bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of histone lysine demethylase NO66 fromHomo sapiens
Authors: Zhou Xing , Tao Yue , Wu Minhao , Zhang Dandan , Zang Jianye 
Published: June 2012

NO66 is a JmjC domain-containing histone demethylase with specificity towards histone H3 methylated on both Lys4 and Lys36in vitroandin vivo. A fragment of NO66 lacking the N-terminal 167 amino-acid residues was overexpressed inEscherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. X-ray diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 2.29 Å. NO66 crystallized in space groupP31orP32, with unit-cell parametersa= 89.35,b = 89.35,c= 304.86 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°, and the crystal is likely to contain four molecules in the asymmetric unit.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the high molecular weight ketoacyl reductase FabG4 complexed with NADH
Authors: Dutta Debajyoti , Bhattacharyya Sudipta , Das Amit Kumar 
Published: June 2012

FabG4 fromMycobacterium tuberculosisbelongs to the high molecular weight ketoacyl reductases (HMwFabGs). The enzyme requires NADH for β-ketoacyl reductase activity. The protein was overexpressed, purified to homogeneity and crystallized as a FabG4–NADH complex. A mountable FabG4:NADH complex crystal diffracted to 2.59 Å resolution and belonged to space groupP1, with unit-cell parametersa= 63.07,b= 71.03,c= 92.92 Å, α = 105.02, β = 97.06, γ = 93.66°. The Matthews coefficient suggested the presence of four monomers in the unit cell. In addition, a self-rotation function revealed the presence of two twofold NCS axes and one fourfold NCS axis. At χ = 180° the highest peak corresponds to the twofold NCS between two monomers, whereas the second peak corresponds to the twofold NCS between two dimers.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the C-terminal domain of δ-COP, a medium-sized subunit of the COPI complex involved in membrane trafficking
Authors: Deng Kai , Gao Feng , Zheng Peng , Gong Weimin , Sun Zhe 
Published: June 2012

Coat protein I (COPI) is a protein complex composed of seven subunits that mediates retrograde transport of proteins and lipids from thecis-Golgi network to the endoplasmic reticulum and intra-Golgi membranes. The medium-sized δ subunit of COPI (δ-COP) is a 57 kDa protein with a C-terminal domain (CTD) and an N-terminal longin domain. Here, the δ-COP CTD was successfully cloned, purified and crystallized. Diffraction data were collected from native and selenomethionyl crystals of δ-COP CTD to resolutions of 2.60 and 2.30 Å, respectively. Both crystals belonged to space groupP21212, with similar unit-cell parameters. The native crystals had unit-cell parametersa= 100.23,b= 136.77,c = 44.39 Å.
Clinical follow‐up study of adult‐onset Still’s disease
Authors: NAGAI Yayoi , HASEGAWA Michiko , OKADA Etsuko , HATTORI Tomoyasu , TAGO Osamu , ISHIKAWA Osamu 
Published: June 2012

AbstractEighteen patients with adult‐onset Still’s disease have been followed up for 3–22 years in our department. Initial manifestations were fever with skin rash in 14 patients, fever, skin rash and sore throat in two, skin rash in one and arthralgia in one. During the follow‐up period, typical skin rash was seen in all patients, of them five patients (29%) revealed atypical skin rash simultaneously. Atypical rash included persistent erythema with pigmentation in two, persistent plaques and papules with linear erythema in two and edema of the eyelids mimicking dermatomyositis in one. Persistent papules and plaques revealed histologically characteristic features, such as dyskeratotic keratinocyte and liquefaction degeneration as well as a sparse superficial dermal infiltrate containing scattered neutrophils. In patients of chronic articular type and polycyclic systemic type, atypical skin rash, lymphadenopathy and hyperferritinemia were noted to be significantly higher than those of monocyclic type. These factors might be prognostic factors of adult‐onset Still’s disease in our study.
P19 embryonal carcinoma cells exhibit high sensitivity to botulinum type C and D/C mosaic neurotoxins
Authors: Tsukamoto Kentaro , Arimitsu Hideyuki , Ochi Sadayuki , Nakamura Keiji , Tanaka Yoshikazu , Nuemket Nipawan , Taniguchi Koki , Kozaki Shunji , Tsuji Takao 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTBotulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) inhibit neurotransmitter release at peripheral nerve terminals. They are serologically classified from A to G, C/D and D/C mosaic neurotoxins forming further subtypes of serotypes C and D. Cultured primary neurons, as well as neuronal cell lines such as PC12 and Neuro‐2a, are often utilized in cell‐based experiments on the toxic action of botulinum toxins. However, there are very few reports of the use of neural cell lines for studying BoNTs/C and D. In addition, the differentiated P19 neuronal cell line, which possesses cholinergic properties, has yet to be tested for its susceptibility to BoNTs. Here, the responsiveness of differentiated P19 cells to BoNT/C and BoNT/DC is reported. Both BoNT/C and BoNT/DC were shown to effectively bind to, and be internalized by, neurons derived from P19 cells. Subsequently, the intracellular substrates for BoNT/C and BoNT/DC were cleaved by treatment of the cells with the toxins in a ganglioside‐dependent manner. Moreover, P19 neurons exhibited high sensitivity to BoNT/C and BoNT/DC, to the same extent as cultured primary neurons. These findings suggest that differentiated P19 cells possess full sensitivity to BoNT/C and BoNT/DC, thus making them a novel susceptible cell line for research into BoNTs.
Tax is a potential molecular target for immunotherapy of adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma
Authors: Suzuki Susumu , Masaki Ayako , Ishida Takashi , Ito Asahi , Mori Fumiko , Sato Fumihiko , Narita Tomoko , Ri Masaki , Kusumoto Shigeru , Komatsu Hirokazu , Fukumori Yasuo , Nishikawa Hiroyoshi , Tanaka Yuetsu , Niimi Akio , Inagaki Hiroshi , Iida Shinsuke , Ueda Ryuzo 
Published: June 2012

We expanded CTL specific for Tax (a human T‐lymphotropic virus type‐1‐encoded gene product) in vitro from PBMC of several adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) patients, and document its potential significance as a target for ATL immunotherapy. Tax‐specific CTL responses against tumor cells were restricted by Tax‐expression and the appropriate human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type. Tax‐specific CTL recognized HLA/Tax‐peptide complexes on autologous ATL cells, even when their Tax expression was so low that it could only be detected by RT‐PCR but not by flow cytometry. Recognition resulted in interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) production and target cell lysis. This would be the first report that Tax‐specific CTL from ATL patients specifically recognized and killed autologous tumor cells that expressed Tax. The Tax‐specific CTL responded to as little as 0.01 pM of the corresponding peptide, indicating that their T‐cell receptor avidity was much higher than that of any other CTL recognizing viral or other tumor antigens. This is presumably the reason why the Tax‐specific CTL recognized and killed autologous ATL cells despite their very low Tax expression. In addition, cell cycle analyses and experiments with primary ATL cell‐bearing mice demonstrated that ATL cells present at the site of active cell proliferation, such as in the tumor masses, expressed substantial amounts of Tax, but it was minimally expressed by the tumor cells in a quiescent state, such as in the blood. The present study not only provides a strong rationale for exploiting Tax as a possible target for ATL immunotherapy but also contributes to our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of ATL.
Techniques to increase lymph node harvest from gastrointestinal cancer specimens: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Abbassi‐Ghadi Nima , Boshier Piers R , Goldin Robert , Hanna George B 
Published: June 2012

Abbassi‐Ghadi N, Boshier P R, Goldin R & Hanna G B (2012) Histopathology61, 531–542  Techniques to increase lymph node harvest from gastrointestinal cancer specimens: a systematic review and meta‐analysisAim: This review aims to compare different histopathological techniques for lymph node harvest from ex‐vivo gastrointestinal cancer specimens and to examine their influence on: (i) lymph node yield; (ii) positive lymph node detection; and (iii) cancer staging.Method and results: Systematic review of the English language literature to 10 October 2011, comparing manual nodal dissection to other techniques for lymph node harvest. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed. Twenty‐seven studies, examining fat clearing, methylene blue staining, fat stretching and use of a dedicated pathology assistant, were assessed. The methodological quality of the majority of included studies was poor. Meta‐analysis showed that fat clearing and methylene blue staining increased mean lymph node yield by 13 and 15 nodes, respectively, when compared to manual dissection. Of the 15 studies reporting positive lymph node count, two demonstrated a significant improvement for techniques other than manual dissection. Compared to manual dissection, other techniques were not shown to influence cancer staging.Conclusion: This review has shown that fat clearing and methylene blue staining increases the mean lymph node yield from gastrointestinal cancer specimens. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that these techniques increase positive lymph node count or lead to upstaging.
Platelet‐activating factor and distinct chemokines are elevated in mucosal biopsies of erosive compared with non‐erosive reflux disease patients and controls
Authors: Altomare A. , Ma J. , Guarino M. P. L. , Cheng L. , Rieder F. , Ribolsi M. , Fiocchi C. , Biancani P. , Harnett K. , Cicala M. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBackground  A distinction between symptomatic non‐erosive reflux disease (NERD) and erosive esophagitis (EE) patients is supported by the presence of inflammatory response in the mucosa of EE patients, leading to a damage of mucosal integrity. To explore the underlying mechanism of this difference, we assessed inflammatory mediators in mucosal biopsies from EE and NERD patients and compared them with controls.Methods  Nineteen NERD patients, 15 EE patients, and 16 healthy subjects underwent endoscopy after a 3‐week washout from PPI or H2 antagonists. Biopsies obtained from the distal esophagus were examined by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and multiplex enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for selected chemokines and lyso‐PAF acetyltransferase (LysoPAF‐AT), the enzyme responsible for production of platelet‐activating factor (PAF).Key Results  Expression of LysoPAF‐AT and multiple chemokines was significantly increased in mucosal biopsies derived from EE patients, when compared with NERD patients and healthy controls. Upregulated chemokines included interleukin 8, eotaxin‐1, ‐2, and ‐3, macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α (MIP‐1α), and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1). LysoPAF‐AT and the chemokine profile in NERD patients were comparable with healthy controls.Conclusions & Inferences  Levels of selected cytokines and Lyso‐PAF AT were significantly higher in the esophageal mucosa of EE patients compared with NERD and control patients. This difference may explain the distinct inflammatory response occurring in EE patients’ mucosa. In contrast, as no significant differences existed between the levels of all mediators in NERD and control subjects, an inflammatory response does not appear to play a major role in the pathogenesis of the abnormalities found in NERD patients.
The Role of Care‐seeking Delays in Intrauterine Fetal Deaths among ‘Near‐miss’ Women in Herat, Afghanistan
Authors: Hirose Atsumi , Borchert Matthias , Niksear Homa , Alkozai Ahmad S. , Gardiner Julian , Filippi Véronique 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBackground:Many pregnant women in resource‐poor countries seek care only after developing severe complications during childbirth at home and often reach health facilities in moribund conditions. The objectives were to (i) investigate the association between care‐seeking duration and fetal survival at admission; and (ii) assess the significance of care‐seeking duration in relation to other determinants.Methods:Data were analysed for 266 women who were pregnant with a singleton and admitted in life‐threatening conditions to the maternity ward of Herat Regional Hospital in Afghanistan from February 2007 to January 2008. Information about the women's care‐seeking durations, social and financial resources, reproductive factors, household economic status and household types were collected during interviews with the women and their husbands. Information about fetal heartbeats at admission was extracted from the women's medical records.Results:Fifty‐four per cent of the women had a decision delay lasting 3 h or more; 69% had a transport delay lasting 3 h or more. Multivariable logistic regression analyses suggest that a decision delay lasting an hour or more increased the odds of fetal death by 6.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6, 26.3) compared with a delay less than 1 h. A woman's lack of financial autonomy and a distance from her natal home increased the odds of fetal death by 3.1 [95% CI 1.1, 8.4] and 2.5 [95% CI 1.0, 6.3] respectively.Conclusion:An integrated approach to improving fetal and maternal health from pre‐pregnancy through childbirth (including increasing women's social and financial resources) is crucial particularly where senior family members act as gatekeepers to women's access to health care.
C3 plants enhance rates of photosynthesis by reassimilating photorespired and respired CO2
Authors: BUSCH FLORIAN A. , SAGE TAMMY L. , COUSINS ASAPH B. , SAGE ROWAN F. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTPhotosynthetic carbon gain in plants using the C3 photosynthetic pathway is substantially inhibited by photorespiration in warm environments, particularly in atmospheres with low CO2 concentrations. Unlike C4 plants, C3 plants are thought to lack any mechanism to compensate for the loss of photosynthetic productivity caused by photorespiration. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that the C3 plants rice and wheat employ a specific mechanism to trap and reassimilate photorespired CO2. A continuous layer of chloroplasts covering the portion of the mesophyll cell periphery that is exposed to the intercellular air space creates a diffusion barrier for CO2 exiting the cell. This facilitates the capture and reassimilation of photorespired CO2 in the chloroplast stroma. In both species, 24–38% of photorespired and respired CO2 were reassimilated within the cell, thereby boosting photosynthesis by 8–11% at ambient atmospheric CO2 concentration and 17–33% at a CO2 concentration of 200 µmol mol−1. Widespread use of this mechanism in tropical and subtropical C3 plants could explain why the diversity of the world's C3 flora, and dominance of terrestrial net primary productivity, was maintained during the Pleistocene, when atmospheric CO2 concentrations fell below 200 µmol mol−1.
Invasive Ants Alter Foraging and Parental Behaviors of a Native Bird
Authors: Ligon Russell A. , Siefferman Lynn , Hill Geoffrey E. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractIntroduced species can exert outsized impacts on native biota through both direct (predation) and indirect (competition) effects. Ants frequently become established in new areas after being transported by humans across traditional biological or geographical barriers, and a prime example of such establishment is the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Introduced to North America in the 1930s, red imported fire ants are now firmly established throughout the southeastern United States. Although these invasive predators can dramatically impact native arthropods, their effect on vertebrates through resource competition is essentially unknown. Using a paired experimental design, we compared patterns of foraging and rates of provisioning for breeding eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) in unmanipulated (control) territories to those in adjacent (treated) territories where fire ants were experimentally reduced. Bluebirds inhabiting treated territories foraged nearer their nests and provisioned offspring more frequently than bluebirds inhabiting control territories with unmanipulated fire ant levels. Additionally, nestlings from treated territories were in better condition than those from control territories, though these differences were largely confined to early development. The elimination of significant differences in body condition toward the end of the nestling period suggests that bluebird parents in control territories were able to make up the food deficit caused by fire ants, potentially by working harder to adequately provision their offspring. The relationship between fire ant abundance and bluebird behavior hints at the complexity of ecological communities and suggests negative effects of invasive species are not limited to taxa with which they have direct contact.
Screening for resistance to black rot in Brassica oleracea crops
Authors: Lema Margarita , Velasco Pablo , Soengas Pilar , Francisco Marta , Cartea María Elena 
Published: June 2012

With 4 tablesAbstractXanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), causal agent of black rot, is widely distributed around the world in cabbage and kale crops causing severe yield losses. Nine races of the pathogen were described, being races 1 and 4 the most aggressive and widespread. The objective of this work was to identify new sources of resistance to races 1 and 4 of Xcc in different Brassica oleracea crops. Two hundred and twenty‐one landraces and 35 commercial and improved cultivars were evaluated. Most accessions were susceptible to both races, except cabbage cultivars ‘Balón’ and ‘Quintal de Alsacia’ and kale landrace MBG‐BRS0070, which showed some plants with different level of resistance to races 1 and 4, thus indicating that race‐non‐specific resistance can be involved. Kale landrace MBG‐BRS0286 showed an intermediate mean disease score for race 1. These accessions can be crossed with cabbage cultivars and may provide new combinations of resistance genes with protection against black rot.
Postpartum Variations of Plasma IGF and IGFBPs, Oocyte Production and Quality in Dairy Cows: Relationships With Parity and Subsequent Fertility
Authors: Grimard B , Marquant‐Leguienne B , Remy D , Richard C , Nuttinck F , Humblot P , Ponter AA 
Published: June 2012

ContentsThe aim of this study was to determine whether postpartum variations of plasma IGF‐1 and IGFBP concentrations, oocyte production and quality were related to parity and subsequent conception rate in Holstein dairy cows. Holstein dairy cows [10 primiparous (PP) and 22 multiparous (MP)] were allotted in six batches and sampled once weekly between calving and oestrous synchronization treatment started at 71.2 ± 2.0 days postpartum. During the 3 weeks before treatment, ovum pick‐up (OPU) was performed twice weekly. Oocytes were scored on a 4‐point scale, and oocytes from OPU1, 3 and 5 were fertilized in vitro. Seventeen cows became pregnant after first and second AI and were considered as fertile (F), while the others were considered to be subfertile (SF). Logistic regression was carried out to investigate the relationships between repeated measurements and fertility including parity and batch effects in the models. Likelihood of fertility significantly increased when plasma urea and IGFBP‐3 concentrations decreased and was higher in PP compared with MP cows. There was a trend for fertility to increase when plasma IGF‐1 concentrations increased (p = 0.07). In vitro cleavage and development rates were similar between SF and F cows (46.4% and 28.3% in SF vs 55.0% and 22.1% in F). Parity had an effect on plasma IGF‐1 concentrations (PP: 61.65 ± 2.67 vs MP: 41.63 ± 5.81 ng/ml, p < 0.001), mean number of follicles aspirated per session (PP: 5.7 ± 1.3 vs MP: 9.5 ± 0.8, p < 0.05) and fertility (PP: 8/10 = 80% vs MP: 9/22 = 41%, p < 0.05) but not on the number of oocytes recovered per session nor their quality. In conclusion, postpartum plasma urea and IGFBP‐3 concentrations, but not oocyte production and quality before breeding, were related to subsequent conception rate in our experimental design. Parity had a significant effect on energy status, follicular growth and fertility and needs to be considered when investigating relationships between nutrition and reproduction.
Microencapsulated sodium butyrate reduces the frequency of abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Banasiewicz T. , Krokowicz Ł. , Stojcev Z. , Kaczmarek B. F. , Kaczmarek E. , Maik J. , Marciniak R. , Krokowicz P. , Walkowiak J. , Drews M. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractAim  Abdominal pain, defaecation disorder and change of bowel habit are the commonest symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The effect of microencapsulated sodium butyrate (MSB) was assessed on the severity of symptoms in patients with IBS.Method  Sixty‐six patients treated with one of the standard pharmacological therapies for at least 3 months were included in the study. They were randomized to receive MSB as a supplemental treatment to standard therapy or to receiving a placebo. Previous pharmacological therapy was continued throughout the study in both arms. Clinical evaluation was performed at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks. Each assessment was documented by a validated visual analogue score questionnaire measuring the severity of selected clinical symptoms, a closed‐end questionnaire measuring the frequency of selected clinical symptoms and a single closed‐end question measuring the subjective improvement of symptoms.Results  After 4 weeks there was a significant decrease of pain during defaecation in the MSB group which extended to improvement of urgency and bowel habit at 12 weeks. Reduction of abdominal pain, flatulence and disordered defaecation was not statistically significant.Conclusions  MSB as a supplemental therapy can reduce the frequency of selected clinical symptoms in patients with IBS, without significant influence on reducing symptom severity.
Sex moderates associations between prenatal glucocorticoid exposure and human fetal neurological development
Authors: Glynn Laura M. , Sandman Curt A. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractMaternal cortisol levels (at 15, 19, 25, 31 and 37 weeks’ gestation) and fetal movement response to vibroacoustic stimulation (VAS; at 25, 31 and 37 weeks) were assessed in 190 mother‐fetus pairs. Fetuses showed a response to the VAS at 25 weeks and there was evidence of increasing maturation in the response at 31 and 37 weeks. Early elevations in cortisol predicted a failure to respond to the VAS at 25 weeks and later elevations in cortisol were associated with a larger response among fetuses when assessed near term. The associations between cortisol and VAS emerged earlier and were more apparent among female fetuses than among the males. The findings provide support for the role of prenatal glucocorticoids in shaping human fetal CNS development.