bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Is there a reduction of congenital abnormalities in the offspring of diabetic pregnant women after folic acid supplementation? A population‐based case‐control study
Authors: Bánhidy Ferenc , Dakhlaoui Abdallah , Puhó Erzsébet H. , Czeizel Andrew A. E. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTThe objective of the present study was to estimate the preventive effect of folic acid for structural birth defects (i.e. congenital abnormalities [CAs]) in the offspring of pregnant women with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM‐1). The occurrence of medically recorded DM‐1 in pregnant women who had malformed fetuses/newborns (cases) and delivered healthy babies (controls) with or without folic acid supplementation was compared in the population‐based Hungarian Case‐Control Surveillance System of Congenital Abnormalities. The case group included 22 843 offspring, and there were 79 (0.35%) pregnant women with DM‐1, while the control group comprised of 38 151 newborns, and 88 (0.23%) had mothers with DM‐1. Case mothers with DM‐1 associated with a higher risk of total rate of CAs in their offspring (OR with 95% CI: 1.5, 1.1–2.0) compared to the total rate of CAs in the offspring of non‐diabetic case mothers. This higher risk can be explained by four specific types/groups of CAs: isolated renal a/dysgenesis; obstructive CA of the urinary tract; cardiovascular CAs; and multiple CAs, namely caudal dysplasia sequence. However, there was no higher rate of total CAs in the children of pregnant women with DM‐1 after folic acid supplementation; in addition, neural‐tube defect and renal a/dysgenesis did not occur. However, this benefit cannot be explained by the CA reduction effect of folic acid during the critical period of major CAs. In conclusion, there was a certain reduction in maternal teratogenic effect of DM‐1 after folic acid supplementation during pregnancy, but the explanation of this effect requires further study.
Bilateral simultaneous acute angle closure glaucoma precipitated by non‐prescription cold and flu medication
Authors: Rudkin Adam K , Gray Tim L , Awadalla Mona , Craig Jamie E 
Published: October 2010

AbstractWe present a case of a 63‐year‐old woman who presented to an ED with bifrontal headache, nausea and vomiting and reduced visual acuity. Examination revealed bilateral elevated intraocular pressures, corneal haze, shallow anterior chambers and poorly reactive, mid‐dilated pupils. Diagnosis was made of simultaneous bilateral acute angle closure glaucoma. A complete drug history revealed that she had been using an over‐the‐counter cold and flu remedy whose active ingredients included atropa belladonna, an herb with anticholinergic properties. It is likely that drug‐induced dilatation of the individual's pupils precipitated this angle closure emergency. In the report we discuss the risk factors for angle closure glaucoma, and review the local and systemic drugs known to trigger this sight‐threatening emergency.
Public criminologies
Authors: Uggen Christopher , Inderbitzin Michelle 
Published: October 2010

Research Summary Public scholarship aspires to bring social science home to the individuals, communities, and institutions that are its focus of study. In particular, it seeks to narrow the yawning gap between public perceptions and the best available scientific evidence on issues of public concern. Yet nowhere is the gap between perceptions and evidence greater than in the study of crime. Here, we outline the prospects for a public criminology, conducting and disseminating research on crime, law, and deviance in dialogue with affected communities. We present historical data on the media discussion of criminology and sociology, and we outline the distinctive features of criminology—interdisciplinary, a subject matter that incites moral panics, and a practitioner base actively engaged in knowledge production—that push the boundaries of public scholarship. Policy Implications Discussions of public sociology have drawn a bright line separating policy work from professional, critical, and public scholarship. As the research and policy essays published in Criminology & Public Policy make clear, however, the best criminology often is conducted at the intersection of these domains. A vibrant public criminology will help to bring new voices to policy discussions while addressing common myths and misconceptions about crime.
Policing the homeless
Authors: Berk Richard , MacDonald John 
Published: October 2010

Research Summary Police officials across the United States are increasingly relying on place‐based approaches for crime prevention. In this article, we examine the Safer Cities Initiative, a widely publicized place‐based policing intervention implemented in Los Angeles's “Skid Row” that focused on crime and disorder associated with homeless encampments. Crime reduction was the goal. The police division in which the program was undertaken provides 8 years of time‐series data serving as the observations for the treatment condition. Four adjacent police divisions in which the program was not undertaken provide 8 years of time‐series data serving as the observations for the comparison condition. The data are analyzed using a generalized additive model. On balance, we find that this place‐based intervention is associated with meaningful reductions in violent, property, and nuisance street crimes. There is no evidence of crime displacement. Policy Implications This study provides further evidence that geographically targeted police interventions can lead to significant crime prevention benefits, with no evidence that crime is simply displaced to other areas. Criminologists and the media have given the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) little credit for major reductions in crime that have occurred during the past 5 years following a number of major policy reforms. We suggest that researchers should look more closely at the targeted interventions the LAPD has undertaken for evidence‐based examples of effective policing. Importantly, this work suggests that crime associated with homeless encampments can be meaningfully reduced with targeted police actions. However, law enforcement actions do not address the roots of homelessness nor most of its consequences. Getting tough on the homeless should not be confused with policies or programs that respond fundamentally to the social and personal problems that homelessness presents.
Antioxidant and Antiradical Capacities in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Fruits: Variations from Genotypes, Years, and Analytical Methods
Authors: Hegedú´s Attila , Engel Rita , Abrankó László , Balogh Emó´ke , Blázovics Anna , Hermán Rita , Halász Júlia , Ercisli Sezai , Pedryc Andrzej , Stefanovits‐Bányai Éva 
Published: October 2010

Abstract:  The fruit quality parameters and antioxidant capacity (ferric reducing antioxidant power, FRAP) and total phenolic content (TPC) were determined in 27 apricot cultivars and hybrids of diverse origins. Twenty one‐ to 35‐fold variations were measured among FRAP and TPC values. Besides genotype, harvest year also contributed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) to the variations of TPC presumably due to the climatic differences between years. A subset of genotypes (15) was also analyzed for their antiradical activities (2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl, DPPH; total radical‐scavenging activity, TRSA; water‐soluble antioxidant capacity, ACW; and lipid‐soluble antioxidant capacity, ACL), and vitamin C contents as well as color indices (CIE H°, L*, and chroma). The hybrid “Preventa” had outstanding FRAP (>10.4 mmol ascorbic acid/L), DPPH (74.45%), TRSA (0.002%), ACW (33587.5 nmol AA/L) and ACL (78.65 nmol Trolox/L), TPC (>2890.0 mg gallic acid/L), and vitamin C (16.17 mg/100 g FW) levels and an average carotenoid content estimated from the hue angle (66.99°). Most antioxidant and antiradical activities correlated significantly except for TRSA; the closest correlation was observed between FRAP and ACW (r = 0.952). Only TRSA showed significant correlations with color indices, H° and chroma, suggesting TRSA measures at least a fraction of the antioxidant capacity attributable to apricot carotenoids.Practical Application:  The information presented might be directly used for developing apricot‐based functional foods.
Clinical features of Wilson disease: Analysis of 10 cases
Authors: Takeyama Yasuaki , Yokoyama Keiji , Takata Kazuhide , Tanaka Takashi , Sakurai Kunitoshi , Matsumoto Teruo , Iwashita Hideyuki , Ueda Shu‐ichi , Hirano Genryu , Hanano Takayuki , Nakane Hidetoshi , Morihara Daisuke , Nishizawa Shinya , Yoshikane Makoto , Anan Akira , Kakumitsu Shigeru , Kitamura Yuji , Sakamoto Masaharu , Irie Makoto , Iwata Kaoru , Shakado Satoshi , Sohda Tetsuro , Watanabe Hiroshi , Hirose Shinichi , Hayashi Hideyuki , Noritomi Tomoaki , Yamashita Yuichi , Sakisaka Shotaro 
Published: October 2010

Aim:  The diagnosis of Wilson disease is based on the results of several clinical and biochemical tests. This study aimed to clarify the clinical features and spectrum of Wilson disease, including severe Wilson disease.Methods:  Between 1985 and 2009, 10 patients with clinical, biochemical or histological evidence of Wilson disease were either diagnosed or had a previously established diagnosis confirmed at Fukuoka University Hospital. Severe Wilson disease was defined by a serum prothrombin time ratio of more than 1.5 or serum prothrombin activity of less than 50%. The 10 Wilson disease patients were divided into two groups, one containing three non‐severe patients and the other containing seven severe patients, and the biochemical features of the patients in these two groups were compared.Results:  The mean age at diagnosis was 21.5 ± 11.7 years (range, 7–39). Decreased serum ceruloplasmin, enhanced 24‐h urinary copper excretion, presence of Kayser–Fleischer rings and histological signs of chronic liver damage were confirmed in 100%, 100%, 66.7% and 100% of patients, respectively. Severe Wilson disease patients had higher levels of serum ceruloplasmin and serum copper (P < 0.05, P < 0.05, respectively) than non‐severe patients.Conclusion:  In severe Wilson disease patients, the serum ceruloplasmin and serum copper levels were higher than those in non‐severe Wilson disease patients.
Thaumarchaeal Ammonia Oxidation in an Acidic Forest Peat Soil Is Not Influenced by Ammonium Amendment
Authors: Stopnišek Nejc , Gubry-Rangin Cécile , Höfferle Špela , Nicol Graeme W. , Mandič-Mulec Ines , Prosser James I. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

Both bacteria and thaumarchaea contribute to ammonia oxidation, the first step in nitrification. The abundance of putative ammonia oxidizers is estimated by quantification of the functional gene
amoA
, which encodes ammonia monooxygenase subunit A. In soil, thaumarchaeal
amoA
genes often outnumber the equivalent bacterial genes. Ecophysiological studies indicate that thaumarchaeal ammonia oxidizers may have a selective advantage at low ammonia concentrations, with potential adaptation to soils in which mineralization is the major source of ammonia. To test this hypothesis, thaumarchaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers were investigated during nitrification in microcosms containing an organic, acidic forest peat soil (pH 4.1) with a low ammonium concentration but high potential for ammonia release during mineralization. Net nitrification rates were high but were not influenced by addition of ammonium. Bacterial
amoA
genes could not be detected, presumably because of low abundance of bacterial ammonia oxidizers. Phylogenetic analysis of thaumarchaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that dominant populations belonged to group 1.1c, 1.3, and “deep peat” lineages, while known
amo
-containing lineages (groups 1.1a and 1.1b) comprised only a small proportion of the total community. Growth of thaumarchaeal ammonia oxidizers was indicated by increased abundance of
amoA
genes during nitrification but was unaffected by addition of ammonium. Similarly, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of
amoA
gene transcripts demonstrated small temporal changes in thaumarchaeal ammonia oxidizer communities but no effect of ammonium amendment. Thaumarchaea therefore appeared to dominate ammonia oxidation in this soil and oxidized ammonia arising from mineralization of organic matter rather than added inorganic nitrogen.
Evaluation of Virulence Factor Profiling in the Characterization of Veterinary
Escherichia coli
Isolates
Authors: David Donna E. , Lynne Aaron M. , Han Jing , Foley Steven L. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

Escherichia coli
has been used as an indicator organism for fecal contamination of water and other environments and is often a commensal organism in healthy animals, yet a number of strains can cause disease in young or immunocompromised animals. In this study, 281
E. coli
isolates from bovine, porcine, chicken, canine, equine, feline, and other veterinary sources were analyzed by BOXA1R PCR and by virulence factor profiling of 35 factors to determine whether they had utility in identifying the animal source of the isolates. The results of BOXA1R PCR analysis demonstrated a high degree of diversity; less than half of the isolates fell into one of 27 clusters with at least three isolates (based on 90% similarity). Nearly 60% of these clusters contained isolates from more than one animal source. Conversely, the results of virulence factor profiling demonstrated clustering by animal source. Three clusters, named Bovine, Chicken, and Porcine, based on discriminant components analysis, were represented by 90% or more of the respective isolates. A fourth group, termed Companion, was the most diverse, containing at least 84% of isolates from canine, feline, equine, and other animal sources. Based on these results, it appears that virulence factor profiling may have utility, helping identify the likely animal host species sources of certain
E. coli
isolates.
Exploring the Low-Pressure Growth Limit: Evolution of
Bacillus subtilis
in the Laboratory to Enhanced Growth at 5 Kilopascals
Authors: Nicholson Wayne L. , Fajardo-Cavazos Patricia , Fedenko Jeffrey , Ortíz-Lugo José L. , Rivas-Castillo Andrea , Waters Samantha M. , Schuerger Andrew C. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

Growth of
Bacillus subtilis
cells, normally adapted at Earth-normal atmospheric pressure (∼101.3 kPa), was progressively inhibited by lowering of pressure in liquid LB medium until growth essentially ceased at 2.5 kPa. Growth inhibition was immediately reversible upon return to 101.3 kPa, albeit at a slower rate. A population of
B. subtilis
cells was cultivated at the near-inhibitory pressure of 5 kPa for 1,000 generations, where a stepwise increase in growth was observed, as measured by the turbidity of 24-h cultures. An isolate from the 1,000-generation population was obtained that showed an increase in fitness at 5 kPa when compared to the ancestral strain or a strain obtained from a parallel population that evolved for 1,000 generations at 101.3 kPa. The results from this preliminary study have implications for understanding the ability of terrestrial microbes to grow in low-pressure environments such as Mars.
Production of Hydrogen Gas from Light and the Inorganic Electron Donor Thiosulfate by
Rhodopseudomonas palustris
Authors: Huang Jean J. , Heiniger Erin K. , McKinlay James B. , Harwood Caroline S. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

A challenge for photobiological production of hydrogen gas (H
2
) as a potential biofuel is to find suitable electron-donating feedstocks. Here, we examined the inorganic compound thiosulfate as a possible electron donor for nitrogenase-catalyzed H
2
production by the purple nonsulfur phototrophic bacterium (PNSB)
Rhodopseudomonas palustris
. Thiosulfate is an intermediate of microbial sulfur metabolism in nature and is also generated in industrial processes. We found that
R. palustris
grew photoautotrophically with thiosulfate and bicarbonate and produced H
2
when nitrogen gas was the sole nitrogen source (nitrogen-fixing conditions). In addition, illuminated nongrowing
R. palustris
cells converted about 80% of available electrons from thiosulfate to H
2
. H
2
production with acetate and succinate as electron donors was less efficient (40 to 60%), partly because nongrowing cells excreted the intermediary metabolite α-ketoglutarate into the culture medium. The
fixABCX
operon (RPA4602 to RPA4605) encoding a predicted electron-transfer complex is necessary for growth using thiosulfate under nitrogen-fixing conditions and may serve as a point of engineering to control rates of H
2
production. The possibility to use thiosulfate expands the range of electron-donating compounds for H
2
production by PNSBs beyond biomass-based electron donors.
Kinetic Analysis of Strains of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Acetic Acid Bacteria in Cocoa Pulp Simulation Media toward Development of a Starter Culture for Cocoa Bean Fermentation
Authors: Lefeber Timothy , Janssens Maarten , Camu Nicholas , De Vuyst Luc 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

The composition of cocoa pulp simulation media (PSM) was optimized with species-specific strains of lactic acid bacteria (PSM-LAB) and acetic acid bacteria (PSM-AAB). Also, laboratory fermentations were carried out in PSM to investigate growth and metabolite production of strains of
Lactobacillus plantarum
and
Lactobacillus fermentum
and of
Acetobacter pasteurianus
isolated from Ghanaian cocoa bean heap fermentations, in view of the development of a defined starter culture. In a first step, a selection of strains was made out of a pool of strains of these LAB and AAB species, obtained from previous studies, based on their fermentation kinetics in PSM. Also, various concentrations of citric acid in the presence of glucose and/or fructose (PSM-LAB) and of lactic acid in the presence of ethanol (PSM-AAB) were tested. These data could explain the competitiveness of particular cocoa-specific strains, namely,
L. plantarum
80 (homolactic and acid tolerant),
L. fermentum
222 (heterolactic, citric acid fermenting, mannitol producing, and less acid tolerant), and
A. pasteurianus
386B (ethanol and lactic acid oxidizing, acetic acid overoxidizing, acid tolerant, and moderately heat tolerant), during the natural cocoa bean fermentation process. For instance, it turned out that the capacity to use citric acid, which was exhibited by
L. fermentum
222, is of the utmost importance. Also, the formation of mannitol was dependent not only on the LAB strain but also on environmental conditions. A mixture of
L. plantarum
80,
L. fermentum
222, and
A. pasteurianus
386B can now be considered a mixed-strain starter culture for better controlled and more reliable cocoa bean fermentation processes.
Changes in the Structure and Function of Microbial Communities in Drinking Water Treatment Bioreactors upon Addition of Phosphorus
Authors: Li Xu , Upadhyaya Giridhar , Yuen Wangki , Brown Jess , Morgenroth Eberhard , Raskin Lutgarde 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

Phosphorus was added as a nutrient to bench-scale and pilot-scale biologically active carbon (BAC) reactors operated for perchlorate and nitrate removal from contaminated groundwater. The two bioreactors responded similarly to phosphorus addition in terms of microbial community function (i.e., reactor performance), while drastically different responses in microbial community structure were detected. Improvement in reactor performance with respect to perchlorate and nitrate removal started within a few days after phosphorus addition for both reactors. Microbial community structures were evaluated using molecular techniques targeting 16S rRNA genes. Clone library results showed that the relative abundance of perchlorate-reducing bacteria (PRB)
Dechloromonas
and
Azospira
in the bench-scale reactor increased from 15.2% and 0.6% to 54.2% and 11.7% after phosphorus addition, respectively. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) experiments revealed that these increases started within a few days after phosphorus addition. In contrast, after phosphorus addition, the relative abundance of
Dechloromonas
in the pilot-scale reactor decreased from 7.1 to 0.6%, while
Zoogloea
increased from 17.9 to 52.0%. The results of this study demonstrated that similar operating conditions for bench-scale and pilot-scale reactors resulted in similar contaminant removal performances, despite dramatically different responses from microbial communities. These findings suggest that it is important to evaluate the microbial community compositions inside bioreactors used for drinking water treatment, as they determine the microbial composition in the effluent and impact downstream treatment requirements for drinking water production. This information could be particularly relevant to drinking water safety, if pathogens or disinfectant-resistant bacteria are detected in the bioreactors.
Genome Analysis of Deep-Sea Thermophilic Phage D6E
Authors: Wang Yiqian , Zhang Xiaobo 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

In deep-sea hydrothermsal vent communities, viruses play very important roles. However vent thermophilic bacteriophages remain largely unexplored. In this investigation, a novel vent
Geobacillus
bacteriophage, D6E, was characterized. Based on comparative genomics and proteomics analyses, the results showed an extensive mosaicism of D6E genome with other mesophilc or thermophilic phages.
Effect of
Salmonella
Vaccination of Breeder Chickens on Contamination of Broiler Chicken Carcasses in Integrated Poultry Operations
Authors: Dórea Fernanda C. , Cole Dana J. , Hofacre Charles , Zamperini Katherine , Mathis Demetrius , Doyle Michael P. , Lee Margie D. , Maurer John J. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

While measures to control carcass contamination with
Salmonella
at the processing plant have been implemented with some success, on-farm interventions that reduce
Salmonella
prevalence in meat birds entering the processing plant have not translated well on a commercial scale. We determined the impact of
Salmonella
vaccination on commercial poultry operations by monitoring four vaccinated and four nonvaccinated breeder (parental) chicken flocks and comparing
Salmonella
prevalences in these flocks and their broiler, meat bird progeny. For one poultry company, their young breeders were vaccinated by using a live-attenuated
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium vaccine (Megan VAC-1) followed by a killed
Salmonella
bacterin consisting of
S. enterica
serovar Berta and
S. enterica
serovar Kentucky. The other participating poultry company did not vaccinate their breeders or broilers. The analysis revealed that vaccinated hens had a lower prevalence of
Salmonella
in the ceca (38.3% versus 64.2%;
P
< 0.001) and the reproductive tracts (14.22% versus 51.7%;
P
< 0.001). We also observed a lower
Salmonella
prevalence in broiler chicks (18.1% versus 33.5%;
P
< 0.001), acquired from vaccinated breeders, when placed at the broiler farms contracted with the poultry company. Broiler chicken farms populated with chicks from vaccinated breeders also tended to have fewer environmental samples containing
Salmonella
(14.4% versus 30.1%;
P
< 0.001). There was a lower
Salmonella
prevalence in broilers entering the processing plants (23.4% versus 33.5%;
P
< 0.001) for the poultry company that utilized this
Salmonella
vaccination program for its breeders. Investigation of other company-associated factors did not indicate that the difference between companies could be attributed to measures other than the vaccination program.
High-Cell-Density Cyclic Fed-Batch Fermentation of a Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate)-Accumulating Thermophile,
Chelatococcus
sp. Strain MW10
Authors: Ibrahim Mohammad H. A. , Steinbüchel Alexander 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

Different fermentation strategies were employed for the cultivation of a new poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-accumulating thermophilic bacterium,
Chelatococcus
sp. strain MW10, with the aim of achieving high-cell-density (HCD) growth and high poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [poly(3HB)] productivity. Enhanced cultivation was achieved by a cyclic fed-batch fermentation (CFBF) technique (42-liter scale). Maximal poly(3HB) productivity was obtained during the second cycle [16.8 ± 4.2 g poly(3HB)/liter]. At the end of CFBF (265 h), an HCD of up to 115.0 ± 4.3 g cell dry weight/liter was achieved.