bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Premenstrual symptoms in young adults born preterm at very low birth weight - from the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults
Authors: Mustaniemi Sanna , Sipola-Leppänen Marika , Hovi Petteri , Halbreich Uriel , Vääräsmäki Marja , Räikkönen Katri , Pesonen Anu-Katriina , Heinonen Kati , Järvenpää Anna-Liisa , Eriksson Johan G , Andersson Sture , Kajantie Eero 
Published: June 2011

Abstract

Background
Clinically significant premenstrual symptoms are common among young women. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is characterized by emotional, behavioural and physical symptoms that consistently occur during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of PMS. Individual variation in stress responsiveness may be involved in the pathophysiology of premenstrual symptoms. Preterm birth at very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1500g) has a multitude of consequences that extend to adult life, including altered stress responsiveness which could affect the prevalence of premenstrual symptoms.

Methods
In this cohort study, we compared 75 VLBW women with 95 women born at term (mean age 22.5). We used a standardized retrospective questionnaire assessing the presence and severity of a variety of symptoms before and after menses. The symptom scores were used both as continuous and as dichotomized variables, with cutoffs based on DSM-IV criteria for PMDD and ACOG criteria for PMS, except prospective daily ratings could not be used. We used multiple linear and logistic regression to adjust for confounders.

Results
There was no difference in the continuous symptom score before menses (mean difference VLBW-term -18.3%, 95% confidence interval -37.9 to 7.5%) or after menses. The prevalence of premenstrual symptoms causing severe impairment to daily life was 13.3% for VLBW women and 14.7% for control women. For PMDD, it was 8.0% and 4.2%, and for PMS, 12.0% and 11.6%, respectively. These differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.1).

Conclusion
Our findings suggest that the severity of premenstrual symptoms and the prevalence of PMDD and PMS among young women born preterm at VLBW is not higher than among those born at term.
Health service utilization in IBD: comparison of self-report and administrative data
Authors: Longobardi Teresa , Walker John R , Graff Lesley A , Bernstein Charles N 
Published: May 2011

Abstract

Background
The reliability of self-report regarding health care utilization in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unknown. If proven reliable, it could help justify self-report as a means of determining health care utilization and associated costs.

Methods
The Manitoba IBD Cohort Study is a population-based longitudinal study of participants diagnosed within 7 years of enrollment. Health care utilization was assessed through standardized interview. Participants (n = 352) reported the total number of nights hospitalized, frequency of physician contacts in the prior 12 months and whether the medical contacts were for IBD-related reasons or not. Reports of recent antibiotic use were also recorded. Actual utilization was drawn from the administrative database of Manitoba Health, the single comprehensive provincial health insurer.

Results
According to the administrative data, 15% of respondents had an overnight hospitalization, while 10% had an IBD-related hospitalization. Self-report concordance was highly sensitive (92%; 82%) and specific (96%; 97%, respectively). 97% of participants had contact with a physician in the previous year, and 69% had IBD-related visits. Physician visits were significantly under-reported and there was a trend to over-report the number of nights in hospital.

Conclusions
Self-report data can be helpful in evaluating health service utilization, provided that the researcher is aware of the systematic sources of bias. Outpatient visits are well identified by self-report. The discordance for the type of outpatient visit may be either a weakness of self-report or a flaw in diagnosis coding of the administrative data. If administrative data are not available, self-report information may be a cost-effective alternative, particularly for hospitalizations.
A novel family VII esterase with industrial potential from compost metagenomic library
Authors: Kang Chul-Hyung , Oh Ki-Hoon , Lee Mi-Hwa , Oh Tae-Kwang , Kim Bong Hee , Yoon Jung- Hoon 
Published: May 2011

Abstract

Background
Among the vast microbial genomic resources now available, most microbes are unculturable in the laboratory. A culture-independent metagenomic approach is a novel technique that circumvents this culture limitation. For the screening of novel lipolytic enzymes, a metagenomic library was constructed from compost, and the clone of estCS2 was selected for lipolytic properties on a tributyrin-containing medium.

Results
The estCS2 sequence encodes a protein of 570 amino acid residues, with a predicted molecular mass of 63 kDa, and based on amino acid identity it most closely matches (45%) the carboxylesterase from Haliangium ochraceum DSM 14365. EstCS2 belong to family VII, according to the lipolytic enzyme classification proposed by Arpigny and Jaeger, and it retains the catalytic triad Ser245-Glu363-His466 that is typical of an α/β hydrolase. The Ser245 residue in the catalytic triad of EstCS2 is located in the consensus active site motif GXSXG. The EstCS2 exhibits strong activity toward p-nitrophenyl caproate (C6), and it is stable up to 60°C with an optimal enzymatic activity at 55°C. The maximal activity is observed at pH 9, and it remains active between pH 6-10. EstCS2 shows remarkable stability in up to 50% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or dimethylformamide (DMF). The enzyme has the ability to cleave sterically hindered esters of tertiary alcohol, as well as to degrade polyurethanes, which are widely used in various industries.

Conclusions
The high stability of EstCS2 in organic solvents and its activity towards esters of ketoprofen and tertiary alcohols, and in polyurethane suggests that it has potential uses for many applications in biotransformation and bioremediation.
Fabrication of HfO2 patterns by laser interference nanolithography and selective dry etching for III-V CMOS application
Authors: Benedicto Marcos , Galiana Beatriz , Molina-Aldareguia Jon M , Monaghan Scott , Hurley Paul K , Cherkaoui Karim , Vazquez Luis , Tejedor Paloma 
Published: May 2011

Abstract
Nanostructuring of ultrathin HfO2 films deposited on GaAs (001) substrates by high-resolution Lloyd's mirror laser interference nanolithography is described. Pattern transfer to the HfO2 film was carried out by reactive ion beam etching using CF4 and O2 plasmas. A combination of atomic force microscopy, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy microanalysis was used to characterise the various etching steps of the process and the resulting HfO2/GaAs pattern morphology, structure, and chemical composition. We show that the patterning process can be applied to fabricate uniform arrays of HfO2 mesa stripes with tapered sidewalls and linewidths of 100 nm. The exposed GaAs trenches were found to be residue-free and atomically smooth with a root-mean-square line roughness of 0.18 nm after plasma etching.
PACS: Dielectric oxides 77.84.Bw, Nanoscale pattern formation 81.16.Rf, Plasma etching 52.77.Bn, Fabrication of III-V semiconductors 81.05.Ea
A novel deconvolution method for modeling UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine biosynthetic pathways based on 13C mass isotopologue profiles under non-steady-state conditions
Authors: Moseley Hunter NB , Lane Andrew N , Belshoff Alex C , Higashi Richard M , Fan Teresa WM 
Published: May 2011

Abstract

Background
Stable isotope tracing is a powerful technique for following the fate of individual atoms through metabolic pathways. Measuring isotopic enrichment in metabolites provides quantitative insights into the biosynthetic network and enables flux analysis as a function of external perturbations. NMR and mass spectrometry are the techniques of choice for global profiling of stable isotope labeling patterns in cellular metabolites. However, meaningful biochemical interpretation of the labeling data requires both quantitative analysis and complex modeling. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach that involved acquiring and modeling the timecourses of 13C isotopologue data for UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) synthesized from [U-13C]-glucose in human prostate cancer LnCaP-LN3 cells. UDP-GlcNAc is an activated building block for protein glycosylation, which is an important regulatory mechanism in the development of many prominent human diseases including cancer and diabetes.

Results
We utilized a stable isotope resolved metabolomics (SIRM) approach to determine the timecourse of 13C incorporation from [U-13C]-glucose into UDP-GlcNAc in LnCaP-LN3 cells. 13C Positional isotopomers and isotopologues of UDP-GlcNAc were determined by high resolution NMR and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry. A novel simulated annealing/genetic algorithm, called 'Genetic Algorithm for Isotopologues in Metabolic Systems' (GAIMS) was developed to find the optimal solutions to a set of simultaneous equations that represent the isotopologue compositions, which is a mixture of isotopomer species. The best model was selected based on information theory. The output comprises the timecourse of the individual labeled species, which was deconvoluted into labeled metabolic units, namely glucose, ribose, acetyl and uracil. The performance of the algorithm was demonstrated by validating the computed fractional 13C enrichment in these subunits against experimental data. The reproducibility and robustness of the deconvolution were verified by replicate experiments, extensive statistical analyses, and cross-validation against NMR data.

Conclusions
This computational approach revealed the relative fluxes through the different biosynthetic pathways of UDP-GlcNAc, which comprises simultaneous sequential and parallel reactions, providing new insight into the regulation of UDP-GlcNAc levels and O-linked protein glycosylation. This is the first such analysis of UDP-GlcNAc dynamics, and the approach is generally applicable to other complex metabolites comprising distinct metabolic subunits, where sufficient numbers of isotopologues can be unambiguously resolved and accurately measured.
Co-expression of Ubiquitin gene and capsid protein gene enhances the potency of DNA immunization of PCV2 in mice
Authors: Fu Fang , Li Xuesong , Lang Yuekun , Yang Yuju , Tong Guangzhi , Li Guoxin , Zhou Yanjun , Li Xi 
Published: May 2011

AbstractA recombinant plasmid that co-expressed ubiquitin and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) virus capsid protein (Cap), denoted as pc-Ub-Cap, and a plasmid encoding PCV2 virus Cap alone, denoted as pc-Cap, were transfected into 293T cells. Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and confocal microscopy were performed to measure the cellular expression of Cap. Three groups of mice were then vaccinated once every three weeks for a total of three doses with pc-Ub-Cap, pc-Cap or the empty vector pCAGGS, followed by challenging all mice intraperitoneally with 0.5 mL 106.5TCID50/mL PCV2. To characterize the protective immune response against PCV2 infection in mice, assays of antibody titer (including different IgG isotypes), flow cytometric analysis (FCM), lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine production and viremia were evaluated. The results showed that pc-Ub-Cap and pc-Cap were efficiently expressed in 293T cells. However, pc-Ub-Cap-vaccinated animals had a significantly higher level of Cap-specific antibody and induced a stronger Th1 type cellular immune response than did pc-Cap-vaccinated animals, suggesting that ubiquitin conjugation improved both the cellular and humoral immune responses. Additionally, viral replication in blood was lower in the pc-Ub-Cap-vaccinated group than in the pc-Cap and empty vector groups, suggesting that the protective immunity induced by pc-Ub-Cap is superior to that induced by pc-Cap.
The role of traditional healers in tooth extractions in Lekie Division, Cameroon
Authors: Agbor Ashu M , Naidoo Sudeshni , Mbia Awono M 
Published: May 2011

Abstract
Background
The extraction of the teeth by traditional healers in Cameroon is an established cultural practice in the central region of the Cameroon. Traditional healers (TH) use herbs and crude un-sterilized instruments and tools for the tooth extraction procedure. The present study investigates the knowledge and practices of traditional healers regarding tooth extraction and the management of its complications.

Methods
A cross sectional design utilizing semi-structured questionnaires was used to collect the data from traditional healers and their patients.

Results
Sixteen traditional healers (TH) were interviewed. All were male and the majority were between 25-35 years old. The most important reason given for the removal of a tooth was "if it has a hole". All reported using herbs to control bleeding and pain after extractions. Only 20% used gloves between patients when extracting a tooth and just over a third (31.3%) gave post-operative instructions. Eighty seven percent managed complications with herbs and 62.5% reported that they would refer their patients to a dentist whenever there are complications. Only a third (31.3%) was familiar with the basic anatomy of a tooth and more than half (56.3%) reported that tooth extractions are the only treatment for dental problems.
One hundred and fifty patients were interviewed with a mean age of 29 years. More than two thirds were in the 21-30 year age group and just over half were male. Sixty six percent reported that they visited the TH because it is cheap, 93.3% were satisfied with the treatment they received while 95.3% reported said they never had a problem after an extraction.

Conclusions
Tooth extractions using medicinal plants is well established in Lekie division, Cameroon. Infection control during extraction is not the norm. Traditional healers are willing to co-operate with oral health workers in improving the oral health of their patients. Mutual cooperation, collaboration and integrating TH into primary oral health care services need to be increased.
Predicting outcome of rethoracotomy for suspected pericardial tamponade following cardio-thoracic surgery in the intensive care unit
Authors: ten Tusscher Birkitt L , Groeneveld Johan AB , Kamp Otto , Jansen Evert K , Beishuizen Albertus , Girbes Armand RJ 
Published: May 2011

Abstract

Objectives
Pericardial tamponade after cardiac surgery is difficult to diagnose, thereby rendering timing of rethoracotomy hard. We aimed at identifying factors predicting the outcome of surgery for suspected tamponade after cardio-thoracic surgery, in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods
Twenty-one consecutive patients undergoing rethoracotomy for suspected pericardial tamponade in the ICU, admitted after primary cardio-thoracic surgery, were identified for this retrospective study. We compared patients with or without a decrease in severe haemodynamic compromise after rethoracotomy, according to the cardiovascular component of the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score.

Results
A favourable haemodynamic response to rethoracotomy was observed in 11 (52%) of patients and characterized by an increase in cardiac output, and less fluid and norepinephrine requirements. Prior to surgery, the absence of treatment by heparin, a minimum cardiac index < 1.0 L/min/m2 and a positive fluid balance (> 4,683 mL) were predictive of a beneficial haemodynamic response. During surgery, the evacuation of clots and > 500 mL of pericardial fluid was associated with a beneficial haemodynamic response. Echocardiographic parameters were of limited help in predicting the postoperative course, even though 9 of 13 pericardial clots found at surgery were detected preoperatively.

Conclusion
Clots and fluids in the pericardial space causing regional tamponade and responding to surgical evacuation after primary cardio-thoracic surgery, are difficult to diagnose preoperatively, by clinical, haemodynamic and even echocardiographic evaluation in the ICU. Only absence of heparin treatment, a large positive fluid balance and low cardiac index predicted a favourable haemodynamic response to rethoracotomy. These data might help in deciding and timing of reinterventions after primary cardio-thoracic surgery.
Systematic quantitative characterization of cellular responses induced by multiple signals
Authors: Al-Shyoukh Ibrahim , Yu Fuqu , Feng Jiaying , Yan Karen , Dubinett Steven , Ho Chih-Ming , Shamma Jeff S , Sun Ren 
Published: May 2011

Abstract

Background
Cells constantly sense many internal and environmental signals and respond through their complex signaling network, leading to particular biological outcomes. However, a systematic characterization and optimization of multi-signal responses remains a pressing challenge to traditional experimental approaches due to the arising complexity associated with the increasing number of signals and their intensities.

Results
We established and validated a data-driven mathematical approach to systematically characterize signal-response relationships. Our results demonstrate how mathematical learning algorithms can enable systematic characterization of multi-signal induced biological activities. The proposed approach enables identification of input combinations that can result in desired biological responses. In retrospect, the results show that, unlike a single drug, a properly chosen combination of drugs can lead to a significant difference in the responses of different cell types, increasing the differential targeting of certain combinations. The successful validation of identified combinations demonstrates the power of this approach. Moreover, the approach enables examining the efficacy of all lower order mixtures of the tested signals. The approach also enables identification of system-level signaling interactions between the applied signals. Many of the signaling interactions identified were consistent with the literature, and other unknown interactions emerged.

Conclusions
This approach can facilitate development of systems biology and optimal drug combination therapies for cancer and other diseases and for understanding key interactions within the cellular network upon treatment with multiple signals.
Transcription variants of SLA-7, a swine non classical MHC class I gene
Authors: Hu Rui , Lemonnier Gaëtan , Bourneuf Emmanuelle , Vincent-Naulleau Silvia , Rogel-Gaillard Claire 
Published: June 2011

AbstractIn pig, very little information is available on the non classical class I (Ib) genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) i.e.SLA-6,-7and-8. Our aim was to focus on the transcription pattern of theSLA-7gene. RT-PCR experiments were carried out withSLA-7specific primers targeting either the full coding sequence (CDS) from exon 1 to the 3 prime untranslated region (3UTR) or a partial CDS from exon 4 to the 3UTR. We show that theSLA-7gene expresses a full length transcript not yet identified that refines annotation of the gene with eight exons instead of seven as initially described from the existing RefSeq RNA. These two RNAs encode molecules that differ in cytoplasmic tail length. In this study, anotherSLA-7transcript variant was characterized, which encodes a protein with a shorter alpha 3 domain, as a consequence of a splicing site within exon 4. Surprisingly, a cryptic non canonical GA-AG splicing site is used to generate this transcript variant. An additionalSLA-7variant was also identified in the 3UTR with a splicing site occurring 31 nucleotides downstream to the stop codon. In conclusion, the pigSLA-7MHC class Ib gene presents a complex transcription pattern with two transcripts encoding various molecules and transcripts that do not alter the CDS and may be subject to post-transcriptional regulation.
Gene expression pattern in swine neutrophils after lipopolysaccharide exposure: a time course comparison
Authors: Sanz-Santos Gema , Jiménez-Marín Ángeles , Bautista Rocío , Fernández Noé , Claros Gonzalo M , Garrido Juan J 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBackgroundExperimental exposure of swine neutrophils to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) represents a model to study the innate immune response during bacterial infection. Neutrophils can effectively limit the infection by secreting lipid mediators, antimicrobial molecules and a combination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) without new synthesis of proteins. However, it is known that neutrophils can modify the gene expression after LPS exposure. We performed microarray gene expression analysis in order to elucidate the less known transcriptional response of neutrophils during infection.MethodsBlood samples were collected from four healthy Iberian pigs and neutrophils were isolated and incubated during 6, 9 and 18 hrs in presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) fromSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium. RNA was isolated and hybridized to Affymetrix Porcine GeneChip®. Microarray data were normalized using Robust Microarray Analysis (RMA) and then, differential expression was obtained by an analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsANOVA data analysis showed that the number of differentially expressed genes (DEG) after LPS treatment vary with time. The highest transcriptional response occurred at 9 hr post LPS stimulation with 1494 DEG whereas at 6 and 18 hr showed 125 and 108 DEG, respectively. Three different gene expression tendencies were observed: genes in cluster 1 showed a tendency toward up-regulation; cluster 2 genes showing a tendency for down-regulation at 9 hr; and cluster 3 genes were up-regulated at 9 hr post LPS stimulation. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed a delay of neutrophil apoptosis at 9 hr. Many genes controlling biological functions were altered with time including those controlling metabolism and cell organization, ubiquitination, adhesion, movement or inflammatory response.ConclusionsLPS stimulation alters the transcriptional pattern in neutrophils and the present results show that the robust transcriptional potential of neutrophils under infection conditions, indicating that active regulation of gene expression plays a major role in the neutrophil-mediated- innate immune response.