bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ventilator-induced Lung Injury Is Mediated by the NLRP3 Inflammasome
Authors: Kuipers Maria T. , Aslami Hamid , Janczy John R. , van der Sluijs Koenraad F. , Vlaar Alexander P. J. , Wolthuis Esther K. , Choi Goda , Roelofs Joris J. T. H. , Flavell Richard A. , Sutterwala Fayyaz S. , Bresser Paul , Leemans Jaklien C. , van der Poll Tom , Schultz Marcus J. , Wieland Catharina W. 
Published: April 2012

Background
The innate immune response is important in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) but the exact pathways involved are not elucidated. The authors studied the role of the intracellular danger sensor NLRP3 inflammasome.

Methods
NLRP3 inflammasome gene expression was analyzed in respiratory epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages obtained from ventilated patients (n = 40). In addition, wild-type and NLRP3 inflammasome deficient mice were randomized to low tidal volume (approximately 7.5 ml/kg) and high tidal volume (approximately 15 ml/kg) ventilation. The presence of uric acid in lung lavage, activation of caspase-1, and NLRP3 inflammasome gene expression in lung tissue were investigated. Moreover, mice were pretreated with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, glibenclamide, or vehicle before start of mechanical ventilation. VILI endpoints were relative lung weights, total protein in lavage fluid, neutrophil influx, and pulmonary and systemic cytokine and chemokine concentrations. Data represent mean ± SD.

Results
Mechanical ventilation up-regulated messenger RNA expression levels of NLRP3 in alveolar macrophages (1.0 ± 0 vs. 1.70 ± 1.65, P less than 0.05). In mice, mechanical ventilation increased both NLRP3 and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein messenger RNA levels, respectively (1.08 ± 0.55 vs. 3.98 ± 2.89; P less than 0.001 and 0.95 ± 0.53 vs. 6.0 ± 3.55; P less than 0.001), activated caspase-1, and increased uric acid levels (6.36 ± 1.85 vs. 41.9 ± 32.0, P less than 0.001). NLRP3 inflammasome deficient mice displayed less VILI due to high tidal volume mechanical ventilation compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, treatment with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist or glibenclamide reduced VILI.

Conclusions
Mechanical ventilation induced a NLRP3 inflammasome dependent pulmonary inflammatory response. NLRP3 inflammasome deficiency partially protected mice from VILI.
Evaluation of correlation between dose and clinical outcomes in subcutaneous immunoglobulin replacement therapy
Authors: Orange J S , Belohradsky B H , Berger M , Borte M , Hagan J , Jolles S , Wasserman R L , Baggish J S , Saunders R , Grimbacher B 
Published: April 2012

Summary
The importance of serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G concentration in IgG replacement therapy for primary immunodeficiency diseases is established in certain settings. Generally, IgG is infused via the intravenous (IVIG) or subcutaneous (SCIG) route. For IVIG infusion, published data demonstrate that higher IgG doses and trough levels provide patients with improved protection from infection. The same conclusions are not yet accepted for SCIG; data from two recent Phase III studies and a recent post-hoc analysis, however, suggest the same correlation between higher SCIG dose and serum IgG concentration and decreased incidence of infection seen with IVIG. Other measures of clinical efficacy have not been considered similarly. Thus, combined analyses of these and other published SCIG studies were performed; a full comparison of the 13 studies was, however, limited by non-standardized definitions and reporting. Despite these limitations, our analyses indicate that certain clinical outcomes improve at higher SCIG doses and associated higher serum IgG concentrations, and suggest that there might be opportunity to improve patient outcomes via SCIG dose adjustment.
Short wheat challenge is a reproducible in-vivo assay to detect immune response to gluten
Authors: Camarca A , Radano G , Di Mase R , Terrone G , Maurano F , Auricchio S , Troncone R , Greco L , Gianfrani C 
Published: April 2012

Summary
It has been reported that interferon (IFN)-γ-secreting T cells reactive to gluten can be detected in the peripheral blood of individuals with treated coeliac disease (CD) after a short consumption of wheat-containing food. By contrast, very little is known about the reproducibility of this in-vivo procedure in the same patient cohort which underwent two, or more, gluten consumptions. Fourteen coeliac patients in remission consumed wheat bread for 3 days; 13 underwent a second gluten challenge after a wash-out of 3–10 months on a strict gluten-free diet. Immune reactivity to gluten was analysed in peripheral blood by detecting IFN-γ before and 6 days after commencing a gluten diet. Gliadin-specific IFN-γ-secreting CD4+ T cells increased significantly on day 6 of the first challenge. These cells resulted as prevalently human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ restricted and with a phenotype of gut homing, as suggested by the expression of β7-integrin. Similarly, reactiveness to gliadin was observed after the second wheat consumption, although with an individual variability of responses at each challenge. Our findings confirmed that the short wheat challenge is a non-invasive approach to investigate the gluten-related immune response in peripheral blood of subjects intolerant to gluten. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the in-vivo procedure can be reproduced in the same subject cohort after a gluten wash-out of at least 3 months. Our study has important implications for the application of this procedure to clinical practice.
Susceptibility to autoimmune myocarditis is associated with intrinsic differences in CD4+ T cells
Authors: Chen P , Baldeviano G C , Ligons D L , Talor M V , Barin J G , Rose N R , Cihakova D 
Published: April 2012

SummaryA.SW and B10.S mice share the same major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype (H-2s). However, A.SW mice are susceptible to experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) and develop severe disease after immunization with myosin, whereas B10.S mice are resistant. We found that naive A.SW mice have intrinsically increased total CD4+ T cell counts and increased proportions of CD4+ T cells in their spleens compared to B10.S mice. Among total CD4+ T cells, naive A.SW mice have a lower relative frequency of forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3+)CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). A.SW mice also had a higher proportion of CD4+ T cells and a lower proportion of Tregs in their hearts and spleen during EAM, with greater T cell activation and proliferation, compared to B10.S mice. These differences in the T cell compartment were not antigen-specific, as ovalbumin/complete Freund's adjuvant (OVA/CFA) or CFA immunization elicited the same differences in CD4+ T cells and Tregs between A.SW and B10.S mice. Moreover, A.SW mice had more T helper type 17 (Th17) cells and B10.S had more Th1 cells in their hearts. The higher percentage of CD4+ T cells and their enhanced potential to differentiate towards the Th17 pathway was also observed in naive A.SW mice. Interleukin (IL)-6 is required for Th17 induction. Interestingly, IL-6Rα expression was greater on naive A.SW CD4+ T cells, compared to B10.S CD4+ T cells, indicating that this intrinsic difference, together with a relatively lower Treg proportion of CD4+ T cells, might lead to heightened Th17 responses and greater susceptibility to autoimmunity in A.SW mice.
K/B×N serum transfer arthritis is delayed and less severe in leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-deficient mice
Authors: Upadhyay A , Senyschyn D , Santos L , Gu R , Carroll G J , Jazayeri J A 
Published: April 2012

Summary
This study is investigating the role of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the development of inflammation and joint damage in the mouse K/B×N serum transfer arthritis model. LIF knock-out (LIF−/−) mice were generated by mating heterozygote females (LIF+/−) with heterozygote males. Arthritis was induced in 8–20-week-old LIF knock-out mice (LIF−/−) by intraperitoneal injection of pooled K/B×N sera (50 µl) on days 0 and 2. Clinical disease was scored daily for 6 days. Safranin-O and haematoxylin-stained sections were scored for synovitis, joint space exudate, cartilage degradation and bone damage. RNA was extracted from ankle joints and used to investigate gene expression levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, LIF, LIF receptor, oncostatin M (OSM), OSM receptor, IL-6 and their common receptor subunit gp130 by quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR). The results show that wild-type mice developed severe clinically overt polyarthritis. In contrast, LIF−/− mice showed a more than 50% reduction in clinical arthritis severity. Significantly lower histological scores were observed in LIF−/− mice compared to wild-type disease controls. LIF−/− mice had histopathological scores that were similar to normal healthy mice. IL-6 subfamily cytokine and receptor subunit expression remained unchanged. The expression levels for IL-6 were reduced significantly in all the diseased mice, whether wild-type or LIF−/− mice (P &lt; 0·001), compared to healthy wild-type mice. We conclude that LIF contributes to the development of disease in the K/B×N serum transfer model of arthritis. These results provide further evidence for the role of LIF in inflammation and cartilage bone resorption and provide impetus to test the effects of LIF blockade as a therapeutic strategy in rheumatoid arthritis.
Infection with Wolbachia protects mosquitoes against Plasmodium‐induced mortality in a natural system
Authors: ZÉLÉ F. , NICOT A. , DURON O. , RIVERO A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn recent years, there has been a shift in the one host‐one parasite paradigm with the realization that, in the field, most hosts are coinfected with multiple parasites. Coinfections are particularly relevant when the host is a vector of diseases, because multiple infections can have drastic consequences for parasite transmission at both the ecological and evolutionary timescales. Wolbachia pipientis is the most common parasitic microorganism in insects, and as such, it is of special interest for understanding the role of coinfections in the outcome of parasite infections. Here, we investigate whether Wolbachia can modulate the effect of Plasmodium on what is, arguably, the most important component of the vectorial capacity of mosquitoes: their longevity. For this purpose, and in contrast to recent studies that have focused on mosquito–Plasmodium and/or mosquito–Wolbachia combinations not found in nature, we work on a Wolbachia–mosquito–Plasmodium triad with a common evolutionary history. Our results show that Wolbachia protects mosquitoes from Plasmodium‐induced mortality. The results are consistent across two different strains of Wolbachia and repeatable across two different experimental blocks. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such an effect has been shown for Plasmodium‐infected mosquitoes and, in particular, in a natural Wolbachia–host combination. We discuss different mechanistic and evolutionary explanations for these results as well as their consequences for Plasmodium transmission.
Profile of infants born to drug‐using mothers: A state‐wide audit
Authors: Abdel‐Latif Mohamed E , Oei Julee , Craig Fiona , Lui Kei ,   NSW and ACT NAS Epidemiology Group
Published: April 2012

Aims:  To ascertain the characteristics and short‐term outcomes of infants born to illicit drug‐using mothers in public hospitals in the state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory during 2004.Methods:  Patients were identified retrospectively by hospital records searches using ICD‐10 morbidity codes and records of local Drug and Alcohol Services. Records were reviewed on site. All public hospitals (n= 101) with obstetric services were included.Results:  A total of 879 (1.4%, 95% confidence interval: 1.3–1.5%) drug‐using mothers were identified from 62 682 confinements. Opiates (46.8%), amphetamines (23.0%) and polydrug (16.4%) exposure were most common. There were eight stillbirths. Among these 871 infants, prematurity (23.6%) and low birthweight (27.1%) were common and 51.1% were admitted to nurseries for further care. Two infants died. Major congenital anomalies were detected in 15 infants. Pharmacological treatment for withdrawal was required for 202 (23.2%), and 143 (70.8%) infants were discharged home on medication. Infants who completed inpatient pharmacological treatment were hospitalised longer (median 26.0 vs. 12.0 days) and were more likely to be premature (37.3 vs. 14.0%). Child‐at‐risk notifications affected 40.6% of the infants, and 7.6% were fostered prior to discharge. A total of 333 (38.2%) infants were breastfed at discharge.Conclusions:  Our regional study highlights a substantial prevalence of drug use in pregnancy with considerable adverse perinatal and hospital outcomes in infants born to these mothers. Coordinated health care and resources are needed to support these mother–infant pairs because of their social, medical and mental‐health issues.
NICU‐only versus universal screening for newborn hearing loss: Population audit
Authors: Barker Melinda J , Hughes Elizabeth K , Wake Melissa 
Published: April 2012

Aim:  Targeted newborn hearing screening for infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) may be considered when resources preclude universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS). However, process outcomes have not been compared between stand‐alone NICU hearing screening programs and NICU screening within a full UNHS program.Methods:  Comparison of two consecutive hearing screening programs delivered under similar conditions in the four NICUs in Victoria, Australia. All NICU infants were eligible for pre‐discharge automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) hearing screening. Capture, referral and diagnostic data were collected for all NICU infants during the NICU‐only (April 2003–February 2005) and subsequent UNHS (April 2005–June 2006) programs.Results:  4704 eligible infants were admitted during the 23‐month NICU‐only period, and 3160 during the 15‐month UNHS period. Double AABR using ALGO 3i equipment was planned for both programs but, due to clinician concern about this high‐risk clinical population, the NICU‐only protocol was amended to single AABR using AccuScreen equipment. Capture rates were 71.1% (NICU‐only) vs. 95.4% (UNHS) (P < 0.001), successful follow‐up rates were 85.8% vs. 96% (P= 0.004), and mean corrected age at the first audiology appointment was 51.5 vs. 40.2 days (P= 0.05).Conclusions:  NICU screening offered within a larger UNHS program outperformed the stand‐alone NICU hearing screening program on all measured parameters. Greater resourcing might address shortcomings of the stand‐alone program but would also reduce its potential savings. The high loss to follow‐up also argues against the often‐advocated approach of referring all NICU infants for diagnostic audiologic testing, bypassing hearing screening altogether.
Cisplatin plus etoposide versus other platin‐based regimens for patients with extensive small‐cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised, controlled trials
Authors: Jiang L. , Yang K.‐H. , Guan Q.‐L. , Mi D.‐H. , Wang J. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractAimTo determine whether the cisplatin plus etoposide (EP) combination was more efficacious and less toxic than other platinum‐based regimens for patients with extensive‐stage small‐cell lung cancer.MethodsWe performed an extensive literature search (from their inception to July 2010). Two reviewers independently assessed search results and methodological quality of included studies. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and relative risks (RRs) were calculated according to a random‐effects model.ResultsTwelve randomised, controlled trials involving seven different platinum‐based chemotherapy regimens were included into this meta‐analysis. The meta‐analysis showed that compared with EP regimen, irinotecan plus cisplatin (IP) might decrease the risk of death (HR = 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78–0.97, P = 0.01) (five trials), unlike the sensitivity analysis (HR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.81–1.02, P = 0.12), progression‐free survival (HR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.86–1.05, P = 0.28) and overall response rate (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.93–1.24) that were not superior for IP. IP regimen produced more non‐haematological toxicities and less haematological toxicities. One trial found that etoposide + cisplatin + epirubicin + cyclophosphamide and cisplatin + etoposide + ifosfamide regimen might prolong the overall survival respectively. Etoposide + cisplatin + epirubicin + cyclophosphamide regimen also might improve progression‐free survival but with high rate of haematological toxicities. None of the other trials included in the study demonstrated a significant improvement in survival.ConclusionsThere is no strong evidence that any clinical advantage for extensive small‐cell lung carcinoma patients requiring chemotherapy when comparing EP with other platin‐based regimens, with exception of IP that might prolong overall survival. The decision to prescribe which chemotherapy should take into consideration both cost and treatment preference.
Effect of oral health dental state and risk of malnutrition in elderly people
Authors: Lopez‐Jornet Pia , Saura‐Perez Manuel , Llevat‐Espinosa Nieves 
Published: April 2012

Aim:  To determine the risk of malnutrition in both institutionalized and non‐institutionalized elderly people of the region of Murcia in Spain.Methods:  A cross‐sectional study was carried out on 465 participants (213 men and 252 women) aged 65 years or older, and representative of the population of the region of Murcia in Spain. The nutritional condition was determined with the Mini Nutritional Assessment screening tool. The following clinical oral health variables were recorded: number of teeth in the mouth, use of removable dentures and hygiene.Results:  The prevalence of malnutrition was 7% in the study population, whereas the risk of malnutrition was 49%. A greater prevalence was recorded in the older and in the institutionalized participants. There were no significant differences in terms of malnutrition or the risk of malnutrition between the participants with or without dentures or between the dentate or edentulous participants.Conclusions:  Age and institutionalization are parameters to be taken into account for detecting the risk of malnutrition in elderly people. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 43–49.
How are tree species distributed in climatic space? A simple and general pattern
Authors: Boucher‐Lalonde Véronique , Morin Antoine , Currie David J. 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTAim Although many factors undoubtedly affect species geographic distributions, can a single, simple model nonetheless capture most of the spatial variation in the probability of presence/absence in a large set of species? For 482 North American tree species that occur east of the Rocky Mountains, we investigated the shape(s) of the relationship between the probability of occupancy of a given location and macroclimate, and its consistency among species and regions.Location North America.Methods Using Little's tree range maps, we tested four hypothetical shapes of response relating occupancy to climate: (1) high occupancy of all suitable climates; (2) threshold response (i.e. unsuitable climates exclude species, but within the thresholds, species presence is independent of climate); (3) occupancy is a bivariate normal function of annual temperature and precipitation; and (4) asymmetric limitation (i.e. abiotic factors set abrupt range limits in stressful climates only). Finally, we compared observed climatic niches with the occupancy of similar climates on off‐shore islands as well as west of the Rockies.Results (a) Species' distributions in climatic space do not have strong thresholds, nor are they systematically skewed towards less stressful climates. (b) Occupancy can generally be described by a bivariate normal function of temperature and precipitation, with little or no interaction between the two variables. This model, averaged over all species, accounts for 82% of the spatial variation in the probability of occupancy of a given area. (c) Occupied geographic ranges are typically ringed by unoccupied, but climatically suitable areas. (d) Observed climatic niche positions are largely conserved between regions.Main conclusions We conclude that, despite the complexities of species histories and biologies, to a first approximation most of the variation in their geographic distributions relates to climate, in similar ways for nearly all species.
THE PARADOX OF DEBT AND MINSKY'S FINANCIAL INSTABILITY HYPOTHESIS
Authors: Ryoo Soon 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTSome authors have claimed that the paradox of debt invalidates Minsky's theory of financial instability. Their theoretical frameworks are radically different from Minsky's in several aspects. Important Minskian elements, the role of margins of safety as a basis of financial decisions and the effects of asset prices on debt dynamics, among others, are absent in the critics' frameworks. We maintain that the thrust of the paradox of debt‐based criticism to Minsky's theory has been exaggerated and key insights of Minsky's theory of financial instability can be formalized in an alternative macroeconomic framework. We provide a stock‐flow consistent model of Minskian long waves.
Multiproduct Firms in Hotelling’s Spatial Competition
Authors: Tabuchi Takatoshi 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTOligopoly models are usually analyzed in the context of two firms, anticipating that market outcomes would be qualitatively similar in the case of three or more firms. The literature on Hotelling’s location‐then‐price competition is not an exception. In this paper, we show that the main finding of brand bunching in Hotelling’s duopoly no longer holds once three or more firms are allowed to enter the market. That is, in oligopoly with three or more firms, firms proliferate brands.
Cosmopolitanism, Globalization, and Islamic Piety Movements in Mauritius
Authors: EISENLOHR PATRICK 
Published: April 2012

AbstractFor many Mauritian Muslims the participation in transnational piety movements is inseparably linked to what they consider to be modern and cosmopolitan lifestyles. Taking the growth of Islamic idioms and movements among Mauritian Muslims as an example, in this paper I argue for a more complex understanding of the links between contemporary Islamic piety movements and current trends of globalization. Moreover, the Mauritian state also encourages the growth of transnational religious networks as part of a policy of encouraging “ancestral cultures” in which major, standardized religious traditions have a central place. The example suggests that the intersection of processes at a global scale with state policies towards religion plays a key role in the emergence of religiously grounded cosmopolitanism in the contemporary world.
Prophetic Cosmopolitanism: Islam, Pop Psychology, and Civic Virtue in Indonesia
Authors: HOESTEREY JAMES B. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn contemporary Indonesia, a new generation of Muslim pop preachers and self‐help gurus tap into, and trade on, the symbolic and economic capital of Islam, science, and media technologies. Through television sermons and elaborate Power Point presentations, these pop preachers and self‐help gurus summon the Prophet Muhammad's life and teachings in ways that resonate with the civic concerns, consumerist desires, and aspirational piety of the Muslim middle classes. These sermons and seminars often portray the Prophet Muhammad as the ultimate measure of what it means to be cosmopolitan. In this article I explore “prophetic cosmopolitanism” as a vernacular Muslim cosmopolitanism, but one which is not isolated from, or necessarily prior to, Western liberal‐secular ideas about civic virtue. I argue instead that prophetic cosmopolitanism is both informed by, and offered as an alternative to, global discourses about psychology and self, citizen and believer, nation and umma.