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PubMed2005

Mixotrophy in orchids: insights from a comparative study of green individuals and nonphotosynthetic individuals of Cephalanthera damasonium.

Some green orchids obtain carbon (C) from their mycorrhizal fungi and photosynthesis. This mixotrophy may represent an evolutionary step towards mycoheterotrophic plants fully feeding on fungal C. Here, we report on nonphotosynthetic individuals (albinos) of the green Cephalanthera damasonium that likely represent another evolutionary step. Albino and green individuals from a French population were compared for morphology and fertility, photosynthetic abilities, fungal partners (using microscopy and molecular tools), and nutrient sources (as characterized by 15N and 13C abundances). Albinos did not differ significantly from green individuals in morphology and fertility, but tended to be smaller. They harboured similar fungi, with Thelephoraceae and Cortinariaceae as mycorrhizal partners and few rhizoctonias. Albinos were nonphotosynthetic, fully mycoheterotrophic. Green individuals carried out photosynthesis at compensation point and received almost 50% of their C from fungi. Orchid fungi also colonized surrounding tree roots, likely to be the ultimate C source. Transition to mycoheterotrophy may require several simultaneous adaptations; albinos, by lacking some of them, may have reduced ecological success. This may limit the appearance of cheaters in mycorrhizal networks.

Fungi↗

PubMed2006

Inter-individual variation in the plaque formation rate of young individuals.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to describe the inter-individual variation in the plaque formation rate of 38 young adults. METHODS: The plaque formation rate was estimated by employing a quantitative plaque percent index (P% index). A substantial inter-individual variation in the plaque formation rate was observed. The possible contributions of stimulated salivary flow rate, buffer capacity, diet and smoking to the variation in plaque formation were estimated by regression analysis. RESULTS: The control variables explained only 2.5% of the variance in the plaque formation rate. Neither associations nor the total model were significant. The present method of measuring plaque presented as a simple and time-effective procedure. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the observed variation in the plague formation rate between the young individuals can be regarded as a biological function which is possibly an inherent individual characteristic. Studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm the findings of the present study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

IgM and IgG response to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in normal individuals and individuals splenectomized due to trauma.

Twenty-one young, splenectomized, healthy individuals (S group) and ten healthy individuals (K group) were vaccinated with a 14-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. All individuals in the S group were splenectomized due to abdominal trauma. IgM and IgG antibodies against each of the 14 pneumococcal serotypes were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum concentrations of IgM and IgG were measured by radial immunodiffusion. The mean prevaccination IgM pneumococcal antibody level was lower in the S group than in the K group for most of the serotypes. The mean total serum IgM was considerably reduced in the S group. Vaccination induced a significant IgM pneumococcal antibody response in both groups, but the response tended to be smaller in the S than in the K group. These findings may appear compatible with suboptimal immune regulation in the splenectomized individuals. There were small variations between the total serum IgG and the prevaccination IgG pneumococcal antibody level in the two groups. Both groups obtained a significant IgG pneumococcal antibody response after vaccination to most of the serotypes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1) genetic polymorphism in a sample of healthy individuals, seronegative individuals exposed to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and patients infected with HIV-1 from the Brazilian population.

The interaction of viral and host factors is believed to determine not only the risk for initial human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) acquisition but also the course of the infection. Genetic polymorphisms in the chemokine receptors and their ligands were related to the susceptibility and resistance to HIV-1 infection. A polymorphism in the conserved 3' untranslated region of the stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF1) gene, which encodes a ligand of the CXCR4 receptor, has been related either to delayed progression to AIDS or to rapid disease progression and death. Global, regional, and ethnic distributions of frequencies of SDF1 genotypes and of the SDF1-3'A allele vary significantly. Although the HIV-1 epidemic is increasing in Brazil, little information about the frequencies of host genetic mutations related to HIV/AIDS resistance in the Brazilian population has been reported. To address this question, this study was carried out in order to determine the frequencies of the SDF1 polymorphism and the SDF1-3'A allele on 1061 genomic DNA samples purified from peripheral blood cells of 136 healthy individuals (group 1), 147 HIV-1-exposed seronegative individuals (group 2), 161 HIV-1-infected asymptomatic individuals and with CD4(+) T-cells count 350 mm(-3) (group 3), and 617 HIV-1-infected individuals with AIDS and/or CD4(+) T-cells count < 350 mm(-3) (group 4). The frequencies of the SDF1-3'A homozygous mutation were 3.7%, 6.1%, 4.3%, and 5.3% among groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (P = 0.5120). The overall frequency of the SDF1-3'A allele was 0. 1984 and did not differ among the four groups (P = 0.2744). The results underscore the global distribution of the SDF1 polymorphism and the hypothesis that the SDF1-3'A allele, itself, may not be sufficient to prevent the risk of HIV-1 infection and may be not related to the progression of the disease in the Brazilian population.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed2001

Sensitization studies in chemically intolerant individuals: implications for individual difference research.

Chemical intolerance (CI) is an individual difference trait in which persons report feeling ill in multiple physiological systems from low levels of a wide range of chemically unrelated environmental substances. This paper discusses the neural sensitization model for progressive host amplification of polysymptomatic responses elicited by chemical exposures following an initiating event. The sensitization model accommodates hypotheses for initiating and eliciting CI in human populations that involve both environmental chemicals and physical or psychological stressors. Recent studies in this laboratory have demonstrated sensitization in individuals with CI over repeated sessions for dependent variables such as electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and diastolic blood pressure. Psychological distress variables alone do not explain these findings. Individuals with CI and/or vulnerability to sensitization share specific characteristics, for example, female gender, certain genetic background (offspring of alcohol-preferring parents), and personal preference for high sugar/ carbohydrate intake. Overall, the data suggest that the 15-30% of the general population who report heightened CI are highly sensitizable. Sensitizability may serve an adaptive, sentinel function in threatening environments with poor signal-to-noise ratios. However, as sensitization gradually shifts operating set points of physiological systems out of the normal range in response to allostatic load, this process may contribute to the development of chronic, polysymptomatic health conditions such as multiple chemical sensitivity and/or fibromyalgia. Individual response specificity and stereotypy rather than toxicant properties may determine which types of central, autonomic, and/or peripheral nervous system dysfunctions manifest at subclinical and clinical levels.

Age of Onset↗

PubMed2002

Expression of human beta defensin (HBD-1 and HBD-2) mRNA in nasal epithelia of adult cystic fibrosis patients, healthy individuals, and individuals with acute cold.

BACKGROUND: Lack or inactivation of defensins may facilitate chronic bacterial colonization in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. CF nasal epithelium exhibits typical biochemical abnormalities and can be used to study defensin expression in CF. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the expression of beta defensin (HBD-1 and HBD-2) mRNA and the presence of inflammatory markers (percentage of neutrophils and IL-8 mRNA expression) in CF and non-CF nasal mucosa. METHODS: Case-control study. Nasal brushing samples were obtained from 22 stable adult CF patients and 32 non-CF controls (25 healthy individuals and 7 individuals with acute cold). Samples were subjected to analysis involving mRNA expression (semiquantitative RT-PCR) and differential cell counting. RESULTS: Defensins and inflammatory markers were expressed at low levels in healthy individuals and at high levels in subjects with acute cold. In non-CF controls, defensin expression correlated significantly with inflammatory parameters (p < 0.001). In CF, defensin mRNA expression was comparable to healthy individuals (p = 0.2). In contrast to non-CF controls, in CF patients high levels of inflammatory markers did not correlate with defensin mRNA levels. CONCLUSIONS: Defensin expression is not upregulated in CF epithelium in response to inflammatory stimuli. Further studies are necessary to elucidate whether this is a consequence of the CF gene mutation.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2003

Insulin acutely increases fibrinogen production in individuals with type 2 diabetes but not in individuals without diabetes.

Fibrinogen is an acute-phase reactant and an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Insulin without amino acid replacement acutely suppressed fibrinogen production in nondiabetic and type 1 diabetic individuals. Fibrinogen production and plasma concentration increase in insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes. It is not known whether altered response to insulin contributes to hyperfibrinogenemia in type 2 diabetes. Fibrinogen fractional (FSR) and absolute (ASR) synthesis rates were measured using a leucine isotopic model in type 2 diabetic men (n = 7; age = 51 +/- 3 years; BMI = 26.7 +/- 1 kg/m(2)) compared with matched nondiabetic subjects under basal conditions and following a 4-h euglycemic-, euaminoacidemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. Basal fibrinogen concentration (+35%, P < 0.05) and ASR (+35%, P < 0.05) were greater in the diabetic subjects. Following clamp, fibrinogen FSR and ASR were unchanged in the control subjects. In contrast, fibrinogen FSR and ASR increased by 41 and 43%, respectively (P < 0.05), in the diabetic subjects. Thus, fibrinogen production is acutely increased by insulin when euglycemia and euaminoacidemia are maintained in type 2 diabetic individuals but not in nondiabetic individuals. Enhanced fibrinogen production by insulin is likely to be a key alteration contributing to hyperfibrinogenemia and therefore cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes. Unchanged fibrinogen production in nondiabetic individuals suggests a role of plasma amino acids in regulating fibrinogen production in humans.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1979

Relationship between one individual and another - relationship between the individual and society: limitations in the formation of psychotic disturbances.

The relations of the individual to others and family are understood through 'intersubjective' and/or 'interfamiliar' concepts. This 'inter' is always the origin of the relations between subjects; it is a reality which is of an atmospheric pneumatic nature. Its creative power and the uniqueness of the word are clarified by a selection of examples from oriental and occidental cultures. In contrast to it, the relations of the individual are also determined by norms, in which the 'objektive Geist' (Hegel) of a particular time is manifested. The individual is, in this relation, first of all a carrier of roles. A conditional analysis of psychotic disturbances must be based on the concept that the individual's psyche, in both spheres, is not a 'tabula rasa' (Locke), but always conveys a selection of that which has been offered in the situation (Leibniz). Out of this come constellations of a conditional nature conductive to the development of endogenous psychoses which exhibit themselves in the inter-sphere and role-sphere. These can only develop where a coherence of specific personality-structures with specific situations occurs. What makes various situations pathogenic for a particular, predisposed type, is a specific inference of meaning from peristatic precipitations.

Depression↗

PubMed1997

A population-based analysis of qualitative features of the neuropsychological test performance of individuals with dementia of the Alzheimer type: implications for individuals with questionable dementia.

Qualitative features of the neuropsychological test performance of individuals with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) were examined in a population-based study. Qualitative error scores were derived from measures of verbal and figural memory, verbal fluency and confrontation naming for 38 patients with clinically diagnosed DAT, 236 normal elderly (NE) individuals, and 72 others who were questionably demented and at risk (AR) for DAT. Persons with DAT made a greater proportion of intrusion and perseverative errors, and more lexical and semantic naming errors, than the NE participants. These measures provided fair specificity but poor sensitivity for the diagnosis of DAT, and a logistic model based on these measures correctly classified 98% of the NE participants, but only 29% of the DAT participants. The AR participants demonstrated a pattern of errors that was highly similar to that of the DAT patients, and when their scores were subjected to the logistic model, 90% were classified as NE and 10% as DAT. These results indicate that specific error types that have been associated with DAT in self-referred or clinic-based samples also occur in the general population to a greater degree in individuals with DAT or questionable dementia than in NE individuals. Furthermore, these qualitative features may have some diagnostic usefulness in that their presence provides reasonable specificity for DAT or questionable dementia.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

The List of Individual Symptoms for Therapy Evaluation (LISTE)--an efficient method for individualized outcome assessment.

An newly developed method for individualized assessment of therapy outcome, the "List of Individual Symptoms for Therapy Evaluation" (LISTE), is presented together with first empirical results on its testmetric properties and experience with this assessment instrument is reported. The LISTE method is an approach for objective 2-point assessment of therapy outcome which aims to use the advantages of individualized assessment methods while avoiding the known disadvantages to a considerable extent. So far, the results and experience with this method are very encouraging. The results of a first empirical evaluation indicate that the method supplies clinically relevant and objective data relating to treatment outcome, and that the method has acceptable testmetric characteristics in terms of sufficient reliability and validity values. Furthermore, the LISTE method is convenient for interviewing the therapist, parents and patients, it is neither expensive nor time consuming, and is compatible with clinical routine. The method requires little training and involves little additional effort. It can be used for face-to-face interviews or telephone interviews, and can also be applied as a paper-and-pencil test. Issues of application and the need for further studies are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Expressions of individuality in cognitively impaired elders. Need for individual assessment and care.

1. Cognitively impaired elders uniquely express their individuality (expressed selfness) despite the effects of the dementing process. 2. Recognizing and attending to expressed selfness has implications for planning nursing care both to meet specific needs and to support existing characteristics and behaviors. 3. With the multiple losses encountered in dementia, supporting expressed selfness accessible to the individual can enhance the quality of the individual's living experience.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Seasonal, populational and ontogenic variation in the volatile oil content and composition of individuals of Origanum vulgare subsp. Hirtum, assessed by GC headspace analysis and by SPME sampling of individual oil glands.

Small-scale GC headspace analyses combined with SPME sampling of individual oil glands have been used to measure the variation in volatile content and composition in and within different oregano plants as affected by age, season and developmental state. The main monoterpenes found were p-cymene, carvacrol and their precursor gamma-terpinene. The early season preponderance of p-cymene over carvacrol was reversed as the season progressed and this pattern could also be seen at any time within the plant, from the latest leaves to be produced (low in cymene) to the earliest (high in cymene). Seedlings from the same mother plant developed this pattern at different rates. Within individual leaves the pattern was not observed, even within the youngest developing leaves. However it was found that the oil composition of individual glands within a single leaf varied considerably, most notably in respect of the production of carvacrol and its isomer thymol.

Chromatography, Gas↗

PubMed2026

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Individualized Physical Therapy on Pain and Function in Individuals With Chronic Knee Pain: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Noninvasive brain stimulation is a promising neuromodulatory intervention for chronic pain. This study aimed to determine the impact that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in combination with individualized physical therapy (PT) has on pain and function in individuals with chronic knee pain. METHODS: This study was a preliminary pragmatic, triple-blinded, randomized, and sham-controlled clinical trial performed in an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic. Participants participated in 5 sessions of active or sham tDCS followed by individualized PT intervention. Pain outcomes included the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Movement-Evoked Pain, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), and the Central Sensitization Inventory. Functional outcomes included the 2-minute walk test, 5-time sit-to-stand test, quadriceps strength, knee range of motion, Patient Specific Functional Scale, and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale. RESULTS: Thirty participants with chronic knee pain completed the study. There were no significant differences observed for primary patient-centered pain and functional outcomes. For secondary outcomes, the active tDCS group had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on percent change in lateral joint line PPT and a significant multivariate effect of group on PPT change scores for 3-site and 5-site clusters (p < 0.05). Exploratory responder analyses demonstrated that the active tDCS group was 12.8 times more likely to achieve the minimum detectable change in quadriceps strength improvement compared with the sham tDCS group (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: There were no significant between-group differences for primary pain and functional outcomes. However, the active tDCS group showed improvements in pain sensitivity, as measured by PPT, and quadriceps strength, which were superior to those seen in the sham tDCS group. These preliminary findings provide insight into possible mechanisms of tDCS in addressing pain as opposed to efficacy. Given that there were no clear between-group differences in patient-centered outcomes, there is insufficient evidence for routine tDCS use for chronic knee pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT06132412.

Humans↗

PubMed1993

Biological individuality and disease. From Garrod's Chemical Individuality to HLA associated diseases.

The concept of "predisposition" in medicine is ancient, and the term "diathesis" was used to express it since the days of Hippocrates and, especially, of Galen. The concept of diathesis was enormously popular throughout the nineteenth century, despite the vagueness of its actual meaning. It was clarified only in the early years of the twentieth century (1902), when it was however losing its clinical relevance, by a replacement of the concept of chemical individuality by A.E. Garrod, followed thirty years later by the concept of inborn factors in disease (1931). "Molecular" knowledge of the biological individuality of human beings, highlighted particularly by the discovery of the MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) during the last 30-35 years, and substantially HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigens), has offered a new and better understanding of the relationship between the self and the not-self, as well as of various diseases, especially if they are favored by some immune dyshomeostatis. Extensive knowledge of transplants--their "immune" fate of take or rejection, possibly of GVHD--have allowed mankind to consider each human being as a biological Ego, unique in his antigenic-molecular structure. But most of all, the demonstration of the fact that certain HLA antigens can be significantly associated with a greater predisposition, on the part of individuals bearing these antigens, toward contracting certain diseases, reconsiders in precise molecular terms the concept of "predisposition" and therefore, perhaps, in a new light, even the concept of "diathesis", providing an actual logical basis for it.

Disease Susceptibility↗

PubMed1987

Genome variation among varicella-zoster virus isolates derived from different individuals and from the same individuals.

We have used 12 restriction enzymes to analyse the DNA of 24 clinical isolates of VZV derived from 12 patients in order to compare isolates derived from different individuals and derived serially from the same individual. As reported previously, only a small proportion of the isolates differed with respect to the presence or absence of restriction sites. However, we found that the size of DNA fragments generated from all the isolates derived from different patients varied in any of four regions, one of which was first recognized in this study. In one case, where multiple isolates recovered from the same individual were analysed, each was distinguished from the others not only by differences in the variable regions but also by the presence or absence of a restriction site in a nonvariable region. This suggests that multiple strains of VZV can be present in the same human host.

Chickenpox↗

PubMed1996

Towards a practical strategy for assessing individual bioequivalence. Food and Drug Administration Individual Bioequivalence Working Group.

Bioequivalence of two drug formulations is currently defined by drug regulatory authorities in terms of the mean responses following administration of the test and reference formulations (average bioequivalence). However, the various potential shortcomings of average bioequivalence are now understood, and switchability, and thus individual bioequivalence, has become a reasonable expectation when changing from one pharmaceutically equivalent drug product to another. Progress has been made in developing criteria for individual bioequivalence, and an overview and classification of most of the different approaches to the assessment of individual bioequivalence have been achieved. As a consequence of this classification, the different character of scaled and unscaled bioequivalence measures has been recognized and, in turn, this leads to the proposal, made in this paper, of using both scaled and unscaled criteria for bioequivalence assessment of different classes of drugs, depending on their within-subject variability and therapeutic range. This strategy addresses the shortcomings of average bioequivalence, and, when applied to data sets from bioequivalence studies with four-period replicate crossover designs, turns out to have some satisfactory properties. Open questions and areas for further research are discussed.

Biological Availability↗

PubMed2000

Nickel-induced cytokine production from mononuclear cells in nickel-sensitive individuals and controls. Cytokine profiles in nickel-sensitive individuals with nickel allergy-related hand eczema before and after nickel challenge.

Exposure to nickel is a major cause of allergic contact dermatitis which is considered to be an inflammatory response induced by antigen-specific T cells. Here we describe the in vitro analysis of the nickel-specific T-cell-derived cytokine response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 35 nickel-allergic and 30 non-nickel-allergic individuals. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with 10(-4) and 10(-5) mol/l NiSO4 for 6 days and then additionally with ionomycin and phorbol myristate acetate for 24 h. Culture supernatants were analysed for interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) by quantitative ELISA. The analysis showed that the synthesis of IL-4 and IL-5 but not of IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha was significantly higher in the nickel-allergic individuals. The finding of preferential synthesis of Th2 cytokines was somewhat of a surprise, since previous studies have suggested a Th1 response in nickel-mediated allergic contact dermatitis. Subsequently, the nickel-allergic individuals were randomized to experimental exposure to nickel or vehicle in a double-blind design. A daily 10-min exposure of one finger to 10 ppm nickel solution for 1 week followed by 100 ppm for an additional week evoked a clinical response of hand eczema in the nickel-exposed group. Blood samples were drawn on days 7 and 14 after the start of this exposure to occupationally relevant concentrations of nickel. No statistically significant differences were observed in the nickel-induced in vitro cytokine response during the exposure period. Our results indicate the possibility that IL-4 and IL-5 are involved in the pathogenesis of nickel-mediated contact dermatitis.

Cytokines↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Thermal stability of cortical bone collagen in relation to age in normal individuals and in individuals with osteopetrosis.

The thermal stability of cortical bone collagen was determined in iliac crest biopsies obtained from 41 normal individuals (21 women aged 20-96 years and 20 men aged 21-84 years) and 8 individuals with autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type I (4 women and 4 men aged 17-63 years). The cortical bone was decalcified and the bone matrix was cut into 80-microns-thick freeze sections parallel to the bone surface. Circular specimens punched out from the sections were used for determination of area shrinkage during gradual heating and shrinkage temperature, Ts (representing the temperature for 50% of the area shrinkage). In normal men, Ts was not found to decrease until the age of 60-65 years, but was markedly decreased in the elderly individuals. In normal women, Ts varied considerably throughout the age range tested, without relationship to age. In contrast to age-matched controls, Ts decreased with age in men with osteopetrosis, whereas Ts in affected women was neither related to age nor different from the highly variable values found in age-matched normal women. Previous findings in rats indicate that Ts decreases with the chronological age of the bone collagen. The present results agree with these findings, which imply that a reduction in turnover rate of bone results in an increasing age and a reduced Ts of the constituent collagen. Following this assumption, the turnover rate of bone seems to be more variable in women than in men and reduced in osteopetrotic men.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗