bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mycobacterium tuberculosis conserved hypothetical protein rRv2626c modulates macrophage effector functions
Authors: Bashir Nasreena , Kounsar Fozia , Mukhopadhyay Sangita , Hasnain Seyed E. 
Published: February 2010

SummarySecretory proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are the major immunomodulators of the host immune response. Open reading frame (ORF) Rv2626c, encoding a conserved hypothetical protein eliciting a strong humoral immune response in patients with tuberculosis (TB), was shown to be up‐regulated upon infection in mice under hypoxic conditions. We now show that recombinant Rv2626c protein (rRv2626c) can bind to the surface of murine macrophages and elicit the type‐1 immune response, as manifested by nitric oxide (NO) secretion and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Significant induction of pro‐inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)‐12 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α] was evident upon stimulation of murine macrophages, as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from patients with active TB disease, with rRv2626c. Stimulation with rRv2626c also enhanced the expression of costimulatory molecules such as B7‐1, B7‐2 and CD40 on murine macrophages. We further show that the production of NO and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in response to rRv2626c is mediated by the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)‐κB, and this was further confirmed using pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a specific pharmacological inhibitor of NF‐κB. Rv2626c therefore appears to modulate macrophage effector functions by eliciting both innate and adaptive immune responses, suggesting its possible use as a vaccine candidate.
Enhancement of humoral and cellular immunity with an anti‐glucocorticoid‐induced tumour necrosis factor receptor monoclonal antibody
Authors: Ponte Jose F. , Ponath Paul , Gulati Reema , Slavonic Michael , Paglia Michael , O’Shea Adam , Tone Masahide , Waldmann Herman , Vaickus Louis , Rosenzweig Michael 
Published: February 2010

SummaryAdjuvants, including antibodies to tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily members, augment immune responses. One member of this family, glucocorticoid‐induced tumour necrosis factor receptor (GITR), is expressed at low levels on naive/resting T cells, B cells and macrophages, but at higher levels on T regulatory cells. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of a rat anti‐mouse GITR monoclonal antibody, 2F8, to stimulate murine humoral and cellular immunity in a prime boost model with particular attention to posology and antigen‐specific effects. 2F8 enhanced the humoral immune response to ovalbumin and haemagglutinin (HA) compared with controls and this enhancement was equal to or greater than that obtained in mice dosed with standard adjuvants. 2F8 F(ab′)2 fragments were as effective as intact antibody in boosting humoral immunity, indicating that FcR‐mediated cross‐linking of 2F8 is not required for efficacy. Moreover, the enhanced response was durable and antigen specific. Administration of 2F8 shifted the immune response towards a T helper type 1 response with significant enhancement of immunoglobulin G2a‐ and G2b‐specific anti‐HA antibodies, as well as enhanced cellular immunity as measured by ELISPOT. 2F8‐treated mice also generated significantly more neutralizing antibodies to HA than control mice. Our findings show that anti‐GITR is a robust, versatile adjuvant that, unlike commonly used adjuvants that primarily enhance humoral immunity, enhances both humoral and cellular immunity. These results support the continued development of anti‐GITR for such indications as haematological and solid tumours, chronic viral infections, and as a vaccine adjuvant.
Optimal stimulation for CD70 induction on human monocyte‐derived dendritic cells and the importance of CD70 in naive CD4+ T‐cell differentiation
Authors: Arimoto‐Miyamoto Kazue , Kadowaki Norimitsu , Kitawaki Toshio , Iwata Satoshi , Morimoto Chikao , Uchiyama Takashi 
Published: February 2010

SummaryStudies in mice have shown that CD70 on dendritic cells (DCs) is sufficient to convert T‐cell tolerance into immunity and hence induce anti‐tumour immune responses. Therefore, it is important to investigate (i) optimal stimuli to induce CD70 on human monocyte‐derived DCs (MoDCs), which are widely used for tumour immunotherapy, and (ii) the role of CD70 in functional differentiation of naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells stimulated with MoDCs. We show that interferon‐α (IFN‐α) is a key cytokine to differentiate monocytes into DCs with the capacity to express CD70 upon maturation. CD70 expression on IFN‐α‐induced MoDCs was elicited by different categories of maturation‐inducing factors (Toll‐like receptor ligands, CD40 ligand and pro‐inflammatory mediators), among which prostaglandin E2 was most effective. Naive T cells stimulated with MoDCs also expressed CD70. Stimulation with MoDCs promoted naive CD4+ T cells to acquire the ability to produce T helper type 1 and 2 cytokines in a CD70‐dependent manner. In contrast, the CD70–CD27 interaction diminished the production of an immunoregulatory cytokine IL‐10. The CD27 signal did not play a dominant role in the induction of effector molecules in naive CD8+ T cells during the stimulation with MoDCs. This study adds a novel function to the versatile cytokines, type I IFNs, that is, the induction of CD70 on MoDCs. CD70 promotes naive CD4+ T cells to acquire immunostimulatory activity through the DC–T‐cell and T‐cell–T‐cell interactions during the stimulation with MoDCs. Hence, the CD70–CD27 interaction may play an important role in inducing effective immune responses in DC‐based immunotherapy.
An expansion of the genome size dataset for the insect order Hymenoptera, with a first test of parasitism and eusociality as possible constraints
Authors: Ardila‐Garcia A. M. , Umphrey G. J. , Gregory T. R. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractAlthough the Hymenoptera represent a remarkably diverse and socioeconomically important group that is of considerable interest in genome biology, they remain understudied in terms of genome size. This study reports new genome size estimates for 89 species of ants, bees and wasps, representing 17 families and four superfamilies. These are used in a test of the hypothesis that genome sizes are constrained by traits associated with parasitism or eusociality. Not all parasitoid wasps exhibit small genomes, though a relationship based on specific types of parasitism may still occur; by contrast, there was no convincing evidence of a constraint relating to eusociality. The data provided here can be used to guide future research aimed at understanding the evolution of large‐scale genomic properties in this order.
Two novel Salp15‐like immunosuppressant genes from salivary glands of Ixodes persulcatus Schulze tick
Authors: Mori A. , Konnai S. , Yamada S. , Hidano A. , Murase Y. , Ito T. , Takano A. , Kawabata H. , Onuma M. , Ohashi K. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractSalp15, a 15‐kDa tick salivary gland protein, is known for several suppressive activities against host immunity and critical functions for the transmission of Lyme borrelia in Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes ricinus, the major vectors found in North America and Western Europe. Salp15 inhibits the activation of cluster of differentiation (CD)4+T‐cells through the repression of T‐cell receptor (TCR)‐triggered calcium fluxes and interleukin (IL)‐2 production. Furthermore, Salp15 adheres to the spirochaeta and specifically interacts with its outer surface protein C. The binding of Salp15 to Borrelia burgdorferi protects it from antibody‐mediated killing in vitro. The aim of this study is to identify the Salp15 genes in Ixodes persulcatus Schulze, the specific vector for human Lyme borreliosis in Japan. Two cDNA clones encoding the Salp15‐like sequence were obtained from salivary glands of fed female ticks. These genes encode 135‐ and 132‐amino acid proteins, designated Salp15 Iper‐1 and Salp15 Iper‐2, respectively, both having signal peptide sequences and predicted to be secretory proteins. Salp15 Iper‐1 and ‐2 showed 51.8 and 68.2% similarity to I. scapularis Salp15, respectively. Reverse transcriptase PCR analysis showed that Salp15 Iper genes were expressed specifically in the salivary glands throughout life cycle stages of the ticks and were up‐regulated by blood feeding. In the I. persulcatus‐derived sequences, the C‐terminal part, which is the binding domain to the CD4 molecule of T‐cells in I. scapularis Salp15, was well conserved. In the future, it will be necessary to analyse immunosuppressive functions of I. persulcatus Salp15 and their interaction with Borrelia spp. in Japan.
Competition modulates the adaptation capacity of forests to climatic stress: insights from recent growth decline and death in relict stands of the Mediterranean firAbies pinsapo
Authors: Linares Juan Carlos , Camarero Jesús Julio , Carreira José Antonio 
Published: February 2010

Summary1.Long‐term basal area increment (BAI) inAbies pinsapowas studied to investigate the way density‐dependent factors modulate the responses of radial growth to climatic stresses in relict stands of a drought‐sensitive Mediterranean fir.2.First, we verified that spatially explicit competition predicts meanA. pinsapoBAI at our study site; i.e. it modulates the degree to which the average climate‐driven potential for growth is expressed. Second, we verified that the long‐term pattern of temperature predicts the long‐term pattern of BAI, estimated as the main trend over a time period ofc.40 years. Finally, we assessed whether the intensity of tree‐to‐tree competition restrains the potential improvements achieved by our model of BAI when a short‐term, high‐frequency stressor such as drought (inter‐annual precipitation variability) is introduced.3.We applied Dynamic Factor Analysis (DFA) to characterize regional climatic trends and to test the hypothesis that trees subjected to contrasting competition intensity may differ in their growth pattern. Significant long‐term climate trends obtained by DFA were used as predictors of long‐term BAI.4.The mean BAI was mainly determined by competition, whereas growth trends obtained by DFA did not differ among dominant, suppressed and dying trees. Common trends of growth decline were strongly related to long‐term, late‐winter to summer temperatures, while the residuals were related to total annual precipitation, although with decreasing significance as competition increased. Our results support the contention that the reported patterns ofA. pinsapogrowth decline and death occur as a result of the interacting effects of both competition and climate stressors acting at long‐ and short‐term time scales.5.Synthesis. Long‐term climatic drought stress was the main driving factor of growth decline inA. pinsapo. Moreover, trees already suffering from competition (a long‐term stress) were predisposed to decline given an additional short‐term stress, such as a severe drought.
Evaluation of the ability of people with intellectual disabilities to ‘weigh up’ information in two tests of financial reasoning
Authors: Willner P. , Bailey R. , Parry R. , Dymond S. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackground  An assessment of mental capacity includes an evaluation of the ability to ‘weigh up’ information, but how to do this is uncertain. We have previously used a laboratory decision‐making task, temporal discounting, which involves a trade‐off between the value and the delay of expected rewards. Participants with intellectual disabilities (ID) showed very little evidence of ‘weighing up’ of information: only a third of participants showed consistent temporal discounting performance, and when present, consistent performance was usually impulsive; and the ability to perform consistently was more strongly related to executive functioning than to IQ. The aim of the present study was to replicate these observations and extend them to a more realistic financial decision‐making task.Methods  We administered a temporal discounting task and a financial decision‐making task, as well as tests of executive functioning and IQ, to 20 participants who attended day services for people with learning disabilities (mean Full‐Scale IQ = 59), and to 10 staff members.Results  Performance in both decision‐making tasks was related more strongly to executive functioning than to IQ. In both tasks, decisions by service users were made largely on the basis of a single item of information: there was very little evidence in either task that information from two sources was being ‘weighed’.Conclusions  The results suggest that difficulty in ‘weighing up’ information may be a general problem for people with ID, pointing to a need for psycho‐educational remediation strategies to address this issue. The importance of executive functioning in decision‐making by people with ID is not recognized in the legal test for mental capacity, which in practice includes a possibly irrelevant IQ criterion.
Inflammatory profiles in nasal mucosa of patients with persistent vs intermittent allergic rhinitis
Authors: Liu F. , Zhang J. , Liu Y. , Zhang N. , Holtappels G. , Lin P. , Liu S. , Bachert C. 
Published: February 2010

To cite this article: Liu F, Zhang J, Liu Y, Zhang N, Holtappels G, Lin P, Liu S, Bachert C. Inflammatory profiles in nasal mucosa of patients with persistent vs intermittent allergic rhinitis. Allergy 2010; 65: 1149–1157.AbstractBackground:  To date there is little information on the inflammatory profiles of patients suffering from persistent (PER) and intermittent allergic rhinitis (IAR). Also, it is not clear whether differences exist in eosinophilic inflammation and/or T‐helper cell sub‐populations and their markers. The aim of this study was to primarily evaluate the inflammatory profiles of patients with moderate/severe PER and IAR.Methods:  Inferior nasal turbinate tissue was obtained from 12 PER, 12 IAR and 12 nonallergic nonrhinitic (control) patients, and symptoms (visual analogue scales, VAS) and impairment of life was monitored. All tissues were assessed for eosinophil and mast cell numbers by immunohistochemistry; IL‐5, ECP and IgE concentrations by immunoassay; mRNA for transcription factors GATA‐3, T‐bet, FOXP3 and RORc by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction; and IgE‐induced release of LTC4/D4/E4 and PGD2in vitro.Results:  Eosinophils and mast cells were significantly increased in patients with PER and patients with IAR compared to control subjects; by patients with PER demonstrating even significantly greater increase of both cell types than patients with IAR. Similarly, ECP IL‐5, GATA‐3 mRNA expression and IgE‐induced release of LTC4/D4/E4 and PGD2 from mast cells were significantly increased in patients with PER compared to patients with IAR. In contrast, the expression of T‐bet, FOXP3 or RORc mRNA was not significantly different in the PER, IAR or control patients.Conclusion:  The findings from the present study suggest that PER is characterized by a significantly greater eosinophilic and predominantly Th2 cell‐mediated nasal inflammatory profile compared to IAR.
Mycophenolic acid trough level monitoring: relevance in acute and chronic graft versus host disease and its relation with albumin
Authors: Hiwarkar P. , Shaw B.E. , Tredger J.M. , Brown N.W. , Kulkarni S. , Saso R. , Evans S. , Treleaven J. , Davies F.E. , Ethell M.E. , Morgan G.J. , Potter M.N. 
Published: February 2010

Hiwarkar P, Shaw BE, Tredger JM, Brown NW, Kulkarni S, Saso R, Evans S, Treleaven J, Davies FE, Ethell ME, Morgan GJ, Potter MN. Mycophenolic acid trough level monitoring: relevance in acute and chronic graft versus host disease and its relation with albumin.  Clin Transplant 2011: 25: 222–227. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is used to treat acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD). There is scant evidence in the literature about mycophenolic acid (MPA) trough level monitoring in GvHD. We therefore reviewed 32 patients treated with MMF for acute (n = 19) or chronic GvHD (n = 13). Twelve (63%) of 19 patients with acute GvHD and nine (69%) of 13 with chronic GvHD showed a good response. In all 21 patients who responded to MMF, their mean total MPA levels were therapeutic (1–3.5 mg/L), whereas five of 11 patients who did not respond had sub‐therapeutic mean MPA levels (p = 0.002). Sixteen (66%) of 24 steroid refractory or dependent patients responded to MMF. Associations between the mean total MPA level for each patient and the corresponding mean serum albumin concentration showed therapeutic mean total MPA levels for all 23 patients with mean albumin ≥31 g/L but sub‐therapeutic mean total MPA levels in five of nine patients with mean albumin <31 g/L (p = 0.0006). In conclusion, MMF is efficacious in steroid refractory and dependent acute or chronic GvHD with statistically significant correlation between therapeutic plasma total MPA trough levels and clinical response. Serum albumin levels should be taken into account when considering MMF dose adjustments.
Cuscuta reflexa invasion induces Ca2+ release in its host
Authors: Albert M. , Van Der Krol S. , Kaldenhoff R. 
Published: February 2010

Abstract Cuscuta reflexa induces a variety of reaction in its hosts. Some of these are visual reactions, and it is clear that these morphological changes are preceded by events at the molecular level, where signal transduction is one of the early processes. Calcium (Ca2+) release is the major second messenger during signal transduction, and we therefore studied Ca2+ spiking in tomato during infection with C. reflexa. Bioluminescence in aequorin‐expressing tomato was monitored for 48 h after the onset of Cuscuta infestation. Signals at the attachment sites were observed from 30 to 48 h. Treatment of aequorin‐expressing tomato leaf disks with Cuscuta plant extracts suggested that the substance that induced Ca2+ release from the host was closely linked to parasite haustoria.
To Feed or Not to Feed? Testing Different Hypotheses on Rut‐Induced Hypophagia in a Mountain Ungulate
Authors: Brivio Francesca , Grignolio Stefano , Apollonio Marco 
Published: February 2010

AbstractIn many ruminant species, males dramatically reduce forage intake during the rut. To date, different hypotheses have been suggested to explain this rut‐induced hypophagia. To assess the predictions of the main hypotheses, we analysed Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) activity budget and compared the behaviour of males and females before, during, and after the rut. Only males spent significantly less time foraging during the rut than outside of it, whereas females allocated a similar proportion of time to foraging before, during, and after the rut. Our results showed that during the rut males also reduced lying time, while the ratio of time spent feeding to time spent lying did not change for males among periods. In conclusion, during the breeding season males maximized energy intake when not actively engaged in mating activities and rut‐induced hypophagia appeared to result from time budget constraints generated by mating‐related activities. Accordingly, the foraging constraint hypothesis seems appropriate to explain this phenomenon in Alpine ibex males.
Population structure and genetic diversity of worldwide Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and Lancashire Heeler dog populations
Authors: Mäki K. 
Published: February 2010

SummaryThe aim of this study was to research the population structure and genetic diversity of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (NS) and the Lancashire Heeler (LH) dog breeds. Data consisted of nearly all the worldwide registration history for both breeds, including 28 668 NS and 4 782 LH individuals. A reference population, including the females born between 1999 and 2008, was defined for genetic analyses for each breed. Average depth of the pedigrees known for the reference population dogs was 12.9 complete generation equivalents in the NS and 6.0 in the LH. Only a small fraction of the born dogs were used later for breeding. Effective number of founders was 9.8 in the NS and 15.2 in the LH. More than 50% of the genetic diversity in the reference population was explained by two ancestors in the NS and five in the LH. Average inbreeding coefficients in the reference populations were 0.26 in the NS and 0.10 in the LH. Average kinships were 0.26 and 0.08 and realised effective population sizes 18 and 28, respectively. Failure to use available genetic resources for sustainable breeding has resulted in depletion of genetic variation in both breeds. To increase genetic variation, a larger proportion of the dogs should be used in reproduction and the contributions of reproducing animals should be equalized. In the LH, it is necessary to use the unregistered farm dogs in breeding. In the NS, crosses with another breed are needed.
A robust method for simultaneous estimation of single gene and polygenic effects in dairy cows using externally estimated breeding values as prior information
Authors: Buske B. , Szydlowski M. , Gengler N. 
Published: February 2010

SummaryThe aim of this study was to develop a robust method to estimate single gene and random polygenic animal effects simultaneously in a small field dataset with limited pedigree information. The new method was based on a Bayesian approach using additional prior information on the distribution of externally estimated breeding values. The field dataset consisted of 40 269 test‐day records for milk performance traits for 1455 genotyped dairy cows for the 11 bp‐deletion in the coding sequence of the myostatin gene. For all traits, estimated additive effects of the favoured wild‐type allele (‘+’ allele) were smaller when applying the new method in comparison with the application of a conventional mixed inheritance test‐day model. Dominance effects of the myostatin gene showed the same behaviour but were generally lower than additive effects. Robustness of methods was tested using a data‐splitting technique, based on the correlation of estimated breeding values from two samples, with one‐half of the data eliminated randomly from the first sample and the remaining data eliminated from the second sample. Results for 100 replicates showed that the correlation between split datasets when prior information included was higher than the conventional method. The new method led to more robust estimations for genetic effects and therefore has potential for use when only a small number of genotyped animals with field data and limited pedigree information are available.
Speziesdiagnostik: Von der Agarplatte zur Molekularbiologie
Authors: Willinger B. 
Published: February 2010

ZusammenfassungLange Zeit war neben mikroskopischen Nachweisverfahren die Kultur die einzige Möglichkeit, den Erreger von Pilzinfektionen nachzuweisen. Die Kultur nimmt nach wie vor einen wichtigen Stellenwert ein, obwohl sie vielfach erst nach einigen Tagen positiv wird, die Sensitivität teilweise gering ist und es nicht immer möglich ist, zwischen Kontamination, Besiedelung und Infektion zu unterscheiden. Allerdings ermöglicht die Kultur, den Erreger bis auf Speziesebene zu identifizieren und eine Resistenzprüfung durchzuführen. Molekularbiologische Techniken ermöglichen eine besonders schnelle Testung und erzielen einen deutlich höheren Informationsgewinn als phänotypische Methoden. Hier stehen neben der Polymerasekettenreaktion die Fluoreszenz in situ Hybridisierung (FISH) und DNA‐Microarrays zur Verfügung. Erst wenn diese Assays ausreichend evaluiert und in weiterer Folge standardisiert sein werden, wird es möglich sein, mit Hilfe dieser Techniken invasive Pilzinfektionen in allen mikrobiologischen Laboratorien frühzeitig und relativ rasch nachzuweisen. Bis dahin ist eine Kombination der verschiedenen Testmethoden notwendig, um zu einem zuverlässigen Nachweis des Erregers zu kommen.