bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of cerebellar ataxias: A three‐year prospective longitudinal assessment
Authors: Lee Yi‐chung , Liao Yi‐chu , Wang Po‐shan , Lee I‐Hui , Lin Kon‐ping , Soong Bing‐wen 
Published: May 2011

AbstractWe quantitatively investigated the clinical severity and progression of diseases with ataxia, as measured with the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, and examined the potential application of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia for future therapeutic trials. Severity of ataxia was assessed in 238 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, spinocerebellar ataxia type 17, multiple system atrophy‐cerebellar variant, or Gerstman‐Sträussler‐Scheinker disease. Among them, 119 (50%) were longitudinally examined three to seven times, in a period of 8 to 38 months, resulting in a total set of 535 assessments. The differences between spinocerebellar ataxia and multiple system atrophy‐cerebellar variant were ascertained cross‐sectionally and longitudinally. Gerstman‐Sträussler‐Scheinker disease had the fastest progression, followed by multiple system atrophy‐cerebellar variant, spinocerebellar ataxia type 17, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, and spinocerebellar ataxia type 6. Patients with multiple system atrophy‐cerebellar variant had a faster progression in gait, sitting, speech, and total score than patients with spinocerebellar ataxias. For a randomized, case‐control trial, a sample size of 47 for spinocerebellar ataxia and 85 for multiple system atrophy‐cerebellar variant in the treatment or placebo arms would have a sufficient statistical power to demonstrate the efficacy of a new therapy that would retard ataxia progression by 1 point per year as measured by the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia. The results will have a significant impact on the planning and implementation of future therapeutic trials of spinocerebellar ataxia and multiple system atrophy‐cerebellar variant. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Prenatal pharmacotherapy for fetal anomalies: a 2011 update
Authors: Hui Lisa , Bianchi Diana W. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractFetal therapy can be defined as any prenatal treatment administered to the mother with the primary indication to improve perinatal or long‐term outcomes for the fetus or newborn. This review provides an update of the pharmacological therapies that are solely directed at the fetus with anomalies and outlines a future transcriptomic approach. Fetal anomalies targeted with prenatal pharmacotherapy are a heterogeneous group of structural, endocrine, and metabolic conditions, including congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM), congenital adrenal hyperplasia, congenital heart block, fetal tachyarrhythmias, inborn errors of metabolism, fetal thyroid disorders, and polyhydramnios. To date, the majority of pharmacotherapies for fetal anomalies have been evaluated only in retrospective, uncontrolled studies. The way forward will be with an evidence‐based approach to prenatal pharmacological interventions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proteomics in the liver of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) to elucidate the cellular response induced by the intake of maslinic acid
Authors: Rufino‐Palomares Eva , Reyes‐Zurita Fernando J. , Fuentes‐Almagro Carlos A. , de la Higuera Manuel , Lupiáñez José A. , Peragón Juan 
Published: June 2011

AbstractMaslinic acid (MA) is a pentacyclic triterpene used as a feed additive to stimulate growth, protein‐turnover rates, and hyperplasia in fish. To further our understanding of cellular mechanisms underlying the action of MA, we have used 2‐DE coupled with MS to identify proteins differentially expressed in the livers of juvenile gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) grown under fish‐farm conditions and fed with a 100 mg/kg MA‐enriched diet (MA100). After the comparison of the protein profiles from MA100 fed fish and from control, 49 protein spots were found to be altered in abundance (≥2‐fold). Analysis by MALDI‐TOF/TOF allowed the unambiguous identification of 29 spots, corresponding to 19 different proteins. These proteins were: phosphoglucomutase, phosphoglucose isomerase, S‐adenosyl methionine‐dependent methyltransferase class I, aldehyde dehydrogenase, catalase, 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase, 4‐hydroxyphenylpyruvic dioxygenase, methylmalonate‐semialdehyde dehydrogenase, lysozyme, urate oxidase, elongation factor 2, 60 kDa heat‐shock protein, 58 kDa glucose‐regulated protein, cytokeratin E7, type‐II keratin, intermediate filament proteins, 17‐β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 4, and kinase suppressor of Ras1. Western blot analysis of kinase suppressor of Ras1, glucose 6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, elongation factor 2, 60 kDa heat‐shock protein, and catalase supported the proteome evidence. Based on the changes found in the protein‐expression levels of these proteins, we proposed a cellular‐signalling pathway to explain the hepatic‐cell response to the intake of a diet containing MA.
A proteomic view of mycobacteria
Authors: de Souza Gustavo A. , Wiker Harald G. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractTuberculosis, the disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains a relevant public health issue. This is due mostly to the coepidemiology with HIV/AIDS, the appearance of multidrug‐resistant strains globally, and failure of BCG (bacillus Calmette–Guerin) vaccination to confer complete protection. This bacterium was one of the first to have its genome sequenced, yet over a decade after the release of the genomic information, the characterization of its phylogenetic tree and of different strain variants inside this species revealed that much is still needed to be done for a full understanding of the M. tuberculosis genome and proteome. Current methods using LC‐MS/MS and hybrid high‐resolution mass spectrometers can identify 2400–2800 proteins of the 4000 predicted genes in M. tuberculosis. In this article, we review relevant details of this bacterium's pathology and immunology, describing articles where proteomics helped the community to tackle some of the organism biology, from understanding strain diversity, cellular structure composition, immunogenicity, and host–pathogen interactions. Finally, we will discuss the challenges yet to be fulfilled in order to better characterize M. tuberculosis by proteomics.
Proteomic signatures in antibiotic research
Authors: Wenzel Michaela , Bandow Julia E. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractAntibiotics disturb the physiological homeostasis of bacterial cells by interfering with essential cellular functions or structures. The bacterial proteome adjusts quickly in response to antibiotic challenge. This physiological response is specifically tailored to overcome the inflicted damage and, thus, closely linked to the antibiotic target and mechanism of action. In a way, the proteome mirrors the antibiotic insult. This connection can be exploited to guide the development of novel antibiotics. By using structurally different antibiotics, which cause the same physiological disturbance, proteomic signatures diagnostic of the mechanism of action can be defined. These proteomic signatures inform about mechanism‐related differential protein expression as well as about protein modifications. This review recapitulates how antibiotic proteomic signatures are established and highlights areas of antibiotic research benefiting most from proteomic signatures. Antibacterial research programs designed to structurally advance existing antibiotic classes profit from rapid in vivo mechanism of action confirmation. What is more, a comprehensive reference compendium of antibiotic proteomic signatures allows rapid mechanism of action identification of those structurally novel compounds that inhibit known targets. Finally, novel proteomic response profiles indicate unprecedented mechanisms. Here, the proteome profile provides evidence on the nature of the antibiotic‐caused physiological disturbance leading to testable hypotheses on the mechanism of action.
Can X‐ray spectrum imaging replace backscattered electrons for compositional contrast in the scanning electron microscope?
Authors: Newbury Dale E. , Ritchie Nicholas W. M. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe high throughput of the silicon drift detector energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometer (SDD‐EDS) enables X‐ray spectrum imaging (XSI) in the scanning electron microscope to be performed in frame times of 10–100 s, the typical time needed to record a high‐quality backscattered electron (BSE) image. These short‐duration XSIs can reveal all elements, except H, He, and Li, present as major constituents, defined as 0.1 mass fraction (10 wt%) or higher, as well as minor constituents in the range 0.01–0.1 mass fraction, depending on the particular composition and possible interferences. Although BSEs have a greater abundance by a factor of 100 compared with characteristic X‐rays, the strong compositional contrast in element‐specific X‐ray maps enables XSI mapping to compete with BSE imaging to reveal compositional features. Differences in the fraction of the interaction volume sampled by the BSE and X‐ray signals lead to more delocalization of the X‐ray signal at abrupt compositional boundaries, resulting in poorer spatial resolution. Improved resolution in X‐ray elemental maps occurs for the case of a small feature composed of intermediate to high atomic number elements embedded in a matrix of lower atomic number elements. XSI imaging strongly complements BSE imaging, and the SDD‐EDS technology enables an efficient combined BSE‐XSI measurement strategy that maximizes the compositional information. If 10 s or more are available for the measurement of an area of interest, the analyst should always record the combined BSE‐XSI information to gain the advantages of both measures of compositional contrast. SCANNING 33: 174–192, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Endothelin expression in salivary gland
Authors: Mori Masahiko , Namba Miyako , Muramatsu Yasunori , Sumitomo Shinichiro , Takai Yoshiaki , Shikimori Michio 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThe present paper reviews the roles of endothelin (ET) in the rat submandibular gland (SMG). ET and its mRNA are expressed in the granular convoluted tubule (GCT) segment by immunostaining and in situ hybridization, respectively. ET is synthesized in granular cells of the GCT segment, stored in secretory granules, and secreted into the oral cavity. It is well known that granular cells in the GCT segment of the SMG in mice and rats express many kinds of growth factor such as epidermal growth factor and nerve growth factor. These growth factors are discharged into saliva and thought to regulate oral‐esophageal and gastrointestinal mucosa. ET acts as a potent vasoconstrictor with mitogenic property and is excreted from Weibel‐Palade bodies in vascular endothelial cells. ET in the salivary origin may regulate its own functions as noted in the endothelial origin. This review deals with comparative discussion of ET and other growth factors, which originate from GCT segments in rodents.
Revocation of Citizenship in the United States
Authors: Herzog Ben 
Published: June 2011

AbstractRogers Brubaker in his 1992 path-breaking study proposes a theory of citizenship as a coherent world view: the French liberal model identifies citizenship as a community based on territoriality; the German ethno-nationalist model bases citizenship on blood-line. Rogers Smith challenged Brubaker and, based on a 1997 study of United States immigration laws, claims that the American concept of citizenship is a non-coherent mix of various principles: liberal, ethno-nationalist and republican at the same time. Both authors inspired a great deal of research, but all studies so far have attempted to adjudicate between the two competing theories by looking at inclusionary practices, at the various ways citizenship is granted in various countries, and their results are inconclusive. This paper reports findings for a study which looked at exclusion. The data on United States laws and legislative debates about the states’ rights to revoke, and citizens’ privilege to renounce, citizenship lends support to Rogers Smith’s arguments regarding inclusion and citizenship, while underlining war as an independent sociological source for the genesis, persistence and dispersion of these bundles or equilibria.
Keto analogue and amino acid supplementation affects the ammonaemia response during exercise under ketogenic conditions
Authors: Prado Eduardo Seixas , de Rezende Neto José Melquiades , de Almeida Rosemeire Dantas , Dória de Melo Marcelia Garcez , Cameron Luiz-Claudio 
Published: June 2011

Hyperammonaemia is related to both central and peripheral fatigue during exercise. Hyperammonaemia in response to exercise can be reduced through supplementation with either amino acids or combined keto analogues and amino acids (KAAA). In the present study, we determined the effect of short-term KAAA supplementation on ammonia production in subjects eating a low-carbohydrate diet who exercise. A total of thirteen male cyclists eating a ketogenic diet for 3 d were divided into two groups receiving either KAAA (KEx) or lactose (control group; LEx) supplements. Athletes cycled indoors for 2 h, and blood samples were obtained at rest, during exercise and over the course of 1 h during the recovery period. Exercise-induced ammonaemia increased to a maximum of 35 % in the control group, but no significant increase was observed in the supplemented group. Both groups had a significant increase (approximately 35 %) in uraemia in response to exercise. The resting urate levels of the two groups were equivalent and remained statistically unchanged in the KEx group after 90 min of exercise; an earlier increase was observed in the LEx group. Glucose levels did not change, either during the trial time or between the groups. An increase in lactate levels was observed during the first 30 min of exercise in both groups, but there was no difference between the groups. The present results suggest that the acute use of KAAA diminishes exercise-induced hyperammonaemia.
Dietary fructo-oligosaccharides improve insulin sensitivity along with the suppression of adipocytokine secretion from mesenteric fat cells in rats
Authors: Shinoki Aki , Hara Hiroshi 
Published: June 2011

Short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are known to have beneficial effects on health. However, the effects of FOS on insulin resistance have not been fully clarified. We observed the effects of FOS feeding on insulin sensitivity and adipocytokine release from abdominal adipocytes in weaning rats. Male Sprague–Dawley rats, 3 weeks old, were divided into three groups and fed a sucrose-based American Institute of Nutrition (AIN)-93 growth diet (control), the control diet containing 5 % FOS for 5 weeks (FOS-5wk) or the control diet for 2 weeks followed by the 5 % FOS diet for 3 weeks (FOS-3wk). Tail blood was collected after fasting for 9 h on day 33 of feeding, and glucose and insulin levels were measured. On the last day, rats were anaesthetised and killed after the collection of aortic blood. Small- and large-intestinal mesenteric fat tissues were immediately excised, and the release of adiponectin, leptin and TNF-α was evaluated from the subsequently isolated adipocytes. The weight of the large-intestinal mesenteric fat, fasting blood insulin level and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance decreased in a time-dependent manner, and were much lower in the FOS-5wk group than in the control group. These values were correlated with aortic blood leptin levels. The secretion rate of leptin from the isolated mesenteric adipocytes in the small intestine, but not in the large intestine, was lower in the FOS-fed groups than in the control group. In conclusion, FOS feeding improved insulin sensitivity accompanied by the reduction in large-intestinal fat mass and leptin secretion from the mesenteric adipocytes of the small intestine.
Starch granule size distribution in wheat grain in relation to phosphorus fertilization
Authors: NI Y. , WANG Z. , YIN Y. , LI W. , YAN S. , CAI T. 
Published: June 2011

SUMMARYStarch granule size distribution of wheat is an important characteristic that can affect its chemical composition and functionality. Phosphorus (P) fertilization has been studied extensively; however, little is known about its impact on starch granule size distribution in wheat. In the present study, two high-yield winter wheat cultivars were grown under different P fertilization conditions to evaluate its effect on starch granule size distribution and starch components in wheat grains at maturity. P fertilization resulted in a significant increase in the proportions (both by volume and by surface area) of B-type (<9·9 μm equivalent diameter (e.d.)) starch granules, with a reduction in those of A-type (>9·9 μm e.d.) starch granules. The P fertilization also increased starch content, amylose content and amylopectin content at maturity. However, P fertilization conditions significantly reduced the ratio of amylose to amylopectin, which showed a significant positive relationship with the volume proportion of granules 22·8–42·8 μm e.d. but was negatively related to the volume proportion of granules 2·8–9·9 μm e.d.
COMBINE - a vision
Authors: Le Novere Nicolas 
Published: June 2011

AbstractA decade ago, the creation of the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) changed the way people exchanged, verified and re-used models in systems biology. The robustness and versatility of this format, coupled to a wide software support, fostered the emergence of an entire area of research centered on model processing such as encoding, annotation, merging, comparison and integration with other datasets. Recently, new languages appeared that complement the model description, such as SED-ML to describe the simulation experiments or SBRML to encode the numerical results. In neuroscience, other fledgling efforts cover for instance multi-compartment neurons with NeuroML, and neuronal networks with NineML. More are needed to cover the wide spectrum of computational models used in neuroscience. The developers of those initiatives are in contact, and try to improve the interoperability of the languages, for instance by sharing metadata. Similar development guidelines, governance principles and quality checks are needed, in order to provide the community with a serious infrastructure. One can hope to see, in a not too elusive future, the creation of a coherent set of non-overlapping standards that will support not only the various modeling approaches and scales needed to simulate human functions and dysfunctions, but also cover model structure, parametrization, simulation and numerical output. Such a toolkit will allow the bridging of genomics, computational neuroscience and drug discovery.
Canadian‐Origin Chinook Salmon Rearing in Nonnatal U.S. Tributary Streams of the Yukon River, Alaska
Authors: Daum David W. , Flannery Blair G. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractYukon River Chinook salmonOncorhynchus tshawytschaare described as having a “stream‐type” life history strategy. After emergence from river gravel, juveniles typically feed and grow in tributary streams of the Yukon River throughout their first summer, overwinter in freshwater, and usually leave their rearing areas for marine waters during the second spring or summer. Nonnatal rearing has been described in the upper Canadian portion of the drainage, but information is lacking for downstream U.S. waters. In 2006–2007, a study was conducted to document nonnatal rearing and the genetic origin of Chinook salmon in U.S. tributary streams of the Yukon River. Eight nonspawning streams were selected for study, seven located in a 260‐km segment between the U.S.–Canada border and Circle, Alaska, and one located 742 km downstream from the border. Age‐0 juveniles were captured in all eight streams. Genetic stock composition analyses using 13 standardized microsatellite loci assigned the fish to Canadian source populations. The Carmacks region (over 460 km upstream from the border) contributed 91% to the mixtures in 2006 and 82% in 2007. Canadian stocks nearest the border and from large river systems were underrepresented in the collections. Simulation and known‐origin mixture analyses demonstrated that stock composition and individual assignment estimates derived from the genetic baseline were accurate and precise. Some juveniles may have traveled over 1,200 km to reach rearing areas in U.S. waters. Future studies would help define the importance of this life history strategy to the overall health and productivity of Yukon River Chinook salmon.
Predation and Food Limitation Influence Fitness Traits of Growth‐Enhanced Transgenic and Wild‐Type Fish
Authors: Pennington Kelly M. , Kapuscinski Anne R. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractGenetically engineered fish are nearing commercialization for aquaculture. If transgenic fish escape from farms, they could encounter and interbreed with natural populations. Relative advantages of transgenic fish for fitness‐related traits could drive population processes like gene flow, but fitness trait estimates will best inform risk assessments if measured under environmental conditions that are relevant to natural environments. Wild‐type and growth‐enhanced transgenic Japanese medakas Oryzias latipes of different genetic backgrounds were compared for the following fitness traits: fecundity, fertility, survival to sexual maturity, age at sexual maturity, and mating advantage. Because food availability and predation have been shown to alter the life histories of growth‐enhanced transgenic fish, we measured traits under four different environments: (1) high food availability and no predation, (2) high food availability with simulated predation, (3) low food availability and no predation, and (4) low food availability with simulated predation. We found that regardless of environment, there was no clear fitness trend by genotype: transgenic females were more fecund than wild‐type females, wild‐type males obtained more matings than transgenic males, and offspring of transgenic × wild‐type crosses had higher survival to sexual maturity than offspring of two wild‐type parents, possibly due to heterosis. Regardless of genotype, females produced more eggs in environments with high food availability and matured fastest under conditions of high food availability and no predation. Our results imply that population‐level processes like gene flow will be difficult to predict from measurements of one or two fitness traits taken on fish in a single environment. Therefore, gene flow risk assessments should be based on estimates of fitness traits that span the entire life cycle, incorporate relevant environmental variation, and compare the transgenic fish strain with a wild‐type strain of relevant genetic background.