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PubMed1998

Induced peripheral sensitivity in the developing vertebrate olfactory system.

The high dimensionality and unpredictability of the chemical world makes it difficult for the olfactory system to anticipate relevant stimuli and construct neural filters accordingly. A developmental solution to this problem would be to alter the sensory surface according to environmental conditions so as to enhance sensitivity to molecules of particular relevance. Evidence for this has been obtained in the rabbit. By feeding pregnant does aromatic juniper berries, it could be shown that newborn, weanling and even adult animals demonstrate a preference for juniper odor without subsequent postnatal experience, and that this is associated with enhanced peripheral sensitivity for juniper odor as measured by electro-olfactogram (EOG). This is consistent with the report that in young salmon olfactory imprinting is associated with enhanced, odor-specific sensitivity of receptor cells as measured by patch clamp. The mechanisms underlying such changes are unknown, including the extent to which they are a particular feature of developing systems.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

[Control of asthma by treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and prolonged action beta 2-agonists in free or fixed combination. Results of the ALISE study].

CONTEXT: The basics of asthma treatment are well defined in the guidelines, however the criteria for the choice between fixed and free combinations of inhaled corticosteroids and long acting beta 2-agonist have not been clearly established. METHOD: A modified Juniper questionnaire (using peak expiratory flow rather than maximal expiratory volume per second) was used by 421 general practitioners to assess asthma control in 861 adult patients (aged 47 +/- 17 years) having received inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta 2-agonist in a fixed (n = 413) or free (n = 448) combination for at least 6 weeks. RESULTS: Treatment groups were comparable for demographics, asthma history and severity as assessed by the physician. Despite better compliance to treatment in the fixed combination group and a mean daily dose of corticosteroids around two-fold greater compared with free combination group (913 +/- 450 micrograms/d vs 401 +/- 178 micrograms/d), the mean Juniper score was lower in the free combination group (1.60 +/- 0.94 vs 1.73 +/- 0.96) with a greater percentage of patients controlled (Juniper score < 2): 67.6% vs 60.8%. Other treatments for asthma were significantly less frequent with the free combination (14.2% vs 22.3%), as were local side effects and notably voice changes (3.3% vs 9.5%. COMMENTS: The apparently greater efficacy/safety ratio of the free combination was probably due to the greater severity of asthma in the patients treated with a fixed combination. This highlights the interest of free combinations as first-line therapy for patient with mild to moderate asthma.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2004

Drought responses of conifers in ecotone forests of northern Arizona: tree ring growth and leaf delta13C.

We sought to understand differences in tree response to meteorological drought among species and soil types at two ecotone forests in northern Arizona, the pinyon-juniper woodland/ponderosa pine ecotone, and the higher elevation, wetter, ponderosa pine/mixed conifer ecotone. We used two approaches that provide different information about drought response: the ratio of standardized radial growth in wet years to dry years (W:D) for the period between years 1950 and 2000 as a measure of growth response to drought, and delta13C in leaves formed in non-drought (2001) and drought (2002) years as a measure of change in water use efficiency (WUE) in response to drought. W:D and leaf delta13C response to drought for Pinus edulis and P. ponderosa did not differ for trees growing on coarse-texture soils derived from cinders compared with finer textured soils derived from flow basalts or sedimentary rocks. P. ponderosa growing near its low elevation range limit at the pinyon-juniper woodland/ponderosa pine ecotone had a greater growth response to drought (higher W:D) and a larger increase in WUE in response to drought than co-occurring P. edulis growing near its high elevation range limit. P. flexilis and Pseudotsuga menziesii growing near their low elevation range limit at the ponderosa pine/mixed conifer ecotone had a larger growth response to drought than co-occurring P. ponderosa growing near its high elevation range limit. Increases in WUE in response to drought were similar for all species at the ponderosa pine/mixed conifer ecotone. Low elevation populations of P. ponderosa had greater growth response to drought than high-elevation populations, whereas populations had a similar increase in WUE in response to drought. Our findings of different responses to drought among co-occurring tree species and between low- and high-elevation populations are interpreted in the context of drought impacts on montane coniferous forests of the southwestern USA.

Arizona↗
PubMed2005

Macrophage immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides isolated from Juniperus scopolorum.

Extracts of cones and leaves of different species of the genus Juniperus have been used for centuries to treat a variety of medical problems; however, little is known about the active components conferring therapeutic properties to these extracts. To address this issue, we extracted water-soluble polysaccharides from Juniperus scopolorum cones and used ion exchange and size exclusion chromatography to separate them into five fractions, with estimated Mr of 30, 60, 100, 200, and 680 kDa, respectively. All fractions contained type II arabinogalactan in their structure, as determined by reaction with Yariv reagent and structural analysis by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, but lacked complement fixing activity. Analysis of the effects of Juniper polysaccharides on murine peritoneal macrophages, cultured J774.A1 macrophages, and human mononuclear phagocytes demonstrated that the high molecular weight polysaccharide fractions (200 and 680 kDa) had potent immunomodulatory activity. These polysaccharide fractions primed macrophages for an enhanced respiratory burst, directly stimulated NO production via induction of nitric oxide synthase, and induced macrophages to secrete both inflammatory (IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-12) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines. These data suggest that at least part of the beneficial therapeutic effects reported for extracts of juniper cones are due to modulation of monocyte/macrophage immune functions.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Landscape mapping of the Russian Black Sea coast.

The purpose of this investigation is to study structure, evolution and present ecological state of background and anthropogenically modified landscapes of the Abrau Peninsula. This region has been recommended as one of the main conservation sites on the Russian Black Sea coast due to its relatively low anthropogenic transformation and its historical importance. The ecological situation is aggravated today by the construction of a pipe-line and oil terminal near Novorossiysk and by an increase in unregulated recreation activity within the peninsula's narrow coastal zone. A special landscape-ecological map has been compiled for the model area. All ecosystems shown on the map can be grouped into four main categories based on changes of landscape structure resulting from direct impact of human activity and indirect impact mainly from chemical pollution. Ecosystems exhibiting a high degree of transformation are more typical for regions characterized by settlements, vineyards and the coastal recreation zone. Ecosystems with moderate changes also exist in the coastal area, including, for example, some unique ecosystems with pine-tree forests, pistachio-juniper and juniper open-lands. Nearly 50% of pine-tree (Pinus pithyusa) forests are in the fourth and fifth stages of recreation degradation. Some protection measures are suggested to maintain biodiversity and sustainable development of these coastal landscapes and to improve their current condition.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2001

Geographic variation in leaf essential oils and RAPDs of Juniperus polycarpos K. Koch in central Asia.

Variations in the composition of the leaf essential oils and DNA fingerprints (RAPDs) of Juniperus excelsa, J. polycarpos, J. seravschanica, and J. turcomanica were examined. Juniperus procera was also included in the analyses to aid in determining the specific status of J. polycarpos. Based on these analyses, J. polycarpos is recognized as a distinct species from J. excelsa. The common, multi-seeded juniper of central Asia is J. polycarpos. Juniperus seravschanica and J. turcomanica are treated as part of the J. polycarpos complex but are not recognized as formal taxonomic groups at this time. The Balochistan, Pakistan juniper, usually called J. excelsa var. polycarpos or J. macropoda should be referred to as J. polycarpos in the future.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

[The multistemmed structure of Juniperus thurifera: adaptive advantage in a severe environment?].

A comparative study of radial growth and biomass between multistemmed trees with variable number of stems and single-stemmed trees was carried out to better understand determinism and organisation of multicaulis structure of a juniper species (Juniperus thurifera L.) growing in high Mediterranean mountains (High Atlas, Morocco). It appears that all the stems of the same tree have similar ages and so simultaneous development. Their mean annual radial increments show significant differences because of probable competition for water and nutrient supply and obvious physical competition for space. The multistemmed trees characterized by low number of stems have the same mean annual radial growth as single-stemmed trees and more generally all multistemmed junipers have a higher biomass. The multicaulis structure of Juniperus thurifera thus could be considered as an adaptation to severe environment, characterized not only by hard topographical, edaphic and climatic conditions, but by strong human pressure too.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed2005

Orthophosphate sorption onto lanthanum-treated lignocellulosic sorbents.

Inorganic/organic hybrid adsorbents for removing orthophosphate from water were prepared by lanthanum (La) treatment of bark fiber, a lignocellulosic material obtained from juniper (Juniperus monosperma). The La was anchored to the juniper bark (JB) fiber by ion exchange with Ca in the bark and was responsible for removing orthophosphate. Two La concentrations (0.01 and 0.1 M) were used that resulted in loadings of 0.198 (La/JB01) and 0.302 (La/JB02) mmol of La g(-1) of fiber, respectively. At circumneutral pH conditions, La exhibited a strong affinity for bark, but significant La desorption occurred under acidic conditions (pH < 4.5). For La/JB02, 86% of the initial La loading was released at pH 2.5, and only 0.1% at pH 7.3. Initial La loading in the bark fiber significantly influenced its orthophosphate sorption capacity, which was determined for La/JB01 and La/JB02, respectively, to be 0.188 and 0.233 mmol of P g(-1) (sorption envelopes) and 0.211 and 0.351 mmol of P g(-1) (sorption isotherms when surface site saturation occurred). The P-to-La molar ratio on the bark surface was extremely high (0.12-1.77for La/JB01 and 0.13-2.58 for La/JB02), implying that orthophosphate removal occurred by other mechanisms in addition to surface complexation. From the orthophosphate surface loading levels and the shape of the sorption isotherms, it appears that adsorption occurred at low sorbate-to-sorbent (P-to-La-treated JB) ratios and transitioned to surface precipitation at higher ratios. When surface precipitation occurred, orthophosphate uptake continued to increase with increasing initial P levels. Results from X-ray diffraction and infrared spectrometric analyses are also suggestive of the occurrence of surface precipitation during the interaction of orthophosphate with La-treated lignocellulosic materials.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2003

Development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for isocupressic acid and serum metabolites of isocupressic acid.

The consumption of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), common juniper (Juniperus communis), and Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) causes abortions in pregnant cattle. Recent studies have identified isocupressic acid (1) as the primary abortificient compound in these plants. In vitro and in vivo studies using rumen and blood have shown isocupressic acid (1) is rapidly metabolized to agathic acid (3), dihydroagathic acid (4), and tetrahydroagathic acid (5). Rapid and sensitive diagnostic techniques are needed to identify poisoned animals, to study toxicokinetics, and to elucidate the mechanism of isocupressic acid-induced abortion in cattle. In this study, four competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for isocupressic acid and its sera metabolites were developed using polyclonal antibodies. One assay is specific to 1, whereas the other three assays show cross-reactivity to 3-5 in addition to 1. The assay specific to 1 had a limit of detection of 44.1 pg. The other assays which demonstrated cross-reactivity to the isocupressic acid blood metabolites also had comparably low limits of detection. One assay was used to follow the absorption and elimination profile of isocupressic acid metabolites in both cow serum and urine after oral dosage of a cow with common juniper.

Abortifacient Agents↗
PubMed2002

Health risks over the Internet: advice offered by "medical herbalists" to a pregnant woman.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate Internet advice offered by "medical herbalists" to a pregnant woman regarding herbal treatment of morning sickness. STUDY DESIGN: Search engines were used to find relevant Web sites and all potential e-mail addresses were contacted. Herbalists were asked for advice regarding three specific medicinal herbs: ginger, raspberry and juniper. RESULTS: Eighty-three e-mail addresses were found and contacted. The response rate was 51%. Nineteen (45%) of all respondents recommended ginger, 9 (21%) of them without mentioning adverse effects. Seven (17%) respondents recommended taking raspberry; five (12%) without mentioning adverse effects. No respondent recommended taking juniper during pregnancy and 12 herbalists (29%) warned about using this herbal remedy during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Advice about herbal medicine is readily available over the Internet. The advice offered is misleading at best and dangerous at worst. Potential Internet users should be made aware of these problems and ways of minimizing the risk should be found.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A specialist herbivore (Neotoma stephensi) absorbs fewer plant toxins than does a generalist (Neotoma albigula).

Detoxification capacity of enzymes in the liver is thought to be the primary factor governing dietary toxin intake by mammalian herbivores. Recently, toxin absorption in the gut was proposed as an alternative process that also influences toxin intake. We examined the role of the gut in regulating toxin absorption by quantifying excretion of a plant secondary compound in the feces. We hypothesized that specialists have a greater capacity to reduce intestinal absorption of toxins than do generalists. To test this hypothesis, we compared fecal excretion of alpha-pinene in specialist (Neotoma stephensi) and generalist (Neotoma albigula) woodrats. Alpha-pinene is the most abundant monoterpene in Juniperus monosperma, which occurs in the natural diet of both woodrat species. Woodrats were fed alpha-pinene in diets containing juniper foliage for 3 wk and, in a separate experiment, were given a single oral dose of alpha-pinene. Feces were collected from animals at the end of each experiment and analyzed for alpha-pinene concentration using gas chromatography. Both woodrat species excreted unchanged alpha-pinene in the feces. However, specialist woodrats excreted 40% more alpha-pinene per unit ingested from a juniper diet and excreted nearly four times a greater percentage of an oral dose of alpha-pinene compared with generalists.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1999

Alteration of perceived fragrance of essential oils in relation to type of work: a simple screening test for efficacy of aroma.

The perceptional change of fragrance of essential oils is described in relation to type of work, i.e. mental work, physical work and hearing environmental (natural) sounds. The essential oils examined in this study were ylang ylang, orange, geranium, cypress, bergamot, spearmint and juniper. In evaluating change in perception of a given aroma, a sensory test was employed in which the perception of fragrance was assessed by 13 contrasting pairs of adjectives. Scores were recorded after inhaling a fragrance before and after each type of work, and the statistical significance of the change of score for 13 impression descriptors was examined by Student's t-test for each type of work. It was confirmed that inhalation of essential oil caused a different subjective perception of fragrance depending on the type of work. For example, inhalation of cypress after physical work produced a much more favorable impression than before work, in contrast to orange, which produced an unfavorable impression after physical work when compared with that before work. For mental work, inhalation of juniper seemed to create a favorable impression after work, whereas geranium and orange both produced an unfavorable impression then. From these studies, together with those conducted previously with lavender, rosemary, linalool, peppermint, marjoram, cardamom, sandalwood, basil and lime, we thus concluded that the sensory test described here might serve not only as a screening test for efficacy of aroma but also as a categorized table for aroma samples which can act as a reference to each other.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Skin tests of pollen grains of taxodiaceae and cupressaceae in children with bronchial asthma.

Atmospheric cedar pollen in the southern region of Okayama Prefecture (situated in south-western Japan) has been counted since 1988. Pollen of different species of the Taxodiaceae family (Cryptomeria japonica, Sequoia sempervirens and Metasequoia glyptostroboides) and Japanese juniper (Juniperus rigida) in the Cupressaceae family, which are propagated mainly in the southern region of Okayama Prefecture, were found among the atmospheric pollen. Scratch tests using the pollen extract from Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae were performed on children with bronchial asthma. Forty (25%) and 30 (18.8%) of the 160 patients reacted positively to an allergen extract from the pollen grains of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and Japanese juniper, respectively.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Accessibility, acceptability, and effectiveness in primary care of routine telephone review of asthma: pragmatic, randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether routine review by telephone of patients with asthma improves access and is a good alternative to face to face reviews in general practices. DESIGN: Pragmatic, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Four general practices in England. PARTICIPANTS: 278 adults who had not been reviewed in the previous 11 months. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomised to either telephone review or face to face consultation with the asthma nurse. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome measures were the proportion of participants who were reviewed within three months of randomisation and disease specific quality of life, as measured by the Juniper mini asthma quality of life questionnaire. Secondary outcome measures included the validated "short Q" asthma morbidity score, nursing care satisfaction questionnaire score, and length of consultation. RESULTS: Of 137 people randomised to telephone consultation, 101 (74%) were reviewed, compared with 68 reviewed (48%) of the 141 people in the surgery group, a difference of 26% (95% confidence interval 14% to 37%; P<0.001; number needed to treat 3.8). Three months after randomisation the two groups did not differ in the Juniper score (risk difference -0.07 (95% confidence interval -0.40 to 0.27) or in satisfaction with the consultation (risk difference -0.07 (-0.27 to 0.13)). Telephone consultations were on average 10 minutes shorter than reviews held in the surgery (mean difference 10.7 minutes (12.6 to 8.8; P<0.001)). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with face to face consultations in the surgery, telephone consultations enable more people with asthma to be reviewed, without clinical disadvantage or loss of satisfaction. A shorter duration means that telephone consultations are likely to be an efficient option in primary care for routine review of asthma.

Asthma↗
PubMed2006

A novel expression system of domain I of human beta2 glycoprotein I in Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), characterised by recurrent miscarriage and thrombosis, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Domain I (DI) of human beta 2 glycoprotein I (beta2GPI) is thought to contain crucial antibody binding epitopes for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), which are critical to the pathogenesis of APS. Expressing this protein in bacteria could facilitate studies investigating how this molecule interacts with aPL. METHODS: Using a computer programme called Juniper, sequentially overlapping primers were designed to be used in a recursive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to produce a synthetic DI gene. Specifically Juniper incorporates 'major' codons preferred by bacteria altering 41 codons out of 61. This was cloned into the expression plasmid pET(26b) and expressed in BL21(DE3) Escherichia coli (E. coli). By virtue of a pelB leader sequence, periplasmic localisation of DI aided disulphide bond formation and toxicity was addressed by tightly regulating expression through the high stringency T7lac promoter. RESULTS: Purified, soluble his-tagged DI in yields of 750 microg/L bacterial culture was obtained and confirmed on Western blot. Expression using the native human cDNA sequence of DI in the same construct under identical conditions yielded significantly less DI compared to the recombinant optimised sequence. This constitutes the first description of prokaryotic expression of soluble DI of beta2GPI. Binding to murine monoclonal antibodies that recognise conformationally restricted epitopes on the surface of DI and pathogenic human monoclonal IgG aPL was confirmed by direct and indirect immunoassay. Recombinant DI also bound a series of 21 polyclonal IgG samples derived from patients with APS. CONCLUSION: By producing a synthetic gene globally optimised for expression in E. coli, tightly regulating expression and utilising periplasmic product translocation, efficient, soluble E. coli expression of the eukaryotic protein DI of beta2GPI is possible. This novel platform of expression utilising pan-gene prokaryote codon optimisation for DI production will aid future antigenic studies. Furthermore if DI or peptide derivatives of DI are eventually used in the therapeutic setting either as toleragen or as a competitive inhibitor of pathogenic aPL, then an E. coli production system may aid cost-effective production.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Results of a culturally directed asthma intervention program in an inner-city Latino community.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of an asthma intervention program targeted to a predominantly Latino population of inner-city, adult asthma patients with a recent emergency department (ED) visit for asthma care. DESIGN: A prospective study measuring changes in asthma quality of life (QOL), asthma knowledge, and ED and hospital utilization in a group of patients enrolled in an outpatient asthma intervention program. SETTING: Academic medical center located in New York City (NYC) and a local community-based organization. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ninety-eight patients with asthma > 18 years of age and residing in Washington Heights/Inwood, a predominantly Latino community in NYC. MEASUREMENTS: Changes were assessed by hospital and ED utilization and mini-Juniper QOL score before and after the intervention. RESULTS: From July 2000 through December 2002, 198 patients agreed to be enrolled into an asthma intervention program. The mini-Juniper QOL score improved by 0.67 points. There was a 40% reduction in ED visits and a 36% reduction in hospitalizations over 1 year, compared with a 10% reduction in ED visits and no reduction in hospitalization rate for a control group who declined the intervention. CONCLUSION: A culturally targeted asthma intervention program in adult individuals living in a predominantly Latino area of NYC is effective in reducing ED and hospital utilization for asthma, and improving overall asthma-related QOL.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Role of multidecadal climate variability in a range extension of pinyon pine.

Evidence from woodrat middens and tree rings at Dutch John Mountain (DJM) in northeastern Utah reveal spatiotemporal patterns of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis Engelm.) colonization and expansion in the past millennium. The DJM population, a northern outpost of pinyon, was established by long-distance dispersal (approximately 40 km). Growth of this isolate was markedly episodic and tracked multidecadal variability in precipitation. Initial colonization occurred by AD 1246, but expansion was forestalled by catastrophic drought (1250-1288), which we speculate produced extensive mortality of Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma (Torr.) Little), the dominant tree at DJM for the previous approximately 8700 years. Pinyon then quickly replaced juniper across DJM during a few wet decades (1330-1339 and 1368-1377). Such alternating decadal-scale droughts and pluvial events play a key role in structuring plant communities at the landscape to regional level. These decadal-length precipitation anomalies tend to be regionally coherent and can synchronize physical and biological processes across large areas. Vegetation forecast models must incorporate these temporal and geographic aspects of climate variability to accurately predict the effects of future climate change.

Climate↗
PubMed2001

Lichens of the Knyszyńska Forest (NE Poland).

During the period 1991-1999 the lichen species composition of 26 reserves of the Knyszyńska Forest were examined. 315 taxa, including 271 species were found. Epiphytic lichens were predominant, while epilithic species were the least common. Of the coniferous trees, pine (Pinus sylvestis) was the habitat which supported most species (67), and common larch (Larix decidua) the fewest (5). Only two species were found on juniper (Juniper communis). Of deciduous trees, the largest number of species developed on oak bark (Quercus robur) (102), the fewest on elm bark (Ulmus laevis) (2). In the case of deciduous bushes most lichen taxa were noted on hazel (Corylus avellana) (21) and only one on hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). The commonest species were Hypogymnia physodes and Lecanora conizaeoides, which were encountered in all 26 reserves.

Ecosystem↗