bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gingival crevicular fluid levels of human beta‐defensin‐2 and cathelicidin in smoker and non‐smoker patients: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Ertugrul A. S. , Sahin H. , Dikilitas A. , Alpaslan N. Z. , Bozoğlan A. , Tekin Y. 
Published: May 2013

Background and ObjectiveCathelicidin (LL‐37) and human β‐defensin‐2 (hBD‐2) are antimicrobial peptides that have additional functions in innate immunity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate LL‐37 and hBD‐2 levels in the following patient groups: non‐smoker patients with gingivitis (G), smoker patients with gingivitis (SG), non‐smoker patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis (AgP) and smoker patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis (SAgP).Material and MethodsA total of 80 patients, including 20 G, 20 SG, 20 AgP and 20 SAgP were enrolled in the study. Clinical periodontal parameters, including periodontal status were assessed by measuring bleeding on probing, plaque index, gingival index, probing depth and clinical attachment loss. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays were done to quantify LL‐37 and hBD‐2 levels in gingival crevicular fluid.ResultsClinical periodontal parameters were found to have no statistically significant differences between the SAgP and AgP groups or between the SG and G groups. LL‐37 and hBD‐2 levels were significantly lower in G patients than in other groups. LL‐37 and hBD‐2 levels in the gingival crevicular fluid of SAgP patients were significantly higher than in other groups. LL‐37 and hBD‐2 levels in SG patients were also significantly higher than in G patients.ConclusionsEpithelial cells in contact with microorganisms release LL‐37 and hBD‐2 to eliminate them. The release response of LL‐37 and hBD‐2 formed against microorganisms can change depending on factors such as smoking, which activates the nicotinic receptors present on epithelial surfaces. This interaction can increase the release of LL‐37 and hBD‐2. Smoking may also affect the capillary tissues and reduce leukocytic chemotaxis. The increased number of colonized microorganisms may lead to higher levels of LL‐37 and hBD‐2 release in the tissues of smokers than in non‐smokers.
Post‐fire recovery of desert bryophyte communities: effects of fires and propagule soil banks
Authors: Smith Robert J. , Abella Scott R. , Stark Lloyd R. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractQuestionsAs changing wildfire regimes modify North American deserts, can fires of greater severity and frequency negatively impact the recovery of native bryophyte communities, which are not adapted to such disturbances? Does post‐fire recovery result from the survival of existing surface plants, dormant propagules in sub‐surface soil banks (dispersal in time) or aerial immigration into burned sites (dispersal in space)? Do wildfires negatively affect the survival of propagules in bryophyte soil banks?LocationContinental arid shrublands, Mojave Desert, southwestern US.MethodsWe characterized bryophyte communities along a post‐fire chronosequence spanning three decades across sites where fires had different severities, ages and potential fuels. Three community profiles (surface, soil and aerial) were surveyed with a combination of on‐site surveys and emergence germination techniques. We tested for differences in beta diversity, species composition and richness with PERMDISP, PERMANOVA and linear mixed models, respectively.ResultsBurn severity was associated with differences in beta diversity, species composition and richness, while burn age was associated only with different composition and richness. No effect of potential fuel availability was found. More variation in composition was explained by significant differences among profiles than by other fire attributes. Species richness (but not beta diversity) was higher in soil profiles than in aerial spore rain or existing surface communities. Soils from the oldest and least severe burns had a greater number of species than soils from recent and more severe burns.ConclusionsBryophyte soil banks are common elements of desert soils that facilitate post‐disturbance recovery of communities, but soil banks are themselves threatened by the intensifying frequency and severity of wildfires in North American deserts. Recovery of desert bryophyte communities seems to begin (but not necessarily conclude) within 30 yr after wildfires. In the near future, communities may become perturbed from historical patterns as contemporary fire regimes undergo extensive changes.
A Stochastic Model of Wealth Accumulation with Class Division
Authors: Russo Alberto 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThis paper is aimed at contributing to the literature on income and wealth inequality by proposing a simple stochastic model in which wealth accumulation depends on the ‘social relation’ between two classes: capitalists or workers. As a result, the society may evolve towards an unequal outcome with few rich and many poor individuals. We study the dynamic properties of the model by means of computer simulations. A maximum likelihood estimation procedure is applied to analyse the Pareto or power law tail of wealth distribution. We also provide a scenario analysis to explore the system's behaviour under alternative parameter settings.
Transcriptional regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis in mycobacteria
Authors: Mondino S. , Gago G. , Gramajo H. 
Published: May 2013

SummaryThe main purpose of our study is to understand how mycobacteria exert control over the biosynthesis of their membrane lipids and find out the key components of the regulatory network that control fatty acid biosynthesis at the transcriptional level. In this article we describe the identification and purification of FasR, a transcriptional regulator from Mycobacterium sp. that controls the expression of the fatty acid synthase (fas) and the 4‐phosphopantetheinyl transferase (acpS) encoding genes, whose products are involved in the fatty acid and mycolic acid biosynthesis pathways. In vitro studies demonstrated that fas and acpS genes are part of the same transcriptional unit and that FasR specifically binds to three conserved operator sequences present in the fas‐acpS promoter region (Pfas). The construction and further characterization of a fasR conditional mutant confirmed that FasR is a transcriptional activator of the fas‐acpS operon and that this protein is essential for mycobacteria viability. Furthermore, the combined used of Pfas–lacZ fusions in different fasR backgrounds and electrophoretic mobility shift assays experiments, strongly suggested that long‐chain acyl‐CoAs are the effector molecules that modulate the affinity of FasR for its DNA binding sequences and therefore the expression of the essential fas‐acpS operon.
Symplesiomorphies in the WUSCHEL clade suggest that the last common ancestor of seed plants contained at least four independent stem cell niches
Authors: Nardmann Judith , Werr Wolfgang 
Published: May 2013

Summary

Evolutionary studies addressing plant architecture have uncovered several significant dichotomies between lower and higher land plant radiations, which are based on differences in meristem histology and function. Here, we assess the establishment of different stem cell niches during land plant evolution based on genes of the stem cell‐promoting WUSCHEL (WUS) clade of the WOX (WUSCHEL‐related homeobox) gene family.

WOX gene orthology was addressed by phylogenetic analyses of full‐length WOX protein sequences and cellular expression pattern studies indicate process homology.

Gene amplifications in the WUS clade were present in the last common ancestor (LCA) of extant gymnosperms and angiosperms. Whereas the evolution of complex multicellular shoot and root meristems relates to members in the WUS/WOX5 sub‐branch, the evolution of marginal and plate meristems or the vascular cambium is associated with gene duplications that gave rise to WOX3 and WOX4, respectively. A fourth WUS clade member, WOX2, was apparently recruited for apical cell fate specification during early embryogenesis.

The evolution and functional interplay of WOX3 and WOX4 possibly promoted a novel mode of leaf development, and evolutionary adaptations in their activities have contributed to the great diversity in shape and architecture of leaves in seed plants.
Targeted silencing of BjMYB28 transcription factor gene directs development of low glucosinolate lines in oilseed Brassica juncea
Authors: Augustine Rehna , Mukhopadhyay Arundhati , Bisht Naveen C. 
Published: May 2013

SummaryBrassica juncea (Indian mustard), a globally important oilseed crop, contains relatively high amount of seed glucosinolates ranging from 80 to 120 μmol/g dry weight (DW). One of the major breeding objectives in oilseed Brassicas is to improve the seed‐meal quality through the development of low‐seed‐glucosinolate lines (<30 μmol/g DW), as high amounts of certain seed glucosinolates are known to be anti‐nutritional and reduce the meal palatability. Here, we report the development of transgenic B. juncea lines having seed glucosinolates as low as 11.26 μmol/g DW, through RNAi‐based targeted suppression of BjMYB28, a R2R3‐MYB transcription factor family gene involved in aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthesis. Targeted silencing of BjMYB28 homologs provided significant reduction in the anti‐nutritional aliphatic glucosinolates fractions, without altering the desirable nonaliphatic glucosinolate pool, both in leaves and seeds of transgenic plants. Molecular characterization of single‐copy, low glucosinolate homozygous lines confirmed significant down‐regulation of BjMYB28 homologs vis‐à‐vis enhanced accumulation of BjMYB28‐specific siRNA pool. Consequently, these low glucosinolate lines also showed significant suppression of genes involved in aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthesis. The low glucosinolate trait was stable in subsequent generations of the transgenic lines with no visible off‐target effects on plant growth and development. Various seed quality parameters including fatty acid composition, oil content, protein content and seed weight of the low glucosinolate lines also remained unaltered, when tested under containment conditions in the field. Our results indicate that targeted silencing of a key glucosinolate transcriptional regulator MYB28 has huge potential for reducing the glucosinolates content and improving the seed‐meal quality of oilseed Brassica crops.
WU polyomavirus detected in respiratory tract specimens from young children in Japan
Authors: Okada Mineyuki , Hamada Hiromichi , Sato‐Maru Hiromi , Shirato Yuri , Honda Takafumi , Muto Ayako , Hayashi Kitami , Terai Masaru 
Published: May 2013

AbstractPolyomaviruses (PyV) WU and KI are reportedly associated with respiratory tract disease (RTD) worldwide but their incidence is unclear in Japan. In a 2 year prospective study, WU/KIPyV were detected in 48 (13.9%) and in five (1.4%) of 345 children hospitalized with lower RTD, respectively. The seasonal distribution was observed in spring and early summer. Other respiratory viruses were co‐detected in 51% of PyV‐positive patients, but eight (2.3%) of the WUPyV‐positive patients were negative for other known pathogens.
Hour‐specific nomogram for transcutaneous bilirubin in Japanese neonates
Authors: Kuboi Toru , Kusaka Takashi , Kawada Koh , Koyano Kousuke , Nakamura Shinji , Okubo Kensuke , Yasuda Saneyuki , Isobe Kenichi , Itoh Susumu 
Published: May 2013

AbstractBackgroundThe measurement of transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) is very important to screen for hyperbilirubinemia in newborns. Until now, however, there has been no hour‐specific, percentile‐based TcB nomogram during the early neonatal period in Japanese neonates. The aim of this study was to develop a TcB nomogram within 72 h of birth in Japanese neonates.MethodsA total of 3152 TcB measurements for 181 healthy Japanese neonates (gestational age ≥36 weeks, birthweight ≥2300 g) were obtained within 72 h of birth. All measurements were performed with a Konica Minolta jaundice meter, the JM‐103. A nomogram curve was plotted to show the trend of TcB level over time.ResultsThe nomogram curves rose almost linearly for all percentiles until 72 h after birth.ConclusionAn hour‐specific, percentile‐based TcB nomogram during the first 72 h after birth in Japanese neonates was successfully developed. Because Japanese neonates have higher and later peak bilirubin, an original hour‐specific 97.5th percentile‐based TcB nomogram may be needed to identify early‐onset jaundice and manage neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
Beyond Hacker's Wittgenstein: Discussion of HACKER, Peter (2012) “Wittgenstein on Grammar, Theses and Dogmatism” Philosophical Investigations 35:1, January 2012, 1–17
Authors: Moyal‐Sharrock Danièle 
Published: May 2013

AbstractIn “Wittgenstein on Grammar, Theses and Dogmatism,” Peter Hacker addresses what he takes to be misconceptions of Wittgenstein's philosophy with respect to (1) the periodisation of his thought and to what should properly be counted as part of his work; (2) his conception of grammar since the Big Typescript (1929–33); and (3) his conception of philosophy as grammatical investigation. I argue that Hacker's restrictive conception of what ought to be considered part of Wittgenstein's philosophy and his conservative view of Wittgensteinian grammar are unjustified and prevent him from appreciating the revolutionary importance of On Certainty for epistemology. Finally, while agreeing that Wittgenstein views philosophy as grammatical elucidation, I suggest some reasons for the resistance that this view has generated.In “Wittgenstein on Grammar, Theses and Dogmatism,” Peter Hacker deals with three of the “many misunderstandings, misrepresentations and misinterpretations of Wittgenstein's philosophy” (2012, 1); the first of which concerns “the periodisation of Wittgenstein's thought”; the second, the supposition that what Wittgenstein called “grammar” in PI differed fundamentally from, and was more limited than, his conception of it when he was writing the Big Typescript; and the third, the claim that what Wittgenstein took to be grammatical statements are, in fact, dogmatisms, theories or doctrines inconsistent with his meta‐philosophical remarks in PI. I address each of these concerns seriatim.
Scott Soames on Gilbert Ryle
Authors: McDougall Derek A. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractIn his exceptionally well‐received history of analytic philosophy,1 Scott Soames presents accounts of the work of Wittgenstein and Ryle that rest on his acceptance of metaphysical preconceptions that these philosophers implicitly question in their writings. Their shared expressive third‐person treatments of the mind, for example, serve to emphasise the inadequacy of Soames's distinction between private mental states and physical states/behaviour, which he regularly employs in assessing their views. His treatment of Gilbert Ryle in particular, reflects the radically different conceptions held by Ryle and Soames of the nature of philosophical investigation. Soames charges Ryle with a failure to recognise the distinction between the necessary and the analytic. He also harbours a clear understanding that philosophical problems arise naturally and directly from “our ordinary ways of thinking,”2 where these ways of thinking, the reader discovers, involve metaphysical preconceptions. This is at odds with Ryle's claim that certain category mistakes, playing the role, roughly, of Wittgenstein's misleading pictures, underlie some of the main problems of philosophy. The purpose of this paper is to assess how well Ryle, occasionally aided by Wittgenstein, can be seen to parry Soames's direct onslaught on his work in parts of Dilemmas and in The Concept of Mind.
The Structure and Function of Endovascular Stents: A Primer for the Interventional Nephrologist
Authors: Sequeira Adrian , Abreo Kenneth 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThe use of stents has become common practice in various interventional fields. The purpose of this article is to provide the interventionalist with an understanding of the basic structure stent. We describe the etymology, the classification and describe various terms used by engineers as they strive to develop that “ideal” stent. We also describe the fabrication process briefly and finally elaborate on the characteristic “build and cut” of some commonly used stents.
Public Health Surveillance in the Dialysis Setting: Opportunities and Challenges for Using Electronic Health Records
Authors: Wise Matthew E. , Lovell Chris 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has conducted public health surveillance for healthcare‐associated infections (HAIs) in dialysis facilities since the 1970s, evolving from facility‐level surveys to patient‐level surveillance systems. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently implemented incentives for all end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities to monitor and report patient‐level quality indicators to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) in accordance with the NHSN Dialysis Event Protocol. These CMS incentives have led to a rapid increase in dialysis facility NHSN enrollment during 2012. Ongoing challenges to HAI surveillance in this setting include variability in the surveillance process, assurance of data quality, and staff time and resource requirements. Use of existing electronic health records (EHR), especially in conjunction with detection algorithms, has increasingly been shown to produce valid and reliable estimates of HAI frequency in acute care hospitals. Given the large number of dialysis facilities that are now beginning to conduct surveillance using NHSN, the typical lack of dedicated infection prevention personnel in those facilities, and the widespread use of EHR in large dialysis provider organizations, the use of EHR will probably become a cornerstone of surveillance in these settings. Implemented properly, the use of EHR to support public health surveillance has enormous potential to focus and strengthen infection prevention activities in dialysis facilities. Systematic, ongoing validation efforts will be vital to ensure that reported data are accurate, permit valid comparisons of facility performance, and effectively support improved outcomes for dialysis patients.
Comparison of Validated Assessment Scales and 3D digital fringe projection method to assess lifetime development of wrinkles in men
Authors: Luebberding Stefanie , Krueger Nils , Kerscher Martina 
Published: May 2013

BackgroundThe assessment of wrinkle severity is an important evaluation criterion to determine the efficacy of aesthetic treatments. Aim of the present study was to compare Validated Assessment Scales (VAS) and 3D fringe projection (PRIMOS®) for the evaluation of facial wrinkles in men and to determine standard values for each level of the VAS.Methods150 male subjects (20 to 70 years) were selected following strict criteria. Wrinkle severity at periorbital, glabella and forehead lines was evaluated using the 3D fringe projection and 5‐point photonumeric VAS. The results of both methods were matched by determining quantitative values for each level of the clinical rating scale.ResultsHigh average correlation with age was found for VAS, Wd, maxWd, lWd, Wv, aWa and pWa. With a Wd of 60 to 70μm crow's feet and forehead lines are pronounced first, whereas glabella lines develop in subject's mid‐forties, by an Wd of 180μm. Wrinkle severity increases at all locations every 10 years of age by one level of the VAS. This increase corresponds to an increase of Wd about 100 μm at glabella and forehead lines, and about 50 μm at crow's feet.ConclusionThe presented reference values for the Validated Assessment Scale are an important step towards an optimized assessment of skin aging and aesthetic dermatological treatments. The data helps to combine the precession of a biophysical measurement with the practical relevance of a clinical rating.
Critical Analysis of Fibre‐Reinforced Polymer Near‐Surface Mounted Double‐shear Pull‐out Tests
Authors: Costa I. , Barros J. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTThe study of the bond behaviour between fibre‐reinforced polymer (FRP) systems and concrete is an issue that nowadays attracts many researchers. The scientific community dedicated to the research of FRP reinforcement has been conducting numerous experimental programmes aiming to assess the local bond–slip law of the FRP–adhesive–concrete connection. This paper reports the relevant results obtained by the Structural Composite Research Group of Minho University in the scope of an international Round Robin Test. The suitability of the recommended test setup to derive a local bond constitutive law for modelling the bond behaviour of near‐surface mounted reinforcement systems is discussed based on a deep interpretation of the results.
Strain‐specific red blood cell storage, metabolism, and eicosanoid generation in a mouse model
Authors: Zimring James C. , Smith Nicole , Stowell Sean R. , Johnsen Jill M. , Bell Lauren N. , Francis Richard O. , Hod Eldad A. , Hendrickson Jeanne E. , Roback John D. , Spitalnik Steven L. 
Published: May 2013

BackgroundRed blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a lifesaving therapy, the logistic implementation of which requires RBC storage. However, stored RBCs exhibit substantial donor variability in multiple characteristics, including hemolysis in vitro and RBC recovery in vivo. The basis of donor variability is poorly understood.Study Design and MethodsWe applied a murine model of RBC storage and transfusion to test the hypothesis that genetically distinct inbred strains of mice would demonstrate strain‐specific differences in RBC storage. In vivo recoveries were determined by monitoring transfused RBCs over 24 hours. Timed aliquots of stored RBCs were subjected to tandem chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis to elucidate metabolic changes in the RBCs during storage.ResultsUsing independent inbred mouse strains as donors, we found substantial strain‐specific differences in posttransfusion RBC recovery in vivo after standardized refrigerated storage in vitro. Poor posttransfusion RBC recovery correlated with reproducible metabolic variations in the stored RBC units, including increased lipid peroxidation, decreased levels of multiple natural antioxidants, and accumulation of cytidine. Strain‐dependent differences were also observed in eicosanoid generation (i.e., prostaglandins and leukotrienes).ConclusionThese findings provide the first evidence of strain‐specific metabolomic differences after refrigerated storage of murine RBCs. They also provide the first definitive biochemical evidence for strain‐specific variation of eicosanoid generation during RBC storage. The molecules described that correlate with RBC storage quality, and their associated biochemical pathways, suggest multiple causal hypotheses that can be tested regarding predicting the quality of RBC units before transfusion and developing methods of improved RBC storage.