bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The association of anthropometry indices with gout in Taiwanese men
Authors: Lin Wen-Yu , Lung Chia-Chi , Liu Ting-Sung , Jian Zhi-Hong , Ko Pei-Chieh , Huang Jing-Yang , Ho Chien-Chang , Chen Shih-Chang , Chiang Yi-Chen , Liaw Yung-Po 
Published: August 2013

Abstract

Background
To examine the association of anthropometry indices with gout and to compare the performance of indices to predict gout in Taiwanese men.

Methods
There were 1443 male subjects aged more than 20 years who participated in the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 1993–1996). Anthropometric evaluation consisted of weight, height, hip and waist circumference (WC) with later body mass index (BMI), waist to height (WHtR) and waist to hip (WHR) estimations. We conducted 4 logistic models to determine the relationships between anthropometric indices and gout. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to compare the predictive performance and to identify the optimal cut-off points, sensitivity and specificity of these indices for gout in men.

Results
After controlling for other covariables, the adjusted odds ratios for the mid and top tertiles of WHtR were 2.55 (95% CI: 1.16, 5.59) and 3.01 (95% CI: 1.13, 7.99), respectively, but no linear association was found for BMI, WHR and WC. In ROC curve, the greatest area under curve was 0.684 for WHtR and the cut-off point of WHtR was 0.57.

Conclusions
WHtR had a significant linear association with gout in Taiwanese men and was superior to BMI, WHR and WC.
Cirsium brevicaule A. GRAY leaf inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells and C57BL/6 mice
Authors: Inafuku Masashi , Nugara Ruwani N. , Kamiyama Yasuo , Futenma Itsuki , Inafuku Ayako , Oku Hirosuke 
Published: August 2013

Abstract

Background
Various flavonoids obtained from the genus Cirsium have been reported to exhibit beneficial effects on health. The present study evaluated the antiobesity effects of Cirsium brevicaule A. GRAY leaf (CL) by using 3T3-L1 cells and C57BL/6 mice that were fed a high-fat diet (HFD).

Methods
Dried CL powder was serially extracted with solvents of various polarities, and these extracts were tested for antiadipogenic activity using 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Mice were fed experimental HFD supplemented with dried CL powder for 4 wk. Lipid levels and mRNA levels of genes related to lipid metabolism were determined in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and the white adipose tissue (WAT) and liver of mice fed on a HFD.

Results
Treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with a hexane extract of CL significantly reduced cellular lipid accumulation and expression of the fatty acid synthase (FASN) gene. Dietary CL reduced the serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids in HFD-fed mice. Significant decreases in subcutaneous WAT weight and associated FASN gene expression were observed in the mice fed the experimental CL diet. Dietary CL also reduced the hepatic lipid and serum levels of a hepatopathic indicator in the HFD-fed mice. A significant reduction in mRNA levels of FASN and HMG-CoA reductase were observed in the livers of the CL-diet group. Dietary CL, on the other hand, increased in the hepatic mRNA levels of genes related to β-oxidation, namely peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, calnitine palmitoyltrasferase 1A, and uncoupling protein 2. Expression of the insulin receptor gene was also significantly increased in the livers of mice-fed the CL diet.

Conclusions
The present study therefore demonstrated that CL suppresses lipid accumulation in the WAT and liver partly through inhibiting mRNA levels of FASN gene and enhancing the lipolysis-related gene expression.
Activation state-dependent interaction between Gαq subunits and the Fhit tumor suppressor
Authors: Zuo Hao , Chan Grace P W , Zhu Jing , Yeung Wendy W S , Chan Anthony S L , Ammer Hermann , Wong Yung H 
Published: August 2013

Abstract

Background
The FHIT tumor suppressor gene is arguably the most commonly altered gene in cancer since it is inactivated in about 60% of human tumors. The Fhit protein is a member of the ubiquitous histidine triad proteins which hydrolyze dinucleoside polyphosphates such as Ap3A. Despite the fact that Fhit functions as a tumor suppressor, the pathway through which Fhit inhibits growth of cancer cells remains largely unknown. Phosphorylation by Src tyrosine kinases provides a linkage between Fhit and growth factor signaling. Since many G proteins can regulate cell proliferation through multiple signaling components including Src, we explored the relationship between Gα subunits and Fhit.

Results
Several members of the Gαq subfamily (Gα16, Gα14, and Gαq) were found to co-immunoprecipitate with Fhit in their GTP-bound active state in HEK293 cells. The binding of activated Gαq members to Fhit appeared to be direct and was detectable in native DLD-1 colon carcinoma cells. The use of Gα16/z chimeras further enabled the mapping of the Fhit-interacting domain to the α2-β4 region of Gα16. However, Gαq/Fhit did not affect either Ap3A binding and hydrolysis by Fhit, or the ability of Gαq/16 to regulate downstream effectors including phospholipase Cβ, Ras, ERK, STAT3, and IKK. Functional mutants of Fhit including the H96D, Y114F, L25W and L25W/I10W showed comparable abilities to associate with Gαq. Despite the lack of functional regulation of Gq signaling by Fhit, stimulation of Gq-coupled receptors in HEK293 and H1299 cells stably overexpressing Fhit led to reduced cell proliferation, as opposed to an enhanced cell proliferation typically seen with parental cells.

Conclusions
Activated Gαq members interact with Fhit through their α2-β4 region which may result in enhancement of the growth inhibitory effect of Fhit, thus providing a possible avenue for G protein-coupled receptors to modulate tumor suppression.
Nanoindentation-induced phase transformation and structural deformation of monocrystalline germanium: a molecular dynamics simulation investigation
Authors: Lai Min , Zhang Xiaodong , Fang Fengzhou 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to study the nanoindentation of monocrystalline germanium. The path of phase transformation and distribution of transformed region on different crystallographic orientations were investigated. The results indicate the anisotropic behavior of monocrystalline germanium. The nanoindentation-induced phase transformation from diamond cubic structure to β-tin-Ge was found in the subsurface region beneath the tool when indented on the (010) plane, while direct amorphization was observed in the region right under the indenter when the germanium was loaded along the [101] and [111] directions. The transformed phases extend along the < 110 > slip direction of germanium. The depth and shape of the deformed layers after unloading are quite different according to the crystal orientation of the indentation plane. The study results suggest that phase transformation is the dominant mechanism of deformation of monocrystalline germanium film in nanoindentation.
A practical guide to the monitoring and management of the complications of systemic corticosteroid therapy
Authors: Liu Dora , Ahmet Alexandra , Ward Leanne , Krishnamoorthy Preetha , Mandelcorn Efrem D , Leigh Richard , Brown Jacques P , Cohen Albert , Kim Harold 
Published: August 2013

AbstractSystemic corticosteroids play an integral role in the management of many inflammatory and immunologic conditions, but these agents are also associated with serious risks. Osteoporosis, adrenal suppression, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, Cushing’s syndrome, psychiatric disturbances and immunosuppression are among the more serious side effects noted with systemic corticosteroid therapy, particularly when used at high doses for prolonged periods. This comprehensive article reviews these adverse events and provides practical recommendations for their prevention and management based on both current literature and the clinical experience of the authors.
SIV infection of rhesus macaques of Chinese origin: a suitable model for HIV infection in humans
Authors: Zhou Yu , Bao Rong , Haigwood Nancy L , Persidsky Yuri , Ho Wen-zhe 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of Indian-origin rhesus macaques (RM) has been widely used as a well-established nonhuman primate (NHP) model for HIV/AIDS research. However, there have been a growing number of studies using Chinese RM to evaluate immunopathogenesis of SIV infection. In this paper, we have for the first time reviewed and discussed the major publications related to SIV or SHIV infection of Chinese RM in the past decades. We have compared the differences in the pathogenesis of SIV infection between Chinese RM and Indian RM with regard to viral infection, immunological response, and host genetic background. Given AIDS is a disease that affects humans of diverse origins, it is of importance to study animals with different geographical background. Therefore, to examine and compare results obtained from RM models of Indian and Chinese origins should lead to further validation and improvement of these animal models for HIV/AIDS research.
Botanical identification of medicinal roots collected and traded in Morocco and comparison to the existing literature
Authors: Ouarghidi Abderrahim , Martin Gary J , Powell Bronwen , Esser Gabrielle , Abbad Abdelaziz 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Background
A literature review revealed heavy reliance on a few key publications for identification of medicinal plant species from local or vernacular names and a lack of citation of voucher specimens in many publications. There is a need for more reliable and standardized data on the identity of species used for medicine, especially because local names vary from region to region. This is especially true in the case of medicinal roots, for which identification of species is difficult. This paper contributes to existing data on the species sold as medicinal roots (and other underground plant parts such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers) in Morocco.

Methods
Data were collected in collaboration with herbalists in Marrakech and collectors in rural regions near Marrakech where species are collected from the wild. The ethno-medicinal uses of these species were also recorded.

Results
We identified the vernacular names for 67 medicinal roots (by free listing) used to treat a variety of human diseases. We were able to collect and identify one or more species for 39 of the recorded vernacular names. The ones we were not able to identify were either imported or no longer available in the markets. We collected more than one species for some of the vernacular names for a total of 43 species. We identified six new vernacular names and four species which had not been previously described in the literature. Our botanical identification matched at least one of the names listed in the literature 63% of the time and did not match any species listed in the literature 37% of the time. Of the three most commonly cited pieces of literature we compared to, we found the greatest overlap with the broader, more comprehensive work of Bellakhdar 1997 (as opposed to Benchâabane and Abbad 1997 which worked in a similarly focused geographical area). However there was only 63% agreement between Bellakhdar 1997 and our botanical identifications, and 29% of the time our identification didn’t match even the genus of any of the species listed in any of the 3 most commonly cited pieces of literature.

Conclusions
More rigorous methodology and reporting are needed for medicinal plant research in Morocco. This will ensure that studies are comparable, help to protect traditional medicine users from negative health effects, and, support efforts to conserve overharvested wild medicinal plants.
Overexpression of an antimicrobial peptide derived from C. elegans using an aggregation-prone protein coexpression system
Authors: Tomisawa Satoshi , Hojo Eri , Umetsu Yoshitaka , Ohki Shinya , Kato Yusuke , Miyazawa Mitsuhiro , Mizuguchi Mineyuki , Kamiya Masakatsu , Kumaki Yasuhiro , Kikukawa Takashi , Kawano Keiichi , Demura Makoto , Aizawa Tomoyasu 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Antibacterial factor 2 (ABF-2) is a 67-residue antimicrobial peptide derived from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Although it has been reported that ABF-2 exerts in vitro microbicidal activity against a range of bacteria and fungi, the structure of ABF-2 has not yet been solved. To enable structural studies of ABF-2 by NMR spectroscopy, a large amount of isotopically labeled ABF-2 is essential. However, the direct expression of ABF-2 in Escherichia coli is difficult to achieve due to its instability. Therefore, we applied a coexpression method to the production of ABF-2 in order to enhance the inclusion body formation of ABF-2. The inclusion body formation of ABF-2 was vastly enhanced by coexpression of aggregation-prone proteins (partner proteins). By using this method, we succeeded in obtaining milligram quantities of active, correctly folded ABF-2. In addition, 15 N-labeled ABF-2 and a well-dispersed heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectrum were also obtained successfully. Moreover, the effect of the charge of the partner protein on the inclusion body formation of ABF-2 in this method was investigated by using four structurally homologous proteins. We concluded that a partner protein of opposite charge enhanced the formation of an inclusion body of the target peptide efficiently.
Evidence for a multipotent mammary progenitor with pregnancy-specific activity
Authors: Kaanta Alice S , Virtanen Carl , Selfors Laura M , Brugge Joan S , Neel Benjamin G 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Introduction
The mouse mammary gland provides a powerful model system for studying processes involved in epithelial tissue development. Although markers that enrich for mammary stem cells and progenitors have been identified, our understanding of the mammary developmental hierarchy remains incomplete.

Methods
We used the MMTV promoter linked to the reverse tetracycline transactivator to induce H2BGFP expression in the mouse mammary gland. Mammary epithelial cells (MECs) from virgin mice were sorted by flow cytometry for expression of the mammary stem cell/progenitor markers CD24 and CD29, and H2BGFP. Sorted populations were analyzed for in vivo repopulation ability, expression of mammary lineage markers, and differential gene expression.

Results
The reconstituting activity of CD24+/CD29+ cells in cleared fat pad transplantation assays was not distinguished in GFP+ compared to GFP- subpopulations. However, within the CD24+/CD29lo luminal progenitor-enriched population, H2BGFP+, but not H2BGFP-, MECs formed mammary structures in transplantation assays; moreover, this activity was dramatically enhanced in pregnant recipients. These outgrowths contained luminal and myoepithelial mammary lineages and produced milk, but lacked the capacity for serial transplantation. Transcriptional microarray analysis revealed that H2BGFP+/CD24+/CD29lo MECs are distinct from H2BGFP-/CD24+/CD29lo MECs and enriched for gene expression signatures with both the stem cell (CD24+/CD29+) and luminal progenitor (CD24+/CD29lo/CD61+) compartments.

Conclusions
We have identified a population of MECs containing pregnancy-activated multipotent progenitors that are present in the virgin mammary gland and contribute to the expansion of the mammary gland during pregnancy.
Effects of ventilation strategy on distribution of lung inflammatory cell activity
Authors: de Prost Nicolas , Costa Eduardo L , Wellman Tyler , Musch Guido , Tucci Mauro R , Winkler Tilo , Harris R Scott , Venegas Jose G , Kavanagh Brian P , Vidal Melo Marcos F 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Introduction
Leukocyte infiltration is central to the development of acute lung injury, but it is not known how mechanical ventilation strategy alters the distribution or activation of inflammatory cells. We explored how protective (vs. injurious) ventilation alters the magnitude and distribution of lung leukocyte activation following systemic endotoxin administration.

Methods
Anesthetized sheep received intravenous endotoxin (10 ng/kg/min) followed by 2 h of either injurious or protective mechanical ventilation (n = 6 per group). We used positron emission tomography to obtain images of regional perfusion and shunting with infused 13N[nitrogen]-saline and images of neutrophilic inflammation with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG). The Sokoloff model was used to quantify 18F-FDG uptake (Ki), as well as its components: the phosphorylation rate (k3, a surrogate of hexokinase activity) and the distribution volume of 18F-FDG (Fe) as a fraction of lung volume (Ki = Fe × k3). Regional gas fractions (fgas) were assessed by examining transmission scans.

Results
Before endotoxin administration, protective (vs. injurious) ventilation was associated with a higher ratio of partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) (351 ± 117 vs. 255 ± 74 mmHg; P < 0.01) and higher whole-lung fgas (0.71 ± 0.12 vs. 0.48 ± 0.08; P = 0.004), as well as, in dependent regions, lower shunt fractions. Following 2 h of endotoxemia, PaO2/FiO2 ratios decreased in both groups, but more so with injurious ventilation, which also increased the shunt fraction in dependent lung. Protective ventilation resulted in less nonaerated lung (20-fold; P < 0.01) and more normally aerated lung (14-fold; P < 0.01). Ki was lower during protective (vs. injurious) ventilation, especially in dependent lung regions (0.0075 ± 0.0043/min vs. 0.0157 ± 0.0072/min; P < 0.01). 18F-FDG phosphorylation rate (k3) was twofold higher with injurious ventilation and accounted for most of the between-group difference in Ki. Dependent regions of the protective ventilation group exhibited lower k3 values per neutrophil than those in the injurious ventilation group (P = 0.01). In contrast, Fe was not affected by ventilation strategy (P = 0.52). Lung neutrophil counts were not different between groups, even when regional inflation was accounted for.

Conclusions
During systemic endotoxemia, protective ventilation may reduce the magnitude and heterogeneity of pulmonary inflammatory cell metabolic activity in early lung injury and may improve gas exchange through its effects predominantly in dependent lung regions. Such effects are likely related to a reduction in the metabolic activity, but not in the number, of lung-infiltrating neutrophils.
Localization microscopy coming of age: from concepts to biological impact
Authors: Sauer Markus 
Published: August 2013

Summary
Super-resolution fluorescence imaging by single-molecule photoactivation or photoswitching and position determination (localization microscopy) has the potential to fundamentally revolutionize our understanding of how cellular function is encoded at the molecular level. Among all powerful, high-resolution imaging techniques introduced in recent years, localization microscopy excels because it delivers single-molecule information about molecular distributions, even giving absolute numbers of proteins present in subcellular compartments. This provides insight into biological systems at a molecular level that can yield direct experimental feedback for modeling the complexity of biological interactions. In addition, efficient new labeling methods and strategies to improve localization are emerging that promise to achieve true molecular resolution. This raises localization microscopy as a powerful complementary method for correlative light and electron microscopy experiments.
p120-catenin in cancer – mechanisms, models and opportunities for intervention
Authors: Schackmann Ron C. J. , Tenhagen Milou , van de Ven Robert A. H. , Derksen Patrick W. B. 
Published: August 2013

Summary
The epithelial adherens junction is an E-cadherin-based complex that controls tissue integrity and is stabilized at the plasma membrane by p120-catenin (p120, also known as CTNND1). Mutational and epigenetic inactivation of E-cadherin has been strongly implicated in the development and progression of cancer. In this setting, p120 translocates to the cytosol where it exerts oncogenic properties through aberrant regulation of Rho GTPases, growth factor receptor signaling and derepression of Kaiso (also known as ZBTB33) target genes. In contrast, indirect inactivation of the adherens junction through conditional knockout of p120 in mice was recently linked to tumor formation, indicating that p120 can also function as a tumor suppressor. Supporting these opposing functions are findings in human cancer, which show that either loss or cytoplasmic localization of p120 is a common feature in the progression of several types of carcinoma. Underlying this dual biological phenomenon might be the context-dependent regulation of Rho GTPases in the cytosol and the derepression of Kaiso target genes. Here, we discuss past and present findings that implicate p120 in the regulation of cancer progression and highlight opportunities for clinical intervention.
Preparation of Skeletal Cu Catalysts by Thermal and Chemical Treatment of Cu–Ti Amorphous Alloys and Their Enhanced Catalytic Activities
Authors: Nozaki Ai , Kamegawa Takashi , Ohmichi Tetsutaro , Yamashita Hiromi 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Skeletal Cu was prepared from Cu–Ti amorphous alloy (amor-CuTi) via heating at various temperatures followed by HF treatment for extraction of Ti moieties. Thermal treatment at somewhat lower crystallization temperature of amor-CuTi followed by HF treatment leads to higher catalytic activity in the hydrogenation reaction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol.
Bridges and gaps: The Singing Detective’s serial afterlife
Authors: O’Sullivan Sean 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
The Singing Detective has long been considered a high point of televisual storytelling. But what is its specific legacy as a serial narrative, particularly in the contemporary U.S. context of ambitious dramas? In many ways, the experiment of The Singing Detective remains an outlier. If the likes of Mad Men and The Sopranos have re-invigorated seriality by emphasizing the gaps between episodes—by making the narrative broken rather than connected—The Singing Detective’s continuing contribution lies in its insistence on bridging the disparate parts that make a serial: old and new, sound and image, memory and imagination, ritual and eccentricity.
Book Reviews
Authors: Brenes Carmen Sofia , McMillan Eddie , Sherry Jamie 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Beyond The Screenplay: A Dialectical Approach To Dramaturgy, Zachariah Rush (2012) Jefferson, North Carolina, and London: McFarland & Company, 190 pp., ISBN: 978078646603-0, p/bk, £46.50
The Black Hole of the Camera. The Films of Andy Warhol, J. J. Murphy (2012) Berkeley, USA: University of California Press,, 303 pp., ISBN: 978 0 520 27188 3, p/bk, £19.95
Writing in Pictures: Screenwriting Made (Mostly) Painless, Joseph McBride (2012) London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 384 pp., ISBN: 9780571274376, p/bk, £20.00
Enzymatic strategies to improve removal of hexenuronic acids and lignin from cellulosic fibers
Authors: Valls Cristina , Vidal Teresa , Roncero M. Blanca 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Different enzymatic strategies were applied to improve lignin and hexenuronic acid (HexA) removal. Three laccases (L) with different redox potentials were applied in combination with 1-hydroxybenzotriazole or methyl syringate to softwood sulfite and hardwood kraft fibers. The enzymes with a high-redox potential from Pycnoporus cinnabarinus and Trametes villosa were found to be the most efficient. The bleaching efficiency was not significantly influenced by the presence or absence of HexA in the different types of lignocellulosic fibers. Subsequently, the lignin or HexA removal in the presence of different mediators was evaluated in eucalyptus fibers with the T. villosa laccase (TvL). Natural mediators removed only lignin, whereas the combinations of TvL with synthetic mediators removed both HexA and lignin. The mediator violuric acid (VA) was the most efficient as judged by the properties of fiber and effluent. A xylanase pretreatment stage was found to boost the access of the LVA system to HexA without affecting lignin in the pulp.