bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Arctic mutant Aβ40 aggregates on α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and inhibits their functions
Authors: Ju Ye , Asahi Toru , Sawamura Naoya 
Published: July 2014

AbstractAmyloid β protein (Aβ) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Point mutations within the Aβ sequence associated with familial AD (FAD) are clustered around the central hydrophobic core of Aβ. Several types of mutations within the Aβ sequence have been identified, and the ‘Arctic’ mutation (E22G) has a purely cognitive phenotype typical of AD. Previous studies have shown that the primary result of the ‘Arctic’ mutation is increased formation of Aβ protofibrils. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. Aβ42 binds to a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit, neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha‐7 (CHRNA7), with high affinity and, thus, may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD. Therefore, to clarify the molecular mechanism of Arctic mutation‐mediated FAD, we focused on CHRNA7 as a target molecule of Arctic Aβ. We performed an in vitro binding assay using purified CHRNA7 and synthetic Arctic Aβ40, and demonstrated that Arctic Aβ40 specifically bound to CHRNA7. The aggregation of Arctic Aβ40 was enhanced with the addition of CHRNA7. Furthermore, the function of CHRNA7 was detected by measuring Ca2+ flux and phospho‐p44/42 MAPK (ERK1/2) activation. Our results indicated that Arctic Aβ40 aggregation was enhanced by the addition of CHRNA7, which destabilized the function of CHRNA7 via inhibition of Ca2+ responses and activation of ERK1/2. These findings indicate that Arctic Aβ mutation may be involved in the mechanism underlying FAD. This mechanism may involve binding and aggregation, leading to the inhibition of CHRNA7 functions.
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Amyloid β protein (Aβ) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The ‘Arctic’ mutation within the Aβ sequence has a purely cognitive phenotype typical of AD. Here, we show that Arctic Aβ40 aggregation was enhanced by the addition of neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha‐7 (CHRNA7), which destabilized CHRNA7 functions via inhibition of the Ca2+ response and activation of ERK1/2. These findings may reflect the mechanism underlying familial AD caused by the Arctic Aβ mutation.
The effect of facilitated tucking on procedural pain control among premature babies
Authors: Lopez Olive , Subramanian Pathmawathi , Rahmat Norsiah , Theam Lim Chin , Chinna Karuthan , Rosli Roshaslina 
Published: July 2014

Aims and ObjectivesTo determine the effectiveness of facilitated tucking in reducing pain when venepuncture is being performed on preterm infants.BackgroundPreterm neonates are exposed to a myriad of invasive, often painful, procedures throughout their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. A growing volume of evidence shows that pain in preterm infants has both short‐ and long‐term deleterious effects. It is within the power and ethical responsibility of neonatal nurses to help premature babies cope with procedural pain.DesignA quasi‐experimental study with two groups: control and treatment group.MethodsA study was conducted on a cohort of preterm infants (n = 42), divided into control (n = 21) and treatment (n = 21) groups, to determine the effect of facilitated tucking on pain relief during venepuncture on preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. The severity of pain was measured using the Premature Infant Pain Profile score. The primary outcome measure was reduction in the Premature Infant Pain Profile scores.ResultsThe Premature Infant Pain Profile score for the treatment group was significantly lower (M = 6·62, SD 2·598) than for the control group (6·62 ± 2·60 vs. 8·52 ± 2·99, respectively, t = −2·202, p < 0·05).ConclusionsFacilitated tucking reduced the Premature Infant Pain Profile scores in preterm infants.Relevance to clinical practiceThe findings of this study suggest that facilitated tucking is able to alleviate pain; therefore, nurses must be able to carry out facilitated tucking when necessary.
Zoledronic acid and irradiation in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Lopez Jornet Pia , Susana Sanchez Carrillo , Rosario Tudela Mulero , Alvaro Pons‐Fuster 
Published: July 2014

ObjectiveThis in vitro study evaluated cytotoxicity and cell migration effects of zoledronic acid and irradiation upon oral squamous cell carcinoma.Materials and MethodsZoledronic acid was administrated at doses of 10, 25, 50, and 100 μM to PE/CA‐PJ15 oral squamous cell carcinoma cultures, irradiated with different doses (0, 5, 15, and 30 Gy), followed by evaluation of the effects on cell viability. Cell migration capacity was studied after 24‐ and 72‐h incubation.ResultsAt 24 h, the 100 μM concentration of zoledronic acid combined with 15 Gy irradiation caused the greatest decrease in cell viability. At 72 h, statistically significant decreases in cell viability were found with all concentrations of zoledronic acid with or without irradiation: 0 Gy (P < 0.001), 5 Gy (P < 0.001), 15 Gy (P < 0.001), and 30 Gy (P < 0.001). 50 μM and 100 μM doses of zoledronic acid combined with 5 Gy irradiation yielded the greatest decrease in cell migration capacity.ConclusionsZoledronic acid increases cytotoxic activity in the PE/CA‐PJ15 cell line and reduces cell migration capacity. These findings suggest that combination therapy using biphosphates and radiation may offer a promising therapy.
Regulatory T cells in the actinic cheilitis
Authors: Gasparoto Thaís Helena , de Souza Malaspina Tatiana Salles , Damante José Humberto , de Mello Edgard Franco , Ikoma Maura Rosane Valério , Garlet Gustavo Pompermaier , Costa Maria Renata Sales Nogueira , Cavassani Karen Angélica , da Silva João Santana , Campanelli Ana Paula 
Published: July 2014

BackgroundActinic cheilitis (AC) is an oral potentially malignant lesion which is the counterpart of actinic keratosis of the skin and has potential to develop into squamous cell carcinoma. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have a critical role in modulating the antitumor immune responses. The presence of regulatory T cells in potentially malignant lesions has not been described. We chose investigate the involvement of regulatory T cells in potentially malignant lesions.MethodsThe frequency, phenotype, and activity of CD4+CD25+ T cells isolated from blood and lesion of AC patients were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokines were quantified by ELISA. Data were compared with samples from healthy subjects.ResultsThe frequency and suppressor activity of circulating CD4+CD25+ T cells was similar in AC patients and control subjects. However, the frequencies of IL‐10‐positive Tregs were higher in AC patients, and these cells inhibited interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) and increased interleukin (IL)‐10 productions in co‐cultures. Furthermore, CD4+CD25+ T cells accumulate in AC lesions. Lesions‐derived regulatory T cells suppressed lymphocyte proliferation and pro‐inflammatory cytokine production. Moreover, high levels of IL‐10 and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), and low IFN‐γ were detected in the potentially malignant lesions.ConclusionTherefore, our data show that Tregs accumulate in AC lesions, and these cells could be suppressing immune responses in a potentially malignant microenvironment.
First Report of Choanephora Rot of Okra Caused by Choanephora cucurbitarum in Korea
Authors: Park Ji‐Hyun , Cho Sung‐Eun , Choi In‐Young , Shin Hyeon‐Dong 
Published: July 2014

AbstractIn July and August 2013, blossom blight and soft rot of pods were observed on okra in experimental fields in Iksan and Jeju, Korea. Infection started in fading flower petals, spread to entire flowers and young pods, resulting in blighted blossoms and soft rot of pods. Severe infection caused early falling of blossoms and fruit drop, reducing plant vigour in the summer season. On the basis of the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of two molecular markers ITS rDNA and D1/D2 region of the LSU, the fungus was identified as Choanephora cucurbitarum. A pathogenicity test was carried out to fulfil Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. cucurbitarum on okra in Korea.
Characterization and Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C. karstii Causing Preharvest Disease on Citrus sinensis in Italy
Authors: Aiello Dalia , Carrieri Raffaele , Guarnaccia Vladimiro , Vitale Alessandro , Lahoz Ernesto , Polizzi Giancarlo 
Published: July 2014

AbstractDuring the period from 2010 to 2013 preharvest symptoms were detected on different cultivars of sweet orange in six orchards in Catania, Siracusa and Enna provinces, Southern Italy. A total of 56 monosporic fungal isolates were obtained, and among these, 44 were identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and 12 as C. karstii through morphological and molecular analysis. PCR with primers ITS1 and ITS4, primers TubGF1 and TubGR specific for β‐tubulin gene, primers GDF‐GDR, specific for Glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene, were used to confirm the identification of Colletotrichum isolates from citrus. The ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 region, a portion of approximately 500 bp of β‐tubulin gene and a fragment of 220 bp of GAPDH gene of the isolates were sequenced and analysed with the BLASTn program. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by pathogenicity tests carried out on fruit of ‘Tarocco Scirè’ and ‘Tarocco Nucellare’ with representative isolates of C. gloeosporioides and C. karstii. Field surveys and pathogenicity tests revealed significant differences in fruit susceptibility between ‘Tarocco Scirè’ and ‘Tarocco Nucellare’ and in virulence between the fungal species. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the emergence of Colletotrichum spp. causing anthracnose in preharvest conditions.
Effects of essential oils, yeast culture and malate on rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, growth performance and nutrient digestibility of Baluchi lambs fed high‐concentrate diets
Authors: Malekkhahi M. , Tahmasbi A. M. , Naserian A. A. , Danesh Mesgaran M. , Kleen J. L. , Parand A. A. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryThe experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with a mixture of essential oils (MEO), yeast culture (YC) and malate on performance, nutrient digestion, rumen fermentation and blood metabolites of lambs fed high‐concentrate growing diets. For this purpose, twenty Baluchi lambs (17.3 ± 0.5 kg body weight and 3 months old) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with five lambs per treatment. The treatment groups were as follows: (i) control: basal diet without any additive, (ii) basal diet plus 400 mg/day MEO (thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, limonene and cinnamaldehyde), (iii) basal diet with 4 g/day YC and (iv) basal diet plus 4 g/day malate. No differences between the dietary treatments were observed in dry matter intake, average daily gain or feed conversion ratio (p > 0.05). Compared with control and malate treatment, lambs fed MEO and YC had an improved crude protein digestibility (p < 0.05). Yeast culture significantly increased (p > 0.05) cell wall digestibility compared to the other treatments. No differences were observed between treatments with respect to nitrogen balance or ruminal pH and ammonia concentrations (p > 0.05). No differences were observed between treatments with respect to ruminal total volatile fatty acid concentration and molar proportions of acetate, butyrate and valerate. Molar proportion of propionate was higher (p < 0.05) for YC and malate compared to control and MEO. Plasma glucose concentration was higher (p < 0.05) in lambs fed YC and malate than in lambs fed the control or the MEO diet. Blood concentration of triglycerides significantly decreased when feeding the MEO and YC diets (p < 0.05). It was concluded that YC may be more useful as a feed additive for manipulation of rumen fermentation in lambs fed with high‐concentrate diets than MEO and malate, because YC enhanced crude protein and cell wall digestibility, ruminal molar proportion of propionate and plasma glucose concentration.
Feasibility and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Novel Cognitive–Behavioral Couple Therapy for Provoked Vestibulodynia: A Pilot Study
Authors: Corsini-Munt Serena , Bergeron Sophie , Rosen Natalie O. , Mayrand Marie-Hélène , Delisle Isabelle 
Published: July 2014

Abstract

Introduction
Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), a recurrent, localized vulvovaginal pain problem, carries a significant psychosexual burden for afflicted women, who report impoverished sexual function and decreased frequency of sexual activity and pleasure. Interpersonal factors such as partner responses to pain, partner distress, and attachment style are associated with pain outcomes for women and with sexuality outcomes for both women and partners. Despite these findings, no treatment for PVD has systematically included the partner.

Aims
This study pilot-tested the feasibility and potential efficacy of a novel cognitive–behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) for couples coping with PVD.

Methods
Couples (women and their partners) in which the woman was diagnosed with PVD (N = 9) took part in a 12-session manualized CBCT intervention and completed outcome measures pre- and post-treatment.

Main Outcome Measures
The primary outcome measure was women's pain intensity during intercourse as measured on a numerical rating scale. Secondary outcomes included sexual functioning and satisfaction for both partners. Exploratory outcomes included pain-related cognitions; psychological outcomes; and treatment satisfaction, feasibility, and reliability.

Results
One couple separated before the end of therapy. Paired t-test comparisons involving the remaining eight couples demonstrated significant improvements in women's pain and sexuality outcomes for both women and partners. Exploratory analyses indicated improvements in pain-related cognitions, as well as anxiety and depression symptoms, for both members of the couple. Therapists' reported high treatment reliability and participating couples' high participation rates and reported treatment satisfaction indicate adequate feasibility.

Conclusions
Treatment outcomes, along with treatment satisfaction ratings, confirm the preliminary success of CBCT in reducing pain and psychosexual burden for women with PVD and their partners. Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are necessary to examine the efficacy of CBCT compared with and in conjunction with first-line biomedical interventions for PVD.
Undertreatment of Erectile Dysfunction: Claims Analysis of 6.2 Million Patients
Authors: Frederick Luke R. , Cakir Omer Onur , Arora Hans , Helfand Brian T. , McVary Kevin T. 
Published: July 2014

Abstract

Introduction
Prior research conducted on treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) has been derived from surveys involving relatively small populations of men. There are needs for large population-based studies in this area. Our study addresses that need.

Aim
The aim of this study was to characterize ED treatment among a large population of men.

Methods
Patients ≥30 years in commercial insurance dataset with diagnosis code for ED during 12-month period ending June 2011 were identified. Men were considered “treated” if prescription was filled for phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i), injection or urethral prostaglandins, or androgen replacement (ART) during study period. “Untreated” patients received the diagnosis but did not fill prescription. Statistical analyses were used to compare prescription frequency with clinical characteristics, including age and comorbidities.

Main Outcome Measures
ED treatment rates among large population of insured men, treatment types employed, patient demographics, associated medical comorbidities of this population, and prescriber details were the main outcome measures.

Results
Only 25.4% of 6,228,509 men with ED were treated during study period. While PDE5is were the most commonly prescribed medical therapy (75.2%), ART was utilized as monotherapy or in combination therapy in 30.6% of men. ART was significantly (P &lt; 0.0001) more frequently used in men &lt;40 and &gt;65 years. Although ED frequency was associated with increased age and number of comorbidities, men &gt;60 years were significantly (P &lt; 0.0001) less likely to be treated compared with men aged 40–59 years. Additionally, treatment frequency did not vary as a function of number of comorbidities. However, compared with men with prostate cancer, men with comorbid hypogonadism, sleep disorders, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or components of metabolic syndrome were (P &lt; 0.0001) more likely to be treated.

Conclusions
Despite high prevalence of ED with age and comorbidities, most men continue receiving no treatment. Although benefits of medical intervention for ED are well-recognized, many barriers to treatment continually exist including physician, patient and partner preference and knowledge.
Structural variants of yeast prions show conformer‐specific requirements for chaperone activity
Authors: Stein Kevin C. , True Heather L. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryMolecular chaperones monitor protein homeostasis and defend against the misfolding and aggregation of proteins that is associated with protein conformational disorders. In these diseases, a variety of different aggregate structures can form. These are called prion strains, or variants, in prion diseases, and cause variation in disease pathogenesis. Here, we use variants of the yeast prions [RNQ+] and [PSI+] to explore the interactions of chaperones with distinct aggregate structures. We found that prion variants show striking variation in their relationship with Hsp40s. Specifically, the yeast Hsp40 Sis1 and its human orthologue Hdj1 had differential capacities to process prion variants, suggesting that Hsp40 selectivity has likely changed through evolution. We further show that such selectivity involves different domains of Sis1, with some prion conformers having a greater dependence on particular Hsp40 domains. Moreover, [PSI+] variants were more sensitive to certain alterations in Hsp70 activity as compared to [RNQ+] variants. Collectively, our data indicate that distinct chaperone machinery is required, or has differential capacity, to process different aggregate structures. Elucidating the intricacies of chaperone‐client interactions, and how these are altered by particular client structures, will be crucial to understanding how this system can go awry in disease and contribute to pathological variation.
Trends in bowhead whales in West Greenland: Aerial surveysvs. genetic capture‐recapture analyses
Authors: Rekdal Silje L. , Hansen Rikke Guldborg , Borchers David , Bachmann Lutz , Laidre Kristin L. , Wiig Øystein , Nielsen Nynne Hjort , Fossette Sabrina , Tervo Outi , Heide‐Jørgensen Mads Peter 
Published: July 2014

AbstractWe contrast two methods for estimating the trends of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in West Greenland: (1) double platform visual aerial survey, corrected for missed sightings and the time the whales are available at the surface; and (2) a genetic capture‐recapture approach based on a 14‐yr‐long biopsy sampling program in Disko Bay. The aerial survey covered 39,000 km2and resulted in 58 sightings, yielding an abundance estimate of 744 whales (CV= 0.34, 95%CI: 357–1,461). The genetic method relied on determining sex, mitochondrial haplotypes and genotypes of nine microsatellite markers. Based on samples from a total of 427 individuals, with 11 recaptures from previous years in 2013, this resulted in an estimate of 1,538 whales (CV= 0.24, 95%CI: 827–2,249). While the aerial survey is considered asnapshotof the local spring aggregation in Disko Bay, the genetic approach estimates the abundance of thesourceof this aggregation. As the whales in Disko Bay primarily are adult females that do not visit the bay annually, the genetic method would presumably yield higher estimates. The studies indicate that an increase in abundance observed between 1998 and 2006 has leveled off.
Nationalism and the Contingency of the Religious Return among Second‐Generation Palestinian Immigrants in the United States: A Chicago Case Study
Authors: Lybarger Loren D. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractDrawing on dozens of in‐depth life‐history interviews and extensive participant observation in mosques and community centers, this article probes the interaction of religion and nationalism in the formation of individual identities within the Palestinian immigrant community in Chicago, Illinois since the late 1980s. The analysis focuses on three individuals who represent distinct approaches to negotiating the relationship of religion and nation. The first approach is context‐adaptive, responding and accommodating to the diverging moral assumptions that underlie the ethos of religious and secular spaces. The second approach entails a transition from secular‐nationalism to a type of Islamic nationalism or even Islamic secularism. The third approach resists both forms of nationalism, seeking a transcendent Islam in which ethnicity and nation recede within a new religious humanism. The core argument throughout is that processes of religious return, often analyzed in relation to transnational trends, take diverse and indeterminate forms. This fact results from the shaping effects of a range of “secular” factors — gender, generation, class, family dynamics, intercommunal interactions, traumatic events — which register within the specific local settings of ordinary life.
“A Blessing on Our People”: Bibi Pak Daman, Sacred Geography, and the Construction of the Nationalized Sacred
Authors: Zaidi Noor 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThis article focuses on the hagiographies and debates related to Bibi Pak Daman, a small shrine in Lahore's Old City. Said to house the graves of six women from the Prophet Muhammad's household and subject to a range of theories regarding its origins, Bibi Pak Daman is critical space in validating Pakistan's religious character and centrality in broader map of Islam. The most widely disseminated claim maintains that the main mausoleum in Bibi Pak Daman is that of Bibi Ruqayyah bint Ali, daughter of ῾Ali ibn Abu Talib, the fourth of the “Rightly Guided” Caliphs and the first Shiite Imam. The implications of this presence allow devotees to link Bibi Pak Daman to seminal events in the formation of Islamic and Shiite history in particular, affirming that the lands that would become Pakistan were vital at Islam's inception, rather than a much later, peripheral recipient of Muhammad's message.Yet like no other site in Pakistan, Bibi Pak Daman exemplifies the tensions that exist between state sanctioned religious rhetoric and local and folk traditions, with the unease with the government's role as religious arbitrator, between nationalism and communal rivalry, and within a minority Shiite community often struggling to legitimate its beliefs in a nation with a rapidly‐narrowing space for public religious plurality.