Effect of uric acid on nephrotoxicity induced by mercuric chloride in rats.

Oxidative stress is an important mechanism in mercury poisoning. We studied the effect of uric acid, a natural and potent reactive oxygen species and peroxynitrite scavenger, in HgCl( 2)-induced nephrotoxicity. Rats were injected with a unique dose of HgCl(2) (2.

Intraspecific and interspecific tolerance to copper sulphate in five Iberian amphibian species at two developmental stages.

Intraspecific and interspecific variations have been observed across many taxa with respect to resistance to natural environmental stressors. It has already been well documented that amphibians are sensitive to habitat degradation and are regarded as bioindicators of aquatic and agricultural ecosystems. In southern Spain, different toxic substances, including copper sulphate, which is used to control Cycloconium oleaginum (Fungi, Ascomycota, Venturiaceae) during spring and autumn, are used in intensive olive tree agriculture.

Emotion regulation as a mediator of the relation between emotion socialization and deliberate self-harm.

This study examined (a) whether retrospective reports of specific parent responses to sadness (i.e., reward, punishment, neglect, override, magnification) were related to deliberate self-harm (DSH) and (b) whether difficulties regulating emotions (i.

Gamma interferon signaling in oligodendrocytes is critical for protection from neurotropic coronavirus infection.

Neurotropic coronavirus induces acute encephalomyelitis and demyelination in mice. Infection of BALB/c (H-2(d)) mice expressing a dominant negative gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) receptor specifically in oligodendrocytes was examined to determine the influence of IFN-gamma signaling on pathogenesis. Inhibition of IFN-gamma signaling in oligodendrocytes increased viral load, infection of oligodendrocytes, oligodendrocyte loss, demyelination, and axonal damage resulting in increased mortality.

Factors influencing familial decision-making regarding human papillomavirus vaccination.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to summarize the research regarding Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake among families with adolescent/preadolescent daughters.

Methods: Literature searches (utilizing PubMed and PsychInfo databases) were conducted and research examining psychological and environmental factors which relate to HPV vaccine uptake and intentions was reviewed.

Results: Factors such as physician recommendations, perceptions of the beliefs of peers and significant others, history of childhood immunizations, and communication with adolescents regarding sexual topics appear to influence HPV vaccination outcomes.

Trajectories of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders in a Longitudinal Study of Personality Disorders.

This study investigated the co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) in a sample ( = 668) recruited for personality disorders and followed longitudinally as part of the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study. The study both examined rates of co-occurring disorders at baseline and temporal relationships between PTSD and substance use disorders over 4 years. Subjects with a lifetime history of PTSD at baseline had significantly higher rates of SUDs (both alcohol and drug) than subjects without PTSD.

Analysis of verbalized emotions in the psychotherapeutic dialogue during change episodes.

As described by many theorists, emotional expressions contribute to the activation and regulation of personal emotional experiences and communicate something about internal states and intentions. These emotional expressions can be observed in the words used in our speech and nonverbal behaviors, even when nonverbal behaviors are synchronized to one's own speech or to the speech of others. Using a quantitative and qualitative methodology, this article reports a classification of verbal emotional expressions of both psychotherapists and patients in change episodes.

Effect of uric acid on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats - role of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9.

In this work, we aimed to study the effect of uric acid on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of six groups (six rats each) which received intraperitoneal injections for 9 days: (S) saline; (UA) Uric acid alone; (G) Gentamicin alone; (G + UA) Gentamicin + uric acid; (G rec) Gentamicin recovery and (G + UA rec) Gentamicin + uric acid recovery. In (G rec) and (G + UA rec), rats recovered for 7 days after the last injection.

Moderators of physical activity and obesity during adolescence.

The purpose of this study was to examine possible moderators of the relation between physical activity and obesity in adolescence. Adolescents (N=168; mean age=15.20 years; 52.

Parenting children with food allergy: preliminary development of a measure assessing child-rearing behaviors in the context of pediatric food allergy.

Background: Food allergy affects up to 8% of children and is increasingly common. Although adult caregivers initially assume the primary role in children's daily allergy management activities, as children approach school age they assume greater responsibility for the prevention of allergic exposures. The ways that parents prepare children for this transition are likely to influence children's subsequent risk for allergic exposures, yet few studies have examined parent behaviors in the context of pediatric food allergy.

National Rotavirus Surveillance in Argentina: high incidence of G9P[8] strains and detection of G4P[6] strains with porcine characteristics.

Group A rotaviruses are the most frequently detected viral agents associated with diarrhea in infants and children worldwide. It has been estimated that every year almost 120,000 cases of diarrhea associated with rotavirus occur in children under 5 years old in Argentina. In this work, we present the rotavirus strain diversity detected during the first 2 years of the National Surveillance Network for Diarrheas implemented by the Ministry of Health in Argentina.

[Characterization of the Helicobacter pylori vacuolating cytotoxin gene in gastric biopsy specimens from patients living in Tolima, Colombia].

Helicobacter pylori successfully colonizes the gastric niche. These bacteria produce a vacuolating cytotoxin known as VacA, which is codified by the vacA gene. This protein represents an important virulence factor.

Target-dependent B7-H1 regulation contributes to clearance of central nervous system infection and dampens morbidity.

The neurotropic coronavirus JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus persists in oligodendroglia despite the presence of virus-specific CD8 T cells. Expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1) and B7-H1 were studied during acute and persistent infection to examine whether this negative regulatory mechanism contributes to CNS viral persistence. The majority of CNS-infiltrating CD8 T cells expressed PD-1, with the highest levels on virus-specific CD8 T cells.

[Molecular characterization of calicivirus strains detected in outbreaks of gastroenteritis occurring in Argentina during 2005 and 2006].

In order to determine the incidence of calicivirus, rotavirus and astrovirus in outbreaks of gastroenteritis occurring in different regions of Argentina during 2005 and 2006, fecal samples from seven nonbacterial outbreaks were analyzed. A commercial ELISA was used for rotavirus detection, while RT-PCRs were used for calicivirus and astrovirus. Of the 74 samples analyzed, 20 were calicivirus positive, 17 were rotavirus positive and one was astrovirus positive.

Seasonal shifts of group A rotavirus strains as a possible mechanism of persistence in the human population.

This article demonstrates how the seasonal predominance of a new rotavirus strain in Asuncion, Paraguay is correlated with a wide spectrum of age groups of children infected in that given season. Therefore, this study provides new evidence to support the idea that seasonal shift of rotavirus strains is a possible mechanism used by the virus to evade herd immunity (acquired by the population due to previous infections) and, thus, ultimately persist in that population.

IL-15 independent maintenance of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells in the CNS during chronic infection.

The role of IL-15 in T cell survival was examined during chronic CNS coronavirus infection. Similar numbers of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells were retained in the CNS of IL-15(-/-) and wt mice, consistent with loss of IL-2/15 receptor (CD122) expression. IL-15 deficiency also had no affect on IL-7 receptor (CD127) expression, Bcl-2 upregulation, granzyme B expression, or IFN-gamma secretion in CNS persisting CD8(+) T cells.

Assessing the gene space in draft genomes.

Genome sequencing projects have been initiated for a wide range of eukaryotes. A few projects have reached completion, but most exist as draft assemblies. As one of the main reasons to sequence a genome is to obtain its catalog of genes, an important question is how complete or completable the catalog is in unfinished genomes.

Experimental induction of salt-sensitive hypertension is associated with lymphocyte proliferative response to HSP70.

Renal tubulointerstitial inflammation is a constant feature of experimental models of hypertension and likely plays a role in the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension. We have previously raised the possibility that the immune cell infiltration is driven by a low grade autoimmune reactivity directed to or facilitated by renal heat shock protein over expression. The present studies were done to gain insight on possible cell-mediated immune mechanisms in experimental hypertension by determining the renal expression of HSP70 and the proliferation index of T lymphocytes cultured with HSP70.

[Nosocomial bloodstream infections caused by gram-negative bacilli: epidemiology and risk factors for mortality].

Nosocomial bacteremia is a major cause of hospital infection, associated with high rate of morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospital stay and higher costs. However, few prospective studies analyse the prognostic factors associated with mortality of gramnegative rods bloodstream infections in hospital wards outside of intensive care units. A prospective/descriptive study was conducted from March to December 2006.

Temporal Dynamics of Phytophthora Blight on Bell Pepper in Relation to the Mechanisms of Dispersal of Primary Inoculum of Phytophthora capsici in Soil.

ABSTRACT The effect of components of primary inoculum dispersal in soil on the temporal dynamics of Phytophthora blight epidemics in bell pepper was evaluated in field and growth-chamber experiments. Phytophthora capsici may potentially be dispersed by one of several mechanisms in the soil, including inoculum movement to roots, root growth to inoculum, and root-to-root spread. Individual components of primary inoculum dispersal were manipulated in field plots by introducing (i) sporangia and mycelia directly in soil so that all three mechanisms of dispersal were possible, (ii) a plant with sporulating lesions on the soil surface in a plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tube so inoculum movement to roots was possible, (iii) a wax-encased peat pot containing sporangia and mycelia in soil so root growth to inoculum was possible, (iv) a wax-encased peat pot containing infected roots in soil so root-to-root spread was possible, (v) noninfested V8 vermiculite media into soil directly as a control, or (vi) wax-encased noninfested soil as a control.

Language and therapeutic change: a speech acts analysis.

Drawing on the speech acts theory, a linguistic pattern was identified that could be expected to be associated to therapeutic change, characterized by being uttered in the first person singular and present indicative, and by being self-referential in its propositional content. The frequency of the pattern was examined among verbalizations defined as change moments in three therapies with different theoretical orientation. Results show that the majority of change moments have the specified pattern, and that this pattern is significantly more frequent in change moments than in random non-change-related verbalizations, and so, it does not pertain to therapeutic conversation in general.

Effects of copper sulfate on growth, development, and escape behavior in Epidalea calamita embryos and larvae.

Epidalea calamita embryos at Gosner stages 3 and 19, and larvae at Gosner stage 25, were exposed to different copper sulfate concentrations, ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 mg Cu L(-1), in 96-h acute toxicity tests.

Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the VP4 gene of human rotaviruses isolated in Paraguay.

Nucleotide and amino acid analyzes of the VP4 gene of human rotaviruses isolated both in Paraguay and worldwide were carried out in order to increase our knowledge about the complex pattern of evolution of this virus in nature. Paraguayan strains bearing the P[8] genotype were grouped in the lineages P[8]-1, P[8]-2, and P[8]-3. Regardless of the year of detection, all of the G4 and G9 strains were related to lineage P[8]-3, whereas the G1 strains were related to the three lineages detected in Paraguay; this fact reinforces the notion of the existence of constraints within specific populations of rotavirus strains except for the G1 strains.

Using geneid to identify genes.

This unit describes the usage of geneid, an efficient gene-finding program that allows for the analysis of large genomic sequences, including whole mammalian chromosomes. These sequences can be partially annotated, and geneid can be used to refine this initial annotation. Training geneid is relatively easy, and parameter configurations exist for a number of eukaryotic species.