Cardiopulmonary and inflammatory biomarkers in heartworm disease

Abstract In heartworm disease, several biomarkers of cardiopulmonary injury and inflammatory activity have been studied during the recent years. D-dimer is a fibrin degradation product present after a clot is degraded, which has been reported to provide support for the diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism in heartworm disease. Furthermore, concentrations increment with increased disease severity and during the adulticide treatment. This increase in concentration has proved to be valuable. Cardiac biomarkers troponin I, myoglobin and NT-proBNP demonstrated presence of myocardial injury and heart failure, especially in chronic infections, which in some cases, slightly improve after the adulticide treatment. An acute phase response in dogs with Dirofilaria immitis, characterized by variations of acute phase proteins (APP), has been reported, indicating inflammatory processes that could contribute to disease progression. Among them, C-reactive protein (CRP) increases according to the severity of the disease; and a strong correlation between pulmonary hypertension and CRP has been observed. In cats, little work has been done to ascertain the utility of these biomarkers in feline heartworm; the only published study in D. immitis–seropositive cats reported significantly higher concentrations in positive APP serum amyloid A, haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin

Final Report of the Working Group on Aggregates

The Working Group on Aggregates was established in 2005 by the FRBR Review Group and submitted its final report on 12 September 2011. Its mandate was to explore the treatment of aggregates in the FRBR model. Common aggregates to be considered include: (1) Collections, selections, and anthologies, (2) Augmentations (original text augmented with illustrations, notes, introductions, etc.), (3) Monographic series, (4) Serials, (5) Multi-part monographs and (6) Integrating resources. Since aggregates are only briefly described in the original Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) report, at the 2005 IFLA FRBR Workshop in Dublin, Ohio and at the FRBR Review Group meeting in Oslo in 2005, difficulties and inconsistencies in applying the FRBR model to aggregates were identified as an impediment to FRBR implementation. The Working Group proposed a general model for aggregates and identified three distinct types of aggregates: (1) aggregate collections of expressions, (2) aggregates resulting from augmentation, and (3) aggregates of parallel expressions. Each type is illustrated with examples

Final Report of the Working Group on Aggregates

The Working Group on Aggregates was established in 2005 by the FRBR Review Group and submitted its final report on 12 September 2011. Its mandate was to explore the treatment of aggregates in the FRBR model. Common aggregates to be considered include: (1) Collections, selections, and anthologies, (2) Augmentations (original text augmented with illustrations, notes, introductions, etc.), (3) Monographic series, (4) Serials, (5) Multi-part monographs and (6) Integrating resources. Since aggregates are only briefly described in the original Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) report, at the 2005 IFLA FRBR Workshop in Dublin, Ohio and at the FRBR Review Group meeting in Oslo in 2005, difficulties and inconsistencies in applying the FRBR model to aggregates were identified as an impediment to FRBR implementation. The Working Group proposed a general model for aggregates and identified three distinct types of aggregates: (1) aggregate collections of expressions, (2) aggregates resulting from augmentation, and (3) aggregates of parallel expressions. Each type is illustrated with examples

Nodularin, a cyanobacterial toxin, is synthesized in planta by symbiotic Nostoc sp.

The nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Nostoc, is a commonly occurring cyanobacterium often found in symbiotic associations. We investigated the potential of cycad cyanobacterial endosymbionts to synthesize microcystin/nodularin. Endosymbiont DNA was screened for the aminotransferase domain of the toxin biosynthesis gene clusters. Five endosymbionts carrying the gene were screened for bioactivity. Extracts of two isolates inhibited protein phosphatase 2A and were further analyzed using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS)/MS. Nostoc sp. 'Macrozamia riedlei 65.1' and Nostoc sp. 'Macrozamia serpentina 73.1' both contained nodularin. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) HESI-MS/MS analysis confirmed the presence of nodularin at 9.55±2.4 ng μg⁻¹ chlorophyll a in Nostoc sp. 'Macrozamia riedlei 65.1' and 12.5±8.4 ng μg⁻¹ Chl a in Nostoc sp. 'Macrozamia serpentina 73.1' extracts. Further scans indicated the presence of the rare isoform [L-Har²] nodularin, which contains L-homoarginine instead of L-arginine. Nodularin was also present at 1.34±0.74 ng ml⁻¹ (approximately 3 pmol per g plant ww) in the methanol root extracts of M. riedlei MZ65, while the presence of [L-Har²] nodularin in the roots of M. serpentina MZ73 was suggested by HPLC HESI-MS/MS analysis. The ndaA-B and ndaF genomic regions were sequenced to confirm the presence of the hybrid polyketide/non-ribosomal gene cluster. A seven amino-acid insertion into the NdaA-C1 domain of N. spumigena NSOR10 protein was observed in all endosymbiont-derived sequences, suggesting the transfer of the nda cluster from N. spumigena to terrestrial Nostoc species. This study demonstrates the synthesis of nodularin and [L-Har²] nodularin in a non-Nodularia species and the production of cyanobacterial hepatotoxin by a symbiont in planta