bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Use of an Oral Fluid Immunoglobulin G ELISA for the Detection of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children
Authors: Gilger M.A. , Tolia V. , Johnson A. , Rabinowitz S. , Jibaly R. , Elitsur Y. , Chong S. , Rosenberg A. , Gold B. , Rosenthal P. , Elkayam O. , Marchildon P. , Peacock J. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackground. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) evaluation of oral fluid immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to Helicobacter pylori is a unique approach for both epidemiological studies and the diagnosis of infection, especially in children. The use of oral fluid sampling to evaluate specific H. pylori IgG antibodies has advantages over serum, including reduced biohazard risk and noninvasive collection. Oral fluid sampling is fast and involves minimal patient discomfort. Since children facilitate transmission of H. pylori infection, a simple, accurate, noninvasive diagnostic test is necessary for large epidemiologic studies. The aim of our study was to evaluate a new oral fluid ELISA for detection of IgG antibodies to H. pylori in children.Materials and methods. We compared this new oral fluid ELISA with the HM‐CAPTM serum ELISA and gastric biopsy histology using 779 oral fluid samples from children collected at 11 clinical sites across the United States. This cohort included 315 children symptomatic for abdominal pain and 464 asymptomatic. All samples were evaluated in a double blind manner. The oral fluid ELISA demonstrated a sensitivity of 76.2% and a specificity of 94.0% in children 2 months old to 201/2 years, as compared with the HM‐CAPTM serologic assay. The assay’s sensitivity improved to 81.3% in children aged 5 or greater and the specificity remained at 94.0%. When compared with gastric biopsy histology in the same age group, the oral fluid ELISA demonstrated a sensitivity of 71.7% and a specificity of 90.4%.Results. This new oral fluid ELISA is moderately sensitive and offers a very specific method for detecting H. pylori infection in older children, but it is of little value in children under the age of 5 years.Conclusions. Overall, we conclude that this oral fluid ELISA does not appear to be a helpful clinical tool for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection in children.
Central regulation of food intake in the neonatal chick
Authors: FURUSE Mitsuhiro 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTRegulating food intake is complicated in animals including domestic birds. Just after hatching, neonatal chicks find their food by themselves and they can control food intake, since domestic chicken belongs to the precocial type of avian species. Thus, domestic chickens have relatively well‐developed mechanisms of food‐intake control at hatching. While many aspects of food‐intake regulation in chickens appear similar to that in mammals, there are some responses that are unique to chickens. For instance, some neurotransmitters such as neuropeptide Y (NPY), orexin‐A, orexin‐B, motilin, melanin‐concentrating hormone (MCH), galanin, growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) and ghrelin stimulate feeding in mammals. Only NPY strongly stimulates food intake in birds similar to that observed in mammals; however, both orexins, motilin, MCH and galanin failed to alter food intake of the chick. Moreover, GRF and ghrelin suppressed feeding of chicks. On the other hand, cholecystokinin (CCK), gastrin, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1), corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF), histamine, α‐melanocyte stimulating hormone (α‐MSH), leptin and bombesin are known to suppress feeding in mammals. These responses are similar to those of mammals except for leptin. Therefore, the inhibitory mechanisms for feeding are well conserved in chicks.
In vitro effects of insulin on glucose and lipid metabolism in rat embryos
Authors: TSUJII Hirotada , NAKAMURA Yumi , HAMANO Koh‐ichi 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTGlucose is utilized for oxidation and synthesis of various lipids in cultured rat embryos. The present experiment examined the effect of insulin on the incorporation of glucose into lipid fractions in rat embryos in vitro. Embryos at the 2‐cell, 8‐cell and blastocyst stages were incubated for 5 h in hamster embryo culture medium (HECM)‐1 containing 14C‐glucose and 170 nmol/L insulin, or in HECM‐1 containing only 14C‐glucose, and the oxidation of glucose in these embryos was examined. In addition, the total lipids of blastocysts were separated by thin layer chromatography and the radioactivity of the separated lipid fractions was measured. Oxidation of glucose was significantly increased after insulin treatment compared with that without insulin treatment in 8‐cell embryos and blastocysts (P < 0.05), but not in 2‐cell embryos. Incorporation of glucose into lipids in blastocysts was significantly lowered by insulin treatment compared with that without insulin treatment (P < 0.05). Most of the radioactivity was recovered from triacylglycerols of blastocysts and the remaining radioactivity was found in other neutral lipids and phospholipids. We conclude that insulin accelerates the utilization for oxidation of glucose and inhibits the storage of triacylglycerols in rat blastocysts.
Mechanical stretch‐induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells is dependent on nitric oxide production in vitro
Authors: TATSUMI Ryuichi , HATTORI Akihito , ALLEN Ronald E. , IKEUCHI Yoshihide , ITO Tatsumi 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTMechanical stretch induces activation of cultured quiescent satellite cells and the activation response is owing to rapid release of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) from its extracellular association with satellite cells and its subsequent presentation to the c‐met receptor. We provide new evidence that the stretch activation is dependent on nitric oxide (NO) production. Stretch activation could be abolished by the addition of NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME), a competitive inhibitor of NO synthesis, but not by NG‐nitro‐D‐arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, a less active enantiomer of L‐NAME. Adding HGF to the L‐NAME culture restored the activation response, indicating that L‐NAME does not directly inhibit satellite cell activation, but acts upstream from the HGF release. In addition, immunoblots of satellite cell lysate revealed the presence of nitric oxide synthase. These experiments suggest that NO is involved in linking mechanical perturbation of satellite cells to chemical signaling responsible for HGF release from its sequestration in vitro.
Effect of an automatic milking system on milking traits
Authors: HAYASHI Takashi , KAWAMURA Teruo 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTRecent studies in Japan of the effect of automatic milking systems (AMS) on the behavior of dairy cows have confirmed the labor‐saving aspect of AMS, but have not solved some of the problems affecting milking traits. The influence of AMS on milking was examined in 39 Holstein cows at Iwate Agricultural Research Center from June 1998 to December 1999, by measuring and recording the yield per milking, milking finish time, milking frequency, and daily yield of milking. Four milking traits were analyzed separately as the objective variable in a linear model, with parity, days in milking, month after installation of the AMS as independent variables. Primiparous cows milked more frequently in the middle and late stage of lactation, yielded less per milking and less per day in the early stage of lactation than multiparous cows with the AMS. Lower frequencies were observed at noon and midnight for cleaning of the bulk tank. By contrast, higher milking frequency in the forenoon was shown. The yield per milking rose and declined, following a normal lactation curve. However, milking frequency rose slowly, and declined gradually in the late stage of lactation. After installing a one‐way gate, the cows milked more frequently, with a lower yield per milking and a greater daily milk yield, than before installation.
Effect of the strain combination of the donor and recipient on the production efficiency of W‐bearing sperm in mixed‐sex germline chimeric chickens
Authors: KAGAMI Hiroshi , YASUDA Jun , TAGAMI Takahiro , NAITO Mitsuru , MATSUBARA Yuko , HARUMI Takashi , NOGUCHI Takamasa , YAMAMOTO Yasuhiro , TAKAHASHI Taikai , MATSUYAMA Junichi , KOMATSU Hiroyuki , ONO Tamao 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTEffect of the strain combination of the donor and recipient on production efficiency of W‐bearing sperm in mixed‐sex chimeric testes was analyzed. The combinations of the donors and recipients were White Leghorn (WL) and Rhode Island Red (RIR), and vice versa. Generated mixed‐sex chimeras that had the male phenotype at sexual maturity were classified into four groups: (1) a female WL donor and a male RIR recipient; (2) a male WL donor and a female RIR recipient; (3) a female RIR donor and a male WL recipient; (4) a male RIR donor and a female WL recipient. The mean number of W‐bearing sperm detected by in situ hybridization among 10 000 sperm observed were 147, 165, 30 and 45 in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The numbers in groups 1 and 2 were both significantly higher than those of groups 3 and 4 (P < 0.05). The combination of a WL donor and a RIR recipient produced W‐bearing sperm more efficiently than the reverse combination.
Changes in the population of lymphocytes expressing CD4 and CD8 during the process of atresia of white follicles in hens
Authors: YOSHIMURA Yukinori , KITAMURA Akihiko 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to determine whether the population of lymphocytes expressing CD4 and CD8 molecules changed in the white follicles during atresia in chickens. Frozen sections of healthy, early atretic, advanced atretic and late atretic follicles were immunostained for CD4 and CD8, and the populations of positive cells were analyzed under a light microscope. In the healthy, early atretic and advanced atretic follicles both CD4+ and CD8+ cells were localized in the theca layer, but not in the granulosa layer. However, an influx of CD4+ and CD8+ cells was observed not only in the theca but also in the follicular cavity that was formed by disintegration of the oocyte in late atretic follicles. The frequency of CD4+ T cells in the theca layer did not differ among healthy, early atretic and advanced atretic follicles, but was significantly increased in the late atretic follicles (P < 0.05). The frequency of CD8+ cells showed a pattern of change that resembled that of CD4+ T cells, with a significantly greater population in late atretic follicles than the other follicles (P < 0.05). These results suggest that CD4+ and CD8+ cells are increased in the late atretic follicles, probably to promote the tissue regression.
Intestinal morphology and enteral nutrient absorption of pigeon pea seed meal in piglets
Authors: MEKBUNGWAN Apichai , YAMAUCHI Koh‐en , THONGWITTAYA Narin 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to establish the relationship between histological alterations of the intestinal villus and intestinal function, and to histologically assess the enteral nutrient absorption of raw pigeon pea seed meal (PM). Piglets were allotted into five groups: feed withdrawal for 3 days or 5 days, refeeding soybean meal (SM) or PM for 2 days after the 3‐day fast, and access ad libitum to conventional feed for the last 2 days without fasting. After the end of each experiment, the intestinal segment and duodenum of each piglet were processed and examined by light and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. After fasting, villus height, cell area and cell mitosis number were decreased in most parts of each intestinal segment, and duodenal villus tips had a smooth surface. After refeeding SM or PM, the decrease in body weight improved, but there was not a significant difference between them. The atrophic morphology of the intestine was reversed by refeeding SM, suggesting that the intestinal villi might be activated by absorption of SM. On the other hand, in the piglets refed PM, the recovery of light microscopic parameters and duodenal villus tip morphology was less clear than with SM. The present histological results suggest that although the absorption of PM is less than that of SM, the PM nutrients might be effectively absorbed, even in the raw form, and establish that in pigs intestinal histological alterations correspond well with intestinal absorptive function.
Evaluation of beef tallow as a natural source of conjugated linoleic acid
Authors: KAWAHARA Satoshi , TAKENOYAMA Shin‐ichi , NAGATO Chizuko , MUGURUMA Michio , ITO Tatsumi , YAMAUCHI Kiyoshi 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT Cis‐9, trans‐11 conjugated linoleic acid (9c, 11t CLA) is a potential anticarcinogen that is found in higher concentrations in beef lipids. However, the effect of CLA on lipid peroxidation, which is closely related to carcinogenesis, is controversial. In this study, we determined the levels of 9c, 11t CLA contents and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the tissues of rats fed beef lipid. Sprague‐Dawley rats (male, 8 weeks old) were fed experimental diets containing 20% lyophilized beef, and 12% beef tallow or vegetable oils, for 56 days. With the exception of the brain, the tissues from the rats fed the experimental diets accumulated 9c, 11t CLA, depending on the levels of CLA in the diets. The beef tallow group showed significantly higher 9c, 11t CLA contents in all tissues examined than the other diet groups. The intake of beef lipid did not affect the TBARS levels in the rat tissues. The hepatic lipid content from the beef tallow group was lower than that from the group fed vegetable oils. These results suggest that beef is a good source of 9c, 11t CLA, and that the intake of an appropriate level of beef lipid is not hazardous to health.
The regional effects of CO2 and landscape change using a coupled plant and meteorological model
Authors: Eastman Joseph L. , Coughenour Michael B. , Pielke Roger A. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractA meteorological model, the Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS), and a plant model, the General Energy and Mass Transfer Model (GEMTM), are coupled in this study. The integrated modelling system was used to investigate regional weather conditions in the central grasslands of the USA for three experimental scenarios:• land cover is changed from current to potential vegetation;• radiative forcing is changed from 1 × CO2 to 2 × CO2; and• biological CO2 partial pressures are doubled.Results indicate that the biological effect of enriched CO2, and of land‐use change exhibit dominant effects on regional meteorological and biological fields, which were observed for daily to seasonal time scales and grid to regional spatial scales. Simulated radiation impacts of 2 × CO2 were minimal, with interactive effects between the three experimental scenarios as large as the radiational impact alone. Model results highlight the importance of including 2 × CO2 biological effects when simulating possible future changes in regional weather.
Elevated atmospheric CO2 alters wood production, wood quality and wood strength of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L) after three years of enrichment
Authors: Ceulemans R. , Jach M. E. , Van De Velde R. , Lin J. X. , Stevens M. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractScots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees were grown in open top chambers for three years under ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations. The trees were aged 3 y at the beginning of the CO2 exposure, and the effects of the treatment on total stem volume, stem wood biomass, wood quality and wood anatomy were examined at the end of the exposure. The elevated CO2 treatment lead to a 49% and 38% increase in stem biomass and stem wood volume, respectively. However, no significant effects of the elevated CO2 treatment on wood density were observed, neither when green wood density was estimated from stem biomass and stem volume, nor when oven‐dry wood density was measured on small wood samples. Under elevated CO2 significantly wider growth rings were observed. The effect of elevated CO2 on growth ring width was primarily the result of an increase in earlywood width. Wood compression strength decreased under elevated CO2 conditions, which could be explained by significantly larger tracheids and the increased earlywood band, that has thinner walls and larger cavities. A significant decrease of the number of resin canals in the third growth ring was observed under the elevated treatment; this might indicate that trees produced and contained less resin, which has implications for disease and pest resistance. So, although wood volume yield in Scots pine increased significantly with elevated CO2 after three years of treatment, wood density remained unchanged, while wood strength decreased. Whilst wood volume and stem biomass production may increase in this major boreal forest tree species, wood quality and resin production might decrease under future elevated CO2 conditions.
People with learning disabilities as witnesses in court: What questions should lawyers ask?
Authors: Kebbell Mark R. , Hatton Chris , Johnson Shane D. , O'Kelly Caitriona M. E. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryPeople with learning disabilities (LDs) are likely to be at greater risk of having crimes committed against them, and testimony from witnesses with LDs is likely to be crucial when many of these crimes are prosecuted. The present authors analysed the transcripts of 16 court cases involving witnesses with LDs and 16 matched court cases involving witnesses without LDs. On the basis of this information and previous research, they discuss three issues: (1) the strengths and vulnerabilities of people with LDs as witnesses in court; (2) the kinds of questioning used by lawyers in courtrooms which can cause problems for witnesses with LDs; and (3) guidance for practitioners concerning alerting the judge to their role in preventing constraining and coercive lawyer questioning in court. The authors conclude that many people with LDs can be competent witnesses in court, but that hostile lawyers in particular use constraining and coercive questioning strategies which have a particularly negative impact on the testimony of witnesses with LDs. Judges should be informed of appropriate and inappropriate lawyer questioning strategies in advance of trials to enable them to effectively manage the questioning of lawyers in the courtroom.
Paz2 and 13 other PAZ gene products regulate vacuolar engulfment of peroxisomes during micropexophagy
Authors: Mukaiyama Hiroyuki , Oku Masahide , Baba Misuzu , Samizo Takeshi , Hammond Adam T. , Glick Benjamin S. , Kato Nobuo , Sakai Yasuyoshi 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackground: In the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, peroxisomes can be selectively degraded through direct engulfment by the vacuole in a process known as micropexophagy, but the mechanism of micropexophagy is not known.Results: To gain molecular insights into micropexophagy, we used fluorescence time‐lapse microscopy, coupled with gene‐tagging mutagenesis to isolate P. pastoris mutants defective in micropexophagy. The relevant genes have been designated PAZ genes. Morphological and genetic analyses enabled us to postulate a schematic model for micropexophagy. This new model invokes the generation of new vacuolar compartments as an intermediate structure during micropexophagy. Different classes of paz mutants arrest micropexophagy at distinct stages of the process. Most of APG‐related paz mutants ceased micropexophagy at Stage 1c and that GCN‐family paz mutants ceased micropexophagy at Stage 2. The paz2Δ strain shows a unique phenotype. Paz2 is the homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Apg8, which is necessary for macroautophagy in that yeast. Our analysis revealed that in P. pastoris, Paz2 plays a key role in repressing the engulfment of peroxisomes by the vacuole before the onset of micropexophagy. Paz2 is proteolytically processed by another autophagy‐related Paz protein Paz8, but this processing is not required for the ability of Paz2 to suppress aberrant micropexophagy.Conclusion: Micropexophagy has been dissected into a multistep reaction that involves 14 identified Paz gene products. Our studies indicate that Paz2 controls the engulfment of peroxisomes by the vacuole, pointing to a novel early function of this protein.
Interaction of exercise and diet on GLUT‐4 protein and gene expression in Type I and Type II rat skeletal muscle
Authors: LEE J. S. , BRUCE C. R. , TUNSTALL R. J. , CAMERON‐SMITH D. , HÜGEL H. , HAWLEY J. A. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTWe determined the interaction of exercise and diet on glucose transporter (GLUT‐4) protein and mRNA expression in type I (soleus) and type II [extensor digitorum longus (EDL)] skeletal muscle. Forty‐eight Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of two dietary conditions: high‐fat (FAT, n=24) or high‐carbohydrate (CHO, n=24). Animals in each dietary condition were allocated to one of two groups: control (NT, n=8) or a group that performed 8 weeks of treadmill running (4 sessions week–1 of 1000 m @ 28 m min–1, RUN, n=16). Eight trained rats were killed after their final exercise bout for determination of GLUT‐4 protein and mRNA expression: the remainder were killed 48 h after their last session for measurement of muscle glycogen and triacylglycerol concentration. GLUT‐4 protein expression in NT rats was similar in both muscles after 8 weeks of either diet. However, there was a main effect of training such that GLUT‐4 protein was increased in the soleus of rats fed with either diet (P < 0.05) and in the EDL in animals fed with CHO (P < 0.05). There was a significant diet–training interaction on GLUT‐4 mRNA, such that expression was increased in both the soleus (100% ↑P < 0.05) and EDL (142% ↑P < 0.01) in CHO‐fed animals. Trained rats fed with FAT decreased mRNA expression in the EDL (↓ 45%, P < 0.05) but not the soleus (↓ 14%, NS). We conclude that exercise training in CHO‐fed rats increased both GLUT‐4 protein and mRNA expression in type I and type II skeletal muscle. Despite lower GLUT‐4 mRNA in muscles from fat‐fed animals, exercise‐induced increases in GLUT‐4 protein were largely preserved, suggesting that control of GLUT‐4 protein and gene expression are modified independently by exercise and diet.
Does nitric oxide act as a cellular messenger in muscarinic endometrial secretion in the guinea‐pig?
Authors: MÖRLIN B. , HAMMARSTRÖM M. , EHREN I. , SJÖSTRAND N. O. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTUterine secretory cells receive a sympathetic cholinergic secremotor innervation. Nitric oxide (NO) has been suggested to be a second messenger of neurogenic modulated glandular secretion of the seminal vesicle. Thus a similar pattern for nervous induced carbohydrate secretion of the endometrium was assumed. The nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was estimated via formation of L‐citrulline from L‐arginine and histochemically with the nicotinamide‐adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH‐d) nitro blue technique. The carbohydrate secretion from everted uterine horns placed in organ baths was estimated. A calcium dependent formation of citrulline was found in the uterine horn suggesting an NOS activity. Strong NADPH staining cells were found in the glandular ducts of the endometrium and in the epithelial linings of the oviduct. Carbachol induced carbohydrate secretion of the endometrium while N‐nitro L‐arginin (L‐NNA) and N‐nitro L‐arginin methyl ester (L‐NAME) inhibited the carbachol induced secretion. The isomer D‐NAME had no effect on carbachol induced secretion. When L‐arginine was administered together with L‐NNA no inhibitory effect on carbachol induced secretion was seen. L‐arginine only had no effect on carbohydrate secretion. The NO donor glyceryl tritrate increased carbohydrate secretion but no synergistic effect was seen in combination with carbachol. The results suggest that glandular NO production is a prerequisite for muscarinic carbohydrate secretion of the endometrium.