bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coat colour in mouse populations selected for weight gain: support for hitchhiking, not pleiotropy
Authors: HEDRICK PHILIP W. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryWith many molecular markers in many species, research efforts in quantitative genetics have focused on dissecting these traits and understanding the importance of factors such as correlated response due to hitchhiking or pleiotropy. Here, in an examination of long-term selection experiments in mice, the evidence strongly supports the primary importance of hitchhiking on the coat colour locibrownanddilutein mice selected for high weight gain. First, the amount of observed change in coat colour allele frequency could not be explained by genetic drift alone, implying that selection was of high importance. Second, the allele frequency changes included reversals in the direction change, but there were still positive correlations in the early generations with differences in weight gain between the phenotypes. Third, the correlation between the change in allele frequencies and phenotypic difference in weight gain declined over time, consistent with the decay expected from linkage associations. Fourth, the changes at both loci in a short-term selection experiment for low weight gain were in the opposite direction than the changes in the contemporaneous related population selected for high weight gain.
First Report of Stem Wilt and Root Rot of Schlumbergera truncata Caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Opuntiarum in Southern Italy
Authors: Lops F. , Cibelli F. , Raimondo M. L. , Carlucci A. 
Published: January 2013

Schlumbergera truncata (Haw.) Moran, belonging to the Cactaceae, is a very common ornamental cactus in southern Italy. In November 2011, sudden stem wilt and root rot was observed in about 45% of vegetatively propagated plants cultivated as potted ornamental plants in a commercial greenhouse in Cerignola (Foggia Province, Apulia, Italy). The roots and collars of the plants showed brown rot. Yellow sunken lesions that were similar to cortical cankers were detected at basal level of the stem. Ten plants with these symptoms were analyzed by fungal isolation techniques. Small (0.5 cm) tissue portions from root, collar, and basal stem were plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) after disinfection with 75% ethanol for 1 to 2 min, 0.2% NaOCl for 1 to 2 min, and a wash with sterile distilled water. A fungal isolate that was morphologically similar to Fusarium sp. was isolated from 85% of these tissue samples. It had nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of ribosomal DNA (GenBank Accession No. KC196121) 100% identical to those of the comparable sequences of Fusarium oxysporum (HQ651161). The nucleotide sequences of its translation elongation factor 1-α (EF-1α) gene (KC196120) showed 100% identity to sequences of F. oxysporum f. sp. opuntiarum (DQ837689, AF246881) retrieved from GenBank. Pathogenicity tests were performed at 22 ± 3°C on 18 45-day-old plants of S. truncate by adding of a 5-ml aliquot of conidial suspension adjusted to 5 × 106 conidia/ml to soil of each plant. Six non-inoculated plants were used for a control treatment and sprayed with 5 ml of sterilized water. Plants were maintained in greenhouse at 22 ± 3°C. After 10 days, nine of the inoculated plants showed wilting, and after 45 days, all of them were dead, with root and collar rot and lesions on the basal stem. Control plants were symptomless. Koch's postulates were fulfilled as the pathogen was reisolated from all of the symptomatic tissues and identified as Fusarium sp. On the basis of 3-septate macroconidia (mean 31.75 × 3.21 μm; range, 26 to 35 μm long, 3.0 to 4.2 μm wide), aseptate microconidia, single chlamydospores, and monophialide conidiophores on carnation leaf agar, and molecular analyses, the fungus was identified as F. oxysporum f. sp. opuntiarum (Speg) (1,2,3). In Italy, F. oxysporum f. sp. opuntiarum was reported as basal stem rot of Echinocactus grusoni (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of stem wilt and root rot of S. truncata caused by F. oxysporum f. sp. opuntiarum in Italy. References: (1) W. Gerlach. Phytopathol. Z. 74:197, 1972. (2) W. L. Gordon. Can. J. Bot. 43:1309, 1965. (3) P. E. Nelson et al. Fusarium Species: An Illustrated Manual for Identification. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, 1983. (4) G. Polizzi et al. Plant Dis. 88:85, 2004.
Transumbilical single‐incision laparoscopic ileocecal resection for Crohn's disease in a child
Authors: Inoue Mikihiro , Uchida Keiichi , Otake Kohei , Okigami Masato , Okita Yoshiki , Hiro Junichiro , Araki Toshimitsu , Kusunoki Masato 
Published: January 2013

AbstractWe report the pediatric case of ileal Crohn's disease in which the patient underwent transumbilical single‐incision laparoscopic ileocecal resection. A 14‐year‐old boy with severe growth disturbance presented with intestinal obstruction. Transanal double‐balloon enteroscopy and contrast study during endoscopy revealed a cobble stone appearance and a severe stricture 15 cm in length located slightly proximal to the ileocecal valve. There was no evidence of fistula or abscess formation. Ileocecal resection was performed via an umbilical incision with conventional laparoscopic instruments, and the postoperative course was uneventful. Single‐incision laparoscopic ileocecal resection is a good procedure for uncomplicated Crohn's disease patients in childhood.
Regional registration of [6‐14C]glucose metabolism during brain activation of α‐syntrophin knockout mice
Authors: Cruz Nancy F. , Ball Kelly K. , Froehner Stanley C. , Adams Marvin E. , Dienel Gerald A. 
Published: January 2013

Abstractα‐Syntrophin is a component of the dystrophin scaffold‐protein complex that serves as an adaptor for recruitment of key proteins to the cytoplasmic side of plasma membranes. α‐Syntrophin knockout (KO) causes loss of the polarized localization of aquaporin4 (AQP4) at astrocytic endfeet and interferes with water and K+ homeostasis. During brain activation, release of ions and metabolites from endfeet is anticipated to increase perivascular fluid osmolarity, AQP4‐mediated osmotic water flow from endfeet, and metabolite washout from brain. This study tests the hypothesis that reduced levels of endfoot AQP4 increase retention of [14C]metabolites during sensory stimulation. Conscious KO and wild‐type mice were pulse‐labeled with [6‐14C] glucose during unilateral acoustic stimulation or bilateral acoustic plus whisker stimulation, and label retention was assayed by computer‐assisted brain imaging or analysis of [14C]metabolites in extracts, respectively. High‐resolution autoradiographic assays detected a 17% side‐to‐side difference (p < 0.05) in inferior colliculus of KO mice, not wild‐type mice. However, there were no labeling differences between KO and wild‐type mice for five major HPLC fractions from four dissected regions, presumably because of insufficient anatomical resolution. The results suggest a role for AQP4‐mediated water flow in support of washout of metabolites, and underscore the need for greater understanding of astrocytic water and metabolite fluxes.
Survey of Chinese Historical Syntax Part II: Middle Chinese
Authors: Aldridge Edith 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis is the second article in a two‐part introduction to Chinese historical syntax. The previous article introduces aspects of pre‐medieval grammar which differ markedly from modern Chinese varieties, specifically fronting of object NPs to preverbal position, the asymmetry between subject and object relative clause formation, and the encoding of argument structure alternations like active and passive. Each of these characteristics is related to morphological distinctions on nouns, verbs, or pronouns which are either overtly represented in the logographic writing system in Archaic Chinese or have been reconstructed for (Pre‐)Archaic Chinese. In this second article, I discuss changes which took place in Middle Chinese and correlate these innovations with the loss of the (Pre‐)Archaic Chinese morphology. The main goal of these articles is to highlight a common denominator, i.e. the morphology, which enables a systemic view of pre‐medieval Chinese and the changes which have resulted in the striking differences observed in Middle Chinese and beyond.
Characterization and quantification of porcine circulating endothelial cells
Authors: Post Ivo C. J. H. , Weenink Robert P. , van Wijk Albert C. W. A. , Heger Michal , Böing Anita N. , van Hulst Robert A. , van Gulik Thomas M. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBackgroundEndothelial damage is a critical step in the development of (xeno) transplantation‐related and cardiovascular pathology. In humans, the amount of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) correlates to disease intensity and functions as a valuable damage marker. While (xeno) transplantation and cardiovascular research is regularly performed in porcine models, the paucity of antibodies against porcine endothelium epitopes hinders the use of CEC as damage marker.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a method for porcine CEC detection using anti‐human antibodies against porcine endothelium epitopes.MethodsHuman umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC, control) and their swine equivalent (SUVEC) were used to assess the cross‐species immunoreactivity of fluorescently labeled anti‐human CD31/CD51/CD54/CD62E/CD105/CD106/CD144/CD146/PAL‐E/lectin‐1/vWF antibodies by isotype‐controlled fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) and confocal microscopy. Next, reactivity was ascertained with mature porcine kidney‐derived endothelial cells (PKEC), and a FACS‐based whole blood CEC quantification method was employed using osmotic erythrolysis and CD105 and CD146 double staining after CD45 exclusion.ResultsOf the 21 assayed antibodies, the MEM‐229 clone of CD105 and P1H12 clone of CD146 showed immunoreactivity with SUVEC and PKEC. Double staining showed baseline porcine CEC count of 673.1 ± 551.4 CEC/ml, while the first 7.5 ml of drawn blood (representative of vascular damage) contained 1118 ± 661.4 CEC/ml (n = 14, P = 0.04). A second experiment (n = 5) including CD45 exclusion identified only 14.5 ± 10.8% double‐positive CD105‐146 events per ml blood.ConclusionPorcine endothelium can be specifically labeled using anti‐human CD146 and CD105 antibodies. These antibodies can therefore be used for the identification and quantification of CEC in porcine whole blood by FACS after osmotic erythrolysis.
Bordetella holmesii, an Emerging Cause of Septic Arthritis
Authors: Abouanaser Salaheddin F. , Srigley Jocelyn A. , Nguyen Tram , Dale Suzanne E. , Johnstone Jennie , Wilcox Lindsay , Jamieson Frances , Rawte Prasad , Pernica Jeffrey M. 
Published: January 2013

ABSTRACT

Bordetella holmesii
is a well-described pathogen in asplenic and immunocompromised patients. Here we report the first two published cases of septic arthritis caused by
B. holmesii
documented in apparently immunocompetent patients and unaccompanied by bacteremia.
Percutaneous sacroplasty using CT guidance for pain palliation in sacral insufficiency fractures
Authors: Dougherty Ryne W , McDonald Jennifer S , Cho Yong Woon , Wald John T , Thielen Kent R , Kallmes David F 
Published: January 2013

Background and objectiveSacroplasty has emerged as a treatment option for patients with painful osteoporotic sacral insufficiency fractures. We report short-term outcomes in a consecutive cohort of patients treated with sacroplasty.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 57 patients treated with sacroplasty for painful osteoporotic sacral fractures at our institution between 2004 and 2011. An 11-point numerical rating scale pain score was recorded at rest and at activity pre- and post-procedure. Opioids prescribed to the patient both pre- and post-procedure were recorded.ResultsMean duration of pain prior to sacroplasty was 3 weeks (IQR 2–5). Procedural complications were minimal. Median post-procedure follow-up time was 2.5 weeks (IQR 1–5) among 45 patients with available data. Thirty-seven (82%) of the 45 patients experienced a numerical or descriptive decrease from initial pain at follow-up. Median activity pain scores collected from 13 patients decreased from 10 (IQR 8.5–10) pre-procedure to 6 (IQR 4–6.8) post-procedure (p<0.0001), and median rest pain scores collected from 29 patients decreased from 7 (IQR 4–8.5) to 2 (IQR 1–3.5)(p<0.0001). Twenty-two (76%) of 29 patients had at least a 30% decrease in rest pain scores. The median number of opioids prescribed per patient decreased from 1 (IQR 1–2) pre-procedure to 0 (IQR 0–1) post-procedure (p<0.0001). Thirty-four of 57 patients (60%) had decreased opioid usage, 15 (26%) patients had unchanged usage and 8 (14%) had increased usage.ConclusionsOur series demonstrates that sacroplasty is a safe and effective treatment in patients with painful osteoporotic insufficiency fractures.
Identification of medium-sized genomic deletions with low coverage, mate-paired restricted tags
Authors: Gong Qiang , Tao Yong , Yang Jian-Rong , Cai Jun , Yuan Yunfei , Ruan Jue , Yang Jin , Liu Hailiang , Li Wanghua , Lu Xuemei , Zhuang Shi-Mei , Wang San Ming , Wu Chung-I 
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Background
Genomic deletions are known to be widespread in many species. Variant sequencing-based approaches for identifying deletions have been developed, but their powers to detect those deletions that affect medium-sized regions are limited when the sequencing coverage is low.

Results
We present a cost-effective method for identifying medium-sized deletions in genomic regions with low genomic coverage. Two mate-paired libraries were separately constructed from human cancerous tissue to generate paired short reads (ditags) from restriction fragments digested with a 4-base restriction enzyme. A total of 3 Gb of paired reads (1.0× genome size) was collected, and 175 deletions were inferred by identifying the ditags with disorder alignments to the reference genome sequence. Sanger sequencing results confirmed an overall detection accuracy of 95%. Good reproducibility was verified by the deletions that were detected by both libraries.

Conclusions
We provide an approach to accurately identify medium-sized deletions in large genomes with low sequence coverage. It can be applied in studies of comparative genomics and in the identification of germline and somatic variants.
All‐atom structural models of insulin binding to the insulin receptor in the presence of a tandem hormone‐binding element
Authors: Vashisth Harish , Abrams Cameron F. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractInsulin regulates blood glucose levels in higher organisms by binding to and activating insulin receptor (IR), a constitutively homodimeric glycoprotein of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) superfamily. Therapeutic efforts in treating diabetes have been significantly impeded by the absence of structural information on the activated form of the insulin/IR complex. Mutagenesis and photo‐crosslinking experiments and structural information on insulin and apo‐IR strongly suggest that the dual‐chain insulin molecule, unlike the related single‐chain insulin‐like growth factors, binds to IR in a very different conformation than what is displayed in storage forms of the hormone. In particular, hydrophobic residues buried in the core of the folded insulin molecule engage the receptor. There is also the possibility of plasticity in the receptor structure based on these data, which may in part be due to rearrangement of the so‐called CT‐peptide, a tandem hormone‐binding element of IR. These possibilities provide opportunity for large‐scale molecular modeling to contribute to our understanding of this system. Using various atomistic simulation approaches, we have constructed all‐atom structural models of hormone/receptor complexes in the presence of CT in its crystallographic position and a thermodynamically favorable displaced position. In the “displaced‐CT” complex, many more insulin–receptor contacts suggested by experiments are satisfied, and our simulations also suggest that R‐insulin potentially represents the receptor‐bound form of hormone. The results presented in this work have further implications for the design of receptor‐specific agonists/antagonists. Proteins 2013; © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
First Report of Bacterial Spot Caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni on Japanese Plum in Taiwan
Authors: Shen Y. M. , Huang T. C. , Chao C. H. , Liu H. L. 
Published: January 2013

Prunus salicina Lindl., also known as Japanese plum, is a temperate-zone fruit tree grown in mountainous areas of Taiwan. The planted area in Taiwan is approximately 3,000 ha. In June 2011, more than 20% of plum fruits harvested in an orchard in Lishan (elevation about 2,000 m) showed black, mostly circular, sunken necrotic lesions. Leaves with a shot-hole appearance and cankered branches were found when investigating the orchard. Bacteria were isolated from symptomatic fruits, leaves, and branches. Isolation on nutrient agar detected colonies that were yellow, mucoid, gram-negative, Xanthomonas-like, and induced hypersensitive responses on tomatoes. Three voucher isolates, BCRC80476, BCRC80478, and BCRC80481, obtained from the fruit, leaf, and branch, respectively, were deposited in the Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan. Molecular analyses were conducted for species identification. Sequences of the gyrB gene of the three voucher isolates (GenBank Accession Nos. KC202288, KC202289, and KC202287) were 100% identical to that of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni pathotype strain ICMP51 (2). In addition, DNA fragments of the xopE3 gene (an X. arboricola pv. pruni specific T3E gene, approximately 381 bp) were PCR amplified using the primer pair fw-5′CCGACATTGCCGTCAGCGATCACG3′ and rv-5′AGCGTTCTTGGGTGTGTTGAGCATTTG3′ (1). The bacterial isolates were identified as X. arboricola pv. pruni on the basis of the colony characteristics, sequence homology, and the specific PCR assay. Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculation of greenhouse-potted P. salicina plants with strains BCRC80476, BCRC80478, and BCRC80481 using bacterial suspensions (6.7 × 108 CFU per ml) in 0.01% Tween 20. Five plants were evenly sprayed with inoculum of each bacterial isolate and covered with plastic bags for 3 days. One week post inoculation, at an average temperature of 19°C, the 15 inoculated plants produced brown-purple spots delimited by a chlorotic margin on the leaves. Three weeks post inoculation, the necrotic leaf spots completely deteriorated, leaving a shot-hole appearance, and the branches showed lesions similar to those observed in the fields. The pathogen was reisolated from the symptomatic tissues, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Control plants sprayed with 0.01% Tween 20 remained symptomless. To our knowledge, this is the first record of X. arboricola pv. pruni causing bacterial spot on P. salicina in Taiwan. References: (1) A. Hajri et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 78:371, 2012. (2) J. M. Young et al. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 31:366, 2008.
First Report of Tomato chlorosis virus in China
Authors: Zhao R. N. , Wang R. , Wang N. , Fan Z. F. , Zhou T. , Shi Y. C. , Chai M. 
Published: January 2013

In October 2012, a severe yellowing disease was found on greenhouse and plastic house tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants in Beijing, China. The disease incidence varied from 5 to 80% in each of six fields across Haidian and Daxing districts. The lower leaves showed symptoms of interveinal chlorosis, leaf brittleness, and limited brown necrotic flecks, similar to symptoms induced by Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) and Tomato infectious chlorosis virus (TICV) (two members of genus Crinivirus, family Closteroviridae) (4). A large number of whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) were also observed. Leaf samples were taken from eight symptomatic and two asymptomatic tomato plants in two plastic houses in the Haidian district and total RNA was isolated from the 10 samples using TRIzol reagent (Tiangen, Beijing, China). Nested reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was performed to test the presence of ToCV and TICV with degenerate primers HS-11 and HS-12 and specific primers ToC-5/ToC-6 or TIC-3/TIC-4 for ToCV or TICV, respectively (1). With ToCV primers, a 463-bp specific fragment was amplified from eight symptomatic samples but not from two asymptomatic samples, and there was no amplification with TICV primers from any sample. Sequence analysis of the amplified fragment showed 99% nucleotide sequence identity with the heat shock protein 70 homolog (HSP70h) gene of ToCV isolates from Japan (GenBank Accession No. AB513442), Spain (DQ136146), Florida (AY903448), and Greece (EU284744). The presence of ToCV was confirmed by amplification of a 848-bp fragment covering the coat protein (CP) gene of ToCV with primers CP-F (5′-GAATCTTTTAGAAGCTTTGGTTTAAGG-3′) and CP-R (5′-GATCCTCTTGATCCTCATAGATTTC-3′) (3). The CP had 97 to 99% amino acid sequence identity to the above-mentioned four ToCV isolates. A sequence of the CP gene obtained from one isolate was deposited at GenBank (KC311375). Additionally, virions were isolated from 25 g of symptomatic samples followed Klaassen's method (2) and their lengths were estimated to be about 800 to 850 nm by transmission electronic microscopy To our knowledge, this is the first report of ToCV on tomato in mainland China. Tomato is one of the most widely cultivated crops in China and the spread of ToCV in China may cause significant economic losses. Further information on the prevalence and incidence of ToCV is required to assess the potential impact of this virus. References: (1) C. I. Dovas et al. Plant Dis. 86:1345, 2002. (2) V. A. Klaassen et al. J. Gen. Virol. 75:1525, 1994. (3) H. Tomoki et al. J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 76:168, 2010. (4) G. C. Wisler et al. Phytopathology 88:402, 1998.
Rules of advertisement in an electronic age
Authors: Kadir Rokiah 
Published: January 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the possible application of the principle of paper advertisement in the context of communication via the web.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyses case law decisions pertaining to advertisements.FindingsWeb and paper advertisement are both communications anticipating contracts made to the public, nevertheless the issue of web advertisement deserves discussion because of the distinct features of web communication. Interactive feature of many web advertisements, the irrelevance of the limited stock argument in web advertisement trading digital service, the utilisation of stock control and customer selection method which protects the vendor against the risks of limited stock and the risk of making contract with everyone, and finally the global feature of web communication are some of the characteristics of web communication justifying a revisit to this topic, as these features may add a layer of complexity to the issue. Commentators have taken different stances as to the position of web advertisement, with some viewing any type of web advertisement as an offer, whilst others confine the binding status only to interactive web advertisement and to advertisements providing digital services. The paper seeks to ascertain the position of web advertisement under UK law, including the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002.Research limitations/implicationsThe finding of the research is relevant for policy and law makers when considering whether to enact or amend electronic commerce‐related legislation.Practical implicationsThe paper reveals how the status of advertisement applies in business situations in the context of virtual environment.Originality/valueThe analysis shows that the non‐binding status should, without indications of a contrary intention, apply to a web advertisement despite its features being distinct from those of a paper advertisement.