bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Foodhandler-Associated Salmonella Outbreak in a University Hospital Despite Routine Surveillance Cultures of Kitchen Employees
Authors: Khuri-Bulos Najwa A. , Khalaf Mahmoud Abu , Shehabi Asem , Shami Khaled
Published: September 2009

Objective:

To describe an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning that probably was due to contamination of mashed potatoes by a foodhandler, which occurred despite a policy for routine surveillance stool cultures of kitchen employees.

Design:

A case control study of 223 individuals who ate the lunch meal on September 23, 1989, at the Jordan University Hospital (JUH) cafeteria.

Setting:

Tertiary care university hospital in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Patients:

Individuals who developed loose stool or vomiting 6 to 72 hours after eating the lunch meal of September 23, 1989, at the JUH cafeteria.

Results:

Of 619 individuals, 183 fit the case definition (attack rate, 19.6%); 150 were employees, 26 were inpatients, and seven were visitors. Twelve other employees became sick 4 to 6 days later and probably were infected secondarily. The incubation period ranged from 16 to 72 hours in 183 instances. Symptoms included diarrhea (88%), fever (71%), abdominal pain (74%), dehydration (34%), and bloody stool (5%). Eighty-four were hospitalized. Cultures of eight food items were negative, but stool culture on 90 of 180 patients and 11 of 61 kitchen employees yielded Salmonella enteritidis group D.

A cohort study of 223 individuals revealed a food-specific attack rate of 72% for the steak and potato meal and 18% for the rice and meat meal (RR, 4; CI95, 2.62 to 6.24; P<0.01). Stratified analysis of the steak and potato meal revealed that the potatoes were implicated most strongly (RR, 1.93; CI95, 1.42 to 2.64; p<0.01). Cultures were obtained from all kitchen employees, and 11 of 61 grew Salmonella enteritidis group D. One asymptomatic, culture-positive employee prepared the mashed potatoes on September 23. All of these employees had negative stool cultures 3 months earlier.

Conclusion:

This outbreak probably was caused by massive contamination of mashed potatoes by the contaminated hands of the foodhandler. Routine stool culture of foodhandlers is not cost-effective and should not be used as a substitute for health education and proper hygienic practices.
Quantitative Skin Cultures at Potential Catheter Sites in Neonates
Authors: Bertone Susan A. , Fisher Margaret C. , Mortensen Joel E.
Published: September 2009

Objective:

To identify and quantify the bacterial and fungal flora present at body sites used for vascular catheterization of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Design:

Quantitative skin cultures were obtained from a group of neonatal patients to determine the bacterial flora found on the skin at four sites. Quantitative cultures of the jugular, subclavian, umbilical, and femoral sites were obtained on 50 infants, ranging in age from 2 days to 3 months old.

Setting:

The neonatal intensive care unit of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, a university-affiliated tertiary care children's hospital.

Results:

Colony counts ranged from 0 to 106 colony-forming units/ 10 cm2. Types of organisms found were consistent with other published studies and included coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast, aerobic gram-negative rods, Enterococcus species, Corynebacterium species, and alpha-hemolytic streptococci. There was a significantly higher mean colony count at the combined jugular/femoral sites versus the subclavian site (P<0.01) and umbilical site (P<0.05). Mean colony counts did not differ significantly between the jugular and femoral site, or between the subclavian and umbilical site. The umbilical site was more likely to be colonized with aerobic gram-negative rods, Enterococcus species, and yeast, while the subclavian had coagulase-negative staphylococci as the predominant organism. The jugular and femoral sites demonstrated a higher colony count of aerobic gram-negative rods, Enterococcus species and yeast than the other sites.

If central venous catheters need to be in place for extended periods of time, placement at a site with lower bacterial densities on the skin may help minimize catheter-associated infections. This study supports the subclavian as the preferred site.
Prevalence of Tuberculin Reactivity Among Healthcare Workers from a Mexican Hospital
Authors: Molina-Gamboa Julio , Fivera-Morales Irma , Ponce-de-Leon-Rosales Samuel
Published: September 2009

The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) infection in healthcare workers (HCWs) is completely unknown in Mexico. To evaluate the frequency of TB infection in our hospital, we performed a prevalence study of tuberculin reactivity among a random sample of asymptomatic HCWs. Our results showed an extremely high prevalence of PPD reactivity (70%) among 175 HCWs, probably related to the high incidence of active TB in the general population and to the absence of preventive programs.
Evaluation of Interhospital Spread of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Using Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis of Chromosomal DNA
Authors: Sader Helio S. , Pignatari Antonio C. , Hollis Richard J. , Jones Ronald N.
Published: September 2009

The widespread dissemination of a single clone of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in several hospitals in Sao Paulo could make the intrahospital epidemiologic evaluation of MRSA outbreaks very difficult. The high index of PPD reactivity among our healthcare workers (HCWs) obligates us to develop programs suitable to the prevailing conditions of Latin American hospitals to control TB inside healthcare facilities.
Special Organism Isolation: Attempting to Bridge the Gap
Authors: Patterson Jan Evans , Sanchez Rebecca O. , Hernandez Jose , Grota Patti , Ross Kathryn A.
Published: September 2009

There have been many changes in infection control in the 10 years since the last publication of isolation guidelines for hospitals by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hospitals since have used the 1988 CDC Update on Universal Precautions as a minimum because it is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Even before these changes, Lynch and Jackson described the concept of body substance isolation, which is intended primarily to decrease cross-transmission between patients. Many hospitals' universal precautions policies also incorporate the concept of body substance isolation to prevent the transmission of non-bloodborne as well as bloodborne pathogens. The 1988 CDC update states that the use of universal precautions does not eliminate the need for other category- or disease-specific isolation, or an institution's own system of isolation precautions.

West Haven Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Connecticut and the University Health System and Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, have adopted a universal precautions/body substance isolation (UP/BSI) policy as a standard for all patients in an attempt to lessen the confusion. All three hospitals are large, university-affiliated, tertiary care teaching institutions. Blood and all body fluids or tissue from all patients are considered potentially infectious and barrier precautions are used accordingly. Body substance isolation has been shown to decrease the transmission of some non-blood-borne pathogens.
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium in Hospitalized Children
Authors: Rubin Lorry G. , Tucci Victor , Cercenado Emilia , Eliopoulos George , Isenberg Henry D.
Published: September 2009

Objectve:

Determine the epidemiology and risk factors for colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium.

Design:

Survey; case-control study.

Setting:

Children's hospital.

Patients:

Pediatric oncology patients.

Intervention:

Contact isolation, restriction of vancomycin prescribing.

Results:

There was a high prevalence of colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci among pediatric oncology patients. The length of hospitalization and the administration of vancomycin and other intravenous antibiotics was associated with colonization. Prevention of colonization was associated with restriction of vancomycin use and contact isolation.

Conclusions:

Vancomycin use may predispose to colonization with vancomycin-resistant E faecium. Vancomycin-resistant E faecium may be nosocomially spread. Contact isolation and restriction of vancomycin use may prevent spread of vancomycin-resistant E faecium.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities: Microbiology, Epidemiology, and Preventive Measures
Authors: Boyce John M.
Published: September 2009

Strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become increasingly common in the United States and in many other countries since 1975. Although MRSA was recovered primarily in university and federal hospitals in this country during the late 1970s, these organisms are being encountered with increasing frequency in all types of hospitals, especially in the eastern half of the United States. Although there is a paucity of information available on the prevalence of MRSA in long-term care facilities, a few reports suggest that MRSA is also seen frequently in these settings. Because colonized patients are frequently transferred between hospitals and long-term care facilities, a continuing circuit of MRSA transmission occurs in areas where these organisms are prevalent.

MRSA prevalence rates vary widely by locale and by type and size of hospital. In some geographic areas, the prevalence remains low, whereas in other areas, from 10% to 50% of all S aureus isolates recovered from patients in large medical centers are MRSA. Even within a given city, MRSA prevalence rates may vary widely among acute care hospitals.
BK Virus
Authors: Holt Douglas A. , Sinnott John T. , Oehler Richard L. , Bradley Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2009

In 1970, a new papovavirus was isolated from both urine and the ureteral epithelium of a renal allograft recipient with ureteral obstruction. The virus was found to be a member of the polyoma subgroup of the Papovaviridae that was unlike any previously described. The new isolate was given the name BK virus after the initials of the renal transplant patient from whom it was cultured.
Group A Streptococcal Outbreaks in Nursing Homes
Authors: Schwartz Benjamin , Ussery Xilla T.
Published: September 2009

Group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes) are the most common bacterial cause of pharyngitis and a frequent cause of cutaneous infections including impetigo and cellulitis. More rarely, group A streptococci are implicated as the etiologic agent in patients with pneumonia, bacteremia, and a newly described toxic shock-like syndrome.' While invasive group A streptococcal infections occur in persons of all ages, the incidence of these infections is greatest in the elderly, as is the case/fatality ratio. Factors that may contribute to the increased risk of invasive group A streptococcal infections in the elderly include a higher prevalence of underlying illnesses and, possibly, decreased levels of antibodies directed against the group A streptococcal M-protein, a major determinant of virulence.

From the advent of the antibiotic era until the mid-1980s, the occurrence of severe group A streptococcal infections declined. However, since 1985, rheumatic fever outbreaks in civilian and military populations, a syndrome designated the streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome, and an increased incidence of group A streptococcal bacteremia have been reported. These changes in the epidemiology of group A streptococcal infections have been associated with changes in the serotype distribution, with an increasing proportion of invasive infections caused by M-1 and M-3 strains, and an increase in the proportion of organisms producing pyrogenic exotoxin A, which has been linked to the toxic shock-like syndrome.
Using Force Field Analysis to Promote Use of Personal Protective Equipment
Authors: White Caroline McCoy , Berger Marie C.
Published: September 2009

Force field analysis, a technique promulgated by Lewin 50 years ago, is an aid to infection control practice in situations where it is necessary for individuals to substitute new routines for previously accepted practice, as in the required used of personal protective equipment as part of Universal Precautions. By providing a way to link the multiple factors that may be determinants of an individual's behavior, force field analysis offers a way to uncover salient issues and to identify potentially fruitful avenues for intervention to promote the desired behavior change.

Force field analysis directs attention to the goal(s) to be achieved through the behavior and to the forces that drive or restrain the individual in the performance of the behavior being examined. Viewed in relation to use of personal protective equipment as part of infection control procedures, using force field analysis involves becoming clear about the purpose(s) of using personal protective equipment, factors that motivate and make easy the use of personal protective equipment, and factors that act as barriers or deterrents to using personal protective equipment. Recent commentaries in this journal have addressed these issues separately: Jackson and Lynch described the differing purposes of systems of infection control commonly referred to as Universal Precautions and their consequently differing procedures, pointing out potentials for confusion owing to goal; Campbell, 3 reviewing theories of motivation and power, suggested that infection control practitioners attend to these in addition to the technical aspects of practice. Force field analysis brings together these and others of the myriad elements that influence behavior, allowing the practitioner to think creatively about why and why not particular behavior occurs and then to think about what might help make the behavior more likely to occur.
Predictive Analyses of Biological Effects of Natural Products: From Plant Extracts to Biomolecular Laboratory and Computer Modeling
Authors: Gambari Roberto
Published: September 2009

Year by year, the characterization of the biological activity of natural products is becoming more competitive and complex, with the involvement in this research area of experts belonging to different scientific fields, including chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology and bioinformatics. These fields are becoming of great interest for several high‐impact scientific journals, including eCAM. The available literature in general, and a survey of reviews and original articles recently published, establishes that natural products, including extracts from medicinal plants and essential oils, retain interesting therapeutic activities, including antitumor, antiviral, anti‐inflammatory, pro‐apoptotic and differentiating properties. In this commentary, we focus attention on interest in networks based on complementary activation and comparative evaluation of different experimental strategies applied to the discovery and characterization of bioactive natural products. A representative flow chart is shown in the paper.
Andrographolide: A New Plant‐Derived Antineoplastic Entity on Horizon
Authors: Varma Astha , Padh Harish , Shrivastava Neeta
Published: September 2009

Plant‐derived natural products occupy an important position in the area of cancer chemotherapy. Molecules such as vincristine, vinblastine, paclitaxel, camptothecin derivatives, epipodophyllotoxin, and so forth, are invaluable contributions of nature to modern medicine. However, the quest to find out novel therapeutic compounds for cancer treatment and management is a never‐ending venture; and diverse plant species are persistently being studied for identification of prospective anticancer agents. In this regard, Andrographis paniculata Nees, a well‐known plant of Indian and Chinese traditional system of medicines, has drawn attention of researchers in recent times. Andrographolide, the principal bioactive chemical constituent of the plant has shown credible anticancer potential in various investigations around the globe. In vitro studies demonstrate the capability of the compound of inducing cell‐cycle arrest and apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells at different concentrations. Andrographolide also shows potent immunomodulatory and anti‐angiogenic activities in tumorous tissues. Synthetic analogues of the compound have also been created and analyzed, which have also shown similar activities. Although it is too early to predict its future in cancer chemotherapy, the prologue strongly recommends further research on this molecule to assess its potential as a prospective anticancer agent.
Homeopathic Doses of Gelsemium sempervirens Improve the Behavior of Mice in Response to Novel Environments
Authors: Bellavite Paolo , Magnani Paolo , Zanolin Elisabetta , Conforti Anita
Published: September 2009

Gelsemium sempervirens is used in homeopathy for treating patients with anxiety related symptoms, however there have been few experimental studies evaluating its pharmacological activity. We have investigated the effects of homeopathic doses of G. sempervirens on mice, using validated behavioral models. Centesimal (CH) dilutions/dynamizations of G. sempervirens, the reference drug diazepam (1 mg/kg body weight) or a placebo (solvent vehicle) were intraperitoneally delivered to groups of mice of CD1 strain during 8 days, then the effects were assessed by the Light‐Dark (LD) choice test and by the Open‐Field (OF) exploration test, in a fully blind manner. In the LD test, the mean time spent in the illuminated area by control and placebo‐treated animals was 15.98%, for mice treated with diazepam it increased to 19.91% (P = .047), while with G. sempervirens 5 CH it was 18.11% (P = .341, non‐significant). The number of transitions between the two compartments increased with diazepam from 6.19 to 9.64 (P < .001) but not with G. Sempervirens. In the OF test, G. sempervirens 5 CH significantly increased the time spent and the distance traveled in the central zone (P = .009 and P = .003, resp.), while diazepam had no effect on these OF test parameters. In a subsequent series of experiments, G. sempervirens 7 and 30 CH also significantly improved the behavioral responses of mice in the OF test (P < .01 for all tested variables). Neither dilutions of G. sempervirens affected the total distance traveled, indicating that the behavioral effect was not due to unspecific changes in locomotor activity. In conclusion, homeopathic doses of G. sempervirens influence the emotional responses of mice to novel environments, suggesting an improvement in exploratory behavior and a diminution of thigmotaxis or neophobia.
Stalked barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) harvesting in the Berlengas Nature Reserve, Portugal: temporal variation and validation of logbook data
Authors: Jacinto David , Cruz Teresa , Silva Teresa , Castro João J.
Published: September 2009

Jacinto, D., Cruz, T., Silva, T., and Castro, J. J. 2010. Stalked barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) harvesting in the Berlengas Nature Reserve, Portugal: temporal variation and validation of logbook data. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 19–25. Stalked barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) exploitation at the Berlengas Nature Reserve, Portugal, by professional harvesters has been subject to specific regulation since 2000. The only available information on barnacle exploitation there comes from catch reports (logbooks) provided by the harvesters. We evaluated the quality of the logbook information, described the temporal patterns of P. pollicipes fishing effort from 2000 to 2006 based on the logbook data, and modelled the daily fishing effort in relation to variability in oceanographic conditions. Results suggest different levels of reliability for the information contained in the logbooks: (i) information on the date of harvest seems to be reliable because 83% of the observed harvest dates were also declared; (ii) information on the quantity harvested shows a large discrepancy (mean = 31.8%) between declared and observed amounts, but we believe it can be used to analyse temporal patterns of exploitation, because there was no systematic bias (under- and overreporting was to the same extent). The total quantity of barnacles harvested between 2000 and 2006 (∼16 t year−1) was closely related to the effort applied. Daily harvesting effort was considered a function of two predictive variables (significant wave height and tidal range) and of their interaction. Neither the harvesting activity nor the resource itself seems to be at risk of collapse if such levels of pressure are maintained, but efforts should be made to increase surveillance and monitoring within the marine protected area.
Altered Standards of Care During an Influenza Pandemic: Identifying Ethical, Legal, and Practical Principles to Guide Decision Making
Authors: Levin Donna , Cadigan Rebecca Orfaly , Biddinger Paul D. , Condon Suzanne , Koh Howard K. ,   Joint Massachusetts Department of Public Health-Harvard Altered Standards of Care Working Group
Published: September 2009

Although widespread support favors prospective planning for altered standards of care during mass casualty events, the literature includes few, if any, accounts of groups that have formally addressed the overarching policy considerations at the state level. We describe the planning process undertaken by public health officials in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, along with community and academic partners, to explore the issues surrounding altered standards of care in the event of pandemic influenza. Throughout 2006, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Harvard School of Public Health Center for Public Health Preparedness jointly convened a working group comprising ethicists, lawyers, clinicians, and local and state public health officials to consider issues such as allocation of antiviral medications, prioritization of critical care, and state seizure of private assets. Community stakeholders were also engaged in the process through facilitated discussion of case scenarios focused on these and other issues. The objective of this initiative was to establish a framework and some fundamental principles that would subsequently guide the process of establishing specific altered standards of care protocols. The group collectively identified 4 goals and 7 principles to guide the equitable allocation of limited resources and establishment of altered standards of care protocols. Reviewing and analyzing this process to date may serve as a resource for other states. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3(Suppl 2):S132–S140)
Characterization of the hierarchical structures of a dry nanopowder in a polymer matrix by X-ray scattering techniques
Authors: Kane Marie C. , Londono J. David , Beyer Frederick L. , Brennan Anthony B.
Published: September 2009

There are many material properties benefits that can be realized by adding nano-sized filler particles to a polymeric resin, such as improvements in strength, modulus and optical transparency. However, the relative amount of improvement is highly dependent on the degree of particle dispersion or homogeneity within the nanocomposite. In this study, a commercially available dry titania nanopowder with a mean primary particle diameter of approximately 30 nm was mixed into an epoxy resin/hardener system to produce nanocomposite samples. Processing techniques such as ultrasonication and particle surface modification were used to produce nanocomposites with varying degrees of particle mixture homogeneity. The extent of nanoparticle dispersion was characterized by a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering and ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering. The measurement length scale ranged between 1 nm and several micrometres. Both measurement techniques provided information on the size distribution of primary particles, aggregates or particle agglomerates in the polymer nanocomposites, depending on the length scale (qregion) of interest. Using this combination of processing and characterization techniques, a decrease in average particle cluster size of two orders of magnitude was observed between samples of varying particle mixture homogeneity.
Associated cancers in parents and offspring of polycythaemia vera and myelofibrosis patients
Authors: Hemminki Kari , Sundquist Jan , Bermejo Justo L.
Published: September 2009

Polycythaemia vera (PV) and primary myelofibrosis (MF) show concordant familial clustering but limited population level data are available on the aggregation of other discordant neoplasms in these families. We used the Swedish Family‐Cancer Database to assess risks for VP and MF in families of cancer patients. A total of 3530 first PV and 1606 MF patients were identified, with high concordant familial risks. Several discordant familial associations were found for PV (acute myeloid leukaemia, Hodgkin disease, prostate and bladder cancers) or for MF (chronic lymphatic leukaemia, colorectal, kidney and cervical cancers) or for both (nervous system, eye and endocrine tumours).
Reduced helminth burden increases allergen skin sensitization but not clinical allergy: a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial in Vietnam
Authors: Flohr C. , Tuyen L. N. , Quinnell R. J. , Lewis S. , Minh T. T. , Campbell J. , Simmons C. , Telford G. , Brown A. , Hien T. T. , Farrar J. , Williams H. , Pritchard D. I. , Britton J.
Published: September 2009

Background: Observational evidence suggests that infection with helminths protects against allergic disease and allergen skin sensitization. It is postulated that such effects are mediated by helminth‐induced cytokine responses, in particular IL‐10.

Objective: We tested this hypothesis in a rural area of central Vietnam where hookworm infection is endemic.

Methods: One thousand five hundred and sixty‐six schoolchildren aged 6–17 were randomly allocated to receive either anti‐helminthic therapy or a placebo at 0, 3, 6, and 9 months. We compared changes in the prevalence of exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction, allergen skin sensitization, flexural eczema on skin examination, questionnaire‐reported allergic disease (wheeze and rhinitis symptoms), and immunological parameters (hookworm‐induced IFN‐γ, IL‐5, IL‐10) between 0 and 12 months.

Results: One thousand four hundred and eighty‐seven children (95% of these randomized) completed the study. The most common helminth infections were hookworm (65%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (7%). There was no effect of the therapy on the primary outcome, exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction (within‐participant mean percent fall in peak flow from baseline after anti‐helminthic treatment 2.25 (SD 7.3) vs. placebo 2.19 (SD 7.8, P=0.9), or on the prevalence of questionnaire‐reported wheeze [adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35–3.82, P=0.8] and rhinitis (adjusted OR=1.39, 0.89–2.15, P=0.1), or flexural dermatitis on skin examination (adjusted OR=1.15, 0.39–3.45, P=0.8). However, anti‐helminthic therapy was associated with a significantly higher allergen skin sensitization risk (adjusted OR=1.31, 1.02–1.67, P=0.03). This effect was particularly strong for children infected with A. lumbricoides at baseline (adjusted OR=4.90, 1.48–16.19, P=0.009). Allergen skin sensitization was inversely related to hookworm‐specific IL‐10 at baseline (adjusted OR=0.76, 0.59–0.99, P=0.04). No cytokine tested, including IL‐10, changed significantly after the anti‐helminthic therapy compared with the placebo.

Conclusion: A significant reduction in worm burden over a 12‐month period in helminth‐infected children increases the risk of allergen skin sensitization but not of clinical allergic disease. The effect on skin sensitization could not be fully explained by any of the immunological parameters tested.

Cite this as: C. Flohr, L. N. Tuyen, R. J. Quinnell, S. Lewis, T. T. Minh, J. Campbell, C. Simmons, G. Telford, A. Brown, T. T. Hien, J. Farrar, H. Williams, D. I. Pritchard and J. Britton, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 131–152.
Effects of levosimendan in experimental acute coxsackievirus myocarditis
Authors: Latva‐Hirvelä J. , Kytö V. , Saraste A. , Vuorinen T. , Levijoki J. , Saukko P.
Published: September 2009

See Editorial on page 839.

Background Acute heart failure is a potentially fatal manifestation of viral myocarditis. Development of myocardial damage in myocarditis involves cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Levosimendan is a novel calcium sensitizing inotropic agent with anti‐apoptotic properties. We studied the feasibility of inotropic treatment with levosimendan and its effects on apoptosis in experimental acute heart failure caused by coxsackievirus myocarditis.

Materials and methods Adolescent BALB/c mice were infected with myocarditic Woodruff variant of coxsackievirus B3 (2 × 104plaque‐forming units). Mice were randomized into those receiving levosimendan 0·33 mg kg−1(total dose 1 mg kg−1 day−1) (n = 20) or vehicle (n = 19) given orally by gauge three times a day for 7 days after infection. Left ventricular function was evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography and the mice were euthanized on day 7. Histopathology, amount of virus in the heart (virus titration assay) and cardiomyocyte apoptosis (TUNEL assay) were studied. Uninfected untreated control mice were also studied.

Results Infection resulted in histopathologically severe myocarditis and significant impairment of left ventricular function. Levosimendan treatment significantly improved ventricular function (fractional shortening 0·32 ± 0·04 vs. 0·23 ± 0·05,P = 0·005; contractility 0·60 ± 0·12 vs. 0·39 ± 0·14,P = 0·007 and myocardial performance index 0·36 ± 0·06 vs. 0·62 ± 0·15,P < 0·0001) compared with vehicle. Levosimendan also reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis (0·26 ± 0·08% vs. 0·44 ± 0·15% in vehicle,P = 0·008), but did not have an effect on areas of myocardial necrosis or inflammation, or the amount of virus in the heart. Levosimendan treatment did not affect mortality (total mortality 63%).

Conclusions Levosimendan improves ventricular function and inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis; therefore, it is suggested as a potentially feasible therapy in acute heart failure caused by viral myocarditis.
A view of extraterrestrial soils
Authors: Certini G. , Scalenghe R. , Amundson R.
Published: September 2009

The nature of soils on celestial bodies other than Earth is a growing area of research in planetary geology. However, disagreement over the significance of these deposits arises, in part, through the lack of a unified concept and definition of soil in the literature. The pragmatic definition ‘medium for plant growth’ is taken by some to imply the necessity of biota for soil to exist, and has been commonly adopted in the planetary science community. In contrast, a more complex and informative definition is based on scientific theory: soil is the (bio)geochemically/physically altered material at the surface of a planetary body that encompasses surficial extraterrestrial telluric deposits. This definition is based on the premise that soil is a body that retains information about its environmental history and that it does not need the presence of life to form. Four decades of missions have gathered geochemical information regarding the surface of planets and bodies within the Solar System, and information is quickly increasing. Reviewing the current knowledge on properties of extraterrestrial regoliths, we conclude that the surficial deposits of Venus, Mars and our moon should be considered to be soils in a pedological sense, and that Mercury and some large asteroids are covered in mantles that are soil candidates. A key environmental distinction between Earth and other Solar System bodies is the presence of life, and because of this dissimilarity in soil‐forming processes, it is reasonable to distinguish these (presently) abiotic soils as Astrosols. Attempts to provide detailed classifications of extraterrestrial soils are premature, given our poor current knowledge of the Universe, but they highlight the fact that Earth possesses almost‐abiotic environments that lend themselves to providing more understanding about telluric bodies of the Solar System.

“He found himself in the neighbourhood of the asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, and 330. He began, therefore, by visiting them, in order to add to his knowledge.”

(Excerpt from the The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint‐Exupéry)
Climate dependence of heterotrophic soil respiration from a soil‐translocation experiment along a 3000 m tropical forest altitudinal gradient
Authors: Zimmermann M. , Meir P. , Bird M. I. , Malhi Y. , Ccahuana A. J. Q.
Published: September 2009

Tropical ecosystems play a key role in the global carbon cycle, but their response to global warming is not well understood. Altitudinal gradients offer the unique possibility of undertaking in situ experimental studies of the influence of alterations in climate on the carbon (C) cycle. In a soil‐translocation experiment we took replicate soil cores at 3030 m, 1500 m, 1000 m and 200 m above sea level along an altitudinal gradient in tropical forest in Peru, and exchanged (i.e. translocated) them among these sites to observe the influence of altered climatic conditions on the decomposition of soil organic matter under natural field conditions. Soil respiration rates of the translocated soil cores and adjacent undisturbed soils were measured twice a month from April 2007 to October 2007. The temperature sensitivity of heterotrophic respiration in each core was examined using a Lloyd & Taylor function and a simple modified third‐order polynomial fit. Calculated Q10 values decreased with decreasing altitude using both mathematical functions (2.53–1.24 according to the Lloyd & Taylor function, and 2.56–0.63 using the polynomial fit). Soil organic C‐stocks increased markedly and linearly with altitude, but surprisingly the average total soil respiration rate did not vary significantly with altitude along the transect (3.98–4.31 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1). This implies an increase with elevation of absolute C allocation to below‐ground allocation.
Nitrogen aboveground turnover and soil stocks to 8 m depth in primary and selectively logged forest in southern Amazonia
Authors: FELDPAUSCH TED R. , COUTO EDUARDO G. , RODRIGUES LUIZ CARLOS , PAULETTO DANIELA , JOHNSON MARK S. , FAHEY TIMOTHY J. , LEHMANN JOHANNES , RIHA SUSAN J.
Published: September 2009

Extensive areas of Amazonia undergo selective logging, modifying forest structure and nutrient cycles. Anthropogenic‐accelerated rates of nitrogen (N) turnover could increase N loss and affect regeneration, carbon sequestration and timber production. We quantified leaf area reduction, canopy opening and downed biomass and resultant N flux from reduced impact logging (RIL) activities. We compared canopy reduction, surface soil moisture and nitrate to 8 m depth between logged gaps and intact primary forest to determine if logging activities increase subsoil nitrate. To test long‐term logging effects, we evaluated surface N stocks along a 12‐year postlogging chronosequence. At the harvest rate of 2.6 trees ha−1, total N additions in logging gaps, including leaves and wood from felled crowns (24.8 kg N ha−1) and other killed trees (41.9 kg N ha−1), accounted for over 80% of the total N addition to aboveground necromass from all logging activities (81.9 kg N ha−1). Despite this N turnover by logging, belowground nitrate storage to 8 m depth did not differ between logging gaps and primary forest at the low harvest rate and disturbance intensity of this study. Soil water depletion also did not differ between gaps and primary forest over 1 year, indicating the impact on belowground inorganic N was low. Compared with primary forest, nitrate concentrations to 8 m depth in logging gaps were only significantly higher at 60–100 cm, suggesting some N redistribution beyond the bulk of the fine roots in logging gaps. Extrapolated to the Amazon Basin scale, we provide a conservative estimate that logging damage and bole export under RIL would turn over 0.14 ± 0.07 to 0.23 ± 0.12 Tg N yr−1based on 1999–2002 selective logging rates. Greater damage during conventional selective logging would cause higher N turnover throughout the Amazon Basin than our results based on RIL.
Partitioning pattern of carbon flux in a Kobresia grassland on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau revealed by field 13C pulse‐labeling
Authors: WU YIBO , TAN HONGCHAO , DENG YONGCUI , WU JING , XU XINGLIANG , WANG YANFEN , TANG YANHONG , HIGASHI TERUO , CUI XIAOYONG
Published: September 2009

Characterizing the carbon turnover in terrestrial ecosystems is critical for understanding and predicting carbon dynamics in ecosystems. We used in situ13C pulse labeling to track photosynthetic carbon fluxes from shoot to roots and to soil in a Kobresia humilis meadow on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. We found that about 36.7% of labeled carbon was translocated out from the shoots within the first 24 h after photosynthetic uptake. This is equivalent to 66.1% of total 13C moving out from the shoot during the 32‐day chase period, indicating a rapid and large translocation of newly fixed carbon to belowground parts in these alpine plants. 58.7% of the assimilated 13C was transferred belowground. At the end of the chase phase, 30.9% was retained in living roots, 3.4% in dead roots, 17.2% lost as belowground respiration and 7.3% remained in the soil. In the four carbon pools (i.e., shoots, living roots, dead roots, and soil pools), living roots consistently had the highest proportion of 13C in the plant–soil system during the 32 days. Based on the 13C partitioning pattern and biomass production, we estimate a total of 4930 kg C ha−1 was allocated belowground during the vegetation growth season in this alpine meadow. Of this, roots accumulated 2868 kg C ha−1 and soils accumulated 613 kg C ha−1. This study suggests that carbon storage in belowground carbon pools plays the most important role in carbon cycles in the alpine meadow.
Negative feedback in the cold: ice retreat produces new carbon sinks in Antarctica
Authors: PECK L. S. , BARNES D. K. A. , COOK A. J. , FLEMING A. H. , CLARKE A.
Published: September 2009

Feedbacks on climate change so far identified are predominantly positive, enhancing the rate of change. Loss of sea‐ice, increase in desert areas, water vapour increase, loss of tropical rain forest and the restriction of significant areas of marine productivity to higher latitude (thus smaller geographical zones) all lead to an enhancement of the rate of change. The other major feedback identified, changes in cloud radiation, will produce either a positive feedback, if high level clouds are produced, or a negative feedback if low level clouds are produced. Few significant negative feedbacks have been identified, let alone quantified. Here, we show that the loss of ice shelves and retreat of coastal glaciers around the Antarctic Peninsula in the last 50 years has exposed at least 2.4 × 104 km2 of new open water. We estimate that these new areas of open water have allowed new phytoplankton blooms containing a total standing stock of ∼5.0 × 105 tonnes of carbon to be produced. New marine zooplankton and seabed communities have also been produced, which we estimate contain ∼4.1 × 105 tonnes of carbon. This previously unquantified carbon sink acts as a negative feedback to climate change. New annual productivity, as opposed to standing stock, amounts to 3.5 × 106 tonnes yr−1 of carbon, of which 6.9 × 105 tonnes yr−1 deposits to the seabed. By comparison the total aboveground biomasses of lowland American tropical rainforest is 160–435 tonnes ha−1. Around 50% of this is carbon. On this basis the carbon held in new biomass described here is roughly equivalent to 6000–17 000 ha of tropical rainforest. As ice loss increases in polar regions this feedback will become stronger, and eventually, over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years, over 50 Mtonnes of new carbon could be fixed annually in new coastal phytoplankton blooms and over 10 Mtonnes yr−1 locked in biological standing stock around Antarctica.
PDEs1‐5 activity and expression in tissues of cirrhotic rats reveal a role for aortic PDE3 in NO desensitization
Authors: Tahseldar‐Roumieh Rima , Keravis Thérèse , Maarouf Suha , Justiniano Hélène , Sabra Ramzi , Lugnier Claire
Published: September 2009

Liver cirrhosis is associated with increased nitric oxide (NO) production in the vasculature. We have previously demonstrated that aorta from rats with liver cirrhosis have a reduced relaxant response to NO donors that is corrected by DMPPO, a PDE5‐specific inhibitor. Vasodilator responses to DMPPO itself were also reduced in rings from cirrhotic rats. These results supported previous suggestions that upregulation of PDE5 in liver cirrhosis might contribute to renal sodium retention, and consequently modulate vascular reactivity in the context of increased NO production (Tahseldar‐Roumieh et al. in Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 290, H481–H488, 2006). Here, we investigated the possible alteration in activity and expression of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase PDE1–PDE5 in kidney and vascular tissues in rats 4 weeks after bile duct ligation. The kidney of rats with cirrhosis had increased activity of PDE1 and PDE4 but not PDE5, and increased expression of PDE1A. Unexpectedly and interestingly, there was no change in cirrhotic aorta PDE5, but an increase in PDE3 and PDE4 activity associated with increased expression of PDE3A and PDE3B. Cilostamide, a specific PDE3 inhibitor, corrected the decreased response to an NO donor in isolated aorta from cirrhotic rats, suggesting that the difference in response to NO donors was due to differences in PDE3‐induced hydrolysis of cGMP or to cGMP‐induced inhibition of PDE3, rather than to differences in PDE5 contribution. In conclusion, these changes in PDE isozymes could greatly contribute to NO desensitization and to the regulation of vascular and renal function in liver cirrhosis.
Gamma–delta T cell subsets are differentially associated with granuloma development and organization in a bovine model of mycobacterial disease
Authors: Plattner Brandon L. , Doyle Robert T. , Hostetter Jesse M.
Published: September 2009

The characteristic lesion in bovine tuberculosis is well‐organized respiratory granulomas. This is typically associated with a strong T‐helper 1 biased cell‐mediated immune response and eventual containment of the infection. In bovine paratuberculosis, the classic lesion is unorganized granulomatous intestinal inflammation. Clinical paratuberculosis is associated with a T‐helper 2 biased humoral immune response and eventual death because of inability of the host to contain the infection. Recent reports have suggested that gamma–delta (γδ) T cells play a significant role in granuloma development and/or maintenance during initial stages of infection and may influence the subsequent adaptive immune response. The objective of this study was to use an in vivo bovine model to evaluate γδ T cells during the early host immune response to mycobacterial infection. We used immunofluorescent staining, hyperspectral microscopy, and computerized assisted morphometry to evaluate staining and distribution of γδ T cells during development of organized and unorganized granulomas. Our data suggest that bovine γδ T cell subsets are differentially recruited to early infection sites, and may be instrumental during the initial antimycobacterial host immune response as well as for granuloma organization.
Efficacy of Artabotrys odoratissimus oil as a plant based antimicrobial against storage fungi and aflatoxin B1 secretion
Authors: Srivastava Bhawana , Singh Priyanka , Srivastava Anjil Kumar , Shukla Ravindra , Dubey Nawal Kishore
Published: September 2009

The essential oil of Artabotrys odoratissimus R.Br. was evaluated for antifungal activity against some storage fungi causing contamination of food stuffs. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the oil was found to be 750 μL L−1 against Aspergillus flavus Link. It was found superior over different prevalent synthetic fungicides which inhibited the growth of A. flavus between 1000–5000 μL L−1. The oil exhibited broad fungitoxic spectrum against fourteen different storage fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus was inhibited at 1000 μL L−1 whereas Cladosporium cladosporioides, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium oryzae, Macrophomina phaseolina, Microsporum gypseum, Mucor racemosus, Penicillium italicum, Pythium debaryanum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii and Trichoderma viride at 500 μL L−1. Aspergillus niger was found to be inhibited only 84.9% at 1000 μL L−1. In addition, the oil showed significant efficacy in arresting aflatoxin B1 secretion by the toxigenic strain (Navjot 4NSt) of A. flavus at 750 μL L−1. The efficacy of A. odoratissimus oil as aflatoxin suppressor is being reported for the first time.
Influence of emulsion composition on lubrication capacity and texture perception
Authors: Bellamy Mélanie , Godinot Nicolas , Mischler Stefano , Martin Nathalie , Hartmann Christoph
Published: September 2009

The role of fat content and type of surfactant for oral friction processes and texture perception of oil‐in‐water emulsions was assessed. Emulsions at 22% and 33% fat content containing either sodium caseinate or a sucrose ester as emulsifier were compared with viscosity‐adapted aqueous solutions of dextran using both sensory evaluation and friction coefficient measurements on a tongue‐palate contact model. The impact of saliva on the emulsion droplet size distribution was studied using tribology, differential interference contrast microscopy and light diffraction measurements. Emulsions at 33% and the corresponding iso‐viscous aqueous solutions were discriminated in the sensory experiment whereas emulsions at 22% were not. Friction was significantly different for emulsions at 33% and the corresponding iso‐viscous aqueous solutions. The difference was not significant for emulsions with 22% fat level when compared with the iso‐viscous aqueous solutions. Saliva significantly decreased the friction coefficient of emulsions depending on the surfactant and amount of fat used.
Physicochemical and morphological characterisation of açai (Euterpe oleraceae Mart.) powder produced with different carrier agents
Authors: Tonon Renata V. , Brabet Catherine , Pallet Dominique , Brat Pierre , Hubinger Míriam D.
Published: September 2009

Physicochemical and morphological properties of açai powder produced with different carrier agents were evaluated in this work. Powders were produced by spray drying, using maltodextrin 10DE, maltodextrin 20DE, gum arabic and tapioca starch as carrier agents. Powder characterisation included analysis of moisture content, water activity, solubility, hygroscopicity, particle size distribution, morphology, total polyphenolics and antioxidant activity. Results showed that the samples produced with maltodextrin 20DE and gum arabic presented the smallest size and highest hygroscopicity. The powder produced with tapioca starch exhibited the lowest hygroscopity and solubility, and the highest mean diameter. With regard to morphology, all particles exhibited spherical and shrivelled surfaces, except those produced with tapioca starch, which exhibited rounded and smooth surfaces. Powders produced with maltodextrins and gum arabic showed high polyphenolic retention and antioxidant activity preservation after storage at 40 °C for 15 days, while for the particles produced with tapioca starch, this protective effect was less pronounced.