bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide and Organ-Specific Landscapes of Epigenetic Modifications and Their Relationships to mRNA and Small RNA Transcriptomes in Maize
Authors: Wang Xiangfeng , Elling Axel A. , Li Xueyong , Li Ning , Peng Zhiyu , He Guangming , Sun Hui , Qi Yijun , Liu X. Shirley , Deng Xing Wang 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Maize (Zea mays) has an exceptionally complex genome with a rich history in both epigenetics and evolution. We report genomic landscapes of representative epigenetic modifications and their relationships to mRNA and small RNA (smRNA) transcriptomes in maize shoots and roots. The epigenetic patterns differed dramatically between genes and transposable elements, and two repressive marks (H3K27me3 and DNA methylation) were usually mutually exclusive. We found an organ-specific distribution of canonical microRNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), indicative of their tissue-specific biogenesis. Furthermore, we observed that a decreasing level of mop1 led to a concomitant decrease of 24-nucleotide siRNAs relative to 21-nucleotide miRNAs in a tissue-specific manner. A group of 22-nucleotide siRNAs may originate from long-hairpin double-stranded RNAs and preferentially target gene-coding regions. Additionally, a class of miRNA-like smRNAs, whose putative precursors can form short hairpins, potentially targets genes in trans. In summary, our data provide a critical analysis of the maize epigenome and its relationships to mRNA and smRNA transcriptomes.
Autosomal recessive type 2 pseudoxanthoma elasticum presenting with generalized skin laxity
Authors: LEE Woo Jin , BAK Hana , CHANG Sung Eun , LEE Mi Woo , CHOI Jee Ho , MOON Kee Chan , KOH Jai Kyoung 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTHerein, we describe a sporadic case of recessive type 2 pseudoxanthoma elasticum. A 26‐year‐old woman without family history presented with cutis laxa‐like marked wrinkling involving the whole‐body and a serpiginous streak on the upper left arm. She denied any other systemic problems related to difficulty with visual acuity or vascular disease. A skin biopsy specimen from the loose skin showed the accumulation of calcified degenerated elastic fibers and foci of ossification in the dermis. Histopathological study from a serpiginous streak revealed mineralized debris that was eliminated through the epidermis, the finding consistent with elastosis perforans serpiginosa. Recessive type 2 pseudoxanthoma elasticum is very rare and the presenting case is interesting in that this patient presented with lesions of secondary ossification and elastosis perforans serpiginosa in association with pseudoxanthoma elasticum.
Two cases of pyodermatitis‐pyostomatitis vegetans
Authors: KO Hyun‐Chang , JUNG Do‐Sang , JWA Seung‐Wook , CHO Hyun‐Ho , KIM Byung‐Soo , KWON Kyung‐Sool , KIM Moon‐Bum 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTPyodermatitis‐pyostomatitis vegetans (PPV) is a rare chronic pustular and vegetating mucocutaneous dermatosis. The oral lesions present as multiple, friable and yellowish pustules, which form “snail tracts” and rupture easily. The cutaneous lesions begin as crusted erythematous papulopustules that coalesce to form large vegetating plaques, usually in the axillae, genital area and scalp. Cutaneous lesions usually develop at the same time as the oral lesions or thereafter. PPV is usually considered as a specific marker for inflammatory bowel disease since the concurrence of PPV and inflammatory bowel disease has been reported in approximately 70% of cases. We report two patients who showed typical clinical and histopathological features of PPV, but were not accompanied by inflammatory bowel disease.
Necrotizing fasciitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: YAMASHIRO Etsuko , ASATO Yutaka , TAIRA Kiyohito , AWAZAWA Ryoko , YAMAMOTO Yu‐ichi , HAGIWARA Keisuke , TAMAKI Hajime , UEZATO Hiroshi 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTA 69‐year‐old woman presented with shivering and pain in the lower extremities on 5 April 2006; she was referred to the dermatology division of our hospital on the following day with difficulty in walking. She had been suffering from non‐viral, non‐alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and was being treated by the Division of Internal Medicine. Physical examination showed edema in the lower extremities and light purpuras on the groin and legs. Low blood pressure had been observed since admission. Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) was suspected on the basis of the skin symptoms, systemic conditions, and magnetic resonance imaging. During surgical debridement under general anesthesia, cardiopulmonary arrest occurred, and the patient died 12 h after admission. NF, in its early stages, exhibits few skin changes. In order to differentiate it from other skin infections, it is necessary to take into account blood pressure, abnormal systemic conditions, and severe pain out of proportion to its minor skin changes. In the present case, Streptococcus pneumoniae was detected by blood culture. Soft tissue infectious diseases caused by S. pneumoniae, especially NF, are very rare. We have reviewed reported cases of NF caused by S. pneumoniae.
Safety of hookworm infection in individuals with measurable airway responsiveness: a randomized placebo‐controlled feasibility study
Authors: Feary J. , Venn A. , Brown A. , Hooi D. , Falcone F. H. , Mortimer K. , Pritchard D. I. , Britton J. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryBackground
Epidemiological evidence suggests that hookworm infection protects against asthma. However, for ethical and safety reasons, before testing this hypothesis in a clinical trial in asthma it is necessary to establish whether experimental hookworm infection might exacerbate airway responsiveness during larval lung migration.Objective
To determine whether hookworm larval migration through the lungs increases airway responsiveness in allergic individuals with measurable airway responsiveness but not clinical asthma, and investigate the general tolerability of infection and effect on allergic symptoms.Methods
Thirty individuals with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and measurable airway responsiveness to adenosine monophosphate (AMP) but not clinically diagnosed asthma were randomized, double‐blind to cutaneous administration of either 10 hookworm larvae or histamine placebo, and followed for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the maximum fall from baseline in provocative dose of inhaled AMP required to reduce 1‐s forced expiratory volume by 10% (PD10AMP) measured at any time over the 4 weeks after active or placebo infection. Secondary outcomes included peak flow variability in the 4 weeks after infection, rhinoconjunctivitis symptom severity and adverse effect diary scores over the 12‐week study period, and change in allergen skin test responses between baseline and 12 weeks.Results
Mean maximum change in PD10AMP from baseline was slightly but not significantly greater in the hookworm than the placebo group (−1.67 and −1.16 doubling doses; mean difference −0.51, 95% confidence interval −1.80 to 0.78, P=0.42). Symptom scores of potential adverse effects were more commonly reported in the hookworm group, but infection was generally well tolerated. There were no significant differences in peak‐flow variability, rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms or skin test responses between groups.Conclusion
Hookworm infection did not cause clinically significant exacerbation of airway responsiveness and was well tolerated. Suitably powered trials are now indicated to determine the clinical effectiveness of hookworm infection in allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma.
EHD2 inhibits ligand‐induced endocytosis and signaling of the leucine‐rich repeat receptor‐like protein LeEix2
Authors: Bar Maya , Avni Adi 
Published: April 2009

SummaryPlants are constantly being challenged by aspiring pathogens. In order to protect themselves, plants have developed numerous defense mechanisms that are either specific or non‐specific to the pathogen. Pattern recognition receptors can trigger plant defense responses in response to specific ligands or patterns. EIX (ethylene‐inducing xylanase) triggers a defense response via the LeEix2 receptor, while bacterial flagellin triggers plant innate immunity via the FLS2 receptor. Endocytosis has been suggested to be crucial for the process in both cases. Here we show that the EIX elicitor triggers internalization of the LeEix2 receptor. Treatment with endocytosis, actin or microtubule inhibitors greatly reduced the internalization of LeEix2. Additionally, we demonstrate that plant EHD2 binds to LeEix2 and is an important factor in its internalization and in regulation of the induction of defense responses such as the hypersensitive response, ethylene biosynthesis and induction of pathogenesis‐related protein expression in the case of EIX/LeEix2 (an LRR receptor lacking a kinase domain), but does not appear to be involved in the FLS2 system (an LRR receptor possessing a kinase domain). Our results suggest that various endocytosis pathways are involved in the induction of plant defense responses.
The poorest of the poor: a poverty appraisal of households affected by visceral leishmaniasis in Bihar, India
Authors: Boelaert M. , Meheus F. , Sanchez A. , Singh S. P. , Vanlerberghe V. , Picado A. , Meessen B. , Sundar S. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryObjective  To provide data about wealth distribution in visceral leishmanisis (VL)‐affected communities compared to that of the general population of Bihar State, India.Methods  After extensive disease risk mapping, 16 clusters with high VL transmission were selected in Bihar. An exhaustive census of all households in the clusters was conducted and socio‐economic household characteristics were documented by questionnaire. Data on the general Bihar population taken from the National Family Health Survey of India were used for comparison. An asset index was developed based on Principal Components Analysis and the distribution of this asset index for the VL communities was compared with that of the general population of Bihar.Results  83% of households in communities with high VL attack rates belonged to the two lowest quintiles of the Bihar wealth distribution. All socio‐economic indicators showed significantly lower wealth for those households.Conclusion  Visceral leishmanisis clearly affects the poorest of the poor in India. They are most vulnerable, as this vector‐born disease is linked to poor housing and unhealthy habitats. The disease leads the affected households to more destitution because of its impact on household income and wealth. Support for the present VL elimination initiative is important in the fight against poverty.
Record of Eldana saccharina Walker (Lep, Pyralidae) in inland South Africa and its genetic relationship with the coastal population
Authors: Assefa Y. , Van den Berg J. , Mitchell A. , Le Rü B. P. , Conlong D. E. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractSurveys to investigate the distribution and abundance of stem borers in natural habitats were conducted in February 2006 and January–February 2007. The surveys included eastern, northern and central parts of South Africa as well as three localities in Lesotho. During the surveys, Eldana saccharina Walker was recovered from three new localities in inland South Africa and two new indigenous hosts, Phragmites australis Cav. and Panicum maximum Jacq. from Boskop in the North‐West Province and Oribi Gorge in KwaZulu‐Natal respectively. Populations of E. saccharina in different parts of Africa are known for their differences in larval feeding behaviours, host plant choice and natural enemies. It is important to understand the origin of the newly recovered population for prevention of incursion and efficient management in case it invades crops. Molecular analysis indicated that the populations recovered in these new locations and from the new host plants are part of the southern African population of E. saccharina. With change in climate, and disturbance in wetlands the insect is expected in the future to be more abundant and problematic in inland areas of southern Africa.
Effects of food and temperature on development, fecundity and life‐table parameters of Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: Jalali M. A. , Tirry L. , De Clercq P. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractDevelopment, reproduction and life tables of Adalia bipunctata (L.) were studied at three temperatures (19, 23 and 27°C) on a mixture of frozen pollen and Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs as a factitious food and on the aphids Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) as natural foods. Development time of A. bipunctata on all tested diets decreased with increasing temperature. Mortality was lowest at 23°C, averaging 44.5%, 42.6% and 24.3% on factitious food, A. pisum and M. persicae respectively. The shortest developmental time from egg to adult at this temperature was observed on factitious food (18.55 days). However, the factitious food was inferior to the aphid diets in terms of reproduction, yielding the longest pre‐oviposition period, shortest oviposition period and lowest fecundity. The mean oviposition rate at 23°C varied from 19.94 to 25.03 eggs day−1 on factitious food and M. persicae respectively. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) on different foods increased with increasing temperature and ranged from a minimum of 0.08 females/female/day on factitious food (19°C) to a maximum of 0.18 females/female/day on A. pisum (27°C). The results suggest that a mixture of E. kuehniella eggs and pollen fully support development of A. bipunctata larvae and can be used as an alternative to live aphids in the mass rearing of the pre‐imaginal stages of the predator. However, reproductive performance of a laboratory population may be better on aphids than on the factitious food.
Susceptibility of different life stages of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, to entomopathogenic fungi
Authors: Daniel C. , Wyss E. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe effects of six fungus isolates on the mortality of different life stages of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), were assessed in a series of laboratory experiments to find an isolate suitable for biological control. In a first step, the effects of fungus treatments on mortality, mycosis and fecundity of adult flies at a concentration of 107 conidia/ml were evaluated. All fungus isolates caused mycosis but virulence varied considerably among the isolates. Beauveria bassiana and Isaria fumosorosea caused 90–100% mortality and had the strongest influence on fecundity. Metarhizium anisopliae also induced high rates of mortality, while the pathogenicity of Isaria farinosa was low. The effects of lower conidia concentrations and the influence of the age of flies were assessed in a second step. Higher conidia concentrations generally resulted in a higher mortality. B. bassiana was most efficient at low concentrations. Young flies showed lower mortality rates than older flies but, sub‐lethal effects on eclosion rate of eggs were greater in younger flies. Finally, the effects on L3 larvae were tested: none of the fungus isolates induced mortality in more than 25% of larvae. As L3 larvae and pupae are not susceptible to fungus infection, field control of R. cerasi should be focused on adult flies.
Tuning the excitability of midbrain dopamine neurons by modulating the Ca2+ sensitivity of SK channels
Authors: Ji Huifang , Hougaard Charlotte , Herrik Kjartan Frisch , Strøbæk Dorte , Christophersen Palle , Shepard Paul D. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractSmall conductance Ca2+ ‐activated K+ (SK) channels play a prominent role in modulating the spontaneous activity of dopamine (DA) neurons as well as their response to synaptically‐released glutamate. SK channel gating is dependent on Ca2+ binding to constitutively bound calmodulin, which itself is subject to endogenous and exogenous modulation. In the present study, patch‐clamp recording techniques were used to examine the relationship between the apparent Ca2+ affinity of cloned SK3 channels expressed in cultured human embryonic kidney 293 cells and the excitability of DA neurons in slices from rat substantia nigra using the positive and negative SK channel modulators, 6,7‐dichloro‐1H‐indole‐2,3‐dione‐3‐oxime and R‐N‐(benzimidazol‐2‐yl)‐1,2,3,4‐tetrohydro‐1‐naphtylamine. Increasing the apparent Ca2+ affinity of SK channels decreased the responsiveness of DA neurons to depolarizing current pulses, enhanced spike frequency adaptation and slowed spontaneous firing, effects attributable to an increase in the amplitude and duration of an apamin‐sensitive afterhyperpolarization. In contrast, decreasing the apparent Ca2+ affinity of SK channels enhanced DA neuronal excitability and changed the firing pattern from a pacemaker to an irregular or bursting discharge. Both the reduction in apparent Ca2+ affinity and the bursting associated with negative SK channel modulation were gradually surmounted by co‐application of the positive SK channel modulator. These results underscore the importance of SK channels in ‘tuning’ the excitability of DA neurons and demonstrate that gating modulation, in a manner analogous to physiological regulation of SK channels in vivo, represents a means of altering the response of DA neurons to membrane depolarization.
Marginal Effects for Competing Risks Models with Piecewise Constant Hazards*
Authors: Kyyrä Tomi 
Published: April 2009

AbstractIn the competing risks context, the effect of a covariate on the hazard function for a particular cause may be very different from its effect on the likelihood of exiting due to that cause. The latter probability is a function of all cause‐specific hazards, and thereby potentially affected by indirect effects via hazards for competing causes. We consider the effects of covariates on the cumulative probability of exiting from a particular cause. These ‘marginal effects’ are decomposed into direct effects via the hazard of interest and indirect effects via the hazards for competing causes. For the piecewise constant hazard specification we derive simple closed‐form expressions for the marginal effects that can be computed from the standard hazard function estimates. An empirical application illustrates that the marginal effects provide a useful and coherent way of summarizing the results of competing risks analysis.
Monitoring population productivity in the saiga antelope
Authors: Kühl A. , Mysterud A. , Grachev Iu. A. , Bekenov A. B. , Ubushaev B. S. , Lushchekina A. A. , Milner‐Gulland E. J. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractEffective conservation requires a good understanding of factors causing variation in population growth rate. We here analyse the relationship between female age and fecundity in the saiga antelope Saiga tatarica tatarica, a critically endangered ungulate of the Eurasian steppes and semideserts, at both individual and population levels. Annual variation in age structure and twinning rates was investigated using long‐term datasets, sampling a total of 3308 females in four populations over more than 40 years. Further, a new non‐invasive method is presented, estimating twinning rates from both calves and placentas encountered during calving aggregation transects. At an individual level, the most parsimonious model for twinning rates included three age classes (1, 2 and ≥3 years); however, the model with only two classes (1 and ≥2 years) was competitive and particularly useful for monitoring because these two age classes can reliably be determined by direct observation in the field. Among yearlings, 77.4% were fecund and 11.7% twinned, whereas among older females 94.6% were fecund and 72.6% twinned. At a population level, annual variation in age structure (proportion ≥2 years) correlated well with annual variation in twinning rate except in the north‐west Pre‐Caspian population. Our results suggest that the recent poaching‐driven collapse in saiga numbers has potentially resulted in reductions in fecundity, which will have an impact on population growth rate. Our results highlight the potential for monitoring of twinning rate using non‐invasive calving aggregation transects as a cost‐effective additional tool to population counts for monitoring the status of this critically endangered species. These monitoring methods are also potentially transferable to other ungulate species.
Genetic Admixture in Brazilians Exposed to Infection with Leishmania chagasi
Authors: Ettinger Nicholas A. , Duggal Priya , Braz Regina F. S. , Nascimento Eliana T. , Beaty Terri H. , Jeronimo Selma M. B. , Pearson Richard D. , Blackwell Jenefer M. , Moreno Lina , Wilson Mary E. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) in northeast Brazil is a disease caused by infection with the protozoan Leishmania chagasi. Infection leads to variable clinical outcomes ranging from asymptomatic infection to potentially fatal disease. Prior studies suggest the genetic background of the host contributes to the development of different outcomes after infection, although it is not known if ancestral background itself influences outcomes. VL is endemic in peri‐urban areas around the city of Natal in northeast Brazil. The population of northeast Brazil is a mixture of distinct racial and ethnic groups. We hypothesized that some sub‐populations may be more susceptible than others to develop different clinical outcomes after L. chagasi infection. Using microsatellite markers, we examined whether admixture of the population as a whole, or markers likely inherited from a distinct ethnic background, differed between individuals with VL, individuals with an asymptomatic infection, or individuals with no infection. There was no apparent significant difference in overall population admixture proportions among the three clinical phenotype groups. However, one marker on Chr. 22 displayed evidence of excess ancestry from putative ancestral populations among different clinical phenotypes, suggesting this region may contain genes determining the course of L. chagasi infection.
SNP Discovery and Haplotype Analysis in the Segmentally Duplicated DRD5 Coding Region
Authors: Housley Donna J. E. , Nikolas Molly , Venta Patrick J. , Jernigan Kathrine A. , Waldman Irwin D. , Nigg Joel T. , Friderici Karen H. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryThe dopamine receptor 5 gene (DRD5) holds much promise as a candidate locus for contributing to neuropsychiatric disorders and other diseases influenced by the dopaminergic system, as well as having potential to affect normal behavioral variation. However, detailed analyses of this gene have been complicated by its location within a segmentally duplicated chromosomal region. Microsatellites and SNPs upstream from the coding region have been used for association studies, but we find, using bioinformatics resources, that these markers all lie within a previously unrecognized second segmental duplication (SD). In order to accurately analyze the DRD5 locus for polymorphisms in the absence of contaminating pseudogene sequences, we developed a fast and reliable method for sequence analysis and genotyping within the DRD5 coding region. We employed restriction enzyme digestion of genomic DNA to eliminate the pseudogenes prior to PCR amplification of the functional gene. This approach allowed us to determine the DRD5 haplotype structure using 31 trios and to reveal additional rare variants in 171 unrelated individuals. We clarify the inconsistencies and errors of the recorded SNPs in dbSNP and HapMap and illustrate the importance of using caution when choosing SNPs in regions of suspected duplications. The simple and relatively inexpensive method presented herein allows for convenient analysis of sequence variation in DRD5 and can be easily adapted to other duplicated genomic regions in order to obtain good quality sequence data.