bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of voluntary exercise on relative telomere length in a rat model of developmental stress
Authors: Botha Martmari , Grace Laurian , Bugarith Kishor , Russell Vivienne A , Kidd Martin , Seedat Soraya , Hemmings Sian MJ 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Exposure to early adverse events can result in the development of later psychopathology, and is often associated with cognitive impairment. This may be due to accelerated cell aging, which can be catalogued by attritioned telomeres. Exercise enhances neurogenesis and has been proposed to buffer the effect of psychological stress on telomere length. This study aimed to investigate the impact of early developmental stress and voluntary exercise on telomere length in the ventral hippocampus (VH) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the rat. Forty-five male Sprague–Dawley rats were categorised into four groups: maternally separated runners (MSR), maternally separated non-runners (MSnR), non-maternally separated runners (nMSR) and non-maternally separated non-runners (nMSnR). Behavioural analyses were conducted to assess anxiety-like behaviour and memory performance in the rats, after which relative telomere length was measured using qPCR.

Results
Maternally separated (MS) rats exhibited no significant differences in either anxiety levels or memory performance on the elevated-plus maze and the open field compared to non-maternally separated rats at 49 days of age. Exercised rats displayed increased levels of anxiety on the day that they were removed from the cages with attached running wheels, as well as improved spatial learning and temporal recognition memory compared to non-exercised rats. Exploratory post-hoc analyses revealed that maternally separated non-exercised rats exhibited significantly longer telomere length in the VH compared to those who were not maternally separated; however, exercise appeared to cancel this effect since there was no difference in VH telomere length between maternally separated and non-maternally separated runners.

Conclusions
The increased telomere length in the VH of maternally separated non-exercised rats may be indicative of reduced cellular proliferation, which could, in turn, indicate hippocampal dysfunction. This effect on telomere length was not observed in exercised rats, indicating that voluntary exercise may buffer against the progressive changes in telomere length caused by alterations in maternal care early in life. In future, larger sample sizes will be needed to validate results obtained in the present study and obtain a more accurate representation of the effect that psychological stress and voluntary exercise have on telomere length.
Cancer patients on Twitter: a novel patient community on social media
Authors: Sugawara Yuya , Narimatsu Hiroto , Hozawa Atsushi , Shao Li , Otani Katsumi , Fukao Akira 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Patients increasingly turn to the Internet for information on medical conditions, including clinical news and treatment options. In recent years, an online patient community has arisen alongside the rapidly expanding world of social media, or “Web 2.0.” Twitter provides real-time dissemination of news, information, personal accounts and other details via a highly interactive form of social media, and has become an important online tool for patients. This medium is now considered to play an important role in the modern social community of online, “wired” cancer patients.

Results
Fifty-one highly influential “power accounts” belonging to cancer patients were extracted from a dataset of 731 Twitter accounts with cancer terminology in their profiles. In accordance with previously established methodology, “power accounts” were defined as those Twitter accounts with 500 or more followers. We extracted data on the cancer patient (female) with the most followers to study the specific relationships that existed between the user and her followers, and found that the majority of the examined tweets focused on greetings, treatment discussions, and other instances of psychological support. These findings went against our hypothesis that cancer patients’ tweets would be centered on the dissemination of medical information and similar “newsy” details.

Conclusions
At present, there exists a rapidly evolving network of cancer patients engaged in information exchange via Twitter. This network is valuable in the sharing of psychological support among the cancer community.
Sardinian Type 1 diabetes patients, Transthyretin and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection
Authors: Masala Speranza , Cossu Davide , Pacifico Adolfo , Molicotti Paola , Sechi Leonardo A 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the cause of Johne’s disease, an enteric granulomatous disease. Recently, MAP has been associated with different autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, type 1 diabetes (T1D) and multiple sclerosis. Transthyretin (TTR) is a plasma transport protein for thyroid hormone and forms a complex with retinol-binding protein. Reduced TTR plasma levels in MAP infected ovines have been reported.
TTR exerts also a functional role in the pancreas promoting insulin release and protecting β-cells from death.
Our objective was to identify a protein that could be used as a diagnostic marker of T1D for determining disease progression and monitoring at-risk patients. We postulate that serological TTR levels would be reduced in T1D MAP exposed patients. Our hypothesis is based on the observation of cases of T1D patients with decreased TTR levels beside the reduced TTR plasma levels in ovines with Johne’s disease.
We quantified the plasma protein levels of TTR in 50 people with T1D and 51 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).

Findings
Our pilot study showed that plasma TTR levels were not significantly lower/higher in T1D Sardinian cases compared to the HCs.

Conclusion
These preliminary data indicate that plasma TTR may not be a good candidate biomarker for T1D diagnosis and further studies to elucidate the possible link are needed.
SOAPdenovo2: an empirically improved memory-efficient short-read de novo assembler
Authors: Luo Ruibang , Liu Binghang , Xie Yinlong , Li Zhenyu , Huang Weihua , Yuan Jianying , He Guangzhu , Chen Yanxiang , Pan Qi , Liu Yunjie , Tang Jingbo , Wu Gengxiong , Zhang Hao , Shi Yujian , Liu Yong , Yu Chang , Wang Bo , Lu Yao , Han Changlei , Cheung David W , Yiu Siu-Ming , Peng Shaoliang , Xiaoqian Zhu , Liu Guangming , Liao Xiangke , Li Yingrui , Yang Huanming , Wang Jian , Lam Tak-Wah , Wang Jun 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
There is a rapidly increasing amount of de novo genome assembly using next-generation sequencing (NGS) short reads; however, several big challenges remain to be overcome in order for this to be efficient and accurate. SOAPdenovo has been successfully applied to assemble many published genomes, but it still needs improvement in continuity, accuracy and coverage, especially in repeat regions.

Findings
To overcome these challenges, we have developed its successor, SOAPdenovo2, which has the advantage of a new algorithm design that reduces memory consumption in graph construction, resolves more repeat regions in contig assembly, increases coverage and length in scaffold construction, improves gap closing, and optimizes for large genome.

Conclusions
Benchmark using the Assemblathon1 and GAGE datasets showed that SOAPdenovo2 greatly surpasses its predecessor SOAPdenovo and is competitive to other assemblers on both assembly length and accuracy. We also provide an updated assembly version of the 2008 Asian (YH) genome using SOAPdenovo2. Here, the contig and scaffold N50 of the YH genome were ~20.9 kbp and ~22 Mbp, respectively, which is 3-fold and 50-fold longer than the first published version. The genome coverage increased from 81.16% to 93.91%, and memory consumption was ~2/3 lower during the point of largest memory consumption.
First biochemical characterization of a novel ribonuclease from wild mushroom Amanita hemibapha
Authors: Sekete Malota , Ma Duanzheng , Wang Bo , Wang Hexiang , Ng Tzibun 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
A 45-kDa ribonuclease (RNase) was purified from dried fruiting bodies of the wild mushroom Amanita hemibapha. It was adsorbed on DEAE-cellulose, S-sepharose, and finally purified on Superdex 75. The RNase exhibited maximal RNase activity at pH 5 and in a temperature range between 60-70°C. It demonstrated no ribonucleolytic activity toward four polyhomoribonucleotides. The amino acid sequence analysis (GDDETFWEHEWAK) showed this RNase was a ribonuclease T2-like RNase. It exhibited strong inhibitory activity against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) with an IC50 of 17 μM.
The effects of living wage laws on low-wage workers and low-income families: What do we know now?
Authors: Neumark David , Thompson Matthew , Koyle Leslie 
Published: December 2012

AbstractWe provide updated evidence on the effects of living wage laws in U.S. cities, relative to the earlier research covering only the first six or seven years of existence of these laws. There are some challenges to updating the evidence, as the CPS data on which it relies changed geographic coding systems in the mid-2000s. The updated evidence is broadly consistent with the conclusions reached by prior research, including a recent review of that earlier evidence. Living wage laws reduce employment among the least-skilled workers they are intended to help. But they also increase wages for many of them. This implies that living wage laws generate both winners and losers among those affected by them. For broader living wage laws that cover recipients of business or financial assistance from cities, the net effects point to modest reductions in urban poverty.JEL codesJ23, J38
Anonymous job applications in Europe
Authors: Krause Annabelle , Rinne Ulf , Zimmermann Klaus F 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Numerous empirical studies find a substantial extent of discrimination in hiring decisions. Anonymous job applications have gained attention and popularity to identify and combat this form of discrimination. To test whether their intended effects result in practice, in several European countries such as Sweden, France and the Netherlands field experiments were recently conducted. Also in Germany, a large field experiment has examined the practicability and potentials of this approach. Against the background of the recent German findings as novel evidence, this paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this new policy proposal.

JEL codes

M51, J71, J78
Protease-activated receptor-1 impairs host defense in murine pneumococcal pneumonia: a controlled laboratory study
Authors: Schouten Marcel , van't Veer Cornelis , Roelofs Joris JTH , Levi Marcel , van der Poll Tom 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Introduction
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common causative pathogen in community-acquired pneumonia. Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) is expressed by multiple cell types present in the lungs and can be activated by various proteases generated during acute inflammation. The cellular effect of PAR-1 activation partially depends on the specific protease involved. We here determined the role of PAR-1 in the host response during murine pneumococcal pneumonia.

Methods
Wild-type (WT) and PAR-1 knockout (KO) mice were infected intranasally with viable S. pneumoniae and observed in a survival study or euthanized at 6, 24 or 48 hours of infection.

Results
PAR-1 KO mice had a better survival early after infection compared to WT mice. Moreover, PAR-1 KO mice had lower bacterial loads in lungs and blood at 24 hours and in spleen and liver at 48 hours after infection. This favorable response was accompanied by lower lung histopathology scores and less neutrophil influx in PAR-1 KO mice.

Conclusion
PAR-1 impairs host defense during murine pneumococcal pneumonia.
Reduced Risk of Colorectal Cancer With Use of Oral Bisphosphonates: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Thosani Nirav , Thosani Sonali N. , Kumar Sheetanshu , Nugent Zoann , Jimenez Camilo , Singh Harminder , Guha Sushovan 
Published: December 2012

Purpose The association between oral bisphosphonate (BP) intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk has been investigated in several recent studies with conflicting results. We summarized the evidence from the published studies in a categorical, dose-response meta-analysis. Methods Relevant studies were identified by a search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases through January 15, 2012. We included studies that reported effect size estimates with 95% CIs for the association between exposure to oral BPs and risk of CRC. Results Three case-control studies with a total of 16,998 CRC cases and 108,197 controls and one cohort study with 94,405 individuals exposed to BPs and 283,181 unexposed to BPs were included in meta-analysis. The random effect model meta-analysis suggested reduced risk of CRC with exposure to oral BPs with pooled odds ratio (OR) of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.78 to 0.97). Significant inverse relationship was noted for 10 or more prescriptions categories, with pooled ORs of 0.71 (95% CI, 0.58 to 0.87). Similarly, the analysis for 1 to 3 years of use and more than 3 years of use of BPs suggested a significant inverse relationship, with pooled ORs of 0.76 (95% CI, 0.68 to 0.85) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.61 to 0.99), respectively. Conclusion This meta-analysis suggests that the use of oral BPs at a dose of 10 or more prescriptions or 1 or more years of duration is associated with reduced risk of CRC. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to prove this association.
Telemedicine, telehealth or e-health? A bibliometric analysis of the trends in the use of these terms
Authors: Fatehi Farhad , Wootton Richard 
Published: December 2012

Summary The terms ‘telemedicine’, ‘telehealth’ and ‘e-health’ are often used interchangeably. We examined the occurrence of these terms in the Scopus database. A total of 11,644 documents contained one of the three terms in the title or abstract. Telemedicine was the most common term, with 8028 documents referring to it, followed by e-health ( n = 2573) and then telehealth ( n = 1679). Telemedicine was referred to in documents from 126 countries; the terms telehealth and e-health were found in publications from 55 and 99 countries, respectively. Documents with telemedicine in their title or abstract first appeared in 1972, and continued to appear at a low rate until 1994 when they started to increase rapidly; telehealth showed a similar pattern, but with the growth beginning about five years later. Although articles containing the term e-health appeared later than the other two terms, the rate of increase was higher. Articles (journal papers) were the most common type for the three key terms, followed by conference papers and review articles. Publication rates for telemedicine or telehealth or e-health were compared with two other relatively new fields of study: Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). Publications concerning HAART seem to have reached a peak and are now declining, but those with the three key terms and those concerning MIS are both growing. The variation in the level of adoption for the three terms suggests ambiguity in their definition and a lack of clarity in the concepts they refer to.
Interactive multicentre teleconferences using open source software in a team of thoracic surgeons
Authors: Ito Kazuhiro , Shimada Junichi , Katoh Daishiro , Nishimura Motohiro , Yanada Masashi , Okada Satoru , Ishihara Shunta , Ichise Kaori 
Published: December 2012

Summary Real-time consultation between a team of thoracic surgeons is important for the management of difficult cases. We established a system for interactive teleconsultation between multiple sites, based on open-source software. The graphical desktop-sharing system VNC (virtual network computing) was used for remotely controlling another computer. An image-processing package (OsiriX) was installed on the server to share the medical images. We set up a voice communication system using Voice Chatter, a free, cross-platform voice communication application. Four hospitals participated in the trials. One was connected by gigabit ethernet, one by WiMAX and one by ADSL. Surgeons at three of the sites found that it was comfortable to view images and consult with each other using the teleconferencing system. However, it was not comfortable using the client that connected via WiMAX, because of dropped frames. Apart from the WiMAX connection, the VNC-based screen-sharing system transferred the clinical images efficiently and in real time. We found the screen-sharing software VNC to be a good application for medical image interpretation, especially for a team of thoracic surgeons using multislice CT scans.
An analysis of an ongoing trial of rural videoconference fracture clinics
Authors: Mcgill Alison , North John 
Published: December 2012

Summary Since January 2011, videoconference fracture clinics have been held between the rural Mt Isa Hospital (MIH) and the tertiary referral centre, the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, approximately 900 km away. We have examined the activity and costs of the videoconferencing clinics over a 17-month period. During the study period, 27 clinics were held and 21 patient transfers (four of whom were children) were saved. The cost of a transfer was estimated to be $1269 for an adult and $2134 for a child with an accompanying adult. The cost of holding a videoconference fracture clinic was estimated to be $1285 per clinic. During the first 12 months of the study, the savings in avoided transfers were outweighed by the cost of running the clinics. However, in the final 5 months, there were overall savings of $11,334 for the health service. Improvements in the areas of administration and radiology were identified, which could enhance the application of telemedicine in multiple locations in rural and remote areas.
Project ECHO: a model for complex, chronic care in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
Authors: Scott John D , Unruh Kent T , Catlin Mary C , Merrill Joseph O , Tauben David J , Rosenblatt Roger , Buchwald Dedra , Doorenbos Ardith , Towle Cara , Ramers Christian B , Spacha David H 
Published: December 2012

Summary The Pacific Northwest of the US is a large, sparsely populated region. A telehealth programme called Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) was tested in this region in 2009. Weekly videoconferences were held in the areas of hepatitis C, chronic pain, integrated addictions and psychiatry, and HIV/AIDS. Rural clinicians presented cases to a panel of experts at an academic medical centre and received management advice and access to best practices. During the trial, more than 900 clinicians participated, and more than 700 patient cases were presented. At the end of June 2012, a total of 23 videoconference clinics for hepatitis C had been held, 16 clinics in addiction and psychiatry, 97 in chronic pain and 13 in HIV/AIDS. The Project ECHO model improves access to health care. It may provide a way to bring specialist care to rural areas in developing countries.
Thoracotomy versus VATS: is there an optimal approach to treating pneumothorax?
Authors: Joshi V , Kirmani B , Zacharias J 
Published: December 2012

Introduction The 2010 British Thoracic Society guidelines recommend that a weighted decision be made by clinicians with regard to surgical intervention for pneumothorax as the video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approach is better tolerated by patients but carries a higher rate of recurrence (5% vs 1%). Methods Overall, 163 patients underwent surgical intervention for pneumothorax at our institution and data were collected prospectively for almost 7 years. Of these, 86 patients underwent VATS under a single surgeon with extensive VATS experience to compensate for the associated learning curve while 79 patients underwent an open procedure. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate between the open and the VATS group (1% vs 3.5%, p=1.0). The VATS group was superior to the open group in terms of reduced postoperative bleeding (7.5% vs 0%, p=0.01), reduced number of intensive care unit admissions (16% vs 0%, p<0.01) and a reduced adjusted length of stay (3 vs 5.5 days, p<0.01). Conclusions A comparable recurrence rate is attainable with a VATS approach once the learning curve is surpassed and a reduction in morbidity is an additional merit.
Endoscopic stent insertion for anastomotic leakage following oesophagectomy
Authors: Schweigert M , Solymosi N , Dubecz A , Stadlhuber RJ , Muschweck H , Ofner D , Stein HJ 
Published: December 2012

Introduction Intrathoracic anastomotic leakage following oesophagectomy is a crushing condition. Until recently, surgical re-exploration was the preferred way of dealing with this life threatening complication. However, mortality remained significant. We therefore adopted endoscopic stent implantation as the primary treatment option. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and results of endoscopic stent implantation as well as potential hazards and pitfalls. Methods Between January 2004 and December 2011, 292 consecutive patients who underwent an oesophagectomy at a single high volume centre dedicated to oesophageal surgery were included in this retrospective study. Overall, 38 cases with anastomotic leakage were identified and analysed. Results A total of 22 patients received endoscopic stent implantation as primary treatment whereas a rethoracotomy was mandatory in 15 cases. There were no significant differences in age, frequency of neoadjuvant therapy or ASA grade between cases with and without a leak. However, patients with a leak were five times more likely to have a fatal outcome (odds ratio: 5.10, 95% confidence interval: 2.06–12.33, p<0.001). Stent migration occurred but endoscopic reintervention was feasible. In 17 patients (77%) definite closure and healing of the leak was achieved, and the stent was removed subsequently. Two patients died owing to severe sepsis despite sufficient stent placement. Moreover, stent related aortic erosion with consecutive fatal haemorrhage occurred in three cases. Conclusions Stent implantation for intrathoracic oesophageal anastomotic leaks is feasible and compares favourably with surgical re-exploration. It is an easily available, minimally invasive procedure that may reduce leak related mortality. However, it puts the already well-known risk of stent-related vascular erosion on the spot. Awareness of this life threatening complication is therefore mandatory.