bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of chemokine receptor CXCR2 and ligand CXCL7 in liver metastases from colon cancer is correlated to shorter disease‐free and overall survival
Authors: Desurmont Thibault , Skrypek Nicolas , Duhamel Alain , Jonckheere Nicolas , Millet Guillaume , Leteurtre Emmanuelle , Gosset Pierre , Duchene Belinda , Ramdane Nassima , Hebbar Mohamed , Van Seuningen Isabelle , Pruvot François‐René , Huet Guillemette , Truant Stéphanie 
Published: January 2015

Our aim was to analyze the potential role of chemokine receptors CXCR2 and CXCR4 signalling pathways in liver metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) relapse. CXCR2, CXCR4, and their chemokine ligands were evaluated in liver metastases of colorectal cancer in order to study their correlation with overall and disease‐free survival of patients having received, or not received, a neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen. Quantitative RT‐PCR and CXCR2 immunohistochemical staining were carried out using CRC liver metastasis samples. Expression levels of CXCR2, CXCR4, and their ligands were statistically analyzed according to treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and patients’ outcome. CXCR2 and CXCL7 overexpression are correlated to shorter overall and disease‐free survival. By multivariate analysis, CXCR2 and CXCL7 expressions are independent factors of overall and disease‐free survival. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy increases significantly the expression of CXCR2: treated group 1.89 (0.02–50.92) vs 0.55 (0.07–3.22), P = 0.016. CXCL7 was overexpressed close to significance, 0.40 (0.00–7.85) vs 0.15 (0.01–7.88), P = 0.12. We show the involvement of CXCL7/CXCR2 signalling pathways as a predictive factor of poor outcome in metastatic CRC. 5‐Fluorouracil‐based chemotherapy regimens increase the expression of these genes in liver metastasis, providing one explanation for aggressiveness of relapsed drug‐resistant tumors. Selective blockage of CXCR2/CXCL7 signalling pathways could provide new potential therapeutic opportunities.
Antimicrobial Peptides Derived from Fusion Peptides of Influenza A Viruses, a Promising Approach to Designing Potent Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Wang Jingyu , Zhong Wenjing , Lin Dongguo , Xia Fan , Wu Wenjiao , Zhang Heyuan , Lv Lin , Liu Shuwen , He Jian 
Published: January 2015

The emergence and dissemination of antibiotic‐resistant bacterial pathogens have spurred the urgent need to develop novel antimicrobial agents with different mode of action. In this respect, we turned several fusogenic peptides (FPs) derived from the hemagglutinin glycoproteins (HAs) of IAV into potent antibacterials by replacing the negatively or neutrally charged residues of FPs with positively charged lysines. Their antibacterial activities were evaluated by testing the MICs against a panel of bacterial strains including S. aureus, S. mutans, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli. The results showed that peptides HA‐FP‐1, HA‐FP‐2‐1, and HA‐FP‐3‐1 were effective against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria with MICs ranging from 1.9 to 16.0 μm, while the toxicities toward mammalian cells were low. In addition, the mode of action and the secondary structure of these peptides were also discussed. These data not only provide several potent peptides displaying promising potential in development as broad antimicrobial agents, but also present a useful strategy in designing new antimicrobial agents.
Decreased FEV1% in asthmatic adults in Scottish homes with high Environmental Relative Moldiness Index values
Authors: McSharry C. , Vesper S. , Wymer L. , Howieson S. , Chaudhuri R. , Wright G. R. , Thomson N. C. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryBackgroundExposures to indoor biological contaminants have been implicated in asthma's aetiology but their effect on lung function is not well quantified.ObjectiveThe aim of this cross‐sectional study of non‐smoking, asthmatic adults in Scotland was to determine the correlation between the results from a standard spirometry test, forced expiratory volume in one‐second percent (FEV1%), and quantitative estimates of some biological exposures.MethodsA population (n = 55) of non‐smoking, adult asthmatics in Scotland was included in this study and each completed a questionnaire that allowed the determination of the Asthma Control Questionnaire scores (ACQ) and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores (SGRQ), as well as corticosteroid use. Spirometry testing was completed and the pre‐bronchodilator FEV1% value calculated. At about the same time, floor dust samples were collected in the living room and in the bedroom. These dust samples were analysed for mould contamination, as described by the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) values and by (1, 3)‐β‐D‐glucan concentrations, for endotoxin, and for dust mite, cat, and dog allergen concentrations. The asthmatics' FEV1% values were tested for correlation (Pearson) to questionnaire‐based estimates of health. Also, each biological exposure was tested for correlation (Pearson) to the FEV1% values.ResultsFEV1% results were correlated with ACQ scores (ρ −0.586, P < 0.001), SGRQ scores (ρ −0.313, P = 0.020), and weakly with corticosteroid use (ρ −0.221, P = 0.105). The ERMI values in the homes (average 5.3) were significantly correlated with FEV1% values (ρ −0.378, P = 0.004). There was no correlation between FEV1% and concentrations of endotoxin, (1, 3)‐β‐D‐glucan, or any of the allergens.Conclusion and clinical relevanceAlthough these results do not prove that mould exposures caused the deficit in lung function observed in this study, it might be advisable for asthmatics to avoid high ERMI environments.
Immunological potential of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 immunoglobulin in murine autoimmune cholangitis
Authors: Tanaka H , Yang G-X , Tomiyama T , Tsuneyama K , Zhang W , Leung P S C , Coppel R L , Joh T , Nadler S G , Ansari A A , Bowlus C , Gershwin M E 
Published: January 2015

SummaryCytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) immunoglobulin (Ig) is an important regulator of T cell activation and a fusion protein directed at CD80 and CD86; it blocks co-stimulatory signalling and T cell activation. We have taken advantage of a murine model of human primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), mice expressing a transforming growth factor (TGF)-β receptor II dominant negative (dnTGF-βRII) transgene to address the potential therapeutic efficacy of CTLA-4 Ig. To mimic patients with PBC at different stages or duration of disease, we treated mice with either CTLA-4 Ig or control IgG three times weekly from 3 to 12 or 24 weeks of age, or from 12 to 24 weeks of age. CTLA-4 Ig treatment from 3 weeks of age significantly reduced liver inflammation to 12 weeks of age. Treatment initiated at 12 weeks of age also ameliorated the autoimmune cholangitis at 24 weeks of age. However, in mice treated at 3 weeks of age, suppression of liver inflammation was not sustained and colitis was aggravated when treatment was extended to 24 weeks of age. Our data indicate that, in dnTGF-βRII mice, CTLA-4 Ig treatment has short-term beneficial effects on autoimmune cholangitis, but the effect varies according to duration of treatment and the time in which therapy was initiated. Further dissection of the events that lead to the reduction in therapeutic effectiveness of CTLA-4 Ig will be critical to determining whether such efforts can be applied to human PBC.
Characterization and functional studies of forkhead box protein 3− lymphocyte activation gene 3+ CD4+ regulatory T cells induced by mucosal B cells
Authors: Chu K-H , Chiang B-L 
Published: January 2015

SummaryThe induction of mucosal tolerance has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of allergic diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that Peyer's patch B cells could convert naive T cells into regulatory T cells (so-called Treg-of-B(P) cells); however, it is important to characterize this particular subset of Treg-of-B cells for future applications. This study aimed to investigate the role of lymphocyte activating gene 3 (LAG3) in mediating the regulatory function of Treg-of-B(P) cells induced by mucosal follicular B (FOB) cells. Microarray analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to assess the gene expression pattern of Treg-of-B(P) cells. To evaluate the role of LAG3, the in-vitro suppressive function and the alleviation of airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma was assessed. Our data indicated that FOB cells isolated from Peyer's patches had the ability to generate more suppressive Treg-of-B cells with LAG3 expression, compared with CD23loCD21loB cells. LAG3 is not only a marker for Treg-of-B(P) cells, but also participate in the suppressive ability. Moreover, CCR4 and CCR6 could be detected on the LAG3+, not LAG3−, Treg-of-B(P) cells and would help cells homing to allergic lung. In the murine model of asthma, the adoptive transfer of LAG3+Treg-of-B(P) cells was able to sufficiently suppress T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine production, eosinophil infiltration and alleviate asthmatic symptoms. LAG3 was expressed in Treg-of-B(P) cells and was also involved in the function of Treg-of-B(P) cells. In the future, this particular subset of Treg-of-B cells might be used to alleviate allergic symptoms.
Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors and the risk of community‐acquired pneumonia in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Faillie J.‐L. , Filion K. B. , Patenaude V. , Ernst P. , Azoulay L. 
Published: January 2015

AimsTo determine whether the use of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors is associated with an increased risk of community‐acquired pneumonia.MethodsThe UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the Hospital Episodes Statistics database were used to conduct a nested case–control analysis within a cohort of new users of antidiabetic drugs between 2007 and 2012. Incident cases of hospitalization for community‐acquired pneumonia were matched with up to 20 controls on age, duration of treated diabetes, calendar year and duration of follow‐up. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for hospitalization for community‐acquired pneumonia associated with current use of DPP‐4 inhibitors compared with current use of two or more oral antidiabetic drugs.ResultsThe cohort included 49 653 patients, of whom 562 were hospitalized for community‐acquired pneumonia during follow‐up (incidence rate 5.2/1000 person‐years). Compared with current use of two or more oral antidiabetic drugs, current use of DPP‐4 inhibitors was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalized community‐acquired pneumonia overall (adjusted OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.50–1.29) or according to duration of use (p for trend = 0.57).ConclusionsThe use of DPP‐4 inhibitors was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for community‐acquired pneumonia. Additional research is needed to assess the association between these drugs and other serious infections.
Sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor, improves recognition memory, oxidative stress and hippocampal neurogenesis and upregulates key genes involved in cognitive decline
Authors: Gault V. A. , Lennox R. , Flatt P. R. 
Published: January 2015

AimTo examine whether prolonged dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibition can reverse learning and memory impairment in high‐fat‐fed mice.MethodsHigh‐fat‐fed mice received oral sitagliptin (50 mg/kg body weight) once daily or saline vehicle over 21 days. An additional group of mice on standard chow received saline vehicle. Energy intake, body weight, glucose and insulin concentrations were measured at regular intervals. Glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, novel object recognition, DPP‐4 activity, hormone analysis, hippocampal gene expression and histology were performed.ResultsSitagliptin decreased circulating DPP‐4 activity and improved glucose tolerance, glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, and reduced plasma triglycerides and cholesterol levels. DPP‐4 inhibition improved recognition memory (1.2‐fold increase) without affecting hypermoteric activity or anxiety levels. Improvement in memory and learning was linked to reduced immunostaining for 8‐oxoguanine and increased doublecortin staining in the hippocampus, which were indicative of reduced brain oxidative stress and increased hippocampal neurogenesis, respectively. These effects were associated with significant upregulation of hippocampal gene expression of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor, glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor, synaptophysin, sirtuin 1, glycogen synthase kinase 3β, superdioxide mutase 2, nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2)‐like 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor. Total plasma and brain GLP‐1 concentrations were significantly increased after sitagliptin therapy, whereas DPP‐4 activity in brain tissue was not altered.ConclusionThese studies show that sitagliptin can reverse memory impairment in high‐fat‐fed mice and is also associated with improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis and reduced oxidative stress. DPP‐4 inhibitors may therefore exhibit dual benefits by improving metabolic control and reducing the decline in cognitive function.
No Short‐Term Contingency Between Grooming and Food Tolerance in Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus)
Authors: Molesti Sandra , Majolo Bonaventura 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe exchange of services such as allo‐grooming, allo‐preening, food tolerance and agonistic support has been observed in a range of species. Two proximate mechanisms have been proposed to explain the exchanges of services in animals. First, an animal can give a service to a partner depending on how the partner behaved towards it in the recent past. This mechanism is usually tested by examining the within‐dyad temporal relation between events given and received over short time periods. Second, the partner choice mechanism assumes that animals give favours towards specific partners but not others, by comparing how each partner behaved towards them over longer time frames. As such, the partner choice mechanism does not make specific predictions on a temporal contingency between services received and given over short time frames. While there is evidence for a long‐term positive correlation between services exchanged in animals, results for short‐term contingencies between services given and received are mixed. Our study investigated the exchange of grooming for food tolerance in a partially provisioned group of Barbary macaques, by analysing the short‐term contingency between these events. Tolerance over food was compared immediately after grooming and in control condition, using food of different shareability. We found no evidence that grooming increases food tolerance or decrease aggression around food in the short term. Food tolerance was affected by the shareability of the food and the sex of the partners. The exchanges of grooming and food tolerance in non‐human primates may be little affected by recent single events. We suggest that long‐term exchanges between services given and received and social partner choice may play a more important role in explaining social interactions than short‐term contingent events.
Burying Beetle Larvae Discriminate Between Individual Parents and Between Some Classes of Adults
Authors: Mäenpää Maarit I. , Andrews Clare P. , Collette Daniel , Leigh Deborah , Smiseth Per T. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractOffspring begging can be triggered by a variety of acoustic, visual or chemical cues from the parents. In many birds, nestlings use information derived from these cues to discriminate between individual parents or different classes of adults. Although begging occurs in some insects, we know very little about discrimination between adults by insect larvae. Here, we examine whether begging larvae in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides can discriminate between individual parents or different classes of adults. We found that larvae showed no discrimination between male and female beetles, but that they begged more towards breeding beetles than towards non‐breeding ones. These results were robust regardless of whether larvae had been reared in presence or absence of adult beetles, thus suggesting that larval discrimination is based on an innate template that requires no prior exposure to adult beetles. We also found that larvae begged more towards unfamiliar beetles than towards familiar ones, suggesting that they can learn to discriminate between individual parents based on cues about familiarity. We conclude that insect larvae may benefit from discriminating between different classes of adult beetles, as it allows them to lower the costs associated with begging in response to irrelevant environmental cues (costly in terms of wasted effort) and with not begging in response to the presence of caring parents (costly in terms of lost feeding opportunities).
Hong Kong parents' perceptions of the transference of food preparation skills
Authors: Lai‐Yeung Theresa W. L. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractFood preparation skills among young adults are associated with healthy food choices, better diets and a greater likelihood of an independent, healthy adult life. This study conducted in Hong Kong aimed to investigate parents' perceptions of cooking skills; to explore the transference of cooking skills in the home setting; to identify parents' expectations regarding the transference of cooking skills; and to inform the development of educational initiatives for developing healthy eating habits. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect information of the subjects' cooking experience, attitudes about cooking skills, cooking habits at home, family meal habits, transference of cooking culture in the family and the factors influencing the choice of ingredients and cooking. It was administered to 1009 Hong Kong parents (of students aged between 11 and 18, studying in 15 secondary schools). The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 12.0, SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and cross‐tabulation analyses were used to compare the responses of the parents by gender, employment status and income. The results show that parents valued cooking as important life skills for both boys and girls. Parents generally perceived their cooking skills either good (41.9%) or mediocre (54.5%), yet children are rarely taught these skills in the home. Family meals prepared primarily with fresh ingredients are still an important part of the daily routine, and mothers are dominating the roles in food choice decision, cooking and buying the ingredients for family meals. Mothers and schools are expected to be the major channel to teach children cooking skills. Findings suggest that parents are well‐disposed towards providing food and nutrition education at home, but need more support (50% reported that home should be a primary support for learning cooking skills; 36% indicated that the school should have a responsibility to teach children to cook starting in elementary school). Schools may do well to collaborate with families in food literacy education initiatives. Developing individuals' cooking skills paves the way for long‐term health benefits and the well‐being of the local population.
Immune response in the adipose tissue of lean mice infected with the protozoan parasiteNeospora caninum
Authors: Teixeira Luzia , Moreira João , Melo Joana , Bezerra Filipa , Marques Raquel M. , Ferreirinha Pedro , Correia Alexandra , Monteiro Mariana P. , Ferreira Paula G. , Vilanova Manuel 
Published: January 2015

SummaryThe adipose tissue can make important contributions to immune function. Nevertheless, only a limited number of reports have investigated in lean hosts the immune response elicited in this tissue upon infection. Previous studies suggested that the intracellular protozoanNeospora caninummight affect adipose tissue physiology. Therefore, we investigated in mice challenged with this protozoan if immune cell populations within adipose tissue of different anatomical locations could be differently affected. Early in infection, parasites were detected in the adipose tissue and by 7 days of infection increased numbers of macrophages, regulatory T (Treg) cells and T‐bet+cells were observed in gonadal, mesenteric, omental and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Increased expression of interferon‐γwas also detected in gonadal adipose tissue of infected mice. Two months after infection, parasiteDNAwas no longer detected in these tissues, but T helper type 1 (Th1) cell numbers remained above control levels in the infected mice. Moreover, the Th1/Treg cell ratio was higher than that of controls in the mesenteric and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Interestingly, chronically infected mice presented a marked increase of serum leptin, a molecule that plays a role in energy balance regulation as well as in promoting Th1‐type immune responses. Altogether, we show that an apicomplexa parasitic infection influences immune cellular composition of adipose tissue throughout the body as well as adipokine production, still noticed at a chronic phase of infection when parasites were already cleared from that particular tissue. This strengthens the emerging view that infections can have long‐term consequences for the physiology of adipose tissue.
A Cross‐National Investigation of the Relationship Between Infant Walking and Language Development
Authors: He Minxuan , Walle Eric A. , Campos Joseph J. 
Published: January 2015

The acquisition of walking has recently been linked with infant language development (Walle & Campos, 2014). If this relation reflects the consequence of an epigenetic event, then it should be present regardless of when the infant typically begins to walk, the infant's culture, and the infant's native language. This study sought to replicate the previously reported link between walking and language development in American infants and investigate whether this relation exists cross‐nationally in typically developing Chinese infants exposed to Mandarin. Urban Chinese infants not only provide a distinct linguistic and cultural population in which to study this relation but also typically begin walking approximately 6 weeks later than American infants. Our results demonstrated that (1) walking infants in both the American and Chinese samples had greater receptive and productive vocabularies than same‐aged crawling infants, (2) differences between crawling and walking infants were proportionally similar in each sample, and (3) the walking‐language relation was present for both noun and non‐noun vocabularies. These findings provide further support of a relation between infant walking onset and language development, independent of age. Avenues for future research of the processes involved in this relation, as well as additional populations of interest to investigate, are discussed.
Bright White‐Emitting Phosphors Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl: Dy3+/Dy3+‐Tm3+ for Hg‐Free Lamps and White LEDs Applications
Authors: Zhao Lei , Wang Deyin , Wang Yuhua 
Published: January 2015

Spectroscopic properties of Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl: Dy3+ and Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl: Dy3+, Tm3+ under vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and ultraviolet (UV) light excitations were investigated. Dy3+ single‐doped Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl showed broad absorption band in the VUV region, and bright warm white light with chromaticity coordinates (CIE) of (0.340, 0.381) upon VUV excitation at 172 nm, demonstrating this phosphor's applicability in mercury free lamps. Upon direct excitation Tm3+ from its 6F6 level to 1D2 level, the decrease of emission intensity and lifetime of Tm3+ 1D2–3F4 emission with increasing concentration of Dy3+ in Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl: Dy3+, Tm3+ confirmed the occurrence of energy transfer from Tm3+ to Dy3+. In addition, Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl: Dy3+, Tm3+ could be efficiently excited by 358 nm UV light and its emission color could be tuned from blue to yellow by codoping Tm3+. When 1% Tm3+ and 5% Dy3+ were codoped in the Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl, intensive white‐emitting light with CIE of (0.352, 0.328) and correlated color temperature of 4589 K was achieved upon 358 nm excitation, revealing the potential application of Ba2Gd(BO3)2Cl: Dy3+, Tm3+ for white light‐emitting diodes (LEDs).