bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the sterility testing process of hematopoietic stem cells at Canadian Blood Services
Authors: Mastronardi Cherie , Yang Lin , Halpenny Mike , Toye Baldwin , Ramírez‐Arcos Sandra 
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND: Sterility testing of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) at The Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Laboratory is performed using BacT/ALERT aerobic (SA) culture bottles. This study was conducted to verify the efficacy of this method and to assess the use of the BacT/ALERT aerobic (BPA) and anaerobic (BPN) culture bottles for microbial testing of HSCs.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: HSC products, including cryopreserved apheresis peripheral blood, marrow, and cord blood and fresh cord blood, were spiked with four aerobic organisms including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans, and the anaerobe Bacteroides fragilis at a target concentration of 100 colony‐forming units (CFUs)/mL. One to 2 mL of pre‐ and postspiked samples was inoculated into SA, BPA, and BPN bottles in duplicate and incubated for 5 to 10 days. The presence of the testing organisms in positive culture bottles was confirmed by plating on blood agar.RESULTS: The BacT/ALERT system detected the aerobic organisms in all HSCs in SA and BPA bottles within 34.1 hours while B. fragilis was detected only in BPN bottles within 68.6 hours. The mean recovered concentration of microorganisms in the HSC products ranged from 55 to 352 CFUs/mL with the exception of B. cereus, which was greater than 103 CFUs/mL.CONCLUSION: This study shows that the current sterility testing process at the Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Laboratory detected the tested aerobic but not the anaerobic microbial contaminants in HSCs. The ability of the BacT/ALERT system using BPA and BPN bottles to detect bacterial contamination in HSCs was also demonstrated.
Using Stable Isotopes to Differentiate Trophic Feeding Channels within Soil Food Webs
Authors: Crotty Felicity V. , Adl Sina M. , Blackshaw Rod P. , Murray Philip J. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe soil is probably the most diverse habitat there is, with organisms ranging in sizes from less than 1 μm to several metres in length. However, it is increasingly evident that we know little about the interactions occurring between these organisms, the functions that they perform as individual species, or together within their different feeding guilds. These interactions between groups of organisms and physical and chemical processes shape the soil as a habitat and influence the nature of the soil food web with consequences for the above‐ground vegetation and food web. Protists are known as one of the most abundant groups of bacterivores within the soil; however, they are also consumers of a number of other food sources. Even though they are responsible for a large proportion of the mineralisation of bacterial biomass and have a large impact on the C and N cycles within the soil they are regularly overlooked when investigating the complete soil food web. Recently, stable isotopes have been used to determine trophic interactions and here we describe how this technique has been used to highlight linkages between protists and the soil food web.
A review of continuing professional development for dentists in Europe
Authors: Barnes E. , Bullock A. D. , Bailey S. E. R. , Cowpe J. G. , Karaharju‐Suvanto T. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractAim:  To summarise findings from a literature review of dentists’ engagement in continuing professional development (CPD) and its effects on improving oral health care for patients.Method:  The search strategy used key terms in a range of databases and an academic literature search engine, complemented by hand searching and citation follow‐up.Results:  One hundred and fourteen papers were reviewed. The majority of dentists engaged in CPD. Factors affecting participation included time since graduation, costs, work and home commitments, postgraduate qualification, interest and convenience. Learning needs identification and reflection on practice were rarely evidenced. Common modes of CPD were courses and journal reading; no one delivery method proved more effective. Few papers directly explored recommendations for topics although suggestions related to common areas of error and gaps in knowledge or skill. Studies of CPD effectiveness and impact‐on‐practice suggested that courses can result in widespread new learning and considerable self‐reported change in practice. However, significant barriers to implementing change in workplace practice were noted and included availability of materials, resources and support from colleagues.Conclusion:  To ensure high standards of care, alongside recommending core or mandatory topics, more attention should be given to reflection on learning needs, the learner’s readiness to engage with education and training and the influence of the workplace environment.
Cancer‐associated fibroblasts and CD163‐positive macrophages in oral squamous cell carcinoma: their clinicopathological and prognostic significance
Authors: Fujii Nobuyuki , Shomori Kohei , Shiomi Tatsushi , Nakabayashi Motoki , Takeda Chikako , Ryoke Kazuo , Ito Hisao 
Published: February 2012

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 444–451Background:  Stromal cells are believed to affect cancer invasion and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution of cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and the incidence of tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), focusing on clinicopathological factors and patient prognosis, as well as cancer invasion.Methods:  The study included 108 patients with OSCC. Anti‐α‐smooth muscle actin, CD68, and CD163 antibodies were used to identify CAFs and TAMs. CAFs were divided into 4 grades on the basis of staining intensity: negative (0), scanty (1), focal (2), and abundant (3). The most intensive areas of macrophage concentration in each tumor invasive stroma were also evaluated.Results:  The cancer specimens were divided into Grade 0/1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 on the basis of CAF grade. In addition, they were divided into low‐ and high‐grade groups on the basis of the number of CD68‐positive and CD163‐positive macrophages. The latter were significantly increased in the Grade 2 CAF group compared to the Grade 0/1 group (P = 0.009). Kaplan–Meier and multivariate survival analyses revealed that Grade 2 CAFs (P = 0.003) and high CD163‐positive macrophage levels (P = 0.007) significantly correlated with a poor outcome in patients with OSCC, and that a high CD163‐positive macrophage level was a significant and an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.045).Conclusions:  Cancer‐associated fibroblasts and CD163‐positive macrophages may be potential prognostic predictors of OSCC.
The dynamic healing profile of human periodontal ligament stem cells: histological and immunohistochemical analysis using an ectopic transplantation model
Authors: Kim Y.‐T. , Park J.‐C. , Choi S.‐H. , Cho K.‐S. , Im G.‐I. , Kim B.‐S. , Kim C.‐S. 
Published: February 2012

Kim Y‐T, Park J‐C, Choi S‐H, Cho K‐S, Im G‐I, Kim B‐S, Kim C‐S. The dynamic healing profile of human periodontal ligament stem cells: histological and immunohistochemical analysis using an ectopic transplantation model. J Periodont Res 2012; 47: 514–524. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/SBackground and Objective:  Human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) have been reported to play the pivotal role in periodontal regeneration. However, the dynamic cellular healing process initiated by hPDLSCs still remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the sequence of regeneration by hPDLSCs was assessed using histological and immunohistochemical observation in an ectopic transplantation model, which is a well‐standardized assessment tool that excludes the innate healing factors from the animals.Material and Methods:  Human periodontal ligament stem cells that were isolated and characterized from teeth (n = 12) extracted for the purpose of orthodontic treatment were transplanted with carriers into ectopic subcutaneous pouches in immunocompromised mice (n = 20). Animals were killed after several different healing periods: 3 d (n = 4), 1 (n = 4), 2 (n = 4), 4 (n = 4) and 8 wk (n = 4). Histological analysis for regenerated tissues formed by hPDLSCs was conducted using hematoxylin and eosin, Masson’s trichrome and picrosirius red staining. In addition, immunohistochemical staining was performed to observe the sequential expression of osteogenic/cementogenic and periodontal ligament tissue‐specific markers associated with periodontal regeneration.Results:  The whole healing process by transplanted hPDLSCs could be broadly divided into four distinctive phases. In the first phase, proliferated hPDLSCs migrated evenly all over the carrier, and collagenous tissues appeared in the form of amorphous collagen matrices. In the second phase, collagen fibers were well arranged among the carriers, and cementoid‐like tissues were observed. In the third phase, the formation of mature collagen fibers, resembling Sharpey’s fibers, was associated with active mineralization of cementum‐like tissues, and in the fourth phase, the maturation of cementum‐like tissues was observed on carrier surfaces. Various osteogenic/cementogenic markers related to the regeneration processes were expressed in a well‐orchestrated time order. Interestingly, well‐organized cementum‐like and periodontal ligament fiber‐like tissues and cells with early and late osteogenic/cementogenic markers were frequently observed in the secluded area of carrier surfaces. We termed this area the cell‐rich zone.Conclusion:  The results from this study clearly demonstrated the sequential histological changes during periodontal tissue regeneration by hPDLSCs. Understanding of this process would potentially enable us to develop better cell‐based treatment techniques.
Resistin in gingival crevicular fluid and induction of resistin release by Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide in human neutrophils
Authors: Hiroshima Y. , Bando M. , Inagaki Y. , Mihara C. , Kataoka M. , Murata H. , Shinohara Y. , Nagata T. , Kido J. 
Published: February 2012

Hiroshima Y, Bando M, Inagaki Y, Mihara C, Kataoka M, Murata H, Shinohara Y, Nagata T, Kido J. Resistin in gingival crevicular fluid and induction of resistin release by Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide in human neutrophils. J Periodont Res 2012; 47: 554–562. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/SBackground and Objective:  Resistin is an adipocytokine that induces insulin resistance and is predominantly expressed in adipocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Resistin expression increases in inflammatory diseases as well as diabetes mellitus, and is upregulated by bacterial pathogens and proinflammatory cytokines. The aim of this study was to identify resistin in human gingival crevicular fluid, to compare the resistin levels in gingival crevicular fluid between subjects with and without periodontitis and diabetes mellitus and to investigate the regulation of resistin release from human neutrophils by Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P‐LPS).Material and Methods:  Gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected from patients with chronic periodontitis (n = 24), patients with diabetes mellitus‐related periodontitis (n = 18) and healthy subjects (n = 21). Resistin in gingival crevicular fluid was determined using western blot analysis and an ELISA kit. The glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) value was obtained from patients with diabetes mellitus‐related periodontitis by a medical interview. Human neutrophils were cultured with P‐LPS (0–1000 ng/mL), or incubated with inhibitors of actin or microtubule polymerization in the absence or presence of P‐LPS. The medium and cellular fractions were used for determination of resistin by ELISA.Results:  The resistin level in gingival crevicular fluid from patients with periodontitis or diabetes mellitus‐related periodontitis was significantly higher than that of healthy subjects. The resistin level in gingival crevicular fluid was correlated with gingival index score, but not blood HbA1c value. The P‐LPS increased resistin release from human neutrophils, and its induction was decreased by actin polymerization inhibitors.Conclusion:  We show, for the first time, the presence of resistin in gingival crevicular fluid. A high resistin level in gingival crevicular fluid samples from periodontitis patients may to some extent be related to P‐LPS‐induced resistin release from neutrophils.
Detailed Analysis of Peripheral Blood Natural Killer Cells in Women with Repeated IVF Failure
Authors: Sacks Gavin , Yang Yang , Gowen Elizabeth , Smith Susan , Fay Louise , Chapman Michael 
Published: February 2012

ProblemTo analyse the peripheral blood NK cells in women with repeated IVF failure (RIF) and a fertile control group to determine which parameters best differentiate the two populations.MethodsPeripheral blood from the luteal phase of 171 women with RIF and 33 fertile controls was analysed by four‐colour flow cytometry for NK cell concentration, subset differentiation and the activation marker CD69.ResultsWomen with RIF had significantly increased NK cell numbers as determined by concentration (P < 0.05) and percentage of lymphocytes (P < 0.001), increased concentration of the CD56dim subtype (P < 0.05), and increased concentration of activated CD56dim CD69+ cells (P = 0.0001). There was no correlation between any NK cell parameters with the length of infertility or number of embryo transfer cycles.ConclusionsPeripheral blood NK cell activity is significantly higher in women with RIF than in fertile controls. Future trials of immune therapy in women undergoing IVF should target those with high NK activity.
Situating Scotland in Eighteenth‐Century Studies
Authors: Shields Juliet 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThis essay surveys general trends in book‐length studies of 18th‐century Scottish literature and culture to examine how moving Scotland from the peripheries to the centre of 18th‐century studies has transformed our understandings of the field. It describes three categories or phases of scholarship – canon formation, contextualization and comparison, and methodological reflection – and suggests what kind of work remains to be done in each category. It also discusses how new approaches to reading minor literatures, including those informed by postcolonial theory, Atlantic studies, and devolutionary criticism, have shaped and been shaped by scholarship on 18th‐century Scottish literature and culture over the past two decades.
Science and the Atlantic World in Early American Literary Studies
Authors: Wisecup Kelly 
Published: February 2012

AbstractAlthough scientific literatures by British American colonists have not traditionally been included in studies of early American literature, recent work has begun to pay closer attention to the literary elements of natural, medical, and cartographic texts produced in the long 18th century. New approaches have expanded Eurocentric and nation‐based paradigms by positioning colonial science in an imperial and Atlantic World context that focuses upon transatlantic exchanges between the British Americas and England. These studies have investigated colonists’ efforts to obtain credit for their scientific contributions in England and the strategies with which colonists resisted metropolitan biases regarding their knowledge. Studies of the literature of place show how natural histories, cartographies, and nature writing rendered the New World familiar, even while establishing colonists’ relationship to and possession of the land. Meanwhile, an emerging focus on anxieties regarding mental and physical degeneration, spurred by theories of America’s degrading influences, offers new directions for investigating colonial subjectivity and racial theories of difference. Finally, examining the various roles that Native Americans and New World Africans played in colonial encounters may facilitate new approaches to non‐European contributions to colonial science.
Eighteenth‐Century Indians’ Travel Narratives and Cross‐Cultural Encounters with the West
Authors: Narain Mona 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThough scholarship abounds on early modern Europeans’ first encounters with India and its people, any scholarship in general, and particularly in the English language, on their contemporary Indians’ first encounter with Europe and Indians’ view of the West is limited. The article discusses three 18th‐century Indian travelers’ travel narratives about Britain, Life and Adventures of Joseph Emin, 1726‐1809 by Joseph Emin; The Wonders of Vilayet: Being the Memoir, originally in Persian of a Visit to France and Britain in 1765 by Mirza Sheikh I’tesamuddin; and Westward Bound: Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb by Mirza Abu Taleb Khan to show that a two‐way flow of communication and representation existed between 18th‐century Britain and India. An analysis of these travel accounts reveals that depending on the shifting cultural point of view and geographical location of the Indian travelers, “home,” and the foreign or “vilayet” as it is called in Persian (Farsi), was a shifting perception for the writers. The writers found that Britons living in Britain had a more positive response to them than the condescending attitudes, a result of power and political dynamics, which the British living in India had toward Indians, thus revealing an important heterogeneity in British attitudes toward Indians in the 18th century. The writers’ exploration of gender and sexual relations and religious attitudes in Britain was both an important means of defining “home” and self identity as well as marking differences from Europeans. Identifying gender and religious differences with British culture through comparison provided the writers a means to assess and critique Indian culture.
Tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 11B polymorphisms and association with knee osteoarthritis in women
Authors: Hulin‐Curtis S. L. , Bidwell J. L. , Perry M. J. 
Published: February 2012

SummaryWe examined single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 11B (TNFRSF11B) gene and knee OA. We identified alleles in a VNTR region in intron 3 that was observed exclusively in women OA cases (P = 0.007, Pc = 0.042). Our results reveal that a previously unreported association between a VNTR genotype in TNFRSF11B and knee OA in women.
A Model to Predict Optimal Dialysate Flow
Authors: Alayoud Ahmed , Benyahia Mohammed , Montassir Dina , Hamzi Amine , Zajjari Yassir , Bahadi Abdelali , El Kabbaj Driss , Maoujoud Omar , Aatif Taoufik , Hassani Kawtar , Oualim Zouhir 
Published: February 2012

AbstractDiffusive clearance depends on blood (Qb) and dialysate flow (Qd) rates and the overall mass transfer area coefficient (KoA) of the dialyzer. In this article we describe a model to predict an appropriated AutoFlow (AF) factor (AF factor = Ratio Qd/Qb), that is able to provide adequate Kt/V for hemodialysis patients (HDP), while consuming lower amounts of dialysate, water and energy during the treatment. We studied in vivo the effects of three various Qd on the delivered dose of dialysis in 33 stable HDP. Hemodialysis was performed at Qd of 700 mL/mn, 500 mL/mn, and with AF, whereas specific dialysis prescriptions (treatment time, blood flow rate [Qb], and type and size of dialyzer) were kept constant. The results showed that increasing the dialysate flow rate more than the model of AF predicted had a small effect on the delivered dose of dialysis. The Kt/V (mean ± SD) was 1.52 ± 0.16 at Qd 700, 1.50 ± 0.16 at Qd 500, and 1.49 ± 0.15 with AF. The use of the AF function leads to a significant saving of dialysate fluid. The model predicts the appropriate AF factor that automatically adjusts the dialysate flow rate according to the effective blood flow rate of the patient to achieve an appreciable increase in dialysis dose at the lowest additional cost.
Effects of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Morphology on Vascular Calcification in Uremic Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Chen Danyan , Gan Hua , Huang Xiaolong , Shen Qing , Du Xiaogang , Tang Weixue , Yang Xueheng 
Published: February 2012

AbstractWe used high‐resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) to examine possible changes in the morphology of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and to investigate their influence on vascular calcification in uremic patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). 36 uremic patients had cardiovascular diseases after MHD (MHD group1) and 30 uremic patients did not (MHD group 2), and 20 healthy volunteers were the control group. The extent of coronary artery calcification was assessed with coronary artery calcification score (CACS). AFM was used to analyze PBMCs nuances. Concentrations of bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) in PBMC supernatants were detected by ELISA. Protein expressions of BMP‐2 were measured by Western blot. No significant differences in PBMC morphology were observed among groups by light microscopy. AFM images revealed that uremic patients exhibited significant differences of PBMC morphology and vascular calcification when compared with healthy volunteers. The PBMCs in uremic patients were larger in volume, mean height, half‐maximum amplitude, average roughness and higher concentrations and expression of BMP‐2 and CACS (P < 0.05), with granular processes or caveolae of uneven size distributed over cell surfaces. These differences were also significant between MHD group 1 and group 2 (P < 0.05). PBMC volume, mean height, half‐maximum amplitude, and average roughness were positively correlated with BMP‐2 and CACS. Moreover, the correlation PBMC with BMP‐2 was higher than with CACS. PBMC morphology in MHD patients was related to the degree of vascular calcification. The larger mean height, half‐maximum amplitude, average roughness and cell volume were, the higher degree of vascular calcification was.
Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index May Be a Significant Predictor of Mortality in Korean Hemodialysis Patients: A Single Center Study
Authors: Park Jin Hee , Kim Sung Bin , Shin Ho Sik , Jung Yeon Soon , Rim Hark 
Published: February 2012

AbstractOur objective was to examine the association between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and mortality in Korean hemodialysis (HD) patients. We examined the GNRI of 120 maintenance HD patients and followed these patients for 120 months. Predictors for all‐cause death were examined using life table analysis and the Cox proportional hazards model. Life table analysis revealed that subjects with a GNRI < 90 (n = 19) had a marginally lower survival rate than did those with a GNRI ≥ 90 (n = 101) (Wilcoxon test, P = 0.048). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses demonstrated that the GNRI was a significant predictor of mortality (hazard ratio 0.966, 95% confidence interval 0.945–0.995, P = 0.018), after adjusting for age, sex, presence of diabetes mellitus, and body weight. These results demonstrate that the GNRI may be a significant predictor of mortality in Korean HD patients.