bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vector‐based miR‐15a/16‐1 plasmid inhibits colon cancer growth in vivo
Authors: Dai Lixia , Wang Wei , Zhang Shuang , Jiang Qingyuan , Wang Ruibo , Dai Lei , Cheng Lin , Yang Yang , Wei Yu‐Quan , Deng Hong‐Xin 
Published: May 2012

AbstractmiR‐15 (microRNA 15) and miR‐16 are frequently deleted or down‐regulated in many cancer cell lines and various tumour tissues, suggesting that miR‐15a/16‐1 plays important roles in tumour progression and might be a method for cancer treatment. We have developed a vector‐based plasmid to explore the anti‐tumour efficacy of miR‐15a/16‐1 in colon cancer in vivo. It is proposed that miR‐15a and miR‐16‐1 target cyclin B1 (CCNB1), which associates with several tumorigenic features such as survival and proliferation. The levels of miR‐15a and miR‐16‐1 in colon cancer cells were inversely correlated with CCNB1 expression, and there was consensus between miR‐15a/16‐1 and CCNB1 mRNA sequences by analysing homology. Vector‐based miR‐15a/16‐1 expression plasmid was constructed and transfected into HCT 116 and SW620 colon cancer cells in vitro. The effects produced on cell viability and angiogenesis were analysed using flow cytometric analysis, colony formation analysis and tube formation analysis. CCNB1 expression down‐regulation was checked by Western blotting. Systemic delivery of miR‐15a/16‐1 plasmids encapsulated in cationic liposome led to a significant inhibition of subcutaneous tumour growth and angiogenesis in tumour tissues, whereas no effects were observed with liposome carrying the non‐specific plasmid. In summary, miR‐15a/16‐1 has been applied in colon cancer treatment in vivo, and resulted in effective colon tumour xenografts growth arrest and angiogenesis decrease. These findings suggest that systemic delivery of vector‐based miR‐15a/16‐1 expression plasmid can be an approach to colon cancer therapy.
Nitric oxide induces segregation of decay accelerating factor (DAF or CD55) from the membrane lipid‐rafts and its internalization in human endometrial cells
Authors: Banadakoppa Manu , Goluszko Pawel , Liebenthal Daniel , Yallampalli Chandra 
Published: May 2012

AbstractRecent studies suggest that DAF (decay accelerating factor), a complement regulatory protein, present in lipid rafts, is utilized by Dr fimbriated Escherichia coli for their binding and internalization. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that NO (nitric oxide) can reduce the invasion of Dr(+) E. coli and the severity of uterine infection in pregnant rats. Also, the expression level of DAF both at the mRNA and protein levels has been shown to be reduced by NO. Therefore NO mediated down‐regulation of DAF appears to be an important factor in reducing the susceptibility to E. coli infection. However, it is unclear if NO can actually modulate the membrane association of DAF and therefore initial bacterial binding to cells. We found that NO induces the delocalization of DAF from the GM1‐rich lipid rafts. Using biochemical and cell biological approaches in a uterine epithelial cell model (Ishikawa cells), DAF accumulates in caveolae upon exposure to NO. Interaction of DAF with the caveolar protein, caveolin1, leads to their internalization by endosomes. NO‐induced delocalization of DAF from the lipid raft and its accumulation in caveolae are mediated through a cGMP (cyclic guanosine monophosphate) pathway. The acute localized synthesis of NO and its influence on DAF localization may represent an important unrecognized phenomenon of host defence against Dr(+) E. coli bacteria, as well as many disease conditions that involve complement system.
Riparian Area Protection and Outdoor Recreation: Lessons from the Northwest Forest Plan
Authors: Wilson Patrick Impero , Hall Troy E. , Kruger Linda E. 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
The Northwest Forest Plan required the US Forest Service (USFS) to shift its management focus to ecological values rather than the utilitarian ones that had dominated forest policy in the region. This article examines the effects of this shift on the USFS's historic mission to provide recreational access to the region's forests. Focusing on six national forests, it draws on a series of interviews with USFS personnel to answer two questions that explore the persistence of policies across time and the importance of the implementation stage in shaping outcomes. How did the USFS balance a deeply entrenched, institutionalized history of recreational use against new ecological priorities and habitat protection expectations? What were the effects at the local level on recreational use and access in riparian and other ecologically sensitive areas? The findings indicate that despite greater attention to ecological protection, recreation continues to be a priority.
Pets at birth do not increase allergic disease in at‐risk children
Authors: Lodge C. J. , Lowe A. J. , Gurrin L. C. , Matheson M. C. , Balloch A. , Axelrad C. , Hill D. J. , Hosking C. S. , Rodrigues S. , Svanes C. , Abramson M. J. , Allen K. J. , Dharmage S. C. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryBackgroundThe literature is contradictory concerning pet exposure and risk of allergic disease in childhood especially among those with a family history of allergy.ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between cat and dog exposure at birth and allergic outcomes over the first 12 years in a birth cohort selected for familial allergy.MethodsA prospective birth cohort of 620 infants with a family history of allergic diseases was recruited. Data on pet keeping, family demographics and cord blood samples were collected at birth. Information on childhood wheeze, eczema and hay fever was collected 18 times in the first 2 years, at 7 years and at 12 years. Skin prick tests were conducted at 2, 7 and 12 years, and in parents. Regression analyses were used to investigate the relevant associations while adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsExposure to cats or dogs at birth showed a moderate reduction in risk of wheeze (aOR = 0.76; 95% CI 0.53, 1.09) and hay fever (aOR = 0.71; 0.49, 1.02) after 7 years of age. Protective effects were stronger in children of non‐sensitized fathers (aOR wheeze 0.55; 0.31, 0.98; aOR hay fever 0.33; 0.15, 0.77 on exposure to cats alone, or cats or dogs at birth). Pet keeping was not related to cord blood IgE or sensitization from 2 to 12 years.Conclusions and Clinical RelevancePets at birth either decreased or had no effect on allergic disease up to age 12. We found no evidence that exposure to cats or dogs at birth increases the risk of allergic disease in high‐risk children.
Intravenous immunoglobulin does not increase FcγRIIB expression levels on monocytes in children with immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Shimomura M , Hasegawa S , Seki Y , Fukano R , Hotta N , Ichiyama T 
Published: May 2012

SummaryIntravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) produces a rapid and prolonged increase in the platelet counts of children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The mechanism of IVIG efficacy in a murine model of ITP has been reported to operate through an IVIG-mediated increase in the expression of the inhibitory Fc receptor FcγRIIB(CD32B) on splenic macrophages. This investigation examined whether IVIG administration results in a similar increase in FcγRIIB expression on peripheral blood CD14+ monocytes in 20 children with ITP. FcγRIIB expression on peripheral blood monocytes was measured by flow cytometry in ITP patients, before and after IVIG therapy, as well as in control subjects. Peripheral blood monocytes were labelled with fluorescent-specific antibodies. There were no significant differences in the percentages or numbers of CD14+CD32B+ monocytes, or in the percentage of CD14+CD32B+ monocytes present in children with ITP before and after IVIG therapy. We suggest that IVIG does not increase FcγRIIB expression in peripheral blood monocytes in children with ITP.
Elevated circulating levels of YKL‐40 are a marker of abnormal glucose tolerance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Celik Cem , Abali Remzi , Guzel Savas , Bastu Ercan , Kucukyalcin Volkan , Yilmaz Murat 
Published: May 2012

AbstractObjectiveThis study investigates human cartilage glycoprotein‐39 (YKL‐40) levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and controls, and tests their relationship with metabolic and hormonal parameters.DesignClinical study carried out in a university hospital in Tekirdag, Turkey.PatientsEighty‐five women with PCOS and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and twenty‐five women with PCOS and abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT), diagnosed according to Rotterdam criteria, and fifty‐nine healthy women.MeasurementsYKL‐40 levels, fasting hormone levels and metabolic parameters were investigated in all subjects.ResultsWe showed increased YKL‐40 levels in women with PCOS compared to controls. (152·57 ± 3·96 μg/l vs 98·16 ± 1·6 μg/l, P < 0·000). YKL significantly correlated with BMI (r = 0·344; P < 0·000), 2‐h glucose (r = 0·193; P = 0·012), HOMA‐IR (r = 0·268; P < 0·000) and fasting insulin (r = 0·310; P < 0·000), but not with waist/hip ratio (r = 0·016; P = 0·832) and fasting glucose (r = 0·108; P = 0·832). When ROC curve analysis was used to analyse the suitability of YKL‐40 to identify glucose intolerance in women with PCOS, area under curve for YKL‐40 was found to be significant (AGT‐PCOS: AUC 0·632, P = 0·046).ConclusionPlasma YKL‐40 levels increased in patients with PCOS compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, there was a significant difference in YKL‐40 levels between AGT‐PCOS and NGT‐PCOS subjects. Subsequently, we also found that YKL‐40 levels above the cut‐off point may help the clinician to predict abnormal glucose tolerance in patients with PCOS.
Elucidating the temperature response of survivorship in insects
Authors: Amarasekare Priyanga , Sifuentes Romina 
Published: May 2012

Summary1.In ectotherms, survivorship is dependent on the environmental temperature. This dependence can take the form of survivorship declining sharply at low and high temperatures and being relatively constant at intermediate temperatures (i.e. an invertedU‐shaped or ‘flat‐topped’ temperature response), or with survivorship exhibiting a maximum at an intermediate temperature (i.e. a unimodal temperature response). Data show that species differ in which response they exhibit, but there is no mechanistic explanation for why such differences exist.2.Here we use a life‐history‐based approach to elucidate the temperature response of cumulative (egg‐to‐adult) survivorship. We focus on the fact that cumulative survivorship is a composite trait, arising from the multiplicative effects of stage‐specific survivorship.3.We show that the temperature response of cumulative survivorship depends on whether or not different life‐history stages/age classes respond differentially to temperature. When all stages/age classes are similarly sensitive to temperature, cumulative survivorship exhibits an invertedU‐shaped response. When different stages/age classes respond differentially to temperature variation, stages/age classes that are highly sensitive to temperature exhibit monotonically increasing/decreasing or saturating temperature responses, while stages/age classes that are relatively insensitive to temperature exhibit invertedU‐shaped responses. Because the effects of stage/age‐specific survivorship are multiplicative, the net result is a temperature response of cumulative survivorship that is unimodal and left‐skewed (if the survivorship of the most sensitive stage/age class increases with increasing temperature) or unimodal and right‐skewed (if the survivorship of the most sensitive stage/age class decreases with increasing temperature).4.Tests of these predictions with data from insects lead to important insights about how ectotherms with different life‐history patterns respond to temperature variation, information that is crucial in understanding how ectotherms with complex life cycles persist in the face of climate warming.
The influence of transforming growth factor‐α, cyclooxygenase‐2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐7, MMP‐9 and CXCR4 proteins involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition on overall survival of patients with gastric cancer
Authors: Fanelli Marcello Ferretti , Chinen Ludmilla T Domingos , Begnami Maria Dirlei , Costa Wilson Luis , Fregnami José Humberto T , Soares Fernando A , Montagnini André Luis 
Published: May 2012

Fanelli M F, Chinen L T D, Begnami M D, Costa W L Jr, Fregnami J H T, Soares F A & Montagnini A L  (2012) Histopathology 61, 153–161The influence of transforming growth factor‐α, cyclooxygenase‐2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐7, MMP‐9 and CXCR4 proteins involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition on overall survival of patients with gastric cancerAims:  Determination of prognostic parameters that are predictive of survival of gastric cancer (GC) may allow better identification of patients who could benefit from current chemotherapy regimens. To assess the correlation between tumour progression and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), we assayed the expression levels of selected molecules involved in EMT [CD44, transforming growth factor (TGF)‐α, cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐7, MMP‐9 and C‐X‐C chemokine receptor (CXCR4)], and correlated these with overall patient survival (OS) and disease stage.Methods and results:  Medical records and pathological biopsy results of 137 patients with GC were evaluated retrospectively. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that expression of CXCR4 was correlated significantly with the expression of all other proteins studied. In contrast, COX‐2 expression correlated significantly with the expression of only MMP‐7 (P = 0.011), MMP‐9 (P = 0.015) and CXCR4 (P = 0.013). We observed significant negative correlations between OS and the expression of TGF‐α (P = 0.017), COX‐2 (P < 0.001), CXCR4 (P = 0.010), MMP‐7 (P = 0.020) and MMP‐9 (P = 0.015). On multivariate analysis, only COX‐2 was an independent prognostic factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.34; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.43–9.75; P = 0.002).Conclusions:  COX‐2, TGF‐α, MMP‐7, MMP‐9 and CXCR4 are associated with poor OS in gastric cancer.
Adverse effects of the anabolic steroid, boldenone undecylenate, on reproductive functions of male rabbits
Authors: Oda Samah S. , El‐Ashmawy Ibrahim M. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryThis study was conducted to evaluate the adverse effects of the anabolic steroid, boldenone undecylenate (BOL) on reproductive functions of male rabbits. Thirty white New Zealand mature male rabbits were divided into three groups (10 rabbits each). Group A rabbits served as a control group. Group B rabbits received 4.4 mg/kg body weight (bwt) BOL 5% oily solution. Group C rabbits received 8.8 mg/kg bwt BOL. Rabbits were injected intramuscularly twice weekly for two months. BOL had no significant effect on the bwt and bwt gain. Testes and epididymis weights were decreased significantly in the BOL‐treated groups. BOL caused significant reduction in serum testosterone level, seminal volume, sperm motility, and sperm count. No abnormalities were detected in the sperm morphology of the BOL‐treated groups. Histopathological alterations in the testes and epididymis were marked in the group C rabbits. These results indicate that administration of BOL exerts a significant harmful effect on the reproductive functions of male rabbits.
Reduction of insulin signalling pathway IRS‐1/IRS‐2/AKT/mTOR and decrease of epithelial cell proliferation in the prostate of glucocorticoid‐treated rats
Authors: Costa Maitê M. , Violato Natália M. , Taboga Sebastião R. , Góes Rejane M. , Bosqueiro José R. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryPrevious studies by our research group using a model of insulin resistance induced by dexamethasone (DEX) showed that in the rat ventral prostate there was epithelial and smooth muscle cell atrophy and there were also alterations in fibroblasts. Proteins of the insulin signalling pathway are known to be very important for cell proliferation and development. Thus, we investigated the insulin signalling pathway and epithelial proliferation in the rat ventral prostate in this model and correlated the findings with expression of glucocorticoid (GR) and androgen (AR) receptors. Insulin resistance was induced in adult male Wistar rats by injection of DEX (1 mg/kg, ip for 5 consecutive days), whereas control (CTL) rats received saline. DEX treatment resulted in a significant decrease in body weight, but not in prostate weight. Reductions in insulin receptor 1 (IRS‐1) (CTL 1.11 ± 0.06; DEX 0.85 ± 0.03), IRS‐2 (CTL 0.95 ± 0.05; DEX 0.49 ± 0.04), AKT (CTL 0.98 ± 0.03; DEX 0.78 ± 0.02), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR; CTL 0.65 ± 0.08; DEX 0.22 ± 0.05), GR (CTL 1.30 ± 0.09; DEX 0.57 ± 0.10) and AR (CTL 1.83 ± 0.16; DEX 0.55 ± 0.08) protein levels were observed in the prostate of DEX‐treated rats. The expression of the IRα‐subunit, phosphoinositide 3‐kinase, p‐AKT, p70S6K, extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and p‐ERK was not altered. The frequency of AR‐positive cells in the epithelium of the prostate decreased in the glucocorticoid‐treated group, and the intensity of the reaction for this receptor in the cell nuclei was lower in this group. Furthermore, the treatment with DEX reduced the frequency of proliferating cell nuclear antigen‐positive (PCNA) cells 30‐fold. This study suggests that the reduction in the insulin signalling pathway proteins IRS‐1/IRS‐2/AKT/mTOR in the prostate of DEX‐treated rats may be associated with the morphological alterations observed previously.
Dietary fats and coronary heart disease
Authors: Willett W. C. 
Published: May 2012

Abstract.  Willett WC (Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA). Dietary fats and coronary heart disease (Review). J Intern Med 2012; 272: 13–24.The relation of dietary fat to risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) has been studied extensively using many approaches, including controlled feeding studies with surrogate end‐points such as plasma lipids, limited randomized trials and large cohort studies. All lines of evidence indicate that specific dietary fatty acids play important roles in the cause and the prevention of CHD, but total fat as a percent of energy is unimportant. Trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils have clear adverse effects and should be eliminated. Modest reductions in CHD rates by further decreases in saturated fat are possible if saturated fat is replaced by a combination of poly‐ and mono‐unsaturated fat, and the benefits of polyunsaturated fat appear strongest. However, little or no benefit is likely if saturated fat is replaced by carbohydrate, but this will in part depend on the form of carbohydrate. Because both N‐6 and N‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential and reduce risk of heart disease, the ratio of N‐6 to N‐3 is not useful and can be misleading. In practice, reducing red meat and dairy products in a food supply and increasing intakes of nuts, fish, soy products and nonhydrogenated vegetable oils will improve the mix of fatty acids and have a markedly beneficial effect on rates of CHD.
Three‐dimensional motion tracking for high‐resolution optical microscopy, in vivo
Authors: BAKALAR M. , SCHROEDER J.L. , PURSLEY R. , POHIDA T.J. , GLANCY B. , TAYLOR J. , CHESS D. , KELLMAN P. , XUE H. , BALABAN R.S. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryWhen conducting optical imaging experiments, in vivo, the signal to noise ratio and effective spatial and temporal resolution is fundamentally limited by physiological motion of the tissue. A three‐dimensional (3D) motion tracking scheme, using a multiphoton excitation microscope with a resonant galvanometer, (512 × 512 pixels at 33 frames s−1) is described to overcome physiological motion, in vivo. The use of commercially available graphical processing units permitted the rapid 3D cross‐correlation of sequential volumes to detect displacements and adjust tissue position to track motions in near real‐time. Motion phantom tests maintained micron resolution with displacement velocities of up to 200 μm min−1, well within the drift observed in many biological tissues under physiologically relevant conditions. In vivo experiments on mouse skeletal muscle using the capillary vasculature with luminal dye as a displacement reference revealed an effective and robust method of tracking tissue motion to enable (1) signal averaging over time without compromising resolution, and (2) tracking of cellular regions during a physiological perturbation.
Automatic measurement of compression wood cell attributes in fluorescence microscopy images
Authors: SELIG B. , HENDRIKS C.L. LUENGO , BARDAGE S. , DANIEL G. , BORGEFORS G. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryThis paper presents a new automated method for analyzing compression wood fibers in fluorescence microscopy. Abnormal wood known as compression wood is present in almost every softwood tree harvested. Compression wood fibers show a different cell wall morphology and chemistry compared to normal wood fibers, and their mechanical and physical characteristics are considered detrimental for both construction wood and pulp and paper purposes. Currently there is the need for improved methodologies for characterization of lignin distribution in wood cell walls, such as from compression wood fibers, that will allow for a better understanding of fiber mechanical properties. Traditionally, analysis of fluorescence microscopy images of fiber cross‐sections has been done manually, which is time consuming and subjective. Here, we present an automatic method, using digital image analysis, that detects and delineates softwood fibers in fluorescence microscopy images, dividing them into cell lumen, normal and highly lignified areas. It also quantifies the different areas, as well as measures cell wall thickness. The method is evaluated by comparing the automatic with a manual delineation. While the boundaries between the various fiber wall regions are detected using the automatic method with precision similar to inter and intra expert variability, the position of the boundary between lumen and the cell wall has a systematic shift that can be corrected. Our method allows for transverse structural characterization of compression wood fibers, which may allow for improved understanding of the micro‐mechanical modeling of wood and pulp fibers.
Behavioural vs. molecular sources of conflict between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA: the role of male‐biased dispersal in a Holarctic sea duck
Authors: PETERS JEFFREY L. , BOLENDER KIMBERLY A. , PEARCE JOHN M. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractGenetic studies of waterfowl (Anatidae) have observed the full spectrum of mitochondrial (mt) DNA population divergence, from apparent panmixia to deep, reciprocally monophyletic lineages. Yet, these studies often found weak or no nuclear (nu) DNA structure, which was often attributed to male‐biased gene flow, a common behaviour within this family. An alternative explanation for this ‘conflict’ is that the smaller effective population size and faster sorting rate of mtDNA relative to nuDNA lead to different signals of population structure. We tested these alternatives by sequencing 12 nuDNA introns for a Holarctic pair of waterfowl subspecies, the European goosander (Mergus merganser merganser) and the North American common merganser (M. m. americanus), which exhibit strong population structure in mtDNA. We inferred effective population sizes, gene flow and divergence times from published mtDNA sequences and simulated expected differentiation for nuDNA based on those histories. Between Europe and North America, nuDNA ФST was 3.4‐fold lower than mtDNA ФST, a result consistent with differences in sorting rates. However, despite geographically structured and monophyletic mtDNA lineages within continents, nuDNA ФST values were generally zero and significantly lower than predicted. This between‐ and within‐continent contrast held when comparing mtDNA and nuDNA among published studies of ducks. Thus, male‐mediated gene flow is a better explanation than slower sorting rates for limited nuDNA differentiation within continents, which is also supported by nonmolecular data. This study illustrates the value of quantitatively testing discrepancies between mtDNA and nuDNA to reject the null hypothesis that conflict simply reflects different sorting rates.