bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
mRNA profiles of piRNA pathway genes in emerald ash borerAgrilus planipennis
Authors: Mittapalli Omprakash , Mamidala Praveen , Rajarapu Swapna Priya 
Published: May 2012

Abstract Recent advances of Piwi‐interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have enabled a better understanding of their putative roles in the protection of germ cells against selfish genetic elements. The germ plasm proteins namely, PIWI and VASA, are key players in regulation of piRNAs. However, the biogenesis of piRNAs remains poorly understood. We report the characterization and the transcript profiles of a PIWI and VASA gene in various tissues and developmental stages of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an exotic invasive insect pest that has attained a high impact status worldwide. The deduced amino acid sequences of both these genes (herein referred to “ApPIWI andApVASA”) revealed homology with similar proteins from other insect and non‐insect taxa. Peak transcript levels forApPIWI andApVASA were observed in the ovaries (compared to the other tissues assayed) and in adults (compared to the other developmental stages assayed). To our knowledge this is the first report of profiling piRNA pathway genes inA. planipennis. These results provide new insights into the putative function of the PIWI and VASA proteins in insects.
Acute and Long‐Term Hemodynamic Effects of Sesame Oil Consumption in Hypertensive Men
Authors: Karatzi Kalliopi , Stamatelopoulos Kimon , Lykka Marita , Mantzouratou Pigi , Skalidi Sofia , Manios Efstathios , Georgiopoulos George , Zakopoulos Nikolaos , Papamichael Christos , Sidossis Labros S. 
Published: May 2012

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012; 14:630–636. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The possible effects of sesame oil on hemodynamics are unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate the acute and long‐term effects of sesame oil on hemodynamic responses in hypertensive men. The authors enrolled 30 hypertensive men in a two‐phase study. In the first phase, patients consumed 35 g of either sesame oil or control oil. Central and peripheral blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index (AI), C‐reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor α, malonydealdehyde, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed at fast and 2 hours postprandially. In the second phase, patients consumed 35 g of either sesame oil or control oil daily for 2 months. The above‐mentioned parameters were assessed before and following 15, 30, and 60 days of oil consumption. Sesame oil decreased central and peripheral diastolic pressures 1 hour postprandially (P=.006). Fifteen days of sesame oil intake decreased peripheral systolic blood pressure (P=.016) and heart rate–corrected AI75 (P=.017) and increased TAC (P=.007). This is the first study to demonstrate a favorable acute and long‐term effect of sesame oil on hemodynamics in hypertensive men. Further research is warranted to establish the potential protective role of sesame oil.
Quality of life in children and adolescents with respiratory allergy, assessed with a generic and disease‐specific instrument
Authors: Kiotseridis Hampus , Cilio Corrado M. , Bjermer Leif , Aurivillius Magnus , Jacobsson Helene , Dahl Åslög , Tunsäter Alf 
Published: May 2012

AbstractIntroduction:  Respiratory allergic disorders like rhinitis and asthma are common conditions that not only affect target organs, but complicate the daily life of affected children and adolescents.Objectives:  The aim of this study was to investigate the QoL (quality of life) in children with grass pollen allergy in and out of grass pollen season.Methods:  We used the Pediatric Allergic Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PADQLQ), a disease‐specific questionnaire including both asthma and rhinitis symptoms. We also used the DISABKIDS (a European project which aims at enhancing the quality of life and the independence of children with chronic health conditions and their families) questionnaire, a generic questionnaire covering non‐organ‐specific effects of disease.Results:  Ninety‐eight children 7–18 years old with grass pollen allergy were included. Eighty‐nine children (91%) completed the study. The QoL was significantly decreased during pollen season assessed both with DISABKIDS and PADQLQ. The correlation between the questionnaires was 0.73. Not only the physical domain score (P = 0.00093) but also the emotional domain score (P = 0.034) was significantly lowered. Children with multiple manifestations (asthma and rhinitis) had lower QoL than children with rhinitis alone (P = 0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed a highly significant impact on QoL for symptoms from nose, eyes and lungs. They were equally important (standardized coefficient 047, 0.47 and 0.46, respectively).Conclusion:  The QoL in children and adolescents with respiratory allergy deteriorates during pollen season. This was shown both with generic (DISABKIDS) and disease‐specific instrument (PADQLQ).Please cite this paper as: Kiotseridis H, Cilio CM, Bjermer L, Aurivillius M, Jacobsson H, Dahl Å and Tunsäter A. Quality of life in children and adolescents with respiratory allergy, assessed with a generic and disease‐specific instrument. Clin Respir J 2013; 7: 168–175.
‘Scorn Eunuch Sports’: Class, Gender and the Context of Early Cricket
Authors: BRUNSTRÖM CONRAD , CASSIDY TANYA M. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThe under‐theorised eighteenth‐century game of cricket represents a far more fluid and paradoxical site of enquiry than the exhaustively politicised discussions of the nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century versions of the sport. Eighteenth‐century cricket represents a way of describing the performance of gender within a context of patriotic self‐imagining. Poems and paintings describing cricketers of both sexes illustrate how ideas of masculinity and femininity can be celebrated and challenged at the same time. The extent to which cricket (as it is steadily organised and coded) functions as a ‘heroic’ pastime says much about the centrality of sport in general within the national consciousness.
Gentiopicroside Attenuates Morphine Rewarding Effect through Downregulation of GluN2B Receptors in Nucleus Accumbens
Authors: Liu Shui‐Bing , Ma Lan , Guo Hong‐Ju , Feng Bin , Guo Yan‐Yan , Li Xiao‐Qiang , Sun Wen‐Ji , Zheng Lian‐He , Zhao Ming‐Gao 
Published: May 2012

SUMMARY Aims: Gentiopicroside (Gent) is one of the secoiridoid compound isolated from Gentiana lutea. This compound exhibits analgesic activities and inhibits the expression of GluN2B‐containing N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex in mice. Nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a forebrain structure known for its role in drug addiction. However, little is known about the role of Gent on morphine dependence and synaptic transmission changes in the NAc. Methods: Conditioned place preference (CPP) test and behavioral sensitization of locomotor activity were used to investigate drug‐seeking related behaviors. Brain slices containing NAc were prepared, and whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings were performed to record the excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs). Expression of proteins was detected by Western blot analysis. Results: Systemic administration of Gent attenuated the CPP effect induced by morphine, but had no effect on morphine‐induced behavioral sensitization. Gent significantly reversed overexpression of GluN2B‐containing NMDA receptors and dopamine D2 receptors in NAc during the first week of morphine withdrawal. However, the compound did not affect the overexpression of GluN2A‐containing NMDA receptors, GluA1, and dopamine D1 receptors. Lastly, Gent significantly reduced NMDA receptors‐mediated EPSCs in the NAc. Conclusion: Our study provides strong evidence that Gent inhibits morphine dependence through downregulation of GluN2B‐containing NMDA receptors in the NAc.
INTERPRETING TRANSITION FROM ADOLESCENCE TO ADULTHOOD IN PATIENTS ON DIALYSIS WHO HAVE END‐STAGE RENAL DISEASE
Authors: Cura Jonathan 
Published: May 2012

SUMMARYBackground: Patients with End‐Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) undergo renal replacement therapies such as haemodialysis, and usually have to deal with a lifetime of treatment. If an individual has ESRD at a young age, eventually the individual experiences a stage of transition from adolescence to adulthood.Methods: Interpretive phenomenology was used to uncover the meaning of transition from adolescence to adulthood. Six patients on haemodialysis between the ages of 17 to 22 years agreed to participate in the study. Multiple sources of data were utilised: semi‐structured interviews, video recordings, diaries and field notes. Using Ricoeur's theory of interpretation, the data were analysed.Results: Three general themes were found: Living a Shorter Life; Dependence and Independence; and Struggle of Being Normal Amidst Difference.Conclusion: Transition to Adulthood among patients with ESRD is like a pendulum continuously moving in a back and forth motion. The “World‐in‐Between” is a constant search of self within two ends of characteristics: of holding on and giving up; expression and non‐expression of self.
Role of GbpA protein, an important virulence‐related colonization factor, for Vibrio cholerae's survival in the aquatic environment
Authors: Stauder Monica , Huq Anwar , Pezzati Elisabetta , Grim Christopher J. , Ramoino Paola , Pane Luigi , Colwell Rita R. , Pruzzo Carla , Vezzulli Luigi 
Published: May 2012

SummaryVibrio cholerae N‐acetyl glucosamine‐binding protein A (GbpA) is a chitin binding protein and a virulence factor involved in the colonization of human intestine. We investigated the distribution and genetic variations of gbpA in 488 V. cholerae strains of environmental and clinical origin, belonging to different serogroups and biotypes. We found that the gene is consistently present and highly conserved including an environmental V. cholerae‐related strain of ancestral origin. The gene was also consistently expressed in a number of representative V. cholerae strains cultured in laboratory aquatic microcosms under conditions simulating those found in temperate marine environments. Functional analysis carried out on V. cholerae O1 El Tor N16961 showed that GbpA is not involved in adhesion to inorganic surfaces but promotes interaction with environmental biotic substrates (plankton and bivalve hepatopancreas cells) representing known marine reservoir or host for the bacterium. It is suggested that the ability of GbpA to colonize human intestinal cells most probably originated from its primary function in the aquatic environment.
Pin Disassembly of the Coonrad-Morrey Total Elbow Replacement: Failure Mechanism and Risk Factors
Authors: Kumar Shyam , Rymaruk Sophy , Stanley David 
Published: May 2012

Background Disassembly of the Coonrad-Morrey total elbow replacement with the pin in pin locking mechanism has previously been reported. We present the largest series documented to date with failure of this mechanism. Methods A retrospective review of patients treated at the shoulder and elbow unit of the Northern General Hospital Sheffield UK. Results There were five men and one woman with a mean age at pin failure of 56 years (range 39 years to 79 years). One patient had failure of bilateral replacements and two patients had failure on two separate occasions. Three patients had undergone surgery for distal humeral fractures, two for non-inflammatory arthritis and one for rheumatoid arthritis. All patients required revision surgery. A mechanism of pin failure is proposed and the risk factors are identified. Conclusion Despite the redesign of the locking mechanism of the Coonrad-Morrey total elbow arthroplasty, there remains a risk of pin failure. This would appear to be greatest in younger male patients undergoing a total elbow replacement for a distal humeral fracture or post-traumatic arthritis.
Field test of an affordable, portable, wireless microphone array for spatial monitoring of animal ecology and behaviour
Authors: Mennill Daniel J. , Battiston Matthew , Wilson David R. , Foote Jennifer R. , Doucet Stéphanie M. 
Published: May 2012

Summary1. Using arrays of microphones, biologists can monitor the position of free‐living animals based on the sounds they produce. Microphone array technology exploits differences in sound arrival times at each microphone to calculate an animal’s position. This technology provides new opportunities for studying animal ecology and behaviour and has many advantages over tracking technologies that require capturing animals and fitting them with external devices, or technologies that focus on one individual in isolation of the activities of nearby animals.2. The efficacy of microphone arrays for triangulating the position of wild animals has been established through previous studies. Yet widespread use of microphone array technology has been limited by many factors: arrays are expensive, custom manufactured, and cumbersome. Consequently, microphone arrays are used infrequently, in spite of their transformative potential for studying animal ecology and behaviour.3. We conducted a field test of a new wireless microphone array system that has multiple advantages over previous systems: it is relatively inexpensive, commercially available, includes an integrated global positioning system (GPS) for time‐synchronizing microphones, and it is small enough to fit in a backpack. We set up an array of four stereo recorders (each with a pair of stereo microphones) at 12 sites and tested the system’s accuracy for estimating the location of loudspeakers broadcasting 25 types of bird, mammal and frog sounds.4. We found that this system produced accurate location estimates based on multi‐channel recordings of many types of acoustic signals. The average location accuracy was 1·87 ± 0·13 m, on par with cable‐based microphone array systems. Location accuracy was significantly higher when the recorders were closer together and when sounds were broadcast inside the area bounded by the microphones. Accuracy tended to be higher in field vs. forest habitats.5. We discuss how this system may be used to enhance studies of animal ecology and behaviour across a wide range of contexts. As with previous arrays, this system will allow researchers to monitor animals that produce distinctive acoustic signals. In contrast to previous microphone arrays, this system is affordable, portable and commercially available. Consequently, this system stands to dramatically enhance research on wild, free‐living animals.
Cultivation of RPMI 2650 cells as an in-vitro model for human transmucosal nasal drug absorption studies: optimization of selected culture conditions
Authors: Reichl Stephan , Becker Karin 
Published: May 2012

Abstract

Objectives
The kinetics of drug absorption for nasally administered drugs are often studied using excised mucosal tissue. To avoid the disadvantages of animal experiments, cellular in-vitro models have been established. This study describes the optimization of culture conditions for a model based on the RPMI 2650 cell line, and an evaluation of this model's value for drug absorption studies.

Methods
The cells were cultured in two serum-free media, serum-reduced variants or minimum essential medium (MEM) containing 5–20% serum. Cell seeding efficiency and proliferation behavior were evaluated in addition to viability and attachment following cryopreservation and thawing. Cells were cultured on different filter inserts for varying cultivation times. The epithelial barrier properties were determined by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). Permeability was assessed using marker substances.

Key findings
Serum supplementation of medium was necessary for cultivation, whereas the serum concentration showed little impact on proliferation and attachment following cryopreservation. A pronounced dependence of TEER on medium and filter material was observed. An optimized model cultured with MEM containing 10% serum on polyethylene terephthalate exhibited permeability that was similar to excised nasal mucosa.

Conclusions
These data indicate that this model could be an appropriate alternative to excised mucosa for the in-vitro evaluation of nasal drug absorption.
A statistically defined anthropomorphic software breast phantom
Authors: Lau Beverly A. , Reiser Ingrid , Nishikawa Robert M. , Bakic Predrag R. 
Published: May 2012

Purpose:Digital anthropomorphic breast phantoms have emerged in the past decade because of recent advances in 3D breast x‐ray imaging techniques. Computer phantoms in the literature have incorporated power‐law noise to represent glandular tissue and branching structures to represent linear components such as ducts. When power‐law noise is added to those phantoms in one piece, the simulated fibroglandular tissue is distributed randomly throughout the breast, resulting in dense tissue placement that may not be observed in a real breast. The authors describe a method for enhancing an existing digital anthropomorphic breast phantom by adding binarized power‐law noise to a limited area of the breast.Methods:Phantoms with (0.5 mm)3 voxel size were generated using software developed by Bakic et al. Between 0% and 40% of adipose compartments in each phantom were replaced with binarized power‐law noise (β = 3.0) ranging from 0.1 to 0.6 volumetric glandular fraction. The phantoms were compressed to 7.5 cm thickness, then blurred using a 3 × 3 boxcar kernel and up‐sampled to (0.1 mm)3 voxel size using trilinear interpolation. Following interpolation, the phantoms were adjusted for volumetric glandular fraction using global thresholding. Monoenergetic phantom projections were created, including quantum noise and simulated detector blur. Texture was quantified in the simulated projections using power‐spectrum analysis to estimate the power‐law exponent β from 25.6 × 25.6 mm2 regions of interest.Results:Phantoms were generated with total volumetric glandular fraction ranging from 3% to 24%. Values for β (averaged per projection view) were found to be between 2.67 and 3.73. Thus, the range of textures of the simulated breasts covers the textures observed in clinical images.Conclusions:Using these new techniques, digital anthropomorphic breast phantoms can be generated with a variety of glandular fractions and patterns. β values for this new phantom are comparable with published values for breast tissue in x‐ray projection modalities. The combination of conspicuous linear structures and binarized power‐law noise added to a limited area of the phantom qualitatively improves its realism.
Lack of Interference with Immunogenicity of a Chimeric Alphavirus Replicon Particle-Based Influenza Vaccine by Preexisting Antivector Immunity
Authors: Uematsu Yasushi , Vajdy Michael , Lian Ying , Perri Silvia , Greer Catherine E. , Legg Harold S. , Galli Grazia , Saletti Giulietta , Otten Gillis R. , Rappuoli Rino , Barnett Susan W. , Polo John M. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTAntivector immunity has been recognized as a potential caveat of using virus-based vaccines. In the present study, an alphavirus-based replicon particle vaccine platform, which has demonstrated robust immunogenicity in animal models, was tested for effects of antivector immunity on immunogenicity against hemagglutinin of influenza virus as a target antigen and efficacy for protection against lethal challenge with the virus. Chimeric alphavirus-based replicon particles, comprising Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus nonstructural and Sindbis virus structural components, induced efficient protective antibody responses, which were not adversely influenced after multiple immunizations with the same vector expressing various antigens.
Rectal Screening for Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemases: Comparison of Real-Time PCR and Culture Using Two Selective Screening Agar Plates
Authors: Singh Kamaljit , Mangold Kathy A. , Wyant Kody , Schora Donna M. , Voss Barbara , Kaul Karen L. , Hayden Mary K. , Chundi Vishnu , Peterson Lance R. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemases (KPCs) have recently been described in Chicago, IL, especially among residents of long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). These patients are frequently transferred to local Chicago hospitals for higher acuity of medical care, and rapid detection and isolation of KPC-colonized LTACH residents may interrupt the introduction of KPCs into acute care hospitals. We evaluated the performance of a real-time PCR for
bla
KPC
from enrichment broth versus direct plating of rectal surveillance swabs on two selective culture media, CHROMagar extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) and vancomycin, amphotericin B, ceftazidime, and clindamycin (VACC) plates. Rectal surveillance swabs were collected as part of a point prevalence study of KPC carriage rates among 95 residents of two Chicago area LTACHs. Discrepant results between PCR and culture were resolved by subculturing the enrichment broth. Overall, 66 of 95 patients (69.5%) were colonized with KPCs, using the cumulative results of culture as a reference standard. Real-time PCR from enrichment broth was positive in 64 of 66 (97%) colonized patients, including nine surveillance swabs that were missed by both selective culture media. PCR demonstrated higher sensitivity, 97.0%, than culture using either CHROMagar or VACC plates (both with sensitivity of 77.3%). In addition, turnaround time was significantly shorter for the PCR-based method than for culture, with a mean of 24 h versus 64 to 72 h for CHROMagar and VACC plates (
P
< 0.0001). Overall, PCR for
bla
KPC
represents the best screening test for KPCs with significantly higher sensitivity and with less hands-on time, resulting in a shorter time to results.
Invasive Apophysomyces variabilis Infection in a Burn Patient
Authors: dela Cruz Wilfred P. , Calvano Tatjana P. , Griffith Matthew E. , White Christopher E. , Kim Seung H. , Sutton Deanna A. , Thompson Elizabeth H. , Fu Jianmin , Wickes Brian L. , Guarro Josep , Hospenthal Duane R. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Apophysomyces variabilis
is an emerging fungal pathogen that can cause significant infections in immunocompetent patients. We report a case of
A. variabilis
invasive wound infection in a 21-year-old male after a self-inflicted burn injury.
Characterization of a Viral Phosphoprotein Binding Site on the Surface of the Respiratory Syncytial Nucleoprotein
Authors: Galloux Marie , Tarus Bogdan , Blazevic Ilfad , Fix Jenna , Duquerroy Stéphane , Eléouët Jean-François 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

The human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) genome is composed of a negative-sense single-stranded RNA that is tightly associated with the nucleoprotein (N). This ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex is the template for replication and transcription by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. RNP recognition by the viral polymerase involves a specific interaction between the C-terminal domain of the phosphoprotein (P) (P
CTD
) and N. However, the P binding region on N remains to be identified. In this study, glutathione
S
-transferase (GST) pulldown assays were used to identify the N-terminal core domain of HRSV N (N
NTD
) as a P binding domain. A biochemical characterization of the P
CTD
and molecular modeling of the N
NTD
allowed us to define four potential candidate pockets on N (pocket I [PI] to PIV) as hydrophobic sites surrounded by positively charged regions, which could constitute sites complementary to the P
CTD
interaction domain. The role of selected amino acids in the recognition of the N-RNA complex by P was first screened for by site-directed mutagenesis using a polymerase activity assay, based on an HRSV minigenome containing a luciferase reporter gene. When changed to Ala, most of the residues of PI were found to be critical for viral RNA synthesis, with the R132A mutant having the strongest effect. These mutations also reduced or abolished
in vitro
and
in vivo
P-N interactions, as determined by GST pulldown and immunoprecipitation experiments. The pocket formed by these residues is critical for P binding to the N-RNA complex, is specific for pneumovirus N proteins, and is clearly distinct from the P binding sites identified so far for other nonsegmented negative-strand viruses.