bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does immune activation continue during an attack-free period in familial Mediterranean fever?
Authors: MUSABAK U , SENGUL A , OKTENLI C , PAY S , YESILOVA Z , KENAR L , SANISOGLU S Y , INAL A , TUZUN A , ERDIL A , BAGCI S 
Published: November 2004

SUMMARYAlthough some information is available regarding immune activation in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), little is known about either peripheral blood T cell activation marker expression or the T cell proliferative response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the percentages of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, T cell expression of cellular activation markers (CD25, CD69, HLA-DR), the T cell response to PHA and serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and interleukin (IL)-10 in patients with FMF. Forty patients with FMF were enrolled into the study. Control groups were sex- and age-matched and consisted of 20 healthy blood donors and 15 patients with inactive Behçet's disease. The patients with FMF in an attack period had higher levels of sIL-2R than those in an attack-free period, and also in comparison with both control groups. The levels of sIL-2R were also found to be higher in patients with FMF in an attack-free period than those in both control groups. The mean levels of IL-10 were found to be lower in patients with FMF in an attack-free period than those in an attack period and were also lower than those in the healthy controls. In an acute attack period, the absolute counts of CD3+HLA-DR+, CD4+CD69+, CD8+CD25+ and CD8+CD69+ T cells in peripheral blood samples were also higher than those in both control groups. Both the percentages and absolute counts of CD4+CD69+ T cells in peripheral blood samples of patients with FMF in an attack-free period were slightly but significantly higher than those in the healthy controls. In conclusion, our study indicates that the T cell system is abnormally activated in patients with FMF in both the attack and attack-free period and that decreased IL-10 levels may create a tendency to perpetuate subclinical immune activation in the attack-free period.
Low electric field enhanced chemotherapy can cure mice with CT-26 colon carcinoma and induce anti-tumour immunity
Authors: PLOTNIKOV A , FISHMAN D , TICHLER T , KORENSTEIN R , KEISARI Y 
Published: November 2004

SUMMARYLow electric field cancer treatment − enhanced chemotherapy (LEFCT-EC) is a new anticancer treatment which utilizes a combination of chemotherapeutic agents and a low electric field. We investigated the antitumour effectiveness of this technique in a model of murine colon carcinoma (CT-26). The low electric field was applied to ∼ 65 mm3 intracutaneous tumours after intratumoral injection of 5FU, bleomycin or BCNU. We observed significant tumour size reduction and a prolongation of survival time. The complete cure of a significant fraction of animals treated by LEFCT-EC with 5FU (33%), bleomycin (51%) or BCNU (83%) was observed. Mice cured by LEFCT-EC developed resistance to a tumour challenge and their splenocytes had antitumour activity in vivo. Our results suggest that LEFCT-EC is an effective method for treatment of solid tumours.
Characterization of a population of small macrophages in induced sputum of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and healthy volunteers
Authors: FRANKENBERGER M , MENZEL M , BETZ R , KAßNER G , WEBER N , KOHLHÄUFL M , HÄUßINGER K , ZIEGLER-HEITBROCK L 
Published: November 2004

SUMMARYThe inflammatory process in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is active mainly in the airways, but little is known about the properties of the inflammatory cells in this compartment. We have studied leucocytes in induced sputum of COPD patients compared to controls in order to uncover what types of macrophages might be involved in the disease. Sputum induction was performed by inhalation of nebulized sodium chloride solution. Leucocytes were isolated and stained with specific monoclonal antibodies for analysis in flow cytometry. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that a major portion of CD14+ macrophages in COPD has lower forward scatter, i.e. they are small macrophages. While in control donors these small macrophages accounted for 6·9% of all macrophages, the percentage of these cells in COPD was 45·7%. CD14 and HLA-DR expression was high on these small sputum macrophages while the large sputum macrophages expressed only low levels of these surface molecules, both in control donors and COPD patients. Small sputum macrophages of both control donors and COPD patients showed higher levels of constitutive tumour necrosis factor (TNF) compared to the large macrophages. TNF was inducible by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preferentially in the small sputum macrophages in the control donors but there was no further induction in COPD patients. These data show that the small sputum macrophages are a major macrophage population in COPD and that these cells exhibit features of highly active inflammatory cells and may therefore be instrumental in airway inflammation in COPD.
Cytokine and chemokine levels in systemic sclerosis: relationship with cutaneous and internal organ involvement
Authors: SCALA E , PALLOTTA S , FREZZOLINI A , ABENI D , BARBIERI C , SAMPOGNA F , DE PITÀ O , PUDDU P , PAGANELLI R , RUSSO G 
Published: November 2004

SUMMARYSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by excessive collagen deposition in the skin and internal organs. Several cytokines and chemokines have been implicated in the induction of fibrosis, but a definitive relationship between specific cytokines and organ involvement has not been established yet. Serum samples, PBMC and T cell lines (TCL) obtained from 54 patients affected by SSc and  20  healthy  donors  (HD)  were  examined  by  ELISA  for  Interferon-γ  (IFN-γ ),  interleukin  (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, sCD30, Macrophage derived chemokine (MDC), Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α and Regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). In all the SSc serum samples, we found significantly increased levels of IL6, TNFα and MCP-1 but reduced amounts of γ-IFN and MDC. IL6, IL10, IL18, MIP-1α and TNFα measured in supernatants from PHA-stimulated PBMC and IL6, MCP-1 and RANTES in supernatants from stimulated TCL were also increased in patients. MDC was decreased in all the biological SSc sources studied. TGF-β1, IL10, and sCD30 were produced at a significantly lower level by SSc TCL. Serum IL6 and sCD30  levels  were  significantly  increased  in  dc-SSc  patients  compared  to  lc-SSc  as  were  levels  of MCP-1 produced by PBMC and IL10 from TCL. We observed a strict relationship between pulmonary fibrosis and IL10, MCP-1 (both from TCL) and serum IL6. Kidney involvement was related to serum MCP-1 levels and IL18 production from PBMC. Oesophageal involvement correlated with MDC production from PBMC and IL10 synthesis by TCL. We showed that IL-6, IL-10, MDC and MCP-1 are variably associated with internal organ involvement and allow the discrimination between limited and diffuse forms of the disease.
Early up-regulation of Th2 cytokines and late surge of Th1 cytokines in an atopic dermatitis model
Authors: CHEN L , MARTINEZ O , OVERBERGH L , MATHIEU C , PRABHAKAR B S , CHAN L S 
Published: November 2004

SUMMARYWe investigated cytokine profiles in interleukin (IL)-4 transgenic (Tg) mice with a skin inflammatory disease resembling human atopic dermatitis. cDNA microarray revealed that the mRNAs encoding IL-1β, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-13, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, TNF-β and interferon (IFN)-γ were up-regulated in the skin of late lesion Tg mice and to a lesser degree in non-lesion Tg mice when compared to those of non-Tg mice. Real time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses indicated that the cDNA copy numbers of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ from the skin of late, early and non-lesions increased significantly compared to non-Tg mice. IL-2 and IL-12p40 cDNA copy numbers were increased significantly in early, but not late, lesions. Interestingly, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, TNF-α, and IFN-γ cDNAs were increased significantly the skin of before-onset and/or non-lesion mice. Flow cytometry analyses demonstrated an increased percentage of keratinocytes producing IL-4 as the disease progressed. The percentage of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ-producing T cells and IL-12-producing antigen-presenting cells in skin-draining lymph nodes and inflammatory skin also increased, particularly in mice with late lesion. These results suggest that disease induction is primarily triggered by Th2 cytokines and that Th1, Th2 and non-Th proinflammatory cytokines are all involved in the disease process.
Differential expression of the cytokine receptors for human interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 on lymphocytes of both CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ phenotype from tonsils, cord and adult peripheral blood
Authors: BOFILL M , ALMIRALL E , MCQUAID A , PEÑA R , RUIZ-HERNANDEZ R , NARANJO M , RUIZ L , CLOTET B , BORRÀS F E 
Published: November 2004

SUMMARYThe objective of this study was to demonstrate the variable expression of cytokine receptors on naive versus memory human CD4+ T cell subpopulations in tonsillar tissue, cord blood and adult blood. We prove that the receptors for both interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 are expressed exclusively on memory T cells. This observation was seen not only on the CD45RO+ memory T cells but also on a significant percentage of the CD45RA+, CD62L–, CD27– and CCR7– populations. Furthermore, CD45RA+ CD62L+, CD27+ or CCR7+ CD4+ T cells that expressed IL-12Rβ1 and IL-18Rα did not express CD31, a marker for recent thymic emigrants. We reveal that cord blood lymphocytes do not express IL-12Rβ1 whereas IL-18Rα expression was detected at low levels. Importantly, the IL-12Rβ2 signalling chain, which is absent in all resting T cells, was up-regulated in both CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ T cells as a result of stimulation with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 in vitro. This observed up-regulation was, however, restricted to 80% of the total CD4+ population. Finally, a very small proportion of the CD4+ CD45RO+ tonsillar T cells expressed the IL-12 and IL-18 receptors, thereby establishing the differential expression of these receptors between peripheral and tonsillar memory T cell subpopulations.
Analysing soil variation in two dimensions with the discrete wavelet transform
Authors: Lark R. M. , Webster R. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryComplex spatial variation in soil can be analysed by wavelets into contributions at several scales or resolutions. The first applications were to data recorded at regular intervals in one dimension, i.e. on transects. The theory extends readily to two dimensions, but the application to small sets of gridded data such as one is likely to have from a soil survey requires special adaptation. This paper describes the extension of wavelet theory to two dimensions. The adaptation of the wavelet filters near the limits of a region that was successful in one dimension proved unsuitable in two dimensions. We therefore had to pad the data out symmetrically beyond the limits to minimize edge effects.With the above modifications and Daubechies's wavelet with two vanishing moments the analysis is applied to soil thickness, slope gradient, and direct solar beam radiation at the land surface recorded at 100‐m intervals on a 60 × 101 square grid in south‐west England. The analysis revealed contributions to the variance at several scales and for different directions and correlations between the variables that were not evident in maps of the original data. In particular, it showed how the thickness of the soil increasingly matches the geological structure with increasing dilation of the wavelet, this relationship being local to the strongly aligned outcrops. The analysis reveals a similar pattern in slope gradient, and a negative correlation with soil thickness, most clearly evident at the coarser scales. The solar beam radiation integrates slope gradient and azimuth, and the analysis emphasizes the relations with topography at the various spatial scales and reveals additional effects of aspect on soil thickness.
Adsorption and desorption of organotin compounds in organic and mineral soils
Authors: Huang J.‐H. , Matzner E. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryOrganotin compounds (OTC) are deposited from the atmosphere into terrestrial ecosystems and can accumulate in soils. We studied the adsorption and desorption of methyltin and butyltin compounds in organic and mineral soils in batch experiments. The adsorption and desorption isotherms for all species and soils were linear over the concentration range of 10–100 ng Sn ml−1. The strength of OTC adsorption correlated well with the carbon content and cation exchange capacity of the soil and was in the order mono‐ > di‐ > tri‐substituted OTCs and butyltin > methyltin compounds. The OTC adsorption coefficients were much larger in organic soils (Kd > 104) than in mineral soils. The adsorption and desorption showed a pronounced hysteresis. Trimethyltin adsorption was partly reversible in all soils (desorption 2–12% of the adsorbed amounts). Dimethyltin, tributyltin and dibutyltin exhibited reversible adsorption only in mineral soils (desorption 4–33% of the adsorbed amounts). Mono‐substituted OTCs adsorbed almost irreversibly in all soils (desorption < 1% of adsorbed amounts). Trimethyltin was more mobile and more bioavailable in soils than other OTCs. It might therefore be leached from soils and accumulate in aquatic ecosystems. The other OTCs are scarcely mobile and are strongly retained in soils.
Spatial location of carbon decomposition in the soil pore system
Authors: Strong D. T. , Wever H. DE , Merckx R. , Recous S. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryWe sought to examine the distribution of carbon (C) decomposition within the framework of the soil pore system. Soils were sampled from a transect having a natural gradient in pore‐size distribution. After the addition of labelled wheat straw (13C) the repacked soil columns were incubated (25°C) at soil water matric potentials of either −75 kPa or −5 kPa and for either 4 or 90 days. Pore‐size distribution was determined for each soil column after incubation and soils were then analysed for soluble C, label‐derived residual C, label‐derived and native biomass C, nematode abundance, and ergosterol concentration as an indicator of fungal biomass. Overall, the data suggested that pore‐size distribution and its interaction with soil water give rise to a highly stratified biogeography of organisms through the pore system. This results in different rates of decomposition in pores of different size. Added plant material seemed to decompose most rapidly in soils with a relatively large volume of pores with neck diametersc. 15–60 µm and most slowly in soils with large volumes of pores with neck diameters < 4 µm. Regression analysis suggested that at matric potentials of both −75 kPa and −5 kPa the fastest decomposition of organic substrate occurred close to the gas–water interface. This analysis also implied that slower rates of decomposition occur in the pore class 60–300 µm. Correlations between the mass of soil biota and the pore volume of each pore class point to the importance of fungi and possibly nematodes in the rapid decomposition of C in the poresc. 15–60 µm during the early stages of decomposition.
Eluviation of dissolved organic carbon under wetting and drying and its influence on water infiltration in degraded soils restored with vegetation
Authors: Zhang B. , Peng X. H. , Zhao Q. G. , Hallett P. D. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryOne mechanism in the restoration of severely degraded soil by vegetation might be the movement of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to macropore and aggregate surfaces. We propose that this lowers the soil wetting rate and subsequently its slaking resistance by creating a partially hydrophobic surface. In this study, we determined how wetting and drying (w/d) cycles redistribute DOC to soil surfaces, and how DOC affects hydrophobicity where it accumulates, in relation to the soil surface area to volume ratio and to different types of vegetation planted to restore a severely degraded soil. Repacked soil cores that simulate different soil aggregate sizes were tested. The results showed that w/d cycles increase surface DOC concentration through a depletion of DOC in the interior of the soil. Correspondingly, w/d cycles enhanced hydrophobicity, measured as a water repellency index, R, from 1.5–2.3 to 3.6–7.6, the values affected significantly by the type of vegetation. This index (R) did not change for a control soil with no vegetation. The link between the amount of DOC and water repellency was weak (coefficient of determination r2 = 0.06–0.26), indicating that DOC quality was probably more important than its quantity. Although increasing the core size resulted in a greater accumulation of DOC on the drying surface of the core, the impact of this on water repellency was minimal. Incubation caused a decrease in the amount of DOC, but had minimal influence on water repellency. This work improves the understanding of changes in soil wetting and soil stabilization under processes of natural weathering and vegetation restoration.
Factors affecting habitat selection by a small spawning charr population, bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus: implications for recovery of an endangered species
Authors: Wissmar R. C. , Craig S. D. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractBull trout, Salvelinus confluentus (Suckley), populations are declining in many streams of North America and are listed under the Endangered Species Act in the United States. Many small populations are isolated in fragmented habitats where spawning conditions and success are not well understood. Factors affecting habitats selected for redds by spawning bull trout and redd habitat characteristics within Gold Creek, a headwater stream in the Yakima River within the Columbia River basin, Washington State, USA, were evaluated. Most spawning (>80% of the redds) occurred in upstream habitats after dewatering of downstream channels isolated fish. Habitats were selected or avoided in proportions different to their availability. For example, most bull trout selected pools and glides and avoided riffles despite the latter being more readily available. Although preferences suggest influences of prolonged fish entrapment, site fidelity could be important. A habitat with redds commonly contained abundant cover, gravel substratum and higher stream flows. The major factors influencing habitat selection by spawning fish and their persistence in streams of the Yakima and Columbia River regions include entrapment of fish by dewatering of channels and geographical isolation by dams. The goal of the US Government's recovery plan is ‘to ensure the long‐term persistence of self‐sustaining bull trout populations’. Recovery plans linked to provisions for protecting and conserving bull trout populations and their habitats were recommended. Landscape approaches are needed that provide networks of refuge habitats and greater connectivity between populations. Concurrent recovery efforts are encouraged to focus on protecting small populations and minimizing dangers of hybridization.
A canopy photosynthesis model to predict the dry matter production of cocksfoot pastures under varying temperature, nitrogen and water regimes
Authors: Peri P. L. , Moot D. J. , McNeil D. L. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractDaily net canopy photosynthesis (Pn) of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) was predicted for combinations of temperature, herbage nitrogen (N) concentration and water status from the integration of models of leaf photosynthesis of the light‐saturated photosynthetic rate (Pmax), photosynthetic efficiency (α) and the degree of curvature (θ) of leaf light‐response curves. The effect on Pn, maximum Pn (Pn max) and the optimum leaf area index (LAI at Pn max) was examined when any one of these factors was limiting. The ranges that gave the optimum values of Pn (Pn max = 30·8–33·5 g CO2m−2 d−1) for temperature (19–22°C) and N concentration (40–50 g N kg−1 DM) were smaller than those for net leaf photosynthesis. Also, Pn fell to 0 at a lower level of water stress (pre‐dawn leaf water potential, ψlp = −12·5 bar) than for Pmax. The canopy photosynthesis model was then used to compare predicted and measured dry matter (DM) production for cocksfoot pastures grown under a diverse range of environmental conditions with field data from New Zealand and Argentina. To predict DM production leaf area index and leaf canopy angle were included from field measurements. The model explained about 0·85 of the variation in cocksfoot DM production for the range of 6·5–134 kg DM ha−1 d−1. The canopy model overestimated the DM production by 0·10 which indicates that a further Pmax function for leaves of different ages and a partitioning sub‐model may be needed to improve predictions of DM production.
Effects of cutting or grazing grass swards on herbage yield, nitrogen uptake and residual soil nitrate at different levels of N fertilization
Authors: Nevens F. , Rehuel D. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractOn a Flemish sandy loam soil, cut and grazed swards were compared at different levels of mineral nitrogen (N) fertilization. Economically optimal N fertilization rates were 400 (or more) and 200 kg N ha−1 yr−1 on cut and grazed swards respectively. Considering the amounts of residual soil nitrate‐N in autumn, these N rates also met the current Flemish legal provisions, i.e. no more than 90 kg ha−1 nitrate‐N present in the 0–90 cm soil layer, measured between 1 October and 15 November. The N use efficiency was considerably higher in cut grassland systems than in grazed systems, even when the animal component of a cut and conservation system was included. The results indicate that, for cut grasslands, two N application rates should be considered: intensively managed grasslands with high amounts of N (400 kg ha−1 yr−1 or more) or extensively managed grasslands with white clover and no more than 100 kg N ha−1 yr−1.
Effects of formalin treatment on epithelial structure and mucous cell densities in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), skin
Authors: Buchmann K , Bresciani J , Jappe C 
Published: November 2004

AbstractFormalin bath treatments of rainbow trout are widely used for control of ectoparasitic infections in fish farms and the effects of this chemical on parasite infections have been studied. In addition, tolerance of the host to various concentrations of formalin are also known. However, effects of formaldehyde on the skin epithelium integrity and mucous cell density still need elucidation. The present study revealed that exposure of rainbow trout fry 2 months post‐hatching to various concentrations of formalin affected the mucous cell dynamics of the fish. Limited exposure (50 ppm, 1 h) stimulated mucous cell proliferation as indicated by the slight increase in densities of Alcian blue positive cells in tail fin epidermis. In contrast, high concentrations (200–300 ppm, 1 h) or lengthy exposure (24 h) at lower concentrations caused a decrease in mucous cell density. Scanning electron microscopy revealed effects on the epithelial structure of fish fins. Blebbing of epithelial cell membranes was the first sign of injury. The dilated openings of mucous cells indicated increased release of mucus. Highly irregular organization of the cells followed, with regional differences occurring in different parts of fins. The implications of formalin bathing for susceptibility or resistance of fish to subsequent pathogen exposure are discussed.