bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterization of two homeodomain transcription factors with critical but distinct roles in virulence in the vascular pathogen Verticillium dahliae
Authors: Sarmiento‐Villamil Jorge L. , Prieto Pilar , Klosterman Steven J. , García‐Pedrajas María D. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryVascular wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae is a destructive disease that represents a chronic economic problem for crop production worldwide. In this work, we characterized two new regulators of pathogenicity in this species. Vph1 (VDAG_06555) was identified in a candidate gene approach as a putative homologue of the transcription factor Ste12. Vhb1 (VDAG_08786), identified in a forward genetics approach, is similar to the homeobox transcription factor Htf1, reported as a regulator of conidiogenesis in several fungi. Deletion of vph1 did not affect vegetative growth, whereas deletion of vhb1 greatly reduced sporulation rates in liquid medium. Both mutants failed to induce Verticillium wilt symptoms. However, unlike Δvph1, Δvhb1 could be re‐isolated from the vascular system of some asymptomatic plants. Confocal microscopy further indicated that Δvph1 and Δvhb1 differed in their behaviour in planta; Δvph1 could not penetrate the root cortex, whereas Δvhb1 was impaired in its ability to colonize the xylem. In agreement with these observations, only Δvhb1 could penetrate cellophane paper. On cellophane, wild‐type and Δvhb1 strains produced numerous short branches with swollen tips, resembling the hyphopodia formed on root surfaces, contrasting with Δvph1, which generated unbranched long filaments without swollen tips. A microarray analysis showed that these differences in growth were associated with differences in global transcription patterns, and allowed us to identify a large set of novel genes potentially involved in virulence in V. dahliae. Ste12 homologues are known regulators of invasive growth, but Vhb1 is the first putative Htf1 homologue identified with a critical role in virulence.
Transcriptional control of photosynthetic capacity: conservation and divergence from Arabidopsis to rice
Authors: Wang Peng , Hendron Ross‐William , Kelly Steven 
Published: July 2017

SummaryPhotosynthesis is one of the most important biological processes on Earth. It provides the consumable energy upon which almost all organisms are dependent, and modulates the composition of the planet's atmosphere. To carry out photosynthesis, plants require a large cohort of genes. These genes encode proteins that capture light energy, store energy in sugars and build the subcellular structures required to facilitate this energy capture. Although the function of many of these genes is known, little is understood about the transcriptional networks that coordinate their expression. This review places our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of photosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana in an evolutionary context, to provide new insight into transcriptional regulatory networks that control photosynthesis gene expression in grasses. The similarities and differences between the rice and Arabidopsis networks are highlighted, revealing substantial disparity between the two systems. In addition, avenues are identified that may be exploited for photosynthesis engineering projects in the future.

Contents

Summary
32

I.
Introduction
32

II.
The molecular networks that control the expression of photosynthesis genes
33

III.
Conservation and divergence of photosynthesis regulators from Arabidopsis to rice
36

IV.
Discussion and future perspectives
41

Acknowledgements
43

References
43
Success rates and complications of eminectomies: a retrospective case series
Authors: Rahman Z. , Chand M. , Breeze J. , Stocker J. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIntroductionEminectomy is the physical removal of the articular eminence to enable free movement of the condyle. The primary indication is to treat recurrent dislocation, although in the past it has been used for non‐reducing disc displacement without reduction (NDDR). The established contraindication to the procedure is pneumatisation of the articular eminence or tubercle. Determining the success rates of eminectomies from previous papers are hampered by the lack of baseline objective measures needed to improve assessment of treatment outcomes.MethodologyA retrospective case series was conducted, in which written and computerised hospital records and images were analysed from 2007 to 2014, using a minimum data set developed by our unit to assess outcomes. These included indication for procedure, frequency of dislocation, interincisal distance, pre‐operative imaging and objective pain scoring.ResultsTwenty of twenty‐eight (71%) patients receiving an eminectomy conformed to the minimum data set. Pain improvement was demonstrated in 60% of patients with both recurrent dislocation and NDDR. Complications occurred in 24% of eminectomies, all of which were temporary.ConclusionsEminectomy is a safe and effective procedure for management of chronic temporomandibular joint dislocation in well‐selected cases. However, the results were less predictable with NDDR. The recording of specific clinical information is required to improve comparing outcomes and we would recommend the use of a proforma such as one utilised in our study. There was no evidence that pneumatisation of the eminence was related to an adverse clinical outcome but further evidence is required to question this as a contraindication to eminectomy.
What is distressing about auditory verbal hallucinations? The contribution of goal interference and goal facilitation
Authors: Varese Filippo , Mansell Warren , Tai Sara J. 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesDistressing and pleasant/positive voices (auditory verbal hallucinations) are common in both clinical and non‐clinical voice‐hearers. Identifying factors that contribute to emotional reactions to voices is essential for developing effective psychological interventions. Several theories propose that facilitation and interference with personal goals are important predictors of distress and well‐being. This study examined whether voice‐related distress is related to the degree to which voices interfere with personal goals, and whether pleasantness of voices is influenced by the extent to which they facilitate goals.DesignCross‐sectional with clinical and non‐clinical voice‐hearers.MethodTwenty‐two clinical and 18 non‐clinical voice‐hearers completed interviews and self‐report measures assessing (1) personal goals, (2) content, characteristics, and affective reactions to voices, and (3) ratings of the extent to which voices facilitated and/or interfered with achievement of important personal goals.ResultsAffective reactions were strongly correlated with measures of goal interference and goal facilitation. Regression analyses revealed that these associations remained significant when controlling for important covariates (e.g., participant grouping; content, frequency and duration of voices). Goal interference was specifically associated with distress, whereas goal facilitation specifically predicted perceived pleasantness of voices.ConclusionsThis study provides a novel perspective on the factors that might contribute to distress in people who hear voices. The findings suggest that perceived impact of voices on valued personal goals may be an important contributor of voice‐related distress. We propose that clinical assessments, formulations, and interventions could benefit from the careful analysis of the perceived impact of voices on goals.Practitioner points

These findings suggest that variability in voice‐related distress is closely linked to the perceived impact of voices on personal goals.

These strong effects observed highlight the importance of considering the role of personal goals in future research on the psychological mechanisms leading to distress associated with voice hearing.

Psychological assessments may benefit from the careful exploration of the impact of voice hearing on valued goals, and interventions promoting control over personal goals may be explored as treatment options for clients with distressing voices.
Urothelial cell carcinoma after BK polyomavirus infection in kidney transplant recipients: A cohort study of veterans
Authors: Rogers Ralph , Gohh Reginald , Noska Amanda 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundBK polyomavirus (BKPyV) reactivation is a common clinical occurrence in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Several other polyomaviruses have been implicated as pathogens with a direct role in the development of malignancies, raising the question of whether BKPyV might also be oncogenic.MethodsThis study is the first retrospective, multicenter cohort study evaluating the relative risk for urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) associated with BKPyV infection among KTR, and was conducted among veterans who underwent transplantation between 2000 and 2009. BKPyV cases were defined as those veterans with any clinical evidence of BKPyV infection, including positive polymerase chain reaction testing of urine and/or serum for BKPyV or kidney biopsy showing BKPyV‐associated nephropathy.ResultsAmong the 646 veterans who met inclusion criteria for the study, 103 had clinical evidence of BKPyV infection (16%). The overall relative risk for developing any malignancy after BKPyV infection was 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.89‐1.44). The adjusted relative risk for malignancy after BKPyV infection was greatest with UCC (8.21, 95% CI 0.75‐89.7) and with metastatic disease of unknown etiology (8.21, 95% CI 0.75‐89.7). The screening prevalence for BKPyV infection increased from 18% for those veterans who underwent transplantation in 2000 to 86% for those veterans who underwent transplantation in 2009, during which time the measured prevalence of BKPyV infection increased from 7% to 24%.ConclusionIn this cohort of KTR veterans, no overall increased or decreased relative risk for malignancy was associated with evidence of prior BKPyV infection. A >8‐fold increased risk of developing UCC after BKPyV infection was seen, although this risk was not found to be statistically significant.
Neutrophil extracellular traps coincide with a pro‐coagulant status of microcirculatory endothelium in burn wounds
Authors: Korkmaz H. Ibrahim , Ulrich Magda M.W. , Vogels Sanne , de Wit Tim , van Zuijlen Paul P.M. , Krijnen Paul A.J. , Niessen Hans W.M. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBurn‐induced tissue loss is partly related to secondary expansion of necrosis into vital dermis neighboring the initial burn injury. An important factor herein is the severe loss of perfusion of the burn wound, probably caused by microvascular damage induced by the intense local inflammatory responses as well as burn‐induced hypercoagulation. We hypothesize that the formation of neutrophilic extracellular traps (NETs) play an important role in this. The purpose of this study was to investigate postburn intravascular thrombosis, NETs formation and the coagulant state in the microvasculature of burns in both animal models and patients. We used two in vivo burn wound models: rats and pigs. In rats, the entire wound was excised at day 14 postburn and in pigs burn wound biopsies were collected at different time points up to 60 days postburn. To confirm the data in patients, eschar from the burn wound was obtained from burn wound patients at different time points after wounding. The number of intravascular thrombi, the presence of intravascular NETs and the number of tissue factor (TF) positive blood vessels in the burn wound was determined. In rats, a significant increase in intravascular thrombi and TF expression was observed 14 days postburn, that in majority coincided with NETs. In pigs, a significant increase in intravascular thrombi and TF expression was found over time up to 60 days postburn, that in majority coincided with NETs too. Also in eschar of burn wound patients, a significant increase in intravascular thrombi was noted, that in majority coincided with NETs, already 0.5 days postburn and remained elevated up to 46 days postburn. This study shows the presence of NETosis in microcirculatory thrombosis of burn wounds and a switch in the microcirculatory endothelium toward a procoagulant phenotype.
Volatile organic compound detection as a potential means of diagnosing cutaneous wound infections
Authors: Ashrafi Mohammed , Bates Matt , Baguneid Mohamed , Alonso‐Rasgado Teresa , Rautemaa‐Richardson Riina , Bayat Ardeshir 
Published: July 2017

AbstractChronic cutaneous wound infections and surgical site infections (SSIs) present a huge burden on the healthcare system and can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Current diagnostic methods of identifying and confirming infection involve culture‐based and molecular methods. Both techniques are time‐consuming and delays commonly lead to untargeted empirical treatment. An ideal diagnostic method would be noninvasive and highly sensitive and detect pathogenic organisms with a high degree of accuracy to allow targeted treatment. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a diverse group of carbon‐based molecules produced and released by humans and microorganisms. VOC detection has the potential in aiding cutaneous wound infection diagnostics using noninvasive and time‐efficient methods. This review provides a comprehensive update on VOCs produced and emitted by bacteria commonly associated with chronic wounds and SSIs. VOC sampling has the advantage of being painless, time‐efficient, noninvasive, and reproducible. VOCs emitted by these organisms are diverse. In vitro studies have identified potential signature volatile profiles, which can be used in detecting these microorganisms. Combining these profiles with volatile profiles emitted from acute, chronic and surgical wounds in vivo could potentially allow identification of bacterial‐specific VOCs. VOC detection has the potential for a relatively inexpensive, portable, noninvasive, and reliable clinical diagnostic tool, which could be used in detecting cutaneous wound infections and guiding their optimal management.
The Role of Antibiotics in Modulating Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Hodille Elisabeth , Rose Warren , Diep Binh An , Goutelle Sylvain , Lina Gerard , Dumitrescu Oana 
Published: July 2017

SUMMARY

Staphylococcus aureus
is often involved in severe infections, in which the effects of bacterial virulence factors have great importance. Antistaphylococcal regimens should take into account the different effects of antibacterial agents on the expression of virulence factors and on the host's immune response. A PubMed literature search was performed to select relevant articles on the effects of antibiotics on staphylococcal toxin production and on the host immune response. Information was sorted according to the methods used for data acquisition (bacterial strains, growth models, and antibiotic concentrations) and the assays used for readout generation. The reported mechanisms underlying
S. aureus
virulence modulation by antibiotics were reviewed. The relevance of
in vitro
observations is discussed in relation to animal model data and to clinical evidence extracted from case reports and recommendations on the management of toxin-related staphylococcal diseases. Most
in vitro
data point to a decreased level of virulence expression upon treatment with ribosomally active antibiotics (linezolid and clindamycin), while cell wall-active antibiotics (beta-lactams) mainly increase exotoxin production.
In vivo
studies confirmed the suppressive effect of clindamycin and linezolid on virulence expression, supporting their utilization as a valuable management strategy to improve patient outcomes in cases of toxin-associated staphylococcal disease.
Identification of Leishmania by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry Using a Free Web-Based Application and a Dedicated Mass-Spectral Library
Authors: Lachaud Laurence , Fernández-Arévalo Anna , Normand Anne-Cécile , Lami Patrick , Nabet Cécile , Donnadieu Jean Luc , Piarroux Martine , Djenad Farid , Cassagne Carole , Ravel Christophe , Tebar Silvia , Llovet Teresa , Blanchet Denis , Demar Magalie , Harrat Zoubir , Aoun Karim , Bastien Patrick , Muñoz Carmen , Gállego Montserrat , Piarroux Renaud 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT

Human leishmaniases are widespread diseases with different clinical forms caused by about 20 species within the
Leishmania
genus.
Leishmania
species identification is relevant for therapeutic management and prognosis, especially for cutaneous and mucocutaneous forms. Several methods are available to identify
Leishmania
species from culture, but they have not been standardized for the majority of the currently described species, with the exception of multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. Moreover, these techniques are expensive, time-consuming, and not available in all laboratories. Within the last decade, mass spectrometry (MS) has been adapted for the identification of microorganisms, including
Leishmania
. However, no commercial reference mass-spectral database is available. In this study, a reference mass-spectral library (MSL) for
Leishmania
isolates, accessible through a free Web-based application (mass-spectral identification [MSI]), was constructed and tested. It includes mass-spectral data for 33 different
Leishmania
species, including species that infect humans, animals, and phlebotomine vectors. Four laboratories on two continents evaluated the performance of MSI using 268 samples, 231 of which were
Leishmania
strains. All
Leishmania
strains, but one, were correctly identified at least to the complex level. A risk of species misidentification within the
Leishmania donovani
,
L. guyanensis
, and
L. braziliensis
complexes was observed, as previously reported for other techniques. The tested application was reliable, with identification results being comparable to those obtained with reference methods but with a more favorable cost-efficiency ratio. This free online identification system relies on a scalable database and can be implemented directly in users' computers.
Insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant obese and non-obese phenotypes: role in prediction of incident pre-diabetes in a longitudinal biracial cohort
Authors: Owei Ibiye , Umekwe Nkiru , Provo Casey , Wan Jim , Dagogo-Jack Samuel 
Published: July 2017

ObjectiveWe measured insulin sensitivity with euglycemic clamp (Si-clamp) in initially normoglycemic African Americans (AA) and European Americans (EA), to probe the existence of subphenotypes of obesity and leanness, and their impact on incident dysglycemia during longitudinal follow-up.Research design and methods320 healthy subjects (176 AA, 144 EA; mean age 44.2±10.6 years) underwent baseline assessments, including Si-clamp and homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and were stratified into: insulin-resistant obese (IRO) (body mass index (BMI)>30 kg/m2, Si-clamp <0.1, HOMA-IR>2.5); insulin-sensitive obesity (ISO) (BMI>30 kg/m2, Si-clamp>0.1, HOMA-IR <2.5); insulin-resistant non-obese (IRN) (BMI <28 kg/m2, Si-clamp <0.1, HOMA-IR>2.5); insulin-sensitive non-obese (ISN) (BMI <28 kg/m2, Si-clamp>0.1, HOMA-IR <2.5). Outcome measures were cardiometabolic risks and incident pre-diabetes/type 2 diabetes (T2D) during 5.5 years.ResultsCompared with IRO, subjects with ISO had lower abdominal fat, triglycerides and high-sensitivity C reactive protein and higher adiponectin (p=0.015 to <0.0001). IRN subjects had higher cardiometabolic risk markers than ISN (p=0.03 to <0.0001). During 5.5-year follow-up, incident pre-diabetes/T2D was lower in ISO (31.3% vs 48.7%) among obese subjects and higher in IRN (47.1% vs. 26.0%) among non-obese subjects (p=0.0024). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly different pre-diabetes/T2D survival probabilities across insulin sensitivity/adiposity phenotypes (p=0.0001).ConclusionsInsulin sensitivity predicts ~40% decrease in the relative risk of incident pre-diabetes/T2D among obese persons, whereas insulin resistance predicts ~80% increased risk among non-obese persons. This is the first documentation of healthy and unhealthy phenotypes of obesity and leanness in a prospective biracial cohort, using rigorous measurement of insulin sensitivity.
A novel mouse model of radiation-induced cancer survivorship diseases of the gut
Authors: Bull Cecilia , Malipatlolla Dilip , Kalm Marie , Sjöberg Fei , Alevronta Eleftheria , Grandér Rita , Sultanian Pedram , Persson Linda , Boström Martina , Eriksson Yohanna , Swanpalmer John , Wold Agnes E. , Blomgren Klas , Björk-Eriksson Thomas , Steineck Gunnar 
Published: July 2017

A deeper understanding of the radiation-induced pathophysiological processes that develop in the gut is imperative to prevent, alleviate, or eliminate cancer survivorship diseases after radiotherapy to the pelvic area. Most rodent models of high-dose gastrointestinal radiation injury are limited by high mortality. We therefore established a model that allows for the delivering of radiation in fractions at high doses while maintaining long-term survival. Adult male C57/BL6 mice were exposed to small-field irradiation, restricted to 1.5 cm of the colorectum using a linear accelerator. Each mouse received 6 or 8 Gy, two times daily in 12-h intervals in two, three, or four fractions. Acute cell death was examined at 4.5 h postirradiation and histological changes at 6 wk postirradiation. Another group was given four fractions of 8 Gy and followed over time for development of visible symptoms. Irradiation caused immediate cell death, mainly limited to the colorectum. At 6 wk postirradiation, several crypts displayed signs of radiation-induced degeneration. The degenerating crypts were seen alongside crypts that appeared perfectly healthy. Crypt survival was reduced after the fourth fraction regardless of dose, whereas the number of macrophages increased. Angiogenesis was induced, likely as a compensatory mechanism for hypoxia. Four months postirradiation, mice began to show radiation-induced symptoms, and histological examination revealed an extensive crypt loss and fibrosis. Our model is uniquely suitable for studying the long-term trajectory and underlying mechanisms of radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury. NEW & NOTEWORTHY A novel mouse model for studying the long-term trajectory of radiation-induced gut injury. The method allows for the use of high doses and multiple fractions, with minor impact on animal health for at least 3 mo. Crypt loss and a slow progression of fibrosis is observed. Crypt degeneration is a process restricted to isolated crypts. Crypt degeneration is presented as a convenient proxy endpoint for long-term radiation-induced gut injury.