bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mutation of p53 Gene and Its Correlation with the Clinical Outcome in Dogs with Lymphoma
Authors: Koshino A. , Goto‐Koshino Y. , Setoguchi A. , Ohno K. , Tsujimoto H. 
Published: December 2015

Backgroundp53 plays a key role in the apoptotic event induced by chemotherapeutic agents. Mutation of p53 gene has been observed in various spontaneous tumors in humans and is associated with a poor prognosis. p53 abnormalities have been evaluated in several tumors in dogs; however, the association of p53 gene mutation with clinical outcome in dogs with lymphoma has not been documented.Hypothesis/ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine p53 mutation in canine lymphoma cells and its association with the clinical outcome.AnimalsForty‐three dogs with previously untreated high‐grade lymphoma referred to the University of Tokyo were included in this study.MethodsProspective cohort study. We examined p53 gene (exon 4–8) mutation in the tumor tissues from 43 dogs with lymphoma using PCR‐SSCP (polymerase chain reaction – single‐strand conformational polymorphism) analysis, followed by nucleotide sequencing of the abnormal bands.ResultsOf the 43 dogs, 7 dogs (16%) had p53 mutation, whereas 36 dogs (84%) were devoid of p53 mutation. Overall response rate after remission induction was significantly lower (33% versus 88%, P = .002) in dogs with lymphomas having p53 mutation than those with lymphomas devoid of p53 mutation. Overall survival time was significantly shorter (67 days versus 264 days, P = .004) in dogs with lymphoma with p53 mutation than those with lymphoma retaining wild‐type p53.Conclusion and Clinical ImportanceMutations of p53 gene were detected in a proportion of canine lymphoma cells from untreated dogs and can be associated with a poor prognosis.
Chronic granulomatous disease: Clinical, molecular, and therapeutic aspects
Authors: Chiriaco Maria , Salfa Irene , Di Matteo Gigliola , Rossi Paolo , Finocchi Andrea 
Published: December 2015

AbstractChronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency caused by defects in the genes encoding any of the NADPH oxidase components responsible for the respiratory burst of phagocytic leukocytes. CGD is a genetically heterogeneous disease with an X‐linked recessive (XR‐CGD) form caused by mutations in the CYBB gene encoding the gp91phox protein, and an autosomal recessive (AR‐CGD) form caused by mutations in the CYBA, NCF1, NCF2, or NCF4 genes encoding p22phox, p47phox, p67phox, and p40phox, respectively. Patients suffering from this disease are susceptible to severe life‐threatening bacterial and fungal infections and excessive inflammation characterized by granuloma formation in any organ, for instance, the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract. An early diagnosis of and the prompt treatment for these conditions are crucial for an optimal outcome of affected patients. To prevent infections, CGD patients should receive lifelong antibiotics and antifungal prophylaxis. These two measures, as well as newer more effective antimicrobials, have significantly modified the natural history of CGD, resulting in a remarkable change in overall survival, which is now around 90%, reaching well into adulthood. At present, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only definitive treatment that can cure CGD and reverse organ dysfunction. Timing, donor selection, and conditioning regimens remain the key points of this therapy. In recent years, gene therapy (GT) for XR‐CGD has been proposed as an alternative to HSCT for CGD patients without a matched donor. After the failure of the first trials performed with retroviral vectors, some groups have proposed the use of regulated SIN‐lentiviral vectors targeting gp91phox expression in myeloid cells to increase the safety and efficacy of the GT protocols.
Clinical and immunological characteristics of a pediatric population with food protein‐induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) to fish
Authors: González‐Delgado Purificación , Caparrós Esther , Moreno M Victoria , Clemente Fernando , Flores Emilio , Velásquez Laura , Rubio Gonzalo , Fernández Javier 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundFood protein‐induced enterocolitis (FPIES) is an uncommon, non‐IgE‐mediated food allergy that usually debuts in infancy with profuse vomiting, lethargy, and pallor 2–4 h following ingestion of the offending food. Its immune mechanism is not known. We aimed to describe the clinical features and outcome of children with fish‐FPIES as well as to investigate on cellular immune response implicated.MethodsProspective and follow‐up clinical study of children with FPIES by fish over a period between 2004 and 2013 was conducted. Measurement in vitro of both cytokine production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and expression of HLA‐DR in monocyte‐derived dendritic cells stimulated with fish extracts.ResultsSixteen children (seven male and nine female) were included, with a mean age of onset at 10 months. Diagnosis was established after a median of 4 reactions. Twelve patients were treated in emergency room, and two were admitted in intensive care. Patch tests were positive in six patients. Skin prick tests (SPTs) and specific IgE to all fish tested were negative. Only three children reached tolerance at a mean age of 4.5 years. Eight children avoided fish because of positive oral food challenge (OFC) after 6 years of age. Other patients have not been challenged because of parent refusal to OFC or a recent diagnosis. TNF‐α was increased in patients, and a significant elevation of the HLA‐DR marker was also observed in these patients vs. control donors.ConclusionsFPIES caused by fish in many cases presents with severe clinical manifestations. Patch test has poor diagnostic value, and OFC is the gold standard to test tolerance. The cytokine TNF‐α may be implicated in the clinical symptoms. Higher expression of HLA‐DR in dendritic cells has also been detected in our patients.
Convergence in feeling, divergence in physiology: How culture influences the consequences of disgust suppression and amplification among European Americans and Asian Americans
Authors: Soto José A. , Lee Elizabeth A. , Roberts Nicole A. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractMuch empirical work documents the downsides of suppressing emotions. Emerging research points to the need for a more sophisticated and culturally informed approach to understanding the consequences of emotion regulation. To that end, we employed behavioral, self‐report, and psychophysiological measures to examine the consequences of two types of emotion regulation (suppression and amplification) in a sample of 28 Asian Americans and 31 European Americans. Participants were shown a neutral film and then a series of disgust‐eliciting films during which they were asked to regulate their response by suppressing or amplifying their emotional behavior (counterbalanced). Despite self‐reporting equal levels of disgust, European Americans showed greater skin conductance reactivity than Asian Americans in both regulation conditions, but not in response to a neutral film. These findings extend work on divergence in the consequences of emotion regulation across different cultural groups, which could help identify optimal emotion regulation strategies for health and well‐being.
Insulin resistance is associated with skeletal muscle weakness in COPD
Authors: Wells Claire E , Polkey Michael I , Baker Emma H 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackground and objectiveQuadriceps weakness is seen across all GOLD stages of COPD and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. As quadriceps weakness is only weakly associated with FEV1, mechanisms other than airflow obstruction are implicated. We tested the hypothesis that insulin resistance contributes to skeletal muscle weakness in people with stable COPD.MethodsFifty‐one COPD patients (no exacerbations preceding 6 weeks, no rehabilitation preceding 3 months) without known diabetes mellitus underwent assessment of skeletal muscle, including measurement of quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction (QMVC). Physical activity was measured for 7 days using a multisensory biaxial accelerometer armband. Insulin resistance (HOMA2 IR) was calculated from fasting blood glucose and insulin concentrations.ResultsQMVC was 30 ± 13 kg (74 ± 25% predicted) and 16 (31%) participants had quadriceps weakness. There was a negative univariate correlation between HOMA2 IR and QMVC (r = −0.446, P = 0.002). HOMA2 IR was greater in people with quadriceps weakness (1.59 ± 0.99) than in those without (1.11 ± 0.55, P = 0.032). On multivariate analysis, with age, sex, weight, BODE index and step count per day included in the model, a one‐unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with a 5.9 (2.0–9.8)‐kg decrease in QMVC (P = 0.004) and a 4.2 (1.3–14.3)‐fold increased risk of quadriceps weakness (P = 0.02).ConclusionInsulin resistance is associated with skeletal muscle weakness in COPD, independent of potential confounders. Further studies are required to explore underlying mechanisms and determine whether insulin‐sensitizing drugs could augment pulmonary rehabilitation in building skeletal muscle strength in COPD.
Liver Resident Macrophages (Kupffer Cells) Share Several Functional Antigens in Common with Endothelial Cells
Authors: Okada T. , Kimura A. , Kanki K. , Nakatani S. , Nagahara Y. , Hiraga M. , Watanabe Y. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe identification and specific functions of Kupffer cells (KCs), a liver resident macrophage subpopulation, are still unclear. We compared KCs with peritoneal macrophages using cDNA microarray analysis and found that these cells share some antigens with endothelial cells. KCs highly express VCAM‐1 and VEGF receptors (VEGF‐Rs) at transcriptional and protein levels. VCAM‐1 mediates the functional binding of KCs with lymphocytes and induces KC activation. Among the VEGF receptors, VEGF‐R2 and VEGF‐R3 were expressed on the KCs, while VEGF‐R1 was expressed on other tissue macrophage subsets. VEGF120, a ligand of both VEGF‐R1 and VEGF‐R2, transduced strong survival and chemotactic signals through the KCs, when compared to PIGF, a VEGF‐R1 ligand, indicating that VEGF‐R2 plays significant roles in regulating KC activities. Expression of the VEGF‐Rs was regulated by TLR4 signalling. These results suggest that the function of KCs is partly regulated by the common antigens shared with endothelial cells.
Penalized Weighted Least Squares to Small Area Estimation
Authors: Zhu Rong , Zou Guohua , Liang Hua , Zhu Lixing 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn this paper, a penalized weighted least squares approach is proposed for small area estimation under the unit level model. The new method not only unifies the traditional empirical best linear unbiased prediction that does not take sampling design into account and the pseudo‐empirical best linear unbiased prediction that incorporates sampling weights but also has the desirable robustness property to model misspecification compared with existing methods. The empirical small area estimator is given, and the corresponding second‐order approximation to mean squared error estimator is derived. Numerical comparisons based on synthetic and real data sets show superior performance of the proposed method to currently available estimators in the literature.
Acute exercise stress promotes Ref1/Nrf2 signalling and increases mitochondrial antioxidant activity in skeletal muscle
Authors: Wang Ping , Li Chun Guang , Qi Zhengtang , Cui Di , Ding Shuzhe 
Published: December 2015

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?
How does acute exercise affect the redox effector factor‐1 (Ref1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) signalling and its association with mitochondrial H2O2 production and antioxidant capacity?

What is the main finding and its importance?
Ref1/Nrf2 signalling in skeletal muscles was activated by acute exercise, and this activation was correlated with increased mitochondrial H2O2 content and antioxidant capacity (reduced glutathione and manganese superoxide dismutase). The finding indicates that the oxidative stress induced by acute exercise in skeletal muscle mitochondria is associated with the upregulation of Ref1/Nrf2 signalling and enhancement of antioxidant defense pathways. This mechanism may play a role in preventing cellular oxidative stress resistance during acute exercise.

The molecular mechanism of exercise‐induced oxidative stress and adaptive activation of antioxidant responses in skeletal muscle has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acute exercise on redox effector factor‐1 (Ref1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) signalling and associations with mitochondrial H2O2 production and antioxidant mechanisms in skeletal muscles. Groups of male ICR/CD‐1 mice were subjected to an acute exercise bout of different durations (45, 90, 120 or 150 min). Muscle tissues (gastrocnemius and quadriceps femoris) were harvested after exercise to measure mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and copper–zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) activities, reduced glutathione (GSH) content and expression of Ref1/Nrf2 genes and Ref1/Nrf2 proteins. The acute exercise increased oxidative stress and activated Ref1/Nrf2 signalling in a time‐dependent manner, with a linear correlation between the mitochondrial H2O2 content and Ref1/Nrf2 expressions. The GSH content and MnSOD activity were also significantly increased, but CuZnSOD activity was not significantly affected. The findings indicate that the H2O2 production induced by acute exercise in skeletal muscle mitochondria in the mouse is closely associated with upregulation of the Ref1/Nrf2 signalling pathway and enhancement of antioxidant defense components, including GSH and MnSOD. Activation of Ref1/Nrf2/antioxidant defense pathways may play a role in preventing cellular oxidative stress resistance during acute exercise.
Pacing Adjustments Associated With Familiarization: Heat Versus Temperate Environments
Authors: Schmit Cyril , Duffield Rob , Hausswirth Christophe , Coutts Aaron J. , Le Meur Yann 
Published: December 2015

Purpose:To describe the effect of the initial perceptual experience from heat familiarization on the pacing profile during a freepaced endurance time trial (TT) compared with temperate conditions.Methods:Two groups of well-trained triathletes performed two 20-km TTs in either hot (35°C and 50% relative humidity [RH], n = 12) or temperate (21°C and 50% RH, n = 22) conditions, after standardization of training for each group before both trials. To ensure no physiological acclimation differences between conditions, the TTs for both groups were separated by 11 ± 4 d.Results:Performance improvement in the heat (11 ± 24 W) from the 1st to 2nd trial appeared comparable to that in temperate conditions (8 ± 14 W, P = .67). However, the specific alteration in pacing profile in the heat was markedly different than temperate conditions, with a change from “positive” to an “even” pacing strategy.Conclusions:Altered perceptions of heat during heat familiarization, rather than physiological acclimatization per se, may mediate initial changes in pacing and TT performance in the heat. These results highlight the need for athletes without time for sufficient heat acclimatization to familiarize themselves with hot conditions to reduce the uncertainty from behavior-based outcomes that may impede performance.
Genome Sequences of 11 Brucella abortus Isolates from Persistently Infected Italian Regions
Authors: Garofolo Giuliano , Foster Jeffrey T. , Drees Kevin , Zilli Katiuscia , Platone Ilenia , Ancora Massimo , Cammà Cesare , De Massis Fabrizio , Calistri Paolo , Di Giannatale Elisabetta 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT

Bovine brucellosis, typically caused by
Brucella abortus
, has been eradicated from much of the developed world. However, the disease remains prevalent in southern Italy, persisting as a public and livestock health concern. We report here the whole-genome sequences of 11 isolates from cattle (
Bos taurus
) and water buffalo (
Bubalus bubalis
) that are representative of the current genetic diversity of
B. abortus
lineages circulating in Italy.
Permanent Draft Genome Sequence of
Frankia
sp. Strain ACN1
ag
, a Nitrogen-Fixing Actinobacterium Isolated from the Root Nodules of
Alnus glutinosa
Authors: Swanson Erik , Oshone Rediet , Simpson Stephen , Morris Krystalynne , Abebe-Akele Feseha , Thomas W. Kelley , Tisa Louis S. 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT

Frankia
strain ACN1
ag
is a member of
Frankia
lineage Ia, which are able to re-infect plants of the
Betulaceae
and
Myricaceae
families. Here, we report a 7.5-Mbp draft genome sequence with a G+C content of 72.35% and 5,687 candidate protein-encoding genes.
The assessment of Ki-67 as a prognostic marker in neuroendocrine tumours: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Richards-Taylor Sebastian , Ewings Sean M , Jaynes Eleanor , Tilley Charles , Ellis Sarah G , Armstrong Thomas , Pearce Neil , Cave Judith 
Published: December 2015

IntroductionGastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP NETs) are classified according to tumour mitotic count or Ki-67 labelling index (LI).Aim(s)To systematically review articles reporting the prognosis of patients by Ki-67 LI and thereby improve the ability of clinicians to prognosticate for their patients.Method265 abstracts were identified relating Ki-67 and survival. After exclusion criteria were applied, 22 articles remained. Articles were excluded if they described non-human specimens, were non-English language, published prior to 2000, reported non-GEP NETs, reported subgroups selected by treatment modality or included <20 cases. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to combine studies to estimate survival proportions.ResultsAuthors used varied methods in which to present 5-year survival, with often limited survival information. This reduced the number of studies that could be included in the meta-analysis. 5-year survival for patients with grade 1 and 2 GEP NETs were estimated to be 89% (95% CI 85% to 92%, m=12 studies, n=977 participants) and 70% (95% CI 62% to 79%, m=9, n=726), respectively. Using an alternative grade 1/2 boundary of 5%, 5-year survival rates for Ki-67≤5% and 5–20% were estimated as 89% (95% CI 84% to 94%, m=7, n=654) and 51% (95% CI 44% to 59%, m=4, n=183), respectively. For Ki-67>20%, 5-year survival was estimated to be 25% (95% CI 12% to 38%, m=10, n=208).ConclusionsStandardisation of grade boundaries has allowed us to combine data from multiple studies and amass a body of evidence linking Ki-67 and survival.
Socioeconomic status, comorbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Scotland 2004–2011: a cohort study
Authors: Walker Jeremy , Halbesma Nynke , Lone Nazir , McAllister David , Weir Christopher J , Wild Sarah H 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundMortality in people with and without diabetes often exhibits marked social patterning, risk of death being greater in deprived groups. This may reflect deprivation-related differences in comorbid disease (conditions additional to diabetes itself). This study sought to determine whether the social patterning of mortality in a population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is explained by differential comorbidity.MethodsHospital records for 70 197 men and 56 451 women diagnosed with T2DM at 25 years of age and above in Scotland during the period 2004–2011 were used to construct comorbidity histories. Sex-specific logistic models were fitted to predict mortality at 1 year after diagnosis with T2DM, predicted initially by age and socioeconomic status (SES) then extended to incorporate in turn 5 representations of comorbidity (including the Charlson Index). The capacity of comorbidity to explain social mortality gradients was assessed by observing the change in regression coefficients for SES following the addition of comorbidity.ResultsAfter adjustment for age and Charlson Index, the OR for the contrast between the least deprived and most deprived quintiles of SES for men was 0.79 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.94). For women, the OR was 0.81 (0.67 to 0.97). Similar results were obtained for the 4 other comorbidity measures used.ConclusionsThe social patterning of mortality in people with T2DM is not fully explained by differing levels of comorbid disease additional to T2DM itself. Other dimensions of deprivation are implicated in the elevated death rates observed in deprived groups of people with T2DM.
Late cosmic acceleration in a vector-Gauss–Bonnet gravity model
Authors: Oliveros A. , Solis Enzo L. , Acero Mario A. 
Published: December 2015

In this work, we study a general vector–tensor model of dark energy (DE) with a Gauss–Bonnet term coupled to a vector field and without explicit potential terms. Considering a spatially flat Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) type universe and a vector field without spatial components, the cosmological evolution is analyzed from the field equations of this model considering two sets of parameters. In this context, we have shown that it is possible to obtain an accelerated expansion phase of the universe since the equation state parameter [Formula: see text] satisfies the restriction [Formula: see text] (for suitable values of model parameters). Further, analytical expressions for the Hubble parameter [Formula: see text], equation state parameter [Formula: see text] and the invariant scalar [Formula: see text] are obtained. We also find that the square of the speed of sound is negative for all values of redshift, therefore, the model presented here shows a sign of instability under small perturbations. We finally perform an analysis using [Formula: see text] observational data and we find that for the free parameter [Formula: see text] in the interval [Formula: see text], at 99.73% C.L. (and fixing [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]), the model has a good fit to the data.
A review on the structure of cold-compressed graphite phase
Authors: Zhai Jinhui , Wan Ajun , Wu Wenbin 
Published: December 2015

The room-temperature structural phase transition of graphite at elevated hydrostatic pressure has drawn considerable scientific interest for its fundamental importance in condensed matter physics and materials science over the past few decades. A pressure-induced phase transition has been demonstrated in previous experiments by the measurement of electrical resistance, optical spectrum, X-ray diffraction spectrum, inelastic X-ray scattering and Raman spectroscopy. However, the nature of the cold-compressed graphite phase has been puzzling the experts and pioneers in the field of high pressure research due to some inherent factors, until recently a monoclinic structure, i.e. [Formula: see text]-carbon, stands out from the other structure candidates and successfully accounts for the crystal structure of the cold-compressed graphite phase both in theory and experiment that eventually putting an end to this long-lasting controversial issue. This paper reviews the recent progress on the pressure-induced phase transitions of graphite at room temperature especially for the theoretical investigations. The review will focus on the recent proposed novel carbon allotropes as candidate structures of the cold-compressed graphite phase by using different crystal structure prediction methods. The history of structure determination of cold-compressed graphite phase is discussed.