bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High risk of hepatitis B‐virus reactivation after hematopoietic cell transplantation in hepatitis B core antibody‐positive patients
Authors: Matsue Kosei , Aoki Takatoshi , Odawara Jun , Fujiwara Hideaki , Iwama Kan‐ichi , Kimura Shun‐ichi , Yamakura Masayuki , Takeuch Masami 
Published: June 2009

AbstractWe investigated the serological changes in hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related markers in 55 and 26 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐negative patients undergoing allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation, respectively, over the past 4 yr. Five of the 17 allogeneic and one of the five autologous patients with pretransplant anti‐hepatitis B core antigen antibodies (anti‐HBc) were HBsAg‐positive after transplantation, whereas none of the patients negative for anti‐HBc were HBsAg‐positive in both groups. All patients who became HBsAg‐positive received steroid‐containing immunosuppressive therapy for chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) or myeloma. Four of the six patients developed flare of HBV hepatitis, and two patients did not. One patient developed fulminant hepatitis treated with lamivudine and plasma exchange. Other five patients received entecavir from the detection of HBsAg. Although HBV‐DNA levels became below the limit of detection in all patients, HBsAg positivity remained in three patients after 6 months of treatment. We concluded that anti‐HBc positivity is a risk factor for reactivation of HBV after both autologous and allogeneic transplantation, and HBV‐related markers should be monitored regularly in these patients. We also stress the efficacy of pre‐emptive use of antiviral agents in controlling HBV replication and limiting hepatic injury due to reactivation of HBV in these patients.
Outbreak of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus infection in a group of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Mätz‐Rensing K. , Winkelmann J. , Becker T. , Burckhardt I. , Van Der Linden M. , Köndgen S. , Leendertz F. , Kaup F.‐J. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractBackground  A severe upper respiratory tract infection occurred in a breeding group of rhesus monkeys housed together in one of six indoor/outdoor corals of the German Primate Center. The clinical signs of the disease included severe purulent conjunctivitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, respiratory distress and lethargy. Six of 45 animals died within a few days after developing signs of infection.Methods and results  Histopathologic and microbiologic examinations of the dead animals were consistent with a severe fibrinopurulent bronchopneumonia. Microbiology revealed a Lancefield group C streptococcus identified as Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus as the causative agent of infection.Conclusions  The infection was passed on from animal to animal but did not spread to the other five breeding groups nearby. Extensive diagnostic testing failed to reveal the consisting presence of copathogens in individual cases. A visitor with upper respiratory disease was suspected as source of infection.
Effectiveness of repeated autumn and spring fires for understorey restoration in weed‐invaded temperate eucalypt woodlands
Authors: Prober Suzanne , Taylor Susan , Edwards Robyn , Mills Brett 
Published: June 2009

AbstractQuestion. Can strategic burning, targeting differing ecological characteristics of native and exotic species, facilitate restoration of native understorey in weed‐invaded temperate grassy eucalypt woodlands?Location. Gippsland Plains, eastern Victoria, Australia.Methods. In a replicated, 5‐year experimental trial, the effects of repeated spring or autumn burning were evaluated for native and exotic plants in a representative, degraded Eucalyptus tereticornis grassy woodland. Treatments aimed to reduce seed banks and modify establishment conditions of exotic annual grasses, and to exhaust vegetative reserves of exotic perennial grasses. Treatments were applied to three grassland patch types, dominated by the native grass Austrodanthonia caespitosa, ubiquitous exotic annuals, or the common exotic perennial grass Paspalum dilatatum.Results. The dominant native grass Austrodanthonia caespitosa and native forbs were resilient to repeated fires, and target exotic annuals and perennials were suppressed differentially by autumn and spring fires. Exotic annuals were also suppressed by drought, reducing the overall treatment effects but indicating important opportunities for restoration. The initially sparse exotic geophyte Romulea rosea increased in cover with fire and the impact of this species on native forbs requires further investigation. There was minimal increase in diversity of subsidiary natives with fire, probably owing to lack of propagules.Conclusions. While fire is often considered to increase ecosystem invasibility, our study showed that strategic use of fire, informed by the relative responses of available native and exotic taxa, is potentially an effective step towards restoration of weed‐invaded temperate eucalypt woodlands.
Assessing the value of mitigation strategies in reducing the impacts of rapid‐onset, catastrophic floods
Authors: Johnstone W.M. , Lence B.J. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractCommunities worldwide face dangers due to floods induced by natural events or technical failures. These vulnerabilities are increasing due to continued settlement along coastlines and in floodplains, and may be exacerbated in future by climate change. Flood losses can be mitigated via structural and nonstructural (or community based) means. Risk analysis can be undertaken on behalf of different stakeholders including: policy makers or regulatory bodies; asset owners; the local community; and individuals who live, work or recreate in the hazard impact zones. While methods exist for assessing the risks associated with water impoundment and control structures, less effort has been devoted to developing methods that can assess the merits of community‐based preparation and response activities such as evacuation and sheltering in place. There is a need to identify the best approaches for undertaking assessments of proposed plans, and to explore opportunities for adapting existing models to provide these capabilities. This paper posits the challenge of assessing nonstructural approaches in the context of existing risk analysis methods, proposes a possible direction for developing new methods of analysis, and then demonstrates the application of the proposed methods in support of planning for near‐field tsunami hazards along the Pacific coast of North America.
Risk‐based design of flood defence systems: a preliminary analysis of the optimal protection level for the New Orleans metropolitan area
Authors: Jonkman S.N. , Kok M. , Van Ledden M. , Vrijling J.K. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractAfter the catastrophic flooding of New Orleans due to hurricane Katrina, plans have been developed for the improvement of the flood protection system of the city. In this paper, we apply the principles used in the Netherlands for risk‐based design of flood protection systems to the New Orleans metropolitan area. In this so‐called economic optimization, the incremental investments in more safety are balanced with the reduction of the risk to find an optimal level of flood protection. Although the analyses are preliminary and not yet fully realistic, the presented outcomes indicate that for densely populated areas, such as the central parts of New Orleans, it could be justified to choose a higher protection level than the currently proposed level of 1/100 per year. The results of the economic optimization can be considered as technical advice that can be used as input for the (political) decision‐making.
Second generation bioenergy crops and climate change: a review of the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and drought on water use and the implications for yield
Authors: OLIVER REBECCA J. , FINCH JON W. , TAYLOR GAIL 
Published: June 2009

AbstractSecond‐generation, dedicated lignocellulosic crops for bioenergy are being hailed as the sustainable alternative to food crops for the generation of liquid transport fuels, contributing to climate change mitigation and increased energy security. Across temperate regions they include tree species grown as short rotation coppice and intensive forestry (e.g. Populus and Salix species) and C4 grasses such as miscanthus and switchgrass. For bioenergy crops it is paramount that high energy yields are maintained in order to drive the industry to an economic threshold where it has competitive advantage over conventional fossil fuel alternatives. Therefore, in the face of increased planting of these species, globally, there is a pressing need for insight into their responses to predicted changes in climate to ensure these crops are ‘climate proofed’ in breeding and improvement programmes. In this review, we investigate the physiological responses of bioenergy crops to rising atmospheric CO2 ([Ca]) and drought, with particular emphasis on the C3Salicaceae trees and C4 grasses. We show that while crop yield is predicted to rise by up to 40% in elevated [Ca], this is tempered by the effects of water deficit. In response to elevated [Ca] stomatal conductance and evapotranspiration decline and higher leaf–water potentials are observed. However, whole‐plant responses to [Ca] are often of lower magnitude and may even be positive (increased water use in elevated [Ca]). We conclude that rising [Ca] is likely to improve drought tolerance of bioenergy crop species due to improved plant water use, consequently yields in temperate environments may remain high in future climate scenarios.
Subdeltoid Bursa as a Safe Marker for Avoiding Injury to the Axillary Nerve
Authors: Haddo Omar , Rossouw Daniel J. , Copeland Stephen , Levy Ofer 
Published: June 2009

Background Surgical approaches have been developed to enhance exposure and facilitate operative procedures. Some approaches are not commonly used or preferred due to prolonged learning curves and higher risk of iatrogenic injuries, which can be distressing to both the patient and the surgeon. The antero-superior approach provides good exposure to the rotator cuff, the anterior and posterior aspects of the shoulder and the glenoid. This approach is gaining popularity as a preferred exposure for shoulder arthroplasty as well as trauma surgery. Knowledge of the axillary nerve anatomy, however, is vital in this approach; in order to avoid injury. Method We have dissected the axillary nerve in six cadavers and measured its distance from inferior reflection of the subdeltoid bursa. Results The axillary nerve was at least 1.5 cm distal to the bursa in all cases. Conclusion The deltoid muscle can safely be split to the level indicated by a finger placed into the inferior recess of the subdeltoid bursa. This method uses the patient's own anatomy, and does not rely on nonstandard data, or unreliable points of reference such as the acromion and offers a reliable guide for the use of this approach safely.
A Solar-Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Home and Research Platform
Authors: Palmer David J. , Sachs Gregory D. , Sembler William J. 
Published: June 2009

Abstract
The Solar-Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Home located at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, one of America’s five federal service academies, is believed to be the first of its kind in New York State and perhaps the nation. It represents a synergy of alternative-energy equipment that uses the sun’s energy to create electricity to power the home or surrounding community. Furthermore, it creates hydrogen gas that can be used as a fuel for a variety of applications. The hydrogen produced has two main purposes. First, the hydrogen supplies a fuel cell that produces electricity for the home in the evenings or during days when it is cloudy. Second, the hydrogen can be used to fill up the fuel tank of an environmentally friendly hydrogen-powered automobile after a typical day of operation. There are three primary objectives of this paper. The first objective is to provide a technical overview of the home’s energy systems. This includes an overview of the various monitoring devices, followed by a discussion on how these types of energy systems can help meet the needs of sustainability and energy independence. Building upon this information, the second objective is to perform an analysis of the current system configuration, including the solar array capacity, fuel cell size, and quantity of hydrogen that can be produced versus what is required for the home to be energy self-sufficient. The third objective is to explore existing maritime and military applications and to suggest future applications that may stem from research of this cutting-edge Solar-Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Home and research platform.
Inactivation of
Escherichia coli
Endotoxin by Soft Hydrothermal Processing
Authors: Miyamoto Toru , Okano Shinya , Kasai Noriyuki 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT
Bacterial endotoxins, also known as lipopolysaccharides, are a fever-producing by-product of gram-negative bacteria commonly known as pyrogens. It is essential to remove endotoxins from parenteral preparations since they have multiple injurious biological activities. Because of their strong heat resistance (e.g., requiring dry-heat sterilization at 250°C for 30 min) and the formation of various supramolecular aggregates, depyrogenation is more difficult than sterilization. We report here that soft hydrothermal processing, which has many advantages in safety and cost efficiency, is sufficient to assure complete depyrogenation by the inactivation of endotoxins. The endotoxin concentration in a sample was measured by using a chromogenic limulus method with an endotoxin-specific limulus reagent. The endotoxin concentration was calculated from a standard curve obtained using a serial dilution of a standard solution. We show that endotoxins were completely inactivated by soft hydrothermal processing at 130°C for 60 min or at 140°C for 30 min in the presence of a high steam saturation ratio or with a flow system. Moreover, it is easy to remove endotoxins from water by soft hydrothermal processing similarly at 130°C for 60 min or at 140°C for 30 min, without any requirement for ultrafiltration, nonselective adsorption with a hydrophobic adsorbent, or an anion exchanger. These findings indicate that soft hydrothermal processing, applied in the presence of a high steam saturation ratio or with a flow system, can inactivate endotoxins and may be useful for the depyrogenation of parenterals, including end products and medical devices that cannot be exposed to the high temperatures of dry heat treatments.
Genome-Derived Criteria for Assigning Environmental
narG
and
nosZ
Sequences to Operational Taxonomic Units of Nitrate Reducers
Authors: Palmer Katharina , Drake Harold L. , Horn Marcus A. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

Ninety percent of cultured bacterial nitrate reducers with a 16S rRNA gene similarity of ≥97% had a
narG
or
nosZ
similarity of ≥67% or ≥80%, respectively, suggesting that 67% and 80% could be used as standardized, conservative threshold similarity values for
narG
and
nosZ
, respectively (i.e., any two sequences that are less similar than the threshold similarity value have a very high probability of belonging to different species), for estimating species-level operational taxonomic units. Genus-level tree topologies of
narG
and
nosZ
were generally similar to those of the corresponding 16S rRNA genes. Although some genomes contained multiple copies of
narG
, recent horizontal gene transfer of
narG
was not apparent.
Linking Microbial Community Function to Phylogeny of Sulfate-Reducing
Deltaproteobacteria
in Marine Sediments by Combining Stable Isotope Probing with Magnetic-Bead Capture Hybridization of 16S rRNA
Authors: Miyatake Tetsuro , MacGregor Barbara J. , Boschker Henricus T. S. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

We further developed the stable isotope probing, magnetic-bead capture method to make it applicable for linking microbial community function to phylogeny at the class and family levels. The main improvements were a substantial decrease in the protocol blank and an approximately 10-fold increase in the detection limit by using a micro-elemental analyzer coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry to determine
13
C labeling of isolated 16S rRNA. We demonstrated the method by studying substrate utilization by
Desulfobacteraceae
, a dominant group of complete oxidizing sulfate-reducing
Deltaproteobacteria
in marine sediments. Stable-isotope-labeled [
13
C]glucose, [
13
C]propionate, or [
13
C]acetate was fed into an anoxic intertidal sediment. We applied a nested set of three biotin-labeled oligonucleotide probes to capture
Bacteria
,
Deltaproteobacteria
, and finally
Desulfobacteraceae
rRNA by using hydrophobic streptavidin-coated paramagnetic beads. The target specificities of the probes were examined with pure cultures of target and nontarget species and by determining the phylogenetic composition of the captured sediment rRNA. The specificity of the final protocol was generally very good, as more than 90% of the captured 16S rRNA belonged to the target range of the probes. Our results indicated that
Desulfobacteraceae
were important consumers of propionate but not of glucose. However, the results for acetate utilization were less conclusive due to lower and more variable labeling levels in captured rRNA. The main advantage of the method in this study over other nucleic acid-based stable isotope probing methods is that
13
C labeling can be much lower, to the extent that δ
13
C ratios can be studied even at their natural abundances.
Cytopathological Effects of
Bacillus sphaericus
Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa Toxin on Binary Toxin-Susceptible and -Resistant
Culex quinquefasciatus
Larvae
Authors: de Melo Janaina Viana , Jones Gareth Wyn , Berry Colin , Vasconcelos Romero Henrique Teixeira , de Oliveira Cláudia Maria Fontes , Furtado André Freire , Peixoto Christina Alves , Silva-Filha Maria Helena Neves Lobo 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

The Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa mosquitocidal two-component toxin was recently characterized from
Bacillus sphaericus
strain IAB59 and is uniquely composed of a three-domain Cry protein toxin (Cry48Aa) and a binary (Bin) toxin-like protein (Cry49Aa). Its mode of action has not been elucidated, but a remarkable feature of this protein is the high toxicity against species from the
Culex
complex, besides its capacity to overcome
Culex
resistance to the Bin toxin, the major insecticidal factor in
B. sphaericus
-based larvicides. The goal of this work was to investigate the ultrastructural effects of Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa on midgut cells of Bin-toxin-susceptible and -resistant
Culex quinquefasciatus
larvae. The major cytopathological effects observed after Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa treatment were intense mitochondrial vacuolation, breakdown of endoplasmic reticulum, production of cytoplasmic vacuoles, and microvillus disruption. These effects were similar in Bin-toxin-susceptible and -resistant larvae and demonstrated that Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa toxin interacts with and displays toxic effects on cells lacking receptors for the Bin toxin, while
B. sphaericus
IAB59-resistant larvae did not show mortality after treatment with Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa toxin. The cytopathological alterations in Bin-toxin-resistant larvae provoked by Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa treatment were similar to those observed when larvae were exposed to a synergistic mixture of Bin/Cry11Aa toxins. Such effects seemed to result from a combined action of Cry-like and Bin-like toxins. The complex effects caused by Cry48Aa/Cry49Aa provide evidence for the potential of these toxins as active ingredients of a new generation of biolarvicides that conjugate insecticidal factors with distinct sites of action, in order to manage mosquito resistance.
USER Friendly Cloning Coupled with Chitin-Based Natural Transformation Enables Rapid Mutagenesis of
Vibrio vulnificus
Authors: Gulig Paul A. , Tucker Matthew S. , Thiaville Patrick C. , Joseph Jennifer L. , Brown Roslyn N. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

Vibrio vulnificus
is a bacterial contaminant of shellfish and causes highly lethal sepsis and destructive wound infections. A definitive identification of virulence factors using the molecular version of Koch's postulates has been hindered because of difficulties in performing molecular genetic analysis of this opportunistic pathogen. For example, conjugation is required to introduce plasmid DNA, and allelic exchange suicide vectors that rely on sucrose sensitivity for counterselection are not efficient. We therefore incorporated USER friendly cloning techniques into pCVD442-based allelic exchange suicide vectors and other expression vectors to enable the rapid and efficient capture of PCR amplicons. Upstream and downstream DNA sequences flanking genes targeted for deletion were cloned together in a single step. Based on results from
Vibrio cholerae
, we determined that
V. vulnificus
becomes naturally transformable with linear DNA during growth on chitin in the form of crab shells. By combining USER friendly cloning and chitin-based transformation, we rapidly and efficiently produced targeted deletions in
V. vulnificus
, bypassing the need for two-step, suicide vector-mediated allelic exchange. These methods were used to examine the roles of two flagellin loci (
flaCDE
and
flaFBA
), the
motAB
genes, and the
cheY-3
gene in motility and to create deletions of
rtxC
,
rtxA1
, and
fadR
. Additionally, chitin-based transformation was useful in moving antibiotic resistance-labeled mutations between
V. vulnificus
strains by simply coculturing the strains on crab shells. The methods and genetic tools that we developed should be of general use to those performing molecular genetic analysis and manipulation of other gram-negative bacteria.
Role of the Cell Wall Integrity and Filamentous Growth Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathways in Cell Wall Remodeling during Filamentous Growth
Authors: Birkaya Barbara , Maddi Abhiram , Joshi Jyoti , Free Stephen J. , Cullen Paul J. 
Published: June 2009

ABSTRACT

Many fungal species including pathogens exhibit filamentous growth (FG) as a means of foraging for nutrients. Genetic screens were performed to identify genes required for FG in the budding yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. Genes encoding proteins with established functions in transcriptional activation (
MCM1
,
MAT
α
2
,
PHD1
,
MSN2
,
SIR4
, and
HMS2
), cell wall integrity (
MPT5
,
WSC2
, and
MID2
), and cell polarity (
BUD5
) were identified as potential regulators of FG. The transcription factors
MCM1
and
MAT
α
2
induced invasive growth by promoting diploid-specific bipolar budding in haploid cells. Components of the cell wall integrity pathway including the cell surface proteins Slg1p/Wsc1p, Wsc2p, Mid2p, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Slt2p/Mpk1p contributed to multiple aspects of the FG response including cell elongation, cell-cell adherence, and agar invasion. Mid2p and Wsc2p stimulated the FG MAPK pathway through the signaling mucin Msb2p and components of the MAPK cascade. The FG pathway contributed to cell wall integrity in parallel with the cell wall integrity pathway and in opposition with the high osmolarity glycerol response pathway. Mass spectrometry approaches identified components of the filamentous cell wall including the mucin-like proteins Msb2p, Flo11p, and subtelomeric (silenced) mucin Flo10p. Secretion of Msb2p, which occurs as part of the maturation of the protein, was inhibited by the ß-1,3-glucan layer of the cell wall, which highlights a new regulatory aspect to cell wall remodeling in this organism. Disruption of ß-1,3-glucan linkages induced mucin shedding and resulted in defects in cell-cell adhesion and invasion of cells into the agar matrix.