bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Feeding ecology of the estuarine dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Authors: Pansard Kelly Cristina Araújo , Gurgel Hélio de Castro Bezerra , Andrade Lorena Candice de Araújo , Yamamoto Maria Emília 
Published: December 2010

AbstractWe analyzed the stomach contents of 40 estuarine dolphins, Sotalia guianensis (van Benédén 1864), beached on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, between February 2000 and February 2007. A total of 223 prey items were identified, including 18 species of teleosts and 5 species of cephalopods. The index of relative importance (IRI) showed that Larimus breviceps, Haemulon plumieri, Lutjanus synagris, Trichiurus lepturus, Mugil curema, and Diapterus rhombeus were the six most important species. The IRI showed that L. breviceps was the main prey for both adults and the young. H. plumieri was the most important for the males and T. lepturus for the females. Seven species of teleosts and two of cephalopods were recorded in the diet of estuarine dolphins for the first time in the country. Our results suggest that the estuarine dolphin can be a feeding specialist and that foraging activity occurs mainly in estuarine areas, where the animals can use passive listening to detect prey.
Seasonal detection of three types of “pygmy” blue whale calls in the Indian Ocean
Authors: Stafford Kathleen M. , Chapp Emily , Bohnenstiel DelWayne R. , Tolstoy Maya 
Published: December 2010

AbstractThe Indian Ocean is an area in which a rich suite of cetacean fauna, including at least two subspecies of blue whale, is found; yet little information beyond stranding data and short‐term surveys for this species is available. Pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus spp.) call data are presented that provide novel information on the seasonal and geographic distribution of these animals. Acoustic data were recorded from January 2002 to December 2003 by hydrophones at three stations of the International Monitoring System, including two near the subequatorial Diego Garcia Atoll and a third southwest of Cape Leeuwin, Australia. Automated spectrogram correlation methods were used to scan for call types attributed to pygmy blue whales. Sri Lanka calls were the most common and were detected year‐round off Diego Garcia. Madagascar calls were only recorded on the northern Diego Garcia hydrophone during May and July, whereas Australia calls were only recorded at Cape Leeuwin, between December and June. Differences in geographic and seasonal patterns of these three distinct call types suggest that they may represent separate acoustic populations of pygmy blue whales and that these “acoustic populations” should be considered when assessing conservation needs of blue whales in the Indian Ocean.
A combined visual and acoustic estimate of 2008 abundance, and change in abundance since 1997, for the vaquita,Phocoena sinus
Authors: Gerrodette Tim , Taylor Barbara L. , Swift René , Rankin Shannon , Jaramillo‐Legorreta Armando M. , Rojas‐Bracho Lorenzo 
Published: December 2010

AbstractA line‐transect survey for the critically endangered vaquita,Phocoena sinus, was carried out in October–November 2008, in the northern Gulf of California, Mexico. Areas with deeper water were sampled visually from a large research vessel, while shallow water areas were covered by a sailboat towing an acoustic array. Total vaquita abundance in 2008 was estimated to be 245 animals (CV = 73%, 95% CI 68–884). The 2008 estimate was 57% lower than the 1997 estimate, an average rate of decline of 7.6%/yr. Bayesian analyses found an 89% probability of decline in total population size during the 11 yr period, and a 100% probability of decline in the central part of the range. Acoustic detections were assumed to represent porpoises with an average group size of 1.9, the same as visual sightings. Based on simultaneous visual and acoustic data in a calibration area, the probability of detecting vaquitas acoustically on the trackline was estimated to be 0.41 (CV = 108%). The Refuge Area for the Protection of the Vaquita, where gill net fishing is currently banned, contained approximately 50% of the population. While animals move in and out of the Refuge Area, on average half of the population remains exposed to bycatch in artisanal gill nets.
Resightings of humpback whales in Hawaiian waters over spans of 10–32 years: Site fidelity, sex ratios, calving rates, female demographics, and the dynamics of social and behavioral roles of individuals
Authors: Herman Louis M. , Pack Adam A. , Rose Kathryn , Craig Alison , Herman Elia Y. K. , Hakala Siri , Milette Aliza 
Published: December 2010

AbstractFrom a database of approximately 5,000 Hawaiian humpback whales identified photographically between 1976 and 2010, we extracted 71 males and 39 females having resighting spans of 10 or more years, from first to most recent sighting. Findings included: (1) the male‐biased sex ratio was like that found in breeding grounds worldwide; (2) the mean span for males of 20.7 yr (maximum = 32 yr) did not differ significantly from the mean of 19.8 yr (maximum = 29 yr) for females, but males were seen in significantly more years during their spans than were females; (3) the mean number of females seen with and without calf across 11 three‐year intervals from 1977 to 2009 did not differ significantly; (4) the calving rate for the 39 females was 0.48 and seven females produced two to eight calves over spans of 22–26 yr; (5) females attracted significantly more escorts in years without calf than in years with calf; (6) individuals showed great diversity in the social units they occupied over their sighting spans, but with the most frequently observed unit for both sexes being the trio of mother, calf, and escort. Males were also observed frequently in competitive groups centered about a female without calf.
Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in California waters: Cranial differentiation of coastal and offshore ecotypes
Authors: Perrin William F. , Thieleking Janet L. , Walker William A. , Archer Frederick I. , Robertson Kelly M. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractCoastal and offshore bottlenose dolphins in California waters are currently assessed and managed as separate stocks. Recent molecular studies (of mtDNA haplotypes and microsatellites) have shown the two populations to be genetically differentiated. This study investigated cranial osteological differentiation of the forms. The sample analyzed included 139 skulls from live captures, direct takes, fishery bycatch, and strandings; the skulls were assigned to form based on collection locality or mtDNA haplotype. The coastal form differs from the offshore form mainly in features associated with feeding: larger and fewer teeth, more robust rostrum, larger mandibular condyle, and larger temporal fossa. This suggests that it may feed on larger and tougher prey than the offshore form. Differences between the forms in other features of the skull may reflect differences in diving behavior and sound production. Approximately 86% of the stranded specimens were estimated to be of coastal origin; based on relative estimated sizes of the two populations and assuming similar mortality rates, this suggests that a coastal carcass is about 50 times more likely to beach than an offshore one. The morphological differences between the two ecotypes indicate evolutionary adaptation to different environments and emphasize the importance of conserving the relatively small coastal population and its habitat.
Biologic characteristics of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells from a patient with thalassemia syndrome
Authors: YOON J. S. , KIM E. S. , HWANG D. W. , CHOI J. Y. , KIM B. K. , PARK B. B. , CHOI J. H. , LEE Y. Y. 
Published: December 2010

SummaryIntroduction:  Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of self‐renewal and differentiating morphologically and functionally into several mesenchymal tissues. There have been contrasting data on whether MSCs are altered in various hematologic disorders.Methods:  We isolated bone marrow (BM)–derived MSCs from a patient with thalassemia syndrome to compare phenotypic and functional characteristics to those from normal healthy donor.Results:  No differences were observed between MSCs from thalassemia syndrome (T‐MSCs) and those from normal healthy donor in terms of morphology, phenotype, karyotype, multidifferentiation capacity. In mixed lymphocyte reaction, T‐MSCs strongly inhibited the proliferation of allogeneic T cells in association with reduced proportion of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells. Furthermore, the fraction of Treg cells was increased under the culture with T‐MSCs, suggesting that T‐MSCs exert normal immunomodulatory function. In addition, T‐MSCs expressed hematopoietic cytokines and supported hematopoiesis, which was comparable to those from normal BM‐derived MSCs.Conclusion:  T‐MSCs exhibited normal phenotype, karyotype as well as normal immunomodulatory function, and autologous MSCs from patients with thalassemia syndrome may be an attractive source of stem cell in terms of hematopoietic support as well as immunomodulatory activity.
Memoryless Reigns of the “Sons of Heaven”
Authors: Khmaladze Estate V. , Brownrigg Ray , Haywood John 
Published: December 2010

Summary Human lifetimes have increasing failure rates; as people age (beyond early childhood) they are more likely to die. Viewing the succession of Chinese Emperors as a statistical ensemble we show that, unlike lifetimes, their reigns ceased at a constant rate for over two millennia, unaffected by elapsed time. In fact reign lengths of the “Sons of Heaven”, as the Chinese Emperors were known, followed a memoryless exponential distribution with a 10‐year half‐life. Becoming emperor not only influenced the duration of remaining life, but length of rule was independent of age at ascent. We propose an explanation for the observed exponentiality using asymptotic results from the theory of stationary stochastic processes.
Simultaneous Parameter Estimation in Exploratory Factor Analysis: An Expository Review
Authors: Unkel Steffen , Trendafilov Nickolay T. 
Published: December 2010

SummaryThe classical exploratory factor analysis (EFA) finds estimates for the factor loadings matrix and the matrix of unique factor variances which give the best fit to the sample correlation matrix with respect to some goodness‐of‐fit criterion. Common factor scores can be obtained as a function of these estimates and the data. Alternatively to the classical EFA, the EFA model can be fitted directly to the data which yields factor loadings and common factor scores simultaneously. Recently, new algorithms were introduced for the simultaneous least squares estimation of all EFA model unknowns. The new methods are based on the numerical procedure for singular value decomposition of matrices and work equally well when the number of variables exceeds the number of observations. This paper provides an account that is intended as an expository review of methods for simultaneous parameter estimation in EFA. The methods are illustrated on Harman's five socio‐economic variables data and a high‐dimensional data set from genome research.
Cost‐effective fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analyses using a three primer system
Authors: STÖLTING KAI N. , CLARKE ANDREW C. , MEUDT HEIDI M. , BLANKENHORN WOLF U. , WILSON ANTHONY B. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractThe amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique is a widely used multi‐purpose DNA fingerprinting tool. The ability to size‐separate fluorescently labelled AFLP fragments on a capillary electrophoresis instrument has provided a means for high‐throughput genome screening, an approach particularly useful in studying the molecular ecology of nonmodel organisms. While the ‘per‐marker‐generated’ costs for AFLP are low, fluorescently labelled oligonucleotides remain costly. We present a cost‐effective method for fluorescently end‐labelling AFLPs that should make this tool more readily accessible for laboratories with limited budgets. Both standard fluorescent AFLPs and the end‐labelled alternatives presented here are repeatable and produce similar numbers of fragments when scored using both manual and automated scoring methods. While it is not recommended to combine data using the two approaches, the results of the methods are qualitatively comparable, indicating that AFLP end‐labelling is a robust alternative to standard methods of AFLP genotyping. For researchers commencing a new AFLP project, the AFLP end‐labelling method outlined here is easily implemented, as it does not require major changes to PCR protocols and can significantly reduce the costs of AFLP studies.
Treatment with Linezolid or Vancomycin in Combination with Rifampin Is Effective in an Animal Model of Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Foreign Body Osteomyelitis
Authors: Vergidis Paschalis , Rouse Mark S. , Euba Gorane , Karau Melissa J. , Schmidt Suzannah M. , Mandrekar Jayawant N. , Steckelberg James M. , Patel Robin 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

Rifampin monotherapy was compared to the combination of linezolid or vancomycin with rifampin in an experimental rat model of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) chronic foreign body osteomyelitis. MRSA was inoculated into the proximal tibia, and a titanium wire was implanted. Four weeks after infection, rats were treated intraperitoneally for 21 days with rifampin alone (
n
= 16), linezolid plus rifampin (
n
= 14), or vancomycin plus rifampin (
n
= 13). Thirteen animals received no treatment. At completion of treatment, qualitative cultures of the wire and quantitative cultures of the bone (reported as median values) were performed. Quantitative cultures from the control, rifampin monotherapy, linezolid-plus-rifampin, and vancomycin-plus-rifampin groups revealed 4.54, 0.71, 0.10, and 0.50 log
10
CFU/gram of bone, respectively. The bacterial load was significantly reduced in all treatment groups compared to that in the control group. Rifampin resistance was detected in isolates from 10, 2, and 1 animal in the rifampin, linezolid-plus-rifampin, and vancomycin-plus-rifampin groups, respectively. Cultures of the removed wire revealed bacterial growth in 1 and 2 animals in the rifampin and linezolid-plus-rifampin groups, respectively, with no growth in the vancomycin-plus-rifampin group and growth from all wires in the untreated group. In conclusion, we demonstrated that combination treatment with linezolid plus rifampin or vancomycin plus rifampin is effective in an animal model of MRSA foreign body osteomyelitis in the context of retention of the infected foreign body.
The Presence of Leukocytes in
Ex Vivo
Assays Significantly Increases the 50-Percent Inhibitory Concentrations of Artesunate and Chloroquine against
Plasmodium vivax
and
Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Kaewpongsri S. , Sriprawat K. , Suwanarusk R. , Kyle D. E. , Lek-Uthai U. , Leimanis M. , Lwin K. M. , Phyo A. P. , Zwang J. , Russell B. , Nosten F. , Renia L. 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

Plasmodium
species
ex vivo
sensitivity assay protocols differ in the requirement for leukocyte removal before culturing. This study shows that the presence of leukocytes significantly increases the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC
50
) of
P. vivax
and
P. falciparum
to artesunate and chloroquine relative to results with the paired leukocyte-free treatment. Although leukocyte removal is not an essential requirement for the conduct of
ex vivo
assays, its use has important implications for the interpretation of temporal and spatial antimalarial sensitivity data.
Novel Bacterial NAD
+
-Dependent DNA Ligase Inhibitors with Broad-Spectrum Activity and Antibacterial Efficacy
In Vivo
Authors: Mills Scott D. , Eakin Ann E. , Buurman Ed T. , Newman Joseph V. , Gao Ning , Huynh Hoan , Johnson Kenneth D. , Lahiri Sushmita , Shapiro Adam B. , Walkup Grant K. , Yang Wei , Stokes Suzanne S. 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

DNA ligases are indispensable enzymes playing a critical role in DNA replication, recombination, and repair in all living organisms. Bacterial NAD
+
-dependent DNA ligase (LigA) was evaluated for its potential as a broad-spectrum antibacterial target. A novel class of substituted adenosine analogs was discovered by target-based high-throughput screening (HTS), and these compounds were optimized to render them more effective and selective inhibitors of LigA. The adenosine analogs inhibited the LigA activities of
Escherichia coli
,
Haemophilus influenzae
,
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
, with inhibitory activities in the nanomolar range. They were selective for bacterial NAD
+
-dependent DNA ligases, showing no inhibitory activity against ATP-dependent human DNA ligase 1 or bacteriophage T4 ligase. Enzyme kinetic measurements demonstrated that the compounds bind competitively with NAD
+
. X-ray crystallography demonstrated that the adenosine analogs bind in the AMP-binding pocket of the LigA adenylation domain. Antibacterial activity was observed against pathogenic Gram-positive and atypical bacteria, such as
S. aureus
,
S. pneumoniae
,
Streptococcus pyogenes
, and
M. pneumoniae
, as well as against Gram-negative pathogens, such as
H. influenzae
and
Moraxella catarrhalis
. The mode of action was verified using recombinant strains with altered LigA expression, an Okazaki fragment accumulation assay, and the isolation of resistant strains with
ligA
mutations.
In vivo
efficacy was demonstrated in a murine
S. aureus
thigh infection model and a murine
S. pneumoniae
lung infection model. Treatment with the adenosine analogs reduced the bacterial burden (expressed in CFU) in the corresponding infected organ tissue as much as 1,000-fold, thus validating LigA as a target for antibacterial therapy.
Posaconazole Serum Concentrations among Cardiothoracic Transplant Recipients: Factors Impacting Trough Levels and Correlation with Clinical Response to Therapy
Authors: Shields Ryan K. , Clancy Cornelius J. , Vadnerkar Aniket , Kwak Eun J. , Silveira Fernanda P. , Massih Rima C. Abdel , Pilewski Joseph M. , Crespo Maria , Toyoda Yoshiya , Bhama Jay K. , Bermudez Christian , Nguyen M. Hong 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

Fifty-six serum posaconazole trough levels were measured in 17 cardiothoracic transplant recipients. Initial levels were ≤0.5, 0.51 to 0.99, and ≥1 μg/ml for 47, 29, and 24% of patients, respectively. Median trough levels associated with therapeutic success were higher than those associated with failure (1.55 versus 0.34 μg/ml;
P
= 0.006). Patients with levels consistently >0.5 μg/ml were more likely to have successful outcome (
P
= 0.055). Age ≥65 years, oral administration, and absence of proton pump inhibitors were associated with higher levels of posaconazole (
P
= 0.006, 0.006, and 0.001, respectively).
Quantifying Diffusion in a Biofilm of
Streptococcus mutans
Authors: Zhang Zeshi , Nadezhina Elena , Wilkinson Kevin J. 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

In biofilms, diffusion may limit the chemical activity of nutrients, toxic compounds, and medicines. This study provides direct, noninvasive insight into the factors that will most effectively limit the transport of antibiotics and biocides in biofilms. Self-diffusion coefficients have been determined for a number of fluorescent probes in biofilms of
Streptococcus mutans
using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The effects of probe size and charge and the roles of biofilm pH, ionic strength, and heterogeneity were studied systematically. The relative diffusion coefficients (
D
in the biofilm divided by that in water) decreased with increasing probe size (3,000-molecular-weight [3K], 10K, 40K, 70K, and 2,000K dextrans). Studies using variably charged substrates (tetramethylrhodamine, Oregon Green, rhodamine B, and rhodamine 6G) showed that the self-diffusion coefficients decreased with an increasing negative charge of the fluorescent probes. No significant effect was observed for changes to the ionic strength (10
−4
to 10
−1
M) or pH (4 to 9) of the biofilm. Biofilm heterogeneity was responsible for variations of ca. one order of magnitude in the diffusion coefficients.
In Vitro
Activities of Arylomycin Natural-Product Antibiotics against
Staphylococcus epidermidis
and Other Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci
Authors: Smith Peter A. , Powers Michael E. , Roberts Tucker C. , Romesberg Floyd E. 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

The arylomycins are a class of natural-product antibiotics that act via the inhibition of type I signal peptidase (SPase), and we have found in diverse bacteria that their activity is limited by the presence of a resistance-conferring Pro residue in SPase that reduces inhibitor binding. We have also demonstrated that
Staphylococcus epidermidis
, which lacks this Pro residue, is extremely susceptible to the arylomycins. Here, to further explore the potential utility of the arylomycins, we report an analysis of the activity of a synthetic arylomycin derivative, arylomycin C
16
, against clinical isolates of
S. epidermidis
and other coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) from distinct geographical locations. Against many important species of CoNS, including
S. epidermidis
,
S. haemolyticus
,
S. lugdunensis
, and
S. hominis
, we find that arylomycin C
16
exhibits activity equal to or greater than that of vancomycin, the antibiotic most commonly used to treat CoNS infections. While the susceptibility was generally correlated with the absence of the previously identified Pro residue, several cases were identified where additional factors also appear to contribute.
Interaction Potential of Etravirine with Drug Transporters Assessed
In Vitro
Authors: Zembruski Nadine Cécile Luise , Haefeli Walter Emil , Weiss Johanna 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT
Etravirine is a novel nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) for the treatment of HIV-1 infections. ABC transporters potentially mediate clinically relevant drug-drug interactions. We assessed substrate characteristics and the inhibitory and inductive potential of etravirine on ABC transporters. Etravirine did not inhibit P-gp/ABCB1 and was not transported by the tested ABC transporters but was a potent inhibitor of BCRP/ABCG2. Etravirine induced several ABC transporters, especially BCRP/ABCG2. These data demonstrate that etravirine has the potential for drug-drug interactions by modulation of expression and function of several ABC transporters.