bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adipocytokine involvement in hepatocellular carcinoma after sustained response to interferon for chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Fukushima Nobuyoshi , Kuromatsu Ryoko , Arinaga‐Hino Teruko , Ando Eiji , Takata Akio , Sumie Shuji , Nakano Masahito , Kawaguchi Takumi , Ide Tatsuya , Torimura Takuji , Sata Michio 
Published: September 2010

Aim: Interferon (IFN) dramatically reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after a sustained virological response (SVR) to chronic hepatitis C (CH‐C). However, HCC still develops in some patients after SVR. To evaluate metabolic factors in patients with HCC occurring after SVR and to determine whether insulin resistance and adipocytokines were involved in this etiology.Methods: We examined clinical and biochemical features, histological findings and serum levels of adipocytokine prior to IFN therapy and at the detection of HCC in nine patients who were diagnosed with HCC. As controls, 27 patients were included who showed SVR but had not been diagnosed with HCC for at least 5 years after SVR.Results: Three of four patients who developed HCC within 5 years after SVR showed liver cirrhosis when HCC was diagnosed. Prior to IFN therapy, four of nine HCC patients were diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes mellitus. Serum levels of leptin and insulin, Homeostatic Model of Assessment of Insulin Resistance and body mass index (BMI) were significantly higher and serum adiponectin was significantly lower in HCC patients at the time of HCC detection than in control patients more than 5 years after SVR. Six HCC patients had increased BMI and one HCC patient had a decreased BMI during the observation period.Conclusion: Hepatic fibrosis may be tightly related to the emergence of HCC after SVR. Insulin resistance and adipocytokine disorders may be implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis after SVR, in part by promoting hepatic fibrosis.
Lower circulating levels of dehydroepiandrosterone, independent of insulin resistance, is an important determinant of severity of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis in Japanese patients
Authors: Sumida Yoshio , Yonei Yoshikazu , Kanemasa Kazuyuki , Hara Tasuku , Inada Yutaka , Sakai Kyoko , Imai Shunsuke , Hibino Sawako , Yamaguchi Kanji , Mitsuyoshi Hironori , Yasui Kohichiroh , Minami Masahito , Itoh Yoshito , Naito Yuji , Yoshikawa Toshikazu , Okanoue Takeshi 
Published: September 2010

Aim: The biological basis of variability in histological progression of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unknown. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the most abundant steroid hormone, has been shown to influence sensitivity to reactive oxygen species, insulin sensitivity and expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐α. Our aim was to determine whether more histologically advanced NAFLD is associated with low circulating levels of DHEA in Japanese patients.Methods: Serum samples were obtained in 133 Japanese patients with biopsy‐proven NAFLD and in 399 sex‐ and age‐matched healthy people undergoing health checkups. Serum levels of sulfated DHEA (DHEA‐S) were measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay.Results: Serum DHEA‐S levels in NAFLD patients were similar to those in the control group. Of 133 patients, 90 patients were diagnosed as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): 73 patients had stage 0–2, and 17 had stage 3 or 4. Patients with advanced NAFLD (NASH with fibrosis stage 3 or 4) had lower plasma levels of DHEA‐S than patients with mild NAFLD (simple steatosis or NASH with fibrosis stage 0–2). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for DHEA in separating patients with and without advanced fibrosis was 0.788. A “dose effect” of lower DHEA‐S and incremental fibrosis stage was observed with a mean DHEA‐S of 170.4 ± 129.2, 137.6 ± 110.5, 96.2 ± 79.3, 61.2 ± 46.3 and 30.0 ± 32.0 µg/dL for fibrosis stages 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The association between DHEA‐S and severity of NAFLD persisted after adjusting for age, sex and insulin resistance.Conclusion: Low circulating DHEA‐S might have a role in the development of advanced NASH.
Legislative alchemy: the US state chiropractic practice acts
Authors: Bellamy Jann J 
Published: September 2010

AbstractChiropractors claim the ability to detect ‘subluxations’, an ill‐defined, unproved spinal pathology of no known clinical significance. Patients are advised that subluxations can adversely affect organ function and general health even if the patient is asymptomatic. The removal of vertebral subluxations through chiropractic treatment is posited to restore ‘neural integrity’, facilitating the body's self‐healing ability. Despite the deficiencies of these concepts, the 50 state chiropractic practice acts essentially define chiropractic as the detection and correction of subluxations and assume their significance to human health, allowing a broad scope of practice. Because the chiropractic profession seems unwilling to abandon these discredited concepts, reform of the state chiropractic practice acts to eliminate subluxation‐based chiropractic practice may be the only viable solution to the perpetration of unscientific and unproved healthcare practices.
Classic flaws in clinical CAM research
Authors: Ernst Edzard 
Published: September 2010

AbstractFrequently, CAM research is less than rigorous. This has, of course, many causes. For this review, I have selected a few ‘classic flaws’ of CAM research, which, in my experience, occur regularly and have the potential to mislead us. My hope is that this selection will help the reader to avoid the mistakes I and others have made in the past and, ultimately, will contribute to improvements in CAM research.
Bias in (complementary) medical research
Authors: Pittler Max H 
Published: September 2010

AbstractEvidence‐based decision‐making is entirely dependent on identifying all relevant studies. However, a significant proportion of clinical trials are never published. Most forms of bias operate equally in mainstream and CAM research although some forms seem to be particularly relevant to CAM such as language bias. It seems clear that the dissemination of mainstream and CAM research findings is a biased process. Whether CAM is more prone to bias than mainstream medicine is debatable. It is important that the risk of bias is taken into account when involved in evidence‐based decision‐making in order to avoid unnecessary patient suffering and waste of limited resources.An important step towards reducing the risk of publication bias is the prospective registration of all studies at the stage of study inception. The policy of compulsory trial registration was adopted by the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE) in 2004 which was influential but not sufficient to entirely prevent publication bias. Registered trials need to be publicly accessible in order to facilitate the identification and location of ongoing or unpublished trials. One such trial register has been established at the Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, University of Freiburg in close collaboration with the German Cochrane Centre. It is a primary register in the World Health Organization (WHO) registry network meeting the specific criteria of the ICMJE. Other trial registers exist for trials conducted in the USA or China. Ultimately, compulsory registering of studies with the additional help of government regulations and compulsory publishing may be required to prevent publication bias.
Improvement in QoL with concomitant Chinese herbal medicine during chemotherapy for non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Clement Y 
Published: September 2010

Chen S, Flower A, Ritchie A, Liu J, Molassiotis A, Yu H, Lewith G. Oral Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) as an adjuvant treatment during chemotherapy for non‐small cell lung cancer: a systematic review. Lung Cancer 2010; 68: 137–45.
Chiropractic for headache?
Authors: Ernst E , Haas M , Spegman A , Peterson D , Aickin M , Vavrek D 
Published: September 2010

Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, Aickin M, Vavrek D. Dose response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Spine J 2010; 10: 117–28.
Short‐term reduction of stress, anxiety and depression with massage for breast cancer patients
Authors: Huntley AL 
Published: September 2010

Listing M, Krohn M, Liezmann C, Kim I, Reisshauer A, Peters E, Klapp BF, Rauchfuss M. The efficacy of classical massage on stress perception and cortisol following primary treatment of breast cancer. Arch Women's Ment Health 2010; 13: 165–73.
TCM acupuncture provides clinically relevant improvement in depression during pregnancy
Authors: Lee H 
Published: September 2010

Manber R, Schnyer RN, Lyell D, Chamgers AS, Caughey AB, Druzin M, Carlyel E, Celio C, Gress JL, Huang MI, Kalista T, Martin‐Okada R, Allen JJB. Acupuncture for depression during pregnancy. A randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2010; 115: 511–20.
Topical Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) for wound healing and scar formation
Authors: Rotblatt MD , Khadivzadeh T 
Published: September 2010

Samadi S, Khadivzadeh T, Emami A, Moosave NS, Tafaghodi M, Behnam HR. The effect of Hypericum perforatum on the wound healing and scar of cesarean. J Altern Complement Med 2010; 16: 113–17.doi: 10.1089/acm.2009.0317
Product-Induced Gene Expression, a Product-Responsive Reporter Assay Used To Screen Metagenomic Libraries for Enzyme-Encoding Genes
Authors: Uchiyama Taku , Miyazaki Kentaro 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

A reporter assay-based screening method for enzymes, which we named product-induced gene expression (PIGEX), was developed and used to screen a metagenomic library for amidases. A benzoate-responsive transcriptional activator, BenR, was placed upstream of the gene encoding green fluorescent protein and used as a sensor.
Escherichia coli
sensor cells carrying the
benR-gfp
gene cassette fluoresced in response to benzoate concentrations as low as 10 μM but were completely unresponsive to the substrate benzamide. An
E. coli
metagenomic library consisting of 96,000 clones was grown in 96-well format in LB medium containing benzamide. The library cells were then cocultivated with sensor cells. Eleven amidase genes were recovered from 143 fluorescent wells; eight of these genes were homologous to known bacterial amidase genes while three were novel genes. In addition to their activity toward benzamide, the enzymes were active toward various substrates, including
d
- and
l
-amino acid amides, and displayed enantioselectivity. Thus, we demonstrated that PIGEX is an effective approach for screening novel enzymes based on product detection.
Differences in Methylation at GATC Sites in Genomic DNA of
Campylobacter coli
from Turkeys and Swine
Authors: Wright Sandra , Wilson Simone , Miller William G. , Mandrell Robert E. , Siletzky Robin M. , Kathariou Sophia 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

A significant fraction (46/108, 43%) of swine isolates of
Campylobacter coli
but none of 81 isolates of
C. coli
from turkeys had genomic DNA that was resistant to digestion by MboI, suggesting methylation of adenines at GATC sites. No consistent association was noted between antimicrobial resistance and MboI resistance. Seven swine-associated multilocus sequence typing-based sequence types (STs) were detected among multiple isolates with MboI-resistant DNA. The data suggest host-associated DNA modification system(s) specific for adenine at GATC sites in
C. coli
from swine.
Secretion of Flavins by Three Species of Methanotrophic Bacteria
Authors: Balasubramanian Ramakrishnan , Levinson Benjamin T. , Rosenzweig Amy C. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

We detected flavins in the growth medium of the methanotrophic bacterium
Methylocystis
species strain M. Flavin secretion correlates with growth stage and increases under iron starvation conditions. Two other methanotrophs,
Methylosinus trichosporium
OB3b and
Methylococcus capsulatus
(Bath), secrete flavins, suggesting that flavin secretion may be common to many methanotrophic bacteria.
Virus-Bacterium Coupling Driven by both Turbidity and Hydrodynamics in an Amazonian Floodplain Lake
Authors: Barros Nathan , Farjalla Vinicius F. , Soares Maria C. , Melo Rossana C. N. , Roland Fábio 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

The importance of viruses in aquatic ecosystem functioning has been widely described. However, few studies have examined tropical aquatic ecosystems. Here, we evaluated for the first time viruses and their relationship with other planktonic communities in an Amazonian freshwater ecosystem. Coupling between viruses and bacteria was studied, focusing both on hydrologic dynamics and anthropogenic forced turbidity in the system (Lake Batata). Samples were taken during four hydrologic seasons at both natural and impacted sites to count virus-like particles (VLP) and bacteria. In parallel, virus-infected bacteria were identified and quantified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Viral abundance ranged from 0.5 × 10
7
± 0.2 × 10
7
VLP ml
−1
(high-water season, impacted site) to 1.7 × 10
7
± 0.4 × 10
7
VLP ml
−1
(low-water season, natural site). These data were strongly correlated with the bacterial abundance (
r
2
= 0.84;
P
< 0.05), which ranged from 1.0 × 10
6
± 0.5 × 10
6
cells ml
−1
(high water, impacted site) to 3.4 × 10
6
± 0.7 × 10
6
cells ml
−1
(low water, natural site). Moreover, the viral abundance was weakly correlated with chlorophyll
a
, suggesting that most viruses were bacteriophages. TEM quantitative analyses revealed that the frequency of visibly infected cells was 20%, with 10 ± 3 phages per cell section. In general, we found a low virus-bacterium ratio (<7). Both the close coupling between the viral and bacterial abundances and the low virus-bacterium ratio suggest that viral abundance tends to be driven by the reduction of hosts for viral infection. Our results demonstrate that viruses are controlled by biological substrates, whereas in addition to grazing, bacteria are regulated by physical processes caused by turbidity, which affect underwater light distribution and dissolved organic carbon availability.
Environmental Factors Shape Sediment Anammox Bacterial Communities in Hypernutrified Jiaozhou Bay, China
Authors: Dang Hongyue , Chen Ruipeng , Wang Lin , Guo Lizhong , Chen Pingping , Tang Zuwang , Tian Fang , Li Shaozheng , Klotz Martin G. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

Bacterial anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is an important process in the marine nitrogen cycle. Because ongoing eutrophication of coastal bays contributes significantly to the formation of low-oxygen zones, monitoring of the anammox bacterial community offers a unique opportunity for assessment of anthropogenic perturbations in these environments. The current study used targeting of 16S rRNA and
hzo
genes to characterize the composition and structure of the anammox bacterial community in the sediments of the eutrophic Jiaozhou Bay, thereby unraveling their diversity, abundance, and distribution. Abundance and distribution of
hzo
genes revealed a greater taxonomic diversity in Jiaozhou Bay, including several novel clades of anammox bacteria. In contrast, the targeting of 16S rRNA genes verified the presence of only “
Candidatus
Scalindua,” albeit with a high microdiversity. The genus “
Ca
. Scalindua” comprised the apparent majority of active sediment anammox bacteria. Multivariate statistical analyses indicated a heterogeneous distribution of the anammox bacterial assemblages in Jiaozhou Bay. Of all environmental parameters investigated, sediment organic C/organic N (OrgC/OrgN), nitrite concentration, and sediment median grain size were found to impact the composition, structure, and distribution of the sediment anammox bacterial community. Analysis of Pearson correlations between environmental factors and abundance of 16S rRNA and
hzo
genes as determined by fluorescent real-time PCR suggests that the local nitrite concentration is the key regulator of the abundance of anammox bacteria in Jiaozhou Bay sediments.
Specific Degradation of the Mucus Adhesion-Promoting Protein (MapA) of
Lactobacillus reuteri
to an Antimicrobial Peptide
Authors: Bøhle Liv Anette , Brede Dag Anders , Diep Dzung B. , Holo Helge , Nes Ingolf F. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

The intestinal flora of mammals contains lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that may provide positive health effects for the host. Such bacteria are referred to as probiotic bacteria. From a pig, we have isolated a
Lactobacillus reuteri
strain that produces an antimicrobial peptide (AMP). The peptide was purified and characterized, and it was unequivocally shown that the AMP was a well-defined degradation product obtained from the mucus adhesion-promoting protein (MapA); it was therefore termed AP48-MapA. This finding demonstrates how large proteins might inherit unexpected pleiotropic functions by conferring antimicrobial capacities on the producer. The MapA/AP48-MapA system is the first example where a large protein of an intestinal LAB is shown to give rise to such an AMP. It is also of particular interest that the protein that provides this AMP is associated with the binding of the bacterium producing it to the surface/lining of the gut. This finding gives us new perspective on how some probiotic bacteria may successfully compete in this environment and thereby contribute to a healthy microbiota.
Role of Plant Residues in Determining Temporal Patterns of the Activity, Size, and Structure of Nitrate Reducer Communities in Soil
Authors: Chèneby D. , Bru D. , Pascault N. , Maron P. A. , Ranjard L. , Philippot L. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe incorporation of plant residues into soil not only represents an opportunity to limit soil organic matter depletion resulting from cultivation but also provides a valuable source of nutrients such as nitrogen. However, the consequences of plant residue addition on soil microbial communities involved in biochemical cycles other than the carbon cycle are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the responses of one N-cycling microbial community, the nitrate reducers, to wheat, rape, and alfalfa residues for 11 months after incorporation into soil in a field experiment. A 20- to 27-fold increase in potential nitrate reduction activity was observed for residue-amended plots compared to the nonamended plots during the first week. This stimulating effect of residues on the activity of the nitrate-reducing community rapidly decreased but remained significant over 11 months. During this period, our results suggest that the potential nitrate reduction activity was regulated by both carbon availability and temperature. The presence of residues also had a significant effect on the abundance of nitrate reducers estimated by quantitative PCR of thenarGandnapAgenes, encoding the membrane-bound and periplasmic nitrate reductases, respectively. In contrast, the incorporation of the plant residues into soil had little impact on the structure of thenarGandnapAnitrate-reducing community determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) fingerprinting. Overall, our results revealed that the addition of plant residues can lead to important long-term changes in the activity and size of a microbial community involved in N cycling but with limited effects of the type of plant residue itself.
Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenases of
Advenella mimigardefordensis
and
Ralstonia eutropha
Catalyze Cleavage of 3,3′-Dithiodipropionic Acid into 3-Mercaptopropionic Acid
Authors: Wübbeler Jan Hendrik , Raberg Matthias , Brandt Ulrike , Steinbüchel Alexander 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

The catabolism of the disulfide 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid (DTDP) is initiated by the reduction of its disulfide bond. Three independent Tn
5
::
mob
-induced mutants of
Advenella mimigardefordensis
strain DPN7
T
were isolated that had lost the ability to utilize DTDP as the sole source of carbon and energy and that harbored the transposon insertions in three different sites of the same dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase gene encoding the E3 subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multi-enzyme complex of this bacterium (LpdA

Am

). LpdA

Am

was analyzed
in silico
and compared to homologous proteins, thereby revealing high similarities to the orthologue in
Ralstonia eutropha
H16 (PdhL

Re

). Both bacteria are able to cleave DTDP into two molecules of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3MP).
A. mimigardefordensis
DPN7
T
converted 3MP to 3-sulfinopropionic acid, whereas
R. eutropha
H16 showed no growth with DTDP as the sole carbon source but was instead capable of synthesizing heteropolythioesters using the resulting cleavage product 3MP. Subsequently, the genes

lpdA
Am

and

pdhL
Re

were cloned, heterologously expressed in
Escherichia coli
applying the pET23a expression system, purified, and assayed by monitoring the oxidation of NADH. The physiological substrate lipoamide was reduced to dihydrolipoamide with specific activities of 1,833 mkat/kg of protein (LpdA

Am

) or 1,667 mkat/kg of protein (PdhL

Re

). Reduction of DTDP was also unequivocally detected with the purified enzymes, although the specific enzyme activities were much lower: 0.7 and 0.5 mkat/kg protein, respectively.
Schizosaccharomyces pombe Calmodulin, Cam1, Plays a Crucial Role in Sporulation by Recruiting and Stabilizing the Spindle Pole Body Components Responsible for Assembly of the Forespore Membrane
Authors: Itadani Akiko , Nakamura Taro , Hirata Aiko , Shimoda Chikashi 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

Calmodulin in
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
is encoded by the
cam1
+
gene, which is indispensable for both vegetative growth and sporulation. Here, we report how Cam1 functions in spore formation. We found that Cam1 preferentially localized to the spindle pole body (SPB) during meiosis and sporulation. Formation of the forespore membrane, a precursor of the plasma membrane in spores, was blocked in a missense
cam1
mutant, which was viable but unable to sporulate. Three SPB proteins necessary for the onset of forespore membrane formation, Spo2, Spo13, and Spo15, were unable to localize to the SPB in the
cam1
mutant although five core SPB components that were tested were present. Recruitment of Spo2 and Spo13 is known to require the presence of Spo15 in the SPB. Notably, Spo15 was unstable in the
cam1
mutant, and as a result, SPB localization of Spo2 and Spo13 was lost. Overexpression of Spo15 partially alleviated the sporulation defect in the
cam1
mutant. These results indicate that calmodulin plays an essential role in forespore membrane formation by stably maintaining Spo15, and thus Spo2 and Spo13, at the SPB in meiotic cells.
A Novel Protein Kinase Localized to Lipid Droplets Is Required for Droplet Biogenesis in Trypanosomes
Authors: Flaspohler John A. , Jensen Bryan C. , Saveria Tracy , Kifer Charles T. , Parsons Marilyn 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

Ubiquitous among eukaryotes, lipid droplets are organelles that function to coordinate intracellular lipid homeostasis. Their morphology and abundance is affected by numerous genes, many of which are involved in lipid metabolism. In this report we identify a
Trypanosoma brucei
protein kinase, LDK, and demonstrate its localization to the periphery of lipid droplets. Association with lipid droplets was abrogated when the hydrophobic domain of LDK was deleted, supporting a model in which the hydrophobic domain is associated with or inserted into the membrane monolayer of the organelle. RNA interference knockdown of LDK modestly affected the growth of mammalian bloodstream-stage parasites but did not affect the growth of insect (procyclic)-stage parasites. However, the abundance of lipid droplets dramatically decreased in both cases. This loss was dominant over treatment with myriocin or growth in delipidated serum, both of which induce lipid body biogenesis. Growth in delipidated serum also increased LDK autophosphorylation activity. Thus, LDK is required for the biogenesis or maintenance of lipid droplets and is one of the few protein kinases specifically and predominantly associated with an intracellular organelle.