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HI
Kinds of HI Terms modified by HI Selected AbstractsPotential association between endogenous leptin and sympatho-vagal activities in young obese Japanese womenAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Tamaki Matsumoto Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone that decreases food intake and increases energy expenditure through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Notwithstanding recent intensive research, the underlying physiological mechanism of leptin as well as the etiology of obesity in humans remains elusive. The present study attempted to investigate the potential association between endogenous circulating leptin and sympatho-vagal activities in age- and height-matched obese and nonobese healthy young women. Plasma leptin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. The autonomic nervous system activity was assessed during the resting condition by means of a recently devised power spectral analysis of heart rate variability, which serves to identify three separate frequency components, very low (VLO), low (LO), and high (HI). Plasma leptin concentrations were greater in the obese than in the control group (45.7 ± 5.89 vs. 11.2 ± 1.10 ng · ml,1, P < 0.01). As to the contribution of endogenous leptin to SNS activity, both the ratios of the VLO frequency component reflecting thermoregulatory sympathetic function and the global SNS index [(VLO + LO)/HI] to plasma leptin concentration were markedly reduced in the obese compared to the control group (VLO per leptin: 5.9 ± 1.39 vs. 37.8 ± 8.1 ms2 · ml · ng,1, P < 0.01; SNS index per leptin: 0.04 ± 0.008 vs. 0.33 ± 0.01 ml,,·,ng,1, P < 0.01). Additionally, a nonlinear regression analysis revealed that these ratios exponentially decreased as a function of body fat content (VLO per leptin r2 = 0.57, P < 0.01; SNS index per leptin r2 = 0.53, P < 0.01). Our data suggest that reduced sympathetic responsiveness to endogenous leptin production, implying peripheral leptin resistance, might be a pathophysiological feature of obesity in otherwise healthy young women. The findings regarding the association of leptin, body fat content, and SNS activity further indicate that the 30% of total body fat, which has been used as a criterion of obesity, might be a critical point at which leptin resistance is induced. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 15:8,15, 2003. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The effect of prenatal hypoxia on brain development: short- and long-term consequences demonstrated in rodent modelsDEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2006Hava Golan Hypoxia (H) and hypoxia-ischemia (HI) are major causes of foetal brain damage with long-lasting behavioral implications. The effect of hypoxia has been widely studied in human and a variety of animal models. In the present review, we summarize the latest studies testing the behavioral outcomes following prenatal hypoxia/hypoxia-ischemia in rodent models. Delayed development of sensory and motor reflexes during the first postnatal month of rodent life was observed by various groups. Impairment of motor function, learning and memory was evident in the adult animals. Activation of the signaling leading to cell death was detected as early as three hours following H/HI. An increase in the counts of apoptotic cells appeared approximately three days after the insult and peaked about seven days later. Around 14,20 days following the H/HI, the amount of cell death observed in the tissue returned to its basal levels and cell loss was apparent in the brain tissue. The study of the molecular mechanism leading to brain damage in animal models following prenatal hypoxia adds valuable insight to our knowledge of the central events that account for the morphological and functional outcomes. This understanding provides the starting point for the development and improvement of efficient treatment and intervention strategies. [source] Traumatised permanent teeth in 11,16-year-old Saudi Arabian children with a sensory impairment attending special schoolsDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2003M. AlSarheed Abstract ,,,The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of traumatised permanent teeth among sensory (visual (VI) and hearing (HI)) impaired children attending special schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All the dental injuries involved incisor teeth, and trauma was noted in 33 (6.7%) children attending government schools (control group) compared to 7 (9%) VI children and 24 (11.4%) HI children. Differences in the dental trauma only reached statistical significance between the HI and control group (P < 0.05). Gender differences were only apparent in the HI group, with males having higher levels of traumatised teeth. In addition, HI children aged 11,12 years were more prone to trauma than children in the control group of the same age (P < 0.05). In conclusion, sensory impaired children do have a tendency for more dental trauma. However, this was only statistically significant for HI children. Whereas a gender difference was most noticeable for the HI group, with males having higher levels of trauma, this was noticeable by its absence among VI children. [source] Chronic post-traumatic headache after head injuryin children and adolescentsDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 6 2008Charlotte Kirk MBChB MRCPCH BSc This was a prospective, observational study of children aged 3 to 15 years admitted to hospital with head injury (HI). Demographic data and information on the nature of the HI, and history of premorbid headache were collected. A structured telephone questionnaire was used to interview parents and children 2 months after injury and at 4-monthly intervals for up to 3 years, if headache was reported. One hundred and ninety children were admitted with HI. Data were available on 117 children (81 males, 36 females; mean age 8y 5mo [SD 3y 1mo]). HI was minor in 93 patients and significant in the rest. Minor HI was defined as a closed injury, no loss of consciousness, and a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 13 to 15. Significant HI was associated with loss of consciousness for >30 minutes, GCS of <13, and post-traumatic amnesia for >48 hours. Eight children (five males, three females; mean age 10y 7mo [SD 2y]) reported chronic post-traumatic headache (CPTH). Five children had episodic tension-type headache and three had migraine with or without aura. Headache resolved over 3 to 27 months in all except one child who was lost to follow-up. Premorbid headache in three children transformed in frequency and type following HI. These patients were excluded from the study. CPTH is common after minor and significant HI. It has the clinical features of tension-type headache and migraine and has a good prognosis. [source] Exploring effects of different treadmill interventions on walking onset and gait patterns in infants with Down syndromeDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 11 2007Jianhua Wu PhD Two cohorts of participants were included to investigate the effects of different treadmill interventions on walking onset and gait patterns in infants with Down syndrome (DS). The first cohort included 30 infants with DS (17 males, 13 females; mean age 10mo [SD 1.9mo]) who were randomly assigned to either a lower-intensity-generalized (LG) training group, or a higher-intensity-individualized (HI) training group. A control (C) group from another study, who did not receive treadmill training, served as the control (eight males, seven females; mean age 10.4mo [SD 2.2mo]). Mean age at walking onset was 19.2, 21.4, and 23.9 months for the HI, LG, and C groups respectively. At walking onset the HI group was significantly younger than the C group (p=0.011). At the gait follow-up that was conducted between 1 and 3 months after walking onset, three groups significantly different in overall gait patterns (p=0.037) were examined by six basic gait parameters including average velocity, stride length, step width, stride time, stance time, and dynamic base. Post-hoc analyses demonstrated that stride length was the gait parameter largely contributing to this overall group difference (p=0.033), and the HI group produced a significantly longer stride length than the C group (p=0.030). In conclusion, the HI treadmill intervention significantly promoted earlier walking onset and elicited more advanced gait patterns (particularly in stride length) in infants with DS. [source] The effect of prenatal hypoxia on brain development: short- and long-term consequences demonstrated in rodent modelsDEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2006Hava Golan Hypoxia (H) and hypoxia-ischemia (HI) are major causes of foetal brain damage with long-lasting behavioral implications. The effect of hypoxia has been widely studied in human and a variety of animal models. In the present review, we summarize the latest studies testing the behavioral outcomes following prenatal hypoxia/hypoxia-ischemia in rodent models. Delayed development of sensory and motor reflexes during the first postnatal month of rodent life was observed by various groups. Impairment of motor function, learning and memory was evident in the adult animals. Activation of the signaling leading to cell death was detected as early as three hours following H/HI. An increase in the counts of apoptotic cells appeared approximately three days after the insult and peaked about seven days later. Around 14,20 days following the H/HI, the amount of cell death observed in the tissue returned to its basal levels and cell loss was apparent in the brain tissue. The study of the molecular mechanism leading to brain damage in animal models following prenatal hypoxia adds valuable insight to our knowledge of the central events that account for the morphological and functional outcomes. This understanding provides the starting point for the development and improvement of efficient treatment and intervention strategies. [source] Multiple mealtime administration of biphasic insulin aspart 30 versus traditional basal-bolus human insulin treatment in patients with type 1 diabetesDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 6 2006J. -W. Aim:, The aim of this study was to compare the effect of multiple mealtime injections of biphasic insulin aspart 30 (30% fast-acting insulin aspart in the formulation, BIAsp30) to traditional basal-bolus human insulin regimen (HI) on glycaemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. Methods:, Twenty-three patients (eight women and 15 men) aged 44.8 (20.6,62.5) years (median and range) with a diabetes duration of 19.5 (1.6,44.6) years completed the study. All eligible patients were randomly assigned to BIAsp30 thrice daily supplied with bedtime NPH insulin when necessary, or basal-bolus HI for 12 weeks and then switched to the alternative regimen for another 12 weeks. The insulin dose adjustments were made by patients on the basis of advice from a diabetes nurse. At end of each treatment period, the patients attended two profile days, 1 week apart for pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic assessments. HbA1C was measured at baseline and at the end of each treatment period. A seven-point self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) was obtained twice weekly. Results:, In comparison with HI, multiple mealtime injections of BIAsp30 resulted in a significant reduction in HbA1C[HI vs. BIAsp30 (%, geometric mean and range): 8.6 (7.4,11.4) vs. 8.3 (6.7,9.8), p = 0.013]. During treatment with BIAsp30, nighttime glycaemic control was significantly improved. Day-to-day variation in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics and the rate of hypoglycaemia were not increased with BIAsp30 compared with HI. Conclusions:, In type 1 diabetics, multiple mealtime administration of BIAsp30 compared with traditional basal-bolus human insulin treatment significantly improves long-term glycaemic control without increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia. Despite a higher proportion of intermediate-acting insulin, thrice-daily injections with BIAsp30 do not increase the day-to-day variations in insulin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. [source] Head injuries related to sports and recreation activities in school-age children and adolescents: Data from a referral centre in Victoria, AustraliaEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 1 2010Louise M Crowe Abstract Objectives:, Head injuries (HI) in children are common and even mild HI can lead to ongoing cognitive and behavioural changes. We set out to determine the causes of sport-related HI in school-age children presenting to a large urban ED as a basis for future interventions. Method:, Identification and medical record review of all sport-related HI in children aged 6,16 years at a tertiary children's hospital ED in Victoria, Australia, over a 1 year period. Information was collected on demographics, injury variables and radiology findings. HI were classified as mild, moderate and severe based on GCS and radiography reports. Results:, Over 12 months there were 406 HI in school-age children. Seventy per cent were male. A large number of HI (129; 33%) were related to sports. Of these, most were classified as mild and 13% were classified as moderate or severe. Among a range of sports, Australian Rules football was associated with more than 30% of all HI attributable to a sport and recreation cause. Equestrian activities were the main cause of moderate HI. Conclusion:, The present study identified sports as a major cause of HI in the Victorian paediatric emergency setting with Australian Rules football the most commonly involved sport. Further prevention initiatives should consider targeting Australian Rules football and equestrian activities. [source] Bacterioplankton assemblages transforming dissolved organic compounds in coastal seawaterENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 8 2007Xiaozhen Mou Summary To characterize bacterioplankton functional assemblages that transform specific components of the coastal seawater dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was used to label the bacterioplankton cells that were active following addition of single-DOC model compounds: two organic osmolytes [dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and glycine betaine (GlyB)] and two aromatic monomers [para -hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA) and vanillic acid (VanA)]. Bacterial populations were analysed based on in situ fluorescent immunodetection of BrdU incorporation followed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Sorted cells were then characterized by 16S rDNA-based analysis. Populations with high BrdU incorporation level (HI) developed within 8 h of introduction of 100 nM model compound. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP) analysis indicated that the HI populations in all four amendments were composed of bacteria from the same major taxa (phylum and subphylum levels), but the relative abundance of each differed. High-resolution clone libraries (each containing ,200 clones) showed that the HI populations in the GlyB and VanA amendments consisted of both metabolic generalists and specialists within the , -Proteobacteria (mainly members of the Roseobacter clade), , -Proteobacteria and , -Proteobacteria (mainly members of Altermonadaceae, Chromatiaceae, Oceanospirillaceae and Pseudomonadaceae). The presence of members of OM60/241, OM185, SAR11, SAR86 and SAR116 in the HI populations indicated that members of these groups can assimilate the model DOC compounds, providing some of the first glimpses into heterotrophy by members of these poorly understood environmental clusters. [source] Oral vitamin E supplementation on oxidative stress, vitamin and antioxidant status in intensely exercised horsesEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue S36 2006C. A. WILLIAMS Summary Reasons for performing study: Vitamin E is the most commonly supplemented antioxidant in horses; however, previous research is not conclusive as to the recommended level for exercising horses. Objective: To evaluate the effects of 3 levels of vitamin E supplementation on oxidative stress and vitamin/antioxidant status in intensely exercised horses to determine the optimal level of vitamin E supplementation. Methods: Twelve unfit Standardbreds were divided into 3 groups, supplemented orally with 0 (CON), 5000 (MOD), or 10,000 (HI) iu/day of DL-,-tocopheryl acetate. The 3 times 3 Latin square design consisted of three 4 week supplementation periods with 4 week wash out periods between. After each period, horses underwent a treadmill interval exercise test. Blood samples were collected and heart rate (HR) measured before, during and after exercise. Data were analysed using ANOVA with repeated measures in SAS. Results: The CON group had lower HR throughout the test compared to the MOD and HI groups (P<0.05). There was an increase in plasma retinol (RET), ,-carotene (BC), red blood cell total glutathione and glutathione peroxidase with exercise (P<0.05), but all groups returned to baseline after 24 h. Plasma ,-tocopherol (TOC) increased from baseline with exercise (P<0.0001) in all groups; treatment differences were observed at 24 h (P<0.05). The HI and CON groups had lower BC compared to the MOD group (P = 0.05). Conclusions: Horses supplemented with vitamin E, at nearly 10-times the 1989 NRC recommended level, did not experience lower oxidative stress compared to control horses. Additionally, lower plasma BC levels observed in the HI group, which may indicate that vitamin E has an inhibitory effect on BC metabolism. Potential relevance: Supplementation above control levels is not more beneficial to oxidative stress and antioxidant status in intensely exercising horses; indeed, levels 10 times in excess may be detrimental to BC and should be avoided. [source] The antiapoptotic effects of blood constituents in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemiaEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Yonit Bomstein Abstract: Objective: Clonal B-lymphocytes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) are characterized by decreased sensitivity to programmed cell death and, therefore, they accumulate in vivo. However, these malignant cells die rapidly in vitro. In the current study we concentrated on the contribution of autologous serum (AS) and lymphocyte subsets to the survival of the malignant cells in vitro. Methods: Mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of 26 CLL patients and 24 controls were incubated overnight in the presence or absence of AS and heat-inactivated AS (HI-AS) or fetal calf serum (FCS). Also, isolated B cells were incubated at different concentrations in the presence of AS and/or isolated T cells. The level of apoptosis of CD19+ cells was measured by flow cytometry. Results: Spontaneous apoptosis of unfractionated B-CLL cells incubated with AS, FCS or without serum was significantly lower than the rate of B-cell death in the control group, in similar culture conditions. AS had an antiapoptotic effect on unfractionated B-CLL cells when compared with FCS. The rate of apoptosis of B-CLL cells was directly associated with stage. HI of AS had a variable effect, which was related to the stage of the disease. High concentrations of B cells and the addition of autologous T cells reduced the rate of apoptosis when incubated without serum. The antiapoptotic effect of T cells was most prominent in progressive stages. Conclusions: B-CLL cells exhibit decreased spontaneous apoptosis, which is partially prevented by humoral (AS) and cellular (T cells and B-CLL cells) factors. The equilibrium between apoptotic and antiapoptotic factors changes with disease progression. [source] Structural requirements for initiation of cross-reactivity and CNS autoimmunity with a PLP139,151 mimic peptide derived from murine hepatitis virusEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 10 2006Ludovic Croxford Abstract MS is an autoimmune CNS demyelinating disease in which infection appears to be an important pathogenic factor. Molecular mimicry, the cross-activation of autoreactive T cells by mimic peptides from infectious agents, is a possible explanation for infection-induced autoimmunity. Infection of mice with a non-pathogenic strain of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) engineered to express an epitope from Haemophilus influenzae (HI) sharing 6/13 amino acids with the dominant proteolipid protein (PLP) epitope, PLP139,151, can induce CNS autoimmune disease. Here we demonstrate that another PLP139,151 mimic sequence derived from murine hepatitis virus (MHV) which shares only 3/13 amino acids with PLP139,151 can also induce CNS autoimmune disease, but only when delivered by genetically engineered TMEV, not by immunization with the MHV peptide. Further, we demonstrate the importance of proline at the secondary MHC class,II contact residue for effective cross-reactivity, as addition of this amino acid to the native MHV sequence increases its ability to cross-activate PLP139,151 -specific autoreactive T cells, while substitution of proline in the HI mimic peptide has the opposite effect. This study describes a structural requirement for potential PLP139,151 mimic peptides, and provides further evidence for infection-induced molecular mimicry in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. [source] Reaction of Mercury(0) with the I2 Adduct of Tetraphenyldithioimidodiphosphinic Acid (SPPh2)2NH (HL) , Crystal Structures of [Hg(HL)I2] and HgL2EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 23 2004M. Carla Aragoni Abstract The complex [Hg(HL)I2] (1) has been synthesised by reacting liquid Hg(0) in Et2O under mild reaction conditions with the I2 adduct of HL, HL·I2, while HgL2 (2) has been obtained from the reaction of compound 1 with HL in CH3CN. A single-crystal X-ray investigation of 1 shows four independent molecules in the asymmetric unit, each of which contains an HgII ion coordinated to two iodine atoms and two sulfur atoms of one bidentate neutral ligand in a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry. Compound 2 consists of two anionic ligands coordinated to an HgII ion, which again displays a distorted tetrahedral coordination sphere. The reaction of 2 with HI (55 wt.-% in water) affords [Hg(HL)2](I)2 (3). Compounds 1, 2, and 3 have been characterised by FT-IR and 31P NMR spectroscopy. Density functional calculations suggest that compound 3 should feature a distorted tetrahedral coordination around the metal centre, with unequal Hg,S bond lengths. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004) [source] Destabilization of psychrotrophic RNase HI in a localized fashion as revealed by mutational and X-ray crystallographic analysesFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Muhammad S. Rohman The Arg97 , Gly and Asp136 , His mutations stabilized So-RNase HI from the psychrotrophic bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 by 5.4 and 9.7 °C, respectively, in Tm, and 3.5 and 6.1 kJ·mol,1, respectively, in ,G(H2O). These mutations also stabilized the So-RNase HI derivative (4×-RNase HI) with quadruple thermostabilizing mutations in an additive manner. As a result, the resultant sextuple mutant protein (6×-RNase HI) was more stable than the wild-type protein by 28.8 °C in Tm and 27.0 kJ·mol,1 in ,G(H2O). To analyse the effects of the mutations on the protein structure, the crystal structure of the 6×-RNase HI protein was determined at 2.5 Å resolution. The main chain fold and interactions of the side-chains of the 6×-RNase HI protein were basically identical to those of the wild-type protein, except for the mutation sites. These results indicate that all six mutations independently affect the protein structure, and are consistent with the fact that the thermostabilizing effects of the mutations are roughly additive. The introduction of favourable interactions and the elimination of unfavourable interactions by the mutations contribute to the stabilization of the 6×-RNase HI protein. We propose that So-RNase HI is destabilized when compared with its mesophilic and thermophilic counterparts in a localized fashion by increasing the number of amino acid residues unfavourable for protein stability. [source] Identification of RNase HII from psychrotrophic bacterium, Shewanella sp.FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 10 2006SIB1 as a high-activity type RNase H The gene encoding RNase HII from the psychrotrophic bacterium, Shewanella sp. SIB1 was cloned, overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein was purified and biochemically characterized. SIB1 RNase HII is a monomeric protein with 212 amino acid residues and shows an amino acid sequence identity of 64% to E. coli RNase HII. The enzymatic properties of SIB1 RNase HII, such as metal ion preference, pH optimum, and cleavage mode of substrate, were similar to those of E. coli RNase HII. SIB1 RNase HII was less stable than E. coli RNase HII, but the difference was marginal. The half-lives of SIB1 and E. coli RNases HII at 30 °C were ,,30 and 45 min, respectively. The midpoint of the urea denaturation curve and optimum temperature of SIB1 RNase HII were lower than those of E. coli RNase HII by ,,0.2 m and ,,5 °C, respectively. However, SIB1 RNase HII was much more active than E. coli RNase HII at all temperatures studied. The specific activity of SIB1 RNase HII at 30 °C was 20 times that of E. coli RNase HII. Because SIB1 RNase HII was also much more active than SIB1 RNase HI, RNases HI and HII represent low- and high-activity type RNases H, respectively, in SIB1. In contrast, RNases HI and HII represent high- and low-activity type RNases H, respectively, in E. coli. We propose that bacterial cells usually contain low- and high-activity type RNases H, but these types are not correlated with RNase H families. [source] The absence of ribonuclease H1 or H2 alters the sensitivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to hydroxyurea, caffeine and ethyl methanesulphonate: implications for roles of RNases H in DNA replication and repairGENES TO CELLS, Issue 10 2000Arulvathani Arudchandran Background RNA of RNA-DNA hybrids can be degraded by ribonucleases H present in all organisms including the eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Determination of the number and roles of the RNases H in eukaryotes is quite feasible in S. cerevisiae. Results Two S. cerevisiae RNases H, related to Escherichia coli RNase HI and HII, are not required for growth under normal conditions, yet, compared with wild-type cells, a double-deletion strain has an increased sensitivity to hydroxyurea (HU) and is hypersensitive to caffeine and ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS). In the absence of RNase H1, RNase H2 activity increases, and cells are sensitive to EMS but not HU and are more tolerant of caffeine; the latter requires RNase H2 activity. Cells missing only RNase H2 exhibit increased sensitive to HU and EMS but not caffeine Conclusions Mutant phenotypes infer that some RNA-DNA hybrids are recognized by both RNases H1 and H2, while other hybrids appear to be recognized only by RNase H2. Undegraded RNA-DNA hybrids have an effect when DNA synthesis is impaired, DNA damage occurs or the cell cycle is perturbed by exposure to caffeine suggesting a role in DNA replication/repair that can be either beneficial or detrimental to cell viability. [source] Root production and demography in a california annual grassland under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxideGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2002Paul A. T. Higgins Abstract This study examined root production and turnover in a California grassland during the third year of a long-term experiment with ambient (LO) and twice-ambient atmospheric CO2 (HI), using harvests, ingrowth cores, and minirhizotrons. Based on one-time harvest data, root biomass was 32% greater in the HI treatment, comparable to the stimulation of aboveground production during the study year. However, the 30,70% increase in photosynthesis under elevated CO2 for the dominant species in our system is considerably larger than the combined increase in above and belowground biomass. One possible explanation is, increased root turnover, which could be a sink for the additional fixed carbon. Cumulative root production in ingrowth cores from both treatments harvested at four dates was 2,3 times that in the single harvested cores, suggesting substantial root turnover within the growing season. Minirhizotron data confirmed this result, demonstrating that production and mortality occurred simultaneously through much of the season. As a result, cumulative root production was 54%, 47% and 44% greater than peak standing root length for the no chamber (X), LO, and HI plots, respectively. Elevated CO2, however, had little effect on rates of turnover (i.e. rates of turnover were equal in the LO and HI plots throughout most of the year) and cumulative root production was unaffected by treatment. Elevated CO2 increased monthly production of new root length (59%) only at the end of the season (April,June) when root growth had largely ceased in the LO plots but continued in the HI plots. This end-of-season increase in production coincided with an 18% greater soil moisture content in the HI plots previously described. Total standing root length was not affected by CO2 treatment. Root mortality was unaffected by elevated CO2 in all months except April, in which plants grown in the HI plots had higher mortality rates. Together, these results demonstrate that root turnover is considerable in the grassland community and easily missed by destructive soil coring. However, increased fine root turnover under elevated CO2 is apparently not a major sink for extra photosynthate in this system. [source] GENOMIC FEATURES OF COTESIA PLUTELLAE POLYDNAVIRUSINSECT SCIENCE, Issue 2 2003LIU Cai-ling Abstract Polydnavirus was purified from the calyx fluid of Cotesia plutellae ovary. The genomic features of C. plutellae polydnavirus (CpPDV) were investigated. The viral genome consists of at least 12 different segments and the aggregate genome size is a lower estimate of 80kbp. By partial digestion of CpPDV DNA with Bam HI and subsequent ligation with Bam HI-cut plasmid Bluescript, a representative library of CpPDV genome was obtained. [source] An updated interactive boundary layer method for high Reynolds number flowsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2006F. Álvarez Abstract The quasi-simultaneous interactive boundary layer (IBL) method is improved with the iterative correction of an inviscid operator. The updated interactive boundary layer method (UIBL) presented in this work, uses the Hess,Smith panel method (HSPM) as an inviscid operator to update the outer flow calculation and the inviscid velocity in the interaction law (IL). The discretization of the Hilbert integral (HI) from the original method is modified to reduce the error introduced by the calculation of the HI in a restricted domain. The method is tested on a flat plate with a small indentation for two-dimensional, steady, incompressible and laminar flow. The UIBL method is capable to predict the flow separation and reattachment with good accuracy. The accuracy of the results is competitive with the numerical solution of the Navier,Stokes equations (NSE). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Root Distribution of Drought-Resistant Peanut Genotypes in Response to DroughtJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008P. Songsri Abstract The ability of a plant to modify its root distribution to exploit deeper stored soil water may be an important mechanism to avoid drought. This study aimed at assessing root distributions, variations in root length density (RLD) and percentage of root distribution, and the relevance of root traits for yield of drought-resistant peanut genotypes under different available soil water levels. The experiment was conducted in the dry season during the years 2003/04 and 2004/05. Eleven peanut genotypes (ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305, ICGV 98308, ICGV 98324, ICGV 98330, ICGV 98348, ICGV 98353, Tainan 9, KK 60-3 and Tifton-8) and three soil moisture levels [field capacity (FC), 2/3 available soil water (AW) and 1/3 AW] were laid out in a split-plot design with four replications. Roots were sampled by a core sampler at 37, 67 and 97 days after sowing (DAS). Root length was determined by a scanner and the WINRHIZO Pro 2004a software. RLD was calculated as the ratio of root length (cm) and soil volume (cm3). Graphical illustration of root distribution was constructed by merging RLD in the first and second soil layers (0,40 cm) as upper roots and pooling RLD at the third, fourth and fifth layers (40,100 cm) as lower roots. Pod yield, biomass and harvest index (HI) were recorded at harvest. A drought tolerance index (DTI) was calculated for each parameter as the ratio of the parameter under stress treatment to that under well-watered conditions. Variations in RLD in 40 to 100 cm layer (RLD40 to 100 cm) were found under well-watered conditions, and the peanut genotypes could be readily identified as high, intermediate and low for this trait. Changes in RLD in the 40 to 100 cm soil layer were found at 2/3 AW and were more evident at 1/3 AW. ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305, ICGV 98308 and KK 60-3 were classified as drought responsive as they increased RLD in the deeper subsoil level in response to drought. In general, RLD under drought conditions was not related to biomass production. The ability to maintain the percentage of RLD (DTI for %RLD) was related to pod yield, DTI for pod yield and DTI for HI. ICGV 98300, ICGV 98303, ICGV 98305 exhibited high DTI (RLD40 to 100 cm) which may explain their high pod yield, DTI (PY) and DTI (HI). Based on these observations we classified them as drought-avoiding genotypes. [source] Cardiovascular Exercise Training Extends Influenza Vaccine Seroprotection in Sedentary Older Adults: The Immune Function Intervention TrialJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2009Jeffrey A. Woods PhD OBJECTIVES: To determine whether cardiovascular exercise training resulted in improved antibody responses to influenza vaccination in sedentary elderly people who exhibited poor vaccine responses. DESIGN: Single-site randomized parallel-arm 10-month controlled trial. SETTING: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-four sedentary, healthy older (69.9 ± 0.4) adults. INTERVENTIONS: Moderate (60,70% maximal oxygen uptake) cardiovascular exercise was compared with flexibility and balance training. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was influenza vaccine response, as measured according to hemagglutination inhibition (HI) anti-influenza antibody titer and seroprotective responses (HI titer ,40). Secondary measures included cardiovascular fitness and body composition. RESULTS: Of the 160 participants enrolled, 144 (90%) completed the 10-month intervention with excellent compliance (,83%). Cardiovascular, but not flexibility, exercise intervention resulted in improvements in indices of cardiovascular fitness, including maximal oxygen uptake. Although not affecting peak (e.g., 3 and 6 weeks) postvaccine anti-influenza HI titers, cardiovascular exercise resulted in a significant increase in seroprotection 24 weeks after vaccination (30,100% dependent on vaccine variant), whereas flexibility training did not. CONCLUSION: Participants randomized to cardiovascular exercise experienced improvements in influenza seroprotection throughout the entire influenza season, whereas those in the balance and flexibility intervention did not. Although there were no differences in reported respiratory tract infections, the exercise group exhibited reduced overall illness severity and sleep disturbance. These data support the hypothesis that regular endurance exercise improves influenza vaccine responses. [source] Hypomelanosis of ITO Associated with Precocious PubertyJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2005B. M. Rutland Background: There are only two reported cases of hypomelanosis of Ito (HI) associated with precocious puberty. Here we report a third case, and the first one to be autopsied. Design: A 5-year-old female with HI, intractable seizures and mental retardation presented with gray vaginal discharge and bacterial vaginosis. The patient subsequently died from neurologic complications and was autopsied. Results: Post-mortem examination revealed pigmentary mosaicism following the lines of Blaschko and advanced development of vulvar labia, pubic hair, and breast buds. Other significant autopsy findings included conical teeth, patchy alopecia, macrosomia (body weight and height above 95th percentile), and macrocephaly with megalencephaly (brain 1850 g). The uterus and ovaries were unremarkable. Epidermis had decreased melanocytes in hypopigmented areas. Skin fibroblast karyotype was normal. Conclusion: The two previous case reports indicate that the mechanism for precocious puberty in HI may be either biochemical, as in McCune-Albright Syndrome, or independent of GnRH. The mechanism of the precocious puberty in our case is most likely central. [source] Sensory impairments, intellectual disability and psychiatryJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 6 2001S. Carvill Abstract The present review looks at: (1) prevalence studies of sensory impairments in people with intellectual disability (ID); (2) studies looking at psychological and psychiatric disorders in people with sensory impairments; and (3) studies that have examined the association of sensory impairments with autism. Research has indicated that sensory impairments are more common in people with ID. Psychiatric disorders are believed to be more common in children with visual impairment (VI) when associated with other handicaps. Some authors believe that hearing impairment (HI) can result in personality disorders. Studies have also shown a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children with HI and a higher incidence of deaf people in psychiatric hospitals than in the general population. Psychiatric disorders in children with HI are particularly associated with low IQ and low communication ability, especially in those with multiple handicaps. There is little evidence for a higher incidence of schizophrenia in people with HI. Blind people demonstrate many autistic-like features and there has been discussion in the literature as to their cause. Deaf people also demonstrate some similar features to those in autism, but an association with autism has not been conclusively made. Deaf-blind people commonly demonstrate problem behaviour (e.g. self-injury). Usher syndrome, which is the most common cause of deaf-blindness, is associated with psychiatric disorders, particularly psychosis. The need for assessment of sensory functioning in people with ID, the difficulties inherent in this and the need for specialist services is stressed. [source] Morphological and hemodynamic magnetic resonance assessment of early neonatal brain injury in a piglet modelJOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, Issue 1 2004Berit H. Munkeby MD Abstract Purpose To investigate the utility of functional and morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the extent of brain injury in a hypoxia-ischemia (HI) piglet model and further to validate that the desired ischemic injury was successfully induced. Materials and Methods MRI was performed at 1.5 T in anesthetized piglets (N = 10, age = 12-36 hours). Relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), time-to-peak (TTP) contrast, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were estimated at different time points pre-, during, and post-HI. The effect following bilateral clamping of the carotid arteries was assessed by contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) and phase contrast MR angiography (PCA) (N = 4). Results A linear correlation was observed between relative cerebral perfusion reduction and cerebral ADC during HI (r2 = 0.85, P < 0.05). There was no correlation between rCBF reduction during 30 minutes of HI and cerebral ADC after 30 or 150 minutes of reperfusion/reoxygenation (RR). Conclusion The combination of morphological and functional (perfusion and diffusion) MRI enabled consistent assessment of both the presence and absence of complete occlusion as well as the functional significance of the occlusion. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2004;20:8,15. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Humoral immunity in natural infection by tick-borne encephalitis virusJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 4 2009Giulietta Venturi Abstract Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is one of the most important flaviviruses associated with neurological disease in Europe. Cross-reactive antibodies elicited by different flaviviruses can make difficult the interpretation of ELISA and hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) tests for the diagnosis of TBE. Neutralization tests, which are more specific, are not in common use because they are difficult to perform and standardize. A plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), optimized previously in vaccinated children, was evaluated in sera from acute cases of TBE, collected for diagnostic purposes, and from healthy human population and wild ruminants, collected for serosurvey purposes. The PRNT results were compared with the results of ELISA and HI tests. In acute TBE disease, most sera were positive for IgM antibodies by ELISA and with high HI antibody titers; neutralizing antibodies were detected in 71.4% of patients, at a very low titer (1:10 NT50) in almost all cases. Seroprevalences of 8% and 6.5% for anti-TBE ELISA antibodies were found in healthy subjects and wild ruminants, respectively. Among anti-TBE positive healthy subjects, a very low 1:10 NT50 titer was detected in 17.4% of cases, while NT80 titers ranging from 1:10 to 1:80 were detected in 65.2% of cases. Among wild ruminants, 90.9% of ELISA and HI positive samples showed a positive, ,1:10 NT80 titer. In conclusion, neutralization assays can be useful for the diagnosis and serosurveys of TBE. J. Med. Virol. 81:665,671, 2009 © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Influenza vaccination of HIV-1-positive and hiv-1-negative former intravenous drug usersJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 4 2001Antonella Amendola Abstract The immunogenicity of an anti-influenza vaccine was assessed in 409 former intravenous drug user volunteers and its effect on the levels of HIV-1 RNA, proviral DNA and on CD4+ lymphocyte counts in a subset HIV-1-positive subjects was measured. HIV-1-positive individuals (n,=,72) were divided into three groups on the basis of their CD4+ lymphocyte counts, while the 337 HIV-1-negative participants were allocated into group four. Haemagglutination inhibiting (HI) responses varied from 45.8 to 70% in the HIV-1-positive subjects and were significantly higher in group four (80.7% responses to the H1N1 strain, 81.6% to the H3N2 strain, and 83% to the B strain). The percentage of subjects with HI protective antibody titres (,,1:40) increased significantly after vaccination, especially in HIV-1 uninfected subjects. Immunization caused no significant changes in CD4+ counts and in neither plasma HIV-1 RNA nor proviral DNA levels. Therefore, vaccination against influenza may benefit persons infected by HIV-1. J. Med. Virol. 65:644,648, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Oxygen resuscitation does not ameliorate neonatal hypoxia/ischemia-induced cerebral edemaJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 9 2010Diana Carolina Ferrari Abstract Neonatal hypoxia/ischemia (HI) is a common cause of cognitive and behavioral deficits in children with hyperoxia treatment (HHI) being the current therapy for newborn resuscitation. HI induces cerebral edema that is associated with poor neurological outcomes. Our objective was to characterize cerebral edema after HI and determine the consequences of HHI (40% or 100% O2). Dry weight analyses showed cerebral edema 1 to 21 days after HI in the ipsilateral cortex; and 3 to 21 days after HI in the contralateral cortex. Furthermore, HI increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability 1 to 7 days after HI, leading to bilateral cortical vasogenic edema. HHI failed to prevent HI-induced increase in BBB permeability and edema development. At the molecular level, HI increased ipsilateral, but not contralateral, AQP4 cortical levels at 3 and up to 21 days after HI. HHI treatment did not further affect HI-induced changes in AQP4. In addition, we observed developmental increases of AQP4 accompanied by significant reduction in water content and increase permeability of the BBB. Our results suggest that the ipsilateral HI-induced increase in AQP4 may be beneficial and that its absence in the contralateral cortex may account for edema formation after HI. Finally, we showed that HI induced impaired motor coordination 21 days after the insult and HHI did not ameliorate this behavioral outcome. We conclude that HHI treatment is effective as a resuscitating therapy, but does not ameliorate HI-induced cerebral edema and impaired motor coordination. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Development of an electrochemical cell for efficient hydrogen production through the IS processAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 8 2004Mikihiro Nomura Abstract The Bunsen reaction (SO2 + I2 + 2H2O = H2SO4 + 2HI) was examined by an electrochemical cell featuring a cation-exchange membrane as the separator, using sulfuric acid dissolving sulfur dioxide as the anolyte and hydriodic acid dissolving iodine as the catholyte. In galvanostatic electrolysis, the molality of H2SO4 in the anolyte and that of HI in the catholyte were increased up to 17.8 and 14.9 mol kgH2O,1, respectively. These concentrations were far higher than those that were obtained by the Bunsen reaction carried out in the presence of a large amount of iodine (such as I2/HI = 4). I2 concentration after the concentration procedure was at I2/HI = 0.95, which is lower than the reported value. I2 is one of the recycling agents in the IS process. HI and H2SO4 were successfully concentrated under low I2 concentration. The concentration of HI agreed with the calculated value, based on the amount of electricity consumed, indicating high current efficiency. Heat/mass balance using this type of electrochemical cell through the IS process is discussed for evaluation of the reactor. The thermal efficiency to produce hydrogen was calculated at 42.1%, without heat recovery for electricity, by optimizing HI and H2SO4 concentrations after application of the electrochemical cell. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 1991,1998, 2004 [source] Isoflurane exerts a short-term but not a long-term preconditioning effect in neonatal rats exposed to a hypoxic-ischaemic neuronal injuryACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2009N. SASAOKA Background: Isoflurane has been shown to induce tolerance against ischaemic injury in adult rodents. Although the delayed preconditioning effect of isoflurane has been demonstrated in neonatal rat pups, the acute preconditioning effects of isoflurane remained undetermined. The present study was therefore conducted to evaluate the acute preconditioning efficacy of isoflurane in neonatal rats subjected to a hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) injury. Methods: Post-natal day 7 pups were exposed to 1 or 2% isoflurane in oxygen for either 30, 60 or 90 min. Fifteen minutes after isoflurane exposure, the pups were subjected to an HI injury induced by left common carotid artery ligation and exposure to 8% oxygen for 2 h. Pups not exposed to isoflurane or not subjected to HI served as controls. Histopathologic injury to the cortex and hippocampus was evaluated 7 and 49 days after HI. Results: Isoflurane 2% exposure for 60 or 90 min before HI induced tolerance in the hippocampus and the number of normal neurons in the CA1 sector 7 days after HI was significantly greater than in non-preconditioned animals. This protective efficacy of isoflurane preconditioning was not observed 49 days after HI. Conclusions: Exposure of 2% isoflurane for at least 60 min is required to induce tolerance against HI injury in rat pups. However, this neuroprotective efficacy results in only transient neuroprotection. [source] HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL OF THE LATE CRETACEOUS GONGILA AND FIKA FORMATIONS, BORNU (CHAD) BASIN, NE NIGERIAJOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 4 2010B. Alalade The hydrocarbon potential of possible shale source rocks from the Late Cretaceous Gongila and Fika Formations of the Chad Basin of NE Nigeria is evaluated using an integration of organic geochemistry and palynofacies observations. Total organic carbon (TOC) values for about 170 cutting samples range between 0.5% and 1.5% and Rock-Eval hydrogen indices (HI) are below 100 mgHC/gTOC, suggesting that the shales are organically lean and contain Type III/IV kerogen. Amorphous organic matter (AOM) dominates the kerogen assemblage (typically >80%) although its fluorescence does not show a significant correlation with measured HI. Atomic H/C ratios of a subset of the samples indicate higher quality oil- to gas-prone organic matter (Type II-III kerogens) and exhibit a significant correlation with the fluorescence of AOM (r2= 0.86). Rock-Eval Tmax calibrated against AOM fluorescence, biomarker and aromatic hydrocarbon maturity data suggests a transition from immature (<435°C) to mature (>435°C) in the Fika Formation and mature to post-mature (>470°C) in the Gongila Formation. The low TOC values in most of the shales samples limit their overall source rock potential. The immature to early mature upper part of the Fika Formation, in which about 10% of the samples have TOC values greater than 2.0%, has the best oil generating potential. Oil would have been generated if such intervals had become thermally mature. On the basis of the samples studied here, the basin has potential for mostly gaseous rather than liquid hydrocarbons. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||