bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patterns of healthcare use among adolescents attending an urban general practitioner-led urgent care centre
Authors: Gnani Shamini , McDonald Helen , Islam Saiful , Ramzan Farzan , Davison Michele , Ladbrooke Tim , Majeed Azeem , Saxena Sonia 
Published: July 2013

IntroductionAdolescence is a time of increasing health and peak fitness, as well as increasing health risks. In the UK, primary care is free at the point of access, yet, adolescents aged 10–19 years are the lowest users of primary care services, and disproportionately high users of emergency services. The effect of new general practitioner (GP)-led urgent care centres in meeting the needs of adolescents are unknown.MethodsWe used routinely collected data to describe the demographics and attendance pattern among adolescents at two new colocated GP-led urgent care centres at Hammersmith and Charing Cross Hospitals, London. We also compared attendance rates with those observed in routine general practice and emergency departments.ResultsAdolescents formed 6.5% (N=14 038) of total urgent care attendances. 13.2% (95% CI 12.9% to 14.1%) was recorded as not being registered with a GP. Commonest reasons for attendance were musculoskeletal conditions and injuries (30.2%), respiratory tract infections (12.5%) and limb fractures (5.1%). Adolescents aged 15–19 years were more likely to attend the centres (30.6 vs 23.4, per 100, p<0.0001) than routine general practice. The opposite was true for adolescents aged 10–14 years.ConclusionsAdolescents aged 15–19 years are more likely to attend urgent care centres than general practice. The majority attended for conditions commonly seen in primary care including musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, and respiratory tract infections. Primary care services may need to be more responsive to needs of the older adolescent age, if their use of urgent care centres is to be reduced.
Emergency medical services versus private transport of trauma patients in the Sultanate of Oman: a retrospective audit at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital
Authors: Al-Shaqsi Sultan , Al-Kashmiri Ammar , Al-Hajri Hamood , Al-Harthy Abdullah 
Published: July 2013

AimsThis study aims to assess the differences in the outcome of road traffic trauma patients between those transported by emergency medical services (EMS) and those privately transported to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in the Sultanate of Oman in 2011.MethodsThis is a retrospective study of road traffic trauma patients admitted to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital between January to December 2011. Data for all cases were retrieved from the emergency department database. The general linear multivariate regression analysis model was performed to test the differences in outcome. The analysis controlled for age, gender, ethnicity, weekend injury, time of injury, triage status, Injury Severity Score, existence of head injury, need for intensive care unit admission and need for surgical management.ResultsThere were 821 trauma cases in 2011. 66.7% were transported by EMS. Male patients represented 65.7% of the cases. There was no significant difference in the characteristics of EMS and non-EMS trauma patients. In terms of inhospital mortality, the relative ratio of inhospital mortality between EMS and non-EMS groups was 0.64 (0.36–1.13), and p value 0.13. There is no significant difference in all other secondary outcomes tested.ConclusionsEMS transported trauma patients had a statistically non-significant 36% reduction in mortality compared with privately transported patients admitted to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in 2011. Further, research that incorporates prehospital factors such as crash to arrival of EMS services and transport time to definitive healthcare facility should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of such a system in trauma care. Since non-EMS transport is likely to continue, public first aid training is critical to reduce mortality and morbidity of road traffic trauma in Oman.
JAK-STAT Blockade Inhibits Tumor Initiation and Clonogenic Recovery of Prostate Cancer Stem-like Cells
Authors: Kroon Paula , Berry Paul A. , Stower Michael J. , Rodrigues Greta , Mann Vincent M. , Simms Matthew , Bhasin Deepak , Chettiar Somsundaram , Li Chenglong , Li Pui-Kai , Maitland Norman J. , Collins Anne T. 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-6 overexpression and constitutive STAT3 activation occur in many cancers, including prostate cancer. However, their contribution to prostate stem and progenitor cells has not been explored. In this study, we show that stem-like cells from patients with prostate cancer secrete higher levels of IL-6 than their counterparts in non-neoplastic prostate. Tumor grade did not influence the levels of expression or secretion. Stem-like and progenitor cells expressed the IL-6 receptor gp80 with concomitant expression of pSTAT3. Blockade of activated STAT3, by either anti-IL-6 antibody siltuximab (CNTO 328) or LLL12, a specific pSTAT3 inhibitor, suppressed the clonogenicity of the stem-like cells in patients with high-grade disease. In a murine xenograft model used to determine the in vivo effects of pSTAT3 suppression, LLL12 treatment effectively abolished outgrowth of a patient-derived castrate-resistant tumor. Our results indicate that the most primitive cells in prostate cancer require pSTAT3 for survival, rationalizing STAT3 as a therapeutic target to treat advanced prostate cancer. Cancer Res; 73(16); 5288–98. ©2013 AACR.
Simple Clinical Risk Score Identifies Patients with Serrated Polyps in Routine Practice
Authors: Bouwens Mariëlle W.E. , Winkens Bjorn , Rondagh Eveline J.A. , Driessen Ann L. , Riedl Robert G. , Masclee Ad A.M. , Sanduleanu Silvia 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Large, proximal, or dysplastic (LPD) serrated polyps (SP) need accurate endoscopic recognition and removal as these might progress to colorectal cancer. Herewith, we examined the risk factors for having ≥1 LPD SP. We developed and validated a simple SP risk score as a potential tool for improving their detection. We reviewed clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features of serrated polyps in a study of patients undergoing elective colonoscopy (derivation cohort). A self-administered questionnaire was obtained. We conducted logistic regression analyses to identify independent risk factors for having ≥1 LPD SP and incorporated significant variables into a clinical score. We subsequently tested the performance of the SP score in a validation cohort. We examined 2,244 patients in the derivation and 2,402 patients in the validation cohort; 6.3% and 8.2% had ≥1 LPD SP, respectively. Independent risk factors for LPD SPs were age of more than 50 years [OR 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3–3.8; P = 0.004], personal history of serrated polyps (OR 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3–4.9; P = 0.005), current smoking (OR 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4–3.6; P = 0.001), and nondaily/no aspirin use (OR 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1–3.0; P = 0.016). In the validation cohort, a SP score ≥5 points was associated with a 3.0-fold increased odds for LPD SPs, compared with patients with a score &lt;5 points. In the present study, age of more than 50 years, a personal history of serrated polyps, current smoking, and nondaily/no aspirin use were independent risk factors for having LPD SPs. The SP score might aid the endoscopist in the detection of such lesions. Cancer Prev Res; 6(8); 855–63. ©2013 AACR.
Myocardin Regulates Vascular Response to Injury Through miR-24/-29a and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor-β
Authors: Talasila Amarnath , Yu Haixiang , Ackers-Johnson Matthew , Bot Martine , van Berkel Theo , Bennett Martin R. , Bot Ilze , Sinha Sanjay 
Published: July 2013

Objective—
Myocardin, a potent transcriptional coactivator of serum response factor, is involved in vascular development and promotes a contractile smooth muscle phenotype. Myocardin levels are reduced during vascular injury, in association with phenotypic switching of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). However, the direct role of myocardin in vascular disease is unclear.

Approach and Results—

We show that re-expression of myocardin prevents the vascular injury response in murine carotid arteries, with reduced neointima formation due to decreased SMC migration and proliferation. Myocardin reduced SMC migration by downregulating platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRB) expression. Pdgfrb was regulated by myocardin-induced miR-24 and miR-29a expression, and antagonizing these microRNAs restored SMC migration. Furthermore, using miR-24 and miR-29a mimics, we demonstrated that miR-29a directly regulates
Pdgfrb
expression at the 3′ untranslated region while miR-24 has an indirect effect on
Pdgfrb
levels. Myocardin heterozygous-null mice showed an augmented neointima formation with increased SMC migration and proliferation, demonstrating that endogenous levels of myocardin are a critical regulator of vessel injury responses.

Conclusions—
Our results extend the function of myocardin from a developmental role to a pivotal regulator of SMC phenotype in response to injury, and this transcriptional coactivator may be an attractive target for novel therapeutic strategies in vascular disease.
Endothelial Von Willebrand Factor Promotes Blood–Brain Barrier Flexibility and Provides Protection From Hypoxia and Seizures in Mice
Authors: Suidan Georgette L. , Brill Alexander , De Meyer Simon F. , Voorhees Jaymie R. , Cifuni Stephen M. , Cabral Jessica E. , Wagner Denisa D. 
Published: July 2013

Objective—
Aberrant blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability is a hallmark pathology of many central nervous system diseases. von Willebrand factor (VWF) is stored in endothelial Weibel–Palade bodies from where it is released on activation into plasma and basement membrane. The role of VWF in endothelial homeostasis is unclear. The goal of this study was to assess the role of VWF in disease models associated with increased BBB permeability.

Approach and Results—

We did not find any differences in BBB permeability to Evans blue dye at baseline between wild-type and VWF
−/−
animals. We next used 2 models presenting with increased BBB permeability, hypoxia/reoxygenation and pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus, to assess the response of VWF
−/−
animals. In both models, VWF
−/−
mice maintained a tighter BBB than wild–type mice. VWF
−/−
mice fared worse in both conditions, with ≈100% of VWF
−/−
mice dying within 120 minutes after pilocarpine administration, whereas >80% of wild-type animals survived. Investigation into the status of tight junction proteins revealed that VWF
−/−
mice expressed more claudin-5 at baseline. In vitro work confirmed that the presence of subendothelial VWF is inhibitory to claudin-5 expression.

Conclusions—
VWF deficiency confers partial preservation of BBB integrity after hypoxia/reoxygenation and seizures. Surprisingly, this decrease in BBB permeability did not result in protection of animals because they demonstrated more severe pathology in both models compared with wild-type animals. These data suggest that a rigid BBB is detrimental (to the organism) during certain disease states and that VWF release may provide desired flexibility under stress.
Nematicidal activity of gallic acid purified from Terminalia nigrovenulosa bark against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Nguyen Dang-Minh-Chanh , Seo Dong-Jun , Nguyen Van-Nam , Kim Kil-Yong , Park Ro-Dong , Jung Woo-Jin 
Published: July 2013

The nematicidal activity of Terminalia nigrovenulosa bark (TNB) and its purified compound were assayed against Meloidogyne incognita in vitro. The nematicidal compound was isolated from TNB using silica gel column and Sephadex LH-20 chromatography combined with thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. Structural identification of the nematicidal compound was conducted using 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C-NMR and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We found that the nematicidal compound purified from TNB was gallic acid (GA) or 3,4,5-trihydroxy benzoic acid. Nematicidal activity bioassays revealed that GA treatment resulted in 20.3, 37.5, 73.3, 88.3 and 95.8% hatch inhibition at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg ml−1 after 3 days, respectively, of incubation. Eggshells appeared to be deformed and destroyed at 2 and 3 days after incubation with a GA concentration of 1.0 mg ml−1, respectively. Additionally, after treatment with a GA concentration of 1.0 mg ml−1, mortality of second-stage juveniles of M. incognita was 65.0, 75.0, 96.7 and 100% at 3, 6, 9 and 12 h incubation, respectively.
Transcriptional silencing of RNAi constructs against nematode genes in Arabidopsis
Authors: Kyndt Tina , Ji Hongli , Vanholme Bartel , Gheysen Godelieve 
Published: July 2013

In this research, Arabidopsis thaliana plants were transformed with hairpin constructs targeting cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii) genes, driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter: two housekeeping genes (the splicing factor Hs-U2AF and the vacuolar Hs-H+ATPase) and one candidate effector gene (the ubiquitin extension protein Hs-ubi). Expression of the dsRNA appeared to be extremely variable between and within homozygous T3 lines and even between tissues. Infection experiments showed up to 50% reduction in nematode infection for some transgenic lines. The results varied not only between lines containing the same construct but also between independent repetitions of the experiment. Further focusing on the Hs-U2AF-RNAi lines revealed large variations and a general decline of construct expression levels over the generations. Bisulphite sequencing of a 197 bp part of the CaMV 35S promoter revealed substantial methylation in this region and a negative correlation between the methylation level and expression of the hairpin construct. Taken together, our results show that host-generated RNAi can suffer from high levels of transcriptional silencing of the construct, leading to varying expression levels within and between transgenic lines.
Antagonistic potential of Paenibacillus elgii HOA73 against the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Nguyen Xuan Hoa , Naing Kyaw Wai , Lee Young Seong , Jung Woo Jin , Anees Muhammad , Kim Kil Yong 
Published: July 2013

This study was conducted to evaluate the nematicidal potential of Paenibacillus elgii strain HOA73 against the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. The novel strain HOA73 (GenBank accession number JQ12069) produced hydrolytic enzymes including gelatinase and chitinase. Exposure of M. incognita to various concentrations (10-30%) of the bacterial culture filtrate (BCF) or 0.05-0.4 mg ml−1 of the crude enzymes produced by P. elgii HOA73 significantly reduced hatch of the second-stage juvenile (J2) and caused substantial mortality under in vitro conditions. The hatch inhibition and J2 mortality rate was enhanced with the increase in the concentration of BCF and the crude enzymes. Similarly, the antagonistic effects also increased significantly over the time for which the treatments were given. Moreover, the crude enzymes partially destroyed cuticle layers of eggs and juveniles at 0.4 mg ml−1 concentration. Furthermore, the pot experiment indicated that addition of HOA73 culture into potted soil significantly reduced the root galling, number of egg masses and nematode population by 62.1%, 69.8% and 53.0%, respectively, as compared to the control at 7 weeks after M. incognita infestation. HOA73 inoculation also promoted tomato plant fresh shoot weight by 17.9% as compared to control. Hence, the present results demonstrated the ability of P. elgii HOA73 as a potential biocontrol candidate against the root-knot nematode as well as a plant growth promoter for tomato.
An Air–Sea Coupled Skeleton Model for the Madden–Julian Oscillation*
Authors: Liu Fei , Wang Bin 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
This work is an extension and improvement of the minimal Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) “skeleton” model developed by Majda and Stechmann, which can capture some important features of the MJO—slow eastward propagation, quadrupole-vortex structure, and independence of frequency on wavelength—but is unable to produce unstable growth and selection of eastward-propagating planetary waves. With the addition of planetary boundary layer frictional moisture convergence, these deficiencies can be remedied. The frictional boundary layer “selects” the planetary-scale eastward propagation as the most unstable mode, but the dynamics remains confined to atmospheric processes only. Here the authors study the role of air–sea interaction by implementing an oceanic mixed-layer (ML) model of Wang and Xie into the MJO skeleton model. In this new air–sea coupled skeleton model, the features of the original skeleton model remain; additionally, the air–sea interaction under mean westerly winds is shown to produce a strong instability that selectively destabilizes the eastward-propagating planetary-scale waves. Although the cloud–shortwave radiation–sea surface temperature (CRS) feedback destabilizes both eastward and westward modes, the air–sea feedback associated with the evaporation and oceanic entrainment favors planetary-scale eastward modes. Over the Western Hemisphere where easterly background winds prevail, the evaporation and entrainment feedbacks yield damped modes, indicating that longitudinal variation of the mean surface winds plays an important role in regulation of the MJO intensity in addition to the longitudinal variation of the mean sea surface temperature or mean moist static stability. This theoretical analysis suggests that accurate simulation of the climatological mean state is critical for capturing the realistic air–sea interaction and thus the MJO.
Effects of Vertical Shears and Midlevel Dry Air on Tropical Cyclone Developments*
Authors: Ge Xuyang , Li Tim , Peng Melinda 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
A set of idealized experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) were designed to investigate the impacts of a midlevel dry air layer, vertical shear, and their combined effects on tropical cyclone (TC) development. Compared with previous studies that focused on the relative radial position of dry air with no mean flow, it is found that the combined effect of dry air and environmental vertical shear can greatly affect TC development. Moreover, this study indicates the importance of dry air and vertical shear orientations in determining the impact. The background vertical shear causes the tilting of an initially vertically aligned vortex. The shear forces a secondary circulation (FSC) with ascent (descent) in the downshear (upshear) flank. Hence, convection tends to be favored on the downshear side. The FSC reinforced by the convection may overcome the shear-induced drifting and “restore” the vertical alignment. When dry air is located in the downshear-right quadrant of the initial vortex, the dry advection by cyclonic circulation brings the dry air to the downshear side and suppresses moist convection therein. Such a process disrupts the “restoring” mechanism associated with the FSC and thus inhibits TC development. The sensitivity experiments show that, for a fixed dry air condition, a marked difference occurs in TC development between an easterly and a westerly shear background.
Evaluation of Multiple Dynamic Initialization Schemes for Tropical Cyclone Prediction
Authors: Hendricks Eric A. , Peng Melinda S. , Li Tim 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Three different dynamic initialization schemes for tropical cyclone (TC) prediction in numerical prediction systems are described and evaluated. The first scheme involves the removal of the analyzed vortex, followed by the insertion of a dynamically initialized vortex into the model analyses. This scheme is referred to as the tropical cyclone dynamic initialization scheme (TCDI) because the TC component is nudged to the observed surface pressure in an independent three-dimensional primitive equation model prior to insertion. The second scheme is a 12-h relaxation to the analyses' horizontal momentum before the forecast integration begins, and is called the dynamic initialization (DI) scheme. The third scheme is a combination of the previous two schemes, and is called the two-stage dynamic initialization scheme (TCDI/DI). In the first stage, TCDI is implemented in order to improve the representation of the TC vortex. In the second stage, DI is invoked in order to improve the balance between the inserted TC vortex and its environment. All three dynamic initialization schemes are compared with a control (CNTL) scheme, which creates the initial vortex using synthetic TC observations that match the observed intensity and structure in a three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system. The four schemes are tested on 120 cases in the North Atlantic and western North Pacific basins during 2010 and 2011 using the Naval Research Laboratory's TC prediction model: Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System-Tropical Cyclones (COAMPS-TC). It is demonstrated that TCDI/DI performed the best overall with regard to intensity forecasts, reducing the average minimum central pressure error for all lead times by 24.4% compared to the CNTL scheme.
The β2 integrin–kindlin-3 interaction is essential for T-cell homing but dispensable for T-cell activation in vivo
Authors: Morrison Vicky Louise , MacPherson Matthew , Savinko Terhi , San Lek Hwee , Prescott Alan , Fagerholm Susanna Carola 
Published: July 2013

Key PointsTTT-motif in beta2-integrin binds kindlin-3. Mutation of TTT-motif affects T-cell homing not activation.
Basic science: Epigenetic programming and the respiratory system
Authors: Durham Andrew L. , Adcock Ian M. 
Published: July 2013

SummaryThe coordinated regulation of gene expression is crucial for survival, especially in multi-cellular organisms. Gene regulation can occur through a number of different mechanisms, which include the binding of transcription factors to gene promoters and enhancers and to gene repressors.Overlaid upon this is the epigenetic (or “above” genetics) regulation of gene expression. Epigenetics has been implicated in the determination of cell differentiation and the control of gene expression by each cell under different external stimuli. Epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, which is principally involved in gene silencing, and plays a key role in maintaining cellular differentiation. Another layer of epigenetic regulation is DNA packaging into chromatin, which can alter the availability of the DNA, and is controlled by histone modifications. Finally non-coding RNAs can also affect the stability of coding mRNA and its ability to interact with ribosomes and be translated into protein.These epigenetic mechanisms are heritable, and maintained through multiple cell divisions, helping to control cell fate, and can even be passed onto germ cells and future generations. In addition to inheritance epigenetics can be altered by the environment, and factors such as pollution and cigarette smoking have been shown to alter the epigenetic profile of cells.The role of epigenetics in controlling gene expression in complex organs, such as the lungs, is a promising area of research and may help to explain complex inheritance patterns and environmental interactions of many lung diseases including asthma, COPD and lung cancer.