cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122474
title: Supplementary Material for: Altered Phenotype of Blood Dendritic Cells in Patients with Acute Pneumonia

description: <i>Background:</i> Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in the host defence against inhaled pathogens. However, the phenotype of blood DCs in patients with acute respiratory infections is unknown. <i>Objective:</i> To investigate the number and the expression of function-associated molecules of blood DCs in patients with acute infectious pneumonia. <i>Methods:</i> Sixteen patients with acute pneumonia and 19 controls without pneumonia were included in the study. The number as well as the expression of function-associated molecules of myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) were analysed in peripheral blood using four-colour flow cytometry. <i>Results:</i> Elevated concentrations of procalcitonin (median: 0.55 ng/ml) and the rapid response to antibiotic treatment suggested a bacterial origin of the pneumonia in the patients. Total mDC (median: 27% of the controls) and pDC counts (median: 53% of the controls) were markedly reduced in patients with pneumonia, as compared to the controls. Percentages of blood mDCs, but not pDCs, were negatively correlated with serum concentrations of C-reactive protein. Patients with pneumonia were characterised by a significantly increased expression of Fc gamma receptors (CD32 and CD64) on mDCs and the Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) on pDCs. <i>Conclusions:</i> Circulating DCs are markedly reduced in patients with pneumonia, and characterised by an up-regulation of molecules recognising pathogen-associated molecular patterns and opsonised antigens.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122477
title: Supplementary Material for: Progesterone Level Predicts Serotonin-1A Receptor Binding in the Male Human Brain

description: <i>Background:</i> Progesterone (P) is thought to influence mood and affective states. Alterations of the inhibitory serotonin-1A (5-HT<sub>1A</sub>) receptor distribution are associated with depression and anxiety. This study evaluates the influence of plasma P levels on the 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor binding in healthy male subjects. <i>Methods:</i> Molecular neuroimaging of the 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor distribution using positron emission tomography and hormone assays for total plasma P and cortisol were done in a sample of 18 healthy men. <i>Results:</i> Plasma P levels explained up to 65% of the variability in 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor binding in limbic regions including the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex and retrosplenial cortex. When controlling for cortisol in the model, there was an expected decline in explained variances of 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> binding attributed to P. <i>Conclusions:</i> The results of this study provide further support for the effect of P on 5-HT<sub>1A</sub> receptor expression and raise the possibility that P mediates the vulnerability to mood disorders by affecting the serotonergic system.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122468
title: Supplementary Material for: Effect of Progesterone Withdrawal on Hypothalamic Mechanisms Related to Prolactin Release in Late Pregnant Rats

description: <i>Background/Aims:</i> Progesterone (P<sub>4</sub>) fall provoked by spontaneous or prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α)-induced luteolysis in late pregnant rats triggers a prolactin (PRL) surge 12–24 h later. <i>Methods:</i> To investigate the hypothalamic mechanism mediating this response, we determined expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), PRL receptors (long form, PRLR<sub><i>long</i></sub>), estrogen-α (ERα) and ERβ, P<sub>4</sub> (PR) A and B receptors, and STAT5a, STAT5b, suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), SOCS3 and CIS at mRNA (by semiquantitative and real-time RT-PCR) and protein (by Western blot only for TH, ERα and PRs) levels, and dopamine and DOPAC (by high-performance liquid chromatography) contents in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) 24 h after luteolysis induced by a PGF2α analogue (cloprostenol, 25 µg/rat s.c. at 8 and 12 h on day 19 of pregnancy). <i>Results:</i> PGF2α treatment decreased circulating P<sub>4</sub> and estradiol and increased PRL and the estradiol/P<sub>4</sub> ratio. MBH DOPAC and DOPAC/dopamine ratio fell, indicating decreased dopaminergic transmission. PRLR<sub><i>long</i></sub>, PRB and ERα mRNA increased. ERα and PR proteins were not modified. However, TH protein and mRNA did not change. PRA, the small PR isoform, was much more abundant than PRB, the isoform considered to mediate P<sub>4</sub> genomic actions. STAT5a, SOCS1 and SOCS3 mRNA were also increased. <i>Conclusion:</i> The P<sub>4</sub> fall induced by PGF2α treatment induces PRL release through diminution in MBH dopaminergic transmission without change in TH expression. The increased PRLR along with elevated circulating PRL may be responsible for maintaining high TH expression through activation of short-loop feedback mechanisms, counteracting the effect of the fall in circulating P<sub>4</sub>. In parallel, SOCS expression contributes to limit PRL signaling.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122471.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: Regimen Complexity and Prescription Adherence in Dialysis Patients

description: <i>Objectives:</i> Poor medication adherence is common in end-stage renal disease and may cause suboptimal outcomes and increased healthcare costs. We assessed the association between regimen complexity, perceived burden of oral therapy (BOT) and medication adherence in a large sample of hemodialysis (HD) patients. <i>Methods:</i> 1,238 HD patients in 54 Italian centers participated. Data were collected on patients’ socio-demographic characteristics, perceived BOT, quality of life, healthcare satisfaction, social support and medication adherence with a self-administered questionnaire. Data on medication regimen, comorbidities, hospitalizations, and transplant listing status were provided by the nursing staff. We estimated the adjusted association of regimen complexity, BOT and medication adherence with logistic regression. <i>Results:</i> There were 789 (64%) men and the median age was 67 years. Mean daily burden was 9.7 tablets and 48% of patients were adherent to medication prescriptions. The number of tablets prescribed in the medication regimen was associated to adherence likelihood after adjustment for possible confounders. Perceived BOT moderated the association between tablet count and self-reported adherence. <i>Conclusion:</i> Poor adherence was very common in our sample. Reducing tablet burden might help patients be adherent. However, our results suggest that modulating regimen complexity might be ineffective if patients’ negative attitudes toward medications are not addressed concurrently.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122456
title: Supplementary Material for: Brain Transcriptomic Response of Threespine Sticklebacks to Cues of a Predator

description: Predation pressure represents a strong selective force that influences the development and evolution of living organisms. An increasing number of studies have shown that both environmental and social factors, including exposure to predators, substantially shape the structure and function of the brain. However, our knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of the brain to environmental stimuli is limited. In this study, we used whole-genome comparative oligonucleotide microarrays to investigate the brain transcriptomic response to cues of a predator in the threespine stickleback, <i>Gasterosteus aculeatus</i>. We found that repeated exposure to olfactory, visual and tactile cues of a predator (rainbow trout, <i>Oncorrhynchus mykiss</i>) for 6 days resulted in subtle but significant transcriptomic changes in the brain of sticklebacks. Gene functional analysis and gene ontology enrichment revealed that the majority of the transcripts differentially expressed between the fish exposed to cues of a predator and the control group were related to antigen processing and presentation involving the major histocompatibility complex, transmission of synaptic signals, brain metabolic processes, gene regulation and visual perception. The top four identified pathways were synaptic long-term depression, RAN signaling, relaxin signaling and phototransduction. Our study demonstrates that exposure of sticklebacks to cues of a predator results in the activation of a wide range of biological and molecular processes and lays the foundation for future investigations on the molecular factors that modulate the function and evolution of the brain in response to stressors.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122462
title: Supplementary Material for: Population-Based Distribution and Psychometric Properties of a Short Cognitive Performance Measure in the Population-Based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study

description: <i>Background:</i> Providing a valid and sensitive measure of different domains of cognitive performance in epidemiologic studies of early old-age populations presents a methodological challenge, given the broad range of variability in cognitive functioning in this age group. <i>Objectives:</i> (1) To provide data on the distribution of cognitive performance scores in a representative sample of an early old-age population, and (2) to assess psychometric properties of a short cognitive performance measure developed within the framework of a cohort study. <i>Design:</i> Population-based cohort study. <i>Setting and Participants:</i> As part of the second examination of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, 4,145 participants aged 50–80 years underwent a short cognitive performance assessment composed of 5 subtests with a mean duration of 7.31 min. Additionally, a subsample of 656 participants had a detailed neuropsychological and neurological examination. <i>Methods:</i> Age- and education-specific cognitive performance scores in the total sample were calculated. Based on data from the subsample, concurrent validity was examined by comparing findings with a clinically validated neuropsychological assessment. <i>Results:</i> In the total sample, younger and more highly educated participants had higher scores of cognitive performance. In the subsample, a good accuracy [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.81 (0.74–0.87)] of the short cognitive performance assessment compared with results from a clinically established Alzheimer disease assessment scale and diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment [AUC = 0.82 (0.78–0.82)] was observed. <i>Conclusion:</i> This brief, cognitive performance measure, documenting good psychometric properties, can be useful in future epidemiological investigations exploring different domains and overall cognitive functioning in early old-age populations.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122468.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: Effect of Progesterone Withdrawal on Hypothalamic Mechanisms Related to Prolactin Release in Late Pregnant Rats

description: <i>Background/Aims:</i> Progesterone (P<sub>4</sub>) fall provoked by spontaneous or prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α)-induced luteolysis in late pregnant rats triggers a prolactin (PRL) surge 12–24 h later. <i>Methods:</i> To investigate the hypothalamic mechanism mediating this response, we determined expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), PRL receptors (long form, PRLR<sub><i>long</i></sub>), estrogen-α (ERα) and ERβ, P<sub>4</sub> (PR) A and B receptors, and STAT5a, STAT5b, suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), SOCS3 and CIS at mRNA (by semiquantitative and real-time RT-PCR) and protein (by Western blot only for TH, ERα and PRs) levels, and dopamine and DOPAC (by high-performance liquid chromatography) contents in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) 24 h after luteolysis induced by a PGF2α analogue (cloprostenol, 25 µg/rat s.c. at 8 and 12 h on day 19 of pregnancy). <i>Results:</i> PGF2α treatment decreased circulating P<sub>4</sub> and estradiol and increased PRL and the estradiol/P<sub>4</sub> ratio. MBH DOPAC and DOPAC/dopamine ratio fell, indicating decreased dopaminergic transmission. PRLR<sub><i>long</i></sub>, PRB and ERα mRNA increased. ERα and PR proteins were not modified. However, TH protein and mRNA did not change. PRA, the small PR isoform, was much more abundant than PRB, the isoform considered to mediate P<sub>4</sub> genomic actions. STAT5a, SOCS1 and SOCS3 mRNA were also increased. <i>Conclusion:</i> The P<sub>4</sub> fall induced by PGF2α treatment induces PRL release through diminution in MBH dopaminergic transmission without change in TH expression. The increased PRLR along with elevated circulating PRL may be responsible for maintaining high TH expression through activation of short-loop feedback mechanisms, counteracting the effect of the fall in circulating P<sub>4</sub>. In parallel, SOCS expression contributes to limit PRL signaling.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122453
title: Supplementary Material for: TGIF Mutations in Human Holoprosencephaly: Correlation between Genotype and Phenotype

description: Holoprosencephaly (HPE), which results from failed or incomplete midline forebrain division early in gestation, is the most common forebrain malformation. The etiology of HPE is complex and multifactorial. To date, at least 12 HPE-associated genes have been identified, including <i>TGIF</i> (transforming growth factor beta-induced factor), located on chromosome 18p11.3. <i>TGIF</i> encodes a transcriptional repressor of retinoid responses involved in TGF-β signaling regulation, including Nodal signaling. <i>TGIF</i> mutations are reported in approximately 1–2% of patients with non-syndromic, non-chromosomal HPE.We combined data from our comprehensive studies of HPE with a literature search for all individuals with HPE and evidence of mutations affecting <i>TGIF</i> in order to establish the genotypic and phenotypic range. We describe 2 groups of patients: 34 with intragenic mutations and 21 with deletions of <i>TGIF</i>. These individuals, which were ascertained from our research group, in collaboration with other centers, and through a literature search, include 38 probands and 17 mutation-positive relatives. The majority of intragenic mutations occur in the TGIF homeodomain. Patients with mutations affecting <i>TGIF</i>recapitulate the entire phenotypic spectrum observed in non-chromosomal, non-syndromic HPE. We identified a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups with respect to inheritance, as <i>TGIF</i> deletions were more likely to be de novo in comparison to <i>TGIF</i> mutations (χ<sup>2</sup><sub>(2)</sub> = 6.97, p<sub>permutated</sub> = 0.0356). In addition, patients with <i>TGIF</i> deletions were also found to more commonly present with manifestations beyond the craniofacial and neuroanatomical features associated with HPE (p = 0.0030). These findings highlight differences in patients with intragenic mutations versus deletions affecting <i>TGIF</i>, and draw attention to the homeodomain region, which appears to be particularly relevant to HPE. These results may be useful for genetic counseling of affected patients.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122462.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: Population-Based Distribution and Psychometric Properties of a Short Cognitive Performance Measure in the Population-Based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study

description: <i>Background:</i> Providing a valid and sensitive measure of different domains of cognitive performance in epidemiologic studies of early old-age populations presents a methodological challenge, given the broad range of variability in cognitive functioning in this age group. <i>Objectives:</i> (1) To provide data on the distribution of cognitive performance scores in a representative sample of an early old-age population, and (2) to assess psychometric properties of a short cognitive performance measure developed within the framework of a cohort study. <i>Design:</i> Population-based cohort study. <i>Setting and Participants:</i> As part of the second examination of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, 4,145 participants aged 50–80 years underwent a short cognitive performance assessment composed of 5 subtests with a mean duration of 7.31 min. Additionally, a subsample of 656 participants had a detailed neuropsychological and neurological examination. <i>Methods:</i> Age- and education-specific cognitive performance scores in the total sample were calculated. Based on data from the subsample, concurrent validity was examined by comparing findings with a clinically validated neuropsychological assessment. <i>Results:</i> In the total sample, younger and more highly educated participants had higher scores of cognitive performance. In the subsample, a good accuracy [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.81 (0.74–0.87)] of the short cognitive performance assessment compared with results from a clinically established Alzheimer disease assessment scale and diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment [AUC = 0.82 (0.78–0.82)] was observed. <i>Conclusion:</i> This brief, cognitive performance measure, documenting good psychometric properties, can be useful in future epidemiological investigations exploring different domains and overall cognitive functioning in early old-age populations.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122444
title: Supplementary Material for: Walnut Allergy in Peanut-Allergic Patients: Significance of Sequential Epitopes of Walnut Homologous to Linear Epitopes of Ara h 1, 2 and 3 in Relation to Clinical Reactivity

description: <i>Background:</i> Peanut allergy is a frequent and potentially life-threatening food allergy. Despite the large taxonomic distance between the plants, peanut-allergic patients often react to tree nuts such as walnuts. While the allergens of peanut and walnut have a high degree of homology in their amino-acid sequences, it is unknown whether this similarity is responsible for the observed co-reactivity. Therefore, we analyzed the binding of specific IgE antibodies to sequential epitopes of peanut and walnut in peanut-allergic patients with and without walnut allergy. <i>Methods:</i> The IgE binding to previously described sequential epitopes of peanut and the homologous regions of walnut was assessed in 32 peanut-allergic patients using a peptide microarray technology. Twelve patients had a clinically relevant walnut allergy and 20 were tolerant to walnut. Inhibition assays with peanut peptides and corresponding walnut sequences were performed to show specific binding to sequential epitopes. <i>Results:</i> No differences in the recognition of sequential epitopes could be found between peanut-allergic patients with or without walnut allergy. Only a few patients showed IgE binding to walnut sequences that corresponded to sequential epitopes of peanut. In the inhibition assays, no relevant cross-reacting IgE antibodies could be detected for the peptides analyzed. <i>Conclusion:</i> Our results indicate that although they share a rather high degree of homology with the corresponding regions of walnut allergens, the sequence stretches previously identified as sequential IgE binding epitopes of Ara h 1, Ara h 2 and Ara h 3 have no IgE binding equivalents in walnut allergens.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122447
title: Supplementary Material for: Variation in Missegregation Rates among Human Chromosomes in Hybrid Cells

description: Chinese hamster ovary-human hybrid cells containing chromosomes 16, 18, X, or 21 have been used to test the ability of human kinetochores to successfully bind to spindle microtubules and to be distributed to daughter cells. The intrinsic rates of non-disjunction among these human chromosomes have been determined and compared to non-disjunction rates in cells presented with taxol as a mitotic challenge. Cells grown on culture slides were fixed and processed for immunofluorescence and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Daughter cell pairs were identified by staining with anti-α-tubulin to identify midbodies. DNA probes specific for human centromeres were used to test for the successful passage of human chromosomes to daughter cells. Our data indicate that different human kinetochores vary in their ability to properly engage the spindle and to be successfully distributed. In addition, our data indicate that the 4 human chromosomes studied can be divided into 2 groups, based on their overall intrinsic rate of non-disjunction and their response to microtubule perturbation. The mechanism of this effect is not yet known.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122450
title: Supplementary Material for: Dendrin Location in Podocytes Is Associated with Disease Progression in Animal and Human Glomerulopathy

description: <i>Background:</i> Adriamycin (ADR) nephrosis in mice has been extensively studied and has enabled a greater understanding of the processes underlying the progression of renal injury. Dendrin is a novel component of the slit diaphragm with proapoptotic signaling properties, and it accumulates in the podocyte nucleus in response to glomerular injury in mice. The present study re-evaluated chronic progressive nephropathy in ADR mice and the localization of dendrin in mice and in human glomerulopathy. <i>Methods:</i> To investigate the localization of dendrin, a mouse model of nephrosis and glomerulosclerosis was used, in which ADR was injected once. WT-1-positive cells and apoptotic cells were counted in vivo and in vitro. To check the expression of dendrin in ADR mice, immunostaining and Western blot were performed. A survey of dendrin staining was performed on human kidney biopsy specimens. <i>Results:</i> The injection of ADR induced proteinuria, podocyte loss and glomerulosclerosis. It also caused the relocation of dendrin from the slit diaphragm to the podocyte nucleus. We demonstrated the location of dendrin to podocyte nuclei in several cases of human glomerulopathy. The mean occurrence of dendrin-positive nucleus per glomerulus increased in several cases of human glomerulopathy. <i>Conclusions:</i> These findings suggest that the relocation of dendrin to the podocyte nuclei is useful as a novel marker of podocyte injury in human glomerulopathy.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5122456.v1
title: Supplementary Material for: Brain Transcriptomic Response of Threespine Sticklebacks to Cues of a Predator

description: Predation pressure represents a strong selective force that influences the development and evolution of living organisms. An increasing number of studies have shown that both environmental and social factors, including exposure to predators, substantially shape the structure and function of the brain. However, our knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of the brain to environmental stimuli is limited. In this study, we used whole-genome comparative oligonucleotide microarrays to investigate the brain transcriptomic response to cues of a predator in the threespine stickleback, <i>Gasterosteus aculeatus</i>. We found that repeated exposure to olfactory, visual and tactile cues of a predator (rainbow trout, <i>Oncorrhynchus mykiss</i>) for 6 days resulted in subtle but significant transcriptomic changes in the brain of sticklebacks. Gene functional analysis and gene ontology enrichment revealed that the majority of the transcripts differentially expressed between the fish exposed to cues of a predator and the control group were related to antigen processing and presentation involving the major histocompatibility complex, transmission of synaptic signals, brain metabolic processes, gene regulation and visual perception. The top four identified pathways were synaptic long-term depression, RAN signaling, relaxin signaling and phototransduction. Our study demonstrates that exposure of sticklebacks to cues of a predator results in the activation of a wide range of biological and molecular processes and lays the foundation for future investigations on the molecular factors that modulate the function and evolution of the brain in response to stressors.