bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pulse of α-2-macroglobulin and lipocalin-1 in the pregnant uterus of European polecats (Mustela putorius) at the time of implantation
Authors: Lindeberg Heli , Burchmore Richard J.S. , Kennedy Malcolm W. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractUterine secretory proteins protect the uterus and conceptuses against infection, facilitate implantation, control cellular damage resulting from implantation, and supply embryos with nutrients. The early conceptus of the European polecat (Mustela putorius) grows and develops free in the uterus until implanting at about 12 days after mating. Using a proteomics approach we found that the proteins appearing in the uterus leading up to and including the time of implantation changed dramatically with time. Several of the proteins identified have been found in pregnant uteri of other placental mammals, such as α1-antitrypsin, serum albumin, lactoferrin, cathepsin L1, uteroferrin, and ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase. The broad-spectrum proteinase inhibitor α2-macroglobulin rose from relatively low abundance initially to dominate the protein profile by the time of implantation. Its functions may be to limit damage caused by the release of proteinases during implantation, and to control other processes around the site of implantation. Lipocalin-1 (also known as tear lipocalin) has not previously been recorded as a uterine secretion in pregnancy, and also increased substantially in concentration. If polecat lipocalin-1 has similar biochemical properties to the human form, then it may have a combined function in transporting or scavenging lipids, and antimicrobial activities. The changes in the uterine secretory proteome of Euroepan polecats may be similar in those species of mustelid that engage in embryonic diapause, but possibly only following reactivation of the embryo.
An icosahedral virus as a fluorescent calibration standard: a method for counting protein molecules in cells by fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Murray John M. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe ability to replace genes coding for cellular proteins with DNA that codes for fluorescent protein-tagged versions opens the way to counting the number of molecules of each protein component of macromolecular assembliesin vivoby measuring fluorescence microscopically. Converting fluorescence to absolute numbers of molecules requires a fluorescent standard whose molecular composition is known precisely. In this report the construction, properties, and mode of using a set of fluorescence calibration standards are described. The standards are based on an icosahedral virus engineered to contain exactly 240 copies of one of seven different fluorescent proteins. Two applications of the fluorescent standards to counting molecules in the human parasiteToxoplasma gondiiare described. Methods for improving the preciseness of the measurements and minimizing potential inaccuracies are emphasized.Lay AbstractA broad goal of modern biology is to understand how the machines within living cells work. It is nowadays routine to identify the individual protein components of a machine, but not yet straightforward to tell how many copies of each component are needed to build a functional assembly. In many types of cells it is now possible to substitute for the native proteins within cells altered versions that are fluorescent. If one knew how much fluorescence is generated by a single molecule of the altered protein, then one could use a light microscope to count the number of copies of the protein in a cellular machine by simply measuring the total fluorescence coming from that part of the cell. This paper describes the construction and methods for using a set of fluorescent virus particles that can be used to determine how much fluorescence is contributed by one molecule of fluorescent protein. The virus particles were chosen for this role because the particular icosahedral symmetry of their structure guarantees that each particle contains exactly 240 copies of one fluorescent protein.
Pediatric case of anaplastic lymphoma kinase‐positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma forming a solitary skin tumor on the forearm
Authors: Tokuyama Michio , Kurashige Yuta , Ota Tami , Manabe Yasuaki , Yamaoka Hanako , Ikoma Norihiro , Fukumura Akiko , Miyashita Michie , Otsubo Keisuke , Morimoto Tsuyoshi , Mochizuki Hiroyuki , Nakano Natsuko , Nakamura Naoya , Ozawa Akira , Mabuchi Tomotaka 
Published: November 2016

AbstractA 5‐year‐old girl noticed a rapidly growing reddish nodule on her right forearm. Although oral antibiotics had been administrated for 2 weeks, the tumor enlarged. Skin biopsy revealed excessive infiltration of atypical neoplastic cells expressing CD4, CD30 and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). These histological and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Computed tomography showed multiple lymphadenopathy, but lymph node biopsy and bone marrow examination did not show any evidence of systemic dissemination. However, due to the positive results for ALK and multiple lymphadenopathy, we diagnosed ALK‐positive ALCL forming a solitary skin tumor on the forearm. The patient received chemotherapy and presented marked improvement. This paper discusses the difficulty of diagnosing pediatric ALK‐positive ALCL limited to the skin and reviews the medical published work.
Maternal Na+ intake induces renal function injury in rats prevented by a short‐term angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor
Authors: Ribeiro Natalie E , Cabral Edjair V , Aires Regina S , Vieira‐Filho Leucio D , Ribeiro Valdilene S , Gonçalves Daianna RM , Borges Luis PNC , Melo Ismaela MF , Ferreira Cintia GM , Wanderley‐Teixeira Valeria , Teixeira Álvaro AC , Soares Anísio F , Paixão Ana D 
Published: November 2016

SummaryThe Na+‐ATPase, a secondary pump in the proximal tubule, is only weakly responsive to angiotensin II in adult offspring exposed perinatally to high Na+ intake. We have investigated whether the offspring from mothers given 0.3 mol/L NaCl show an ineffective angiotensin II action to increase in blood pressure. It was hypothesized that functional alterations at adult life are associated with the number of angiotensin II‐positive cells in the developing kidney, with increased oxidative stress in maternal/foetal organs, or with morphometrical changes in placentas. Wistar female rats were maintained on 0.3 mol/L NaCl in their drinking water from 20 days before conception until weaning. After weaning, some of the male offspring were treated with enalapril for 21 days. Glomerular filtration rate was recorded up to 210 days of age, when mean arterial pressure was measured after infusion of angiotensin II. To investigate the placenta and foetal kidneys, mothers on tap water or NaCl were also treated with alpha‐tocopherol, pregnancy being interrupted on the 20th day. There were no changes in the number of cells positive for angiotensin II in the foetal kidney and unchanged lipid peroxidation in the placenta of offspring exposed to NaCl, but the intermediate trophoblast area in the junctional zone was increased, possibly reducing maternal–foetal exchange. Glomerular filtration rate was reduced and there was an attenuated effect of angiotensin II on elevation of blood pressure, which could be mediated by an elevated angiotensin II during early life, once these disturbances had been prevented by early and short‐term treatment with enalapril.
Reduction of the foreign body response and neuroprotection by apyrase and minocycline in chronic cannula implantation in the rat brain
Authors: Hayn Linda , Deppermann Linda , Koch Michael 
Published: November 2016

AbstractImplantation of electrodes or cannulae into the brain is accompanied by a tissue response referred to as foreign body response. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is one of the signalling molecules released by injured cells which mediate the chemoattraction of microglial cells. The constitutive release of pro‐inflammatory and cytotoxic substances by microglial cells in chronic implants exacerbates neuronal cell death and the immune response. This study aimed to interfere with the initial events of the foreign body response in order to mitigate neurotoxicity and inflammation. For this purpose, the ATP‐hydrolysing enzyme apyrase and the antibiotic minocycline with a broad range of anti‐inflammatory, anti‐apoptotic and glutamate‐antagonist properties were locally infused during cannula implantation in the caudal forelimb area of the motor cortex in Lister Hooded rats. The rats’ motor performance was assessed in a skilled reaching task and the distribution of neurons and glial cells in the vicinity of the implant was examined 2 and 6 weeks post‐implantation. Apyrase as well as minocycline increased the number of surviving neurons and reduced microglial activation. Moreover, minocycline improved the motor performance and, additionally, caused a temporary reduction in astrogliosis, suggesting it as a possible therapeutic candidate to improve the biocompatibility of chronic brain implants.
Delivering Public Services: Locality, Learning and Reciprocity in Place Based Practice
Authors: Marsh Ian , Crowley Kate , Grube Dennis , Eccleston Richard 
Published: November 2016

AbstractPolicymakers across myriad jurisdictions are grappling with the challenge of complex policy problems. Multi‐faceted, complex, and seemingly intractable, ‘wicked’ problems have exhausted the repertoire of the standard policy approaches. In response, governments are increasingly looking for new options, and one approach that has gained significant scholarly interest, along with increasing attention from practitioners, is ‘place‐based’ solutions. This paper surveys conceptual aspects of this approach. It describes practices in comparable jurisdictions – the United Kingdom, the EU, and the United States. And it explores efforts over the past decade to ‘localise’ Indigenous services. It sketches the governance challenge in migrating from top‐down or principal‐agent arrangements towards place‐based practice. The paper concludes that many of the building blocks for this shift already exist but that these need to be re‐oriented around ‘learning’. Funding and other administrative protocols may also ultimately need to be redefined.
Identification of Emergency Department Visits in Medicare Administrative Claims: Approaches and Implications
Authors: Venkatesh Arjun K. , Mei Hao , Kocher Keith E. , Granovsky Michael , Obermeyer Ziad , Spatz Erica S. , Rothenberg Craig , Krumholz Harlan M. , Lin Zhenqui 
Published: November 2016

AbstractObjectivesAdministrative claims data sets are often used for emergency care research and policy investigations of healthcare resource utilization, acute care practices, and evaluation of quality improvement interventions. Despite the high profile of emergency department (ED) visits in analyses using administrative claims, little work has evaluated the degree to which existing definitions based on claims data accurately captures conventionally defined hospital‐based ED services. We sought to construct an operational definition for ED visitation using a comprehensive Medicare data set and to compare this definition to existing operational definitions used by researchers and policymakers.MethodsWe examined four operational definitions of an ED visit commonly used by researchers and policymakers using a 20% sample of the 2012 Medicare Chronic Condition Warehouse (CCW) data set. The CCW data set included all Part A (hospital) and Part B (hospital outpatient, physician) claims for a nationally representative sample of continuously enrolled Medicare fee‐for‐services beneficiaries. Three definitions were based on published research or existing quality metrics including: 1) provider claims–based definition, 2) facility claims–based definition, and 3) CMS Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) definition. In addition, we developed a fourth operational definition (Yale definition) that sought to incorporate additional coding rules for identifying ED visits. We report levels of agreement and disagreement among the four definitions.ResultsOf 10,717,786 beneficiaries included in the sample data set, 22% had evidence of ED use during the study year under any of the ED visit definitions. The definition using provider claims identified a total of 4,199,148 ED visits, the facility definition 4,795,057 visits, the ResDAC definition 5,278,980 ED visits, and the Yale definition 5,192,235 ED visits. The Yale definition identified a statistically different (p < 0.05) collection of ED visits than all other definitions including 17% more ED visits than the provider definition and 2% fewer visits than the ResDAC definition. Differences in ED visitation counts between each definition occurred for several reasons including the inclusion of critical care or observation services in the ED, discrepancies between facility and provider billing regulations, and operational decisions of each definition.ConclusionCurrent operational definitions of ED visitation using administrative claims produce different estimates of ED visitation based on the underlying assumptions applied to billing data and data set availability. Future analyses using administrative claims data should seek to validate specific definitions and inform the development of a consistent, consensus ED visitation definitions to standardize research reporting and the interpretation of policy interventions.
Risk of psychiatric disorders, self‐harm behaviour and service use associated with bariatric surgery
Authors: Kovacs Z. , Valentin J. B. , Nielsen R. E. 
Published: November 2016

ObjectiveTo investigate psychiatric outcomes after bariatric surgery, including suicide, self‐harm, psychiatric service use and substance misuse.MethodRetrospective study on a Danish nationwide register‐based cohort of 22 451 patients followed for 1 029 736 person‐years. Data were analysed utilizing single‐ and multi‐event Cox regression with non‐operated controls with obesity and mirror‐image analyses with the operated patient serving as their own controls.ResultsWe showed an increased ratio of self‐harm (hazard ratio [HR] 3.23, P < 0.001; incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.71, P < 0.001), psychiatric service use (admissions IRR 1.52, P < 0.001; emergency room visits IRR 1.70, P < 0.001), psychiatric diagnosis (organic psychiatric disorders HR 1.78, P < 0.001; substance use HR 2.06, P < 0.001; mood disorders HR 2.66, P < 0.001; neurotic, stress‐related and somatoform disorders HR 2.48, P < 0.001; behavioural syndromes HR 3.15, P < 0.001; disorders of personality HR 2.68, P < 0.001; behavioural and emotional disorders HR 6.43, P < 0.001), as well as substance misuse utilizing Cox regression as well as mirror‐image analyses, as compared to non‐operated. We did not find an increased suicide rate (HR 1.35, P = 0.658) among operated as compared to non‐operated.ConclusionOur study shows that undergoing bariatric surgery is associated with increases in self‐harm, psychiatric service use and occurrence of mental disorders.
Cannabis use during treatment for alcohol use disorders predicts alcohol treatment outcomes
Authors: Subbaraman Meenakshi Sabina , Metrik Jane , Patterson Deidre , Swift Robert 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAimsTo compare post‐treatment alcohol use between those who use cannabis and those who abstain during treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD); and to examine potential cannabis use thresholds by comparing post‐treatment alcohol use between four frequency groups of cannabis users relative to abstainers.DesignSecondary analyses of the Combined Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions (COMBINE) Study, a randomized control trial of AUD treatments. The current study compares longitudinal drinking data between those who used cannabis versus those who abstained during COMBINE treatment.SettingThe COMBINE Study treatments were delivered on an out‐patient basis for 16 weeks. The current analyses include 206 cannabis users and 999 cannabis abstainers.ParticipantsAll participants met diagnosis of primary alcohol dependence (n = 1383).MeasurementsPrimary exposures were any cannabis use and quartiles of cannabis use (Q1: 1–4 use days during treatment, Q2: 5–9 days, Q3: 10–44 days, Q4: 45–112 days). Outcomes were percentage of days abstinent from alcohol (PDA), drinks per drinking day (DPDD) and percentage of heavy drinking days (PHD), all measured at treatment end and 1 year post‐treatment.FindingsCompared with no cannabis use, any cannabis use during treatment was associated with 4.35% [95% confidence interval (CI) = –8.68, −0.02], or approximately 4 fewer alcohol abstinent days at the end of treatment. This association weakened by 1 year post‐treatment (95% CI = –9.78, 0.54). Compared with no cannabis use, only those in the second quartile of cannabis use (those who used once or twice per month during treatment) had 8.81% (95% CI = –17.00, −0.63), or approximately 10 fewer days alcohol abstinent at end of treatment, and 11.82% (95% CI = –21.56, −2.07), or approximately 13 fewer alcohol abstinent days 1 year post‐treatment. Neither any cannabis use nor quartiles were associated with DPDD or PHD at either time‐point.ConclusionsAmong individuals in alcohol treatment, any cannabis use (compared with none) is related to a significantly lower percentage of days abstinent from alcohol post‐treatment, although only among those who used cannabis once or twice per month.
Alcohol consumption during adolescence is associated with reduced grey matter volumes
Authors: Heikkinen Noora , Niskanen Eini , Könönen Mervi , Tolmunen Tommi , Kekkonen Virve , Kivimäki Petri , Tanila Heikki , Laukkanen Eila , Vanninen Ritva 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBackground and aimsCognitive impairment has been associated with excessive alcohol use, but its neural basis is poorly understood. Chronic excessive alcohol use in adolescence may lead to neuronal loss and volumetric changes in the brain. Our objective was to compare the grey matter volumes of heavy‐ and light‐drinking adolescents.DesignThis was a longitudinal study: heavy‐drinking adolescents without an alcohol use disorder and their light‐drinking controls were followed‐up for 10 years using questionnaires at three time‐points. Magnetic resonance imaging was conducted at the last time‐point.SettingThe area near Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.ParticipantsThe 62 participants were aged 22–28 years and included 35 alcohol users and 27 controls who had been followed‐up for approximately 10 years.MeasurementsAlcohol use was measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)‐C at three time‐points during 10 years. Participants were selected based on their AUDIT‐C score. Magnetic resonance imaging was conducted at the last time‐point. Grey matter volume was determined and compared between heavy‐ and light‐drinking groups using voxel‐based morphometry on three‐dimensional T1‐weighted magnetic resonance images using predefined regions of interest and a threshold of P < 0.05, with small volume correction applied on cluster level.FindingsGrey matter volumes were significantly smaller among heavy‐drinking participants in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, right orbitofrontal and frontopolar cortex, right superior temporal gyrus and right insular cortex compared to the control group (P < 0.05, family‐wise error‐corrected cluster level).ConclusionsExcessive alcohol use during adolescence appears to be associated with an abnormal development of the brain grey matter. Moreover, the structural changes detected in the insula of alcohol users may reflect a reduced sensitivity to alcohol's negative subjective effects.
Eating and conserving bushmeat in Africa
Authors: Wilkie David S. , Wieland Michelle , Boulet Hubert , Le Bel Sebastien , van Vliet Nathalie , Cornelis Daniel , BriacWarnon Vincent , Nasi Robert , Fa Julia E. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn Africa, overhunting of tropical wildlife for food remains an intractable issue. Donors and governments remain committed to invest in efforts to both conserve and allow the sustainable use of wildlife. Four principal barriers need to be overcome: (i) communities are not motivated to conserve wildlife long‐term because they have no formal rights to benefit from wildlife, or to exclude others from taking it on their land; (ii) multispecies harvests, typical of bushmeat hunting scenarios, place large‐bodied species at risk of extinction; (iii) wildlife production cannot expand, in the same way that livestock farming can, to meet the expected growth in consumer demand; and (iv) wildlife habitat is lost through conversion to agriculture, housing, transportation networks and extractive industries. In this review, we examine the actors involved in the use of wildlife as food and discuss the possible solutions required to address urban and rural bushmeat consumption. Interventions must tackle use and conservation of wildlife through the application of context‐relevant interventions in a variety of geographies across Africa. That said, for any bushmeat solution to work, there needs to be concurrent and comparable investment in strengthening the effectiveness of protected area management and enforcement of wildlife conservation laws.
Visual system manifestations of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Kusne Yael , Wolf Andrew B. , Townley Kate , Conway Mandi , Peyman Gholam A. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasingly common disease with massive personal and economic costs. While it has long been known that AD impacts the visual system, there has recently been an increased focus on understanding both pathophysiological mechanisms that may be shared between the eye and brain and how related biomarkers could be useful for AD diagnosis. Here, were review pertinent cellular and molecular mechanisms of AD pathophysiology, the presence of AD pathology in the visual system, associated functional changes, and potential development of diagnostic tools based on the visual system. Additionally, we discuss links between AD and visual disorders, including possible pathophysiological mechanisms and their relevance for improving our understanding of AD.