bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cadmium and children: Exposure and health effects
Authors: SCHOETERS GREET , HOND ELLY DEN , ZUURBIER MONIEK , NAGINIENE RIMA , VAN DEN HAZEL PETER , STILIANAKIS NIKOLAOS , RONCHETTI ROBERTO , KOPPE JANNA G. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractCadmium exposure and accumulation in the body start at young age. Exposure routes in children are mainly via food, environmental tobacco smoke and house dust. Excretion from the body is limited. Cadmium accumulation in the kidney is responsible for effects such as nephrotoxicity and osteoporosis which are observed at adult age. Cadmium exposure through inhalation is also associated with lung cancer in adulthood. Although transfer to the neonate through the placenta and through breast milk is limited, teratogenic and developmental effects were observed in experimental animals. The database on human studies involving children is limited, yet effects on motoric and perceptual behaviour in children have been associated with elevated in utero cadmium exposure. In school age children urinary cadmium levels were associated with immune suppressive effects. More studies are needed to confirm these results. Experimental data in vitro and in animals refer to effects of cadmium on the hypothalamus‐pituitary axis at different levels. This may lead to disorders of the endocrine and/or immune system. Cadmium exposure at early age should be limited as much as possible to prevent direct effects on children and to prevent accumulation of cadmium which may have serious health effects only becoming manifest at older age.
Adverse health effects of children's exposure to pesticides: What do we really know and what can be done about it
Authors: JUREWICZ JOANNA , HANKE WOJCIECH , JOHANSSON CAROLINA , LUNDQVIST CHRISTOFER , CECCATELLI SANDRA , VAN DEN HAZEL PETER , SAUNDERS MARGARET , ZETTERSTRÖM ROLF 
Published: September 2006

AbstractChildren may be exposed to pesticides in several ways, such as by transplacental transfer during foetal life, by intake of contaminated breast milk and other nutrients, or by contact with contaminated subjects and areas in the environment such as pets treated with insecticides, house dust, carpets and chemically treated lawns and gardens. Exposure early in life, and particularly during periods of rapid development, such as during foetal life and infancy, may have severe effects on child health and development by elevating the risk of congenital malformations, cancer, malabsorption, immunological dysfunction, endocrine disease, and neurobehavioural deficiencies. As pesticides can also interfere with parental reproductive health, exposure of parents may have consequences for the offspring leading to reduced chance of male birth and increased risk of childhood cancer. Conclusions: Current knowledge about tolerable levels and consequences of toxic exposure to pesticides during human development is rather scarce. Owing to the high risk of exposure to pesticides, particularly in less developed countries, further elucidation by well‐controlled epidemiological studies in this field it is urgently needed. The Policy Interpretation Network on Children's Health and Environment (PINCHE), which is financed by the EU DG research has suggested actions against pesticide exposure. They have been presented and discussed in this paper. Several suggestions of PINCHE concerning action needed regarding pesticides were presented in the paper.
Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and children's health
Authors: POLANSKA KINGA , HANKE WOJCIECH , RONCHETTI ROBERTO , VAN DEN HAZEL PETER , ZUURBIER MONIEK , KOPPE JANNA G. , BARTONOVA ALENA 
Published: September 2006

AbstractAlmost half of the child population is involuntarily exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The ETS exposure gives rise to an excessive risk of several diseases in infancy and childhood, including sudden infant death syndrome, upper and lower respiratory infections, asthma and middle ear diseases. It is also linked to cancer, and behavioural problems and neurocognitive deficits in children. Conclusions: Protecting children from ETS exposure is a complex and important issue. The best improvement in children's health is to be gained when parents stop smoking or, when that is not possible, they stop smoking in their children's environment. Paediatricians, because of their authority, and their frequent and regular contact with parents, play a leading role in protecting children from ETS exposure. An ideal approach to help parents to stop smoking seems to be initial minimal‐contact advice provided by their paediatrician with feedback and supplemental printed materials, leading to greater intensity and duration of follow‐up home visits.
Air pollution: A threat to the health of our children
Authors: MOSHAMMER HANNS , BARTONOVA ALENA , HANKE WOJTEK , VAN DEN HAZEL PETER , KOPPE JANNA G. , KRÄMER URSULA , RONCHETTI ROBERTO , SRAM RADIM J. , WALLIS MAX , WALLNER PETER , ZUURBIER MONIEK 
Published: September 2006

Abstract Background/methods: Current air pollution levels pose a threat to the health of children starting from conception. The scientific evidence is presented for mortality, morbidity, and sub‐clinical effects. The first section deals with exposure data, the following sections with the evidence of health effects from epidemiology and toxicology leading to recommendations. Results: Improved air quality reduces the number of infants' deaths as well as disease and pain. Conclusions: Medical doctors have a responsibility to know the facts and to advise their patients. Doctors when visiting their patients' homes should be aware of the possibly grave impact of the indoor environment for the respiratory health of their patients. They should recognize and advise the parents on problems associated with environmental tobacco smoke, poor ventilation, mould growth, and maintenance of heating installations. With regard to outdoor air pollution, doctors could serve as role models and also advise their patients and parents on environmentally friendly behaviour. Such behaviour not only calls for personal commitment but also for the right infrastructure to be provided (e.g. public transport, district heating). Doctors should be proactive in the community and in their country as advocates for a healthier environment for our children.
Active Screening in High-Risk Units Is an Effective and Cost-Avoidant Method to Reduce the Rate of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusInfection in the Hospital
Authors: Clancy Megan , Graepler Amy , Wilson Michael , Douglas Ivor , Johnson Jeff , Price Connie Savor 
Published: September 2006

Objective.To evaluate the impact of active screening for methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) on MRSA infection rates and cost avoidance in units where the risk of MRSA transmission is high.Methods.During a 15-month period, all patients admitted to our adult medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) were screened for MRSA nasal carriage on admission and weekly thereafter. The overall rates of all MRSA infections and of nosocomial MRSA infection in the 2 adult ICUs and the general wards were compared with rates during the 15-month period prior to the start of routine screening. The percentage of patients colonized or infected with MRSA on admission and the cost avoidance of the surveillance program were also assessed.Results.The overall rate of MRSA infections for all 3 areas combined decreased from 6.1 infections per 1,000 census-days in the preintervention period to 4.1 infections per 1,000 census-days in the postintervention period (P= .01). The decrease remained statistically significant when only nosocomial MRSA infections were examined (4.5 vs 2.8 infections per 1,000 census-days;P<.01), despite a corresponding increase during the postintervention period in the percentage of patients with onset of MRSA infection in the first 72 hours after admission to the general wards (46% to 81%;P<.005). A total of 3.7% of ICU patients were colonized or infected with MRSA on admission; MRSA would not have been detected in 91% of these patients if screening had not been performed. At a cost of $3,475/month for the program, we averted a mean of 2.5 MRSA infections/month for the ICUs combined, avoiding $19,714/month in excess cost in the ICUs.Conclusions.Even in a setting of increasing community-associated MRSA, active MRSA screening as part of a multi-factorial intervention targeted to high-risk units may be an effective and cost-avoidant strategy for achieving a sustained decrease of MRSA infections throughout the hospital.
Epidemiology of Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aures Skin Infections Among Healthcare Workers in an Outpatient Clinic
Authors: Johnston Cecilia P. , Cooper Lisa , Ruby William , Carroll Karen C. , Cosgrove Sara E. , Perl Trish M. 
Published: September 2006

Abstract We describe an investigation of soft-tissue infections caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains in 2 healthcare workers employed in an outpatient clinic for patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Cultures of environmental samples from multiple surfaces in the clinic grew toxin-producing CA-MRSA strains, suggesting fomites may play a role in the transmission of these strains of MRSA.
Altered dynamics in Lck SH3 upon binding to the LBD1 domain of Herpesvirus saimiri Tip
Authors: Weis David D. , Kjellen Peter , Sefton Bartholomew M. , Engen John R. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe Tip protein from Herpesvirus saimiri interacts with the SH3 domain from the Src‐family kinase Lck via a proline‐containing sequence termed LBD1. Src‐family kinase SH3 domains related to Lck have been shown to be dynamic in solution and partially unfold under physiological conditions. The rate of such partial unfolding is reduced by viral protein binding. To determine if the Lck SH3 domain displayed similar behavior, the domain was investigated with hydrogen exchange and mass spectrometry. Lck SH3 was found to be highly dynamic in solution. While other SH3 domains require as much as 10,000 sec to become totally deuterated, Lck SH3 became almost completely labeled within 200 sec. A partial unfolding event involving 8–10 residues was observed with a half‐life of ∼10 sec. Tip LBD1 binding did not cause gross structural changes in Lck SH3 but globally stabilized the domain and reduced the rate of partial unfolding by a factor of five. The region of partial unfolding in Lck SH3 was found to be similar to that identified for other SH3 domains that partially unfold. Although the sequence conservation between Lck SH3 and other closely related SH3 domains is high, the dynamics do not appear to be conserved.
Methods for the accurate estimation of confidence intervals on protein folding φ‐values
Authors: Ruczinski Ingo , Sosnick Tobin R. , Plaxco Kevin W. 
Published: September 2006

Abstractφ‐Values provide an important benchmark for the comparison of experimental protein folding studies to computer simulations and theories of the folding process. Despite the growing importance of φ measurements, however, formulas to quantify the precision with which φ is measured have seen little significant discussion. Moreover, a commonly employed method for the determination of standard errors on φ estimates assumes that estimates of the changes in free energy of the transition and folded states are independent. Here we demonstrate that this assumption is usually incorrect and that this typically leads to the underestimation of φ precision. We derive an analytical expression for the precision of φ estimates (assuming linear chevron behavior) that explicitly takes this dependence into account. We also describe an alternative method that implicitly corrects for the effect. By simulating experimental chevron data, we show that both methods accurately estimate φ confidence intervals. We also explore the effects of the commonly employed techniques of calculating φ from kinetics estimated at non‐zero denaturant concentrations and via the assumption of parallel chevron arms. We find that these approaches can produce significantly different estimates for φ (again, even for truly linear chevron behavior), indicating that they are not equivalent, interchangeable measures of transition state structure. Lastly, we describe a Web‐based implementation of the above algorithms for general use by the protein folding community.
A phase I radioimmunolocalization trial of humanized monoclonal antibody huA33 in patients with gastric carcinoma
Authors: Sakamoto Junichi , Oriuchi Noboru , Mochiki Erito , Asao Takayuki , Scott Andrew M. , Hoffman Eric W. , Jungbluth Achim A. , Matsui Takanori , Lee F. T. , Papenfuss Anthony , Kuwano Hiroyuki , Takahashi Toshitada , Endo Keigo , Old Lloyd J. 
Published: September 2006

In order to determine the in vivo characteristics of huA33, an open label dose escalation biopsy‐based phase I clinical trial and radioimmunolocalization study were conducted with a complement determinant region‐grafted humanized monoclonal antibody against the A33 antigen in patients with gastric carcinoma. Thirteen patients were entered onto one of four dose levels (1.0, 2.0, 5.0 or 10.0 mg/m2). Patients with locally advanced (UICC‐TNM [International Union Against Cancer–tumor, node, metastasis] stage over 2 but resectable at clinical diagnosis) gastric carcinoma received a single infusion of 131I‐huA33 1 week prior to surgery. Adverse events were monitored, and imaging studies with gamma camera plus ex vivo scintigraphy of the resected specimen, biodistribution study by dosimetry analysis of the biopsied and resected tissues, and immunohistochemical analysis were carried out and evaluated. No dose‐limiting toxicity was observed during the trial. Therefore, the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Although cancer tissues with + intensity and <25% extent by immunostaining in biopsied frozen sections did not show positive imaging or postoperative dosimetry findings, cancers with ++ or +++ intensity or wide (>25%) extent by frozen and paraffin sections in the biopsied specimen showed positive ex vivo tumor images and positive antigen expression in resected gastric cancer specimens, and the biodistribution analysis showed tumor uptake of 131I‐huA33. In conclusion, humanized monoclonal antibody huA33 demonstrated selective localization to gastric cancer that expressed A33 antigen strongly. These excellent targeting characteristics of huA33 indicate potential for targeted therapy of advanced gastric cancer that is refractory to cytotoxic therapy, and could also be exploitable for curatively resected early gastric cancer in an adjuvant setting. (Cancer Sci 2006; 97: 1248–1254)
Protein kinase A subunits of the ascomycete pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola regulate asexual fructification, filamentation, melanization and osmosensing
Authors: MEHRABI RAHIM , KEMA GERT H. J. 
Published: September 2006

SUMMARYAs in many fungi, asexual reproduction of Mycosphaerella graminicola in planta is a complex process that requires proper differentiation of the infectious hyphae in the substomatal cavities of foliar tissue before pycnidia with conidia can be formed. In this study, we have investigated the role of the cAMP signalling pathway in development and pathogenicity of this pathogen by disruption of the genes encoding the catalytic (designated MgTpk2) and regulatory subunit (designated MgBcy1) of protein kinase A. The MgTpk2 and MgBcy1 mutants showed altered phenotypes in vitro when grown under different growth conditions. On potato dextrose agar (PDA), MgBcy1 mutants showed altered osmosensitivity and reduced melanization, whereas the MgTpk2 mutants showed accelerated melanization when compared with the M. graminicola IPO323 wild‐type strain and ectopic transformants. MgTpk2 mutants also secreted a dark‐brown pigment into yeast glucose broth medium. In germination and microconidiation assays, both mutants showed a germination pattern similar to that of the controls on water agar, whereas on PDA filamentous growth of MgTpk2 mutants was impaired. Pathogenicity assays showed that the MgTpk2 and MgBcy1 mutants were less virulent as they caused only limited chlorotic and necrotic symptoms at the tips of the inoculated leaves. Further analyses of the infection process showed that MgTpk2 and MgBcy1 mutants were able to germinate, penetrate and colonize mesophyll tissue, but were unable to produce the asexual fructifications, which was particularly due to inappropriate differentiation during the late stage of this morphogenesis‐related process.
Resistance to fracture of roots filled with three different techniques
Authors: Sagsen B. , Er O. , Kahraman Y. , Akdogan G. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractAim  To compare the fracture resistance of roots filled with different materials.Methodology  Thirty‐four freshly extracted human maxillary central incisor teeth with similar dimension were selected. Crowns were sectioned at the cemento‐enamel junction, and the length of the roots were adjusted to 13 mm. Following the preparation of the root canals and final irrigation with EDTA and saline, the 10 root canals in group 1 were filled with Resilon cones and Epiphany sealer, the 10 root canals in group 2 were filled with gutta‐percha and AH 26 and the 10 root canals in group 3 were filled with gutta‐percha and MCS Canal Sealer. All materials were used with a cold lateral condensation technique. Four root canals remained unfilled and were used as a control group. Tests for fracture strength were performed using a universal testing machine and a round tip that had a diameter of 4 mm. The force was applied vertically with a constant speed of 1 mm min−1. For each root, the force at the time of fracture was recorded in Newtons. Results were evaluated statistically with anova and Tukey Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) tests.Results  The mean force of fracture values was 1043 N, 967 N, 859 N and 517.5 N for groups 3, 1 and 2 and the control group, respectively. There was a significant difference (P < 0.01) between the experimental groups and the control group. No significant differences were found between the three experimental groups.Conclusions  All the materials used in the present study reinforced the prepared root canals.
Fragmentation, disturbance and tree diversity conservation in tropical montane forests
Authors: CAYUELA LUIS , GOLICHER DUNCAN J. , BENAYAS JOSÉ MARÍA REY , GONZÁLEZ‐ESPINOSA MARIO , RAMÍREZ‐MARCIAL NEPTALÍ 
Published: September 2006

Summary

Loss in forest cover associated with human activities leads to forest islands within a fragmented landscape. Anthropogenic disturbance may also directly alter tree species diversity. Habitat fragmentation and disturbance may have implications for biodiversity conservation and can affect a variety of population and community processes over a range of temporal and spatial scales. Effects are manifest both within and between fragments. The complexity of this process challenges the predictive value of simple models based on island biogeographical theory.
We analysed data on tree species diversity from 195 field plots in 16 tropical montane forest fragments in the Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Within this area we identified five community types. Variation in species diversity between fragments in each community was analysed by fitting linear models in which area, core area, edge/area ratio, and mean proximity index were related to mean plot diversity. Variations within fragments were then analysed using linear mixed‐effects models in which the fixed effects were considered to be proximity to edge, canopy closure and a degradation index, whereas fragment‐level variation was modelled as a random effect.
Effects of fragmentation per se, defined as the reduction in area and connectivity between fragments, were not detectable. Within‐fragment effects, however, were evident. Disturbance was associated with lower tree diversity at a local scale, and a notable impact on late successional species.
While not statistically detectable, we expected fragmentation per se to be acting to reduce diversity in the long term. We therefore complemented our analysis by calculating the theoretical loss in species when the number of tree stems in a fragment was halved for each community type using resampled accumulation curves. These models predicted a maximum loss in transitional forest (12 species lost) and evergreen cloud forest fragments (seven to nine species lost) and a minimum loss in oak forest fragments (three species lost).
Synthesis and applications. Our results call into question the utility of island theory when setting conservation priorities for tree species. In our study region, and elsewhere, tree diversity is most immediately threatened by the effects of within‐fragment disturbance. The few remaining areas of intact native forests should be prioritized for conservation regardless of their size and connectivity. If diversity is conserved within these fragments, the short‐term effects of landscape‐scale change may be minimized. They may then be reversed if long‐term restoration initiatives can be implemented.
Increased levels of KL‐6 and subsequent mortality in patients with interstitial lung diseases
Authors: SATOH H. , KURISHIMA K. , ISHIKAWA H. , OHTSUKA M. 
Published: September 2006

Abstracts.Objectives.  KL‐6 is a specific marker in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs); however, the relationship between elevated levels of KL‐6 and subsequent mortality is not well defined. To determine if elevated serum levels of KL‐6 are associated with increased mortality, and to identify the most suitable cut‐off level of KL‐6 by which to distinguish between good prognosis and poor prognosis, we evaluated the prognostic significance of serum KL‐6 levels in patients with stable‐state ILDs.Methods.  Two hundred and nineteen patients diagnosed with ILDs (152 with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and 67 with collagen disease‐associated pulmonary fibrosis) at Tsukuba University Hospital from April 1999 to October 2005 were entered in this study. Serum KL‐6 levels in patients with ILDs were measured with a commercially available enzyme immunoassay kit, and these patients were then followed up.Results.  During the follow‐up period, 58 of the 219 patients died of respiratory failure. Patients who died during this period had higher levels of KL‐6 than did those who did not (P = 0.0004). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed 1000 U mL−1 as the most suitable cut‐off level by which to distinguish between the two groups of patients. The 95% specificity serum KL‐6 level with poor outcome was 2750 U mL−1. In univariate and multivariate analysis, elevated serum KL‐6 (>1000 U mL−1) in the stable state indicated poor prognosis (P = 0.0005, log‐rank test; P = 0.0001, Cox proportional hazard model).Conclusions.  Elevated KL‐6 level may provide simple, yet valuable information by which to identify patients with ILDs who are at increased risk for subsequent mortality.