bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Induction of Persistent Colitis by a Human Commensal, EnterotoxigenicBacteroides fragilis, in Wild-Type C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Rhee Ki-Jong , Wu Shaoguang , Wu XinQun , Huso David L. , Karim Baktiar , Franco Augusto A. , Rabizadeh Shervin , Golub Jonathan E. , Mathews Lauren E. , Shin Jai , Sartor R. Balfour , Golenbock Douglas , Hamad Abdel R. , Gan Christine M. , Housseau Franck , Sears Cynthia L. 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTEnterotoxigenicBacteroides fragilis(ETBF) causes diarrhea and is implicated in inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer. The only known ETBF virulence factor is theBacteroides fragilistoxin (BFT), which induces E-cadherin cleavage, interleukin-8 secretion, and epithelial cell proliferation. A murine model for ETBF has not been characterized. Specific pathogen-free (SPF) C57BL/6J or germfree 129S6/SvEv mice were orally inoculated with wild-type ETBF (WT-ETBF) strains, a nontoxigenic WT strain ofB. fragilis(WT-NTBF), WT-NTBF overexpressingbft(rETBF), or WT-NTBF overexpressing a biologically inactive mutatedbft(rNTBF). In SPF and germfree mice, ETBF caused colitis but was lethal only in germfree mice. Colonic histopathology demonstrated mucosal thickening with inflammatory cell infiltration, crypt abscesses, and epithelial cell exfoliation, erosion, and ulceration. SPF mice colonized with rETBF mimicked WT-ETBF, whereas rNTBF caused no histopathology. Intestinal epithelial E-cadherin was rapidly cleaved in vivo in WT-ETBF-colonized mice and in vitro in intestinal tissues cultured with purified BFT. ETBF mice colonized for 16 months exhibited persistent colitis. BFT did not directly induce lymphocyte proliferation, dendritic cell stimulation, or Toll-like receptor activation. In conclusion, WT-ETBF induced acute then persistent colitis in SPF mice and rapidly lethal colitis in WT germfree mice. Our data support the hypothesis that chronic colonization with the human commensal ETBF can induce persistent, subclinical colitis in humans.
Arginine-Induced Germ Tube Formation in
Candida albicans
Is Essential for Escape from Murine Macrophage Line RAW 264.7
Authors: Ghosh Suman , Navarathna Dhammika H. M. L. P. , Roberts David D. , Cooper Jake T. , Atkin Audrey L. , Petro Thomas M. , Nickerson Kenneth W. 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT

The opportunistic fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
is a part of the normal flora but it also causes systemic candidiasis if it reaches the bloodstream. Upon being phagocytized by macrophages, an important component of innate immunity,
C. albicans
rapidly upregulates a set of arginine biosynthetic genes. Arginine, urea, and CO
2
induced hyphae in a density-dependent manner in wild-type,
cph1/cph1
, and
rim101/rim101
strains but not in
efg1/efg1
or
cph1/cph1 efg1/efg1
strains. Arginase (Car1p) converts arginine to urea, which in turn is degraded by urea amidolyase (Dur1,2p) to produce CO
2
, a signal for hyphal switching. We used a
dur1,2/dur1,2
mutant (KWN6) and the complemented strain, KWN8 (
dur1,2/dur1,2
::
DUR1,2/DUR1,2
) to study germ tube formation. KWN6 could not make germ tubes in the presence of arginine or urea but did in the presence of 5% CO
2
, which bypasses Dur1,2p. We also tested the effect of arginine on the interaction between the macrophage line RAW 264.7 and several strains of
C. albicans
. Arginine activated an Efg1p-dependent yeast-to-hypha switch, enabling wild-type
C. albicans
and KWN8 to escape from macrophages within 6 h, whereas KWN6 was defective in this regard. Additionally, two mutants that cannot synthesize arginine, BWP17 and SN152, were defective in making hyphae inside the macrophages, whereas the corresponding arginine prototrophs, DAY286 and SN87, formed germ tubes and escaped from macrophages. Therefore, metabolism of arginine by
C. albicans
controls hyphal switching and provides an important mechanism for escaping host defense.
Different Pathologies but Equal Levels of Responsiveness to the Recombinant F1 and V Antigen Vaccine and Ciprofloxacin in a Murine Model of Plague Caused by Small- and Large-Particle Aerosols
Authors: Thomas Richard J. , Webber Daniel , Collinge Aaron , Stagg Anthony J. , Bailey Stephen C. , Nunez Alejandro , Gates Amanda , Jayasekera Pramukh N. , Taylor Rosa R. , Eley Steve , Titball Richard W. 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT

Presently there is a significant effort to develop and evaluate vaccines and antibiotics against the potential bioterrorism agent
Yersinia pestis
. The animal models used to test these countermeasures involve the deposition of small particles within the lung. However, deliberate aerosol release of
Y. pestis
will generate both small and large inhalable particles. We report in this study that the pathogenesis patterns of plague infections caused by the deposition of 1- and 12-μm-particle aerosols of
Y. pestis
in the lower and upper respiratory tracts (URTs) of mice are different. The median lethal dose for 12-μm particles was 4.9-fold greater than that for 1-μm particles. The 12-μm-particle infection resulted in the degradation of the nasal mucosa and nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) plus cervical lymphadenopathy prior to bacteremic dissemination. Lung involvement was limited to secondary pneumonia. In contrast, the 1-μm-particle infection resulted in primary pneumonia; in 40% of mice, the involvement of NALT and cervical lymphadenopathy were observed, indicating entry via both URT lymphoid tissues and lungs. Despite bacterial deposition in the gastrointestinal tract, the involvement of Peyer's patches was not observed in either infection. Although there were major differences in pathogenesis, the recombinant F1 and V antigen vaccine and ciprofloxacin protected against plague infections caused by small- and large-particle aerosols.
An evaluation of police reporting of road casualties
Authors: Jeffrey S , Stone D H , Blamey A , Clark D , Cooper C , Dickson K , Mackenzie M , Major K 
Published: February 2009

Background:Under-reporting of road traffic casualties in police records has been well documented.Objectives:To investigate the extent and nature of possible under-reporting of road traffic casualties in the West of Scotland.Design:A linked database comprising both police data (STATS19) and hospital in-patient records (SMR01) was created. The study period was 1997–2005 inclusive. Contrasting the number of SMR01-identified road casualties that were also recorded (“linked”) in STATS19 records with those that were not (“unlinked”) gives an indication of the extent and types of under-reporting of hospitalized road casualties by the police.Results:45% of hospital admissions due to road casualties were not reported to (or recorded by) the police. The STATS19 “slight casualties” that were linked to the SMR01 data was the only category that showed an increase in numbers (+4%) over the study period, whereas the numbers of STATS19 KSI (killed or seriously injured—combining fatal and serious casualties) decreased substantially (−38%). Pedal cyclists and motorcyclists were most likely to be missed by police recording. No third-party involvement, older casualties, females, length of stay in hospital (day cases), and earlier year of crash were also significantly associated with under-reporting.Conclusions:A general decline in the completeness of STATS19 is unlikely to have occurred, but there may have been an increasing tendency over time for police officers to report injuries as slight rather than serious. To improve the quality of this information, routine linkage of road casualty data derived from police and hospitalization databases should be considered.
Distribution of road traffic deaths by road user group: a global comparison
Authors: Naci H , Chisholm D , Baker T D 
Published: February 2009

Background:Road traffic deaths are a major global health and development problem. An understanding of the existing burden of road traffic deaths in the population is necessary for developing effective interventions.Objective:To outline systematically the global distribution of road traffic deaths by road user groups (pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, motorised four-wheeler occupants).Methods:Comprehensive searches of PubMed, Google, Google Scholar, TransportLink, grey literature and reference lists and communication with experts from international organisations and country-level institutions were conducted to identify eligible studies and data sources. All data sources that provided a breakdown of road traffic deaths by road user group at the national or sub-national level were eligible for inclusion. A breakdown of road traffic deaths by road user group was constructed for 14 epidemiologically defined World Health Organization (WHO) sub-regions in addition to World Bank income categories. In addition, the total number of road traffic fatalities by road user group in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries was estimated.Results:The breakdown of road traffic deaths by road user group varies dramatically across epidemiological WHO sub-regions. The magnitude of pedestrian fatalities ranges from more than half in African sub-region AfrE (55%) to 15% or less in AmrA or EurA. The distribution also varies across low-income, middle-income and high-income countries. 45% of road traffic fatalities in low-income countries are among pedestrians, whereas an estimated 29% in middle-income and 18% in high-income countries are among pedestrians. The burden of road traffic injuries on vulnerable road users differs substantially across income levels. An estimated total of 227 835 pedestrians die in low-income countries, as opposed to 161 501 in middle-income countries and 22 500 in high-income countries each year.Conclusions:Ameliorating road safety requires the implementation of context-specific solutions. This review of the road traffic injury literature provides strong evidence that the distribution of road traffic fatalities varies dramatically across different parts of the world. Therefore, context-appropriate and effective prevention strategies that protect the particular at-risk road user groups should be carefully investigated.
Non-fatal and fatal crash injury risk for children in minivans compared with children in sport utility vehicles
Authors: Kallan M J , Arbogast K B , Elliott M R , Durbin D R 
Published: February 2009

Objective:To compare the fatal and non-fatal crash injury risk for children in minivans compared with midsize and large sport utility vehicles (SUVs).Design:Three large population-based sources of US crash data were used—a nationwide cohort of sampled police-reported crashes (NASS-CDS) along with a census of fatal crashes (FARS), plus a large child crash surveillance system, Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS)—collected in 16 states via insurance claim records and validated telephone survey. Each included: 2000–2006 data, occupants aged 0–15 years, traveling in minivan or (midsize/large) SUV, model year 1998–2007. Outcome of interest was parent/driver report of non-fatal injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale scores of 2 or higher) in PCPS and fatal injury in NASS-CDS/FARS.Results:Compared with children riding in SUVs, those in minivans experienced a similar crude reduction in the relative risk of non-fatal injury (PCPS: unadjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.55) and fatality (NASS-CDS/FARS cohort: unadjusted OR = 0.58). In PCPS, this reduction in injury risk changed little after adjustment for child, driver, and vehicle factors (adjusted OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.82). Lower fatality risk in the NASS-CDS/FARS cohort was partially explained by the same factors (adjusted OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.13).Conclusions:There may be important safety differences in vehicles during a crash that lead to fewer non-fatal injuries to child occupants of minivans compared with SUVs.
Understanding reasons for non-compliance in motorcycle helmet use among adolescents in Greece
Authors: Germeni E , Lionis C , Davou B , Th Petridou E 
Published: February 2009

Objective:To explore attitudes towards two-wheel motorized vehicle (TWMV) helmet use among adolescents in a country with poor legal compliance.Design:Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 523 high school students to define the sample of a qualitative study; thereafter, the Health Belief Model (HBM) was applied in 12 focus groups comprising 70 students.Setting:Three randomly selected public secondary schools in middle-income areas of Athens, Greece.Results:Students reporting frequent helmet use were characterized by a high perceived threat of a TWMV-related injury, which seemed to be associated with both prior experience of an injury and receiving information on helmet wearing from “significant others.” Students reporting helmet non-use were characterized by a low threat perception, possibly attributable to adolescent egocentrism and accompanying feelings of invulnerability or to lack of knowledge and experience in risk identification. A sharp contrast was noted regarding the most important perceived benefit of helmet use, expressed among users as “protection in the case of a road crash” and among non-users as “avoiding tickets from traffic police”. Main barriers to helmet use, as identified by non-users, included: low perceived efficacy of helmets; peer pressure; lack of appropriate information on helmet use; high helmet cost; lack of convenience; vision and hearing disturbance; and style reasons.Conclusions:When social norms of low compliance to safety laws prevail, qualitative research can assist in developing tailored educational interventions targeting behavior modification among adolescents.
Once bitten, twice shy? Medically-attended injuries can sensitise parents to children’s risk of injuries on playgrounds
Authors: Morrongiello B A , Howard A W , Rothman L , Sandomierski M 
Published: February 2009

Objective:To compare risk perceptions of parents whose child sustained a medically attended playground injury (cases) with those of parents whose child had not (controls) to address two questions. Does having a child experience a medically attended injury: (1) sensitise parents to children’s injury vulnerability and severity; (2) influence parents’ appraisal of the injury mechanism (child’s behaviour), attributions for injuries or beliefs about strategies for prevention?Method:Each case–control parent dyad was assigned to one of two conditions: (1) being presented with 10 common injury-risk playground behaviours specific to the equipment on which their child had been hurt, and asked to appraise injury vulnerability and severity; or (2) being presented with scenarios about playground injuries that varied in severity but were all based on the same child behaviour, and asked questions about this behaviour, attributions for injury and strategies for prevention.Results:The results support the occurrence of a sensitisation process. Compared with control parents, case parents showed higher ratings of injury severity and children’s vulnerability to injury, made fewer attributions for injuries to bad luck, and endorsed a greater diversity of prevention strategies, including parent (closer supervision), child (teaching rules about safe play on playgrounds) and environmental (modifications to playgrounds).Conclusions:A child’s medically attended injury can create a “teachable moment” for the parent. Linking injury-prevention programming to this teachable moment may increase the likelihood of evoking changes in parental supervisory behaviour and their setting of rules limiting their child’s risk behaviours to reduce the occurrence of childhood injury.
Respiratory and skin effects of exposure to wood dust from the rubber treeHevea brasiliensis
Authors: Sripaiboonkij P , Phanprasit W , Jaakkola M S 
Published: February 2009

Objectives:Potential health effects related to wood dust from the rubber tree, which produces natural rubber latex, have not been previously investigated. The main aim of this study was to investigate the relations of rubber tree dust exposure to respiratory and skin symptoms, asthma and lung function.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 103 workers (response rate 89%) in a rubber tree furniture factory and 76 office workers (73%) in four factories in Thailand. All participants answered a questionnaire and performed spirometry. Inhalable dust levels were measured in different work areas.Results:Factory workers showed increased risk of wheezing, nasal symptoms and asthma compared to office workers. There was a dose-dependent increase in wheeze and skin symptoms in relation to dust level. Significantly increased risks of nasal symptoms (adj OR 3.67, 95% CI 1.45 to 9.28) and asthma (8.41, 1.06 to 66.60) were detected in the low exposure category. Workers exposed to ethyl cyanoacrylate glue had significantly increased risk of cough, breathlessness and nasal symptoms. There was dose-dependent reduction in spirometric lung function with wood dust level.Conclusions:This study provides new evidence that workers exposed to wood dust from the rubber tree experience increased risk of nasal symptoms, wheeze, asthma and skin symptoms and have reduced spirometric lung function. Exposure to cyanoacrylate is related to significantly increased respiratory symptoms. Results suggest that the furniture industry using rubber tree wood should implement appropriate exposure control measures to reduce wood dust exposure and cyanoacrylate glue exposure to protect their employees.
Geographical information systems as a tool for monitoring tobacco industry advertising
Authors: Vardavas C I , Connolly G N , Kafatos A G 
Published: February 2009

Background:Although the use of a geographical information systems (GIS) approach is usually applied to epidemiological disease outbreaks and environmental exposure mapping, it has significant potential as a tobacco control research tool in monitoring point-of-purchase (POP) tobacco advertising.Design:An ecological study design approach was applied so as to primarily evaluate and interpret the spatial density and intensity of POP and tobacco industry advertisements within <300 m to high schools in Greece with the application of GIS methodology combining mapping, photographing and global positioning data.Results:The GIS approach identified 133 POP and 44 billboards within 300 m of the school gates of Heraklion schools. On average 13 POP (range 4–21) and 4.4 billboards (range 1–9) were located per school, and all had at least 1 POP within 20 m of the school gate. On average (SD) 9 (6) tobacco advertisements per POP (range 0–25) were noted, and 80% of them were below child height. The GIS protocol identified that kiosks, that were excepted from the Greek ban on tobacco advertising, in comparison to other POP, were found not only to be closer and visible from the school gates (44.1% vs 10.8%, p<0.001) but were also found to have more external advertisements (8 (5) vs 5 (3), p<0.001).Conclusions:This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a GIS system in monitoring tobacco industry advertising on a large population-based scale and implies its use as a standardised method for monitoring tobacco industry strategies and tobacco control efforts.
Culturable microbes in shallow groundwater underlying ornithogenic soil of Cape Hallett, AntarcticaThis article is one of a selection of papers in the Special Issue on Polar and Alpine Microbiology.
Authors: Aislabie J. , Ryburn J. , Sarmah A. 
Published: February 2009

The objective of this study was to investigate the culturable psychrotolerant microbial community in groundwater from Seabee Hook, Antarctica. Shallow groundwater can be present in coastal regions at higher latitudes during the Antarctic summer. Perched groundwater atop ice-cemented permafrost occurs on Seabee Hook, Cape Hallett, at depths from 5 to 80 cm below the soil surface. Compared with terrestrial water from other sites in Antarctica, the groundwater was high in salt and nutrients, reflecting proximity to the sea and ornithogenic soil. Microbial communities in groundwater samples from Seabee Hook exhibited aerobic metabolism of14C-acetate at 5 °C. Numbers of culturable aerobic heterotrophs in the samples ranged from <10 to ca. 1 × 106 colony-forming units·mL–1, and similar numbers of microaerophiles and nitrate reducers were detected. In contrast, numbers of nitrifiers, sulfate reducers, and iron reducers were up to 1000-fold lower. All cultures were incubated at 5 °C. Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria isolated from the groundwater were assigned to Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, or Bacteroidetes. The isolates were most similar to cultured bacteria from Antarctic soil or sediment and were cold, salt, and alkaline pH tolerant, indicating they are adapted to in situ conditions.
Bacterial diversity associated with ornithogenic soil of the Ross Sea region, AntarcticaThis article is one of a selection of papers in the Special Issue on Polar and Alpine Microbiology.
Authors: Aislabie J. , Jordan S. , Ayton J. , Klassen J. L. , Barker G. M. , Turner S. 
Published: February 2009

In the Ross Sea region of Antarctica, ornithogenic soils form on land under Adélie Penguin rookeries. Compared with mineral soils of the Ross Sea region, ornithogenic soils are generally high in microbial biomass, organic carbon, and total nitrogen and phosphorus, with high electrical conductivity and large variations in pH. The objective of this study was to assess the bacterial composition of ornithogenic soils from Cape Hallett and Cape Bird in the Ross Sea region using culture-independent methods. Soil clone libraries were constructed and those clones that occurred ≥3 times were sequenced. The bacterial diversity of the soils was dependent on the presence of penguins. Firmicutes most closely related to the endospore-formers (e.g., Oceanobacillus profundus and Clostridium acidurici ) and (or) Gammaproteobacteria belonging to the genus Psychrobacter dominated soils currently occupied with penguins. In contrast, Gammaproteobacteria, closely related to cultured members of the genera Rhodanobacter , Psychrobacter , Dokdonella , and Lysobacter , dominated the soils previously colonized by penguins. Results of this study indicate that despite relatively high nutrient levels and microbial biomass, bacterial communities of ornithogenic soils were not more diverse than those of mineral soils of the Ross Sea region of Antarctica.
Mycorrhizal fungi supply nitrogen to host plants in Arctic tundra and boreal forests: 15N is the key signalThis article is one of a selection of papers in the Special Issue on Polar and Arctic Microbiology.
Authors: Hobbie John E. , Hobbie Erik A. , Drossman Howard , Conte Maureen , Weber J. C. , Shamhart Julee , Weinrobe Melissa 
Published: February 2009

Symbiotic fungi’s role in providing nitrogen to host plants is well-studied in tundra at Toolik Lake, Alaska, but little-studied in the adjoining boreal forest ecosystem. Along a 570 km north–south transect from the Yukon River to the North Slope of Alaska, the 15N content was strongly reduced in ectomycorrhizal and ericoid mycorrhizal plants including Betula , Salix , Picea mariana (P. Mill.) B.S.P., Picea glauca Moench (Voss), and ericaceous plants. Compared with the 15N content of soil, the foliage of nonmycorrhizal plants ( Carex and Eriophorum ) was unchanged, whereas content of the ectomycorrhizal fungi was very much higher (e.g., Boletaceae, Leccinum and Cortinarius ). It is hypothesized that similar processes operate in tundra and boreal forest, both nitrogen-limited ecosystems: (i) mycorrhizal fungi break down soil polymers and take up amino acids or other nitrogen compounds; (ii) mycorrhizal fungi fractionate against 15N during production of transfer compounds; (iii) host plants are accordingly depleted in 15N; and (iv) mycorrhizal fungi are enriched in 15N. Increased N availability for plant roots or decreased light availability to understory plants may have decreased N allocation to mycorrhizal partners and increased δ15N by 3‰–4‰ for southern populations of Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. and Salix. Fungal biomass, measured as ergosterol, correlated strongly with soil organic matter and attained amounts similar to those in temperate forest soils.