours is seen in such families.
Adverse behaviours (smoking, poor dietary choices, less physical activity and greater alcohol intake) also cluster in individuals, suggesting the need for multimodal interventions.
Recognition of families at risk offers opportunities for prevention of obesity in children and decreasing risk in parents.
EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE: EFFECTS OF ENDURANCE TRAINING AND RESISTANCE TRAINING
Authors: Fagard RH 
Published: August 2006

SUMMARY

Although several epidemiological studies have not observed significant independent relationships between physical activity or fitness and blood pressure, others have concluded that blood pressure is lower in individuals who are more fit or active. However, longitudinal intervention studies are more appropriate for assessing the effects of physical activity on blood pressure.
Previously, we have performed meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials involving dynamic aerobic endurance training or resistance training. Inclusion criteria were: random allocation to intervention and control; physical training as the sole intervention; inclusion of healthy sedentary normotensive and/or hypertensive adults; intervention duration of at least 4 weeks; availability of systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure; and publication in a peer‐reviewed journal up to December 2003.
The meta‐analysis on endurance training involved 72 trials and 105 study groups. After weighting for the number of trained participants, training induced significant net reductions of resting and day time ambulatory blood pressure of 3.0/2.4 mmHg (P < 0.001) and 3.3/3.5 mmHg (P < 0.01), respectively. The reduction of resting blood pressure was more pronounced in the 30 hypertensive study groups (‐6.9/‐4.9) than in the others (‐1.9/‐1.6; P < 0.001 for all). Systemic vascular resistance decreased by 7.1% (P < 0.05), plasma noradrenaline by 29% (P < 0.001) and plasma renin activity by 20% (P < 0.05). Bodyweight decreased by 1.2 kg (P < 0.001), waist circumference by 2.8 cm (P < 0.001), percentage body fat by 1.4% (P < 0.001) and the Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA) index of insulin resistance by 0.31 units (P < 0.01). High‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol increased by 0.032 mmol/L (P < 0.05).
Resistance training has been less well studied. A meta‐analysis of nine randomized controlled trials (12 study groups) on mostly dynamic resistance training revealed a weighted net reduction of diastolic blood pressure of 3.5 mmHg (P < 0.01) associated with exercise and a non‐significant reduction of systolic blood pressure of 3.2 mmHg (P = 0.10).
In conclusion, dynamic aerobic endurance training decreases blood pressure through a reduction of systemic vascular resistance, in which the sympathetic nervous system and the renin–angiotensin system appear to be involved, and favourably affects concomitant cardiovascular risk factors. In addition, the few available data suggest that resistance training is able to reduce blood pressure.
A TELEOLOGICAL VIEW OF OBESITY, DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION
Authors: Landsberg Lewis 
Published: August 2006

SUMMARY

The current worldwide epidemic of obesity and its major complications, namely type 2 diabetes and hypertension, is well documented. The present mini‐review develops the thesis that ‘thrifty’ metabolic traits, evolved in the setting of intermittent famine, contribute to the obesity pandemic.
These thrifty traits, namely a decreased capacity for dietary thermogenesis and an increased resistance to insulin‐mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, would prolong survival during famine but predispose to obesity and diabetes in the face of abundance. The regulation of dietary thermogenesis by the sympathetic nervous system also explains the well‐established association between obesity and high blood pressure.
These observations provide a deep‐seated rationale for the efficacy of lifestyle interventions in the treatment of obesity and its complications and may also provide a predicate for the development of new therapeutic strategies aimed at neutralizing the impact of these thrifty traits. Such strategies may entail, for example, therapeutic agents that enhance metabolic rate during low‐energy diets, thereby reversing the physiological impediment imposed by suppression of the sympathetic nervous system.
EXERCISE AND BLOOD PRESSURE: APPLYING FINDINGS FROM THE LABORATORY TO THE COMMUNITY SETTING
Authors: Cox Kay L 
Published: August 2006

SUMMARYDuring the 1980s, there was growing epidemiological evidence that aerobic training lowered blood pressure (BP). Early intervention studies had not always supported this conclusion. Such studies were limited by methodological shortcomings. Few studies had used normotensive individuals or women alone.Exercise training is an attractive lifestyle strategy in the prevention of hypertension. In our studies in men, vigorous intensity cycling did not lower resting BP.Vigorous exercise reduces day time ambulatory BP and, in combination with calorie restriction, had a synergist effect to reduce night‐time and 24 h BP.Exercise is a positive and effective adjunct to other lifestyle measures in the prevention of hypertension. Adherence to either supervised or unsupervised moderate‐intensity exercise is sufficient to reduce BP in the short and long term.Further studies need to be performed to evaluate the clinical significance and mechanisms for the increase in resting BP observed in older women.Older individuals with hypertension should be monitored when taking up a swimming programme.Exercise induced changes in BP seen in the laboratory are also observed in the community setting.
FISH OILS, PHYTOSTEROLS AND WEIGHT LOSS IN THE REGULATION OF LIPOPROTEIN TRANSPORT IN THE METABOLIC SYNDROME: LESSONS FROM STABLE ISOTOPE TRACER STUDIES
Authors: Watts GF , Chan DC , Ooi EMM , Nestel PJ , Beilin LJ , Barrett PHR 
Published: August 2006

SUMMARY

Dyslipoproteinaemia is a cardinal feature of the metabolic syndrome that accelerates atherosclerosis. It is characterized by high plasma concentrations of triglyceride‐rich and apolipoprotein (apo) B‐containing lipoproteins, with depressed concentrations of high‐density lipoprotein (HDL). Dysregulation of lipoprotein metabolism in these subjects may be due to a combination of overproduction of very‐low density lipoprotein (VLDL) apoB‐100, decreased catabolism of apoB‐containing particles and increased catabolism of HDL apoA‐I particles.
Nutritional interventions may favourably alter lipoprotein transport in the metabolic syndrome. We review our collaborative studies, using stable isotopes and compartmental modelling, of the kinetic effects of fish oils, plant sterols (phytosterols) and weight reduction on the dyslipoproteinaemia in this disorder.
Fish oil supplementation diminished hepatic secretion of VLDL‐apoB and enhanced conversion of VLDL to low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐apoB, without altering catabolism.
Plant sterols (phytosterols) did not have a significant effect on plasma concentrations of lipids and lipoprotein or the kinetics of apoB and apoA‐I.
Modest weight reduction optimally decreased plasma triglyceride and LDL–cholesterol via reduction in hepatic apoB secretion and reciprocal upregulation of LDL catabolism.
The scope and potential of future studies using stable isotope tracers is discussed.