bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thrombotic risk in patients with immune thrombocytopenia and its association with antiphospholipid antibodies
Authors: Kim Ki‐Jo , Baek In‐Woon , Yoon Chong‐Hyeon , Kim Wan‐Uk , Cho Chul‐Soo 
Published: March 2013

SummaryPatients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) paradoxically have an increased risk of thrombosis. The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) has been observed in a substantial proportion of ITP patients, but its clinical significance remains to be established. This study retrospectively investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of aPL in ITP patients and assessed the risk factors for thrombosis. One hundred and sixty‐five subjects with ITP were included in the study and followed for a mean period of 63·4 months. Sixty‐nine (41·6%) patients were positive for aPL at diagnosis, and their clinical characteristics and course of ITP were not different from those of aPL‐negative patients. Twenty‐one (12·7%) patients developed a thrombotic event during follow‐up and the cumulative incidence rate ratio of aPL‐positive to aPL‐negative patients for thromboembolism was 3·15 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1·21–8·17] after adjusting for confounding factors. Lupus anticoagulant and hypertension were identified by Cox regression analysis as independent risk factors for thrombosis [hazard ratio (HR) 4·1, 95% CI 1·4–11·9, P = 0·009 and HR 5·6, 95% CI 1·9–15·8, P = 0·001, respectively]. Our results showed that a substantial proportion of ITP patients were aPL‐positive, and that lupus anticoagulant and hypertension were independent risk factors for thrombosis. Detection of aPL can provide useful information for identifying patients at high‐risk for developing thrombosis.
A novel synthetic lipopeptide is allergy‐protective by the induction of LPS‐tolerance
Authors: Stiehm M. , Peters K. , Wiesmüller K.‐H. , Bufe A. , Peters M. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryBackgroundExposure to the environment of traditional farms can protect children from some allergic disease. Due to this exposure, TLR2 expression in these children is increased. TLR2 ligands derived from gram‐positive bacteria are found in the dust of these farms.ObjectivesWe proved whether a synthetic lipopeptide binding to the TLR1/2 heterodimer is able to protect from allergic disease in two different murine models of allergy. We also investigated the immunological mechanisms underlying the protective properties of the lipopeptide.MethodsWe synthesized a lipopeptide derived from a germination lipoprotein of Bacillus cereus (LPGerD). We evaluated the immunomodulatory activity of LPGerD in a murine model of systemic sensitization (OVA/Alum) and in a model in which mice were sensitized with OVA pulsed bone‐marrow‐derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) via the airways. Furthermore, the induction of LPS tolerance was studied.ResultsTreatment of mice with LPGerD in a mouse model of asthma led to protection against sensitization and airway inflammation. Similarly, bone‐marrow‐derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) pre‐treated with LPGerD were not able to prime mice for allergic immune response. We observed that pre‐treatment with LPGerD led to the induction of a LPS‐tolerant state in BMDCs. These cells secreted markedly lower amounts of pro‐inflammatory cytokines upon LPS stimulation. Furthermore, we observed an up‐regulation of IRAK‐M mRNA in BMDCs pre‐treated with LPGerD.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceOur results suggest that induction of a LPS‐tolerant state in antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) may contribute to the protective effect of a farming environment. TLR2 agonists similar to those appearing in cowshed dust extracts, such as our synthetic LPGerD, lead to the ignorance of the LPS stimulus, which is important for the activation of APCs to mount a Th2 immune response. This substance might be a promising candidate for allergy‐preventive treatments as LPGerD had only low pro‐inflammatory characteristics.
Identification of enolases and aldolases as important fish allergens in cod, salmon and tuna: component resolved diagnosis using parvalbumin and the new allergens
Authors: Kuehn A. , Hilger C. , Lehners‐Weber C. , Codreanu‐Morel F. , Morisset M. , Metz‐Favre C. , Pauli G. , de Blay F. , Revets D. , Muller C. P. , Vogel L. , Vieths S. , Hentges F. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryBackgroundThe majority of fish‐allergic patients are sensitized to parvalbumin, known to be the cause of important IgE cross‐reactivity among fish species. Little is known about the importance of fish allergens other than parvalbumin.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to characterize hitherto undefined fish allergens in three commonly consumed fish species, cod, salmon and tuna, and to evaluate their importance for in vitro IgE‐diagnosis in addition to parvalbumin and fish gelatin.MethodsSixty‐two patients were diagnosed by clinical history, skin prick tests and specific IgE to fish extracts. Two new fish allergens from cod, salmon and tuna were identified by microsequencing. These proteins were characterized by immunoblot, ELISA and mediator release assay. Purified parvalbumin, enolase, aldolase and fish gelatin were used for quantification of specific IgE in ELISA.ResultsParvalbumin and two other allergens of 50 and 40 kDa were detected in IgE‐immunoblots of cod, salmon and tuna extracts by most patient sera. The 50 and 40 kDa proteins were identified as beta‐enolase and fructose‐bisphosphate aldolase A respectively. Both purified enzymes showed allergenic activity in the mediator release assay. Indeed, 72.6% of the patients were sensitized to parvalbumin, 20% of these had specific IgE to salmon parvalbumin only. IgE to enolases were found in 62.9% (0.5–95.0 kUA/L), to aldolases in 50.0% (0.4‐26.0 kUA/L) and to fish gelatin in 19.3% (0.4–20.0 kUA/L) of the patients. Inter‐species cross‐reactivity, even though limited, was found for enolases and aldolases by IgE‐inhibition ELISA.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceFish enolase and aldolase have been identified as important new fish allergens. In fish allergy diagnosis, IgE to enolase and aldolase are especially relevant when IgE to parvalbumin are absent.
Fungal rhinosinusitis: what every allergist should know
Authors: Callejas C. A. , Douglas R. G. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryThe interaction between fungi and the sinonasal tract results in a diverse range of diseases with an equally broad spectrum of clinical severity. The classification of these interactions has become complex, and this review seeks to rationalize and simplify the approach to fungal diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses. These conditions may be discussed under two major headings: non‐invasive disease (localized fungal colonization, fungal ball and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis) and invasive disease (acute invasive rhinosinusitis, chronic invasive rhinosinusitis and granulomatous invasive rhinosinusitis). A diagnosis of fungal rhinosinusitis is established by combining findings on history, clinical examination, laboratory testing, imaging and histopathology. The immunocompetence of the patient is of great importance, as invasive fungal rhinosinusitis is uncommon in immunocompetent patients. With the exception of localized fungal colonization, treatment of all forms of fungal rhinosinusitis relies heavily on surgery. Systemic antifungal agents are a fundamental component in the treatment of invasive forms, but are not indicated for the treatment of the non‐invasive forms. Antifungal drugs may have a role as adjuvant therapy in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, but evidence is poor to support recommendations. Randomized controlled trials need to be performed to confirm the benefit of immunotherapy in the treatment of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. In this article, we will summarize the current literature, addressing the controversies regarding the diagnosis and management of fungal rhinosinusitis, and focussing on those aspects which are important for clinical immunologists and allergists.
The Ability of Landowners and Their Cooperatives to Leverage Payments Greater Than Opportunity Costs from Conservation Contracts
Authors: LENNOX GARETH D. , ARMSWORTH PAUL R. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractIn negotiations over land‐right acquisitions, landowners have an informational advantage over conservation groups because they know more about the opportunity costs of conservation measures on their sites. This advantage creates the possibility that landowners will demand payments greater than the required minimum, where this minimum required payment is known as the landowner's willingness to accept (WTA). However, in recent studies of conservation costs, researchers have assumed landowners will accept conservation with minimum payments. We investigated the ability of landowners to demand payments above their WTA when a conservation group has identified multiple sites for protection. First, we estimated the maximum payment landowners could potentially demand, which is set when groups of landowners act as a cooperative. Next, through the simulation of conservation auctions, we explored the amount of money above landowners’ WTA (i.e., surplus) that conservation groups could cede to secure conservation agreements, again investigating the influence of landowner cooperatives. The simulations showed the informational advantage landowners held could make conservation investments up to 42% more expensive than suggested by the site WTAs. Moreover, all auctions resulted in landowners obtaining payments greater than their WTA; thus, it may be unrealistic to assume landowners will accept conservation contracts with minimum payments. Of particular significance for species conservation, conservation objectives focused on overall species richness, which therefore recognize site complementarity, create an incentive for landowners to form cooperatives to capture surplus. To the contrary, objectives in which sites are substitutes, such as the maximization of species occurrences, create a disincentive for cooperative formation.La Habilidad de Propietarios y Sus Cooperativas para Implementar Pagos Mayores que los Costos de Oportunidad en Contratos de Conservación
Effects of Climate Change, Invasive Species, and Disease on the Distribution of Native European Crayfishes
Authors: CAPINHA CÉSAR , LARSON ERIC R. , TRICARICO ELENA , OLDEN JULIAN D. , GHERARDI FRANCESCA 
Published: March 2013

AbstractClimate change will require species to adapt to new conditions or follow preferred climates to higher latitudes or elevations, but many dispersal‐limited freshwater species may be unable to move due to barriers imposed by watershed boundaries. In addition, invasive nonnative species may expand into new regions under future climate conditions and contribute to the decline of native species. We evaluated future distributions for the threatened European crayfish fauna in response to climate change, watershed boundaries, and the spread of invasive crayfishes, which transmit the crayfish plague, a lethal disease for native European crayfishes. We used climate projections from general circulation models and statistical models based on Mahalanobis distance to predict climate‐suitable regions for native and invasive crayfishes in the middle and at the end of the 21st century. We identified these suitable regions as accessible or inaccessible on the basis of major watershed boundaries and present occurrences and evaluated potential future overlap with 3 invasive North American crayfishes. Climate‐suitable areas decreased for native crayfishes by 19% to 72%, and the majority of future suitable areas for most of these species were inaccessible relative to native and current distributions. Overlap with invasive crayfish plague‐transmitting species was predicted to increase. Some native crayfish species (e.g., noble crayfish [Astacus astacus]) had no future refugia that were unsuitable for the modeled nonnative species. Our results emphasize the importance of preventing additional introductions and spread of invasive crayfishes in Europe to minimize interactions between the multiple stressors of climate change and invasive species, while suggesting candidate regions for the debatable management option of assisted colonization.Efectos del Cambio Climático, Especies Invasoras y Enfermedades sobre la Distribución de Cangrejos de Río Europeos Nativos
Diverticular disease in younger patients – is it clinically more complicated and related to obesity?
Authors: Pilgrim S. M. , Hart A. R. , Speakman C. T. M. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractAimThe aims of this systematic review were to determine the presentations of diverticular disease in patients under 40 years of age and to assess whether obesity is an important factor.MethodThe PubMed and EMBASE databases and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify all original articles published between 1990 and 2011 on diverticular disease severity in obese patients (body mass index of ≥ 30 kg/m2) under 40 years of age.ResultsTwenty‐three clinical case series (two of which were prospective) were identified plus two large aetiological population‐based studies. These reported that young patients with diverticular disease were presenting more frequently, that diverticular disease in this age group was less likely to be complicated but that emergency operation rates were higher. The majority (63.1–96.5%) of patients under 40 years of age with diverticular disease were obese.ConclusionThe studies suggest that in the young, obese patient with lower abdominal pain, diverticulitis and appendicitis are included in the differential diagnosis. CT and/or laparoscopy should be considered where the diagnosis is in doubt.
Association between granzyme B and perforin I polymorphisms and allograft outcomes in Hispanic kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Corrales‐Tellez Eglis , Vu Don , Shah Tariq , Hutchinson Ian , Min David I. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractGranzyme B (GZMB) and perforin 1 gene (PRF1) are key effector molecules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, in causing acute and chronic solid organ transplant rejection. In this study, we analyzed the impact of GZMB and PRF1 polymorphism on kidney allograft outcomes. In all, 527 de novo kidney Hispanic allograft recipients were genotyped for PRF1 (rs10999426, rs35947132) and GZMB (rs8192917, rs7144366). PRF1 (rs10999426, rs35947132) G alleles and GG genotypes were negatively associated with allograft rejection, demonstrating protection against allograft rejection (OR = 0.61, p = 0.005 for rs1099946; OR = 0.4, p = 0.01 for rs 35947132). On the other hand, the GA heterozygosity of PRF1 was found marginally associated with the rejection group (OR = 1.53, p = 0.05 for rs10999426; OR = 2.24, p = 0.07 for rs35947132). There was a significant increase in allograft survival in time period studied for the PRF1 (rs10999426) GG genotype, while the GA heterozygosity was associated with graft failure. We found no association for polymorphic markers in GZMB gene with allograft rejection. Survival was significantly improved for patients who were homozygous TT for the GZMB (rs8192917) (TT vs. CC/TT, p = 0.041). The result suggests that PRF1 and GZMB gene polymorphisms may determine the incidence of acute rejection or graft survival among Hispanic allograft recipients.
A systematic review of substance misuse assessment packages
Authors: Sweetman Jennifer , Raistrick Duncan , Mdege Noreen D. , Crosby Helen 
Published: March 2013

AbstractIssuesHealth‐care systems globally are moving away from process measures of performance to payments for outcomes achieved. It follows that there is a need for a selection of proven quality tools that are suitable for undertaking comprehensive assessments and outcomes assessments. This review aimed to identify and evaluate existing comprehensive assessment packages. The work is part of a national program in the UK, Collaborations in Leadership of Applied Health Research and Care.ApproachSystematic searches were carried out across major databases to identify instruments designed to assess substance misuse. For those instruments identified, searches were carried out using the Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE® and PsychINFO to identify articles reporting psychometric data.Key FindingsFrom 595 instruments, six met the inclusion criteria: Addiction Severity Index; Chemical Use, Abuse and Dependence Scale; Form 90; Maudsley Addiction Profile; Measurements in the Addictions for Triage and Evaluation; and Substance Abuse Outcomes Module. The most common reasons for exclusion were that instruments were: (i) designed for a specific substance (239); (ii) not designed for use in addiction settings (136); (iii) not providing comprehensive assessment (89); and (iv) not suitable as an outcome measure (20).ImplicationsThe six packages are very different and suited to different uses. No package had adequate evaluation of their properties and so the emphasis should be on refining a small number of tools with very general application rather than creating new ones. An alternative to using ‘off‐the‐shelf’ packages is to create bespoke packages from well‐validated, single‐construct scales. [Sweetman J, Raistrick D, Mdege ND, Crosby H. A systematic review of substance misuse assessment packages. Drug Alcohol Rev 2013;32:347‐355]
Species distribution modelling and imperfect detection: comparing occupancy versus consensus methods
Authors: Comte Lise , Grenouillet Gaël 
Published: March 2013

AbstractAimWe assessed the influence of species non‐detection in modelling species distributions with an ensemble consensus approach that did not account for imperfect detection, compared with an occupancy model that did.LocationThe hydrographic network of France.MethodsWe compared range maps of 35 stream fish species with differing degrees of detectability predicted using a consensus approach combining eight species distribution models (SDMs) to maps produced using an occupancy model. Using a spatially and temporally extensive monitoring database of fish populations (France), we modelled the occurrence of species as a function of several climatic and habitat variables and projected species distributions across the whole of the French hydrographic network. The benefits of occupancy models were then assessed from the differences in both predictive performance and species distribution.ResultsWe found that although the occupancy models enhanced the performance for difficult to detect species, consensus models outperformed occupancy models for highly detectable species. In contrast to the minor differences observed in performance measures, estimates of species distributions were severely affected by whether or not imperfect detection was accounted for and varied linearly according to species detectability.Main conclusionsThis study demonstrated that false absences could have major consequences in estimating species distribution ranges. However, accounting for imperfect detection may not be enough to improve conventional SDMs. These findings could have important implications for conservation, notably in developing large‐scale distribution models and documenting species range shifts in the context of recent climate change.
Do dung beetle larvae need microbial symbionts from their parents to feed on dung?
Authors: BYRNE MARCUS J. , WATKINS BRONWYN , BOUWER GUSTAV 
Published: March 2013

Abstract
Adult dung beetles eat small particles of their food using soft mouthparts, but their larvae have biting jaws with which they chew material in their natal brood ball.
It was assumed that microbes supplied by the parents help breakdown food material in the brood ball, which was thought to act as a fermentation chamber. It has been generally accepted that larval dung beetles gain access to nutrients in the dung via symbionts.
Various dung treatments used here, including heat sterilisation and anti‐microbials, suggest that the maternal contribution to the brood ball is a pre‐digested meal for the newly hatched larva, and that microbes from the parents are not involved in larval feeding within this group of dung beetles.
However, manipulation of the dung by the mother supplied the larva with smaller dung particles from the unsorted dung, and an additional ‘maternal gift’ secretion may provide partially digested dung, both of which affect survival of the larva.
This overturns the largely untested dogma that larval dung beetles depend on microbial symbionts from the adults for feeding, but confirms that adult ‘conditioning’ of the dung is important for the larva in selecting out larger dung particles from the brood ball.
Thrombin generation in children with sickle cell disease: relationship with age, hemolysis, transcranial doppler velocity, and hydroxyurea treatment
Authors: Noubouossie Denis C. F. , Lê Phu Q. , Rozen Laurence , Ziereisen France , Willems Dominique , Demulder Anne , Ferster Alina 
Published: March 2013

AbstractIntroductionIncreased thrombin generation (TG) was described in sickle cell disease (SCD) children. The aim of this study was to characterize TG at the individual level and assess its relationship with age, hemolysis, transcranial Doppler velocity (TCD), and hydroxyurea treatment.Patients and methodsTG was triggered in the platelet‐poor plasma using tissue factor and phospholipids with addition of thrombomodulin in 97 SCD at steady state and 80 control children. Patients and controls were aged from 2 to 20 years, and they were distributed in four categories of age: [2–5], [6–10], [11–15], and [16–20] years. For each subject, ratio of endogenous thrombin potential (rETP) and peak height (rPeak) was calculated as subject's value divided by the mean value of controls of the same age range. rETP and rPeak of patients were considered abnormal when > mean + 2SD of controls. LDH, total hemoglobin, and reticulocyte count were measured as markers of hemolysis. Data on hydroxyurea treatment and TCD were collected from medical records.ResultsOverall, 38.1% and 44.3% of patients showed elevated rETP and rPeak, respectively. rETP and rPeak decreased significantly with increasing age. In homozygous (SS) patients, TCD velocities and all markers of hemolysis correlated significantly with both rETp and rPeak. Negative correlations were observed between these ratios and the duration of hydroxyurea treatment.ConclusionElevated TG in SCD children is mainly related to younger age and to the intensity of hemolysis. There probably a link between TG and cerebral vasculopathy in these patients. Hydroxyurea may have a beneficial effect, which could be related to the duration of treatment.