bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serotype identification of Cryptococcus neoformans by multiplex PCR
Authors: Ito‐Kuwa S. , Nakamura K. , Aoki S. , Vidotto V. 
Published: May 2007

SummaryThe pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans is traditionally classified into three varieties with five serotypes: var. grubii (serotype A), var. neoformans (serotype D), var. gattii (serotypes B and C) and serotype AD (hybrid of serotypes A and D). A commercial kit, Crypto Check (Iatron Laboratories, Tokyo, Japan), has been used worldwide for serotyping isolated strains. However, its production was discontinued in 2004, and hence the present study aimed to develop a simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for serotyping C. neoformans strains. Subjecting genomic DNA of 59 strains of the five serotypes to multiplex PCR amplification using a set of four primers designed for the laccase gene (LAC1) differentiated serotypes A, D, B and C, but could not separate serotype AD from serotype D. However, a primer pair designed for the capsule gene (CAP64) allowed serotypes D and AD to be differentiated. When PCR amplification was performed in the simultaneous presence of the above six primers, the five serotypes produced two to five DNA fragments that could be used to distinguish them. This multiplex PCR method is useful for serotyping C. neoformans isolates, and represents an effective replacement for the Crypto Check kit.
Activity and post antifungal effect of chlorpromazine and trifluopherazine against Aspergillus, Scedosporium and zygomycetes
Authors: Vitale Roxana G. , Afeltra Javier , Meis Jacques F. G. M. , Verweij Paul E. 
Published: May 2007

SummaryThe phenothiazine compounds chlorpromazine and trifluopherazine are antipsychotic agents that exhibit antimicrobial activity against bacteria, some protozoa and yeasts. Data of activity against filamentous fungi are lacking. The in vitro activity and postantifungal effect (PAFE) of chlorpromazine and trifluopherazine was determined against Aspergillus species, zygomycetes and Scedosporium species. In vitro susceptibility testing was performed with CLSI M38A and the PAFE was determined with previously established methods. Both drugs inhibited the growth of all fungi tested at concentrations of 16 to 64 μg ml−1. For Aspergillus species the mean PAFE was 3.7 and 4.7 h; for zygomycetes, 3.1 and 3.4 h; for Scedosporium, 4.3 and 5.3 h for chlorpromazine and trifluoroperazine respectively. These are the first drugs shown to induce PAFE against Scedosporium. We show that phenothiazine compounds have in vitro antifungal activity and exhibit PAFE against a broad range of filamentous fungal pathogens. Although the exact mechanism of action is unknown, further studies are needed to explore the clinical usefulness of phenothiazine compounds.
A case of tinea corporis purpurica
Authors: Kim Hei Sung , Cho Baik Kee , Oh Shin Taek 
Published: May 2007

SummaryWe present a case of tinea corporis purpurica localized to the legs of a 47‐year‐old woman. Trichophyton rubrum was the aetiological agent. So far, only a single report has been made on tinea corporis purpurica. Although the exact mechanism of purpura formation is unknown, we postulate the virulence of the fungal strain and host immune response to play a role.
The involvement of physico‐chemical interactions in the adhesion of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis to epithelial cells
Authors: Henriques Mariana , Azeredo Joana , Oliveira Rosário 
Published: May 2007

Summary Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis are two pathogenic yeasts particularly hazardous to immunocompromised patients. Adhesion of yeast cells to epithelium is considered one of the virulence factors and its study is of major importance. The main aim of this study was the comparison of the influence of physico‐chemical properties on the adhesion of C. albicans and C. dubliniensis to epithelium. Two strains of each Candida species were used in the adhesion assays to HeLa cells. Adhered cells were enumerated by direct microscopic images observation. Yeast cell surface tension parameters and degree of hydrophobicity were determined by contact angle measurement. Pseudohyphae and hyphae formation was analysed by scanning electron microscopy. Yeast cells presented no statistical differences concerning their physico‐chemical surface properties. However, the extent of adhesion to epithelium was different among the four strains. As general conclusion, yeast adhesion to epithelium seems to be strain‐dependent and not directly correlated with pseudohyphae formation.
Pneumocystis jiroveci thyroiditis: report of 15 cases in the literature
Authors: Zavascki Alexandre P. , Maia Ana L. , Goldani Luciano Z. 
Published: May 2007

SummaryThe authors review the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of Pneumocystis jiroveci thyroiditis of 15 cases reported in the medical literature. Patients with acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome were particularly at risk. P. jiroveci thyroiditis was diagnosed at autopsy as a part of disseminated infection in a substantial number of patients without clinical manifestations and laboratory evidence of thyroid dysfunction. Local signs and symptoms of infection were indistinguishable from other infectious thyroiditis and included neck enlargement with or without cervical pain, sometimes associated with dysphagia and dysphonia, and clinical and laboratory features of hypothyroidism. Antemortem diagnosis of fungal thyroiditis was made by direct microscopy and culture of a fine‐needle aspirate in most cases. As most patients with P. jiroveci thyroiditis had disseminated Pneumocystis infection with a delay in diagnosis and treatment, the overall mortality was high. Pneumocystis jiroveci thyroiditis is rare but should be suspected in HIV‐infected patients with CD4 count lower than 200 cells μ−1 on prophylatic inhalatory pentamidine who present with neck enlargement with or without pain, and clinical and laboratory evidence of hypothyroidism.
Reversible inactivation of amygdala and cerebellum but not perirhinal cortex impairs reactivated fear memories
Authors: Sacchetti Benedetto , Sacco Tiziana , Strata Piergiorgio 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThe cerebellum, amygdala and perirhinal cortex are involved in fear learning but the different roles that these three structures play in aversive learning are not well defined. Here we show that in adult rats amygdala or cerebellar vermis blockade causes amnesia when performed immediately, but not 1 h, after the recall of fear memories. Thus, the cerebellum, as well as the amygdala, influences long‐term fear memories. These effects are long lasting, as they do not recover over time, even after a reminder shock administration. However, all of the subjects were able to form new fear memories in the absence of inactivation. By increasing the strength of conditioning, we observed that stronger fear memories are affected by the combined but not independent amygdala and cerebellar blockade. These results demonstrate that the cerebellum supports the memory processes even in the absence of a crucial site for emotions like the amygdala. Furthermore, they suggest that the amygdala is only one of the neural sites underlying long‐term fear memories. Finally, the inactivation of the perirhinal cortex never alters retrieved fear traces, showing important differences between the amygdala, cerebellum and perirhinal cortex in emotional memories.
Proliferating neuronal progenitors in the postnatal hippocampus transiently express the proneural gene Ngn2
Authors: Ozen Ilknur , Galichet Christophe , Watts Colin , Parras Carlos , Guillemot François , Raineteau Olivier 
Published: May 2007

AbstractLittle is known of the transcription factors expressed by adult neural progenitors produced in the hippocampal neurogenic niche. Here, we study the expression of the proneural basic helix‐loop‐helix (bHLH) transcription factor Neurogenin‐2 (Ngn2) in the adult hippocampus. We have characterized the pattern of expression of Ngn2 in the adult hippocampus using immunostaining for Ngn2 protein and a Ngn2‐green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter mouse strain. A significant proportion of Ngn2‐expressing cells were mitotically active. Ngn2‐GFP expression was restricted to the subgranular zone and declined with age. Neuronal markers were used to determine the phenotype of Ngn2‐expressing cells. The vast majority of Ngn2‐GFP‐positive cells expressed the immature neuronal markers, doublecortin (DCX) and polysialic acid‐neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA‐NCAM). Finally, the pattern of Ngn2 expression was studied following seizure induction. Our data show an increase in neurogenesis, detected in these animals by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and DCX staining that was contemporaneous with a marked increase in Ngn2‐GFP‐expression. Taken together, our results show that Ngn2‐GFP represents a specific marker for neurogenesis and its modulation in the adult hippocampus. Ngn2 transient expression in proliferating neuronal progenitors supports the idea that it plays a significant role in adult neurogenesis.
Ecological context influences pollinator deterrence by alkaloids in floral nectar
Authors: Gegear Robert J. , Manson Jessamyn S. , Thomson James D. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractSecondary compounds may benefit plants by deterring herbivores, but the presence of these defensive chemicals in floral nectar may also deter beneficial pollinators. This trade‐off between sexual reproduction and defense has received minimal study. We determined whether the pollinator‐deterring effects of a nectar alkaloid found in the perennial vine Gelsemium sempervirens depend on ecological context (i.e. the availability of alternative nectar sources) by monitoring the behavioural response of captive bumblebees (Bombus impatiens, an important pollinator of G. sempervirens in nature) to nectar alkaloids in several ecologically relevant scenarios. Although alkaloids in floral nectar tended to deter visitation by bumblebees, the magnitude of that effect depended greatly on the availability and nectar properties of alternative flowers. Ecological context should thus be considered when assessing ecological costs of plant defense in terms of pollination services. We consider adaptive strategies that would enable plants to minimize pollinator deterrence because of defensive compounds in flowers.
Multilocus sequence analysis of biocontrol fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. producing the antifungal compound 2,4‐diacetylphloroglucinol
Authors: Frapolli Michele , Défago Geneviève , Moënne‐Loccoz Yvan 
Published: May 2007

SummaryThe genetic and evolutionary relationship among 2,4‐diacetylphloroglucinol (Phl)‐producing pseudomonads that protect plants from soil‐borne pathogens were investigated by multilocus sequence typing. A total of 65 pseudomonads consisting of 58 Phl‐positive biocontrol strains of worldwide origin and seven Phl‐negative representatives of characterized Pseudomonas species were compared using 10 housekeeping genes (i.e. rrs, dsbA, gyrB, rpoD, fdxA, recA, rpoB, fusA, rpsL and rpsG). Multilocus sequence typing differentiated 51 strains among 58 Phl‐positive pseudomonads and proved to be as discriminative as enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction profiling. As phylogenetic trees inferred from each locus were rather incongruent with one another, we derived the topology from all concatenated loci, which led to the identification of six main groups of Phl‐producing Pseudomonas spp. Taxonomically, these groups could correspond to at least six different species. Linkage disequilibrium analysis pointed to a rather clonal structure, even when the analysis was restricted to Phl‐producing pseudomonads from a same geographic location or a same phylogenetic group. Intragenic recombination was evidenced for gyrB, rpoD and fdxA, but was shown to be a weaker force than mutation in the origin of intragenetic diversity. This is the first multilocus assessment of the phylogeny and population structure of an ecologically important bacterial group involved in plant disease suppression.
Parental Emotion Coaching and Dismissing in Family Interaction
Authors: Lunkenheimer Erika S. , Shields Ann M. , Cortina Kai S. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractWe observed the positive emotion socialization practice of parental emotion coaching (EC) and the negative socialization practice of emotion dismissing (ED) during a family interaction task and examined their effects on children's emotion regulation and behavior problems in middle childhood. Participants were 87 sociodemographically diverse families (children aged 8–11 years; 46 girls). Outcome measures included mother, father and teacher reports of emotion regulation and behavior problems. ED was a risk factor, contributing to poorer emotion regulation and more behavioral problems. EC did not offer direct benefits for children's emotional and behavioral outcomes, but interacted with ED such that it protected children from the detrimental effects of ED. This protective effect was found for parents' coaching of negative but not positive emotions. Findings suggested that in family emotion conversation, EC and ED interact in complex ways as risk and protective dimensions of family process.
Justice and Third Party Risk: The Ethics of Xenotransplantation
Authors: HUGHES JONATHAN 
Published: May 2007

abstract  The question of when it is permissible to inflict risks on others without their consent is one that we all face in our everyday lives, but which is often brought to our attention in contexts of technological innovation and scientific uncertainty. Xenotransplantation, the transplantation of organs or tissues from animals to humans, has the potential to save or improve the lives of many patients but gives rise to the possibility of infectious agents being transferred from donor animals into the human population. As well as being an important ethical issue in its own right it therefore provides a useful vehicle for exploring the more general question of how to balance the benefits of a practice against the risks to third parties. This paper focuses on the Rawlsian, justice‐based analysis of the risks of xenotransplantation proposed by Robert Veatch. It argues that Veatch is right to take considerations of distributive justice into account, but that his particular approach is flawed. It is hoped that consideration of Veatch's arguments, and of the underlying assumptions will suggest better ways of executing a justice‐based approach.
The Body Politic: Theorising Disability and Impairment
Authors: COLE PHILLIP 
Published: May 2007

abstract  In her critique of the social model of disability, Lorella Terzi argues that it over‐socialises disability, and that some kind of connection must be made between disability and bodily impairment. In this paper I argue that, far from over‐socialising disability, the social model does not go far enough. The important contribution of the social model is that it politicises disability. I argue that bodily impairment must itself be politicised, and the insights of the social model should be extended to the body itself.
Glutamate production by HIV‐1 infected human macrophage is blocked by the inhibition of glutaminase
Authors: Erdmann Nathan , Zhao Jianxing , Lopez Alicia L. , Herek Shelley , Curthoys Norman , Hexum Terry D. , Tsukamoto Takashi , Ferraris Dana , Zheng Jialin 
Published: May 2007

AbstractMononuclear phagocyte (macrophages and microglia) dysfunction plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) associated dementia (HAD) through the production and release of soluble neurotoxic factors including glutamate. The mechanism of glutamate regulation by HIV‐1 infection remains unclear. In this report, we investigated whether the enzyme glutaminase is responsible for glutamate generation by HIV‐1 infected monocyte‐derived macrophages. We tested the functionality of novel small molecule inhibitors designed to specifically block the activity of glutaminase. Glutaminase inhibitors were first characterized in a kinetic assay with crude glutaminase from rat brain revealing an uncompetitive mechanism of inhibition. The inhibitors were then tested in vitro for their ability to prevent glutamate generation by HIV‐infected macrophages, their effect upon macrophage viability, and HIV infection. To validate these findings, glutaminase specific siRNA was tested for its ability to prevent glutamate increase during infection. Our results show that both glutaminase specific small molecule inhibitors and glutaminase specific siRNA were effective at preventing increases in glutamate by HIV‐1 infected macrophage. These findings support glutaminase as a potential component of the HAD pathogenic process and identify a possible therapeutic avenue for the treatment of neuroinflammatory states such as HAD.
Chronic second‐by‐second measures of l‐glutamate in the central nervous system of freely moving rats
Authors: Rutherford Erin C. , Pomerleau Francois , Huettl Peter , Strömberg Ingrid , Gerhardt Greg A. 
Published: May 2007

Abstract l‐glutamate (Glu) is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) and is associated with motor behavior and sensory perception. While microdialysis methods have been used to record tonic levels of Glu, little is known about the more rapid changes in Glu signals that may be observed in awake rats. We have reported acute recording methods using enzyme‐based microelectrode arrays (MEA) with fast response time and low detection levels of Glu in anesthetized animals with minimal interference. The current paper concerns modification of the MEA design to allow for reliable measures in the brain of conscious rats. In this study, we characterized the effects of chronic implantation of the MEA into the brains of rats. We were capable of measuring Glu levels for 7 days without loss of sensitivity. We performed studies of tail‐pinch induced stress, which caused a robust biphasic increase in Glu. Histological data show chronic implantation of the MEAs caused minimal injury to the CNS. Taken together, our data show that chronic recordings of tonic and phasic Glu can be carried out in awake rats for up to 17 days in vivo allowing longer term studies of Glu regulation in behaving rats.
Curcumin labels amyloid pathology in vivo, disrupts existing plaques, and partially restores distorted neurites in an Alzheimer mouse model
Authors: Garcia‐Alloza M. , Borrelli L. A. , Rozkalne A. , Hyman B. T. , Bacskai B. J. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by senile plaques and neurodegeneration although the neurotoxic mechanisms have not been completely elucidated. It is clear that both oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role in the illness. The compound curcumin, with a broad spectrum of anti‐oxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and anti‐fibrilogenic activities may represent a promising approach for preventing or treating AD. Curcumin is a small fluorescent compound that binds to amyloid deposits. In the present work we used in vivo multiphoton microscopy (MPM) to demonstrate that curcumin crosses the blood–brain barrier and labels senile plaques and cerebrovascular amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. Moreover, systemic treatment of mice with curcumin for 7 days clears and reduces existing plaques, as monitored with longitudinal imaging, suggesting a potent disaggregation effect. Curcumin also led to a limited, but significant reversal of structural changes in dystrophic dendrites, including abnormal curvature and dystrophy size. Together, these data suggest that curcumin reverses existing amyloid pathology and associated neurotoxicity in a mouse model of AD. This approach could lead to more effective clinical therapies for the prevention of oxidative stress, inflammation and neurotoxicity associated with AD.
Role of aromatic and charged ectodomain residues in the P2X4receptor functions
Authors: Zemkova Hana , Yan Zonghe , Liang Zhaodong , Jelinkova Irena , Tomic Melanija , Stojilkovic Stanko S. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThe localization of ATP binding site(s) at P2X receptors and the molecular rearrangements associated with opening and closing of channels are still not well understood. At P2X4receptor, substitution of the K67, F185, K190, F230, R278, D280, R295, and K313 ectodomain residues with alanine generated low or non‐responsive mutants, whereas the F294A mutant was functional. The loss of receptor function was also observed in K67R, R295K, and K313R mutants, but not in F185W, K190R, F230W, R278K, and D280E mutants. To examine whether the loss of function reflects decreased sensitivity of mutants for ATP, we treated cells with ivermectin, an antiparasitic agent that enhances responsiveness of P2X4R. In the presence of ivermectin, all low or non‐responsive mutants responded to ATP in a dose‐dependent manner, with the EC50values for ATP of about 1, 2, 4, 20, 60, 125, 270, 420, 1000 and 2300 μmol/L at D280A, R278A, F185A, K190A, R295K, K313R, R295A, K313A, K67A and K67R mutants, respectively. These results indicate that lysines 67 and 313 and arginine 295 play a critical role in forming the proper three‐dimensional structure of P2X4R for agonist binding and/or channel gating.
Polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Douglas‐fir pathogen Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, causal agent of Swiss Needle Cast disease
Authors: WINTON L. M. , STONE J. K. , HANSEN E. M. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractTen polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated from Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, causal agent of the Douglas‐fir foliage disease Swiss Needle Cast. The primer sets were tested on 60 isolates that had, with more conservative markers, previously segregated into three reproductively isolated lineages comprising nine genotypes. The microsatellite data yielded 46 multilocus genotypes that segregated into three groups identical to the three lineages previously recovered. Microsatellite genotypic diversity ranged from 0.85 to 0.99 within lineages and was lowest where both pathogen and host are exotic.