bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rga2 is a Rho2 GAP that regulates morphogenesis and cell integrity in S. pombe
Authors: Villar‐Tajadura Ma Antonia , Coll Pedro M. , Madrid Marisa , Cansado Jose , Santos Beatriz , Pérez Pilar 
Published: September 2008

Summary Schizosaccharomyces pombe Rho2 GTPase regulates α‐D‐glucan synthesis and acts upstream of Pck2 to activate the MAP kinase pathway for cell integrity. However, little is known about its regulation. Here we describe Rga2 as a Rho2 GTPase‐activating protein (GAP) that regulates cell morphology. rga2+ gene is not essential for growth but its deletion causes longer and thinner cells whereas rga2+ overexpression causes shorter and broader cells. rga2+ overexpression also causes abnormal accumulation of Calcofluor‐stained material and cell lysis, suggesting that it also participates in cell wall integrity. Rga2 localizes to growth tips and septum region. The N‐terminal region of the protein is required for its correct localization whereas the PH domain is necessary exclusively for Rga2 localization to the division area. Also, Rga2 localization depends on polarity markers and on actin polymerization. Rga2 interacts with Rho2 and possesses in vitro and in vivo GAP activity for this GTPase. Accordingly, rga2Δ cells contain more α‐D‐glucan and therefore partially suppress the thermosensitivity of mok1–664 cells, which have a defective α‐D‐glucan synthase. Additionally, genetic interactions and biochemical analysis suggest that Rga2 regulates Rho2–Pck2 interaction and might participate in the regulation of the MAPK cell integrity pathway.
Commonly affected body sites in 92 Japanese combat sports participants with Trichophyton tonsurans infection
Authors: Shiraki Yumi , Hiruma Masataro , Hirose Nobuyoshi , Ikeda Shigaku 
Published: September 2008

SummaryOutbreaks of Trichophyton tonsurans infection constitute one of the serious problems among combat sports practitioners in Japan. To facilitate the diagnosis of individuals at risk, we undertook a study to determine which body sites are most commonly infected. We reviewed medical data, hairbrush culture results and questionnaire information from patients with T. tonsurans infection who were admitted to the dermatology clinic of Juntendo University hospital from 2000 to 2004. The study included 92 patients (87 males), aged 6–38 years (mean age: 18.4 years old). Eighty‐nine patients were judo practitioners and three were wrestlers. Twenty‐eight patients (30.4%) were asymptomatic carriers. In 64 patients, 51 patients (55.4%) with tinea corporis, 27 patients (29.3%) with tinea capitis, and/or one patient (1.1%) with tinea manuum were seen. Tinea corporis was observed on the forehead, auricles, nape of the neck, bilateral shoulders, left side of the upper chest, both elbows, back of the left hand to the wrist and both knees. Tinea capitis was most common in the occipitonuchal region at the hairline and in the temporal and frontal regions, at both auricles. Initial screening of these sites might facilitate the identification of the infection especially in judo practitioners.
Fusarium species detected in onychomycosis in Colombia
Authors: Castro López Natalia , Casas Clemencia , Sopo Leticia , Rojas Alejandro , Del Portillo Patricia , Cepero de García María Caridad , Restrepo Silvia 
Published: September 2008

Summary Fusarium spp. have frequently been isolated from patients with onychomycosis. In Colombia, several studies have shown that Fusarium is the most common non‐dermatophyte mould causing onychomycosis and its spread has increased in the past years. In this study, samples were collected in 2003 and 2004 from 137 patients who were diagnosed with onychomycosis caused by Fusarium spp. Three species of Fusarium were identified: Fusarium solani (64.9%), Fusarium oxysporum (32.8%) and Fusarium verticillioides (2.3%). The diseases were more common in women (73%) than in men (27%) and occurred mainly among adults between 31 and 40 years old. The percentage of patients who had received previous treatments was 63.5%. In the last years, new and improved antifungal agents like echinocandins or new triazoles like voriconazole have been developed. For this reason, susceptibility testing using voriconazole was performed, by broth microdilution and disk diffusion. The results showed that F. solani had the highest minimum inhibitory concentration. Using the disk diffusion test, many of the isolates showed variable susceptibility. Genetic diversity of F. oxysporum isolates was determined by random amplified polymorphic DNA. Twenty isolates belonging to different haplotypes were selected for PCR amplification of a region of the gene encoding α‐l‐arabinofuranosidase B, a specific test to determine if the isolates were F. oxysporum f. sp. dianthi. On the basis of these PCR results, we found that five out of the 20 F. oxysporum isolates corresponded to f. sp. dianthi.
Preliminary study of activity of the thioredoxin inhibitor pleurotin against Trichophyton mentagrophytes: a novel anti‐dermatophyte possibility
Authors: Berdicevsky Israela , Kaufman Gil , Newman David J. , Horwitz Benjamin A. 
Published: September 2008

SummaryDermatophyte infections, while not life‐threatening, are very common, and there is great interest in developing new antifungal agents. Transcriptional profiling of Trichophyton on keratin has identified some antioxidant genes as induced on this host substrate, including a thioredoxin gene TmTRX1. If thioredoxin is a virulence factor, or necessary for the growth on keratin, thioredoxin inhibitors should act as antifungals. As a first evaluation of this hypothesis, we have tested the activity of a thioredoxin‐inhibitory natural product, pleurotin, against a clinical isolate of each of two fungal pathogens: the dermatophyte T. mentagrophytes and Candida albicans. Pleurotin inhibited the growth of the dermatophyte in vitro and in an ex vivo skin model, but had no effect on Candida. It may be possible to develop and optimise thioredoxin inhibitors, some of which are already under study in cancer chemotherapy, as antifungals.
Quality of life in patients suffering from seborrheic dermatitis: influence of age, gender and education level
Authors: Szepietowski Jacek C. , Reich Adam , Wesołowska‐Szepietowska Ewa , Baran Eugeniusz ,   for the National Quality of Life in Dermatology Group
Published: September 2008

SummarySeborrheic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin condition occurring mostly on the face, scalp and chest. Despite its high frequency, the impact of seborrheic dermatitis on patients’ quality of life (QoL) has not been studied well so far. The objectives of this study were to analyse how seborrheic dermatitis affects the patients’ QoL and which socio‐economic factors could modulate QoL in these patients. A total of 3000 patients with seborrheic dermatitis and/or dandruff were enrolled into the study. All participants were divided into subgroups according to gender, age and education level. A specially designed questionnaire with demographic and clinical details of patients as well as Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was completed during a patient visit in an outpatient clinic. Data were collected by local dermatologists who were instructed regarding the inclusion and exclusion criteria and the questionnaires were sent back to us upon completion. The mean DLQI score for all patients was 6.92 ± 5.34 points. Patients with dandruff had significantly better QoL than subjects with seborrheic dermatitis (5.34 ± 4.67 points vs. 7.73 ± 5.3 points, respectively; P < 0.001) or individuals with dandruff plus seborrheic dermatitis (7.54 ± 5.6 points, P < 0.001). In addition, women, younger patients and subjects with higher educational level were more affected than the rest of the patients. Seborrheic dermatitis had significant, negative influence on patients’ QoL. Observed discrepancies between subgroups could be explained by different roles played by different patient subgroups in the society. DLQI can be successfully used for the assessment of QoL in large populational studies.
Swarming motility: a multicellular behaviour conferring antimicrobial resistance
Authors: Lai Sandra , Tremblay Julien , Déziel Eric 
Published: September 2008

SummarySwarming is a type of social motility allowing the migration of highly differentiated bacterial cells. Swarming shares many similarities with biofilm communities, which are notable for their high resistance to antimicrobial agents. We investigate here if the swarming behaviour could also be associated with a widespread antimicrobial resistant phenotype. Challenged with 13 antibiotics from various classes, swarm cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Burkholderia thailandensis and Bacillus subtilis showed higher resistance than their planktonic counterparts to all the antibiotics tested, except for the antimicrobial peptides. Using P. aeruginosa as a model, this multiresistant phenotype was shown to be transient and intrinsically linked to the swarming state. Resistance of swarm cells towards other antimicrobial agents, such as triclosan and a heavy metal (arsenite), was also observed. Neither RND‐type efflux pumps, including MexAB‐OprM, MexCD‐OprJ, MexEF‐OprN and MexXY‐OprM, nor a biofilm‐associated resistance mechanism involving periplasmic glucans, appear to account for the resistance of swarm cells. Together with the high resistance of biofilms, these results support the hypothesis that antimicrobial resistance is a general feature of bacterial multicellularity. Swarming motility might thus represent a form of social behaviour useful as a model to investigate biofilm antibiotic resistance.
Ion transport and osmotic adjustment in Escherichia coli in response to ionic and non‐ionic osmotica
Authors: Shabala Lana , Bowman John , Brown Janelle , Ross Tom , McMeekin Tom , Shabala Sergey 
Published: September 2008

SummaryBacteria respond to osmotic stress by a substantial increase in the intracellular osmolality, adjusting their cell turgor for altered growth conditions. Using Escherichia coli as a model organism we demonstrate here that bacterial responses to hyperosmotic stress specifically depend on the nature of osmoticum used. We show that increasing acute hyperosmotic NaCl stress above ∼1.0 Os kg−1 causes a dose‐dependent K+ leak from the cell, resulting in a substantial decrease in cytosolic K+ content and a concurrent accumulation of Na+ in the cell. At the same time, isotonic sucrose or mannitol treatment (non‐ionic osmotica) results in a gradual increase of the net K+ uptake. Ion flux data are consistent with growth experiments showing that bacterial growth is impaired by NaCl at the concentration resulting in a switch from net K+ uptake to efflux. Microarray experiments reveal that about 40% of upregulated genes shared no similarity in their responses to NaCl and sucrose treatment, further suggesting specificity of osmotic adjustment in E. coli to ionic and non‐ionic osmotica. The observed differences are explained by the specificity of the stress‐induced changes in the membrane potential of bacterial cells highlighting the importance of voltage‐gated K+ transporters for bacterial adaptation to hyperosmotic stress.
Novel Chlamydiales strains isolated from a water treatment plant
Authors: Corsaro Daniele , Feroldi Veronica , Saucedo Gemma , Ribas Ferran , Loret Jean‐François , Greub Gilbert 
Published: September 2008

SummaryChlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria infecting free‐living amoebae, vertebrates and some invertebrates. Novel members are regularly discovered, and there is accumulating evidence supporting a very important diversity of chlamydiae in the environment. In this study, we investigated the presence of chlamydiae in a drinking water treatment plant. Samples were used to inoculate Acanthamoeba monolayers (Acanthamoeba co‐culture), and to recover autochthonous amoebae onto non‐nutritive agar. Chlamydiae were searched for by a pan‐chlamydia 16S rRNA gene PCR from both Acanthamoeba co‐cultures and autochthonous amoebae, and phylotypes determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Autochthonous amoebae also were identified by 18S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. From a total of 79 samples, we recovered eight chlamydial strains by Acanthamoeba co‐culture, but only one of 28 amoebae harboured a chlamydia. Sequencing results and phylogenetic analysis showed our strains belonging to four distinct chlamydial lineages. Four strains, including the strain recovered within its natural host, belonged to the Parachlamydiaceae; two closely related strains belonged to the Criblamydiaceae; two distinct strains clustered with Rhabdochlamydia spp.; one strain clustered only with uncultured environmental clones. Our results confirmed the usefulness of amoeba co‐culture to recover novel chlamydial strains from complex samples and demonstrated the huge diversity of chlamydiae in the environment, by identifying several new species including one representing the first strain of a new family.
Positive urine cytology but negative white‐light cystoscopy: an indication for fluorescence cystoscopy?
Authors: Karl Alexander , Tritschler Stefan , Stanislaus Peter , Gratzke Christian , Tilki Derya , Strittmatter Frank , Knüchel Ruth , Stief Christian G. , Zaak Dirk 
Published: September 2008

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the possible benefit of fluorescence cystoscopy (FC) in detecting cytologically ‘confirmed’ lesions when assessing urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, as negative white‐light cystoscopy in cases of a positive cytological finding represents a diagnostic dilemma.PATIENTS AND METHODSFrom January 1996 to December 2006, 348 patients, who had cystoscopy for surveillance or due to suspicion of urothelial carcinoma, presented with an entirely negative white‐light cystoscopy at our hospital. However, 77 of the 348 patients (22.2%) were diagnosed with a positive cytological finding. All patients had white‐light cystoscopy first and a bladder‐wash cytological specimen was obtained, then FC, followed by cold‐cup biopsies and/or transurethral resection of the bladder tumour.RESULTSIn the 77 patients with a positive cytological specimen FC enabled the detection of the precise site of malignancy within the bladder in 63 (82%). As malignant or premalignant lesions, there were 18 moderate dysplasias, 27 carcinoma in situ (CIS), and 18 pTa‐1/G1‐3 tumours. Moreover using FC, malignant or premalignant lesions were detected in 43 of 271 patients (15.9%) who had a negative cytological specimen (15 moderate dysplasias, six CIS, 22 pTa‐1/G1‐3).CONCLUSIONThis study shows that FC is beneficial in the detection of malignant and premalignant lesions, if there is negative white‐light cystoscopy but positive urine cytology. The immediate identification of the exact site of a malignant lesion during FC enables the physician to diagnose and treat these patients more accurately and with no delay.
The Premature Ejaculation Profile: validation of self‐reported outcome measures for research and practice
Authors: Patrick Donald L. , Giuliano François , Ho Kai Fai , Gagnon Dennis D. , McNulty Pauline , Rothman Margaret 
Published: September 2008

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the reliability and validity of the Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP), a self‐reported outcome instrument for evaluating domains of PE and its treatment, comprised of four single‐item measures, a profile, and an index score.SUBJECTS AND METHODSData were from men participating in observational studies in the USA (PE, 207 men; non‐PE, 1380) and Europe (PE, 201; non‐PE, 914) and from men with PE (1238) participating in a phase III randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trial of dapoxetine. The PEP contains four measures: perceived control over ejaculation, personal distress related to ejaculation, satisfaction with sexual intercourse, and interpersonal difficulty related to ejaculation, each assessed on five‐point response scales. Test‐retest reliability, known‐groups validity, and ability to detect a patient‐reported global impression of change (PGI) in condition were evaluated for the individual PEP measures and a PEP index score (the mean of all four measures). Profile analysis was conducted using multivariate analysis of variance.RESULTSAll PEP measures showed acceptable reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.66 to 0.83) and mean scores for all measures differed significantly between PE and non‐PE groups (P < 0.001). Men who reported a reduction in PE with treatment in the phase III trial had significantly greater scores on each of the four measures. The PEP profiles of men with and without PE differed significantly (P < 0.001) in both observational studies; higher levels of PGI were associated with higher PEP profiles (P < 0.001). The PEP index score also showed acceptable reliability and was significantly different between the PE and non‐PE groups (P < 0.001). Men who reported an improvement in PE with treatment in the phase III trial had significantly greater PEP index scores. In the phase III trial, nausea was the most common adverse event with dapoxetine.CONCLUSIONThe PEP provides a reliable, valid, and interpretable measure for use in monitoring outcomes of men with PE.
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of calcium stone‐formers with and without primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Parks Joan H. , Coe Fredric L. , Evan Andrew P. , Worcester Elaine M. 
Published: September 2008

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical presentation, laboratory features and outcome of treatment in stone formers (SF) with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) to those without systemic disease.PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODSWe compared 105 (54 female) stone‐formers (SF) with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) to 2416 (835 female) common SF with no systemic disease, and 260 normal subjects (NS, 106 female) using pre‐treatment and treatment data from our kidney‐stone programme. All were assessed before treatment, with three 24‐h urine samples, for stone risk factors, each with a corresponding fasting blood sample. Records were reviewed for stone rates and urological stone‐related procedures.RESULTSThe hypercalcaemia of HPT was modest, but hypercalciuria was far more marked than in SF because the fractional calcium excretion of HPT exceeded that of SF. Surgical cure of HPT did not completely eradicate either hypercalciuria or hypophosphataemia, suggesting that these patients have some additional mineral disorder. Serum calcium and phosphate, and fractional excretion of calcium, combined into a discriminant function provided the best separation between HPT and SF. However, we present 49 patients for whom the diagnosis (HPT vs SF) has never been resolved, despite years of observation and successful reduction of stone recurrence. Stones in HPT have slightly more phosphate than SF but the difference is not large enough to be of clinical interest. The stone frequency in HPT is about that for SF, and treatment reduces stones in HPT and SF by about the same amount, 10 times.CONCLUSIONNo study to date has compared HPT with SF and NS, as done here. SF with even slight hypercalcaemia and brisk hypercalciuria probably have this curable disease, and after cure clinicians must be wary of residual hypercalciuria that requires medical treatment. Some patients will never be fully diagnosed and remain, like ours, an enigma, albeit responsive to usual medical treatments. Although stones are modestly enriched with phosphate, most are mainly calcium oxalate, so the stone analysis is not clinically a guide to diagnosis.
An association between ethnicity and cardiovascular outcomes for people with Type 2 diabetes in New Zealand
Authors: Kenealy T. , Elley C. R. , Robinson E. , Bramley D. , Drury P. L. , Kerse N. M. , Moyes S. A. , Arroll B. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractAims To investigate the association between ethnicity and risk of first cardiovascular (CV) event for people with Type 2 diabetes in New Zealand.Methods A prospective cohort study using routinely collected data from a national primary health care diabetes annual review programme linked to national hospital admission and mortality data. Ethnicity was recorded as European, Maori, Pacific, Indo‐Asian, East‐Asian or Other. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate factors associated with first CV event. Data was collected from 48 444 patients with Type 2 diabetes, with first data collected between 1 January 2000 and 20 December 2005, no previous cardiovascular event at entry and with complete measurements. Risk factors included ethnicity, gender, socio‐economic status, body mass index, smoking, age at diagnosis, duration of diabetes, systolic blood pressure, serum lipids, glycated haemoglobin and urine albumin : creatinine ratio. The main outcome measures were time to first fatal or non‐fatal CV event.Results Median follow‐up was 2.4 years. Using combined European and Other ethnicities as a reference, hazard ratios for first CV event were 1.30 for Maori (95% confidence interval 1.19–1.41), 1.04 for Pacific (0.95–1.13), 1.06 for Indo‐Asian (0.91–1.24) and 0.73 for East‐Asian (0.62–0.85) after controlling for all other risk factors.Conclusions Ethnicity was independently associated with time to first CV event in people with Type 2 diabetes. Maori were at 30% higher risk of first CV event and East‐Asian 27% lower risk compared with European/Other, with no significant difference in risk for Pacific and Indo‐Asian peoples.
What and How Long Does It Take to Get Tenure? The Case of Economics and Business Administration in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
Authors: Schulze Günther G. , Wiermann Christian , Warning Susanne 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
This paper investigates the determinants of tenure decisions in Germany, Austria and the German-speaking part of Switzerland for professorships in economics, business administration and related fields. Our dataset comprises candidates who were awarded tenure as well as those who were eligible but were not tenured. We show that business candidates have a higher probability of being tenured than economists. Youth, marital status and publications matter; gender and children do not. The market for first appointments in economics relies much more on publication performance than the market for business administration.
Livestock predation by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and their vulnerability to retaliatory killing in the Maasai steppe, Tanzania
Authors: Kissui B. M. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe African lion Panthera leo, spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta and leopard Panthera pardus are all killed in retaliation for livestock predation, but each species suffers differently from these impacts due to differences in predatory behavior and cultural attitudes of pastoralists. Using detailed data on livestock predation in the Maasai steppe landscape in Northern Tanzania, I investigated how prey preference, location and timing of livestock attacks contributed to the vulnerability of lions, leopards and spotted hyenas to retaliatory killing. Lions mostly preyed upon adult cattle and donkeys. In contrast, hyenas and leopards primarily killed small stock (goat, sheep and calves) and dogs. Hyenas and leopards mostly attacked livestock at night, whereas lions often attacked grazing livestock during the daytime. These behaviors made lions the most vulnerable to direct retaliatory killing, although some villages specifically targeted hyenas with poison, and the cultural traditions of pastoralists also exacerbate the retaliatory killing of lions. I highlight the complex interactions of social (human) and ecological dimensions of livestock predation and retaliation against predators. Any conservation intervention should strive to address human–carnivore conflicts at the appropriate social scale.