bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Host–parasite interactions and competition between tubificid species in a benthic community
Authors: ELWELL L. C. STEINBACH , KERANS B. L. , ZICKOVICH J. 
Published: April 2009

Summary1. Parasites can be important determinants of host community structure while host community structure can influence the success of parasites, although both are often overlooked. In two laboratory experiments, we examined interactions amongMyxobolus cerebralissynMyxosoma cerebralisHöfer, the myxozoan parasite that causes salmonid whirling disease, and two coexisting tubificid species:Tubifex tubifex(Müller),which is the alternate host of the parasite, andLimnodrilus hoffmeisteriClaparède,which is not susceptible. In the first experiment, we examinedT. tubifexinfection prevalence when exposed to nine doses of spores. In the second experiment, we examined tubificid and parasite success under three spore doses when tubificids were combined in a response surface experimental design used to detect interactions among species.2. The outcomes of interactions between tubificid species were complex. The number and biomass of offspring of both tubificid species were density dependent when in monoculture or in combination with the other species. Adult growth ofT. tubifexwas also density dependent in monoculture, but whenL. hoffmeisterireplaced one‐half of theT. tubifexin the high‐density treatment, adult growth ofT. tubifexwas higher than in monoculture. Adult growth ofL. hoffmeisteriwas always density independent. WhetherT. tubifexwas exposed to the parasite or not did not change the outcome of these interactions. However, adult growth ofT. tubifex, but notL. hoffmeisteri,was highest whenM. cerebraliswas present.3. Infection prevalence ofT. tubifexincreased with increasing spore dose. Infection prevalence was lowest in the high‐densityT. tubifexmonoculture and highest in the low‐densityT. tubifexmonoculture and whenT. tubifexwas in combination withL. hoffmeisteri.4. Both intraspecific and interspecific competition influenced tubificid success, butT. tubifexgained some competitive advantage through increased adult growth when in combination withL. hoffmeisteri.WhetherT. tubifexwas exposed to the parasite or not did not change the outcome of the interactions between the tubificid species.5. The presence ofL. hoffmeisteridid not decrease the prevalence of infection inT. tubifex, suggesting that parasite success was unaltered by the presence of this non‐susceptible species.
Herbivores inhibit climate‐driven shrub expansion on the tundra
Authors: OLOFSSON JOHAN , OKSANEN LAURI , CALLAGHAN TERRY , HULME PHILIP E. , OKSANEN TARJA , SUOMINEN OTSO 
Published: April 2009

AbstractRecent Pan‐Arctic shrub expansion has been interpreted as a response to a warmer climate. However, herbivores can also influence the abundance of shrubs in arctic ecosystems. We addressed these alternative explanations by following the changes in plant community composition during the last 10 years in permanent plots inside and outside exclosures with different mesh sizes that exclude either only reindeer or all mammalian herbivores including voles and lemmings. The exclosures were replicated at three forest and tundra sites at four different locations along a climatic gradient (oceanic to continental) in northern Fennoscandia. Since the last 10 years have been exceptionally warm, we could study how warming has influenced the vegetation in different grazing treatments. Our results show that the abundance of the dominant shrub, Betula nana, has increased during the last decade, but that the increase was more pronounced when herbivores were excluded. Reindeer have the largest effect on shrubs in tundra, while voles and lemmings have a larger effect in the forest. The positive relationship between annual mean temperature and shrub growth in the absence of herbivores and the lack of relationships in grazed controls is another indication that shrub abundance is controlled by an interaction between herbivores and climate. In addition to their effects on taller shrubs (>0.3 m), reindeer reduced the abundance of lichens, whereas microtine rodents reduced the abundance of dwarf shrubs (<0.3 m) and mosses. In contrast to short‐term responses, competitive interactions between dwarf shrubs and lichens were evident in the long term. These results show that herbivores have to be considered in order to understand how a changing climate will influence tundra ecosystems.
Gonadectomy inhibits development of experimental amoebic liver abscess in hamsters through downregulation of the inflammatory immune response
Authors: CERVANTES‐REBOLLEDO C. , MORENO‐MENDOZA N. , MORALES‐MONTOR J. , DE LA TORRE P. , LACLETTE J. P. , CARRERO J. C. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryIncidence of amoebic liver abscess (ALA) in human males is considerably higher than in females, suggesting a role for sex hormones in this parasite infection. We describe here the effect of hamster gonadectomization on the development of ALA. After monitoring the decrease of oestradiol in females and testosterone in males to undetectable levels by ELISA and Radio Immuno Assay (RIA) in serum, hamsters were intraportally infected with Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites and killed 7 days later. ALA was absent in 50% of male and 15% of female gonadectomized (Gdx) hamsters, in comparison with 100% infection in non‐Gdx controls. This protection against ALA in Gdx hamsters was concomitant to a comparatively scarce inflammatory infiltrate and necrosis surrounding clusters of trophozoites in the liver tissue, as well as to a lack of response of spleen cells to Con A, evaluated in proliferation assays. As tissue damage in ALA has been associated with a local inflammatory Th1 response, we determined the profile of response in hamsters by immunohistochemistry on liver sections. In contrast to strong Th1 responses in non‐Gdx animals, Gdx females and males exhibited Th2 and Th3 profiles of cytokines, respectively, suggesting that protection against ALA following gonadectomization, could be related to downregulation of liver Th1 response during amoebic infection.
Eruption severity and characteristics in herpes zoster ophthalmicus: correlation with visual outcome, ocular complications, and postherpetic neuralgia
Authors: Nithyanandam Suneetha , Dabir Supriya , Stephen John , Joseph Mary 
Published: April 2009

AbstractIntroduction  Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) is characterized by a typical vesicular eruption affecting the distribution of the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve which can be of varying severity. The correlation of eruption severity and ocular involvement and subsequent visual loss is still to be established. In this prospective longitudinal study we evaluated the correlation of eruption severity with ocular complications, visual outcome and postherpetic neuralgia.Methods  Patients with HZO underwent detailed ophthalmological and dermatological examination at presentation and follow‐up on 1st , 2nd and 4th week and 3rd and 6th month. Eruption severity was graded as mild, moderate and severe based on the number of vesicles. The correlation of eruption severity and distribution with ocular complications, visual outcome and postherpetic neuralgia was statistically evaluated.Results  Severe eruption was seen in 14(28%), moderate eruption in 21(42%) and mild eruption in 15(30%). Severe eruption was significantly associated with increased incidence and severity of ocular involvement (p = 0.04 and p = 0.04 respectively), occurrence of uveitis (p = 0.004), reduced visual outcome (p = 0.002) and the occurrence of PHN (p = 0.05). Lacrimal nerve involvement was also associated with increased incidence (p = 0.03) and severity (p = 0.02) of ocular complications and visual loss (p = 0.01).Conclusion  Increasing eruption severity is a good predictor of occurrence of ocular complications and subsequent visual loss in HZO. Presence of a severe eruption is an indication for early ophthalmic intervention. Nasociliary nerve and lacrimal nerve involvement are also good predictors of ocular complications.
Antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation at the tissue level in patients with stable and active vitiligo
Authors: Dammak Ines , Boudaya Sonia , Ben Abdallah Fatma , Turki Hamida , Attia Hamadi , Hentati Basma 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground  The pathogenetic mechanisms in vitiligo have not been clarified completely. One of the major hypotheses in the pathogenesis of vitiligo is the oxidative stress hypothesis. The active and stable phases of vitiligo are defined as the progression or appearance of new lesions in the last 3 months and the absence of new lesions or progression in the last 6 months, respectively.Methods  We examined the levels of malondialdehyde, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the tissues of 10 patients with active vitiligo, 10 patients with stable vitiligo, and 20 matched healthy controls.Results  The results revealed that the levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and malondialdehyde in tissues were increased significantly in patients with active vitiligo relative to those in patients with stable vitiligo and matched controls; however, the levels of catalase in tissues were decreased significantly in patients with active vitiligo relative to those in patients with stable vitiligo and matched controls.Conclusions  Our study shows that oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of both active and stable vitiligo, but an increased imbalance of antioxidants is observed in the tissues of patients with active vitiligo.
Common sources of skin care education: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Bhutani Tina , Peng David , Shin Thuzar , Lee Han 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground  The resources used by the public to locate health information are important.Aim  To expose the sources from which the public gains a knowledge of dermatology.Methods  An anonymous, multiple‐choice questionnaire was distributed to adults in college campuses, shopping malls, and community parks over a 4‐month period.Results  Sixty‐six percent of individuals stated that they felt physicians had the most authority for making recommendations regarding the skin. When questioned about the sources of skin care advice, however, there was a discrepancy, with only 35% stating that they actually consulted professionals. Indeed, 37% admitted to using family and friends as their primary source of information, and 28% used the media first.Conclusions  In our opinion, the best method to ensure healthy skin habits and early diagnosis of disease would be to combine the efforts of healthcare and the media. These public resources should make people aware of skin diseases and preventative measures, whilst encouraging regular check‐ups with dermatologists and persuading patients to employ open conversation with their physicians regarding care of their skin.
Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with chronic urticaria: correlation with pathologic findings in gastric biopsies
Authors: Abdou Asmaa Gaber , Elshayeb Elsayed I. , Farag Azza G. A. , Elnaidany Nada Farag 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground  Chronic urticaria is a persistent urticaria lasting longer than 6 weeks, affecting 20% of the general population. Various infectious agents have been reported as causes of urticaria, including Helicobacter pylori, which is a common worldwide bacterial infection. Its role in inducing allergic conditions, such as chronic urticaria, has been suggested in some reports and ignored in others.Aims  To assess the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with chronic urticaria and to explore the possible etiopathogenetic link between them.Methods  Thirty‐five patients suffering from chronic urticaria and 10 normal control individuals were subjected to upper endoscopic gastric biopsies to assess and semiquantify H. pylori infection and to address other pathologic abnormalities, using routine hematoxylin and eosin staining and Giemsa staining.Results  Forty percent of control subjects and 57% of patients were positive for H. pylori infection, but the difference did not reach statistically significant levels (P = 0.47). The severity of urticarial symptoms was greater in the H. pylori‐positive than in the H. pylori‐negative group (P = 0.019). Heavy bacterial colonization (P = 0.008) and intense gastric inflammation (P < 0.0001) were associated significantly with severe clinical manifestations. Eighty percent of the H. pylori‐positive urticaria group experienced complete remission after receiving eradication therapy for H. pylori.Conclusions  Helicobacter pylori may have a role in the exacerbation of urticarial symptoms, even though it is not involved directly in its etiology, and its eradication may lead to symptom improvement in a considerable number of infected urticaria patients. The severity of symptoms is dependent on the density of bacterial infection and the intensity of inflammatory infiltrate in the gastric biopsy.
Frequency, risk stratification and therapeutic management of acute post‐traumatic coagulopathy
Authors: Maegele M. 
Published: April 2009

Background  Uncontrolled haemorrhage is still responsible for more than 50% of all trauma‐related deaths within the first 48 h after hospital admission. Clinical observations together with recent research resulted in a new appreciation of the central role of coagulopathy in acute trauma care. A synopsis of different analyses based on datasets from severely multiple‐injured patients derived from the TR‐DGU database (Trauma Registry of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Unfallchirurgie (DGU)/German Society of Trauma Surgery) with respect to incidence, risk stratification and therapeutic management of acute post‐traumatic coagulopathy is presented.Methods  Retrospective analyses based on datasets from severely multiple‐injured patients derived from the TR‐DGU database and development/validation of a scoring system (TASH score = trauma‐associated severe haemorrhage) that allows an early and reliable estimation for the probability of massive transfusion as a surrogate for life‐threatening haemorrhage after severe multiple injuries.Results/conclusion  There is a high frequency of acute post‐traumatic coagulopathy already present upon ER admission which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in multiple‐injured patients. The TASH score is recognized as an easy‐to‐calculate and valid scoring system to predict the individual's probability for massive transfusion and thus ongoing life‐threatening haemorrhage at a very early stage after severe multiple injuries. An early aggressive management of acute post‐traumatic coagulopathy including a more balanced administration of blood products to favour improved outcome is advocated.
Plant Disease Complex: Antagonism and Synergism Between Pathogens of the Ascochyta Blight Complex on Pea
Authors: Le May Christophe , Potage Gael , Andrivon Didier , Tivoli Bernard , Outreman Yannick 
Published: April 2009

AbstractIn a disease complex, different pathogen species cause similar symptoms on a common host plant species. These pathogens commonly develop simultaneously in a field and can then infect the same host individuals. Co‐occurring pathogens may affect each other, through antagonism and/or synergism. An important question is the ecological and pathological consequences of co‐occurrence of pathogenic species within a disease complex. By using two pathogens (Mycosphaerella pinodes and Phoma medicaginis var. pinodella) of the Ascochyta blight complex, this study aimed at describing how co‐occurrence affects the development of pathogens and disease severity, and at defining the prerequisites for interactions between pathogens. Results showed that the presence of the two pathogens on the same host plant organ limited the disease development and their reproduction. Damages caused by the two pathogens, however, increased when plants that had been previously inoculated were inoculated with the other species. The development of one pathogen species can be affected by a subsequent pathogen inoculation. Co‐occurrence of pathogens within a disease complex can then limit or favour plant damages and pathogens reproduction. It would be one of the main forces that shape pathogen community structures and therefore the dynamics of diseases in field.
Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Hypersensitive‐induced Reaction Gene from Wheat Infected by Stripe Rust Pathogen
Authors: Zhang Gang , Dong Yan‐Ling , Zhang Yi , Li Yi‐Min , Wang Xiao‐Jie , Han Qing‐Mei , Guo Jun , Huang Li‐Li , Kang Zhen‐Sheng 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe hypersensitive response is one of the most sophisticated and efficient forms of plant defence response against fighting pathogen infection; it involves the rapid death of plant cells at and around infection sites, together with the restriction of pathogen growth. Based on a differentially expressed transcribed derived fragment previously identified from the large‐scale transcript profiling of adult‐plant wheat resistant to stripe rust – which was highly similar to the barley HvHIR3 gene – a novel hypersensitive‐induced reaction (HIR) gene from wheat infected by stripe rust pathogen, designated as TaHIR3, was identified using in silico cloning, combined with reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) method. TaHIR3 was predicted to encode a 287‐amino acid protein with a deduced molecular weight of 31.5 kDa and a pI of 5.68. An amino acid sequence analysis of TaHIR3 demonstrated the presence of the Stomatins, Prohibitin, Flotillins, HflK/C protein domain and prohibitin homologues. A phylogenetic analysis of 17 HIR genes from different plant species indicated that the wheat TaHIR3 gene was highly homologous to the barley HvHIR3 gene, at both the cDNA and deduced amino acid levels. Using a real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR, expression profiles of TaHIR3 in wheat leaves that had been infected with stripe rust fungus at the adult‐plant (incompatible) and seedling (compatible) stages were analysed. The results revealed that at the adult‐plant stage, TaHIR3 was significantly induced after inoculation, with the occurrence maximum induction at 48 h postinoculation (hpi). At the seedling stage, TaHIR3 was also up‐regulated as early as 12 hpi. However, the transcript amount was relatively lower than that of the adult‐plant stage.
Actions of 6‐Pentyl‐alpha‐pyrone in Controlling Seedling Blight Incited by Fusarium moniliforme and Inducing Defence Responses in Maize
Authors: El‐Hasan Abbas , Buchenauer Heinrich 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe antifungal metabolite 6‐pentyl‐alpha‐pyrone (6PAP) exhibited phytotoxic effects on germination and elongation growth of coleoptiles when maize kernels were germinated on filter papers impregnated with 300 and 200 mg/l 6PAP, respectively. 6PAP severely retarded development of both roots and shoots of maize seedlings in nutrient solutions at increasing concentrations (200–300 mg/l). In contrast, under greenhouse conditions, 6PAP, applied as soil drenches, exhibited no phytotoxic effects. Soil drench applications of 6PAP 4 days before inoculation (dbi) with Fusarium moniliforme showed considerable seedling blight suppression and substantial plant growth promotion compared with the untreated control. In the presence of 200 mg/l 6PAP, both shoot and root developments were increased and higher dry weights were attained compared with the healthy control. To study the ability of 6PAP to induce the defence responses, the compound was applied on maize seedlings 2 dbi and the activities of peroxidase (PO), polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and β‐1,3‐glucanase in plant tissues were determined at two sampling times. Application of 6PAP on maize seedlings distinctly enhanced PO, PPO and β‐1,3‐glucanase activities in both shoot and root tissues compared with the untreated controls. Generally, 6PAP treatments induced higher activities of PO, PPO and β‐1,3‐glucanase in maize tissues than F. moniliforme infections. These results, however, provide the first evidence of the ability of 6PAP to control seedling blight disease incited by F. moniliforme in vivo and to induce defence responses in maize plants against the pathogen.
A gene for susceptibility to the fungicide azoxystrobin in apple and a tightly linked microsatellite marker
Authors: Tobutt K. R. , Clarke J. B. , Bošković G. , De la Rosa R. , Bošković R. I. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractVarious apple cultivars, including ‘McIntosh’ and ‘Cox’, are reported to be susceptible to the strobilurin fungicide azoxystrobin whereas others, including ‘Delicious’ and ‘Golden Delicious’, are resistant. To investigate the genetic control, progenies from various crosses between these four cultivars were raised and the seedlings tested for response by painting three expanded leaves with 200 mg/l of azoxystrobin solution and noting symptoms about a week later. From the segregations, it was concluded that susceptibility to azoxystrobin is due to a dominant gene, Azs, for which ‘McIntosh’ and ‘Cox’ are heterozygous. By scoring the segregation in the mapping progeny ‘Fiesta’ × ‘Totem’ and comparing it with the segregation of microsatellite [simple sequence repeat (SSR)] markers, Azs was found to co‐segregate with SSR‐GD127 on linkage group 12 and this tight linkage was confirmed in the progeny from the cross of ‘Golden Delicious’ × ‘Cox’ and ‘McIntosh’ × ‘Golden Delicious’. The susceptibility of ‘McIntosh’, attributed to allele Azs‐m, was greater than that of ‘Cox’, Azs‐c, and in the ‘McIntosh’ × ‘Cox’ progeny the GD127 marker showed that Azs‐c is dominant to Azs‐m.
C4d deposition in allograft renal biopsies is an independent risk factor for graft failure
Authors: WANG RENDING , WANG HUIPING , CHEN JIANGHUA , WU JIANYONG , WANG YIMIN , HUANG HONGFENG , HE QIANG 
Published: April 2009

SUMMARYAim:  Association between C4d deposition and renal allograft survival is still uncertain. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical outcome of C4d deposition in allograft renal biopsies.Methods:  One hundred and fifty biopsies from 150 patients with a histological diagnosis of acute rejection from December 1997 to March 2007 were included. Paraffin‐embedded sections were stained with a polyclonal antibody using an immunoperoxidase technique. Detailed clinical data were obtained by retrospective review.Results:  C4d was stained positively in 74 (49.3%) of 150 cases: 47 (61.5%) biopsies showed diffuse C4d deposition and 27 (38.5%) showed focal C4d deposition. During follow up, significantly more C4d‐positive patients (24/74 patients, 32.4%) lost their grafts, compared with the C4d‐negative group (10/76 patients, 13.2%) (P = 0.005). After a Kaplan–Meier analysis, grafts from the C4d‐negative group had a markedly higher survival as compared with the C4d‐positive group (P = 0.003, log–rank test). Graft survival among C4d‐negative, C4d diffuse‐positive, and C4d focal‐positive groups was significantly different (P = 0.007, log–rank test). The graft survival rate among C4d‐negative patients in early (<6 months) and later biopsies (>6 months), and C4d‐positive patients in early and in later biopsies was different (P = 0.028, log–rank test). The adjusted risk ratio of graft failure after Cox proportional hazards multivariate analyses for C4d‐positive patients was 3.309 (95% confidence interval, 1.413–6.537; P = 0.004).Conclusion:  Patients with C4d deposition had an inferior graft survival, especially with diffused C4d deposition, and later experienced acute rejection. C4d deposition was an independent risk factor for graft survival.