bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hazardous alcohol use interventions with emergency patients: Self‐reported practices of nurses, and predictors of behaviour
Authors: Freeman Toby , Roche Ann M , Williamson Paul , Pidd Ken 
Published: May 2011

AbstractObjectives: The present study examined Australian ED nurses' practices in asking patients about alcohol and assisting them to manage their alcohol consumption. It also investigated strategies to support ED nurses in these interventions.Methods: A two‐stage survey was administered to ED nurses. The first questionnaire measured theoretical and organizational predictors of behaviour, and underlying beliefs, and the subsequent questionnaire explored rates of asking and assisting patients.Results: A total of 125 nurses returned the first questionnaire. Participants held generally positive attitudes, perceived norms, feelings of legitimacy and perceived ability to ask about and intervene for alcohol, but lower role adequacy. The 71 ED nurses who completed the second questionnaire had intervened with almost 500 patients concerning alcohol in the previous week. Participants asked approximately one in four patients about alcohol (median = 26.3% of patients, 1095/4279 total patients asked). The Theory of Planned Behaviour did not predict rates of asking or assisting patients. Several strategies were identified that might increase rates: identify environmental factors that prevent nurses acting on their intentions to ask and intervene, raise confidence and skills, make asking about alcohol part of routine assessment, make supports such as drug and alcohol units or nurses available, and implement organizational policies on alcohol.Conclusions: Nurses appear positively disposed to engage with patients in regard to alcohol. However, greater support is needed to achieve the considerable significant public health benefits from this engagement. The findings point to several practical strategies that could be pursued to provide this support.
A Gunn—Peterson test with a QSO at z = 6.4
Authors: Goto Tomotsugu , Utsumi Yousuke , Hattori Takashi , Miyazaki Satoshi , Yamauchi Chisato 
Published: May 2011

Abstract
Understanding the cosmic reionization is one of the key goals of the modern observational cosmology. High-redshift quasi-stellar object (QSO) spectra can be used as background light sources to measure the absorption by the intervening neutral hydrogen. We investigate the neutral hydrogen absorption in a deep, moderate-resolution Keck/Deimos spectrum of the QSO CFHQS J2329−0301 at z = 6.4. This QSO is one of the highest redshift QSOs presently known at z = 6.4 but is 2.5 mag fainter than a previously well-studied QSO SDSS J1148+5251 at z = 6.4. Therefore, it has a smaller Stromgren sphere and allows us to probe the highest redshift hydrogen absorption to date. The average transmitted flux at 5.915 &lt; zabs &lt; 6.365 (200 comoving Mpc) is consistent with zero in Lyα, Lyβ and Lyγ absorption measurements. This corresponds to the lower limit of the optical depth, ταeff &gt; 4.9. These results are consistent with the strong evolution of the optical depth at z &gt; 5.7.
Application of a Broad-Range Resequencing Array for Detection of Pathogens in Desert Dust Samples from Kuwait and Iraq
Authors: Leski Tomasz A. , Malanoski Anthony P. , Gregory Michael J. , Lin Baochuan , Stenger David A. 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

A significant percentage of the human population is exposed to high levels of naturally occurring airborne dusts. Although the link between airborne particulate inhalation and a variety of respiratory diseases has long been established, little is known about the pathogenic role of the microbial component of the dust. In this study, we applied highly multiplexed PCR and a high-density resequencing microarray (RPM-TEI version 1.0) to screen samples of fine topsoil particles and airborne dust collected in 19 locations in Iraq and Kuwait for the presence of a broad range of human pathogens. The results indicated the presence of potential human pathogens, including
Mycobacterium
,
Brucella
,
Coxiella burnetii
,
Clostridium perfringens
, and
Bacillus
. The presence of
Coxiella burnetii
, a highly infectious potential biowarfare agent, was confirmed and detected in additional samples by use of a more sensitive technique (real-time PCR), indicating a high prevalence of this organism in the analyzed samples. The detection of potentially viable pathogens in breathable dusts from arid regions of Iraq and Kuwait underscores the importance of further study of these environments.
Genome Sequence of a Food Spoilage Lactic Acid Bacterium, Leuconostoc gasicomitatum LMG 18811
T
, in Association with Specific Spoilage Reactions
Authors: Johansson Per , Paulin Lars , Säde Elina , Salovuori Noora , Alatalo Edward R. , Björkroth K. Johanna , Auvinen Petri 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

Leuconostoc gasicomitatum
is a psychrotrophic lactic acid bacterium causing spoilage of cold-stored, modified-atmosphere-packaged (MAP), nutrient-rich foods. Its role has been verified by challenge tests in gas and slime formation, development of pungent acidic and buttery off odors, and greening of beef. MAP meats have especially been prone to
L. gasicomitatum
spoilage. In addition, spoilage of vacuum-packaged vegetable sausages and marinated herring has been reported. The genomic sequencing project of
L. gasicomitatum
LMG 18811
T
was prompted by a need to understand the growth and spoilage potentials of
L. gasicomitatum
, to study its phylogeny, and to be able to knock out and overexpress the genes. Comparative genomic analysis was done within
L. gasicomitatum
LMG 18811
T
and the three fully assembled
Leuconostoc
genomes (those of
Leuconostoc mesenteroides
,
Leuconostoc citreum
, and
Leuconostoc kimchii
) available. The genome of
L. gasicomitatum
LMG 18811
T
is plasmid-free and contains a 1,954,080-bp circular chromosome with an average GC content of 36.7%. It includes genes for the phosphoketolase pathway and alternative pathways for pyruvate utilization. As interesting features associated with the growth and spoilage potential, LMG 18811
T
possesses utilization strategies for ribose, external nucleotides, nucleosides, and nucleobases and it has a functional electron transport chain requiring only externally supplied heme for respiration. In respect of the documented specific spoilage reactions, the pathways/genes associated with a buttery off odor, meat greening, and slime formation were recognized. Unexpectedly, genes associated with platelet binding and collagen adhesion were detected, but their functionality and role in food spoilage and processing environment contamination need further study.
Links between Ammonia Oxidizer Community Structure, Abundance, and Nitrification Potential in Acidic Soils
Authors: Yao Huaiying , Gao Yangmei , Nicol Graeme W. , Campbell Colin D. , Prosser James I. , Zhang Limei , Han Wenyan , Singh Brajesh K. 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

Ammonia oxidation is the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification and is performed by both ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB). However, the environmental drivers controlling the abundance, composition, and activity of AOA and AOB communities are not well characterized, and the relative importance of these two groups in soil nitrification is still debated. Chinese tea orchard soils provide an excellent system for investigating the long-term effects of low pH and nitrogen fertilization strategies. AOA and AOB abundance and community composition were therefore investigated in tea soils and adjacent pine forest soils, using quantitative PCR (qPCR), terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and sequence analysis of respective ammonia monooxygenase (
amoA
) genes. There was strong evidence that soil pH was an important factor controlling AOB but not AOA abundance, and the ratio of AOA to AOB
amoA
gene abundance increased with decreasing soil pH in the tea orchard soils. In contrast, T-RFLP analysis suggested that soil pH was a key explanatory variable for both AOA and AOB community structure, but a significant relationship between community abundance and nitrification potential was observed only for AOA. High potential nitrification rates indicated that nitrification was mainly driven by AOA in these acidic soils. Dominant AOA
amoA
sequences in the highly acidic tea soils were all placed within a specific clade, and one AOA genotype appears to be well adapted to growth in highly acidic soils. Specific AOA and AOB populations dominated in soils at particular pH values and N content, suggesting adaptation to specific niches.
New Clues about the Evolutionary History of Metabolic Losses in Bacterial Endosymbionts, Provided by the Genome of Buchnera aphidicola from the Aphid Cinara tujafilina
Authors: Lamelas Araceli , Gosalbes María José , Moya Andrés , Latorre Amparo 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

The symbiotic association between aphids (Homoptera) and
Buchnera aphidicola
(
Gammaproteobacteria
) started about 100 to 200 million years ago. As a consequence of this relationship, the bacterial genome has undergone a prominent size reduction. The downsize genome process starts when the bacterium enters the host and will probably end with its extinction and replacement by another healthier bacterium or with the establishment of metabolic complementation between two or more bacteria. Nowadays, several complete genomes of
Buchnera aphidicola
from four different aphid species (
Acyrthosiphon pisum
,
Schizaphis graminum
,
Baizongia pistacea
, and
Cinara cedri
) have been fully sequenced.
C. cedri
belongs to the subfamily Lachninae and harbors two coprimary bacteria that fulfill the metabolic needs of the whole consortium:
B. aphidicola
with the smallest genome reported so far and “
Candidatus
Serratia symbiotica.” In addition,
Cinara tujafilina
, another member of the subfamily Lachninae, closely related to
C. cedri
, also harbors “
Ca.
Serratia symbiotica” but with a different phylogenetic status than the one from
C. cedri
. In this study, we present the complete genome sequence of
B. aphidicola
from
C. tujafilina
and the phylogenetic analysis and comparative genomics with the other
Buchnera
genomes. Furthermore, the gene repertoire of the last common ancestor has been inferred, and the evolutionary history of the metabolic losses that occurred in the different lineages has been analyzed. Although stochastic gene loss plays a role in the genome reduction process, it is also clear that metabolism, as a functional constraint, is also a powerful evolutionary force in insect endosymbionts.
Environmental Influences on Competitive Hydrogen Peroxide Production in Streptococcus gordonii
Authors: Zheng Lanyan , Itzek Andreas , Chen Zhiyun , Kreth Jens 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus gordonii
is an important member of the oral biofilm. One of its phenotypic traits is the production of hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
). H
2
O
2
is an antimicrobial component produced by
S. gordonii
that is able to antagonize the growth of cariogenic
Streptococcus mutans
. Strategies that modulate H
2
O
2
production in the oral cavity may be useful as a simple therapeutic mechanism to improve oral health, but little is known about the regulation of H
2
O
2
production. The enzyme responsible for H
2
O
2
production is pyruvate oxidase, encoded by
spxB
. The functional studies of
spxB
expression and SpxB abundance presented in this report demonstrate a strong dependence on environmental oxygen tension and carbohydrate availability. Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) modulates
spxB
expression carbohydrate dependently. Catabolite control protein A (CcpA) represses
spxB
expression by direct binding to the
spxB
promoter, as shown by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). Promoter mutation studies revealed the requirement of two catabolite-responsive elements (CRE) for CcpA-dependent
spxB
regulation, as evaluated by
spxB
expression and phenotypic H
2
O
2
production assays. Thus, molecular mechanisms for the control of
S. gordonii
spx
B
expression are presented for the first time, demonstrating the possibility of manipulating H
2
O
2
production for increased competitive fitness.
An Enzymatic Treatment of Soil-Bound Prions Effectively Inhibits Replication
Authors: Saunders Samuel E. , Bartz Jason C. , Vercauteren Kurt C. , Bartelt-Hunt Shannon L. 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) and scrapie can be transmitted through indirect environmental routes, possibly via soil, and a practical decontamination strategy for prion-contaminated soil is currently unavailable. In the laboratory, an enzymatic treatment under environmentally relevant conditions (22°C, pH 7.4) can degrade soil-bound PrP
Sc
below the limits of Western blot detection. We developed and used a quantitative serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) protocol to characterize the amplification efficiency of treated soil samples relative to controls of known infectious titer. Our results suggest large (10
4
- to >10
6
-fold) decreases in soil-bound prion infectivity following enzyme treatment, demonstrating that a mild enzymatic treatment could effectively reduce the risk of prion disease transmission via soil or other environmental surfaces.
Subtyping Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Isolates from Different Sources by Using Sequence Typing Based on Virulence Genes and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPRs)
Authors: Liu Fenyun , Kariyawasam Subhashinie , Jayarao Bhushan M. , Barrangou Rodolphe , Gerner-Smidt Peter , Ribot Efrain M. , Knabel Stephen J. , Dudley Edward G. 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serovar Enteritidis is a major cause of food-borne salmonellosis in the United States. Two major food vehicles for
S
. Enteritidis are contaminated eggs and chicken meat. Improved subtyping methods are needed to accurately track specific strains of
S
. Enteritidis related to human salmonellosis throughout the chicken and egg food system. A sequence typing scheme based on virulence genes (
fimH
and
sseL
) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs)—CRISPR-including multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (designated CRISPR-MVLST)—was used to characterize 35 human clinical isolates, 46 chicken isolates, 24 egg isolates, and 63 hen house environment isolates of
S
. Enteritidis. A total of 27 sequence types (STs) were identified among the 167 isolates. CRISPR-MVLST identified three persistent and predominate STs circulating among U.S. human clinical isolates and chicken, egg, and hen house environmental isolates in Pennsylvania, and an ST that was found only in eggs and humans. It also identified a potential environment-specific sequence type. Moreover, cluster analysis based on
fimH
and
sseL
identified a number of clusters, of which several were found in more than one outbreak, as well as 11 singletons. Further research is needed to determine if CRISPR-MVLST might help identify the ecological origins of
S
. Enteritidis strains that contaminate chickens and eggs.
Population Dynamics of Salmonella enterica Serotypes in Commercial Egg and Poultry Production
Authors: Foley Steven L. , Nayak Rajesh , Hanning Irene B. , Johnson Timothy J. , Han Jing , Ricke Steven C. 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

Fresh and processed poultry have been frequently implicated in cases of human salmonellosis. Furthermore, increased consumption of meat and poultry has increased the potential for exposure to
Salmonella enterica
. While advances have been made in reducing the prevalence and frequency of
Salmonella
contamination in processed poultry, there is mounting pressure on commercial growers to prevent and/or eliminate these human pathogens in preharvest production facilities. Several factors contribute to
Salmonella
colonization in commercial poultry, including the serovar and the infectious dose. In the early 1900s,
Salmonella enterica
serovars Pullorum and Gallinarum caused widespread diseases in poultry, but vaccination and other voluntary programs helped eradicate pullorum disease and fowl typhoid from commercial flocks. However, the niche created by the eradication of these serovars was likely filled by
S.
Enteritidis, which proliferated in the bird populations. While this pathogen remains a significant problem in commercial egg and poultry production, its prevalence among poultry has been declining since the 1990s. Coinciding with the decrease of
S.
Enteritidis,
S.
Heidelberg and
S.
Kentucky have emerged as the predominant serovars in commercial broilers. In this review, we have highlighted bacterial genetic and host-related factors that may contribute to such shifts in
Salmonella
populations in commercial poultry and intervention strategies that could limit their colonization.
Disruption of the Termite Gut Microbiota and Its Prolonged Consequences for Fitness
Authors: Rosengaus Rebeca B. , Zecher Courtney N. , Schultheis Kelley F. , Brucker Robert M. , Bordenstein Seth R. 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

The disruption of host-symbiont interactions through the use of antibiotics can help elucidate microbial functions that go beyond short-term nutritional value. Termite gut symbionts have been studied extensively, but little is known about their impact on the termite's reproductive output. Here we describe the effect that the antibiotic rifampin has not only on the gut microbial diversity but also on the longevity, fecundity, and weight of two termite species,
Zootermopsis angusticollis
and
Reticulitermes flavipes
. We report three key findings: (i) the antibiotic rifampin, when fed to primary reproductives during the incipient stages of colony foundation, causes a permanent reduction in the diversity of gut bacteria and a transitory effect on the density of the protozoan community; (ii) rifampin treatment reduces oviposition rates of queens, translating into delayed colony growth and ultimately reduced colony fitness; and (iii) the initial dosages of rifampin had severe long-term fitness effects on
Z. angusticollis
. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the antibiotic-induced perturbation of the microbial community is associated with prolonged reductions in longevity and fecundity. A causal relationship between these changes in the gut microbial population structures and fitness is suggested by the acquisition of opportunistic pathogens and incompetence of the termites to restore a pretreatment, native microbiota. Our results indicate that antibiotic treatment significantly alters the termite's microbiota, reproduction, colony establishment, and ultimately colony growth and development. We discuss the implications for antimicrobials as a new application to the control of termite pest species.
Role of “Dehalococcoides” spp. in the Anaerobic Transformation of Hexachlorobenzene in European Rivers
Authors: Taş Neslihan , van Eekert Miriam H. A. , Wagner Anke , Schraa Gosse , de Vos Willem M. , Smidt Hauke 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTThe diffuse pollution by chlorinated organic compounds in river basins is a concern, due to their potential adverse effects on human health and the environment. Organohalides, like hexachlorobenzene (HCB), are recalcitrant to aerobic microbial degradation, and “Dehalococcoides” spp. are the only known microorganisms capable of anaerobic transformation of these compounds coupled to their growth. In this study, sediments from four European rivers were studied in order to determine their HCB dechlorination capacities and the role ofDehalococcoidesspp. in this process. Only a weak correlation was observed betweenDehalococcoidesspecies abundance and HCB transformation rates from different locations. In one of these locations, in the Ebro River sediment, HCB dechlorination could be linked toDehalococcoidesspecies growth and activity by 16S rRNA-based molecular methods. Furthermore, HCB dechlorination activity in this sediment was found over the full range of ambient temperatures that this sediment can be exposed to during different seasons throughout the year. The sediment contained several reductive dehalogenase (rdh) genes, and analysis of their transcription revealed the dominance ofcbrA, previously shown to encode a trichlorobenzene reductive dehalogenase. This study investigated the role ofDehalococcoidesspp. in HCB dechlorination in river sediments and evaluated if the current knowledge ofrdhgenes could be used to assess HCB bioremediation potential.
Enhancing the Stress Tolerance and Virulence of an Entomopathogen by Metabolic Engineering of Dihydroxynaphthalene Melanin Biosynthesis Genes
Authors: Tseng Min N. , Chung Pei C. , Tzean Shean S. 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTEntomopathogenic fungi have been used for biocontrol of insect pests for many decades. However, the efficacy of such fungi in field trials is often inconsistent, mainly due to environmental stresses, such as UV radiation, temperature extremes, and desiccation. To circumvent these hurdles, metabolic engineering of dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin biosynthetic genes (polyketide synthase, scytalone dehydratase, and 1,3,8-trihydroxynaphthalene reductase genes) cloned fromAlternaria alternatawere transformed into the amelanotic entomopathogenic fungusMetarhizium anisopliaeviaAgrobacterium-mediated transformation. Melanin expression in the transformant ofM. anisopliaewas verified by spectrophotometric methods, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), and confocal microscopy. The transformant, especially under stresses, showed notably enhanced antistress capacity and virulence, in terms of germination and survival rate, infectivity, and reduced median time to death (LT50) in killing diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) larvae compared with the wild type. The possible mechanisms in enhancing the stress tolerance and virulence, and the significance and potential for engineering melanin biosynthesis genes in other biocontrol agents and crops to improve antistress fitness are discussed.
Involvement of the Azorhizobial Chromosome Partition Gene (
parA
) in the Onset of Bacteroid Differentiation during Sesbania rostrata Stem Nodule Development
Authors: Liu Chi-Te , Lee Kyung-Bum , Wang Yu-Sheng , Peng Min-Hua , Lee Kung-Ta , Suzuki Shino , Suzuki Tadahiro , Oyaizu Hiroshi 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT

A
parA
gene in-frame deletion mutant of
Azorhizobium caulinodans
ORS571 (ORS571-ΔparA) was constructed to evaluate the roles of the chromosome-partitioning gene on various bacterial traits and on the development of stem-positioned nodules. The Δ
parA
mutant showed a pleiomorphic cell shape phenotype and was polyploid, with differences in nucleoid sizes due to dramatic defects in chromosome partitioning. Upon inoculation of the Δ
parA
mutant onto the stem of
Sesbania rostrata
, three types of immature nodule-like structures with impaired nitrogen-fixing activity were generated. Most showed signs of bacteroid early senescence. Moreover, the Δ
parA
cells within the nodule-like structures exhibited multiple developmental-stage phenotypes. Since the
bacA
gene has been considered an indicator for bacteroid formation, we applied the expression pattern of
bacA
as a nodule maturity index in this study. Our data indicate that the
bacA
gene expression is
parA
dependent in symbiosis. The presence of the
parA
gene transcript was inversely correlated with the maturity of nodule; the transcript was switched off in fully mature bacteroids. In summary, our experimental evidence demonstrates that the
parA
gene not only plays crucial roles in cellular development when the microbe is free-living but also negatively regulates bacteroid formation in
S. rostrata
stem nodules.
Environmental and Taxonomic Bacterial Diversity of Anaerobic Uranium(IV) Bio-Oxidation
Authors: Weber Karrie A. , Thrash J. Cameron , Van Trump J. Ian , Achenbach Laurie A. , Coates John D. 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTMicroorganisms in diverse terrestrial surface and subsurface environments can anaerobically catalyze the oxidative dissolution of uraninite. While a limited quantity (∼5 to 12 μmol liter−1) of uranium is oxidatively dissolved in pure culture studies, the metabolism is coupled to electron transport, providing the potential of uraninite to support indigenous microbial populations and to solubilize uranium.