bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human platelet antigen (HPA)-1a peptides do not reliably suppress anti-HPA-1a responses using a humanized severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse model
Authors: Jackson D J , Eastlake J L , Kumpel B M
Published: November 2013

Fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) occurs most frequently when human platelet antigen (HPA)-1a-positive fetal platelets are destroyed by maternal HPA-1a immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies. Pregnancies at risk are treated by administration of high-dose intravenous Ig (IVIG) to women, but this is expensive and often not well tolerated. Peptide immunotherapy may be effective for ameliorating some allergic and autoimmune diseases. The HPA-1a/1b polymorphism is Leu/Pro33 on β3 integrin (CD61), and the anti-HPA-1a response is restricted to HPA-1b1b and HLA-DRB3*0101-positive pregnant women with an HPA-1a-positive fetus. We investigated whether or not HPA-1a antigen-specific peptides that formed the T cell epitope could reduce IgG anti-HPA-1a responses, using a mouse model we had developed previously. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in blood donations from HPA-1a-immunized women were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice with peptides and HPA-1a-positive platelets. Human anti-HPA-1a in murine plasma was quantitated at intervals up to 15 weeks. HPA-1a-specific T cells in PBMC were identified by proliferation assays. Using PBMC of three donors who had little T cell reactivity to HPA-1a peptides in vitro, stimulation of anti-HPA-1a responses by these peptides occurred in vivo. However, with a second donation from one of these women which, uniquely, had high HPA-1a-specific T cell proliferation in vitro, marked suppression of the anti-HPA-1a response by HPA-1a peptides occurred in vivo. HPA-1a peptide immunotherapy in this model depended upon reactivation of HPA-1a T cell responses in the donor. For FNAIT, we suggest that administration of antigen-specific peptides to pregnant women might cause either enhancement or reduction of pathogenic antibodies.
Multi‐Scale Kernels Using Random Walks
Authors: Sinha A. , Ramani K.
Published: November 2013

We introduce novel multi‐scale kernels using the random walk framework and derive corresponding embeddings and pairwise distances. The fractional moments of the rate of continuous time random walk (equivalently diffusion rate) are used to discover higher order kernels (or similarities) between pair of points. The formulated kernels are isometry, scale and tessellation invariant, can be made globally or locally shape aware and are insensitive to partial objects and noise based on the moment and influence parameters. In addition, the corresponding kernel distances and embeddings are convergent and efficiently computable. We introduce dual Green's mean signatures based on the kernels and discuss the applicability of the multi‐scale distance and embedding. Collectively, we present a unified view of popular embeddings and distance metrics while recovering intuitive probabilistic interpretations on discrete surface meshes.
Cytomorphological and clinicopathological spectrum of pulmonary marginal zone lymphoma: the utility of immunophenotyping, PCR and FISH studies
Authors: Ko H. M. , Geddie W. R. , Boerner S. L. , Rogalla P. , da Cunha Santos G.
Published: November 2013

Objective

To review cytomorphological criteria and clinicopathological findings in combination with ancillary tests for the specific diagnosis of pulmonary marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) in fine needle aspiration (FNA) specimens.

Methods

Cases of pulmonary MZL diagnosed using cytological specimens from 2005 to 2012 were retrieved and reviewed by three cytopathologists. Results of immunophenotypic analysis, interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and molecular assays were collated, together with clinical information and imaging data. Concurrent surgical biopsies were also retrieved.

Results

Fifteen lung FNA specimens were identified. The smears consisted predominantly of small centrocyte‐like cells. Marked plasma cell differentiation was evident in 11 cases. All cases with slides available showed tissue fragments with lymphoid tangles (TFLTs). Multinucleated giant cells were present in nine cases, two of which showed granulomas. Immunophenotyping confirmed B‐cell clonality in all cases. B‐cell clonality was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in two samples. FISH identified MALT1 translocation in four of 10 cases tested and trisomy 3 in three of four cases. Concurrent surgical biopsies were diagnosed independently as MZL in seven cases.

Conclusions

Cytology smears from lung FNA samples consisting of small lymphoid cells with a relative abundance of plasma cells or plasmacytoid cells and large TFLTs should prompt immunophenotyping and other ancillary studies, even if multinucleated giant cells and poorly formed granulomas are also identified. Specific diagnosis of pulmonary MZL in FNA samples can be rendered on the basis of morphological features coupled with the demonstration of B‐cell clonality by immunophenotyping or PCR and cytogenetic abnormalities by FISH.
Molecular characterization of dental development in a toothed archosaur, the American alligator Alligator mississippiensis
Authors: Weeks Olivia , Bhullar Bhart‐Anjan S. , Abzhanov Arhat
Published: November 2013

Few skeletal structures are as informative of the adaptive natural history of vertebrate animals as their teeth. Understanding principles of tooth development is key to understanding evolution of the vertebrate dentition in general and emergence of multiple specialized tooth types in particular. Morphological and phylogenetic considerations suggest that crocodilians have the most primitive mode of dentition within extant tetrapods, displaying simple, conical, socketed, and continuously replaced teeth. Previous histological studies revealed several dental fates, including functional and non‐functional teeth (rudiments) in the developing alligator embryos. We analyze expression of key odontogenic regulators and markers to better characterize the molecular patterning of crocodilian dentition. Importantly, we demonstrate that the morphologically distinct tooth types in Alligator mississippiensis are distinguishable by differences in their developmental programs. We also present evidence showing that tooth maturation is accompanied by dynamic gene expression in the epithelial and mesenchymal cells involved in tooth development. Our data reveal a significant morphological and genetic variation in early dental fates. We believe that this underlying developmental variation reflects modularity, or the ability of teeth to develop semi‐autonomously along the alligator jaw. We propose that such modularity may have been a crucial for adaptive evolution within Amniota, allowing for the progressive modifications to tooth replacement, number, and shape.
A new embryonic pattern in parasitic wasps: divergence in early development may not be associated with lifestyle
Authors: Mancini Donato , Garonna Antonio P. , Pedata Paolo A.
Published: November 2013

Comparative embryogenesis of Encarsia formosa and Encarsia pergandiella (Hymenoptera Aphelinidae), two endoparasitoids of whiteflies (Hemiptera Aleyrodidae), revealed two strongly diverging developmental patterns. Indeed, the centrolecithal anhydropic egg of E. formosa developed through a superficial cleavage, as it occurs in Nasonia vitripennis, Apis mellifera, and Drosophila melanogaster. In contrast, the alecithal hydropic egg of E. pergandiella developed through holoblastic cleavage within a specialized extra‐embryonic membrane (EEM). Since this developmental pattern evolved independently in several lineages of hymenopteran endoparasitoids, departures from the superficial cleavage mode have been argued to be strongly canalized in response to a shift from ecto‐ to endoparasitic lifestyle. Coexistence of both developmental patterns in two congeneric species suggests that alterations of early embryonic development may not be correlated with lifestyle. In addition, embryogenesis of E. pergandiella exhibited the following developmental novelties compared to other species possessing a hydropic egg: (i) polar body derivatives early acquired a cytoskeletal boundary prior to any other cellularization event; (ii) cellularization was asynchronous, starting with an early differentiation of a single apical blastomere at the end of the third cleavage; (iii) appearance of cytoskeletal boundaries of embryo blastomeres occurred between the third and fourth cleavages; (iv) the EEM originated through asynchronous participation of three separate lineages of cleavage nuclei, one of which associated with the polar body derivatives in a syncytium. Our results confirm a scenario of high plasticity in the early developmental strategies of hymenopteran endoparasitoids.
Deficiency of zebrafish fgf20a results in aberrant skull remodeling that mimics both human cranial disease and evolutionarily important fish skull morphologies
Authors: Cooper W. James , Wirgau Rachel M. , Sweet Elly M. , Albertson R. Craig
Published: November 2013

The processes that direct skull remodeling are of interest to both human‐oriented studies of cranial dysplasia and evolutionary studies of skull divergence. There is increasing awareness that these two fields can be mutually informative when natural variation mimics pathology. Here we describe a zebrafish mutant line, devoid of blastema (dob), which does not have a functional fgf20a protein, and which also presents cranial defects similar to both adaptive and clinical variation. We used geometric morphometric methods to provide quantitative descriptions of the effects of the dob mutation on skull morphogenesis. In combination with “whole‐mount in situ hybridization” labeling of normal fgf20a expression and assays for osteoblast and osteoclast activity, the results of these analyses indicate that cranial dysmorphologies in dob zebrafish are generated by aberrations in post‐embryonic skull remodeling via decreased osteoblasotgenesis and increased osteoclastogenesis. Mutational effects include altered skull vault geometries and midfacial hypoplasia that are consistent with key diagnostic signs for multiple human craniofacial syndromes. These phenotypic shifts also mimic changes in the functional morphology of fish skulls that have arisen repeatedly in several highly successful radiations (e.g., damselfishes and East‐African rift‐lake cichlids). Our results offer the dob/fgf20a mutant as an experimentally tractable model with which to examine post‐embryonic skull development as it relates to human disease and vertebrate evolution.
Evaluation and clinical use of an intraoral inferior alveolar nerve block in the horse
Authors: Henry T. , Pusterla N. , Guedes A. G. P. , Verstraete F. J. M.
Published: November 2013

Reasons for performing study

Local anaesthesia is often required to facilitate invasive procedures in equine dental patients under standing sedation.

Objectives

To show that an intraoral approach can be used to desensitise the inferior alveolar nerve in horses and report complications seen with this technique.

Methods

The distance of the mandibular foramen from the distal (caudal) edge of the mandibular third molar tooth, rostral edge of the mandibular ramus and ventral margin of the mandible were measured in 26 adult equine skulls of various ages and breeds. Computed tomography (CT) was used to verify the placement of the local anaesthetic with a custom‐made device on 4 equine cadaver heads. The technique was applied in 43 clinical cases having procedures performed on the mandibular quadrants using the delivery device.

Results

Computed tomography demonstrated that the intraoral approach provided deposition of the local anaesthetic at the mandibular foramen and anatomical localisation of mandibular foramen indicated that anaesthetic solution could be delivered with a 38 mm needle. Clinical patients to lerated invasive dental procedures following the inferior alveolar nerve block with a 5 ml dose of local anaesthetic, without evidence of self‐inflicted lingual trauma.

Conclusions

The inferior alveolar nerve was successfully desensitised with the intraoral approach with minimal complications. The reduced volume of local anaesthetic and ability to deposit the local anaesthetic in close proximity to the nerve compared with an extraoral technique may decrease the complication of self‐inflicted lingual trauma.
The effects of artificial lighting on adult aquatic and terrestrial insects
Authors: Perkin Elizabeth K. , Hölker Franz , Tockner Klement
Published: November 2013

There is a growing concern that artificial light might affect local insect populations and disrupt their dispersal across the landscape. In this study, we investigated experimentally the effect of artificial light on flying insects in the field, with an emphasis on aquatic insects. We asked whether lights prevented the ability of insects to disperse across the landscape, a process that is crucial in colonising restored habitats.

We set up six, c. 3.5 m high downward facing high‐pressure sodium streetlights along a permanently connected oxbow in the Spree River of eastern Germany. We collected insects using 12 flight intercept traps, each with trays at three different heights (0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 m), placed at distances 0, 3, 40 and 75 m from the lights and 5, 8 and 80 m from water. The number of emerging aquatic insects in the study area was measured with six emergence traps. We emptied the traps 22 times between June and September 2010; the lights were on for 11 of these nights and off for the other 11.

In total, we caught almost 27 times as many insects at traps 0 m from the lights when the lights were on than when they were off. Most insects caught when the lights were on were aquatic, with Diptera being the most common order. Furthermore, the proportion of aquatic insects caught at traps 0, 3 and 40 m from the lights when they were on was significantly higher than when they were off. On lit nights, more aquatic insects were captured per hour and m2 (area in which flying insects were intercepted) at traps 0 m from the lights than emerged from per square metre per hour from the Spree River.

Our results suggest that adult aquatic insects can be negatively affected by artificial light and that city planners should take this into account when designing lighting systems along rivers.
Apocalypse Now: On Heinrich von Kleist, Caspar David Friedrich, and the Emergence of Abstract Art
Authors: Meyertholen Andrea
Published: November 2013

While discussions of abstract art usually imply that the movement began in the twentieth century, its conceptualization pre‐dates its identification as a distinct tendency in the visual arts. One early text that articulates the premises of abstract art is Heinrich von Kleist's “Empfindungen vor Friedrichs Seelandschaft,” his narrative response from 1810 to Caspar David Friedrich's controversial paintingDer Mönch am Meer. For all its inherent radicality and despite its departure from mimetic representation,Der Mönch am Meerdoes not constitute a leap on the part of Friedrich to abstract aesthetics. Rather, I argue that, in his re‐imagining ofDer Mönch am Meer, Kleist crosses this threshold, constituting a vision of nonrepresentational art nearly a century prior to its purported existence. As I show by examining both painting and prose, what Friedrich anticipates with his visual image, Kleist describes in his written text.
Periglacial evidence for a 1.91–1.89 Ga old glacial period at low latitude, Central Sweden
Authors: Kuipers Gerrit , Beunk Frank F. , van der Wateren Frederik M.
Published: November 2013

Cryoturbation and slump fold‐like sedimentary structures in ca. 1.9 Ga old dacitic metavolcanic sediments in West Bergslagen, Central Sweden, are recognized as a lowland periglacial environment. This type of environment is comparable with present day tundra in Siberia. Ice‐wedge casts and cryoturbation, together with polygonal frost patterns, are typical geomorphological structures above permafrost in this type of environment. The sedimentary environment could be interpreted as periglacial, broadly comparable to present day tundras. Intensive cryoturbation of the formation and close structural analogy with Quaternary ice‐wedges suggests a cold and humid environment. This discovery is corroborated by a previous report of glacial sediments and structures from NW Australia of ca. 1.8 Ga age. Both occurrences developed at low geographical latitudes, at locations far apart in the Late Palaeoproterozoic supercontinent Columbia. Either suggest the existence of a ca. 100 Ma long epoch of extreme, though possibly intermittent glaciations during the ca. 1.4 Ga long ‘Proterozoic gap’ (∼2.2–0.77 Ga) from which no convincing glacial deposits were previously known.
The CARE Guidelines: Consensus‐Based Clinical Case Reporting Guideline Development
Authors: Gagnier Joel J. , Kienle Gunver , Altman Douglas G. , Moher David , Sox Harold , Riley David ,   CARE Group
Published: November 2013

Background

A case report is a narrative that describes, for medical, scientific, or educational purposes, a medical problem experienced by one or more patients. Case reports written without guidance from reporting standards are insufficiently rigorous to guide clinical practice or to inform clinical study design.

Objective

Develop, disseminate, and implement systematic reporting guidelines for case reports.

Methods

We used a three‐phase consensus process consisting of (1) pre‐meeting literature review and interviews to generate items for the reporting guidelines, (2) a face‐to‐face consensus meeting to draft the reporting guidelines, and (3) post‐meeting feedback, review, and pilot testing, followed by finalization of the case report guidelines.

Results

This consensus process involved 27 participants and resulted in a 13‐item checklist—a reporting guideline for case reports. The primary items of the checklist are title, key words, abstract, introduction, patient information, clinical findings, timeline, diagnostic assessment, therapeutic interventions, follow‐up and outcomes, discussion, patient perspective, and informed consent.

Conclusions

We believe the implementation of the CARE (CAse REport) guidelines by medical journals will improve the completeness and transparency of published case reports and that the systematic aggregation of information from case reports will inform clinical study design, provide early signals of effectiveness and harms, and improve healthcare delivery.
Energetic Effects of Substitution of La–Nd and Si–Ge Oxyapatite‐Type Materials
Authors: Hosseini Seyedeh Mahboobeh , Navrotsky Alexandra
Published: November 2013

A series of lanthanide oxyapatites, neodymium silicates (Nd9.33−xM3x/2(SiO4)6O2; x = 0.0 and 2.0 and M = Ca, Sr, and Ba), and lanthanum germanate (La10(GeO4)6O3) were prepared by a variety of heat treatments and characterized. High‐temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry in molten 2PbO–B2O3 solvent at 1078 K was performed to determine their enthalpies of formation from constituent oxides at room temperature. The energetics of these materials is discussed in terms of the effects of doping on two crystallographic sites, the lanthanide and tetrahedral sites. The enthalpy of formation from oxides becomes less exothermic by substituting La with Nd throughout the whole series, in both doped and undoped compositions, reflecting the smaller radius and lower basicity of Nd compared with La. Cation stoichiometric lanthanum germanate apatite (La10(GeO4)6O3) shows a more endothermic enthalpy of formation than the corresponding silicate, reflecting the larger radius and lower acidity of Ge than Si.
Securitization and Bank Performance
Authors: CASU BARBARA , CLARE ANDREW , SARKISYAN ANNA , THOMAS STEPHEN
Published: November 2013

Using predominantly precrisis U.S. commercial bank data, this paper employs a propensity score matching approach to analyze whether individual banks did improve their performance through securitization. On average, our results show that securitizing banks tend to be more profitable institutions, with higher credit risk exposure. Despite a more diversified funding structure, they face higher funding costs. We also find that securitizing banks tend to hold larger and less diversified loan portfolios, have less liquidity, and hold less capital. However, our analysis does not provide evidence to suggest that securitization had an impact upon bank performance.
Do Central Banks React to House Prices?
Authors: FINOCCHIARO DARIA , VON HEIDEKEN VIRGINIA QUEIJO
Published: November 2013

We estimate the Federal Reserve's, the Bank of England's, and the Bank of Japan's responses to house prices. We show that generalized method of moments estimates of a Taylor rule augmented with house prices are biased and dispersed. We then use full‐information methods and estimate the policy rule together with a VAR for the nonpolicy variables. These estimates are also biased. We propose an alternative approach and estimate a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model embedded with a monetary rule with a direct response to house prices. We find that house prices played a separate role in the reaction functions of these central banks.
Separation of Unit of Account from Medium of Exchange
Authors: KIM YOUNG SIK , LEE MANJONG
Published: November 2013

The separation of a unit of account (UoA) from a medium of exchange (MoE) in the commodity–money system is investigated by considering explicitly a seller's choice of UoA in terms of either an MoE or a unit of metal weight. If the likelihood of debasement of an MoE and its rate are high enough, the price is posted in terms of a unit of metal weight rather than an MoE. Interestingly, this MoE–UoA separated equilibrium yields the flexible nominal price, whereas an MoE–UoA integrated equilibrium yields the sticky one. This implies the nominal price rigidity in the fiat‐money system where MoE and UoA are integrated.
Cytosolic PINK1 escapes from mitochondria to promote dendritic outgrowth
Authors: Tieu Kim , Xia Xu‐Gang
Published: November 2013

Read the full article ‘Beyond the mitochondrion: cytosolic PINK1 remodels dendrites through Protein Kinase A’ on doi: 10.1111/jnc.12494
Data Sharing to Inform School‐Based Asthma Services
Authors: Portwood Sharon G. , Nelson Elissa B.
Published: November 2013

BACKGROUND

This article examines results and lessons learned from a collaborative project involving a large urban school district, its county health department, multiple community partners, and the local university to establish an effective system for data sharing to inform monitoring and evaluation of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Asthma Education Program (AEP).

METHODS

Databases maintained by nurses, program staff, and school personnel were integrated into a single AEP Evaluation Database.

RESULTS

There were a number of positive findings, including evidence that students with an elevated level of need received priority from AEP. A series of dependent group t tests analyzing changes across time in students' grade‐point averages and absences, as well as their implications, also demonstrated some improvements. Additional outcome analyses for the 296 students who received case management services demonstrated further program benefits in the areas of attendance, academic performance, behavior, and quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Enhancing the ability of school‐based programs to merge data across project partners will facilitate efforts not only to evaluate services but also to demonstrate program impact on a wide variety of health and academic outcomes for students.
Sustaining School‐Based Asthma Interventions Through Policy and Practice Change
Authors: Carpenter Laurie M. , Lachance Laurie , Wilkin Margaret , Clark Noreen M.
Published: November 2013

BACKGROUND

Schools are an ideal setting for implementation of asthma interventions for children; however, sustaining school‐based programs can be challenging. This study illustrates policy and practice changes brought about through the Childhood Asthma Linkages in Missouri (CALM) program to sustain such programs.

METHODS

Researchers analyzed caregiver‐reported quantitative data regarding asthma‐related outcomes in preintervention and postintervention surveys and qualitative data regarding sustainability efforts in schools reported by CALM grantees. A grounded theory approach was used to identify key concepts and themes that emerged.

RESULTS

In 330 children, significant improvements were seen in asthma symptoms, rescue inhaler use, health care utilization, school absenteeism, and activity limitations. Overall, 27 school‐based policy and practice changes supporting program sustainability were reported, with policy changes most often concerning the assessment and/or monitoring of children with asthma in the school setting, and practice changes most often regarding institution of regular asthma education programs for students and school personnel.

CONCLUSIONS

Sustaining school‐based asthma programs is challenging, but can be realized through the participation of diverse partners in enacting policy and practice changes that support the institutionalization of programs into the day‐to‐day processes of the schools.
Challenges of Asthma Management for School Nurses in Districts With High Asthma Hospitalization Rates
Authors: Liberatos Penny , Leone Jennifer , Craig Ann Marie , Frei Elizabeth Mary , Fuentes Natalie , Harris India Marie
Published: November 2013

BACKGROUND

School nurses play a central role in assisting elementary school children in managing their asthma, especially those in higher‐risk school districts that are at increased risk of uncontrolled asthma. Study purposes are to (1) identify barriers to asthma management by school nurses in higher‐risk school districts; and (2) assess the extent to which National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) recommendations are followed in these districts.

METHODS

School districts containing at least one zipcode with high asthma hospitalization rates among children (0‐14 years) in a New York State county were identified. Nurses in 44 elementary schools were surveyed about asthma management during 2008. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected.

RESULTS

Study nurses learned of children with asthma mainly through school records and when students presented with symptoms rather than through parents. The major obstacles to asthma management were communication with parents and parental support. Reluctance of some physicians to diagnose asthma in these children presented a barrier and contributed to the nurses' ability to gain parental cooperation. Adherence to the NAEPP school recommendations was inconsistent.

CONCLUSIONS

Improvement in the communication among parents, school nurses, and providers is critical to the improvement of asthma management for children in high‐risk school districts.
Enhancing School Asthma Action Plans: Qualitative Results From Southeast Minnesota Beacon Stakeholder Groups
Authors: Egginton Jason S. , Textor Lauren , Knoebel Erin , McWilliams Deborah , Aleman Marty , Yawn Barbara
Published: November 2013

BACKGROUND

This study explores ways southeast Minnesota schools currently address asthma problems, identifies areas for improvement, and assesses the potential value of asthma action plans (AAPs) in schools.

METHODS

Focus groups were used to query stakeholder groups on asthma care in schools. Groups were held separately for elementary school personnel, parents of elementary school children with asthma, and health professionals (N = 103). Transcripts were analyzed by hand and by using NVivo 9 software.

RESULTS

Overall 103 stakeholders participated in focus groups. Major themes were (1) Communication; no uniform way of exchanging information between schools and health professionals. (2) Asthma Control Continuum; students require individualized instructions and information related to their asthma care. (3) Policy/Protocol; school staff roles and rules vary and are unclear. (4) Self‐Reliance; older children self‐manage their asthma and are unknown until they need emergent support. Solution recommended included AAPs used systematically with a method to communicate back from schools to physicians and parents.

CONCLUSIONS

The AAP may solve several of the school's concerns regarding their ability to provide asthma support in school. However, the AAP must reach the school, and that is currently not happening. In addition, schools would like tools and systems to assess asthma control and share information back with parents and physicians.
Catechol 2,3‐dioxygenase and other meta‐cleavage catabolic pathway genes in the ‘anaerobic’ termite gut spirochete Treponema primitia
Authors: Lucey Kaitlyn S. , Leadbetter Jared R.
Published: November 2013

Microorganisms have evolved a spectacular diversity of metabolisms, some of which allow them to overcome environmental constraints, utilize abundant but inaccessible resources and drive nutrient cycling in various ecosystems. The termite hindgut microbial community is optimized to metabolize wood, and in recent years, the in situ physiological and ecological functions of community members have been researched. Spirochetes are abundant in the termite gut, and herein, putative aromatic meta‐cleavage pathway genes typical of aerobic pseudomonads were located in genomes of homoacetogenic termite hindgut ‘anaerobes’, Treponema primitia str. ZAS‐1 and ZAS‐2. Phylogenetic analyses suggest the T. primitia catechol 2,3‐dioxygenase and several other essential meta‐pathway genes were acquired from an α‐proteobacterium in the distant past to augment several genes T. primitia acquired from anaerobic firmicutes that do not directly catabolize aromatics but can contribute to the final pathway steps. Further, transcripts for each meta‐pathway gene were expressed in strictly anaerobic cultures of T. primitia str. ZAS‐2 indicative of constitutive pathway expression. Also, the addition of catechol + O2 to T. primitia liquid cultures resulted in the transient accumulation of trace amounts of the yellow ring cleavage product, hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. This is the first evidence of aromatic ring cleavage in the phylum (division) Spirochetes. Results also support a possible role for T. primitia in termite hindgut O2/lignin aromatic monomer metabolism. Potential O2‐dependent yet nonrespiratory microbial metabolisms have heretofore been overlooked and warrant further investigation. These metabolisms could describe the degradation of plant‐derived and other aromatics in microoxic environments and contribute significantly to carbon turnover.
Production of (Pleasant) Time by Means of (Unpleasant) Time: Some Notes on Consumption Theory and Time Use
Authors: Nisticò Sergio
Published: November 2013

The aim of this paper is to propose an analytical framework wherein the individuals' choice problem is addressed in terms of alternative time‐consuming activities rather than alternative bundles of goods and services. In particular, the paper reversesBecker's (1965,The Economic Journal, 75 (299), pp. 493–517) proposal to approach the problem of time allocation by transforming the time spent in consumption into foregone earnings. The result of reversingBecker's approach is a model that represents each activity as a sort of productive process allowing pleasant time to be produced by consuming ‘direct’ unpleasant time plus the ‘indirect’ amount of unpleasant time equivalent to the market goods used up as inputs.
Nitrate/oxygen co‐sensing by an NreA/NreB sensor complex of Staphylococcus carnosus
Authors: Nilkens Stephanie , Koch‐Singenstreu Mareike , Niemann Volker , Götz Friedrich , Stehle Thilo , Unden Gottfried
Published: November 2013

In Staphylococci maximal induction of nitrate reductase (narGHJI genes) requires anaerobic conditions, the presence of nitrate, and the NreABC regulatory system. Aerobic regulation is effected by the NreB/NreC two‐component system. The role of the nitrate receptor NreA in nitrate induction and its relation to aerobic regulation was analysed in Staphylococcus carnosus. Nitrate induction of a narG‐lip reporter gene required presence of NreB/NreC. When nreA was deleted, nitrate was no longer required for maximal induction, suggesting that NreA is a nitrate regulated inhibitor of NreB/NreC. In vitro, NreA and mutant NreA(Y95A) decreased NreB phosphorylation in part or completely, which was due to the inhibition of the autophosphorylating activity rather than an increase of phosphatase activity. Inhibition of phosphorylation was relieved completely when the nitrate‐bound NreA was used instead of the nitrate‐free form. In the bacterial two‐hybrid BACTH system and HPINE interaction assays, NreA interacted with NreB, but not with NreC, and the interaction was diminished by nitrate. In summary, NreA interacts with NreB and controls its phosphorylation level in a nitrate dependent manner. In this way nitrate and NreA modulate the function of the oxygen sensor NreB, resulting in nitrate/oxygen co‐sensing by an NreA/NreB sensor unit as part of the NreABC‐system.
Biological and molecular variation of Cherry leaf roll virus isolates from Malus domestica, Ribes rubrum, Rubus idaeus, Rumex obtusifolius and Vaccinium darrowii
Authors: Woo E. N. Y. , Pearson M. N.
Published: November 2013

Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) isolates from Malus domestica, Ribes rubrum, Rubus idaeus, Rumex obtusifolius and Vaccinium darrowii were characterized based on nucleotide sequences of a 371 bp fragment of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of their genomic RNAs, symptoms in the herbaceous hosts, Chenopodium amaranticolor, Chenopodium quinoa, Nicotiana benthamiana, Nicotiana occidentalis and Nicotiana tabacum, and seed transmission in N. occidentalis. The different isolates induced a range of localized and systemic disease symptoms, of varying severity, in the herbaceous hosts. The isolates from M. domestica, R. rubrum, R. obtusifolius and V. darrowii all showed greater than 80% seed transmission in N. occidentalis, but no seed transmission was observed for the R. idaeus isolate. Based on symptoms and seed transmission, the isolates appear to be biologically distinct strains of CLRV. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences from the 3′ UTR, commonly used to detect CLRV, showed that four isolates from M. domestica, R. rubrum, R. idaeus and V. darrowii were almost identical but an isolate from R. obtusifolius exhibited a pairwise nucleotide difference of up to 5·4% when compared to these isolates. There was no obvious correlation between sequence differences and symptomatology.
Identification of a new HLA‐A null allele, A*30:59N, with a stop codon in exon 3, by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Nie X.‐M. , Zhu Y.‐J. , Zhang Y. , Qiao W.‐B.
Published: November 2013

A new human leukocyte antigen‐A (HLA‐A) null allele, A*30:59N, has one nucleotide change resulting in a stop codon at codon 128 in exon 3.
The novel HLA‐A allele, A*26:74, identified by sequence‐based typing in a Chinese individual
Authors: Qiao W.‐B. , Cheng H. , Shen H. , Zhuang Y.‐L. , Zhu C.‐F.
Published: November 2013

HLA‐A*26:74, one nucleotide change resulting in a new motif ACG at codon 138.
Higher risk of uveitis and dactylitis and older age of onset among ankylosing spondylitis patients with HLA‐B*2705 than patients with HLA‐B*2704 in the Chinese population
Authors: Qi J. , Li Q. , Lin Z. , Liao Z. , Wei Q. , Cao S. , Rong J. , Hu Z. , Yang M. , Zhang Y. , Lv Q. , Huang J. , Pan Y. , Wu Y. , Jin O. , Li T. , Gu J.
Published: November 2013

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐B27 is closely associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, the exact correlation between HLA‐B27 subtypes and AS manifestations remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between HLA‐B27 polymorphism and the clinical features of AS. This study included 846 patients with AS and 959 healthy controls. Direct sequencing was used to identify the HLA‐B27 genotype. Clinical parameters, including age, age of onset, family history, low back pain, peripheral arthritis, hip joint involvement, dactylitis, uveitis, and sex ratio, were compared among patients with various HLA‐B27 subtypes. In total, 741 AS patients (87.6%) and 39 healthy controls (4%) were HLA‐B27‐positive. The most prevalent subtypes were HLA‐B*2704 (88%) and HLA‐B*2705 (10.1%) in patients with AS. Compared with HLA‐B*2704‐positive patients, HLA‐B*2705‐positive patients demonstrated a significant increase in the incidence of uveitis (16% vs 6.13%, P = 0.002) and dactylitis (9.3% vs 3.8%, P = 0.028) and they had an older age of onset (22.9 ± 8.0 vs 20.7 ± 6.7 years, P = 0.028). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that presence of uveitis was significantly associated with HLA‐B*2705 (P = 0.008; odds ratio, 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.283–5.393). There were no significant differences in family history, low back pain, peripheral arthritis, or hip joint involvement among HLA‐B27 subtypes. Specific HLA‐B27 subtypes were positively associated with particular clinical features of AS. AS patients with HLA‐B*2705 demonstrated an older age of onset and had a higher risk of uveitis and dactylitis than did AS patients with HLA‐B*2704.
IL‐10 promoter polymorphisms influence susceptibility to aGvHD and are associated with proportions of CD4+FoxP3+ lymphocytes in blood after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Jaskula E. , Lange A. , Dlubek D. , Kyrcz‐Krzemień S. , Markiewicz M. , Dzierzak‐Mietla M. , Jedrzejczak W. W. , Gronkowska A. , Nowak J. , Warzocha K. , Hellmann A. , Kowalczyk J. , Drabko K. , Goździk J. , Mizia S. ,   on behalf of the Polish Donor‐Recipient Matching Group
Published: November 2013

Four hundred and ninety‐five patients (390 and 105 grafted from unrelated and sibling (SIB) donors, respectively) and their donors were analyzed for the impact of interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) promoter genotype [rs18000896 (−1082 G/A), rs18000871 (−819 C/T) and rs18000872 (−592 C/A)] on the outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Patients having ACC haplotype were at a lower risk of acute graft versus host disease (aGvHD, grade > I) if transplanted from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) well‐matched (10/10) unrelated donors (20/135 vs 39/117, P < 0.001, Pcorr = 0.002), which was not seen if patients were transplanted from either sibling (SIB) or poorly matched (<10/10) unrelated donors (MUD). In addition, GCC haplotype positive recipients of unrelated donor transplants tended to be more susceptible to aGvHD (68/199 vs 39/169, P = 0.019, Pcorr = 0.057). Multivariate logistic regression analysis in the MUD transplanted group showed that donor–recipient human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch [odds ratio (OR) = 3.937, P = 0.001] and a lack of ACC haplotype in recipients (OR = 0.417, P = 0.013) played a significant role as independent risk factors of aGvHD grade > I. ACC carriers had higher proportions of FoxP3+ lymphocytes gated in CD4+ lymphocytes as compared with patients with other IL‐10 haplotypes. It was seen at the time of hematological recovery (mean ± SEM: 3.80 ± 0.91% vs 2.06 ± 0.98%, P = 0.012) and 2 weeks later (5.32 ± 0.87% vs 2.50 ± 0.83%, P = 0.013); −592 C/A polymorphism was separately analyzed and it was found that AA homozygotes tended to have a higher incidence of aGvHD (8/15 vs 116/456, P = 0.034) and low proportions of FoxP3 CD4+ lymphocytes in blood (0.43 ± 0.22% vs 4.32 ± 0.71%, P = 0.051) measured 2 weeks after hematological recovery. Functional IL‐10 polymorphism associated features influenced the risk of aGvHD with a positive effect of ACC on the pool of Treg in blood.
Influence of KIR genes and their HLA ligands in susceptibility to dengue in a population from southern Brazil
Authors: Beltrame L. M. , Sell A. M. , Moliterno R. A. , Clementino S. L. , Cardozo D. M. , Dalalio M. M. , Fonzar U. J. , Visentainer J. E.
Published: November 2013

Killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIR) form a group of regulatory molecules that specifically recognise human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules, modulating the cytolytic activity of natural killer cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of KIR genes and their class I HLA ligands in susceptibility to dengue fever in a population from southern Brazil through a case–control study. One hundred four subjects with confirmed diagnoses of dengue participated in this study, along with a control group of 172 individuals from the same geographic area. HLA and KIR genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction with sequence‐specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR‐SSOP) and with sequence‐specific primer (PCR‐SSP) techniques, respectively. Data analysis showed significant differences for the KIR2DS1 (54.8% vs 40.7%, P = 0.03), KIR2DS5 (50.0% vs 36.0%, P = 0.03) and KIR2DL5 (76.0% vs 56.4%, P = 0.001) genes. With regard to KIR‐ligand pairs, positive associations with dengue were observed in KIR3DS1‐Bw4 (45.2% vs 29.7%, P = 0.01), KIR3DL1‐Bw4 (80.7% vs 65.1%, P < 0.001), KIR2DL1‐C2 (75.0% vs 62.2%, P = 0.03) and KIR2DS1‐C2 (40.4% vs 25.6%, P = 0.01) interactions, and a negative association in KIR2DL3‐C1/C1 (18.2% vs 33.1%, P = 0.01). Furthermore, the analysis of KIR haplogroups showed a possible protective factor against dengue fever in individuals with the AA genotype. Taken together, these results suggest the existence of genetic predisposition to dengue fever in the population from southern Brazil.
Finding new agents in medicinal plants to act on the myometrium
Authors: Kupittayanant Sajeera , Munglue Phukphon , Lijuan Wanwisa , Promprom Wilawan , Budhaklala Nopparat , Wray Susan
Published: November 2013

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

How do medicinal plants act on the myometrium? What are the underlying mechanisms whereby medicinal plants exert their effects?

What advances does it highlight?

We show that medicinal plants can affect uterine contraction at many loci. These studies give us a better understanding of how medicinal plants work on the uterus and can be applied in other areas of smooth muscle physiology, as well as pharmacy and medicine. This knowledge is also useful for developing new agents with potential to improve women's reproductive and gynaecological heath.

This report summarizes work investigating the effects of some medicinal plants on uterine contraction. As there is a clinical need to find better drugs to help control uterine activity, and novel compounds are sought, the mechanisms whereby the medicinal plants exert their effects, as well as their major compounds, are discussed. By identifying the plants, major constituents and mechanisms, this review also illustrates the potential for development of new drugs, so that better ways to treat uterine disorders will be available to women worldwide.
Dependence with air density of the response of the PTW SourceCheck ionization chamber for low energy brachytherapy sources
Authors: Tornero‐López Ana M. , Guirado Damián , Perez‐Calatayud Jose , Ruiz‐Arrebola Samuel , Simancas Fernando , Gazdic‐Santic Maja , Lallena Antonio M.
Published: November 2013

Purpose:

Air‐communicating well ionization chambers are commonly used to assess air kerma strength of sources used in brachytherapy. The signal produced is supposed to be proportional to the air density within the chamber and, therefore, a density‐independent air kerma strength is obtained when the measurement is corrected to standard atmospheric conditions using the usual temperature and pressure correction factor. Nevertheless, when assessing low energy sources, the ionization chambers may not fulfill that condition and a residual density dependence still remains after correction. In this work, the authors examined the behavior of the PTW 34051 SourceCheck ionization chamber when measuring the air kerma strength of125I seeds.

Methods:

Four different SourceCheck chambers were analyzed. With each one of them, two series of measurements of the air kerma strength for125I selectSeedTM brachytherapy sources were performed inside a pressure chamber and varying the pressure in a range from 747 to 1040 hPa (560 to 780 mm Hg). The temperature and relative humidity were kept basically constant. An analogous experiment was performed by taking measurements at different altitudes above sea level.

Results:

Contrary to other well‐known ionization chambers, like the HDR1000 PLUS, in which the temperature‐pressure correction factor overcorrects the measurements, in the SourceCheck ionization chamber they are undercorrected. At a typical atmospheric situation of 933 hPa (700 mm Hg) and 20 °C, this undercorrection turns out to be 1.5%. Corrected measurements show a residual linear dependence on the density and, as a consequence, an additional density dependent correction must be applied. The slope of this residual linear density dependence is different for each SourceCheck chamber investigated. The results obtained by taking measurements at different altitudes are compatible with those obtained with the pressure chamber.

Conclusions:

Variations of the altitude and changes in the weather conditions may produce significant density corrections, and that effect should be taken into account. This effect is chamber‐dependent, indicating that a specific calibration is necessary for each particular chamber. To our knowledge, this correction has not been considered so far for SourceCheck ionization chambers, but its magnitude cannot be neglected in clinical practice. The atmospheric pressure and temperature at which the chamber was calibrated need to be taken into account, and they should be reported in the calibration certificate. In addition, each institution should analyze the particular response of its SourceCheck ionization chamber and compute the adequate correction factors. In the absence of a suitable pressure chamber, a possibility for this assessment is to take measurements at different altitudes, spanning a wide enough air density range.
Novel Highly Thermostable Endolysin from Thermus scotoductus MAT2119 Bacteriophage Ph2119 with Amino Acid Sequence Similarity to Eukaryotic Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins
Authors: Plotka Magdalena , Kaczorowska Anna-Karina , Stefanska Aleksandra , Morzywolek Agnieszka , Fridjonsson Olafur H. , Dunin-Horkawicz Stanislaw , Kozlowski Lukasz , Hreggvidsson Gudmundur O. , Kristjansson Jakob K. , Dabrowski Slawomir , Bujnicki Janusz M. , Kaczorowski Tadeusz
Published: November 2013

In this study, we present the discovery and characterization of a highly thermostable endolysin from bacteriophage Ph2119 infecting
Thermus
strain MAT2119 isolated from geothermal areas in Iceland. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene affiliated the strain with the species
Thermus scotoductus
. Bioinformatics analysis has allowed identification in the genome of phage 2119 of an open reading frame (468 bp in length) coding for a 155-amino-acid basic protein with an
M
r
of 17,555. Ph2119 endolysin does not resemble any known thermophilic phage lytic enzymes. Instead, it has conserved amino acid residues (His
30
, Tyr
58
, His
132
, and Cys
140
) that form a Zn
2+
binding site characteristic of T3 and T7 lysozymes, as well as eukaryotic peptidoglycan recognition proteins, which directly bind to, but also may destroy, bacterial peptidoglycan. The purified enzyme shows high lytic activity toward thermophiles, i.e.,
T. scotoductus
(100%),
Thermus thermophilus
(100%), and
Thermus flavus
(99%), and also, to a lesser extent, toward mesophilic Gram-negative bacteria, i.e.,
Escherichia coli
(34%),
Serratia marcescens
(28%),
Pseudomonas fluorescens
(13%), and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Panama (10%). The enzyme has shown no activity against a number of Gram-positive bacteria analyzed, with the exception of
Deinococcus radiodurans
(25%) and
Bacillus cereus
(15%). Ph2119 endolysin was found to be highly thermostable: it retains approximately 87% of its lytic activity after 6 h of incubation at 95°C. The optimum temperature range for the enzyme activity is 50°C to 78°C. The enzyme exhibits lytic activity in the pH range of 6 to 10 (maximum at pH 7.5 to 8.0) and is also active in the presence of up to 500 mM NaCl.