bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Applicability of 3T BodyMRIin Assessment of Nonfocal Bone Marrow Involvement of Hematopoietic Neoplasia in Dogs
Authors: Feeney D.A. , Sharkey L.C. , Steward S.M. , Bahr K.L. , Henson M.S. , Ito D. , O'Brien T.D. , Jessen C.R. , Husbands B.D. , Borgatti A. , Modiano J. 
Published: July 2013

BackgroundThe utility of whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting bone marrow infiltration in dogs with cancer has not been investigated.ObjectivesTo assess the feasibility of 3T bodyMRIfor bone marrow assessment in dogs with hematopoietic neoplasia.AnimalsSeven dogs with B‐cell lymphoma, 3 dogs with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and 2 clinically normal dogs.MethodsA prospective study of dogs with hematopoetic cancer was conducted using T1W, T2W, In‐Phase, Out‐of‐Phase and STIR pulse sequences of the body excluding the head prior to bone marrow sampling. The relative signal intensity of a midlumbar vertebral body and a midshaft femoral bone marrow was compared by visual and point region of interest analysis to regional skeletal muscle.ResultsSimilarity of femoral diaphyseal and vertebral body marrow signal intensity to that of skeletal muscle on the Out‐of‐Phase sequence was useful in distinguishing the 3 dogs with hypercellular marrow because ofMDSfrom the 7 dogs with B‐cell lymphoma and from the 2 clinically normal dogs. 1/7 dogs with lymphoma had proven bone marrow involvement but normal cellularity and less than 5% abnormal cells. Unaffected midfemoral marrow had greater signal intensity than skeletal muscle and unaffected vertebral marrow had less signal intensity than skeletal muscle on the Out‐of‐Phase sequence.Conclusions and Clinical Importance3T, Out‐of‐PhaseMRpulse sequence was useful in distinguishing diffuse bone marrow infiltrate (MDS) from minimally or unaffected marrow using skeletal muscle for signal intensity comparison on whole bodyMRI.
Preferences, Welfare and Desirable Subsidies under Monopolistic Competition
Authors: Kwan Chang Yee 
Published: July 2013

AbstractA simple model of monopolistic competition with consumer preferences for diversity reconciles an empirical‐theoretical disconnect of the welfare properties of industrial subsidies. The optimal policy rules indicate that subsidies can bePareto improving, but subject to society's preference for diversity. More counter‐intuitively, the welfare‐maximizing subsidy is always found to be strictly non‐negative, and the general qualitative nature of the results seem to contradict the optimum taxation literature. The subsidy incidence is also examined and we find that there exists a potential for an over‐shifting of the subsidy.
Reconstructing the δ18O of atmospheric water vapour via the CAM epiphyte Tillandsia usneoides: seasonal controls on δ18O in the field and large‐scale reconstruction of δ18Oa
Authors: HELLIKER BRENT R. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractUsing both oxygen isotope ratios of leaf water (δ18OL) and cellulose (δ18OC) of Tillandsia usneoides in situ, this paper examined how short‐ and long‐term responses to environmental variation and model parameterization affected the reconstruction of the atmospheric water vapour (δ18Oa). During sample‐intensive field campaigns, predictions of δ18OL matched observations well using a non‐steady‐state model, but the model required data‐rich parameterization. Predictions from the more easily parameterized maximum enrichment model (δ18OL–M) matched observed δ18OL and observed δ18Oa when leaf water turnover was less than 3.5 d. Using the δ18OL–M model and weekly samples of δ18OL across two growing seasons in Florida, USA, reconstructed δ18Oa was −12.6 ± 0.3‰. This is compared with δ18Oa of −12.4 ± 0.2‰ resolved from the growing‐season‐weighted δ18OC. Both of these values were similar to δ18Oa in equilibrium with precipitation, −12.9‰. δ18Oa was also reconstructed through a large‐scale transect with δ18OL and the growing‐season‐integrated δ18OC across the southeastern United States. There was considerable large‐scale variation, but there was regional, weather‐induced coherence in δ18Oa when using δ18OL. The reconstruction of δ18Oa with δ18OC generally supported the assumption of δ18Oa being in equilibrium with precipitation δ18O (δ18Oppt), but the pool of δ18Oppt with which δ18Oa was in equilibrium – growing season versus annual δ18Oppt – changed with latitude.
Effects of low‐dose cyclophosphamide with piroxicam on tumour neovascularization in a canine oral malignant melanoma‐xenografted mouse model
Authors: Choisunirachon N. , Jaroensong T. , Yoshida K. , Saeki K. , Mochizuki M. , Nishimura R. , Sasaki N. , Nakagawa T. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractLow‐dose cyclophosphamide (CyLD) has shown promise in the treatment of several cancers; however, the effect of CyLD on canine oral malignant melanoma has never been explored. In this study, we investigated the effects of CyLD with or without piroxicam (Px) on tumour neovascularization and vascular normalization in a canine oral malignant melanoma‐xenografted mice model. After treatment with CyLD, Px or a combination of both (CyPx), the growth of the tumour in the treatment groups was significantly suppressed compared to the control group at 30 days of treatment. Proliferation index was also significantly reduced by all treatments, only CyPx significantly lowered microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. Additionally, CyLD significantly reduced the proportion of normal vessels and caused an imbalance between VEGF and thrombospondin‐1. These results suggested that CyPx has potent anti‐angiogenic effects in terms of both the number and quality of blood vessels in xenografted canine oral malignant melanoma.
Rhodococcus jostii Porin A (RjpA) Functions in Cholate Uptake
Authors: Somalinga Vijayakumar , Mohn William W. 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACT

RjpA in
Rhodococcus jostii
is the ortholog of a channel-forming porin, MspA. Deletion of
rjpA
delayed growth of
R. jostii
on cholate but not on cholesterol. Eventual growth on cholate involved increased expression of other porins, namely, RjpB, RjpC, and RjpD. Porins appear essential for the uptake of bile acids by mycolic acid bacteria.
The Peptidoglycan Hydrolase of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteriophage ϕ11 Plays a Structural Role in the Viral Particle
Authors: Rodríguez-Rubio Lorena , Quiles-Puchalt Nuria , Martínez Beatriz , Rodríguez Ana , Penadés José R. , García Pilar 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACT

The role of virion-associated peptidoglycan hydrolases (VAPGHs) in the phage infection cycle is not clear. gp49, the VAPGH from
Staphylococcus aureus
phage ϕ11, is not essential for phage growth but stabilizes the viral particles. ϕ11Δ49 phages showed a reduced burst size and delayed host lysis. Complementation of gp49 with HydH5 from bacteriophage vB_SauS-phiIPLA88 restored the wild-type phenotype.
New Methods for Analysis of Spatial Distribution and Coaggregation of Microbial Populations in Complex Biofilms
Authors: Almstrand Robert , Daims Holger , Persson Frank , Sörensson Fred , Hermansson Malte 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTIn biofilms, microbial activities form gradients of substrates and electron acceptors, creating a complex landscape of microhabitats, often resulting in structured localization of the microbial populations present. To understand the dynamic interplay between and within these populations, quantitative measurements and statistical analysis of their localization patterns within the biofilms are necessary, and adequate automated tools for such analyses are needed. We have designed and applied new methods for fluorescencein situhybridization (FISH) and digital image analysis of directionally dependent (anisotropic) multispecies biofilms. A sequential-FISH approach allowed multiple populations to be detected in a biofilm sample. This was combined with an automated tool for vertical-distribution analysis by generatingin silicobiofilm slices and the recently developed Inflate algorithm for coaggregation analysis of microbial populations in anisotropic biofilms. As a proof of principle, we show distinct stratification patterns of the ammonia oxidizersNitrosomonas oligotrophasubclusters I and II and the nitrite oxidizerNitrospirasublineage I in three different types of wastewater biofilms, suggesting niche differentiation between theN. oligotrophasubclusters, which could explain their coexistence in the same biofilms. Coaggregation analysis showed thatN. oligotrophasubcluster II aggregated closer toNitrospirathan didN. oligotrophasubcluster I in a pilot plant nitrifying trickling filter (NTF) and a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), but not in a full-scale NTF, indicating important ecophysiological differences between these phylogenetically closely related subclusters. By using high-resolution quantitative methods applicable to any multispecies biofilm in general, the ecological interactions of these complex ecosystems can be understood in more detail.
Variation in Consumption of Human Milk Oligosaccharides by Infant Gut-Associated Strains of Bifidobacterium breve
Authors: Ruiz-Moyano Santiago , Totten Sarah M. , Garrido Daniel A. , Smilowitz Jennifer T. , German J. Bruce , Lebrilla Carlito B. , Mills David A. 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACT

Human milk contains a high concentration of complex oligosaccharides that influence the composition of the intestinal microbiota in breast-fed infants. Previous studies have indicated that select species such as
Bifidobacterium longum
subsp.
infantis
and
Bifidobacterium bifidum
can utilize human milk oligosaccharides (HMO)
in vitro
as the sole carbon source, while the relatively few
B. longum
subsp.
longum
and
Bifidobacterium breve
isolates tested appear less adapted to these substrates. Considering the high frequency at which
B. breve
is isolated from breast-fed infant feces, we postulated that some
B. breve
strains can more vigorously consume HMO and thus are enriched in the breast-fed infant gastrointestinal tract. To examine this, a number of
B. breve
isolates from breast-fed infant feces were characterized for the presence of different glycosyl hydrolases that participate in HMO utilization, as well as by their ability to grow on HMO or specific HMO species such as lacto-
N
-tetraose (LNT) and fucosyllactose. All
B. breve
strains showed high levels of growth on LNT and lacto-
N
-neotetraose (LNnT), and, in general, growth on total HMO was moderate for most of the strains, with several strain differences. Growth and consumption of fucosylated HMO were strain dependent, mostly in isolates possessing a glycosyl hydrolase family 29 α-fucosidase. Glycoprofiling of the spent supernatant after HMO fermentation by select strains revealed that all
B. breve
strains can utilize sialylated HMO to a certain extent, especially sialyl-lacto-
N
-tetraose. Interestingly, this specific oligosaccharide was depleted before neutral LNT by strain SC95. In aggregate, this work indicates that the HMO consumption phenotype in
B. breve
is variable; however, some strains display specific adaptations to these substrates, enabling more vigorous consumption of fucosylated and sialylated HMO. These results provide a rationale for the predominance of this species in breast-fed infant feces and contribute to a more accurate picture of the ecology of the developing infant intestinal microbiota.
The Oxygenase CAO-1 of Neurospora crassa Is a Resveratrol Cleavage Enzyme
Authors: Díaz-Sánchez Violeta , F. Estrada Alejandro , Limón M. Carmen , Al-Babili Salim , Avalos Javier 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACT

The genome of the ascomycete
Neurospora crassa
encodes CAO-1 and CAO-2, two members of the carotenoid cleavage oxygenase family that target double bonds in different substrates. Previous studies demonstrated the role of CAO-2 in cleaving the C
40
carotene torulene, a key step in the synthesis of the C
35
apocarotenoid pigment neurosporaxanthin. In this work, we investigated the activity of CAO-1, assuming that it may provide retinal, the chromophore of the NOP-1 rhodopsin, by cleaving β-carotene. For this purpose, we tested CAO-1 activity with carotenoid substrates that were, however, not converted. In contrast and consistent with its sequence similarity to family members that act on stilbenes, CAO-1 cleaved the interphenyl Cα-Cβ double bond of resveratrol and its derivative piceatannol. CAO-1 did not convert five other similar stilbenes, indicating a requirement for a minimal number of unmodified hydroxyl groups in the stilbene background. Confirming its biological function in converting stilbenes, adding resveratrol led to a pronounced increase in
cao-1
mRNA levels, while light, a key regulator of carotenoid metabolism, did not alter them. Targeted Δ
cao-1
mutants were not impaired by the presence of resveratrol, a phytoalexin active against different fungi, which did not significantly affect the growth and development of wild-type
Neurospora
. However, under partial sorbose toxicity, the Δ
cao-1
colonies exhibited faster radial growth than control strains in the presence of resveratrol, suggesting a moderate toxic effect of resveratrol cleavage products.
Characterization of Pneumocystis Major Surface Glycoprotein Gene (msg) Promoter Activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Kutty Geetha , Shroff Robert , Kovacs Joseph A. 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTMajor surface glycoprotein (Msg), the most abundant cell surface protein ofPneumocystis, plays an important role in the interaction of this opportunistic pathogen with host cells, and its potential for antigenic variation may facilitate evasion of host immune responses. In the present study, we have identified and characterized the promoter region ofmsgin 3 species ofPneumocystis:P. carinii,P. jirovecii, andP. murina. BecausePneumocystiscannot be cultured, promoter activity was measured inSaccharomyces cerevisiae, a related fungus, using a yeast vector modified to utilize the gene coding forRenillaluciferase as a reporter gene. The 5′-flanking sequences ofmsgfrom all threePneumocystisspecies showed considerable promoter activity, with increases in luciferase activity up to 15- to 44-fold above baseline. Progressive deletions helped define an ∼13-bp sequence in eachPneumocystisspecies that appears to be critical for promoter activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis usingP. carinii-specificmsgpromoter sequences demonstrated binding of nuclear proteins ofS. cerevisiae. The 144-bp 5′-flanking region ofP. murinamsgshowed 72% identity to that ofP. carinii. The 5′-flanking region ofP. jiroveciimsgshowed 58 and 61% identity to those ofP. murinaandP. carinii, respectively. Themsgpromoter is a good candidate for inclusion in a construct designed for genetic manipulation ofPneumocystisspecies.
Redox Regulation of an AP-1-Like Transcription Factor, YapA, in the Fungal Symbiont Epichloë festucae
Authors: Cartwright Gemma M. , Scott Barry 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTOne of the central regulators of oxidative stress inSaccharomyces cerevisiaeis Yap1, a bZIP transcription factor of the AP-1 family. In unstressed cells, Yap1 is reduced and cytoplasmic, but in response to oxidative stress, it becomes oxidized and accumulates in the nucleus. To date, there have been no reports on the role of AP-1-like transcription factors in symbiotic fungi. An ortholog of Yap1, named YapA, was identified in the genome of the grass symbiontEpichloë festucaeand shown to complement anS. cerevisiaeΔyap1mutant. Hyphae of theE. festucaeΔyapAstrain were sensitive to menadione and diamide but resistant to H2O2, KO2, andtert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH). In contrast, conidia of the ΔyapAstrain were very sensitive to H2O2and failed to germinate. Using a PcatA-eGFPdegron-tagged reporter, YapA was shown to be required for expression of a spore-specific catalase gene,catA. Although YapA-EGFP localized to the nucleus in response to host reactive oxygen species during seedling infection, there was no difference in whole-plant and cellular phenotypes of plants infected with the ΔyapAstrain compared to the wild-type strain. Homologs of theS. cerevisiaeandSchizosaccharomyces pomberedox-sensing proteins (Gpx3 and Tpx1, respectively) did not act as redox sensors for YapA inE. festucae. In response to oxidative stress, YapA-EGFP localized to the nuclei ofE. festucaeΔgpxC, ΔtpxA, and ΔgpxCΔtpxAcells to the same degree as that in wild-type cells. These results show thatE. festucaehas a robust system for countering oxidative stress in culture andin plantabut that Gpx3- or Tpx1-like thiol peroxidases are dispensable for activation of YapA.
Helicobacter pylori Salvages Purines from Extracellular Host Cell DNA Utilizing the Outer Membrane-Associated Nuclease NucT
Authors: Liechti George W. , Goldberg Joanna B. 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTHelicobacter pyloriis a bacterial pathogen that establishes life-long infections in humans, and its presence in the gastric epithelium is strongly associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. Having evolved in this specific gastric niche for hundreds of thousands of years, this microbe has become dependent on its human host. Bioinformatic analysis reveals thatH. pylorihas lost several genes involved in thede novosynthesis of purine nucleotides, and without this pathway present,H. pylorimust salvage purines from its environment in order to grow. While the presence and abundance of free purines in various mammalian tissues has been loosely quantified, the concentration of purines present within the gastric mucosa remains unknown. There is evidence, however, that a significant amount of extracellular DNA is present in the human gastric mucosal layer as a result of epithelial cell turnover, and this DNA has the potential to serve as an adequate purine source for gastric purine auxotrophs. In this study, we characterize the ability ofH. pylorito grow utilizing only DNA as a purine source. We show that this ability is independent of the ComB DNA uptake system, and thatH. pyloriutilization of DNA as a purine source is largely influenced by the presence of an outer membrane-associated nuclease (NucT). A ΔnucTmutant exhibits significantly reduced extracellular nuclease activity and is deficient in growth when DNA is provided as the sole purine source in laboratory growth media. These growth defects are also evident when this nuclease mutant is grown in the presence of AGS cells or in purine-free tissue culture medium that has been conditioned by AGS cells in the absence of fetal bovine serum. Taken together, these results indicate that the salvage of purines from exogenous host cell DNA plays an important role in allowingH. pylorito meet its purine requirements for growth.
Eliminating a Set of Four Penicillin Binding Proteins Triggers the Rcs Phosphorelay and Cpx Stress Responses in Escherichia coli
Authors: Evans Kerry L. , Kannan Suresh , Li Gang , de Pedro Miguel A. , Young Kevin D. 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACT

Penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) are responsible for synthesizing and modifying the bacterial cell wall, and in
Escherichia coli
the loss of several nonessential low-molecular-weight PBPs gives rise to abnormalities in cell shape and division. To determine whether these proteins help connect the flagellar basal body to the peptidoglycan wall, we surveyed a set of PBP mutants and found that motility in an agar migration assay was compromised by the simultaneous absence of four enzymes: PBP4, PBP5, PBP7, and AmpH. A wild-type copy of any one of these restored migration, and complementation depended on the integrity of the PBP active-site serine. However, the migration defect was caused by the absence of flagella instead of improper flagellar assembly. Migration was restored if the
flhDC
genes were overexpressed or if the
rcsB
or
cpxR
genes were deleted. Thus, migration was inhibited because the Rcs and Cpx stress response systems were induced in the absence of these four specific PBPs. Furthermore, in this situation Rcs induction depended on the presence of CpxR. The results imply that small changes in peptidoglycan structure are sufficient to activate these stress responses, suggesting that a specific cell wall fragment may be the signal being sensed. The fact that four PBPs must be inactivated may explain why large perturbations to the envelope are required to induce stress responses.
Can a media campaign change health service use in a population with stroke symptoms? Examination of the first Irish stroke awareness campaign
Authors: Mellon Lisa , Hickey Anne , Doyle Frank , Dolan Eamon , Williams David 
Published: July 2013

BackgroundMass media campaigns for stroke awareness encourage the public to recognise stroke symptoms and respond to stroke in a timely manner. However, there is little evidence to suggest that media messages can influence behaviour after stroke onset. The F.A.S.T. (Face Arm Speech Time) test is a common stroke recognition tool used in public education campaigns.ObjectiveTo assess the impact of the F.A.S.T. campaign on health service use in Ireland, which has had no previous exposure to a F.A.S.T. media campaign.MethodsAn interrupted time series design was used to detect behaviour change after the introduction of the first Irish F.A.S.T. campaign in presentations of patients with suspected stroke to two emergency departments (EDs), serving a population of about 580 000.ResultsThere was a significant change in ED attendance of patients with reported stroke symptoms after the introduction of the F.A.S.T. campaign (β=0.84, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.24; p<0.001), although this was not sustained. ED presentation within 3.5 h was associated with emergency medical services activation (OR=3.1, p<0.001) and self-referral to the ED (OR=2.67, p<0.001).ConclusionsThis first Irish F.A.S.T. campaign had an initial impact on ED attendance of patients with stroke symptoms. However, the campaign effects were not sustained in the long term. Results indicate that prehospital delay in accessing acute stroke services is a complex process with involvement of factors other than stroke knowledge and intention to call 911.
Defining combat helmet coverage for protection against explosively propelled fragments
Authors: Breeze John , Baxter D , Carr D , Midwinter M J 
Published: July 2013

IntroductionPrevention against head wounds from explosively propelled fragments is currently the Mark 7 general service combat helmet, although only limited evidence exists to define the coverage required for the helmet to adequately protect against such a threat. The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine was tasked by Defence Equipment and Support to provide a framework for determining the optimum coverage of future combat helmets in order to inform the VIRTUS procurement programme.MethodA systematic review of the literature was undertaken to identify potential solutions to three components felt necessary to define the ideal helmet coverage required for protection against explosively propelled fragments.ResultsThe brain and brainstem were identified as the structures requiring coverage by a helmet. No papers were identified that directly defined the margins of these structures to anatomical landmarks, nor how these could be related to helmet coverage.ConclusionsWe recommend relating the margins of the brain to three identifiable anatomical landmarks (nasion, external auditory meatus and superior nuchal line), which can in turn be related to the coverage provided by the helmet. Early assessments using an anatomical mannequin indicate that the current helmet covers the majority of the brain and brainstem from projectiles with a horizontal trajectory but not from ones that originate from the ground. Protection from projectiles with ground-originating trajectories is reduced by helmets with increased stand-off from the skin. Future helmet coverage assessments should use a finite element numerical modelling approach with representative material properties assigned to intracranial anatomical structures to enable differences in projectile trajectory and helmet coverage to be objectively compared.