bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolation of sulfate-reducing bacteria from Tunisian marine sediments and description of Desulfovibrio bizertensis sp. nov.
Authors: Haouari Olfa , Fardeau Marie-Laure , Casalot Laurence , Tholozan Jean-Luc , Hamdi Moktar , Ollivier Bernard
Published: December 2006

Several strains of sulfate-reducing bacteria were isolated from marine sediments recovered near Tunis, Korbous and Bizerte, Tunisia. They all showed characteristics consistent with members of the genus Desulfovibrio. One of these strains, designated MB3T, was characterized further. Cells of strain MB3T were slender, curved, vibrio-shaped, motile, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rods. They were positive for desulfoviridin as bisulfite reductase. Strain MB3T grew at temperatures of 15–45 °C (optimum 40 °C) and at pH 6.0–8.1 (optimum pH 7.0). NaCl was required for growth (optimum 20 g NaCl l−1). Strain MB3T utilized H2 in the presence of acetate with sulfate as electron acceptor. It also utilized lactate, ethanol, pyruvate, malate, fumarate, succinate, butanol and propanol as electron donors. Lactate was oxidized incompletely to acetate. Strain MB3T fermented pyruvate and fumarate (poorly). Electron acceptors utilized included sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur and fumarate, but not nitrate or nitrite. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 51 mol%. On the basis of genotypic, phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain MB3T (=DSM 18034T=NCIMB 14199T) is proposed as the type strain of a novel species, Desulfovibrio bizertensis sp. nov.
Shewanella spongiae sp. nov., isolated from a marine sponge
Authors: Yang Sung-Hyun , Kwon Kae Kyoung , Lee Hee-Soon , Kim Sang-Jin
Published: December 2006

A psychrophilic bacterium, designated strain HJ039T, was isolated from a marine sponge collected in the East Sea of Korea (also known as the Sea of Japan). Cells were Gram-negative, motile and rod-shaped (1.8–3.54 μm×0.27–0.73 μm). Growth was observed between 5 and 26 °C (optimum 15 °C), at pH 5.0–8.5 (optimum pH 6.0–6.5) and in the presence of 0–6.0 % NaCl (optimum 2.0 %). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain HJ039T showed high levels of similarity (93.7–95.4 %) with members of the genus Shewanella, especially with Shewanella gaetbuli TF-27T (95.2 %), Shewanella decolorationis S12T (94.9 %), Shewanella putrefaciens LMG 26268T (94.6 %), Shewanella hafniensis P010T (94.6 %), Shewanella algae ATCC 51192T (94.5 %) and Shewanella kaireitica c931T (94.5 %). However, phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain HJ039T shared a phyletic line with S. algae and Shewanella amazonensis. The major respiratory quinone was Q-8. The DNA G+C content was 52.8 mol%. The major fatty acids were i-13 : 0 (8.5 %), 15 : 0 (4.2 %), i-15 : 0 (23.2 %), i-15 : 1 (7.9 %), 16 : 0 (8.7 %), 16 : 1ω7 (21.0 %) and 17 : 1ω8 (6.4 %). From this polyphasic taxonomic evidence, strain HJ039T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Shewanella, for which the name Shewanella spongiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HJ039T (=KCCM 42304T=JCM 13830T).
Reclassification of Roseomonas fauriae Rihs et al. 1998 as a later heterotypic synonym of Azospirillum brasilense Tarrand et al. 1979
Authors: Helsel Leta O. , Hollis Dannie G. , Steigerwalt Arnold G. , Levett Paul N.
Published: December 2006

The relatedness of Roseomonas fauriae and Azospirillum brasilense was investigated using phenotypic methods and DNA–DNA hybridization. Conventional biochemical tests did not differentiate between the two taxa. DNA–DNA hybridization experiments revealed high values for relatedness between the type strains of these species and suggest that these two taxa constitute a single species. Strains previously identified as R. fauriae should be reclassified as A. brasilense, with the name Roseomonas fauriae as a later heterotypic synonym of Azospirillum brasilense.
Shewanella irciniae sp. nov., a novel member of the family Shewanellaceae, isolated from the marine sponge Ircinia dendroides in the Bay of Villefranche, Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Lee On On , Lau Stanley C. K. , Tsoi Mandy M. Y. , Li Xiancui , Plakhotnikova Ioulia , Dobretsov Sergey , Wu Madeline C. S. , Wong Po-Keung , Weinbauer Markus , Qian Pei-Yuan
Published: December 2006

Strain UST040317-058T, comprising non-pigmented, rod-shaped, facultatively anaerobic, Gram-negative cells that are motile by means of single polar flagella, was isolated from the surface of a marine sponge (Ircinia dendroides) collected from the Mediterranean Sea. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analysis placed the strain in a separate cluster with the recognized bacteriumShewanella algaeIAM 14159T, with which it showed a sequence similarity of 95.0 %. The sequence similarity between strain UST040317-058Tand its other (six) closest relatives ranged from 91.6 to 93.8 %. Strain UST040317-058Tshowed oxidase, catalase and gelatinase activities. The typical respiratory quinones for shewanellas, menaquinone MK-7 and ubiquinones Q-7 and Q-8, were also detected. The predominant fatty acids in strain UST040317-058Twere i15 : 0, 16 : 0, 17 : 1ω8cand summed feature 3 (comprising i15 : 0 2-OH and/or 16 : 1ω7c), altogether representing 56.9 % of the total. The DNA G+C content was 39.9 mol%. The strain could be differentiated from otherShewanellaspecies by its inability to reduce nitrate or produce H2S and by 10–22 additional phenotypic characteristics. On the basis of the phylogenetic and phenotypic data presented in this study, strain UST040317-058Trepresents a novel species in the genusShewanella, for which the nameShewanella irciniaesp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is UST040317-058T(=JCM 13528T=NRRL B-41466T).
Pannonibacter phragmitetus, described from a Hungarian soda lake in 2003, had been recognized several decades earlier from human blood cultures as Achromobacter groups B and E
Authors: Holmes Barry , Segers Paul , Coenye Tom , Vancanneyt Marc , Vandamme Peter
Published: December 2006

We performed a polyphasic taxonomic study on isolates previously tentatively classified as Achromobacter groups B and E in comparison with the type strain of Pannonibacter phragmitetus, LMG 22736T=NCTC 13350T. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis suggested that strains of Achromobacter groups B and E belong to P. phragmitetus (similarity levels were higher than 99 %). DNA–DNA hybridization experiments and other genotypic and phenotypic analyses confirmed that the three taxa represent a single species. Whilst P. phragmitetus was described in 2003 from a Hungarian soda lake, it had been observed in human blood cultures in the UK since 1975. We present here the characteristics of the organism to facilitate its recognition in human clinical specimens and hence to determine its clinical significance.
Flavobacterium glaciei sp. nov., a novel psychrophilic bacterium isolated from the China No.1 glacier
Authors: Zhang De-Chao , Wang He-Xiang , Liu Hong-Can , Dong Xiu-Zhu , Zhou Pei-Jin
Published: December 2006

A novel psychrophilic, yellow-pigmented and obligate aerobic bacterium, strain 0499T, was isolated from the China No.1 glacier. Strain 0499Tdisplayed the common phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features of the genusFlavobacterium, containing menaquinone-6 (MK-6) as the major quinone and C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, C17 : 1ω6cand summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/iso-C15 : 02-OH) as the major fatty acids. Optimal growth occurred at 21 °C. The genomic DNA G+C content was 36.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity showed that strain 0499Twas related to members of the genusFlavobacterium, sharing the highest sequence similarities withFlavobacterium succinicans(97.9 %),Flavobacterium granuli(97.4 %) andFlavobacterium hydatis(97.2 %). On the basis of phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis and DNA–DNA relatedness data, a novel speciesFlavobacterium glacieiis proposed with strain 0499T(=CGMCC 1.5380T=JCM 13953T) as the type strain.
Glaciecola psychrophila sp. nov., a novel psychrophilic bacterium isolated from the Arctic
Authors: Zhang De-Chao , Yu Yong , Chen Bo , Wang He-Xiang , Liu Hong-Can , Dong Xiu-Zhu , Zhou Pei-Jin
Published: December 2006

A novel bacterial strain, designated 170T, was collected from high latitude Arctic locations (77° 30′ N to approximately 81° 12′ N), including the Canadian Basin and Greenland Sea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons showed that strain 170T was related to members of the genus Glaciecola and had the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Glaciecola mesophila. Cells were Gram-negative, psychrophilic, motile rods. The temperature range for growth was 4–15 °C, with optimum growth at 12 °C and at approximately pH 6.0–9.0. Strain 170T contained C16 : 1
ω7c, C16 : 0, C12 : 1 3-OH and C18 : 1
ω7c as major fatty acids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 42.9 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic characterization, phylogenetic analysis and DNA–DNA relatedness data, strain 170T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Glaciecola, for which the name Glaciecola psychrophila is proposed. The type strain is 170T (=CGMCC 1.6130T=JCM 13954T).
Zhouia amylolytica gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from sediment of the South China Sea
Authors: Liu Zhi-Pei , Wang Bao-Jun , Dai Xin , Liu Xing-Yu , Liu Shuang-Jiang
Published: December 2006

Three Gram-negative, non-spore-forming strains were isolated from sediment from the South China Sea, China, and their taxonomic positions were investigated using a polyphasic approach. Strains HN-171T, HN-172 and HN-181 grew optimally at 30 °C, in the presence of 4.5–5.0 NaCl % (w/v) and at pH 7.2–7.4. They contained MK-6 as the predominant respiratory quinone and contained iso-C15 : 1G, iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 4 (iso-C15 : 02-OH and/or C16 : 1ω7c/t) and C15 : 0as the major fatty acids. The DNA G+C content of strain HN-171Twas 34.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that strain HN-171T, together with strains HN-172 and HN-181, formed a distinct evolutionary lineage within the familyFlavobacteriaceae. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains HN-171T, HN-172 and HN-181 shared 99.8–100 % similarity with each other, and the sequence of strain HN-171Texhibited similarity values below 90.2 % with those of other members of the familyFlavobacteriaceae. The closest relative of HN-171TwasCoenonia anatinaLMG 14382T(90.2 %). On the basis of their phenotypic and phylogenetic properties, the three isolates represent a novel genus and a novel species, for which the nameZhouia amylolyticagen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HN-171T(=CGMCC 1.6114T=JCM 14016T).
iNOS‐dependent DNA damage in patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma in relation to prognosis
Authors: Hoki Yoko , Hiraku Yusuke , Ma Ning , Murata Mariko , Matsumine Akihiko , Nagahama Masato , Shintani Ken , Uchida Atsumasa , Kawanishi Shosuke
Published: December 2006

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas. MFH has been proposed to be a lesion accompanied with inflammatory responses. During chronic inflammation, reactive nitrogen and oxygen species generated from inflammatory cells are considered to participate in carcinogenesis by causing DNA damage. 8‐nitroguanine is a mutagenic nitrative DNA lesion formed during chronic inflammation. We examined whether nitrative DNA damage is related to the prognosis of MFH patients. We performed immunohistochemical analyses to examine the distribution of DNA damage and the expression of inflammation‐related molecules including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB), and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) in clinical specimens from 25 patients with MFH. We also analyzed the correlation of DNA damage or the expression of these genes with the prognosis of MFH patients. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the formation of 8‐nitroguanine and 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydro‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐oxodG), an oxidative DNA lesion, occurred to a much greater extent in MFH tissue specimens from deceased patients than in live patients. iNOS, NF‐κB and COX‐2 were colocalized with 8‐nitroguanine in MFH tissues. It is noteworthy that the statistical analysis using the Kaplan‐Meier method demonstrated strong 8‐nitroguanine staining to be associated with a poor prognosis. In conclusion, 8‐nitroguanine appears to participate in not only the initiation and promotion of MFH, but also in the progression of MFH, and could therefore be used as a promising biomarker to evaluate the prognosis of cancer patients. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 163–168)
Reliability of the peptide nucleic acid‐locked nucleic acid polymerase chain reaction clamp‐based test for epidermal growth factor receptor mutations integrated into the clinical practice for non‐small cell lung cancers
Authors: Tanaka Tomoaki , Nagai Yoshiaki , Miyazawa Hitoshi , Koyama Nobuyuki , Matsuoka Suguru , Sutani Akihisa , Huqun  , Udagawa Kiyoshi , Murayama Yoshitake , Nagata Makoto , Shimizu Yoshihiko , Ikebuchi Kenji , Kanazawa Minoru , Kobayashi Kunihiko , Hagiwara Koichi
Published: December 2006

Gefitinib is an inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Accumulating evidence suggests that gefitinib may provide a survival benefit to EGFR mutation‐positive non‐small lung cancer patients. We have established a clinical test that can detect EGFR mutations from cytological specimens or paraffin‐embedded tissue specimens that are contaminated by normal cells. This test is based on the peptide nucleic acid, locked nucleic acid polymerase chain reaction clamp method that can detect G719S, G719C, L858R, L861Q and seven different exon 19 deletions in the presence of 100–1000‐fold wild‐type alleles. Consequently, using a small aliquot of samples isolated to establish a cancer diagnosis, the EGFR mutation status is determined soon after the diagnosis of cancer is made. We investigated the EGFR mutation status in 86 patients using a variety of cytological specimens (59 bronchoscopy specimens, 16 pleural effusion, 9 sputum, and 2 pericardial effusion) and in 46 patients who had a disease relapse and paraffin‐embedded tissues were available. Forty‐five patients (34%) were positive for mutation (29 exon 19 deletions, 16 L858R and 1 L861Q). The sensitivity and the specificity of this test was 97% and 100%, respectively. EGFR mutation status thereby obtained was used to determine each patient's therapeutic regimen. This test is easily integrated into the normal clinical practice for lung cancer, while allowing the medical staff to select therapeutic regimen depending on the EGFR mutation status. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 246–252)
Influence of histological type, smoking history and chemotherapy on survival after first‐line therapy in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Itaya Toru , Yamaoto Nobuyuki , Ando Masahiko , Ebisawa Masako , Nakamura Yukiko , Murakami Haruyasu , Asai Gyo , Endo Masahiro , Takahashi Toshiaki
Published: December 2006

The usual primary endpoint in clinical trials for first‐line chemotherapy in advanced non‐small cell lung cancer is overall survival. Second‐line chemotherapy can also prolong overall survival. Non‐smoking history has been associated with a treatment effect for epidermal growth factor receptor‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR‐TKI) versus placebo for overall survival. We performed a retrospective analysis to identify prognostic factors for progression‐free survival and overall survival in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer treated with first‐line carboplatin/paclitaxel, and to examine the effect of second‐line therapy on progression‐free survival and overall survival. Ninety‐eight patients (median age 61 years, 35 female, 74 adenocarcinoma, 68 smokers, 56 performance status 0) fulfilled our criteria, of which 75 patients (78%) received more than second‐line therapy (docetaxel [54%] gefitinib [48%] erlotinib [4%]). For overall survival, smoking history and histology were significant prognostic factors. The 2‐year overall survival rates were as follows: smokers, 17%; non‐smokers, 52%, P < 0.0001; adenocarcinoma, 40%; other 15%, P = 0.0017. Multivariate analysis in patients who received second‐line therapy showed treatment with EGFR‐TKI was an independent predictor of overall survival. Smoking history and adenocarcinoma histology were prognostic factors for an improved outcome with carboplatin/paclitaxel in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer. Our study results suggest that the use of EGFR‐TKI after first‐line treatment may be associated with an improvement in overall survival. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 226–230)
Person‐centred planning: factors associated with successful outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Robertson J. , Emerson E. , Hatton C. , Elliott J. , McIntosh B. , Swift P. , Krinjen‐Kemp E. , Towers C. , Romeo R. , Knapp M. , Sanderson H. , Routledge M. , Oakes P. , Joyce T.
Published: December 2006

Background  Recent research in the USA and UK indicates that person‐centred planning (PCP) can lead to improvements in lifestyle‐related outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities (ID). It is clear, however, that the introduction of PCP does not have an equal impact for all participants. The aim of the present paper was to identify factors associated with the probability of delivering a plan and with improvements in outcomes for those who did receive a plan.

Methods  Information on the life experiences of participants was collected over a period of approximately 2 years for a cohort of 93 adults with ID.

Results  There were powerful inequalities in both access to and the efficacy of PCP in relation to participant characteristics, contextual factors and elements of the PCP process.

Conclusions  Results are discussed in relation to implications for policy and practice for increasing the effectiveness of PCP and reducing inequalities in the life experiences of people with ID.
Polymerization of SopA partition ATPase: regulation by DNA binding and SopB
Authors: Bouet Jean‐Yves , Ah‐Seng Yoan , Benmeradi Nacer , Lane David
Published: December 2006

In bacteria, mitotic stability of plasmids and many chromosomes depends on replicon‐specific systems which comprise a centromere, a centromere‐binding protein and an ATPase. Dynamic self‐assembly of the ATPase appears to enable active partition of replicon copies into cell‐halves, but for most ATPases (the Walker‐box type) the mechanism is unknown. Also unknown is how the host cell contributes to partition. We have examined the effects of non‐sequence‐specific DNA on in vitro self‐assembly of the SopA partition ATPase of plasmid F. SopA underwent polymerization provided ATP was present. DNA inhibited this polymerization and caused breakdown of pre‐formed polymers. Centromere‐binding protein SopB counteracted DNA‐mediated inhibition by itself binding to and masking the DNA, as well as by stimulating polymerization directly. The results suggest that in vivo, SopB smothers DNA by spreading from sopC, allowing SopA‐ATP polymerization which initiates plasmid displacement. We propose that SopB and nucleoid DNA regulate SopA polymerization and hence partition.
A patatin‐like protein protects Toxoplasma gondii from degradation in activated macrophages
Authors: Mordue Dana G. , Scott‐Weathers Casey F. , Tobin Crystal M. , Knoll Laura J.
Published: December 2006

The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is able to suppress nitric oxide production in activated macrophages. A screen of over 6000 T. gondii insertional mutants identified two clones, which were consistently unable to suppress nitric oxide production from activated macrophages. One strain, called 89B7, grew at the same rate as wild‐type parasites in naïve macrophages, but unlike wild type, the mutant was degraded in activated macrophages. This degradation was marked by a reduction in the number of parasites within vacuoles over time, the loss of GRA4 and SAG1 protein staining by immunofluorescence assay, and the vesiculation and breakdown of the internal parasite ultrastructure by electron microscopy. The mutagenesis plasmid in the 89B7 clone disrupts the promoter of a 3.4 kb mRNA that encodes a predicted 68 kDa protein with a cleavable signal peptide and a patatin‐like phospholipase domain. Genetic complementation with the genomic locus of this patatin‐like protein restores the parasites ability to suppress nitric oxide and replicate in activated macrophages. A haemagglutinin‐tagged version of this patatin‐like protein shows punctate localization into atypical T. gondii structures within the parasite. This is the first study that defines a specific gene product that is needed for parasite survival in activated but not naïve macrophages.
Management of liver hemangiomas according to size and symptoms
Authors: Erdogan Deha , Busch Olivier RC , Van Delden Otto M , Bennink Roelof J , Ten Kate Fiebo JW , Gouma Dirk J , Van Gulik Thomas M
Published: December 2006

Background and Aim:  Liver hemangiomas are the most common benign liver tumors. These lesions are usually incidental findings during imaging studies of the abdomen performed for other reasons. The indication for surgical resection of these lesions remains controversial.

Methods:  Records of patients referred for evaluation of radiologically and/or histopathologically proven liver hemangiomas, from June 1991 to February 2006, were retrospectively analyzed. Reason for referral, results of imaging studies, and surgical treatment and outcome were reviewed.

Results:  There were 34 patients identified. The hemangioma size was <5 cm in 15 patients (44%) and >5 cm in 19 patients. The most common reason for referral was right upper abdominal pain in 59% (20/34) of patients. Abdominal ultrasound was conclusive in 66.7% (16/24) and four‐phase computed tomography (CT) in 82.6% (19/23) of patients. Surgical resection was undertaken in 14 patients (41%) after a mean follow‐up time of 36.5 months. The indication for treatment was progressive abdominal pain in 78.6% (11/14). Mean size of resected lesions was larger compared to non‐resected lesions (10.3 vs 4.8 cm; P = 0.004). Postoperative morbidity occurred in three patients (21.4%). One patient had persisting abdominal pain after resection of an 8‐cm hemangioma. Twenty patients were observed and showed no complications related to the liver hemangioma during follow‐up.

Conclusions:  Liver hemangiomas can be readily diagnosed by ultrasound or multiphase contrast‐enhanced helical CT. The indications for surgical resection are progressive abdominal pain in combination with size >5 cm. Observation is justified in patients with minimal or no symptoms, even in patients with giant hemangiomas.
Defective triggering of secondary peristalsis in patients with non‐erosive reflux disease
Authors: Iwakiri Katsuhiko , Hayashi Yoshinori , Kotoyori Makoto , Tanaka Yuriko , Kawami Noriyuki , Sano Hirohito , Takubo Kaiyo , Sakamoto Choitsu , Holloway Richard H
Published: December 2006

Background and Aim:  The pathophysiology of non‐erosive reflux disease is poorly understood. Triggering of secondary peristalsis is impaired in patients with erosive esophagitis but data in patients with non‐erosive reflux disease are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference in esophageal motility between patients with non‐erosive reflux disease and healthy subjects.

Methods:  Twenty patients with non‐erosive reflux disease, with reflux symptoms occurring more than twice per week, and 20 healthy subjects of comparable age and sex underwent esophageal manometry. Primary peristalsis was tested with 10 swallows of a 5‐mL water bolus. Secondary peristalsis was triggered by esophageal distention using a 20‐mL air bolus, which was injected rapidly into the mid‐esophagus. After 20 s, each stimulus was followed by a dry swallow to clear any residual air and then each stimulus was repeated five times.

Results:  Basal lower esophageal sphincter pressure, pressure wave amplitude in the upper, middle and lower esophagus, wave velocity and the rates of successful primary peristalsis were similar in non‐erosive reflux disease patients and controls. The rate of triggering of secondary peristalsis in patients with non‐erosive reflux disease (median 20%, interquartile range 0–40%) was significantly lower (P < 0.0001) than that in healthy subjects (90%, 70–100%). When secondary peristalsis occurred in patients with non‐erosive reflux disease, however, there were no differences in the amplitude and velocity of secondary peristalsis between the groups.

Conclusions:  Triggering of secondary peristalsis is defective in non‐erosive reflux disease. This could lead to prolongation of the contact time between refluxed gastric acid and esophageal mucosa thereby leading to symptoms.
PPAR agonists treatment is effective in a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease animal model by modulating fatty‐acid metabolic enzymes
Authors: Seo Yeon Seok , Kim Ji Hoon , Jo Nam Young , Choi Kyung Mook , Baik Sei Hyun , Park Jong‐Jae , Kim Jae Seon , Byun Kwan Soo , Bak Young‐Tae , Lee Chang Hong , Kim AeRee , Yeon Jong Eun
Published: December 2006

Background and Aims:  In a previous study, the authors found that reduced expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐α might play an important role in developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of PPAR‐α and ‐γ agonists on NAFLD and verify the mechanisms underlying the PPAR‐α and ‐γ agonist‐induced improvements by evaluating the hepatic gene expression profile involved in fatty‐acid metabolism, using the Otsuka–Long Evans–Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rat.

Methods:  Rats were assigned to a control group (group I), fatty liver group (group II), PPAR‐α agonist treatment group (group III), or PPAR‐γ agonist treatment group (group IV). Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured. Liver tissues from each group were processed for histological and gene expression analysis. mRNAs of enzymes involved in fatty‐acid metabolism and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α were measured.

Results:  After 28 weeks treatment with PPAR‐α or ‐γ agonist, steatosis of the liver was improved in groups III and IV compared with group II. Fasting blood glucose levels were significantly lower in groups III and IV than in group II. In group III, mRNA expression of fatty‐acid β‐oxidation enzymes, such as fatty‐acid transport protein (FATP), fatty‐acid binding protein, carnitine palmitoyltransferase II, medium‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD), long‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase, and acyl‐CoA oxidase, was significantly increased. However, the treatment‐induced modulation of fatty‐acid β‐oxidation enzymes was confined to FATP and MCAD in group IV. TNF‐α tended to be reduced in groups III and IV compared with group II.

Conclusions:  Treatment with PPAR agonists, especially a PPAR‐α agonist, improved the histological and biochemical parameters in the OLETF rat model by inducing fatty‐acid metabolic enzymes.
Impact of sleep disturbances in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Ranjbaran Ziba , Keefer Laurie , Farhadi Ashkan , Stepanski Edward , Sedghi Shahriar , Keshavarzian Ali
Published: December 2006

Background:  Normal sleep is paramount for a healthy lifestyle and high quality of life. Sleep modulates the immune system and thus affects the course of several chronic inflammatory conditions. There are no reported studies that address the role of sleep disturbance in the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to characterize sleep disturbance in IBD using validated measures of sleep and quality of life.

Methods:   A self‐administered, mail‐in questionnaire package was sent to 205 subjects after a brief instruction. The questionnaire package was composed of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a measure of disease severity and the IBD‐Quality of Life Questionnaire. A total of 119 subjects were recruited (58% response rate): 80 with inactive IBD, 24 with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and 15 healthy controls.

Results:  The IBD subjects reported significantly prolonged sleep latency, frequent sleep fragmentation, higher rate of using sleeping pills, decreased day‐time energy, increased tiredness and poor overall sleep quality compared to healthy controls. The abnormal sleep patterns in IBD subjects were similar to IBS subjects. The reported sleep quality was correlated with IBD disease severity score (r2 = 0.55, P = 0.02). Both IBD and IBS subjects thought that sleep and their disease status were correlated.

Conclusion:  The results show that IBD patients have significant sleep disturbance even when their disease is not active. This problem might affect quality of life, gastrointestinal symptoms and coping ability, and might potentially modify disease severity or increase risk of flare‐up. Regardless of the primary or secondary origin of this problem, sleep disturbance should be addressed in the clinical management of patients with IBD.
Rat control and breeding performance in Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea): effects of poisoning effort and habitat features
Authors: Igual J. M. , Forero M. G. , Gomez T. , Orueta J. F. , Oro D.
Published: December 2006

Introduced predators are one of the main threats to island avifaunas. However, the magnitude of their impact in the Mediterranean has not often been studied. This is the case for the introduced alien black rats Rattus rattus, the most destructive predator of seabirds in the Mediterranean. Here, we analyse the impact of black rats on the breeding performance of Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea breeding at the Chafarinas Islands, an archipelago with a very high density of rats. An intensive rat control campaign (through anticoagulant poison) was carried out during 1999–2004 at two shearwater sub‐colonies with contrasting habitat features (vegetated vs. rocky). Breeding success of Cory's shearwaters increased in proportion to the effort of rat control. Such increase was mainly due to a decline in black rat predation on chicks, while eggs losses remained constant throughout the period. We found a differential effectiveness of rat control in each sub‐colony. The increase in breeding success after rat control was higher in the sub‐colony with lower breeding success (the vegetated habitat), but this parameter never reached the values shown by the other sub‐colony (the rocky habitat). Our results suggest that habitat characteristics of each case of study must be taken into account when designing and evaluating specific rat control programs.
Gamebird vulnerability to forest fragmentation: patch occupancy of the crested guineafowl (Guttera edouardi) in Afromontane forests
Authors: Lawes M. J. , Fly S. , Piper S. E.
Published: December 2006

The forest‐restricted and social crested guineafowlGuttera edouardiis believed to be declining in Afromontane forests due to the fragmentation of its habitat. Incidence functions, derived from presence/absence data from 82 forests, were used to investigate area, isolation and environmental/anthropogenic effects on guineafowl patch occupancy and persistence. The incident probability of the guineafowl increased significantly with increasing area, but was invariant with increasing isolation distance from a putative mainland source patch. Most large patches (>24 ha, mean of occupied patches=192 ha), comprising 22% of those surveyed, were occupied. From incidence functions the estimated minimum viable patch size, at which the extinction probability was unity, was 33 ha. Guineafowl were less likely to be present in forests close (<0.5 km) to human dwellings. Apart from the proximity of a patch to dwellings, all other environmental factors had no significant effect on occupancy patterns. However, because of their large home‐range area requirements, the guineafowl are more vulnerable to fragmentation effects, especially area effects, than most forest songbird species. Although reluctant dispersers, crested guineafowl appear to persist in mainland–island metapopulations with low immigration rates. The crested guineafowl is not under immediate threat of regional extinction and current populations are not too isolated to create a sound mainland–island metapopulation network.
A new method to identify important conservation areas applied to the butterflies of the Aegean Islands (Greece)
Authors: Fattorini S.
Published: December 2006

Selection of priority areas in conservation biology should incorporate an evaluation of the contribution of imperilled species to the total species richness. To rank areas according to their conservation value, a new index – termed biodiversity conservation concern (BCC) – is proposed. This index combines the conservation status of each species belonging to a given species assemblage with the total species richness. In the BCC index, species are classified into categories of endangerment and weighted by the respective risk of extinction. The new method is applied here to the butterflies of the Aegean Islands (Greece) using different (national and international) red lists. Results were consistent with both classifications based on multivariate analyses and findings from other researches. The BCC index has two important features: it assigns a biodiversity value to an area based on many species, and it facilitates multi‐species assessments of ecological effects.
Estimation of the nesting season of marine turtles from incomplete data: statistical adjustment of a sinusoidal function
Authors: Gratiot N. , Gratiot J. , Kelle L. , de Thoisy B.
Published: December 2006

Because of logistical and financial constraints, nest counts of marine turtles are often limited in time and space. To overcome this difficulty, we developed a numerical model that fits the seasonal pattern of marine turtles nesting from complete or fragmented datasets. The duration of the main nesting season, the position and amplitude of its maximum as well as the residual number of nests, outside of the main season are obtained numerically by a least square adjustment. For the seven complete time series at our disposal (Dermochelys coriacea and Lepidochelys olivacea turtles, coast of French Guiana), the model reproduces the seasonal pattern with a correlation of r≥0.97. When applied on a fragmented dataset, the model accuracy depends on the duration and on the temporal distribution of the monitoring (effort equally distributed during the entire season or concentrated on a part of it only). As a result of this study, we clearly advocate a strategy of monitoring distributed all over the nesting season. Following this recommendation, the model estimates the annual number of nests with a median error lower than 10% when considering only 50 days of monitoring.
Advanced‐glycation end products (AGEs) derived from glycated albumin suppress early β1‐adrenergic preconditioning
Authors: Robinet Arnaud , Alouane Loubna , Hoizey Guillaume , Millart Hervé
Published: December 2006

Ischemic heart disease in diabetic patients might be linked to the accumulation of advanced‐glycation end products (AGEs). In ischemic rat hearts, expression of receptor for AGEs and its ligands is significantly enhanced and involved in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury even in the absence of diabetes. It has recently been reported that diabetic human myocardium cannot be protected by preconditioning. In this context, our hypothesis was that β1‐adrenergic preconditioning might be altered in the presence of AGEs. Using an isolated non‐working rat heart model, this study investigated the effect of AGEs on cardioprotection induced by transient β1‐adrenoceptor (β1‐AR) stimulation with xamoterol (Xa). After 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) pre‐treatment and a 20‐min stabilization period, hearts were perfused at constant pressure for 20 min, then subjected to 40 min of global ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion (I/R, Ctrl); and exposed to 0.01 μm Xa for 5 min framed with or without 15.2 μm albumin (Alb) or glycated albumin (Gly Alb). The main endpoints were the mean coronary flow (MCF), the left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure (LVEDP), rate‐pressure product (RPP) and creatine kinase (CK) release and necrosis area. XA induced an increase in the MCF after I/R (t = 85 min), a protective effect on the LVEDP, an improvement in RPP, a decrease of CK release during reperfusion and a reduction of necrotic area. The beneficial effects induced by Xa during reperfusion were suppressed by the administration of Gly Alb during Xa infusion, whereas Alb did not hamper Xa‐induced protection. These results suggest that AGEs suppress the cardioprotection resulting from the activation of β1‐ARs and thus might contribute to cardiovascular damages seen in diabetic patients.
Effect of resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin, on thermal hyperalgesia in a mouse model of diabetic neuropathic pain
Authors: Sharma Sameer , Kulkarni Shrinivas K. , Chopra Kanwaljit
Published: December 2006

Diabetic neuropathic pain, an important microvascular complication in diabetes mellitus, has been recognized as one of the most difficult types of pain to treat. The underlying mechanisms of painful symptoms may be closely associated with hyperglycaemia but a lack of the understanding of its proper aetiology, inadequate relief, development of tolerance and potential toxicity of classical antinociceptives warrant the investigation of the newer agents to relieve this pain. The aim of the present study was to explore the antinociceptive effect of resveratrol on diabetic neuropathic pain and to examine its effect on serum tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and whole brain nitric oxide (NO) release. Four weeks after a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 200 mg/kg), mice were tested in the tail immersion and hot‐plate assays. Diabetic mice exhibited significant hyperalgesia along with increased plasma glucose and decreased body weights when compared with control mice. Daily treatment with resveratrol (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight; p.o.) for 4 weeks starting from the 4th week of STZ injection significantly attenuated thermal hyperalgesia. Resveratrol also decreased the serum TNF‐α levels and whole brain NO release in a dose‐dependent manner. These results point towards the potential of resveratrol in attenuating diabetic neuropathic pain.
Vasorelaxant effect of iloprost on isolated human internal mammary artery
Authors: Serbest M.O. , Soner B.C. , Sariosmanoglu O.N. , Kalkan S. , Guven H. , Ugurlu B. , Hazan E. , Oto O.
Published: December 2006

In this study, vasodilator effect of iloprost on KCl‐induced contraction in human internal mammary artery (IMA) was studied and compared with other vasodilators papaverin and diltiazem. Ring segments of IMA were studied in organ baths for measurement of isometric tension. After the tissues has reached their baseline tension, precontraction was induced by 100 mm KCl and cumulative concentration–relaxation was measured by the application of iloprost (10−9–10−6 m), papaverine (10−5–10−4 m), diltiazem (10−9–10−4 m) or ethanol; a solvent for iloprost; alone. The maximal relaxation of IMA segments to iloprost was 13.5 ± 2.2%. Iloprost caused significantly limited relaxation when compared with papaverin (106.0 ± 2.9%) and diltiazem (93.6 ± 2.5%) (P < 0.001). Papaverin produced the greatest maximal relaxation to KCl‐induced contraction of IMA. The potency of iloprost (−log EC50 = 6.59 ± 0.19) was significantly higher than those of papaverine (−log EC50 = 4.21 ± 0.11) and diltiazem (−log EC50 = 5.63 ± 0.06) (P < 0.001). In addition, −log EC50 of diltiazem was significantly greater than papaverin (P < 0.001). Iloprost appears to be more potent than those of papaverine and diltiazem but it was inefficient in maximal inhibition on KCl‐induced contraction. Iloprost may have little benefit in KCl‐related vasoconstriction on human IMA segments.
Contractile and relaxant properties of rat‐isolated pulmonary veins related to localization and histology
Authors: Bronquard Cécile , Maupoil Véronique , Arbeille Brigitte , Fetissof Franck , Findlay Ian , Cosnay Pierre , Freslon Jean‐Louis
Published: December 2006

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro vasomotor properties of rat extra‐and intralobar pulmonary veins (PVs) related to their localization and to assess the modulatory role of endothelium on these properties. Segments from PVs were mounted in small vessel myograph and stretched at various diameters (D10, D20, D30) corresponding to intraluminal pressures of 10, 20 or 30 mmHg. At D10 or D20, contractile responses to phenylephrine, U46619 and angiotensin II of distal intralobar part of PVs were smaller compared with those of proximal extralobar part, but no longer different when distal part was stretched at D30. When submitted to an NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, distal part of PV relaxed more strongly when stretched at D30 compared with D10. Acetylcholine and bradykinin were devoid of relaxing effect on distal parts stretched at D10, but in contrast to acetylcholine, bradykinin slightly relaxed preparations stretched at D30. Isoprenaline strongly relaxed PVs (∼80% of initial precontraction), with the distal part exhibiting a higher sensitivity to the agonist compared with the proximal part. This relaxation was also observed with salbutamol and suppressed with ICI 118551, which is in favour of the involvement of β2‐adrenoceptors in this effect. Preincubation of the preparations with NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (10−4 m) and indomethacin (10−5 m) did not modify the contractile responses to U46619, nor the relaxing response to isoprenaline, which support that endothelium does not appear to play a significant modulatory role in these responses. Histological and electron microscopical examinations of proximal and distal sections of the same vein show that the layers of smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes were thicker in the proximal compared with the distal part. This study shows that, because of morphological heterogeneity of the PVs, the site of dissection and the initial condition of tension can play a significant role upon the sensitivity and the magnitude of the responses to both contractile and relaxing agonists.
Sex‐specific mass loss in chick‐rearing South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki– stress induced or adaptive?
Authors: RITZ MARKUS S.
Published: December 2006

Mass loss of chick‐rearing birds can be the direct consequence of physiological stress (reproductive stress hypothesis) or an adaptive mass adjustment in response to the increased demands on flight efficiency during the flight‐intensive chick‐rearing period (adaptive mass loss hypothesis). To test which of these hypotheses best explains mass loss in South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki rearing chicks, a food supplementation experiment was carried out in the austral summer 2000/01 at King George Island, Antarctica. Half of the breeding pairs were fed about 20% of the chick's daily energy demand every second day and chick growth and adult nest attendance were recorded. Parents were caught at the start and the end of chick‐rearing to calculate adult mass loss. Male parents of food‐supplemented pairs attended their nest territories more than control males but females kept their attendance constant. Chick growth was only minimally affected and the treatment probably had no fitness consequences. Male Skuas in control pairs had a higher deviation from the body size–mass regression at the end of chick‐rearing compared with the start, supporting the stress hypothesis, whereas female deviation remained unchanged. Males of food‐supplemented pairs were heavier than unsupplemented males at the end of the breeding cycle but not significantly so. Food‐supplemented females were lighter at the end, supporting the adaptive mass loss hypothesis. Adult mass loss is thus best explained by the reproductive stress hypothesis in males but by the adaptive mass loss hypothesis in females. However, the two hypotheses are not mutually exclusive and the results do not exclude the possibility that mass loss in females is stress‐induced but the amount of mass lost is an adaptive adjustment to the reliability of the food supply. The finding that members of a breeding pair may follow different strategies of mass adjustment has implications for the use of mass loss as an index of parental effort. Without knowing which strategy each sex has adopted it is of little use to compare mass loss between parents.
The role of forest maturation in causing the decline of Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix
Authors: PEARCE‐HIGGINS JAMES W. , GRANT MURRAY C. , ROBINSON MARTIN C. , HAYSOM SUSAN L.
Published: December 2006

Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix in Britain have declined through the 20th century, and most birds are now in Scotland. Many causes for this decline have been suggested, notably agricultural intensification, increased grazing levels and moorland afforestation. We examine habitat correlates of Black Grouse distribution and population change from a 700‐km2 area in the core of the Scottish range, where the numbers of lekking male Black Grouse declined by an estimated 70% to 270 between 1990 and 2002. Habitat data were derived from satellite imagery, in combination with map and field‐collected data. Lek occurrence, lek size and changes in lek size were all correlated with forest structure, either positively with the amount of pre‐thicket forest cover, or negatively with closed canopy cover. Additional effects of the cover of grass moor and dry heath suggest that Black Grouse are most likely to occur where moorland comprises Heather Calluna vulgaris and grass mosaics. Analysis of the change in Black Grouse abundance within 1.5 km of discrete forest blocks suggests that forest maturation, which has been the dominant habitat change during the course of the study, alone accounts for 58–78% of the decline. Given the close association of Black Grouse and the occurrence of woodland (and particularly conifer plantation) throughout much of their British range, these findings can be used to inform the design of management schemes for the recovery of Black Grouse.
Fatal Inappropriate ICD Shock
Authors: VELTMANN CHRISTIAN , BORGGREFE MARTIN , SCHIMPF RAINER , WOLPERT CHRISTIAN
Published: December 2006

Introduction: Inappropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy carries a low but relevant risk of ventricular proarrhythmia. In the present case, the extremely rare event of a fatal arrhythmia caused by inappropriate therapy is reported. Dislodgement of the ventricular lead to the level of the tricuspid annulus led to additional sensing of the atrial signal during sinus tachycardia. Spuriously, ventricular fibrillation was sensed and induced inappropriate ICD shocks. The fourth inappropriate shock caused ventricular fibrillation, which was subsequently undersensed by the dislodged lead due to low ventricular amplitudes. The ICD started antibradycardic pacing during ventricular fibrillation. After initial successful resuscitation, the patient died 1 week later due to severe hypoxic brain damage. Although not preventable in the present case, it underlines the necessity of immediate interrogation of the ICD after ICD therapy and deactivation of the ICD in the setting of a dislodged endocardial lead and intensive care monitoring of the patient until revision.