bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Everyone's problem but nobody's job: Staff perceptions and explanations for poor nutritional intake in older medical patients
Authors: ROSS Lynda J. , MUDGE Alison M. , YOUNG Adrienne M. , BANKS Merrilyn 
Published: February 2011

AbstractAim:  Up to 60% of older medical patients are malnourished with further decline during hospital stay. There is limited evidence for effective nutrition intervention. Staff focus groups were conducted to improve understanding of potential contextual and cultural barriers to feeding older adults in hospital.Methods:  Three focus groups involved 22 staff working on the acute medical wards of a large tertiary teaching hospital. Staff disciplines were nursing, dietetics, speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, pharmacy. A semistructured topic guide was used by the same facilitator to prompt discussions on hospital nutrition care including barriers. Focus groups were tape‐recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.Results:  All staff recognised malnutrition to be an important problem in older patients during hospital stay and identified patient‐level barriers to nutrition care such as non‐compliance to feeding plans and hospital‐level barriers including nursing staff shortages. Differences between disciplines revealed a lack of a coordinated approach, including poor knowledge of nutrition care processes, poor interdisciplinary communication, and a lack of a sense of shared responsibility/coordinated approach to nutrition care. All staff talked about competing activities at meal times and felt disempowered to prioritise nutrition in the acute medical setting. Staff agreed education and ‘extra hands’ would address most barriers but did not consider organisational change.Conclusions:  Redesigning the model of care to reprioritise meal‐time activities and redefine multidisciplinary roles and responsibilities would support coordinated nutrition care. However, effectiveness may also depend on hospital‐wide leadership and support to empower staff and increase accountability within a team‐led approach.
Hepatotoxicosis in dogs consuming a diet of camel meat contaminated with indospicine
Authors: FitzGerald LM , Fletcher MT , Paul AEH , Mansfield CS , O'Hara AJ 
Published: February 2011

Background  Four dogs presented with clinical signs of severe hepatic disease after consuming a commercial camel meat diet.Methods  Laboratory investigation revealed evidence of severe liver disease, including markedly increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and total bilirubin concentration, and prolonged clotting times.Results  Two dogs deteriorated despite supportive therapy and were euthanased. Histologically, both livers appeared similar, with the main lesion being extensive periacinar necrosis and haemorrhage. Indospicine, a toxic amino acid of plant origin, was detected in the serum and/or plasma from all four dogs, as well as in tissues of a dog that was necropsied and in a sample of the camel meat fed to this animal. Serum biochemistry tests using blood samples collected from 15 additional dogs identified as having eaten the diet detected indospicine was in the serum of 14 and 3 had increased ALT activity. One of the latter dogs subsequently developed clinical signs of severe liver disease and was euthanased.Conclusion  To the authors' knowledge, this is the first published report of the detection of indospicine residues in camel meat and the occurrence of severe, sometimes fatal, liver disease in dogs that consumed this contaminated meat.
Racial Differences in Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Feairheller Deborah L. , Park Joon‐Young , Sturgeon Kathleen M. , Williamson Sheara T. , Diaz Keith M. , Veerabhadrappa Praveen , Brown Michael D. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractAfrican American race is an independent risk factor for enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation. We sought to examine whether oxidative‐stress and inflammatory markers that are typically measured in humans also differ by race in cell culture. We compared levels between African American and Caucasian young adults and then separately in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) from both races. We found heightened oxidative stress and inflammation in the African Americans both in vitro and in vivo. African American HUVECs showed higher nitric oxide (NO) levels (10.8 ± 0.4 vs. 8.8 ± 0.7 μmol/L/mg, p = 0.03), Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) levels (61.7 ± 4.2 vs. 23.9 ± 9.0 pg/mg, p = 0.02), and lower superoxide dismutase activity (15.6 ± 3.3 vs. 25.4 ± 2.8 U/mg, p = 0.04), and also higher protein expression (p < 0.05) of NADPH oxidase subunit p47phox, isoforms NOX2 and NOX4, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS), inducible NOS, as well as IL‐6. African American adults had higher plasma protein carbonyls (1.1 ± 0.1 vs. 0.8 ± 0.1 nmol/mg, p = 0.01) and antioxidant capacity (2.3 ± 0.2 vs. 1.1 ± 0.3 mM, p = 0.01). These preliminary translational data demonstrate a racial difference in HUVECs much like that in humans, but should be interpreted with caution given its preliminary nature. It is known that racial differences exist in how humans respond to development and progression of disease, therefore these data suggest that ethnicity of cell model may be important to consider with in vitro clinical research. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 32–37
Two Distinct Genetic Elements Are Responsible for
erm
(TR)-Mediated Erythromycin Resistance in Tetracycline-Susceptible and Tetracycline-Resistant Strains of Streptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Brenciani Andrea , Tiberi Erika , Bacciaglia Alessandro , Petrelli Dezemona , Varaldo Pietro E. , Giovanetti Eleonora 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

In
Streptococcus pyogenes
, inducible erythromycin (ERY) resistance is due to posttranscriptional methylation of an adenine residue in 23S rRNA that can be encoded either by the
erm
(B) gene or by the more recently described
erm
(TR) gene. Two
erm
(TR)-carrying genetic elements, showing extensive DNA identities, have thus far been sequenced: ICE10750-RD.2 (∼49 kb) and Tn
1806
(∼54 kb), from tetracycline (TET)-susceptible strains of
S. pyogenes
and
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, respectively. However, TET resistance, commonly mediated by the
tet
(O) gene, is widespread in
erm
(TR)-positive
S. pyogenes
. In this study, 23
S. pyogenes
clinical strains with
erm
(TR)-mediated ERY resistance—3 TET susceptible and 20 TET resistant—were investigated. Two
erm
(TR)-carrying elements sharing only a short, high-identity
erm
(TR)-containing core sequence were comprehensively characterized: ICE
Sp
1108 (45,456 bp) from the TET-susceptible strain C1 and ICE
Sp
2905 (65,575 bp) from the TET-resistant strain iB21. While ICE
Sp
1108 exhibited extensive identities to ICE10750-RD.2 and Tn
1806
, ICE
Sp
2905 showed a previously unreported genetic organization resulting from the insertion of separate
erm
(TR)- and
tet
(O)-containing fragments in a scaffold of clostridial origin. Transferability by conjugation of the
erm
(TR) elements from the same strains used in this study had been demonstrated in earlier investigations. Unlike ICE10750-RD.2 and Tn
1806
, which are integrated into an
hsdM
chromosomal gene, both ICE
Sp
1108 and ICE
Sp
2905 shared the chromosomal integration site at the 3′ end of the conserved
rum
gene, which is an integration hot spot for several mobile streptococcal elements. By using PCR-mapping assays,
erm
(TR)-carrying elements closely resembling ICE
Sp
1108 and ICE
Sp
2905 were shown in the other TET-susceptible and TET-resistant test strains, respectively.
Characterization of a Novel Arginine Catabolic Mobile Element (ACME) and Staphylococcal Chromosomal Cassette
mec
Composite Island with Significant Homology to Staphylococcus epidermidis ACME Type II in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Genotype ST22-MRSA-IV
Authors: Shore Anna C. , Rossney Angela S. , Brennan Orla M. , Kinnevey Peter M. , Humphreys Hilary , Sullivan Derek J. , Goering Richard V. , Ehricht Ralf , Monecke Stefan , Coleman David C. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

The arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) is prevalent among methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) isolates of sequence type 8 (ST8) and staphylococcal chromosomal cassette
mec
(SCC
mec
) type IVa (USA300) (ST8-MRSA-IVa isolates), and evidence suggests that ACME enhances the ability of ST8-MRSA-IVa to grow and survive on its host. ACME has been identified in a small number of isolates belonging to other MRSA clones but is widespread among coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). This study reports the first description of ACME in two distinct strains of the pandemic ST22-MRSA-IV clone. A total of 238 MRSA isolates recovered in Ireland between 1971 and 2008 were investigated for ACME using a DNA microarray. Twenty-three isolates (9.7%) were ACME positive, and all were either MRSA genotype ST8-MRSA-IVa (7/23, 30%) or MRSA genotype ST22-MRSA-IV (16/23, 70%). Whole-genome sequencing and comprehensive molecular characterization revealed the presence of a novel 46-kb ACME and staphylococcal chromosomal cassette
mec
(SCC
mec
) composite island (ACME/SCC
mec
-CI) in ST22-MRSA-IVh isolates (
n
= 15). This ACME/SCC
mec
-CI consists of a 12-kb DNA region previously identified in ACME type II in
S. epidermidis
ATCC 12228, a truncated copy of the J1 region of SCC
mec
type I, and a complete SCC
mec
type IVh element. The composite island has a novel genetic organization, with ACME located within
orfX
and SCC
mec
located downstream of ACME. One PVL locus-positive ST22-MRSA-IVa isolate carried ACME located downstream of SCC
mec
type IVa, as previously described in ST8-MRSA-IVa. These results suggest that ACME has been acquired by ST22-MRSA-IV on two independent occasions. At least one of these instances may have involved horizontal transfer and recombination events between MRSA and CoNS. The presence of ACME may enhance dissemination of ST22-MRSA-IV, an already successful MRSA clone.
Multicenter Study in Taiwan of the
In Vitro
Activities of Nemonoxacin, Tigecycline, Doripenem, and Other Antimicrobial Agents against Clinical Isolates of Various Nocardia Species
Authors: Lai Chih-Cheng , Liu Wei-Lun , Ko Wen-Chien , Chen Yen-Hsu , Tan Hon-Ren , Huang Yu-Tsung , Hsueh Po-Ren 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the
in vitro
activities of nemonoxacin (a novel nonfluorinated quinolone), doripenem, tigecycline, and 16 other antimicrobial agents against
Nocardia
species. The MICs of the 19 agents against 151 clinical isolates of
Nocardia
species were determined by the broth microdilution method. The isolates were identified to the species level using 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The results showed that
N. brasiliensis
(
n
= 60; 40%) was the most common species, followed by
N. cyriacigeorgica
(
n
= 24; 16%),
N. farcinica
(
n
= 12; 8%),
N. beijingensis
(
n
= 9),
N. otitidiscaviarum
(
n
= 8),
N. nova
(
n
= 8),
N. asiatica
(
n
= 7),
N. puris
(
n
= 6),
N. flavorosea
(
n
= 5),
N. abscessus
(
n
= 3),
N. carnea
(2), and one each of
N. alba
,
N. asteroides
complex,
N. rhamnosiphila
,
N. elegans
,
N. jinanensis
,
N. takedensis
, and
N. transvalensis
. The MIC
90
s of the tested quinolones against the
N. brasiliensis
isolates were in the order nemonoxacin = gemifloxacin < moxifloxacin < levofloxacin = ciprofloxacin, and the MIC
90
s of the tested carbapenems were in the order doripenem = meropenem < ertapenem < imipenem. Tigecycline had a lower MIC
90
(1 μg/ml) than linezolid (8 μg/ml). The MIC
90
s of the tested quinolones against
N. cyriacigeorgica
isolates were in the order nemonoxacin < gemifloxacin < moxifloxacin < levofloxacin < ciprofloxacin, and the MIC
90
s of the tested carbapenems were in the order imipenem < doripenem = meropenem < ertapenem. Nemonoxacin had the lowest MIC
90
values among the tested quinolones against the other 17
Nocardia
isolates. Among the four tested carbapenems, imipenem had the lowest MIC
90
s. All of the clinical isolates of
N. beijingensis
,
N. otitidiscaviarum
,
N. nova
, and
N. puris
and more than half of the
N. brasiliensis
and
N. cyriacigeorgica
isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent. The results of this
in vitro
study suggest that nemonoxacin, linezolid, and tigecycline are promising treatment options for nocardiosis. Further investigation of their clinical role is warranted.
Ultrasound and Doppler-guided mini-surgery to treat midportion Achilles tendinosis: results of a large material and a randomised study comparing two scraping techniques
Authors: Alfredson Håkan 
Published: February 2011

BackgroundTreatment based on ultrasound (US) and colour Doppler (CD) findings in midportion Achilles tendinosis has shown promising results. In a randomised study on a small patient material, similar short-term clinical results were demonstrated with surgery outside the tendon and sclerosing polidocanol injections, but surgical treatment led to a faster return to activity.ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical results of US and CD-guided mini-surgery (scraping) outside the ventral tendon in a larger patient material and, in a randomised study, compare two different techniques for surgical scraping.Material and methods103 patients (66 men, 37 women), mean age 43 years (range 24–77), with midportion tendinosis in 125 Achilles tendons were included. Patients from a large group (88 tendons), and a randomised study (37 tendons), were in local anaesthesia treated with a US and CD-guided new surgical approach outside the ventral tendon. All patients in the large group, and one arm of the randomised study, were treated open with a scalpel, while the other arm of the randomised study were treated percutaneously. Pain during Achilles tendon loading activity (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)), and satisfaction with treatment, were evaluated.ResultsBefore surgery, the mean VAS was 73. After surgery (follow-up mean 18 months, range 6–33), the mean VAS was 3 in 111 tendons (89%) from satisfied patients back in full Achilles tendon loading activity. In the randomised study, there were no significant differences in the results between open treatment with a scalpel and percutaneous treatment with a needle.ConclusionsUS and CD-guided scraping show good short-term results in midportion Achilles tendinosis.
Chronology of transpression, magmatism, and sedimentation in the Thompson Nickel Belt (Manitoba, Canada) and timing of Trans-Hudson Orogen – Superior Province collisionThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme of Geochronology in honour of Tom Krogh.
Authors: Machado Nuno , Gapais Denis , Potrel Alain , Gauthier Gilles , Hallot Erwan 
Published: February 2011

The Thompson Nickel Belt marks the boundary between the Archean Superior Province and the Trans-Hudson Orogen in Canada. It comprises Archean gneisses, and Paleoproterozoic rocks with metasediments and metavolcanites (Ospwagan Group) and intrusions. The gneisses are frequently migmatitic and host numerous pegmatites. The western belt boundary is a fault contact with the Kisseynew Domain of the Reindeer Zone. In the south, the transition zone between the belt and the Kisseynew Domain comprises granitoids and a detrital sequence (Grass River Group), part of which grades into turbidites in the Kisseynew Domain. The eastern belt boundary is a diffuse zone where the Archean east–west (E–W) structural trend changes into the north-northeast (NNE) trend of the belt. This paper presents U–Pb ages for granitoids and 207Pb/206Pb detrital zircon ages from the Ospwagan and Grass River groups. Ages and a comparison of events in the belt and in the eastern Reindeer Zone have major implications. The change from stable platform deposits to syn-tectonic filling and emplacement of mafic intrusions in the Ospwagan Group are attributed to the convergence between the Reindeer Zone and the Superior Province at 1891–1885 Ma. At ca. 1850 Ma, continuing convergence led to drowning of marginal basins of the Superior craton and to the development of a transpressive regime in the belt, the onset of which could be as old as ca. 1885 Ma. Metamorphic ages of 1818–1785 record closure of the Kisseynew basin and crustal thickening. Collision of the new continental block with the Superior Province was accommodated by transpression until 1750–1720 Ma.
Magmatic and tectonic emplacement of the Pukaskwa batholith, Superior Province, Ontario, CanadaThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme of Geochronology in honour of Tom Krogh.
Authors: Beakhouse Gary P. , Lin Shoufa , Kamo Sandra L. 
Published: February 2011

The Neoarchean Pukaskwa batholith consists of pre-, syn-, and post-tectonic phases emplaced over an interval of 50 million years. Pre-tectonic phases are broadly synvolcanic and have a high-Al tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) affinity interpreted to reflect derivation by partial melting of basaltic crust at lower crustal or upper mantle depths. Minor syn-tectonic phases slightly post-date volcanism and have geochemical characteristics suggesting some involvement or interaction with an ultramafic (mantle) source component. Magmatic emplacement of pre- and syn-tectonic phases occurred in the midcrust at paleopressures of 550–600 MPa and these components of the batholith are thought to be representative of the midcrust underlying greenstone belts during their development. Subsequent to emplacement of the syntectonic phases, and likely at approximately 2680 Ma, the Pukaskwa batholith was uplifted as a structural dome relative to flanking greenstone belts synchronously with ongoing regional sinistral transpressive deformation. The driving force for vertical tectonism is interpreted to be density inversion (Rayleigh–Taylor-type instabilities) involving denser greenstone belts and underlying felsic plutonic crust. The trigger for initiation of this process is interpreted to be an abrupt change in the rheology of the midcrust attributed to introduction of heat from the mantle attendant with slab breakoff or lithospheric delamination following the cessation of subduction. This process also led to partial melting of the intermediate to felsic midcrust generating post-tectonic granitic phases at approximately 2667 Ma. We propose that late density inversion-driven vertical tectonics is an inevitable consequence of horizontal (plate) tectonic processes associated with greenstone belt development within the Superior Province.
Evolution of early crust in chondritic or non-chondritic Earth inferred from U–Pb and Lu–Hf data for chemically abraded zircon from the Itsaq Gneiss Complex, West GreenlandThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme of Geochronology in honour of Tom Krogh.
Authors: Amelin Yuri , Kamo Sandra L. , Lee Der-Chuen 
Published: February 2011

Zircon grains in rocks collected from the Itsaq Gneiss Complex, southwest Greenland, were analyzed for U–Pb and Lu–Hf in the same grain using isotope dilution – thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and multicollector – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (MC–ICP–MS). Grains were pretreated using chemical abrasion or air abrasion to assure that only zircon material unaffected by the migration of parent and daughter elements was analyzed. The data are consistent with derivation of all studied rocks from a single enriched mantle source or mafic crustal protolith with 176Lu/177Hf of 0.022 ± 0.003 that was repeatedly melted and produced tonalitic magmas. The assessment of the primary mantle source from which this mafic protolith was derived, at or before 3.85 Ga, greatly depends on the assumed composition of the bulk silicate Earth. Using the currently accepted Lu–Hf bulk Earth parameters based on the analysis of chondrites yields εHf(T) of 0 to +1 for the 3.80–3.86 Ga rocks, suggesting that the protolith was derived from mantle that underwent moderate depletion shortly before 3.9 Ga. However, using alternative models of the bulk silicate Earth composition, i.e., that account for the possible irradiation-induced accelerated decay of 176Lu in the early Solar System, and (or) loss of the products of early planetesimal or planetary differentiation, can lead to widely variable interpretations of the enrichment or depletion history of the mantle source of the Itsaq protolith.
Antimicrobial actions of α-mangostin against oral streptococci
Authors: Nguyen Phuong T. M. , Marquis Robert E. 
Published: February 2011

The increasing prevalence of dental caries is making it more of a major world health problem. Caries is the direct result of acid production by cariogenic oral bacteria, especially Streptococcus mutans . New and better antimicrobial agents active against cariogenic bacteria are badly needed, especially natural agents derived directly from plants. We have evaluated the inhibitory actions of α-mangostin, a xanthone purified from ethanolic extracts of the tropical plant Garcinia mangostana L., by repeated silica gel chromatography. α-Mangostin was found to be a potent inhibitor of acid production by S. mutans UA159, active against membrane enzymes, including the F(H+)-ATPase and the phosphoenolpyruvate – sugar phosphotransferase system. α-Mangostin also inhibited the glycolytic enzymes aldolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and lactic dehydrogenase. Glycolysis by intact cells in suspensions or biofilms was inhibited by α-mangostin at concentrations of 12 and 120 µmol·L–1, respectively, in a pH-dependent manner, with greater potency at lower pH values. Other targets for inhibition by α-mangostin included (i) malolactic fermentation, involved in alkali production from malate, and (ii) NADH oxidase, the major respiratory enzyme for S. mutans. The overall conclusion is that α-mangostin is a multitarget inhibitor of mutans streptococci and may be useful as an anticaries agent.
Mucosal and systemic immune responses of mice to tetanus toxoid coadministered nasally with AFCo1
Authors: Romeu Belkis , González Elyzabeth , del Campo Judith , Acevedo Reynaldo , Zayas Caridad , Valdés Yolanda , Cabrera Osmir , Cuello Maribel , Balboa Julio , Lastre Miriam , Pérez Oliver 
Published: February 2011

Mucosal immune responses are an early and important line of defense against pathogens. The current understanding of the mucosal immune system allows us to consider the use of nasal immunization for induction of antigen-specific immune responses at the mucosal surface and the systemic compartment. Mucosal adjuvants are key for developing novel mucosal vaccines and represent 1 approach to improving mucosal and systemic immunity. However, few mucosal vaccine adjuvants are currently approved for human use. Neisseria meningitidis B proteoliposome-derived cochleate (AFCo1 — Adjuvant Finlay Cochleate 1) has been demonstrated to be a potent mucosal adjuvant. The present work demonstrates that intranasal immunization of 3 doses of tetanus toxoid (TT) coadministered with AFCo1 in mice promotes high systemic and mucosal responses. The anti-TT IgG serum titers and the mucosal anti-TT IgA in saliva and vaginal wash were significantly higher than TT alone. The analysis of antibody subclasses showed that intranasal administration of AFCo1 + TT induced not only IgG1 but also IgG2a anti-TT antibodies at levels comparable to those obtained with TT vaccine (vax-TET). These data support the fact that AFCo1 is a potent mucosal adjuvant in nasal immunization to a coadministered protein antigen.