bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nocturnal oxytocin secretion is lower in amenorrheic athletes than nonathletes and associated with bone microarchitecture and finite element analysis parameters
Authors: Lawson Elizabeth A , Ackerman Kathryn E , Estella Nara Mendes , Guereca Gabriela , Pierce Lisa , Sluss Patrick M , Bouxsein Mary L , Klibanski Anne , Misra Madhusmita 
Published: December 2012

ObjectivePreclinical data indicate that oxytocin, a hormone produced in the hypothalamus and secreted into the peripheral circulation, is anabolic to bone. Oxytocin knockout mice have severe osteoporosis, and administration of oxytocin improves bone microarchitecture in these mice. Data suggest that exercise may modify oxytocin secretion, but this has not been studied in athletes in relation to bone. We therefore investigated oxytocin secretion and its association with bone microarchitecture and strength in young female athletes.DesignCross-sectional study of 45 females, 14–21 years (15 amenorrheic athletes (AA), 15 eumenorrheic athletes (EA), and 15 nonathletes (NA)), of comparable bone age and BMI.MethodsWe used high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT to assess bone microarchitecture and finite element analysis to estimate bone strength at the weight-bearing distal tibia and non-weight-bearing ultradistal radius. Serum samples were obtained every 60 min, 2300–0700 h, and pooled for an integrated measure of nocturnal oxytocin secretion. Midnight and 0700 h samples were used to assess diurnal variation of oxytocin.ResultsNocturnal oxytocin levels were lower in AA and EA than in NA. After controlling for estradiol, the difference in nocturnal oxytocin between AA and NA remained significant. Midnight and 0700 h oxytocin levels did not differ between groups. At the tibia and radius, AA had impaired microarchitecture compared with NA. In AA, nocturnal oxytocin correlated strongly with trabecular and cortical microarchitecture, particularly at the non-weight-bearing radius. In regression models that include known predictors of microarchitecture in AA, oxytocin accounted for a substantial portion of the variability in microarchitectural and strength parameters.ConclusionsNocturnal oxytocin secretion is low in AA compared with NA and associated with site-dependent microarchitectural parameters. Oxytocin may contribute to hypoestrogenemic bone loss in AA.
Endocrine health conditions in adult survivors of childhood cancer: the need for specialized adult-focused follow-up clinics
Authors: Brignardello E , Felicetti F , Castiglione A , Chiabotto P , Corrias A , Fagioli F , Ciccone G , Boccuzzi G 
Published: December 2012

BackgroundSurvival rates among childhood cancer survivors (CCS) have enormously increased in the last 40 years. However, this improvement has been achieved at the expense of serious late effects that frequently involve the endocrine system.AimTo evaluate the cumulative incidence of endocrine diseases in a cohort of long-term CCS.Materials and methodsWe analyzed the clinical data of 310 adults, followed for a median time of 16.0 years after the first cancer diagnosis. The monitoring protocols applied to each patient were personalized on the basis of cancer diagnosis and previous treatments, according to the Children's Oncology Group guidelines.ResultsThe cumulative incidence of endocrine late effects steadily increased over time. At the last follow-up visit available, 48.46% of females and 62.78% of males were affected by at least one endocrine disease. The most common disorders were gonadal dysfunction, primary hypothyroidism, and GH deficiency (GHD). The main risk factors for endocrine disease were male sex (hazard ratio (HR)=1.45, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.05–1.99), radiotherapy (HR=1.91, 95% CI 1.28–2.84), hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (HR=3.11, 95% CI 2.23–4.34), and older age at cancer diagnosis (HR=1.89, 95% CI 1.25–2.85). Male sex was associated with a higher risk of gonadal disorders, whereas radiotherapy specifically increased the risk of GHD and thyroid dysfunction.ConclusionsEndocrine disorders among CCS have a high prevalence and increase over time. Thus, endocrinologists need to cope with an increasing demand for health care in a field that is still little developed and that, in perspective, could also be extended to some selected types of adult cancer survivors.
Guided Bone Regeneration Using a Synthetic Polyethylene Glycol Hydrogel Membrane Over a Bone Substitute Material After Immediate Placement of a Non‐Submerged Implant
Authors: Ohayon Laurent 
Published: December 2012

Introduction: This case report describes a synthetic polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel membrane used to obtain guided bone regeneration (GBR) in a clinical case of a non‐submerged implant placement. The conditioning of this hydrogel membrane for bone regeneration is an innovation compared to previously used membranes in which the size and shape are already predetermined.Case Presentation: Eight weeks after a connective tissue graft on the maxillary lateral incisor of a 20‐year‐old female, tooth extraction and immediate implant placement were performed using a GBR technique with a PEG hydrogel membrane over a bone substitute material. The absence of inflammation and the good soft‐tissue healing confirmed the biocompatibility of the membrane. A three‐dimensional scan was taken to assess the behavior of the bone substitute covered with the PEG hydrogel membrane at 6 months after surgery.Conclusions: The synthetic PEG bone regeneration membrane presented in this case report differs from all other membranes by its hydrogel form. Its properties as described here make this membrane a new tool for clinicians and a source for additional clinical studies to analyze its characteristics in the various indications for GBR.
Virulence Mechanism of Bacteria in Mixed Infection: Attenuation of Cytokine Levels and Evasion of Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Phagocytosis
Authors: Polak David , Shapira Lior , Weiss Ervin I. , Houri‐Haddad Yael 
Published: December 2012

Background: The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of bacterial viability on the virulence of mixed infection.Methods: Expression of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐1β and IL‐10, respectively) was tested in vivo, following live versus heat‐killed infection (mono or mixed), using the mouse chamber model of infection. Ex vivo, phagocytosis of fluorescently labeled bacteria was tested in primary mouse polymorphonuclear leukocytes by flow cytometry.Results: In monoinfection, heat‐killed Porphyromonas gingivalis led to augmented levels of IL‐1β 2 hours postinfection, whereas IL‐10 levels remained unaffected. Phagocytosis of heat‐killed P. gingivalis was reduced compared with that of the live P. gingivalis, whereas phagocytosis of heat‐killed Fusobacterium nucleatum was augmented compared with that of live F. nucleatum. In mixed infection, both IL‐1β and IL‐10 levels were augmented 24 hours postinfection when the bacteria were heat‐killed. Although the phagocytosis pattern of F. nucleatum in the mixed infection remained similar to that upon monoinfection, phagocytosis of P. gingivalis was reduced following mixed infection.Conclusions: The inflammatory response to live mixed infection is attenuated with reduced phagocytosis, compared with that of heat‐killed mixed infection. The lower response to live mixed infection could stem from a mechanism enabling the bacteria to evade the host response, thereby increasing bacterial survival.
Efficacy of Collagen Membrane Seeded With Autologous Gingival Fibroblasts in Gingival Recession Treatment: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Köseoğlu Serhat , Duran İsmet , Sağlam Mehmet , Bozkurt S. Buket , Kırtıloğlu Osman S. , Hakkı Sema S. 
Published: December 2012

Background: Gingival recession (GR) is one of the most common esthetic concerns associated with periodontal tissues. Recently, tissue engineering technology has been developed and applied in periodontology for the treatment of GR. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy of collagen membrane with or without autologous gingival fibroblasts under a coronally advanced flap for root coverage.Methods: In this split‐mouth, controlled clinical study, 22 sites are selected from 11 patients with Miller Class I recessions affecting canines or premolars in the maxillary arch. One tooth in each patient was randomized to receive either a collagen membrane (CM) (control group) or a collagen membrane seeded with autologous gingival fibroblasts (CM+GF) (test group) under a coronally advanced flap. Thickness of the gingiva, GR, and percentage of root coverage (PRC) were recorded by a calibrated examiner at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Furthermore, GR and PRC were evaluated using photogrammetric analysis at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months.Results: Both treatments resulted in a significant gain in root coverage compared with baseline. A statistically significant increase was detected in PRC in the test group compared with the control group. No significant difference was noted between the test and control sites regarding the thickness of the gingiva.Conclusions: The results indicated that CM+GF prepared by tissue engineering technology can be considered an alternative method for the treatment of Miller Class I recession defects.
Ciegos ojos pecadores : visiones e invenciones de América
Authors: Amate Virginia Gil 
Published: December 2012

Este trabajo se aproxima a los planteamientos contemporáneos sobre « invención » de América y a las visiones ficcionales ligadas a lo maravilloso, contrastándolas con las aproximaciones a la realidad americana dadas por algunos cronistas de Indias. El análisis destaca el peso de los constructos de la alta cultura en la creación de imaginarios supuestamente colectivos.
Résonances dans la presse, de la politique sexuelle au Mexique
Authors: Ludec Nathalie 
Published: December 2012

La presse commerciale mexicaine a contribué à la construction de nouvelles identités sexuelles et de genre en donnant la parole à des militantes féministes, intellectuelles, au sein de leurs rédactions où elles interviennent avec une grande liberté d'écriture. Le rôle de ces collaboratrices consiste précisément à diffuser de nouvelles idées sur les femmes, les rapports entre les sexes, à la lumière du discours politique, en matière d'éducation sexuelle et de planification familiale. À partir d'une sélection d' articles issus des plus grands quotidiens mexicains des années 1970 (Novedades, El Universal, Unomásuno), l'analyse de contenu dégagera les stratégies mises en place par deux intellectuelles et militantes féministes, Elena Urrutia et Marta Lamas, d'une part pour décrypter les insuffisances du discours officiel en matière de politique sexuelle, sous les présidences de Luis Echeverría Álvarez et José López Portillo, et d'autre part pour proposer une analyse féministe en matière de sexualité au regard des pratiques culturelles.
L’égalité des chances dans l’enseignement supérieur
Authors: Ramos De Santana Aderivaldo 
Published: December 2012

Social exclusion, ethnical prejudices or racial taboos, influence the access to prestigious French Universities « les grandes écoles » and Brazilian Universities. How to promote universal access and consolidate the way to Democracy ? For 10 years, experience has shown that politics implemented in higher education do not necessary fit with existing realities : how to adjust educational politics to French & Brazilian social & cultural realities ? This paper analyses the 10 years’ implementation of the French model, based on a positive discrimination approach, and the Brazilian model, based on the affirmative action, which is the system most famous in the world.
Granzyme B–Mediated Damage of CD8+ T Cells Impairs Graft-versus-Tumor Effect
Authors: Bian Guanglin , Ding Xilai , Leigh Nicholas D. , Tang Youzhou , Capitano Maegan L. , Qiu Jingxin , McCarthy Philip L. , Liu Hong , Cao Xuefang 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is an established treatment for hematologic and other malignancies. Donor-derived immune cells can identify and attack host tumor cells, producing a graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect that is crucial to the treatment. Using multiple tumor models and diverse donor–host combinations, we have studied the role of granzyme B (GzmB) in GVT effect. We first confirmed previous findings that GzmB deficiency diminished the ability of a high dose of CD8+ T cells to cause lethal graft-versus-host disease. However, when GVT studies were performed using a moderate cell dose that the hosts could tolerate, GzmB−/− CD8+ T cells demonstrated a significantly enhanced GVT effect. GzmB-mediated, activation-induced cell death in wild-type CD8+ T cells was found responsible for their reduced GVT activity. Conversely, GzmB−/− CD8+ T cells exhibited enhanced expansion, skewed toward an effector or effector memory phenotype, and produced higher amounts of IFN-γ and Fas ligand that might contribute to GzmB-independent tumor control. These findings demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that GzmB-mediated damage of CD8+ T cells impairs the desired GVT effect. This study suggests that inhibiting donor-derived GzmB function may represent a promising strategy to improve GVT effect without exacerbating graft-versus-host disease.
Macrophage-Specific TLR2 Signaling Mediates Pathogen-Induced TNF-Dependent Inflammatory Oral Bone Loss
Authors: Papadopoulos George , Weinberg Ellen O. , Massari Paola , Gibson Frank C. , Wetzler Lee M. , Morgan Elise F. , Genco Caroline A. 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Porphyromonas gingivalis is a primary etiological agent of chronic periodontal disease, an infection-driven chronic inflammatory disease that leads to the resorption of tooth-supporting alveolar bone. We previously reported that TLR2 is required for P. gingivalis–induced alveolar bone loss in vivo, and our in vitro work implicated TNF as a key downstream mediator. In this study, we show that TNF-deficient (Tnf−/−) mice are resistant to alveolar bone loss following oral infection with P. gingivalis, and thus establish a central role for TNF in experimental periodontal disease. Using bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDM) from wild-type and gene-specific knockout mice, we demonstrate that the initial inflammatory response to P. gingivalis in naive macrophages is MyD88 dependent and requires cooperative signaling of TLR2 and TLR4. The ability of P. gingivalis to activate cells via TLR2 or TLR4 was confirmed in TLR2- or TLR4-transformed human embryonic kidney cells. Additional studies using bacterial mutants demonstrated a role for fimbriae in the modulation of TLR-mediated activation of NF-κB. Whereas both TLR2 and TLR4 contributed to TNF production in naive macrophages, P. gingivalis preferentially exploited TLR2 in endotoxin-tolerant BMDM to trigger excessive TNF production. We found that TNF induced surface TLR2 expression and augmented TLR-induced cytokine production in P. gingivalis–stimulated BMDM, establishing a previously unidentified TNF-dependent feedback loop. Adoptive transfer of TLR2-expressing macrophages to TLR2-deficient mice restored the ability of P. gingivalis to induce alveolar bone loss in vivo. Collectively, our results identify a TLR2- and TNF-dependent macrophage-specific mechanism underlying pathogen-induced inflammatory bone loss in vivo.
Transformative Technology in Microfinance: Delivering Hope Electronically?
Authors: Senthe Shanthi Elizabeth 
Published: December 2012

Considered a lifeline, and a convenience, a mobile phone has now acquired another transformative dimension within the microfinance context. As a result of the proliferation of mobile banking in emerging markets and developing countries, microfinance institutions (“MFIs”) have adopted similar technological enhancements to deliver microfinance products. This paper will explore how emerging technology advances has altered the contours of microfinance, specifically mobile banking (also known as “m-banking”) which is utilized to facilitate efficient financial services to a vast number of people without access to the formal banking system and financial services, otherwise known as the “unbanked”. This discussion offers a snapshot of the current state of mobile banking, and examines the kaleidoscopic approach used by microfinance institutions through several auxiliary considerations. Part I examines the underlying rationale in employing a cashless banking paradigm and illustrates how mobile banking is administered institutionally. Part II seeks to highlight the regulatory considerations intractable within the mobile banking discourse, and is intended to provide a survey of the current regulatory landscape, and finally, Part III focuses on uncovering the consumer perspective, and calls for a conceptual refinement in the interconnection of the social context within mobile banking. This paper is not intended to be categorized as a comparative law piece; rather its primary objective is to provide a snapshot of how certain jurisdictions have embraced mobile banking platforms and their legislative response thereto. This discussion is merely offered as part of a functionalist approach discourse currently adopted by regulators; as such this paper only offers a cursory perspective of emerging legal considerations within the mobile banking context as it relates to MFIs.
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Grafts Enhance Normal and Impaired Wound Healing by Recruiting Existing Endogenous Tissue Stem/Progenitor Cells
Authors: Shin Laura , Peterson Daniel A. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated as a clinical therapy to promote tissue repair. However, the disappearance of grafted cells soon after engraftment suggests a possible role as initiators of repair rather than effectors. We evaluated the relative contribution of grafted human MSCs and host stem/progenitor cells in promoting wound healing by using a novel asymmetric wound model in normal and impaired healing diabetic (db/db) mice to discriminate between the effect of direct engraftment and the subsequent systemic response. Experimental animals received paired wounds, with one wound receiving human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and the other wound receiving vehicle to assess local and systemic effects, respectively. Control animals received vehicle in both wounds. Grafted hMSCs significantly improved healing in both normal and impaired healing animals; produced significant elevation of signals such as Wnt3a, vascular endothelial growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α; and increased the number of pre-existing host MSCs recruited to the wound bed. Improvement was also seen in both the grafted and nongrafted sides, suggesting a systemic response to hMSC engraftment. Healing was enhanced despite the rapid loss of hMSCs, suggesting that mobilizing the host response is the major outcome of grafting MSCs to tissue repair. We validate that hMSCs evoke a host response that is clinically relevant, and we suggest that therapeutic efforts should focus on maximizing the mobilization of host MSCs.
Modeling and Rescue of the Vascular Phenotype of Williams-Beuren Syndrome in Patient Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Kinnear Caroline , Chang Wing Y. , Khattak Shahryar , Hinek Aleksander , Thompson Tadeo , de Carvalho Rodrigues Deivid , Kennedy Karen , Mahmut Naila , Pasceri Peter , Stanford William L. , Ellis James , Mital Seema 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Elastin haploinsufficiency in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) leads to increased vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation and stenoses. Our objective was to generate a human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cell model for in vitro assessment of the WBS phenotype and to test the ability of candidate agents to rescue the phenotype. hiPS cells were reprogrammed from skin fibroblasts of a WBS patient with aortic and pulmonary stenosis and healthy control BJ fibroblasts using four-factor retrovirus reprogramming and were differentiated into SMCs. Differentiated SMCs were treated with synthetic elastin-binding protein ligand 2 (EBPL2) (20 μg/ml) or the antiproliferative drug rapamycin (100 nM) for 5 days. We generated four WBS induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines that expressed pluripotency genes and differentiated into all three germ layers. Directed differentiation of BJ iPS cells yielded an 85%–92% pure SMC population that expressed differentiated SMC markers, were functionally contractile, and formed tube-like structures on three-dimensional gel assay. Unlike BJ iPS cells, WBS iPS cells generated immature SMCs that were highly proliferative, showed lower expression of differentiated SMC markers, reduced response to the vasoactive agonists, carbachol and endothelin-1, impaired vascular tube formation, and reduced calcium flux. EBPL2 partially rescued and rapamycin fully rescued the abnormal SMC phenotype by decreasing the smooth muscle proliferation rate and enhancing differentiation and tube formation. WBS iPS cell-derived SMCs demonstrate an immature proliferative phenotype with reduced functional and contractile properties, thereby recapitulating the human disease phenotype. The ability of rapamycin to rescue the phenotype provides an attractive therapeutic candidate for patients with WBS and vascular stenoses.
Incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Sweden: A Nationwide Population‐Based Assessment of Incidence, Its Determinants, and Treatment Penetration
Authors: Eriksson Jonas K. , Neovius Martin , Ernestam Sofia , Lindblad Staffan , Simard Julia F. , Askling Johan 
Published: December 2012

ObjectiveTo estimate the nationwide incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Sweden, including its variation across age, sex, geography, and demography, and to describe the sensitivity of register‐based incidence estimates to different RA case definitions.MethodsIncident RA patients were identified using the Swedish National Patient Register. In the base case, incident RA was defined as first‐ever inpatient or nonprimary outpatient care visit listing an RA diagnosis in 2006–2008, with a second visit listing RA within 1 year. Patients prescribed disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs more than 6 months prior to the first visit listing RA were not regarded as incident. The robustness of this definition was evaluated by more liberal and strict criteria, and by penetration of antirheumatic treatment.ResultsBetween 2006 and 2008, 8,826 individuals were identified as incident RA patients. The overall incidence was 41 per 100,000 (56 for women, 25 for men). The incidence increased with age and peaked in the 70–79 years age group for both women and men. The age‐ and sex‐standardized incidences were lower in densely populated areas and in individuals with high educational level. No geographic trends were noted. More liberal and strict definitions of RA only altered the observed incidence by approximately 14%.ConclusionThe overall nationwide register‐based incidence of RA was robust across different case definitions. In a country with universal access to care, RA displayed demographic and socioeconomic, but no geographic, variations in incidence, and peaks at an older age than most commonly reported, with no difference in peak age at RA onset between sexes.