bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Candida albicans possess a highly versatile and dynamic high‐affinity iron transport system important for its commensal‐pathogenic lifestyle
Authors: Mamouei Zeinab , Zeng Guisheng , Wang Yan‐Ming , Wang Yue 
Published: October 2017

SummaryIron is an essential nutrient for nearly all organisms, but iron overdose is toxic. The human commensal‐pathogenic fungus Candida albicans traverses host niches with markedly different iron availability. During systemic infection, C. albicans must activate the high‐affinity iron permease Ftr1 to acquire iron sequestered by the host's iron‐withholding defense and suppresses iron uptake while residing in the iron‐rich gut to avoid toxicity. Ftr1 associates with a ferroxidase to form an iron transporter. C. albicans contains four permeases and five ferroxidase homologs, suggesting 20 possible subunit combinations. Here, we investigated the iron‐dependent expression, cellular localization and interacting partners of all permeases and ferroxidases and the significance of each subunit for gastrointestinal colonization and systemic infection in mice. We uncovered three distinct patterns of iron‐dependent expression and highly flexible ferroxidase‐permease partnerships, which underlie a dynamic iron transport system that can be deftly tuned according to iron availability. We found functional differentiation as well as redundancy among the ferroxidases and permeases during both gastrointestinal colonization and bloodstream infection. We propose that C. albicans possesses a sophisticated iron acquisition and utilization system befitting its commensal‐pathogenic lifestyle. Our findings reveal new possibilities for medical intervention of C. albicans infection.
Transplant tourism following the declaration of Istanbul: Poor outcomes and nephrologist dilemma
Authors: AlBugami Meteb M , AlOtaibe Fahad E , Alabadi Abdulnaser M , Hamawi Khaled , Bel'eed‐Akkari Khalid 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTAimTransplant tourism (TT) violates many international laws and documents. Despite all efforts, TT seems to be increasing. The aim of this study is to review outcomes of recipients of commercially transplanted kidneys since the Declaration of Istanbul.MethodsAll recipients of kidney transplantation done abroad and then returning to our centre, from September 2008 to December 2015, were included (tourists). Demographics and outcomes were collected from patients’ charts. All data were compared with all recipients of living donor kidney transplants done at our centre (locals).ResultsA total of 86 tourists and 365 locals were included. Both groups had similar age and gender. Re‐grafting rates were the same, however, more pre‐emptive transplants were done abroad. TT increased over time. Tourists presented early after TT, median 17.5 (IQR 7–30) days, and 47.7% were encountered initially in the emergency department. One‐year graft and patient survivals were significantly lower among tourists compared with locals (87.2% vs. 98.0%, P < 0.001 and 90.7% vs. 98.0%, P < 0.001, respectively). Tourists had a significantly higher rate of acute cellular rejection (19.8% vs. 7.1%, P < 0.001), and they sustained significantly higher rates of serious viral, bacterial and fungal infections compared with the locals.ConclusionTransplant tourism seems to be increasing despite international condemnation and efforts to stop it. Outcomes are significantly worse when compared to local transplant recipients. Concerted effort is needed to better inform patients about the ethical and physical harms related to TT, and to point them towards ethically sound and medically safer alternatives.
Technical success of the ultrasound‐guided supra‐inguinal fascia iliaca compartment block in older children and adolescents for hip arthroscopy
Authors: Eastburn Elizabeth , Hernandez Maria A. , Boretsky Karen 
Published: October 2017

SummaryBackgroundHip arthroscopic surgery is performed on older pediatric patients. Fascia iliaca compartment block has proven efficacy in providing analgesia following hip surgery and can be performed with target location of local anesthetic below or above the inguinal ligament. The reported success of ultrasound‐guided infra‐inguinal fascia iliaca compartment block is lower when compared to traditional landmark technique, while the reliability of supra‐inguinal fascia iliaca compartment block is unreported.AimThe primary aim was to report the results in obtaining sensory changes in the distribution of the femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves following supra‐inguinal fascia iliaca compartment block in patients undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery. Secondary outcomes are the ability to find echogenic landmarks and to report pain scores and opioid consumption.MethodsWe reviewed the electronic medical record and regional anesthesia database of patients receiving ultrasound‐guided fascia iliaca compartment block for arthroscopic hip surgery. Sensory changes to the femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves were determined. Identification of echogenic landmarks was quantified. Pain scores and opioid consumption were determined.ResultsSeventeen patients of mean age 15.4 years old (SD 1.3; range 13‐17 years) were included. Sensory changes to both the femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves occurred in 94% of patients (95% CI: 82%‐100%). The average volume of ropivacaine 0.2% was 0.53 mL/Kg (SD 0.11 mL/Kg). Echogenic landmarks were identified in all patients. Pain scores and opioid consumption were generally low.ConclusionA supra‐inguinal location for the deposition of local anesthetic when performing fascia iliaca nerve block for hip surgery is reliable in anesthetizing the femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves and should encourage investigation into the clinical efficacy.
Suitability of the forearm for non‐invasive blood pressure measurement in children
Authors: Greaney David , Nakhjavani Solmaz , Desmond Fiona , Tormey Mark , Dawkins Ian , O'Hare Brendan 
Published: October 2017

SummaryBackgroundMeasurement of forearm blood pressure (BP) in pediatric patients during general anesthesia is periodically employed despite a lack of evidence for this practice. Upper arm BP measurement may be impossible to perform for either patient or surgical reasons, and the forearm has theoretical benefits over the lower leg when an alternate site is required. We hypothesize that forearm BP measurement provides an accurate and reliable alternative to the upper arm. Published adult data do not support this hypothesis, and the little pediatric data published contain methodological shortcomings.MethodsA dedicated, externally calibrated noninvasive oscillometer was used to compare BP measurements in the upper arm and ipsilateral forearm of pediatric patients undergoing general anesthesia prior to application of a surgical stimulus. Both upper arm BP and ipsilateral forearm BP were sequentially measured 20 seconds apart on 3 separate occasions with an appropriately sized cuff. The systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures were recorded under steady‐state conditions.ResultsThirty‐five elective surgical patients aged 1 to 10 years were studied. The bias (±limits of agreement) for forearm minus upper arm blood pressures were as follows: mean BP −1.3 mm Hg (±7.2), diastolic BP −3.3 (±5.3), and systolic BP +3.2 mm Hg (±8.3). Differences greater than ±5 mm Hg occurred in 59% (systolic BP), 42% (diastolic BP), and 46% (mean BP) of all observations and greater than ±10 mm Hg in 17% (systolic BP), 8.6% (diastolic BP), and 15% (mean BP).ConclusionThe differences within mean ±1.96 standard deviations reside considerably outside the clinically accepted tolerance of ±5 mm Hg. Thus, the forearm may not be used interchangeably with upper limb BP readings in anesthetized healthy children. Future use of the forearm for BP measurement requires a validated anthropomorphically appropriate forearm cuff.
Responses of the soil fungal communities to the co‐invasion of two invasive species with different cover classes
Authors: Wang C. , Zhou J. , Liu J. , Jiang K. , Xiao H. , Du D. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

Soil fungal communities play an important role in the successful invasion of non‐native species. It is common for two or more invasive plant species to co‐occur in invaded ecosystems.

This study aimed to determine the effects of co‐invasion of two invasive species (Erigeron annuus and Solidago canadensis) with different cover classes on soil fungal communities using high‐throughput sequencing.

Invasion of E. annuus and/or S. canadensis had positive effects on the sequence number, operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness, Shannon diversity, abundance‐based cover estimator (ACE index) and Chao1 index of soil fungal communities, but negative effects on the Simpson index. Thus, invasion of E. annuus and/or S. canadensis could increase diversity and richness of soil fungal communities but decrease dominance of some members of these communities, in part to facilitate plant further invasion, because high soil microbial diversity could increase soil functions and plant nutrient acquisition. Some soil fungal species grow well, whereas others tend to extinction after non‐native plant invasion with increasing invasion degree and presumably time. The sequence number, OTU richness, Shannon diversity, ACE index and Chao1 index of soil fungal communities were higher under co‐invasion of E. annuus and S. canadensis than under independent invasion of either individual species.

The co‐invasion of the two invasive species had a positive synergistic effect on diversity and abundance of soil fungal communities, partly to build a soil microenvironment to enhance competitiveness of the invaders. The changed diversity and community under co‐invasion could modify resource availability and niche differentiation within the soil fungal communities, mediated by differences in leaf litter quality and quantity, which can support different fungal/microbial species in the soil.
Identification of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) chromosomes using the BAC‐FISH system
Authors: Zhao R. , Miao H. , Song W. , Chen C. , Zhang H. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.; Pedaliaceae) is a commercially valuable oilseed crop with high oil content. Its small genome size favours the genomic analysis of key biological processes, such as oil synthesis and metabolism. However, the 13 chromosome pairs of sesame have not been characterised because of technological limitations and their small size.

We constructed a BAC library comprising 57,600 BAC clones for sesame. The estimated genome coverage of the sesame BAC library was 13.8×. The successive double colour fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) with bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) for sesame was established in this study.

Subsequently, the 13 sesame chromosome pairs were individually differentiated using 17 specific BACs for the first time. The schematic of the sesame chromosome set was drawn according to the chromosome relative length and relative position of the BAC signal. The cytogenetic characteristics of sesame chromosomes were also explored.

The results provide the technical background required for further cytogenetic map construction, genome assembly and localisation of the DNA sequence in sesame.
An Arabidopsis divergent pumilio protein, APUM24, is essential for embryogenesis and required for faithful pre‐rRNA processing
Authors: Shanmugam Thiruvenkadam , Abbasi Nazia , Kim Hyung‐Sae , Kim Ho Bang , Park Nam‐il , Park Guen Tae , Oh Sung Aeong , Park Soon Ki , Muench Douglas G. , Choi Yeonhee , Park Youn‐Il , Choi Sang‐Bong 
Published: October 2017

SummaryPumilio RNA‐binding proteins are largely involved in mRNA degradation and translation repression. However, a few evolutionarily divergent Pumilios are also responsible for proper pre‐rRNA processing in human and yeast. Here, we describe an essential Arabidopsis nucleolar Pumilio, APUM24, that is expressed in tissues undergoing rapid proliferation and cell division. A T‐DNA insertion for APUM24 did not affect the male and female gametogenesis, but instead resulted in a negative female gametophytic effect on zygotic cell division immediately after fertilization. Additionally, the mutant embryos displayed defects in cell patterning from pro‐embryo through globular stages. The mutant embryos were marked by altered auxin maxima, which were substantiated by the mislocalization of PIN1 and PIN7 transporters in the defective embryos. Homozygous apum24 callus accumulates rRNA processing intermediates, including uridylated and adenylated 5.8S and 25S rRNA precursors. An RNA–protein interaction assay showed that the histidine‐tagged recombinant APUM24 binds RNAin vitro with no apparent specificity. Overall, our results demonstrated that APUM24 is required for rRNA processing and early embryogenesis in Arabidopsis.
Genome‐wide characterization of differential transcript usage in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Vaneechoutte Dries , Estrada April R. , Lin Ying‐Chen , Loraine Ann E. , Vandepoele Klaas 
Published: October 2017

SummaryAlternative splicing and the usage of alternate transcription start‐ or stop sites allows a single gene to produce multiple transcript isoforms. Most plant genes express certain isoforms at a significantly higher level than others, but under specific conditions this expression dominance can change, resulting in a different set of dominant isoforms. These events of differential transcript usage (DTU) have been observed for thousands of Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays and Vitis vinifera genes, and have been linked to development and stress response. However, neither the characteristics of these genes, nor the implications of DTU on their protein coding sequences or functions, are currently well understood. Here we present a dataset of isoform dominance and DTU for all genes in the AtRTD2 reference transcriptome based on a protocol that was benchmarked on simulated data and validated through comparison with a published reverse transciptase‐polymerase chain reaction panel. We report DTU events for 8148 genes across 206 public RNA‐Seq samples, and find that protein sequences are affected in 22% of the cases. The observed DTU events show high consistency across replicates, and reveal reproducible patterns in response to treatment and development. We also demonstrate that genes with different evolutionary ages, expression breadths and functions show large differences in the frequency at which they undergo DTU, and in the effect that these events have on their protein sequences. Finally, we showcase how the generated dataset can be used to explore DTU events for genes of interest or to find genes with specific DTU in samples of interest.
Fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia due to anti‐CD36 antibodies: antibody evaluations by CD36‐transfected cell lines
Authors: Lin Marie , Xu Xiuzhang , Lee Hui‐Lin , Liang Der‐Cheng , Santoso Sentot 
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUNDIsoantibodies against CD36 (platelet glycoprotein 4), developed in Type I CD36‐deficient mothers are frequently reported as the cause of fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia in the Asian population. Therefore, further detailed characterization of anti‐CD36–mediated fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia is warranted. Here, we report the characterization of a patient with fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia in a Taiwanese family caused by anti‐CD36 isoantibodies using a novel antigen‐capture method.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSPlatelets and monocytes were analyzed for CD36 expression by flow cytometry. Sequencing analysis of the CD36 gene was performed to identify the mutation underlying the CD36 deficiency. Stable transfected human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells expressing recombinant CD36 were established. These cells were used for the characterization of anti‐CD36 isoantibodies by flow cytometry, immunoprecipitation, and antigen‐capture assay.RESULTSFlow cytometry analysis revealed a total absence of CD36 on both platelets and monocytes of the mother (Type I CD36‐deficient) caused by heterozygous deletions of the CD36 gene (332_333delCA and c.1254 + 6_1254 + 11delTATTTG). Analysis of maternal serum with CD36‐transfected HEK293 cells by flow cytometry, immunoprecipitation, and antigen‐capture assay demonstrated the presence of anti‐CD36 isoantibodies in maternal serum. Interestingly, this antibody could not be detected by the monoclonal antibody immobilization of platelet antigens assay when anti‐CD36 monoclonal antibody (clone FA6‐152) was used as the capture antibody.CONCLUSIONThis case reemphasizes the role of anti‐CD36 isoantibodies on the pathomechanism of fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. The fact that the monoclonal antibody immobilization of platelet antigens assay does not seem to be reliable for the identification of all anti‐CD36 antibodies indicates that screening of anti‐CD36 isoantibodies by a monoclonal antibody‐independent method, as presented here, should be considered.
An A/U-Rich Enhancer Region Is Required for High-Level Protein Secretion through the HlyA Type I Secretion System
Authors: Khosa Sakshi , Scholz Romy , Schwarz Christian , Trilling Mirko , Hengel Hartmut , Jaeger Karl-Erich , Smits Sander H. J. , Schmitt Lutz 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACT

Efficient protein secretion is often a valuable alternative to classic cellular expression to obtain homogenous protein samples. Early on, bacterial type I secretion systems (T1SS) were employed to allow heterologous secretion of fusion proteins. However, this approach was not fully exploited, as many proteins could not be secreted at all or only at low levels. Here, we present an engineered microbial secretion system which allows the effective production of proteins up to a molecular mass of 88 kDa. This system is based on the hemolysin A (HlyA) T1SS of the Gram-negative bacterium
Escherichia coli
, which exports polypeptides when fused to a hemolysin secretion signal. We identified an A/U-rich enhancer region upstream of
hlyA
required for effective expression and secretion of selected heterologous proteins irrespective of their prokaryotic, viral, or eukaryotic origin. We further demonstrate that the ribosomal protein S1 binds to the
hlyA
A/U-rich enhancer region and that this region is involved in the high yields of secretion of functional proteins, like maltose-binding protein or human interferon alpha-2.

IMPORTANCE
A 5′ untranslated region of the mRNA of substrates of type I secretion systems (T1SS) drastically enhanced the secretion efficiency of the endogenously secreted protein. The identification of ribosomal protein S1 as the interaction partner of this 5′ untranslated region provides a rationale for the enhancement. This strategy furthermore can be transferred to fusion proteins allowing a broader, and eventually a more general, application of this system for secreting heterologous fusion proteins.
Housefly (Musca domestica) and Blow Fly (Protophormia terraenovae) as Vectors of Bacteria Carrying Colistin Resistance Genes
Authors: Zhang Jilei , Wang Jiawei , Chen Li , Yassin Afrah Kamal , Kelly Patrick , Butaye Patrick , Li Jing , Gong Jiansen , Cattley Russell , Qi Kezong , Wang Chengming 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACT

Flies have the capacity to transfer pathogens between different environments, acting as one of the most important vectors of human diseases worldwide. In this study, we trapped flies on a university campus and tested them for mobile resistance genes against colistin, a last-resort antibiotic in human medicine for treating clinical infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Quantitative PCR assays we developed showed that 34.1% of
Musca domestica
(86/252) and 51.1% of
Protophormia terraenovae
(23/45) isolates were positive for the
mcr-1
gene, 1.2% of
M. domestica
(3/252) and 2.2% of
P. terraenovae
(2.2%, 1/45) isolates were positive for
mcr-2
, and 5.2% of
M. domestica
(13/252) and 44.4% of
P. terraenovae
(20/45) isolates were positive for
mcr-3
. Overall, 4.8% (9/189) of bacteria isolated from the flies were positive for the
mcr-1
gene (
Escherichia coli
: 8.3%, 4/48;
Enterobacter cloacae
: 12.5%, 1/8;
Providencia alcalifaciens
: 11.8%, 2/17;
Providencia stuartii
: 4.9%, 2/41), while none were positive for
mcr-2
and
mcr-3
. Four
mcr-1
-positive isolates (two
P. stuartii
and two
P. alcalifaciens
) from blow flies trapped near a dumpster had a MIC for colistin above 4 mg/ml. This study reports
mcr-1
carriage in
Providencia
spp. and detection of
mcr-2
and
mcr-3
after their initial identification in Belgium and China, respectively. This study suggests that flies might contribute significantly to the dissemination of bacteria, carrying these genes into a large variety of ecological niches. Further studies are warranted to explore the roles that flies might play in the spread of colistin resistance genes.

IMPORTANCE
Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as one of the most serious global threats to human health. An option for treatment of the Gram-negative ESKAPE (
Enterococcus faecium
,
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
,
Acinetobacter baumannii
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, and
Enterobacter
species) bacteria with multiple drug resistance was the reintroduction of the older antibiotic colistin. However, a mobile colistin resistance gene (
mcr-1
) has recently been found to occur widely; very recently, two other colistin resistance genes (
mcr-2
and
mcr-3
) have been identified in Belgium and China, respectively. In this study, we report the presence of colistin resistance genes in flies. This study also reports the carriage of colistin resistance genes in the genus
Providencia
and detection of
mcr-2
and
mcr-3
after their initial identification. This study will stimulate more in-depth studies to fully elucidate the transmission mechanisms of the colistin resistance genes and their interaction.