bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reconfiguring ‘post‐socialist’ regions: cross‐border networks and regional competition in the Slovak and Ukrainian clothing industry
Authors: SMITH ADRIAN , PICKLES JOHN , BUČEK MILAN , BEGG ROBERT , ROUKOVA POLI 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe global garment industry is currently being reshaped in dramatic ways through processes of trade liberalization, delocalization and interfirm and interregional competition. There has been much speculation about the increasing importance of factor (especially labour) costs in fuelling further rounds of de‐localization of garment production towards low‐cost production locations, such as China and India. However, the extent to which these processes mean the end to garment production in higher factor‐cost locations, including those neighbouring the major clothing markets of the USA and the EU, is open to question. In this article we interrogate the interregional shifts in garment sourcing taking place in Europe and its surrounding regions. While factor costs (including labour) are important determinants of the geography of sourcing, a range of other costs (logistical and policy costs) are important in structuring the geographies of global and regional production. Firms in the Slovak Republic are responding to increasing competitive pressures and we assess how trans‐border sourcing, subcontracting and FDI are being integrated into strategies to sustain European production networks. We highlight the emergence of cross‐border production relocation to Ukraine as one specific strategy. We examine the product specificity of these changes and the ways in which they are embedded within already existing production networks, forms of cross‐border contracting and central European trade regimes. In other words, we explore some of the forces that shape the somewhat tentative continuation of garment production for export to EU markets in central Europe despite the ‘spectre of China’.
Ethical Issues in Dialysis Aaron Spital, Series Editor: Palliative Care: Misconceptions That Limit Access for Patients with Chronic Renal Disease
Authors: Jablonski Anita 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThere is an urgent need to incorporate palliative care into the treatment of patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). These patients have a shortened lifespan and face end‐of‐life decisions as renal function declines and renal replacement therapy becomes necessary. They also experience a high symptom burden as a result of the illness as well as its treatment. Why, then, do patients with ESRD rarely receive expert palliative care services that have been shown to enhance the quality of life of patients with other life‐limiting illnesses? The lack of access to palliative care can be attributed, in part, to misconceptions about its philosophy and goals. It is hoped that clarification of these misconceptions will facilitate integration of palliative care into routine nephrology practice.
A Challenge for Nephrologists—Increasing Fistula Maturation Rates, Reducing Fistula Maturation Time, and Decreasing Dialysis Catheter Prevalence in the United States
Authors: Levine Michael I. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractTunneled dialysis catheters are simultaneously a benefit and burden for hemodialysis patients. The infectious and vascular complications of catheters are well documented. Despite this, prevalence of catheter use in the US hemodialysis population remains high and could be due in part to increased efforts to create arteriovenous (AV) fistulas in most new end‐stage renal disease patients. The editorial argues that creating fistulas instead of prosthetic grafts is the correct approach and that inadequately diagnosed and treated primary fistula failure is a major cause of excessive and prolonged catheter dependency. An understanding of AV fistula physiology and the treatable causes of primary fistula failure are key to maximizing the percentage of created fistulas that are successfully used for dialysis. Diagnosis of fistula malfunction based on history, physical examination, and hemodynamic and angiographic evaluation is discussed, and treatment strategies presented. A major emphasis is placed on early primary fistula failure recognition and intervention. It is the author’s contention if adequate vein and artery are selected for initial fistula construction nearly all fistulas should eventually function adequately to support dialysis and sooner than previously appreciated by utilizing an array of percutaneous and surgical therapies. Fistula malfunction is a unique problem within the spectrum of vascular disease and therefore demands that patients are treated by physicians with demonstrated expertise and experience.
Retrospective Analysis of Catheter Recirculation in Prevalent Dialysis Patients
Authors: Moossavi Shahab , Vachharajani Tushar J. , Jordan Jean , Russell Gregory B. , Kaufman Tina , Moossavi Shahriar 
Published: May 2008

AbstractCatheter recirculation (CR) occurs when blood returning from the venous limb of the catheter re‐enters the arterial limb of the catheter without passage through the circulation. Adequacy of dialysis is influenced by the degree of access recirculation. In this study we evaluate factors influencing the degree of dialysis central venous catheter (CVC) recirculation in prevalent hemodialysis patients. This is a retrospective study of all patients undergoing hemodialysis via a catheter at the Wake Forest University Outpatient Dialysis Facilities from September 1, 2006 to May 15, 2007. CR was correlated to catheter type, catheter brand, site of placement, catheter length, time on dialysis, time on the current catheter, and was measured via ultrasound dilution technique. A total of 165 catheters were identified. Seventy‐one catheters were in the right internal jugular position, 43 in the left internal jugular position, 13 in the right subclavian, one in the left subclavian, eight in the right femoral, two in the left femoral, and four in the trans‐lumber position. CR was 6.3 ± 7.5% in symmetric tip catheters (n = 14), 6.0 ± 8.3% in split‐tip catheters (n = 102), 8.4 ± 11.7% in step‐tip catheters (n = 10), and 23.0 ± 8.2% in temporary catheters (n = 3), respectively. These results are borderline significant if temporary catheters are included (p = 0.052); however, the overall p‐value is only 0.80 for tunneled dialysis catheters. There was no correlation between CR and time on dialysis (p = 0.66) or time on the current catheter (p = 0.48). The current study suggests that the CVC recirculation is independent of catheter brand, type, time on dialysis, or time on current catheter.
Selecting an Appropriate Medication for Treating Neuropathic Pain in Patients with Diabetes: A Study Using the U.K. and Germany Mediplus Databases
Authors: Gore Mugdha , Sadosky Alesia , Leslie Douglas , Sheehan Amy Heck 
Published: May 2008

▪ AbstractObjective:  To evaluate the appropriateness of prescribing select neuropathic pain medications to diabetes patients based on the potential for drug–drug interactions with medications diabetes patients were prescribed continuously for ≥ 3 months (chronic use).Methods:  Medical records of patients with a diagnosis of diabetes or use of antidiabetic medications between January 1, 2002 and September 30, 2005 in the U.K. and Germany Mediplus databases were obtained.Patients:  Medication use profiles were evaluated between April 2004 and September 2005. The metabolic pathways associated with medications that were prescribed chronically to at least 10% of study patients were compared with the metabolic pathways of neuropathic pain medications to identify potential drug–drug interactions.Results:  A total of 40,448 patients in the U.K. (63.6 ± 16.6 years, 51% male) and 31,930 patients in Germany (68.9 ± 12.7 years, 46% male) were identified. Frequently prescribed medications in the U.K. included aspirin (33.7%), metformin (32.7%), simvastatin (25.5%), atorvastatin (19.4%), atenolol (18.1%), and in Germany hydrochlorothiazide (35.8%), aspirin (25.2%), metformin (21.6%), metoprolol (20.3%), and simvastatin (18.3%). Several neuropathic pain medications have potential for drug–drug interactions with medications prescribed to diabetes patients. Examples include (neuropathic pain medications vs. diabetes medications): duloxetine, paroxetine, and methadone (CYP2D6 inhibitors) and oxycodone HCL, hydrocodone (CYP2D6 substrates) vs. metoprolol and bisoprolol (CYP2D6 substrates); and carbamazepine (CYP3A4 inducer) vs. simvastatin, and atorvastatin (CYP3A4 substrates).Conclusions/Interpretation:  Our findings underscore the need for medical vigilance when selecting medications for treating neuropathic pain in diabetes patients. ▪
Effect of partial recording protocols on severity estimates of periodontal disease
Authors: Kingman Albert , Susin Cristiano , Albandar Jasim M. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjectives: The study aim was to assess bias magnitudes of periodontal disease severity estimates for specific partial recording protocols (PRPs) in epidemiological studies.Material and Methods: Estimates of mean clinical attachment loss (MCAL) and mean probing pocket depth (MPPD) were derived for 20 different PRPs using full‐mouth periodontal data from 1437 dentate Brazilian subjects 14–103 years old having at least four teeth. Biases, relative biases and intra‐class correlations for all PRPs were evaluated. Graphical methods were used to assess how well the PRP‐based estimates agreed with full‐mouth scores across levels of disease.Results: Slightly higher levels of disease were evidenced on lingual than on buccal sites. Seven multi‐site PRPs and the Ramfjörd PRP produced small biases in MPPD (−0.17 to 0.04 mm) and MCAL with relative biases under 8% and 4% in absolute value for MPPD and MCAL, respectively. Biases for full‐ and random half‐mouth‐based PRPs were similar. The three‐site random half‐mouth MB–B–DL and the Ramfjörd PRPs produced the smallest biases, with relative biases <3% in absolute value for MPPD and MCAL.Conclusions: Bias for MPPD or MCAL estimates varies by site type, number of sites per tooth and number of quadrants included in the PRP.
Melanoma stem cells: targets for successful therapy?
Authors: Houben Roland , Wischhusen Jörg , Menaa Farid , Synwoldt Peggy , Schrama David , Bröcker Eva‐Bettina , Becker Jürgen C. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryIncreasing evidence suggests that cancer is a disease in which the persistence of the tumor relies on a small population of tumor‐initiating cells, the so called tumor stem cells (TSC). Only these cells are capable of self‐renewal and thereby possess the ability for unlimited proliferation. One reason for the inability of conventional tumor treatments to achieve long‐term cures seems to be that TSC are resistant to many therapeutic approaches. A detailed characterization of TSC should have a substantial impact on the optimization of therapeutic protocols. While TSC in hematopoietic malignancies have been most intensively studied, subpopulations with stem cell properties have been identified in some solid tumors including breast carcinomas, gliomas and melanomas. In case of melanoma, however, a clear‐cut molecular characterization is still pending. Considerable research is needed to establish standard procedures for the isolation of melanoma stem cells to facilitate determining how these cells, critical for tumor persistence and progression, can be effectively eliminated. A pressing question is if melanoma stem cells are in principle sensitive to immunotherapy.
A mechanism for short-lived cometary outbursts at sunrise as observed by Deep Impact on 9P/Tempel 1
Authors: Prialnik D. , A'Hearn M. F. , Meech K. J. 
Published: May 2008

Abstract
We explore a possible mechanism that may explain the outbursts observed by the Deep Impact mission on comet 9P/Tempel 1 that appear to occur near sunrise on a particular area. Assuming that the area is covered by a porous, poorly conducting dust layer, the heat wave generated by solar radiation at local noon propagates through the dust layer towards the ice-rich layer underneath it. The heated ice sublimates and the vapour flows towards the surface. However, by the time the heat wave reaches the ice, the spot has moved out of sunlight and its temperature has started dropping. As the vapour flows outwards, the surface has become so cold that it refreezes. Thus, at night some ice accumulates in the dust layer, very close to the surface. At sunrise, it immediately evaporates, producing a short-lived surge of activity. Numerical simulations of this mechanism provide the duration and water production of such outbursts, which are compatible with the 9P/Tempel 1 observations of small outbursts.
Prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in Icelanders aged 50 years and older: the Reykjavik Eye Study
Authors: Gunnlaugsdottir Elin , Arnarsson Arsaell , Jonasson Fridbert 
Published: May 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  This study aimed to study the prevalences and causes of visual impairment and blindness in an Icelandic adult population.Methods:  The Reykjavik Eye Study includes a random sample of citizens of Reykjavik aged ≥ 50 years, with an equal proportion (6.4%) for each year of birth and each sex. A total of 1045 persons were examined, representing a response rate of 75.8%. All participants underwent an extensive ophthalmological examination using a standard protocol. We used World Health Organization (WHO) definitions for bilateral visual impairment (best corrected visual acuity [VA] < 6/18 or visual field of ≥ 5 ° and < 10 ° around the fixation point in the better eye) and blindness (VA < 3/60 or visual field < 5 ° in the better eye). We also used US criteria, which define bilateral visual impairment as present if VA is < 6/12 and blindness as present if VA is ≤ 6/60 (both in the better eye). The causes of visual loss were determined for all participants found to be visually impaired in one or both eyes.Results:  The prevalences of bilateral visual impairment and blindness were 0.96% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37–1.55) and 0.57% (95% CI 0.12–1.03), respectively, using the WHO criteria, and 2.01% (95% CI 1.16–2.86) and 0.77% (95% CI 0.24–1.29), respectively, using the US criteria. The prevalence rates were 4.40% and 5.45% for unilateral visual impairment and 1.72% and 3.06% for unilateral blindness, using the WHO and US criteria, respectively. Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) was the major cause of bilateral visual loss, whereas the most common causes of unilateral visual loss were, in this order, amblyopia, cataract and glaucoma.Conclusions:  Prevalence of visual loss increases with age. The leading cause of bilateral visual impairment and blindness was AMD, accounting for more than half of all cases, and cases of geographic atrophy outnumbered those of exudative AMD by two to one.
Therapeutic efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab on posterior uveitis complicated by neovascularization
Authors: Kurup Shree , Lew Julie , Byrnes Gordon , Yeh Steven , Nussenblatt Robert , Levy‐Clarke Grace 
Published: May 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  To evaluate the therapeutic effect of intravitreal bevacizumab in patients with uveitis‐associated choroidal/retinal neovascularization.Methods:  Two female patients (40 years, 15 years) with posterior uveitis, (one presumed ocular sarcoidosis, one lupus) were evaluated for neovascularization of the posterior segment. Both patients were given a single dose of 1.25 mg intravitreal bevacizumab.Results:  Significant anatomical and functional recovery was evident in both patients within a few weeks.Conclusion:  In selected uveitic patients, bevacizumab may be an option for managing neovascularization.
Central endothelin: effects on vasopressin and the arterial baroreflex in doxorubicin heart failure ratsThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue (part 1 of 2) on Forefronts in Endothelin.
Authors: Rossi Noreen F. , Maliszewska-Scislo Maria , Chen Haiping 
Published: May 2008

Endothelin 1 (ET-1) is increased in heart failure, both in plasma and within the central nervous system. Centrally, ET-1 induces sympathetic hyperactivity and arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion. Both sympathetic activity and AVP secretion are regulated by the arterial baroreflex, which is typically impaired in heart failure. We hypothesized that central blockade of ETA receptors (ETAR) alters the baroreflex response of heart rate, renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), and plasma AVP levels in a cardiomyopathic model of heart failure. Female Sprague–Dawley rats received weekly intraperitoneal injections of doxorubicin 2.5 mg·kg–1 (doxorubicin heart failure, doxo-HF) or saline vehicle (control). After 8 weeks, they were instrumented, conditioned to the study environment, and then studied in the awake, non-restrained state. Baseline mean arterial pressure (MAP), RSNA, and plasma osmolality were similar in both groups, but heart rate (p < 0.02), left ventricular pressure (p < 0.001), and plasma AVP (p < 0.01) were higher in the doxo-HF group. ET-1 dose dependently increased MAP, but the rise was significantly attenuated in doxo-HF rats at all doses. Baseline baroreflex control of heart rate and RSNA was similar in both groups. ETAR blockade with 4 nmol BQ123 i.c.v. significantly decreased both the upper plateau (p < 0.05) and the range (p < 0.05) of the baroreflex response of both heart rate and RSNA in doxo-HF but not in control rats. Despite higher basal plasma levels of AVP, ET-1 evoked a rise in plasma AVP of 13.6 ± 3.2 pg·mL–1 in doxo-HF compared with 0.4 ± 0.4 pg·mL–1 in control rats (p < 0.001). To account for the blunted pressor response to ET-1 in the doxo-HF rats, gain of AVP release was calculated as ΔAVP/ΔMAP and was also found to be significantly greater in the doxo-HF rats (p < 0.001). BQ123 prevented the rise in AVP and restored the gain in doxo-HF rats to that seen in controls. Thus, central ETAR contribute to the sympathoexcitation and AVP responses observed in heart failure due to doxorubicin cardiomyopathy.
DOCA-salt treatment enhances responses to endothelin-1 in murine corpus cavernosumThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue (part 1 of 2) on Forefronts in Endothelin.
Authors: Carneiro Fernando S. , Giachini Fernanda R.C. , Lima Victor V. , Carneiro Zidonia N. , Nunes Kênia P. , Ergul Adviye , Leite Romulo , Tostes Rita C. , Webb R. Clinton 
Published: May 2008

The penis is kept in the flaccid state mainly via a tonic activity of norepinephrine and endothelins (ETs). ET-1 is important in salt-sensitive forms of hypertension. We hypothesized that cavernosal responses to ET-1 are enhanced in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt mice and that blockade of ETAreceptors prevents abnormal responses of the corpus cavernosum in DOCA-salt hypertension. Male C57BL/6 mice were unilaterally nephrectomized and treated for 5 weeks with both DOCA and water containing 1% NaCl and 0.2% KCl. Control mice were uninephrectomized and received tap water with no added salt. Animals received either the ETAantagonist atrasentan (5 mg·day−1·kg−1body weight) or vehicle. DOCA-salt mice displayed increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), and treatment with atrasentan decreased SBP in DOCA-salt mice. Contractile responses in cavernosal strips from DOCA-salt mice were enhanced by ET-1, phenylephrine, and electrical field stimulation (EFS) of adrenergic nerves, whereas relaxations were not altered by IRL-1620 (an ETBagonist), acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, and EFS of nonadrenergic noncholinergic nerves. PD59089 (an ERK1/2 inhibitor), but not Y-27632 (a Rho-kinase inhibitor), abolished enhanced contractions to ET-1 in cavernosum from DOCA-salt mice. Treatment of DOCA-salt mice with atrasentan did not normalize cavernosal responses. In summary, DOCA-salt treatment in mice enhances cavernosal reactivity to contractile, but not to relaxant, stimuli, via ET-1/ETAreceptor-independent mechanisms.
Oxidative stress-induced, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-dependent upregulation of ET-1 expression in chronic diabetic complicationsThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue (part 1 of 2) on Forefronts in Endothelin.
Authors: Chiu Jane , Xu Bing Ying , Chen Shali , Feng Biao , Chakrabarti Subrata 
Published: May 2008

Hyperglycemia in diabetes induces increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) production in the retina, kidney, and heart that may lead to hemodynamic impairment, permeability alteration, and increased extracellular matrix (ECM) protein production. Chronically elevated blood glucose levels may cause oxidative stress in these target tissues of diabetic complications. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a nuclear enzyme activated by DNA strand breaks due to oxidative stress. We investigated the role of PARP in regulating ET-1 expression and ET-1-induced abnormalities in the targets organs of diabetic complications. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were injected with streptozotocin to induce diabetes. Once diabetes was established, half of the diabetic rats were randomly chosen to receive PARP inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide for 4 months. In a second set of experiments, PARP−/− mice and their controls were fed for 2 months with either a normal rodent diet or a 30% galactose diet to induce a normoinsulinemic hyperhexosemic state. Tissues harvested at the conclusion of both experiments were then subjected to real-time RT-PCR analysis for mRNA expression and immunohistochemical assessment of oxidative stress. In both experiments, the hyperhexosemic state upregulated expression of ET-1 mRNA in the retina, kidney, and heart. Furthermore, upregulation of ET-1-dependent ECM transcripts, such as fibronectin and extradomain B-containing fibronectin, was noted in all tissues. These tissues also demonstrated oxidative stress, as evidenced by the presence of nuclei positive for 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine. In contrast, inhibition of PARP, either through a chemical means in the diabetic rats or by genetic manipulation in the galactose-fed animals, prevented both oxidative stress and hyperhexosemia-induced upregulation of these genes. These results suggest that, in diabetes, oxidative stress and PARP activation may produce their effects through ET-1. Hence, blockade of such pathways may constitute potential adjuvant treatment modalities in chronic diabetic complications.
Impaired insulin-mediated vasorelaxation in a nonobese model of type 2 diabetes: role of endothelin-1This article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue (part 1 of 2) on Forefronts in Endothelin.
Authors: Elgebaly Mostafa M. , Kelly Aisha , Harris Alex K. , Elewa Hazem , Portik-Dobos Vera , Ketsawatsomkron Pimonrat , Marrero Mario , Ergul Adviye 
Published: May 2008

Insulin resistance involves decreased phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins and (or) Akt. In the vasculature, modulated Akt phosphorylation may cause impaired vasorelaxation via decreased eNOS activation. Diet-induced insulin resistance enhances endothelin-1(ET-1)-mediated vasoconstriction and prevents vasodilatation to insulin. Presently, we evaluated insulin-mediated vascular relaxation, assessed molecular markers of the insulin signaling pathway, and determined the involvement of ET-1 in response to insulin by using selective ETA- or ETB-receptor blockade in a lean model of type 2 diabetes. Dose–response curves to insulin (0.01–100 ng/mL) were generated with wire myograph using thoracic aorta rings from control Wistar or diabetic Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rats (n = 3–11). Maximal relaxation (Rmax) to insulin was significantly impaired and insulin sensitivity was decreased in the GK group. Preincubation with 1 μmol/L BQ-123 or BQ-788 for ETA- and ETB-receptor blockade, respectively, resulted in improved insulin sensitivity. Immunoblotting for native and phosphorylated Akt and IRS-1 revealed a decrease in Akt activation in the GK group. In vivo hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp studies showed decreased glucose utilization in GK rats, indicative of insulin resistance. These findings provide evidence that vascular insulin resistance occurs in a nonobese model of diabetes and that both ET receptor subtypes are involved in vascular relaxation to insulin.