bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Helicobacter pylori adherence by gene conversion
Authors: Talarico Sarah , Whitefield Shawn E. , Fero Jutta , Haas Rainer , Salama Nina R. 
Published: April 2012

SummaryGenetic diversification of Helicobacter pylori adhesin genes may allow adaptation of adherence properties to facilitate persistence despite host defences. The sabA gene encodes an adhesin that binds sialyl‐Lewis antigens on inflamed gastric tissue. We found variability in the copy number and locus of the sabA gene and the closely related sabB and omp27 genes due to gene conversion among 51 North American paediatric H. pylori strains. We determined that sabB to sabA gene conversion is predominantly the result of intra‐genomic recombination and RecA, RecG and AddA influence the rate at which it occurs. Although all clinical strains had at least one sabA gene copy, sabA and sabB were lost due to gene conversion at similar rates in vitro, suggesting host selection to maintain the sabA gene. sabA gene duplication resulted in increased SabA protein production and increased adherence to sialyl‐Lewis antigens and mouse gastric tissue. In conclusion, gene conversion is a mechanism for H. pylori to regulate sabA expression level and adherence.
Intragastric pressure as a determinant of food intake
Authors: Janssen P. , Verschueren S. , Tack J. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground  Different studies indicated a correlation between intragastric pressure (IGP) and satiation. Our aim was to investigate this correlation while artificially increasing the IGP.Methods  In 12 fasted healthy volunteers an infusion catheter and a manometry probe were positioned intragastrically. Intragastric pressure was increased using a custom‐made belt before or progressively during intragastric nutrient infusion. Nutrient drink (1.5 kcal mL−1) was intragastrically infused at 60 mL min−1. The subjects scored satiation using a 6‐point Likert scale until maximum, when the infusion ended and the belt was released. Results are presented as mean ± S.E.M. and compared using a paired t‐test.Key Results  When the belt was tightened before the nutrient infusion, fasting IGP was significantly increased (13.6 ± 1.3 vs 9.6 ± 0.9 mmHg; P < 0.05) but no differences in satiation could be observed. When progressively tightening the belt during nutrient infusion the IGP increased with 0.43 ± 0.04 mmHg per minute while in control experiments this was 0.28 ± 0.05 mmHg per minute (P < 0.01). During the latter experiment satiation linearly increased with 0.35 ± 0.03 and 0.29 ± 0.02 units per minute until maximal satiation (P < 0.01) while maximum volume consumed was 926 ± 66 and 1095 ± 82 mL when progressively increasing the IGP vs control respectively (P < 0.01).Conclusions & Inferences  These findings indicate that IGP per se does not affect satiation but that a gradual IGP increase during food intake is associated with decreased food intake, indicating that gastric accommodation is an important determinant of food intake.
The bHLH transcription factor MdbHLH3 promotes anthocyanin accumulation and fruit colouration in response to low temperature in apples
Authors: XIE XING‐BIN , LI SHEN , ZHANG RUI‐FEN , ZHAO JING , CHEN YING‐CHUN , ZHAO QIANG , YAO YU‐XIN , YOU CHUN‐XIANG , ZHANG XIAN‐SHENG , HAO YU‐JIN 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTLow environmental temperatures promote anthocyanin accumulation and fruit colouration by up‐regulating the expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and regulation in many fruit trees. However, the molecular mechanism by which fruit trees regulate this process in response to low temperature (LT) remains largely unknown. In this study, the cold‐induced bHLH transcription factor gene MdbHLH3 was isolated from an apple tree and was found to interact physically and specifically through two regions (amino acids 1–23 and 186–228) at the N terminus with the MYB partner MdMYB1 (allelic to MdMYB10). Subsequently, MdbHLH3 bound to the promoters of the anthocyanin biosynthesis genes MdDFR and MdUFGT and the regulatory gene MdMYB1 to activate their expression. Furthermore, the MdbHLH3 protein was post‐translationally modified, possibly involving phosphorylation following exposure to LTs, which enhanced its promoter‐binding capacity and transcription activity. Our results demonstrate the molecular mechanism by which MdbHLH3 regulates LT‐induced anthocyanin accumulation and fruit colouration in apple.
Darwinian transformation of a ‘scarcely nutritious fluid’ into milk
Authors: HOLT C. , CARVER J. A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn an early challenge to an aspect of Darwin’s theory of natural selection, Jackson Mivart contended that milk could not have evolved ‘from a scarcely nutritious fluid from an accidentally hypertrophied cutaneous gland’. The evolutionary change from a gland secretion to milk involves an increase in calcium and protein concentrations by up to 100‐ and 1000‐fold, respectively. Even so, the challenge, we suggest, is not just a problem of scale. An increase in the concentrations of calcium and phosphate brings an increased risk of calcification of the secretory gland because calcium phosphate is highly insoluble. In addition, two of the four constituent milk casein proteins (κ and αS2) aggregate to produce toxic amyloid fibrils. It is proposed that both problems were solved through the cosecretion of ancestral β‐ and κ‐caseins to form a stable amorphous aggregate of both proteins with sequestered amorphous calcium phosphate, that is, a primordial casein micelle. Evolutionarily, a gradual increase in the concentration of casein micelles could therefore produce progressively more nutritious fluids for the neonate without endangering the reproductive potential of the mother.
Reduced inbreeding depression in peripheral relative to central populations of a monocarpic herb
Authors: BARRINGER B. C. , KULKA E. A. , GALLOWAY L. F. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractMany temperate taxa were confined to warmer latitudes during the last glacial maximum. As their ranges expanded when climates warmed, genetic drift and inbreeding in relatively small peripheral populations are expected to have reduced genetic diversity and the segregating genetic load. Therefore, inbreeding depression in peripheral populations might be lower than in centrally located sites. We evaluated the consequences of inbreeding for fitness traits in six central and six northern peripheral populations of the herbCampanulastrum americanum. Inbreeding reduced performance for all traits. Inbreeding depression in peripheral populations was lower than in central populations. This difference increased across the life cycle from similar levels for germination, to central populations having three times the inbreeding depression for adult traits. Geographical patterns of inbreeding depression suggest that mating system variation and potential future mating system evolution in many temperate taxa might reflect, at least in part, nonequilibrium conditions associated with historic range changes.
In vitro antifungal activity of Indian liposomal amphotericin B against clinical isolates of emerging species of yeast and moulds, and its comparison with amphotericin B deoxycholate, voriconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole
Authors: Rudramurthy Shivaprakash M. , Jatana Manu , Singh Rachna , Chakrabarti Arunaloke 
Published: April 2012

SummaryFungisomeTM is a liposomal preparation of amphotericin B (AMB), already marketed in India. However, its antifungal activity has not been evaluated against a wide range of fungal pathogens. The study was planned to elucidate the in vitro antifungal activity of FungisomeTM against wide range of fungi and compare it with AMB deoxycholate (AMB‐d), voriconazole (VOR), itraconazole (ITR) and fluconazole (FLU). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the drugs were determined for 262 clinical fungal isolates, including yeast, dimorphic and filamentous fungi, by broth microdilution method approved by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, USA (yeast, M27‐A3; filamentous fungi, M38‐A2). The MIC90s of FungisomeTM were 0.125, 0.5 and 0.25 mg l−1 against yeast, filamentous and dimorphic fungi respectively. In comparison, MIC90s of AMB‐d, FLU, ITR and VOR were 1, 1 and 1 mg l−1 (AMB‐d), 4, 64 and 64 mg l−1 (FLU), 1, 16 and 16 mg l−1 (ITR) and 0.5, 4 and 16 mg l−1 (VOR) against yeast, filamentous and dimorphic fungi respectively. The MIC of FungisomeTM was two to 16‐fold lower than AMB‐d. These results reveal an efficient in vitro activity of FungisomeTM.
Addition of a low dose of rimonabant to orlistat therapy decreases weight gain and reduces adiposity in dietary obese rats
Authors: Zaitone Sawsan A , Essawy Soha 
Published: April 2012

Summary

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the addition of a subeffective dose of rimonabant (1 mg/kg) to orlistat would be beneficial in the treatment of diet‐induced obesity in rats compared with orlistat monotherapy.
Male rats were divided into five groups: (i) rats fed a low‐fat diet for 4 months; (ii) rats fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) for 4 months and treated daily with vehicle (0.2% Tween‐80 solution); (iii) orlistat (10 mg/kg per day)‐treated HFD‐fed rats; (iv) rimonabant (1 mg/kg per day)‐treated HFD‐fed rats; and (v) HFD‐fed rats treated with a combination of orlistat plus rimonabant. Fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, leptin and adiponectin levels were measured. Liver and adiposity indices were calculated and liver and adipose tissues were processed for histological examination.
Over the 4 months of the study, vehicle‐treated HFD‐fed rats exhibited increased cumulative food intake, bodyweight and liver and adiposity indices. Moreover, vehicle‐treated HFD‐fed rats exhibited a deterioration in liver function and an abnormal lipid profile. Insulin resistance and serum leptin were increased in this group, whereas serum adiponectin levels were decreased. Orlistat monotherapy or combination therapy with orlistat plus rimonabant improved all these parameters.
The addition of the low subeffective dose of rimonabant to orlistat therapy ameliorated HFD‐induced obesity to a much greater extent than orlistat monotherapy. This combination showed better weight control and metabolic profile compared with orlistat alone. Therefore, the results of the present study encourage reassessment of the use of a low dose of rimonabant to potentiate the effect of orlistat in the clinical management of obesity if proper clinical safety data are available.
Mastectomy flap design: the ‘waisted teardrop’ and a method to reduce the lateral fold
Authors: Thomas Rebecca , Mouat Christine , King Burton 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground:  There are various methods to design mastectomy flaps but few are standardized. Lateral skin folds or ‘dog ears’ are a common, unsightly and uncomfortable consequence following a surgery in overweight patients.Methods:  We describe a simple technique for designing mastectomy flaps and a method to eliminate the lateral dog ear.Conclusion:  The design is easy to apply and may enable standardization. Heuristics of mastectomy design should be standardized and included in surgical training.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals modulation of corticospinal excitability when observing actions with the intention to imitate
Authors: Hardwick Robert M. , McAllister Craig J. , Holmes Paul S. , Edwards Martin G. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractStudies using transcranial magnetic stimulation have demonstrated that action observation can modulate the activity of the corticospinal system. This has been attributed to the activity of an ‘action observation network’, whereby premotor cortex activity influences corticospinal excitability. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the context in which participants observe actions (i.e. whether they simply attend to an action, or observe it with the intention to imitate) modulates action observation network activity. The study presented here examined whether the context in which actions were observed revealed similar modulatory effects on corticospinal excitability. Eight human participants observed a baseline stimulus (a fixation cross), observed actions in order to attend to them, or observed the same actions with the intention to imitate them. Whereas motor evoked potentials elicited from the first dorsal interosseus muscle of the hand were facilitated by attending to actions, observing the same actions in an imitative capacity led to no facilitation effect. Furthermore, no motor facilitation effects occurred in a control muscle. Electromyographic data collected when participants physically imitated the observed actions revealed that the activity of the first dorsal interosseus muscle increased significantly during action execution compared with rest. These data suggest that an inhibitory mechanism acts on the corticospinal system to prevent the immediate overt imitation of observed actions. These data provide novel insight into the properties of the human action observation network, demonstrating for the first time that observing actions with the intention to imitate them can modulate the effects of action observation on corticospinal excitability.
Surgical treatment of epibulbar melanocytomas by complete excision and homologous corneoscleral grafting in dogs: 11 cases
Authors: Maggio Federica , Pizzirani Stefano , Peña Teresa , Leiva Marta , Pirie Christopher G. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractObjective  The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy, outcome, and complications following penetrating sclerokeratoplasty and frozen homologous corneoscleral grafting for the management of extensive canine epibulbar melanocytomas.Methods  Medical records of canine patients treated at three different veterinary hospitals between 1999 and 2010 were reviewed. Signalment, location and extent of melanocytomas, recurrence rate, and early and late complications were reported. Patients were re‐examined postoperatively to provide follow‐up information.Results  Patients included one intact male, three castrated males, six intact females, and one spayed female, with a median age of 5 years (range, 3–9). German Shepherds were overrepresented. Tumors extended from 2 to 4 clock hours at the limbus and up to 17 mm from clear cornea to globe equator. One case showed iridocorneal angle invasion; corneal involvement was present in all cases, and lipid keratopathy was present in four cases. In two cases, there was incomplete resection owing to tumor extent. Follow‐up time ranged from 3 to 72 months (median, 17 months), with one case of intraocular tumor progression. Early complications included anterior uveitis (11/11), intracameral fibrin (5/11), hyphema (4/11), corneal edema (4/11), exuberant corneal granulation tissue (2/11), focal retinal edema (1/11), dyscoria (1/11), and partial suture dehiscence (1/11). Late complications included corneal fibrosis and/or pigmentation (11/11), faint anterior cortical cataracts (3/11), and lipid keratopathy (1/11). Vision was retained in all cases.Conclusions  This technique offers a surgically challenging but effective treatment for extensive epibulbar melanocytomas. In this case series, complications were mild and transient, with preservation of ocular anatomy and function.
A case of oculo‐cerebral B‐cell lymphoma in a cat
Authors: Giordano Cristina , Giudice Chiara , Bellino Claudio , Borrelli Antonio , D’Angelo Antonio , Gianella Paola 
Published: April 2012

AbstractPurpose To describe a case of a cat with primary B‐cell lymphoma affecting the eye and brain and which shared features similar to oculo‐cerebral lymphoma in humans.Methods A 13‐year‐old castrated male Persian cat presented with clinical signs of anterior uveitis and increased intraocular pressure (IOP) in the left eye (OS). A complete diagnostic work‐up was declined, and left‐eye enucleation was performed. The globe was submitted for histopathology. One week after surgery, the cat became inappetent, hypothermic, and aggressive. Euthanasia was requested by the owner, and a necropsy was permitted.Results Histopathology of the enucleated globe revealed an extensive neoplastic infiltration consistent with large‐cell lymphoma, affecting the anterior uvea, neuroretina and optic nerve. At necropsy, all organs were unremarkable except for the brain, where there was a neoplastic cell population consistent with that described in the left eye, infiltrated and expanded meninges, and perivascular spaces. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were positive for B‐cell marker (CD20) and negative for T‐cell marker (CD3). Histology and immunophenotyping suggested a diagnosis of primary central nervous system and ocular large B‐cell lymphoma.Discussion The lymphoma in this cat resembled oculo‐cerebral lymphoma in humans, sharing similar clinical features and histopathological findings, including the perivascular pattern of neoplastic cell infiltration. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first description of a primary oculo‐cerebral B‐cell lymphoma in a cat.
Supposed primary conjunctival lymphoma in a dog
Authors: Olbertz Letícia , Lima Leandro , Langohr Ingeborg , Werner Juliana , Teixeira Leandro , Montiani‐Ferreira Fabiano 
Published: April 2012

AbstractA 7‐year‐old, male mixed‐breed dog was presented for evaluation of a well‐delineated, pink, oval and slightly firm mass with a smooth regular surface that was expanding approximately 60% of the lower eyelid conjunctiva and the lateral canthus. The dog had a supposed primary B‐cell lymphoma at the temporal canthus of the upper eyelid conjunctiva of the same eye that had been removed approximately 3 years earlier. No metastases were detected at either presentation. Histologically, the conjunctival lamina propria was effaced by a well‐delineated, unencapsulated and expansile highly cellular neoplasm composed of sheets of round cells that were immunohistochemically positive for CD20 and CD79a negative for CD3. Based on the microscopic and immunohistochemical findings, a diagnosis of supposed primary B cell conjunctival lymphoma was made. Primary ocular and adnexal ocular lymphomas in dogs are rarely reported and their behavior is poorly characterized. Further tumor recurrence was not observed one year post operatively. This case was considered unusual because of its conjunctival involvement and the clinical course with recurrence after three years of a surgical therapeutic procedure.
The relationship between anogenital distance and the efficacy of varicocele repair
Authors: Eisenberg Michael L. , Shy Michael , Herder Danielle , Walters R. Chanc , Lipshultz Larry I. 
Published: April 2012

Study Type – Therapy (case series)Level of Evidence 4What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?Anogenital distance (AGD) is a marker of genital development and adult testicular function. To date, there is no data on the clinical utility of using such an anthropomorphic variable.About 30% of men will have no improvement in semen parameters after varicocele repair. It is currently difficult to assess which patients are most likely to benefit from surgical repair. The present study showed that men with a longer AGD had a higher likelihood of improvement after varicocelectomy. As such, AGD may allow clinicians to better counsel men on the efficacy of varicocele repair.OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether anogenital distance (AGD) can identify men most likely to show improved semen parameters after varicocele ligation, as AGD has been shown to correlate with intrinsic adult testicular function.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Men with varicoceles who were evaluated at a men's reproductive health clinic in Houston were recruited.
AGD (the distance from the posterior aspect of the scrotum to the anal verge) was measured using digital callipers.
Logistic regression was used to compare outcomes after stratifying men based on AGD.
RESULTS
In all, 46 men with a mean (sd) age of 33.1 (6.3) years with postoperative semen data were recruited.
Semen concentration, motility, and total motile sperm count all showed significant improvement postoperatively (P < 0.01).
While 48% of men with a shorter AGD had improvements in sperm concentration postoperatively, 84% of men with a longer AGD improved (P= 0.01).
There was a trend toward a lower percentage of men (62% vs 84%) with shorter AGDs showing improvements in total motile sperm count (P= 0.09).
CONCLUSION
AGD may provide a novel metric to assess intrinsic testicular function and predict efficacy of varicocele repair.
The Role of Central Bank Transparency for Guiding Private Sector Forecasts*
Authors: Ehrmann Michael , Eijffinger Sylvester , Fratzscher Marcel 
Published: April 2012

Abstract Central banks have become remarkably more transparent over the last few decades. In this paper, we study the effects of this evolution, focusing on whether enhanced central bank transparency lowers dispersion among professional forecasters of key economic variables. We use a large set of proxies for central‐bank transparency in 12 advanced economies. We find evidence for a sizeable effect (e.g., by announcing a quantified inflation objective, or by publishing inflation and output forecasts). However, there are decreasing marginal effects to increases in transparency, and the disagreement among the expectations of the general public is not affected. This suggests that there are possible limits to transparency.
CONSIDERING STANLEY HAUERWAS
Authors: Pinches Charles 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTAfter introducing the five articles that comprise this focus issue, I consider Hauerwas's claim that he is a theologian without a position. The claim has merit, I hold, since Hauerwas writes in response to what he reads, which is his way of learning it better. Moreover, he writes socially, characteristically soliciting help from his friends. As such, he purposefully makes himself accountable to those he addresses. In his later years this accountability has extended especially to the Church and to the Bible, which helps explain why Hauerwas cares so deeply about his sermons, which he takes to be his most important work.
HAUERWAS AMONG THE VIRTUES
Authors: Herdt Jennifer A. 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTDespite the fact that Stanley Hauerwas has not taken up many of the topics normally associated with virtue ethics, has explicitly distanced himself from the enterprise known as “virtue ethics,” and throughout his career has preferred other categories of analysis, ranging from character and agency to practices and liturgy, it is nevertheless clear that his work has had a deep and transformative impact on the recovery of virtue within Christian ethics, and that this impact has largely to do with the ways in which his thought resists normalization. This essay traces the evolution of Hauerwas's reflections on virtue and the virtues over the course of his career, with special attention to how this has been bound up with an increasingly emphatic theological particularism that has remained ambivalent between what I term “comprehensive” versus “exclusive” particularism. I argue that it is important to distinguish between these, and suggest that grasping the destructive tendencies of “exclusive” particularism should cement our commitment to shouldering the responsibilities associated with comprehensive particularism.