Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INHALATION OF POORLY SOLUBLE PARTICLES. I. DIFFERENCES IN INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE AND CLEARANCE DURING EXPOSURE

Results from animal studies have indicated some uncertainties over the validity of a single general occupational control limit for all types of ''particulates (insoluble) not otherwise classified'' (PNOC) (ACGIH, 2000). Therefore, to examine the extent to which a given control limit may be valid for nontoxic dusts with different physical characteristics, this study compared the pulmonary effects in rats of inhalation exposure to two poorly soluble dusts of similar density and with relatively low toxicity: titanium dioxide and barium sulfate. The objectives were to compare the dusts in (a) their buildup and clearance in the lungs during inhalation; (b) their transfer to lymph nodes; (c) the changes, with time, in the lavageable cell population; and (d) the pathological change from histology. The exposure aerosol concentrations were selected to achieve similar mass and volume lung burdens for both dusts and to attain ''overload'' over the common exposure periods of about 4 mo and 7 mo. Despite obtaining similar lung burdens for both dusts, there was significantly more translocation of TiO2 to the hilar lymph nodes than with BaSO4. It was also found that clearance of TiO2 was retarded whereas clearance of BaSO4 was not. Trends in these data were clarified by the use of a simple model of particle clearance. Retardation of particle clearance and translocation to the lymph nodes are markers of the condition known as ''overload'' in which the alveolar macrophage-based clearance of particles from the deep lung is impaired. In addition, bronchoalveolar lavage showed that TiO2 caused significantly more recruitment of inflammatory neutrophils to lungs than BaSO4. These differences between the dusts were not due to differences in toxicity, solubility, or lung deposition. The explanation that the different responses are due to the different particle size distributions of the two dust types is examined in a companion paper (Tran et al., this issue).
MODULATION IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL EXPRESSION PROFILE OF Sp1 SUBSEQUENT TO TRANSPLACENTAL EXPOSURE OF FETAL RATS TO DESORBED BENZO[a]PYRENE FOLLOWING MATERNAL INHALATION

Any alteration of the critical sequence of genes that are required to coordinate the differentiation of cells, the promotion of migration, dendritic arborization, synapse formation, and myelination in the developing nervous system would be expected to have deleterious consequences. The focus of this article is a molecular evaluation of the neurotoxicological effects that result subsequent to the transplacental exposure of fetal rats to desorbed benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) following maternal inhalation. A state-of-the-art, newly designed, fabricated, and tested model aerosol generation system was utilized in these studies. Timed-pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were exposed for 4 h on gestation day 15 of a 21-day gestation period to an acute dose of BaP: carbon black aerosol (100 µg/m3). Controls received carbon black only. Nominal and chamber concentrations of the particulate aerosol were determined gravimetrically with a seven-stage cascade impactor. The aerosol exhibited a trimodal distribution with 95% cumulative mass less than 15.85 µm, 90% cumulative mass less than 10 µm, 67.5% cumulative mass less than 2.5 µm and 66.2% cumulative mass less than 1.0 µm. Time-course bioavailability results indicated that greater than 95% of the parent compound is cleared from blood 240 min postexposure. An Sp1 transcription factor consensus sequence was examined by electrophoretic mobility shift analysis of nuclear extracts from various brain regions of resulting pups on postnatal days 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15. It revealed perturbations in the developmental expression profile of Sp1 abundance as a result of nose-only particulate aerosol exposure to the timed-pregnant dam. The data obtained on the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in the brain indicate that (1) Sp1 DNA-binding is developmentally regulated and expressed very highly in actively developing brain regions, and (2) a consequence of the transplacental deposition of desorbed BaP to the fetus is in utero neurotoxicity.
Sex Ratio Adjustment Under Food Stress: Maximization of Quality or Numbers of Offspring?

Trivers and Willard (1973) proposed that females in poor condition should produce female offspring. The suggested reason for this is that poor-condition female young are more likely to be reproductively successful than are poor-condition male young. Evidence from the literature does not support this hypothesis, and cited studies can be interpreted in terms of differential mortality between the sexes. I have proposed as an alternative the hypothesis that poor environmental conditions will lead to the production of the cheaper sex. This allows for maximization of the number of young produced. A study of redwing blackbirds illustrates the hypothesis, and the information necessary for a rigorous testing is outlined. Confusion should be avoided between adjustment of the primary sex ratio, which allows modification without the loss of potential offspring, and sex ratio adjustment through differential mortality of the two sexes after conception. The latter requires a loss in reproductive potential, which is particularly serious in organisms which produce only one young a year.
Iron-Catalyzed Oxidation of (+)-Catechin in Model Systems

Autoxidation of (+)-catechin in wine-like model solutions containing 0−20 mg L-1 of ferrous iron was monitored by HPLC with diode array detection. The rate of catechin oxidation and the extent of browning increased with the iron level. Some of the oxidation products were formed in larger amounts at higher iron concentrations. These included colorless compounds and yellow pigments with absorbance maxima between 440 and 460 nm. The iron-catalyzed reactions leading to these compounds competed with iron-independent reactions generating different products which are presumably identical to those formed in enzymically oxidized catechin solutions. Keywords: (+)-Catechin; autoxidation; ferrous ions; CLHP; browning
Association of potyvirus helper component protein with virions and the cuticle lining the maxillary food canal and foregut of an aphid vector.

Transmission electron microscopy and immunogold labeling were used to study the role of the helper component protein (HC) that is required for the transmission of potyviruses by aphids. Purified tobacco etch virus (TEV) and tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV) were fed to the aphid vector, Myzus persicae, either with or without purified HC. In sections of aphids that fed on a mixture of purified virions and HC, filamentous viruslike particles (VLP) embedded in a matrix material were associated with the epicuticle, predominantly in the maxillary food canal but also in the precibarium and cibarium of the foregut. No VLP were found at any of these sites in aphids that fed on purified virions without HC. Immunogold labeling demonstrated that the VLP are TEV or TVMV virions and that HC is associated with virions and with the epicuticle lining the food canal and foregut
Small virus-like particles in honey bees associated with chronic paralysis virus and with a previously undescribed disease

Summary Chronic bee-paralysis virus associate (CPVA) and cloudy wing particle (CWP) are about 17 nm in diam. contain RNA, have single polypeptide species and have indistinguishable buoyant densities in CsCl of about 1.38 g/ml; but they are serologically unrelated, have proteins of different mol. wt. and have significantly different sedimentation coefficients of 41S and 49S respectively. CPVA is significantly and possibly specifically associated with chronic paralysis virus but multiplies, relative to the paralysis virus, by different amounts in different tissues. CWP multiplies apparently independently.
Elementary School Absenteeism and Air Pollution

This study assessed the association between ambient air pollution and daily elementary school absenteeism in Washoe County, NV, between 1996 and 1998. All 57 elementary schools in Washoe County in northern Nevada were included in the data set. There was a total of 27,793 student enrollments during this study period. The daily average absence rate was 5.09% (±1.54%) . Air pollutant values including PM10, O3, and CO were obtained from seven air monitoring stations. Weather variables were collected from five of seven stations and from the Western Regional Climate Center. The daily average concentrations of PM10, CO, and O3 were 32.44 μg/m , 2.73 ppm, and 37.45 ppb, respectively. Student absenteeism was regressed on the three air pollutants, weather variables, and other confounding factors, using autoregression analysis. After adjusting for the effects of weather variables, day of the week, month, and holiday indicators, and time trend, we found that CO and O3 were statistically significant predictors of daily absenteeism in elementary schools. For every 1.0 ppm and 50 ppb increase in CO and O3, the absence rate would increase 3.79% (95% CI 1.04–6.55%) and 13.01% (95% CI 3.41–22.61%) , respectively. However, PM10 values were negatively correlated with school absenteeism.
Effects of thrombin on intracellular calcium and pH in human and murine platelets

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of thrombin (Thr) on cytosolic calcium [Ca 2 ] + i and intracellular pH [pH]i in human and murine platelets. Rich-platelet suspensions from both species were loaded with Fura-2 (2 w M) or BCECF (0.75 w M) by incubation with their respective acetoxymethyl esters to measure cytosolic calcium [Ca 2+ ] i or intracellular pH [pH]i, respectively. Suspensions were challenged with increasing concentrations of Thr, from 0.1 to 10 IU/ml. Basal [Ca 2+ ] i in human platelets was 98 - 6 and 99.1 - 9 nM in rat platelets ( n =20). Thr increased \[Ca2+] i , EC 50 was 1.1 - 0.04 in human and 0.97 - 0.06 IU/ml in rat platelets ( n =7). Extracellular Mg 2+ (4 or 8 mM) abolished Thr response on [Ca 2+ ] i . [pH]i in human was 7.09 - 0.08 and 7.11 - 0.04 in rat platelets. Thr induced alkalinization of platelets in both species. Our results indicate that the potency of Thr to change [Ca 2+ ] i and [pH]i was similar in both species, allowing for comparisons between human and murine platelets and to extrapolate results from an animal model to human pathology.
Influence of the sampling time on chromosomal aberrations at G 2 phase in Syrian hamster embryonic cells irradiated with different types of radiation

Purpose : To investigate the time-course of chromosomal aberrations following radiations of differing LET. Materials and Methods : Syrian hamster embryonic cells were irradiated with nitrogen ions (LET infinity = 530 keV/ μ m) and helium-ions (LET infinity = 36 and 77 keV/ μ m), also 137 Cs γ-rays as a reference radiation. The frequency of chromatid-type aberrations was determined after 0–6 h incubation in a 5% CO 2 incubator at 37°C. Results : The amount of chromosomal damage per cell for nitrogen ions detected immediately after irradiation was lower than induced by 137 Cs gamma-rays. In contrast, helium ions were more effective than gamma rays in inducing chromatid type damage. The RBE values for the nitrogen-ion beams were 0.45 for gaps, 0.43 for deletions and 0.20 for exchanges. For helium-ion beams, the RBE values for the 36 keV/mum beams and the 77keV/ μ m beams were 1.2 and 1.5 for gaps, 1.3 and 2.1 for deletions, and 1.5 and 1.9 for exchanges, respectively. The frequency of cells with chromosomal damage following exposure to γ-rays and helium-ion beams showed a downward trend with increasing incubation period. In contrast, in the case of nitrogen-ion beams, there was an increase with the incubation period. Conclusions : The results show that it is possible to underestimate chromosomal damage for different types of radiation by scoring aberrations at a single fixed sampling time.
Efficient Synthesis of a Water-Soluble Glucoamide Inhibitor Against Human Aldose Reductase by Click Chemistry

While D-glucose is the natural substrate of aldose reductase (AR) in the polyol pathway, the K m value of D-glucose against AR is large. A glucoamide 1 was designed as a tool to investigate whether AR has a strong affinity for the open form of D-glucose. Glucoamide 1 was synthesized in high yield by modification of the reaction condition for click chemistry. It was found that our modified condition was applicable for highly polar alkynes and gave coupling products in excellent yield (90% to 100%). Although weak inhibitory activity against AR was observed, kinetic studies showed that AR does not accept glucoamide 1 in its active site.
Biological Control of Crown Gall: Field Measurements and Glasshouse Experiments

Summary: An ecological study showed that the pathogeniec form of Agrobacterium radiobacter (A.r. var. tumefaciens), biotype 2 was present in soil near galled almond seedlings, where it formed a significant proportion of the total biotype 2 population; the pathogen was not detected near healthy plants. One nonpathogenic biotype 2 isolate was able, when present in numbers approximately equal to the pathogen, to prevent crown gall induction in tomato and peach seedlings. This isolate gave complete biological control of crown gall in a glasshouse test. Six other nonpathogenic isolates did not significantly inhibit gall induction by equal numbers of the pathogen. In the field, gall induction probably depends on the size of the population of the pathogen (both absolutely and relative to that of the nonpathogen) at a wound site and on the inhibitory efficiency of the nonpathogen.
Variation in Plankton Densities Among Lakes: A Case for Ratio-Dependent Predation Models

McCauley et al. (1988) have compared the predictions of simple traditional predator-prey models with the patterns of abundance exhibited by Daphnia and its algal food supply. On one hand, the data gathered from several natural lakes of different nutrient status show a concurrent increase of phytoplankton and Daphnia biomasses. On the other hand, all models considered by McCauley et al. (1988) predict that any increase of the parameters quantifying algal productivity would lead to an increase in Daphnia biomass only. The algal biomass should not respond to a productivity increase. To resolve this contradiction, the authors suggest that enrichment affects not only algal production but also Daphnia parameters. The four models considered by McCauley et al. (1988) can be written in a single generalized form:
The Influence of Root Knot Nematode, Meloidog Yne Javanica, On Photosynthesis and On Nutrient Demand By Roots of Tomato Plants

With an inoculum of 250 larvae, photosynthetic rate was less than in uninfected control plants but as inoculum level increased there was a rise and then a marked fall in photosynthesis. It is suggested that the complex nature of this relationship is due to the influence of several factors on photosynthesis. 14C-glucose incorporation into the roots was initially constant and only fell at the highest inoculum level (2,000 nematodes/plant). There was a marked decrease in 14CO2 incorporation with an inoculum of 250 nematodes compared with uninfected controls and a further decrease with 1,000 nematodes. Inoculation with 2,000 nematodes did not reduce 14CO2 incorporation further. The results do not support the hypothesis that creation of metabolic sinks in the roots, caused by the formation of syncytia and galls, have a major influence on top growth. The photosynthesis data indicate that inhibition of upward translocation of water and nutrients may be more important.
Acoustic phenotypes for speech-genetics studies: toward an acoustic marker for residual /s/ distortions

Findings in a prior study series indicate that acoustic markers may have the requisite sensitivity and specificity to discriminate speakers with histories of several types of speech disorders, one of which is posited to be genetically inherited. The present study in this series compares acoustic data from three groups of adolescent speakers. Group 1 speakers had residual dentalized /s/ distortions in conversational speech and histories of significant age-inappropriate deletion and substitution errors. Group 2 speakers also had residual dentalized /s/ distortions in conversational speech, but their speech histories were limited to dentalized distortions of /s/ and other fricatives/affricates. Group 3 speakers had typical speech on assessment and no histories of speech errors. Owing to the limited number of perceptually dentalized /s/ tokens produced by Groups 1 and 2 speakers in a phrase-level speech task, acoustic analyses were completed on /s/ tokens transcribed as correct for speakers in all groups. Moments analyses of /s/ spectra in three words with /s/-initial clusters yielded statistically significant differences and consistent trends for mean spectral frequency and spetcral variance for Group 1 compared with Group 2 speakers. These findings for perceptually normal /s/ tokens are interpreted as additional support for the potential of acoustic markers to discriminate speakers' speech-error histories. The discussion considers possible developmental and normalization correlates of the acoustic findings for speakers with each of the two types of speech-error histories studied in this paper.
Preliminary validation of a UK-modified version of the BASIS-32

INTRODUCTION: The authors examined the reliability and validity of a UK-modified version of the Behavioral and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-32). METHOD: Data from two samples of patients from acute psychiatric inpatient settings were used in the analyses ( n =303, n =92). The factor structure of the scale differed from that of the original BASIS-32. RESULTS: Five factors emerged: (i) depression and anxiety, (ii) lability, (iii) psychosis, (iv) substance misuse and (v) functioning. The full scale of the modified BASIS demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.93). Internal consistency for the subscales ranged from 0.86 to 0.45. The depression and anxiety subscale discriminated patients with a diagnosis of unipolar depression from those with other diagnoses (median score=3.11 (Inter quartile range (IQR)=2.67,3.33) versus median score=2.44 (1.67,3.11), P < 0.001). The substance misuse subscale discriminated patients with a diagnosis of alcohol or opiate dependence from those with other diagnoses (median score=2.33 (2, 3) versus median score=1.33 (0.67, 2), P < 0.001). However, the psychosis subscale did not differentiate patients with a psychotic illness from those with a nonpsychotic diagnosis (median score=1.4 (0.6,2.4) versus median score=1.2, (0.6,2), P = 0.16). CONCLUSION: The total scale appeared to be at least as good as the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) in its responsiveness to change. The effect size for the BASIS=1.17 versus 0.91 for the BSI. Convergent validity was partially demonstrated between the modified BASIS and the BSI. ( Int J Psych Clin Pract 2001; 5:41-48)
Uptake, Tissue Distribution, and Fate of Inhaled Carbon Tetrachloride: Comparison of Rat, Mouse, and Hamster

Carbon tetrachloride is hepatotoxic in rats, mice, and hamsters. However, rats are less sensitive to the hepatotoxic effects of CCl4 than the other two species. The purpose of this study was to compare the uptake, tissue distribution, and elimination of CCl4 by these three rodent species. Groups of 20 F344/Crl BR rats, B6C3F1 mice, and Syrian hamsters were exposed by nose-only inhalation for 4 h to 20 ppm 14C-labeled CCl4. The fate of 14C was followed in tissues, excreta, and exhaled breath for 48 h after the exposure. At the end of the exposure, concentrations of CCl4 equivalents (CE) in tissue were highest in liver of rats and mice, but highest in fat for rats. The liver received the highest dose of CCl4 equivalents with the following species ranking: mouse > hamster > rat. Patterns of CE elimination were species and tissue dependent, with the majority of elimination occurring within 48 h after exposure. Rats eliminated less radioactivity associated with metabolism (14CO2, urine and feces) and more radioactivity associated with parent compound (exhaled activity trapped on charcoal) than did mice or hamsters. The results indicate that ranking of species sensitivity to the hepatotoxic effects of inhaled CCl4 correlates with CE dose to liver and with the ability to metabolize CCl4.
Chronic Administration of Aqueous Extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa. Enhances Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase Activities of Rat Heart

Abstract The effect of oral administration of an aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa. Linn petals on Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase activities of rat heart have been investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. The extract was administered orally in doses of 25.0 and 50.0 mg/kg body weight for 28 days. Results showed that Hibiscus sabdariffa. treatment led to significant increases (p < 0.001) of Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase at both doses. Cardiac weight index of rats treated with H. sabdariffa. at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight was significantly reduced (p < 0.01) compared with those of the control and rats treated with H. sabdariffa. at a lower dose. Administration of the extract at both doses did not show any signs of cardiotoxicity and hepatotoxicity as judged by biochemical “marker” enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase) activities in plasma, heart, and liver of rats. These results demonstrate that aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa. enhances cardiac Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase activities and supports the public belief that H. sabdariffa. may be a safe cardioprotective agent.
Microsurgical lesion of horizontal cells changes optomotor yaw responses in the blowfly Calliphora erythrocephala

The horizontal cells of flies are giant output neurons of the otpic lobes that respond selectively to horizontal motion in the visual environment. The effect of microsurgical lesion of the cells on visually induced flight behaviour was investigated in blowflies (Calliphora erythrocephala). The results indicate that the horizontal cells are the parts of the neural circuitry that control the generation of optomotor yaw torque.
Karyomorphological studies on five varieties of Clitoria ternatea L.

Detailed karyomorphology of five garden varieties of Clitoria ternatea (2n=16) namely blue single, blue double, violet single, violet double and white single have been studied. They shared many karyotype features in common. In finer details of karyomorphology, some recognizable differences were noticed among the five varieties such as total chromosome length, total short arm length, TF%, number and distribution of secondary constriction and especially the position of centromere on certain individual chromosomes. In the absence of gross structural chromosomal changes it is suggested that gene mutations or cryptic structural changes of chromosomes have played a role in the evolution of morphologically distinct varieties in the species.