bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum pituitary antibodies in normal pregnancy and in patients with postpartum thyroiditis: a nested case–control study
Authors: Manetti Luca , Parkes Arthur B , Lupi Isabella , Di Cianni Graziano , Bogazzi Fausto , Albertini Sonia , Morselli Lisa Linda , Raffaelli Valentina , Russo Dania , Rossi Giuseppe , Gasperi Maurizio , Lazarus John H , Martino Enio 
Published: September 2008

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate antipituitary antibody (APA) prevalence in a series of patients with postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) during pregnancy and in the postpartum.DesignWe conducted a nested case–control study on consecutive PPT and normal pregnant women at the Centre for Endocrine and Diabetes Sciences in Cardiff and at the Department of Endocrinology in Pisa.MethodsWe enrolled 30 women with PPT: 17 were hypothyroid (Hypo), 7 with hyperthyroidism (Hyper) and 6 with a transient hyperthyroidism followed by hypothyroidism (Biphasic). Twenty-one healthy pregnant women served as controls. APA (measured using indirect immunofluorescence), free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, TSH, antithyroid autoantibodies, and thyroid ultrasound were performed during pregnancy and postpartum. The stored sera have been sent to Pisa, where serum APA, IGF1, and cortisol were measured.ResultsAPA were found in 8 out of the 30 PPT patients (26.7%) and in one normal pregnancy (4.7%, P=0.063). Three out of the seventeen Hypo with PPT (17.6%), three out of the seven Hyper PPT (42.8%), and two out of the six Biphasic PPT (33.3%) were positive for APA. APA prevalence was not significantly different in the PPT subgroups (P=0.453). With one exception, APA all increased in the postpartum period (87.5%, P<0.016). Basal serum IGF1 and cortisol were in the normal range with the exception of two patients with positive APA who presented low serum IGF1 levels (36 and 45 ng/ml).ConclusionsAPA are frequently present in the postpartum period in patients affected by PPT. Further studies are necessary to evaluate whether APA in PPT patients are associated with pituitary function impairment.
Oxytetracycline Treatment Reduces Bacterial Diversity of Intestinal Microbiota of Atlantic Salmon
Authors: Navarrete Paola , Mardones Pamela , Opazo Rafael , Espejo Romilio , Romero Jaime 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
The effect of oxytetracycline (OTC) treatment on intestinal bacterial populations in juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar was evaluated. Oxytetracycline was administered by way of medicated feed to fish held in experimental tanks. Restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing of 16S rDNA from isolates were used to analyze the intestinal microbiota before, during, and after OTC administration. The microbiota from untreated fish was more diverse, consisting mainly of Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Flavobacterium, Psycrobacter, and Brevundimonas spp. In contrast, the microbiota of the OTC-treated group was characterized by lower diversity and consisted only of Aeromonas, clustering with A. sobria and A. salmonicida. Antibiotic-resistant isolates were identified as Aeromonas spp.; sequencing the resistance determinant showed it to be the tetE gene. Overall, OTC treatment changed the composition of the intestinal microbiota of Atlantic salmon, as evidenced by a reduction in bacterial diversity. These results support the current concern that antibiotic treatment can facilitate the proliferation of opportunistic bacteria by eradicating competing microorganisms.
Quiescent Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells in the Bone Marrow Niches Organize the Hierarchical Structure of Hematopoiesis
Authors: Yahata Takashi , Muguruma Yukari , Yumino Shizu , Sheng Yin , Uno Tomoko , Matsuzawa Hideyuki , Ito Mamoru , Kato Shunichi , Hotta Tomomitsu , Ando Kiyoshi 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
Hematopoiesis is a dynamic and strictly regulated process orchestrated by self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the supporting microenvironment. However, the exact mechanisms by which individual human HSCs sustain hematopoietic homeostasis remain to be clarified. To understand how the long-term repopulating cell (LTRC) activity of individual human HSCs and the hematopoietic hierarchy are maintained in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment, we traced the repopulating dynamics of individual human HSC clones using viral integration site analysis. Our study presents several lines of evidence regarding the in vivo dynamics of human hematopoiesis. First, human LTRCs existed in a rare population of CD34+CD38− cells that localized to the stem cell niches and maintained their stem cell activities while being in a quiescent state. Second, clonally distinct LTRCs controlled hematopoietic homeostasis and created a stem cell pool hierarchy by asymmetric self-renewal division that produced lineage-restricted short-term repopulating cells and long-lasting LTRCs. Third, we demonstrated that quiescent LTRC clones expanded remarkably to reconstitute the hematopoiesis of the secondary recipient. Finally, we further demonstrated that human mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into key components of the niche and maintained LTRC activity by closely interacting with quiescent human LTRCs, resulting in more LTRCs. Taken together, this study provides a novel insight into repopulation dynamics, turnover, hierarchical structure, and the cell cycle status of human HSCs in the recipient BM microenvironment.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Behavioral, physiological, and cellular responses following trophic transfer of toxic monoaromatic hydrocarbons
Authors: Scarlett Alan , Dissanayake Awantha , Rowland Steven J. , Galloway Tamara S. 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
The trophic transfer of monoaromatic hydrocarbons to predatory organisms feeding upon contaminated marine animals is not well reported within the scientific literature. Branched alkylbenzenes (BABs) unresolved by gas chromatography have been reported to be principal toxic components of bioaccumulated hydrocarbons in the tissues of some wild mussel, Mytilus edulis, populations with poor health status. Mussels, M. edulis, contaminated with a commercial mixture of BABs were fed to shore crabs, Carcinus maenas, for 7 d, and effects upon the behavior, heart rate, hemolymph cellular viability, and immune response of the crabs were assessed. Accumulation of BABs in crab midgut gland tissue was quantified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and the presence of BABs in crab urine was detected spectrophotometrically using ultraviolet fluorescence spectroscopy. Analysis of crab tissues and urine revealed a proportion of the BABs was transferred from the mussel tissues to the crabs, but the majority was not present 3 d after consumption of the mussels and may have been metabolized, excreted, or both. The results do not support the hypothesis that BABs are likely to be biomagnified, at least by crabs, in the marine environment. Alterations to measured cellular and physiological responses of crabs fed BAB-exposed mussels were not significant. Consumption of contaminated mussels was shown to cause highly significant abnormal behavior that, in the wild, may affect the feeding ability of crabs and make them more vulnerable to predation.
Ecological models in support of regulatory risk assessments of pesticides: developing a strategy for the future
Authors: Forbes Valery E , Hommen Udo , Thorbek Pernille , Heimbach Fred , Van den Brink Paul J , Wogram Jörn , Thulke Hans-Hermann , Grimm Volker 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
This brief communication reports on the main findings of the LEMTOX workshop, held from 9 to 12 September 2007, at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany. The workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, regulatory authorities, contract research organizations, and industry, representing Europe, the United States, and Asia, to discuss the role of ecological modeling in risk assessments of pesticides, particularly under the European regulatory framework. The following questions were addressed: What are the potential benefits of using ecological models in pesticide registration and risk assessment? What obstacles prevent ecological modeling from being used routinely in regulatory submissions? What actions are needed to overcome the identified obstacles? What recommendations should be made to ensure good modeling practice in this context? The workshop focused exclusively on population models, and discussion was focused on those categories of population models that link effects on individuals (e.g., survival, growth, reproduction, behavior) to effects on population dynamics. The workshop participants concluded that the overall benefits of ecological modeling are that it could bring more ecology into ecological risk assessment, and it could provide an excellent tool for exploring the importance of, and interactions among, ecological complexities. However, there are a number of challenges that need to be overcome before such models will receive wide acceptance for pesticide risk assessment, despite having been used extensively in other contexts (e.g., conservation biology). The need for guidance on Good Modeling Practice (on model development, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, documentation, and communication), as well as the need for case studies that can be used to explore the added value of ecological models for risk assessment, were identified as top priorities. Assessing recovery potential of exposed nontarget species and clarifying the ecological relevance of standard laboratory test results are two areas for which ecological modeling may be able to provide considerable benefits.
Before and After: Gender Transitions, Human Capital, and Workplace Experiences
Authors: Schilt Kristen , Wiswall Matthew 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
We use the workplace experiences of transgender people  individuals who change their gender typically with hormone therapy and surgery  to provide new insights into the long-standing question of what role gender plays in shaping workplace outcomes. Using an original survey of male-to-female and female-to-male transgender people, we document the earnings and employment experiences of transgender people before and after their gender transitions. We find that while transgender people have the same human capital after their transitions, their workplace experiences often change radically. We estimate that average earnings for female-to-male transgender workers increase slightly following their gender transitions, while average earnings for male-to-female transgender workers fall by nearly 1/3. This finding is consistent with qualitative evidence that for many male-to-female workers, becoming a woman often brings a loss of authority, harassment, and termination, but that for many female-to-male workers, becoming a man often brings an increase in respect and authority. These findings challenge the omitted variables explanations for the gender pay gap and illustrate the often hidden and subtle processes that produce gender inequality in workplace outcomes.
Bite and kick injuries in horses: Prevalence, risk factors and prevention
Authors: KNUBBEN J. M. , FÜRST A. , GYGAX L. , STAUFFACHER M. 
Published: September 2008

SummaryReasons for performing study: Studies on the prevalence and predisposing factors of bite and kick injuries in horses have not been reported in a population‐based data sample.Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of bite and kick injuries in horses and associated risk factors in a representative sample of horses in Switzerland.Methods: A questionnaire on the incidence of disease and injury, which included the frequency of bite and kick injuries and their association with breed, housing, use and feeding regime, was sent to 2559 horse owners randomly selected throughout Switzerland.Results: The data of 2912 horses with 897 disorders diagnosed by a veterinarian were analysed. There were 231 injuries, 50 (21.6%) caused by a bite or kick from another horse; this number corresponded to 5.6% of all diseases and injuries and concerned only 1.7% of all the horses evaluated. Warmblood, Thoroughbred and Arabian horses had a 4.3 times higher risk of bite or kick injuries than horses of other breeds. Eighteen per cent of injuries were associated with a change in housing management and occurred regardless of whether horses were kept in groups permanently or sporadically.Conclusions and potential relevance: A stable group hierarchy and a housing system that provides adequate space and is adapted to horse‐specific behaviour are important factors in prevention and kick and bite injuries.
Retrospective study of palmar/plantar annular ligament injury in 71 horses: 2001–2006
Authors: OWEN K. R. , DYSON S. J. , PARKIN T. D. H. , SINGER E. R. , KRISTOFFERSEN M. , MAIR T. S. 
Published: September 2008

Summary Reasons for performing study: Constriction of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) and its contents by the palmar/plantar annular ligament (PAL) is well recognised. However, primary injury of the PAL has not been well documented. Objectives: To describe the clinical features of PAL injury, determine its prevalence with or without subcutaneous fibrosis and/or concurrent injury within the DFTS, and assess response to treatment. Methods: Horses were selected for inclusion based upon clinical features consistent with PAL injury and the presence of a thickened PAL (≥2 mm) verified ultrasonographically. A retrospective analysis of case records from 3 clinics was performed. Details of breed, age and use, and results of clinical and ultrasonographic assessments and response to treatment were recorded. Horses were treated conservatively or surgically by desmotomy of the PAL, with or without tenoscopic evaluation of the DFTS. A telephone questionnaire was performed to assess response to treatment. Results: Seventy‐one horses were included in the study and middle aged or older general purpose riding horses predominated. PAL desmopathy occurred more frequently in hind‐ than in forelimbs. The method of treatment, thickness of the PAL or presence of subcutaneous fibrosis did not significantly affect prognosis; however, <50% of horses were able to return to athletic function. There was a trend for horses with PAL desmopathy alone to have the best outcome. Bilateral thickening of the PAL or concurrent fore‐ and hindlimb injuries had a negative effect on prognosis, as did the simultaneous presence of subcutaneous fibrosis and lesions within the DFTS. Conclusions and clinical relevance: PAL injury is characterised by a convex contour of the palmar/plantar aspect of the fetlock, associated with thickening of the ligament with or without subcutaneous fibrosis. Bilateral PAL thickening is common in older horses, ponies and cobs; however, bilateral PAL enlargement is often present with only unilateral lameness. Treatment methods used in this study did not appear to influence outcome significantly.
Early changes in biomarkers of skeletal metabolism and their association to the occurrence of osteochondrosis (OC) in the horse
Authors: DONABEDIAN M. , van WEEREN P. R. , PERONA G. , FLEURANCE G. , ROBERT C. , LEGER S. , BERGERO D. , LEPAGE O. , MARTIN‐ROSSET W. 
Published: September 2008

SummaryReasons for performing study: Diagnosis of osteochondrosis (OC) is based on clinical signs and radiography, but alternative methods for detection at an early stage would be useful.Objectives: To determine in the juvenile horse the relationship between serum concentrations of a number of biomarkers that reflect changes in cartilage and bone turnover and age, feeding level, growth, and the occurrence of OC.Method: Foals were assigned to a high (n = 20) or moderate (n = 19) feeding level group from birth to age one year. Bodyweight, withers height and cannon width were measured. Osteoarticular status was assessed radiographically at 5.5 and 11 months in all foals, and by necropsy at 12 months for 8 foals/group. Serum biomarkers of bone (osteocalcin, CTX‐1) and cartilage (CPII, C2C) metabolism were assayed at 8 time points between ages 2 and 52 weeks. Ratios between biomarkers of tissue formation and degradation were calculated at each time point.Results: Consistent age‐related patterns in biomarker serum concentrates were found, indicating a markedly higher metabolism before age 20 weeks but concentrations were not affected by feeding level. Bodyweight was correlated negatively to C2C and CTX‐1, and withers height was positively correlated to osteocalcin and the osteocalcin/CTX‐1 and CPII/C2C ratios. Osteocalcin concentration at 2 weeks and CPII/C2C ratio at 20 weeks had strong positive correlations to OC, as diagnosed radiographically at 5.5 months. Osteocalcin had a strong correlation with radiographically detected OC at 11 months but at that time there was no significant relationship between CPII/C2C ratio and OC.Conclusions: Occurrence of OC lesions is significantly associated with anabolic changes in bone metabolism during the first weekspost partum, given the strong relation with osteocalcin.Potential relevance: Measuring osteocalcin concentrations during the first few weekspost partummay have potential value for the prediction of risk for OC development.
Effects of platelet rich plasma and acellular bone marrow on gene expression patterns and DNA content of equine suspensory ligament explant cultures
Authors: SCHNABEL L. V. , MOHAMMED H. O. , JACOBSON M. S. , FORTIER L. A. 
Published: September 2008

Summary Reasons for performing study: Suspensory ligament (SL) desmitis is a common source of lameness. The results of this study will determine if blood‐derived products stimulate SL matrix synthesis and have potential as regenerative therapies for SL desmitis Objectives: To determine if various blood‐based biological products including plasma, blood, PRP, platelet poor plasma (PPP) and ABM aspirate stimulates anabolic and/or catabolic pathways in suspensory ligaments (SL). Methods: The body of the SL was harvested from 6 horses and used to establish explant cultures. Explants were cultured in plasma, blood, PRP, PPP or ABM at concentrations of 10, 50 or 100%. Anabolic responses were assessed by use of quantitative PCR for collagens type I and III, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and decorin. Total DNA and collagen protein content were also measured. Catabolic reactions were measured by quantitative PCR for matrix metalloproteinases 3 and 13 (MMP‐3, MMP‐13). Results: Acellular bone marrow aspirate at 100% stimulated decorin and COMP mRNA synthesis more than all other treatments at all concentrations. No treatment at any concentration stimulated the catabolic gene MMP‐13; only 50% ABM stimulated MMP‐13 mRNA expression. Conclusions: Acellular bone marrow is indicated, and might be preferred to plasma, blood or PPP, as a blood‐based biological source for SL tissue regenerative therapy. Long‐term, placebo controlled case studies are indicated to determine if ABM aids in recovery from SL desmitis. Potential relevance: Bone marrow aspirate is an autogenous, readily available biological source for SL regenerative therapy where the aim is to stimulate matrix synthesis.
Distribution of the neurokinin‐1 receptor in equine intestinal smooth muscle
Authors: SOLINGER N. , SONEA I. M. 
Published: September 2008

SummaryReason for performing study: Tachykinins have profound effects on equine intestinal motility, but the distribution of the neurokinin receptors (NKRs) through which they act is unknown. This study reports the distribution of one of these receptors, the neurokinin‐1 receptor (NK1R), in smooth muscle throughout the equine intestinal tract.Objectives: To quantify the distribution of the NK1R, based upon mRNA expression, in smooth muscle of different regions of the equine intestinal tract.Methods: Nine regions of the intestinal tract were sampled in 5 mature horses. Total RNA was isolated from smooth muscle and reverse transcribed; NK1R mRNA was then quantified using real‐time PCR.Results: NK1R mRNA was found at all levels of the sampled intestinal tract. The smooth muscle of the proximal small intestine and the ventral colon exhibited the highest level of NK1R mRNA expression in the equine intestinal tract.Conclusions: Tachykinins probably affect intestinal contractility and propulsion in the proximal small intestine and in the ventral colon.Potential relevance: Understanding the distribution of the receptors for these peptides allows the design of experiments using tachykinin analogues or antagonists to modulate intestinal motility in disorders such as ileus.
Contractile effects of 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) in the equine jejunum circular muscle: Functional and immunohistochemical identification of a 5‐HT1A‐like receptor
Authors: DELESALLE C. , VAN ACKER N. , CLAES P. , DEPREZ P. , DE SMET I. , DEWULF J. , LEFEBVRE R. A. 
Published: September 2008

SummaryReasons for performing study: Prokinetic drugs used to treat gastrointestinal ileus in man have equivocal results in horses. In man, prokinetic drugs have 5‐hydroxytryptamine4(5‐HT4) receptors as their target, but little is known about the 5‐HT‐receptor subtypes in the equine small intestine.Objective: Functional and immunohistochemical identification of the serotonin receptor subtype(s) responsible for the 5‐HT induced contractile response in the equine circular jejunum.Methods: Isometric organ‐bath recordings were carried out to assess spontaneous and drug‐evoked contractile activity of equine circular jejunum. Histological investigations by immunofluorescence analyses were performed to check for presence and localisation of this functionally identified 5‐HT receptor subtype.Results: Tonic contractions were induced by 5‐HT in horse jejunal circular muscle. Tetrodotoxin, atropine and NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine did not modify this response. A set of 5‐HT receptor subtype selective antagonists excluded interaction with 5‐HT1B, 1D, 2A, 3, 4and7receptors. The selective 5‐HT1Areceptor antagonists WAY 100635 and NAN 190 caused a clear rightward shift of the concentration‐response curve to 5‐HT. The contractile effect of 5‐CT, that can interact with 5‐HT1A, 1B, 1D, 5and7receptors was also antagonised by WAY 100635, identifying the targeted 5‐HT receptor as a 5‐HT1A‐like receptor. Immunohistology performed with rabbit polyclonal anti‐5‐HT1Areceptor antibodies confirmed the presence of muscular 5‐HT1Areceptors in themuscularis mucosae, and both longitudinal and circular smooth muscle layers of the equine jejunum.Conclusions: Contractile responses in equine jejunal circular smooth muscle induced by 5‐HT involves 5‐HT1A‐like receptors.Potential relevance: The lack of evidence for presence of 5‐HT4receptors in the equine small intestine questions the use of human prokinetic drugs acting at 5‐HT4receptors in horses with small intestinal ileus.