bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Whole genome amplification (WGA) for archiving and genotyping of clinical isolates ofCryptosporidiumspecies
Authors: BOUZID MAHA , HEAVENS DARREN , ELWIN KRISTIN , CHALMERS RACHEL M. , HADFIELD STEPHEN J. , HUNTER PAUL R. , TYLER KEVIN M. 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYClinical and environmental isolates of pathogens are often unique and may be unculturable, yielding a very limited amount of DNA for genetic studies.Cryptosporidiumin particular are difficult to propagate. Whole genome amplification (WGA) is a valuable technique for amplifying genomic material. In this study, we tested 5 WGA commercial kits usingCryptosporidiumclinical isolates. DNA of 5C. hominisand 5C. parvumclinical isolates andC. parvumIOWA reference strain were used. The majority of the samples were amplified by all of the kits tested. The integrity and fidelity of the amplified genomic DNA were assessed by sequence analysis of several PCR products of varying length. We found evidence that one kit in particular may be more error prone while another seemed the more suitable kit forCryptosporidiumclinical samples, generating high molecular weight DNA from all the samples with high fidelity. Thus WGA was found to be a useful technique for producing amplified DNA suitable for downstream genotyping techniques and archiving ofCryptosporidiumclinical isolates.
Echinococcusmetacestodes as laboratory models for the screening of drugs against cestodes and trematodes
Authors: HEMPHILL A. , STADELMANN B. , SCHOLL S. , MÜLLER J. , SPILIOTIS M. , MÜLLER N. , GOTTSTEIN B. , SILES-LUCAS M. 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYAmong the cestodes,Echinococcus granulosus,Echinococcus multilocularisandTaenia soliumrepresent the most dangerous parasites. Their larval stages cause the diseases cystic echinococcosis (CE), alveolar echincoccosis (AE) and cysticercosis, respectively, which exhibit considerable medical and veterinary health concerns with a profound economic impact. Others caused by other cestodes, such as species of the generaMesocestoidesandHymenolepis, are relatively rare in humans. In this review, we will focus onE. granulosusandE. multilocularismetacestode laboratory models and will review the use of these models in the search for novel drugs that could be employed for chemotherapeutic treatment of echinococcosis. Clearly, improved therapeutic drugs are needed for the treatment of AE and CE, and this can only be achieved through the development of medium-to-high throughput screening approaches. The most recent achievements in thein vitroculture and genetic manipulation ofE. multiloculariscells and metacestodes, and the accessability of theE. multilocularisgenome and EST sequence information, have rendered theE. multilocularismodel uniquely suited for studies on drug-efficacy and drug target identification. This could lead to the development of novel compounds for the use in chemotherapy against echinococcosis, and possibly against diseases caused by other cestodes, and potentially also trematodes.
Culture for genetic manipulation of developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni
Authors: MANN VICTORIA H. , MORALES MARIA E. , RINALDI GABRIEL , BRINDLEY PAUL J. 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYGenomes of the major human helminth parasites, and indeed many others of agricultural significance, are now the research focus of intensive genome sequencing and annotation. A draft genome sequence of the filarial parasite Brugia malayi was reported in 2007 and draft genomes of two of the human schistosomes, Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni reported in 2009. These genome data provide the basis for a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in schistosome nutrition and metabolism, host-dependent development and maturation, immune evasion and invertebrate evolution. In addition, new potential vaccine candidates and drug targets will likely be predicted. However, testing these predictions is often not straightforward with schistosomes because of the difficulty and expense in maintenance of the developmental cycle. To facilitate this goal, several developmental stages can be maintained in vitro for shorter or longer intervals of time, and these are amenable to manipulation. Our research interests focus on experimental studies of schistosome gene functions, and more recently have focused on development of transgenesis and RNA interference with the longer term aim of heritable gene manipulation. Here we review methods to isolate and culture developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni, including eggs, sporocysts, schistosomules and adults, in particular as these procedures relate to approaches for gene manipulation. We also discuss recent advances in genetic manipulation of schistosomes including the deployment of square wave electroporation to introduce reporter genes into cultured schistosomes.
Biological, ultrastructural effect and subcellular localization of aromatic diamidines in Trypanosoma cruzi
Authors: BATISTA D. G. J. , PACHECO M. G. O. , KUMAR A. , BRANOWSKA D. , ISMAIL M. A. , HU L. , BOYKIN D. W. , SOEIRO M. N. C. 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYNo vaccines or safe chemotherapy are available for Chagas disease. Pentamidine and related di-cations are DNA minor groove-binders with broad-spectrum anti-protozoal activity. Therefore our aim was to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of di-cationic compounds – DB1645, DB1582, DB1651, DB1646, DB1670 and DB1627 – against bloodstream trypomastigotes (BT) and intracellular forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. Cellular targets of these compounds in treated parasites were also analysed by fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). DB1645, DB1582 and DB1651 were the most active against BT showing IC50 values ranging between 0·15 and 6·9 μm. All compounds displayed low toxicity towards mammalian cells and DB1645, DB1582 and DB1651 were also the most effective against intracellular parasites, with IC50 values ranging between 7·3 and 13·3 μm. All compounds localized in parasite nuclei and kDNA (with greater intensity in the latter structure), and DB1582 and DB1651 also concentrated in non-DNA-containing cytoplasmic organelles possibly acidocalcisomes. TEM revealed alterations in mitochondria and kinetoplasts, as well as important disorganization of microtubules. Our data provide further information regarding the activity of this class of compounds upon T. cruzi which should aid future design and synthesis of agents that could be used for Chagas disease therapy.
Molecular phylogenetic and morphological analysis of haemosporidian parasites (Haemosporida) in a naturally infected European songbird, the blackcapSylvia atricapilla, with description ofHaemoproteus pallidulussp. nov.
Authors: KRIŽANAUSKIENĖ ASTA , PÉREZ-TRIS JAVIER , PALINAUSKAS VAIDAS , HELLGREN OLOF , BENSCH STAFFAN , VALKIŪNAS GEDIMINAS 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYThe blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is a common Palearctic migratory warbler, and haemosporidian parasites are common in this species. However, genetic and phenotypic diversity of haemosporidians in warblers has been insufficiently investigated and poorly linked. We addressed this issue by combining molecular and microscopy data for detection of pigment-forming haemosporidians of the generaHaemoproteusandPlasmodium. Blood samples from 498 blackcaps were collected at 7 different sites in Europe and investigated for these parasites by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques and microscopic examination. In all, 56% of the birds were infected by at least 1 out of 25 distinct mitochondrial cytochromeb(cytb) gene lineages of these haemosporidians. It is concluded that the blackcap is infected not only with blackcap specific haemosporidians, but also withHaemoproteus majoris, which is a host generalist and common in birds belonging to the Paridae.Haemoproteus pallidulussp. nov. is described based on morphology of its blood stages and segments of the cytband dihydrofolate reductase/thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) genes. This study provides evidence that genetic diversity of haemosporidian parasites might be positively correlated with migratory strategies of their avian hosts; it also contributes to the value of both microscopy and molecular diagnostics of avian blood parasites.
Modeling of blade sharpness and compression cut of biomaterials
Authors: Zhou Debao , McMurray Gary 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYTo realize the automation of biomaterial cutting, the interaction between the blade and biomaterial deserves insight understanding. In this paper, a blade-compression cutting model is developed. The influences from the material properties, deformation, and blade properties on the cutting force are thoroughly explained. An approach to describe the sharpness of a blade is provided and its applicability is experimentally demonstrated. Based on the material property and knife sharpness property, the required force to realize compression cut can be predicted. This provides the reference force trajectory for the automation of biomaterial compression cutting.
Visual motor control of a 7DOF redundant manipulator using redundancy preserving learning network
Authors: Kumar Swagat , P. Premkumar , Dutta Ashish , Behera Laxmidhar 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYThis paper deals with the design and implementation of a visual kinematic control scheme for a redundant manipulator. The inverse kinematic map for a redundant manipulator is a one-to-many relation problem; i.e. for each Cartesian position, multiple joint angle vectors are associated. When this inverse kinematic relation is learnt using existing learning schemes, a single inverse kinematic solution is achieved, although the manipulator is redundant. Thus a new redundancy preserving network based on the self-organizing map (SOM) has been proposed to learn the one-to-many relation using sub-clustering in joint angle space. The SOM network resolves redundancy using three criteria, namely lazy arm movement, minimum angle norm and minimum condition number of image Jacobian matrix. The proposed scheme is able to guide the manipulator end-effector towards the desired target within 1-mm positioning accuracy without exceeding physical joint angle limits. A new concept of neighbourhood has been introduced to enable the manipulator to follow any continuous trajectory. The proposed scheme has been implemented on a seven-degree-of-freedom (7DOF) PowerCube robot manipulator successfully with visual position feedback only. The positioning accuracy of the redundant manipulator using the proposed scheme outperforms existing SOM-based algorithms.
Complete dynamic modelling of a moving base 6-dof parallel manipulator
Authors: Lopes António M. 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYIn this paper a new approach based on the generalized momentum is used to obtain the dynamic model of a six degrees-of-freedom (dof) parallel manipulator. First, the system dynamic equations are obtained supposing the manipulator base platform is fixed. Afterwards, the dynamic model is extended to the case of a moving base platform. This could be important in a macro/micro robotic application, where a small manipulator is attached in series to a big manipulator. Simulation results of a macro/micro robotic system are presented and the contribution of the base platform motion to the total actuating forces is shown.
Influence of the Hardy potential in a semilinear heat equation
Authors: Abdellaoui Boumediene , Peral Ireneo , Primo Ana 
Published: September 2009

This paper deals with the influence of the Hardy potential in a semilinear heat equation. Precisely, we consider the problemwhere Ω⊂ℝN, N≥3, is a bounded regular domain such that 0∈Ω, p>1, and u0≥0, f≥0 are in a suitable class of functions.There is a great difference between this result and the heat equation (λ=0); indeed, if λ>0, there exists a critical exponent p+(λ) such that for p≥p+(λ) there is no solution for any non-trivial initial datum.The Cauchy problem, Ω=ℝN, is also analysed for 1<p<+(λ). We find the same phenomenon about the critical power p+(λ) as above. Moreover, there exists a Fujita-type exponent, F(λ), in the sense that, independently of the initial datum, for 1<p<F(λ), any solution blows up in a finite time. Moreover, F(λ)>1+2/N, which is the Fujita exponent for the heat equation (λ=0).
A foodborne norovirus outbreak at a manufacturing company
Authors: ZOMER T. P. , DE JONG B. , KÜHLMANN-BERENZON S. , NYRÉN O. , SVENUNGSSON B. , HEDLUND K. O. , ANCKER C. , WAHL T. , ANDERSSON Y. 
Published: September 2009

SUMMARYOver 400 office workers from the same unit of a manufacturing company in Stockholm County, Sweden, fell ill with gastroenteritis. A retrospective cohort study of office workers in the affected unit demonstrated that canteen visitors on one day had an increased risk of illness [risk ratio (RR) 27·1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 15·7–46·8] compared to non-visitors. A second study, investigating canteen visitors' consumption of particular food items, showed that both tomatoes from the salad buffet (RR 5·6, 95% CI 3·2–9·6) and hamburgers (RR 4·9, 95% CI 2·4–9·8) were the most likely vehicles of infection. Norovirus GI.3 (Desert Shield) was identified in stool samples from three office workers and from a food handler who prepared the tomatoes for the salad buffet and hamburger ingredients before vomiting at the workplace on 12 November. The outbreak could have been prevented if the food items prepared by the food handler some hours before vomiting had not been served.
Beyond Laterality: A Critical Assessment of Research on the Neural Basis of Metaphor
Authors: SCHMIDT GWENDA L. , KRANJEC ALEXANDER , CARDILLO EILEEN R. , CHATTERJEE ANJAN 
Published: September 2009

AbstractMetaphors are a fundamental aspect of human cognition. The major neuropsychological hypothesis that metaphoric processing relies primarily on the right hemisphere is not confirmed consistently. We propose ways to advance our understanding of the neuropsychology of metaphor that go beyond simple laterality. Neuropsychological studies need to more carefully control confounding lexical and sentential factors, and consider the role of different parts of speech as they are extended metaphorically. They need to incorporate recent theoretical frameworks such as the career of metaphor theory, and address factors such as novelty. We also advocate the use of new methods such as voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping, which permits precise and formal tests of hypotheses correlating behavior with lesions sites. Finally, we outline a plausible model for the neural basis of metaphor. (JINS, 2010, 16, 1–5.)
Neuropsychological functioning as a predictor of employment activity in a longitudinal study of HIV-infected adults contemplating workforce reentry
Authors: CHERNOFF ROBERT A. , MARTIN DAVID J. , SCHROCK DARYL A. , HUY MELISSA P. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractCognitive deficits are associated with HIV disease, and HIV-related cognitive deficits have been associated with declines in everyday functioning and vocational status. We administered a baseline neuropsychological (NP) test battery designed to assess estimated full-scale IQ, achievement, attention/concentration, executive function, language, mental speed, motor function, nonverbal memory, verbal memory, and visual-spatial function to a sample of 174 disabled, HIV-positive individuals enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial of a vocational-rehabilitation program. We then used these NP scores to predict employment at the end of participants’ study participation, using both hierarchical multiple regression and ordinal logistic regression models. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses did not predict participants’ employment activities at the end of study participation. In the ordinal logistic regression model, executive functioning weakly predicted employment status at the end of study participation and inspection of the predicted classifications revealed that 63% of the participants were incorrectly classified using this model. These results suggest that although predicting workforce reentry from NP testing may be statistically significant, NP testing may be of limited clinical value for informing the workforce reentry of disabled people with HIV who are interested in returning to work. (JINS, 2010, 16, 38–48.)
Soilless cultivation for high-quality vegetables with biogas manure in China: Feasibility and benefit analysis
Authors: Liu Wen Ke , Yang Qi-Chang , Du Lianfeng 
Published: September 2009

AbstractVegetables, the indispensable staple produce providing humans with many beneficial substances, are readily contaminated by nitrate, heavy metals and pesticides during conventional cultivation. In particular, off-season vegetables grown in protected systems with low light intensity do tend to accumulate more nitrate in tissues due to excess N fertilization driven by farmers' desire for high yields. Over-the-limit accumulation of the harmful substances in vegetables constitutes a serious hazard to human health globally. Soilless cultivation, currently a fraction of vegetable cultivation in China, is a promising cultivation method to decrease the accumulation of harmful substances through nutrient solution regulation and environmental factor control. However, conventional inorganic nutrient solutions present few quality benefits besides plant nutrition for the widely acknowledged formulations. Currently, high-quality vegetables are urgently desired by humans globally, but they are difficult to grow for lack of an effective and practical cultivation method to lower the accumulation of harmful substances and to improve nutritional quality simultaneously. Although some attempts have been made, few commercial formulations have been applied in practice. Biogas manure (biogas slurry and biogas dregs) is a by-product of biogas production. It has been shown to be a good fertilizer with abundant nutrients, amino acids and bioactive substances. In China, as a product of the recycling process of agricultural wastes, biogas manure is an ever-growing resource due to the rapid development of biogas projects. Therefore, the need to utilize biogas manure is an urgent issue that relates both to environment protection and nutrient resources utilization. In this paper, the updated research results on yield and the quality effects of vegetables cultivated with biogas dregs and the solutions modified from biogas slurry in China are summarized, highlighting the feasibility and benefits of biogas manure in high-quality vegetable production. It is concluded that biogas manure is an effective nutrient source for high-quality vegetable production based on its synergistic effects and effectiveness in yield and quality improvement (particularly depression effects on nitrate accumulation), and stress resistance. However, deliberate component regulations need to be developed for better yield and quality of vegetables under soilless cultivation due to the large variability of components of biogas manure caused by various combinations of fermentative materials.
Geometric Representations of Language Taxonomies
Authors: Blanchard Philippe , Petroni Filippo , Serva Maurizio , Volchenkov Dimitri 
Published: September 2009

AbstractComplex relationships between different languages in a language family encoded in the lexicostatistic data can be subjected to a component analysis and represented geometrically, in terms of distances and angles. The fully automated method for construction of language taxonomy is tested on a sample of fifty languages of the Indo-European language group and applied to a sample of fifty languages of the Austronesian language group. The Anatolian and Kurgan hypotheses of the Indo-European origin and the 'express train' model of the Polynesian origin are thoroughly discussed.
Disengagement of the deeply engaged fetal head during cesarean section in advanced labor: Conventional method versus reverse breech extraction
Authors: CHOPRA SEEMA , BAGGA RASHMI , KEEPANASSERIL ANISH , JAIN VANITA , KALRA JASVINDER , SURI VANITA 
Published: September 2009

AbstractMaternal and fetal morbidity of two different methods of delivering the baby during cesarean section performed in advanced labor when the fetal head is deeply engaged was assessed retrospectively, i.e. delivering as ‘cephalic’ with or without assistance to push up the fetal head from the vagina (head first or push method) and ‘reverse breech extraction’ (feet first or pull method). Records of 182 women with a single fetus in cephalic presentation, who had undergone cesarean section at cervical dilatation at ≥7 cm, with the vertex at or below zero station, were reviewed. Extension of the uterine incision occurred in significantly more women during ‘cephalic’ delivery as compared to ‘reverse breech extraction’ (22.8% versus 2.2%; p = 0.001). Use of ‘reverse breech extraction’ is an attractive and safe alternative to the standard methods for intra‐operative disengagement of a deeply impacted fetal head in order to reduce maternal and fetal morbidity.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis may not be associated with brain abnormalities
Authors: Lee Jung Sub , Kim Seong-Jang , Suh Kuen Tak , Kim In Joo , Kim Yong-Ki 
Published: September 2009

Background: The etiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is uncertain and multifactorial. Recently, regional brain volume differences have been reported in the pathogenesis of AIS. Purpose: To examine cerebral glucose metabolism using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) brain positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with AIS and in gender-matched healthy control subjects. Material and Methods: Twenty-six right-handed AIS patients (six male, 20 female; mean age 14.6±2.22 years, range 11–18 years) were prospectively recruited for this study. Fourteen young adults (three male, 11 female; mean age 27±1.54 years, range 25–29 years) were included as a control group. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used to determine cerebral glucose metabolism. Statistical probabilistic anatomical mapping (SPAM) was used to investigate the metabolic differences between AIS and normal control subjects with respect to previously reported brain areas. Results: SPM analysis showed no voxels with differing cerebral glucose metabolism in AIS patients. SPAM analysis revealed no significant differences between AIS and normal control subjects. Conclusion: SPM and SPAM analyses showed no statistically significant differences in cerebral glucose metabolism between AIS and normal control subjects. These results may suggest that there is no relationship between AIS and brain abnormalities.
Gold nanoparticle charge trapping and relation to organic polymer memory devices
Authors: Prime D. , Paul S. , Josephs-Franks P. W. 
Published: September 2009

Nanoparticle-based polymer memory devices (PMDs) are a promising technology that could replace conventional silicon-based electronic memory, offering fast operating speeds, simple device structures and low costs. Here we report on the current state of nanoparticle PMDs and review some of the problems that are still present in the field. We also present new data regarding the charging of gold nanoparticles in metal–insulator–semiconductor capacitors, showing that charging is possible under the application of an electric field with a trapped charge density due to the nanoparticles of 3.3×10
12
cm
−2
.