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Different Profiles (different + profile)
Selected AbstractsDifferent profiles of circulating angiogenic factors and adipocytokines between early- and late-onset pre-eclampsiaBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 3 2010H Masuyama Please cite this paper as: Masuyama H, Segawa T, Sumida Y, Masumoto A, Inoue S, Akahori Y, Hiramatsu Y. Different profiles of circulating angiogenic factors and adipocytokines between early- and late-onset pre-eclampsia. BJOG 2010;117:314,320. Objective, Circulating angiogenic factors have been shown to be important in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia. Blood levels of adipocytokines differ in pre-eclampsia relative to controls and may also play an important role in disease pathogenesis. Differences in the circulating levels of these molecules were compared between matched normotensive controls and women with pre-eclampsia with onset before or at/after 32 weeks, and according to whether the women were of normal weight (18.5 < body mass index < 25) or overweight. Design, A cross-sectional study of 110 pregnant Japanese women who visited the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan. Setting, Tertiary referral centre serving 2000 births. Methods, Serum concentrations of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble endoglin (sEng), adiponectin and leptin were measured in women with pre-eclampsia and in normotensive controls matched for age, gestational week, parity and body mass index. Main outcome measures, Serum levels of sFlt-1, PlGF, the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, sEng, adiponectin and leptin. Results, The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in early-onset pre-eclampsia was significantly higher than that in late-onset pre-eclampsia (112.0 ± 30.2 versus 45.4 ± 43.8, P = 0.037). There was a significant elevation of leptin in both subtypes relative to controls (early: 58.6 ± 18.3 ng/ml versus 26.0 ± 6.7 ng/ml, P = 0.001; late: 39.5 ± 9.2 ng/ml versus 22.0 ± 4.3 ng/ml, P = 0.005), but adiponectin was increased only in late-onset pre-eclampsia (36.5 ± 13.4 ,g/ml versus 12.0 ± 4.3 ,g/ml, P = 0.003). Significant differences in angiogenic factors and adiponectin were found between normal and overweight women only in late-onset pre-eclampsia. Conclusions, These data suggest that there are different profiles of angiogenic factors and adipocytokines between women who develop early- and late-onset pre-eclampsia. [source] Altered volume and hemispheric asymmetry of the superficial cortical layers in the schizophrenia planum temporaleEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2009John F. Smiley Abstract In vivo structural MRI studies in schizophrenia auditory cerebral cortex have reported smaller volumes and, less consistently, have reported altered hemispheric asymmetry of volumes. We used autopsy brains from 19 schizophrenia and 18 nonpsychiatric male subjects to measure the volume asymmetry of the planum temporal (PT). We then used the most recently autopsied 11 schizophrenia and 10 nonpsychiatric brains to measure the widths and fractional volumes of the upper (I,III) and lower (IV,VI) layers. Measurements of whole PT gray matter volumes did not show significant changes in schizophrenia. Nevertheless, laminar volume measurements revealed that the upper layers of the PT comprise a smaller fraction of the total cortex in schizophrenia than in nonpsychiatric brains. Subdivision of the PT showed that this change was especially prominent caudally, beyond Heschl's gyrus, whereas similar but less pronounced changes were found in the rostral PT and Heschl's gyrus. Complementary measures of laminar widths showed that the altered fractional volume in the caudal left PT was due mainly to ,8% thinner upper layers. However, the caudal right PT had a different profile, with thicker lower layers and comparatively unchanged upper layers. Thus, in the present study, laminar measurements provided a more sensitive method for detecting changes than measurement of whole PT volumes. Besides findings in schizophrenia, our cortical width measurements revealed normal hemispheric asymmetries consistent with previous reports. In schizophrenia, the thinner upper layers of the caudal PT suggest disrupted corticocortical processing, possibly affecting the multisensory integration and phonetic processing of this region. [source] Enantiomeric antidepressant drugs should be considered on individual meritHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue S2 2001Pierre Baumann Abstract Many antidepressants have been introduced as racemic drugs, the enantiomers of which may differ in some of their pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. This review argues that each enantiomer of a chiral antidepressant should be evaluated according to its individual characteristics rather than by extrapolation from the racemate, or by assumptions based on the stereoselective characteristics of other enantiomeric drugs. For example, in some cases the enantiomers' pharmacodynamic and therapeutic properties can be complementary, which suggests that the racemate should be used clinically. In other cases where enantiomers show qualitatively similar but quantitatively different properties to the racemate, using a single enantiomer might be more appropriate. In yet further cases, a distomer may induce the metabolism of the eutomer, enantiomers may be metabolised by different enzymes, there may be a different profile of drug,drug interactions, and therapeutic drug monitoring may be simpler. Therefore, this review exemplifies the principle that each enantiomer of a chiral antidepressant should be evaluated according to its individual pharmacological, pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic characteristics. These factors are discussed in relation to five chiral antidepressants: trimipramine, mianserin, mirtazapine, fluoxetine and citalopram. It is hoped that an appreciation of the stereoselective differences between enantiomers will facilitate improvements in the benefit:risk ratio of drugs used in the management of depression. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Determinants of atopic sensitization in Turkish school children: Effects of pre- and post-natal events and maternal atopyPEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Semanur Kuyucu Emergence of new environmental risk factors, and/or loss of protective factors of a traditional lifestyle may explain the increase, or variations in prevalence of allergic diseases. The aim of this study was to delineate the prevalence and spectrum of, and to reveal the causal and/or protective factors for atopic sensitization among a heterogenous cohort of Turkish children, for the first time in our country. The study design adhered to International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) phase II protocol. A self-administered parental questionnaire about demographic characteristics and detailed risk factors, and skin-prick test with 13 allergens were employed in a clustered random sample of 8,11-yr-old Turkish school children. Atopy was defined as the presence of at least one positive skin reaction to any allergen tested. The association between a total of 78 risk factors and different aspects of atopy were analyzed in 1144 children with multivariate logistic regression analysis. The overall prevalence of atopy was 20.6%. Most common sensitizations were to grass pollens, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Blatella germanica. Day care attendance, high paternal education level, male gender and maternal asthma were significant risk factors for atopy. Breastfeeding more than 6 months (compared with 0,6 months), maternal smoking during pregnancy and a birth weight under 2500 g were inversely related to (or protective factors for) atopic sensitization. Maternal atopic disease had significant effects on risk factors pattern. In children with a maternal atopy history a low birth weight, day care attendance and maternal smoking during the first year of life independently increased the risk of atopic sensitization. Gender, breastfeeding and paternal education did not show any association with atopy in this group of children. A history of measles and low gestational age were significant protective factors for mite sensitization. This study showed that children of atopic mothers showed a different profile of risk factors associated with atopic sensitization, when compared with other children. Prenatal and early childhood events had important associations with atopic sensitization. [source] Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequencesPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002James J. Gross One of life's great challenges is successfully regulating emotions. Do some emotion regulation strategies have more to recommend them than others? According to Gross's (1998, Review of General Psychology, 2, 271,299) process model of emotion regulation, strategies that act early in the emotion-generative process should have a different profile of consequences than strategies that act later on. This review focuses on two commonly used strategies for down-regulating emotion. The first, reappraisal, comes early in the emotion-generative process. It consists of changing the way a situation is construed so as to decrease its emotional impact. The second, suppression, comes later in the emotion-generative process. It consists of inhibiting the outward signs of inner feelings. Experimental and individual-difference studies find reappraisal is often more effective than suppression. Reappraisal decreases emotion experience and behavioral expression, and has no impact on memory. By contrast, suppression decreases behavioral expression, but fails to decrease emotion experience, and actually impairs memory. Suppression also increases physiological responding for suppressors and their social partners. This review concludes with a consideration of five important directions for future research on emotion regulation processes. [source] Emergency Medicine Career Choice: A Profile of Factors and Influences from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Graduation QuestionnairesACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2009Jeremy S. Boyd Abstract Objectives:, This study sought to account for trends in medical student specialty choice by examining the importance of lifestyle factors. Emergency medicine (EM) is among several medical specialties classified as having a "controllable lifestyle." The primary objective of this study was to determine if medical students choosing careers in EM have a different profile of influences, values, and expectations from students choosing other specialties or specialty groups. Of secondary interest was how much lifestyle influenced students choosing EM compared to students choosing controllable lifestyle (CL) specialties. Methods:, Using data from the 2005 and 2006 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) graduation questionnaire (GQ) supplemental surveys, we grouped responses according to desired specialty choice: EM (n = 963), CL (n = 3,681), primary care (PC; n = 3,191), or surgical specialty (SS; n = 1,694). The survey requires students to rate the influence of nine specific factors in determining their specialty choice: lifestyle, competitiveness, high level of educational debt, mentors and role models, options for fellowship training, salary expectations, length of residency training, family expectations, and medical school career planning activities. Using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and nonparametric statistics, we assessed responses among the four subgroups for differences in the importance attributed to these factors. Results:, A total of 13,440 students completed the two supplemental surveys of the GQ. Of these students, 9,529 identified a specialty choice that fell within one of the four comparison groups and were included in the analysis. Compared to other specialty groups, students choosing EM reported lifestyle and length of residency as strong influences, while attributing less influence to mentors and options for fellowship training. Conclusions:, Students choosing a career in EM have distinctly different priorities and influences than students entering PC and SS. The profile of students who choose EM is very similar to those choosing traditional CL specialties. A more thorough understanding of the values and priorities that shape medical student career selection may allow educators to provide better career counseling. [source] Contractile responses to adenosine, R-PIA and ovalbumen in passively sensitized guinea-pig isolated airwaysBRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 6 2002Timothy J Martin Responses to adenosine, R-PIA and ovalbumen were examined in guinea-pig isolated superfused tracheal spirals to determine the effects of passive sensitization by overnight incubation in serum from ovalbumen (OA)-sensitized or non-sensitized guinea-pigs. Tissues incubated with serum from non-sensitized and OA-sensitized guinea-pigs contracted (0.07±0.02 and 0.04±0.01 g, respectively) to adenosine (300 ,M) whereas non-incubated or Krebs-incubated tissues produced no contractions to adenosine or ovalbumen (10 ,g). Ovalbumen caused substantial contractions (0.40±0.09 g) after OA-sensitized serum incubation and significantly (P<0.05) smaller contractions (0.08±0.03 g) after non-sensitized serum incubation. Tracheae from guinea-pigs actively sensitized to ovalbumen 14,21 days beforehand also contracted to adenosine, R-PIA (3 ,M) and ovalbumen. The A1/A2 adenosine receptor antagonist, 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT, 3 ,M), failed to antagonize these contractions, suggesting that A1/A2 adenosine receptors were not involved. Unlike adenosine, R-PIA (3 ,M) produced contractions in non-incubated (0.23±0.04 g) or Krebs-incubated (0.15±0.04 g) tracheae, as well as after passive and active sensitization. None of these responses were blocked by 8-PT. The A3 receptor agonist, IB-MECA, in the presence of 8-PT produced small contractions in passively sensitized tracheae (10 ,M, 0.02±0.003 g) and, in larger doses (100 ,M and 1 mM), contracted actively sensitized tracheae. In actively sensitized trachea, the A3 receptor antagonist, MRS-1220 (100 nM), significantly (P<0.05) attenuated adenosine contractions in the presence of 8-PT from 0.23±0.07 g to 0.07±0.03 g. These results show that passive, like active sensitization, reveals bronchoconstrictions to adenosine of isolated tracheae. The insensitivity to 8-PT blockade, the antagonism by MRS-1220, and the fact that the A3 receptor agonist, IB-MECA, mimics this response, suggest involvement of A3 receptors. R-PIA, however, has a different profile of adenosine receptor activity. British Journal of Pharmacology (2002) 137, 729,738. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0704902 [source] Neoplastic stem cells: A novel therapeutic target in clinical oncologyCANCER, Issue 10 2006Axel Schulenburg MD Abstract Cancer is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Despite recent advances, most therapeutic approaches fail to eradicate the entire neoplastic clone. The remaining cells often develop metastasis and/or recurrences and therefore may represent attractive targets of therapy. A new exciting concept in this regard suggests that each neoplasm represents a heterogeneous population of cells that pertain to long-term tumor growth both in vivo in the natural host and in experimental animals. This concept postulates the existence of small fractions of ,tumor stem cells' that exhibit a capacity for self-renewal and unlimited growth and therefore are distinct from their progeny. Based on these hypotheses, the targeting of neoplastic stem cells is considered indispensable for eradication of the entire clone and for the development of curative treatment approaches. However, tumor stem cells often may be quiescent cells and may express a different profile of targets compared with ,more mature' tumor cells. Therefore, current efforts have attempted to characterize target expression profiles in cancer stem cells in various malignancies. In the this review, the authors have provided a brief summary of the current knowledge of neoplastic stem cells and the application of respective concepts in translational oncology with the ultimate objective of improving anticancer therapy. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society. [source] Brain cytokines and diseaseACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 6 2002Carlos R Plata-Salaman Cytokines (e.g. various interleukins and subfamily members, tumor necrosis factors, interferons, chemokines and growth factors) act in the brain as immunoregulators and neuromodulators. Over a decade ago, the integrative article ,Immunoregulators in the Nervous System' (Neurosci Biobehav Rev 1991; 15: 185,215) provided a comprehensive framework of pivotal issues on cytokines and the nervous system that recently have been extensively studied. Cytokine profiles in the brain, including cytokine generation and action, have been studied in multiple models associated with neuropathophysiological conditions. These include: (1) acute conditions and disorders such as stroke (cerebral ischemia or infarction and intracranial hemorrhage), traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and acute neuropathies; (2) chronic neurodegenerative disorders and chronic conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, neuropathic pain, epilepsy and chronic neuropathies; (3) brain infections, including bacterial meningitis and encephalitis; (4) brain tumors; (5) neuroimmunological disorders per se, such as multiple sclerosis; (5) psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and depression; (6) neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with non- central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as peripheral cancer, liver, kidney and metabolic compromise, and peripheral infectious and inflammatory conditions; and (7) cytokine immunotherapy, which can be accompanied by neuropsychiatric manifestations when administered either via peripheral or brain routes. Cytokine profiles have also been studied in multiple animal models challenged with inflammatory, infectious, chemical, malignant and stressor insults. Essentially data show that cytokines play a pivotal role in multiple neuropathophysiological processes associated with different types of disorders and insults. Cytokine expression and action in the brain shows a different profile across conditions, but some similarities exist. Under a defined temporal sequence, cytokine involvement in neuroprotection or the induction of a deleterious pathophysiological cascade and in resolution/healing is proposed depending on the type of cytokine. In the brain, functional interactions among cytokines, balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and functional interactions with neurotransmitters and neuropeptides play a pivotal role in the overall cytokine profile, pattern of neuropathophysiological cascades, and quality and magnitude of neuropsychiatric manifestations. In this brief review various selected cytokine-related issues with relevance to the brain are discussed. [source] Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of severe autoimmune disease: results from phase I/II studies, prospective randomized trials and future directionsCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2005A. Tyndall Summary Around 700 patients have received an autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) as treatment for a severe autoimmune disease (AD). The majority of these have been within the context of phase I/II clinical trials and following international guidelines proposed 7 years ago. In general, a positive benefit/risk ratio has led to phase III prospective randomized controlled trials in multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic sclerosis (SSc) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Europe. In the US, similar trials are being planned for SSc, MS and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Transplant related mortality (TRM) has fallen in all disease subgroups since the inception due to more appropriate patient selection, and so far a clear advantage of the more intense myeloablative regimens in terms of remission induction and relapse rate has not emerged. Although each AD has a different profile, over a third of patients have sustained a durable remission, often with no further need for immunosuppressive drugs. In those who relapsed, many responded to agents which pre transplant had been ineffective. The study of immune reconstitution and gene expression pre and post HSCT is being undertaken to further understand the mechanism of autoimmunity. [source] Characterization of human peritoneal dendritic cell precursors and their involvement in peritonitisCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 3 2005M. L. McCully Summary Scattered evidence suggests that the human peritoneal cavity contains cells of the dendritic cell (DC) lineage but their characterization is missing. Here, we report that the peritoneal cavity of normal subjects and of stable patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) contains a population of CD14+ cells that can differentiate into DCs or macrophages. Within this pool, we characterized a CD14+CD4+ cell subset (2·2% of the peritoneal cells) fulfilling the definition of myeloid DC precursors or pre-DC1 cells. These cells expressed high levels of HLA-DR, CD13, CD33, and CD86, and low levels of CD40, CD80, CD83, CD123, CD209, TLR-2 and TLR-4. These cells retained CD14 expression until late stages of differentiation, despite concomitant up-regulation of DC-SIGN (CD209), CD1a, CD80 and CD40. Peritoneal pre-DC1 cells had endocytic capacity that was down-regulated upon LPS/IFN-, stimulation, were more potent allo-stimulators than peritoneal CD14+CD4,/lo cells and monocyte-derived macrophages, and induced Th1 cytokine responses. More importantly, the number of peritoneal pre-DC1 cells increased during PD-associated peritonitis, with a different profile for Gram positive and Gram negative peritonitis, suggesting that these cells participate in the induction of peritoneal adaptive immune responses, and may be responsible for the bias towards Th1 responses during peritonitis. [source] A context- and role-driven scientific workflow development patternCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 15 2008Wanchun Dou Abstract Scientific workflow execution often demands data-centric and computation-intensive collaboration efforts, which is typically different from the process-centric workflow execution with fixed execution specifications. Scientific workflow execution often challenges the traditional workflow development strategy in dynamic context management and role definition. In view of this observation, application context spectrums are firstly distinguished from different profiles of scientific workflow development. Then, a role enactment strategy is proposed for enabling workflow execution in certain application context. They jointly enhance the validity of a scientific workflow development through clearly articulating the correlation between computational subjects and computational objects engaged in scientific workflow system. Furthermore, a novel context- and role-driven scientific workflow development pattern is proposed for enacting a scientific workflow system on the Grid. Finally, a case study is presented to demonstrate the generic natures of the methods in this paper. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] In vivo exposure to microcystins induces DNA damage in the haemocytes of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, as measured with the comet assayENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS, Issue 1 2007Guillaume Juhel Abstract The Comet assay was used to investigate the potential of the biotoxin microcystin (MC) to induce DNA damage in the freshwater zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha. Mussels maintained in the laboratory were fed daily, over a 21-day period, with one of four strains of the cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa. Three of the strains produced different profiles of MC toxin, while the fourth strain did not produce MCs. The mussels were sampled at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days by withdrawing haemocytes from their adductor muscle. In addition, a positive control was performed by exposing a subsample of the mussels to water containing cadmium chloride (CdCl2). Cell viability, measured with the Fluorescein Diacetate/Ethidium Bromide test, indicated that the MC concentrations, to which the mussels were exposed, were not cytotoxic to the haemocytes. The Comet assay performed on the haemocytes indicated that exposure to CdCl2 produced a dose-responsive increase in DNA damage, demonstrating that mussel haemocytes were sensitive to DNA-damaging agents. DNA damage, measured as percentage tail DNA (%tDNA), was observed in mussels exposed to the three toxic Microcystis strains, but not in mussels exposed to the nontoxic strain. Toxin analysis of the cyanobacterial cultures confirmed that the three MC-producing strains exhibit different toxin profiles, with the two MC variants detected being MC-LF and MC-LR. Furthermore, the DNA damage that was observed appeared to be strain-specific, with high doses of MC-LF being associated with a higher level of genotoxicity than low concentrations of MC-LR. High levels of MC-LF also seemed to induce relatively more persistent DNA damage than small quantities of MC-LR. This study is the first to demonstrate that in vivo exposure to MC-producing strains of cyanobacteria induces DNA damage in the haemocytes of zebra mussels and confirms the sublethal toxicity of these toxins. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Granzyme A expression reveals distinct cytolytic CTL subsets following influenza A virus infectionEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Jessica M. Moffat Abstract CTL mediate anti-viral immunity via targeted exocytosis of cytolytic granules containing perforin and members of the granzyme (grz) serine protease family. Here, we provide the first analysis of grzA protein expression by murine anti-viral CTL. During the progression of influenza A virus infection, CTL expressed two divergent cytolytic phenotypes: grzA,B+ and grzA+B+. CTL lacked grzA expression during the initial rounds of antigen-driven division. High levels of grzA were expressed by influenza-specific CTL early post infection (day 6), particularly in tissues associated with the infected respiratory tract (bronchoalveolar lavage, lung). Following resolution of influenza infection, a small population of memory CTL expressed grzA. Interestingly, individual influenza A virus-derived epitope-specific CTL expressed different levels of grzA. The grzA expression hierarchy was determined to be KbPB1703=DbF262=KbNS2114>DbNP366=DbPA224 and inversely correlated with CTL magnitude. Therefore following influenza infection, a CTL cytolytic hierarchy was established relating to the different profiles of antigen expression and relative immunodominance. Analysis of CTL grzA expression during influenza virus immunity has enabled a more detailed insight into the cytolytic mechanisms of virus elimination. [source] Fate of airborne metal pollution in soils as related to agricultural management.EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007Summary The fate of airborne metal pollutants in soils is still relatively unknown. We studied the incorporation of such airborne metal pollution in two soils under long-term permanent pasture (PP) and conventional arable land (CA). Both soils were located at an almost equal distance from a former zinc smelter complex and developed under comparable pedogenetic conditions. Profiles of total concentrations of Zn, chosen as a mobile, and Pb as a little- or non-mobile element, were examined and compared with macro- and micromorphological soil characteristics (soil colour, biological activity). The two soils showed different profiles of total Zn and Pb concentrations, with a marked decrease of concentrations of both elements under the plough layer in CA, whereas the decrease was more progressive in PP. However, the stocks of Zn and Pb for the 1-m soil profiles of CA and PP were comparable. Correlation of Zn and Pb concentration at different depths with total Fe contents and comparison with estimated data for the local geochemical background (LGCB), suggests transport of Zn from the surface to depth in CA and PP, and Pb movement in PP. In CA, 53% of Zn and 92.5% of Pb stocks derived from airborne metal pollution were located at depths < 26 cm. In PP, only 40% of Zn and 82% of Pb, derived from airborne pollution, were found in the A11 and A12 horizons (< 26 cm), the remaining 18% of the Pb stock being incorporated until 50 cm depth; one-third of total Zn stock ascribed to airborne pollution was found at depths > 50 cm. Studies of the composition of gravitational water collected in soils from the same study area suggest two mechanisms for metal movement. First, mobile metal ions (Zn2+) move in the soil solution and are intercepted by iron-clay complexes in deeper soil horizons. Second, observed only in PP, simultaneous movement of Zn and Pb is ascribed to bioturbation by earthworms. [source] Diversity of Escherichia coli O157 in a longitudinal farm study using multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysisJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008A.M. Urdahl Abstract Aims:, To perform a longitudinal study of the diversity of Escherichia coli O157 from a ruminant pasture/stream environment using multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). Methods and Results:, Samples of faecal droppings from grazing ruminants and from an adjacent stream were tested longitudinally for E. coli O157 by enrichment and immunomagnetic separation (IMS). Using MLVA, 24 different profiles were identified from a total of 231 E. coli O157 isolates, of which 80 were included in a similarity analysis. Four main clusters with several subclusters were observed. Although there was close contact between sheep and cattle during the study period, E. coli O157 was surprisingly not detected from cattle faeces. Conclusions:, The cluster analysis indicated both unrelated and closely related E. coli O157 strains. The choice of loci to target in MLVA is important for the subtyping result, as loci with high diversities are essential for discriminating between closely related isolates. Significance and Impact of the Study:, There is a lack of data available on the use of MLVA to describe E. coli O157 diversity and changes over time in the animal reservoirs and the environment. Such data are needed in order to further develop MLVA as a typing method. [source] Exploring the profiles of nurses' job satisfaction in Macau: results of a cluster analysisJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 3-4 2010Moon Fai Chan Aims., To determine whether definable subtypes exist within a cohort of nurses with regard to factors associated with nurses' job satisfaction patterns and to compare whether these factors vary between nurses in groups with different profiles. Background., Globally, the health care system is experiencing major changes and influence nurses' job satisfaction and may ultimately affect the quality of nursing care for patients. Design., A descriptive survey. Methods., Data were collected using a self-reported structured questionnaire. Nurses were recruited in two hospitals in Macao. Two main outcome variables were collected: Predisposing characteristics and five components on job satisfaction outcomes. Results., A cluster analysis yielded two clusters (n = 649). Cluster 1 consisted of 60·6% (n = 393) and Cluster 2 of 39·4% (n = 256) of the nurses. Cluster 1 nurses were younger, more educated and had less work experience and more intention to change their career than nurses in Cluster 2. Cluster 2 nurses had more work experiences, were of more senior grade and were more satisfied with their current job in terms of peer supports, autonomy and professional opportunities, scheduling and relationships with team members than nurses in Cluster 1. Conclusions., Findings might help by providing important information for health care managers to identify strategies/methods to target a specific group of nurses in hopes of increasing their job satisfaction levels. Relevance to clinical practice., As a long-term investment, hospital management has to promote work environments that support job satisfaction to attract nurses and thereby improve the quality of nursing care. The results of this study might provide hospital managers with a model to design specified interventions to improve nurses' job satisfaction. [source] Shared Family Activities and the Transition From Childhood Into AdolescenceJOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, Issue 1 2008Robert Crosnoe Drawing on time use data from the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study identified five different profiles of shared time between parents and young people at different stages of development. In childhood, all profiles had high rates of shared television viewing, but some were oriented toward in-home activities and others toward activities outside the home (e.g., cultural events). These latter profiles tended to be higher in socioeconomic advantage, and the young people in them tended to demonstrate greater gains in math, but not reading, achievement across the transition into adolescence. In adolescence, shared activity profiles favored low amounts of shared time between parents and adolescents across activities and disfavored shared time in public domains. [source] Chronic hepatitis C and persistent occult hepatitis C virus infection are characterized by distinct immune cell cytokine expression profilesJOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 8 2009T. N. Q. Pham Summary., Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicates in immune cells in both chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and occult HCV infection, but the extent of virus replication in this compartment in these opposing infection forms varies greatly. It was unknown whether this could be linked to HCV genotype or to differences in host gene expression shaping the immune response, and whether HCV replication in immune cells is sensitive to endogenous antiviral cytokines. In this study, we uncovered that significantly greater HCV load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), but not in plasma, coincided with HCV genotypes 2 and 3 in CHC, but with genotype 1 in residual occult infection after clinical resolution of hepatitis C. Moreover, PBMC from individuals with occult infection transcribed significantly greater levels of IFN-,, IFN-, and TNF-,, but less interleukin (IL)-10 than those from CHC. In CHC, PBMC with low HCV load expressed significantly more IFN-, but less IL-12 than did cells with high virus content. In occult infection, HCV RNA detection in PBMC was associated with much lower IFN-, and IL-12 expression. Further, HCV replication in T lymphocytes could be completely eliminated by activation of endogenous IFN-, in CHC, but of IFN-, in occult infection. In conclusion, CHC and persistent occult HCV infection are characterized by clearly different profiles of antiviral cytokine response in circulating immune cells which are also different from those of healthy individuals. Higher expression of IL-10, combined with lower transcription of IFN-,, IFN-, and TNF-,, is associated with a more robust HCV replication in immune cells. [source] Isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O103 from sheep using automated immunomagnetic separation (AIMS) and AIMS-ELISA: sheep as the source of a clinical E. coli O103 case?LETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002A.M. Urdahl Aims: To investigate whether a sheep flock was the original reservoir of a Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O103 strain causing a clinical human case and to compare the two diagnostic methods automated immunomagnetic separation (AIMS) and AIMS-ELISA. Methods and Results: AIMS detected Escherichia coli O103 in 36·5% of the samples and AIMS-ELISA detected E. coli O103 in 52·1% of the samples. Polymerase chain reaction detected stx1 and eae in three of 109 E. coli O103 isolates. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis showed that the sheep and human STEC O103 were characterized by distinctly different profiles. Conclusions: The sheep flock was shown to carry STEC O103, although an association between the sheep flock and the clinical human case could neither be proven nor eliminated. Substantial agreement was found between AIMS and AIMS-ELISA, but AIMS-ELISA was less time consuming and resulted in a higher recovery of E. coli O103. Significance and Impact of the Study: The study shows that sheep may be carriers of STEC that are associated with human disease and that the methods described can be used to increase the sensitivity of STEC detection. [source] Characterization of Arabidopsis genes involved in biosynthesis of polyamines in abiotic stress responses and developmental stagesPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 11 2003K. URANO ABSTRACT To characterize the genes for enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of polyamines (PAs), their expression profiles were investigated and the levels of PAs in Arabidopsis thaliana quantified. In the Arabidopsis genome, eight genes involved in PAs biosynthesis were identified and the expression profiles of these genes were analysed, not only under abiotic stress to determine whether they were stress-inducible, constitutive, or stress-repressible, but also in various organs to show their tissue specificity. AtADC2 and AtSPMS mRNAs, encoding arginine decarboxylase and spermine synthase, clearly increased in response to NaCl and dehydration and abscisic acid treatments. Stress-inducible accumulation of AtADC2 mRNA correlated with putrescine (Put) accumulation under NaCl and dehydration treatments. In a cold condition, AtSAMDC2 mRNA increased significantly. AtADC2 and AtSAMDC2 mRNA were expressed in sexual organs such as flowers, buds and immature siliques. PAs also accumulated in sexual organs. These results suggest that the transcripts of eight genes involved in PA biosynthesis show different profiles of expression not only in response to environmental stress but also during plant development. [source] Fecal bacterial diversity of human-habituated wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at Mahale Mountains National Park, Western TanzaniaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 7 2010Brian A. Szekely Abstract Although the intestinal flora of chimpanzees has not been studied, insight into this dynamic environment can be obtained through studies on their feces. We analyzed fecal samples from human-habituated, wild chimpanzees at Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania, and compared microbial community profiles to determine if members of the same social group were similar. Between July and December 2007, we collected fresh fecal samples from 12 individuals: four juveniles, four adolescents, and four adults, including three parent,offspring pairs. Each sample was analyzed using Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism of amplified 16S rRNA genes. Twelve different profiles were generated, having between 1 and 15 Terminal-Restriction Fragments (T-RFs). Overall, a total of 23 different T-RFs were produced. Putative assignments of T-RFs corresponded to the phyla Firmicutes (Clostridia, Bacilli, and Lactobacilli), Bacteroidetes, Tenericutes (Mollicutes Class), Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria, as well as to uncultured or unidentified organisms. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla and Mollicutes Class were the most commonly assigned in 11, 8, and 8 of the samples, respectively, with this being the first report of Mollicutes in wild chimpanzees. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) revealed clustering of nine samples, and 80.5% of the diversity was accounted for by three samples. Morisita indices of community similarity ranged between 0.00 and 0.89, with dissimiliarity (<0.5) between most samples when compared two at a time. Our findings suggest that, although phylotypes are common among individuals, profiles among members of the same social group are host-specific. We conclude that factors other than social group, such as kinship and age, may influence fecal bacterial profiles of wild chimpanzees, and recommend that additional studies be conducted. Am. J. Primatol. 72:566,574, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Retrieving meaning after temporal lobe infarction: The role of the basal language areaANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 6 2004David J. Sharp MRCP During speech comprehension the auditory association cortex in the superior temporal cortex is involved in perceptual analysis of the speech signal, whereas the basal language area in the inferior temporal cortex mediates access to word meaning. Disruption of the interaction between the superior and inferior temporal cortices is one factor that may determine recovery from aphasic stroke. We used positron emission tomography to investigate semantic processing within inferior temporal cortex in control subjects and after infarction involving the superior temporal cortex. In the control group, semantic decision making on clear speech activated both anterior fusiform gyri. Chronic aphasic patients were impaired at the task and demonstrated reduced activation within the left anterior fusiform gyrus. A similar pattern of impaired performance and reduced left anterior fusiform gyrus activation was observed when control subjects heard perceptually degraded speech. Performance in both groups predicted activity in the right anterior fusiform gyrus and the temporal poles, where accuracy linearly correlated with activity. These results demonstrate that the function of the basal language area is sensitive to changes in the quality of perceptual input. In addition, different profiles of response observed in each hemisphere suggest distinct contributions of both left and right inferior temporal cortices to the semantic processing of speech. Ann Neurol 2004 [source] Detection of invasive protein profile of Streptococcus pyogenes M1 isolates from pharyngitis patientsAPMIS, Issue 3 2010TADAO HASEGAWA Hasegawa T, Okamoto A, Kamimura T, Tatsuno I, Hashikawa S-N, Yabutani M, Matsumoto M, Yamada K, Isaka M, Minami M, Ohta M. Detection of invasive protein profile of Streptococcus pyogenes M1 isolates from pharyngitis patients. APMIS 2010; 118: 167,78. Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a re-emerging infectious disease in Japan and many other developed countries. Epidemiological studies have revealed that the M1 serotype of Streptococcus pyogenes is the most dominant causative isolate of STSS. Recent characterization of M1 isolates revealed that the mutation of covS, one of the two-component regulatory systems, plays an important role in STSS by altering protein expression. We analyzed the M1 S. pyogenes clinical isolates before or after 1990 in Japan, using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE profiles were different between the isolates before and after 1990. Markedly different profiles among isolates after 1990 from STSS and pharyngitis patients were detected. Sequence analysis of two-component regulatory systems showed that covS mutations were detected not only in STSS but also in three pharyngitis isolates, in which proteins from the culture supernatant displayed the invasive type. The mutated CovS detected in the pharyngitis isolates had impaired function on the production of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B (SpeB) analyzed by 2-DE. These results suggest that several covS mutations that lead to the malfunction of the CovS protein occurred even in pharyngeal infection. [source] Proteomic analysis by two-dimensional electrophoresis to identify the normal human chondrocyte proteome stimulated by tumor necrosis factor , and interleukin-1,ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 3 2010Berta Cillero-Pastor Objective To determine the intracellular proteome of normal human chondrocytes stimulated with interleukin-1, (IL-1,) and tumor necrosis factor , (TNF,) and to ascertain differences in the protein expression patterns of these 2 cytokines. Methods Normal human knee cartilage chondrocytes were incubated for 48 hours without stimulation or stimulated with IL-1, (5 ng/ml) or with TNF, (10 ng/ml). For each culture condition, protein extracts from 4 normal subjects were pooled and resolved using 2-dimensional electrophoresis. Protein spots were visualized with Sypro stain, and qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed using PDQuest software. Protein spots were then identified by mass spectrometry, using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization,time-of-flight/time-of-flight technology. Results We identified 37 spots by mass spectrometry (MS) or by MS/MS, corresponding to 35 different proteins. In IL-1,,stimulated chondrocytes, IL-1, was found to modulate 22 proteins, as compared with unstimulated chondrocytes. All of these proteins except connective tissue growth factor (CCND2) were up-regulated. Proteins involved in cellular metabolism and energy (23%) that were up-regulated or induced by IL-1, included nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, long-chain fatty acid,coenzyme A ligase 4, ,-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, triosephosphate isomerase, and an isoform of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. In TNF,-stimulated chondrocytes, TNF, was found to modulate 20 proteins, as compared with unstimulated chondrocytes. All of these except chitinase 3,like 1 (cartilage glycoprotein 39), proteasome activator complex subunit 2, and G3PDH, were up-regulated. Eighteen proteins were differently modulated by IL-1, and TNF,. Of these, 45% were related to metabolism. Conclusion IL-1, and TNF, induce different profiles of intracellular protein expression in healthy human chondrocytes. Most of the proteins that are differently regulated are proteins that are implicated in the generation of cellular energy and in glycolysis. [source] Score Test for Conditional Independence Between Longitudinal Outcome and Time to Event Given the Classes in the Joint Latent Class ModelBIOMETRICS, Issue 1 2010Hélène Jacqmin-Gadda Summary Latent class models have been recently developed for the joint analysis of a longitudinal quantitative outcome and a time to event. These models assume that the population is divided in,G,latent classes characterized by different risk functions for the event, and different profiles of evolution for the markers that are described by a mixed model for each class. However, the key assumption of conditional independence between the marker and the event given the latent classes is difficult to evaluate because the latent classes are not observed. Using a joint model with latent classes and shared random effects, we propose a score test for the null hypothesis of independence between the marker and the outcome given the latent classes versus the alternative hypothesis that the risk of event depends on one or several random effects from the mixed model in addition to the latent classes. A simulation study was performed to compare the behavior of the score test to other previously proposed tests, including situations where the alternative hypothesis or the baseline risk function are misspecified. In all the investigated situations, the score test was the most powerful. The methodology was applied to develop a prognostic model for recurrence of prostate cancer given the evolution of prostate-specific antigen in a cohort of patients treated by radiation therapy. [source] Different profiles of circulating angiogenic factors and adipocytokines between early- and late-onset pre-eclampsiaBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 3 2010H Masuyama Please cite this paper as: Masuyama H, Segawa T, Sumida Y, Masumoto A, Inoue S, Akahori Y, Hiramatsu Y. Different profiles of circulating angiogenic factors and adipocytokines between early- and late-onset pre-eclampsia. BJOG 2010;117:314,320. Objective, Circulating angiogenic factors have been shown to be important in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia. Blood levels of adipocytokines differ in pre-eclampsia relative to controls and may also play an important role in disease pathogenesis. Differences in the circulating levels of these molecules were compared between matched normotensive controls and women with pre-eclampsia with onset before or at/after 32 weeks, and according to whether the women were of normal weight (18.5 < body mass index < 25) or overweight. Design, A cross-sectional study of 110 pregnant Japanese women who visited the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan. Setting, Tertiary referral centre serving 2000 births. Methods, Serum concentrations of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble endoglin (sEng), adiponectin and leptin were measured in women with pre-eclampsia and in normotensive controls matched for age, gestational week, parity and body mass index. Main outcome measures, Serum levels of sFlt-1, PlGF, the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, sEng, adiponectin and leptin. Results, The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in early-onset pre-eclampsia was significantly higher than that in late-onset pre-eclampsia (112.0 ± 30.2 versus 45.4 ± 43.8, P = 0.037). There was a significant elevation of leptin in both subtypes relative to controls (early: 58.6 ± 18.3 ng/ml versus 26.0 ± 6.7 ng/ml, P = 0.001; late: 39.5 ± 9.2 ng/ml versus 22.0 ± 4.3 ng/ml, P = 0.005), but adiponectin was increased only in late-onset pre-eclampsia (36.5 ± 13.4 ,g/ml versus 12.0 ± 4.3 ,g/ml, P = 0.003). Significant differences in angiogenic factors and adiponectin were found between normal and overweight women only in late-onset pre-eclampsia. Conclusions, These data suggest that there are different profiles of angiogenic factors and adipocytokines between women who develop early- and late-onset pre-eclampsia. [source] Intra- and extrarenal arteries exhibit different profiles of contractile responses in high glucose conditionsBRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 8 2008K Nobe Background and purpose: The renal artery (RA) has been extensively investigated for the assessment of renal vascular function/dysfunction; however, few studies have focused on the intrarenal vasculature. Experimental approach: We devised a microvascular force measurement system, which allowed us to measure contractions of interlobar arteries (ILA), isolated from within the mouse kidney and prepared without endothelium. Key results: KCl (50 mM) induced similar force development in the aorta and RA but responses in the ILA were about 50% lower. Treatment of RA with 10 ,M phenylephrine (PE), 10 nM U46619 (thromboxane A2 analogue) or 10 ,M prostaglandin F2, elicited a response greater than 150% of that induced by KCl. In ILA, 10 nM U46619 elicited a response that was 130% of the KCl-induced response; however, other agonists induced levels similar to that induced by KCl. High glucose conditions (22.2 mM glucose) significantly enhanced responses in RA and ILA to PE or U46619 stimulation. This enhancement was suppressed by rottlerin, a calcium-independent PKC inhibitor, indicating that glucose-dependent, enhanced small vessel contractility in the kidney was linked to the activation of calcium-independent PKC. Conclusion and implications: Extra- and intrarenal arteries exhibit different profiles of agonist-induced contractions. In ILA, only U46619 enhanced small vessel contractility in the kidney, which might lead to renal dysfunction and nephropathy through reduced intrarenal blood flow rate. A model has been established, which will allow the assessment of contractile responses of intrarenal arteries from murine models of renal disease, including type 2 diabetes. British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 155, 1204,1213; doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.365; published online 22 September 2008 [source] Development of the Thyroid Hormone Receptor ,-Subtype Agonist KB-141 : A Strategy for Body Weight Reduction and Lipid Lowering with Minimal Cardiac Side EffectsCARDIOVASCULAR THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2005Gary J. Grover ABSTRACT Few treatments for obesity exist and improvements for treatment of hyperlipidemia are still desirable. Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) regulate body weight, adiposity, and cholesterol levels. However, thyroid hormones can have deleterious effects, particularly cardiac acceleration, that limits the use of hormones in the treatment of obesity. There is evidence that the TR, subtype mediates lowering of blood cholesterol levels and possibly elevation of metabolic rate, whereas TR, appears to control heart rate. In studies, described in this review article, we examined the effects of selective TR, activation on metabolic rate and heart rate in mice, rats and monkeys. T3 had a greater effect on increasing heart rate in wild type (WT) than in TR,-/- mice (ED15 values of 34 and 469 nmol/kg/day, respectively). T3 increased metabolic rate (MVO2) in both WT and TR,-/- mice, but the effect on TR,-/- mice was less pronounced compared to WT mice. Stimulation of MVO2 is mediated by both TR, and TR,, but with different profiles. In cholesterol-fed rats, KB-141, a selective TR, agonist, increased MVO2 with a 10-fold selectivity and lowered cholesterol with a 27-fold selectivity vs. tachycardia. In primates, KB-141 caused significant, cholesterol, Lp(a) and body weight reduction after 1 week of treatment with no effect on heart rate. These data suggest that selective TR, agonists may represent a novel class of drugs for the treatment of obesity, hypercholesterolemia and elevated Lp(a), which may make them useful therapeutics for patients with metabolic syndrome. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||