bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defective barrier function in melasma skin
Authors: Lee D.J. , Lee J. , Ha J. , Park K.‐C. , Ortonne J.‐P. , Kang H.Y.
Published: November 2011

Background  Melasma is characterized by increased pigmentation and photodamaged features, which include solar elastosis. Recently, we detected the downregulation of the genes most associated with lipid metabolism using microarray analysis in melasma. These findings suggested that lesional skin may have different biophysical characteristics, and, in particular, an altered skin barrier function.

Objective  To determine the cutaneous biophysical characteristics of melasma.

Methods  The melanin index, erythema index, stratum corneum hydration, sebum content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured for lesional and perilesional normal skin of 16 melasma patients and then compared. In addition, a skin biopsy was performed on 11 of the 16 study subjects to measure stratum corneum thickness and to study the protein expressions of PPAR‐α and ALOX15B.

Results  Melanin index, erythema index and stratum corneum hydration were significantly higher in lesional skin than in perilesional normal skin. No significant difference was found between lesional and normal skin in terms of basal TEWL level or sebum content. However, the rate of TEWL after barrier perturbation was significantly higher for lesional skin, and the barrier recovery rate was significantly delayed. Furthermore, a trend towards thinned stratum corneum was observed for lesional skin, and this was correlated with barrier recovery rate. The expressions of PPAR‐α and ALOX15B were variable in the samples.

Conclusions  Melasma skin is characterized by impaired stratum corneum integrity and a delayed barrier recovery rate.
The Discoidin domain receptor 1 gene has a functional A2RE sequence
Authors: Roig Barbara , Moyano Sílvia , Martorell Lourdes , Costas Javier , Vilella Elisabet
Published: November 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 408–418.

Discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) is expressed in myelin oligodendrocytes and co‐localizes with myelin basic protein (MBP). Alternative splicing of DDR1 generates five isoforms designated DDR1a–e. The MBP mRNA contains an hnRNP A2 response element (A2RE) sequence that is recognized by heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A2/B1, which is responsible for transport of the MBP mRNA to oligodendrocyte processes. We hypothesized that DDR1 could have a functional A2RE sequence. By in silico analysis, we identified an A2RE‐like sequence in the human DDR1 mRNA. We observed nuclear and dendrite cytoplasmic immunofluorescence, indicating that DDR1 and hnRNP A2/B1 co‐localize in human oligodendrocytes and in differentiated HOG16 cells. The A2RE‐like sequence of DDR1 contains the single nucleotide polymorphism rs2267641, and we found that in the human brain, the minor allele is associated with lower and higher levels DDR1b and DDR1c mRNA expression, respectively. Moreover, a positive correlation between DDR1c and the myelin genes myelin‐associated glycoprotein and oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 was found. Differentiated HOG16 cells transfected with an hnRNP A2/B1 siRNA simultaneously show a decrease and an increase in the DDR1c and DDR1b mRNA expression levels, respectively, which was accompanied by a decrease in DDR1 protein levels at the cytoplasmic edges. These results suggest that the DDR1 A2RE sequence is functionally involved in the hnRNP A2/B1‐mediated splicing and transport of the DDR1c mRNA.
Transnational masculinities in situ: Singaporean husbands and their international marriage experiences
Authors: Cheng Yi'En
Published: November 2011

While most work is still largely concerned with women's experiences and places their narratives under the spotlight of the intellectual domain, there is undoubtedly an increasing realisation that missing out on men's narratives is akin to missing out a piece of the puzzle. The demographic approach tends to portray men who enter international marriages as ‘failed men’ and ‘losers’ in local ‘marriage markets’, and very little is revealed about the multiple positions and strategies taking place in these men's marital lives. This paper adopts an expansive view of transnationalism that argues for an understanding of subjectivities and identities as situated/rooted and mobile simultaneously. Drawing on the argument that ‘mobile’ identities are not necessarily achieved only by bodies on the move, and unsettling the binary between movement/non‐movement and mobility/immobility, I demonstrate how non‐migrant men in international marriages construct their masculine selves across transnational topographies in relation to a range of spaces and times. This attunement to how space is temporalised reveals a series of different times and spaces folded into and unfolded from each other in how narratives are articulated by the Singaporean men in this study. By attending to how temporal modalities of the past, present and future are actively mobilised in the construction of masculine selves in the Singaporean husbands' narratives, I argue that despite their in situ position within transnational topographies, their masculine identities and subjectivities are not bounded by space and time, but rather draws on them to become realised. To demonstrate this argument, this study draws on the narratives collected through in‐depth interviews with 15 Singaporean husbands who have married Vietnamese women.
Depression and Anxiety in Episodic and Chronic Cluster Headache: A Pilot Study
Authors: Robbins Matthew S. , Bronheim Rachel , Lipton Richard B. , Grosberg Brian M. , Vollbracht Sarah , Sheftell Fred D. , Buse Dawn C.
Published: November 2011

Background.— In contrast to migraine and tension‐type headache, the psychiatric comorbidities of cluster headache (CH) have not been well‐studied.

Objective.— We assessed the presence of depression and anxiety in groups of episodic CH (ECH) and chronic CH (CCH) patients and compared CH patients with and without depression and anxiety.

Methods.— Sociodemographics, comorbidities, and selected headache features were ascertained from a clinic‐based sample in a cross‐sectional fashion from January 2007 to July 2010. Active depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7‐item (GAD‐7) scales.

Results.— Of 49 CH patients, ECH patients (n = 32) had an earlier age of onset and consumed less caffeine than CCH patients (n = 17). Rates of depression as defined by a PHQ‐9 score ≥10 were low in both ECH (6.3%) and in CCH (11.8%) with similar mean PHQ‐9 scores (3.1 vs 3.7, P = .69). Rates of anxiety as defined by a GAD‐7 score ≥10 were also low in both ECH (15.6%) and CCH (11.8%) with similar mean GAD‐7 scores (3.8 vs 3.4, P = .76). ECH patients in and out of active attack periods had similar levels of depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety usually occurred together in ECH and CCH patients. CH patients who were depressed or anxious were more likely to present at a younger age and have attack‐related nausea and prodromal symptoms. Depressed CH patients were also more likely to have another pain disorder and had undertaken twice as many prophylactic medication trials.

Conclusion.— In this clinic‐based cross‐sectional study, ECH and CCH patients had similarly low rates of depression and anxiety. Rates were lower than those reported for both episodic and chronic migraine.
Public Values in Special Districts: A Survey of Managerial Commitment
Authors: Berman Evan M. , West Jonathan P.
Published: November 2011

Special districts are increasingly important in the landscape of public organizations and now constitute about 40 percent of all U.S. jurisdictions. Yet little is known about the public value commitments of managers in special districts. This systematic study of senior managers in large special districts finds that support for public values is strong and similar to that of senior managers in cities. This study explores the effect of concomitant commitments to “businesslike” values on public values and the impact of concomitant commitments on perceived organizational outcomes. Though a positive relationship exists between commitments to public and businesslike values among senior managers, the authors find evidence that both too much and too little commitment to businesslike values has a negative impact on perceived organizational outcomes, which are furthered by strong commitment to public values. This article demonstrates that special districts are a relevant but underresearched area of public administration.
Cognitive Biases in Governing: Technology Preferences in Election Administration
Authors: Moynihan Donald P. , Lavertu Stéphane
Published: November 2011

Cognitive biases are heuristics that shape individual preferences and decisions in a way that is at odds with means‐end rationality. The effects of cognitive biases on governing are underexplored. The authors study how election administrators’ cognitive biases shape their preferences for e‐voting technology using data from a national survey of local election officials. The technology acceptance model, which employs a rational, means‐end perspective, suggests that the perceived benefits of e‐voting machines explain their popularity. But findings indicate that cognitive biases also play a role, even after controlling for the perceived benefits and costs of the technology. The findings point to a novel cognitive bias that is of particular interest to research on e‐government: officials who have a general faith in technology are attracted to more innovative alternatives. The authors also find that local election officials who prefer e‐voting machines do so in part because they overvalue the technology they already possess and because they are overly confident in their own judgment.
Defining and Achieving Normative Democratic Values in Participatory Budgeting Processes
Authors: Rossmann Doralyn , Shanahan Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2011

Achieving public participation often is a goal for public budgeting entities, but it is difficult to accomplish in practice. This study examines three questions: How do public representatives interpret and define their democratic responsibilities? What are their insights regarding opportunities for and barriers to participatory budgeting processes? To what extent are these goals met? To address these questions, this research employs a qualitative research strategy with a case study design of a public university budgeting committee. The findings reveal that respondents (1) define their mission structurally and procedurally, (2) identify a need for ethical behavior and leadership, and (3) recognize that democratic values such as participation and efficiency are in tension with one another. Being open and inclusive comes in the form of the citizen–public administrator dialectic and requires intellectual, ethical, and practical engagement with competing democratic values.
Playing the Wrong PART: The Program Assessment Rating Tool and the Functions of the President's Budget
Authors: White Joseph
Published: November 2011

The extensive literature about the George W. Bush administration's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) has not emphasized an issue that appears quite clearly in interviews with senior Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and congressional staff. Budget analysis can pursue efficiency in two ways. One, the object of traditional analysis, involves assessing programs to understand the ratio of inputs to outputs within an agency, and thus the effects of more or less funding. Another approach, termed “budgeting for results,” measures program performance so as to allocate funding among programs in a way that increases total welfare. The second approach is much more difficult because it necessitates comparison of measures of unlike phenomena, requires expertise that often does not exist, and is more easily contested as invoking values rather than facts. Both congressional and OMB sources report concerns that PART weakened budget analysis by diverting resources from traditional analysis. If one goal of reformers is for the OMB to provide analysis that will influence Congress, the focus should be on strengthening the capacity to do traditional budget analysis.
Development, Ultrastructural Pathology, and Taxonomic Revision of the Microsporidial Genus, Pseudoloma and Its Type Species Pseudoloma neurophilia, in Skeletal Muscle and Nervous Tissue of Experimentally Infected Zebrafish Danio rerio
Authors: Cali Ann , Kent Michael , Sanders Justin , Pau Cyrilla , Takvorian Peter M.
Published: November 2011

The microsporidium Pseudoloma neurophilia was initially reported to infect the central nervous system of zebrafish causing lordosis and eventually death. Subsequently, muscle tissue infections were also identified. To understand the infection process, development, and ultrastructural pathology of this microsporidium, larval and adult zebrafish were fed P. neurophilia spores. Spores were detected in the larval fish digestive tract 3‐h postexposure (PE). By 4.5‐d PE, developing parasite stages were identified in muscle tissue. Wet preparations of larvae collected at 8‐d PE showed aggregates of spores in the spinal cord adjacent to the notochord. All parasite stages, including spores, were present in the musculature of larval fish 8‐d PE. Adult zebrafish sacrificed 45‐d PE had fully developed infections in nerves. Ultrastructural study of the developmental cycle of P. neurophilia revealed that proliferative stages undergo karyokinesis, producing tetranucleate stages that then divide into uninucleate cells. The plasmalemma of proliferative cells has a previously unreported glycocalyx‐like coat that interfaces with the host cell cytoplasm. Sporogonic stages form sporophorous vacuoles (SPOV) derived from the plasmalemmal dense surface coat, which “blisters” off sporonts. Uninucleate sporoblasts and spores develop in the SPOV. The developmental cycle is identical in both nerve and muscle. The SPOV surface is relatively thick and is the outermost parasite surface entity; thus, xenomas are not formed. Based on the new information provided by this study, the taxonomic description of the genus Pseudoloma and its type species, P. neurophilia, is modified and its life cycle described.
Bathroom Mixing: Youth Negotiate Democratization in Postconflict Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Hromadzic Azra
Published: November 2011

Consociational democracy, as a political project of passive coexistence and agreement among ethnic elites, has been shaping sociopolitical processes in the world's postconflict regions, including Northern Ireland, Lebanon, and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In BiH, this political model, when combined with continuous governance by the International Community, solidifies war‐generated ethnic segregation and erodes state sovereignty. Furthermore, these political, social, and spatial arrangements lead to the institutionalized separation of ethnic groups and territories in BiH. At the famous Mostar Gymnasium, my primary research site, this is manifested in the simultaneous unification of the school management and segregation of classroom spaces, classroom instruction, and students along the ethnic lines. The implementation of a top‐down cartography of peace building at the school led to the destruction of common spaces for students to interact. This spatial ethnic division limited what the students call, in the local vernacular, miješanje (mixing). I understand mixing as a long‐standing cultural practice of interconnectedness and intermingling among ethnic groups. This article pays special attention to the practices of bathroom mixing at the school that unfolded alongside the consociational model of democracy and the history of mixing as an interethnic social order. Focusing on bathroom mixing illuminates the paradoxes and unintended effects of the spatial governmentality of peace‐building in BiH.
Outcomes on the pharmacopsychometric triangle in bupropion‐SR vs. buspirone augmentation of citalopram in the STAR*D trial
Authors: Bech P. , Fava M. , Trivedi M. H. , Wisniewski S. R. , Rush A. J.
Published: November 2011

Bech P, Fava M, Trivedi MH, Wisniewski SR, Rush AJ. Outcomes on the pharmacopsychometric triangle in bupropion‐SR vs. buspirone augmentation of citalopram in the STAR*D trial.

Objective:  To compare within the framework of a novel pharmacopsychometric triangle, augmentation treatment with bupropion vs. buspirone in the acute therapy of major depression in the STAR*D study. The triangle provides a composite view in three domains of antidepressive activity, side effects, and quality of life.

Method:  Within the pharmacopsychometric triangle, the short six‐item subscales of the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM‐D17) and of the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS‐C30), referred to as HAM‐D6 and IDS‐C6, were focussed on pure antidepressive effect. Side‐effects (tolerable vs. intolerable) and quality of life were measured using patient‐administered questionnaires. A modified intention to treat sample was used.

Results:  Within the pharmacopsychometric triangle, bupropion‐SR (sustained release) was superior to buspirone when augmented to the current citalopram treatment. Thus, in the domain of pure antidepressive effect, bupropion‐SR was superior (P = 0.05) on the HAM‐D6, IDS‐C6, and IDS‐C30, but not on the HAM‐D17. In the domain of side effects, the total scores on the Patient Rated Inventory of Side Effects (PRISE) were reduced significantly more by bupropion‐SR than by buspirone (P = 0.03). In the domain of quality of life, the total scores on the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (QLES‐Q) showed a trend (P = 0.10) from baseline to endpoint of a superiority for bupropion‐SR compared with buspirone.

Conclusion:  In all domains of the pharmacopsychometric triangle, bupropion‐SR was superior to buspirone as augmentation therapy in depressed outpatients not responding to citalopram.
Augmentation of clozapine with a second antipsychotic – a meta‐analysis
Authors: Taylor D. M. , Smith L. , Gee S. H. , Nielsen J.
Published: November 2011

Taylor DM, Smith L, Gee SH, Nielsen J. Augmentation of clozapine with a second antipsychotic – a meta‐analysis.

Objective:  To examine using meta‐analysis the effect of adding a second antipsychotic to established clozapine monotherapy.

Method:  A literature search was conducted in April 2011, and randomised placebo‐controlled double‐blind studies were identified. We performed a meta‐analysis of efficacy (as standardised mean difference) and tolerability (withdrawals from trials) and a regression analysis of duration of study versus effect size. We also examined publication bias using funnel‐plot analysis.

Results:  Overall, 14 studies were included (734 subjects). Individual study numbers ranged from 10 to 207 (mean 52.6, median 40). Augmentation of clozapine with a second antipsychotic conferred a small benefit over placebo (effect size −0.239 (95% CI: −0.452, −0.026); P = 0.028). Meta‐regression of the effect of length of treatment on effect size showed no relationship (P = 0.254). The risk of discontinuing antipsychotic augmentation was no greater than the risk of discontinuing placebo (RR = 1.20, 95% CI 0.80–1.82). There was no evidence of publication bias.

Conclusion:  Augmentation with a second antipsychotic is modestly beneficial in patients not responding fully to clozapine. Tolerability seems not to be adversely affected, at least in the short term. Longer studies do not appear to increase the probability of showing positive effects for augmentation.
Experimental poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis elicited by IgG Fc‐binding M family proteins and blocked by IgG Fc fragment
Authors: BUROVA LARISSA , PIGAREVSKY PETER , SELIVERSTOVA VALENTINA , GUPALOVA TATIANA , SCHALÉN CLAES , TOTOLIAN ARTEM
Published: November 2011

Burova L, Pigarevsky P, Seliverstova V, Gupalova T, Schalén C, Totolian A. Experimental poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis elicited by IgG Fc‐binding M family proteins and blocked by IgG Fc fragment. APMIS 2012; 120: 221–30.

The pathogenesis of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN), a major nonsuppurative complication of group A streptococcal (GAS) throat or skin disease, remains unclear. During the years, various theories based on certain streptococcal extracellular factors, as well as immunological mimicry between streptococci and renal tissue, have been forwarded. We earlier reported that many clinical GAS isolates with documented nephritogenic capacity show non‐immune binding of monomeric or aggregated IgG. Moreover, in a rabbit model of APSGN we obtained evidence for an important role of streptococcal IgG Fc binding proteins (IgGFcBPs) belonging to the M family surface proteins; thus, hyperimmunization by whole IgGFcBP‐positive streptococci was shown to induce renal glomerular changes with deposition of IgG and complement C3, resembling the picture recorded in human APSGN. These typical renal changes were always preceded by the appearance of circulating anti‐IgG antibodies. In the present work, using the same rabbit model, each of two purified IgGFcBPs, isolated from type M22 GAS, were found to elicit glomerular degenerative damage comparable to that caused by whole bacteria, as well as formation of anti‐IgG. In addition, the induction by whole streptococci (type M1) of experimental APSGN was inhibited by the i.v. administration of purified human or rabbit IgG Fc, but not Fab, fragment, supporting the importance of Fc‐mediated mechanisms in causation of glomerulonephritis. We propose that anti‐IgG antibody, induced by streptococcal IgGFcBP, facilitated renal accumulation of IgG‐containing complexes, which in turn triggered complement deposition and proinflammatory cascades. Further studies on the possible beneficial effect of IgG Fc fragment in APSGN should be of interest.
The effect of dietary fatty acids on post‐operative inflammatory response in a porcine model
Authors: LANGERHUUS SINE N. , JENSEN KARIN H. , TØNNESEN ELSE K. , THEIL PETER K. , HALEKOH ULRICH , LAURIDSEN CHARLOTTE
Published: November 2011

Langerhuus SN, Jensen KH, Tønnesen EK, Theil PK, Halekoh U, Lauridsen C. The effect of dietary fatty acids on post‐operative inflammatory response in a porcine model. APMIS 2012; 120: 236–48.

The potential anti‐inflammatory effects of dietary fish oil (FO) have been studied in numerous clinical trials. However, variation in lifestyle and morbidity among patients can be difficult to control. In the present study, the impact of a 3‐week dietary pre‐treatment with 10% (w/w) FO (n 28), sunflower oil (SO, n 28), or animal fat (AF, n 28) was evaluated with respect to post‐operative responses in inflammatory markers in a porcine model on aortic vascular prosthetic graft infection. In the early post‐operative period (0 < day ≤ 3), FO suppressed whole blood IL‐8 and tumor necrosis factor‐α responsiveness to LPS stimulation, decreased peripheral leukocyte IL‐8 mRNA abundance, reinforced an increase in total leukocyte count, and counteracted a decrease in mononuclear leukocyte count compared with SO. In the late post‐operative period (3 < day ≤ 14), FO increased total leukocyte count and showed higher maximum CRP and haptoglobin concentrations compared with SO. Compared with AF, FO decreased peripheral leukocyte IL‐8 mRNA abundance in the early post‐operative period, and increased total leukocyte count and maximum CRP concentration in the late post‐operative period. In conclusion, the post‐operative response in a number of inflammatory markers was affected by FO, and this was most apparent compared with SO.
Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome: report of two cases not associated with a mutation in the CYLD and PTCH tumor‐suppressor genes
Authors: Ponti Giovanni , Nasti Sabina , Losi Lorena , Pastorino Lorenza , Pollio Annamaria , Benassi Luisa , Giudice Stefania , Bertazzoni Giorgia , Veratti Eugenia , Azzoni Paola , Bianchi Scarrà Giovanna , Seidenari Stefania
Published: November 2011

Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome represents an autosomal dominant disease characterized by the occurrence of multiple cylindromas, trichoepitheliomas and (sporadically) spiroadenomas. Patients with Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome are also at risk of developing tumors of the major and minor salivary glands. Patients with Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome have various mutations in the CYLD gene, a tumor‐suppressor gene located on chromosome 16q. To date, 68 unique CYLD mutations have been identified. We describe two families with Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome, one with familial cylindromatosis and one with multiple familial trichoepithelioma, which showed wide inter‐family phenotypic variability. Analysis of germline mutations of the CYLD and PTCH genes was performed using peripheral blood. In addition, formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tumor samples were analyzed for PTCH somatic mutations and cylindroma cell cultures were obtained directly from patients for further growth and analysis. Clinically, the major features of Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome include the presence of heterogeneous skin tumors and wide inter‐ and intra‐familial phenotypic variability. Histopathologically, both cylindromas and trichoepitheliomas were found in affected individuals. Mutations or loss of heterozygosity was not found in CYLD and PTCH genes. In CYLD and PTCH mutation‐negative patients, other genes may be affected and further studies are needed to clarify whether these patients may be affected by de novo germline mutations.

Ponti G, Nasti S, Losi L, Pastorino L, Pollio A, Benassi L, Giudice S, Bertazzoni G, Veratti E, Azzoni P, Bianchi Scarrà G, Seidenari S. Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome: report of two cases not associated with a mutation in the CYLD and PTCH tumor‐suppressor genes.
Healthcare burden associated with the post‐thrombotic syndrome and potential impact of the new oral anticoagulants
Authors: Prandoni Paolo
Published: November 2011

Deep‐vein thrombosis (DVT) can have a significant impact on a patient’s life. In particular, the development of post‐thrombotic syndrome as a long‐term complication of DVT can have devastating consequences for the individual and impose a substantial economic burden on healthcare systems. Anticoagulants are the mainstay of DVT treatment; however, the current standard of care, a parenteral anticoagulant followed by a vitamin K antagonist, is associated with complex patient management, often resulting in suboptimal therapy. New, oral anticoagulants have been developed, and a direct thrombin inhibitor ‐ dabigatran etexilate ‐ and two direct Factor Xa inhibitors ‐ rivaroxaban and apixaban ‐ have completed and/or have ongoing phase III trials in the treatment of venous thromboembolism. These agents do not have the drawbacks of the vitamin K antagonists and hold promise for more effective treatment of DVT, possibly resulting in a reduction in the incidence of post‐thrombotic syndrome.
Acute kidney injury in a paediatric intensive care unit: comparison of the pRIFLE and AKIN criteria
Authors: Kavaz Aslı , Özçakar Z Birsin , Kendirli Tanıl , Öztürk Burcu Bulum , Ekim Mesiha , Yalçınkaya Fatoş
Published: November 2011

Aim:  The purpose of our study was to evaluate and analyse the prevalence and association of acute kidney injury (AKI) as defined by paediatric Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function and End‐stage kidney disease (pRIFLE) and Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classifications in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Methods:  A prospective analysis of all patients that were admitted to our PICU between June 2009 and December 2010 was performed. Patients were classified according to AKIN and pRIFLE criteria.

Results:  One hundred and eighty‐nine patients (mean age 45.9 ± 54.7 months; 110 male, 79 female) were enrolled. Sixty‐three (33.3%) patients developed AKI by AKIN criteria and 68 (35.9%) patients developed AKI by pRIFLE criteria. All patients that had AKI according to AKIN criteria also had this diagnosis with pRIFLE criteria. Five patients had developed AKI only according to pRIFLE classification, four of them owing to reduction in their estimated creatinine clearance and one of them owing to changes over 1‐week period. The mean length of PICU stay was longer, need for mechanical ventilation and mortality rates were higher in patients with AKI when compared to patients without AKI.

Conclusion:  Although both pRIFLE and AKIN criteria were very helpful in the detection of patients with AKI even in the early stages of it, pRIFLE seems to be more sensitive in paediatric patients.
Filamentous actin is a substrate for protealysin, a metalloprotease of invasive Serratia proteamaculans
Authors: Tsaplina Olga , Efremova Tatiana , Demidyuk Ilya , Khaitlina Sofia
Published: November 2011

Homologous bacterial metalloproteases ECP32/grimelysin from Serratia grimesii and protealysin from Serratia proteamaculans are involved in the invasion of the nonpathogenic bacteria in eukaryotic cells and are suggested to translocate into the cytoplasm [Bozhokina ES et al. (2011) Cell Biol Int35, 111–118]. The proteases have been characterized as actin‐hydrolyzing enzymes with a narrow specificity toward intact cell proteins. However, cleavage of filamentous actin (F‐actin) (i.e. the main actin species in the cell) and the properties of the cleaved F‐actin have not been investigated previously. In the present study, we revealed the presence of protealysin in the cytoplasm of 3T3‐SV40 cells infected with S. proteamaculans or recombinant Escherichia coli expressing the protealysin gene. We also show for the first time that purified protealysin and the lysates of the recombinant E. coli producing protealysin cleave 20–40% of F‐actin. Cleavage limited predominantly to the bond Gly42‐Val43 efficiently increases the steady‐state ATPase activity (dynamics) of F‐actin. abolishes this effect and promotes the nucleation of protealysin‐cleaved Mg‐globular‐actin even in the absence of 0.1 m KCl, most likely as a result of the stabilization of lateral intermonomer contacts of actin subunits. The results obtained in the present study suggest that F‐actin can be a target for protealysin upon its translocation into the host cell.

Structured digital abstract

 Protealysin cleaves Actin by proteaseassay (Viewinteraction)
Src family kinases in the nervous system
Authors: Yu Xian‐Min , Groveman Bradley R.
Published: November 2011

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Synthesis and Antitubercular Activity of Novel Amino Acid Derivatives
Authors: Da Costa Cristiane F. , Pinheiro Alessandra C. , De Almeida Mauro V. , Lourenço Maria C. S. , De Souza Marcus V. N.
Published: November 2011

In this work, 17 new N‐acylhydrazone derivatives of amino acids have been evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The compounds 8b, 8e, 8f, 9a–d, and 10c exhibited an important minimum inhibitory concentration activity between 12.5 and 50 μg/mL, which can be compared with that of the tuberculostatic drug d‐cycloserine (20 μg/mL).
Sialic acid, periodontal pathogens and Tannerella forsythia: stick around and enjoy the feast!
Authors: Stafford G. , Roy S. , Honma K. , Sharma A.
Published: November 2011

Periodontal pathogens, like any other human commensal or pathogenic bacterium, must possess both the ability to acquire the necessary growth factors and the means to adhere to surfaces or reside and survive in their environmental niche. Recent evidence has suggested that sialic acid containing host molecules may provide both of these requirements in vivo for several periodontal pathogens but most notably for the red complex organism Tannerella forsythia. Several other periodontal pathogens also possess sialic acid scavenging enzymes – sialidases, which can also expose adhesive epitopes, but might also act as adhesins in their own right. In addition, recent experimental work coupled with the release of several genome sequences has revealed that periodontal bacteria have a range of sialic acid uptake and utilization systems while others may also use sialic acid as a cloaking device on their surface to mimic host and avoid immune recognition. This review will focus on these systems in a range of periodontal bacteria with a focus on Ta. forsythia.
Bacterial Whole-Cell Biosensor for Glutamine with Applications for Quantifying and Visualizing Glutamine in Plants
Authors: Tessaro Michael J. , Soliman Sameh S. M. , Raizada Manish N.
Published: November 2011

A whole-cell biosensor for glutamine (GlnLux) was constructed by transforming an
Escherichia coli
glutamine (Gln) auxotroph with a constitutive
lux
reporter gene. Measurements of Gln in plant extracts using GlnLux correlated with quantification using high-performance liquid chromatography (Spearman's
r
= 0.95). GlnLux permitted charge-coupled-device (CCD) imaging of Gln from whole plant organs.
Abundance and Composition of Epiphytic Bacterial and Archaeal Ammonia Oxidizers of Marine Red and Brown Macroalgae
Authors: Trias Rosalia , García-Lledó Arantzazu , Sánchez Noemí , López-Jurado José Luis , Hallin Sara , Bañeras Lluís
Published: November 2011

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) are important for nitrogen cycling in marine ecosystems. Little is known about the diversity and abundance of these organisms on the surface of marine macroalgae, despite the algae's potential importance to create surfaces and local oxygen-rich environments supporting ammonia oxidation at depths with low dissolved oxygen levels. We determined the abundance and composition of the epiphytic bacterial and archaeal ammonia-oxidizing communities on three species of macroalgae,
Osmundaria volubilis
,
Phyllophora crispa
, and
Laminaria rodriguezii
, from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean Sea). Quantitative PCR of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA and
amoA
genes was performed. In contrast to what has been shown for most other marine environments, the macroalgae's surfaces were dominated by bacterial
amoA
genes rather than those from the archaeal counterpart. On the basis of the sequences retrieved from AOB and AOA
amoA
gene clone libraries from each algal species, the bacterial ammonia-oxidizing communities were related to
Nitrosospira
spp. and to
Nitrosomonas europaea
and only 6 out of 15 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were specific for the host species. Conversely, the AOA diversity was higher (43 OTUs) and algal species specific, with 17 OTUs specific for
L. rodriguezii
, 3 for
O. volubilis
, and 9 for
P. crispa
. Altogether, the results suggest that marine macroalgae may exert an ecological niche for AOB in marine environments, potentially through specific microbe-host interactions.
Development of a Simvastatin Selection Marker for a Hyperthermophilic Acidophile, Sulfolobus islandicus
Authors: Zheng Tao , Huang Qihong , Zhang Changyi , Ni Jinfeng , She Qunxin , Shen Yulong
Published: November 2011

We report here a novel selectable marker for the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon
Sulfolobus islandicus
. The marker cassette is composed of the
sac7d
promoter and the
hmg
gene coding for the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase (P

sac7d

-hmg
), which confers simvastatin resistance to this crenarchaeon. The basic plasmid vector pSSR was constructed by substituting the
pyrEF
gene of the expression vector pSeSD for P

sac7d

-hmg
with which the
Sulfolobus
expression plasmids pSSRlacS, pSSRAherA, and pSSRNherA were constructed. Characterization of
Sulfolobus
transformants carrying pSSRlacS indicated that the plasmid was properly maintained under selection. High-level expression of the His
6
-tagged HerA helicase was obtained with the cells harboring pSSRAherA. The establishment of two efficient selectable markers (
pyrEF
and
hmg
) was subsequently exploited for genetic analysis. A
herA
merodiploid strain of
S. islandicus
was constructed using
pyrEF
marker and used as the host to obtain pSSRNherA transformant with simvastatin selection. While the gene knockout (Δ
herA
) cells generated from the
herA
merodiploid cells failed to form colonies in the presence of 5-fluoroorotic acid (5-FOA), the mutant cells could be rescued by expression of the gene from a plasmid (pSSRNherA), because their transformants formed colonies on a solid medium containing 5-FOA and simvastatin. This demonstrates that HerA is essential for cell viability of
S. islandicus
. To our knowledge, this is the first application of an antibiotic selectable marker in genetic study for a hyperthermophilic acidophile and in the crenarchaeal lineage.
Diurnal Variation in Enterococcus Species Composition in Polluted Ocean Water and a Potential Role for the Enterococcal Carotenoid in Protection against Photoinactivation
Authors: Maraccini Peter A. , Ferguson Donna M. , Boehm Alexandria B.
Published: November 2011

Enterococcus
species composition was determined each hour for 72 h at a polluted marine beach in Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, CA. Species composition during the day was significantly different from that at night, based on an analysis of similarity.
Enterococcus faecium
and
E. faecalis
were more prevalent at night than during the day, while
E. hirae
and other
Enterococcus
species were more prevalent during the day than the night.
Enterococcus
spp. containing a yellow pigment were more common during the day than the night, suggesting that the pigmented phenotype may offer a competitive advantage under sunlit conditions. A laboratory microcosm experiment established that the pigmented
E. casseliflavus
isolate and a pigmented
E. faecalis
isolate recovered from the field site decay slower than a nonpigmented
E. faecalis
isolate in a solar simulator in simulated, clear seawater. This further supports the idea that the yellow carotenoid pigment in
Enterococcus
provides protection under sunlit conditions. The findings are in accordance with previous work with other carotenoid-containing nonphotosynthetic and photosynthetic bacteria that suggests that the carotenoid is able to quench reactive oxygen species capable of causing photoinactivation and photostress. The results suggest that using enterococcal species composition as a microbial source tracking tool may be hindered by the differential environmental persistence of pigmented and nonpigmented enterococci.
Loss of Elongation Factor P Disrupts Bacterial Outer Membrane Integrity
Authors: Zou S. Betty , Hersch Steven J. , Roy Hervé , Wiggers J. Brad , Leung Andrea S. , Buranyi Stephen , Xie Jinglin Lucy , Dare Kiley , Ibba Michael , Navarre William Wiley
Published: November 2011

Elongation factor P (EF-P) is posttranslationally modified at a conserved lysyl residue by the coordinated action of two enzymes, PoxA and YjeK. We have previously established the importance of this modification in
Salmonella
stress resistance. Here we report that, like
poxA
and
yjeK
mutants,
Salmonella
strains lacking EF-P display increased susceptibility to hypoosmotic conditions, antibiotics, and detergents and enhanced resistance to the compound
S
-nitrosoglutathione. The susceptibility phenotypes are largely explained by the enhanced membrane permeability of the
efp
mutant, which exhibits increased uptake of the hydrophobic dye 1-
N
-phenylnaphthylamine (NPN). Analysis of the membrane proteomes of wild-type and
efp
mutant
Salmonella
strains reveals few changes, including the prominent overexpression of a single porin, KdgM, in the
efp
mutant outer membrane. Removal of KdgM in the
efp
mutant background ameliorates the detergent, antibiotic, and osmosensitivity phenotypes and restores wild-type permeability to NPN. Our data support a role for EF-P in the translational regulation of a limited number of proteins that, when perturbed, renders the cell susceptible to stress by the adventitious overexpression of an outer membrane porin.
The
prrAB
Two-Component System Is Essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Viability and Is Induced under Nitrogen-Limiting Conditions
Authors: Haydel Shelley E. , Malhotra Vandana , Cornelison Garrett L. , Clark-Curtiss Josephine E.
Published: November 2011

The
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
prrA-prrB
(Rv0903c-Rv0902c) two-component regulatory system is expressed during intracellular growth in human macrophages and is required for early intracellular multiplication in murine macrophages, suggesting its importance in establishing infection. To better understand the function of the
prrA-prrB
two-component system, we defined the transcriptional characteristics of the
prrA
and
prrB
genes during exponential and stationary growth and upon exposure to different environmental stresses and attempted to generate a
prrA-prrB
deletion mutant. The
prrA
and
prrB
genes constitute an operon and are cotranscribed during logarithmic growth, with transcriptional levels decreasing in stationary phase and during hypoxia. Despite the transcriptional differences, PrrA protein levels remained relatively stable throughout growth and in hypoxia. Under conditions of nitrogen limitation,
prrAB
transcription was induced, while acidic pH stress and carbon starvation did not significantly alter transcript levels. Deletion of the
prrAB
operon on the chromosome of
M. tuberculosis
H37Rv occurred only in the presence of an episomal copy of the
prrAB
genes, indicating that this two-component system is essential for viability. Characterization of the
prrAB
locus in
M. tuberculosis
Mt21D3, a previously described
prrA
transposon mutant, revealed that this strain is not a true
prrA
knockout mutant. Rather, Tn
5367
transposon insertion into the
prrA
promoter only decreased
prrA
and
prrB
transcription and PrrA levels in Mt21D3 compared to those in the parental Mt103 clinical strain. These data provide the first report describing the essentiality of the
M. tuberculosis
prrAB
two-component system and reveal insights into its potential role in mycobacterial growth and metabolism.
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative shows positive effects on breastfeeding indicators in Brazil
Authors: Venancio Sonia Isoyama , Saldiva Sílvia Regina Dias Médici , Escuder Maria Mercedes Loureiro , Justo Giugliani Elsa Regina
Published: November 2011

Background

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has been implemented by WHO and Unicef with a view to protect, promote and support breast feeding. This paper aims to assess the influence of the BFHI on breastfeeding indicators in Brazil, using data from the 2nd Survey of Breastfeeding Prevalence, conducted in 2008.

Methods

Data on 64 municipalities were analysed: a total of 65 936 infants under the age of 1 year who were covered by the 2008 immunisation campaign. The outcomes of interest were breast feeding in the first hour of life in infants under 1 year of age; exclusive breast feeding on the first day after hospital discharge in infants under 4 months of age; exclusive breast feeding in infants under 2, 3 and 6 months of age; and pacifier use in infants under 6 months of age. The influence of birth in baby-friendly hospitals (BFHs) on these end points was analysed by means of Poisson regression with robust variance for complex samples.

Findings

Infants born in BFHs were 9% more likely to be breast fed in the first hour of life and 6% more likely to be breast fed on the first day at home. Exclusive breast feeding was 13%, 8% and 6% more likely in infants under the ages of 2, 3 and 6 months, respectively, born in BFHs. Birth in a BFH also correlated with significant less pacifier use.

Conclusions

The BFHI has had an impact on several indicators of breast feeding. The authors hope the results of this study will make policy makers and health professionals aware of the importance and potential of this strategy.
Prominent contribution of L-type Ca2+channels to cutaneous neurovascular transmission that is revealed after spinal cord injury augments vasoconstriction
Authors: Al Dera Hussain , Habgood Mark D. , Furness John B. , Brock James A.
Published: November 2011

In patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), somatosympathetic reflexes produce exaggerated decreases in skin blood flow below the lesion. This hypoperfusion appears to result from an increased responsiveness of cutaneous arterial vessels to neural activation. Here we investigated the mechanisms that underlie SCI-induced enhancement of neurovascular transmission in a cutaneous vessel, the rat tail artery. Isometric contractions of arterial segments from T11 spinal cord transected and sham-operated rats were compared 6 wk postoperatively. SCI more than doubled the amplitudes of contractions of arteries in response to moderate frequencies of nerve stimulation (0.1 to 1 Hz). In arteries from SCI rats, but not those from sham-operated rats, the L-type Ca2+channel blocker nifedipine (1 μM) reduced the amplitudes of nerve-evoked contractions. Furthermore, while the sensitivity to the agonists phenylephrine (α1-adrenoceptor selective) and clonidine (α2-adrenoceptor selective) did not differ significantly between arteries from SCI and sham-operated rats, nifedipine had a greater inhibitory effect on contractions to both agents in arteries from SCI rats. Although sensitivity to clonidine was unchanged, SCI selectively reduced the contribution of postjunctional α2-adenceptors to nerve-evoked contractions. In arteries from unoperated rats, the L-type channel agonist BAY K 8644 (0.1 μM) produced a similar enhancement of nerve-evoked contraction to that produced by SCI and also selectively reduced the contribution of α2-adrenceptors to these responses. Together the findings demonstrate that the SCI-induced enhancement of neurovascular transmission in the rat tail artery can largely be accounted for by an increased contribution of L-type Ca2+channels to activation of the vascular smooth muscle.
The role of low-level lactate production in airway inflammation in asthma
Authors: Ostroukhova Marina , Goplen Nicholas , Karim Md Zunayet , Michalec Lidia , Guo Lei , Liang Qiaoling , Alam Rafeul
Published: November 2011

Warburg and coworkers (Warburg O, Posener K, Negelein E. Z Biochem 152: 319, 1924) first reported that cancerous cells switch glucose metabolism from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis, and that this switch is important for their proliferation. Nothing is known about aerobic glycolysis in T cells from asthma. The objective was to study aerobic glycolysis in human asthma and the role of this metabolic pathway in airway hyperreactivity and inflammation in a mouse model of asthma. Human peripheral blood and mouse spleen CD4 T cells were isolated by negative selection. T cell proliferation was measured by thymidine incorporation. Cytokines and serum lactate were measured by ELISA. Mouse airway hyperreactivity to inhaled methacholine was measured by a FlexiVent apparatus. The serum lactate concentration was significantly elevated in clinically stable asthmatic subjects compared with healthy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease controls, and negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Proliferating CD4 T cells from human asthma and a mouse model of asthma produced higher amounts of lactate upon stimulation, suggesting a heightened glycolytic activity. Lactate stimulated and inhibited T cell proliferation at low and high concentrations, respectively. Dichloroacetate (DCA), an inhibitor of aerobic glycolysis, inhibited lactate production, proliferation of T cells, and production of IL-5, IL-17, and IFN-γ, but it stimulated production of IL-10 and induction of Foxp3. DCA also inhibited airway inflammation and hyperreactivity in a mouse model of asthma. We conclude that aerobic glycolysis is increased in asthma, which promotes T cell activation. Inhibition of aerobic glycolysis blocks T cell activation and development of asthma.