bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Ca2+-dependent bacterial antifreeze protein domain has a novel β-helical ice-binding fold
Authors: Garnham Christopher P. , Gilbert Jack A. , Hartman Christopher P. , Campbell Robert L. , Laybourn-Parry Johanna , Davies Peter L. 
Published: March 2008

AFPs (antifreeze proteins) are produced by many organisms that inhabit ice-laden environments. They facilitate survival at sub-zero temperatures by binding to, and inhibiting, the growth of ice crystals in solution. The Antarctic bacterium Marinomonas primoryensis produces an exceptionally large (&gt;1 MDa) hyperactive Ca2+-dependent AFP. We have cloned, expressed and characterized a 322-amino-acid region of the protein where the antifreeze activity is localized that shows similarity to the RTX (repeats-in-toxin) family of proteins. The recombinant protein requires Ca2+ for structure and activity, and it is capable of depressing the freezing point of a solution in excess of 2 °C at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml, therefore classifying it as a hyperactive AFP. We have developed a homology-guided model of the antifreeze region based partly on the Ca2+-bound β-roll from alkaline protease. The model has identified both a novel β-helical fold and an ice-binding site. The interior of the β-helix contains a single row of bound Ca2+ ions down one side of the structure and a hydrophobic core down the opposite side. The ice-binding surface consists of parallel repetitive arrays of threonine and aspartic acid/asparagine residues located down the Ca2+-bound side of the structure. The model was tested and validated by site-directed mutagenesis. It explains the Ca2+-dependency of the region, as well its hyperactive antifreeze activity. This is the first bacterial AFP to be structurally characterized and is one of only five hyperactive AFPs identified to date.
Fasting in healthy subjects is associated with intrahepatic accumulation of lipids as assessed by 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Authors: Moller Louise , Stodkilde-Jorgensen Hans , Jensen Finn T. , Jorgensen Jens O. L. 
Published: March 2008

The impact of fasting on IHL (intrahepatic lipid) content in human subjects has not been investigated previously, but results indicate that it may change rapidly in response to metabolic cues. The aim of the present study was to measure IHL content after fasting and to correlate this with circulating lipid intermediates. A total of eight healthy non-obese young males were studied before and after 12 or 36 h of fasting. IHL content was assessed by 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and blood samples were drawn after the fasting period. IHL content increased significantly after the 36 h fasting period [median increase 156% (range, 4–252%); P&lt;0.05]. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation between this increase and 3-hydroxybutyrate concentration was detected (P=0.03). No significant change in IHL content was demonstrated after the 12 h fasting period. The baseline median inter-individual variation in IHLs was 0.51% (range, 0.25–0.72%). The coefficient of variation of IHL measurements was 11.6%; 25–30% of the variation was of analytical origin and the remaining 70–75% was attributed to repositioning. In conclusion, IHL content increases in healthy male subjects during fasting, which demonstrates that nutritional status should be accounted for when assessing IHLs in clinical studies. Moreover, the increase in IHLs was positively correlated with the concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate.
Role ofChlamydia pneumoniaein atherosclerosis
Authors: Watson Caroline , Alp Nicholas J. 
Published: March 2008

Cardiovascular disease, resulting from atherosclerosis, is a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. Genetic predisposition and classical environmental risk factors explain much of the attributable risk for cardiovascular events in populations, but other risk factors for the development and progression of atherosclerosis, which can be identified and modified, may be important therapeutic targets. Infectious agents, such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, have been proposed as contributory factors in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In the present review, we consider the experimental evidence that has accumulated over the last 20 years evaluating the role of C. pneumoniae in atherosclerosis and suggest areas for future research in this field.
Killer cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Fairclough Lucy , Urbanowicz Richard A. , Corne Jonathan , Lamb Jonathan R. 
Published: March 2008

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a treatable and preventable disease state, characterized by progressive airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. It is a current and growing cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, with the WHO (World Health Organization) projecting that total deaths attributed to COPD will increase by more than 30% in the next 10 years. The pathological hallmarks of COPD are destruction of the lung parenchyma (pulmonary emphysema), inflammation of the central airways (chronic bronchitis) and inflammation of the peripheral airways (respiratory bronchiolitis). The destructive changes and tissue remodelling observed in COPD are a result of complex interactions between cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems. The focus of the present review is directed towards the role of CD8+ T-lymphocytes, NK (natural killer) cells and NKT cells (NK T-cells). These three classes of killer cell could all play an important part in the pathogenesis of COPD. The observed damage to the pulmonary tissue could be caused in three ways: (i) direct cytotoxic effect against the lung epithelium mediated by the activities of perforin and granzymes, (ii) FasL (Fas ligand)-induced apoptosis and/or (iii) cytokine and chemokine release. The present review considers the role of these killer cells in COPD.
Is adipose tissue lipolysis always an adaptive response to starvation?: implications for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Gan Seng Khee , Watts Gerald F. 
Published: March 2008

The physiological response to starvation involves increased muscle proteolysis and adipose tissue lipolysis that supply amino acids and non-esterified fatty acids (‘free fatty acids’) for gluconeogenesis, oxidation and ketogenesis. In the present issue of Clinical Science, Moller and co-workers show that, in humans, IHL (intrahepatic lipid) content, measured using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, increases following 36 h of fasting, with a direct association with plasma levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate. The observation raises interesting questions as to how IHL levels increase in a situation of increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis. Possible mechanisms for increased IHLs include reduced apoB-100 (apolipoprotein B-100) production and hepatic lipid export, and/or impaired mitochondrial function resulting from increased oxidative stress, with diversion of fatty acids for esterification. The accumulation of IHL during prolonged fasting may, therefore, reflect a maladaptive response to increased non-esterified fatty acid delivery to the liver that unmasks a subtle defect in mitochondrial function. This could have implications for the pathogenesis of the common human disorder of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The accumulation of IHLs observed with prolonged fasting may also explain exacerbations of steatohepatitis seen sometimes with rapid weight loss, anorexia nervosa and parenteral nutrition. The findings also suggest caution against promoting excessive ketogenesis with weight-loss regimens.
State as Transgressor: Šilingas versus the State—A Case Study
Authors: Worthington Svaja Vansauskas 
Published: March 2008

The usually cheerful Insight Travel Guide to the Baltic States offers this synopsis of the Baltic situation:Their independence was sentenced to death by the Nazi–Soviet Pact [the secret 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact] just before World War II. The pact envisaged the Baltic States would be parceled out between them, but it was overtaken by events with Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union. The three states were incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940 … Among few other people did the Soviet mill grind finer than in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania … The final injustice was the permanent imposition of Soviet rule and Stalinist terror. Anyone a visitor meets today in the Baltics is likely to have a relation who was sent to Siberia or simply shot.
ChIPCodis: mining complex regulatory systems in yeast by concurrent enrichment analysis of chip-on-chip data
Authors: Abascal Federico , Carmona-Saez Pedro , Carazo Jose-Maria , Pascual-Montano Alberto 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Motivation: Eukaryotic genes are often regulated by multiple transcription factors (TFs). Depending on the interactions among different TFs the expression of a gene can be tuned to respond to diverse environmental conditions. Chip-on-chip experiments provide a snapshot of which TF are in vivo bound to which genes in a particular condition, and have been applied to characterize the regulatory code of yeast under several experimental settings. ChIPCodis mines this data to provide new insights about how the expression of a particular group of genes is regulated. For a given list of yeast genes ChIPCodis determines which combinations of TFs are significantly over-represented in a series of environmental conditions.
Availabilty: http://chipcodis.dacya.ucm.es
Contact: pascual@fis.ucm.es
Supplementary information: http://chipcodis.dacya.ucm.es/sm.html
Epidemiological survey of Vibrio vulnificus infection in Japan between 1999 and 2003
Authors: INOUE Yuji , ONO Tomomichi , MATSUI Tamano , MIYASAKA Jiro , KINOSHITA Yoshihiro , IHN Hironobu 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe frequency of Vibrio vulnificus infection is very rare and there are many questions regarding its epidemiology in Japan. To investigate the clinical course and epidemiology of V. vulnificus infection in Japan, we performed a retrospective questionnaire survey in which 1693 hospitals from all over Japan were surveyed, including advanced life saving emergency centers and dermatology institutions. Of the 1693 hospitals, we received answers from 1045. Ninety‐four cases were confirmed as V. vulnificus infections during 1999 and 2003. Sixty‐eight (72.3%) of the 94 patients had the septic type infection with a mortality rate of 75.0% (51/68 patients died). The prognosis of patients with the septic type was worse than that of the wound type (P < 0.001). V. vulnificus infections occurred from June to November and none occurred in winter. Many infections occurred in western Japan with the majority of infections (50/94) occurring in Kyushu. In particular, 43 infections occurred in marine coastal areas of the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas, which have many tidelands. Seventy‐seven of 89 patients (86.5%) had liver function impairment as an underlying disease, and 53 (59.6%) had liver cirrhosis, of whom nine (10.1%) suffered from liver cancer. The incidence of V. vulnificus infection was different according to districts. Geographic and climatic factors also contributed to the occurrence of V. vulnificus infection.
Preliminary study among truck drivers in Turkey: Effects of ultraviolet light on some skin entities
Authors: KAVAK Ayse , PARLAK Ali Haydar , YESILDAL Nuray , AYDOGAN Ilker , ANUL Huseyin 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTIn this study, we aimed to compare driver (left) and opposite (right) sides for some skin entities in drivers. We also evaluated the effect of occupational duration, age and skin type among this population. One hundred and forty‐eight truck drivers were included in this study. Sun exposed areas were classified. Dermatological entities such as actinic keratosis, solar lentigo, seborrheic keratosis, melanocytic nevus, spider angioma, ephelid, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma were compared to driver and right sides. In addition, drivers were divided into two subgroups according to: (i) age (subgroups A1, 20–40 years, and A2, >40 years); (ii) occupational duration (subgroups O1, 1–10 years, and 02, >10 years); and (iii) skin type (subgroups S1, skin types I and II, and S2, skin types III and IV. Each of the two subgroups were compared with respect to the total prevalence (left and right sides) of lesions excluding the location. Seborrheic keratosis and lentigo solaris were found to be increased on the driver side of the face (P = 0.00) and ear (P = 0.013), respectively. Statistically significant increases of lesions on the driver side were determined according to the subgroups: melanocytic nevi were found to be increased on the driver side in A1 (P = 0.00), A2 (P = 0.00), O2 (P = 0.00), S1 (P = 0.00) and S2 (P = 0.006) groups; actinic keratoses were found to be significantly increased on the driver side in A2 and O2 groups (P = 0.03 for both).
Discoid lupus erythematosus exacerbated by contact dermatitis caused by use of squaric acid dibutylester for topical immunotherapy in a patient with alopecia areata
Authors: SHIMAOKA Yayoi , HATAMOCHI Atsushi , HAMASAKI Yoichiro , SUZUKI Hiromi , IKEDA Hideyuki , YAMAZAKI Soji 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTA 57‐year‐old Japanese male patient with an 18‐year history of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) presented with alopecia on his scalp, and was clinically diagnosed to have alopecia areata. He was started on topical immunotherapy with squaric acid dibutylester (SADBE) for the treatment of alopecia areata. The patient was first sensitized with the application of 2% SADBE on the right upper arm, followed subsequently by re‐exposure to a low concentration of SADBE to provoke contact dermatitis on the scalp as treatment. Approximately 2 months later, he developed multiple red scaly lesions on his scalp and face, which were diagnosed histopathologically as DLE. DLE is known to be exacerbated by a variety of factors, including sunlight, X‐rays, tattoos, burns, and some forms of cutaneous trauma, including dermatitis. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have only been two reported cases of DLE exacerbated by contact dermatitis.
Multiple cutaneous neoplasms in a patient with Rothmund–Thomson syndrome: Case report and published work review
Authors: STINCO Giuseppe , GOVERNATORI Gianantonio , MATTIGHELLO Paolo , PATRONE Pasquale 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTRothmund–Thomson syndrome (RTS) is a rare genodermatosis characterized by early poikilodermatous skin lesions, often combined with juvenile cataracts, photosensitivity and bone defects. Data in the published work indicate that there is an increased risk of RTS patients developing malignant tumors. Herein, we report the multiple skin carcinomas observed in a case of RTS and review the published work on the occurrence of malignant tumors in these patients. We report the case of a 63‐year‐old male with RTS who developed multiple cutaneous neoplasms (three basal cell carcinomas, three squamous cell carcinomas and Bowen's disease) over the previous 15 years. A published work review confirmed that RTS is a genetic condition that predisposes subjects to the development of bone tumors, especially at an early age, and skin tumors at an adult age. Therefore, alongside careful osteoarticular monitoring to identify a bone tumor quickly, during the life of a patient suffering from the syndrome, it is just as important to take appropriate preventive action and monitor the possible onset of skin tumors.
Developing social work students' communication skills with children and young people: a model for the qualifying level curriculum
Authors: Lefevre Michelle , Tanner Karen , Luckock Barry 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTCurrently, there is no explicit requirement for qualifying level social workers to be skilled in communicating with children. In a recent Knowledge Review, we argued that practitioners should have a basic level of competence in such skill at the point of qualification. If that argument is accepted then how this should be acquired within the qualifying social work curriculum needs consideration. The authors present a framework for understanding those components of skilled communication with children that should be included in the qualifying curriculum. A whole programme approach to curriculum development will be outlined which, we suggest, might enable students to develop the knowledge, capabilities and values required for skilled practice in this area.
Mental health and educational difficulties in children in contact with Children's Social Services
Authors: Guglani Sacha , Rushton Alan , Ford Tamsin 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe British Child Mental Health Survey 1999 collected data from 10 438 children aged 5–15 years, selected at random from the child benefit register. At 2 and 3 years, all those with a psychiatric disorder and a random third without were followed up with further detailed interviews about the services contacted if parents reported service contact or if parents expressed concern about their child's mental health at baseline and follow‐up, but reported no service use. We compared children in contact with Children's Social Services with children in contact with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or no services. The children in contact with Children's Social Services had a high level of psychopathology and considerable educational difficulties. Despite this, they often had no contact with CAMHS or access to provision for special educational needs. It also became clear that parents were often using Children's Social Services as a first‐line service, i.e. a way of trying to access help. The results provide us with an interesting insight into the level of need of those children in contact with Children's Social Services and we hope to stimulate discussion about how liaison between all the services children access can better provide for their needs.
Young people leaving care: health, well‐being and outcomes
Authors: Dixon Jo 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper focuses on the health and well‐being of young people making the transition from care to independent adulthood. It draws on findings from a wider study of outcomes for young people leaving care in England. Notably, the study used, as its key outcome indicators, measures of general and mental well‐being. In doing so, it was able to explore the interrelationship between these areas and young people's overall progress after care. The paper explores the extent to which young people experience difficulties related to physical and mental health, disability and emotional and behavioural problems. It will show that such difficulties can impact upon and be influenced by overall well‐being and post‐care progress in more traditional outcome areas such accommodation and career, and will suggest that the transition from care itself can adversely affect health and well‐being. The paper considers these issues within the context of a changing policy framework which has given increased priority to the health and well‐being of young people in and leaving care, particularly in light of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000. It considers the ways that young people are supported to address health and well‐being and the implications for and impact on leaving care services.
Achieving permanency for youth in foster care: assessing and strengthening emotional security
Authors: Frey Lauren , Cushing Gretta , Freundlich Madelyn , Brenner Eliot 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTFor some youth in foster care, the closest family or family‐like relationships are with the foster parents with whom they have lived for extended periods of time. Nonetheless, child welfare agencies often do not explore these relationships and the potential they may hold for youth for legal permanence through adoption or guardianship. Recognizing that social workers often lack resources to help them initiate permanency conversations, Casey Family Services, a direct service child welfare agency in the USA, developed a tool that social workers can use to explore youth's sense of emotional security with their foster parents and foster parents' sense of claiming and attachment with youth in their care. The research literature that suggests that emotional security is a critical component of successful permanence provided the foundation for the development of the Belonging and Emotional Security Tool (BEST). When used with youth and foster parents, the BEST was found to advance meaningful permanency conversations. The authors provide case examples of its use and discuss future directions for using the BEST and broadening its application.
Severe atopic dermatitis is associated with a high burden of environmental Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Leung A. D. , Schiltz A. M. , Hall C. F. , Liu A. H. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryBackground
About 90% of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) are colonized with Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus worsens AD by secreting superantigens and structural molecules within the cell wall that induce skin inflammation. Therefore, S. aureus in the home may contribute to persistent skin inflammation and disease severity.Objective
To quantify S. aureus burden in homes of participants with AD of varying severities.Methods
Participants with mild (n=18), moderate (n=14), severe (n=15), and no AD (n=15), collected dust from their bed and bedroom floor, and from their home vacuum cleaner bag. DNA was extracted from dust samples, and the S. aureus‐specific femB gene was quantified using quantitative real‐time PCR. Data was log‐transformed, and then statistically analysed with anova, student's t‐test, and Spearman's r.Results
Participants with severe AD (geometric mean: 14.67 pg/mg dust) had significantly more S. aureus DNA in their bed dust than those with moderate (0.41 pg/mg dust, P<0.0001), mild (1.42 pg/mg dust, P=0.0051), and no AD [0.09 pg/mg dust, P<0.0001 (t‐test)]. Similar patterns were observed for dust from the bedroom floors and vacuum bags. S. aureus DNA was highest in dust from beds as compared with bedroom floors or vacuum bags (medians: 1.51, 0.69, 0.21 pg/mg dust, respectively; P=0.007). Eczema Area and Severity Index scores correlated with S. aureus DNA from the bed (Spearman's r=0.7263; P=0.0004) and floor (0.6846; P=0.0002) dust, but not with the vacuum bag dust (0.3783; 0.0684).Conclusions
In the home and especially the bedroom, higher levels of S. aureus may contribute to disease severity and persistence in AD patients.
Brood burrow construction and brood care by Heliocopris japetus (Klug) and Heliocopris hamadryas (Fabricius) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae)
Authors: KLEMPERER H. G. , BOULTON RUDYERD 
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Brood burrow construction and brood care were studied by excavating burrows of different ages and by re‐excavating certain burrows after a defined interval.
Brood burrows consisted of tunnels running via an upper chamber to a lower chamber 0.55–1.3 m below ground.
The female excavated the upper chamber, filled it with dung, then excavated the lower chamber and packed it with dung from the upper chamber.
Soil was removed from around the dung to give adungmasslying free in the lower chamber. The male was present during and just before this stage, and may cooperate in pushing soil out through the tunnel. Later the tunnel was filled with soil, excluding the male from the lower chamber.
The female formed the dung mass into balls each of which contained an egg. Development of the larvae led to an expansion at the upper pole, producing a pear shape. Third instar larvae were found in pears with a soil covering.
In the case of H.japetus the pears later became soil‐covered balls containing the new adults, and the female remained in the chamber and died after the young had emerged.
The push‐ups of H.japetus and of H.hamadryas were distinguishable, reflecting slight differences in the technique of burrow construction. H.hamadryas burrows were deeper and contained smaller brood balls.