bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis B virus X protein and c‐Myc cooperate in the upregulation of ribosome biogenesis and in cellular transformation
Authors: Shukla Surendra Kumar , Kumar Vijay 
Published: August 2012

Viral and cellular oncogenes are well known to enhance rRNA synthesis, leading to increased ribosome biogenesis and cell proliferation. Our study on the molecular underpinnings of the interaction between viral HBx and c‐Myc, which is implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, showed a marked increase in the biosynthesis of rRNA, ribosomes and protein in hepatoma cells. A profound alteration in the nucleolar morphology and biochemical content of these cells was also observed. Increased biosynthetic activity was associated with increased cell proliferation and transformation of immortalized human hepatocytes. Furthermore, inhibition of RNA polymerase III activity impaired the proliferative advantage of hepatoma cells and transformation of immortalized hepatocytes as effectively as cisplatin treatment. These findings were corroborated in a transgenic HBx–myc microenvironment, in which an elevated hepatic level of rRNA was associated with conspicuous morphological and biochemical changes in the hepatocytic nucleoli. Thus, HBx and c‐Myc seem to work cooperatively to support ribosome biogenesis and cellular transformation.
A novel trafficking pathway in Plasmodium falciparum for the organellar localization of glutathione peroxidase‐like thioredoxin peroxidase
Authors: Chaudhari Rahul , Narayan Aishwarya , Patankar Swati 
Published: August 2012

Although common in plants, very few proteins are currently known to be localized to both the plastid and the mitochondrion in Plasmodium falciparum. One such protein is P. falciparum glutathione peroxidase‐like thioredoxin peroxidase (PfTPxGl) which we show, by immunofluorescence imaging and bioinformatics predictions, is localized to the apicoplast, the mitochondrion and the cytosol. The distribution of PfTPxGl was random in the population, with the protein localizing to any one organelle in some parasites and to both in others. It has been proposed that targeting to each organelle occurs via independent pathways that do not proceed via the Golgi. However, for PfTPxGl, both incubation at low temperature (15 °C) and Brefeldin A treatment reversibly blocked targeting to these organelles, suggesting the involvement of a novel trafficking route, most probably via the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi. This idea is further supported by the lack of cleavage of the putative N‐terminal signal sequence of PfTPxGl, and this N‐terminal extension did not compromise PfTPxGl enzyme activity. In the context of evolution, a common pathway for the dual localization of a single gene product, such as the primitive endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi route, may have been retained as opposed to optimization for individual organellar import pathways.
Type II Diabetes Mellitus Is a Risk Factor for Heart Failure in Pre‐Dialysis Patients
Authors: Kuwahara Michio , Ishigami Junichi , Shikuma Satomi , Akita Wataru , Mori Yoshihiro , Asai Tomoki , Tsukamoto Yusuke , Adachi Susumu , Noda Yumi , Rai Tatemitsu , Uchida Shinichi , Sasaki Sei 
Published: August 2012

AbstractChronic kidney disease (CKD) increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure (HF) and ischemic heart disease (IHD). The characteristics of patients with CKD complicated with HF at the time of starting hemodialysis have not yet been evaluated. We enrolled 347 patients in this study and compared gender, age, body mass index, laboratory data, causative disease, complications, and echocardiographic findings between groups with (n = 105) and without (n = 242) HF. Type II diabetic nephropathy and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; mL/min/1.73 m2) were the independent factors for HF (OR: 3.004, 95% CI: 1.754 to 5.146 and OR: 1.215, 95% CI: 1.101 to 1.330, [per 1 mL/min/1.73 m2 increase], respectively). The higher GFR appeared to be not a risk factor for HF, probably because the HF group included patients who required periodic dialysis to prevent fatal HF, even if their renal function was not extremely deteriorated. The prevalence of hypertension, IHD and values of body mass index, triglycerides, and LDL‐cholesterol did not differ between these two groups. Echocardiographic data showed that left ventricular mass index was an independent risk factor for HF (OR: 1.006, 95% CI: 1.001 to 1.012, per 1 g/m2 increase) and more than half of the patients appeared to have left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Our findings suggest that not only CKD, but also type II DM, is a potent risk for left ventricular dysfunction, which causes HF and IHD in pre‐dialysis patients with CKD.
Manifold-driven spirals in N-body barred galaxy simulations
Authors: Athanassoula E. 
Published: August 2012

Abstract
We discuss the properties of spiral arms in an N-body simulation of a barred galaxy and present evidence that these are manifold driven. The strongest evidence comes from following the trajectories of individual particles. Indeed, these move along the arms while spreading out a little. In the neighbourhood of the Lagrangian points they follow a variety of paths, as expected by manifold-driven trajectories. Further evidence comes from the properties of the arms themselves, such as their shape and growth pattern. The shape of the manifold arms changes considerably with time, as expected from the changes in the bar strength and pattern speed. In particular, the radial extent of the arms increases with time, thus bringing about a considerable increase of the disc size, by as much as 50 per cent in about 1 Gyr.
The communicative power of nurse practitioners in multidisciplinary primary healthcare teams
Authors: Quinlan Elizabeth , Robertson Susan 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurposeThe purpose of the study is to explore the role of the nurse practitioner (NP) in facilitating knowledge exchange within multidisciplinary primary healthcare teams. The rationale for the study is that most knowledge transfer and exchange literature is from a single profession perspective; yet, an increasing number of healthcare practitioners work in the context of multidisciplinary teams. There is little research examining the mechanisms by which knowledge crosses professional and disciplinary boundaries.Data sourceThe study's data source is a survey administered to NPs in urban, rural, and remote primary healthcare teams in Saskatchewan. The mapping techniques of social network analysis are applied to the survey data.ConclusionsThe study's conclusions concern the structure of the intrateam knowledge‐exchange behaviors and, in particular, the role of the NP as knowledge boundary spanner.Implications for practiceThe study hypothesizes that the hallmark of well‐functioning multidisciplinary teams is the effective intrateam knowledge exchange and that Saskatchewan's new NPs bring a “boundary‐spanning” capacity to the knowledge exchange of the province's multidisciplinary primary healthcare teams. The study fills this gap in the conceptual and empirical research within the evolving context of the reorganization of primary health care.
Does the School Performance Variable Used in the International Health Behavior in School‐Aged Children (HBSC) Study Reflect Students' School Grades?
Authors: Felder‐Puig Rosemarie , Griebler Robert , Samdal Oddrun , King Matthew A. , Freeman John , Duer Wolfgang 
Published: August 2012

BACKGROUND: Given the pressure that educators and policy makers are under to achieve academic standards for students, understanding the relationship of academic success to various aspects of health is important. The international Health Behavior in School‐Aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire, being used in 41 countries with different school and grading systems, has contained an item assessing perceived school performance (PSP) since 1986. Whereas the test‐retest reliability of this item has been reported previously, we determined its convergent and discriminant validity.METHODS: This cross‐sectional study used anonymous self‐report data from Austrian (N = 266), Norwegian (N = 240), and Canadian (N = 9,717) samples. Students were between 10 and 17 years old. PSP responses were compared to the self‐reported average school grades in 6 subjects (Austria) or 8 subjects (Norway), respectively, or to a general, 5‐category‐based appraisal of most recent school grades (Canada).RESULTS: Correlations between PSP and self‐reported average school grade scores were between 0.51 and 0.65, representing large effect sizes. Differences between the median school grades in the 4 categories of the PSP item were statistically significant in all 3 samples. The PSP item showed predominantly small associations with some randomly selected HBSC items or scales designed to measure different concepts.CONCLUSIONS: The PSP item seems to be a valid and useful question that can distinguish groups of respondents that get good grades at school from those that do not. The meaning of PSP may be context‐specific and may have different connotations across student populations from different countries with different school systems.
Identifying a role of the actin capping protein CapZ in β‐adrenergic receptor signalling
Authors: Gaikis L. , Stewart D. , Johnson R. , Pyle W. G. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractAimβ‐Adrenergic receptor activation increases myocardial contractility, in part through protein kinase A (PKA)‐dependent modification of cardiac myofilaments. PKA regulation of cardiac myofilaments is contingent influenced by protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation of troponin I (TnI). Reductions in the cardiac Z‐disc protein CapZ attenuate PKC regulation of myofilament activation. We hypothesized that CapZ‐deficient transgenic mouse hearts respond poorly to β‐adrenergic receptor activation, as a result of impaired PKC activation.MethodsWild‐type and CapZ‐deficient transgenic mice were treated with the β‐adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol (ISO) and whole heart function assessed by echocardiography. Cardiac myofilaments were isolated post‐ISO treatment and subjected to an actomyosin MgATPase assay and protein phosphorylation gels.ResultsCapZ‐deficient transgenic mouse hearts exhibited increased contractility and myofilament calcium sensitivity at baseline, as compared to wild‐type mice. In wild‐type mice, ISO increased myocardial contractility and decreased myofilament calcium sensitivity, along with an increase in TnI phosphorylation. CapZ‐deficient transgenic mice responded to ISO treatment, and myocardial functional differences between transgenic and wild‐type mice were abolished. ISO‐dependent changes in myofilament activation in transgenic mice were similar to those observed in wild‐type. TnI phosphorylation was similarly increased in wild‐type and transgenic mice following ISO treatment, while CapZ‐deficient transgenic mouse myofilaments also exhibited increased myosin‐binding protein C phosphorylation. Differences in myofilament protein phosphorylation patterns suggest the intracellular mechanisms utilized by β‐adrenergic receptor activation are different than that seen in wild‐type hearts.ConclusionsThese data further support the concept that the cardiac Z‐disc protein is a regulator of myofilament function and intracellular signalling transduction.
Impact of Infrared Finishing on the Mechanical and Sensorial Properties of Wheat Donuts
Authors: Melito Helen S. , Farkas Brian E. 
Published: August 2012

Abstract:  Infrared radiation may be used to simulate an immersion frying heat flux and create products with fried‐like textures but lower fat contents. The objective of this study was to determine the process parameters needed to produce partially‐fried, infrared‐finished donuts comparable to fully‐fried (control) donuts. A total of 8 different sets of infrared oven parameters (emitter height and belt speed) were tested. Instrumental analysis showed that all infrared‐finished donuts had significantly (P≤ 0.05) lower fat content (25.6% to 30.6%) than the control (33.7%). Setting the infrared emitters in a height gradient from 70 to 50 mm or at a constant height of 60 mm above the belt produced donuts that were most instrumentally similar to the control. Infrared‐finished donuts had comparable (P≤ 0.05) overall acceptance scores to the control, 5.28 to 5.85 versus 5.83, respectively. Infrared radiation may be used to finish‐fry partially‐fried donuts, yielding a product similar to a fully‐fried donut but with significantly lower fat content.Practical Applications:  The partial‐frying, infrared‐finishing process detailed in this article may be used for other deep‐fried foods. It is likely that these foods will also have a lower fat content when prepared with this process than when they are deep‐fried. This process provides a method of lowering the fat content of fried foods without changing the food formulation.
Target localisation for tumour bed radiotherapy in early breast cancer
Authors: Hansen Carmen J , de Winton Emma , Guglani Sam , Vamvakas Evi , Willis David , Chua Boon H 
Published: August 2012

AbstractIntroduction: To compare clinical and CT techniques in localisation of the tumour bed in patients undergoing adjuvant breast radiotherapy for breast cancer.Methods: Patients were CT scanned in the treatment position following clinical delineation of the whole breast, surgical scar and boost volume. Computed tomography boost volumes were contoured in three dimensions. A definitive treatment plan was generated to encompass the CT‐localised planning target volume (PTV) with ≥90% isodose using electrons. A hypothetical plan was also generated to cover the clinically determined boost field for comparison. The primary end point was the difference in PTV coverage by the 90% isodose between the plans based on clinically and CT localised boost volumes.Results: The plans for 50 patients were evaluated. The median percentage of PTV encompassed by the 90% isodose using the clinical and CT techniques was 29% (range 5–90%) and 83% (range 25–100%), respectively. PTV coverage by the 90% isodose using the clinical technique was at least 10% less than that using CT technique in 88% of patients (95% confidence interval 77–95%; P < 0.0001).Conclusion: Tumour bed boost PTV coverage was insufficient using clinical determination as compared with CT localisation. This study supports CT planning for target volume localisation of the tumour bed boost in patients treated with breast‐conserving therapy for breast cancer.
Bacteriophages of Staphylococcus aureus efficiently package various bacterial genes and mobile genetic elements including SCCmec with different frequencies
Authors: Mašlaňová Ivana , Doškař Jiří , Varga Marian , Kuntová Lucie , Mužík Jan , Malúšková Denisa , Růžičková Vladislava , Pantůček Roman 
Published: August 2012

SummaryStaphylococcus aureus is a serious human and veterinary pathogen in which new strains with increasing virulence and antimicrobial resistance occur due to acquiring new genes by horizontal transfer. It is generally accepted that temperate bacteriophages play a major role in gene transfer. In this study, we proved the presence of various bacterial genes of the S. aureus COL strain directly within the phage particles via qPCR and quantified their packaging frequency. Non‐parametric statistical analysis showed that transducing bacteriophages φ11, φ80 and φ80α of serogroup B, in contrast to serogroup A bacteriophage φ81, efficiently package selected chromosomal genes localized in 4 various loci of the chromosome and 8 genes carried on variable elements, such as staphylococcal cassette chromosome SCCmec, staphylococcal pathogenicity island SaPI1, genomic islands vSaα and vSaβ, and plasmids with various frequency. Bacterial gene copy number per ng of DNA isolated from phage particles ranged between 1.05 × 102 for the tetK plasmid gene and 3.86 × 105 for the SaPI1 integrase gene. The new and crucial finding that serogroup B bacteriophages can package concurrently ccrA1 (1.16 × 104) and mecA (1.26 × 104) located at SCCmec type I into their capsids indicates that generalized transduction plays an important role in the evolution and emergence of new methicillin‐resistant clones.
Prevalence and Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus in Connecticut Swine and Swine Farmers
Authors: Osadebe L. U. , Hanson B. , Smith T. C. , Heimer R. 
Published: August 2012

SummaryThis study explores the characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in swine and their human handlers in a convenience sample of 35 farms in Connecticut. Husbandry practices are clearly different from better‐known concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) with less intensive rearing conditions. Nasal samples were collected from 263 pigs and nine humans on 35 farms during the 2010 rearing season. Samples were analysed using established microbiology methods, and resulting methicillin‐sensitive (MSSA) and resistant (MRSA) isolates were typed by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and spa typing. PCR was used to detect the presence of the Panton‐Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) gene, a cytotoxin usually associated with CA‐MRSA infection. A farm assessment form and questionnaire were used to obtain the information about husbandry practices and human exposure risk, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus colonized swine and humans were found in 51% (18/35) of the farms sampled at a rate of 30% (85/259) and 22% (2/9), respectively. Eight pigs and two humans were MRSA positive on five farms. MRSA in swine was related to healthcare‐associated (HA), community‐associated (CA) or livestock‐associated (LA) MRSA strains, whereas humans were colonized with HA‐MRSA. On the basis of spa typing, there was evidence of human–animal transmission thereby signifying humanosis/reverse zoonoses. The PVL gene was found in 88% (7/8) of MRSA swine isolates, the first time this gene has been seen in colonized pigs sampled on US farm. MSSA isolates belonged to six spa types: t337 (41%), t034 (12%), t334 (12%), t4529 (12%), t8760 (18%) and t1166 (6%) including LA strains. This is the first time spa type t8760 has been reported and the only MSSA with the PVL gene. In summary, MRSA including LA strains (LA‐MRSA) can be found on small farms with different husbandry practices from CAFOs, suggesting that preventive measures for zoonotic MRSA infection should address a range of animal production.
Characterization of NODs and TLRs in innate immune response of human cementoblast cells
Authors: Ahn MY , Yoon H‐E , Park J‐H , Lee J , Min S‐K , Ahn S‐G , Yoon J‐H 
Published: August 2012

ObjectivesMicrobial Pattern‐recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domains (NODs), are essential for mammalian innate immune response. In this study, we examined the characterization of NODs and TLRs on innate immune responses in human cementoblast (HCEM) cells.Materials and MethodsThe gene expression of NODs and TLRs was examined by RT‐PCR. Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and Interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) productions in culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the degradation of IκB‐α and Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in response to their agonist.ResultsThe levels of NODs and TLRs were apparently expressed in HCEM cells. Although a few gene levels were weak in intact cells, the stimulation by their agonists increased the gene expression of TLRs. NODs and TLRs led to the production of IL‐6 or IL‐8 and the degradation of IκB‐α and MAPK activation in HCEM cells. Combination treatment of NOD1 or NOD2 agonists with TLRs agonists did not influence the production of IL‐6 and IL‐8 in HCEM cells.ConclusionsOur results indicate that NODs and TLRs are functionally expressed in HCEM cells and can trigger innate immune responses. However, NOD1 and NOD2 may not be cooperated with TLRs to elicit an immune response in HCEM cells.
A CONNECTIONIST ABM OF SOCIAL CATEGORIZATION PROCESSES
Authors: VAN ROOY DIRK 
Published: August 2012

This paper introduces a connectionist Agent-Based Model (cABM) that incorporates detailed, micro-level understanding of social influence processes derived from laboratory studies and that aims to contextualize these processes in such a way that it becomes possible to model multidirectional, dynamic influences in extended social networks. At the micro-level, agent processes are simulated by recurrent auto-associative networks, an architecture that has a proven ability to simulate a variety of individual psychological and memory processes [D. Van Rooy, F. Van Overwalle, T. Vanhoomissen, C. Labiouse and R. French, Psychol. Rev. 110, 536 (2003)]. At the macro-level, these individual networks are combined into a "community of networks" so that they can exchange their individual information with each other by transmitting information on the same concepts from one net to another. This essentially creates a network structure that reflects a social system in which (a collection of) nodes represent individual agents and the links between agents the mutual social influences that connect them [B. Hazlehurst, and E. Hutchins, Lang. Cogn. Process. 13, 373 (1998)]. The network structure itself is dynamic and shaped by the interactions between the individual agents through simple processes of social adaptation. Through simulations, the cABM generates a number of novel predictions that broadly address three main issues: (1) the consequences of the interaction between multiple sources and targets of social influence (2) the dynamic development of social influence over time and (3) collective and individual opinion trajectories over time. Some of the predictions regarding individual level processes have been tested and confirmed in laboratory experiments. In a extensive research program, data is currently being collected from real groups that will allow validating the predictions of cABM regarding aggregate outcomes.