bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prospective population‐based cohort of inflammatory bowel disease in the biologics era: Disease course and predictors of severity
Authors: Niewiadomski Olga , Studd Corrie , Hair Chris , Wilson Jarrad , Ding Nik S , Heerasing Neel , Ting Alvin , McNeill John , Knight Ross , Santamaria John , Prewett Emily , Dabkowski Paul , Dowling Damian , Alexander Sina , Allen Ben , Popp Benjamin , Connell William , Desmond Paul , Bell Sally 
Published: April 2015

AbstractBackground and AimWe have previously found high incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Australia. A population‐based registry was established to assess disease severity, frequency of complications, and prognostic factors.MethodsIncident cases were prospectively identified over 4 years. Early disease severity was assessed according to need for hospitalization and resective surgery and medication use.ResultsWe report on the early outcomes (median 18 months, range 12–60 months) for 252 patients comprising 146 with Crohn's disease (CD), 96 with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 10 IBD undifferentiated. Eighty‐seven percent of CD patients had inflammatory disease at diagnosis, and this reduced to 73% at 5 years (n = 38). Immunomodulators were prescribed in 57% of CD patients and 19% with UC. A third of all CD patients were hospitalized, the majority (77%) in the first 12 months. Risk factors for hospitalization included penetrating, perianal, and ileocolonic disease (P < 0.05). Twenty‐four percent of UC patients were hospitalized, most within the first 12 months. Intestinal resection rates were 13% at 1 year in CD and 26% at 5 years. Risk factors include penetrating and stricturing disease (P < 0.001) and ileal involvement (P < 0.05). Colectomy rates in UC were 2% and 13% at 1 and 5 years. High C‐reactive protein (CRP) at diagnosis was associated with colectomy.ConclusionsA high rate of inflammatory disease, frequent immunomodulator use in CD, and a low rate of surgery in both CD and UC were identified. In CD, ileal involvement and complex disease behavior are associated with a more severe disease course, while in UC a high CRP predicted this outcome.
Pretest prediction and diagnosis of metastatic lesions to the pancreas by endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration
Authors: Krishna Somashekar G , Bhattacharya Abhik , Ross William A , Ladha Harshad , Porter Kyle , Bhutani Manoop S , Lee Jeffrey H 
Published: April 2015

AbstractBackground and AimEarly diagnosis of solid pancreatic lesions (SPLs) enables prompt treatment. The study aims to identify factors differentiating metastatic lesion to the pancreas (PMET) from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).MethodsThis is a retrospective study at a tertiary cancer center. Consecutive patients referred for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) of SPLs from 2004 to 2011 were reviewed. The main outcomes were pre‐EUS‐FNA (endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration) predictors and diagnostic accuracy of EUS‐FNA for PMETs.ResultsAmong a total of 1108 EUS‐FNAs for pancreatic lesions, 672 patients had neoplastic SPLs (PMETs = 53; PDACs = 528, PNETs = 91). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and accuracy of EUS‐FNA for diagnosis of PMETs were 84.9%, 100%, 100%, and 98.8%, respectively. The mean number of EUS‐FNA passes for diagnosis of PMET was 3.1 per patient. For each endosonographer, preceding 3‐year EUS volume (mean/year) significantly correlated with fewer needle passes (rs[−0.30], P = 0.03). The most common PMET was renal cell carcinoma. Stratified multivariate analyses were performed. Compared with patients with PDACs, PMETs were more common in men (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0–4.0); located in the pancreatic tail (OR = 2.4; 95%CI = 1.1–5.2); and were less likely with increasing age (OR = 0.95; 95%CI = 0.92–0.99), presence of major symptoms (abdomen pain/diarrhea/weight loss; OR = 0.2; 95%CI = 0.1–0.4), elevated bilirubin (OR = 0.3; 95%CI = 0.13–0.69), and imaging evidence of arterial invasion (OR = 0.15; 95%CI = 0.03–0.67). Compared with PNETs, PMETs were more common with increase age (OR = 1.05; 95%CI = 1.02–1.08) and increasing lesion size (OR = 1.03; 95%CI = 1.0–1.1), and were less likely in patients with diabetes (OR = 0.34; 95%CI = 0.11–0.99).ConclusionAmong the largest numbers of neoplastic SPLs evaluated at a single center, pre‐test features reliably characterize, and EUS‐FNA provides a highly specific diagnosis of PMETs.
Metabolic abnormalities of gastrointestinal mucosa in celiac disease: An in vitro proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study
Authors: Sharma Uma , Upadhyay Deepti , Mewar Sujeet , Mishra Asha , Das Prasenjit , Gupta Siddhartha Datta , Dwivedi Sada Nand , Makharia Govind K , Jagannathan Naranamangalam R 
Published: April 2015

AbstractBackground and AimCeliac disease (CeD) is a common autoimmune disorder in which ingestion of gluten and related proteins leads to inflammation in the small intestine. Although the histological findings in CeD are characteristic, they are not specific. In this study, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to investigate the differences in metabolic profile of duodenal mucosal biopsies of patients with CeD and controls to find out the biomarker/s of villous atrophy.MethodsDuodenal mucosal biopsies were collected from 29 CeD patients (mean age 26.2 ± 10.8 years) and 17 controls (mean age 34.1 ± 11.1 years) and were subjected to proton NMR spectroscopy following perchloric acid extraction. Assignment of metabolite resonances was carried out and their concentrations were determined. For comparison between the groups unpaired t‐test/Wilcoxon rank sum test was used. Partial least squares‐discriminant analysis was performed to study the clustering behavior of the samples from CeD patients and controls using the Unscrambler 10.2 software.ResultsPartial least squares‐discriminant analysis clearly differentiated CeD patients from controls. Significantly higher concentrations of isoleucine, leucine, aspartate, succinate, and pyruvate, and lower concentration of glycerophosphocholine, were observed in the duodenal mucosa of CeD patients compared with controls. The results suggest abnormalities in glycolysis, Krebs cycle (energy deficiency), and amino acid metabolism, which may affect the biosynthetic pathways and consequently contribute to villous atrophy.ConclusionsNMR spectroscopy with multivariate analysis of duodenal mucosal biopsies revealed a characteristic metabolic profile in CeD patients. The work provided an insight in determining biomarker/s for villous atrophy and diagnosis of CeD patients.
Endocytosis of GABAC receptors depends on subunit composition and is regulated by protein kinase C‐ζ and protein phosphatase 1
Authors: Linck Lisa , Binder Jasmin , Haynl Christian , Enz Ralf 
Published: April 2015

AbstractNeuronal excitability depends on the surface concentration of neurotransmitter receptors. Type C gamma‐aminobutyric acid receptors (GABACR) are composed of ρ subunits that are highly expressed in the retina. Molecular mechanisms that guide the surface concentration of this receptor type are largely unknown. Previously, we reported physical interactions of GABACR ρ subunits with protein kinase C‐ζ (PKCζ) via adapter proteins of the ZIP protein family, as well as of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) via PNUTS. Here, we demonstrate that co‐expressing ρ1 with ZIP3 and PKCζ enhanced basal internalization of GABACR, while receptor internalization was reduced in the presence of PNUTS and PP1. Co‐expression of ρ1 with individual binding partners showed no alterations, except for PP1. Heterooligomeric GABACR composed of ρ1 and ρ2 subunits had a significant higher endocytosis rate than ρ1 containing homooligomeric receptors. Mutant constructs lacking binding sites for protein interactions ensured the specificity of our data. Finally, substitution of serine and threonine residues with alanines indicated that GABACR internalization depends on serine/threonine kinases and phosphatases, but not on tyrosine phosphorylation. We conclude that GABACR internalization is reciprocally regulated by PKCζ and PP1 that are anchored to the receptor via ZIP3 or PNUTS respectively.
image
Endocytosis of GABACR depends on subunit composition and is reciprocally regulated by protein kinase C‐ζ and protein phosphatase 1 that are immobilized to intracellular receptor domains by scaffold proteins (ZIP3, PNUTS). Rho subunits of the pentameric GABACR (grey) offer intracellular phosphorylation sites (P). Our data propose a molecular mechanism that complements available electrophysiological data for GABACR turnover reported in the literature.
Dynamic Contrast‐Enhanced Perfusion MRI and Diffusion‐Weighted Imaging in Grading of Gliomas
Authors: Arevalo‐Perez Julio , Peck Kyung K. , Young Robert J. , Holodny Andrei I. , Karimi Sasan , Lyo John K. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTPURPOSEAccurate glioma grading is crucial for treatment planning and predicting prognosis. We performed a quantitative volumetric analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of histogram analysis of diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) and dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE) T1‐weighted perfusion imaging in the preoperative evaluation of gliomas.METHODSSixty‐three consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed gliomas who underwent baseline DWI and DCE‐MRI were enrolled. The patients were classified by histopathology according to tumor grade: 20 low‐grade gliomas (grade II) and 43 high‐grade gliomas (grades III and IV). Volumes‐of‐interest were calculated and transferred to DCE perfusion and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps. Histogram analysis was performed to determine mean and maximum values for Vp and Ktrans, and mean and minimum values for ADC. Comparisons between high‐grade and low‐grade gliomas, and between grades II, III, and IV, were performed. A Mann‐Whitney U test at a significance level of corrected P ≤ .01 was used to assess differences.RESULTSAll perfusion parameters could differentiate between high‐grade and low‐grade gliomas (P < .001) and between grades II and IV, grades II and III, and grades III and IV. Significant differences in minimum ADC were also found (P < .01). Mean ADC only differed significantly between high and low grades and grades II and IV (P < .01). There were no differences between grades II and III (P = .1) and grades III and IV (P = .71).CONCLUSIONWhen derived from whole‐tumor histogram analysis, DCE‐MRI perfusion parameters performed better than ADC in noninvasively discriminating low‐ from high‐grade gliomas.
The influence of ruthenium on vascular tone
Authors: Pauwels Bart , Boydens Charlotte , Van de Voorde Johan 
Published: April 2015

Abstract

Objectives
Over the past few years, ruthenium has been under attention for development of organometallic drugs with various therapeutic applications. Because of its favourable characteristics, ruthenium is perfectly suitable for drug design. Ruthenium-containing complexes exert a wide range of biological effects. However, so far, the influence of ruthenium itself on vascular tone has never been studied.

Methods
The effect of ruthenium was analysed through organ bath studies measuring isometric tension on mice thoracic aorta. After obtaining a stable contraction plateau, cumulative concentration-response curves of the ruthenium-compounds (RuCl3, Ruthenium Red, [RuCl2(CO)3]2 and RuCl2(DMSO)4) (30–600 μmol/l) were performed. The effect of RuCl3 after contraction with different contractile agents was evaluated. Furthermore, the influence of ruthenium-containing molecules on endogenous (acetylcholine) and exogenous (sodium nitroprusside) NO-mediated relaxations was determined.

Key findings
All studied ruthenium compounds elicit, to some extent, a decrease of the contraction level. Looking further into the underlying mechanism, we found that RuCl3 relaxes aortic rings only when contracted with norepinephrine. This RuCl3-induced relaxation can be prevented by the antioxidants ascorbic acid and N-acetyl L-cysteine. In addition, ruthenium compounds may diminish acetylcholine- or sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxations.

Conclusions
Ruthenium-containing molecules can influence vascular tone induced by norepinephrine due to oxidative inactivation. Moreover, they can undermine NO-mediated responses. This should be considered when developing ruthenium-containing drugs.
Effects of iron–glycine chelate on growth, carcass characteristic, liver mineral concentrations and haematological and biochemical blood parameters in broilers
Authors: Kwiecień M. , Samolińska W. , Bujanowicz‐Haraś B. 
Published: April 2015

SummaryStudies were carried out to determine the effect of additive iron–glycine chelate on the production performance, slaughter yield, mineral deposition in the liver and the metabolic blood panel in broiler chickens. A total of 250 one‐day‐old Ross 308 chicks were allotted into five groups with five replicates of 10 birds each. Diets were supplemented with the organic form iron (Fe–Gly at the rate of 25%, 50% or 100% of the total requirements of the elements) and inorganic Fe (FeSO4at the rate of 50% or 100%). In the experiment, iron was added to the premix (containing no Fe) in an amount of 40 or 20 mg per kg of basal diet, in groups I andII, in the form of FeSO4, and in an amount of 40, 20 or 10 mg per kg of basal diet, in groupsIII,IVand V, in the form of Fe–Gly. The study covering the period from the first to the 42nd day of breeding revealed that the production performance and slaughter yield were not dependent on the form and amount of added Fe. In the experimental groups with the addition of Fe–Gly of 20 or 10 mg/kg, there were no deaths of chickens during the whole fattening period. As a result, introducing an organic form of iron covering 50% and 25% of the birds' requirement increased the effectiveness of chicken fattening (European Efficiency Index) (p < 0.01). An organic Fe compound (40, 20 or 10 mg/kg) added to mixtures contributed to significant changes in the level of biochemical and haematological indicators in blood. The study demonstrated that an addition of Fe–Gly to mixtures for broilers can be fully effective in terms of production and health performance even if the suggested requirement for this element is 50% or 25% covered.
Alternate‐day dosing of itraconazole in healthy adult cats
Authors: Middleton S. M. , Kubier A. , Dirikolu L. , Papich M. G. , Mitchell M. A. , Rubin S. I. 
Published: April 2015

The current available formulations of itraconazole are not ideal for dosing in cats. The capsular preparation often does not allow for accurate dosing, the oral solution is difficult to administer and poorly tolerated, and the bioavailability of compounded formulations has been shown to be poor in other species. The aim of this study was to evaluate every other day dosing of 100 mg itraconazole capsule in healthy adult cats. Ten healthy adult cats received a 100 mg capsule of itraconazole orally every 48 h for 8 weeks. Peak and trough serum concentrations of itraconazole were measured weekly using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Physical examination, complete blood count (CBC), and chemistry profiles were performed weekly. The dosage regimen achieved average therapeutic trough concentrations (>0.5 μg/mL) within 3 weeks. The protocol yielded no adverse effects in 8 of the 10 study cats, with affected cats recovering fully with discontinuation of the drug and supportive care. At 8 weeks, an average peak concentration of 1.79 ± 0.952 μg/mL(95%CI: 0.996–2.588) and an average trough concentration of 0.761 ± 0.540 μg/mL(95%CI: 0.314–1.216) were achieved. Overall, a 100 mg every other day oral dosage regimen for itraconazole in cats yielded serum concentrations with minimal fluctuation and with careful monitoring may be considered for treatment of cats with systemic fungal disease.
The passenger‐associated transport repeat promotes virulence factor secretion efficiency and delineates a distinct autotransporter subtype
Authors: Doyle Matthew Thomas , Tran Elizabeth Ngoc Hoa , Morona Renato 
Published: April 2015

SummaryAutotransporters are a superfamily of virulence factors secreted by Gram negative bacteria. They are comprised of an N‐terminal passenger domain that is translocated across the outer membrane and a C‐terminal domain that inserts into the outer membrane forming a β‐barrel anchor. It is still poorly understood how the passenger is efficiently translocated in the absence of external energy inputs. Several mechanisms have been proposed in solution of this problem, yet due to the vast diversity of size, sequence and function of the passenger, it is not clear how widely these mechanisms are employed. In this study we functionally characterize a conserved repeat found in many passengers that we designate the Passenger‐associated Transport Repeat (PATR). Using the autotransporter IcsA from the enteropathogen Shigella flexneri, we identified conserved PATR residues that are required for efficient export of the passenger during growth and infection. Furthermore, PATR‐containing autotransporters are significantly larger than non‐PATR autotransporters, with PATR copy number correlating with passenger size. We also show that PATR‐containing autotransporters delineate a subgroup that associates with specific virulence traits and architectures. These results advance our understanding of autotransporter composition and indicate that an additional transport mechanism is important for thousands of these proteins.
A new quorum‐sensing system (TprA/PhrA) for Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 that regulates a lantibiotic biosynthesis gene cluster
Authors: Hoover Sharon E. , Perez Amilcar J. , Tsui Ho‐Ching T. , Sinha Dhriti , Smiley David L. , DiMarchi Richard D. , Winkler Malcolm E. , Lazazzera Beth A. 
Published: April 2015

SummaryThe Phr peptides of the Bacillus species mediate quorum sensing, but their identification and function in other species of bacteria have not been determined. We have identified a Phr peptide quorum‐sensing system (TprA/PhrA) that controls the expression of a lantibiotic gene cluster in the Gram‐positive human pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae. Lantibiotics are highly modified peptides that are part of the bacteriocin family of antimicrobial peptides. We have characterized the basic mechanism for a Phr‐peptide signaling system in S. pneumoniae and found that it induces the expression of the lantibiotic genes when pneumococcal cells are at high density in the presence of galactose, a main sugar of the human nasopharynx, a highly competitive microbial environment. Activity of the Phr peptide system is not seen when pneumococcal cells are grown with glucose, the preferred carbon source and the most prevalent sugar encountered by S. pneumoniae during invasive disease. Thus, the lantibiotic genes are expressed under the control of both cell density signals via the Phr peptide system and nutritional signals from the carbon source present, suggesting that quorum sensing and the lantibiotic machinery may help pneumococcal cells compete for space and resources during colonization of the nasopharynx.
Spatial heterogeneity of plant–soil feedback affects root interactions and interspecific competition
Authors: Hendriks Marloes , Ravenek Janneke M. , Smit‐Tiekstra Annemiek E. , van der Paauw Jan Willem , de Caluwe Hannie , van der Putten Wim H. , de Kroon Hans , Mommer Liesje 
Published: April 2015

Summary

Plant–soil feedback is receiving increasing interest as a factor influencing plant competition and species coexistence in grasslands. However, we do not know how spatial distribution of plant–soil feedback affects plant below‐ground interactions. We investigated the way in which spatial heterogeneity of soil biota affects competitive interactions in grassland plant species.

We performed a pairwise competition experiment combined with heterogeneous distribution of soil biota using four grassland plant species and their soil biota. Patches were applied as quadrants of ‘own’ and ‘foreign’ soils from all plant species in all pairwise combinations. To evaluate interspecific root responses, species‐specific root biomass was quantified using real‐time PCR.

All plant species suffered negative soil feedback, but strength was species‐specific, reflected by a decrease in root growth in own compared with foreign soil. Reduction in root growth in own patches by the superior plant competitor provided opportunities for inferior competitors to increase root biomass in these patches. These patterns did not cascade into above‐ground effects during our experiment.

We show that root distributions can be determined by spatial heterogeneity of soil biota, affecting plant below‐ground competitive interactions. Thus, spatial heterogeneity of soil biota may contribute to plant species coexistence in species‐rich grasslands.
Influence of cyto‐sterility sources of female line on seed quality of Indian mustard (Brassica junceaL.Czern &Coss.) in relation to storage period
Authors: Chakrabarty Shyamal Kumar , Maity Aniruddha , Yadav Jung Bahadur 
Published: April 2015

AbstractEffect of cyto‐sterility sources on morphology and yield attributes in F1has well been studied in different crops, but not on the seed quality of hybrid. Six cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines,viz. Ogura,Siifolia,Erucoides,Moricandia,TournefortiiandOxyrrhina, which represent six different sources of CMS, were pollinated by a single maintainer line (‘Pusa Bold’) to check whether CMS sources have any marked effect on seed quality. Seeds were collected in 2007–2008 (rabiseason: October–April) from CMS maintenance plot and kept in ambient storage for next 3 years. The results indicated that CMS/cyto‐sterility sources influenced the seed quality parameters in fresh seed as well as after storage.Per centgermination (as means over the storage period) was recorded up to 89.00, 88.25 and 87.88 inMoricandia,OguraandOxyrrhinasystems, respectively, and it was significantly different fromTournefortiiand ‘Pusa Bold’ (70.13 and 74.38, respectively). The CMS sources also had pronounced effect on other seed quality traits,viz. root and shoot length and seedling dry matter, andOguraandMoricandia(green) performed better.
New experimental hosts of Barley yellow dwarf virus among wild grasses, with implications for grassland habitats
Authors: Ingwell L. L. , Bosque‐Pérez N. A. 
Published: April 2015

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), an economically important virus, infects small grain cereal crops and over 150 other Poaceae species. BYDV infection plays an important role in competition among grasses in non‐managed systems, but many grasses remain unexamined as potential BYDV hosts. This study examined grass species that have not been reported as BYDV hosts but are commonly encountered in non‐managed grasslands throughout the United States and Canada. Laboratory inoculations with BYDV‐PAV using the aphid vector Rhopalosiphum padi were performed to examine the ability of 13 grass species and barley to be infected with the virus; eight of the grass species were not documented previously as virus hosts. Serological and molecular assays were used to confirm BYDV‐PAV infection. Plant height, number of leaves, number of tillers and weight were recorded to evaluate susceptibility or sensitivity to BYDV. Infection with BYDV was experimentally achieved for the first time on Achnatherum lettermanii, Achnatherum occidentale, Achnatherum thurberianum, Danthonia intermedia, Poa fendleriana, Sporobolus airoides and Sporobolus cryptandrus, but not on Alopecurus pratensis and Elymus wawawaiensis. Infection was confirmed in Bromus inermis, Elymus elymoides, Poa bulbosa, Poa secunda and Hordeum vulgare, which served as controls. BYDV infection caused reductions in plant height on P. bulbosa and P. fendleriana. BYDV‐infected P. secunda had more leaves per plant compared to healthy plants of the same species. BYDV‐infected A. lettermanii exhibited reduced dry weight in both below‐ground and above‐ground tissue. These findings have implications for the management and conservation of grassland habitats.