bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mini review: A unique case of crescentic C3 glomerulonephritis
Authors: Palamuthusingam Dharmenaan , Mantha Murty , Oliver Kimberley , Bavishi Ketan , Dheda Shyam 
Published: February 2017

AbstractKidney involvement is an under‐recognized complication of non‐Hodgkin lymphomas. They occur in a variety of mechanisms and differ widely in their clinical presentation. We take this opportunity to report a case of a 65 year‐old man who developed a rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis within days after completing his first cycle of R‐CHOP (Rituximab, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, Prednisolone) chemotherapy for newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma. He was odematous, hypertensive, oliguric with nephrotic range proteinuria and an active urine sediment. A renal biopsy showed a crescentic C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN) with no evidence endocapillary or mesangial hypercellularity. He was promptly treated with immunosuppression and dialysis, with resumption of his chemotherapy. Genetic testing on complement proteins revealed a homozygous deletion spanning the CFHR1 and CFHR3 genes. Crescentic C3GN is a rare form of kidney injury, and this is the first known case of lymphoma‐associated kidney involvement manifesting as C3GN. This article explores the possible mechanism of disease and reviews the literature of lymphoma‐related kidney disease.
The influence of climatic niche preferences on the population genetic structure of a mistletoe species complex
Authors: Ramírez‐Barahona Santiago , González Clementina , González‐Rodríguez Antonio , Ornelas Juan Francisco 
Published: February 2017

Summary

The prevalent view on genetic structuring in parasitic plants is that host‐race formation is caused by varying degrees of host specificity. However, the relative importance of ecological niche divergence and host specificity to population differentiation remains poorly understood.

We evaluated the factors associated with population differentiation in mistletoes of the Psittacanthus schiedeanus complex (Loranthaceae) in Mexico. We used genetic data from chloroplast sequences and nuclear microsatellites to study population genetic structure and tested its association with host preferences and climatic niche variables.

Pairwise genetic differentiation was associated with environmental and host preferences, independent of geography. However, environmental predictors appeared to be more important than host preferences to explain genetic structure, supporting the hypothesis that the occurrence of the parasite is largely determined by its own climatic niche and, to a lesser degree, by host specificity.

Genetic structure is significant within this mistletoe species complex, but the processes associated with this structure appear to be more complex than previously thought. Although host specificity was not supported as the major determinant of population differentiation, we consider this to be part of a more comprehensive ecological model of mistletoe host‐race formation that incorporates the effects of climatic niche evolution.
One way. Or another? Iron uptake in plants
Authors: Tsai Huei‐Hsuan , Schmidt Wolfgang 
Published: February 2017

SummaryIron (Fe) and phosphorus (P), the latter taken up by plants as phosphate (Pi), are two essential nutrients that determine species distribution and often limit crop yield as a result of their low availability in most soils. Pi‐deficient plants improve the interception of Pi by increasing the density of root hairs, thereby expanding the volume of soil to be explored. The increase in root‐hair frequency results mainly from attenuated primary root growth, a process that was shown to be dependent on the availability of external Fe. Recent data support a hypothesis in which cell elongation during Pi starvation is tuned by depositing Fe in the apoplast of cortical cells in the root elongation zone. Uptake of Fe under Pi starvation appears to proceed via an alternative, as yet unidentified, route that bypasses the default Fe transporter. Fe deposits acquired through this noncanonical Fe‐uptake pathway compromises cell‐to‐cell communication that is critical for proper morphogenesis of epidermal cells and leads to shorter cells and higher root‐hair density. An auxiliary Fe‐uptake system might not only be crucial for recalibrating cell elongation in Pi‐deficient plants but may also have general importance for growth on Pi‐ or Fe‐poor soils by balancing the Pi and Fe supply.
PbrMYB21, a novel MYB protein of Pyrus betulaefolia, functions in drought tolerance and modulates polyamine levels by regulating arginine decarboxylase gene
Authors: Li Kongqing , Xing Caihua , Yao Zhenghong , Huang Xiaosan 
Published: February 2017

SummaryMYB comprises a large family of transcription factors that play significant roles in plant development and stress response in plants. However, knowledge concerning the functions of MYBs and the target genes remains poorly understood. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of a novel stress‐responsive MYB gene from Pyrus betulaefolia. The MYB gene, designated as PbrMYB21, belongs to the R2R3‐type and shares high degree of sequence similarity to MdMYB21. The transcript levels of PbrMYB21 were up‐regulated under various abiotic stresses, particularly dehydration. PbrMYB21 was localized in the nucleus with transactivation activity. Overexpression of PbrMYB21 in tobacco conferred enhanced tolerance to dehydration and drought stresses, whereas down‐regulation of PbrMYB21 in Pyrus betulaefolia by virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) resulted in elevated drought sensitivity. Transgenic tobacco exhibited higher expression levels of ADC (arginine decarboxylase) and accumulated larger amount of polyamine in comparison with wild type (WT). VIGS of PbrMYB21 in Pyrus betulaefolia down‐regulated ADC abundance and decreased polyamine level, accompanied by compromised drought tolerance. The promoter region of PbrADC contains one MYB‐recognizing cis‐element, which was shown to be interacted with PbrMYB21, indicating the ADC may be a target gene of PbrMYB21. Take together, these results demonstrated that PbrMYB21 plays a positive role in drought tolerance, which may be, at least in part, due to the modulation of polyamine synthesis by regulating the ADC expression.
High‐yield secretion of recombinant proteins from the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Ramos‐Martinez Erick Miguel , Fimognari Lorenzo , Sakuragi Yumiko 
Published: February 2017

SummaryMicroalga‐based biomanufacturing of recombinant proteins is attracting growing attention due to its advantages in safety, metabolic diversity, scalability and sustainability. Secretion of recombinant proteins can accelerate the use of microalgal platforms by allowing post‐translational modifications and easy recovery of products from the culture media. However, currently, the yields of secreted recombinant proteins are low, which hampers the commercial application of this strategy. This study aimed at expanding the genetic tools for enhancing secretion of recombinant proteins in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a widely used green microalga as a model organism and a potential industrial biotechnology platform. We demonstrated that the putative signal sequence from C. reinhardtii gametolysin can assist the secretion of the yellow fluorescent protein Venus into the culture media. To increase the secretion yields, Venus was C‐terminally fused with synthetic glycomodules comprised of tandem serine (Ser) and proline (Pro) repeats of 10 and 20 units [hereafter (SP)n, wherein n = 10 or 20]. The yields of the (SP)n‐fused Venus were higher than Venus without the glycomodule by up to 12‐fold, with the maximum yield of 15 mg/L. Moreover, the presence of the glycomodules conferred an enhanced proteolytic protein stability. The Venus‐(SP)n proteins were shown to be glycosylated, and a treatment of the cells with brefeldin A led to a suggestion that glycosylation of the (SP)n glycomodules starts in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Taken together, the results demonstrate the utility of the gametolysin signal sequence and (SP)n glycomodule to promote a more efficient biomanufacturing of microalgae‐based recombinant proteins.
Health‐related quality of life after combined liver and kidney transplantation in children
Authors: Schmaeschke Kaja , Lezius Susanne , Grabhorn Enke , Kemper Markus J. , Brinkert Florian 
Published: February 2017

AbstractWhile reduced HRQOL following isolated organ transplantation has been previously reported, there are no data in the context of children following CLKT. Twenty‐three children who underwent CLKT at our institution were included in the study. The indication for CLKT was PH1 in 13 patients and ARPKD in 10 patients. Quantification of HRQOL was facilitated through the use of the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scale. The results of the study were compared to healthy children and published data of children who had undergone LTx or KTx. The CLKT samples' child self‐report showed good HRQOL. No statistically significant difference was found between the patients with PH1 and patients with ARPKD (P=.4). Compared to healthy children, a significant difference in the total scale score, the physical health score, and the school functioning was reported. HRQOL did not differ significantly when compared to patients following isolated LTx or KTx. To improve HRQOL after CLKT, a focus on patients' physical health, educational performances, and overall quality of life is crucial. Thus, coordinated medical care across disciplines and psychological and social support is essential to achieve this goal.
Th17 cells and neutrophils: Close collaborators in chronic Leishmania mexicana infections leading to disease severity
Authors: Pedraza‐Zamora C. P. , Delgado‐Domínguez J. , Zamora‐Chimal J. , Becker I. 
Published: February 2017

SummaryCutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania mexicana is associated with an important inflammatory response. We here analysed the kinetics of Th17 cells and neutrophils in ear lobe lesions caused by Leishmania mexicana throughout 90 days of disease progression in susceptible BALB/c and semi‐resistant C57BL/6 mice infected with 1 × 105 Leishmania mexicana promastigotes. Cells in the lesions were extracted and quantified by flow cytometry, whereas their distribution in the tissues in relation to the parasites was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Our results show that in BALB/c mice, both Th17 cells and neutrophils increase concomitantly and to significantly higher levels on day 90 post‐infection, as compared to C57BL/6 mice. Our results provide novel evidence on the cells causing chronic inflammation throughout Leishmania mexicana infections, resulting as a consequence of neutrophil recruitment together with Th17 cell differentiation and recruitment, both of which remain in the infection site throughout the late phase of the infection. We conclude that the more enhanced levels of Th17 cells and neutrophils during chronic inflammatory lesions in BALB/c mice participate in their enhanced susceptibility towards a progressive disease evolution, whereas the more controlled response of these cells in C57BL/6 mice possibly relates to the more resistant profile of this mouse strain.
Adverse Effects of Early Life Extreme Precipitation Shocks on Short‐term Health and Adulthood Welfare Outcomes
Authors: Abiona Olukorede 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of exposure to early life rainfall shock on children's anthropometric growth status and other welfare outcomes. The study exploits World Bank repeated cross‐section household data on Malawi and exogenous variation in precipitation measures across localities to identify the impact of drought and flood shocks on health, schooling and satisfaction levels. Our main estimate for children's anthropometric growth reveals that an incidence of drought shock leads to a resultant average decrease of 15%, 17% and 43% in age‐standardized weight z‐scores for shocks experienced at in‐utero stage, first and second years respectively. Correspondingly, the relative impacts of an incidence of drought shock on age‐standardized height z‐scores are 14%, 15% and 27%. In contrast, the impacts of flood shock on each of these outcomes deteriorate over the outlined reference periods. On the adult dimension, we find that adults who face in‐utero drought shock are more likely to have greater school entry delays and be unhappy with their current economic situations. However, this adulthood result pertains to male adults in our sample.
Translation and testing of measurement properties of the Swedish version of the IKDC subjective knee form
Authors: Tigerstrand Grevnerts H. , Grävare Silbernagel K. , Sonesson S. , Ardern C. , Österberg A. , Gauffin H. , Kvist J. 
Published: February 2017

To translate to Swedish language and cross‐culturally adapt the IKDC‐SKF and to test the measurement properties of the Swedish version of IKDC‐SKF in ACL‐injured patients undergoing reconstruction surgery.The translation and cross‐cultural adaption was performed according to guidelines. Seventy‐six patients with an ACL injury filled out the IKDC‐SKF and other questionnaires before ACL reconstruction and at 4, 6, and 12 months after surgery. A total of 203 patients from the Swedish ACL Registry participated at 8 months post‐operative. Measurement properties were tested according to the COnsensus‐based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines.The Swedish IKDC‐SKF had high internal consistency (Cronbach′s alpha=0.90) and test‐retest reliability (ICC2,1=0.92, CI 95%: 0.81‐0.97, P<.001). A single factor solution accounted for 46.1% of the variance in IKDC‐SKF scores. Criterion validity was moderate to high. All ten predefined hypotheses for hypothesis testing were confirmed. The six hypotheses for responsiveness testing were confirmed. The effect size was 1.8, the standardized response mean was 1.9, the and minimal clinically important difference was 13.9 points.The Swedish version of the IKDC‐SKF had good measurement properties and can be recommended for use in a population of ACL‐deficient patients undergoing ACL reconstruction.
Diaporthe soft tissue infection in a heart transplant patient
Authors: Rakita Robert M. , O'Brien Kevin D. , Bourassa Lori 
Published: February 2017

AbstractInfections caused by Diaporthe species are very uncommon. We describe a heart transplant recipient 14 years post transplant who developed a soft tissue fungal infection due to a Diaporthe species that responded well to surgical excision and posaconazole therapy. The Aspergillus galactomannan index was markedly elevated, and returned to normal following treatment. Solid organ transplant patients remain at risk of infection long after transplantation and should be counseled about risk avoidance.
AaMYB1 and its orthologue AtMYB61 affect terpene metabolism and trichome development in Artemisia annua and Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Matías‐Hernández Luis , Jiang Weimin , Yang Ke , Tang Kexuan , Brodelius Peter E. , Pelaz Soraya 
Published: February 2017

SummaryThe effective anti‐malarial drug artemisinin (AN) isolated from Artemisia annua is relatively expensive due to the low AN content in the plant as AN is only synthesized within the glandular trichomes. Therefore, genetic engineering of A. annua is one of the most promising approaches for improving the yield of AN. In this work, the AaMYB1 transcription factor has been identified and characterized. When AaMYB1 is overexpressed in A. annua, either exclusively in trichomes or in the whole plant, essential AN biosynthetic genes are also overexpressed and consequently the amount of AN is significantly increased. Artemisia AaMYB1 constitutively overexpressing plants displayed a greater number of trichomes. In order to study the role of AaMYB1 on trichome development and other possibly connected biological processes, AaMYB1 was overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana. To support our findings in Arabidopsis thaliana, an AaMYB1 orthologue from this model plant, AtMYB61, was identified and atmyb61 mutants characterized. Both AaMYB1 and AtMYB61 affected trichome initiation, root development and stomatal aperture in A. thaliana. Molecular analyses indicated that two crucial trichome activator genes are misexpressed in atmyb61 mutant plants and in plants overexpressing AaMYB1. Furthermore, AaMYB1 and AtMYB61 are also essential for gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis and degradation in both species by positively affecting the expression of the enzymes that convert GA9 into the bioactive GA4 as well as the enzymes involved in the degradation of GA4. Overall, these results identify AaMYB1/AtMYB61 as a key component of the molecular network that connects important biosynthetic processes, and reveal its potential value for AN production through genetic engineering.
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bloodstream infection – A 22‐year experience at Mayo Clinic, Minnesota
Authors: Tan E. M. , Marcelin J. R. , Adeel N. , Lewis R. J. , Enzler M. J. , Tosh P. K. 
Published: February 2017

SummaryErysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a facultatively anaerobic Gram‐positive bacillus found mostly in swine, fish and sheep. E. rhusiopathiae classically causes cutaneous eruptions in butchers, fish handlers and veterinarians. Based solely on case reports, 90% of E. rhusiopathiae bloodstream infections (BSI) have been associated with infective endocarditis (IE). To assess the true frequency of IE in E. rhusiopathiae BSI as well as other clinical associations, we performed a retrospective cohort analysis of E. rhusiopathiae BSI at Mayo Clinic. This is a single‐centre, retrospective study conducted between 1/1/1994 and 20/6/2016 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, E. rhusiopathiae BSI, anti‐microbial susceptibilities, incidence of IE, patient comorbidities, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and duration of antibiotics. Five cases of E. rhusiopathiae BSI were identified. Risk factors included animal exposures, immunosuppression, diabetes and kidney disease. All cases involved penicillin‐sensitive strains and high‐grade BSI. Four cases showed no signs of IE on transesophageal echocardiogram. All patients recovered fully with intravenous antibiotics. Our retrospective review illustrates that E. rhusiopathiae can cause invasive BSI in the absence of IE and that the previously reported 90% association between BSI and IE may be overestimated due to reporting bias. E. rhusiopathiae should be suspected in any patient with Gram‐positive bacilli in blood cultures and the aforementioned risk factors. A limitation of our study was the low sample size, and future studies may involve multicentre collaborations and the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or serologic testing to increase the number of diagnoses..
Phylogeography and phylogeny of the genus Acanthonyx (Decapoda, Epialtidae) in the north‐east Atlantic and Mediterranean
Authors: Tavares Ana I. , Cabezas M. Pilar , Xavier Raquel , Branco Madalena , Lima Fernando P. , Seabra Rui , Ribeiro Pedro A. , Lopes Evandro P. , Santos António M. 
Published: February 2017

The genus Acanthonyx Latreille, 1828 (Majoidea, Epialtidae) contains 17 or 18 known species, depending on competing taxonomic views, that are widely distributed across the world. Morphologically, most species look superficially alike, and therefore, similar taxonomic concepts have been described under different names. Consequently, there is today a considerable list of synonyms, which further complicates the taxonomy of the genus Acanthonyx. In this study, we conducted a phylogeographical and phylogenetic analysis of populations of the genus Acanthonyx in the NE Atlantic, Mediterranean and Macaronesia using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the nuclear 28S rRNA loci. Our phylogenetic and phylogeographical results revealed that Acanthonyx lunulatus sensu lato is a complex of three distinct lineages: one corresponding to the previously described Acanthonyx brevifrons, another to A. lunulatus sensu stricto and a third to a yet undescribed group. Whereas our results confirms that A. brevifrons deserves the status of a species, as it can be easily distinguishable from A. lunulatus by a few morphological traits, we could not find any such traits suitable for the discrimination between A. lunulatus sensu stricto and the third lineage. Furthermore, the degree of COI divergence between this lineage and A. lunulatus is below average levels for Decapoda species. Yet, no shared haplotypes have been detected between them. The differences found in the nuclear gene (indels), together with the sympatric occurrence of the two forms, prompt for a more detailed analysis of this group. Overall, the results show that significant genetic differentiation between specimens with similar morphology occurs in the Epialtidae, thus reinforcing the importance of combining morphological and genetic tools to fully resolve the taxonomy of these decapods.
SCIENCE, SPIRITUALITY, AND AYAHUASCA: THE PROBLEM OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND SPIRITUAL ONTOLOGIES IN THE ACADEMY
Authors: Apud Ismael 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAyahuasca is a psychoactive brew from Amazonas, popularized in the last decades in part through transnational religious networks, but also due to interest in exploring spirituality through altered states of consciousness among academic schools and scientific researchers. In this article, the author analyzes the relation between science and religion proposing that the “demarcation problem” between the two arises from the relations among consciousness, intentionality, and spirituality. The analysis starts at the beginning of modern science, continues through the nineteenth century, and then examines the appearance of new schools in psychology and anthropology in the countercultural milieu of the 1960s. The author analyzes the case of ayahuasca against this historical background, first, in the general context of ayahuasca studies in the academic field. Second, he briefly describes three cases from Spain. Finally, he discusses the permeability of science to “spiritual ontologies” from an interdisciplinary perspective, using insights from social and cognitive sciences.
EMPATHY AND THE EVOLUTION OF COMPASSION: FROM DEEP HISTORY TO INFUSED VIRTUE
Authors: Deane‐Drummond Celia 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThis article poses a challenge to contemporary theories in psychology that portray empathy as a negative force in the moral life. Instead, drawing on alternative psychological and philosophical literature, especially Martha Nussbaum, I argue that empathy is related to the virtue of compassion and therefore crucial for moral action. Evidence for evolutionary anthropological accounts of compassion in early hominins provides additional arguments for its positive value in deep human history. I discuss this work alongside Thomistic notions of practical wisdom, compassion, misericordia, and the importance of reason in the moral life. The tension between “bottom up” accounts of empathy and that according to a theological interpretation of “infused” virtues also needs to be addressed. From a secular perspective, infused virtue is a projection of the ideal moral life, but from a theological perspective, it is a way of understanding how human capacities through the action of grace can reach beyond what seem to be the limits of psychological moral identity.