bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of multifaceted fall-prevention programs for the elderly in residential care
Authors: Cusimano M D , Kwok J , Spadafora K 
Published: April 2008

Background:Unintentional falls are particularly prevalent among older people and constitute a public health concern. Not much is known about the implications of multifaceted intervention programs implemented in residential care settings.Objectives:To evaluate the effectiveness of multifaceted intervention programs in reducing the number of falls, fallers, recurrent fallers, and injurious falls among older people living in residential care facilities.Search strategy:Comprehensive searches of Medline, PubMed, and EMBASE up to July 2007, the cited literature lists of each included study, and the internet engines Google Scholar, Yahoo, and Dogpile were performed to identify eligible studies.Selection criteria:Eligible studies for this review were those that had randomized, controlled trials with adequate follow-up study components in their design. Studies that included elderly people in residential care who participated in multifaceted falls-prevention programs were included.Data collection and analysis:Two authors independently extracted the necessary data. Studies were assessed for quality by the criteria of Downs and Black. The results of the included studies have been reviewed narratively.Main results:From 21 articles potentially relevant to the topic, five studies met the inclusion criteria and all were reasonably well conducted. Three reported significant reductions in the number of recurrent fallers, two reported significant reductions in the number of falls, and one reported significant reductions in the number of fallers. One other reported a reduction in the number of injurious falls in those who received the multifaceted prevention program compared with the control group. However, the analyses of this specific study were not based on intent-to-treat, so the effect of intervention on the number of injurious falls remains inconclusive. No study reported on adverse events, costs, or sustainability of the interventions.Conclusions:Multifaceted programs that encompass a wide range of intervention strategies have shown some evidence of efficacy. However, more well-designed research is required that assesses effects on injurious falls, quality of life, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.
The Advocacy in Action Study a cluster randomized controlled trial to reduce pedestrian injuries in deprived communities: Figure 1
Authors: Lyons R A , Towner E , Christie N , Kendrick D , Jones S J , Hayes M , Kimberlee R , Sarvotham T , Macey S , Brussoni M , Sleney J , Coupland C , Phillips C 
Published: April 2008

BackgroundRoad trafficrelated injury is a major global public health problem. In most countries, pedestrian injuries occur predominantly to the poorest in society. A number of evaluated interventions are effective in reducing these injuries. Very little research has been carried out into the distribution and determinants of the uptake of these interventions. Previous research has shown an association between local political influence and the distribution of traffic calming after adjustment for historical crash patterns. This led to the hypothesis that advocacy could be used to increase local politicians knowledge of pedestrian injury risk and effective interventions, ultimately resulting in improved pedestrian safety.ObjectiveTo design an intervention to improve the uptake of pedestrian safety measures in deprived communities.SettingElectoral wards in deprived areas of England and Wales with a poor record of pedestrian safety for children and older adults.MethodsDesign mixedmethods study, incorporating a cluster randomized controlled trial. Data mixture of Geographical Information Systems data collision locations, road safety interventions, telephone interviews, and questionnaires. Randomization 239 electoral wards clustered within 57 local authorities. Participants 615 politicians representing intervention and control wards. Intervention a package of tailored information including maps of pedestrian injuries was designed for intervention politicians, and a general information pack for controls.Outcome measuresPrimary outcome number of road safety interventions 25months after randomization. Secondary outcomes politicians interest and involvement in injury prevention cost of interventions. Process evaluation use of advocacy pack, facilitators and barriers to involvement, and success.
Process water treatment in Canada’s oil sands industry: I. Target pollutants and treatment objectives
Authors: Allen Erik W. 
Published: April 2008

Process water treatment has become a critical issue for Canada’s oil sands industry. Continuous recycling of tailings pond water (TPW) has contributed to a decline in water quality that has consequences for bitumen recovery, water consumption, and reclamation efforts. Potential roles for water treatment were assessed through a review of process water quality and toxicity data from two long-term oil sands operations. Target pollutants were identified according to exceedances of environmental and industrial water quality guidelines. From 1980 to 2001, the salinity of TPW increased at a rate of 75 mg/L per year. Recent increases in hardness, sulphate, chloride, and ammonia have raised concerns over scaling and corrosion. Naphthenic acids released during bitumen extraction are the primary source of toxicity in TPW. Biodegradation of naphthenic acids has been demonstrated in pond experiments;; however, recalcitrant compounds may contribute to chronic toxicity in reclaimed environments. Water treatment objectives established in this review provide benchmarks for the selection of candidate water treatment technologies.
Microwave enhanced advanced oxidation process for sewage sludge treatment: The effects of ozone addition
Authors: Yin G.Q. , Lo K.V. , Liao P.H. 
Published: April 2008

Microwave enhanced advanced oxidation processes (MWAOP), with combinations of oxidants, were studied for sewage sludge treatment. Various operating conditions, using a computer statistical software design, were selected to determine the importance of factors affecting solids destruction and nutrients release from sewage sludge. For phosphate solubilization, the most significant factors, in the order from most to least, are heating temperature, ozone dosage, and a combined effect of temperature and hydrogen peroxide. For ammonia release, these are hydrogen peroxide dosage, a combined effect of hydrogen peroxide and temperature, and then temperature and ozone. For the destruction of sludge particles, the most significant factors are hydrogen peroxide and temperature. The best solubilization result was obtained with additions of 2% hydrogen peroxide by weight, 5.09 mg/mL of ozone, and microwave heating at 120 °C. About 95%, 32%, and 78% of TP, TKN, and COD were released into the solution, respectively. Results showed that addition of ozone improved the MWAOP process. A higher amount of oxidants used in the MWAOP facilitated the release of nutrients and sludge solids disintegration.
Ultrastructural localization of heavy metals in the extraradical mycelium and spores of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungusGlomus intraradices
Authors: González-Guerrero Manuel , Melville Lewis H. , Ferrol Nuria , Lott John N.A. , Azcón-Aguilar Concepción , Peterson R. Larry 
Published: April 2008

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, obligate symbionts of most plant species, are able to accumulate heavy metals, thereby, protecting plants from metal toxicity. In this study, the ultrastructural localization of Zn, Cu, and Cd in the extraradical mycelium and spores of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices grown in monoxenic cultures was investigated. Zinc, Cu, or Cd was applied to the extraradical mycelium to final concentrations of 7.5, 5.0, or 0.45 mmol/L, respectively. Samples were collected at time 0, 8 h, and 7 days after metal application and were prepared for rapid freezing and freeze substitution. Metal content in different subcellular locations (wall, cytoplasm, and vacuoles), both in hyphae and spores, was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In all treatments and fungal structures analysed, heavy metals accumulated mainly in the fungal cell wall and in the vacuoles, while minor changes in metal concentrations were detected in the cytoplasm. Incorporation of Zn into the fungus occurred during the first 8 h after metal addition with no subsequent accumulation. On the other hand, Cu steadily accumulated in the spore vacuoles over time, whereas Cd steadily accumulated in the hyphal vacuoles. These results suggest that binding of metals to the cell walls and compartmentalization in vacuoles may be essential mechanisms for metal detoxification.
Plesiomonas shigelloides hugZ encodes an iron-regulated heme binding protein required for heme iron utilization
Authors: Oldham Athenia L. , Wood Trisha A. , Henderson Douglas P. 
Published: April 2008

Plesiomonas shigelloides is an intestinal pathogen that uses heme as an iron source. The P. shigelloides heme utilization system consists of 10 genes, 7 of which permit heme transport and 3 of which are associated with utilization of heme as an iron source once it is inside the cell. The goal of this study was to examine hugZ, 1 of the 3 genes associated with utilization of heme iron. DPH8, a hugZ mutant, failed to grow to full cell density in media containing heme as the iron source, indicating that hugZ is required for heme iron utilization. Western blots using antibodies against Vibrio cholerae HutZ to detect the P. shigelloides HugZ indicated that hugZ encodes an iron-regulated cytoplasmic protein, which is absent in DPH8. A heme affinity bead assay performed on soluble protein fractions from P. shigelloides DPH8/pHUG24.5 (pHUG24.5 encodes hugZ) indicated that HugZ binds heme. Heme utilization was restored in DPH8 by hox1, which encodes the α-heme oxygenase from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. However, HugZ did not exhibit α-heme oxygenase activity in an assay that detects the conversion of heme to the bilin functional group present in phycobiliproteins. These results do not rule out that HugZ exhibits another type of heme oxygenase activity not detected in the assay.
Gene expression of the arsenic resistance operon inChromobacterium violaceumATCC 12472
Authors: Azevedo Juliana Simão Nina de , Silva-Rocha Rafael , Silva Artur , Peixe Carepo Marta Sofia , Cruz Schneider Maria Paula 
Published: April 2008

Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 presents an arsRCB-type operon, which is involved in arsenic resistance. The regulating protein of this resistance system (ArsR) does not have the small conserved site (ELCVDCL) to link to the metalloid, as observed in Escherichia coli , and is thus considered to be an atypical ArsR protein, like that observed in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans . In the present study, the gene expression profile of the ars operon under induction at different concentrations of arsenite — As(III) — was obtained via real-time PCR (TaqMan), by correlating the threshold cycle (Ct) values of induced and uninduced (control) samples. Through linear regression analysis (R2= 0.9926), the gene expression profile of the ars operon showed clearly that the 0.125 μmol/L concentration of As(III) was sufficient to provoke a 4-fold increase in the resistance system, and a further increase in concentration resulted in an increase of up to 53-fold in transcription rates. The relation between resistance and induction of the ars operon indicates that the increased resistance to As(III) is associated with the increase in the number of transcripts.
Apoptosis induced by lipid-associated membrane proteins fromMycoplasma penetransis mediated by nuclear factor κB activation in mouse macrophage
Authors: Zeng Yanhua , Wu Yimou , Deng Zhongliang , You Xiaoxing , Zhu Cuiming , Yu Minjun , Wan Yanping 
Published: April 2008

Mycoplasma penetrans was shown to be involved in alteration of several eukaryotical cells functions and a causative agent in urogenital infectious diseases. Lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) may be responsible for the pathogenicity of some mycoplamas. In this study, we investigated whether M. penetrans LAMPs have pathogenic potential by inducing apoptosis in mouse macrophages. As analyzed by annexin-V – fluorescein isothiocyanate staining, significant early- and late-stage apoptosis was induced in M. penetrans LAMPs-challenged mouse macrophages. And agarose gel electrophoresis of the DNA of M. penetrans LAMPs-challenged cells revealed a ladder-like pattern of migration of DNA indicative of apoptosis. The possible molecular mechanisms responsible for the induction of apoptosis were also investigated by characterizing the activation of nuclear transcription factor κB (NFκB). NFκB was activated and translocated into the nucleus in mouse macrophages stimulated by M. penetrans LAMPs. The activation of NFκB and M. penetrans LAMPs-induced apoptosis in mouse macrophages was partially inhibited by the NFκB-specific inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate. Thus, this study demonstrates that M. penetrans LAMPs may be an important etiological factor owing to their ability to induce apoptosis in mouse macrophages, which is probably mediated through the activation of NFκB.
Identification and characterization of an alternative oxidase in the entomopathogenic fungusMetarhizium anisopliae
Authors: Uribe Daniel , Khachatourians George G. 
Published: April 2008

Mitochondria of Metarhizium anisopliae contain an alternative oxidase (AOX), which reduces oxygen to water by accepting electrons directly from ubiquinol. AOX activity is demonstrated in situ as a constitutive enzyme. Greatest activity of AOX appears at the beginning and at the end of the fungal developmental cycle, germination of aerial conidia and the formation of submerged conidia, respectively. Changes in nutritional conditions, e.g., the presence of host insect cuticle or nutrient starvation had no effect on the induction of AOX activity. Antimycin A, an electron transport chain inhibitor, induced AOX activity. Cloning of the AOX DNA and the alignment of the deduced amino acid sequence of a segment of the AOX gene from M. anisopliae shows structural similarities with other AOX sequences with differing levels of variation when compared with homologous sequences from plants, yeasts, and filamentous fungi. Alternative oxidase in entomopathogenic fungi may have a positive contribution to ecological fitness.
A simple restriction fragment PCR approach for discrimination of humanpathogenic Old World animal Orthopoxvirus species
Authors: Huemer Hartwig P. , Hönlinger Bettina , Höpfl Reinhard 
Published: April 2008

There are reliable polymerase chain reaction assays available for exclusion of Variola virus from other poxviruses. However, the discrimination of humanpathogenic animal Orthopoxviridae is more challenging because of the high genomic conservation. Based on the variability of the A36R gene, we describe a simple 20 min PCR assay followed by a 1 h digest with 3 different restriction enzymes. This assay enables rapid discrimination between Cowpox virus and Monkeypox virus and discrimination of the most prevalent members of the Vaccinia virus and Camelpox virus. The test was orthopoxvirus specificand did not react with parapox (Orf) virus. Moreover, the amplified fragments were also well suited for additional genotyping by direct DNA sequencing.
Phylogenetic and symbiotic characterization of rhizobial bacteria nodulating Argyrolobium uniflorum in Tunisian arid soils
Authors: Mahdhi M. , de Lajudie P. , Mars M. 
Published: April 2008

Forty-two bacterial isolates from root nodules of Argyrolobium uniflorum growing in the arid areas of Tunisia were characterized by phenotypic features, RFLP, and sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes. The isolates were found to be phenotypically diverse. The majority of the isolates tolerated 3% NaCl and grew at temperatures up to 40 °C. Phylogenetically, the new isolates were grouped in the genera Sinorhizobium (27), Rhizobium (13), and Agrobacterium (2). Except for the 2 Agrobacterium isolates, all strains induced nodulation on Argyrolobium uniflorum, but the number of nodules and nitrogen fixation efficiency varied among them. Sinorhizobium sp. strains STM 4034, STM 4036, and STM 4039, forming the most effective symbiosis, are potential candidates for inoculants in revegetalisation programs.
Modified RAMS-Urban Canopy Model for Heat Island Simulation in Chongqing, China
Authors: Zhang Hongbin , Sato Naoki , Izumi Takeki , Hanaki Keisuke , Aramaki Toshiya 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
A single-layer urban canopy model was integrated into a nonhydrostatic meteorological model, the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). In the new model, called RAMS-Urban Canopy (RAMS-UC), anthropogenic heat emission was also considered. The model can be used to calculate radiation, heat, and water fluxes in an urban area, considering the geometric structure and thermodynamic characteristics of the urban canopy. The urban canopy was represented by normalized street canyons of infinite length, which were bordered by buildings on both sides. The urban region was covered by three types of surfaces: roof, wall, and road. Anthropogenic heat was emitted from these surfaces. Sensitivity tests between the original RAMS and the modified one were carried out by simulating the urban heat island (UHI) of Chongqing, located in an inland mountainous region in China. The results of the model were also compared with the observational data. It was found that the original model could not accurately simulate the UHI, in particular at night, whereas the accuracy was significantly improved in the RAMS-UC. The improvement is substantial even when anthropogenic heat emission is set to zero.
Impact of Domain Size on Modeled Ozone Forecast for the Northeastern United States
Authors: Lee Pius , Kang Daiwen , McQueen Jeff , Tsidulko Marina , Hart Mary , DiMego Geoff , Seaman Nelson , Davidson Paula 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
This study investigates the impact of model domain extent and the specification of lateral boundary conditions on the forecast quality of air pollution constituents in a specific region of interest. A developmental version of the national Air Quality Forecast System (AQFS) has been used in this study. The AQFS is based on the NWS/NCEP Eta Model (recently renamed the North American Mesoscale Model) coupled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. This coupled Eta–CMAQ modeling system provided experimental air quality forecasts for the northeastern region of the United States during the summers of 2003 and 2004. The initial forecast over the northeastern United States was approved for operational deployment in September 2004. The AQFS will provide forecast coverage for the entire United States in the near future. In a continuing program of phased development to extend the geographical coverage of the forecast, the developmental version of AQFS has undergone two domain expansions. Hereinafter, this “developmental” domain-expanded forecast system AQFS will be dubbed AQFS-β. The current study evaluates the performance of AQFS-β for the northeastern United States using three domain sizes. Quantitative comparisons of forecast results with compiled observation data from the U.S. Aerometric Information Retrieval Now (AIRNOW) network were performed for each model domain, and interdomain comparisons were made for the regions of overlap. Several forecast skill score measures have been employed. Based on the categorical statistical metric of the critical success index, the largest domain achieved the highest skill score. This conclusion should catapult the implementation of the largest domain to attain the best forecast performance whenever the operational resource and criteria permit.
Mesoscale Boundary Layer and Heat Flux Variations over Pack Ice–Covered Lake Erie
Authors: Gerbush Mathieu R. , Kristovich David A. R. , Laird Neil F. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
The development of extensive pack ice fields on the Great Lakes significantly influences lake-effect storms and local airmass modification, as well as the regional hydrologic cycle and lake water levels. The evolution of the ice fields and their impacts on the atmospheric boundary layer complicates weather forecasters’ ability to accurately predict late-season lake-effect snows. The Great Lakes Ice Cover–Atmospheric Flux (GLICAF) experiment was conducted over Lake Erie during February 2004 to investigate the surface–atmosphere exchanges that occur over midlatitude ice-covered lakes. GLICAF observations taken by the University of Wyoming King Air on 26 February 2004 show a strong mesoscale thermal link between the lake surface and the overlying atmospheric boundary layer. Mesoscale atmospheric variations that developed over the lake in turn influenced heat exchanges with the surface. Boundary layer sensible and latent heat fluxes exhibited different relationships to variations in surface pack ice concentration. Turbulent sensible heat fluxes decreased nonlinearly with increases in underlying lake-surface ice concentration such that the largest decreases occurred when ice concentrations were greater than 70%. Latent heat fluxes tended to decrease linearly with increasing ice concentration and had a reduced correlation. Most current operational numerical weather prediction models use simple algorithms to represent the influence of heterogeneous ice cover on heat and moisture fluxes. The GLICAF findings from 26 February 2004 suggest that some currently used and planned approaches in numerical weather prediction models may significantly underestimate sensible heat fluxes in regions of high-concentration ice cover, leading to underpredictions of the local modification of air masses and lake-effect snows.
Finescale Diurnal Rainfall Statistics Refined from Eight Years of TRMM PR Data
Authors: Hirose Masafumi , Oki Riko , Shimizu Shuji , Kachi Misako , Higashiuwatoko Tomohiko 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
The adequacy of hourly rainfall sampling was examined in terms of the detection of diurnal variations using 8 yr (1998–2005) of data observed by the precipitation radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. It was found that the monthly and hourly rain samples for each 0.2° grid point over the 8-yr period are composed of multiple precipitation systems. In this study, a “3-h-significant diurnal peak” was defined as the time of maximum rainfall with consecutive positive anomalies for more than 3 h. The fraction of the analyzed area with a 3-h-significant diurnal peak increased annually and accounted for 43% of the total global tropics at 0.2° resolution over the 8-yr period. The diurnal signature over Tibet and the Amazon showed a high degree of spatial uniformity (at &gt;10° scale). The degree of similarity and locations of the regional diurnal characteristics are described in terms of seasonal variations and at multiple resolutions based on spatial uniformity. For example, uniform early-afternoon peaks generally appear over the coastal land and areas of high relief, whereas a seasonally invariant early-afternoon peak over the low-lying Amazon basin is recognized as a regional characteristic. In areas of coastal ocean, early-morning peaks appear in certain regions such as the area surrounding the so-called Maritime Continent and the area off the west coast of Mexico. These peaks are distinct from the global characteristics of late-morning rainfall maxima recorded over most coastal oceans and early-morning peaks recorded over open ocean. The results are also compared with those derived from TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) data. In addition to obtaining a coherent signal, regional differences in the timing of maximum rainfall over the Tibetan Plateau were addressed; this discrepancy is attributed to limitations of the scattering algorithm used for TMI data in terms of detecting shallow convection and screening cold surfaces.