bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Conditions masquerading as infantile haemangioma: Part 2
Authors: Frieden Ilona J , Rogers Maureen , Garzon Maria C 
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACTInfantile haemangiomas are among the most common growths during infancy. Their rapid growth during infancy and vascularity can easily cause confusion with other, less common growths. Part I focussed on other vascular anomalies that can mimic infantile haemangiomas. Part II emphasizes benign growths and malignant conditions that can also cause diagnostic confusion.
Thoroughness of skin examination by melanoma patients: Influence of age, sex and partner
Authors: Boone Susan L , Stapleton Jerod , Turrisi Rob , Ortiz Sara , Robinson June K , Mallett Kimberly A 
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to determine the thoroughness of deliberate skin examination by people with a history of melanoma. Patients were randomized into one of two conditions: either to receive the brief educational and skills training intervention alone or as a couple with their spouse or cohabiting partner. Subjects recorded concerning lesions on body maps. At the 4‐month visit, a total body skin examination was performed by a dermatologist blinded to the subjects' condition and to their recorded responses. The skin surface was divided according to the region's visibility during skin self‐examination and sexual connotations: visible/not sexually sensitive, non‐visible/not sexually sensitive and sexually sensitive. The primary point of comparison was missed lesions, defined as the difference between lesions recorded by the subjects and their partners and those recorded by the dermatologist. Among 130 participants, 56 subjects reported partner assistance while performing SSE. Participants missed more lesions in sexually sensitive areas than in the other regions. With the increasing age of the patient, the number of missed lesions in non‐visible/not sexually sensitive and sexually sensitive areas decreased. Male patients assisted by female partners missed fewer lesions in all three regions than female patients assisted by male partners. In easily visible areas, male patients missed significantly fewer lesions than female patients (P = 0.01). Older couples performed more thorough partner‐assisted skin examinations in non‐visible and sexually sensitive areas than younger couples. Male patients who were assisted by female partners performed more thorough partner‐assisted skin examinations than female patients assisted by male partners.
Asthma management in rural New South Wales: Perceptions of health care professionals and people with asthma
Authors: Cvetkovski Biljana , Armour Carol , Bosnic‐Anticevich Sinthia 
Published: July 2009

AbstractObjective:  To investigate the perceptions and attitudes towards asthma management of general practitioners, pharmacists and people with asthma in a rural area. Design:  Qualitative semistructured interviews. Setting:  Small rural centre in New South Wales. Participants:  General practitioners, pharmacists and people with asthma in a rural area. Results:  General practitioners perceived that the patient provided a barrier to the implementation of optimal asthma services. They were aware that other health care professionals had a role in asthma management but were not aware of the details, particularly in relation to that of the pharmacist and would like to improve communication methods. Pharmacists also perceived the patient to be a barrier to the delivery of optimal asthma management services and would like to improve communication with the general practitioner. The impact of the rural environment for the health care professionals included workforce shortages, availability of support services and access to continuing education. People with asthma were satisfied with their asthma management and the service provided by the health care professionals and described the involvement of family members and ambulance officers in their overall asthma management. The rural environment was an issue with regards to distance to the hospital during an emergency. Conclusions:  General practitioners and pharmacists confirmed their existing roles in asthma management while expressing a desire to improve communication between the two professions to help overcome barriers and optimise the asthma service delivered to the patient. The patient described minimal barriers to optimising asthma management, which might suggest that they might not have great expectations of asthma care.
Effects of a robotic walking exercise on walking performance in community‐dwelling elderly adults
Authors: Shimada Hiroyuki , Hirata Takashi , Kimura Yuichi , Naka Takako , Kikuchi Keishiro , Oda Keiichi , Ishii Kenji , Ishiwata Kiichi , Suzuki Takao 
Published: July 2009

Background: Reduced gait speed and stride length are characteristic of gait in elderly people and increase their dependency on assistance. We developed a robotic stride assistance system (SAS) to automatically control the walk ratio during walking. Our aim was to quantify the effects of a walking exercise with the SAS on walking performance and glucose metabolism during walking in community‐dwelling elderly adults.Methods: For 3 months, 15 women (72–85 years old) performed the walking exercise twice weekly for 90 min/session. We assessed walking for 5 m at a comfortable speed before and after the intervention. Positron emission tomography with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was used to assess muscle activity during an unassisted 50‐min walk.Results: Walking speed was improved by the intervention and FDG uptake by the gluteus minimus, gluteus medius and rectus femoris, and pelvic muscles (iliacus and gluteus muscles) were reduced.Conclusion: These results suggest that a walking intervention program using an applied robotic system is useful for improving the walking ability and the efficiency of muscle activities during walking in the elderly.
How Geobacteraceae may dominate subsurface biodegradation: physiology of Geobacter metallireducens in slow‐growth habitat‐simulating retentostats
Authors: Lin Bin , Westerhoff Hans V. , Röling Wilfred F. M. 
Published: July 2009

Summary Geobacteraceae dominate many iron‐reducing subsurface environments and are associated with biodegradation of organic pollutants. In order to enhance the understanding of the environmental role played by Geobacteraceae, the physiology of Geobacter metallireducens was investigated at the low growth rates found in its subsurface habitat. Cultivation in retentostats (a continuous culturing device with biomass retention) under electron acceptor and electron donor limitation enabled growth rates as low as 0.0008 h−1. The maximum growth yield was between 0.05 and 0.09 C‐mol biomass per C‐mol acetate and comparable to that observed in batch experiments. Maintenance energy demand is among the lowest reported for heterotrophic bacteria, under both acetate and AQDS limitation. The cells were able to use alternative electron acceptors directly, without requiring de novo protein synthesis. We discuss how the extremely low maintenance energy demand and the ability to readily use alternative electron acceptors may help Geobacter species to become ubiquitous and dominant microorganisms in many iron‐reducing subsurface settings.
Four newly isolated fuselloviruses from extreme geothermal environments reveal unusual morphologies and a possible interviral recombination mechanism
Authors: Redder Peter , Peng Xu , Brügger Kim , Shah Shiraz A. , Roesch Ferdinand , Greve Bo , She Qunxin , Schleper Christa , Forterre Patrick , Garrett Roger A. , Prangishvili David 
Published: July 2009

SummarySpindle‐shaped virus‐like particles are abundant in extreme geothermal environments, from which five spindle‐shaped viral species have been isolated to date. They infect members of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Sulfolobus, and constitute the Fuselloviridae, a family of double‐stranded DNA viruses. Here we present four new members of this family, all from terrestrial acidic hot springs. Two of the new viruses exhibit a novel morphotype for their proposed attachment structures, and specific features of their genome sequences strongly suggest the identity of the host‐attachment protein. All fuselloviral genomes are highly conserved at the nucleotide level, although the regions of conservation differ between virus‐pairs, consistent with a high frequency of homologous recombination having occurred between them. We propose a fuselloviral specific mechanism for interviral recombination, and show that the spacers of the Sulfolobus CRISPR antiviral system are not biased to the highly similar regions of the fusellovirus genomes.
Tracing metabolic pathways of lipid biosynthesis in ectomycorrhizal fungi from position‐specific 13C‐labelling in glucose
Authors: Scandellari Francesca , Hobbie Erik A. , Ouimette Andrew P. , Stucker Valerie K. 
Published: July 2009

SummarySix position‐specific 13C‐labelled isotopomers of glucose were supplied to the ectomycorrhizal fungi Suillus pungens and Tricholoma flavovirens. From the resulting distribution of 13C among fungal PLFAs, the overall order and contribution of each glucose atom to fatty acid 13C enrichment was: C6 (∼31%) > C5 (∼25%) > C1 (∼18%) > C2 (∼18%) > C3 (∼8%) > C4 (∼1%). These data were used to parameterize a metabolic model of the relative fluxes from glucose degradation to lipid synthesis. Our data revealed that a higher amount of carbon is directed to glycolysis than to the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (60% and 40% respectively) and that a significant part flows through these pathways more than once (73%) due to the reversibility of some glycolysis reactions. Surprisingly, 95% of carbon cycled through glyoxylate prior to incorporation into lipids, possibly to consume the excess of acetyl‐CoA produced during fatty acid turnover. Our approach provides a rigorous framework for analysing lipid biosynthesis in fungi. In addition, this approach could ultimately improve the interpretation of isotopic patterns at natural abundance in field studies.
Spatial patterns of bacterial taxa in nature reflect ecological traits of deep branches of the 16S rRNA bacterial tree
Authors: Philippot Laurent , Bru David , Saby Nicolas P. A. , Čuhel Jiří , Arrouays Dominique , Šimek Miloslav , Hallin Sara 
Published: July 2009

SummaryWhether bacteria display spatial patterns of distribution and at which level of taxonomic organization such patterns can be observed are central questions in microbial ecology. Here we investigated how the total and relative abundances of eight bacterial taxa at the phylum or class level were spatially distributed in a pasture by using quantitative PCR and geostatistical modelling. The distributions of the relative abundance of most taxa varied by a factor of 2.5–6.5 and displayed strong spatial patterns at the field scale. These spatial patterns were taxon‐specific and correlated to soil properties, which indicates that members of a bacterial clade defined at high taxonomical levels shared specific ecological traits in the pasture. Ecologically meaningful assemblages of bacteria at the phylum or class level in the environment provides evidence that deep branching patterns of the 16S rRNA bacterial tree are actually mirrored in nature.
Identification and characterization of a novel amphioxus dopamine D1‐like receptor
Authors: Burman Chloe , Reale Vincenzina , Srivastava Deepak P. , Evans Peter D. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractDopamine receptors function to control many aspects of motor control and other forms of behaviour in both vertebrates and invertebrates. They can be divided into two main groups (D1and D2) based on sequence similarity, ligand affinity and effector coupling. However, little is known about the pharmacology and functionality of dopamine receptors in the deuterostomian invertebrates, such as the cephalochordate amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae)which has recently been placed as the most basal of all the chordates. A bioinformatic study shows that amphioxus has at least three dopamine D1‐like receptor sequences. One of these receptors, AmphiD1/β, was found to have high levels of sequence similarity to both vertebrate D1receptors and to β‐adrenergic receptors. Here, we report on the cloning of AmphiD1/β from an adult amphioxus cDNA library, and its pharmacological characterization subsequent to its expression in both mammalian cell lines andXenopusoocytes. It was found that AmphiD1/β has a similar pharmacology to vertebrate D1receptors, including responding to benzodiazepine ligands. The pharmacology of the receptor exhibits ‘agonist‐specific coupling’ depending upon the second messenger pathway to which it is linked. Moreover, no pharmacological characteristics were observed to suggest that AmphiD1/β may be an amphioxus orthologue of vertebrate β‐adrenergic receptors.
PolyADP‐ribosylation is required for long‐term memory formation in mammals
Authors: Goldberg Shmuel , Visochek Leonid , Giladi Eliezer , Gozes Illana , Cohen‐Armon Malka 
Published: July 2009

AbstractPolyADP‐ribosylation is a post‐translational modification of nuclear proteins, catalyzed by polyADP‐ribose polymerases (PARPs). In the nucleus, polyADP‐ribosylation catalyzed by PARP‐1 alters protein–protein and protein–DNA interactions, and is implicated in chromatin remodeling, DNA transcription, and repair. Previous results linked the activation of PARP‐1 with long‐term memory formation during learning in the marine molluskAplysia(Science2004, 304:1820–1822). Furthermore, PARP‐1 was highly activated in mammalian cerebral neurons treated with neurotrophins and neurotrophic peptides promoting neurite outgrowth and synaptic plasticity. Here, we examine the possibility that PARP‐1 activation is required for memory formation during learning in mammals. Mice were tested in two learning paradigms, object recognition and fear conditioning. PolyADP‐ribosylation of PARP‐1 and histone H1 were detected in their cerebral cortex and hippocampus immediately after their training session. Moreover, in both behavioral paradigms, suppression of PARP activity in the CNS during learning impaired their long‐term memory formation, without damaging their short‐term memory. These findings implicate PARP‐1 activation in molecular processes underlying long‐term memory formation during learning.
Higher genetic diversity in introduced than in native populations of the mussel Mytella charruana: evidence of population admixture at introduction sites
Authors: Gillis Nancy K. , Walters Linda J. , Fernandes Flavio C. , Hoffman Eric A. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractAim  Levels of genetic diversity can be used to determine haplotype frequency, population size and patterns of invasive species distribution. In this study, we sought to investigate the genetic structure of the invasive marine mussel Mytella charruana and compare variation from invasive populations with variation found within three native populations.Location  Invaded areas in the USA (Florida, Georgia); native areas in Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil.Methods  We sequenced 722 bp of the mitochondrial COI gene from 83 M. charruana samples from four invasive populations (USA) and 71 samples from two natural populations (Ecuador, Columbia). In addition, we sequenced 31 individuals of a congeneric species, Mytella guyanensis, from Salvador, Brazil. We constructed the phylogenetic relationship among all haplotypes and compared diversity measures among all populations.Results  We found significantly higher levels of nucleotide diversity in invasive populations than in native populations, although the number of haplotypes was greater in the native populations. Moreover, mismatch distribution analyses resulted in a pattern indicative of population admixture for the invasive populations. Conversely, mismatch distributions of native populations resulted in a pattern indicative of populations in static equilibrium.Main conclusion  Our data present compelling evidence that the M. charruana invasion resulted from admixture of at least two populations, which combined to form higher levels of genetic diversity in invasive populations. Moreover, our data suggest that one of these populations originated from the Caribbean coast of South America. Overall, this study provides an analysis of genetic diversity within invasive populations and explores how that diversity may be influenced by the genetic structure of native populations and how mass dispersal may lead to invasion success.
The Informational Role of Bond Analysts
Authors: DE FRANCO GUS , VASVARI FLORIN P. , WITTENBERG‐MOERMAN REGINA 
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACTThis study uses a large sample of sell‐side bond analysts' reports to examine the properties of recommendations provided by bond analysts and the impact of these recommendations on bond securities. First, we document that the distribution of bond analysts' buy, hold, and sell recommendations is skewed positively, but less so than the distribution of equity analysts' recommendations. The positive skewness in bond analysts' recommendations is greater for low than for high credit quality bonds. Second, we find that bond analysts' reports generate bond trading and return reactions that are both economically significant and greater for low credit quality bonds. The bond market reaction is greater for bond analysts' reports than for equity analysts' reports. Finally, while both bond and equity analysts lead rating agency announcements, we find no evidence of a difference in timeliness between bond and equity analysts' reports. Overall, our results are consistent with bond analysts issuing more negative reports than equity analysts and providing more information about low credit quality bonds as a result of the asymmetric demand for negative information by bond investors.
Fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphate reduces inflammatory pain‐like behaviour in mice: role of adenosine acting on A1 receptors
Authors: Valério DA , Ferreira FI , Cunha TM , Alves‐Filho JC , Lima FO , De Oliveira JR , Ferreira SH , Cunha FQ , Queiroz RH , Verri Jr WA 
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  D‐Fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphate (FBP) is an intermediate in the glycolytic pathway, exerting pharmacological actions on inflammation by inhibiting cytokine production or interfering with adenosine production. Here, the possible antinociceptive effect of FBP and its mechanism of action in the carrageenin paw inflammation model in mice were addressed, focusing on the two mechanisms described above.Experimental approach:  Mechanical hyperalgesia (decrease in the nociceptive threshold) was evaluated by the electronic pressure‐metre test; cytokine levels were measured by elisa and adenosine was determined by high performance liquid chromatography.Key results:  Pretreatment of mice with FBP reduced hyperalgesia induced by intraplantar injection of carrageenin (up to 54%), tumour necrosis factor α (40%), interleukin‐1 β (46%), CXCL1 (33%), prostaglandin E2 (41%) or dopamine (55%). However, FBP treatment did not alter carrageenin‐induced cytokine (tumour necrosis factor α and interleukin‐1 β) or chemokine (CXCL1) production. On the other hand, the antinociceptive effect of FBP was prevented by systemic and intraplantar treatment with an adenosine A1 receptor antagonist (8‐cyclopentyl‐1,3‐dipropylxanthine), suggesting that the FBP effect is mediated by peripheral adenosine acting on A1 receptors. Giving FBP to mice increased adenosine levels in plasma, and adenosine treatment of paw inflammation presented a similar antinociceptive mechanism to that of FBP.Conclusions and implications:  In addition to anti‐inflammatory action, FBP also presents an antinociceptive effect upon inflammatory hyperalgesia. Its mechanism of action seems dependent on adenosine production but not on modulation of hyperalgesic cytokine/chemokine production. In turn, adenosine acts peripherally on its A1 receptor inhibiting hyperalgesia. FBP may have possible therapeutic applications in reducing inflammatory pain.
Inhibition of vascular calcium‐gated chloride currents by blockers of KCa1.1, but not by modulators of KCa2.1 or KCa2.3 channels
Authors: Sones WR , Leblanc N , Greenwood IA 
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  Recent pharmacological studies have proposed there is a high degree of similarity between calcium‐activated Cl‐ channels (CaCCs) and large conductance, calcium‐gated K+ channels (KCa1.1). The goal of the present study was to ascertain whether blockers of KCa1.1 inhibited calcium‐activated Cl‐ currents (IClCa) and if the pharmacological overlap between KCa1.1 and CaCCs extends to intermediate and small conductance, calcium‐activated K+ channels.Experimental approaches:  Whole‐cell Cl‐ and K+ currents were recorded from murine portal vein myocytes using the whole‐cell variant of the patch clamp technique. CaCC currents were evoked by pipette solutions containing 500 nM free [Ca2+].Key results:  The selective KCa1.1 blocker paxilline (1 µM) inhibited IClCa by ∼90%, whereas penitrem A (1 µM) and iberiotoxin (100 and 300 nM) reduced the amplitude of IClCa by ∼20%, as well as slowing channel deactivation. Paxilline also abolished the stimulatory effect of niflumic acid on the CaCC. In contrast, an antibody against the Ca2+‐binding domain of murine KCa1.1 had no effect on IClCa while inhibiting spontaneous KCa1.1 currents. Structurally different modulators of small and intermediate conductance calcium‐activated K+ channels (KCa2.1 and KCa2.3), namely 1‐EBIO, (100 µM); NS309, (1 µM); TRAM‐34, (10 µM); UCL 1684, (1 µM) had no effect on IClCa.Conclusions and implications:  These data show that the selective KCa1.1 blockers also reduce IClCa considerably. However, the pharmacological overlap that exists between CaCCs and KCa1.1 does not extend to the calcium‐binding domain or to other calcium‐gated K+ channels.
Chronic treatment with pravastatin prevents early cardiovascular changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Kassan M , Montero MJ , Sevilla MA 
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  This study investigates the effect of pravastatin on blood pressure, cardiovascular remodelling and impaired endothelial function induced as early signs of cardiovascular disease in young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).Experimental approach:  Eight‐week‐old SHR were treated for 4 weeks with pravastatin (20 mg·kg−1·day−1). Systolic blood pressure was measured periodically during the study using the tail‐cuff method. At the end of the study, the left ventricular weight /body weight ratio was used as an index of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Vascular function, superoxide (O2−.) production and structure were studied in aortic rings. Lipid peroxidation was measured in plasma (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay).Key results:  Systolic blood pressure was lower in treated SHR than in control SHR, at the end of the study (171 ± 1 vs. 159 ± 2 mmHg, P < 0.05), and LVH was significantly reduced by pravastatin (2.7 ± 0.02 vs. 2.5 ± 0.01 mg·g−1, P < 0.05). Vascular responses to sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine were similar in both groups; nevertheless, the relaxation response to acetylcholine was higher in the treated rats (45.6 ± 2.6 vs. 58.1 ± 3.2 %, P < 0.05). Vascular O2−. and plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were reduced by pravastatin treatment, and urinary nitrites was elevated. Finally aortic wall became thinner after pravastatin treatment.Conclusions and implications:  Chronic treatment with pravastatin attenuated the increase of systolic blood pressure in SHR, prevented early LVH and improved vascular structure and function. These effects were accompanied by decreased measures of oxidative stress and improvements in NO production.