bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In Vitro
Comparison of Nitrofurazone- and Silver Alloy-Coated Foley Catheters for Contact-Dependent and Diffusible Inhibition of Urinary Tract Infection-Associated Microorganisms
Authors: Johnson James R. , Johnston Brian , Kuskowski Michael A. 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACT

Two marketed antimicrobial-coated Foley catheters were compared for
in vitro
diffusible and contact-dependent inhibition of 11 urinary tract infection-associated microorganisms in an adherence-biofilm assay. Nitrofurazone-coated catheters significantly outperformed silver alloy-coated catheters for inhibitory activity, according to both inoculum broth and catheter sonicate counts, whether compared directly or against the corresponding control catheters. Although inhibition waned with catheter preincubation in saline, some organisms were inhibited even after a 48-h catheter preincubation, especially by the nitrofurazone-coated catheter.
Fluoxetine Is a Potent Inhibitor of Coxsackievirus Replication
Authors: Zuo Jun , Quinn Kevin K. , Kye Steve , Cooper Paige , Damoiseaux Robert , Krogstad Paul 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACT
No antiviral drugs currently exist for the treatment of enterovirus infections, which are often severe and potentially life threatening. Molecular screening of small molecule libraries identified fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, as a potent inhibitor of coxsackievirus replication. Fluoxetine did not interfere with either viral entry or translation of the viral genome. Instead, fluoxetine and its metabolite norfluoxetine markedly reduced the synthesis of viral RNA and protein. In view of its favorable pharmacokinetics and safety profile, fluoxetine warrants additional study as a potential antiviral agent for enterovirus infections.
5S Clavam Biosynthesis Is Controlled by an Atypical Two-Component Regulatory System in Streptomyces clavuligerus
Authors: Kwong Thomas , Zelyas Nathan J. , Cai Hui , Tahlan Kapil , Wong Annie , Jensen Susan E. 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACT

Streptomyces clavuligerus
produces a collection of five clavam metabolites, including the clinically important β-lactamase inhibitor clavulanic acid, as well as four structurally related metabolites called 5S clavams. The paralogue gene cluster of
S. clavuligerus
is one of three clusters of genes for the production of these clavam metabolites. A region downstream of the cluster was analyzed, and
snk
,
res1
, and
res2
, encoding elements of an atypical two-component regulatory system, were located. Mutation of any one of the three genes had no effect on clavulanic acid production, but
snk
and
res2
mutants produced no 5S clavams, whereas
res1
mutants overproduced 5S clavams. Reverse transcriptase PCR analyses showed that transcription of
cvm7p
(which encodes a transcriptional activator of 5S clavam biosynthesis) and 5S clavam biosynthetic genes was eliminated in
snk
and in
res2
mutants but that
snk
and
res2
transcription was unaffected in a
cvm7p
mutant. Both
snk
and
res2
mutants could be complemented by introduction of
cvm7p
under the control of an independently regulated promoter.
In vitro
assays showed that Snk can autophosphorylate and transfer its phosphate group to both Res1 and Res2, and Snk-H365, Res1-D52, and Res2-D52 were identified as the phosphorylation sites for the system. Dephosphorylation assays indicated that Res1 stimulates dephosphorylation of Res2∼P. These results suggest a regulatory cascade in which Snk and Res2 form a two-component system controlling
cvm7p
transcription, with Res1 serving as a checkpoint to modulate phosphorylation levels. Cvm7P then activates transcription of 5S clavam biosynthetic genes.
Correlation between Fecal Concentrations of Ciprofloxacin and Fecal Counts of Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Piglets Treated with Ciprofloxacin: toward New Means To Control the Spread of Resistance?
Authors: Nguyen Thu Thuy , Chachaty Elisabeth , Huy Clarisse , Cambier Carole , de Gunzburg Jean , Mentré France , Andremont Antoine 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACT

We assessed in a piglet model the relationship between fecal ciprofloxacin concentrations and ciprofloxacin-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
counts. Twenty-nine piglets were orally treated with placebo or with 1.5 or 15 mg ciprofloxacin/kg of body weight/day from day 1 (D1) to D5. Areas under the curve (AUC) of concentrations increased sharply with dose and correlated positively with AUC of resistant bacteria log counts between D1 and D9. Removing residual colonic quinolones could help to control the emergence of resistance in fecal flora.
Investigation of Metronidazole Use during Pregnancy and Adverse Birth Outcomes
Authors: Koss Catherine A. , Baras Dana C. , Lane Sandra D. , Aubry Richard , Marcus Michele , Markowitz Lauri E. , Koumans Emilia H. 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACT
To assess whether treatment with metronidazole during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, or major congenital anomalies, we conducted chart reviews and an analysis of electronic data from a cohort of women delivering at an urban New York State hospital. Of 2,829 singleton/mother pairs, 922 (32.6%) mothers were treated with metronidazole for clinical indications, 348 (12.3%) during the first trimester of pregnancy and 553 (19.5%) in the second or third trimester. There were 333 (11.8%) preterm births, 262 (9.3%) infants of low birth weight, and 52 infants (1.8%) with congenital anomalies. In multivariable analysis, no association was found between metronidazole treatment and preterm birth (odds ratio [OR], 1.02 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.32]), low birth weight (OR, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.77 to 1.43]), or treatment in the first trimester and congenital anomalies (OR, 0.86 [0.30 to 2.45]). We found no association between metronidazole treatment during the first or later trimesters of pregnancy and preterm birth, low birth weight, or congenital anomalies.
Tracing Putative Trafficking of the Glycolytic Enzyme Enolase via SNARE-Driven Unconventional Secretion
Authors: Miura Natsuko , Kirino Aya , Endo Satoshi , Morisaka Hironobu , Kuroda Kouichi , Takagi Masahiro , Ueda Mitsuyoshi 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACT

Glycolytic enzymes are cytosolic proteins, but they also play important extracellular roles in cell-cell communication and infection. We used
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
to analyze the secretory pathway of some of these enzymes, including enolase, phosphoglucose isomerase, triose phosphate isomerase, and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. Enolase, phosphoglucose isomerase, and an N-terminal 28-amino-acid-long fragment of enolase were secreted in a
sec23
-independent manner. The enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-conjugated enolase fragment formed cellular foci, some of which were found at the cell periphery. Therefore, we speculated that an overview of the secretory pathway could be gained by investigating the colocalization of the enolase fragment with intracellular proteins. The DsRed-conjugated enolase fragment colocalized with membrane proteins at the
cis
-Golgi complex, nucleus, endosome, and plasma membrane, but not the mitochondria. In addition, the secretion of full-length enolase was inhibited in a knockout mutant of the intracellular SNARE protein-coding gene
TLG2
. Our results suggest that enolase is secreted via a SNARE-dependent secretory pathway in
S. cerevisiae
.
Cows-feet soup: a rare cause of recurrent trichobezoar
Authors: Kiernan Miles Finbar , Kamat Sachin , Olagbaiye Femi 
Published: July 2012

A 45-year-old Afro-Caribbean woman attended the emergency department with worsening dysphagia, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, shortness of breath and generalised weakness. She enjoyed preparing and eating cows-feet stew and preferred to cook the meat with the hair and skin intact. On admission she had a severe microcytic anaemia and was malnourished. Abdominal x-ray and CT revealed a large gastric bezoar. At gastrotomy a foul-smelling 2.42 kg mass of hair, leathery skin and altered food were evacuated from the lesser curvature of the stomach. She had undergone the same procedure 8 years earlier to remove a similar trichobezoar.Following psychiatric review it was deemed that the patient had no underlying psychiatric condition and had full insight into why her trichobezoar had re-occurred. She made a good postoperative recovery and stopped eating cows-feet stew.
Effect of integrated palliative care on the quality of end-of-life care: retrospective analysis of 521 cancer patients
Authors: Colombet Isabelle , Montheil Vincent , Durand Jean-Philippe , Gillaizeau Florence , Niarra Ralph , Jaeger Cécile , Alexandre Jérôme , Goldwasser François , Vinant Pascale 
Published: July 2012

ObjectiveTo examine the impact of oncologist awareness of palliative care (PC), the intervention of the PC team (PCT) and multidisciplinary decision-making on three quality indicators of end-of-life (EOL) care.SettingCochin Academic Hospital, Paris, 2007–2008.Design and participantsA 521 decedent case series study nested in a cohort of 735 metastatic cancer patients previously treated with chemotherapy. Indicators were location of death, number of emergency room (ER) visits in last month of life and chemotherapy administration in last 14 days of life. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between indicators and oncologist's awareness of PC, PCT intervention and case discussions at weekly onco-palliative meetings (OPMs).Results58 (11%) patients died at home, 45 (9%) in an intensive care unit or ER, and 253 (49%) in an acute care hospital; 185 (36%) patients visited the ER in last month of life and 75 (14%) received chemotherapy in last 14 days of life. Only the OPM (n=179, 34%) independently decreases the odds of receiving chemotherapy in last 14 days of life (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9) and of dying in an acute care setting (0.3, 0.1 to 0.5). PCT intervention (n=300, 58%) did not independently improve any indicators. Among patients seen by the PCT, early PCT intervention had no impact on indicators, whereas the OPM reduced the odds of persistent chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life.ConclusionMultidisciplinary decision-making with oncologists and the PCT is the most critical parameter for improving EOL care.
Defining chronic cancer: patient experiences and self-management needs
Authors: Harley Clare , Pini Simon , Bartlett Yvonne Kiera , Velikova Galina 
Published: July 2012

ObjectiveChronic cancer is poorly defined and strategies for supporting patients during this disease phase are lacking. This research defines chronic cancer, explores patient experiences and reviews patients' support needs against those described in the 2007 Department of Health Generic Choice Model for Long-term Conditions (DoH-GCM).DesignSemistructured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and data explored for emergent themes. The a priori themes from DoH-GCM were applied: clinical support; self-care and self-management; supporting independence; psychological support; and social and economic factors.Results56 patients >12 months postdiagnosis of advanced cancer were recruited from five clinics at a Yorkshire cancer centre: breast (n=11); renal (n=11); colorectal/gastrointestinal (n=12); gynaecological (n=12); and prostate (n=10). Most patients aspired to livingnormallives. Challenges included frequent and lengthy hospital appointments, long-term symptom control and uncertainty. Only renal and prostate patients reported routine access to specialist nursing. Uptake of support services was varied and there was generally poor understanding of support pathways for non-medical problems and issues occurring when patients were not receiving active treatment. There was variation in coping strategies and ability of patients to attain a positive outlook on life.ConclusionsFor patients to do well in this cancer phase requires good self-management of symptoms plus taking an active role in accessing appropriate services as needed. Care planning at the point of transition to the chronic phase of cancer should focus on evaluating patients' needs, clarifying support pathways, increasing the profile and involvement of community services and organisations, and supporting patients and families develop effective self-management skills.
Age, period and cohort effects on the incidence of motorcyclist casualties in traffic crashes
Authors: Langley John , Samaranayaka Ari , Begg Dorothy J 
Published: July 2012

Objectives(1) Estimate age, period and cohort effects for motorcyclist traffic casualties 1979–2008 in New Zealand and (2) forecast the incidence of New Zealand motorcycle traffic casualties for the period 2019–2023 assuming future age, cohort and period effects, and compare these with an estimate based on simple linear extrapolation.MethodsAge-period-cohort (APC) modelling was used to estimate the individual effects of age, period and cohort after adjusting for the other two factors. Forecasting was produced for three period-effect scenarios.ResultsAfter adjusting for cohort and period effects, 15–19-year-olds have substantially elevated risk. The period effect reduced in significance over time until the last period, 2004–2008, where the risk was higher than the preceding period. The 10-year cohorts born 1949–1958, 1954–1963, 1959–1968 and 1964–1973, had elevated risk. The forecasting, based on APC modelling, resulted in the lowest estimates of the future incidence being approximately one-third that of the highest estimate (6641).ConclusionTrends in motorcycle casualties have been influenced by significant independent age, period and cohort effects. These need to be considered in forecasting future casualties. The selection of the period effect has a significant impact on the estimates. Which period-effect scenario readers choose to accept depends on their views about a wide range of factors which might influence motorcycle use and crash risk over time.
Effectiveness of breed-specific legislation in decreasing the incidence of dog-bite injury hospitalisations in people in the Canadian province of Manitoba
Authors: Raghavan Malathi , Martens Patricia J , Chateau Dan , Burchill Charles 
Published: July 2012

BackgroundThe city of Winnipeg was the first among several jurisdictions in Manitoba, Canada, to introduce breed specific legislation (BSL) by banning pit-bull type dogs in 1990. The objective of the present work was to study the effectiveness of BSL in Manitoba.MethodsTemporal differences in incidence of dog-bite injury hospitalisations (DBIH) within and across Manitoba jurisdictions with and without BSL were compared. Incidence was calculated as the number of unique cases of DBIH divided by the total person-years at risk and expressed as the number per 100 000 person-years. Year of implementation determined the pre-BSL and post-BSL period for jurisdictions with BSL; for jurisdictions without BSL to date, the entire study period (1984–2006) was considered as the preimplementation period. The annual number of DBIH, adjusted for total population at risk, was modelled in a negative binomial regression analysis with repeated measures. Year, jurisdiction and BSL implementation were independent variables. An interaction term between jurisdiction and BSL was introduced.ResultsA total of 16 urban and rural jurisdictions with pit-bull bans were identified. At the provincial level, there was a significant reduction in DBIH rates from the pre-BSL to post-BSL period (3.47 (95% CI 3.17 to 3.77) per 100 000 person-years to 2.84 (95% CI 2.53 to 3.15); p=0.005). In regression restricted to two urban jurisdictions, DBIH rate in Winnipeg relative to Brandon (a city without BSL) was significantly (p<0.001) lower after BSL (rate ratio (RR)=1.10 in people of all ages and 0.92 in those aged <20 years) than before (RR=1.29 and 1.28, respectively).ConclusionsBSL may have resulted in a reduction of DBIH in Winnipeg, and appeared more effective in protecting those aged <20 years.
The Support of Knowledge Process to Enhance Risk Analysis in Jordanian Telecommunication Companies
Authors: Karadsheh Louay , Alhawari Samer , Talet Amine Nehari 
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this paper is to study how Jordanian companies use the knowledge process to support risk analysis and how they deal with and foster it. The present empirical study is based on a sample of the data collected from 180 respondents, drawn randomly from Jordanian Telecommunication Companies. It provides a contribution to the literature about knowledge-based risk analysis in one of the developing countries as a framework to keep organisations competitive within the global business environment. This paper makes the following contributions. First, it demonstrates that according to project stakeholders, individual risk management activities, like for instance risk identification, are able to contribute to project success. Second, this paper provides insight in how knowledge process to support risk analysis and how they deal with and foster risk management activities to contribute in IT project success. And third, based on this new perspective, this paper provides new directions for further research into the mechanisms on how knowledge process support risk analysis in risk management to contribute in IT project success. The results of the survey show that the four selected factors (knowledge-based risk rationalise, knowledge-based risk comprehension, knowledge-based risk examination, and knowledge-based risk validation) have a significant impact on risk analysis. Due to the literature limitation about the KM model in developing countries, the current study will contribute to this field by addressing the knowledge-based risk. The findings will certainly help both researchers and practitioners in future knowledge management (KM) process, and risk analysis research. In order to get a better understanding of the knowledge processes on risk analysis, future research endeavours should focus on several other countries for comparative purposes.
A Comparative Study of Trust as a Knowledge Sharing Enabler and its Influence on Organisational Culture
Authors: Al Hawari Maen 
Published: July 2012

Measuring organisational trust gives stakeholders many indicators of their organisations. These indicators are performance, leadership, employees' satisfaction, job satisfaction, and knowledge sharing culture. In addition to that, the highest levels of organisations' trust can critically reduce conflict charges and transaction costs.This paper is the first stage of a research study that discusses the importance of trust to knowledge sharing. This paper shows to what extent culture influences organisational trust compared with the global trust index. This research adopts a model of trust with five dimensions and they are relating to knowledge sharing in an organisation; concern for employees, openness and honesty, identification, reliability, and competence. The adopted model was used to develop the global trust index. A survey of 26 different items was conducted on 135 profitable organisations in Jordan in different industries. A total of 397 questionnaires were returned in a form eligible for the analysis.The results show that the overall organisational trust index in Jordan compared with the global index is low and the difference is significant. Furthermore, all trust dimensions in Jordan have lower values than the world's trust dimensions. Locally, the openness and honesty dimension has the highest value, and the competency dimension has the lowest value. Therefore, Jordanian culture significantly affects the trust index in the country and lowers it compared with the global trust index.
Adaptive Persuasive Systems
Authors: Kaptein Maurits , De Ruyter Boris , Markopoulos Panos , Aarts Emile 
Published: July 2012

This article describes the use of personalized short text messages (SMS) to reduce snacking. First, we describe the development and validation (
N
= 215) of a questionnaire to measure individual susceptibility to different social influence strategies. To evaluate the external validity of this Susceptibility to Persuasion Scale (STPS) we set up a two week text-messaging intervention that used text messages implementing social influence strategies as prompts to reduce snacking behavior. In this experiment (
N
= 73) we show that messages that are personalized (tailored) to the individual based on their scores on the STPS, lead to a higher decrease in snacking consumption than randomized messages or messages that are not tailored (contra-tailored) to the individual. We discuss the importance of this finding for the design of persuasive systems and detail how designers can use tailoring at the level of social influence strategies to increase the effects of their persuasive technologies.
Delay tails in MapReduce scheduling
Authors: Tan Jian , Meng Xiaoqiao , Zhang Li 
Published: July 2012

MapReduce/Hadoop production clusters exhibit heavy-tailed characteristics for job processing times. These phenomena are resultant of the workload features and the adopted scheduling algorithms. Analytically understanding the delays under different schedulers for MapReduce can facilitate the design and deployment of large Hadoop clusters. The map and reduce tasks of a MapReduce job have fundamental difference and tight dependence between them, complicating the analysis. This also leads to an interesting starvation problem with the widely used Fair Scheduler due to its greedy approach to launching reduce tasks. To address this issue, we design and implement Coupling Scheduler, which gradually launches reduce tasks depending on map task progresses. Real experiments demonstrate improvements to job response times by up to an order of magnitude.
Based on extensive measurements and source code investigations, we propose analytical models for the default FIFO and Fair Scheduler as well as our implemented Coupling Scheduler. For a class of heavy-tailed map service time distributions, i.e., regularly varying of index -a, we derive the distribution tail of the job processing delay under the three schedulers, respectively. The default FIFO Scheduler causes the delay to be regularly varying of index -a+1. Interestingly, we discover a criticality phenomenon for Fair Scheduler, the delay under which can change from regularly varying of index -a to -a+1, depending on the maximum number of reduce tasks of a job. Other more subtle behaviors also exist. In contrast, the delay distribution tail under Coupling Scheduler can be one order lower than Fair Scheduler under some conditions, implying a better performance.