bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Automated image analysis of hand radiographs reveals widened joint spaces in patients with long-term control of acromegaly: relation to disease activity and symptoms
Authors: Biermasz N R , van 't Klooster R , Wassenaar M J E , Malm S H , Claessen K M J A , Nelissen R G H H , Roelfsema F , Pereira A M , Kroon H M , Stoel B C , Romijn J A , Kloppenburg M 
Published: December 2011

ObjectiveArthropathy is an invalidating complication of acromegaly. Although acromegalic arthropathy shares features with primary osteoarthritis, joint spaces are widened rather than narrowed in patients with long-term cure of acromegaly. The late effects of acromegaly on hand joints have not been characterized. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to assess joint space widths (JSWs) of hand joints in patients with long-term control of acromegaly and to identify factors associated with JSW.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out in 89 patients (age 58±12 years, 49% women) with long-term controlled acromegaly and 471 controls without hand symptoms (age 46±12 years, 42% women). Radiological JSWs of individual hand joints were measured by automated image analysis.ResultsPatients had wider mean joint spaces than controls: metacarpo-phalangeal (MCP) joints were ∼24%, proximal interphalangeal joints ∼21%, and distal interphalangeal joints were ∼20% wider (patients vs controls; P<0.001 for all joints). Mean JSW exceeded the 95th percentile of the values obtained in controls in 64% of patients. Higher IGF1 and GH concentrations at diagnosis were associated with larger JSWs (adjusted β for pretreatment GH in tertiles: 0.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03–1.84) and for IGF1 in tertiles: 0.14 (95% CI 0.05–0.23) at the MCP joints in acromegalic patients. In male patients, but not in female patients, increased JSWs were associated with more self-reported pain (P=0.02).ConclusionsUsing a new semi-automated image analysis of hand radiographs, acromegalic patients with long-term disease control appeared to have increased joint spaces of all hand joints. JSWs were positively related to disease activity at diagnosis, but not to duration of follow-up, suggesting irreversible cartilage hypertrophy. Irreversible cartilage hypertrophy may partly explain persisting hand complaints despite long-term disease control.
Fetuin A in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: in vivo and in vitro studies
Authors: Haukeland John Willy , Dahl Tuva B , Yndestad Arne , Gladhaug Ivar P , Løberg Else Marit , Haaland Terese , Konopski Zbigniew , Wium Cecilie , Aasheim Erlend T , Johansen Odd Erik , Aukrust Pål , Halvorsen Bente , Birkeland Kåre I 
Published: December 2011

ObjectiveFetuin A has been associated with insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. We therefore explored the role of fetuin A in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).DesignCross-sectional and intervention studies.MethodsWe included 111 subjects with histologically proven NAFLD of whom 44 participated in a randomized, controlled trial with metformin. One hundred and thirty-one healthy subjects and 13 subjects undergoing hepatic surgery for metastatic cancer served as controls. Main outcome variables were circulating levels of fetuin A according to the presence of NAFLD, hepatic gene expression of fetuin A and key enzymes in glucose and lipid metabolism, and the effect of metformin on fetuin A levels in vivo and in vitro (HepG2 cells).ResultsFetuin A levels were significantly higher in NAFLD patients compared with controls (324±98 vs 225±75 mg/l, P<0.001). NAFLD was a significant predictor of elevated fetuin A levels (β=174 (95% confidence interval: 110–234)) independent of body mass index, age, sex, fasting glucose, and triglycerides. Hepatic fetuin A mRNA levels correlated significantly with hepatic mRNA levels of key enzymes in lipid (sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1) and glucose (phosphoenol pyruvate kinase 1, glucose-6-phosphatase) metabolism. Plasma fetuin A levels decreased significantly after metformin treatment compared with placebo (−40±47 vs 15±82 mg/l, P=0.008). Metformin induced a dose-dependent decrease in fetuin A secretion in vitro.ConclusionsFetuin A levels were elevated in NAFLD. Hepatic expression of fetuin A correlated with key enzymes in glucose and lipid metabolism. Metformin decreased fetuin A levels in vitro.
James F. Crow and the Art of Teaching and Mentoring
Authors: Hartl Daniel L 
Published: December 2011

AbstractTo honor James F. Crow on the occasion of his 95th birthday, GENETICS has commissioned a series of Perspectives and Reviews. For GENETICS to publish the honorifics is fitting, as from their birth Crow and GENETICS have been paired. Crow was scheduled to be born in January 1916, the same month that the first issue of GENETICS was scheduled to appear, and in the many years that Crow has made major contributions to the conceptual foundations of modern genetics, GENETICS has chronicled his and other major advances in the field. The commissioned Perspectives and Reviews summarize and celebrate Professor Crow’s contributions as a research scientist, administrator, colleague, community supporter, international leader, teacher, and mentor. In science, Professor Crow was the international leader of his generation in the application of genetics to populations of organisms and in uncovering the role of genetics in health and disease. In education, he was a superb undergraduate teacher whose inspiration changed the career paths of many students. His teaching skills are legendary, his lectures urbane and witty, rigorous and clear. He was also an extraordinary mentor to numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom went on to establish successful careers of their own. In public service, Professor Crow served in key administrative positions at the University of Wisconsin, participated as a member of numerous national and international committees, and served as president of both the Genetics Society of America and the American Society for Human Genetics. This Perspective examines Professor Crow as teacher and mentor through the eyes and experiences of one student who was enrolled in his genetics course as an undergraduate and who later studied with him as a graduate student.
Expression of PTEN in basaloid squamous cell carcinoma and its clinicopathological significance
Authors: Zyada Manal M. , Salama Naglaa M. 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
There are a few ideal predictors that are used to evaluate the prognosis of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC). This study was designed to investigate the expression of PTEN (phosphates and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten) and its association with clinicopathological and available follow-up data. PTEN protein was examined by using immunohistochemical SABC staining method in eight cases of BSCC. Loss of PTEN expression was noted in five (62.5%) of the eight studied BSCC cases. Statistically, there was a significant relationship between PTEN expression and studied BSCC groups depending upon the basaloid component level, lymph node involvement, and the clinical stage of the disease. Of the five patients whose tumors were PTEN negative, three (80%) had recurrence or death at follow-up, whereas none of the three patients whose tumors were PTEN positive had recurrence or death. It was concluded that the PTEN positive expression may be useful for predicting the prognosis of BSCC.
Race/Ethnicity and All-Cause Mortality in US Adults: Revisiting the Hispanic Paradox
Authors: Borrell Luisa N. , Lancet Elizabeth A. 
Published: December 2011

Objectives. We examined the association between race/ethnicity and all-cause mortality risk in US adults and whether this association differs by nativity status. Methods. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate all-cause mortality rates in 1997 through 2004 National Health Interview Survey respondents, relating the risk for Hispanic subgroup, non-Hispanic Black, and other non-Hispanic to non-Hispanic White adults before and after controlling for selected characteristics stratified by age and gender. Results. We observed a Hispanic mortality advantage over non-Hispanic Whites among women that depended on nativity status: US-born Mexican Americans aged 25 to 44 years had a 90% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.03, 0.31) lower death rate; island- or foreign-born Cubans and other Hispanics aged 45 to 64 years were more than two times less likely to die than were their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Island- or foreign-born Puerto Rican and US-born Mexican American women aged 65 years and older exhibited at least a 25% lower rate of dying than did their non-Hispanics White counterparts. Conclusions: The “Hispanic paradox” may not be a static process and may change with this population growth and its increasing diversity over time.
The Impact of Changes in Job Strain and Its Components on the Risk of Depression
Authors: Smith Peter M. , Bielecky Amber 
Published: December 2011

Objectives. We assessed the impact of changes in dimensions of the psychosocial work environment on risk of depression in a longitudinal cohort of Canadian workers who were free of depression when work conditions were initially reported. Methods. Using a sample (n = 3735) from the Canadian National Population Health Survey, we examined the effects of changes in job control, psychological demands, and social support over a 2-year period on subsequent depression. We adjusted models for a number of covariates, including personal history of depression. Results. Respondents with increased psychological demands were more likely to have depression over the following 2 years (odds ratio = 2.36; 95% confidence interval = 1.14, 4.88). This risk remained statistically significant after adjustment for age, gender, marital status, presence of children, level of education, chronic health conditions, subclinical depression when work conditions were initially assessed, family history of depression, and personal history of depression. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that changes in psychological demands have a stronger influence than changes in job control on the onset of depression, highlighting the importance of not assuming an interaction between these 2 components of job strain when assessing health outcomes.
Program, Policy, and Price Interventions for Tobacco Control: Quantifying the Return on Investment of a State Tobacco Control Program
Authors: Dilley Julia A. , Harris Jeffrey R. , Boysun Michael J. , Reid Terry R. 
Published: December 2011

Objectives. We examined health effects associated with 3 tobacco control interventions in Washington State: a comprehensive state program, a state policy banning smoking in public places, and price increases. Methods. We used linear regression models to predict changes in smoking prevalence and specific tobacco-related health conditions associated with the interventions. We estimated dollars saved over 10 years (2000–2009) by the value of hospitalizations prevented, discounting for national trends. Results. Smoking declines in the state exceeded declines in the nation. Of the interventions, the state program had the most consistent and largest effect on trends for heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. Over 10 years, implementation of the program was associated with prevention of nearly 36 000 hospitalizations, at a value of about $1.5 billion. The return on investment for the state program was more than $5 to $1. Conclusions. The combined program, policy, and price interventions resulted in reductions in smoking and related health effects, while saving money. Public health and other leaders should continue to invest in tobacco control, including comprehensive programs.
In the Wake of Guatemala: The Case for Voluntary Compensation and Remediation
Authors: Cohen I. Glenn , Adashi Eli Y. 
Published: December 2011

Recently unearthed records reveal that between 1946 and 1948, researchers with the US Public Health Service engaged in nonconsensual inoculation of vulnerable Guatemalan populations with syphilis, gonorrhea, or chancroid. The US government has issued formal public apologies to the Guatemalan government and its people, and the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues has been tasked with reviewing the historical record and the adequacy of protection of human research participants. We argue that the US response is insufficient and call for a restitution program directed at the aggrieved parties. We review the lessons of two earlier analogous cases and propose guiding principles upon which such a restitution program could be crafted with the Guatemalan people in mind.
Messinian and Zanclean continental formations of the Montpellier region and their relevance to the geodynamic model of Georges Clauzon (1996)
Authors: Ambert Paul 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
The Pliocene period in the Montpellier region, considered as being emblematic since the middle of the 19th century because of its diverse mammal fauna, has not received much innovative treatment over the last 30 years. In particular, there has been no reinterpretation of geological data in the light of the Messinian-Zanclean double eustasy and related mechanisms. And yet, the increase in the number of urban projects affecting the Pliocene terrains and substratum has allowed for a renewed analysis of these areas in conformity with the results obtained in the nearby valley of the Rhône river. Highlighting the discordance, the regressive Messinian erosion has allowed for the Pliocene fluviatile network of the Lez to emerge. This in turn has made possible the reconstruction of a digitate network that recorded all of the phases of the filling in of these Pliocene rias. This is particularly clear thanks to the study of the Messinian discordance in the hard rocks of the Montpellier fold on the one hand, and on the other, within the Neogene ditches. Since the Messinian, the course of the Mosson and Lez rivers, just as that of the Vidourle river, tracked heavily to the east. This is how the Pliocene Mosson river crossed the Montpellier fold. In fact these modifications of the river courses, made possible by the reuse, until the end of the Pliocene, of the erosion surfaces of the coastal links (the Montpellier fold, the Gardiole), correspond to the accentuation of the deformations of these surfaces. The amplitude and variability of these movements is a result of the altitude of the marine-continental Pliocene transition. This altitude is doubtless often rather approximate, but it differs considerably with respect to the coastal Jurassic ranges (the Montpellier fold to the north, the Gardiole to the south), which frame the Pliocene “Gulf” of Montpellier. The two coastal ranges, calcareous and sub-parallel to the sea surface, have succeeded in channeling the transgression at the point of the saddleback axes, conferring Dalmatian coastal characteristics to the Pliocene ria.
Base level rise and per ascensum model of speleogenesis (PAMS). Interpretation of deep phreatic karsts, vauclusian springs and chimney-shafts
Authors: Mocochain Ludovic , Audra Philippe , Bigot Jean-Yves 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
In Mediterranean karsts, the Messinian salinity crisis induced first a deepening of the karst systems, then a flooding after the Pliocene transgression, and finally a reorganization of the drains after this base level rise. This reorganization mainly corresponds to the development of phreatic lifts: the chimney-shafts and the vauclusian springs. Such a per ascensum speleogenesis appears with a base level rise, which is caused by eustatism, by fluvial aggradation or valley infilling, or by continental subsidence. Consequently, we explain the origin of most of the deep phreatic cave systems (which are not hypogenic) by a base level rise, which flooded the deep karst, producing phreatic lifts connected to vauclusian springs.
Morphostructural evolution of the Luberon since the Miocene (SE France)
Authors: Clauzon Georges , Fleury Thomas-Jules , Bellier Olivier , Molliex Stéphane , Mocochain Ludovic , Aguilar Jean-Pierre 
Published: December 2011

AbstractIn northern Provence, a major tectonic phase occurred between 10 and 6 Ma prior to the Messinian salinity crisis. It is expressed by reverse faulting reactivation of the Luberon ramp-anticline that developed initially during the Pyrenean orogeny, with most of the deformation taking place during the Eocene. This Miocene phase led to a concomitant rejuvenation of the relief, along with the development of a “Jurassian” structural morphology and drainage pattern. Its most spectacular expression is the deeply incised transverse valleys that provide evidence of powerful downcutting.The earliest occurrence of the Valensole gravels, dated to ~11 Ma, is found in the Cucuron basin in the foreland of the Luberon. The uplift of the Luberon anticline and its foreland resulted from southward propagation of thrusting, whilst the phases of high eustatic sea-level that precede and follow the ending of the Messinian salinity crisis caused an accretion of the piedmont. The Luberon Alpine structural development occurred before the Messinian salinity crisis, and took place within two distinct tectonic episodes during the Miocene: the first episode, in the Early Miocene (Langhian), mainly affected the Petit Luberon, while the second more recent episode, during the Tortonian, lead to deformation in the Grand Luberon before 5.9 Ma. These tectonic events and their large-scale morphological impacts – notably the creation of the present-day relief – indicate that the Tortonian phase was the most important of the Miocene episodes as it controlled the Alpine structural development of the Luberon and its foreland as well as the associated ranges to the south. After the Miocene, whereas the Alpine phase did not modify the morphology, deformation migrated southwards from the Luberon. Some of the faults are still active, as shown by the 1909 Lambesc earthquake (11 June 1909; 6 Mw), which triggered the reactivation of the Trévaresse fault.
Use of deferiprone for the treatment of hepatic iron storage disease in three hornbills
Authors: Sandmeier Peter , Clauss Marcus , Donati Olivio F. , Chiers Koen , Kienzle Ellen , Hatt Jean-Michel 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
Case Description—3 hornbills (2 Papua hornbills [Aceros plicatus] and 1 longtailed hornbill [Tockus albocristatus]) were evaluated because of general listlessness and loss of feather glossiness.
Clinical Findings—Because hepatic iron storage disease was suspected, liver biopsy was performed and formalin-fixed liver samples were submitted for histologic examination and quantitative image analysis (QIA). Additional frozen liver samples were submitted for chemical analysis. Birds also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under general anesthesia for noninvasive measurement of liver iron content. Serum biochemical analysis and analysis of feed were also performed. Results of diagnostic testing indicated that all 3 hornbills were affected with hepatic iron storage disease.
Treatment and Outcome—The iron chelator deferiprone was administered (75 mg/kg [34.1 mg/lb], PO, once daily for 90 days). During the treatment period, liver biopsy samples were obtained at regular intervals for QIA and chemical analysis of the liver iron content and follow-up MRI was performed. In all 3 hornbills, a rapid and large decrease in liver iron content was observed. All 3 methods for quantifying the liver iron content were able to verify the decrease in liver iron content.
Clinical Relevance—Orally administered deferiprone was found to effectively reduce the liver iron content in these 3 hornbills with iron storage disease. All 3 methods used to monitor the liver iron content (QIA, chemical analysis of liver biopsy samples, and MRI) had similar results, indicating that all of these methods should be considered for the diagnosis of iron storage disease and monitoring of liver iron content during treatment.
Adverse reproductive outcome induced by Parvovirus B19 and TORCH infections in women with high-risk pregnancy
Authors: Kishore Janak , Misra Richa , Paisal Abhiruchi , Pradeep Yashodhra 
Published: December 2011

Introduction: The frequency of fetopathogenic viruses and Toxoplasma gondii infections in the TORCH group (Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus) together with Parvovirus B19 (B19) in pregnant women with bad obstetric history (BOH) and/or concurrent pregnancy complications was investigated. Methodology: Sixty women (20-35 years) with BOH and/or antecedent pregnancy complications were studied. Twenty-nine healthy pregnant women matched for age, parity and gestational age served as controls. Sera were analyzed for IgM antibodies for B19 and TORCH agents by ELISA. Cord blood and 33 placental tissues from six malformed newborns were tested for B19 DNA by PCR. Results: Out of 60 high-risk pregnant women, 47 (78%) had BOH while 23 (38.3%) had underlying complications including polyhydramnios (n=10), oligohydramnios (n=6) and intrauterine growth restriction (n=7). Adverse outcomes occurred in 36 (60%) high-risk cases. All 16 cases with polyhydramnios/oligohydramnios resulted in preterm stillbirths while the remaining 20 cases resulted in seven abortions, six newborns with congenital malformations, four full-term stillbirths and three cases of non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF). IgM positivity to T. gondii, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and B19 virus was 8.3%, 15%, 30%, 3.3% and 13.6% respectively. B19 infection caused NIHF in three cases and cardiac anomaly in one. All placental tissues and cord blood were negative for B19 DNA. None of the controls had IgM antibodies to any pathogen. Conclusions: Women with BOH and/or pregnancy complications had a high frequency of TORCH and parvovirus B19 infections causing fetal wastage, IUGR, NIHF and congenital malformations.
Induction of Regulatory T Cells by a Murine β-Defensin
Authors: Navid Fatemeh , Boniotto Michele , Walker Catherine , Ahrens Kerstin , Proksch Ehrhardt , Sparwasser Tim , Müller Werner , Schwarz Thomas , Schwarz Agatha 
Published: December 2011

Abstractβ-Defensins are antimicrobial peptides of the innate immune system produced in the skin by various stimuli, including proinflammatory cytokines, bacterial infection, and exposure to UV radiation (UVR). In this study we demonstrate that the UVR-inducible antimicrobial peptide murine β-defensin-14 (mBD-14) switches CD4+CD25− T cells into a regulatory phenotype by inducing the expression of specific markers like Foxp3 and CTLA-4. This is functionally relevant because mBD-14–treated T cells inhibit sensitization upon adoptive transfer into naive C57BL/6 mice. Accordingly, injection of mBD-14, comparable to UVR, suppresses the induction of contact hypersensitivity and induces Ag-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs). Further evidence for the ability of mBD-14 to induce Foxp3+ T cells is provided using DEREG (depletion of Tregs) mice in which Foxp3-expressing cells can be depleted by injecting diphtheria toxin. mBD-14 does not suppress sensitization in IL-10 knockout mice, suggesting involvement of IL-10 in mBD-14–mediated immunosuppression. However, unlike UVR, mBD-14 does not appear to mediate its immunosuppressive effects by affecting dendritic cells. Accordingly, UVR-induced immunosuppression is not abrogated in mBD-14 knockout mice. Together, these data suggest that mBD-14, like UVR, has the capacity to induce Tregs but does not appear to play a major role in UVR-induced immunosuppression. Through this capacity, mBD-14 may protect the host from microbial attacks on the one hand, but tame T cell-driven reactions on the other hand, thereby enabling an antimicrobial defense without collateral damage by the adaptive immune system.