bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anti-angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) proteins from mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst
Authors: Mohamad Ansor Nurhuda , Abdullah Noorlidah , Aminudin Norhaniza 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background

Ganoderma lucidum has been purported as a potent remedy in the treatment and prevention of several ailments, including hypertension. This study aimed to explore the anti-ACE potential of protein fractions from the mycelia of G. lucidum.

Methods

Ganoderma lucidum mycelia were cultivated by submerged fermentation in a liquid medium containing brown sugar and spent brewer’s yeast. Intracellular proteins were fractionated from mycelia crude water extract by ammonium sulphate precipitation, and their angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity was evaluated. The potential anti-ACE protein fractions were further separated by RP-HPLC and characterised using proteomics platforms.

Results
Preliminary result demonstrated that the mycelia crude water extract inhibited ACE at IC50 value of 1.134 ± 0.036 mg/mL. Following protein fractionation and HPLC purification, the presence of highly potential anti-ACE proteins with the IC50 values less than 200 μg/mL was detected. Characterisation of these proteins demonstrated the presence of four different antihypertensive-related proteins involved in the regulation of blood pressure through different mechanisms.

Conclusions
This study suggests that the mycelia of G. lucidum has high potential in lowering blood pressure level due to the presence of several antihypertensive-related proteins such as cystathionine beta synthase-like protein, DEAD/DEAH box helicase-like protein, paxillin-like protein, and alpha/beta hydrolase-like protein.
Distribution of selected healthcare resources for influenza pandemic response in Cambodia
Authors: Schwanke Khilji Sara U , Rudge James W , Drake Tom , Chavez Irwin , Borin Khieu , Touch Sok , Coker Richard 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Introduction
Human influenza infection poses a serious public health threat in Cambodia, a country at risk for the emergence and spread of novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential. Prior pandemics demonstrated the adverse impact of influenza on poor communities in developing countries. Investigation of healthcare resource distribution can inform decisions regarding resource mobilization and investment for pandemic mitigation.

Methods
A health facility survey performed across Cambodia obtained data on availability of healthcare resources important for pandemic influenza response. Focusing on five key resources considered most necessary for treating severe influenza (inpatient beds, doctors, nurses, oseltamivir, and ventilators), resource distributions were analyzed at the Operational District (OD) and Province levels, refining data analysis from earlier studies. Resources were stratified by respondent type (hospital vs. District Health Office [DHO]). A summary index of distribution inequality was calculated using the Gini coefficient. Indices for local spatial autocorrelation were measured at the OD level using geographical information system (GIS) analysis. Finally, a potential link between socioeconomic status and resource distribution was explored by mapping resource densities against poverty rates.

Results
Gini coefficient calculation revealed variable inequality in distribution of the five key resources at the Province and OD levels. A greater percentage of the population resides in areas of relative under-supply (28.5%) than over-supply (21.3%). Areas with more resources per capita showed significant clustering in central Cambodia while areas with fewer resources clustered in the northern and western provinces. Hospital-based inpatient beds, doctors, and nurses were most heavily concentrated in areas of the country with the lowest poverty rates; however, beds and nurses in Non-Hospital Medical Facilities (NHMF) showed increasing concentrations at higher levels of poverty.

Conclusions
There is considerable heterogeneity in healthcare resource distribution across Cambodia. Distribution mapping at the local level can inform policy decisions on where to stockpile resources in advance of and for reallocation in the event of a pandemic. These findings will be useful in determining future health resource investment, both for pandemic preparedness and for general health system strengthening, and provide a foundation for future analyses of equity in health services provision for pandemic mitigation planning in Cambodia.
Quantitative proteomics reveals regulatory differences in the chondrocyte secretome from human medial and lateral femoral condyles in osteoarthritic patients
Authors: Stenberg Johan , Rüetschi Ulla , Skiöldebrand Eva , Kärrholm Johan , Lindahl Anders 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a destructive joint disease and there are no known biomarkers available for an early diagnosis. To identify potential disease biomarkers and gain further insight into the disease mechanisms of OA we applied quantitative proteomics with SILAC technology on the secretomes from chondrocytes of OA knees, designated as high Mankin (HM) scored secretome. A quantitative comparison was made between the secretomes of the medial and lateral femur condyle chondrocytes in the same knee since the medial femur condyle is usually more affected in OA than the lateral condyle, which was confirmed by Mankin scoring. The medial/lateral comparison was also made on the secretomes from chondrocytes taken from one individual with no clinically apparent joint-disease, designated as low Mankin (LM) scored secretome.

Results
We identified 825 proteins in the HM secretome and 69 of these showed differential expression when comparing the medial and lateral femoral compartment. The LM scored femoral condyle showed early signs of OA in the medial compartment as assessed by Mankin score. We here report the identification and relative quantification of several proteins of interest for the OA disease mechanism e.g. CYTL1, DMD and STAB1 together with putative early disease markers e.g. TIMP1, PPP2CA and B2M.

Conclusions
The present study reveals differences in protein abundance between medial/lateral femur condyles in OA patients. These regulatory differences expand the knowledge regarding OA disease markers and mechanisms.
Endoscopic and clinicopathological patterns of esophageal cancer in Tanzania: experiences from two tertiary health institutions
Authors: Mchembe Mabula D , Rambau Peter F , Chalya Phillipo L , Jaka Hyasinta , Koy Mheta , Mahalu William 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Esophageal cancer is one of the most serious gastrointestinal cancer worldwide, owing to its rapid development and fatal prognoses in most cases. There is a paucity of published data regarding esophageal cancer in Tanzania and the study area in particular. This study was conducted to describe the endoscopic and clinicopathological patterns of esophageal cancer in this part of the world. The study provides baseline local data for future comparison.

Methods
This was a retrospective study of histologically confirmed cases of esophageal cancer seen at Bugando Medical Center and Muhimbili National Hospital between March 2008 and February 2013. Data were retrieved from medical record computer database and analyzed using SPSS computer software version 17.0.

Results
A total of 328 esophageal cancer patients were enrolled in the study, representing 25.3% of all malignant gastrointestinal tract tumors. The male to female ratio was 2.2:1. The median age of patients at presentation was 47 years. The majority of patients (86.6%) were peasants coming from the rural areas. Smoking and alcohol consumption were documented in 74.7% and 61.6% of patients respectively. Family history of esophageal cancer was reported in 4.6% of cases. The majority of patients (81.7%) presented late with advanced stage of cancer. Progressive dysphagia and weight loss were the most common presenting symptoms occurring in all patients. The middle third esophagus (58.5%) was the most frequent anatomical site for esophageal cancer followed by lower third (27.4%) and upper third esophagus (10.4%). Squamous cell carcinoma (96.0%) was the most common histopathological type. Adenocarcinoma occurred in 13 (4.0%) patients. TNM staging was documented in only 104 (31.7%) patients. Of these, 102(98.1%) patients were diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer (Stages III and IV). According to tumor grading, most of tumors were moderately differentiated accounting for 56.1% of cases. Distant metastasis was documented in 43.3% of patients.

Conclusion
Esophageal cancer is not uncommon in this region and shows a trend towards a relative young age at presentation and the majority of patients present late with advanced stage. There is a need for screening of high-risk populations and detecting esophageal cancer at an early stage in order to improve chances for successful treatment and survival.
Hotspot analysis of Taiwanese breeding birds to determine gaps in the protected area network
Authors: Wu Tsai-Yu , Walther Bruno A , Chen Yi-Hsiu , Lin Ruey-Shing , Lee Pei-Fen 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Although Taiwan is an important hotspot of avian endemism, efforts to use available distributional information for conservation analyses are so far incomplete. For the first time, we present a hotspot analysis of Taiwanese breeding birds with sufficient sampling coverage for distribution modeling. Furthermore, we improved previous modeling efforts by combining several of the most reliable modeling techniques to build an ensemble model for each species. These species maps were added together to generate hotspot maps using the following criteria: total species richness, endemic species richness, threatened species richness, and rare species richness. We then proceeded to use these hotspot maps to determine the 5% most species-rich grid cells (1) within the entire island of Taiwan and (2) within the entire island of Taiwan but outside of protected areas.

Results
Almost all of the species richness and hotspot analyses revealed that mountainous regions of Taiwan hold most of Taiwan's avian biodiversity. The only substantial unprotected region which was consistently highlighted as an important avian hotspot is a large area of unprotected mountains in Taiwan's northeast (mountain regions around Nan-ao) which should become a high priority for future fieldwork and conservation efforts. In contrast, other unprotected areas of high conservation value were just spatial extensions of areas already protected in the central and southern mountains. To combine the results of our four hotspot criteria, we assessed which grid cells were the most valuable according to all four criteria. Again, we found the Nan-ao mountain regions to be important. We also showed that different hotspot criteria only partially overlapped and sometimes barely at all.

Conclusions
Therefore, to protect areas based on only one hotspot criterion (total species richness) would not protect areas based on other hotspot criteria (endemic species richness, threatened species richness, or rare species richness) in Taiwan.
Effect of the amino chain length and the transformation into citric acid salts of aryl-diphenyl-butenes and ferrocenyl-diphenyl-butenes bearing two dimethylaminoalkyl chains on their antimicrobial activities
Authors: Jellali Karim , Pigeon Pascal , Trigui Fatma , Top Siden , Aifa Sami , Jaouen Gérard , El Arbi Mehdi 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
In a previous work we have demonstrated the antimicrobial activity of ferrocenyl or phenyl derivatives of diphenyl butene series. This finding has opened a new area of applications of organometallic compounds.
In order to improve these activities, we have synthesized new organic and organometallic diaryl butene compounds with different lengths of their amino chains. These new compounds, and also their ammonium salts, were tested against man pathogenic microorganisms Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Enterococcus hirae (ATCC 10541).
It emerged from the tests that the Gram+ bacteria are more sensitive to the compounds than Gram-, and the compounds with 3 carbon amino chains have a better antimicrobial activity than the one having a chain of 2 or 4 carbons.
The transformation of compounds to citrate salts was accompanied by a significant regression of antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, for both organic and ferrocenic molecules. This resistance problem has been solved using hydrochlorides salts rather than citrates one.
HLA and non-HLA genes in Behçet’s disease: a multicentric study in the Spanish population
Authors: Montes-Cano Marco Antonio , Conde-Jaldón Marta , García-Lozano José Raul , Ortiz-Fernández Lourdes , Ortego-Centeno Norberto , Castillo-Palma María Jesús , Espinosa Gerard , Graña-Gil Genaro , González-Gay Miguel Angel , Barnosi-Marín Ana Celia , Solans Roser , Fanlo Patricia , Camps Teresa , Castañeda Santos , Sánchez-Bursón Juan , Núñez-Roldán Antonio , Martín Javier , González-Escribano María Francisca 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Introduction
According to genome wide association (GWA) studies as well as candidate gene approaches, Behçet’s disease (BD) is associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A and HLA-B gene regions. The HLA-B51 has been consistently associated with the disease, but the role of other HLA class I molecules remains controversial. Recently, variants in non-HLA genes have also been associated with BD. The aims of this study were to further investigate the influence of the HLA region in BD and to explore the relationship with non-HLA genes recently described to be associated in other populations.

Methods
This study included 304 BD patients and 313 ethnically matched controls. HLA-A and HLA-B low resolution typing was carried out by PCR-SSOP Luminex. Eleven tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located outside of the HLA-region, previously described associated with the disease in GWA studies and having a minor allele frequency in Caucasians greater than 0.15 were genotyped using TaqMan assays. Phenotypic and genotypic frequencies were estimated by direct counting and distributions were compared using the χ2 test.

Results
In addition to HLA-B*51, HLA-B*57 was found as a risk factor in BD, whereas, B*35 was found to be protective. Other HLA-A and B specificities were suggestive of association with the disease as risk (A*02 and A*24) or protective factors (A*03 and B*58). Regarding the non-HLA genes, the three SNPs located in IL23R and one of the SNPs in IL10 were found to be significantly associated with susceptibility to BD in our population.

Conclusion
Different HLA specificities are associated with Behçet’s disease in addition to B*51. Other non-HLA genes, such as IL23R and IL-10, play a role in the susceptibility to the disease.
Survey of controversial issues of end-of-life treatment decisions in Korea: similarities and discrepancies between healthcare professionals and the general public
Authors: Ryu HoGeol , Choi Ji-Eun , Lee Sunyoung , Koh Jiwon , Bae Jong-Myon , Heo DaeSeog 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Introduction
End-of-life (EOL) treatment issues have recently gained societal attention after the Korean Supreme Court’s ruling that the presumed wishes of an elderly woman in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) should be honored. We tried to evaluate what Koreans thought about controversial issues regarding EOL treatments.

Methods
We surveyed Koreans with the following questions: 1) are ventilator-dependent PVS patients candidates for end-of life treatment decisions? 2) Is withholding and withdrawing EOL treatment the same thing? 3) In an unconscious, terminally ill patient, whose wishes are unknown, how should EOL decisions be made? 4) How should we settle disagreement amongst medical staff and the patient’s family on EOL decisions?

Results
One thousand Koreans not working in healthcare and five hundred healthcare professionals responded to the survey. Fifty-seven percent of Koreans not working in healthcare and sixty seven percent of Korean healthcare professionals agreed that ventilator-dependent PVS patients are candidates for EOL treatment decisions. One quarter of all respondents regarded withholding and withdrawing EOL treatment as equal. Over 50% thought that EOL treatment decisions should be made through discussions between the physician and the patient’s family. For conflict resolution, 75% of Koreans not working in healthcare preferred direct settlement between the medical staff and the patient’s family while 55% of healthcare professionals preferred the hospital ethics committee.

Conclusions
Unsettled issues in Korea regarding EOL treatment decision include whether to include ventilator-dependent PVS patients as candidates of EOL treatment decision and how to sort out disagreements regarding EOL treatment decisions. Koreans viewed withholding and withdrawing EOL treatment issues differently.
Viscoelasticity of Ells River bitumen sand and 4D monitoring of thermal enhanced oil recovery processes
Authors: Spencer James W. 
Published: October 2013

Samples of Ells River bitumen sand from Alberta, Canada were measured at low frequencies (0.2–205 Hz) to determine the temperature and frequency dependence of velocities and attenuations. The samples were first measured “as received” where the pore space is mostly filled with bitumen but also contains small amounts of air and water. With residual air in the pores, at 5°C, there is strong dispersion in the P-wave modulus and a peak in attenuation at seismic frequencies. The frequency-dependent moduli and attenuations shift by three orders of magnitude in frequency as temperature is increased from 5°C to 48°C, consistent with the bitumen viscosity. Samples were then saturated so any empty pore space is filled with water. After saturation, at 1 Hz, increasing temperature from 5°C to 49°C causes a 30% reduction in the saturated P-wave modulus, a 34% reduction in the saturated bulk modulus, and a 6% reduction in the shear modulus. This behavior can only be explained by the temperature-dependent bulk modulus of bitumen. The results enable predictions regarding the P-velocities that can be expected during seismic monitoring of thermal enhanced oil recovery processes. Velocities for cold bitumen sand are near [Formula: see text] at reservoir pressure and temperature. Following steam injection, velocities should be very low (near [Formula: see text]) in heated zones more than 50°C with a free gas phase, which could be steam or gas. There will be a progressive reduction in velocities, i.e., [Formula: see text] at 25°C and [Formula: see text] at 49°C, in areas of formation heating, but without steam or gas in the pores. Albeit smaller than the effect of steam, the effect of formation heating alone is large enough to be easily detected by today’s 4D surveys. With local rock physics calibration, it should be possible to map the areal extent of formation heating using 4D seismic data.
Expression of SSTR2a, but not of SSTRs 1, 3, or 5 in Somatotroph Adenomas Assessed by Monoclonal Antibodies Was Reduced by Octreotide and Correlated With the Acute and Long-Term Effects of Octreotide
Authors: Casar-Borota Olivera , Heck Ansgar , Schulz Stefan , Nesland Jahn Marthin , Ramm-Pettersen Jon , Lekva Tove , Alafuzoff Irina , Bollerslev Jens 
Published: October 2013

Context:
Reduced expression of somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) in somatotroph adenomas and their potential down-regulation after medical treatment may explain the unsatisfactory response to octreotide in particular acromegalic patients. The expression of SSTRs other than SSTR2a has not been studied in large, unselected cohorts using novel rabbit monoclonal antibodies.

Objective:
We aimed to determine the expression of SSTRs 1, 2a, 3, and 5 in somatotroph adenomas, to correlate expression with clinical characteristics and the response to octreotide, and to ascertain whether preoperative octreotide treatment affected SSTR expression.

Design, Setting, Patients:
The study included 78 adenomas from patients operated on consecutively during 2000 to 2010. After exclusion of 13 patients, immunohistochemical analysis with rabbit monoclonal antibodies against SSTRs 1, 2a, 3, and 5 (clones UMB-7, -1, -5, and -4) was performed on 65 adenomas.

Intervention:
Twenty-eight patients received preoperative octreotide, and 37 patients were operated on without pretreatment. Twenty-six patients were randomized to direct surgery (n = 13) or to octreotide pretreatment (n = 13).

Main Outcome Measure:
SSTR expression was evaluated using a 12-grade scoring system. The responses to the octreotide test dose (GH reduction) and to 6 months of octreotide (IGF-I reduction) were measured.

Results:
The majority of adenomas showed membranous expression of SSTRs 2a and 5. SSTR2a expression was reduced in the pretreated group and correlated with the acute octreotide test results and the effect of octreotide treatment. In a linear regression model with SSTR2a expression as the determinant, the correlation with the acute test response improved after adjustment for medical pretreatment.

Conclusion:
Rabbit monoclonal antibodies are reliable markers of SSTRs in somatotroph adenomas. SSTR2a expression correlated with the response to octreotide and was reduced after octreotide treatment, indicating the need for adjustment when SSTR2a expression is correlated with baseline characteristics. Evaluation of SSTR subtypes may be an important aspect of improving the medical treatment for acromegaly.
Mixing Properties of Binary Liquid Mixtures of Alkoxypropanols with Branched Alkanols at Different Temperatures
Authors: Kumar Harsh , Kundi Varun , Singla Meenu , Sharma Sanjay 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Densities, ρ, and speed of sound, u for binary mixtures dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether and tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether with 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butnaol, and 2-methyl-2-butanol at T = 288.15, 298.15, and 308.15 K and atmospheric pressure over the entire range of composition have been measured using an Anton–Paar DSA 5000M densimeter. Excess molar volumes VmE, and deviations in isentropic compressibilities ΔκS have been calculated from experimental densities and speeds of sound. Comparison of the results has been made with earlier results. Deviations in intermolecular free length and deviations in acoustic impedance have also been calculated. The results have been discussed in terms of intermolecular interactions between component molecules of the mixtures.