bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of CXCR3‐mediated chemotaxis by the human chemokine receptor‐like protein CCX‐CKR
Authors: Vinet J , van Zwam M , Dijkstra IM , Brouwer N , van Weering HRJ , Watts A , Meijer M , Fokkens MR , Kannan V , Verzijl D , Vischer HF , Smit MJ , Leurs R , Biber K , Boddeke HWGM 
Published: November 2012

Background and PurposeInduction of cellular migration is the primary effect of chemokine receptor activation. However, several chemokine receptor‐like proteins bind chemokines without subsequent induction of intracellular signalling and chemotaxis. It has been suggested that they act as chemokine scavengers, which may control local chemokine levels and contribute to the function of chemokines during inflammation. This has been verified for the chemokine‐like receptor proteins D6 and DARC as well as CCX‐CKR. Here, we provide evidence for an additional biological function of human (h)CCX‐CKR.Experimental ApproachWe used transfection strategies in HEK293 and human T cells.Key ResultsCo‐expression of hCCX‐CKR completely inhibits hCXCR3‐induced chemotaxis. We found that hCCX‐CKR forms complexes with hCXCR3, suggesting a relationship between CCX‐CKR heteromerization and inhibition of chemotaxis. Moreover, negative binding cooperativity induced by ligands both for hCXCR3 and hCCX‐CKR was observed in cells expressing both receptors. This negative cooperativity may also explain the hCCX‐CKR‐induced inhibition of chemotaxis.Conclusions and ImplicationsThese findings suggest that hCCX‐CKR prevents hCXCR3‐induced chemotaxis by heteromerization thus representing a novel mechanism of regulation of immune cell migration.
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin expression is increased in the horny layer of patients with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Sano Y , Masuda K , Tamagawa-Mineoka R , Matsunaka H , Murakami Y , Yamashita R , Morita E , Katoh N 
Published: November 2012

SummaryThymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is known for its capacity to induce CD11c+ myeloid dendritic cells to promote T helper type 2 (Th2)-skewed inflammatory responses. Although increased expression of TSLP was reported in the lesional skin of limited numbers of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), the relationships between the degree of TSLP expression in the skin and the severity of AD, epidermal barrier function and eruption type remain to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between the degree of TSLP expression in the skin and the severity of AD, eruption type and epidermal barrier function using a non-invasive method in a sizeable group of the patients. Stratum corneum tissue was obtained from AD patients by tape stripping, and the stratum corneum TSLP (scTSLP) expression level was evaluated using a TSLP-specific antibody followed by image analysis. The correlations between the scTSLP intensity and the severity scoring of AD (SCORAD) index and epidermal barrier function, such as stratum corneum hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), were analysed. The changes in the scTSLP level induced by the application of moisturizer were also examined. The scTSLP expression level was increased in AD patients compared with healthy subjects and was correlated with SCORAD, especially with the dry skin score, and stratum corneum hydration. Moisturizer application resulted in reduced scTSLP levels. The scTSLP level can be used as a biomarker of AD severity and particularly epidermal barrier status.
The prognostic accuracy of resonance frequency analysis in predicting failure risk of immediately restored implants
Authors: Atieh Momen A. , Alsabeeha Nabeel H. M. , Payne Alan G. T. , de Silva Rohana K. , Schwass Donald S. , Duncan Warwick J. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractObjectivesIt is of imperative clinical significance to define a safe threshold for planned immediate implant restoration. The aim of this report was to evaluate the prognostic accuracy of resonance frequency analysis (RFA) measurements recorded at two different times (implant placement and 8‐week post‐implant placement) and to determine the optimal threshold value for predicting failure risk of immediately restored/loaded implants.Material and methodsTwenty‐eight 8‐ or 9‐mm‐diameter implants were placed in either a fresh molar extraction socket or a healed site. An electronic RFA device was used to record the implant stability quotients (ISQs) at implant placement surgery, 8 weeks and 1 year. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to identify the optimal cut‐off level. Sensitivity and specificity were also determined at the selected cut‐off value.ResultsThe area under the ROC curve for RFA at 8 weeks was 0.93 with a significant P‐value (P = 0.001). The optimum cut‐off value for detecting implant stability was 60.5 ISQ measured at 8 weeks, with sensitivity and specificity of 95.2% and 71.4%, respectively.ConclusionsThe implant stability measurements after 8 weeks showed a better accuracy in predicting implants that were at risk of failure than those taken at the time of implant placement.
A Test of the Testing Effect: Acquiring Problem‐Solving Skills From Worked Examples
Authors: van Gog Tamara , Kester Liesbeth 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe “testing effect” refers to the finding that after an initial study opportunity, testing is more effective for long‐term retention than restudying. The testing effect seems robust and is a finding from the field of cognitive science that has important implications for education. However, it is unclear whether this effect also applies to the acquisition of problem‐solving skills, which is important to establish given the key role problem solving plays in, for instance, math and science education. Worked examples are an effective and efficient way of acquiring problem‐solving skills. Forty students either only studied worked examples (SSSS) or engaged in testing after studying an example by solving an isomorphic problem (STST). Surprisingly, results showed equal performance in both conditions on an immediate retention test after 5 min, but the SSSS condition outperformed the STST condition on a delayed retention test after 1 week. These findings suggest the testing effect might not apply to acquiring problem‐solving skills from worked examples.
The Influence of the Brain‐Derived Neurotropic Factor Val66Met ‐Genotype and HMG‐CoA Reductase Inhibitors on Insulin Resistance in the Schizophrenia and Bipolar Populations
Authors: Burghardt K.J. , Pop‐Busui R. , Bly M.J. , Grove T.B. , Taylor S.F. , Ellingrod V.L. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractIntroduction: The brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met variant and HMG‐COA reductase inhibitors (statins) have been implicated in insulin resistance with a possible increased risk of diabetes. We sought to determine the effect of the BDNF Met variant and statin medication use on insulin resistance in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR).Methods: A cross‐sectional design was used and patients with diabetes or on any medications affecting glucose regulation were ‐excluded. Associations between insulin resistance and genotype were then analyzed by ANOVA and regression analysis. Subjects were grouped by BDNF genotype as well as presence of statin.Results: Two hundred fifty‐two subjects with a mean age of 44 years were included. The group was 53% male and 41% had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder; 78% and 19% were receiving atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) and statin medications, respectively. Analysis showed schizophrenia subjects with the BDNF met allele as well as schizophrenia subjects with both the BDNF met allele and were receiving a statin had significantly higher HOMA‐IR values compared to the other groups (p= 0.046 and p= 0.016, respectively).Conclusions: Our results suggest that in the metabolically high‐risk population of schizophrenia the BDNF met allele alone and in combination with statin medications is associated with higher insulin resistance values. This was not seen in the bipolar population. Further validation of these associations remains necessary. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 486–490
Australian university students' attitudes towards the use of prescription stimulants as cognitive enhancers: Perceived patterns of use, efficacy and safety
Authors: Partridge Brad , Bell Stephanie , Lucke Jayne , Hall Wayne 
Published: November 2012

AbstractIntroduction and AimsRecent, high profile articles in leading science journals have claimed that the enhancement use of prescription stimulants is a common practice among students worldwide. This study provides empirical data on Australian university students' perceptions of: (i) the prevalence of prescription stimulant use by their peers for cognitive enhancement; (ii) motivations for such use; (iii) efficacy; and (iv) its safety.Design and MethodsParticipants were 19 Australian university students with an average age of 24 who were recruited through emails lists, notice board posters and snowball sampling. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted during 2010 and 2011, recordings transcribed and responses coded using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants typically did not believe the use of stimulants for cognitive enhancement was common in Australia. Perceived motivations for use included: (i) ‘getting ahead’ to perform at high levels; (ii) ‘keeping up’ as a method of coping; and (iii) ‘going out’ so that an active social life could be maintained in the face of study demands. Australian students were generally sceptical about the potential benefits of stimulants for cognitive enhancement and they identified psychological dependence as a potential negative consequence.Discussion and ConclusionsThis study is an important first step in understanding the use of stimulants for cognitive enhancement in Australia, amid calls for more widespread use of cognitive enhancing drugs. It is important to conduct further studies of the extent of cognitive enhancement in Australia if we are to develop appropriate policy responses.
When less is more: the forbidden fruits of gene repression in the adult β‐cell
Authors: Pullen T. J. , Rutter G. A. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractOutside of the biological arena the term ‘repression’ often has a negative connotation. However, in the pancreatic β‐cell a small group of genes, which are abundantly expressed in most if not all other mammalian tissues, are highly selectively repressed, with likely functional consequences. The two ‘founder’ members of this group, lactate dehydrogenase A (Ldha) and monocarboxylate transporter‐1 (MCT‐1/Slc16a1), are inactivated by multiple mechanisms including histone modifications and microRNA‐mediated silencing. Their inactivation ensures that pyruvate and lactate, derived from muscle during exercise, do not stimulate insulin release inappropriately. Correspondingly, activating mutations in the MCT‐1 promoter underlie ‘exercise‐induced hyperinsulinism’ (EIHI) in man, a condition mimicked by forced over‐expression of MCT‐1 in the β‐cell in mice. Furthermore, LDHA expression in the β‐cell is upregulated in both human type 2 diabetes and in rodent models of the disease. Recent work by us and by others has identified a further ∼60 genes which are selectively inactivated in the β‐cell, a list which we refine here up to seven by detailed comparison of the two studies. These genes include key regulators of cell proliferation and stimulus‐secretion coupling. The present, and our earlier results, thus highlight the probable importance of shutting down a subset of ‘disallowed’ genes for the differentiated function of β‐cells, and implicate previously unsuspected signalling pathways in the control of β‐cell expansion and insulin secretion. Targeting of deregulated ‘disallowed’ genes in these cells may thus, in the future, provide new therapeutic avenues for type 2 diabetes.
Hypoglycaemia and accident risk in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with non‐insulin antidiabetes drugs
Authors: Signorovitch J. E. , Macaulay D. , Diener M. , Yan Y. , Wu E. Q. , Gruenberger J.‐B. , Frier B. M. 
Published: November 2012

AimsTo assess associations between hypoglycaemia and risk of accidents resulting in hospital visits among people with type 2 diabetes receiving antidiabetes drugs without insulin.MethodsPeople with type 2 diabetes who were not treated with insulin were identified from a US‐based employer claims database (1998–2010). Following initiation of an antidiabetes drug, the occurrence of accidents resulting in hospital visits was compared between people with, and without, claims for hypoglycaemia using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, prior treatments and prior medical service use. Additional analyses were stratified by age 65 years or older.ResultsA total of N = 5582 people with claims for hypoglycaemia and N = 27 910 with no such claims were included. Accidents resulting in hospital visits occurred in 5.5 and 2.8% of people with, and without, hypoglycaemia, respectively. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, hypoglycaemia was associated with significantly increased hazards for any accident [hazard ratio (HR) 1.39, 95% CI 1.21–1.59, p < 0.001], accidental falls (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.13–1.65, p < 0.001) and motor vehicle accidents (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.18–2.80, p = 0.007). In age‐stratified analyses, hypoglycaemia was associated with greater hazards of driving‐related accidents in people younger than age 65 and falls in people aged 65 or older.ConclusionsIn people with type 2 diabetes receiving antidiabetes drugs without insulin, hypoglycaemia was associated with a significantly higher risk of accidents resulting in hospital visits, including accidents related to driving and falls.
Temporal changes of soluble ST2 after cardiovascular interventions
Authors: Willems Sanne , Sels Jan‐Willem , Flier Suzanne , Versteeg Dik , Buhre Wolfgang F. , de Kleijn Dominique P.V. , Hoefer Imo E. , Pasterkamp Gerard 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackgroundSoluble ST2 (sST2), a member of the IL‐1 receptor family, has been proposed as a novel biomarker with predictive value for heart failure and mortality in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. The influence of clinical characteristics on variability of sST2 levels is relatively unexplored. Here, we studied the effect of cardiovascular interventions and clinical characteristics on plasma sST2 expression levels.Material and methodsIn the current study, sST2 levels were assessed in the plasma of patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (n = 76), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (n = 68) or peripheral vascular surgery (n = 27).ResultsAge was the only classical risk factor significantly correlating with sST2 levels. Soluble ST2 levels were significantly increased 1 h after CABG (48 [33–70] vs. 61 [42–89] pg/mL, P = 0·001) and increased even further after 24 h (1116 [578–13 666] pg/mL, P < 0·001). An average threefold increase in sST2 levels was also observed in patients 24 h after peripheral interventions (30 [21–41] vs. 98 [48–211] pg/mL, P < 0·001). Two months after PCI, we found that sST2 levels were significantly higher compared with baseline levels (41 [29–61] vs. 48 [31–80] pg/mL, P = 0·007, n = 52). In addition, we did not observe an association between sST2 and any inflammatory or cardiac‐specific markers that were measured in this study.ConclusionsSoluble ST2 increases significantly following cardiovascular interventions. The notion of a recent cardiovascular intervention is a strong determinant of sST2 levels and therefore needs to be taken into account when exploring sST2 as predictor of future cardiovascular events.
Seasonal differences in the diel movements of Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica) in an upland reservoir
Authors: Thiem Jason D. , Broadhurst Ben T. , Lintermans Mark , Ebner Brendan C. , Clear Rhian C. , Wright Daniel 
Published: November 2012

AbstractKnowledge of the movement patterns of threatened fishes aids their conservation management and informs sustainable development of natural resources including freshwater. Prior to the expansion of a temperate upland reservoir in Australia, we used radio telemetry to compare seasonal differences in the diel movements of adult endangered Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica) (235–414 mm total length) in Cotter Reservoir, Australian Capital Territory. Macquarie perch exhibited a diel range of 389 ± 46 m, a diel mobility of 769 ± 93 m and diel area use of 24008 ± 5595 m2 among four seasons. Diel range was significantly higher in winter compared with other seasons, and diel mobility was negatively correlated with fish size among four seasons. Macquarie perch inhabited deeper water in summer across the diel cycle (7.2 ± 0.5 m) in comparison with other seasons (spring: 3.8 ± 0.3 m, autumn: 3.0 ± 0.2 m, winter: 3.0 ± 0.3 m). Within seasons, both remote and manual telemetry identified that diel activity was predominantly crepuscular. Prey availability and the threat of avian predation represent the most likely explanations for the differences in seasonal movements. In a reservoir where expansion will likely result in a loss of critical habitat (emergent macrophytes) for this endangered species, we use site‐specific knowledge of the spatial ecology of Macquarie perch to inform the placement of shelter habitat prior to filling the enlarged reservoir.
Of mast and mean: differential‐temperature cue makes mast seeding insensitive to climate change
Authors: Kelly Dave , Geldenhuis Andre , James Alex , Penelope Holland E. , Plank Michael J. , Brockie Robert E. , Cowan Philip E. , Harper Grant A. , Lee William G. , Maitland Matt J. , Mark Alan F. , Mills James A. , Wilson Peter R. , Byrom Andrea E. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractMast‐seeding plants often produce high seed crops the year after a warm spring or summer, but the warm‐temperature model has inconsistent predictive ability. Here, we show for 26 long‐term data sets from five plant families that the temperature difference between the two previous summers (ΔT) better predicts seed crops. This discovery explains how masting species tailor their flowering patterns to sites across altitudinal temperature gradients; predicts that masting will be unaffected by increasing mean temperatures under climate change; improves prediction of impacts on seed consumers; demonstrates that strongly masting species are hypersensitive to climate; explains the rarity of consecutive high‐seed years without invoking resource constraints; and generates hypotheses about physiological mechanisms in plants and insect seed predators. For plants, ΔT has many attributes of an ideal cue. This temperature‐difference model clarifies our understanding of mast seeding under environmental change, and could also be applied to other cues, such as rainfall.
Beta‐diversity in temperate and tropical forests reflects dissimilar mechanisms of community assembly
Authors: Myers Jonathan A. , Chase Jonathan M. , Jiménez Iván , Jørgensen Peter M. , Araujo‐Murakami Alejandro , Paniagua‐Zambrana Narel , Seidel Renate 
Published: November 2012

AbstractSite‐to‐site variation in species composition (β‐diversity) generally increases from low‐ to high‐diversity regions. Although biogeographical differences in community assembly mechanisms may explain this pattern, random sampling effects can create this pattern through differences in regional species pools. Here, we compared assembly mechanisms between spatially extensive networks of temperate and tropical forest plots with highly divergent species pools (46 vs. 607 species). After controlling for sampling effects, β‐diversity of woody plants was similar and higher than expected by chance in both forests, reflecting strong intraspecific aggregation. However, different mechanisms appeared to explain aggregation in the two forests. In the temperate forest, aggregation reflected stronger environmental correlations, suggesting an important role for species‐sorting (e.g. environmental filtering) processes, whereas in the tropics, aggregation reflected stronger spatial correlations, more likely reflecting dispersal limitation. We suggest that biogeographical differences in the relative importance of different community assembly mechanisms contribute to these striking gradients in global biodiversity.
Genetic analysis of the FUS/TLS gene in essential tremor
Authors: Parmalee N. , Mirzozoda K. , Kisselev S. , Merner N. , Dion P. , Rouleau G. , Clark L. , Louis E. D. 
Published: November 2012

Background and purposeAlthough essential tremor (ET) has a genetic basis, specific genes have not been identified. Recently, in a large ET family (FET1) from Quebec, a non‐sense mutation (p.Q290X) in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) gene fused in sarcoma/translated in liposarcoma (FUS/TLS) was identified by exome sequencing. No confirmatory studies have been published.MethodsTwo‐hundred and fifty‐nine ET cases and 262 controls were enrolled in a study at Columbia University. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the FUS/TLS gene by sequencing all exons in a subsample of 116 ET cases with early‐onset (≤40 years) ET. We evaluated an association between ET and SNPs in the FUS/TLS gene by genotyping four haplotype tagging SNPs in all 259 ET cases and 262 controls. Additionally, seven variants associated with ALS, two variants of unknown pathogenicity detected in ALS cases, eight mis‐sense variants predicted to be damaging, and six rare variants were genotyped in these 259 ET cases and 262 controls.ResultsFUS/TLS mutations previously reported in ALS, the FET1 family, or novel mutations were not found in any of the 116 early‐onset ET cases. In the case–control analyses, although the power of the performed associations was limited, no significant association between tagging SNPs in FUS/TLS and ET was observed, and none of the analyzed SNPs showed evidence of association with ET.ConclusionOur study suggests that pathogenic mutations in FUS/TLS are rare in a sample of early‐onset ET cases in North America. We did not find evidence that the FUS/TLS gene is a risk factor for ET.
Spontaneous occurrence of photoageing‐like phenotypes in the dorsal skin of old SAMP1 mice, an oxidative stress model
Authors: Sakura Masaaki , Chiba Yoichi , Kamiya Emi , Furukawa Ayako , Kawamura Noriko , Niwa Masanao , Takeuchi Minoru , Hosokawa Masanori 
Published: November 2012

AbstractSkin photoageing is a complex, multifactorial process and both intrinsic and extrinsic factors may contribute to its pathogenesis. The ultraviolet‐irradiated hairless mouse has been used as an animal model for photoageing, but this model mimics only the ‘extrinsic’ aspects. Here, we show that skin from old SAMP1 mice, a model for higher oxidative stress and senescence acceleration, exhibited histological and gene expression changes similar to those in human photoaged skin without ultraviolet irradiation. These changes include an increase in elastic fibre and glycosaminoglycan histologically, an upregulation of several proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases, and an increase in lipid peroxide. We propose that SAMP1 mice are a spontaneous animal model for photoageing caused by an exaggerated intrinsic mechanism, namely, higher oxidative status. This mouse model is useful to explore the link between oxidative stress and photoageing, and to evaluate the efficacy of antioxidants.