bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Methotrexate vs. fumaric acid esters in moderate‐to‐severe chronic plaque psoriasis: data registry report on the efficacy under daily life conditions
Authors: Inzinger M. , Weger W. , Heschl B. , Salmhofer W. , Quehenberger F. , Wolf P. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractObjective  To compare the clinical efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) vs. fumaric acid esters (FAE) in psoriasis treated under daily life conditions.Methods  Data were extracted from a registry (http://www.psoriasisregistry.at) of 272 adult patients with moderate‐to‐severe chronic plaque psoriasis treated primarily with MTX (n = 72) or FAE (n = 200) between 2004 and 2011. Data from all patients, including those who did not complete at least 3 months of monotherapy, were included in an intention‐to‐treat (ITT) worst‐case analysis.Results  Thirty of 72 (41.7%) patients treated with MTX and 85 of 200 (42.5%) patients treated with FAE discontinued early, mainly due to side‐effects or lack of response. Among patients who completed at least 3 months of treatment, the response to primary treatment with MTX vs. FAE did not differ significantly at any time point. In the ITT worst‐case analysis at month 3, complete remission rate, PASI90, PASI75 and PASI50 rates were 6%, 7%, 24% and 39% in MTX‐treated patients vs. 1%, 5%, 27% and 44% in FAE‐treated patients. Overall mean PASI reduction score improved significantly in response to primary MTX and FAE treatment (by 10.6% and 12.6%, respectively) between 3 and 6 months (P = 0.0005; exact Wilcoxon test), but not between 6 and 12 months (P = 0.16). A subset of 32 patients who did not respond satisfactorily to primary treatment with FAE responded better to subsequent MTX therapy (P < 0.0001; paired Wilcoxon test).Conclusions  As shown by retrospective analysis, the primary efficacy of FAE was similar to that of MTX under daily life conditions.
Image statistics on the age perception of human skin
Authors: Arce‐Lopera Carlos , Igarashi Takanori , Nakao Keisuke , Okajima Katsunori 
Published: June 2012

Background/purposeRecent research on the age‐dependent changes of facial skin has analyzed their correlation with changes in image and colorimetric properties using mainly first‐ and second‐order statistics. The aim of this study is to reveal the importance of third‐order statistics and relate those image properties to skin age perception.MethodsPhotographs of the faces of 118 Japanese women ranging in age from 13 to 80 years were taken in a controlled environment. Subsequently, 10 Japanese subjects rated the age perception of skin patches from the cheek area of the original facial images.ResultsThe age estimation of the skin patches was highly correlated with its chronological age proving that our skin patches contain enough information for age estimation. Also, the perceived age was significantly high correlated to color and lightness statistical values. Specifically, age perception was significantly high correlated with third‐order statistics of all channels in CIELAB1976.ConclusionOur results reveal the importance of higher order statistics for the development of nonintrusive skin quality assessments of the skin.
Peripheral vascular response to inspiratory breath hold in paediatric homozygous sickle cell disease
Authors: L’Esperance Veline S. , Cox Sharon E. , Simpson David , Gill Carolyn , Makani Julie , Soka Deogratias , Mgaya Josephine , Kirkham Fenella J. , Clough Geraldine F. 
Published: June 2012

New Findings
What is the central question of this study?Autonomic nervous dysfunction is implicated in complications of sickle cell anaemia (SCA). In healthy adults, a deep inspiratory breath hold (IBH) elicits rapid transient SNS‐ mediated vasoconstriction detectable using Laser Doppler Flux (LDF) assessment of the finger‐tip cutaneous micovasculature.
What is the main finding and its importance?We demonstrate significantly increased resting peripheral blood flow and sympathetic activity in African children with SCA compared to sibling controls and increased sympathetic stimulation in response to vasoprovocation with DIG.This study is the first to observe an inverse association between resting peripheral blood flow and haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2). These phenomena may be an adaptive response to the hypoxic exposure in SCA.
There is increasing evidence that autonomic dysfunction in adults with homozygous sickle cell (haemoglobin SS) disease is associated with enhanced autonomic nervous system‐mediated control of microvascular perfusion. However, it is unclear whether such differences are detectable in children with SS disease. We studied 65 children with SS disease [38 boys; median age 7.2 (interquartile range 5.1–10.6) years] and 20 control children without symptoms of SS disease [8 boys; 8.7 (5.5–10.8) years] and recorded mean arterial blood pressure (ABP) and daytime haemoglobin oxygen saturation (). Cutaneous blood flux at rest (RBF) and during the sympathetically activated vasoconstrictor response to inspiratory breath hold (IBH) were measured in the finger pulp of the non‐dominant hand using laser Doppler fluximetry. Local factors mediating flow motion were assessed by power spectral density analysis of the oscillatory components of the laser Doppler signal. The RBF measured across the two study groups was negatively associated with age (r=−0.25, P < 0.0001), ABP (r=−0.27, P= 0.02) and daytime (r=−0.30, P= 0.005). Children with SS disease had a higher RBF (P= 0.005) and enhanced vasoconstrictor response to IBH (P= 0.002) compared with control children. In children with SS disease, higher RBF was associated with an increase in the sympathetic interval (r=−0.28, P= 0.022). The SS disease status, daytime and age explained 22% of the variance in vasoconstrictor response to IBH (P < 0.0001). Our findings suggest that blood flow and blood flow responses in the skin of young African children with SS disease differ from those of healthy control children, with increased resting peripheral blood flow and increased sympathetic stimulation from a young age in SS disease. They further suggest that the laser Doppler flowmetry technique with inspiratory breath hold manoeuvre appears to be robust for use in young children with SS disease, to explore interactions between , ABP and autonomic function with clinical complications, e.g. skin ulceration.
Aerobic exercise increases BKCa channel contribution to regulation of mesenteric arterial tone by upregulating β1‐subunit
Authors: Shi Lijun , Liu Bailin , Li Na , Xue Zhimin , Liu Xiaodong 
Published: June 2012

New Findings
What is the central question of this study?Calcium‐activated K channels (BK) play critical roles in regulating cellular excitability and vascular tone. Exercise‐training has beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases which may result from an improvement of the vascular functions. However, the molecular targets and mechanisms underlying this action remain largely unknown in peripheral resistance arteries. This paper asks the question, do BK channels play a role in bringing about these changes?
What is the main finding and its importance?This investigation is the first to demonstrate that aerobic exercise training increases the contribution of BK channels to regulation of vascular tone in mesenteric arteries. We found that it is mediated by upregulation of the Beta‐1 but not alpha1‐subunit protein to increase BK channel activity.
Substantial evidence has shown that exercise training produces numerous adaptations within the arteries. Large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ (BKCa) channels are expressed broadly on smooth muscle cells and play an important role in the regulation of vascular tone. The present study was designed to investigate the mechanisms by which the BKCa channel underlies the exercise‐induced improvement of the vascular function in mesenteric arteries. Male Wistar rats (180–200 g) were trained for 12 weeks on a treadmill (EX group) and compared with age‐matched sedentary (SED) animals. Blood pressure and vascular contractility of mesenteric arteries were measured. Inside‐out patch‐clamp recording was applied on the freshly separated mesenteric smooth muscle cells to investigate the gating characteristics of BKCa channels. Western immunoblotting was performed to study expression levels of BKCa channel proteins. The maximal vascular contraction induced by noradrenaline (3 × 10−5m) was decreased after exercise training. Both TEA (3 × 10−3m) and iberiotoxin (3 × 10−8m) induced a significant increase of vessel tension in both SED and EX groups, but these effects were more pronounced in EX rats compared with SED animals. Inside‐out patch‐clamp recording showed that exercise training significantly increased the open probability, decreased the mean closed time and increased the mean open time and the sensitivity to Ca2+ and voltage without altering the unitary conductance. The expression of BKCaβ1‐ but not α‐subunit was significantly enhanced after exercise training. These data suggest that exercise training increases the contribution of the BKCa channel to the regulation of vascular tone in mesenteric arteries, which is possibly mediated by upregulating β1‐subunit protein to increase BKCa channel activity.
The dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and regulation of pancreatic secretory function
Authors: Mussa Bashair M. , Verberne Anthony J. M. 
Published: June 2012

New FindingsWhat is the Topic of this review?This review describes new evidence for the control of pancreatic exocrine and endocrine secretion by the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. It describes the effects of several gastrointestinal peptides on pancreatic secretion and considers their sites of action in the vago‐vagal reflex pathway.What advances does it highlight?This review draws together recent electrophysiological, anatomical and pharmacological studies to provide a state‐of‐art view of the parasympathetic control of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas.Recent investigation of the factors and pathways that are involved in regulation of pancreatic secretory function (PSF) has led to development of a pancreatic vagovagal reflex model. This model consists of three elements, including pancreatic vagal afferents, the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and pancreatic vagal efferents. The DMV has been recognized as a major component of this model and so this review focuses on the role of this nucleus in regulation of PSF. Classically, the control of the PSF has been viewed as being dependent on gastrointestinal hormones and vagovagal reflex pathways. However, recent studies have suggested that these two mechanisms act synergistically to mediate pancreatic secretion. The DMV is the major source of vagal motor output to the pancreas, and this output is modulated by various neurotransmitters and synaptic inputs from other central autonomic regulatory circuits, including the nucleus of the solitary tract. Endogenously occurring excitatory (glutamate) and inhibitory amino acids (GABA) have a marked influence on DMV vagal output to the pancreas. In addition, a variety of neurotransmitters and receptors for gastrointestinal peptides and hormones have been localized in the DMV, emphasizing the direct and indirect involvement of this nucleus in control of PSF.
Two Genera of Magnetococci with Bean-like Morphology from Intertidal Sediments of the Yellow Sea, China
Authors: Zhang Wen-Yan , Zhou Ke , Pan Hong-Miao , Yue Hai-Dong , Jiang Ming , Xiao Tian , Wu Long-Fei 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

Magnetotactic bacteria have the unique capacity of being able to swim along geomagnetic field lines. They are Gram-negative bacteria with diverse morphologies and variable phylogenetic relatedness. Here, we describe a group of uncultivated marine magnetococci collected from intertidal sediments of Huiquan Bay in the Yellow Sea. They were coccoid-ovoid in morphology, with an average size of 2.8 ± 0.3 μm by 2.0 ± 0.2 μm. Differential interference contrast microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy revealed that each cell was apparently composed of two hemispheres. The cells synthesized iron oxide-type magnetosomes that clustered on one side of the cell at the interface between the two hemispheres. In some cells two chains of magnetosomes were observed across the interface. Each cell had two bundles of flagella enveloped in a sheath and displayed north-seeking helical motion. Two 16S rRNA gene sequences having 91.8% identity were obtained, and their authenticity was confirmed by fluorescence
in situ
hybridization. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the magnetococci are affiliated with the
Alphaproteobacteria
and are most closely related to two uncultured magnetococci with sequence identities of 92.7% and 92.4%, respectively. Because they display a >7% sequence divergence to all bacteria reported, the bean-like magnetococci may represent two novel genera.
Involvement of RpoN in Regulating Bacterial Arsenite Oxidation
Authors: Kang Yoon-Suk , Bothner Brian , Rensing Christopher , McDermott Timothy R. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

In this study with the model organism
Agrobacterium tumefaciens
, we used a combination of
lacZ
gene fusions, reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), and deletion and insertional inactivation mutations to show unambiguously that the alternative sigma factor RpoN participates in the regulation of As
III
oxidation. A deletion mutation that removed the RpoN binding site from the
aioBA
promoter and an
aacC3
(gentamicin resistance) cassette insertional inactivation of the
rpoN
coding region eliminated
aioBA
expression and As
III
oxidation, although
rpoN
expression was not related to cell exposure to As
III
. Putative RpoN binding sites were identified throughout the genome and, as examples, included promoters for
aioB
,
phoB1
,
pstS1
,
dctA
,
glnA
,
glnB
, and
flgB
that were examined by using qualitative RT-PCR and
lacZ
reporter fusions to assess the relative contribution of RpoN to their transcription. The expressions of
aioB
and
dctA
in the wild-type strain were considerably enhanced in cells exposed to As
III
, and both genes were silent in the
rpoN
::
aacC3
mutant regardless of As
III
. The expression level of
glnA
was not influenced by As
III
but was reduced (but not silent) in the
rpoN
::
aacC3
mutant and further reduced in the mutant under N starvation conditions. The
rpoN
::
aacC3
mutation had no obvious effect on the expression of
glnB
,
pstS1
,
phoB1
, or
flgB
. These experiments provide definitive evidence to document the requirement of RpoN for As
III
oxidation but also illustrate that the presence of a consensus RpoN binding site does not necessarily link the associated gene with regulation by As
III
or by this sigma factor.
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis and Barcoded Pyrosequencing Reveal Unprecedented Archaeal Diversity in Mangrove Sediment and Rhizosphere Samples
Authors: Pires Ana C. C. , Cleary Daniel F. R. , Almeida Adelaide , Cunha Ângela , Dealtry Simone , Mendonça-Hagler Leda C. S. , Smalla Kornelia , Gomes Newton C. M. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

Mangroves are complex ecosystems that regulate nutrient and sediment fluxes to the open sea. The importance of bacteria and fungi in regulating nutrient cycles has led to an interest in their diversity and composition in mangroves. However, very few studies have assessed
Archaea
in mangroves, and virtually nothing is known about whether mangrove rhizospheres affect archaeal diversity and composition. Here, we studied the diversity and composition of
Archaea
in mangrove bulk sediment and the rhizospheres of two mangrove trees,
Rhizophora mangle
and
Laguncularia racemosa
, using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and pyrosequencing of archaeal 16S rRNA genes with a nested-amplification approach. DGGE profiles revealed significant structural differences between bulk sediment and rhizosphere samples, suggesting that roots of both mangrove species influence the sediment archaeal community. Nearly all of the detected sequences obtained with pyrosequencing were identified as
Archaea
, but most were unclassified at the level of phylum or below. Archaeal richness was, furthermore, the highest in the
L. racemosa
rhizosphere, intermediate in bulk sediment, and the lowest in the
R. mangle
rhizosphere. This study shows that rhizosphere microhabitats of
R. mangle
and
L. racemosa
, common plants in subtropical mangroves located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosted distinct archaeal assemblages.
A Specific Mutation in the Promoter Region of the Silent
cel
Cluster Accounts for the Appearance of Lactose-Utilizing Lactococcus lactis MG1363
Authors: Solopova Ana , Bachmann Herwig , Teusink Bas , Kok Jan , Neves Ana Rute , Kuipers Oscar P. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

The
Lactococcus lactis
laboratory strain MG1363 has been described to be unable to utilize lactose. However, in a rich medium supplemented with lactose as the sole carbon source, it starts to grow after prolonged incubation periods. Transcriptome analyses showed that
L. lactis
MG1363 Lac
+
cells expressed
celB
, encoding a putative cellobiose-specific phosphotransferase system (PTS) IIC component, which is normally silent in MG1363 Lac
−
cells. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the
cel
cluster of a Lac
+
isolate revealed a change from one of the guanines to adenine in the promoter region. We showed here that one particular mutation, taking place at increased frequency, accounts for the lactose-utilizing phenotype occurring in MG1363 cultures. The G-to-A transition creates a −10 element at an optimal distance from the −35 element. Thus, a fully active promoter is created, allowing transcription of the otherwise cryptic cluster. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy results show that MG1363 Lac
+
uses a novel pathway of lactose utilization.
Involvement of Two-Component System CBO0366/CBO0365 in the Cold Shock Response and Growth of Group I (Proteolytic) Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502 at Low Temperatures
Authors: Lindström Miia , Dahlsten Elias , Söderholm Henna , Selby Katja , Somervuo Panu , Heap John T. , Minton Nigel P. , Korkeala Hannu 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

The role of the two-component system (TCS) CBO0366/CBO0365 in the cold shock response and growth of the mesophilic
Clostridium botulinum
ATCC 3502 at 15°C was demonstrated by induced expression of the TCS genes upon cold shock and impaired growth of the TCS mutants at 15°C.
Biodiesel Production by the Green Microalga Scenedesmus obliquus in a Recirculatory Aquaculture System
Authors: Mandal Shovon , Mallick Nirupama 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

Biodiesel production was examined with
Scenedesmus obliquus
in a recirculatory aquaculture system with fish pond discharge and poultry litter to couple with waste treatment. Lipid productivity of 14,400 liter ha
−1
year
−1
was projected with 11 cultivation cycles per year. The fuel properties of the biodiesel produced adhered to Indian and international standards.
Forward Genetic
In Planta
Screen for Identification of Plant-Protective Traits of Sphingomonas sp. Strain Fr1 against Pseudomonas syringae DC3000
Authors: Vogel Christine , Innerebner Gerd , Zingg Judith , Guder Jan , Vorholt Julia A. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

Sphingomonas
sp. strain Fr1 has recently been shown to protect
Arabidopsis thaliana
against the bacterial leaf pathogen
Pseudomonas syringae
DC3000. Here, we describe a forward genetic
in planta
screen to identify genes in
Sphingomonas
sp. Fr1 necessary for this effect. About 5,000
Sphingomonas
sp. Fr1 mini-Tn
5
mutants were assayed for a defect in plant protection against a
luxCDABE
-tagged
P. syringae
DC3000 derivative in a space-saving 24-well plate system. The bioluminescence of the pathogen was used as the indicator of pathogen proliferation and allowed for the identification of
Sphingomonas
sp. Fr1 mutants that had lost the ability to restrict pathogen growth before disease symptoms were visible. Potential candidates were validated using the same miniaturized experimental system. Of these mutants, 10 were confirmed as plant protection defective yet colonization competent. The mutants were subsequently evaluated in a previously described standard microbox system, and plants showed enhanced disease phenotypes after pathogen infection relative to those inoculated with the parental strain as a control. However, the disease severities were lower than those observed for control plants that were grown axenically prior to pathogen challenge, which suggests that several traits may contribute to plant protection. Transposon insertion sites of validated mutants with defects in plant protection were determined and mapped to 7 distinct genomic regions. In conclusion, the established screening protocol allowed us to identify mutations that affect plant protection, and it opens the possibility to uncover traits important for
in planta
microbe-microbe interactions.
Pathogenic Escherichia coli Found in Sewage Treatment Plants and Environmental Waters
Authors: Anastasi E. M. , Matthews B. , Stratton H. M. , Katouli M. 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT

We previously demonstrated that some
Escherichia coli
strains with uropathogenic properties survived treatment stages of sewage treatment plants (STPs), suggesting that they may be released into the environment. We investigated the presence of such strains in the surrounding environmental waters of four STPs from which these persistent strains were isolated. In all, 264
E. coli
isolates were collected from 129 receiving water sites in a 20-km radius surrounding STPs. We also included 93
E. coli
strains collected from 18 animal species for comparison. Isolates were typed using a high-resolution biochemical fingerprinting method (the PhPlate system), and grouped into common (C) types. One hundred forty-seven (56%) environmental isolates were identical to strains found in STPs' final effluents. Of these, 140 (95%) carried virulence genes (VGs) associated with intestinal pathogenic
E. coli
(IPEC) or uropathogenic
E. coli
(UPEC) and were found in a variety of sites within areas sampled. Of the remaining 117 environmental strains not identical to STP strains, 105 belonged to 18 C types and 102 of them carried VGs found among IPEC or UPEC strains. These strains belonged mainly to phylogenetic groups A (A0 and A1) and B1 and to a lesser extent B2
2
, B2
3
, D1, and D2. Eight of 18 environmental C types, comprising 50 isolates, were also identical to bird strains. The presence of a high percentage of environmental
E. coli
in waters near STPs carrying VGs associated with IPEC and UPEC suggests that they may have derived from STP effluents and other nonpoint sources.