bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The risk of childhood autism among second-generation migrants in Finland: a case–control study
Authors: Lehti Venla , Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki Susanna , Cheslack-Postava Keely , Gissler Mika , Brown Alan S , Sourander Andre 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Studying second-generation immigrants can help in identifying genetic or environmental risk factors for childhood autism. Most previous studies have focused on maternal region of birth and showed inconsistent results. No previous study has been conducted in Finland.

Methods
The study was a nested case–control study based on a national birth cohort. Children born in 1987–2005 and diagnosed with childhood autism by the year 2007 were identified from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register. Controls were selected from the Finnish Medical Birth Register. Information on maternal and paternal country of birth and mother tongue was collected from the Finnish Central Population Register. There were 1132 cases and 4515 matched controls. The statistical test used was conditional logistic regression analysis.

Results
Compared with children with two Finnish parents, the risk of childhood autism was increased for those whose parents are both immigrants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–2.7) and for those with only an immigrant mother (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2–2.7), but not for those with only an immigrant father. The risk was increased for those with a mother born in the former Soviet Union or Yugoslavia and for those with a mother or a father born in Asia. Specific parental countries of birth associated with an increased risk were the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia and Vietnam.

Conclusions
In Finland, children who are born to immigrant mothers with or without an immigrant partner, have an increased risk of childhood autism. The risk varies with immigrant parents’ region of birth. The findings may help in identifying possible risk factors, which can be examined in future studies.
Depression in Aboriginal men in central Australia: adaptation of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9
Authors: Brown Alex DH , Mentha Ricky , Rowley Kevin G , Skinner Timothy , Davy Carol , O’Dea Kerin 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
While Indigenous Australians are believed to be at a high risk of psychological illness, few screening instruments have been designed to accurately measure this burden. Rather than simply transposing western labels of symptoms, this paper describes the process by which a screening tool for depression was specifically adapted for use across multiple Indigenous Australian communities.

Method
Potential depression screening instruments were identified and interrogated according to a set of pre-defined criteria. A structured process was then developed which relied on the expertise of five focus groups comprising of members from primary Indigenous language groups in central Australia. First, focus group participants were asked to review and select a screening measure for adaptation. Bi-lingual experts then translated and back translated the language within the selected measure. Focus group participants re-visited the difficult items, explored their meaning and identified potential ways to achieve equivalence of meaning.

Results
All five focus groups independently selected the Primary Health Questionnaire 9, several key conceptual differences were exposed, largely related to the construction of hopelessness. Together with translated versions of each instrument for each of the five languages, a single, simplified English version for use across heterogeneous settings was negotiated. Importantly, the ‘code’ and specific conceptually equivalent words that could be used for other Indigenous language groups were also developed.

Conclusions
The extensive process of adaptation used in this study has demonstrated that within the context of Indigenous Australian communities, across multiple language groups, where English is often a third or fourth language, conceptual and linguistic equivalence of psychological constructs can be negotiated. A validation study is now required to assess the adapted instrument’s potential for measuring the burden of disease across all Indigenous Australian populations.
Prevalence and epidemiological correlates and treatment outcome of HCV infection in an Italian prison setting
Authors: Brandolini Micaela , Novati Stefano , De Silvestri Annalisa , Tinelli Carmine , Patruno Savino Francesco Antonio , Ranieri Roberto , Seminari Elena 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
The aim of the present study is to test in the feasibility of a screening programme for HCV infection in an Italian prison and to evaluate the treatment outcomes.

Method
Single-centre cross-sectional study carried out in Milan-Opera. The HCV infection prevalence was calculated on the imprisoned population on the January 31 2006, the data on treatment over the following 2 years. Treatment option offered to HCV chronically infected patients was then analysed, reasons for not being treated was evaluated.

Results
Of the 965 inmates, 695 were enrolled in the study, 682 (98%) were males, the median age was 43 years. There were 131 (18.8%) foreigners and 564 (81.2%) Italians. HCV seroprevalence was 22.4%(95% CI:19.4%-25.7%), 60 subjects (38.4%) being HIV co-infected too. Prevalence of HCV infection was significantly higher in HIVAb positive (89.6%; 95% CI:79.7%-95.7%) than in HIVAb negative (15.15%; 95% CI 12.6%-18.3%) (p<0.001). Among Italian inmates HCVAb positivity was significantly higher than among foreigners (p=0.0154). Among HCVAb positive patients, 135 subjects were HCV-RNA positive. Forty-seven (36%) had major clinical contraindication to treatment, 18 (13%) refused the treatment, 7 (5%) moved to other Institute and 27 (20%) were not evaluated by infectious disease specialists. Fifteen patients (43%) who received treatment were considered responders, 9 (26%) were non responders/relapsers, 6 (17%) interrupted treatment due to side effects and 5 (14%) were released during treatment and lost in follow-up.

Conclusions
This study indicates that the proportion of patients in a prison setting receiving diagnosis and treatment for HCV infection remained low.
Accuracy and efficiency define Bxb1 integrase as the best of fifteen candidate serine recombinases for the integration of DNA into the human genome
Authors: Xu Zhengyao , Thomas Louise , Davies Ben , Chalmers Ronald , Smith Maggie , Brown William 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Phage-encoded serine integrases, such as φC31 integrase, are widely used for genome engineering. Fifteen such integrases have been described but their utility for genome engineering has not been compared in uniform assays.

Results
We have compared fifteen serine integrases for their utility for DNA manipulations in mammalian cells after first demonstrating that all were functional in E. coli. Chromosomal recombination reporters were used to show that seven integrases were active on chromosomally integrated DNA in human fibroblasts and mouse embryonic stem cells. Five of the remaining eight enzymes were active on extra-chromosomal substrates thereby demonstrating that the ability to mediate extra-chromosomal recombination is no guide to ability to mediate site-specific recombination on integrated DNA. All the integrases that were active on integrated DNA also promoted DNA integration reactions that were not mediated through conservative site-specific recombination or damaged the recombination sites but the extent of these aberrant reactions varied over at least an order of magnitude. Bxb1 integrase yielded approximately two-fold more recombinants and displayed about two fold less damage to the recombination sites than the next best recombinase; φC31 integrase.

Conclusions
We conclude that the Bxb1 and φC31 integrases are the reagents of choice for genome engineering in vertebrate cells and that DNA damage repair is a major limitation upon the utility of this class of site-specific recombinase.
Socioeconomic and family influences on dental treatment needs among Brazilian underprivileged schoolchildren participating in a dental health program
Authors: Lisboa Cristina Martins , de Paula Janice Simpson , Ambrosano Glaucia Maria Bovi , Pereira Antonio Carlos , Meneghim Marcelo de Castro , Cortellazzi Karine Laura , Vazquez Fabiana Lima , Mialhe Fábio Luiz 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBackgroundThe objective of this study was to compare the socioeconomic and family characteristics of underprivileged schoolchildren with and without curative dental needs participating in a dental health program.MethodsA random sample of 1411 of 8-to-10 year-old Brazilian schoolchildren was examined and two sample groups were included in the cross-sectional study: 544 presented curative dental needs and the other 867 schoolchildren were without curative dental needs. The schoolchildren were examined for the presence of caries lesions using the DMFT index and their parents were asked to answer questions about socioenvironmental characteristics of their families. Logistic regression models were adjusted estimating the Odds Ratios (OR), their 95% confidence intervals (CI), and significance levels.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, it was found that families earning more than one Brazilian minimum wage, having fewer than four residents in the house, families living in homes owned by them, and children living with both biological parents were protective factors for the presence of dental caries, and consequently, curative dental needs.ConclusionsSocioeconomic status and family structure influences the curative dental needs of children from underprivileged communities. In this sense, dental health programs should plan and implement strategic efforts to reduce inequities in oral health status and access to oral health services of vulnerable schoolchildren and their families.
Inhibition of Raf-MEK-ERK and Hypoxia pathways by Phyllanthus prevents metastasis in human lung (A549) cancer cell line
Authors: Lee Sau Har , Jaganath Indu Bala , Manikam Rishya , Sekaran Shamala Devi 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Lung cancer constitutes one of the malignancies with the greatest incidence and mortality rates with 1.6 million new cases and 1.4 million deaths each year. Prognosis remains poor due to deleterious development of multidrug resistance resulting in less than 15% lung cancer patients reaching five years survival. We have previously shown that Phyllanthus induced apoptosis in conjunction with its antimetastastic action. In the current study, we aimed to determine the signaling pathways utilized by Phyllanthus to exert its antimetastatic activities.

Methods
Cancer 10-pathway reporter array was performed to screen the pathways affected by Phyllanthus in lung carcinoma cell line (A549) to exert its antimetastatic effects. Results from this array were then confirmed with western blotting, cell cycle analysis, zymography technique, and cell based ELISA assay for human total iNOS. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was subsequently carried out to study the differential protein expressions in A549 after treatment with Phyllanthus.

Results

Phyllanthus was observed to cause antimetastatic activities by inhibiting ERK1/2 pathway via suppression of Raf protein. Inhibition of this pathway resulted in the suppression of MMP2, MMP7, and MMP9 expression to stop A549 metastasis. Phyllanthus also inhibits hypoxia pathway via inhibition of HIF-1α that led to reduced VEGF and iNOS expressions. Proteomic analysis revealed a number of proteins downregulated by Phyllanthus that were involved in metastatic processes, including invasion and mobility proteins (cytoskeletal proteins), transcriptional proteins (proliferating cell nuclear antigen; zinc finger protein), antiapoptotic protein (Bcl2) and various glycolytic enzymes. Among the four Phyllanthus species tested, P. urinaria showed the greatest antimetastatic activity.

Conclusions

Phyllanthus inhibits A549 metastasis by suppressing ERK1/2 and hypoxia pathways that led to suppression of various critical proteins for A549 invasion and migration.
Person-centred web-based support - development through a Swedish multi-case study
Authors: Josefsson Ulrika , Berg Marie , Koinberg Ingalill , Hellström Anna-Lena , Nolbris Margaretha Jenholt , Ranerup Agneta , Lundin Carina Sparud , Skärsäter Ingela 
Published: October 2013

AbstractBackgroundDeparting from the widespread use of the internet in modern society and the emerging use of web applications in healthcare this project captures persons’ needs and expectations in order to develop highly usable web recourses. The purpose of this paper is to outline a multi-case research project focused on the development and evaluation of person-centred web-based support for people with long-term illness. To support the underlying idea to move beyond the illness, we approach the development of web support from the perspective of the emergent area of person-centred care. The project aims to contribute to the ongoing development of web-based supports in health care and to the emerging field of person-centred care.Methods/DesignThe research design uses a meta-analytical approach through its focus on synthesizing experiences from four Swedish regional and national cases of design and use of web-based support in long-term illness. The cases include children (bladder dysfunction and urogenital malformation), young adults (living close to persons with mental illness), and two different cases of adults (women with breast cancer and childbearing women with type 1 diabetes). All of the cases are ongoing, though in different stages of design, implementation, and analysis. This, we argue, will lead to a synthesis of results on a meta-level not yet described.DiscussionTo allow valid comparisons between the four cases we explore and problematize them in relation to four main aspects: 1) The use of people’s experiences and needs; 2) The role of use of theories in the design of person-centred web-based supports; 3) The evaluation of the effects of health outcomes for the informants involved and 4) The development of a generic person-centred model for learning and social support for people with long-term illness and their significant others. Person-centred web-based support is a new area and few studies focus on how web-based interventions can contribute to the development of person-centred care. In summary, the main intention of the project outlined here is to contribute with both a synthesis of results on meta-level from four cases and a substantial contribution to the field person-centred care.
Urban slum structure: integrating socioeconomic and land cover data to model slum evolution in Salvador, Brazil
Authors: Hacker Kathryn P , Seto Karen C , Costa Federico , Corburn Jason , Reis Mitermayer G , Ko Albert I , Diuk-Wasser Maria A 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
The expansion of urban slums is a key challenge for public and social policy in the 21st century. The heterogeneous and dynamic nature of slum communities limits the use of rigid slum definitions. A systematic and flexible approach to characterize, delineate and model urban slum structure at an operational resolution is essential to plan, deploy, and monitor interventions at the local and national level.

Methods
We modeled the multi-dimensional structure of urban slums in the city of Salvador, a city of 3 million inhabitants in Brazil, by integrating census-derived socioeconomic variables and remotely-sensed land cover variables. We assessed the correlation between the two sets of variables using canonical correlation analysis, identified land cover proxies for the socioeconomic variables, and produced an integrated map of deprivation in Salvador at 30 m × 30 m resolution.

Results
The canonical analysis identified three significant ordination axes that described the structure of Salvador census tracts according to land cover and socioeconomic features. The first canonical axis captured a gradient from crowded, low-income communities with corrugated roof housing to higher-income communities. The second canonical axis discriminated among socioeconomic variables characterizing the most marginalized census tracts, those without access to sanitation or piped water. The third canonical axis accounted for the least amount of variation, but discriminated between high-income areas with white-painted or tiled roofs from lower-income areas.

Conclusions
Our approach captures the socioeconomic and land cover heterogeneity within and between slum settlements and identifies the most marginalized communities in a large, complex urban setting. These findings indicate that changes in the canonical scores for slum areas can be used to track their evolution and to monitor the impact of development programs such as slum upgrading.
Targeted therapy against EGFR and VEGFR using ZD6474 enhances the therapeutic potential of UV-B phototherapy in breast cancer cells
Authors: Sarkar Siddik , Rajput Shashi , Tripathi Amit Kumar , Mandal Mahitosh 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
The hypoxic environment of tumor region stimulated the up regulation of growth factors responsible for angiogenesis and tumor proliferation. Thus, targeting the tumor vasculature along with the proliferation by dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor may be the efficient way of treating advanced breast cancers, which can be further enhanced by combining with radiotherapy. However, the effectiveness of radiotherapy may be severely compromised by toxicities and tumor resistance due to radiation-induced adaptive response contributing to recurrence and metastases of breast cancer. The rational of using ZD6474 is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of combined VEGFR2 and EGFR targeting with concurrent targeted and localized UV-B phototherapy in vitro breast cancer cells with the anticipation to cure skin lesions infiltrated with breast cancer cells.

Materials and methods
Breast cancer cells were exposed to UV-B and ZD6474 and the cell viability, apoptosis, invasion and motility studies were conducted for the combinatorial effect. Graphs and statistical analyses were performed using Graph Pad Prism 5.0.

Results
ZD6474 and UV-B decreased cell viability in breast cancers in combinatorial manner without affecting the normal human mammary epithelial cells. ZD6474 inhibited cyclin E expression and induced p53 expression when combined with UV-B. It activated stress induced mitochondrial pathway by inducing translocation of bax and cytochrome-c. The combination of ZD6474 with UV-B vs. either agent alone also more potently down-regulated the anti-apoptotic bcl-2 protein, up-regulated pro-apoptotic signaling events involving expression of bax, activation of caspase-3 and caspase-7 proteins, and induced poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase resulting in apoptosis. ZD6474 combined with UV-B inhibited invasion of breast cancer cells in vitro as compared to either single agent, indicating a potential involvement of pro-angiogenic growth factors in regulating the altered expression and reorganization of cytoskeletal proteins in combinatorial treated breast cancer cells. Involvement of combination therapy in reducing the expression of matrix metalloprotease was also observed.

Conclusions
Collectively, our studies indicate that incorporating an anti-EGFR plus VEGFR strategy (ZD6474) with phototherapy (UV-B), an alternative approach to the ongoing conventional radiotherapy for the treatment of infiltrating metastatic breast cancer cells in the skin and for locally recurrence breast cancer than either approach alone.
MiR-451 inhibits cell growth and invasion by targeting MIF and is associated with survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Liu Na , Jiang Ning , Guo Rui , Jiang Wei , He Qing-Mei , Xu Ya-Fei , Li Ying-Qin , Tang Ling-Long , Mao Yan-Ping , Sun Ying , Ma Jun 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
MiRNAs play important roles in diverse biological processes including tumorigenesis. However, little is known about the function and mechanism of miR-451 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods
Quantitative RT-PCR was used to quantify miR-451 expression in NPC cell lines and clinical tissues. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate the association between miR-451 expression and survival. The MTT, colony formation, Transwell migration and invasion assays, and a xenograft model were performed. A miR-451 target was confirmed using luciferase reporter assays, quantitative RT-PCR, and Western blotting.

Results
MiR-451 was significantly downregulated in NPC cell lines and clinical tissues (P < 0.01). Patients with low expression of miR-451 had poorer overall survival (HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.16-3.34; P = 0.01) and disease-free survival (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.07-2.62; P = 0.02) than patients with high expression. MiR-451 was an independent prognostic factor in NPC in multivariate Cox regression analysis. Ectopic expression of miR-451 suppressed cell viability, colony formation, and cell migration and invasion in vitro, and inhibited xenograft tumor growth in vivo. MIF was verified as a direct target of miR-451, and MIF regulated NPC cell growth and invasion.

Conclusions
The newly identified miR-451/MIF pathway provides insight into NPC initiation and progression, and may represent a novel therapeutic target.
Cathepsin B as a potential prognostic and therapeutic marker for human lung squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Gong Fengming , Peng Xingchen , Luo Can , Shen Guobo , Zhao Chengjian , Zou Liqun , Li Longhao , Sang Yaxiong , Zhao Yuwei , Zhao Xia 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
The lung squamous cell carcinoma survival rate is very poor despite multimodal treatment. It is urgent to discover novel candidate biomarkers for prognostic assessment and therapeutic targets to lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Results
Herein a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and ESI-Q-TOF MS/MS-based proteomic approach was used to identify differentially expressed proteins between lung SCC and adjacent normal tissues. 31 proteins with significant alteration were identified. These proteins were mainly involved in metabolism, calcium ion binding, signal transduction and so on. Cathepsin B (CTSB) was one of the most significantly altered proteins and was confirmed by western blotting. Immunohistochemistry showed the correlation between higher CTSB expression and lower survival rate. No statistically significant difference between CTSB-shRNA treated group and the controls was observed in tumor volume, tumor weight, proliferation and apoptosis. However, the CTSB-shRNA significantly inhibited tumor metastases and prolonged survival in LL/2 metastatic model. Moreover, CTSB, Shh and Ptch were up-regulated in patients with metastatic lung SCC, suggesting that hedgehog signaling might be activated in metastatic lung SCC which could affect the expression of CTSB that influence the invasive activity of lung SCC.

Conclusions
These data suggested that CTSB might serve as a prognostic and therapeutic marker for lung SCC.