bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bisphosphonates induce the osteogenic gene expression in co‐cultured human endothelial and mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Ribeiro Viviana , Garcia Mónica , Oliveira Raquel , Gomes Pedro S. , Colaço Bruno , Fernandes Maria Helena 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBisphosphonates (BPs) are known to affect bone homeostasis and also to have anti‐angiogenic properties. Because of the intimate relationship between angiogenesis and osteogenesis, this study analysed the effects of Alendronate (AL) and Zoledronate (ZL) in the expression of endothelial and osteogenic genes on interacting endothelial and mesenchymal stem cells, an issue that was not previously addressed. Alendronate and ZL, 10−12–10−6 M, were evaluated in a direct co‐culture system of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC) and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HMSC), over a period of 14 days. Experiments with the respective monocultures were run in parallel. Alendronate and ZL caused an initial dose‐dependent stimulation in the cell proliferation in the monocultures and co‐cultures, and did not interfere with their cellular organization. In HDMEC monocultures, the expression of the endothelial genes CD31, VE‐cadherin and VEGFR2 was down‐regulated by AL and ZL. In HMSC monocultures, the BPs inhibited VEGF expression, but up‐regulated the expression of the osteogenic genes alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone morphogenic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) and osteocalcin (OC) and, to a greater extent, osteoprotegerin (OPG), a negative regulator of the osteoclastic differentiation, and increased ALP activity. In co‐cultured HDMEC/HMSC, AL and ZL decreased the expression of endothelial genes but elicited an earlier and sustained overexpression of ALP, BMP‐2, OC and OPG, compared with the monocultured cells; they also induced ALP activity. This study showed for the first time that AL and ZL greatly induced the osteogenic gene expression on interacting endothelial and mesenchymal stem cells.
Melanocytic nevi with special features: clinical‐dermoscopic and reflectance confocal microscopic‐findings
Authors: Larre Borges A. , Zalaudek I. , Longo C. , Dufrechou L. , Argenziano G. , Lallas A. , Piana S. , Moscarella E. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractHistopathology is considered the ‘gold’ standard for the diagnosis and classification of melanocytic nevi, but the widespread use of in vivo diagnostic technologies such as dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), has enriched profoundly the knowledge regarding the morphological variability in nevi. This is because most morphological observations made via these in vivo tools are closely correlated with features seen in histopathology. Dermoscopy has allowed for a more detailed classification of nevi. As such, dermoscopy identifies four main morphologic groups (i.e. globular, reticular, starburst and structureless blue nevi), one group of nevi located at special body sites (i.e. face, acral, nail) and one group of nevi with special features. This latter category consists of nevi of the former categories, which are typified by peculiar clinical‐histopathological findings. They can be subdivided into ‘melanoma simulators’ including combined nevi, recurrent nevi and sclerosing nevus with pseudomelanomatous features, ‘targetoid’ nevi (i.e. halo, cockade, irritated targetoid haemosiderotic and eczematous nevus) and uncommon histopathological variants such as desmoplastic, white dysplastic or ballon cell nevus. While the dermoscopic and RCM patterns of the former categories have been studied in detail, little is currently known about the clinical morphology of the heterogeneous group of ‘special’ nevi. In this article, we describe the clinical, dermoscopic and RCM features of ‘special’ nevi and review the current literature on this group of melanocytic proliferations.
Turtle origins: insights from phylogenetic retrofitting and molecular scaffolds
Authors: Lee M. S. Y. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAdding new taxa to morphological phylogenetic analyses without substantially revising the set of included characters is a common practice, with drawbacks (undersampling of relevant characters) and potential benefits (character selection is not biased by preconceptions over the affinities of the ‘retrofitted’ taxon). Retrofitting turtles (Testudines) and other taxa to recent reptile phylogenies consistently places turtles with anapsid‐grade parareptiles (especially Eunotosaurus and/or pareiasauromorphs), under both Bayesian and parsimony analyses. This morphological evidence for turtle–parareptile affinities appears to contradict the robust genomic evidence that extant (living) turtles are nested within diapsids as sister to extant archosaurs (birds and crocodilians). However, the morphological data are almost equally consistent with a turtle–archosaur clade: enforcing this molecular scaffold onto the morphological data does not greatly increase tree length (parsimony) or reduce likelihood (Bayesian inference). Moreover, under certain analytic conditions, Eunotosaurus groups with turtles and thus also falls within the turtle–archosaur clade. This result raises the possibility that turtles could simultaneously be most closely related to a taxon traditionally considered a parareptile (Eunotosaurus) and still have archosaurs as their closest extant sister group.
Effect of Relative Humidity and Storage Temperature on the Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes on Fresh Vegetables
Authors: Likotrafiti Eleni , Smirniotis Petros , Nastou Aikaterini , Rhoades Jonathan 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes on fresh lettuce (Lactuca sativa), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) epidermis and parsley (Petroselinum sativum) under different relative humidity (RH) conditions and storage temperatures was studied. Inoculated vegetable pieces were stored at 10C for 7 days, 20C for 5 days, and 30C for 24 h, and at 53 and 90% RH. L. monocytogenes was enumerated periodically by plate count. L. monocytogenes did not grow on lettuce or parsley, but either declined in number or remained approximately constant. At cooler temperatures, a negative effect of low humidity on survival was observed. L. monocytogenes grew on cucumber epidermis at all three temperatures, increasing from around 4.0 to around 5.5 log cfu/cm2 when stored at 90% RH. Low RH negatively affected growth, limiting the increase to around 0.5 log cfu/cm2 in most cases.Practical ApplicationsFresh vegetables are increasingly important vehicles of foodborne pathogens. The majority of published studies on growth and survival of Listeria monocytogenes on vegetables have been conducted on lettuce leaves and few data are available on the influence of relative humidity (RH). Growth of L. monocytogenes may increase the risk to the consumer of some types of fresh vegetables. Maintaining lower RH during storage can decrease this risk, but may conflict with other product quality requirements. L. monocytogenes does not grow on undamaged leaf surfaces under the conditions tested: when reviewing the literature it is important to differentiate between whole and shredded/cut leaves.
The disutility of tooth loss: A comparison of patient and professional values
Authors: Kay Elizabeth Jane , Nassani Mohammad Zakaria , Aswad Marwan , Abdelkader Rasheed Saleh , Tarakji Bassel 
Published: October 2013

AbstractObjectivesThe objectives of this study are to study how tooth loss affects the utility of the dentition from both patient and professional perspectives and to compare patient and professional utility values.MethodsOne hundred six patients and 118 dentists were asked to read 19 different written scenarios accompanied by visual images and models, describing mouths with missing teeth, and to indicate on a visual analog scale the value of that oral health state.ResultsBoth groups of participants attached the greatest utility to missing incisor teeth and disutility of tooth loss decreased as the tooth in question became nearer the back of the mouth. When dentist and patient utility values for the loss of different tooth types were compared, using independent t‐tests, differences were statistically significant for only one tooth loss scenario – the loss of upper canines.ConclusionsThe patient and professional groups valued tooth loss scenarios in a similar way. This finding is contrary to the majority of previous studies comparing patient and professional utilities.
Debate: Seven Ways to be A Realist About Language
Authors: Elder‐Vass Dave 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThere are many differing ways to be a realist about language. This paper seeks to classify some of these and to examine the implications of each for the study of language. The principle of classification it adopts is that we may distinguish between realisms on the basis of what exactly it is that they take to be real. Examining in turn realisms that ascribe reality to the external world in general, to causal mechanisms, to innate capacities, to linguistic signs, to social structures, to language systems, and to linguistic groups, the paper summarises the case for a particular critical realist ontology of language. In the process, it engages briefly with the work of Saussure, Chomsky, Halliday, and more recent explicitly realist thinkers such as Bhaskar, Pateman, Archer, Sealey and Carter. One implication is that language itself is not a phenomenon that separates us from a causally structured world, but rather a part of that world, a part with an identifiable causal structure of its own that is similar to that of other normative phenomena.
Relationship between polymorphisms near the IL28B gene and spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee D. H. , Lee J.‐H. , Kim Y. J. , Park N. H. , Cho Y. , Lee Y. B. , Yoo J.‐J. , Lee M. , Cho Y. Y. , Choi W.‐M. , Yu S. J. , Yoon J.‐H. , Kim C. Y. , Lee H.‐S. 
Published: October 2013

summaryPolymorphisms near the interleukin (IL) 28B gene have been proposed to be associated with spontaneous clearance of the hepatitis C virus. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between IL28B polymorphisms and the rate of spontaneous hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance by means of meta‐analysis. MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE were utilized to identify relevant studies. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were analysed together to assess the strength of the association. Subgroup analyses were mainly performed according to ethnicity. A total of 4028 cases with persistent chronic hepatitis B and 2327 spontaneously recovered controls were included from 11 studies. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs12979860, had no significant association with HBsAg seroclearance (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.84–1.14 in the dominant model; OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.68–1.46 in the recessive model; and OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.82–1.09 in the allelic model). The SNP, rs12980275, had no significant association either (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.84–1.26 in the dominant model; OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.46–2.96 in the recessive model; and OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.86–1.26 in the allelic model), nor did the SNP, rs8099917 (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.77–1.15 in the dominant model; OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.34–1.62 in the recessive model; and OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.77–1.13 in the allelic model). Similarly, the results of subgroup analyses by ethnicity also showed no association in either the Asian group or non‐Asian group. We concluded that there was no significant association between common IL28B polymorphisms and the rate of spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance.
Dual roles of F123 in protein homodimerization and inhibitor binding to biotin protein ligase from Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Soares da Costa Tatiana P. , Yap Min Y. , Perugini Matthew A. , Wallace John C. , Abell Andrew D. , Wilce Matthew C. J. , Polyak Steven W. , Booker Grant W. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryProtein biotinylation is catalysed by biotin protein ligase (BPL). The most characterized BPL is from Escherichia coli where it functions as both a biotin ligase and a homodimeric transcriptional repressor. Here we investigated another bifunctional BPL from the clinically important Staphylococcus aureus (SaBPL). Unliganded SaBPL (apo) exists in a dimer‐monomer equilibrium at low micromolar concentrations – a stark contrast to E. coli BPL (EcBPL) that is monomeric under the same conditions. EMSA and SAXS analysis demonstrated that dimeric apo SaBPL adopted a conformation that was competent to bind DNA and necessary for it to function as a transcription factor. The SaBPL dimer‐monomer dissociation constant was 5.8‐fold tighter when binding the inhibitor biotin acetylene, but unchanged with biotin. F123, located in the dimer interface, was critical for homodimerization. Inhibition studies together with surface plasmon resonance analyses revealed a strong correlation between inhibitor potency and slow dissociation kinetics. A 24‐fold difference in Ki values for these two enzymes was explained by differences in enzyme:inhibitor dissociation rates. Substitution of F123 in SaBPL and its equivalent in EcBPL altered both inhibitor potency and dissociation. Hence, F123 in SaBPL has novel roles in both protein dimerization and ligand‐binding that have not been reported in EcBPL.
Three dialogues concerning robots in elder care
Authors: Metzler Theodore A. , Barnes Susan J. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe three dialogues in this contribution concern 21st century application of life‐like robots in the care of older adults. They depict conversations set in the near future, involving a philosopher (Dr Phonius) and a nurse (Dr Myloss) who manages care at a large facility for assisted living. In their first dialogue, the speakers discover that their quite different attitudes towards human‐robot interaction parallel fundamental differences separating their respective concepts of consciousness. The second dialogue similarly uncovers deeply contrasting notions of personhood that appear to be associated with respective communities of nursing and robotics. The additional key awareness that arises in their final dialogue links applications of life‐like robots in the care of older adults with potential transformations in our understandings of ourselves – indeed, in our understandings of the nature of our own humanity. This series of dialogues, therefore, appears to address a topic in nursing philosophy that merits our careful attention.
Transposon variation by order during allopolyploidisation between Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa
Authors: An Z. , Tang Z. , Ma B. , Mason A. S. , Guo Y. , Yin J. , Gao C. , Wei L. , Li J. , Fu D. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAlthough many studies have shown that transposable element (TE) activation is induced by hybridisation and polyploidisation in plants, much less is known on how different types of TE respond to hybridisation, and the impact of TE‐associated sequences on gene function. We investigated the frequency and regularity of putative transposon activation for different types of TE, and determined the impact of TE‐associated sequence variation on the genome during allopolyploidisation. We designed different types of TE primers and adopted the Inter‐Retrotransposon Amplified Polymorphism (IRAP) method to detect variation in TE‐associated sequences during the process of allopolyploidisation between Brassica rapa (AA) and Brassica oleracea (CC), and in successive generations of self‐pollinated progeny. In addition, fragments with TE insertions were used to perform Blast2GO analysis to characterise the putative functions of the fragments with TE insertions. Ninety‐two primers amplifying 548 loci were used to detect variation in sequences associated with four different orders of TE sequences. TEs could be classed in ascending frequency into LTR‐REs, TIRs, LINEs, SINEs and unknown TEs. The frequency of novel variation (putative activation) detected for the four orders of TEs was highest from the F1 to F2 generations, and lowest from the F2 to F3 generations. Functional annotation of sequences with TE insertions showed that genes with TE insertions were mainly involved in metabolic processes and binding, and preferentially functioned in organelles. TE variation in our study severely disturbed the genetic compositions of the different generations, resulting in inconsistencies in genetic clustering. Different types of TE showed different patterns of variation during the process of allopolyploidisation.
A New Regression Model: Modal Linear Regression
Authors: Yao Weixin , Li Longhai 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTThe mode of a distribution provides an important summary of data and is often estimated on the basis of some non‐parametric kernel density estimator. This article develops a new data analysis tool called modal linear regression in order to explore high‐dimensional data. Modal linear regression models the conditional mode of a response Y given a set of predictors x as a linear function of x. Modal linear regression differs from standard linear regression in that standard linear regression models the conditional mean (as opposed to mode) of Y as a linear function of x. We propose an expectation–maximization algorithm in order to estimate the regression coefficients of modal linear regression. We also provide asymptotic properties for the proposed estimator without the symmetric assumption of the error density. Our empirical studies with simulated data and real data demonstrate that the proposed modal regression gives shorter predictive intervals than mean linear regression, median linear regression and MM‐estimators.
Evaluation of potential topical and systemic neuroprotective agents for ocular hypertension‐induced retinal ischemia‐reperfusion injury
Authors: Chen Yi‐Ing , Lee Yih‐Jing , Wilkie David A. , Lin Chung‐Tien 
Published: October 2013

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate for drugs with superior neuroprotective efficacy and investigate their underlying mechanisms related to antioxidation.ProceduresBrinzolamide (1%), timolol (0.5%), minocycline (22 mg/kg), lidocaine (1.5 mg/kg), and methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg) were administered to Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats. The retina was evaluated by electroretinography and histological analysis. The antioxidative capacity of drugs was evaluated to clarify the underlying mechanism. The oxidant/antioxidant profiles of plasma, red blood cells, and retina were analyzed by lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) and by measuring the activities of antioxidants. Proteomic analysis was used to investigate the possible protective mechanisms of the drug against ischemia‐reperfusion injury.ResultsThe results suggested that timolol, methylprednisolone, and minocycline protected retinal function. Methylprednisolone and minocycline possessed good antioxidative activity. Brinzolamide and lidocaine preserved the structural integrity of the retina, but not retinal function.ConclusionMethylprednisolone, minocycline, and timolol have potential acute or delayed benefit in retinal ischemia‐reperfusion injury. Their neuroprotective actions depend at least partially on the ability to alleviate oxidative stress.
Seed dormancy, germination, emergence and seed longevity in Galinsoga parviflora and G. quadriradiata
Authors: De Cauwer B , Devos R , Claerhout S , Bulcke R , Reheul D 
Published: October 2013

SummaryGalinsoga quadriradiata (hairy galinsoga) and Galinsoga parviflora (smallflower galinsoga, gallant soldier) are very troublesome weeds in many vegetable row crops in Europe. To optimise management strategies for Galinsoga spp. control, an in‐depth study of germination biology was performed. Germination experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of light and alternating temperatures on germination of a large set of Galinsoga populations. Seedling emergence was investigated by burying seeds at different depths in a sandy and sandy loam soil. Dormancy of fresh seeds harvested in autumn was evaluated by studying germination response in light at 25/20°C with and without nitrate addition. Seed longevity was investigated in an accelerated ageing experiment by exposing seeds to 45°C and 100% relative humidity. Galinsoga spp. seeds required light for germination; light dependency varied among populations. Seedling emergence decreased drastically with increasing burial depth. Maximum depth of emergence varied between 4 and 10 mm depending on soil type and population. In a sandy soil, emergence percentages were higher and seedlings were able to emerge from greater depths than in a sandy loam soil. Freshly produced G. parviflora seeds, harvested in autumn, showed a varying but high degree of primary dormancy and were less persistent than G. quadriradiata seeds that lack primary dormancy. Lack of primary dormancy of freshly harvested G. quadriradiata seeds and light dependency for germination may be used to optimise and develop Galinsoga management strategies.
Acquisition of Oral Microbes and Associated Systemic Responses of Newborn Nonhuman Primates
Authors: Ebersole J. L. , Holt S. C. , Delaney J. E. 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTThe acquisition and development of the complex oral microbiome remain ill defined. While selected species of oral bacteria have been examined in relation to their initial colonization in neonates, a more detailed understanding of the dynamics of the microbiome has been developed only in adults. The current investigation used a nonhuman primate model to document the kinetics of colonization of the oral cavities of newborns and infants by a range of oral commensals and pathogens. Differences in colonization were evaluated in newborns from mothers who were maintained on an oral hygiene regimen pre- and postparturition with those displaying naturally acquired gingivitis/periodontitis. The results demonstrate distinct profiles of acquisition of selected oral bacteria, with the transmission of targeted pathogens,Porphyromonas gingivalisandAggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, being passed on primarily from mothers with gingivitis/periodontitis. This colonization resulted in defined patterns of systemic antibody responses in the infants. The significant relative risk measures for infection with the pathogens, as well as the relationship of oral infection and blood serum antibody levels, were consistent with those of the newborns from mothers with gingivitis/periodontitis. These findings indicate that the early acquisition of potentially pathogenic oral bacterial species might impact the development of mucosal responses in the gingiva and may provide an enhanced risk for the development of periodontitis later in life.