bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Celecoxib‐Induced Change in Atrial Electrophysiologic Substrate in Arthritis Patients
Authors: Pizzuto Katerina , Averns Henry L , Baranchuk Adrian , Abdollah Hoshiar , Michael Kevin A. , Simpson Christopher , Redfearn Damian P. 
Published: October 2013

BackgroundCyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors, the newest class of nonsteroidal antiinflammatories, pose an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, in particular atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that the COX‐2 inhibitor celecoxib alters atrial electrophysiology, and thus promotes the development of AF.MethodsThree prospective patient cohorts were created: Healthy patients (n = 35), inflammatory arthritis patients with no celecoxib use (n = 22), and inflammatory arthritis patients treated with celecoxib (n = 20). Patients were included in the arthritis cohorts if they were over the age of 18 and had a diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis. Patients in the celecoxib group must be actively treated with celecoxib for more than 2 months. Patients were excluded if they were taking antiarrhythmic mediation, had a diagnosis of AF, refractory hypertension, or congestive heart failure. High‐resolution signal‐averaged electrocardiogram was recorded and P‐wave duration (PWD) was derived.ResultsPWD was significantly longer in inflammatory arthritis patients treated with celecoxib, compared to both healthy and inflammatory arthritis patients (P = 0.049, P = 0.036). There was no difference in the PWD of healthy patients as compared to inflammatory arthritis patients (P = 0.916). Mean PWD (standard error of the mean) of the inflammatory arthritis patients treated with celecoxib was 133.1 (2.7) ms as compared to 125.3 (1.6) ms in the healthy patients and 124.0 (2.9) ms in the inflammatory arthritis patients.ConclusionsGiven that PWD is a well‐accepted noninvasive marker of atrial electrophysiology, our results suggest that these patients demonstrate adverse atrial remodeling predisposing to atrial arrhythmia.
Midkine as a regulator of B cell survival in health and disease
Authors: Cohen Sivan , Shachar Idit 
Published: October 2013

In healthy individuals, the pool of peripheral lymphocytes is constant in size. The control of lymphoid homeostasis is the result of a very fine balance between lymphocyte production, survival and proliferation. Survival factors have been shown to play a critical role in maintaining the correct size of lymphocyte populations. Midkine, a heparin‐binding cytokine was recently shown to be involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in various cell types including normal and malignant B cells. This review focuses on the role of midkine in the regulation of peripheral B cell survival in health and disease.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Midkine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐4
GPBA: a GPCR for bile acids and an emerging therapeutic target for disorders of digestion and sensation
Authors: Lieu T , Jayaweera G , Bunnett N W 
Published: October 2013

Bile acids (BAs) are digestive secretions that are necessary for the emulsification and absorption of dietary fats. Given the episodic nature of BA secretion and intestinal re‐absorption, the circulating and tissue levels of BAs, like those of the gut hormones, fluctuate in fasting and fed states, and BA levels and forms are markedly affected by disease. BAs exert widespread hormonal‐like effects by activating receptors in the nucleus and at the plasma membrane. The nuclear steroid receptors mediate the genomic actions of BAs on BA, glucose and lipid homeostasis. GPBA (TGR5) is a G‐protein coupled plasma membrane receptor for BAs that mediates many of the rapid, non‐genomic actions of BAs. GPBA has been implicated in the control of glucose homeostasis, inflammation and liver functions. Recent observations have revealed an unexpected role for GPBA in the nervous system. GPBA is expressed by enteric neurons and enterochromaffin cells that control peristalsis, and GPBA mediates the prokinetic actions of BAs in the colon that have been known for millennia. GPBA is also present on primary spinal afferent and spinal neurons that are necessary for sensory transduction. BA‐induced activation of GPBA in the sensory nervous system promotes scratching behaviours and analgesia, which may contribute to the pruritus and painless jaundice that are observed in some patients with chronic cholestatic disease, where circulating BA concentrations are markedly increased. Thus, GPBA has emerged as an intriguing target for diverse metabolic, inflammatory, digestive and sensory disorders, where agonists and antagonists may be of value.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Molecular Pharmacology of GPCRs. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐5
Liana Impacts on Carbon Cycling, Storage and Sequestration in Tropical Forests
Authors: van der Heijden Geertje M. , Schnitzer Stefan A. , Powers Jennifer S. , Phillips Oliver L. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractMature tropical forests sequester large quantities of atmospheric CO2, which they store as plant biomass. These forests are changing however, including an increase in liana abundance and biomass over recent decades in Neotropical forests. We ask here how this increase in lianas might impact the tropical forest carbon cycle and their capacity for carbon storage and sequestration. Lianas reduce tree growth, survival, and leaf productivity; however, lianas also invest significantly in leaf production, and the increase in lianas could conceivably offset liana‐induced reductions in tree canopy productivity with no adverse effects to the forest‐level canopy productivity. By contrast, lianas decrease the total ecosystem uptake of carbon by reducing tree biomass productivity. Lianas themselves invest little in woody biomass, and store and sequester only a small proportion of the biomass in tropical forests. As lianas increase they may effectively displace trees, but the greater liana carbon stocks are unlikely to compensate for liana‐induced losses in net carbon sequestration and storage by trees. A potentially important additional consideration is the impact of lianas on the tree community. By competing more intensely with shade‐tolerant, more densely wooded trees than with fast‐growing, light‐wooded trees, lianas may shift tree composition toward faster‐growing species, which store relatively little carbon, and thereby further reduce the carbon storage capacity of tropical forests. Overall, current evidence indicates that the increase in lianas will negatively impact the carbon balance of tropical forests, with potentially far‐reaching consequences for global atmospheric CO2 levels and associated climate change.
Association between fat‐mass‐and‐obesity‐associated (FTO) gene and hip fracture susceptibility
Authors: Tran Bich , Nguyen Nguyen D. , Center Jacqueline R. , Eisman John A. , Nguyen Tuan V. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryObjectiveCommon variants in the fat‐mass‐and‐obesity‐associated (FTO) gene are related to body mass index (BMI), which is a predictor of hip fracture risk. This study sought to examine the association between variants in the FTO gene and hip fracture risk.Design and participantsThis is a prospective study including 934 postmenopausal women aged 60 years and above living in Dubbo, Australia (Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study), followed up between 1989 and 2007.MeasurementsSix single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1421085, rs1558902, rs1121980, rs17817449, rs9939609 and rs9930506) of the FTO gene were genotyped using Taqman assay. Bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck was measured by DXA (GE‐Lunar) at baseline. Incidence of hip fractures during the follow‐up was ascertained by reviewing X‐ray reports. We used Cox's models to estimate the association between the genetic variants and hip fracture risk. We also utilized Bayes factor to evaluate the association.ResultsOne hundred and two women (11%) had sustained a hip fracture. The incidence of hip fracture was greater in women homozygous for the minor allele of all SNPs. Women homozygous for the minor allele (AA) of rs1121980 had significantly higher risk of hip fracture (hazard ratio, 2·06; 95% CI 1·17–3·62) than women homozygous for the major allele (TT). The observed data favoured the hypothesis of FTO gene and fracture association over the hypothesis of nonassociation by a factor of nine.ConclusionCommon variations in the FTO gene are associated with hip fracture risk in women and that FTO gene may help improve the predictive value of hip fracture risk.
Growing Forward with Agricultural Policy: Strengths and Weaknesses of Canada's Agricultural Data Sets
Authors: Poon Kenneth , Weersink Alfons 
Published: October 2013

Canada has four major sources of information on the financial and production aspects of agriculture: the Census of Agriculture, the Farm Financial Survey, the Agricultural Taxation Data Program, and administrative data resulting from Business Risk Management programs. These data sets form the basis for the analysis of Canadian agricultural policy, which has shifted from a focus on farm family income enhancement, to commodity‐specific supply stabilization, to enhancing the competitiveness of the sector and individual operations. The changing focus of agricultural policy together with the growing heterogeneity of the farm sector has significant implications for the forms of analysis conducted and the suitability of the data collected for analysis. No single data set supplies all the data necessary to determine the need for and effect of farm support programs. Census data provide descriptive measures of total production but lack detailed farm financial information. Such data is provided by tax data but information is not provided on assets/liabilities, inputs/outputs, and demographics. Proposals to consider the individuals behind a unit of production in the determination of support eligibility would drive an even larger gap between data demands and the current supply of publicly provided data.
Phylogenetic analyses of Gammaridae crustacean reveal different diversification patterns among sister lineages in the Tethyan region
Authors: Hou Zhonge , Sket Boris , Li Shuqiang 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe Gammaridae shows the greatest disparity in species diversity and distribution pattern in the Amphipoda, with some genera ranging from the Palearctic to Nearctic, while others are limited to the Mediterranean region or ancient Tethyan margins. Here we present the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of the Gammaridae to investigate its evolutionary history using four genetic markers and a comprehensive set of taxa representing 198 species. The phylogenetic results revealed that the Gammaridae originated from the Tethyan region in the Cretaceous, and split into three morphologically and geographically distinct lineages by the end of the Paleocene. Diversification analysis combined with paleogeological evidence suggested that the Tethyan changes induced by sea‐level fluctuation and tectonic uplift triggered different diversification modes and range expansions for the three lineages. The Gammarus lineage underwent an early rapid radiation across Eurasia and North America, then declined towards modern species. Pontogammarids maintained stable diversification with restricted distributions around the Tethyan basin, whereas sarothrogammarids experienced evolutionary stasis by stranding on the ancient Tethyan margins. Our findings suggest that environmental changes have played an important role in the diversification of Gammaridae lineages, which could be an opportunity to promote adaptive radiations in new habitats, or constraints resulting in evolutionary relicts.
Educational background of Flemish dental practitioners and their perceptions of their management of dental trauma
Authors: Cauwels Rita G. E. C. , Martens Luc C. , Verbeeck Ronald M. H. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to analyze whether any correlation existed between Flemish dental practitioner's educational background and their perceptions of their knowledge regarding emergency treatment for crown fractures and their actual expertise.MethodsA questionnaire was distributed among 336 dental practitioners at six different locations in the country and completed prior to a lecture on dental traumatology. The response rate was 100%. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: the first part enquired about personal background, the second part requested a self‐assessment of the practitioner's dental trauma education and treatment experience, and the third part tested the knowledge of the practitioner by asking for responses to different options for emergency treatment for dental trauma.ResultsNearly 63% of the participants had more than 20 years of experience. Satisfaction about adequacy in basic education in dental traumatology was significantly related to the years as graduation to older graduates being less satisfied. This observation was not related to the additional education taken. Most frequently, uncomplicated crown fractures (42%) were seen more frequently than severe injuries. Concerning knowledge, a high result (67%) of incorrect answers was given for the treatment for injured immature permanent incisors. However, a high correlation was found between good knowledge of treatment and young professionals who graduated <10 years ago. Referring dental injuries for treatment was correlated with increasing level of difficulty. In the permanent dentition, however, complicated crown fractures (CCF) in immature teeth were not referred in many (66%) cases.ConclusionIt was observed that the knowledge of Flemish dental practitioners regarding emergency treatment for CCF is insufficient especially for the management of immature incisors.
Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor rapamycin enhances anti‐leukemia effect of imatinib on Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells
Authors: Yang Xi , He Guangcui , Gong Yuping , Zheng Bohui , Shi Fangfang , Shi Rui , Yang Xiaojing 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBCR‐ABL fusion gene typically causes a type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), known as Ph+ ALL. Although imatinib (IM) treatment induced high rates of complete response (CR), serious acute and late complications are frequent, whereas more vexatiously resistance to chemotherapy and clinical relapse develops. Therefore, the efficacy of treatment in Ph+ ALL is still to be determined. In this study, we focused our attention on the potential benefit of rapamycin (RAPA), an mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, in combination with IM on a Ph+ ALL cell line SUP‐B15 and a primary Ph+ ALL sample in vitro. Analysis of cell proliferation showed that RAPA (50 nm) plus IM exerted good synergistic effect on Ph+ ALL cells. Notably, we found that IM treatment induced the abnormal activation of the components of mTOR signaling pathway and p‐BCR‐ABL, whereas RAPA potently eliminated this deleterious side effect induced by IM and might overcome the resistance to IM. The synergistic effect was also associated with the increase in autophagy, which seemed to have an opposite role with apoptosis in Ph+ ALL cells, and cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. Altogether, our results suggested that IM in combination with RAPA was more effective for Ph+ ALL cells than IM alone.
Diversity, heterogeneity and orientation‐dependent variation of spike count correlation in the cat visual cortex
Authors: Maruyama Yoshiko , Ito Hiroyuki 
Published: October 2013

AbstractCortical neurons are known to be noisy encoders of information, showing large response variabilities with repeated presentations of identical stimuli. These spike count variabilities are correlated over the cell population and their neuronal mechanism and functional significance have not been well understood. Recently there has been much debate over the magnitude of the population mean of the correlation, ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 down to nearly zero. We performed multi‐neuron recordings on the cat visual cortex and found that the population mean did not necessarily represent the nature of correlated variabilities because the spike count correlation showed significant diversity and heterogeneity. Although the population mean was relatively small (0.06), the correlations of individual unit pairs were distributed over a broad range, extending to both positive and negative values. In most of the recording sessions of local cell populations (83%), significantly positive correlations coexisted with significantly negative ones in different unit pairs. Furthermore, nearly 20% of the unit pairs showed significant variation in the spike count correlation for different stimulus orientations. Correlation analysis between the spike count correlation and the firing activity of the unit pair suggested that the orientation tuning properties of the two quantities were unlikely to have originated from a common neuronal mechanism. Diversity, heterogeneity and context‐dependent variation suggests that the correlated spike count variabilities originate not from fixed anatomical connections but rather from the dynamic interaction of neuronal networks.
Biochar carbon stability in four contrasting soils
Authors: Fang Y. , Singh B. , Singh B. P. , Krull E. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryThere is a limited understanding of the effects of soil properties on biochar carbon (C) stability. This knowledge is essential to evaluate the capacity of biochar for long‐term soil C sequestration fully. In this study two biochars, produced by slow pyrolysis at 450 or 550°C from a δ13C‐depleted (−36.4‰) Eucalyptus saligna Sm. woody material, were incubated in four soils (Inceptisol, Entisol, Oxisol and Vertisol) of contrasting chemical and mineralogical properties. The total biochar‐C mineralized over 12 months was 0.30–1.14 and 0.97–2.71% from the soil‐biochar mixtures incubated at 20 and 40°C, respectively. The total biochar‐C mineralized (mg CO2‐C per unit of native soil organic C (SOC) basis) from soils incubated with the 450°C biochar was approximately twice the corresponding amount mineralized from the 550°C biochar systems. The influence of soil properties on biochar‐C mineralization was greater for the 450°C biochar than the 550°C biochar. The smallest proportion of C mineralized from the 450°C biochar occurred in the Inceptisol incubated at 20°C and in the Oxisol at 40°C. However, when expressed on a per unit of native SOC basis, the C mineralization of the 450 and 550°C biochars was least in the Oxisol and greatest in the Inceptisol at both incubation temperatures. Mean residence times (MRTs) of the biochars estimated using the two‐pool exponential model varied between 44 and 610 years. The estimated MRT of the biochars may vary under field conditions depending upon the environmental conditions and addition of labile C from plants. Our results indicate that biochar‐C was stabilized by variable charge minerals in the Oxisol and that the stabilization occurred rapidly at high temperatures.
Antibodies to clustered acetylcholine receptor: expanding the phenotype
Authors: Devic P. , Petiot P. , Simonet T. , Stojkovic T. , Delmont E. , Franques J. , Magot A. , Vial C. , Lagrange E. , Nicot A. S. , Risson V. , Eymard B. , Schaeffer L. 
Published: October 2013

Background and purposeTo provide a detailed phenotypical description of seronegative patients with generalized myasthenia gravis and antibodies to clustered acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and to assess their frequency amongst a French seronegative generalized myasthenia gravis (SNMG) population.MethodsA French SNMG database was created and the sera from the 37 patients included in it were analysed by immunofluorescence of cell‐based assays using cotransfection of AChR subunit genes together with rapsyn to densely cluster the AChRs.ResultsSixteen per cent (n = 6) of the SNMG patients were found to have antibodies to clustered AChR. They presented either with early onset MG and thymic hyperplasia, late onset MG and thymic involution, or thymoma associated MG. They responded well to cholinesterase inhibitors and immunosuppressants.ConclusionsPatients with antibodies to clustered AChR account for a significant proportion of SNMG patients and resemble patients with AChR antibodies detected by standard radio‐immunoprecipitation.
Gene therapy: pursuing restoration of dermal adhesion in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa
Authors: Cutlar Lara , Greiser Udo , Wang Wenxin 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe replacement of a defective gene with a fully functional copy is the goal of the most basic gene therapy. Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is characterised by a lack of adhesion of the epidermis to the dermis. It is an ideal target for gene therapy as all variants of hereditary RDEB are caused by mutations in a single gene, COL7A1, coding for type VII collagen, a key component of anchoring fibrils that secure attachment of the epidermis to the dermis. RDEB is one of the most severe variants in the epidermolysis bullosa (EB) group of heritable skin diseases. Epidermolysis bullosa is defined by chronic fragility and blistering of the skin and mucous membranes due to mutations in the genes responsible for production of the basement membrane proteins. This condition has a high personal, medical and socio‐economic impact. People with RDEB require a broad spectrum of medications and specialised care. Due to this being a systemic condition, most research focus is in the area of gene therapy. Recently, preclinical works have begun to show promise. They focus on the virally mediated ex vivo correction of autologous epithelium. These corrected cells are then to be expanded and grafted onto the patient following the lead of the first successful gene therapy in dermatology being a grafting of corrected tissue for junctional EB treatment. Current progress, outstanding challenges and future directions in translating these approaches in clinics are reviewed in this article.
Insufficient expression of the melanocortin‐1 receptor by human dermal fibroblasts contributes to excess collagen synthesis in keloid scars
Authors: Luo Long‐Fei , Shi Ying , Zhou Qiong , Xu Shi‐Zheng , Lei Tie‐Chi 
Published: October 2013

AbstractActivation of the α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (αMSH)/melanocortin‐1 receptor (MC1R) signalling pathway exerts antagonistic actions on cutaneous inflammatory and fibrogenic responses in addition to promoting pigment production. Herein, the expression of MC1R by keloid‐derived fibroblasts and keloid scar tissue was investigated using a range of techniques. MC1R mRNA expression levels in five different keloid fibroblast cell lines were significantly reduced to less than half compared with five normal fibroblast cell lines (P < 0.05). Immunohistological analysis of tissue samples indicated that MCR1 immunoreactivity in both epidermal and dermal compartments of five keloid tissue samples was dramatically decreased compared with normal skin (P < 0.05). Insufficient expression of MC1R on human dermal fibroblasts might abolish the αMSH‐mediated suppression of collagen production and myofibroblast transformation elicited by the profibrotic cytokine‐transforming growth factor‐β1. Restoration of reduced MC1R by dermal fibroblasts may lead to novel scar‐reducing therapeutic approaches for treating this refractory fibrotic disease.