bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High-Level Congruence of
Myrionecta rubra
Prey and
Dinophysis
Species Plastid Identities as Revealed by Genetic Analyses of Isolates from Japanese Coastal Waters
Authors: Nishitani Goh , Nagai Satoshi , Baba Katsuhisa , Kiyokawa Susumu , Kosaka Yuki , Miyamura Kazuyoshi , Nishikawa Tetsuya , Sakurada Kiyonari , Shinada Akiyoshi , Kamiyama Takashi 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT

We analyzed cryptophyte nucleomorph 18S rRNA gene sequences retained in natural
Myrionecta rubra
cells and plastid 16S rRNA gene and
psbA
sequences retained in natural cells of several
Dinophysis
species collected from Japanese coastal waters. A total of 715 nucleomorph sequences obtained from 134
M. rubra
cells and 564 plastid 16S rRNA gene and 355
psbA
sequences from 71
Dinophysis
cells were determined. Almost all sequences in
M. rubra
and
Dinophysis
spp. were identical to those of
Teleaulax amphioxeia
, suggesting that
M. rubra
in Japanese coastal waters preferentially ingest
T
.
amphioxeia
. The remaining sequences were closely related to those of
Geminigera cryophila
and
Teleaulax acuta
. Interestingly, 37 plastid 16S rRNA gene sequences, which were different from
T. amphioxeia
and amplified from
Dinophysis acuminata
and
Dinophysis norvegica
cells, were identical to the sequence of a
D. acuminata
cell found in the Greenland Sea, suggesting that a widely distributed and unknown cryptophyte species is also preyed upon by
M. rubra
and subsequently sequestered by
Dinophysis
. To confirm the reliability of molecular identification of the cryptophyte
Teleaulax
species detected from
M. rubra
and
Dinophysis
cells, the nucleomorph and plastid genes of
Teleaulax
species isolated from seawaters were also analyzed. Of 19 isolates, 16 and 3 clonal strains were identified as
T. amphioxeia
and
T. acuta
, respectively, and no sequence variation was confirmed within species.
T. amphioxeia
is probably the primary source of prey for
M. rubra
in Japanese coastal waters. An unknown cryptophyte may serve as an additional source, depending on localities and seasons.
Isolation and Characterization of a Mutant of the Marine Bacterium
Alcanivorax borkumensis
SK2 Defective in Lipid Biosynthesis
Authors: Manilla-Pérez Efraín , Lange Alvin Brian , Hetzler Stephan , Wältermann Marc , Kalscheuer Rainer , Steinbüchel Alexander 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT

In many microorganisms, the key enzyme responsible for catalyzing the last step in triacylglycerol (TAG) and wax ester (WE) biosynthesis is an unspecific acyltransferase which is also referred to as wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT; AtfA). The importance and function of two AtfA homologues (AtfA1 and AtfA2) in the biosynthesis of TAGs and WEs in the hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacterium
Alcanivorax borkumensis
SK2 have been described recently. However, after the disruption of both the AtfA1 and AtfA2 genes, reduced but substantial accumulation of TAGs was still observed, indicating the existence of an alternative TAG biosynthesis pathway. In this study, transposon-induced mutagenesis was applied to an
atfA1 atfA2
double mutant to screen for
A. borkumensis
mutants totally defective in biosynthesis of neutral lipids in order to identify additional enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of these lipids. At the same time, we have searched for a totally TAG-negative mutant in order to study the function of TAGs in
A. borkumensis
. Thirteen fluorescence-negative mutants were identified on Nile red ONR7a agar plates and analyzed for their abilities to synthesize lipids. Among these, mutant 2 M
131
was no longer able to synthesize and accumulate TAGs if pyruvate was used as the sole carbon source. The transposon insertion was localized in a gene encoding a putative cytochrome
c
family protein (ABO_1185). Growth and TAG accumulation experiments showed that the disruption of this gene resulted in the absence of TAGs in 2 M
131
but that growth was not affected. In cells of
A. borkumensis
SK2 grown on pyruvate as the sole carbon source, TAGs represented about 11% of the dry weight of the cells, while in the mutant 2 M
131
, TAGs were not detected by thin-layer and gas chromatography analyses. Starvation and lipid mobilization experiments revealed that the lipids play an important role in the survival of the cells. The function of neutral lipids in
A. borkumensis
SK2 is discussed.
Constitutive Expression of the Proteorhodopsin Gene by a Flavobacterium Strain Representative of the Proteorhodopsin-Producing Microbial Community in the North Sea
Authors: Riedel Thomas , Tomasch Jürgen , Buchholz Ina , Jacobs Jenny , Kollenberg Mario , Gerdts Gunnar , Wichels Antje , Brinkhoff Thorsten , Cypionka Heribert , Wagner-Döbler Irene 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACTProteorhodopsin (PR), a photoactive proton pump containing retinal, is present in approximately half of all bacteria in the ocean, but its physiological role is still unclear, since very few strains carrying the PR gene have been cultured. The aim of this work was to characterize PR diversity in a North Sea water sample, cultivate a strain representative of North Sea PR clusters, and study the effects of light and carbon concentration on the expression of the PR gene. A total of 117 PR sequences, of which 101 were unique, were obtained from a clone library of PCR-amplified PR gene fragments. Of the North Sea PRs, 97% were green light absorbing, as inferred from the amino acid at position 105; 67% of the PR protein fragments showed closest similarity to PRs fromAlphaproteobacteria, 4% showed closest similarity to PRs fromGammaproteobacteria, and 29% showed closest similarity to PRs from “Bacteroidetes”/Flavobacteria. The dominant PR cluster (comprising 18% of all PRs) showed a high degree of similarity to the PR from the cultivatedRoseobacterstrain HTCC2255. The relative abundances of the North Sea PR clusters were confirmed by quantitative PCR. They were detected in metagenomic fragments from coastal oceans worldwide with various degrees of abundance. Several hundred bacterial strains from the North Sea water sample were cultivated on oligocarbophilic media. By screening with degenerate primers, two strains carrying the PR gene were identified. Their 16S rRNA gene sequences were identical and affiliated with aBacteroidetessubcluster from the North Sea. The PR sequence of isolate PRO95 was completed by chromosomal walking. It was 76% identical to that ofDokdonia donghaensisMED134 and was functional, as indicated by the signature amino acids. PRO95 expressed its PR gene in liquid media containing between 9.7 and 121 mM carbon, both in the light and in the dark. Growth was not enhanced by light. Thus, the detection of the physiological role of PR may require more sensitive methods.
DNA Probes for Unambiguous Identification of
Listeria monocytogenes
Epidemic Clone II Strains
Authors: Cheng Ying , Kim J.-W. , Lee S. , Siletzky R. M. , Kathariou S. 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT

Listeria monocytogenes
epidemic clone II (ECII) strains have been responsible for two major multistate outbreaks of food-borne listeriosis in the United States, but their prevalence and ecology remain poorly understood. In this study, we describe DNA probes that unambiguously identify this clonal group. These probes were able to differentiate ECII strains of outbreak, sporadic, or environmental origin from other
L. monocytogenes
strains of the same serotype (4b).
Noroviruses as a Cause of Diarrhea in Travelers to Guatemala, India, and Mexico
Authors: Koo Hoonmo L. , Ajami Nadim J. , Jiang Zhi-Dong , Neill Frederick H. , Atmar Robert L. , Ericsson Charles D. , Okhuysen Pablo C. , Taylor David N. , Bourgeois A. Louis , Steffen Robert , DuPont Herbert L. 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT

Noroviruses (NoVs) are increasingly being recognized as an important enteric pathogen of gastroenteritis worldwide. The prevalence of NoVs as a cause of diarrhea acquired by travelers in developing countries is not well known. We examined the prevalence and importance of NoV infection in three international traveler cohorts with diarrhea acquired in three developing regions of the world, Mexico, Guatemala, and India. We also characterized the demographics and symptoms associated with NoV diarrhea in these travelers. Stool samples from 571 international travelers with diarrhea were evaluated for traditional enteropathogens. NoVs were identified using reverse transcription-PCR and probe hybridization. NoVs were identified in 10.2% of cases of travelers' diarrhea and, overall, was the second most common pathogen, following diarrheagenic
Escherichia coli.
The detection of NoV diarrhea significantly varied over the three study time periods in Guadalajara, Mexico, ranging from 3 of 98 (3.0%) diarrheal stools to 12 of 100 (12.0%) fecal specimens (
P
= 0.03). The frequency of NoV diarrhea was also dependent upon the geographic region, with 17 of 100 (17.0%) travelers to Guatemala, 23 of 194 (11.9%) travelers to India, and 3 of 79 (3.8%) travelers to Mexico testing positive for NoVs from 2002 to 2003 (
P
= 0.02). NoVs are important pathogens of travelers' diarrhea in multiple regions of the world. Significant variation in the prevalence of NoV diarrhea and in the predominant genogroup infecting travelers was demonstrated, dependent upon the specific geographic location and over time.
The Role of ThPOK in Control of CD4/CD8 Lineage Commitment
Authors: He Xi , Park Kyewon , Kappes Dietmar J. 
Published: March 2010

During αβ T cell development, cells diverge into alternate CD4 helper and CD8+cytotoxic T cell lineages. The precise correlation between a T cell's CD8 and CD4 choice and its TCR specificity to class I or class II MHC was noted more than 20 years ago, and establishing the underlying mechanism has remained a focus of intense study since then. This review deals with three formerly discrete topics that are gradually becoming interconnected: the role of TCR signaling in lineage commitment, the regulation of expression of the CD4 and CD8 genes, and transcriptional regulation of lineage commitment. It is widely accepted that TCR signaling exerts a decisive influence on lineage choice, although the underlying mechanism remains intensely debated. Current evidence suggests that both duration and intensity of TCR signaling may control lineage choice, as proposed by the kinetic signaling and quantitative instructive models, respectively. Alternate expression of the CD4 and CD8 genes is the most visible manifestation of lineage choice, and much progress has been made in defining the responsible cis elements and transcription factors. Finally, important clues to the molecular basis of lineage commitment have been provided by the recent identification of the transcription factor ThPOK as a key regulator of lineage choice. ThPOK is selectively expressed in class II–restricted cells at the CD4+8lostage and is necessary and sufficient for development to the CD4 lineage. Given the central role of ThPOK in lineage commitment, understanding its upstream regulation and downstream gene targets is expected to reveal further important aspects of the molecular machinery underlying lineage commitment.
Customary International Humanitarian Law: Taking Stock of the ICRC Study
Authors: Henckaerts Jean-Marie 
Published: March 2010

AbstractAlthough the 1949 Geneva Conventions have now been universally ratified, the same is not the case for other treaties of international humanitarian law. As a result, customary international humanitarian law continues to be relevant today. This was clearly recognized in 1995 when States party to the Geneva Conventions mandated the ICRC to carry out a study on customary rules of international humanitarian law applicable in international and non-international armed conflicts. This study was published in 2005 after widespread research and consultations. This article takes stock of the impact of the study and discusses some of the salient features of the methodology of assessing custom. It also briefly describes the current effort to update the practice underlying the Study.
The ICJ Armed Activity Case – Reflections on States' Obligation to Investigate and Prosecute Individuals for Serious Human Rights Violations and Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions
Authors: Ingadottir Thordis 
Published: March 2010

AbstractIn the Armed Activity Case, the International Court of Justice, found Uganda in breach of various international obligations. In establishing the state responsibility of Uganda, the Court concluded that in the Democratic Republic of Congo the country's troops committed, among other offences, grave breaches of international humanitarian law, as well as serious human rights violations, including torture. According to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and human rights treaties, these acts should also entail individual criminal responsibility. Furthermore, states have undertaken an obligation to investigate and prosecute individuals for these heinous acts. However,enforcement of that obligation has always been problematic; states have been very reluctant to prosecute their own forces. And without an effective enforcement mechanism at the international level, states have largely gottenaway with this bad practice. In light of the importance of having a state's responsibility support the enforcement of individual criminal responsibility at the national level, the article briefly reflects on the case's impact on individual criminal responsibility. It addresses the issue in two ways. Firstly, it examines a state's obligation to prosecute individuals as a secondary obligation, i.e., inherent in a state's obligation to make reparations for an international wrongful act. Secondly, it explores a state's obligation to prosecute individuals as a primary obligation, undertaken in the Geneva Conventions and human rights treaties. The article concludes thatdespite the clear obligation of a state to enforce individual criminal responsibility for the acts at hand in the Armed Activity Case, and the rear occurrence of having a case of this nature reaching the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, where the opportunity to address it and enforce it was largely missed. The nature and submissions in other recent cases at the International Court of Justice indicate that in the near future the Court will have a larger role in enforcing states' obligation to investigate and prosecute serious crimes at the national level.
Emerging models for mobilizing family support for chronic disease management: a structured review
Authors: Rosland Ann-Marie , Piette John D. 
Published: March 2010

Objectives: We identify recent models for programmes aiming to increase effective family support for chronic illness management and self-care among adult patients without significant physical or cognitive disabilities. We then summarize evidence regarding the efficacy for each model identified. Methods: Structured review of studies published in medical and psychology databases from 1990 to the present, reference review, general Web searches and conversations with family intervention experts. Review was limited to studies on conditions that require ongoing self-management, such as diabetes, chronic heart disease and rheumatologic disease. Results: Programmes with three separate foci were identified: (1) Programmes that guide family members in setting goals for supporting patient self-care behaviours have led to improved implementation of family support roles, but have mixed success improving patient outcomes. (2) Programmes that train family in supportive communication techniques, such as prompting patient coping techniques or use of autonomy supportive statements, have successfully improved patient symptom management and health behaviours. (3) Programmes that give families tools and infrastructure to assist in monitoring clinical symptoms and medications are being conducted, with no evidence to date on their impact on patient outcomes. Discussion: The next generation of programmes to improve family support for chronic disease management incorporate a variety of strategies. Future research can define optimal clinical situations for family support programmes, the most effective combinations of support strategies, and how best to integrate family support programmes into comprehensive models of chronic disease care.
Informal and formal care infrastructure and perceived need for caregiver training for frail US veterans referred to home and community-based services
Authors: Van Houtven Courtney Harold , Oddone Eugene Z. , Weinberger Morris 
Published: March 2010

Objectives: To describe the informal care network of US veterans referred to home and community-based services (Homemaker Home Health services, H/HHA, or Home-Based Primary Care, HBPC) at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), including: quantity and types of tasks provided and desired content for caregiver training programs. Methods: All primary care patients referred to H/HHA or HBPC during the preceding 3 months were sent questionnaires in May 2007. Additionally, caregivers were sent questionnaires if a patient gave permission. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were performed. Results: On average, patients received 5.6 hours of VA care and 47 hours of informal care per week. 26% of patients (38% of patients with caregiver proxy respondents) and 59% of caregivers indicated the caregiver would be interested in participating in a training program by phone or on-site. Significant barriers to participation existed. The most common barriers were: transportation; no time due to caregiving or work demands; caregiver’s own health limitations; and no need. Conclusions: Caregiver training needs to be tailored to overcome barriers to participate. Overcoming these barriers may be possible through in-home phone or internet training outside traditional business hours, and by tailoring training to accommodate limiting health problems among caregivers.
Patient-caregiver concordance in symptom assessment and improvement in outcomes for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy
Authors: Silveira Maria J. , Given Charles W. , Given Barbara , Rosland Ann Marie , Piette John D. 
Published: March 2010

Objective: To measure the agreement between cancer patients’ and family caregivers’ perceptions of the patients’ symptom severity, and the association between changes in caregiver accuracy and changes in outcomes. Methods: Secondary analysis of baseline and 10-week follow-up data from 142 cancer patient/caregiver dyads. Patient/caregiver agreement about symptom burden was measured for the 8 most prevalent symptoms and overall. Bivariate analyses examined the patient and caregiver characteristics associated with caregivers who were overestimators, underestimators or accurate at baseline. We tested the relationship between change in caregiver accuracy and both caregiver behaviour (e.g. use of information, hours spent caregiving) and patient outcomes (e.g. total symptom severity and frequency). Results: At baseline, caregivers overestimated the severity of 17 out of 18 symptoms; 50% predicted mean symptom severity accurately. Accuracy worsened over time for 51%, stayed the same for 36%, and improved for 13%. While not statistically significant, caregivers whose accuracy improved over time had patients who reported greater declines in: symptom severity, number of symptoms, symptom interference, total symptom frequency and depression. In addition, these caregivers experienced greater reductions in their use of information and hours helping the patient. Discussion: Caregivers typically over-estimate cancer patients’ symptom burden and accuracy does not improve over time. Improving caregiver accuracy may boost the positive effects of cognitive behavioural interventions designed to improve cancer patients’ quality of life.
The JAK2 46/1 haplotype predisposes to MPL-mutated myeloproliferative neoplasms
Authors: Jones Amy V. , Campbell Peter J. , Beer Philip A. , Schnittger Susanne , Vannucchi Alessandro M. , Zoi Katerina , Percy Melanie J. , McMullin Mary Frances , Scott Linda M. , Tapper William , Silver Richard T. , Oscier David , Harrison Claire N. , Grallert Harald , Kisialiou Aliaksei , Strike Paul , Chase Andrew J. , Green Anthony R. , Cross Nicholas C. P. 
Published: March 2010

Abstract
The 46/1 JAK2 haplotype predisposes to V617F-positive myeloproliferative neoplasms, but the underlying mechanism is obscure. We analyzed essential thrombocythemia patients entered into the PT-1 studies and, as expected, found that 46/1 was overrepresented in V617F-positive cases (n = 404) versus controls (n = 1492, P = 3.9 × 10−11). The 46/1 haplotype was also overrepresented in cases without V617F (n = 347, P = .009), with an excess seen for both MPL exon 10 mutated and V617F, MPL exon 10 nonmutated cases. Analysis of further MPL-positive, V617F-negative cases confirmed an excess of 46/1 (n = 176, P = .002), but no association between MPL mutations and MPL haplotype was seen. An excess of 46/1 was also seen in JAK2 exon 12 mutated cases (n = 69, P = .002), and these mutations preferentially arose on the 46/1 chromosome (P = .029). No association between 46/1 and clinical or laboratory features was seen in the PT-1 cohort either with or without V617F. The excess of 46/1 in JAK2 exon 12 cases is compatible with both the “hypermutability” and “fertile ground” hypotheses, but the excess in MPL-mutated cases argues against the former. No difference in sequence, splicing, or expression of JAK2 was found on 46/1 compared with other haplotypes, suggesting that any functional difference of JAK2 on 46/1, if it exists, must be relatively subtle.
A unique interaction between αIIb and β3 in the head region is essential for outside-in signaling–related functions of αIIbβ3 integrin
Authors: Hauschner Hagit , Landau Meytal , Seligsohn Uri , Rosenberg Nurit 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThe main interface of the 2 subunits of platelet integrin αIIbβ3 comprises the β-propeller domain of αIIb and the βA domain of β3. In the center of the β-propeller, several aromatic residues interact by cation-π and hydrophobic bonds with Arg261 of βA. In this study, we substituted αIIb-Trp110 or β3-Arg261 by residues abundant in other α or β subunits at corresponding locations and expressed them in baby hamster kidney cells along with normal β3 or αIIb, respectively. These mutant cells displayed normal surface expression and fibrinogen binding but grossly impaired outside-in signaling–related functions: adhesion to immobilized fibrinogen, cell spreading, focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation, clot retraction, and reduced αIIbβ3 stability in EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). Expression of mutants with substitutions of Arg261 in β3 by alanine or lysine with normal αv yielded normal surface expression of αvβ3 and soluble fibrinogen binding as well as normal outside-in signaling–related functions, contrasting findings for αIIbβ3. Structural analysis of αIIbβ3 and αvβ3 revealed that αvβ3 has several strong interactions between αv and β3 subunits that are missing in αIIbβ3. Together, these findings indicate that the interaction between Trp110 of αIIb and Arg261 of β3 is critical for αIIbβ3 integrity and outside-in signaling–related functions.