Wounding tomato fruit elicits ripening-stage specific changes in gene expression and production of volatile compounds.

Fleshy fruits develop from an unripe organ that needs to be protected from damage to a ripe organ that attracts frugivores for seed dispersal through production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Thus, different responses to wounding damage are predicted. The aim of this study was to discover whether wound-induced changes in the transcriptome and VOC production alter as tomato transitions from unripe to ripe.

Diurnal Preference Predicts Phase Differences in Expression of Human Peripheral Circadian Clock Genes.

Background: Circadian rhythms play an integral role in human behavior, physiology and health. Individual differences in daily rhythms (chronotypes) can affect individual sleep-wake cycles, activity patterns and behavioral choices. Diurnal preference, the tendency towards morningness or eveningness among individuals, has been associated with interpersonal variation in circadian clock-related output measures, including body temperature, melatonin levels and clock gene mRNA in blood, oral mucosa, and dermal fibroblast cell cultures.

Hyperventilation syndrome in adolescents with and without asthma.

Background: Data on the prevalence of hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) in adolescents are scanty.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of HVS in a population of adolescents with and without asthma, and to verify whether HVS was related to asthma activity.

Methods: A population of adolescents was asked to self-complete a questionnaire, including the Nijmegen questionnaire to assess HVS, and a standardized asthma questionnaire.

Effect of cytokinins on delaying petunia flower senescence: a transcriptome study approach.

Flower senescence is a fascinating natural process that represents the final developmental stage in the life of a flower. Plant hormones play an important role in regulating the timing of flower senescence. Ethylene is a trigger and usually accelerates the senescence rate, while cytokinins are known to delay it.

A missing link in body weight homeostasis: the catabolic signal of the overfed state.

Mammals regulate fat mass so that increases or reductions in adipose tissue mass activate responses that favor return to one's previous weight. A reduction in fat mass activates a system that increases food intake and reduces energy expenditure; conversely, overfeeding and rapid adipose tissue expansion reduces food intake and increases energy expenditure. With the identification of leptin nearly two decades ago, the central circuit that defends against reductions in body fat was revealed.

Metabolic inflexibility impairs insulin secretion and results in MODY-like diabetes in triple FoxO-deficient mice.

Pancreatic β cell failure in type 2 diabetes is associated with functional abnormalities of insulin secretion and deficits of β cell mass. It's unclear how one begets the other. We have shown that loss of β cell mass can be ascribed to impaired FoxO1 function in different models of diabetes.

Expression, pharmacology and functional activity of adenosine A1 receptors in genetic models of Huntington's disease.

Adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) stimulation exerts beneficial effects in response to various insults to the brain and, although it was found neuroprotective in a lesional model of Huntington's disease (HD), the features of this receptor in genetic models of HD have never been explored. In the present study we characterized the expression, affinity and functional effects of A1Rs in R6/2 mice (the most widely used transgenic model of HD) and in a cellular model of HD. Binding studies revealed that the density of A1Rs was significantly reduced in the cortex and the striatum of R6/2 mice compared to age-matched wild-type (WT), while receptor affinity was unchanged.

Effect of cryoprotectant and equilibration temperature on cryopreservation of Lama glama spermatozoa.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of two equilibration temperatures (5 °C and room temperature) and two cryoprotectants (glycerol and dimethylformamide, both at 7%) on llama sperm cryopreservation. Llama ejaculates were divided into four aliquots. A lactose-EDTA-egg yolk (LEEY) extender with either 7% glycerol (LEEY-G) or 7% dimethylformamide (LEEY-DMF) was added to two of the aliquots, which were equilibrated for 20 min at room temperature and subsequently frozen.

Standard high-resolution pelvic MRI vs. low-resolution pelvic MRI in the evaluation of deep infiltrating endometriosis.

Objective: To compare the capabilities of standard pelvic MRI with low-resolution pelvic MRI using fast breath-hold sequences to evaluate deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE).

Methods: Sixty-eight consecutive women with suspected DIE were studied with pelvic MRI. A double-acquisition protocol was carried out in each case.

Effect of salt stress in the regulation of anthocyanins and color of hibiscus flowers by digital image analysis.

The effect of salt stress (200 mM NaCl for 28 days) on physiological characteristics of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, such as abscisic acid (ABA) content, electrolyte leakage, and photochemical efficiency in leaves, and its influence on biomass production, anthocyanin composition, and color expression of flowers were evaluated. Salinity significantly increased electrolyte leakage and ABA content in leaves and reduced the flower fresh weight. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were lower in salt stress condition, compared to control.

Methyl jasmonate affects phenolic metabolism and gene expression in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum).

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a fruit very much appreciated by consumers for its antioxidant potential and health-promoting traits. Its beneficial potential properties are mainly due to a high content of anthocyanins and their amount can change after elicitation with methyl jasmonate. The aim of this work is to evaluate the changes in expression of several genes, accumulation of phenolic compounds and alterations in antioxidant potential in two different blueberry cultivars ('Duke' and 'Blueray') in response to methyl jasmonate (0.

The in vitro addition of methotrexate and/or methylprednisolone determines peripheral reduction in Th17 and expansion of conventional Treg and of IL-10 producing Th17 lymphocytes in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.

The aim of our study was to evaluate methotrexate (MTX) and methylprednisolone (MP) effect on peripheral Th17 and Treg subsets in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We enrolled 15 patients (10 early RA and 5 long-standing disease) with active RA and 10 age-matched healthy donors as controls. Frequencies of Th17 and Treg were quantified using flow cytometry before and after in vitro addition of MTX, MP or both drugs.

Use of graph theory measures to identify errors in record linkage.

Ensuring high linkage quality is important in many record linkage applications. Current methods for ensuring quality are manual and resource intensive. This paper seeks to determine the effectiveness of graph theory techniques in identifying record linkage errors.

CT-guided needle biopsy performed with modified coaxial technique in patients with refractory or recurrent lymphomas.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of computed tomography (CT)-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) performed by modified coaxial technique as an alternative tool to surgical biopsy in patients with refractory or recurrent lymphomas. Between May 2005 and May 2012, 57 CT-guided CNB of deep lesions were performed in patients with a previous diagnosis of lymphoma and suspected for refractory or recurrent disease. A modified coaxial technique was used in all cases and multiple samples were obtained for histological and immunohistochemical studies.

Nitrates and glucosinolates as strong determinants of the nutritional quality in rocket leafy salads.

Rocket is an important leafy vegetable crop and a good source of antioxidants and anticancer molecules such as glucosinolates and other sulfur compounds. Rocket is also a hyper-accumulator of nitrates which have been considered for long time the main factors that cause gastro-intestinal cancer. In this review, the content of these compounds in rocket tissues and their levels at harvest and during storage are discussed.

Pain therapy, pediatric palliative care and end-of-life care: training, experience, and reactions of pediatric residents in Italy.

Unlabelled: Pediatric palliative care represents the ideal response to life-limiting and life-threatening diseases and requires a specific and multidisciplinary training. This study aims at evaluating in Italy the training programs offered in pain therapy and pediatric palliative care, the exposure, and the personal experience concerning end-of-life care management. The data have been obtained through a survey addressed to all the residents specializing in pediatrics in Italy.

An evaluation on management of carotid body tumour (CBT). A twelve years experience.

Objectives. Carotid Body Tumor (CBT) is a rare lesion of the neuroendocrine system but it is the most common form of head and neck paraganglioma (PGL). Our objective is to discuss the optimal management of these lesions to provide the best outcome of patients treated by surgical resection.

Technical challenges of providing record linkage services for research.

Background: Record linkage techniques are widely used to enable health researchers to gain event based longitudinal information for entire populations. The task of record linkage is increasingly being undertaken by specialised linkage units (SLUs). In addition to the complexity of undertaking probabilistic record linkage, these units face additional technical challenges in providing record linkage 'as a service' for research.

Rituximab modulates IL-17 expression in the salivary glands of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of rituximab (RTX) in modulating the expression of the IL-17/IL-23 pathway in the salivary glands (SGs) of patients with primary SS (pSS).

Methods: Consecutive SG biopsies were obtained from 15 patients with pSS before and after 1 year of RTX therapy. The SG expression of IL-17, IL-23p19 and p-STAT3 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry at baseline and after RTX therapy.

RAGE regulates the metabolic and inflammatory response to high-fat feeding in mice.

In mammals, changes in the metabolic state, including obesity, fasting, cold challenge, and high-fat diets (HFDs), activate complex immune responses. In many strains of rodents, HFDs induce a rapid systemic inflammatory response and lead to obesity. Little is known about the molecular signals required for HFD-induced phenotypes.

The role of innate and lymphoid IL-22-producing cells in the immunopathology of primary Sjögren's syndrome.

In primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) a complex of interconnections between epithelial barrier, innate and adaptive immunity occurs. IL-22 is a pleiotropic cytokine that in pSS may be placed at the intersection of the adaptive and innate branches of immunity. Some evidence suggests that, in pSS, IL-22 may play a prominent pro-inflammatory role driving the early phase of tissue and systemic inflammation and participating in the self-perpetuation of disease.

Privacy-preserving record linkage on large real world datasets.

Record linkage typically involves the use of dedicated linkage units who are supplied with personally identifying information to determine individuals from within and across datasets. The personally identifying information supplied to linkage units is separated from clinical information prior to release by data custodians. While this substantially reduces the risk of disclosure of sensitive information, some residual risks still exist and remain a concern for some custodians.

Obesity activates a program of lysosomal-dependent lipid metabolism in adipose tissue macrophages independently of classic activation.

Obesity activates a complex systemic immune response that includes the recruitment of macrophages and other immune cells to key metabolic tissues. Current models postulate that obesity and excess lipids classically activate macrophages, polarizing them toward an M1 (inflammatory) state. Little is known about noninflammatory functions of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs).

Oncostatin m is produced in adipose tissue and is regulated in conditions of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Context: Adipose tissue is a highly active endocrine organ that secretes many factors that affect other tissues and whole-body metabolism. Adipocytes are responsive to several glycoprotein 130 (gp130) cytokines, some of which have been targeted as potential antiobesity therapeutics.

Objective: Oncostatin M (OSM) is a gp130 family member known to inhibit adipocyte differentiation in vitro, but its effects on other adipocyte properties are not characterized.