bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Peptidoglycan derived fromStaphylococcus epidermidisinduces Connexin43 hemichannel activity with consequences on the innate immune response in endothelial cells
Authors: Robertson Jennifer , Lang Sue , Lambert Peter A. , Martin Patricia E. 
Published: September 2010

Gram-positive bacterial cell wall components including PGN (peptidoglycan) elicit a potent pro-inflammatory response in diverse cell types, including endothelial cells, by activating TLR2 (Toll-like receptor 2) signalling. The functional integrity of the endothelium is under the influence of a network of gap junction intercellular communication channels composed of Cxs (connexins) that also form hemichannels, signalling conduits that are implicated in ATP release and purinergic signalling. PGN modulates Cx expression in a variety of cell types, yet effects in endothelial cells remain unresolved. Using the endothelial cell line b.End5, a 6 h challenge with PGN induced IL-6 (interleukin 6), TLR2 and Cx43 mRNA expression that was associated with enhanced Cx43 protein expression and gap junction coupling. Cx43 hemichannel activity, measured by ATP release from the cells, was induced following 15 min of exposure to PGN. Inhibition of hemichannel activity with carbenoxolone or apyrase prevented induction of IL-6 and TLR2 mRNA expression by PGN, but had no effect on Cx43 mRNA expression levels. In contrast, knockdown of TLR2 expression had no effect on PGN-induced hemichannel activity, but reduced the level of TLR2 and Cx43 mRNA expression following 6 h of PGN challenge. PGN also acutely induced hemichannel activity in HeLa cells transfected to express Cx43, but had no effect in Cx43-deficient HeLa OHIO cells. All ATP responses were blocked with Cx-specific channel blockers. We conclude that acute Cx43 hemichannel signalling plays a role in the initiation of early innate immune responses in the endothelium.
Global modeling of transcriptional responses in interaction networks
Authors: Lahti Leo , Knuuttila Juha E. A. , Kaski Samuel 
Published: September 2010

AbstractMotivation: Cell-biological processes are regulated through a complex network of interactions between genes and their products. The processes, their activating conditions and the associated transcriptional responses are often unknown. Organism-wide modeling of network activation can reveal unique and shared mechanisms between tissues, and potentially as yet unknown processes. The same method can also be applied to cell-biological conditions in one or more tissues.Results: We introduce a novel approach for organism-wide discovery and analysis of transcriptional responses in interaction networks. The method searches for local, connected regions in a network that exhibit coordinated transcriptional response in a subset of tissues. Known interactions between genes are used to limit the search space and to guide the analysis. Validation on a human pathway network reveals physiologically coherent responses, functional relatedness between tissues and coordinated, context-specific regulation of the genes.Availability: Implementation is freely available in R and Matlab at http://www.cis.hut.fi/projects/mi/software/NetResponseContact: leo.lahti@iki.fi; samuel.kaski@tkk.fiSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Single‐Balloon Enteroscopy in Children: Initial Experience at a Pediatric Center
Authors: Barth Bradley A , Channabasappa Nandini 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTSingle‐balloon enteroscopy (SBE) allows deep endoscopic access to the jejunum and ileum in adults; however, there are no published series describing the safety of, and indications for, SBE in a pediatric population.Seven pediatric patients (5–17 years) underwent SBE in a 9‐month period. Five of 7 procedures achieved the goal. There were no serious complications, and SBE positively affected patient management in 5 of 7 cases.We conclude that SBE is feasible in a pediatric population and can positively affect patient care.
Comparative Analysis of Pistil Transcriptomes Reveals Conserved and Novel Genes Expressed in Dry, Wet, and Semidry Stigmas
Authors: Allen Alexandra M. , Lexer Christian , Hiscock Simon J. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Fertilization in angiosperms depends on a complex cellular “courtship” between haploid pollen and diploid pistil. These pollen-pistil interactions are regulated by a diversity of molecules, many of which remain to be identified and characterized. Thus, it is unclear to what extent these processes are conserved among angiosperms, a fact confounded by limited sampling across taxa. Here, we report the analysis of pistil-expressed genes in Senecio squalidus (Asteraceae), a species from euasterid II, a major clade for which there are currently no data on pistil-expressed genes. Species from the Asteraceae characteristically have a “semidry stigma,” intermediate between the “wet” and “dry” stigmas typical of the majority of angiosperms. Construction of pistil-enriched cDNA libraries for S. squalidus allowed us to address two hypotheses: (1) stigmas of S. squalidus will express genes common to wet and dry stigmas and genes specific to the semidry stigma characteristic of the Asteraceae; and (2) genes potentially essential for pistil function will be conserved between diverse angiosperm groups and therefore common to all currently available pistil transcriptome data sets, including S. squalidus. Our data support both these hypotheses. The S. squalidus pistil transcriptome contains novel genes and genes previously identified in pistils of species with dry stigmas and wet stigmas. Comparative analysis of the five pistil transcriptomes currently available (Oryza sativa, Crocus sativus, Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana tabacum, and S. squalidus), representing four major angiosperm clades and the three stigma states, identified novel genes and conserved genes potentially regulating pollen-pistil interaction pathways common to monocots and eudicots.
Luteinizing hormone, testosterone and inhibin B levels in the peripubertal period and racial/ethnic differences among boys aged 6–11 years: analyses from NHANES III, 1988–1994
Authors: Lee Peter A. , Gollenberg Audra L. , Hediger Mary L. , Himes John H. , Zhang Zhiwei , Louis Germaine M. Buck 
Published: September 2010

SummaryObjective  To determine whether the initial physical findings of puberty are accompanied by hormonal evidence of pubertal activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis and whether racial/ethnic differences exist, we have analysed hormone levels in relation to age, onset of puberty and race/ethnicity.Design  Cross‐sectional analysis of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T) and inhibin B from banked sera from a representative sample of US boys aged 6·0–11·99 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III.Patients  Eight hundred and twenty‐eight boys having sera including 228 non‐Hispanic white (NHW), 266 non‐Hispanic black (NHB), 288 Mexican‐American (MA) and 46 ‘other’.Measurements  Using analysis of variance and linear regression techniques, concentrations of LH, T and inhibin B were compared by race/ethnicity for all boys and pubertal status (Tanner’s Staging 1, 2 and 3+) for boys aged 8 years and older. Receiver operating curves were utilized to identify cut‐points predictive of pubertal HPG status.Results  Mean hormones levels progressively increased with age. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicate hormones are consistent with pubertal onset as indicated by Tanner stage 2, except for T and genital stage 2. Inhibin B and LH levels increased significantly by genital stage after adjusting for age and race/ethnicity, while LH and T concentrations increased significantly across pubic hair stages. Levels of inhibin B were significantly higher for NHB boys compared with other racial/ethnic groups.Conclusions  In these cross‐sectional findings, hormone levels rise gradually as boys approach the peripubertal age, whereas an abrupt rise was not associated with the onset of physical changes of puberty.
Forecasting the effects of global change scenarios on bioaccumulation patterns in great lakes species
Authors: NG CARLA A. , GRAY KIMBERLY A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractClimate change will have substantial impacts on biodiversity, particularly for aquatic species. Warming temperatures and changing weather patterns will also remobilize and modify chemical partitioning. Holding millions of cubic yards of sediments contaminated with persistent legacy chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins, the Laurentian Great Lakes are a laboratory for observing interactions between biological and chemical responses to climate change. They provide a wide range of habitat to a variety of species, from littoral forage fish to deep‐water predators. In this paper, we couple bioenergetic and bioaccumulation models to investigate the biological and chemical effects of climate change in the Great Lakes. We consider three species: round goby, a warm‐water invasive forage fish; mottled sculpin, a cool‐water native forage fish; and lake trout, a cold‐water native predator. Using our coupled models, we calculate the accumulation of a representative persistent chemical, PCB‐77, under four climate scenarios for Lake Erie and Lake Superior. Predator–prey (lake trout–round goby) interactions and food availability (high–low) are incorporated into our simulations. For cool‐ to cold‐water species (sculpin, lake trout) we find that warm temperatures limit growth. For warm‐water species (round goby) cold temperatures limit growth. The impact of climate warming on growth depends on the winter lows as well as the summer highs of the scenario, in combination with the species' critical upper and lower thermal limits. We find conditions for high growth and consumption rates generally lead to high bioaccumulation. However, this can be confounded by predator–prey dynamics, as mismatches in the temperature preferences of predator and prey can lead to mismatches in relative growth and uptake rates. As predator–prey dynamics are expected to undergo substantial shifts with changing climate, these relative thermal sensitivities will be key in determining the implications of climate change for bioaccumulation, particularly in top predator species.
Nursing care quality and adverse events in US hospitals
Authors: Lucero Robert J , Lake Eileen T , Aiken Linda H 
Published: September 2010

Aim.  To examine the association between nurses’ reports of unmet nursing care needs and their reports of patients’ receipt of the wrong medication or dose, nosocomial infections and patient falls with injury in hospitals.Background.  Because nursing activities are often difficult to measure, and data are typically not collected by health care organisations, there are few studies that have addressed the association between nursing activities and patient outcomes.Design.  Secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data collected in 1999 from 10,184 staff nurses and 168 acute care hospitals in the US.Methods.  Multivariate linear regression models estimated the effect of unmet nursing care needs on adverse events given the influence of patient factors and the care environment.Results.  The proportion of necessary nursing care left undone ranged from 26% for preparing patients and families for discharge to as high as 74% for developing or updating nursing care plans. A majority of nurses reported that patients received the wrong medication or dose, acquired nosocomial infections, or had a fall with injury infrequently. However, nurses who reported that these adverse events occurred frequently varied considerably [i.e. medication errors (15%), patient falls with injury (20%), nosocomial infection (31%)]. After adjusting for patient factors and the care environment, there remained a significant association between unmet nursing care needs and each adverse event.Conclusion.  The findings suggest that attention to optimising patient care delivery could result in a reduction in the occurrence of adverse events in hospitals.Relevance to clinical practice.  The occurrence of adverse events may be mitigated when nurses complete care activities that require them to spend time with their patients. Hospitals should engage staff nurses in the creation of policies that influence human resources management to enhance their awareness of the care environment and patient care delivery.
Oral cryotherapy reduces mucositis and improves nutrition – a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Svanberg Anncarin , Öhrn Kerstin , Birgegård Gunnar 
Published: September 2010

Aim and objective.  To investigate if oral cryotherapy during myeloablative therapy may influence frequency and severity of mucositis, nutritional status and infection rate after bone marrow transplantation.Background.  Patients treated with intensive myeloablative treatment before bone marrow transplantation are all at risk to develop mucositis. Oral mucositis causes severe pain and oral dysfunction, which can contribute to local and systemic infections and bleeding; it may even interrupt cancer therapy. Oral mucositis also decreases the oral food intake, which increases the risk for malnutrition and infection. Reduced food intake, loss of fat and muscles, alterations in energy and substrate metabolism leads to malnutrition.Design.  A randomised controlled trial with a random assignment to experimental or control group.Method.  A stratified randomisation was used with regard to the type of transplantation. Mucositis was measured on WHO mucositis scale. Number of days of total parenteral nutrition, infection rate, weight, albumin levels and days at hospital was compared.Results.  There were significantly fewer patients in the experimental group with mucositis grade 3–4 than in the control group and significantly lower number of days in the hospital (allogeneic patients). Less total parenteral nutrition was needed in the experimental group in both settings, and the S‐albumin level was significantly better preserved. No significant difference could be found with regard to infection rate.Conclusion.  Oral cryotherapy reduced mucositis, number of hospital days, the need for total parenteral nutrition and resulted in a better nutritional status.Relevance to clinical practice.  Nurses caring for patients treated with myeloablative therapy should place high priority to prevent oral mucositis and hereby reduce its side effects.
The accuracy of primary care teams in diagnosing disorders of the shoulder
Authors: Patel Shelain , Hossain Fahad S , Colaco Henry B , El‐Husseiny Moataz , Lee Marcus H 
Published: September 2010

AbstractObjective  The aim of this retrospective, observational study was to determine the accuracy of diagnoses given by a multitude of primary care services to patients referred to an orthopaedic upper limb surgeon with a focus towards shoulder pathology.Methods  Records of all patients referred to a single upper limb surgeon over a 1‐year period were reviewed. The diagnosis in the primary care setting was compared with the initial working diagnosis in the specialist clinic and against the final diagnosis following specialist investigation/intervention.Results  114 eligible patients were identified. General practitioners referred 35% of patients, musculoskeletal triage services referred 63% of patients and independent physiotherapists referred 2% of patients. It was found that 37% of patients were not given a diagnosis by the primary care team. When a diagnosis was given, accuracy was 50% (κ = 0.28) when correlated against that given by an orthopaedic upper limb surgeon.Conclusions  Our findings suggest that knowledge of shoulder conditions is limited amongst primary care practitioners. There does not appear to be any difference in accuracy between general practitioners and musculoskeletal triage services.
Enablement in health care context: a concept analysis
Authors: Hudon Catherine , St‐Cyr Tribble Denise , Bravo Gina , Poitras Marie‐Eve 
Published: September 2010

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  The enablement process is defined as a professional intervention aiming to recognize, support and emphasize the patient's capacity to have control over her or his health and life. The purpose of this article was to study the enablement concept through a concept analysis in the health care context to identify: (1) its attributes and (2) its antecedents and consequents.Method  A concept analysis was performed according to the method of Rodgers. The literature was reviewed from 1980 to June 2008, using search strategies adapted to the databases Cinahl, Medline, Embase, PsycInfo and Social Works Abstract, and hand searching. All articles contributing to a deeper understanding of the concept were included. The analysis was carried out according to a thematic analysis procedure, as described by Miles & Huberman.Results  The search identified 1305 citations. After in‐depth assessment of 148 potentially eligible citations, 61 articles were included in the review. Five articles were added with hand searching. Sixty‐seven per cent of these articles were related to nursing. The attributes of the enablement concept included: contribution to the therapeutic relationship; consideration of the person as a whole; facilitation of learning; valorization of the person's strengths; implication and support to decision making; and broadening of the possibilities.Conclusion  These attributes could be used as a basis for other studies on enablement. Conceptual and empirical work is still needed to better position this concept among others such as patient‐centred care, shared decision making and patient's participation.
Analysis of N‐ and O‐linked protein glycosylation in children with Prader‐Willi syndrome
Authors: Munce T. , Heussler H. S. , Bowling F. G. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractBackground  Current genotype‐phenotype correlations in Prader‐Willi syndrome (PWS) are struggling to give an explanation of the diversity in phenotype and there is a need to move towards a molecular understanding of PWS. A range of functions related to glycoproteins are involved in the pathophysiology of PWS and it may be that abnormal glycosylation is contributing to the biological phenotype. The objective of this study was to investigate the state of N‐ and O‐linked glycosylation in children with Prader‐Willi syndrome.Methods  Twenty‐three children with PWS and 20 non‐PWS controls were included in the study. Protein N‐linked glycosylation was assessed by analysing serum transferrin through mass spectrometry and protein O‐linked through isoelectric focusing (IEF) of serum apolipoprotein C‐III (apoC‐III), confirmed by mass spectrometry.Results  The results of this analysis indicated that the N‐linked glycosylation pathway in PWS is normal. A subgroup of PWS individuals was found to have a hyposialylated pattern of apoC‐III isoforms. This was independent of the underlying genetic mechanism and is the first report of an apoC‐III IEF abnormality in PWS.Conclusions  This is the first report of apoC‐III hyposialylation in PWS. As this field is in its infancy, additional study is required before these findings may be used in clinical settings.
Tn10/IS10 transposition is downregulated at the level of transposase expression by the RNA‐binding protein Hfq
Authors: Ross Joseph A. , Wardle Simon J. , Haniford David B. 
Published: September 2010

SummaryWe show in this work that disruption of the hfq gene in Escherichia coli causes a large increase in IS10 transposition when IS10 is present on a multi‐copy plasmid. Hfq is an RNA‐binding protein that regulates the expression of a large number of genes at the post‐transcriptional level by promoting the pairing of mRNAs with partially complementary short RNAs. As the translation of IS10 transposase mRNA (RNA‐IN) is inhibited by an IS10‐encoded anti‐sense RNA (RNA‐OUT), it seemed likely that Hfq would negatively regulate Tn10/IS10 transposition by promoting anti‐sense inhibition of RNA‐IN translation. Consistent with this, we show that Hfq promotes pairing of RNA‐IN and RNA‐OUT in vitro and downregulates RNA‐IN expression in vivo. However, we also show that Hfq negatively regulates Tn10 transposition when no functional anti‐sense RNA is produced. Taken together, the results suggest that Hfq acts at two distinct steps to inhibit Tn10/IS10 transposition. This is the first example of Hfq regulating a bacterial transposition reaction.
Proportional Venn diagram and determinants of allergic respiratory diseases in Italian adolescents
Authors: Cibella Fabio , Cuttitta Giuseppina , La Grutta Stefania , Melis Mario R. , Lospalluti Maria L. , Uasuf Carina G. , Bucchieri Salvatore , Viegi Giovanni 
Published: September 2010

To cite this article: Cibella F, Cuttitta G, La Grutta S, Melis MR, Lospalluti ML, Uasuf CG, Bucchieri S, Viegi G. Proportional Venn diagram and determinants of allergic respiratory diseases in Italian adolescents. Pediatric Allergy Immunology 2011: 22: 60–68.AbstractLarge variations in prevalence of atopy and allergic diseases are reported worldwide in children, but in epidemiological studies the use of skin prick tests (SPT) and spirometry along with questionnaires is not common in the Mediterranean Area. The present work was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of current asthma (CA), rhinoconjunctivitis (RC), and eczema (E), with atopy and respiratory function, and the role of risk factors for allergic respiratory diseases. A total of 2150 Italian schoolchildren were cross‐sectionally investigated through respiratory questionnaire, SPT, and spirometry. A proportional Venn diagram quantified the distribution of CA, RC, and E, stratifying for allergic sensitization to show differences in prevalence of allergic diseases among subjects with and without positive SPT. CA prevalence was 4.2%, RC 17.9%, and E 5.3%. CA and RC increased, while E decreased, with respect to previous local studies. Allergic sensitization prevalence (evaluated as positive response to at least one SPT) was 39.2%. A double Venn diagram identified 15 categories. Atopic CA was threefold more frequent than non‐atopic CA. Atopic vs non‐atopic RC and E were 9.6% vs 10.3% and 2.0% vs 3.3%, respectively. Atopic vs non‐atopic RC associated with CA were 1.6% vs 0.5%; the same figures for RC associated with E were 0.8% vs 1.3%. Asymptomatic atopic subjects were 27.0%. Atopy, RC, parental asthma, and environmental risk factors were associated with CA. Atopy and environmental factors were risk factors also for RC. Asthma and traffic exposure were linked to reduced lung function. Respiratory allergic diseases are still increasing and largely concomitant in Italian adolescents. Atopy is more important for CA than RC. Avoiding exposures to measured environmental risk factors would prevent 41% of current asthma and 34% of rhinoconjunctivitis.
Fossils and phylogeny uncover the evolutionary history of a unique antipredator behaviour
Authors: CLUCAS B. , ORD T. J. , OWINGS D. H. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractRecently, two squirrel species (Spermophilusspp.) were discovered to anoint their bodies with rattlesnake scent as a means of concealing their odour from these chemosensory predators. In this study, we tested multiple species with predator scents (rattlesnake and weasel) to determine the prevalence of scent application across the squirrel phylogeny. We reconstructed the evolutionary history of the behaviour using a phylogenetic analysis and fossil records of historic predator co‐occurrence. Squirrels with historical and current rattlesnake co‐occurrence all applied rattlesnake scent, whereas no relationship existed between weasel scent application and either weasel or rattlesnake co‐occurrence. This was surprising because experimental tests confirmed rattlesnake and weasel scent were both effective at masking prey odour from hunting rattlesnakes (the primary predator of squirrels). Ancestral reconstructions and fossil data suggest predator scent application in squirrels is ancient in origin, arising before co‐occurrences with rattlesnakes or weasels in response to some other, now extinct, chemosensory predator.