bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitf Induction by RANKL Is Critical for Osteoclastogenesis
Authors: Lu Ssu-Yi , Li Mengtao , Lin Yi-Ling
Published: March 2010

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) regulates the development and function of several cell lineages, including osteoclasts. In this report, we identified a novel mechanism by which RANKL regulates osteoclastogenesis via induction of Mitf isoform E (Mitf-E). Both Mitf-A and Mitf-E are abundantly present in osteoclasts. Unlike Mitf-A, which is ubiquitously expressed and is present in similar amounts in macrophages and osteoclasts, Mitf-E is almost nondetectable in macrophages, but its expression is significantly up-regulated during osteoclastogenesis. In addition to their different expression profiles, the two isoforms are drastically different in their abilities to support osteoclastogenesis, despite sharing all known functional domains. Unlike Mitf-A, small amounts of Mitf-E are present in nuclear lysates unless chromatin is digested/sheared during the extraction. Based on these data, we propose a model in which Mitf-E is induced during osteoclastogenesis and is closely associated with chromatin to facilitate its interaction with target promoters; therefore, Mitf-E has a stronger osteoclastogenic activity. Mitf-A is a weaker osteoclastogenic factor, but activated Mitf-A alone is not sufficient to fully support osteoclastogenesis. Therefore, this receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced Mitf phenomenon seems to play an important role during osteoclastogenesis. Although the current theory indicates that Mitf and its binding partner Tfe3 are completely redundant in osteoclasts, using RNA interference, we demonstrated that Mitf has a distinct role from Tfe3. This study provides the first evidence that RANKL-induced Mitf is critical for osteoclastogenesis and Mitf is not completely redundant with Tfe3.
A Domesticated piggyBac Transposase Plays Key Roles in Heterochromatin Dynamics and DNA Cleavage during Programmed DNA Deletion in Tetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Cheng Chao-Yin , Vogt Alexander , Mochizuki Kazufumi , Yao Meng-Chao
Published: March 2010

Transposons comprise large fractions of eukaryotic genomes and provide genetic reservoirs for the evolution of new cellular functions. We identified TPB2, a homolog of the piggyBac transposase gene that is required for programmed DNA deletion in Tetrahymena. TPB2 was expressed exclusively during the time of DNA excision, and its encoded protein Tpb2p was localized in DNA elimination heterochromatin structures. Notably, silencing of TPB2 by RNAi disrupts the final assembly of these heterochromatin structures and prevents DNA deletion to occur. In vitro studies revealed that Tpb2p is an endonuclease that produces double-strand breaks with four-base 5′ protruding ends, similar to the ends generated during DNA deletion. These findings suggest that Tpb2p plays a key role in the assembly of specialized DNA elimination chromatin architectures and is likely responsible for the DNA cleavage step of programmed DNA deletion.
The Combination of Gravity and Welfare Approaches for Evaluating Nontariff Measures
Authors: Disdier Anne-Célia , Marette Stéphan
Published: March 2010

This article explores the link between gravity and welfare frameworks for measuring the impact of nontariff measures. First, an analytical approach suggests how to combine a gravity equation with a partial equilibrium model to determine the welfare impact of nontariff measures. Second, an empirical application focuses on the effects of a standard that caps antibiotic residues in crustaceans in the United States, the European Union, Canada, and Japan. While the econometric estimation of the gravity equation reports a negative impact on imports, welfare evaluations show that in most cases, a stricter standard leads to an increase in both domestic and international welfare.
Endothelial dysfunction, measured by reactive hyperaemia using strain‐gauge plethysmography, is an independent predictor of adverse outcome in heart failure
Authors: de Berrazueta José R. , Guerra‐Ruiz Armando , García‐Unzueta María Teresa , Martín Toca Gema , Sainz Laso Rocío , Sáez de Adana María , Casanova Martín Miguel A. , Cobo Manuel , LLorca Javier
Published: March 2010

Aims

In congestive heart failure (CHF), arterial response is regulated by endothelial molecules. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether endothelial dysfunction (ED) was a predictor of outcome in a cohort of patients with heart failure.

Methods and results

Endothelial function was assessed in 242 patients with CHF by forearm reactive hyperaemia measured with intermittent venous occlusion plethysmography using a mercury strain gauge. The main endpoints were: ‘total events’ (death, heart attack, angina, stroke, NYHA class IV, or hospitalization due to heart failure) analysed using Cox regression for repeated events and ‘death’. Patients were followed‐up for 5 years. Post‐hyperaemia forearm blood flow (PHFABF) was an independent predictor of total events [P = 0.01; hazard ratio [Exp(B)] 0.665, standard error (SE) 0.182]. Risk stratification by basal forearm blood flow (BFABF) showed that patients with basal blood flow above the median (3.03 mL min−1 100 mL−1) benefited from an increase in PHFABF, whereas in patients with a BFABF below the median, the increase in PHFABF did not diminish the risk of events. There was no relation between variations in PHFABF and death.

Conclusion

Post‐hyperaemia forearm blood flow, as a measure of ED, is an independent predictor of major events in patients with CHF. A BFABF below the median is more predictive of an increased risk of complications.
Association of obesity and survival in systolic heart failure after acute myocardial infarction: potential confounding by age
Authors: Wu Audrey H. , Pitt Bertram , Anker Stefan D. , Vincent John , Mujib Marjan , Ahmed Ali
Published: March 2010

Aims

To determine the association between obesity and outcomes in post‐acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with systolic heart failure (HF).

Methods and results

Of the 6632 Eplerenone Post‐Acute Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure Efficacy and Survival Study (EPHESUS) participants, 6611 had data on baseline body mass index (BMI) and 6561 had BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m2. Of these, 1573 were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and 4988 were non‐obese (BMI 18.5–29.9 kg/m2). Propensity scores for obesity, estimated for each patient, were used to assemble a cohort of 1519 pairs of obese and non‐obese patients who were balanced on 65 baseline characteristics. All‐cause mortality occurred in 13.7 and 13.8% of matched obese and non‐obese patients, respectively, during 16 months of median follow‐up [matched hazard ratio (HR) for obesity 0.98; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79–1.21; P = 0.831]. Before matching, the obese group was younger (mean age, 62 vs. 64 years; P < 0.0001) and had more women (37 vs. 26%; P < 0.0001). The paradoxical pre‐match association between obesity and reduced mortality (unadjusted HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.70–0.95; P = 0.008) disappeared when adjusted for age alone (age‐adjusted HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.78–1.06; P = 0.206) but not for gender alone (gender‐adjusted HR 0.79; 95% CI 0.68–0.92; P = 0.003). Obesity had no association with mortality in 1573 pairs of age‐matched obese and non‐obese patients (age‐adjusted HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.77–1.13; P = 0.484).

Conclusion

In post‐AMI patients with systolic HF, obesity provides no independent intrinsic survival benefit. The paradoxical unadjusted survival associated with obesity is largely explained by the younger age of obese patients.
Bayesian state-space modelling of the De Lury depletion model: strengths and limitations of the method, and application to the Moroccan octopus fishery
Authors: Robert Marianne , Faraj Abdelmalek , McAllister Murdoch K. , Rivot Etienne
Published: March 2010

Robert, M., Faraj, A., McAllister, M. K., and Rivot, E. 2010. Bayesian state-space modelling of the De Lury depletion model: strengths and limitations of the method, and application to the Moroccan octopus fishery. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1272–1290. The strengths and limitations of a Bayesian state-space modelling framework are investigated for a De Lury depletion model that accommodates two recruitment pulses per year. The framework was applied to the Moroccan fishery for common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) between 1982 and 2002. To allow identifiability, natural mortality (M) and the recruitment rhythm were fixed, and the variance of both process and observation errors were assumed to be equal. A simulation–estimation (SE) approach was derived to test the performance of the method. If the data showed responses to harvest, the estimates of the most important figures, i.e. the initial abundance and the second recruitment pulse, were accurate, with relatively small bias. Results confirm that greater depletion yields smaller bias and uncertainty and that inferences are sensitive to the mis-specification of M. The 21 depletion series in the Moroccan dataset were jointly treated in a hierarchical model including random walk to capture the systematic fluctuations in estimates of catchability and initial abundance. The model provides estimates of the annual recruitment and monthly octopus population size. The recruitment estimates could be used to investigate the link between recruitment variability and the coastal North African upwelling regime to improve understanding of the dynamics and management of octopus stocks.
Understanding the diet composition of marine mammals: grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Lundström Karl , Hjerne Olle , Lunneryd Sven-Gunnar , Karlsson Olle
Published: March 2010

Lundström, K., Hjerne, O., Lunneryd, S-G., and Karlsson, O. 2010. Understanding the diet composition of marine mammals: grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1230–1239. Dietary studies are important in understanding the ecological role of marine mammals and in formulating appropriate management plans in terms of their interactions with fisheries. The validity of such studies has, however, often been compromised by unrepresentative sampling procedures, resulting in false weight being given to external factors seeming to influence diet composition. The bias caused by non-random sampling was examined, using canonical correspondence analysis to assess how the prey species composition in digestive tract samples of Baltic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) was related to spatial, temporal, and demographic factors and to whether the samples were collected in association with fishing gear or not (“sampling condition”). Geographic region explained the largest fraction of the observed variation, followed by sampling condition, age group, and year. Season and gender were not statistically significant. Segregation of the two age categories “pups” and “juveniles–adults”, and the two geographic categories “Baltic proper” and “Gulf of Bothnia” are proposed to estimate the diet and fish consumption of the Baltic grey seal population as a whole. Atlantic herring was the most commonly recovered prey item in all areas and age groups, followed by European sprat in the south, and common whitefish in the north. Pups had eaten relatively more small non-commercial species than older seals.
Stance and swing phase costs in human walking
Authors: Umberger Brian R.
Published: March 2010

Leg swing in human walking has historically been viewed as a passive motion with little metabolic cost. Recent estimates of leg swing costs are equivocal, covering a range from 10 to 33 per cent of the net cost of walking. There has also been a debate as to whether the periods of double-limb support during the stance phase dominate the cost of walking. Part of this uncertainty is because of our inability to measure metabolic energy consumption in individual muscles during locomotion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the metabolic cost of walking using a modelling approach that allowed instantaneous energy consumption rates in individual muscles to be estimated over the full gait cycle. At a typical walking speed and stride rate, leg swing represented 29 per cent of the total muscular cost. During the stance phase, the double-limb and single-limb support periods accounted for 27 and 44 per cent of the total cost, respectively. Performing step-to-step transitions, which encompasses more than just the double-support periods, represented 37 per cent of the total cost of walking. Increasing stride rate at a constant speed led to greater double-limb support costs, lower swing phase costs and no change in single-limb support costs. Together, these results provide unique insight as to how metabolic energy is expended over the human gait cycle.
SHORT HYPOCOTYL UNDER BLUE1 Truncations and Mutations Alter Its Association with a Signaling Protein Complex inArabidopsis
Authors: Zhou Yun , Ni Min
Published: March 2010

Higher plants monitor their ambient light signals through red/far-red absorbing phytochromes and blue/UV-A light absorbing cryptochromes. Subsequent signaling cascades alter gene expression and initiate morphogenic responses. We previously isolated SHORT HYPOCOTYL UNDER BLUE1 (SHB1), a putative transcriptional coactivator in light signaling. SHB1 is homologous to the SYG1 protein family and contains an N-terminal SPX domain and a C-terminal EXS domain. Overaccumulation of the SPX domain caused a long hypocotyl phenotype similar to that of shb1-D under red, far-red, or blue light. By contrast, overaccumulation of the C-terminal EXS domain led to a short hypocotyl phenotype similar to that of shb1 under blue light. The N-terminal SPX domain was associated with a smaller protein complex than the native protein complex associated with endogenous SHB1. By contrast, the EXS domain was associated with a slightly smaller protein complex than the native protein complex, but it largely displaced endogenous SHB1 from its native protein complex. In addition, all six missense mutations that we identified from a suppressor screen were clustered within or close to the SPX domain, and these mutations impaired the assembly of the SHB1-containing protein complex. We propose that both SPX and EXS domains likely anchor SHB1 to a protein complex, and the SPX domain is critical for SHB1 signaling.
Forage collection, substrate preparation, and diet composition in fungus‐growing ants
Authors: DE FINE LICHT HENRIK H. , BOOMSMA JACOBUS J.
Published: March 2010

1. Variation and control of nutritional input is an important selective force in the evolution of mutualistic interactions and may significantly affect coevolutionary modifications in partner species.

2. The attine fungus‐growing ants are a tribe of more than 230 described species (12 genera) that use a variety of different substrates to manure the symbiotic fungus they cultivate inside the nest. Common ‘wisdom’ is that the conspicuous leaf‐cutting ants primarily use freshly cut plant material, whereas most of the other attine species use dry and partly degraded plant material such as leaf litter and caterpillar frass, but systematic comparative studies of actual resource acquisition across the attine ants have not been done.

3. Here we review 179 literature records of diet composition across the extant genera of fungus‐growing ants. The records confirm the dependence of leaf‐cutting ants on fresh vegetation but find that flowers, dry plant debris, seeds (husks), and insect frass are used by all genera, whereas other substrates such as nectar and insect carcasses are only used by some.

4. Diet composition was significantly correlated with ant substrate preparation behaviours before adding forage to the fungus garden, indicating that diet composition and farming practices have co‐evolved. Neither diet nor preparation behaviours changed when a clade within the paleoattine genusApterostigmashifted from rearing leucocoprinous fungi to cultivating pterulaceous fungi, but the evolutionary derived transition to yeast growing in theCyphomyrmex rimosusgroup, which relies almost exclusively on nectar and insect frass, was associated with specific changes in diet composition.

5. The co‐evolutionary transitions in diet composition across the genera of attine ants indicate that fungus‐farming insect societies have the possibility to obtain more optimal fungal crops via artificial selection, analogous to documented practice in human subsistence farming.
Expression of genes related to reproduction and pollen foraging in honey bees (Apis mellifera) narcotized with carbon dioxide
Authors: Brito R. M. , McHale M. , Oldroyd B. P.
Published: March 2010

It has been proposed that a honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker's preference for foraging for pollen or nectar is modulated by a gene network that was originally involved in regulating the reproductive cycles of an ancestral solitary species. We used carbon dioxide to induce narcosis in queens and workers. This treatment is known to initiate oogenesis in queens, reduce oogenesis in queenless workers and to change worker foraging preference. We then assessed changes in gene expression of genes suspected to be involved in either foraging behaviour or reproduction. We show that some genes change expression in the opposite direction between castes in response to treatment. Our results therefore support the hypothesis that reproductive and foraging traits are causally related in the honey bee.
Biogeographical patterns of freshwater micro‐ and macroorganisms: a comparison between phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish in the eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Mazaris Antonios D. , Moustaka‐Gouni Maria , Michaloudi Evangelia , Bobori Dimitra C.
Published: March 2010

Aim  We investigated the biogeographical patterns of phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish in freshwater ecosystems. We tested whether spatial distance or environmental heterogeneity act as potential factors controlling community composition.

Location  Northern and central Greece, eastern Mediterranean.

Method  Data on 310 phytoplankton, 72 zooplankton and 37 fish species were collected from seven freshwater systems. Species occurrence data were used to generate similarity matrices describing community composition. We performed Mantel tests to compare spatial patterns in community composition of phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish. Next, we examined the correlation between geographical distance and the degree of similarity in community composition. The analysis was repeated for different taxonomic, trophic and size‐based groups of the microorganisms studied. We assessed different environmental variables (topographic and limnological) as predictors of community composition.

Results  Phytoplankton community composition showed a strong positive correlation with environmental heterogeneity but was not correlated with the geographical distance between systems. Zooplankton community composition was unrelated to geographical distance and was only weakly correlated with environmental variables. In contrast, fish community similarity decayed significantly with distance. We found no relationship along all pairwise comparisons of the compositional matrices of the three groups. The pairwise comparisons of the different taxonomic, trophic and size‐based groups of the microorganism communities studied were in accordance with the results for the entire microorganism community.

Main conclusions  Our results support the proposition that the biogeography of microorganisms does not demonstrate a distance–decay pattern and further suggest that, in reality, the drivers of distribution depend on the specific community examined. In contrast, the biogeography of macroorganisms was affected by geographical distance. These differences reflect the dispersal abilities of the different organisms. The microorganisms exhibit passive dispersal through the air, with local environmental conditions structuring their community composition. On the other hand, for macroorganisms such as fish, the terrestrial environment could pose barriers to their dispersal; with fish structuring distinctive communities over greater distances. Overall, we suggest that the biogeography of freshwater phytoplankton and zooplankton reflects contemporary environmental conditions, while the biogeographical patterns for fish inhabiting the same systems are related to factors affecting their dispersal ability.
Bacillary angiomatosis in an immunosuppressed dog
Authors: Yager Julie A. , Best Susan J. , Maggi Ricardo G. , Varanat Mrudula , Znajda Nadine , Breitschwerdt Edward B.
Published: March 2010

A dog being treated with immunosuppressive doses of prednisone and azathioprine for pancytopenia of unknown origin, developed, over a 2‐week period, multiple erythematous nodular lesions in the skin including footpads. Skin samples revealed lesions identical to those of human bacillary angiomatosis (BA). The nodules were composed of multifocal proliferations of capillaries, each lined by protuberant endothelial cells. The capillary clusters were separated by an oedematous connective tissue, lightly infiltrated with degenerate inflammatory cells, including neutrophils and macrophages. Tissue sections stained with Warthin–Starry silver stain revealed large numbers of positively stained bacilli in the stromal tissue, most heavily concentrated around the proliferating capillaries. Lesions of vascular degeneration and inflammation were evident.Bartonella vinsoniisubsp.berkhoffiigenotype 1 was independently amplified and sequenced from the blood and the skin tissue. The pathognomonic nature of the histological lesions, demonstration of compatible silver‐stained bacilli in the tissue, and identification ofB. vinsoniisubsp.berkhoffiiin the blood and tissue indicates that this is most likely the aetiologic agent responsible for the lesions. Antibiotic therapy was successful in resolving the nodules. It would appear thatB. vinsoniisubspberkhoffii, likeBartonella henselaeandBartonella quintana, has the rare ability to induce angioproliferative lesions, most likely in association with immunosuppression. The demonstration of lesions identical to those of human BA in this dog is further evidence that the full range of clinical manifestations of humanBartonellainfection occurs also in canines.
The contribution of founder mutations in BRCA1 to breast cancer in Belarus
Authors: Uglanitsa N , Oszurek O , Uglanitsa K , Savonievich E , Lubiński J , Cybulski C , Debniak T , Narod SA , Gronwald J
Published: March 2010

Uglanitsa N, Oszurek O, Uglanitsa K, Savonievich E, Lubiński J, Cybulski C, Debniak T, Narod SA, Gronwald J. The contribution of founder mutations in BRCA1 to breast cancer in Belarus.

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene increase susceptibility to both breast and ovarian cancer. In some countries, including several in Eastern Europe, founder mutations in the BRCA1 gene are responsible for a significant proportion of breast cancer cases. To estimate the hereditary proportion of breast cancer in Belarus, we sought the presence of any of three founder mutations in BRCA1 (4153delA, 5382insC and C61G) in 500 unselected cases of breast cancer. These mutations have previously been identified in breast/ovarian cancer families from Belarus and from other Slavic countries, including Poland and Russia. One of the three founder mutations in BRCA1 was present in 38 of 500 unselected cases of breast cancer (7.6%). A mutation was found in 12.6% of women diagnosed before age 50 and 5.6% of women diagnosed after age 50. A mutation was identified in 2 of 251 newborn controls (0.8%). The hereditary proportion of breast cancers in Belarus is among the highest of any countries studied to date.
Association between colorectal adenoma and coronary atherosclerosis detected by CT coronary angiography in Korean men; a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Yang Sun Young , Kim Young Sun , Chung Su Jin , Song Ji Hyun , Choi Su Yeon , Park Min Jung , Yim Jeong Yoon , Lim Seon Hee , Kim Donghee , Kim Chung Hyun , Kim Ju Sung , Song In Sung
Published: March 2010

Background:  Colorectal adenoma and coronary artery disease (CAD) appear to share common risk factors, such as male gender, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and obesity. We investigated the relationship between colorectal adenoma and coronary atherosclerosis, as a risk factor for colorectal adenoma.

Methods:  A cross‐sectional study was conducted on Korean men who presented for a health check‐up. The subjects were 488 men (217 colorectal adenoma and 271 normal colonoscopic findings) who underwent colonoscopy and coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) on the same day as a screening examination. Advanced colonic lesion was defined as a presence of adenoma with villous component, high‐grade dysplasia, and/or with size of ≥1 cm. CTA findings were classified as normal, mild (low‐grade atherosclerosis or <50% stenosis), and significant CAD (≥50% stenosis). Abnormal CTA findings included mild and significant CAD.

Results:  Patients with abnormal CTA findings were more likely to have colorectal adenoma compared with those with normal CTA findings (P < 0.005). Furthermore, presence of advanced adenoma was significantly associated with significant CAD (P < 0.01). On multivariate analyses, abnormal CTA findings (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.14–2.41, P < 0.01) and significant CAD (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.15–3.35, P < 0.05) were found to be independent risk factors for colorectal adenoma after adjusting for age, current smoking, and metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions:  In this study, in the population who underwent CTA and colonoscopy for health check‐up, prevalence of colorectal adenoma was greater in subjects with low‐grade coronary atherosclerosis or significant CAD. The presence of advanced adenoma was significantly associated with significant CAD.
Western‐style diets induce macrophage infiltration and contribute to colitis‐associated carcinogenesis
Authors: Kim In‐Wha , Myung Seung‐Jae , Do Mi Young , Ryu Yeon‐Mi , Kim Mi Jung , Do Eun‐Ju , Park Sehan , Yoon Soon Man , Ye Byong Duk , Byeon Jeong‐Sik , Yang Suk‐Kyun , Kim Jin‐Ho
Published: March 2010

Background and Aim:  A Western‐style diet (WD) is known to play an important role in inflammatory bowel disease and colon carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of macrophages in WD‐induced colitis associated with carcinogenesis.

Methods:  Male BALB/c mice were fed a WD or a control diet (CD) for 4 weeks and exposed to azoxymethane (AOM) followed by 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for 7 days.

Results:  The WD increased susceptibility to DSS‐induced inflammation and accelerated the infiltration of macrophages. The incidence and multiplicity of colon tumors were higher in mice fed the WD than in those fed the CD (P < 0.05). Levels of prostaglandin‐endoperoxide synthase (PTGS) 2 and prostaglandin (PG) E2 in the colon were higher after treatment with AOM and DSS in mice fed the WD than in those fed the CD. In addition, WD consumption increased the DNA binding activity of nuclear factor‐kappaB and the serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α. Mice fed the WD had higher numbers of F4/80‐positive cells surrounding cancer cells compared with mice fed the CD. These cells expressed PTGS2, TNF‐α and β‐catenin, which are up‐regulated by the WD. We also found that the WD increased unphosphorylated β‐catenin accumulation in the cytoplasm and nucleus of colon cancer cells.

Conclusions:  A WD increases the susceptibility to DSS‐induced inflammation and accelerates the infiltration of macrophages. In turn, this resulted in the development and progression of colon cancer.
Platelets prevent acute hepatitis induced by anti‐fas antibody
Authors: Hisakura Katsuji , Murata Soichiro , Takahashi Kazuhiro , Matsuo Ryota , Pak Sugiru , Ikeda Naoya , Kawasaki Takuya , Kohno Keisuke , Myronovych Andriy , Nakano Yoritaka , Ikeda Osamu , Watanabe Motonobu , Ohkohchi Nobuhiro
Published: March 2010

Background and Aim:  Platelets provide many functions in the body, especially to the liver. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of thrombocytosis with acute hepatitis induced by anti‐Fas antibody and its mechanism.

Methods:  Acute hepatitis was induced by administration of anti‐Fas antibody in normal and thrombocytotic C57BL6J mice. For thrombocytosis, thrombopoietin; PEG‐rHuMGDF was injected 5 days before and just prior to administration of anti‐Fas antibody. To investigate the mechanisms, hepatocyte cell line (AML12) and sinusoidal endothelial cell line (M1) were induced apoptosis by staurosporine. They were cultured with platelets or thrombopoietin. Examination items were as follows: platelet number, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), histological findings, TUNEL (TdT‐mediated dUTP‐biotin Nick End Labeling) staining, and the expression of proteins associated with apoptosis in vivo and in vitro.

Results:  Platelets were significantly increased in the thrombocytotic group (P < 0.01). Serum ALT levels were significantly reduced by thrombocytosis at 6, 24 and 72 h after the administration (P < 0.05). In histological findings, hemorrhagic necrosis was observed in the normal group, but not observed in the thrombocytotic group. TUNEL‐positive hepatocytes were reduced and the expression of cleaved caspase‐3 was significantly decreased in the thrombocytotic group. The phosphorylation of Akt, the increment of Bcl‐xL and the decrease of cleaved caspase‐3 were observed in AML12 cells cultured with platelets, but were not observed cultured with thrombopoietin. Platelets and thrombopoietin had no anti‐apoptotic effect on M1 cells.

Conclusion:  Increase of platelets has a preventative effect against acute hepatitis induced by the anti‐Fas antibody. It is suggested that platelets have a direct protective effect against apoptosis of hepatocytes.
HIV/AIDS cholangiopathy: Clinical spectrum, cholangiographic features and outcome in 30 patients
Authors: Devarbhavi Harshad , Sebastian Teena , Seetharamu Sandeep M. , Karanth Dheeraj
Published: March 2010

Background and Aims:  AIDS cholangiopathy is presently considered rare and has been reported mainly from the West. With the HIV epidemic in India, we have encountered an increasing number of patients. We aimed to study these patients and determine differences from earlier experiences.

Methods:  We describe the clinical presentation, cholangiographic features, and outcome and determine differences reported in Western literature.

Results:  From Jan 1999 to May 2009, 30 patients (27 men) with AIDS cholangiopathy were seen. The most common mode of transmission was heterosexual (n = 28) followed by blood transfusion (n = 2). Abdominal pain (n = 20) of biliary origin, was the commonest manifestation followed by an asymptomatic group (n = 6) and a third group (n = 3) with pain due to pancreatitis. Ultrasonography of the abdomen was abnormal in all patients. Papillary stenosis (n = 23) was the most common cholangiographic feature followed by sclerosing cholangitis (n = 5). Abdominal pain resolved reliably and promptly after endoscopic sphincterotomy. Cholangiographic abnormalities regressed during follow up on antiretroviral therapy in 10 patients. Seven patients on anti retroviral therapy developed de novo cholangiopathy, with a precipitous drop in CD4 count of whom two had a worse prognosis. None had Kaposi's sarcoma.

Conclusions:  In contrast to Western literature, HIV cholangiopathy was seen predominantly in patients who acquired HIV by heterosexual transmission. De novo development of cholangiopathy on antiretroviral therapy may indicate the occurrence of resistance. Papillary stenosis is the most common feature. Abdominal pain resolved with sphincterotomy. Regression of cholangiographic abnormality occurred with anti retroviral medications. Median survival following cholangiopathy diagnosis was 34 months, higher than reported in previous studies.
Fine‐tuning the criteria for strip biopsy and endoscopic submucosal dissection improves the outcome of early gastric carcinoma treatment
Authors: Nishikawa Jun , Satake Masaaki , Hamabe Kouichi , Fukagawa Yuki , Shirai Yasuyuki , Kiyotoki Shu , Saito Mari , Okamoto Takeshi , Sakaida Isao
Published: March 2010

Background and Aim:  Strip biopsy and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have been developed as a local treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC). However, the lesion criteria for the use of ESD, rather than strip biopsy, remain to be elucidated.

Methods:  On the basis of reviews of literature and our observations concerning the outcome of strip biopsy, we set the criteria for selecting strip biopsy and ESD as follows. The indications for strip biopsy were lesions less than 10 mm in size and located in the anterior wall or greater curvature of the lower and middle stomach. ESD was indicated for all other lesions. The validity of the criteria was then analyzed prospectively in 156 patients. The rate of en bloc R0 resection and local recurrence were evaluated.

Results:  Subsequently, 156 lesions were divided according to the criteria and were endoscopically resected by strip biopsy (n = 13) or ESD (n = 143). The en bloc R0 resection rates for the whole group and the strip biopsy and ESD groups was 93.5% (146/156), 92.3% (12/13), and 93.7% (134/143), respectively. None of the patients had suffered from local recurrence in either the strip biopsy or ESD groups.

Conclusion:  The validity of our criteria for selecting strip biopsy and ESD was verified. Our criteria exploit the advantages of both procedures and obtain better endoscopic therapy outcomes for EGC.
Clinical outcome of 251 patients with extrahepatic metastasis at initial diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: Does transarterial chemoembolization improve survival in these patients?
Authors: Yoo Dong‐Jun , Kim Kang Mo , Jin Young‐Joo , Shim Ju Hyun , Ko Gi‐Young , Yoon Hyun‐Ki , Sung Kyu‐Bo , Lee Jae‐Lyun , Kang Yoon‐Koo , Lim Young‐Suk , Lee Han Chu , Chung Young‐Hwa , Lee Yung Sang , Suh Dong Jin
Published: March 2010

Background and Aims:  The therapeutic efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has not been evaluated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with extrahepatic metastasis. We investigated the efficacy of TACE with/without systemic chemotherapy (s‐chemo) in these patients.

Methods:  We performed a survival analysis of consecutive HCC patients with extrahepatic metastasis, diagnosed at initial presentation according to treatment modality after stratification, using the Child–Pugh classification and intrahepatic HCC T stage, retrospectively.

Results:  Between 2005 and 2007, 251 patients were newly diagnosed with HCC involving extrahepatic metastasis at our institution. Among those, 226 were classified as Child–Pugh A–B and the other 25, Child‐Pugh C. Within the Child–Pugh A–B group, repeated TACE or transarterial chemoinfusion (TACI) was performed with/without s‐chemo in 171 patients. Eight of 226 received s‐chemo alone, and 47, conservative management (CM) alone. The median survival time of patients treated with TACE/TACI with s‐chemo, TACE/TACI alone, and CM was 10, 5, and 2.9 months in patients classified as Child–Pugh A and T3‐stage HCC (TACE/TACI with s‐chemo vs CM, P = 0.0354; TACE/TACI alone vs CM, P = 0.0553) and 7.1, 2.6, and 1.6 months in Child–Pugh B and T3‐stage patients, respectively (TACE/TACI with s‐chemo vs CM, P = 0.0097; TACE/TACI alone vs CM, P < 0.0001). Individual treatment with TACE/TACI or sorafenib showed independent prognostic significance in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion:  Repeated TACE could show significant survival benefits in metastatic HCC patients with conserved liver function and intrahepatic HCC T3 stage. The survival data of our study could be used as a historical control for TACE monotherapy in future clinical trials evaluating combination treatments containing TACE in these patients.
Correlations between Z‐scores of VSRAD and regional cerebral blood flow of SPECT in patients with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Li Xudong , Shimizu Satoru , Jibiki Itsuki , Watanabe Ken‐ichiro , Kubota Takashi
Published: March 2010

Aims:  The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether there were correlations between atrophy of the entorhinal cortex and individual regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to better clarify the relationships between morphological and functional changes in AD.

Methods:  Twenty‐six patients including sixteen AD and 10 amnestic MCI patients were enrolled. Z scores of voxel‐based specific regional analysis system for AD (VSRAD) were determined to assess the degree of atrophy of the entorhinal cortex. Single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and 3‐D stereotaxic region of interest template (3DSRT) were used to quantify absolute rCBF.

Results:  The Z scores of the entorhinal cortex were found to have significant negative correlations with the absolute rCBF in the bilateral hippocampus, thalamus and temporal regions. A negative correlation between Z scores and rCBF of the cerebellum region, especially on the right side, was also noted.

Conclusions:  Atrophy of the entorhinal cortex had an obvious functional relationship with rCBF changes in the hippocampus, thalamus, temporal lobe and cerebellum in AD and MCI patients, which was attributed to their close anatomical and physiological connections.
Low serum HDL‐cholesterol levels are associated with long symptom duration in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Lehto Soili M. , Niskanen Leo , Tolmunen Tommi , Hintikka Jukka , Viinamäki Heimo , Heiskanen Tuula , Honkalampi Kirsi , Kokkonen Marja , Koivumaa‐Honkanen Heli
Published: March 2010

Aims:  The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the association between depression and the serum high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) is modified by symptom duration.

Methods:  Depressed patients (n = 88) and an age‐ and sex‐matched group of healthy general population controls (n = 88) underwent a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV (SCID), and depressed participants reported the duration of their symptoms. The serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), HDL‐C, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), triglycerides (TG) and non‐HDL, and the ratios of LDL‐C/HDL and TC/HDL‐C were assessed.

Results:  Major depressive disorder (MDD) subjects with a long symptom duration (≥3 years) had lower levels of HDL‐C compared with healthy controls or MDD subjects with a symptom duration <3 years. The likelihood for long symptom duration doubled for each 0.5‐mmol/L decrease in HDL‐C levels in regression models adjusted for age, gender, marital status, overweight, symptom severity, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical exercise, medication use, and non‐HDL‐C (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  These findings suggest that a low serum HDL‐C level, a risk factor for coronary heart disease, is specifically associated with long‐term depressive symptomatology.
Sirex noctilio in North America: the effect of stem‐injection timing on the attractiveness and suitability of trap trees
Authors: Zylstra Kelley E. , Dodds Kevin J. , Francese Joseph A. , Mastro Victor
Published: March 2010

Sirex noctilio Fabricius, an invasive woodwasp responsible for severe economic damage to pine industries in the southern hemisphere, is now established in the northeastern U.S.A. and portions of eastern Canada.

Parts of North America are considered to be high risk for S. noctilio invasion. Effective detection tools, including trap trees, are needed to monitor and survey S. noctilio populations.

The present study was conducted to determine the optimal time to chemically stress a tree when aiming to attract the most S. noctilio to the host substrate, as well as to determine which timing produced the most adult progeny. Both of these measures (host attraction and host suitability for development) support the main objectives of the study by offering improved methods for monitoring and management of S. noctilio.

Red pine (Pinus resinosa) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) were treated with Dicamba at three time intervals. Multiple funnel lindgren traps were placed on these trees and, at the end of the flight season, the treatment trees were felled and brought into the laboratory. The number of S. noctilio caught in the traps (host attraction) and the number of S. noctilio emerged from the treated trees (host suitability) were determined.

Optimal timing of the chemical girdle was dependent on host species. Significantly more female S. noctilio were captured on trap trees prepared 1 month before flight (red pine and Scots pine) or prepared at flight (Scots pine) compared with other treatments. There were also significantly more females reared from Scots pine trap trees prepared at flight and red pine trap trees prepared 1 month before and/or at flight.

By the beginning of August, most (79%) of the S. noctilio for the flight season were caught in the traps at the trap trees. The sex ratio (males : females) was closer to 1 : 1 than previously reported in studies from other countries.

The results obtained in the present study demonstrate that timing is important when creating a trap tree with herbicide in North America, whether for the purpose of detection or as part of a biological control effort.
The Performing Venue: The Visual Play of Italian Courtly Theatres in the Sixteenth Century
Authors: Hermans Lex
Published: March 2010

The protagonists of this article have to be considered as performers – actors, one might say – but they are not living beings. Its subject is the sixteenth‐century Italian courtly theatres of Rome, Florence, Sabbioneta, and Parma, together with the visual effect their often very elaborate decoration schemes have on their viewers. It is about the agency of things, not persons. The performances that took place in these venues, though important, are left out.
Japanese and American Children's Reasoning about Accepting Credit for Prosocial Behavior
Authors: Heyman Gail D. , Itakura Shoji , Lee Kang
Published: March 2010

Children's reasoning about the appropriateness of accepting credit for one's own prosocial behavior was examined. Participants aged 7–11 years old in Japan and the USA (total N = 206) were presented with a series of stories in which a protagonist performs a good deed and is asked about it by another character. Across stories, the protagonist either truthfully acknowledges the deed or falsely denies it, in a statement that is made either in public or in private, and is addressed to either a teacher or to a peer. As predicted, Japanese children judged protagonists less favorably when they acknowledged the good deed in public rather than in private. Further, Japanese children tended to view modest lies more favorably overall than did children in the USA. These results point to the importance of modesty in Japan and to the ways in which Japanese children take into account the social context of communication when deciding whether it is appropriate for individuals to convey information about themselves.
Preschoolers' Bistrategic Resource Control, Reconciliation, and Peer Regard
Authors: Roseth Cary J. , Pellegrini Anthony D. , Dupuis Danielle N. , Bohn Catherine M. , Hickey Meghan C. , Hilk Caroline L. , Peshkam Annie
Published: March 2010

Bistrategic resource control entails using both coercive and prosocial strategies in competition for resources. The present study sought to clarify whether bistrategic involves more than simply using both strategies some of the time. Examining 88 preschoolers' coercion and prosociality over an entire school year, results showed that coercive resource control was used most frequently at the start of the school year, presumably to access resources and establish social dominance. Rates of prosocial resource control increased over the school year, and socially dominant preschoolers showed higher rates compared with peers, presumably to maintain resource control while keeping peers as allies. Socially dominant preschoolers also used reconciliation more often than peers, resulting in higher rates of affiliation between former competitors and more positive peer regard from fall to spring. Findings are discussed in terms of resource control theory and the importance of situating social behaviors within the behavioral and relationship context in which they are embedded.
Actualization of Social Cognitions into Aggressive Behavior toward Disliked Targets
Authors: Peets Kätlin , Hodges Ernest V. E. , Salmivalli Christina
Published: March 2010

The basic premise that social cognitions guide behavior (aggression) was evaluated within relationships marked by dislike. At Time 1, a disliked target was identified for each participant (195 fifth‐grade children; 109 boys; 11–12 years old at Time 1) who then responded to questions about different aggression‐supporting social cognitions with regard to the chosen target. In addition, aggression directed at the identified peer (from the disliked child's perspective) was measured twice over a one‐year interval. Our results show that aggressogenic thought predicts increases in aggression only when the target is chronically disliked. Moreover, within chronically disliked relationships, the actualization of aggressogenic thought is maximized when children have high initial levels of reactive (in the case of hostile attributions) and proactive aggression (in the case of self‐efficacy beliefs), and when targets are initially high on reactive aggression. These findings suggest that social cognitions, assessed within a specific relationship context, can have more predictive validity than traditionally used decontextualized measures.
Peptides derived from specific interaction sites of the fibroblast growth factor 2 – FGF receptor complexes induce receptor activation and signaling
Authors: Manfè Valentina , Kochoyan Artur , Bock Elisabeth , Berezin Vladimir
Published: March 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 74–86.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2, bFGF) is the most extensively studied member of the FGF family and is involved in neurogenesis, differentiation, neuroprotection, and synaptic plasticity in the CNS. FGF2 executes its pleiotropic biologic actions by binding, dimerizing, and activating FGF receptors (FGFRs). The present study reports the physiologic impact of various FGF2‐FGFR1 contact sites employing three different synthetic peptides, termed canofins, designed based on structural analysis of the interactions between FGF2 and FGFR1. Canofins mimic the cognate ligand interaction with the receptor and preserve the neuritogenic and neuroprotective properties of FGF2. Canofins were shown by surface plasmon resonance analysis to bind to FGFR1 and promote receptor activation. However, FGF2‐induced receptor phosphorylation was inhibited by canofins, indicating that canofins are partial FGFR agonists. Furthermore, canofins were demonstrated to induce neuronal differentiation determined by neurite outgrowth from cerebellar granule neurons, and this effect was dependent on FGFR activation. Additionally, canofins acted as neuroprotectants, promoting survival of cerebellar granule neurons induced to undergo apoptosis. Our results suggest that canofins mirror the effect of specific interaction sites in FGF2 for FGFR. Thus, canofins are valuable pharmacological tools to study the functional roles of specific molecular interactions of FGF2 with FGFR.