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Quantitative Changes (quantitative + change)
Selected AbstractsIn Vivo Optical Analysis of Quantitative Changes in Collagen and Elastin During Arterial Remodeling,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Alexander Christov ABSTRACT Altered collagen and elastin content correlates closely with remodeling of the arterial wall after injury. Optical analytical approaches have been shown to detect qualitative changes in plaque composition, but the capacity for detection of quantitative changes in arterial collagen and elastin content in vivo is not known. We have assessed fluorescence spectroscopy for detection of quantitative changes in arterial composition in situ, in rabbit models of angioplasty and stent implant. Fluorescence emission intensity (FEI) recorded at sites remote from the primary implant site was correlated with immunohistochemical (IH) analysis and extracted elastin and collagen. FEI was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) after treatment with anti-inflammatory agents, and plaque area decreased on comparison with saline-treated rabbits after stent implant or angioplasty (P, 0.013). Excellent correlations for FEI with elastin and collagen I, III and IV content measured by IH (R2, 0.961) analysis were detected by multiple regression (MR) analysis. Good correlations also were found for FEI with elastin and collagen measured by high-performance liquid chromatography; MR analysis provided highly predictive values for collagen and elastin (R2, 0.994). Fluorescence spectroscopic analysis detects quantitative compositional changes in arterial connective tissue in vivo, demonstrating changes at sites remote from primary angioplasty and stent implant sites. [source] Changes in endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins and aldolase A in cells exposed to dopamineJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2008April A. Dukes Abstract In Parkinson's disease, oxidative stress is implicated in protein misfolding and aggregation, which may activate the unfolded protein response by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Dopamine (DA) can initiate oxidative stress via H2O2 formation by DA metabolism and by oxidation into DA quinone. We have previously shown that DA quinone induces oxidative protein modification, mitochondrial dysfunction in vitro, and dopaminergic cell toxicity in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we used cysteine- and lysine-reactive fluorescent dyes with 2D difference in-gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and peptide mass fingerprint analysis to identify proteins in PC12 cell mitochondrial-enriched fractions that were altered in abundance following DA exposure (150 ,M, 16 h). Quantitative changes in proteins labeled with fluorescent dyes indicated increases in a subset of proteins after DA exposure: calreticulin, ERp29, ERp99, Grp58, Grp78, Grp94 and Orp150 (149,260%), and decreased levels of aldolase A (39,42%). Changes in levels of several proteins detected by 2D difference in-gel electrophoresis were confirmed by western blot. Using this unbiased proteomics approach, our findings demonstrated that in PC12 cells, DA exposure leads to a cellular response indicative of ER stress prior to the onset of cell death, providing a potential link between DA and the unfolded protein response in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. [source] ADVERTISEMENT-CALL PREFERENCES IN DIPLOID-TETRAPLOID TREEFROGS (HYLA CHRYSOSCELIS AND HYLA VERSICOLOR): IMPLICATIONS FOR MATE CHOICE AND THE EVOLUTION OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMSEVOLUTION, Issue 2 2005H. Carl Gerhardt Abstract Signals used for mate choice and receiver preferences are often assumed to coevolve in a lock-step fashion. However, sender-receiver coevolution can also be nonparallel: even if species differences in signals are mainly quantitative, females of some closely related species have qualitatively different preferences and underlying mechanisms. T o-alternative playback experiments using synthetic calls that differed in fine-scale temporal properties identified the receiver criteria in females of the treefrog Hyla chrysoscelis for comparison with female criteria in a cryptic tetraploid species (H. versicolor); detailed preference functions were also generated for both species based on natural patterns of variation in temporal properties. The species were similar in three respects: (1) pulses of constant frequency were as attractive as the frequency-modulated pulses typical of conspecific calls; (2) changes in preferences with temperature paralleled temperature-dependent changes in male calls; and (3) preference functions were unimodal, with weakly defined peaks estimated at values slightly higher than the estimated means in conspecific calls. There were also species differences: (1) preference function slopes were steeper in H. chrysoscelis than in H. versicolor; (2) preferences were more intensity independent in H. chrysoscelis than in H. versicolor; (3) a synergistic effect of differences in pulse rate and shape on preference strength occurred in H. versicolor but not in H. chrysoscelis; and (4) a preference for the pulse shape typical of conspecific calls was expressed at the species-typical pulse duration in H. versicolor but not in H. chrysoscelis. However, females of H. chrysoscelis did express a preference based on pulse shape when tested with longer-than-average pulses, suggesting a hypothesis that could account for some examples of nonparallel coevolution. Namely, preferences can be hidden or revealed depending on the direction of quantitative change in a signal property relative to the threshold for resolving differences in that property. The results of the experiments reported here also predict patterns of mate choice within and between contemporary populations. First, intraspecific mate choice in both species is expected to be strongly influenced by variation in temperature among calling males. Second, simultaneous differences in pulse rate and pulse shape are required for effective species discrimination by females of H. versicolor but not by females of H. chrysoscelis. Third, there is greater potential for sexual selection within populations and for discrimination against calls produced by males in other geographically remote populations in H. chrysoscelis than in H. versicolor. [source] Do changes in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., fillet fatty acids following a dietary switch represent wash-out or dilution?AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 13 2003Test of a dilution model, its application Abstract The fatty acid compositions of fish tissue lipids usually reflect those of the feed lipids, but few attempts have been made to predict the way in which the profiles change or assess the time required for the fatty acid profile to stabilize following a dietary change. The present focus on the influences of vegetable oils and fish oils on the fatty acid compositions and sensory attributes of fish fillets increases the interest in the ability to make such predictions. A dilution model was tested using data for the influences of feed oils (rape/linseed (V) vs. sand-eel (F)) and dietary fat concentrations (ca. 30% (H) vs. ca. 20% (L)) on the body growth and fatty acid compositions of the fillets of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., parr and post smolt. Fish given HV or LV feeds during freshwater rearing (mass increase from ca. 19 g to ca. 130 g) were switched to HF and LF feeds following parr,smolt transformation. The changes in fillet percentages of 18:1, 18:2 (n-6) and 18:3 (n-3) during 98 days of on-growing in seawater (mass increase from ca. 130 g to ca. 380 g) conformed closely to predictions made on the basis of the dilution model. Model applications require information about the proportionate increase in fillet fat over time, but the relative changes in body mass can be used as a surrogate provided that both fillet yield (as a % of body mass) and fillet fat percentage change little over time. This is not the case for small salmon, but does seem to apply to larger salmon as they approach harvest size. This means that, for large salmon, ratios of changes in body mass can be substituted for ratios in the quantitative change in fillet fat without the introduction of a large error in the prediction of the change in fillet fatty acid profile following the introduction of a novel feed. [source] Dystrophin upregulation in pressure-overloaded cardiac hypertrophy in ratsCYTOSKELETON, Issue 1 2003Masato Maeda Abstract Dystrophin is a cytoskeletal protein localized to the sarcolemma of skeletal and cardiac muscle, and neurons. We have recently demonstrated that a significant cardiac damage including myocytes injury, inflammation, and fibrosis, was found in dystrophin-deficient myocardium during pressure overload [Kamogawa et al., 2001: Cardiovasc Res 50:509,515]. However, little is known about how the cardiac sarcolemmal cytoskeleton produces qualitative and quantitative changes in response to pressure overload. Accordingly, we investigated dystrophin gene expression and protein accumulation during cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac hypertrophy was produced by banding of the abdominal aorta of rats. Total RNA from the left ventricle of the heart was used for a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Dystrophin mRNA expression significantly increased by 33 ± 18% at 1 day (P < 0.05) and 45 ± 19% at 2 days (P < 0.01) after banding, while G3PDH mRNA showed no significant change. RT-PCR for dystrophin tissue-specific exon 1 revealed that only muscle type promoter, but not non-muscle type promoter (brain and Purkinje-cell type), was activated immediately after banding. Immunohistochemistry for dystrophin showed intense cellular membrane staining with an increase in the perimeter of the myocytes by 14% at 3 days (46.3 ,m, P < 0.01) and 19% at 7 days (51.2 ,m, P < 0.01) after banding. Western blotting also showed dystrophin protein increased by 14 ± 6% at 2 days (P < 0.05) and by 32 ± 10% at 3 days (P < 0.01) after aortic banding. In conclusion, upregulation of dystrophin mRNA expression and protein accumulation occurs in response to cardiac hypertrophy. These data and the vulnerability of dystrophin-deficient myocardium to pressure overload suggest that dystrophin could play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the sarcolemma. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 55:26,35, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation in culture is associated with reorganisation of contractile and cytoskeletal proteinsCYTOSKELETON, Issue 3 2001Nathalie F. Worth Abstract Smooth muscle cells (SMC) exhibit a functional plasticity, modulating from the mature phenotype in which the primary function is contraction, to a less differentiated state with increased capacities for motility, protein synthesis, and proliferation. The present study determined, using Western analysis, double-label immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, whether changes in phenotypic expression of rabbit aortic SMC in culture could be correlated with alterations in expression and distribution of structural proteins. "Contractile" state SMC (days 1 and 3 of primary culture) showed distinct sorting of proteins into subcellular domains, consistent with the theory that the SMC structural machinery is compartmentalised within the cell. Proteins specialised for contraction (,-SM actin, SM-MHC, and calponin) were highly expressed in these cells and concentrated in the upper central region of the cell. Vimentin was confined to the body of the cell, providing support for the contractile apparatus but not co-localising with it. In line with its role in cell attachment and motility, ,-NM actin was localised to the cell periphery and basal cortex. The dense body protein ,-actinin was concentrated at the cell periphery, possibly stabilising both contractile and motile apparatus. Vinculin-containing focal adhesions were well developed, indicating the cells' strong adhesion to substrate. In "synthetic" state SMC (passages 2,3 of culture), there was decreased expression of contractile and adhesion (vinculin) proteins with a concomitant increase in cytoskeletal proteins (,-non-muscle [NM] actin and vimentin). These quantitative changes in structural proteins were associated with dramatic changes in their distribution. The distinct compartmentalisation of structural proteins observed in "contractile" state SMC was no longer obvious, with proteins more evenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm to accommodate altered cell function. Thus, SMC phenotypic modulation involves not only quantitative changes in contractile and cytoskeletal proteins, but also reorganisation of these proteins. Since the cytoskeleton acts as a spatial regulator of intracellular signalling, reorganisation of the cytoskeleton may lead to realignment of signalling molecules, which, in turn, may mediate the changes in function associated with SMC phenotypic modulation. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 49:130,145, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Cleavage-like cell division and explosive increase in cell number of neonatal gonocytesDEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION, Issue 1 2004Yasuhiro Sakai Based on previous conventional quantitative observations of rat testes, it was proposed that large numbers of gonocytes degenerate after birth and this notion was widely accepted. However, many studies show that neonatal gonocytes display high levels of mitotic activity. In order to resolve the apparent contradiction of increased mitotic activity in gonocytes despite a decrease in their numbers at the neonate stage, quantitative analysis using a marker of suitably higher resolution is required. It has been shown that the vasa protein could be used as a marker of germ cells. In this study, quantitative changes in gonocytes were re-examined using a germ-cell-specific marker in order to delineate more clearly the process of development from gonocytes to spermatogonia after birth. The vasa -positive cells, which correspond to gonocytes and spermatogonia, increased exponentially after birth. This observation suggests that all gonocyte divide actively after birth and do not degenerate as previously believed. Surprisingly, the cell volume of gonocytes decreased during their division. The largest population size was 2000,4000 µ3 at day 2, 1000,2000 µ3 at day 4 and 500,1000 µ3 at day 6. This finding suggests that gonocytes divide in a similar way to cleavage, which can be considered a special mode of fertilized eggs. Judging from the growth of seminiferous tubules and the degree of volume reduction, 60% of the contribution rate is estimated to be due to ordinal cell growth, and 40% due to volume reduction as in cleavage of a fertilized egg. This unique cleavage-like division may contribute to the supply of large numbers of spermatogonia. [source] Flies and concealed nectar sources: morphological innovations in the proboscis of Bombyliidae (Diptera)ACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 3 2002N. U. Szucsich Abstract Bee-flies (Bombyliidae) have morphological adaptations of the mouthparts to particular floral traits. To investigate this the short, plesiomorphic proboscis of Hemipenthes morio was compared with the long, apomorphic proboscis of Bombylius major. A novel feeding position enables B. major to use flowers that open to the side as additional nectar sources. The new horizontal feeding position is enabled by the prolonged ventral base of the proboscis. Bombylius major exploits deep corolla tubes with an elongate proboscis, and an increased efficiency in both the suction pumps and the sealing mechanisms of the proboscis. The exploitation of narrow corolla tubes is made possible by the shift from a sponging feeding mode, exhibited by H. morio, to the exclusively sucking mode in B. major. Besides quantitative changes in the proportions of the different proboscis components, labellar movements as well as the structures of saliva distribution are changed along with this shift. The labial musculature of B. major does not significantly differ from the plesiomorphic state, since both examined species do not only feed on nectar, but also on pollen. [source] Herbivore control of annual grassland composition in current and future environmentsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2006Halton A. Peters Abstract Selective consumption by herbivores influences the composition and structure of a range of plant communities. Anthropogenically driven global environmental changes, including increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), warming, increased precipitation, and increased N deposition, directly alter plant physiological properties, which may in turn modify herbivore consumption patterns. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that responses of annual grassland composition to global changes can be predicted exclusively from environmentally induced changes in the consumption patterns of a group of widespread herbivores, the terrestrial gastropods. This was done by: (1) assessing gastropod impacts on grassland composition under ambient conditions; (2) quantifying environmentally induced changes in gastropod feeding behaviour; (3) predicting how grassland composition would respond to global-change manipulations if influenced only by herbivore consumption preferences; and (4) comparing these predictions to observed responses of grassland community composition to simulated global changes. Gastropod herbivores consume nearly half of aboveground production in this system. Global changes induced species-specific changes in plant leaf characteristics, leading gastropods to alter the relative amounts of different plant types consumed. These changes in gastropod feeding preferences consistently explained global-change-induced responses of functional group abundance in an intact annual grassland exposed to simulated future environments. For four of the five global change scenarios, gastropod impacts explained > 50% of the quantitative changes, indicating that herbivore preferences can be a major driver of plant community responses to global changes. [source] Is Preening Behaviour Sexually Selected?ETHOLOGY, Issue 12 2006An Experimental Approach Elaborate or colourful feathers are important traits in female mate choice in birds but little attention has been given to potential costs of maintaining these traits in good condition with preening behaviour. Recent studies indicate that the time and energy required to maintain ornamental plumage in good condition reinforces the honesty of plumage trait. It has been proposed that some behaviours, whose primary function is not to transfer information, can also evolve as signalling components. Here we investigate whether the preening behaviour intensity has a signalling component: we hypothesized that if only high quality males can invest a lot of time in preening, this behaviour may be used by females as a quality signal (attractive preening hypothesis). We tested this hypothesis by using female budgerigars in mate-choice tests in captivity. We tried to experimentally manipulate the preening behaviour of two groups of budgerigar males (treatment and control group). The proportion of time in which treated males preened in front of females was statistically higher than for control males, however, females spent similar amounts of time with treated males and control males. Moreover, males did not show significant quantitative changes in preening (for both groups) when females were present, suggesting that male budgerigars did not use this behaviour to convey information. These results are inconsistent with the ,attractive preening' hypothesis which predicts that preening behaviour itself provides information on condition and is used in female choice. [source] Effect of petrochemical sludge concentrations on microbial communities during soil bioremediationFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Marķa T. del Panno Abstract Qualitative and quantitative changes of microbial communities in soil microcosms during bioremediation were determined throughout one year. The soil was contaminated with 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 10% (wt/wt) of petrochemical sludge containing polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. We analyzed the hydrocarbon concentration in the microcosms, the number of cultivable bacteria using CFU and most probable number assays, the community structure using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and the metabolic activity of soil using dehydrogenase activity and substrate-induced respiration assays. After one year of treatment, the chemical analysis suggested that the hydrocarbon elimination process was over. The biological analysis, however, showed that the contaminated microcosms suffered under long-term disturbance. The number of heterotrophic bacteria that increased after sludge addition (up to 108,109 cells ml,1) has not returned to the level of the control soil (2,6 × 107 cells ml,1). The community structure in the contaminated soils differed considerably from that in the control. The substrate-induced respiration of the contaminated soils was significantly lower (,10-fold) and the dehydrogenase activity was significantly higher (20,40-fold) compared to the control. Changes in the community structure of soils depended on the amount of added sludge. The species, which were predominant in the sludge community, could not be detected in the contaminated soils. [source] Effects of decadal climate change on zooplankton over the last 50 years in the western subarctic North PacificGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2006SANAE CHIBA Abstract Decadal- to multi-decadal variations have been reported in many regional ecosystems in the North Pacific, resulting in an increasing demand to elucidate the link between long-term climatic forcing and marine ecosystems. We detected phenological and quantitative changes in the copepod community in response to the decadal climatic variation in the western subarctic North Pacific by analyzing the extensive zooplankton collection taken since the 1950s, the Odate Collection. Copepod species were classified into five seasonal groups depending on the timing of the annual peak in abundance. The abundance of the spring community gradually increased for the period 1960,2002. The spring,summer community also showed an increasing trend in May, but a decadal oscillation pattern of quasi-30-year cycles in July. Phenological changes coincided with the climate regime shift in the mid-1970s, indicated by the Pacific decadal oscillation index (PDO). After the regime shift, the timing of the peak abundance was delayed one month, from March,April to April,May, in the spring community, whereas it peaked earlier, from June,July to May,June, in the spring,summer community, resulting in an overlap of the high productivity period for the two communities in May. Wintertime cooling, followed by rapid summertime warming, was considered to be responsible for delayed initiation and early termination of the productive season after the mid-1970s. Another phenological shift, quite different from the previous decade, was observed in the mid-1990s, when warm winters followed by cool summers lengthened the productive season. The results suggest that climatic forcing with different decadal cycles may operate independently during winter,spring and spring,summer to create seasonal and interannual variations in hydrographic conditions; thus, combinations of these seasonal processes may determine the annual biological productivity. [source] Rapid loss of motor nerve terminals following hypoxia,reperfusion injury occurs via mechanisms distinct from classic Wallerian degenerationJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 6 2008Becki Baxter Abstract Motor nerve terminals are known to be vulnerable to a wide range of pathological stimuli. To further characterize this vulnerability, we have developed a novel model system to examine the response of mouse motor nerve terminals in ex vivo nerve/muscle preparations to 2 h hypoxia followed by 2 h reperfusion. This insult induced a rapid loss of neurofilament and synaptic vesicle protein immunoreactivity at pre-synaptic motor nerve terminals but did not appear to affect post-synaptic endplates or muscle fibres. The severity of nerve terminal loss was dependent on the age of the mouse and muscle type: in 8,12-week-old mice the predominantly fast-twitch lumbrical muscles showed an 82.5% loss, whereas the predominantly slow-twitch muscles transversus abdominis and triangularis sterni showed a 57.8% and 27.2% loss, respectively. This was contrasted with a > 97% loss in the predominantly slow-twitch muscles from 5,6-week-old mice. We have also demonstrated that nerve terminal loss occurs by a mechanism distinct from Wallerian degeneration, as the slow Wallerian degeneration (Wlds) gene did not modify the extent of nerve terminal pathology. Together, these data show that our new model of hypoxia,reperfusion injury is robust and repeatable, that it induces rapid, quantitative changes in motor nerve terminals and that it can be used to further examine the mechanisms regulating nerve terminal vulnerability in response to hypoxia,reperfusion injury. [source] Seasonal fluctuation, phenology and turnover of chafer assemblages , insight to the structural plasticity of insect communities in tropical farmlandsAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Dirk Ahrens Abstract 1,Studies on chafer assemblages were conducted on two farmland sites in the Terai lowland of Nepal (200 m above sea level) using light traps. During the course of a 2-year field monitoring program, a total of 4503 specimens was captured and an unexpectedly high number of syntopically co-occurring species was found: 52 from Gunganagar (GN) and 36 from Gaindakot (GK), respectively. Highest species abundances and species numbers were found during April and May. 2,Species occurrence was strongly correlated with air temperature and the maximum soil temperature, at least during the pre-monsoon season. However, assemblage structure from the two sites showed significant qualitative and quantitative changes seasonally, as well as from 1 year to the next. Turnover rates between adjacent months were in the range 26,62% (GN) and 37,70% (GK), whereas the turnover from 2004 to 2005 was 25.8% (GN) and 21.4% (GK) respectively. 3,When only dominant and subdominant taxa are considered, the seasonal change in species composition was even more striking. 4,Strong fluctuation in chafer assemblage over time suggests: (i) a possible influence of patchy habitat types and soil working on seasonal assemblage structure and (ii) colonization of suitable habitats (fields) in great part by chance. [source] Effect of Storage Time on Raw Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) Flavor and Aroma QualityJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 5 2004C. Prost ABSTRACT: Qualitative and semi-relative quantitative changes in flavor profiles associated with the storage of raw sardine (Sardina pilchardus) were investigated. A sensory panel generated a list of 20 odorant descriptors of raw sardine. Forty-seven volatile components were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and were quantified by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Among them, 34 were highlighted as potent odorants using an olfactometric method. (E,E)-2,4-octadienal, E-2-penten-1-ol and 2,3-butanedione are the most potent odorants of raw sardine. The odor-active compounds responsible for oxidized flavors increased during storage, whereas sulfur-containing compounds associated with marine odors decreased. These results could be related to the increase in rancidity aroma and the decrease in marine/iodized aroma identified by the sensory panelists in stored raw fish. [source] Profiling of subgingival plaque biofilm microflora from periodontally healthy subjects and from subjects with periodontitis using quantitative real-time PCRJOURNAL OF PERIODONTAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2010Y Abiko Abiko Y, Sato T, Mayanagi G, Takahashi N. Profiling of subgingival plaque biofilm microflora from periodontally healthy subjects and from subjects with periodontitis using quantitative real-time PCR. J Periodont Res 2010; 45: 389,395. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Background and Objective:, Qualitative and quantitative changes of the subgingival plaque biofilm microflora in periodontal pockets are thought to be associated with the development and progression of periodontitis. The aims of the present study were to quantify the proportions of nine periodontitis-associated bacterial species and four Streptococcus species in subgingival plaque, and to evaluate their relationship with periodontitis quantitatively. Material and Methods:, Subgingival plaque samples were obtained from 12 periodontally healthy subjects and from 28 patients with periodontitis. The amounts of total and target bacteria were measured by quantitative real-time PCR using universal and species-specific primers, respectively. Results:, The proportion of total obligate anaerobes was found to be higher in subjects with periodontitis than in periodontally healthy subjects (p < 0.05). Among obligate anaerobes, Tannerella forsythia (2.04 ± 5.27%, p < 0.05), Porphyromonas gingivalis (0.54 ± 1.41%) and Eubacterium saphenum (0.30 ± 0.96%) were detected at high proportions in subjects with periodontitis, but not in periodontally healthy subjects. By contrast, the proportion of total streptococci was lower in subjects with periodontitis (p < 0.05). Specifically, the proportion of T. forsythia, P. gingivalis or E. saphenum increased (, 2.78%) and the proportion of Streptococcus species decreased to virtually undetectable levels, in subjects with periodontitis. Conclusion:, Obligate anaerobes, including T. forthysia, P. gingivalis and E. saphenum, were identified predominantly in microflora from subjects with periodontitis, whereas Streptococcus species were identified predominantly in microflora from periodontally healthy subjects, suggesting a change in the subgingival environment that resulted in conditions more suitable for the survival of obligate anaerobes. The proportion of these obligate anaerobes in the subgingival plaque of subjects with periodontitis appears to be associated with the status of human periodontitis. [source] Putting literature at the heart of the literacy curriculumLITERACY, Issue 1 2006Deborah Nicholson Abstract This paper documents an initiative in Continuing Professional Development, conceived and carried out by London's Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE). The intention was to improve the teaching and learning of writing in Years 5 and 6 of the primary school (9,11-year-olds), through working with challenging literature. This teacher education project drew on CLPE's earlier research project, published as The Reader in the Writer (Barrs and Cork, 2001). Classroom approaches developed through the initiative are described, and qualitative and quantitative changes in children's writing are discussed. Patterns of teaching in the classrooms that appear to have made a particular difference to the children's achievement are explored. [source] A mixed-methods study of interprofessional learning of resuscitation skillsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 9 2009Paul Bradley Objectives, This study aimed to identify the effects of interprofessional resuscitation skills teaching on medical and nursing students' attitudes, leadership, team-working and performance skills. Methods, Year 2 medical and nursing students learned resuscitation skills in uniprofessional or interprofessional settings, prior to undergoing observational ratings of video-recorded leadership, teamwork and skills performance and subsequent focus group interviews. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was administered pre- and post-intervention and again 3,4 months later. Results, There was no significant difference between interprofessional and uniprofessional teams for leadership, team dynamics or resuscitation tasks performance. Gender, previous interprofessional learning experience, professional background and previous leadership experience had no significant effect. Interview analysis showed broad support for interprofessional education (IPE) matched to clinical reality with perceived benefits for teamwork, communication and improved understanding of roles and perspectives. Concerns included inappropriate role adoption, hierarchy issues, professional identity and the timing of IPE episodes. The RIPLS subscales for professional identity and team-working increased significantly post-intervention for interprofessional groups but returned to pre-test levels by 3,4 months. However, interviews showed interprofessional groups retained a ,residual positivity' towards IPE, more so than uniprofessional groups. Conclusions, An intervention based on common, relevant, shared learning outcomes set in a realistic educational context can work with students who have differing levels of previous IPE and skills training experience. Qualitatively, positive attitudes outlast quantitative changes measured using the RIPLS. Further quantitative and qualitative work is required to examine other domains of learning, the timing of interventions and impact on attitudes towards IPE. [source] Protein Kinase Target Discovery From Genome-Wide Messenger RNA Expression ProfilingMOUNT SINAI JOURNAL OF MEDICINE: A JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2010Avi Ma'ayan Abstract Genome-wide messenger RNA profiling provides a snapshot of the global state of the cell under different experimental conditions such as diseased versus normal cellular states. However, because measurements are in the form of quantitative changes in messenger RNA levels, such experimental data does not provide direct understanding of the regulatory molecular mechanisms responsible for the observed changes. Identifying potential cell signaling regulatory mechanisms responsible for changes in gene expression under different experimental conditions or in different tissues has been the focus of many computational systems biology studies. Most popular approaches include promoter analysis, gene ontology, or pathway enrichment analysis, as well as reverse engineering of networks from messenger RNA expression data. Here we present a rational approach for identifying and ranking protein kinases that are likely responsible for observed changes in gene expression. By combining promoter analysis; data from various chromatin immunoprecipitation studies such as chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with paired-end ditag, and chromatin immunoprecipitation-on-chip; protein-protein interactions; and kinase-protein phosphorylation reactions collected from the literature, we can identify and rank candidate protein kinases for knock-down, or other types of functional validations, based on genome-wide changes in gene expression. We describe how protein kinase candidate identification and ranking can be made robust by cross-validation with phosphoproteomics data as well as through a literature-based text-mining approach. In conclusion, data integration can produce robust candidate rankings for understanding cell regulation through identification of protein kinases responsible for gene expression changes, and thus rapidly advancing drug target discovery and unraveling drug mechanisms of action. Mt Sinai J Med 77:345,349, 2010. © 2010 Mount Sinai School of Medicine [source] Altered intestinal microbiota in irritable bowel syndromeNEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 5 2010K. J. Lee Abstract, Recent studies have suggested that alterations in the composition of the intestinal microbiota may play an important role in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. However, an association between the composition of the intestinal microbiota and IBS symptoms has not been clearly demonstrated. In the current issue of the Journal, Tana et al. suggest that altered intestinal microbiota contributes to the symptoms of IBS through increased levels of organic acids. In fecal samples, IBS patients had significantly higher numbers of Veillonella and Lactobacillus than healthy controls. They also showed significantly higher levels of acetic acid and propionic acid. Furthermore, IBS patients with high acetic acid or propionic acid levels presented more severe symptoms, impaired quality of life and negative emotions. These results are in accordance with the concept that the gut microbiota influences the sensory, motor and immune system of the gut and interacts with higher brain centers. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth observed in a subset of IBS patients describes quantitative changes in the small intestinal microbiota. Data on qualitative changes in the gut microbiota in IBS patients are lacking. Different members of gut bacteria may have different influence on gut function. The concepts identified here may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for IBS using manipulation of the intestinal microbiota. [source] Quality of life and use of red cell transfusion in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2009A systematic review The main treatment for many patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) remains red cell transfusion to attenuate the symptoms of chronic anemia. Fatigue can reduce a patient's health related quality of life (HRQoL), but there is little understanding of the optimal use of transfusions to improve this. A systematic review was performed to identify and appraise publications reporting the use of HRQoL instruments in patients with MDS. A total of 17 separate studies were identified that used 14 HRQoL instruments, but only one MDS disease specific HRQoL instrument (QOL-E) was reported. Two well established HRQoL instruments were most often used in MDS research (variants of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30)). Several common problems were identified in the published literature including a lack of power calculations to detect clinically relevant changes, small sample sizes and significant attrition rates for completion of HRQoL assessments, all of which limit the strength of any conclusions. There is no consensus on the optimal transfusion regimen to improve HRQoL in transfusion-dependent MDS. Future research into HRQoL within MDS is a pressing requirement. Studies should focus on the domains that are of most clinical importance to the patient as well as traditional quantitative changes of hemoglobin concentration. Am. J. Hematol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] In Vivo Optical Analysis of Quantitative Changes in Collagen and Elastin During Arterial Remodeling,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Alexander Christov ABSTRACT Altered collagen and elastin content correlates closely with remodeling of the arterial wall after injury. Optical analytical approaches have been shown to detect qualitative changes in plaque composition, but the capacity for detection of quantitative changes in arterial collagen and elastin content in vivo is not known. We have assessed fluorescence spectroscopy for detection of quantitative changes in arterial composition in situ, in rabbit models of angioplasty and stent implant. Fluorescence emission intensity (FEI) recorded at sites remote from the primary implant site was correlated with immunohistochemical (IH) analysis and extracted elastin and collagen. FEI was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) after treatment with anti-inflammatory agents, and plaque area decreased on comparison with saline-treated rabbits after stent implant or angioplasty (P, 0.013). Excellent correlations for FEI with elastin and collagen I, III and IV content measured by IH (R2, 0.961) analysis were detected by multiple regression (MR) analysis. Good correlations also were found for FEI with elastin and collagen measured by high-performance liquid chromatography; MR analysis provided highly predictive values for collagen and elastin (R2, 0.994). Fluorescence spectroscopic analysis detects quantitative compositional changes in arterial connective tissue in vivo, demonstrating changes at sites remote from primary angioplasty and stent implant sites. [source] Gene expression profiles of TNF-,, TACE, furin, IL-1, and matrilysin in UVA- and UVB-irradiated HaCat cellsPHOTODERMATOLOGY, PHOTOIMMUNOLOGY & PHOTOMEDICINE, Issue 4 2005Beata Skiba Background/Purpose: It is known that solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiation exerts multiple effects on mammalian skin tissues, one of which is the induction of local and systemic immunosuppression as well as inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor-, (TNF-,) and other cytokines are suggested to play a role in these responses. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (TaqMan RTPCR) was used to elucidate the effect of UVA and UVB irradiation on the expression of genes coding for TNF-,, IL-1,, IL-10, FasL, matrilysin, TACE and furin in HaCaT cells over a 48 h period (IL-1,, interleukin-1,; FasL, Fas ligand). Methods: Cultured HaCaT cells were either sham irradiated (control) or exposed to UVA (2000 and 8000 J/m2) or UVB (200 and 2000 J/m2) radiation. RNA was extracted from cells at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48 h post-irradiation and reverse transcribed to generate cDNA for subsequent real-time PCR amplification. Results: Significant increases in the mRNA levels for all genes tested were detected in both UVA- and UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells compared with control (sham-irradiated) cells. TNF-, mRNA levels were immediately up-regulated (0 h) after irradiation, with maximal induction at 8 h post 2000 J/m2 UVA and 200 J/m2 UVB irradiation, at 4 h post 8000 J UVA irradiation and at 48 h post 2000 J/m2 UVB irradiation. No correlation was observed between TNF-,, TACE and furin mRNA induction in the different irradiated cohorts. Conclusion: Results suggest that time-distinct gene induction of TNF-,, furin, IL-1, and matrilysin may be involved in UV-induced cellular responses, but not for TACE. In general, mRNA induction was dose dependent at some time points post-irradiation, but not throughout the whole time course tested. Our results show that quantitative real-time PCR is a useful tool in the analysis of quantitative changes of mRNA levels in cultured HaCaT cells after UV exposure. [source] A quantitative strategy to detect changes in accessibility of protein regions to chemical modification on heterodimerizationPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 7 2009Mathias Dreger Abstract We describe a method for studying quantitative changes in accessibility of surface lysine residues of the PB1 subunit of the influenza RNA polymerase as a result of association with the PA subunit to form a PB1-PA heterodimer. Our method combines two established methods: (i) the chemical modification of surface lysine residues of native proteins by N -hydroxysuccinimidobiotin (NHS-biotin) and (ii) the stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) followed by tryptic digestion and mass spectrometry. By linking the chemical modification with the SILAC methodology for the first time, we obtain quantitative data on chemical modification allowing subtle changes in accessibility to be described. Five regions in the PB1 monomer showed altered reactivity to NHS-biotin when compared with the [PB1-PA] heterodimer. Mutational analysis of residues in two such regions,at K265 and K481 of PB1, which were about three- and twofold, respectively, less accessible to biotinylation in the PB1-PA heterodimer compared with the PB1 monomer, demonstrated that both K265 and K481 were crucial for polymerase function. This novel assay of quantitative profiling of biotinylation patterns (Q-POP assay) highlights likely conformational changes at important functional sites, as observed here for PB1, and may provide information on protein,protein interaction interfaces. The Q-POP assay should be a generally applicable approach and may detect novel functional sites suitable for targeting by drugs. [source] Towards multidimensional liquid chromatography separation of proteins using fluorescence and isotope-coded protein labelling for quantitative proteomicsPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 6 2008Florian Tribl Abstract HPLC has emerged as a valuable tool for separating proteins. To address the analysis of complex proteomes and quantitative changes of proteins therein, we developed a multidimensional LC (MDLC)-based approach followed by large gel 1-D SDS-PAGE. Here we present a novel strategy that allows for simultaneously identifying and quantifying differentially regulated proteins following three separation and fractionation steps. This MDLC platform integrates advantages of dual protein labelling using both fluorescence and isotope-coded tags for subsequent detection and quantification of abundance ratios of proteins by MS. [source] Identification of shed proteins from chinese hamster ovary cells: Application of statistical confidence using human and mouse protein databasesPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 7 2005Mamoun Ahram Abstract The shedding process releases ligands, receptors, and other proteins from the surface of the cell and is a mechanism whereby cells communicate. Even though altered regulation of this process has been implicated in several diseases, global approaches to evaluate shed proteins have not been developed. A goal of this study was to identify global changes in shed proteins in media taken from cells exposed to low-doses of radiation to develop a fundamental understanding of the bystander response. Chinese hamster ovary cells were chosen because they have been widely used for radiation studies and are reported to respond to radiation by releasing factors into the media that cause genomic instability and cytotoxicity in unexposed cells, i.e., a bystander effect. Media samples taken for irradiated cells were evaluated using a combination of tandem- and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR)-mass spectrometry (MS) analyses. Since the hamster genome has not been sequenced, MS data was searched against the mouse and human protein databases. Nearly 150 proteins identified by tandem mass spectrometry were confirmed by FT-ICR. When both types of MS data were evaluated, using a new confidence scoring tool based on discriminant analyses, about 500 proteins were identified. Approximately 20% of these identifications were either integral membrane proteins or membrane associated proteins, suggesting that they were derived from the cell surface and, hence were likely shed. However, estimates of quantitative changes, based on two independent MS approaches, did not identify any protein abundance changes attributable to the bystander effect. Results from this study demonstrate the feasibility of global evaluation of shed proteins using MS in conjunction with cross-species protein databases and that significant improvement in peptide/protein identifications is provided by the confidence scoring tool. [source] Proteomic profiling for cancer progression: Differential display analysis for the expression of intracellular proteins between regressive and progressive cancer cell linesPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 4 2005Eiko Hayashi Abstract Tumor development and progression consist of a series of complex processes involving multiple changes in gene expression (Paolo et al. Physiol. Rev., 1993, 73, 161,195; Lance et al. Cell., 1991, 64, 327,336). Tumor cells acquire an invasive and metastatic phenotype that is the main cause of death for cancer patients. Therefore, for early diagnosis and effective therapeutic intervention, we need to detect the alterations associated with transition from benign to malignant tumor cells on a molecular basis. To unravel alterations concerned with tumor progression, the proteomic approach has attracted great attention because it can identify qualitative and quantitative changes in protein composition, including post-translational modifications. In this study, we performed proteomic differential display analysis for the expression of intracellular proteins in the regressive cancer cell line QR-32 and the inflammatory cell-promoting progressive cancer cell line QRsP-11 of murine fibrosarcoma by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry using an Agilent 1100 LC/MSD Trap XCT. We found 11,protein spots whose expression was different between QR-32 and QRsP-11 cells and identified nine proteins, seven of which, calreticulin precursor, tropomyosin,1 , chain, annexin,A5, heat shock protein (HSP)90-,, HSP90-,, PEBP, and Prx,II, were over-expressed, and two, Anp32e and HDGF, which were down-regulated. The results suggest an important complementary role for proteomics in identification of molecular abnormalities in tumor progression. [source] Dynamic urinary proteomic analysis reveals stable proteins to be potential biomarkersPROTEOMICS - CLINICAL APPLICATIONS, Issue 3 2009Wei Sun Abstract Human urinary proteome analysis is a convenient and efficient approach for understanding disease processes affecting the kidney and urogenital tract. Many potential biomarkers have been identified in previous differential analyses; however, dynamic variations of the urinary proteome have not been intensively studied, and it is difficult to conclude that potential biomarkers are genuinely associated with disease rather then simply being physiological proteome variations. In this paper, pooled and individual urine samples were used to analyze dynamic variations in the urinary proteome. Five types of pooled samples (first morning void, second morning void, excessive water-drinking void, random void, and 24,h void) collected in 1,day from six volunteers were used to analyze intra-day variations. Six pairs of first morning voids collected a week apart were used to study inter-day, inter-individual, and inter-gender variations. The intra-day, inter-day, inter-individual, and inter-gender variation analyses showed that many proteins were constantly present with relatively stable abundances, and some of these had earlier been reported as potential disease biomarkers. In terms of sensitivity, the main components of the five intra-day urinary proteomes were similar, and the second morning void is recommended for clinical proteome analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of pooling samples are also discussed. The data presented describe a pool of stable urinary proteins seen under different physiological conditions. Any significant qualitative or quantitative changes in these stable proteins may mean that such proteins could serve as potential urinary biomarkers. [source] Impact of splenectomy on circulating T-lymphocyte subsets in stage III gastric cancerANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 6 2002Min Young Cho Background: The role of splenectomy remains unclear in patients with gastric cancer who undergo total gastrectomy. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the impact of splenectomy on circulating T-lymphocyte subsets and survival in advanced gastric cancer. Methods: Analysis of lymphocyte subsets was performed in 40 patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III gastric adenocarcinoma located on the upper one-third of the stomach, who underwent a curative total gastrectomy with or without splenectomy. Circulating T-lymphocyte subsets were measured on venous blood by using flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies at preoperative day 1, and postoperative months 1, 3, 6, 12 and 18. Results: The proportion of lymphocytes and the values of CD3, CD8, CD16 and CD25 subsets were higher in the splenectomy group of patients at postoperative month 3. In the spleen preservation group at the same point of treatment, the proportion of granulocytes and the values of CD4 and CD4 : CD8 ratio were higher. Except for CD16 levels, all T-lymphocyte subsets showed no significant difference between splenectomy and spleen preservation groups after postoperative month 3. Increased CD16 levels in the splenectomy group were not associated with improvement in patients' 5-year survival rates. Conclusion: These results suggest that the long-term impact of splenectomy does not play an important role in postoperative quantitative changes of circulating T-lymphocyte subsets of patients with stage III gastric cancer who have undergone total gastrectomy. Furthermore, splenectomy does not give a prognostic benefit, based on tumour recurrence and survival of patients with proximal one-third gastric cancer who undergo total gastrectomy. [source] Spermatophore cryopreservation and artificial insemination of black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon (Fabricius)AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 5 2006Amrit N Bart Abstract To develop an appropriate cryopreservation protocol for spermatophores of black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, three cryoprotectants (dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), methanol (MeOH) and ethylene glycol (EG)) at two concentrations (5% and 10%) were examined. Artificial implantation of spermatophores was also carried out to assess the fertilizing ability of fresh and post-thaw spermatophores. Spermatophores were collected during consecutive regenerations (15-day intervals) and assessed for qualitative and quantitative changes and also for fertilizing ability by implantation. The mean fertilization rate for artificial insemination using post-thaw spermatophore was 79.9±3.7%, lower than the fertilization rates observed for artificial implantation using fresh spermatophore and natural mating. Mean hatch rates for fresh spermatophore, frozen-thawed spermatophore and natural mating were 88.8±0.6%, 87.8±0.4% and 88.3±0.5%, respectively; and there was no difference among the three groups. The mean fertilization rate of spermatophores collected during the first stripping was higher (90.6±0.6) than during the second stripping (85.7±2.6), but the mean hatch rate was not different between the two strippings. The highest mean sperm viability (79.7±0.4%) was obtained from DMSO (5%), with no survival observed in the 10% MeOH treatment. Spermatophore weight, total sperm count and percentage of abnormal sperm were not different between spermatophores collected at the first and second stripping. This is the first study to report high fertilization and hatch rates from cryopreserved spermatophore using artificial implantation of spermatophore before spawning. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||