bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mind, Brain, and Literacy: Biomarkers as Usable Knowledge for Education
Authors: Goswami Usha 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTNeuroscience has the potential to make some very exciting contributions to education and pedagogy. However, it is important to ask whether the insights from neuroscience studies can provide “usable knowledge” for educators. With respect to literacy, for example, current neuroimaging methods allow us to ask research questions about how the brain develops networks of neurons specialized for the act of reading and how literacy is organized in the brain of a reader with developmental dyslexia. Yet quite how these findings can translate to the classroom remains unclear. One of the most exciting possibilities is that neuroscience could deliver “biomarkers” that could identify children with learning difficulties very early in development. In this review, I will illustrate how the field of mind, brain, and education might develop biomarkers by combining educational, cognitive, and neuroscience research paradigms. I will argue that all three kinds of research are necessary to provide usable knowledge for education.
The assessment of insemination success in yellow dung flies using competitive PCR
Authors: BUSSIÈRE L. F. , DEMONT M. , PEMBERTON A. J. , HALL M. D. , WARD P. I. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractIn spite of considerable interest in postcopulatory sexual selection, separating the effects of sperm competition from cryptic female choice remains difficult because mechanisms underlying postcopulatory processes are poorly understood. One methodological challenge is to quantify insemination success for individual males within the sperm stores of multiply mated females to discover how insemination translates into eventual paternity. Any proposed method must be applicable in organisms without extensive DNA sequence information (which include the majority of model species for sexual selection). Here, we describe the development and application of microsatellite competitive‐multiplex‐PCR for quantifying relative contributions to a small number of sperm in storage. We studied how DNA template characteristics affect PCR amplification of known concentrations of mixed DNA and generated regressions for correcting observations of allelic signal strength based on such characteristics. We used these methods to examine patterns of sperm storage in twice‐mated female yellow dung flies, Scathophaga stercoraria. We confirm previous findings supporting sperm displacement and demonstrate that average paternity for the last mate accords with the mean proportion of sperm stored. We further find consistent skew in storage across spermathecae, with more last male sperm stored in the singlet spermatheca on one side of the body than in the doublet on the opposite side. We also show that the time between copulations may be important for effectively sorting sperm. Finally, we demonstrate that male size may influence the opportunity for sperm choice, suggesting future work to disentangle the roles of male competition and cryptic female choice.
Locke on Sensitive Knowledge as Knowledge1
Authors: STAPLEFORD SCOTT 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThis article is an extended analysis of the most recent scholarly work on Locke's account of sensitive knowledge. Lex Newman's “dual cognitive relations” model of sensitive knowledge is examined in detail. The author argues that the dual cognitive relations model needs to be revised on both philosophical and historical grounds. While no attempt is made to defend Locke's position, the aim is to show that it is at least consistent, contrary to the received view. The final section provides textual support for the interpretation.
Two Notions of Epistemic Normativity
Authors: Klausen Søren Harnow 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThe overwhelmingly dominant view of epistemic normativity has been an extreme form of deontology. I argue that although the pull towards deontology is quite understandable, given the traditional concerns of epistemology, there is no good reason for not also adopting a complementary consequentialist notion of epistemic normativity, which can be put to use in applied epistemology. I further argue that this consequentialist notion is not, despite appearances and popular sentiment to the contrary, any less genuinely epistemic than the deontological notion and that it may even be considered more genuinely normative.
ASSESSING AND TRAINING PATIENTS ON PERITONEAL DIALYSIS IN THEIR OWN HOMES CAN INFLUENCE BETTER PRACTICE
Authors: Ozturk Savas , Yucel Lamia , Guvenc Sinem , Ekiz Serpil , Kazancioglu Rumeyza 
Published: August 2009

SUMMARYPeritoneal dialysis (PD) offers the opportunity of a better quality of life for patients as long as they are able to perform dialysis according to the set procedures. Our aim in this study was to assess the change in PD patients’ knowledge about their treatment and practice through repeated home visits. This study was based on the findings of a previous study. Fifteen patients participated and received two visits post training. During the visits, a questionnaire was completed, and the answers were analysed. Data were analysed by percentage statistics and assessed for differences between the two visits. The correct number of answers given during the first visit was 25.5 ± 3.2/31 and was 27.8 ± 4.0/31.8 at the second visit. The mean infection section and medication scores had increased from the original study findings. The personal hygiene section was the least correctly answered section. Consecutive home visits revealed that as the time on PD increased, knowledge and practice regarding infections and medication increased. Personal hygiene scores did not improve. This study confirmed the importance of home visits in detecting the weakest point of PD practice.
A SURVEY OF STRESS, JOB SATISFACTION AND BURNOUT AMONG HAEMODIALYSIS STAFF
Authors: Ross Jamie , Jones Julia , Callaghan Patrick , Eales Sarah , Ashman Neil 
Published: August 2009

SUMMARYBackground: Burnout, psychological distress and job satisfaction experienced by healthcare workers in general are well documented in the literature; however, there is a paucity of research that focuses on the experiences of haemodialysis staff. Method: The study investigates burnout, psychological distress and job satisfaction in a sample of 50 haemodialysis staff from two units in one National Health Service (NHS) trust in London, England, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ).Results: The majority of staff did not experience burnout or psychological distress and were satisfied with their jobs. However, some participants had low personal accomplishment and were dissatisfied with certain areas of their jobs. Age and length of haemodialysis experience were associated with burnout, job satisfaction and psychological distress.Conclusions: Older staff and staff with a greater length of service in haemodialysis have higher levels of burnout, psychological distress and job dissatisfaction.
“EVERYONE SHOULD BUTTONHOLE”: A NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR A REGIONAL AUSTRALIAN RENAL SERVICE
Authors: Hartig Vicki , Smyth Wendy 
Published: August 2009

SUMMARYThe buttonhole, or constant‐site, cannulation technique, although used elsewhere, had not been used in North Queensland, Australia, prior to 2005. This paper reports the results from a survey of patients’ and nurses’ initial experiences with the buttonhole cannulation technique 20 months after its introduction into a renal service in North Queensland. The use of the buttonhole technique increased the ease and decreased the discomfort associated with access cannulation for both patients and nurses; both groups reported less anxiety associated with this technique. The patients were especially pleased with the improved cosmetic appearance and indicated that they would be more likely to become involved in self‐care, including self‐cannulation. The nursing service has implemented strategies to ensure that buttonhole cannulation continues to be used as one means of arteriovenous fistula access across the region. A current study is examining longer‐term outcomes of using the buttonhole technique within this regional service.
The Structure of the Dizinc Subclass B2 Metallo-β-Lactamase CphA Reveals that the Second Inhibitory Zinc Ion Binds in the Histidine Site
Authors: Bebrone Carine , Delbrück Heinrich , Kupper Michaël B. , Schlömer Philipp , Willmann Charlotte , Frère Jean-Marie , Fischer Rainer , Galleni Moreno , Hoffmann Kurt M. V. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Bacteria can defend themselves against β-lactam antibiotics through the expression of class B β-lactamases, which cleave the β-lactam amide bond and render the molecule harmless. There are three subclasses of class B β-lactamases (B1, B2, and B3), all of which require Zn
2+
for activity and can bind either one or two zinc ions. Whereas the B1 and B3 metallo-β-lactamases are most active as dizinc enzymes, subclass B2 enzymes, such as
Aeromonas hydrophila
CphA, are inhibited by the binding of a second zinc ion. We crystallized
A. hydrophila
CphA in order to determine the binding site of the inhibitory zinc ion. X-ray data from zinc-saturated crystals allowed us to solve the crystal structures of the dizinc forms of the wild-type enzyme and N220G mutant. The first zinc ion binds in the cysteine site, as previously determined for the monozinc form of the enzyme. The second zinc ion occupies a slightly modified histidine site, where the conserved His118 and His196 residues act as metal ligands. This atypical coordination sphere probably explains the rather high dissociation constant for the second zinc ion compared to those observed with enzymes of subclasses B1 and B3. Inhibition by the second zinc ion results from immobilization of the catalytically important His118 and His196 residues, as well as the folding of the Gly232-Asn233 loop into a position that covers the active site.
The Electricidal Effect Is Active in an Experimental Model of
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Chronic Foreign Body Osteomyelitis
Authors: Del Pozo Jose L. , Rouse Mark S. , Euba Gorane , Kang Cheol-In , Mandrekar Jayawant N. , Steckelberg James M. , Patel Robin 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Treatment with low-amperage (200 μA) electrical current was compared to intravenous doxycycline treatment or no treatment in a rabbit model of
Staphylococcus epidermidis
chronic foreign body osteomyelitis to determine if the electricidal effect is active in vivo. A stainless steel implant and 10
4
CFU of planktonic
S. epidermidis
were placed into the medullary cavity of the tibia. Four weeks later, rabbits were assigned to one of three groups with treatment administered for 21 days. The groups included those receiving no treatment (
n
= 10), intravenous doxycycline (
n
= 14; 8 mg/kg of body weight three times per day), and electrical current (
n
= 15; 200 μA continuous delivery). Following treatment, rabbits were sacrificed and the tibias quantitatively cultured. Bacterial load was significantly reduced in the doxycycline (median, 2.55 [range, 0.50 to 6.13] log
10
CFU/g of bone) and electrical-current (median, 1.09 [range, 0.50 to 2.99] log
10
CFU/g of bone) groups, compared to the level for the control group (median, 4.16 [range, 3.70 to 5.66] log
10
CFU/g of bone) (
P
< 0.0001). Moreover, treatment with electrical current was statistically significantly more efficacious (
P
= 0.035) than doxycycline treatment. The electricidal effect (the bactericidal activity of low-amperage electrical current against bacterial biofilms) is active in vivo in the treatment of experimental
S. epidermidis
chronic foreign body osteomyelitis.
Impact of
sarA
on Daptomycin Susceptibility of
Staphylococcus aureus
Biofilms In Vivo
Authors: Weiss Elizabeth C. , Zielinska Agnieszka , Beenken Karen E. , Spencer Horace J. , Daily Sonja J. , Smeltzer Mark S. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

We used a murine model of catheter-associated biofilm formation to determine whether the mutation of the staphylococcal accessory regulator (
sarA
) has an impact on the susceptibility of established
Staphylococcus aureus
biofilms to treatment with daptomycin in vivo. The experiments were done with two clinical isolates, one of which (UAMS-1) was obtained from the bone of a patient suffering from osteomyelitis, while the other (UAMS-1625) is an isolate of the USA300 clonal lineage of community-acquired methicillin (meticillin)-resistant
S. aureus
. UAMS-1625 had a reduced capacity to form a biofilm in vivo compared to that of UAMS-1 (
P
= 0.0015), but in both cases the mutation of
sarA
limited biofilm formation compared to that of the corresponding parent strain (
P
≤ 0.001). The mutation of
sarA
did not affect the daptomycin MIC for either strain, but it did result in increased susceptibility in vivo in the context of an established biofilm. Specifically, daptomycin treatment resulted in the clearance of detectable bacteria from <10% of the catheters colonized with the parent strains, while treatment with an equivalent daptomycin concentration resulted in the clearance of 46.4% of the catheters colonized with the UAMS-1
sarA
mutant and 69.1% of the catheters colonized with the UAMS-1625
sarA
mutant. In the absence of daptomycin treatment, mice with catheters colonized with the UAMS-1625 parent strain also developed skin lesions in the region adjacent to the implanted catheter. No such lesions were observed in any other experimental group, including untreated mice containing catheters colonized with the UAMS-1625
sarA
mutant.
Novel Antimalarial Aminoquinolines: Heme Binding and Effects on Normal orPlasmodium falciparum-Parasitized Human Erythrocytes
Authors: Omodeo-Salè Fausta , Cortelezzi Lucia , Basilico Nicoletta , Casagrande Manolo , Sparatore Anna , Taramelli Donatella 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTTwo new quinolizidinyl-alkyl derivatives of 7-chloro-4-aminoquinoline, named AM-1 and AP4b, which are highly effective in vitro against both the D10 (chloroquine [CQ] susceptible) and W2 (CQ resistant) strains ofPlasmodium falciparumand in vivo in the rodent malaria model, have been studied for their ability to bind to and be internalized by normal or parasitized human red blood cells (RBC) and for their effects on RBC membrane stability. In addition, an analysis of the heme binding properties of these compounds and of their ability to inhibit beta-hematin formation in vitro has been performed. Binding of AM1 or AP4b to RBC is rapid, dose dependent, and linearly related to RBC density. Their accumulation in parasitized RBC (pRBC) is increased twofold compared to levels in normal RBC. Binding of AM1 or AP4b to both normal and pRBC is higher than that of CQ, in agreement with the lower pKaand higher lipophilicity of the compounds. AM1 or AP4b is not hemolytic per se and is less hemolytic than CQ when hemolysis is accelerated (induced) by hematin. Moreover, AM-1 and AP4b bind heme with a stoichiometry of interaction similar to that of CQ (about 1:1.7) but with a lower affinity. They both inhibit dose dependently the formation of beta-hematin in vitro with a 50% inhibitory concentration comparable to that of CQ. Taken together, these results suggest that the antimalarial activity of AM1 or AP4b is likely due to inhibition of hemozoin formation and that the efficacy of these compounds against the CQ-resistant strains can be ascribed to their hydrophobicity and capacity to accumulate in the vacuolar lipid (elevated lipid accumulation ratios).
In Vitro Activities of Panduratin A against Clinical
Staphylococcus
Strains
Authors: Rukayadi Yaya , Lee Kwanghyung , Han Sunghwa , Yong Dongeun , Hwang Jae-Kwan 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

In vitro antistaphylococcal activities of panduratin A, a natural chalcone compound isolated from
Kaempferia pandurata
Roxb, were compared to those of commonly used antimicrobials against clinical staphylococcal isolates. Panduratin A had a MIC at which 90% of bacteria were inhibited of 1 μg/ml for clinical staphylococcal isolates and generally was more potent than commonly used antimicrobials.
In Vitro Bactericidal Activity of Iclaprim in Human Plasma
Authors: Laue Heike , Valensise Tiziana , Seguin Aurélie , Lociuro Sergio , Islam Khalid , Hawser Stephen 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the effect of human plasma on the in vitro bactericidal activity of the novel diaminopyrimidine iclaprim against methicillin (meticillin)-susceptible and -resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
strains. MICs and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of iclaprim, with ∼93% protein binding, were similar in the absence and in the presence of 50% human plasma; MICs and MBCs ranged from 0.06 to 0.125 μg/ml. Furthermore, the activity of iclaprim was not affected by plasma, with ≥99.9% reduction in CFU after 5.0 to 7.6 h.
Porphyromonas gingivalis
Outer Membrane Vesicles Enter Human Epithelial Cells via an Endocytic Pathway and Are Sorted to Lysosomal Compartments
Authors: Furuta Nobumichi , Tsuda Kayoko , Omori Hiroko , Yoshimori Tamotsu , Yoshimura Fuminobu , Amano Atsuo 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Porphyromonas gingivalis
, a periodontal pathogen, secretes outer membrane vesicles (MVs) that contain major virulence factors, including major fimbriae and proteases termed gingipains, although it is not confirmed whether MVs enter host cells. In this study, we analyzed the mechanisms involved in the interactions of
P. gingivalis
MVs with human epithelial cells. Our results showed that MVs swiftly adhered to HeLa and immortalized human gingival epithelial cells in a fimbria-dependent manner and then entered via a lipid raft-dependent endocytic pathway. The intracellular MVs were subsequently routed to early endosome antigen 1-associated compartments and then were sorted to lysosomal compartments within 90 min, suggesting that intracellular MVs were ultimately degraded by the cellular digestive machinery. However,
P. gingivalis
MVs remained there for over 24 h and significantly induced acidified compartment formation after being taken up by the cellular digestive machinery. In addition, MV entry was shown to be mediated by a novel pathway for transmission of bacterial products into host cells, a Rac1-regulated pinocytic pathway that is independent of caveolin, dynamin, and clathrin. Our findings indicate that
P. gingivalis
MVs efficiently enter host cells via an endocytic pathway and survive within the endocyte organelles for an extended period, which provides better understanding of the role of MVs in the etiology of periodontitis.
Characterization of a Unique ADP-Ribosyltransferase of
Mycoplasma penetrans
Authors: Johnson Coreen , Kannan T. R. , Baseman Joel B. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Mycoplasma penetrans
is a urogenital tract pathogen implicated in the deterioration of the immune system in human immunodeficiency virus-infected AIDS patients. Here, we describe a 78-kDa protein from
M. penetrans
, designated MYPE9110, that exhibits sequence similarity to known ADP-ribosyltransferases (ADPRTs) such as
Bordetella pertussis
pertussis toxin and
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome toxin. MYPE9110 possesses key amino acid residues found in all ADPRTs that are essential for ADPRT activity. Several mammalian cell proteins are ADP-ribosylated by MYPE9110, and the full-length recombinant protein exhibits a strong auto-ADP-ribosylating activity. In the absence of target proteins, MYPE9110 demonstrates a NAD-glycohydrolase activity by hydrolyzing NAD. Furthermore, this toxin elicits cytopathology in HeLa cells by inducing cytoplasmic vacuolization in the presence of ammonium chloride. The deletion of the C-terminal region of MYPE9110 significantly diminishes its binding to host cells while still exhibiting an ADPRT activity, suggesting that MYPE9110 is a member of the family of A-B ADPRT toxins.
Expression of Nlrp1b Inflammasome Components in Human Fibroblasts Confers Susceptibility to Anthrax Lethal Toxin
Authors: Liao Kuo-Chieh , Mogridge Jeremy 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT
Anthrax lethal toxin causes macrophages and dendritic cells from some mouse strains to undergo caspase-1-dependent cell death. Central to this process is the NOD-like receptor Nlrp1b (Nalp1b), which detects intoxication and then self-associates to form a complex, termed an inflammasome, that is capable of activating the procaspase-1 zymogen. The nature of the signal detected directly by Nlrp1b is not known, and the mechanisms of inflammasome assembly are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that transfection of human fibroblasts with plasmids encoding murine Nlrp1b and procaspase-1 was sufficient to confer susceptibility to lethal toxin-mediated death on the cells. As has been observed in murine macrophages, the enzymatic activities of lethal toxin and the proteasome were both required for activation of the Nlrp1b inflammasome and this activation led to prointerleukin-1β processing. Release of interleukin-1β from cells was not dependent on cell lysis, as its secretion was not affected by an osmoprotectant that prevented the appearance of lactate dehydrogenase in the culture medium. We generated constitutively active mutants of Nlrp1b by making amino-terminal deletions to the protein and observed that the ability to activate procaspase-1 was dependent on the CARD domain, which bound procaspase-1, and a region adjacent to the CARD domain that promoted self-association. Our results demonstrate that lethal toxin can activate Nlrp1b in a nonmyeloid cell line and are consistent with work that suggests that activation induces proximity of procaspase-1.
Nuclear Translocated
Ehrlichia chaffeensis
Ankyrin Protein Interacts with a Specific Adenine-Rich Motif of Host Promoter and Intronic
Alu
Elements
Authors: Zhu Bing , Nethery Kimberly A. , Kuriakose Jeeba A. , Wakeel Abdul , Zhang Xiaofeng , McBride Jere W. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Ehrlichiae are obligately intracellular bacteria that reside and replicate in phagocytes by circumventing host cell defenses and modulating cellular processes, including host cell gene transcription. However, the mechanisms by which ehrlichiae influence host gene transcription have largely remained undetermined. Numerous ankyrin and tandem repeat-containing proteins associated with host-pathogen interactions have been identified in
Ehrlichia
species, but their roles in pathobiology are unknown. In this study, we determined by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and by immunodetection in purified nuclear extracts that the ankyrin repeat-containing protein p200 is translocated to the nuclei of
Ehrlichia-
infected monocytes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) with DNA sequencing revealed an
Ehrlichia chaffeensis
p200 interaction located within host promoter and intronic
Alu-Sx
elements, the most abundant repetitive elements in the human genome. A specific adenine-rich (mid-A-stretch) motif within
Alu-Sx
elements was identified using electrophoretic mobility shift and NoShift assays. Whole-genome analysis with ChIP and DNA microarray analysis (ChIP-chip) determined that genes (
n
= 456) with promoter
Alu
elements primarily related to transcription, apoptosis, ATPase activity, and structural proteins associated with the nucleus and membrane-bound organelles were the primary targets of p200. Several p200 target genes (encoding tumor necrosis factor alpha, Stat1, and CD48) associated with ehrlichial pathobiology were strongly upregulated during infection, as determined by quantitative PCR. This is the first study to identify a nuclear translocation of bacterially encoded protein by
E. chaffeensis
and to identify a specific binding motif and genes that are primary targets of a novel molecular strategy to reprogram host cell gene expression to promote survival of the pathogen.