bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of non‐surgical periodontal treatment on short chain fatty acid levels in gingival crevicular fluid of patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis
Authors: Lu R. , Meng H. , Gao X. , Xu L. , Feng X. 
Published: November 2013

Background and ObjectiveShort chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play important roles in periodontal diseases. However, the concentrations of SCFAs in gingival crevicular fluid of patients with aggressive periodontitis are not known. The aim of this intervention study was to investigate the influences of non‐surgical periodontal therapy on levels of SCFAs in the gingival crevicular fluid of patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis (G‐AgP), and analyze the concentrations of SCFAs in sites with or without the detected putative periodontal pathogens.Material and MethodsEighty gingival crevicular fluid samples (four per subject) were collected on filter paper strips from patients with G‐AgP (n = 20; mean age 24.5 years), before and at 2 wk, 2, 4 and 6 mo after non‐surgical periodontal treatment. Eighty gingival crevicular fluid samples (four per subject) were collected from periodontally healthy controls (n = 20; mean age 26.2 years). Concentrations of formic acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and isovaleric acid from the supernatant of gingival crevicular fluid samples were measured by high performance capillary electrophoresis. Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia and Fusobacterium nucleatum from the precipitate of the same pretreatment samples of gingival crevicular fluids were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction amplification.ResultsThe clinical parameters of patients with G‐AgP during the 6 mo after non‐surgical periodontal treatment were improved remarkably. The formic acid concentration increased significantly after treatment; the level of formic acid was lower in the P. gingivalis‐, T. denticola‐, P. intermedia‐ or F. nucleatum‐positive sites compared with the negative sites. The concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid reduced significantly after treatment and reached the lowest level at 2 wk post‐treatment, although showed a tendency to increase after 2 mo post‐treatment, and the three SCFA levels were significantly higher in P. gingivalis‐, T. denticola‐, P. intermedia‐ or F. nucleatum‐positive sites compared with those in the negative sites.ConclusionNon‐surgical periodontal treatment resulted in a significant decrease of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid levels and increase of formic acid level in gingival crevicular fluids in patients with G‐AgP, accompanied by improvement in clinical parameters. A marked lower level of formic acid, as well as higher levels of acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid in gingival crevicular fluid of patients with G‐AgP was consistent with periodontal pathogen infection.
Effect of the concentration of phenothiazine photosensitizers in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy on bone loss and the immune inflammatory response of induced periodontitis in rats
Authors: Garcia V. G. , Longo M. , Gualberto Júnior E. C. , Bosco A. F. , Nagata M. J. H. , Ervolino E. , Theodoro L. H. 
Published: November 2013

Background and ObjectiveAntimicrobial therapy can suppress periodontal pathogens and increase the effectiveness of conventional mechanical treatment. The aim of this study was to assess bone loss and the immune inflammatory response of rats under the influence of two photosensitizing agents (MB and TBO) at two different concentrations in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), used as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of periodontitis.Material and MethodsPeriodontitis was induced in the mandibular first molars of 162 rats. The animals were divided into nine groups: G1 – scaling and root planing (SRP); G2 – SRP plus 100 μg/mL of methylene blue (MB); G3 – SRP plus 10 mg/mL of MB; G4 – SRP plus 100 μg/mL of toluidine blue (TBO); G5 – SRP plus 10 mg/mL of TBO; G6 – SRP plus 100 μg/mL of MB and laser; G7 – SRP plus 10 mg/mL of MB and laser; G8 – SRP plus 100 μg/mL of TBO and laser; and G9 – SRP plus 10 mg/mL of TBO and laser. Six animals from each group were euthanized 7, 15, or 30 d after treatment. Bone loss (BL) in the furcation region was evaluated using histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses to detect the receptor activator of nuclear factor‐Κappa B ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP).ResultsThere was significantly less BL in animals treated with aPDT using low concentrations of MB and TBO at 7, 15 and 30 d. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed decreased RANKL and increased OPG in the aPDT groups and decreased TRAP‐positive cells in G6 and G8.ConclusionsaPDT, using low concentrations of MB and TBO, was the most effective adjuvant therapy to SRP, acting indirectly as a downregulator of the molecular mechanisms that control bone resorption in periodontitis.
Green tea extract and its major constituent, epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate, induce epithelial beta‐defensin secretion and prevent beta‐defensin degradation by Porphyromonas gingivalis
Authors: Lombardo Bedran T. B. , Feghali K. , Zhao L. , Palomari Spolidorio D. M. , Grenier D. 
Published: November 2013

Background and ObjectiveAntimicrobial peptides, such as beta‐defensins, secreted by gingival epithelial cells, are thought to play a major role in preventing periodontal diseases. In the present study, we investigated the ability of green tea polyphenols to induce human beta‐defensin (hBD) secretion in gingival epithelial cells and to protect hBDs from proteolytic degradation by Porphyromonas gingivalis.Material and MethodsGingival epithelial cells were treated with various amounts (25–200 μg/mL) of green tea extract or epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG). The secretion of hBD1 and hBD2 was measured using ELISAs, and gene expression was quantified by real‐time PCR. The treatments were also carried out in the presence of specific kinase inhibitors to identify the signaling pathways involved in hBD secretion. The ability of green tea extract and EGCG to prevent hBD degradation by proteases of P. gingivalis present in a bacterial culture supernatant was evaluated by ELISA.ResultsThe secretion of hBD1 and hBD2 was up‐regulated, in a dose‐dependent manner, following the stimulation of gingival epithelial cells with a green tea extract or EGCG. Expression of the hBD gene in gingival epithelial cells treated with green tea polyphenols was also increased. EGCG‐induced secretion of hBD1 and hBD2 appeared to involve extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase. Lastly, green tea extract and EGCG prevented the degradation of recombinant hBD1 and hBD2 by a culture supernatant of P. gingivalis.ConclusionGreen tea extract and EGCG, through their ability to induce hBD secretion by epithelial cells and to protect hBDs from proteolytic degradation by P. gingivalis, have the potential to strengthen the epithelial antimicrobial barrier. Future clinical studies will indicate whether these polyphenols represent a valuable therapeutic agent for treating/preventing periodontal diseases.
Canary Grasses (Phalaris, Poaceae): biogeography, molecular dating and the role of floret structure in dispersal
Authors: Voshell Stephanie M. , Hilu Khidir W. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractCanary grasses (Phalaris, Poaceae) include 21 species, widely spread throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the world with two centres of diversity: the Mediterranean Basin and western North America. The genus contains annual and perennial, endemic, cosmopolitan, wild, and invasive species with diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid cytotypes. As such, Phalaris presents an ideal platform to study diversification via historic hybridization and polyploidy events, and geographical dispersal in grasses. We present the first empirical phylogeographic study for Phalaris testing current, intuitive hypotheses on the centres of origin, historic dispersal events and diversification within a geological timeframe. Bayesian methods (beast, version 1.6.2) were used to establish divergence dates, and dispersal–vicariance analyses (rasp, version 2.1b) were implemented for ancestral node reconstructions. Our phylogeographic results indicate that the genus emerged during the Miocene epoch [20.6–8.4 Ma (million years ago)] in the Mediterranean basin followed by dispersal and vicariance events to Africa, Asia and the Americas. We propose that a diploid ancestor of P. arundinacea migrated to western North America via the Bering Strait, where further diversification emerged in the New World. It appears that polyploidy played a major role in the evolution of the genus in the Old World, while diversification in the New World followed a primarily diploid pathway. Dispersal to various parts of the Americas followed different routes. Fertile florets with hairy protruding sterile lemmas showed significant correlation with wider geographical distribution.
Limitations and vulnerabilities of the neonatal cardiovascular system: considerations for anesthetic management
Authors: Wolf Andrew R. , Humphry Adrian T. 
Published: November 2013

SummaryDevelopment of the cardiovascular system through the last trimester of pregnancy and the subsequent neonatal period is profound. Morphological changes within the myocardium make the heart vulnerable to challenges such as fluid shifts and anesthetic drugs. The sensitivity of the myocardium to metabolic challenges and potential harm of drugs needed to maintain adequate blood pressure and cardiac output are highlighted. Traditional monitoring under anesthesia has focussed on maintaining oxygenation and heart rate in the neonate with less attention paid to blood pressure, cardiac output, and more importantly organ well‐being. There is now a better understanding of the limitations of blood pressure homeostasis in the neonate and the potential consequences of marginal hypoperfusion. This article highlights some of these vulnerabilities particularly as they relate to anesthesia and surgery in the very young.
Rice sucrose transporter1 (OsSUT1) up‐regulation in xylem parenchyma is caused by aphid feeding on rice leaf blade vascular bundles
Authors: Ibraheem O. , Botha C. E. J. , Bradley G. , Dealtry G. , Roux S. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThe role of the sucrose transporter OsSUT1 in assimilate retrieval via the xylem, as a result of damage to and leakage from punctured phloem was examined after rusty plum aphid (Hysteroneura setariae, Thomas) infestation on leaves from 3‐week‐old rice (Oryza sativa L. cv Nipponbare) plants. Leaves were examined over a 1‐ to 10‐day infestation time course, using a combination of gene expression and β‐glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene analyses. qPCR and Western blot analyses revealed differential expression of OsSUT1 during aphid infestation. Wide‐field fluorescence microscopy was used to confirm the expression of OsSUT1‐promoter::GUS reporter gene in vascular parenchyma associated with xylem elements, as well as in companion cells associated with phloem sieve tubes of large, intermediate and small vascular bundles within the leaf blade, in regions where the aphids had settled and were feeding. Of great interest was up‐regulation of OsSUT1 expression associated with the xylem parenchyma cells, abutting the metaxylem vessels, which confirmed that OsSUT1 was not only involved in loading of sugars into the phloem under normal physiological conditions, but was apparently involved in the retrieval of sucrose leaked into the xylem conduits, which occurred as a direct result of aphid feeding, probing and puncturing of vascular bundles. The up‐regulation of OsSUT1 in xylem vascular parenchyma thus provides evidence in support of the location within the xylem parenchyma cells of an efficient mechanism to ensure sucrose recovery after loss to the apoplast (xylem) after aphid‐related feeding damage and its transfer back to the symplast (phloem) in O. sativa leaves.
Systematic review of the proportion of pregnancy‐related deaths attributed to HIV in population‐based studies in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Grollman C. , Ronsmans C. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractObjectivesTo estimate the proportion of pregnancy‐related deaths attributed to HIV in population‐based studies in sub‐Saharan Africa, and to document the methods used to make such attribution.MethodsFour databases were searched for studies on causes of maternal and pregnancy‐related mortality published from 2003 to June 2013. Data were extracted, and meta‐analysis of proportions with random effects was used to obtain summary estimates.ResultsIn the 19 studies found, the proportion of deaths attributed to HIV ranged from 0.0% to 27.0%. The summary proportion was 3.4% (95% confidence interval: 1.8–6.3), with high heterogeneity. Subregionally, the summary proportions were 1.1% (0.4–3.3%) in West Africa, 4.5% (1.7–11.2%) in East Africa and 26.1% (21.9–30.7%) in Southern Africa. Criteria for assigning HIV as a cause of maternal death were rarely reported, and overall, methods were poor.ConclusionsThe proportion of pregnancy‐related/maternal deaths attributed to HIV is substantially lower than modelled estimates, but comparisons are hampered by the absence of standard approaches. Clear guidelines on how to classify pregnancy‐related deaths as attributable to HIV are urgently needed, so that the effect of the HIV epidemic on pregnancy‐related mortality can be monitored and action taken accordingly.
Physiological mechanisms of sex differences in exertional dyspnoea: role of neural respiratory motor drive
Authors: Schaeffer Michele R. , Mendonca Cassandra T. , Levangie Marc C. , Andersen Ross E. , Taivassalo Tanja , Jensen Dennis 
Published: November 2013

New Findings
What is the central question of this study?
Does the combination of a higher neural respiratory drive and greater dynamic mechanical ventilatory constraints during exercise in healthy women versus men form the mechanistic basis of sex differences in activity‐related dyspnoea?
What is the main finding and its importance?
Sex differences in activity‐related dyspnoea in health primarily reflected the awareness of a higher neural respiratory drive needed to achieve any given ventilation during exercise in the setting of relatively greater dynamic mechanical ventilatory constraints in women. These findings may have implications for our understanding of the mechanisms of sex differences in exertional dyspnoea in variants of health (e.g. the elderly) and in patients with cardiorespiratory disease.
The purpose of this study was to elucidate the physiological mechanisms of sex differences in exertional dyspnoea. We compared detailed measures of neural respiratory motor drive [diaphragmatic EMG (EMGdi) expressed as a percentage of maximal EMGdi (EMGdi%max)], breathing pattern, operating lung volumes, dynamic respiratory mechanics [tidal oesophageal (Poes,tidal%peak) and transdiaphragmatic pressure swings (Pdi,tidal%peak) expressed as a percentage of their respective peak values] and sensory intensity and unpleasantness ratings of dyspnoea during symptom‐limited incremental cycle exercise in healthy young women (n = 25) and men (n = 25). The tidal volume to forced vital capacity ratio (VT%FVC), breathing frequency, EMGdi%max, Poes,tidal%peak, Pdi,tidal%peak and sensory intensity and unpleasantness ratings of dyspnoea were higher, while dynamic inspiratory capacity and inspiratory reserve volume were lower at a standardized absolute ventilation of 55 l min−1 during submaximal exercise in women versus men (all P < 0.05). In contrast, sex had no demonstrable effect on the inter‐relationships between exercise‐induced increases in VT%FVC, EMGdi%max and sensory intensity and unpleasantness ratings of dyspnoea. The results of this study suggest that sex differences in the intensity and unpleasantness of exertional dyspnoea in health are likely to reflect the awareness of a relatively higher neural respiratory motor drive (or EMGdi%max) needed to achieve any given ventilation during exercise in the setting of relatively greater dynamic mechanical constraints on VT expansion in women.
Modifiers of heart and muscle function: where genetics meets physiology
Authors: Swaggart Kayleigh A. , McNally Elizabeth M. 
Published: November 2013

New Findings
What is the topic of this review?
Genetic modifiers act on many different physiological aspects of muscle disease. Understanding and identifying such modifiers is important because their discovery may help to predict the course of muscle disease and also indicate pathways to be exploited in designing new therapeutics.
What advances does it highlight?
Genetic modifiers have been identified that act primarily on limb skeletal muscles. Newer modifiers, where the responsible gene has yet to be identified, alter the course of cardiopulmonary dysfunction in muscular dystrophy. Distinct modifiers that act differentially on limb skeletal muscles versus heart and respiratory muscles reflect underlying physiological differences of these muscle groups.
Many single‐gene disorders are associated with a range of symptoms that cannot be explained solely by the primary genetic mutation. Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder associated with variable outcomes that arise from both the primary genetic mutation and the contribution from environmental and genetic modifiers. Disruption of the dystrophin complex occurs in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and limb girdle muscular dystrophy, producing heart and muscle disease through a cellular injury process characterized by plasma membrane disruption and fibrosis. Multiple modifier loci have been mapped by using a mouse model of muscular dystrophy. These modifiers exert their effect often on specific muscle groups targeted by the muscular dystrophy process, possibly reflecting distinct pathophysiological processes among muscle groups. Genetic modifiers act on both cardiac and respiratory muscle parameters, suggesting genetic and physiological integration of cardiopulmonary function. Skeletal muscles of the limbs are modified by a locus on mouse chromosome 7. This region of chromosome 7 harbours an insertion/deletion polymorphism in Ltbp4, the gene encoding latent transforming growth factor β binding protein 4. LTBP4 exerts its effect in muscle disease by acting on plasma membrane stability and fibrosis, thereby linking instability of the sarcolemma directly to fibrosis. In the human muscle disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy, protein coding single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in LTBP4 associate with prolonged ambulation, demonstrating that modifiers identified from mouse studies translate to human disease.
Harnessing Genetic Diversity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Fermentation of Xylose in Hydrolysates of Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide-Pretreated Biomass
Authors: Sato Trey K. , Liu Tongjun , Parreiras Lucas S. , Williams Daniel L. , Wohlbach Dana J. , Bice Benjamin D. , Ong Irene M. , Breuer Rebecca J. , Qin Li , Busalacchi Donald , Deshpande Shweta , Daum Chris , Gasch Audrey P. , Hodge David B. 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT

The fermentation of lignocellulose-derived sugars, particularly xylose, into ethanol by the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
is known to be inhibited by compounds produced during feedstock pretreatment. We devised a strategy that combined chemical profiling of pretreated feedstocks, high-throughput phenotyping of genetically diverse
S. cerevisiae
strains isolated from a range of ecological niches, and directed engineering and evolution against identified inhibitors to produce strains with improved fermentation properties. We identified and quantified for the first time the major inhibitory compounds in alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP)-pretreated lignocellulosic hydrolysates, including Na
+
, acetate, and
p
-coumaric (
p
CA) and ferulic (FA) acids. By phenotyping these yeast strains for their abilities to grow in the presence of these AHP inhibitors, one heterozygous diploid strain tolerant to all four inhibitors was selected, engineered for xylose metabolism, and then allowed to evolve on xylose with increasing amounts of
p
CA and FA. After only 149 generations, one evolved isolate, GLBRCY87, exhibited faster xylose uptake rates in both laboratory media and AHP switchgrass hydrolysate than its ancestral GLBRCY73 strain and completely converted 115 g/liter of total sugars in undetoxified AHP hydrolysate into more than 40 g/liter ethanol. Strikingly, genome sequencing revealed that during the evolution from GLBRCY73, the GLBRCY87 strain acquired the conversion of heterozygous to homozygous alleles in chromosome VII and amplification of chromosome XIV. Our approach highlights that simultaneous selection on xylose and
p
CA or FA with a wild
S. cerevisiae
strain containing inherent tolerance to AHP pretreatment inhibitors has potential for rapid evolution of robust properties in lignocellulosic biofuel production.
A Vector Library for Silencing Central Carbon Metabolism Genes with Antisense RNAs in Escherichia coli
Authors: Nakashima Nobutaka , Ohno Satoshi , Yoshikawa Katsunori , Shimizu Hiroshi , Tamura Tomohiro 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT

We describe here the construction of a series of 71 vectors to silence central carbon metabolism genes in
Escherichia coli
. The vectors inducibly express antisense RNAs called paired-terminus antisense RNAs, which have a higher silencing efficacy than ordinary antisense RNAs. By measuring mRNA amounts, measuring activities of target proteins, or observing specific phenotypes, it was confirmed that all the vectors were able to silence the expression of target genes efficiently. Using this vector set, each of the central carbon metabolism genes was silenced individually, and the accumulation of metabolites was investigated. We were able to obtain accurate information on ways to increase the production of pyruvate, an industrially valuable compound, from the silencing results. Furthermore, the experimental results of pyruvate accumulation were compared to
in silico
predictions, and both sets of results were consistent. Compared to the gene disruption approach, the silencing approach has an advantage in that any
E. coli
strain can be used and multiple gene silencing is easily possible in any combination.
Vibrio vulnificus Bacteriophage SSP002 as a Possible Biocontrol Agent
Authors: Lee Hyun Sung , Choi Slae , Shin Hakdong , Lee Ju-Hoon , Choi Sang Ho 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT

A novel
Vibrio vulnificus
-infecting bacteriophage, SSP002, belonging to the
Siphoviridae
family, was isolated from the coastal area of the Yellow Sea of South Korea. Host range analysis revealed that the growth inhibition of phage SSP002 is relatively specific to
V. vulnificus
strains from both clinical and environmental samples. In addition, a one-step growth curve analysis and a bacteriophage stability test revealed a latent period of 65 min, a burst size of 23 ± 2 PFU, as well as broad temperature (20°C to 60°C) and pH stability (pH 3 to 12) ranges. A Tn
5
random transposon mutation of
V. vulnificus
and partial DNA sequencing of the inserted Tn
5
regions revealed that the
flhA
,
flhB
,
fliF
, and
fleQ
mutants are resistant to SSP002 phage infection, suggesting that the flagellum may be the host receptor for infection. The subsequent construction of specific gene-inactivated mutants (
flhA
,
flhB
,
fliF
, and
fleQ
) and complementation experiments substantiated this. Previously, the genome of phage SSP002 was completely sequenced and analyzed. Comparative genomic analysis of phage SSP002 and
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
phage vB_VpaS_MAR10 showed differences among their tail-related genes, supporting different host ranges at the species level, even though their genome sequences are highly similar. An additional mouse survival test showed that the administration of phage SSP002 at a multiplicity of infection of 1,000 significantly protects mice from infection by
V. vulnificus
for up to 2 months, suggesting that this phage may be a good candidate for the development of biocontrol agents against
V. vulnificus
infection.