bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The prevalence of actinic cheilitis in farmers in a semi‐arid northeastern region of Brazil
Authors: Martins‐Filho Paulo Ricardo Saquete , Da Silva Luiz Carlos Ferreira , Piva Marta Rabello 
Published: August 2011

AbstractBackground  Actinic cheilitis (AC) is a potentially malignant disorder of the lip caused by chronic exposure to solar radiation. Despite being a relatively common lesion in tropical countries, the data related to AC prevalence in Brazil are sparse, particularly in regions with high levels of ultraviolet radiation.Objective  To estimate AC prevalence among farmers in a semiarid northeastern Brazil.Methods  Cross‐sectional study was carried out involving a representative sample (n = 240) of the farm workers. Sociodemographic, clinical, and histopathological variables were analyzed.Results  AC prevalence was 16.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 12.0% to 21.4%]. The disease was more prevalent in males [prevalence ratio (PR) = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.52–4.90], fair‐skinned farmers (PR = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.00–4.30), age over 50 years (PR = 2.91; 95% CI: 1.40–6.04), daily exposure time more than eight hours (PR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.03–3.27), and among smokers/ex‐smokers (PR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.22–3.87). Mantel–Haenszel test showed a positive relationship between cumulative exposure time and development of AC (P < 0.001). Two cases were diagnosed as microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma.Conclusions  Our results suggest that farmers in this semiarid area have a high risk of lip cancer and indicate the need for health public programs in the early detection of AC and education to teach the population about precautions to be taken during sun exposure.
Pneumocystis pneumonia in patients with immunobullous dermatoses
Authors: Li Feng , Jin Hong‐Zhong , Su Fei , Jia Li , Sun Qiu‐Ning 
Published: August 2011

AbstractBackground  Immunobullous dermatoses are usually treated with immunosuppressive agents, which make patients susceptible to pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical characteristics of PCP in patients with immunobullous diseases.Methods  We analyzed computerized medical records to obtain a retrospective evaluation of the incidence and clinical characteristics of PCP in patients with immunobullous diseases, hospitalized at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2004 to December 2009.Results  Of 202 patients with immunobullous disorders, four (1.9%) had PCP; two of them had pemphigus vulgaris (PV), one had pemphigus foliaceus (PF), and one suffered from bullous pemphigoid (BP). All four patients had been treated with corticosteroids and a cytotoxic agent before diagnosis of PCP. Three of the four patients developed PCP within 14 weeks of the diagnosis of an immunobullous disease. Average and maximal prednisone doses were 0.98 mg/kg per day and 1.8 mg/kg per day, respectively. The median durations of prednisone doses >1.0 mg/kg per day and >1.5 mg/kg per day were 6.5 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively. Lymphocyte counts ranged from 330/μl to 1200/μl at the time of diagnosis of PCP. Additional complicating infections were found in three of the four patients. In all four patients, PCP was treated with trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole and corticosteroids. Skin lesions were under control at the onset of PCP and did not flare during the treatment of PCP; however, two of the four patients died.Conclusions  Fewer than 2% of subjects in our large series of patients with immunobullous diseases contracted PCP. Nevertheless, it is important to remain alert for PCP in patients with immunobullous diseases who are undergoing treatment with prednisone and cytotoxic agent(s).
Post‐kala‐azar dermal leishmaniasis: recent developments
Authors: Singh Sarman , Sharma Umakant , Mishra Jyotsna 
Published: August 2011

AbstractA substantial number of patients who recover from kala‐azar will develop dermatosis [commonly known as post‐kala‐azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL)]. It usually occurs in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. As many as 10–20% of Indian cases and 50–60% of Sudanese cases develop PKDL after successful treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. Most cases occur after infection with Leishmania donovani and less commonly after Leishmania infantum. However, the PKDL is extremely rare in patients infected with Leishmania chagasi. Though exact pathology is not yet fully known, here we review various evidence, which suggest that the pathogenesis is largely immunologically mediated. Our group has been of the opinion that PKDL disease manifestation is a result of in‐vivo generation of quasi‐species either as in‐vivo hybridization of various circulating and latent populations of the causative species within the host cells or due to external reinfection. We, and other scientists, have recently demonstrated that strains of Leishmania that cause visceral diseases differ genetically from those that cause PKDL. We feel that this review will incite interest in several parasitologists and molecular biologists in the pathogenesis of this important manifestation of the infection, often blamed as the source of outbreaks of leishmaniasis.
Cats during gestation and lactation fed with canned food ad libitum: energy and protein intake, development of body weight and body composition
Authors: Wichert B. , Signer M. , Uebelhart D. 
Published: August 2011

SummaryThe NRC recommendations for cats for energy and protein supply during gestation and lactation are based on limited data. This study aimed to answer the question: Can the energy requirement be met with canned food or is the volume restrictive? Therefore, balance trials were conducted in 10 queens before mating, during the 4th and 7th week of gestation and during the 2nd and 6th week of lactation. The cats were fed with canned food ad libitum. Additionally, the body composition of the queens was measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (Dexa) before mating, after parturition and after weaning. Eight of 10 cats presented increased body fat content and lean body mass during gestation. The weight loss during lactation led to a loss of lean body mass, but only six cats lost body fat of widely differing amounts. It was evident that the queens’ dry matter intake was consistent with that of queens fed ad libitum with dry food. The cats lost lean body mass during lactation and had negative protein balances in the 2nd week of lactation. This seems to be physiological in early lactation. Nevertheless, the protein recommendations for lactation seem to be too low.
Mutation of tryptophanase gene tnaA in Edwardsiella tarda reduces lipopolysaccharide production, antibiotic resistance and virulence
Authors: Han Yin , Yang Chun‐Li , Yang Qian , Qi Zizhong , Liu Wenzheng , Xu Zhi‐Hong , Zhu Wei‐Ming , Bossier Peter , Zhang Xiao‐Hua 
Published: August 2011

SummaryA fish pathogen Edwardsiella tarda LTB‐4 produced various indole alkaloids, including indole, 2‐(1H‐indol‐3‐yl)ethanol, 4‐di(1H‐indol‐3‐yl)methylphenol, tri(1H‐indol‐3‐yl)methane and 2‐[2,2‐bis(1H‐indol‐3‐yl)]ethylphenylamine. Indole was the most abundant among these indole alkaloids. E. tarda LTB‐4 produced indoles during its whole growth phase and maintained a high level (around 35.5 µM) during the stationary phase. The relevant tryptophanase (TnaA) gene tnaA was cloned from LTB‐4 and conditionally expressed in Escherichia coli; the recombinant TnaA catalysed L‐tryptophan to indole. A tnaA in‐frame deletion mutant ΔtnaA was constructed through double cross‐over allelic exchange by means of the suicide vector pRE118; deletion of tnaA caused some phenotypic changes including decreased swarming and twitching motility, lipopolysaccharide production and multiple antibiotic resistances. Also, subtherapeutic doses of chloromycetin, carbenicillin and tetracyline could cause the decrease of bacterial growth, but greatly induce the production of indole by E. tarda. Most importantly, attenuated virulence of the ΔtnaA mutant to zebra fish by increasing the LD50 for about 55‐fold indicated that TnaA involved in the virulence of E. tarda.
ArmA Methyltransferase in a Monophasic Salmonella enterica Isolate from Food
Authors: Granier Sophie A. , Hidalgo Laura , San Millan Alvaro , Escudero Jose Antonio , Gutierrez Belen , Brisabois Anne , Gonzalez-Zorn Bruno 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

The 16S rRNA methyltransferase ArmA is a worldwide emerging determinant that confers high-level resistance to most clinically relevant aminoglycosides. We report here the identification and characterization of a multidrug-resistant
Salmonella enterica
subspecies I.4,12:i:− isolate recovered from chicken meat sampled in a supermarket on February 2009 in La Reunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean. Susceptibility testing showed an unusually high-level resistance to gentamicin, as well as to ampicillin, expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Molecular analysis of the 16S rRNA methyltransferases revealed presence of the
armA
gene, together with
bla
TEM-1
,
bla
CMY-2
, and
bla
CTX-M-3
. All of these genes could be transferred
en bloc
through conjugation into
Escherichia coli
at a frequency of 10
−5
CFU/donor. Replicon typing and S1 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that the
armA
gene was borne on an ∼150-kb broad-host-range IncP plasmid, pB1010. To elucidate how
armA
had integrated in pB1010, a PCR mapping strategy was developed for Tn
1548
, the genetic platform for
armA.
The gene was embedded in a Tn
1548
-like structure, albeit with a deletion of the macrolide resistance genes, and an IS
26
was inserted within the
mel
gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ArmA methyltransferase in food, showing a novel route of transmission for this resistance determinant. Further surveillance in food-borne bacteria will be crucial to determine the role of food in the spread of 16S rRNA methyltransferase genes worldwide.
Meningeal Inflammation Increases Artemether Concentrations in Cerebrospinal Fluid in Papua New Guinean Children Treated with Intramuscular Artemether
Authors: Manning Laurens , Laman Moses , Page-Sharp Madhu , Salman Sam , Hwaiwhanje Ilomo , Morep Namar , Siba Peter , Mueller Ivo , Karunajeewa Harin A. , Davis Timothy M. E. 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

Although the artemisinin-associated neurotoxicity identified
in vitro
and in animal studies has not been confirmed clinically, only one adult study has measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations after administration of conventional doses. Potential artemisinin neurotoxicity could be serious in children, especially those with meningitis and, consequently, a compromised blood-brain barrier. We measured CSF/plasma artemether and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) concentrations in 32 Papua New Guinean children with a mean age of 39 months with suspected or proven severe falciparum malaria who underwent a single lumbar puncture after intramuscular artemether administration. CSF artemether concentrations were 0 to 43.5 μg/liter and CSF concentration/plasma concentration ratios were 0 to 38.1%. DHA was measurable in CSF in only two children. The seven children with meningeal inflammation (CSF white cell count > 20/mm
3
) had higher CSF artemether concentration/plasma artemether concentration ratios than those without (median, 6.7% [interquartile ratio, 2.5 to 27.8%]% versus 0.0% [interquartile ratio, 0.0 to 2.5%];
P
= 0.002). Meningeal inflammation was associated with a 4.6-fold increase in the CSF artemether concentration/plasma artemether concentration ratio in a population pharmacokinetic model. These data suggest that pharmacovigilance should be heightened when intramuscular artemether is given to severely ill children with evidence of meningeal inflammation.
Daptomycin, Fosfomycin, or Both for Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Osteomyelitis in an Experimental Rat Model
Authors: Poeppl W. , Tobudic S. , Lingscheid T. , Plasenzotti R. , Kozakowski N. , Lagler H. , Georgopoulos A. , Burgmann H. 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

The
in vivo
activities of daptomycin, fosfomycin, and a combination of both antibiotics against a clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(daptomycin MIC, 0.25 μg/ml; fosfomycin MIC, 0.5 μg/ml) were evaluated in a rat model of osteomyelitis. A total of 37 rats with experimental osteomyelitis were treated for 4 weeks with either 60 mg/kg of body weight of daptomycin subcutaneously once daily, 75 mg/kg fosfomycin intraperitoneally once daily, a combination of both drugs, or a saline placebo. After the completion of treatment, animals were euthanized, and the infected tibiae were processed for quantitative bacterial culture. Bone cultures were found to be positive for methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
in 9 of 9 (100%) animals of the placebo group, in 9 of 9 (100%) animals treated with daptomycin, in 1 of 10 (10%) fosfomycin-treated rats, and in 1 of 9 (22.2%) rats comprising the combination group. Results of bacterial counts in the bone samples were expressed as log
10
CFU/g of bone and analyzed by using the Mann-Whitney U test followed by Bonferroni's multiple-comparison test. Based on bacterial counts, treatment with daptomycin was significantly superior to placebo, although it remained inferior to treatment with fosfomycin. No synergistic or antagonistic effect was observed for the combination therapy. No development of resistance against daptomycin or fosfomycin was observed after the 4-week treatment period.
A Burkholderia pseudomallei Macrophage Infectivity Potentiator-Like Protein Has Rapamycin-Inhibitable Peptidylprolyl Isomerase Activity and Pleiotropic Effects on Virulence
Authors: Norville Isobel H. , Harmer Nicholas J. , Harding Sarah V. , Fischer Gunter , Keith Karen E. , Brown Katherine A. , Sarkar-Tyson Mitali , Titball Richard W. 
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT

Macrophage infectivity potentiators (Mips) are a group of virulence factors encoded by pathogenic bacteria such as
Legionella
,
Chlamydia
, and
Neisseria
species. Mips are part of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) family, whose members typically exhibit peptidylprolyl
cis-trans
isomerase (PPIase) activity which is inhibitable by the immunosuppressants FK506 and rapamycin. Here we describe the identification and characterization of BPSS1823, a Mip-like protein in the intracellular pathogen
Burkholderia pseudomallei
. Recombinant BPSS1823 protein has rapamycin-inhibitable PPIase activity, indicating that it is a functional FKBP. A mutant strain generated by deletion of
BPSS1823
in
B. pseudomallei
exhibited a reduced ability to survive within cells and significant attenuation
in vivo
, suggesting that BPSS1823 is important for
B. pseudomallei
virulence. In addition, pleiotropic effects were observed with a reduction in virulence mechanisms, including resistance to host killing mechanisms, swarming motility, and protease production.
Targeting HSP 90 Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Critical Survival and Proliferation Pathways in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Khong Tiffany , Spencer Andrew 
Published: August 2011

AbstractThe second most commonly diagnosed hematologic malignancy, multiple myeloma, affects predominantly older patients (&gt;60s) and is characterized by paraprotein in the serum or urine. Clinical manifestations include anemia, hypercalcaemia, progressive renal impairment, and osteolytic bone destruction. Despite promising new therapies, multiple myeloma eventually relapses in almost all patients. HSP are ubiquitous and highly conserved in prokaryotes and eukaryote organisms. Exposure to a broad range of stimuli results in increased HSP protein expression. These chaperone proteins are involved in protein transportation, prevent protein aggregation, and ensure correct folding of nascent and stress-accumulated misfolded proteins. In cancer, HSP expression is dysregulated, resulting in elevated expression, which promotes cancer by preventing programmed cell death and supporting autonomous cells growth, ultimately leading to resistance to heat, chemotherapy, and other stresses. Client proteins of HSP90 such as AKT, p53, MEK, STAT3, and Bcr-Abl are vital in tumor progression, including multiple myeloma, and their maturation and stability is dependent on HSP90. Therefore, inhibition of HSP90 via a HSP90 inhibitor (such as NVP-HSP990) should interrupt multiple signaling pathways essential for oncogenesis and growth in multiple myeloma. Our study showed that NVP-HSP990 triggered apoptosis in a panel of human multiple myeloma cells, induced cell-cycle arrest, PARP cleavage, downregulation of client proteins, the inability to reactivate phospho-STAT3 following exogenous IL-6 stimulation, and it synergized with azacytidine and bortezomib in cell lines and primary multiple myeloma samples. The mechanism of HSP90 inhibition in multiple myeloma warrants further evaluation. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(10); 1909–17. ©2011 AACR.
The Neural Basis of Reversible Sentence Comprehension: Evidence from Voxel-based Lesion Symptom Mapping in Aphasia
Authors: Thothathiri Malathi , Kimberg Daniel Y. , Schwartz Myrna F. 
Published: August 2011

Abstract
We explored the neural basis of reversible sentence comprehension in a large group of aphasic patients (n = 79). Voxel-based lesion symptom mapping revealed a significant association between damage in temporo-parietal cortex and impaired sentence comprehension. This association remained after we controlled for phonological working memory. We hypothesize that this region plays an important role in the thematic or what–where processing of sentences. In contrast, we detected weak or no association between reversible sentence comprehension and the ventrolateral pFC, which includes Broca's area, even for syntactically complex sentences. This casts doubt on theories that presuppose a critical role for this region in syntactic computations.
Attentional Capture by Salient Distractors during Visual Search Is Determined by Temporal Task Demands
Authors: Kiss Monika , Grubert Anna , Petersen Anders , Eimer Martin 
Published: August 2011

Abstract
The question whether attentional capture by salient but task-irrelevant visual stimuli is triggered in a bottom–up fashion or depends on top–down task settings is still unresolved. Strong support for bottom–up capture was obtained in the additional singleton task, in which search arrays were visible until response onset. Equally strong evidence for top–down control of attentional capture was obtained in spatial cueing experiments in which display durations were very brief. To demonstrate the critical role of temporal task demands on salience-driven attentional capture, we measured ERP indicators of capture by task-irrelevant color singletons in search arrays that could also contain a shape target. In Experiment 1, all displays were visible until response onset. In Experiment 2, display duration was limited to 200 msec. With long display durations, color singleton distractors elicited an N2pc component that was followed by a late Pd component, suggesting that they triggered attentional capture, which was later replaced by location-specific inhibition. When search arrays were visible for only 200 msec, the distractor-elicited N2pc was eliminated and was replaced by a Pd component in the same time range, indicative of rapid suppression of capture. Results show that attentional capture by salient distractors can be inhibited for short-duration search displays, in which it would interfere with target processing. They demonstrate that salience-driven capture is not a purely bottom–up phenomenon but is subject to top–down control.
Theta Dynamics Reveal Domain-specific Control over Stimulus and Response Conflict
Authors: Nigbur Roland , Cohen Michael X , Ridderinkhof K. Richard , Stürmer Birgit 
Published: August 2011

Abstract
Cognitive control allows us to adjust to environmental changes. The medial frontal cortex (MFC) is thought to detect conflicts and recruit additional resources from other brain areas including the lateral prefrontal cortices. Here we investigated how the MFC acts in concert with visual, motor, and lateral prefrontal cortices to support adaptations of goal-directed behavior. Physiologically, these interactions may occur through local and long-range synchronized oscillation dynamics, particularly in the theta range (4–8 Hz). A speeded flanker task allowed us to investigate conflict-type-specific control networks for perceptual and response conflicts. Theta power over MFC was sensitive to both perceptual and response conflict. Interareal theta phase synchrony, however, indicated a selective enhancement specific for response conflicts between MFC and left frontal cortex as well as between MFC and the presumed motor cortex contralateral to the response hand. These findings suggest that MFC theta-band activity is both generally involved in conflict processing and specifically involved in linking a neural network controlling response conflict.
Cognitive and Motivational Characteristics of Elementary Teachers in General Education Classrooms and in Gifted Programs
Authors: Hong Eunsook , Greene Mary , Hartzell Stephanie 
Published: August 2011

Whether teachers in general education classrooms and in gifted programs differ in their cognitive and motivational characteristics was examined in 182 elementary school teachers. The teacher characteristics examined were epistemological beliefs (beliefs about the nature of knowledge and beliefs about the nature of learning), metacognition (planning, monitoring, and strategy selection), and motivation (self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and goal orientation). Teachers in gifted programs reported more sophisticated epistemological beliefs, higher learning-goal orientation, and lower performance-goal orientation than did teachers in general education classrooms. However, perceived use of metacognitive strategies, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation were not different between the two groups. Teachers in general reported epistemological sophistication more in the nature of learning than in the nature of knowledge, that they use cognitive strategies more so than planning and monitoring of their activities, and that they are more learning-goal oriented than performance-goal oriented. It is suggested that more courses and trainings are needed for preservice and in-service teachers so they have opportunities to learn and self-reflect on their own characteristics. Putting the Research to Use This study compared trait-level cognitive and motivational characteristics between teachers in gifted programs and teachers in general education classrooms. The findings provide some evidence that teachers in gifted programs and teachers in general education classrooms have characteristic differences and that gifted students in pullout programs seem to be more likely to have teachers with certain favorable characteristics. The reality is that the majority of gifted children spend most of their hours in general education classrooms. Therefore, the focus should be whether teacher training can provide opportunities for preservice and in-service teachers in general education as well as in gifted education programs, to become aware of these characteristics evidenced as having strong relationships with student learning. Beyond teacher knowledge and skills, teacher attributes and beliefs about student learning are underscored as important areas in teacher preparation for differentiating instruction for gifted children in the general education classroom. Preservice and in-service teacher trainings should provide teachers with opportunities to learn and self-reflect on their own cognitive and motivational characteristics as they develop into effective teachers.