bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The obesity–asthma link in different ages and the role of Body Mass Index in its investigation: findings from the Genesis and Healthy Growth Studies
Authors: Guibas G. V. , Manios Y. , Xepapadaki P. , Moschonis G. , Douladiris N. , Mavrogianni C. , Papadopoulos N. G. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractBackgroundTo date, an obesity/asthma link is well defined in adults; however, the nature of such a link is obscure in children, partly due to Body Mass Index (BMI) limitations as a surrogate fat mass marker in childhood. We thus opted to investigate the association of adiposity with asthma in children of different ages, using several indices to assess fat mass.MethodsWheeze ever/in the last 12 months (current) and physician‐diagnosed asthma were retrospectively reported via questionnaire by the parents of 3641 children, participating in two cross‐sectional studies: 1626 children aged 2–5 (the Genesis Study) and 2015 children aged 9–13 (the Healthy Growth Study). Perinatal data were recorded from the children's medical records or reported by parents. Anthropometric measurements (i.e., BMI, waist/hip circumference, biceps/triceps/subscapular/suprailiac skinfold thickness) were conducted in both cohorts; bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) was conducted only in preadolescent children.ResultsIn children aged 2–5, asthma was positively correlated with conicity index, waist/hip circumference, waist‐to‐height ratio, skinfold thickness, and skinfold‐derived percentage fat mass (P < 0.05) but not BMI or BMI‐defined overweight/obesity, after adjusting for several confounders. In children aged 9–13, asthma was positively associated with conicity index, waist circumference, waist‐to‐height ratio, skinfold thickness, skinfold‐derived percentage fat mass, BIA‐derived percentage fat mass, BMI, and BMI‐defined overweight/obesity, following adjustment (P < 0.05). Current/ever wheeze was not consistently associated with fat mass in either population.ConclusionsFat mass is positively linked to asthma in both 2–5 and 9–13 age spans. However, the failure of BMI to correlate with preschool asthma suggests its potential inefficiency in asthma studies at this age range.
Clinical and imaging characterization of progressive spastic dysarthria
Authors: Clark H. M. , Duffy J. R. , Whitwell J. L. , Ahlskog J. E. , Sorenson E. J. , Josephs K. A. 
Published: September 2013

Background and purposeTo describe speech, neurological and imaging characteristics of a series of patients presenting with progressive spastic dysarthria as the first and predominant sign of a presumed neurodegenerative disease.MethodsParticipants were 25 patients with spastic dysarthria as the only or predominant speech disorder. Clinical features, pattern of MRI volume loss on voxel‐based morphometry and pattern of hypometabolism on F18‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) scan are described.ResultsAll patients demonstrated speech characteristics consistent with spastic dysarthria, including strained voice quality, slow speaking rate, monopitch and monoloudness, and slow and regular speech alternating motion rates. Eight patients did not have additional neurological findings on examination. Pseudobulbar affect, upper motor neuron pattern limb weakness, spasticity, Hoffman sign and positive Babinski reflexes were noted in some of the remaining patients. Twenty‐three patients had electromyographic assessment and none had diffuse motor neuron disease or met El Escorial criteria for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Voxel‐based morphometry revealed striking bilateral white matter volume loss affecting the motor cortex (BA 4), including the frontoparietal operculum (BA 43) with extension into the middle cerebral peduncle. FDG‐PET showed subtle hypometabolism affecting the premotor and motor cortices in some patients, particularly in those who had a disease duration longer than 2 years.ConclusionsA neurodegenerative disorder that begins focally with spastic dysarthria due to involvement of the motor and premotor cortex and descending corticospinal and corticobulbar pathways is characterized. The descriptive label ‘progressive spastic dysarthria’ to best capture the dominant presenting feature of the syndrome is proposed.
Cardiovascular control from cardiac and pulmonary vascular receptors
Authors: Hainsworth Roger 
Published: September 2013

New Findings
What is the topic of this review?
The purpose of this review is to summarize present knowledge of the function of the afferent nerves arising from the heart and the coronary and pulmonary arteries. Although there is abundant evidence that atrial receptor stimulation influences heart rate and urine flow, with little or no effect elsewhere, and that ventricular receptors are strongly excited only by chemical stimuli, there is still the erroneous belief that they act as a homogeneous group causing cardiovascular depression.
What advances does it highlight?
Coronary receptors deserve to be recognized as a potentially important additional group of baroreceptors. Stimulation of pulmonary arterial baroreceptors at physiological pressures causes reflex vasoconstriction and could have a hitherto unacknowledged important role in cardiovascular control, for example in exercise.
Although there has been a tendency to regard cardiac and pulmonary receptors as a single population of ‘cardiopulmonary receptors’, this cannot be justified as the various receptor types all induce their own particular pattern of responses. Stimulation of atrial receptors increases activity in sympathetic nerves to the sino‐atrial node, causing tachycardia, but there is no effect on activity to the myocardium or to most blood vessels. Renal nerve activity, however, is decreased, and secretion of antidiuretic hormone is inhibited, causing diuresis. Ventricular receptors induce a powerful depressor response, but only in response to abnormal chemical stimulation and possibly to myocardial injury. Coronary arterial receptors function as baroreceptors, but have a lower threshold and a more prolonged effect than other baroreceptors. Pulmonary arterial baroreceptors induce vasoconstriction and respiratory stimulation at physiological pressures and may be of importance in mediating some of the responses to exercise, as well as in hypoxic conditions.
Deep brain stimulation and autonomic control
Authors: Lovick Thelma 
Published: September 2013

New Findings
What is the topic of this review?
This article reviews data from studies on human participants and animal models showing how electrical stimulation in deep brain structures (deep brain stimulation) can influence autonomic function.
What advances does it highlight?
Focusing on the control of the cardiovascular system and bladder function, it highlights the potential for development of deep brain stimulation as a new treatment option for patients with autonomic dysfunction.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in humans has come of age as a tool to treat movement disorders including Parkinson's disease tremor and dystonia as well as a panoply of other disease states including headache, epilepsy, obesity, eating disorders, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome, addiction and chronic pain. Increasingly, practitioners of DBS are reporting autonomic side effects, which intriguingly, sometimes result in improved autonomic function. Focussing on the effects of stimulation at periaqueductal and periventricular sites on cardiovascular function and control of micturition, this review shows that data obtained from studies in animals is now being confirmed in humans. Lowering of blood pressure and improved baroreflex function can be evoked in humans by DBS at these midbrain sites as well as increased bladder capacity. The findings highlight the tantalizing possibility that DBS could be developed for treatment of dysfunctional autonomic states in humans.
ATP in the locus coeruleus as a modulator of cardiorespiratory control in unanaesthetized male rats
Authors: Biancardi Vivian , Bícego Kênia Cardoso , Gargaglioni Luciane H. 
Published: September 2013

New Findings
What is the central question of this study?Does the ATP‐mediated purinergic signalling within locus coeruleus neurons modulate the cardiorespiratory responses to hypercapnia in unanaesthetized rats?
What is the main finding and its importance?This study demonstrates that P2X receptor agonist (α,β‐methylene ATP) increases hypercapnia‐induced hyperventilation, and this response is blocked by a non‐selective P2 receptor antagonist (pyridoxalphosphate‐6‐azophenyl‐2′,4′‐disulfonic acid). Until the present study, there was no evidence in the literature of ATP‐mediated respiratory mechanisms in the locus coeruleus region. We added to this scenario the participation of purinergic signalling in the locus coeruleus in the modulation of respiration in unanaesthetized animals.
Locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons are chemosensitive to CO2 and pH in mammals and amphibians and are involved in the CO2‐related drive to breathe. Purinergic neuromodulation in the LC is of particular interest because ATP acts as a neuromodulator in brainstem regions involved in cardiovascular and respiratory regulation, such as the LC. ATP acting on LC P2 receptors influences the release of noradrenaline. Thus, the goal of the present study was to investigate the role of LC purinergic neuromodulation of ventilatory and cardiovascular responses in normocapnic and hypercapnic conditions in unanaesthetized male Wistar rats. We assessed the purinergic modulation of cardiorespiratory systems by microinjecting an ATP P2X receptor agonist [α,β‐methylene ATP (α,β‐meATP), 0.5 or 1 nmol in 40 nl] and two non‐selective P2 receptor antagonists [pyridoxalphosphate‐6‐azophenyl‐2′,4′‐disulfonic acid (PPADS), 0.5 or 1 nmol in 40 nl; and suramin, 1 nmol in 40 nl] into the LC. Pulmonary ventilation (measured by plethysmography), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were determined before and after unilateral microinjection (40 nl) of α,β‐meATP, PPADS, suramin or 0.9% saline (vehicle) into the LC. These measurements were made during a 60 min exposure to normocapnic conditions or a 30 min exposure to 7% CO2. Subsequently, animals undergoing pharmacological treatment were subjected to a 30 min exposure to normocapnic conditions as a recovery period. In normocapnic conditions, α,β‐meATP did not affect any parameter, whereas PPADS decreased respiratory frequency and increased MAP and HR. Suramin increased MAP and HR but did not change ventilation. Moreover, hypercapnic conditions induced an increase in ventilation and a decrease in HR in all groups. In hypercapnic conditions, α,β‐meATP increased ventilation but did not change cardiovascular parameters, whereas PPADS increased MAP but did not alter ventilation, and suramin increased both ventilation and MAP. Thus, our data suggest that purinergic signalling, specifically through P2 receptors, in the LC plays an important role in cardiorespiratory control in normocapnic and hypercapnic conditions in unanaesthetized rats.
Acute acetaminophen (paracetamol) ingestion improves time to exhaustion during exercise in the heat
Authors: Mauger Alexis R. , Taylor Lee , Harding Christopher , Wright Benjamin , Foster Josh , Castle Paul C. 
Published: September 2013

New Findings
What is the central question of this study?Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is an analgesic and antipyretic, which has been shown to improve self‐paced cycling performance through a reduction in pain. We sought to ascertain whether acetaminophen could improve time to exhaustion during exercise in the heat through its antipyretic action.
What is the main finding and its importance?An acute dose of acetaminophen allowed participants to cycle significantly longer in hot conditions by a mean of 4 min (+17%). This was accompanied by significantly lower core, skin and body temperature, and participants found the exercise less of a thermal strain. These findings suggest that acetaminophen may reduce the thermal challenge of exercise in hot conditions.
Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is a commonly used over‐the‐counter analgesic and antipyretic and has previously been shown to improve exercise performance through a reduction in perceived pain. This study sought to establish whether its antipyretic action may also improve exercise capacity in the heat by moderating the increase in core temperature. On separate days, 11 recreationally active participants completed two experimental time‐to‐exhaustion trials on a cycle ergometer in hot conditions (30°C, 50% relative humidity) after ingesting a placebo control or an oral dose of acetaminophen in a randomized, double‐blind design. Following acetaminophen ingestion, participants cycled for a significantly longer period of time (acetaminophen, 23 ± 15 min versus placebo, 19 ± 13 min; P= 0.005; 95% confidence interval = 90–379 s), and this was accompanied by significantly lower core (−0.15°C), skin (−0.47°C) and body temperatures (0.19°C; P < 0.05). In the acetaminophen condition, participants also reported significantly lower ratings of thermal sensation (−0.39; P= 0.015), but no significant change in heart rate was observed (P > 0.05). This is the first study to demonstrate that an acute dose of acetaminophen can improve cycling capacity in hot conditions, and that this may be due to the observed reduction in core, skin and body temperature and the subjective perception of thermal comfort. These findings suggest that acetaminophen may reduce the thermoregulatory strain elicited from exercise, thus improving time to exhaustion.
Role of Bacterial Communities in the Natural Suppression of Rhizoctonia solani Bare Patch Disease of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Yin Chuntao , Hulbert Scot H. , Schroeder Kurtis L. , Mavrodi Olga , Mavrodi Dmitri , Dhingra Amit , Schillinger William F. , Paulitz Timothy C. 
Published: September 2013

ABSTRACT

Rhizoctonia
bare patch and root rot disease of wheat, caused by
Rhizoctonia solani
AG-8, develops as distinct patches of stunted plants and limits the yield of direct-seeded (no-till) wheat in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. At the site of a long-term cropping systems study near Ritzville, WA, a decline in
Rhizoctonia
patch disease was observed over an 11-year period. Bacterial communities from bulk and rhizosphere soil of plants from inside the patches, outside the patches, and recovered patches were analyzed by using pyrosequencing with primers designed for 16S rRNA. Taxa in the class
Acidobacteria
and the genus
Gemmatimonas
were found at higher frequencies in the rhizosphere of healthy plants outside the patches than in that of diseased plants from inside the patches.
Dyella
and
Acidobacteria
subgroup Gp7 were found at higher frequencies in recovered patches.
Chitinophaga
,
Pedobacter
,
Oxalobacteriaceae
(
Duganella
and
Massilia
), and
Chyseobacterium
were found at higher frequencies in the rhizosphere of diseased plants from inside the patches. For selected taxa, trends were validated by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and observed shifts of frequencies in the rhizosphere over time were duplicated in cycling experiments in the greenhouse that involved successive plantings of wheat in
Rhizoctonia
-inoculated soil.
Chryseobacterium soldanellicola
was isolated from the rhizosphere inside the patches and exhibited significant antagonism against
R. solani
AG-8
in vitro
and in greenhouse tests. In conclusion, we identified novel bacterial taxa that respond to conditions affecting bare patch disease symptoms and that may be involved in suppression of
Rhizoctonia
root rot and bare batch disease.
Association of a
d
-Alanyl-
d
-Alanine Carboxypeptidase Gene with the Formation of Aberrantly Shaped Cells during the Induction of Viable but Nonculturable Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Authors: Hung Wei-cheng , Jane Wann-Neng , Wong Hin-chung 
Published: September 2013

ABSTRACT

Vibrio parahaemolyticus
is a halophilic Gram-negative bacterium that causes human gastroenteritis. When the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state of this bacterium was induced by incubation at 4°C in Morita minimal salt solution containing 0.5% NaCl, the rod-shaped cells became coccoid, and various aberrantly shaped intermediates were formed in the initial stage. This study examined the factors that influence the formation of these aberrantly shaped cells. The proportion of aberrantly shaped cells was not affected in a medium containing
d
-cycloserine (50 μg/ml) but was lower in a medium containing cephalosporin C (10 μg/ml) than in the control medium without antibiotics. The proportion of aberrantly shaped cells was higher in a culture medium that contained 0.5% NaCl than in culture media containing 1.0 or 1.5% NaCl. The expression of 15 of 17 selected genes associated with cell wall synthesis was enhanced, and the expression of VP2468 (
dacB
), which encodes
d
-alanyl-
d
-alanine carboxypeptidase, was enhanced the most. The proportion of aberrantly shaped cells was significantly lower in the
dacB
mutant strain than in the parent strain, but the proportion was restored in the presence of the complementary
dacB
gene. This study suggests that disturbance of the dynamics of cell wall synthesis by enhanced expression of the VP2468 gene is associated with the formation of aberrantly shaped cells in the initial stage of induction of VBNC
V. parahaemolyticus
cells under specific conditions.
Novel Gene Clusters and Metabolic Pathway Involved in 3,5,6-Trichloro-2-Pyridinol Degradation by Ralstonia sp. Strain T6
Authors: Li Jingquan , Huang Yan , Hou Ying , Li Xiangmin , Cao Hui , Cui Zhongli 
Published: September 2013

ABSTRACT

3,5,6-Trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) is a widespread pollutant. Some bacteria and fungi have been reported to degrade TCP, but the gene clusters responsible for TCP biodegradation have not been characterized. In this study, a fragment of the reduced flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH
2
)-dependent monooxygenase gene
tcpA
was amplified from the genomic DNA of
Ralstonia
sp. strain T6 with degenerate primers. The
tcpA
disruption mutant strain T6-Δ
tcpA
could not degrade TCP but could degrade the green intermediate metabolite 3,6-
d
i
h
ydroxy
p
yridine-2,5-
d
ione (DHPD), which was generated during TCP biodegradation by strain T6. The flanking sequences of
tcpA
were obtained by self-formed adaptor PCR.
tcpRXA
genes constitute a gene cluster. TcpR and TcpX are closely related to the LysR family transcriptional regulator and flavin reductase, respectively. T6-Δ
tcpA
-com, the complementation strain for the mutant strain T6-Δ
tcpA
, recovered the ability to degrade TCP, and the strain
Escherichia coli
DH10B-
tcpRXA
, which expressed the
tcpRXA
gene cluster, had the ability to transform TCP to DHPD, indicating that
tcpA
is a key gene in the initial step of TCP degradation and that TcpA dechlorinates TCP to DHPD. A library of DHPD degradation-deficient mutants of strain T6 was obtained by random transposon mutagenesis. The fragments flanking the Mariner transposon were amplified and sequenced, and the
dhpRIJK
gene cluster was cloned. DhpJ could transform DHPD to yield an intermediate product, 5-
a
mino-2,4,5-
t
ri
o
xo
p
entanoic
a
cid (ATOPA), which was further degraded by DhpI. DhpR and DhpK are closely related to the AraC family transcriptional regulator and the MFS family transporter, respectively.
Components of the Cultivated Red Seaweed Chondrus crispus Enhance the Immune Response of Caenorhabditis elegans to Pseudomonas aeruginosa through the
pmk-1
,
daf-2/daf-16
, and
skn-1
Pathways
Authors: Liu Jinghua , Hafting Jeff , Critchley Alan T. , Banskota Arjun H. , Prithiviraj Balakrishnan 
Published: September 2013

ABSTRACT

Marine macroalgae are rich in bioactive compounds that can, when consumed, impart beneficial effects on animal and human health. The red seaweed
Chondrus crispus
has been reported to have a wide range of health-promoting activities, such as antitumor and antiviral activities. Using a
Caenorhabditis elegans
infection model, we show that
C. crispus
water extract (CCWE) enhances host immunity and suppresses the expression of quorum sensing (QS) and the virulence factors of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(strain PA14). Supplementation of nematode growth medium with CCWE induced the expression of
C. elegans
innate immune genes, such as
irg-1
,
irg-2
,
F49F1.6
,
hsf-1
,
K05D8.5
,
F56D6.2
,
C29F3.7
,
F28D1.3
,
F38A1.5 ZK6.7
,
lys-1
,
spp-1
, and
abf-1
, by more than 2-fold, while
T20G5.7
was not affected. Additionally, CCWE suppressed the expression of PA14 QS genes and virulence factors, although it did not affect the growth of the bacteria. These effects correlated with a 28% reduction in the PA14-inflicted killing of
C. elegans
. Kappa-carrageenan (K-CGN), a major component of CCWE, was shown to play an important role in the enhancement of host immunity. Using
C. elegans
mutants, we identified that
pmk-1
,
daf-2/daf-16
, and
skn-1
are essential in the K-CGN-induced host immune response. In view of the conservation of innate immune pathways between
C. elegans
and humans, the results of this study suggest that water-soluble components of
C. crispus
may also play a health-promoting role in higher animals and humans.
Stark Contrast in Denitrification and Anammox across the Deep Norwegian Trench in the Skagerrak
Authors: Trimmer Mark , Engström Pia , Thamdrup Bo 
Published: September 2013

ABSTRACT

Environmental anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) was demonstrated for the first time in 2002, using
15
N labeling, in homogenized sediment from the Skagerrak, where it accounted for up to 67% of N
2
production. We returned to some of these original sites in 2010 to make measurements of nitrogen and carbon cycling under conditions more representative of those
in situ
, quantifying anammox and denitrification, together with oxygen penetration and consumption, in intact sediment cores. Overall, oxygen consumption and N
2
production decayed with water depth, as expected, but the drop in N
2
production was relatively more pronounced. Whereas we confirmed the dominance of N
2
production by anammox (72% and 77%) at the two deepest sites (∼700 m of water), anammox was conspicuously absent from two shallower sites (∼200 m and 400 m). At the shallower sites, we could measure no anammox activity with either intact or homogeneous sediment, and quantitative PCR (16S rRNA) gave a negligible abundance of anammox bacteria in the anoxic layers. Such an absence of anammox, especially at one locale where it was originally demonstrated, is hard to reconcile. Despite the dominance of anammox at the deepest sites, anammox activity could not make up for the drop in denitrification, and assuming Redfield ratios for the organic matter being mineralized, the estimated retention of fixed N actually increased to 90% to 97% of that mineralized, whereas it was 80% to 86% at the shallower sites.