bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Temperature on Geminivirus-Induced RNA Silencing in Plants
Authors: Chellappan Padmanabhan , Vanitharani Ramachandran , Ogbe Francis , Fauquet Claude M.
Published: July 2005

Short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs), the molecular markers of posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS), are powerful tools that interfere with gene expression and counter virus infection both in plants and animals. Here, we report the effect of temperature on geminivirus-induced gene silencing by quantifying virus-derived siRNAs and by evaluating their distribution along the virus genome for isolates of five species of cassava geminiviruses in cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) and Nicotiana benthamiana. Cassava geminivirus-induced RNA silencing increased by raising the temperature from 25°C to 30°C, with the appearance of less symptomatic newly developed leaves, irrespective of the nature of the virus. Consequently, nonrecovery-type geminiviruses behaved like recovery-type viruses under high temperature. Next, we evaluated the distribution of virus-derived siRNAs on the respective virus genome at three temperatures (25°C, 25°C–30°C, and 30°C). For recovery-type viruses, siRNAs accumulated at moderately higher levels during virus-induced PTGS at higher temperatures, and there was no change in the distribution of the siRNA population along the virus genome. For nonrecovery-type viruses, siRNAs accumulated at strikingly higher levels than those observed for infections with recovery-type viruses at high temperature. As determined for an RNA virus, temperature influences gene silencing for single-stranded DNA geminiviruses. It is possible that other mechanisms besides gene silencing also control geminivirus accumulation at high temperatures. The findings presented here should be taken into consideration when implementing PTGS-based strategies to control plant virus accumulation.
Arabidopsis SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED GENE101 Stabilizes and Signals within an ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 Complex in Plant Innate Immunity
Authors: Feys Bart J. , Wiermer Marcel , Bhat Riyaz A. , Moisan Lisa J. , Medina-Escobar Nieves , Neu Christina , Cabral Adriana , Parker Jane E.
Published: July 2005

Plant innate immunity against invasive biotrophic pathogens depends on the intracellular defense regulator ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 (EDS1). We show here that Arabidopsis thaliana EDS1 interacts in vivo with another protein, SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED GENE101 (SAG101), discovered through a proteomic approach to identify new EDS1 pathway components. Together with PHYTOALEXIN-DEFICIENT4 (PAD4), a known EDS1 interactor, SAG101 contributes intrinsic and indispensable signaling activity to EDS1-dependent resistance. The combined activities of SAG101 and PAD4 are necessary for programmed cell death triggered by the Toll-Interleukin-1 Receptor type of nucleotide binding/leucine-rich repeat immune receptor in response to avirulent pathogen isolates and in restricting the growth of normally virulent pathogens. We further demonstrate by a combination of cell fractionation, coimmunoprecipitation, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments the existence of an EDS1–SAG101 complex inside the nucleus that is molecularly and spatially distinct from EDS1–PAD4 associations in the nucleus and cytoplasm. By contrast, EDS1 homomeric interactions were detected in the cytoplasm but not inside the nucleus. These data, combined with evidence for coregulation between individual EDS1 complexes, suggest that dynamic interactions of EDS1 and its signaling partners in multiple cell compartments are important for plant defense signal relay.
Structure of the clinopyroxene-type compound CaCuGe2O6 between 15 and 800 K
Authors: Redhammer Günther J. , Tippelt Gerold , Merz Michael , Roth Georg , Treutmann Werner , Amthauer Georg
Published: July 2005

CaCuGe2O6 shows a strongly distorted clinopyroxene-type structure with P21/c symmetry at 298 K. The Cu2+ ion at the M1 site is coordinated by six O atoms forming an octahedron, which deviates significantly from ideal geometry. Individual M1 sites are connected via common edges to form an infinite zigzag chain parallel to the crystallographic c axis. The Ca2+ ion at M2 shows a sevenfold coordination. M2 sites are connected to the M1 chain via three common edges, thereby forming a metal layer within the bc plane. Besides the strong Jahn–Teller distortion of the Cu site, the structure of the title compound differs from `normal' clinopyroxenes by a distortion of alternate layers of Ge sites. While the Ge(A) site is fourfold coordinated by O atoms, forming infinite chains of corner-sharing chains parallel to the c axis, the Ge(B) site exhibits a fivefold coordination, thereby forming a true two-dimensional layer of edge-sharing GeO5 bipyramids. Decreasing the temperature causes a magnetic phase transition at 40 K, as monitored by a broad maximum in the magnetic susceptibility and by discontinuities in the lattice parameters. Increasing the temperature causes variations in bond lengths, edge lengths and bond angles. Most prominent is the increase of one bond length of the Ge(B) site and the increase of the tetrahedral bridging angle of the Ge(A) site. At 660 K a crystallographic phase transition is observed where the symmetry changes from P21/c to C2/c. The transition is accompanied by large changes in the lattice parameters which are indicative of distinct topological changes of several structural building units. The high-temperature C2/c structure is similar to that of the germanate clinopyroxene CaMgGe2O6.
Powder diffraction crystal structure analysis using derivative difference minimization: example of the potassium salt of 1-(tetrazol-5-yl)-2-nitroguanidine
Authors: Solovyov Leonid A. , Astachov A. M. , Molokeev M. S. , Vasiliev A. D.
Published: July 2005

The crystal structure of the potassium salt of 1-(tetrazol-5-yl)-2-nitroguanidine [K(C2H3N8O2)] was solved and refined from X-ray powder diffraction data by applying the derivative difference minimization (DDM) method. The compound is of interest as an energetic substance. The structure model was found from a Patterson search. The reflection intensities for the Patterson synthesis were derived from the powder profile by applying a newly developed DDM-based profile decomposition procedure. The use of the DDM method allowed successful location and unconstrained refinement of all the atomic positions, including those of three independent H atoms. The advantages of DDM in terms of the precision and reproducibility of the structural parameters are discussed in comparison to Rietveld refinement results. The failure to refine the H-atom positions by the Rietveld method was attributed to systematic errors associated with the background modelling, which are avoided by DDM.
The low-temperature and high-pressure crystal structures of cyclobutanol (C4H7OH)
Authors: McGregor Pamela A. , Allan David R. , Parsons Simon , Pulham Colin R.
Published: July 2005

The low-temperature and high-pressure crystal structures of cyclobutanol (C4H7OH) have been determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. At temperatures below 220 K, cyclobutanol crystallizes in the Aba2 space group (Z′ =  2) and its crystal structure is composed of pseudo-threefold hydrogen-bonded molecular catemers [assigned as C_2^2(4) in graph-set notation], which lie parallel to the crystallographic a axis. At a pressure of 1.3 GPa, the crystal symmetry changes to Pna21 (Z′  =  1) and the molecular catemers [expressed as C(2) in graph-set notation] adopt a pseudo-twofold arrangement. This structural behaviour is in agreement with our previous observations for phenol and its halogenated derivatives 2-chlorophenol and 4-fluorophenol, where pressure was found to favour a molecular packing more closely associated with small alkyl groups rather than that of relatively bulky alkyl groups. In addition, an examination of the molecular coordination environment in the low-temperature and high-pressure structures of cyclobutanol reveals that the change in structure on application of pressure appears to be driven by the molecules assuming a packing arrangement which more closely resembles that adopted in hard-sphere structures.
European Union scientific production on alcohol and drug misuse (1976–2000)
Authors: Sánchez‐Carbonell Xavier , Guardiola Elena , Bellés Ana , Beranuy Marta
Published: July 2005

Background  Alcohol and drug misuse is a social and health phenomenon of great relevance in the European Union (EU). One indicator of scientific production in a given area is the analysis of publications included in bibliographic databases. Scientific production on alcohol and drug misuse was analysed in EU member countries, and comparisons were made between countries.

Methods  Analysis of articles on alcohol and drug misuse published during the period 1976–2000 by institutions based in a country of the EU, indexed by PsycINFO.

Results  A total of 4825 citations was retrieved. Great Britain published 38.6%, while Sweden, Germany and Spain accounted for a further 30%. The articles dealt with drug and alcohol usage (12.8%), substance abuse (53.5%) and drug and alcohol rehabilitation (34.5%). The articles were published in 13 different languages, more than three‐quarters being in English. Spanish was the second language, and was followed by French, German, Dutch and Italian. The articles were published in 521 different journals, and 62 of these published more than 10 articles. The journals publishing most were Addiction, Alcohol and Alcoholism and Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Sixty‐eight per cent of the articles were signed by more than one author, and the index of collaboration, between 1996 and 2000, was 3.24.

Discussion and conclusions  PsycINFO is useful for making comparisons between countries, because it includes the name and country of the institution. The number of publications in the EU on alcohol and drug misuse increased over the quarter‐century analysed. The most used language was English, as it also is for PsycINFO as a whole, and a tendency towards its increased use was observed. Classification of the articles by subject by the Classification Code is too general, and makes it difficult to distinguish between the areas it proposes. Production tends to be concentrated in journals dealing specifically with drug dependence and psychiatry. The index of collaboration is similar to that found in other scientific areas.
Antisocial personality disorder is associated with increased severity of gambling, medical, drug and psychiatric problems among treatment‐seeking pathological gamblers
Authors: Pietrzak Robert H. , Petry Nancy M.
Published: July 2005

Aims  To evaluate systematically whether pathological gamblers with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) experience increased severity of gambling, medical, psychiatric, substance use and psychosocial problems compared to pathological gamblers without ASPD.

Participants, design and measurements  Pathological gamblers (n = 237) entering an out‐patient treatment study for pathological gambling completed the ASPD section of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV (DSM‐IV) Personality Disorders, California Psychological Inventory–Socialization Scale, Addiction Severity Index (ASI), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and gambling questionnaires.

Setting  Pathological gambling research clinic.

Findings  Thirty‐nine (16.5%) pathological gamblers met DSM‐IV diagnostic criteria for ASPD. Compared to pathological gamblers without ASPD, pathological gamblers with ASPD were younger, more likely to be male and divorced/separated, and had fewer years of education. They also began gambling earlier in life, reported increased severity of gambling, medical and drug problems, and scored higher on the paranoid ideation, somatization and phobic anxiety subscales of the BSI. Further, logistic regression identified male gender, history of illicit drug use and severity of gambling and medical problems as independent predictors of ASPD.

Conclusions  These results underscore the importance of assessing a wide range of behaviors and personality indices, including ASPD, among treatment‐seeking pathological gamblers.
Reduced expression of Claudin‐7 in fine needle aspirates from breast carcinomas correlate with grading and metastatic disease
Authors: Sauer T. , Pedersen M. K. , Ebeltoft K. , Næss O.
Published: July 2005

Objective:  To study the immunocytochemical expression of the tight junction protein Claudin‐7 in smears from breast carcinomas and correlate with grading, nodal status, locoregional and distant metastases and the cellular cohesion.

Methods:  The material consisted of 52 air‐dried smears from fine needle aspirates of breast carcinomas, both primary and metastatic and smears from seven benign lesions. A primary antibody to Claudin‐7 was used for immunocytochemical staining. The degree of staining was recorded as negative, reduced or full, with full expression meaning equivalent to the staining pattern found in the fibroadenomas used as benign control. Staining intensity and the percentage of stained cells were evaluated. The control smears revealed a strong membrane and cytoplasmic positivity in all luminal epithelial cells. Cellular cohesion was graded as: (1) mainly cohesive groups, (2) groups and single cells and (3) mainly single cells.

Results:  All primary and recurrent/metastatic breast lesions expressed Claudin‐7. Full expression was demonstrated in 46% of the cases. Reduced expression was found in 54%. In cases with reduced expression, the percentage of stained cells were usually high, and no smear showed <50% stained tumour cells. The staining pattern was heterogeneous and always mixed membrane/cytoplasmic. Claudin‐7 expression showed a significant correlation (P < 0.05) with grading, locoregional and distant metastases, nodal involvement and cellular cohesion in invasive carcinomas, but not with tumour size or subtype.

Conclusion:  Reduced expression of Claudin‐7 correlated with higher tumour grade, metastatic disease, including loco‐regional recurrences and with cellular discohesion.
Processed kaolin as an alternative insecticide against the European pear sucker, Cacopsylla pyri (L.)
Authors: Daniel C. , Pfammatter W. , Kehrli P. , Wyss E.
Published: July 2005

Abstract:  Application of processed kaolin particle film (Surround® WP; Engelhard Corporation, Iselin, NJ, USA) repels insects without lethal effects; hence side effects on beneficial arthropods are low. Processed kaolin may be an alternative to broad‐spectrum insecticides used against European pear sucker, Cacopsylla pyri (L.), in organic and conventional pear production. A small‐plot field trial was conducted in spring 2003 to assess this hypothesis. Multiple applications of processed kaolin during the first flying period of C. pyri significantly reduced the number of nymphs compared to the untreated control. Processed kaolin protected pear trees at least as good as the standard organic insecticide rotenone. Since the effects on the summer population could not be assessed in this small‐plot trial due to the high mobility of the adult C. pyri, a large‐plot trial was conducted in 2004. Thereby, the processed kaolin showed a very high efficacy and the population of C. pyri was kept under a damaging level over the whole season. At the end of June the population density of C. pyri in the processed kaolin treated area was lower than in the IPM treated plot. In conclusion, kaolin shows promise as an alternative control for C. pyri in organic and IPM orchards.
Fish Assemblages in Shallow Marine Caves of the Salento Peninsula (Southern Apulia, SE Italy)
Authors: Bussotti Simona , Denitto Francesco , Guidetti Paolo , Belmonte Genuario
Published: July 2005

Abstract. Fish assemblages of three shallow marine caves from the Salento Peninsula (Apulia, SE Italy) were investigated in July 2000. Data were collected in situ by using visual census. A total of nineteen fish species were recorded inside the caves. The species richness generally displayed a similar pattern in all three caves, decreasing from the entrance towards the innermost sections, whereas the patterns of total fish abundance differed among caves. Apogon imberbis (mainly represented by juveniles) was the most important species in terms of number of individuals (accounting for more than 85% of the censused fish) and showed a fairly even distribution inside the investigated caves. Without the numerical contribution of A. imberbis, fish abundance decreased from the entrance to the inner sections and this pattern was common to all three caves. Juvenile fishes of economic interest (e. g., Diplodus vulgaris and Epinephelus marginatus) were also recorded inside. The present study suggests that: (1) environmental constraints could affect distribution patterns in fish species richness and in the abundance of several fish along the axis of “blind caves” (with a single entrance), as already observed for sessile benthos and plankton assemblages; (2) shallow marine caves of the Salento Peninsula could exert the role of refuge and/or nursery for some littoral fish species during the adult and/or juvenile stages of their life histories.
The Status of the Twaite Shad, Alosa agone, in Italy and the Western Balkans
Authors: Bianco Pier Giorgio
Published: July 2005

Abstract. The twaite shad, Alosa agone, is still quite common in Italy and the western Balkans, but locally is endangered or extinct. Two eco‐phenotypes are recognized: the migratory‘Cheppia’or‘Laccia’and the landlocked‘Agone’. The two forms have never been in contact, at least in Italy. The migratory form is more endangered since barriers and dams prevent it from reaching upstream spawning grounds. A few reproductive communities are documented, e. g. in the Po River in Italy and Neretva River in Croatia. Resident stocks have increased to substantial populations in the large lakes of Italy, especially in the last ten years, probably as a result of improved water quality. The landlocked form from northern Italy was successfully introduced into lakes of central Italy about 75 years ago. In Sardinia a population derived from the migratory form was established about 80 years ago in the artificial Lake Omodeo. In Croatia the‘Cheppia’seems to live only in the lower course of the Neretva River. In Montenegro,‘Cheppia’and‘Agone’live in sympatry in Lake Skadar, but a dam built in 1960 caused a strong decline of both forms. The twaite shad is a very variable species, able to modify its morphology and biology according to its adaptation to freshwater or marine biotopes. In the Mediterranean area, only one taxon should be then recognized, Alosa agone (Scopoli, 1786). This will replace Alosa fallax (Lacépède, 1803), a taxon described from the Atlantic drainage area which seems to be distinct from Mediterranean populations. A survey of the distribution of reproductive communities of the migrating form in the Mediterranean area must be carried out.
3‐D Structure of the Marine Coastal Front and Quantitative Estimate of Nutrient Budgets in a Seawater Volume of the NW Adriatic Sea
Authors: Cozzi Stefano , Bortoluzzi Giovanni , Maio Antonia Di , Marcelli Marco
Published: July 2005

Abstract. A detailed description of a portion of the coastal front (February, 1997) is presented in an area of the north‐western Adriatic Sea, south of the Po River Delta. The structure and distribution of the lower salinity waters, generated by freshwater advection, were investigated using the CTD data provided by the undulating tow‐fish “SARAGO” and modelling the 3–D salinity field of this area. Of the total seawater volume of 27.42 km3, the inshore portion of the front, defined by a salinity value ranging from 28.87 up to 37.00, had a volume of 12.00 km3. In these lower salinity waters we estimated the budgets of the major nutrients and inorganic nitrogen uptake due to primary production by correlating the 3–D salinity field with analytical data of bottle samples that were collected just a few days later.

Budgets of dissolved inorganic phosphorus, silicon and nitrogen (8, 250 and 1417 tons, respectively) point clearly to the same proportions of the riverine supply of nutrients in this area, whereas the high amount of dissolved organic nitrogen (1226 tons) and phosphorus (31 tons) stresses the important role of organic fractions in the global balances of these elements in the marine environment. Furthermore, the inorganic nitrogen uptake (34 tons per day) indicates that the main “allochthonous” form of nitrogen, basically constituted by the riverine supply of nitrate, is only partially consumed, whereas the “regenerated” form (i. e. ammonium) seems to sustain an important fraction (53 %) of primary production because of its fast recycling in the coastal marine environment.
Monitoring a Marine Coastal Area: Use of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Mullus barbatus as Bioindicators
Authors: Corsi Ilaria , Mariottini Michela , Menchi Valentina , Sensini Christiana , Balocchi Cristiana , Focardi Silvano
Published: July 2005

Abstract. Samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Mullus barbatus were collected in eight coastal sites along the South Adriatic and Ionic coasts of Italy in spring 2000 for a survey of coastal pollution in the Mediterranean basin. Specimens were analysed using an integrated approach based on residue analysis of common aquatic pollutants like organochlorines such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB), DDTs and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals and nonylphenols (NPnE) and biomarker responses such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and the two specific P450 activities benzo(a)pyrene monooxygenase (BPMO) and 7‐ethoxyre‐sorufin‐(9‐deethylase (EROD). Biological and morphological parameters like somatic liver index (SLI), gonadosomatic index (GSI) and gonadal and gamete histology (eggs and sperms) were also evaluated in red mullet samples. A contamination gradient in which several hot spots occur were revealed in this study. The hot spots account for high levels of organochlorines in both species near incinerators and of PAHs in harbour areas. Levels of both NPnE and AChE activity were highest in two protected marine areas and were within detectable limits in others. This finding was confirmed by P450 activities, in which maximum levels were detected in harbours and protected marine areas. No morphological alterations of male and female gonads were observed on the histological level.
Estimating Daily Egg Production of European Anchovy in the Adriatic Sea: A Critical Appraisal
Authors: Melià Paco , Casavola Nicola , Gatto Marino
Published: July 2005

Abstract. We discuss the critical problem of estimating daily egg production in the Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM), a widely used technique for the stock assessment of multiple spawning pelagic fishes. Data collected in 1999 for the stock of European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Southern Adriatic Sea are used to study the effects of different calibration techniques. We analyze the performances of the mortality model from which daily egg production is estimated. All these calibrations are based on the Bootstrap method. Nonlinear fitting (vs. linear regression on log‐transformed data) is shown to guarantee more reliable parameter estimation. We show that specifying the function assigning age to staged eggs is crucial.
The Impact of Human Recreational Activities in Marine Protected Areas: What Lessons Should Be Learnt in the Mediterranean Sea?
Authors: Milazzo Marco , Chemello Renato , Badalamenti Fabio , Camarda Raffaele , Riggio Silvano
Published: July 2005

Abstract. The aesthetic appeal of marine reserves and the facilities provided, together with the increased public awareness of nature, all contribute to creating massive tourism in MPAs. Human activities are being changed inside MPAs in two ways: humans as top predators are generally being removed, but in turn they could come back at great numbers as visitors.

Many authors have studied the impact of visitors, and the results highlight that the consequences can be very substantial and may represent a severe threat to the overall diversity of marine communities. To date, the documented effects of human recreational activities on natural communities are restricted to assessing the consequences of trampling over intertidal and upper infralittoral areas, boat anchoring in seagrass meadows and tropical reefs, or SCUB A‐diving.

In this paper we review the available literature world‐wide on the effects of human recreational activities in marine communities. The objective is to address the extent of these impacts and to highlight the gaps of knowledge to be filled in order to optimise decision making on research, monitoring, and management of Mediterranean MPAs. A specific plan for managing tourism use in each Mediterranean MPA should be designated. These strategies should be implemented through education, training, and changes in legislation and policy.
Potential Use of Biomarkers in Zooplankton as Early Warning Signals of Ecotoxicological Risk in the Marine Food Chain
Authors: Minutoli Roberta , Fossi Maria Cristina , Guglielmo Letterio
Published: July 2005

Abstract. Zooplankton is an essential component of the marine and brackish food chains. The ecotoxicological risk of zooplanktonic communities, estimated by the modern methodological approach of biomarkers, can be used as an early warning signal of ecosystem health. The aim of this project is to estimate the potential use of several biomarkers (esterases, mixed function oxidases, porphyrins) in zooplanktonic organisms. Studies were carried out with different zooplanktonic crustaceans: the copepods Acartia margalefi and Acartia latisetosa collected in Ganzirri Lake (Messina); the mysid Siriella clausi collected in Faro Lake (Messina); the mysids Diamysis bahirensis, Siriella armata and Mysidopsis gibbosa collected in Stagnone di Marsala (Palermo); the Antarctic euphausiids Euphausia crystallorophias and Euphausia superba; the am‐phipod Streetsia challengeri and the euphausiid Meganycthiphanes norvegica collected after a shore‐stranding along Messina's Ionian coast. Moreover, experiments were carried out with the benthic decapods Eriphia verrucosa and Pachygrapsus marmoratus from a rocky shore of Messina's Ionian coast. Acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) was determined in homogenates of whole organisms. The key result of this project concerns the different AChE activity basal values of different crustacean species. Particular attention should be paid to the difference in basal activity found between the Antarctic and the Mediterranean species.
Decadal Climatic Anomalies in the Northern Adriatic Sea Inferred from a New Oceanographic Data Set
Authors: Russo Aniello , Rabitti Sandro , Bastianini Mauro
Published: July 2005

Abstract. In 1997, Artegiani et al. depicted for the first time the seasonal climatology of the Adriatic Sea; they used the ATOS data set, formed by 5540 oceanographic stations sampled over this continental basin from 1911 to 1980. Lately, two Italian institutes working on the Adriatic Sea for long time, IBM and IRPEM, merged their recent data sets for the northernmost part of the basin. This yielded 3600 new oceanographic stations, concentrated in an area where 809 ATOS stations were located. The new data were quality checked, and then a seasonal climatology was drawn up as a first analysis step. The new climatology differed significantly from the ATOS results; this could be explained, at least partially, by the climatic changes that have occurred on this area. For example, air temperature increased significantly over northern Italy starting from 1988. Variations of the observed air temperature and Po River runoff qualitatively agree with sea surface temperature and salinity variations. A preliminary computation of heat fluxes based on ECMWF reanalysis confirms an increased heat flux to the Northern Adriatic Sea starting from 1988.
Questionnaire survey on female urinary frequency and incontinence
Authors: TOMOE HIKARU , SEKIGUCHI YUKI , HORIGUCHI MASAKO , TOMA HIROSHI
Published: July 2005

Background: Urinary incontinence is a well‐known bothersome symptom in women, which may cause physical and psychological problems. We conducted a questionnaire survey on female urinary incontinence to investigate the disease's impact on the quality of life (QoL), the reasons women don’t seek medical attention and the information they wished to obtain.

Patients and Methods: From March to October 2002, a member of the Professional Women's Coalition for Sexuality and Health distributed a questionnaire about urinary frequency and urinary incontinence to women who were attending the lectures hosted by the group.

Results: We analysed 262 questionnaires: 158 people belonged to the Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) Group, 36 to the Overactive Bladder (OAB) Group, 22 to the Urinary Frequency (UF) Group and 18 to the Normal Group. ‘Going out’ was most influenced in all three groups with symptoms in their daily life. Compared with the Normal or SUI Group, the QoL in those belonging to the OAB and UF Groups was more deteriorated. The medical institution check‐up rate in the SUI Group was the lowest at 7.1%, bringing down the overall consultation rate to 13.5%. More than 70% of respondents who didn’t have a check‐up said that they did not think it was a problem serious enough to require consultation.

Conclusions: Urinary incontinence and frequency impairs women's QoL. It is important to provide information on these diseases and to provide medical treatments that cater to the needs of individual patients.
Development of Two Search Strategies for Literature in MEDLINE–PubMed: Nursing Diagnoses in the Context of Evidence‐Based Nursing
Authors: Berg Almuth , Fleischer Steffen , Behrens Johann
Published: July 2005

PURPOSE.  To develop and validate search filters for MEDLINE via PubMed according to two categories of the NLINKS‐EBN matrix.

METHODS.  The search results of the search filters were compared to a gold standard.

FINDINGS.  The usage of nursing classification terms for the literature search in evidence‐based nursing (EBN) is still limited because taxonomies are neither widely used in nursing literature nor applied for indexing by MEDLINE. The proposed filters achieved a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 94% for “secondary data” and a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 73% for “diagnostic tests.”

CONCLUSIONS.  The usage of database‐specific search filters are a reliable and valid method to search for nursing classification terms in medical databases.
Quality of Nursing Diagnoses: Evaluation of an Educational Intervention
Authors: Florin Jan , Ehrenberg Anna , Ehnfors Margareta
Published: July 2005

PURPOSE.  To investigate the effects on the quality of nursing diagnostic statements in patient records after education in the nursing process and implementation of new forms for recording.

METHODS.  Quasi‐experimental design. Randomly selected patient records reviewed before and after intervention from one experimental unit (n = 70) and three control units (n = 70). A scale with 14 characteristics pertaining to nursing diagnoses was developed and used together with the instrument (CAT‐CH‐ING) for record review.

FINDINGS.  Quality of nursing diagnostic statements improved in the experimental unit, whereas no improvement was found in the control units. Serious flaws in the use of the etiology component were found.

CONCLUSION.  Nurses must be more concerned with the accuracy and quality of the nursing diagnoses and the etiology component needs to be given special attention.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS.  Education of RNs in nursing diagnostic statements and peer review using standardized evaluation instruments can be means to further enhance RNs’ documentation practice.
TcpF Is a Soluble Colonization Factor and Protective Antigen Secreted by El Tor and Classical O1 and O139
Vibrio cholerae
Serogroups
Authors: Kirn Thomas J. , Taylor Ronald K.
Published: July 2005

Vibrio cholerae
causes diarrhea by colonizing the human small bowel and intoxicating epithelial cells. Colonization is a required step in pathogenesis, and strains defective for colonization are significantly attenuated. The best-characterized
V. cholerae
colonization factor is the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP). It has been demonstrated that TCP is required for
V. cholerae
colonization in both humans and mice. TCP enhances bacterial interactions that allow microcolony formation and thereby promotes survival in the intestine. We have recently discovered that the TCP biogenesis apparatus also serves as a secretion system, mediating the terminal step in the extracellular secretion pathway of TcpF. TcpF was identified in classical isolates of
V. cholerae
O1 as a soluble factor essential for colonization in the infant mouse cholera model. In the present study, we expanded our analysis of TcpF to include the O1 El Tor and O139 serogroups and investigated how TCP and TcpF act together to mediate colonization. Additionally, we demonstrated that antibodies generated against TcpF are protective against experimental
V. cholerae
infection in the infant mouse cholera model. This observation, coupled with the fact that TcpF is a potent mediator of colonization, suggests that TcpF should be considered as a component of a polyvalent cholera vaccine formulation.
An ABC Transporter Containing a Forkhead-Associated Domain Interacts with a Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase and Is Required for Growth of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in Mice
Authors: Curry Juliet M. , Whalan Rachael , Hunt Debbie M. , Gohil Kalpesh , Strom Molly , Rickman Lisa , Colston M. Joseph , Smerdon Stephen J. , Buxton Roger S.
Published: July 2005

Forkhead-associated (FHA) domains are modular phosphopeptide recognition motifs with a striking preference for phosphothreonine-containing epitopes. FHA domains have been best characterized in eukaryotic signaling pathways but have been identified in six proteins in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, the causative organism of tuberculosis. One of these, coded by gene Rv1747, is an ABC transporter and the only one to contain two such modules. A deletion mutant of Rv1747 is attenuated in a mouse intravenous injection model of tuberculosis where the bacterial load of the mutant is 10-fold lower than that of the wild type in both lungs and spleen. In addition, growth of the mutant in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells is significantly impaired. In contrast, growth of this mutant in vitro was indistinguishable from that of the wild type. The mutant phenotype was lost when the mutation was complemented by the wild-type allele, confirming that it was due to mutation of Rv1747. Using yeast two-hybrid analysis, we have shown that the Rv1747 protein interacts with the serine-threonine protein kinase PknF. This interaction appears to be phospho-dependent since it is abrogated in a kinase-dead mutant and by mutations in the presumed activation loop of PknF and in the first FHA domain of Rv1747. These results demonstrate that the protein coded by Rv1747 is required for normal virulent infection by
M. tuberculosis
in mice and, since it interacts with a serine-threonine protein kinase in a kinase-dependent manner, indicate that it forms part of an important phospho-dependent signaling pathway.
N-Linked Glycosylation at Asn3and the Positively Charged Residues within the Amino-Terminal Domain of the C1 Inhibitor Are Required for Interaction of the C1 Inhibitor withSalmonella entericaSerovar Typhimurium Lipopolysaccharide and Lipid A
Authors: Liu Dongxu , Cramer Cort C. , Scafidi Jennifer , Davis Alvin E.
Published: July 2005

The C1 inhibitor (C1INH), a plasma complement regulatory protein, prevents endotoxin shock, at least partially via the direct interaction of its amino-terminal heavily glycosylated nonserpin region with gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To further characterize the potential LPS-binding site(s) within the amino-terminal domain, mutations were introduced into C1INH at the three N-linked glycosylation sites and at the four positively charged amino acid residues. A mutant in which Asn3was replaced with Ala was markedly less effective in its binding to LPS, while substitution of Asn47or Asn59had little effect on binding. The mutation of C1INH at all four positively charged amino acid residues (Arg18, Lys22, Lys30, and Lys55) resulted in near-complete failure to interact with LPS. The C1INH mutants that did not bind to LPS also did not suppress LPS binding or LPS-induced up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages. In addition, the binding of C1INH mutants to diphosphoryl lipid A was decreased in comparison with that of recombinant wild-type C1INH. Therefore, the interaction of C1INH with gram-negative bacterial LPS is dependent both on the N-linked carbohydrate at Asn3and on the positively charged residues within the amino-terminal domain.
Transcriptional Profiling ofVibrio choleraeRecovered Directly from Patient Specimens during Early and Late Stages of Human Infection
Authors: LaRocque Regina C. , Harris Jason B. , Dziejman Michelle , Li Xiaoman , Khan Ashraful I. , Faruque Abu S. G. , Faruque Shah M. , Nair G. B. , Ryan Edward T. , Qadri Firdausi , Mekalanos John J. , Calderwood Stephen B.
Published: July 2005

Understanding gene expression by bacteria during the actual course of human infection may provide important insights into microbial pathogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the transcriptional profile ofVibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, in clinical specimens from cholera patients. We collected samples of human stool and vomitus that were positive by dark-field microscopy for abundant vibrios and used a microarray to compare gene expression in organisms recovered directly from specimens collected during the early and late stages of human infection. Our results reveal thatV. choleraegene expression within the human host environment differs from patterns defined in in vitro models of pathogenesis.tcpA, the major subunit of the essentialV. choleraecolonization factor, was significantly more highly expressed in early than in late stages of infection; however, the genes encoding cholera toxin were not highly expressed in either phase of human infection. Furthermore, expression of the virulence regulatorstoxRSandtcpPHwas uncoupled. Interestingly, the pattern of gene expression indicates that the human upper intestine may be a uniquely suitable environment for the transfer of genetic elements that are important in the evolution of pathogenic strains ofV. cholerae. These findings provide a more detailed assessment of the transcriptome ofV. choleraein the human host than previous studies of organisms in stool alone and have implications for cholera control and the design of improved vaccines.
Specificity ofLegionella pneumophilaandCoxiella burnetiiVacuoles and Versatility ofLegionella pneumophilaRevealed by Coinfection
Authors: Sauer John-Demian , Shannon Jeffrey G. , Howe Dale , Hayes Stanley F. , Swanson Michele S. , Heinzen Robert A.
Published: July 2005

Legionella pneumophilaandCoxiella burnetiiare phylogenetically related intracellular bacteria that cause aerosol-transmitted lung infections. In host cells both pathogens proliferate in vacuoles whose biogenesis displays some common features. To test the functional similarity of their respective intracellular niches, African green monkey kidney epithelial (Vero) cells, A/J mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages, human macrophages, and human dendritic cells (DC) containing matureC. burnetiireplication vacuoles were superinfected withL. pneumophila, and then the acidity, lysosome-associated membrane protein (LAMP) content, and cohabitation of mature replication vacuoles was assessed. In all cell types, wild-typeL. pneumophilaoccupied distinct vacuoles in close association with acidic, LAMP-positiveC. burnetiireplication vacuoles. In murine macrophages, but not primate macrophages, DC, or epithelial cells,L. pneumophilareplication vacuoles were acidic and LAMP positive. Unlike wild-typeL. pneumophila, type IV secretion-deficientdotAmutants trafficked to lysosome-likeC. burnetiivacuoles in Vero cells where they survived but failed to replicate. In primate macrophages, DC, or epithelial cells, growth ofL. pneumophilawas as robust in superinfected cell cultures as in those singly infected. Thus, despite their noted similarities,L. pneumophilaandC. burnetiiare exquisitely adapted for replication in unique replication vacuoles, and factors that maintain theC. burnetiireplication vacuole do not alter biogenesis of an adjacentL. pneumophilareplication vacuole. Moreover,L. pneumophilacan replicate efficiently in either lysosomal vacuoles of A/J mouse cells or in nonlysosomal vacuoles of primate cells.
A Toll-Like Receptor 2-Responsive Lipid Effector Pathway Protects Mammals against Skin Infections with Gram-Positive Bacteria
Authors: Georgel Philippe , Crozat Karine , Lauth Xavier , Makrantonaki Evgenia , Seltmann Holger , Sovath Sosathya , Hoebe Kasper , Du Xin , Rutschmann Sophie , Jiang Zhengfan , Bigby Timothy , Nizet Victor , Zouboulis Christos C. , Beutler Bruce
Published: July 2005

flake (flk
), an
N
-ethyl-
N
-nitrosourea-induced recessive germ line mutation of C57BL/6 mice, impairs the clearance of skin infections by
Streptococcus pyogenes
and
Staphylococcus aureus
, gram-positive pathogens that elicit innate immune responses by activating Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) (K. Takeda and S. Akira, Cell. Microbiol.
5:
143-153, 2003). Positional cloning and sequencing revealed that
flk
is a novel allele of the stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase 1 gene (
Scd1
).
flake
homozygotes show reduced sebum production and are unable to synthesize the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) palmitoleate (C
16:1
) and oleate (C
18:1
), both of which are bactericidal against gram-positive (but not gram-negative) organisms in vitro. However, intradermal MUFA administration to
S. aureus
-infected mice partially rescues the
flake
phenotype, which indicates that an additional component of the sebum may be required to improve bacterial clearance. In normal mice, transcription of
Scd1
—a gene with numerous NF-κB elements in its promoter—is strongly and specifically induced by TLR2 signaling. Similarly, the
SCD1
gene is induced by TLR2 signaling in a human sebocyte cell line. These observations reveal the existence of a regulated, lipid-based antimicrobial effector pathway in mammals and suggest new approaches to the treatment or prevention of infections with gram-positive bacteria.
Resistance to IntestinalEntamoeba histolyticaInfection Is Conferred by Innate Immunity and Gr-1+Cells
Authors: Asgharpour Amon , Gilchrist Carol , Baba Duza , Hamano Shinjiro , Houpt Eric
Published: July 2005

Establishment of intestinal infection withEntamoeba histolyticadepends on the mouse strain; C57BL/6 mice are highly resistant, and C3H/HeJ mice are relatively susceptible. We found that resistance to intestinal infection was independent of lymphocyte activity or H-2 haplotype and occurred in the first hours to days postchallenge according to in vivo imaging. At 18 h postchallenge, the ceca of resistant C57BL/6 mice were histologically unremarkable, in contrast to the severe inflammation observed in susceptible C3H/HeJ mice. Comparison of cecal gene expression in C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6 mice demonstrated that there was parasite-induced upregulation of proinflammatory and neutrophil chemotaxis transcripts and there was downregulation of transforming growth factor β signaling molecules. Pretreatment with dexamethasone abrogated the partial resistance of C3H/HeJ or CBA mice through an innate, lymphocyte-independent mechanism, but it had no effect on the high-level resistance of C57BL/6 mice. Similarly, administration of a neutrophil-depleting anti-Gr-1 monoclonal antibody (RB6-8C5) decreased the partial resistance of CBA mice and led to severe pathology compared to control antibody-treated mice, but it had no effect on C57BL/6 resistance. These data indicate that there are discrete mechanisms of innate resistance toE. histolyticadepending on the host background and, in contrast to other reports, imply that neutrophils are protective and not damaging in intestinal amebiasis.
Modulation of the Lung Inflammatory Response to Serotype 8 Pneumococcal Infection by a Human Immunoglobulin M Monoclonal Antibody to Serotype 8 Capsular Polysaccharide
Authors: Burns Tamika , Abadi Maria , Pirofski Liise-anne
Published: July 2005

The human monoclonal antibody to serotype 8 pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide D11 [immunoglobulin M(κ)] protects wild-type and complement component 4 knockout (C4 KO) mice against lethal intratracheal challenge with serotype 8 pneumococcus, but it does not promote polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)-mediated pneumococcal killing in vitro. In this study, we investigated the effect of D11 on the blood and lung bacterial burdens and the serum and lung expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines in an intratracheal challenge model with serotype 8 pneumococcus in C4 KO mice. Pneumococcus was not detected in the blood of D11-treated mice, whereas control mice had high-grade bacteremia with >107CFU. Control mice had a >5-log increase in lung CFU and D11-treated mice manifested a nearly 3-log increase in lung CFU compared to the original inoculum 24 h after infection. Serum and lung levels of soluble macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) and interleulin-6 (IL-6) as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were lower in D11-treated mice than in control mice 24 h after infection. Real-time PCR was performed to examine lung mRNA chemokine and cytokine expression. The results showed that D11-treated mice had significantly less gamma interferon, MIP-2, IL-12, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1/JE, and tumor necrosis factor alpha expression than control mice 24 h after infection. Histopathology and immunohistochemical staining of lung tissues revealed that D11-treated mice had less inflammation, fewer PMNs, and less myeloperoxidase staining than control mice 24 h after infection. These findings suggest that the efficacy of certain serotype-specific antibodies against pneumococcal pneumonia could be associated with modulation of the lung inflammatory response and a reduction in host damage.
Stimulation of gp91 Phagocytic Oxidase and Reactive Oxygen Species in Neutrophils by an AvirulentSalmonella entericaSerovar Infantis Strain Protects Gnotobiotic Piglets from Lethal Challenge with Serovar Typhimurium Strain F98 without Inducing Intestinal Pathology
Authors: Foster Neil , Hulme Scott , Lovell Margaret , Reed Katharine , Barrow Paul
Published: July 2005

Preinoculation of susceptible 5-day-old gnotobiotic piglets withSalmonella entericaserovar Infantis strain 1326/28Φrstimulates neutrophil migration into the intestine, which rapidly protects the pigs against a subsequent (normally lethal) challenge withS. entericaserovar Typhimurium strain F98. Here we show that inoculation with either 1326/28Φror F98 activated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in neutrophils via NADPH pathways in vivo and in vitro and that the survival of bothSalmonellastrains was increased if neutrophils were cocultured with the ROS inhibitorN-acetylcysteine (captopril). Neither F98 nor 1326/28Φrsignificantly increased reactive nitrogen species (RNS) levels in neutrophils isolated from uninfected pigs. Our results indicate the following: (i) rapid protection of highly susceptible gnotobiotic piglets against F98-induced gastroenteritis by preinoculation with 1326/28Φris likely to be due to stimulation of ROS-producing neutrophils in the intestinal epithelium prior to challenge with the lethal strain; (ii) pathological lesions of the intestine during severe gastroenteritis are not necessarily induced by neutrophil migration per se; and (iii) if neutrophil migration into the intestine is responsible for pathology, then neither increased production of ROS or RNS (in pigs inoculated with the lethal strain) nor reduced production (in protected pigs in which pathological lesions are ameliorated by preinoculation with 1326/28Φr) can account for this phenomenon.