bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A SURVEY OF THE QUALITY OF SIX RETAIL BRANDS OF BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST FILLETS OBTAINED FROM RETAIL SUPERMARKETS IN THE ATHENS, GEORGIA AREA*
Authors: ZHUANG HONG , SAVAGE ELIZABETH M. , KAYS SANDRA E. , HIMMELSBACH DAVID S. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT To assess the variation in quality of chicken breast fillets available from retail supermarkets, six brands of boneless, skinless fillets without additives were obtained from the fresh counter at grocery stores in Athens, GA, and the surrounding area during fall of 2005. The samples were stored at −20C and subsequently cooked using a Henny Penny MCS‐6 combi oven (Henny Penny Corp., Eaton, OH). Quality parameters of the fillets were measured on the cooked chicken breast fillets including cook yield, descriptive sensory flavor and texture profiling, and Warner–Bratzler (WB) shear force. Our results show that the average cook yield ranged from 78.1 to 80.9%, the average intensity of individual descriptive sensory characteristics was less than 5.4 in a 0–15 universal scale, and WB shear force values were less than 5.2 kg. There were no significant differences in the intensity among brands of all flavor attributes and the texture characteristics associated with moisture. However, significant differences were found among the brands for cook yield, mechanical properties of texture (including springiness, cohesiveness, hardness and chewiness) and WB shear force values. The variation of WB shear force measurements (coefficient of variation) depended on brand. These results indicate that differences exist in the quality and shear force consistency among market brands of boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets available in Athens, GA, and the surrounding area.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThis study is the first survey reported to evaluate the quality of boneless, skinless chicken breast products without additives in U.S. retail market. This study supplies the evidence that the intensity of sensory quality is mild of cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast products and there are the differences in the quality among the different retail brands obtained by consumers.
Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens): Differential prey digestion and diet
Authors: Sheffield Gay , Grebmeier Jacqueline M. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractStomach content data from 798 Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) collected during 1952–1991 were analyzed using a method that evaluates the stage of digestion of prey remains. Non‐molluscan prey taxa were not well represented in previous interpretations of walrus diet due to digestion biases. Stomach contents least affected by digestion (fresh stomachs) contained more prey taxa than stomachs of an unknown or more digested state. Bivalves, gastropods, and polychaete worms were the most frequent prey items in both the Bering and Chukchi seas, although bivalves occurred more frequently in stomachs from the Bering Sea and gastropods occurred more frequently in stomachs from the Chukchi Sea. Male and female walruses consumed essentially the same prey when in the same location. Using only fresh stomachs collected between 1975 and 1985, there was no significant difference between the proportion that contained mostly bivalves and the proportion that contained non‐bivalve prey items. Earlier interpretations of a change in walrus diet in this period compared to the prior two decades may have been due to digestion as well as sampling biases. Current climatic changes may affect walrus's access to diverse, productive shallow water feeding areas.
Comparison of two methods of detecting purulent vaginal discharge in postpartum dairy cows and effect of intrauterine cephapirin on reproductive performance
Authors: Runciman DJ , Anderson GA , Malmo J 
Published: August 2009

Objective Part 1: compare the use of a Metricheck™ device (a stainless steel probe with a semi‐spherical rubber cup attached at one end) to sample the contents of the anterior vagina with a vaginal speculum examination for the diagnosis of pus in the vagina of postpartum dairy cows and to investigate the association of that pus with reproductive performance. Part 2: assess the effect of a single intrauterine infusion of 500 mg cephapirin in cows diagnosed with vaginal purulent or mucopurulent discharge 7 to 28 days after calving on reproductive performance.Procedure Six herds were visited fortnightly to examine cows that had calved between 7 and 28 days (n = 423) with both the Metricheck device and a vaginal speculum to score, by each method, the vaginal discharge from 0 (clear or absent) to 3 (purulent) for each animal included in the study. Half of the cows that had a positive discharge score (1 to 3 by either examination method) were then treated with an intrauterine infusion of 500 mg of cephapirin. The relationship between Metricheck score, vaginoscopy score, treatment and reproductive performance was assessed.Results There was a substantial measure of agreement between each method when scores were analysed by status. Cows that were positive with either method had inferior reproductive performance compared with cows with a score of zero. Treatment of cows diagnosed with a purulent or mucopurulent discharge with intrauterine cephapirin improved reproductive performance in both the vaginoscopy and Metricheck groups.
Wounds of the pastern and foot region managed with phalangeal casts: 50 cases in 49 horses (1995–2006)
Authors: Ketzner KM , Stewart AA , Byron CR , Stewart M , Gaughan EM , Vanharreveld PD , Lillich JD 
Published: August 2009

Objective Describe the use of a phalangeal cast as treatment for wounds in the pastern and foot region of horses. Secondly, to evaluate the healing and soundness of horses treated with phalangeal casts.Design Retrospective study of 49 horses.Procedures Medical records of 49 horses that were treated with a phalangeal cast for 50 cases of wounds in the pastern and foot region at equine referral hospitals from 1995 to 2006 were reviewed and follow‐up information was obtained.Results Treatment consisted of wound debridement, lavage, wound closure (28 wounds), cast application and antibiotics (84%). At follow‐up, the majority of horses were sound (42 of 47 wounds, 89.4%), three horses were still lame and one horse was euthanased because of persistent lameness. Three horses were lost to follow‐up. There was no statistical difference between the outcomes of horses treated acutely (<24 h) or after a 24‐h delay. Similarly, the involvement of synovial structures in the wound did not significantly influence outcome.Conclusions In this study, wounds involving the pastern and foot that were treated with a phalangeal cast carried a good prognosis for soundness (89.4%) and cosmetic healing (89.5%). The phalangeal casts were well‐tolerated and effective.
Determination of plasma albumin concentration in healthy and diseased turtles: a comparison of protein electrophoresis and the bromcresol green dye‐binding method
Authors: Müller Kerstin , Brunnberg Leo 
Published: August 2009

Background:In reptile medicine, plasma chemistry analysis is widely used for the evaluation of an individual's health status. The standard method for the determination of plasma albumin concentration is protein electrophoresis combined with the determination of total protein concentration, but the bromcresol green (BCG) dye‐binding method is also used. The reliability of the BCG method for the measurement of albumin concentration in reptiles is unknown.Objective:The aim of this study was to compare the plasma albumin values of turtles obtained by protein electrophoresis and the BCG method.Methods:Between March 2008 and September 2008, heparinized plasma samples from 16 clinically healthy and 10 diseased turtles of different species were collected. Plasma albumin concentrations were measured by protein electrophoresis and by the BCG method. The results of the 2 methods were compared using Passing–Bablok regression and Bland–Altman plots.Results:Albumin concentration measured by BCG was weakly correlated with the corresponding protein electrophoretic values in all turtles (rs=.610,P<.001) and in healthy turtles evaluated separately (rs=.700,P=.003), whereas in diseased turtles no such correlation was found (rs=.374,P=.287). The albumin concentration measured with the 2 different methods differed significantly in all turtles (P=.009; Wilcoxon's test) and in healthy turtles (P=.005) but not in diseased animals (P=.241). In the Bland–Altman plot a systematic error was found between the 2 methods in diseased turtles.Conclusion:Measurement of albumin by the BCG dye‐binding method may lead to inaccurate results for plasma albumin concentration, especially in ill turtles. Therefore, for health assessment in turtles, albumin should be measured by protein electrophoresis.
Whole-Cell Biocatalysis for 1-Naphthol Production in Liquid-Liquid Biphasic Systems
Authors: Garikipati S. V. B. Janardhan , McIver Angela M. , Peeples Tonya L. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Whole-cell biocatalysis to oxidize naphthalene to 1-naphthol in liquid-liquid biphasic systems was performed.
Escherichia coli
expressing TOM-Green, a variant of toluene
ortho
-monooxygenase (TOM), was used for this oxidation. Three different solvents, dodecane, dioctyl phthalate, and lauryl acetate, were screened for biotransformations in biphasic media. Of the solvents tested, lauryl acetate gave the best results, producing 0.72 ± 0.03 g/liter 1-naphthol with a productivity of 0.46 ± 0.02 g/g (dry weight) cells after 48 h. The effects of the organic phase ratio and the naphthalene concentration in the organic phase were investigated. The highest 1-naphthol concentration (1.43 g/liter) and the highest 1-naphthol productivity (0.55 g/g [dry weight] cells) were achieved by optimization of the organic phase. The ability to recycle both free cells and cells immobilized in calcium alginate was tested. Both free and immobilized cells lost more than ∼60% of their activity after the first run, which could be attributed to product toxicity. On a constant-volume basis, an eightfold improvement in 1-naphthol production was achieved using biphasic media compared to biotransformation in aqueous media.
Spatiotemporal Homogeneity of
Campylobacter
Subtypes from Cattle and Sheep across Northeastern and Southwestern Scotland
Authors: Rotariu Ovidiu , Dallas John F. , Ogden Iain D. , MacRae Marion , Sheppard Samuel K. , Maiden Martin C. J. , Gormley Fraser J. , Forbes Ken J. , Strachan Norval J. C. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Source attribution using molecular subtypes has implicated cattle and sheep as sources of human
Campylobacter
infection. Whether the
Campylobacter
subtypes associated with cattle and sheep vary spatiotemporally remains poorly known, especially at national levels. Here we describe spatiotemporal patterns of prevalence, bacterial enumeration, and subtype composition in
Campylobacter
isolates from cattle and sheep feces from northeastern (63 farms, 414 samples) and southwestern (71 farms, 449 samples) Scotland during 2005 to 2006. Isolates (201) were categorized as sequence type (ST), as clonal complex (CC), and as
Campylobacter jejuni
or
Campylobacter coli
using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). No significant difference in average prevalence (cattle, 22%; sheep, 25%) or average enumeration (cattle, 2.7 × 10
4
CFU/g; sheep, 2.0 × 10
5
CFU/g) was found between hosts or regions. The four most common STs (
C. jejuni
ST-19, ST-42, and ST-61 and
C. coli
ST-827) occurred in both hosts, whereas STs of the
C. coli
ST-828 clonal complex were more common in sheep. Neither host yielded evidence for regional differences in ST, CC, or MLST allele composition. Isolates from the two hosts combined, categorized as ST or CC, were more similar within than between farms but showed no further spatiotemporal trends up to 330 km and 50 weeks between farm samples. In contrast, both regions yielded evidence for significant differences in ST, CC, and allele composition between hosts, such that 65% of isolates could be attributed to a known host. These results suggest that cattle and sheep within the spatiotemporal scales analyzed are each capable of contributing homogeneous
Campylobacter
strains to human infections.
Comparison of Effects of Compost Amendment and of Single-Strain Inoculation on Root Bacterial Communities of Young Cucumber Seedlings
Authors: Ofek Maya , Hadar Yitzhak , Minz Dror 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Compost amendment and inoculations with specific microorganisms are fundamentally different soil treatment methods, commonly used in agriculture for the improvement of plant growth and health. Although distinct, both methods affect the rhizosphere and the plant roots. In the present study we used a 16S rRNA gene approach to achieve an overview of early consequences of these treatments on the assemblage of plant root bacterial communities. For this purpose, cucumber seedlings were grown, under controlled conditions, in perlite potting mix amended with biosolid compost or straw compost, or inoculated with
Streptomyces
spp. A uniform trend of response of root bacterial communities for all treatments was observed. Root bacterial density, measured as bacterial targets per plant
tef
gene by real-time PCR, was reduced in 31 to 67%. In addition, increased taxonomic diversity accompanied shifts in composition (α-diversity). The magnitude of change in these parameters relative to the perlite control varied between the different treatments but not in relation to the treatment method (compost amendments versus inoculations). Similarity between the compositions of root and of potting mix bacterial communities (β-diversity) was relatively unchanged. The abundance of
Oxalobacteraceae
was >50% of the total root bacterial community in the untreated perlite. Root domination by this group subsided >10-fold (straw compost) to >600-fold (
Streptomyces
sp. strain S1) after treatment. Thus, loss of dominance appears to be the major phenomenon underlining the response trend of the root bacterial communities.
Assessment of Shiga Toxin-ProducingEscherichia coliIsolates from Wildlife Meat as Potential Pathogens for Humans
Authors: Miko Angelika , Pries Karin , Haby Sabine , Steege Katja , Albrecht Nadine , Krause Gladys , Beutin Lothar 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTA total of 140 Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) strains from wildlife meat (deer, wild boar, and hare) isolated in Germany between 1998 and 2006 were characterized with respect to their serotypes and virulence markers associated with human pathogenicity. The strains grouped into 38 serotypes, but eight O groups (21, 146, 128, 113, 22, 88, 6, and 91) and four H types (21, 28, 2, and 8) accounted for 71.4% and 75.7% of all STEC strains from game, respectively. Eighteen of the serotypes, including enterohemorrhagicE. coli(EHEC) O26:[H11] and O103:H2, were previously found to be associated with human illness. Genes linked to high-level virulence for humans (stx2,stx2d, andeae) were present in 46 (32.8%) STEC strains from game. Fifty-four STEC isolates from game belonged to serotypes which are frequently found in human patients (O103:H2, O26:H11, O113:H21, O91:H21, O128:H2, O146:H21, and O146:H28). These 54 STEC isolates were compared with 101 STEC isolates belonging to the same serotypes isolated from farm animals, from their food products, and from human patients. Within a given serotype, most STEC strains were similar with respect to theirstxgenotypes and other virulence attributes, regardless of origin. The 155 STEC strains were analyzed for genetic similarity by XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. O103:H2, O26:H11, O113:H21, O128:H2, and O146:H28 STEC isolates from game were 85 to 100% similar to STEC isolates of the same strains from human patients. By multilocus sequence typing, game EHEC O103:H2 strains were attributed to a clonal lineage associated with hemorrhagic diseases in humans. The results from our study indicate that game animals represent a reservoir for and a potential source of human pathogenic STEC and EHEC strains.
Diversity, Abundance, and Consistency of Microbial Oxygenase Expression and Biodegradation in a Shallow Contaminated Aquifer
Authors: Yagi Jane M. , Madsen Eugene L. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

The diversity of Rieske dioxygenase genes and short-term temporal variability in the abundance of two selected dioxygenase gene sequences were examined in a naphthalene-rich, coal tar waste-contaminated subsurface study site. Using a previously published PCR-based approach (S. M. Ní Chadhain, R. S. Norman, K. V. Pesce, J. J. Kukor, and G. J. Zylstra, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:4078-4087, 2006) a broad suite of genes was detected, ranging from dioxygenase sequences associated with
Rhodococcus
and
Sphingomonas
to 32 previously uncharacterized Rieske gene sequence clone groups. The
nag
genes appeared frequently (20% of the total) in two groundwater monitoring wells characterized by low (∼10
2
ppb; ∼1 μM) ambient concentrations of naphthalene. A quantitative competitive PCR assay was used to show that abundances of
nag
genes (and archetypal
nah
genes) fluctuated substantially over a 9-month period. To contrast short-term variation with long-term community stability, in situ community gene expression (dioxygenase mRNA) and biodegradation potential (community metabolism of naphthalene in microcosms) were compared to measurements from 6 years earlier. cDNA sequences amplified from total RNA extracts revealed that
nah-
and
nag
-type genes were expressed in situ, corresponding well with structural gene abundances. Despite evidence for short-term (9-month) shifts in dioxygenase gene copy number, agreement in field gene expression (dioxygenase mRNA) and biodegradation potential was observed in comparisons to equivalent assays performed 6 years earlier. Thus, stability in community biodegradation characteristics at the hemidecadal time frame has been documented for these subsurface microbial communities.
Afforestation Alters the Composition of Functional Genes in Soil and Biogeochemical Processes in South American Grasslands
Authors: Berthrong Sean T. , Schadt Christopher W. , Piñeiro Gervasio , Jackson Robert B. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTSoil microbes are highly diverse and control most soil biogeochemical reactions. We examined how microbial functional genes and biogeochemical pools responded to the altered chemical inputs accompanying land use change. We examined paired native grasslands and adjacentEucalyptusplantations (previously grassland) in Uruguay, a region that lacked forests before European settlement. Along with measurements of soil carbon, nitrogen, and bacterial diversity, we analyzed functional genes using the GeoChip 2.0 microarray, which simultaneously quantified several thousand genes involved in soil carbon and nitrogen cycling. Plantations and grassland differed significantly in functional gene profiles, bacterial diversity, and biogeochemical pool sizes. Most grassland profiles were similar, but plantation profiles generally differed from those of grasslands due to differences in functional gene abundance across diverse taxa. Eucalypts decreased ammonification and N fixation functional genes by 11% and 7.9% (P< 0.01), which correlated with decreased microbial biomass N and more NH4+in plantation soils. Chitinase abundance decreased 7.8% in plantations compared to levels in grassland (P= 0.017), and C polymer-degrading genes decreased by 1.5% overall (P< 0.05), which likely contributed to 54% (P< 0.05) more C in undecomposed extractable soil pools and 27% less microbial C (P< 0.01) in plantation soils. In general, afforestation altered the abundance of many microbial functional genes, corresponding with changes in soil biogeochemistry, in part through altered abundance of overall functional gene types rather than simply through changes in specific taxa. Such changes in microbial functional genes correspond with altered C and N storage and have implications for long-term productivity in these soils.
ACC (1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate) Deaminase Activity, a Widespread Trait in
Burkholderia
Species, and Its Growth-Promoting Effect on Tomato Plants
Authors: Onofre-Lemus Janette , Hernández-Lucas Ismael , Girard Lourdes , Caballero-Mellado Jesús 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

The genus
Burkholderia
includes pathogens of plants and animals and some human opportunistic pathogens, such as the
Burkholderia cepacia
complex (Bcc), but most species are nonpathogenic, plant associated, and rhizospheric or endophytic. Since rhizobacteria expressing ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate) deaminase may enhance plant growth by lowering plant ethylene levels, in this work we investigated the presence of ACC deaminase activity and the
acdS
gene in 45 strains, most of which are plant associated, representing 20 well-known
Burkholderia
species. The results demonstrated that ACC deaminase activity is a widespread feature in the genus
Burkholderia
, since 18 species exhibited ACC deaminase activities in the range from 2 to 15 μmol of α-ketobutyrate/h/mg protein, which suggests that these species may be able to modulate ethylene levels and enhance plant growth. In these 18
Burkholderia
species the
acdS
gene sequences were highly conserved (76 to 99% identity). Phylogenetic analysis of
acdS
gene sequences in
Burkholderia
showed tight clustering of the Bcc species, which were clearly distinct from diazotrophic plant-associated
Burkholderia
species. In addition, an
acdS
knockout mutant of the N
2
-fixing bacterium
Burkholderia unamae
MTl-641
T
and a transcriptional
acdSp
-
gusA
fusion constructed in this strain showed that ACC deaminase could play an important role in promotion of the growth of tomato plants. The widespread ACC deaminase activity in
Burkholderia
species and the common association of these species with plants suggest that this genus could be a major contributor to plant growth under natural conditions.
Cryptic Lineages of the Genus
Escherichia
Authors: Walk Seth T. , Alm Elizabeth W. , Gordon David M. , Ram Jeffrey L. , Toranzos Gary A. , Tiedje James M. , Whittam Thomas S. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

Extended multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of atypical
Escherichia
isolates was used to identify five novel phylogenetic clades (CI to CV) among isolates from environmental, human, and animal sources. Analysis of individual housekeeping loci showed that
E. coli
and its sister clade, CI, remain largely indistinguishable and represent nascent evolutionary lineages. Conversely, clades of similar age (CIII and CIV) were found to be phylogenetically distinct. When all
Escherichia
lineages (named and unnamed) were evaluated, we found evidence that
E
scherichia fergusonii
has evolved at an accelerated rate compared to
E. coli
, CI, CIII, CIV, and CV, suggesting that this species is younger than estimated by the molecular clock method. Although the five novel clades were phylogenetically distinct, we were unable to identify a discriminating biochemical marker for all but one of them (CIII) with traditional phenotypic profiling. CIII had a statistically different phenotype from
E. coli
that resulted from the loss of sucrose and sorbitol fermentation and lysine utilization. The lack of phenotypic distinction has likely hindered the ability to differentiate these clades from typical
E. coli
, and so their ecological significance and importance for applied and clinical microbiology are yet to be determined. However, our sampling suggests that CIII, CIV, and CV represent environmentally adapted
Escherichia
lineages that may be more abundant outside the host gastrointestinal tract.
An Mrp-Like Cluster in the Halotolerant Cyanobacterium
Aphanothece halophytica
Functions as a Na
+
/H
+
Antiporter
Authors: Fukaya Fuminori , Promden Worrawat , Hibino Takashi , Tanaka Yoshito , Nakamura Tatsunosuke , Takabe Teruhiro 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT

The
mrp
homolog gene cluster
mrpCD1D2EFGAB
(Ap-
mrp
) was found in a halotolerant cyanobacterium,
Aphanothece halophytica
, amplified, and expressed in
Escherichia coli
mutant TO114. Ap-
mrp
complemented the salt-sensitive phenotype of TO114 and exhibited Na
+
/H
+
and Li
+
/H
+
exchange activities, indicating that Ap-Mrp functions as a Na
+
/H
+
antiporter.