bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adenosine deaminase activity, trypsin inhibitory capacity and total antioxidant capacity in psoriasis
Authors: Hashemi M , Mehrabifar H , Daliri M , Ghavami S 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground  Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by pathological skin lesions because of various exogenous and endogenous factors and associated with a number of biochemical and immunological disturbances.Objective  The aim of the present study was to determine the level of adenosine deaminase activity, serum trypsin inhibitory capacity and total antioxidant capacity of plasma in psoriatic patients.Subjects and methods  The study was performed in controls (n = 46) and in psoriatic patients (n = 40). The patients were scored with PASI (psoriasis area and severity index). The serum ADA activity was determined using Aguisti and Galanti method and serum trypsin inhibitory capacity (sTIC) were measured by enzymatic assay. Besides, serum total antioxidant capacity was measured using ferric reducing ability of plasma.Results  The serum ADA activity of the psoriatic patients was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that of the healthy control. We also found that the trypsin inhibitory capacity was significantly higher in patients than in control group (P < 0.001). Total antioxidant capacity of plasma was significantly lower in psoriatic patients than in healthy controls (P = 0.025). There were no significant correlations among ADA, TAC and TIC.Conclusion  Serum ADA activity and sTIC were increased in psoriatic patients. In parallel, serum total anti‐oxidant activity was decreased in these patients.
Binomial Mixture Model‐based Association Tests under Genetic Heterogeneity
Authors: Zhou Hui , Pan Wei 
Published: September 2009

SummaryMost of the existing association tests for population‐based case‐control studies are based on comparing the mean genotype scores between the case and control groups, which may not be efficient under genetic heterogeneity. Given that most common diseases are genetically heterogeneous, caused by mutations in multiple loci, it may be beneficial to fully account for genetic heterogeneity in an association test. Here we first propose a binomial mixture model for such a purpose and develop a corresponding mixture likelihood ratio test (MLRT) for a single locus. We also consider two methods to combine single‐locus‐based MLRTs across multiple loci in linkage disequilibrium to boost power when causal SNPs are not genotyped. We show with a wide spectrum of numerical examples that under genetic heterogeneity the proposed tests are more powerful than some commonly used association tests.
Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent transcriptional pathways: potential mediators of skeletal muscle growth and development
Authors: Al‐Shanti Nasser , Stewart Claire E. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTThe loss of muscle mass with age and disuse has a significant impact on the physiological and social well‐being of the aged; this is an increasingly important problem as the population becomes skewed towards older age. Exercise has psychological benefits but it also impacts on muscle protein synthesis and degradation, increasing muscle tissue volume in both young and older individuals. Skeletal muscle hypertrophy involves an increase in muscle mass and cross‐sectional area and associated increased myofibrillar protein content. Attempts to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie muscle growth, development and maintenance, have focused on characterising the molecular pathways that initiate, maintain and regenerate skeletal muscle. Such understanding may aid in improving targeted interventional therapies for age‐related muscle loss and muscle wasting associated with diseases. Two major routes through which skeletal muscle development and growth are regulated are insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) and Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent transcriptional pathways. Many reviews have focused on understanding the signalling pathways of IGF‐I and its receptor, which govern skeletal muscle hypertrophy. However, alternative molecular signalling pathways such as the Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent transcriptional pathways should also be considered as potential mediators of muscle growth. These latter pathways have received relatively little attention and the purpose herein is to highlight the progress being made in the understanding of these pathways and associated molecules: calmodulin, calmodulin kinases (CaMKs), calcineurin and nuclear factor of activated T‐cell (NFAT), which are involved in skeletal muscle regulation. We describe: (1) how conformational changes in the Ca2+ sensor calmodulin result in the exposure of binding pockets for the target proteins (CaMKs and calcineurin). (2) How Calmodulin consequently activates either the Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent kinases pathways (via CaMKs) or calmodulin‐dependent serine/threonine phosphatases (via calcineurin). (3) How calmodulin kinases alter transcription in the nucleus through the phosphorylation, deactivation and translocation of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. (4) How calcineurin transmits signals to the nucleus through the dephosphorylation and translocation of NFAT from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.
Mistrust of Health Care Organizations Is Associated with Underutilization of Health Services
Authors: LaVeist Thomas A. , Isaac Lydia A. , Williams Karen Patricia 
Published: September 2009

Purpose. We report the validation of an instrument to measure mistrust of health care organizations and examine the relationship between mistrust and health care service underutilization.Methods. We conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of households in Baltimore City, MD. We surveyed 401 persons and followed up with 327 persons (81.5 percent) 3 weeks after the baseline interview. We conducted tests of the validity and reliability of the Medical Mistrust Index (MMI) and then conducted multivariate modeling to examine the relationship between mistrust and five measures of underutilization of health services.Results. Using principle components analysis, we reduced the 17‐item MMI to 7 items with a single dimension. Test–retest reliability was moderately strong, ranging from Pearson correlation of 0.346–0.697. In multivariate modeling, the MMI was predictive of four of five measures of underutilization of health services: failure to take medical advice (b=1.56, p<.01), failure to keep a follow‐up appointment (b=1.11, p=.01), postponing receiving needed care (b=0.939, p=.01), and failure to fill a prescription (b=1.48, p=.002). MMI was not significantly associated with failure to get needed medical care (b=0.815, p=.06).Conclusions. The MMI is a robust predictor of underutilization of health services. Greater attention should be devoted to building greater trust among patients.
Serum lactate dehydrogenase activity in canine malignancies
Authors: Marconato L. , Crispino G. , Finotello R. , Mazzotti S. , Salerni F. , Zini E. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractLactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is commonly used in human cancer patients for prognostic purposes. Aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of serum LDH elevation in dogs with cancer compared with healthy dogs and dogs with non‐neoplastic disease, and to verify whether it may support the diagnosis of specific malignancies. About 128 healthy dogs, 211 diseased dogs and 188 cancer dogs were enrolled. Dogs with cancer had significantly higher LDH than diseased (P< 0.001) and healthy dogs (P< 0.001), but large overlap was found. Dogs with lymphoma showed significantly higher LDH compared with dogs with carcinoma (P< 0.001) or mast cell tumour (MCT;P< 0.05) but not compared with other malignancies. When considering lymphoma and MCT, LDH levels were not different between early and advanced clinical stages. Measuring LDH levels may not be useful as a screening tool for cancer detection. More studies are needed to define its role in specific tumours.
The combination of a blood test and Fibroscan improves the non‐invasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis
Authors: Boursier Jérôme , Vergniol Julien , Sawadogo Apollinaire , Dakka Taoufiq , Michalak Sophie , Gallois Yves , Le Tallec Véronique , Oberti Frédéric , Fouchard‐Hubert Isabelle , Dib Nina , Rousselet Marie Christine , Konaté Anselme , Amrani Naïma , De Ledinghen Victor , Calès Paul 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground and aims: Blood tests and liver stiffness evaluation (LSE) by ultrasonographic elastometry are accurate tools for diagnosing liver fibrosis. We evaluated whether their synchronous combination in new scores could improve the diagnostic accuracy and reduce liver biopsy requirement in algorithm.Methods: Three hundred and ninety patients with chronic liver disease of miscellaneous causes were included. Five blood fibrosis tests were evaluated: APRI, FIB‐4, Hepascore, Fibrotest and FibroMeter. The reference was fibrosis Metavir staging.Results: Diagnosis of significant fibrosis (Metavir F≥2). The most accurate synchronous combination was FibroMeter+LSE, which provided a significantly higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.892) than LSE alone (0.867, P=0.011) or Fibrometer (0.834, P<10−3). An algorithm using the FibroMeter+LSE combination and then a liver biopsy in indeterminate cases had 91.9% diagnostic accuracy and required significantly fewer biopsies (20.2%) than previously published Bordeaux algorithm (28.6%, P=0.02) or sequential algorithm for fibrosis evaluation (SAFE) (55.7%, P<10−3). The Angers algorithm performance was not significantly different between viral hepatitis and other causes. Diagnosis of cirrhosis. The most accurate synchronous combination was LSE+FibroMeter, which provided ≥90% predictive values for cirrhosis in 90.6% of patients vs 87.4% for LSE (P=0.02) and 57.9% for FibroMeter (P<10−3). An algorithm including the LSE+FibroMeter combination, and then a liver biopsy in indeterminate cases, had a significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than the SAFE algorithm (91.0 vs 79.8%, P<10−3), and required significantly fewer biopsies than the Bordeaux algorithm (9.3 vs 25.3%, P<10−3).Conclusion: The synchronous combination of a blood test plus LSE improves the accuracy of the non‐invasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis and, consequently, markedly decreases the biopsy requirement in the diagnostic algorithm, notably to <10% in cirrhosis diagnosis.
Serum cystatin C level is a good prognostic marker in patients with cirrhotic ascites and normal serum creatinine levels
Authors: Seo Yeon Seok , Jung Eun Suk , An Hyonggin , Kim Jeong Han , Jung Young Kul , Kim Ji Hoon , Yim Hyung Joon , Yeon Jong Eun , Byun Kwan Soo , Kim Chang Duck , Ryu Ho Sang , Um Soon Ho 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground/Aims: Serum creatinine (Cr) is not a reliable marker for early detection of renal dysfunction in patients with cirrhotic ascites. Several reports have suggested that cystatin C (CysC) is more sensitive than Cr for detecting reduced renal function in these patients. This study evaluated the clinical significance of CysC in patients with cirrhotic ascites and a normal serum Cr level.Methods: We enrolled patients with ascites and a normal serum Cr level (<1.2 mg/dl). Liver function tests, international normalized ratio (INR) and serum Cr and CysC levels were measured on the same day for all patients. CysC levels were measured using the automated latex‐enhanced immunonephelometric method. The endpoint of follow‐up was the development of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) or mortality.Results: Seventy‐eight patients with cirrhotic ascites were enrolled in the study (58 men and 30 women; age, 53±11 years). The underlying liver diseases in these patients were chronic hepatitis B (37%), chronic hepatitis C (4%), alcoholic liver disease (53%) and others (6%). Forty‐six (59%) and 32 (41%) patients were in Child–Pugh classes B and C respectively. HRS developed in 14 patients during the follow‐up period (349±241 days), with cumulative incidences of 10.2% and 20.4% at 6 and 12 months respectively. The CysC level was the only independent predictive factor for HRS. Twenty‐three patients died during the follow‐up period. CysC level and INR were independent factors for predicting mortality.Conclusion: Serum CysC level is a good marker for predicting HRS and survival in patients with cirrhotic ascites and a normal Cr level.
Intrathecal Therapy: What Has Changed With the Introduction of Ziconotide
Authors: Kress Hans G. , Simpson Karen H. , Marchettini Paolo , Ver Donck Ann , Varrassi Giustino 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAdministering drugs into the intrathecal space is becoming more popular in the treatment of patients with intractable pain or intolerable side effects of systemic analgesic treatments. Although morphine and ziconotide are the only intrathecal analgesics currently approved by regulatory authorities in the U.S. (Food and Drug Administration) and Europe (national‐level approval by individual countries for morphine and European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products approval for ziconotide), a wide variety of opioid and non‐opioid drugs are being used in this way. There is no official guidance concerning the selection of these drugs or their use in combinations and a paucity of efficacy and safety data from randomized controlled trials. The polyanalgesic initiative aims to summarize the current knowledge and to facilitate rational choices of intrathecal drug and drug combinations for the management of chronic pain. The most recent polyanalgesic consensus recommendations were published in 2007. In this review, we shall examine these recommendations, which are tailored toward those practicing intrathecal analgesia in the U.S., and discuss how they should be implemented in Europe, where the healthcare systems and regulations of the medical authorities are different.
Spatial variability of above‐ground net primary production in Uruguayan grasslands: a remote sensing approach
Authors: Baeza S. , Lezama F. , Piñeiro G. , Altesor A. , Paruelo J. M. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractQuestion: How does above‐ground net primary production (ANPP) differ (estimated from remotely sensed data) among vegetation units in sub‐humid temperate grasslands?Location: Centre‐north Uruguay.Methods: A vegetation map of the study area was generated from LANDSAT imagery and the landscape configuration described. The functional heterogeneity of mapping units was analysed in terms of the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by green vegetation (fPAR), calculated from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images provided by the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. Finally, the ANPP of each grassland class was estimated using NDVI and climatic data.Results: Supervised classification presented a good overall accuracy and moderate to good average accuracy for grassland classes. Meso‐xerophytic grasslands occupied 45% of the area, Meso‐hydrophytic grasslands 43% and Lithophytic steppes 6%. The landscape was shaped by a matrix of large, unfragmented patches of Meso‐xerophytic and Meso‐hydrophytic grasslands. The region presented the lowest anthropic fragmentation degree reported for the Rio de la Plata grasslands. All grassland units showed bimodal annual fPAR seasonality, with spring and autumn peaks. Meso‐hydrophytic grasslands showed a radiation interception 10% higher than the other units. On an annual basis, Meso‐hydrophytic grasslands produced 3800 kg dry matter (DM) ha−1 yr−1 and Meso‐xerophytic grasslands and Lithophytic steppes around 3400 kg·DM·ha−1·yr−1. Meso‐xerophytic grasslands had the largest spatial variation during most of the year. The ANPP temporal variation was higher than the fPAR variability.Conclusions: Our results provide valuable information for grazing management (identifying spatial and temporal variations of ANPP) and grassland conservation (identifying the spatial distribution of vegetation units).
LIN54 is an essential core subunit of the DREAM/LINC complex that binds to the cdc2 promoter in a sequence‐specific manner
Authors: Schmit Fabienne , Cremer Sarah , Gaubatz Stefan 
Published: September 2009

Recently, the conserved human LINC/DREAM complex has been described as an important regulator of cell cycle genes. LINC consists of a core module that dynamically associates with E2F transcription factors, p130 and the B‐MYB transcription factor in a cell cycle‐dependent manner. In this study, we analyzed the evolutionary conserved LIN54 subunit of LINC. We found that LIN54 is required for cell cycle progression. Protein interaction studies demonstrated that a predicted helix–coil–helix motif is required for the interaction of LIN54 with p130 and B‐MYB. In addition, we found that the cysteine‐rich CXC domain of LIN54 is a novel DNA‐binding domain that binds to the cdc2 promoter in a sequence‐specific manner. We identified two binding sites for LIN54 in the cdc2 promoter, one of which overlaps with the cell cycle homology region at the transcriptional start site. Gel shift assays suggested that, in quiescent cells, the binding of LIN54 at the cell cycle homology region is stabilized by the binding of E2F4 to the adjacent cell cycle‐dependent element. Our data demonstrate that LIN54 is an important and integral subunit of LINC.Structured digital abstract
MINT‐7239362: LIN54 (uniprotkb:Q6MZP7) physically interacts (MI:0915) with p130 (uniprotkb:Q08999) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)
MINT‐7239376: LIN54 (uniprotkb:Q6MZP7) physically interacts (MI:0915) with B‐Myb (uniprotkb:P10244) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)
An E3 ubiquitin ligase, Synoviolin, is involved in the degradation of immature nicastrin, and regulates the production of amyloid β‐protein
Authors: Maeda Tomoji , Marutani Toshihiro , Zou Kun , Araki Wataru , Tanabe Chiaki , Yagishita Naoko , Yamano Yoshihisa , Amano Tetsuya , Michikawa Makoto , Nakajima Toshihiro , Komano Hiroto 
Published: September 2009

The presenilin complex, consisting of presenilin, nicastrin, anterior pharynx defective‐1 and presenilin enhancer‐2, constitutes γ‐secretase, which is required for the generation of amyloid β‐protein. In this article, we show that Synoviolin (also called Hrd1), which is an E3 ubiquitin ligase implicated in endoplasmic reticulum‐associated degradation, is involved in the degradation of endogenous immature nicastrin, and affects amyloid β‐protein generation. It was found that the level of immature nicastrin was dramatically increased in synoviolin‐null cells as a result of the inhibition of degradation, but the accumulation of endogenous presenilin, anterior pharynx defective‐1 and presenilin enhancer‐2 was not changed. This was abolished by the transfection of exogenous Synoviolin. Moreover, nicastrin was co‐immunoprecipitated with Synoviolin, strongly suggesting that nicastrin is the substrate of Synoviolin. Interestingly, amyloid β‐protein generation was increased by the overexpression of Synoviolin, although the nicastrin level was decreased. Thus, Synoviolin‐mediated ubiquitination is involved in the degradation of immature nicastrin, and probably regulates amyloid β‐protein generation.Structured digital abstract
MINT‐7255352: Synoviolin (uniprotkb:Q9DBY1) physically interacts (MI:0915) with NCT (uniprotkb:P57716) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)
MINT‐7255377: Ubiquitin (uniprotkb:P62991) physically interacts (MI:0915) with NCT (uniprotkb:P57716) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006)
MINT‐7255363: NCT (uniprotkb:P57716) physically interacts (MI:0915) with Synoviolin (uniprotkb:Q9DBY1) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006)
Biochemical analysis of the human EVL domains in homologous recombination
Authors: Takaku Motoki , Machida Shinichi , Nakayama Shugo , Takahashi Daisuke , Kurumizaka Hitoshi 
Published: September 2009

EVL is a member of the ENA/VASP family, which is involved in actin‐remodeling processes. Previously, we reported that human EVL directly interacts with RAD51, which is an essential protein in the homologous recombinational repair of DNA double‐strand breaks, and stimulates RAD51‐mediated recombination reactions in vitro. To identify the EVL domain required for the recombination function, we purified the EVL fragments EVL(1–221) and EVL(222–418), which contain the EVH1 and Pro‐rich domains and the EVH2 domain, respectively. We found that EVL(222–418) possesses DNA‐binding and RAD51‐binding activities, and also stimulates RAD51‐mediated homologous pairing. In contrast, EVL(1–221) did not exhibit any of these activities. Therefore, the EVH2 domain, which is highly conserved among the ENA/VASP family proteins, may be responsible for the recombination function of EVL.Structured digital abstract
MINT‐7239394: EVL (uniprotkb:Q9UI08) binds (MI:0407) to RAD51 (uniprotkb:Q06609) by pull down (MI:0096)
CHANGES IN MUSCLE PROPERTIES DURING POSTMORTEM STORAGE OF FARMED SEA BREAM (SPARUS AURATA)
Authors: SUÁREZ M.D. , MARTÍNEZ T.F. , SÁEZ M.I. , ALFÉREZ B. , GARCÍA‐GALLEGO M. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT This study assesses the effects of storage temperature on postmortem changes in textural parameters (firmness, water holding capacity), and their relationship with biochemical and electrophoretic determinations (muscle collagen content and solubility, amount and integrity of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins) in sea bream muscle. Storage at 1C resulted in a prolongation of the firmness compared with 4C, with no noticeable changes in water holding capacity. This delay in muscle softening at 1C could be partially explained by a limited proteolysis of some myofibrillar proteins, although inconsistent tendency was observed for other fractions. In contrast, the rate of muscle collagen degradation was higher at 4C compared with 1C, this becoming the main contributing factor to firmness losses. The great variety of protein fractions separated electrophoretically, and the relatively minor and contradictory changes observed suggest the unfeasibility of electrophoresis as a routine procedure for studying freshness in stored sea bream. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSAccording to the results obtained, it is strongly recommended that the storage of sea bream (Sparus aurata) throughout the commercial chain is carried out at 1C, instead of the usual temperature of 4C. This modification clearly delays the process of muscle softening, thus improving objective quality in this species.The electrophoretic separation of muscle proteins has been previously proposed as a suitable procedure for assessing the freshness of fish during cold storage. However, the results obtained here indicate that the attempts aimed to the development of an electrophoretic procedure for detecting modifications in muscle proteins that could be correlated with flesh textural properties were unsuccessful. This is especially true if short‐term deterioration is assessed.