bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A model to predict 3‐month mortality risk of acute‐on‐chronic hepatitis B liver failure using artificial neural network
Authors: Zheng M.‐H. , Shi K.‐Q. , Lin X.‐F. , Xiao D.‐D. , Chen L.‐L. , Liu W.‐Y. , Fan Y.‐C. , Chen Y.‐P. 
Published: August 2012

SummaryModel for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) scoring was initiated using traditional statistical technique by assuming a linear relationship between clinical features, but most phenomena in a clinical situation are not linearly related. The aim of this study was to predict 3‐month mortality risk of acute‐on‐chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF) on an individual patient level using an artificial neural network (ANN) system. The ANN model was built using data from 402 consecutive patients with ACHBLF. It was trained to predict 3‐month mortality by the data of 280 patients and validated by the remaining 122 patients. The area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) was calculated for ANN and MELD‐based scoring systems. The following variables age (P < 0.001), prothrombin activity (P < 0.001), serum sodium (P < 0.001), total bilirubin (P = 0.015), hepatitis B e antigen positivity rate (P < 0.001) and haemoglobin (P < 0.001) were significantly related to the prognosis of ACHBLF and were selected to build the ANN. The ANN performed significantly better than MELD‐based scoring systems both in the training cohort (AUROC = 0.869 vs 0.667, 0.591, 0.643, 0.571 and 0.577; P < 0.001, respectively) and in the validation cohort (AUROC = 0.765 vs 0.599, 0.563, 0.601, 0.521 and 0.540; P ≤ 0.006, respectively). Thus, the ANN model was shown to be more accurate in predicting 3‐month mortality of ACHBLF than MELD‐based scoring systems.
Identification of the mutation responsible for resistance to QoI fungicides and its detection in Ascochyta rabiei (teleomorph Didymella rabiei)
Authors: Delgado J. A. , Lynnes T. C. , Meinhardt S. W. , Wise K. A. , Gudmestad N. C. , Bradley C. A. , Markell S. G. , Goswami R. S. 
Published: August 2012

This study characterized a fragment of the cytochrome b gene from Ascochyta rabiei isolates collected in North Dakota, USA, that varied in sensitivity to quinone‐outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides. The sequenced genomic DNA fragment contained a group I intron immediately after codon 131. The size of the cytochrome b gene was estimated to be over 4·6 kb. Multiple alignment analysis of cDNA and protein sequences revealed a mutation that changed the codon for amino acid 143 from GGT to GCT, introducing an amino acid substitution from glycine to alanine (G143A), which is frequently associated with QoI resistance. Based on this mutation, a diagnostic PCR assay was developed using an approach called mismatch amplification mutation assay. This method was successfully validated by testing a total of 70 A. rabiei isolates, of which 38 isolates were found to be QoI‐resistant. This fast and accurate PCR assay provides a very useful and simple screening method for QoI resistance in A. rabiei isolates.
Virulence of ‘Dickeya solani’ and Dickeya dianthicola biovar‐1 and ‐7 strains on potato (Solanum tuberosum)
Authors: Czajkowski R. , de Boer W. J. , van der Zouwen P. S. , Kastelein P. , Jafra S. , de Haan E. G. , van den Bovenkamp G. W. , van der Wolf J. M. 
Published: August 2012

Studies were conducted to explain the relative success of ‘Dickeya solani’, a genetic clade of Dickeya biovar 3 and a blackleg‐causing organism that, after recent introduction, has spread rapidly in seed potato production in Europe to the extent that it is now more frequently detected than D. dianthicola. In vitro experiments showed that both species were motile, had comparable siderophore production and pectinolytic activity, and that there was no antagonism between them when growing. Both ‘D. solani’ and biovar 1 and biovar 7 of D. dianthicola rotted tuber tissue when inoculated at a low density of 103 CFU mL−1. In an agar overlay assay, D. dianthicola was susceptible to 80% of saprophytic bacteria isolated from tuber extracts, whereas ‘D. solani’ was susceptible to only 31%, suggesting that ‘D. solani’ could be a stronger competitor in the potato ecosystem. In greenhouse experiments at high temperatures (28°C), roots were more rapidly colonized by ‘D. solani’ than by biovar 1 or 7 of D. dianthicola and at 30 days after inoculation higher densities of ‘D. solani’ were found in stolons and progeny tubers. In co‐inoculated plants, fluorescent protein (GFP or DsRed)‐tagged ‘D. solani’ outcompeted D. dianthicola in plants grown from vacuum‐infiltrated tubers. In 3 years of field studies in the Netherlands with D. dianthicola and ‘D. solani’, disease incidence varied greatly annually and with strain. In summary, ‘D. solani’ possesses features which allow more efficient plant colonization than D. dianthicola at high temperatures. In temperate climates, however, tuber infections with ‘D. solani’ will not necessarily result in a higher disease incidence than infections with D. dianthicola, but latent seed infection could be more prevalent.
An interglacial on snowball Earth? Dynamic ice behaviour revealed in the Chuos Formation, Namibia
Authors: LE HERON DANIEL P. , BUSFIELD MARIE E. , KAMONA FRED 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe Sturtian is the oldest (ca 716 Ma) of three pan‐global glaciations in the Cryogenian. At Omutirapo, in northern Namibia, a 2 km wide, 400 m deep palaeovalley is filled by glaciogenic strata of the Chuos Formation, which represents the Sturtian glacial record. Sedimentary logging of an exceptionally high‐quality exposure permits detailed stratigraphic descriptions and interpretations, allowing two glacial cycles to be identified. At the base of the exposed succession, strong evidence supporting glaciation includes diamictites, ice‐rafted dropstones and intensely sheared zones of interpreted subglacial origin. These facies collectively represent ice‐proximal to ice‐rafted deposits. Upsection, dropstone‐free mudstones in the middle of the succession, and the absence of diamictites, imply sedimentation free from glacial influence. However, the reappearance of glacial deposits above indicates a phase of Sturtian glacial re‐advance. Comparison with age‐equivalent strata in South Australia, where evidence for sea‐ice free sedimentation has been established previously, suggests that a Sturtian interglacial may have been extensive, implying global‐scale waxing and waning of ice sheets during a Cryogenian glacial event.
Jasmonoyl‐l‐isoleucine hydrolase 1 (JIH1) regulates jasmonoyl‐l‐isoleucine levels and attenuates plant defenses against herbivores
Authors: Woldemariam Melkamu G. , Onkokesung Nawaporn , Baldwin Ian T. , Galis Ivan 
Published: August 2012

SummaryFor most plant hormones, biological activity is suppressed by reversible conjugation to sugars, amino acids and other small molecules. In contrast, the conjugation of jasmonic acid (JA) to isoleucine (Ile) is known to enhance the activity of JA. Whereas hydroxylation and carboxylation of JA‐Ile permanently inactivates JA‐Ile‐mediated signaling in plants, the alternative deactivation pathway of JA‐Ile by its direct hydrolysis to JA remains unstudied. We show that Nicotiana attenuata jasmonoyl‐l‐isoleucine hydrolase 1 (JIH1), a close homologue of previously characterized indoleacetic acid alanine resistant 3 (IAR3) gene in Arabidopsis, hydrolyzes both JA‐Ile and IAA‐Ala in vitro. When the herbivory‐inducible NaJIH1 gene was silenced by RNA interference, JA‐Ile levels increased dramatically after simulated herbivory in irJIH1, compared with wild‐type (WT) plants. When specialist (Manduca sexta) or generalist (Spodoptera littoralis) herbivores fed on irJIH1 plants they gained significantly less mass compared with those feeding on wild‐type (WT) plants. The poor larval performance was strongly correlated with the higher accumulation of several JA‐Ile‐dependent direct defense metabolites in irJIH1 plants. In the field, irJIH1 plants attracted substantially more Geocoris predators to the experimentally attached M. sexta eggs on their leaves, compared with empty vector plants, which correlated with higher herbivory‐elicited emissions of volatiles known to function as indirect defenses. We conclude that NaJIH1 encodes a new homeostatic step in JA metabolism that, together with JA and JA‐Ile‐hydroxylation and carboxylation of JA‐Ile, rapidly attenuates the JA‐Ile burst, allowing plants to tailor the expression of direct and indirect defenses against herbivore attack in nature.
Cannabidiol inhibits the reward‐facilitating effect of morphine: involvement of 5‐HT1A receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus
Authors: Katsidoni Vicky , Anagnostou Ilektra , Panagis George 
Published: August 2012

AbstractCannabidiol is a non‐psychotomimetic constituent of Cannabis sativa, which induces central effects in rodents. It has been shown that cannabidiol attenuates cue‐induced reinstatement of heroin seeking. However, to the best of our knowledge, its effects on brain stimulation reward and the reward‐facilitating effects of drugs of abuse have not yet been examined. Therefore, we investigated the effects of cannabidiol on brain reward function and on the reward‐facilitating effect of morphine and cocaine using the intracranial self‐stimulation (ICSS) paradigm. Rats were prepared with a stimulating electrode into the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), and a guide cannula into the dorsal raphe (microinjection experiments), and were trained to respond for electrical brain stimulation. A low dose of cannabidiol did not affect the reinforcing efficacy of brain stimulation, whereas higher doses significantly elevated the threshold frequency required for MFB ICSS. Both cocaine and morphine lowered ICSS thresholds. Cannabidiol inhibited the reward‐facilitating effect of morphine, but not cocaine. This effect was reversed by pre‐treatment with an intra‐dorsal raphe injection of the selective 5‐HT1A receptor antagonist WAY‐100635. The present findings indicate that cannabidiol does not exhibit reinforcing properties in the ICSS paradigm at any of the doses tested, while it decreases the reward‐facilitating effects of morphine. These effects were mediated by activation of 5‐HT1A receptors in the dorsal raphe. Our results suggest that cannabidiol interferes with brain reward mechanisms responsible for the expression of the acute reinforcing properties of opioids, thus indicating that cannabidiol may be clinically useful in attenuating the rewarding effects of opioids.
Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells modulate T‐cell phenotypes in allergic rhinitis
Authors: Fu Q. L. , Chow Y. Y. , Sun S. J. , Zeng Q. X. , Li H. B. , Shi J. B. , Sun Y. Q. , Wen W. , Tse H. F. , Lian Q. , Xu G. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackgroundHuman induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) possess remarkable self‐renewal capacity and the potential to differentiate into novel cell types, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). iPSC‐MSCs have been shown to enhance tissue regeneration and attenuate tissue ischaemia; however, their contribution to the immune regulation of Th2‐skewed allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma remains unclear.ObjectiveThis study compared the immunomodulatory effects of iPSC‐MSCs and bone marrow‐derived MSCs (BM‐MSCs) on lymphocyte proliferation, T‐cell phenotypes and cytokine production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with AR, and investigated the possible molecular mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory properties of iPSC‐MSCs.MethodsIn co‐cultures of PBMCs with iPSC‐MSCs or BM‐MSCs, lymphocyte proliferation was evaluated using 3H‐thymidine (3H‐TdR) uptake, carboxyfluorescein diacetate, succinimidyl ester (CFDA‐SE) assays; the regulatory T‐cell (Treg) phenotype was determined by flow cytometry, and cytokine levels were measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The immunomodulatory properties of both MSCs were further evaluated using NS398 and transwell experiments.ResultsSimilar to BM‐MSCs, we determined that iPSC‐MSCs significantly inhibit lymphocyte proliferation and promote Treg response in PBMCs (P < 0.05). Accordingly, the cytokine milieu (IFN‐γ, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐10 and IL‐13) in the supernatants of PBMCs changed significantly (P < 0.05). The immunomodulatory properties of iPSC‐MSCs and BM‐MSCs were associated with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and cell–cell contact.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that iPSC‐MSCs are capable of modulating T‐cell phenotypes towards Th2 suppression through inducing Treg expansion, suggesting that iPSC‐MSCs can be used as an alternative candidate to adult MSCs to treat allergic airway diseases.
Bosentan in heart transplantation candidates with severe pulmonary hypertension: efficacy, safety and outcome after transplantation
Authors: Perez‐Villa Felix , Farrero Marta , Cardona Montse , Castel Maria Angeles , Tatjer Irene , Penela Diego , Vallejos Isabel 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackgroundIncreased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is associated with increased right ventricular failure and mortality after heart transplantation.MethodsIn this prospective study, 22 patients considered high‐risk candidates for heart transplantation because of severe pulmonary hypertension (PVR = 6 ± 2 Wood units; transpulmonary gradient 22 ± 7 mmHg), received bosentan 125 mg bid. Right heart catheterization was repeated after four months (n = 22) and 12 months (n = 9). Eleven patients who declined participation in the study were considered as control group.ResultsAfter four months, PVR decreased by 38% in patients receiving bosentan (n = 22), while it increased by 25% in the control group (p = 0.001). Those patients who received bosentan for 12 months (n = 9), experienced a 60% reduction in PVR compared to baseline (p = 0.003). Only three patients (14%) had no hemodynamic improvement with bosentan. After bosentan therapy, 14 patients (64%) underwent heart transplantation. Patients with high PVR who received bosentan showed a trend toward better one‐yr survival after transplantation than patients with PVR ≤ 2.5 Wood units transplanted in the same period of time (93% vs. 83%).ConclusionsIn patients considered high‐risk candidates for heart transplantation because of high PVR, therapy with bosentan is associated with a significant reduction in PVR and a good outcome after transplantation.
Evaluation of sequence‐specific priming and real‐time polymerase chain reaction assays for detecting HLA‐B*51 alleles confirmed by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Park Y. , Kim Y. S. , Kim S. I. , Kim H. , Kim H. S. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐B*51 genotype is one of the well‐known genetic factors associated with the development of Behcet's disease. We evaluated three sequence‐specific priming (SSP) assays and one real‐time PCR assay for detecting HLA‐B*51 alleles using 93 whole blood samples, which were genotyped by high‐resolution sequence‐based typing (SBT). All HLA‐B*51 alleles determined by SBT were detected by the four evaluated assays, and the results for all HLA‐B alleles other than HLA‐B*51 were negative on all assays. Thus, all HLA‐B51 tests showed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for detecting HLA‐B*51 alleles. The three SSP assays and the real‐time PCR test for HLA‐B*51 genotyping are simple, but reliable for detecting HLA‐B*51 alleles in clinical laboratories.
Neutropenic enterocolitis after high‐dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation: incidence, risk factors, and outcome
Authors: Gil L. , Poplawski D. , Mol A. , Nowicki A. , Schneider A. , Komarnicki M. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackgroundNeutropenic enterocolitis (NE) is a life‐threatening complication occurring after intensive chemotherapy; however, no data are available on NE development after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT). The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of NE after high‐dose chemotherapy and autologous SCT (autoSCT).MethodsA total of 297 adult patients who qualified for autoSCT with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, and acute myeloid leukemia were analyzed. Patients were conditioned with carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan (BEAM); melphalan alone; or busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BuCy2), and transplanted with peripheral blood or bone marrow CD34+ cells. Diagnosis of NE was established in case of neutropenic fever, abdominal pain or diarrhea, and bowel wall thickening >4 mm on abdominal sonography.ResultsNeutropenic infections occurred in 262 patients (88%). NE was diagnosed in 32 patients (12%), a median +3 (1‐5) days after SCT. Bloodstream infections were present in 18 patients, with gram‐negative bacteria in 11 patients. All patients were treated conservatively with carbapenems and total parenteral nutrition with bowel rest. The course of disease was complicated by ileus or septic shock in 9 patients, and was fatal for 3 (9.6%) patients. In univariate analysis, the initial diagnosis of NHL (P = 0.017) and conditioning with BEAM (P = 0.043) had prognostic value. In multivariate analysis, only initial diagnosis of NHL (P = 0.017) had prognostic significance.ConclusionsNE is a rare but severe complication in patients undergoing autoSCT. Gram‐negative bacteria remain the main causative pathogen. Abdominal sonography allows early diagnosis and treatment, effective in most of patients without surgery. In our analysis, NE was seen more often in NHL patients treated with a BEAM regimen.
Randomized controlled trial for endoscopy with propofol versus midazolam on psychometric tests and critical flicker frequency in people with cirrhosis
Authors: Agrawal Amit , Sharma Barjesh Chander , Sharma Praveen , Uppal Rajiv , Sarin Shiv Kumar 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackground and AimPeople with cirrhosis are at increased risk of development of complications related to sedation. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of sedation for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) with propofol and midazolam on psychometric tests and critical flicker frequency (CFF) in people with cirrhosis.MethodsA total of 127 people with cirrhosis were randomized into three groups: propofol group (n = 40), midazolam group (n = 42) and no sedation (n = 45). All patients underwent CFF test and combination of psychometry (number connection test‐A and B [NCT‐A,B]; digit symbol test [DST], line tracing test [LTT] and serial dotting test [SDT]) at baseline and at 2 h post‐endoscopy. CFF was done at 30 min and repeated every 30 min for 2 h.ResultsIn the propofol group there was no deterioration in psychometry (NCT‐A [55.6 ± 18.7 vs 56.4 ± 19.0 s], NCT‐B [98.2 ± 35.1 vs 97.8 ± 34.6 s], DST [26.7 ± 5.7 vs 26.3 ± 5.3], LTT [112.9 ± 35.7 vs 113.7 ± 36.6 s], SDT [94.6 ± 34.1 vs 95.2 ± 34.5 s]). Significant deterioration from baseline (39.8 ± 2.9 Hz) was seen in CFF at 30 min (38.8 ± 2.3 Hz) and 1 h (39.2 ± 2.4 Hz), P = 0.01 but no difference thereafter. In the midazolam group, significant deterioration was observed on psychometry (NCT‐A [56.0 ± 18.5 vs 60.4 ± 19.8 s], NCT‐B [99.9 ± 29.1 vs 105.9.6 ± 30.3 s], DST [26.1 ± 4.7 vs 25.2 ± 4.3], LTT [129.1 ± 34.5 vs 132.9 ± 35.4 s], SDT [95.6 ± 34.2]). No deterioration was observed in psychometry and CFF in people with cirrhosis without sedation.ConclusionsPropofol sedation for UGIE was associated with earlier recovery compared with midazolam, which causes deterioration of psychometric tests and CFF for a longer time in comparison with propofol.
Anesthetic considerations for rapid‐onset obesity, hypoventilation, hypothalamic dysfunction, and autonomic dysfunction (ROHHAD) syndrome in children
Authors: Chandrakantan Arvind , Poulton Thomas J. 
Published: August 2012

SummaryRapid‐onset obesity, hypoventilation, hypothalamic dysfunction, and autonomic dysfunction is an increasingly common diagnosis in patients who are being seen at tertiary care children’s hospitals. We present two cases of anesthetics from the authors’ own experience in addition to a comprehensive review of the disorder and anesthetic implications.
Biocontrol of tomato wilt disease by Bacillus subtilis isolates from natural environments depends on conserved genes mediating biofilm formation
Authors: Chen Yun , Yan Fang , Chai Yunrong , Liu Hongxia , Kolter Roberto , Losick Richard , Guo Jian‐hua 
Published: August 2012

SummaryBacillus subtilis and other Bacilli have long been used as biological control agents against plant bacterial diseases but the mechanisms by which the bacteria confer protection are not well understood. Our goal in this study was to isolate strains of B. subtilis that exhibit high levels of biocontrol efficacy from natural environments and to investigate the mechanisms by which these strains confer plant protection. We screened a total of 60 isolates collected from various locations across China and obtained six strains that exhibited above 50% biocontrol efficacy on tomato plants against the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum under greenhouse conditions. These wild strains were able to form robust biofilms both in defined medium and on tomato plant roots and exhibited strong antagonistic activities against various plant pathogens in plate assays. We show that plant protection by those strains depended on widely conserved genes required for biofilm formation, including regulatory genes and genes for matrix production. We provide evidence suggesting that matrix production is critical for bacterial colonization on plant root surfaces. Finally, we have established a model system for studies of B. subtilis–tomato plant interactions in protection against a plant pathogen.
ParI, an orphan ParA family protein from Pseudomonas putida KT2440‐specific genomic island, interferes with the partition system of IncP‐7 plasmids
Authors: Miyakoshi Masatoshi , Shintani Masaki , Inoue Kei , Terabayashi Tsuguno , Sai Fumiya , Ohkuma Moriya , Nojiri Hideaki , Nagata Yuji , Tsuda Masataka 
Published: August 2012

SummaryPseudomonas putida KT2440 is an ideal soil bacterium for expanding the range of degradable compounds via the recruitment of various catabolic plasmids. In the course of our investigation of the host range of IncP‐7 catabolic plasmids pCAR1, pDK1 and pWW53, we found that the IncP‐7 miniplasmids composed of replication and partition loci were exceptionally unstable in KT2440, which is the authentic host of the archetypal IncP‐9 plasmid pWW0. This study identified ParI, a homologue of ParA family of plasmid partitioning proteins encoded on the KT2440‐specific cryptic genomic island, as a negative host factor for the maintenance of IncP‐7 plasmids. The miniplasmids were destabilized by ectopic expression of ParI, and the loss rate correlated with the copy number of ParB binding sites in the centromeric parS region. Mutations in the conserved ATPase domains of ParI abolished destabilization of miniplasmids. Furthermore, ParI destabilized miniplasmid derivatives carrying the partition‐deficient parA mutations but failed to impact the stability of miniplasmid derivatives with parB mutations in the putative arginine finger. Altogether, these results indicate that ParI interferes with the IncP‐7 plasmid partition system. This study extends canonical partition‐mediated incompatibility of plasmids beyond heterogeneous mobile genetic elements, namely incompatibility between plasmid and genomic island.