bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum microRNA155 is increased in patients with acute graft‐versus‐host disease
Authors: Xie Lin‐Na , Zhou Fang , Liu Xi‐Min , Fang Yuan , Yu Zhe , Song Ning‐Xia , Kong Fan‐Sheng 
Published: February 2014

AbstractTo explore the clinical relevance of three lymphocyte‐related serum microRNAs (miR‐155, miR‐214, and miR‐326) to the pathogenesis of graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD), 64 subjects who received allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo‐PBSCT) were recruited in this study, of whom 19 subjects did not develop GVHD, 25 subjects were diagnosed with acute GVHD (aGVHD), and 20 subjects were diagnosed with chronic GVHD (cGVHD). Serum miRNAs were determined by real‐time RT‐PCR. Expression level of miRNAs and the expression signatures of miRNAs as a panel were analyzed among the three groups. The expression level of miR‐214 and miR‐326 showed no significant difference between GVHD and non‐GVHD groups. However, miR‐155 was significantly up‐regulated in GVHD patients. There was a correlation between the level of miR‐155 and the severity of aGVHD. Moreover, serum IFN‐gamma, IL‐17, and IL‐9 levels were higher in aGVHD patients with high miR‐155. In conclusion, the expression level of lymphocyte‐related miR‐155 in serum was significantly increased in aGVHD patients. The miR‐155 may be considered as a potential targeted therapy for aGVHD patients.
Poverty Reduction and Good Governance: Examining the Rationale of the Millennium Development Goals
Authors: Kwon Huck‐ju , Kim Eunju 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTWhilst the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) looms large, the outcomes so far have been mixed. This article examines the policy logic that ‘good governance’ leads to poverty reduction, which has been adopted by international agencies in pursuit of the MDGs. This causal relationship is examined through an empirical panel‐data estimation using Worldwide Governance Indicators and the poverty headcount ratio in ninety‐eight countries. The empirical evidence does not support the hypothesis that good governance leads to poverty reduction. Good governance alleviates poverty only in middle‐income countries, not in least developed ones. These findings point to the necessity to devise policies that address poverty directly, rather than through indirect instruments, and highlight the urgent need to address structural inequality in developing countries.
Antibodies to islet cell autoantigens, rotaviruses and/or enteroviruses in cord blood and healthy mothers in relation to the 2010–2011 winter viral seasons in Israel: a pilot study
Authors: Shulman L. M. , Hampe C. S. , Ben‐Haroush A. , Perepliotchikov Y. , Vaziri‐Sani F. , Israel S. , Miller K. , Bin H. , Kaplan B. , Laron Z. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAimsTo determine whether antivirus and/or islet cell antibodies can be detected in healthy pregnant mothers without diabetes and/or their offspring at birth in two winter viral seasons.MethodsMaternal and cord blood sera from 107 healthy pregnant women were tested for islet cell autoantibodies using radioligand binding assays and for anti‐rotavirus and anti‐CoxB3 antibody using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsGlutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 autoantibodies and rotavirus antibodies, present in both maternal and cord blood sera, correlated with an odds ratio of 6.89 (95% CI: 1.01–46.78). For five, 22 and 17 pregnancies, antibodies to GAD65, rotavirus and CoxB3, respectively, were detected in cord blood only and not in the corresponding maternal serum. In 10 pregnancies, rotavirus antibody titres in the cord blood exceeded those in the corresponding maternal serum by 2.5–5‐fold. Increased antibody titres after the 20th week of gestation suggested CoxB3 infection in one of the 20 pregnancies and rotavirus in another.ConclusionThe concurrent presence of GAD65 antibodies in cord blood and their mothers may indicate autoimmune damage to islet cells during gestation, possibly caused by cross‐placental transmission of viral infections and/or antivirus antibodies. Cord blood antibody titres that exceed those of the corresponding maternal sample by >2.5‐fold, or antibody‐positive cord blood samples with antibody‐negative maternal samples, may imply an active in utero immune response by the fetus.
Incidence of Type 2 diabetes among occupational classes in Sweden: a 35‐year follow‐up cohort study in middle‐aged men
Authors: Hedén Stahl C. , Novak M. , Hansson P.‐O. , Lappas G. , Wilhelmsen L. , Rosengren A. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAimsTo assess if low occupational class was an independent predictor of Type 2 diabetes in men in Sweden over a 35‐year follow‐up, after adjustment for both conventional risk factors and psychological stress.MethodsA random population‐based sample of 6874 men aged 47–56 years without a history of diabetes was divided into five occupational classes and the men were followed from 1970 to 2008. Diabetes cases were identified through the Swedish inpatient and death registers. Subdistribution hazard ratios (SHRs) and 95% CIs from competing risk regressions, cumulative incidence and conditional probabilities were calculated, after accounting for the risk of death attributed to other causes.ResultsA total of 907 (13%) men with diabetes were identified over 35 years with a median follow‐up of 27.9 years. The cumulative incidence of diabetes, when taking into account death as a competing event, was 11% in high officials, 12% in intermediate non‐manual employees, 14% in assistant non‐manual employees, 14% in skilled workers, and 16% in unskilled and semi‐skilled workers. Men with unskilled and semi‐skilled manual occupations had a significantly higher risk of diabetes than high officials (reference) after adjustment for age, BMI, hypertension, smoking and physical activity (SHR 1.39, 95% CI 1.08–1.78). Additional adjustment for self‐reported psychological stress did not attenuate the results.ConclusionsA low occupational class suggests a greater risk of Type 2 diabetes, independently of conventional risk factors and psychological stress.
Symptom burden and its association with change in glucose metabolism status over a 7‐year period: the Hoorn Study
Authors: van der Pols‐Vijlbrief R. , Dekker J. M. , Stehouwer C. D. , de Boer M. R. , Nijpels G. , Snoek F. J. , Adriaanse M. C. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAimsTo study symptom burden among older people and its associations with change in glucose metabolism status over a 7‐year period.MethodsWe conducted a prospective population‐based cohort study among 397 older people. We used the revised Diabetes Symptom Checklist to assess symptom burden. Glucose metabolism status was determined using an oral glucose tolerance test. Analyses were adjusted for multiple confounders, including cardiovascular risk and risk of depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale score ≥ 16).ResultsRevised Diabetes Symptom Checklist total scores (range 0–100) increased slightly over time among people with normal glucose metabolism (mean difference β1.04; P = 0.04) and those with impaired glucose metabolism (β1.96; P = 0.01), but not among people with Type 2 diabetes (β0.46; P = 0.55). These associations between symptom burden and glucose status were attenuated after full adjustment for multiple confounders and remained statistically significant for those with impaired glucose status. Linear mixed models showed significant mean differences in revised Diabetes Symptom Checklist total scores over time when comparing people with Type 2 diabetes with those with normal or impaired glucose metabolism, but not when comparing subjects with impaired vs normal glucose metabolism; these results did not alter after full adjustment.ConclusionsSymptom burden increased gradually over time in the people with impaired glucose metabolism and those with normal glucose metabolism, but not in patients with Type 2 diabetes over a 7‐year follow‐up period.
Supraspinal metabotropic glutamate receptors: a target for pain relief and beyond
Authors: Palazzo Enza , Marabese Ida , de Novellis Vito , Rossi Francesco , Maione Sabatino 
Published: February 2014

AbstractGlutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, controlling the majority of synapses. Apart from neurodegenerative diseases, growing evidence suggests that glutamate is involved in psychiatric and neurological disorders, including pain. Glutamate signaling is mediated via ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). So far, drugs acting via modulation of glutamatergic system are few in number, and all are associated with iGluRs and important side effects. The glutamatergic system may be finely modulated by mGluRs. Signaling via these receptors is slower and longer‐lasting, and permits fine‐tuning of glutamate transmission. There have been eight mGluRs cloned to date (mGluR1–mGluR8), and these are further divided into three groups on the basis of sequence homology, pharmacological profile, and second messenger signaling. The pattern of expression of mGluRs along the pain neuraxis makes them suitable substrates for the design of novel analgesics. This review will focus on the supraspinal mGluRs, whose pharmacological manipulation generates a variety of effects, which depend on the synaptic location, the cell type on which they are located, and the expression in particular pain modulation areas, such as the periaqueductal gray, which plays a major role in the descending modulation of pain, and the central nucleus of the amygdala, which is an important center for the processing of emotional information associated with pain. A particular emphasis will also be given to the novel selective mGluR subtype ligands, as well as positive and negative allosteric modulators, which have permitted discrimination of the individual roles of the different mGluR subtypes, and subtle modulation of central nervous system functioning and related disorders.
The consequences of pain in early life: injury‐induced plasticity in developing pain pathways
Authors: Schwaller Fred , Fitzgerald Maria 
Published: February 2014

AbstractPain in infancy influences pain reactivity in later life, but how and why this occurs is poorly understood. Here we review the evidence for developmental plasticity of nociceptive pathways in animal models and discuss the peripheral and central mechanisms that underlie this plasticity. Adults who have experienced neonatal injury display increased pain and injury‐induced hyperalgesia in the affected region but mild injury can also induce widespread baseline hyposensitivity across the rest of the body surface, suggesting the involvement of several underlying mechanisms, depending upon the type of early life experience. Peripheral nerve sprouting and dorsal horn central sensitization, disinhibition and neuroimmune priming are discussed in relation to the increased pain and hyperalgesia, while altered descending pain control systems driven, in part, by changes in the stress/HPA axis are discussed in relation to the widespread hypoalgesia. Finally, it is proposed that the endocannabinoid system deserves further attention in the search for mechanisms underlying injury‐induced changes in pain processing in infants and children.
Endocannabinoids and neuropathic pain: focus on neuron–glia and endocannabinoid–neurotrophin interactions
Authors: Luongo Livio , Maione Sabatino , Di Marzo Vincenzo 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAlthough originally described as a signalling system encompassing the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, their endogenous agonists (the endocannabinoids), and metabolic enzymes regulating the levels of such agonists, the endocannabinoid system is now viewed as being more complex, and including metabolically related endocannabinoid‐like mediators and their molecular targets as well. The function and dysfunction of this complex signalling system in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of pain transduction and control has been widely studied over the last two decades. In this review article, we describe some of the latest advances in our knowledge on the role of the endocannabinoid system, in its most recent and wider conception, in pain pathways, by focusing on: (1) neuron–glia interactions; and (2) emerging data on endocannabinoid cross‐talk with neurotrophins, such as nerve growth factor and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor.
Microinjection of 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol into the rat ventral hippocampus differentially modulates contextually induced fear, depending on a persistent pain state
Authors: Rea Kieran , Ford Gemma K. , Olango Weredeselam M. , Harhen Brendan , Roche Michelle , Finn David P. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) system plays a key role in the modulation of aversive and nociceptive behaviour. The components of the endocannabinoid system are expressed throughout the hippocampus, a brain region implicated in both conditioned fear and pain. In light of evidence that pain can impact on the expression of fear‐related behaviour, and vice versa, we hypothesised that exogenous administration of the endocannabinoid 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol (2‐AG) into the ventral hippocampus (vHip) would differentially regulate fear responding in the absence vs. the presence of formalin‐evoked nociceptive tone. Fear‐conditioned rats showed significantly increased freezing and a reduction in formalin‐evoked nociceptive behaviour upon re‐exposure to a context previously paired with footshock. Bilateral microinjection of 2‐AG into the vHip significantly reduced contextually induced freezing in non‐formalin‐treated rats, and reduced formalin‐evoked nociceptive behaviour in non‐fear‐conditioned rats. In contrast, 2‐AG microinjection had no effect on fear responding in formalin‐treated rats, and no effect on nociceptive behaviour in fear‐conditioned rats. The inhibitory effect of 2‐AG on fear‐related behaviour, but not pain‐related behaviour, was blocked by co‐administration of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) antagonist/inverse agonist rimonabant. Tissue levels of the endocannabinoids N‐arachidonoylethanolamide (anandamide, AEA) and 2‐AG were similar in the vHip of fear‐conditioned rats receiving formalin injection and the vHip of fear‐conditioned rats receiving saline injection. However, the levels of AEA and 2‐AG were significantly lower in the contralateral ventrolateral periaqueductal grey of formalin‐treated fear‐conditioned rats than in that of their saline‐treated counterparts. These data suggest that 2‐AG–CB1 receptor signalling in the vHip has an anti‐aversive effect, and that this effect is abolished in the presence of a persistent pain state.
The neurobiology of skeletal pain
Authors: Mantyh Patrick W. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractDisorders of the skeleton are one of the most common causes of chronic pain and long‐term physical disability in the world. Chronic skeletal pain is caused by a remarkably diverse group of conditions including trauma‐induced fracture, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, low back pain, orthopedic procedures, celiac disease, sickle cell disease and bone cancer. While these disorders are diverse, what they share in common is that when chronic skeletal pain occurs in these disorders, there are currently few therapies that can fully control the pain without significant unwanted side effects. In this review we focus on recent advances in our knowledge concerning the unique population of primary afferent sensory nerve fibers that innervate the skeleton, the nociceptive and neuropathic mechanisms that are involved in driving skeletal pain, and the neurochemical and structural changes that can occur in sensory and sympathetic nerve fibers and the CNS in chronic skeletal pain. We also discuss therapies targeting nerve growth factor or sclerostin for treating skeletal pain. These therapies have provided unique insight into the factors that drive skeletal pain and the structural decline that occurs in the aging skeleton. We conclude by discussing how these advances have changed our understanding and potentially the therapeutic options for treating and/or preventing chronic pain in the injured, diseased and aged skeleton.
Anandamide in primary sensory neurons: too much of a good thing?
Authors: Sousa‐Valente João , Varga Angelika , Ananthan Kajaluxy , Khajuria Ankur , Nagy Istvan 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe quest for possible targets for the development of novel analgesics has identified the activation of the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor outside the CNS as a potential means of providing relief from persistent pain, which currently constitutes an unmet medical need. Increasing tissue levels of the CB1 receptor endogenous ligand N‐arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide), by inhibiting anandamide degradation through blocking the anandamide‐hydrolysing enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase, has been suggested to be used to activate the CB1 receptor. However, recent clinical trials revealed that this approach does not deliver the expected relief from pain. Here, we discuss one of the possible reasons, the activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 ion channel (TRPV1) on nociceptive primary sensory neurons (PSNs) by anandamide, which may compromise the beneficial effects of increased tissue levels of anandamide. We conclude that better design such as concomitant blocking of anandamide hydrolysis and anandamide uptake into PSNs, to inhibit TRPV1 activation, could overcome these problems.
Endothelial markers are associated with thrombolysis resistance in acute stroke patients
Authors: Faille D. , Labreuche J. , Meseguer E. , Huisse M.‐G. , Ajzenberg N. , Mazighi M. 
Published: February 2014

Background and purposeThe endothelium is crucial in maintaining the haemostatic balance between pro‐ and anti‐thrombotic factors. In this pilot study, the association of endothelial biomarkers with arterial recanalization and clinical outcome in the setting of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) was evaluated amongst patients treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt‐PA).MethodsSixty‐four AIS patients treated with rt‐PA were prospectively recruited. Blood was collected before thrombolysis and analysed for von Willebrand factor (vWF), soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) and soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR). Complete recanalization was defined by a Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Score of 3. Favourable clinical outcome was defined by a modified Rankin Score of 0–2 at 90 days.ResultsAmongst the 64 patients, 31 had no documented occlusion, 19 had persistent occlusion and 14 had complete recanalization. After adjustment for confounding factors, these patients presented lower sTM and sEPCR levels than patients with persistent occlusion (median sTM, 21 vs. 48 ng/ml, P = 0.008; median sEPCR, 78 vs. 114 ng/ml, P = 0.018), but similar levels compared with patients without occlusion. vWF levels did not differ between groups. None of these biomarkers was significantly associated with favourable outcome.ConclusionsRecanalization after thrombolytic therapy is associated with low sTM and sEPCR levels but not with vWF levels. If corroborated in further larger studies, these findings could be helpful in the identification of patients resistant to rt‐PA thrombolysis who could benefit from a modified recanalization therapy.
Long‐term safety and sustained efficacy of extended‐release pramipexole in early and advanced Parkinson's disease
Authors: Hauser R. A. , Schapira A. H. V. , Barone P. , Mizuno Y. , Rascol O. , Busse M. , Debieuvre C. , Fraessdorf M. , Poewe W. ,   the Pramipexole ER Studies Group
Published: February 2014

Background and purposeTo assess the long‐term safety and efficacy of pramipexole as a once‐daily (q.d.) extended‐release oral formulation in early or advanced Parkinson's disease (PD).MethodsIn two double‐blind (DB) studies of early PD and one of advanced PD, active‐treatment arms received pramipexole immediate release (IR) or extended release (ER), with exposure lasting up to 33 weeks. In open‐label (OL) extensions that followed immediately, subjects took ER q.d. for up to 80 weeks, with dosage adjustment permitted (range 0.375–4.5 mg q.d.).ResultsOf 590 subjects completing an early‐PD DB study, 511 entered the early‐PD OL extension; 408 completed it. Reported adverse events (AEs) with incidence ≥10.0% were somnolence (15.1%), peripheral edema (11.7%) and back pain (10.6%). Of 465 subjects completing the advanced‐PD DB study, 391 entered the advanced‐PD OL extension; 329 completed it. Reported AEs with incidence ≥10.0% were dyskinesia (27.4%) and somnolence (13.6%). Impulse control disorders were identified by semi‐structured interview in 13 subjects (1.4% of 902). In exploratory analyses, adjusted mean Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Parts II + III scores (excluding ex‐placebo recipients) remained substantially improved from DB baseline scores prior to pramipexole introduction, at −6.6 and −6.3 points amongst ex‐DB‐ER and ex‐DB‐IR recipients after 113 weeks of pramipexole (33 DB plus 80 OL) in early PD, and −11.5 and −9.1 after up to 113 weeks (up to 33 DB plus 80 OL) in advanced PD.ConclusionsThese results support the long‐term safety and efficacy of pramipexole ER in early and advanced PD. AEs were typical for dopaminergic medications, and UPDRS scores suggested sustained symptomatic benefit.
A Potential Metric of the Attractiveness of Bird Song to Humans
Authors: Blackburn Tim M. , Su Shan , Cassey Phill 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe prevalence of passerines (mostly oscines, or songbirds) in international bird trade suggests that the possession or production of a song that is attractive or desirable to people may contribute to the likelihood of a species being traded. Testing this is difficult because we lack a general and readily available metric that quantifies attractiveness of bird song to humans. We propose and validate such a metric, based on the number of sound files lodged for a species on the Xeno‐Canto website (www.xeno-canto.org). Our hypothesis is that species with more attractive songs are likely to be recorded more often, and so be represented more often in this online bird sound resource, all else being equal. Using a sample of North American and European passerines, we show that song repertoire size and geographic range size are consistently related to the number of recordings on Xeno‐Canto. We use these results to derive a metric (the residuals of a model of the number of recordings in Xeno‐Canto as a function of geographic range size) that may identify songs that are attractive to humans. Bird species whose songs are known to have inspired classical music, including several well known for their songs (e.g. common nightingale, European blackbird), have higher values of the metric than those that have not been referenced in classical music. The metric may help explain which bird species are present in trade, and so contribute to studies of invasion and conservation biology.
At the dawn of hair research – testing the limits of hair follicle regeneration
Authors: Plikus Maksim V. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractIn the late 1960s, tissue recombination studies by Roy Oliver on the model of rat vibrissae provided invaluable information about the morphogenetic properties of hair follicles. Now more than ever, the field is hopeful that a clinically reproducible procedure for cell‐based hair regeneration is achievable. Highly inductive mesenchymal cells are thought to be the key ingredient necessary to achieve robust hair regeneration, and efforts are underway to develop protocols to improve the naturally low inductive properties of human dermal papilla cells. In this respect, the original studies by Oliver provide essential rodent research benchmarks, which current‐day human studies should aim to reach.