bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exogenous TERC alone can enhance proliferative potential, telomerase activity and telomere length in lymphocytes from dyskeratosis congenita patients
Authors: Kirwan Michael , Beswick Richard , Vulliamy Tom , Nathwani Amit C. , Walne Amanda J. , Casimir Colin , Dokal Inderjeet
Published: November 2008

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited multi‐system disorder characterised by muco‐cutaneous abnormalities, bone marrow failure and a predisposition to malignancy. Bone marrow failure is the principal cause of mortality and is thought to be the result of premature cell death in the haematopoietic compartment because DC cells age prematurely and tend to have short telomeres. DC is genetically heterogeneous and patients have mutations in genes that encode components of the telomerase complex (DKC1, TERC, TERT, NOP10 and NHP2), and telomere shelterin complex (TINF2), both important in telomere maintenance. Here, we transduced primary T lymphocytes and B lymphocyte lines established from patients with TERC and DKC1 mutations with wild type TERC‐bearing lentiviral vectors. We found that transduction with exogenous TERC alone was capable of increasing telomerase activity in mutant T lymphocytes and B lymphocyte lines and improved the survival and thus overall growth of B‐lymphocyte lines over a prolonged period, regardless of their disease mutation. Telomeres in TERC‐treated lines were longer than in the untreated cultures. This is the first study of its kind in DC lymphocytes and the first to demonstrate that transduction with TERC alone can improve cell survival and telomere length without the need for exogenous TERT.
Early‐life rotavirus and norovirus infections in relation to development of atopic manifestation in infants
Authors: Reimerink J. , Stelma F. , Rockx B. , Brouwer D. , Stobberingh E. , Van Ree R. , Dompeling E. , Mommers M. , Thijs C. , Koopmans M.
Published: November 2008

Background
The increase in incidence of atopic diseases (ADs) in the developed world over the past decades has been associated with reduced exposure of childhood infections.

Objective
To investigate the relation between early intestinal viral infections in relation to the development of atopic symptoms (eczema, wheeze and atopic sensitization) in the first and second year(s) of life.

Methods
In the KOALA Birth Cohort Study, we assessed IgG seropositivity for rota‐ and norovirus (GGI.1 and GGII.4) at 1 year of age. This was related to allergic sensitization [specific immunoglobulin E (IgE)] at 1 and 2 years, and parent reported eczema and wheeze in the first 2 years, using logistic regression analysis adjusted for confounders.

Results
Rotavirus seropositivity (39%) was associated with an unexpected higher risk of recurrent wheeze in the first and second year of life [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.1 and 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.1–9.1] and persistent and new recurrent wheeze (adjusted OR 2.7 and 95% CI 1.1–6.2). No further associations were found between intestinal viral seropositivity and atopic manifestations.

Conclusion
Our data did not show a clear protection by enteric viral infections in young children on development of IgE response to allergens, but rotavirus infection in the first year was a risk factor for wheeze. However, this needs to be followed up to older ages in order to establish the true importance of intestinal viral infections and especially cumulative effects in AD aetiology. Exposure to rotavirus may offer a new and interesting focus on infant wheeze and later asthma development.
Retracted: Activation of facultatively silenced Drosophila loci associates with increased acetylation of histone H2AvD
Authors: Tanabe Masahiko , Kouzmenko Alexander P. , Ito Saya , Sawatsubashi Shun , Suzuki Eriko , Fujiyama Sally , Yamagata Kaoru , Zhao Yue , Kimura Shuhei , Ueda Takashi , Murata Takuya , Matsukawa Hiroyuki , Takeyama Ken‐ichi , Kato Shigeaki
Published: November 2008

H2A.Z is an evolutionarily highly conserved non‐allelic variant of histone H2A. H2A.Z and its homologues have been shown to involve in both chromatin silencing and activation. Although much of our knowledge of H2A.Z biological activity has come from studies on its yeast homologue Htz1, H2A.Z appears to have more complex and diverse functions in higher eukaryotes. To investigate the involvement of H2AvD, a Drosophila homologue of mammalian H2A.Z, in mechanisms of conditional activation of facultatively silenced genes, we generated transgenic Drosophila lines expressing H2AvD fused at the C‐ or N‐terminus with the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Using heat shock‐induced gene activation and polytene chromosome puff formation as an in vivo model system, we analyzed effects of H2AvD termini modifications on transcription. We found that N‐terminally fused GFP inhibited H2AvD acetylation and impaired heat shock‐induced puff formation and hsp70 gene activation. Our data suggest that the N‐terminal region of H2AvD plays a pivotal role in transcriptional activation and that induction of transiently silenced Drosophila loci associates with increased acetylation of H2AvD.
Functionally important structural elements of the cyanobacterial clock‐related protein Pex
Authors: Kurosawa Shunsuke , Murakami Reiko , Onai Kiyoshi , Morishita Megumi , Hasegawa Daisuke , Iwase Ryo , Uzumaki Tatsuya , Hayashi Fumio , Kitajima‐Ihara Tomomi , Sakata Shuhei , Murakami Midori , Kouyama Tsutomu , Ishiura Masahiro
Published: November 2008

Pex, a clock‐related protein involved in the input pathway of the cyanobacterial circadian clock system, suppresses the expression of clock gene kaiA and lengthens the circadian period. Here, we determined the crystal structure of Anabaena Pex (AnaPex; Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120) and Synechococcus Pex (SynPex; Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942). Pex is a homodimer that forms a winged‐helix structure. Using the DNase I protection and electrophoresis mobility shift assays on a Synechococcus kaiA upstream region, we identified a minimal 25‐bp sequence that contained an imperfectly inverted repeat sequence as the Pex‐binding sequence. Based on crystal structure, we predicted the amino acid residues essential for Pex's DNA‐binding activity and examined the effects of various Ala‐substitutions in the α3 helix and wing region of Pex on in vitro DNA‐binding activity and in vivo rhythm functions. Mutant AnaPex proteins carrying a substitution in the wing region displayed no specific DNA‐binding activity, whereas those carrying a substitution in the α3 helix did display specific binding activity. But the latter were less thermostable than wild‐type AnaPex and their in vitro functions were defective. We concluded that Pex binds a kaiA upstream DNA sequence via its wing region and that its α3 helix is probably important to its stability.
Ski co‐repressor complexes maintain the basal repressed state of the TGF‐β target gene, SMAD7, via HDAC3 and PRMT5
Authors: Tabata Takanori , Kokura Kenji , Ten Dijke Peter , Ishii Shunsuke
Published: November 2008

The products encoded by ski and its related gene, sno, (Ski and Sno) act as transcriptional co‐repressors and interact with other co‐repressors such as N‐CoR/SMRT and mSin3A. Ski and Sno mediate transcriptional repression by various repressors, including Mad, Rb and Gli3. Ski/Sno also suppress transcription induced by multiple activators, such as Smads and c‐Myb. In particular, the inhibition of TGF‐β‐induced transcription by binding to Smads is correlated with the oncogenic activity of Ski and Sno. However, the molecular mechanism by which Ski and Sno mediate transcriptional repression remains unknown. In this study, we report the purification and characterization of Ski complexes. The Ski complexes purified from HeLa cells contained histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), in addition to multiple Smad proteins (Smad2, Smad3 and Smad4). Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that these components of the Ski complexes were localized on the SMAD7 gene promoter, which is the TGF‐β target gene, in TGF‐β‐untreated HepG2 cells. Knockdown of these components using siRNA led to up‐regulation of SMAD7 mRNA. These results indicate that Ski complexes serve to maintain a TGF‐β‐responsive promoter at a repressed basal level via the activities of histone deacetylase and histone arginine methyltransferase.
Stacking velocities in the presence of overburden velocity anomalies
Authors: Blias Emil
Published: November 2008

Lateral velocity changes (velocity anomalies) in the overburden may cause significant oscillations in normal moveout velocities. Explicit analytical moveout formulas are presented and provide a direct explanation of these lateral fluctuations and other phenomena for a subsurface with gentle deep structures and shallow overburden anomalies. The analytical conditions for this have been derived for a depth‐velocity model with gentle structures with dips not exceeding 12°. The influence of lateral interval velocity changes and curvilinear overburden velocity boundaries can be estimated and analysed using these formulas. An analytical approach to normal moveout velocity analysis in a laterally inhomogeneous medium provides an understanding of the connection between lateral interval velocity changes and normal moveout velocities. In the presence of uncorrected shallow velocity anomalies, the difference between root‐mean‐square and stacking velocity can be arbitrarily large to the extent of reversing the normal moveout function around normal incidence traveltimes. The main reason for anomalous stacking velocity behaviour is non‐linear lateral variations in the shallow overburden interval velocities or the velocity boundaries.

A special technique has been developed to determine and remove shallow velocity anomaly effects. This technique includes automatic continuous velocity picking, an inversion method for the determination of shallow velocity anomalies, improving the depth‐velocity model by an optimization approach to traveltime inversion (layered reflection tomography) and shallow velocity anomaly replacement. Model and field data examples are used to illustrate this technique.
Problems in mesothelioma diagnosis
Authors: Addis Bruce , Roche Heather
Published: November 2008

Many centres are now seeing increasing numbers of patients with malignant mesothelioma. This presents pathologists involved in making the diagnosis with a number of problems, which can be divided into those encountered in making the distinction between mesothelioma and benign changes and those experienced in separating mesotheliomas from other types of epithelial and connective tissue tumours. Immunohistochemistry plays a major role in helping to make the diagnosis, but it should be interpreted with due regard to the clinical setting and radiological features, and with a knowledge of the wide morphological variations seen in mesothelioma. This review identifies some of these problems and addresses the uses and limitations of immunohistochemistry in different situations. It includes a discussion of some of the less common variants of mesothelioma and other pleural‐based tumours that enter into the differential diagnosis.
Seasonal and spatial dynamics of ectoparasite infestation of a threatened reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
Authors: GODFREY S. S. , BULL C. M. , NELSON N. J.
Published: November 2008

Abstract The conservation of threatened vertebrate species and their threatened parasites requires an understanding of the factors influencing their distribution and dynamics. This is particularly important for species maintained in conservation reserves at high densities, where increased contact among hosts could lead to increased rates of parasitism. The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) (Reptilia: Sphenodontia) is a threatened reptile that persists at high densities in forests (∼ 2700 tuatara/ha) and lower densities in pastures and shrubland (< 200 tuatara/ha) on Stephens Island, New Zealand. We investigated the lifecycles and seasonal dynamics of infestation of two ectoparasites (the tuatara tick, Amblyomma sphenodonti, and trombiculid mites, Neotrombicula sp.) in a mark‐recapture study in three forest study plots from November 2004 to March 2007, and compared infestation levels among habitat types in March 2006. Tick loads were lowest over summer and peaked from late autumn (May) until early spring (September). Mating and engorgement of female ticks was highest over spring, and larval tick loads subsequently increased in early autumn (March). Nymphal tick loads increased in September, and adult tick loads increased in May. Our findings suggest the tuatara tick has a 2‐ or 3‐year lifecycle. Mite loads were highest over summer and autumn, and peaked in March. Prevalences (proportion of hosts infected) and densities (estimated number of parasites per hectare) of ticks were similar among habitats, but tick loads (parasites per host) were higher in pastures than in forests and shrub. The prevalence and density of mites was higher in forests than in pasture or shrub, but mite loads were similar among habitats. We suggest that a higher density of tuatara in forests may reduce the ectoparasite loads of individuals through a dilution effect. Understanding host–parasite dynamics will help in the conservation management of both the host and its parasites.
Sheep blowfly strike risk and management in Great Britain: a survey of current practice
Authors: BISDORFF B. , WALL R.
Published: November 2008

Abstract The methods used for the control of sheep blowfly strike (ovine cutaneous myiasis) and the farm management factors associated with strike prevalence were examined using data from questionnaire survey returns provided by 966 sheep farmers in Great Britain, based on the period between March 2003 and February 2004. Overall, 91% of participants treated prophylactically with insecticides against blowfly strike; 39% treated twice and 11% treated more than three times in the year. Insect growth regulators (IGRs) were the most commonly chosen product (40%), especially the IGR cyromazine. Only 12% of farmers opted to dip their sheep in organophosphate insecticide against fly strike and 2% of farmers reported applying inappropriate products against strike to their sheep, such as ivermectin or ‘drenches’. Farmers worming their ewes more often were 0.8 times less likely to report blowfly strike, but those who wormed their lambs more often were 1.2 times more likely to report strike. Pure‐breed flocks were 0.7 times less likely to record an outbreak of blowfly strike than cross‐breed flocks. Strike was less likely in ewe flocks grazed at higher altitude; however, this relationship with altitude was not seen in lambs. The results show that insecticides remain the primary tool used by almost all farmers to prevent strike and that the type of insecticides used and means of application have altered dramatically over the past 15 years. However, the prevalence of strike has remained almost unchanged over this period. Clearly careful attention to the type and timing of insecticide application, in association with a detailed understanding of the husbandry factors that predispose sheep to higher strike risk, is essential to allow the optimal management of strike problems.
A recent survey of mosquito fauna in Guandong Province, southern China, with a review of past records
Authors: JIN L. Q. , LI D.
Published: November 2008

Abstract The southern province of Guangdong has long been subject to endemic mosquito‐borne diseases. In recent years, this region of China has experienced rapid, extensive economic development involving environmental change, making much of the scant knowledge of its mosquito fauna obsolete. This paper reviews previous mosquito surveys, some of which may be too old to be of relevance to present‐day conditions, and presents the results of a recent survey of adult and immature mosquitoes. The main vectors of mosquito‐borne diseases endemic to the area, such as dengue and Japanese encephalitis virus, develop in container habitats. A three‐year survey was carried out, between 2004 and 2006, of 4131 breeding containers in residential areas and in open, sparsely populated areas, of which approximately 50% were positive for the presence of mosquitoes, and 10 156 larvae and pupae were collected and identified. Twelve species were found in both residential and sparsely populated areas: Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), Ae. lineatopennis (Ludlow), Ae. vexans (Meigen), Tanakaius togoi (Theobald), Culex barraudi Edwards, Cx dispectus Bram, Cx malayi (Leicester), Cx pallidothorax Theobald, Cx quinquefasciatus Say, Cx sitiens Wiedemann, Lutzia fuscanus Wiedemann and Tripteroides bambusa (Yamada). Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillett) was found only in containers in villages, whereas Ae. macfarlanei Edwards, Cx mimeticus Noé, Cx sinensis Theobald, Cx vegans Wiedemann, Cx wilfredi Colless and Mansonia uniformis (Theobald) were found only in non‐ or sparsely populated areas. In residential areas, the rank order of most common species, as measured by the proportion of containers colonized, was Ae. albopictus > Cx quinquefasciatus > Lu. fuscanus, whereas in sparsely populated areas the rank order was Cx quinquefasciatus > Ae. albopictus > Lu. fuscanus. Light traps in non‐ or sparsely populated areas caught 5995 adult mosquitoes of 25 species, some of which are not container breeders. The most common species were: Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann, An. maculatus Theobald, An. minimus Theobald, Ta. togoi, Cx bitaeniorhynchus Giles, Cx malayi, Cx quinquefasciatus, Cx sinensis Theobald, Cx sitiens, Cx tritaeniorhynchus Giles and Lu. fuscanus. It is noteworthy that nine species caught had not been previously recorded in Guangdong Province, highlighting the deficient knowledge of the current composition and distribution of the mosquito fauna of this part of China.
Identification of mosquito bloodmeals using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b gene sequences
Authors: TOWNZEN J. S. , BROWER A. V. Z. , JUDD D. D.
Published: November 2008

Abstract Primer pairs were designed and protocols developed to selectively amplify segments of vertebrate mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b) mtDNA from the bloodmeals of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). The protocols use two pairs of nested COI primers and one pair of Cyt b primers to amplify short segments of DNA. Resultant sequences are then compared with sequences in GenBank, using the BLAST function, for putative host identification. Vertebrate DNA was amplified from 88% of our sample of 162 wild‐caught, blood‐fed mosquitoes from Oregon, U.S.A. and GenBank BLAST searches putatively identified 98% of the amplified sequences, including one amphibian, seven mammalian and 14 avian species. Criteria and caveats for putative identification of bloodmeals are discussed.
The effect of predatory fish exudates on the ovipostional behaviour of three mosquito species: Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes aegypti and Culex tarsalis
Authors: VAN DAM A. R. , WALTON W. E.
Published: November 2008

Abstract Three mosquito species, Culex tarsalis Coquillett, Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae), were examined in laboratory binary choice experiments to investigate whether fish exudates from the mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis (Baird & Girard) (Cyprinodontiformes: Poecilliidae), deter oviposition and whether the responses of these mosquito species to fish exudates in oviposition sites are consistent with the risk of predation from fish experienced by each species in their respective natural breeding habitats. Culex tarsalis was deterred significantly from egg laying by the presence of fish exudates in oviposition cups, consistent with high levels of predation by fish in natural breeding sites. Egg laying by Cx quinquefasciatus was slightly reduced in water with fish exudates, but was not consistently deterred by water conditioned by mosquitofish, consistent with the species’ relatively low risk of fish predation in natural habitats. Oviposition by container‐breeding Ae. aegypti was not deterred by the presence of fish exudates in oviposition cups, consistent with a low risk of predation by fish in natural habitats.
Sedimentation, fracturing and sliding on a pelagic plateau margin: the Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous succession of Rocca Busambra (Western Sicily, Italy)
Authors: BERTOK CARLO , MARTIRE LUCA
Published: November 2008

The Jurassic succession of Rocca Busambra consists of two lithostratigraphic units: a pile of peritidal limestones several hundreds of metres thick (Inici Formation: Hettangian to Sinemurian) and a 2 to 15 m thick sequence of Rosso Ammonitico‐type pelagic limestones (Toarcian? to lowermost Berriasian). An extensive interval of non‐deposition is evidenced by a thick Fe–Mn oxide crust on the bounding disconformity and is recorded partially in the material contained within a complex network of neptunian dykes and sills. Seven lithofacies are distinguished in the Rosso Ammonitico. These lithofacies show that the Rosso Ammonitico limestones differ from most analogues both in Sicily and elsewhere: sediments are mostly grain‐supported and non‐nodular; obviously bottom currents were important during deposition of these sediments. These currents were pulsating at different frequencies and induced winnowing, intraclast production and early cement precipitation. Other Rosso Ammonitico lithosomes of Late Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous age, usually decimetre thick and discontinuous, overlie the Inici Formation without any Fe–Mn crust; their anomalous stratigraphical and geometrical relationships show that they were deposited on an inclined, stepped, erosional surface incised in the sub‐horizontal Inici Formation. This ancient escarpment is interpreted as the result of a mainly gravitational collapse of the margin of a pelagic plateau. Such mass wasting was probably due to the backstepping of the tectonic plateau–basin margin that is not observable directly, but may be inferred from circumstantial evidence. This observation clearly shows that tectonic activity affected the Rocca Busambra sector of the West Tethys continental margins a few tens of millions of years after the end of the rifting stage. The anomalous Rosso Ammonitico sediments are the only indication of the escarpment and their occurrence in the stratigraphic record is probably more widespread than reported in the literature. More accurate palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographic reconstructions may depend on the identification of these sediments.
Identification of cell‐wall stress as a hexose‐dependent and osmosensitive regulator of plant responses
Authors: Hamann Thorsten , Bennett Mark , Mansfield John , Somerville Christopher
Published: November 2008

Development, abiotic and biotic stress each affect the physical architecture and chemical composition of the plant cell wall, making maintenance of cell‐wall integrity an important component of many plant processes. Cellulose biosynthesis inhibition (CBI) was employed to impair the functional integrity of the cell wall, and the plant’s response to this specific stress was characterized in an Arabidopsis seedling model system. CBI caused changes in the expression of genes involved in mechanoperception, the response to microbial challenge, and lignin and cell‐wall polysaccharide biosynthesis. Following CBI, activation of a UDP‐d‐xylose 4‐epimerase gene correlated with increases in arabinose and uronic acid content in seedling cell walls. Activation of pathogen response genes, lignin deposition and lesion formation were dependent on externally supplied sugars and were suppressed by osmotic support. Lignin deposition in the root elongation zone caused by CBI was reduced in atrbohd (NADPH oxidase) mutant seedlings but increased in jasmonic acid resistant1 (jar1‐1) mutant seedlings. Phytohormone measurements showed that CBI‐induced increases in jasmonic (JA) and salicylic acids were dependent on sugar availability and prevented by osmotic support. We show that CBI activates responses commonly attributed to both abiotic and microbial challenges. Glucose/sucrose and turgor pressure are critical components in maintenance of cell‐wall integrity and the regulation of induced responses, including JA biosynthesis. Lignin deposition induced by CBI is regulated by JAR1‐1 and NADPH oxidase‐dependent signalling processes. Our results identify components of the mechanism that mediates the response to impairment of cell‐wall integrity in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Approaches to defining dual‐targeted proteins in Arabidopsis
Authors: Carrie Chris , Kühn Kristina , Murcha Monika W. , Duncan Owen , Small Ian D. , O’Toole Nicholas , Whelan James
Published: November 2008

A variety of approaches were used to predict dual‐targeted proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. These predictions were experimentally tested using GFP fusions. Twelve new dual‐targeted proteins were identified: five that were dual‐targeted to mitochondria and plastids, six that were dual‐targeted to mitochondria and peroxisomes, and one that was dual‐targeted to mitochondria and the nucleus. Two methods to predict dual‐targeted proteins had a high success rate: (1) combining the AraPerox database with a variety of subcellular prediction programs to identify mitochondrial‐ and peroxisomal‐targeted proteins, and (2) using a variety of prediction programs on a biochemical pathway or process known to contain at least one dual‐targeted protein. Several technical parameters need to be taken into account before assigning subcellular localization using GFP fusion proteins. The position of GFP with respect to the tagged polypeptide, the tissue or cells used to detect subcellular localization, and the portion of a candidate protein fused to GFP are all relevant to the expression and targeting of a fusion protein. Testing all gene models for a chromosomal locus is required if more than one model exists.
An important role of a BAHD acyl transferase‐like protein in plant innate immunity
Authors: Zheng Zuyu , Qualley Anthony , Fan Baofang , Dudareva Natalia , Chen Zhixiang
Published: November 2008

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important regulator of plant resistance to biotrophic and hemi‐biotrophic pathogens. The enhanced pseudomonas susceptibility 1 (eps1) mutant in Arabidopsis thaliana is hypersusceptible to both virulent and avirulent strains of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Through positional cloning, the EPS1 gene was isolated and found to encode a novel member of the BAHD acyltransferase superfamily. Pathogen‐induced accumulation of SA and expression of pathogenesis‐related (PR) genes were compromised in the eps1 mutant. SA could induce PR1 gene expression and restore disease resistance in the eps1 mutant. These results suggest that EPS1 functions upstream of SA and may be involved directly in synthesis of a precursor or a regulatory molecule for SA biosynthesis. Mutations of EPS1 or other genes important for SA accumulation or signaling conferred enhanced resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola in the Nossen‐0 background but had little effect in the Columbia‐0 background. These results suggest that there is natural variation among Arabidopsis ecotypes with respect to the antagonistic cross‐talk between defense signaling pathways against various types of microbial pathogens.
Determinants of indoor allergens in tropical child care centers
Authors: Zuraimi Mohamed Sultan , Ong Tan Ching , Tham Kwok Wai , Chew Fook Tim
Published: November 2008

Limited data are available about indoor allergen determinants in child care centers (CCCs) especially in the tropics. This information is important epidemiologically and clinically considering many children attend CCCs. The purpose of this study was to determine the allergen concentrations in CCCs and their associations with CCC characteristics and indoor air quality (IAQ). A panel of indoor allergens including Der p 1, Blo t 5, Fel d 1, Can f 1, Mus m 1, Bla g 1 and Asp f 1 were evaluated from dusts vacuumed from classroom floors of CCCs. Allergen levels were assayed with antibody‐based bioplex array or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. Indoor temperature, relative humidity and air exchange rates were measured and CCC characteristics inspected. Allergen levels were linearly regressed with CCC characteristics and IAQ. The dominant allergens found in classroom floors were Der p 1, Blo t 5 and Fel d 1. Lower indoor temperatures were associated with higher Der p 1 while lower ventilation rates were associated with higher Blo t 5 concentrations. Prevalence of cat owners was found to be a predictor for Fel d 1 concentrations. Full or partial carpeting is associated with higher dust mite allergen levels. These findings provide information for future indoor allergen exposure assessment studies in CCCs and can be used for intervention with regard to allergen avoidance.
Is caesarean delivery associated with sensitization to food allergens and IgE‐mediated food allergy: A systematic review
Authors: Koplin Jennifer , Allen Katie , Gurrin Lyle , Osborne Nicholas , Tang Mimi L. K. , Dharmage Shyamali
Published: November 2008

Several studies have shown differences in the composition of the gastrointestinal flora of children who develop sensitization to food allergens compared with non‐allergic children. It has been hypothesized that changes in the gut microbiota resulting from caesarean section delivery could increase a child’s risk of developing food allergy; however, studies examining the relationship between mode of delivery and food allergy have produced conflicting results. The objective of this review was to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support an association between delivery by caesarean section and the development of sensitization to food allergens and immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated food allergy. Using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, MEDLINE and PubMed were searched for studies investigating the relationship between caesarean section delivery and food allergy. The information on the quality of the studies and results were extracted and analysed systematically. The search identified four relevant studies as per our protocol. Symptomatic food allergy was used as the outcome in two studies and was found to occur more frequently in children born by caesarean section in one study while the second study found no association between food allergy diagnoses and mode of delivery. The other two studies measured levels of food antigen‐specific IgE, with both studies showing an increase in sensitization to food allergens among children born by caesarean section. Overall, there is evidence that the risk of developing IgE‐mediated sensitization to food allergens is increased among children delivered by caesarean section, however further studies using objectively diagnosed food allergy as the outcome are needed to verify whether this equates to an increase in confirmed food allergy. Future birth cohort studies should control for the effects of mode of delivery when investigating environmental modifiers of food allergy.
Early exposure and sensitization to cat and dog: Different effects on asthma risk after wheezing in infancy
Authors: Korppi Matti , Hyvärinen Mari , Kotaniemi‐Syrjänen Anne , Piippo‐Savolainen Eija , Reijonen Tiina
Published: November 2008

Birth cohort studies have suggested that early exposure to furred pets protects from later asthma and allergy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between exposure or sensitization to cat or dog in infancy, and later asthma and allergy assessed at the median ages of 4.0, 7.2 and 12.3 yr, in children who have wheezed at <24 months of age. Exposure to cat and dog in infancy was assessed by interviewing the parents. The child was considered as sensitized, if the allergen‐specific IgE to cat or to dog was ≥0.35 kU/l, or if there was a positive skin test response. When the 20 children with persistent childhood asthma (doctor‐diagnosed asthma at all three control visits) were compared with the other 61 children, an early exposure to dog (OR = 0.14, p = 0.034)) decreased the asthma risk and an early sensitization to cat (OR = 5.92, p = 0.008) and dog (OR = 9.33, p = 0.001) increased the asthma risk. There were less cat and dog keeping in atopic families and the effect of sensitization was, but the effect of exposure was not, robust to adjustments in multivariate analyses. The present study demonstrates, in a long‐term follow‐up after early wheezing, that early sensitization to cat and dog increases the risk of later asthma but early exposure to cat or dog has no such effect. Dog keeping was less frequent in atopic families, which may explain that the protective effect of early exposure to dog was lost in multivariate analyses.
Implementation and evaluation of critical thinking strategies to enhance critical thinking skills in Middle Eastern nurses
Authors: Simpson Elaine , Courtney Mary
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate critical thinking strategies to enhance critical thinking skills in Middle Eastern nurses. Critical thinking strategies such as questioning, debate, role play and small group activity were developed and used in a professional development programme, which was trialled on a sample of Middle Eastern nurses (n = 20), to promote critical thinking skills, encourage problem solving, development of clinical judgment making and care prioritization in order to improve patient care and outcomes. Classroom learning was transformed from memorization to interaction and active participation. The intervention programme was successful in developing critical thinking skills in both the nurse educators and student nurses in this programme. This programme successfully integrated critical thinking strategies into a Middle Eastern nursing curriculum. Recommendations are as follows: (1) utilize evidence‐based practice and stem questions to encourage the formulation of critical thinking questions; (2) support the needs of nurse educators for them to effectively implement teaching strategies to foster critical thinking skills; and (3) adopt creative approaches to (i) transform students into interactive participants and (ii) open students' minds and stimulate higher‐level thinking and problem‐solving abilities.
Incontinence: Managed or mismanaged in hospital settings?
Authors: Ostaszkiewicz Joan , O'Connell Beverly , Millar Lynne
Published: November 2008

This paper reports the results of a survey of inpatients to determine the prevalence of their continence status and the overall management of their incontinence. A survey of 447 hospitalized adults was conducted and an audit of their medical records. Twenty‐two per cent of patients reported urinary incontinence, 10% faecal incontinence, 78% nocturia, 23% urinary urgency and 11% trouble passing urine. Pre‐existing bladder and bowel problems were reported by 34% and 26% of patients respectively. Sixty per cent of patients were using a continence product or device. There was a lack of documentation in the medical records about patients' continence status and about their pre‐admission bowel and bladder status. The findings reveal that the management of incontinence in acute and subacute settings is suboptimal. There is a need to raise clinical awareness about incontinence in hospital settings and to implement a structured approach to its assessment and management. Furthermore, as the costs associated with the management or mismanagement of incontinence in hospital settings are not fully understood, there is a need for further research on this issue.
Prospective comparative study of the EUS guided 25‐gauge FNA needle with the 19‐gauge Trucut needle and 22‐gauge FNA needle in patients with solid pancreatic masses
Authors: Sakamoto Hiroki , Kitano Masayuki , Komaki Takamitsu , Noda Kazu , Chikugo Takaaki , Dote Kensaku , Takeyama Yoshifumi , Das Kunal , Yamao Kenji , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: November 2008

Background and Study Aims:  The aim of this prospective study was to compare fine‐needle aspiration guided by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS‐FNA) using 25‐gauge and 22‐gauge needles with the EUS‐guided 19‐gauge Trucut needle biopsy (EUS‐TNB) in patients with solid pancreatic mass.

Patients and Methods:  Twenty‐four consecutive patients with pancreatic mass underwent biopsies by both EUS‐FNA and EUS‐TNB. Three needles were compared with respect to technical success rate, tissue size obtained, overall diagnostic accuracy and accuracy for histological and cytological diagnosis.

Results:  The 25‐gauge EUS‐FNA was technically easier and obtained superior overall diagnostic accuracy than the 22‐gauge and Trucut needles, especially in lesions of the pancreas head and uncinate process. Overall accuracy for the 25‐gauge, 22‐gauge and Trucut needle was 91.7%, 79.7% and 54.1%, respectively. Accuracy for cytological diagnosis irrespective the site of lesions with 25‐gauge, 22‐gauge and Trucut needles was 91.7%, 75.0%, and 45.8%, respectively. For uncinate masses, it was 100%, 33.3%, and 0.0%, respectively. These differences were significant. Among technically successful patients, the accuracy for histological diagnosis using the 25‐gauge was significantly inferior (P < 0.05) to 22‐gauge and Trucut needles and the rates were 45.8%, 78.9% and 83.3%.

Conclusions:  The 25‐gauge FNA needle was significantly superior in terms of technical success rate and overall diagnostic accuracy, especially for the head and uncinate lesions, compared to the 22‐gauge and Trucut needles and could be considered ‘the best choice needle for cytological diagnosis’ of solid pancreatic lesions. If histological diagnosis is required, the 22‐gauge FNA needle and Trucut needle may be advantageous for use in head/uncinate and body/tail lesions, respectively.
Clinical features and outcomes of cirrhosis due to non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis compared with cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Yatsuji Satoru , Hashimoto Etsuko , Tobari Maki , Taniai Makiko , Tokushige Katsutoshi , Shiratori Keiko
Published: November 2008

Background and Aim:  Ethnic differences in non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are well‐documented, but there has been no study on the prognosis of Japanese NASH patients with cirrhosis. Accordingly, we compared cirrhotic NASH with liver cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis C (LC‐C) to clarify its clinical features and define the risk factors for death.

Methods:  A prospective evaluation of the outcomes of NASH patients with severe fibrosis was started in 1990. Data on age‐ and sex‐matched patients with biopsy‐proven LC‐C were collected retrospectively and used as the control.

Results:  There were 68 patients with cirrhotic NASH and 69 with LC‐C. The Child–Turcotte–Pugh (CTP) class was similar in these two groups. Although the outcome of the NASH group was better than that of the LC‐C group, cirrhotic NASH followed a similar course to that of LC‐C; that is, complications of cirrhosis developed, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; the 5‐year HCC rate was 11.3% for NASH and 30.5% for HCV) and death (the 5‐year survival rates were 75.2% and 73.8%, respectively). HCC was the leading cause of death in both groups (NASH, 47%; HCV, 68%). The occurrence of HCC and the CTP class were significant risk factors for mortality in NASH patients according to a multivariate analysis (HCC: hazard ratio [HR] 7.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.45–25.88, CTP class A: HR 0.17, 95% CI 0.06–0.50).

Conclusion:  In conclusion, the present study confirmed that cirrhotic NASH has a similar course to LC‐C. The occurrence of HCC was the strongest predictor of mortality in the NASH groups. These findings may be helpful when deciding on therapeutic interventions for NASH and also for the daily management of these patients.
Antinociceptive effect of chronic lithium on visceral hypersensitivity in a rat model of diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome: The role of nitric oxide pathway
Authors: Shamshiri Hosein , Paragomi Pedram , Paydar Mehrak Javadi , Moezi Leila , Bahadori Moslem , Behfar Behnaz , Ardalan Farid A , Dehpour Ahmad R
Published: November 2008

Background and Aim: Lithium, a widely used drug in bipolar‐affective disorders, plays gastro‐protective roles. The effects of lithium on several tissues are mediated through nitric oxide (NO), which regulates gastrointestinal motility and mucosal integrity. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of chronic lithium administration on visceral hypersensitivity and to investigate the role of NO as a potential mechanism of lithium in a rat model of irritable bowel syndrome.

Methods: Colitis was induced by the intracolonic administration of acetic acid. After subsidence of inflammation on the seventh experimental day, nociception and defecation parameters were measured. A subgroup of animals had been pretreated with lithium carbonate (600 mg/L) for 35 days. Thereafter, either a non‐selective NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor (N‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester [L‐NAME], 10 mg/kg), a selective NOS inhibitor (aminoguanidine, 100 mg/kg), or saline were administered intraperitoneally 1 h before measurements.

Results: Chronic lithium attenuated the visceral hypersensitivity, increased the nociceptive threshold, and decreased stool frequency. L‐NAME and aminoguanidine decreased the nociceptive threshold and reduced the protective effects of lithium on visceral hypersensitivity. Stool frequency was increased in both the lithium‐treated and water‐treated groups by L‐NAME administration, but not aminoguanidine. The form of defecation in the lithium‐treated rats shifted toward hard stools rather than being soft and formless, but NOS inhibitors did not change the stool consistency pattern.

Conclusion: The results indicate the antinociceptive property of chronic lithium on visceral hypersensitivity. As this effect was lowered by NOS inhibitors, NO might play a role in the protective effect of lithium to some extent.
Proliferative effects of γ‐aminobutyric acid on the gastric cancer cell line are associated with extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 activation
Authors: Maemura Kentaro , Shiraishi Nanako , Sakagami Kumiko , Kawakami Ken , Inoue Takuya , Murano Mitsuyuki , Watanabe Masahito , Otsuki Yoshinori
Published: November 2008

Background and Aim: γ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult mammalian brain. However, GABA is found not only in peripheral neuronal tissue, but also in many peripheral non‐neuronal tissues, and is thought to have important physiological functions in addition to neurotransmission. We previously reported that GABA participates in chondrocyte proliferation. In the present study, we investigated the effects of GABA on the proliferation of a gastric cancer cell line, KATO III.

Methods: Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to examine the expression of the GABA synthesis enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), and that of the GABAAand GABABreceptor subunits. The production of GABA was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The proliferative effect of GABA on KATO III cells was analyzed by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assay, and the activation status of mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinases (extracellular signal‐regulated kinase [ERK]‐1/2, Jun‐N‐terminal kinase, and p38) and the expression of cyclin D1 were analyzed by western blotting.

Results: KATO III cells expressed GAD and GABA. More than five GABAAreceptor subunits, including the π subunit, were expressed in KATO III cells; however, GABABreceptor subunits were not seen. The addition of GABA to the medium promoted KATO III proliferation, and maximum proliferative effects were observed in the presence of 10 or 1 µM GABA. The addition of 1 µM GABA predominantly activated ERK‐1/2 among the three MAP kinases in addition to increasing cyclin D1 expression.

Conclusion: GABA is able to promote KATO III cell proliferation in an autocrine or a paracrine fashion through GABAAreceptors followed by MAP kinase activation.
Photoselective vaporization of the prostate using high power (80 W) KTP laser: One year follow up of the first 101 patients in Japan
Authors: Hori Yasuhide , Kuromatsu Isao , Sugimura Yoshiki
Published: November 2008

Objectives:  We present one year observations on Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate (PVP) of 101 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to investigate its safety and efficacy.

Methods:  101 patients underwent Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate (PVP) using 80 W Potassium‐titanyl‐phosphate (KTP) laser 17 patients were being treated with oral anticoagulant therapy, and anticoagulants were stopped before operation. Baseline characteristics, perioperative data, adverse events and postoperative outcome were evaluated immediate postoperatively, and at 2 weeks and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively were recorded.

Results:  With all 101 patients KTP laser vaporization was performed successfully. There was minimal blood loss and none of patients need blood transfusion. No major complication occurred intraoperatively or postoperatively. At 1, 3, 6, and 12 months mean International Prostate Symptom Score index (IPSS) decreased from 20.3 preoperatively to 8.9, 6.9, 6.2 and 7.2. Mean QQL score decreased from 5.1 to 2.3, 1.7, 1.5 and 1.6. Mean urinary peak flow increased from 7.5 ml per second to 15.6, 16.7 16.7 and 16.7 respectively. Complication was mild, included transient dysuria (8.9%).

Conclusions:  Photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) using 80W Potassium‐titanyl‐phosphate (KTP) laser for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) proved to be an effective and safe procedure for our patients including those treated with oral anticoagulants.
The effect of α‐synuclein knockdown on MPP+ toxicity in models of human neurons
Authors: Fountaine Timothy M. , Venda Lara Lourenco , Warrick Nicholas , Christian Helen C. , Brundin Patrik , Channon Keith M. , Wade‐Martins Richard
Published: November 2008

The protein α‐synuclein is central to the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) but its role in the development of neurodegeneration remains unclear. α‐Synuclein‐knockout mice develop without gross abnormality and are resistant to 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), a mitochondrial inhibitor widely used to model parkinsonism. Here we show that differentiated human dopaminergic neuron‐like cells also have increased resistance to 1‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridine (MPP+), the active metabolite of MPTP, when α‐synuclein is knocked down using RNA interference. In attempting to understand how this occurred we found that lowering α‐synuclein levels caused changes to intracellular vesicles, dopamine transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2), each of which is known to be an important component of the early events leading to MPP+ toxicity. Knockdown of α‐synuclein reduced the availability of DAT on the neuronal surface by 50%, decreased the total number of intracellular vesicles by 37% but increased the density of VMAT2 molecules per vesicle by 2.8‐fold. However, these changes were not associated with any reduction in MPP+‐induced superoxide production, suggesting that α‐synuclein knockdown may have other downstream effects which are important. We then showed that α‐synuclein knockdown prevented MPP+‐induced activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Activation of NOS is an essential step in MPTP toxicity and increasing evidence points to nitrosative stress as being important in neurodegeneration. Overall, these results show that as well as having a number of effects on cellular events upstream of mitochondrial dysfunction α‐synuclein affects pathways downstream of superoxide production, possibly involving regulation of NOS activity.