bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A double‐blind randomized placebo‐controlled study on the clinical and microbial effects of an essential oil mouth rinse used by patients in supportive periodontal care
Authors: Cosyn J , Princen K , Miremadi R , Decat E , Vaneechoutte M , De Bruyn H 
Published: September 2012

AbstractAimThis 3‐month double‐blind randomized placebo‐controlled study evaluated the clinical and microbial effects of an essential oil mouth rinse used as an adjunct to mechanical plaque control by patients in supportive periodontal care.Material and methodsFifty patients were randomly allocated to an essential oil group (Listerine® Coolmint; Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ, USA) or placebo group to rinse twice per day as an adjunct to mechanical plaque control. At baseline and after 3 months, plaque index (PI), gingivitis index (GI), probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing (BoP) and clinical attachment level were registered. Subgingival plaque samples were collected for the detection and quantification of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Micromonas micros, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium genus and Streptococcus mutans by means of real‐time PCR (qPCR). Patient's compliance, satisfaction and side effects were registered.ResultsTwenty‐three patients in the essential oil group (mean age: 57) and 21 in the placebo group (mean age: 55) with acceptable oral hygiene at intake (mean PI <1.5 on a scale of 5) adhered to the study protocol. Gingivitis index, PI and BoP significantly reduced over time (P ≤ 0.029); however, between group analyses revealed no significant differences. There was no significant change over time neither in detection frequency nor load for any of the microbiota. Daily rinsing with an essential oil rinse was found safe and perceived beneficial by the patients.ConclusionPatients in supportive periodontal care who are fairly compliant with oral hygiene may not benefit from additional mouth rinsing using an essential oil solution.
Dental neglect and adverse birth outcomes: a validation and observational study
Authors: Acharya S , Pentapati KC , Bhat PV 
Published: September 2012

AbstractObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to validate the Indian translation of the Dental Neglect Scale (DNS) among a sample of parturient Indian women and to investigate dental neglect as a possible risk indicator in adverse birth outcomes.Subjects and methodsThree hundred and sixteen parturient women were administered the DNS and the Modified Dental Beliefs Scale (MDBS) and were also clinically examined for oral health status. Information regarding socio‐economic status, weeks of gestation and birth weight was also collected. A gestation period of less than 37 weeks was considered as preterm and a birth weight of less than 2500 gm as ‘low birth weight’.ResultsThe Indian version of the DNS was found to be reliable (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.72) and valid for assessing dental neglect among the women. Factor analysis of the DNS revealed a two‐factor structure accounting for 56% variance. Dental neglect was higher among those with poorer oral health status, lower socio‐economic and educational status. Multinomial logistic regression showed high dental neglect and negative dental beliefs and not poor oral health, as significant risk indicators for occurrence of adverse birth outcomes.ConclusionThe finding of an association of adverse birth outcomes with dental neglect and beliefs, but not with poor oral health could be due to the influence of other more important general factors which had a direct bearing on birth outcomes. There is a need for further research to assess the role of behavioural factors like dental neglect as risk indicators for adverse birth outcomes.
Advances in the development of universal influenza vaccines
Authors: Gilbert Sarah C. 
Published: September 2012

Please cite this paper as: Sarah C. Gilbert. (2012) Advances in the development of universal influenza vaccines. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI:10.1111/irv.12013.Despite the widespread availability and use of influenza vaccines, influenza still poses a considerable threat to public health. Vaccines against seasonal influenza do not offer protection against pandemic viruses, and vaccine efficacy against seasonal viruses is reduced in seasons when the vaccine composition is not a good match for the predominant circulating viruses. Vaccine efficacy is also reduced in older adults, who are one of the main target groups for vaccination. The continual threat of pandemic influenza, with the known potential for rapid spread around the world and high mortality rates, has prompted researchers to develop a number of novel approaches to providing immunity to this virus, focusing on target antigens which are highly conserved between different influenza A virus subtypes. Several of these have now been taken into clinical development, and this review discusses the progress that has been made, as well as considering the requirements for licensing these new vaccines and how they might be used in the future.
The rust transferred proteins—a new family of effector proteins exhibiting protease inhibitor function
Authors: Pretsch Klara , Kemen Ariane , Kemen Eric , Geiger Matthias , Mendgen Kurt , Voegele Ralf 
Published: September 2012

SummaryOnly few fungal effectors have been described to be delivered into the host cell during obligate biotrophic interactions. RTP1p, from the rust fungi Uromyces fabae and U. striatus, was the first fungal protein for which localization within the host cytoplasm could be demonstrated directly. We investigated the occurrence of RTP1 homologues in rust fungi and examined the structural and biochemical characteristics of the corresponding gene products. The analysis of 28 homologues showed that members of the RTP family are most likely to occur ubiquitously in rust fungi and to be specific to the order Pucciniales. Sequence analyses indicated that the structure of the RTPp effectors is bipartite, consisting of a variable N‐terminus and a conserved and structured C‐terminus. The characterization of Uf‐RTP1p mutants showed that four conserved cysteine residues sustain structural stability. Furthermore, the C‐terminal domain exhibits similarities to that of cysteine protease inhibitors, and it was shown that Uf‐RTP1p and Us‐RTP1p are able to inhibit proteolytic activity in Pichia pastoris culture supernatants. We conclude that the RTP1p homologues constitute a rust fungi‐specific family of modular effector proteins comprising an unstructured N‐terminal domain and a structured C‐terminal domain, which exhibit protease inhibitory activity possibly associated with effector function during biotrophic interactions.
The ESX/type VII secretion system modulates development, but not virulence, of the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies
Authors: Fyans Joanna K. , Bignell Dawn , Loria Rosemary , Toth Ian , Palmer Tracy 
Published: September 2012

SummaryStreptomyces scabies is a model organism for the investigation of plant–microbe interactions in Gram‐positive bacteria. Here, we investigate the type VII protein secretion system (T7SS) in S. scabies; the T7SS is required for the virulence of other Gram‐positive bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus. The hallmarks of a functional T7SS are an EccC protein that forms an essential component of the secretion apparatus and two small, sequence‐related substrate proteins, EsxA and EsxB. A putative transmembrane protein, EccD, may also be associated with T7S in Actinobacteria. In this study, we constructed strains of the plant pathogen S. scabies carrying marked mutations in genes coding for EccC, EccD, EsxA and EsxB. Unexpectedly, we showed that all four mutant strains retain full virulence towards several plant hosts. However, disruption of the esxA or esxB, but not eccC or eccD, genes affects S. scabies development, including a delay in sporulation, abnormal spore chains and resistance to lysis by the Streptomyces‐specific phage ϕC31. We further showed that these phenotypes are specific to the loss of the T7SS substrate proteins EsxA and EsxB, and are not observed when components of the T7SS secretion machinery are lacking. Taken together, these results imply an unexpected intracellular role for EsxA and EsxB.
High incidence of skin cancer in the Channel Islands
Authors: Reilly G. D. , Muhlemann M. , Lai C. , Verne J. , Ives A. , Southall P. J. , Goulding H. , Healy E. 
Published: September 2012

Summary
Background. Previous studies looking at rates of malignant melanoma (MM) and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in the UK have documented one of the highest rates in the southwest of England; however, the incidence of these tumours in Guernsey and Jersey, two of the Channel Islands, has not previously been reported.
Aims. To determine the incidence of cutaneous MM and NMSC in the Channel Islands.
Methods. Data for the period 2005–2009 were obtained from clinical and histopathological records for all MMs excised in the Channel Islands, and from the South-west Cancer Registry for MMs excised in the southwest of England and for NMSCs in both areas. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASRs) per 100 000 of the population in the Channel Islands were compared with those with the southwest of England, the UK and the rest of Europe where available. The MM characteristics of the Channel Islands were then compared with the southwest of England using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs).
Results. The ASR/100 000 for cutaneous MM for 2005–2009 was 30 for the Channel Islands (31.3 for Jersey, 28.2 for Guernsey), 20.3 for the southwest of England, and 15.6 for the UK. Comparison with the rest of Europe indicated that the incidence of MM in the Channel Islands is one of the highest in Europe. The highest incidence of MM was in the over 65 years age group on both Guernsey and Jersey, and when divided into 5-year age bands, the 70–74 years age group had the highest rate. This suggests that this particular age group may have previously received greater exposure to some environmental factor that promotes MM development. The ASR/100 000 for NMSC was also higher for the Channel Islands (263.3) than for the southwest of England (174.6) for 2005–2009, and for the UK in 2009 (104.9).
Conclusions. This study indicates that the Channel Islands have a high incidence of skin cancer (both MM and NMSC). In addition, the data show that the ASRs in older people in this population group differ from those in mainland UK, showing higher rates in the over 65 years age group.
Insect oviposition plasticity in response to host availability: the case of the tephritid fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis
Authors: XU LINGLING , ZHOU CHUNMENG , XIAO YING , ZHANG PEIFEN , TANG YING , Xu YIJUAN 
Published: September 2012

1. Insect oviposition behaviour is ecologically and physiologically plastic. For tephritid fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel, host availability varies spatially and temporally. Females are expected to adopt adaptive oviposition strategies to maximise lifetime reproductive fitness, including survival. Bactrocera dorsalis oviposition tactics in response to different host availabilities were investigated.2. This study includes three treatments: (i) variable host densities (host density varied according to a fixed cycle from day to day over values of 1, 5, 10 and 20 hosts per cage), (ii) a fixed high host density (20 hosts per cage), and (iii) a fixed low host density (1 host per cage).3. Daily egg‐laying number per female over the course of 27 days was entirely independent of host density and highly dependent on female age. As host availability increased, females accepted significantly more hosts, generally laid small egg clutches, and more broadly distributed the eggs.4. Tephritid fruit flies adaptively adjusted egg clutches in ways that reflected the variability of host availability. Egg‐ and time‐limitation constraints appeared to drive these adjustments. Female egg maturation was triggered by oviposition activity and reflected marked lifetime trade‐offs. Such strategies involved specific time schedules for egg laying.5.This study defined the oviposition plasticity of the tephritid fruit fly. These results have general implications for the behavioural ecology of insect herbivores and parasitoids.
The effect of parental intellectual disability status on child protection service worker decision making
Authors: Proctor S. N. , Azar S. T. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractBackgroundThere is evidence to suggest that parents with an intellectual disability (ID) constitute a higher proportion of child‐protective services (CPS) cases than would be expected based on the prevalence of ID in the general population. Researchers have suggested that the stereotypic assumptions and expectations that CPS workers have about parents with an ID might influence decisions and responses made to such parents. This study examined whether parental ID (having an ID vs. not) had an effect on CPS workers' emotional reactions, attributions and decisions about risk to the child, whether to remove the child and workers' general willingness to help the parent.MethodTwo hundred and twelve CPS workers read vignettes describing parents who were labelled as either having or not having an ID. Workers responded to the vignettes by making ratings of their emotional reactions, attributions and decisions regarding risk, removal and helping.ResultsCPS workers made significantly higher ratings of pity, willingness to help and risk for parents with an ID than for parents without an ID. Lower ratings of anger and disgust were found for parents with an ID than for parents without an ID. Parents' intellectual status did not have a direct effect on workers' attributions or removal decisions.ConclusionsThe results show evidence for the influence of stereotypes regarding parental ID due to its differential effect on CPS workers' emotional reactions and decisions about child risk and their willingness to help.
Non‐amyloid and amyloid prion protein deposits in prion‐infected mice differ in blockage of interstitial brain fluid
Authors: Rangel A. , Race B. , Striebel J. , Chesebro B. 
Published: September 2012

AimsPrion diseases are characterized by brain deposits of misfolded aggregated protease‐resistant prion protein (PrP), termed PrPres. In humans and animals, PrPres is found as either disorganized non‐amyloid aggregates or organized amyloid fibrils. Both PrPres forms are found in extracellular spaces of the brain. Thus, both might block drainage of brain interstitial fluid (ISF). The present experiments studied whether ISF blockage occurred during amyloid and/or non‐amyloid prion diseases.MethodsVarious‐sized fluorescein‐labelled ISF tracers were stereotactically inoculated into the striatum of adult mice. At times from 5 min to 77 h, uninfected and scrapie‐infected mice were compared. C57BL/10 mice expressing wild‐type anchored PrP, which develop non‐amyloid PrPres similar to humans with sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, were compared with Tg44+/+ mice (transgenic mice secreting anchorless PrP) expressing anchorless PrP, which develop amyloid PrPres similar to certain human familial prion diseases.ResultsIn C57BL/10 mice, extensive non‐amyloid PrPres aggregate deposition was not associated with abnormal clearance kinetics of tracers. In contrast, scrapie‐infected Tg44+/+ mice showed blockage of tracer clearance and colocalization of tracer with perivascular PrPres amyloid.ConclusionsAs tracer localization and clearance was normal in infected C57BL/10 mice, ISF blockage was not an important pathogenic mechanism in this model. Therefore, ISF blockage is unlikely to be a problem in non‐amyloid human prion diseases such as sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. In contrast, partial ISF blockage appeared to be a possible pathogenic mechanism in Tg44+/+ mice. Thus this mechanism might also influence human amyloid prion diseases where expression of anchorless or mutated PrP results in perivascular amyloid PrPres deposition and cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
Open‐heart surgery increases cerebrospinal fluid levels of Alzheimer‐associated amyloid β
Authors: REINSFELT B. , WESTERLIND A. , BLENNOW K. , ZETTERBERG H. , RICKSTEN S.‐E. 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundNeurocognitive dysfunction occurs frequently after open‐heart surgery. It has been suggested that cognitive decline after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) could be a functional consequence of Alzheimer's disease (AD)‐like neuropathological changes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amyloid β peptide (Aβ1–42) and soluble fragments of amyloid precursor protein (sAPP) as well as the cerebral inflammatory response to open‐heart surgery.MethodsTen patients undergoing aortic valve replacement with CPB were included. CSF was obtained the day before and 24 h after surgery for assessment of CSF levels of Aβ1–42 α‐cleaved sAPP and β‐cleaved sAPP (sAPP‐β). Furthermore, CSF and serum levels of the inflammatory cytokines: tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) were also assessed.ResultsCardiac surgery with CPB increased CSF levels of Aβ1–42 from 447 ± 92 to 641 ± 83 ng/l (P = 0.011), while CSF levels of sAPP‐β decreased from 276 ± 35 to 192 ± 21 ng/ml (P = 0.031). CSF levels of TNF‐α increased from ≤ 0.60 to 0.79 ± 0.26 ng/l (P = 0.043), IL‐6 from 1.89 ± 0.53 to 22.8 ± 6.9 ng/l (P = 0.003) and IL‐8 from 39.8 ± 7.8 to 139 ± 18.3 ng/l (P < 0.001).ConclusionsCardiac surgery with CPB causes a profound cerebral inflammatory response, which was accompanied by increased post‐operative CSF levels of the AD biomarker Aβ1–42. We hypothesize that these changes may be relevant to Alzheimer‐associated amyloid build‐up in the brain and cognitive dysfunction after cardiac surgery with CPB.
‘Representative Genes’, is it OK to use a small amount of data to obtain a phylogeny that is at least close to the true tree?
Authors: Horreo J. L. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractDespite the problems associated with the one‐gene‐constructed phylogenetic relationships, recently it has been shown that merely adding more sequences to the analyses is not enough to resolve all the inconsistencies present in these relationships. In this work, the existence of ‘representative’ genes for groups of species is evaluated in terms of efficiency (costs/benefits), employing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and the penguins' phylogeny as a case study. ‘Representative’ genes are very useful and they could produce good results for first approaches or humble laboratories, especially if the gene is chosen depending on the time scale and objectives of our work.
The FIRST2ACT simulation program improves nursing practice in a rural Australian hospital
Authors: Kinsman Leigh , Buykx Penny , Cant Robyn , Champion Robert , Cooper Simon , Endacott Ruth , McConnell‐Henry Tracy , Missen Karen , Porter Jo , Scholes Julie 
Published: September 2012

AbstractObjective: To measure the impact of the Feedback Incorporating Review and Simulation Techniques to Act on Clinical Trends (FIRST2ACT) simulation program on nursing observations and practice relevant to patient deterioration in a rural Australian hospital.Design: Interrupted time series analysis.Setting: A rural Australian hospital.Participants: All registered nurses (Division 1) employed on an acute medical/surgical ward.Intervention: The FIRST2ACT simulation program.Outcome measures: Appropriate frequency of a range of observations and administration of oxygen therapy.Results: Thirty‐four nurses participated (83% of eligible nurses) in the FIRST2ACT program, and 258 records were audited before the program and 242 records after. There were statistically significant reductions in less than satisfactory frequency of observations (P = 0.009) and pain score charting (P = 0.003). There was no measurable improvement in the administration of oxygen therapy (P = 0.143), while the incidence of inappropriate nursing practice for other measures both before and after the intervention was too low to warrant analysis.Conclusion: FIRST2ACT was associated with measurable improvements in nursing practice.
Rural physicians' skills enrichment program: A cohort control study of retention in Alberta
Authors: Gorsche Ron G. , Woloschuk Wayne 
Published: September 2012

AbstractObjective:  The Rural Physician Action Plan of Alberta introduced an enrichment program in 2001 to improve physician access to skills training. The objective of this study was to evaluate this program and measure retention compared with matched controls over 5 years.Design:  Longitudinal, matched, case control study and program evaluation.Setting:  Rural communities in Alberta, Canada.Participants:  Rural physicians.Interventions:  Thirty‐one rural physicians self‐selected their personal skills training program and listed three goals they wished to attain. They were matched by age, specialty, years in practice and size of community with rural physicians who did not participate in a skills training or upgrading program.Main outcome measures:  Goal attainment for subject physicians, use of skills at 5 years and comparison of rural retention of physicians at 5 years.Results:  Thirty‐two of thirty‐five physicians classified their goal attainment to be as expected or greater, and all were using their new skills at 5 years. Of the matched physicians, 29 training participants remained in rural practice at 5 years compared with only 22 of 29 matched control: relative risk 1.31, confidence interval 1.06–1.62 P < 0.05.Conclusions:  The enrichment program provides focused, valued skills training for rural physicians and long‐term benefits to rural communities.
Telemedicine for rural cancer care in North Queensland: Bringing cancer care home
Authors: Sabesan Sabe , Larkins Sarah , Evans Rebecca , Varma Suresh , Andrews Athena , Beuttner Petra , Brennan Sean , Young Michael 
Published: September 2012

AbstractObjective:  To describe the use of telemedicine in cancer care (teleoncology model of care) for rural patients in North Queensland.Design:  This is a descriptive study. Data on demographical and clinical factors were retrieved from the teleoncology database of Townsville Hospital and review of medical records for the period between May 2007 and May 2011.Setting and Participants:  The medical oncologists at the Townsville Cancer Centre, a regional cancer centre in North Queensland, have been providing their services to rural hospitals in Townsville and Mt Isa districts via videoconferencing since 2007.Intervention:  Cancer care delivery to rural sites via Townsville teleoncology model.Main Outcome Measures:  The ability of the teleoncology model to provide the following services to rural towns: (i) specialist consultations; (ii) urgent specialist medical care; (iii) care for Indigenous patients; and (iv) remote supervision of chemotherapy administration.Results:  Between May 2007 and May 2011, 158 patients from 18 rural towns received a total of 745 consultations. Ten of these patients were consulted urgently and treatment plans initiated locally, avoiding interhospital transfers. Eighteen Indigenous patients received consultative services, being accompanied by more than four to six family members. Eighty‐three patients received a range of intravenous and oral chemotherapy regimens in Mt Isa and oral agents in other towns through remote supervision by medical oncologists from Townsville.Conclusion:  Teleoncology model of care allows rural and Indigenous cancer patients to receive specialist consultations and chemotherapy treatments closer to home, thus minimising the access difficulties faced by the rural sector.