bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chronic ethanol treatment reduces the magnitude of hippocampal LTD in the adult rat
Authors: Thinschmidt J.S. , Walker D.W. , King M.A. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractHuman alcoholics and animals that have received chronic ethanol treatment (CET) display memory deficits. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that CET produces damage to the hippocampus and a reduction in the magnitude of hippocampal long‐term synaptic potentiation. In the present report we examined the effects of CET on hippocampal long‐term depression (LTD). We used in vitro hippocampal slices to examine LTD after rats received 38–41 weeks of paired feeding on liquid diets containing ethanol or isocaloric sucrose. Stimulation delivered through electrodes in the CA3‐CA1 Schaffer collateral pathway activated synaptic population responses in CA1. LTD of CA1 stratum radiatum evoked field potential slope was not induced by 900 single pulses at 1 Hz, but was elicited by 900 pulse pairs separated by 50 or 200 msec delivered at 1 Hz (pLFS50, pLFS200). LTD evoked by pLFS200, but not by pLFS50, was significantly reduced in slices from ethanol‐treated rats. The N‐methyl D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist 2‐amino‐5‐phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5) (50 μM) blocked LTD induced by pLFS50 and pLFS200 equally, but the L‐type calcium channel blocker nimodipine (10 μM) had no effect on either type of LTD. Thus, direct effects on these channels cannot explain how CET selectively reduces the magnitude of pLFS200 LTD. Finally, we describe a novel and robust LTD of the presynaptic afferent volley that is resistant to CET, NMDAR antagonists, GABA‐A receptor blockade, and blockade of L‐type calcium channels. Synapse 48:189–197, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Social characteristics of seasonal affective disorder patients: comparison with suicide attempters with non-seasonal major depression and other mood disorder patients
Authors: Pendse B.P.G. , Öjehagen A.. , Engström G. , Träskman-Bendz L. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractAlthough it is evident from numerous studies that patients with mood disorders generally have a deficient social functioning and a weak social network, little is known about these aspects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) patients. We studied the social situation, the social network and the social functioning of SAD (n = 20) patients in comparison with matched suicide attempters (SA) with non-seasonal major depression, and with findings from other major depressive disorder (MDD) studies and community samples. The social situation and the clinical background of both the SAD and the SA groups were almost similar and the social networks were equally disadvantageous and weaker than those observed in some community/healthy populations. Furthermore, the data on global functioning and social adjustment of the SAD group were well comparable to those of other MDD patients and significantly worse than that of a community sample. Thus, the results indicate a considerable social impairment in SAD.
Targeting apoptotic signalling pathway and pro‐inflammatory cytokine expression as therapeutic intervention in TPE induced lung damage
Authors: Narayanan Kishore , Krishnamoorthy Bhavani , Ezhilarasan Ravesanker , Miyamoto Shigeki , Balakrishnan Arun 
Published: April 2003

AbstractTropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) is an occult manifestation of filariasis, brought about by helminth parasites Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi. Treatment of patients suffering from TPE involves the administration of diethyl carbamazine and Ivermectin. Although the drugs are able to block acute inflammation, they are not able to alleviate chronic basal inflammation. We have attempted to examine the disease by targeting two important components; namely filarial parasitic sheath proteins (FPP) induced apoptosis and pro‐inflammatory cytokine response in human laryngeal carcinoma cells of epithelial origin (HEp‐2) cells an epithelial cell line. Earlier studies by us have shown that FPP exposure induced apoptosis in these cells. In this study with hydrocortisone, calpain inhibitor (ALLN) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) treatments we demonstrate that apoptosis is inhibited as shown by [3H] thymidine incorporation studies, propidium iodide staining and Annexin V staining. Hydrocortisone at a dose, which inhibits cell death also down regulated, the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐6 and IL‐8. These findings give us insights into the multifaceted approach one may adopt to target critical signalling molecules using appropriate inhibitors, which could eventually be used to reduce lung damage in TPE.
Emancipatory Responses to Oppression: The Template of Land‐Use Planning and the Old Order Amish of Ontario
Authors: Bennett Edward M. 
Published: April 2003

AbstractIn this paper I discuss the clash of values between the Old Order Amish community of Ontario and the dominant social paradigm in agriculture. Land‐use and agricultural regulations, designed for an industrial style of agriculture, are experienced as a threat to the survival of the Old Order Amish agricultural social economy and community. The paper describes how I have worked with the Old Order Amish to respond to these challenges and to create public policies that will allow them to maintain their human and agricultural diversity and small‐scale sustainable farm practices. Four case studies illuminating the oppressive land‐use regulations along with the emancipatory responses to the oppression are examined. The social transformation themes include principles and processes for community psychologists, land‐use planners, and community economic development practitioners to consider. The article has heuristic value for a practice‐based approach to social change.
Factors affecting food choice in relation to fruit and vegetable intake: a review
Authors: Pollard J , Kirk S. F. L , Cade J. E 
Published: April 2003

AbstractThe present review provides an investigation into the food choice decisions made by individuals in relation to fruit and vegetable consumption. A comprehensive body of evidence now exists concerning the protective effect of fruit and vegetables against a number of diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. Current UK recommendations are to increase intakes of fruit and vegetables to 400 g/person per d. In the main body of the review the factors that affect food choice decisions of adults in relation to fruit and vegetable consumption are studied, following a suggested framework of food choice. Factors covered include sensory appeal, familiarity and habit, social interactions, cost, availability, time constraints, personal ideology, media and advertising and health. The content of the review shows just how complex the food choice process can be. Health promotion techniques can be better targeted towards certain groups of individuals, all holding similar sets of values, when making food choice decisions. Food choice, in relation to fruit and vegetable intake, needs to be studied in more depth, in order to provide effective nutrition education programmes, in particular the sets of priorities that different sub-groups of the population consider when making food choice decisions.
Interaction of early diet and the development of the immune system
Authors: Gil Angel , Rueda Ricardo 
Published: April 2003

AbstractThe present review focuses on the specific effects of nutrients on the development of the immune system in early life. There is a big gap regarding the specific mechanisms that regulate immunity at the intestinal level and their impact in the systemic immune function. For this reason, during the last few years there has been great interest in ascertaining the mechanisms that regulate the intestinal immune function, as well as to understand how specific nutrients interact with the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. We have reviewed this topic with special emphasis on how human milk, and its components, influence the early development of intestinal immunity in breast-fed infants compared with formula-fed infants. Interactions between nutrients and intestinal microbiota have also been reviewed. Some micronutrients such as nucleotides and gangliosides, which are present in human milk and also in most foods, are able to influence immune functionality at very low concentrations. The specific action of these micronutrients on some parameters of immunity, as well as their potential mechanisms of action, have been considered in detail. However, there are limited data on how other specific nutrients, namely protein and non-protein N-containing compounds, lipids, carbohydrates, and others, such as minerals, vitamins, fibre, non-nutritional dietary compounds (flavonoids, carotenoids, phyto-oestrogens, etc), influence immunity. In the present review we have provided data regarding the potential effects of these compounds on the immune response in early life. The increasing use of functional foods by the public to improve their general health and prevent the incidence of chronic diseases has become a major area of interest within the nutrition community. Of the many functional foods available, probiotics have been most studied in infancy and childhood, particularly with regard to the prevention of allergic diseases. Infant formulae and fermented milks containing large quantities of probiotics are produced and consumed by Europeans and in other industrialized countries. In the present review we cover the clinical effects of probiotics in preventing disease during early life, as well as the potential mechanisms of interaction between probiotics and the gastrointestinal tract.
Serotypes, Virulence Genes, and Intimin Types of Shiga Toxin (Verotoxin)-Producing
Escherichia coli
Isolates from Healthy Sheep in Spain
Authors: Blanco M. , Blanco J. E. , Mora A. , Rey J. , Alonso J. M. , Hermoso M. , Hermoso J. , Alonso M. P. , Dahbi G. , González E. A. , Bernárdez M. I. , Blanco J. 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

Fecal swabs obtained from 1,300 healthy lambs in 93 flocks in Spain in 1997 were examined for Shiga toxin-producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC). STEC O157:H7 strains were isolated from 5 (0.4%) animals in 4 flocks, and non-O157 STEC strains were isolated from 462 (36%) lambs in 63 flocks. A total of 384 ovine STEC strains were characterized in this study. PCR showed that 213 (55%) strains carried the
stx
1
gene, 10 (3%) possessed the
stx
2
gene, and 161 (42%) carried both the
stx
1
and the
stx
2
genes. Enterohemolysin (
ehxA
) and intimin (
eae
) virulence genes were detected in 106 (28%) and 23 (6%) of the STEC strains, respectively. The STEC strains belonged to 35 O serogroups and 64 O:H serotypes (including 18 new serotypes). However, 72% were of 1 of the following 12 serotypes: O5:H−, O6:H10, O91:H−, O117:H−, O128:H−, O128:H2, O136:H20, O146:H8, O146:H21, O156:H−, O166:H28, and ONT:H21 (where NT is nontypeable). Although the 384 STEC strains belonged to 95 different seropathotypes (associations between serotypes and virulence genes), 49% of strains belonged to only 11. O91:H−
stx
1
stx
2
(54 strains) was the most common seropathotype, followed by O128:H−
stx
1
stx
2
(33 strains) and O6:H10
stx
1
(25 strains). Three strains of serotypes O26:H11, O156:H11, and OX177:H11 had intimin type β1; 5 strains of serotype O157:H7 possessed intimin type γ1; and 15 strains of serotypes O49:H−, O52:H12, O156:H− (12 strains), and O156:H25 had the new intimin, intimin type ζ. The majority (82%) of ovine STEC strains belonged to serotypes previously found to be associated with human STEC strains, and 51% belonged to serotypes associated with STEC strains isolated from patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Thus, this study confirms that healthy sheep are a major reservoir of STEC strains pathogenic for humans.
Quantitative Detection of
Moraxella catarrhalis
in Nasopharyngeal Secretions by Real-Time PCR
Authors: Greiner Oliver , Day Philip J. R. , Altwegg Martin , Nadal David 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

The recognition of
Moraxella catarrhalis
as an important cause of respiratory tract infections has been protracted, mainly because it is a frequent commensal organism of the upper respiratory tract and the diagnostic sensitivity of blood or pleural fluid culture is low. Given that the amount of
M. catarrhalis
bacteria in the upper respiratory tract may change during infection, quantification of these bacteria in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPSs) by real-time PCR may offer a suitable diagnostic approach. Using primers and a fluorescent probe specific for the
copB
outer membrane protein gene, we detected DNA from serial dilutions of
M. catarrhalis
cells corresponding to 1 to 10
6
cells. Importantly, there was no difference in the amplification efficiency when the same DNA was mixed with DNA from NPSs devoid of
M. catarrhalis
. The specificity of the reaction was further confirmed by the lack of amplification of DNAs from other
Moraxella
species, nontypeable
Haemophilus influenzae
,
H. influenzae
type b,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
,
Streptococcus oralis
,
Streptococcus pyogenes
,
Bordetella pertussis
,
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
, and various
Neisseria
species. The assay applied to NPSs from 184 patients with respiratory tract infections performed with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of up to 98% compared to the culture results. The numbers of
M. catarrhalis
organisms detected by real-time PCR correlated with the numbers detected by semiquantitative culture. This real-time PCR assay targeting the
copB
outer membrane protein gene provided a sensitive and reliable means for the rapid detection and quantification of
M. catarrhalis
in NPSs; may serve as a tool to study changes in the amounts of
M. catarrhalis
during lower respiratory tract infections or following vaccination against
S. pneumoniae
,
H. influenzae
, or
N. meningitidis
; and may be applied to other clinical samples.
Characterization of Finnish
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Isolates by Spoligotyping
Authors: Puustinen Kirsi , Marjamäki Merja , Rastogi Nalin , Sola Christophe , Filliol Ingrid , Ruutu Petri , Holmström Pekka , Viljanen Matti K. , Soini Hanna 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

The molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in Finland was studied by spoligotyping 380
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
isolates. The isolates were obtained during a 1-year study period from July 2000 to June 2001 and represented 90% of new
M. tuberculosis
findings by culture in the whole country during the study period. The spoligotyping results were compared to the World Spoligotyping Database of the Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe, which contains data from >14,000
M. tuberculosis
isolates obtained worldwide. A total of 138 different spoligotypes were identified among the 380
M. tuberculosis
isolates. Thirty-eight (10%) isolates had unique spoligotypes, while 342 (90%) isolates belonged to 100 shared types. The four most common spoligotypes caused approximately one-third of the Finnish TB cases. Forty-seven of the 138 (34.1%) spoligotypes and 61 (16.1%) of the 380
M. tuberculosis
isolates had spoligotypes that had not been previously reported. Only four (1.1%) patients were infected with an isolate belonging to the Beijing genotype. The characterization of Finnish
M. tuberculosis
isolates by spoligotyping shows that ubiquitous spoligotypes were common, but many spoligotypes specific to Finland were also found. However, Beijing family isolates were rarely encountered, although this spoligotype is predominant in our eastern and southern neighbors.
Detection of
Ehrlichia
spp.,
Anaplasma
spp.,
Rickettsia
spp., and Other Eubacteria in Ticks from the Thai-Myanmar Border and Vietnam
Authors: Parola Philippe , Cornet Jean-Paul , Sanogo Yibayiri Osée , Miller R. Scott , Thien Huynh Van , Gonzalez Jean-Paul , Raoult Didier , Telford Sam R. , Wongsrichanalai Chansuda 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

A total of 650 ticks, including 13 species from five genera, were collected from animals, from people, or by flagging of the vegetation at sites on the Thai-Myanmar border and in Vietnam. They were tested by PCR to detect DNA of bacteria of the order
Rickettsiales
. Three
Anaplasma
spp. were detected in ticks collected in Thailand, including (i)
Anaplasma
sp. strain AnDa465, which was considered a genotype of
Anaplasma platys
(formerly
Ehrlichia platys
) and which was obtained from
Dermacentor auratus
ticks collected from dogs; (ii)
Anaplasma
sp. strain AnAj360, which was obtained from
Amblyomma javanense
ticks collected on a pangolin; and (iii)
Anaplasma
sp. strain AnHl446, which was closely related to
Anaplasma bovis
and which was detected in
Haemaphysalis lagrangei
ticks collected from a bear. Three
Ehrlichia
spp. were identified, including (i)
Ehrlichia
sp. strain EBm52, which was obtained from
Boophilus microplus
ticks collected from cattle from Thailand; (ii)
Ehrlichia
sp. strain EHh324, which was closely related to
Ehrlichia chaffeensis
and which was detected in
Haemaphysalis hystricis
ticks collected from wild pigs in Vietnam; and (iii)
Ehrlichia
sp. strain EHh317, which was closely related to
Ehrlichia
sp. strain EBm52 and which was also detected in
H. hystricis
ticks collected from wild pigs in Vietnam. Two
Rickettsia
spp. were detected in Thailand, including (i)
Rickettsia
sp. strain RDla420, which was detected in
Dermacentor auratus
ticks collected from a bear, and (ii)
Rickettsia
sp. strain RDla440, which was identified from two pools of
Dermacentor
larvae collected from a wild pig nest. Finally, two bacteria named
Eubacterium
sp. strain Hw124 and
Eubacterium
sp. strain Hw191 were identified in
Haemaphysalis wellingtoni
ticks collected from chicken in Thailand; these strains could belong to a new group of bacteria.
Characterization of Encapsulated and Noncapsulated
Haemophilus influenzae
and Determination of Phylogenetic Relationships by Multilocus Sequence Typing
Authors: Meats Emma , Feil Edward J. , Stringer Suzanna , Cody Alison J. , Goldstein Richard , Kroll J. Simon , Popovic Tanja , Spratt Brian G. 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

A multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme has been developed for the unambiguous characterization of encapsulated and noncapsulated
Haemophilus influenzae
isolates. The sequences of internal fragments of seven housekeeping genes were determined for 131 isolates, comprising a diverse set of 104 serotype a, b, c, d, e, and f isolates and 27 noncapsulated isolates. Many of the encapsulated isolates had previously been characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), and the validity of the MLST scheme was established by the very similar clustering of isolates obtained by these methods. Isolates of serotypes c, d, e, and f formed monophyletic groups on a dendrogram constructed from the differences in the allelic profiles of the isolates, whereas there were highly divergent lineages of both serotype a and b isolates. Noncapsulated isolates were distinct from encapsulated isolates and, with one exception, were within two highly divergent clusters. The relationships between the major lineages of encapsulated
H. influenzae
inferred from MLEE data could not be discerned on a dendrogram constructed from differences in the allelic profiles, but were apparent on a tree reconstructed from the concatenated nucleotide sequences. Recombination has not therefore completely eliminated phylogenetic signal, and in support of this, for encapsulated isolates, there was significant congruence between many of the trees reconstructed from the sequences of the seven individual loci. Congruence was less apparent for noncapsulated isolates, suggesting that the impact of recombination is greater among noncapsulated than encapsulated isolates. The
H. influenzae
MLST scheme is available at
www.mlst.net
, it allows any isolate to be compared with those in the MLST database, and (for encapsulated isolates) it assigns isolates to their phylogenetic lineage, via the Internet.
Haemophilus influenzae
Carriage in Children Attending French Day Care Centers: a Molecular Epidemiological Study
Authors: Dabernat Henri , Plisson-Sauné Marie-Anne , Delmas Catherine , Séguy Martine , Faucon Gèneviéve , Pélissier Roselyne , Carsenti Hélène , Pradier Christian , Roussel-Delvallez Micheline , Leroy Joël , Dupont Marie-Jeanne , De Bels Frédéric , Dellamonica Pierre 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

The nasopharyngeal
Haemophilus influenzae
flora of healthy children under the age of 3 years attending day care centers in three distinct French geographic areas was analyzed by sampling during two periods, spring 1999 (May and June) and fall 1999 (November and December). The average carrier rate among 1,683 children was 40.9%. The prevalence of capsulated
H. influenzae
carriers was 0.4% for type f and 0.6% for type e. No type b strains were found among these children, of whom 98.5% had received one or more doses of anti-
Haemophilus
b vaccine. Among the strains, 44.5% were TEM-type beta-lactamase producers and nine (1.3%) were beta-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant strains. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis restriction patterns showed a large diversity with 366
Sma
I patterns from 663 strains. Among the strains isolated during a given period, 33% were isolated simultaneously in more than one area. In each area, depending on the sampling period, 68 to 72% of the strains had new pulsotypes and persistence of 28 to 32% of the strains was noted. For the 297 beta-lactamase-producing strains, 194 patterns were found. The genomic diversity of these strains was comparable to that of the whole set of strains and does not suggest a clonal diffusion. Among the beta-lactamase-producing strains isolated in November and December, depending on the area, 66 to 73% had new pulsotypes with persistence of only 27 to 33% of the strains. In any given geographic area, colonization by
H. influenzae
appears to be a dynamic process involving a high degree of genomic heterogeneity among the noncapsulated colonizing strains.
Evaluation of the BDProbeTec ET System for Direct Detection of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Samples: a Multicenter Study
Authors: Mazzarelli Gianna , Rindi Laura , Piccoli Paola , Scarparo Claudio , Garzelli Carlo , Tortoli Enrico 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

We evaluated the BDProbeTec ET system (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md.), a strand displacement amplification-based technique, for direct detection of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in 867 clinical samples. Of 294 extrapulmonary specimens, 52 had positive results by both BDProbeTec ET and culture and 209 had negative results by both methods; sensitivity and specificity were 76.5 and 95.9%, respectively. After resolution of discrepancies, the sensitivity rose to 77.8%.
drs
(Distantly Related
sic
) Gene Polymorphisms among
emm12
-Type
Streptococcus pyogenes
Isolates
Authors: Brandt Claudia M. , Haase Gerhard , Spellerberg Barbara , Holland Regina , Lütticken Rudolf 
Published: April 2003

ABSTRACT

Twenty-eight
emm12
-type
Streptococcus pyogenes
isolates from patients with invasive and noninvasive infections or from asymptomatic carriers were genetically typed. Sequencing of
drs
(distantly related
sic
[streptococcal inhibitor of complement]) genes identified two novel alleles and revealed a polymorphism for
drs
similar to that of
sic
. No association was observed between the five different
drs
alleles and the five restriction patterns of the
vir
regulon for the isolates studied. These data suggest that
drs
sequencing may be useful for further differentiation of
S. pyogenes
isolates with
emm12
and identical
vir
regulon restriction patterns.