bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
It's Not Easy Being Green: the Viridans Group Streptococci, with a Focus on Pediatric Clinical Manifestations
Authors: Doern Christopher D. , Carey-Ann Burnham D. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe viridans group streptococci (VGS) are a heterogeneous group of organisms that can be human commensals, colonizing the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts in addition to the oral mucosa. VGS are generally considered to be of low pathogenic potential in immunocompetent individuals. However, in certain patient populations, VGS can cause invasive disease, such as endocarditis, intra-abdominal infection, and shock. Within the VGS, the rates and patterns of antimicrobial resistance vary greatly depending upon the species identification and the patient population. In general,Streptococcus mitisgroup organisms are resistant to more antimicrobial agents than the other VGS species. This review addresses current VGS taxonomy, in addition to the current methodologies being used in clinical microbiology laboratories for identification of VGS. Automated systems struggle overall with species level identification and susceptibility testing for VGS. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) identification is emerging as a potential alternative for organism identification. A review of recent pediatric-specific data regarding the clinical manifestations of VGS revealed that theStreptococcus anginosusgroup (SAG) organisms may be important pathogens in pediatric patients and that the VGS may contribute to disease in patients with cystic fibrosis. It also appears that rates of antimicrobial resistance in VGS in pediatric patients are surpassing those of the adult population.
From Structure to Function: the Ecology of Host-Associated Microbial Communities
Authors: Robinson Courtney J. , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Young Vincent B. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYIn the past several years, we have witnessed an increased interest in understanding the structure and function of the indigenous microbiota that inhabits the human body. It is hoped that this will yield novel insight into the role of these complex microbial communities in human health and disease. What is less appreciated is that this recent activity owes a great deal to the pioneering efforts of microbial ecologists who have been studying communities in non-host-associated environments. Interactions between environmental microbiologists and human microbiota researchers have already contributed to advances in our understanding of the human microbiome. We review the work that has led to these recent advances and illustrate some of the possible future directions for continued collaboration between these groups of researchers. We discuss how the application of ecological theory to the human-associated microbiota can lead us past descriptions of community structure and toward an understanding of the functions of the human microbiota. Such an approach may lead to a shift in the prevention and treatment of human diseases that involves conservation or restoration of the normal community structure and function of the host-associated microbiota.
SHAPLEY VALUE IN A MODEL OF INFORMATION TRANSFERAL
Authors: GALDEANO PATRICIA LUCIA , OVIEDO JORGE , QUINTAS LUIS GUILLERMO 
Published: September 2010

In this paper we analyze the value of the information in a cooperative model. There is an agent (the innovator), having relevant information which can be sold to some potential buyers. The n potential users of the information share a market. The expected utility of each of them can be improved by obtaining the information. The whole situation is modelled as a (n + 1)–person cooperative game. We study the properties of the characteristic function of this game. It fulfills a weak version of the superadditivity property, namely 0-monotonicity. The game is proved to be monotonic. We compute the Shapley value and we prove it is an imputation for the game. We compare the Shapley value with the equilibrium studied in a noncooperative model by Quintas (1995). We also study some limit cases when the potential buyers are completely informed or uninformed. It includes Big Boss Games (Muto et al. (1988)) and other limit cases. We conclude that in a cooperative environment the buyers avoid being exploited by the innovator. Conversely the innovator obtains a higher utility in a noncooperative game.
The Iranian version of the exercise self-efficacy scale (ESES)
Authors: Noroozi Azita , Ghofranipour Fazlollah , Heydarnia Ali Reza , Nabipour Iraj , Tahmasebi Rahim , Tavafian Sedighe Sadat 
Published: September 2010

Purpose: The exercise self-efficacy scale (ESES) is largely used among diabetic patients to enhance exercise behaviour. However, the Iranian version of ESES was not available. The aim of this study was to validate ESES in this country. Method: Data were collected from 348 women who referred to a diabetes institute in Iran through convenience sampling procedure. In this cross-sectional study, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine construct validity of scale. Results: Through exploratory factor analysis, 18 items of the scale converged to three factors with rotation. Construct validity was determined by confirmatory factor analysis through which modified model of self-efficacy scale with 17 items was supported and cross validated. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the whole scale was obtained as .92, which indicates the reliability of the scale. Conclusion: In general the findings suggest that the ESES with some minor changes is a reliable and valid measure of exercise self-efficacy among the Iranian diabetic population. However, further studies are needed to establish stronger psychometric properties for this scale.
Cost-effectiveness comparison of breast cancer screening and vascular event primary prevention with aspirin in Wales
Authors: Morgan Gareth 
Published: September 2010

Aim: For the first time, this article presents a cost-effectiveness comparison of a breast cancer screening programme with a possible health education programme with aspirin for vascular event primary prevention. Background: Breast cancer screening is a well established part of cancer control programmes yet recent evidence on this intervention has raised questions about harms. Aspirin prophylaxis for the primary prevention of vascular events, such as heart attack, is controversial based on debates about the benefit versus risk balance of the medicine. Methods: A health economic analysis was undertaken using a cost-effectiveness methodology. The comparison offered a methodological challenge given that breast cancer screening and aspirin prophylaxis are very different interventions. One single end-point of comparison was therefore used, namely number of lives saved. The entire study was set in the context of the country of Wales, given the availability of pertinent previous Welsh research which underpinned some of the key calculations. Results: The estimated cost per life saved by breast cancer screening was £6,000–£130,000, while for aspirin primary prevention against vascular events, the respective estimation was £50,000–£100,000. These results overlap and suggest the two interventions are comparable in terms of their cost-effectiveness of lives saved. Conclusions: Based on this analysis, perhaps policy makers might begin to consider the possibility of a health education campaign which clearly presents the benefits and risks of aspirin. As part of this consideration, further studies would appear to be warranted, such as economic and health impact studies on the existing use of aspirin in the community. aspirin, breast cancer, comparison, cost-effectiveness
Assimilating and following through with nutritional recommendations by adolescents
Authors: Pich Jordi , Ballester Lluís , Thomàs Mònica , Canals Ramon , Tur Josep A. 
Published: September 2010

Objective: To investigate the relationship between knowledge about a healthy diet and the actual food consumption habits of adolescents. Design: A survey of several food-related aspects applied to a representative sample of adolescents. Setting: One thousand, six hundred and sixty three individuals aged 11 to 18 from 40 schools randomly selected from among all the schools in the Balearic Islands. Method: The survey was administered under the supervision of a researcher during the school day. The adolescents were asked about proper eating habits and invited to classify 43 food items as healthy or not healthy. The subjects later reported the frequency with which they consumed these foods, as well as the types of products they consumed between meals. Results: The adolescents in the sample considered the abundant consumption of vegetables, fish and fruit to be the key to a healthy diet and, as of 15 years of age, recognized the need for a balanced, varied diet. They also correctly identified all the healthy foods, whereas typical fast food items, sweets and alcoholic drinks received highly negative ratings. However, only the girls’ lower consumption of unhealthier products was consistent with this knowledge. The consumption of foods such as vegetables and fish by the older subjects even declined, despite their higher dietary ratings. Three-quarters of the subjects also reported that they customarily snack on calorie-rich food with scant nutritional value. Conclusion: While dietary ratings are consistent and seem to be reinforced by the constant messages in favour of the Mediterranean diet aimed at adults, the minimum impact of this knowledge on the subjects’ habits observed in the study poses the need to seek new communicative strategies that are not exclusively based on providing adolescents with more information on proper diet.
Composite MRI scores improve correlation with EDSS in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Poonawalla AH , Datta S. , Juneja V. , Nelson F. , Wolinsky JS , Cutter G. , Narayana PA 
Published: September 2010

Background: Quantitative measures derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been widely investigated as non-invasive biomarkers in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the correlation of single measures with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is poor, especially for studies with large population samples. Objective: To explore the correlation of MRI-derived measures with EDSS through composite MRI scores. Methods: Magnetic resonance images of 126 patients with relapsing—remitting MS were segmented into white and gray matter, cerebrospinal fluid, T2-hyperintense lesions, gadolinium contrast-enhancing lesions, T1-hypointense lesions (‘black holes’: BH). The volumes and average T2 values for each of these tissues and lesions were calculated and converted to a z-score (in units of standard deviation from the mean). These z-scores were combined to construct composite z-scores, and evaluated against individual z-scores for correlation with EDSS. Results: Composite scores including relaxation times of different tissues and/or volumetric measures generally correlated more strongly with EDSS than individual measures. The maximum observed correlation of a composite with EDSS was r = 0.344 ( p < 0.0001), which is an improvement over the highest-performing single MRI measure (BH; r = 0.298, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Z-transformation permits construction of composite scores including volumetric and T2-relaxation measures. Inclusion of multiple MRI measures in the composite can provide a broader characterization of the disease process, resulting in more robust correlations with EDSS.
Transformation by Tribbles homolog 2 (Trib2) requires both the Trib2 kinase domain and COP1 binding
Authors: Keeshan Karen , Bailis Will , Dedhia Priya H. , Vega Maria E. , Shestova Olga , Xu Lanwei , Toscano Kristin , Uljon Sacha N. , Blacklow Stephen C. , Pear Warren S. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract
Tribbles homolog 2 (Trib2) is a pseudokinase that induces acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in mice and is highly expressed in a subset of human AML. Trib2 has 3 distinct regions, a proline-rich N-terminus, a serine/threonine kinase homology domain, and a C-terminal constitutive photomorphogenesis 1 (COP1)–binding domain. We performed a structure-function analysis of Trib2 using in vitro and in vivo assays. The N-terminus was not required for Trib2-induced AML. Deletion or mutation of the COP1-binding site abrogated the ability of Trib2 to degrade CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBP-α), block granulocytic differentiation, and to induce AML in vivo. Furthermore, COP1 knockdown inhibited the ability of Trib2 to degrade C/EBP-α, showing that it is important for mediating Trib2 activity. We also show that the Trib2 kinase domain is essential for its function. Trib2 contains variant catalytic loop sequences, compared with conventional kinases, that we show are necessary for Trib2 activity. The kinase domain mutants bind, but cannot efficiently degrade, C/EBP-α. Together, our data demonstrate that Trib2 can bind both COP1 and C/EBP-α, leading to degradation of C/EBP-α. Identification of the functional regions of Trib2 that are essential to its oncogenic role provides the basis for developing inhibitors that will block Trib functions in cancer.
Automatic detection of anchor points for multiple sequence alignment
Authors: Pitschi Florian , Devauchelle Claudine , Corel Eduardo 
Published: September 2010

Abstract

Background
Determining beforehand specific positions to align (anchor points) has proved valuable for the accuracy of automated multiple sequence alignment (MSA) software. This feature can be used manually to include biological expertise, or automatically, usually by pairwise similarity searches. Multiple local similarities are be expected to be more adequate, as more biologically relevant. However, even good multiple local similarities can prove incompatible with the ordering of an alignment.

Results
We use a recently developed algorithm to detect multiple local similarities, which returns subsets of positions in the sequences sharing similar contexts of appearence. In this paper, we describe first how to get, with the help of this method, subsets of positions that could form partial columns in an alignment. We introduce next a graph-theoretic algorithm to detect (and remove) positions in the partial columns that are inconsistent with a multiple alignment. Partial columns can be used, for the time being, as guide only by a few MSA programs: ClustalW 2.0, DIALIGN 2 and T-Coffee. We perform tests on the effect of introducing these columns on the popular benchmark BAliBASE 3.

Conclusions
We show that the inclusion of our partial alignment columns, as anchor points, improve on the whole the accuracy of the aligner ClustalW on the benchmark BAliBASE 3.
Expression of immune-response genes in lepidopteran host is suppressed by venom from an endoparasitoid, Pteromalus puparum
Authors: Fang Qi , Wang Lei , Zhu Jiaying , Li Yanmin , Song Qisheng , Stanley David W , Akhtar Zunnu-raen , Ye Gongyin 
Published: September 2010

Abstract

Background
The relationships between parasitoids and their insect hosts have attracted attention at two levels. First, the basic biology of host-parasitoid interactions is of fundamental interest. Second, parasitoids are widely used as biological control agents in sustainable agricultural programs. Females of the gregarious endoparasitoid Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) inject venom along with eggs into their hosts. P. puparum does not inject polydnaviruses during oviposition. For this reason, P. puparum and its pupal host, the small white butterfly Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), comprise an excellent model system for studying the influence of an endoparasitoid venom on the biology of the pupal host. P. puparum venom suppresses the immunity of its host, although the suppressive mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we tested our hypothesis that P. puparum venom influences host gene expression in the two main immunity-conferring tissues, hemocytes and fat body.

Results
At 1 h post-venom injection, we recorded significant decreases in transcript levels of 217 EST clones (revealing 113 genes identified in silico, including 62 unknown contigs) derived from forward subtractive libraries of host hemocytes and in transcript levels of 288 EST clones (221 genes identified in silico, including 123 unknown contigs) from libraries of host fat body. These genes are related to insect immune response, cytoskeleton, cell cycle and apoptosis, metabolism, transport, stress response and transcriptional and translational regulation. We verified the reliability of the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) data with semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis of a set of randomly selected genes. This analysis showed that most of the selected genes were down-regulated after venom injection.

Conclusions
Our findings support our hypothesis that P. puparum venom influences gene expression in host hemocytes and fat body. Specifically, the venom treatments led to reductions in expression of a large number of genes. Many of the down-regulated genes act in immunity, although others act in non-immune areas of host biology. We conclude that the actions of venom on host gene expression influence immunity as well as other aspects of host biology in ways that benefit the development and emergence of the next generation of parasitoids.
The Swiss Iodized Salt Program Provides Adequate Iodine for School Children and Pregnant Women, but Weaning Infants Not Receiving Iodine-Containing Complementary Foods as well as Their Mothers Are Iodine Deficient
Authors: Andersson Maria , Aeberli Isabelle , Wüst Nadja , Piacenza Alberta M. , Bucher Tamara , Henschen Isabelle , Haldimann Max , Zimmermann Michael B. 
Published: September 2010

Background: If children and pregnant women in the population are iodine sufficient, it is generally assumed infants are also sufficient. But weaning infants may be at risk of iodine deficiency because iodized salt contributes little dietary iodine during this period. To fill this gap, iodine fortification of infant formula milk (IFM) and complementary foods (CF) is likely important.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to first confirm that Swiss school children and pregnant women remain iodine sufficient and then to assess iodine status in infancy and the relative contribution of breast milk and IFM/CF to their iodine intakes.
Methods: We measured urinary iodine concentrations (UIC) in national cross-sectional samples of: 1) pregnant women (n = 648); 2) school children (n = 916); 3) infants at three time points: at 3–4 d after birth and at 6 and 12 months (n = 875); and 4) breast-feeding mothers (n = 507). We measured breast milk iodine concentrations in the mothers, assessed iodine sources in infant diets, and analyzed iodine content of commercial IFM/CFs (n = 22) and salt samples from the school children’s households (n = 266).
Results: Median (m) UICs in pregnant women (162 μg/liter) and school children (120 μg/liter) were sufficient, and 80% of the household salt was adequately iodized (≥15 ppm). However, mUICs in infants not receiving IFM/CF were not sufficient: 1) mUIC in breast-fed infants (82 μg/liter) was lower than in non-breast-fed infants (105 μg/liter) (P &lt; 0.001) and 2) mUIC in breast-fed weaning infants not receiving IFM/CF (70 μg/liter) was lower than infants receiving IFM (109 μg/liter) (P &lt; 0.01). mUIC was low in lactating mothers (67 μg/liter) and median breast milk iodine concentration was 49 μg/kg.
Conclusions: In countries in which iodized salt programs supply sufficient iodine to older children and pregnant women, weaning infants, particularly those not receiving iodine-containing IFM, may be at risk of inadequate iodine intakes.
Preparation and Spectroscopic Properties of Silver Nanodisks Covered with J-Aggregate of Cyanine Dye
Authors: Sato Tomoo , Omura Ayako , Kobayashi Yoshiyuki 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
We found a unique spectroscopic property of silver nanodisks covered with J-aggregate. The spectral hole around the position of the J-band was remarkably observed in the surface plasmon band. The origin of the peculiar phenomenon is presumed to be the suppressive interaction between the surface plasmon and Frenkel exciton.
Density Functional Theory Study of Gas Phase Hydrolysis of Titanium Tetrachloride
Authors: John Ani K , Savithri S , Vijayalakshmi Kunduchi P , Suresh Cherumuttathu H 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Thermodynamic parameters of four elementary steps of hydrolysis of TiCl4, viz. formation of (i) TiCl3(OH), (ii) TiCl2(OH)2, (iii) TiCl(OH)3, and (iv) Ti(OH)4 as well as condensation of the hydroxides giving rise to titanoxanes (Cl4−x(OH)x−1Ti–O–TiCl4−x(OH)x−1 (x = 1–4)) have been studied using B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of DFT. The first elementary step required the highest free energy of activation (ΔG# = 22.8 kcal mol−1) as well as the highest enthalpy of activation (ΔH# = 16.9 kcal mol−1), while subsequent steps showed a decrease in both ΔG# and ΔH#, reaching the lowest value of ΔG# = 20.4 kcal mol−1 and ΔH# = 11.9 kcal mol−1 for the fourth step. Condensation reactions were triggered by O–H···O–H hydrogen bonding in pre-reactant complexes. The ΔG# of the condensation of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrahydroxides are 23.0, 17.1, 20.8, and 14.5 kcal mol−1, respectively. Thus gas phase hydrolysis of TiCl4 and subsequent condensation of TiCl4−x(OH)x are feasible at low temperature and higher order condensation would lead to the formation of TiO2. TiCl4 showed higher Lewis acid character to a water dimer than a water molecule as their respetive interaction energies were −4.8 and −14.2 kcal mol−1. Coordination of the water dimer to titanium has significant effect on lowering the activation bariers of the hydrolysis reactions and therefore the amount of water vapor in the gas phase reaction is critical to the overall rate of the reaction.
Design of New Scaffolds for Increased Superbasicity of Bisguanidine Proton Sponges
Authors: Margetic Davor , Trošelj Pavle , Ishikawa Tsutomu , Kumamoto Takuya 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
New polycyclic molecular scaffolds for anchoring guanidines were designed and studied by computational methods (DFT). Amongst them, the attachment of guanidine fragments to the 7,12-dihydropleiadene-7,12-diamine framework effectively increases superbasicity of novel bisguanidine proton sponges to the estimated absolute proton affinity of 281 kcal mol–1 at the B3LYP/6-31G* level.
Highly Selective Markovnikov Addition of Hypervalent H-Spirophosphoranes to Alkynes Mediated by Palladium Acetate: Generality and Mechanism
Authors: Han Li-Biao , Ono Yutaka , Xu Qing , Shimada Shigeru 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Palladium acetate efficiently catalyzes the addition of an H-spirophosphorane (pinacolato)2PH to alkynes to give Markovnikov addition products highly selectively. The addition products can be easily converted to the corresponding alkenylphosphonates and phosphonic acids via simple hydrolysis or thermal decomposition. This new reaction is a general method for the introduction of phosphorus functionality to the internal carbons of terminal alkynes, resolving the problem of the regioselectivity associated with hydrophosphorylation reactions so far reported. Mechanistic studies confirmed that (a) palladium acetate was reduced to metallic palladium by H-spirophosphorane, (b) the P–H bond of H-spirophosphorane could be activated by zero-valent platinum complexes to give the corresponding hydridoplatinum complexes, and (c) an alkenylpalladium species was identified from the reaction of palladium acetate with H-spirophosphorane and diphenylacetylene. These results support a reaction mechanism that palladium acetate was first reduced by H-spirophosphorane to give zero-valent palladium. This zero-valent palladium might insert into the P–H bond of the H-spirophosphorane to give a hydridopalladium species which then added to alkyne via the addition of H–Pd bond to form an alkenylpalladium species with the hydrogen atom added to the terminal carbon of alkynes. Reductive elimination of the alkenylpalladium affords the addition product.