bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Maternal depression in childhood and aggression in young adulthood: evidence for mediation by offspring amygdala–hippocampal volume ratio
Authors: Gilliam Mary , Forbes Erika E. , Gianaros Peter J. , Erickson Kirk I. , Brennan Lauretta M. , Shaw Daniel S. 
Published: September 2015

BackgroundThere is abundant evidence that offspring of depressed mothers are at increased risk for persistent behavior problems related to emotion regulation, but the mechanisms by which offspring incur this risk are not entirely clear. Early adverse caregiving experiences have been associated with structural alterations in the amygdala and hippocampus, which parallel findings of cortical regions altered in adults with behavior problems related to emotion regulation. This study examined whether exposure to maternal depression during childhood might predict increased aggression and/or depression in early adulthood, and whether offspring amygdala:hippocampal volume ratio might mediate this relationship.MethodsParticipants were 258 mothers and sons at socioeconomic risk for behavior problems. Sons' trajectories of exposure to maternal depression were generated from eight reports collected prospectively from offspring ages 18 months to 10 years. Offspring brain structure, aggression, and depression were assessed at age 20 (n = 170).ResultsPersistent, moderately high trajectories of maternal depression during childhood predicted increased aggression in adult offspring. In contrast, stable and very elevated trajectories of maternal depression during childhood predicted depression in adult offspring. Increased amygdala: hippocampal volume ratios at age 20 were significantly associated with concurrently increased aggression, but not depression, in adult offspring. Offspring amygdala: hippocampal volume ratio mediated the relationship found between trajectories of moderately elevated maternal depression during childhood and aggression in adult offspring.ConclusionsAlterations in the relative size of brain structures implicated in emotion regulation may be one mechanism by which offspring of depressed mothers incur increased risk for the development of aggression.
Combination therapy of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and insulin for patients who developed diabetes after partial pancreatectomy
Authors: Kitazawa Toru , Yokoyama Kazuhito , Kubota Ken 
Published: September 2015

AbstractAims/IntroductionIt is known that after pancreatectomy, patients experience hyposecretion of endogenous insulin and frequently develop diabetes. However, it has been unclear whether combination therapy with glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and basal insulin is effective for such patients. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with long‐acting insulin glargine and the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist lixisenatide in patients who developed diabetes after pancreatectomy.Materials and MethodsJapanese patients who developed diabetes after pancreatectomy were eligible for this study. Participants were treated with combination therapy of glargine and lixisenatide for 12 weeks. Fasting and postprandial plasma glucose, C‐peptide immunoreactivity, glycated hemoglobin, bodyweight, visceral fat and subcutaneous fat were measured.ResultsAt 12 weeks after initiation of lixisenatide, glycated hemoglobin levels decreased from 8.46 ± 1.64% to 6.81 ± 1.15%. In addition, 1‐h postprandial plasma glucose and 2‐h postprandial plasma glucose levels significantly decreased from 222.9 ± 56.2 mg/dL to 125.1 ± 37.5 mg/dL (P < 0.001) and from 247.5 ± 56.8 mg/dL to 115.1 ± 29.0 mg/dL (P < 0.001), respectively. Neither hypoglycemia nor clinically relevant adverse events occurred during this study.ConclusionsThe present study shows that combination therapy with basal insulin and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists after partial pancreatectomy can be a useful therapeutic option for providing effective glycemic control with a reduced risk of hypoglycemia.
Growth and survival of blowfly Lucilia sericata larvae under simulated wound conditions: implications for maggot debridement therapy
Authors: ČIČKOVÁ H. , KOZÁNEK M. , TAKÁČ P. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractMaggot debridement therapy has become a well‐established method of wound debridement. Despite its success, little information is available about the optimum duration of the treatment cycle and larval growth in wounds. This study examines the development of Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae under two containment conditions (bagged and free range) under simulated wound conditions and assesses the impact of transport and further storage of larvae on their survival and growth. There was no significant difference in size between bagged and free‐range larvae over the 72‐h experimental period. Larvae grew fastest 8–24 h after inoculation and completed their growth at 40–48 h. Mortality rates were similar (0.12–0.23% per hour) in both containment conditions and did not differ significantly (P = 0.3212). Survival of free‐range larvae was on average 16% lower than survival of bagged larvae. Refrigeration of larvae upon simulated delivery for > 1 day reduced their survival to < 50% and caused a reduction in growth of up to 30% at 12 h, but not at 48 h, of incubation. Therefore, it is recommended that free‐range larvae are left in the wound for a maximum of 40–48 h, and bagged larvae for 48–72 h. Larvae should be used within 24 h of delivery to avoid high mortality caused by prolonged refrigeration.
Systematic analysis of rice (Oryza sativa) metabolic responses to herbivory
Authors: Alamgir Kabir Md , Hojo Yuko , Christeller John T. , Fukumoto Kaori , Isshiki Ryutaro , Shinya Tomonori , Baldwin Ian T. , Galis Ivan 
Published: September 2015

AbstractPlants defend against attack from herbivores by direct and indirect defence mechanisms mediated by the accumulation of phytoalexins and release of volatile signals, respectively. While the defensive arsenals of some plants, such as tobacco and Arabidopsis are well known, most of rice's (Oryza sativa) defence metabolites and their effectiveness against herbivores remain uncharacterized. Here, we used a non‐biassed metabolomics approach to identify many novel herbivory‐regulated metabolic signatures in rice. Most were up‐regulated by herbivore attack while only a few were suppressed. Two of the most prominent up‐regulated signatures were characterized as phenolamides (PAs), p‐coumaroylputrescine and feruloylputrescine. PAs accumulated in response to attack by both chewing insects, i.e. feeding of the lawn armyworm (Spodoptera mauritia) and the rice skipper (Parnara guttata) larvae, and the attack of the sucking insect, the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens, BPH). In bioassays, BPH insects feeding on 15% sugar solution containing p‐coumaroylputrescine or feruloylputrescine, at concentrations similar to those elicited by heavy BPH attack in rice, had a higher mortality compared to those feeding on sugar diet alone. Our results highlight PAs as a rapidly expanding new group of plant defence metabolites that are elicited by herbivore attack, and deter herbivores in rice and other plants.
Transport, Distribution and Elimination of Mammalian Sperm Following Natural Mating and Insemination
Authors: Kölle S 
Published: September 2015

ContentsThe integrity of transport, distribution and elimination of sperm in the female genital tract plays a pivotal role for successful reproduction in mammals. At coitus, millions or billions of sperm are deposited either into the anterior vagina (human, primates), the cervix (most mammalian species) or the uterus (pig). In most species, the first anatomical barrier is the cervix, where spermatozoa with poor morphology and motility are filtered out by sticking to the cervical mucus. The second anatomical barrier is the uterotubal junction (UTJ) with its tortuous and narrow lumen. Finally, only a few thousand sperm enter the oviduct and less than 100 sperm reach the site of fertilization. As soon as the sperm enter the oviduct, they form a sperm reservoir enabling them to stay vital and maintain fertilizing capacity for 3–4 days (cow, horse) up to several months (bats). After ovulation, mammalian sperm show hyperactivation which allows them to detach from the tubal epithelium and migrate to the site of fertilization. This review will focus on recent insights of sperm transport, sperm storage and sperm–oviduct interaction in mammals which have been gained by live cell imaging in cows and mice under nearin vivoconditions. Detailed knowledge of the biology of spermatozoa within the female genital tract creates the basis for new therapeutic concepts for male subfertility and infertility – an essential prerequisite to increase success rates in assisted reproduction.
Assessing the effect of crop residue removal on soil organic carbon storage and microbial activity in a no‐till cropping system
Authors: Chowdhury S. , Farrell M. , Butler G. , Bolan N. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractChanges in agricultural management strategies have received much attention in recent years with a view to increasing or maintaining the amount of carbon (C) sequestered as soil organic C (SOC). In many parts of the world, minimum or no‐till management has been promoted as a means of improving soil quality, reducing losses of erosion and potentially increasing SOC stocks. However, no‐till systems can become problematic and potentially disease‐prone, especially due to high crop residue loadings. Consequently, residue removal either by harvesting or burning off may be employed to reduce these pressures. Here, we examined the effect of crop residue removal on C storage in soil that had been under no‐till management for 20 yr. We predicted improved physical properties (i.e. lower bulk density) and greater microbial activity under the residue retention soils due to greater readily available C and nutrients derived from crop residues. In contrast, we predicted relative reductions in SOC in the no residue soils due to a lack of available residue‐derived C for microbial use. Residue removal caused a relative C loss from the soil, which was related to C input, amount of nutrient availability and microbial activity. We demonstrate the importance of maintaining crop residue cover in no‐till cropping systems for soil function and highlight the potentially deleterious effects of changing management strategy to increased residue harvesting or removal by burning.
The immunological barriers to xenotransplantation
Authors: Vadori M. , Cozzi E. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe availability of cells, tissues and organs from a non‐human species such as the pig could, at least in theory, meet the demand of organs necessary for clinical transplantation. At this stage, the important goal of getting over the first year of survival has been reported for both cellular and solid organ xenotransplantation in relevant preclinical primate models. In addition, xenotransplantation is already in the clinic as shown by the broad use of animal‐derived medical devices, such as bioprosthetic heart valves and biological materials used for surgical tissue repair. At this stage, however, prior to starting a wide‐scale clinical application of xenotransplantation of viable cells and organs, the important obstacle represented by the humoral immune response will need to be overcome. Likewise, the barriers posed by the activation of the innate immune system and coagulative pathway will have to be controlled. As far as xenogeneic nonviable xenografts, increasing evidence suggests that considerable immune reactions, mediated by both innate and adaptive immunity, take place and influence the long‐term outcome of xenogeneic materials in patients, possibly precluding the use of bioprosthetic heart valves in young individuals. In this context, the present article provides an overview of current knowledge on the immune processes following xenotransplantation and on the possible therapeutic interventions to overcome the immunological drawbacks involved in xenotransplantation.
Assessment of the Toxicity of CuO Nanoparticles by Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mutants with Multiple Genes Deleted
Authors: Bao Shaopan , Lu Qicong , Fang Tao , Dai Heping , Zhang Chao 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

To develop applicable and susceptible models to evaluate the toxicity of nanoparticles, the antimicrobial effects of CuO nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) on various
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(
S. cerevisiae
) strains (wild type, single-gene-deleted mutants, and multiple-gene-deleted mutants) were determined and compared. Further experiments were also conducted to analyze the mechanisms associated with toxicity using copper salt, bulk CuO (bCuO), carbon-shelled copper nanoparticles (C/Cu-NPs), and carbon nanoparticles (C-NPs) for comparisons. The results indicated that the growth inhibition rates of CuO-NPs for the wild-type and the single-gene-deleted strains were comparable, while for the multiple-gene deletion mutant, significantly higher toxicity was observed (
P
< 0.05). When the toxicity of the CuO-NPs to yeast cells was compared with the toxicities of copper salt and bCuO, we concluded that the toxicity of CuO-NPs should be attributed to soluble copper rather than to the nanoparticles. The striking difference in adverse effects of C-NPs and C/Cu-NPs with equivalent surface areas also proved this. A toxicity assay revealed that the multiple-gene-deleted mutant was significantly more sensitive to CuO-NPs than the wild type. Specifically, compared with the wild-type strain, copper was readily taken up by mutant strains when cell permeability genes were knocked out, and the mutants with deletions of genes regulated under oxidative stress (OS) were likely producing more reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hence, as mechanism-based gene inactivation could increase the susceptibility of yeast, the multiple-gene-deleted mutants should be improved model organisms to investigate the toxicity of nanoparticles.
Using UVC Light-Emitting Diodes at Wavelengths of 266 to 279 Nanometers To Inactivate Foodborne Pathogens and Pasteurize Sliced Cheese
Authors: Kim Soo-Ji , Kim Do-Kyun , Kang Dong-Hyun 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

UVC light is a widely used sterilization technology. However, UV lamps have several limitations, including low activity at refrigeration temperatures, a long warm-up time, and risk of mercury exposure. UV-type lamps only emit light at 254 nm, so as an alternative, UV light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) which can produce the desired wavelengths have been developed. In this study, we validated the inactivation efficacy of UV-LEDs by wavelength and compared the results to those of conventional UV lamps. Selective media inoculated with
Escherichia coli
O157:H7,
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium, and
Listeria monocytogenes
were irradiated using UV-LEDs at 266, 270, 275, and 279 nm in the UVC spectrum at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.7 mJ/cm
2
, respectively. The radiation intensity of the UV-LEDs was about 4 μW/cm
2
, and UV lamps were covered with polypropylene films to adjust the light intensity similar to those of UV-LEDs. In addition, we applied UV-LED to sliced cheese at doses of 1, 2, and 3 mJ/cm
2
. Our results showed that inactivation rates after UV-LED treatment were significantly different (
P
< 0.05) from those of UV lamps at a similar intensity. On microbiological media, UV-LED treatments at 266 and 270 nm showed significantly different (
P
< 0.05) inactivation effects than other wavelength modules. For sliced cheeses, 4- to 5-log reductions occurred after treatment at 3 mJ/cm
2
for all three pathogens, with negligible generation of injured cells.
Contribution of the Distal Pocket Residue to the Acyl-Chain-Length Specificity of (
R
)-Specific Enoyl-Coenzyme A Hydratases from Pseudomonas spp
Authors: Tsuge Takeharu , Sato Shun , Hiroe Ayaka , Ishizuka Koya , Kanazawa Hiromi , Shiro Yoshitsugu , Hisano Tamao 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

(
R
)-Specific enoyl-coenzyme A (enoyl-CoA) hydratases (PhaJs) are capable of supplying monomers from fatty acid β-oxidation to polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis. PhaJ1
Pp
from
Pseudomonas putida
showed broader substrate specificity than did PhaJ1
Pa
from
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, despite sharing 67% amino acid sequence identity. In this study, the substrate specificity characteristics of two
Pseudomonas
PhaJ1 enzymes were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis, chimeragenesis, X-ray crystallographic analysis, and homology modeling. In PhaJ1
Pp
, the replacement of valine with isoleucine at position 72 resulted in an increased preference for enoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) elements with shorter chain lengths. Conversely, at the same position in PhaJ1
Pa
, the replacement of isoleucine with valine resulted in an increased preference for enoyl-CoAs with longer chain lengths. These changes suggest a narrowing and broadening in the substrate specificity range of the PhaJ1
Pp
and PhaJ1
Pa
mutants, respectively. However, the substrate specificity remains broader in PhaJ1
Pp
than in PhaJ1
Pa
. Additionally, three chimeric PhaJ1 enzymes, composed from PhaJ1
Pp
and PhaJ1
Pa
, all showed significant hydratase activity, and their substrate preferences were within the range exhibited by the parental PhaJ1 enzymes. The crystal structure of PhaJ1
Pa
was determined at a resolution of 1.7 Å, and subsequent homology modeling of PhaJ1
Pp
revealed that in the acyl-chain binding pocket, the amino acid at position 72 was the only difference between the two structures. These results indicate that the chain-length specificity of PhaJ1 is determined mainly by the bulkiness of the amino acid residue at position 72, but that other factors, such as structural fluctuations, also affect specificity.
Iron Response Regulator Protein IrrB in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR-1 Helps Control the Iron/Oxygen Balance, Oxidative Stress Tolerance, and Magnetosome Formation
Authors: Wang Qing , Wang Meiwen , Wang Xu , Guan Guohua , Li Ying , Peng Youliang , Li Jilun 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Magnetotactic bacteria are capable of forming nanosized, membrane-enclosed magnetosomes under iron-rich and oxygen-limited conditions. The complete genomic sequence of
Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense
strain MSR-1 has been analyzed and found to contain five
fur
homologue genes whose protein products are predicted to be involved in iron homeostasis and the response to oxidative stress. Of these, only the MGMSRv2_3149 gene (
irrB
) was significantly downregulated under high-iron and low-oxygen conditions, during the transition of cell growth from the logarithmic to the stationary phase. The encoded protein, IrrB, containing the conserved HHH motif, was identified as an iron response regulator (Irr) protein belonging to the Fur superfamily. To investigate the function of IrrB, we constructed an
irrB
deletion mutant (Δ
irrB
). The levels of cell growth and magnetosome formation were lower in the Δ
irrB
strain than in the wild type (WT) under both high-iron and low-iron conditions. The Δ
irrB
strain also showed lower levels of iron uptake and H
2
O
2
tolerance than the WT. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis indicated that the
irrB
mutation reduced the expression of numerous genes involved in iron transport, iron storage, heme biosynthesis, and Fe-S cluster assembly. Transcription studies of the other
fur
homologue genes in the Δ
irrB
strain indicated complementary functions of the Fur proteins in MSR-1. IrrB appears to be directly responsible for iron metabolism and homeostasis and to be indirectly involved in magnetosome formation. We propose two IrrB-regulated networks (under high- and low-iron conditions) in MSR-1 cells that control the balance of iron and oxygen metabolism and account for the coexistence of five Fur homologues.
Application of Metagenomic Sequencing to Food Safety: Detection of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Fresh Bagged Spinach
Authors: Leonard Susan R. , Mammel Mark K. , Lacher David W. , Elkins Christopher A. 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Culture-independent diagnostics reduce the reliance on traditional (and slower) culture-based methodologies. Here we capitalize on advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) to apply this approach to food pathogen detection utilizing NGS as an analytical tool. In this study, spiking spinach with Shiga toxin-producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC) following an established FDA culture-based protocol was used in conjunction with shotgun metagenomic sequencing to determine the limits of detection, sensitivity, and specificity levels and to obtain information on the microbiology of the protocol. We show that an expected level of contamination (∼10 CFU/100 g) could be adequately detected (including key virulence determinants and strain-level specificity) within 8 h of enrichment at a sequencing depth of 10,000,000 reads. We also rationalize the relative benefit of static versus shaking culture conditions and the addition of selected antimicrobial agents, thereby validating the long-standing culture-based parameters behind such protocols. Moreover, the shotgun metagenomic approach was informative regarding the dynamics of microbial communities during the enrichment process, including initial surveys of the microbial loads associated with bagged spinach; the microbes found included key genera such as
Pseudomonas
,
Pantoea
, and
Exiguobacterium
. Collectively, our metagenomic study highlights and considers various parameters required for transitioning to such sequencing-based diagnostics for food safety and the potential to develop better enrichment processes in a high-throughput manner not previously possible. Future studies will investigate new species-specific DNA signature target regimens, rational design of medium components in concert with judicious use of additives, such as antibiotics, and alterations in the sample processing protocol to enhance detection.
Genome Sequence of Rhizobium ecuadorense Strain CNPSo 671
T
, an Indigenous N
2
-Fixing Symbiont of the Ecuadorian Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Genetic Pool
Authors: Ribeiro Renan Augusto , Delamuta Jakeline Renata Marçon , Gomes Douglas Fabiano , Souza Renata Carolina , Chueire Ligia Maria Oliveira , Hungria Mariangela 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Rhizobium ecuadorense
CNPSo 671
T
was isolated from a common bean nodule in Ecuador. The draft genome brings novelty about indigenous rhizobial species in centers of genetic diversity of the legume.
Genome Sequence of Rough and Smooth Variants of Pleomorphic Strain Lactobacillus farciminis CNCM-I-3699
Authors: Tareb R. , Bernardeau M. , Vernoux J. P. 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

The probiotic
Lactobacillus farciminis
CNCM-I-3699 is a pleomorphic strain exhibiting smooth and rough variants. We report their complete genomes consisting of a chromosome of 2, 4 Mb and a plasmid of 6,417 bp. The smooth variant differs by the presence of an additional plasmid of 35,418 bp.
Draft Genome Sequence of Turicella otitidis TD1, Isolated from a Patient with Bacteremia
Authors: Greninger Alexander L. , Kozyreva Varvara , Truong Chau-Linda , Graves Margot , Chaturvedi Vishnu 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

We report the draft genome sequence of
Turicella otitidis
strain TD1, isolated from a central line catheter sample from a patient with a history of bowel obstruction. It contained several genetic determinants of multidrug-resistant phenotypes such as a cfrA 50S methyltransferase, two major facilitator superfamily–type drug resistance transporters, and a putative beta-lactamase.