bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Proteomic characterization of serine hydrolase activity and composition in normal urine
Authors: Navarrete Mario , Ho Julie , Krokhin Oleg , Ezzati Peyman , Rigatto Claudio , Reslerova Martina , Rush David N , Nickerson Peter , Wilkins John A 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Serine hydrolases constitute a large enzyme family involved in a diversity of proteolytic and metabolic processes which are essential for many aspects of normal physiology. The roles of serine hydrolases in renal function are largely unknown and monitoring their activity may provide important insights into renal physiology. The goal of this study was to profile urinary serine hydrolases with activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) and to perform an in-depth compositional analysis.

Methods
Eighteen healthy individuals provided random, mid-stream urine samples. ABPP was performed by reacting urines (n = 18) with a rhodamine-tagged fluorophosphonate probe and visualizing on SDS-PAGE. Active serine hydrolases were isolated with affinity purification and identified on MS-MS. Enzyme activity was confirmed with substrate specific assays. A complementary 2D LC/MS-MS analysis was performed to evaluate the composition of serine hydrolases in urine.

Results
Enzyme activity was closely, but not exclusively, correlated with protein quantity. Affinity purification and MS/MS identified 13 active serine hydrolases. The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and calcium channel (TRPV5) regulators, tissue kallikrein and plasmin were identified in active forms, suggesting a potential role in regulating sodium and calcium reabsorption in a healthy human model. Complement C1r subcomponent-like protein, mannan binding lectin serine protease 2 and myeloblastin (proteinase 3) were also identified in active forms. The in-depth compositional analysis identified 62 serine hydrolases in urine independent of activity state.

Conclusions
This study identified luminal regulators of electrolyte homeostasis in an active state in the urine, which suggests tissue kallikrein and plasmin may be functionally relevant in healthy individuals. Additional serine hydrolases were identified in an active form that may contribute to regulating innate immunity of the urinary tract. Finally, the optimized ABPP technique in urine demonstrates its feasibility, reproducibility and potential applicability to profiling urinary enzyme activity in different renal physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
Successful management of trachea stenosis with massive substernal goiter via thacheobronchial stent
Authors: Piao Meihua , Yuan Ye , Wang Yanshu , Feng Chunsheng 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
A case of 65 year-old Chinese male patient with severe tracheal stenosis due to a massive substernal goiter, is presented. MRI and CT scan revealed that the massive substernal goiter was 9.3 × 6.1 × 4.7 cm in size, displacing the trachea and adjacent large vessels to the patient’s right contributing to severe intrathoracic trachea compression up to 6 cm in length and the narrowest caliber of the trachea only 3.0 mm in diameter. To the best of our knowledge, optimal airway management for the massive substernal goiter resection was considered to be temporary tracheobronchial stent placement pre-operation.
Insulin resistance determined by Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) and associations with metabolic syndrome among Chinese children and teenagers
Authors: Yin Jinhua , Li Ming , Xu Lu , Wang Ying , Cheng Hong , Zhao Xiaoyuan , Mi Jie 
Published: November 2013

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the association between the degree of insulin resistance and the different components of the metabolic syndrome among Chinese children and adolescents. Moreover, to determine the cut-off values for homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) at MS risk.Methods3203 Chinese children aged 6 to 18 years were recruited. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured. Metabolic syndrome (MS) was identified by a modified Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) definition. HOMA-IR index was calculated and the normal reference ranges were defined from the healthy participants. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to find the optimal cutoff of HOMA-IR for diagnosis of MS.ResultsWith the increase of insulin resistance (quintile of HOMA-IR value), the ORs of suffering MS or its related components were significantly increased. Participants in the highest quintile of HOMA-IR were about 60 times more likely to be classified with metabolic syndrome than those in the lowest quintile group. Similarly, the mean values of insulin and HOMA-IR increased with the number of MS components. The present HOMA-IR cutoff point corresponding to the 95th percentile of our healthy reference children was 3.0 for whole participants, 2.6 for children in prepubertal stage and 3.2 in pubertal period, respectively. The optimal point for diagnosis of MS was 2.3 in total participants, 1.7 in prepubertal children and 2.6 in pubertal adolescents, respectively, by ROC curve, which yielded high sensitivity and moderate specificity for a screening test. According to HOMA-IR > 3.0, the prevalence of insulin resistance in obese or MS children were 44.3% and 61.6% respectively.ConclusionsOur data indicates insulin resistance is common among Chinese obese children and adolescents, and is strongly related to MS risk, therefore requiring consideration early in life. As a reliable measure of insulin resistance and assessment of MS risk, the optimal HOMA-IR cut-off points in this cohort were developed with variation regarding puberty. HOMA-IR may be useful for early evaluating insulin resistance in children and teenagers and could have a long-term benefit of preventive and diagnostic therapeutic intervention.
Characterization of soil organic matter in perhumid natural cypress forest: comparison of humification in different particle-size fractions
Authors: Chen Jenn-Shing , Chung Tay-Lung , Tian Guanglong , Chiu Chih-Yu 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
The Chamaecyparis forest is a valuable natural resource in eastern Asia. The characteristics of soil humic substances and the influence of environmental factors in natural Chamaecyparis forests in subtropical mountain regions are poorly understood. The study site of a perhumid Chamaecyparis forest is in the Yuanyang Lake Preserved Area in northcentral Taiwan. We collected samples from organic horizons (Oi, Oe and Oa) and from the surface horizon (O/A horizon) at the summit, footslope and lakeshore to characterize the composition of the soil organic matter. Samples of organic horizons were dried and ground, and those of the O/A horizon were passed through wet sieving for different particle-size fractions before analysis. The C chemical structure in the samples was determined with CP/MAS 13C NMR spectra.

Results
The ratios of alkyl-C/O-alkyl-C and aromaticity increased with decomposition of litter from the Oi, Oe, to Oa horizon. The ratio of alkyl-C/O-alkyl-C also increased from coarse (> 250 μm) to very fine (< 2 μm) particle fractions, which indicates increased humification of soil organic matter (SOM) in the fine-sized fractions. However, aromaticity tended to decrease with decreasing particle size, so it may not be useful in evaluating SOM humification of different particle-size fractions.

Conclusions
The humification degree of the samples from O horizons and different particle-size fractions of the O/A horizon showed no gradient change with change in topography. This prevalent slow decomposition of organic matter in these perhumid climate conditions may narrow the difference in humification from the summit to lakeshore.
Transcriptomic analysis of genetically defined autism candidate genes reveals common mechanisms of action
Authors: Lanz Thomas A , Guilmette Edward , Gosink Mark M , Fischer James E , Fitzgerald Lawrence W , Stephenson Diane T , Pletcher Mathew T 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundAustism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous behavioral disorder or condition characterized by severe impairment of social engagement and the presence of repetitive activities. The molecular etiology of ASD is still largely unknown despite a strong genetic component. Part of the difficulty in turning genetics into disease mechanisms and potentially new therapeutics is the sheer number and diversity of the genes that have been associated with ASD and ASD symptoms. The goal of this work is to use shRNA-generated models of genetic defects proposed as causative for ASD to identify the common pathways that might explain how they produce a core clinical disability.MethodsTranscript levels ofMecp2,Mef2a,Mef2d,Fmr1,Nlgn1,Nlgn3,Pten, andShank3were knocked-down in mouse primary neuron cultures using shRNA constructs. Whole genome expression analysis was conducted for each of the knockdown cultures as well as a mock-transduced culture and a culture exposed to a lentivirus expressing an anti-luciferase shRNA. Gene set enrichment and a causal reasoning engine was employed to identify pathway level perturbations generated by the transcript knockdown.ResultsQuantification of the shRNA targets confirmed the successful knockdown at the transcript and protein levels of at least 75% for each of the genes. After subtracting out potential artifacts caused by viral infection, gene set enrichment and causal reasoning engine analysis showed that a significant number of gene expression changes mapped to pathways associated with neurogenesis, long-term potentiation, and synaptic activity.ConclusionsThis work demonstrates that despite the complex genetic nature of ASD, there are common molecular mechanisms that connect many of the best established autism candidate genes. By identifying the key regulatory checkpoints in the interlinking transcriptional networks underlying autism, we are better able to discover the ideal points of intervention that provide the broadest efficacy across the diverse population of autism patients.
Decitabine alters the expression of Mecp2 isoforms via dynamic DNA methylation at the Mecp2 regulatory elements in neural stem cells
Authors: Liyanage Vichithra RB , Zachariah Robby M , Rastegar Mojgan 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Aberrant MeCP2 expression in brain is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. In the brain of stressed mouse and autistic human patients, reduced MeCP2 expression is correlated with Mecp2/MECP2 promoter hypermethylation. Altered expression of MeCP2 isoforms (MeCP2E1 and MeCP2E2) is associated with neurological disorders, highlighting the importance of proper regulation of both isoforms. While known regulatory elements (REs) within the MECP2/Mecp2 promoter and intron 1 are involved in MECP2/Mecp2 regulation, Mecp2 isoform-specific regulatory mechanisms are unknown. We hypothesized that DNA methylation at these REs may impact the expression of Mecp2 isoforms.

Methods
We used a previously characterized in vitro differentiating neural stem cell (NSC) system to investigate the interplay between Mecp2 isoform-specific expression and DNA methylation at the Mecp2 REs. We studied altered expression of Mecp2 isoforms, affected by global DNA demethylation and remethylation, induced by exposure and withdrawal of decitabine (5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine). Further, we performed correlation analysis between DNA methylation at the Mecp2 REs and the expression of Mecp2 isoforms after decitabine exposure and withdrawal.

Results
At different stages of NSC differentiation, Mecp2 isoforms showed reciprocal expression patterns associated with minor, but significant changes in DNA methylation at the Mecp2 REs. Decitabine treatment induced Mecp2e1/MeCP2E1 (but not Mecp2e2) expression at day (D) 2, associated with DNA demethylation at the Mecp2 REs. In contrast, decitabine withdrawal downregulated both Mecp2 isoforms to different extents at D8, without affecting DNA methylation at the Mecp2 REs. NSC cell fate commitment was minimally affected by decitabine under tested conditions. Expression of both isoforms negatively correlated with methylation at specific regions of the Mecp2 promoter, both at D2 and D8. The correlation between intron 1 methylation and Mecp2e1 (but not Mecp2e2) varied depending on the stage of NSC differentiation (D2: negative; D8: positive).

Conclusions
Our results show the correlation between the expression of Mecp2 isoforms and DNA methylation in differentiating NSC, providing insights on the potential role of DNA methylation at the Mecp2 REs in Mecp2 isoform-specific expression. The ability of decitabine to induce Mecp2e1/MeCP2E1, but not Mecp2e2 suggests differential sensitivity of Mecp2 isoforms to decitabine and is important for future drug therapies for autism.
Prevalence and management of post-transplant anemia in long-term follow-up of Chinese kidney transplant recipients: a single-center report
Authors: Wu Zhixian , Guo Junqi , Liao Lianming , Wu Weizhen , Yang Shunliang , Tan Jianming 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Post-transplant anemia (PTA) has long been a less-recognized complication in kidney transplant recipients, and its prevalence also tends to be underestimated. This study sought to evaluate the prevalence, management, and risk factors of PTA from a group of long-term follow-up Chinese kidney transplant recipients.

Methods
One hundred and fifty-four adult kidney transplant recipients were followed up at Fuzhou General Hospital, China, and retrospectively studied.

Results
PTA prevalence at transplant and at 5-yearly time points after transplantation were 45.5%, 10.7%, 9.6%, 14.8%, 13.5%, and 19.6%, respectively. Overall, 38.3% of patients had been anemic at least once during the follow-up period, and 42% of these patients had recurrent anemia. Correlation analysis indicated that hemoglobin levels were associated with graft function. No correlations between anemia and age, gender, immunosuppressive regimens, or antihypertensive agents were observed. Binary logistic regression analysis suggested that serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were associated with the diagnosis of anemia at 1 year post-transplant. At 5 years post-transplant, only serum creatinine concentrations correlated with anemia. Although iron drugs are frequently used, erythropoietin was rarely administered in those anemic patients suffering poor graft function that necessitated such therapies.

Conclusions
The prevalence of PTA is noticeably high, and impaired kidney graft function seemed to be the major risk factor for anemia. There is an urgent need to improve current PTA management and to establish modified guidelines for this common complication in kidney transplant recipients.
Genome-wide expression profiles of subchondral bone in osteoarthritis
Authors: Chou Ching-Heng , Wu Chia-Chun , Song I-Wen , Chuang Hui-Ping , Lu Liang-Suei , Chang Jen-Huei , Kuo San-Yuan , Lee Chian-Her , Wu Jer-Yuarn , Chen Yuan-Tsong , Kraus Virginia Byers , Lee Ming Ta Michael 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
Introduction
The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the differences in gene expression profiles of normal and osteoarthritic (OA) subchondral bone in human subjects.

Methods
Following histological assessment of the integrity of overlying cartilage and the severity of bone abnormality by micro-computed tomography, we isolated total RNA from regions of interest from human OA (n = 20) and non-OA (n = 5) knee lateral tibial (LT) and medial tibial (MT) plateaus. A whole-genome profiling study was performed on an Agilent microarray platform and analyzed using Agilent GeneSpring GX11.5. Confirmatory quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed on samples from 9 OA individuals to confirm differential expression of 85 genes identified by microarray. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) was used to investigate canonical pathways and immunohistochemical staining was performed to validate protein expression levels in samples.

Results
A total of 972 differentially expressed genes were identified (fold change ≥ ± 2, P ≤0.05) between LT (minimal degeneration) and MT (significant degeneration) regions from OA samples; these data implicated 279 canonical pathways in IPA. The qRT-PCR data strongly confirmed the accuracy of microarray results (R2 = 0.58, P <0.0001). Novel pathways were identified in this study including Periostin (POSTN) and Leptin (LEP), which are implicated in bone remodeling by osteoblasts.

Conclusions
To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the most comprehensive direct assessment to date of gene expression profiling in OA subchondral bone. This study provides insights that could contribute to the development of new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for OA.
Ιχνηλατήσεις στις σελίδες της αλληλογραφίας Κοραή
Authors: Φραγκίσκος Εμμ. Ν. 
Published: November 2013

<br />INVESTIGATIONS DANS LA CORRESPONDANCE DE CORAY<br /><br />1. Lieux communs dans la correspondance de Coray du début du XIXe siècle et dans sa brochure intitulée Dialogue entre deux Grecs (1805).<br />On repère dans les deux textes des passages de contenu commun et aux termes presque identiques, qui se réfèrent à trois sujets : 1. les conséquences graves de la défaite militaire russe face aux armées de Napoléon sur la question politique de la Grèce, les Russes étant devenus ainsi incapables de mettre fin à l’Empire ottoman ; 2. l’opinion inébranlable de Coray, pour qui la Grèce asservie au joug des Turcs gagnerait sa liberté pacifiquement et, dans un avenir lointain, par les armes de l’éducation et de la culture ; 3. la nécessité de répartir la richesse matérielle et spirituelle des nations selon les principes de la justice sociale.<br /><br />2. «Metakenosis» : aspects linguistiques et interprétatifs.<br />On examine l’origine du terme «metakenosis», utilisé pour la première fois en 1811 par Coray dans sa correspondance, et on propose une interprétation fondée sur des données grammaticales ainsi que sur l’opinion courante que les lettres et les arts cultivés et développés en Europe avaient leur source dans l’Antiquité grecque. Dès lors, il fallait revenir de nouveau vers la Grèce moderne afin de contribuer à sa régénération culturelle.<br /><br />3. La correspondance de Coray avec Félix Malzac, médecin à Castres, pendant la Révolution française.<br />On a essayé d’identifier un certain Malzac, médecin à Castres, mentionné pour la première fois en 1795 comme correspondant de Coray, avec la personne de Félix Malzac, docteur en médecine de l’université de Montpellier où il avait probablement connu Coray pendant son séjour là-bas, et de révéler les raisons qui ont animé leur amitié.<br /><br /><br />EMM. N. FRANGHISKOS<br />
Physical and Mechanical Properties of Woods from Three Native Fast-Growing Species in a Secondary Forest in South Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: Istikowati Wiwin Tyas , Ishiguri Futoshi , Aiso Haruna , Hidayati Fanny , Tanabe Jun , Iizuka Kazuya , Sutiya Budi , Wahyudi Imam , Yokota Shinso 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
Growth characteristics and basic wood properties of three native fast-growing species, terap (Artocarpus elasticus Reinw. ex Blume), medang (Neolitsea latifolia (Blume) S. Moore), and balik angin (Alphitonia excelsa (Fenzel) Reissek ex Benth), were investigated. All three species are grown in a secondary forest in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. No significant correlations between growth characteristics (stem diameter and tree height) and stress-wave velocity of the stems were found. The mean basic density (BD) for whole trees of terap, medang, and balik angin were 0.34, 0.55, and 0.39 g cm−3, respectively. The BD in medang wood was similar in both radial and longitudinal directions. On the other hand, the BD gradually increased from pith to bark, decreased from 1 to 3 m above the ground, and then gradually increased to the top of the tree in terap and balik angin. Significant positive correlations between radial and tangential shrinkages and BD were found. Compressive strength parallel to grain and air-dry density also showed high positive correlations for all species. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in wood properties among the five sample trees in each species.
Reading Tahitian francophone literature: The challenge of scent and perfume
Authors: Cowell Andrew , DeNino Maureen 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
This article focuses on one particular recent French Polynesian novel, Hutu Pāinu: Tahiti, Racines et Déchirements (2004), and more generally on the issue of how to approach and read Tahitian literature from the ‘outside’ given the heavily over-determined images of Tahiti in the western imaginary and the still relatively small (but growing) amount of indigenous literary production. The focus is on the poetics and hermeneutics of scent as explored by the author, Marie-Claude Teissier-Landgraf. The article argues that French Polynesian writers generally have been extraordinarily sensitive to over-determination, and that the theme of scent is used to challenge both western images of Tahiti as a floral paradise, and tendencies to idealize scent as a potential postcolonial form of sensory resistance to more containable modes of knowledge such as vision or hearing. The text suggests that Tahiti remains always a powerful object of outside desire, and this desire constantly threatens to foreclose the full potential readings of the literature.
Cet article traite un roman francophone récent de la Polynésie Française, Hutu Pa-inu: Tahiti, Racines et Déchirements (2004), et plus généralement, la question de la manière dont il faut s’approcher de la littérature Tahitienne et la lire ‘de l’extérieur’, en vue du fait que l’image de Tahiti est nettement sur-déterminée dans l’imaginaire occidental, et la voix littéraire locale en français est née seulement depuis trente ans. Le point de départ de l’article est la poétique et l’herméneutique de l’odorat, telle qu’elles sont examinées par l’auteur, Marie-Claude Teissier-Landgraf. L’article démontre que les écrivains de la Polynésie Française ont été très sensibles à la sur-détérmination, et que le thème de l’odorat est employé à la fois pour mettre en question les images de Tahiti comme un paradis floral et en même temps les tendances à poser l’odorat comme une forme de résistance postcoloniale sensorielle aux connaissances plus faciles à contraindre, comme la vision et l’ouie. Le texte suggère que le Tahiti est toujours un objet de puissants désirs externes, et le ce désir menace d’appauvrir la richesse potentille de cette littérature.