bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Proton-Dependent Coniferin Transport, a Common Major Transport Event in Differentiating Xylem Tissue of Woody Plants
Authors: Tsuyama Taku , Kawai Ryo , Shitan Nobukazu , Matoh Toru , Sugiyama Junji , Yoshinaga Arata , Takabe Keiji , Fujita Minoru , Yazaki Kazufumi 
Published: April 2013

AbstractLignin biosynthesis is an essential physiological activity of vascular plants if they are to survive under various environmental stresses on land. The biosynthesis of lignin proceeds in the cell wall by polymerization of precursors; the initial step of lignin polymerization is the transportation of lignin monomers from the cytosol to the cell wall, which is critical for lignin formation. There has been much debate on the transported form of the lignin precursor, either as free monolignols or their glucosides. In this study, we performed biochemical analyses to characterize the membrane transport mechanism of lignin precursors using angiosperms, hybrid poplar (Populus sieboldii × Populus grandidentata) and poplar (Populus sieboldii), as well gymnosperms, Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and pine (Pinus densiflora). Membrane vesicles prepared from differentiating xylem tissues showed clear ATP-dependent transport activity of coniferin, whereas less than 4% of the coniferin transport activity was seen for coniferyl alcohol. Bafilomycin A1 and proton gradient erasers markedly inhibited coniferin transport in hybrid poplar membrane vesicles; in contrast, vanadate had no effect. Cis-inhibition experiments suggested that this transport activity was specific for coniferin. Membrane fractionation of hybrid poplar microsomes demonstrated that transport activity was localized to the tonoplast- and endomembrane-rich fraction. Differentiating xylem of Japanese cypress exhibited almost identical transport properties, suggesting the involvement of a common endomembrane-associated proton/coniferin antiport mechanism in the lignifying tissues of woody plants, both angiosperms and gymnosperms.
Defensive microbial symbionts in Hymenoptera
Authors: Kaltenpoth Martin , Engl Tobias 
Published: April 2013

Summary

In all stages of their life cycle, insects are threatened by a multitude of predators, parasites, parasitoids and pathogens. The lifestyles and feeding ecologies of some hymenopteran taxa render them especially vulnerable to pathogen infestation. Specifically, development in sub‐terranean brood cells, mass provisioning of resources for the offspring and the life of social insects in large communities can enhance the risk of pathogen infestation and/or the spread of disease among conspecifics.

To counteract these threats, insects have evolved mechanical, chemical and behavioural defences as well as a complex immune system. In addition to the host's own defences, some Hymenoptera are associated with protective symbionts. Leaf‐cutting ants, solitary digger wasps, bees and bumblebees engage in symbiotic interactions with bacteria that protect the adult host, the developing offspring or the food resources against microbial infections. In the well‐studied cases of ants and wasps, the protective activity is mediated by the production of antimicrobial secondary metabolites. In other symbiotic interactions, however, competitive exclusion and immune priming may also play an important role in enhancing protection. Phylogenetic studies indicate that the defensive associations in Hymenoptera are generally more dynamic than the intimate nutritional mutualisms, with horizontal transfer or de novo uptake of the symbionts from the environment occurring frequently.

Mutualistic micro‐organisms can also significantly influence the outcome of host‐parasitoid interactions. Some insects are protected by symbiont‐produced toxins against parasitic wasps. Ichneumonid and braconid parasitoids, on the other hand, are associated with symbiotic viruses that are injected into the caterpillar host during oviposition and suppress its immune system to the advantage of the parasitoid.

The increasing affordability of next‐generation sequencing technologies will greatly facilitate the analysis of insect‐associated microbial communities and undoubtedly uncover a plethora of as yet unknown protective symbioses. However, a detailed understanding of the host's natural history is indispensable for elucidating the fitness benefits of the symbionts and the molecular basis of symbiont‐conferred protection.
No clear effects of acute tryptophan depletion on processing affective prosody in male adults with ADHD
Authors: Grabemann M. , Mette C. , Zimmermann M. , Heinrich V. , Uekermann J. , Wiltfang J. , Abdel‐Hamid M. , Zepf F. D. , Kis B. 
Published: April 2013

ObjectiveAdults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties processing affective prosody, and research evidence demonstrates the importance of brain serotonin (5‐HT) in the neurobiology of ADHD. This study aimed to investigate whether diminished brain 5‐HT synthesis, as achieved by acute tryptophan depletion (ATD), can impair the processing of affective prosody in adults with ADHD.MethodTwenty male patients with ADHD and twenty male healthy controls received ATD and a tryptophan‐balanced control condition on separate days in a double‐blind within‐subject repeated measures crossover design. In both conditions, the Tübingen Affect Battery was administered in which subjects had to name the affective prosody of sentences with neutral, congruent, or incongruent semantic content.ResultsParticipants in the group of patients with ADHD perceived affec‐tive prosody less accurately than controls. Participants with ADHD showed compromised processing of sentences, committing more errors than healthy controls when identifying affect in instances of incongruent semantic content (P = 0.031). ATD did not contribute to this effect (all P > 0.5).ConclusionThe difficulties male adults with ADHD have in accurately processing affective prosody may result from impairments in their ability to inhibit unwanted stimuli and impulses. No clear evidence implicates 5‐HT as a cause of these impairments.
Short‐term training alters the control of mitochondrial respiration rate before maximal oxidative ATP synthesis
Authors: Layec G. , Haseler L. J. , Hoff J. , Hart C. R. , Liu X. , Le Fur Y. , Jeong E.‐K. , Richardson R. S. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractAimShort‐term exercise training may induce metabolic and performance adaptations before any changes in mitochondrial enzyme potential. However, there has not been a study that has directly assessed changes in mitochondrial oxidative capacity or metabolic control as a consequence of such training in vivo. Therefore, we used 31P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P‐MRS) to examine the effect of short‐term plantar flexion exercise training on phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery kinetics and the control of respiration rate.MethodTo this aim, we investigated 12 healthy men, experienced with this exercise modality (TRA), and 7 time‐control subjects (TC).ResultsAfter 5 days of training, maximum work rate during incremental plantar flexion exercise was significantly improved (P < 0.01). During the recovery period, the maximal rate of oxidative adenosine triphosphate synthesis (PRE: 28 ± 13 mm min−1; POST: 26 ± 15 mm min−1) and the PCr recovery time constant (PRE: 31 ± 19 s; POST: 29 ± 16) were not significantly altered. In contrast, the Hill coefficient (nH) describing the co‐operativity between respiration rate and ADP was significantly increased in TRA (PRE: nH = 2.7 ± 1.4; POST: nH = 3.4 ± 1.9, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, there were no systematic variations in any of these variables in TC.ConclusionThis study reveals that 5 days of training induces rapid adaptation in the allosteric control of respiration rate by ADP before any substantial improvement in muscle oxidative capacity occurs.
Deworming is not a risk factor for the development of atopic diseases: a longitudinal study in Cuban school children
Authors: van der Werff S. D. , Twisk J. W. R. , Wördemann M. , Ponce M. Campos , Díaz R. Junco , Núñez F. A. , Rivero L. Rojas , Gorbea M. Bonet , Polman K. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryBackgroundSoil‐transmitted helminth (STH) infections have been suggested to protect from allergic sensitization and atopic diseases. Consequently, anthelminthic treatment would increase the prevalence of atopic disease in STH endemic populations.ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of deworming on allergic sensitization and atopic diseases in Cuban schoolchildren.MethodsWe followed up 108 STH positive schoolchildren aged 5–13 in six‐monthly intervals for 24 months. Four consecutive groups of, respectively, 104, 56, 68, and 53 STH positive children were used as ‘untreated’ reference groups to assess general time trends. STH infections were diagnosed by stool examination. Asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic dermatitis were diagnosed by International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and allergic sensitization by skin prick testing (SPT). At each time point, STH positive children were treated with one single dose of 500 mg mebendazole.ResultsAfter deworming, the frequency of asthma significantly decreased (P < 0.001) while the frequency of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis was not affected (P = 0.129 and P = 0.751, respectively). The percentage of SPT positives temporarily increased (P < 0.001) and subsequently returned to nearly baseline values (P = 0.093). In the references groups, no change over time was observed in the proportion of children with allergic sensitization and atopic diseases (P > 0.05).Conclusion & Clinical RelevanceOur results indicate that atopic diseases do not increase after anthelminthic treatment. Allergic sensitization on the other hand increases after deworming. As this increase appears only temporarily, deworming of schoolchildren does not seem to be a risk factor for the development of allergic sensitization, nor for atopic diseases.
Plasma calcium as a predictor of cardiovascular disease in a community‐based cohort
Authors: Walsh John P. , Divitini Mark L. , Knuiman Matthew W. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryObjectivePrimary hyperparathyroidism and calcium supplementation have been linked to cardiovascular outcomes. The study objective was to examine plasma calcium as a predictor of cardiovascular disease in the general population, as results from previous cohort studies are conflicting.Design, participants and measurementsPlasma calcium was measured in 4003 participants (aged 25–84 years) in the 1994/1995 Busselton Health Survey. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, we examined albumin‐corrected calcium as a predictor of total mortality, cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events up to the end of 2010.ResultsAt baseline, there were significant positive relationships between plasma calcium and each of body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose and total cholesterol. During the follow‐up period, 666 participants died (278 from cardiovascular disease) and 652 had incident cardiovascular events. After adjustment for age and sex, each additional 0·1 mm of albumin‐corrected calcium at baseline was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1·09 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·99, 1·20; P = 0·062] for total mortality, 1·06 (95% CI 0·92, 1·23; P = 0·41) for cardiovascular mortality and 1·13 (95% CI 1·03, 1·24; P = 0·012) for cardiovascular events. These associations were attenuated by further adjustment for standard cardiovascular risk factors with HR 1·03 (95% CI 0·94, 1·14), 0·99 (95% CI 0·86, 1·16) and 1·05 (95% CI 0·95, 1·15), respectively.ConclusionAfter adjustment for age and sex, plasma calcium is a predictor of cardiovascular events. This appears to be mediated by conventional cardiovascular risk factors, and calcium is not an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease.
Diffusion weighted MRI: overview and implications for rectal cancer management
Authors: Boone D. , Taylor S. A. , Halligan S. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractDiffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is an MRI technique that quantifies the movement of water molecules at a cellular level. As the diffusion properties of water vary in areas of necrosis, high cellularity, inflammation and fibrosis, this technique is inherently sensitive to different pathologies. Having become a well‐established adjunct to standard sequences during neurological MRI, technological advances have enabled extrapolation to abdominopelvic imaging, including staging of rectal cancer. Scan acquisitions can be performed rapidly using widely available equipment and consequently there has been rapid dissemination into routine practice. However, while DWI shows promise for detecting, staging and monitoring rectal cancer response to therapy, the evidence base remains scant with no current consensus for technical protocols, interpretation or integration into rectal cancer management. Moreover, those studies available to date have a small sample size and few observers, and their results may not be generalizable to daily practice. This article outlines the physical principles of DWI, reviews the literature and suggests avenues for future research into this important technical development.
Modification of the Bascom cleft lift procedure for chronic pilonidal sinus: results in 141 patients
Authors: Guner A. , Ozkan O. F. , Kece C. , Kesici S. , Kucuktulu U. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractAimThere is no definitive consensus on the best treatment for pilonidal sinus. The Bascom cleft lift technique has been reported to produce successful results. This study presents the results of a modified cleft lift procedure in which the sinus tissue was excised and the lower end of the incision was kept outside the intergluteal sulcus by extending the lower end of the incision laterally.MethodBetween August 2010 and January 2012, 141 consecutive patients who presented with primary or recurrent pilonidal sinus disease were included in the study, which was conducted at a single tertiary academic medical centre. Prospectively collected data were recorded, including complications, pain score, satisfaction level, primary healing rate, length of hospital stay and early recurrence.ResultsThe mean operating time was 30 min and the mean length of hospital stay was 1.2 days. The most common surgical‐site complication was a collection followed by partial wound dehiscence and superficial infection. The primary healing rate was 88%, the mean time for functional recovery was 13 days and the mean follow‐up time was 14 months. No recurrence was observed within this follow‐up period.ConclusionThe modified Bascom cleft lift technique is effective and reliable. It is applicable to all pilonidal sinus cases and has low complication rates, high satisfaction scores, rapid early recovery and low recurrence rates.
Risk factors associated with poor lymph node harvest after colon cancer surgery in a national cohort
Authors: Nedrebø B. S. , Søreide K. , Nesbakken A. , T. Eriksen M. , Søreide J. A. , Kørner H. ,   the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Group
Published: April 2013

AbstractAimEvaluation of ≥ 12 lymph nodes (LNs) is recommended after surgery for colon cancer. A harvest of ≤ 8 is considered poor, but few reports have evaluated risk factors associated with a poor harvest. This aims of this study were to analyse the clinical, surgical and pathological factors associated with poor LN harvest (LNH), the total number of examined nodes and the effect of LN number on stage.MethodAll patients reported to the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry during 2007 and 2008 who underwent curative resection for Stage I–III colon cancer were studied. Risk factors for poor LNH and the proportion of Stage III disease were analysed by univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsA total of 2879 patients were included in the study. The median LNH was 14. Overall, 69.9% had ≥ 12 lymph nodes and 14.4% had ≤ 8 LN (poor harvest). Multivariate analysis showed that male sex, age > 75 years, sigmoid tumours, pT category 1–2, failure to use the pathology report template and distance of ≤ 5 cm from the bowel resection margin were all independent factors for poor LNH. Age < 65 years, pT category 3–4, and poor tumour differentiation were independent predictors of Stage III disease. An increased LNH did not increase the proportion of patients identified as being LN positive at the ≤ 8, 9–11 and ≥ 12 LN levels.ConclusionAdequate LNH was achieved in the majority of curative colon cancer resections in this national cohort. Elderly, male patients with sigmoid cancers, and a short distal margin were at increased risk of a poor LNH.
Prediction of hemorrhagic transformation in acute ischaemic stroke by micro‐ and macroalbuminuria after intravenous thrombolysis
Authors: Cho B.‐H. , Kim J.‐T. , Chang J. , Choi K.‐H. , Park M.‐S. , Cho K.‐H. 
Published: April 2013

Background and purposeHemorrhagic transformation (HT) is one of the most problematic complications to arise from intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). This study was conducted to assess whether micro‐ and macroalbuminuria could be associated with HT after IVT in patients with acute ischaemic stroke, and to investigate whether the value of urinary albumin‐to‐creatinine ratios would correlate with the degree of HT.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of stroke patients who had undergone IVT within 3 h of symptom onset. Albuminuria assessment was based on random morning spot urine collection with patients in a fasting state, the first morning after IVT. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate whether the presence of micro‐ and macroalbuminuria might be independent predictors of HT.ResultsOne‐hundred and fifty‐four patients were included in the study. Fifty‐one patients had HT. The presence of micro‐ or macroalbuminuria was associated with HT after adjustment for variables with clinical significance (adjusting for age, atrial fibrillation, platelet counts, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, hypertension and diabetes mellitus; odds ratio, 2.542; 95% confidence interval, 1.106–5.841; P = 0.028). There were significant relationships between the presence of micro‐ and macroalbuminuria and types of HT.ConclusionIn conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the presence of micro‐ and macroalbuminuria after IVT could be a predictor of severe HT in patients with acute ischaemic stroke.
Optical coherence tomography does not support optic nerve involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Roth N. M. , Saidha S. , Zimmermann H. , Brandt A. U. , Oberwahrenbrock T. , Maragakis N. J. , Tumani H. , Ludolph A. C. , Meyer T. , Calabresi P. A. , Paul F. 
Published: April 2013

Background and purposeIn recent years a possible non‐motor involvement of the nervous system in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has come into the focus of research and has been investigated by numerous techniques. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) – with its potential to reveal neuroaxonal retinal damage – may be an appropriate tool to investigate whether the anterior visual pathway is involved. Our aim was to determine whether OCT‐based measures of retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer, inner nuclear layer and outer nuclear layer thickness are abnormal in ALS, or correlated with disease severity.MethodsSeventy‐six ALS patients (144 eyes) and 54 healthy controls (108 eyes; HCs) were examined with OCT, including automated intraretinal macular segmentation. ALS disease severity was determined with the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale – Revised.ResultsThere was no significant difference between ALS patients and HCs in any of the examined OCT measures. Moreover, OCT parameters showed no correlation with clinical measures of disease severity.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that involvement of the anterior visual pathway is not one of the non‐motor manifestations of ALS.
Sonographic detection of basal ganglia abnormalities in spasmodic dysphonia
Authors: Walter U. , Blitzer A. , Benecke R. , Grossmann A. , Dressler D. 
Published: April 2013

Background and purposeAbnormalities of the lenticular nucleus (LN) on transcranial sonography (TCS) are a characteristic finding in idiopathic segmental and generalized dystonia. Our intention was to study whether TCS detects basal ganglia abnormalities also in spasmodic dysphonia, an extremely focal form of dystonia.MethodsTranscranial sonography of basal ganglia, substantia nigra and ventricles was performed in 14 patients with spasmodic dysphonia (10 women, four men; disease duration 16.5 ± 6.1 years) and 14 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls in an investigator‐blinded setting.ResultsLenticular nucleus hyperechogenicity was found in 12 spasmodic dysphonia patients but only in one healthy individual (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.001) whilst other TCS findings did not differ. The area of LN hyperechogenic lesions quantified on digitized image analysis correlated with spasmodic dysphonia severity (Spearman test, r = 0.82, P < 0.001).ConclusionOur findings link the underlying pathology of spasmodic dysphonia to that of more widespread forms of dystonia.
Young adult ischaemic stroke related acute symptomatic and late seizures: risk factors
Authors: Roivainen R. , Haapaniemi E. , Putaala J. , Kaste M. , Tatlisumak T. 
Published: April 2013

Background and purposeAfter first‐ever ischaemic stroke, to assess the risk and baseline factors associated with acute symptomatic seizure (ASS) (occurring within 7 days) and late post‐stroke seizure (LPS) (>7 days).MethodsAll consecutive patients aged 15–49 with first‐ever ischaemic stroke between 1994 and 2007 treated at the Helsinki University Central Hospital were included, using Cox proportional hazard models to identify factors associated with seizures. Adjustment was for age, gender, vascular risk factors, admission hyperglycemia (>6.1 mm) and hyponatremia (<137 mm), use of psychiatric medication, stroke severity (NIH Stroke Scale) and anatomical (Bamford criteria) and etiological (Trial of Org in Acute Stroke Treatment) stroke subtype.ResultsASSs emerged in 35 (3.5%) patients. LPSs (n = 102) occurred at a cumulative rate of 6.1% at 1 year, 9.5% at 5 years and 11.5% at 10 years. In multivariate analysis, anxiolytic use at time of index stroke (hazard ratio 13.43, 95% confidence interval 3.91–46.14), moderate stroke severity (3.95, 1.86–8.41), cortical involvement (3.69, 1.66–8.18) and hyponatremia (3.26, 1.41–7.57) were independently associated with ASSs. Risk factors for LPSs were total anterior circulation infarct (15.94, 7.62–33.33), partial anterior circulation infarct (3.48, 1.52–7.93), history of ASS (3.94, 2.07–7.48), antidepressant use at the time of LPS (3.88, 2.46–6.11), hemorrhagic infarct (1.94, 1.19–3.15), male gender (1.79, 1.10–2.92) and hyperglycemia (1.62, 1.05–2.51).ConclusionsIn young ischaemic stroke patients, the magnitude of seizure risk and the major risk factors were similar to older ischaemic stroke patients but risk factors for ASSs and LPSs differed.