bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Elevated Serum Cardiac Troponin I in Cattle with Theileriosis
Authors: Fartashvand M. , Nadalian M.G. , Sakha M. , Safi S. 
Published: November 2012

BackgroundTheileria annulata is a blood parasite affecting ruminants. Hemolytic anemia, secondary hypoxia, and vasculitis are the most important features of tropical theileriosis.ObjectivesEvaluation of electrocardiographic findings and changes in cardiovascular biochemical markers including cTnI concentrations in cattle naturally infected with theileriosis in the absence of acute cardiac failure.AnimalsNinety adult Holstein cattle (>1 year) with clinical and laboratory evidence of theileriosis and 30 healthy cattle served as controls.MethodsCase‐control study in which blood samples were collected and randomized after clinical, hematologic, parasitologic examination and laboratory confirmation and electrocardiographic recording on all animals, serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and creatine kinase‐MB (CK‐MB) were evaluated.ResultsSerum concentration of cTnI was significantly higher in cattle with theileriosis (mean: 0.028 ng/mL; range: 0.005–0.21 ng/mL; control mean: 0.011; range: <0.005–0.09 ng/mL; P = .003). There was significant correlation between serum level of cTnI and PCV (r = −0.257; P < .001) and also between cTnI and parasitemia (r = 0.515; P < .001). Mean serum activities of AST and CK‐MB were 107 ± 46 and 301 ± 103 U/L in sick animals, which were significantly higher than healthy cattle (P = .002 and P = .041, respectively). There were no pathologic arrhythmias detected in sick animals.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceTheileriosis is a risk factor for elevation of cardiac biomarkers in naturally infected Holstein cattle. Severity of anemia and parasitemia might contribute to the pathophysiology of myocardial damage. The prognostic significance of increased serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in cattle with hemolytic anemia merits further investigation.
Effects of invasion by introduced versus native conifers on coastal heathland vegetation
Authors: Saure Heidi I. , Vandvik Vigdis , Hassel Kristian , Vetaas Ole R. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractQuestionsWhat are the effects of conifer invasion on plant species composition and richness of coastal heathlands; do effects differ between heathlands invaded by introduced or native coniferous tree species?LocationThreatened coastal Calluna heathlands, western Norway.MethodsWe compared the effects of invasion by introduced Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) and native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) on heathland plant communities by focusing on the local impacts of single coniferous tree canopies. For each of 58 target coniferous trees (2–4‐m tall), 2‐m transects were laid out in a north and south orientation from the tree stem to beyond the tree canopy, and control transects were laid out in open heathland adjacent to the target trees. Vascular plants and bryophytes were recorded within 0.0625 m2 contiguous quadrats along the transects. Principal response curves (PRC) and generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to investigate tree canopy effects on species composition and richness.ResultsInvasion by coniferous trees induced considerable changes in the coastal heathland vegetation: distinct microcommunitites developed beneath the canopies of relatively young, single coniferous trees in the heathlands. There was a marked difference in subcanopy species composition under the introduced Sitka spruce relative to the native Scots pine; forest floor species had colonized to a greater extent under Sitka spruce, replacing the light‐demanding species characteristic of the coastal heathland vegetation.ConclusionOur study showed that conifer invasion induces considerable and rapid changes in heathland vegetation, and that the effects were stronger under the introduced conifer. This suggests that Sitka spruce invasion may pose a more immediate threat to the characteristic coastal heathland vegetation and flora than succession based on native conifers. The open coastal heathlands along the Atlantic coast of Western Europe are a threatened landscape of high conservation value, and our results suggest that the spread of Sitka spruce into these landscapes should be controlled, especially in heathlands that are targeted for conservation.
Intercellular and intracellular signalling systems that globally control the expression of virulence genes in plant pathogenic bacteria
Authors: Ham Jong Hyun 
Published: November 2012

SummaryPlant pathogenic bacteria utilize complex signalling systems to control the expression of virulence genes at the cellular level and within populations. Quorum sensing (QS), an important intercellular communication mechanism, is mediated by different types of small molecules, includingN‐acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), fatty acids and small proteins.AHL‐mediated signalling systems dependent on theLuxIandLuxRfamily proteins play critical roles in the virulence of a wide range ofGram‐negative plant pathogenic bacteria belonging to theAlphaproteobacteria,Betaproteobacteria andGammaproteobacteria.Xanthomonasspp. andXylella fastidiosa, members of theGammaproteobacteria, however, possessQSsystems that are mediated by fatty acid‐type diffusible signal factors (DSFs). Recent studies have demonstrated thatAx21, a 194‐amino‐acid protein inXanthomonas oryzaepv.oryzae, plays dual functions in activating a rice innate immune pathway through binding to the riceXA21pattern recognition receptor and in regulating bacterial virulence and biofilm formation as aQSsignal molecule. In xanthomonads,DSF‐mediatedQSsystems are connected with the signalling pathways mediated by cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c‐di‐GMP), which functions as a second messenger for the control of virulence gene expression in these bacterial pathogens.
The microbiome is essential for normal gut intrinsic primary afferent neuron excitability in the mouse
Authors: McVey Neufeld K. A. , Mao Y. K. , Bienenstock J. , Foster J. A. , Kunze W. A. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackground  The role of intestinal microbiota in the development and function of host physiology is of high interest, especially with respect to the nervous system. While strong evidence has accrued that intestinal bacteria alter host nervous system function, mechanisms by which this occurs have remained elusive. For this reason, we have carried out experiments examining the electrophysiological properties of neurons in the myenteric plexus of the enteric nervous system (ENS) in germ‐free (GF) mice compared with specific pathogen‐free (SPF) control mice and adult germ‐free mice that have been conventionalized (CONV‐GF) with intestinal bacteria.Methods  Segments of jejunum from 8 to 12 week old GF, SPF, and CONV‐GF mice were dissected to expose the myenteric plexus. Intracellular recordings in current‐clamp mode were made by impaling cells with sharp microelectrodes. Action potential (AP) shapes, firing thresholds, the number of APs fired at 2× threshold, and passive membrane characteristics were measured.Key Results  In GF mice, excitability was decreased in myenteric afterhyperpolarization (AH) neurons as measured by a lower resting membrane potential and by the number of APs generated at 2× threshold. The post AP slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) was prolonged for GF compared with SPF and CONV‐GF animals. Passive membrane characteristics were also altered in GF mice by a decrease in input resistance.Conclusions & Inferences  Here, we report the novel finding that commensal intestinal microbiota are necessary for normal excitability of gut sensory neurons and thus provide a potential mechanism for the transfer of information between the microbiota and nervous system.
Fortifying plants with the essential amino acids lysine and methionine to improve nutritional quality
Authors: Galili Gad , Amir Rachel 
Published: November 2012

SummaryHumans, as well as farm animals, cannot synthesize a number of essential amino acids, which are critical for their survival. Hence, these organisms must obtain these essential amino acids from their diets. Cereal and legume crops, which represent the major food and feed sources for humans and livestock worldwide, possess limiting levels of some of these essential amino acids, particularly Lys and Met. Extensive efforts were made to fortify crop plants with these essential amino acids using traditional breeding and mutagenesis. However, aside from some results obtained with maize, none of these approaches was successful. Therefore, additional efforts using genetic engineering approaches concentrated on increasing the synthesis and reducing the catabolism of these essential amino acids and also on the expression of recombinant proteins enriched in them. In the present review, we discuss the basic biological aspects associated with the synthesis and accumulation of these amino acids in plants and also describe recent developments associated with the fortification of crop plants with essential amino acids by genetic engineering approaches.
Comparative ocular anatomy in a blind African cichlid fish, Lamprologus lethops
Authors: Schobert Charles S. , Stiassny Melanie L. J. , Schwab Ivan R. , Zeiss Caroline , Schelly Robert C. , Dubielzig Richard R. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractObjectiveTroglomorphic fishes provide excellent comparative models for studying eye evolution. We describe the gross and microscopic anatomy of ocular structures of the depigmented, blind cichlid, Lamprologus lethops, and its putative sister species, Lamprologus tigripictilis collected from the lower Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo.ProceduresBoth species were fixed, paraffin‐sectioned and stained. Immunohistochemical staining for rhodopsin markers was also performed.ResultsThe globe in L. lethops is smaller than its sighted congener and recessed beneath bone and skin. The scleral profile maintains a wrinkled spherical shape, and the choroid is occupied by adipose tissue containing no rete mirabilis. The globe in L. lethops is foreshortened in the anterior–posterior dimension and deviated dorsally toward the midline with no extraocular muscles. At the posterior pole of the globe, there is an open periocular space containing no cell bodies. In L. tigripictilis, no choroidal adipose tissue is seen and a rete mirabilis is present. The retina of L. lethops is thinner compared with L. tigripictilis. Both species have scleral cartilage and fully developed lenses. Rhodopsin is present in the inner and outer segments of both species.ConclusionsOcular adaptations evolve over time as a response to a life in darkness. Combining ocular anatomy, developmental data, and genetics will lead to insights about evolution in these fishes and contribute to understanding how ocular evolution works in other vertebrates.
Lateral hypothalamic GAD65 neurons are spontaneously firing and distinct from orexin‐ and melanin‐concentrating hormone neurons
Authors: Karnani Mahesh M. , Szabó Gábor , Erdélyi Ferenc , Burdakov Denis 
Published: November 2012

Key points
Lateral hypothalamus (LH) contains GABA neurons involved in controlling metabolism and sleep.
LH glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) GABA neurons are intrinsically depolarized, unlike classical GAD65 neurons of the cortex.
LH GAD65 GABA neurons are distinct from most studied LH neurons (orexin and melanin‐concentrating hormone cells).
A subset of LH GAD65 neurons are glucose inhibited.
Our study adds new populations of glucose sensing neurons to the list of hypothalamic sugar sensors and introduces inhibitory circuit elements of the LH.
Abstract  GABAergic neurons are vital for brain function. Their neurochemical and electrical features have been classically characterized in the cortex, but in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), such knowledge is lacking, despite the emerging roles of LHA GABAergic cells in feeding and sleep. We used GAD65‐GFP transgenic mice, developed for studies of cortical GABAergic cells, to determine fundamental properties of LHA GAD65 neurons, and compare them to ‘classical’ GABAergic cell types of the cortex, and to previously described classes of LHA cells. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings in acute brain slices revealed that, unlike cortical GABAergic interneurons, LHA GAD65 neurons were intrinsically depolarized and fired action potentials spontaneously. Similar to cortical GABAergic cells, LHA GAD65 cells fell into four major subtypes based on evoked firing: fast spiking, late spiking, low threshold spiking and regular spiking. Three‐dimensional reconstructions of biocytin‐filled neurons, performed after the patch‐clamp analysis, did not reveal striking morphological differences between these electrophysiological subtypes. Peptide transmitters expressed in known classes of LHA projection neurons, namely melanin‐concentrating hormone (MCH) and hypocretin/orexin (hcrt/orx), were not detected in LHA GAD65 cells. Approximately 40% of LHA GAD65 cells were directly inhibited by physiological increases in extracellular glucose concentration. Glucose inhibition was most prevalent in the fast spiking subpopulation, although some glucose‐responsive neurons were found in each electrophysiological subpopulation. These results suggest that LHA GAD65 neurons are electrically different from ‘classical’ GABAergic neurons of the cortex, are neurochemically distinct from LHA hcrt/orx and MCH cells, but partly resemble hcrt/orx cells in their glucose responses.
Inhibition of dendritic Ca2+ spikes by GABAB receptors in cortical pyramidal neurons is mediated by a direct Gi/o‐βγ‐subunit interaction with Cav1 channels
Authors: Pérez‐Garci Enrique , Larkum Matthew E. , Nevian Thomas 
Published: November 2012

Key points
Voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels mediate a large repertoire of physiological actions, including the generation of dendritic spikes in neocortical pyramidal neurons; however, the type of Ca2+ channels involved in their generation remains unknown.
We found that L‐type Ca2+ currents generate the sustained plateau potential of the Ca2+ spike. GABAB receptors inhibit Ca2+ spikes by specifically blocking dendritic L‐type currents.
This inhibition is mediated by a direct Gi/o‐βγ‐subunit interaction with the Cav1 channels.
Protein kinases (protein kinase C and A) have an important influence on the generation and sustaining of dendritic Ca2+ spikes; however, their activity is not involved in the GABAB‐mediated inhibition of Ca2+ spikes.
Inhibitory modulation of dendritic activity is important to understand the transformation of synaptic inputs into neuronal output activity. Our results shed light on the molecular mechanisms by which GABA acting via its GABAB receptors can exert this inhibitory action.
Abstract  Voltage‐dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) serve a wide range of physiological functions and their activity is modulated by different neurotransmitter systems. GABAergic inhibition of VDCCs in neurons has an important impact in controlling transmitter release, neuronal plasticity, gene expression and neuronal excitability. We investigated the molecular signalling mechanisms by which GABAB receptors inhibit calcium‐mediated electrogenesis (Ca2+ spikes) in the distal apical dendrite of cortical layer 5 pyramidal neurons. Ca2+ spikes are the basis of coincidence detection and signal amplification of distal tuft synaptic inputs characteristic for the computational function of cortical pyramidal neurons. By combining dendritic whole‐cell recordings with two‐photon fluorescence Ca2+ imaging we found that all subtypes of VDCCs were present in the Ca2+ spike initiation zone, but that they contribute differently to the initiation and sustaining of dendritic Ca2+ spikes. Particularly, Cav1 VDCCs are the most abundant VDCC present in this dendritic compartment and they generated the sustained plateau potential characteristic for the Ca2+ spike. Activation of GABAB receptors specifically inhibited Cav1 channels. This inhibition of L‐type Ca2+ currents was transiently relieved by strong depolarization but did not depend on protein kinase activity. Therefore, our findings suggest a novel membrane‐delimited interaction of the Gi/o‐βγ‐subunit with Cav1 channels identifying this mechanism as the general pathway of GABAB receptor‐mediated inhibition of VDCCs. Furthermore, the characterization of the contribution of the different VDCCs to the generation of the Ca2+ spike provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of dendritic computation.
Assessing the combined performance of texture and morphological parameters in distinguishing breast tumors in ultrasound images
Authors: Alvarenga André Victor , Infantosi Antonio Fernando C. , Pereira Wagner C. A. , Azevedo Carolina M. 
Published: November 2012

Purpose:This work aims to investigate the combination of morphological and texture parameters in distinguishing between malignant and benign breast tumors in ultrasound images.Methods:Linear discriminant analysis was applied to sets of up to five parameters, and then the performances were assessed using the areaAz (± standard error) under the receiver operator characteristic curve, accuracy (Ac), sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value, and negative predictive value.Results:The most relevant individual parameter was the normalized residual value (nrv), calculated from the convex polygon technique. The best performance among all studied combinations was achieved by two morphological and three texture parameters (nrv, con, std, R, and asmi), which correctly distinguished nearly 85% of the breast tumors.Conclusions:This result indicates that the combination of morphological and texture parameters may be useful to assist physicians in the diagnostic process, especially if it is associated with an automatic classification tool.
A method for registration of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT) images for liver stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT)
Authors: Gayou Olivier , Day Ellen , Mohammadi Seyed , Kirichenko Alexander 
Published: November 2012

Purpose:To describe a simple method of coregistration of nonanatomic liver SPECT and CT images acquired in separate sessions for three‐dimensional (3D)‐CRT planning utilizing dual radiolabeled and radiopaque body surface markers, and evaluate the accuracy of the registration on the patient surface.Methods:Ten patients treated for liver metastases or hepatocellular carcinoma with stereotactic body radiation therapy or 3D‐CRT were selected for this study to evaluate the SPECT/CT registration process. All patients were positioned in a custom‐molded vacuum bag on the flat table top. Nine radiopaque markers were taped to the abdominal surface in three axial planes at the level of the liver. Following CT imaging, the nine radiopaque markers were then labeled with radioactive tags, each containing 10μCi of 99mTc, and SPECT images were acquired. The metric used to evaluate the registration was the fiducial registration error (FRE), defined as the root mean square of the distance between pairs of homologous markers on the CT and SPECT images. The evaluation of the registration accuracy was performed in two steps: first the minimum number of markers necessary to obtain a robust registration was optimized; second the FRE was calculated on the remaining set of unused markers. Additionally, the deformation of the patientˈs abdominal surface between CT and SPECT acquisition sessions was evaluated using the distances between all possible unused marker pairs on the CT and SPECT images separately. The root mean square of the CT‐to‐SPECT difference between those distances was used to define the deformation index (DI). The registration method was evaluated on all ten patients in addition to an anthropomorphic phantom study.Results:The minimum number of markers above which the registration was not improved by more than 1 mm was 4. The FRE, calculated over the 5 remaining markers, was 6.1 mm for the patient population and 1.8 mm for the phantom study. The DI was 5.0 mm on average over all 10 patients and correlated well with the FRE. The DI was 1.6 mm for the phantom study, which represented the imaging systems’ resolution and the ability to place the CT and SPECT markers at the exact same location.Conclusions:It is feasible to use radiolabeled and radiopaque dual body surface markers for registration of SPECT and CT images acquired in separate sessions allowing conformal avoidance of SPECT‐defined functional normal liver. Point‐based rigid registration accuracy on the patient surface of 6.1 mm can be achieved using 4 dual body surface markers. The main contribution to the registration error is the deformation of the abdominal surface, arising from the inability to setup the patient in the exact same position at different times on two different imaging systems, and to properly account for breathing artifacts on the CT and SPECT images.
Carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis by a self‐normalization process and ultrasound compound imaging
Authors: Liao Yin‐Yin , Wu Chin‐Chou , Kuo Tai‐Tzung , Chen Jiann‐Perng , Hsu Yen‐Wei , Yeh Chih‐Kuang 
Published: November 2012

Purpose:Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the common entrapment neuropathy that occurs due to compression of the median nerve at the wrist. Ultrasound images have been used to highlight anatomical variants of the median nerve, and CTS is thought to be associated to enlargement of the cross‐sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve. However, there remains controversy regarding the most appropriate cutoff values of the computer measurements including the CSA, flattening ratio, and palmar bowing of median nerve, especially given that they can be influenced by image artifacts and factors that differ between individual patients. This study proposed a modified ultrasound compound imaging technique by moving fingers to reduce image artifacts, and the estimates of the normalized CSA [i.e., CSA at the wrist (CSAw) to CSA at the midforearm] with the aim of reducing discrepancies in CSA estimates and improving the ability of CTS discrimination.Methods:The subjects were examined with their arms supine and while they were making repetitive movements of their fingers (from an open palm into a clenched fist) within 3 s. By a commercial ultrasound scanner with a 10‐MHz linear array transducer, a total of 70 images were acquired in each subject. The frame rate of ultrasound system was 25 fps. Nine frames in the acquisition sequence that had produced partial speckle decorrelation were incoherently added to form a compound image, and the inplane motion of them was corrected using the multilevel block‐sum pyramid algorithm. The manual contours outlined by ten experimenters and three physicians were used to test the performance in determining the boundary of the median nerve. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the usefulness of the estimates in distinguishing healthy volunteers from CTS patients.Results:The manual contours of the median nerve in the compound images had an average area overlap exceeding 90% and relatively small area errors. The areas under the ROC curve obtained using the CSAw estimates for the original and compound images were 0.60 ± 0.09 (mean ± standard error) and 0.80 ± 0.05, respectively; that using normalized CSA estimates for the original and compound images were 0.76 ± 0.04 and 0.89 ± 0.04, respectively. The results show that variations in the CSAw values of compound images for healthy overweight and obese subjects can adversely influence CTS diagnosis, but that this can be overcome using the normalized CSA estimate of compound images.Conclusions:Compound imaging provides images of superior quality for determining the location of the median nerve boundary. Using the normalized CSA estimate would assist in eliminating problems associated with variability between populations, since the subject becomes his or her own internal control, thereby improving the ultrasound‐based diagnosis of CTS.