bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The HrcA repressor is the thermosensor of the heat‐shock regulatory circuit in the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Roncarati Davide , Danielli Alberto , Scarlato Vincenzo 
Published: April 2014

SummaryBacteria exploit different strategies to perceive and rapidly respond to sudden changes of temperature. In Helicobacter pylori the response to thermic stress is transcriptionally controlled by a regulatory circuit that involves two repressors, HspR and HrcA. Here we report that HrcA acts as a protein thermometer. We demonstrate that temperature specifically modulates HrcA binding to DNA, with a complete and irreversible temperature‐dependent loss of DNA binding activity at 42°C. Intriguingly, although the reduction of HrcA binding capability is not reversible in vitro, transcriptional analysis showed that HrcA exerts its repressive influence in vivo, even when the de novo repressor synthesis is blocked after the temperature challenge. Accordingly, we demonstrate the central role of the chaperonine GroESL in restoring the HrcA binding activity, lost upon heat challenge. Together our results establish HrcA as a rare example of intrinsic temperature sensing transcriptional regulator, whose activity is post‐transcriptionally modulated by the GroESL chaperonine.
Phosphorylation of transitory starch by α‐glucan, water dikinase during starch turnover affects the surface properties and morphology of starch granules
Authors: Mahlow Sebastian , Hejazi Mahdi , Kuhnert Franziska , Garz Andreas , Brust Henrike , Baumann Otto , Fettke Joerg 
Published: April 2014

Summary

Glucan, water dikinase (GWD) is a key enzyme of starch metabolism but the physico‐chemical properties of starches isolated from GWD‐deficient plants and their implications for starch metabolism have so far not been described.

Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants with reduced or no GWD activity were used to investigate the properties of starch granules. In addition, using various in vitro assays, the action of recombinant GWD, β‐amylase, isoamylase and starch synthase 1 on the surface of native starch granules was analysed.

The internal structure of granules isolated from GWD mutant plants is unaffected, as thermal stability, allomorph, chain length distribution and density of starch granules were similar to wild‐type. However, short glucan chain residues located at the granule surface dominate in starches of transgenic plants and impede GWD activity. A similarly reduced rate of phosphorylation by GWD was also observed in potato tuber starch fractions that differ in the proportion of accessible glucan chain residues at the granule surface.

A model is proposed to explain the characteristic morphology of starch granules observed in GWD transgenic plants. The model postulates that the occupancy rate of single glucan chains at the granule surface limits accessibility to starch‐related enzymes.
Metacommunity size influences aquatic community composition in a natural mesocosm landscape
Authors: LeCraw Robin M. , Srivastava Diane S. , Romero Gustavo Q. 
Published: April 2014

Ecosystems are often arranged in naturally patchy landscapes with habitat patches linked by dispersal of species in a metacommunity. The size of a metacommunity, or number of patches, is predicted to influence community dynamics and therefore the structure and function of local communities. However, such predictions have yet to be experimentally tested using full food webs in natural metacommunities. We used the natural mesocosm system of aquatic macroinvertebrates in bromeliad phytotelmata to test the effect of the number of patches in a metacommunity on species richness, abundance, and community composition. We created metacommunities of varying size using fine mesh cages to enclose a gradient from a single bromeliad up to the full forest. We found that species richness, abundance, and biomass increased from enclosed metacommunities to the full forest size and that diversity and evenness also increased in larger enclosures. Community composition was affected by metacommunity size across the full gradient, with a more even detritivore community in larger metacommunities, and taxonomic groups such as mosquitoes going locally extinct in smaller metacommunities. We were able to divide the effects of metacommunity size into aquatic and terrestrial habitat components and found that the importance of each varied by species; those with simple life cycles were only affected by local aquatic habitat whereas insects with complex life cycles were also affected by the amount of terrestrial matrix. This differential survival of obligate and non‐obligate dispersers allowed us to partition the beta‐diversity between metacommunities among functional groups. Our study is one of the first tests of metacommunity size in a natural metacommunity landscape and shows that both diversity and community composition are significantly affected by metacommunity size.SynthesisNatural food webs are sensitive to meta‐community size, i.e. the number of patches connected through dispersal. We provide an empirical test using the aquatic foodweb associated within bromeliads as a model system. When we reduced the number of bromeliad patches connect through dispersal, we found a clear change of the foodweb in terms of population sizes, beta diversity, community composition and predator‐prey ratios. The response of individual taxa was predictable based on species traits including dispersal modes, life cycle, and adult resource requirements. Our study demonstrates that community structure is strongly influenced by the interplay of species traits and landscape properties.
SNP markers‐based map construction and genome‐wide linkage analysis in Brassica napus
Authors: Raman Harsh , Dalton‐Morgan Jessica , Diffey Simon , Raman Rosy , Alamery Salman , Edwards David , Batley Jacqueline 
Published: April 2014

SummaryAn Illumina Infinium array comprising 5306 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers was used to genotype 175 individuals of a doubled haploid population derived from a cross between Skipton and Ag‐Spectrum, two Australian cultivars of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). A genetic linkage map based on 613 SNP and 228 non‐SNP (DArT, SSR, SRAP and candidate gene markers) covering 2514.8 cM was constructed and further utilized to identify loci associated with flowering time and resistance to blackleg, a disease caused by the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Comparison between genetic map positions of SNP markers and the sequenced Brassica rapa (A) and Brassica oleracea (C) genome scaffolds showed several genomic rearrangements in the B. napus genome. A major locus controlling resistance to L. maculans was identified at both seedling and adult plant stages on chromosome A07. QTL analyses revealed that up to 40.2% of genetic variation for flowering time was accounted for by loci having quantitative effects. Comparative mapping showed Arabidopsis and Brassica flowering genes such as Phytochrome A/D, Flowering Locus C and agamous‐Like MADS box gene AGL1 map within marker intervals associated with flowering time in a DH population from Skipton/Ag‐Spectrum. Genomic regions associated with flowering time and resistance to L. maculans had several SNP markers mapped within 10 cM. Our results suggest that SNP markers will be suitable for various applications such as trait introgression, comparative mapping and high‐resolution mapping of loci in B. napus.
College Students' Preferences for Health Care Providers when Accessing Sexual Health Resources
Authors: Garcia Carolyn M. , Lechner Kate E. , Frerich Ellen A. , Lust Katherine A. , Eisenberg Marla E. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractObjectiveMany emerging adults (18–25 year olds) report unmet health needs and disproportionately experience problems such as sexually transmitted infections. This study was conducted to examine college students' perceptions of health care providers, specifically in the context of accessing sexual health resources.Design and SampleStudents (N = 52) were recruited from five diverse colleges in one state to participate in a one‐to‐one interview that involved walking and virtually exploring resources on and near campus. Interviews were conducted from May to November 2010.MeasuresOpen‐ended one‐to‐one interview questions.ResultsInductive qualitative analysis yielded six themes summarizing students' perceptions of provider characteristics, health care resources, the role of their peers, and students' suggestions for strengthening health care services. Importantly, students consider a variety of staff—and their student peers—to be resources for sexual health information and services.ConclusionsFindings emphasize the importance of collaboration between health service staff and broader campus staff because students often turn to campus staff initially. Postsecondary students welcome opportunities to know a provider through interactive websites that include details about providers on campus; their decisions to seek sexual health care services are influenced by their perceptions of providers' characteristics and interpersonal skills.
Excited State Photoreaction between the Indole Side Chain of Tryptophan and Halocompounds Generates New Fluorophores and Unique Modifications
Authors: Ladner Carol L. , Tran Khai , Le Mary , Turner Raymond J. , Edwards Robert A. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractPhotoreaction of indole containing compounds with chloroform and other trichlorocompounds generates products with redshifted fluorescence. In proteins, this reaction can be used for the fluorescent detection of proteins. Little characterization of products generated through the photochemical reaction of indoles with halocompounds has been done, yet is fundamental for the development of other fluorophores, protein labeling agents, and bioactive indole derivatives. Here, we have characterized which isomers form in the photoreaction between tryptophan and chloroform using 1H‐NMR of tryptophan and methylated derivatives to reveal that the two major products that are formed result from modification at the 4‐ and 6‐carbon positions of the indole ring. Reaction at position 6 generates 6‐formyl tryptophan and the reaction at position 4 generates an imine because the formyl derivative that is initially formed reacts further with the tryptophan amine group. The spectroscopic properties and product molecular weights of photoproducts formed from photoreaction of tryptophan with other trihalo and monohalocompounds are also determined. The indole ring of tryptophan can be modified with various additions from halocompounds, including the addition of labels to the indole ring via methylene groups. This opens possibilities for generating novel tryptophan based fluorophores and protein labeling strategies using this photochemistry.
Pre‐commercial procurement: a demand or supply policy instrument in relation to innovation?
Authors: Edquist Charles , Zabala‐Iturriagagoitia Jon Mikel 
Published: April 2014

In 2006, the European Commission introduced the concept of ‘pre‐commercial procurement’ (PCP) as an instrument to promote innovation and to mitigate grand challenges. One of the main motives for the support of PCP schemes was to use public needs as a driver for innovation. This concept was also introduced as a response to the need to reinforce the innovation capabilities of the European Union while improving the quality and efficiency of public services.But what is meant by PCP? Is it a demand‐ or a supply‐side instrument in relation to innovation? This is the research question addressed in this paper, the goal being motivated by the lack of academic discussion in this direction.The paper is based on three cases, one from the Netherlands, one from the United Kingdom and one from Australia. These cases provide evidence that PCP is a matter of research and development (R&D) funding of a targeted kind, geared toward very specific goals and in a focused way. This leads the authors to conclude that PCP is a supply‐side policy instrument in relation to innovation. In this sense, they would like to raise a flag for going back to the origins of the PCP program and calling it a ‘precompetitive R&D program’, rather than labeling it as an innovation procurement instrument.
Paraneoplastic Hu and CRMP5 antibodies are present in smokers without cancer or neurological disease
Authors: Qvale Tor H. , Storstein Anette , Mazengia Kibret , Eagan Tomas M.L. , Bakke Per S. , Vedeler Christian A. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackground and objectiveWe investigated if the paraneoplastic Hu and collapsin response mediator protein 5 (CRMP5) antibodies could be used as early markers for lung cancer in smokers with or without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsHu and CRMP5 antibodies were measured by radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) in sera from 552 smokers; 379 with and 173 without COPD. Three hundred blood donors served as controls. The positive sera were also tested by indirect immunofluorescence and line blot with recombinant proteins. The 552 smokers were matched with data from the Cancer Registry of Norway, and the hospital medical records from the subjects positive for Hu and CRMP5 antibodies were reviewed. The mean follow‐up time was 4.4 years (range 2.5–5.7 years).ResultsThe RIPA showed that 5/379 (1.3%) smokers with COPD had Hu antibodies and 1/379 (0.3%) smokers with COPD had CRMP5 antibodies. Only the smoker with the highest RIPA index had Hu antibodies also detected by immunofluorescence and line blot. One of 173 (0.6%) smokers without COPD had Hu antibodies, but none had CRMP5 antibodies. None of the 300 controls had Hu antibodies, but 2/300 (0.7%) had CRMP5 antibodies. Hu antibodies remained positive for more than 5 years. No cancer or neurological disease was recorded in the Hu or CRMP5 positive patients. The total cancer frequency in the smokers with and without COPD was 70/552 (13%).ConclusionsHu and CRMP5 antibodies were not associated with cancer or neurological disease in a large cohort of smokers and are therefore not always paraneoplastic.
Bilateral versus Multilateral Free Trade Agreements: A Welfare Analysis
Authors: Yilmazkuday Demet , Yilmazkuday Hakan 
Published: April 2014

AbstractWhy is a proliferation of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) between certain types of countries observed instead of progress in attaining global free trade through a multilateral FTA? This paper answers this question by exploring the enforceability of different types of FTAs through comparing minimum discount factors that are necessary to sustain them in an infinitely repeated game framework. The authors search for the globally welfare maximizing trade agreements that are sustainable under different conditions. The results depict that transportation costs, differences in country sizes and comparative advantages are all obstacles for having a multilateral FTA. Accordingly, international development policies conducted for the removal of such obstacles should be the main goal toward achieving a multilateral FTA, which is shown to be the first‐best solution to the maximization problem of global welfare.
Does Citizenship Status Matter in Canadian Agriculture? Workplace Health and Safety for Migrant and Immigrant Laborers
Authors: Preibisch Kerry , Otero Gerardo 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThis article explores how precarious legal status circumscribes differential inclusion in the agricultural labor market and affects workers' lives through a comparative study of workplace health and safety among temporary migrant guest workers and immigrants in Canada. Original, multimethod research with South Asian immigrant and Mexican migrant farmworkers examines employment practices, working conditions, and health‐care access. We find that both groups engage in precarious work, with consequences for their health and safety, including immigrant workers with citizenship. Nevertheless, migrant guest workers are subject to more coercive forms of labor discipline and a narrower range of social protection than immigrants. We argue that while formal citizenship can mitigate some dimensions of precariousness for farmworkers racialized as non‐white, achieving a more just, safer food system will require broader policies to improve employer compliance and address legislative shortcomings that only weakly protect agricultural labor.
Selection of Latent Variables for Multiple Mixed‐outcome Models
Authors: Zhou Ling , Lin Huazhen , Song Xinyuan , Li Yi 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTLatent variable models have been widely used for modelling the dependence structure of multiple outcomes data. However, the formulation of a latent variable model is often unknown a priori, the misspecification will distort the dependence structure and lead to unreliable model inference. Moreover, multiple outcomes with varying types present enormous analytical challenges. In this paper, we present a class of general latent variable models that can accommodate mixed types of outcomes. We propose a novel selection approach that simultaneously selects latent variables and estimates parameters. We show that the proposed estimator is consistent, asymptotically normal and has the oracle property. The practical utility of the methods is confirmed via simulations as well as an application to the analysis of the World Values Survey, a global research project that explores peoples’ values and beliefs and the social and personal characteristics that might influence them.
Role of Adaptor Proteins and Clathrin in the Trafficking of Human Kidney Anion Exchanger 1 (kAE1) to the Cell Surface
Authors: Junking Mutita , Sawasdee Nunghathai , Duangtum Natapol , Cheunsuchon Boonyarit , Limjindaporn Thawornchai , Yenchitsomanus Pa‐thai 
Published: April 2014

Kidney anion exchanger 1 (kAE1) plays an important role in acid–base homeostasis by mediating chloride/bicarbornate (Cl−/HCO3−) exchange at the basolateral membrane of α‐intercalated cells in the distal nephron. Impaired intracellular trafficking of kAE1 caused by mutations of SLC4A1 encoding kAE1 results in kidney disease – distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA). However, it is not known how the intracellular sorting and trafficking of kAE1 from trans‐Golgi network (TGN) to the basolateral membrane occurs. Here, we studied the role of basolateral‐related sorting proteins, including the mu1 subunit of adaptor protein (AP) complexes, clathrin and protein kinase D, on kAE1 trafficking in polarized and non‐polarized kidney cells. By using RNA interference, co‐immunoprecipitation, yellow fluorescent protein‐based protein fragment complementation assays and immunofluorescence staining, we demonstrated that AP‐1 mu1A, AP‐3 mu1, AP‐4 mu1 and clathrin (but not AP‐1 mu1B, PKD1 or PKD2) play crucial roles in intracellular sorting and trafficking of kAE1. We also demonstrated colocalization of kAE1 and basolateral‐related sorting proteins in human kidney tissues by double immunofluorescence staining. These findings indicate that AP‐1 mu1A, AP‐3 mu1, AP‐4 mu1 and clathrin are required for kAE1 sorting and trafficking from TGN to the basolateral membrane of acid‐secreting α‐intercalated cells.
Lethal autoimmune hemagglutination due to an immunoglobulin A autoagglutinin with Band 3 specificity
Authors: Salama Abdulgabar , Janvier Daniel , Mayer Beate , Saison Carole , Moscatelli Henriette , Aucouturier Françoise , Yilmaz Pinar , Arnaud Lionel , Wild Vanessa , Knop Stefan , Cartron Jean‐Pierre 
Published: April 2014

BackgroundWe describe a patient with a high‐titer warm immunoglobulin (Ig)A autoantibody resulting in death due to hemagglutination rather than to hemolysis.Case ReportA 47‐year‐old male patient presented with an intriguing pronounced vascular erythema of the skin. A livedo reticularis associated with cold agglutinin of high thermal amplitude was suspected. The patient's condition unexpectedly and abruptly deteriorated resulting in death 3 days after admission.Study Design and MethodsConventional serologic procedures and immunochemical methods were used.ResultsSerologic and immunochemical examinations revealed a warm IgA autoantibody of high titer with anti‐Band 3 specificity. Although the patient presented with severe anemia, only mild signs of hemolysis were observed, with no evidence of complement activation. The autopsy revealed an enormous accumulation of agglutinated red blood cells in liver and spleen and a B‐cell lymphoma and cerebral edema. Thus, the patient's death was largely caused by hypoxia related to hemagglutination rather than to hemolysis and/or anemia per se.ConclusionStrongly hemagglutinating antibodies may not only cause immune hemolysis but also hypoxia due to intravascular hemagglutination.
Feline secondary spontaneous pneumothorax: A retrospective study of 16 cases (2000–2012)
Authors: Liu Debra T. , Silverstein Deborah C. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo describe the demographics, clinical characteristics, diagnostic findings, underlying etiologies, treatment, and outcome associated with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) in cats; and to identify clinical feature differences among cats with asthma associated secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (AASSP) versus nonasthma‐associated secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (NAASSP).DesignRetrospective case series.SettingUniversity teaching hospital.AnimalsSixteen client‐owned cats with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax.InterventionsNone.Measurements and Main ResultsDomestic short hair was the predominant breed in this study (n= 15). The median age was 8 years old (range: 7 weeks to 17 years) with no sex predilection. Fourteen cats were affected by multi‐lobar pulmonary pathology of infectious, inflammatory, or neoplastic causes. Asthma was the most common cause of spontaneous pneumothorax (25%). Ten of 12 treated cats survived the initial episode of spontaneous pneumothorax to discharge with medical management, including all 4 cats with AASSP. Reoccurrence was documented in 4 cats. Pulmonary lobectomy was curative for 1 cat with congenital accessory lung lobe emphysema. No difference in clinical presentation was identified between cats with AASSP and cats with NAASSP.ConclusionsFeline SSP is frequently associated with extensive pulmonary pathology. Supportive medical management is most appropriate, except in rare cases with focal congenital abnormalities that may benefit from surgical intervention. AASSP appears to carry a good prognosis for short‐term outcome (survival to discharge). Clinical assessment, imaging, and invasive diagnostics were required to differentiate between AASSP and NAASSP.
Best Practices for Planning Events Encouraging Human–Animal Interactions
Authors: Erdozain G. , KuKanich K. , Chapman B. , Powell D. 
Published: April 2014

SummaryEducational events encouraging human–animal interaction include the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. It is estimated that 14% of all disease in the USA caused by Campylobacter spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157, non‐O157 STECs, Listeria monocytogenes, non‐typhoidal Salmonella enterica and Yersinia enterocolitica were attributable to animal contact. This article reviews best practices for organizing events where human–animal interactions are encouraged, with the objective of lowering the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.