bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chromium Alleviates Glucose Intolerance, Insulin Resistance, and Hepatic ER Stress in Obese Mice
Authors: Sreejayan Nair , Dong Feng , Kandadi Machender R. , Yang Xiaoping , Ren Jun 
Published: April 2008

Objective: Chromium has gained popularity as a nutritional supplement for diabetic patients. This study evaluated the effect of chronic administration of a chromium complex of d‐phenylalanine (Cr(d‐phe)3) on glucose and insulin tolerance in obese mice. The study tested the hypothesis that Cr(d‐phe)3 suppresses endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and insulin resistance in these animals.Methods and Procedures: C57BL lean and ob/ob obese mice were randomly divided to orally receive vehicle or Cr(d‐phe)3 (3.8 μg of elemental chromium/kg/day) for 6 months. Insulin sensitivity was evaluated by glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Protein levels of phosphorylated pancreatic ER kinase (PERK), α subunit of translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) and inositol‐requiring enzyme‐1 (IRE‐1), p‐c‐Jun, and insulin receptor substrate‐1 (IRS‐1) phosphoserine‐307 were assessed by western blotting. In vitro ER stress was induced by treating cultured muscle cells with thapsigargin in the presence or absence of Cr(d‐phe)3.Results: ob/ob mice showed poor glucose and insulin tolerance compared to the lean controls, which was attenuated by Cr(d‐phe)3. Markers of insulin resistance (phospho‐c‐Jun and IRS‐1 phosphoserine) and ER stress (p‐PERK, p‐IRE‐1, p‐eIF2α), which were elevated in ob/ob mice, were attenuated following Cr(d‐phe)3 treatment. Chromium treatment was also associated with a reduction in liver triglyceride levels and lipid accumulation. In cultured myotubes, Cr(d‐phe)3 attenuated ER stress induced by thapsigargin.Discussion: Oral Cr(d‐phe)3 treatment reduces glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and hepatic ER stress in obese, insulin‐resistant mice.
Thyrotoxicosis during sunitinib treatment for renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Grossmann Mathis , Premaratne Erosha , Desai Jayesh , Davis Ian D. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryContext  Sunitinib malate is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and gastrointestinal stromal tumours. Hypothyroidism has been observed in patients treated with sunitinib, but the mechanism whereby sunitinib induces hypothyroidism is unknown.Objective  To describe a series of six patients who developed thyrotoxicosis while on sunitinib for metastatic RCC.Setting  The study was conducted at Austin Health, a tertiary teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia.Results  Two patients developed severe thyrotoxicosis within 10 weeks after commencing sunitinib. In contrast, in the four patients who presented with later onset (16–30 weeks) thyrotoxicosis, the thyrotoxicosis was relatively mild, self‐limiting and rapidly progressed to hypothyroidism. These patients experienced recurrent episodes of thyrotoxicosis in temporal relation to their cyclical sunitinib treatment. One patient had cytological evidence of lymphocytic thyroiditis.Conclusions  These findings suggest that sunitinib‐induced hypothyroidism may be a consequence of preceding thyroiditis with associated transient thyrotoxicosis. As predictive factors are currently unknown, we suggest regular monitoring of thyroid function in all patients commenced on sunitinib. Clinicians treating patients with sunitinib or other similar kinase inhibitors should to be alerted to thyroid dysfunction as a potential toxicity of these agents.
123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy for the detection of adrenal and extra‐adrenal phaeochromocytomas: CT and MRI correlation
Authors: Bhatia Kunwar S. S. , Ismail Mohamed M. , Sahdev Anju , Rockall Andrea G. , Hogarth Kieran , Canizales Ana , Avril Norbert , Monson John P. , Grossman Ashley B. , Reznek Rodney H. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryContext  Evidence regarding the accuracy of [123I] metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) imaging for phaeochromocytoma localization is currently limited to small series.Objective  We present the largest series of primary phaeochromocytomas in which the performance of [123I]MIBG has been evaluated and correlated with cross‐sectional imaging.Design  We identified 76 patients with both preoperative [123I]MIBG and cross‐sectional imaging for confirmed primary phaeochromocytoma between 1995 and 2005 at our institution. This comprised 60 adrenal tumours in 55 patients and 33 extra‐adrenal tumours in 23 patients (2 patients had both adrenal and extra‐adrenal tumours). Phaeochromocytoma metastases were not evaluated.Main outcome measure(s)  [123I]MIBG studies were independently reviewed and correlated with CT and MRI examinations, as well as tumour functional status, to identify features that may predict a false negative [123I]MIBG result.Results  The overall sensitivity of [123I]MIBG was 75%. Tumour detection was lower for extra‐adrenal (58%) vs. adrenal (85%) phaeochromocytomas (P = 0·005). For extra‐adrenal tumours, [123I]MIBG demonstrated 8 of 14 carotid body, 2 of 2 intrathoracic, 8 of 14 retroperitoneal and 2 of 3 pelvic phaeochromocytomas. Overall, MRI and CT demonstrated 68 of 68 and 72 of 74 primary phaeochromocytomas, respectively. Tumour size correlated with [123I]MIBG uptake for adrenal (P = 0·009) but not extra‐adrenal tumours. When tumours were adjusted for size, no other imaging feature or functional status correlated with [123I]MIBG negativity, although two large [123I]MIBG negative adrenal tumours contained large areas of necrosis or haemorrhage.Conclusions  Extra‐adrenal and small adrenal phaeochromocytomas are more likely to result in false negatives on [123I]MIBG. Tumoural necrosis or haemorrhage do not consistently relate to [123I]MIBG uptake, although adrenal phaeochromocytomas containing minimal solid tissue due to extensive necrosis may predict a negative [123I]MIBG result.
Augmentation of endogenous cannabinoid tone modulates lipopolysaccharide‐induced alterations in circulating cytokine levels in rats
Authors: Roche Michelle , Kelly John P. , O’Driscoll Maeve , Finn David P. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThe endogenous cannabinoid system plays an important role in regulating the immune system. Modulation of endogenous cannabinoids represents an attractive alternative for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. This study investigated the effects of URB597, a selective inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the enzyme catalysing degradation of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide, and AM404, an inhibitor of anandamide transport, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced increases in plasma cytokine levels in rats. Both URB597 and AM404 potentiated the LPS‐induced increase in plasma tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) levels. The peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) antagonist, GW9662, attenuated the AM404‐induced augmentation of TNF‐α levels. Furthermore, the selective cannabinoid CB1and CB2receptor antagonists, AM251 and AM630 respectively, and the transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor‐1 (TRPV1) antagonist, SB366791, reduced LPS‐induced TNF‐α plasma levels both alone and in combination with AM404. In contrast, AM404 inhibited LPS‐induced increases in circulating interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and IL‐6. AM251 attenuated the immunosuppressive effect of AM404 on IL‐1β. None of the antagonists altered the effect of AM404 on LPS‐induced IL‐6. Moreover, AM251, AM630 and SB366791, administered alone, inhibited LPS‐induced increases in plasma IL‐1β and IL‐6 levels. In conclusion, inhibition of endocannabinoid degradation or transportin vivopotentiates LPS‐induced increases in circulating TNF‐α levels, an effect which may be mediated by PPARγ and is also reduced by pharmacological blockade of CB1, CB2and TRPV1. The immunosuppressive effect of AM404 on IL‐1β levels is mediated by the cannabinoid CB1receptor. Improved understanding of endocannabinoid‐mediated regulation of immune function has fundamental physiological and potential therapeutic significance.
Living with a long‐term urinary catheter: older people’s experiences
Authors: Godfrey Helen 
Published: April 2008

AbstractTitle.  Living with a long‐term urinary catheter: older people’s experiences. Aim.  This paper is a report of a study of the experiences of older people living with a long‐term urinary catheter and the development of a substantive theory grounded in their realities.Background.  Understanding the user perspective is a prerequisite for involving older people in a collaborative relationship with healthcare professionals which is built around their needs and wishes. Older people’s views and experiences of the complexity of living with a long‐term catheter have not been widely researched. An enhanced understanding of catheter users’ perspectives and an awareness of their needs can be used to improve care.Method.  A grounded theory approach was adopted and 20 in‐depth interviews were carried out in England in 2005 and 2006 with 13 older people living at home with long‐term urinary catheters.Findings.  The core category ‘all about acceptance’ described older people’s adjustment to living with a long‐term urinary catheter; the two categories ‘at ease’ and ‘uneasy’ reflect the extremes of contentment experienced. Three interlinking categories of ‘trying to understand’, ‘judging catheter performance’ and ‘being aware of the catheter’ shaped older people’s relationships with their catheters and this was mediated by their ‘interaction with others’. The consequences for older people fluctuated along a continuum from ‘engaging actively’ to experiencing ‘downbeat sentiments’.Conclusion.  To assist older people to adjust to living with a catheter, healthcare professionals must be sensitive to their life situations and individual needs rather than focusing predominantly on catheter performance and complications.
Practice nurses and the facilitation of self‐management in primary care
Authors: Macdonald Wendy , Rogers Anne , Blakeman Tom , Bower Peter 
Published: April 2008

AbstractTitle.  Practice nurses and the facilitation of self‐management in primary care. Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to explore practice nurse involvement in facilitation of self‐management for long‐term conditions.Background.  In the United Kingdom chronic disease services have shifted from secondary care to general practice and from general practitioners to practice nurses. A new United Kingdom General Practice contract requires adherence to chronic disease management protocols, and facilitating self‐management is recognized as an important component. However, improving self‐management is a relatively new focus and little is known about the ways in which nurses engage with patient self‐management and how they view work with patients in chronic disease clinics.Method.  Semi‐structured interviews with 25 practice nurses were carried out in 2004–2005. Interviews were audio‐taped and transcribed verbatim. Analysis was informed by the ‘trajectory model’ and ‘personal construct’ theories.Findings.  Main themes in the early stages of work with patients were: categorization of patients, diagnosis, and patient education. First impressions appeared to determine expectations of self‐management abilities, although these were amenable to change. Intermediate stages were ‘ways of working’ (breaking the task down, cognitive restructuring and addressing dissonance, modelling ‘good’ behaviour, encouragement, listening, involving carers and referral) and maintaining relationships with patients. However, in the longer‐term nurses seemed to lack resources beyond personal experience and intuitive ways of working for encouraging effective self‐care.Conclusion.  The ways of working identified are unlikely to be sufficient to support patients’ self‐management, pointing to a need for education to equip nurses with techniques to work effectively with patients dealing with longer‐term effects of chronic illness.
Power and empowerment in nursing: a fourth theoretical approach
Authors: Bradbury‐Jones Caroline , Sambrook Sally , Irvine Fiona 
Published: April 2008

AbstractTitle.  Power and empowerment in nursing: a fourth theoretical approach. Aim.  This paper is a discussion of the use of poststructuralism as a means of exploring power and empowerment in nursing.Background.  Power and empowerment are well‐researched areas of nursing practice, but the issue of how to empower nurses and patients continues to cause debate. Power and empowerment are complex issues and other researchers have provided some clarity by proposing three theoretical approaches: critical social theory, organizational theory and social psychological theory. We support their work and propose an additional poststructural approach as a means of analyzing power and empowerment in nursing.Discussion.  The concept of power in nursing may be critiqued by drawing on the work of Michel Foucault and paying particular attention to two areas: disciplinary power and knowledge/power relationships. Foucault’s contention was that behaviour is standardized through disciplinary power and that power and knowledge are intertwined. Nurses who seek an understanding of empowerment must first grasp such workings as hierarchical observation, normalizing judgement, the examination, and power/knowledge relationships, and that cognizance of such issues can promote nursing practice that is empowering. They need to adopt a more critical stance to understanding power and empowerment in nursing, and one way of fostering such criticism is to view nursing practice through a poststructural lens.Conclusion.  A poststructural approach merits a place alongside other approaches to understanding power and empowerment in nursing.
Multi‐faceted palliative care intervention: aged care nurses’ and care assistants’ perceptions and experiences
Authors: Phillips Jane L. , Davidson Patricia M. , Jackson Debra , Kristjanson Linda J. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractTitle.  Multi‐faceted palliative care intervention: aged care nurses’ and care assistants’ perceptions and experiences. Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to describe residential aged care nurses’ and care assistants’ perceptions of a multi‐faceted palliative care intervention to identify potential areas to be addressed during subsequent action research phases.Background.  Action research was used to enhance the delivery of a palliative approach in residential aged care. The chronic care model guided the development of a multi‐faceted intervention. This involved the: (1) establishment of a ‘link nurse’ role; (2) learning and development strategies for nurses, care assistants and general practitioners; (3) use of multi‐disciplinary team meetings; and (4) access to specialist consultation.Method.  A purposive sample (n = 28) of aged care nurses and care assistants participated in a series of four focus groups conducted in July 2005. Thematic content analysis of the transcripts was performed.Findings.  Four themes emerged: (1) targeted education can make a difference; (2) a team approach is valued; (3) clinical assessment tools are helpful; and (4) using the right language is essential. Participants described increased understanding of palliative care concepts, enhanced competencies, greater confidence to deliver palliative care and a desire to adopt a multi‐disciplinary approach to care planning.Conclusion.  Sustaining a culture that is committed to ongoing learning and development interventions and creating multi‐disciplinary teams in the aged care setting is critical to embedding a palliative approach. The chronic care model is a useful framework to guide the development of interventions leading to better palliative care outcomes for residents and their families.
Association of obesity and insulin resistance with asthma and aeroallergen sensitization
Authors: Husemoen L. L. N. , Glümer C. , Lau C. , Pisinger C. , Mørch L. S. , Linneberg A. 
Published: April 2008

Background: It has been hypothesized that obesity and insulin resistance may play a role in the development of asthma and allergy. The aim of the study was to examine the association of obesity and insulin resistance with asthma and aeroallergen sensitization.Methods: Cross‐sectional population‐based study of 3609 Danish men and women aged 30–60 years. Aeroallergen sensitization was defined as positive levels of specific IgE against a panel of inhalant allergens. Asthma was defined as self‐reported physician diagnosed asthma. Allergic asthma was defined as the presence of both asthma and aeroallergen sensitization. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was used to estimate the degree of insulin resistance. Body mass index, waist‐to‐hip ratio, and waist circumference were used as measures of obesity. Data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analyses.Results: Obesity was associated with increased risk of aeroallergen sensitization as well as allergic and nonallergic asthma. Insulin resistance was asssociated with aeroallergen sensitization and allergic asthma, but not nonallergic asthma. The associations of obesity with aeroallegen sensitization and allergic asthma became nonsignificant after adjustment for insulin resistance, whereas the association of obesity with nonallergic asthma was unaffected. No sex‐differences were observed.Conclusion: Obesity may be related to an increased risk of aeroallergen sensitization and allergic asthma through mechanisms also involved in the development of insulin resistance.
Lymphotoxin alpha LTA+496C allele is a risk factor for periodontitis in patients with coronary artery disease
Authors: Palikhe A. , Lokki M.‐L. , Pussinen P. J. , Paju S. , Ahlberg J. , Asikainen S. , Seppänen M. , Valtonen V. , Nieminen M. S. , Sinisalo J. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPeriodontitis and coronary artery disease (CAD) are inflammatory diseases and associated with each other. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region carries genes involved in immune response and inflammation. We investigated whether the MHC genes correlate with the presence of periodontitis or with the occurrence of periodontal pathogens in patients with CAD. Blood and saliva samples from CAD patients (n = 106) were collected at the time of hospitalization. Nine MHC genetic markers [human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐A, HLA‐B, HLA‐DRB1, lymphotoxin alpha (LTA) +253(a/g), +496(C/T), +633(c/g), +724(C/A), C4A and C4B)] were typed. Based on panoramic tomography, patients were categorized into nonperiodontitis and periodontitis groups. Two major periodontal pathogens, Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis, were cultivated and polymerase chain reaction‐amplified from salivary samples. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG antibody levels to these pathogens were measured. In the univariate analysis, LTA+496C allele (OR = 5.29; 95% CI = 2.07–13.51, P = 0.00027), and the occurrence of P. gingivalis in saliva (OR = 4.74; 95% CI = 1.64–13.70; P = 0.002) were more frequent in periodontitis when compared with nonperiodontitis. Similarly, serum IgA antibody level against the pathogen was increased in periodontitis (P = 0.048). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, when a wide range of covariates was included, the LTA+496C allele (OR = 10.87; 95% CI = 3.23–36.60; P = 0.00012) and the elevated serum IgA antibody level against P. gingivalis (OR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.05–2.30; P = 0.026) remained as significant risk factors for periodontitis. In conclusion, the major finding of this study is that the LTA+496C allele is associated with periodontitis in patients with CAD.
Role of Nitrogen and Gibberellin (GA3) in the Regulation of Enzyme Activities and in Osmoprotectant Accumulation in Brassica juncea L. under Salt Stress
Authors: Siddiqui M. H. , Khan M. N. , Mohammad F. , Khan M. M. A. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractSalt stress alters a wide array of plant metabolic mechanisms. Different strategies of the application of nutrients and phytohormones are required to overcome the adverse effects of salt stress. The main objective of the present study was to determine if added nitrogen (N) and gibberellin (GA3) in growth medium could alleviate the adverse effects of salt stress on plant metabolism. Two‐week‐old plants were fed with: (i) 0 mm NaCl + 0 mg N kg−1 sand + 0 m GA3 (control), (ii) 100 mm NaCl + 0 mg N kg−1 sand + 0 m GA3, (iii) 0 mm NaCl + 40 mg N kg−1 sand + 0 m GA3, (iv) 0 mm NaCl + 0 mg N kg−1 sand + 10−5 m GA3, (v) 100 mm NaCl + 40 mg N kg−1 sand + 0 m GA3, (vi) 100 mm NaCl + 0 mg N kg−1 sand + 10−5 m GA3, (vii) 100 mm NaCl + 40 mg N kg−1 sand + 10−5 m GA3. Growth and physio‐biochemical attributes i.e. shoot length, leaf area, fresh weight, dry weight, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, malondialdehyde concentration, electrolyte leakage, total chlorophyll concentration, nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase activities, proline and glycinebetaine concentration, leaf – N, potassium (K) and sodium (Na) concentration and K/Na ratio were affected by NaCl treatment. But application of N or GA3 alone as well as in combination proved beneficial in alleviating the adverse effects of salt stress on these growth and physio‐biochemical parameters. However, N applied with GA3 proved more effective than N and GA3 applied alone. The results revealed that combined application of N and GA3 may ameliorate most of the attributes and prove to be a physiological remedy to increase the tolerance against the ill effects of salt stress in Brassica.
Bayesian Estimation and Selection of Nonlinear Vector Error Correction Models: The Case of the Sugar‐Ethanol‐Oil Nexus in Brazil
Authors: Balcombe Kelvin , Rapsomanikis George 
Published: April 2008

AbstractNonlinear adjustment toward long‐run price equilibrium relationships in the sugar‐ethanol‐oil nexus in Brazil is examined. We develop generalized bivariate error correction models that allow for cointegration between sugar, ethanol, and oil prices, where dynamic adjustments are potentially nonlinear functions of the disequilibrium errors. A range of models are estimated using Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithms and compared using Bayesian model selection methods. The results suggest that the long‐run drivers of Brazilian sugar prices are oil prices and that there are nonlinearities in the adjustment processes of sugar and ethanol prices to oil price but linear adjustment between ethanol and sugar prices.
Hard X‐ray micro(spectro)scopy: A powerful tool for the geomicrobiologists
Authors: KEMNER K. M. 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTDuring the past few decades, the use of electron microscopy approaches – many developed by Terry Beveridge – to probe the physiology of microorganisms has become a mainstay in fields including microbiology, human health, and geomicrobiology. Recent developments of third‐generation synchrotron X‐ray sources and X‐ray‐based microscopy approaches for studying microbial systems have proved their utility as complements to the very powerful approaches regularly employed by electron microscopists. In addition, in recent geomicrobiological studies, researchers have begun to take advantage of the strengths of each technique by using the superior spatial resolution of the electron microscope (relative to the X‐ray microscope) and the superior elemental sensitivity of the X‐ray microscope (relative to the electron microscope), along with the ability of the X‐ray microscope to spatially probe the chemical speciation of elements. The benefits of integrating these two nanoprobes for investigating the same microenvironments within a geomicrobial system are far superior to those of independent studies separately employing each probe.