bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High‐throughput Procedure for Single Pollen Grain Collection and Polymerase Chain Reaction in Plants
Authors: Chen Ping‐Hua , Pan Yong‐Bao , Chen Ru‐Kai 
Published: March 2008

Abstract Single pollen grain polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has succeeded in several species, however only limited numbers of pollen grains were involved due to difficulties in pollen isolation and lysis. This has limited its application in genetic analysis and mapping studies in plants. A high‐throughput (HT) procedure for collecting and detecting genetic variation in a large number of individual pollen grains by PCR is reported. The HT procedure involved the collection of individual pollen grains by a pair of special forceps and the lysis of pollen grains in a heated alkali/detergent solution followed by neutralization with a tris‐ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (TE) buffer. These resulting template solutions yielded PCR reactions involving the 5S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacers, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA, and simple sequence repeats markers. Using this procedure, one person with experience could collect and process up to 288 single pollen grain PCR reactions per day. The method worked well on sugarcane, corn, Miscanthus spp., snap bean, sorghum, and tomato. The ability to collect and conduct PCR on individual pollen grains on a large scale offers a new approach to genetic analyses and mapping studies in an easily controllable environment with a considerable cost reduction. The method will also significantly benefit studies in species that are difficult subjects for classical genetic research.
Phenotypic Characterization, Genetic Analysis and Gene‐mapping for a Brittle Mutant in Rice
Authors: Xu Jian‐Di , Zhang Quan‐Fang , Zhang Tao , Zhang Hong‐Yu , Xu Pei‐Zhou , Wang Xu‐Dong , Wu Xian‐Jun 
Published: March 2008

Abstract Plant mechanical strength is an important agronomic trait of rice. An ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)
‐induced rice mutant, fragile plant 2 (fp2), showed morphological changes and reduced mechanical strength. Genetic analysis indicated that the brittle of fp2 was controlled by a recessive gene. The fp2 gene was mapped on chromosome 10. Anatomical analyses showed that the fp2 mutation caused the reduction of cell length and cell wall thickness, increasing of cell width, and the alteration of cell wall structure as well as the vessel elements. The consequence was a global alteration in plant morphology. Chemical analyses indicated that the contents of cellulose and lignin decreased, and hemicelluloses and silicon increased in fp2. These results were different from the other mutants reported in rice. Thus, fp2 might affect the deposition and patterning of microfibrils, the biosynthesis and deposition of cell wall components, which influences the formation of primary and secondary cell walls, the thickness of cell walls, cell elongation and expansion, plant morphology and plant strength in rice.
Water Sources of Dominant Species in Three Alpine Ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau, China
Authors: Duan De‐Yu , Ouyang Hua , Song Ming‐Hua , Hu Qi‐Wu 
Published: March 2008

Abstract Plant water sources were estimated by two or three compartment linear mixing models using hydrogen and oxygen isotope (δD and δ18O) values of different components such as plant xylem water, precipitation and river water as well as soil water on the Tibetan Plateau in the summer of 2005. Four dominant species (Quercus aquifolioides, Pinus tabulaeformis, Salix rehderiana and Nitraria tangutorum) in three typical ecosystems (forest, shrub and desert) were investigated in this study. Stable isotope ratios of the summer precipitations and the soil water presented variations in spatial and temporal scales. δ18O values of N. tangutorum xylem water were constant in the whole growth season and very similar to those of deep soil water. Water sources for all of the plants came from both precipitations and soil water. Plants switched rapidly among different water sources when environmental water conditions changed. Rainwater had different contributions to the plants, which was influenced by amounts of precipitation. The percentage of plant xylem water derived from rainwater rose with an increase in precipitation. Water sources for broad‐leaved and coniferous species were different although they grew in the same environmental conditions. For example, the broad‐leaved species Q. aquifolioides used mainly the water from deep soil, while 92.5% of xylem water of the coniferous species P. tabulaeformis was derived from rainwater during the growth season. The study will be helpful for us to fully understand responses of species on the Tibetan Plateau to changes in precipitation patterns, and to assess accurately changes of vegetation distribution in the future.
“Enhancing Life?” Perspectives from Traditional Chinese Value-Systems
Authors: Kirkland Russell 
Published: March 2008

In his introduction to this symposium, “Religions and Cultures of East and West: Perspectives on Bioethics,” Dr. Robert Sade defined its purpose as follows: “The objective of [our] discussions…is to explore the limits of enhancement technologies in light of what makes us essentially human, in the view of world-wide cultures and religions.”These issues would seem to be at the cutting edge of any informed deliberation concerning the merits of “human enhancement” technologies. For instance, the issue of how “what makes us essentially human” affects our reflection on issues of technological “life enhancement” is raised in a 2007 book by Harvard professor Michael J. Sandel,The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering.
Teaching Health Law
Authors: Frisch Paul , Hughes Randall L. , Killgore Joan B. 
Published: March 2008

I come from a medical family. My father and uncle were physicians, and my father also chaired a department at a West Coast medical school for over 30 years. I am sure I got my interest in teaching from him. My brother is a physician and is currently the safety and quality officer of a Canadian province. My mother operated the last non-automated medical laboratory in my state. I have always understood what sacrifices are made by health care professionals, and I think I have managed to learn a bit about their motivations as well.I was in private practice for ten years with litigation firms, and the last five years of that time I worked for a firm that specialized in professional liability defense and health law.
Public Health Emergency Legal Preparedness: Legal Practitioner Perspectives
Authors: Kouzoukas Demetrios L. 
Published: March 2008

This paper provides an overview of recent US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiatives and efforts — under the leadership of the General Counsel, the Secretary, and the President — regarding legal preparedness for public health emergencies. In addressing this topic, the paper focuses on four core elements comprising public health legal preparedness:(1)effective legal authorities to support necessary public health activities;(2)competencies of public health professionals to know and then to apply those laws;(3)coordination of the application of laws across jurisdictions (local, state, tribal, federal, and international) and across multiple sectors; and(4)information and best practices in public health law.
Assessing Cross-Sectoral and Cross-Jurisdictional Coordination for Public Health Emergency Legal Preparedness
Authors: Hogan Rick , Bullard Cheryl H. , Stier Daniel , Penn Matthew S. , Wall Teresa , Cleland John , Burch James H. , Monroe Judith , Ragland Robert E. , Baker Thurbert , Casciotti John 
Published: March 2008

A community's abilities to promote health and maximize its response to public health threats require fulfillment of one of the four elements of public health legal preparedness, the capacity to effectively coordinate law-based efforts across different governmental jurisdictions, as well as across multiple sectors and disciplines. Government jurisdictions can be viewed “vertically” in that response efforts may entail coordination in the application of laws across multiple levels, including local, state, tribal, and federal governments, and even with international organizations. Coordination of legal responses to public health emergencies also may involve a horizontal dimension comprising numerous and diverse sectors, such as public health, public and private health care, emergency management, education, law enforcement, the judiciary, and the military.Although responses to many acute health threats can implicate multiple jurisdictions and sectors, the jurisdictional and sectoral dimensions of legal preparedness are complex and may vary substantially by the nature of a threat, its geographic and geopolitical extent, and the operational response demanded.
Improving Laws and Legal Authorities for Public Health Emergency Legal Preparedness
Authors: Pestronk Robert M. , Kamoie Brian , Fidler David , Matthews Gene , Benjamin Georges C. , Bryan Ralph T. , Tuch Socrates H. , Gottfried Richard , Fielding Jonathan E. , Schmitz Fran , Redd Stephen 
Published: March 2008

This paper is one of the four interrelated action agenda papers resulting from the National Summit on Public Health Legal Preparedness (Summit) convened in June 2007 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and multi-disciplinary partners. Each of the action agenda papers deals with one of the four core elements of legal preparedness: laws and legal authorities; competency in using those laws; coordination of law-based public health actions; and information. Options presented in this paper are for consideration by policymakers and practitioners — in all jurisdictions and all relevant sectors and disciplines — with responsibilities for all-hazards emergency preparedness.One expert's framing of the mission of public health may help improve understanding of the range of hazards for which to be legally prepared. These hazards include urgent realities — such as chronic disease, injury, disabilities, conventional communicable diseases, and an aging and obese population — and urgent threats, such as pandemic influenza, natural disasters, and terrorism.
Improving Competencies for Public Health Emergency Legal Preparedness
Authors: Gebbie Kristine M. , Hodge James G. , Meier Benjamin Mason , Barrett Drue H. , Keith Priscilla , Koo Denise , Sweeney Patricia M. , Winget Patricia 
Published: March 2008

This paper is one of the four interrelated action agenda papers resulting from the National Summit on Public Health Legal Preparedness (Summit) convened in June 2007 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and multi-disciplinary partners. Each of the action agenda papers deals with one of the four core elements of legal preparedness: laws and legal authorities; competency in using those laws; and coordination of law-based public health actions; and information.This action agenda offers options for consideration by those responsible for or interested in ensuring that public health professionals, their legal counsels, and relevant partners understand the legal framework in which they operate and are competent in applying legal authorities to public health emergency preparedness.Competencies are critical to an individual's ability to make effective legal response to all-hazards public emergencies.
Short‐term temporal variability in the abundance of tropical dung beetles
Authors: ANDRESEN ELLEN 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. Dung beetles are increasingly being used as a focal taxon in biodiversity and conservation studies. One of the alleged advantages of these insects is that sampling conducted in a few days can yield accurate data.Dung beetles were collected twice, within a week, in a tropical dry forest in Mexico. The abundance of one species,Onthophagus landolti, increased 16 times in one of the habitats, over a period of a few days. Consequently, conclusions regarding differences between both habitats differed greatly depending on which sampling period was considered.Short‐term temporal variability in the abundance of dung beetles, particularly if spatially asymmetric, must carefully be considered when designing sampling protocols for this group of insects in dry tropical forests.
A habitat suitability model for the narrow‐headed ant, Formica exsecta, evaluated against independent data
Authors: LITTLEWOOD NICK A. , YOUNG MARK R. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract.

Predictive models are frequently used to assist forecasts of species’ distributions. For rare species, this approach can provide insights into habitat utilisation and potential habitat suitability that can assist conservation action. However the technique has seldom been used for invertebrates.
A habitat suitability model was constructed for the rare ant, Formica exsecta, at Glenmore, a pinewood site in Scotland that contains a significant proportion of the UK population of this species. A range of botanical and environmental variables were surveyed within cells in a grid structure. The model successfully re‐classified 87% of cells according to the presence/absence of ant nests. When subject to a jackknife procedure, 70% of cells were successfully re‐classified and the median predicted probability of presence in occupied cells was significantly greater than in unoccupied cells.
The model was further evaluated against three independent datasets with rates for successful predictions of 70%, 62.5% and 25%. The performance declined with increased distance from the area from which calibration data were collected.
We conclude that caution is required when a model is validated purely by reference to the data from which it was constructed and not against independent data. However, the process can provide useful insights into habitat suitability for rare invertebrates that can assist rapid assessment of potential ranges for conservation measures such as restoration of populations.
Effect of Ketoconazole on the Pharmacokinetics of Maribavir in Healthy Adults
Authors: Goldwater D. Ronald , Dougherty Carolyn , Schumacher Mary , Villano Stephen A. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT
Maribavir, an oral antiviral drug with activity against cytomegalovirus, is currently undergoing studies to assess its efficacy and safety as cytomegalovirus prophylaxis following stem cell or solid organ transplantation. The main objective of this study was to assess the effects of oral ketoconazole, a potent inhibitor of the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) isoenzyme, on the pharmacokinetics of maribavir. This was an open-label crossover study with 20 healthy adults. Subjects were administered a single dose of maribavir at 400 mg. After a washout period, subjects received a single dose of ketoconazole at 400 mg followed by a single dose of maribavir. Blood samples were collected for each drug sequence, and pharmacokinetic parameters for maribavir and its principal metabolite, VP 44469, were determined. Safety was evaluated by physical examination, clinical laboratory testing, 12-lead electrocardiogram, and monitoring for adverse events. Ketoconazole moderately reduced the clearance of both maribavir and VP 44469; oral clearance values were 35% and 13% lower, respectively, for maribavir-plus-ketoconazole treatment than for maribavir alone. Based on the assumption of complete inhibition of CYP3A4 activity, CYP3A4 is responsible for 35% of the overall clearance of maribavir. Treatment was generally well tolerated. The most-common adverse event was dysgeusia (taste disturbance), reported by nine (47%) and seven (35%) subjects in the maribavir alone and maribavir-plus-ketoconazole groups, respectively. The pharmacokinetic findings, in combination with the acceptable tolerability within the maribavir and maribavir-plus-ketoconazole treatment groups, suggest that no dose adjustment of maribavir is necessary when coadministered with CYP3A4 inhibitors or substrates.
Persistence ofBorrelia burgdorferifollowing Antibiotic Treatment in Mice
Authors: Hodzic Emir , Feng Sunlian , Holden Kevin , Freet Kimberly J. , Barthold Stephen W. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe effectiveness of antibiotic treatment was examined in a mouse model of Lyme borreliosis. Mice were treated with ceftriaxone or saline solution for 1 month, commencing during the early (3 weeks) or chronic (4 months) stages of infection withBorrelia burgdorferi. Tissues from mice were tested for infection by culture, PCR, xenodiagnosis, and transplantation of allografts at 1 and 3 months after completion of treatment. In addition, tissues were examined for the presence of spirochetes by immunohistochemistry. In contrast to saline solution-treated mice, mice treated with antibiotic were consistently culture negative, but tissues from some of the mice remained PCR positive, and spirochetes could be visualized in collagen-rich tissues. Furthermore, when some of the antibiotic-treated mice were fed on byIxodes scapularisticks (xenodiagnosis), spirochetes were acquired by the ticks, as determined based upon PCR results, and ticks from those cohorts transmitted spirochetes to naïve SCID mice, which became PCR positive but culture negative. Results indicated that following antibiotic treatment, mice remained infected with nondividing but infectious spirochetes, particularly when antibiotic treatment was commenced during the chronic stage of infection.
Iminosugars in Combination with Interferon and Ribavirin Permanently Eradicate Noncytopathic Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus from Persistently Infected Cells
Authors: Woodhouse Stephen D. , Smith Caroline , Michelet Maud , Branza-Nichita Norica , Hussey Mark , Dwek Raymond A. , Zitzmann Nicole 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTWe evaluated interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) as dual therapy and as part of triple-combination therapies with the iminosugarsN-butyl-deoxynojirimycin (NB-DNJ),N-nonyl-deoxynojirimycin, andN-7-oxanonyl-6-deoxymethyl-galactonojirimycin. The ability of these compounds to clear bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), a surrogate model for hepatitis C virus (HCV), from a persistently infected Madin-Darby bovine kidney cells cell line was determined by monitoring the secretion of viral RNA and the infectivity of secreted virions. In the BVDV system, after treatment with IFN-RBV alone, viral rebound was observed immediately after removal of the drugs. In contrast, we demonstrate that a triple drug combination of IFN, RBV, and an iminosugar eradicated the BVDV infection in a time- and a dose-dependent manner, leading to sustained viral clearance. Importantly, in the case ofNB-DNJ, the sustained viral clearance was achieved by using physiologically relevant and tolerated drug concentrations. Therefore, the use of a triple-combination therapy that includes an iminosugar may prove to be of greater therapeutic value for the treatment of HCV infection than the use of IFN-RBV alone.
Single-Dose Safety and Pharmacokinetics of ST-246, a Novel Orthopoxvirus Egress Inhibitor
Authors: Jordan Robert , Tien Deborah , Bolken Tove' C. , Jones Kevin F. , Tyavanagimatt Shanthakumar R. , Strasser Josef , Frimm Annie , Corrado Michael L. , Strome Phoebe G. , Hruby Dennis E. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT
ST-246 is a novel, potent orthopoxvirus egress inhibitor that is being developed to treat pathogenic orthopoxvirus infections of humans. This phase I, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled single ascending dose study (first time with humans) was conducted to determine the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of ST-246 in healthy human volunteers. ST-246 was administered in single oral doses of 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg to fasting healthy volunteers and 1,000 mg to nonfasting healthy volunteers. ST-246 was generally well tolerated with no serious adverse events, and no subject was withdrawn from the study due to ST-246. The most commonly reported drug-related adverse event was neutropenia, which was found, upon further analysis, not to be treatment related. ST-246 was readily absorbed following oral administration with mean times to maximum concentration from 2 h to 3 h. Absorption was greater in nonfasting volunteers than in fasting volunteers. Administration of ST-246 resulted in exposure levels predicted to be sufficient for inhibiting orthopoxvirus replication compared to exposure levels in nonhuman primates in which ST-246 protected animals from lethal orthopoxvirus infection.
In Vitro Activities of the Rx-01 Oxazolidinones against Hospital and Community Pathogens
Authors: Lawrence Laura , Danese Paul , DeVito Joe , Franceschi Francois , Sutcliffe Joyce 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT

Rx-01_423 and Rx-01_667 are two members of the family of oxazolidinones that were designed using a combination of computational and medicinal chemistry and conventional biological techniques. The compounds have a two- to eightfold-improved potency over linezolid against serious gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA), multidrug-resistant streptococci, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. This enhanced potency extends to the coverage of linezolid-resistant gram-positive microbes, especially multidrug-resistant enterococci and pneumococci. Compounds from this series expand the spectrum compared with linezolid to include fastidious gram-negative organisms like
Haemophilus influenzae
and
Moraxella catarrhalis
. Like linezolid, the Rx-01 compounds are bacteriostatic against MRSA and enterococci but are generally bactericidal against
S. pneumoniae
and
H. influenzae
.
Differential Effects of Quinoline Antimalarials on Endocytosis inPlasmodium falciparum
Authors: Roberts Lindi , Egan Timothy J. , Joiner Keith A. , Hoppe Heinrich C. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe effects of quinoline antimalarials on endocytosis byPlasmodium falciparumwas investigated by measuring parasite hemoglobin levels, peroxidase uptake, and transport vesicle content. Mefloquine, quinine, and halofantrine inhibited endocytosis, and chloroquine inhibited vesicle trafficking, while amodiaquine shared both effects. Protease inhibitors moderated hemoglobin perturbations, suggesting a common role for heme binding.
Enhanced Resistance to Bacterial Infection in Protegrin-1 Transgenic Mice
Authors: Cheung Queenie C. K. , Turner Patricia V. , Song Cheng , Wu De , Cai Hugh Y. , MacInnes Janet I. , Li Julang 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTAntibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a public health concern. It was suggested that one source of resistant pathogens may be food-producing animals. Alternative approaches are therefore needed to enhance the resistance of farm animals to bacterial infection. Protegrin-1 (PG-1) is a neutrophil-derived antimicrobial peptide that possesses activity against a wide range of bacteria and enveloped viruses. Here we report on the production of transgenic mice that ectopically expressed PG-1 and compare their susceptibilities toActinobacillus suisinfection with those of their wild-type (WT) littermates. Of the 126 mice that were challenged withA. suis, 87% of the transgenic mice survived, whereas 31% of their WT littermates survived. The PG-1 transgenic mice had significantly lower bacterial loads in their lungs and reduced numbers of pulmonary pathological lesions. The antimicrobial function of PG-1 was confirmed in vitro by using fibroblast cells isolated from the transgenic mice but not the WT mice. Moreover, differential blood cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid indicated greater number of neutrophils in PG-1 transgenic mice than in their WT littermates after bacterial challenge. Our data suggest that the ectopic expression of PG-1 in mice confers enhanced resistance to bacterial infection, laying the foundation for the development of livestock with improved resistance to infection.