bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
PRENATALLY DIAGNOSED FOETAL MALFORMATIONS AND TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY: THE CASE OF LEBANON
Authors: ARAWI THALIA , NASSAR ANWAR 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACTTermination of pregnancy (TOP) is offered in many countries, for foetuses prenatally diagnosed with congenital malformations that are deemed incompatible with life or that are associated with a high morbidity. In Lebanon, a middle income country where religion plays a focal role, the law prohibits any form of TOP unless it is the only means to save the mother's life. It is the contention of the authors of this article that even if the foetus is a person, if it were medically revealed that there is a substantial risk that the newborn will suffer severe physical abnormalities that will cause it to be seriously handicapped; it is morally acceptable to terminate the pregnancy. Hence, TOP carried out for these indications is justified in the interest of the foetus and the child. Whatever the status of the foetus is, once born, it will become a full‐fledged sentient being with all that this entails. When given the option of starting an existence, this person‐to‐be has the right to a minimum that allows him/her to enjoy a relatively good quality of life. Today, Lebanese obstetricians are confronted with the burden placed on them under the law to refuse TOP, or, when performing them, to forge records or deny having done them. This is why we strongly believe that the Lebanese policy on abortion should be amended.
Dynamics of Angiogenesis During Wound Healing: A Coupled In Vivo and In Silico Study
Authors: MACHADO MARIA J.C. , WATSON MICHAEL G. , DEVLIN ANDREA H. , CHAPLAIN MARK A.J. , MCDOUGALL STEVEN R. , MITCHELL CHRISTOPHER A. 
Published: December 2010

Please cite this paper as: Machado, Watson, Devlin, Chaplain, McDougall and Mitchell (2011). Dynamics of Angiogenesis During Wound Healing: A Coupled In Vivo and In Silico Study. Microcirculation 18(3), 183–197.AbstractObjective:  The most critical determinant of restoration of tissue structure during wound healing is the re‐establishment of a functional vasculature, which largely occurs via angiogenesis, specifically endothelial sprouting from the pre‐existing vasculature.Materials and Methods:  We used confocal microscopy to capture sequential images of perfused vascular segments within the injured panniculus carnosus muscle in the mouse dorsal skin‐fold window chamber to quantify a range of microcirculatory parameters during the first nine days of healing. This data was used to inform a mathematical model of sequential growth of the vascular plexus. The modeling framework mirrored the experimental circular wound domain and incorporated capillary sprouting and endothelial cell (EC) sensing of vascular endothelial growth factor gradients.Results:  Wound areas, vessel densities and vessel junction densities obtained from the corresponding virtual wound were in excellent agreement both temporally and spatially with data measured during the in vivo healing process. Moreover, by perturbing the proliferative ability of ECs in the mathematical model, this leads to a severe reduction in vascular growth and poor healing. Quantitative measures from this second set of simulations were found to correlate extremely well with experimental data obtained from animals treated with an agent that targets endothelial proliferation (TNP‐470).Conclusion:  Our direct combination and comparison of in vivo longitudinal analysis (over time in the same animal) and mathematical modeling employed in this study establishes a useful new paradigm. The virtual wound created in this study can be used to investigate a wide range of experimental hypotheses associated with wound healing, including disorders characterized by aberrant angiogenesis (e.g., diabetic models) and the effects of vascular enhancing/disrupting agents or therapeutic interventions such as hyperbaric oxygen.
Spectroscopic Investigation and Molecular Modeling on Porphyrin/PAMAM Supramolecular Adduct
Authors: Castriciano Maria Angela , Romeo Andrea , Angelini Nicola , Micali Norberto , Guccione Salvatore , Scolaro Luigi Monsù 
Published: December 2010

AbstractNoncovalent adducts (TPPC@PAMAM) between meso‐tetrakis(4‐carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TPPC) and polyamidoamine PAMAM dendrimer (generation 2.0) have been obtained by simply mixing the two components at different stoichiometric amount. The resulting species are readily soluble and stable in aqueous solution up to millimolar concentration. Electrostatic interactions between the anionic carboxylate groups of TPPC and the protonated amino groups of the PAMAM dendrimer play an important role in the stabilization of these adducts. UV/Vis absorption, steady state and time‐resolved fluorescence emission and anisotropy measurements suggest the presence of equilibria involving different species as function of the [PAMAM]/[TPPC] ratio. At low ratios the observed spectroscopic behavior evidence the presence of H‐aggregates, while at higher ratios well‐defined species containing monomeric TPPC strongly interacting with the charged dendrimer are formed. Docking of the binary supramolecular adduct further supports the experimental results showing a favorable interaction with the porphyrin being completely included in the dendrimer. The interaction of the binary TPPC@PAMAM adduct (1/1 ratio) with calf‐thymus DNA has been investigated through spectroscopic and photophysical techniques. All the experimental results point to the formation of a ternary complex between the binary adduct and the DNA backbone.
A literature review of dental erosion in children
Authors: Taji S , Seow WK 
Published: December 2010

AbstractDental erosion is increasingly recognized as a common condition in paediatric dentistry with complications of tooth sensitivity, altered aesthetics and loss of occlusal vertical dimension. The prevalence of erosion in children has been reported to range from 10% to over 80%. The primary dentition is thought to be more susceptible to erosion compared to the permanent dentition due to the thinner and less mineralized enamel. The aim of this paper was to critically review dental erosion in children with regards to its prevalence, aetiology, diagnosis and prevention. The associations between erosion and other common conditions in children such as caries and enamel hypoplasia are also discussed.
Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma survival by biopsy type: a cancer registry study
Authors: Frydrych AM , Parsons R , Threlfall T , Austin N , Davies GR , Booth D , Slack‐Smith LM 
Published: December 2010

AbstractBackground:  Biopsy of a suspected oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is important for diagnosis. Concerns have been raised about the potential for tumour spread by incisional biopsy techniques. This study aimed to investigate the five‐year survival and recurrence of oral SCC after incisional and excisional biopsy in total population data available from the Western Australian Cancer Registry (WACR).Methods:  Total population data from the WACR, comprising all primary oral SCC cases diagnosed between 1990 and 1999, were examined. Information extracted included date of birth, gender, biopsy date, biopsy type, disease stage (TNM classification), disease site, date of recurrence and date of death. Records were excluded if the diagnosis was fine needle aspiration based, was not that of oral SCC and if a history was noted of another malignant neoplasm. Incisional and excisional biopsy cases were compared for five‐year survival, adjusting for disease stage.Results:  No association was found between biopsy type and five‐year survival or recurrence amongst individuals with Stage I or II disease.Conclusions:  In this study, biopsy type was not associated with survival of oral SCC patients with Stage I or II disease, adding to the evidence that incisional biopsy of oral SCC can be a safe procedure.
Parental support for water fluoridation in Lithgow, New South Wales
Authors: Arora A , Evans RW , Sivaneswaran S , Sujeer AN , Blinkhorn AS 
Published: December 2010

AbstractBackground:  The objective of this paper was to report on the level of support for water fluoridation among parents of primary school children in Lithgow and on the socio‐demographic and oral health factors that may have influenced this support.Methods:  As part of a survey in Lithgow of the oral health status of school children, their parents were asked to complete an oral health‐related questionnaire. Questions on support for fluoridation and socio‐demographics were included. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to examine associations between variables.Results:  Seventy per cent of the responding parents supported water fluoridation. However, this support was significantly higher among those from a higher socio‐economic background. Nearly half the parents thought that health authorities or the government should take on the responsibility for matters related to water fluoridation. No statistically significant differences in caries experience were observed amongst children whether or not their parents supported fluoridation, except for 5–6 year olds (p < 0.01).Conclusions:  Lithgow parents strongly supported the introduction of water fluoridation but suggested that governments and health authorities should adopt a more proactive role in relation to fluoridation implementation.
Owners’ insights into private practice dentistry in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
Authors: Fischer JE , Marchant T 
Published: December 2010

AbstractBackground:  The aim of this study was to investigate aspects of practice ownership including debt on graduation, the time period between graduation and acquiring practice ownership and small business skills.Methods:  A mail survey of 400 dentists with practice ownership, in New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), addressed demographics, setting up practice, technology and business management. Most respondents were male and nearly half had 20 years of practice ownership.Results:  Dentists agreed with the need to be taught small business management skills. Average debt on graduation was AUD$18 000 and the figure was higher for post 1995 graduates. On average, it took five years to acquire some form of practice ownership, but nearly half acquired ownership within three years. Few favoured opening a new practice. Staff were the most frequently nominated contributors to a successful practice, with fees, profit and parking noted least frequently.Conclusions:  There was no question that these experienced dentists thought small business skills should be taught to the dental fraternity. Given the significance of staff to a successful practice, dentists may need to learn more about advanced human resource management including professional development and performance management.
Linear transmission of cortical oscillations to the neural drive to muscles is mediated by common projections to populations of motoneurons in humans
Authors: Negro Francesco , Farina Dario 
Published: December 2010

Non‐technical summarySince the human central nervous system controls muscle contraction through inputs to spinal motoneurons, oscillations recorded on the primary motor cortex during voluntary movements are correlated with the electrical activity produced on the surface of the muscles. We show through theoretical derivations and experimental recordings that cortical input is transmitted partly in a linear way to the population of motoneurons. The results demonstrate the effective spread of the cortical projections to the motoneuron pool to allow an efficient control of the muscle force output.
Comparative Studies Evaluating Mouse Models Used for Efficacy Testing of Experimental Drugs against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: De Groote Mary A. , Gilliland Janet C. , Wells Colby L. , Brooks Elizabeth J. , Woolhiser Lisa K. , Gruppo Veronica , Peloquin Charles A. , Orme Ian M. , Lenaerts Anne J. 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

Methodologies for preclinical animal model testing of drugs against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
vary from laboratory to laboratory; however, it is unknown if these variations result in different outcomes. Thus, a series of head-to-head comparisons of drug regimens in three commonly used mouse models (intravenous, a low-dose aerosol, and a high-dose aerosol infection model) and in two strains of mice are reported here. Treatment with standard tuberculosis (TB) drugs resulted in similar efficacies in two mouse species after a low-dose aerosol infection. When comparing the three different infection models, the efficacies in mice of rifampin and pyrazinamide were similar when administered with either isoniazid or moxifloxacin. Relapse studies revealed that the standard drug regimen showed a significantly higher relapse rate than the moxifloxacin-containing regimen. In fact, 4 months of the moxifloxacin-containing combination regimen showed similar relapse rates as 6 months of the standard regimen. The intravenous model showed slower bactericidal killing kinetics with the combination regimens tested and a higher relapse of infection than either aerosol infection models. All three models showed similar outcomes for
in vivo
efficacy and relapse of infection for the drug combinations tested, regardless of the mouse infection model used. Efficacy data for the drug combinations used also showed similar results, regardless of the formulation used for rifampin or timing of the drugs administered in combination. In all three infection models, the dual combination of rifampin and pyrazinamide was less sterilizing than the standard three-drug regimen, and therefore the results do not support the previously reported antagonism between standard TB agents.
Characterization and Evaluation of the
Moraxella catarrhalis
Oligopeptide Permease A as a Mucosal Vaccine Antigen
Authors: Yang Min , Johnson Antoinette , Murphy Timothy F. 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

Moraxella catarrhalis
is a common cause of otitis media in children and of lower respiratory tract infections in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; therefore, these two groups would benefit from a vaccine to prevent
M. catarrhalis
infections. A genome mining approach for vaccine antigens identified oligopeptide permease protein A (OppA), an oligopeptide binding protein of an apparent oligopeptide transport system. Analysis of the
oppA
gene by PCR and sequence analysis revealed that OppA is highly conserved among clinical isolates of
M. catarrhalis
. Recombinant OppA was expressed as a lipoprotein and purified, and an
oppA
knockout mutant was constructed. Antiserum raised to recombinant purified OppA recognized epitopes on the bacterial surface of the wild type but not the OppA knockout mutant. Antibodies raised to purified recombinant OppA recognized native OppA in multiple strains. Intranasal immunization of mice induced systemic and mucosal antibodies to OppA and resulted in enhanced clearance of
M. catarrhalis
in a mouse pulmonary clearance model. OppA is a highly conserved, immunogenic protein that expresses epitopes on the bacterial surface and that induces potentially protective immune responses in a mouse model. OppA should be evaluated further as a vaccine antigen for
M. catarrhalis
.
Development of Human Anti-Murine T-Cell Receptor Antibodies in Both Responding and Nonresponding Patients Enrolled in TCR Gene Therapy Trials
Authors: Davis Jeremy L. , Theoret Marc R. , Zheng Zhili , Lamers Cor H.J. , Rosenberg Steven A. , Morgan Richard A. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractPurpose: Immune responses to gene-modified cells are a concern in the field of human gene therapy, as they may impede effective treatment. We conducted 2 clinical trials in which cancer patients were treated with lymphocytes genetically engineered to express murine T-cell receptors (mTCR) specific for tumor-associated antigens p53 and gp100.Experimental Design: Twenty-six patients treated with autologous lymphocytes expressing mTCR had blood and serum samples available for analysis. Patient sera were assayed for the development of a humoral immune response. Adoptive cell transfer characteristics were analyzed to identify correlates to immune response.Results: Six of 26 (23%) patients' posttreatment sera exhibited specific binding of human anti-mTCR antibodies to lymphocytes transduced with the mTCR. Antibody development was found in both responding and nonresponding patients. The posttreatment sera of 3 of these 6 patients mediated a 60% to 99% inhibition of mTCR activity as measured by a reduction in antigen-specific interferon-γ release. Detailed analysis of posttreatment serum revealed that antibody binding was β-chain specific in 1 patient whereas it was α-chain specific in another.Conclusions: A subset of patients treated with mTCR-engineered T cells developed antibodies directed to the mTCR variable regions and not to the constant region domains common to all mTCR. Overall, the development of a host immune response was not associated with the level of transduced cell persistence or response to therapy. In summary, patients treated with mTCR can develop an immune response to gene-modified cells in a minority of cases, but this may not affect clinical outcome. Clin Cancer Res; 16(23); 5852–61. ©2010 AACR.
Shear-dependent suppression of platelet thrombus formation by phosphodiesterase 3 inhibition requires low levels of concomitant Gs-coupled receptor stimulation
Authors: Yoshida Hideo , Okamura Yosuke , Watanabe Naohide , Ikeda Yasuo , Handa Makoto 
Published: December 2010

SummaryPhosphodiesterase (PDE)3 inhibitors exert potent antiplatelet effects through maintaining elevated intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels, but do not prolong bleeding time. To resolve this discrepancy, we hypothesised that PDE3 inhibitors effectively suppress shear-induced platelet thrombus formation initiated by the interaction of the platelet receptor GPIb/V/IX with its ligand, von Willebrand factor (VWF), since arterial thrombosis is more dependent on shear stress as compared with haemostatic plug formation. To test the hypothesis, we compared the in vitro effects of K-134 (a PDE3 inhibitor), tirofiban (a GPIIb/IIIa inhibitor) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation and platelet thrombus formation on VWF or collagen surfaces under flow conditions. K-134 inhibited GPIIb/IIIa-dependent platelet aggregation to the same extent as tirofiban and more potently than ASA. Likewise, K-134 and tirofiban effectively inhibited stable platelet thrombus formation (platelet firm adhesion and subsequent aggregation) on the VWF or collagen surface under high shear, but ASA only inhibited aggregation. Notably, inhibition by K-134 became evident only when a low concentration of PGE1 was present. These inhibitors did not block shear-induced initial platelet contact with VWF via GPIb/V/IX. In contrast, under low shear, the inhibitory effects of K-134 on platelet aggregation on the collagen surface were lower than tirofiban or ASA. The observed shear-dependent suppression of platelet thrombus formation by PDE3 inhibitor in the presence of low levels of adenylate cyclase stimulator may contribute to high therapeutic benefit with low risk of bleeding.
A garter snake transcriptome: pyrosequencing, de novo assembly, and sex-specific differences
Authors: Schwartz Tonia S , Tae Hongseok , Yang Youngik , Mockaitis Keithanne , Van Hemert John L , Proulx Stephen R , Choi Jeong-Hyeon , Bronikowski Anne M 
Published: December 2010

Abstract

Background
The reptiles, characterized by both diversity and unique evolutionary adaptations, provide a comprehensive system for comparative studies of metabolism, physiology, and development. However, molecular resources for ectothermic reptiles are severely limited, hampering our ability to study the genetic basis for many evolutionarily important traits such as metabolic plasticity, extreme longevity, limblessness, venom, and freeze tolerance. Here we use massively parallel sequencing (454 GS-FLX Titanium) to generate a transcriptome of the western terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans) with two goals in mind. First, we develop a molecular resource for an ectothermic reptile; and second, we use these sex-specific transcriptomes to identify differences in the presence of expressed transcripts and potential genes of evolutionary interest.

Results
Using sex-specific pools of RNA (one pool for females, one pool for males) representing 7 tissue types and 35 diverse individuals, we produced 1.24 million sequence reads, which averaged 366 bp in length after cleaning. Assembly of the cleaned reads from both sexes with NEWBLER and MIRA resulted in 96,379 contigs containing 87% of the cleaned reads. Over 34% of these contigs and 13% of the singletons were annotated based on homology to previously identified proteins. From these homology assignments, additional clustering, and ORF predictions, we estimate that this transcriptome contains ~13,000 unique genes that were previously identified in other species and over 66,000 transcripts from unidentified protein-coding genes. Furthermore, we use a graph-clustering method to identify contigs linked by NEWBLER-split reads that represent divergent alleles, gene duplications, and alternatively spliced transcripts. Beyond gene identification, we identified 95,295 SNPs and 31,651 INDELs. From these sex-specific transcriptomes, we identified 190 genes that were only present in the mRNA sequenced from one of the sexes (84 female-specific, 106 male-specific), and many highly variable genes of evolutionary interest.

Conclusions
This is the first large-scale, multi-organ transcriptome for an ectothermic reptile. This resource provides the most comprehensive set of EST sequences available for an individual ectothermic reptile species, increasing the number of snake ESTs 50-fold. We have identified genes that appear to be under evolutionary selection and those that are sex-specific. This resource will assist studies on gene expression and comparative genomics, and will facilitate the study of evolutionarily important traits at the molecular level.