CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003
Michele A. McMillan
We examined the effects of rock climbing on the density, richness, diversity, and community composition of snails on the Niagara Escarpment in southern Ontario, Canada. We sampled from randomly selected climbed and unclimbed sections of cliffs on the plateau ( cliff edge ), cliff face, and talus ( cliff base ). Snail density, richness, and diversity were lower along climbing routes than in unclimbed areas, and community composition differed between climbed and unclimbed samples. These results suggest that rock climbing has significant negative effects on all aspects of the snail community on cliffs; therefore, we recommend the inclusion of gastropods in conservation plans for protected areas containing cliffs. Resumen: Las barrancas del acantilado del Niagara proveen hábitat para comunidades extremadamente diversas de caracoles terrestres que pueden estar en riesgo debido al alpinismo recreativo. Examinamos los efectos del alpinismo en la densidad, riqueza, diversidad y composición de comunidades de caracoles del acantilado del Niagara en Ontario Meridional, Canadá. Tomamos muestras de las mesetas ( bordes de acantilados ), la cara del acantilado y el talud ( base del acantilado ) de secciones de barrancas usadas y no usadas para el alpinismo y seleccionadas al azar. La densidad, la riqueza y la diversidad de caracoles fueron más bajas en las rutas escaladas que en aquellas áreas no escaladas y la composición de la comunidad difirió entre muestras escaladas y no escaladas. Estos resultados sugieren que el alpinismo tiene impactos negativos significativos en todos los aspectos de la comunidad de caracoles en acantilados; por lo tanto, recomendamos la inclusión de gasterópodos en los planes de conservación para áreas protegidas que contengan acantilados. [source]

Environmental reporting by Indian corporations

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2004
A. Sahay
Environmental management has entered boardrooms, factories and business premises with economic, social and legal consequences. Sound environmental management provides corporations with a competitive advantage in addition to fulfilling corporate social responsibility and adding value to the business. The command and control policy of governments, the world over, has not produced the desired result. Corporate environmental reporting is emerging as a tool for the same. Indian corporations, like their counterparts in developed countries, took hesitant steps towards environmental protection , most of them driven by legal compliance. A selected few companies, however, took to environmental protection, enhancement and reporting through overall business considerations. The study indicates that environmental reporting, barring a few cases, is unsystematic and non-comparable. Though good work is being done by some industrial sectors and some units in different sectors, the reports seem to be aimed more at publicity than providing environmental facts and figures. A good quality of environmental reporting, like good environmental performance, needs to be encouraged and rewarded. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source]

Borderline nuclear change; can a subgroup be identified which is suspicious of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, i.e. CIN 2 or worse?

CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2002
J. M. Edwards
Borderline nuclear change; can a subgroup be identified which is suspicious of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, i.e. CIN 2 or worse? Only 10% of first borderline smears are associated with a histological high-grade (HG) abnormality, i.e. CIN 2,3, invasive malignancy or glandular neoplasia on subsequent investigation. The advantages of highlighting this subgroup are obvious but is this possible? From 1996 and 1997, 242 borderline smears with histological follow-up were examined by two independent experienced observers (observer 1 and 2) without prior knowledge of further investigation results. For each smear a profile of nuclear details was produced, also noting the type of cell mainly affected by the process; then the observers were asked to assess the degree of worry of HG disease for each smear i.e. whether the smear fell into group 1 borderline changes indicative of low-grade (normal, inflammatory, CIN1/HPV) disease (BL/LG) or group 2 difficult borderline smear, HG disease (CIN 2,3, invasive neoplasia or glandular neoplasia) cannot be excluded (BL/HG). Observer 1 selected a group of BL/HG with a PPV for HG disease of 38%, with observer 2 having a PPV of 50%; this compared with the overall laboratory HG disease PPV for borderline smears of 14%. Both observers found the most useful criterion to be the increase in nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio. Our results show that it is possible to separate a small group of borderline smears which should be classified as ,borderline/high grade lesion difficult to exclude' (BL/HG). Both observers had some success in arriving at this classification although their method of selecting out this group was quite different. [source]

Biodegradation during contaminant transport in porous media: 7.

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2005
Impact of multiple-degrader community dynamics
Abstract The biodegradation and transport of phenanthrene in porous media containing multiple populations of phenanthrene degraders is examined with a series of miscible-displacement experiments. A long-term experiment was conducted with a soil containing an indigenous microbial community comprised of 25 identified phenanthrene-degrading isolates. The rate and magnitude of phenanthrene biodegradation oscillated throughout the six-month experiment. This behavior, at least in part, is attributed to multiple-population dynamics associated with the indigenous community of phenanthrene degraders, the composition of which changed during the experiment. This hypothesis is supported by the results of experiments conducted using sterilized porous media that were inoculated with selected isolates obtained from the indigenous soil community. The results of experiments conducted with sterilized soil inoculated with isolate A exhibited an initial extended period of steady phenanthrene effluent concentrations, followed by a uniform decline. The results of experiments conducted using sterilized sand for single-isolate systems with one of three selected isolates and for systems of two-isolate combinations, indicate the existence of apparent synergistic and antagonistic interactions among the isolates. For example, phenanthrene biodegradation was relatively extensive and occurred without a lag phase for isolate A alone. However, biodegradation was constrained when isolate A and B were combined, indicating an antagonistic interaction. Conversely, whereas extensive lag phases were exhibited by both isolates B and C for the single-isolate experiments, there was minimal lag when isolates B and C were combined, indicating a synergistic interaction. [source]

Genetic characterization of the dibenzofuran-degrading Actinobacteria carrying the dbfA1A2 gene homologues isolated from activated sludge

FEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2004
Takashi Noumura
Abstract Thirteen dibenzofuran (DF)-utilizing bacteria carrying the DF terminal dioxygenase genes homologous to those of Terrabacter sp. strain DBF63 (dbfA1A2) were newly isolated from activated sludge samples. The amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis and the hybridization analyses showed that these strains were grouped into five genetically different types of bacteria. The sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA genes and the dbfA1A2 homologues from these five selected isolates revealed that the isolates belonged to the genus Rhodococcus, Terrabacter or Janibacter and that they shared 99,100% conserved dbfA1A2 homologues. We investigated the genetic organizations flanking the dbfA1A2 homologues and showed that the minimal conserved DNA region present in all five selected isolates consisted of an ,9.0-kb region and that their outer regions became abruptly non-homologous. Among them, Rhodococcus sp. strain DFA3 possessed not only the 9.0-kb region but also the 6.2-kb region containing dbfA1A2 homologues. Sequencing of their border regions suggested that some genetic rearrangement might have occurred with insertion sequence-like elements. Also, within their conserved regions, some insertions or deletions were observed. [source]

IMI's Aspire program feeds its senior leader pipeline through self-nominations

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 5 2009
Victoria Stage
Self-nominations, combined with sophisticated assessment and selection tools, have produced a more diverse pool of highly qualified talent that IMI, a worldwide engineering company, is now grooming for its top 40 senior leadership roles. A three-step nomination and selection process for the enterprise-level Aspire program includes 360-degree-type performance assessments; online testing of potential that measures foundational capabilities and predispositions as well as accelerators in order to assign a norm-based percentile standing; and an assessment center with simulations for gauging readiness for senior leadership roles. Those selected as Aspire participants are afforded a range of activities, geared to individual and organizational needs, that include training/education, on-the-job and business-driven development, and relationship-driven development. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Folate-producing lactic acid bacteria from cow's milk with probiotic characteristics

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DAIRY TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
DHANYA GANGADHARAN
The probiotic potential of newly isolated lactic acid bacteria from cow's milk was analysed and the efficacy of the selected isolates to produce folic acid was determined by microbiological assay. Two isolates, CM 22 and CM 28 were selected for folate production in skim milk medium and the net folate yield was 12.5 ng and 14.2 ng/mL respectively. The two isolates (CM 22 and CM 28) showed more than 98% similarity to Lactococcus subsp. cremoris and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis respectively by 16S rRNA sequencing. [source]

Lack of association between the incidence of testicular germ cell tumors and Y-chromosome haplogroups in the Japanese population

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 9 2006
ASHRAF A EWIS
Background: Despite being relatively uncommon, testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common malignant disease in young men. Epidemiological studies concerning patients with testicular cancer indicate that the most of them have poor semen quality or testicular dysgenesis. However, many studies have shown that the Y chromosome harbors many candidate genes responsible for spermatogenesis process and development and maintenance of the germ cells. The Y chromosome is thought to have a relationship with the formation and progression of TGCT. Materials and methods: To verify this relationship, we investigated if there is any correlation between the Y chromosome structural variations presented as different haplogroups and the occurrence of TGCT in the Japanese population. Using combined haplogroups based on typing of three Y chromosome polymorphic binary markers, we analyzed 68 TGCT derived from Japanese patients together with randomly selected 104 unrelated healthy Japanese matched male controls who were confirmed as residents of the same geographic area. Results: Our findings showed a lack of association between the incidence of TGCT and the different Y- chromosome haplogroups in Japanese population. Conclusion: We concluded that there are no significant variations in males from different Y chromosome lineages regarding their susceptibility or resistance for developing TGCT. The previously hypothesized role of the Y chromosome in the development of TGCT is still uncertain and needs further verification. [source]

The Chilean Agrarian Transformation: Agrarian Reform and Capitalist ,Partial' Counter-Agrarian Reform, 1964,1980

JOURNAL OF AGRARIAN CHANGE, Issue 1 2007
Free-Market Neoliberalism, Part 1: Reformism, Socialism
This article, which is published in two parts, is an empirical analysis of the Chilean agrarian reform (1964,1973) and ,partial' counter-agrarian reform (1974,1980). Its aim is to explain and interpret their logic and the changes they brought to Chile's agrarian property regime in particular and Chilean life in general. Chile's agrarian reform was successful in expropriating (under the Frei and Allende administrations, 1964,1973) the great estates of the hacienda landed property system. The capitalist ,partial' counter-reform then redistributed them (under the military, 1974,1980). CORA, the country's agency for agrarian reform, expropriated and subsequently redistributed 5809 estates of almost 10 million hectares, or 59 per cent of Chile's agricultural farmland. A large amount of the expropriated land (41 per cent) benefited 54,000 peasant households with small-sized family farms and house-sites. The rest of the farmland benefited efficient and competitive commercial farmers and agro-business and consolidated medium-sized farms. Of central concern is the role of the agrarian reform and subsequent ,partial' counter-reform processes in fostering the transformation of the erstwhile agrarian structure of the hacienda system toward agrarian capitalism. The redistribution of the agricultural land previously expropriated made possible the formation of an agro-industrial bourgeoisie, small commercial farmers, an open land market and a dynamic agricultural sector. While, however, under military rule, a selected few benefited with family farms and became independent agricultural producers, a large majority of reformed and non-reformed campesinos were torn from the land to become non-propertied proletarians in a rapidly modernizing but highly exclusionary agricultural sector. [source]

Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. against the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris L., in strawberries

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
R. Sabbahi
Abstract Beauveria bassiana has a high insecticidal potential to control the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, a significant pest of strawberries. Screening experiments showed that L. lineolaris adults were susceptible to several B. bassiana isolates. Another screening test with Coleomegilla maculata, a natural enemy found in strawberries, was also performed in order to select the isolate having lower entomopathogenic impact on this insect. Based on data obtained from both insect species and on the ecozone origin of the B. bassiana isolates, INRS-IP and INRS-CFL isolates were selected for further experiments. The LC50 values of these two isolates against L. lineolaris adults were 7.8 × 105 and 5.3 × 105 conidia/ml, and average survival time (AST) values were 4.46 and 4.37 days at a concentration of 1 × 108 conidia/ml respectively. Results also indicated that L. lineolaris nymphs are susceptible to the selected isolates. During field experiments, using a randomized block design with four replicates, INRS-IP and INRS-CFL isolates were applied at two rates (1 × 1011 and 1 × 1013 conidia/ha) weekly during a period of 4 weeks. These multiple applications triggered a significant reduction of L. lineolaris nymphal populations in strawberries. Twenty-four days after the first application, a significant difference was observed between the mean population densities of surviving nymphs in all B. bassiana -treated plots (less than one insect per five plants) compared with those in control plots (four insects per five plants). During the field experiment, persistence of insecticidal activity and viability of B. bassiana conidia were also monitored. The results showed the presence of viable and infective conidia up to 6 days after each application on strawberry foliage. Moreover, the multiple applications of B. bassiana at the rate of 1 × 1013 conidia/ha triggered a significant reduction in strawberry fruit injuries induced by L. lineolaris feeding behaviour compared with the control plots. [source]

Service User Outcomes of Staff Training in Positive Behaviour Support Using Person-Focused Training: A Control Group Study

JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 1 2007
Ian M. Grey
Background, Effectively supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities who display challenging behaviours continues to be a priority for service providers. Person-focused training (PFT) is a model of service delivery which provides staff with skills in functional assessment and intervention development. Existing longitudinal data from a study of 138 cases suggest that implementation of staff-developed behaviour support plans through PFT is effective in reducing challenging behaviour in approximately 77% of cases [McClean et al.Journal of Intellectual Disability Research (2005) vol. 49, pp. 340,353]. However, no control group was used in this study. Method, The current study involves the use of a control group of individuals with challenging behaviours matched against those selected for PFT over a 6-month period. Groups were matched on type of challenging behaviour, duration of challenging behaviour, gender and level of disability. Information on the frequency, management difficulty and severity of challenging behaviour was collected pre- and post-training using the Checklist of Challenging Behaviours (CCB) for both groups. Observational data were collected for the target group alone. Rates of psychotropic medication were tracked across the training period. Results, Significant reductions in the frequency, management difficulty and severity of challenging behaviour were found for service users in the target group but not in the control group after 6 months. No significant changes were found in the use of psychotropic medication for either group over the 6-month period. Conclusion, Overall results suggest that PFT is an effective model for providing support to individuals with challenging behaviours. [source]

Multivariate analysis of a fine-scale breeding bird atlas using a geographical information system and partial canonical correspondence analysis: environmental and spatial effects

JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 11 2004
Nicolas Titeux
Abstract Aim, To assess the relative roles of environment and space in driving bird species distribution and to identify relevant drivers of bird assemblage composition, in the case of a fine-scale bird atlas data set. Location, The study was carried out in southern Belgium using grid cells of 1 × 1 km, based on the distribution maps of the Oiseaux nicheurs de Famenne: Atlas de Lesse et Lomme which contains abundance for 103 bird species. Methods, Species found in < 10% or > 90% of the atlas cells were omitted from the bird data set for the analysis. Each cell was characterized by 59 landscape metrics, quantifying its composition and spatial patterns, using a Geographical Information System. Partial canonical correspondence analysis was used to partition the variance of bird species matrix into independent components: (a) ,pure' environmental variation, (b) spatially-structured environmental variation, (c) ,pure' spatial variation and (d) unexplained, non-spatial variation. Results, The variance partitioning method shows that the selected landscape metrics explain 27.5% of the variation, whilst ,pure' spatial and spatially-structured environmental variables explain only a weak percentage of the variation in the bird species matrix (2.5% and 4%, respectively). Avian community composition is primarily related to the degree of urbanization and the amount and composition of forested and open areas. These variables explain more than half of the variation for three species and over one-third of the variation for 12 species. Main conclusions, The results seem to indicate that the majority of explained variation in species assemblages is attributable to local environmental factors. At such a fine spatial resolution, however, the method does not seem to be appropriated for detecting and extracting the spatial variation of assemblages. Consequently, the large amount of unexplained variation is probably because of missing spatial structures and ,noise' in species abundance data. Furthermore, it is possible that other relevant environmental factors, that were not taken into account in this study and which may operate at different spatial scales, can drive bird assemblage structure. As a large proportion of ecological variation can be shared by environment and space, the applied partitioning method was found to be useful when analysing multispecific atlas data, but it needs improvement to factor out all-scale spatial components of this variation (the source of ,false correlation') and to bring out the ,pure' environmental variation for ecological interpretation. [source]

Installing the communities that care prevention system: implementation progress and fidelity in a randomized controlled trial

JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2008
Rose K. Quinby
This article describes the degree to which high fidelity implementation of the Communities That Care (CTC) prevention operating system was reached during the first 18 months of intervention in 12 communities in the Community Youth Development Study, a 5-year group randomized controlled trial designed to test the efficacy of the CTC system. CTC installation in these communities included the delivery of six CTC trainings from certified CTC trainers at each site, the active involvement of locally selected and community-based CTC community coordinators, ongoing monitoring of progress using the CTC milestones and benchmarks, and proactive technical assistance and coaching. CTC implementation fidelity ratings averaged across three groups of raters show that between 89% and 100% of the CTC milestones in the first four phases of CTC implementation were "completely met" or "majority met" in the 12 intervention communities, indicating that the first four phases of the CTC system have been well implemented in the communities in this trial. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Assessing the extent of genome-wide intralocus sexual conflict via experimentally enforced gender-limited selection

JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
E. H. MORROW
Abstract Intralocus sexual conflict, which occurs when a trait is selected in opposite directions in the two sexes, is a taxonomically widespread phenomenon. The strongest genetic evidence for a gender load due to intralocus sexual conflict comes from the Drosophila melanogaster laboratory model system, in which a negative genetic correlation between male and female lifetime fitness has been observed. Here, using a D. melanogaster model system, we utilize a novel modification of the ,middle class neighbourhood' design to relax selection in one sex, while maintaining selection in the other. After 26 generations of asymmetrical selection, we observed the expected drop in fitness of the non-selected sex compared to that of the selected sex, consistent with previous studies of intralocus sexual conflict in this species. However, the fitness of the selected sex also dropped compared to the base population. The overall decline in fitness of both the selected and the unselected sex indicates that most new mutations are harmful to both sexes, causing recurrent mutation to build a positive genetic correlation for fitness between the sexes. However, the steeper decay in the fitness of the unselected sex indicates that a substantial number of mutations are gender-limited in expression or sexually antagonistic. Our experiment cannot definitively resolve these two possibilities, but we use recent genomic data and results from previous studies to argue that sexually antagonistic alleles are the more likely explanation. [source]

Fusarium incarnatum isolated from black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon Fabricius, with black gill disease cultured in Vietnam

JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 9 2004
L V Khoa
Abstract Fusarium incarnatum was isolated from gill lesions of cultured black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, in every crop during 2000,2002 in Nghe An province, Vietnam. Infected shrimps showed typical signs of black gill disease and mortalities about a month prior to harvest. Detailed morphological examinations, as well as molecular phylogenic analyses based on partial nucleotide sequences of ribosomal DNA, were made on the isolates. An artificial infection of kuruma prawn, Penaeus japonicus, using two selected isolates was also conducted and their pathogenicity determined. [source]

The influence of wine attributes on region of origin equity: An analysis of the moderating effect of consumer's perceived expertise

AGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006
Jean Philippe Perrouty
This research addresses the interaction between the components of brand. More specifically, the authors evaluate how the region of origin as a component of a wine brand adds value to a wine purchaser. Previous research suggests that the region of origin equity is significantly moderated by the other wine attributes with which it is combined on the wine label: commercial brand, level of price, type of bottler, grape variety. The authors test whether the moderating effects depend on self-perceived consumer expertise. They use a discrete choice method to survey 1,162 European wine purchasers, about equally selected from France, Austria, Germany, and the UK. Results show that the region of origin equity is indeed significantly moderated by the other wine attributes. They also show these moderating effects are more important for consumers who perceive themselves as "more expert" than for consumers who feel they are "novices." [EconLit citation: M310]. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 22: 323,341, 2006. [source]

THE EFFECT OF REFRIGERATED STORAGE ON SENSORY PROFILE AND PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MINIMALLY PASTEURIZED ORANGE JUICE

JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 2009
TATIANA BEATRIS TRIBESS
ABSTRACT Minimal pasteurization of orange juice (OJ) consists of using minimum holding time and temperature to ensure partial inactivation of pectin methylesterase (PME). This process produces juice with preserved sensory attributes and has a better acceptance by consumers when compared with commercially pasteurized OJ. Sensory profile and physical-chemical characteristics of minimally processed OJ was determined, during refrigerated storage, for two OJ blends with different pH values and the same level of PME thermal inactivation. A selected and trained sensorial panel (n = 16) performed sensory analysis, based on a quantitative descriptive analysis, twice a week for 30 days, evaluating the attributes of appearance (suspended particles and color intensity), odor (natural orange and fermented orange) and flavor (orange characteristic, fermented orange, acid and bitter taste). Storage presented great effect on OJ sensory profile; however, it was not noticeable on physical-chemical characteristics. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Minimal pasteurization of orange juice (OJ) consists of using minimum holding time and temperature to ensure partial inactivation of pectin methylesterase. This process produces juice with longer shelf life than fresh squeezed orange juice, preserved sensory attributes and better acceptance by consumers when compared with commercially pasteurized OJ. This study can contribute for quality evaluation of minimally pasteurized OJ under refrigeration. [source]

EQUISWEET MILK CHOCOLATES WITH INTENSE SWEETENERS USING TIME-INTENSITY METHOD

JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 6 2007
LAURO LUÍS MARTINS MEDEIROS DE MELO
ABSTRACT Five conventional chocolates were produced with different sucrose concentrations (from 40 to 52%) in order to determine ideal sweetness by acceptance test, and it was found that 43% sucrose milk chocolate has the ideal sweetness. Sucrose was replaced by bulking agents and sucralose or stevioside in order to prepare diabetic chocolates and 11 selected and trained judges determined the temporal characteristic of sweetness of these milk chocolates. Sucralose is 700 times sweeter than sucrose in this product, and stevioside, 200 times. Considering these potencies, they presented a time-intensity profile similar to chocolate with sucrose (i.e., conventional chocolate) and ideal sweetness. There is no significant difference between diabetic and conventional chocolates concerning the following physicochemical analyses: moisture content, medium particle size and Casson yield value. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The time-intensity method is becoming a useful tool because it makes it possible to compare perception over time of sucrose sweetness with that of other sweeteners. The key point of this study is to consider temporal sweetness characteristics to produce equisweet diabetic milk chocolates. The sensory analysis time-intensity method probably is a tool to obtain diabetic (i.e., with no sugar) chocolates that present a sweetness temporal profile as near as possible to conventional milk chocolate. This is a first step to produce diabetic chocolate with the same acceptance as conventional chocolate. [source]

Gene expression of AGS cells stimulated with released proteins by Helicobacter pylori

JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
Nayoung Kim
Abstract Background and Aim:, Interactions between released proteins by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and the cells of gastric epithelium to which it adheres may contribute to gastric inflammation and epithelial damage. The present study was performed to evaluate the gene expression of AGS gastric cancer cells stimulated with released proteins by H. pylori. Methods:, Gene expression of AGS cells to the stimulation by H. pylori -released proteins (G27 strain) were monitored using oligonucleotide microarrays. Results:, Eighty-eight genes (0.88%) and eight genes (0.08%) were up- or downregulated, respectively, by treating AGS cells with H. pylori -released proteins but not by H. pylori adhesion after 12 h of coculture. Out of the selected 40 up- and five downregulated genes, 29 upregulated genes classified as general RNA polymerase II transcription factor activity (GTF2B, PPARGC1A), SH3/SH2 adaptor activity (CRKL), transferase activity (ACLY, CRKL, PIGC, PLK4), and oxidoreductase activity (IDH1) were confirmed to be upregulated by released proteins and not by H. pylori adhesion by real-time reverse transcription,polymerase chain reaction. When the concentrated H. pylori -cultured supernatant prepared by our protocol was treated by boiling, the upregulations of 26 of these 29 genes (89.7%) except for CD160, ZNF268, and PSAT1 disappeared. This confirmed that most of these upregulations were caused by released proteins. Conclusion:, Host genes involving transcription, signaling and stress are significantly modulated by the proteins released by H. pylori. This might strengthen the gastroduodenal pathogenesis induced by H. pylori. [source]

Protein identification via ion-trap collision-induced dissociation and examination of low-mass product ions

JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 1 2008
Jeremiah J. Bowers
Abstract A whole-protein tandem mass spectrometry approach for protein identification based on precursor ion charge state concentration via ion/ion reactions, ion-trap collisional activation, ion/ion proton-transfer reactions involving the product ions, and mass analysis over a narrow m/z range (up to m/z 2000) is described and evaluated. The experiments were carried out with a commercially available electrospray ion-trap instrument that has been modified to allow for ion/ion reactions. Reaction conditions and the approach to searching protein databases were developed with the assumption that the resolving power of the mass analyzer is insufficient to distinguish charge states on the basis of the isotope spacings. Ions derived from several charge states of cytochrome c, myoglobin, ribonuclease A, and ubiquitin were used to evaluate the approach for protein identification and to develop a two-step procedure to database searching to optimize specificity. The approach developed with the model proteins was then applied to whole cell lysate fractions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results are illustrated with examples of assignments made for three a priori unknown proteins, each selected randomly from a lysate fraction. Two of the three proteins were assigned to species present in the database, whereas one did not match well any database entry. The combination of the mass measurement and the product ion masses suggested the possibility for the oxidation of two methionine residues of a protein in the database. The examples show that this limited whole-protein characterization approach can provide insights that might otherwise be lacking with approaches based on complete enzymatic digestion. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

High-sensitivity analysis of specific peptides in complex samples by selected MS/MS ion monitoring and linear ion trap mass spectrometry: Application to biological studies

JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 11 2007
Inmaculada Jorge
Abstract Mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique of paramount importance in Proteomics, and developments in this field have been possible owing to novel MS instrumentation, experimental strategies, and bioinformatics tools. Today it is possible to identify and determine relative expression levels of thousands of proteins in a biological system by MS analysis of peptides produced by proteolytic digestion. In some situations, however, the precise characterization of a particular peptide species in a very complex peptide mixture is needed. While single-fragment ion-based scanning modes such as selected ion reaction monitoring (SIRM) or consecutive reaction monitoring (CRM) may be highly sensitive, they do not produce MS/MS information and their actual specificity must be determined in advance, a prerequisite that is not usually met in a basic research context. In such cases, the MS detector may be programmed to perform continuous MS/MS spectra on the peptide ion of interest in order to obtain structural information. This selected MS/MS ion monitoring (SMIM) mode has a number of advantages that are fully exploited by MS detectors that, like the linear ion trap, are characterized by high scanning speeds. In this work, we show some applications of this technique in the context of biological studies. These results were obtained by selecting an appropriate combination of scans according to the purpose of each one of these research scenarios. They include highly specific identification of proteins present in low amounts, characterization and relative quantification of post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and S -nitrosylation and species-specific peptide identification. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

The influence of some different factors on the accuracy of shade selection

JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 9 2004
H. Dagg
summary, The purpose of this study was to elucidate some of the factors on which accurate shade taking depends. Custom shade tabs (0·5, 1·0 and 1·5 mm porcelain thickness) were fabricated from selected Vita and Shofu porcelains. Four main factors were investigated, namely, the difference between the two types of porcelain used, the effect of light quality, the effect of porcelain thickness and the experience of the observer. The chi-square test for independence at a probability level of P < 0·05 was used to analyse the results. The results indicated that in ideal light there was no difference between the two porcelains (P=0·58). The experienced observers proved better than the novice observers in ideal light conditions (P=0·003). Thickness was also significant in the overall results (P=0·0001), in that thicker samples gave more accurate results. The results indicate that in adverse light, there was an overall difference between the two porcelains (P=0·046), but no difference between the experienced and novice observers. The thickness made no difference to the experienced or the novice observer in adverse light. These results indicate that the most influential factor on shade taking was the light quality (P < 0·0001); better results were obtained overall for the ideal light situation. In ideal light thicker samples gave better results (P=0·0001). [source]

Cyclosporin A treatment in severe childhood psoriasis

JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
TM Pereira
Abstract Though used occasionally, systemic therapies in severe childhood psoriasis have not been systematically investigated. Cyclosporin A (CysA) is effective in adults with severe psoriasis but there are no extensive data regarding the efficacy and safety of its use in childhood psoriasis. In this paper, we describe six children aged between 11 months and 13 years (average: 7.6 years) treated with CysA microemulsion formulation for severe psoriasis, who had been unresponsive to other treatments. The CysA dose ranged from 2 to 4 mg/kg/day, for periods varying from 8 to 105 weeks (mean: 54 weeks). Dose tapering was gradual after lesion improvement and adjusted according to clinical response. Adjuvant therapy with topical steroids, vitamin D3 ointments, coal tar preparations or anthralin was used in all children. Acitretin was used in three patients for short periods. The children were regularly monitored for serum renal and liver function and blood pressure. Improvement of skin lesions was achieved after between 4 and 30 (mean: 12) weeks of treatment, with complete remission in three children. Relapse of lesions occurred in the other children during CysA reduction, but they responded to a dose increase. The treatment was found to be well tolerated and with no significant side-effects. CysA can be used in carefully selected and monitored patients and may represent an alternative tool for severe episodes of psoriasis in children, when other therapies are unsuccessful. [source]

Prediction of protein supply to ruminants from concentrates: comparison of the NRC-2001 model with the DVE/OEB system

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 4 2005
Peiqiang Yu
Abstract The objective of this study was to compare the DVE/OEB system (DVE = truly absorbed protein in the small intestine; OEB = degraded protein balance) and the NRC-2001 model in the prediction of supply of protein to dairy cows from 46 selected concentrates: malting-type barley (cv Harrington), feed-type barley (cv Valier), field tick beans (Vicia faba), white albus lupins (Lupinus albus), whole soybeans and horse beans (Vicia faba cv Alfred). The two barleys were processed by coarse (roller miller, 0.533 mm gap) and fine (hammer mill, 2 mm screen) processing. The field tick beans and white albus lupins were dry roasted at various conditions at the University of Melbourne. The soybeans and horse beans were pressure-toasted at 100, 118 and 136 °C for 3, 7, 15 and 30 min at Wageningen Feed Processing Centre. Comparisons were made in terms of (1) ruminally synthesized microbial protein, (2) truly absorbed protein in the small intestine and (3) degraded protein balance, based on 46 samples. The results showed that the predicted values from the DVE/OEB system and the NRC-2001 model had significant correlations. However, using the DVE/OEB system, the overall average microbial protein supply based on available energy was 10% lower and the truly absorbed protein in the small intestine was 8% lower than that predicted by the NRC-2001 model. A difference was also found in the prediction of the degraded protein balances, which was 16% higher than that estimated from the NRC-2001 model. These differences are due to factors used in calculations in the two models, although both are based on similar principles. This indicates that further refinement is needed for a modern protein evaluation and prediction system. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source]

Production of dyestuffs from indole derivatives by naphthalene dioxygenase and toluene dioxygenase

LETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
J.Y. Kim
Abstract Aims: To isolate and characterize the phorate [O,O-diethyl-S-(ethylthio)methyl phosphoradiothioate] degrading bacteria from agricultural soil, and their assessment for multifarious biological activities of environmental and agronomic significance. Methods and Results: Based on their morphological and biochemical characteristics, the selected isolates PS-1, PS-2 and PS-3 were presumptively identified as Rhizobium, Pseudomonas and Proteus species, respectively. The HPLC analysis of phorate in bioaugmented soil revealed its complete disappearance within 40 days. The degradation isotherms of the isolates PS-1, PS-2 and PS-3 suggested time-dependent disappearance of phorate following the first-order rate kinetics at the corresponding rate constants of 0.04, 0.05 and 0.04 d,1. Besides, the isolates concurrently exhibited substantial phosphate solubilization, indole acetic acid (IAA) and siderophore production, as well as limited biocontrol activity against fungal phytopathogens. Conclusions, Significance and Impact of the Study: The data revealed the potential of isolates for collateral plant growth promotion, biocontrol and bioremediation. The selected strains may serve as an important bioresource for development of effective super-bioinoculants. [source]

Borrelia burgdorferi adhesins identified using in vivo phage display

MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2007
Styliani Antonara
Summary Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, disseminates from the site of deposition by Ixodes ticks to cause systemic infection. Dissemination occurs through the circulation and through tissue matrices, but the B. burgdorferi molecules that mediate interactions with the endothelium in vivo have not yet been identified. In vivo selection of filamentous phage expressing B. burgdorferi protein fragments on the phage surface identified several new candidate adhesins, and verified the activity of one adhesin that had been previously characterized in vitro. P66, a B. burgdorferi ligand for ,3 -chain integrins, OspC, a protein that is essential for the establishment of infection in mammals, and Vls, a protein that undergoes antigenic variation in the mammal, were all selected for binding to the murine endothelium in vivo. Additional B. burgdorferi proteins for which no functions have been identified, including all four members of the OspF family and BmpD, were identified as candidate adhesins. The use of in vivo phage display is one approach to the identification of adhesins in pathogenic bacteria that are not easily grown in the laboratory, or for which genetic manipulations are not straightforward. [source]

The effectiveness of nonprofit lead-organization networks for social service delivery

NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 4 2010
Bin Chen
Public agencies increasingly contract with nonprofit organizations to lead community-based networks for social service delivery. We explore the role that partnership characteristics play in the effectiveness of these networks. Using data on children and family services in Los Angeles County, we consider the impact of both the motivations for forming partnerships and the nature of the resulting partnerships on perceived outcomes for clients, interorganizational relationships, and organizational learning. We find that client outcomes and interorganizational relationships are enhanced when partnerships are formed to meet certain programmatic and organizational goals. Organizational learning, however, is affected only when partnerships are formed to enhance organizational legitimacy. Partners selected because they share common vision increase effectiveness, while those selected because there are few alternative partners decrease effectiveness. Finally, when partnerships use an interorganizational coordination mechanism, client outcomes are improved. The managerial implications of these impacts for the nonprofit sector are developed. The results lend considerable support to the role of partnership motivation and partner selection in the effectiveness of nonprofit lead-organization networks, and specificity about the nature of that role. [source]

Genetic analysis of tocopherol content and composition in winter rapeseed

PLANT BREEDING, Issue 2 2001
F. D. Goffman
Abstract The improvement of the nutritional value and the stability properties of rapeseed oil is partly hindered by the lack of information on the genetic control of tocopherols. The objectives of this investigation were to characterize the inheritance of tocopherols by using two factorial mating designs (North Carolina Design II, NCII). The first (NCII -A) was produced with two sets of nine parents each, one selected for high and the other for low total tocopherol contents. In the second (NCII -B), each set consisted of six parents, which were either high or low for the ,/,-tocopherol ratio. Parents and F1 hybrids from both experiments were tested under field conditions in 1998 and 1999 using a completely randomized design with two replications. Only small differences were detected between mean values of parents and F1 hybrids. General combining ability (GCA) variation in both experiments was highly significant (P < 0.01) for all tocopherol traits. Significant specific combining ability (SCA) effects were only detected for a-tocopherol in NCIIA and therefore for the ,-/,-tocopherol ratio. These results indicate that tocopherol contents and composition are controlled mainly by genes with additive effects. Interactions of F1 hybrids and GCA effects with the environment were significant for only tocopherol contents and not for tocopherol composition. [source]

Proteomic analysis of pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma

PROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 17 2006
Lian-Jin Jin
Abstract Sclerosing hemangioma (SH) is a rare benign pulmonary tumor derived from the primitive respiratory epithelium. However, the pathogenesis of SH has not yet been clear. Surfactant protein, thyroid transcription factor-1, epithelial membrane antigen, cytokeratin, and vimentin have been identified in SH by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. To identify proteins specifically regulated in SH, 2-D PAGE was performed using SH and paired normal tissues. Ten selected differentially expressed protein spots were identified by PMF, MALDI-TOF-MS, and database searching. Apolipoprotein,A-1, antizyme inhibitor, heat shock 27-kDa protein,1, and antioxidant proteins, such as peroxiredoxin,II (Prx,II) and GST, were identified among the down-regulated proteins in SH. Western blot and immunohistochemistry confirmed reduced expressions of Prx,II and GST in SH versus normal lung tissue. This study is the first report on the reduced expressions of Prx,II and GST in SH. [source]

Association between respiratory symptom score and 30-year cause-specific mortality and lung cancer incidence

THE CLINICAL RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, Issue 2008
A. Frostad
Abstract Introduction:, Respiratory symptoms are among the main reasons why patients make contact with healthcare professionals and they are associated with several diseases. Objective:, The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between respiratory symptoms reported at one time and 30 years cause-specific mortality and incidence of lung cancer in an urban Norwegian population. Materials and Methods:, A total of 19 998 men and women, aged 15,70 years, were in 1972 selected from the general population of Oslo. They received a postal respiratory questionnaire (response rate 89%). All were followed for 30 years for end-point mortality and for lung cancer. The association between respiratory symptoms, given as a symptom load, and end point of interest were investigated separately for men and women by multivariable analyses, with adjustment for age, occupational exposure to air pollution and smoking habits. Results:, A total of 6710 individuals died during follow-up. Obstructive lung diseases (OLDs) and pneumonia accounted for 250 and 293 of the total deaths, respectively. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) accounted for 1572; stroke accounted for 653 of all deaths. Lung cancer developed in 352 persons during follow-up. The adjusted hazard ratio for mortality from OLD and pneumonia, IHD and stroke increased in a dose,response manner with symptom score, more strongly for OLD and IHD than for pneumonia and stroke. Conclusions:, Respiratory symptoms were positively associated with mortality from OLD, pneumonia, IHD and stroke, and incidence of lung cancer. This association was significant for mortality from OLD and IHD. Please cite this paper as: Frostad A. Association between respiratory symptom score and 30-year cause-specific mortality and lung cancer incidence. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2008; 2: 53,58. [source]