bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterization and immunosuppressive properties of mesenchymal stem cells from periapical lesions
Authors: Đokić Jelena , Tomić Sergej , Cerović Snežana , Todorović Vera , Rudolf Rebeka , Čolić Miodrag 
Published: June 2012

AbstractAimMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from healthy dental tissues are being investigated as an alternative source of MSCs for the treatment of damaged tissues and inflammatory diseases. Here we investigated whether MSCs from periapical lesions (PL‐MSCs) also possess multi‐lineage differentiation capacity and immunomodulatory properties.Material & MethodsPL‐MSCs, isolated by collagenase/DNAse digestion from surgically extracted PLs, were compared with MSCs from non‐inflamed dental pulp (DP‐MSCs) and dental follicle (DF‐MSCs) for their phenotype and multi‐potent differentiation potential. The anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of PL‐MSCs were studied in co‐culture with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PB‐MNCs) and PL‐inflammatory cells (PL‐ICs).ResultsPL‐MSCs were characterized by typical MSCs phenotype, lower clonogenicity and self‐renewal rate, compared to DF‐MSCs and DP‐MSCs. These cells possess the potential to differentiate into adipocyte‐, osteoblast‐ and chondrocyte‐like cells in vitro, which differs from that of DP‐MSCs and DF‐MSCs. PL‐MSCs inhibited phytohemaglutinine‐induced proliferation of PB‐MNCs and production of IL‐2, IFNγ and IL‐5 in the co‐culture, probably via TGF‐β‐dependent mechanisms. These cells also suppressed the production of IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α by PL‐ICs via soluble mediators, whereas the suppression of IL‐8 production required a direct cell‐to‐cell contact.ConclusionThe differentiation potential of PL‐MSCs and their immunosuppressive/anti‐inflammatory properties could be beneficial for the treatment of chronic periodontal diseases.
Continuing dental education in the treatment of dental avulsion: Polish dentists’ knowledge of the current IADT guidelines
Authors: Baginska J. , Wilczynska‐Borawska M. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the knowledge and experience of the treatment of avulsed teeth amongst Polish dentists 5 years after the publication of IADT guidelines.MethodsOn the basis of IADT guidelines, a voluntary anonymous 12‐item questionnaire was developed to evaluate dentists’ knowledge on the treatment of avulsed teeth. The survey was conducted during three continuing education courses, which took place in Bialystok, Poland and covered 133 dentists. Data were analysed with Statistica 6.0 using Mann–Withney U‐ and Kruskal–Wallis tests (P < 0.05).ResultsThe study revealed that Polish dentists were not prepared to deal with dental avulsion. 63.2% of respondents have never treated such patients, and 68.45% have never attended any postgraduate course on dental trauma. Sufficient knowledge was presented only according to the way of cleaning a contaminated tooth. Lack of knowledge was observed in fields: method of choice in first aid in dental avulsion (23.3% of correct answers) and critical extra‐oral dry time (26.3%). Dentists practising <10 years had better knowledge than those with greater experience (P = 0.0000). Gender, previous experience in the treatment of avulsion, postgraduate education in dental trauma and subjective knowledge assessment were not statistically significant.ConclusionsThere is a gap in the system of continuing dental education in Poland. Polish dentists need to familiarise themselves with the avulsion management procedures.
Developmental neurotoxicity testing: A path forward
Authors: Crofton Kevin M. , Mundy William R. , Shafer Timothy J. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractGreat progress has been made over the past 40 years in understanding the hazards of exposure to a small number of developmental neurotoxicants. Lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, and methylmercury are all good examples of science‐based approaches to characterizing the hazard to the developing nervous systems from environmental contaminants. However, very little effort has been spent to address the challenge of assessing the potential developmental neurotoxic hazard of the thousands of other chemicals in common commercial use. The extensive time, financial and animal resource requirements for current regulatory testing guideline methods make this an untenable solution to this challenge. A new testing paradigm is needed that uses time and cost‐efficient methods to screen large numbers of chemicals for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). In silico models are needed to provide rapid chemical structure‐based screening. In vitro techniques are being developed to provide rapid and efficient testing in cell‐free and cell‐based systems. In addition, the use of alternative species, such as zebrafish, will provide efficient models for testing the effects of chemicals in organisms with intact developing nervous systems. Finally, these methods and models need to be used in an integrated fashion to provide the data needs for hazard assessment in a manner that is problem‐driven and cost‐efficient. This paper summarizes discussions on these issues from the symposium ‘Developmental neurotoxicity testing: Scientific approaches towards the next generation to protecting the developing nervous system of children’ held at the 2011 annual meeting of the Japanese Teratology Society.
Detection rates of proximal or large serrated polyps in Chinese patients undergoing screening colonoscopy
Authors: LEUNG Wai K. , TANG Vera , LUI Philip C W. 
Published: June 2012

ObjectiveThe aim was to determine the detection rates and characteristics of large or proximal serrated polyps in Chinese patients undergoing screening colonoscopy.MethodsConsecutive screening colonoscopies performed between 2008 and 2011 were analyzed. Serrated polyps consisted of all hyperplastic polyps, sessile serrated adenomas and traditional serrated adenomas. Large serrated polyps were defined as serrated polyps with a diameter ≥ 10 mm. Lesions proximal to the descending colon were considered as proximal lesions. Advanced neoplasia included invasive adenocarcinomas, adenomas with high grade dysplasia, adenomas with any villous histology and tubular adenomas ≥ 10 mm.ResultsIn total, 1282 colonoscopies were included. The detection rates for adenoma, advanced neoplasia, proximal serrated polyps and large serrated polyps were 26.1%, 10.5%, 7.2% and 2.3%, respectively. There was a significant association between synchronous advanced neoplasia and large serrated polyps (P = 0.002) or proximal serrated polyps (P = 0.013). Age ≥ 55 years (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–2.8) and the presence of advanced neoplasia (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0–3.1) were significantly associated with the presence of large or proximal serrated polyps. Males had more advanced neoplasia (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4–2.9), but not more large or proximal serrated polyps, than females.ConclusionsLarge and proximal serrated polyps were detected in 2.3% and 7.2% of Chinese patients undergoing screening colonoscopies, respectively. Individuals with large or proximal serrated polyps have a higher risk of synchronous advanced neoplasia.
Clinical staging model applied to young people presenting with social anxiety
Authors: Clarke Patrick J.F. , Hickie Ian B. , Scott Elizabeth , Guastella Adam J. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractAim: Although the use of illness‐staging models in clinical medicine has proved particularly useful, the concept has not been widely applied in mental health. Here, we apply a clinical staging framework to a population of help‐seeking young people presenting with social anxiety. The goal was to provide a detailed description of common clinical stage of those presenting for treatment of social anxiety, and to delineate the associations between symptom type, severity and clinical stage.Methods: The results of a structured clinical interview along with background clinical information formed the basis for consensus‐derived decisions regarding clinical stage. Subjects also completed self‐report measures to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms. Comparisons were conducted largely between those subjects who were considered to have reached a critical clinical threshold for discrete or progressive disorders (i.e. those staged at two and beyond) and those with ‘attenuated syndromes’ (stage 1b – 69% of subjects).Results: One hundred forty‐three subjects (63% male, mean age = 22.1 years) were clinically assessed prior to entry into active treatment programmes. Subjects assigned to stage two or above reported more psychological distress, higher depression scores and more alcohol use. However, these subjects did not report more severe anxiety symptoms. A higher incidence of substance misuse was a significant feature of those in later clinical stages.Conclusions: The study suggests that those who present with social anxiety are characterized by a broad range of symptom severity, with a small, though significant proportion representing individuals whose mental health problems have already progressed to a stage characterized by greater co‐morbidity and risk of chronicity. Our data specifically suggest that depressive symptoms and substance abuse/dependence may differentiate those in earlier and later clinical stages.
Access to information: An asset for democracy or ammunition for political conflict, or both?
Authors: Gingras Anne‐Marie 
Published: June 2012

AbstractMore than twenty‐five years after its adoption, the Access to Information Act has become increasingly a cause for concern among public servants, experts, scientists and the media. This article reviews the evolution of the access‐to‐information regime since the 1980s, the issues that have arisen, the political significance of information in democracy, and the enduring tension between its democratic purpose and strategic value. The article also examines the issues of centralization, control and secrecy within the state apparatus despite continuing calls for transparency. Under Conservative governments since 2006, there has been increased control and conflict over disclosure of information, which have spread to a larger part of the state apparatus. Among those involved in conflicts over information with the Prime Minister's Office are members and officers of Parliament and parliamentary committees.
Guidelines on nutritional management in Japanese patients with liver cirrhosis from the perspective of preventing hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Suzuki Kazuyuki , Endo Ryujin , Kohgo Yutaka , Ohtake Takaaki , Ueno Yoshiyuki , Kato Akinobu , Suzuki Kazutomo , Shiraki Ryo , Moriwaki Hisataka , Habu Daiki , Saito Masaki , Nishiguchi Shuhei , Katayama Kazuhiro , Sakaida Isao ,   for the Japanese Nutritional Study Group for Liver Cirrhosis 2008
Published: June 2012

Aim:  The Japanese Nutritional Study Group for Liver Cirrhosis (JNUS) was assembled in 2008 with the support of a Health Labor Sciences Research Grant from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan. The goal of the study group was to propose new nutritional guidelines for Japanese patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), with the aim of preventing hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:  Between 2008 and 2010, the member investigators of JNUS conducted various clinical and experimental studies on nutrition on LC. These included anthropometric studies, a questionnaire study on daily nutrient intake, clinical trials, experimental studies using animal models, re‐evaluation of previous publications and patient education. Over this 3‐year period, the group members regularly discussed the nutritional issues related to LC, and a proposal was finally produced.Results:  Based on the results of JNUS projects and discussions among the members, general recommendations were made on how Japanese patients with LC should be managed nutritionally. These recommendations were proposed with a specific regard to the prevention of hepatocarcinogenesis.Conclusion:  The new JNUS guidelines on nutritional management for Japanese patients with LC will be useful for the actual nutritional management of patients with LC. The JNUS members hope that these guidelines will form the basis for future discussions and provide some direction in nutritional studies in the field of hepatology.
Utilisation of community pharmacists by the general public in Malaysia
Authors: Chua Siew Siang , Lim Kien Ping , Lee Hong Gee 
Published: June 2012

Abstract

Objectives
The study was conducted to assess how the general public in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, utilised community pharmacists.

Methods
This was a prospective observational study which documented interactions between community pharmacists and their customers. A researcher was stationed in 10 participating community pharmacies around the Klang Valley to observe and record all the interactions, using a structured data-collection form.

Keys findings
Interactions between 1914 customers and the pharmacists of the 10 community pharmacies were recorded. A total of 2199 requests were made by these customers. The main types of request were for medications by brand name (32.2%), advice on minor health problems (25.9%) and for health supplements (11.7%). Only 65 prescriptions were received by the community pharmacies; that is, fewer than two prescriptions per pharmacy per day. The pharmacists provided counselling for only 54.4% of the requests where a medication or health supplement was dispensed. Counselling by pharmacist was significantly associated with the type of request (P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions
The main reason for the general public to visit a community pharmacy in Malaysia was to purchase a particular medication. Few prescriptions were filled at community pharmacies in Malaysia, indicating the under-utilisation of community pharmacists as a safety net for prescribed medications in primary care.
Pharmacokinetics of Colistin in Cerebrospinal Fluid after Intraventricular Administration of Colistin Methanesulfonate
Authors: Imberti Roberto , Cusato Maria , Accetta Giovanni , Marinò Valeria , Procaccio Francesco , Del Gaudio Alfredo , Iotti Giorgio A. , Regazzi Mario 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

Intraventricular colistin, administered as colistin methanesulfonate (CMS), is the last resource for the treatment of central nervous system infections caused by panresistant Gram-negative bacteria. The doses and daily regimens vary considerably and are empirically chosen; the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pharmacokinetics of colistin after intraventricular administration of CMS has never been characterized. Nine patients (aged 18 to 73 years) were treated with intraventricular CMS (daily doses of 2.61 to 10.44 mg). Colistin concentrations were measured using a selective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay. The population pharmacokinetics analysis was performed with the P-Pharm program. The pharmacokinetics of colistin could be best described by the one-compartment model. The estimated values (means ± standard deviations) of apparent CSF total clearance (CL/Fm, where Fm is the unknown fraction of CMS converted to colistin) and terminal half-life (
t
1/2λ
) were 0.033 ± 0.014 liter/h and 7.8 ± 3.2 h, respectively, and the average time to the peak concentration was 3.7 ± 0.9 h. A positive correlation between CL/Fm and the amount of CSF drained (range 40 to 300 ml) was observed. When CMS was administered at doses of ≥5.22 mg/day, measured CSF concentrations of colistin were continuously above the MIC of 2 μg/ml, and measured values of trough concentration (
C
trough
) ranged between 2.0 and 9.7 μg/ml. Microbiological cure was observed in 8/9 patients. Intraventricular administration of CMS at doses of ≥5.22 mg per day was appropriate in our patients, but since external CSF efflux is variable and can influence the clearance of colistin and its concentrations in CSF, the daily dose of 10 mg suggested by the Infectious Diseases Society of America may be more prudent.
Examining the Role of Actin-Plasma Membrane Association in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection and Type III Secretion Translocation in Migratory T24 Epithelial Cells
Authors: Bridge Dacie R. , Martin Karen H. , Moore Elizabeth R. , Lee Wendy M. , Carroll James A. , Rocha Claudia L. , Olson Joan C. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

The opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
targets wounded epithelial barriers, but the cellular alteration that increases susceptibility to
P. aeruginosa
infection remains unclear. This study examined how cell migration contributes to the establishment of
P. aeruginosa
infections using (i) highly migratory T24 epithelial cells as a cell culture model, (ii) mutations in the type III secretion (T3S) effector ExoS to manipulate
P. aeruginosa
infection, and (iii) high-resolution immunofluorescent microscopy to monitor ExoS translocation. ExoS includes both GTPase-activating (GAP) and ADP-ribosyltransferase (ADPRT) activities, and
P. aeruginosa
cells expressing wild-type ExoS preferentially bound to the leading edge of T24 cells, where ExoS altered leading-edge architecture and actin anchoring in conjunction with interrupting T3S translocation. Inactivation of ExoS GAP activity allowed
P. aeruginosa
to be internalized and secrete ExoS within T24 cells, but as with wild-type ExoS, translocation was limited in association with disruption of actin anchoring. Inactivation of ExoS ADPRT activity resulted in significantly enhanced T3S translocation by
P. aeruginosa
cells that remained extracellular and in conjunction with maintenance of actin-plasma membrane association. Infection with
P. aeruginosa
expressing ExoS lacking both GAP and ADPRT activities resulted in the highest level of T3S translocation, and this occurred in conjunction with the entry and alignment of
P. aeruginosa
and ExoS along actin filaments. Collectively, in using ExoS mutants to modulate and visualize T3S translocation, we were able to (i) confirm effector secretion by internalized
P. aeruginosa
, (ii) differentiate the mechanisms underlying the effects of ExoS GAP and ADPRT activities on
P. aeruginosa
internalization and T3S translocation, (iii) confirm that ExoS ADPRT activity targeted a cellular substrate that interrupted T3S translocation, (iv) visualize the ability of
P. aeruginosa
and ExoS to align with actin filaments, and (v) demonstrate an association between actin anchoring at the leading edge of T24 cells and the establishment of
P. aeruginosa
infection. Our studies also highlight the contribution of ExoS to the opportunistic nature of
P. aeruginosa
infection through its ability to exert cytotoxic effects that interrupt T3S translocation and
P. aeruginosa
internalization, which in turn limit the
P. aeruginosa
infectious process.
Role of the Agr-Like Quorum-Sensing System in Regulating Toxin Production by Clostridium perfringens Type B Strains CN1793 and CN1795
Authors: Chen Jianming , McClane Bruce A. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

Clostridium perfringens
type B causes enteritis and enterotoxemia in domestic animals. By definition, these bacteria must produce alpha toxin (CPA), beta toxin (CPB) and epsilon toxin (ETX) although most type B strains also produce perfringolysin O (PFO) and beta2 toxin (CPB2). A recently identified Agr-like quorum-sensing (QS) system in
C. perfringens
controls all toxin production by surveyed type A, C, and D strains, but whether this QS is involved in regulating toxin production by type B strains has not been explored. Therefore, the current study introduced
agrB
null mutations into type B strains CN1795 and CN1793. Both type B
agrB
null mutants exhibited reduced levels of CPB, PFO, and CPA in their culture supernatants, and this effect was reversible by complementation. The reduced presence of CPB in culture supernatant involved decreased
cpb
transcription. In contrast, the
agrB
null mutants of both type B strains retained wild-type production levels of ETX and CPB2. In a Caco-2 cell model of enteritis, culture supernatants of the type B
agrB
null mutants were less cytotoxic than supernatants of their wild-type parents. However, in an MDCK cell
in vitro
model for enterotoxemic effects, supernatants from the
agrB
null mutants or wild-type parents were equally cytotoxic after trypsin activation. Coupling these and previous results, it is now evident that strain-dependent variations exist in Agr-like QS system regulation of
C. perfringens
toxin production. The cell culture results further support a role for trypsin in determining which toxins contribute to disease involving type B strains.
Roles of Inflammatory Caspases during Processing of Zebrafish Interleukin-1β in Francisella noatunensis Infection
Authors: Vojtech Lucia N. , Scharping Nicole , Woodson James C. , Hansen John D. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTThe interleukin-1 family of cytokines are essential for the control of pathogenic microbes but are also responsible for devastating autoimmune pathologies. Consequently, tight regulation of inflammatory processes is essential for maintaining homeostasis. In mammals, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is primarily regulated at two levels, transcription and processing. The main pathway for processing IL-1β is the inflammasome, a multiprotein complex that forms in the cytosol and which results in the activation of inflammatory caspase (caspase 1) and the subsequent cleavage and secretion of active IL-1β. Although zebrafish encode orthologs of IL-1β and inflammatory caspases, the processing of IL-1β by activated caspase(s) has never been examined. Here, we demonstrate that in response to infection with the fish-specific bacterial pathogenFrancisella noatunensis, primary leukocytes from adult zebrafish display caspase-1-like activity that results in IL-1β processing. Addition of caspase 1 or pancaspase inhibitors considerably abrogates IL-1β processing. As in mammals, this processing event is concurrent with the secretion of cleaved IL-1β into the culture medium. Furthermore, two putative zebrafish inflammatory caspase orthologs, caspase A and caspase B, are both able to cleave IL-1β, but with different specificities. These results represent the first demonstration of processing and secretion of zebrafish IL-1β in response to a pathogen, contributing to our understanding of the evolutionary processes governing the regulation of inflammation.