bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Peptide aptamers: The versatile role of specific protein function inhibitors in plant biotechnology
Authors: Colombo Monica , Mizzotti Chiara , Masiero Simona , Kater Martin M. , Pesaresi Paolo 
Published: May 2015

AbstractIn recent years, peptide aptamers have emerged as novel molecular tools that have attracted the attention of researchers in various fields of basic and applied science, ranging from medicine to analytical chemistry. These artificial short peptides are able to specifically bind, track, and inhibit a given target molecule with high affinity, even molecules with poor immunogenicity or high toxicity, and represent a remarkable alternative to antibodies in many different applications. Their use is on the rise, driven mainly by the medical and pharmaceutical sector. Here we discuss the enormous potential of peptide aptamers in both basic and applied aspects of plant biotechnology and food safety. The different peptide aptamer selection methods available both in vivo and in vitro are introduced, and the most important possible applications in plant biotechnology are illustrated. In particular, we discuss the generation of broad‐based virus resistance in crops, “reverse genetics” and aptasensors in bioassays for detecting contaminations in food and feed. Furthermore, we suggest an alternative to the transfer of peptide aptamers into plant cells via genetic transformation, based on the use of cell‐penetrating peptides that overcome the limits imposed by both crop transformation and Genetically Modified Organism commercialization.
Olivine‐bearing symplectites in fractured garnet from eclogite, Moldanubian Zone (Bohemian Massif) – a short‐lived, granulite facies event
Authors: Faryad S. W. , Fišera M. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractRecent petrological studies on high‐pressure (HP)–ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks in the Moldanubian Zone, mainly utilizing compositional zoning and solid phase inclusions in garnet from a variety of lithologies, have established a prograde history involving subduction and subsequent granulite facies metamorphism during the Variscan Orogeny. Two temporally separate metamorphic events are developed rather than a single P–T loop for the HP–UHP metamorphism and amphibolite–granulite facies overprint in the Moldanubian Zone. Here further evidence is presented that the granulite facies metamorphism occurred after the HP–UHP rocks had been exhumed to different levels of the middle or upper crust. A medium‐temperature eclogite that is part of a series of tectonic blocks and lenses within migmatites contains a well‐preserved eclogite facies assemblage with omphacite and prograde zoned garnet. Omphacite is partly replaced by a symplectite of diopside + plagioclase + amphibole. Garnet and omphacite equilibria and pseudosection calculations indicate that the HP metamorphism occurred at relatively low temperature conditions of ~600 °C at 2.0–2.2 GPa. The striking feature of the rocks is the presence of garnet porphyroblasts with veins filled by a granulite facies assemblage of olivine, spinel and Ca‐rich plagioclase. These minerals occur as a symplectite forming symmetric zones, a central zone rich in olivine that is separated from the host garnet by two marginal zones consisting of plagioclase with small amounts of spinel. Mineral textures in the veins show that they were first filled mostly by calcic amphibole, which was later transformed into granulite facies assemblages. The olivine‐spinel equilibria and pseudosection calculations indicate temperatures of ~850–900 °C at pressure below 0.7 GPa. The preservation of eclogite facies assemblages implies that the granulite facies overprint was a short‐lived process. The new results point to a geodynamic model where HP–UHP rocks are exhumed to amphibolite facies conditions with subsequent granulite facies heating by mantle‐derived magma in the middle and upper crust.
CASPR2 forms a complex with GPR37 via MUPP1 but not with GPR37(R558Q), an autism spectrum disorder‐related mutation
Authors: Tanabe Yuko , Fujita‐Jimbo Eriko , Momoi Mariko Y. , Momoi Takashi 
Published: May 2015

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental brain disorder. Mutations in synaptic components including synaptic adhesion molecules have been found in ASD patients. Contactin‐associated protein‐like 2 (CASPR2) is one of the synaptic adhesion molecules associated with ASD. CASPR2 forms a complex with receptors via interaction with multiple PDZ domain protein 1 (MUPP1). Little is known about the relationship between impaired CASPR2‐MUPP1‐receptor complex and the pathogenesis of ASD. GPR37 is a receptor for survival factors. We recently identified mutations including R558Q in the G‐protein‐coupled receptor 37 (GPR37) gene in ASD patients. The mutated GPR37s accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum. In this study, we show that GPR37 is a component of the CASPR2‐MUPP1 receptor complex in the mouse brain. CASPR2 and GPR37 mainly interacted with the PDZ3 and PDZ11 domains of MUPP1, respectively. Compared to GPR37, GPR37(R558Q) slightly interacted with MUPP1 and caused dendritic alteration. GPR37, but not GPR37(R558Q) nor GPR37‐deltaC which lacks its PDZ binding domain, was transported to the cell surface by MUPP1. In primary hippocampal neurons, GPR37 co‐localized with MUPP1 and CASPR2 at the synapse, but not GPR37(R558Q). Thus, ASD‐related mutation of GPR37 may cause the impaired CASPR2‐MUPP1‐GPR37 complex on the dendrites associated with one of the pathogenesis of ASD.
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In this study, we identified that GPR37 is a component of the MUPP1 and CASPR2 receptor complex. Autism deleterious mutated GPR37(R558Q) slightly interacts with MUPP1 and retains in ER, resulting in dendritic alteration. In neuron, GPR37, but not GPR37(R558Q), is transported to the dendrite and synapse by MUPP1. Thus, ASD‐related mutation of GPR37 may cause the impaired CASPR2‐MUPP1‐GPR37 complex on the dendrites associated with one of the pathogenesis of ASD.
The Railway Switches of History: The Development of Disease Control in Britain and the United States in the 19th and early 20th Century
Authors: McCoy Charles Allan 
Published: May 2015

AbstractWhen Britain and the United States began to respond to outbreaks of disease in the 19th century they developed two distinct systems of disease control. While not polar opposites, Britain focused primarily on sanitation, whereas the United States adopted policies of quarantine. Utilizing the approach of path dependency I argue that this divergence can be partly explained by the timing of disease control formation in each country. As Britain formed its system of disease control earlier, during the 1840s, it was influenced by a miasmatic understanding of disease (the belief that disease is caused by noxious gases that emanate from filthy environments), while as the United States formed its disease control system later, around the end of the 1870s, it was more influenced by new ideas about contagion and the rise of germ theory. Once formed, the public health system of each country began to travel down divergent historical paths; Britain came to connect disease control to the social problems of the working classes (e.g. poverty, working conditions, overcrowding) while the United States developed a militaristic approach that, at times, used quite coercive measures to isolate the contagious bodies of the sick. The origins of public health formation in each country helped shape the overall development of disease control in Britain and the United States over the long‐term.
Reconfiguring Sovereignty in Foucauldian Genealogies of Power: The Case of English Master and Servant Law and the Dispersion and the Exercise of Sovereignty in the Modern Age
Authors: Steinberg Marc W. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThis paper is a critique and partial reconfiguration of the Foucauldian genealogy of sovereignty. Sovereignty is largely conceptualized as the antithesis of governmentality and disciplinary power in the modern age; presented as a negative case as a juridical and centralized power of interdiction and containment in the classical age. I argue that we can genealogically examine how sovereignty in the modern age underwent transformation and dispersion. My empirical focus is on how master and servant law in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, along with the development and transformations of local courts, led to the increasingly dispersal of sovereign power as it as practiced in specific industrial sites and regions.
Therapy for hepatitis C genotype 3: moving forward
Authors: Buti M. , Llaneras J. , Riveiro‐Barciela M. , Esteban R. 
Published: May 2015

SummaryUntil recently, the standard of care for hepatitis C virus genotype 3 infection was response‐guided therapy with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for 16 to 48 or 72 weeks. The introduction of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin has revolutionized hepatitis C virus therapy. Nowadays, the recommend treatment regimen is a combination of sofosbuvir and a weight‐based ribavirin dose for 24 weeks. For easy to treat patients (e.g. naïve or previously treated patients without cirrhosis), this combination achieves high sustained virologic response rates and is well tolerated. However, in treatment‐experienced patients with cirrhosis, sustained virologic response is lower due to unknown reasons. The combination of two direct‐acting antiviral agents, sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, for 12 weeks is also associated with low sustained virologic response rates in this special population, for whom new drugs and different strategies are now under evaluation. Currently, the high cost of all these drugs limits access to treatment in many countries.
Nurse plant effects of a dominant shrub (Duma florulenta) on understorey vegetation in a large, semi‐arid wetland in relation to flood frequency and drying
Authors: James Cassandra S. , Capon Samantha J. , Quinn Gerry P. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractQuestionsDo nurse plant interactions significantly influence understorey vegetation diversity in a large, semi‐arid, shrub‐dominated wetland? How do the modes and net effects of nurse plant interactions vary spatially along a flood frequency gradient, and temporally in response to drying?LocationNarran Lakes Ramsar site, New South Wales, Australia.MethodsMicrohabitat characteristics, understorey vegetation and germinable soil seed banks were investigated in shrub and open habitats across a flood frequency gradient in a large, semi‐arid wetland dominated by open shrubland under productive conditions following floodwater recession and again following 6 mo of drought. Split‐plot ANOVA and multivariate analyses were used to determine the effects of shrubs on microhabitat character, understorey vegetation cover, species diversity, richness and composition and germinable soil seed banks.ResultsMicrohabitat characteristics, including canopy cover, litter cover and soil character, all differed between shrub and open habitats, especially in the most frequently flooded sites. Under productive conditions following flooding, lignum shrubs suppressed understorey vegetation cover but increased species richness at the site scale across the flood frequency gradient and, in the most frequently flooded sites, supported higher species density at a microhabitat scale. Under dry conditions, lignum shrubs had a positive effect on understorey vegetation cover, species richness and species density across the flood frequency gradient, but particularly in frequently flooded sites. A significant difference in soil seed bank composition between shrub and open habitats was only observed in frequently flooded sites.ConclusionsNurse plant interactions appear to play an important role in determining understorey vegetation diversity in the lignum shrubland of the Narran Lakes wetland system. The modes and net effects of these nurse plant interactions vary in space and time in relation to flood history and drying. Positive interactions, probably involving microhabitat amelioration, appear to be particularly important to plant diversity and abundance under dry conditions. Under more favourable wetter conditions, lignum shrubs also contribute to understorey vegetation diversity by facilitating the establishment of different species than those dominating open habitats. Our findings have implications for the management of perennial shrubs and hydrological regimes in such wetlands.
Photoluminescence of silicon‐vacancy defects in nanodiamonds of different chondrites
Authors: Shiryaev A. A. , Fisenko A. V. , Semjonova L. F. , Khomich A. A. , Vlasov I. I. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractPhotoluminescence spectra show that silicon impurity is present in lattice of some nanodiamond grains (ND) of various chondrites as a silicon‐vacancy (SiV) defect. The relative intensity of the SiV band in the diamond‐rich separates depends on chemical composition of meteorites and on size of ND grains. The strongest signal is found for the size separates enriched in small grains; thus, confirming our earlier conclusion that the SiV defects preferentially reside in the smallest (≤2 nm) grains. The difference in relative intensities of the SiV luminescence in the diamond‐rich separates of individual meteorites are due to variable conditions of thermal metamorphism of their parent bodies and/or uneven sampling of nanodiamond populations. Annealing of separates in air eliminates surface sp2‐carbon; consequently, the SiV luminescence is enhanced. Strong and well‐defined luminescence and absorption of the SiV defect is a promising feature to locate cold (<250 °C) nanodiamonds in space.
Imidacloprid impairs the post‐embryonic development of the midgut in the yellow fever mosquito Stegomyia aegypti (=Aedes aegypti)
Authors: FERNANDES K. M. , GONZAGA W. G. , PASCINI T. V. , MIRANDA F. R. , TOMÉ H. V. V. , SERRÃO J. E. , MARTINS G. F. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe mosquito Stegomyia aegypti (=Aedes aegypti) (Diptera: Culicidae) is a vector for the dengue and yellow fever viruses. As blood digestion occurs in the midgut, this organ constitutes the route of entry of many pathogens. The effects of the insecticide imidacloprid on the survival of St. aegypti were investigated and the sub‐lethal effects of the insecticide on midgut development were determined. Third instar larvae were exposed to different concentrations of imidacloprid (0.15, 1.5, 3.0, 6.0 and 15.0 p.p.m.) and survival was monitored every 24 h for 10 days. Midguts from imidacloprid‐treated insects at different stages of development were dissected and processed for analyses by transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence microscopy and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick‐end labelling (TUNEL) assays. Imidacloprid concentrations of 3.0 and 15.0 p.p.m. were found to affect midgut development similarly. Digestive cells of the fourth instar larvae (L4) midgut exposed to imidacloprid had more multilamellar bodies, abundantly found in the cell apex, and more electron‐lucent vacuoles in the basal region compared with those from untreated insects. Moreover, imidacloprid interfered with the differentiation of regenerative cells, dramatically reducing the number of digestive and endocrine cells and leading to malformation of the midgut epithelium in adults. The data demonstrate that imidacloprid can reduce the survival of mosquitoes and thus indicate its potentially high efficacy in the control of St. aegypti populations.
Tetanus after needle puncture for self‐monitoring of blood glucose: A case report
Authors: Horiuchi Kazuhiro , Uwatoko Hisashi , Houzen Hideki 
Published: May 2015

AbstractWe report a case of tetanus in a 77‐year‐old man with type 2 diabetes. His diabetes was being managed with insulin injections and self‐monitoring of blood glucose. He presented to our emergency department with a 2‐week history of worsening myalgia. On examination, he had trismus, severe spasms and opisthotonus. We diagnosed tetanus and started treatment with human tetanus immunoglobulin, ampicillin, and magnesium, but he required an artificial respirator. The muscle spasms continued for a long term, but gradually improved. He was weaned from the respirator after 6 weeks. The patient was discharged in an ambulatory status 3 months after admission. On review, the he reported gardening barehanded after carrying out needle puncture of a finger to monitor the blood glucose. We speculate that this needle puncture could have resulted in tetanus infection. The present case shows that tetanus infection can occur after needle puncture for self‐monitoring of blood glucose.
Improving compliance with central venous catheter care bundles using electronic records
Authors: Hermon Andrew , Pain Terina , Beckett Penelope , Jerrett Heather , Llewellyn Nicola , Lawrence Paul , Szakmany Tamas 
Published: May 2015

ABSTRACTBackgroundHealth care associated infections are a major contributor to avoidable harm experienced by patients in modern health care settings. Recent reports suggest that electronic checklists for the documentation of a central line bundle may significantly enhance documented process compliance and help to reduce catheter‐related bloodstream infection rates.AimsThis paper describes the use of our electronic tool to monitor and feedback process compliance in conjunction of introducing bespoke central line insertion packs to tackle catheter‐related bloodstream infections in our intensive care unit in a medium‐sized district general hospital.Design and methodsContinuous quality improvement programme with ‘Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act’ cycles was implemented. The central venous catheter insertion and maintenance bundle was rolled out in 2007. To monitor compliance with the bundle elements, an electronic tool was designed as part of our bedside Clinical Information System. From 2009, regular quarterly feedback was provided on the number of central venous catheter lines inserted, compliance with the insertion and maintenance bundle and catheter‐related bloodstream infection rate using the data collected through the Clinical Information System. We have also introduced dedicated line insertion trolleys and factory‐prepared insertion packs. We used segmented regression analysis to assess the changes in the catheter‐related bloodstream infection rate before and after implementation of the central venous catheter bundle.ResultsBundle compliance increased during the implementation period and reached over 95% within 6 months. We observed a significant reduction in the catheter‐related bloodstream infection rate from 15·6/1000 days to 0·4/1000 days. Regression analysis showed that only the compliance had significant effect on the number and prevalence of catheter‐related bloodstream infections.Conclusion/ImplicationsImplementation of evidence‐based care bundles reinforced by real‐time feedback on the performance of caregivers can significantly reduce the rate of catheter‐related bloodstream infection in the intensive care unit. Ensuring that change processes are seamlessly integrated in the workflow with minimal administrative burden is crucial to the quality improvement process.
Mast cell degranulation inhibits motor patterns of human ileum and sigmoid colon in vitro: relevance for postoperative ileus
Authors: Rychter J. , Ortega O. , Berdun S. , Arenas C. , Lopez I. , Espin F. , Vergara P. , Clavé P. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractBackgroundLocal release of mast cell proteases during gastrointestinal surgery is associated with the inhibition of motility and postoperative ileus (POI). We determined whether activation of intramuscular mast cell affects the motor patterns of the human ileum and colon and whether proteases are involved.MethodsMotor response of ileal and colonic circular muscle strips was measured in organ bath. Mast cell degranulation was induced by compound 48/80 (c48/80; 25–675 μg/mL). Motor response was quantified as tone, rhythmic phasic contractions (RPCs) and contractions to electric field stimulation (EFS; 40 Hz), and bethanechol‐evoked contractions. Ketotifen (10−6 mol/L) and a protease inhibitor cocktail (P8340) were used to evaluate the role of mast cell mediators.Key Results(a) c48/80 impaired the spontaneous and the electrically evoked motor response in small bowel and colonic strips (sigmoid colon EC50: 460.0 μg/mL for RPCs and 8.9 μg/mL for electrically evoked contraction amplitudes) and bethanechol‐evoked contractions. (b) Preincubation with ketotifen (10−6 mol/L, 1 h) prevented the impairment of RPCs and EFS‐evoked contractions in the sigmoid colon and ileum but not in the right colon. (c) Preincubation with P8340 also prevented the impairment of contractions in the sigmoid colon but not in the ileum or the right colon.Conclusions & InferencesMast cell degranulation by c48/80 inhibits the spontaneous and the nerve‐mediated motor response in the human ileum and colon. The effect is partially mediated by mast cell proteases and could be relevant in the pathophysiology of POI.
Population pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic modeling and dosing simulation of propofol maintenance anesthesia in severely obese adolescents
Authors: Chidambaran Vidya , Venkatasubramanian Raja , Sadhasivam Senthilkumar , Esslinger Hope , Cox Shareen , Diepstraten Jeroen , Fukuda Tsuyoshi , Inge Thomas , Knibbe Catherijne A.J. , Vinks Alexander A. 
Published: May 2015

SummaryBackgroundOptimal dosing of propofol to maintain appropriate anesthetic depth is challenging in severely obese (SO) adolescents. We previously reported that total body weight (TBW) is predictive of propofol clearance. This study was aimed at characterizing pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of propofol in SO adolescents, using bispectral index (BIS), and toward developing PK/PD model‐based dosing guidelines.MethodsA prospective PK/PD study was conducted in 26 SO children and adolescents aged 9–18 years (body mass index 31–69 kg·m−2), undergoing surgery with intravenous propofol anesthesia clinically titrated by providers blinded to BIS. BIS data and propofol infusion schemes were recorded. Venous blood samples collected during and after propofol infusion were assayed for propofol concentrations. A propofol PK/PD model was developed using NONMEM and model‐based simulations were performed to determine propofol dosing regimens targeting BIS of 50 ± 10.ResultsA three‐compartment PK model linked to a sigmoidal inhibitory Emax PD model by a first‐order rate constant, adequately described the propofol concentration (n = 375) and BIS (n = 3334) data. TBW was the most predictive covariate for propofol clearance [CL (l·min−1) = 1.65 × (TBW/70)0.75]. An effect‐site propofol concentration of 3.19 μg·ml−1 was estimated for half‐maximal effect, with no identifiable predictive covariates. The proposed maintenance dosing regimen targeted to a BIS of 50 ± 10, based on our PK/PD model, was able to predict desired propofol concentrations and BIS in a representative obese teen when used in conjunction with accepted PK/PD models for children/obese adults (PK:Eleveld/PD: Cortinez), further supporting evidence for the dosing based on TBW.ConclusionThis is the first study to describe the PK/PD of propofol in SO adolescents. The proposed maintenance dosing regimen for propofol uses TBW in an allometric function as a dosing scalar, with an exponent of 0.75. Our results suggest no relevant effect of obesity on the propofol concentration–BIS relationship.