Showing papers by "University of Lisbon published in 2003"
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compute public sector performance (PSP) and efficiency (PSE) indicators, comprising a composite and seven sub-indicators, for 23 industrialised countries.
Abstract: We compute public sector performance (PSP) and efficiency (PSE) indicators, comprising a composite and seven sub-indicators, for 23 industrialised countries. The first four sub-indicators are "opportunity" indicators that take into account administrative, education and health outcomes and the quality of public infrastructure and that support the rule of law and a level playing-field in a market economy. Three other indicators reflect the standard "Musgravian" tasks for government: allocation, distribution, and stabilisation. The input and output efficiency of public sectors across countries is then measured via a non-parametric production frontier technique.
717 citations
New England Biolabs1, New York State Department of Health2, Columbia University3, Wayne State University4, University of Basel5, University of Toledo6, University of Edinburgh7, University of Alabama8, University of Portsmouth9, Moscow State University10, University of Illinois at Chicago11, University of Bristol12, University of Rochester13, Duke University14, University of Sheffield15, Vilnius University16, University of Giessen17, University of Copenhagen18, Hungarian Academy of Sciences19, North Carolina State University20, University of Tokyo21, Humboldt University of Berlin22, Brookhaven National Laboratory23, University of Massachusetts Medical School24, National Institutes of Health25, Indian Institute of Science26, University of Warsaw27, University of California, Santa Barbara28, State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR29, University of Oregon30, The Chinese University of Hong Kong31, University of Maryland, College Park32, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center33, University of Wisconsin-Madison34, University of Nebraska–Lincoln35, University of Lisbon36
TL;DR: In this article, a nomenclature for restriction endonucleases, DNA methyltransferases, homing endon nucleases and related genes and gene products is described.
Abstract: A nomenclature is described for restriction endonucleases, DNA methyltransferases, homing endonucleases and related genes and gene products. It provides explicit categories for the many different Type II enzymes now identified and provides a system for naming the putative genes found by sequence analysis of microbial genomes.
710 citations
TL;DR: The mechanisms underlying the release of O 2 ⨪ from mitochondria into cytosol are elucidated, and the role of outer membrane voltage-dependent anion channels (VDACs) in this process is assessed, noting the importance of these processes for modulating cell signaling pathways in these compartments.
659 citations
TL;DR: Isolates from cattle and wild ruminants clustered in two alleles; in contrast, human isolates clustered in seven alleles, showing extensive allelic diversity.
Abstract: Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis isolates from human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, cattle, and wild ruminants were characterized by PCR and DNA sequencing analysis of the 60-kDa glycoprotein gene. Seven alleles were identified, three corresponding to C. hominis and four corresponding to C. parvum. One new allele was found (IId), and one (IIb) had only been found in Portugal. Isolates from cattle and wild ruminants clustered in two alleles. In contrast, human isolates clustered in seven alleles, showing extensive allelic diversity.
468 citations
TL;DR: It is observed that normal spontaneous walking has the highest complexity when compared to slow and fast walking and also to walking paced by a metronome.
Abstract: We compare the complexity of human gait time series from healthy subjects under different conditions. Using the recently developed multiscale entropy algorithm, which provides a way to measure complexity over a range of scales, we observe that normal spontaneous walking has the highest complexity when compared to slow and fast walking and also to walking paced by a metronome. These findings have implications for modeling locomotor control and for quantifying gait dynamics in physiologic and pathologic states.
444 citations
TL;DR: Global DNA methylation may be altered in vascular disease, with a concomitant increase in plasma tHcy and AdoHcy.
Abstract: Background: The pathogenic mechanism of homocysteine’s effect on cardiovascular risk is poorly understood. Recent studies show that DNA hypomethylation induced by increases in S -adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy), an intermediate of Hcy metabolism and a potent inhibitor of methyltransferases, may be involved in homocysteine-related pathology.
Methods: We measured fasting plasma total Hcy (tHcy), AdoHcy, and S -adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) and methylation in leukocytes in 17 patients with vascular disease and in 15 healthy, age- and sex-matched controls.
Results: Patient with vascular disease had significantly higher plasma tHcy and AdoHcy concentrations and significantly lower plasma AdoMet/AdoHcy ratios and genomic DNA methylation. AdoMet concentrations were not significantly different between the two groups. More than 50% of the patients fell into the highest quartiles of plasma tHcy, AdoHcy, and [3H]dCTP incorporation/μg of DNA (meaning the lowest quartile of DNA methylation status) and into the lowest quartile of the AdoMet/AdoHcy ratios of the control group. Plasma tHcy was significantly correlated with plasma AdoHcy and AdoMet/AdoHcy ratios (n = 32; P < 0.001). DNA methylation status was significantly correlated with plasma tHcy and AdoHcy (n = 32; P < 0.01) but not with plasma AdoMet/AdoHcy ratios.
Conclusion: Global DNA methylation may be altered in vascular disease, with a concomitant increase in plasma tHcy and AdoHcy.
402 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the gallium doped zinc oxide thin films have been deposited at high growth rates by r.f. magnetron sputtering at room temperature on inexpensive soda lime glass substrates.
294 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that the lysomotropic detergent O-methyl-serine dodecylamide hydrochloride (MSDH) causes lysosomal rupture, enhanced intracellular ROS production, and apoptosis.
Abstract: Exposure of mammalian cells to oxidant stress causes early (iron catalysed) lysosomal rupture followed by apoptosis or necrosis. Enhanced intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), presumably of mitochondrial origin, is also observed when cells are exposed to nonoxidant pro-apoptotic agonists of cell death. We hypothesized that ROS generation in this latter case might promote the apoptotic cascade and could arise from effects of released lysosomal materials on mitochondria. Indeed, in intact cells (J774 macrophages, HeLa cells and AG1518 fibroblasts) the lysosomotropic detergent O-methyl-serine dodecylamide hydrochloride (MSDH) causes lysosomal rupture, enhanced intracellular ROS production, and apoptosis. Furthermore, in mixtures of rat liver lysosomes and mitochondria, selective rupture of lysosomes by MSDH promotes mitochondrial ROS production and cytochrome c release, whereas MSDH has no direct effect on ROS generation by purifed mitochondria. Intracellular lysosomal rupture is associated with the release of (among other constituents) cathepsins and activation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2). We find that addition of purified cathepsins B or D, or of PLA2, causes substantial increases in ROS generation by purified mitochondria. Furthermore, PLA2 - but not cathepsins B or D - causes rupture of semipurified lysosomes, suggesting an amplification mechanism. Thus, initiation of the apoptotic cascade by nonoxidant agonists may involve early release of lysosomal constituents (such as cathepsins B and D) and activation of PLA2, leading to enhanced mitochondrial oxidant production, further lysosomal rupture and, finally, mitochondrial cytochrome c release. Nonoxidant agonists of apoptosis may, thus, act through oxidant mechanisms.
286 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed spherically symmetric and static traversable Morris-Thorne wormholes in the presence of a generic cosmological constant (ensuremath{Lambda}$).
Abstract: First, the ideas introduced in the wormhole research field since the work of Morris and Thorne are reviewed, namely, the issues of energy conditions, wormhole construction, stability, time machines and astrophysical signatures. Then, spherically symmetric and static traversable Morris-Thorne wormholes in the presence of a generic cosmological constant $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ are analyzed. A matching of an interior solution to the unique exterior vacuum solution is done using directly the Einstein equations. The structure as well as several physical properties and characteristics of traversable wormholes due to the effects of the cosmological term are studied. Interesting equations appear in the process of matching. For instance, one finds that for asymptotically flat and anti\char21{}de Sitter spacetimes the surface tangential pressure $\mathcal{P}$ of the thin shell, at the boundary of the interior and exterior solutions, is always strictly positive, whereas for de Sitter spacetime it can take either sign as one would expect, being negative (tension) for relatively high $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and high wormhole radius, positive for relatively high mass and small wormhole radius, and zero in between. Finally, some specific solutions with $\ensuremath{\Lambda},$ based on the Morris-Thorne solutions, are provided.
283 citations
TL;DR: An overview of current approaches and trends towards the establishment of such infrastructures is presented in this paper, where various example architectures from several international research projects are discussed, and the aspects of trust building and the formation of breeding environments, as an important basis for practical agile virtual organizations (VO), are introduced.
281 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the power source of 41 local ULIRGs was examined using archival infrared (IR) and optical photometry, and it was shown that the starburst provides over half the IR emission, with a mean fractional luminosity of 82%.
Abstract: We examine the power source of 41 local Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) using archival infrared (IR) and optical photometry. We fit the observed Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) with starburst and AGN components; each component being drawn from a family of templates. We find all of the sample require a starburst, whereas only half require an AGN. In 90% of the sample the starburst provides over half the IR emission, with a mean fractional luminosity of 82%. When combined with other galaxy samples we find that starburst and AGN luminosities correlate over 6 decades in IR luminosity suggesting that a common factor governs both luminosities, plausibly the gas masses in the nuclear regions. We find no trend for increasing fractional AGN luminosity with increasing total luminosity, contrary to previous claims. We find that the mid-IR F7.7/C7.7 line-continuum ratio is no indication of the starburst luminosity, or the fractional AGN luminosity, and therefore that F7.7/C7.7 is not a reliable diagnostic of the power source in ULIRGs. The radio flux correlates with the starburst luminosity, but shows no correlation with the AGN luminosity, in line with previous results. We propose that the scatter in this correlation is due to a skewed starburst IMF and/or relic relativistic electrons from a previous starburst, rather than contamination from an obscured AGN. We show that most ULIRGs undergo multiple starbursts during their lifetime, and by inference that mergers between more than two galaxies may be common amongst ULIRGs. Our results support the evolutionary model for ULIRGs proposed by Farrah et al (2001), where they can follow many different evolutionary paths of starburst and AGN activity in transforming merging spiral galaxies into elliptical galaxies, but that most do not go through an optical QSO phase. The lower level of AGN activity in our local sample than in z � 1 HLIRGs implies that the two samples are distinct populations. We postulate that different galaxy formation processes at high-z are responsible for this difference.
TL;DR: Lipids can be involved in both stimulatory and inhibitory signalling networks in the phagosomal membrane and activated actin assembly and phagosome maturation in infected macrophages, resulting in a significant killing of M. tuberculosis and M. avium.
Abstract: Pathogenic mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium facilitate disease by surviving intracellularly within a potentially hostile environment: the macrophage phagosome. They inhibit phagosome maturation processes, including fusion with lysosomes, acidification and, as shown here, membrane actin assembly. An in vitro assay developed for latex bead phagosomes (LBPs) provided insights into membrane signalling events that regulate phagosome actin assembly, a process linked to membrane fusion. Different lipids were found to stimulate or inhibit actin assembly by LBPs and mycobacterial phagosomes in vitro. In addition, selected lipids activated actin assembly and phagosome maturation in infected macrophages, resulting in a significant killing of M. tuberculosis and M. avium. In contrast, the polyunsaturated sigma-3 lipids behaved differently and stimulated pathogen growth. Thus, lipids can be involved in both stimulatory and inhibitory signalling networks in the phagosomal membrane.
TL;DR: In this article, a structural and morphological study of the FeCo 2 O 4 and CoFe2 O 4 spinels prepared by a low-temperature coprecipitation method has been undertaken.
TL;DR: ADAR1 and ADAR2 are editing enzymes that deaminate adenosine to inosine in long double stranded RNA duplexes and specific pre-mRNA transcripts and might be recruited onto specific editing substrates present elsewhere in the cell.
Abstract: ADAR1 and ADAR2 are editing enzymes that deaminate adenosine to inosine in long double stranded RNA duplexes and specific pre-mRNA transcripts. Here, we show that full-length and N-terminally truncated forms of ADAR1 are simultaneously expressed in HeLa and COS7 cells owing to the usage of alternative starting methionines. Because the N-terminus of ADAR1 contains a nuclear export signal, the full-length protein localizes predominantly in the cytoplasm, whereas the N-terminally truncated forms are exclusively nuclear and accumulate in the nucleolus. ADAR2, which lacks a region homologous to the N-terminal domain of ADAR1, localizes exclusively to the nucleus and similarly accumulates in the nucleolus. Within the nucleolus, ADAR1 and ADAR2 co-localize in a novel compartment. Photobleaching experiments demonstrate that, in live cells, ADAR1 and ADAR2 are in constant flux in and out of the nucleolus. When cells express the editing-competent glutamate receptor GluR-B RNA, endogenous ADAR1 and ADAR2 de-localize from the nucleolus and accumulate at sites where the substrate transcripts accumulate. This suggests that ADAR1 and ADAR2 are constantly moving through the nucleolus and might be recruited onto specific editing substrates present elsewhere in the cell.
TL;DR: The present review is intended to give detailed and useful information for the determination of partition coefficients and addresses several relevant aspects, namely definition and calculation of the partition coefficient between aqueous and lipidic phases.
TL;DR: AFM is progressively becoming a usual benchtop technique and overcomes materials science applications, showing that 17 years after its invention, AFM has completely crossed the limits of its traditional areas of application.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the relative contributions of cancer staging, duration and diet on patients' nutritional deterioration and found significant associations for tumour location, disease duration, nutritional intake, and previous surgery or chemotherapy.
TL;DR: This is the first study of medicinal and aromatic plants in Portugal to use ethnobotanical methodology and the most relevant plants are mentioned in this paper, along with their local names, the parts of them used, popular uses, preparation and administration processes, and citation frequency.
TL;DR: The simulation of decaying sources is illustrated on a dual-isotope acquisition with multiple time-frames and first comparisons of simulated point-spread functions and spectra with experimental results obtained from a small-animal gamma camera prototype are presented.
Abstract: GATE, the Geant4 application for tomographic emission, is a simulation platform developed for PET and SPECT. It combines a powerful simulation core, the Geant4 toolkit, with newly developed software components dedicated to nuclear medicine. In particular, it models the passing of time during real acquisitions, allowing it to handle dynamic systems such as decaying source distributions or moving detectors. We present several series of results that illustrate the possibilities of this new platform. The simulation of decaying sources is illustrated on a dual-isotope acquisition with multiple time-frames. Count rate curves taking into account random coincidences and dead-time are shown for a dual-crystal setup and for a small-animal PET scanner configuration. Simulated resolution curves and reconstructed images are shown for rotating PET scanners. Lastly, we present first comparisons of simulated point-spread functions and spectra with experimental results obtained from a small-animal gamma camera prototype.
TL;DR: Although a low risk seems to be associated with the use of enterococci in long-established artisanal cheeses, screening of virulence traits and their cross-synergies must be performed, particularly for commercial starters, probiotic strains and products to be used by high risk population groups.
TL;DR: Reduction of brain injury underlies the wide-range neuroprotective effects of TUDCA after ICH and may provide a potentially useful treatment in patients with hemorrhagic stroke and perhaps other acute brain injuries associated with cell death by apoptosis.
Abstract: Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), an endogenous bile acid, modulates cell death by interrupting classic pathways of apoptosis. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating acute neurological disorder, without effective treatment, in which a significant loss of neuronal cells is thought to occur by apoptosis. In this study, we evaluated whether TUDCA can reduce brain injury and improve neurological function after ICH in rats. Administration of TUDCA before or up to 6 h after stereotaxic collagenase injection into the striatum reduced lesion volumes at 2 days by as much as 50%. Apoptosis was ≈50% decreased in the area immediately surrounding the hematoma and was associated with a similar inhibition of caspase activity. These changes were also associated with improved neurobehavioral deficits as assessed by rotational asymmetry, limb placement, and stepping ability. Furthermore, TUDCA treatment modulated expression of certain Bcl-2 family members, as well as NF-κB activity. In addition to its protective action at the mitochondrial membrane, TUDCA also activated the Akt-1/protein kinase Bα survival pathway and induced Bad phosphorylation at Ser-136. In conclusion, reduction of brain injury underlies the wide-range neuroprotective effects of TUDCA after ICH. Thus, given its clinical safety, TUDCA may provide a potentially useful treatment in patients with hemorrhagic stroke and perhaps other acute brain injuries associated with cell death by apoptosis.
TL;DR: In this article, a 1.4 GHz mosaic image covering an area of 4.56 deg2 was constructed and a homogeneous radio-selected catalog of over 2000 sources reaching flux densities as faint as 60 μJy has been compiled.
Abstract: The initial Phoenix Deep Survey (PDS) observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array have been supplemented by additional 1.4 GHz observations over the past few years. Here we present details of the construction of a new mosaic image covering an area of 4.56 deg2, an investigation of the reliability of the source measurements, and the 1.4 GHz source counts for the compiled radio catalog. The mosaic achieves a 1 σ rms noise of 12 μJy at its most sensitive, and a homogeneous radio-selected catalog of over 2000 sources reaching flux densities as faint as 60 μJy has been compiled. The source parameter measurements are found to be consistent with the expected uncertainties from the image noise levels and the Gaussian source fitting procedure. A radio-selected sample avoids the complications of obscuration associated with optically selected samples, and by utilizing complementary PDS observations, including multicolor optical, near-infrared, and spectroscopic data, this radio catalog will be used in a detailed investigation of the evolution in star formation spanning the redshift range 0 < z < 1. The homogeneity of the catalog ensures a consistent picture of galaxy evolution can be developed over the full cosmologically significant redshift range of interest. The 1.4 GHz mosaic image and the source catalog are available on the World Wide Web; or from the authors by request.
TL;DR: Individualised nutritional counselling accounting for nutritional status and clinical condition, was able to improve nutritional intake and patients' QoL, despite self-reported symptoms.
University of Amsterdam1, University of Paris2, University of Southern California3, University of Barcelona4, Goethe University Frankfurt5, University of Utah6, Hannover Medical School7, Carlos III Health Institute8, University of British Columbia9, University of Lisbon10, Cornell University11, University of Alabama12
TL;DR: The triple nucleoside regimen utilized may be less likely to result in viral suppression to < 50 copies/ml, while the nevirapine-based regimen is associated with a lower increase in CD4 T lymphocytes.
Abstract: Objective: To compare one protease inhibitor (PI)-based and two PI-sparing antiretroviral therapy regimens. Methods: International, open label, randomized study of antiretroviral drug-naive patients, with CD4 lymphocyte counts greater than or equal to 200 x 10(6) cells/l and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels > 500 copies/ml. Treatment assignment to stavudine and didanosine plus indinavir or nevirapine or lamivudine. Primary study endpoint was the percentage of patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels <500 copies/ml after 48 weeks in the intention-to-treat analysis (ITT). Results: In total, 298 patients were enrolled. After 48 weeks, the percentage of patients in the indinavir, nevirapine and lamivudine arms with HIV-1 RNA <500 copies/ml was 57.0%, 58.4% and 58.7%, respectively, in an ITT analysis. After 96 weeks of follow-up, these percentages were 50.0%, 59.6% and 45.0%, respectively. The percentage of patients with HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/ml was significantly less for those allocated to lamivudine in an on-treatment analysis after 48 and 96 weeks of follow-up. Patients in the nevirapine arm experienced a smaller increase in the absolute number of CD4 T lymphocytes. There were no significant differences in the incidence of serious adverse events. Conclusions: A comparable virological response can be achieved with first-line PI-base and PI-sparing regimens. The triple nucleoside regimen utilized may be less likely to result in viral suppression to <50 copies/ml, while the nevirapine-based regimen is associated with a lower increase in CD4 T lymphocytes. (C) 2003 Lippincoft Williams Wilkins
TL;DR: A consensus model for the accessibility of the small-subunit rRNA to oligonucleotide probes is proposed which uses 60 homolog target sites of the three prokaryotic 16S rRNA molecules.
Abstract: Low accessibility of the rRNA is together with cell wall impermeability and low cellular ribosome content a frequent reason for failure of whole-cell fluorescence hybridization with fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probes. In this study we compare accessibility data for the 16S rRNA of Escherichia coli (gamma Proteobacteria, Bacteria) with the phylogenetically distantly related organisms Pirellula sp. strain 1 (Planctomycetes, Bacteria) and Metallosphaera sedula (Crenarchaeota, Archaea) and the 18S rRNA accessibility of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Eucarya). For a total of 537 Cy3-labeled probes, the signal intensities of hybridized cells were quantified under standardized conditions by flow cytometry. The relative probe-conferred fluorescence intensities are shown on color-coded small-subunit rRNA secondary-structure models. For Pirellula sp., most of the probes belong to class II and III (72% of the whole data set), whereas most of the probes targeting sites on M. sedula were grouped into class V and VI (46% of the whole data set). For E. coli, 45% of all probes of the data set belong to class III and IV. A consensus model for the accessibility of the small-subunit rRNA to oligonucleotide probes is proposed which uses 60 homolog target sites of the three prokaryotic 16S rRNA molecules. In general, open regions were localized around helices 13 and 14 including target positions 285 to 338, whereas helix 22 (positions 585 to 656) and the 3 half of helix 47 (positions 1320 to 1345) were generally inaccessible. Finally, the 16S rRNA consensus model was compared to data on the in situ accessibility of the 18S rRNA of S. cerevisiae.
University of Copenhagen1, Stanford University2, University of Texas at San Antonio3, Medical College of Wisconsin4, University of Cincinnati5, Detroit Medical Center6, University of Arizona7, University of Iowa8, University of Kansas9, University of Miami10, Grady Memorial Hospital11, Main Line Health12, University of Pittsburgh13, Veterans Health Administration14, Rochester General Health System15, Washington University in St. Louis16, University of Colorado Denver17, University of Pennsylvania18, University of Texas Medical Branch19, Vanderbilt University20, University of Maryland, Baltimore21, North Shore-LIJ Health System22, LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport23, Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo24, NorthShore University HealthSystem25, Cleveland Clinic26, University Medical Center27, Tufts University28, University of Toledo29, University of California, Davis30, Rhode Island Hospital31, University of South Alabama32, McGill University33, Foothills Medical Centre34, Université de Montréal35, Trillium Health Centre36, University of Alberta37, Laval University38, University of Western Ontario39, University of British Columbia40, Innsbruck Medical University41, University of Helsinki42, University of Eastern Finland43, Uppsala University44, University of Paris45, Lille University of Science and Technology46, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice47, Heidelberg University48, University of Cologne49, Ruhr University Bochum50, Charité51, University of Duisburg-Essen52, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich53, University of Münster54, University of Genoa55, University of Perugia56, University of Groningen57, Erasmus University Rotterdam58, University of Lausanne59, University of Bern60, University of Zurich61, University of Dundee62, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary63, Nottingham City Hospital64, Western Infirmary65, University of Lisbon66, University of Coimbra67, University of Barcelona68, Autonomous University of Barcelona69, Complutense University of Madrid70, University of Melbourne71, Royal Melbourne Hospital72, Alfred Hospital73, North Shore Hospital74, Christchurch Hospital75, Auckland City Hospital76, Stellenbosch University77
TL;DR: The SPARCL Study is a prospective, multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate the effect of statin treatment in secondary stroke prevention.
Abstract: Evidence suggests that statin therapy reduces the risk of stroke in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), but its benefit for patients with cerebrovascular disease and no history of CHD remains
TL;DR: The low sensitivity and gene variability indicated by the study strongly recommend the phenotypic assay for the assessment of hemolytic ability in enterococci, followed by the molecular screening of cyl genes in nonhemolytic strains to evaluate their virulence potential.
Abstract: The hemolytic ability, the presence of cyl genes, and the diagnostic accuracy of cytolysin molecular detection were investigated in the genus Enterococcus by using 164 strains from 20 different species (26 reference strains, 42 clinical isolates from human and veterinary origin, and 96 isolates from ewe cheese and milk). Hemolysis was assayed with sheep and horse erythrocytes and under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Screening of cytolysin genes (cylL(L), cylL(S), cylM, cylB, and cylA) was performed with new specific primers and the anaerobic assay of beta-hemolysis was used as the "gold standard" for the evaluation of cyl gene-based PCRs. Since beta-hemolysis and cyl genes were found in 10 and 14 species, respectively, the hemolytic ability seems to be spread throughout the genus ENTEROCOCCUS: Beta-hemolysis was observed in 6 of 26 (23%) reference strains, 14 of 42 (33%) clinical isolates, and 6 of 96 (6%) food isolates. The presence of cyl genes was detected in 15 of 26 (58%) reference strains, 37 of 42 (88%) clinical isolates, and 67 of 96 (70%) food isolates. These data indicate a virulence potential in food isolates, reinforcing the need of their safety assessment. Analysis of phenotypic-genotypic congruence suggests a divergent sequence evolution of cyl genes and the effect of environmental factors in the regulation of cytolysin expression. Evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of cytolysin molecular detection points to cylL(L)-based PCR and cylL(L)L(S)MBA-based PCR as the most reliable approaches. Nevertheless, the low sensitivity (46%) and gene variability indicated by our study strongly recommend the phenotypic assay for the assessment of hemolytic ability in enterococci, followed by the molecular screening of cyl genes in nonhemolytic strains to evaluate their virulence potential.
TL;DR: In this paper, a slope-to-basin sedimentary system comprising 21 sedimentary ridges up to 20 km long was mapped and described, and it was found that the sediments are mainly transported into the deep basins by mass transport processes across the steepest fault scarps forming a channel-levee system, while gravitational slides dominate the shallower slopes.
TL;DR: It is proposed that one mechanism underlying the protective effects of PPAR-γ agonists involves inhibition of the expression of ICAM-1, a reduction of PMN infiltration into renal tissues and subsequent reduction of oxidative stress.
Abstract: Background/Aims: Recent evidence indicates that peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) agonists protect against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Here we investigate the effects of the PPAR-γ agonists, rosiglitazone and ciglitazone, on the renal dysfunction and injury caused by I/R of the rat kidney in vivo. Methods: Rosiglitazone or ciglitazone were administered to male Wistar rats prior to and during reperfusion. Biochemical indicators of renal dysfunction and injury were measured and histological scoring of kidney sections was used to assess renal injury. Expression of PPAR isoforms and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 during renal I/R were assessed using RT-PCR and Northern blot, respectively. Myeloperoxidase activity and activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were used as indicators of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell infiltration and oxidative stress, respectively. Results: Expression of PPAR-α, PPAR-β and PPAR-γ1 (but not PPAR-γ2) was observed in kidneys with down-regulation of PPAR-α expression during renal I/R. Rosiglitazone and ciglitazone significantly reduced biochemical and histological signs of renal dysfunction and injury. Renal expression of ICAM-1 caused by I/R was reduced by rosiglitazone and ciglitazone which was reflected by decreased PMN infiltration into reperfused renal tissues. Both rosiglitazone and ciglitazone reduced PARP activation indicating a reduction of oxidative stress. Conclusion: These results suggest that the PPAR-γ agonists rosiglitazone and ciglitazone reduce the renal dysfunction and injury associated with I/R of the kidney. We propose that one mechanism underlying the protective effects involves inhibition of the expression of ICAM-1, a reduction of PMN infiltration into renal tissues and subsequent reduction of oxidative stress.