bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Correlations between clinical and physiological consequences of the novel mutation R878C in a highly conserved pore residue in the cardiac Na+ channel
Authors: Zhang Y. , Wang T. , Ma A. , Zhou X. , Gui J. , Wan H. , Shi R. , Huang C. , Grace A. A. , Huang C. L.‐H. , Trump D. , Zhang H. , Zimmer T. , Lei M. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAim:  We compared the clinical and physiological consequences of the novel mutation R878C in a highly conserved pore residue in domain II (S5‐S6) of human, hNav1.5, cardiac Na+ channels.Methods:  Full clinical evaluation of pedigree members through three generations of a Chinese family combined with SCN5A sequencing from genomic DNA was compared with patch and voltage‐clamp results from two independent expression systems.Results:  The four mutation carriers showed bradycardia, and slowed sino‐atrial, atrioventricular and intraventricular conduction. Two also showed sick sinus syndrome; two had ST elevation in leads V1 and V2. Unlike WT‐hNav1.5, whole‐cell patch‐clamped HEK293 cells expressing R878C‐hNav1.5 showed no detectable Na+ currents (iNa), even with substitution of a similarly charged lysine residue. Voltage‐clamped Xenopus oocytes injected with either 0.04 or 1.5 μg μL−1 R878C‐hNav1.5 cRNA similarly showed no iNa, yet WT‐hNav1.5 cRNA diluted to 0.0004–0.0008 ng μL−1resulted in expression of detectable iNa. iNa was simply determined by the amount of injected WT‐hNav1.5: doubling the dose of WT‐hNav1.5 cRNA doubled iNa. iNa amplitudes and activation and inactivation characteristics were similar irrespective of whether WT‐hNav1.5 cRNA was given alone or combined with equal doses of R878C‐hNav1.5 cRNA therefore excluding dominant negative phenotypic effects. Na+ channel function in HEK293 cells transfected with R878C‐hNav1.5 was not restored by exposure to mexiletine (200 μm) and lidocaine (100 μm). Fluorescence confocal microscopy using E3‐Nav1.5 antibody demonstrated persistent membrane expression of both WT and R878C‐hNav1.5. Modelling studies confirmed that such iNa reductions reproduced the SSS phenotype.Conclusion:  Clinical consequences of the novel R878C mutation correlate with results of physiological studies.
Towards a Critical Geography of Flexibility: Facets of Adaptability in Society and Space
Authors: Buzar Stefan 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis article explores the multiple dimensions of the property of flexibility in society and space, going beyond the industrial location and labour relations domains where it has traditionally received the greatest amount of attention. I argue that tendencies of ‘flexibilization’ can be observed in a much wider range of domains, from households to architectural formations. While claiming that these dynamics are mutually interconnected and contingent, I also advance the argument that there is a need for a critical understanding of flexibility within human geography, one that would recognize and examine the inherent multiplicity and diversity of this concept.
An electronic thesaurus of Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine hematological and biochemical diagnostic tests
Authors: DORIZZI R. M. , MACONI M. , GIAVARINA D. , LOZA G. , AMAN M. , MOREIRA J. , BISOFFI Z. , GENNUSO C. ,   ON BEHALF OF Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine Group of Italian Society of Laboratory Medicine (SIMeL)
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe adoption of Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine (EBLM) has been hampered until today by the lack of effective tools. The SIMeL EBLM e‐Thesaurus (on‐line Repertoire of the diagnostic effectiveness of the laboratory, radiology and cardiology test) provides a useful support to clinical laboratory professionals and to clinicians for the interpretation of the diagnostic tests. The e‐Thesaurus is an application developed using Microsoft® Active Server Pages technology and carried out with Web Server Microsoft® Internet Information Server and is available at the SIMeL website using a browser running JavaScript® scripts (Internet Explorer® is recommended). It contains a database (in Italian, English and Spanish) of the sensitivity and specificity (including the 95% confidence interval), the positive and negative likelihood ratios, the Diagnostic Odds Ratio and the Number Needed to Diagnose of more than 2000 diagnostic (most laboratory but also cardiology and radiology) tests. The e‐Thesaurus improves the previous SIMeL paper and CD Thesaurus; its main features are a three languages search and a continuous and an easy updating capability.
An investigation of the link between beach morphology and wave climate at Duck, NC, USA
Authors: Horrillo‐Caraballo J.M. , Reeve D.E. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBeaches can play an important role in flood defence by providing protection from the wave action. Understanding how beaches respond during storms and how beach profiles interact with waves and tides is very important in terms of the management of flood and erosion risks. In this paper we describe the application of canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to an historical data set of seabed elevations in Duck, NC, USA. The study site is a sandy beach located on the east coast of USA. The data set comprises detailed bathymetric surveys of beach profiles covering a period of over 24 years, and wave conditions measured over the same period, but at a different sampling rate. The structure of the data set and the data handling methods are described. The CCA method is applied using different assumptions about the distribution of wave heights. The results extend previous work by Larson et al. (2000), and demonstrate that the choice of how to describe the wave conditions can influence the quality of predictions made on the basis of the CCA results.
Comprehensive dental treatment of a patient with Huntington's disease: literature review and case report
Authors: Rada Robert E. 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTHuntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure. Because of the physical impairment and medication side effects, these patients can experience extensive oral disease.A patient presented to the dental clinic with complaints of oral pain and an inability to chew due to extensive caries and periodontal disease. General anesthesia was required to treat his oral problem due to the patient's disease‐associated uncontrolled movements, psychological status, and extensive oral disease. As varying anesthesia techniques have been recommended for patients with Huntington's disease, medical consultation was important to restore this individual's oral health.
Characterization of 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers in the freshwater snail Aplexa marmorata (Mollusca, Gastropoda)
Authors: DUBOIS MARIE‐PIERRE , NICOT ANTOINE , JARNE PHILIPPE , DAVID PATRICE 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe describe 15 new variable microsatellites in the freshwater snail Aplexa (Physa) marmorata, as well as conditions for multiplexing and simultaneous genotyping sets of loci. Two to 11 alleles were detected per locus over the five populations studied, and up to eight alleles per locus and population. The observed heterozygosity was extremely low, most probably as the consequence of high selfing rates. The genetic differentiation among populations was large. These markers will constitute efficient tools for investigating the population structure in fragmented habitats. Cross‐species amplification in three Physa species (P. acuta, P. fontinalis and P. gyrina) was rather unsuccessful.
Identification and characterization of 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor (Hagen)
Authors: BOOTH W. , LEWIS V. R. , TAYLOR R. L. , SCHAL C. , VARGO E. L. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractDespite recognition of the western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor (Hagen), as one of the most economically important and destructive termite species in the USA, both its population and colony breeding structure genetically remain unclear. Here, we present primer sequences and initial characterization for 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci. In a sample of 30 individuals, representing six geographically distinct locations collected in California, USA, three to 15 alleles were detected segregating per locus. Within a single population observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.050 to 0.866.
Polymorphic microsatellites in nēnē, the endangered Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis)
Authors: VEILLET ANNE , SHRESTHA RAJESH , PRICE DONALD K. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe nēnē (Branta sandvicensis) is an endangered Hawaiian goose endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The nēnē nearly went extinct in the mid‐19.00s and the majority of the approximately 1300 individuals currently in Hawai’i are descendants from less than 30 birds. The low adult breeding success and juvenile survival is likely due, in part, to inbreeding depression in wild individuals. Thirty‐eight microsatellite primer sets developed in nēnē, Canada goose, and waterfowl species provided 8 polymorphic loci. Four of these polymorphic loci exhibited only two alleles, which is likely a reflection of the high inbreeding in this species.
A method for quantifying melanosome transfer efficacy from melanocytes to keratinocytes in vitro
Authors: Lin Hwang‐Chi , Shieh Bin‐Han , Lu Mei‐Hua , Chen Jang‐Yi , Chang Li‐Tze , Chao Chung‐Faye 
Published: July 2008

SummarySeveral different in vivo and in vitro bioassays are used to evaluate melanosome transfer efficacy from melanocytes to keratinocytes. However, these methods are complicated and time consuming. Here, we report on a simple, rapid, direct, and reliable in vitro method for observing the process of melanosome transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes. First, we selected and tested a melanoma cell line RPMI‐7951 that can normally synthesize melanin and transfer from mature melanosomes to keratinocytes in vitro. We cocultured these cells with a human ovarian teratoma transformed epidermal carcinoma cell line, which is also capable of accepting melanosomes transferred from melanocytes, as in normal keratinocytes. The cells were cocultured for 24–72 h and double labeled with FITC‐conjugated antibody against the melanosome‐associated protein TRP‐1, and with Cy5‐conjugated antibody against the keratinocyte‐specific marker keratin 14. The cells were examined by fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry. Melanosome transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes increased in a time‐dependent manner. To verify the accessibility of this method, the melanosome transfer inhibitor, a serine protease inhibitor, 4‐(2‐aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride, and a melanosome transfer stimulator, α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone, were added. The serine protease inhibitor decreased melanosome transfer, and α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone increased melanosome transfer, in a dose‐dependent manner. In conclusion, this is a simple, rapid, and effective model system to quantify the melanosome transfer efficacy from melanocytes to keratinocytes in vitro.
The relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms of the interleukin‐10 gene promoter in systemic lupus erythematosus patients in Malaysia: a pilot study
Authors: HEE Chee Seng , GUN Suk Chyn , NAIDU Rakesh , SOMNATH Sushela Devi , RADHAKRISHNAN Ammu Kutty 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAim:  Recent studies have shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified within the promoter of the human interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) gene may participate in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and may be related to disease activity. This is a pilot study that investigated the allelic and genotype frequencies of three SNPs in the human IL‐10 gene promoter [rs1800896 (position: –1082G > A), rs1800871 (position: –824C > T) and rs1800872 (position: –597C > A)] among Malaysian SLE patients and normal subjects.Methods:  Blood was drawn from 44 SLE patients and 44 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy control subjects for DNA extraction. The SNPs were identified using the polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) method.Results:  There was no significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies between the SLE patients and control subjects. A statistically significant difference was detected in the haplotype frequencies between the patients and controls (P = 0.004).Conclusions:  There is a significant difference in the haplotype frequencies between the SLE patients and controls; the SNPs in the human IL‐10 gene promoter could play an important role in the pathogenesis of SLE.
Temporal arteritis in Hong Kong
Authors: TAM Stanley , WONG T. C. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractObjective:  To evaluate Chinese patients with biopsy‐proven temporal arteritis in Hong Kong, focusing on clinical presentation, frequency of occurrence, treatment regimen and complications, management and outcome of these patients.Design:  A retrospective study.Method:  A retrospective study was undertaken in which patients with biopsy‐proven temporal arteritis were identified from: (i) Statistical records of Hospital Authority (1996–1999); (ii) pathology records of regional hospitals in Hong Kong (1996–2000); and (iii) case records from rheumatologists in two university hospitals. Indexed hospital and out‐patient records were reviewed and analysed.Results:  Nineteen patients with biopsy‐proven temporal arteritis were identified from 1996 to 2000 and the calculated annual incidence was 0.34 patients in 100,000 people aged 50 and above per year. There were six male and 13 female patients (male : female ratio 1:2.2). Sixteen (84%) patients were older than 70 years. The common presentations were similar to overseas studies and included headache (79%), muscular symptoms (42%), constitutional symptoms (37%), scalp tenderness (37%), visual loss (32%), jaw claudication (32%), abnormal temporal artery (32%), and fever (26%). The mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate before treatment was 104 mm/h (SD = 30 mm/h). Anemia (Hb < 12 g/dL) was present in 79% of patients. The mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 8.4 weeks. Seventeen (89%) patients received high‐dose steroid therapy but none received steroid‐sparing agents. Only 33% of patients reached a physiological dose of steroid (prednisolone 5 mg/day) after 1 year.Conclusion:  Temporal arteritis is rare among Hong Kong Chinese. A rough estimate of annual incidence yielded less than one per 100,000 people aged ≥ 50. Overall clinical presentation was similar to overseas studies but there were: (i) longer duration of steroid therapy given; and (ii) more complications from steroid use. Steroid‐sparing agents should be considered early in difficult‐to‐control cases.
Wegener's granulomatosis and acute upper limb digital ischemia
Authors: KEJRIWAL Ritwik , LIM Tien Ming , KUMAR Sunil 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTWegener's granulomatosis is a rare disease which occasionally causes digital gangrene. We describe a patient who developed gangrene in an upper limb despite being on adequate treatment with intravenous cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids. Further management included administration of prostacyclin analogue (Iloprost) resulting in stabilization of disease.
Churg–Strauss syndrome with peripheral gangrene and severe renal failure
Authors: BOOPATHY K. Seerala , RAJENDRAN C. Panchapakesa , RUKMANGATHARAJAN S. , RAJESWARI S. , RAVICHANDRAN R. , VASANTHY N. 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTA 32‐year‐old man, known asthmatic since childhood, presented with multiple ulcers over lower legs, burning sensation over fingers and blackish discoloration of left little finger. On examination, he had systemic hypertension, tenderness over maxillary sinuses, left‐sided foot drop and gangrene of left little finger. The investigations showed anemia, eosinophilia, elevated serum immunoglobulin E level, elevated myeloperoxidase level, proteinuria and raised creatinine. A diagnosis of Churg‐Strauss syndrome with rare manifestations of gangrene and severe renal failure was made with the above features.
Psoriatic arthritis with ANCA‐positive vasculitis: a rare association
Authors: CHEWOOLKAR Vaibhav , BICHILE Lata S. , JAIN Neeraj , RAJ Pranesh 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTPsoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy in patients with psoriasis. Although 8% of patients affected with psoriasis without vasculitic manifestations are positive for perinuclear antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody (P‐ANCA), cutaneous vasculitis in psoriatic arthritis with a positive P‐ANCA is rare. We report a case of a 46‐year‐old‐man with a 25‐year history of plaque psoriasis admitted with joint pain and rash. He was subsequently diagnosed as having psoriatic arthritis and leucocytoclastic vasculitis with positive ANCA and was treated with methotrexate and corticosteroids. We hereby highlight the association of vasculitis with positive ANCA in a patient with psoriatic arthritis.
Emergence and Acquisition of Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli in the Intestinal Tracts of Mice Treated with Fluoroquinolone Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Pultz Michael J. , Nerandzic Michelle M. , Stiefel Usha , Donskey Curtis J. 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACT

After mice received orogastric administration of a fluoroquinolone-resistant
Klebsiella pneumoniae
strain, subcutaneous treatment with ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin promoted persistent low-density colonization in 10% to 40% of the mice, whereas treatment with clindamycin consistently promoted high-density colonization. No emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant gram-negative bacilli was detected in the mice during or after treatment with the fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agents.
Microbiological and Genotypic Analysis of Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Bacteremia
Authors: McCalla Carlo , Smyth Davida S. , Robinson D. Ashley , Steenbergen Judith , Luperchio Steven A. , Moise Pamela A. , Fowler Vance G. , Sakoulas George 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACT

In a recent landmark trial of bacteremia caused by methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) isolates, vancomycin MICs were ≥1 μg/ml for only 16% of the isolates, and accessory gene regulator (
agr
) function as measured by delta-hemolysin activity was absent or reduced in only 28.1% of the isolates. This clinical study did not capture a population of MRSA isolates predictive of vancomycin treatment failure.
Effect of Flagellar Mutations on
Yersinia enterocolitica
Biofilm Formation
Authors: Kim Tae-Jong , Young Briana M. , Young Glenn M. 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACT

Yersinia enterocolitica
biovar 1B is one of a number of strains pathogenic to humans in the genus
Yersinia
. It has three different type III secretion systems, Ysc, Ysa, and the flagella. In this study, the effect of flagella on biofilm formation was evaluated. In a panel of 31 mutant
Y. enterocolitica
strains, we observed that mutations that abolish the structure or rotation of the flagella greatly reduce biofilm formation when the bacteria are grown under static conditions. These results were further evaluated by assessing biofilm formation under continuous culture using a flow cell chamber. The results confirmed the important contribution of flagella to the initiation of biofilm production but indicated that there are differences in the progression of biofilm development between static growth and flow conditions. Our results suggest that flagella play a critical role in biofilm formation in
Y. enterocolitica
.
A RecombinantSaccharomyces cerevisiaeStrain Overproducing Mannoproteins Stabilizes Wine against Protein Haze
Authors: Gonzalez-Ramos Daniel , Cebollero Eduardo , Gonzalez Ramon 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTStabilization against protein haze was one of the first positive properties attributed to yeast mannoproteins in winemaking. In previous work we demonstrated that deletion ofKNR4leads to increased mannoprotein release in laboratorySaccharomyces cerevisiaestrains. We have now constructed strains withKNR4deleted in two different industrial wine yeast backgrounds. This required replacement of two and three alleles ofKNR4for the EC1118 and T73-4 backgrounds, respectively, and the use of three different selection markers for yeast genetic transformation. The actual effect of the genetic modification was dependent on both the genetic background and the culture conditions. The fermentation performance of T73-4 derivatives was clearly impaired, and these derivatives did not contribute to the protein stability of the wine, even though they showed increased mannoprotein release in vitro. In contrast, the EC1118 derivative with both alleles ofKNR4deleted released increased amounts of mannoproteins both in vitro and during wine fermentation assays, and the resulting wines were consistently less susceptible to protein haze. The fermentation performance of this strain was slightly impaired, but only with must with a very high sugar content. These results pave the way for the development of new commercial strains with the potential to improve several mannoprotein-related quality and technological parameters of wine.
Candidate Stress Genes ofNitrosomonas europaeafor Monitoring Inhibition of Nitrification by Heavy Metals
Authors: Park Sunhwa , Ely Roger L. 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTHeavy metals have been shown to be strong inhibitors of nitrification in wastewater treatment plants. In this research, the effects of cadmium, copper, and mercury onNitrosomonas europaeawere studied in quasi-steady-state batch reactors. When cells were exposed to 1 μM CdCl2, 6 μM HgCl2, or 8 μM CuCl2, ammonia oxidation rates were decreased by about 90%. Whole-genome transcriptional and proteomic responses ofN. europaeato cadmium were used to identify heavy metal stress response genes. When cells were exposed to 1 μM CdCl2for 1 h, 66 genes (of the total of 2,460 genes) were upregulated, and 50 genes were downregulated more than twofold. Of these, the mercury resistance genes (merTPCADE) averaged 277-fold upregulation under 1 μM CdCl2, withmerA(mercuric reductase) showing 297-fold upregulation. InN. europaeacells exposed to 6 μM HgCl2or to 8 μM CuCl2,merAshowed 250-fold and 1.7-fold upregulation, respectively. Cells showed the ability to recover quickly from Hg2+-related toxic effects, apparently associated with upregulation of the mercury resistance genes andamoA, but no such recovery was evident in Cd2+-exposed cells even thoughmerTPCADEwere highly upregulated. We suggest that the upregulation ofmerAin response to CdCl2and HgCl2exposure may provide a means to develop an early-warning indicator for inhibition of nitrification by these metals.
Prevalence and Characterization of Enterotoxin Gene-CarryingClostridium perfringensIsolates from Retail Meat Products in Japan
Authors: Miki Yasuhiro , Miyamoto Kazuaki , Kaneko-Hirano Ikuko , Fujiuchi Kanako , Akimoto Shigeru 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTClostridium perfringensis an important anaerobic pathogen causing food-borne gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in humans and animals. It is thought thatC. perfringensfood poisoning isolates typically carry the enterotoxin gene (cpe) on their chromosome, while isolates from other GI diseases, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea, carrycpeon a transferable plasmid. However, food-borne GI disease outbreaks associated withC. perfringensisolates carrying plasmid-bornecpe(plasmidcpeisolates) were recently reported in Japan and Europe. To investigate whether retail food can be a reservoir for food poisoning generally, we evaluated Japanese retail meat products for the presence of two genotypes of enterotoxigenicC. perfringens. Our results demonstrated that approximately 70% of the Japanese retail raw meat samples tested were contaminated with low numbers ofC. perfringensbacteria and 4% were contaminated withcpe-positiveC. perfringens. Most of thecpe-positiveC. perfringensisolates obtained from Japanese retail meat carriedcpeon a plasmid. The plasmidcpeisolates exhibited lower spore heat resistance than did chromosomalcpeisolates. Collectively, these plasmidcpeisolates might be causative agents of food poisoning when foods are contaminated with these isolates from equipment and/or the environment after cooking, or they may survive in food that has not been cooked at a high enough temperature.