bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Diaporthe/Phomopsis Species Isolated from Soyabean and Abutilon theophrasti on Soybean Seed Germination
Authors: Vrandecic K. , Jurkovic D. , Cosic J. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractTwelve isolates of Diaporthe/Phomopsis species from soybean (six isolates) and Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf) (six isolates) were studied for their pathogenicity to soybean and their effect on soybean seed germination and seedling survival after artificial seed inoculation. The following criteria were taken into consideration: number of germinated and rotten seeds, seedlings with necrosis, germ length and length of necrotic lesion. All tested Diaporthe/Phomopsis isolates caused seeds rot. P. longicolla isolates from soybean plants (PL1 and PL2) and isolates from velvetleaf (AbPL1 and AbPL2) exhibited statistically significant decrease in germ growth. These germs were only 1.0–1.8 cm long. No relation between length of germs and length of necrosis was found. The highest percentage of decayed seedlings was determined in the isolates AbPL1 and 2 as well as in PS 1 and PL 1 20 days after inoculation. Results of our research showed that Diaporthe/Phomopsis species from velvetleaf could be more pathogenic on soybean than isolates of the same species from soybean.
Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum Strains Show Diversity in Production of and Response to N‐acyl Homoserine Lactones
Authors: Jafra S. , Jalink H. , Van Der Schoor R. , Van Der Wolf J. M. 
Published: November 2006

Abstract Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp.carotovorum (Pcc) is a plant pathogen, which can cause soft rot in a wide range of plants. A regulatory network controls the synthesis of virulence factors, mainly plant cell wall degrading enzymes, in a cell density dependent manner. Small signalling molecules, N‐acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), activate the synthesis of exoenzymes when cell density exceeds a certain threshold value (quorum sensing). Thin layer chromatography in conjunction with AHL indicator strains were used for characterization of AHL molecules produced by different wild‐type (WT) Pcc strains isolated from various hosts. Two groups of Pcc strains were found: one group with N‐(3‐oxo‐hexanoyl)‐L‐HSL (OHHL) molecule as a dominant (e.g. 71) and another group two containing N‐(3‐oxo‐octanoyl)‐L‐HSL (OOHL) as the dominant AHL, but also producing N‐(octanoyl)‐L‐HSL (OHL) and OHHL molecules (e.g. SCC3193). Pcc hsl‐negative mutants and their parental WT strains (71 and SCC3193), were used to study the response to single synthetic AHL analogues or AHLs extracted from cultures of different bacteria when co‐inoculated into wells in potato slices. Mutants varied in their response to the addition of single AHL analogues or AHLs extracted from the cultures of different bacteria. OHHL restored the ability to macerate tuber tissue of both mutants and synthetic OHL of SCC3193 mutant. Symptoms developed on leaves of in vitro grown potato plants inoculated with the WT strains but not with the mutants, even not with added AHL homologues. However, plant stress determined by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging showed a response to the mutants when AHLs were supplemented, that also restored maceration ability in the potato tuber slice assay.
In vivo and in vitro antioxidant activity of ghrelin: Attenuation of gastric ischemic injury in the rat
Authors: El Eter Eman , Al Tuwaijiri Ali , Hagar Hanan , Arafa Maha 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Gherlin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS‐R), is produced by stomach cells. It regulates food intake, gastric secretion and motility. However, its role as a protective agent in gastric ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to: (i) test the in vivo effect of peripherally administered ghrelin on gastric I/R‐induced lesions in rats; and (ii) investigate in vitro the effect of ghrelin on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by human polymorphoneuclear (PMN) cells.Methods:  The present study was carried out on three groups of rats (six per group): control (sham–operated), I/R (clamping of celiac artery for 30 min and reperfusion for 1 h), and I/R + ghrelin (200 ng/kg i.v., 15 min before ischemia and before reperfusion, respectively). Histological assessment of hematoxylin and eosin stained sections was performed and immunostaining with inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) antibody were performed on a gastric paraffin embedded section. Oxidative stress markers thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and glutathione (GSH) were measured in gastric tissue homogenates. Serum lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) was determined. Tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) was assayed in gastric tissue homogenate. Gastric permeability was assessed calorimetrically using Evans blue dye. In vitro studies were carried out on isolated human PMN cells incubated with ghrelin and tested for ROS generation as measured by chemiluminecence (CL).Results:  Peripheral administration of ghrelin attenuated gastric injury by reducing ulceration, tissue congestion, cellular infiltration and vascular permeability. Serum level of LDH and tissue content of TNF‐α were markedly reduced. A decrement in TBARS and an increment in GSH were observed. Ghrelin treatment attenuated iNOS protein expression which was upregulated by gastric ischemic injury. In vitro studies showed for the first time that ghrelin inhibited ROS generation by human PMN in a dose‐dependent manner.Conclusions:  These results provide evidence that peripherally administered ghrelin protects against gastric I/R injury. We also demonstrated that this protection is possibly accomplished through the antioxidant activity of ghrelin observed in vivo and in vitro.
Significant correlations between severe fatty liver and risk factors for metabolic syndrome
Authors: Hsiao Pi‐Jung , Kuo Kung‐Kai , Shin Shyi‐Jang , Yang Yi‐Hsin , Lin Wen‐Yi , Yang Jeng‐Fu , Chiu Chao‐Chin , Chuang Wan‐Long , Tsai Tong‐Rong , Yu Ming‐Lung 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBackground and Aim:  It is known that ultrasonography (US) cannot differentiate between non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and steatohepatitis. However, US can accurately estimate the severity of the steatosis. The clinical significance of severe hepatic fatty change by US has not been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the severity of the fatty liver, classified by US, and the degree of metabolic disorders with insulin resistance.Methods:  In 16 486 Taiwanese patients, severity of fatty change on US was classified as follows: group A (n = 6950), absence of fatty change; group B (n = 8694), mild; and group C (n = 842), severe fatty liver change. Biometabolic parameters included body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and serum creatinine. Nominal logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio for different degrees of fatty liver.Results:  The frequencies of obesity, hypertension, glucose intolerance and hypertriglyceridemia were all significantly higher in group C than in group A or B (P < 0.0001), and the mean values of BMI, BP, fasting glucose, triglyceride and ALT were also higher in group C (P < 0.0001). High BMI (≥30 kg/m2) appears to be the most important factor for progression from mild to severe fatty liver in both sexes.Conclusions:  The presence of severe fatty liver by US correlated significantly with the prevalence and degree of hypertension, abnormal glucose and triglyceride metabolism. Patients with severe fatty liver could be at an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and should be screened regularly for metabolic disorders. The physician may also evaluate ALT and hepatic fat content by US in patients with metabolic syndrome. Evaluating the severity of fatty liver by US may be useful because it correlates with the status of hyperinsulinemia, the risks of developing cardiovascular disease, and the threshold for oxidative stress.
Thymosin alpha 1 improves severe acute pancreatitis in rats via regulation of peripheral T cell number and cytokine serum level
Authors: Yao Weiyan , Zhu Qi , Yuan Yaozong , Qiao Minmin , Zhang Yongping , Zhai Zukang 
Published: November 2006

AbstractAim:  The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of thymosin alpha 1 (TA1) on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in rats.Methods:  Healthy Sprague‐Dawley rats (n = 72) were randomly divided into four groups: control group, SAP group, and two TA1 treated groups. SAP was induced by injection of 5% sterile sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct (BPD), after which TA1 was given subcutaneously at 0 and 2 h at a dose of 100 μg/kg. The rats were killed at 3, 6 and 12 h, respectively. Serum amylase and lipase, interleukin (IL)‐1β, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), pancreatic wet/dry weight ratio and the percentage of CD3/CD4+/CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were measured. Next, 30 rats were randomly divided into three groups (each group containing 10 animals): SAP group (S) and two TA1 treated groups. The effects of TA1 on the survival of SAP were assessed 72 h after the induction of SAP.Results:  There was no significant change in the serum amylase and lipase levels after TA1 administration. Levels of serum IL‐1β, TNF‐α and pancreatic wet/dry weight ratio were significantly reduced after TA1‐treatment. Application of TA1 significantly balanced CD3/CD4+/CD8+ T cells of PBMC and improved histological scores and the survival rate.Conclusion:  TA1 can reduce pancreatic inflammation by regulating differentiation of CD3/CD4+ T cells and decreasing the release of cytokines, thus attenuates pancreatic severity in SAP rats.
Short and long term efficacy of high intensity focused ultrasound therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Li Yu‐Yuan , Sha Wei‐Hong , Zhou Yong‐Jian , Nie Yu‐Qiang 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBackground:  The aim of this study was to investigate the short and long term efficacy of high intensity focused ultrasound therapy (HIFU) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:  Patients with surgically unresectable HCC received either HIFU plus supportive treatment (HIFU group, n = 151) or supportive treatment only (control group, n = 30), according to their willingness. Short term efficacy, including improvement in tumor imaging parameters, decrease in serum α‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels, symptom relief (i.e. Karnofsky Performance Status and numerical rating scales) and response rates, and long term efficacy, including an increase in survival rates and improvement of quality of life (QOL), was monitored.Results:  Tumor imaging parameters, serum AFP levels and symptom scores improved significantly in the HIFU group compared with the control group (all P < 0.05). In the HIFU group, a complete and a partial response were achieved in 28.5% (n = 43) and 60.3% (n = 91) of cases, respectively, while the rates were 0% and 16.7% (n = 5), respectively, in the control group. The overall response rate (88.8%) was significantly greater in the HIFU group (16.7%) than in the control group (P < 0.01). In addition, the 1‐ and 2‐year survival rates were 50.0% and 30.9%, respectively, in the HIFU group, which were significantly greater than those (3.4% and 0%, respectively) in the control group (both P < 0.01). The QOL score was 83.1 ± 8.0 at 3 months after HIFU, which was significantly greater than the pre‐HIFU score (67.7 ± 5.9) and the score at 3 months after treatment (69.0 ± 8.5) in the control group (both P < 0.05). No severe complications occurred during and after HIFU.Conclusion:  HIFU is an effective and safe ablation therapy with satisfactory short and long term efficacy for patients with advanced HCC.
TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 polymorphisms and Crohn's disease in a New Zealand Caucasian cohort
Authors: Hong Jiwon , Leung Euphemia , Fraser Alan G , Merriman Tony R , Vishnu Prakash , Krissansen Geoffrey W 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) have been identified as susceptibility genes for Crohn's disease (CD) in some, but not all, studies. Here we examined the association between candidate disease‐susceptibility polymorphisms in the TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 genes and CD in a New Zealand Caucasian population.Methods:  The frequency of gene polymorphisms was examined in 182 CD patients and in 188 ethnically matched controls by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) analysis.Results:  We could not detect any significant difference in the allele frequencies of polymorphisms in the TLR2 (R753Q, 0.029 vs 0.016, P = 0.25), TLR4 (D299G and T399I, 0.085 vs 0.071, P = 0.49; and 0.085 vs 0.082, P = 0.90), and TLR9 (−1237T/C, 0.154 vs 0.148, P = 0.82) genes between controls and patients, respectively. There was no evidence that the variant TLR alleles were associated with disease phenotype. However, combination of the datasets of published studies with our dataset confirmed that the TLR4 polymorphism 299G (P = 0.0005; OR of 1.42 [95% CI 1.17–1.74]) and the TLR9 polymorphism −1237C (P = 0.0416; OR of 1.33 [95% CI 1.01–1.75]) are associated with CD.Conclusions:  There was no evidence that the above variants of the TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 genes are major risk factors for CD or influence disease phenotype in our New Zealand case–control study. Nevertheless, the significance of the TLR4 299G and TLR9−1237C associations with CD worldwide was confirmed by a meta‐analysis test using our datasets and datasets from previously published studies.
Post‐infectious gastroparesis: Clinical and electerogastrographic aspects
Authors: Naftali Timna , Yishai Ron , Zangen Tsili , Levine Arie 
Published: November 2006

AbstractAims:  Post‐infectious gastroparesis (PIGP) is a subgroup of idiopathic gastroparesis. The aim of this study was to identify post‐viral gastroparesis and to characterize clinical and electrogastrographic aspects of the disease and their usefulness as a diagnostic tool.Methods:  Patients diagnosed with gastroparesis were defined as PIGP if they had a clear history of an acute viral illness prior to the development of their symptoms. All patients underwent evaluation of gastric emptying and electrogastrography (EGG).Results:  Seven patients met the criteria for diagnosis of PIGP. Patients' age ranged from 3 months to 47 years. A specific virus was identified in two patients (one cytomegalovirus [CMV] and one Epstein‐Barr virus [EBV]). EGG was pathological in six out of seven patients. In four out of seven patients, symptoms resolved spontaneously within 4 weeks to 12 months, three patients had improved but were still symptomatic at the time of the writing of this work.Conclusion:  We conclude that post‐infectious gastroparesis is an uncommon and often over looked condition. It is self‐limiting in most cases. EGG is pathological in most patients.
Utility of liver biopsy in bone marrow transplant patients
Authors: Chahal Prabhleen , Levy Cynthia , Litzow Mark R , Lindor Keith D 
Published: November 2006

AbstractsBackground and Aim:  Hepatic dysfunction is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in bone marrow transplant recipients. During the complex clinical management of these patients, liver biopsies may be obtained during evaluation of abnormal liver tests. The purpose of our study was to assess the safety and use of liver biopsy in this patient population.Methods:  In total, 1700 bone marrow transplants were performed at our institution from June 1982 to December 2002. Data from patients who underwent liver biopsy after their transplant were reviewed once they were identified through a computerized medical index system. Impact of the histological diagnosis on subsequent patient management was obtained from clinical records. The histological diagnosis made by dedicated hepatopathologists was used as the ‘gold standard’ to assess the reliability of clinical diagnosis.Results:  Sixty‐one patients, comprising 39 males and 22 females, had a liver biopsy performed (27 transjugular, 29 percutaneous, four laparoscopic, one not specified). As a result of liver biopsy, management was changed in 37% of patients and included addition of medical therapy in 11 and cessation of therapy in five patients. Complications from the liver biopsy were observed in 15 (25%) patients and involved 10 cases of pain or bleeding at the biopsy site, four subcapsular hemorrhages, and one arrhythmia leading to death.Conclusion:  Liver biopsy, although infrequently obtained during the assessment of hepatic dysfunction in the bone marrow transplant population, can serve as an important diagnostic tool with a significant impact on the clinical management of these patients. Although we observed a higher complication rate, the majority of them were minor.
Vowel processing evokes a large sustained response anterior to primary auditory cortex
Authors: Hewson‐Stoate Nicola , Schönwiesner Marc , Krumbholz Katrin 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe present study uses electroencephalography (EEG) and a new stimulation paradigm, the ‘continuous stimulation paradigm’, to investigate the neural correlate of phonological processing in human auditory cortex. Evoked responses were recorded to stimuli consisting of a control sound (1000 ms) immediately followed by a test sound (150 ms). On half of the trials, the control sound was a noise and the test sound a vowel; to control for unavoidable effects of spectral change at the transition, the roles of the stimuli were reversed on the other half of the trials. The acoustical properties of the vowel and noise sounds were carefully matched to isolate the response specific to phonological processing. As the unspecific response to sound energy onset has subsided by the transition to the test sound, we hypothesized that the transition response from a noise to a vowel would reveal vowel‐specific processing. Contrary to this expectation, however, the most striking difference between vowel and noise processing was a large, vertex‐negative sustained response to the vowel control sound, which had a fast onset (30–50 ms) and remained constant throughout presentation of the vowel. The vowel‐specific response was isolated using a subtraction technique analogous to that commonly applied in neuroimaging studies. This similarity in analysis methodology enabled close comparison of the EEG data collected in the present study with relevant functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) literature. Dipole source analysis revealed the vowel‐specific component to be located anterior and inferior to primary auditory cortex, consistent with previous data investigating speech processing with fMRI.
Developmental changes of neurotrophin mRNA expression in the layers of rat visual cortex
Authors: Patz Silke , Wahle Petra 
Published: November 2006

AbstractNeurotrophins are essential factors for the structural, neurochemical and functional maturation of the brain including developmental and adult plasticity. Northern blots and polymerase chain reaction revealed the expression of neurotrophin 4 (NT4), neurotrophin 3 (NT3), brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the cortex. The cellular producers of NT3 and BDNF have been characterized by anatomical methods as being mostly pyramidal, and the tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) receptor is expressed by many cortical neurons. However, these methods have so far failed to identify the cells producing NT4 and NGF mRNA. These factors are much lower in expression than, e.g. BDNF, and apparently remain below detection levels of in situ hybridization. Given their specific actions on cell types and afferent systems, knowledge about the producing cell types is highly desirable. To narrow down on the producing cell types, we quantified by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) the developmental changes of BDNF, NT3, NT4, NGF and TrkB mRNA expression in total visual cortex lysates, and in the cortical layers dissected by tangential cryostat sectioning. We found dramatic changes in laminar expression of NT3 and NGF, mild changes of NT4, and no changes of BDNF and TrkB mRNA. For instance, NT3 is important early on for thalamocortical axons, and we found transient peaks of NT3 mRNA expression first in layer VI, then in layer IV. NT4 mRNA was in layers IV and VI, suggesting NT4 protein production in thalamorecipient layers, but peak expression gradually shifted to upper layers as did NGF expression. The layer‐specific developmental expression shifts of neurotrophin mRNAs correlate with morphogenetic processes.
Abnormal associative encoding in orbitofrontal neurons in cocaine‐experienced rats during decision‐making
Authors: Stalnaker Thomas A. , Roesch Matthew R. , Franz Theresa M. , Burke Kathryn A. , Schoenbaum Geoffrey 
Published: November 2006

AbstractRecent evidence has linked exposure to addictive drugs to an inability to employ information about adverse consequences, or outcomes, to control behavior. For instance, addicts and drug‐experienced animals fail to adapt their behavior to avoid adverse outcomes in gambling and reversal tasks or after changes in the value of expected rewards. These deficits are similar to those caused by damage to the orbitofrontal cortex, suggesting that addictive drugs may cause long‐lasting changes in the representation of outcome associations in a circuit that includes the orbitofrontal cortex. Here we test this hypothesis by recording from orbitofrontal neurons in a discrimination task in rats previously exposed to cocaine (30 mg/kg i.p. for 14 days). We found that orbitofrontal neurons recorded in cocaine‐experienced rats failed to signal the adverse outcome at the time a decision was made in the task. The loss of this signal was associated with abnormal changes in response latencies on aversive trials. Furthermore, upon reversal of the cue–outcome associations, orbitofrontal neurons in cocaine‐treated rats with enduring reversal impairments failed to reverse their cue‐selectivity, while orbitofrontal neurons in cocaine‐treated rats with normal performance showed an increase in the plasticity of cue‐selective firing after reversal. These results provide direct neurophysiological evidence that exposure to cocaine can cause behaviorally relevant changes in the processing of associative information in a circuit that includes the orbitofrontal cortex.