bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Is energy density a useful concept for understanding and preventing obesity?
Authors: SHRAPNEL Bill 
Published: November 2010

AbstractAim:  Short‐term studies suggest that dietary energy density may be an important factor for understanding and preventing obesity. This review reassesses this concept in the light of recent prospective cohort studies and randomised controlled trials.Methods:  A computerised search was conducted of English language papers on Medline. Additional articles were identified by searching references in relevant papers.Results:  Six long‐term prospective cohort studies do not consistently support an association between dietary energy density and changes in body weight over time. The largest study finds no relation and the results of other studies are mixed. In three randomised controlled trials, advice to follow low energy density diets ad libitum induces modest, short‐term weight loss but has minimal effect in the long term. Weight loss trials employing reduced energy, low energy density diets may be effective for losing body weight over 6 months, the degree of weight loss being comparable to that achieved with other reduced energy diets. The pattern of weight change observed in ad libitum feeding studies suggests adaption to a change in energy density with an increase in the weight of food consumed. This challenges the fundamental assumption of the energy density hypothesis that the weight of food consumed each day is a constant and instead suggests that the body tends to prioritise energy intake in the long term.Conclusions:  Despite its intuitive appeal, dietary energy density appears to be of limited use for understanding obesity or preventing its development.
Fast synaptic transmission in the goldfish CNS mediated by multiple nicotinic receptors
Authors: Grove Charlotte L. , Szabo Theresa M. , McIntosh J. Michael , Do Samantha C. , Waldeck Robert F. , Faber Donald S. 
Published: November 2010

Non‐technical summaryUsually nicotinic receptors in the central nervous system only influence the strength of a signal between neurons. At a few critical connections, for instance some of those involved in the flight response, nicotinic receptors not only modulate the signal, they actually determine whether a signal is conveyed or not. We show at one of the few such connections accessible for study, up to three different nicotinic receptor subtypes mediate the signal. The subtypes appear to be clustered in separate locations. Depending on the number and combination of the subtypes present the signal can range from short to long duration and from low to high amplitude. This provides a critical connection with a built‐in plasticity and may enable it to adapt to a changing environment.
Lack of muscle recovery after immobilization in old rats does not result from a defect in normalization of the ubiquitin–proteasome and the caspase‐dependent apoptotic pathways
Authors: Magne Hugues , Savary‐Auzeloux Isabelle , Vazeille Emilie , Claustre Agnès , Attaix Didier , Anne Listrat , Véronique Santé‐Lhoutellier , Philippe Gatellier , Dardevet Dominique , Combaret Lydie 
Published: November 2010

Non‐technical summaryImmobilization periods increase with age because of decreased mobility and/or because of increased pathological episodes that require bed‐rest. Then, sarcopaenia might be partially explained by an impaired recovery of skeletal muscle mass after a catabolic state due to an imbalance of muscle protein metabolism, apoptosis and cellular regeneration. Mechanisms involved during muscle recovery have been little studied and in elderly they remain almost unknown. We show, in rats, that a short immobilization period during ageing initiated muscle atrophy that was indeed not recovered after 40 days. Immobilization was associated with an activation of both the ubiquitin–proteasome and the mitochondria‐associated apoptotic pathways and the inflammatory and redox processes, and a decrease of cellular regeneration. We show that the lack of muscle recovery during ageing is not due to a defect in proteolysis or apoptosis down‐regulation. These observations lead us to hypothesize that muscle protein synthesis activation after immobilization was altered during ageing.
Postural activation of the human medial gastrocnemius muscle: are the muscle units spatially localised?
Authors: Vieira Taian M. M. , Loram Ian D. , Muceli Silvia , Merletti Roberto , Farina Dario 
Published: November 2010

Non‐technical summaryIn the medial gastrocnemius muscle of cats, the longitudinal size (3–4 cm) of the territory of motor units is large (∼60%) relative to the muscle length. In the human medial gastrocnemius, the size of motor unit territories is unknown. By comparing intramuscular and surface electromyograms we show that, when subjects stand at ease, the motor units active in the medial gastrocnemius have small territories. They extend no longer than 4 cm and no less than 1 cm along the longitudinal axis (∼25 cm long) of the muscle. Physiologically, the small territories of motor units give the nervous system a mechanism for the independent activation of sub‐volumes of the medial gastrocnemius muscle.
On the Manifold
Property of the Set of Singularities of Kinematic Mappings: Modeling, Classification, and
Genericity
Authors: Müller Andreas 
Published: November 2010

Abstract
It is commonly assumed that the singularities of kinematic mappings constitute generically smooth manifolds but this has not yet been proven. Moreover, before this assumption can be verified, the concept of genericity needs to be clarified. In this paper, two different notions of generic properties of kinematic mappings are discussed. One accounts for the stability of the manifold property with respect to small changes in the geometry of a mechanism while the other concerns the likelihood that a mechanism possesses smooth manifolds of singularities. Singularities forming smooth manifolds is the condition for singularity-free motion of overconstrained mechanisms but also has consequences for reliable control of serial manipulators. As basis for establishing genericity, a formulation of the kinematic mapping is presented that takes into account the type of joints and feasible link geometries. The continuous transition between link geometries defines a deformation of a kinematic mapping. All mappings obtained in this way constitute a class of kinematic mappings. A basic characteristic of a kinematic chain is its motion space. An explicit expression for the motion spaces of individual as well as classes of kinematic mappings is given. The actual conditions for genericity will be addressed in a forthcoming publication.
Carotenoid-Related Alteration of Cell Membrane Fluidity Impacts
Staphylococcus aureus
Susceptibility to Host Defense Peptides
Authors: Mishra Nagendra N. , Liu George Y. , Yeaman Michael R. , Nast Cynthia C. , Proctor Richard A. , McKinnell James , Bayer Arnold S. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT

Carotenoid pigments of
Staphylococcus aureus
provide integrity to its cell membrane (CM) and limit oxidative host defense mechanisms. However, the role of carotenoids in staphylococcal resistance to nonoxidative host defenses has not been characterized. The current study examined the relationship among CM carotenoid content, membrane order, and
in vitro
susceptibility to daptomycin or to prototypic neutrophil-derived, platelet-derived, or bacterium-derived cationic antimicrobial peptides (human neutrophil defensin-1 [hNP-1], platelet microbicidal proteins [PMPs], or polymyxin B, respectively). A previously characterized methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus
(MSSA) isogenic clinical strain set was used, including a parental isolate with an intact carotenoid biosynthetic operon (
crtOPQMN
) containing the
crtM
gene encoding early steps in staphyloxanthin biosynthesis, a
crtM
deletion mutant, and a
crtMN
multicopy plasmid-complemented variant. Compared to the parental and
crtM
knockout strains, the
crtMN
-complemented strain exhibited (i) increased carotenoid production, (ii) increased CM rigidity (
P
< 0.001), and (iii) uniformly reduced susceptibility to killing by the above-mentioned range of cationic peptides (statistically significant for hNP-1 [20 μg/ml];
P
= 0.0037). There were no significant differences in phospholipid composition and asymmetry, fatty acid profiles, surface charge, or cell wall thickness among the strain set. Collectively, these data support the concept that carotenoid biosynthesis can contribute to the ability of
S. aureus
to subvert nonoxidative host defenses mediated by cationic peptides, potentially by increasing target membrane rigidity.
Detection of NDM-1-Producing
Klebsiella pneumoniae
in Kenya
Authors: Poirel Laurent , Revathi Gunturu , Bernabeu Sandrine , Nordmann Patrice 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT

Seven carbapenem-resistant NDM-1-positive
Klebsiella pneumoniae
isolates were recovered from patients hospitalized between 2007 and 2009 in different wards at a referral and tertiary care center in Nairobi. Most of the isolates were obtained from urine. All isolates carried the
bla
NDM-1
carbapenemase gene previously reported from India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. These isolates were clonally related and expressed many other resistance determinants, including β-lactamases CTX-M-15, OXA-1, OXA-9, CMY-6, and aminoglycoside resistance methylase RmtC. This work corresponds to the first report of NDM-1 producers in Africa.
Exploring the Links between Natural Products and Bacterial Assemblages in the SpongeAplysina aerophoba
Authors: Sacristán-Soriano Oriol , Banaigs Bernard , Casamayor Emilio O. , Becerro Mikel A. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTThe spongeAplysina aerophobaproduces a large diversity of brominated alkaloids (BAs) and hosts a complex microbial assemblage. Although BAs are located within sponge cells, the enzymes that bind halogen elements to organic compounds have been exclusively described in algae, fungi, and bacteria. Bacterial communities withinA. aerophobacould therefore be involved in the biosynthesis of these compounds. This study investigates whether changes in both the concentration of BAs and the bacterial assemblages are correlated inA. aerophoba. To do so, we quantified major natural products using high-performance liquid chromatography and analyzed bacterial assemblages using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis on the 16S rRNA gene. We identified multiple associations between bacteria and natural products, including a strong relationship between aChloroflexiphylotype and aplysinamisin-1 and between an unidentified bacterium and aerophobin-2 and isofistularin-3. Our results suggest that these bacteria could either be involved in the production of BAs or be directly affected by them. To our knowledge, this is one of the first reports that find a significant correlation between natural products and bacterial populations in any benthic organism. Further investigating these associations will shed light on the organization and functioning of host-endobiont systems such asAplysina aerophoba.
Global Phylogeography of Chitinase Genes in Aquatic Metagenomes
Authors: Beier Sara , Jones Christopher M. , Mohit Vani , Hallin Sara , Bertilsson Stefan 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT
Phylogeny-based analysis of chitinase and 16S rRNA genes from metagenomic data suggests that salinity is a major driver for the distribution of both chitinolytic and total bacterial communities in aquatic systems. Additionally, more acidic chitinase proteins were observed with increasing salinity. Congruent habitat separation was further observed for both genes according to latitude and proximity to the coastline. However, comparison of chitinase and 16S rRNA genes extracted from different geographic locations showed little congruence in distribution. There was no indication that dispersal limited the global distribution of either gene.
Adjacent Gene Pairing Plays a Role in the Coordinated Expression of Ribosome Biogenesis Genes
MPP10
and
YJR003C
in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Arnone James T. , McAlear Michael A. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT

The rRNA and ribosome biogenesis (RRB) regulon from
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
contains some 200 genes, the expression of which is tightly regulated under changing cellular conditions. RRB gene promoters are enriched for the RRPE and PAC consensus motifs, and a significant fraction of RRB genes are found as adjacent gene pairs. A genetic analysis of the
MPP10
promoter revealed that both the RRPE and PAC motifs are important for coordinated expression of
MPP10
following heat shock, osmotic stress, and glucose replenishment. The association of the RRPE binding factor Stb3 with the
MPP10
promoter was found to increase after glucose replenishment and to decrease following heat shock. Similarly, bulk histone H3 clearing and histone H4K12 acetylation levels at the
MPP10
promoter were found to increase or decrease following glucose replenishment or heat shock, respectively. Interestingly, substitutions in the PAC and RRPE sequences at the
MPP10
promoter were also found to impact the regulated expression of the adjacent RRB gene
YJR003
, whose promoter lies in the opposite orientation and some 3.8 kb away. Furthermore, the regulated expression of
YJR003C
could be disrupted by inserting a reporter cassette that increased its distance from
MPP10
. Given that a high incidence of gene pairing was also found within the ribosomal protein (RP) and RRB regulons across different yeast species, our results indicate that immediately adjacent positioning of genes can be functionally significant for their coregulated expression.
Candida albicans Als3, a Multifunctional Adhesin and Invasin
Authors: Liu Yaoping , Filler Scott G. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT

Candida albicans
is part of the normal human flora, and it grows on mucosal surfaces in healthy individuals. In susceptible hosts, this organism can cause both mucosal and hematogenously disseminated disease. For
C. albicans
to persist in the host and induce disease, it must be able to adhere to biotic and abiotic surfaces, invade host cells, and obtain iron. The
C. albicans
hypha-specific surface protein Als3 is a member of the agglutinin-like sequence (Als) family of proteins and is important in all of these processes. Functioning as an adhesin, Als3 mediates attachment to epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and extracellular matrix proteins. It also plays an important role in biofilm formation on prosthetic surfaces, both alone and in mixed infection with
Streptococcus gordonii
. Als3 is one of two known
C. albicans
invasins. It binds to host cell receptors such as E-cadherin and N-cadherin and thereby induces host cells to endocytose the organism. Als3 also binds to host cell ferritin and enables
C. albicans
to utilize this protein as a source of iron. Because of its multiple functions and its high expression level
in vivo
, Als3 is a promising target for vaccines that induce protective cell-mediated and antibody responses. This review will summarize the multiple functions of this interesting and multifunctional protein.
Role of Defensins in Corneal Epithelial Barrier Function against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Traversal
Authors: Augustin Danielle K. , Heimer Susan R. , Tam Connie , Li Wing Y. , Le Due Jeff M. , Evans David J. , Fleiszig Suzanne M. J. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT

Studies have shown that epithelium-expressed antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), e.g., β-defensins, play a role in clearing bacteria from mouse corneas already infected with
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. Less is known about the role of AMPs in allowing the cornea to resist infection when healthy. We previously reported that contact lens exposure, a major cause of
P. aeruginosa
keratitis, can inhibit the upregulation of human β-defensin 2 (hBD-2) by corneal epithelial cells in response to
P. aeruginosa
antigens
in vitro
. Here, we studied the role of AMPs in maintaining the corneal epithelial barrier to
P. aeruginosa
penetration using both
in vitro
(human) and
in vivo
(mouse) experiments. Results showed that preexposing human corneal epithelial multilayers to bacterial antigens in a culture supernatant (known to upregulate AMP expression) reduced epithelial susceptibility to
P. aeruginosa
traversal up to 6-fold (
P
< 0.001). Accordingly, small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of any one of four AMPs expressed by human epithelia promoted
P. aeruginosa
traversal by more than 3-fold (
P
< 0.001). The combination knockdown of AMPs further enhanced susceptibility to bacterial traversal by ∼8-fold (
P
< 0.001).
In vivo
experiments showed that the loss of murine β-defensin 3 (mBD-3), a murine ortholog of hBD-2, enhanced corneal susceptibility to
P. aeruginosa
. The uninjured ocular surface of mBD-3
−/−
mice showed a reduced capacity to clear
P. aeruginosa
, and their corneal epithelia were more susceptible to bacterial colonization, even when inoculated
ex vivo
to exclude tear fluid effects. Together, these
in vitro
and
in vivo
data show functional roles for AMPs in normal corneal epithelial cell barrier function against
P. aeruginosa
.
Burkholderia thailandensis oacA
Mutants Facilitate the Expression of
Burkholderia mallei
-Like O Polysaccharides
Authors: Brett Paul J. , Burtnick Mary N. , Heiss Christian , Azadi Parastoo , DeShazer David , Woods Donald E. , Gherardini Frank C. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have shown that the O polysaccharides (OPS) expressed by
Burkholderia mallei
are similar to those produced by
Burkholderia thailandensis
except that they lack the 4-
O
-acetyl modifications on their 6-deoxy-α-
l
-talopyranosyl residues. In the present study, we describe the identification and characterization of an open reading frame, designated
oacA
, expressed by
B. thailandensis
that accounts for this phenomenon. Utilizing the
B. thailandensis
and
B. mallei
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-specific monoclonal antibodies Pp-PS-W and 3D11, Western immunoblot analyses demonstrated that the LPS antigens expressed by the
oacA
mutant,
B. thailandensis
ZT0715, were antigenically similar to those produced by
B. mallei
ATCC 23344. In addition, immunoblot analyses demonstrated that when
B. mallei
ATCC 23344 was complemented in
trans
with
oacA
, it synthesized
B. thailandensis
-like LPS antigens. To elucidate the structure of the OPS moieties expressed by ZT0715, purified samples were analyzed via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. As predicted, these studies demonstrated that the loss of OacA activity influenced the O acetylation phenotype of the OPS moieties. Unexpectedly, however, the results indicated that the O methylation status of the OPS antigens was also affected by the loss of OacA activity. Nonetheless, it was revealed that the LPS moieties expressed by the
oacA
mutant reacted strongly with the
B. mallei
LPS-specific protective monoclonal antibody 9C1-2. Based on these findings, it appears that OacA is required for the 4-
O
acetylation and 2-
O
methylation of
B. thailandensis
OPS antigens and that ZT0715 may provide a safe and cost-effective source of
B. mallei
-like OPS to facilitate the synthesis of glanders subunit vaccine candidates.
Nasal Immunization with a Fusion Protein Consisting of the Hemagglutinin A Antigenic Region and the Maltose-Binding Protein Elicits CD11c+CD8+Dendritic Cells for Induced Long-Term Protective Immunity
Authors: Du Yuan , Hashizume Tomomi , Kurita-Ochiai Tomoko , Yuzawa Satoshi , Abiko Yoshimitsu , Yamamoto Masafumi 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTWe assessed the efficacy of a fusion protein consisting of the 25-kDa antigenic region ofPorphyromonas gingivalishemagglutinin A and theEscherichia colimaltose-binding protein (25k-hagA-MBP) as a nasal vaccine for the prevention of oral infection withP. gingivalis. Nasal immunization with 25k-hagA-MBP induced high levels of 25k-hagA-specific serum IgG, serum IgA, and salivary IgA antibodies in a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-dependent manner. These antibody responses were maintained for at least 1 year after immunization. Analysis of cytokine responses showed that nasal administration of 25k-hagA-MBP induced antigen-specific CD4+T cells producing interleukin 4 (IL-4) and IL-5, but not gamma interferon (IFN-γ), in the spleen and cervical lymph nodes (CLNs). Furthermore, increased numbers of CD11c+CD8α+, but not CD11c+CD11b+or CD11c+B220+, dendritic cells with upregulated expression of CD80, CD86, CD40, and major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) molecules were noted in the spleen, CLNs, and nasopharynx-associated lymphoreticular tissues (NALT). Interestingly, when 25k-hagA-MBP or cholera toxin (CT) was given intranasally to enable examination of their presence in neuronal tissues, the amounts of 25k-hagA-MBP were significantly lower than those of CT. Importantly, mice given 25k-hagA-MBP nasally showed a significant reduction in alveolar bone loss caused by oral infection withP. gingivalis, even 1 year after the immunization. These results suggest that 25k-hagA-MBP administered nasally would be an effective and safe mucosal vaccine againstP. gingivalisinfection and may be an important tool for the prevention of chronic periodontitis in humans.
Interbacterial Macromolecular Transfer by the
Campylobacter fetus
subsp.
venerealis
Type IV Secretion System
Authors: Kienesberger Sabine , Trummler Caroline Schober , Fauster Astrid , Lang Silvia , Sprenger Hanna , Gorkiewicz Gregor , Zechner Ellen L. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT

We report here the first demonstration of intra- and interspecies conjugative plasmid DNA transfer for
Campylobacter fetus
. Gene regions carried by a
Campylobacter coli
plasmid were identified that are sufficient for conjugative mobilization to
Escherichia coli
and
C. fetus
recipients. A broader functional range is predicted. Efficient DNA transfer involves the
virB9
and
virD4
genes of the type IV bacterial secretion system encoded by a pathogenicity island of
C. fetus
subsp.
venerealis
. Complementation of these phenotypes from expression constructions based on the promoter of the
C. fetus
surface antigen protein (
sap
) locus was temperature dependent, and a temperature regulation of the
sap
promoter was subsequently confirmed under laboratory conditions. Gene transfer was sensitive to surface or entry exclusion functions in potential recipient cells carrying IncPα plasmid RP4 implying functional relatedness to
C. fetus
proteins. The
virB
/
virD4
locus is also known to be involved in bacterial invasion and killing of cultured human cells
in vitro
. Whether specifically secreted effector proteins contribute to host colonization and infection activities is currently unknown. Two putative effector proteins carrying an FIC domain conserved in a few bacterial type III and type IV secreted proteins of pathogens were analyzed for secretion by the
C. fetus
or heterologous conjugative systems. No evidence for interbacterial translocation of the Fic proteins was found.