bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of nuclear medicine to achieve less invasive surgery for malignant solid tumors in children
Authors: Hotta Ryo , Fujimura Takumi , Shimojima Naoki , Nakahara Tadaki , Fuchimoto Yasushi , Hoshino Ken , Morikawa Yasuhide , Matsufuji Hiroshi , Kuroda Tatsuo 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundThe use of nuclear medicine for the management of malignant tumor, such as radioguided surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), has been widely accepted in the adult practice. However, there are very few studies to apply those techniques for pediatric diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of application of nuclear medicine in surgery for neuroblastoma (NB) or rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in children.MethodsRadioguided surgery using 123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine was performed on six children with NB. SLNB using technetium‐labeled tin or sulfur colloid was performed on two children with perineal RMS. Histological evaluation of resected specimens was performed to determine the accuracy of intraoperative detection and SLNB. All patients were evaluated for overall survival and complications.ResultsIntraoperative tumor localization using hand‐held gamma probe was helpful in 85.7% of NB patients. Sensitivity and specificity of this technique were 81.8% and 93.3%, respectively. There were no postoperative complications, and four out of five patients with high‐risk NB experienced disease‐free survival (median follow up, 57 months). Sentinel lymph nodes were easily detected in patients with perineal RMS, and histological assessment revealed complete consistency with regional lymph node status.ConclusionsNuclear medicine may have a potential application in the use of less invasive surgery for advanced NB or perineal RMS, the two most challenging pediatric malignancies.
The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Developing Networks for Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Curry Nigel , Kirwan James 
Published: April 2014

AbstractWhilst objectivist epistemologies have been dominant in productivist agriculture, the local, cultural and environmental contexts of sustainable agriculture are more fully informed by constructivist epistemologies. Within constructivism, tacit knowledge – an intuitive knowledge that cannot be formalised – is explored empirically. Six types of tacit knowledge were identified as a result of working closely with a sustainable food network: the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership. Customs cohere around integrating food with other sustainable activity; developing a complex unregulated organisation requires savoir‐faire. The unique character of Brighton has developed an operational folklore, and network identity is important, particularly in relation to conventional agriculture and to the city as a whole. A confidence in people's roles has helped define network development and using different discourses, communicating the network in diverse contexts, is important for understanding the network. All these tacit knowledge elements have a strong influence over the network but have to be assimilated knowledge rather than learned.
Transcription factor WRKY46 regulates osmotic stress responses and stomatal movement independently in Arabidopsis
Authors: Ding Zhong Jie , Yan Jing Ying , Xu Xiao Yan , Yu Di Qiu , Li Gui Xin , Zhang Shu Qun , Zheng Shao Jian 
Published: April 2014

SummaryDrought and salt stress severely inhibit plant growth and development; however, the regulatory mechanisms of plants in response to these stresses are not fully understood. Here we report that the expression of a WRKY transcription factor WRKY46 is rapidly induced by drought, salt and oxidative stresses. T–DNA insertion of WRKY46 leads to more sensitivity to drought and salt stress, whereas overexpression of WRKY46 (OV46) results in hypersensitivity in soil‐grown plants, with a higher water loss rate, but with increased tolerance on the sealed agar plates. Stomatal closing in the OV46 line is insensitive to ABA because of a reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the guard cells. We further find that WRKY46 is expressed in guard cells, where its expression is not affected by dehydration, and is involved in light‐dependent stomatal opening. Microarray analysis reveals that WRKY46 regulates a set of genes involved in cellular osmoprotection and redox homeostasis under dehydration stress, which is confirmed by ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in stressed seedlings. Moreover, WRKY46 modulates light‐dependent starch metabolism in guard cells via regulating QUA‐QUINE STARCH (QQS) gene expression. Taken together, we demonstrate that WRKY46 plays dual roles in regulating plant responses to drought and salt stress and light‐dependent stomatal opening in guard cells.
Small molecules that interact with RNA: riboswitch‐based gene control and its involvement in metabolic regulation in plants and algae
Authors: Bocobza Samuel E. , Aharoni Asaph 
Published: April 2014

SummaryRiboswitches are RNA elements that bind small molecules and in turn regulate gene expression. This mechanism allows the cell to sense the intracellular concentration of these small molecules. A particular riboswitch typically regulates its adjacent gene by altering the transcription, the translation or the splicing of this gene. Recently, a riboswitch that binds thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) was characterized and found to regulate thiamin biosynthesis in plants and algae. Furthermore, it appears that this element is an essential regulator of primary metabolism in plants. Manipulation of endogenous riboswitch activity resulted in metabolic phenotypes that underlined the role of these elements and their ligands in preserving metabolic homeostasis. This situation supports the hypothesis that riboswitches could be remnants of the most ancient metabolic regulators. Here, we review the mode of action of the plant and algal TPP riboswitch and its relevance to the metabolic network. We also discuss the potential engineering of riboswitches as metabolite sensors in plants and platforms for gene control. Whether additional such RNA‐based mechanisms exist in plants and in algae is still an open question, yet, the importance of these elements to metabolic regulation is beyond doubt.
A prenatal prediction model for total nucleated cell count increases the efficacy of umbilical cord blood banking
Authors: Manegold‐Brauer Gwendolin , Borner Barbara , Bucher Christoph , Hoesli Irène , Passweg Jakob , Girsberger Sabine , Schoetzau Andreas , Gisin Simona , Visca Eva 
Published: April 2014

BackgroundThe most important factor for the selection of an umbilical cord blood unit (CBU) for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the total nucleated cell (TNC) count as a surrogate marker for stem cell content in the CBU. At present, about one in five donors can provide a CBU with a sufficient TNC count for umbilical cord blood (UCB) banking. It is labor‐intensive to obtain consent of all eligible donors and optimization of the selection is needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate prenatal clinical predictors for TNC count that would help to identify successful UCB donors already on admission to the delivery unit.Study Design and MethodsThis study was a retrospective analysis of 758 cryopreserved CBUs, collected from 2002 to 2006. Maternal and fetal factors analyzed were maternal age, gravidity, parity, weight, height, diabetes, premature rupture of membranes, gestational age, fetal sex, and birthweight. The impact on a high TNC count (<150 × 107 vs. ≥150 × 107) of the CBU was modeled in a multivariate analysis model.ResultsFetal birthweight was the strongest predictor (p < 0.001) of TNC count of at least 150 × 107. With a composite score of parity, gestational week, maternal weight and height, fetal sex, and birthweight, a nomogram was developed that increased banking rates from 22.7% to 31.9% while decreasing the number of banked CBUs from 149 to 79.ConclusionsOur prenatal prediction model increases the efficacy of obtaining informed consent for UCB banking while still allowing relevant numbers of CBUs to be banked.
Foreign Direct Investment, Productivity, Demand for Skilled Labour and Wage Inequality: An Analysis of Uruguay
Authors: Peluffo Adriana 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThis study seeks to identify the causal effects of foreign ownership on productivity, the demand for skilled labour and wage inequality. With this aim, we use differences‐in‐differences techniques for a panel of Uruguayan manufacturing firms in the period 1997–2005. Our results seem to indicate that FDI causes higher productivity and increased demand for skilled labour. Furthermore, although average wages are higher in foreign‐owned firms than in domestic ones, the wage gap between skilled and unskilled workers is wider. It follows that promoting foreign investment enhances productivity. In addition, due to the greater demand for skilled workers, policies such as training schemes would be conducive to raising productivity still further, while other social policies could help to mitigate the wage inequality effects.
Political Connections, Government Intervention and Acquirer Performance in Cross‐border Mergers and Acquisitions: an Empirical Analysis Based on Chinese Acquirers
Authors: Yang Liuyong , Zhang Jingjing 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThe extant literature suggests that the political connections enjoyed by Chinese acquiring firms have both positive and negative effects on their performance in cross‐border mergers and acquisitions (CBMA). We employed firm‐level data on Chinese acquirers from 2001 to 2012, demonstrating that the effect of political connections on mergers and acquisitions performance is determined by external government intervention. Holding the level of political connections constant, the greater the degree of government intervention is, the worse the acquirer's performance in cross‐border mergers and acquisitions will be. We also demonstrated that political connections affect acquirer performance in cross‐border mergers and acquisitions through the channel of preferential access to bank financing, and the acquiring firms' high cash holdings, which are encouraged by the ease of bank financing, have a negative effect on acquirer CBMA performance. Using the Blinder‐Oaxaca decomposition, we investigated changes in the Chinese acquirers' performance following changes in the external policy environment in 2008 and the effect of political connections and other factors on this change.
Characterization of the canine urinary proteome
Authors: Brandt Laura E. , Ehrhart E. J. , Scherman Hataichanok , Olver Christine S. , Bohn Andrea A. , Prenni Jessica E. 
Published: April 2014

BackgroundUrine is an attractive biofluid for biomarker discovery as it is easy and minimally invasive to obtain. While numerous studies have focused on the characterization of human urine, much less research has focused on canine urine.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to characterize the universal canine urinary proteome (both soluble and exosomal), to determine the overlap between the canine proteome and a representative human urinary proteome study, to generate a resource for future canine studies, and to determine the suitability of the dog as a large animal model for human diseases.MethodsThe soluble and exosomal fractions of normal canine urine were characterized using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Biological Networks Gene Ontology (BiNGO) software was utilized to assign the canine urinary proteome to respective Gene Ontology categories, such as Cellular Component, Molecular Function, and Biological Process.ResultsOver 500 proteins were confidently identified in normal canine urine. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that exosomal proteins were largely derived from an intracellular location, while soluble proteins included both extracellular and membrane proteins. Exosome proteins were assigned to metabolic processes and localization, while soluble proteins were primarily annotated to specific localization processes. Several proteins identified in normal canine urine have previously been identified in human urine where these proteins are related to various extrarenal and renal diseases.ConclusionsThe results of this study illustrate the potential of the dog as an animal model for human disease states and provide the framework for future studies of canine renal diseases.
Molecular Method for Detection of Total Coliforms in Drinking Water Samples
Authors: Maheux Andrée F. , Boudreau Dominique K. , Bisson Marc-Antoine , Dion-Dupont Vanessa , Bouchard Sébastien , Nkuranga Martine , Bergeron Michel G. , Rodriguez Manuel J. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

This work demonstrates the ability of a bacterial concentration and recovery procedure combined with three different PCR assays targeting the
lacZ
,
wecG
, and 16S rRNA genes, respectively, to detect the presence of total coliforms in 100-ml samples of potable water (presence/absence test). PCR assays were first compared to the culture-based Colilert and MI agar methods to determine their ability to detect 147 coliform strains representing 76 species of
Enterobacteriaceae
encountered in fecal and environmental settings. Results showed that 86 (58.5%) and 109 (74.1%) strains yielded a positive signal with Colilert and MI agar methods, respectively, whereas the
lacZ
,
wecG
, and 16S rRNA PCR assays detected 133 (90.5%), 111 (75.5%), and 146 (99.3%) of the 147 total coliform strains tested. These assays were then assessed by testing 122 well water samples collected in the Québec City region of Canada. Results showed that 97 (79.5%) of the samples tested by culture-based methods and 95 (77.9%), 82 (67.2%), and 98 (80.3%) of samples tested using PCR-based methods contained total coliforms, respectively. Consequently, despite the high genetic variability of the total coliform group, this study demonstrated that it is possible to use molecular assays to detect total coliforms in potable water: the 16S rRNA molecular assay was shown to be as efficient as recommended culture-based methods. This assay might be used in combination with an
Escherichia coli
molecular assay to assess drinking water quality.
Protective Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum CCFM8610 against Chronic Cadmium Toxicity in Mice Indicate Routes of Protection besides Intestinal Sequestration
Authors: Zhai Qixiao , Wang Gang , Zhao Jianxin , Liu Xiaoming , Narbad Arjan , Chen Yong Q. , Zhang Hao , Tian Fengwei , Chen Wei 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

Our previous study confirmed the ability of
Lactobacillus plantarum
CCFM8610 to protect against acute cadmium (Cd) toxicity in mice. This study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of CCFM8610 against chronic Cd toxicity in mice and to gain insights into the protection mode of this strain. Experimental mice were divided into two groups and exposed to Cd for 8 weeks via drinking water or intraperitoneal injection. Both groups were further divided into four subgroups, control, Cd only, CCFM8610 only, and Cd plus CCFM8610. Levels of Cd were measured in the feces, liver, and kidneys, and alterations of several biomarkers of Cd toxicity were noted. The results showed that when Cd was introduced orally, cotreatment with Cd and CCFM8610 effectively decreased intestinal Cd absorption, reduced Cd accumulation in tissue, alleviated tissue oxidative stress, reversed hepatic and renal damage, and ameliorated the corresponding histopathological changes. When Cd was introduced intraperitoneally, administration of CCFM8610 did not have an impact on tissue Cd accumulation or reverse the activities of antioxidant enzymes. However, CCFM8610 still offered protection against oxidative stress and reversed the alterations of Cd toxicity biomarkers and tissue histopathology. These results suggest that CCFM8610 is effective against chronic cadmium toxicity in mice. Besides intestinal Cd sequestration, CCFM8610 treatment offers direct protection against Cd-induced oxidative stress. We also provide evidence that the latter is unlikely to be mediated via protection against Cd-induced alteration of antioxidant enzyme activities.
300-Fold Increase in Production of the Zn
2+
-Dependent Dechlorinase TrzN in Soluble Form via Apoenzyme Stabilization
Authors: Jackson Colin J. , Coppin Christopher W. , Carr Paul D. , Aleksandrov Alexey , Wilding Matthew , Sugrue Elena , Ubels Joanna , Paks Michael , Newman Janet , Peat Thomas S. , Russell Robyn J. , Field Martin , Weik Martin , Oakeshott John G. , Scott Colin 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

Microbial metalloenzymes constitute a large library of biocatalysts, a number of which have already been shown to catalyze the breakdown of toxic chemicals or industrially relevant chemical transformations. However, while there is considerable interest in harnessing these catalysts for biotechnology, for many of the enzymes, their large-scale production in active, soluble form in recombinant systems is a significant barrier to their use. In this work, we demonstrate that as few as three mutations can result in a 300-fold increase in the expression of soluble TrzN, an enzyme from
Arthrobacter aurescens
with environmental applications that catalyzes the hydrolysis of triazine herbicides, in
Escherichia coli
. Using a combination of X-ray crystallography, kinetic analysis, and computational simulation, we show that the majority of the improvement in expression is due to stabilization of the apoenzyme rather than the metal ion-bound holoenzyme. This provides a structural and mechanistic explanation for the observation that many compensatory mutations can increase levels of soluble-protein production without increasing the stability of the final, active form of the enzyme. This study provides a molecular understanding of the importance of the stability of metal ion free states to the accumulation of soluble protein and shows that differences between apoenzyme and holoenzyme structures can result in mutations affecting the stability of either state differently.
Benzoate Metabolism Intermediate Benzoyl Coenzyme A Affects Gentisate Pathway Regulation in Comamonas testosteroni
Authors: Chen Dong-Wei , Zhang Yun , Jiang Cheng-Ying , Liu Shuang-Jiang 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

A previous study showed that benzoate was catabolized via a coenzyme A (CoA)-dependent epoxide pathway in
Azoarcus evansii
(R. Niemetz, U. Altenschmidt, S. Brucker, and G. Fuchs, Eur. J. Biochem. 227:161-168, 1995), but gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase was induced. Similarly, we found that the
Comamonas testosteroni
strain CNB-1 degraded benzoate via a CoA-dependent epoxide pathway and that gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (GenA) was also induced when benzoate or 3-hydroxybenzoate served as a carbon source for growth. Genes encoding the CoA-dependent epoxide (
box
genes) and gentisate (
gen
genes) pathways were identified. Genetic disruption revealed that the
gen
genes were not involved in benzoate and 3-hydroxybenzoate degradation. Hence, we investigated
gen
gene regulation in the CNB-1 strain. The P

genA

promoter, a MarR-type regulator (GenR), and the GenR binding site were identified. We found that GenR took gentisate, 3-hydroxybenzoate, and benzoyl-CoA as effectors and that binding of GenR to its target DNA sequence was prohibited when these effectors were present.
In vivo
studies showed that the CNB-1 mutant that lost benzoyl-CoA synthesis was not able to activate P

genA

promoter, while transcription of
genA
was upregulated in another CNB-1 mutant that lost the ability to degrade benzoyl-CoA. The finding that benzoyl-CoA (a metabolic intermediate of benzoate degradation) and 3-hydroxybenzoate function as GenR effectors explains why GenA was induced when CNB-1 grew on benzoate or 3-hydroxybenzoate. Regulation of gentisate pathways by MarR-, LysR-, and IclR-type regulators in diverse bacterial groups is discussed in detail.
Pyruvate Formate-Lyase Is Essential for Fumarate-Independent Anaerobic Glycerol Utilization in the Enterococcus faecalis Strain W11
Authors: Doi Yuki , Ikegami Yuki 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

Although anaerobic glycerol metabolism in
Enterococcus faecalis
requires exogenous fumarate for NADH oxidation,
E. faecalis
strain W11 can metabolize glycerol in the absence of oxygen without exogenous fumarate. In this study, metabolic end product analyses and reporter assays probing the expression of enzymes involved in pyruvate metabolism were performed to investigate this fumarate-independent anaerobic metabolism of glycerol in W11. Under aerobic conditions, the metabolic end products of W11 cultured with glycerol were similar to those of W11 cultured with glucose. However, when W11 was cultured anaerobically, most of the glucose was converted to
l
-lactate, but glycerol was converted to ethanol and formate. During anaerobic culture with glycerol, the expression of the
l
-lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase E1αβ genes in W11 was downregulated, whereas the expression of the pyruvate formate-lyase (Pfl) and aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase genes was upregulated. These changes in the expression levels caused the change in the composition of end products. A
pflB
gene disruptant (Δ
pfl
mutant) of W11 could barely utilize glycerol under anaerobic conditions, but the growth of the Δ
pfl
mutant cultured with either glucose or dihydroxyacetone (DHA) under anaerobic conditions was the same as that of W11. Glucose metabolism and DHA generates one NADH molecule per pyruvate molecule, whereas glycerol metabolism in the dehydrogenation pathway generates two NADH molecules per pyruvate molecule. These findings demonstrate that NADH generated from anaerobic glycerol metabolism in the absence of fumarate is oxidized through the Pfl-ethanol fermentation pathway. Thus, Pfl is essential to avoid the accumulation of excess NADH during fumarate-independent anaerobic glycerol metabolism.
Two Different
rpf
Clusters Distributed among a Population of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Clinical Strains Display Differential Diffusible Signal Factor Production and Virulence Regulation
Authors: Huedo Pol , Yero Daniel , Martínez-Servat Sònia , Estibariz Iratxe , Planell Raquel , Martínez Paula , Ruyra Àngels , Roher Nerea , Roca Ignasi , Vila Jordi , Daura Xavier , Gibert Isidre 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

The quorum-sensing (QS) system present in the emerging nosocomial pathogen
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
is based on the signaling molecule diffusible signal factor (DSF). Production and detection of DSF are governed by the
rpf
cluster, which encodes the synthase RpfF and the sensor RpfC, among other components. Despite a well-studied system, little is known about its implication in virulence regulation in
S. maltophilia
. Here, we have analyzed the
rpfF
gene from 82
S. maltophilia
clinical isolates. Although
rpfF
was found to be present in all of the strains, it showed substantial variation, with two populations (
rpfF
-1 and
rpfF
-2) clearly distinguishable by the N-terminal region of the protein. Analysis of
rpfC
in seven complete genome sequences revealed a corresponding variability in the N-terminal transmembrane domain of its product, suggesting that each RpfF variant has an associated RpfC variant. We show that only RpfC–RpfF-1 variant strains display detectable DSF production. Heterologous
rpfF
complementation of Δ
rpfF
mutants of a representative strain of each variant suggests that RpfF-2 is, however, functional and that the observed DSF-deficient phenotype of RpfC–RpfF-2 variant strains is due to permanent repression of RpfF-2 by RpfC-2. This is corroborated by the Δ
rpfC
mutant of the RpfC–RpfF-2 representative strain. In line with this observations, deletion of
rpfF
from the RpfC–RpfF-1 strain leads to an increase in biofilm formation, a decrease in swarming motility, and relative attenuation in the
Caenorhabditis elegans
and zebrafish infection models, whereas deletion of the same gene from the representative RpfC–RpfF-2 strain has no significant effect on these virulence-related phenotypes.