bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Utilization of
d
-Ribitol by Lactobacillus casei BL23 Requires a Mannose-Type Phosphotransferase System and Three Catabolic Enzymes
Authors: Bourand A. , Yebra M. J. , Boël G. , Mazé A. , Deutscher J. 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACT

Lactobacillus casei
strains 64H and BL23, but not ATCC 334, are able to ferment
d
-ribitol (also called
d
-adonitol). However, a BL23-derived
ptsI
mutant lacking enzyme I of the phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) was not able to utilize this pentitol, suggesting that strain BL23 transports and phosphorylates
d
-ribitol via a PTS. We identified an 11-kb region in the genome sequence of
L. casei
strain BL23 (
LCABL_29160
to
LCABL_29270
) which is absent from strain ATCC 334 and which contains the genes for a GlpR/IolR-like repressor, the four components of a mannose-type PTS, and six metabolic enzymes potentially involved in
d
-ribitol metabolism. Deletion of the gene encoding the EIIB component of the presumed ribitol PTS indeed prevented
d
-ribitol fermentation. In addition, we overexpressed the six catabolic genes, purified the encoded enzymes, and determined the activities of four of them. They encode a
d
-ribitol-5-phosphate (
d
-ribitol-5-P) 2-dehydrogenase, a
d
-ribulose-5-P 3-epimerase, a
d
-ribose-5-P isomerase, and a
d
-xylulose-5-P phosphoketolase. In the first catabolic step, the protein
d
-ribitol-5-P 2-dehydrogenase uses NAD
+
to oxidize
d
-ribitol-5-P formed during PTS-catalyzed transport to
d
-ribulose-5-P, which, in turn, is converted to
d
-xylulose-5-P by the enzyme
d
-ribulose-5-P 3-epimerase. Finally, the resulting
d
-xylulose-5-P is split by
d
-xylulose-5-P phosphoketolase in an inorganic phosphate-requiring reaction into acetylphosphate and the glycolytic intermediate
d
-glyceraldehyde-3-P. The three remaining enzymes, one of which was identified as
d
-ribose-5-P-isomerase, probably catalyze an alternative ribitol degradation pathway, which might be functional in
L. casei
strain 64H but not in BL23, because one of the BL23 genes carries a frameshift mutation.
ECG and morphologic adaptations in Arabic athletes: are the European Society of Cardiology's recommendations for the interpretation of the 12-lead ECG appropriate for this ethnicity?
Authors: Riding Nathan R , Salah Othman , Sharma Sanjay , Carré François , George Keith P , Farooq Abdulaziz , Hamilton Bruce , Chalabi Hakim , Whyte Gregory P , Wilson Mathew G 
Published: April 2013

AimsTo examine the cardiac structure and function of Arabic athletes and to establish if the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the interpretation of an athlete's ECG are applicable to this ethnicity.Methods600 high-level Arabic, 415 Black African, 160 Caucasian male athletes (exercising ≥6 h/week) and 201 Arabic controls presented for ECG and echocardiographic screening.Results9 athletes (0.7%) were identified with a cardiac pathology associated with sudden cardiac death. Two Arabics (0.3%) and five Black Africans (1.2%) were diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; a prevalence four times greater in Black African compared to Arabic athletes. Arabic athletes had significantly greater (p<0.05) left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameters, maximal LV wall thicknesses and LV mass compared with controls; yet were significantly smaller than Black African and Caucasian athletes. The percentage of athletes demonstrating LV hypertrophy (≥12 mm) was comparable between Arabic, Black African and Caucasian populations (0.5%, 0.5% and 0.6%, respectively). There was no difference in the frequency of an uncommon and training-unrelated ECG between Arabic and Caucasian. However, Black Africans demonstrated a significantly greater prevalence than Arabic and Caucasian athletes (20% vs 8.4% and 6.9%, p<0.001); specifically more right/left atrial enlargement and T wave inversion.ConclusionsArabic athletes present significantly smaller cardiac dimensions than Black African and Caucasian athletes. There was no significant difference between the frequency of an uncommon and training-unrelated ECG between Arabic and Caucasian athletes. Therefore, the use of ESC guidelines for the interpretation of an athlete's ECG is clinically relevant and acceptable for use within Arabic athletes.
Cost-effectiveness and quality of life in surgeon versus general practitioner-organised colon cancer surveillance: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Augestad Knut Magne , Norum Jan , Dehof Stefan , Aspevik Ranveig , Ringberg Unni , Nestvold Torunn , Vonen Barthold , Skrøvseth Stein Olav , Lindsetmo Rolv-Ole 
Published: April 2013

ObjectiveTo assess whether colon cancer follow-up can be organised by general practitioners (GPs) without a decline in the patient's quality of life (QoL) and increase in cost or time to cancer diagnoses, compared to hospital follow-up.DesignRandomised controlled trial.SettingNorthern Norway Health Authority Trust, 4 trusts, 11 hospitals and 88 local communities.ParticipantsPatients surgically treated for colon cancer, hospital surgeons and community GPs.Intervention24-month follow-up according to national guidelines at the community GP office. To ensure a high follow-up guideline adherence, a decision support tool for patients and GPs were used.Main outcome measuresPrimary outcomes were QoL, measured by the global health scales of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ C-30) and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D). Secondary outcomes were cost-effectiveness and time to cancer diagnoses.Results110 patients were randomised to intervention (n=55) or control (n=55), and followed by 78 GPs (942 follow-up months) and 70 surgeons (942 follow-up months), respectively. Compared to baseline, there was a significant improvement in postoperative QoL (p=0.003), but no differences between groups were revealed (mean difference at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24-month follow-up appointments): Global Health; Δ−2.23, p=0.20; EQ-5D index; Δ−0.10, p=0.48, EQ-5D VAS; Δ−1.1, p=0.44. There were no differences in time to recurrent cancer diagnosis (GP 35 days vs surgeon 45 days, p=0.46); 14 recurrences were detected (GP 6 vs surgeon 8) and 7 metastases surgeries performed (GP 3 vs surgeon 4). The follow-up programme initiated 1186 healthcare contacts (GP 678 vs surgeon 508), 1105 diagnostic tests (GP 592 vs surgeon 513) and 778 hospital travels (GP 250 vs surgeon 528). GP organised follow-up was associated with societal cost savings (£8233 vs £9889, p<0.001).ConclusionsGP-organised follow-up was associated with no decline in QoL, no increase in time to recurrent cancer diagnosis and cost savings.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifierNCT00572143.
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 3 and Adenocarcinoma In Situ: Comparison of ICD-9 Codes and Pathology Results—Kaiser Permanente, United States, 2000–2005
Authors: Surie Diya , Dunne Eileen F. , Naleway Allison L. , Weinmann Sheila , Klein Nicola P. , Baxter Roger , Hutchins Kathleen , Gee Julianne , Markowitz Lauri 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
Background: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3+ (CIN3+) and adenocarcinoma in situ incidence will be an important measure of HPV vaccine impact. Integrated healthcare delivery systems, such as Kaiser Permanente, could be used to monitor CIN3+ trends; however, limited evaluations of data from healthcare delivery systems for CIN3+ surveillance exist.
Methods: We compared CIN3+ diagnoses by ICD-9 code with CIN3+ diagnoses by pathology results among 121,211 females aged 11 to 30 years who were continuously enrolled from 2000 to 2005 in either Kaiser Permanente Northern California or Kaiser Permanente Northwest. We calculated sensitivity and positive predictive value of diagnosis by ICD-9 codes using pathology CIN3+ diagnosis as the gold standard.
Results: There were 1,090 women with at least one CIN3+ diagnosis by ICD-9 code 233.1 and 1,200 women with at least one CIN3+ diagnosis by pathology results. The sensitivity of the ICD-9 code for detecting a woman with at least one pathology diagnosis for CIN3+ was 62% (740/1,200); positive predictive value was 68% (740/1,090). Among women with at least one CIN3+ diagnosis by ICD-9 code, 679 (62%) had more than one visit with this code; whereas, among women with at least one CIN3+ diagnosis by pathology, 466 (39%) had more than one CIN3+ pathology result.
Conclusions: ICD-9 codes may underestimate the number of women with at least one CIN3+ diagnosis.
Impact: Pathology results, when available, may provide better estimates of CIN3+ incidence. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(6); 1129–32. ©2013 AACR.
Vitamin D and the Epidemiology of Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Critical Analysis of the Current Evidence
Authors: Trowbridge Ryan , Mittal Sumeet K. , Agrawal Devendra K. 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
Prospective analyses have yet to uncover a consistent relationship between vitamin D status and incidence and mortality of rarer cancers including esophageal and upper gastrointestinal cancers. We searched PubMed for literature about the epidemiology of upper gastrointestinal cancers and vitamin D published over the last decade and then summarized and critiqued the results of these studies in this review. The search yielded nine relevant studies. Overall, no consistent relationship was reported between serum vitamin D levels or a surrogate and upper gastrointestinal cancers. Four studies reported negative correlations between vitamin D status and upper gastrointestinal cancer, three reported positive correlations, one reported no correlation, and one reported both positive and negative correlations. No relationship has been established on the basis of epidemiologic data, but studies examining sun exposure consistently report an inverse association with esophageal cancer. The current literature is limited by the methods used to assess vitamin D status, lack of specific data for the types of upper gastrointestinal cancer, and failure to establish a temporal relationship between vitamin D status assessment and presentation of upper gastrointestinal cancer. It is possible that the lack of a consistent relationship is a consequence of inaccurate and imprecise assessment of vitamin D status. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(6); 1007–14. ©2013 AACR.
Let-7c Governs the Acquisition of Chemo- or Radioresistance and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Phenotypes in Docetaxel-Resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Cui Shi-Yun , Huang Jia-Yuan , Chen Yi-Tian , Song Hai-Zhu , Feng Bing , Huang Gui-Chun , Wang Rui , Chen Long-Bang , De Wei 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA) expression and functions have been reported to contribute to phenotypic features of tumor cells. Although targets and functional roles for many miRNAs have been described in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD), their pathophysiologic roles in phenotypes of chemoresistant LAD cells are still largely unclear. Previously, docetaxel (DTX)-resistant LAD cell lines (SPC-A1/DTX and H1299/DTX) were established by our laboratory and displayed chemo- or radioresistance and mesenchymal features with enhanced invasiveness and motility. Unbiased miRNA profiling indicated that let-7c (MIRLET7C) was significantly downregulated in SPC-A1/DTX cells. Ectopic let-7c expression increased the in vitro and in vivo chemo- or radiosensitivity of DTX-resistant LAD cells through enhanced apoptosis, reversal of epithelial-to-mesenchymal phenotypes, and inhibition of in vivo metastatic potential via inactivation of Akt phosphorylation, whereas a let-7c inhibitor decreased the chemo- or radiosensitivity of parental cells. Further investigation suggested that let-7c significantly reduced the luciferase activity of a Bcl-xL 3′-UTR-based reporter, concordant with reduced Bcl-xL protein levels. Additionally, siRNA-mediated Bcl-xL knockdown mimicked the same effects of let-7c precursor, and enforced Bcl-xL expression partially rescued the effects of let-7c precursor in DTX-resistant LAD cells. Furthermore, we found that Bcl-xL was significantly upregulated in DTX-nonresponding LAD tissues, and its expression was inversely correlated with let-7c expression. This study suggests an important role for let-7c in the molecular etiology of chemoresistant lung adenocarcinoma. Mol Cancer Res; 11(7); 699–713. ©2013 AACR.
Chronic Therapy With a Partial Adenosine A1-Receptor Agonist Improves Left Ventricular Function and Remodeling in Dogs With Advanced Heart Failure
Authors: Sabbah Hani N. , Gupta Ramesh C. , Kohli Smita , Wang Mengjun , Rastogi Sharad , Zhang Kefei , Zimmermann Katja , Diedrichs Nicole , Albrecht-Küpper Barbara E. 
Published: April 2013

Background—
Adenosine elicits cardioprotection through A1-receptor activation. Therapy with adenosine A1-receptor agonists, however, is limited by undesirable actions of full agonism, such as bradycardia. This study examined the effects of capadenoson (CAP), a partial adenosine A1-receptor agonist, on left ventricular (LV) function and remodeling in dogs with heart failure.

Methods and Results—

Twelve dogs with microembolization-induced heart failure were randomized to 12 weeks oral therapy with CAP (7.5 mg BID; n=6) or to no therapy (control; n=6). LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, ejection fraction, plasma norepinephrine, and n-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide were measured before (pre) and 1 and 12 weeks after therapy (post). LV tissue obtained at post was used to assess volume fraction of interstitial fibrosis, sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-2a activity, expression of mitochondria uncoupling proteins (UCP) and glucose transporters (GLUT). In controls, end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes increased and ejection fraction decreased significantly from pre to post (ejection fraction, 30±2 versus 27±1%;
P
<0.05). In CAP-treated dogs, end-diastolic volume was unchanged; ejection fraction increased significantly after 1 week (36±2 versus 27±2%;
P
<0.05) with a further increase at post (39±2%;
P
<0.05), whereas end-systolic volume decreased. CAP significantly decreased volume fraction of interstitial fibrosis, normalized sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-2a activity and expression of UCP-2 and UCP-3, and GLUT-1 and GLUT-2 and significantly decreased plasma norepinephrine and n-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide.

Conclusions—
In heart failure dogs, CAP improves LV function and prevents progressive remodeling. Improvement of LV systolic function occurs early after initiating therapy. The results support development of partial adenosine A1-receptor agonists for the treatment of chronic heart failure.
Spacetime as a Multicursal Labyrinth in Literature with Application to Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle
Authors: Everett Justin , Halpern Paul 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
We examine the narrative structure of The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. We place the novel in the context of the alternate history genre of speculative fiction. Noting its complex plot with multiple timelines, we apply the theoretical ideas of Mikhail Bakhtin and Umberto Eco and show how its chronotope, or relationship between space and time, resembles that of a multicursal labyrinth. We connect this analysis with ideas in quantum physics, particularly the Many Worlds Interpretation, and show how it explains the ambiguity of the novel’s ending, and the failure of the characters to reach their goals. In particular, the characters’ search for truth is thwarted by the existence of multiple truths in a maze of competing realities.
Emergences in Quantum Measurement Processes
Authors: Balian Roger 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
Quantum mechanics is acknowledged as the fundamental theory on which the whole fabric of physics is supposed to rely. And yet, the features of quantum measurements, processes that provide information about microscopic objects, seem to contradict the principles of quantum mechanics. We make a qualitative presentation of this long standing problem and give an idea of recent progress in the elucidation of the paradox. Although governed solely by the quantum equations of motion, the dynamical process involving the tested system and the measuring apparatus veils the quantum oddities that oppose our standard logic and gives rise to the expected properties of measurements. In spite of the irreducibly probabilistic nature of the underlying quantum physics, classical concepts emerge, such as standard probabilities, ordinary correlations, disappearance of quantum fluctuations, and the possibility of making statements about individual systems.
The Emergence of Time: Kant, Bergson, and Modern Physics
Authors: Bouton Christophe 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
This paper deals with the problem of the emergence of time in three different ways, at the intersection of the history of philosophy and the history of science: 1) the emergence of time with subjectivity examined on the basis of Kant’s idealism; 2) the emergence of time with life, considered in the light of the work of Bergson; 3) the emergence of time with the Universe, in relation to the notions of ‘The Big Bang’ and ‘The Planck Wall’. It concludes that the idea of the emergence of time is inconsistent in a diachronic sense, and problematic in a synchronic sense. One meaning could, however, be accorded to this notion: with life, a new relation to time has emerged and has attained one of its most developed forms with the human being.
The Emergence of Theatrical Praxis as a Mediative Technology for Individual Consciousness
Authors: Magnus Erica W. 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
Most theatre histories attest the seemingly sudden appearance in ancient Greece of a theatrical form in full bloom. If, as critic Joseph Frank suggests, major changes in aesthetic forms “always involve major changes in the sensibility of a particular cultural period,” the emergence of a new aesthetic form leads us to examine the historical record for transitions of some magnitude. The 5th century BCE was a period of radical change, particularly with regard to ideas about time.
I propose that western theatre emerged in answer to psychic needs engendered by the new experience of time in the 5th century BCE. Through performance and the thematic concerns of the plays, the time and space of individual life was measured in relation to the demands of collective and cosmic concerns. I contend that theatrical praxis is, in Foucault’s phrase, a “technology of the self ” through which human beings learn the parameters of identity and personal agency.1
Thresholds of Emergence
Authors: Turner Frederick 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
Pascal’s wager implies the incommensurability of quality and quantity, but the emergence of new order with qualitatively unprecedented states upon the quantitative crossing of natural thresholds questions any simple dualism and points to special characteristics of time. The presence of natural thresholds requires that the universe cannot be understood in a purely analog fashion, as composed of smooth gradients analysable by probabilistic and statistical means. It must also be seen as constitutively granular and quantized, like the counters and turns of a game, and capable of unpredictable creativity. Mathematics implies a threshold between the computable and the uncomputable. Physics requires quanta and a distinction between the reversible and the irreversible. Chemistry dictates catastrophic changes of state. Evolutionary biology requires distinct competing individuals. Neuroscience requires the emergence of qualitatively irreducible cognitive capacities. Economic activity implies unpredictable financial crises. Information theory requires distinct signals distinguishable from noise. Freedom and responsibility, art and poetry can be understood in the light of threshold-crossing. American pragmatism, French evolutionary philosophy, chaos and complexity theory, game theory and the framework provided by J.T. Fraser’s work can guide future investigations of natural thresholds.
Locations of Mythical Exile: Two Mythical Models Accounting for the Phenomenon of the Diurnal Solar Movement
Authors: Bilić Tomislav 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
Various mythical ‘exiles’, gods (Cronus), heroes (Cadmus), and other individuals (Ophion, Typhon, Ogygus, Briareus) or groups (Cyclopes) were conceived as exiled for various reasons, but mainly because of a struggle with Zeus. Locations of their mythical exile were regularly conceived as distant, extreme, inaccessible, and, sometimes, out of this world. Consequently, the terms sometimes associated with those mythical exiles are ἔσχατα, ἄκρος, and πέρατα. Most of the exiles were at some point placed in Tartarus, a term more or less applicable to a section of Hades; but they were regularly conceived as continuing their existence by the shore of the mythical Oceanus, most probably in the farthest West. In a number of cases, both versions of the story existed, and they probably referred to the same thing: one can be at the ἔσχατα, ἄκρος, or πέρατα both under earth and at its western extremity. This fact is explained by the existence of two mythical models accounting for the diurnal solar movement.
Binarism in the Disticha Catonis
Authors: Connolly Serena 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
Thematic and structural binarism pervades the Disticha Catonis. It appeals to a fundamental mode of cognition rooted in an early and critical stage of human cognitive development that uses pairs to structure and organize our thinking and perceptions. Partly as a result of its binarism, the collection’s maxims are easily understood and remembered, which explains why they were read or quoted by adults in the Classical and post-Classical periods and were important in the education of children in the medieval period and later.
The Untold Death of Laertes. Revaluating Odysseus’s Meeting with His Father
Authors: Sels Nadia 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
This article discusses the narrative function and symbolism of the Laertes scene in the twenty-fourth book of the Odyssey. By pointing out the scene’s connections to other passages (the story of Penelope’s web, the first and second nekuia, the farewell to the Phaeaceans, the Argus scene, but also the twenty-fourth book of the Iliad) and by tackling some of the textual problems that it poses (the apparent cruelty of Odysseus’s lies to his father, the double layers of meaning in his fictions, the significance of the sêma of the trees), this article aims to point out how the Laertes scene is tightly woven into the larger thematic and symbolical tissue of the Odyssey. Odysseus’s reunion with his father is conclusive to the treatment of some important themes such as death and burial, reciprocal sense of love and duty and the succession of generations. It will be argued that the untold death of Laertes becomes paradigmatic for the fate Odysseus himself chooses, and for the way in which the epic as a whole deals with the problem of mortality.
Treatment of orthostatic headache without intracranial hypotension: A case report
Authors: Gil-Gouveia Raquel 
Published: April 2013

Introduction: Orthostatic headache is very suggestive of intracranial hypotension. It has a good prognosis as it usually responds to conservative treatment or epidural blood patches. Case report: A 36-year-old female presented with severe and prolonged orthostatic headache starting after a seizure. No stigma of intracranial hypotension was detected on brain MRI, and intracranial pressure was within normal range. No imaging evidence of a fistula was found. She was refractory to symptomatic treatment including five epidural blood patches. Progressive improvement occurred simultaneously to the introduction of vitamin A supplementation. Discussion: A series of six similar patients is discussed, in which five patients remained severely symptomatic and workdisabled at an average follow-up of four years. It is proposed that the pathophysiological mechanism producing orthostatic headache might not be dependent on intracranial hypotension and could respond to vitamin A.