bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Iron intake and iron status of preschool children: associations with breakfast cereals, vitamin C and meat
Authors: Gibso Sigrid A 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjective:To examine associations between breakfast cereal consumption and iron status and identify dietary patterns that might improve iron status in this vulnerable group.Design:Analysis of data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of children aged 1.5–4.5 years, including dietary intakes calculated from 4-day weighed records.Subjects:Data were used from 904 children with haematological measurements, excluding those taking iron supplements; 20% had low iron stores (ferritin < 10 μg l−1) while 8% were anaemic (Hb < 11 g dl−1).Results:High cereal consumers had significantly higher iron intakes than low cereal consumers (classified by tertiles) but the 10% difference in mean ferritin levels was not significant (P = 0.067). Lower intakes of vitamin C and meat among high consumers of cereal may have diluted the impact of cereal iron on iron status. When children were reclassified according to their intakes of vitamin C and iron from meat and breakfast cereals, the group with high (above median) intakes of two or more factors had a higher mean haemoglobin (Hb) level and a lower prevalence of anaemia compared with the group with low (below median) intakes of all three dietary constituents.Conclusions:Nutritional advice that aims to improve iron status should emphasize not only rich sources of iron but also factors that may enhance or inhibit absorption. Strategies to optimize iron status in this vulnerable age group include consuming an iron-fortified breakfast cereal, vitamin C-rich fruit or drink at breakfast, and avoiding tea with (or after) meals.
Food and nutrient intake of a national sample of 4-year-old children in 1950: comparison with the 1990s
Authors: Prynne CJ , Paul AA , Price GM , Day KC , Hilder WS , Wadsworth MEJ 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the food and nutrient intake of members of a birth cohort study when young children in 1950 and investigate differences from present-day children's diets.Design:One-day recall diet records from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) (1946 Birth Cohort) at age 4 years were analysed for energy and selected nutrients and compared to the published results for 4-year-olds in the 1992/93 National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS).Setting:England, Scotland and Wales in 1950 and 1992/93.Subjects:4599 children in 1950 and 493 children in 1992/93.Results:Mean (SD) daily intakes in 1950 were energy 1445 (343) kcal, or 6.1 (1.4) MJ, protein 46 (11)g, fat 64 (20)g, starch 117 (33)g, sugar 62 (24)g, unavailable carbohydrate 13 (4)g, calcium 736 (230)mg, iron 7.7 (2.1)mg, retinol 738 (1273) μg, carotene 1049 (1130) μg and vitamin C 40 (26) mg. Compared to 1992/93, the 1950 diet contained substantially more bread and vegetables and less sugar and soft drinks, giving it a higher starch and fibre content and making it more in line with current recommendations on healthy eating. However, fat provided 40% of energy in 1950, compared to 35% in 1992/93. In 1950, red meat was an important source of iron, but by 1992 most iron came from fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin C came mainly from vegetables in 1950, but from soft drinks in 1992.Conclusions:The relative austerity of post-war food supplies resulted in food and nutrient intakes in 1950 which in many respects may well have been beneficial to the health of young children, despite fat intake being higher than present-day recommendations.
Assessing the diet of adolescent girls in the UK
Authors: Robinson Siân , Skelton Ria , Barker Mary , Wilman Clare 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjective:To assess the ability of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ1) and a food checklist (FCL) to determine energy and macronutrient intakes of adolescent girls in the general population.Design:Energy and macronutrient intakes determined by FFQ1 and the FCL were compared with those from a 7-day weighed dietary record (WDR). The reproducibility of FFQ1 was assessed by a comparison of intakes with those from a repeated questionnaire (FFQ2) completed a month later.Setting:Southampton, UK.Subjects:Forty-seven 15-year-old girls completed FFQ1 and the WDR and FCL; and 61 girls completed FFQ1 and FFQ2.Results:The broad dietary patterns described by the three methods of assessment were similar, although absolute intakes differed. Energy and macronutrient intakes determined by FFQ1 were higher than those recorded in the WDR (allP< 0.001), but intakes assessed by the FCL and WDR were similar. Only FFQ1-assessed energy intakes appeared consistent with predicted energy requirements. With the exception of protein intake, there was reasonable agreement between FFQ1 and the WDR in their estimation of energy and macronutrient intake (range of correlation coefficients 0.28 for energy to 0.33 for carbohydrate). The poorer agreement between FFQ1 and the WDR in their estimates of protein intake arose principally from the misclassification of meat and fish intake, although there was no obvious explanation for this. Energy and macronutrient intakes were similar for FFQ1 and FFQ2.Conclusions:Adolescent girls give reproducible answers in response to a self-administered FFQ, which yield useful information about their broad dietary patterns. The FFQ may be a more suitable dietary assessment method than prospective records for use in general population studies of girls of this age. We discuss suggestions for its improved performance.
High-Resolution Whole-Mount Imaging of Three-Dimensional Tissue Organization and Gene Expression Enables the Study of Phloem Development and Structure inArabidopsis
Authors: Truernit Elisabeth , Bauby Hélène , Dubreucq Bertrand , Grandjean Olivier , Runions John , Barthélémy Julien , Palauqui Jean-Christophe 
Published: June 2008

AbstractCurrently, examination of the cellular structure of plant organs and the gene expression therein largely relies on the production of tissue sections. Here, we present a staining technique that can be used to image entire plant organs using confocal laser scanning microscopy. This technique produces high-resolution images that allow three-dimensional reconstruction of the cellular organization of plant organs. Importantly, three-dimensional domains of gene expression can be analyzed with single-cell precision. We used this technique for a detailed examination of phloem cells in the wild type and mutants. We were also able to recognize phloem sieve elements and their differentiation state in any tissue type and visualize the structure of sieve plates. We show that in the altered phloem development mutant, a hybrid cell type with phloem and xylem characteristics develops from initially normally differentiated protophloem cells. The simplicity of sieve element data collection allows for the statistical analysis of structural parameters of sieve plates, essential for the calculation of phloem conductivity. Taken together, this technique significantly improves the speed and accuracy of the investigation of plant growth and development.
Usefulness of Sau‐PCR for molecular epidemiology of nosocomial outbreaks due to Burkholderia cepacia which occurred in a local hospital in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Yan He , Shi Lei , Alam M.J. , Li Lin , Yang Liansheng , Yamasaki Shinji 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTThe aim of the present study was to determine the source of nosocomial outbreak due to Burkholderia cepacia by molecular techniques. A total of 11 B. cepacia strains were isolated; nine from blood and one from sputum of patients without cystic fibrosis, and one from reverse osmosis water at a local hospital in Guangzhou, China. Analyses of 11 strains by the Sau‐PCR assay and pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis revealed that nine strains obtained from the blood of outpatients in a hemodialysis unit and one strain from reverse osmosis water had identical DNA profiles, indicating that the reverse osmosis water supply could be a source of infection.
Pulmonary eosinophilia correlates with allergen deposition to the lower respiratory tract in a mouse model of asthma
Authors: Siddiqui S. , Morris J. , Avery N. , Wyand S. , Rood D. , Silbart L. K. 
Published: June 2008

SummaryBackground
Eosinophilic infiltration into the airways is frequently associated with allergic asthma; however, the role of antigen deposition in mediating this phenomenon has not been studied in detail.Objective
Using a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA) allergy, we examined how differential deposition of OVA during antigen challenge affects pulmonary eosinophilia, immune response and airway hyper‐reactivity (AHR).Methods
Differential allergen deposition to the upper respiratory tract (URT) alone or combined upper and lower respiratory tract (ULRT) was accomplished by administering OVA intranasally to either anaesthetized or unanaesthetized mice, respectively. BALB/c mice (6–7 weeks old) were sensitized with OVA–alum via the intraperitoneal route, and then challenged intranasally using OVA, with or without anaesthesia. AHR, enumeration of inflammatory cells and quantitative measurement of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung histopathology and immune responses were subsequently assessed.Results
In sensitized animals challenged via the ULRT route, a profound eosinophilia and goblet cell hyperplasia was observed in lung tissue. Conversely, sensitized mice receiving an identical challenge dose via the URT route alone exhibited only negligible levels of inflammation. Interestingly, AHR and OVA‐specific IgG1 and IgE systemic responses were comparable between the two groups.Conclusion
This study indicates that direct exposure of allergen in the deep lung is highly correlated with airway eosinophilia and lung inflammation, but does not correlate with AHR or immune response.
Microbicidal protein psoriasin is a multifunctional modulator of neutrophil activation
Authors: Zheng Yan , Niyonsaba François , Ushio Hiroko , Ikeda Shigaku , Nagaoka Isao , Okumura Ko , Ogawa Hideoki 
Published: June 2008

SummaryAs effector cells in host defence, neutrophils actively destroy invading microorganisms via a potent antimicrobial arsenal composed of oxidants and antimicrobial peptides. Psoriasin, an Escherichia coli‐cidal antimicrobial protein, has been found to be overexpressed in psoriasis, a skin disease characterized by infiltration of neutrophils. In addition to its microbicidal activities and chemotaxis of neutrophils reported previously, we hypothesized that psoriasin might regulate other neutrophil functions such as cytokine and chemokine production, reactive oxygen species generation, and release of antimicrobial peptides. In the current study, we demonstrate that psoriasin activates neutrophils to produce a range of cytokines and chemokines including interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐8/CXCL8, tumour necrosis factor‐α, macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α (MIP‐1α)/CCL3, MIP‐1β/CCL4 and MIP‐3α/CCL20. Furthermore, psoriasin induces phosphorylation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase p38 and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), but not c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), both of which are required for the production of cytokines and chemokines as evidenced by the inhibitory effects of p38 and ERK inhibitors on psoriasin‐mediated neutrophil activation. Moreover, psoriasin stimulates the generation of reactive oxygen species from neutrophils, most likely via nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activation. Finally, we demonstrate that psoriasin enhances messenger RNA expression of α‐defensins, termed human neutrophil peptides (HNP) 1 to 3, and induces their extracellular release. Besides its antimicrobial properties, therefore, psoriasin may contribute to innate immunity through enhancing neutrophil host defence functions at sites of inflammation or infection.
Cigarette smoke increases Toll‐like receptor 4 and modifies lipopolysaccharide‐mediated responses in airway epithelial cells
Authors: Pace Elisabetta , Ferraro Maria , Siena Liboria , Melis Mario , Montalbano Angela M. , Johnson Malcolm , Bonsignore Maria R. , Bonsignore Giovanni , Gjomarkaj Mark 
Published: June 2008

SummaryAirway epithelium is emerging as a regulator of innate immune responses to a variety of insults including cigarette smoke. The main goal of this study was to explore the effects of cigarette smoke extracts (CSE) on Toll‐like receptor (TLR) expression and activation in a human bronchial epithelial cell line (16‐HBE). The CSE increased the expression of TLR4 and the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding, the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) activation, the release of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) and the chemotactic activity toward neutrophils. It did not induce TLR2 expression or extracellular signal‐regulated signal kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation. The LPS increased the expression of TLR4 and induced both NF‐κB and ERK1/2 activation. The combined exposure of 16‐HBE to CSE and LPS was associated with ERK activation rather than NF‐κB activation and with a further increase of IL‐8 release and of chemotactic activity toward neutrophils. Furthermore, CSE decreased the constitutive interferon‐inducible protein‐10 (IP‐10) release and counteracted the effect of LPS in inducing both the IP‐10 release and the chemotactic activity toward lymphocytes. In conclusion, cigarette smoke, by altering the expression and the activation of TLR4 via the preferential release of IL‐8, may contribute to the accumulation of neutrophils within the airways of smokers.
Conformation of human leucocyte antigen‐C molecules at the surface of human trophoblast cells
Authors: Apps Richard , Gardner Lucy , Hiby Sue E. , Sharkey Andrew M. , Moffett Ashley 
Published: June 2008

SummaryHuman leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐C is expressed at lower levels than other classical HLA‐I molecules on somatic cells. Surface HLA‐C proteins can occur as conventionally β2‐microglobulin (β2m)‐associated complexes or as open conformers dissociated from peptide and/or β2m. We investigated the conformation of HLA‐C molecules on normal human trophoblast cells, which invade the maternal decidua during placentation. A panel of monoclonal antibodies to different conformations of HLA‐I molecules was used in flow cytometry and surface immunoprecipitation experiments. On the surface of trophoblast cells only β2m‐associated complexes of HLA‐C molecules were detected. In contrast, both open conformers and β2m‐associated HLA‐C could be detected on other cells from the decidua, HLA‐C‐transfectants and cell lines. The levels of HLA‐C expressed on primary trophoblast cells could be detected by antibodies specific to non‐β2m‐associated conformations because binding was seen after acid‐induced denaturation of surface proteins. In contrast to HLA‐G molecules on trophoblasts, we found no evidence for the presence of disulphide‐linked multimers of HLA‐C complexes. These results show that most HLA‐C molecules present at the trophoblast cell surface are in the conventional β2m‐associated conformation. These findings have implications regarding the stability of trophoblast HLA‐C molecules and how they interact with receptors on decidual leucocytes during placentation.
Effect of several pre‐treatments on the physical characteristics of dehulled fraction of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L)
Authors: Tiwari Brijesh K. , JaganMohan Rangarajan , Vasan Bala S. 
Published: June 2008

SummaryProcessing of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) involves pre‐treatment in order to loosen the hull, followed by dehulling. In this study, different pre‐treatments were investigated and different parameters such as moisture gain, temperature change during different steps of processing and dehulled fractions were measured and analysed. The highest temperature observed after pre‐treatment was 92.1 °C and the lowest was 24.6 °C, for hydrothermal and wet methods, respectively. It was found that the hydrothermally treated pigeon pea gave the highest amount of dehulled grains, followed by the dry method. There were higher amounts of brokens (17.6 g) in case of wet method and lower (6.2 g) in case of dry method. Hydrothermal treatment was found suitable when compared with other pre‐treatments. Cooked samples were tested against a 9‐point hedonic scale and hydrothermally treated samples were found to have better acceptability.
The PhoQ histidine kinases of Salmonella and Pseudomonas spp. are structurally and functionally different: evidence that pH and antimicrobial peptide sensing contribute to mammalian pathogenesis
Authors: Prost Lynne R. , Daley Margaret E. , Bader Martin W. , Klevit Rachel E. , Miller Samuel I. 
Published: June 2008

SummaryThe PhoQ sensor kinase is essential for Salmonella typhimurium virulence for animals, and a homologue exists in the environmental organism and opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. S. typhimurium PhoQ (ST‐PhoQ) is repressed by millimolar concentrations of divalent cations and activated by antimicrobial peptides and at acidic pH. ST‐PhoQ has a periplasmic Per‐ARNT‐Sim domain, a fold commonly employed for ligand binding. However, substrate binding is instead accomplished by an acidic patch in the periplasmic domain that interacts with the inner membrane through divalent cation bridges. The DNA sequence encoding this acidic patch is absent from Pseudomonas phoQ (PA‐PhoQ). Here, we demonstrate that PA‐PhoQ binds and is repressed by divalent cations, and can functionally complement a S. typhimurium phoQ‐null mutant. Mutational analysis and NMR spectroscopy of the periplasmic domains of ST‐PhoQ and PA‐PhoQ indicate distinct mechanisms of binding divalent cation. The data are consistent with PA‐PhoQ binding metal in a specific ligand‐binding pocket. PA‐PhoQ was partially activated by acidic pH but not by antimicrobial peptides. S. typhimurium expressing PA‐PhoQ protein were attenuated for virulence in a mouse model, suggesting that the ability of Salmonella to sense host environments via antimicrobial peptides and acidic pH is an important contribution to pathogenesis.
Role of hexosamine biosynthesis in Leishmania growth and virulence
Authors: Naderer Thomas , Wee Edmund , McConville Malcolm J. 
Published: June 2008

Summary Leishmania parasites incorporate N‐acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) into surface‐expressed glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) glycolipids and N‐linked glycans. To investigate whether these glycoconjugates are required for infectivity of promastigote and intracellular amastigote stages, we generated a Leishmania major mutant lacking the gene encoding glutamine : fructose‐6‐phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT). The L. majorΔgfat mutant is unable to synthesize GlcN‐6‐phosphate de novo and is auxotrophic for GlcN or GlcNAc. GlcN starvation leads to the rapid depletion of dolichol‐linked oligosaccharides and GPI precursors, hypersensitivity to elevated temperatures encountered in the mammalian host and eventual parasite death. Short‐term tunicamycin treatment induces a similar hypersensitivity to temperature, indicating that N‐linked glycans are required for thermotolerance and viability. L. majorΔgfat promastigotes are unable to proliferate in ex vivo infected macrophages, demonstrating that GlcN(Ac) levels in the phagolysosome are low. In contrast, Δgfat amastigotes grow as well as wild‐type amastigotes in macrophages and induce lesions in susceptible mice. These stages still require GlcN(Ac) for viability but can apparently scavenge all of their glucosamine requirements from the macrophage phagolysosome. These results highlight significant differences in the nutrient requirements of promastigote and amastigote stages and suggest that enzymes involved in UDP‐GlcNAc biosynthesis are essential for pathogenesis in the mammalian host.
Temporal variation in contamination of pine engraver beetles withFusarium circinatumin native Monterey pine forests in California
Authors: Erbilgin N. , Ritokova G. , Gordon T. R. , Wood D. L. , Storer A. J. 
Published: June 2008

The relative importance of beetle species associated withFusarium circinatum‐infected Monterey pines was investigated in three Monterey pine forests along the coast of central California, USA from April to November in 2004 and 2005.Fusarium circinatumwas frequently isolated fromIps mexicanusandI. plastographus. The mean percentage isolation based upon numbers ofI. mexicanusandI. plastographuscarrying propagules ofF. circinatumwas 17·7 and 10·9% in 2004 and 16·7 and 17·3% in 2005, respectively. The mean percentage isolation was high in the spring and early summer and low in late summer and autumn in all three locations for both species. Isolation was higher from beetles emerging from harvestedF. circinatum‐infected pine‐stems than for trapped beetles, 42·4% forI. mexicanusand 45·9% forI. plastographus. The mean (± SE) propagule load of trappedI. mexicanuswas 269·5 (± 14·1) in 2004 and 281·7 (± 35·7) in 2005 and was 216·1 (± 28·9) in 2004 and 251·9 (± 28·4) in 2005 forI. plastographus. Mean propagule loads decreased from May to November in all locations for both species. Propagule loads of beetles emerged from infected stems were lower than that of trapped beetles, with means of 89·4 (± 23·2) and 93·0 (± 23·2) forI. mexicanusandI. plastographus, respectively. Thus beetles must acquire fungal propagules from more than one infected host. These results also suggest that higher contamination rates and propagule loads in spring and early summer may indicate a higher risk of pitch canker transmission, relative to late summer or autumn.
Effect of pea canopy architecture on splash dispersal of Mycosphaerella pinodes conidia
Authors: Schoeny A. , Menat J. , Darsonval A. , Rouault F. , Jumel S. , Tivoli B. 
Published: June 2008

To investigate the hypothesis that disrupting pathogen movement within the plant canopy could slow the development of aschochyta blight, the effect of pea canopy architecture on splash dispersal of Mycosphaerella pinodes‐conidia was studied in controlled conditions using a rainfall simulator generating rain events (2 mm) in still air. In intra‐plant dispersal experiments, a source constituted by a semi‐leafless pea plant with a single infectious lesion (108 pycnidia per cm2 of lesion, 1685 conidia per pycnidium) was placed in the middle of eight healthy target plants. Spore deposition was estimated by the number of lesions that developed on each stipule of the source (auto‐deposition) and target (allo‐deposition) plants after incubation. Rates of deposition on the source and target plants were 0·53 and 0·47, respectively. On the source plant, most of the spores were splashed downwards, with few spores remaining at the infectious node and very few spores moving upwards. In inter‐plant dispersal experiments, potted plants were grouped to constitute 1‐m2 canopies. A range of canopy architectures was achieved by using different plant densities and growth stages. A suspension of conidia was placed in the centre of each canopy. Resulting horizontal dispersal gradients were generally described by a negative exponential model. Canopies with a leaf area index (LAI) greater than 0·48 produced gradients with slopes that were not significantly different. A less dense canopy (LAI 0·36) produced a significantly steeper slope. Half‐distances were short and ranged between 1·6 and 6·5 cm. The barrier rate, calculated as the ratio of the mean number of lesions assessed on isolated plants to the mean number of lesions assessed on plants in canopies, increased with increasing canopy LAI.