bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterisation of the gastrointestinal mucosa‐associated microbiota: a novel technique to prevent cross‐contamination during endoscopic procedures
Authors: Shanahan E. R. , Zhong L. , Talley N. J. , Morrison M. , Holtmann G. 
Published: April 2016

SummaryBackgroundThe mucosa‐associated microbiota appears to be highly relevant to host–microbe interactions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Thus, precise characterisation of the mucosa‐associated microbiota may provide important insights for diagnostic and therapeutic development. However, for technical reasons, mucosal biopsies taken during standard endoscopic procedures are potentially contaminated by GI luminal contents.AimTo develop and validate a biopsy device that minimises contamination during sampling of the mucosa‐associated microbiota.MethodsA new, encased biopsy forceps was developed, the Brisbane Aseptic Biopsy Device (BABD). This comprises sterile forceps encased by a sheath with a plug at the tip, allowing targeted, aseptic sampling of the mucosa. Matched duodenal biopsies were obtained using the BABD, standard biopsy forceps, and a sterile brush, from patients undergoing upper GI endoscopy for iron deficiency (n = 6). Total genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (gDNA) was extracted from samples and bacterial 16S rRNA gene libraries sequenced to investigate the mucosa‐associated microbiota.ResultsMicrobial DNA was recovered from biopsies obtained by the BABD, confirming the presence of a duodenal mucosa‐associated microbiota. This microbiota was dominated by the genus Streptococcus, with lower levels of Prevotella, Veillonella and Neisseria. At the individual patient level, substantial differences were observed between matched samples obtained using the different devices. A greater degree of bacterial diversity was observed in samples collected using the standard forceps, indicating the BABD affords collection of samples more representative of the mucosa‐associated microbiota, by precluding luminal cross‐contamination.ConclusionsCross‐contamination can occur when mucosal biopsies are taken during standard endoscopic procedures. Utilising the novel Brisbane Aseptic Biopsy Device can reduce cross‐contamination, and it offers improved opportunities to more precisely examine host–mucosa‐associated microbiota interactions.
Subjective apnoea symptoms are associated with daytime sleepiness in patients with moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnoea: a retrospective study
Authors: Ryu H.S. , Lee S.A. , Lee G.H. , Chung Y.S. , Kim W.S. 
Published: April 2016

ObjectivesMost previous studies have failed to show a relation between daytime sleepiness and apnoea severity in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). We determined the relation between daytime sleepiness and subjective and objective apnoea severity in newly diagnosed patients with moderate‐to‐severe OSA.DesignRetrospective cross‐sectional study.SettingTertiary referral centre.ParticipantsA total of 559 adults with newly diagnosed moderate and severe OSA.Main outcome measuresDaytime sleepiness was evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Subjective and objective apnoea severities were assessed using the Sleep Breathing Scale (SBS) and polysomnography respectively. Sleep quality and depressive symptoms were evaluated using Medical Outcomes Study‐Sleep Scale and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) respectively.ResultsThe mean ESS score was 9.8 (SD 5.0). ESS score was correlated with SBS score (P < 0.001), apnoea−hypopnoea index (AHI) (P = 0.027), minimal oxygen saturation (MinSaO2) (P = 0.021), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.007) and BDI score (P < 0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that higher SBS (P = 0.005) and BDI scores (P < 0.001) were associated with higher ESS score after controlling for gender, BMI and AHI. Apnoea−hypopnoea index, MinSaO2 and BMI were not independently related to ESS score.ConclusionsDaytime sleepiness was related to subjective OSA symptoms but not objective apnoea severity measured by polysomnography in patients with moderate‐to‐severe OSA. These findings suggest the usefulness of the subjective apnoea severity as an indicator of OSA disease severity.
Expanding the spectrum of cognitive outcomes after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery: A prospective study of theory of mind
Authors: Giovagnoli Anna Rita , Parente Annalisa , Didato Giuseppe , Deleo Francesco , Villani Flavio 
Published: April 2016

SummaryObjectiveBecause temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) can impair theory of mind (ToM), we examined the effects of anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) by comparing the preoperative to postoperative ToM course with that of other cognitive functions characteristically impaired in TLE.MethodsEighty‐five patients with left (n = 39) or right (n = 46) drug‐resistant TLE and an age at epilepsy onset of >12 (n = 54) or ≤12 years (n = 31) were evaluated before and 1 year after surgery; 40 healthy controls were assessed at baseline. The participants' recognition and comprehension of faux pas (FPs) or correct rejection of nonexistent FPs was assessed using the Faux Pas task; and their language, memory, and planning were, respectively, assessed using the Boston Naming, Short Story, and Tower of London tests.ResultsBaseline ToM was impaired in the patients with left or right TLE in comparison with the controls, and significantly influenced by education and age at seizure onset, with more severe deficits being observed in those with less education and an age at onset of ≤12 years. After ATL, their recognition and comprehension of FPs was unchanged, whereas the rejection of nonexistent FPs improved in the patients with early seizure onset. Education, preoperative ToM, postoperative executive function, and fluid intelligence and the number of antiepileptic drugs predicted postoperative ToM. Postoperative naming and episodic memory were associated with ATL laterality and education, and planning was associated with age at seizure onset and chronological age.SignificanceAfter ATL, the components of ToM may be unchanged or slightly improved depending on cognitive reserve and age at seizure onset, thus suggesting that ATL does not further aggravate the deficits caused by TLE. Moreover, the course of ToM is distinct from that of other cognitive functions. These findings expand the spectrum of the cognitive phenotypes associated with TLE and ATL, and offer potential elements for individual prognoses.
Discrimination of edible fungi varieties and evaluation of their umami intensities by using an electronic tongue method
Authors: Feng Tao , Bing Fangling , Yang Yan , Zhuang Haining , Ye Ran , Li Xiaobei , Xu Zhimin , Wang Kai 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThe flavour and taste of edible fungi are highly associated with the presence of several umami substances. In this study, the different edible fungi are discriminated by an electronic tongue method. The response data are analysed by the PCA (principal component analysis), DFA (discriminant factor analysis) and PLS (partial least square) method. The results show that the two data analysis methods (PCA and DFA) could successfully distinguish the variety of edible fungi. Moreover, the umami intensities of the edible fungi solutions are evaluated and compared by an electronic tongue analysis with calibration by the responses of different monosodium glutamate (MSG) concentrations. The signals are also used to build up PLS models to estimate and predict the umami intensities of the edible fungi. The results of this study indicate that the electronic tongue has a great potential in qualitative and quantitative analysis of the sensory quality of edible fungi.
Extracts of common pulses demonstrate potent in vitro anti‐adipogenic properties
Authors: Reynolds Kyle , Wood Jenny , Wang Fang , Zhou Zhongkai , Blanchard Christopher , Strappe Padraig 
Published: April 2016

SummaryPulses are an important food source in many countries and also widely used as feed for livestock. Discovery of novel health benefits in pulses may contribute to improved diet and potential added value to crops. In this study, we examined the ability of extracts from faba bean, field pea and chickpea to inhibit the formation of fat droplets in an in vitro cell culture system that mimics the process of fat cell formation or adipogenesis. Both seed and hull extracts of all three pulses showed an inhibition of adipogenesis and the hull fraction and also contained higher levels of polyphenols compared with the seed extracts. At the molecular level, adipogenic inhibition was associated with a marked reduction in peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARG) gene expression. Furthermore, the field pea pulse extract was shown to inhibit pancreatic lipase activity at a similar level to the drug ‘orlistat’, which is commonly used to treat obesity.
Encapsulationof lycopene from watermelon in calcium‐alginate microparticles using an optimised inverse‐gelation method by response surface methodology
Authors: Celli Giovana B. , Teixeira Alyne G. , Duke Tamunoemi G. , Brooks Marianne Su‐Ling 
Published: April 2016

SummaryLycopene exhibits strong antioxidant activity due to its unsaturated molecular bonds, which also contributes to its susceptibility for degradation. Encapsulation techniques can reduce lycopene degradation, increasing its potential applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals. The objective of this study was to optimise the encapsulation of lycopene from watermelon in alginate microparticles using the inverse gelation method. Box–Behnken design was used for the optimisation of three variables: concentrations of alginate (w/v %) and CaCl2 (g L−1), and gelation time (min). Two types of alginate were investigated (low viscosity and high viscosity) and optimised separately using encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity as responses. Results indicated that the models had a good fit to the experimental data and the optimal conditions varied depending on the type of alginate. In general, particles prepared with low‐viscosity alginate exhibited higher encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity and could be used for further research.
T‐cell selection in the thymus: a spatial and temporal perspective
Authors: Kurd Nadia , Robey Ellen A. 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThe ability of T cells to respond to a wide array of foreign antigens while avoiding reactivity to self is largely determined by cellular selection of developing T cells in the thymus. While a great deal is known about the cell types and molecules involved in T‐cell selection in the thymus, our understanding of the spatial and temporal aspects of this process remain relatively poorly understood. Thymocytes are highly motile within the thymus and travel between specialized microenvironments at different phases of their development while interacting with distinct sets of self‐peptides and peptide presenting cells. A knowledge of when, where, and how thymocytes encounter self‐peptide MHC ligands at different stages of thymic development is key to understanding T‐cell selection. In the past several years, our laboratory has investigated this topic using two‐photon time‐lapse microscopy to directly visualize thymocyte migration and signaling events, together with a living thymic slice preparation to provide a synchronized experimental model of T‐cell selection in situ. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the temporal and spatial aspects of T‐cell selection, highlighting our own work, and placing them in the context of work from other groups.
Development and developmental potential of cortical thymic epithelial cells
Authors: Ohigashi Izumi , Kozai Mina , Takahama Yousuke 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThe thymic cortex provides a microenvironment for the development and positive selection of immature T cells. Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs), which structurally and functionally support the thymic cortical microenvironment, originate from endodermal epithelial progenitors that arise in the third pharyngeal pouch. Recent studies have revealed that thymic epithelial progenitors pass through a stage where the cells express cTEC‐associated molecules prior to lineage separation into cTECs and medullary TECs (mTECs). Here, we review the molecular signatures of cTECs and highlight the development and developmental potential of cTECs.
Medullary thymic epithelial stem cells: role in thymic epithelial cell maintenance and thymic involution
Authors: Hamazaki Yoko , Sekai Miho , Minato Nagahiro 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThe thymus consists of two distinct anatomical regions, the cortex and the medulla; medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) play a crucial role in establishing central T‐cell tolerance for self‐antigens. Although the understanding of mTEC development in thymic organogenesis as well as the regulation of their differentiation and maturation has improved, the mechanisms of postnatal maintenance remain poorly understood. This issue has a central importance in immune homeostasis and physiological thymic involution as well as autoimmune disorders in various clinicopathological settings. Recently, several reports have demonstrated the existence of TEC stem or progenitor cells in the postnatal thymus, which are either bipotent or unipotent. We identified stem cells specified for mTEC‐lineage that are generated in the thymic ontogeny and may sustain mTEC regeneration and lifelong central T‐cell self‐tolerance. This finding suggested that the thymic medulla is maintained autonomously by its own stem cells. Although several issues, including the relationship with other putative TEC stem/progenitors, remain unclear, further examination of mTEC stem cells (mTECSCs) and their regulatory mechanisms may contribute to the understanding of postnatal immune homeostasis. Possible relationships between decline of mTECSC activity and early thymic involution as well as various autoimmune disorders are discussed.
The lymphatic vasculature: development and role in shaping immunity
Authors: Betterman Kelly L. , Harvey Natasha L. 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThe lymphatic vasculature is an integral component of the immune system. Lymphatic vessels are a key highway via which immune cells are trafficked, serving not simply as a passive route of transport, but to actively shape and coordinate immune responses. Reciprocally, immune cells provide signals that impact the growth, development, and activity of the lymphatic vasculature. In addition to immune cell trafficking, lymphatic vessels are crucial for fluid homeostasis and lipid absorption. The field of lymphatic vascular research is rapidly expanding, fuelled by rapidly advancing technology that has enabled the manipulation and imaging of lymphatic vessels, together with an increasing recognition of the involvement of lymphatic vessels in a myriad of human pathologies. In this review we provide an overview of the genetic pathways and cellular processes important for development and maturation of the lymphatic vasculature, discuss recent work revealing important roles for the lymphatic vasculature in directing immune cell traffic and coordinating immune responses and highlight the involvement of lymphatic vessels in a range of pathological settings.
Hematopoiesis and T‐cell specification as a model developmental system
Authors: Rothenberg Ellen V. , Kueh Hao Yuan , Yui Mary A. , Zhang Jingli A. 
Published: April 2016

SummaryThe pathway to generate T cells from hematopoietic stem cells guides progenitors through a succession of fate choices while balancing differentiation progression against proliferation, stage to stage. Many elements of the regulatory system that controls this process are known, but the requirement for multiple, functionally distinct transcription factors needs clarification in terms of gene network architecture. Here, we compare the features of the T‐cell specification system with the rule sets underlying two other influential types of gene network models: first, the combinatorial, hierarchical regulatory systems that generate the orderly, synchronized increases in complexity in most invertebrate embryos; second, the dueling ‘master regulator’ systems that are commonly used to explain bistability in microbial systems and in many fate choices in terminal differentiation. The T‐cell specification process shares certain features with each of these prevalent models but differs from both of them in central respects. The T‐cell system is highly combinatorial but also highly dose‐sensitive in its use of crucial regulatory factors. The roles of these factors are not always T‐lineage‐specific, but they balance and modulate each other's activities long before any mutually exclusive silencing occurs. T‐cell specification may provide a new hybrid model for gene networks in vertebrate developmental systems.
Toddlers Help Anonymously
Authors: Hepach Robert , Haberl Katharina , Lambert Stéphane , Tomasello Michael 
Published: April 2016

Young children are extremely motivated to help others, but it is not clear whether they do so in anonymous situations without social recognition. In two studies, we found that 18‐month‐old toddlers provided help equally in situations where an adult recipient was present and in situations where an adult recipient was not present. We included several control conditions to rule out that toddlers were simply unaware of their anonymity or were merely motivated to restore the physical order of things. Together, these findings suggest that early in ontogeny children are motivated to help others in need regardless of whether they can immediately be recognized for their prosocial intentions.
Mate choice and the operational sex ratio: an experimental test with robotic crabs
Authors: Hayes C. L. , Callander S. , Booksmythe I. , Jennions M. D. , Backwell P. R. Y. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe operational sex ratio (OSR: sexually active males: receptive females) predicts the intensity of competition for mates. It is less clear, however, under what circumstances, the OSR predicts the strength of sexual selection – that is, the extent to which variation in mating success is attributable to traits that increase the bearer's attractiveness and/or fighting ability. To establish causality, experiments that manipulate the OSR are required. Furthermore, if it is possible to control for any OSR‐dependent changes in the chosen sex (e.g. changes in male courtship), we can directly test whether the OSR affects the behaviour of the choosing sex (e.g. female choice decisions). We conducted female mate choice experiments in the field using robotic models of male fiddler crabs (Uca mjoebergi). We used a novel design with two females tested sequentially per trial. As in nature, the choice of the first female to mate therefore affected the mates available to the next female. In general, we detected significant sexual selection due to female choice for ‘males’ with larger claws. Importantly, the strength of sexual selection did not vary across five different OSR/density treatments. However, as the OSR decreased (hence the number of available males declined), females chose the ‘males’ with the largest claws available significantly more often than expected by chance. Possible reasons for this mismatch between the expected and observed effects of the OSR on the strength of sexual selection are discussed.
The 18th International Symposia on Chromaffin Cell Biology
Authors: Meunier Frederic A. , Keating Damien J. 
Published: April 2016

The International Symposia on Chromaffin Cell Biology (ISCCB) have a very long history. In this issue of The Journal of Neurochemistry we have compiled a number of review articles that encompass some of the work presented during the sessions of the ISCCB meeting held in Australia in August 2015, covering aspects of chromaffin cell biology, the mechanisms of secretory vesicle biogenesis and exocytosis, and the physiological consequences of these mechanisms.
This is the Preface for the Mini Review Series: “ISCCB Meeting on Chromaffin Cells”.
Parental attitude, depression, anxiety in mothers, family functioning and breath‐holding spells: A case control study
Authors: Eliacik Kayi , Bolat Nurullah , Kanik Ali , Sargin Enis , Selkie Ellen , Korkmaz Nurhan , Baydan Figen , Akar Ebru , Sarioglu Berrak 
Published: April 2016

AimThis study aimed to identify differences in the antenatal stressful life events, parenting style, family functioning, depression and anxiety of mothers who have children with breath‐holding spells (BHS) compared with controls.MethodsThis case control study divided 66 children into a group of children with BHS and a control group, with the children's ages ranging between 6 months and 5 years of age. This study explored underlying anxiety and depression in mothers as well as functioning of their families. Socio‐demographical data and stressful life events that the mother experienced during pregnancy were analysed. In order to evaluate the effects of family structure, depression and anxiety in mothers on BHS in children, the Family Assessment Device, and both the Parental Attitude Research Instrument and the Beck Depression Inventory as well as the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to assess both groups.ResultsExposure to stressful life events during pregnancy (P < 0.001), depressive traits (P < 0.001), state‐trait anxiety (P < 0.001), overprotective maternal characteristics (P = 0.027) and most of the family functioning subscales were found to be significantly different between BHS and control groups.ConclusionsThe association of anxiety, depression, prenatal stressful events and poor family functioning in mothers who have children with BHS is significantly higher than controls. An evaluation of these problems may be beneficial in the management of BHS.
Lung ultrasound accurately detects pneumothorax in a preterm newborn lamb model
Authors: Blank Douglas A , Hooper Stuart B , Binder‐Heschl Corinna , Kluckow Martin , Gill Andrew W , LaRosa Domenic A , Inocencio Ishmael M , Moxham Alison , Rodgers Karyn , Zahra Valerie A , Davis Peter G , Polglase Graeme R 
Published: April 2016

AimPneumothorax is a common emergency affecting extremely preterm. In adult studies, lung ultrasound has performed better than chest x‐ray in the diagnosis of pneumothorax. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of lung ultrasound (LUS) examination to detect pneumothorax using a preterm animal model.MethodsThis was a prospective, observational study using newborn Border–Leicester lambs at gestational age = 126 days (equivalent to gestational age = 26 weeks in humans) receiving mechanical ventilation from birth to 2 h of life. At the conclusion of the experiment, LUS was performed, the lambs were then euthanised and a post‐mortem exam was immediately performed. We used previously published ultrasound techniques to identify pneumothorax. Test characteristics of LUS to detect pneumothorax were calculated, using the post‐mortem exam as the ‘gold standard’ test.ResultsNine lambs (18 lungs) were examined. Four lambs had a unilateral pneumothorax, all of which were identified by LUS with no false positives.ConclusionsThis was the first study to use post‐mortem findings to test the efficacy of LUS to detect pneumothorax in a newborn animal model. Lung ultrasound accurately detected pneumothorax, verified by post‐mortem exam, in premature, newborn lambs.