bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The re-establishment of desiccation tolerance in germinated radicles ofMedicago truncatulaGaertn. seeds
Authors: Buitink Julia , Ly Vu Benoit , Satour Pascale , Leprince Olivier
Published: November 2003

Germinated seeds ofMedicago truncatulaGaertn. with a protruded radicle length of 2.7 mm did not survive drying below 0.2 g H2O g–1dw, as indicated by vital stain assays and the absence of growth resumption after rehydration. The re-establishment of desiccation tolerance was achieved using an osmotic treatment with polyethylene glycol (PEG), combined with a cold treatment. The ability to regain desiccation tolerance after germination was restricted to a period of growth characterized by radicle lengths between 1 and 3 mm. After PEG treatment of germinated seeds with 2.7 mm long radicles at –1.7 MPa at 10°C for 3 d and subsequent drying to 0.04 g H2O g–1dw, 90% survived and developed into normal seedlings after rehydration. Desiccation tolerance could also be re-established in excised radicles, demonstrating that cotyledons were not essential for this process. Upon PEG incubation, sucrose accumulated rapidly prior to the re-establishment of desiccation tolerance in germinated radicles, regardless of the presence of cotyledons. Induction ofMtDHN(a dehydrin) gene expression was correlated with the re-establishment of desiccation tolerance. Furthermore, the PEG-induced expression ofMtDHNwas repressed when fluridone was added to the PEG solution.
Black Home-owners as a Gentrifying Force? Neighbourhood Dynamics in the Context of Minority Home-ownership
Authors: Bostic Raphael W. , Martin Richard W.
Published: November 2003

A significant portion of the literature on gentrification has implied, if not explicitly described, a racial dynamic associated with the process whereby White households replace Black households as neighbourhood incomes rise. However, this racial dimension to gentrification rules out the possibility that the neighbourhood transitions that are a part of gentrification could be sparked by middle- and upper-income Black households. This paper re-examines this view of gentrification by establishing if Black home-owners were a gentrifying influence in US cities from 1970 to 1990. Based on findings from previous case studies, a new scoring technique for identifying gentrifying neighbourhoods is used. Evidence is found that Black home-owners were a gentrifying influence in the 1970s, but not in the 1980s. Changes in housing market racial dynamics during the period are a possible explanation for the divergent results.
'I Want to be Global': Theorising the Gentrifying Class as an Emergent Elite Global Community
Authors: Rofe Matthew W.
Published: November 2003

Globalisation has significantly altered the scale at which social structures are organised and experienced. The erosion of spatial boundaries has liberated social experience from the constraints of the local. While globalisation is often portrayed as heralding a single global culture and community, in reality globalisation is heralding the emergence of multiple global communities. The gentrifying class constitutes one such emergent global community. Premised upon notions of affluence and prestige, gentrification constitutes a local socio-spatial strategy of identity construction that is increasingly commodified. This commodification erodes the symbolic significance of local gentrification processes. In order to maintain a distinctive identity, numerous gentrifiers are projecting their identity from the scale of the local onto the scale of the global. In doing so, these individuals actively position themselves as a global elite community.
Time-Space Trajectories in Provincial Gentrification
Authors: Bridge Gary
Published: November 2003

Drawing on qualitative interviews in an inner Bristol (UK) neighbourhood, this paper offers some preliminary observations on the housing trajectories and strategies of a group of onward-moving gentrifiers. This indicates the potentially restricted nature of gentrification activity in the life-course and in the housing trajectories of these gentrifiers. The evidence points, on the one hand, to the diffuseness of gentrification, with a range of 'marginal', 'community' and 'corporate' gentrifiers all moving within the gentrified neighbourhood. On the other hand, those leaving the neighbourhood for contrasting locations and housing aesthetics experience a constrained form of gentrification: an inability to keep all social fields in play at the same time. They trade off current aesthetic display for longer-term investment in schooling and class reproduction. The structural and spatial arrangements of housing and education fields in different cities are thus critical in understanding how gentrification is expressed in terms of cultural capital, pointing to a provincial form of gentrification.
Leeds Calling: The Influence of London on the Gentrification of Regional Cities
Authors: Dutton Paul
Published: November 2003

This paper undertakes a review of gentrification and global city research to develop an appreciation of the nature of gentrification taking place in central areas of Leeds in the UK. The literature review establishes an uneven and dominant set of social, economic and cultural relations between the city-region of London and the South East with other regions in the UK. It is proposed that these sets of relations will impact upon socio-spatial developments in regional cities in the UK and will provide the dynamics leading contemporary gentrification in regional financial centres. Using Leeds as a case study, quantitative and qualitative data are presented to develop an appreciation of the internal and external dynamics driving contemporary 'developer-led' gentrification in Leeds.
Agency and communion attributes in adults’ spontaneous self-representations
Authors: Diehl Manfred , Owen Stephanie K. , Youngblade Lise M.
Published: November 2003

This study investigated agency and communion attributes in adults’ spontaneous self-representations. The study sample consisted of 158 adults (80 men, 78 women) ranging in age from 20 to 88 years. Consistent with theorising, significant age and sex differences were found in terms of the number of agency and communion attributes. Young and middle-aged adults included significantly more agency attributes in their self-representations than older adults; men listed significantly more agency attributes than women. In contrast, older adults included significantly more communion attributes in their self-representations than young adults, and women listed significantly more communion attributes than men. Significant Age Group × Self-Portrait Display and Sex × Self-Portrait Display interactions were found for communion attributes, indicating that the importance of communion attributes differed across age groups and by sex. Correlational analyses showed significant associations of agency and communion attributes with personality traits and defence mechanisms. Communion attributes also showed significant correlations with four dimensions of psychological well-being.
Impact of traumatic events on coping strategies and their effectiveness among Kurdish children
Authors: Punamäki Raija-Leena , Muhammed Abbas Hedayiet , Abdulrahman Hemen Ahmed
Published: November 2003

The aims were, first, to identify behavioural, cognitive, emotional, and social coping responses to traumatic and stressful situations, and second, to examine how the nature and severity of traumatic events are associated with coping dimensions. Third, the effectiveness of coping dimensions was evaluated for their ability to buffer the children’s mental health from negative trauma effects. The participants were 153 Kurdish girls and boys (Mean age 12.26 0.14) from Northern Iraq living in both orphanages and family homes. Coping strategies were measured by a cartoon test depicting traumatic and stressful situations to which children responded in their own words. Factor analyses identified Reconstructing, Active Affiliation, Passivity, and Denial as the coping dimensions. The nature of traumatic events determined their impact on coping strategies. Family-related hardships were associated with low Reconstructing, and economic hardships with low Active Affiliation, while military violence was not associated with coping dimensions. The effectiveness of coping dimensions was symptom specific. Active Affiliation moderated between exposure to traumatic events and post-traumatic symptoms and sleeping difficulties, and Denial between exposure to traumatic events and aggressive symptoms. Reconstructing was marginally directly associated with low levels of post-traumatic and aggressive symptoms, but showed no buffering effect. The results failed to substantiate the hypothesis of a wide coping repertoire buffering between exposure to traumatic events and psychological symptoms.
After the Wall: Parental attitudes to child rearing in East and West Germany
Authors: Uhlendorff Harald
Published: November 2003

In the years following German reunification, East and West German parents (282 mothers and 207 fathers) were interviewed about attitudes to the rearing of their 7- to 13-year-old children and about their social networks. Path analyses show that East German parents engage in more protective and less permissive parenting, and that East German fathers raise their children in a more traditional and authoritarian manner than their West German counterparts. In part, these differences can be attributed to the strong family orientation of East German parents (many and intensive kinship relations, few friends). Further analyses show that corollaries of the social upheavals in East Germany, namely closer cohesion of the immediate family and a decrease in the social support provided by the extrafamilial environment, are associated with protective attitudes to parenting and hence with the tendency to limit children’s freedom of decision-making.
Reflections on the Task Force Model in Economic Development
Authors: Pike Andy
Published: November 2003

The task force has re-emerged as a mechanism for co-ordinating economic development activity in the con text of the current New Labour administration's emphasis upon including ‘stakeholders’ in ‘joined-up’ approaches to ‘crosscutting’ issues. Recent experience in the North East region of England reveals both prospects an d problems in the way task forces have been utilised at employer, sectoral an d territorial levels to organize economic development. Improvements are suggested to the task force model that involve integrating it more closely within a strategic and proactive region al economic development framework and ensuring its accountability within the multi-level governance structures for economic development emerging in the UK.
From Cause To Effect?
Authors: Lloyd Greg , McCarthy John , Fernie Keith
Published: November 2003

Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) are the most recent urban regeneration initiative in Scotland. This measure builds on the experience of previous initiatives, in particular the Urban Partnerships in peripheral public sector housing estates an d the Priority Partnership Areas (PPA) initiative. However, SIPs would appear to present an advance on previous policy initiatives in that they aim to focus on the causes of urban decline rather than simply the symptoms of social, economic an d physical distress. Nevertheless, it is questionable whether this is sufficient to address the complex processes associated with urban concentrations of social exclusion.
Laser Ablation Studies of Deposited Silver Colloids Active in SERS
Authors: La Porte R. Torres , Moreno D. Silva , Striano M. Castillejo , Munñoz M. Martiín , García-Ramos J. V. , Cortés S. Sánchez , Koudoumas E.
Published: November 2003

Laser ablation of deposited silver colloids, active in SERS, is carried out at three different laser
wavelengths (KrF, XeCl and Nd:YAG at λ = 248, 308 and 532 nm respectively). Emission
form excited neutral Ag and Na atoms, present in the ablation plume, is detected with
spectral and temporal resolution. The expansion velocity of Ag in the plume is estimated in
~1 × 104m s−1. Low‐fluence laser ablation of the colloids yields ionized species that are
analyzed by time‐of‐flight mass spectroscopy. Na+
and are observed. Composition of the mass spectra and widths of the mass peaks are found to be dependent
on laser wavelength, suggesting that the dominant ablation mechanisms are different at the different wavelenghts.
Accelerated withdrawal from methadone maintenance therapy using naltrexone and minimal sedation: a case‐series analysis
Authors: GLASGOW NICHOLAS J. , TAYLOR JO , BELL JAMES R. , YOUNG MALCOM R. , BAMMER GABRIELE
Published: November 2003

The aim of this study was to measure the acceptability to stable methadone maintenance clients seeking termination of methadone treatment of accelerated withdrawal using a standardized protocol of naltrexone and minimal sedation; and to provide a first assessment of the probable demand for such treatment, characterize the withdrawal experience, and describe the outcomes for the clients using naltrexone for maintenance therapy for 3 months following withdrawal. We used an open label observational study of 14 stable, methadone maintenance programme clients within the Australian Capital Territory. We found a high degree of acceptability of the withdrawal approach to clients and staff. Three phases of withdrawal identified over a 3‐week period. There was rapid attrition from naltrexone maintenance over 3 months of follow‐up and a return to dependent opiate use in four clients. The protocol is a humane, effective approach to accelerated withdrawal from methadone maintenance. It is a useful modification to ultra‐rapid and other rapid withdrawal techniques. Naltrexone maintenance has a limited potential role in this group of subjects. This role also needs further clarification through well‐designed randomized clinical trials.
Drug education: myth and reality
Authors: HAWTHORNE GRAEME
Published: November 2003

Recently there has been an increase in Australian public funds for drug education. The accompanying rhetoric asserts that it is to enable abstinence among young people. This contradicts some State Government education guidelines endorsing harm minimization. A literature search of the key electronic databases, drug agency libraries, the Internet and reference lists identified evaluation research in school‐based drug education. There is little evidence to support the new public rhetoric. The predictors of adolescent drug use are social and personal; schools can have little effect on these. Four models of drug education are described. Schools, however, mix‐and‐match activities from different models, and exposure is too slight for major effects on behaviours. Although methodological difficulties affect findings, none of the drug education models show consistent behavioural effects over time. There is a mismatch between the new public rhetoric and the evaluation research literature. Reasons for this are explored, including that there are two stakeholder groups, one with exaggerated ideological anti‐drug messages and the other with more realistic perspectives about what schools can reasonably achieve. The paradox is that the rhetoric is needed for continued funding, yet this same rhetoric sets up criteria which doom drug education to failure.
Heroin use and HIV risk‐taking behaviour among women injecting drug users
Authors: BAKER AMANDA , HEATHER NICK , WODAK ALEX , LEWIN TERRY
Published: November 2003

This study compares drug use, injecting and sexual risk‐taking behaviour among pregnant injecting drug users (IDUs) enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), non‐pregnant women IDUs enrolled in MMT and women IDUs not enrolled in treatment. There was no significant difference between pregnant IDUs enrolled in MMT and women IDUs not enrolled in treatment in terms of their injecting risk‐taking behaviour. Both groups reported significantly higher levels of injecting risk‐taking behaviour compared to (non‐pregnant) women enrolled in MMT. Pregnant women enrolled in MMT reported a significantly lower methadone dose compared to non‐pregnant women in MMT. There was a trend for pregnant women enrolled in MMT to report a higher level of heroin use compared to non‐pregnant women in MMT. The lack of evidence for a difference in level of injecting risk‐taking behaviour between pregnant IDUs enrolled in MMT and women IDUs not enrolled in treatment suggests the need for additional strategies among pregnant IDUs to reduce IDU and injecting risk‐taking behaviour. Possible strategies include maintenance on higher doses of methadone and the application of relapse prevention strategies.
Client satisfaction and outcomes at Darwin Detoxification Unit
Authors: RYSAVY PAUL , O'REILLY BRIDIE , MOON CHRIS
Published: November 2003

This study investigated detoxification completion rates and client feedback at Darwin Detoxification Unit from February to August 1999. Through client exit questionnaires, 140 clients recorded reason for leaving and rated satisfaction with staff, daily routine/activities, medication and facilities. Half of all admissions completed detoxification. Alcohol admissions were more than twice as likely as other drug admissions to complete detoxification (p < 0.05). Satisfaction levels were high for both alcohol and other drug admissions and no significant association was found between satisfaction with the Unit and completion of detoxification. The study highlights the challenges in retaining other drug admissions and the need to identify additional strategies to encourage detoxification completion.
Australian National Minimum Data Set for Clients of Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services: findings of the national pilot and developments in implementation
Authors: COPELAND JAN , CONROY ANDREW
Published: November 2003

Data about drug treatment populations and the services they receive are an important source of information for the understanding and addressing of drug‐related harms. In 1998 the Minimum Data Set Project for Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services was conducted in Australia to develop a set of standards that would enable the collection of meaningful national data. This paper reports on the findings of a 6‐week pilot collection period in 1998. It showed that the integration of agreed data collection procedures in the daily practice of agencies was feasible, capable of yielding worthwhile data, and may have immediate advantages for the provision of treatment services in Australia. This dataset commenced national collection in July 2000 and ongoing developments are discussed.
Inhalation of (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan causes airway eosinophilia
Authors: Fogelmark Birgitta , Thorn Jörgen , Rylander Ragnar
Published: November 2003

Background: Moulds are present in a variety of environments and aerosols of fungal spores are generated when mouldy materials are handled. Molds contain (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan, a polyglucose which is present in the cell wall of fungi, certain bacteria and plants.

Aim: This study was undertaken to investigate the cellular inflammatory response in the lung after inhalation of (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan and bacterial endotoxin.

Methods: Guinea pigs were exposed daily to an aerosol of pure (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan and pure endotoxin for five weeks. Lung lavage and lung interstitial cell preparations were done and the inflammatory cells counted. Histological sections were prepared from the trachea.

Results: There was an increase in eosinophil numbers in lung lavage, lung interstitium, and the airway epithelium of animals exposed to (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan. In animals simultaneously exposed to endotoxin, there was no increase in eosinophils. In the lung interstitium, (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan exposure caused an increase in lymphocytes, which was not found after endotoxin exposure. Endotoxin exposure caused an increase in neutrophils and macrophages in lung lavage, which was not found after (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan exposure.

Conclusions: The results support previous findings that (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan causes a different response in the airways as compared to endotoxin. Endotoxin modulated the increase in eosinophils caused by (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan exposure, suggesting a complex interaction between the microbial cell wall components.
Effects after inhalation of (1→ 3)‐β‐D‐glucan in healthy humans
Authors: Thorn Jörgen , Beijer Lena , Rylander Ragnar
Published: November 2003

Background and aim: This study was performed to assess the effects of an exposure to a pure (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan, a cell wall component of fungi, plants and certain bacteria.

Methods: Twenty‐one healthy subjects inhaled saline or (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan suspended in saline in a random, double‐blind, cross‐over design. They were examined before exposure and 24 and 72 h afterwards with spirometry, blood sampling and collection of induced sputum. Differential cell counts and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) were determined in blood and sputum, and myeloperoxidase (MPO), tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and interleukin (IL)‐8 and IL‐10 were determined in sputum supernatants. TNF‐α was determined after cultivation of blood mononuclear cells.

Results: In sputum, inhalation of saline caused a significant increase in ECP and TNF‐α. (1→3)‐β‐D‐Glucan inhalation caused a further increase in these cytokines, although not statistically significantly different from the increase induced by inhalation of saline alone. In blood, the number of eosinophils was significantly decreased 72 h after the challenge with (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan. This effect was not found after the inhalation of saline alone. TNF‐α production from stimulated blood mononuclear cells was significantly decreased 72 h after the (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan inhalation as compared with the increase induced by saline inhalation.

Conclusions:The results suggest that (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan causes a different type of response as compared with inflammatory agents such as bacterial endotoxin that cause a neutrophil‐dominated
inflammatory response.
Plasma extravasation mediated by lipopolysaccharide‐induction of kinin B1 receptors in rat tissues
Authors: Wille Paulo Roberto , Vitor Richard , Gabilan Nelson Horacio , Nicolau Mauro
Published: November 2003

The present study was performed to: (a) evaluate the effects of kinin B1
(Sar{D‐Phe8}‐des‐Arg9‐BK; 10 nmol/kg) and B2 (bradykinin (BK); 10 nmol/kg) receptor agonists on plasma extravasation in selected rat tissues; (b) determine the contribution of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (100 μ g/kg) to the effects triggered by B1 and B2 agonists; and (c) characterize the selectivity of B1 ({Leu8}desArg9‐BK; 10 nmol/kg) and B2 (HOE 140; 10 nmol/kg) antagonists as inhibitors of this kinin‐induced phenomenon. B1 and B2 agonists were shown to increase plasma extravasation in the duodenum, ileum and also in the urinary bladder of the rat. LPS pretreatment enhanced the plasma extravasation mediated only by the B1 agonist in the duodenum, ileum, trachea, main and segmentar bronchi. These effects were prevented by the B1. but not the B2 antagonist. In normal rats,
the B2 antagonist inhibited the effect of B2 agonist in all the tissues analyzed. However, in LPS‐treated rats, the B2 antagonist was ineffective in the urinary bladder.

These results indicate that kinins induce plasma extravasation in selected rat tissues through activation of B1 and B2 receptors, and that LPS selectively enhances the kinin effect on the B1 receptor in the duodenum, ileum, trachea and main and segmentar bronchi, and may increase B1 receptor expression in these tissues.
Suppressive activity of macrolide antibiotics on nitric oxide production by lipopolysaccharide stimulation in mice
Authors: Terao Hajime , Asano Kazuhito , Kanai Ken-ichi , Kyo Yoshiyuki , Watanabe So , Hisamitsu Tadashi , Suzaki Harumi
Published: November 2003

Background and aim: Low‐dose and long‐term administration of macrolide antibiotics into patients with chronic airway inflammatory diseases could favorably modify their clinical conditions. However, the therapeutic mode of action of macrolides is not well understood. Free oxygen radicals, including nitric oxide (NO), are well recognized as the important final effector molecules in the development and the maintenance of inflammatory diseases.

Purpose: The influence of macrolide antibiotics on NO generation was examined in vivo.

Methods: Male ICR mice, 5 weeks of age, were orally administered with either roxithromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin or josamycin once a day for 2‐4 weeks. The mice were then injected intraperitoneally with 5.0 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the plasma NO level was examined 6 h later.

Results: Although pre‐treatment of mice with macrolide antibiotics for 2 weeks scarcely affected NO generation by LPS injection, the administration of macrolide antibiotics, except for josamycin, for 4 weeks significantly inhibited LPS‐induced NO generation. The data in the present study also showed that pre‐treatment of mice with macrolide antibiotics for 4 weeks significantly suppresses not only production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines interleukin‐1β, interleukin‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐α, but also inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA expressions, which are enhanced by LPS injection.

Conclusion: These results strongly suggest that suppressive activity of macrolide antibiotics on NO generation in response to LPS stimulation in vivo may, in part, account for the clinical efficacy of macrolides on chronic inflammatory diseases.
Expression of Fas antigen and Fas ligand in bronchoalveolar lavage from silicosis patients
Authors: Hamzaoui Agnès , Ammar Jamel , Graïri Hédia , Hamzaoui Kamel
Published: November 2003

Objective: To understand the role of apoptosis through Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) interaction in the pathogenesis of silicosis, we examined the expression of Fas antigen, FasL and apoptosis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid lymphocytes obtained from patients with silicosis.

Materials and methods: Ten patients with silicosis, and 10 healthy controls were studied. Non‐adherent cells were separated and analysed by cytometry for the expression of Fas antigen, FasL, and the co‐expression of Fas/FasL. By double staining, we studied the FasL expression on CD4, CD8, CD56 and CD45RO‐positive cells. DNA fragmentation was investigated by the terminal deoxy(d) UTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) method.

Results: We have found Fas and FasL expression in silicosis patients to be significantly higher than those in healthy controls. Interestingly, 6‐18% of lymphocytes from silicosis patients co‐expressed Fas and FasL. In silicosis patients, FasL was highly expressed on CD4+, CD56+ and CD45RO+ bronchoalveolar lavage cells. Fas antigen expressing cells showed DNA fragmentation characteristic for apoptosis.

Conclusion: FasL was significantly expressed on cytotoxic effector and memory cells. The Fas/FasL system is implicated in the inflammatory process observed in silicosis patients.
In vitro pharmacoregulation of CC chemokine ligand 5 and its receptor CCR5 in diffuse lung diseases
Authors: Sekerova Veronika , Subrtova Daniela , Mrazek Frantisek , Gibejova Agata , Kolek Vitezslav , du Bois Roland M. , Petrek Martin
Published: November 2003

Background: CC chemokine ligand (CCL)5 and its receptor CCR5 contribute to leukocyte migration into lungs of patients with diffuse lung diseases (DLD). Pharmacological regulation of CCL5 and CCR5 expression was therefore explored in bronchoalveolar cells obtained from patients with DLD.

Methods: Cells from 21 patients were co‐cultivated in vitro with tumour necrosis factor‐α and dexamethasone, cyclosporin A (CyA) or pentoxifylline. Chemokine mRNA expression and protein production was assessed by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

Results: Dexamethasone altered CCL5 mRNA expression and suppressed its protein levels. CyA inhibited chemokine mRNA expression but not protein production. Pentoxifylline did not affected chemokine expression. Both dexamethasone and CyA suppressed CCR5 mRNA transcripts.

Conclusion: In conclusion, while dexamethasone downregulates the CCL5 functional form, CyA and pentoxifylline have no effects on CCL5 protein. These data provide in vitro correlation for clinical applications of immunomodulators in therapy of DLD.
Differential regulation of the release of tumor necrosis factor‐α and of eicosanoids by mast cells in rat airways after antigen challenge
Authors: Trezena Aryene Goes , da Silva Zilma Lucia , Oliveira-filho Ricardo Martins , Damazo Amilcar Sabino , Straus Anita Hilda , Takahashi Helio Kiyoshi , Oliani Sonia Maria , de Lima Wothan Tavares
Published: November 2003

Background: Rat trachea display a differential topographical distribution of connective tissue mast cells (CTMC) and mucosal mast cells (MMC) that may imply regional differences in the release of allergic mediators such as tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and eicosanoids.

Aim: To evaluate the role of CTMC and MMC for release of TNF‐α and eicosanoids after allergenic challenge in distinct segments of rat trachea.

Materials and methods: Proximal trachea (PT) and distal trachea (DT) from ovalbumin (OVA)‐sensitized rats, treated or not with compound 48/80 (48/80) or dexamethasone, were incubated in culture medium. After OVA challenge, aliquots were collected to study release of TNF‐α and eicosanoids.

Results: Release of TNF‐α by PT upon OVA challenge peaked at 90 min and decayed at 6 and 24 h. Release from DT peaked at 30‐90 min and decayed 6 and 24 h later. When CTMC were depleted with 48/80, OVA challenge exacerbated the TNF‐α release by PT at all time intervals, while DT exacerbated TNF‐α levels 6 and 24 h later only. Dexamethasone reduced TNF‐α production after 90 min of OVA challenge in PT and at 3 and 6h in DT. OVA challenge increased prostaglandin D2 in DT and leukotriene B4 in both segments but did not modify prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene C4 release.

Conclusion: OVA challenge induces TNF‐α release from MMC, which is negatively regulated by CTMC. The profile of TNF‐α and eicosanoids depends on the time after OVA challenge and of the tracheal segment considered.
Protein carbonyl group content in patients affected by familiar chronic nail candidiasis
Authors: Gangemi S. , Saija A. , Tomaino A. , Cimino F. , Merendino R. A. , Minciullo P. L. , Briuglia S. , Merlino M. V. , Dallapiccola B. , Ferlazzo B. , Salpietro D. C.
Published: November 2003

Familiar chronic nail candidiasis (FCNC) is a rare disorder characterized by early‐onset infections caused by different species of Candida, restricted to the nail of the hands and feet, and associated with a low serum concentration of intercellular adhesion molecule 1. Host defense mechanisms against candidiasis require the cooperation of many immune cells through several candidacidal mechanisms, including oxygen‐dependent killing mechanisms, mediated by a superoxide anion radical myeloperoxidase‐H2O2‐halide system, and reactive nitrogen intermediates. We analyzed protein carbonyl groups (considered a useful marker of oxidative stress) in the serum of patients belonging to a five‐generation Italian family with an isolated form of FCNC.

Serum protein carbonyl groups in FCNC patients were significantly lower than those measured in healthy donors.

Also, if this hypothesis is merely speculative, we could suggest that the decreased circulating level of protein carbonyl groups in these patients is not a marker of a lower oxidative stress condition, but might be linked to a lower protease activity.
Effect of levodopa on interleukin‐15 and RANTES circulating levels in patients affected by Parkinson′s disease
Authors: Gangemi Sebastiano , Basile Giorgio , Merendino Rosaria Alba , Epifanio Antonio , Di Pasquale Giuseppe , Ferlazzo Benito , Nicita-mauro Vittorio , Morgante Letterio
Published: November 2003

Parkinson′s disease (PD) is an extra‐pyramidal neurodegenerative disorder, in which alterations of the immune system are involved. Interleukin (IL)‐15 stimulates cellular immune response and induces growth and differentiation of various immune cells. RANTES, promoting leukocyte infiltration to sites of inflammation, mediates the trafficking and homing of immune cells. To clarify the potential effect of levodopa on the immunological network of PD, we analyzed IL‐15 and RANTES serum levels in PD patients, treated or not with levodopa, and in healthy donors. Levodopa‐treated patients showed significantly higher IL‐15 and RANTES circulating levels with respect to healthy controls and higher, although not significantly, levels with respect to untreated patients. So, we hypothesize that the immunological alterations found in PD may be linked, at least in part, to levodopa therapy.
Numerical method of identification of an unknown source term in aheat equation
Authors: Fatullayev Afet Golayoğlu
Published: November 2003

A numerical procedure for an inverse problem of identification of an unknown source in a heat equation is presented. Approach of proposed method is to approximate unknown function by polygons linear pieces which are determined consecutively from the solution of minimization problem based on the overspecified data. Numerical examples are presented.
Interdomain Communications in Bifunctional Enzymes: How Are Different Activities Coordinated?
Authors: Nagradova Natalya
Published: November 2003

Although bifunctional enzymes containing two different active centers located within separate domains are quite common in living systems, the significance of this bifunctionality is not always clear, and the molecular mechanisms of site‐site interactions in such complex systems have come under the scrutiny of science only in recent years. This review summarizes recent data on the mechanisms of communication between active centers in bifunctional enzymes. Three types of enzymes are considered: (1) those catalyzing consecutive reactions of a metabolic pathway and exhibiting substrate channeling (glutamate synthase and imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase), (2) those catalyzing consecutive reactions without substrate channeling (lysine‐ketoglutarate reductase/saccharopine dehydrogenase), and (3) those catalyzing opposed reactions (6‐phosphofructo‐2‐kinase/fructose‐2,6‐bisphosphatase). The functional role of interdomain communications is briefly discussed. IUBMB Life, 55: 459‐466, 2003
Telomere Higher‐Order Structure and Genomic Instability
Authors: Fletcher Terace
Published: November 2003

Telomeres, nucleoprotein complexes at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes, have vital roles in chromosome integrity. Telomere chromatin structure is both intricate and dynamic allowing for a variety of responses to several stimuli. A critical determinant in telomere structure is the G‐strand overhang. Facilitated by telomeric proteins, the G‐strand overhang stabilizes telomere higher‐order assemblies most likely by adopting unusual DNA structures. These structures influence activities that occur at the chromosome end. Dysfunctional telomeres induce signals resulting in cell growth arrest or death. To overcome telomere dysfunction, cancer cells activate the DNA polymerase, telomerase. The presence of telomerase at the telomere may establish a particular telomeric state. If the chromosome ends of cancer and normal cells exist in different states, cancer‐specific telomere structures would offer a unique chemotherapeutic target. IUBMB Life, 55: 443‐449, 2003
The Role of DNA Recombination in Herpes Simplex Virus DNA Replication
Authors: Wilkinson Dianna , Weller Sandra
Published: November 2003

In many organisms the processes of DNA replication and recombination are closely linked. For instance, in bacterial and eukaryotic systems, replication forks can become stalled or damaged, in many cases leading to the formation of double stranded breaks. Replication restart is an essential mechanism in which the recombination and repair machinery can be used to continue replication after such a catastrophic event. DNA viruses of bacteria such as lambda and T4 also rely heavily on DNA recombination to replicate their genomes and both viruses encode specialized gene products which are required for recombination‐dependent replication. In this review, we examine the linkage between replication and recombination in the eukaryotic pathogen, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV‐1). The evidence that recombination plays an intrinsic role in HSV‐1 DNA replication and the infection process will be reviewed. We have recently demonstrated that HSV‐1 encodes two proteins which may be analogous to the lambda phage recombination system, Red αand β. The HSV‐1 alkaline nuclease, a 5' to 3' exonuclease, and ICP8, a single stranded DNA binding protein, can carry out strand annealing reactions similar to those carried out by the lambda Red system. In addition, evidence suggesting that host recombination proteins may also be important for HSV‐1 replication will be reviewed. In summary, it is likely that HSV‐1 infection will require both viral and cellular proteins which participate in various pathways of recombination and that recombination‐dependent replication is essential for the efficient replication of viral genomes. IUBMB Life, 55: 451‐458, 2003
Hierarchical assembly of the budding yeast kinetochore from multiple subcomplexes
Authors: De Wulf Peter , McAinsh Andrew D. , Sorger Peter K.
Published: November 2003

Kinetochores are multiprotein complexes that assemble on centromeric DNA and attach chromosomes to spindle microtubules. Over the past six years, the number of proteins known to localize to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinetochore has increased from around 10 to over 60. However, relatively little is known about the protein-protein interactions that mediate kinetochore assembly or about the overall structure of microtubule-attachment sites. Here we used biophysical techniques, affinity purification, mass spectrometry, and in vivo assays to examine the state of association of 31 centromere-binding proteins, including six proteins newly identified as kinetochore subunits. We found that yeast kinetochores resemble transcriptional enhancers in being composed of at least 17 discrete subcomplexes that assemble on DNA to form a very large structure with a mass in excess of 5 MD. Critical to kinetochore assembly are proteins that bridge subunits in direct contact with DNA and subunits bound to microtubules. We show that two newly identified kinetochore complexes, COMA (Ctf19p-Okp1p-Mcm21p-Ame1p) and MIND (Mtw1p including Nnf1p-Nsl1p-Dsn1p) function as bridges. COMA, MIND, and the previously described Ndc80 complex constitute three independent and essential platforms onto which outer kinetochore proteins assemble. In addition, we propose that the three complexes have different functions with respect to force generation and MT attachment.
Coolhunting, account planning and the ancient cool of Aristotle
Authors: Southgate Nick
Published: November 2003

“Cool” is a quality highly desired by consumers and, therefore, highly desired by brand owners, yet it is frequently supposed to be elusive and obscure. Scouting for cool is known as “coolhunting” and its pervasive influence has captivated brand owners and their agencies alike. Its claim to be able to predict future trends by researching cool individuals has been both an inspiration and an irritant to the account planning community. This paper argues that coolhunting is, in fact, self‐defeating. The real challenge for brand owners is not to observe cool people, but to create new cool products, services and experiences. Account planning, with its mix of analytical and creative thinking, is uniquely placed to offer a framework for doing this. One such framework, based on Aristotle’s ethical theory, is discussed.
Neonatal maternal separation and sex‐specific plasticity of the hypoxic ventilatory response in awake rat
Authors: Genest Sophie‐Emmanuelle , Gulemetova Roumiana , Laforest Sylvie , Drolet Guy , Kinkead Richard
Published: November 2003

We tested the hypothesis that neonatal maternal separation (NMS), a form of stress that affects hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) function in adult rats, alters development of the respiratory control system. Pups subjected to NMS were placed in a temperature and humidity controlled incubator 3 h per day for 10 consecutive days (P3 to P12). Control pups were undisturbed. Once they reached adulthood (8–10 weeks old), rats were placed in a plethysmography chamber for measurement of ventilatory and cardiovascular parameters under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Measurement of c‐fos mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) combined with plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels confirmed that NMS effectively disrupted HPA axis function in males. In males, baseline minute ventilation was not affected by NMS. In contrast, NMS females show a greater resting minute ventilation due to a larger tidal volume. The hypoxic ventilatory response of male NMS rats was 25% greater than controls, owing mainly to an increase in tidal volume response. This augmentation of the hypoxic ventilatory response was sex‐specific also because NMS females show an attenuated minute ventilation increase. Baseline mean arterial blood pressure of male NMS rats was 20% higher than controls. NMS‐related hypertension was not significant in females. The mechanisms underlying sex‐specific disruption of cardio‐respiratory control in NMS rats are unknown but may be a consequence of the neuroendocrine disruption associated with NMS. These data indicate that exposure to a non‐respiratory stress during early life elicits significant plasticity of these homeostatic functions which persists until adulthood.
Differential regulation of the slow and rapid components of guinea‐pig cardiac delayed rectifier K+ channels by hypoxia
Authors: Hool Livia C.
Published: November 2003

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of acute hypoxia on the slow (IKs) and rapid (IKr) components of the native delayed rectifier K+ channel in the absence and presence of the β‐adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol (isoprenaline; Iso) using the whole‐cell configuration of the patch‐clamp technique. Hypoxia reversibly inhibited basal IKs. The effect could be mimicked by exposing the cells to the thiol‐specific reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) and attenuated upon exposure of cells to the membrane‐impermeant thiol‐specific oxidizing compound 5,5′‐dithio‐bis[2‐nitrobenzoic acid] (DTNB). In the presence of hypoxia, the K0.5 for activation of IKs by Iso was significantly decreased from 18.3 to 1.9 nm. DTT mimicked the effect of hypoxia on the sensitivity of IKs to Iso while DTNB had no effect. Hypoxia increased the sensitivity of IKs to histamine and forskolin suggesting that the effect of hypoxia is not occurring at the β‐adrenergic receptor. The increase in sensitivity of IKs to Iso could be attenuated with addition of PKCβ peptide to the pipette solution. While hypoxia and DTT inhibited basal IKs they were without effect on IKr. In addition, Iso did not appear to alter the magnitude of IKr in the absence or presence of hypoxia. These data suggest that hypoxia regulates native IKs through two distinct mechanisms: direct inhibition of basal IKs and an increase in sensitivity to Iso that occurs downstream from the β‐adrenergic receptor. Both mechanisms appear to involve redox modification of thiol groups. In contrast native IKr does not appear to be regulated by Iso, hypoxia or redox state.
Genomic Location and Variation of the Gene for CRS, a Complement Binding Protein in the M57 Strains ofStreptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Binks Michael , McMillan David , Sriprakash Kadaba S.
Published: November 2003

All isolates of serotype M1 of group A streptococci possess a gene for streptococcal inhibitor of complement (SIC) in themgaregulon, which harbors genes for other virulence factors, such as M and M-like proteins, C5a peptidase, and a regulator. In serotype M57 the gene for a protein that is closely related to SIC (crs57) is located outside themgaregulon. We mapped the location of thecrs57gene in six strains ofemm57(gene encoding the M57 protein) sequence types to an intergenic region between the ABC transporter gene (SPy0778) and the gene for a small ribosomal protein (rpsU). The noncoding sequences on both sides ofcrs57exhibited high degrees of identity to the corresponding regions ofsicfrom M1 strains. This included one of the inverted repeat sequences of IS1562but not the insertion element itself. These observations suggest thatcrs57was recently acquired by serotype M57 or its progenitor via horizontal acquisition from serotype M1. The sixemm57sequence type isolates analyzed in this study belong to two distinct molecular types (vir types VT8 and VT101). Although thecrs57sequences from VT8 strains had very few substitution mutations, the VT101crs57sequence had a large number of such mutations. The CRS57 proteins from these strains are secretory products and have the ability to bind to complement proteins. All these proteins contain several tryptophan-rich repeats designated DWS motifs and internal repeat sequences. In all of these structural and biochemical characteristics CRS57 resembles SIC from M1 strains. Hence, CRS57 has a functional role similar to that of SIC in an M1 strain.
SalivaryAntibodies Directed against Outer Membrane Proteins of
Moraxella catarrhalis
in HealthyAdults
Authors: Stutzmann Meier Patricia , Heiniger Nadja , Troller Rolf , Aebi Christoph
Published: November 2003

Moraxella
catarrhalis
is a major mucosal pathogen of the human
respiratory tract, but the mucosal immune response directed against
surface components of this organism has not been characterized in
detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the salivary
immunoglobulin A (IgA) response toward outer membrane proteins (OMP) of
M. catarrhalis
in healthy adults, the group of
individuals least likely to be colonized and thus most likely to
display mucosal immunity. Unstimulated saliva samples collected from 14
healthy adult volunteers were subjected to IgA immunoblot analysis with
OMP preparations of
M. catarrhalis
strain O35E.
Immunoblot analysis revealed a consistent pattern of IgA reactivity,
with the appearance of five major bands located at >250, 200,
120, 80, and 60 kDa. Eleven (79%) of 14 saliva samples elicited
reactivity to all five bands. Immunoblot analysis with a set of
isogenic knockout mutants lacking the expression of individual OMP was
used to determine the identities of OMP giving rise to IgA bands. Human
saliva was shown consistently to exhibit IgA-binding activity for
oligomeric UspA2 (>250 kDa), hemagglutinin (200 kDa), monomeric
UspA1 (120 kDa), transferrin-binding protein B (TbpB), monomeric UspA2,
CopB, and presumably OMP CD. TbpB, oligomeric UspA2, and CopB formed a
cluster of bands at about 80 kDa. These data indicate that the human
salivary IgA response is directed consistently against a small number
of major OMP, some of which are presently considered vaccine
candidates. The functional properties of these mucosal antibodies
remain to be
elucidated.