bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gluconobacter
as Well as
Asaia
Species, Newly Emerging Opportunistic Human Pathogens among Acetic Acid Bacteria
Authors: Alauzet Corentine , Teyssier Corinne , Jumas-Bilak Estelle , Gouby Anne , Chiron Raphael , Rabaud Christian , Counil François , Lozniewski Alain , Marchandin Hélène 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are broadly used in industrial food processing. Among them, members of the genera
Asaia
,
Acetobacter
, and
Granulibacter
were recently reported to be human opportunistic pathogens. We isolated AAB from clinical samples from three patients and describe here the clinical and bacteriological features of these cases. We report for the first time (i) the isolation of a
Gluconobacter
sp. from human clinical samples; (ii) the successive isolation of different AAB, i.e., an
Asaia
sp. and two unrelated
Gluconobacter
spp., from a cystic fibrosis patient; and (iii) persistent colonization of the respiratory tract by a
Gluconobacter
sp. in this patient. We reviewed the main clinical features associated with AAB isolation identified in the 10 documented reports currently available in the literature. Albeit rare, infections as well as colonization with AAB are increasingly reported in patients with underlying chronic diseases and/or indwelling devices. Clinicians as well as medical microbiologists should be aware of these unusual opportunistic pathogens, which are difficult to detect during standard medical microbiological investigations and which are multiresistant to antimicrobial agents. Molecular methods are required for identification of genera of AAB, but the results may remain inconclusive for identification to the species level.
Molecular Evidence of Cholera Outbreak Caused by a Toxigenic
Vibrio cholerae
O1 El Tor Variant Strain in Kelantan, Malaysia
Authors: Ang Geik Yong , Yu Choo Yee , Balqis Kamarudin , Elina Husni Tan , Azura Hussin , Hani Mat Hussin , Yean Chan Yean 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

A total of 20
Vibrio cholerae
isolates were recovered for investigation from a cholera outbreak in Kelantan, Malaysia, that occurred between November and December 2009. All isolates were biochemically characterized as
V. cholerae
serogroup O1 Ogawa of the El Tor biotype. They were found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics, including tetracycline, erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, streptomycin, penicillin G, and polymyxin B, with 35% of the isolates being resistant to ampicillin. All isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, and kanamycin. Multiplex PCR analysis confirmed the biochemical identification and revealed the presence of virulence genes,
viz
.,
ace
,
zot
, and
ctxA
, in all of the isolates. Interestingly, the sequencing of the
ctxB
gene showed that the outbreak strain harbored the classical cholera toxin gene and therefore belongs to the newly assigned El Tor variant biotype. Clonal analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated that a single clone of a
V. cholerae
strain was responsible for this outbreak. Thus, we present the first molecular evidence that the toxigenic
V. cholerae
O1 El Tor variant has invaded Malaysia, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring to facilitate early interventions against any potential epidemic by this biotype.
Bacterial 16S Sequence Analysis of Severe Caries in Young Permanent Teeth
Authors: Gross Erin L. , Leys Eugene J. , Gasparovich Stephen R. , Firestone Noah D. , Schwartzbaum Judith A. , Janies Daniel A. , Asnani Kashmira , Griffen Ann L. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have confirmed the association of the acid producers
Streptococcus mutans
and
Lactobacillus
spp. with childhood caries, but they also suggested these microorganisms are not sufficient to explain all cases of caries. In addition, health-associated bacterial community profiles are not well understood, including the importance of base production and acid catabolism in pH homeostasis. The bacterial community composition in health and in severe caries of the young permanent dentition was compared using Sanger sequencing of the ribosomal 16S rRNA genes.
Lactobacillus
species were dominant in severe caries, and levels rose significantly as caries progressed from initial to deep lesions.
S. mutans
was often observed at high levels in the early stages of caries but also in some healthy subjects and was not statistically significantly associated with caries progression in the overall model.
Lactobacillus
or
S. mutans
was found either at low levels or not present in several samples. Other potential acid producers observed at high levels in these subjects included strains of
Selenomonas
,
Neisseria
, and
Streptococcus mitis. Propionibacterium
FMA5 was significantly associated with caries progression but was not found at high levels. An overall loss of community diversity occurred as caries progressed, and species that significantly decreased included the
Streptococcus mitis
-
S. pneumoniae-S. infantis
group,
Corynebacterium matruchotii
,
Streptococcus gordonii
,
Streptococcus cristatus
,
Capnocytophaga gingivalis
,
Eubacterium
IR009,
Campylobacter rectus
, and
Lachnospiraceae
sp. C1. The relationship of acid-base metabolism to 16S rRNA gene-based species assignments appears to be complex, and metagenomic approaches that would allow functional profiling of entire genomes will be helpful in elucidating the microbial pathogenesis of caries.
Pseudo-Outbreak of Adenovirus Infection in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Due to a False-Positive Antigen Detection Test
Authors: Faden Howard , Ramani Rama , Lamson Daryl , St. George Kirsten 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT
Twenty-eight of 56 infants in a neonatal intensive care unit had stools positive for adenovirus by the Sure-Vue adenovirus test. Virus cultures of conventionally processed and chloroform-extracted stool samples, as well as conventional and real-time PCR tests, were negative for adenovirus. The cause for the 50% false-positive rate with the antigen test was not determined.
Novel Use of Tryptose Sulfite Cycloserine Egg Yolk Agar for Isolation of
Clostridium perfringens
during an Outbreak of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in a Neonatal Unit
Authors: Kotsanas Despina , Carson Jolene A. , Awad Milena M. , Lyras Dena , Rood Julian I. , Jenkin Grant A. , Stuart Rhonda L. , Korman Tony M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT

Clostridium perfringens
has been associated with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which is a serious disease of neonates. Our study describes the novel use of selective tryptose sulfite cycloserine with egg yolk agar (TSC-EYA) during a nursery outbreak. This medium provides a rapid, sensitive, and accurate presumptive identification of
C. perfringens
.
Rhesus Rhadinovirus Infection of Rhesus Fibroblasts Occurs through Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhou Fuchun , Greene Whitney , Gao Shou-Jiang 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT
Rhesus rhadinovirus (RRV) is a gammaherpesvirus closely related to Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), an oncogenic virus linked to the development of Kaposi's sarcoma and several other lymphoproliferative diseases, including primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman's disease. RRV naturally infects rhesus macaques and induces lymphoproliferative diseases under experimental conditions, making it an excellent model for the study of KSHV. Unlike KSHV, which grows poorly in cell culture, RRV replicates efficiently in rhesus fibroblasts (RFs). In this study, we have characterized the entry pathway of RRV in RFs. Using a luciferase-expressing recombinant RRV (RRV-luciferase), we show that the infectivity of RRV is reduced by inhibitors of endosomal acidification. RRV infectivity is also reduced by inhibitors of clathrin-mediated but not caveola-mediated endocytosis, indicating that RRV enters into RFs via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Using a red fluorescent protein (RFP)-expressing recombinant RRV (RRV-RFP), we show that RRV particles are colocalized with markers of endocytosis (early endosome antigen 1) and clathrin-mediated endocytosis (clathrin heavy chain) during entry into RFs. RRV particles are also colocalized with transferrin, which enters cells by clathrin-mediated endocytosis, but not with cholera toxin B, which enters cells by caveola-mediated endocytosis. Inhibition of clathrin-mediated endocytosis with a dominant-negative construct of EPS15, an essential component of clathrin-coated pits, blocked the entry of RRV into RFs. Together, these results indicate that RRV entry into RFs is mediated by clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein D Interferes with Binding of Herpesvirus Entry Mediator to Its Ligands through Downregulation and Direct Competition
Authors: Stiles Katie M. , Whitbeck J. Charles , Lou Huan , Cohen Gary H. , Eisenberg Roselyn J. , Krummenacher Claude 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTTo initiate membrane fusion and virus entry, herpes simplex virus (HSV) gD binds to a cellular receptor such as herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM). HVEM is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family member with four natural ligands that either stimulate (LIGHT and LTα) or inhibit (BTLA and CD160) T cell function. We hypothesized that the interaction of gD with HVEM affects the binding of natural ligands, thereby modulating the immune response during infection. Here, we investigated the effect that gD has on the interaction of HVEM with its natural ligands. First, HSV gD on virions or cells downregulates HVEM from the cell surface. Similarly,trans-interaction with BTLA or LIGHT also downregulates HVEM from the cell surface, suggesting that HSV may subvert a natural mechanism for regulating HVEM activity. Second, we showed that wild-type gD had the lowest affinity for HVEM compared with the four natural ligands. Moreover, gD directly competed for binding to HVEM with BTLA but not LTα or LIGHT, indicating the possibility that gD selectively controls HVEM signals. On the other hand, natural ligands influence the use of HVEM by HSV. For instance, soluble BTLA, LTα, and LIGHT inhibited the binding of wild-type gD to HVEM, and soluble BTLA and LTα blocked HSV infection of HVEM-expressing cells. Thus, gD is at the center of the interplay between HVEM and its ligands. It can interfere with HVEM function in two ways, by competing with the natural ligands and by downregulating HVEM from the cell surface.
Pseudorevertants of a Semliki Forest Virus Fusion-Blocking Mutation Reveal a Critical Interchain Interaction in the Core Trimer
Authors: Liu Catherine Y. , Besanceney Christen , Song Yifan , Kielian Margaret 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTSemliki Forest virus (SFV) is an enveloped alphavirus that infects cells by a low-pH-triggered membrane fusion reaction mediated by the viral E1 protein. E1 inserts into target membranes and refolds to a hairpin-like homotrimer containing a central core trimer and an outer layer composed of domain III and the juxtamembrane stem region. The key residues involved in mediating E1 trimerization are not well understood. We recently showed that aspartate 188 in the interface of the core trimer plays a critical role. Substitution with lysine (D188K) blocks formation of the core trimer and E1 trimerization and strongly inhibits virus fusion and infection. Here, we have isolated and characterized revertants that rescued the fusion and growth defects of D188K. These revertants included pseudorevertants containing acidic or polar neutral residues at E1 position 188 and a second-site revertant containing an E1 K176T mutation. Computational analysis using multiconformation continuum electrostatics revealed an important interaction bridging D188 of one chain with K176 of the adjacent chain in the core trimer. E1 K176 is completely conserved among the alphaviruses, and mutations of K176 to threonine (K176T) or isoleucine (K176I) produced similar fusion phenotypes as D188 mutants. Together, our data support a model in which a ring of three salt bridges formed by D188 and K176 stabilize the core trimer, a key intermediate of the alphavirus fusion protein.
Performance Management System at Gas Company
Authors: Siti-Nabiha A. K. 
Published: September 2010

The case is about the implementation of a performance management system (PMS) in ALPHA, a gas processing company. ALPHA is also a subsidiary of a multinational company based in Malaysia. The new performance management system was imposed on ALPHA by its parent company. The PMS integrates the following key management processes, i.e. strategic planning, portfolio management, resource allocation, performance measurement and reporting and executive compensation in the organization. The ultimate aim of the new system is to ensure that the focus of business activities is on economic value creation. At the heart of this system is the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) for each of the management processes coupled with performance targets for all the KPIs. However, there were various implementation problems in the company. The employees had difficulty in formulating their performance indicators. There was also confusion and anxiety among the organizational members regarding the new system, specifically on how it would impact on their performance appraisal. Consequently, most of the employees formulated two sets of indicators, one to be used for their performance appraisal and another indicator for the performance management system, which is not used in their evaluation system. Ms. Marinah, the General Manager of the Finance Division and also the person responsible for the implementation of the new performance management system needs to make a decision as to whether to continue the usage of two sets of indicators for the parent company or to brief the managers again about the usage of value based indicators for their appraisal system.
Palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental influences revealed by long-bone palaeohistology: the example of the Permian branchiosaurid
Apateon
Authors: Sanchez Sophie , Steyer J. Sébastien , Schoch Rainer R. , De Ricqlès Armand 
Published: September 2010

Abstract

Apateon
, a small temnospondyl from the Permian freshwater-lake deposits of the Saar-Nahe Basin (SW Germany), is known by exceptionally well-preserved material. Here we report the first palaeohistological analysis of
Apateon
that focuses on its life-history traits and palaeoenvironments. Different samples (different localities and horizons) of
Apateon caducus
and
Apateon pedestris
have been analysed. Their stylopod histology shows different growth rhythms that might be correlated to changes in palaeoecosystems: food availability and/or presence of predators. Palaeoenvironmental influences are also recognized during the limb-bone osteogenesis by the expression of simple and/or double patterns of Lines of Arrested Growth (LAG). A double-LAG pattern expresses hibernating and aestivating arrests of growth in extant newts. The fossil samples from the two stratigraphically oldest horizons preserved a similar double-LAG pattern, suggesting that they may have hibernated and aestivated every year because of harsh climatic conditions. The Saar-Nahe lake system probably passed from a higher altitude zone into a lower one, possibly because of subsidence and/or erosion. It could also be correlated to the size of the lakes that differs from one locality to another, inducing different responses of the organisms to the climatic variations.
The effects of terrestrialization on marine ecosystems: the fall of CO
2
Authors: Strother Paul K. , Servais Thomas , Vecoli Marco 
Published: September 2010

Abstract

The rise of land plants during the early Palaeozoic had profound effects upon subsequent Earth history and evolution. The sequestration of standing biomass and carbon burial caused a primary shift in the distribution of active carbon within the biosphere and surficial Earth systems. This manifested itself in a dynamic decline in
p
CO
2
during Silurian–Devonian time, affecting both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We examined first-order correlations between terrestrialization and
p
CO
2
by comparing the GEOCARB III data with time-constrained fossil events in the early evolution of land plants. We compared the same GEOCARB III data with the species/genus richness of lower Palaeozoic acritarchs. The correlation between the rise of woody plants and
p
CO
2
is built into the GEOCARB model for the Late Devonian and later, but
p
CO
2
begins to decline in the Cambrian long before the origin of woody trees (lignophytes). The influence of early phases in plant evolution may be seen in a two-stage
p
CO
2
decline corresponding to fossil evidence for the origin of thalloid bryophytes in the Middle Cambrian and the origin of tracheophytes near the Ordovician–Silurian boundary. The decline of the acritarchs shows a highly correlated lag of about 10 Ma with respect to the
p
CO
2
decline. The relation between
p
CO
2
and acritarch species richness suggests a tight coupling between the evolution of the marine phytoplankton and atmospheric CO
2
, supporting previous suggestions that
p
CO
2
was a significant causal factor in the near extinction of acritarchs by the end of the Devonian.
The land plant cover in the Devonian: a reassessment of the evolution of the tree habit
Authors: Meyer-Berthaud B. , Soria A. , Decombeix A.-L. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
This paper reviews information on the Devonian trees that evolved in the euphyllophyte clade with special focus on the Middle Devonian Pseudosporochnales. The morphology of pseudosporochnalean trees shows analogies with that of extant tree ferns, including the possession of an adventitious root system of limited extent at the base of the trunk. Direct evidence on how these trees were constructed is scarce. We propose a growth model integrating information from younger representatives of the same class known to reach large diameters. According to this model, trunk width in its aerial part results from the large size of its primary body where living tissues are abundant, a condition reached early during growth. Secondary xylem contributes little to trunk diameter. This model sharply diverges from that of the Late Devonian archaeopteridalean trees characterized by an extended root system and where trunk diameter and mechanical support are achieved by the substantial development of secondary vascular tissues. These differences suggest that pseudosporochnalean trees may have had a lesser impact on Devonian environments than the Archaeopteridales. The important investment in living tissues in the Pseudosporochnales probably made them vulnerable to drought and cold.
Prolactin Receptor–Integrin Cross-Talk Mediated by SIRPα in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Galbaugh Traci , Feeney Yvonne B. , Clevenger Charles V. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
The hormone prolactin (PRL) contributes to the pathogenesis of breast cancer in part through its activation of Janus-activated kinase 2 (Jak2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (Stat5), a PRL receptor (PRLr)–associated pathway dependent on cross-talk signaling from integrins. It remains unclear, however, how this cross-talk is mediated. Following PRL stimulation, we show that a complex between the transmembrane glycoprotein signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα) and the PRLr, β1 integrin, and Jak2 in estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) and ER− breast cancer cells is formed. Overexpression of SIRPα in the absence of collagen 1 significantly decreased PRL-induced gene expression, phosphorylation of PRLr-associated signaling proteins, and PRL-stimulated proliferation and soft agar colony formation. In contrast, overexpression of SIRPα in the presence of collagen 1 increased PRL-induced gene expression; phosphorylation of Jak2, Stat5, and Erk; and PRL-stimulated cell growth. Interestingly, overexpression of a tyrosine-deficient SIRPα (SIRPα-4YF) prevented the signaling and phenotypic effects mediated by wild-type SIRPα. Furthermore, overexpression of a phosphatase-defective mutant of Shp-2 or pharmacologic inhibition of Shp-2 produced effects comparable with that of SIRPα-4YF. However, the tyrosine phosphorylation of SIRPα was unaffected in the presence or absence of collagen 1. These data suggest that SIRPα modulates PRLr-associated signaling as a function of integrin occupancy predominantly through the alteration of Shp-2 activity. This PRLr-SIRPα-integrin complex may therefore provide a basis for integrin-PRLr cross-talk and contribute to the biology of breast cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 8(10); 1413–24. ©2010 AACR.
Relief of Mitral Leaflet Tethering Following Chronic Myocardial Infarction by Chordal Cutting Diminishes Left Ventricular Remodeling
Authors: Messas Emmanuel , Bel Alain , Szymanski Catherine , Cohen Iris , Touchot Bernard , Handschumacher Mark D. , Desnos Michel , Carpentier Alain , Menasché Philippe , Hagège Albert A. , Levine Robert A. 
Published: September 2010

Background—
One of the key targets in treating mitral regurgitation (MR) is reducing the otherwise progressive left ventricular (LV) remodeling that exacerbates MR and conveys adverse prognosis. We have previously demonstrated that severing 2 second-order chordae to the anterior mitral leaflet relieves tethering and ischemic MR acutely. The purpose of this study was to test whether this technique reduces the progression of LV remodeling in the chronic ischemic MR setting.

Methods and Results—

A posterolateral MI was created in 18 sheep by obtuse marginal branch ligation. After chronic remodeling and MR development at 3 months, 6 sheep were randomized to sham surgery (control group) and 12 to second-order chordal cutting (6 each to anterior leaflet [AntL] and bileaflet [BiL] chordal cutting, techniques that are in clinical application). At baseline, chronic infarction (3 months), and follow-up at a mean of 6.6 months post-myocardial infarction (MI) (euthanasia), we measured LV end-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction, wall motion score index, and posterior leaflet (PL) restriction angle relative to the annulus by 2D and 3D echocardiography. All measurements were comparable among groups at baseline and chronic MI. At euthanasia, AntL and BiL chordal cutting limited the progressive remodeling seen in controls. LVESV increased relative to chronic MI by 109±8.7% in controls versus 30.5±6.1% with chordal cutting (
P
<0.01) (LVESV in controls, 82.5±2.6 mL; in AntL, 60.6±5.1 mL; in BiL, 61.8±4.1 mL). LVEDV increased by 63±2.0% in controls versus 26±5.5% and 22±3.4% with chordal cutting (
P
<0.01). LV ejection fraction and wall motion score index were not significantly different at follow-up among the chordal cutting and control groups. MR progressively increased to moderate in controls but decreased to trace-mild with AntL and BiL chordal cutting (MR vena contracta in controls, 5.9±1.1 mm; in AntL, 2.6±0.1 mm; in BiL, 1.7±0.1 mm;
P
<0.01). BiL chordal cutting provided greater PL mobility (decreased PL restriction angle to 54.2±5.0° versus 83±3.2° with AntL chordal cutting;
P
<0.01).

Conclusions—
Reduced leaflet tethering by chordal cutting in the chronic post-MI setting substantially decreases the progression of LV remodeling with sustained reduction of MR over a chronic follow-up. These benefits have the potential to improve clinical outcomes.