bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): Validation of the Malay Version
Authors: Sidi Hatta , Abdullah Norni , Puteh Sharifah Ezat Wan , Midin Marhani 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a prevalent sexual health problem that has been inadequately investigated in Malaysia, a nation with a conservative multiethnic society.

Aim
To validate the Malay version of the Female Sexual Function Index (MVFSFI) for the study of FSD.

Main Outcome Measure
To measure the validity and reliability of the MVFSFI and its domains.

Methods
Validation was carried out on aspects of face, content, discriminant, and criterion (concurrent) validity. Reliability studies on test–retest and on internal consistency were conducted with Cronbach's alpha and Pearson correlation, respectively. The values with the highest sensitivity and specificity generated from the receiver operating characteristic curves were taken as the cutoff scores to differentiate cases and noncases.

Results
A total of 230 married women aged 18–70 years participated in this study. There was a high test–retest correlation by respondents (r at least &gt;0.7). The MVFSFI was found to have good discriminant validity as a whole and for each domain. A total score of 55 was taken as the cutoff point for the MVFSFI to distinguish between women with sexual dysfunction and those without (sensitivity=99%, specificity=97%). Scores lower than 55 indicate sexual dysfunction. The cutoff score for each domain was also established for the MVFSFI: ≤5 for sexual desire disorder (sensitivity=95%, specificity=89%); ≤9 for sexual arousal disorder (sensitivity=77%, specificity=95%); ≤10 for disorder of lubrication (sensitivity=79%, specificity=87%); ≤4 for orgasmic disorder (sensitivity=83%, specificity=85%); ≤11 for sexual dissatisfaction (sensitivity=83%, specificity=85%); and ≤7 for sexual pain disorder (sensitivity=86%, specificity=95%).

Conclusion
The MVFSFI is a validated and locally accepted questionnaire for use in the assessment of FSD in the Malaysian population.
Supplier Evaluations: The Role of Communication Quality
Authors: Prahinski Carol , Fan Ying 
Published: June 2007

SUMMARYAlthough manufacturers communicate supplier evaluations in order to influence the supplier, little is known about the role of communication quality from the suppliers' perspective and its impact on suppliers' performance. Using structural equation modeling and data collected from 138 automotive suppliers, the results suggest that the evaluation content and frequency have an impact on communication quality and suppliers' commitment. Surprisingly, frequent communication of strategic criteria was insignificant or negative. In addition, commitment of suppliers to the buying organization mediated the relationship between communication quality and supplier's performance.
Environmental Uncertainty and Strategic Supply Management: A Resource Dependence Perspective and Performance Implications
Authors: Paulraj Antony , Chen Injazz J. 
Published: June 2007

SUMMARYEnvironmental uncertainty plays a crucial role in the implementation of strategic supply management initiatives. The current study adopts the resource dependence theory to explain the direct effect of supply chain uncertainties on strategic supply management, operationalized as a second‐order construct comprising strategic purchasing, long‐term relationship orientation, interfirm communication, cross‐organizational teams and supplier integration. Using structural equation modeling, the 200‐firm sample provided evidence that strategic supply management is driven by supply and technology uncertainty. Demand uncertainty, on the other hand, was not found to have a significant impact on strategic supply management. Findings further support the link between strategic supply management and the performance of both buying and supplying firms.
Interobserver agreement in the diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia using the standard ventrodorsal hip‐extended radiographic method
Authors: Verhoeven G. , Coopman F. , Duchateau L. , Saunders J. H. , Van Rijssen B. , Van Bree H. 
Published: June 2007

Objectives:To determine the agreement between observers and to investigate the effect of observer experience in diagnosing canine hip dysplasia and providing final scoring of hips using the standard ventrodorsal hip‐extended radiographic method. The agreement of the final scoring, with a presumed correct assessment based on the Norberg angle, is also investigated.Methods:Thirty observers were requested to read 50 ventrodorsal hip‐extended radiographs of 25 dogs according to Federation Cynologique International criteria. Groups of experienced (nine members) and inexperienced (21 members) observers were used.Results:For providing the distinction between dysplastic versus non‐dysplastic dogs, the average interobserver agreement was 72 per cent and was significantly higher (P<0·0001) than the score that could be expected by chance without any agreement between observers. For providing the final score (A, B, C, D or E), an average interobserver agreement of 43·6 per cent was found. In the experienced group, an agreement score of 76 per cent was found for the distinction between AB versus non‐AB and an agreement score of 81 per cent was found for the distinction between C versus non‐C. The agreement score was significantly higher (P<0·0001) for the experienced group than for the inexperienced group in all cases. Agreement between the presumed correct assessment based on the Norberg angle and the observer‘s evaluation was low (P=0·35), irrespective of whether the observers were experienced (71·8 per cent correct assessments) or inexperienced (69 per cent correct assessments).ClinicalSignificance:Although interobserver agreement is low, observer experience increases agreement.
Solar Radiation‐induced Mortality of Marine Pico‐phytoplankton in the Oligotrophic Ocean†
Authors: Agustí Susana , Llabrés Moira 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTWe examined the response of pico‐phytoplankton communities sampled at the equatorial, tropical and temperate Central Atlantic Ocean to subsurface underwater solar radiation in order to test the generality of the reported cell mortality for these populations when exposed to high ultra violet radiation (UVR) and photosynthetically active radiation. The natural communities of pico‐phytoplankton populations tested experienced high cell mortality when exposed to high solar radiation, despite inhabiting tropical waters. Synechococcus and eukaryotes were more resistant to solar radiation than Prochlorococcus. The decay rates of all pico‐phytoplankton groups examined tended to be much higher when exposed to total solar radiation than when UVB‐R was filtered out. We also show that even short exposures of 30 min to high solar radiation were able to induce cell mortality in Prochlorococcus. The variability in the decay rates of living Prochlorococcus cells were strongly related to the condition of the original population. However, Synechococcus decay rates were higher in populations from the tropical area, with eukaryotes sensitivity increasing with increasing the trophic degree. The data reported in this study and in the literature revealed contrasting capacities of Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus and eukaryotes to survive under high solar radiation. Although the mechanisms involved are as yet unclear, their elucidation may help explain niche partitioning among these organisms in the ocean.
Porphyrin Fluorescence Dominates UV Photoemission of Folded Cytochrome c
Authors: Löwenich Dennis , Kleinermanns Karl 
Published: June 2007

AbstractIn this article we reinvestigate the bimodal fluorescence of cytochrome c (Cyt c) by using excitation‐wavelength‐dependent fluorescence spectroscopy. We show that its major contributions at pH 3–7 do not arise from tryptophan (Trp‐59) fluorescence as hitherto assumed. Instead, different chromophores of Cyt c contribute at different pH values. At pH 3–7, the porphyrin system contributes about 80% and tryptophan about 20% to the total fluorescence upon excitation of Cyt c at 280 nm. At pH 2, the fluorescence originates nearly completely from the tryptophan residue. Porphyrin fluorescence is still present at pH 2 but its contribution is too small for quantitative deconvolution. Our results show that the UV fluorescence of Cyt c has to be deconvoluted before it can be used to perform time‐resolved measurements of the folding of this small protein.
Effects of Substituents on Synthetic Analogs of Chlorophylls. Part 1: Synthesis, Vibrational Properties and Excited‐state Decay Characteristics
Authors: Kee Hooi Ling , Kirmaier Christine , Tang Qun , Diers James R. , Muthiah Chinnasamy , Taniguchi Masahiko , Laha Joydev K. , Ptaszek Marcin , Lindsey Jonathan S. , Bocian David F. , Holten Dewey 
Published: June 2007

AbstractUnderstanding the effects of substituents on the spectra of chlorins is essential for a wide variety of applications. Recent developments in synthetic methodology have made possible systematic studies of the properties of the chlorin macrocycle as a function of diverse types and patterns of substituents. In this paper, the spectral, vibrational and excited‐state decay characteristics are examined for a set of synthetic chlorins. The chlorins bear substituents at the 5,10,15 (meso) positions or the 3,13 (β) positions (plus 10‐mesityl in a series of compounds) and include 24 zinc chlorins, 18 free base (Fb) analogs and one Fb or zinc oxophorbine. The oxophorbine contains the keto‐bearing isocyclic ring present in the natural photosynthetic pigments (e.g.chlorophylla). The substituents cause no significant perturbation to the structure of the chlorin macrocycle, as evidenced by the vibrational properties investigated using resonance Raman spectroscopy. In contrast, the fluorescence properties are significantly altered due to the electronic effects of substituents. For example, the fluorescence wavelength maximum, quantum yield and lifetime for a zinc chlorin bearing 3,13‐diacetyl and 10‐mesityl groups (662 nm, 0.28, 6.0 ns) differ substantially from those of the parent unsubstituted chlorin (602 nm, 0.062, 1.7 ns). Each of these properties of the lowest singlet excited state can be progressively stepped between these two extremes by incorporating different substituents. These perturbations are associated with significant changes in the rate constants of the decay pathways of the lowest excited singlet state. In this regard, the zinc chlorins with the red‐most fluorescence also have the greatest radiative decay rate constant and are expected to have the fastest nonradiative internal conversion to the ground state. Nonetheless, these complexes have the longest singlet excited‐state lifetime. The Fb chlorins bearing the same substituents exhibit similar fluorescence properties. Such combinations of factors render the chlorins suitable for a range of applications that require tunable coverage of the solar spectrum, long‐lived excited states and red‐region fluorescence.
Variability of UVR Effects on Photosynthesis of Summer Phytoplankton Assemblages from a Tropical Coastal Area of the South China Sea†
Authors: Gao Kunshan , Li Gang , Helbling E. Walter , Villafañe Virginia E. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractFrom June to September 2005, we carried out experiments to determine the ultraviolet radiation (UVR) ‐induced photoinhibition of summer phytoplankton assemblages from a coastal site of the South China Sea. Variability in taxonomic composition was determined throughout the summer, with a peak chlorophyll a (chl a∼20 μg chl a L−1) dominated by the diatom Skeletonema costatum that was detected early in the study period; the rest of the time samples were characterized by monads and flagellates, with low chl a values (1–5 chl a μg L−1). Surface water samples were placed in quartz tubes, inoculated with radiocarbon and exposed to solar radiation for 2–3 h to determine photosynthetic rates under three quality radiation treatments (i.e. PAB, 280–700 nm; PA, 320–700 nm and P, 400–700 nm) using different filters and under seven levels of ambient irradiance using neutral density screens (PvsE curves). UVR inhibition of samples exposed to maximum irradiance (i.e. at the surface) varied from −12.2% to 50%, while the daytime‐integrated UVR‐related photoinhibition in surface seawater varied from −62% to 7%. The effects of UVR on the photosynthetic parameters PBmax and Ek were also variable, but UV‐B accounted for most of the observed variability. During sunny days, photosynthesis of microplankton (>20 μm) and piconanoplankton (<20 μm) were significantly inhibited by UVR (mostly by UV‐B). However, during cloudy days, while piconanoplankton cells were still inhibited by UVR, microplankton cells used UVR (mostly UV‐A) as the source of energy for photosynthesis, resulting in higher carbon fixation in samples exposed to UVR than the ones exposed only to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Our results indicate that size structure and cloudiness clearly condition the overall impact of UVR on phytoplankton photosynthesis in this tropical site of South China. In addition, model predictions for this area considering only PAR for primary production might have underestimated carbon fixation due to UVR contribution.
Hepatic expression of gamma‐glutamyltranspeptidase in the human liver of patients with alcoholic liver disease
Authors: Irie Makoto , Suzuki Norihisa , Sohda Tetsuro , Anan Akira , Iwata Kaoru , Takeyama Yasuaki , Watanabe Hiroshi , Fischer Peter , Scherberich Jürgen E. , Sakisaka Shotaro 
Published: June 2007

Background:  Gamma‐glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) has been recognized as an enzyme that converts glutathione into cysteine, and it is localized predominantly within the liver. Serum GGT is clinically recognized as the most useful marker for diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD).Methods:  GGT localization within the liver was examined immunohistochemically using an anti‐GGT antibody and was visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy in ALD and normal livers. Double immunostaining for GGT and dipeptidylpeptidase‐IV (DPP‐IV) was carried out to evaluate GGT localization in greater detail.Results:  Expression of GGT protein and mRNA was studied with immunoblot analysis and in situ hybridization, respectively. Immunohistochemically, the expression of GGT in the normal liver was faintly demonstrated in the bile canaliculi of hepatocytes and in biliary epithelial cells. In ALD livers, GGT was clearly demonstrated at the same sites. Double immunostaining demonstrated that GGT and DPP‐IV were colocalized in hepatocytes in the ALD liver. In situ hybridization clearly demonstrated GGT‐mRNA within the cytoplasm of hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells. Immunoblot analysis revealed that GGT protein expression was increased in the ALD livers compared with that seen in the normal livers.Conclusion:  These findings indicate that GGT in control and alcoholic livers is synthesized in hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells, and is localized within the bile canalicular membrane and the luminal membrane in those cells, respectively. In conclusion, GGT synthesis and protein expression are increased in ALD livers, leading to the elevation of serum levels of GGT that are commonly noted in patients with the disease.
The Coprophilous Mushroom
Coprinus radians
Secretes a Haloperoxidase That Catalyzes Aromatic Peroxygenation
Authors: Anh Dau Hung , Ullrich René , Benndorf Dirk , Svatoś Aleś , Muck Alexander , Hofrichter Martin 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT

Coprophilous and litter-decomposing species (26 strains) of the genus
Coprinus
were screened for peroxidase activities by using selective agar plate tests and complex media based on soybean meal. Two species,
Coprinus radians
and
C. verticillatus
, were found to produce peroxidases, which oxidized aryl alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes at pH 7 (a reaction that is typical for heme-thiolate haloperoxidases). The peroxidase of
Coprinus radians
was purified to homogeneity and characterized. Three fractions of the enzyme, CrP I, CrP II, and CrP III, with molecular masses of 43 to 45 kDa as well as isoelectric points between 3.8 and 4.2, were identified after purification by anion-exchange and size exclusion chromatography. The optimum pH of the major fraction (CrP II) for the oxidation of aryl alcohols was around 7, and an H
2
O
2
concentration of 0.7 mM was most suitable regarding enzyme activity and stability. The apparent
K

m

values for ABTS [2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazolinesulfonic acid)], 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, benzyl alcohol, veratryl alcohol, and H
2
O
2
were 49, 342, 635, 88, and 1,201 μM, respectively. The N terminus of CrP II showed 29% and 19% sequence identity to
Agrocybe aegerita
peroxidase (AaP) and chloroperoxidase, respectively. The UV-visible spectrum of CrP II was highly similar to that of resting-state cytochrome P450 enzymes, with the Soret band at 422 nm and additional maxima at 359, 542, and 571 nm. The reduced carbon monoxide complex showed an absorption maximum at 446 nm, which is characteristic of heme-thiolate proteins. CrP brominated phenol to 2- and 4-bromophenols and selectively hydroxylated naphthalene to 1-naphthol. Hence, after AaP, CrP is the second extracellular haloperoxidase-peroxygenase described so far. The ability to extracellularly hydroxylate aromatic compounds seems to be the key catalytic property of CrP and may be of general significance for the biotransformation of poorly available aromatic substances, such as lignin, humus, and organopollutants in soil litter and dung environments. Furthermore, aromatic peroxygenation is a promising target of biotechnological studies.
The Tomato Rhizosphere, an Environment Rich in Nitrogen-Fixing
Burkholderia
Species with Capabilities of Interest for Agriculture and Bioremediation
Authors: Caballero-Mellado Jesús , Onofre-Lemus Janette , Estrada-de los Santos Paulina , Martínez-Aguilar Lourdes 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT

Burkholderia
strains are promising candidates for biotechnological applications. Unfortunately, most of these strains belong to species of the
Burkholderia cepacia
complex (Bcc) involved in human infections, hampering potential applications. Novel diazotrophic
Burkholderia
species, phylogenetically distant from the Bcc species, have been discovered recently, but their environmental distribution and relevant features for agro-biotechnological applications are little known. In this work, the occurrence of N
2
-fixing
Burkholderia
species in the rhizospheres and rhizoplanes of tomato plants field grown in Mexico was assessed. The results revealed a high level of diversity of diazotrophic
Burkholderia
species, including
B. unamae
,
B. xenovorans
,
B. tropica
, and two other unknown species, one of them phylogenetically closely related to
B. kururiensis
. These N
2
-fixing
Burkholderia
species exhibited activities involved in bioremediation, plant growth promotion, or biological control in vitro. Remarkably,
B. unamae
and
B. kururiensis
grew with aromatic compounds (phenol and benzene) as carbon sources, and the presence of aromatic oxygenase genes was confirmed in both species. The rhizospheric and endophyte nature of
B. unamae
and its ability to degrade aromatic compounds suggest that it could be used in rhizoremediation and for improvement of phytoremediation.
B. kururiensis
and other
Burkholderia
sp. strains grew with toluene.
B. unamae
and
B. xenovorans
exhibited ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid) deaminase activity, and the occurrence of
acdS
genes encoding ACC deaminase was confirmed. Mineral phosphate solubilization through organic acid production appears to be the mechanism used by most diazotrophic
Burkholderia
species, but in
B. tropica
, there presumably exists an additional unknown mechanism. Most of the diazotrophic
Burkholderia
species produced hydroxamate-type siderophores. Certainly, the N
2
-fixing
Burkholderia
species associated with plants have great potential for agro-biotechnological applications.
Development of Innovative Pediocin PA-1 by DNA Shuffling among Class IIa Bacteriocins
Authors: Tominaga Tatsuya , Hatakeyama Yoshinori 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT

Pediocin PA-1 is a member of the class IIa bacteriocins, which show antimicrobial effects against lactic acid bacteria. To develop an improved version of pediocin PA-1, reciprocal chimeras between pediocin PA-1 and enterocin A, another class IIa bacteriocin, were constructed. Chimera EP, which consisted of the C-terminal half of pediocin PA-1 fused to the N-terminal half of enterocin A, showed increased activity against a strain of
Leuconostoc lactis
isolated from a sour-spoiled dairy product. To develop an even more effective version of this chimera, a DNA-shuffling library was constructed, wherein four specific regions within the N-terminal half of pediocin PA-1 were shuffled with the corresponding sequences from 10 other class IIa bacteriocins. Activity screening indicated that 63 out of 280 shuffled mutants had antimicrobial activity. A colony overlay activity assay showed that one of the mutants (designated B1) produced a >7.8-mm growth inhibition circle on
L. lactis
, whereas the parent pediocin PA-1 did not produce any circle. Furthermore, the active shuffled mutants showed increased activity against various species of
Lactobacillus
,
Pediococcus
, and
Carnobacterium
. Sequence analysis revealed that the active mutants had novel N-terminal sequences; in active mutant B1, for example, the parental pediocin PA-1 sequence (KYYGNGV
T
C
GKHS
C) was changed to
T
KYYGNGV
S
C
TKSG
C. These new and improved DNA-shuffled bacteriocins could prove useful as food additives for inhibiting sour spoilage of dairy products.
Characterization of a
Bifidobacterium longum
BORI Dipeptidase Belonging to the U34 Family
Authors: Seo Jeong Min , Ji Geun Eog , Cho Sang Hee , Park Myung Soo , Lee Hyong Joo 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT

A dipeptidase was purified from a cell extract of
Bifidobacterium longum
BORI by ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Q-Sepharose columns. The purified dipeptidase had a molecular mass of about 49 kDa and was optimally active at pH 8.0 and 50°C. The enzyme was a strict dipeptidase, being capable of hydrolyzing a range of dipeptides but not tri- and tetrapeptides,
p
-nitroanilide derivatives of amino acids, or N- or C-terminus-blocked dipeptides. A search of the amino acid sequence of an internal tryptic fragment against protein sequences deduced from the total genome sequence of
B. longum
NCC2705 revealed that it was identical to an internal sequence of the dipeptidase gene (
pepD
), which comprised 1,602 nucleotides encoding 533 amino acids with a molecular mass of 60 kDa, and thereby differed considerably from the 49-kDa mass of the purified dipeptidase. To understand this discrepancy,
pepD
was cloned into an
Escherichia coli
expression vector (pBAD-TOPO derivative) to generate the recombinant plasmids pBAD-pepD and pBAD-pepD-His (note that His in the plasmid designation stands for a polyhistidine coding region). Both plasmids were successfully expressed in
E. coli
, and the recombinant protein PepD-His was purified using nickel-chelating affinity chromatography and reconfirmed by internal amino acid sequencing. The PepD sequence was highly homologous to those of the U34 family of peptidases, suggesting that the
B. longum
BORI dipeptidase is a type of cysteine-type N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase and has a β-hairpin motif similar to that of penicillin V acylase, which is activated by autoproteolytic processing.