bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What do patients find helpful in psychotherapy? Implications for the therapeutic relationship in mental health nursing
Authors: Cahill J. , Paley G. , Hardy G. 
Published: November 2012

Accessible summary
A group of four mental health nurses were trained to deliver and evaluate psychodynamic interpersonal therapy, an evidence‐based model of therapy, in a University research setting.
We were able to compare data with a group of cognitive behavioural therapists in the same University setting, enabling us to replicate a controlled research study which had compared psychodynamic interpersonal therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.
Patients reported minimal significant differences between the therapies in terms of what they found helpful and from the patient's point of view, the relationship is the most important factor across both therapies.
Regardless of the model in which they have been trained, mental health nurses need to keep a primary focus on the therapeutic relationship.
AbstractThis study examined client perception of the therapeutic impact of two models of therapy delivered by mental health nurses and clinical psychologists respectively – psychodynamic interpersonal therapy (PIT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). A non‐equivalent groups design was used in order to benchmark results against Llewelyn et al.: one group received PIT and the other received CBT. This design was utilized principally because the research was conducted across two practice settings where randomization was not feasible. We used two intact groups in practice research settings that received the therapies as reported in Llewelyn et al. Sixty‐one clients receiving CBT or PIT in practice research settings completed a Helpful Aspects of Therapy form after each session in order to measure client perceptions of helpful and hindering events in therapy. Only two out of the 13 impacts were rated as significantly different. PIT clients reported higher levels of ‘awareness’ than CBT clients, whereas CBT clients reported higher levels of problem solution than PIT clients. The results replicate Llewelyn et al.'s findings in that clients experienced theoretically different models of therapy as broadly similar in their therapeutic impact. We argue that this provides some support for the influence of ‘common’ rather than ‘specific’ factors in psychotherapy effectiveness in mental health nursing.
Osmoprotection of Bacillus subtilis through Import and Proteolysis of Proline-Containing Peptides
Authors: Zaprasis Adrienne , Brill Jeanette , Thüring Marietta , Wünsche Guido , Heun Magnus , Barzantny Helena , Hoffmann Tamara , Bremer Erhard 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Bacillus subtilis
can attain cellular protection against the detrimental effects of high osmolarity through osmotically induced
de novo
synthesis and uptake of the compatible solute
l
-proline. We have now found that
B. subtilis
can also exploit exogenously provided proline-containing peptides of various lengths and compositions as osmoprotectants. Osmoprotection by these types of peptides is generally dependent on their import via the peptide transport systems (Dpp, Opp, App, and DtpT) operating in
B. subtilis
and relies on their hydrolysis to liberate proline. The effectiveness with which proline-containing peptides confer osmoprotection varies considerably, and this can be correlated with the amount of the liberated and subsequently accumulated free proline by the osmotically stressed cell. Through gene disruption experiments, growth studies, and the quantification of the intracellular proline pool, we have identified the PapA (YqhT) and PapB (YkvY) peptidases as responsible for the hydrolysis of various types of Xaa-Pro dipeptides and Xaa-Pro-Xaa tripeptides. The PapA and PapB peptidases possess overlapping substrate specificities. In contrast, osmoprotection by peptides of various lengths and compositions with a proline residue positioned at their N terminus was not affected by defects in the PapA and PapB peptidases. Taken together, our data provide new insight into the physiology of the osmotic stress response of
B. subtilis
. They illustrate the flexibility of this ubiquitously distributed microorganism to effectively exploit environmental resources in its acclimatization to sustained high-osmolarity surroundings through the accumulation of compatible solutes.
Combinatorial Mutagenesis and Selection of Improved Signal Sequences and Their Application for High-Level Production of Translocated Heterologous Proteins in Escherichia coli
Authors: Heggeset Tonje Marita Bjerkan , Kucharova Veronika , Nærdal Ingemar , Valla Svein , Sletta Håvard , Ellingsen Trond Erling , Brautaset Trygve 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

We previously designed the consensus signal peptide (CSP) and demonstrated that it can be used to strongly stimulate heterologous protein production in
Escherichia coli
. A comparative study using CSP and two bacterial signal sequences, pelB and ompA, showed that the effect of signal sequences on both expression level and translocation efficiency can be highly protein specific. We report here the generation of CSP mutant libraries by a combinatorial mutagenesis approach. Degenerated CSP oligonucleotides were cloned in frame with the 5′ end of the
bla
gene, encoding the mature periplasmic β-lactamase released from its native signal sequence. This novel design allows for a direct selection of improved signal sequences that positively affect the expression level and/or translocation efficiency of β-lactamase, based on the ampicillin tolerance level of the
E. coli
host cells. By using this strategy, 61 different CSP mutants with up to 8-fold-increased ampicillin tolerance level and up to 5.5-fold-increased β-lactamase expression level were isolated and characterized genetically. A subset of the CSP mutants was then tested with the alternative reporter gene
phoA
, encoding periplasmic alkaline phosphatase (AP), resulting in an up to 8-fold-increased production level of active AP protein in
E. coli
. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the CSP mutants can improve the production of the medically important human interferon α2b under high-cell-density cultivations. Our results show that there is a clear potential for improving bacterial signal sequences by using combinatorial mutagenesis, and bioinformatics analyses indicated that the beneficial mutations could not be rationally predicted.
Landscape and Meteorological Factors Affecting Prevalence of Three Food-Borne Pathogens in Fruit and Vegetable Farms
Authors: Strawn Laura K. , Fortes Esther D. , Bihn Elizabeth A. , Nightingale Kendra K. , Gröhn Yrjö T. , Worobo Randy W. , Wiedmann Martin , Bergholz Peter W. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Produce-related outbreaks have been traced back to the preharvest environment. A longitudinal study was conducted on five farms in New York State to characterize the prevalence, persistence, and diversity of food-borne pathogens in fresh produce fields and to determine landscape and meteorological factors that predict their presence. Produce fields were sampled four times per year for 2 years. A total of 588 samples were analyzed for
Listeria monocytogenes
,
Salmonella
, and Shiga toxin-producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC). The prevalence measures of
L. monocytogenes
,
Salmonella
, and STEC were 15.0, 4.6, and 2.7%, respectively.
L. monocytogenes
and
Salmonella
were detected more frequently in water samples, while STEC was detected with equal frequency across all sample types (soil, water, feces, and drag swabs).
L. monocytogenes sigB
gene allelic types 57, 58, and 61 and
Salmonella enterica
serovar Cerro were repeatedly isolated from water samples. Soil available water storage (AWS), temperature, and proximity to three land cover classes (water, roads and urban development, and pasture/hay grass) influenced the likelihood of detecting
L. monocytogenes
. Drainage class, AWS, and precipitation were identified as important factors in
Salmonella
detection. This information was used in a geographic information system framework to hypothesize locations of environmental reservoirs where the prevalence of food-borne pathogens may be elevated. The map indicated that not all croplands are equally likely to contain environmental reservoirs of
L. monocytogenes
. These findings advance recommendations to minimize the risk of preharvest contamination by enhancing models of the environmental constraints on the survival and persistence of food-borne pathogens in fields.
Taking the Starch out of Oral Biofilm Formation: Molecular Basis and Functional Significance of Salivary α-Amylase Binding to Oral Streptococci
Authors: Nikitkova Anna E. , Haase Elaine M. , Scannapieco Frank A. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT
α-Amylase-binding streptococci (ABS) are a heterogeneous group of commensal oral bacterial species that comprise a significant proportion of dental plaque microfloras. Salivary α-amylase, one of the most abundant proteins in human saliva, binds to the surface of these bacteria via specific surface-exposed α-amylase-binding proteins. The functional significance of α-amylase-binding proteins in oral colonization by streptococci is important for understanding how salivary components influence oral biofilm formation by these important dental plaque species. This review summarizes the results of an extensive series of studies that have sought to define the molecular basis for α-amylase binding to the surface of the bacterium as well as the biological significance of this phenomenon in dental plaque biofilm formation.
Influence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Infection on the Development of the Cecum Microbiota in Newly Hatched Chicks
Authors: Juricova H. , Videnska P. , Lukac M. , Faldynova M. , Babak V. , Havlickova H. , Sisak F. , Rychlik I. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and quantitative PCR showed that the cecal microbiota of chicks up to the age of 21 days was dominated by representatives of the orders
Enterobacteriales
,
Clostridiales
, and
Lactobacillales
.
Salmonella enterica
serovar Enteritidis infection caused the greatest changes in the gut microbiota when 1-day-old chicks were infected, compared with the infection of 4- and 16-day-old chicks.
A New, Sensitive Marine Microalgal Recombinant Biosensor Using Luminescence Monitoring for Toxicity Testing of Antifouling Biocides
Authors: Sanchez-Ferandin Sophie , Leroy Fanny , Bouget François-Yves , Joux Fabien 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

In this study, we propose the use of the marine green alga
Ostreococcus tauri
, the smallest free-living eukaryotic cell known to date, as a new luminescent biosensor for toxicity testing in the environment. Diuron and Irgarol 1051, two antifouling biocides commonly encountered in coastal waters, were chosen to test this new biosensor along with two degradation products of diuron. The effects of various concentrations of the antifoulants on four genetic constructs of
O. tauri
(based on genes involved in photosynthesis, cell cycle, and circadian clock) were compared using 96-well culture microplates and a luminometer to automatically measure luminescence over 3 days. This was compared to growth inhibition of
O. tauri
wild type under the same conditions. Luminescence appeared to be more sensitive than growth inhibition as an indicator of toxicity. Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDKA), a protein involved in the cell cycle, fused to luciferase (CDKA-Luc) was found to be the most sensitive of the biosensors, allowing an accurate determination of the 50% effective concentration (EC
50
) after only 2 days (diuron, 5.65 ± 0.44 μg/liter; Irgarol 1015, 0.76 ± 0.10 μg/liter). The effects of the antifoulants on the CDKA-Luc biosensor were then compared to growth inhibition in natural marine phytoplankton. The effective concentrations of diuron and Irgarol 1051 were found to be similar, indicating that this biosensor would be suitable as a reliable ecotoxicological test. The advantage of this biosensor over cell growth inhibition testing is that the process can be easily automated and could provide a high-throughput laboratory approach to perform short-term toxicity tests. The ability to genetically transform and culture recombinant
O. tauri
gives it huge potential for screening many other toxic compounds.
Comparative Analysis of Leptospira Strains Isolated from Environmental Soil and Water in the Philippines and Japan
Authors: Saito Mitsumasa , Villanueva Sharon Y. A. M. , Chakraborty Antara , Miyahara Satoshi , Segawa Takaya , Asoh Tatsuma , Ozuru Ryo , Gloriani Nina G. , Yanagihara Yasutake , Yoshida Shin-ichi 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

There have been few reports on the epidemiological analysis of environmental
Leptospira
isolates. This is probably because the isolation of leptospires from the environment was usually unsuccessful due to the overgrowth of contaminants and the slow growth of
Leptospira
. In this study, we collected a total of 88 samples of soil and water from three sites: Metro Manila and Nueva Ecija, Philippines (an area where
Leptospira
is now endemic), and Fukuoka, Japan (an area where
Leptospira
was once endemic). We succeeded in isolating
Leptospira
from 37 samples by using the novel combination of five antimicrobial agents reported in 2011. The frequencies of positive isolation of
Leptospira
in the Philippines and Japan were 40 and 46%, respectively. For
Leptospira
-positive samples, five colonies from each sample were isolated and analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The isolates from each area showed their respective characteristics in phylogenetic trees based on the PFGE patterns. Some isolates were closely related to each other across borders. Based on 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis, four isolates in Fukuoka were identified as a pathogenic species,
L. alstonii
; however, its virulence had been lost. One isolate from Nueva Ecija was identified as the intermediate pathogenic species
Leptospira licerasiae
. Most of the isolates from the environment belonged to nonpathogenic
Leptospira
species. We also investigated the strain variation among the isolates in a puddle over 5 months. We demonstrated, using PFGE analysis, that
Leptospira
survived in the wet soil on dry days and appeared in the surface water on rainy days. These results showed that the soil could be a reservoir of leptospires in the environment.
Impact of Long-Term Diesel Contamination on Soil Microbial Community Structure
Authors: Sutton Nora B. , Maphosa Farai , Morillo Jose A. , Abu Al-Soud Waleed , Langenhoff Alette A. M. , Grotenhuis Tim , Rijnaarts Huub H. M. , Smidt Hauke 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Microbial community composition and diversity at a diesel-contaminated railway site were investigated by pyrosequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene fragments to understand the interrelationships among microbial community composition, pollution level, and soil geochemical and physical properties. To this end, 26 soil samples from four matrix types with various geochemical characteristics and contaminant concentrations were investigated. The presence of diesel contamination significantly impacted microbial community composition and diversity, regardless of the soil matrix type. Clean samples showed higher diversity than contaminated samples (
P
< 0.001). Bacterial phyla with high relative abundances in all samples included
Proteobacteria
,
Firmicutes
,
Actinobacteria
,
Acidobacteria
, and
Chloroflexi
. High relative abundances of
Archaea
, specifically of the phylum
Euryarchaeota
, were observed in contaminated samples. Redundancy analysis indicated that increased relative abundances of the phyla
Chloroflexi
,
Firmicutes
, and
Euryarchaeota
correlated with the presence of contamination. Shifts in the chemical composition of diesel constituents across the site and the abundance of specific operational taxonomic units (OTUs; defined using a 97% sequence identity threshold) in contaminated samples together suggest that natural attenuation of contamination has occurred. OTUs with sequence similarity to strictly anaerobic
Anaerolineae
within the
Chloroflexi
, as well as to
Methanosaeta
of the phylum
Euryarchaeota
, were detected.
Anaerolineae
and
Methanosaeta
are known to be associated with anaerobic degradation of oil-related compounds; therefore, their presence suggests that natural attenuation has occurred under anoxic conditions. This research underscores the usefulness of next-generation sequencing techniques both to understand the ecological impact of contamination and to identify potential molecular proxies for detection of natural attenuation.
The Mangotoxin Biosynthetic Operon (
mbo
) Is Specifically Distributed within Pseudomonas syringae Genomospecies 1 and Was Acquired Only Once during Evolution
Authors: Carrión Víctor J. , Gutiérrez-Barranquero José A. , Arrebola Eva , Bardaji Leire , Codina Juan C. , de Vicente Antonio , Cazorla Francisco M. , Murillo Jesús 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Mangotoxin production was first described in
Pseudomonas syringae
pv. syringae strains. A phenotypic characterization of 94
P. syringae
strains was carried out to determine the genetic evolution of the mangotoxin biosynthetic operon (
mbo
). We designed a PCR primer pair specific for the
mbo
operon to examine its distribution within the
P. syringae
complex. These primers amplified a 692-bp DNA fragment from 52 mangotoxin-producing strains and from 7 non-mangotoxin-producing strains that harbor the
mbo
operon, whereas 35 non-mangotoxin-producing strains did not yield any amplification. This, together with the analysis of draft genomes, allowed the identification of the
mbo
operon in five pathovars (pathovars aptata, avellanae, japonica, pisi, and syringae), all of which belong to genomospecies 1, suggesting a limited distribution of the
mbo
genes in the
P. syringae
complex. Phylogenetic analyses using partial sequences from housekeeping genes differentiated three groups within genomospecies 1. All of the strains containing the
mbo
operon clustered in groups I and II, whereas those lacking the operon clustered in group III; however, the relative branching order of these three groups is dependent on the genes used to construct the phylogeny. The
mbo
operon maintains synteny and is inserted in the same genomic location, with high sequence conservation around the insertion point, for all the strains in groups I and II. These data support the idea that the
mbo
operon was acquired horizontally and only once by the ancestor of groups I and II from genomospecies 1 within the
P. syringae
complex.
Characterization of a Newly Discovered Symbiont of the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)
Authors: Bing Xiao-Li , Yang Jiao , Zchori-Fein Einat , Wang Xiao-Wei , Liu Shu-Sheng 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Bemisia tabaci
(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a species complex containing >28 cryptic species, some of which are important crop pests worldwide. Like many other sap-sucking insects, whiteflies harbor an obligatory symbiont, “
Candidatus
Portiera aleyrodidarum,” and a number of secondary symbionts. So far, six genera of secondary symbionts have been identified in
B. tabaci
. In this study, we report and describe the finding of an additional bacterium in the indigenous
B. tabaci
cryptic species China 1 (formerly known as
B. tabaci
biotype ZHJ3). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA and
gltA
genes showed that the bacterium belongs to the
Alphaproteobacteria
subdivision of the
Proteobacteria
and has a close relationship with human pathogens of the genus
Orientia
. Consequently, we temporarily named it
Orientia
-like organism (OLO). OLO was found in six of eight wild populations of
B. tabaci
China 1, with the infection rate ranging from 46.2% to 76.8%. Fluorescence
in situ
hybridization (FISH) of
B. tabaci
China 1 in nymphs and adults revealed that OLOs are confined to the bacteriome and co-occur with “
Ca
. Portiera aleyrodidarum.” The vertical transmission of OLO was demonstrated by detection of OLO at the anterior pole end of the oocytes through FISH. Quantitative PCR analysis of population dynamics suggested a complex interaction between “
Ca
. Portiera aleyrodidarum” and OLO. Based on these results, we propose “
Candidatus
Hemipteriphilus asiaticus” for the classification of this symbiont from
B. tabaci
.
Improved Gene Ontology Annotation for Biofilm Formation, Filamentous Growth, and Phenotypic Switching in Candida albicans
Authors: Inglis Diane O. , Skrzypek Marek S. , Arnaud Martha B. , Binkley Jonathan , Shah Prachi , Wymore Farrell , Sherlock Gavin 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

The opportunistic fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
is a significant medical threat, especially for immunocompromised patients. Experimental research has focused on specific areas of
C. albicans
biology, with the goal of understanding the multiple factors that contribute to its pathogenic potential. Some of these factors include cell adhesion, invasive or filamentous growth, and the formation of drug-resistant biofilms. The Gene Ontology (GO) (
www.geneontology.org
) is a standardized vocabulary that the
Candida
Genome Database (CGD) (
www.candidagenome.org
) and other groups use to describe the functions of gene products. To improve the breadth and accuracy of pathogenicity-related gene product descriptions and to facilitate the description of as yet uncharacterized but potentially pathogenicity-related genes in
Candida
species, CGD undertook a three-part project: first, the addition of terms to the biological process branch of the GO to improve the description of fungus-related processes; second, manual recuration of gene product annotations in CGD to use the improved GO vocabulary; and third, computational ortholog-based transfer of GO annotations from experimentally characterized gene products, using these new terms, to uncharacterized orthologs in other
Candida
species. Through genome annotation and analysis, we identified candidate pathogenicity genes in seven non-
C. albicans Candida
species and in one additional
C. albicans
strain, WO-1. We also defined a set of
C. albicans
genes at the intersection of biofilm formation, filamentous growth, pathogenesis, and phenotypic switching of this opportunistic fungal pathogen, which provides a compelling list of candidates for further experimentation.