bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In the mind or in the brain? Scientific evidence for central sensitisation in chronic fatigue syndrome
Authors: Nijs Jo , Meeus Mira , Van Oosterwijck Jessica , Ickmans Kelly , Moorkens Greta , Hans Guy , De Clerck Luc S. 
Published: July 2011

Eur J Clin Invest 2011AbstractBackground Central sensitisation entails several top‐down and bottom‐up mechanisms, all contributing to the hyperresponsiveness of the central nervous system to a variety of inputs. In the late nineties, it was first hypothesised that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterised by hypersensitivity of the central nervous system (i.e. central sensitisation). Since then, several studies have examined central sensitisation in patients with CFS. This study provides an overview of such studies.Materials and Methods Narrative review.Results Various studies showed generalised hyperalgesia in CFS for a variety of sensory stimuli, including electrical stimulation, mechanical pressure, heat and histamine. Various tissues are affected by generalised hyperalgesia: the skin, muscle tissue and the lungs. Generalised hyperalgesia in CFS is augmented, rather than decreased, following various types of stressors like exercise and noxious heat pain. Endogenous inhibition is not activated in response to exercise and activation of diffuse noxious inhibitory controls following noxious heat application to the skin is delayed.Conclusions The observation of central sensitisation in CFS is in line with our current understanding of CFS. The presence of central sensitisation in CFS corroborates with the presence of several psychological influences on the illness, the presence of infectious agents and immune dysfunctions and the dysfunctional hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis as seen in these severely debilitated patients.
Characterization of volatile compounds from Daqu‐a traditional Chinese liquor fermentation starter
Authors: Zhang Chunlin , Ao Zonghua , Chui Weiqiang , Shen Caihong , Tao Wenyi , Zhang Suyi 
Published: July 2011

SummaryDaqu is a fermentation starter and substrate complex that is used to initiate the solid fermentations for the production of Chinese liquor. The aroma of Daqu is one of the most important factors that influence the flavour of Chinese liquor. To further study the aroma of Daqu, volatile compounds in ten Daqu samples were extracted by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrum (GC‐MS). The samples were pre‐equilibrated at 50 °C for 10 min and extracted with stirring at the same temperature for 30 min prior to injection into a GC‐MS. A total of 75 volatile compounds were characterised by GC‐MS, including twelve alcohols, eleven esters, eight acids, nine aromatic compounds, four phenols, two furans, fourteen nitrogen‐containing compounds and fifteen aldehydes and ketones. By a principal component analysis (PCA), the ten Daqu samples could be classified into three groups according to their origins and, in particular, the production technologies.
Effect of gamma irradiation on physicochemical properties, proximate composition, vitamins and antinutritional factors of the tribal pulse Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata
Authors: Tresina Pious Soris , Mohan Veerabahu R. 
Published: July 2011

SummaryEffect of gamma irradiation on Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata seeds (maroon‐coloured seed coat) at various doses (2, 5, 10, 15 and 25 kGy) on the physicochemical properties, proximate composition, vitamins (niacin and ascorbic acid) and antinutritional factors were analysed. No significant changes were recorded in the physicochemical properties of irradiated seeds. Gamma irradiation resulted in a significant increase in crude protein, while the crude lipid, crude fibre and ash contents resulted in a dose‐dependent decrease. Gamma‐irradiated seeds presented a significant decrease in the ascorbic acid and niacin content. Irradiation processing significantly reduced the level of L‐DOPA, phytic acid, hydrogen cyanide, trypsin inhibitor activity, oligosaccharides and lectins. The total free phenolics, tannins and in vitro protein digestibility on irradiation showed a significant dose‐dependent increase. Gamma irradiation seems to be a good procedure to improve the quality of legume seeds from the nutritional point of view.
A comparison of the hand hygiene knowledge, beliefs and practices of Italian nursing and medical students
Authors: Van De Mortel Thea F. , Kermode Stephen , Progano Tomaso , Sansoni Julita 
Published: July 2011

van de mortel t.f., kermode s., progano t. & sansoni j. (2012) A comparison of the hand hygiene knowledge, beliefs and practices of Italian nursing and medical students. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(3), 569–579.AbstractAim.  This paper reports a study examining the hand hygiene knowledge, beliefs and practices of Italian nursing and medical students with the aim of informing undergraduate curricula.Background.  In comparison with registered nurses, physician status is a risk factor for non‐compliance with hand hygiene guidelines. Little research has been conducted to determine if differences between the professions in relation to hand hygiene are apparent at the undergraduate level. Cross‐disciplinary studies that may provide an insight into this topic are lacking.Methods.  A questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 117 nursing and 119 medical students in a large university in Rome, Italy, to determine their hand hygiene knowledge, beliefs and practices. The data were collected in 2007–2008.Results.  Nursing students’ hand hygiene knowledge (F = 9·03(1,230); P = 0·003), percentage compliance (Z = 6·197; P < 0·001) and self‐reported hand hygiene practices (F = 34·54(1,230); P < 0·001) were significantly higher than that of medical students. There were no statistically significant differences between hand hygiene beliefs. Mean scores on the knowledge questions were low for both groups, reflecting primarily a knowledge deficit in relation to the use of alcohol‐based hand rubs to decontaminate hands in the healthcare setting.Conclusion.  Statistically significant disciplinary differences in hand hygiene knowledge and self‐reported practices were apparent among undergraduate Italian healthcare students. Further research is needed to determine the causative factors. The overall low scores on the knowledge items indicate that these students require further education on hand hygiene, particularly in relation to the use of alcohol‐based hand rubs.
Nurses' decision on seclusion: patient characteristics, contextual factors and reflexivity in teams
Authors: BOUMANS C. E. , EGGER J. I. M. , SOUREN P. M. , MANN‐POLL P. S. , HUTSCHEMAEKERS G. J. M. 
Published: July 2011

Accessible summary
Decision making by nurses on seclusion of severely disturbed and aggressive patients is a complex process; the relative importance of patient, professional and facility factors is unclear.
In a vignette study, psychiatric nurses were asked to indicate to what extent they would or would not decide to seclude an imaginary patient.
The (im)possibility to communicate with the patient, as well as factors concerning the availability and cooperation of the staff, proved to be at least as important as ‘pure’ patient characteristics as diagnosis, seclusion history and severity and target of threat.
High team reflexivity, i.e. the extent to which team members reflect upon and communicate about the team's objectives, strategies and processes, seems to have a preventive effect on seclusion.
AbstractWhile many characteristics of patients, professionals and facilities with relevance to seclusion rates have been investigated, their relative importance is unclear. Virtually no attention has been paid to team processes and reflexivity in relation to decision making on seclusion. The aim of this paper is to estimate the effects of these factors on nurse decision making on seclusion. Sixty Dutch psychiatric nurses of four closed wards reported team reflexivity and their tendency to seclude a theoretical patient. Approachability (whether there was a good or hardly any possibility to communicate with the patient), staffing level and confidence within the team had the greatest impact on the decision to seclude. Intra class correlation was 0.30. There was a large interaction effect of reflexivity with team 4, and team reflexivity was highly correlated with team tendency to avoid seclusion. In nurses' decision on seclusion, the effects of ‘pure’ patient characteristics are small as compared with the effects of interpersonal and contextual factors, and nurses vary widely in their judgement. Team reflexivity is related to the tendency to prevent seclusion.
InlB‐mediated Listeria monocytogenes internalization requires a balanced phospholipase D activity maintained through phospho‐cofilin
Authors: Han Xuelin , Yu Rentao , Ji Lei , Zhen Dongyu , Tao Sha , Li Shuai , Sun Yansong , Huang Liuyu , Feng Zhe , Li Xianping , Han Gaige , Schmidt Martina , Han Li 
Published: July 2011

SummaryInternalization of Listeria monocytogenes into non‐phagocytic cells is tightly controlled by host cell actin dynamics and cell membrane alterations. However, knowledge about the impact of phosphatidylcholine cleavage driven by host cell phospholipase D (PLD) on Listeria internalization into epithelial cells is limited. Here, we report that L. monocytogenes activates PLD in Vero cells during the internalization. With immunostaining it was shown that both PLD1 and PLD2 surrounded partially or completely the phagocytic cup of most L. monocytogenes. Either up‐ or down‐regulation of PLD expression (activity) diminished Listeria internalization. Both PLD1 and PLD2 in Vero cells were required for efficient Listeria internalization, and could substitute for each other in the regulation of Listeria internalization. Further, exogenous InlB activated host cell PLD1 and PLD2 via the Met receptor, and restored host PLD activation by InlB‐deficient L. monocytogenes. InlB‐induced PLD activation and Listeria internalization were tightly controlled by phospho‐cycling of cofilin. PLD1, but not PLD2, was involved in cofilin‐mediated PLD activation and Listeria internalization. These data indicate that cofilin‐dependent PLD activation induced by InlB may represent a novel regulation mechanism for efficient Listeria internalization into epithelial cells.
Global analysis of phase variation in Myxococcus xanthus
Authors: Furusawa Gou , Dziewanowska Katarzyna , Stone Hannah , Settles Matthew , Hartzell Patricia 
Published: July 2011

Summary Myxococcus xanthus can vary its phenotype or ‘phase’ to produce colonies that contain predominantly yellow or tan cells that differ greatly in their abilities to swarm, survive and develop. Yellow variants are proficient at swarming (++) and tend to lyse in liquid during stationary phase. In contrast, tan variants are deficient in swarming (+) and persist beyond stationary phase. The phenotypes and transcriptomes of yellow and tan variants were compared with mutants affected in phase variation. Thirty‐seven genes were upregulated specifically in yellow variants including those for production of the yellow pigment, DKxanthene. A mutant in DKxanthene synthesis produced non‐pigmented (tan) colonies but still phase varied for swarming suggesting that pigmentation is not the cause of phase variation. Disruption of a gene encoding a HTH‐Xre‐like regulator, highly expressed in yellow variants, abolished pigment production and blocked the ability of cells to switch from a swarm ++ to a swarm (+) phenotype, showing that HTH‐Xre regulates phase variation. Among the four genes whose expression was increased in tan variants was pkn14, which encodes a serine‐threonine kinase that regulates programmed cell death in Myxococcus via the MrpC–MazF toxin–antitoxin complex. High levels of phosphorylated Pkn14 may explain why tan cells enjoy enhanced survival.
Site‐specific accretion of an integrative conjugative element together with a related genomic island leads to cis mobilization and gene capture
Authors: Bellanger Xavier , Morel Catherine , Gonot Fabien , Puymege Aurore , Decaris Bernard , Guédon Gérard 
Published: July 2011

SummaryGenomic islands, flanked by attachment sites, devoid of conjugation and recombination modules and related to the integrative and conjugative element (ICE) ICESt3, were previously found in Streptococcus thermophilus. Here, we show that ICESt3 transfers to a recipient harbouring a similar engineered genomic island, CIMEL3catR3, and integrates by site‐specific recombination into its attachment sites, leading to their accretion. The resulting composite island can excise, showing that ICESt3 mobilizes CIMEL3catR3 in cis. ICESt3, CIMEL3catR3 and the whole composite element can transfer from the strain harbouring the composite structure. The ICESt3 transfer to a recipient bearing CIMEL3catR3 can also lead to retromobilization, i.e. its capture by the donor. This is the first demonstration of specific conjugative mobilization of a genomic island in cis and the first report of ICE‐mediated retromobilization. CIMEL3catR3 would be the prototype of a novel class of non‐autonomous mobile elements (CIMEs: CIs mobilizable elements), which hijack the recombination and conjugation machinery of related ICEs to excise, transfer and integrate. Few genome analyses have shown that CIMEs could be widespread and have revealed internal repeats that could result from accretions in numerous genomic islands, suggesting that accretion and cis mobilization have a key role in evolution of genomic islands.
Vector volume manometry – methods and normal values
Authors: Schizas A. M. P. , Emmanuel A. V. , Williams A. B. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractBackground  Vector volume manometry (VVM) can be used to assess patients with fecal incontinence. The VVM may be performed using a station pull through, or an automated technique. Currently no standard technique or equipment exists to assess anal canal VVM. This study aimed to assess the different techniques to produce repeatable results, and generate normal values for the vector volume profile.Methods  Anal canal VVM was performed using a water‐perfused system on 12 male and 12 nulliparous female volunteers. Manometry was performed with an automated puller withdrawn at 3 and 25 mm s−1 using a station technique. The VVM profiles were calculated using 4, 8, and 16 channels.Key Results  The greatest repeatability of vector volume profile was seen with faster puller speed (25 mm s−1) and with an 8‐channel catheter. Men had higher squeeze volumes, maximal squeeze pressure, average squeeze pressure, and squeeze high pressure zone length. Women had a significantly greater anal canal asymmetry on both station and automated pull through at rest and when squeezing. Squeeze vector volume of pressure, mean maximum squeeze pressure, and the average squeeze pressure were significantly higher when calculated using the station technique.Conclusions & Inferences  The faster puller speed has improved agreement between vector profiles, which is most marked during active contraction. The 8‐channel catheters have the greatest agreement between profiles. There is variation in values between automated manometry and the stationary pull through technique. The improved repeatability in automated VVM for healthy controls should improve its diagnostic utility in patients with incontinence.
Silicon induced resistance against powdery mildew of roses caused by Podosphaera pannosa
Authors: Shetty R. , Jensen B. , Shetty N. P. , Hansen M. , Hansen C. W. , Starkey K. R. , Jørgensen H. J. L. 
Published: July 2011

Powdery mildew, caused by Podosphaera pannosa, is a very common disease in greenhouse potted roses, resulting in poor marketing value and hence economic losses. Alternatives to chemical control are necessary, and therefore the ability of silicon (Si) applied to roots to control the disease was investigated, as well as the mechanisms behind the observed disease reductions. Four genotypes of miniature potted roses representing different genetic backgrounds and susceptibility to disease were studied. Plants were watered with a nutrient solution containing either 3·6 mm Si (100 ppm) supplied as K2SiO3 (Si+) or no Si (Si−) before inoculation with P. pannosa. Si application increased leaf Si content two‐ to four‐fold compared to control plants. Confocal microscopy showed that Si deposition was larger in Si+ than in Si− plants and that deposition mainly occurred in the apoplast, particularly in epidermal cell walls. Si application delayed the onset of disease symptoms by 1–2 days and disease severity was reduced by up to 48·9%. The largest reduction was found in the two most resistant genotypes, which also had the highest increase in Si uptake. The Si‐induced disease protection was accompanied by increased formation of papillae and fluorescent epidermal cells (FEC) as well as deposition of callose and H2O2, especially at the sites of penetration and in FEC, which are believed to represent the hypersensitive response. Si treatment reduced powdery mildew development by inducing host defence responses and can therefore be used as an effective eco‐friendly disease control measure.
Specific expression of LATERAL SUPPRESSOR is controlled by an evolutionarily conserved 3′ enhancer
Authors: Raatz Bodo , Eicker Andrea , Schmitz Gregor , Fuss Elisabeth , Müller Dörte , Rossmann Susanne , Theres Klaus 
Published: July 2011

SummaryAerial plant architecture is largely based on the activity of axillary meristems (AMs), initiated in the axils of leaves. The Arabidopsis gene LATERAL SUPPRESSOR (LAS), which is expressed in well‐defined domains at the adaxial boundary of leaf primordia, is a key regulator of AM formation. The precise definition of organ boundaries is an essential step for the formation of new organs in general and for meristem initiation; however, mechanisms leading to these specific patterns are not well understood. To increase understanding of how the highly specific transcript accumulation in organ boundary regions is established, we investigated the LAS promoter. Analysis of deletion constructs revealed that an essential enhancer necessary for complementation is situated about 3.2 kb downstream of the LAS open reading frame. This enhancer is sufficient to confer promoter specificity as upstream sequences in LAS could be replaced by non‐specific promoters, such as the 35S minimal promoter. Further promoter swapping experiments using the PISTILLATA or the full 35S promoter demonstrated that the LAS 3′ enhancer also has suppressor functions, largely overwriting the activity of different 5′ promoters. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that LAS function and regulation are evolutionarily highly conserved. Homologous elements in downstream regulatory sequences were found in all LAS orthologs, including grasses. Transcomplementation experiments demonstrated the functional conservation of non‐coding sequences between Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and Arabidopsis. In summary, our results show that a highly conserved enhancer/suppressor element is the main regulatory module conferring the boundary‐specific expression of LAS.
Advances in stroke care and research in 2010
Authors: Wang Chun‐Juan , Wang Chun‐Xue , Zhang Liqun , Wang Yi‐Long , Wang Yong‐Jun 
Published: July 2011

Summary1. There have been many advances in stroke research and care over the past year. The aim of the present review is to highlight the significant advances that are likely to have considerable impact on the direction of future investigations and models of clinical practice.2. In terms of the acute treatment of stroke, there is now Level I evidence for the use of thrombolysis in the treatment of ischaemic stroke. The results of clinical trials suggest potential new treatments for stroke of inherited origin, whereas other potential treatments have been suggested following the identification of a novel mechanism of emboli clearance by extravasation. Clinical guidelines have also been updated, with tight blood pressure control advocated in cases of acute intracerebral haemorrhage.3. In terms of stroke prevention, new information has been added to the long‐standing debate regarding the value of carotid stenosis management: the predictive value of asymptomatic carotid emboli may enable the identification of individuals at high risk of stroke. Furthermore, the identification of novel risk factors for stroke opens up new avenues for stroke prevention.4. Robot‐assisted therapy has heralded a new era in stroke rehabilitation and the ‘Get With The Guidelines’ programme has set a milestone in the quality control of stroke care.5. Undoubtedly these advances will have a marked impact on future research and clinical practice.
Presentation and clinical course of Wolfram (DIDMOAD) syndrome from North India
Authors: Ganie M. A. , Laway B. A. , Nisar S. , Wani M. M. , Khurana M. L. , Ahmad F. , Ahmed S. , Gupta P. , Ali I. , Shabir I. , Shadan A. , Ahmed A. , Tufail S. 
Published: July 2011

Diabet. Med. 28, 1337–1342 (2011)AbstractAims  Wolfram syndrome, also known as DIDMOAD, is a relatively rare inherited neurodegenerative disorder, first evident in childhood as an association of juvenile‐onset diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy, followed by diabetes insipidus and deafness. The aim of the study was to examine the clinical profile of patients with DIDMOAD syndrome presenting to a tertiary care hospital in north India.Methods  Clinical presentation of juvenile‐onset diabetes mellitus fulfilling the diagnosis of Wolfram syndrome was studied using a prepared standardized form.Results  Subjects with juvenile‐onset non‐autoimmune diabetes mellitus attending the diabetic clinic at a tertiary care centre in north India were followed for 10 years and a diagnosis of fully developed Wolfram syndrome was confirmed in seven individuals. The series consisted of five male and two female patients with a mean age of 17.5 ± 7.34 years. Two subjects had consanguinity and none had any other family member affected. Optic atrophy was present in all, sensorineural hearing loss in 4/7, central diabetes insipidus in 4/7 and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in 2/7 subjects. The new associations found were: spastic myoclonus, short stature with pancreatic malabsorption, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, cyanotic heart disease and choledocholithiasis with cholangitis. Genetic analysis revealed mutation in exon 8 of the WFS1 gene in all the cases studied.Conclusions  The present clinical series of Wolfram syndrome reveals a varied clinical presentation of the syndrome and some new associations.