bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Essential Role of Invasin for Colonization and Persistence of Yersinia enterocolitica in Its Natural Reservoir Host, the Pig
Authors: Schaake Julia , Drees Anna , Grüning Petra , Uliczka Frank , Pisano Fabio , Thiermann Tanja , von Altrock Alexandra , Seehusen Frauke , Valentin-Weigand Peter , Dersch Petra 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACT

In this study, an oral minipig infection model was established to investigate the pathogenicity of
Yersinia enterocolitica
bioserotype 4/O:3. O:3 strains are highly prevalent in pigs, which are usually symptomless carriers, and they represent the most common cause of human yersiniosis. To assess the pathogenic potential of the O:3 serotype, we compared the colonization properties of
Y. enterocolitica
O:3 with O:8, a highly mouse-virulent
Y. enterocolitica
serotype, in minipigs and mice. We found that O:3 is a significantly better colonizer of swine than is O:8. Coinfection studies with O:3 mutant strains demonstrated that small variations within the O:3 genome leading to higher amounts of the primary adhesion factor invasin (InvA) improved colonization and/or survival of this serotype in swine but had only a minor effect on the colonization of mice. We further demonstrated that a deletion of the
invA
gene abolished long-term colonization in the pigs. Our results indicate a primary role for invasin in naturally occurring
Y. enterocolitica
O:3 infections in pigs and reveal a higher adaptation of O:3 than O:8 strains to their natural pig reservoir host.
Rosetting Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes Bind to Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells
In Vitro
, Demonstrating a Dual Adhesion Phenotype Mediated by Distinct P. falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 Domains
Authors: Adams Yvonne , Kuhnrae Pongsak , Higgins Matthew K. , Ghumra Ashfaq , Rowe J. Alexandra 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACT

Adhesion interactions between
Plasmodium falciparum
-infected erythrocytes (IE) and human cells underlie the pathology of severe malaria. IE cytoadhere to microvascular endothelium or form rosettes with uninfected erythrocytes to survive
in vivo
by sequestering IE in the microvasculature and avoiding splenic clearance mechanisms. Both rosetting and cytoadherence are mediated by the parasite-derived IE surface protein family
Plasmodium falciparum
erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). Rosetting and cytoadherence have been widely studied as separate entities; however, the ability of rosetting
P. falciparum
strains to cytoadhere has received little attention. Here, we show that IE of the IT/R29 strain expressing a rosette-mediating PfEMP1 variant (IT4var09) cytoadhere
in vitro
to a human brain microvascular endothelial cell line (HBEC-5i). Cytoadherence was inhibited by heparin and by treatment of HBEC-5i with heparinase III, suggesting that the endothelial receptors for IE binding are heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Antibodies to the N-terminal regions of the IT4var09 PfEMP1 variant (NTS-DBL1α and DBL2γ domains) specifically inhibited and reversed cytoadherence down to low concentrations (<10 μg/ml of total IgG). Surface plasmon resonance experiments showed that the NTS-DBLα and DBL2γ domains bind strongly to heparin, with half-maximal binding at a concentration of ∼0.5 μM in both cases. Therefore, cytoadherence of IT/R29 IE is distinct from rosetting, which is primarily mediated by NTS-DBL1α interactions with complement receptor 1. These data show that IT4var09-expressing parasites are capable of dual interactions with both endothelial cells and uninfected erythrocytes via distinct receptor-ligand interactions.
Reduced Live Organism Recovery and Lack of Hydrosalpinx in Mice Infected with Plasmid-Free Chlamydia muridarum
Authors: Lei Lei , Chen Jianlin , Hou Shuping , Ding Yiling , Yang Zhangsheng , Zeng Hao , Baseman Joel , Zhong Guangming 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACT

Plasmid-free
Chlamydia trachomatis
and
Chlamydia muridarum
fail to induce severe pathology. To evaluate whether the attenuated pathogenicity is due to insufficient infection or inability of the plasmidless chlamydial organisms to trigger pathological responses, we compared plasmid-competent and plasmid-free
C. muridarum
infections in 5 different strains of mice. All 5 strains developed hydrosalpinx following intravaginal inoculation with plasmid-competent, but not inoculation with plasmid-free,
C. muridarum
. The lack of hydrosalpinx induction by plasmid-free
C. muridarum
correlated with significantly reduced live organism recovery from the lower genital tract and shortened infection in the upper genital tract. The plasmid-free
C. muridarum
organisms failed to induce hydrosalpinx even when the organisms were directly inoculated into the oviduct via an intrabursal injection, which was accompanied by significantly reduced survival of the plasmidless organisms in the genital tracts. Furthermore, plasmid-competent
C. muridarum
organisms after UV inactivation were no longer able to induce hydrosalpinx even when directly delivered into the oviduct at a high dose. Together, these observations suggest that decreased survival of and shortened infection with plasmid-free
C. muridarum
may contribute significantly to its attenuated pathogenicity. We conclude that adequate live chlamydial infection in the oviduct may be necessary to induce hydrosalpinx.
Randomised Clinical Trial of Five Ear Acupuncture Points for the Treatment of Overweight People
Authors: Yeo Sujung , Kim Kang Sik , Lim Sabina 
Published: December 2013

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of the five ear acupuncture points (Shen-men, Spleen, Stomach, Hunger, Endocrine), generally used in Korean clinics for treating obesity, and compare them with the Hunger acupuncture point. Methods A randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted in 91 Koreans (16 male and 75 female, body mass index (BMI)≥23), who had not received any other weight control treatment within the past 6 months. Subjects were divided randomly into treatment I, treatment II or sham control groups and received unilateral auricular acupuncture with indwelling needles replaced weekly for 8 weeks. Treatment I group received acupuncture at the five ear acupuncture points, treatment II group at the Hunger acupuncture point only and the sham control group received acupuncture at the five ear acupuncture points used in treatment I, but the needles were removed immediately after insertion. BMI, waist circumference, weight, body fat mass (BFM), percentage body fat and blood pressure were measured at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks after treatment. Results For the 58 participants who provided data at 8 weeks, significant differences in BMI, weight and BFM were found between the treatment and control groups. Treatment groups I and II showed 6.1% and 5.7% reduction in BMI, respectively (p<0.004). There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups. Conclusions This finding suggests that the five ear acupuncture points, generally used in Korean clinics, and the Hunger point alone treatment are both effective for treating overweight people.
Rupes Recta and the geological history of the Mare Nubium region of the Moon: insights from forward mechanical modelling of the ‘Straight Wall’
Authors: Nahm Amanda L. , Schultz Richard A. 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
Rupes Recta, also known as the ‘Straight Wall’, is an individual normal fault located in eastern Mare Nubium on the nearside of the Moon. Age and cross-cutting relationships suggest that the maximum age of Rupes Recta is 3.2 Ga, which may make it the youngest large-scale normal fault on the Moon. Based on detailed structural mapping and throw distribution analysis, fault nucleation is interpreted to have occurred near the fault centre, and the fault has propagated bi-directionally, growing northwards and southwards by segment linkage. Forward mechanical modelling of fault topography gives a best-fitting fault dip of approximately 85°, and suggests that Rupes Recta accommodated approximately 400 m of maximum displacement and extends to a depth of around 42 km. The cumulative driving stresses required to form Rupes Recta are similar in magnitude to those that formed normal faults in Tempe Terra, Mars. The spatial and temporal association with Rima Birt, a sinuous rille to the west of Rupes Recta, suggests a genetic relationship between both structures and implies regional extension at the time of formation.
Novel Neutralizing Hedgehog Antibody MEDI-5304 Exhibits Antitumor Activity by Inhibiting Paracrine Hedgehog Signaling
Authors: Michaud Neil R. , Wang Youzhen , McEachern Kristen A. , Jordan Jerold J. , Mazzola Anne Marie , Hernandez Axel , Jalla Sanjoo , Chesebrough Jon W. , Hynes Mark J. , Belmonte Matthew A. , Wang Lidong , Kang Jaspal S. , Jovanović Jelena , Laing Naomi , Jenkins David W. , Hurt Elaine , Liang Meina , Frantz Christopher , Hollingsworth Robert E. , Simeone Diane M. , Blakey David C. , Bedian Vahe 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
The hedgehog pathway has been implicated in the tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis of numerous human cancers. We generated the first fully human hedgehog antibody MEDI-5304 and characterized its antitumor activity and preclinical toxicology. MEDI-5304 bound sonic hedgehog (SHH) and Indian hedgehog (IHH) with low picomolar affinity and neutralized SHH and IHH activity in cellular mGLI1 reporter assays. The antibody inhibited transcription of hedgehog target genes and osteoblast differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells. We evaluated the activity of MEDI-5304 in vivo in model systems that allowed us to evaluate two primary hypotheses of hedgehog function in human cancer, paracrine signaling between tumor and stromal cells and cancer stem cell (CSC) self-renewal. MEDI-5304 displayed robust pharmacodynamic effects in stromal cells that translated to antitumor efficacy as a single agent in an HT-29/MEF coimplantation model of paracrine hedgehog signaling. MEDI-5304 also improved responses to carboplatin in the HT-29/MEF model. The antibody, however, had no effect as a single agent or in combination with gemcitabine on the CSC frequency or growth of several primary pancreatic cancer explant models. These findings support the conclusion that hedgehog contributes to tumor biology via paracrine tumor-stromal signaling but not via CSC maintenance or propagation. Finally, the only safety study finding associated with MEDI-5304 was ondontodysplasia in rats. Thus, MEDI-5304 represents a potent dual hedgehog inhibitor suitable for continued development to evaluate efficacy and safety in human patients with tumors harboring elevated levels of SHH or IHH. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(2); 386–98. ©2013 AACR.
Sorbin and SH3 Domain‐Containing Protein 2 Is Released From Infarcted Heart in the Very Early Phase: Proteomic Analysis of Cardiac Tissues From Patients
Authors: Kakimoto Yu , Ito Shinji , Abiru Hitoshi , Kotani Hirokazu , Ozeki Munetaka , Tamaki Keiji , Tsuruyama Tatsuaki 
Published: December 2013

Background
Few proteomic studies have examined human cardiac tissue following acute lethal infarction. Here, we applied a novel proteomic approach to formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded human tissue and aimed to reveal the molecular changes in the very early phase of acute myocardial infarction.

Methods and Results

Heart tissue samples were collected from 5 patients who died within 7 hours of myocardial infarction and from 5 age‐ and sex‐matched control cases. Infarcted and control myocardia were histopathologically diagnosed and captured using laser microdissection. Proteins were extracted using an originally established method and analyzed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The label‐free quantification demonstrated that the levels of 21 proteins differed significantly between patients and controls. In addition to known biomarkers, the sarcoplasmic protein sorbin and
SH
3 domain‐containing protein 2 (
SORBS
2) was greatly reduced in infarcted myocardia. Immunohistochemical analysis of cardiac tissues confirmed the decrease, and Western blot analysis showed a significant increase in serum sorbin and
SH
3 domain‐containing protein 2 in acute myocardial infarction patients (n=10) compared with control cases (n=11).

Conclusions

Our advanced comprehensive analysis using patient tissues and serums indicated that sarcoplasmic sorbin and
SH
3 domain‐containing protein 2 is released from damaged cardiac tissue into the bloodstream upon lethal acute myocardial infarction. The proteomic strategy presented here is based on precise microscopic findings and is quite useful for candidate biomarker discovery using human tissue samples stored in depositories.
Reward- and Attention-related Biasing of Sensory Selection in Visual Cortex
Authors: Buschschulte Antje , Boehler Carsten N. , Strumpf Hendrik , Stoppel Christian , Heinze Hans-Jochen , Schoenfeld Mircea A. , Hopf Jens-Max 
Published: December 2013

AbstractAttention to task-relevant features leads to a biasing of sensory selection in extrastriate cortex. Features signaling reward seem to produce a similar bias, but how modulatory effects due to reward and attention relate to each other is largely unexplored. To address this issue, it is critical to separate top–down settings defining reward relevance from those defining attention. To this end, we used a visual search paradigm in which the target's definition (attention to color) was dissociated from reward relevance by delivering monetary reward on search frames where a certain task-irrelevant color was combined with the target-defining color to form the target object. We assessed the state of neural biasing for the attended and reward-relevant color by analyzing the neuromagnetic brain response to asynchronously presented irrelevant distractor probes drawn in the target-defining color, the reward-relevant color, and a completely irrelevant color as a reference. We observed that for the prospect of moderate rewards, the target-defining color but not the reward-relevant color produced a selective enhancement of the neuromagnetic response between 180 and 280 msec in ventral extrastriate visual cortex. Increasing reward prospect caused a delayed attenuation (220–250 msec) of the response to reward probes, which followed a prior (160–180 msec) response enhancement in dorsal ACC. Notably, shorter latency responses in dorsal ACC were associated with stronger attenuation in extrastriate visual cortex. Finally, an analysis of the brain response to the search frames revealed that the presence of the reward-relevant color in search distractors elicited an enhanced response that was abolished after increasing reward size. The present data together indicate that when top–down definitions of reward relevance and attention are separated, the behavioral significance of reward-associated features is still rapidly coded in higher-level cortex areas, thereby commanding effective top–down inhibitory control to counter a selection bias for those features in extrastriate visual cortex.
Haptic Shape Processing in Visual Cortex
Authors: Snow Jacqueline C. , Strother Lars , Humphreys Glyn W. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractHumans typically rely upon vision to identify object shape, but we can also recognize shape via touch (haptics). Our haptic shape recognition ability raises an intriguing question: To what extent do visual cortical shape recognition mechanisms support haptic object recognition? We addressed this question using a haptic fMRI repetition design, which allowed us to identify neuronal populations sensitive to the shape of objects that were touched but not seen. In addition to the expected shape-selective fMRI responses in dorsal frontoparietal areas, we observed widespread shape-selective responses in the ventral visual cortical pathway, including primary visual cortex. Our results indicate that shape processing via touch engages many of the same neural mechanisms as visual object recognition. The shape-specific repetition effects we observed in primary visual cortex show that visual sensory areas are engaged during the haptic exploration of object shape, even in the absence of concurrent shape-related visual input. Our results complement related findings in visually deprived individuals and highlight the fundamental role of the visual system in the processing of object shape.
Prefrontal Structural Correlates of Cognitive Control during Adolescent Development: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Vijayakumar Nandita , Whittle Sarah , Yücel Murat , Dennison Meg , Simmons Julian , Allen Nicholas B. 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
Maturation of cognitive control abilities has been attributed to the protracted structural maturation of underlying neural correlates during adolescence. This study examined the relationship between development of two forms of cognitive control (proactive and reactive control) and structural maturation of the ACC, dorsolateral pFC, and ventrolateral pFC (vlPFC) between early and mid adolescence using a longitudinal design. Adolescents (n = 92) underwent baseline assessments when they were 12 years old and follow-up assessments approximately 4 years later. At each assessment, structural MRI scans were acquired, and a modified Stroop task was performed. Results showed longitudinal improvements in reactive control between early and mid adolescence. Furthermore, magnitude of the improvement in proactive control was associated with reduced thinning of the right vlPFC across the sample, whereas the magnitude of the improvements in reactive control was associated with reduced thinning of the left ACC in men alone. These findings suggest that individual differences in the maturation of ACC and vlPFC underlie the development of two distinct forms of cognitive control between early and mid adolescence as well as highlight sex differences in this relationship.
Variability Common to Global Sea Surface Temperatures and Runoff in the Conterminous United States
Authors: McCabe Gregory J. , Wolock David M. 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
Singular value decomposition (SVD) is used to identify the variability common to global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and water-balance-modeled water-year (WY) runoff in the conterminous United States (CONUS) for the 1900–2012 period. Two modes were identified from the SVD analysis; the two modes explain 25% of the variability in WY runoff and 33% of the variability in WY SSTs. The first SVD mode reflects the variability of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the SST data and the hydroclimatic effects of ENSO on WY runoff in the CONUS. The second SVD mode is related to variability of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO). An interesting aspect of these results is that both ENSO and AMO appear to have nearly equivalent effects on runoff variability in the CONUS. However, the relatively small amount of variance explained by the SVD analysis indicates that there is little covariation between runoff and SSTs, suggesting that SSTs may not be a viable predictor of runoff variability for most of the conterminous United States.
Rain Attenuation Prediction Model for Lagos at Millimeter Wave Bands
Authors: Yussuff Abayomi Isiaka , Haji Khamis Nor Hisham 
Published: December 2013

AbstractLagos, Nigeria (6.35°N, 3.2°E), is a coastal station in the rain forest area of southwestern Nigeria with an altitude of 38 m. Since most communication now takes place above the X band because of congestion of lower bands, it was necessary to look into ways of maximizing X-band usage. There are inadequate data for use in rain propagation studies at microwave frequencies, and even less so at millimeter wave bands where most of the signal depolarization and fading has been discovered to exist. The proposed model is a modification of the International Telecommunication Union–Radio Communication Sector (ITU-R) model combined with locally obtained regression coefficients for estimating specific attenuation as proposed by G. Olalere Ajayi. The Dissanayake, Allnutt, and Haidara (DAH), Simple Attenuation Model (SAM), and ITU-R attenuation prediction models were investigated along with the proposed model. The ITU-R model was observed to produce the best results at 40 GHz, with percentage error values of 0.61%, 0.55%, and 0.49% at 0.1%, 0.01%, and 0.001% of the time, respectively. In comparison, the proposed prediction model showed good performance at 20-GHz down-link frequency, with percentage error values of 3.6%, 3.3%, and 2.9% at 0.1%, 0.01%, and 0.001% of the time, respectively. The obtained results also showed good agreement with other similar works in the open literature. The results presented in this work are valuable for the design and planning of a satellite link in the tropical regions.
Childhood trauma in bipolar disorder
Authors: Watson Stuart , Gallagher Peter , Dougall Dominic , Porter Richard , Moncrieff Joanna , Ferrier I Nicol , Young Allan H 
Published: December 2013

Objective: There has been little investigation of early trauma in bipolar disorder despite evidence that stress impacts on the course of this illness. We aimed to compare the rates of childhood trauma in adults with bipolar disorder to a healthy control group, and to investigate the impact of childhood trauma on the clinical course of bipolar disorder. Methods: Retrospective assessment of childhood trauma was conducted using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) in 60 outpatients with bipolar disorder being treated for a depressive episode and 55 control participants across two centres in north-east England and New Zealand. Results: Significantly higher rates of childhood trauma were observed in patients with bipolar I and bipolar II disorder compared to controls. Logistic regression, controlling for age and sex, identified emotional neglect to be the only significant CTQ subscale associated with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Childhood history of sexual abuse was not a significant predictor. Associations with clinical severity or course were less clear. Conclusions: Childhood emotional neglect appears to be significantly associated with bipolar disorder. Limitations include the relatively small sample size, which potentially increases the risk of type II errors. Replication of this study is required, with further investigation into the neurobiological consequences of childhood trauma, particularly emotional neglect.
Particulated Juvenile Articular Cartilage Implantation in the Knee
Authors: Stevens Hazel Y. , Shockley Blake E. , Willett Nick J. , Lin Angela S.P. , Raji Yazdan , Guldberg Robert E. , Labib Sameh A. 
Published: December 2013

Objective: The goal of this report is to describe the outcome of sequential particulated cartilage allograft and autologous osteochondral transfer treatments for an osteochondral lesion of the medial femoral condyle. Methods: A 44-year-old woman was treated with a particulated juvenile articular cartilage allograft ( DeNovo NT) for a chondral lesion of the knee. As a result of continued pain, she had 2 further surgeries, including an autologous osteochondral transfer system procedure and finally a unicondylar knee arthroplasty. At the final procedure, the areas of the allograft and autograft tissue were biopsied for histological evaluation. The quality of the residual cartilage tissue was assessed first by equilibrium partitioning of an ionic contrast agent via micro–computed tomography (EPIC-µCT), and then by hematoxylin and eosin, Safranin O staining, and polarized light microscopy. Results: Despite showing good healing at 7 months postsurgery by MRI, at 28 months post DeNovo NT tissue implantation the excised cartilage tissue was heterogeneous, with some regions of hyaline-like cartilage and some regions of fibrocartilage. The later mosaicplasty may have helped maintain hyaline-like cartilage of the DeNovo NT tissue in its vicinity. Conclusion: This case report describes the cartilage repair tissue produced by DeNovo NT implantation and compares it with autologous osteochondral plug tissue.