bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Colletotrichum graminicola striatin orthologue Str1 is necessary for anastomosis and is a virulence factor
Authors: Wang Chih‐Li , Shim Won‐Bo , Shaw Brian D. 
Published: November 2015

SummaryStriatin family proteins are key regulators in signalling pathways in fungi and animals. These scaffold proteins contain four conserved domains: a caveolin‐binding domain, a coiled‐coil motif and a calmodulin‐binding domain at the N‐terminus, and a WD‐repeat domain at the C‐terminus. Fungal striatin orthologues are associated with sexual development, hyphal growth and plant pathogenesis. In Fusarium verticillioides, the striatin orthologue Fsr1 promotes virulence in the maize stalk. The relationship between fungal striatins and pathogenicity remains largely unexplored. In this study, we demonstrate that the Colletotrichum graminicola striatin orthologue Str1 is required for full stalk rot and leaf blight virulence in maize. Pathogenicity assays show that the striatin mutant strain (Δstr1) produces functional appressoria, but infection and colonization are attenuated. Additional phenotypes of the Δstr1 mutant include reduced radial growth and compromised hyphal fusion. In comparison with the wild‐type, Δstr1 also shows a defect in sexual development and produces fewer and shorter conidia. Together with the fact that F. verticillioides fsr1 can complement Δstr1, our results indicate that C. graminicola Str1 shares five phenotypes with striatin orthologues in other fungal species: hyphal growth, hyphal fusion, conidiation, sexual development and virulence. We propose that fungal striatins, like mammalian striatins, act as scaffolding molecules that cross‐link multiple signal transduction pathways.
Dissection of the genetic architecture of rice resistance to the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Kang Houxiang , Wang Yue , Peng Shasha , Zhang Yanli , Xiao Yinghui , Wang Dan , Qu Shaohong , Li Zhiqiang , Yan Shuangyong , Wang Zhilong , Liu Wende , Ning Yuese , Korniliev Pavel , Leung Hei , Mezey Jason , McCouch Susan R. , Wang Guo‐Liang 
Published: November 2015

SummaryResistance in rice cultivars to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is complex and is controlled by both major genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs). We undertook a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) using the rice diversity panel 1 (RDP1) that was genotyped using a high‐density (700 000 single nucleotide polymorphisms) array and inoculated with five diverse M. oryzae isolates. We identified 97 loci associated with blast resistance (LABRs). Among them, 82 were new regions and 15 co‐localized with known blast resistance loci. The top 72 LABRs explained up to 98% of the phenotypic variation. The candidate genes in the LABRs encode nucleotide‐binding site leucine‐rich repeat (NBS‐LRR) resistance proteins, receptor‐like protein kinases, transcription factors and defence‐related proteins. Among them, LABR_64 was strongly associated with resistance to all five isolates. We analysed the function of candidate genes underlying LABR_64 using RNA interference (RNAi) technology and identified two new resistance alleles at the Pi5 locus. We demonstrate an efficient strategy for rapid allele discovery using the power of GWAS, coupled with RNAi technology, for the dissection of complex blast resistance in rice.
Botrydial and botcinins produced by Botrytis cinerea regulate the expression of Trichoderma arundinaceum genes involved in trichothecene biosynthesis
Authors: Malmierca Mónica G. , Izquierdo‐Bueno Inmaculada , Mccormick Susan P. , Cardoza Rosa E. , Alexander Nancy J. , Moraga Javier , Gomes Eriston V. , Proctor Robert H. , Collado Isidro G. , Monte Enrique , Gutiérrez Santiago 
Published: November 2015

SummaryTrichoderma arundinaceum IBT 40837 (Ta37) and Botrytis cinerea produce the sesquiterpenes harzianum A (HA) and botrydial (BOT), respectively, and also the polyketides aspinolides and botcinins (Botcs), respectively. We analysed the role of BOT and Botcs in the Ta37–B. cinerea interaction, including the transcriptomic changes in the genes involved in HA (tri) and ergosterol biosynthesis, as well as changes in the level of HA and squalene‐ergosterol. We found that, when confronted with B. cinerea, the tri biosynthetic genes were up‐regulated in all dual cultures analysed, but at higher levels when Ta37 was confronted with the BOT non‐producer mutant bcbot2Δ. The production of HA was also higher in the interaction area with this mutant. In Ta37–bcbot2Δ confrontation experiments, the expression of the hmgR gene, encoding the 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, which is the first enzyme of the terpene biosynthetic pathway, was also up‐regulated, resulting in an increase in squalene production compared with the confrontation with B. cinerea B05.10. Botcs had an up‐regulatory effect on the tri biosynthetic genes, with BotcA having a stronger effect than BotcB. The results indicate that the interaction between Ta37 and B. cinerea exerts a stimulatory effect on the expression of the tri biosynthetic genes, which, in the interaction zone, can be attenuated by BOT produced by B. cinerea B05.10. The present work provides evidence for a metabolic dialogue between T. arundinaceum and B. cinerea that is mediated by sesquiterpenes and polyketides, and that affects the outcome of the interaction of these fungi with each other and their environment.
Assessing ocular bulbar redness: a comparison of methods
Authors: Downie Laura E. , Keller Peter R. , Vingrys Algis J. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractPurposeWe consider whether quantification of ocular bulbar redness, using image processing of relative Red‐channel activity (Red‐value), can be applied to a clinical sample and how this approach compares to an automated bulbar redness grading technique (Oculus Keratograph 5M, R‐scan).MethodsRed‐values from dry eye patients (n = 25) were determined using image processing of digital photographs over the nasal bulbar conjunctiva. Red‐values were compared with subjective grades from six clinicians who graded the images using the IER scale. We considered the level of agreement between the Red‐value and automated bulbar redness scores from the commercial instrument (R‐scan). Scoring variability for each technique was assessed using the geometric coefficient of variation (gCoV, %). Agreement between techniques was considered with Bland‐Altman analyses.ResultsRed‐values showed a strong linear relationship (R2 = 0.99) to the R‐scan. The Red‐value had least variability (gCoV = 0.97%, 95% CI: 0.76–1.35%). The IER grade showed a linear relationship with Red‐value (R2 = 0.99), bound by a floor effect; it did not discriminate changes in redness below a threshold of 1.75 units (Red‐value = 33.0%), after which it paralleled the redness returned by the R‐scan. Intra‐method variability for the redness returned by the R‐scan (gCoV = 9.84%, 95% CI: 7.60–13.94%) and IER grades (gCoV = 7.30%, 95% CI: 1.73–10.31%) was similar (p > 0.05). Bland‐Altman analysis showed the R‐scan was consistently biased towards lower absolute redness scores than the IER.ConclusionsDigital imaging processing, using relative Red‐channel activity, was the least variable of the three techniques. The R‐scan and IER showed similar intra‐observer variability. The linear relationship between R‐scan and Red‐value suggests that the R‐scan could be derived using similar methods.
Genetic variants in the vitamin D pathway genes VDBP and RXRA modulate cutaneous melanoma disease‐specific survival
Authors: Yin Jieyun , Liu Hongliang , Yi Xiaohua , Wu Wenting , Amos Christopher I. , Fang Shenying , Lee Jeffrey E. , Han Jiali , Wei Qingyi 
Published: November 2015

SummarySingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vitamin D pathway genes have been implicated in cutaneous melanoma (CM) risk, but their role in CM disease‐specific survival (DSS) remains obscure. We comprehensively analyzed the prognostic roles of 2669 common SNPs in the vitamin D pathway genes using data from a published genome‐wide association study (GWAS) at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) and then validated the SNPs of interest in another GWAS from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow‐up Study. Among the 2669 SNPs, 203 were significantly associated with DSS in MDACC dataset (P < 0.05 and false‐positive report probability < 0.2), of which 18 were the tag SNPs. In the replication, two of these 18 SNPs showed nominal significance: the VDBP rs12512631 T > C was associated with a better DSS [combined hazards ratio (HR) = 0.66]; and the same for RXRA rs7850212 C > A (combined HR = 0.38), which were further confirmed by the Fine and Gray competing‐risks regression model. Further bioinformatics analyses indicated that these loci may modulate corresponding gene methylation status.
Sun Exposure and Sun Protection at Primary Schools in The Netherlands: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Boog Matthijs C. , Nederend Annelies , Ultee Jetske 
Published: November 2015

AbstractBackgroundIn The Netherlands, skin cancer incidence rates have dramatically increased during the last decades. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is the most important environmental risk factor for developing skin cancer.AimsThe present study aimed to determine the level of sun exposure and sun protection of children at Dutch primary schools.Materials and MethodsRegistered members of an Internet panel of a private research company with a child 6 to 12 years of age completed a standardized questionnaire on sun exposure, sun protection and sunburn for their child on school days during the spring and summer.ResultsA total of 1103 parents completed the questionnaire. Most parents reported that their child spent 31 minutes to 1 hour (39.7%) or 1 hour to 1.5 hours (26.1%) outside at school during the spring and summer, 29.3% reported that sunscreen is always or often applied to the skin of their child in the morning on school days, 37% reported that they always or often paid attention to sun protection when selecting their child's outfit, 19.3% of the parents stated that their child could not play in the shade outside at school, and 19.9% of the parents reported that their child had ever had a sunburn at school.DiscussionWith most children, this consistent and repetitive pattern of sun exposure at school will probably lead to damage of exposed skin, because sun protection is insufficiently achieved among children during school days in the spring and summer.ConclusionsFuture school‐based interventions are necessary to alert and change behavior of parents, children, and primary school teachers.
Focus on the Top Ten Diagnoses Could Reduce Pediatric Dermatology Referrals
Authors: Kakande Betty , Gumedze Freedom , Hlela Carol , Khumalo Nonhlanhla P. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThere is a sense that many patients seen at referral centers could be managed at a primary health care level. The objective of the current study was to examine the range of diagnoses among consultations at the Red Cross Children's Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, to help develop a strategy for targeted education of primary health care personnel. This was a retrospective review of data for children seen at a pediatric dermatology clinic from 2005 to 2010, recorded according to International Classification of Diseases coding and compared with published data from similar clinical settings. There were 13,253 clinic visits, with 4,789 patients seen (median age 4.8 yrs, range 2 days to 18.6 yrs). The top 10 diagnoses accounted for 88.5% of consultations (59.5% atopic eczema [AE], 7.1% seborrheic dermatitis [SD], 4.2% superficial mycoses, 3.1% molluscum contagiosum, 2.8% vitiligo, 2.7% viral warts, 2.4% prurigo or scabies, 2.3% psoriasis, 2.3% hemangioma, 2.1% impetigo). Disease prevalence was somewhat different during the first year of life (AE 43.7%, SD 18.6%, hemangiomas 13.4%). Inflammatory dermatoses (76.6%) were more prevalent than infections and infestations (14.5%). The disease spectrum was similar to that in developed countries, although AE prevalence was higher in this study (followed by London 36%, Greece 35%, and Hong Kong 33%) than in 19 published studies. The top 10 diagnoses accounted for more than 70% of diagnoses in 12 studies. The retrospective nature and setting at a specialist clinic increased bias and limited generalizability. Focused education on the optimal care of common diseases, especially AE, could reduce referrals, improve access, and allow specialists at tertiary centers more time to manage complex and uncommon dermatoses.
Periodontal treatment in a patient with generalized idiopathic dystonia
Authors: Zuza Elizangela Partata , Campos Leonardo Carlos , Vanzelli Marcio Luiz Vidotto , Martins Alex Tadeu , Pontes Ana Emília Farias , Ribeiro Fernando Salimon , Toledo Benedicto Egbert Côrrea , Pires Juliana Rico 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACTDystonia is a neurological disorder that can cause constant muscle contractions and motor limitations. This work reports a clinical case of periodontal treatment in a patient with generalized idiopathic dystonia. The intraoral clinical examination was focused on the presence of caries and periodontal diseases. The plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were measured. Initially, oral hygiene instruction was provided using a soft conventional toothbrush and dental floss, but the clinical results achieved using these methods were inadequate. Alternative methods of plaque removal were offered, such as the use of a power toothbrush and a dental floss fork, which resulted in improvement in the PI, PD, and BOP and allowed the patient to undergo periodontal surgery for the restoration of subgingival caries. Our results suggested that generalized idiopathic dystonia leads to motor limitations that may cause difficulty with regard to plaque control, but adaptations of the methods used for oral hygiene may improve the oral health conditions in these patients.
A Philosophy of Charity and the Debates over the English and Irish Poor Laws in the 1830s
Authors: McGauran John‐Paul , Offer John 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe role of charity as a provider of relief was notably little discussed in the comprehensive English Poor Law Report of 1834. By contrast, however, the debate at the time in Ireland over whether any kind of Poor Law at all was desirable ranged much more broadly, with the respective roles of statutory and voluntary provision hotly contested. In fact, beyond the confines of the English Report itself, the topic of the place of charity in relief was exercising plenty of minds on both shores of the Irish Sea. This article examines aspects of the intellectual importance accorded to the role of individual charity and wider voluntary action in welfare provision across the British Isles by some of the central figures in the English and Irish Poor Law debates in the 1830s. It is a study of how justifications were forged to underpin charitable activity and specific policy proposals as advanced by the main proponents of Christian political economy from the late 18th to the early 19th centuries, including William Paley, Thomas Robert Malthus, John Bird Sumner, Edward Copleston, James Ebenezer Bicheno, Thomas Chalmers and Richard Whately. The discussions of Irish circumstances and problems furnish new insights into the substance and reach of a ‘philosophy of charity’ which was firmly in place by the 1830s.
A single nucleotide insertion in Exon 3 produces a novel HLA‐B*58 null allele, HLA‐B*58:72N
Authors: Yang K. L. , Hung J. H. , Lin P. Y. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractOne nucleotide insertion in Exon 3 of HLA‐B*58:01:01:01 results in a new null allele, HLA‐B*58:72N
Prospective Epstein–Barr virus‐related post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder prevention program in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant: virological monitoring and first‐line treatment
Authors: Chiereghin A. , Prete A. , Belotti T. , Gibertoni D. , Piccirilli G. , Gabrielli L. , Pession A. , Lazzarotto T. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractBackgroundIn 28 pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo‐HSCT) recipients, we aimed to evaluate: (i) the impact of routine Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA monitoring on the development of EBV‐related post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV‐PTLD); (ii) the incidence of EBV infection and the potential risk factors; and (iii) the suitability of whole blood (WB) as clinical specimen to monitor the risk of patients to develop EBV‐PTLD.MethodsQuantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay was performed on WB samples for all patients. EBV DNA quantification also in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) samples was adopted for the patients at higher risk of developing EBV‐PTLD (≥10,000 copies/mL WB).ResultsHigh EBV DNAemia levels were observed in 37.5% of the actively infected recipients (57.1%). Severe aplastic anemia, matched‐unrelated donor transplant, the reduced‐intensity conditioning regimen and, to a lesser extent, the in vivo T‐cell depletion with anti‐thymocyte immunoglobulin were associated with high viral load. A significant correlation between EBV DNA levels in WB and PBMC samples was obtained (r = 0.755, P < 0.001). A similar kinetics of EBV DNA in the 2 blood compartments was observed. Clinically, both specimen types appeared to be equally informative to assess the risk of patients to develop PTLD. On the basis of EBV DNAemia levels, in 3 patients (10.7%) immunosuppressive therapy was reduced and 1 patient (3.5%) received early treatment for probable EBV disease. No patients developed EBV‐PTLD.ConclusionWB proved to be a suitable clinical specimen to monitor EBV DNA load after allo‐HSCT for the management of EBV infection and PTLD prevention.
INFLUENCE OF ACCOUNTING BALANCE INDICATORS ON INVESTMENT EVALUTION
Authors: Sabauri Levan 
Published: November 2015

The work considers essential matters of cash flow return on investments. The basic of CFROI® methodology is the idea of a company as the integrity of projects. Those projects have different moments and terms of development and effect as well as the various rates of payback. Subject to the goals of the analysis, they are represented as a single consolidated project which generates cash flows within the term of useful life of those assets to which the investments are aimed. The CFROI® is based on the main idea – to determine the inflation-adjusted cash flows in favor of every capital owner and to compare them with the inflation-adjusted historical investments which have been put in the business in consideration of the depreciated cost of non-depreciable assets according to the internal rate. The work focuses on the detailed analysis of the CFROI® components. All components are considered separately and in connection with each other that makes the single chain determining the cash rate of return on investments. Within the analysis of cash rate of return on investments it is important to determine the duration of life cycle of strategic investments which is directly related to the establishment of the average age of the fixed depreciated tangible assets. When determining the average asset age noteworthy is by what formula it will be calculated. Based on the practical examples the work presents the cases of “artificial rejuvenation” of depreciated assets and “artificial aging” of assets. The work also determines the values of total investments and total cash flows, their effect on calculation of the cash rate of return on investments. Parallel with investments and cash flows there is also considered the role of IRR and MIRR for calculation of CFROI. Together with the investment model of calculation there has been applied calculation with CFROI coefficient which is based on the use of data of the economical depreciation of total investments. Therefore, the operating cash flows are recurrent and reiterated and they create the necessary idea of the profit to be received from a business in future. CFROI® value is measured on the annual basis. It may be subject to modification. Noteworthy is to determine the internal rate of return (IRR) of a business in the current conditions. CFROI® is of analytical predictable nature. However, it shall be applied with a particular caution. In the final analysis, the purport of the company existence is to return all investments deposited in it and to receive the adequate revenue which will compensate alternative expenses and bring profit to the company.
An Amphipathic Undecapeptide with All
d
-Amino Acids Shows Promising Activity against Colistin-Resistant Strains of Acinetobacter baumannii and a Dual Mode of Action
Authors: Oddo Alberto , Thomsen Thomas T. , Kjelstrup Susanne , Gorey Ciara , Franzyk Henrik , Frimodt-Møller Niels , Løbner-Olesen Anders , Hansen Paul R. 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACT

Multiple strains of
Acinetobacter baumannii
have developed multidrug resistance (MDR), leaving colistin as the only effective treatment. The cecropin-α–melittin hybrid BP100 (KKLFKKILKYL-NH
2
) and its analogs have previously shown activity against a wide array of plant and human pathogens. In this study, we investigated the
in vitro
antibacterial activities of 18 BP100 analogs (four known and 14 new) against the MDR
A. baumannii
strain ATCC BAA-1605, as well as against a number of other clinically relevant human pathogens. Selected peptides were further evaluated against strains of
A. baumannii
that acquired resistance to colistin due to mutations of the
lpxC
,
lpxD
,
pmrA
, and
pmrB
genes. The novel analogue BP214 showed antimicrobial activity at 1 to 2 μM and a hemolytic 50% effective concentration (EC
50
) of >150 μM. The lower activity of its enantiomer suggests a dual, specific and nonspecific mode of action. Interestingly, colistin behaved antagonistically to BP214 when
pmrAB
and
lpxC
mutants were challenged.
Emergence of Carbapenem-Resistant Serotype K1 Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains in China
Authors: Zhang Rong , Lin Dachuan , Chan Edward Wai-chi , Gu Danxia , Chen Gong-Xiang , Chen Sheng 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACT

We report the emergence of five carbapenem-resistant K1 hypervirulent
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(hvKP) strains which caused fatal infections in hospital patients in Zhejiang Province, China, upon entry through surgical wounds. Genotyping results revealed the existence of three genetically related strains which exhibited a new sequence type, ST1797, and revealed that all strains harbored the
magA
and
wcaG
virulence genes and a plasmid-borne
bla
KPC-2
gene. These findings indicate that K1 hvKP is simultaneously hypervirulent, multidrug resistant, and transmissible.