bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Le service antimalarique en Sicile pendant les années 1913 et 1914
Authors: Prof Dr D'Espine
Published: November 2009

La lutte contre la malaria en Sicile, inaugurée en 1905. continue à se faire avec succès. Elle s'exerce par l'intermédiaire de 24 stations médicales, dépendant de la Croix-Rouge et disséminées sur le territoire contaminé, 6 dans la province de Coltanisetta, 7 dans celle de Catania, 2 dans la province de Girgenti, 8 dans celle de Trapani et 19 dans la province de Syracuse, qui est la plus atteinte.
Personnel du Comité international: (Cent soixante-cinquième circulaire aux Comités Centraux)
Authors: Des Gouttes Paul , Ador Gustave
Published: November 2009

Le 21 Août 1915 le Comité international célébrait le premier anniversaire de la fondation de l'Agence internationale des Prisonniers de guerre, et pour commémorer cette date, son Président offrait aux dévoués collaborateurs une collation sous les ombrages de sa merveilleuse propriété au bord du lac.
Chronique de la Croix-Rouge: (Suite)
Authors: Thormeyer F.
Published: November 2009

Matériel de transport. — Le transport des blessés s'effectue, au cours de la guerre actuelle, dans des conditions de rapidité relative et de confort effectif, qui prouvent à quel point la Croix-Rouge a mis à profit les expériences faites pendant la guerre russo-japonaise. Le nombre des trains sanitaires a été porté à un effectif qui s'augmente sans cesse et qui réduit presque à néant l'emploi des fameuses téplouchki, qui firent, en 1904–1905, tant de fois le trajet de la Mandchourie aux villes de l'intérieur de l'Empire. Ces téplouchki étaient des vagons à marchandises, transformés à la hâte et tant bien que mal, en vue du transport des blessés. Leurs nombreux inconvénients furent maintes fois signalés par les médecins et par le personnel de la Croix-Rouge.
Ratification de la Convention de Genève de 1906
Authors: Cantacuzène B. , Forrer L.
Published: November 2009

« Le premier soussigné déclare avoir remis et le second soussigné déclare avoir reçu, pour être depose dans les archives de la Confédération suisse, l'acte de la Roumanie portant la ratification de la Convention pour l'mélioration du sort des blessés et malades dans les armées en campagne, du 6 juillet 1906.
Ratification de la Convention de Genève de 1906
Authors: (sig.) Hederstierna  , (sig.) Ruchet
Published: November 2009

« Le premier soussigné déclare avoir remis et le second soussigné déclare avoir reça, pour être déposé dans les archives de la Confédération suisse, l'acte de la Suède portant la ratification de la Convention pour l'amélioration du sort des blessés et malades dans les armées en campagne, du 6 juillet 1906.
Les stations sanitaires pour les soldats tuberculeux
Authors: Dr F.
Published: November 2009

Les idées lancées par le Comité international dans son rapport à la conférence de Londres pour la lutte contre la tuberculose à l'armée a fait du chemin. Dès l'année suivante, la Société des Femmes de France créait des « homes de convalescence » pour militaires tuberculeux, et différentes œuvres pour la prophylaxie de la tuberculose ont été organisées dans la suite par l'initiative privée.
Blessés du siège de Pékin
Authors: Dr F.
Published: November 2009

M. Matignon, médecin-major de 2me classe, a fail dans les Archives de médecine et de pharmacie militaires une intéressante relation du siège de Pékin, pendant lequel il a eu à s'occuper des blessés et malades de la légation de France.

La petite armée de défense des légations ne se composait que de 400 soldats de nationalités diverses et de 50 volontaires ; 3 médecins seulement, un Français, un Japonais et un Américain, se trouvaient dans le quartier assiégé. Un petit hôpital fut organisé avec des ressources très limitées et presque sans objets de pansements.
La prochaine Conférence internationale des Sociétés de la Croix-Rouge
Authors: de Kræmer O.
Published: November 2009

La VIme Conférence internationale des sociétés de la Croix-Rouge à Vienne, a chargé le Comité international de Genève de faire des démarches auprès des Comités centraux en temps opportun, pour fixer le siège de la VIIme Conférence internationale qui, d'après les décisions des conférences, IVme de Carlsruhe et Vme de Rome, doit avoir lieu tous les cinq ans.
La question du premier pansement sur le champ de bataille
Authors: Dr F.
Published: November 2009

La discussion qui a eu lieu sur le sujet du premier pansement au XXXIme congrès de la Société des chirurgiens allemands, à Berlin, au mois d'avril de cette année, nous paraît résumer les expériences faites par la chirurgie militaire, quant aux plaies modernes pendant les dernières guerres. Nous en donnons un court aperçu d'après un article de M. Fischer dans les Archives de médecine et de pharmacie militaires.
Conférence du 26 au 29 Octobre 1863
Authors: Bogaïewsky P.
Published: November 2009

I. Histoire de la Conférence internationale (non diplomatique) de Genève du 26 au 29 octobre 1863.

1. Parmi les personnes qui, sous l'influence de l'œuvre de Miss Nightingale, appréciaient la haute importance de l'organisation des secours aux militaires blessés, se trouvait le Genevois Henry Dunant. En 1859, M. Henry Dunant part pour l'Italie; il assiste à la terrible journée de Solferino (24 juin) qui laissa sur le champ de bataille 40,000 soldats.
Encore quelques relations sur les blessés de la guerre cubaine
Authors: Dr Ferrière
Published: November 2009

Le rapport concernant les blessures par armes à feu pendant la guerre hispano-américaine en ce qui concerne l'armée régulière américaine, pendant l'année 1898, a été récemment publié. Sans s'arrêter aux chiffres, on peut constater que le fait principal qui s'en dégage, c'est la bénignité relative des blessures dans leur ensemble, malgré les circonstances particulièrement défavorables contre lesquelles eut à lutter le Service de santé. Les blessures simples des parties molles ont été, il est vrai, très fréquentes (68,1%) mais ont presque toujours guéri rapidement. Plus des deux tiers des blessés avaient pu reprendre leur service avant la fin de l'année.
Agence internationale de la Croix-Rouge a Lourenço-Marquès
Authors: de Palmella Duc
Published: November 2009

Notre circulaire du 17 mars avait pour objet de vous communiquer que l'organisation de l'Agence internationale à Lourenço-Marquès restait encore dépendante de l'accueil que les Comités centraux de Londres, Blœmfontein et Prétoria réserveraient à la prière, que nous leur avions adressée, de vouloir bien y coopérer avec nous par la nomination de leurs délégués.
Statuts de la Société uruguayenne de la Croix-Rouge
Authors: de Segarra Aurélia Ramos , Morena Camila
Published: November 2009

Article premier. — La Croix-Rouge des Dames chrétiennes, fondée en 1897, change son titre contre celui de Croix-Rouge uruguayenne, afin que cette association, établie dans la République orientale de l'Uruguay, soit en dehors de tout parti politique.

Son seul objet est de contribuer par tous les moyens possibles au secours des blessés et malades sur le champ de bataille, dans les ambulances et dans les hôpitaux de terre ou de mer.

Elle agit de concert avec l'autorité militaire.
Conférence des Croix-Rouges des Belligérants et des Neutres (172mecirculaire)
Authors: Naville Edouard , D'Espine Adolphe , Ferriere F. , Gautier Alfred
Published: November 2009

Le Comité International de la Croix-Rouge à Genève a l'honneur d'inviter la Croix-Rouge.………. à se faire représenter à une Conférence des Croix-Rouges de tous les pays belligérants, ainsi que des pays neutres d'Europe, qui se tiendra à Genève le 30 avril 1918 et jours suivants.
Risikofaktoren für Stürze und sturzbedingte Verletzungen im Akutspital – Eine retrospektive Fall-Kontroll-Studie
Authors: Müller Rita , Halfens Ruud , Schwendimann René , Müller Marianne , Imoberdorf Reinhard , Ballmer Peter E.
Published: November 2009

Stürze von Patienten sind im Akutspital häufige Ereignisse und problematisch wegen direkter und indirekter Folgen. Ziel der Studie war es, vorhersagbare Risikofaktoren für Stürze und sturzbedingte Verletzungen bei Patienten einer akut-medizinischen Klinik in der Schweiz durch eine retrospektive Fall-Kontroll-Studie zu finden. Die Fallgruppe beinhaltete 228 gestürzte Patienten und die Kontrollgruppe 228 nicht gestürzte Patienten, welche gemäß Geschlecht, Alter und medizinischer Diagnose paarweise übereinstimmten. Eine weitere Analyse der Fallgruppe verglich verletzte mit unverletzten Patienten. Die Daten sind der Patientenakte und dem Hospital Information System (HIS) entnommen. In der Fallgruppe waren Patienten mit einem früheren Sturz, einer Mobilitätsstörung, veränderter Kognition, veränderter Urin- und Stuhlausscheidung, Einnahme von Sedativa oder anderer Psychopharmaka, einer höheren Anzahl von Nebendiagnosen und einem höheren Casemix sowie einer längeren Hospitalisationsdauer signifikant häufiger zu beobachten als in der Kontrollgruppe. Keine Unterschiede zeigten die Patienten der Fall- und Kontrollgruppe in Bezug auf Sehstörung, Einnahme von fünf und mehr Medikamenten sowie der Einnahme von Diuretika. Mithilfe einer logistischen Regressionsanalyse konnten Mobilitätsstörung (OR 5,2; 95 % VI 2,39–11,44), veränderte Ausscheidung (OR 1,8; 95 % VI 1,02–3,31) sowie Wechselwirkungen zwischen einem früheren Sturz, einer veränderten Kognition, der Einnahme von Sedativa oder Psychopharmaka als wichtige Einflussgrößen für die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Sturzes ermittelt werden. Hingegen konnte zwischen verletzten und nicht verletzten Patienten bei keiner der untersuchten Variablen ein signifikanter Unterschied festgestellt werden. Demzufolge konnte also ein prädikatives Profil für sturzgefährdete Patienten gefunden werden, welches hilfreich für die Sturzprävention ist. Hingegen bleibt die Frage nach Risikofaktoren für sturzbedingte Verletzungen unbeantwortet.
High-resolution imaging of pelagic bacteria by Atomic Force Microscopy and implications for carbon cycling
Authors: Malfatti Francesca , Samo Ty J , Azam Farooq
Published: November 2009

In microbial oceanography, cell size, volume and carbon (C) content of pelagic bacteria and archaea (‘bacteria’) are critical parameters in addressing the in situ physiology and functions of bacteria, and their role in the food web and C cycle. However, because of the diminutive size of most pelagic bacteria and errors caused by sample fixation and processing, an accurate measurement of the size and volume has been challenging. We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to obtain high-resolution images of pelagic bacteria and Synechococcus. We measured the length, width and height of live and formalin-fixed pelagic bacteria, and computed individual cell volumes. AFM-based measurements were compared with those by epifluorescence microscopy (EFM) using 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). The ability to measure cell height by AFM provides methodological advantage and ecophysiological insight. For the samples examined, EFM (DAPI)-based average cell volume was in good agreement (1.1-fold) with live sample AFM. However, the agreement may be a fortuitous balance between cell shrinkage due to fixation/drying (threefold) and Z-overestimation (as EFM does not account for cell flattening caused by sample processing and assumes that height=width). The two methods showed major differences in cell volume and cell C frequency distributions. This study refines the methodology for quantifying bacteria-mediated C fluxes and the role of bacteria in marine ecosystems, and suggests the potential of AFM for individual cell physiological interrogations in natural marine assemblages.
Birth, Belonging and Migrant Mothers: Narratives of Reproduction in Feminist Migration Studies
Authors: Gedalof Irene
Published: November 2009

Drawing on feminist philosophical accounts of reproduction and initial data acquired through research with migrant mothers in London, this article argues that the role and place of reproduction remains under-theorized within scholarly accounts of women's role in migration processes. Working with an expanded concept of reproduction that includes not only childbirth and motherhood, but also the work of reproducing heritage, culture and structures of belonging, it argues that feminist migration scholars can draw on valuable theoretical resources in order to tell more complicated stories about the place of reproduction in migration, and challenge the often problematic gendered distinctions between travelling and staying put, change and repetition that continue to underpin some of the narrative structures operative in migration studies.
The effects of browsing by feral and re-introduced native herbivores on seedling survivorship in the Australian rangelands
Authors: Munro Nicola T. , Moseby Katherine E. , Read John L.
Published: November 2009

Browsing by introduced cattle (Bos taurus) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) can limit the recruitment of some arid zone tree and shrub species. In a study conducted at the Arid Recovery Reserve, Roxby Downs, SA, we aimed to quantify initial recruitment changes in shrubs after the removal of cattle and rabbits and the re-introduction of locally extinct fauna. The presence and abundance of seedlings was measured at groves of seven native perennial shrubs over 6 years under four browsing treatments: (1) ‘reserve-reintroductions’ [re-introduced greater stick-nest rats (Leporillus conditor), burrowing bettongs (Bettongia lesueur) and greater bilbies (Macrotis lagotis)], (2) ‘reserve-no browsers’, (3) ‘pastoral-stocked’ (rabbits and cattle), and (4) ‘pastoral-destocked’ (rabbits). Recruitment of mulga (Acacia aneura F.Muell. ex Benth.), silver cassia (Senna artemisioides subsp. petiolaris Randell) and sandhill wattle (Acacia ligulata A.Cunn. ex Benth.) was significantly greater in the two browsing regimes inside the Reserve than in the two pastoral regimes. The number of recruits of these three species declined at ‘pastoral-destocked’ and ‘pastoral-stocked’ sites but increased at ‘reserve-reintroductions’ and ‘reserve-no browsers’ sites from 2001 to 2006. Narrow-leaf hopbush (Dodonaea viscose (L.) Jacq.) showed a trend towards increased recruitment at sites in both browsing regimes inside the Reserve, but decreased recruitment at sites in both pastoral regimes. Native plum (Santalum lanceolatum R.Br.), native apricot (Pittosporum phylliraeoides orth. var. DC.) and bullock bush (Alectryon oleifolius (Desf.) S.T.Reynolds) exhibited no significant difference in recruitment between the four browsing regimes within the study timeframe. These results suggest that excluding rabbits and stock may benefit the germination and survival of mulga, silver cassia and sandhill wattle. To date, re-introduced native herbivores at low numbers have not been found to negatively affect the recruitment or growth rate of the seven perennial plant species studied.
Increasing the perennial grass component of native pastures through grazing management in the 400 - 600mm rainfall zone of central western NSW
Authors: Bowman A. M. , Alemseged Y. , Melville G. J. , Smith W. J. , Syrch F.
Published: November 2009

Native grass-based pastures in the 400–600 mm rainfall zone of central NSW are an important basis for extensive grazing industries. However, over time they have been invaded by exotic weeds. This study aimed to evaluate several grazing strategies for the maintenance or improvement of native grasslands based on pasture productivity and species diversity. Seven grazing strategies, ranging from set stocking to permanently removing stock, were employed to evaluate the strategy that would best maintain a high proportion of desirable perennial grass species.
Grazing treatments were evaluated based on their effects on pasture composition and on the density of selected key grass species such as Enteropogon acicularis (Lindl.) Lazar. (curly windmill grass). Managing the utilisation of the key desirable species E. acicularis combined with weed control was the most successful strategy in terms of increasing the density of the key species, although no treatment increased the proportion of desirable perennial grasses and desirable broadleaf species. This was followed by a ‘farmer’s choice’ strategy, which involved combining phosphorus fertiliser application, weed control and rest from grazing. In contrast, strategies that involved either a ‘summer lockup’ or ‘weed control’ alone performed poorly. It is concluded that native pastures in this region could be rehabilitated, and their productivity restored, by following strategies that provide rest from grazing, based on the utilisation levels of key, species combined with control of annual weeds.
The influence of individual native trees and grazing regime on soil properties and groundcover patterns in a temperate landscape of New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Barnes Phoebe , Wilson Brian R. , Nadolny Chris , Growns Ivor
Published: November 2009

Scattered native trees are a significant ecological resource across the agricultural landscape, yet their numbers are declining due to factors such as dieback, senescence and agricultural activity. This study examined the interactions among Eucalyptus melliodora (Cunn. ex Schauer) trees, vegetation composition and selected surface soil chemical properties in grazed and ungrazed paddocks on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Four farms on granite soils were examined in grazed and ungrazed treatments. Vegetation composition was assessed, and soil samples were collected in plots beneath the canopy and in adjacent open areas in both north and south directions of the tree canopy.
Native grasses dominated the vegetation in both beneath the canopy and open areas, at both grazed and ungrazed sites. However, their composition varied between farms. Several C3 and C4 grasses contributed to the groundcover of the canopy and open sites, but C3 grasses were generally more common under the canopy. Significant differences occurred in soil C, N, P and pH, and vegetation composition between canopy and open areas, and between grazed and ungrazed treatments. Soil P, C and N contents in grazed sites were typically similar to or higher than those in ungrazed sites, and soils were less acid in the ungrazed compared with grazed sites. All soil parameters measured were significantly higher under tree canopies, except P. The tree, soil and vegetation factors were strongly related. This study confirms that individual scattered trees create a distinct mosaic of localised soil improvement, and influence vegetation composition so that paddocks with trees are floristically more diverse than paddocks without trees. The results illustrate the potential benefits of retaining trees for both biodiversity values and livestock production in Australia.
Robust biomarker identification for cancer diagnosis with ensemble feature selection methods
Authors: Abeel Thomas , Helleputte Thibault , Van de Peer Yves , Dupont Pierre , Saeys Yvan
Published: November 2009

Motivation: Biomarker discovery is an important topic in biomedical applications of computational biology, including applications such as gene and SNP selection from high-dimensional data. Surprisingly, the stability with respect to sampling variation or robustness of such selection processes has received attention only recently. However, robustness of biomarkers is an important issue, as it may greatly influence subsequent biological validations. In addition, a more robust set of markers may strengthen the confidence of an expert in the results of a selection method.

Results: Our first contribution is a general framework for the analysis of the robustness of a biomarker selection algorithm. Secondly, we conducted a large-scale analysis of the recently introduced concept of ensemble feature selection, where multiple feature selections are combined in order to increase the robustness of the final set of selected features. We focus on selection methods that are embedded in the estimation of support vector machines (SVMs). SVMs are powerful classification models that have shown state-of-the-art performance on several diagnosis and prognosis tasks on biological data. Their feature selection extensions also offered good results for gene selection tasks. We show that the robustness of SVMs for biomarker discovery can be substantially increased by using ensemble feature selection techniques, while at the same time improving upon classification performances. The proposed methodology is evaluated on four microarray datasets showing increases of up to almost 30% in robustness of the selected biomarkers, along with an improvement of ∼15% in classification performance. The stability improvement with ensemble methods is particularly noticeable for small signature sizes (a few tens of genes), which is most relevant for the design of a diagnosis or prognosis model from a gene signature.

Contact:  yvan.saeys@psb.ugent.be

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Extraction and comparison of gene expression patterns from 2D RNA in situ hybridization images
Authors: Mace Daniel L. , Varnado Nicole , Zhang Weiping , Frise Erwin , Ohler Uwe
Published: November 2009

Motivation: Recent advancements in high-throughput imaging have created new large datasets with tens of thousands of gene expression images. Methods for capturing these spatial and/or temporal expression patterns include in situ hybridization or fluorescent reporter constructs or tags, and results are still frequently assessed by subjective qualitative comparisons. In order to deal with available large datasets, fully automated analysis methods must be developed to properly normalize and model spatial expression patterns.

Results: We have developed image segmentation and registration methods to identify and extract spatial gene expression patterns from RNA in situ hybridization experiments of Drosophila embryos. These methods allow us to normalize and extract expression information for 78 621 images from 3724 genes across six time stages. The similarity between gene expression patterns is computed using four scoring metrics: mean squared error, Haar wavelet distance, mutual information and spatial mutual information (SMI). We additionally propose a strategy to calculate the significance of the similarity between two expression images, by generating surrogate datasets with similar spatial expression patterns using a Monte Carlo swap sampler. On data from an early development time stage, we show that SMI provides the most biologically relevant metric of comparison, and that our significance testing generalizes metrics to achieve similar performance. We exemplify the application of spatial metrics on the well-known Drosophila segmentation network.

Availability: A Java webstart application to register and compare patterns, as well as all source code, are available from: http://tools.genome.duke.edu/generegulation/image_analysis/insitu

Contact:  uwe.ohler@duke.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Changes in antibiotic susceptibility and ribotypes in Clostridium difficile isolates from southern Scotland, 1979–2004
Authors: Taori Surabhi K. , Hall Val , Poxton Ian R.
Published: November 2009

An increase in the incidence of clinical cases of Clostridium difficile infection has been reported in recent years, but few studies have examined changes in molecular epidemiology and antibiotic resistance over a long period of time. A collection of 179 isolates of C. difficile obtained from symptomatic adult patients in southern Scotland between 1979 and 2004 was used to determine changes in the prevalence of epidemiological types and antibiotic susceptibilities to common antibiotics. PCR ribotyping and MIC determination were performed on all isolates. A total of 56 different ribotypes were identified, among which ribotype 002 was the commonest type overall (14 .0%), followed by ribotypes 014 (7.3 %), 012 (5 .0%), 015 (5.0 %), 020 (5 .0%) and 001 (4.5 %). Ribotype 078 was also identified. The 10 commonest ribotypes comprised 55 % of the total isolates. Ribotype 001 increased in prevalence from 1.5 to 12.2 % over the study years, whereas the prevalence of ribotype 012 decreased from 8.7 to 2 .0%. Resistance to clindamycin, erythromycin and ceftriaxone was found in 95.5, 14.0 and 13.4 % of isolates, respectively. Resistance to vancomycin or metronidazole was not detected. Thirty-two (17.9 %) and 14 (7.8 %) isolates were resistant to two and three or more antibiotics, respectively. Ribotype 001 displayed maximum resistance, with 50 % of isolates resistant to erythromycin, moxifloxacin and ceftriaxone, and 100 % resistant to clindamycin. Over the 26 years of the study, antibiotic resistance and ribotype prevalence have changed, and antibiotic pressures may have been the major driver of this change.
Identification of natural pneumococcal isolates expressing serotype 6D by genetic, biochemical and serological characterization
Authors: Bratcher Preston E. , Kim Kyung-Hyo , Kang Jin H. , Hong Jung Y. , Nahm Moon H.
Published: November 2009

The recently discovered pneumococcal serotype 6C was created when the original wciN gene in the 6A capsule gene locus was naturally replaced with a new gene. Since the capsule gene loci of 6A and 6B serotypes may differ by only one base pair in the wciP gene, it was speculated that a new serotype ‘6D’ would be possible if the new wciN gene were inserted into the 6B capsule gene locus. Although pneumococci expressing serotype 6D could be produced in the laboratory, initial searches for natural pneumococcal isolates expressing serotype 6D were unsuccessful. However, we now report the discovery of two naturally occurring pneumococcal isolates from Korea that have the serological, genetic and biochemical features predicted for serotype 6D.
σ 54-mediated control of the mannose phosphotransferase sytem in Lactobacillus plantarum impacts on carbohydrate metabolism
Authors: Stevens Marc J. A. , Molenaar Douwe , de Jong Anne , De Vos Willem M. , Kleerebezem Michiel
Published: November 2009

Sigma factors direct specific binding of the bacterial RNA polymerase to the promoter. Here we present the elucidation of theσ54regulon inLactobacillus plantarum. A sequence-based regulon prediction ofσ54-dependent promoters revealed an operon encoding a mannose phosphotransferase system (PTS) as the best candidate forσ54-mediated control. Aσ54(rpoN) mutant derivative did not grow on mannose, confirming this prediction. Additional mutational analyses established the presence of one functional mannose PTS inL. plantarum, the expression of which is controlled byσ54in concert with theσ54-activator ManR. Genome-wide transcription comparison of the wild-type and therpoN-deletion strain revealed nine upregulated genes in the wild-type, including the genes of the mannose PTS, and 21 upregulated genes in therpoNmutant. Theσ54-controlled mannose PTS was shown also to transport glucose inL. plantarumwild-type cells, and its presence causes a lag phase when cultures are transferred from glucose- to galactose-containing media. The mannose PTS appeared to drain phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) pools in resting cells, since no PEP could be detected in resting wild-type cells, while mannose PTS mutant derivatives contained 1–3 μM PEP (mg protein)−1. Our data provide new insight into the role ofσ54inL. plantarumand possibly other Gram-positive bacteria in the control of expression of an important glucose transporter that contributes to glucose-mediated catabolite control via modulation of the PEP pool.
Synergistic effects of UdgB and Ung in mutation prevention and protection against commonly encountered DNA damaging agents in Mycobacterium smegmatis
Authors: Malshetty Vidyasagar S. , Jain Ruchi , Srinath Thiruneelakantan , Kurthkoti Krishna , Varshney Umesh
Published: November 2009

The incorporation of dUMP during replication or the deamination of cytosine in DNA results in the occurrence of uracils in genomes. To maintain genomic integrity, uracil DNA glycosylases (UDGs) excise uracil from DNA and initiate the base-excision repair pathway. Here, we cloned, purified and biochemically characterized a family 5 UDG, UdgB, from Mycobacterium smegmatis to allow us to use it as a model organism to investigate the physiological significance of the novel enzyme. Studies with knockout strains showed that compared with the wild-type parent, the mutation rate of the udgB
− strain was approximately twofold higher, whereas the mutation rate of a strain deficient in the family 1 UDG (ung
−) was found to be ∼8.4-fold higher. Interestingly, the mutation rate of the double-knockout (ung
−/udgB
−) strain was remarkably high, at ∼19.6-fold. While CG to TA mutations predominated in the ung
− and ung
−/udgB
− strains, AT to GC mutations were enhanced in the udgB
− strain. The ung
−/udgB
− strain was notably more sensitive to acidified nitrite and hydrogen peroxide stresses compared with the single knockouts (ung
− or udgB
−). These observations reveal a synergistic effect of UdgB and Ung in DNA repair, and could have implications for the generation of attenuated strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The hfq gene is required for stress resistance and full virulence of Burkholderia cepacia to the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Sousa Silvia A. , Ramos Christian G. , Moreira Leonilde M. , Leitão Jorge H.
Published: November 2009

TheBurkholderia cepaciacomplex (Bcc) emerged as problematic opportunistic pathogens to cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Although several virulence factors have been identified in Bcc, the knowledge of their relative contribution to Bcc pathogenicity remains scarce. In this work, we describe the identification and characterization of aB. cepaciaIST408 mutant containing a disruption in thehfqgene. In other bacteria, Hfq is a global regulator of metabolism, acting as an RNA chaperone involved in the riboregulation of target mRNAs by small regulatory non-coding RNAs (sRNAs). TheB. cepaciaHfq protein was overproduced as a histidine-tagged derivative, and we show evidence that the protein forms hexamers and binds sRNAs. When providedin trans, theB. cepaciaIST408hfqgene complemented theEscherichia coli hfqmutant strain GS081. Our results also show that theB. cepacia hfqmutant is more susceptible to stress conditions mimicking those faced by Bcc bacteria when infecting the CF host. In addition, theB. cepacia hfqmutant and twohfqmutants derived fromB. dolosaandB. ambifariaclinical isolates also exhibited a reduced ability to colonize and kill the nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans, used as an infection model. These data, together with the conservation of Hfq orthologues among Bcc, strongly suggest that Hfq plays a major role in the survival of Bcc under stress conditions, contributing to the success of Bcc as CF pathogens.
Analysis of psoriatic patients registered in Asahikawa Medical College Hospital from 1983 to 2007
Authors: TAKAHASHI Hidetoshi , TAKAHASHI Ichiro , TSUJI Hitomi , IBE Masaki , KINOUCHI Motoshi , HASHIMOTO Yoshio , ISHIDA‐YAMAMOTO Akemi , MATSUO Shinobu , OHKUMA Noritaka , OHKAWARA Akira , IIZUKA Hajime
Published: November 2009

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, which has been increasing during the last 50 years in Japan. The aim of the present study is to analyze psoriatic patients registered from 1983–2007 in Asahikawa Medical College Hospital, which is located in the northern part of Japan. A total of 607 cases were registered at the first inspection in the Department of Dermatology, Asahikawa Medical College. Men (403 cases, 66.4%) were predominant over women (204 cases, 33.6%). The clinical types of psoriasis were psoriasis vulgaris (91.5%), guttate psoriasis (4.2%), psoriasis arthropathica (2.8%), psoriatic erythroderma (0.6%), generalized pustular psoriasis (0.6%), localized pustular psoriasis (0.15%) and infantile psoriasis (0.15%). Topical corticosteroids (78.1%) and vitamin D3 (18.1%) products were the main previous topical agents. Previous systemic treatments included etretinate (7.7%), cyclosporine (1.5%) and methotrexate (0.3%). Use of topical vitamin D3 and cyclosporine therapies have been gradually increasing during the past 25 years. Regarding the previous phototherapy, topical psoralen and ultraviolet A therapy (PUVA) (4.9%) was predominant over ultraviolet B (0.9%), and systemic PUVA (0.7%). Use of ultraviolet B phototherapy has been increasing during the past 5 years. The results are essentially similar to those of a survey of psoriasis in Japan from 1982–2001. Although the incidence of psoriasis might be higher in Hokkaido Prefecture, there is essentially no variation in the disease profile of psoriatic patients.
Adult T‐cell leukemia–lymphoma associated with follicular mucinosis
Authors: WADA Tamae , YOSHINAGA Eiji , OISO Naoki , KAWARA Shigeru , KAWADA Akira , KOZUKA Takehito
Published: November 2009

Follicular mucinosis (alopecia mucinosa) is often associated with malignancies including mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, but not adult T‐cell leukemia–lymphoma (ATLL). We report a 49‐year‐old male patient who had pruritic follicular papules and erythemas clinically, and follicular and perifollicular infiltrates and follicular mucin deposition histopathologically. The patient showed 11% of flower‐shaped atypical lymphocytes in blood examination and positive human T‐cell leukemia virus type 1 antibody in serology, consistent with the chronic type of ATLL. This case seems to be a very rare association of follicular mucinosis and chronic ATLL, suggesting that malignant T cells may have a feature of folliculotropism as well as epidermotropism.
Case of autoimmune progesterone dermatitis presenting as fixed drug eruption
Authors: ASAI Jun , KATOH Norito , NAKANO Mayu , WADA Makoto , KISHIMOTO Saburo
Published: November 2009

Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis is a rare disorder that presents as a cyclical cutaneous eruption during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. It typically occurs in women due to an autoimmune phenomenon to endogenous progesterone production. We describe a 34‐year‐old woman with an erythematous round plaque with blistering, which recurred a few days before her menstrual cycle, at the identical site on the left arm. The diagnosis of autoimmune progesterone dermatitis is made with i.d. skin testing on the affected lesion with progesterone. After the beginning of oral prednisolone (40 mg daily) therapy during menstruation, although slight recurrence appeared, the severity was significantly improved.
Genetic variation in the β, β‐carotene‐9′, 10′‐dioxygenase gene and association with fat colour in bovine adipose tissue and milk
Authors: Tian R. , Pitchford W. S. , Morris C. A. , Cullen N. G. , Bottema C. D. K.
Published: November 2009

β, β‐carotene‐9′, 10′‐dioxygenase (BCO2) plays a role in cleaving β‐carotene eccentrically, and may be involved in the control of adipose and milk colour in cattle. The bovine BCO2 gene was sequenced as a potential candidate gene for a beef fat colour QTL on chromosome (BTA) 15. A single nucleotide base change located in exon 3 causes the substitution of a stop codon (encoded by the A allele) for tryptophan80 (encoded by the G allele) (c. 240G>A, p.Trp80stop, referred to herein as SNP W80X). Association analysis showed significant differences in subcutaneous fat colour and beta‐carotene concentration amongst cattle with different BCO2 genotypes. Animals with the BCO2 AA genotype had more yellow beef fat and a higher beta‐carotene concentration in adipose tissues than those with the GA or GG genotype. QTL mapping analysis with the BCO2 SNP W80X fitted as a fixed effect confirmed that this SNP is likely to represent the quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN) for the fat colour‐related traits on BTA 15. Moreover, animals with the AA genotype had yellower milk colour and a higher concentration of beta‐carotene in the milk.
Identification and characterization of microRNAs from porcine skeletal muscle
Authors: Xie S. S. , Huang T. H. , Shen Y. , Li X. Y. , Zhang X. X. , Zhu M. J. , Qin H. Y. , Zhao S. H.
Published: November 2009

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non‐coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post‐transcriptional level. There is increasing evidence to suggest that miRNAs participate in muscle development in mice and humans; however, few studies have focused on miRNAs in porcine muscle tissue. Here, we experimentally detected and identified conserved and unique miRNAs from porcine skeletal muscle. Fifty‐seven distinct miRNAs were identified, of which 39 have not been reported earlier in the pig. Of these, two miRNAs appear to be novel and pig‐specific. Surprisingly, these two differ only by a single nucleotide. A part of their primary transcript was cloned and confirmed by sequencing analysis. Alignment of the two sequences using ClustalW showed that the precursor sequences were almost identical, but the flanking sequences were different, indicating that these two novel miRNAs may represent rapidly evolving miRNAs in the pig genome. The expression patterns of eight miRNAs were characterized by real‐time polymerase chain reaction of eight pig tissue samples. The ssc‐let‐7e and ssc‐miR‐181b miRNAs were expressed in all tissues analysed. The ssc‐let‐7c, ssc‐miR‐125b, ssc‐miR‐new1 and ssc‐miR‐new2 miRNAs were expressed in several tissues, while ssc‐miR‐122 and ssc‐miR‐206 were specifically expressed in the liver and muscle respectively. Our results add to existing data on porcine miRNAs and are useful for investigating the biological functions of miRNAs in porcine skeletal muscle development.
Proteomic investigation of the effects of weight loss in the gastrocnemius muscle of wild and NZW rabbits via 2D‐electrophoresis and MALDI‐TOF MS
Authors: Almeida A. M. , Campos A. , Francisco R. , Van Harten S. , Cardoso L. A. , Coelho A. V.
Published: November 2009

The study of changes within the key agents regulating metabolism during genetic upgrading because of selection can contribute to an improved understanding of genomic and physiological relationships. This may lead to increased efficiencies in animal production. These changes, regarding energy and protein metabolic saving mechanisms, can be highlighted during food restriction periods. In this study, a 20% weight reduction was induced in two rabbit breeds: New Zealand white, a selected meat producer (Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus), and Iberian wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus), with the aim of determining differential protein expression in the gastrocnemius muscle within control (ad libitum) and restricted diet experimental animal groups, using techniques of two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and peptide mass fingerprinting. Results show that l‐lactate dehydrogenase, adenylate kinase, β enolase and α enolase, fructose bisphosphate aldolase A and glyceraldehyde 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, which are enzymes involved in energy metabolism, are differentially expressed in restricted diet experimental animal groups. These enzymes are available to be further tested as relevant biomarkers of weight loss and putative objects of manipulation as a selection tool towards increasing tolerance to weight loss. Similar reasoning could be applied to 2D gel electrophoresis spots corresponding to the important structural proteins tropomyosin β chain and troponin I. Finally, a spot identified as mitochondrial import stimulation factor seems of special interest as a marker of undernutrition, and it may be the object of further studies aiming to better understand its physiological role.
Sequence variants in the bovine gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor gene and their associations with fertility
Authors: Derecka K. , Ahmad S. , Hodgman T. C. , Hastings N. , Royal M. D. , Woolliams J. A. , Flint A. P. F.
Published: November 2009

Seven sequence variants (SVs) have been identified in exon 1 and in the promoter region upstream of the bovine gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor gene, at nucleotides g.−331A>G, g.−108T>C, g.+206G>A, g.+260C>T, g.+341C>T, g.+383C>T and g.+410C>T relative to the translation start site. The SVs at nucleotides g.−108, g.260, g.341 and g.410 and those at g.206 and g.383 formed two groups with complete linkage disequilibrium within groups, but incomplete linkage disequilibrium between groups, and none of the SVs altered receptor amino acid sequence. The g.−108T>C allelic variants were associated with an approximately 0.4 day reduction in predicted transmitting ability for days to first service. None of the allelic variants affected the pattern of circulating LH following administration of GnRH. The g.260C>T alteration introduced a new transcription factor binding site in a region of DNA with relatively low nucleosome formation potential. The data suggest that selection for animals carrying the g.‐108T>C group of alterations will improve fertility in the dairy cow.
Museum specimens reveal changes in the population structure of northern Fennoscandian domestic reindeer in the past one hundred years
Authors: Bjørnstad G. , Røed K. H.
Published: November 2009

Traditional reindeer herding of northern Fennoscandia has been based on seasonal movements independent of national borders. At the beginning of the 19th century, these yearly movements of reindeer were excessive, but during that century the borders between the Fennoscandian countries were closed. By analysing a 190‐base pair fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region in 79 museum samples, we show that the reindeer of northern Fennoscandia were one homogenous population shortly after the national borders were closed. However, anthropogenic activity has effectively ended genetic exchange within northern Fennoscandia and has made the reindeer population within this region heterogeneous. Genetic input of eastern origin is also suggested within the extant Russian reindeer of the Kola Peninsula.
The identification of QTL that affect the fatty acid composition of milk on sheep chromosome 11
Authors: García‐Fernández M. , Gutiérrez‐Gil B. , García‐Gámez E. , Sánchez J. P. , Arranz J. J.
Published: November 2009

In this work, we analysed 11 genetic markers localized on OAR11 in a commercial population of Spanish Churra sheep to detect QTL that underlie milk fatty acid (FA) composition traits. Following a daughter design, we analysed 799 ewes distributed in 15 half‐sib families. Eight microsatellite markers and three novel SNPs identified in two genes related to fatty acid metabolism, acetyl‐CoA carboxylase α (ACACA) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), were genotyped in the whole population under study. The phenotypic traits considered in the study included 22 measurements related to the FA composition of the milk and three other milk production traits (milk protein percentage, milk fat percentage and milk yield). Across‐family regression analysis revealed four significant QTL at the 5% chromosome‐wise level influencing contents of capric acid (C10:0), lauric acid (C12:0), linoleic conjugated acid (CLA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) respectively. The peaks of the QTL affecting C10:0 and PUFA contents in milk map close to the FASN gene, which has been evaluated as a putative positional candidate for these QTL. The QTL influencing C12:0 content reaches its maximum significance at 58 cM, close to the gene coding for the glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. We were not able to find any candidate genes related to fat metabolism at the QTL influencing CLA content, which is located at the proximal end of the chromosome. Further research efforts will be needed to confirm and refine the QTL locations reported here.
A gene‐based SNP linkage map for pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Du Z.‐Q. , Ciobanu D. C. , Onteru S. K. , Gorbach D. , Mileham A. J. , Jaramillo G. , Rothschild M. F.
Published: November 2009

Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) are of particular economic importance to the global shrimp aquaculture industry. However, limited genomics information is available for the penaeid species. We utilized the limited public information available, mainly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and expressed sequence tags, to discover markers for the construction of the first SNP genetic map for Pacific white shrimp. In total, 1344 putative SNPs were discovered, and out of 825 SNPs genotyped, 418 SNP markers from 347 contigs were mapped onto 45 sex‐averaged linkage groups, with approximate coverage of 2071 and 2130 cm for the female and male maps, respectively. The average‐squared correlation coefficient (r2), a measure of linkage disequilibrium, for markers located more than 50 cm apart on the same linkage group, was 0.15. Levels of r2 increased with decreasing inter‐marker distance from ∼80 cm, and increased more rapidly from ∼30 cm. A QTL for shrimp gender was mapped on linkage group 13. Comparative mapping to model organisms, Daphnia pulex and Drosophila melanogaster, revealed extensive rearrangement of genome architecture for L. vannamei, and that L. vannamei was more related to Daphnia pulex. This SNP genetic map lays the foundation for future shrimp genomics studies, especially the identification of genetic markers or regions for economically important traits.
Genetic heterogeneity at the bovine KIT gene in cattle breeds carrying different putative alleles at the spotting locus
Authors: Fontanesi L. , Tazzoli M. , Russo V. , Beever J.
Published: November 2009

According to classical genetic studies, piebaldism in cattle is largely influenced by the allelic series at the spotting locus (S), which includes the SH (Hereford pattern), S+ (non‐spotted) and s (spotted) alleles. The S locus was mapped on bovine chromosome 6 in the region containing the KIT gene. We investigated the KIT gene, analysing its variability and haplotype distribution in cattle of three breeds (Angus, Hereford and Holstein) with different putative alleles (S+, SH and s respectively) at the S locus. Resequencing of a whole of 0.485 Mb revealed 111 polymorphisms. The global nucleotide diversity was 0.087%. Tajima’s D‐values were negative for all breeds, indicating putative directional selection. Of the 28 inferred haplotypes, only five were observed in the Hereford breed, in which one was the most frequent. Coalescent simulation showed that it is highly unlikely (P < 10E‐6) to obtain this low number of haplotypes conditionally on the observed number of segregating SNPs. Therefore, the neutral model could be rejected for the Hereford breed, suggesting that a selection sweep occurred at the KIT locus. Twelve haplotypes were inferred in Holstein and Angus. For these two breeds, the neutral model could not be rejected. High heterogeneity of the KIT gene was confirmed from a phylogenetic analysis. Our results suggest a role of the KIT gene in determining the SH allele(s) in the Hereford, but no evidence of selective sweep was obtained in Holstein, suggesting that complex mechanisms (or other genes) might be the cause of the spotted phenotype in this breed.
A controlled trial of early interventions to promote maternal adjustment and development in infants born with severe congenital heart disease
Authors: McCusker C. G. , Doherty N. N. , Molloy B. , Rooney N. , Mulholland C. , Sands A. , Craig B. , Stewart M. , Casey F.
Published: November 2009

Background  Congenital heart disease can have a negative impact on both infant development and maternal adjustment. This study considered the impact of a new programme of early psychosocial interventions on such outcomes, following the birth of a child with severe congenital heart disease.

Methods  Seventy infants and their mothers were assigned to an intervention or control group based on order of presentation to the unit. Interventions aimed at bolstering mother–infant transactions, through psychoeducation, parent skills training and narrative therapy techniques were implemented.

Results  Clinically and statistically significant gains were observed at 6‐month follow‐up on the mental (but not the psychomotor) scale of the Bayleys‐II. Positive gains were also manifested on feeding practices, maternal anxiety, worry and appraisal of their situation.

Conclusions  A programme of generalizable psychosocial interventions is shown to have a positive impact on the infant with severe congenital heart disease and the mother.