Persistent macrocytosis following abstinence from chronic alcohol use.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
F Martin
Publications and source records attributed to F Martin.
Implementing health promotion in health care settings: conceptual coherence and policy support.
This article examines the level and conditions of development of the concept of "health promoting hospital (HPH)", in France and in Europe. Part of the literature on HPH was reviewed, looking at the kind of partnerships implemented within the HPH projects, and at the organisational strategies adopted by hospitals to be health promoting. The literature review is followed by an overview of the priorities defined by health policies in Europe. This research shows that there is still a lack of guidelines on how to put the health promotion concept into practice in health care settings. Moreover, it stresses that further research is needed in order to better define which personal skills ought to be developed through health education in health care settings, and how the development of such skills may be articulated to other priorities in health care settings.
Clinical Competence↗
IL-18-binding protein protects against lipopolysaccharide- induced lethality and prevents the development of Fas/Fas ligand-mediated models of liver disease in mice.
IL-18-binding protein (IL-18BP) is a natural IL-18 inhibitor. Human IL-18BP isoform a was produced as fusion construct with human IgG1 Fc and assessed for binding and neutralizing IL-18. IL-18BP-Fc binds human, mouse, and rat IL-18 with high affinity (K(D) 0.3-5 nM) in a BIAcore-based assay. In vitro, IL-18BP-Fc blocks IL-18 (100 ng/ml)-induced IFN-gamma production by KG1 cells (EC(50) = 0.3 microg/ml). In mice challenged with an LD(90) of LPS (15 mg/kg), IL-18BP-Fc (5 mg/kg) administered 10 min before LPS blocks IFN-gamma production and protects against lethality. IL-18BP-Fc administered 10 min before LPS blocks IFN-gamma production induced by LPS (5 mg/kg) with ED(50) of 0.005 mg/kg. Furthermore, IL-18BP-Fc (5 mg/kg) abrogates LPS (5 mg/kg)-induced IFN-gamma production even when administered 6 days before LPS but shows no effect when administered 9 or 12 days before LPS. Given 10 min before LPS challenge to mice primed 12 days in advance with heat-killed Propionibacterium acnes, IL-18BP-Fc prevents LPS-induced liver damage and IFN-gamma and Fas ligand expression. Given at the moment of priming with P. acnes, IL-18BP-Fc decreases P. acnes-induced granuloma formation, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1alpha and macrophage-inflammatory protein-2 production and prevents sensitization to LPS. IL-18BP-Fc also prevents Con A-induced liver damage and IFN-gamma and Fas ligand expression as well as liver damage induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A or by anti-Fas agonistic Ab. In conclusion, IL-18BP can be engineered and produced in recombinant form to generate an IL-18 inhibitor, IL-18BP-Fc, endowed with remarkable in vitro and in vivo properties of binding and neutralizing IL-18.
Animals↗
Selective depletion of inducible HSP70 enhances immunogenicity of rat colon cancer cells.
Expression of inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in tumor cells has been proposed to enhance their immunogenicity. However, HSP70 has also been demonstrated to prevent tumor cell death, a key process for the development of tumor cell immunogenicity. In the present study, we investigated the influence of the HSP70 protein level on PRO colon cancer cell growth and immunogenicity in syngeneic BDIX rats and nude mice. These cells have a basal expression of HSP70 which can be substantially increased by heat shock. When injected subcutaneously in syngeneic animals, PRO cells do not induce any detectable immune response and give rise to progressive, metastatic and lethal tumors. Stable transfection of an anti-sense hsp70 cDNA in PRO cells (PRO-70AS cells) strongly decreased HSP70 expression and sensitized cell-free extracts to cytochrome c/dATP-mediated activation of caspases. Subcutaneous injection of PRO-70AS cells induced tumors that rapidly regressed in syngeneic rats while they grew normally in nude mice. Syngeneic rats injected with PRO-70AS cells became protected against a further challenge with PRO cells. The tumor-specific immune response induced by HSP70-depleted PRO-70AS cells was associated with an increased rate of cell death in vivo. These PRO-70AS cells were also more sensitive to NO-mediated, caspase-dependent, macrophage cytotoxicity in vivo. Altogether, these results indicate that reduced level of HSP70 expression in PRO- colon cancer cells results in the generation of a specific immune response by promoting cell death in vivo.
Animals↗
Identification of tumor-infiltrating macrophages as the killers of tumor cells after immunization in a rat model system.
Immunization can prevent tumor growth, but the effector cells directly responsible for tumor cell killing in immunized hosts remain undetermined. The present study compares tumor grafts that progress in naive syngeneic rats with the same grafts that completely regress in hosts preimmunized with an immunogenic cell variant. The progressive tumors contain only a few macrophages that remain at the periphery of the tumor without direct contact with the cancer cells. These macrophages do not kill tumor cells in vitro. In contrast, tumors grafted in immunized hosts and examined at the beginning of tumor regression show a dramatic infiltration with mature macrophages, many of them in direct contact with the cancer cells. These macrophages are strongly cytotoxic for the tumor cells in vitro. In contrast to macrophages, tumor-associated lymphocytes are not directly cytotoxic to the tumor cells, even when obtained from tumor-immune rats. However, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells prepared from the regressing tumors induce tumoricidal activity in splenic macrophages from normal or tumor-bearing rats and in macrophages that infiltrate progressive tumors. These results strongly suggest that the main tumoricidal effector cells in preimmunized rats are macrophages that have been activated by adjacent tumor-immune lymphocytes.
Animals↗
The mitochondrial Hsp70-dependent import system actively unfolds preproteins and shortens the lag phase of translocation.
Unfolding is an essential process during translocation of preproteins into mitochondria; however, controversy exists as to whether mitochondria play an active role in unfolding. We have established an in vitro system with a kinetic saturation of the mitochondrial import machinery, yielding translocation rates comparable to in vivo import rates. Preproteins with short N-terminal segments in front of a folded domain show a characteristic delay of the onset of translocation (lag phase) although the maximal import rate is similar to that of longer preproteins. The lag phase is shortened by extending the N-terminal segment to improve the accessibility to matrix heat shock protein 70 and abolished by unfolding of the preprotein. A mutant mtHsp70 defective in binding to the inner membrane prolongs the lag phase and reduces the translocation activity. A direct comparison of the rate of spontaneous unfolding in solution with that during translocation demonstrates that unfolding by mitochondria is significantly faster, proving an active unfolding process. We conclude that access of mtHsp70 to N-terminal preprotein segments is critical for active unfolding and initiation of translocation.
Animals↗
Antigen receptor proximal signaling in splenic B-2 cell subsets.
Splenic marginal zone (MZ) and follicular mantle (FO) B cells differ in their responses to stimuli in vitro and in vivo. We have previously shown that MZ cells exhibit greater calcium responses after ligation of membrane IgM (mIgM). We have now investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the difference in calcium responses following ligation of mIgM and studied the response to total B cell receptor ligation in these two subsets. We compared key cellular proteins involved in calcium signaling in MZ and FO cells. Tyrosine phosphorylation and activity of phospholipase C-gamma 2 and Syk protein tyrosine kinase were significantly higher in MZ cells than in FO cells after mIgM engagement, providing a likely explanation for our previous findings. Tyrosine phosphorylation of CD22 and expression of Src homology 2-containing inositol phosphatase and Src homology 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-1 were also higher in the MZ cells. Expression and tyrosine phosphorylation of Btk, BLNK, Vav, or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase were equivalent. In contrast, stimulation with anti-kappa induced equivalent increases in calcium and activation of Syk in the two subsets. These signals were also equivalent in cells from IgM transgenic, J(H) knockout mice, which have equivalent levels of IgM in both subsets. With total spleen B cells, Btk was maximally phosphorylated at a lower concentration of anti-kappa than Syk. Thus, calcium signaling in the subsets of mature B cells reflects the amount of Ig ligated more than the isotype or the subset and this correlates with the relative tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk.
Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase↗
Inositol hexakisphosphate-mediated regulation of glutamate receptors in rat brain sections.
D-myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate (InsP6), one of the most abundant inositol phosphates within cells, has been proposed to play a key role in vesicle trafficking and receptor compartmentalization. In the present study, we used in vitro receptor autoradiography, subcellular fractionation, and immunoblotting to investigate its effects on alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of 3H-AMPA binding indicated that incubation of frozen-thawed brain sections with InsP6 at 35 degrees C enhanced AMPA receptor binding in several brain regions, with maximal increases in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Moreover, saturation kinetics demonstrated that InsP6-induced augmentation of AMPA binding was due to an increment in the maximal number of AMPA binding sites. At the immunological level, Western blots performed on crude mitochondrial/synaptic (P2) fractions revealed that InsP6 (but not InsP5 and InsP3) treatment increased glutamate receptor (GluR)1 and GluR2 subunits of AMPA receptors, an effect that was associated with concomitant reductions in microsomal (P3) fractions. Interestingly, the InsP6-induced modulation of AMPA receptor binding was blocked at room temperature, and pretreatment with heparin also dampered its action on both AMPA receptor binding and GluR subunits. These effects of InsP6 appear to be specific to AMPA receptors, as neither 3H-glutamate binding to NMDA receptors nor levels of NR1 and NR2A subunits in P2 and P3 fractions were affected. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that InsP6 specifically regulates AMPA receptor distribution, possibly through a clathrin-dependent process.
Animals↗
Cloning and expression analysis of a new hydrophobin cDNA from the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Pisolithus.
Hydrophobins are fungal cell wall proteins which play a crucial role in cell adhesion and aggregative processes. We have identified a new hydrophobin cDNA (hydPt-3) in the symbiotic mycelium of Pisolithus tinctorius (putative P. albus) during the formation of ectomycorrhizae around eucalypt roots. This sequence is highly divergent from two other previously identified Pisolithus symbiosis-regulated hydrophobins, hydPt-1 and hydPt-2. Also, expression analyses demonstrated that hydPt-3 is up-regulated during the formation of ectomycorrhizae. In contrast to phytopathogenic fungi, changes in glucose or ammonium concentrations in the growth medium did not influence the accumulation of any Pisolithus hydrophobin mRNAs. This suggests that other factors act as regulators of hydrophobin gene expression in ectomycorrhizae.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Computer-aided vicarious exposure versus live graded exposure for spider phobia in children.
The efficacy of computer-aided vicarious exposure (CAVE) for the treatment of spider phobia in children was evaluated in a single blind, randomised, controlled trial. Twenty-eight participants, aged 10-17 years, received three 45-min sessions of either Live graded exposure (LGE), CAVE or were assigned to a Waitlist. Phobic symptomatology was measured at pre- and post-treatment, and at one month follow-up on a range of behavioural and subjective assessments. The results showed the superiority of the LGE treatment over the CAVE and Waitlist conditions. Effect sizes support CAVE treatment as being superior to the Waitlist and resulting in reductions of phobic symptomatology.
Adolescent↗
Tasmanian nurses' knowledge of pain management.
The aim of this research was to obtain information concerning knowledge of the pain management practices of Tasmanian nurses. We examined the knowledge of Tasmanian Registered Nurses in relation to pain management issues such as addiction, use of analgesics and the assessment of pain. In addition, we queried them about their satisfaction with information they had received about how to manage pain in both workplace programs and in their initial education. A total of 2768 registered nurses were mailed a 29-item survey examining knowledge of pain management practices. One thousand and fifteen valid surveys were returned. Mean scores on the knowledge questions (72% correct) of the survey revealed deficits in knowledge. Nurses specifically lacked up-to-date knowledge concerning the pharmacological management of pain, but displayed a more up-to-date knowledge concerning the effect of patient variables on pain perception. Nurses also rated the information they received about pain management during workplace programs as poor, feeling that they acquired significantly more in-depth information during their initial education. The results of this study have implications for institutions involved in both patient pain management and pain management education.
Adult↗
B1 cells: similarities and differences with other B cell subsets.
Since their discovery, B1 B cells' origins and developmental pathways have eluded characterization. In the past year, focus on B1 B cells has shifted dramatically from developmental to functional aspects of these cells. Most advances have been made in describing the physiological activities of B1 cells, including their migration, activation by antigen and role in both autoimmunity and malignancy.
Animals↗
Marginal zone and B1 B cells unite in the early response against T-independent blood-borne particulate antigens.
The rate of pathogen elimination determines the extent and consequences of an infection. In this context, the spleen with its highly specialized lymphoid compartments plays a central role in clearing blood-borne pathogens. Splenic marginal zone B cells (MZ), by virtue of their preactivated state and topographical location, join B1 B cells to generate a massive wave of IgM producing plasmablasts in the initial 3 days of a primary response to particulate bacterial antigens. Because of the intensity and rapidity of this response, combined with the types of antibodies produced, splenic MZ and B1 B cells endowed with a "natural memory" provide a bridge between the very early innate and the later appearing adaptive immune response.
Animals↗
Pyrolysis-GC-MS analysis of the formation and degradation stages of charred residues from lignocellulosic biomass.
The structural transformations undergone by lignocellulosic biomass (freeze-dried rye grass, Lolium rigidum) subjected to progressive isothermal heating (burning at 350 degrees C under oxidizing conditions for 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 s) have been monitored by Curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS). The pyrograms suggest that even charred residues after severe heating (carbon loss ca. 50%) still contain substantial concentrations of some resistant plant structural components. Several trends were observed when monitoring the relative concentrations of the different groups of pyrolysis compounds released during successive charring stages: (i) the tetrapyrrole moiety of chlorophylls is rapidly destroyed as indicated by the decreasing yields of pyrroles and pyrrolines, whereas the phytol backbone is comparatively more resistant, leading to phytadienes after dehydration and reduction; (ii) the increasing yields of imidazoles from progressively heated samples (maximum at 45 s stage) suggest accumulation of newly formed nitrogen-containing compounds that may survive natural fires; (iii) the lignin backbone shows a relative resistance, the yields of aromatic products pointing to progressive demethoxylation; and, (iv) a selective accumulation of recalcitrant alkyl material occurred, which is interpreted as the result of thermal condensation of hydrocarbons and fatty acids into macromolecular materials in the charred residue. In terms of the intensity of the isothermal heating, the yields of the different classes of alkyl compounds follow the order phytadienes < fatty acids < alkanes < wax esters < sterols.
Biomass↗
Pulse mode operation of Love wave devices for biosensing applications.
In this work we present a novel pulse mode Love wave biosensor that monitors both changes in amplitude and phase. A series of concentrations of 3350 molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) solutions are used as a calibration sequence for the pulse mode system using a network analyzer and high frequency oscilloscope. The operation of the pulse mode system is then compared to the continuous wave network analyzer by showing a sequence of deposition and removal of a model mass layer of palmitoyl-oleoyl-sn-glycerophosphocholine (POPC) vesicles. This experimental apparatus has the potential for making many hundreds of measurements a minute and so allowing the dynamics of fast interactions to be observed.
Journal Article↗
Tonsillectomy--anaesthetic technique and the new disposable surgical equipment.
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Child, Preschool↗
Identification of symbiosis-regulated genes in Eucalyptus globulus-Pisolithus tinctorius ectomycorrhiza by differential hybridization of arrayed cDNAs.
Ectomycorrhiza development alters gene expression in the fungal and plant symbionts. The identification of a large number of genes expressed exclusively or predominantly in the symbiosis will contribute greatly to the understanding of the development of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. We have constructed a cDNA library of 4-day-old Eucalyptus globulus-Pisolithus tinctorius ectomycorrhiza and sequenced 850 cDNAs cloned randomly or obtained through suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). Based on the absence of a database match, 43% of the ectomycorrhiza ESTs are coding for novel genes. At the developmental stage analysed (fungal sheath formation), the majority of the identified sequences represented 'housekeeping' proteins, i.e. proteins involved in gene/protein expression, cell-wall proteins, metabolic enzymes, and components of signalling systems. We screened arrayed cDNAs to identify symbiosis-regulated genes by using differential hybridization. Comparisons of signals from free-living partners and symbiotic tissues revealed significant differences in expression levels (differential expression ratio >2.5) for 17% of the genes analysed. No ectomycorrhiza-specific gene was detected. The results successfully demonstrate the use of the cDNA array and SSH systems as general approaches for dissecting symbiosis development, and provide the first global picture of the cellular functions operating in ectomycorrhiza.
Basidiomycota↗
Fate of nitrogen released from 15N-labeled litter in European beech forests.
The decomposition and fate of 15N-labeled beech litter was monitored in three European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests (Aubure, France; Ebrach, Germany; and Collelongo, Italy) for 3 years. Circular plots around single beech trees were isolated from roots of neighboring trees by soil trenching, and annual litterfall was replaced by 15N-labeled litter. Nitrogen was continuously released from the decomposing litter. However, over a 2-year period, this release was balanced by the incorporation of exogenous N. Released N accumulated mainly at the soil surface and in the topsoil. Microbial biomass remained almost constant during the experiment at all sites except for considerably lower values at Ebrach. The 15N enrichment of the microbial biomass increased strongly during the first year and then remained stable. The 15N released from the decomposing litter was rapidly detected in roots and leaves of the beech trees, increasing regularly and linearly over the course of the experiment. The uptake of litter-released 15N by the trees was reduced under conditions that reduced tree growth. Under these conditions, leaves and fine roots were the dominant N sinks, and little N was allocated to other plant parts. By contrast, N uptake and N allocation from leaves to stem and bark tissues increased when tree growth was enhanced. Budgets for 15N showed that 2 to 4% of litter-released N was incorporated into the trees, about 35% remained in the litter and about 50% reached the topsoil.
Biomass↗