bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
F4/80‐Positive Cells Rapidly Accumulate Around Tubuli Recti and Rete Testis Between 3 and 4 Weeks of Age in the Mouse: An Immunohistochemical Study
Authors: Itoh Masahiro , Xie Qiang , Miyamoto Kensaku , Takeuchi Yoshiki 
Published: September 2011

Itoh M, Xie Q, Miyamoto K, Takeuchi Y. F4/80‐positive cells rapidly accumulate around tubuli recti and rete testis between 3 and 4 weeks of age in the mouse: an immunohistochemical study. AJRI 1999; 42:321–326 © Munksgaard, CopenhagenPROBLEM: Previous studies demonstrated that F4/80 antigen (murine macrophage‐specific antigen)‐positive cells in testes of normal adult mice accumulate particularly in the interstitium adjacent to the tubuli recti and rete testis (i. e., the central region). However, it remains unknown whether this accumulation is a congenital or acquired phenomenon.METHOD OF STUDY: The distribution of F4/80‐positive cells on frozen sections of testes obtained from various aged mice was immunohistochemically examined to determine when the positive cells specifically accumulate in the central region.RESULTS: F4/80‐positive cells were homogeneously distributed throughout the testicular interstitium with no specific accumulation until 2 weeks of age. However, at 3 weeks of age, the density of positive cells in the central region became slightly, but significantly, higher than that in the interstitium between the seminiferous tubules. Between 3 and 4 weeks of age, the cell density in the central region increased rapidly, the density at 4 weeks of age reaching the level of the mature testes of 8‐week‐old mice.CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the specific accumulation of F4/80‐positive cells in the central region is an acquired phenomenon, which starts and ends before puberty.
Proportion of CD56+ 3+ T Cells in Decidual and Peripheral Lymphocytes of Normal Pregnancy and Spontaneous Abortion With and Without History of Recurrent Abortion
Authors: Yamamoto Tatsuo , Takahashi Yuko , Kase Namiko , Mori Hiroyuki 
Published: September 2011

Yamamoto T, Takahashi Y, Kase N, Mori H. Proportion of CD56+ 3+ T cells in decidual and peripheral lymphocytes of normal pregnancy and spontaneous abortion with and without history of recurrent abortion. AJRI 1999; 42:355–360 © Munksgaard, CopenhagenPROBLEM: The present study investigated the proportion of CD56+ 3+ T cells in maternal peripheral and decidual lymphocytes in normal pregnancy and spontaneous abortion with and without history of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).METHOD OF STUDY: Maternal peripheral blood and decidua were taken from normal pregnancies and missed abortions with and without RSA. Decidual lymphocytes were prepared from decidual tissue and analyzed by flow cytometry.RESULTS: In normal pregnancy, the percentages of CD56+ 3+ T cells in decidual lymphocytes did not differ from those in the peripheral blood. However, the proportion of CD56+ 3+ T cells in decidual CD3+ T cells increased higher than that in the peripheral CD3+ T cells. The percentages of decidual CD56+ 3+ T cells in missed abortions with and without RSA were lower than those in normal pregnancies.CONCLUSION: CD56+ 3+ T cells may play a role in the maintenance of pregnancy. The phenomenon, where the proportion of CD56+ 3+ T cells in decidual lymphocytes decreases, may be due to an immunologic event leading to missed abortion.
Increased T‐Helper‐1‐Type Immunity and Decreased T‐Helper‐2‐Type Immunity in Patients with Preeclampsia
Authors: Saito Shigeru , Umekage Hideshi , Sakamoto Yoshiharu , Sakai Masatoshi , Tanebe Kyoko , Sasaki Yasushi , Morikawa Hajime 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: To examine whether preeclampsia involves type‐1 T‐helper (Th1) immune hyperactivity.METHOD OF STUDY: Expression of HLA‐DR, a cell‐surface marker of activation, was analyzed on CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells in 15 preeclamptic patients and 15 normal pregnant women using flow cytometry. Additionally, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from preeclamptic patients and normal pregnant women were cultured with or without phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation, and interleukin (IL)‐2, IL‐4, interferon (IFN)‐Γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α concentrations were determined in the supernatant by immunoassays.RESULTS: HLA‐DR antigen was expressed more strongly on CD3+ T cells in preeclamptic patients than in normal subjects. In preeclampsia, HLA‐DR was expressed more strongly in CD8+ T cells than in CD4+ T cells. More TNF‐α, IL‐2, and IFN‐γ were produced by unstimulated and stimulated cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells from preeclampsia patients than by those from normal subjects. TNF‐α/IL‐4, IL‐2/IL‐4, and IFN‐γ/IL‐4 ratios were higher in preeclamptic patients than in the normal group. Significant positive correlations were observed between mean blood pressure and concentrations of the Th‐1 type cytokines IL‐2, IFN‐γ, and TNF‐α.CONCLUSION: Up‐regulation of Th1 responses and down‐regulation of Th2 responses occur in preeclampsia.
Interleukin‐12 Augments Cytolytic Activity of Peripheral and Decidual Lymphocytes Against Choriocarcinoma Cell Lines and Primary Culture Human Placental Trophoblasts
Authors: Hayakawa Satoshi , Nagai Nobuhisa , Kanaeda Takashi , Karasaki‐Suzuki Miki , Ishii Maki , Chishima Fumihisa , Satoh Kazuo 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Human trophoblasts are tolerant to the maternal immune system, but susceptible to interleukin (IL)‐2‐activated lymphocytes. IL‐12 is also a key cytokine in the induction of cytotoxic responses. We administered IL‐12 to peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and to decidual lymphocytes (DLs) and studied resulting cytotoxicity against trophoblasts.METHOD OF STUDY: PBLs and DLs were stimulated with rIL‐2 and/or rIL‐12 for 48 hr in vitro. Cytotoxicity against the choriocarcinoma cell line JEG‐3, JAR, and primary culture trophoblasts were examined by LDH release assay. The proliferative response was estimated by MTT assay. Expression of cytotoxic factors was studied by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR).RESULTS: Whereas IL‐12 alone produced a modest enhancement in cytotoxicity of PBLs and DLs, the combination of IL‐2 and IL‐12 was most effective in trophoblast cell lysis. IL‐12 enhanced the mRNA expression of T‐cell specific serine protease (TSP, granzyme B) and FasL in DLs, but the expression of perforin was unchanged. Expression of these cytotoxic factors in PBLs was up‐regulated by IL‐12.CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate critical roles of IL‐12 in the activation of maternal lymphocytes, which could possibly result in pregnancy failure syndromes.
Quantification of C3 and C4 in Infertile Men with Antisperm Antibody in Their Seminal Plasma
Authors: Rahimi Azita , Sepehri Houri , Pakravesh Jalil , Bahar Kamal 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Previous studies showed that some infertilities are caused by antisperm antibodies (ASAs). It was shown that some major complement (C) components are present in seminal fluid. Due to the role of C in the pathogenesis of ASAs, the existence and amount of two key C components (C3 and C4) were investigated in seminal plasma (SP).METHOD OF STUDY: Single radial immunodiffusion assay and a sandwich‐type enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used for C3 and/or C4 quantification, respectively, in serum and SP, and the tray agglutination test was used for ASA detection in 12 fertile and 53 infertile men (18 ASA‐positive [ASA +] and 35 ASA‐negative [ASA —] men).RESULTS: Of the 18 ASA+ infertile men, 61.11% had positive C3, whereas 27.77% showed positive C4 levels. ASA+ infertile men showed significant differences in seminal plasma C3 mean values compared with ASA — infertile (P < 0.01) and fertile (P < 0.05) men, but the seminal plasma C4 values only showed differences compared with ASA — infertile men (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in serum C3 and/or C4 levels of ASA + infertile men compared with other groups. No significant correlation was found between ASA titer and C3 and C4 levels in SP. A significant correlation existed between SP and serum C3 levels of ASA + (r = 0.522, P < 0.01) and ASA— (r = 0.451, P < 0.01) infertile men, but no correlation was observed between C4 levels.CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of ASAs, the C system has no definitive activity in blood serum or outside the male genital tract. In SP, and in association with ASAs, C has no lytic activity by the classical pathway. The excess of C3 in SP of ASA + infertile men may participate in other C‐mediated activities in the male reproductive tract.
Decidual Natural Killer Cells in Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion with Normal Chromosomal Content
Authors: Yamamoto Tatsuo , Takahashi Yuko , Kase Namiko , Mori Hiroyuki 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: The maternal local immune responses in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) are not yet well known. Maternal peripheral and decidual natural killer (NK) cells were evaluated in RSA with normal chromosomal content.METHOD OF STUDY: Maternal peripheral blood, villous trophoblast, and decidua were taken from 15 normal pregnancies and 9 RSA patients with normal chromosomes. The NK cells in decidual lymphocytes were evaluated by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies for CD56, CD16, and CD3.RESULTS: The percentages of CD56 + CD16—CD3— cells in decidual lymphocytes in RSA were lower than in normal pregnancies (P < 0.002). The CD56+ CD16+ / CD56+ CD16— cells ratio in RSA was higher than in normal pregnancies (P < 0.02). CONCLUSION: The lower percentages of CD56+ CD16—CD3— cells in RSA cases may show an inappropriate accumulation of NK cells in the decidua, and this finding may be a factor involved in RSA.
The Emerging Role of Immunoregulation of Fibrinogen‐Related Procoagulant Fgl2 in the Success or Spontaneous Abortion of Early Pregnancy in Mice and Humans
Authors: Clark David A. , Ding Jin‐Wen , Chaouat Gerard , Coulam Carolyn B. , August Carey , Levy Gary A. 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: Abortion of chromosomally normal embryos in the CBA X DBA/2 mating combination is triggered by release of Th1 cytokines (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]‐α, interferon [IFN]‐γ, and interleukin [IL]‐1), which cause abortion via a novel prothrombinase, fgl2, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The site of activation may be maternal vascular endothelium on arteries and veins nourishing the placenta. Activation of coagulation is also prominent in spontaneous abortion of chromosomally normal human embryos. We asked where is fgl2 up‐regulated in the uterus in murine abortions, and if similar fgl2 expression occurs in human pregnancy failure.METHODS: Control CBA X DBA/2 pregnant mice, or from mice injected with TNF‐α + IFN‐γ on day 7.5 of gestation, were removed on day 8.5, fixed, sectioned, and subject to in situ hybridization for fgl2. Sections were also stained for fibrin. Elective first trimester termination samples or biopsies taken early in the course of a recurrent miscarriage were similarly fixed, sectioned, and analyzed by in situ hybridization. Control and cytokine‐treated mice were anticoagulated with heparin, an activator of antithrombin III, and/or the direct anti‐thrombin inhibitor hirudin.RESULTS: Low level fgl2 expression localized to basal decidua remote from the embryo was noted in control mice; cytokine treatment, which causes greater than 80% of abortions, produced a striking up‐regulation in this area as well as in a band at the junction of decidua and myometrium. Trophoblast also became strikingly positive. Fgl2 expression was associated with increased fibrin staining. Anticoagulation significantly protected against abortions, but doses were limited by the complication of retroplacental hemorrhage. In tissue from normal first trimester pregnancy, minimal fgl2 positivity was seen in some villous syncytiotrophoblast, in villous stroma, cytotrophoblast, and in some cells in decidua. In spontaneous abortion of normal embryo, striking fgl2 positivity was seen in syncytiotrophoblast and extravillous cytotrophoblast, in association with areas of thrombus formation.CONCLUSIONS: Fgl2 appears to be physiologically expressed and may protect against the internal danger of maternal and/or fetal bleeding during pregnancy and at parturition; a role in inhibiting transplacental traffic is also possible. External dangers in the form of stress, endotoxin, and antigens eliciting Th1 cytokine responses upregulate fgl2 prothrombinase in trophoblast as well as in decidua, which results in spontaneous abortion of immunogenetically “weaker” embryos.
Pregnancy‐Specific Glycoprotein Gene Expression in Recurrent Aborters: A Potential Correlation to Interleukin‐10 Expression
Authors: Arnold Lori L. , Doherty T. Mark , Flor Armando W. , Simon James A. , Chou Janice Y. , Chan Wai‐Yee , Mansfield Brian C. 
Published: September 2011

PROBLEM: The expression of the pregnancy‐specific glycoprotein (PSG) genes in the uterine endometrium of women experiencing recurrent first‐trimester abortions, and potential correlations to cytokine expression were examined.METHOD OF STUDY: Endometrial RNA, isolated from women with a history of either repetitive first‐trimester pregnancy losses or uncomplicated pregnancies, was isolated and analyzed for PSG transcripts by the reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction method. PSG genes showing different patterns of expression were expressed in baculovirus, and the purified proteins examined for their effects on cytokine expression.RESULTS: The expression of PSG11 in the endometria of recurrent aborters was significantly lower than in that of controls (P < 0.01). When tested on monocytes, PSG11 stimulated secretion of interleukin (IL)‐10.CONCLUSIONS: The level of expression of the PSG11 gene in the uterine endometrium, during the peri‐implantation period, correlates with the risk of pregnancy loss in some women experiencing recurrent spontaneous abortions. The ability of PSG 11 to influence the secretion of IL‐10 suggests that PSG11 may contribute to the local modulation of the inflammatory T helper‐1 response seen in the endometrium of these women.
MICROFLUIDIZATION OF FULL‐FAT ICE CREAM MIXES: EFFECTS OF GUM STABILIZER CHOICE ON PHYSICAL AND SENSORY CHANGES
Authors: CAVENDER GEORGE A. , KERR WILLIAM L. 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACTIn this study, we examined the changes in ice cream induced by microfluidization at 220–250 MPa of their respective mixes. Two full‐fat ice cream mixes were formulated with either xanthan or locust bean gum (LBG) and either frozen into ice cream using a batch freezer or microfluidized and then frozen. The resultant products were subjected to modified texture profile analysis, meltdown testing, and sensory testing for difference and preference. Increases in hardness and adhesiveness were observed between treatment groups in both formulations, as well as an increase in gumminess in the LBG formulation. No difference was observed in meltdown rate between any of the treatment/formulation combinations. Sensory difference tests showed that panelists could distinguish differences between ice creams prepared from low‐ or high‐pressure treated mix. Acceptability tests indicated that consumers preferred the firmness and creaminess of ice cream made from microfluidized mixes with LBG.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSDynamic high‐pressure processing technologies like microfluidization, can effect marked changes in the quality characteristics of liquid foods, but limited work has been done to fully understand its effects in complex systems. This study shows that ice cream made from microfluidized mixes also expresses changes, that the formulation of the ice cream affects the degree and type of those changes and that in certain cases, the changes effected are desirable to the consumer. This knowledge contributes to a better understanding of the technology, how it interacts differently with different ingredients and provides an insight into potential commercial uses.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF CONCENTRATED MILK AND ITS INFLUENCE ON POWDER MILK CHARACTERISTICS AND SPRAY DRYER DESIGN PARAMETERS
Authors: ENRÍQUEZ‐FERNÁNDEZ BLANCA E. , CAMARILLO‐ROJAS CARLOS R. , VÉLEZ‐RUIZ JORGE F. 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACTThe present work analyzed the properties of two concentrated milks, as well as the influence of the reconstituted type on some properties of milk powder. Two sets of milk with high solids content (43–60% w/w) were employed; one set was concentrated by evaporation of liquid milk, while the other was prepared by reconstitution of milk powder. Both concentrated milks were characterized at the different solids contents, measuring flow and physicochemical properties; finding a non‐Newtonian behavior well fitted by the Power law model. The bh color parameter, density and consistency coefficient increased, while luminosity, redness and flow index decreased as a function of solids concentration. Lately, the reconstituted milk with four levels of concentration was spray dried, and their properties, such as apparent density, color, moisture, particle size and rehydration, were determined. Based on properties of reconstituted and powder milks, other engineering parameters, such as drop diameter and heat transfer coefficient, were equated, in order to relate physical properties for dryer design.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThis work is not a sophisticated study. It covers the fundamentals and practical aspects of a very important food process operation, drying of milk. Most of the works on food preservation methods have been conducted to analyze microbiological, physicochemical and processing aspects, and very few studies have been carried out to analyze the transport phenomena in spray drying, passing by concentration aspects and properties. Thus, this practical and useful work applies momentum, heat and mass transfer approaches to quantify the flow properties of two concentrates and how they influence some physical properties for milk powder and two design parameters for the dryer performance.
Veterinary surgeons' opinions on dog welfare issues
Authors: Yeates J. W. , Main D. C. J. 
Published: September 2011

Objectives: To begin to determine the significance of various dog welfare issues as perceived by veterinary practitioners.Methods: Using an online questionnaire, respondents were asked how frequently they were made aware of 12 welfare issues and how important they felt each one was for each dog affected. Respondents were also asked how much they agreed with statements that the veterinary practitioners in their area, and the veterinary profession, should do more about each issue.Results: Responses were received from 59 practitioners. The most frequently noted problems were “obesity”, “chronic pain/poor mobility” and “breed‐related conditions”. The most important issues for each dog affected were “lack of treatment for suffering”, “abuse or active cruelty” and “malnutrition”. “Breed‐related conditions”, “obesity” and “behavioural problems” were the issues for which there was greatest agreement that veterinary practitioners should do more, both in their area and as a profession.ClinicalSignificance: This pilot study suggests that the veterinary profession believes that obesity, breed‐related conditions and behavioural problems are important concerns, and that more should be done about them. Although these results cannot be taken as definitive from a study of this size, it does provide a background for such further work involving companion dog welfare and the veterinary profession.
New developments and concepts related to biomarker application to vaccines
Authors: Ahmed S. Sohail , Black Steve , Ulmer Jeffrey 
Published: September 2011

SummaryThis minireview will provide a perspective on new developments and concepts related to biomarker applications for vaccines. In the context of preventive vaccines, biomarkers have the potential to predict adverse events in select subjects due to differences in genetic make‐up/underlying medical conditions or to predict effectiveness (good versus poor response). When expanding them to therapeutic vaccines, their utility in identification of patients most likely to respond favourably (or avoid potentially negative effects of treatment) becomes self‐explanatory. Despite the progress made so far on dissection of various pathways of biological significance in humans, there is still plenty to unravel about the mysteries related to the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the human host response. This review will provide a focused overview of new concepts and developments in the field of vaccine biomarkers including (i) vaccine‐dependent signatures predicting subject response and safety, (ii) predicting therapeutic vaccine efficacy in chronic diseases, (iii) exploring the genetic make‐up of the host that may modulate subject‐specific adverse events or affect the quality of immune responses, and (iv) the topic of volunteer stratification as a result of biomarker screening (e.g. for therapeutic vaccines but also potentially for preventive vaccines) or as a reflection of an effort to compare select groups (e.g. vaccinated subjects versus patients recovering from infection) to enable the discovery of clinically relevant biomarkers for preventive vaccines.
Enzymes for the laundry industries: tapping the vast metagenomic pool of alkaline proteases
Authors: Niehaus F. , Gabor E. , Wieland S. , Siegert P. , Maurer K. H. , Eck J. 
Published: September 2011

SummaryIn the wide field of laundry and cleaning applications, there is an unbroken need for novel detergent proteases excelling in high stability and activity and a suitable substrate range. We demonstrated the large amount of highly diverse subtilase sequences present in metagenomic DNA by recovering 57 non‐redundant subtilase sequence tags with degenerate primers. Furthermore, an activity‐ as well as a sequence homology‐based screening of metagenomic DNA libraries was carried out, using alkaline soil and habitat enrichments as a source of DNA. In this way, 18 diverse full‐length protease genes were recovered, sharing only 37–85% of their amino acid residues with already known protease genes. Active clones were biochemically characterized and subjected to a laundry application assay, leading to the identification of three promising detergent proteases. According to sequence similarity, two proteases (HP53 and HP70) can be classified as subtilases, while the third enzyme (HP23) belongs to chymotrypsin‐like S1 serine proteases, a class of enzymes that has not yet been described for the use in laundry and cleaning applications.