bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trends in the operative management of renal tumours over a 14‐year period
Authors: Permpongkosol Sompol , Bagga Herman S. , Romero Frederico R. , Solomon Stephen B. , Kavoussi Louis R. 
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVETo review the trends in the operative management of renal tumours over a 14‐year period at a university hospital, as the therapeutic options available for treating renal tumours have increased over the past decade.PATIENTS AND METHODSThe study was a retrospective chart review of 1621 consecutive patients undergoing treatment for renal tumours from January 1991 to March 2005. The characteristics assessed included patient demographics, tumour size, operative duration and treatment.RESULTSDuring the study period, 624 (38.6%) open, 883 (54.6%) laparoscopic and 111 (6.7%) percutaneous approaches were performed. The number of renal tumours treated increased annually, as did the use of minimally invasive techniques (93.4% in 2005). Conversely, the number of open surgical treatments used declined both absolutely and proportionally. Over the study period, for tumours of ≤ 4 cm, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was the most common approach (41.0%). Percutaneous ablation has also made an impact as a treatment method for small tumours (13.8% in 2005). For tumours of >7 cm, open radical nephrectomy (ORN) was the most common method of treatment over all years. However, since 2002, laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) surgery has been increasingly used over ORN for treating this tumour group (73% LRN vs 19.2% ORN in 2004).CONCLUSIONThe available treatment options for renal tumours have increased significantly since the early 1990s. At a university hospital in which there are physicians with a specific interest in minimally invasive surgery and ablative treatments, minimally invasive approaches have become the standard treatment.
Prevalence and associations of low plasma erythropoietin in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Mojiminiyi O. A. , Abdella N. A. , Zaki M. Y. , El Gebely S. A. , Mohamedi H. M. , Aldhahi W. A. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractAims  Low plasma erythropoeitin (EPO) is a key causal factor in the anaemia of diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anaemia in relation to EPO in patients with Type 2 diabetes.Methods  In a clinic‐based cross‐sectional study of 161 Type 2 diabetes patients, we measured EPO, ferritin and full blood count. The patients were classified on the basis of the urine albumin:creatinine excretion ratio as normo‐, micro‐ or macroalbuminuric. Serum creatinine, cystatin C and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) calculated from cystatin C were used as markers of renal function. All the patients were assessed for symptoms and signs of diabetic complications, including diabetic peripheral sensory neuropathy (PSN).Results  Twenty‐one (13.0%) patients were anaemic; 80 patients (49.7%) had low EPO (< 5 mU/ml), of whom 28.8% had a GFR < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2; 57.5% were normoalbuminuric, 33.7% were microalbuminuric and 8.8% macroalbuminuric. Although EPO was significantly higher in anaemic patients compared with non‐anaemic patients, the EPO response was inappropriate for the degree of anaemia. Of patients with PSN, 66.7% had low EPO but there was no significant difference in EPO between patients with and without PSN. Log EPO correlated significantly with urine microalbumin:creatinine ratio and logistic regression analysis showed that haemoglobin, age and urine microalbumin: creatinine ratio were the main determinants of EPO.Conclusions  The degree of microalbuminuria is the most significant determinant of plasma EPO, which is often low or inappropriately normal in diabetic patients with and without anaemia.
GAD antibodies in probands and their relatives in a cohort clinically selected for Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Castleden H. A. J. , Shields B. , Bingley P. J. , Williams A. J. K. , Sampson M. , Walker M. , Gibson J. M. , McCarthy M. I. , Hitman G. A. , Levy J. C. , Hattersley A. T. , Vaidya B. , Pearson E. R. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractAims  A subset of patients who present as if they have Type 2 diabetes have positive pancreatic autoantibodies, and have been referred to as having latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). We assessed the prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA) in a cohort clinically selected for Type 2 diabetes and determined the presence of diabetes and GADA in their first‐degree relatives.Methods  GADA were measured in 2059 subjects, not known to be related, and clinically selected as having Type 2 diabetes for genetic studies. Clinical characteristics were compared in GADA positive and GADA negative subjects. Diabetes and GAD antibody status were compared in 208 first‐degree relatives of GADA positive and GADA negative probands.Results  Of the subjects, 136 (7%) were GADA positive. Compared with the GADA negative subjects, they were slimmer (P < 0.001), diagnosed at a younger age (P = 0.011) and progressed to insulin faster (P < 0.001). Thirty‐three per cent of GADA positive subjects had a first‐degree relative with diabetes compared with 42% of GADA negative subjects (P = 0.034). The overall prevalence of GADA was similar in the first‐degree relatives of GADA positive and GADA negative probands (4 v 5%), and 19 of 22 (86%) diabetic relatives of GADA positive probands were GADA negative.Conclusion  Despite clinically selecting a Type 2 diabetes cohort, 7% were GADA positive with an altered phenotype. These GADA positive patients had a strong family history of non‐autoimmune diabetes. This suggests that, in this subgroup of patients, autoimmune pancreatic β‐cell destruction occurs on a background of Type 2 diabetes genetic susceptibility.
Strategies and students: beginning teachers' early encounters with national policy
Authors: Rosowsky Andrey 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe 1‐year Postgraduate Certificate in Education Secondary English method course at the University of Sheffield's School of Education has, since 2001, asked its students to write an essay of around 4000 words on their initial understanding and experience of the National Strategies promoted by the United Kingdom's Department for Education and Skills. The essay expects a critical, reflective and analytical piece of writing that records the student teacher's developing views on the place, role and value of the National Strategies in the classroom. Using grounded theory and content analysis techniques, this small‐scale study of the 2005 cohort identifies common perceptions regarding the National Strategies among student teachers of English and seeks to categorise these to account for their developing identities as future English teachers. Drawing on Twiselton's identification of teacher types, Task Manager, Curriculum Deliverer and Concept/Skill Builder, and Shulman's classification of knowledges necessary for teaching, this article will argue that the National Strategies and their respective Frameworks, while successful in moving teachers on from the role of ‘Task Managers’, runs the risk of locking teachers into being ‘Curriculum Deliverers’, and not developing the pedagogical content knowledge necessary for teaching English expertly.
Transformations in learning and teaching through Initial Teacher Education
Authors: Stevens David , Hodges Gabrielle Cliff , Gibbons Simon , Hunt Philippa , Turvey Anne 
Published: June 2006

AbstractIn England, little research has been carried out into how pre‐service secondary English teachers transform what they know as they learn to teach. They are seldom asked to reflect explicitly on the connections between the pedagogy of their undergraduate studies and their pedagogical experiences as student teachers. The initial teacher education committee of the National Association for the Teaching of English decided to explore these connections by asking student teachers on English Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses in five different university departments of education to respond to a series of questions at the start and end of the academic year 2004–2005. The questions fall into four broad areas: student teachers' experiences as learners at undergraduate level and developing ideas about teaching; the nature of the subject English; tensions encountered during the PGCE course; new learning about teaching. The purpose of this article is to discuss some patterns emerging from the research. The most prominent of these is student teachers' realisation that good teaching comes from teachers seeing themselves as learners. We argue that ‘reflexivity’ (Moore, 2004) is a valuable way to help student teachers begin to understand this transformation from learner into learning teacher.
“Too many theories and not enough instruction”: perceptions of preservice teacher preparation for literacy teaching in Australian schools
Authors: Louden William , Rohl Mary 
Published: June 2006

AbstractIn this paper, we describe part of an Australian national research project that aimed to find out how well prepared beginning teachers are to teach literacy. A majority of beginning teachers participating in a series of national surveys and focus group meetings were confident about their personal literacy skills, their conceptual understandings of literacy, their understanding of curriculum documents and assessment strategies and their broad preparation to teach. Fewer beginning teachers were confident about their capacity to teach specific aspects of literacy such as viewing, spelling, grammar and phonics, or about their capacity to meet the challenges of student diversity. Senior staff working with beginning teachers were generally sceptical about the quality of teacher preparation for teaching literacy and were less confident than the beginning teachers about personal literacy skills. We discuss these findings in relation to the relative importance placed on particular substantive and structural issues by the study participants and in terms of previous findings.
Identification of potential target genes for RFX4_v3, a transcription factor critical for brain development
Authors: Zhang Donghui , Stumpo Deborah J. , Graves Joan P. , DeGraff Laura M. , Grissom Sherry F. , Collins Jennifer B. , Li Leping , Zeldin Darryl C. , Blackshear Perry J. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractRegulatory factor X4 variant transcript 3 (Rfx4_v3) gene disruption in mice demonstrated that interruption of a single allele (heterozygous, +/–) prevented formation of the subcommissural organ, resulting in congenital hydrocephalus, while interruption of two alleles (homozygous, –/–) caused fatal failure of dorsal midline brain structure formation. To identify potential target genes for RFX4_v3, we used microarray analysis to identify differentially expressed genes in Rfx4_v3‐deficient mouse brains at embryonic day 10.5, before gross structural changes were apparent. Of 109 differentially expressed transcripts, 24 were chosen for validation and 22 were confirmed by real‐time PCR. Many validated genes encoded critical proteins involved in brain morphogenesis, such as the signaling components in the Wnt, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and retinoic acid (RA) pathways. Cx3cl1, a CX3C‐type chemokine gene that is highly expressed in brain, was down‐regulated in the Rfx4_v3‐null mice. Both human and mouse Cx3cl1 proximal promoters contained highly conserved X‐boxes, known cis‐acting elements for RFX protein binding. Using the Cx3cl1 promoter as an example of a target gene, we demonstrated direct binding of RFX4_v3 to the Cx3cl1 promoter, and trans‐acting activity of RFX4_v3 protein to stimulate gene expression. These data suggest that RFX4_v3 may act upstream of critical signaling pathways in the process of brain development.
Proteomic analysis of rat hippocampal plasma membrane: characterization of potential neuronal‐specific plasma membrane proteins
Authors: Chen Ping , Li Xuanwen , Sun Yalan , Liu Zhen , Cao Rui , He Quanyuan , Wang Meichi , Xiong Jixian , Xie Jinyun , Wang Xianchun , Liang Songping 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe hippocampus is a distinct brain structure that is crucial in memory storage and retrieval. To identify comprehensively proteins of hippocampal plasma membrane (PM) and detect the neuronal‐specific PM proteins, we performed a proteomic analysis of rat hippocampus PM using the following three technical strategies. First, proteins of the PM were purified by differential and density‐gradient centrifugation from hippocampal tissue and separated by one‐dimensional electophoresis, digested with trypsin and analyzed by electrospray ionization (ESI) quadrupole time‐of‐flight (Q‐TOF) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Second, the tryptic peptide mixture from PMs purified from hippocampal tissue using the centrifugation method was analyzed by liquid chromatography ion‐trap ESI‐MS/MS. Finally, the PM proteins from primary hippocampal neurons purified by a biotin‐directed affinity technique were separated by one‐dimensional electrophoresis, digested with trypsin and analyzed by ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS. A total of 345, 452 and 336 non‐redundant proteins were identified by each technical procedure respectively. There was a total of 867 non‐redundant protein entries, of which 64.9% are integral membrane or membrane‐associated proteins. One hundred and eighty‐one proteins were detected only in the primary neurons and could be regarded as neuronal PM marker candidates. We also found some hypothetical proteins with no functional annotations that were first found in the hippocampal PM. This work will pave the way for further elucidation of the mechanisms of hippocampal function.
Calpain inhibitors and antioxidants act synergistically to prevent cell necrosis: effects of the novel dual inhibitors (cysteine protease inhibitor and antioxidant) BN 82204 and its pro‐drug BN 82270
Authors: Pignol Bernadette , Auvin Serge , Carré Denis , Marin Jean‐Grégoire , Chabrier Pierre‐Etienne 
Published: June 2006

AbstractCell death is a common feature observed in neurodegenerative disorders, and is often associated with calpain activation and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study investigated the use of calpain inhibitors and antioxidants in combination to protect cells against necrosis. Maitotoxin (MTX), which induces a massive influx of calcium, was used to provoke neuronal cell death. This toxin increased, in a concentration‐dependent manner, both calpain activity and ROS formation. Calpain inhibitors or antioxidants inhibited MTX‐induced necrosis only marginally (below 20%), whereas their association protected against cell death by 40–66% in a synergistic manner. BN 82204, which possesses both calpain–cathepsin L inhibitory and antioxidant properties, and its acetylated pro‐drug BN 82270, totally protected cells at 100 µm. The pro‐drug BN 82270, which had better cell penetration, was twice as effective as the active principle BN 82204 in protecting glioma C6 or neuroblastoma SHSY5Y cells against death. These results suggest the potential therapeutic relevance of using a single molecule with multiple activities (cysteine protease inhibitor/antioxidant), and warrant further in vivo investigations in models of neuronal disorders.
Ceramide is the key mediator of oxidative stress‐induced apoptosis in retinal photoreceptor cells
Authors: Sanvicens Nuria , Cotter Thomas G. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractNitric oxide and reactive oxygen species play a critical role in photoreceptor apoptosis. However, the exact molecular mechanisms triggered by oxidative stress in photoreceptor cell death remain undefined. Here, we demonstrate that the sphingolipid ceramide is the key mediator of oxidative stress‐induced apoptosis in 661W retinal photoreceptor cells. Treatment of 661W cells with the nitric oxide donor, sodium nitroprusside, activates acid sphingomyelinase. As a result, sphingomyelin is hydrolysed, which leads to an increase in the concentration of ceramide. We also show that ceramide is responsible for the activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in 661W photoreceptor cells and subsequent activation of the caspase cascade. Furthermore, we show for the first time that ceramide is responsible for the increased Ca2+ levels in the mitochondria and cytosol that precedes activation of the calpain‐mediated apoptotic pathway. Additionally, we provide evidence that ceramide also activates the endolysosomal protease cathepsin D pathway. In summary, our findings show that ceramide controls the cell death decisions in photoreceptor cells and highlight the relevance of acid sphingomyelinase as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of retinal pathologies.
REVIEW: Pin1 in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Butterfield D. Allan , Abdul Hafiz Mohmmad , Opii Wycliffe , Newman Shelley F. , Joshi Gururaj , Ansari Mubeen Ahmad , Sultana Rukhsana 
Published: June 2006

AbstractProteolytic processing and phosphorylation of amyloid precursor protein (APP), and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, have been shown to be increased in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, leading to increased production of β‐amyloid (Aβ) peptides and neurofibrillary tangles, respectively. These observations suggest that phosphorylation events are critical to the understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of this devastating disease. Pin‐1, one of the peptidyl‐prolyl isomerases (PPIase), catalyzes the isomerization of the peptide bond between pSer/Thr‐Pro in proteins, thereby regulating their biological functions which include protein assembly, folding, intracellular transport, intracellular signaling, transcription, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. A number of previous studies have shown that Pin1 is co‐localized with phosphorylated tau in AD brain, and shows an inverse relationship to the expression of tau. Pin1 protects neurons under in vitro conditions. Moreover, recent studies demonstrate that APP is a target for Pin1 and thus, in Aβ production. Furthermore, Pin1 was found to be oxidatively modified and to have reduced activity in the hippocampus in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. Because of the diverse functions of Pin1, and the discovery that this protein is one of the oxidized proteins common to both MCI and AD brain, the question arises as to whether Pin1 is one of the driving forces for the initiation or progression of AD pathogenesis, finally leading to neurodegeneration and neuronal apoptosis. In the present review, we discuss the role of Pin1 with respect to Alzheimer's disease.
Microtubules are required for NF‐κB nuclear translocation in neuroblastoma IMR‐32 cells: modulation by zinc
Authors: Mackenzie Gerardo G. , Keen Carl L. , Oteiza Patricia I. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe relevance of a functional cytoskeleton for Nuclear Factor‐κB (NF‐κB) nuclear translocation was investigated in neuronal cells, using conditions that led to a disruption of the cytoskeleton [inhibition of tubulin (vinblastine, colchicine), or actin (cytochalasin D) polymerization and zinc deficiency]. We present evidence that an impairment in tubulin polymerization can inhibit the formation of the complex tubulin‐dynein‐karyopherin α‐p50 that is required for neuronal retrograde and nuclear NF‐κB transport. Cells treated with vinblastine, colchicine or cytochalasin D, and zinc deficient cells, all showed a low nuclear NF‐κB binding activity, and low nuclear concentrations of RelA and p50. The altered nuclear translocation was reflected by a decreased transactivation of NF‐κB‐driven genes. The immunocytochemical characterization of cellular RelA showed that cytoskeleton disruption can lead to an altered distribution of RelA resulting in the formation of peripheral accumuli. These results support the concept that cytoskeleton integrity is necessary for the transport and translocation of NF‐κB required for synapse to nuclei communication. We suggest that during development, as well as in the adult brain, conditions such as zinc deficiency, that affect the normal structure and function of the cytoskeleton can affect neuronal proliferation, differentiation, and survival by altering NF‐κB nuclear translocation and subsequent impairment of NF‐κB‐dependent gene regulation.
Marsh Tit Poecile palustris territories in a British broad‐leaved wood
Authors: BROUGHTON RICHARD K. , HINSLEY SHELLEY A. , BELLAMY PAUL E. , HILL ROSS A. , ROTHERY PETER 
Published: June 2006

We used individual colour‐marking and territory mapping to quantify the spatial extent of 32 Marsh Tit Poecile palustris territories in Monks Wood, eastern England, during spring of the years 2002–04. A mean territory size of 4.1 ha was identified. All 2004 spring territories were located, allowing a breeding density of 14 pairs/km2 to be calculated. Availability of airborne digital remote sensing (LiDAR) data for Monks Wood allowed the characterization of the canopy structure in territories and non‐breeding areas using a three‐dimensional canopy‐height model. The difference between the mean canopy height of the 2004 territories and that of the unoccupied area of the study site in the same year was 1.8 m, or 14%. Sampling the unoccupied area, with hypothetical ‘pseudo‐territories’, showed a statistically significant difference of 1.6 m (13%) between the mean canopy heights of the ‘taller’ 2004 territories and the unoccupied pseudo‐territories. A comparison by field survey of tree and shrub species composition between the 2004 territories and pseudo‐territories found no difference in species richness or the mean density of shrubs or mature trees (> 30 cm diameter at breast height, dbh). The mean density of medium‐sized (5–30 cm dbh) and small (< 5 cm dbh) trees was, respectively, 1.9 and 3.9 times greater in the pseudo‐territories, values that were statistically significant. Overall, Marsh Tits in Monks Wood appeared to require mature trees with a shrub layer beneath the top canopy, but avoided areas with large numbers of young and immature trees.
Methionine restriction decreases visceral fat mass and preserves insulin action in aging male Fischer 344 rats independent of energy restriction
Authors: Malloy Virginia L. , Krajcik Rozlyn A. , Bailey Steven J. , Hristopoulos George , Plummer Jason D. , Orentreich Norman 
Published: June 2006

SummaryReduced dietary methionine intake (0.17% methionine, MR) and calorie restriction (CR) prolong lifespan in male Fischer 344 rats. Although the mechanisms are unclear, both regimens feature lower body weight and reductions in adiposity. Reduced fat deposition in CR is linked to preservation of insulin responsiveness in older animals. These studies examine the relationship between insulin responsiveness and visceral fat in MR and test whether, despite lower food intake observed in MR animals, decreased visceral fat accretion and preservation of insulin sensitivity is not secondary to CR. Accordingly, rats pair fed (pf) control diet (0.86% methinone, CF) to match the food intake of MR for 80 weeks exhibit insulin, glucose, and leptin levels similar to control‐fed animals and comparable amounts of visceral fat. Conversely, MR rats show significantly reduced visceral fat compared to CF and PF with concomitant decreases in basal insulin, glucose, and leptin, and increased adiponectin and triiodothyronine. Daily energy expenditure in MR animals significantly exceeds that of both PF and CF. In a separate cohort, insulin responses of older MR animals as measured by oral glucose challenge are similar to young animals. Longitudinal assessments of MR and CF through 112 weeks of age reveal that MR prevents age‐associated increases in serum lipids. By 16 weeks, MR animals show a 40% reduction in insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) that is sustained throughout life; CF IGF‐1 levels decline much later, beginning at 112 weeks. Collectively, the results indicate that MR reduces visceral fat and preserves insulin activity in aging rats independent of energy restriction.