bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lookback study of HTLV‐1 and 2 seropositive donors and their recipients in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Authors: Namen‐Lopes M. S. S. , Martins M. L. , Drummond P. C. , Lobato R. R. ,   Interdisciplinary HTLV Research Group (GIPH) and, Carneiro‐Proietti A. B. F. 
Published: August 2009

summary.The objective of this study was to perform lookback study in recipients of blood components from human T‐lymphotropic virus (HTLV) seropositive donors. HTLV‐1/2 may be transmitted by blood transfusion. Brazil is an endemic area for the virus and its screening in blood donors is mandatory since 1993. Hemominas Foundation (HF) is the public transfusion centre in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data on HTLV‐1/2 seropositive donors and recipients from 1993 to 2004 were obtained at HF and 24 contracting hospitals. From 1993 to 2004, HTLV‐1/2 enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was performed in 918 678 donations of approximately 422 600 blood donor candidates. Of these, 456 donors (0·1%) were reactive and confirmed by Western blot (WB): 449 HTLV‐1 and 7 HTLV‐2. Sixty‐six (14·5%) were repeat donors and had 194 blood cellular components produced from their previous donations. Of the distributed components, 119/146 (81·5%) had the recipient traced, with a total of 114 individuals. Of these, only 13 recipients were tested: six (46%) were HTLV‐1 positive (four recipients of red cell units, two of platelets) and seven (54%) were negative (six of red cell units and one of platelets). Eleven did not respond and 62/114 (54·0%) were deceased. Another 28/114 (25·0%) could not be located. All six seropositive HTLV‐1 recipients identified had no symptoms suggestive of HTLV‐1‐associated diseases. Acellular components, when used alone, were not associated with HTLV seropositivity. HTLV‐1 transmission by cellular blood components occurred before screening for the virus was introduced. Haemovigilance was difficult to perform due to unavailability of computer systems before 1999 and to inadequate medical records at hospitals.
The six‐minute walk test: a useful metric for the cardiopulmonary patient
Authors: Rasekaba T. , Lee A. L. , Naughton M. T. , Williams T. J. , Holland A. E. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractMeasurement of exercise capacity is an integral element in assessment of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. The 6‐min walk test (6MWT) provides information regarding functional capacity, response to therapy and prognosis across a range of chronic cardiopulmonary conditions. A distance less than 350 m is associated with increased mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Desaturation during a 6MWT is an important prognostic indicator for patients with interstitial lung disease. The 6MWT is sensitive to commonly used therapies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease such as pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen, long‐term use of inhaled corticosteroids and lung volume reduction surgery. However, it appears less reliable to detect changes in clinical status associated with medical therapies for heart failure. A change in walking distance of more than 50 m is clinically significant in most disease states. When interpreting the results of a 6MWT, consideration should be given to choice of predictive values and the methods by which the test was carried out.
Glutamate metabolic pathways and retinal function
Authors: Bui Bang V. , Hu Rebecca G. , Acosta Monica L. , Donaldson Paul , Vingrys Algis J. , Kalloniatis Michael 
Published: August 2009

AbstractGlutamate is a major neurotransmitter in the CNS but is also a key metabolite intimately coupled to amino acid production/degradation. We consider the effect of inhibition of two key glutamate metabolic enzymes: glutamine synthetase (GS) and aspartate aminotransferase on retinal function assessed using the electroretinogram to consider photoreceptoral (a‐wave) and post‐receptoral (b‐wave) amplitudes. Quantitative immunocytochemistry was used to assess amino acid levels within photoreceptors, ganglion and Müller cells secondary to GS inhibition. Intravitreal injections of methionine sulfoximine reduced GS immunoreactivity in the rat retina. Additionally, glutamate and its precursor aspartate was reduced in photoreceptors and ganglion cells, but elevated in Müller cells. This reduction in neuronal glutamate was consistent with a deficit in neurotransmission (−75% b‐wave reduction). Exogenous glutamine supply completely restored the b‐wave, whereas other amino acid substrates (lactate, pyruvate, α‐ketoglutarate, and succinate) only partially restored the b‐wave (16–20%). Inhibition of the aminotranferases using aminooxyacetic acid had no effect on retinal function. However, aminooxyacetic acid application after methionine sulfoximine further reduced the b‐wave (from −75% to −92%). The above data suggest that de novo glutamate synthesis involving aspartate aminotransferase can partially sustain neurotransmission when glutamate recycling is impaired. We also show that altered glutamate homeostasis results in a greater change in amino acid distribution in ganglion cells compared with photoreceptors.
Amphetamine reduces vesicular dopamine content in dexamethasone‐differentiated PC12 cells only following l‐DOPA exposure
Authors: Hondebrink Laura , Meulenbelt Jan , Timmerman Johan G. , Van Den Berg Martin , Westerink Remco H. S. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractAmphetamine (AMPH) increases brain dopamine (DA) levels via reversal of the membrane DA transporter. Additional mechanisms have been suggested, including inhibition of vesicular monoamine transporters and vesicular leakage of DA and Ca2+. According to the widely‐accepted weak base theory, AMPH disrupts the proton gradient required for filling vesicles with DA. As a result, DA and Ca2+ will leak from vesicles, giving rise to exocytosis of less‐filled vesicles. As several contradictions have been described, the aim of the present study was to re‐examine this theory using amperometry and Fura‐2 imaging to measure AMPH‐induced changes in exocytosis and intracellular Ca2+ levels, respectively, in PC12 and chromaffin cells. Unexpectedly, 15 min exposure to AMPH (20–200 μM) does not affect the amount of DA released per vesicle, the frequency of exocytosis or intracellular Ca2+ levels in PC12 cells or chromaffin cells. Comparable results were found following prolonged exposure to AMPH (45 min) or at 37°C. When cells were pre‐treated with the DA precursor l‐DOPA, vesicle content increased to ∼150%. When these pre‐treated cells are exposed to AMPH, vesicle content is strongly reduced. These results indicate that in dexamethasone‐differentiated PC12 cells AMPH‐induced vesicle leakage occurs only under specific conditions, therefore arguing for re‐evaluation of the theory of AMPH‐induced vesicular DA leakage.
Temperature mediates vector transmission efficiency: inoculum supply and plant infection dynamics
Authors: Daugherty M.P. , Bosco D. , Almeida R.P.P. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractClimate, particularly environmental temperature, frequently plays an important role in disease epidemiology. This study investigated the role of environmental temperature on transmission of the generalist plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa by its leafhopper vectors. In this system temperature is known to influence both vector performance and feeding rate, yet the implications for pathogen transmission have not been documented. Experiments were conducted over a range of temperatures to document effects on transmission efficiency of the California native Graphocephala atropunctata (blue–green sharpshooter) and the invasive Homalodisca vitripennis (glassy‐winged sharpshooter). Inoculation efficiency of H. vitripennis was positively related to temperature. Graphocephala atropunctata mortality and transmission responded non‐linearly to temperature, with the highest rates of both at the highest temperature. The experiment also evaluated whether differences in inoculum supply contributed to plant infection level using quantitative PCR. Although total X. fastidiosa population within G. atropunctata was not related to plant infection, the number of infectious vectors was a strong predictor of plant infection level–suggesting that the number of inoculation events is important in the development of systemic infection of X. fastidiosa in grapevines. These results, along with existing evidence from the literature, point to wide‐ranging impacts of climate on the epidemiology of X. fastidiosa diseases.
Taste and Objectivity: The Emergence of the Concept of the Aesthetic
Authors: Schellekens Elisabeth 
Published: August 2009

AbstractCan there be a philosophy of taste? This paper opens by raising some metaphilosophical questions about the study of taste – what it consists of and what method we should adopt in pursuing it. It is suggested that the best starting point for philosophising about taste is against the background of 18th‐century epistemology and philosophy of mind, and the conceptual tools this new philosophical paradigm entails. The notion of aesthetic taste in particular, which emerges from a growing sense of dissatisfaction with an undifferentiated category of taste, comes to be set apart from gustatory taste on account of its normativity and aspirations to objectivity. The paradox of taste, as found in Hume and Kant, is examined, and shown to be highly relevant to contemporary metaphysical debate within aesthetics. Specifically, this paper argues that both Realists and Anti‐Realists rely more heavily than assumed on the idea of taste.
Disagreement as Evidence: The Epistemology of Controversy
Authors: Christensen David 
Published: August 2009

AbstractHow much should your confidence in your beliefs be shaken when you learn that others – perhaps ‘epistemic peers’ who seem as well‐qualified as you are – hold beliefs contrary to yours? This article describes motivations that push different philosophers towards opposite answers to this question. It identifies a key theoretical principle that divides current writers on the epistemology of disagreement. It then examines arguments bearing on that principle, and on the wider issue. It ends by describing some outstanding questions that thinking about this issue raises.
Emergence in Physics
Authors: Wayne Andrew , Arciszewski Michal 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThis paper begins by tracing interest in emergence in physics to the work of condensed matter physicist Philip Anderson. It provides a selective introduction to contemporary philosophical approaches to emergence. It surveys two exciting areas of current work that give good reason to re‐evaluate our views about emergence in physics. One area focuses on physical systems wherein fundamental theories appear to break down. The other area is the quantum‐to‐classical transition, where some have claimed that a complete explanation of the behaviors and features of the objects of classical physics entirely in quantum terms is now within our grasp. We suggest that the most useful way to approach the emergent/non‐emergent distinction is in epistemic terms, and more specifically that the failure of reductive explanation is constitutive of emergence in physics.
Culture and Development of Self‐Regulation
Authors: Trommsdorff Gisela 
Published: August 2009

AbstractIn the present paper, I aim to both contribute to a culture‐based theory of self‐regulation and clarify some mutually constitutive functions of psychological and sociocultural phenomena. I examine the relations between self and culture and the role of these relations in the development of self‐regulation. Self‐regulation is based on the intention to modify internal processes and behavior to reach one’s goals. Because the development of self‐regulation is embedded in a cultural context that gives priority to a specific model of agency, processes of self‐regulation are assumed to differ cross‐culturally. First, I give a brief overview on self‐regulation research. Further, I discuss the contribution of a culture‐informed perspective to the study of self‐regulation and its development, taking into account interpersonal self‐regulation. Finally, I present a ‘Cultural Model of Agency and Self‐Regulation,’ which suggests how to link culture and individual agency.
Interesting Things and Curious People: Exploration and Engagement as Transient States and Enduring Strengths
Authors: Silvia Paul J. , Kashdan Todd B. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractCuriosity, interest, and intrinsic motivation are critical to the development of competence, knowledge, and expertise. Without a mechanism of intrinsic motivation, people would rarely explore new things, learn for its own sake, or engage with uncertain tasks despite feelings of confusion and anxiety. This article explores two sides of interest: momentary feelings (the emotion of interest) and enduring traits (the character strength of curiosity). Recent theories in emotion psychology can explain why and when people experience feelings of interest; recent research has illuminated the role of curiosity in cultivating knowledge, meaning in life, close relationships, and physical and mental resilience. The problem for future research – and for social and personality psychology more generally – is how to bridge the dynamics of everyday experience with stable, lifespan aspects of personality.
Anxiety: Proximate Processes and Ultimate Functions
Authors: Maner Jon K. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractAnxiety is a universal feature of human existence. Anxiety is associated with a range of cognitive processes such as attention to threat, appraisals of uncertainty and lack of control, pessimistic judgments, and risk‐avoidant decision making. The current paper presents a framework for understanding these processes as a set of domain‐specific mechanisms designed to face specific challenges encountered by humans throughout evolutionary history (e.g., avoiding forms of physical harm and contagious disease, maintaining social acceptance and close romantic relationships, and navigating status hierarchies). Anxiety involves a functionally organized constellation of adaptive processes designed to help people face recurrent psychological, social, and physical threats. The integration of psychological and evolutionary perspectives provides a basis for understanding anxiety’s proximate processes, as well as its underlying adaptive functions.
Hierarchies in the Structure of Personality Traits
Authors: Markon Kristian E. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractAn emerging body of findings indicates that hierarchy is critical to integrating the Big Trait models – the Big Five, Big Four, Big Three, and Big Two – within a common structural framework. These findings, in addition to providing a unifying framework for understanding personality traits, confirm that hierarchy is an intrinsic and pervasive feature of trait structure. Here, fundamental concepts of trait hierarchies are reviewed, as is the empirical literature about hierarchies in personality trait structure. Important questions remain to be answered about the nature and form of hierarchies found in trait structure, as well as the methods used to understand them.
Hijab and the Abrahamic Traditions: A Comparative Analysis of the Muslim Veil
Authors: Ternikar Farha 
Published: August 2009

AbstractModesty is a common theme in the Abrahamic traditions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Although modesty norms are largely based in religious scripture, the form in which they play out is largely shaped by cultural norms and social factors. This essay explores how Muslim women in North America negotiate modesty norms by exploring cross‐cultural research on veiling, highlighting the differences and similarities these women share with their Christian and Jewish counterparts. Research suggests that Muslim women’s modesty norms are contingent on culture, socioeconomic status, geopolitical factors, race and religiosity.
The Actuarial Assessment and Experiential Reality of Risk in Childhood
Authors: Madge Nicola 
Published: August 2009

AbstractAll children face risks in their everyday lives, although some experience more than others. Age, gender, geography and relative disadvantage are among the factors making a difference. Assessing and managing these risks has generated enormous academic interest, political activity, public debate, and emotion, but a major tension has arisen. This is between the actuarial models of risk assessment widely advocated and imposed by agencies including the government, even if prompted by individual instance and public outrage, and experiential models of risk assessment commonly adopted by children and their families. This gives rise to the issue of whether children should be protected at all cost because of the risk from both visible and hidden dangers, or whether they should be exposed to challenge and adventure to allow them to learn to assess and manage risk for themselves. It is unclear whether or not the world is a safer place for children than in the past, and it is apparent that risks constantly change. The challenge is to ensure that young people remain safe while at the same time gaining opportunities to experience excitement and develop their independence.
Determination of the quality index for photon beams at arbitrary field sizes
Authors: Sauer Otto A. 
Published: August 2009

Purpose:A commonly used beam quality index for high‐energy photon beams is the tissue phantom ratio for a square field of and SDD of . On some specialized radiotherapy treatment equipment such a reference collimator setting is not achievable. Likewise a flat beam profile, not explicitly required in dosimetry protocols, but certainly influences the measurement of , is not always produced. In this work, a method was developed in order to determine at any field size, especially for small and nonflattened beams.Methods:An analytical relationship was derived between for arbitrary field sizes and [the ] as quality index. The proposed model equation was fitted to the measured and published data in order to achieve three general fit parameters. The procedure was then tested with published data from TomoTherapy and CyperKnife treatment devices.Results:For standard flattened photon fields, the uncertainty in measured at any field size using the parameters derived from this study is better than 1%. In flattening‐filter free beams, the proposed procedure results in a reliable for any field size setting.Conclusions:A method is introduced and successfully tested in order to measure the beam quality under nonstandard conditions. It can be used, e.g., to get energy dependent correction factors as tabulated in dosimetry codes of practice even if standard conditions are not adjustable.
Biphenyl-Metabolizing Bacteria in the Rhizosphere of Horseradish and Bulk Soil Contaminated by Polychlorinated Biphenyls as Revealed by Stable Isotope Probing
Authors: Uhlik Ondrej , Jecna Katerina , Mackova Martina , Vlcek Cestmir , Hroudova Miluse , Demnerova Katerina , Paces Vaclav , Macek Tomas 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

DNA-based stable isotope probing in combination with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism was used in order to identify members of the microbial community that metabolize biphenyl in the rhizosphere of horseradish (
Armoracia rusticana
) cultivated in soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) compared to members of the microbial community in initial, uncultivated bulk soil. On the basis of early and recurrent detection of their 16S rRNA genes in clone libraries constructed from [
13
C]DNA,
Hydrogenophaga
spp. appeared to dominate biphenyl catabolism in the horseradish rhizosphere soil, whereas
Paenibacillus
spp. were the predominant biphenyl-utilizing bacteria in the initial bulk soil. Other bacteria found to derive carbon from biphenyl in this nutrient-amended microcosm-based study belonged mostly to the class
Betaproteobacteria
and were identified as
Achromobacter
spp.,
Variovorax
spp.,
Methylovorus
spp., or
Methylophilus
spp. Some bacteria that were unclassified at the genus level were also detected, and these bacteria may be members of undescribed genera. The deduced amino acid sequences of the biphenyl dioxygenase α subunits (BphA) from bacteria that incorporated [
13
C]into DNA in 3-day incubations of the soils with [
13
C]biphenyl are almost identical to that of
Pseudomonas alcaligenes
B-357. This suggests that the spectrum of the PCB congeners that can be degraded by these enzymes may be similar to that of strain B-357. These results demonstrate that altering the soil environment can result in the participation of different bacteria in the metabolism of biphenyl.
Cloning of
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Enteritidis Fimbrial Protein SefA as a Surface Protein in
Escherichia coli
Confers the Ability To Attach to Eukaryotic Cell Lines
Authors: Rank Douglas L. , Saeed Mahdi A. , Muriana Peter M. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

The gene for the
Salmonella enterica
serovar Enteritidis fimbrial protein SefA was cloned into an
Escherichia coli
surface expression vector and confirmed by Western blot assay.
E. coli
clones expressing SefA attached to avian ovary granulosa cells and HEp-2 cells, providing evidence for the involvement of SefA in the ability of
Salmonella
to attach to eukaryotic cells.
Response of Gut Microbiota to Fasting and Hibernation in Syrian Hamsters
Authors: Sonoyama Kei , Fujiwara Reiko , Takemura Naoki , Ogasawara Toru , Watanabe Jun , Ito Hiroyuki , Morita Tatsuya 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Although hibernating mammals wake occasionally to eat during torpor, this period represents a state of fasting. Fasting is known to alter the gut microbiota in nonhibernating mammals; therefore, hibernation may also affect the gut microbiota. However, there are few reports of gut microbiota in hibernating mammals. The present study aimed to compare the gut microbiota in hibernating torpid Syrian hamsters with that in active counterparts by using culture-independent analyses. Hamsters were allocated to either torpid, fed active, or fasted active groups. Hibernation was successfully induced by maintaining darkness at 4°C. Flow cytometry analysis of cecal bacteria showed that 96-h fasting reduced the total gut bacteria. This period of fasting also reduced the concentrations of short chain fatty acids in the cecal contents. In contrast, total bacterial numbers and concentrations of short chain fatty acids were unaffected by hibernation. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments indicated that fasting and hibernation modulated the cecal microbiota. Analysis of 16S rRNA clone library and species-specific real-time quantitative PCR showed that the class
Clostridia
predominated in both active and torpid hamsters and that populations of
Akkermansia muciniphila
, a mucin degrader, were increased by fasting but not by hibernation. From these results, we conclude that the gut microbiota responds differently to fasting and hibernation in Syrian hamsters.