bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The association between circulating oestradiol levels and severity of liver disease in males with hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Mao Wei L. , Shi Xin P. , Lou Yu F. , Ye Bo , Lu Yuan Q. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBackgroundMales have a strikingly increased risk of advanced liver disease. This study was designed to investigate the association between sex hormone levels and different disease states in hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐infected male patients.MethodsTwo hundred and fifty‐two male patients, including 30 with acute hepatitis B (AHB), 127 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 95 with chronic severe hepatitis B (CSHB), and 48 healthy controls (HCs) were enroled in this study. All patients were followed for 4 months. The primary end point was in‐hospital mortality at the end of 90 days. At study entry, a blood sample was collected from all subjects to examine liver function, renal function and sex hormone levels (serum total testosterone and oestradiol). A total of nine clinical chemistry and biochemical variables were analyzed for possible association with outcomes by using Cox proportional hazards and multiple regression models.ResultsWe demonstrated that in CSHB and CHB patients, oestradiol levels were significantly increased compared with HCs and AHB patients, whereas no significant differences were observed in AHB patients and HCs. All male patients had normal levels of testosterone which were not significantly different compared with those of HCs. Increased oestradiol levels were clinically associated with severe liver disease, and increased 3‐month mortality rate. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that oestradiol and the model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) score were independent predictors for mortality (both P < 0.001).ConclusionOestradiol levels are significantly increased in male patients with hepatitis B, and were associated with the severity of liver disease. Moreover, elevation of oestradiol is an independent predictive factor for the 3‐month mortality rate in male patients with hepatitis B.
Importance of screening for synchronous malignant neoplasms in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: impact of FDG PET/CT
Authors: Hiraoka Atsushi , Hirooka Masashi , Ochi Hironori , Koizumi Yohei , Shimizu Yuko , Shiraishi Akiko , Yamago Hiroka , Tanihira Tetsuya , Miyata Hideki , Ninomiya Tomoyuki , Kawasaki Hideki , Ishimaru Yoshihiro , Sogabe Ichiro , Inoue Takeshi , Abe Masanori , Hiasa Yoichi , Matsuura Bunzo , Onji Morikazu , Michitaka Kojiro 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBackground & AimSynchronous neoplasms (SNs) are occasionally found in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We examined such cases and the efficacy of 18‐fluoro‐2‐deoxyglucose positron‐emission tomography computed tomography (PET/CT), retrospectively.Materials and MethodsWe investigated 687 naïve HCC, who were admitted to our hospitals, encountered from October 2006 to December 2010 and evaluated the clinical backgrounds. All study protocols, was approved by our Institutional Ethics Committee. The usefulness of detecting SNs by PET/CT was evaluated in 234 patients who underwent PET/CT (PET group) and in 453 (non‐PET group) examined in the same period. We noted the presence of SNs, defined as primary extrahepatic malignant neoplasms within 1 year of diagnosis of HCC.ResultsSNs were observed in 48 of 687 patients (54 tumours, 7.0%). SNs were detected by PET/CT in 18, which was 7.7% of PET group. The detection rate for SNs, were increased to 11.1% (26/234) in PET group by using together with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and routine enhanced CT for HCC, which was greater than that of non‐PET group (22/453, 4.9%) (P < 0.001).ConclusionSNs were pointed out more frequently in PET group than non‐PET group (11.1% vs. 4.9%). FDG PET/CT can enhance the detection ability for SNs in naïve HCC.
Differential gene expression in Acromyrmex leaf‐cutting ants after challenges with two fungal pathogens
Authors: Yek Sze H. , Boomsma Jacobus J. , Schiøtt Morten 
Published: March 2013

AbstractSocial insects in general and leaf‐cutting ants in particular have increased selection pressures on their innate immune system due to their social lifestyle and monoclonality of the symbiotic fungal cultivar. As this symbiosis is obligate for both parties, prophylactic behavioural defences against infections are expected to increase either ant survival or fungus‐garden survival, but also to possibly trade off when specific infections differ in potential danger. We examined the effectiveness of prophylactic behaviours and modulations of innate immune defences by a combination of inoculation bioassays and genome‐wide transcriptomic studies (RNA‐Seq), using an ant pathogen (Metarhizium brunneum) and a fungus‐garden pathogen (Escovopsis weberi) and administering inoculations both directly and indirectly (via the symbiotic partner). Upon detection of pathogen conidia, ant workers responded by increasing both general activity and the frequency of specific defence behaviours (self‐grooming, allo‐grooming, garden‐grooming) independent of the pathogen encountered. This trend was also evident in the patterns of gene expression change. Both direct and indirect (via fungus garden) inoculations with Metarhizium induced a general up‐regulation of gene expression, including a number of well‐known immune‐related genes. In contrast, direct inoculation of the fungus garden by Escovopsis induced an overall down‐regulation of ant gene expression, whereas indirect inoculation (via the ants) did not, suggesting that increased activity of ants to remove this fungus‐garden pathogen is costly and involves trade‐offs with the activation of other physiological pathways.
Exploring a Local Linear Model Tree Approach to Car‐Following
Authors: Aghabayk Kayvan , Forouzideh Nafiseh , Young William 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBecause car‐following (CF) models are fundamental to replicating traffic flow they have received considerable attention over the last 50 years. They are in a continuous state of improvement due to their significant role in traffic microsimulations, intelligent transportation systems, and safety engineering models. This article uses the local linear model tree (LOLIMOT) approach to model driver's CF behavior to incorporate human perceptual imperfections into a CF model. This model defines some localities in the input space. These localities are fuzzy and have overlaps with each other. Specific models for each of the localities are then defined and combined in a fuzzy manner to predict the final output. The model was developed using real world dynamic data sets. Three different data sets were used for training, testing, and validating the model. The performance of the model was compared to a number of existing CF models. The results showed very close agreement between the real data and the LOLIMOT outputs.
BRG1 promotes survival of UV‐irradiated melanoma cells by cooperating with MITF to activate the melanoma inhibitor of apoptosis gene
Authors: Saladi Srinivas V. , Wong Philip G. , Trivedi Archit R. , Marathe Himangi G. , Keenen Bridget , Aras Shweta , Liew Zi‐Qi , Setaluri Vijayasaradhi , de la Serna Ivana L. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryMicrophthalmia‐associated transcription factor (MITF) is a survival factor in melanocytes and melanoma cells. MITF regulates expression of antiapoptotic genes and promotes lineage‐specific survival in response to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and to chemotherapeutics. SWI/SNF chromatin‐remodeling enzymes interact with MITF to regulate MITF target gene expression. We determined that the catalytic subunit, BRG1, of the SWI/SNF complex protects melanoma cells against UV‐induced death. BRG1 prevents apoptosis in UV‐irradiated melanoma cells by activating expression of the melanoma inhibitor of apoptosis (ML‐IAP). Down‐regulation of ML‐IAP compromises BRG1‐mediated survival of melanoma cells in response to UV radiation. BRG1 regulates ML‐IAP expression by cooperating with MITF to promote transcriptionally permissive chromatin structure on the ML‐IAP promoter. The alternative catalytic subunit, BRM, and the BRG1‐associated factor, BAF180, were found to be dispensable for elevated expression of ML‐IAP in melanoma cells. Thus, we illuminate a lineage‐specific mechanism by which a specific SWI/SNF subunit, BRG1, modulates the cellular response to DNA damage by regulating an antiapoptotic gene and implicate this subunit of the SWI/SNF complex in mediating the prosurvival function of MITF.
Reduction of clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) formation in Arabidopsis thaliana after treatment with prohexadione‐calcium, an inhibitor of oxoglutaric acid‐dependent dioxygenases
Authors: Päsold S. , Ludwig‐Müller J. 
Published: March 2013

Recently, flavonoids were shown to modulate the outcome of clubroot development in Arabidopsis thaliana after infection with the obligate biotrophic pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae. Therefore, the development of clubroot disease was investigated in Arabidopsis after treatment with prohexadione‐calcium (ProCa), an inhibitor of ascorbic acid/2‐oxoglutaric acid‐dependent dioxygenases such as flavanone‐3‐hydroxylase. The treatment resulted in a reduction of the flavonols quercetin and kaempferol in clubroots, whereas the precursor naringenin highly accumulated. The root system of ProCa‐treated plants was better developed although galls were still visible. Thus, ProCa treatment resulted in reduced gall size. Flavonoids are thought to inhibit polar auxin transport by modulating auxin efflux carriers. It was investigated whether the auxin response might change as a consequence of the accumulation of naringenin in ProCa‐treated plants. In the areas of gall development an auxin response was indicated by the auxin‐responsive promoter DR5 coupled to the reporter β‐glucuronidase (GUS), whereas very little staining was found in healthy root parts. No differences in GUS activity were found between P. brassicae‐infected and ProCa‐treated plants, and plants only infected with P. brassicae, indicating that the effect of ProCa treatment on clubroot reduction is not via changes in auxin responses. As ProCa is also an inhibitor of late steps in gibberellin biosynthesis, a specific gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor, chlormequatchloride (CCC), was tested on club development. However, CCC did not reduce disease symptoms, indicating that the observed reduced gall development was not because of gibberellin biosynthesis inhibition by ProCa.
Multiple Antigen Peptide Containing B and T Cell Epitopes of F1 Antigen of Yersinia pestis Showed Enhanced Th1 Immune Response in Murine Model
Authors: Ali R. , Naqvi R. A. , Kumar S. , Bhat A. A. , Rao D. N. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractYersinia pestis is a facultative bacterium that can survive and proliferate inside host macrophages and cause bubonic, pneumonic and systemic infection. Apart from humoral response, cell‐mediated protection plays a major role in combating the disease. Fraction 1 capsular antigen (F1‐Ag) of Y. pestis has long been exploited as a vaccine candidate. In this study, F1‐multiple antigenic peptide (F1‐MAP or MAP)‐specific cell‐mediated and cytokine responses were studied in murine model. MAP consisting of three B and one T cell epitopes of F1‐antigen with one palmitoyl residue was synthesized using Fmoc chemistry. Mice were immunized with different formulations of MAP in poly DL‐lactide‐co‐glycolide (PLGA) microspheres. F1‐MAP with CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG‐ODN) as an adjuvant showed enhanced in vitro T cell proliferation and Th1 (IL‐2, IFN‐γ and TNF‐α) and Th17 (IL‐17A) cytokine secretion. Similar formulation also showed significantly higher numbers of cytokine (IL‐2, IFN‐γ)‐secreting cells. Moreover, F1‐MAP with CpG formulation showed significantly high (P < 0.001) percentage of CD4+ IFN‐γ+ cells as compared to CD8+ IFN‐γ+ cells, and also more (CD4‐ IFN‐γ)+ cells secrete perforin and granzyme as compared to (CD8‐ IFN‐γ)+ showing Th1 response. Thus, the study highlights the importance of Th1 cytokine and existence of CD4+ and CD8+ immune response. This study proposes a new perspective for the development of vaccination strategies for Y. pestis that trigger T cell immune response.
An Arabidopsis ATPase gene involved in nematode‐induced syncytium development and abiotic stress responses
Authors: Ali Muhammad Amjad , Plattner Stephan , Radakovic Zoran , Wieczorek Krzysztof , Elashry Abdelnaser , Grundler Florian M.W. , Ammelburg Moritz , Siddique Shahid , Bohlmann Holger 
Published: March 2013

SummaryThe beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii induces syncytia in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana, which are its only nutrient source. One gene, At1g64110, that is strongly up‐regulated in syncytia as shown by RT‐PCR, quantitative RT‐PCR, in situ RT‐PCR and promoter::GUS lines, encodes an AAA+‐type ATPase. Expression of two related genes in syncytia, At4g28000 and At5g52882, was not detected or not different from control root segments. Using amiRNA lines and T‐DNA mutants, we show that At1g64110 is important for syncytium and nematode development. At1g64110 was also inducible by wounding, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, heat and cold, as well as drought, sodium chloride, abscisic acid and mannitol, indicating involvement of this gene in abiotic stress responses. We confirmed this using two T‐DNA mutants that were more sensitive to abscisic acid and sodium chloride during seed germination and root growth. These mutants also developed significantly smaller roots in response to abscisic acid and sodium chloride. An in silico analysis showed that ATPase At1g64110 (and also At4g28000 and At5g52882) belong to the ‘meiotic clade’ of AAA proteins that includes proteins such as Vps4, katanin, spastin and MSP1.
Microtubules and biotic interactions
Authors: Hardham Adrienne R. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryPlant microtubules undergo extensive reorganization in response to symbiotic and pathogenic organisms. During the development of successful symbioses with rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi, novel microtubule arrays facilitate the progression of infection threads and hyphae, respectively, from the plant surface through epidermal and cortical cells. During viral and nematode infections, plant microtubules appear to be commandeered by the pathogen. Viruses use plant microtubules for intra and intercellular movement, as well as for interhost transmission. Nematodes manipulate spindle and phragmoplast microtubules to enhance mitosis and partial cytokinesis during the development of syncytia and giant cells. Pathogenic bacteria, fungi and oomycetes induce a range of alterations to microtubule arrays and dynamics. In many situations, the pathogen, or the elicitor or effector proteins derived from them, induce depolymerization of plant cortical microtubule arrays. In some cases, microtubule disruption is associated with the plant defence response and resistance. In other cases, microtubule depolymerization increases plant susceptibility to the invading pathogen. The reasons for this apparent inconsistency may depend on a number of factors, in particular on the identity of the organism orchestrating the microtubule changes. Overall, the weight of evidence indicates that microtubules play an important role in both the establishment of functional symbioses and in defence against invading pathogens. Research is beginning to unravel details about the nature of both the chemical and the mechanical signals to which the plant microtubule arrays respond during biotic interactions.
Cellular effects of acute direct current stimulation: somatic and synaptic terminal effects
Authors: Rahman Asif , Reato Davide , Arlotti Mattia , Gasca Fernando , Datta Abhishek , Parra Lucas C. , Bikson Marom 
Published: March 2013

Key points
The diversity of cellular targets of direct current stimulation (DCS), including somas, dendrites and axon terminals, determine the modulation of synaptic efficacy.
Axon terminals of cortical pyramidal neurons are two–three times more susceptible to polarization than somas.
DCS in humans results in current flow dominantly parallel to the cortical surface, which in animal models of cortical stimulation results in synaptic pathway‐specific modulation of neuronal excitability.
These results suggest that somatic polarization together with axon terminal polarization may be important for synaptic pathway‐specific modulation of DCS, which underlies modulation of neuronal excitability during transcranial DCS.
Abstract  Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non‐invasive brain stimulation technique to modulate cortical excitability. Although increased/decreased excitability under the anode/cathode electrode is nominally associated with membrane depolarization/hyperpolarization, which cellular compartments (somas, dendrites, axons and their terminals) mediate changes in cortical excitability remains unaddressed. Here we consider the acute effects of DCS on excitatory synaptic efficacy. Using multi‐scale computational models and rat cortical brain slices, we show the following. (1) Typical tDCS montages produce predominantly tangential (relative to the cortical surface) direction currents (4–12 times radial direction currents), even directly under electrodes. (2) Radial current flow (parallel to the somatodendritic axis) modulates synaptic efficacy consistent with somatic polarization, with depolarization facilitating synaptic efficacy. (3) Tangential current flow (perpendicular to the somatodendritic axis) modulates synaptic efficacy acutely (during stimulation) in an afferent pathway‐specific manner that is consistent with terminal polarization, with hyperpolarization facilitating synaptic efficacy. (4) Maximal polarization during uniform DCS is expected at distal (the branch length is more than three times the membrane length constant) synaptic terminals, independent of and two–three times more susceptible than pyramidal neuron somas. We conclude that during acute DCS the cellular targets responsible for modulation of synaptic efficacy are concurrently somata and axon terminals, with the direction of cortical current flow determining the relative influence.
Masking of sounds by a background noise – cochlear mechanical correlates
Authors: Recio‐Spinoso Alberto , Cooper Nigel P. 
Published: March 2013

Key pointsBasilar membrane responses to tone and noise stimuli presented simultaneously were measured in chinchillas and a gerbil. Overall responses increase monotonically with stimulus level in a compressive manner.Response components elicited by the weaker stimulus, whether tone or noise, were reduced by the stronger one. That is, the suppressor stimulus could be either the tone or the noise. Suppression by noise stimuli occurred only when the tone frequency was in the non‐linear region of the basilar membrane recording site.Basilar membrane responses to click and noise stimuli were also recorded in some experiments. The click response component was suppressed by the noise.Mutual suppression, meaning the simultaneous suppression of the tone and noise response components, was also observed under certain stimulus conditions.Detection thresholds of the tone stimuli increased in a near‐linear fashion with noise level increments.Abstract In the search for cochlear correlates of auditory masking by noise stimuli, we recorded basilar membrane (BM) vibrations evoked by either tone or click signals in the presence of varying levels of background noise. The BM vibrations were recorded from basal regions in healthy cochleae of anaesthetized chinchilla and gerbil. Non‐linear interactions that could underpin various aspects of psychophysical masking data, including both compression and suppression at the BM level, were observed. The suppression effects, whereby the amplitude of the responses to each stimulus component could be reduced, depended on the relative intensities of the noise and the tones or clicks. Only stimulus components whose frequencies fell inside the non‐linear region of the recording site, i.e. around its characteristic frequency (CF), were affected by presentation of the ‘suppressing’ stimulus (which could be either the tone or the noise). Mutual suppression, the simultaneous reduction of the responses to both tones and noise components, was observed under some conditions, but overall reductions of BM vibration were rarely observed. Moderate‐ to high‐intensity tones suppressed BM responses to low‐intensity Gaussian stimuli, including both broadband and narrowband noise. Suppression effects were larger for spectral components of the noise response that were closer to the CF. In this regime, the tone and noise stimuli became thesuppressorandprobesignals, respectively. This study provides the first detailed observations of cochlear mechanical correlates of the masking effects of noise. Mechanical detection thresholds for tone signals, which were arbitrarily defined using three criteria, are shown to increase in almost direct proportion to the noise level for low and moderately high noise levels, in a manner that resembles the findings of numerous psychophysical observations.
Differential presynaptic control of the synaptic effectiveness of cutaneous afferents evidenced by effects produced by acute nerve section
Authors: Rudomin P. , Jiménez I. , Chávez D. 
Published: March 2013

Key points
We investigated, in the anaesthetized cat, the effects of acute section of the saphenous and superficial peroneal nerves on the synaptic effectiveness of the sural nerve afferents.
We found that acute section of these nerves produced a long‐lasting increase of the sural‐evoked field potentials. At the same time, sural afferents ending within Rexed's laminae III–IV showed a reduced tonic primary afferent depolarization, while sural afferents projecting deeper into the dorsal horn (Rexed's laminae V–VI) instead showed increased tonic primary afferent depolarization.
It is suggested that a differential control of the synaptic effectiveness of the low‐threshold cutaneous afferents according to their sites of termination within the dorsal horn provides means for a selective processing of sensory information in response to tactile and nociceptive stimulation or during the execution of different motor tasks.
Abstract  In the anaesthetized cat, the acute section of the saphenous (Saph) and/or the superficial peroneal (SP) nerves was found to produce a long‐lasting increase of the field potentials generated in the dorsal horn by stimulation of the medial branch of the sural (mSU) nerve. This facilitation was associated with changes in the level of the tonic primary afferent depolarization (PAD) of the mSU intraspinal terminals. The mSU afferent fibres projecting into Rexed's laminae III–IV were subjected to a tonic PAD that was reduced by the acute section of the SP and/or the Saph nerves. The mSU afferents projecting deeper into the dorsal horn (Rexed's laminae V–VI) were instead subjected to a tonic PAD that was increased after Saph and SP acute nerve section. A differential control of the synaptic effectiveness of the low‐threshold cutaneous afferents according to their sites of termination within the dorsal horn is envisaged as a mechanism that allows selective processing of sensory information in response to tactile and nociceptive stimulation or during the execution of different motor tasks.