bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of osteoblast maturation on their paracrine growth enhancing activity on cord blood progenitors
Authors: Alsheikh Manal , Abu‐Khader Ahmad , Michalicka Matthew , Pasha Roya , Pineault Nicolas 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBackgroundOsteoblasts possess strong growth modulatory activity on haematopoietic stem cells and progenitors. We sought to characterise the growth and differentiation modulatory activities of human osteoblasts at distinct stages of maturation on cord blood (CB) progenitors in the context of osteoblast conditioned medium (OCM).MethodsOCM was produced from MSC‐derived osteoblasts (M‐OST) at distinct stages of maturation. The growth modulatory activities of the OCM were tested on CB CD34+ cells using different functional assays.ResultsOCMs raised the growth of CB cells and expansion of CD34+ cells independently of the maturation status of M‐OST. However, productions of immature CB cells including committed and multipotent progenitors were superior with OCM produced with immature osteoblasts. Osteogenic differentiation was accompanied by the upregulation of IGFBP‐2, by several members of the Angpt‐L family of growth factor, and by the Notch ligands Dll‐1 and Dll‐4. However, the growth activity of OCM and the in vivo engraftment properties of OCM‐expanded CB cells were retained after IGFBP‐2 neutralisation. Similarly, OCM‐mediated expansion of CB myeloid progenitors was largely independent of Notch signalling.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that immature osteoblasts possess greater regulatory activity over haematopoietic progenitors, and that this activity is not entirely dependent on Notch signalling.
Overcoming cell death resistance in skin cancer therapy: Novel translational perspectives
Authors: Feoktistova Maria , Panayotova‐Dimitrova Diana 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIn the last decade, significant progress has been made in understanding skin cancer cell death resistance mechanisms, and a number of new treatment strategies have been developed. Systematic approach genomic studies of various cancer types have opened new possibilities for the development of anticancer therapies. However, there are still fundamental gaps in the challenging biomedical puzzle, which will form a complete picture for curing cancer. Thus, herein, we describe some of the current cancer treatment strategies and discuss additional cell signalling pathways that could be potential targets for skin cancer treatment.
Do we all agree what “good health care” looks like? Views from those who are “seldom heard” in health research, policy and service improvement
Authors: Ryan Sara , Hislop Jenny , Ziebland Sue 
Published: February 2017

AbstractContextThe aim of this study was to ask whether there are shared ideas about what good health care looks like that apply across different populations and conditions. Do priorities among “seldom heard” groups differ from mainstream views and, if so, how might we understand these differences?DesignFocus groups were recruited with the help of our study patient representatives. Participants discussed and prioritized a set of eight “core components” of good care. We recorded and transcribed the data for thematic analysis.Setting and participantsWe recruited people who are seldom heard in health and policy research for separate focus group discussions (one each with illegal drug users, Irish Travellers, migrant workers, young men and learning disabled people). We also ran a reference group of educated, older adults and an online group with people with long‐term conditions.ResultsThere were few differences in what participants thought was important in health care but considerable differences in their expectations that they might personally receive good care. Differences related to participants' previous experiences. The drug users group reported particularly poor experiences and low expectations of good care.DiscussionDifferences in what is regarded as an entitlement or privilege in health care underline the persistence of structural and relational differences in how services are experienced. While we can be reassured that core aspects of care are similarly prioritized across different patient groups, including those who are seldom heard, a more intractable challenge remains: how to provide equitable health care for marginalized groups in an unequal society.
Effects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder signs and socio‐economic status on sleep bruxism and tooth wear among schoolchildren: structural equation modelling approach
Authors: Mota‐Veloso Isabella , Celeste Roger Keller , Fonseca Cynthia Pimenta , Soares Maria Eliza Consolação , Marques Leandro Silva , Ramos‐Jorge Maria Letícia , Ramos‐Jorge Joana 
Published: February 2017

BackgroundThe prevalence of both bruxism and attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) has increased in recent years.AimThis study evaluated the direct and indirect effects of signs of ADHD, reported by parents/caregivers and teachers, with sleep bruxism. In addition, this study explores the effects of socio‐economic status (SES) on sleep bruxism.DesignThis cross‐sectional study was performed in Diamantina, Brazil, with 851 randomly selected schoolchildren aged 6–12 years. The schoolchildren were underwent an oral examination for the evaluation of bruxism. Moreover, parents/caregivers fill out a form for the assessment of sleep bruxism and sociodemographic factors. Parents/caregivers and teachers responded to the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham scale – version IV (SNAP‐IV) for the assessment of ADHD signs. The structural equation modelling approach was used, and standardized coefficients to direct, indirect and total effects were calculated.ResultsADHD signs had a significant moderate (SC = −0.19, P < 0.01) effect on sleep bruxism. SES had a significant indirect effect on bruxism via sucking habits. Moreover, SES had a significant direct (SC = −0.16, P = 0.01) and total effect on tooth wear (SC = −0.17, P < 0.01).ConclusionThis study concluded that signs of ADHD and SES have a complex direct and indirect effects on sleep bruxism among schoolchildren.
Mortality from aortic stenosis: prospective study of serum calcium and phosphate
Authors: Wald D. S. , Bangash F. A. , Morris J. K. , Wald N. J. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractPurposeTo investigate the associations between levels of serum calcium and phosphate and subsequent death from aortic stenosis, and the implications for prevention.MethodsA prospective (nested case–control) analysis of serum calcium and phosphate levels was performed in stored samples from the British United Provident Association prospective study of 21 520 men aged 35–64, followed for up to 32 years. There were 49 men without baseline valvular heart disease who subsequently died of aortic stenosis. Each was matched, for age, duration of sample storage and number of freeze–thaw cycles, with four unaffected control subjects. Odds ratios for death from aortic stenosis were estimated by logistic regression.ResultsMean serum calcium concentration was higher in men who died of aortic stenosis than in those who did not (2.44 vs. 2.39 mmol L−1; P = 0.01). The risk of death from aortic stenosis in the highest calcium tertile was 2.87‐fold higher than in the lowest tertile (95% confidence interval 1.22–6.76). There was a continuous dose–response relationship; risk of death from aortic stenosis increased by 51% (11–105%) per 0.1 mmol L−1 increase in serum calcium, equivalent to a 34% (10–52%) lower risk per 0.1 mmol L−1 decrease. Serum phosphate was not significantly higher in men who died of aortic stenosis than in those who did not (1.0 vs. 0.99 mmol L−1; P = 0.76).ConclusionsThe association between serum calcium and subsequent mortality from aortic stenosis is of potential preventive significance. If confirmed quantitatively in other similar cohort studies, the results suggest that a very small reduction in serum calcium (about 5%) could translate into a large (about one‐third) reduction in aortic stenosis.
Phylogeography of the sergeantsAbudefduf sexfasciatusandA. vaigiensisreveals complex introgression patterns between two widespread and sympatric Indo‐West Pacific reef fishes
Authors: Bertrand Joris A.M. , Borsa Philippe , Chen Wei‐Jen 
Published: February 2017

AbstractOn evolutionary timescales, sea level oscillations lead to recurrent spatio‐temporal variation in species distribution and population connectivity. In this situation, applying classical concepts of biogeography is challenging yet necessary to understand the mechanisms underlying biodiversity in highly diverse marine ecosystems such as coral reefs. We aimed at studying the outcomes of such complex biogeographic dynamics on reproductive isolation by sampling populations across a wide spatial range of a species‐rich fish genus: the sergeants (Pomacentridae:Abudefduf). We generated a mutlilocus data set that included ten morpho‐species from 32 Indo‐West Pacific localities. We observed a pattern of mito‐nuclear discordance in two common and widely distributed species:Abudefduf sexfasciatusandAbudefduf vaigiensis. The results showed three regional sublineages (Indian Ocean, Coral Triangle region, western Pacific) inA. sexfasciatus(0.6–1.5% divergence at cytb). The other species,A. vaigiensis,is polyphyletic and consists of three distinct genetic lineages (A, B and C) (9% divergence at cytb) whose geographic ranges overlap. AlthoughA. vaigiensisA andA. sexfasciatuswere found to be distinct based on nuclear information,A. vaigiensisA was found to be nested withinA. sexfasciatusin the mitochondrial gene tree.A. sexfasciatusfrom the Coral Triangle region andA. vaigiensisA were not differentiated from each other at the mitochondrial locus. We then used coalescent‐based simulation to characterize a spatially widespread but weak gene flow between the two species. We showed that these fishes are good candidates to investigate the evolutionary complexity of the discrepancies between phenotypic and genetic similarity in closely related species.
The genomic basis of eco‐evolutionary dynamics
Authors: Rodríguez‐Verdugo Alejandra , Buckley James , Stapley Jessica 
Published: February 2017

AbstractRecent recognition that ecological and evolutionary processes can operate on similar timescales has led to a rapid increase in theoretical and empirical studies on eco‐evolutionary dynamics. Progress in the fields of evolutionary biology, genomics and ecology is greatly enhancing our understanding of rapid adaptive processes, the predictability of adaptation and the genetics of ecologically important traits. However, progress in these fields has proceeded largely independently of one another. In an attempt to better integrate these fields, the centre for ‘Adaptation to a Changing Environment’ organized a conference entitled ‘The genomic basis of eco‐evolutionary change’ and brought together experts in ecological genomics and eco‐evolutionary dynamics. In this review, we use the work of the invited speakers to summarize eco‐evolutionary dynamics and discuss how they are relevant for understanding and predicting responses to contemporary environmental change. Then, we show how recent advances in genomics are contributing to our understanding of eco‐evolutionary dynamics. Finally, we highlight the gaps in our understanding of eco‐evolutionary dynamics and recommend future avenues of research in eco‐evolutionary dynamics.
Mediguide‐Assisted Transseptal Puncture without Echocardiographic Guidance
Authors: BALLESTEROS GABRIEL , RAMOS ARDANAZ PABLO , NEGLIA RENZO , PALACIO SOLÍS MARCEL , DÍAZ FERNÁNDEZ CRISTINA , LÓPEZ GONZÁLEZ GRACIELA , JANIASHVILI ELENE , GARCÍA‐BOLAO IGNACIO 
Published: February 2017

BackgroundFirst description of a technique for left atrium transseptal puncture (TSP) with minimal radiation exposure by using the nonfluoroscopic MediGuide™ tracking system (MG; St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN, USA) without the assistance of intracardiac echocardiography.MethodsThis study included 31 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing an MG‐assisted percutaneous catheter ablation procedure. A Brockenbrough transseptal needle (BRK) is connected to a standard pressure transducer through a two‐input valve. Then, an MG‐enabled guidewire is inserted so that its tip exactly matches the BRK's distal tip. After the acquisition of two short radioscopic cine‐loops we are able to trace the needle tip on the MG screen, performing the usual TSP maneuver but without fluoroscopy. Successful left atrium access is confirmed by noticing the change in the pressure curve and by advancing the guidewire into the left pulmonary veins. As a control group, 31 matched patients who underwent atrial fibrillation ablation with fluoroscopically guided, pressure‐monitored TSP were included.ResultsSixty‐two MG‐assisted TSP attempts were performed; all but two were successfully accomplished without changing to the conventional technique (96.7%). The mean total fluoroscopy time, until the double transseptal access was performed, was 26.65 ± 37.97 seconds in the MG group and 129.13 ± 37.77 seconds in the conventional‐TSP group (P < 0.001). No major complications occurred during any of the procedures.ConclusionThis new technique for TSP using MG is feasible and can be performed with minimal radiation exposure without the need for additional imaging techniques, achieving a significant reduction of fluoroscopy time.
Aggressive behaviour in adolescence: Links with self‐esteem and parental emotional availability
Authors: Babore Alessandra , Carlucci Leonardo , Cataldi Fedele , Phares Vicky , Trumello Carmen 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAggressive behaviours during adolescence may be predictive of later conduct disorders, hence it is important to early detect their signals and deepen the study of their possible risk factors. In order to address these issues, our study pursued two main objectives: to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the Aggression Questionnaire Short‐Form (AQ‐SF), a form never previously used among Italian adolescents; and to investigate the relation among aggressiveness, emotional relationship with both parents and self‐esteem in a sample of adolescents. Our results highlighted that psychometric properties of the Italian AQ‐SF are satisfactory and encourage a wider use of this tool; in addition, we found that self‐esteem plays a mediation role between parental emotional availability and aggression. Prevention efforts should focus on improving the relationship with both parents and strengthening adolescent's self‐esteem.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Reassortant H6N8 Avian Influenza Virus Isolated from Wild Waterfowl in Poyang Lake, China
Authors: Hou Guangyu , Li Jinping , Peng Cheng , Wang Suchun , Chen Jiming , Jiang Wenming 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT
Here, we report the complete genome sequence of an H6N8 avian influenza virus (AIV) isolated from wild waterfowl in Poyang Lake, China, in 2016. Phylogenetic analysis showed that it was a novel reassortant AIV between domestic ducks and wild waterfowl. The finding of this study is helpful for our understanding of the ecology and the evolutionary characteristics of H6 subtypes of AIV in birds.
Draft Genome Sequences of Clinical Isolates of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Erickson Keesha E. , Madinger Nancy E. , Chatterjee Anushree 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT

We report here the draft genome sequences of two clinically isolated
Acinetobacter baumannii
strains. These samples were obtained from patients at the University of Colorado Hospital in 2007 and 2013 and encode an estimated 20 and 13 resistance genes, respectively.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Tumor-Targeting Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Strain SL7207
Authors: Johnson Síle A. , Ormsby Michael J. , Wall Daniel M. 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium strain SL7207 is a genetically modified derivative of strain SL1344, which preferentially accumulates in tumors and can be used as a vehicle for tissue-specific gene delivery
in vivo
. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of SL7207, confirming a purported
aroA
deletion and four single-nucleotide polymorphisms compared to SL1344.
From Evolutionary Advantage to Disease Agents: Forensic Reevaluation of Host-Microbe Interactions and Pathogenicity
Authors: Rivera-Pérez Jessica I. , González Alfredo A. , Toranzos Gary A. 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACTAs the “human microbiome era” continues, there is an increasing awareness of our resident microbiota and its indispensable role in our fitness as holobionts. However, the host-microbe relationship is not so clearly defined for some human symbionts. Here we discuss examples of “accidental pathogens,” meaning previously nonpathogenic and/or environmental microbes thought to have inadvertently experienced an evolutionary shift toward pathogenicity. For instance, symbionts such asHelicobacter pyloriand JC polyomavirus have been shown to have accompanied humans since prehistoric times and are still abundant in extant populations as part of the microbiome. And yet, the relationship between a subgroup of these microbes and their human hosts seems to have changed with time, and they have recently gained notoriety as gastrointestinal and neuropathogens, respectively. On the other hand, environmental microbes such asLegionellaspp. have recently experienced a shift in host range and are now a major problem in industrialized countries as a result of artificial ecosystems. Other variables involved in this accidental phenomenon could be the apparent change or reduction in the diversity of human-associated microbiota because of modern medicine and lifestyles. All of this could result in an increased prevalence of accidental pathogens in the form of emerging pathogens.
Parental engagement and early interactions with preterm infants during the stay in the neonatal intensive care unit: protocol of a mixed-method and longitudinal study
Authors: Stefana Alberto , Lavelli Manuela 
Published: February 2017

IntroductionThe preterm infants' developmental outcomes depend on biological and environmental risk factors. The environmental factors include prolonged parental separation, less exposure to early mother/father–infant interactions and the parents' ability to respond to the trauma of premature birth. In the case of premature birth, the father's ability to take an active part in the care of the infant from the start is essential. The parents' emotional closeness to the preterm infant hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may be crucial to the well-being of the newborn, the development of mutual regulation, the establishment of a functioning parent–infant affective relationship and the parents' confidence in their ability to provide care for their baby.Methods and analysisThis is a mixed-method, observational and longitudinal study. The methodological strategy will include: (1) ethnographic observation in a level III NICU located in Italy for a duration of 18 months; (2) 3-minute video recordings of mother–infant and father–infant interaction in the NICU; (3) a semistructured interview with fathers during the infants' hospital stay; (4) 3-minute video recordings of mother–infant and father–infant face-to-face interaction in the laboratory at 4 months of corrected age; (5) self-report questionnaires for parents on depression and quality of the couple relationship at the approximate times of the video recording sessions.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee for Clinical Trials of the Verona and Rovigo Provinces. Results aim to be published in international peer-reviewed journals, and presented at relevant national and international conferences. This research project will develop research relevant to (1) the quality and modalities of maternal and paternal communication with the preterm infant in the NICU; (2) the influence of maternal/paternal social stimulation on the infant behavioural states; (3) the quality and modalities of paternal support to the partner and possible influences on mother–infant relationship.
Metformin Accumulation Correlates with Organic Cation Transporter 2 Protein Expression and Predicts Mammary Tumor Regression In Vivo
Authors: Checkley L. Allyson , Rudolph Michael C. , Wellberg Elizabeth A. , Giles Erin D. , Wahdan-Alaswad Reema S. , Houck Julie A. , Edgerton Susan M. , Thor Ann D. , Schedin Pepper , Anderson Steven M. , MacLean Paul S. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Several epidemiologic studies have associated metformin treatment with a reduction in breast cancer incidence in prediabetic and type II diabetic populations. Uncertainty exists regarding which patient populations and/or tumor subtypes will benefit from metformin treatment, and most preclinical in vivo studies have given little attention to the cellular pharmacology of intratumoral metformin uptake. Epidemiologic reports consistently link western-style high fat diets (HFD), which drive overweight and obesity, with increased risk of breast cancer. We used a rat model of HFD-induced overweight and mammary carcinogenesis to define intratumoral factors that confer metformin sensitivity. Mammary tumors were initiated with 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea, and rats were randomized into metformin-treated (2 mg/mL drinking water) or control groups (water only) for 8 weeks. Two-thirds of existing mammary tumors responded to metformin treatment with decreased tumor volumes (P &lt; 0.05), reduced proliferative index (P &lt; 0.01), and activated AMPK (P &lt; 0.05). Highly responsive tumors accumulated 3-fold greater metformin amounts (P &lt; 0.05) that were positively correlated with organic cation transporter-2 (OCT2) protein expression (r = 0.57; P = 0.038). Importantly, intratumoral metformin concentration negatively associated with tumor volume (P = 0.03), and each 10 pmol increase in intratumoral metformin predicted &gt;0.11 cm3 reduction in tumor volume. Metformin treatment also decreased proinflammatory arachidonic acid &gt;1.5-fold in responsive tumors (P = 0.023). Collectively, these preclinical data provide evidence for a direct effect of metformin in vivo and suggest that OCT2 expression may predict metformin uptake and tumor response. Cancer Prev Res; 10(3); 198–207. ©2017 AACR.
Recursive Easts, Shifting Peripheries
Authors: Ballinger Pamela 
Published: February 2017

This article is part of the special section titled Recursive Easts, Shifting Peripheries, guest edited by Pamela Ballinger. In this brief introduction to the special forum on the topic of “Recursive Easts, Shifting Peripheries: Whither Europe’s ‘Easts’ and ‘Peripheries’?” the author lays out the conceptual framework for the forum’s contributions. The forum takes as its starting point the supposed “obsolescence” of both the notion of Eastern Europe and the scholarship dedicated to this topic, which flourished in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War’s end. The author argues, instead, the continued urgency and value in studying the operation of easternisms and processes of peripheralization within the European context. In particular, the author highlights the recursive nature of easternisms and peripheries.