bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Treponema denticola peptidoglycan induces the production of inflammatory mediators and matrix metalloproteinase 9 in macrophage‐like cells
Authors: Tanabe S‐I. , Bodet C. , Grenier D. 
Published: June 2009

Background and Objective:  Treponema denticola is a key pathogen associated with periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease affecting tooth‐supporting tissues. In the present study, we investigated the response of human macrophage‐like cells to stimulation by peptidoglycan isolated from T. denticola. We also studied the effect of the peptidoglycan preparation on the phosphorylation state of kinases.Material and Methods:  Monoblastic leukemia cells (U937 strain) were differentiated into adherent macrophage‐like cells using phorbol myristic acid prior to being stimulated for 6 or 24 h with various amounts of T. denticola peptidoglycan. Secreted inflammatory mediators were quantified by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The phosphorylation state of kinases was determined by immunoblotting.Results:  The T. denticola peptidoglycan preparation, which was non‐toxic for macrophage‐like U937 leukemia cells at the concentration used, significantly increased, in a dose‐dependent manner, the secretion of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin‐1β and interleukin‐6. It also increased the secretion of two potent chemokines, interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) and regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). T. denticola peptidoglycan also induced a significant increase in the secretion of prostaglandin E2 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 by macrophage‐like cells. The phosphorylation state of several kinases, including extracellular regulated protein‐serine kinase 2 (+99%), G protein‐coupled receptor‐serine kinase 2 (+50%), Yes‐related protein‐tyrosine kinase (+44%) and extracellular regulated protein‐serine kinase 1 (+30%) also increased following stimulation with the peptidoglycan preparation.Conclusion:  T. denticola peptidoglycan activates intracellular signaling pathways, leading to an increased production of inflammatory mediators by macrophage‐like cells.
Variations of Apgar score of very low birth weight infants in different neonatal intensive care units
Authors: Rüdiger Mario , Küster Helmut , Herting Egbert , Berger Angelika , Müller Christoph , Urlesberger Berndt , Simma Burkhard , Poets Christian F , Wauer Roland R , Tschirch Edda 
Published: June 2009

AbstractObjective:  The Apgar score should be an objective method to assess the state of newborns; however, its applicability in preterm infants is hampered by large variations among different observers. The study tested whether physicians that give low scores to written case descriptions also apply lower scores to preterm infants.Patients and Methods:  Descriptions (BMJ 2004; 329: 143–4) were sent to 14 neonatal units. Physicians were asked to evaluate the Apgar (case score). From seven units Apgar scores of all very low birth weight infants (VLBW) born between January 2004 and December 2006 were obtained from charts (clinical score).Results:  In total, 121 physicians from 14 institutions (median 9, range 3–15) replied: 24 residents with <6‐month and 28 with >6‐month neonatal experience, and 69 consultants. The assessment of the case scores was very heterogeneous with large variations in respiration, muscle tone and reflexes. Clinical scores were obtained from 1000 VLBW infants. The score depended on the gestational age, with a median of 4 at 24 and 7 at 27 weeks. With one exception, centres that assigned low case scores had also low clinical scores.Conclusion:  There is considerable variation in assigning Apgar scores. Definitions are required to apply the Apgar score to infants under clinical conditions such as preterm delivery, resuscitation or artificial ventilation.
Temporary brittle bone disease: fractures in medical care
Authors: Paterson Colin R 
Published: June 2009

AbstractTemporary brittle bone disease is the name given to a syndrome first reported in 1990, in which fractures occur in infants in the first year of life. The fractures include rib fractures and metaphyseal fractures which are mostly asymptomatic.The radiological features of this disorder mimic those often ascribed to typical non‐accidental injury. The subject has been controversial, some authors suggesting that the disorder does not exist.This study reports five infants with typical features of temporary brittle bone disease in whom all or most of the fractures took place while in hospital. A non‐accidental cause can be eliminated with some confidence, and these cases provide evidence in support of the existence of temporary brittle bone disease.
Poisoning deaths among Finnish children from 1969 to 2003
Authors: Kivistö Juho E , Parkkari Jari , Mattila Ville M , Hoppu Kalle 
Published: June 2009

AbstractAim:  Trends in paediatric deaths due to poisoning are little studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the cause and secular trend of poisoning deaths among Finnish children.Methods:  Death certificates of all Finnish children aged 0–15 who died due to poisoning between 1969 and 2003 were obtained from the Statistics of Finland and analysed.Results:  During the study period, altogether 121 children aged 0–15 years died from poisoning in Finland. Among 0‐ to 4‐year olds, the incidence of poisoning deaths declined to practically zero by the beginning of 1980s. Most of these deaths were unintentional poisonings. Among 5‐ to 15‐year olds, the incidence of poisoning deaths varied during the study period. In this age group, up to 53% of the deaths were suicides among girls compared with 20% among boys (p = 0.017). The corresponding figures for substance abuse were 54% among boys and 9% among girls (p < 0.001).Conclusion:  Despite the declining secular trend seen in paediatric poisoning deaths in Finland from 1969 to 2003, the risk of death from both intentional and unintentional poisoning persists in children. Health programmes should be continued especially to promote well‐being in families and to prevent teenage suicides and substance abuse.
Response of pine natural regeneration to small‐scale spatial variation in a managed Mediterranean mountain forest
Authors: Barbeito Ignacio , Fortin Marie‐Josée , Montes Fernando , Cañellas Isabel 
Published: June 2009

AbstractQuestions:What influence do management practices and previous tree and shrub stand structure have on the occurrence and development of natural regeneration ofPinus sylvestrisin Mediterranean mountain forests? How are the fine‐scale and environmental patterns of resources affected and what impact does this have on the distribution of the regeneration?Location:APinus sylvestrisMediterranean mountain forest in central Spain.Methods:Upperstory trees and regeneration (seedlings and saplings) were mapped in four 0.5‐ha plots located in two types of stand with different management intensities (even‐aged and uneven‐aged stands). Environmental variables were recorded at the nodes of a grid within the plots. The relationships between the upperstory and regeneration were evaluated by bivariate point pattern analysis; redundancy analysis ordination and variation partitioning were performed to characterize regeneration niches and the importance of the spatial component.Results:Seedlings and saplings presented a clumped structure under both types of management and their distribution was found to be related to the spatial distribution of favourable microsites. Regeneration was positively related to conditions of partial cover with high soil water content during the summer. More than half of the explained variance was spatially structured in both types of stand. This percentage was particularly high in the even‐aged stands where the pattern of regeneration was highly influenced by the gaps created by harvesting.Conclusions:The spatial distribution of the tree and shrub upperstory strongly influences regeneration patterns ofP. sylvestris. Current management practices, promoting small gaps, partial canopy cover and moderate shade in even‐aged stands, or favouring tree and shrub cover in the case of uneven‐aged stands, appears to provide suitable conditions for the natural regeneration ofP. sylvestrisin a Mediterranean climate.
Factors associated with remaining teeth of older adults in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, 2002
Authors: Da Silva Débora Dias , Rihs Lilian Berta , Da Luz Rosário de Sousa Maria 
Published: June 2009

Objectives:  The objective of this study was to verify the association between the number of teeth present with socio‐demographic and economic variables and with the access to dental services and self‐perception of oral health among the elderly.Materials and Methods:  The sample was composed of individuals from 65 to 74 years of age, which was representative of the state of São Paulo (n = 781). In this study, the analysis of data considered dentate elderly only, who were divided into two groups: those with one to 19 teeth and those with 20 teeth or more. The chi‐squared test was used in the bivariate analysis and the logistic regression was also performed (p < 0.05).Results:  Among the 313 dentate elderly, 235 (75.1%) presented one to 19 teeth. The average number of teeth was 9.5 for the elderly with fewer teeth and 25 for those with more teeth. In the bivariate analysis, all variables related to the access to dental services were associated and the chances of having less teeth was among elderly who did not visit the dentist for a long time and among those who sought public dental services and did not receive information on how to avoid oral problems. In addition, the elderly who classified their speech as not good were those who presented with fewer teeth.Conclusion:  Most subjects presented one to 19 teeth and this fact was directly associated, among others factors, to the unsatisfactory perception that they reported in relation to their speech and to the too long period without visiting the dentist.
Home or away? Differences between home‐ and clinic‐based dental examinations for older people
Authors: Fairhall Timothy J. , Thomson W. Murray , Kieser Jules A. , Broughton John R. , Cullinan Mary P. , Seymour Gregory J. 
Published: June 2009

Objective:  To determine whether home‐based and clinic‐based dental examinations of older people are comparable.Background:  Despite a number of studies which have examined the concordance between different examiners or examination circumstances, none has directly compared an oral examination conducted at home with one conducted in an appropriate clinical setting.Materials and methods:  Dentate participants (n = 61) aged between 65 and 74 years underwent two clinical examinations, one in a conventional dental clinic and the other in the person’s home. Kappa statistics, intra‐class correlation coefficients and ‘Difference against mean’ plots were used to determine the nature and extent of any bias.Results:  The summary estimates for missing teeth and dental caries were close, although the home‐based examinations resulted in a lower estimate of the mean number of decayed teeth and of untreated coronal decay. The lowest reliability statistics were observed with respect to the prevalence of untreated coronal caries, filled root surfaces and root surface (Decayed or Filled Surfaces) DFS. The periodontitis prevalence estimates were closer, but the reliability statistics were relatively low. The extent of bleeding on probing was relatively under‐estimated in the home‐based examinations. ‘Difference against mean’ plots indicated that, overall, the clinic‐based examinations detected more disease (although this was not observed for all clinical parameters which were measured).Conclusion:  While clinic‐based examinations will remain the preferred option, the potential loss of information associated with home‐based examinations is unlikely to be great enough to preclude using them where required, although surveys with larger samples (and therefore more accurate estimates) should restrict their proportion of home‐based examinations to no more than 10%. As they are less precise, surveys with samples of 300 or fewer can safely accommodate up to about one‐third of their examinations being conducted in participants’ homes.
Assessment of mobile dental services in the State of Lower Austria, Austria
Authors: Corrêa da Fonseca Ana Cláudia 
Published: June 2009

Objectives:  To investigate the existence and the quality of mobile dental services available to the austrian elderly population of Lower Austria, Austria, using two approaches: the home‐bound elders’ perception and the dentistry services provided in nursery homes.Methods:  The study had two parts. The first was a qualitative assessment of mobile dental services as perceived by the elderly home bounds, based on 52 questionnaires. These questionnaries were distributed to the home bound persons in a period of one month. The second part was the assessment in the nursing homes. For this study a short questionnaire was sent, by e‐mail, to 61 nursing homes of Lower Austria.Results:  by the elderly home bound ‐ 29 questionnaires returned completed (response quote of 55.8%) and 4 uncompleted. The age range of the subjects was from 64 to 89 years old and the ratio of women to men was about 2:1 (62% to 38%). 79.3% think that dental home care is a good practice, 58.6% would use mobile dentistry themselves. in the nursing homes ‐ From the 61 sent e‐mails 33 were returned with completed questionnaires (response quote of 54.09%). 48.5% of the nursing homes replied that they do not have mobile dental service. However, 17 homes (51.51%) have a mobile dentist.Conclusion:  A mobile dental service for patients of austrian geriatric nursing homes does exist. However, no mobile dental service was identified for austrian home bound patients. This scenario shows the need for a mobile dental care programme and politcs.Executive SummaryThis study was carried out to identify what the current situation is with mobile dentistry in the State of Lower Austria, Austria, using two approaches: the home‐bound elders’ perception and the dentistry services provided in nursery homes. The aim was to investigate the existence and the quality of mobile dental services available to the austrian elderly population of Lower Austria. Based on this study, it is possible to observe a mobile dental service for patients of austrian geriatric nursing homes does exist. However, no mobile dental service was identified for austrian home bound patients. This scenario shows the need for a mobile dental care programme and politcs.
Understanding the ‘epidemic’ of complete tooth loss among older New Zealanders
Authors: Sussex Philip V. , Thomson W. Murray , Fitzgerald Ruth P. 
Published: June 2009

doi:10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2009.00306.x

Understanding the ‘epidemic’ of complete tooth loss among older New Zealanders Objective:  The aim of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of the social factors driving New Zealand’s historic ‘epidemic of edentulism’ and how they operated.Method:  In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with 31 older New Zealanders were analysed using applied grounded theory.Results:  Universal factors present in the data were: (a) the way in which New Zealand society accepted and indeed encouraged edentulism without stigma for those who had a ‘sub‐optimal’ natural dentition; (b) how the predominant patterns of dental care utilisation (symptomatic and extraction‐based) were often strongly influenced by economic and social disadvantage; and (c) the way in which lay and professional worldviews relating to ‘calcium theory’ and dental caries were fundamental in decisions relating to the transition to edentulism. Major influences were rural isolation, the importance of professional authority and how patient‐initiated transitions to edentulism were ultimately facilitated by an accommodating profession.Conclusion:  The combined effects of geography, economics, the dental care system and the professional culture of the day, in the context of contemporary (flawed) understandings of oral disease, appear to have been the key drivers. These were supported (in turn) by a widespread acceptance by the profession and society alike of the extraction/denture philosophy in dealing with oral disease.
Molecular and Biochemical Evidence for Phenylpropanoid Synthesis and Presence of Wall‐linked Phenolics in Cotton Fibers
Authors: Fan Ling , Shi Wei‐Jun , Hu Wen‐Ran , Hao Xiao‐Yan , Wang Dong‐Mei , Yuan Hui , Yan Hong‐Ying 
Published: June 2009

Abstract The mature cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber is a single cell with a typically thickened secondary cell wall. The aim of this research was to use molecular, spectroscopic and chemical techniques to investigate the possible occurrence of previously overlooked accumulation of phenolics during secondary cell wall formation in cotton fibers. Relative quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that GhCAD6 and GhCAD1 were predominantly expressed among seven gene homologs, only GhCAD6 was up‐regulated during secondary wall formation in cotton fibers. Phylogenic analysis revealed that GhCAD6 belonged to Class I and was proposed to have a major role in monolignol biosynthesis, and GhCAD1 belonged to Class III and was proposed to have a compensatory mechanism for monolignol biosynthesis. Amino acid sequence comparison showed that the cofactor binding sites of GhCADs were highly conserved with high similarity and identity to bona fide cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenases. The substrate binding site of GhCAD1 is different from GhCAD6. This difference was confirmed by the different catalytic activities observed with the enzymes. Cell wall auto‐fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and chemical analyses confirmed that phenolic compounds were bound to the cell walls of mature cotton fibers. Our findings may suggest a potential for genetic manipulation of cotton fiber properties, which are of central importance to agricultural, cotton processing and textile industries.
Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging Enzymes and Down‐Adjustment of Metabolism Level in Mitochondria Associated with Desiccation‐Tolerance Acquisition of Maize Embryo
Authors: Wu Jing‐Hua , Wang Wei‐Qing , Song Song‐Quan , Cheng Hong‐Yan 
Published: June 2009

Abstract It is a well‐known fact that a mature seed can survive losing most of its water, yet how seeds acquire desiccation‐tolerance is not well understood. Through sampling maize embryos of different developmental stages and comparatively studying the integrity, oxygen consumption rate and activities of antioxidant enzymes in the mitochondria, the main origin site of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in seed cells, we found that before an embryo achieves desiccation‐tolerance, its mitochondria shows a more active metabolism, and might produce more ROS and therefore need a more effective ROS scavenging system. However, embryo dehydration in this developmental stage declined the activities of most main antioxidant enzymes and accumulated thiobarbituric acid‐reactive products in mitochondria, and then destroyed the structure and functional integrity of mitochondria. In physiologically‐matured embryos (dehydration‐tolerant), mitochondria showed lower metabolism levels, and no decline in ROS scavenging enzyme activities and less accumulation of thiobarbituric acid‐reactive products after embryo dehydration. These data indicate that seed desiccation‐tolerance acquisition might be associated with down‐adjustment of the metabolism level in the late development stage, resulting in less ROS production, and ROS scavenging enzymes becoming desiccation‐tolerant and then ensuring the structure and functional integrity of mitochondria.
Growth, Nitrogen Uptake and Flow in Maize Plants Affected by Root Growth Restriction
Authors: Xu Liangzheng , Niu Junfang , Li Chunjian , Zhang Fusuo 
Published: June 2009

Abstract The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of a reduced maize root‐system size on root growth and nitrogen (N) uptake and flow within plants. Restriction of shoot‐borne root growth caused a strong decrease in the absorption of root: shoot dry weight ratio and a reduction in shoot growth. On the other hand, compensatory growth and an increased N uptake rate in the remaining roots were observed. Despite the limited long‐distance transport pathway in the mesocotyl with restriction of shoot‐borne root growth, N cycling within these plants was higher than those in control plants, implying that xylem and phloem flow velocities via the mesocotyl were considerably higher than in plants with an intact root system. The removal of the seminal roots in addition to restricting shoot‐borne root development did not affect whole plant growth and N uptake, except for the stronger compensatory growth of the primary roots. Our results suggest that an adequate N supply to maize plant is maintained by compensatory growth of the remaining roots, increased N uptake rate and flow velocities within the xylem and phloem via the mesocotyl, and reduction in the shoot growth rate.
Involvement of Protein Phosphorylation in Water Stress‐induced Antioxidant Defense in Maize Leaves
Authors: Xu Shucheng , Ding Haidong , Su Fengxia , Zhang Aying , Jiang Mingyi 
Published: June 2009

Abstract Using pharmacological and biochemical approaches, the role of protein phosphorylation and the interrelationship between water stress‐enhanced kinase activity, antioxidant enzyme activity, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation and endogenous abscisic acid in maize (Zea mays L.) leaves were investigated. Water‐stress upregulated the activities of total protein phosphorylation and Ca2+‐dependent protein kinase, and the upregulation was blocked in abscisic acid‐deficient vp5 mutant. Furthermore, pretreatments with a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase inhibitor and a scavenger of H2O2 significantly reduced the increased activities of total protein kinase and Ca2+‐dependent protein kinase in maize leaves exposed to water stress. Pretreatments with different protein kinase inhibitors also reduced the water stress‐induced H2O2 production and the water stress‐enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase. The data suggest that protein phosphorylation and H2O2 generation are required for water stress‐induced antioxidant defense in maize leaves and that crosstalk between protein phosphorylation and H2O2 generation may occur.