bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum testosterone and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in men and women in the US
Authors: Yim Jeong Yoon , Kim Jinju , Kim Donghee , Ahmed Aijaz 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackground & AimsTestosterone plays a role in predisposing individuals to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but its effects differ between men and women. We investigated the association between serum total testosterone and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in adults in the US.MethodsA cross‐sectional analysis of data from participants in the 2011‐2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was performed. Subjects with significant alcohol consumption and those with viral hepatitis were excluded. We used the highest sex‐specific quartiles of serum total testosterone as references. Suspected non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease was diagnosed when serum alanine aminotransferase was >30 IU/L for men and >19 IU/L for women.ResultsOf the 4758 subjects (49.4% men), the prevalence of suspected non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease was inversely correlated with the sex‐specific quartiles of testosterone in men and women. In a multivariate model, low total testosterone levels were associated with progressively higher odds of suspected non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in men after adjusting for age, obesity and other metabolic risk factors (P values for trends <.01). When the women were divided into 2 groups according to menopausal status, a significant correlation was observed only in the post‐menopausal women (P values for trends <.01). The adjusted odds ratios for suspected non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease were 1.72‐1.99 in men and 2.15‐2.26 in post‐menopausal women (lowest quartile vs highest quartile).ConclusionsIn this nationally representative sample of adults in the US, low total testosterone levels were associated with suspected non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in men and post‐menopausal women independent of known risk factors.
A Bridge No Longer Too Far: A Case Study of One School's Exploration of the Promise and Possibilities of Mind, Brain, and Education Science for the Future of Education
Authors: Kelleher Ian , Whitman Glenn 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACTMind, brain, and education (MBE) science research continues to produce valuable results about brain development and the learning process—research that can and should inform education reform. Given the link between teacher efficacy and student learning outcomes, MBE is a discipline with considerable promise to help close gaps in school and teacher quality and student achievement. Yet, in our experience working with thousands of K‐12 teachers, very few have been trained to adapt their instructional strategies in ways that are informed by MBE research. Research on what helps and hinders learning exists, but, as yet, effective and efficient ways to translate it into classroom practice are rare. This article presents a case study of how one school is bridging the gap between MBE research and its integration into the classroom, a gap that was once deemed “a bridge too far” to cross. It also suggests a series of steps that form a possible translational pathway for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers.
Longitudinal Associations Among Executive Function, Visuomotor Integration, and Achievement in a High‐Risk Sample
Authors: Brock Laura L. , Kim Helyn , Grissmer David W. 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACTThe present study examines cross‐lagged associations among executive function, visuomotor skills, and math and reading achievement from kindergarten to second grade. Both executive function and visuomotor integration tend to be delayed in socioeconomically disadvantaged children and can explain nearly half the achievement gap at kindergarten entry. Participants were 259 students enrolled in elementary schools serving predominantly low‐income communities with multiple sociodemographic risk factors. Executive function at multiple time points predicted reading and math achievement. However, visuomotor integration in kindergarten alone predicted later reading and math. Initially, math predicts later reading. Subsequently, reading predicts later math.
Associations Between School Readiness and Obesity‐ and Inflammation‐Related Biomarkers in Low‐Income Preschoolers Within the Healthy Kids Study
Authors: Sutter Carolyn , Ontai Lenna L. , Shilts Mical K. , Lanoue Louise , Allen Lindsay H. , Townsend Marilyn S. 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACTPrevious research suggests obesity is negatively related to cognitive functioning and academic outcomes in addition to physical health. However, not much is known about this association in early childhood or potential physiological underpinnings. Biomarkers related to obesity have been associated with cognition, in particular the adipokine leptin, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines including interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐alpha) and C‐reactive protein (CRP). These associations may be further exacerbated for children who experience early life stress. With a sample of low‐income preschoolers, the current study examined associations between obesity‐related biomarkers and aspects of behavioral and cognitive school readiness. Partial correlations controlling for child age show hypothesized negative associations between pro‐inflammatory cytokines and school readiness, while leptin was positively associated with cognitive school readiness and body mass index (BMI) z‐score. Findings suggest connections between obesity, physiology, and school readiness need further examination, but may have implications for early childhood education and health interventions.
A dual role for proline iminopeptidase in the regulation of bacterial motility and host immunity
Authors: Kan Jinhong , An Lin , Wu Yao , Long Jia , Song Liyang , Fang Rongxiang , Jia Yantao 
Published: March 2018

SummaryDuring plant–pathogen interactions, pathogenic bacteria have evolved multiple strategies to cope with the sophisticated defence systems of host plants. Proline iminopeptidase (PIP) is essential to Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) virulence, and is conserved in many plant‐associated bacteria, but its pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that disruption of pip in Xcc enhanced its flagella‐mediated bacterial motility by decreasing intracellular bis‐(3′,5′)‐cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c‐di‐GMP) levels, whereas overexpression of pip in Xcc restricted its bacterial motility by elevating c‐di‐GMP levels. We also found that PIP is a type III secretion system‐dependent effector capable of eliciting a hypersensitive response in non‐host, but not host plants. When we transformed pip into the host plant Arabidopsis, higher bacterial titres were observed in pip‐overexpressing plants relative to wild‐type plants after Xcc inoculation. The repressive function of PIP on plant immunity was dependent on PIP's enzymatic activity and acted through interference with the salicylic acid (SA) biosynthetic and regulatory genes. Thus, PIP simultaneously regulates two distinct regulatory networks during plant–microbe interactions, i.e. it affects intracellular c‐di‐GMP levels to coordinate bacterial behaviour, such as motility, and functions as a type III effector translocated into plant cells to suppress plant immunity. Both processes provide bacteria with the regulatory potential to rapidly adapt to complex environments, to utilize limited resources for growth and survival in a cost‐efficient manner and to improve the chances of bacterial survival by helping pathogens to inhabit the internal tissues of host plants.
A nonlinear mathematical model investigating the sustainability of an urban system in the presence of haphazard urban development and excessive pollution
Authors: Jyotsna Kumari , Tandon Abhinav 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe study investigates the sustainability of an urban system in the presence of haphazard urban development taking place in cities, through the use of nonlinear model system of differential equations. Here, the urban system comprises of urban forests and population, along with different development activities and associated pollution. In addition to equilibrium points and their stabilities, the qualitative behavior of the model system is also being established by determining the uniform persistence. However, quantitative behavior is being predicted through numerical solutions of the model system. The obtained behaviors demonstrate that unplanned development and its associated excessive pollution can disturb the stability of the urban system. It is also being revealed that overexploitation of forest resources by population and devastation of forest resources, as well as of population, through pollutants concentration may also pose a serious threat for a sustainable urban system in the long time.Recommendations for Resource Managers
The sustainability of an urban system in the presence of haphazard development activities and excessive pollution is a matter of great concern as it may lead to extinction of urban forests as well as of urban population.
The admissible amount of control over urban development through government intervention is necessary for the orderly development of urban areas in harmony with natural environment. This would also help in protecting forest resources and, therefore, on the survival of its dependent population.
Urban forestry should be practiced, where emphasis should be on plantation of such vegetation, trees, and shrubs, etc., which have the pollution tolerating and mitigating abilities.
In order to establish sustainable urban system, urban development activities should harmonize the people and the environment, while taking proper advantage of abundant natural resources.
Ingestion of partially hydrolyzed whey protein suppresses epicutaneous sensitization to β‐lactoglobulin in mice
Authors: Matsubara Takeshi , Iwamoto Hiroshi , Nakazato Yuki , Okamoto Tomoyuki , Ehara Tatsuya , Izumi Hirohisa , Takeda Yasuhiro 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundEpicutaneous sensitization to food allergens can occur through defective skin barriers. However, the relationship between oral tolerance and epicutaneous sensitization remains to be elucidated. We aimed to determine whether prior oral exposure to whey proteins or their hydrolysates prevents epicutaneous sensitization and subsequent food‐allergic reaction to the whey protein, β‐lactoglobulin (β‐LG), and investigated the underlying mechanisms.MethodsBALB/c mice were given whey protein concentrate (WPC), two kinds of partial whey protein hydrolysate (PWH1 or PWH2), or extensive whey protein hydrolysate (EWH) in drinking water for 21 days. The mice were then epicutaneously sensitized with β‐LG on tape‐stripped skin. Sensitization was assessed by basophil activation tests and by measuring the level of serum β‐LG‐specific antibodies and cytokines secreted from β‐LG‐restimulated spleen and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) cells. Development of an allergic reaction was assessed by monitoring body temperature and by measuring mast cell protease‐1 level in plasma after the β‐LG oral challenge. Activated T‐cell population among β‐LG‐restimulated MLN cells was also analyzed.ResultsIn mice fed with WPC, PWH1, or PWH2, sensitization and the development of an allergic reaction were totally reduced. The acceleration of cytokine release from the spleen and MLN cells or T‐cell activation was not evident after β‐LG restimulation. In EWH‐fed mice, a suppressive effect, though milder than that in WPC‐, PWH1‐, or PWH2‐fed mice, was observed during the development of the allergic reaction.ConclusionsPrior oral exposure to partially hydrolyzed whey protein prevents epicutaneous sensitization and subsequent allergic response to β‐LG in mice.
Willful ignorance in law and morality
Authors: Sarch Alexander 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis article introduces the main conceptual and normative questions about willful ignorance. The first section asks what willful ignorance is, while the second section asks why—and how much—it merits moral or legal condemnation. My approach is to critically examine the criminal law's view of willful ignorance. Doing so not only reveals the range of positions one might take about the phenomenon but also sheds light on foundational questions about the nature of culpability and the relation between law and morality.
Thyroid hormones and menstrual cycle function in a longitudinal cohort of premenopausal women
Authors: Jacobson Melanie H. , Howards Penelope P. , Darrow Lyndsey A. , Meadows Juliana W. , Kesner James S. , Spencer Jessica B. , Terrell Metrecia L. , Marcus Michele 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies have reported that hyperthyroid and hypothyroid women experience menstrual irregularities more often compared with euthyroid women, but reasons for this are not well‐understood and studies on thyroid hormones among euthyroid women are lacking. In a prospective cohort study of euthyroid women, this study characterised the relationship between thyroid hormone concentrations and prospectively collected menstrual function outcomes.MethodsBetween 2004‐2014, 86 euthyroid premenopausal women not lactating or taking hormonal medications participated in a study measuring menstrual function. Serum thyroid hormones were measured before the menstrual function study began. Women then collected first morning urine voids and completed daily bleeding diaries every day for three cycles. Urinary oestrogen and progesterone metabolites (estrone 3‐glucuronide (E13G) and pregnanediol 3‐glucuronide (Pd3G)) and follicle‐stimulating hormone were measured and adjusted for creatinine (Cr).ResultsTotal thyroxine (T4) concentrations were positively associated with Pd3G and E13G. Women with higher (vs lower) T4 had greater luteal phase maximum Pd3G (Pd3G = 11.7 μg/mg Cr for women with high T4 vs Pd3G = 9.5 and 8.1 μg/mg Cr for women with medium and low T4, respectively) and greater follicular phase maximum E13G (E13G = 41.7 ng/mg Cr for women with high T4 vs E13G = 34.3 and 33.7 ng/mg Cr for women with medium and low T4, respectively).ConclusionsCirculating thyroid hormone concentrations were associated with subtle differences in menstrual cycle function outcomes, particularly sex steroid hormone levels in healthy women. Results contribute to the understanding of the relationship between thyroid function and the menstrual cycle, and may have implications for fertility and chronic disease.
Actin as a cytoskeletal basis for cell architecture and a protein essential for ecdysis in Prorocentrum minimum (Dinophyceae, Prorocentrales)
Authors: Berdieva Mariia , Pozdnyakov Ilya , Matantseva Olga , Knyazev Nikolay , Skarlato Sergei 
Published: March 2018

SUMMARYThe specific cell architecture of prorocentroid dinoflagellates is reflected in the internal cell structure, particularly, in cytoskeleton organization. Cytoskeleton arrangement in a Prorocentrum minimum cell was investigated using fluorescent labeling approaches, electron‐microscopy and immunocytochemical methods. The absence of cortical microtubules was confirmed. Phalloidin – tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate conjugate staining demonstrated that F‐actin forms a dense layer in the cortical region of the cell; besides, it was detected in the ‘archoplasmic sphere’ adjacent to the nucleus. In some cells the rest of the cytoplasm and the nucleus were also slightly stained. In dividing cells, F‐actin was mainly distributed in the cortical region and in the cleavage furrow. Fluorescent deoxyribonuclease I staining demonstrated more evenly distributed cytoplasmic non‐polymerized actin; the basis of the nuclear actin pool is monomeric actin. It concentrates in the nucleoplasm and forms a meshwork around chromosomes. The significant amount of G‐actin is apparently localized in the P. minimum nucleolus. Assumed involvement of F‐actin in the process of stress‐induced ecdysis – cell cover shedding – was examined. A sharp decrease in the level of ecdysis was observed after treatment with actin‐depolymerizing agent latrunculin B. The fluorescent staining of treated cells demonstrated disturbance of the actin cytoskeleton and disappearance of the cortical F‐actin layer. Our results support the recent data on the actin involvement in fundamental nuclear processes: cytoplasmic F‐actin appears to participate in cell shape determination, cell cover rearrangement and development. Actin may play a substitute role in the absence of cortical microtubules, representing the cytoskeletal basis of P. minimum cell architecture.
Increasing Resistance to Azithromycin in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Eastern Chinese Cities: Resistance Mechanisms and Genetic Diversity among Isolates from Nanjing
Authors: Wan Chuan , Li Yang , Le Wen-Jing , Liu Yu-Rong , Li Sai , Wang Bao-Xi , Rice Peter A. , Su Xiao-Hong 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACT

Azithromycin resistance (AZM-R) of
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
is emerging as a clinical and public health challenge. We determined molecular characteristics of recent AZM-R Nanjing gonococcal isolates and tracked the emergence of AZM-R isolates in eastern Chinese cities in recent years. A total of 384
N. gonorrhoeae
isolates from Nanjing collected from 2013 to 2014 were tested for susceptibility to AZM and six additional antibiotics; all AZM-R strains were characterized genetically for resistance determinants by sequencing and were genotyped using
N. gonorrhoeae
multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST). Among the 384 isolates, 124 (32.3%) were AZM-R. High-level resistance (MIC, ≥256 mg/liter) was present in 10.4% (40/384) of isolates, all of which possessed the A2143G mutation in all four 23S rRNA alleles. Low- to mid-level resistance (MIC, 1 to 64 mg/liter) was present in 21.9% (84/384) of isolates, 59.5% of which possessed the C2599T mutation in all four 23S rRNA alleles. The 124 AZM-R isolates were distributed in 71 different NG-MAST sequence types (STs). ST1866 was the most prevalent type in high-level AZM-R (HL-AZM-R) isolates (45% [18/40]). This study, together with previous reports, revealed that the prevalence of AZM-R in
N. gonorrhoeae
isolates in certain eastern Chinese cities has risen >4-fold (7% to 32%) from 2008 to 2014. The principal mechanisms of AZM resistance in recent Nanjing isolates were A2143G mutations (high-level resistance) and C2599T mutations (low- to mid-level resistance) in the 23S rRNA alleles. Characterization of NG-MAST STs and phylogenetic analysis indicated the genetic diversity of
N. gonorrhoeae
in Nanjing; however, ST1866 was the dominant genotype associated with HL-AZM-R isolates.
Comprehensive Molecular Approach for Characterization of Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 Variants
Authors: Wang Bo , Harms Dominik , Papp C. Patrick , Niendorf Sandra , Jacobsen Sonja , Lütgehetmann Marc , Pischke Sven , Wedermeyer Heiner , Hofmann Jörg , Bock C.-Thomas 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACT

Autochthonous hepatitis E virus genotype 3 (HEV-3) infections in industrialized countries are more frequent than previously assumed. HEV-3 is zoonotic and the causal pathogen of chronic hepatitis E. According to the latest classification of the family
Hepeviridae
, 10 designated HEV-3 subtypes (HEV-3a to HEV-3j) and 7 unassigned HEV-3 subtypes are proposed. In order to identify and characterize the HEV-3 variants in circulation, we developed a molecular approach combining a sensitive HEV-specific real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) targeting the overlapping region of HEV ORF2 and ORF3 (the ORF2/3 region) and two newly designed consensus nested RT-PCRs targeting the HEV ORF1 and ORF2 genes, respectively. Since complete genome sequences are required for new HEV-3 subtype assignment, we implemented a straightforward approach for full-length HEV-3 genome amplification. Twenty-nine human serum samples and six human feces samples from chronic hepatitis E patients were selected for evaluation of the system. Viral loads ranged from 1 × 10
4
to 1.9 × 10
10
copies/ml of serum and from 1.8 × 10
4
to 1 × 10
12
copies/g of feces. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of partial ORF1 and ORF2 sequences showed that HEV strains had considerable genetic diversity and clustered into the HEV-3c (29/35), HEV-3e (2/35), HEV-3f (2/35), and unassigned HEV-3 (2/35) subtypes. Moreover, from these strains, three full-length HEV-3 genome sequences were generated and characterized. DE/15-0030 represents a typical HEV-3c strain (95.7% nucleotide identity to wbGER27), while DE/15-0031 and SW/16-0282 have <89.2% homology to known HEV-3 strains and are phylogenetically divergent, indicating novel HEV-3 subtypes. In summary, our approach will significantly facilitate the detection, quantification, and determination of HEV-3 strains and will thus help to improve molecular diagnostics and our knowledge of HEV diversity and evolution.
Improved Discrimination of Bacillus anthracis from Closely Related Species in the
Bacillus cereus Sensu Lato
Group Based on Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Pauker Viktoria I. , Thoma Bryan R. , Grass Gregor , Bleichert Pauline , Hanczaruk Matthias , Zöller Lothar , Zange Sabine 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACT

Discrimination of highly pathogenic bacteria, such as
Bacillus anthracis
, from closely related species based on molecular biological methods is challenging. We applied matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to a collection of
B. anthracis
strains and close relatives in order to significantly improve the statistical confidence of identification results for this group of bacteria. Protein mass spectra of 189 verified and diverse
Bacillus
strains of the
Bacillus cereus sensu lato
group were generated using MALDI-TOF MS and subsequently analyzed with supervised and unsupervised statistical methods, such as shrinkage discriminant analysis (SDA) and principal-component analysis (PCA). We aimed at identifying specific biomarkers in the protein spectra of
B. anthracis
not present in closely related
Bacillus
species. We could identify 7, 10, 18, and 14
B. anthracis
-specific biomarker candidates that were absent in
B. cereus
,
B. mycoides
,
B. thuringiensis
, and
B. weihenstephanensis
strains, respectively. Main spectra (MSP) of a defined collection of
Bacillus
strains were compiled using the Bruker Biotyper software and added to an in-house reference library. Reevaluation of this library with 15 hitherto untested strains of
B. anthracis
and
B. cereus
yielded improved score values. The
B. anthracis
strains were identified with score values between 2.33 and 2.55 using the in-house database, while the same strains were identified with scores between 1.94 and 2.37 using the commercial database, and no false-positive identifications occurred using the in-house database.