bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ethnic Identities, Language, and Economic Outcomes Among Dominicans in a New Destination*
Authors: Jensen Leif , Cohen Jeffrey H. , Toribio Almeida Jacqueline , De Jong Gordon F. , Rodríguez Leila 
Published: November 2006

Objective.This study examines how racial/ethnic self‐identity interrelates with language ability, skin tone, and years in the United States and with indicators of socioeconomic attainment for Dominican immigrants in Reading, Pennsylvania, a new destination city that had a nearly 800 percent increase in the Dominican population between 1990–2000.Methods.In‐depth ethno‐surveys conducted with a sample of 65 Dominican‐origin adults are the basis for the descriptive analysis.Results.Based on open‐ended responses, nearly 43 percent of immigrants described themselves with a specific ethnic identifier (Dominican) and 41 percent use a more general panethnic identifier (Hispanic or Latino). Panethnic self‐identity is interrelated with stronger language ability, lighter skin tone, and more years in the United States, and with better indicators of socioeconomic status.Conclusion.Race/ethnic identity is an important component of Dominican immigrant assimilation in this new destination context.
Push‐Pull Factors and Immigrant Political Integration in Germany*
Authors: Doerschler Peter 
Published: November 2006

Objectives. Drawing specifically on the German case, I argue that individuals' motivations for immigration, or so‐called push‐pull factors, have a lasting impact beyond the decision to immigrate and, in fact, profoundly influence immigrants' political integration in the host country. Specifically, economic push‐pull factors are likely to impede immigrants' political integration, whereas political push‐pull factors lead immigrants to remain more interested and engaged in politics while abroad.Methods. I test these hypotheses using a combination of qualitative interviews conducted in 2002 with first‐generation Turkish immigrants living in Berlin, and quantitative survey data from the 1998 German Socio‐Economic Panel (GSOEP).Results. Results from both analyses lend considerable support to these assertions.Conclusions. The positive findings suggest that factors unique to the immigrant experience contribute to a fundamentally different understanding of immigrants' political integration from that of natives.
Periodontal treatment needs of diabetic adults
Authors: Bakhshandeh Soheila , Murtomaa Heikki , Mofid Rasoul , Vehkalahti Miira M. , Suomalainen Kimmo 
Published: November 2006

AbstractAim: The aim of this study was to investigate diabetes‐related factors in relation to periodontal treatment needs.Material and Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 299 dentate diabetics attending a diabetic clinic in Tehran, Iran. A self‐administered questionnaire was administered during a dental appointment in order to gather information about year of birth, year of onset of diabetes, education and organ complications related to diabetes. Number of teeth, the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs and visible plaque were recorded.Results: None of the subjects had a healthy periodontium. Shallow periodontal pockets were the most prevalent finding. Periodontal pockets exceeding 5 mm and a higher number of missing teeth were associated with a low level of education. The sum of plaque scores [odds ratio (OR)=1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–1.5] was related to the presence of deepened pockets when controlling for other factors. Among diabetes‐related factors, the only significant association with CPITN 3 was by HbA1c (OR=0.7; 95% CI 0.6–0.9); for CPITN=4, no associations with the diabetes‐related factors appeared.Conclusions: The poor periodontal status of our diabetic patients indicates a need to establish a comprehensive oral health promotion programme for diabetics based on collaboration between dental and general health care professionals involved in diabetic care.
Allelic distribution of HLA class I genes in the Tibetan ethnic population of China
Authors: Chen S. , Hong W. , Shao H. , Fu Y. , Liu X. , Chen D. , Xu A. 
Published: November 2006

SummaryTibetans live in Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau rising about 4000 m a.s.l. in south‐west China. Archaeological evidences suggested that there have been humans living in Tibet at least 5000 years ago. However, Tibetan earlier history remains elusive. In the present study, allelic distribution of human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐A, ‐B and ‐Cw in 158 unrelated Tibetan Chinese was investigated using sequencing‐based typing methods, and a total of 25 HLA‐A, 45 HLA‐B and 20 HLA‐Cw alleles were identified. A*24G1 (27.2%), B*51G1 (16.8%), Cw*04G1 (13.3%) and Cw*070201G1 (13.3%) are the most common HLA‐A, ‐B and ‐Cw alleles. The most frequently detected haplotypes were A*24G1‐B*51G1‐Cw*140201 (3.6%), A*24G1‐B*51G1 (6.8%), A*02G1‐Cw*070201G1 (6.5%) and B*51G1‐Cw*140201 (5.0%). Chi‐squared test suggested that all three loci fitted the Hardy–Weinberg expectations. No evidence for a departure from selective neutrality at the HLA‐A and ‐B loci was observed. However, significant departure of the observed homozygosity from the expected values was found for HLA‐Cw. Though the contemporary Tibetans inhabit the south‐west China, Nei's genetic distance measure based on frequencies of HLA‐A, ‐B and ‐Cw indicated that Tibetans were closer to northern Han Chinese, Mongolian Chinese, Koreans and Japanese rather than to southern Han Chinese. The corresponding dendrogram constructed according to the neighbour‐joining method supported that Tibetans separated from southern Han and located in North‐East Asian cluster which included northern Han Chinese and Mongolian Chinese. These data were in good agreement with language classification and with a recent hypothesis that Tibetan might originate from northern China along Yellow river.
Source Zone Natural Attenuation at Petroleum Hydrocarbon Spill Sites—I: Site‐Specific Assessment Approach
Authors: Johnson Paul , Lundegard Paul , Liu Zhuang 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis work focuses on the site‐specific assessment of source zone natural attenuation (SZNA) at petroleum spill sites, including the confirmation that SZNA is occurring, estimation of current SZNA rates, and anticipation of SZNA impact on future ground water quality. The approach anticipates that decision makers will be interested in answers to the following questions: (1) Is SZNA occurring and what processes are contributing to SZNA? (2) What are the current rates of mass removal associated with SZNA? (3) What are the longer‐term implications of SZNA for ground water impacts? and (4) Are the SZNA processes and rates sustainable? This approach is a data‐driven, macroscopic, multiple‐lines‐of‐evidence approach and is therefore consistent with the 2000 National Research Council’s recommendations and complementary to existing dissolved plume natural attenuation protocols and recent modeling work published by others. While this work is easily generalized, the discussion emphasizes SZNA assessment at petroleum hydrocarbon spill sites. The approach includes three basic levels of data collection and data reduction (Group I, Group II, and Group III). Group I measurements provide evidence that SZNA is occurring. Group II measurements include additional information necessary to estimate current SZNA rates, and group III measurements are focused on evaluating the long‐term implications of SZNA for source zone characteristics and ground water quality. This paper presents the generalized site‐specific SZNA assessment approach and then focuses on the interpretation of Group II data. Companion papers illustrate its application to source zones at a former oil field in California.
The impact of sensory impairment on social interaction between residents in care homes
Authors: Cook Glenda , Brown‐Wilson Christine , Forte Denise 
Published: November 2006

Aim.  The aim was to draw on older people's narratives to illuminate the experience of living in a care home and the impact that vision and hearing impairments have on the individual's ability to engage in social interactions with other residents.Methods.  The paper draws on two research studies, first, a hermeneutic inquiry examining the meaning ascribed to living in a care home, the second, a constructivist study, exploring relationships between residents, families and staff. Both studies drew on older people's narrative accounts to explore their experiences of living in a care home. On independently interpreting the narratives a similar theme emerged around the challenges to social interactions experienced by residents with sight and/or hearing impairment. This resulted in a cross study analysis to further illuminate this theme.Findings.  The cross study analysis highlighted the difficulties residents experience in interacting with others, in the home, as a consequence of sight and/or hearing impairment, and the potential impact this had on feelings of social isolation. This is illustrated through narratives from two residents, one with sight impairment and the other with hearing loss. The narratives highlight the problems these people encountered and how resilient they were in adjusting to their sensory loss and maintaining social interactions. One conclusion from the study is the need for more empirical work in this area.Relevance to clinical practice.  The paper identifies a number of issues for practice including staff taking a more proactive role in screening for, and managing, visual and hearing impairments in residents. Also the vital role staff play in ensuring the environment optimizes the residents’ ability to fully engage in the residential community.
The fig wax scale Ceroplastes rusci (Linnaeus) (Homoptera: Coccidae) in south‐east Vietnam: Pest status, life history and biocontrol trials with Eublemma amabilis Moore (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: VU Nga Thi , EASTWOOD Rod , NGUYEN Chat Thi , PHAM Lam Van 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe fig wax scale Ceroplastes rusci (Linnaeus) is a serious pest of fruit trees in many countries. In the present study we investigated the extent of C. rusci infestation and the range of host species, particularly in fruit orchards, in south‐east Vietnam. Captive populations of C. rusci were established to record life history parameters and to investigate the efficacy of an endemic predacious moth, Eublemma amabilis Moore, as a potential biocontrol agent. Heavy infestation of C. rusci (up to 100%) was recorded in soursop and other fruit orchards, and the culturally important Hoa Mai flower was also affected. Captive breeding trials found E. amabilis to be an efficient predator of C. rusci, but an unusual hyperactive trait in early instars of E. amabilis resulted in lower than expected survival rates. The implications of this trait in terms of the laboratory environment, augmentative release protocols and as a survival strategy are discussed.
Ecological and morphological characteristics of the endoparasitoids of larval Acronicta rumicis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: CHO Youngho , KWON Ohseok , NAM Sang‐Ho 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe Hymenopterans Glyptapanteles liparidis, Microplitis sp. and Diadegma sp. were found to be larval parasitoids and koinobionts of Acronicta rumicis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Mesochorus semirufus is believed to be a new unreported hyperparasitoid of G. liparidis, which, along with M. semirufus, is a gregarious parasitoid. In contrast, the parasitoids Microplitis sp. and Diadegma sp. are solitary. All of the hymenopteran parasitoids are multivoltine insects that emerge from A. rumicis more than once. Compcilura concinnata, Euexorista sp. and Exorista sp. of the Diptera were found to be larval–pupal parasitoids, solitary parasitoids and koinobionts. These three species are univoltine, and emerge only once from A. rumicis. Morphological and life cycle data were collected for G. liparidis, and for the parasitoids of that species found in this study. The major and minor axes of an egg of G. liparidis were 0.10 and 0.02 mm, respectively, while the mean clutch size of G. liparidis was 67.71 ± 39.36 individuals. The body length of female and male G. liparidis were 2.25 ± 0.06 and 2.21 ± 0.12 mm, respectively, and the longevity of an adult was 2.93 ± 0.96 days. Among the parasitoids, the mean body length of an adult Microplitis sp. was 3.5 mm and adults lived for an average of 8.13 ± 3.54 days. The adult Diadegma sp. was larger (mean body length 6.5 mm) but lived for a shorter interval (3.33 ± 1.32 days). The body lengths of female and male M. semirufus were 3.16 ± 0.11 and 3.10 ± 0.23 mm, respectively, greater than the body lengths of female and male G. liparidis. The body lengths of adult C. concinnata, Euexorista sp. and Exorista sp. were 9.5, 9.53 and 8.68 mm, respectively. All of their pupae were dark brown.
A Member of the Second Carbohydrate Uptake Subfamily of ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters Is Responsible for Ribonucleoside Uptake inStreptococcus mutans
Authors: Webb Alexander J. , Hosie Arthur H. F. 
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACTStreptococcus mutanshas a significant number of transporters of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily. Members of this superfamily are involved in the translocation of a diverse range of molecules across membranes. However, the functions of many of these members remain unknown. We have investigated the role of the singleS. mutansrepresentative of the second subfamily of carbohydrate uptake transporters (CUT2) of the ABC superfamily. The genetic context of genes encoding this transporter indicates that it may have a role in ribonucleoside scavenging. Inactivation ofrnsA(ATPase) orrnsB(solute binding protein) resulted in strains resistant to 5-fluorocytidine and 5-fluorouridine (toxic ribonucleoside analogues). As other ribonucleosides including cytidine, uridine, adenosine, 2-deoxyuridine, and 2-deoxycytidine protectedS. mutansfrom 5-fluorocytidine and 5-fluorouridine toxicity, it is likely that this transporter is involved in the uptake of these molecules. Indeed, thernsAandrnsBmutants were unable to transport [2-14C]cytidine or [2-14C]uridine and had significantly reduced [8-14C]adenosine uptake rates. Characterization of this transporter in wild-typeS. mutansindicates that it is a high-affinity (Km= 1 to 2 μM) transporter of cytidine, uridine, and adenosine. The inhibition of [14C]cytidine uptake by a range of structurally related molecules indicates that the CUT2 transporter is involved in the uptake of most ribonucleosides, including 2-deoxyribonucleosides, but not ribose or nucleobases. The characterization of this permease has directly shown for the first time that an ABC transporter is involved in the uptake of ribonucleosides and extends the range of substrates known to be transported by members of the ABC transporter superfamily.
Multiple GTPases Participate in the Assembly of the Large Ribosomal Subunit in
Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Schaefer Laura , Uicker William C. , Wicker-Planquart Catherine , Foucher Anne-Emmanuelle , Jault Jean-Michel , Britton Robert A. 
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACT

GTPases have been demonstrated to be necessary for the proper assembly of the ribosome in bacteria and eukaryotes. Here, we show that the essential GTPases YphC and YsxC are required for large ribosomal subunit biogenesis in
Bacillus subtilis
. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation of large ribosomal subunits isolated from YphC-depleted cells and YsxC-depleted cells indicates that they are similar to the 45S intermediate previously identified in RbgA-depleted cells. The sedimentation of the large-subunit intermediate isolated from YphC-depleted cells was identical to the intermediate found in RbgA-depleted cells, while the intermediate isolated from YsxC-depleted cells sedimented slightly slower than 45S, suggesting that it is a novel intermediate. Analysis of the protein composition of the large-subunit intermediates isolated from either YphC-depleted cells or YsxC-depleted cells indicated that L16 and L36 are missing. Purified YphC and YsxC are able to interact with the ribosome in vitro, supporting a direct role for these two proteins in the assembly of the 50S subunit. Our results indicate that, as has been demonstrated for
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
ribosome biogenesis, bacterial 50S ribosome assembly requires the function of multiple essential GTPases.
A Multicenter Study Evaluating the Current Strategies for Isolating
Staphylococcus aureus
Strains with Reduced Susceptibility to Glycopeptides
Authors: Wootton Mandy , MacGowan Alasdair P. , Walsh Timothy R. , Howe Robin A. 
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACT

Glycopeptide-intermediate
Staphylococcus aureus
(GISA) and heterogeneous GISA (hGISA) strains are notoriously difficult to detect in the diagnostic laboratory. The clinical importance of GISA, and particularly hGISA, will only be obvious when a definitive detection method is available. A few novel GISA and hGISA detection methods have been proposed; however, their validity has never been tested on a significant scale and in different laboratories. This study compares three screening methods for detecting GISA and hGISA strains in 12 laboratories, using a blind panel of 48 strains with known glycopeptide susceptibilities. The three screening methods used were brain heart infusion agar with 6 mg/liter vancomycin (BHIA6V) (CDC/CLSI), Mueller-Hinton agar with 5 mg/liter teicoplanin (MHA5T) (European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System [EARSS]), and the macrodilution method Etest (MET) (EARSS), with population analysis profile-area under the curve analysis as the gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity were highest for MHA5T and MET, which identified 82.5% and 85.9% of strains, respectively. BHIA6V had poor sensitivity, particularly for hGISA (11.5% of strains were detected), and gave the largest interlaboratory variation in performance. MET exhibited the least interlaboratory variation. It is essential that laboratories use appropriate methods to detect GISA/hGISA strains so that the prevalence and clinical importance of these strains can be assessed properly.
Precise Identification of a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Antigen Processing Mutant
Authors: Zimbwa Peter , Milicic Anita , Frater John , Scriba Thomas J. , Willis Antony , Goulder Philip J. R. , Pillay Tilly , Gunthard Huldrych , Weber Jonathan N. , Zhang Hua-Tang , Phillips Rodney E. 
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACTHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) evokes a strong immune response, but the virus persists. Polymorphisms within known antigenic sites result in loss of immune recognition and can be positively selected. Amino acid variation outside known HLA class I restricted epitopes can also enable immune escape by interfering with the processing of the optimal peptide antigen. However, the lack of precise rules dictating epitope generation and the enormous genetic diversity of HIV make prediction of processing mutants very difficult. Polymorphism E169D in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) is significantly associated with HLA-B*0702 in HIV-1-infected individuals. This polymorphism does not map within a known HLA-B*0702 epitope; instead, it is located five residues downstream of a HLA-B*0702-restricted epitope SPAIFQSSM (SM9). Here we investigate the association between E169D and HLA-B*0702 for immune escape via the SM9 epitope. We show that this single amino acid variation prevents the immune recognition of the flanked SM9 epitope by cytotoxic T cells through lack of generation of the epitope, which is a result of aberrant proteasomal cleavage. The E169D polymorphism also maps within and abrogates the recognition of an HLA-A*03-restricted RT epitope MR9. This study highlights the potential for using known statistical associations as indicators for viral escape but also the complexity involved in interpreting the immunological consequences of amino acid changes in HIV sequences.
Intraspecies Host Specificity of a Single-Stranded RNA Virus Infecting a Marine Photosynthetic Protist Is Determined at the Early Steps of Infection
Authors: Mizumoto Hiroyuki , Tomaru Yuji , Takao Yoshitake , Shirai Yoko , Nagasaki Keizo 
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACT

Viruses are extremely abundant in seawater and are believed to be significant pathogens to photosynthetic protists (microalgae). Recently, several novel RNA viruses were found to infect marine photosynthetic protists; one of them is HcRNAV, which infects
Heterocapsa circularisquama
(
Dinophyceae
). There are two distinct ecotypes of HcRNAV with complementary intraspecies host ranges. Nucleotide sequence comparison between them revealed remarkable differences in the coat protein coding gene resulting in a high frequency of amino acid substitutions. However, the detailed mechanism supporting this intraspecies host specificity is still unknown. In this study, virus inoculation experiments were conducted with compatible and incompatible host-virus combinations to investigate the mechanism determining intraspecies host specificity. Cells were infected by adding a virus suspension directly to a host culture or by transfecting viral RNA into host cells by particle bombardment. Virus propagation was monitored by Northern blot analysis with a negative-strand-specific RNA probe, transmission electron microscopy, and a cell lysis assay. With compatible host-virus combinations, propagation of infectious progeny occurred regardless of the inoculation method used. When incompatible combinations were used, direct addition of a virus suspension did not even result in viral RNA replication, while in host cells transfected with viral RNA, infective progeny virus particles with a host range encoded by the imported viral RNA were propagated. This indicates that the intraspecies host specificity of HcRNAV is determined by the upstream events of virus infection. This is the first report describing the reproductive steps of an RNA virus infecting a photosynthetic protist at the molecular level.
Oncolytic Virotherapy Synergism with Signaling Inhibitors: Rapamycin Increases Myxoma Virus Tropism for Human Tumor Cells
Authors: Stanford Marianne M. , Barrett John W. , Nazarian Steven H. , Werden Steven , McFadden Grant 
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACT
Myxoma virus is a rabbit-specific poxvirus pathogen that also exhibits a unique tropism for human tumor cells and is dramatically oncolytic for human cancer xenografts. Most tumor cell lines tested are permissive for myxoma infection in a fashion intimately tied to the activation state of Akt kinase. A host range factor of myxoma virus, M-T5, directly interacts with Akt and mediates myxoma virus tumor cell tropism. mTOR is a regulator of cell growth and metabolism downstream of Akt and is specifically inhibited by rapamycin. We report that treatment of nonpermissive human tumor cell lines, which normally restrict myxoma virus replication, with rapamycin dramatically increased virus tropism and spread in vitro. This increased myxoma replication is concomitant with global effects on mTOR signaling, specifically, an increase in Akt kinase. In contrast to the effects on human cancer cells, rapamycin does not increase myxoma virus replication in rabbit cell lines or permissive human tumor cell lines with constitutively active Akt. This indicates that rapamycin increases the oncolytic capacity of myxoma virus for human cancer cells by reconfiguring the internal cell signaling environment to one that is optimal for productive virus replication and suggests the possibility of a potentially therapeutic synergism between kinase signaling inhibitors and oncolytic poxviruses for cancer treatment.