bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improving the treatment experience for patients with type 2 diabetes: Role of the nurse practitioner
Authors: Bartol Tom 
Published: May 2012

Abstract  Purpose: To discuss the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) in motivating and guiding patients with type 2 diabetes to self‐manage their disease, achieve their treatment goals, and have a more positive treatment experience.Data sources: Personal experience; clinical studies.Conclusions: NPs play a key role in educating patients and helping them understand the need for, and benefits of, improved diabetes control. Yet, achieving improved diabetes control goes far beyond sharing information. The NP can be pivotal in helping to motivate patients to be active players in their own diabetes management.Implications for practice: NPs can improve the treatment experience of patients with diabetes by educating and motivating them to make beneficial lifestyle changes and commit to treatments tailored to their individual needs and expectations.
Room temperature DNA storage with slide‐mounted aphid specimens
Authors: MILLER GARY L. , CARMICHAEL ANDREW , FAVRET COLIN , SCHEFFER SONJA J. 
Published: May 2012

Abstract.  1. cope slide‐mounted insect specimens present special problems for DNA extraction due to chemical clearing techniques and subsequent specimen preservation.2. Filter paper is routinely used for DNA storage in other biological disciplines (e.g. medicine), but is not widely used in entomology.3. A system for room temperature storage of DNA with microscope slide‐mounted voucher material uses filter paper in conjunction with the cleared voucher specimen.4. The viability of filter paper for DNA storage is demonstrated through various time intervals. Either a solution of the cell lysis buffer or purified DNA can be stored on filter paper. Both COI and COII were sequenced from filter paper; EF‐1α was attempted, but results were partially successful.5. The filter paper system allows for DNA storage directly with the curated specimen, thus facilitating its accessibility.6. The storage of DNA on filter paper with specimens in museum collections could reduce the need or cost for cryopreservation equipment.7. DNA on filter paper facilitates international and local transport of DNA research material for subsequent study.
Multiannual variations in phytoplankton populations: what distinguished the blooms of Aphanizomenon ovalisporum in Lake Kinneret in 2010 from 2009?
Authors: Bar‐Yosef Yehonathan , Murik Omer , Sukenik Assaf , Hadas Ora , Kaplan Aaron 
Published: May 2012

SummaryThe reasons for large multiannual fluctuations in phytoplankton biomass and composition in freshwater lakes are complex and involve many biotic and abiotic parameters. Here we studied the 2009 and 2010 summer–autumn blooms of the toxic, cylindrospermopsin producer, Aphanizomenon ovalisporum (hereafter Aphanizomenon) in Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), Israel. During the summer the total dissolved phosphate concentration in the lake is very low, close to the detection level, limiting the development of phytoplankton. Earlier we showed that Aphanizomenon blooms are associated with a large rise in alkaline phosphatase (Apase) activity in the water body and that cylindrospermopsin produced by Aphanizomenon induces the PHO regulon, including secretion of Apase, in other alga thereby improving its own phosphate supply. Aphanizomenon transcripts of PHO and AOA (involved in cylindrospermopsin biosynthesis) genes in Lake Kinneret appeared much earlier in 2010 than in 2009 suggesting that the phytoplankton became phosphate‐limited already at the beginning of its summer bloom in 2010 but much later in 2009. Water inflow and lake water temperatures were significantly higher in 2010 but the incoming nutrients were consumed by the much larger phytoplankton biomass early in 2010 before the beginning of the Aphanizomenon bloom. An analysis of abiotic and biological parameters provides an explanation for the very different development of Aphanizomenon populations during 2009 and 2010.
Mitochondrial energy metabolism plays a critical role in the cardioprotection afforded by intermittent hypobaric hypoxia
Authors: Wang Zhi‐Hua , Cai Xiao‐Long , Wu Lan , Yu Zhuo , Liu Jin‐Long , Zhou Zhao‐Nian , Liu Jiankang , Yang Huang‐Tian 
Published: May 2012

Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) is an effective protective strategy against myocardial ischaemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the precise mechanisms are far from clear. To understand the overall effects of IHH on the myocardial proteins during I/R, we analysed functional performance and the protein expression profile in isolated hearts from normoxic rats and from rats adapted to IHH (5000 m, 4 h day−1, 4 weeks) following I/R injury (30 min/45 min). Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia significantly improved the postischaemic recovery of left ventricular function compared with the recovery in time‐matched normoxic control hearts. Two‐dimensional electrophoresis with matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometric analysis was then used to assess protein alterations in left ventricles from normoxic and IHH groups, with or without I/R. The expressions of 16 proteins changed by over fivefold; nine of these proteins are involved in energy metabolism. Immunoblot and real‐time PCR analysis confirmed the IHH‐increased expressions of the ATP synthase subunit β, mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase and heat shock protein 27 in left ventricles. Furthermore, IHH significantly attenuated the reduction of myocardial ATP content, mitochondrial ATP synthase activity, membrane potential and respiratory control ratios due to I/R. In addition, inhibition of mitochondrial ATP synthase by oligomycin (1 μmol l−1) abolished the IHH‐induced improvements in three parameters: postischaemic recovery of left ventricular function, mitochondrial membrane potential and respiratory control ratios. These results suggest that an improvement in mitochondrial energy metabolism makes an important contribution to the cardioprotection afforded by IHH against postischaemic myocardial dysfunction.
Oseltamivir Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Experience in Neonates and Infants during an Outbreak of H1N1 Influenza A Virus Infection in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Standing Joseph F. , Nika Angela , Tsagris Vasileios , Kapetanakis Ioannis , Maltezou Helena C. , Kafetzis Dimitris A. , Tsolia Maria N. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Detailed oseltamivir pharmacokinetics have yet to be reported in neonates and infants; this group is at high risk of serious influenza-associated complications. Extrapolation of doses from older patients is complicated by rapid organ and drug-metabolizing enzyme maturation. A pharmacokinetic study has been conducted during an influenza A(H1N1) outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit. Each included patient provided 4 samples for oseltamivir and 4 samples for its active metabolite oseltamivir carboxylate. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed with NONMEM. Allometric weight scaling and maturation functions were added
a priori
to scale for size and age based on literature values. Nine neonates and infants were recruited. A physiologically parameterized pharmacokinetic model predicted typical day 1 area under the curve (AUC
0-12
) values of 1,966 and 2,484 μg · h/liter for neonates and infants of ≤37 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA) and >37 weeks of PMA treated with 1 mg/kg of body weight and 2 mg/kg, respectively. The corresponding steady-state AUC
0-12
values were 3,670 and 4,559 μg · h/liter. Premature neonates treated with 1 mg/kg and term babies treated with 2 mg/kg should have average oseltamivir carboxylate concentrations in a range similar to that for adults treated with 75 mg, corresponding to >200-fold above the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC
50
) value for influenza A(H1N1) from the start of therapy.
Potent Synergistic Effect of Doxycycline with Fluconazole against Candida albicans Is Mediated by Interference with Iron Homeostasis
Authors: Fiori Alessandro , Van Dijck Patrick 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Doxycycline was found to act synergistically with the antifungal fluconazole against
Candida albicans
. Combination with doxycycline converts fluconazole from fungistatic to fungicidal, prevents the onset of drug resistance, and is also effective against a clinical isolate characterized by elevated resistance to fluconazole. Investigation of the interactions between the two drugs by way of checkerboard assays indicated that doxycycline had an influence on the MIC for fluconazole, as defined by CLSI standards, only at high concentrations (200 μg/ml). However, lower concentrations were effective at eliminating residual cell growth at supra-MICs of fluconazole. Using MIC-0, defined as a drug combination resulting in optically clear wells, as an endpoint, doxycycline was found to be synergistic with fluconazole at a concentration as low as 25 μg/ml, with a fractional inhibitory concentration index of <0.5. Doxycycline-mediated growth inhibition can be reversed by externally added iron, indicating that iron depletion may account for the synergism. Consistently, we confirmed old literature data about iron-chelating activity of doxycycline. Synergism of fluconazole with doxycycline does not appear to be mediated by calcineurin, since doxycycline further aggravates the susceptibility to fluconazole of mutants lacking the catalytic or the regulatory subunits of calcineurin. Growth in the presence of fluconazole and doxycycline is restored by an elevated dosage of
ERG11
in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
but not in
C. albicans
, despite the full competence of the pathogen's protein to act as a suppressor in baker's yeast.
Involvement of Trichoderma Trichothecenes in the Biocontrol Activity and Induction of Plant Defense-Related Genes
Authors: Malmierca M. G. , Cardoza R. E. , Alexander N. J. , McCormick S. P. , Hermosa R. , Monte E. , Gutiérrez S. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Trichoderma
species produce trichothecenes, most notably trichodermin and harzianum A (HA), by a biosynthetic pathway in which several of the involved proteins have significant differences in functionality compared to their
Fusarium
orthologues. In addition, the genes encoding these proteins show a genomic organization differing from that of the
Fusarium tri
clusters. Here we describe the isolation of
Trichoderma arundinaceum
IBT 40837 transformants which have a disrupted or silenced
tri4
gene, a gene encoding a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase that oxygenates trichodiene to give rise to isotrichodiol, and the effect of
tri4
gene disruption and silencing on the expression of other
tri
genes. Our results indicate that the
tri4
gene disruption resulted in a reduced antifungal activity against
Botrytis cinerea
and
Rhizoctonia solani
and also in a reduced ability to induce the expression of tomato plant defense-related genes belonging to the salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonate (JA) pathways against
B. cinerea
, in comparison to the wild-type strain, indicating that HA plays an important function in the sensitization of
Trichoderma
-pretreated plants against this fungal pathogen. Additionally, the effect of the interaction of
T. arundinaceum
with
B. cinerea
or
R. solani
and with tomato seedlings on the expressions of the
tri
genes was studied.
Human Milk Oligosaccharides Promote the Growth of Staphylococci
Authors: Hunt K. M. , Preuss J. , Nissan C. , Davlin C. A. , Williams J. E. , Shafii B. , Richardson A. D. , McGuire M. K. , Bode L. , McGuire M. A. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), which constitute a major component of human milk, promote the growth of particular bacterial species in the infant's gastrointestinal tract. We hypothesized that HMO also interact with the bacterial communities present in human milk. To test this hypothesis, two experiments were conducted. First, milk samples were collected from healthy women (
n
= 16); culture-independent analysis of the bacterial communities was performed, HMO content was analyzed, and the relation between these factors was investigated. A positive correlation was observed between the relative abundance of
Staphylococcus
and total HMO content (
r
= 0.66). In a follow-up study, we conducted a series of
in vitro
growth curve experiments utilizing
Staphylococcus aureus
or
Staphylococcus epidermidis
and HMO isolated from human milk. HMO exhibited stimulatory effects on bacterial growth under various nutritional conditions. Analysis of culture supernatants from these experiments revealed that HMO did not measurably disappear from the culture medium, indicating that the growth-enhancing effects were not a result of bacterial metabolism of the HMO. Instead, stimulation of growth caused greater utilization of amino acids in minimal medium. Collectively, the data provide evidence that HMO may promote the growth of
Staphylococcus
species in the lactating mammary gland.
Analysis of Predicted Carbohydrate Transport Systems Encoded by Bifidobacterium bifidum PRL2010
Authors: Turroni Francesca , Strati Francesco , Foroni Elena , Serafini Fausta , Duranti Sabrina , van Sinderen Douwe , Ventura Marco 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

The
Bifidobacterium bifidum
PRL2010 genome encodes a relatively small set of predicted carbohydrate transporters. Growth experiments and transcriptome analyses of
B. bifidum
PRL2010 revealed that carbohydrate utilization in this microorganism appears to be restricted to a relatively low number of carbohydrates.
Banana-Associated Microbial Communities in Uganda Are Highly Diverse but Dominated by Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Rossmann Bettina , Müller Henry , Smalla Kornelia , Mpiira Samuel , Tumuhairwe John Baptist , Staver Charles , Berg Gabriele 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Bananas are among the most widely consumed foods in the world. In Uganda, the country with the second largest banana production in the world, bananas are the most important staple food. The objective of this study was to analyze banana-associated microorganisms and to select efficient antagonists against fungal pathogens which are responsible for substantial yield losses. We studied the structure and function of microbial communities (endosphere, rhizosphere, and soil) obtained from three different traditional farms in Uganda by cultivation-independent (PCR-SSCP fingerprints of 16S rRNA/ITS genes, pyrosequencing of enterobacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments, quantitative PCR, fluorescence
in situ
hybridization coupled with confocal laser scanning microscopy, and PCR-based detection of broad-host-range plasmids and sulfonamide resistance genes) and cultivation-dependent methods. The results showed microhabitat-specific microbial communities that were significant across sites and treatments. Furthermore, all microhabitats contained a high number and broad spectrum of indigenous antagonists toward identified fungal pathogens. While bacterial antagonists were found to be enriched in banana plants, fungal antagonists were less abundant and mainly found in soil. The banana stem endosphere was the habitat with the highest bacterial counts (up to 10
9
gene copy numbers g
−1
). Here, enterics were found to be enhanced in abundance and diversity; they provided one-third of the bacteria and were identified by pyrosequencing with 14 genera, including not only potential human (
Escherichia
,
Klebsiella
,
Salmonella
, and
Yersinia
spp.) and plant (
Pectobacterium
spp.) pathogens but also disease-suppressive bacteria (
Serratia
spp.). The dominant role of enterics can be explained by the permanent nature and vegetative propagation of banana and the amendments of human, as well as animal, manure in these traditional cultivations.
Effect of Phenotypic Residual Feed Intake and Dietary Forage Content on the Rumen Microbial Community of Beef Cattle
Authors: Carberry Ciara A. , Kenny David A. , Han Sukkyan , McCabe Matthew S. , Waters Sinead M. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTFeed-efficient animals have lower production costs and reduced environmental impact. Given that rumen microbial fermentation plays a pivotal role in host nutrition, the premise that rumen microbiota may contribute to host feed efficiency is gaining momentum. Since diet is a major factor in determining rumen community structure and fermentation patterns, we investigated the effect of divergence in phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI) on ruminal community structure of beef cattle across two contrasting diets. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were performed to profile the rumen bacterial population and to quantify the ruminal populations ofEntodiniumspp., protozoa,Fibrobacter succinogenes,Ruminococcus flavefaciens,Ruminococcus albus,Prevotella brevis, the genusPrevotella, and fungi in 14 low (efficient)- and 14 high (inefficient)-RFI animals offered a low-energy, high-forage diet, followed by a high-energy, low-forage diet. Canonical correspondence and Spearman correlation analyses were used to investigate associations between physiological variables and rumen microbial structure and specific microbial populations, respectively. The effect of RFI on bacterial profiles was influenced by diet, with the association between RFI group and PCR-DGGE profiles stronger for the higher forage diet. qPCR showed thatPrevotellaabundance was higher (P< 0.0001) in inefficient animals. A higher (P< 0.0001) abundance ofEntodiniumandPrevotellaspp. and a lower (P< 0.0001) abundance ofFibrobacter succinogeneswere observed when animals were offered the low-forage diet. Thus, differences in the ruminal microflora may contribute to host feed efficiency, although this effect may also be modulated by the diet offered.
A Cytochrome
b
5
-Containing Plastid-Located Fatty Acid Desaturase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Zäuner Simone , Jochum Wibke , Bigorowski Tara , Benning Christoph 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) in
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
and other green algae contains hexadeca-4,7,10,13-tetraenoic acid (16:4) in the glycerol
sn-
2 position. While many genes necessary for the introduction of acyl chain double bonds have been functionally characterized, the Δ4-desaturase remained unknown. Using a phylogenetic comparison, a candidate gene encoding the MGDG-specific Δ4-desaturase from
Chlamydomonas
(CrΔ4FAD) was identified. CrΔ4FAD shows all characteristic features of a membrane-bound desaturase, including three histidine boxes and a transit peptide for chloroplast targeting. But it also has an N-terminal cytochrome
b
5
domain, distinguishing it from other known plastid desaturases. Cytochrome
b
5
is the primary electron donor for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) desaturases and is often fused to the desaturase domain in desaturases modifying the carboxyl end of the acyl group. Difference absorbance spectra of the recombinant cytochrome
b
5
domain of CrΔ4FAD showed that it is functional
in vitro
. Green fluorescent protein fusions of CrΔ4FAD localized to the plastid envelope in
Chlamydomonas
. Interestingly, overproduction of CrΔ4FAD in
Chlamydomonas
not only increased levels of 16:4 acyl groups in cell extracts but specifically increased the total amount of MGDG. Vice versa, the amount of MGDG was lowered in lines with reduced levels of CrΔ4FAD. These data suggest a link between MGDG molecular species composition and galactolipid abundance in the alga, as well as a specific function for this fatty acid in MGDG.
The Tlo Proteins Are Stoichiometric Components of Candida albicans Mediator Anchored via the Med3 Subunit
Authors: Zhang Anda , Petrov Kostadin O. , Hyun Emily R. , Liu Zhongle , Gerber Scott A. , Myers Lawrence C. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

The amplification of the
TLO
(for
t
e
lo
mere-associated) genes in
Candida albicans
, compared to its less pathogenic, close relative
Candida dubliniensis
, suggests a role in virulence. Little, however, is known about the function of the Tlo proteins. We have purified the Mediator coactivator complex from
C. albicans
(caMediator) and found that Tlo proteins are a stoichiometric component of caMediator. Many members of the Tlo family are expressed, and each is a unique member of caMediator. Protein expression analysis of individual Tlo proteins, as well as the purification of tagged Tlo proteins, demonstrate that there is a large free population of Tlo proteins in addition to the Mediator-associated population. Coexpression and copurification of Tloα12 and caMed3 in
Escherichia coli
established a direct physical interaction between the two proteins. We have also made a
C. albicans
med3Δ/Δ
strain and purified an intact Mediator from this strain. The analysis of the composition of the
med3Δ
Mediator shows that it lacks a Tlo subunit. Regarding Mediator function, the
med3Δ/Δ
strain serves as a substitute for the difficult-to-make
tloΔ/Δ C. albicans
strain. A potential role of the
TLO
and
MED3
genes in virulence is supported by the inability of the
med3Δ/Δ
strain to form normal germ tubes. This study of caMediator structure provides initial clues to the mechanism of action of the Tlo genes and a platform for further mechanistic studies of caMediator's involvement in gene regulatory patterns that underlie pathogenesis.
Role of Actin-Bundling Protein Sac6 in Growth of Cryptococcus neoformans at Low Oxygen Concentration
Authors: Chang Yun C. , Lamichhane Ami Khanal , Kwon-Chung Kyung J. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

Cryptococcus neoformans
, the etiologic agent of cryptococcosis, is an obligately aerobic yeast that inhabits an environmental niche exposed to ambient air. The cell doubling time was significantly prolonged under 1% O
2
relative to that under normoxic conditions. No apparent cell cycle arrest occurred following a shift from ambient air to 1% O
2
. However, yeast cells became hypersensitive to the actin monomer-sequestering agent latrunculin A at 1% O
2
, indicating that proper actin function is critical for growth at low oxygen concentrations. We showed that Sac6, an actin-binding protein, played an important role in cell growth under low oxygen conditions. Sac6 colocalized with cortical actin patches and with the ring structures between mother cells and buds. Under low oxygen conditions, the
sac6
deletion mutant grew poorly, and accumulation of the actin capping protein Cap1 was observed in the vacuole of the
sac6Δ
strain. Furthermore, endocytic processes were hampered in the
sac6Δ
mutant, but cell polarity and cytokinesis were not visibly disturbed. The deficiency of endocytosis in the
sac6Δ
strain could be rescued by 1 M sorbitol under 1% O
2
, but growth remained retarded. These results suggest an absence of a direct link in
C. neoformans
between endocytosis and coping with the stress of low oxygen conditions. This interpretation is further supported by the observation that deletion of three conserved genes,
ABP1
,
CRN1
, and
SLA2
, which play important roles in endocytosis, had no effect on growth under 1% O
2
. Interestingly, deletion of
SAC6
in
C. neoformans
had no effect on virulence in mice.