bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of Maternal Nutritional Status on Vascular Function in the Offspring
Authors: POSTON LUCILLA 
Published: February 2011

Please cite this paper as: Poston (2011). Influence of Maternal Nutritional Status on Vascular Function in the Offspring. Microcirculation 18(4), 256–262.AbstractSuboptimal maternal nutritional status has been implicated in the development of cardiovascular risk in the child. Initially inferred from studies of low‐birthweight children, investigations in cohorts of women subjected to famine provide direct evidence for an independent influence of the mother’s diet on the cardiovascular health of her child. Animal studies from rodents and sheep have shown associations between maternal undernutrition and raised blood pressure, as well as abnormalities in resistance artery function, particularly in endothelium‐dependent responses. Early life exposure to the influences of maternal over nutritional states, e.g. obesity and excessive gestational weight gain, has also been associated with markers of cardiovascular risk in man, and animal models have shown raised blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction in offspring of diet‐induced obese dams. Increased sympathetic tone is commonly associated with hypertension in animal models of both under nutritional and over nutritional states. This and several other similarities may indicate commonality of mechanism and could reflect supranormal nutritional status in postnatal life in both conditions.
Humpback whale abundance in the North Pacific estimated by photographic capture‐recapture with bias correction from simulation studies
Authors: Barlow Jay , Calambokidis John , Falcone Erin A. , Baker C. Scott , Burdin Alexander M. , Clapham Phillip J. , Ford John K. B. , Gabriele Christine M. , LeDuc Richard , Mattila David K. , Quinn Terrance J. , Rojas‐Bracho Lorenzo , Straley Janice M. , Taylor Barbara L. , Urbán R. Jorge , Wade Paul , Weller David , Witteveen Briana H. , Yamaguchi Manami 
Published: February 2011

AbstractWe estimated the abundance of humpback whales in the North Pacific by capture‐recapture methods using over 18,000 fluke identification photographs collected in 2004–2006. Our best estimate of abundance was 21,808 (CV = 0.04). We estimated the biases in this value using a simulation model. Births and deaths, which violate the assumption of a closed population, resulted in a bias of +5.2%, exclusion of calves in samples resulted in a bias of −10.5%, failure to achieve random geographic sampling resulted in a bias of −0.4%, and missed matches resulted in a bias of +9.3%. Known sex‐biased sampling favoring males in breeding areas did not add significant bias if both sexes are proportionately sampled in the feeding areas. Our best estimate of abundance was 21,063 after accounting for a net bias of +3.5%. This estimate is likely to be lower than the true abundance due to two additional sources of bias: individual heterogeneity in the probability of being sampled (unquantified) and the likely existence of an unknown and unsampled breeding area (−8.7%). Results confirm that the overall humpback whale population in the North Pacific has continued to increase and is now greater than some prior estimates of prewhaling abundance.
Seasonal Variability of Optical Properties in a Highly Turbid Lake (Laguna Chascomús, Argentina)
Authors: Pérez Gonzalo Luis , Llames María Eugenia , Lagomarsino Leonardo , Zagarese Horacio 
Published: February 2011

AbstractWe study the underwater light field seasonality in a turbid lake, Laguna Chascomús (Buenos Aires, Argentina). We report (1) relationships between optical properties (OPs) and optically active substances (OASs); (2) relationships between inherent (IOPs) and apparent (AOPs) optical properties; and (3) the seasonal variability in OASs and OPs. Light absorption was dominated by the particulate fraction. The contributions of phytoplankton pigments and unpigmented components were similar. The best predictors of total particulate absorption, unpigmented particulate absorption, turbidity and vertical attenuation coefficient were total suspended solids or their ash content. Many OASs and OPs varied seasonally. The concentrations of OASs were higher during spring and summer, resulting in lower transparency and higher turbidity. However, mass‐specific absorption coefficients displayed lower values during spring and summer. Thus, the higher light attenuation observed during spring and summer resulted from higher concentrations of relatively less absorptive OASs. Collectively, these results suggest that: (1) light extinction is enhanced during spring and summer; (2) the enhanced light extinction is due to changes in the particulate fraction; (3) the enhanced light extinction is mostly due to an increase in the amount of particulate material; and (4) the increase of particulate matter also enhanced light extinction through increased scattering.
Species identification of Tanzanian antelopes using DNA barcoding
Authors: BITANYI STELLA , BJØRNSTAD GRO , ERNEST EBLATE M. , NESJE MARIT , KUSILUKA LUGHANO J. , KEYYU JULIUS D. , MDEGELA ROBINSON H. , RØED KNUT H. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractEfficient tools for consistent species identification are important in wildlife conservation as it can provide information on the levels of species exploitation and assist in solving forensic‐related problems. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the mitochondrial cytochromecoxidase subunit I (COI) barcode in species identification of Tanzanian antelope species. A 470 base‐pair region of the COI gene was examined in 95 specimens representing 20 species of antelopes, buffalo and domesticBovidae. All the Tanzanian species showed unique clades, and sequence divergence within species was <1%, whereas divergence between species ranged from 6.3% to 22%. Lowest interspecific divergence was noted within theTragelaphusgenus. Neighbour‐joining phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the examined COI region provided correct and highly supported species clustering using short fragments down to 100 base‐pair lengths. This study demonstrates that even short COI fragments can efficiently identify antelope species, thus demonstrating its high potential for use in wildlife conservation activities.
Energy Optimization of
Air-Cooled Data Centers
Authors: Khalifa H.
E. , Demetriou D.
W. 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
The work presented in this paper describes a simplified thermodynamic model that can be used for exploring optimization possibilities in air-cooled data centers. The model has been used to identify optimal, energy-efficient designs, operating scenarios, and operating parameters such as flow rates and air supply temperatures. The results of this analysis highlight the important features that need to be considered when optimizing the operation of air-cooled data centers, especially the trade-off between low air supply temperature and increased air flow rate. The model was shown to be especially valuable in defining the optimal operating strategies for enclosed aisle configurations with fixed and variable server flows, and to elucidate the deleterious effect of temperature nonuniformity at the inlet of the racks on the data center cooling infrastructure power consumption. The analysis shows a potential for as much as an ∼58% savings in cooling infrastructure energy consumption by utilizing an optimized enclosed aisle configuration with bypass recirculation, instead of a traditional enclosed aisle, where all the data center exhaust is forced to flow through the computer room air conditioners. The analysis of open-aisle data centers shows that as the temperature at the inlet of the racks becomes more nonuniform, optimal operation tends toward lower recirculation and higher power consumption; again, stressing the importance of providing as uniform a temperature to the racks as possible. It is also revealed that servers with a modest temperature rise (∼10°C) have a wider latitude for cooling infrastructure optimization than those with a high temperature rise (≥20°C), which tend to consume less cooling power when the aisles are enclosed.
In Vitro
Studies Indicate a High Resistance Potential for the Lantibiotic Nisin in Staphylococcus aureus and Define a Genetic Basis for Nisin Resistance
Authors: Blake Katy L. , Randall Chris P. , O'Neill Alex J. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Lantibiotics such as nisin (NIS) are peptide antibiotics that may have a role in the chemotherapy of bacterial infections. A perceived benefit of lantibiotics for clinical use is their low propensity to select resistance, although detailed resistance studies with relevant bacterial pathogens are lacking. Here we examined the development of resistance to NIS in
Staphylococcus aureus
, establishing that mutants, including small-colony variants, exhibiting substantial (4- to 32-fold) reductions in NIS susceptibility could be selected readily. Comparative genome sequencing of a single NIS
r
mutant exhibiting a 32-fold increase in NIS MIC revealed the presence of only two mutations, leading to the substitutions V
229
G in the purine operon repressor, PurR, and A
208
E in an uncharacterized protein encoded by SAOUHSC_02955. Independently selected NIS
r
mutants also harbored mutations in the genes encoding these products. Reintroduction of these mutations into the
S. aureus
chromosome alone and in combination revealed that SAOUHSC_02955(A
208
E) made the primary contribution to the resistance phenotype, conferring up to a 16-fold decrease in NIS susceptibility. Bioinformatic analyses suggested that this gene encodes a sensor histidine kinase, leading us to designate it “nisin susceptibility-associated sensor (
nsaS
).” Doubling-time determinations and mixed-culture competition assays between NIS
r
and NIS
s
strains indicated that NIS resistance had little impact on bacterial fitness, and resistance was stable in the absence of selection. The apparent ease with which
S. aureus
can develop and maintain NIS resistance
in vitro
suggests that resistance to NIS and other lantibiotics with similar modes of action would arise in the clinic if these agents are employed as chemotherapeutic drugs.
Treatment of Yellow Fever Virus with an Adenovirus-Vectored Interferon, DEF201, in a Hamster Model
Authors: Julander Justin G. , Ennis Jane , Turner Jeffrey , Morrey John D. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Interferon (IFN) is an innate immune response protein that is involved in the antiviral response during viral infection. Treatment of acute viral infections with exogenous interferon may be effective but is generally not feasible for clinical use due to many factors, including cost, stability, and availability. To overcome these limitations, an adenovirus type 5-vectored consensus alpha IFN, termed DEF201, was constructed as a potential way to deliver sustained therapeutic levels of systemic IFN. To demonstrate the efficacy of DEF201 against acute flaviviral disease, various concentrations of the construct were administered as a single intranasal dose prior to virus infection, which resulted in a dose-responsive, protective effect in a hamster model of yellow fever virus (YFV) disease. A DEF201 dose of 5 × 10
7
PFU/animal administered intranasally just prior to YFV challenge protected 100% of the animals, while a 10-fold lower DEF201 dose exhibited lower, although significant, levels of protection. Virus titers in the liver and serum and levels of serum alanine aminotransferase were all significantly reduced as a result of DEF201 administration at all doses tested. No toxicity, as indicated by weight loss or gross morbidity, was observed in non-YFV-infected animals treated with DEF201. Protection of YFV-infected animals was observed when DEF201 was delivered as early as 7 days prior to virus challenge and as late as 2 days after virus challenge, demonstrating effective prophylaxis and therapy in a hamster model of disease. Overall, it appears that DEF201 is effective in the treatment of YFV in a hamster model.
Distribution of Intrinsic Plasmid Replicase Genes and Their Association with Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Class D β-Lactamase Genes in European Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Towner Kevin J. , Evans Benjamin , Villa Laura , Levi Katrina , Hamouda Ahmed , Amyes Sebastian G. B. , Carattoli Alessandra 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Ninety-six genetically diverse multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of
Acinetobacter baumannii
from 25 hospitals in 17 European countries were screened by PCR for specific carbapenemase-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamase (CHDL) genes and by PCR-based replicon typing for the presence of 19 different plasmid replicase (
rep
) gene homology groups (GRs). Results were confirmed by DNA sequencing where necessary. All 96 isolates contained at least 1 (with a maximum of 4) of the 19 groups of
rep
genes. Groups detected were GR6 (
rep
Aci6; 93 isolates), GR2 (including
rep
Aci1 [67 isolates] and
rep
Aci2 [3 isolates]), GR16 (
rep
ApAB49; 12 isolates), GR12 (p2ABSDF0001; 10 isolates), GR3 (
rep
Aci3; 4 isolates), GR4 (
rep
Aci4; 3 isolates), GR10 (
rep
AciX; 1 isolate), and GR14 (
rep
p4AYE; 1 isolate). Variations in
rep
gene content were observed even among epidemiologically related isolates. Genes encoding OXA-58-like CHDLs (22 isolates) were associated with carriage of the
rep
Aci1,
rep
Aci3,
rep
Aci4, and
rep
AciX genes, genes encoding OXA-40-like CHDLs (6 isolates) were associated with
rep
Aci2 and p2ABSDF0001, and genes encoding OXA-23-like CHDLs (8 isolates) were associated with
rep
Aci1. Most intrinsic
Acinetobacter
plasmids are non-self-transferable, but the almost ubiquitous
rep
Aci6 gene was strongly associated with a potential
tra
locus that could serve as a general system for plasmid mobilization and consequent horizontal transmission of plasmids and their associated antibiotic resistance genes among strains of
A. baumannii
.
Molecular Risk Assessment and Epidemiological Typing of Shiga Toxin-Producing
Escherichia coli
by Using a Novel PCR Binary Typing System
Authors: Brandt Stephanie M. , King Nicola , Cornelius Angela J. , Premaratne Aruni , Besser Thomas E. , On Stephen L. W. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Shiga toxin-producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC) is a zoonotic pathogen that causes diarrheal disease in humans and is of public health concern because of its ability to cause outbreaks and severe disease such as hemorrhagic colitis or hemolytic-uremic syndrome. More than 400 serotypes of STEC have been implicated in outbreaks and sporadic human disease. The aim of this study was to develop a PCR binary typing (P-BIT) system that could be used to aid in risk assessment and epidemiological studies of STEC by using gene targets that would represent a broad range of STEC virulence genes. We investigated the distribution of 41 gene targets in 75 O157 and non-O157 STEC isolates and found that P-BIT provided 100% typeability for isolates, gave a diversity index of 97.33% (compared with 99.28% for XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE] typing), and produced 100% discrimination for non-O157 STEC isolates. We identified 24 gene targets that conferred the same level of discrimination and produced the same cluster dendrogram as the 41 gene targets initially examined. P-BIT clustering identified O157 from non-O157 isolates and identified seropathotypes associated with outbreaks and severe disease. Numerical analysis of the P-BIT data identified several genes associated with human or nonhuman sources as well as high-risk seropathotypes. We conclude that P-BIT is a useful approach for subtyping, offering the advantage of speed, low cost, and potential for strain risk assessment that can be used in tandem with current molecular typing schema for STEC.
Transcriptome, Proteome, and Metabolite Analyses of a Lactate Dehydrogenase-Negative Mutant of
Enterococcus faecalis
V583
Authors: Mehmeti Ibrahim , Jönsson Maria , Fergestad Ellen M. , Mathiesen Geir , Nes Ingolf F. , Holo Helge 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

A constructed lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-negative mutant of
Enterococcus faecalis
V583 grows at the same rate as the wild type but ferments glucose to ethanol, formate, and acetoin. Microarray analysis showed that LDH deficiency had profound transcriptional effects: 43 genes in the mutant were found to be upregulated, and 45 were found to be downregulated. Most of the upregulated genes encode enzymes of energy metabolism or transport. By two-dimensional (2D) gel analysis, 45 differentially expressed proteins were identified. A comparison of transcriptomic and proteomic data suggested that for several proteins the level of expression is regulated beyond the level of transcription. Pyruvate catabolic genes, including the truncated
ldh
gene, showed highly increased transcription in the mutant. These genes, along with a number of other differentially expressed genes, are preceded by sequences with homology to binding sites for the global redox-sensing repressor, Rex, of
Staphylococcus aureus
. The data indicate that the genes are transcriptionally regulated by the NADH/NAD ratio and that this ratio plays an important role in the regulatory network controlling energy metabolism in
E. faecalis
.
Accumulation of Sulfonamide Resistance Genes in Arable Soils Due to Repeated Application of Manure Containing Sulfadiazine
Authors: Heuer Holger , Solehati Qodiah , Zimmerling Ute , Kleineidam Kristina , Schloter Michael , Müller Tanja , Focks Andreas , Thiele-Bruhn Sören , Smalla Kornelia 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Two soils were amended three times with pig manure. The abundance of sulfonamide resistance genes was determined by quantitative PCR 2 months after each application. In both soils treated with sulfadiazine-containing manure, the numbers of copies of
sul1
and
sul2
significantly increased compared to numbers after treatments with antibiotic-free manure or a control and accumulated with repeated applications.
Suitability of
Vader
for Transposon-Mediated Mutagenesis in
Aspergillus niger
Authors: Hihlal Elkbir , Braumann Ilka , van den Berg Marco , Kempken Frank 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

The filamentous fungus
Aspergillus niger
is widely used in biotechnological applications. Strain CBS513.88 is known to harbor 21 copies of the nonautonomous transposon
Vader
. Upon selection of chlorate-resistant
A. niger
colonies, one
Vader
copy was found integrated in the
nirA
gene. This copy was used for vector construction and development of a transposon-tagging method.
Vader
showed an excision frequency of about 1 in 2.2 × 10
5
conidiospores. A total of 95 of 97 colonies analyzed exhibited an excision event at the DNA level, and
Vader
footprints were found. By employing thermal asymmetric interlaced (TAIL)-PCR, the reintegration sites of 21 independent excision events were determined. All reintegration events occurred within or very close to genes. Therefore, this method can be used for transposon mutagenesis in
A. niger
.
Internalization of Murine Norovirus 1 by
Lactuca sativa
during Irrigation
Authors: Wei Jie , Jin Yan , Sims Tom , Kniel Kalmia E. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Romaine lettuce (
Lactuca sativa
) was grown hydroponically or in soil and challenged with murine norovirus 1 (MNV) under two conditions: one mimicking a severe one-time contamination event and another mimicking a lower level of contamination occurring over time. In each condition, lettuce was challenged with MNV delivered at the roots. In the first case, contamination occurred on day one with 5 × 10
8
reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) U/ml MNV in nutrient buffer, and irrigation water was replaced with virus-free buffer every day for another 4 days. In the second case, contamination with 5 × 10
5
RT-qPCR U/ml MNV (freshly prepared) occurred every day for 5 days. Virus had a tendency to adsorb to soil particles, with a small portion suspended in nutrient buffer; e.g., ∼8 log RT-qPCR U/g MNV was detected in soil during 5 days of challenge with virus inoculums of 5 × 10
8
RT-qPCR U/ml at day one, but <6 log was found in nutrient buffer on days 3 and 5. For hydroponically grown lettuce, ∼3.4 log RT-qPCR U of viral RNA/50 mg of plant tissue was detected in some lettuce leaf samples after 5 days at high MNV inoculums, significantly higher than the internalized virus concentration (∼2.6 log) at low inoculums (
P
< 0.05). For lettuce grown in soil, approximately 2 log RT-qPCR U of viral RNA/50 mg of plant tissue was detected in lettuce with both high and low inoculums, showing no significant difference. For viral infectivity, infectious MNV was found in lettuce samples challenged with high virus inoculums grown hydroponically and in soil but not in lettuce grown with low virus inoculums. Lettuce grown hydroponically was further incubated in 99% and 70% relative humidities (RH) to evaluate plant transpiration relative to virus uptake. More lettuce samples were found positive for MNV at a significantly higher transpiration rate at 70% RH, indicating that transpiration might play an important role in virus internalization into
L. sativa.
Role of Carnitine Acetyltransferases in Acetyl Coenzyme A Metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans
Authors: Hynes Michael J. , Murray Sandra L. , Andrianopoulos Alex , Davis Meryl A. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

The flow of carbon metabolites between cellular compartments is an essential feature of fungal metabolism. During growth on ethanol, acetate, or fatty acids, acetyl units must enter the mitochondrion for metabolism via the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) in the cytoplasm is essential for the biosynthetic reactions and for protein acetylation. Acetyl-CoA is produced in the cytoplasm by acetyl-CoA synthetase during growth on acetate and ethanol while β-oxidation of fatty acids generates acetyl-CoA in peroxisomes. The acetyl-carnitine shuttle in which acetyl-CoA is reversibly converted to acetyl-carnitine by carnitine acetyltransferase (CAT) enzymes is important for intracellular transport of acetyl units. In the filamentous ascomycete
Aspergillus nidulans
, a cytoplasmic CAT, encoded by
facC
, is essential for growth on sources of cytoplasmic acetyl-CoA while a second CAT, encoded by the
acuJ
gene, is essential for growth on fatty acids as well as acetate. We have shown that AcuJ contains an N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence and a C-terminal peroxisomal targeting sequence (PTS) and is localized to both peroxisomes and mitochondria, independent of the carbon source. Mislocalization of AcuJ to the cytoplasm does not result in loss of growth on acetate but prevents growth on fatty acids. Therefore, while mitochondrial AcuJ is essential for the transfer of acetyl units to mitochondria, peroxisomal localization is required only for transfer from peroxisomes to mitochondria. Peroxisomal AcuJ was not required for the import of acetyl-CoA into peroxisomes for conversion to malate by malate synthase (MLS), and export of acetyl-CoA from peroxisomes to the cytoplasm was found to be independent of FacC when MLS was mislocalized to the cytoplasm.