bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prenatal administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus has no effect on the diversity of the early infant gut microbiota
Authors: Ismail Intan H. , Oppedisano Frances , Joseph Shayne J. , Boyle Robert J. , Robins‐Browne Roy M. , Tang Mimi L. K. 
Published: December 2011

To cite this article: Ismail IH, Oppedisano F, Joseph SJ, Boyle RJ, Robins‐Browne RM, Tang MLK. Prenatal administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus has no effect on the diversity of the early infant gut microbiota. Pediatric Allergy Immunology 2012: 23: 255–258.AbstractWe have recently shown that maternal administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) during late pregnancy can have beneficial effects on the early development of infant gut microbiota, promoting a bifidobacteria profile similar to that of a healthy breastfed infant. It is uncertain, however, whether such probiotic supplementation could influence the diversity of infant gut microbiota. We investigated the effect of pre‐natal LGG on gut microbial diversity in the early post‐natal period. Day‐7 faecal samples were collected from 98 infants at high risk of allergic disease, whose mothers participated in a pre‐natal probiotic eczema prevention study. Faecal microbial diversity was assessed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism using restriction enzymes Sau96I and AluI. A greater number of peaks represent greater diversity of bacterial communities. Administration of LGG to mothers during late pregnancy had no effects on the mean number of peaks in faecal samples from 1‐wk‐old infants as compared to placebo (AluI 14.4 vs. 15.5, p = 0.17, 95% CI −0.4, 2.5; Sau96I 17.3 vs. 15.8, p = 0.15, 95% CI −3.5, 0.5). Prenatal LGG failed to modulate diversity of early infant gut microbiota despite promoting a beneficial bifidobacteria profile.
A molecular toolkit for population genetic investigations of the ash dieback pathogen Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus
Authors: Gross A. , Grünig C. R. , Queloz V. , Holdenrieder O. 
Published: December 2011

SummaryThe recently described ascomycete fungus Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus (anamorph: Chalara fraxinea) causes the current dieback of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) in large parts of Europe. The origin of this species and its relation to the native cryptic species Hymenoscyphus albidus are still enigmatic. The spatiotemporal pattern of the epidemic is typical for an introduced invasive species. However, the presence of two cryptic species indicates that hybridization or mutation might have been involved in driving speciation in this case. In this study, we present a set of 18 polymorphic microsatellite markers to study these processes in more detail on a population genetic level. Markers were designed such that they can be amplified in three individual multiplex PCRs and analysed in two fragment analysis runs. We thoroughly tested the marker set for pairwise linkage among loci, selective neutrality and Mendelian inheritance. Additionally, the markers were applied on two large collections of isolates derived from study sites in Germany. Population genetic calculations suggested a low yet significant level of differentiation, a large genotypic diversity and a limited genetic diversity within populations. Furthermore, we present additional data concerning the phylogenetic relation between H. albidus and H. pseudoalbidus, which seems to be more distantly related to each other than expected previously.
Do vehicle grants and vehicle adaptations grants promote transport mobility and community access for children with disabilities in Sweden?
Authors: Sjödin Linda , Buchanan Angus , Mundt Beate , Karlsson Emelie , Falkmer Torbjörn 
Published: December 2011

Background/aim:  A vast majority of the journeys made by children with disabilities in Sweden are in the family car, which usually is bought and adapted for the child with governmental subsidies. Despite the important philosophical views about accessible vehicles, little is known about the impact of vehicle adaptations on families’ lives. The aim of the study was to investigate parent views about the impact of vehicle grants and vehicle adaptation grants on their children’s transport mobility and community access.
Methods:  In total, 434 parents of children with disabilities in Sweden who had received vehicle grants and/or vehicle adaptation grants between 1998–2007 responded to a questionnaire comprising questions with both pre‐selected and open‐ended answers. A non‐responder analysis was performed.
Results:  Children with disabilities were found to increase their transport mobility and community access in society as vehicle grants and/or vehicle adaptation grants were given to their parents. Their travel patterns and their travel priorities with their family car indicated that family friends and relatives and leisure activities were frequently visited and prioritised destinations. The grants were linked to access to social and family activities, provided environmental gains and led to increased experienced security. The results also showed that the potential to make spontaneous trips had increased substantially and that families experienced feelings of freedom and enhanced community access. The non‐responder analysis confirmed these results.
Conclusions:  According to parents, vehicle grants and vehicle adaptation grants for children with disabilities have a positive impact on the children’s transport mobility and community access.
Does a diabetes annual review make a difference?
Authors: Kenealy T , Orr‐Walker B , Cutfield R , Robinson E , Buetow S , Simmons D 
Published: December 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, e217–e222 (2012)AbstractAims  To determine whether a diabetes annual review, independently of other care processes, is followed by improved patient clinical measurements.Methods  Audits conducted independently of the diabetes annual review were analysed for a time‐trend in patient clinical measures. An interaction variable between the review and the year of audit was used to test for a change in gradient before and after a diabetes annual review. Each patient formed their own control.Results  The data included 9471 audits on 3397 patients from 92 practices, and diabetes annual reviews from 2003 to mid‐2008. Percentages of patients with raised HbA1c, systolic blood pressure and lipids improved from first to last audit. Predicted means after a diabetes annual review for HbA1c decreased by 0.13% (1.0 mmol/mol), for HDL cholesterol increased by 0.04 mmol/L and for triglyceride decreased by 0.2 mmol/L. Predicted systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and urinary albumin:creatinine ratio did not change significantly.Conclusions  Metabolic control improved over time but this was largely independently of the diabetes annual review, which appears to add little clinical value to existing New Zealand general practice care processes. Currently, general practitioners are paid to undertake a diabetes annual review and report the measurements collected. We would argue that payment needs to be directed to demonstrating appropriate changes in clinical management or achieving meaningful clinical goals, and that the annual review results should be part of systematic feedback to general practitioners, particularly directed at clinical inertia.
SUBURBANISATION AND INTERNATIONAL IMMIGRATION: THE CASE OF THE BARCELONA METROPOLITAN REGION (1998–2009)
Authors: BAYONA‐CARRASCO JORDI , GIL‐ALONSO FERNANDO 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTIn this last decade, Spanish urban areas have received large amounts of international immigrants, modifying (sub)urban dynamics. The paper specifically explores the metropolitan region of Barcelona (RMB), where, between 1998 and 2009, foreign nationality residents rose from 1.8 to 14.9 per cent of total population. Research focuses on the impact of foreign immigration on three specific dynamics: population growth and distribution/segregation of both Spanish and foreign populations within the metropolitan area; their respective residential mobility patterns; and consequences on their age and sex structure. Results show that there are remarkable differences between the two populations: foreign immigrants have preferably settled in the core city's least affluent neighbourhoods and, in a second phase, in inner ring municipalities, while the Spanish population continues to move to suburban municipalities.
Metabolic abnormalities and viral replication are associated with biomarkers of vascular dysfunction in HIV‐infected children
Authors: Miller TL , Borkowsky W , DiMeglio LA , Dooley L , Geffner ME , Hazra R , McFarland EJ , Mendez AJ , Patel K , Siberry GK , Van Dyke RB , Worrell CJ , Jacobson DL ,   Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS)
Published: December 2011

ObjectivesHIV‐infected children may be at risk for premature cardiovascular disease. We compared levels of biomarkers of vascular dysfunction in HIV‐infected children (with and without hyperlipidaemia) with those in HIV‐exposed, uninfected (HEU) children enrolled in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS), and determined factors associated with these biomarkers.MethodsA prospective cohort study was carried out. Biomarkers of inflammation [C‐reactive protein (CRP), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP1)], coagulant dysfunction (fibrinogen and P‐selectin), endothelial dysfunction [soluble intracellular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (sICAM), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (sVCAM) and E‐selectin], and metabolic dysfunction (adiponectin) were measured in 226 HIV‐infected and 140 HEU children. Anthropometry, body composition, lipids, glucose, insulin, HIV disease severity, and antiretroviral therapy were recorded.ResultsThe median ages of the children were 12.3 years in the HIV‐infected group and 10.1 years in the HEU group. Body mass index (BMI) z‐scores, waist and hip circumferences, and percentage body fat were lower in the HIV‐infected children. Total and non‐high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in HIV‐infected children. HIV‐infected children also had higher MCP‐1, fibrinogen, sICAM and sVCAM levels. In multivariable analyses in the HIV‐infected children alone, BMI z‐score was associated with higher CRP and fibrinogen, but lower MCP‐1 and sVCAM. Unfavourable lipid profiles were positively associated with IL‐6, MCP‐1, fibrinogen, and P‐ and E‐selectin, whereas increased HIV viral load was associated with markers of inflammation (MCP‐1 and CRP) and endothelial dysfunction (sICAM and sVCAM).ConclusionsHIV‐infected children have higher levels of biomarkers of vascular dysfunction than do HEU children. Risk factors associated with higher biomarkers include unfavourable lipid levels and active HIV replication.
Levodopa infusion combined with entacapone or tolcapone in Parkinson disease: a pilot trial
Authors: Nyholm D. , Johansson A. , Lennernäs H. , Askmark H. 
Published: December 2011

Background and purpose:  Catechol‐O‐methyltransferase inhibitors may be used to decrease levodopa requirement. The objective was to investigate whether the levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel infusion dose can be reduced by 20% without worsening of motor fluctuations and levodopa concentration stability when oral catechol‐O‐methyltransferase inhibitors are added.Methods:  A short‐term, randomized, partly blinded, crossover, investigator‐initiated clinical trial was performed, with levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel combined with oral entacapone and tolcapone on two different days in 10 patients. The primary outcome measure was difference in coefficient of variation of levodopa in plasma between levodopa/carbidopa, levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone, and levodopa/carbidopa/tolcapone. The secondary outcome measures other pharmacokinetic variables, patient‐reported outcome, and blinded analysis of motor performance.Results:  Variation of plasma levodopa concentrations did not differ significantly between the treatments. The treatments did not differ regarding motor performance. Levodopa concentrations were significantly higher using tolcapone. Concentrations of the metabolite 3‐O‐methyldopa decreased gradually during catechol‐O‐methyltransferase inhibition.Conclusions:  According to this small, short‐term pilot study, oral catechol‐O‐methyltransferase inhibitors administered in 5‐h intervals may be useful in cases where levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel dose reduction is wanted. Stability of plasma levodopa levels is not significantly altered, and off‐time is not increased when decreasing the levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel dose by 20%. Rather, the dose should probably be decreased more than 20%, especially under tolcapone co‐treatment, to avoid increased dyskinesias with time.
A comment on ‘Climate change: Social workers’ roles and contributions to policy debates and interventions'
Authors: Peeters Jef 
Published: December 2011

Peeters J. A comment on ‘Climate change: Social workers’ roles and contributions to policy debates and interventions'In this commenting article, I present several critical remarks about Lena Dominelli's contribution to the issue of climate change and its implications for social work.1 In my view, her article lacks three important considerations. First, I argue that the issue of climate change should be addressed as part of a broader, fundamental challenge: the transition of the growth‐based economic system upon which our society is built. Second, within a context of social and ecological injustice, dealing with climate change inevitably requires a dimension of social struggle. Third and lastly, I emphasise social work's role in challenging the social, political and economic structures and processes that bring about climate change.
Neonatal assessments for the preterm infant up to 4 months corrected age: a systematic review
Authors: NOBLE YOLANDE , BOYD ROSLYN 
Published: December 2011

Aim  The aim of this study was to systematically review the clinimetric properties of longitudinal neonatal neurobehavioural and neuromotor assessments for preterm infants.Method  Twenty‐seven assessment measures were identified. The following eight measures met the study inclusion criteria: Assessment of Preterm Infants’ Behaviour (APIB), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioural Scale (NNNS), Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP), Prechtl’s Assessment of General Movements (GMs), Neurobehavioural Assessment of the Preterm Infant (NAPI), Dubowitz Neurological Assessment of the Preterm and Full‐term Infant (Dubowitz), Neuromotor Behavioural Assessment (NMBA), and the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (NBAS). The primary purposes included prediction (TIMP, GMs, Dubowitz), discrimination (all assessments), and evaluation of change (TIMP, NAPI). Measures of assessment were included in the study if they were (1) primarily neurobehavioural or neuromotor assessments that were suitable for use with preterm infants (<37 weeks gestation) up to 4 months corrected age and were discriminative, predictive, or evaluative; (2) standardized procedures designed for serial/longitudinal use; or (3) criterion or norm referenced. However, all assessment tools that were not published in English in a peer‐reviewed journal or were primarily neurological assessments, one‐time evaluations, screening tools, or not commercially available were not used.Results  All of the measures included in the review demonstrated adequate content and construct validity. Concurrent validity was reported for APIB, NNNS, Dubowitz, and GMs. Predictive validity was high for GMs with studies reporting up to 100% senstivity for predicting cerebral palsy at the age of 12 to 24 months. Interrater reliability was strong for the TIMP (intraclass correlation=0.95), GMs (K=0.8), and moderate for the NAPI (r=0.67–0.97). Clinical utility was variable for ease of scoring, interpretability, cost, and access.Interpretation  In the absence of a criterion standard for neonatal neuromotor assessments, the NNNS and APIB have strong psychometric qualities with better utility for research. Similarly, the GMs, TIMP, and NAPI have strong psychometric qualities but better utility for clinical settings. The GMs has best prediction of future outcome and the TIMP has best evaluative validity.
Indian herbal medicines in the treatment of liver diseases: problems and promises
Authors: Girish Chandrashekaran , Pradhan Suresh Chandra 
Published: December 2011

AbstractPlant drugs are known to play a major role in the management of liver diseases. There are many plants and their extracts that have been shown to possess hepatoprotective activities. There are more than 300 preparations in Indian system of medicine for the treatment of jaundice and chronic liver diseases. About 600 commercial herbal formulations with claimed hepatoprotective activity are being sold all over the globe. The active phytochemical fraction that imparts hepatoprotective activity has been identified in many plants. These phytochemicals can be isolated and developed as single‐ingredient drugs, with quality and standards of modern medicine. The major problem faced with herbal products is their standardization and their quality assurance. There can be batch‐to‐batch variations in their efficacies as a result of natural and genetic alterations, seasonal changes, differences in soil and climatic conditions, and nutritional status of the medicinal plant. Pharmacological validation of each hepatoprotective plant should include efficacy evaluation against liver diseases induced by various agents. The most effective drugs for each kind of liver disease have to be selected by separate efficacy evaluations. To treat liver disease of known, unknown, or multiple causes, a combination of different herbs with active fractions (or purified compounds) has to be developed. They may prove to be useful in the treatment of infective, toxic, and degenerative diseases of the liver.
A combinatorial in silico and cellular approach to identify a new class of compounds that target VEGFR2 receptor tyrosine kinase activity and angiogenesis
Authors: Kankanala J , Latham AM , Johnson AP , Homer‐Vanniasinkam S , Fishwick CWG , Ponnambalam S 
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) is an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of diseases such as cancer. Small‐molecule VEGFR2 inhibitors of a variety of chemical classes are currently under development or in clinical use. In this study, we describe the de novo design of a new generation pyrazole‐based molecule (JK‐P3) that targets VEGFR2 kinase activity and angiogenesis.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH JK‐P compound series were designed using de novo structure‐based identification methods. Compounds were tested in an in vitro VEGFR2 kinase assay. Using primary endothelial cells, JK‐P compounds were assessed for their ability to inhibit VEGF‐A‐stimulated VEGFR2 activation and intracellular signalling. We tested these compounds in cell migration, proliferation and angiogenesis assays.KEY RESULTS JK‐P3 and JK‐P5 were predicted to bind the VEGFR2 kinase domain with high affinity, and both compounds showed pronounced inhibition of endogenous VEGFR2 kinase activity in primary human endothelial cells. Only JK‐P3 inhibited VEGF‐A‐stimulated VEGFR2 activation and intracellular signalling. Interestingly, JK‐P3 inhibited endothelial monolayer wound closure and angiogenesis but not endothelial cell proliferation. Both compounds inhibited fibroblast growth factor receptor kinase activity in vitro, but not basic fibroblast growth factor‐mediated signalling in endothelial cells.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This is the first report that describes an anti‐angiogenic inhibitor based on such a pyrazole core. Using a de novo structure‐based identification approach is an attractive method to aid such drug discovery. These results thus provide an important basis for the development of multi‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors for clinical use in the near future.
Complementary Learning Systems
Authors: O’Reilly Randall C. , Bhattacharyya Rajan , Howard Michael D. , Ketz Nicholas 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThis paper reviews the fate of the central ideas behind the complementary learning systems (CLS) framework as originally articulated in McClelland, McNaughton, and O’Reilly (1995). This framework explains why the brain requires two differentially specialized learning and memory systems, and it nicely specifies their central properties (i.e., the hippocampus as a sparse, pattern‐separated system for rapidly learning episodic memories, and the neocortex as a distributed, overlapping system for gradually integrating across episodes to extract latent semantic structure). We review the application of the CLS framework to a range of important topics, including the following: the basic neural processes of hippocampal memory encoding and recall, conjunctive encoding, human recognition memory, consolidation of initial hippocampal learning in cortex, dynamic modulation of encoding versus recall, and the synergistic interactions between hippocampus and neocortex. Overall, the CLS framework remains a vital theoretical force in the field, with the empirical data over the past 15 years generally confirming its key principles.
Non‐occupational contact sensitization to epoxy resin of bisphenol A among general dermatology patients
Authors: Majasuo Susanna , Liippo Jussi , Lammintausta Kaija 
Published: December 2011

Background. Sensitization to epoxy resins often results from occupational exposure in various fields of construction and industry. Non‐occupational sensitization sources and environments have remained overlooked.Objectives. To analyse non‐occupational and occupational contact sensitization to epoxy resin of bisphenol A among general dermatology patients. Special attention was paid to patients sensitized from non‐occupational sources.Patients and methods. During a 10‐year period, 6042 general dermatology patients were patch tested with epoxy resin (bisphenol A) in the Dermatology Clinic of Turku University Hospital. The clinical data and the sources of occupational and non‐occupational exposure to epoxy resin were analysed in sensitized patients.Results. Epoxy resin sensitization was found in 59 patients. Non‐occupational sensitization was found in 21 (35%) patients, whereas the number of occupational cases was 38 (65%). The most common sources of non‐occupational epoxy resin sensitization were materials used in domestic renovation and construction projects and in boat repair.Conclusions. Non‐occupational sensitization sources account for approximately one‐third of epoxy resin sensitization cases, and therefore represent an important risk among hobbies and leisure activities.