bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impulsivity in adolescent bipolar disorder
Authors: Gilbert Kirsten E. , Kalmar Jessica H. , Womer Fay Y. , Markovich Philip J. , Pittman Brian , Nolen-Hoeksema Susan , Blumberg Hilary P. 
Published: March 2011

Objective: Increased impulsivity has been shown to be a trait feature of adults with bipolar disorder (BD), yet impulsivity has received little study in adolescents with BD. Thus, it is unknown whether it is a trait feature that is present early in the course of the disorder. We tested the hypotheses that self-reported impulsiveness is increased in adolescents with BD, and that it is present during euthymia, supporting impulsiveness as an early trait feature of the disorder.Methods: Impulsiveness was assessed in 23 adolescents with BD and 23 healthy comparison (HC) adolescents using the self-report measure of impulsivity, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), comprised by attentional, motor and non-planning subscale scores. Effects of subscale scores and associations of scores with mood state and course features were explored.Results: Total and subscale BIS scores were significantly higher in adolescents with BD than HC adolescents. Total, attentional and motor subscale BIS scores were also significantly higher in the subset of adolescents with BD who were euthymic, compared to HC adolescents. Adolescents with BD with rapid-cycling and chronic mood symptoms had significantly higher total and motor subscale BIS scores than adolescents with BD without these course features.Conclusion: These results suggest increased self-reported impulsiveness is a trait feature of adolescents with BD. Elevated impulsivity may be especially prominent in adolescents with rapid-cycling and chronic symptoms.
Pathogenesis of Mycosis fungoides
Authors: Beyer Marc , Möbs Markus , Humme Daniel , Sterry Wolfram 
Published: March 2011

SummaryMycosis fungoides is the most common type of primary cutaneous lymphomas. The phenotype of the tumor cell corresponds to an effector/memory‐type of helper T cell which, given its repertoire of homing receptors, is specialized for recirculation through the skin. In recent years genetic analyses have uncovered various chromosomal aberrations in the tumour cells of mycosis fungoides. Their relevance to the pathogenesis and clinical appearance are discussed in the following.
Dietary lipids from an evolutionary perspective: sources, structures and functions
Authors: German J. Bruce 
Published: March 2011

AbstractLipids are a complex group of biomolecules whose precise functions remain poorly understood. As a result of this poor understanding, it is difficult to make mechanistically based recommendations for appropriate dietary intakes. It is equally difficult to develop methods that are capable of diagnosing functional impairments because of insufficiencies or excesses in particular fatty acids. Lipids are abundant building blocks of cellular membranes, supply components for lipid particle assembly and substrates for metabolic fuel, and provide a precursor pool for an astonishingly diverse range of signalling molecules. In each of these broad functions, the functional consequences of different structures of fatty acids are not fully understood. According to research on membrane functions through early evolution, docosahexaenoic acid provides two biophysical properties to membranes – accelerating the lateral motion of lipids and proteins within the plane of the membrane and simultaneously slowing the rate of diffusion/leakage of charged species across the plane of the membrane. The range of fatty acid structures used as substrates for assembly of either lipoproteins or milk fat globules is broad, yet the functional consequences of differences are not known. Different lipids signal into a remarkable range of biological processes. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids are becoming recognized as signal molecules in their own right. The complex composition of human milk lipids implies that diets with a diversity of fatty acids in complex lipid forms and structures is more beneficial than a narrow range of any particular group of fatty acids.
Inner Speech: Nature and Functions
Authors: Vicente Agustin , Martinez Manrique Fernando 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe very often discover ourselves engaged in inner speech. It seems that this kind of silent, private, speech fulfils some role in our cognition, most probably related to conscious thinking. Yet, the study of inner speech has been neglected by philosophy and psychology alike for many years. However, things seem to have changed in the last two decades. Here we review some of the most influential accounts about the phenomenology and the functions of inner speech, as well as the methodological problems that affect its study.
Arguments by Leibniz’s Law in Metaphysics
Authors: Magidor Ofra 
Published: March 2011

AbstractLeibniz’s Law (or as it sometimes called, ‘the Indiscerniblity of Identicals’) is a widely accepted principle governing the notion of numerical identity. The principle states that if a is identical to b, then any property had by a is also had by b. Leibniz’s Law may seem like a trivial principle, but its apparent consequences are far from trivial. The law has been utilised in a wide range of arguments in metaphysics, many leading to substantive and controversial conclusions. This article discusses the applications of Leibniz’s Law to arguments in metaphysics. It begins by presenting a variety of central arguments in metaphysics which appeal to the law. The article then proceeds to discuss a range of strategies that can be drawn upon in resisting an argument by Leibniz’s Law. These strategies divide into three categories: (i) denying Leibniz’s Law; (ii) denying that the argument in question involves a genuine application of the law; and (iii) denying that the argument’s premises are true. Strategies falling under each of these three categories are discussed in turn.
PURCHASING POWER PARITY WITH RANK TESTS FOR NONLINEAR COINTEGRATION IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES
Authors: Liu Yu‐shao , Su Chi‐wei 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThis study applies nonlinear cointegration to assess exchange rates with the corresponding relative prices and aggregate price levels for 20 African countries. We find that a nonparametric rank test has higher power than parametric testing procedures; a true data‐generating process of exchange rate is in fact a stationary nonlinear process. We examine the validity of purchasing power parity (PPP) from the nonparametric nonlinear point of view and provide robust evidence that clearly indicates PPP holds true for these countries. Hence, the long‐run African countries exchange rate adjustments are in equilibrium with the relevant fundamentals as suggested by the PPP hypothesis in a nonlinear way.
Equine periocular neoplasia: Current concepts in aetiopathogenesis and emerging treatment modalities
Authors: GIULIANO E. A. 
Published: March 2011

SummaryNeoplastic adnexal disease represents one of the most frequently encountered and therapeutically challenging ophthalmic problems of horses. This paper reviews current concepts in equine periocular neoplasia. Specifically, a literature‐based review of the aetiopathogenesis of the most common tumours to affect the equine eyelid (squamous cell carcinoma, sarcoid, melanoma and lymphosarcoma) is provided. Current and emerging treatment modalities, including photodynamic therapy, are reviewed.
Neuro‐ophthalmology: A review
Authors: MAYHEW I. G. JOE 
Published: March 2011

SummaryEvaluation of horses for eye problems and for suspected impairment of visual acuity often requires a thorough neuro‐ophthalmic examination to be conducted. Along with a full ophthalmic evaluation, the results of such an examination should indicate the likely site of any lesion(s) accounting for blindness, miosis, mydriasis, anisocoria, Horner's syndrome, strabismus, facial paralysis and facial spasm, nystagmus and other signs of vestibular disease, and cerebellar disorders, that may be present. Such a thorough examination with guidance for correct interpretation of findings is given here.
Hepatoprotective effects of geniposide in a rat model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Ma Taotao , Huang Cheng , Zong Guojun , Zha Dajun , Meng Xiaoming , Li Jun , Tang Wenjian 
Published: March 2011

Abstract

Objectives
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a metabolic disorder of the liver, may gradually evolve into fibrosis or cirrhosis. Recent studies have suggested that geniposide can effectively inhibit experimental liver fibrosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether geniposide can influence the early phase of fibrogenesis in an animal model of NASH.

Methods
Male Sprague–Dawley rats were given a high fat diet alone or the same diet combined with geniposide at doses of 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg for six weeks. Ten rats received corresponding solvent as a normal control.

Key findings
Treatment with geniposide could improve liver histology through reducing the elevated liver index (liver weight/body weight), serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. Total cholesterol, triglycerides and free fatty acids in serum and liver decreased in geniposide-treated rats. Furthermore, geniposide increased serum insulin levels but reduced serum tumour necrosis factor-α level in high-fat diet rats. In addition, geniposide suppressed expression of CYP2E1 and increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) expression. These benefits may be associated with increased superoxide dismutase and decreased malondialdehyde in liver.

Conclusions
Geniposide exerts protective effects against hepatic steatosis in rats fed with a high fat diet; the underlying mechanism may be associated with its antioxidant actions or regulation of adipocytokine release and expression of PPARα.
Heavy Metal Tolerance of Fe(III)-Reducing Microbial Communities in Contaminated Creek Bank Soils
Authors: Burkhardt Eva-Maria , Bischoff Sebastian , Akob Denise M. , Büchel Georg , Küsel Kirsten 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

Fe(III)-reducing soil enrichment cultures can tolerate 100 μM Cu and Cd, 150 μM Co, 600 μM Ni, and 2,500 μM Zn. Metal-tolerant cultures were dominated by
Geobacter
-related
Deltaproteobacteria
and Gram-positive
Firmicutes
spp.
(Clostridia
and
Sedimentibacter
). A Cd- and Cu-tolerant Fe(III)-reducing coculture of
Desulfosporosinus
and
Desulfitobacterium
indicated the importance of the
Firmicutes
for Fe(III) reduction in the presence of metals.
Real-Time Monitoring of Salmonella enterica in Free-Range Geese
Authors: Christensen L. S. , Josefsen M. H. , Pedersen K. , Christensen J. , Bonnichsen L. , Sørensen G. , Hoorfar J. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

Free-range geese were sampled longitudinally and
Salmonella
isolates characterized to reveal highly diverging colonization dynamics. One flock was intermittently colonized with one strain of
Salmonella enterica
serovar Enteritidis from 2 weeks of age, while in another,
S. enterica
serovar Mbandaka appeared after 9 weeks, without dissemination but with multiple serovars appearing at later stages.
Quantitative Analysis of Histidine Decarboxylase Gene (hdcA) Transcription and Histamine Production by Streptococcus thermophilus PRI60 under Conditions Relevant to Cheese Making
Authors: Rossi Franca , Gardini Fausto , Rizzotti Lucia , La Gioia Federica , Tabanelli Giulia , Torriani Sandra 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the influence of parameters relevant for cheese making on histamine formation by
Streptococcus thermophilus
. Strains possessing a histidine decarboxylase (
hdcA
) gene represented 6% of the dairy isolates screened. The most histaminogenic,
S. thermophilus
PRI60, exhibited in skim milk a high basal level of expression of
hdcA
, upregulation in the presence of free histidine and salt, and repression after thermization. HdcA activity persisted in cell extracts, indicating that histamine might accumulate after cell lysis in cheese.
Diverse Geno- and Phenotypes of Persistent Listeria monocytogenes Isolates from Fermented Meat Sausage Production Facilities in Portugal
Authors: Ferreira V. , Barbosa J. , Stasiewicz M. , Vongkamjan K. , Moreno Switt A. , Hogg T. , Gibbs P. , Teixeira P. , Wiedmann M. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

The persistence of
Listeria monocytogenes
in food-associated environments represents a key factor in transmission of this pathogen. To identify persistent and transient strains associated with production of fermented meat sausages in northern Portugal, 1,723
L. monocytogenes
isolates from raw material and finished products from 11 processors were initially characterized by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), PCR-based molecular serotyping, and epidemic clone characterization, as well as cadmium, arsenic, and tetracycline resistance typing. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing of 240 representative isolates provided evidence for persistence of
L. monocytogenes
for periods of time ranging from 10 to 32 months for all seven processors for which isolates from different production dates were available. Among 50
L. monocytogenes
isolates that included one representative for each PFGE pattern obtained from a given sample, 12 isolates showed reduced invasion efficiency in Caco-2 cells, including 8 isolates with premature stop codons in
inlA
. Among 41 isolates representing sporadic and persistent PFGE types, 22 isolates represented lysogens. Neither strains with reduced invasion nor lysogens were overrepresented among persistent isolates. While the susceptibility of isolates to lysogenic phages also did not correlate with persistence, it appeared to be associated with molecular serotype. Our data show the following. (i) RAPD may not be suitable for analysis of large sets of
L. monocytogenes
isolates. (ii) While a large diversity of
L. monocytogenes
subtypes is found in Portuguese fermented meat sausages, persistence of
L. monocytogenes
in this food chain is common. (iii) Persistent
L. monocytogenes
strains are diverse and do not appear to be characterized by unique genetic or phenotypic characteristics.
The Swarming Motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Is Blocked by Cranberry Proanthocyanidins and Other Tannin-Containing Materials
Authors: O'May Che , Tufenkji Nathalie 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

Bacterial motility plays a key role in the colonization of surfaces by bacteria and the subsequent formation of resistant communities of bacteria called biofilms. Derivatives of cranberry fruit, predominantly condensed tannins called proanthocyanidins (PACs) have been reported to interfere with bacterial adhesion, but the effects of PACs and other tannins on bacterial motilities remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated whether cranberry PAC (CPAC) and the hydrolyzable tannin in pomegranate (PG; punicalagin) affected the levels of motilities exhibited by the bacterium
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. This bacterium utilizes flagellum-mediated swimming motility to approach a surface, attaches, and then further spreads via the surface-associated motilities designated swarming and twitching, mediated by multiple flagella and type IV pili, respectively. Under the conditions tested, both CPAC and PG completely blocked swarming motility but did not block swimming or twitching motilities. Other cranberry-containing materials and extracts of green tea (also rich in tannins) were also able to block or impair swarming motility. Moreover, swarming bacteria were repelled by filter paper discs impregnated with many tannin-containing materials. Growth experiments demonstrated that the majority of these compounds did not impair bacterial growth. When CPAC- or PG-containing medium was supplemented with surfactant (rhamnolipid), swarming motility was partially restored, suggesting that the effective tannins are in part acting by a rhamnolipid-related mechanism. Further support for this theory was provided by demonstrating that the agar surrounding tannin-induced nonswarming bacteria was considerably less hydrophilic than the agar area surrounding swarming bacteria. This is the first study to show that natural compounds containing tannins are able to block
P. aeruginosa
swarming motility and that swarming bacteria are repelled by such compounds.
Substructure within Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Isolates from Australian Wildlife
Authors: Parsons Sandra K. , Bull C. Michael , Gordon David M. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

Multilocus sequence typing of 56
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
strains isolated from Australian wildlife hosts was performed. The results of population assignment algorithms revealed that the 56 strains could be subdivided into two distinct clades. Strains belonging to the two clades were further distinguished phenotypically, genotypically, and with respect to host distribution.
Structure-Function Analysis of Dynein Light Chain 1 Identifies Viable Motility Mutants in Bloodstream-Form Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Ralston Katherine S. , Kisalu Neville K. , Hill Kent L. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

The flagellum of
Trypanosoma brucei
is an essential and multifunctional organelle that is receiving increasing attention as a potential drug target and as a system for studying flagellum biology. RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown is widely used to test the requirement for a protein in flagellar motility and has suggested that normal flagellar motility is essential for viability in bloodstream-form trypanosomes. However, RNAi knockdown alone provides limited functional information because the consequence is often loss of a multiprotein complex. We therefore developed an inducible system that allows functional analysis of point mutations in flagellar proteins in
T. brucei
. Using this system, we identified point mutations in the outer dynein light chain 1 (LC1) that allow stable assembly of outer dynein motors but do not support propulsive motility. In procyclic-form trypanosomes, the phenotype of LC1 mutants with point mutations differs from the motility and structural defects of LC1 knockdowns, which lack the outer-arm dynein motor. Thus, our results distinguish LC1-specific functions from broader functions of outer-arm dynein. In bloodstream-form trypanosomes, LC1 knockdown blocks cell division and is lethal. In contrast, LC1 point mutations cause severe motility defects without affecting viability, indicating that the lethal phenotype of LC1 RNAi knockdown is not due to defective motility. Our results demonstrate for the first time that normal motility is not essential in bloodstream-form
T. brucei
and that the presumed connection between motility and viability is more complex than might be interpreted from knockdown studies alone. These findings open new avenues for dissecting mechanisms of flagellar protein function and provide an important step in efforts to exploit the potential of the flagellum as a therapeutic target in African sleeping sickness.
Identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae Cps2C Residues That Affect Capsular Polysaccharide Polymerization, Cell Wall Ligation, and Cps2D Phosphorylation
Authors: Byrne James P. , Morona Judy K. , Paton James C. , Morona Renato 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

A number of single amino acid substitutions throughout
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Cps2C were found to affect its function and confer either a mucoid or a small colony phenotype. These mutants exhibit significant changes in capsular polysaccharide (CPS) profile relative to that of wild-type pneumococci. The introduced mutations affect either polymerization or ligation of CPS to the cell wall and/or Cps2D phosphorylation.
Partial Functional Replacement of CymA by SirCD in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1
Authors: Cordova Carmen D. , Schicklberger Marcus F. R. , Yu Yang , Spormann Alfred M. 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

The gammaproteobacterium
Shewanella oneidensis
MR-1 utilizes a complex electron transfer network composed primarily of
c
-type cytochromes to respire under anoxic conditions a variety of compounds, including fumarate, nitrate, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), in addition to the minerals Fe(III) and Mn(IV). Central to several respiratory pathways is CymA, a cytoplasmic membrane-bound tetraheme
c
-type cytochrome that functions as the major hydroquinone dehydrogenase. To investigate functional redundancy and plasticity in
S. oneidensis
MR-1 electron transport, we isolated Δ
cymA
suppressor mutants and characterized one biochemically and genetically. Interestingly, in the characterized Δ
cymA
suppressor mutant, respiration of fumarate, ferric citrate, and DMSO was restored but that of nitrate was not. The suppression was found to be due to transcriptional activation of
sirC
and
sirD
, encoding a periplasmic iron sulfur protein and an integral membrane hydroquinone dehydrogenase, respectively. Biochemical
in vitro
reconstitution experiments confirmed electron transport between formate and fumarate via fumarate reductase by suppressor membrane fractions. The suppression was found to be caused by insertion of an ISSod1 element upstream of the
sirCD
transcriptional start site, generating a novel, constitutively active hybrid promoter. This work revealed that adaptation of an alternative electron transfer pathway from quinol to terminal oxidoreductases independent of CymA occurs rapidly in
S. oneidensis
MR-1.
Amino Acid Residues in the GerAB Protein Important in the Function and Assembly of the Alanine Spore Germination Receptor of Bacillus subtilis 168
Authors: Cooper Gareth R. , Moir Anne 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACT

The paradigm
gerA
operon is required for endospore germination in response to
l
-alanine as the sole germinant, and the three protein products, GerAA, GerAB, and GerAC are predicted to form a receptor complex in the spore inner membrane. GerAB shows homology to the amino acid-polyamine-organocation (APC) family of single-component transporters and is predicted to be an integral membrane protein with 10 membrane-spanning helices. Site-directed mutations were introduced into the
gerAB
gene at its natural location on the chromosome. Alterations to some charged or potential helix-breaking residues within membrane spans affected receptor function dramatically. In some cases, this is likely to reflect the complete loss of the GerA receptor complex, as judged by the absence of the germinant receptor protein GerAC, which suggests that the altered GerAB protein itself may be unstable or that the altered structure destabilizes the complex. Mutants that have a null phenotype for
l
-alanine germination but retain GerAC protein at near-normal levels are more likely to define amino acid residues of functional, rather than structural, importance. Single-amino-acid substitutions in each of the GerAB and GerAA proteins can prevent incorporation of GerAC protein into the spore; this provides strong evidence that the proteins within a specific receptor interact and that these interactions are required for receptor assembly. The lipoprotein nature of the GerAC receptor subunit is also important; an amino acid change in the prelipoprotein signal sequence in the
gerAC1
mutant results in the absence of GerAC protein from the spore.