bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CHANGES IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHLORINE TREATMENTS DURING COLONIZATION OF SALMONELLA MONTEVIDEO ON TOMATOES
Authors: ITURRIAGA MONTSERRAT H. , ESCARTÍN EDUARDO F. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT Inactivation of pathogens in produce is an essential approach for mitigating the risk of disease. A study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of chlorine to kill Salmonella Montevideo cells during colonization on the surface of tomatoes. Tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum) were spot‐inoculated with 100 µL (ca. 8 log cfu) of S. Montevideo. To promote attachment, inoculated fruits were incubated for 90 min at 22C, then washed to remove unattached cells and stored at 30C and 97% relative humidity for up to 10 days. Periodically, tomatoes were treated with chlorine (1000 or 200 mg/L) or water (control). On day 0, treatments with 1000 or 200 mg/L of chlorine, and water reduced the pathogen population by approximately 5.0, 4.5 and 0.4 log cfu/tomato, respectively. The inactivation efficacy of the sanitizers decreased as the storage time elapsed. By the 7th day, the populations recovered from tomatoes treated with water and disinfectants were not significantly different (P < 0.5).PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThis study clearly shows how the effectiveness of chlorine is modified when treatments are applied to tomatoes several days after the contamination with a human pathogen took place. The diminished effect of disinfection treatments suggests that microorganisms colonizing on surfaces become more resistant to germicides, and that biofilms may provide protective sites, or both. The results also reinforce the concept that once contaminated, bacterial pathogens can persist on tomatoes throughout a normal distribution time.
Treatment of chromium‐bearing wastewaters with constructed wetlands
Authors: Dotro Gabriela , Larsen Daniel , Palazolo Paul 
Published: February 2010

AbstractChromium can have detrimental effects on most organisms, including humans. The present study focused on the effect of treating chromium‐bearing, organic‐rich wastewater on constructed wetland performance. Eight laboratory‐scale systems were used to study organic matter and chromium removals, with three features tested in duplicate: media with proven chromium sorption capacity, vegetation presence and intermittent influent loading. A set of two wetlands acted as the base design. Average BOD5 and chromium removal rates were 13.4 g/m2 day and 135 mg Cr/m2 day, respectively. From an influent chromium concentration of 5 mg/L, <0.5 mg/L could be detected at the outlet during the study in all systems. Chromium removal efficiencies were statistically different for all systems (P<0.01), except when comparing the base design against the intermittent feed systems (P>0.05). Overall treatment performance of all systems was remarkably good in spite of significant chromium content and salinity.
Protecting health care workers: a pandemic simulation based on Allegheny County
Authors: Cooley Philip , Lee Bruce Y. , Brown Shawn , Cajka James , Chasteen Bernadette , Ganapathi Laxminarayana , Stark James H. , Wheaton William D. , Wagener Diane K. , Burke Donald S. 
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Cooley et al. (2010) Protecting health care workers: a pandemic simulation based on Allegheny County. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 4(2), 61–72.Background and Objectives  The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has identified health care workers (HCWs) as a priority group to receive influenza vaccine. Although the importance of HCW to the health care system is well understood, the potential role of HCW in transmission during an epidemic has not been clearly established.Methods  Using a standard SIR (Susceptible–Infected–Recovered) framework similar to previously developed pandemic models, we developed an agent‐based model (ABM) of Allegheny County, PA, that incorporates the key health care system features to simulate the spread of an influenza epidemic and its effect on hospital‐based HCWs.Findings  Our simulation runs found the secondary attack rate among unprotected HCWs to be approximately 60% higher (54·3%) as that of all adults (34·1%), which would result in substantial absenteeism and additional risk to HCW families. Understanding how a pandemic may affect HCWs, who must be available to treat infected patients as well as patients with other medical conditions, is crucial to policy makers’ and hospital administrators’ preparedness planning.
A novel electrochemical device to differentiate pandemic (H1N1) 2009 from seasonal influenza
Authors: Straight T. M. , Merrill G. , Perez L. , Livezey J. , Robinson B. , Lodes M. , Suciu D. , Anderson B. 
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Straight et al. (2010) A novel electrochemical device to differentiate pandemic (H1N1) 2009 from seasonal influenza. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 4(2), 73–79.Background  One of the challenges of the recent pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza outbreak was to differentiate the virus from seasonal influenza when confronting clinical cases. The determination of the virus has implications on treatment choice, and obvious epidemiologic significance.Objectives  We set out to apply a novel electrochemical device to samples derived from clinical cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza to examine the ability of the device to differentiate these samples from cases of seasonal influenza.Patients/Methods  An IRB approved protocol allowed for the use of original nasal wash samples from 24 confirmed human cases pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza. Clinical samples from cases of seasonal influenza (Influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B) were included as controls. Nucleic acids were extracted and samples examined by the ElectraSense® Influenza A assay (CombiMatrix, Inc). Samples were also examined by RT‐PCR or Luminex assays as a comparator.Results and Conclusions  The ElectraSense® Influenza A assay correctly identified 23 of 24 samples of laboratory‐confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza. The assay correctly identified all samples of influenza A/H1N1 and A/H3N2, and differentiated these from pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza in all cases. The ElectraSense® Influenza A assay proved to be a useful assay to quickly and accurately differentiate pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza from seasonal influenza.
The Spanish influenza pandemic in occidental Europe (1918–1920) and victim age
Authors: Erkoreka Anton 
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Erkoreka A. (2010) The Spanish influenza pandemic in occidental Europe (1918–1920) and victim age. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 4(2), 81–89.Background  Studies of the Spanish Influenza pandemic (1918–1920) provide interesting information that may improve our preparation for present and future influenza pandemic threats.Methods  We studied archives from France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, obtaining high‐quality data that allowed us to calculate mortality rates associated with the Spanish flu and to characterize the proportional distribution of influenza deaths by age in the capital cities of these countries.Results  French and American troops who fought in the First World War began to be affected from April 1918 onwards by a benign influenza epidemic, which hardly caused any deaths. The first occidental European country in which the pandemic spread to large sectors of the population, causing serious mortality, was Spain. The associated influenza provoked in Madrid a mortality rate of 1·31 per 1000 inhabitants between May and June (1918). In the following months of June and July, the epidemic spread to Portugal, but did not reach the Pyrenees. In September 1918, the influenza pandemic spread with tremendous virulence, presenting itself simultaneously during the month of October in South Western European countries. In Madrid, the 1918 excess mortality due in large part to the influenza pandemic is estimated at 5·27 per 1000. In Paris, the 1918 mortality rate provoked by the influenza and pathologies of the respiratory system was 6·08 per 1000. In South Western European countries, mortality rates oscillated between 10·6 and 12·1 per 1000 inhabitants. A study of the age distribution of deaths due to influenza between 1916 and 1921 reveals that the Spanish influenza principally affected men and women between 15 and 44 years of age. Deaths associated with the seasonal influenza of 1916, 1917 and 1921 represented 19·7%, 12·5% and 21·0% of all deaths respectively, whereas during the rawest moments of the Spanish influenza, in 1918, the proportion of deaths due to flu for those aged between 15 and 44 years of age reached 68·2% in Paris and 66·3% in Madrid.Conclusion  Victim age is an important criterion that can be used to evaluate the phase and evolution of pandemic influenza. The Spanish Influenza affected particularly the 25‐ to 34‐year‐old and 15‐ to 24‐year‐old age groups.
Low‐pathogenic notifiable avian influenza serosurveillance and the risk of infection in poultry – a critical review of the European Union active surveillance programme (2005–2007)
Authors: Gonzales J. L. , Elbers A. R. W. , Bouma A. , Koch G. , De Wit J. J. , Stegeman J. A. 
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Gonzales et al. (2010) Low‐pathogenic notifiable avian influenza serosurveillance and the risk of infection in poultry – a critical review of the European Union active surveillance programme (2005–2007). Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 4(2), 91–99.Background  Since 2003, Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU) have implemented serosurveillance programmes for low pathogenic notifiable avian influenza (LPNAI) in poultry. To date, there is the need to evaluate the surveillance activity in order to optimize the programme’s surveillance design.Objectives  To evaluate MS sampling operations [sample size and targeted poultry types (PTs)] and its relation with the probability of detection and to estimate the PTs relative risk (RR) of being infected.Methods  Reported data of the surveillance carried out from 2005 to 2007 were analyzed using: (i) descriptive indicators to characterize both MS sampling operations and its relation with the probability of detection and the LPNAI epidemiological situation, and (ii) multivariable methods to estimate each PTs RR of being infected.Results  Member States sampling a higher sample size than that recommended by the EU had a significantly higher probability of detection. Poultry types with ducks & geese, game‐birds, ratites and “others” had a significant higher RR of being seropositive than chicken categories. The seroprevalence in duck & geese and game‐bird holdings appears to be higher than 5%, which is the EU‐recommended design prevalence (DP), while in chicken and turkey categories the seroprevalence was considerably lower than 5% and with that there is the risk of missing LPNAI seropositive holdings.Conclusion  It is recommended that the European Commission discusses with its MS whether the results of our evaluation calls for refinement of the surveillance characteristics such as sampling frequency, the between‐holding DP and MS sampling operation strategies.
Pre‐dispensing of antivirals to high‐risk individuals in an influenza pandemic
Authors: Goldstein Edward , Miller Joel C. , O’Hagan Justin J. , Lipsitch Marc 
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Goldstein et al. (2010) Pre‐dispensing of antivirals to high‐risk individuals in an influenza pandemic. Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses 4(2), 101‐112.We consider the net benefits of pre‐dispensing antivirals to high‐risk individuals during an influenza pandemic, where the measure of the benefit is the number of severe outcomes (such as deaths or hospitalizations) prevented by antivirals in the whole population. One potential benefit of pre‐dispensing is that individuals to whom antivirals have been pre‐dispensed may be able to initiate treatment earlier than if they had to wait to obtain and fill a prescription, reducing their risk of progression to severe disease. If this benefit exceeds the side effects of misuse for the category of individuals to whom antivirals were pre‐dispensed, and if antiviral supply exceeds overall population demand (which appears relevant for several countries including US in the 2009 H1N1 pandemic), pre‐dispensing a quantity of antivirals not exceeding the difference between supply and demand is always beneficial. In this study, we consider the net benefits of pre‐dispensing antivirals under various scenarios, including demand exceeding supply, and derive mathematical conditions under which antiviral pre‐dispensing is advantageous on balance. For individuals whose relative risk of severe outcome is high enough, such as immunosuppressed individuals (particularly children) and possibly individuals with neurological disorders, pre‐dispensing is always beneficial at a given level of antiviral stockpile with modest assumptions on the relative benefit of early treatment by a pre‐dispensed course, regardless of the overall population demand for antivirals during the course of an epidemic. Making additional assumptions on either the overall population demand for antivirals (which appear relevant for the 2009 H1N1 pandemic) or on the relative benefit of pre‐dispensing would make pre‐dispensing net beneficial with inclusion of a larger number of persons such as pregnant women and morbidly obese adults.
National review of state wildlife action plans for Odonata species of greatest conservation need
Authors: BRIED JASON T. , MAZZACANO CELESTE A. 
Published: February 2010

Abstract.  1. The overarching goal of United States wildlife action plans is to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered or declining to levels where recovery becomes unlikely. Effective plan implementation depends on establishing Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), defined as wildlife species with small or declining populations or other characteristics that make them vulnerable.2. Although nearly two‐thirds of distinct Odonata species known from the U.S. (441 species as of 2005) were appointed as SGCN, over half the states neglected to assign dragonfly SGCN, damselfly SGCN, or both. Western and southern states listed proportionately fewer odonate SGCN than states of the Great Lakes, Mid‐Atlantic, and New England regions, apparently reflecting geographic patterns of legal authority, available information, and involvement by Odonata specialists.3. Greater consultation of Odonata specialists is encouraged in any revision of state wildlife action plans, along with increased: (i) use of existing conservation lists, (ii) inferences from field guides and major faunal synopses, (iii) recognition of patterns of endemism, and (iv) application of empirical species distribution modelling.4. Legal and management restrictions aside, insects and other invertebrates are often neglected in mainstream conservation efforts because they are perceived as understudied. It is erroneous to assume ‘not enough information’ exists for well‐studied microfauna such as Odonata and doing so further undermines the conservation of less conspicuous and charismatic taxa.
Does one community shape the other? Dragonflies and fish in Swedish lakes
Authors: WITTWER TORBEN , SAHLÉN GÖRAN , SUHLING FRANK 
Published: February 2010

Abstract. 1. Freshwater communities are often structured by predation. In permanent lentic freshwater habitats dragonfly larvae are major predators which, in return, suffer predation by fish. Antipredator traits vary between the dragonfly species, and the dragonfly communities are therefore shaped by the presence of fish. But fish communities vary, and as different fish species affect dragonflies in different ways, the species composition of the fish community may affect the composition of the dragonfly community.2. We sampled dragonfly larvae in 24 lakes with a known fish stock in south‐western Sweden, and explored the impact of fish as well as vegetation structure on dragonfly communities by means of multivariate analyses.3. We found that the presence of four fish species affected the community structure of dragonflies. The impact strength depended mainly on the abundance ofPerca fluviatilis, with which most dragonfly species were negatively correlated. Many dragonfly species were also positively correlated with the occurrence of at least one fish species, which may reflect similar habitat requirements or imply indirect positive effects of these fish species.4. Of the 24 recorded dragonfly species, four did not occur in lakes dominated byP. fluviatilis, whereas only one species was lacking in lakes dominated byRutilus rutilus. The dragonfly species diversity was higher inR. rutiluslakes than inP. fluviatilislakes.5. Our results suggest that the fish species composition is a major determinant of the dragonfly community, which in turn will influence the lower trophic levels.
Distribution of hepatic stem cell markers in human liver with massive hepatic necrosis
Authors: Hwang Jeong Eun , Han Sang Hak , Kim Ji‐Hun , Cho Yong‐Mee , Yu Eunsil 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT Background and aims: The origin, niche, and function of human hepatic stem/progenitor cells (HHSPCs) have been longstanding areas of debate. We designed this study to elucidate the distribution of potential HHSPCs during the various stages of regeneration by the expression of known HHSPC markers. Methods: Immunostainings for c‐kit, cytokeratin (CK)19, and CD133 were performed in cases of massive hepatic necrosis (MHN) in various regenerating stages. Results: We identified c‐kit‐positive cells as single cells primarily in the stroma of portal tracts but rarely in the sinusoids. There were no differences in the numbers or distribution of c‐kit positive cells according to MHN regeneration stage. The number of CK19‐positive cells mostly in a ductular arrangement significantly increased along the interface, and single cells or small clusters of CK19‐positive cells were occasionally observed in the sinusoid in cases of MHN. CD133‐positive cells were located in ductular structures along the interface in cases of MHN, while no CD133‐positive cells were observed in the normal liver. Conclusion: The c‐kit‐ or CD133‐positive cells appear first at the limiting plate and are then organized into ductular structures or moved to the sinusoid as single cells or clusters during hepatic regeneration.
Adoption of Open Business Models in the West and Innovation in India's Software Industry
Authors: Lema Rasmus 
Published: February 2010

SummaryOver the last three decades, outsourcing has had a big influence on the international division of labour. It is clear that it has been a major reason for the enormous build‐up of production capabilities in the developing world, in particular in the export platforms of Asia. However, the influence of outsourcing on innovation capabilities is less clear. Recent literature shows that innovation capabilities have emerged in the software cluster of Bangalore in India. This report asks whether and how the adoption of open business models in OECD countries had an influence on the rise of innovative software services in Bangalore. This requires detailed research on both the demand side and the supply side of outsourced software services. On the demand side, this report compares three software buyer segments, exploring the relationship between business models and outsourcing patterns. The study shows that the adoption of open business models in OECD countries has a major influence on the ‘space’ for innovation that accrues to suppliers in the software industry in India. On the supply side, the study investigates the factors that determine whether the new spaces are filled and how advanced innovation capabilities are built. The key feature of this study is that it examines the interaction between demand‐ and supply‐side dynamics. Most studies tend to focus on only one side, but the key is to see them in conjunction. The study shows that their co‐evolution over time changes not only the scale of outsourcing but also the ‘quality’ of the contents and the division of labour.
Transforming Children's Lives Through Innovation in Quality Education: Implications for Policy and Practice
Authors: Oswald Katy , Moriarty Kathleen 
Published: February 2010

SummaryThis report argues for an expansion of the understanding of quality basic education, to be education that empowers students and addresses the inter‐generational transmission of inequality and poverty. It argues that what is needed is an understanding of quality education that combines behaviourist and humanist approaches, infused with transformative education (TE) approaches. This report provides a framework for this broader understanding of quality education. It highlights evidence that shows transformative education approaches can help stimulate economic development, increase learning retention, lead to better cognitive performance and retention rates; increase civic engagement, raise human rights awareness to address discrimination; and promote reconciliation and reintegration. Most importantly, transformative education approaches are aimed at empowering students and can contribute to addressing inter‐generational transmissions of inequality and poverty. It concludes with three recommendations for policymakers: (1) to expand the assessment of ‘effective’ education to include broader education outcomes, including individual and social transformation, empowerment and learner's retention rates, rather than simple test scores; (2) to include transformative education approaches in pre‐ and in‐service training and as part of the mainstream teacher training curriculum, and; (3) that donors need to increase long‐term and predictable funding to meet the existing annual $7.2 billion gap in education financing globally.
Simple means to improve the interpretability of regression coefficients
Authors: Schielzeth Holger 
Published: February 2010

Summary 1. Linear regression models are an important statistical tool in evolutionary and ecological studies. Unfortunately, these models often yield some uninterpretable estimates and hypothesis tests, especially when models contain interactions or polynomial terms. Furthermore, the standard errors for treatment groups, although often of interest for including in a publication, are not directly available in a standard linear model. 2. Centring and standardization of input variables are simple means to improve the interpretability of regression coefficients. Further, refitting the model with a slightly modified model structure allows extracting the appropriate standard errors for treatment groups directly from the model. 3. Centring will make main effects biologically interpretable even when involved in interactions and thus avoids the potential misinterpretation of main effects. This also applies to the estimation of linear effects in the presence of polynomials. Categorical input variables can also be centred and this sometimes assists interpretation. 4. Standardization (z‐transformation) of input variables results in the estimation of standardized slopes or standardized partial regression coefficients. Standardized slopes are comparable in magnitude within models as well as between studies. They have some advantages over partial correlation coefficients and are often the more interesting standardized effect size. 5. The thoughtful removal of intercepts or main effects allows extracting treatment means or treatment slopes and their appropriate standard errors directly from a linear model. This provides a simple alternative to the more complicated calculation of standard errors from contrasts and main effects. 6. The simple methods presented here put the focus on parameter estimation (point estimates as well as confidence intervals) rather than on significance thresholds. They allow fitting complex, but meaningful models that can be concisely presented and interpreted. The presented methods can also be applied to generalised linear models (GLM) and linear mixed models.