bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of Differentially Expressed Water‐insoluble Proteins in the Encystment Process of Colpoda cucullus by Two‐dimensional Electrophoresis and LC‐MS/MS Analysis
Authors: Sogame Yoichiro , Kojima Katsuhiko , Takeshita Toshikazu , Kinoshita Eiji , Matsuoka Tatsuomi 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTIn the encystment process of the ciliate protist Colpoda cucullus, we observed that the cell total protein abundance was reduced at 12 h–1 d after the onset of encystment induction subsequent to the reduction in mRNA abundance. We analyzed the alteration of the expression levels of water‐insoluble proteins by two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween‐80), and we identified proteins whose expression levels were altered in the encystment process by a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The expression level of a 60‐kDa protein (p60; heat shock protein 60) was temporarily enhanced and that of a 55‐kDa protein (p55; actin) and a 49‐kDa protein (p49; actin) was enhanced in the Colpoda encystment process. In mature cysts, the expression level of p55 and p49 tended to be reduced, whereas the expression level of a 50‐kDa protein (p50d; α‐tubulin), a 25‐kDa protein (p25; α‐tubulin) and a 52‐kDa protein (p52c; β‐tubulin) was enhanced.
Climate Change and Structural Vulnerability of a Metropolitan Energy System
Authors: Gößling‐Reisemann Stefan , Wachsmuth Jakob , Stührmann Sönke , von Gleich Arnim 
Published: October 2013

SummaryIn this article, we present methodology and results of a vulnerability assessment of the energy system of the metropolitan region Bremen‐Oldenburg in Northwest Germany.This work is part of the regional climate adaptation project “nordwest2050” aiming at innovative solutions toward a climate‐proof and resilient region. Methodologically, we extended the established vulnerability assessment based on climate change impacts by a structural analysis, highlighting general weaknesses of the metropolitan energy system. Our findings indicate that the structural vulnerabilities of the energy system around Bremen‐Oldenburg pose a greater threat to maintaining the system's services than climate change itself. Climate‐change–based vulnerabilities, however, aggravate many of the structural vulnerabilities and therefore demand attention in their own right. The structural vulnerabilities mainly originate from political and regulatory uncertainties, turbulent market conditions, conflicts along the supply chains, and the current dynamics in the energy sector induced by increased climate mitigation efforts. One of our main conclusions is thus that the metropolitan energy system's capabilities to handle turbulence, perturbations, and surprises must be improved. This will also help in reducing the climate‐change vulnerabilities, because such a system is better equipped when facing currently hard‐to‐predict changes in climate parameters. The results of the assessment described here will be used as the starting point to find options for innovations toward a climate‐proof and resilient energy system for the region in the course of the remaining project.
SCA14 mutation V138E leads to partly unfolded PKCγ associated with an exposed C‐terminus, altered kinetics, phosphorylation and enhanced insolubilization
Authors: Jezierska Justyna , Goedhart Joachim , Kampinga Harm H. , Reits Eric A. , Verbeek Dineke S. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe protein kinase C γ (PKCγ) undergoes multistep activation and participates in various cellular processes in Purkinje cells. Perturbations in its phosphorylation state, conformation or localization can disrupt kinase signalling, such as in spinocerebellar ataxia type 14 (SCA14) that is caused by missense mutations in PRKCG encoding for PKCγ. We previously showed that SCA14 mutations enhance PKCγ membrane translocation upon stimulation owing to an altered protein conformation. As the faster translocation did not result in an increased function, we examined how SCA14 mutations induce this altered conformation of PKCγ and what the consequences of this conformational change are on PKCγ life cycle. Here, we show that SCA14‐related PKCγ‐V138E exhibits an exposed C‐terminus as shown by fluorescence resonance energy transfer‐fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy in living cells, indicative of its partial unfolding. This conformational change was associated with faster phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate‐induced translocation and accumulation of fully phosphorylated PKCγ in the insoluble fraction, which could be rescued by coexpressing PDK1 kinase that normally triggers PKCγ autophosphorylation. We propose that the SCA14 mutation V138E causes unfolding of the C1B domain and exposure of the C‐terminus of the PKCγ‐V138E molecule, resulting in a decrease of functional kinase in the soluble fraction.
imageHere, we show that the mutation V138E of the protein kinase C γ (PKCγ) C1B domain (PKCγ‐V138E), which is implicated in spinocerebellar ataxia type 14, exhibits a partially unfolded C‐terminus. This leads to unusually fast phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate‐induced membrane translocation and accumulation of phosphorylated PKCγ‐V138E in the insoluble fraction, causing loss of the functional kinase. In contrast to general chaperones, coexpression of PKCγ's ‘natural chaperone’, PDK1 kinase, could rescue the PKCγ‐V138E phenotype.
Mutant SOD1 inhibits ER‐Golgi transport in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Atkin Julie D. , Farg Manal A. , Soo Kai Ying , Walker Adam K. , Halloran Mark , Turner Bradley J. , Nagley Phillip , Horne Malcolm K. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractCu/Zn‐superoxide dismutase is misfolded in familial and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but it is not clear how this triggers endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress or other pathogenic processes. Here, we demonstrate that mutant SOD1 (mSOD1) is predominantly found in the cytoplasm in neuronal cells. Furthermore, we show that mSOD1 inhibits secretory protein transport from the ER to Golgi apparatus. ER‐Golgi transport is linked to ER stress, Golgi fragmentation and axonal transport and we also show that inhibition of ER‐Golgi trafficking preceded ER stress, Golgi fragmentation, protein aggregation and apoptosis in cells expressing mSOD1. Restoration of ER‐Golgi transport by over‐expression of coatomer coat protein II subunit Sar1 protected against inclusion formation and apoptosis, thus linking dysfunction in ER‐Golgi transport to cellular pathology. These findings thus link several cellular events in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis into a single mechanism occurring early in mSOD1 expressing cells.imageCu/Zn‐superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is misfolded in familial and sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, but it is unclear how this triggers endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and other cellular events. Here, we show that mutant SOD1 inhibits protein transport from the ER to Golgi apparatus prior to ER stress, Golgi fragmentation and apoptosis, and restoration of transport prevents inclusion formation and apoptosis. COPII: coatomer coat protein II.
Over‐expression of an inactive mutant cathepsin D increases endogenous alpha‐synuclein and cathepsin B activity in SH‐SY5Y cells
Authors: Crabtree Donna , Dodson Matthew , Ouyang Xiaosen , Boyer‐Guittaut Michaël , Liang Qiuli , Ballestas Mary E. , Fineberg Naomi , Zhang Jianhua 
Published: October 2013

AbstractParkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative movement disorder. The histopathology of Parkinson's disease comprises proteinaceous inclusions known as Lewy bodies, which contains aggregated α‐synuclein. Cathepsin D (CD) is a lysosomal protease previously demonstrated to cleave α‐synuclein and decrease its toxicity in both cell lines and mouse brains in vivo. Here, we show that pharmacological inhibition of CD, or introduction of catalytically inactive mutant CD, resulted in decreased CD activity and increased cathepsin B activity, suggesting a possible compensatory response to inhibition of CD activity. However, this increased cathepsin B activity was not sufficient to maintain α‐synuclein degradation, as evidenced by the accumulation of endogenous α‐synuclein. Interestingly, the levels of LC3, LAMP1, and LAMP2, proteins involved in autophagy‐lysosomal activities, as well as total lysosomal mass as assessed by LysoTracker flow cytometry, were unchanged. Neither autophagic flux nor proteasomal activities differs between cells over‐expressing wild‐type versus mutant CD. These observations point to a critical regulatory role for that endogenous CD activity in dopaminergic cells in α‐synuclein homeostasis which cannot be compensated for by increased Cathepsin B. These data support the potential need to enhance CD function in order to attenuate α‐synuclein accumulation as a therapeutic strategy against development of synucleinopathy.imageInsufficiencies in the autophagy‐lysosome pathway may contribute to neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis and progression. We found that a catalytically inactive mutant cathepsin D (D295N CD) decreases endogenous CD activity, similar to inhibition of endogenous CD activity by the addition of CD inhibitor, PepA, leads to accumulation of α‐synuclein, without significant changes of overall autophagy activities. As accumulation of α‐synuclein is a main pathological feature of Parkinson's disease (PD), this study further demonstrate a crucial role of CD activities in attenuation of synucleinopathies such as PD.
The Role of Friends and Peers in Adolescent Body Dissatisfaction: A Review and Critique of 15 Years of Research
Authors: Webb Haley J. , Zimmer‐Gembeck Melanie J. 
Published: October 2013

We review the research conducted in the past 15 years concerned with the role of friends and peers in adolescent body dissatisfaction. A number of friend and peer group characteristics have been associated with heightened body dissatisfaction both concurrently and longitudinally. Most widely studied and more consistently linked to body dissatisfaction are appearance teasing and perceived pressure from friends to be thin. Other interactions between friends and peers that communicate and strengthen appearance ideals and direct attention to appearance also have been associated with body dissatisfaction, including appearance‐related conversations, friends' modeling of dieting behavior, and perceptions of friends' appearance‐related attitudes. Finally, the research is critiqued, new directions considered, and strategies are proposed that could be implemented to reduce body dissatisfaction.
Oral dextrose for analgesia in neonates during nasogastric tube insertion: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Ravishankar Arjun , Thawani Rajat , Dewan Pooja , Das Saurabhi , Kashyap Archana , Batra Prerna , Faridi Moonis Mohammed Akbar 
Published: October 2013

AimThis study aims to determine if oral dextrose solution can mitigate the pain response to nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion in neonates.MethodsThe study was a double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled, randomised controlled trial. One hundred and fifty consecutive neonates were randomised into three groups to receive 25% dextrose (D25), or 10% dextrose (D10) or placebo (distilled water). An NGT was inserted after giving 2 mL of one of the solutions orally. Pain response was assessed using the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP), and the duration of cry was noted within 60 s of the intervention. Total PIPP score, duration of cry, change in heart rate and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were compared among the three groups.ResultsNeonates who received D25 had significantly lesser pain response to NGT insertion in terms of lower PIPP score (P < 0.05) and duration of cry (P = 0.001) compared to D10. There was a significantly smaller increase in heart rate and decrease in SpO2 (P < 0.05). In comparison with placebo, D10 significantly decreased duration of cry (P < 0.05) but not PIPP score.ConclusionOral D25 was effective in reducing the pain response during NGT insertion in neonates when compared with oral D10 and placebo. Oral D10 was not found to have a potent analgesic effect for the same.
Reducing the pain of intramuscular benzathine penicillin injections in the rheumatic fever population of Counties Manukau District Health Board
Authors: Russell Kathryn , Nicholson Ross , Naidu Rajeshni 
Published: October 2013

AimTo evaluate the effectiveness of lignocaine and a vibrating device with cold pack (Buzzy) for pain management of intramuscular (IM) benzathine penicillin injections in the rheumatic fever (RF) population of Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB).MethodsFour hundred and five RF patients receiving four weekly injections in the CMDHB region were offered 0.25 mL of lignocaine 2% and Buzzy for pain management of their injections. The lignocaine was mixed in with the benzathine penicillin prior to administration. A pre and post survey assessed pain scores during, 2‐min and 1‐h post administration and the following day. Questions assessing fear were also included.ResultsIn total 49% of patients responded to the survey. There were 118 surveys paired pre and post intervention. Pain at injection delivery and fear scores were higher for participants ≤13 years of age. Overall pain scores were significantly reduced over all four time points. There was also a significant reduction in fear of the injections. Lignocaine and Buzzy resulted in a greater reduction in pain than lignocaine alone, only when the injection was being administered to those ≤13 years. After five months, a file audit showed that 66% of all RF patients of CMDHB were choosing to use lignocaine and 43% were choosing to use Buzzy. In total, 71% of all RF patients were choosing one or both of these analgesic interventions.ConclusionThis study demonstrates a clinically important reduction in the subjective experience of pain when two analgesic interventions were offered with IM delivery of benzathine penicillin. These pain reduction strategies have been popular in the RF population of CMDHB with a 71% uptake and a corresponding reduction in pain and fear.
Interpretation of World Health Organization growth charts for assessing infant malnutrition: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Ahmad Umar N , Yiwombe Mwawi , Chisepo Patrick , Cole Tim J , Heikens Geert T , Kerac Marko 
Published: October 2013

AimsThe study aims to assess the effects of switching from National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth references to World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards on health‐care workers' decisions about malnutrition in infants aged <6 months.MethodsWe conducted a single blind randomised crossover trial involving 78 health‐care workers (doctors, clinical officers, health service assistants) in Southern Malawi. Participants were offered hypothetical clinical scenarios with the same infant plotted on NCHS‐based weight‐for‐age charts and again on WHO‐based charts. Additional scenarios compared growth charts with a single final weight against charts with the same final weight plus a preceding growth trend. Reported (i) level of concern, (ii) referral suggestions and (iii) feeding advice were elicited with a questionnaire.ResultsEven after adjusting for health‐care worker type and experience, using WHO rather than NCHS charts increased: (i) concern: aOR 4.4 (95% CI 2.4–8.1); (ii) odds of referral: aOR 5.1 (95% CI 2.4–10.8); and (iii) odds of feeding advice which would interrupt exclusive breastfeeding (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2–4.9). A preceding steady growth trend line did not affect concern, referral or feeding advice.ConclusionsHealth‐care workers take insufficient account of linear growth trend, clinical and feeding status when interpreting a low weight‐for‐age plot. Because more infants <6 months fall below low centile lines on WHO growth charts, their use may increase inappropriate referrals and risks undermining already low rates of exclusive breastfeeding. To avoid their being misinterpreted in this way, WHO charts need accompanying guidelines and training materials that recognise and address this possible adverse effect.
Cellular localization and kinetics of the rice melatonin biosynthetic enzymes SNAT and ASMT
Authors: Byeon Yeong , Lee Hyoung Yool , Lee Kyungjin , Park Sangkyu , Back Kyoungwhan 
Published: October 2013

AbstractSerotonin N‐acetyltransferase (SNAT) and N‐acetylserotonin methyltransferase (ASMT) are the final two enzymes in the melatonin synthesis pathway in plants. Although their corresponding genes have been cloned, their cellular localization and enzymatic characteristics are unknown. Using confocal microscopy, we showed that SNAT protein is localized in chloroplasts, whereas ASMT is expressed in the cytoplasm. In vitro measurement of ASMT enzyme activity revealed a peak of activity in roots, but SNAT enzyme activity was not detected in any plant tissues. This may be attributed in part to an effect of chlorophyll because SNAT enzyme activity was greatly inhibited by chlorophyll in a dose‐dependent manner. Because the SNAT protein of cyanobacteria is thermophilic, we examined the effect of temperature on the activity of the rice SNAT and ASMT enzymes. Purified recombinant rice SNAT and ASMT enzymes had an optimum temperature for activity of 55°C. The Km and Vmax values for SNAT at 55°C were 270 μm and 3.3 nmol/min/mg protein, whereas the Km and Vmax for ASMT were 222 μm and 9 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. The catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km) values of SNAT and ASMT were 16‐fold and 4054‐fold higher at 55°C than at 30°C suggestive of increased melatonin production at high temperature in plants.
Two alternatives to the stress‐gradient hypothesis at the edge of life: the collapse of facilitation and the switch from facilitation to competition
Authors: Michalet Richard , Le Bagousse‐Pinguet Yoann , Maalouf Jean‐Paul , Lortie Christopher J. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractNew evidence demonstrates that facilitation plays a crucial role even at the edge of life in Maritime Antarctica. These findings are interpreted as support for the stress‐gradient hypothesis (SGH) – a dominant theory in plant community ecology that predicts that the frequency of facilitation directly increases with stress. A recent development to this theory, however, proposed that facilitation often collapses at the extreme end of stress and physical disturbance gradients. In this paper, we clarify the current debate on the importance of plant interactions at the edge of life by illustrating the necessity of separating the two alternatives to the SGH, namely the collapse of facilitation, and the switch from facilitation to competition occurring in water‐stressed ecosystems. These two different alternatives to the SGH are currently often amalgamated with each other, which has led to confusion in recent literature. We propose that the collapse of facilitation is generally due to a decrease in the effect of the nurse plant species, whilst the switch from facilitation to competition is driven by environmental conditions and strategy of the response species. A clear separation between those two alternatives is particularly crucial for predicting the role of plant–plant interactions in mediating species responses to global change.
A long‐term perspective on woody plant encroachment in the desert southwest, New Mexico, USA
Authors: Brunelle A. , Minckley T.A. , Delgadillo J. , Blissett S. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractObjectiveTo assess potential causes of woody plant encroachment into desert grassland systems using a 5500‐yr‐old sediment record from a ciénega in New Mexico.LocationCloverdale Ciénega, southwestern New Mexico.MethodsUtilizing fossil pollen and charcoal preserved in wetland sediments, a long‐term record of variations in vegetation composition and fire activity was generated. The record was compared to published data on drought, the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), carbon dioxide concentrations and known dates of grazing impacts to evaluate various hypotheses regarding the timing and causes of woody plant encroachment in desert grasslands.ResultsThe woody plant encroachment observed in the past 200 yrs is unprecedented in the context of the previous 5500 yrs of vegetation history. The observed increase in woody plant abundance was not related to droughts or changes in ENSO event frequency, and was contemporaneous with the rise in atmospheric CO2 and known grazing impacts. Charcoal influx increased in conjunction with historic woody plant pollen abundance and therefore the encroachment was not related to fire exclusion.ConclusionsThe long‐term sediment record from Cloverdale Ciénega provides the context for evaluation of the various hypotheses for woody plant encroachment. At Cloverdale Ciénega we demonstrate that woody plant encroachment of the last 200 yrs is unprecedented and outside of the historic natural range of variability of the previous five millennia. We also demonstrate that woody plant encroachment is not related to climatological changes such as drought or increases in ENSO frequency. Increases in woody plant pollen are associated with increases in carbon dioxide, and high‐intensity grazing during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Outlier SNP markers reveal fine‐scale genetic structuring across European hake populations (Merluccius merluccius)
Authors: Milano Ilaria , Babbucci Massimiliano , Cariani Alessia , Atanassova Miroslava , Bekkevold Dorte , Carvalho Gary R. , Espiñeira Montserrat , Fiorentino Fabio , Garofalo Germana , Geffen Audrey J. , Hansen Jakob. H. , Helyar Sarah J. , Nielsen Einar E. , Ogden Rob , Patarnello Tomaso , Stagioni Marco ,   FishPopTrace Consortium, Tinti Fausto , Bargelloni Luca 
Published: October 2013

AbstractShallow population structure is generally reported for most marine fish and explained as a consequence of high dispersal, connectivity and large population size. Targeted gene analyses and more recently genome‐wide studies have challenged such view, suggesting that adaptive divergence might occur even when neutral markers provide genetic homogeneity across populations. Here, 381 SNPs located in transcribed regions were used to assess large‐ and fine‐scale population structure in the European hake (Merluccius merluccius), a widely distributed demersal species of high priority for the European fishery. Analysis of 850 individuals from 19 locations across the entire distribution range showed evidence for several outlier loci, with significantly higher resolving power. While 299 putatively neutral SNPs confirmed the genetic break between basins (FCT = 0.016) and weak differentiation within basins, outlier loci revealed a dramatic divergence between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations (FCT range 0.275–0.705) and fine‐scale significant population structure. Outlier loci separated North Sea and Northern Portugal populations from all other Atlantic samples and revealed a strong differentiation among Western, Central and Eastern Mediterranean geographical samples. Significant correlation of allele frequencies at outlier loci with seawater surface temperature and salinity supported the hypothesis that populations might be adapted to local conditions. Such evidence highlights the importance of integrating information from neutral and adaptive evolutionary patterns towards a better assessment of genetic diversity. Accordingly, the generated outlier SNP data could be used for tackling illegal practices in hake fishing and commercialization as well as to develop explicit spatial models for defining management units and stock boundaries.