bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
DESCRIPTIVE SENSORY ANALYSIS OF TOOTHPASTE FLAVOR AND TEXTURE USING TWO SAMPLING METHODS: BRUSHING VERSUS SPOON TASTING
Authors: HIGHTOWER CARRITA A. , CHAMBERS IV EDGAR 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT Repeated testing of toothpaste using a brushing method can lead to dental sensitivity, which could compromise the effectiveness of descriptive evaluations. The objective of this research was to compare flavor and texture evaluations of toothpaste using two sampling methods, toothbrushing or spoon tasting, in a descriptive sensory analysis test. A highly trained descriptive sensory panel evaluated five commercially available toothpastes using the two sample delivery regimens. Changing the sample delivery method impacted key toothpaste attributes, including burn, nasal cooling, toothetch and associated flavor attributes such as overall mint, menthol and bitter, but no interaction of product and method was found for those attributes. The interaction between product and delivery technique, i.e., specific toothpastes react differently than others when the sampling technique is changed, occurred in graininess, foaminess, baking soda, oral cooling and tongue numbing. This research establishes that the delivery method for toothpaste during descriptive analysis has an impact on flavor evaluations. Although it is possible to use an alternate method, such as spoon tasting, for some toothpaste evaluations if the attributes of interest do not show interactions between product and method, researchers must give consideration to how alternate methods affect intensity of scores or other outcomes of the research. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSResearchers seeking to use atypical sampling methods for various reasons (i.e., sample screening, limited resources, reducing evaluator's fatigue), especially for products such as toothpaste, must consider the objectives of a study and how an alternate technique will affect the outcome of the research. This research establishes that the delivery method of toothpaste during descriptive analysis has an impact on the flavor and texture evaluations. It is possible to use an alternate, such as sampling from a spoon for toothpaste evaluations, with the understanding that key attributes such as cooling and mint flavor will be amplified. The spoon method can be useful in screening when there is a need to efficiently gather information on a myriad of similar products, but it probably needs to be avoided in situations where products differ widely or key attributes are compromised.
The Pursuit of Postsecondary Education: A Comparison of First Nations, African, Asian, and European Canadian Youth*
Authors: THIESSEN VICTOR 
Published: April 2009

Utilisant l'Enquête auprès des jeunes en transition (EJET), sondage longitudinal nationalement représentatif, l'auteur examine l'argument voulant que les résultats éducationnels inférieurs de diverses minorités visibles et d'immigrants seraient attribués à leurs désavantages socioéconomiques, tandis que les résultats supérieurs des autres minorités visibles auraient pour cause leur soutien culturel. Les analyses rapportent des inégalités non négligeables dans le parcours pédagogique des Premières nations, des minorités visibles et des immigrants. Cependant, ni leur emplacement structurel ni leurs attributs culturels (ni les deux ensemble) n'expliquent entièrement les différences de leur parcours pédagogique ni ne peuvent être réduits à un simple modèle dans lequel les désavantages structurels détermineraient les résultats inférieurs et les facteurs culturels les supérieurs.Using the nationally representative longitudinal Youth in Transition Survey, this paper examines the argument that inferior educational outcomes of various visible minorities and immigrants can be attributed to their socio‐economic disadvantages, while superior outcomes of other visible minorities is due to their cultural supports. The analyses document sizeable inequalities in educational pathways of First Nations, visible minorities, and immigrants. However, neither structural location nor cultural attributes (nor both in conjunction) totally account for differences in their educational pathways nor can they be reduced to a simple pattern whereby structural disadvantages account for inferior pathways and cultural factors for superior ones.
Impacts of Dosing Frequency of the Combination Rifampin-Streptomycin on Its Bactericidal and Sterilizing Activities against
Mycobacterium ulcerans
in Mice
Authors: Ji Baohong , Chauffour Aurélie , Aubry Alexandra , Robert Jérome , Ibrahim Murad , Jarlier Vincent 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

Because of operational limitations, a significant proportion of the health centers at the peripheral level are able to provide treatment to Buruli ulcer patients with the combination rifampin (rifampicin)-streptomycin (RIF-STR) only five times weekly (5/7) instead of seven times weekly (7/7), as recommended. The objective of this experiment is to assess the impacts of various dosing frequencies of the combination on its bactericidal and sterilizing activities against
Mycobacterium ulcerans
in mice. The results demonstrate that the bactericidal activities did not differ significantly among five dosing frequencies of the combination, ranging from seven times to twice weekly, whereas the sterilizing activities differed widely. RIF-STR 7/7 was the only regimen that was able to sterilize the infection after 4 to 8 weeks of treatment; the sterilizing activities associated with reduced dosing frequencies were significantly diminished, and 8 weeks of 5/7 administration yielded a relapse rate greater than the generally accepted level of 5%. We recommend that the duration of treatment with 5/7 administration be prolonged beyond 8 weeks and that additional experiments with mice be carried out, with sufficient statistical power to compare the relapse rates of
M. ulcerans
infection between 8 weeks of 7/7 administration and 10 and 12 weeks of 5/7 administration of RIF-STR.
Molecular Characteristics of Travel-Related Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing
Escherichia coli
Isolates from the Calgary Health Region
Authors: Pitout Johann D. D. , Campbell Lorraine , Church Deirdre L. , Gregson Daniel B. , Laupland Kevin B. 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

Extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
Escherichia coli
has recently emerged as a major risk factor for community-acquired, travel-related infections in the Calgary Health Region. Molecular characterization was done on isolates associated with infections in returning travelers using isoelectric focusing, PCR, and sequencing for
bla
CTX-M
s,
bla
TEM
s,
bla
SHV
s,
bla
OXA
s, and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants. Genetic relatedness was determined with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis using XbaI and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). A total of 105 residents were identified; 6/105 (6%) presented with hospital-acquired infections, 9/105 (9%) with health care-associated community-onset infections, and 90/105 (86%) with community-acquired infections. Seventy-seven of 105 (73%) of the ESBL-producing
E. coli
isolates were positive for
bla
CTX-M
genes; 55 (58%) produced CTX-M-15, 13 (14%) CTX-M-14, six (6%) CTX-M-24, one (1%) CTX-M-2, one (1%) CTX-M-3, and one (1%) CTX-M-27, while 10 (10%) produced TEM-52, three (3%) TEM-26, 11 (11%) SHV-2, and four (4%) produced SHV-12. Thirty-one (30%) of the ESBL-producing
E. coli
isolates were positive for
aac
(
6
′)-
Ib
-
cr
, and one (1%) was positive for
qnrS
. The majority of the ESBL-producing isolates (
n
= 95 [90%]) were recovered from urine samples, and 83 (87%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin. The isolation of CTX-M-15 producers belonging to clone ST131 was associated with travel to the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan), Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, while clonally unrelated strains of CTX-M-14 and -24 were associated with travel to Asia. Our study suggested that clone ST131 coproducing CTX-M-15, OXA-1, TEM-1, and AAC(6′)-Ib-cr and clonally unrelated CTX-M-14 producers have emerged as important causes of community-acquired, travel-related infections.
Carriage of CTX-M-15-Producing
Escherichia coli
Isolates among Children Living in a Remote Village in Senegal
Authors: Ruppé Etienne , Woerther Paul-Louis , Diop Abdoulaye , Sene Anne-Marie , Da Costa Annaelle , Arlet Guillaume , Andremont Antoine , Rouveix Bernard 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

Two out of 20 children with no known antibiotic exposure, living in a very remote Senegalese village, were found to be fecal carriers of a multiresistant
Escherichia coli
clone that produced CTX-M-15. This highlights the current massive spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamases, even in isolated communities.
Stable Extended Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp41 Coiled Coil as an Effective Target in an Assay for High-Affinity Fusion Inhibitors
Authors: Cai Lifeng , Balogh Edina , Gochin Miriam 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp41 coiled-coil domain is an important target for fusion inhibitors, including the peptide T20, which has been approved as a drug against HIV-1. Research into nonpeptide fusion inhibitors has focused primarily on a hydrophobic pocket located within the coiled coil and has so far yielded compounds with relatively weak fusion inhibitory activity. Here, we describe metal ion-assisted stabilization of an extended 39-residue construct of gp41, which includes residues of the hydrophobic pocket and also of an extended groove N terminal to the hydrophobic pocket. We show that the presence of a metal ion and the high-affinity interaction between the receptor construct and cognate C-peptides result in a simple and highly selective assay for fusion inhibitors that may be used to scan large compound libraries. The long construct presents multiple potential binding sites along the extended coiled-coil groove. We demonstrate the modular use of assay probes to detect whether compounds bind in the hydrophobic pocket or elsewhere along the groove. Rapid detection and quantitation of hits can lead to the discovery of compounds binding to different sites along the groove and provide structure-activity relationship data for optimization. Compounds binding to adjacent sites could be linked to form more potent fusion inhibitors.
Prediction of the Pharmacodynamically Linked Variable of Oseltamivir Carboxylate for Influenza A Virus Using an In Vitro Hollow-Fiber Infection Model System
Authors: McSharry James J. , Weng Qingmei , Brown Ashley , Kulawy Robert , Drusano George L. 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

MDCK cells transfected with the human β-galactoside α-2,6-sialyltransferase 1 gene (AX-4 cells) were used to determine the drug susceptibility and pharmacodynamically linked variable of oseltamivir for influenza virus. For dose-ranging studies, five hollow-fiber units were charged with 10
2
A/Sydney/5/97 (H3N2) influenza virus-infected AX-4 cells and 10
8
uninfected AX-4 cells. Each unit was treated continuously with different oseltamivir carboxylate concentrations in virus growth medium for 6 days. For dose fractionation studies, one hollow-fiber unit received no drug, one unit received a 1× 50% effective concentration (EC
50
) exposure to oseltamivir by continuous infusion, one unit received the same AUC
0-24
(area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h) by 1-h infusion every 24 h, one unit received the same total exposure in two equal fractions every 12 h, and one unit received the same total exposure in three equal fractions every 8 h. Each infusion dose was followed by a no-drug washout, producing the appropriate half-life for this drug. The effect of the drug on virus replication was determined by sampling the units daily, measuring the amount of released virus by plaque assay, and performing a hemagglutination assay. The drug concentration in the hollow-fiber infection model systems was determined at various times by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The dose-ranging study showed that the EC
50
s for oseltamivir carboxylate for the A/Sydney/5/97 strain of influenza virus was about 1.0 ng/ml. The dose fractionation study showed that all treatment arms suppressed virus replication to the same extent, indicating that the pharmacodynamically linked variable was the AUC
0-24
/EC
50
ratio. This implies that it may be possible to treat influenza virus infection once daily with a dose of 150 mg/day.
Prevalence of Fluoroquinolone Resistance among Tuberculosis Patients in Shanghai, China
Authors: Xu Peng , Li Xia , Zhao Ming , Gui Xiaohong , DeRiemer Kathryn , Gagneux Sebastien , Mei Jian , Gao Qian 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

We determined the prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance among the isolates of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
from 605 pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Shanghai, China. Mutations in
gyrA
were found in 81.5% of phenotypically fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates and were used as a molecular marker of fluoroquinolone resistance.
gyrA
mutations were detected in 1.9% of strains pan-susceptible to first-line drugs and 25.1% of multidrug-resistant strains. Fluoroquinolone resistance was independently associated with resistance to at least one first-line drug and prior tuberculosis treatment.
Combination of Daptomycin plus Ceftriaxone Is More Active than Vancomycin plus Ceftriaxone in Experimental Meningitis after Addition of Dexamethasone
Authors: Egermann U. , Stanga Z. , Ramin A. , Acosta F. , Stucki A. , Gerber P. , Cottagnoud M. , Cottagnoud P. 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

We examined the cerebrospinal fluid penetration of daptomycin after the addition of dexamethasone and its bactericidal efficacy with and without ceftriaxone in an experimental rabbit model of pneumococcal meningitis. The combination of daptomycin with ceftriaxone was the most efficacious regimen for pneumococcal meningitis. The previous addition of dexamethasone affected the antibacterial activity of daptomycin only marginally, either as monotherapy or combined with ceftriaxone, although the penetration of daptomycin into inflamed meninges was significantly reduced from 6 to 2%. Daptomycin with ceftriaxone might be a potential candidate for the empirical therapy of bacterial meningitis, although the activity of this regimen against
Listeria monocytogenes
remains to be demonstrated.
Early- and Late-Onset Pneumonia: Is This Still a Useful Classification?
Authors: Gastmeier Petra , Sohr Dorit , Geffers Christine , Rüden Henning , Vonberg Ralf-Peter , Welte Tobias 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

The choice of empirical treatment of nosocomial pneumonia in the intensive-care unit (ICU) used to rely on the interval after the start of mechanical ventilation. Nowadays, however, the question of whether in fact there is a difference in the distribution of causative pathogens is under debate. Data from 308 ICUs from the German National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System, including information on relevant pathogens isolated in 11,285 cases of nosocomial pneumonia from 1997 to 2004, were used for our evaluation. Each individual pneumonia case was allocated either to early- or to late-onset pneumonia, with three differentiation criteria: onset on the 4th day, the 5th day, or the 7th day in the ICU. The frequency of pathogens was evaluated according to these categories. A total of 5,066 additional cases of pneumonia were reported from 2005 to 2006, after the CDC criteria had been modified. From 1997 to 2004, the most frequent microorganisms were
Staphylococcus aureus
(2,718 cases, including 720 with methicillin [meticillin]-resistant
S. aureus
), followed by
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(1,837 cases),
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(1,305 cases),
Escherichia coli
(1,137 cases),
Enterobacter
spp. (937 cases), streptococci (671 cases),
Haemophilus influenzae
(509 cases),
Acinetobacter
spp. (493 cases), and
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
(308 cases). The order of the four most frequent pathogens (accounting for 53.7% of all pathogens) was the same in both groups and was independent of the cutoff categories applied:
S. aureus
was first, followed by
P. aeruginosa
,
K. pneumoniae
, and
E. coli
. Thus, the predictabilities of the occurrence of pathogens were similar for the earlier (1997-to-2004) and later (2005-to-2006) time frames. This classification is no longer helpful for empirical antibiotic therapy, since the pathogens are the same for both groups.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Aminoglycoside Nephrotoxicity in Intensive Care Units
Authors: Oliveira João F. P. , Silva Carolina A. , Barbieri Camila D. , Oliveira Giselle M. , Zanetta Dirce M. T. , Burdmann Emmanuel A. 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTIn order to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity in intensive care units (ICUs), we evaluated 360 consecutive patients starting aminoglycoside therapy in an ICU. The patients had a baseline calculated glomerular filtration rate (cGFR) of ≥30 ml/min/1.73 m2. Among these patients, 209 (58%) developed aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity (the acute kidney injury [AKI] group, which consisted of individuals with a decrease in cGFR of >20% from the baseline cGFR), while 151 did not (non-AKI group). Both groups had similar baseline cGFRs. The AKI group developed a lower cGFR nadir (45 ± 27 versus 79 ± 39 ml/min/1.73 m2for the non-AKI group;P< 0.001); was older (56 ± 18 years versus 52 ± 19 years for the non-AKI group;P= 0.033); had a higher prevalence of diabetes (19.6% versus 9.3% for the non-AKI group;P= 0.007); was more frequently treated with other nephrotoxic drugs (51% versus 38% for the non-AKI group;P= 0.024); used iodinated contrast more frequently (18% versus 8% for the non-AKI group;P= 0.0054); and showed a higher prevalence of hypotension (63% versus 44% for the non-AKI group;P= 0.0003), shock (56% versus 31% for the non-AKI group;P< 0.0001), and jaundice (19% versus 8% for the non-AKI group;P= 0.0036). The mortality rate was 44.5% for the AKI group and 29.1% for the non-AKI group (P= 0.0031). A logistic regression model identified as significant (P< 0.05) the following independent factors that affected aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity: a baseline cGFR of <60 ml/min/1.73 m2(odds ratio [OR], 0.42), diabetes (OR, 2.13), treatment with other nephrotoxins (OR, 1.61) or iodinated contrast (OR, 2.13), and hypotension (OR, 1.83). In conclusion, AKI was frequent among ICU patients receiving an aminoglycoside, and it was associated with a high rate of mortality. The presence of diabetes or hypotension and the use of other nephrotoxic drugs and iodinated contrast were independent risk factors for the development of aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity.
Farnesol-Induced Apoptosis in
Candida albicans
Authors: Shirtliff Mark E. , Krom Bastiaan P. , Meijering Roelien A. M. , Peters Brian M. , Zhu Jingsong , Scheper Mark A. , Harris Megan L. , Jabra-Rizk Mary Ann 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

Farnesol, a precursor in the isoprenoid/sterol pathway, was recently identified as a quorum-sensing molecule produced by the fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
. Farnesol is involved in the inhibition of germination and biofilm formation by
C. albicans
and can be cytotoxic at certain concentrations. In addition, we have shown that farnesol can trigger apoptosis in mammalian cells via the classical apoptotic pathways. In order to elucidate the mechanism behind farnesol cytotoxicity in
C. albicans
, the response to farnesol was investigated, using proteomic analysis. Global protein expression profiles demonstrated significant changes in protein expression resulting from farnesol exposure. Among the downregulated proteins were those involved in metabolism, glycolysis, protein synthesis, and mitochondrial electron transport and the respiratory chain, whereas proteins involved in folding, protection against environmental and oxidative stress, actin cytoskeleton reorganization, and apoptosis were upregulated. Cellular changes that accompany apoptosis (regulated cell death) were further analyzed using fluorescent microscopy and gene expression analysis. The results indicated reactive oxygen species accumulation, mitochondrial degradation, and positive terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) in the farnesol-exposed cells concurrent with increased expression of antioxidant-encoding and drug response genes. More importantly, the results demonstrated farnesol-induced upregulation of the caspase gene
MCA1
and the intracellular presence of activated caspases. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that farnesol promotes apoptosis in
C. albicans
through caspase activation, implying an important physiological role for farnesol in the fungal cell life cycle with important implications for adaptation and survival.
Antibacterial Efficacy of Phages against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Infections in Mice and
Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Heo Yun-Jeong , Lee Yu-Rim , Jung Hyun-Hee , Lee JungEun , Ko GwangPyo , Cho You-Hee 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

Phage therapy against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
infections has received renewed attention owing to the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in this bacterium. Here, we isolated and characterized two new potentially lytic bacteriophages (MPK1 and MPK6), which produced large and clear plaques on
P. aeruginosa
strain PAO1. Based on their morphology, MPK1 belongs to the
Myoviridae
, while MPK6 belongs to the
Podoviridae
. The group B polysaccharide of lipopolysaccharide was required for infection, suggesting that their host spectra are associated with the serotypes of
P. aeruginosa
strains. Intramuscular and intraperitoneal administration of MPK1 and, to a lesser extent, MPK6 significantly protected mice from mortality caused by PAO1-induced peritonitis-sepsis (
P
< 0.01). Mice treated with either phage also had lower bacterial burdens in their livers, lungs, and spleens. The antibacterial efficacy of MPK1 and MPK6 was also evaluated based on
Drosophila melanogaster
systemic infection caused by
P. aeruginosa
, for which phages were administered by feeding. Both phages significantly delayed the PAO1-induced killing of
D. melanogaster
(
P
< 0.001), although MPK1 persisted longer than MPK6 in uninfected
D. melanogaster
tissue samples. These results suggest that a mini-scale experiment using
D. melanogaster
infection is valid for evaluating the antibacterial efficacy of phage therapy against
P. aeruginosa
infections.