bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral health status and academic performance among Ohio third‐graders, 2009‐2010
Authors: Detty Amber M.R. , Oza‐Frank Reena 
Published: June 2014

AbstractObjectiveAlthough recent literature indicated an association between dental caries and poor academic performance, previous work relied on self‐reported measures. This analysis sought to determine the association between academic performance and untreated dental caries (tooth decay) using objective measures, controlling for school‐level characteristics.MethodsSchool‐level untreated caries prevalence was estimated from a 2009‐2010 oral health survey of Ohio third‐graders. Prevalence estimates were combined with school‐level academic performance and other school characteristics obtained from the Ohio Department of Education. Linear regression models were developed as a result of bivariate testing, and final models were stratified based upon the presence of a school‐based dental sealant program (SBSP).ResultsPreliminary bivariate analysis indicated a significant relationship between untreated caries and academic performance, which was more pronounced at schools with an SBSP. After controlling for other school characteristics, the prevalence of untreated caries was found to be a significant predictor of academic performance at schools without an SBSP (P = 0.001) but not at schools with an SBSP (P = 0.833).ConclusionsThe results suggest the association between untreated caries and academic performance may be affected by the presence of a school‐based oral health program. Further research focused on oral health and academic performance should consider the presence and/or availability of these programs.
Grammatically Conditioned Sound Change
Authors: W. Hill Nathan 
Published: June 2014

AbstractIn the first half of the 20th century following the Neogrammarian tradition, most researchers believed that sound change was always conditioned by phonetic phenomena and never by grammar. Beginning in the 1960s, proponents of the generative school put forward cases of grammatically conditioned sound change. From then until now, new cases have continued to come to light. A close look at the development of intervocalic ‐s‐ in Greek, reveals the divergent approach of the two schools of thought. All examples of grammatical conditioning are amenable to explanation as some combination of regular sound change, analogy, or borrowing. Neither the Neogrammarian belief in exceptionless phonetically conditioned sound change nor the generative inspired belief in grammatical conditioning is a falsifiable hypothesis. Because of its assumptions are more parsimonious and its descriptive power more subtle, the Neogrammarian position is the more appealing of these two equally unprovable doctrines.
Strong inhibition of fimbrial 3 subunit gene transcription by a novel downstream repressive element in Bordetella pertussis
Authors: Chen Qing , Boulanger Alice , Hinton Deborah M. , Stibitz Scott 
Published: June 2014

SummaryThe Bvg‐regulated promoters for the fimbrial subunit genes fim2 and fim3 of Bordetella pertussis behave differently from each other both in vivo and in vitro. In vivo Pfim2 is significantly stronger than Pfim3, even though predictions based on the DNA sequences of BvgA‐binding motifs and core promoter elements would indicate the opposite. In vitro Pfim3 demonstrated robust BvgA∼P‐dependent transcriptional activation, while none was seen with Pfim2. This apparent contradiction was investigated further. By swapping sequence elements we created a number of hybrid promoters and assayed their strength in vivo. We found that, while Pfim3 promoter elements upstream of the +1 transcriptional start site do indeed direct Bvg‐activated transcription more efficiently than those of Pfim2, the overall promoter strength of Pfim3 in vivo is reduced due to sequences downstream of +1 that inhibit transcription more than 250‐fold. This element, the DRE (downstream repressive element), was mapped to the 15 bp immediately downstream of the Pfim3 +1. Placing the DRE in different promoter contexts indicated that its activity was not specific to fim promoters, or even to Bvg‐regulated promoters. However it does appear to be specific to Bordetella species in that it did not function in Escherichia coli.
Pin1 promotes degradation of Smad proteins and their interaction with phosphorylated tau in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Ueberham Uwe , Rohn Susanne , Ueberham Elke , Wodischeck Susanne , Hilbrich Isabel , Holzer Max , Brückner Martina K. , Gruschka Hildegard , Arendt Thomas 
Published: June 2014

AimsNeurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by pathological protein aggregates and inadequate activation of cell cycle regulating proteins. Recently, Smad proteins were identified to control the expression of AD relevant proteins such as APP, CDK4 and CDK inhibitors, both critical regulators of cell cycle activation. This might indicate a central role for Smads in AD pathology where they show a substantial deficiency and disturbed subcellular distribution in neurones. Still, the mechanisms driving relocation and decrease of neuronal Smad in AD are not well understood. However, Pin1, a peptidyl‐prolyl‐cis/trans‐isomerase, which allows isomerization of tau protein, was recently identified also controlling the fate of Smads. Here we analyse a possible role of Pin1 for Smad disturbances in AD.MethodsMultiple immunofluorescence labelling and confocal laser‐scanning microscopy were performed to examine the localization of Smad and Pin1 in human control and AD hippocampi. Ectopic Pin1 expression in neuronal cell cultures combined with Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation allowed studying Smad level and subcellular distribution. Luciferase reporter assays, electromobility shift, RNAi‐technique and qRT‐PCR revealed a potential transcriptional impact of Smad on Pin1 promoter.ResultsWe report on a colocalization of phosphorylated Smad in AD with Pin1. Pin1 does not only affect Smad phosphorylation and stability but also regulates subcellular localization of Smad2 and supports its binding to phosphorylated tau protein. Smads, in turn, exert a negative feed‐back regulation on Pin1.ConclusionOur data suggest both Smad proteins and Pin1 to be elements of a vicious circle with potential pathogenetic significance in AD.
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS WITH DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN A DYNAMIC APPROACH
Authors: BIANCARDI MARTA , VILLANI GIOVANNI 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThis paper is devoted to study the stability of international environmental agreements (IEAs) in a pollution abatement model. We focus our attention on two asymmetric agents: developed countries characterized by a strong measure of environmental awareness and developing ones characterized by less attention to environmental preservation. We model a differential game in order to determine both the optimal path of the abatement levels and stock pollutant as results of open‐loop and feedback Nash equilibria. By means of the concepts of internal and external stability, we explain how the environmental awareness of two types of countries and the number of cooperators and defectors influence the size of stable coalitions. The results establish that the asymmetry assumption does not have consequences for the stability of the grand coalition, which can be obtained only with transfers.
Different brain activity in response to emotional faces alone and augmented by contextual information
Authors: Lee Kyung Hwa , Siegle Greg J. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThis study examined the extent to which emotional face stimuli differ from the neural reactivity associated with more ecological contextually augmented stimuli. Participants were scanned when they viewed contextually rich pictures depicting both emotional faces and context, and pictures of emotional faces presented alone. Emotional faces alone were more strongly associated with brain activity in paralimbic and social information processing regions, whereas emotional faces augmented by context were associated with increased and sustained activity in regions potentially representing increased complexity and subjective emotional experience. Furthermore, context effects were modulated by emotional intensity and valence. These findings suggest that cortical elaboration that is apparent in contextually augmented stimuli may be missed in studies of emotional faces alone, whereas emotional faces may more selectively recruit limbic reactivity.
Normal crossing properties of complex hypersurfaces via logarithmic residues
Authors: Granger Michel , Schulze Mathias 
Published: June 2014

AbstractWe introduce a dual logarithmic residue map for hypersurface singularities and use it to answer a question of Kyoji Saito. Our result extends a theorem of Lê and Saito by an algebraic characterization of hypersurfaces that are normal crossing in codimension one. For free divisors, we relate the latter condition to other natural conditions involving the Jacobian ideal and the normalization. This leads to an algebraic characterization of normal crossing divisors. As a side result, we describe all free divisors with Gorenstein singular locus.
Early MicroRNA Expression Profile as a Prognostic Biomarker for the Development of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in a Mouse Model of Chlamydial Genital Infection
Authors: Yeruva Laxmi , Myers Garry S. A. , Spencer Nicole , Creasy Heather Huot , Adams Nancy E. , Maurelli Anthony T. , McChesney Grant R. , Cleves Mario A. , Ravel Jacques , Bowlin Anne , Rank Roger G. 
Published: June 2014

ABSTRACT

It is not currently possible to predict the probability of whether a woman with a chlamydial genital infection will develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). To determine if specific biomarkers may be associated with distinct chlamydial pathotypes, we utilized two
Chlamydia muridarum
variants (
C. muridarum
Var001 [CmVar001] and CmVar004) that differ in their abilities to elicit upper genital tract pathology in a mouse model. CmVar004 has a lower growth rate
in vitro
and induces pathology in only 20% of C57BL/6 mouse oviducts versus 83.3% of oviducts in CmVar001-infected mice. To determine if chemokine and cytokine production within 24 h of infection is associated with the outcome of pathology, levels of 15 chemokines and cytokines were measured. CmVar004 infection induced significantly lower levels of CXCL1, CXCL2, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and CCL2 in comparison to CmVar001 infection with similar rRNA (
rs16
) levels for
Chlamydiae
. A combination of microRNA (miRNA) sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of 134 inflammation-related miRNAs was performed 24 h postinfection to determine if the chemokine/cytokine responses would also be reflected in miRNA expression profiles. Interestingly, 12 miRNAs (miR-135a-5p, miR298-5p, miR142-3p, miR223-3p, miR299a-3p, miR147-3p, miR105, miR325-3p, miR132-3p, miR142-5p, miR155-5p, and miR-410-3p) were overexpressed during CmVar004 infection compared to CmVar001 infection, inversely correlating with the respective chemokine/cytokine responses. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that early biomarkers elicited in the host can differentiate between two pathological variants of chlamydiae and be predictive of upper tract disease.

IMPORTANCE
It is apparent that an infecting chlamydial population consists of multiple genetic variants with differing capabilities of eliciting a pathological response; thus, it may be possible to identify biomarkers specific for a given virulence pathotype. miRNAs are known to regulate genes that in turn regulate signaling pathways involved in disease pathogenesis. Importantly, miRNAs are stable and can reflect a tissue response and therefore have the potential to be biomarkers of disease severity. Currently, with respect to chlamydial infections, there is no way to predict whether an infected patient is more or less likely to develop PID. However, data presented in this study indicate that the expression of a specific miRNA profile associated with a virulent variant early in the infection course may be predictive of an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, allowing more aggressive treatment before significant pathology develops.
Novel Components of the Flagellar System in Epsilonproteobacteria
Authors: Gao Beile , Lara-Tejero Maria , Lefebre Matthew , Goodman Andrew L. , Galán Jorge E. 
Published: June 2014

ABSTRACT

Motility is essential for the pathogenesis of many bacterial species. Most bacteria move using flagella, which are multiprotein filaments that rotate propelled by a cell wall-anchored motor using chemical energy. Although some components of the flagellar apparatus are common to many bacterial species, recent studies have shown significant differences in the flagellar structures of different bacterial species. The molecular bases for these differences, however, are not understood. The flagella from epsilonproteobacteria, which include the bacterial pathogens
Campylobacter jejuni
and
Helicobacter pylori
, are among the most divergent. Using next-generation sequencing combined with transposon mutagenesis, we have conducted a comprehensive high-throughput genetic screen in
Campylobacter jejuni
, which identified several novel components of its flagellar system. Biochemical analyses detected interactions between the identified proteins and known components of the flagellar machinery, and
in vivo
imaging located them to the bacterial poles, where flagella assemble. Most of the identified new components are conserved within but restricted to epsilonproteobacteria. These studies provide insight into the divergent flagella of this group of bacteria and highlight the complexity of this remarkable structure, which has adapted to carry out its conserved functions in the context of widely diverse bacterial species.

IMPORTANCE
Motility is essential for the normal physiology and pathogenesis of many bacterial species. Most bacteria move using flagella, which are multiprotein filaments that rotate propelled by a motor that uses chemical energy as fuel. Although some components of the flagellar apparatus are common to many bacterial species, recent studies have shown significant divergence in the flagellar structures across bacterial species. However, the molecular bases for these differences are not understood. The flagella from epsilonproteobacteria, which include the bacterial pathogens
Campylobacter jejuni
and
Helicobacter pylori
, are among the most divergent. We conducted a comprehensive genetic screen in
Campylobacter jejuni
and identified several novel components of the flagellar system. These studies provide important information to understand how flagella have adapted to function in the context of widely diverse sets of bacterial species and bring unique insight into the evolution and function of this remarkable bacterial organelle.
The safety and efficacy of daptomycin versus other antibiotics for skin and soft-tissue infections: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Wang Shou Zhen , Hu Jun Tao , Zhang Chi , Zhou Wei , Chen Xian Feng , Jiang Liang Yan , Tang Zhan Hong 
Published: June 2014

ObjectiveDaptomycin, a cyclic lipopeptide that exhibits rapid, concentration-dependent bactericidal activity in vitro against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive pathogens, has now, since 2003, been approved in more than 70 countries and regions to treat skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the safety and efficacy of daptomycin with other antibiotics, especially with vancomycin which has long been considered the standard therapy for complicated SSTIs.DesignMeta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).Data sourcesWe thoroughly searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central to identify relevant RCTs. Six RCTs with a total of 1710 patients were included in this meta-analysis.ResultsThe results demonstrated that the efficacy of daptomycin was at par with or maybe better than other first-line antibiotics for treating SSTIs as shown by the OR for clinical success (OR=1.05, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.31, p=0.65, I2=0%); daptomycin versus vancomycin subgroup (OR=1.19, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.83, p=0.43, I2=0%); overall microbiological success (OR=1.05, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.79, p=0.86, I2=42%); microbiological success of daptomycin versus comparators forStaphylococcus aureus(SA, OR=1.05, 95% CI 0.61 to 2.60, p=0.53, I2=47%), for methicillin-resistantS. aureus(OR=0.90, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.06, p=0.20, I2=56%). However, daptomycin tended to have a similar treatment-related adverse events (AEs) incidence in comparison with other antibiotics (OR=1.06, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.59, p=0.76, I2=41%). The trend showed that daptomycin might cause less discontinuation due to AEs and death compared with other first-line antibiotics (OR=0.71, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.10, p=0.12, I2=11%). Significantly more patients in the daptomyicn group had creatine phosphokinase elevation than those in the control group; however, it could be reversed when the therapy ended (OR=1.95, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.65, p=0.04, I2=0).ConclusionsThis meta-analysis demonstrated that the safety and efficacy of daptomycin was not inferior to that of other first-line drugs, and daptomycin tended to exhibit superior efficacy when compared with vancomycin or with comparators for SA infections; nevertheless, more high-quality RCTs are needed to draw a more credible conclusion.
Digitised audio questionnaire for assessment of informed consent comprehension in a low-literacy African research population: development and psychometric evaluation
Authors: Afolabi Muhammed O , Bojang Kalifa , D'Alessandro Umberto , Ota Martin O C , Imoukhuede Egeruan B , Ravinetto Raffaella , Larson Heidi J , McGrath Nuala , Chandramohan Daniel 
Published: June 2014

ObjectiveTo develop and psychometrically evaluate an audio digitised tool for assessment of comprehension of informed consent among low-literacy Gambian research participants.SettingWe conducted this study in the Gambia where a high illiteracy rate and absence of standardised writing formats of local languages pose major challenges for research participants to comprehend consent information. We developed a 34-item questionnaire to assess participants’ comprehension of key elements of informed consent. The questionnaire was face validated and content validated by experienced researchers. To bypass the challenge of a lack of standardised writing formats, we audiorecorded the questionnaire in three major Gambian languages: Mandinka, Wolof and Fula. The questionnaire was further developed into an audio computer-assisted interview format.ParticipantsThe digitised questionnaire was administered to 250 participants enrolled in two clinical trials in the urban and rural areas of the Gambia. One week after first administration, the questionnaire was readministered to half of the participants who were randomly selected. Participants were eligible if enrolled in the parent trials and could speak any of the three major Gambian languages.Outcome measureThe primary outcome measure was reliability and validity of the questionnaire.ResultsItem reduction by factor analysis showed that 21 of the question items have strong factor loadings. These were retained along with five other items which were fundamental components of informed consent. The 26-item questionnaire has high internal consistency with a Cronbach's α of 0.73–0.79 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.94 (95% CI 0.923 to 0.954). Hypotheses testing also showed that the questionnaire has a positive correlation with a similar questionnaire and discriminates between participants with and without education.ConclusionsWe have developed a reliable and valid measure of comprehension of informed consent information for the Gambian context, which might be easily adapted to similar settings. This is a major step towards engendering comprehension of informed consent information among low-literacy participants.
Nutrient intake and brain biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in at-risk cognitively normal individuals: a cross-sectional neuroimaging pilot study
Authors: Mosconi Lisa , Murray John , Davies Michelle , Williams Schantel , Pirraglia Elizabeth , Spector Nicole , Tsui Wai H , Li Yi , Butler Tracy , Osorio Ricardo S , Glodzik Lidia , Vallabhajosula Shankar , McHugh Pauline , Marmar Charles R , de Leon Mony J 
Published: June 2014

ObjectiveThere is increasing evidence to suggest that diet, one of the most important modifiable environmental factors, may play a role in preventing or delaying cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study examines the relationship between dietary nutrients and brain biomarkers of AD in cognitively normal individuals (NL) with and without AD risk factors.DesignAs part of an ongoing brain imaging study, participants received clinical and laboratory examinations, a neurocognitive test battery, positron emission tomography (PET) with11C-Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB; a measure of amyloid-β (Aβ) load) and18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG; a proxy of neuronal activity), and completed semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires.SettingResearch centre affiliated with the Alzheimer's disease Core Center at New York University School of Medicine.Participants49 NL individuals (age 25–72 years, 69% women) with dietary information,11C-PiB and18F-FDG PET scans were examined.ResultsControlling for age and total caloric intake, higher intake of vitamin B12, vitamin D and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) was associated with lower Aβ load in AD regions on PiB-PET, while higher intake of β-carotene and folate was associated with higher glucose metabolism on FDG-PET. β-carotene and folate were associated with reduced glucose metabolism for women, apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE4) carriers and participants with positive AD family history, but not for their risk-free counterparts. The associations of vitamin B12, vitamin D and ω-3 PUFA with PiB retention were independent of gender, APOE and family history. The identified nutrient combination was associated with higher intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fish and legumes, and lower intake of high-fat dairies, meat and sweets.ConclusionsOur data provide a potential pathophysiological mechanism for epidemiological findings showing that dietary interventions may play a role in the prevention of AD. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether there is a direct link between nutrient intake, brain biomarkers and risk of AD.