bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A thermodynamic model for silicate melt in CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 to 50 kbar and 1800 °C
Authors: Green E. C. R. , Holland T. J. B. , Powell R.
Published: May 2012

A fully thermodynamic model for mafic melt in CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 (CMAS) has been calibrated, for calculation of melting equilibria in the pressure range 0–50 kbar. It is intended as a preliminary step towards a large‐system melt model, suitable for exploring melting, melt loss and crystallization processes in a wide range of natural rock compositions. Calibration was performed with attention to the model's behaviour in its compositional subsystems, as a rigorous test of model structure and parameterization. The model is consistent with the latest Holland & Powell thermodynamic data set, and can therefore be used to calculate phase relations in conjunction with the many solid‐phase activity–composition models written for the data set. Model calculations successfully reproduce experimental melting reactions in CMAS spinel lherzolite and garnet lherzolite assemblages, as well as sapphirine‐ and kyanite‐bearing assemblages, at moderate to high pressure. Thermodynamically sensitive features, such as thermal divides are also recovered. However, some changes to the model structure will be required before the model can describe the full range of mafic and ultramafic melt compositions known from experiment at low pressures.
Fish Scale Collagen—A Novel Material for Corneal Tissue Engineering
Authors: Krishnan Sasirekha , Sekar Santhanam , Katheem Mohammed Farhan , Krishnakumar Subramanian , Sastry Thotapalli Parvathaleswara
Published: May 2012

The ex vivo cultured limbal stem cells over a biocompatible scaffold are used in the management of limbal stem cell deficiency as an ideal replacement for human amniotic membrane (HAM). A novel source of collagen from fish scales (FSC) was used to fabricate the scaffold. In this study, we have evaluated the physicochemical, mechanical, and culture characteristics of FSC and compared with denuded HAM. The cultured corneal cells were characterized by real‐time polymerase chain reaction for putative stem cell markers. The swelling ratio, collagenase assay, and microbial resistance of FSC gave better results when compared to those of HAM. The mechanical and physical strengths of FSC were good enough to handle when compared to HAM. Under microscopic observation, epithelial migration was noted at the end of 48 h from limbal explants plated on FSC and on HAM at the end of 72 h. By the end of the 15th day, 90 to 100% confluent growth was seen resembling the morphological features of limbal epithelium. In conclusion, FSCs from a novel renewable biological source were optically clear with sufficient strength, and gave encouraging results in culture studies; the same may be tried as potential candidate for corneal transplantation after in vivo studies.
Combining Experts’ Judgments: Comparison of Algorithmic Methods Using Synthetic Data
Authors: Hammitt James K. , Zhang Yifan
Published: May 2012

Expert judgment (or expert elicitation) is a formal process for eliciting judgments from subject‐matter experts about the value of a decision‐relevant quantity. Judgments in the form of subjective probability distributions are obtained from several experts, raising the question how best to combine information from multiple experts. A number of algorithmic approaches have been proposed, of which the most commonly employed is the equal‐weight combination (the average of the experts’ distributions). We evaluate the properties of five combination methods (equal‐weight, best‐expert, performance, frequentist, and copula) using simulated expert‐judgment data for which we know the process generating the experts’ distributions. We examine cases in which two well‐calibrated experts are of equal or unequal quality and their judgments are independent, positively or negatively dependent. In this setting, the copula, frequentist, and best‐expert approaches perform better and the equal‐weight combination method performs worse than the alternative approaches.
Who's Afraid of Rinkeby Swedish? Stylization, Complicity, Resistance
Authors: Milani Tommaso M. , Jonsson Rickard
Published: May 2012

Over the last 30 years, linguistic practices of young people in highly dense urban environments in Sweden (also called Rinkeby Swedish) have become something of a Foucauldian conundrum: a phenomenon to be investigated, a problem to be regulated. The present article will explore the dynamic interplay between the ideologies and practices with regard to Rinkeby Swedish. The article will focus on (1) a panel debate that took place in the context of the annual School Forum (Skolforum) in Stockholm in 2009, and (2) a few school interactions among those adolescents whose linguistic practices have generated so much public concern. The main argument of the article is that both the public debate and the school practices are examples of stylized performances in which the participants simultaneously reproduce and complexify or resist dominant language ideologies, together with the (local) cultural meanings and stereotypes associated with them. [youth styles, ethnicity, parody, language ideology, Rinkeby Swedish]
Amazonian Kichwa Proper: Ethnolinguistic Domain in Pan‐Indian Ecuador
Authors: Wroblewski Michael
Published: May 2012

Pan‐Indian organizing and language standardization are key strategies for indigenous activists advancing cultural legitimacy in the contemporary Latin American sociopolitical order. Planned ethnolinguistic unification by Kichwa activists in Ecuador is paradoxically fueling ethnogenesis among Amazonian Kichwas who see language standardization as a threat to a uniquely indigenous identity that is manifest in local Kichwa dialect. This essay examines the accomplishment of this ongoing ethnogenesis through discourses of linguistic differentiation, suggesting (1) reconsideration of reactionary ethnolinguistic boundary‐drawing under the new Latin American indigenous order, and (2) renewed linguistic anthropological focus on dialects as political resources for objectifying and protecting vernacular identities. [ethnic identity, Kichwa language, dialect, Amazonia, Ecuador]
Laughing to Death: Joking as Support amid Stigma for Zulu‐speaking South Africans Living with HIV
Authors: Black Steven P.
Published: May 2012

Moving beyond the truism that laughter is the best medicine, this article integrates multiple linguistic anthropological models of humor to theorize why joking is so often used to address issues at or beyond the boundaries of what is considered acceptable to talk about in most other contexts. The article analyzes joking about HIV among members of a Zulu gospel choir who are living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, identifying the precise linguistic features that choir members used in dealing with stigma by means of joking interactions. Three properties of joking about HIV are discussed, and it is suggested that these properties may operate cross‐culturally in other genres of humor in which individuals approach topics that are shameful, embarrassing, upsetting or taboo. Utilizing anthropological perspectives on genre, poetics, and play, this article discusses linguistic properties of joking that make it ideal for constructing and contesting support amid stigma. [humor, stigma, verbal art, joking, HIV/AIDS in South Africa]
Forensic Analysis of mtDNA Haplotypes from Two Rural Communities in Haiti Reflects Their Population History
Authors: Wilson Jamie L. , Saint‐Louis Vertus , Auguste Jensen O. , Jackson Bruce A.
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  Very little genetic data exist on Haitians, an estimated 1.2 million of whom, not including illegal immigrants, reside in the United States. The absence of genetic data on a population of this size reduces the discriminatory power of criminal and missing‐person DNA databases in the United States and Caribbean. We present a forensic population study that provides the first genetic data set for Haiti. This study uses hypervariable segment one (HVS‐1) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) nucleotide sequences from 291 subjects primarily from rural areas of northern and southern Haiti, where admixture would be minimal. Our results showed that the African maternal genetic component of Haitians had slightly higher West‐Central African admixture than African‐Americans and Dominicans, but considerably less than Afro‐Brazilians. These results lay the foundation for further forensic genetics studies in the Haitian population and serve as a model for forensic mtDNA identification of individuals in other isolated or rural communities.
Progress towards genetic and pharmacological therapies for keratin genodermatoses: current perspective and future promise
Authors: Chamcheu Jean Christopher , Wood Gary S. , Siddiqui Imtiaz A. , Syed Deeba N. , Adhami Vaqar M. , Teng Joyce M. , Mukhtar Hasan
Published: May 2012

Hereditary keratin disorders of the skin and its appendages comprise a large group of clinically heterogeneous disfiguring blistering and ichthyotic diseases, primarily characterized by the loss of tissue integrity, blistering and hyperkeratosis in severely affected tissues. Pathogenic mutations in keratins cause these afflictions. Typically, these mutations in concert with characteristic features have formed the basis for improved disease diagnosis, prognosis and most recently therapy development. Examples include epidermolysis bullosa simplex, keratinopathic ichthyosis, pachyonychia congenita and several other tissue‐specific hereditary keratinopathies. Understanding the molecular and genetic events underlying skin dysfunction has initiated alternative treatment approaches that may provide novel therapeutic opportunities for affected patients. Animal and in vitro disease modelling studies have shed more light on molecular pathogenesis, further defining the role of keratins in disease processes and promoting the translational development of new gene and pharmacological therapeutic strategies. Given that the molecular basis for these monogenic disorders is well established, gene therapy and drug discovery targeting pharmacological compounds with the ability to reinforce the compromised cytoskeleton may lead to promising new therapeutic strategies for treating hereditary keratinopathies. In this review, we will summarize and discuss recent advances in the preclinical and clinical modelling and development of gene, natural product, pharmacological and protein‐based therapies for these disorders, highlighting the feasibility of new approaches for translational clinical therapy.
Role of high endothelial postcapillary venules and selected adhesion molecules in periodontal diseases: a review
Authors: Kasprzak A. , Surdacka A. , Tomczak M. , Konkol M.
Published: May 2012

Periodontitis is accompanied by the proliferation of small blood vessels in the gingival lamina propria. Specialized postcapillary venules, termed periodontal high endothelial‐like venules, are also present, and demonstrate morphological and functional traits similar to those of high endothelial venules (HEVs) in lymphatic organs. The suggested role of HEVs in the pathogenesis of chronic periodontitis involves participation in leukocyte transendothelial migration and therefore proinflammatory effects appear. Recent observations suggest that chronic periodontitis is an independent risk factor for systemic vascular disease and may result in stimulation of the synthesis of acute phase protein by cytokines released by periodontal high endothelial cells (HECs). However, tissue expression of HEV‐linked adhesion molecules has not been evaluated in the gingiva of patients with chronic periodontitis. This is significant in relation to potential therapy targeting expression of the adhesion molecules. In this review, current knowledge of HEV structure and the related expression of four surface adhesion molecules of HECs [CD34, platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1, endoglin and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1)], involved in the key steps of the adhesion cascade in periodontal diseases, are discussed. Most studies on the expression of adhesion molecules in the development and progression of periodontal diseases pertain to ICAM‐1 (CD54). Studies by the authors demonstrated quantitatively similar expression of three of four selected surface markers in gingival HEVs of patients with chronic periodontitis and in HEVs of reactive lymph nodes, confirming morphological and functional similarity of HEVs in pathologically altered tissues with those in lymphoid tissues.
New method for extracting plant indicators based on their adaptive responses to management practices: application to semi‐natural and artificial grassland data
Authors: Koyanagi Tomoyo , Kusumoto Yoshinobu , Hiradate Syuntaro , Morita Sayaka , Yokogawa Masashi , Takahashi Yoshitaka , Sato Chiyoshi
Published: May 2012

Questions

What is the best way to identify plant indicators for monitoring the responses of semi‐natural grassland communities to various management practices (i.e. burning, burning and mowing, burning and grazing)? Can a multi‐trait plant functional group (PFG) approach extract indicator species more effectively than a single‐trait approach?

Location

Semi‐natural and artificial grasslands in the northern and eastern parts of the somma of Mt. Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

Methods

We analysed a data set from 203 semi‐natural and artificial grassland vegetation plots (each 1 m × 1 m), and compared species and functional compositions among the management types and between the northern and eastern locations using non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Potential indicator species were extracted by indicator species analysis (INSPAN) and compared with the results of single‐trait and multi‐trait PFG approaches, which classify plant species into groups based on individual or combinations of traits (growth form, life span, dispersal mode, flowering season and plant height).

Results

Only the multi‐trait PFG approach successfully clustered the vegetation plots for each management type. Semi‐natural burned‐and‐grazed grasslands in the eastern and northern regions were characterized by a specific PFG among 21 PFGs, whereas the same three PFGs characterized the burned‐and‐mowed semi‐natural grassland of the two regions. The extracted PFGs represent combinations of vegetative, dispersal and reproductive traits (e.g. short, wind‐ and animal‐dispersed species for grazed semi‐natural grasslands; tall, summer‐flowering forbs for mowed semi‐natural grasslands). As compared to indicator species extracted by the multi‐trait PFG approach, INSPAN extracted additional indicator species, but some of these were inappropriate.

Conclusions

We identified PFGs representing each management type and characterized species adaptations to different disturbance regimes, such as mowing and grazing. Among the species extracted by INSPAN, only those classified into the representative PFGs can serve as indicators for characterizing managed semi‐natural grasslands. Our findings indicate that using a multi‐trait PFG approach can provide reasonable plant indicators for monitoring grassland communities throughout the regions when combined with a species‐based INSPAN approach. This proposed method would contribute to the conservation of plant biodiversity in threatened semi‐natural grazed and mowed grasslands.
Salivary flow rate and risk of malnutrition – a study among dentate, community‐dwelling older people
Authors: Syrjälä Anna‐Maija H. , Pussinen Päivi I. , Komulainen Kaija , Nykänen Irma , Knuuttila Matti , Ruoppi Piia , Hartikainen Sirpa , Sulkava Raimo , Ylöstalo Pekka
Published: May 2012

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2012.00679.x

Salivary flow rate and risk of malnutrition – a study among dentate, community‐dwelling older people

Objective:  To analyse the relation between unstimulated and stimulated salivary secretion and the risk of malnutrition among home‐dwelling elderly people.

Background:  Saliva has an important role in eating. Despite this, there are only a few studies on the role of salivary secretion in the development of malnutrition among elderly people.

Materials and methods:  The study population consisted of 157 subjects aged 75 or older. This was a part of GeMS study carried out in Kuopio, in eastern Finland. The data used in this study were collected by means of interviews and geriatric and oral clinical examinations. The risk of malnutrition was measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short‐Form. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (CI).

Results:  Subjects with a low unstimulated salivary flow rate (<0.1 ml/min) or stimulated salivary flow rate (<1.0 ml/min) had no statistically significant increase in risk of malnutrition, OR: 1.3, CI: 0.5–3.9, OR: 1.5, CI: 0.5–4.2, respectively, when compared with those with a normal unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rate.

Conclusion:  Our results do not support the concept that low salivary secretion is an important risk factor for malnutrition among community‐dwelling elders.
A highly conserved tryptophan in the N‐terminal variable domain regulates disulfide bond formation and oligomeric assembly of adiponectin
Authors: Radjainia Mazdak , Huang Bosheng , Bai Bo , Schmitz Michael , Yang Sung H. , Harris Paul W. R. , Griffin Michael D. W. , Brimble Margaret A. , Wang Yu , Mitra Alok K.
Published: May 2012

Adiponectin is a collagenous adipokine with direct anti‐diabetic and anti‐atherogenic properties. It can assume an ensemble of oligomeric states, e.g. trimers, hexamers and octadecamers, each being involved in distinct signaling pathways relevant to adiponectin’s diverse biological function in metabolism, immunity, inflammation and cellular homeostasis. Assembly of the active variants principally the octadecameric high molecular weight form is achieved via the tightly controlled oxidation of cysteine 39 located in the adiponectin hyper‐variable domain (AHD, residues 18–44) between the signal sequence and the collagen‐like domain. We show that mutation of a highly conserved tryptophan (W42A) in the AHD profoundly affects assembly by trapping full‐length adiponectin in the oxidized trimeric or hexameric states with a concomitant major reduction in the high molecular weight form. Our biophysical measurements on synthesized analogues of the AHD suggests that the aberrant oligomer distribution can be explained based on the fact that the proximity of W42 to C39 causes a reduction in the rate of C39 oxidation, an effect that to our knowledge has not been documented before. At the biological level, the perturbed oligomer distribution of full‐length mutant adiponectin leads to a major reduction in the AMP‐activated protein kinase activation in endothelial cells and liver tissues.

Structured digital abstract

 Adiponectin and Adiponectin bind by molecularsieving (Viewinteraction)

 Adiponectin and Adiponectin bind by molecularsieving (View Interaction: 1, 2, 3, 4)

 Adiponectin and Adiponectin bind by cosedimentation in solution (View interaction)

 Adiponectinphysically interacts with ERP44and DsbA‐L by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (View interaction)

 Adiponectin and Adiponectin bind by nuclear magnetic resonance (View interaction)

 Adiponectin and Adiponectin bind by transmission electron microscopy (View interaction)
A methodology to evaluate disease severity: a case study of chestnut blight in El Bierzo region (northwestern Spain)
Authors: Tizado E.J. , Terrón A. , Núñez‐Pérez E.
Published: May 2012

Correct knowledge of the incidence and severity of disease is essential for implementation of timely and effective management control strategies. In this article, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) is applied to evaluate the severity of chestnut blight incited by the ascomyceteous fungus Cryphonectria parasitica. This economically important bark disease leads to the loss of an important part of the chestnut production and the progressive death of the tree. A total of 7240 living European chestnut (Castanea sativa) trees across 452 plots were surveyed in El Bierzo, NW Spain. For each tree, the main stem and canopy were visually assessed for signs of the pathogen and/or symptoms of the disease and the extent of the disease was classified on a qualitative ordinal scale consisting of six levels. The statistical procedure is useful because it quickly analyses measurable, discrete observations from assessed individuals to provide a disease severity measure related to tree features and disease extension inside the tree. The results indicated that the penetration of the pathogen is located in the lower part of the crown and spreads to the tips of the branches in the upper part of the crown. Thus, our results suggest that man‐made wounds, when the tree was grafted or pruned, are the main channel of pathogen penetration in El Bierzo region. Disease severity estimates and incidence data for C. parasitica across the region were compared. From the perspective of the management and control of the disease, a disease severity value provides a more accurate indication of the scenario of the disease in a region than presence or absence data alone.
Effects of local vegetation and plantation age for the parasitoid Asecodes mento– a biocontrol agent in organic strawberry fields
Authors: Stenberg Johan A.
Published: May 2012

Abstract  The parasitoid Asecodes mento (Walker, 1839) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is the most important biocontrol agent of the strawberry leaf beetle Galerucella tenella (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in northern Europe. Here, I investigated whether natural parasitism in organic strawberry plantations was affected by the presence of the alternative host plant meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), and whether parasitism rates differed between plantations of different ages (6 to 79 years). I also investigated whether parasitoid brood size, body size and sex ratio differed between the two host plants in the field. Parasitism was very low (0%) in newly established plantations and increased to a plateau (∼40%) in fields where strawberries had been grown for approximately 20 years or longer. Such an extended colonization process is unacceptable for commercial growers. It would thus be desirable to find a method to catalyze parasitoid population buildup in young plantations. Parasitoid brood sizes were larger in beetles collected from meadowsweet, while body size and sex ratio did not differ between parasitoids collected from the two plants. These findings suggest that meadowsweet can export parasitoids to neighboring strawberry fields. Although this is a possibility, I did not find any significant differences in parasitism rates between isolated strawberry fields and fields adjacent to meadowsweet stands, indicating that effects of local vegetation are small on parasitism rates. Releasing parasitoids in newly established strawberry plantations may be a better strategy for quickly obtaining high parasitism than intercropping with meadowsweet.
Immunoadsorption in Dermatology
Authors: Meyersburg Damian , Schmidt Enno , Kasperkiewicz Michael , Zillikens Detlef
Published: May 2012

Immunoadsorption (IA) has been successfully used in a large variety of autoantibody‐mediated disorders. In dermatology, IA is increasingly applied as adjuvant treatment for severe and/or refractory autoimmune bullous diseases. These disorders are characterized by autoantibodies against structural proteins of the skin and/or mucous membranes and include, among others, pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus, and bullous pemphigoid. Autoimmune blistering diseases are associated with a high mortality (pemphigus) or morbidity (bullous pemphigoid) and in particular in pemphigus diseases, treatment is challenging. The pathogenetic role of autoantibodies in most of the immunobullous diseases has been clearly demonstrated, therefore, removal of these autoantibodies is a rational therapeutic approach. IA has been shown to effectively lower the serum autoantibodies and to lead to rapid clinical responses. Most recently, IA has been successfully applied in patients with severe atopic dermatitis and high total serum IgE levels. Here, the different treatment protocols, clinical efficacy, and adverse events are summarized.
Relevance of Deterministic Structures for Modeling of Transport: The Lauswiesen Case Study
Authors: Händel Falk , Dietrich Peter
Published: May 2012

Knowledge of site‐specific contaminant transport processes is an essential requirement for performing various tasks concerning the protection and management of groundwater resources. However, prediction of their behavior is often difficult, especially in heterogeneous aquifers because of the lack of information about flow‐ and transport‐governing subsurface structures and parameters. Hence, stochastic approaches have been developed and frequently used. However, extensive modeling studies on sedimentary structures have shown that consideration of hydrogeological subunits and their distribution can be essential for transport modeling. A case study from the intensely investigated Lauswiesen site is used to demonstrate that more accurate predictions are possible with improved knowledge of deterministic structures. Results of this case study using direct‐push injection logging (DPIL) provide a more reliable characterization of hydraulic conductivity than sieve and flow meter data.
Design and Testing of a Convenient Benchtop Sandbox for Controlled Flow Experiments
Authors: Bowen Ian R. , Devlin J.F. , Schillig Peter C.
Published: May 2012

A benchtop sandbox constructed from nested storage tanks (NeSTs), was assembled for studying flow and transport in porous media. Molded plastic storage containers, purchased at a department store, were modified to fashion the tanks. The remaining construction materials were also inexpensive and the NeST design made it virtually leak‐proof. The uniformity of flow in the NeST was evaluated with three independent tracer tests. Estimated velocities were within about ±20% including all test results, indicating a high degree of predictability and uniformity in the flow. The NeST is a simple and robust tool suitable for research and teaching purposes, particularly for the testing of flow measurement sensors like the point velocity probes.
Evaluation of obesity as an independent risk factor for medically attended laboratory‐confirmed influenza
Authors: Coleman Laura A. , Waring Stephen C. , Irving Stephanie A. , Vandermause Mary , Shay David K. , Belongia Edward A.
Published: May 2012

Please cite this paper as: Coleman et al. (2013) Evaluation of obesity as an independent risk factor for medically attended laboratory‐confirmed influenza. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(2) 160–167.

Background  The relationship between obesity and susceptibility to influenza infection in humans is unclear. Morbidly obese people were at an increased risk of complications from 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza [A(H1N1)pdm09].

Objective  The goal of this study was to determine whether medically attended, laboratory‐confirmed influenza is independently associated with obesity in adults with acute respiratory illness.

Patients/Methods  Adults ≥20 years with a medical encounter for acute respiratory illness were recruited from a population cohort during the 2007–2008 (n = 903), 2008–2009 (n = 869), and 2009 pandemic (n = 851) season. Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza by real‐time reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using data from the electronic medical record. Logistic regression evaluated the association between influenza and obesity, adjusting for gender, vaccination, age, and high‐risk medical condition.

Results  Influenza was detected in 50% of patients in 2007–2008, 15% in 2008–2009, and 14% during the 2009 pandemic. Predominant seasonal viruses in this population were A/H3N2 in 2007–2008, and A/H1N1 and B in 2008–2009. Mean (±SD) BMI was 30·58 (±7·31) in patients with influenza and 30·93 (±7·55) in test‐negative controls during all seasons. Mean BMI of patients with influenza did not vary by season. After adjusting for confounders, neither obesity nor extreme obesity were associated with influenza by season or for all years combined (OR 0·95: 95% CI 0·75, 1·20 and 1·10: 0·80, 1·52, respectively, for obesity and extreme obesity, all years).

Conclusions  Obesity was not associated with medically attended influenza among adults with acute respiratory illness in this population.
Pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) infection among 2009 Hajj Pilgrims from Southern Iran: a real‐time RT‐PCR‐based study
Authors: Ziyaeyan Mazyar , Alborzi Abdolvahab , Jamalidoust Marziyeh , Moeini Mahsa , Pouladfar Gholam R. , Pourabbas Bahman , Namayandeh Mandana , Moghadami Mohsen , Bagheri‐Lankarani Kamran , Mokhtari‐Azad Talat
Published: May 2012

Please cite this paper as: Ziyaeyan et al. (2012) Pandemic 2009 influenza A H1N1 infection among 2009 Hajj Pilgrims from Southern Iran: a real‐time RT‐PCR‐based study. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(601), e80–e84.

Background  Hajj is a mass gathering undertaken annually in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The 2009 Hajj coincided with both the pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 (A(H1N1)pdm09) and seasonal types of influenza A viruses. The interaction between pandemic influenza and Hajj could cause both a high level of mortality among the pilgrims and the spread of infection in their respective countries upon their return home.

Objective  The present study attempted to determine the point prevalence of A(H1N1)pdm09 among returning Iranian pilgrims, most of whom had been vaccinated for seasonal influenza but not A(H1N1)pdm09.

Methods  Pharyngeal swabs were collected from 305 pilgrims arriving at the airport in Shiraz, Iran. RNA was extracted from the samples and A(H1N1)pdm09 and other seasonal influenza A viruses were detected using TaqMan real‐time PCR. For A(H1N1)pdm09‐positive samples, the sensitivity to oseltamivir was also evaluated.

Results  Subjects included 132 (43·3%) men and 173 (56·7%) women, ranging in age from 24 to 65 years. The A(H1N1)pdm09 virus was detected in five (1·6%) pilgrims and other influenza A viruses in eight (2·6%). All the A(H1N1)pdm09 were sensitive to oseltamivir.

Conclusions  Only five cases were found to be positive for A(H1N1)pdm09, and it seems unlikely that the arrival of infected pilgrims to their homelands would cause an outbreak of a new wave of infection there. Thus, the low morbidity and mortality rates among the pilgrims could be attributed to the characteristics of A(H1N1)pdm09, which causes morbidity and mortality in a way similar to the seasonal influenza infections, absence of high‐risk individuals among the Iranian pilgrims, and the instructions given to them about contact and hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette.
Changes in Selected Physical Property and Enzyme Activity of Rice and Barley Koji during Fermentation and Storage
Authors: Bechman Allison , Phillips Robert D. , Chen Jinru
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  Koji are solid‐state fermentation products made by inoculating steamed grains with the spores of fungi, particularly Aspergillus spp. This research was undertaken to identify the fermentation and storage conditions optimal for the production and maintenance of selected hydrolytic enzymes, such as α‐amlyase and protease, in koji. Steamed rice and barley were inoculated with 2 × 10 11Aspergillus oryzae spores per kilogram of grains and fermented for 118 h in a growth chamber at 28 to 32 °C with controlled relative humidities. Samples were drawn periodically during fermentation and storage at –20, 4, or 32 °C, and α‐amylase and protease activity, mold counts, aw, moisture contents, and pH of collected samples were determined. It was observed that the aw, moisture contents, and pH of the koji were influenced by the duration of fermentation and temperature of storage. The α‐amylase activity of both koji increased as the populations of A. oryzae increased during the exponential growth phase. The enzyme activity of barley koji was significantly higher than that of rice koji, reaching a peak activity of 211.87 or 116.57 U at 46 and 58 h, respectively, into the fermentation process. The enzyme activity in both products started to decrease once the mold culture entered the stationary growth phase. The protease activities of both koji were low and remained relatively stable during fermentation and storage. These results suggest that rice and barley koji can be used as sources of α‐amylase and desired enzyme activity can be achieved by controlling the fermentation and storage conditions.

Practical Application:  Amylases and proteases are 2 important hydrolytic enzymes. In the food industry, these enzymes are used to break down starches and proteins while reducing the viscosity of foods. Although amylases and proteases are found in plants and animals, commercial enzymes are often produced using bacteria or molds through solid state fermentation, which is designed to use natural microbial process to produce enzymes in a controlled environment. A properly produced and maintained koji with a high hydrolytic enzyme activity can serve as an important source of the enzymes for the food industry.
Translocation and Cross‐Contamination of E. coli O157 in Beef Eye‐of‐Round Subprimal Cuts Processed with High‐Pressure Needleless Injection
Authors: Jefferies Laura K. , Hansen Conly L. , Steele Frost M.
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  High‐pressure needleless injection (HPNI) is an emerging enhancing process where small‐diameter, high‐velocity bursts of liquid penetrate soft foods at pressures up to 69 MPa. The incidence and depth of translocated surface‐inoculated E. coli O157 in HPNI‐processed beef eye‐of‐round subprimal cuts was determined. HPNI translocated E. coli O157 from the surface to the interior of the eye‐of‐round subprimal cuts with incidence of 40% (± 7%), 25% (± 8%), and 25% (± 8)% for subprimals that had been surface‐inoculated with a 4‐strain cocktail at 0.5, 1, and 2 log10 CFU/cm2, respectively. The run‐off water was collected and found to contain 2, 2, and 3 log10 CFU/mL E. coli O157. The runoff was reused for HPNI of additional subprimals, and this resulted in a cross‐contamination incidence of 83% (± 4%), 60% (± 15%), and 37% (± 6)%. Incidence of translocation and cross‐contamination was similar at 0 to 1, 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4, 4 to 6, and 6 to 8 cm below the inoculated surface. Results indicate that surface microbiota on beef will be carried to the interior of HPNI‐processed beef by initial translocation from the surface with the injected fluid and by cross‐contamination with recycled fluid.

Practical Application:  This research has practical relevance for the beef enhancement process called high‐pressure needleless injection. The process's effect on surface bacteria on beef was studied.
Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Various Solvent Extracts from Impatiens balsamina L. Stems
Authors: Su Bu‐Li , Zeng Rong , Chen Jin‐Yin , Chen Chu‐Ying , Guo Juan‐Hua , Huang Chang‐Gan
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities as well as the quantity of phenolic substances of Impatiens balsamina L. stem extracts obtained with various solvent were determined in this study. All of the extracts possessed moderate antioxidant potential in the 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and reducing power assays. Antimicrobial activity was estimated using the cylinder‐plate and agar dilution methods against four bacterial and six fungal strains. The extracts showed good antimicrobial activity especially antifungal activity against all of the tested microorganisms. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents ranged from 2.88 to 13.63 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dried extract and 0.98 to 7.87 mg quercetin equivalents/g dried extract, respectively. The results presented here indicate that the I. balsamina stem extracts have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and are therefore a potential source of antioxidant and antimicrobial agents for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Practical Application:  Our work indicates that the I. balsamina stem may be a good candidate as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents. It can be applied in food industry for preservation.
Optimization of Cold‐Adapted Lysozyme Production from the Psychrophilic Yeast Debaryomyces hansenii Using Statistical Experimental Methods
Authors: Wang Quanfu , Hou Yanhua , Yan Peisheng
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  Statistical experimental designs were employed to optimize culture conditions for cold‐adapted lysozyme production of a psychrophilic yeast Debaryomyces hansenii. In the first step of optimization using Plackett‐Burman design (PBD), peptone, glucose, temperature, and NaCl were identified as significant variables that affected lysozyme production, the formula was further optimized using a four factor central composite design (CCD) to understand their interaction and to determine their optimal levels. A quadratic model was developed and validated. Compared to the initial level (18.8 U/mL), the maximum lysozyme production (65.8 U/mL) observed was approximately increased by 3.5‐fold under the optimized conditions.

Practical Application:  Cold‐adapted lysozymes production was first optimized using statistical experimental methods. A 3.5‐fold enhancement of microbial lysozyme was gained after optimization. Such an improved production will facilitate the application of microbial lysozyme. Thus, D. hansenii lysozyme may be a good and new resource for the industrial production of cold‐adapted lysozymes.
Analytical Traceability of Melon (Cucumis Melo Var Reticulatus): Proximate Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Antioxidant Capacity in Relation to Cultivar, Plant Physiology State, and Seasonal Variability
Authors: Maietti Annalisa , Tedeschi Paola , Stagno Caterina , Bordiga Matteo , Travaglia Fabiano , Locatelli Monica , Arlorio Marco , Brandolini Vincenzo
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  Two morphologically different cultivars of Italian melons (Baggio and Giusto) were characterized considering samples harvested in different times, at the beginning (BPP) and at the end of the physiological plant production period (EPP). Proximate composition, protein, minerals, pH, phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, condensed tannins, and flavonoids were measured, showing a significant decrease in EPP samples (phenolics, antioxidant capacity, condensed tannins, and flavonoids); ascorbic acid decreased in Giusto cv, carotenoids in Baggio cv. Mineral content increased in either the cultivars (EPP samples). Year‐to‐year difference was significantly highlighted; the plant growing cycle significantly affected the chemotype. Despite these effects, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) permitted the discrimination of Baggio from Giusto cv, and the discrimination of BPP from EPP samples as well.
Stability of the Physical Properties of Plasticized Edible Films from Squid (Todarodes pacificus) Mantle Muscle during Storage
Authors: Leerahawong Akasith , Tanaka Munehiko , Okazaki Emiko , Osako Kazufumi
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  Edible films from squid mantle muscle plasticized with different plasticizers were stored at 25 °C, 50% RH before the determination of physical properties. The results showed that tensile strength significantly increased (P < 0.05) upon the storage time, especially for the film plasticized with glucose, while there was no significant change (P≥ 0.05) in elongation at break of all plasticized films. Water vapor permeability of glucose‐plasticized film significantly decreased (P < 0.05) during storage, while there was only a slight change in those with glycerol, sorbitol, and fructose. Redness and yellowness of the films became significantly higher (P < 0.05) during storage, especially for the films plasticized with fructose and glucose. SDS‐PAGE and protein solubility in SDS solution showed a possibility of protein aggregation throughout the storage. From these results, it is suggested that the changes in physical properties of the films were caused by the progress of Maillard reaction.

Practical Application:  In this study, squid mantle muscle was used as an edible film‐forming material. By mixing with Na‐citrate, squid mantle muscle possessed the ability to form transparent films with an excellent UV barrier property. Glycerol was found to be the most effective and stable plasticizer for the films. Edible films represent an option for the utilization of discarded squid during the fishing process.
The Low Level Laser Therapy Effect on the Remodeling of Bone Extracellular Matrix
Authors: de Souza Merli Luiz Antonio , de Medeiros Valquíria Pereira , Toma Leny , Reginato Rejane Daniele , Katchburian Eduardo , Nader Helena B. , Faloppa Flavio
Published: May 2012

The low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used as an option to accelerate the regeneration of bone tissue. In this study, both femurs of male Wistar rats (30 animals) were injured with a drill and the effect of LLLT using a laser diode (100 mW at 660 nm) in the bone matrix on the left paw measured. LLLT effect on the healing bone tissue matrix was evaluated by a combination of immunohistochemical histomorphometry, confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and isolation and characterization of glycosaminoglycans. Histomorphometric analysis showed that LLLT increased bone matrix and showing more organized. Alcian Blue and PAS staining seems to suggest differential glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins. The data showed increased expression of chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid, after reduction as the LLLT and mature bone, resembling the expression of osteonectin and biglycan. The difference in expression of siblings (DMP‐1, OPN and BSP) is in accordance with the repair accelerated bone formation after the application of LLLT as compared with control. The expression of osteonectin and osteocalcin supports their role in bone mineralization protein, indicating that LLLT accelerates this process. The overall data show that LLLT bone changes dynamic array, shortening the time period involved in the bone repair.
A Method to Evaluate Mode Effects on the Mean and Variance of a Continuous Variable in Mixed‐Mode Surveys
Authors: Vannieuwenhuyze Jorre T. A. , Loosveldt Geert , Molenberghs Geert
Published: May 2012

Les enquêtes à mode de collecte mixte, dans lesquelles le choix du mode de réponse est laissé aux personnes interrogées, sont de plus en plus répandues. Cette possibilité du choix du mode de réponse peut induire une confusion entre deux sortes d'effets : les effets de sélection et les effets de mesure. L'estimation séparée de ces deux effets est impossible à partir des seules données d'une enquête à mode de collecte mixte. Dans cet article, nous montrons comment la même estimation devient possible à partir d'une comparaison entre les résultats d'une enquête à mode de collecte mixte et ceux d'un enquête à mode de collecte unique basées sur le même questionnaire. La méthode que nous proposons permet d'estimer l'effet du mode de réponse sur la moyenne et la variance d'une variable de réponse continue. Elle est illustrée par l'estimation des effets du mode de réponse sur six questions relatives aux opinions vis‐à‐vis des enquêtes.
The presence and role of bacterial quorum sensing in activated sludge
Authors: Chong Grace , Kimyon Onder , Rice Scott A. , Kjelleberg Staffan , Manefield Mike
Published: May 2012

Activated sludge used for wastewater treatment globally is composed of a high‐density microbial community of great biotechnological significance. In this study the presence and purpose of quorum sensing via N‐acylated‐l‐homoserine lactones (AHLs) in activated sludge was explored. The presence of N‐heptanoyl‐l‐homoserine lactone in organic extracts of sludge was demonstrated along with activation of a LuxR‐based AHL monitor strain deployed in sludge, indicating AHL‐mediated gene expression is active in sludge flocculates but not in the bulk aqueous phase. Bacterial isolates from activated sludge were screened for AHL production and expression of phenotypes commonly but not exclusively regulated by AHL‐mediated gene transcription. N‐acylated‐l‐homoserine lactone and exoenzyme production were frequently observed among the isolates. N‐acylated‐l‐homoserine lactone addition to sludge upregulated chitinase activity and an AHL‐ and chitinase‐producing isolate closely related to Aeromonas hydrophila was shown to respond to AHL addition with upregulation of chitinase activity. N‐acylated‐l‐homoserine lactones produced by this strain were identified and genes ahyI/R and chiA, encoding AHL production and response and chitinase activity respectively, were sequenced. These experiments provide insight into the relationship between AHL‐mediated gene expression and exoenzyme activity in activated sludge and may ultimately create opportunities to improve sludge performance.
Nutlet micromorphology of Turkish Stachys sect. Eriostomum (Lamiaceae) and its systematic implications
Authors: Satıl Fatih , Kaya Ayla , Akçiçek Ekrem , Dirmenci Tuncay
Published: May 2012

The nutlet morphology of 32 taxa of Stachys sect. Eriostomum (Lamiaceae) has been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a detailed description of the nutlet morphological features of all examined taxa is provided. We found some groups within Stachys sect. Eriostomum that present nutlet micromorphological characters that appear to be useful in the species‐level taxonomy. The basic shape of nutlets in most taxa is obovoid or ± rounded and the size ranged between 1.5 and 3.0 mm in length and between 1.0 and 2.5 mm in width. Five basic types of sculpturing can be distinguished: reticulate–tuberculate, reticulate–smooth, reticulate–slightly furrowed, colliculate–tuberculate, colliculate–smooth. The reticulate type is the most common among the studied species. The colliculate type is characteristic for S. minor and S. cretica subsp. vacillans. Subsection Spectabiles with reticulate‐smooth/slightly furrowed sculpturing is easily distinguished from the other subsections. In addition, nutlet micromorphology is useful for separating the subspecies of S. cretica. The systematic and biological implications of the nutlet characteristics are briefly discussed.
Anthropologists as Cognitive Scientists
Authors: Astuti Rita , Bloch Maurice
Published: May 2012

Anthropology combines two quite different enterprises: the ethnographic study of particular people in particular places and the theorizing about the human species. As such, anthropology is part of cognitive science in that it contributes to the unitary theoretical aim of understanding and explaining the behavior of the animal species Homo sapiens. This article draws on our own research experience to illustrate that cooperation between anthropology and the other sub‐disciplines of cognitive science is possible and fruitful, but it must proceed from the recognition of anthropology’s unique epistemology and methodology.
Cognitive Anthropological Fieldwork
Authors: Le Guen Olivier
Published: May 2012

In their introduction, Beller et al. point to important issues regarding the problematic interaction of anthropology and cognitive sciences (CS). I address some of these issues in stressing first some limitations of the current state of the fields of anthropology and CS. In the second half of this article, using data from studies I have been conducting among the Yucatec Mayas (Mexico), I present some concrete cases where anthropological and CS methods and approaches are complementary. Finally, I propose some solutions to find common ground and ways to improve cross‐disciplinary collaboration.
Detection and Characterization of Hepatitis E Virus in Domestic Pigs of Different Ages in Portugal
Authors: Berto A. , Mesquita J. R. , Hakze‐van der Honing R. , Nascimento M. S. J. , van der Poel W. H. M.
Published: May 2012

This study represents the primary hepatitis E virus (HEV) surveillance in domestic pigs in Portugal, five pig farms were investigated in 5 different Portuguese regions, ten faecal samples were collected at four different stages of the production. All faecal samples were tested for hepatitis E virus by real‐time RT‐PCR. At least one sample from each farms of all age groups tested positive for HEV. The prevalence in the pig herds varied from 10% to 30% and the mean prevalence was 32% in weaners, 20% in growers, 32% in fatteners and 4% in adult dry sows. Phylogenetic analysis of the detected HEV sequences indicated that the circulating virus strains belong under the genotype 3.