bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of a novel murine pancreatic tumour antigen, which elicits antibody responses in patients with pancreatic carcinoma
Authors: Zhao Fei , Vermeer Benjamin , Lehmann Ulrich , Kreipe Hans , Manns Michael P. , Korangy Firouzeh , Greten Tim F. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryPancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer related death in the United States. Despite numerous efforts in developing new therapies, the prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer remains poor. Mouse models for spontaneous pancreatic cancer represent an ideal system to develop immunotherapeutic approaches. The aim of this study was to identify new tumour antigens in a murine model that mimics human disease closely, and to verify the results in patients with pancreatic cancer. We analysed a murine pancreatic complementary DNA expression library with serum from tumour‐bearing mice, which led to the identification and isolation of several antigens. One of the antigens repeatedly identified in this screening was Tankyrase‐2. Here, we show Tankyrase‐2 as an antigen eliciting humoral responses not only in mice with established tumours, but also in mice with pre‐malignant lesions. Finally, antibody responses to Tankyrase‐2 were found in the serum of patients with pancreatic cancer. Reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction analysis showed Tankyrase‐2 expression in human pancreatic tumour. These findings show the relevance of spontaneous murine tumour models for the identification of human tumour antigens.
MicroRNA in the immune system, microRNA as an immune system
Authors: Lu Li‐Fan , Liston Adrian 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe advent of microRNA has potentially uncovered a new level of complexity to be considered for every biological process. Through the modulation of transcription and translation, microRNA alter the basal state of cells and the outcome of stimulatory events. The exact effect of the microRNA network and individual microRNA on cellular processes is only just starting to be dissected. In the immune system, microRNA appear to have a key role in the early differentiation and effector differentiation of B cells. In T cells, microRNA have been shown to be key regulators of the lineage induction pathways, and to have a strong role in the induction, function and maintenance of the regulatory T‐cell lineage. MicroRNA are also important for regulating the differentiation of dendritic cells and macrophages via toll‐like receptors, with responsibilities in suppressing effector function before activation and enhancing function after stimulation. In addition to regulating key processes in the immune system, microRNA may also represent an archaic immune system themselves. Small interfering RNA of viral origin has been shown to function as an intracellular mediator in the suppression of viral infection in eukaryotes as diverse as plants, insects, nematodes and fungi, and there is growing evidence that endogenous mammalian microRNA can have similar impacts. In this article we speculate that the anti‐viral function of microRNA drove the expression of different subsets of microRNA in different cellular lineages, which may have, in turn, led to the myriad of roles microRNA play in lineage differentiation and stability.
Oral health programme for preschool children: a prospective, controlled study
Authors: MEURMAN PIA , PIENIHÄKKINEN KAISU , ERIKSSON ANNA‐LEENA , ALANEN PENTTI 
Published: March 2009

Background.  New perspectives are needed for oral health programmes (OHPs). The aim was to evaluate the preventive effect of a risk‐based OHP in comparison with a traditional programme.Design.  An age cohort of 794 Finnish children, 446 in the intervention group and 348 in the control group, was followed from 18 months to 5 years of age. The children were screened for mutans streptococci (MS) in the dental biofilm. The main outcome measure was the proportion of children with dental caries (decayed, missing, or filled primary teeth > 0) at the age of 5 years. The intervention, targeted to MS‐positive subjects in the intervention group only, was based on repeated health education to the caretakers and xylitol lozenges for the child. Dental hygienists carried out the programme.Results.  OHP was effective in white‐collar families [numbers needed to treat (NNT) = 3, 95% CI 2–11]. Factors significantly associated with caries at 5 years were MS colonization at 18 months, occupation of caretaker, but also gender when incipient carious lesions were included in the index.Conclusion.  Early risk‐based OHP, targeted to the families of MS‐positive children, can reduce the risk for caries in white‐collar families. For blue‐collar families, different kinds of methods in caries prevention and support are needed.
Inclusion of soil data improves the performance of bioclimatic envelope models for insect species distributions in temperate Europe
Authors: Titeux Nicolas , Maes Dirk , Marmion Mathieu , Luoto Miska , Heikkinen Risto K. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAim To analyse the effect of the inclusion of soil and land‐cover data on the performance of bioclimatic envelope models for the regional‐scale prediction of butterfly (Rhopalocera) and grasshopper (Orthoptera) distributions.Location Temperate Europe (Belgium).Methods Distributional data were extracted from butterfly and grasshopper atlases at a resolution of 5 km for the period 1991–2006 in Belgium. For each group separately, the well‐surveyed squares (n = 366 for butterflies andn = 322 for grasshoppers) were identified using an environmental stratification design and were randomly divided into calibration (70%) and evaluation (30%) datasets. Generalized additive models were applied to the calibration dataset to estimate occurrence probabilities for 63 butterfly and 33 grasshopper species, as a function of: (1) climate, (2) climate and land‐cover, (3) climate and soil, and (4) climate, land‐cover and soil variables. Models were evaluated as: (1) the amount of explained deviance in the calibration dataset, (2) Akaike’s information criterion, and (3) the number of omission and commission errors in the evaluation dataset.Results Information on broad land‐cover classes or predominant soil types led to similar improvements in the performance relative to the climate‐only models for both taxonomic groups. In addition, the joint inclusion of land‐cover and soil variables in the models provided predictions that fitted more closely to the species distributions than the predictions obtained from bioclimatic models incorporating only land‐cover or only soil variables. The combined models exhibited higher discrimination ability between the presence and absence of species in the evaluation dataset.Main conclusions These results draw attention to the importance of soil data for species distribution models at regional scales of analysis. The combined inclusion of land‐cover and soil data in the models makes it possible to identify areas with suitable climatic conditions but unsuitable combinations of vegetation and soil types. While contingent on the species, the results indicate the need to consider soil information in regional‐scale species–climate impact models, particularly when predicting future range shifts of species under climate change.
The curse of taxonomic uncertainty in biogeographical studies of free‐living terrestrial protists: a case study of testate amoebae from Amsterdam Island
Authors: Heger T. J. , Mitchell E. A. D. , Ledeganck P. , Vincke S. , Van de Vijver B. , Beyens L. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAim  A current debate in microbial biogeography contrasts two views concerning the distribution of free‐living microorganisms. The first view assumes a ubiquitous distribution, while the second assumes that at least some species have limited geographical distributions. We tested for limited geographical distributions by identifying testate amoebae morphospecies from an extremely remote oceanic island where the potential for endemism is high.Location  Amsterdam Island, Indian Ocean.Methods  Sixty moss and water samples collected from the top of the volcano to the lowland were investigated for their testate amoeba content. Due to taxonomic uncertainties among the Argynnia (Nebela) dentistoma species complex (including A. antarctica), we also performed light and scanning electron microscopy investigations on the shell ultrastructure and biometric analyses on several specimens of this taxon.Results  We identified a total of 43 testate amoeba taxa belonging to 15 genera. Only four testate amoeba taxa had previously been recorded on this island. Testate amoeba communities of Amsterdam Island are dominated by cosmopolitan ubiquitous euglyphid taxa such as Trinema lineare, Assulina muscorum and Corythion dubium. The length and width ranges for Argynnia dentistoma on Amsterdam Island overlap with other records of this species and of A. antarctica, suggesting that A. antarctica is not a distinct taxon.Main conclusions  Although Amsterdam Island is among the most remote islands in the world, an extensive inventory of testate amoeba morphospecies provided no clear evidence for endemism. On the one hand, our detailed morphometric analysis of the A. dentistoma complex revealed that A. antarctica, a morphospecies previously suggested to display endemism, cannot be confidently distinguished from the cosmopolitan morphospecies A. dentistoma. On the other hand, five morphotaxa could not be identified with certainty and might represent new species, potentially with limited distribution. These examples illustrate how taxonomic uncertainties undermine biogeographical studies of testate amoebae. In order to allow better interpretation of morphology‐based testate amoeba distribution data, an assessment of genetic diversity among and within morphotaxa in relation to geographical distance for some common testate amoebae should be given high priority.
Early discharge following hip arthroplasty: patients’ acceptance masks doubts and concerns
Authors: Hunt Gillian R. , Hall George M. , Murthy Burra V.S. , O’Brien Seamus , Beverland David , Lynch Martin C. , Salmon Peter 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjective  To describe patients’ experience of accelerated discharge after hip arthroplasty in order to test the acceptability to patients of economically driven shortening of post‐operative stay.Methods  Patients (n = 35) who had received primary total hip replacement up to 12 weeks previously were recruited from two UK orthopaedic units, one of which has pioneered short post‐operative stay (3–4 days), and another one of which retains a traditional regimen of discharge after 6–7 days. Patients were interviewed about their experience of care, focusing particularly on their views related to length of stay and with particular attention to patients’ well‐known tendency to mask critical views of their care. Transcripts were analysed thematically to identify the ways that patients evaluated their care and whether these differed between sites.Results  Patients were primarily concerned with how attentive and informative hospital staff had been and did not refer to length of stay spontaneously. When prompted about this, they did not question their discharge time, although those in the more traditional unit could not countenance more rapid discharge. Patients in the unit with accelerated discharge described concerns about the consequences of early discharge for them or their family, particularly managing pain and mobility problems at home and needing more support.Conclusions  Patients’ traditional beliefs about the necessity of prolonged convalescence are not a barrier to early discharge after hip arthroplasty. Nevertheless, some patients’ acceptance of early discharge masks doubts and concerns. More intensive post‐operative management may be needed if clinical care is not to suffer.
Israeli lay persons’ views on priority‐setting criteria for Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Werner Perla 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAim  The aim of this study was to assess Israeli lay persons’ preferences for setting priorities for the care of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Background  As the knowledge about AD accumulates, and especially as more therapeutic and non‐therapeutic interventions for its early diagnosis and treatment are developed, health‐care costs associated with the disease rise dramatically. Therefore, setting priorities for funding these therapies, as well as other costs associated with AD is becoming an increasingly complex need.Methods  A convenience sample of 624 community‐dwelling men and women participated in the study (mean age = 49, range = 20–90). Participants were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with 18 criteria that would be used to set priorities for the allocation of resources in the area of AD.Results  High‐weight criteria included being a life‐threatening condition and the benefit of treatment. Average‐weight criteria included the severity of the disease, treatment costs and equity of access. The age of the patient also was highly rated. All other patient‐related criteria were rated as low. Value orientations and education were the main variables associated with participants’ preferences.Conclusions  The lay public seems to endorse a multi‐criteria decision process for the allocation of resources in the area of AD. Similar to other diseases – disease‐related criteria were highly preferred. These preferences should be compared with those of other stakeholders such as clinicians and policy makers.
Recurrent wheezing after respiratory syncytial virus or non‐respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis in infancy: a 3‐year follow‐up
Authors: Valkonen H. , Waris M. , Ruohola A. , Ruuskanen O. , Heikkinen T. 
Published: March 2009

Background:  Recent studies have suggested that rhinovirus‐associated early wheezing is a greater risk factor for development of recurrent wheezing in children than is early wheezing associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We determined the development of recurrent wheezing in young children within 3 years after hospitalization for RSV or non‐RSV bronchiolitis.Methods:  We identified retrospectively all children <2 years of age who were admitted to Turku University Hospital because of bronchiolitis in the months of August–December during 1988–2001. The primary outcome was recurrent wheezing that required long‐term asthma medication. Data on asthma medications of the individual children were derived from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.Results:  Within the first year after hospitalization, 36 of 217 (16.6%) children with non‐RSV bronchiolitis developed recurrent wheezing, compared with five of 199 (2.5%) children with RSV bronchiolitis [relative risk (RR) 6.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6–16.5]. The rates of recurrent wheezing were significantly increased in the non‐RSV group also within 2 years (RR 2.9; 95% CI 1.7–5.1) and 3 years (RR 3.4; 95% CI 2.0–5.7) after hospitalization. The increased risk of recurrent wheezing in children with non‐RSV‐associated bronchiolitis was observed both in boys and girls at all time points of the 3‐year follow‐up, and it was not explained by the age difference between the RSV and non‐RSV groups or any confounding seasonal factors.Conclusion:  Children hospitalized with bronchiolitis caused by other viruses than RSV develop recurrent wheezing at substantially higher rates during a 3‐year follow‐up period than do children with RSV‐induced bronchiolitis.
Mite serine protease activates protease‐activated receptor‐2 and induces cytokine release in human keratinocytes
Authors: Kato T. , Takai T. , Fujimura T. , Matsuoka H. , Ogawa T. , Murayama K. , Ishii A. , Ikeda S. , Okumura K. , Ogawa H. 
Published: March 2009

Background:  House dust mites produce serine and cysteine proteases. Mite‐derived proteases have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of allergies; however, whether mite‐derived serine protease activity can stimulate keratinocytes remains unknown.Methods:  We examined the activation of primary human keratinocytes by serine protease‐rich extract of whole mite culture and compared with that by recombinant group 1 allergens (rDer f 1 and rDer p 1), which exclusively exhibit cysteine protease activity.Results:  Protease activity of whole mite culture extract (WCE), rDer f 1 and rDer p 1 induced the release of IL‐8 and granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor. Protease activity of WCEs induced a significant upregulation of their mRNA expression but rDer f 1 had much less effect. Protease activity of the WCE stimulated intracellular Ca2+ mobilization but rDer f 1 and rDer p 1 did not. The mobilization induced by agonists for the human protease‐activated receptor (PAR)‐2, an agonist peptide or trypsin, was diminished by pre‐incubation of keratinocytes with WCE. rDer f 1 inefficiently cleaved a synthetic N‐terminal peptide of PAR‐2 at different sites from trypsin, but the resultant peptides did not stimulate the release of interleukin‐8.Conclusions:  The results suggest that mite‐derived serine protease activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis by activating keratinocytes via PAR‐2 activation but cysteine protease activity of Der f 1 and Der p 1 acts via another mechanism.
Molecular and immunological characterization of Asp f 34, a novel major cell wall allergen of Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Glaser A. G. , Kirsch A. I. , Zeller S. , Menz G. , Rhyner C. , Crameri R. 
Published: March 2009

Background:  Although fungal spores have been recognized as triggers of respiratory allergy and asthma, only two allergenic fungal cell wall components have so far been described.Methods:  Eighty‐one sequences derived from an Aspergillus fumigatus cDNA library encoding putative allergens were examined for the presence of cell wall components. A new allergen (Asp f 34) was evaluated by Western blots, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation assays, and skin prick test (SPT).Results:  The cDNA encoding Asp f 34 contained an open reading frame predicting a protein of 185 amino acids with a molecular weight of 19.38 kDa, showing sequence homology to phiA, an essential protein for the formation of conidia in the genus Aspergillus. The recombinant Asp f 34 was binding IgE from sensitized individuals in Western blots. An ELISA survey showed that 94% of the ABPA and 46% of the A. fumigatus‐sensitized individuals tested had Asp f 34‐specific serum IgE. Asp f 34 induced allergen‐specific proliferation exclusively of PBMCs from patients sensitized to the allergen. Eight patients with anti‐Asp f 34 serum IgE tested reacted positively in SPT, whereas four A. fumigatus‐sensitized individuals without Asp f 34‐specific IgE and eight healthy controls scored negatively.Conclusions:  A cell wall protein of the phialides of A. fumigatus was identified as a major allergen. Asp f 34 belongs to the Aspergillus‐specific proteins of the phiA family and has relevant potential for a specific diagnosis of Aspergillus sensitization.
Why colour in subterranean vertebrates? Exploring the evolution of colour patterns in caecilian amphibians
Authors: WOLLENBERG K. C. , JOHN MEASEY G. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe proximate functions of animal skin colour are difficult to assign as they can result from natural selection, sexual selection or neutral evolution under genetic drift. Most often colour patterns are thought to signal visual stimuli; so, their presence in subterranean taxa is perplexing. We evaluate the adaptive nature of colour patterns in nearly a third of all known species of caecilians, an order of amphibians most of which live in tropical soils and leaf litter. We found that certain colour pattern elements in caecilians can be explained based on characteristics concerning above‐ground movement. Our study implies that certain caecilian colour patterns have convergently evolved under selection and we hypothesize their function most likely to be a synergy of aposematism and crypsis, related to periods when individuals move overground. In a wider context, our results suggest that very little exposure to daylight is required to evolve and maintain a varied array of colour patterns in animal skin.
Tracking blood products in blood centres using radio frequency identification: a comprehensive assessment
Authors: Davis Rodeina , Geiger Bradley , Gutierrez Alfonso , Heaser Julie , Veeramani Dharmaraj 
Published: March 2009

Background and Objectives  Radio frequency identification (RFID) can be a key enabler for enhancing productivity and safety of the blood product supply chain. This article describes a systematic approach developed by the RFID Blood Consortium for a comprehensive feasibility and impact assessment of RFID application in blood centre operations.Materials and Methods  Our comprehensive assessment approach incorporates process‐orientated and technological perspectives as well as impact analysis. Assessment of RFID‐enabled process redesign is based on generic core processes derived from the three participating blood centres. The technological assessment includes RFID tag readability and performance evaluation, testing of temperature and biological effects of RF energy on blood products, and RFID system architecture design and standards. The scope of this article is limited to blood centre processes (from donation to manufacturing/distribution) for selected mainstream blood products (red blood cells and platelets).Results  Radio frequency identification can help overcome a number of common challenges and process inefficiencies associated with identification and tracking of blood products. High frequency‐based RFID technology performs adequately and safely for red blood cell and platelet products. Productivity and quality improvements in RFID‐enabled blood centre processes can recoup investment cost in a 4‐year payback period.Conclusion  Radio frequency identification application has significant process‐orientated and technological implications. It is feasible and economically justifiable to incorporate RFID into blood centre processes.
The predictive role of C‐reactive protein in patients with hypertension and subclinical atherosclerosis
Authors: Rizzo M. , Corrado E. , Coppola G. , Muratori I. , Mezzani A. , Novo G. , Novo S. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractBackground: Recent guidelines published by the joint European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology have suggested the inclusion of C‐reactive protein (CRP) in the standard assessment of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients, but few data are available on the role of CRP in patients with carotid lesions.Methods: We studied 472 patients, 236 with and 236 without hypertension, sex‐ and age‐matched, with and without early stages of atherosclerosis (e.g. those with an asymptomatic intima–media thickness of >0.9 mm), the influence of all the other traditional cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. older age, male sex, obesity, diabetes, smoking habit, family history of coronary artery disease, dyslipidaemia) and of high‐sensitivity CRP levels on cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events in a 5‐year follow up.Results: At the end of follow up, patients with hypertension had more events than those without (25% vs 17%, P < 0.05). Proportional hazard analysis revealed in the group of patients without hypertension the presence of baseline carotid lesions (P= 0.02) as predictor of events. In patients with hypertension, the presence of baseline carotid lesions (P= 0.04) and elevated CRP levels (P= 0.02) predicted clinical events. Patients with hypertension also showed a significant relationship between clinical events and quintiles of CRP levels (P < 0.01).Conclusion: Beyond the utility of high‐sensitivity CRP levels in the prediction of early and late stages of atherosclerosis and subsequently on its association with clinical events, the therapeutic implications of these results remain to be evaluated by further studies.