pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Vascular mediators in chronic lung disease of infancy: role of endothelial monocyte activating polypeptide II (EMAP II)

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease of prematurity. Over the years, the BPD phenotype has evolved, but despite various advances in neonatal management approaches, the reduction in the BPD burden is minimal. With the advent of surfactant, glucocorticoids, and new ventilation strategies, BPD has evolved from a disease of structural injury into a new BPD, marked by an arrest in alveolar growth in the lungs of extremely premature infants. This deficient alveolar growth has been associated with a diminution of pulmonary vasculature. Several investigators have described the epithelial / vascular co-dependency and the significant role of crosstalk between vessel formation, alveologenesis, and lung dysplasia's; hence identification and study of factors that regulate pulmonary vascular emergence and inflammation has become crucial in devising effective therapeutic approaches for this debilitating condition. The potent antiangiogenic and proinflammatory protein Endothelial Monocyte Activating Polypeptide II (EMAP II) has been described as a mediator of pulmonary vascular and alveolar formation and its expression is inversely related to the periods of vascularization and alveolarization in the developing lung. Hence the study of EMAP II could play a vital role in studying and devising appropriate therapeutics for diseases of aberrant lung development, such as BPD. Herein, we review the vascular contribution to lung development and the implications that vascular mediators such as EMAP II have in distal lung formation during the vulnerable stage of alveolar genesis
Epidemiology of Multiple Congenital Anomalies in Europe: A EUROCAT Population-Based Registry Study

Background: This study describes the prevalence, associated anomalies, and demographic characteristics of cases of multiple congenital anomalies (MCA) in 19 population-based European registries (EUROCAT) covering 959,446 births in 2004 and 2010. Methods: EUROCAT implemented a computer algorithm for classification of congenital anomaly cases followed by manual review of potential MCA cases by geneticists. MCA cases are defined as cases with two or more major anomalies of different organ systems, excluding sequences, chromosomal and monogenic syndromes. Results: The combination of an epidemiological and clinical approach for classification of cases has improved the quality and accuracy of the MCA data. Total prevalence of MCA cases was 15.8 per 10,000 births. Fetal deaths and termination of pregnancy were significantly more frequent in MCA cases compared with isolated cases (p<0.001) and MCA cases were more frequently prenatally diagnosed (p<0.001). Live born infants with MCA were more often born preterm (p<0.01) and with birth weight<2500 grams (p<0.01). Respiratory and ear, face, and neck anomalies were the most likely to occur with other anomalies (34% and 32%) and congenital heart defects and limb anomalies were the least likely to occur with other anomalies (13%) (p<0.01). However, due to their high prevalence, congenital heart defects were present in half of all MCA cases. Among males with MCA, the frequency of genital anomalies was significantly greater than the frequency of genital anomalies among females with MCA (p<0.001). Conclusion: Although rare, MCA cases are an important public health issue, because of their severity. The EUROCAT database of MCA cases will allow future investigation on the epidemiology of these conditions and related clinical and diagnostic problems
Corticosteroid use and risk of orofacial clefts

<p>Background: Maternal use of corticosteroids during early pregnancy has been
inconsistently associated with orofacial clefts in the offspring. A previous
report from the National Birth Defect Prevention Study (NBDPS), using data
from 1997 to 2002, found an association with cleft lip and palate (odds ratio,
1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–2.6), but not cleft palate only (odds
ratio, 0.5, 95%CI, 0.2–1.3). From 2003 to 2009, the study population more
than doubled in size, and our objective was to assess this association in the
more recent data.</p><p>Methods: The NBDPS is an ongoing multi-state populationbased
case-control study of birth defects, with ascertainment of cases and
controls born since 1997. We assessed the association of corticosteroids and
orofacial clefts using data from 2372 cleft cases and 5922 controls born from
2003 to 2009. Maternal corticosteroid exposure was based on telephone
interviews.</p><p>Results: The overall association of corticosteroids and cleft lip and
palate in the new data was 1.0 (95% CI, 0.7–1.4). There was little evidence
of associations between specific corticosteroid components or timing and
clefts.</p><p>Conclusion: In contrast to the 1997 to 2002 data from the NBDPS, the
2003 to 2009 data show no association between maternal corticosteroid use
and cleft lip and palate in the offspring.</p
Congenital anomalies of the kidney and the urinary tract : a Murmansk County Birth Registry study

BACKGROUND : Congenital anomalies of the kidney and the urinary tract (CAKUTs) are relatively common birth
defects. The combined prevalence in Europe was 3.3 per 1000 in 2012. The risk factors for these
anomalies are not clearly identified. The aims of our study were to calculate the birth
prevalences of urinary malformations in Murmansk County during 2006-2011 and to investigate
related prenatal risk factors.
METHODS : The Murmansk County Birth Registry was the primary source of information and our study
included 50 936 singletons in the examination of structure, prevalence and proportional
distribution of CAKUTs. The multivariate analyses of risk factors involved 39 322 newborns.
RESULTS : The prevalence of CAKUTs was 4.0 per 1000 newborns [95%CI: 3.4-4.5] and did not change
during the study period. The most prevalent malformation was congenital hydronephrosis
(14.2% of all cases). Diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes [OR = 4.77, 95%CI: 1.16-19.65],
acute infections while pregnant [OR = 1.83, 95%CI: 1.14-2.94], the use of medication during
pregnancy [OR = 2.03, 95%CI: 1.44-2.82], and conception during the summer [OR = 1.75,
95%CI 1.15-2.66] were significantly associated with higher risk of CAKUTs.
CONCLUSIONS : The overall four-fold enhancement of the occurrence of urinary malformations in Murmansk
County for the 2006-2011 period showed little annual dependence. During pregnancy, use of
medications, infections, pre-existing diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes were associated
with increased risk of these anomalies, as was conception during summer. Our findings have
direct applications in improving prenatal care in Murmansk County and establishing targets for
prenatal screening and women’s consultations.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1542-07602017-03-31hb2016School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH
Use of hierarchical models to analyze European trends in congenital anomaly prevalence

Following the embargo period the above license applies.BACKGROUND: Surveillance of congenital anomalies is important to identify potential teratogens. Despite known associations between different anomalies, current surveillance methods examine trends within each subgroup separately. We aimed to evaluate whether hierarchical statistical methods that combine information from several subgroups simultaneously would enhance current surveillance methods using data collected by EUROCAT, a European network of population-based congenital anomaly registries. METHODS: Ten-year trends (2003 to 2012) in 18 EUROCAT registries over 11 countries were analyzed for the following groups of anomalies: neural tube defects, congenital heart defects, digestive system, and chromosomal anomalies. Hierarchical Poisson regression models that combined related subgroups together according to EUROCAT's hierarchy of subgroup coding were applied. Results from hierarchical models were compared with those from Poisson models that consider each congenital anomaly separately. RESULTS: Hierarchical models gave similar results as those obtained when considering each anomaly subgroup in a separate analysis. Hierarchical models that included only around three subgroups showed poor convergence and were generally found to be over-parameterized. Larger sets of anomaly subgroups were found to be too heterogeneous to group together in this way. CONCLUSION: There were no substantial differences between independent analyses of each subgroup and hierarchical models when using the EUROCAT anomaly subgroups. Considering each anomaly separately, therefore, remains an appropriate method for the detection of potential changes in prevalence by surveillance systems. Hierarchical models do, however, remain an interesting alternative method of analysis when considering the risks of specific exposures in relation to the prevalence of congenital anomalies, which could be investigated in other studies. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:480-10, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer-reviewedPost-prin
Distinct mechanisms underlie pattern formation in the skin and skin appendages

Patterns form with the break of homogeneity and lead to the emergence of new structure or arrangement. There are different physiological and pathological mechanisms that lead to the formation of patterns. Here, we first introduce the basics of pattern formation and their possible biological basis. We then discuss different categories of skin patterns and their potential underlying molecular mechanisms. Some patterns, such as the lines of Blaschko and Naevus, are based on cell lineage and genetic mosaicism. Other patterns, such as regionally specific skin appendages, can be set by distinct combinatorial molecular codes, which in turn may be set by morphogenetic gradients. There are also some patterns, such as the arrangement of hair follicles (hair whorls) and fingerprints, which involve genetics as well as stochastic epigenetic events based on physiochemical principles. Many appendage primordia are laid out in developmental waves. In the adult, some patterns, such as those involving cycling hair follicles, may appear as traveling waves in mice. Since skin appendages can renew themselves in regeneration, their size and shape can still change in the adult via regulation by hormones and the environment. Some lesion patterns are based on pathological changes involving the above processes and can be used as diagnostic criteria in medicine. Understanding the different mechanisms that lead to patterns in the skin will help us appreciate their full significance in morphogenesis and medical research. Much remains to be learned about complex pattern formation, if we are to bridge the gap between molecular biology and organism phenotypes. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 78:280-291, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc
Cell fate determination during tooth development and regeneration

Teeth arise from sequential and reciprocal interactions between the oral epithelium and the underlying cranial neural crest-derived mesenchyme. Their formation involves a precisely orchestrated series of molecular and morphogenetic events, and gives us the opportunity to discover and understand the nature of the signals that direct cell fates and patterning. For that reason, it is important to elucidate how signaling factors work together in a defined number of cells to generate the diverse and precise patterned structures of the mature functional teeth. Over the last decade, substantial research efforts have been directed toward elucidating the molecular mechanisms that control cell fate decisions during tooth development. These efforts have contributed toward the increased knowledge on dental stem cells, and observation of the molecular similarities that exist between tooth development and regeneration
Radio frequency electromagnetic field exposure in humans: Estimation of SAR distribution in the brain, effects on sleep and heart rate.

In two previous studies we demonstrated that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) similar to those emitted by digital radiotelephone handsets affect brain physiology of healthy young subjects exposed to RF EMF (900 MHz; spatial peak specific absorption rate [SAR] 1 W/kg) either during sleep or during the waking period preceding sleep. In the first experiment, subjects were exposed intermittently during an 8 h nighttime sleep episode and in the second experiment, unilaterally for 30 min prior to a 3 h daytime sleep episode. Here we report an extended analysis of the two studies as well as the detailed dosimetry of the brain areas, including the assessment of the exposure variability and uncertainties. The latter enabled a more in depth analysis and discussion of the findings. Compared to the control condition with sham exposure, spectral power of the non-rapid eye movement sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) was initially increased in the 9-14 Hz range in both experiments. No topographical differences with respect to the effect of RF EMF exposure were observed in the two experiments. Even unilateral exposure during waking induced a similar effect in both hemispheres. Exposure during sleep reduced waking after sleep onset and affected heart rate variability. Exposure prior to sleep reduced heart rate during waking and stage 1 sleep. The lack of asymmetries in the effects on sleep EEG, independent of bi- or unilateral exposure of the cortex, may indicate involvement of subcortical bilateral projections to the cortex in the generation of brain function changes, especially since the exposure of the thalamus was similar in both experiments (approx. 0.1 W/kg)
Timing of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation does not affect the promotion of bone cell development

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) devices have been used clinically to promote the healing of surgically resistant fractures in vivo. However, there is a sparsity of data on how the timing of an applied pulsed electromagnetic field effects the osteogenic cells that would be present within the fracture gap. The purpose of this study was to examine the response of osteoblast-like cells to a PEMF stimulus, mimicking that of a clinically available device, using four protocols for the timing of the stimulus. The PEMF signal consisted of a 5ms pulse burst (containing 20 pulses) repeated at 15Hz. Cultures of a human osteosarcoma cell line, SaOS-2, were exposed to the four timing protocols, each conducted over three days. Protocol one stimulated the cells for eight hours each day, protocol two stimulated the cells for 24 hours on the first day, protocol three stimulated the cells for 24 hours on the second day and protocol four stimulated the cells for 24 hours on the third day. Cells were seeded with either 25,000 or 50,000 cells/well (24 well cell culture plates). All assays showed reduced proliferation and increased differentiation (alkaline phosphatase activity) in the PEMF stimulated cultures compared with the control cultures, except for protocol four alkaline phosphatase measurements. No clear trend was observed between the four protocols, however this may be due to cell density. The results indicated that an osteoblast-like cell line is responsive to a 15Hz PEMF stimulus, which will stimulate the cell line to into an increasing state of maturity
Effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on an auditory order threshold task

The effect of acute exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) generated by mobile phones on an auditory threshold task was investigated. 168 participants performed the task while exposed to RF EMF in one testing session (either global system for mobile communication (GSM) or unmodulated signals) while in a separate session participants were exposed to sham signals. Lateralization effects were tested by exposing participants either on the left side or on the right side of the head. No significant effect of exposure to RF EMF was detected, suggesting that acute exposure to RF EMFs does not affect performance in the order threshold task. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc
Dosimetric evaluation and comparison of different RF exposure apparatuses used in human volunteer studies

The aim of this study was to provide the information necessary to enable the comparison of exposure conditions in different human volunteer studies published by the research groups at the Universities of Turku, Swinburne, and Zurich. The latter applied a setup optimized for human volunteer studies in the context of risk assessment while the first two applied a modified commercial mobile phone for which detailed dosimetric data were lacking. While the Zurich Setup exposed the entire cortex of the target hemisphere, the other two setups resulted in only very localized exposure of the upper cheek, and concentrated on a limited area of the middle temporal gyrus just above the ear. The resulting peak spatial SAR averaged over 1 g of the cortex was 0.19 W/kg of the Swinburne Setup, and 0.31 W/kg for the Turku Setup, compared to 1 W/kg for the Zurich Setup. The average exposure of the thalamus was 5% and 9% of the Zurich Setup results for the Swinburne and Turku Setups, respectively. In general, the phone-based setup results in only reasonably defined exposures in a very limited area around the maximum exposure; the exposure of the rest of the cortex was low, and may vary greatly as a function of the setup, position, and local anatomy. The analysis confirms the need for a carefully designed exposure setup that exposes the relevant brain areas to a well-defined level in human volunteer studies, and shows that studies can only be properly compared and replicated if sufficiently detailed dosimetric information is available
Pulsed electric field reduces the permeability of potato cell wall

The effect of the application of pulsed electric fields to potato tissue on the diffusion of the fluorescent dye FM1-43 through the cell wall was studied. Potato tissue was subjected to field strengths ranging from 30 to 500 V/cm, with one 1 ms rectangular pulse, before application of FM1-43 and microscopic examination. Our results show a slower diffusion of FM1-43 in the electropulsed tissue when compared with that in the non-pulsed tissue, suggesting that the electric field decreased the cell wall permeability. This is a fast response that is already detected within 30 s after the delivery of the electric field. This response was mimicked by exogenous H2O2 and blocked by sodium azide, an inhibitor of the production of H2O2 by peroxidases
Assessment of intermittent UMTS electromagnetic field effects on blood circulation in the human auditory region using a near-infrared system

The aim of the present study was to assess the potential effects of intermittent Universal Mobile Telecommunications System electromagnetic fields (UMTS-EMF) on blood circulation in the human head (auditory region) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on two different timescales: short-term (effects occurring within 80 s) and medium-term (effects occurring within 80 s to 30 min). For the first time, we measured potential immediate effects of UMTS-EMF in real-time without any interference during exposure. Three different exposures (sham, 0.18 W/kg, and 1.8 W/kg) were applied in a controlled, randomized, crossover, and double-blind paradigm on 16 healthy volunteers. In addition to oxy-, deoxy-, and total haemoglobin concentrations ([O(2) Hb], [HHb], and [tHb], respectively), the heart rate (HR), subjective well-being, tiredness, and counting speed were recorded. During exposure to 0.18 W/kg, we found a significant short-term increase in Δ[O(2) Hb] and Δ[tHb], which is small (≈17%) compared to a functional brain activation. A significant decrease in the medium-term response of Δ[HHb] at 0.18 and 1.8 W/kg exposures was detected, which is in the range of physiological fluctuations. The medium-term ΔHR was significantly higher (+1.84 bpm) at 1.8 W/kg than for sham exposure. The other parameters showed no significant effects. Our results suggest that intermittent exposure to UMTS-EMF has small short- and medium-term effects on cerebral blood circulation and HR
Lateral gradients significantly enhance static magnetic field-induced inhibition of pain responses in mice-a double blind experimental study

Recent research demonstrated that exposure of mice to both inhomogeneous (3–477 mT) and\ud
homogeneous (145 mT) static magnetic fields (SMF) generated an analgesic effect toward visceral\ud
pain elicited by the intraperitoneal injection of 0.6% acetic acid. In the present work, we\ud
investigated behavioral responses such as writhing, entry avoidance, and site preference with the\ud
help of a specially designed cage that partially protruded into either the homogeneous (ho) or\ud
inhomogeneous (inh) SMF. Aversive effects, cognitive recognition of analgesia, and social behavior\ud
governed mice in their free locomotion between SMF and sham sides. The inhibition of pain\ud
response (I) for the 0–5, 6–20, and 21–30 min periods following the challenge was calculated by\ud
the formula I ¼ 100 (1 x/y) in %, where x and y represent the number of writhings in the SMF\ud
and sham sides, respectively. In accordance with previous measurements, an analgesic effect was\ud
induced in exposed mice (Iho ¼ 64%, P < 0.0002 and Iinh ¼ 62%, P < 0.002). No significant\ud
difference was found in the site preference (SMFho, inh vs. sham) indicating that SMF is neither\ud
aversive nor favorable. Comparison of writhings observed in the sham versus SMF side of the\ud
cage revealed that SMF exposure resulted in significantly fewer writhings than sham (Iho ¼ 64%,\ud
P < 0.004 and Iinh ¼ 81%, P < 0.03). Deeper statistical analysis clarified that the lateral SMF\ud
gradient between SMF and sham sides could be responsible for most of the analgesic effect\ud
(Iho ¼ 91%, P < 0.02 and Iinh ¼ 54%, P < 0.02)
Assessment of electric field distribution in anisotropic cortical and subcortical regions under the influence of tDCS

The focus of this study is to estimate the contribution of regional anisotropic conductivity on the spatial distribution of induced electric field across the gray matter (GM), white matter (WM) and sub-cortical regions under transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The assessment was conducted using a passive high-resolution finite element head model with inhomogeneous and variable anisotropic conductivities derived from the diffusion tensor data. Electric field distribution was evaluated across different cortical as well as sub-cortical regions under four bi-cephalic electrode configurations. Results indicate that regional tissue heterogeneity and anisotropy cause the pattern of induced field to vary in orientation and strength when compared to the isotropic scenario. Different electrode montages resulted in distinct distribution patterns with noticeable variations in field strengths. The effect of anisotropy is highly montage dependent and directional conductivity has a more profound effect in defining the strength of the induced field. The inclusion of anisotropy in the GM and sub-cortical regions has a significant effect on the strength and spatial distribution of the induced electric field. Under (C3–Fp2) montage, the inclusion of GM and sub-cortical anisotropy increased the average percentage difference in the electric field strength of brain from 5% (WM anisotropy only) to 34%. In terms of patterns distribution, the topographic errors increased from 9.9% (WM anisotropy only) to 40% across the brain.