bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cognitive and Psychosocial Characteristics of Gifted Students With Written Language Disability
Authors: Assouline Susan G. , Foley Nicpon Megan , Whiteman Claire 
Published: January 2010

Gifted and talented students who also have a specific learning disability (SLD) are typically referred to as twice-exceptional and are among the most underserved students in our schools. Previous special education laws promoted a wait-to-fail approach; therefore, gifted students with SLD often were overlooked because their average academic performance was not “failure” enough. The flip side to this was the fact that students’ giftedness, as measured by general ability tests, often was masked by average, yet relatively weak, academic achievement. They were not only waiting to fail, they were failing to flourish. The authors present the data gathered from 14 gifted students with SLD, specifically a disorder of written expression. Students were determined to be gifted if they earned a score of 120 (Superior) on the Verbal Scale of a cognitive ability test. They were considered to have a written language disability through an evaluation of their written language skills. The average Verbal IQ for the group was close to a standard score of 130, whereas the average Written Language Score was close to a standard score of 99. In addition to the cognitive profile for these students, the authors obtained measures of their psychosocial functioning. On average, parents, teachers, and students reported typical adaptive behavior, yet group elevations also were present on several clinical scales. The authors’ main conclusion is that a comprehensive assessment plays a critical role in (a) determining whether a student is twice-exceptional, (b) identifying the possibility of psychosocial concerns, and (c) developing educational recommendations. Putting the Research to Use The results from our empirical study suggest that only through a comprehensive evaluation, which includes both individualized achievement and ability tests and allows for an analysis of the performance discrepancy between the two, is it possible to discover cognitively gifted students with a disorder of written expression. Diagnostic/identification procedures that do not include a comprehensive evaluation place gifted students at serious risk for “missed” diagnosis and ultimately, missed opportunity for intervention. The missed diagnosis arises from the observation that their written work is average relative to that of their peers. Equally important is the concern that some very capable students may be over-looked for screening for gifted programming because their achievement is average. Educators of students who appear to have high verbal ability while simultaneously demonstrating difficulty completing written assignments—and may even appear to be lazy or unmotivated—have a responsibility to further investigate the students’ difficulties and strengths.
Proinflammatory state, hepcidin, and anemia in older persons
Authors: Ferrucci Luigi , Semba Richard D. , Guralnik Jack M. , Ershler William B. , Bandinelli Stefania , Patel Kushang V. , Sun Kai , Woodman Richard C. , Andrews Nancy C. , Cotter Robert J. , Ganz Tomas , Nemeth Elizabeta , Longo Dan L. 
Published: January 2010

Abstract
In patients with overt inflammatory diseases, up-regulated hepcidin impairs iron absorption and macrophage release, causing anemia. Whether the mild proinflammatory state of aging is associated with increased hepcidin is unknown. We characterized the relationships between urinary hepcidin, iron status, anemia, and inflammation in 582 patients 65 years or older participating in the InCHIANTI (Invecchiare in Chianti, “Aging in the Chianti Area”) study, a population-based study of aging in Tuscany, Italy. Compared with nonanemic persons, urinary hepcidin (nanograms/milligram of urinary creatinine) was significantly lower in iron deficiency and inflammation anemia compared with no anemia or other anemia types. Urinary hepcidin was positively correlated with log(ferritin) and negatively correlated with the soluble transferrin receptor/log(ferritin) ratio but not correlated with markers of inflammation: interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Lower iron was significantly correlated with higher IL-6 and CRP. Adjusting for confounders, IL-6 and CRP remained significantly associated with serum iron, with no evidence that such a relationship was accounted for by variability in urinary hepcidin. In conclusion, elevated proinflammatory markers were associated with anemia and low iron status, but not with higher urinary hepcidin. Future studies should test whether hepcidin production becomes up-regulated only in situations of overt inflammation.
An automatic method for identifying surface proteins in bacteria: SLEP
Authors: Giombini Emanuela , Orsini Massimiliano , Carrabino Danilo , Tramontano Anna 
Published: January 2010

Abstract

Background
Bacterial infections represent a global health challenge. The identification of novel antibacterial targets for both therapy and vaccination is needed on a constant basis because resistance continues to spread worldwide at an alarming rate. Even infections that were once easy to treat are becoming difficult or, in some cases, impossible to cure. Ideal targets for both therapy and vaccination are bacterial proteins exposed on the surface of the organism, which are often involved in host-pathogen interaction. Their identification can greatly benefit from technologies such as bioinformatics, proteomics and DNA microarrays.

Results
Here we describe a pipeline named SLEP (Surface Localization Extracellular Proteins), based on an automated optimal combination and sequence of usage of reliable available tools for the computational identification of the surfome, i.e. of the subset of proteins exposed on the surface of a bacterial cell.

Conclusions
The tool not only simplifies the usage of these methods, but it also improves the results by selecting the specifying order and combination of the instruments. The tool is freely available at http://www.caspur.it/slep.
An insight into the sialotranscriptome of the West Nile mosquito vector, Culex tarsalis
Authors: Calvo Eric , Sanchez-Vargas Irma , Favreau Amanda J , Barbian Kent D , Pham Van M , Olson Kenneth E , Ribeiro José MC 
Published: January 2010

Abstract

Background
Saliva of adult female mosquitoes help sugar and blood feeding by providing enzymes and polypeptides that help sugar digestion, control microbial growth and counteract their vertebrate host hemostasis and inflammation. Mosquito saliva also potentiates the transmission of vector borne pathogens, including arboviruses. Culex tarsalis is a bird feeding mosquito vector of West Nile Virus closely related to C. quinquefasciatus, a mosquito relatively recently adapted to feed on humans, and the only mosquito of the genus Culex to have its sialotranscriptome so far described.

Results
A total of 1,753 clones randomly selected from an adult female C. tarsalis salivary glands (SG) cDNA library were sequenced and used to assemble a database that yielded 809 clusters of related sequences, 675 of which were singletons. Primer extension experiments were performed in selected clones to further extend sequence coverage, allowing for the identification of 283 protein sequences, 80 of which code for putative secreted proteins.

Conclusion
Comparison of the C. tarsalis sialotranscriptome with that of C. quinquefasciatus reveals accelerated evolution of salivary proteins as compared to housekeeping proteins. The average amino acid identity among salivary proteins is 70.1%, while that for housekeeping proteins is 91.2% (P < 0.05), and the codon volatility of secreted proteins is significantly higher than those of housekeeping proteins. Several protein families previously found exclusive of mosquitoes, including only in the Aedes genus have been identified in C. tarsalis. Interestingly, a protein family so far unique to C. quinquefasciatus, with 30 genes, is also found in C. tarsalis, indicating it was not a specific C. quinquefasciatus acquisition in its evolution to optimize mammal blood feeding.
Detection of HPV DNA in esophageal cancer specimens from different regions and ethnic groups: a descriptive study
Authors: Wang Xueqian , Tian Xiuyun , Liu Fangfang , Zhao Yiqiang , Sun Min , Chen Dafang , Lu Changdong , Wang Zhong , Shi Xiaotian , Zhang Qingying , Zhang Donghong , Shen Zhongying , Li Feng , Harris Curtis C , Cai Hong , Ke Yang 
Published: January 2010

AbstractBackgroundHPV has been found repeatedly in esophageal carcinoma tissues. However, reported detection rates of HPV DNA in these tumors have varied markedly. Differences in detection methods, sample types, and geographic regions of sample origin have been suggested as potential causes of this discrepancy.MethodsHPV L1 DNA and HPV genotypes were evaluated in 435 esophageal carcinoma specimens collected from four geographic regions with different ethnicities including Anyang in north China, Shantou in south China, Xinjiang in west China, and the United States. The HPV L1 fragment was detected using SPF1/GP6+ primers. HPV genotyping was performed using genotype specific PCR.ResultsTwo hundred and forty four of 435 samples (56.1%) tested positive for HPV L1. Significant differences in detection rate were observed neither among the three areas of China nor between China and the US. HPV6, 16, 18, 26, 45, 56, 57, and 58 were identified in L1 positive samples. HPV16 and 57 were the most common types in all regions, followed by HPV26 and HPV18.ConclusionsHPV infection is common in esophageal carcinoma independent of region and ethnic group of origin. Findings in this study raise the possibility that HPV is involved in esophageal carcinogenesis. Further investigation with a larger sample size over broader geographic areas may be warranted.
Ryanodine Receptors Contribute to the Induction of Nociceptive Input-Evoked Long-Term Potentiation in the Rat Spinal Cord Slice
Authors: Cheng Long-Zhen , Lü Ning , Zhang Yu-Qiu , Zhao Zhi-Qi 
Published: January 2010

Background: Our previous study demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) contributes to long-term potentiation (LTP) of C-fiber-evoked field potentials by tetanic stimulation of the sciatic nerve in the spinal cord in vivo. Ryanodine receptor (RyR) is a downstream target for NO. The present study further explored the role of RyR in synaptic plasticity of the spinal pain pathway. Results: By means of field potential recordings in the adult male rat in vivo, we showed that RyR antagonist reduced LTP of C-fiber-evoked responses in the spinal dorsal horn by tetanic stimulation of the sciatic nerve. Using spinal cord slice preparations and field potential recordings from superficial dorsal horn, high frequency stimulation of Lissauer's tract (LT) stably induced LTP of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs). Perfusion of RyR antagonists blocked the induction of LT stimulation-evoked spinal LTP, while Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor (IP3R) antagonist had no significant effect on LTP induction. Moreover, activation of RyRs by caffeine without high frequency stimulation induced a long-term potentiation in the presence of bicuculline methiodide and strychnine. Further, in patch-clamp recordings from superficial dorsal horn neurons, activation of RyRs resulted in a large increase in the frequency of miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs). Immunohistochemical study showed that RyRs were expressed in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Likewise, calcium imaging in small DRG neurons illustrated that activation of RyRs elevated [Ca2+]i in small DRG neurons. Conclusions: These data indicate that activation of presynaptic RyRs play a crucial role in the induction of LTP in the spinal pain pathway, probably through enhancement of transmitter release.
Tailored total lymphoid irradiation in heart transplant patients: 10-years experience of one center
Authors: Ghadjar Pirus , Joos Daniela , Martinelli Michele , Hullin Roger , Zwahlen Marcel , Lössl Kristina , Carrel Thierry , Aebersold Daniel M , Mohacsi Paul 
Published: January 2010

Abstract

Background
To assess safety and efficacy of tailored total lymphoid irradiation (tTLI) in cardiac transplant patients.

Methods
A total of seven patients, of which five had recalcitrant cellular cardiac allograft rejection (RCCAR), confirmed by endomyocardial biopsies, and two had side effects of immunosuppressive drug therapy, were all treated with tTLI. tTLI was defined by the adjustment of both the fraction interval and the final irradiation dosage both being dependent on the patients general condition, irradiation-dependent response, and the white blood and platelet counts. A mean dose of 6.4 Gy (range, 1.6 - 8.8 Gy) was given. Median follow-up was 7 years (range, 1.8 - 12.2 years).

Results
tTLI was well tolerated. Two patients experienced a severe infection during tTLI (pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, urosepsis and generalized herpes zoster) and one patient developed a lymphoproliferative disorder after tTLI. The rate of rejection episodes before tTLI was 0.43 episodes/patient/month and decreased to 0.02 episodes/patient/month after tTLI (P < .001). At the end of the observation time, all patients except one were alive.

Conclusions
tTLI is a useful treatment strategy for the management of RCCAR and in patients with significant side effects of immunosuppressive drug therapy. In this series tTLI demonstrated significantly decreased rejection rates without causing relevant treatment-related toxicity.
HIV‐related restrictions on entry, residence and stay in the WHO European Region: a survey
Authors: Lazarus Jeffrey V , Curth Nadja , Weait Matthew , Matic Srdan 
Published: January 2010

BackgroundBack in 1987, the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that the screening of international travellers was an ineffective way to prevent the spread of HIV. However, some countries still restrict the entrance and/or residency of foreigners with an HIV infection. HIV‐related travel restrictions have serious implications for individual and public health, and violate internationally recognized human rights. In this study, we reviewed the current situation regarding HIV‐related travel restrictions in the 53 countries of the WHO European Region.MethodsWe retrieved the country‐specific information chiefly from the Global Database on HIV Related Travel Restrictions at hivtravel.org. We simplified and standardized the database information to enable us to create an overview and compare countries. Where data was outdated, unclear or contradictory, we contacted WHO HIV focal points in the countries or appropriate non‐governmental organizations. The United States Bureau of Consular Affairs website was also used to confirm and complement these data.ResultsOur review revealed that there are no entry restrictions for people living with HIV in 51 countries in the WHO European Region. In 11 countries, foreigners living with HIV applying for long‐term stays will not be granted a visa. These countries are: Andorra, Armenia, Cyprus (denies access for non‐European Union citizens), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, an HIV‐positive foreigner cannot even enter the country, and in Georgia, we were not able to determine whether there were any HIV‐related travel restrictions due to a lack of information.ConclusionsIn 32% of the countries in the European Region, either there are some kind of HIV‐related travel restrictions or we were unable to determine if such restrictions are in force. Most of these countries defend restrictions as being justified by public health concerns. However, there is no evidence that denying HIV‐positive foreigners access to a country is effective in protecting public health. Governments should revise legislation on HIV‐related travel restrictions. In the meantime, a joint effort is needed to draw attention to the continuing discrimination and stigmatization of people living with HIV that takes place in those European Region countries where such laws and policies are still in force.
PhenomiR: a knowledgebase for microRNA expression in diseases and biological processes
Authors: Ruepp Andreas , Kowarsch Andreas , Schmidl Daniel , Buggenthin Felix , Brauner Barbara , Dunger Irmtraud , Fobo Gisela , Frishman Goar , Montrone Corinna , Theis Fabian J 
Published: January 2010

AbstractIn recent years, microRNAs have been shown to play important roles in physiological as well as malignant processes. The PhenomiR database http://mips.helmholtz-muenchen.de/phenomir provides data from 542 studies that investigate deregulation of microRNA expression in diseases and biological processes as a systematic, manually curated resource. Using the PhenomiR dataset, we could demonstrate that, depending on disease type, independent information from cell culture studies contrasts with conclusions drawn from patient studies.
Hip Fracture Prevalence in Grandfathers Is Associated with Reduced Cortical Cross-Sectional Bone Area in Their Young Adult Grandsons
Authors: Rudäng Robert , Ohlsson Claes , Odén Anders , Johansson Helena , Mellström Dan , Lorentzon Mattias 
Published: January 2010

Abstract
Context: Parent hip fracture prevalence is a known risk factor for osteoporosis. The role of hip fracture prevalence in grandparents on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and bone size in their grandsons remains unknown.
Objective: The objective of the study was to examine whether hip fracture prevalence in grandparents was associated with lower aBMD and reduced cortical bone size in their grandsons.
Design and Setting: This was a population-based cohort study in Sweden.
Study Subjects: Subjects included 1015 grandsons (18.9 ± 0.6) (mean ± sd) and 3688 grandparents.
Main Outcome Measures: aBMD, cortical bone size, volumetric bone mineral density and polar strength strain index of the cortex in the grandsons in relation to hip fracture prevalence in their grandparents were measured.
Results: Grandsons of grandparents with hip fracture (n = 269) had lower aBMD at the total body, radius, and lumbar spine, but not at the hip, as well as reduced cortical cross-sectional area at the radius (P &lt; 0.05) than grandsons of grandparents without hip fracture. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that grandsons of grandfathers with hip fracture (n = 99) had substantially lower aBMD at the lumbar spine (4.9%, P &lt; 0.001) and total femur (4.1%, P = 0.003) and lower cortical cross-sectional area of the radius (4.1%, P &lt; 0.001) and tibia (3.3%, P &lt; 0.011). Adjusting bone variables for grandson age, weight, height, smoking, calcium intake, and physical activity and taking grandparent age at register entry, years in register, and grandparent sex into account strengthened or did not affect these associations.
Conclusions: Family history of a grandfather with hip fracture was associated with reduced aBMD and cortical bone size in 19-yr-old men, indicating that patient history of hip fracture in a grandfather could be of value when evaluating the risk of low bone mass in men.
Congenital Lipoid Adrenal Hyperplasia: Functional Characterization of Three Novel Mutations in the STAR Gene
Authors: Bens Susanne , Mohn Angelika , Yüksel Bilgin , Kulle Alexandra E. , Michalek Matthias , Chiarelli Franco , Nuri Özbek Mehmet , Leuschner Ivo , Grötzinger Joachim , Holterhus Paul-Martin , Riepe Felix G. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractContext: The steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) has been shown to be essential for steroidogenesis by mediating cholesterol transfer into mitochondria. Inactivating StAR mutations cause the typical clinical picture of congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia.Objective: The objective of the investigation was to study the functional and structural consequences of three novel StAR mutations (p.N148K in an Italian patient; p.P129fs and p.Q128R in a Turkish patient).Methods and Results: Transient in vitro expression of the mutant proteins together with P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, adrenodoxin, and adrenodoxin reductase yielded severely diminished cholesterol conversion of the p.N148K mutant, the combined p.P129fs and p.Q128R mutant, and the p.P129fs mutant by itself. The p.Q128R mutant led to a higher cholesterol conversion than the wild-type StAR protein. As derived from three-dimensional protein modeling, the residue N148 is lining the ligand cavity of StAR. A positively charged lysine residue at position 148 disturbs the hydrophobic cluster formed by the α4-helix and the sterol binding pocket. The frame shift mutation p.P129fs truncates the StAR protein. Residue p.Q128 is situated at the surface of the molecule and is not part of any functionally characterized region of the protein.Conclusion: The mutations p.N148K and p.P129fs cause adrenal insufficiency in both cases and lead to a disorder of sex development with complete sex reversal in the 46, XY case. The mutation p.Q128R, which is not relevant for the patient’s phenotype, is the first reported variant showing a gain of function. We speculate that the substitution of hydrophilic glutamine with basic arginine at the surface of the molecule may accelerate cholesterol transfer.
Phenotype-Genotype Correlations of 13 Rare CYP21A2 Mutations Detected in 46 Patients Affected with 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency and in One Carrier
Authors: Tardy V. , Menassa R. , Sulmont V. , Lienhardt-Roussie A. , Lecointre C. , Brauner R. , David M. , Morel Y. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractContext: Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency is the most common enzymatic defect causing congenital adrenal hyperplasia with genotype/phenotype relationships for common mutations. Novel mutations of the CYP21A2 gene must be well studied to propose right genetic counseling for patients.Objective: Thirteen CYP21 mutations have been studied. A detailed description of phenotype was performed for all mutations (p.I77T, p.L167P, p.I230T, p.R233K, p.G291S, p.G292D, p.E320K, p.R341P, p.R354H, p.R369W, p.R408C, p.G424S, and p.R426H). In vitro and in silico studies were performed only for those not previously described (p.L167P, p.I230T, p.R233K, p.G292D, p.E320K, and p.R369W).Results: Regarding phenotype, patients with 10 of these mutations had a classical form. A patient with isolated p.I230T presented with nonclassical form and a patient with the association p.I230T + p.V281L in cis presented with a more severe phenotype. The p.R233K mutation was detected in a carrier partner. A patient with p.R369W presented with an intermediate form. Functional studies showed that all mutations except p.I230T and p.R369W decreased enzyme activity more than p.P30L: severity of p.R369W was intermediate between p.P30L and p.V281L, and finally p.I230T was less severe than p.V281L. Mutation analysis in a three-dimensional model structure of the CYP21 protein explained the observed in vitro effects, severe mutations being implicated in important functional domains of the protein.Conclusion: According to phenotype and functional studies, 11 of the mutations described, except the isolated p.R369W and p.I230T, may be responsible for a severe phenotype underlying the necessity to manage children having them. The p.I230T is a nonclassical mutation, and for the p.R369W, we need more cases to precise its severity.