1,721,001 research outputs found
Seroprevalence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in dogs bred in Japan
No full textIn this study, the seroprevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in dogs bred in Japan was evaluated. Ninety-two non-clinical samples were obtained from three institutes and fifty-seven clinical samples were obtained from a veterinary hospital in Japan. Serum titers of total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 isotype antibodies against MAP were measured using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The IgG antibodies against MAP in non-clinical serum obtained from three institutes was observed to be 2.4%, 20% and 9.0%. Similarly, the IgG1 antibodies titers against MAP were observed to be 7%, 20% and 0%. Lastly, the IgG2 antibodies against MAP were observed to be 7%, 20% and 4.4%. No significance differences in these titers were observed among the three institutes. The IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies in serum obtained from a veterinary hospital were observed to be 55.3%, 42% and 42%, respectively. Significant differences were found between the non-clinical and clinical samples. The titers in the clinical samples showed a high degree of variance, whereas low variance was found in the non-clinical samples. The IgG antibody levels were thought to be induced following exposure to MAP-contaminated feed. The difference in titers between the clinical and non-clinical samples is likely to be related to the amount of MAP antigen contamination in dog foods
Editorial: A Microbial View of Central Nervous System Disorders: Interplay Between Microorganisms, Neuroinflammation and Behaviour
No full textSeroprevalence of immunoglobulin E antibodies against japanese cedar pollen allergens Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 in dogs bred in Japan
No full textLevels of Japanese cedar pollen (Cryptomeria japonica) have increased in Japan and cedar pollinosis caused by Japanese cedar pollen has been reported in dogs. Serum levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) against Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 in dogs raised in institutes and treated at veterinary hospitals in Japan were thus investigated. A total of 71 sera obtained from two institutes and 87 sera obtained from veterinary hospitals in the Hyogo and Kanagawa Prefectures were analyzed in this study. Serum levels of IgE were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with commercial purified Cry j 1 and Cry j 2. IgE against Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 in sera obtained from the two institutes were detected, despite the dogs being bred in enclosed areas. Moreover, significant differences were noted in the serum levels of IgE against Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 between the two institutes. The number of samples showing Cry j 1 or Cry j 2 levels above the cut-off values was greater in the Kanagawa Prefecture than in the Hyogo Prefecture. In total, 14 dogs showed Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 levels greater than the cut-off values in the Hyogo Prefecture, and only three such dogs were seen in the Kanagawa Prefecture. A significant correlation between serum levels against both allergens was observed (r2 = 0.6931, p < 0.0001)
Conflicting role of Mycobacterium species in multiple sclerosis
No full textMycobacterium is a genus of aerobic and acid-fast bacteria, which include several pathogenic organisms that cause serious diseases in mammals. Previous studies have associated the immune response against mycobacteria with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with unknown etiology. The role of mycobacteria in the pathological process has been controversial and often conflicting. We provide a detailed review of the mycobacteria that have been linked to MS over the last three decades, with a focus on Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine for human and oral exposure to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. We will also discuss the exposure and genetic susceptibility to mycobacterial infection, the protective role of vaccination, as well as the possible mechanisms involved in initiating or worsening MS symptoms, with particular emphasis on the molecular mimicry between mycobacterial and human proteins. Finally, we will introduce topics such as heat shock proteins and recognition by innate immunity, and toll-like receptor signaling-mediated responses to Mycobacterium exposure
Bacteria–host interactions in multiple sclerosis
No full textMultiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Numerous causative factors have been identified that play a role in MS, including exposure to bacteria. Mycobacteria, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, and other bacteria have been proposed as risk factors for MS with different mechanisms of action. Conversely, some pathogens may have a protective effect on its etiology. In terms of acquired immunity, molecular mimicry has been hypothesized as the mechanism by which bacterial structures such as DNA, the cell wall, and intracytoplasmic components can activate autoreactive T cells or produce autoantibodies in certain host genetic backgrounds of susceptible individuals. In innate immunity, Toll-like receptors play an essential role in combating invading bacteria, and their activation leads to the release of cytokines or chemokines that mediate effective adaptive immune responses. These receptors may also be involved in central nervous system autoimmunity, and their contribution depends on the infection site and on the pathogen. We have reviewed the current knowledge of the influence of bacteria on MS development, emphasizing the potential mechanisms of action by which bacteria affect MS initiation and/or progression
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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