bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vicilin and convicilin are potential major allergens from pea
Authors: Sanchez‐Monge R. , Lopez‐Torrejón G. , Pascual C. Y. , Varela J. , Martin‐Esteban M. , Salcedo G. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryBackground
Allergic reactions to pea (Pisum sativum) ingestion are frequently associated with lentil allergy in the Spanish population. Vicilin have been described as a major lentil allergen.Objective
To identify the main IgE binding components from pea seeds and to study their potential cross‐reactivity with lentil vicilin.Methods
A serum pool or individual sera from 18 patients with pea allergy were used to detect IgE binding proteins from pea seeds by immunodetection and immunoblot inhibition assays. Protein preparations enriched in pea vicilin were obtained by gel filtration chromatography followed by reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). IgE binding components were identified by means of N‐terminal amino acid sequencing. Complete cDNAs encoding pea vicilin were isolated by PCR, using primers based on the amino acid sequence of the reactive proteins.Results
IgE immunodetection of crude pea extracts revealed that convicilin (63 kDa), as well as vicilin (44 kDa) and one of its proteolytic fragments (32 kDa), reacted with more than 50% of the individual sera tested. Additional proteolytic subunits of vicilin (36, 16 and 13 kDa) bound IgE from approximately 20% of the sera. The lentil vicilin allergen Len c 1 strongly inhibited the IgE binding to all components mentioned above. The characterization of cDNA clones encoding pea vicilin has allowed the deduction of its complete amino acid sequence (90% of sequence identity to Len c 1), as well as those of its reactive proteolytic processed subunits.Conclusions
Vicilin and convicilin are potential major allergens from pea seeds. Furthermore, proteolytic fragments from vicilin are also relevant IgE binding pea components. All these proteins cross‐react with the major lentil allergen Len c 1.
Comparison of a generic and a rhinitis‐specific quality‐of‐life (QOL) instrument in patients with house dust mite allergy: relationship between the SF‐36 and Rhinitis QOL Questionnaire
Authors: Terreehorst I. , Duivenvoorden H. J. , Tempels‐Pavlica Z. , Oosting A. J. , De Monchy J. G. R. , Bruijnzeel‐Koomen C. A. F. M. , Gerth van Wijk R. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryBackground
Generic and disease‐specific quality‐of‐life (QOL) questionnaires are commonly used in subjects with allergic rhinitis (AR). AR, however, is closely associated with other disorders such as bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis (AD). These co‐morbid associations may have an effect on the inter‐relation of generic and disease‐specific QOL outcomes and the behaviour of this inter‐relation in time.Objective
To unravel the inter‐relationships between the outcome of a generic instrument (SF‐36) and a disease‐specific instrument (Rhinitis QOL Questionnaire (RQLQ)).Materials and methods
In the framework of a randomized clinical trial with respect to the efficacy of impermeable bedding covers in house dust mite (HDM) allergy, SF‐36 and RQLQ were administered to 224 adults with AR and/or allergic asthma and/or AD at baseline and after 12 months of intervention. Regression analysis and canonical correlation were used to estimate overlap.Results
Overlap between SF‐36 and RQLQ domains in terms of explained variance ranged from 6% to 56%. Canonical correlation yielded low coefficients (0.16–0.27). Moreover, both SF‐36 and RQLQ scores did not change significantly during the intervention.Conclusion
In patients with HDM allergy characterized by co‐morbid associations, SF‐36 and RQLQ cover different aspects in QOL. It is advocated to use both simultaneously in performing QOL studies.
Leukotrienes and isocyanate‐induced asthma: a pilot study
Authors: Lemiere C. , Pelissier S. , Tremblay C. , Chaboillez S. , Thivierge M. , Stankova J. , Rola‐Pleszczynski M. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryBackground
The role of leukotrienes (LTs) in the pathophysiology of isocyanate‐induced asthma is not well known.Objective
We sought to characterize the type of airway inflammation induced by exposure to isocyanates and to investigate whether exposure to isocyanates induced an increase in LT receptor cysteinyl leukotriene ((CysLT)1, CysLT2 and leukotriene B4 receptor (BLT1)) expression, as well as a release of LT (LTC4 and leukotriene B4 (LTB4)) and IL‐8 in both asthmatics with isocyanate‐induced asthma and healthy subjects.Methods
We investigated eight subjects with isocyanate‐induced asthma and eight healthy subjects. Both groups underwent specific inhalation challenges to isocyanates in the laboratory. Induced sputum was collected before and after exposure to isocyanates. CysLT1, CysLT2 and BLT1 expression was assessed by flow cytometry, whereas LTC4, LTB4 and IL‐8 were measured in the sputum supernatants by enzyme immunoassay.Results
Exposure to isocyanates induced an increase in sputum neutrophils only in subjects with occupational asthma. There was a significant increase in CysLT1 and BLT1 receptor expression, as well as a release of LTB4 and IL‐8 after exposure to isocyanates compared with the baseline, only in subjects with isocyanate‐induced asthma, whereas there was no increase in LTC4. Exposure to isocyanates did not induce any change in LT receptor expression nor in the levels of LTC4, LTB4 and IL‐8, in healthy subjects.Conclusion
The neutrophilia observed after exposure to isocyanates is likely to be related to the release of LTB4, probably enhanced by the increased expression of BLT1 on neutrophils as well as by the release of IL‐8. The significance of the increase of CysLT1 receptor expression on neutrophils is unknown and needs further investigation.
Interferon-βup-regulates the expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD80, CD86 and CD40 on monocytes: significance for treatment of multiple sclerosis
Authors: MARCKMANN S , WIESEMANN E , HILSE R , TREBST C , STANGEL M , WINDHAGEN A 
Published: November 2004

SUMMARYInterferon (IFN)-β reduces the biological activity of multiple sclerosis (MS), a presumably T cell-mediated autoimmune disease of central nervous system (CNS) myelin. Co-stimulatory molecules are necessary for full T cell activation and differential expression of co-stimulatory molecules on antigen-presenting cells is thought to influence the type of effector T cell response (Th1/Th2). In this study we investigated the effects of IFN-β on the expression of co-stimulatory molecules on lymphocytes and monocytes as a potential mechanism of action of IFN-β in MS. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were stimulated with IFN-β in vitro and expression of CD80, CD86, CD40 and HLA was examined by flow cytometry and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Whereas IFN-β had no effect on the expression of these molecules on T and B lymphocytes there was a significant increase on monocytes. Correspondingly, the expression of mRNA increased after 6–18 h. This in vitro response was also observed in untreated MS patients and patients receiving treatment with IFN-β. The increase of co-stimulatory molecules on monocytes was not mediated by interleukin (IL)-10. When IFN-β-stimulated monocytes were used to stimulate autologous T cells an increased secretion of IL-13 was observed. In biopsies taken from IFN-β-induced skin reactions after subcutaneous injection increased expression of CD80 mRNA was detected, indicating that IFN-β also up-regulates this co-stimulatory molecule in vivo. These data provide the background for further studies of IFN-β-induced changes of co-stimulatory molecules in MS patients.
Co-infection of malaria andγ-herpesvirus: exacerbated lung inflammation or cross-protection depends on the stage of viral infection
Authors: HAQUE A , RACHINEL N , QUDDUS M R , HAQUE S , KASPER L H , USHERWOOD E 
Published: November 2004

SUMMARYIn order to study the interaction between a γ-herpesvirus and malaria we established a co-infection model that involves infection of mice with murine γ-herpesvirus (MHV-68) and Plasmodium yoelii non-lethal strain (PYNL). To investigate the interaction between acute malaria and the lytic stage of MHV-68, the timing of infections was chosen such that the peak virus and parasite burdens would be present at the same time. Under this condition, we observed significant mortality in co-infected mice and aggressive lung inflammation with a marked influx of neutrophils and megakaryocytes. If mice were latently infected with MHV-68 and then co-infected with malaria we noticed significantly less viral load and parasitaemia. Using MHC/peptide tetramer staining we found that acute malaria reduces the anti-MHV-68 CD8+ T cell response in the animals that develop severe disease. Our study provides important fundamental information, which will be of use when devising strategies to combat infections with more than one agent, a situation that often occurs naturally.
Immunoregulatory cytokine polymorphisms in Italian patients affected by paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria and aplastic anaemia
Authors: Fermo E. , Bianchi P. , Barcellini W. , Pedotti P. , Boschetti C. , Alfinito F. , Cortelezzi A. , Zanella A. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryWe investigated regulatory variants of five cytokine genes [tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interferon (IFN)‐γ, transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β, interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐10] in 40 Italian patients affected by paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) and aplastic anaemia (AA). Genotypes associated with high production of TGF‐β and IFN‐γ were more frequent in patients than in controls. Genetic regulation of the immunological pathways involved in the pathogenesis of bone marrow failure is suggested.
Formation of soils with contrasting textures by translocation of clays rather than ferrolysis in flooded rice fields in Northeast Thailand
Authors: Boivin P. , Saejiew A. , Grunberger O. , Arunin S. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryThis paper describes the conditions for dispersion and flocculation of clays, and the impact of this process on soils of contrasting textures cropped with rice. Clay seems to be translocated down the profiles and along a topographic sequence. The clays are mixed kaolinite–smectite. The cation exchange capacity of these clays exceeds 20 cmolc kg−1. Both the proportion of smectite and clay content increase with increasing depth and from the top to the lower part of the sequence. The pH ranges from 5 to 8. The aluminium oxide content is small. The soil solutions collected during the rainy season were analysed for Fe2+ and major cations. We calculated the sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) taking into account Fe2+ and compared them with the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) found in a previous study. The Fe2+ contributed to a decrease in the SAR of cropped soils. The comparison between SAR, total electrolyte concentrations and CCC values showed that the dispersible clays are likely (i) to disperse in the abandoned and non‐saline fields, (ii) to flocculate in the saline and uncropped soils as a result of the large salt content and in the cropped soils because of either large salt or Fe2+ content, and (iii) to disperse in the flood water and at the surfaces of abandoned fields under rain. No evidence for ferrolysis was found. The observed contrasting textures and clay mineralogy can be explained by clay translocation controlled by salinity and rice farming.
Characteristics and rehabilitation of the spawning habitats of the sea trout, Salmo trutta, in Gotland (Sweden)
Authors: Rubin J.‐F. , Glimsäter C. , Jarvi T. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractCharacteristics of the natural spawning habitat of sea trout, Salmo trutta L., were studied in Själsöån, a small stream of Gotland, Sweden, from 1992 to 1999. Each year, trout spawned on 17 ± 7 different areas (156 places ha−1). Most of the spawning grounds were used every year. Overcutting was evident for at least 60% of the spawning grounds. Fish spawned on a gravel of 19 ± 7 mm in diameter. From 1978 to 1992, 242 artificial spawning grounds were constructed by the Gotland Sport Fishermen Association in four Gotland streams. A sediment trap was dug upstream to the spawning grounds. The artificial spawning ground comprised of a downstream V‐shape stream deflector of large stones with a log weir at the narrowest point of the deflector. Upstream of the dam, 15–60 mm diameter gravel was deposited to constitute the spawning ground substratum. To keep the installation efficient, maintenance is needed every year before the spawning season.
Premature ejaculation in non‐insulin‐dependent diabetic patients
Authors: El‐Sakka Ahmed I. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryAim of the study was to assess the prevalence and to analyse risk factors for premature ejaculation (PE) in patients with non‐insulin‐dependent diabetes. A total of 676 male diabetic patients were enrolled in this study. Patients were screened for PE. At the screening time, patients were also interviewed for sociodemographic data that included age, education, occupation and marital status. Medical history included diabetes, duration of diabetes and diabetes‐related complications. Clinical and laboratory assessment included body mass index and glycosylated haemoglobin. Mean age for the study sample was 53.4 ± 10.4 years. The prevalence of PE was 32.4% in patients below 50 years, which increased to 67.6% in patients above 50 years. Of patients without PE, 31.4% were below 50 years compared with 68.6% above 50 years of age (p > 0.05). Patients with >10 years of diabetes were 2.7 times as likely to report PE as men with diabetes of <5 years (p < 0.05). Men with poor metabolic control were 9.6 times as likely to report PE as those with good metabolic control (p < 0.05). Patients without PE were four times as likely to have normal erectile function as those with PE (p < 0.05). There was a significant association between PE and cardiovascular diseases (p < 0.05). PE is common among diabetic patients. The study offers a quantitative estimate of the prevalence of PE and its main risk factors in diabetic patients.
A comparison of food group variety between toddlers with and without cystic fibrosis
Authors: Powers S. W. , Patton S. R. , Rajan S. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractObjectives  To compare the food group variety and nutritional adequacy of the diet between toddlers with cystic fibrosis (CF) and age‐matched controls.Subjects  A clinical sample of 22 toddlers with CF (mean age = 21.3 ± 7.2 months) matched to a community sample of 22 healthy peers.Main outcome measures  The variety index for toddlers (VIT) and the mean adequacy ratio (MAR).Results  Fruit group scores were highest for children with CF (0.95 ± 0.13; possible range 0.00–1.00), and dairy group scores were highest for controls (0.90 ± 0.18). All children earned the lowest scores for vegetables (CF: 0.15 ± 0.12; controls: 0.26 ± 0.22). No significant differences were found when comparing VIT and MAR scores by sample (P > 0.05). A moderate positive relationship was found between total VIT scores and MAR scores for all children (r = 0.38, P < 0.05). Toddlers with CF did not achieve the 120–150% of Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for energy.Conclusions  Toddlers with CF are consuming diets that are varied and nutritionally adequate for a healthy child. To optimize nutritional status and growth, current recommendations for toddlers with CF to eat a well‐balanced diet and to exceed daily RDA for energy requirements remain key dietary issues.
Time course of sleep inertia dissipation in human performance and alertness
Authors: JEWETT MEGAN E. , WYATT JAMES K. , RITZ‐DE CECCO ANGELA , KHALSA SAT BIR , DIJK DERK‐JAN , CZEISLER CHARLES A. 
Published: November 2004

SummaryAlertness and performance on a wide variety of tasks are impaired immediately upon waking from sleep due to sleep inertia, which has been found to dissipate in an asymptotic manner following waketime. It has been suggested that behavioural or environmental factors, as well as sleep stage at awakening, may affect the severity of sleep inertia. In order to determine the time course of sleep inertia dissipation under normal entrained conditions, subjective alertness and cognitive throughput were measured during the first 4 h after habitual waketime from a full 8‐h sleep episode on 3 consecutive days. We investigated whether this time course was affected by either sleep stage at awakening or behavioural/environmental factors. Sleep inertia dissipated in an asymptotic manner and took 2–4 h to near the asymptote. Saturating exponential functions fitted the sleep inertia data well, with time constants of 0.67 h for subjective alertness and 1.17 h for cognitive performance. Most awakenings occurred out of stage rapid eye movement (REM), 2 or 1 sleep, and no effect of sleep stage at awakening on either the severity of sleep inertia or the time course of its dissipation could be detected. Subjective alertness and cognitive throughput were significantly impaired upon awakening regardless of whether subjects got out of bed, ate breakfast, showered and were exposed to ordinary indoor room light (≈150 lux) or whether subjects participated in a constant routine (CR) protocol in which they remained in bed, ate small hourly snacks and were exposed to very dim light (10–15 lux). These findings allow for the refinement of models of alertness and performance, and have important implications for the scheduling of work immediately upon awakening in many occupational settings.
Spatial genetic structure in a metapopulation of the land snail Cepaea nemoralis (Gastropoda: Helicidae)
Authors: SCHWEIGER O. , FRENZEL M. , DURKA W. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractHabitat fragmentation is a major force affecting demography and genetic structure of wild populations, especially in agricultural landscapes. The land snail Cepaea nemoralis (L.) was selected to investigate the impact of habitat fragmentation on the spatial genetic structure of an organism with limited dispersal ability. Genetic and morphological patterns were investigated at a local scale of a 500 m transect and a mesoscale of 4 × 4 km in a fragmented agricultural landscape while accounting for variation in the landscape using least‐cost models. Analysis of microsatellite loci using expected heterozygosity (HE), pairwise genetic distance (FST/1 − FST) and spatial autocorrelograms (Moran's I) as well as shell characteristics revealed spatial structuring at both scales and provided evidence for a metapopulation structure. Genetic diversity was related to morphological diversity regardless of landscape properties. This pointed to bottlenecks caused by founder effects after (re)colonization. Our study suggests that metapopulation structure depended on both landscape features and the shape of the dispersal function. A range of genetic spatial autocorrelation up to 80 m at the local scale and up to 800 m at the mesoscale indicated leptokurtic dispersal patterns. The metapopulation dynamics of C. nemoralis resulted in a patchwork of interconnected, spatially structured subpopulations. They were shaped by gene flow which was affected by landscape features, the dispersal function and an increasing role of genetic drift with distance.
The current status of psychological treatments in bipolar disorders: a systematic review of relapse prevention
Authors: Scott Jan , Gutierrez Maria Jose 
Published: November 2004

Objective:  This paper reviews published randomized‐controlled treatment trials of psychological therapies added to standard psychiatric treatment versus medication and standard psychiatric treatment alone to explore whether adjunctive psychotherapy reduces relapse rates in individuals with bipolar disorders (BDs).Method:  Relapse rates were calculated for individual trials that met inclusion criteria and then pooled odds ratios were calculated using meta‐analytic techniques.Results:  The majority of studies quoted demonstrate that individuals receiving psychological treatments had significantly fewer relapses. The length of therapy required was between 10 and 20 h over 6–9 months and the models of effective therapies had many shared characteristics in terms of style and content.Conclusions:  Adjunctive psychological treatments for individuals with BDs are acceptable and feasible and reduce relapse risk. There are relatively few differences in the benefits that accrue from the different therapy models. It is now important to explore whether they have added value in terms of additional health gains and social functioning compared with standard treatment approaches.
Demographic and diagnostic characteristics of the first 1000 patients enrolled in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP‐BD)
Authors: Kogan Jane N , Otto Michael W , Bauer Mark S , Dennehy Ellen B , Miklowitz David J , Zhang Hong‐Wei , Ketter Terence , Rudorfer Matthew V , Wisniewski Stephen R , Thase Michael E , Calabrese Joseph , Sachs Gary S ,   the STEP‐BD Investigators
Published: November 2004

Objectives:  Bipolar disorder is a severe, recurrent, and often highly impairing psychiatric disorder. The Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP‐BD) is a large‐scale multicenter study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to examine the longitudinal course of the disorder and the effectiveness of current treatments. The current report provides a context for interpreting studies resulting from STEP‐BD by summarizing the baseline demographic and diagnostic characteristics of the first 1000 enrolled.Methods:  The majority of the sample met DSM‐IV criteria for bipolar I disorder (71%). Mean age of patients was 40.6 (±12.7) years and mean duration of bipolar illness was 23.1 (±12.9) years. Among the first 1000 subjects enrolled, 58.6% are females and 92.6% Caucasian. This report compares the STEP‐BD sample with other large cohorts of bipolar patients (treatment and community samples).Results:  Compared with US population and community studies, the first 1000 STEP‐BD patients were less racially diverse, more educated, had lower income, and a higher unemployment rate. Results are discussed in terms of the contributions of STEP‐BD (and other large‐scale treatment studies) in understanding the nature, treatments, and outcomes of bipolar disorder for patients seeking care at academic treatment centers.Conclusions:  The current report provides a context for interpreting future studies resulting from STEP‐BD. The comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics between the samples across clinic‐based studies suggests broad similarities despite the substantial differences in geography, payer mix, and clinical entry point.