bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women’s Experiences of Their Violent Behavior in an Intimate Partner Relationship
Authors: Flinck Aune , Paavilainen Eija
Published: January 2010

The purpose of this study was to describe women’s perceptions of their violent behavior in a heterosexual partnership. The study followed the traditions of Husserlian descriptive phenomenology and the philosophy of existential phenomenology. Twenty-four volunteer Finnish women, aged 19 to 58 years, with a history of different manifestations of intimate partner violence (IPV) participated in open-ended interviews. The data were analyzed by the method developed by Colaizzi. The findings revealed that some of the women who opposed all violence on ethical grounds did not label their behavior as violent; some others minimized or justified their violent behavior. The findings offer professional insight into women’s violent behavior and call for a readjustment in approaches to work in the area. Prevention and early identification of IPV require knowledge of the various manifestations and individual meanings of violence. Helping methods should provide women with the opportunity to talk about their abusive behavior and to confront and address their feelings of guilt, disappointment, and shame.
Florid Capsular and Pericapsular Papillary Endothelial Proliferation Associated With Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Schmitz Bruno A. , Singh Charanjeet , Gulbahce H. Evin , Manivel J. Carlos , Pambuccian Stefan E.
Published: December 2009

Papillary endothelial hyperplasia (PEH) occurring within or around the capsule of thyroid neoplasms is rare. Such Masson-like lesions, which have been attributed to fine needle aspiration—induced injury and thrombosis, can mimic tumor angioinvasion or vascular neoplasms. This study reports the case of a poorly differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid that was accompanied by more than 10 foci of pericapsular and peritumoral papillary endothelial hyperplasia, one of which contained a tumor embolus. The vessels within the papillary fronds had CD31- and CD34-staining blood vessels but were lined by D2-40 staining endothelial cells, which were continuous with the lining of the spaces within which PEH had developed. This suggests that, in contrast to Masson’s lesions that develop within blood vessels as a result of thrombosis, pericapsular PEH associated with thyroid neoplasms develops within lymphatics, possibly related to lymphangiogenic factors secreted by the thyroid neoplasms.
Granulosa Cell Tumor of the Broad Ligament
Authors: Czernobilsky Bernard , Lifschitz-Mercer Beatriz , Trejo Leonor , Atlas Ilan
Published: December 2009

This is a report of a paratubal adult granulosa cell tumor (GCT) located within the right broad ligament in a 62-year-old woman. These are rare tumors with only 8 cases reported so far. Because of an overlap of topographic, morphologic, and immunohistochemical features, it is not always possible to differentiate between the broad ligament GCT and female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin (FATWO). Although nuclear grooving is not an exclusive feature of GCT and can be seen in a variety of other neoplasms, in the context of the differential diagnosis between broad ligament GCT and FATWO, the presence of this feature may be very useful in establishing the diagnosis of broad ligament GCT.
Participant Perceptions of Risk and Benefit in Carbon Forestry: Evidence From Central Tanzania
Authors: Bozmoski Alexander S. , Hultman Nathan E.
Published: December 2009

This article addresses forestry projects attempting to register with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Advocates argue that forestry projects have significant potential for sequestering carbon, contributing to livelihood improvements, and promoting sustainable development in developing countries—especially African countries with predominately agrarian economies and relatively high GHG emissions from land-use change. Through a comparison of two carbon-forestry projects in central Tanzania, we investigated both the livelihood effects of these projects and the risk and benefit perceptions of project administrators and the government. Both projects have been unable to gain national government approval, and we find evidence of mixed benefits for local communities. Village communities participating in one program consistently identified environmental and social benefits of planting trees locally and judged them as more important than carbon payments. A key variable is ownership, as villagers that have forfeited their land to a plantation have little stake in the program, whereas villagers participating in a community-based program own their trees. Our results suggest that enhancing ties to local ownership can contribute to sustainable development while better enhancing the potential of the carbon market to work for the rural poor in developing countries.
Tradable Permits in Developing Countries: Evidence From Air Pollution in Chile
Authors: Coria Jessica , Sterner Thomas
Published: December 2009

Santiago was one of the first cities outside the OECD to implement a tradable permit program to control air pollution. This article looks closely at the program’s performance over the past 10 years, stressing its similarities and discrepancies with trading programs implemented in developed countries and analyzing how it has reacted to regulatory adjustments and market shocks. Studying Santiago’s experience allows us to say that a middle-income country such as Chile is capable of implementing this type of scheme even if much work remains before the design is really satisfactory. Considering the urgency of improving the environment in many of these countries, it is important to use the whole range of potential instruments.
Lifting the Home Care Veil From Depression: OASIS-C and Evidence-Based Practice
Authors: Cabin William D.
Published: December 2009

There is a high prevalence of depression among the general elderly population. There is an even higher prevalence among elderly receiving home health care, with a conservative estimate of 13.5% having clinically defined major depression. The Medicare Home Health Benefit provides limited coverage, eligibility, and payment for mental health services, and the national Outcome Assessment and Information Set (OASIS) assessment instrument has had limited requirements on assessing, diagnosing, and treating depression. However, the new OASIS-C significantly increases the depression-related requirements, though still not requiring assessments and not adding prospective payment reimbursement for patients with depression. The new OASIS-C requirements provide a gateway to home care providers seeking to expand depression care, especially combined with evidence-based models of primary care—based collaborative depression management programs such as the Improving Mood-Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment (IMPACT) program. The article explains IMPACT, explores its cost savings and care improvement outcomes, and explores how Medicare and private duty home care providers might use IMPACT-type models to improve their patient care and agency fiscal health.
Promoting Sustainability in Frontline Home Care Aides: Understanding Factors Affecting Job Retention in the Home Care Workforce
Authors: Faul Anna C. , Schapmire Tara J. , D'Ambrosio Joseph , Feaster Dennis , Oak C. Shawn , Farley Amanda
Published: December 2009

With the growth of the older adult population increasing at an exponential rate, caring for this population has become increasingly difficult. As many choose to age in place (i.e., in the home environment), both the public and private sectors are being forced to respond. The emergence of home health care and the employment of home care aides is one of the ways that the industry has evolved to meet this crisis. However, retention of home care aides has proven problematic. This study explores factors affecting home care aide retention in agencies that employ home care aides. A sample of 116 home care aides employed by three agencies was surveyed to identify retention issues relative to the home care aide. A hypothetical model of home care aid job retention was tested with a hierarchical regression analysis, where 11 variables were entered in five steps, using a time-sequenced order. The results indicated that the hypothetical model was able to explain 41% of the variance in months employed as home care aides, with age, education, wages earned, and intrinsic satisfaction as the most significant contributors to the model. Being able to predict retention of home care aides allows employing agencies to realign themselves to retain workers and improve quality of care. However, it is important to realize that the same traits that predict retention among home care aides may also leave these workers vulnerable to exploitation.
Information Deficits in Home Care: A Barrier to Evidence-Based Disease Management
Authors: Bowles Kathryn H. , Pham Julie , O'Connor Melissa , Horowitz David A.
Published: December 2009

A disease management study conducted in home care with 303 patients with diabetes, heart failure, or both revealed information deficits that make disease and quality management difficult. Nurses used a guideline checklist to indicate the amount and type of information available to them on admission and by the end of the episode of care. Nurses reported having data on 7% to 94% of the data elements. Whether a lipid profile had been done, the HbA1C (glycosolated hemoglobin test, also called a hemoglobin A1C) levels, or ejection fractions were known for 7%, 17%, and 18%, respectively. When nurses reported information related to ACE-I use (N = 183), they reported that 76% of patients were on ACE-I (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) or acceptable alternative for heart failure. But no information was reported on ACE-I use for 12% of the patients (N = 24). Potential solutions to these deficits in information and quality include increased use of guidelines in home care, guideline checklists, information transfer forms, nurse activism to request information, and the adoption of the electronic health record.
Application of the Nursing Process in a Clinical Mentoring Experience in Lesotho, Africa
Authors: Jayne Bohanan Robin
Published: December 2009

The need for cultural awareness and sensitivity increases when a nurse is immersed in a cross-cultural clinical experience. The nursing process is a foundational process in nursing that is not bound by culture. Through working in Lesotho, Africa, for 6 weeks in a rural government-based health center, a nurse mentor used the nursing process both in developing the mentoring role and in teaching about HIV care provision. The assigned role for the nurse was to serve as a clinical mentor for providers and to develop a plan that increased access and improved delivery of HIV care to the people in the community.
Culturally Competent Communication With Refugees
Authors: Rowe Jimmy , Paterson Jeff
Published: December 2009

This article explores the role of cultural competency for those who provide health care services to refugees. It illustrates how cross-cultural communication is a “receiver phenomenon,” placing a special burden on the sender to ensure effective cross-cultural communication by understanding the patients’ individual needs within a cultural context. The article also provides practical tips to improve cross-cultural communication and navigate the language barriers that occur when working with refugee populations.
An Inquiry Into the Impact of Suspect Race on Police Use of Tasers
Authors: Gau Jacinta M. , Mosher Clayton , Pratt Travis C.
Published: December 2009

The academic literature has yet to fully examine one of the newer implements in police officers’ repertoire of less-than-lethal weapons: The Taser. There is a lack of information regarding the circumstances under which police are more or less likely to use this device and, in particular, there is limited information as to potential racial discrepancies. The present study tests for a relationship between suspects’ race and police officers’ use of Tasers. The findings suggest the presence of a moderate relationship, with Hispanic suspects being twice as likely as Whites to have Tasers used against them. Hispanic ethnicity, although not the primary determinant of Taser use, proved to increase the likelihood that a suspect would be subdued with a Taser. This finding has implications for police policy and for future research.
Comparing Focus Group and Individual Responses on Sensitive Topics: A Study of Water Decision Makers in a Desert City
Authors: Wutich Amber , Lant Timothy , White Dave D. , Larson Kelli L. , Gartin Meredith
Published: December 2009

Focus groups have gained a reputation for facilitating data collection about sensitive topics. However, we know little about how focus group methods perform compared to individual response formats, particularly for sensitive topics. The goal of this study is to assess how well focus groups perform when compared to individual responses collected using open-ended self-administered questionnaires for sensitive policy-making topics among water decision makers in Phoenix, Arizona. The analysis compares focus group and self-administered questionnaire responses among fifty-five decision makers for three types of sensitive topics: competence, risk, and gatekeeping. The results indicate that respondents (1) gave similar responses in group and open-ended self-administered questionnaires when discussion topics were only moderately sensitive, (2) volunteered less information in focus groups than in open-ended self-administered questionnaires for very sensitive topics when there did not appear to be a compelling reason for respondents to risk being stigmatized by other group members, and (3) volunteered more information in focus groups than in open-ended self-administered questionnaires for very sensitive topics when there appeared to be an opportunity to exchange important information or solve a pressing problem. The authors conclude that multimethod research—including individual and group response formats—may be the best strategy for collecting data from decision makers about sensitive policy-related issues.
Piratical Cultural Studies: Transgressive Individualism Reconsidered
Authors: Puzar Aljosa
Published: December 2009

The essay adopts a broadly used trope of piracy/“piracy” to exemplify the possible need for an individualistic and neo-vitalist agenda (along with a conventional and mutually intolerant “postmarxist-communal” and/or “liberal-pragmatist-policy-oriented” approach) regarding both the methodology and the social mission of cultural studies. Relevant regional and family history of/ from the Croatian/Slovenian/Italian three-border zone is considered, along with auto-ethnographic accounts of the author’s own piratical inspirations and transgressions regarding his action research on sexual violence in South Korea. By juxtaposing political and personal chronologies with literary histories, and by situating outbursts of transgressive empowerment and revolutionary intervention side-by-side with tacit interstices and disruptions of violence, this contribution aims to evoke and exemplify the complexity of socially engaged cultural studies.
Integrative Literature Review: Performance Interventions That Assist Chinese Expatriates’ Adjustment and Performance: Toward a Conceptual Approach
Authors: Wood Evan D. , El Mansour Bassou
Published: December 2009

China continues to rapidly grow globally. As China’s global presence continues to grow, the use of Chinese expatriates around the world will seemingly grow as well. However, little attention is paid to Chinese multinational corporations and their use of expatriates in the literature, while a growing collection of literature focusing on Western expatriates exists. This is a conceptual article that examines the extant literature on any performance interventions designed to improve the adjustment and performance of Chinese expatriates. The article synthesizes the existing literature, concluding with a series of propositions, an initial framework of performance interventions across the phases of the expatriate assignment, and a research agenda designed to move the literature forward.
Can the Therapeutic Gain of Radiotherapy Be Increased by Concurrent Administration of Asian Botanicals?
Authors: Sagar Stephen M.
Published: December 2009

Therapeutic gain by radiotherapy can be achieved through improved targeting, selectively sensitizing malignant cells, or protecting normal tissue. The majority of synthetic chemical radiation sensitizers and normal tissue protectors have proved to be too toxic at effective clinical doses. However, Asian botanicals (from both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine) are being evaluated for their ability to improve therapeutic gain through the modulation of reactive oxygen species. An increase in the efficacy of radiotherapy on tumor tissue allows a reduction in the dose applied to normal tissues. In addition, some botanicals may selectively protect normal tissue or increase its repair following radiation therapy. The results are promising enough to consider clinical trials.
Antiserum against Raoultella terrigena ATCC 33257 identifies a large number of Raoultella and Klebsiella clinical isolates as serotype O12
Authors: Mertens Katja , Müller-Loennies Sven , Stengel Petra , Podschun Rainer , Hansen Dennis S. , Mamat Uwe
Published: January 2010

Raoultella terrigena ATCC 33257, recently reclassified from the genus Klebsiella, is a drinking water isolate and belongs to a large group of non-typeable Klebsiella and Raoultella strains. Using an O-antiserum against a capsule-deficient mutant of this strain, we could show a high prevalence (10.5%) of the R. terrigena O-serotype among non-typeable, clinical Klebsiella and Raoultella isolates. We observed a strong serological cross-reaction with the K. pneumoniae O12 reference strain, indicating that a large percentage of these non-typeable strains may belong to the O12 serotype, although these are currently not detectable by the K. pneumoniae O12 reference antiserum in use. Therefore, we analyzed the O-polysaccharide (O-PS) structure and genetic organization of the wb gene cluster of R. terrigena ATCC 33257, and both confirmed a close relation of R. terrigena and K. pneumoniae O12. The two strains possess an identical O-PS, lipopolysaccharide core structure, and genetic organization of the wb gene cluster. Heterologous expression of the R. terrigena wb gene cluster in Escherichia coli K-12 resulted in the WecA-dependent synthesis of an O-PS reactive with the K. pneumoniae O12 antiserum. The serological data presented here suggest a higher prevalence of the O12-serotype among Klebsiella and Raoultella isolates than generally assumed.
Individualizing hypertension treatment with impedance cardiography: a meta-analysis of published trials
Authors: Ferrario Carlos M. , Flack John M. , Strobeck John E. , Smits Gerard , Peters Celine
Published: December 2009

Objective: Hypertension affects 73 million Americans and costs the US healthcare system over $73 billion annually. Despite increasing awareness of the consequences of uncontrolled hypertension, numerous antihypertensive pharmacologic clinical studies and consistent updates to hypertension guidelines, control rates are suboptimal and have not met national goals. Among treated hypertensives, only 45% of women and 51% of men have reached blood pressure (BP) levels below 140/90 mmHg. Individualization of antihypertensive regimens with hemodynamic information from impedance cardiography (ICG) has been advocated to further improve hypertension control rates. We therefore undertook a quantitative analysis of the trials evaluating the role of ICG as an adjunct to therapeutic decision-making in the treatment of hypertension and the attainment of BP control.

Methods: Five studies comprising a total population of 759 patients met the inclusion criteria. Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving a total of 268 patients and three single-arm prospective trials with 491 patients were evaluated using ICG data to guide therapeutic decision-making in the treatment of hypertensive patients.

Results: Significant benefit was found in both RCTs for ICG-guided BP treatment. The combined odds ratio for the two trials was 2.41 (95% CI = 1.44-4.05, p = 0.0008), in favor of ICG treatment, meaning that it was more than twice as likely to achieve BP success when using ICG than if ICG was not used. Success attainment of goal BP of <140/90 mmHg was 67% in the ICG-guided arms of the combined randomized trials. Overall success in the single-arm prospective trials of ICG-guided BP treatment was a similar 68%.

Conclusion: The results of this meta-analysis confirm the value of using ICG-derived hemodynamic data as an adjunct to therapeutic decision-making in the treatment of hypertension. The data reviewed here demonstrate that ICG-based approaches are in keeping with previously advocated strategies incorporating patient-individualized drug regimens, evidence-based medicine, and practical, easy to apply, cost-effective principles to further improve hypertension control rates.
Overcoming clinical inertia to achieve blood pressure goals: the role of fixed-dose combination therapy
Authors: Basile Jan , Neutel Joel
Published: December 2009

The treatment of hypertension should cause blood pressure (BP) changes that reduce the long-term risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There are considerable clinical benefits to be gained by promptly treating patients to recognized BP goals, particularly for those at high risk. This may be achieved by the use of combination therapy as first-line treatment. However, despite widely acknowledged therapeutic guidelines, there are significant gaps between current treatment recommendations and their implementation in clinical practice. One important explanation for inadequate treatment and subsequent poor BP control is clinical inertia. Undertreatment and clinical inertia may sometimes be mistaken for treatment-resistant hypertension, as is often the case in specific patient populations whose disease is often considered a challenge to treat because of a greater risk of cardiovascular complications (e.g. Blacks, obese patients, and those with diabetes). The availability of fixed-dose drug combinations may address some of the common misconceptions thought to promote clinical inertia. Few studies have specifically focused on subpopulations with difficult-to-treat hypertension that is uncontrolled on monotherapies. One example is an ongoing 20-week, multicenter, prospective, blinded endpoint, dose-titration, treat-to-goal study evaluating the efficacy and safety of initial fixed-dose combination therapy with amlodipine/olmesartan medoxomil, and further up-titration with hydrochlorothiazide, in patients with hypertension who are uncontrolled on antihypertensive monotherapy. This study may demonstrate the benefits of treating patients with hypertension to goal using initial fixed-dose combination therapy, even in patients considered to be at a higher risk of cardiovascular complications.
Treating reactive arthritis: insights for the clinician
Authors: Carter John D.
Published: December 2009

There are two main forms of reactive arthritis (ReA): postvenereal and postdysentery. Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the major causative organism of the postvenereal type; Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, and Yersinia are the major triggers for the postenteric type. All of these causative organisms have been shown to traffic to the synovium in affected individuals. However, one important difference is that the chlamydial organisms have been shown to be viable, whereas, in general, the postenteric organisms are not. Although estimates vary widely, it is felt that 30-50% of all cases of ReA become chronic and the remainder resolve spontaneously within weeks to months. These important differences need to be considered when reviewing the available therapeutic outcomes data. There is a relative paucity of prospective clinical trial data assessing various treatment strategies. A large breadth of clinical experience demonstrates that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids are efficacious, but there have only been two rather small trials assessing NSAIDs and none with corticosteroids. Disease modifying drugs are sometimes utilized in more severe or chronic cases, but only sulfasalazine (SSZ) has been studied. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy has proved remarkably efficacious with other types of spondyloarthritides, but there is very little data to support their use in ReA; theoretical concerns also exist with this drug class in ReA, specifically. Finally, antibiotics have been studied in several trials. A thorough analysis of these trials reveals equivocal results with a possible particular benefit in postchlamydial ReA. These data are reviewed with an emphasis on postchlamydial and postenteric ReA.
Immunoglobulin heavy chain locus chromosomal translocations in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: rare clinical curios or potent genetic drivers?
Authors: Dyer Martin J. S. , Akasaka Takashi , Capasso Melania , Dusanjh Palminder , Lee Yin Fai , Karran E. Loraine , Nagel Inga , Vater Inga , Cario Gunnar , Siebert Reiner
Published: December 2009

Chromosomal translocations involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) locus define common subgroups of B-cell lymphoma but are rare in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). Recent fluorescent in situ hybridization and molecular cloning studies have identified several novel IGH translocations involving genes that play important roles in normal hemopoiesis, including the cytokine receptor genes CRLF2 and EPOR, all members of the CCAAT enhancer-binding protein gene family, as well as genes not normally expressed in hemopoietic cells including inhibitor of DNA binding 4. IGH translocation results in deregulated target gene expression because of juxtaposition with IGH transcriptional enhancers. However, many genes targeted by IGH translocations are also more commonly deregulated in BCP-ALL as a consequence of other genetic or epigenetic mechanisms. For example, interstitial genomic deletions also result in deregulated CRLF2 expression, whereas EPOR expression is deregulated as a consequence of the ETV6-RUNX1 fusion. The possible clinical importance of many of the various IGH translocations in BCP-ALL remains to be determined from prospective studies, but CRLF2 expression is associated with a poor prognosis. Despite their rarity, IGH chromosomal translocations in BCP-ALL therefore define not only new mechanisms of B-cell transformation but also clinically important subgroups of disease and suggest new targeted therapeutic approaches.
Verification of the susceptibility loci on 7p12.2, 10q21.2, and 14q11.2 in precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia of childhood
Authors: Prasad Rashmi B. , Hosking Fay J. , Vijayakrishnan Jayaram , Papaemmanuil Elli , Koehler Rolf , Greaves Mel , Sheridan Eamonn , Gast Andreas , Kinsey Sally E. , Lightfoot Tracy , Roman Eve , Taylor Malcolm , Pritchard-Jones Kathy , Stanulla Martin , Schrappe Martin , Bartram Claus R. , Houlston Richard S. , Kumar Rajiv , Hemminki Kari
Published: December 2009

Recent genome-wide association data have implicated genetic variation at 7p12.2 (IKZF1), 10q21.2 (ARIDB5), and 14q11.2 (CEBPE) in the etiology of B-cell childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). To verify and further examine the relationship between these variants and ALL risk, we genotyped 1384 cases of precursor B-cell childhood ALL and 1877 controls from Germany and the United Kingdom. The combined data provided statistically significant support for an association between genotype at each of these loci and ALL risk; odds ratios (OR), 1.69 (P = 7.51 ×10−22), 1.80 (P = 5.90 × 10−28), and 1.27 (P = 4.90 × 10−6), respectively. Furthermore, the risk of ALL increases with an increasing numbers of variant alleles for the 3 loci (ORper-allele = 1.53, 95% confidence interval, 1.44-1.62; Ptrend = 3.49 × 10−42), consistent with a polygenic model of disease susceptibility. These data provide unambiguous evidence for the role of these variants in defining ALL risk underscoring approximately 64% of cases.
Dengue virus–induced hemorrhage in a nonhuman primate model
Authors: Onlamoon Nattawat , Noisakran Sansanee , Hsiao Hui-Mien , Duncan Alexander , Villinger Francois , Ansari Aftab A. , Perng Guey Chuen
Published: December 2009

Lack of a dengue hemorrhagic animal model recapitulating human dengue virus infection has been a significant impediment in advancing our understanding of the early events involved in the pathogenesis of dengue disease. In efforts to address this issue, a group of rhesus macaques were intravenously infected with dengue virus serotype 2 (strain 16 681) at 1 × 107 PFU/animal. A classic dengue hemorrhage developed 3 to 5 days after infection in 6 of 6 animals. Blood chemistry appeared to be normal with exception of creatine phosphokinase, which peaked at 7 days after infection. A modest thrombocytopenia and noticeable neutropenia concomitant with slight decrease of hemoglobin and hematocrit were registered. In addition, the concentration of D-dimer was elevated significantly. Viremia peaked at 3 to 5 days after infection followed by an inverse relationship between T and B lymphocytes and a bimodal pattern for platelet-monocytes and platelet-neutrophil aggregates. Dengue virus containing platelets engulfed by monocytes was noted at 8 or 9 days after infection. Thus, rhesus macaques inoculated intravenously with a high dose of dengue virus produced dengue hemorrhage, which may provide a unique platform to define the early events in dengue virus infection and help identify which blood components contribute to the pathogenesis of dengue disease.
What lessons have been learnt from animal models of MRSA in the lung?: Table 1—
Authors: Martínez-Olondris P. , Rigol M. , Torres A.
Published: December 2009

Staphylococcus aureusis one of the most common causes of nosocomial pneumonia contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic options for patients with methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA) infection are limited. In addition, little is known about theS. aureusvirulence factors that may influence the presentation and prognosis of severe lower respiratory tract infections. Animal models of severe pneumonia allow investigators to control and exclude potential confounders and to examine the influence of comorbid conditions. Therefore, these models may improve our knowledge of the intimate pathophysiological mechanisms affecting pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of therapy. So far, animal research studies on MRSA and vancomycin-resistantS. aureus, performed both in small and large animal models, have improved knowledge of the mechanisms of disease, which may lead to a better treatment for this severe and complex infection in humans.
Identification of four novel phosphorylation sites in estrogen receptor α: impact on receptor-dependent gene expression and phosphorylation by protein kinase CK2
Authors: Williams Christopher C , Basu Aninda , El-Gharbawy Abeer , Carrier Latonya M , Smith Carolyn L , Rowan Brian G
Published: December 2009

Background

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) phosphorylation is important for estrogen-dependent transcription of ER-dependent genes, ligand-independent receptor activation and endocrine therapy response in breast cancer. However ERα phosphorylation at the previously identified sites does not fully account for these receptor functions. To determine if additional ERα phosphorylation sites exist, COS-1 cells expressing human ERα were labeled with [32P]H3PO4
in vivo and ERα tryptic phosphopeptides were isolated to identify phosphorylation sites.

Results

Previously uncharacterized phosphorylation sites at serines 46/47, 282, 294, and 559 were identified by manual Edman degradation and phosphoamino acid analysis and confirmed by mutagenesis and phospho-specific antibodies. Antibodies detected phosphorylation of endogenous ERα in MCF-7, MCF-7-LCC2, and Ishikawa cancer cell lines by immunoblot. Mutation of Ser-282 and Ser-559 to alanine (S282A, S559A) resulted in ligand independent activation of ERα as determined by both ERE-driven reporter gene assays and endogenous pS2 gene expression in transiently transfected HeLa cells. Mutation of Ser-46/47 or Ser-294 to alanine markedly reduced estradiol dependent reporter activation. Additionally protein kinase CK2 was identified as a kinase that phosphorylated ERα at S282 and S559 using motif analysis, in vitro kinase assays, and incubation of cells with CK2 kinase inhibitor.

Conclusion

These novel ERα phosphorylation sites represent new means for modulation of ERα activity. S559 represents the first phosphorylation site identified in the extreme C-terminus (F domain) of a steroid receptor.
Evaluation of fecal mRNA reproducibility via a marginal transformed mixture modeling approach
Authors: George Nysia I , Lupton Joanne R , Turner Nancy D , Chapkin Robert S , Davidson Laurie A , Wang Naisyin
Published: January 2010

Background

Developing and evaluating new technology that enables researchers to recover gene-expression levels of colonic cells from fecal samples could be key to a non-invasive screening tool for early detection of colon cancer. The current study, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to investigate and report the reproducibility of fecal microarray data. Using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) as a measure of reproducibility and the preliminary analysis of fecal and mucosal data, we assessed the reliability of mixture density estimation and the reproducibility of fecal microarray data. Using Monte Carlo-based methods, we explored whether ICC values should be modeled as a beta-mixture or transformed first and fitted with a normal-mixture. We used outcomes from bootstrapped goodness-of-fit tests to determine which approach is less sensitive toward potential violation of distributional assumptions.

Results

The graphical examination of both the distributions of ICC and probit-transformed ICC (PT-ICC) clearly shows that there are two components in the distributions. For ICC measurements, which are between 0 and 1, the practice in literature has been to assume that the data points are from a beta-mixture distribution. Nevertheless, in our study we show that the use of a normal-mixture modeling approach on PT-ICC could provide superior performance.

Conclusions

When modeling ICC values of gene expression levels, using mixture of normals in the probit-transformed (PT) scale is less sensitive toward model mis-specification than using mixture of betas. We show that a biased conclusion could be made if we follow the traditional approach and model the two sets of ICC values using the mixture of betas directly. The problematic estimation arises from the sensitivity of beta-mixtures toward model mis-specification, particularly when there are observations in the neighborhood of the the boundary points, 0 or 1. Since beta-mixture modeling is commonly used in approximating the distribution of measurements between 0 and 1, our findings have important implications beyond the findings of the current study. By using the normal-mixture approach on PT-ICC, we observed the quality of reproducible genes in fecal array data to be comparable to those in mucosal arrays.
A laser pointer driven microheater for precise local heating and conditional gene regulation in vivo. Microheater driven gene regulation in zebrafish
Authors: Placinta Mike , Shen Meng-Chieh , Achermann Marc , Karlstrom Rolf O
Published: December 2009

Background

Tissue heating has been employed to study a variety of biological processes, including the study of genes that control embryonic development. Conditional regulation of gene expression is a particularly powerful approach for understanding gene function. One popular method for mis-expressing a gene of interest employs heat-inducible heat shock protein (hsp) promoters. Global heat shock of hsp-promoter-containing transgenic animals induces gene expression throughout all tissues, but does not allow for spatial control. Local heating allows for spatial control of hsp-promoter-driven transgenes, but methods for local heating are cumbersome and variably effective.

Results

We describe a simple, highly controllable, and versatile apparatus for heating biological tissue and other materials on the micron-scale. This microheater employs micron-scale fiber optics and uses an inexpensive laser-pointer as a power source. Optical fibers can be pulled on a standard electrode puller to produce tips of varying sizes that can then be used to reliably heat 20-100 μm targets. We demonstrate precise spatiotemporal control of hsp70l:GFP transgene expression in a variety of tissue types in zebrafish embryos and larvae. We also show how this system can be employed as part of a new method for lineage tracing that would greatly facilitate the study of organogenesis and tissue regulation at any time in the life cycle.

Conclusion

This versatile and simple local heater has broad utility for the study of gene function and for lineage tracing. This system could be used to control hsp-driven gene expression in any organism simply by bringing the fiber optic tip in contact with the tissue of interest. Beyond these uses for the study of gene function, this device has wide-ranging utility in materials science and could easily be adapted for therapeutic purposes in humans.
A genomic glimpse of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Bhatt Tarun Kumar , Kapil Charu , Khan Sameena , Jairajpuri Mohamad Aman , Sharma Vinay , Santoni Daniele , Silvestrini Francesco , Pizzi Elisabetta , Sharma Amit
Published: December 2009

Background

Plasmodiumparasites are causative agents of malaria which affects >500 million people and claims ~2 million lives annually. The completion ofPlasmodiumgenome sequencing and availability of PlasmoDB database has provided a platform for systematic study of parasite genome. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are pivotal enzymes for protein translation and other vital cellular processes. We report an extensive analysis of thePlasmodium falciparumgenome to identify and classifyaaRSsin this organism.

Results

Using various computational and bioinformatics tools, we have identified 37aaRSs inP. falciparum. Our key observations are: (i) fraction of proteome dedicated toaaRSs inP. falciparumis very high compared to many other organisms; (ii) 23 out of 37Pf-aaRSsequences contain signal peptides possibly directing them to different cellular organelles; (iii) expression profiles ofPf-aaRSsvary considerably at various life cycle stages of the parasite; (iv) severalPfaaRSsposses very unusual domain architectures; (v) phylogenetic analyses reveal evolutionary relatedness of several parasiteaaRSs to bacterial and plantsaaRSs; (vi) three dimensional structural modelling has provided insights which could be exploited in inhibitor discovery against parasiteaaRSs.

Conclusion

We have identified 37Pf-aaRSsbased on our bioinformatics analysis. Our data reveal several unique attributes in this protein family. We have annotated all 37Pf-aaRSsbased on predicted localization, phylogenetics, domain architectures and their overall protein expression profiles. The sets of distinct features elaborated in this work will provide a platform for experimental dissection of this family of enzymes, possibly for the discovery of novel drugs against malaria.
In vitromodeling of host-parasite interactions: the 'subgingival' biofilm challenge of primary human epithelial cells
Authors: Guggenheim Bernhard , Gmür Rudolf , Galicia Johnah C , Stathopoulou Panagiota G , Benakanakere Manjunatha R , Meier André , Thurnheer Thomas , Kinane Denis F
Published: December 2009

Background

Microbial biofilms are known to cause an increasing number of chronic inflammatory and infectious conditions. A classical example is chronic periodontal disease, a condition initiated by the subgingival dental plaque biofilm on gingival epithelial tissues. We describe here a new model that permits the examination of interactions between the bacterial biofilm and host cells in general. We use primary human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC) and an in vitro grown biofilm, comprising nine frequently studied and representative subgingival plaque bacteria.

Results

We describe the growth of a mature 'subgingival' in vitro biofilm, its composition during development, its ability to adapt to aerobic conditions and how we expose in vitro a HGEC monolayer to this biofilm. Challenging the host derived HGEC with the biofilm invoked apoptosis in the epithelial cells, triggered release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and in parallel induced rapid degradation of the cytokines by biofilm-generated enzymes.

Conclusion

We developed an experimental in vitro model to study processes taking place in the gingival crevice during the initiation of inflammation. The new model takes into account that the microbial challenge derives from a biofilm community and not from planktonically cultured bacterial strains. It will facilitate easily the introduction of additional host cells such as neutrophils for future biofilm:host cell challenge studies. Our methodology may generate particular interest, as it should be widely applicable to other biofilm-related chronic inflammatory diseases.
Selective control of primer usage in multiplex one-step reverse transcription PCR
Authors: Hidalgo Ashrafi Elena , Yee Joyclyn , Paul Natasha
Published: December 2009

Background

Multiplex RT-PCR is a valuable technique used for pathogen identification, disease detection and relative quantification of gene expression. The simplification of this protocol into a one-step procedure saves time and reagents. However, intensive PCR optimization is often required to overcome competing undesired PCR primer extension during the RT step.

Results

Herein, we report multiplex one-step RT-PCR experiments in which the PCR primers contain thermolabile phosphotriester modification groups. The presence of these groups minimizes PCR primer extension during the RT step and allows for control of PCR primer extension until the more stringent, elevated temperatures of PCR are reached. Results reveal that the use of primers whose extension can be controlled in a temperature-mediated way provides improved one-step RT-PCR specificity in both singleplex and multiplex reaction formats.

Conclusions

The need for an accurate and sensitive technique to quantify mRNA expression levels makes the described modified primer technology a promising tool for use in multiplex one-step RT-PCR. A more accurate representation of the abundances in initial template sample is feasible with modified primers, as artifacts of biased PCR are reduced because of greater improvements in reaction specificity.
Magnetic resonance flow velocity and temperature mapping of a shape memory polymer foam device
Authors: Small Ward , Gjersing Erica , Herberg Julie L , Wilson Thomas S , Maitland Duncan J
Published: December 2009

Background

Interventional medical devices based on thermally responsive shape memory polymer (SMP) are under development to treat stroke victims. The goals of these catheter-delivered devices include re-establishing blood flow in occluded arteries and preventing aneurysm rupture. Because these devices alter the hemodynamics and dissipate thermal energy during the therapeutic procedure, a first step in the device development process is to investigate fluid velocity and temperature changes following device deployment.

Methods

A laser-heated SMP foam device was deployed in a simplified in vitro vascular model. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques were used to assess the fluid dynamics and thermal changes associated with device deployment.

Results

Spatial maps of the steady-state fluid velocity and temperature change inside and outside the laser-heated SMP foam device were acquired.

Conclusions

Though non-physiological conditions were used in this initial study, the utility of MRI in the development of a thermally-activated SMP foam device has been demonstrated.
Dynamic maps: a visual-analytic methodology for exploring spatio-temporal disease patterns
Authors: Castronovo Denise A , Chui Kenneth KH , Naumova Elena N
Published: December 2009

Background

Epidemiologic studies are often confounded by the human and environmental interactions that are complex and dynamic spatio-temporal processes. Hence, it is difficult to discover nuances in the data and generate pertinent hypotheses. Dynamic mapping, a method to simultaneously visualize temporal and spatial information, was introduced to elucidate such complexities. A conceptual framework for dynamic mapping regarding principles and implementation methods was proposed.

Methods

The spatio-temporal dynamics of Salmonella infections for 2002 in the U.S. elderly were depicted via dynamic mapping. Hospitalization records were obtained from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services. To visualize the spatial relationship, hospitalization rates were computed and superimposed onto maps of environmental exposure factors including livestock densities and ambient temperatures. To visualize the temporal relationship, the resultant maps were composed into a movie.

Results

The dynamic maps revealed that the Salmonella infections peaked at specific spatio-temporal loci: more clusters were observed in the summer months and higher density of such clusters in the South. The peaks were reached when the average temperatures were greater than 83.4°F (28.6°C). Although the relationship of salmonellosis rates and occurrence of temperature anomalies was non-uniform, a strong synchronization was found between high broiler chicken sales and dense clusters of cases in the summer.

Conclusions

Dynamic mapping is a practical visual-analytic technique for public health practitioners and has an outstanding potential in providing insights into spatio-temporal processes such as revealing outbreak origins, percolation and travelling waves of the diseases, peak timing of seasonal outbreaks, and persistence of disease clusters.