bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antigenic relationship of West Nile strains by titre ratios calculated from cross-neutralization test results
Authors: Blackburn N. K. , Thompson D. L. , Jupp P. G. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYThe antigenic relationship of ten South African West Nile isolates, the South African prototype virus H442, the Egyptian strain EG101 and the Indian strain G2266 were compared using titre ratios. The titre ratios or ‘R’ values were calculated from heterologous and homologous neutralization titres and expressed as a percentage.Substantial antigenic differences were demonstrated between the South African prototype strain and the majority of the recently obtained South African isolates, seven of which were fairly closely related and possibly form a distinct antigenic sub-set. The recent isolates also differed from the Egyptian and Indian West Nile isolates. The heterologous results between the South African West Nile strains and the Indian strain G2266 suggest that prior infection with an Indian West Nile virus would give poor protection against the South African viruses, whereas the reverse would not be so.
Molluscum contagiosum: characterization of viral DNA and clinical features
Authors: Porter C. D. , Muhlemann M. F. , Cream J. J. , Archard L. C. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYRestriction endonuclease analysis of molluscum contagiosum virus DNA revealed two subtypes. In a study of 46 isolates from 41 patients, some with no other disorder and some with atopic dermatitis, the ratio of MCV I isolates to MCV II was 34:12. Multiple clustered lesions removed at the same time from an individual patient yielded only one type of MCV. Lesions induced by MCV I or MCV II were indistinguishable on the basis of size and form. Neither subtype was associated exclusively with lesions at certain sites or with other clinical features. Heterogeneity of DNA restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns amongst isolates of the same subtype was observed, this being greatest for MCV II.
Molecular characterization of plasmids in Salmonella enteritidis phage types
Authors: Brown D. J. , Threlfall E. J. , Hampton M. D. , Rowe B. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYPlasmids in selected type strains of 26 of the Salmonella enteritidis phage types have been characterized by restriction enzyme fingerprinting and by DNA–DNA hybridization with oligonucleotide probes for Salmonella plasmid virulence (Spv) genes. With one exception, the fingerprints of the 38 MDa plasmids studied were homogeneous but there was heterogeneity in the fingerprints of 59 MDa plasmids found in 4 of the type strains. However all 38 MDa and 59 MDa plasmids were related as was a 45 MDa plasmid identified in the type strain of phage type 19. A 3·5 kb fragment homologous to SpvC was conserved in Hind III digests of all 38 MDa and 59 MDa plasmids, and in the related 45 MDa plasmid. In contrast a 65 MDa plasmid found in the type strain of phage type 10 was not related to these three plasmid molecular weight groups and did not carry the SpvC gene.
Genotype analysis of faecal and blood isolates of Salmonella dublin from humans in England and Wales
Authors: Chowdry N. , Threlfall E. J. , Rowe B. , Stanley J. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYAn analysis of genotype was made for representative strains of Salmonella dublin. The collection consisted primarily of strains isolated from humans in England and Wales, and were of both intestinal and extra-intestinal origin. Three genetic elements were characterized by DNA hybridization. They were the sprBC genes, extrachromosomal virulence determinants. the salmonella-specific insertion sequence IS200, and the 16S ribosomal RNA genes, a phylogenetic marker. Two clones of S. dublin (SdRI and SdRII) which shared an identical IS200 profile, were identified on the basis of restriction fragment length polymorphism at the 16S rRNA locus. With one exception, all strains harboured a 52 MDa plasmid which contained a conserved 3·7 kbp Hind III fragment homologous to the sprBC mouse-virulence genes of S. typhimurium. However, a single plasmid-free strain of SdRI, isolated from a patient with septicaemia exhibited no spc homology. In SdRI there was no observable genotype distinction between strains causing gastroenteritis or bacteraemia. In contrast, none of the strains of SdRII were from cases of bacteraemia, and all human isolates of this clone were from cases of gastroenteritis.
Egg-relatedSalmonella enteritidis, Italy, 1991
Authors: Binkin N. , Scuderi G. , Novaco F. , Giovanardi G. L. , Paganelli G. , Ferrari G. , Cappelli O. , Ravaglia L. , Zilioli F. , Amadei V. , Magliani W. , Viani I. , Riccò D. , Borrini B. , Magri M. , Alessandrini A. , Bursi G. , Barigazzi G. , Fantasia M. , Filetici E. , Salmaso S. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYIn recent years,Salmonella enteritidishas become an increasingly important public health problem in Italy. In some parts of the country, the fraction of total human salmonella isolates accounted for byS. enteritidishas risen from 3–4% in the mid-1980s to more than 30% in 1990. Between 1090 and 1991. the number of reportedS. enteritidisoutbreaks increased more than sixfold. The 33 outbreaks reported in 1991 occurred in seven contiguous regions in northern and central Italy and were clustered in time between June and October: in the majority, products containing raw or undercooked shell eggs were implicated. Five of the egg-related outbreaks that occurred within a 30 kilometre radius over a 7-week period were investigated in detail. A phage type 1 strain containing a 38·9 MDa plasmid appeared responsible for three of the outbreaks, while in the remaining two a phage type 4 strain, also with a 38·9 MDa plasmid was isolated. Efforts are being made to enhance epidemiological surveillance and laboratory evaluation, and the use of pasteurized eggs has been recommended for high-risk populations.
The role of management systems in the epidemiology of thermophilic campylobacters among poultry in Eastern zone of Tanzania
Authors: Kazwala R. R. , Jiwa S. F. H. , Nkya A. E. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYA total of 255 samples of droppings collected from a total of 22 different poultry units were examined for the presence of thermophilic campylobaeters and the isolates biotyped using Skirrow's protocol. The organisms were isolated from 90 (35·3%) of all samples. Among the 22 units investigated. 13 (59%) were found to have unsatisfactory management systems, while 7 (32%) and 2 (9%) were found to have unsatisfactory and good systems respectively. Significantly large numbers of isolations, 68 of 147 (46·2%), were made from samples collected from poultry units with poor management (P < 0·005). compared with 19 out of 84 (22·6%) samples which were collected from satisfactory units and 3 out of 24 (12·5%) samples collected from units exercising particularly good management. Nineteen of 72 (26·4%) samples collected from broilers, 32 out of 132 (24·2%) samples collected from layers and 39 out of 51 (70·49%) samples collected from indigenous free range poultry were positive for campylobacters. Among the 90 strains isolated from various units, 64 (70·1%) were Campylobacter jejuni. 25 (27·7%) were C. coli. and only 1 (2·2%) was C. laridis.
The prevalence ofFusobacterium necrophorumbiovar A in animal faeces
Authors: Smith G. R. , Thornton E. A. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYOnly a small proportion of animals tested were found to be excretingFusobacterium necrophorumbiovar A, the causative organism of necrobacillosis, in the faeces (3 of 69 wallabies, 1 of 66 deer, 2 of 81 cattle). The two positive cattle belonged to a single group of calves on a farm with a history of necrobacillosis and the litter underfoot also readily yielded biovar A organisms. All attempts to demonstrate biovar A in litter on other farms and in soil from an area populated by wallabies and deer failed. Ruminal contents from young beef cattle proved a fertile source ofF. necrophorumbiovar A, 15 of 18 animals giving a positive result. It is suggested that disturbance of the gastrointestinal microflora leads to intestinal multiplication and faecal excretion of the organism, which may then give rise to necrobacillosis of the body surface.
Seroprevalence of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection among children diagnosed with protein-calorie malnutrition in Nigeria
Authors: Fischer G. D. , Rinaldo C. R. , Gbadero D. , Kingsley L. A. , Ndimbie O. , Howard C. , Montemayor P. C. , Langer A. , Sibolboro W. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYExcessive weight loss due to protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) is a significant problem in Nigerian children. This syndrome may be difficult to differentiate from the wasting disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. We studied 70 children admitted to the Baptist Medical Center in Ogbomosho, Nigeria in 1990 with PCM for prevalence of antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2. The cohort was from low-risk mothers and had a median age of 25 months (range, 4 months–9 years) with a weight deficit of at least 20% of the theoretical weight for age. Two sera were positive for anti-HIV-1 by both ELISA and Western blot (WB). A high prevalence of samples negative for HIV-1 antibody by ELISA were repeatedly reactive (11%, 8/70) or indeterminate (46%. 32/70) by WB. None of the sera was positive for antibody to HIV-2. There was no correlation of ELISA positivity or extent of WB banding with successful recovery from malnutrition. These results indicate a relatively low but significant prevalence of HIV-1 infection in Nigerian children with PCM. The high prevalence of indeterminate reactions in WB assays for HIV-1 suggests that other procedures may be necessary for confirmatory diagnosis of HIY-1 infection in this African population.
Characterization of human rotavirus strains causing gastroenteritis in Kenya
Authors: Gatheru Z. , Kobayashi N. , Adachi N. , Chiba S. , Muli J. , Ogaja P. , Nyangao J. , Kiplagat E. , Tukei P. M. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYHuman rotavirus strains from Kenya, from children with gastroenteritis in an urban area (Nairobi) and three rural areas were characterized by antigenic and genomic analysis. While in all areas strains with subgroups II and G serotype 1 antigens were most common, two unusual strains were detected. One strain (NK59: subgroup II. G serotype 4) possessed an additional RNA band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the other (D202) which had antigenic specificity of subgroup II and G serotype 1 showed a ‘short’ RNA pattern. The latter strain was adapted to growth in cell culture.
Genome fingerprinting of Salmonella typhi by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for subtyping common phage types
Authors: Nair S. , Poh C. L. , Lim Y. S. , Tay L. , Goh K. T. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYThe genomic DNA of 39 strains of Salmonella typhi isolated from local residents and patients who had visited countries in the Asian region was analysed for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). Pulsed-field gel electrophoretic (PFGE) analysis of Xba I- and Spe I-generated genomic restriction fragments established 22 PFGE types whereas phage typing differentiated the 39 isolates into 9 distinct phage types. This study showed that PFGE is more discriminatory than phage typing as it is capable of subtyping S. typhi strains of the same phage types. Genetic relatedness among the isolates was determined. Seven major clusters were identified at SABSof > 0–80 and the remaining 13 isolates were distributed into minor clusters which were related at SABS of less than O.80. In conclusion, PFGE analysis in conjunction with distance matrix analysis served as a useful tool for delineating common S. typhi phage types of diverse origins from different geographical localesand separated in time.
Contamination of hands and work surfaces with Salmonella enteritidis PT4 during the preparation of egg dishes
Authors: Humphrey T. J. , Martin K. W. , Whitehead A. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYSalmonella enteritidis PT4 was recovered from fingers following the breaking of intact shell eggs artificially contaminated in the contents with the bacterium. Kitchen utensils used to mix egg dishes were salmonella-positive, sometimes after washing. Following the preparation of batter or the mixing of eggs, S. enteritidis was recovered from work surfaces over 40 cm from the mixing bowl. The bacterium survived well in thin, dry films of either batter or egg and, from an initial level of one cell per cm2, could be recovered from formica work surfaces 24 h after contamination.
The APOE gene and cognitive function in non-demented and Alzheimer's disease patients
Authors: Payton Antony 
Published: October 2009

SummaryThis review discusses the role that the APOE gene plays in cognitive dysfunction both in demented and non-demented elderly people. The increasing problem of cognitive impairment in developed countries makes finding new and effective treatments a research priority. Understanding the biological basis of this impairment is therefore paramount. APOE has received much attention in the field of cognitive genetics due to it being a major susceptibility gene for Alzheimer's disease, which itself is characterized by a rapid and irreversible loss in memory function. Over the past 14 years this has generated a considerable number of publications that have produced conflicting findings, making it difficult for the reader to interpret whether the APOE gene regulates cognition or not. This review attempts to summarize the mass of information on this gene in relation to cognition, by weighting the pros and cons of the methodologies used, and offers suggestions for future study designs.
Do perceptual asymmetries differ in peripersonal and extrapersonal space?
Authors: THOMAS NICOLE A. , ELIAS LORIN J. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractA space-based dissociation has been observed in clinical hemineglect, wherein neglect can be specific to either peripersonal or extrapersonal space. This same dissociation might occur in pseudoneglect, where both space-based and visual field differences have been observed. Upper and bottom visual field differences were examined within-subjects (N = 39), by presenting the greyscales task in both peripersonal and extrapersonal space. The leftward bias was strongest in the bottom visual field; however, no space-based differences were observed. It appears that perceptual biases differ between the upper and bottom visual fields, but this is not related to space-based perceptual biases. (JINS, 2010, 16, 210–214.)
Show us a behaviour without a cognition and we'll show you a rock rolling down a hill
Authors: Carey Timothy A. , Mansell Warren 
Published: October 2009

AbstractDismantling studies are used in psychotherapy in order to understand the important components of treatment. Typically, this has occurred so that people could understand the unique contributions provided by cognitiveversusbehavioural techniques. Recently, mindfulness-based approaches have apparently added a third dimension to the dismantling enterprise. Dismantling is seen as an important way of understanding the change process in psychotherapy and, therefore, clarifying how we might most effectively promote change. The way in which an entity is dismantled, however, exposes assumptions about the nature of the entity and its organization. In this paper we argue that dismantling studies in psychotherapy have perhaps generated more confusion than consensus and have provided little practical benefit for clinicians. We suggest that the phenomenon of control might provide a unifying perspective from which to approach the integration of behavioural, cognitive, and mindfulness approaches. In one sense all these seemingly different approaches are doing the same thing and it is this ‘thing’ we highlight in this paper.
Block-structured adaptive meshes and reduced grids for atmospheric general circulation models
Authors: Jablonowski Christiane , Oehmke Robert C. , Stout Quentin F. 
Published: October 2009

Adaptive mesh refinement techniques offer a flexible framework for future variable-resolution climate and weather models since they can focus their computational mesh on certain geographical areas or atmospheric events. Adaptive meshes can also be used to coarsen a latitude–longitude grid in polar regions. This allows for the so-called reduced grid setups.
A spherical, block-structured adaptive grid technique is applied to the Lin–Rood finite-volume dynamical core for weather and climate research. This hydrostatic dynamics package is based on a conservative and monotonic finite-volume discretization in flux form with vertically floating Lagrangian layers. The adaptive dynamical core is built upon a flexible latitude–longitude computational grid and tested in two- and three-dimensional model configurations. The discussion is focused on static mesh adaptations and reduced grids. The two-dimensional shallow water setup serves as an ideal testbed and allows the use of shallow water test cases like the advection of a cosine bell, moving vortices, a steady-state flow, the Rossby–Haurwitz wave or cross-polar flows. It is shown that reduced grid configurations are viable candidates for pure advection applications but should be used moderately in nonlinear simulations. In addition, static grid adaptations can be successfully used to resolve three-dimensional baroclinic waves in the storm-track region.
Predicting mesh density for adaptive modelling of the global atmosphere
Authors: Weller Hilary 
Published: October 2009

The shallow water equations are solved using a mesh of polygons on the sphere, which adapts infrequently to the predicted future solution. Infrequent mesh adaptation reduces the cost of adaptation and load-balancing and will thus allow for more accurate mapping on adaptation.
We simulate the growth of a barotropically unstable jet adapting the mesh every 12 h. Using an adaptation criterion based largely on the gradient of the vorticity leads to a mesh with around 20 per cent of the cells of a uniform mesh that gives equivalent results. This is a similar proportion to previous studies of the same test case with mesh adaptation every 1–20 min.
The prediction of the mesh density involves solving the shallow water equations on a coarse mesh in advance of the locally refined mesh in order to estimate where features requiring higher resolution will grow, decay or move to. The adaptation criterion consists of two parts: that resolved on the coarse mesh, and that which is not resolved and so is passively advected on the coarse mesh. This combination leads to a balance between resolving features controlled by the large-scale dynamics and maintaining fine-scale features.
A parallel second-order adaptive mesh algorithm for incompressible flow in porous media
Authors: Pau George S. H. , Almgren Ann S. , Bell John B. , Lijewski Michael J. 
Published: October 2009

In this paper, we present a second-order accurate adaptive algorithm for solving multi-phase, incompressible flow in porous media. We assume a multi-phase form of Darcy’s law with relative permeabilities given as a function of the phase saturation. The remaining equations express conservation of mass for the fluid constituents. In this setting, the total velocity, defined to be the sum of the phase velocities, is divergence free. The basic integration method is based on a total-velocity splitting approach in which we solve a second-order elliptic pressure equation to obtain a total velocity. This total velocity is then used to recast component conservation equations as nonlinear hyperbolic equations. Our approach to adaptive refinement uses a nested hierarchy of logically rectangular grids with simultaneous refinement of the grids in both space and time. The integration algorithm on the grid hierarchy is a recursive procedure in which coarse grids are advanced in time, fine grids are advanced multiple steps to reach the same time as the coarse grids and the data at different levels are then synchronized. The single-grid algorithm is described briefly, but the emphasis here is on the time-stepping procedure for the adaptive hierarchy. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the algorithm’s accuracy and convergence properties and to illustrate the behaviour of the method.
The impact of missing data on real morphological phylogenies: influence of the number and distribution of missing entries
Authors: Prevosti Francisco J. , Chemisquy María A. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractHere we explore the effect of missing data in phylogenetic analyses using a large number of real morphological matrices. Different percentages and patterns of missing entries were added to each matrix, and their influence was evaluated by comparing the accuracy and error of most parsimonious trees. The relationships between accuracy and error and different parameters (e.g. the number of taxa and characters, homoplasy, support) were also evaluated. Our findings, based on real matrices, agree with the simulation studies, i.e. the negative effect increases with the percentage of missing entries, and decreases with the addition of more characters. This indicates that the main problem is the lack of information, not just the presence of missing data per se. Accuracy varies with different distribution patterns of missing entries; the worst case is when missing data are concentrated in a few taxa, while the best is when the missing entries are restricted to just a few characters. The results expand our knowledge of the missing data problem, corroborate many of the findings previously published using simulations, and could be useful for empirical or theoretical studies. © The Willi Hennig Society 2009.
Randomized controlled trial of dexamphetamine maintenance for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence
Authors: Longo Marie , Wickes Wendy , Smout Matthew , Harrison Sonia , Cahill Sharon , White Jason M. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTAim  To investigate the safety and efficacy of once‐daily supervised oral administration of sustained‐release dexamphetamine in people dependent on methamphetamine.Design  Randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial.Participants  Forty‐nine methamphetamine‐dependent drug users from Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA) clinics.Intervention  Participants were assigned randomly to receive up to 110 mg/day sustained‐release dexamphetamine (n = 23) or placebo (n = 26) for a maximum of 12 weeks, with gradual reduction of the study medication over an additional 4 weeks. Medication was taken daily under pharmacist supervision.Measurements  Primary outcome measures included treatment retention, measures of methamphetamine consumption (self‐report and hair analysis), degree of methamphetamine dependence and severity of methamphetamine withdrawal. Hair samples were analysed for methamphetamine using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry.Findings  Treatment retention was significantly different between groups, with those who received dexamphetamine remaining in treatment for an average of 86.3 days compared with 48.6 days for those receiving placebo (P = 0.014). There were significant reductions in self‐reported methamphetamine use between baseline and follow‐up within each group (P < 0.0001), with a trend to a greater reduction among the dexamphetamine group (P = 0.086). Based on hair analysis, there was a significant decrease in methamphetamine concentration for both groups (P < 0.0001). At follow‐up, degree of methamphetamine dependence was significantly lower in the dexamphetamine group (P = 0.042). Dexamphetamine maintenance was not associated with serious adverse events.Conclusions  The results of this preliminary study have demonstrated that a maintenance pharmacotherapy programme of daily sustained‐release amphetamine dispensing under pharmacist supervision is both feasible and safe. The increased retention in the dexamphetamine group, together with the general decreases in methamphetamine use, degree of dependence and withdrawal symptom severity, provide preliminary evidence that this may be an efficacious treatment option for methamphetamine dependence.