bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acute hyperinsulinaemia and hyperlipidaemia modify circulating adiponectin and its oligomers
Authors: Bobbert Thomas , Weicht Jessica , Mai Knut , Möhlig Matthias , Pfeiffer Andreas F. H. , Spranger Joachim 
Published: December 2008

SummaryObjective  Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with low adiponectin levels, although adiponectin is exclusively expressed in white adipose tissue. The mechanism beyond that paradox is not entirely clear, although insulin itself may reduce circulating adiponectin levels. However, obesity is also associated with hyperlipidaemia and the effects of free fatty acids (FFAs) and triglycerides (TG) on circulating adiponectin levels have not yet been investigated.Materials and methods  We analysed the effect of an acute and euglycaemic elevation of insulin on adiponectin oligomers in 23 healthy individuals. In a subgroup including 11 healthy men, FFAs and TG were acutely elevated by infusion of heparin/lipids over 120 min. Again the effect on circulating adiponectin and its oligomers was investigated. Adiponectin was determined by ELISA, oligomers were detected by nondenaturating Western blot.Results  Acute hyperinsulinaemia resulted in a significant reduction of total adiponectin to 7·74 ± 0·98 µg/ml (P = 0·004). High molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin did not change (0·80 ± 0·12 to 0·81 ± 0·14 µg/ml; P = 0·887), whereas MMW adiponectin decreased from 4·30 ± 0·51 to 3·78 ± 0·48 µg/ml (P = 0·005) and LMW adiponectin from 3·63 ± 0·42 to 3·15 ± 0·46 µg/ml (P = 0·048). Interestingly, heparin/lipid infusion also reduced circulating adiponectin levels (P = 0·001), which was primarily the result of reduced MMW adiponectin (P = 0·004), whereas LMW and HMW were not significantly affected.Conclusions  The presented data suggest that both, hyperinsulinaemia and hyperlipidaemia, may contribute to low adiponectin levels in states of obesity.
Epidemiology of primary hyperparathyroidism in Tayside, Scotland, UK
Authors: Yu Ning , Donnan Peter T. , Murphy Michael J. , Leese Graham P. 
Published: December 2008

SummaryObjective  To evaluate prevalence and incidence of diagnosed primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in adults between 1997 and 2006 in Tayside, Scotland, UK.Design  Population‐based incidence and prevalence study.Patients  All Tayside residents aged 20 years and over with an increased serum calcium level (> 2·55 mmol/l) between 1997 and 2006 were included as potential participants. Using a unique patient identifier, data‐linkage enabled a data set of PHPT patients to be created from an algorithm of biochemistry records, nuclear scan records, histology records, hospital clinic letters and community based prescription records. Persons having tertiary hyperparathyroidism (14·0%) were also identified and were excluded.Outcome measures  Age and sex adjusted incidence density and period prevalence were calculated for each year.Results  We identified 2709 patients (70·8% female) diagnosed with PHPT by the end of 2006. The mean age of women (68 years SD = 14) was older than that of men (64 years SD = 15) at baseline. The prevalence of diagnosed PHPT in Tayside increased from 1·82 per 1000 population in 1997 to 6·72 per 1000 population in 2006 (P < 0·001). Prevalence of PHPT is higher in females, and the female preponderance increases with age; the annual prevalence ratio between women and men is stable at around 2·5 each year. There was a 3–4‐year cyclical incidence rate varying from 4·13 to 11·30 per 10 000 person‐years.Conclusion  We observed a general increase in the prevalence of diagnosed PHPT in Tayside, Scotland. The incidence of diagnosis is greater in females than in males and increases with age. The annual incidence followed an apparent cyclic curve during the study period.
A paradoxical difference in relationship between anxiety, depression and thyroid function in subjects on and not on T4: findings from the HUNT study
Authors: Panicker Vijay , Evans Jonathan , Bjøro Trine , Åsvold Bjorn O. , Dayan Colin M. , Bjerkeset Ottar 
Published: December 2008

SummaryObjective  There have been conflicting reports on the relationship between thyroid function and mood between studies in subjects on T4 and the general population not on T4. We investigated this relationship in a large catchment area‐based study.Design  We analysed data on serum TSH levels and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores from the HUNT 2 study (age ≥ 40 years). Following a test for interaction, analyses were performed separately in females on T4 (n = 1265) and in people not on T4 (males n = 9319 and females n = 17 694).Results  More females on T4 had high depression and anxiety scores than females not on T4 (depression 18·4%vs. 13·0%, P < 0·001, anxiety 23·4%vs. 18·7%, P < 0·001). In those not on T4, there was an inverse association between serum TSH and depression score in males (B coefficient = –0·61, 95% CI –0·91 to –0·24, P = 0·001) though not in females (B coefficient = –0·07, –0·33 to 0·19), and an inverse association between TSH and anxiety score in both genders (B coefficient for males = 0·68, 95% CI –1·04 to –0·32, P < 0·001; females –0·37, 95% CI –0·67 to –0·08, P = 0·01). In contrast, in females on T4, TSH was positively associated with both depression (B coefficient = +0·27, 95% CI 0·02 to 0·51, P < 0·05) and anxiety (B coefficient = +0·29, 95% CI 0·01 to 0·56, P < 0·05).Conclusions  There is a different relationship between thyroid function and depression and anxiety in females on T4 compared with individuals with no thyroid disease. This group also has a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety.
Hydrologic regulation of gross methyl chloride and methyl bromide uptake from Alaskan Arctic tundra
Authors: TEH YIT ARN , MAZÉAS OLIVIER , ATWOOD ALYSSA R. , ABEL TRIFFID , RHEW ROBERT C. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe Arctic tundra has been shown to be a potentially significant regional sink for methyl chloride (CH3Cl) and methyl bromide (CH3Br), although prior field studies were spatially and temporally limited, and did not include gross flux measurements. Here we compare net and gross CH3Cl and CH3Br fluxes in the northern coastal plain and continental interior. As expected, both regions were net sinks for CH3Cl and CH3Br. Gross uptake rates (−793 nmol CH3Cl m−2 day−1 and −20.3 nmol CH3Br m−2 day−1) were 20–240% greater than net fluxes, suggesting that the Arctic is an even greater sink than previously believed. Hydrology was the principal regulator of methyl halide flux, with an overall trend towards increasing methyl halide uptake with decreasing soil moisture. Water table depth was one of the best predictors of net and gross uptake, with uptake increasing proportionately with water table depth. In drier areas, gross uptake was very high, averaging −1201 nmol CH3Cl m−2 day−1 and −34.9 nmol CH3Br m−2 day−1; in flooded areas, gross uptake was significantly lower, averaging −61 nmol CH3Cl m−2 day−1 and −2.3 nmol CH3Br m−2 day−1. Net and gross uptake was greater in the continental interior than in the northern coastal plain, presumably due to drier inland conditions. Within certain microtopographic features (low‐ and high‐centered polygons), uptake rates were positively correlated with soil temperature, indicating that temperature played a secondary role in methyl halide uptake. Incubations suggested that the inverse relationship between water content and methyl halide uptake was the result of mass transfer limitation in saturated soils, rather than because of reduced microbial activity under anaerobic conditions. These findings have potential regional significance, as the Arctic is expected to become warmer and drier due to anthropogenic climate forcing, potentially enhancing the Arctic sink for CH3Cl and CH3Br.
A novel synthetic adjuvant enhances dendritic cell function
Authors: Phillipps Karen S. M. , Wykes Michelle N. , Liu Xue Q. , Brown Melissa , Blanchfield Joanne , Toth Istvan 
Published: December 2008

SummaryThe lipid core peptide (LCP) is a novel, synthetic, self‐adjuvanted vaccine delivery system that neatly incorporates the adjuvant, carrier and antigenic peptides of a vaccine into a single molecular entity. This system has been previously shown to efficiently deliver vaccines and induce immunity. Because adjuvants target sentinels of the immune response, such as dendritic cells (DCs), that are widely distributed throughout the body to initiate specific immune responses, we investigated the effects of the adjuvant on DCs. Here we show that LCP targets vaccines to DCs and induces their activation.
Nitrate and glutamate as environmental cues for behavioural responses in plant roots
Authors: FORDE BRIAN G. , WALCH‐LIU PIA 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTAs roots explore the soil, they encounter a complex and fluctuating environment in which the different edaphic resources (water and nutrients) are heterogeneously distributed in space and time. Many plant species are able to respond to this heterogeneity by modifying their root system development, such that they colonize the most resource‐rich patches of soil. The complexities of these responses, and their dependence on the implied ability to perceive and integrate multiple external signals, would seem to amply justify the term ‘behaviour’. This review will consider the types of behaviour that are elicited in roots ofArabidopsis thalianaby exposure to variations in the external concentrations and distribution of two different N compounds, nitrate and glutamate. Molecular genetic studies have revealed an intricate N regulatory network at the root tip that is responsible for orchestrating changes in root growth rate and root architecture to accommodate variations in the extrinsic and intrinsic supply of N. The review will discuss what is known of the genetic basis for these responses and speculate on their physiological and ecological significance.
Genetically Engineered Lactococcus lactis Secreting Murine IL‐10 Modulates the Functions of Bone Marrow‐Derived Dendritic Cells in the Presence of LPS
Authors: Loos M. , Remaut E. , Rottiers P. , De Creus A. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractOral delivery of IL‐10 by genetically modified Lactococcus lactis (LL‐pTmIL10) has been shown to efficiently reduce intestinal inflammation in mice with chronic colitis, but the mechanisms involved have not been elucidated. It has been suggested that IL‐10 controls intestinal inflammation by inhibiting microbe‐induced activation of dendritic cells. We therefore investigated whether LL‐pTmIL10 can modulate the functions of bone marrow‐derived dendritic cells (BM‐DC) responding to LPS. Incubation of these cells with LL‐pTmIL10 or with the control strain LL‐pTREX reduced their ability to activate allogeneic T‐cell proliferation. However, in contrast to LL‐pTREX, LL‐pTmIL10 inhibited the LPS‐stimulated secretion of MCP‐1 by BM‐DC and reduced the synergistic up‐regulation of IL‐12/IL‐23p40. In addition, LL‐pTmIL10 treatment of LPS‐stimulated BM‐DC significantly inhibited their capacity to induce strong secretion of IL‐17 by CD4+ T cells. Our data suggest that the beneficial effects of LL‐pTmIL10 treatment during chronic colitis might involve inhibition of CD4+ Th17 cells and a reduced accumulation of these cells as well as other immune cells at the site of inflammation.
Access, sources and value of new medical information: views of final year medical students at the University of Nairobi
Authors: Gituma Adrian , Masika Moses , Muchangi Eric , Nyagah Lily , Otieno Vincent , Irimu Grace , Wasunna Aggrey , Ndiritu Moses , English Mike 
Published: December 2008

SummaryObjectives  To evaluate final year medical students’ access to new medical information.Method  Cross‐sectional survey of final year medical students at the University of Nairobi using anonymous, self‐administered questionnaires.Results  Questionnaires were distributed to 85% of a possible 343 students and returned by 44% (152). Half reported having accessed some form of new medical information within the previous 12 months, most commonly from books and the internet. Few students reported regular access; and specific, new journal articles were rarely accessed. Absence of internet facilities, slow internet speed and cost impeded access to literature; and current training seems rarely to encourage students to seek new information.Conclusion  Almost half the students had not accessed any new medical information in their final year in medical school. This means they are ill prepared for a career that may increasingly demand life‐long, self‐learning.
The prevalence of melasma and its association with quality of life in adult male Latino migrant workers
Authors: Pichardo Rita , Vallejos Quirina , Feldman Steven R. , Schulz Mark R. , Verma Amit , Quandt Sara A. , Arcury Thomas A. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBackground  Melasma is a common condition of Latino women that detracts from their quality of life (QOL). The prevalence and impact of melasma in Latino men is not well characterized.Aim  To assess the prevalence of melasma and its association with QOL in Latino men from Mexico and Central America working in the USA.Methods  The prevalence of melasma was assessed in three studies of Latino men: by direct examination in a study of 25 Latino poultry workers; by direct examination in a study of 54 Latino farm workers; and by examination of store‐and‐forward teledermatology images in a study of 300 Latino farm workers. QOL was assessed with a Spanish version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).Results  The prevalence of melasma was 36.0%, 7.4%, and 14.0% in the three studies. The prevalence of melasma was greatest amongst those aged 31 years and older, who were from Guatemala, and who spoke an indigenous language. The presence of melasma was associated with higher DLQI scores, indicating a poorer QOL, in the poultry worker population.Conclusions  Melasma is a common condition in Latino men and is associated with a poor QOL in some affected individuals. Clinicians should be aware that melasma may be a concern for their male Latino patients. Research on the association of skin conditions with QOL amongst minority men is needed.
Does tachyphylaxis occur in long‐term management of scalp seborrheic dermatitis with pyrithione zinc‐based treatments?
Authors: Schwartz James R. , Rocchetta Heather , Asawanonda Pravit , Luo Fangyi , Thomas Jennifer H. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBackground  Scalp seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff (SD/D) are chronic conditions requiring long‐term treatment. There is a common belief that patients frequently experience decreasing benefits over time when using a single product. This physiologic accommodation is termed tachyphylaxis.Aim  To systematically investigate the anecdotal belief that tachyphylaxis occurs in long‐term treatment of SD/D using quantitative clinical assessments.Methods  An international questionnaire completed by 722 dermatologists assessed the belief of tachyphylaxis incidence with pyrithione zinc (PTZ)‐based shampoos, time course, occurrence relative to active ingredients, and effect of switching products. Two double‐blind, randomized, clinical evaluations were conducted, 24‐ and 48‐week studies, whereby a 1% PTZ shampoo, a 2% PTZ shampoo, or a matched placebo control shampoo was used by each subject for the duration of the study. Dermatologists assessed the adherent scalp flaking (scale of 0–10) at baseline and at specified intervals.Results  Sixty‐four per cent of responding dermatologists believed tachyphylaxis occurred with PTZ products, and most felt that tachyphylaxis occurred within 3 months of use. Evaluation of mean treatment responses vs. placebo and individual responses as a function of study duration showed a consistent benefit for all products at all time points; therefore, no evidence for tachyphylaxis was found (within 48 weeks of treatment).Conclusion  No evidence for tachyphylaxis in SD/D treatment by PTZ‐based shampoos was found. Compliance could explain the decreasing response rate seen over time; the solution is to choose an affordable therapeutic product that is effective long term without cosmetic trade‐offs.
The changing patterns of hair density and thickness in South Korean women with hair loss: clinical office‐based phototrichogram analysis
Authors: Kang Hoon , Kang Tae Wook , Lee Seung Dong , Park Young Min , Kim Hyung Ok , Kim Si Yong 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBackground  The principal objective of this study was to investigate the clinical office‐based phototrichogram (PT) findings of multiple scalp areas in South Korean women with hair loss.Methods  Two hundred and fifty‐eight women with hair loss were classified into 155 female pattern hair loss (FPHL) and 103 telogen effluvium (TE) patients. Hair density and thickness were measured via computer software‐assisted PT. Eleven scalp sites, including the three points of the front, top, and back of the head and the right and left sides of the head area, were targeted in this investigation.Results  PT profiles of the patients with hair loss showed significantly reduced hair density and thickness relative to the controls. The TE group showed the same order distribution as the control group, but the density and thickness were significantly lower than those of the controls. The values for the FPHL patient group declined with increasing Ludwig grade. The curve patterns of mean hair density and thickness by scalp site were shown to differ from group to group and to have a peculiar distribution.Conclusion  The results of this study indicate that hair density and thickness vary over the entire scalp area in patients suffering from hair loss. The measurement of multiple scalp sites and the observation of changing patterns of hair parameters are very informative in terms of differentiating less apparent hair loss disorders. Through this study, we wish to introduce a doctor‐ and patient‐friendly hair evaluation tool for use in clinic offices.
Comparison of depression, anxiety and life quality in acne vulgaris patients who were treated with either isotretinoin or topical agents
Authors: Kaymak Yesim , Taner Ender , Taner Yasemen 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBackground  Since the introduction of isotretinoin to the market, many adverse psychiatric effects, including depression, anxiety and suicide attempts were reported. The aim of this study was to determine whether patients with acne who were treated with isotretinoin experienced significant increases in psychiatric symptoms over a 4‐month period compared with patients who received topical acne therapy.Methods  Seventy‐eight acne patients were allocated either to isotretinoin treatment (study group) (n = 37) or to topical treatment (control group) (n = 41). Their psychological status was evaluated at the baseline, second and fourth months of the treatment. All patients were required to complete the dermatology life quality index (DLQI), the Hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale, and the beck depression inventory (BDI).Results  The two groups were not different from each other in terms of DLQI, BDI, HAD‐A, HAD‐D and total HAD scores at baseline. However, at the end of the second month quality of life was more impaired in the topical treatment group compared to the isotretinoin group (P < 0.05), and there were no difference between two groups in terms of BDI, HAD‐A, HAD‐D, and total HAD scores (P > 0.05). At the end of fourth month quality of life and all psychological test scores had improved more in the isotretinoin group compared to topical treatment group (P < 0.05).Conclusion  Results of the present study indicate that there is no increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms in the isotretinoin treatment group compared to that in the topical group. Instead, successful treatment of acne seems to improve both depressive and anxiety symptoms and improve quality of life.
Epidemiology of pollution‐induced airway disease: urban/rural differences in East and West Germany
Authors: NICOLAI T. 
Published: December 2008

Nicolai T. Epidemiology of pollution‐induced airway disease: urbadrural differences in East and West Germany.The prevalence of asthma and allergic disorders was assessed in 9–11 year‐old children in Leipzig and Halle in East Germany, as well as in Munich, West Germany. Both East German cities are heavily polluted due to private burning of coal and industrial emissions, while Munich has low smoke emissions but heavy road traffic. All fourth grade pupils in Munich were compared with those in Leipzig and Halle. Non‐specific airway disease (bronchitis), cough, and autudwinter nasal symptoms were most prevalent in Leipzig and Halle. Hay fever and skin test reactivity to aeroallergens were higher in West Germany compared with East Germany. Furthermore, the prevalence of asthma was also higher in the West German study area. Increased skin prick test reactivity in the West explained the increased prevalence of asthma. Longitudinal analysis showed increased respiratory symptoms on days with high mean levels of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, as well as on days with a high peak level of 10 μ respirable particles (PM10) in East Germany. The effects of these pollutants were additive. Exposure to heavy road traffic in Munich was related to decreased pulmonary function and non‐specific airway symptoms, but not to allergic sensitization and asthma.
The role of diesel exhaust particles and their associated polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the induction of allergic airway disease
Authors: DIAT‐SANCHEZ D. 
Published: December 2008

Diaz‐Sanchez D. The role of diesel exhaust particles and their associated polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the induction of allergic airway disease.The increase in allergic airway disease has paralleled the increase in the use of fossil fuels. Studies were undertaken to examine whether extracts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from diesel exhaust particles (DEP) (PAH‐DEP) acted as mucosal adjuvants to help initiate or enhance immunoglobulin E (IgE) production in response to common inhaled allergens. In vitro studies demonstrated that PAH‐DEP enhanced IgE production by tonsillar B‐cells in the presence of interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and CD40 monoclonal antibody, and altered the nature of the IgE produced, i.e. a decrease in the CH4′‐CHe5 variant, a marker for differentiation of IgE‐producing B‐cells, and an increase in the M2′ variant. In vivo nasal provocation studies using 0.30 mg DEP in saline also showed enhanced IgE production in the human upper respiratory mucosa, accompanied by a reduced CH4′‐CHe5 mRNA splice variant. The effects of DEP were also isotype‐specific, with no effect on IgG, IgA, IgM, or albumin, but it produced a small increase in the IgG4 subclass. The ability of DEP to act as an adjuvant to the ragweed allergen Amb a I was examined by nasal provocation in ragweed allergic subjects using 0.3 mg DEP, Amb a I, or both. Although allergen and DEP each enhanced ragweed‐specific IgE, DEP plus allergen promoted a 16‐times greater antigen‐specific IgE production. Nasal challenge with DEP also influenced cytokine production. Ragweed challenge resulted in a weak response, DEP challenge caused a strong but non‐specific response, while allergen plus DEP caused a significant increase in the expression of mRNA for Th˜ and TH2‐type cytokines (IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐6, IL‐10, IL‐13) with a pronounced inhibitory effect on IFN‐y gene expression. These studies suggest that DEP can enhance Bell differentiation, and by initiating and elevating IgE production, may play an important role in the increased incidence of allergic airway disease.
Allergen‐specific immunotherapy. Present state and directions for the future
Authors: Mailing H.‐J. 
Published: December 2008

To cite this article:Mailing H.‐J. Allergen‐specific immunotherapy. Present state and directions for the future. Allergy 1999, 54, 30–33.Copyright © Munksgaard 1999 ISSN 0108–1675