bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of Communicator's Race on Efficacy of an HIV/STD Prevention Intervention Among African American and Caucasian College Students
Authors: Helion Alicia M. , Reddy Diane M. , Kies Ashley L. , Morris Deirdre R. , Wilson Clarissa M. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT
Objectives: The present research examined the influence of communicator's race on the efficacy of intervention videos in the reduction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among African American and Caucasian college females.Design: Experimental HIV/STD prevention digital versatile disks (DVDs) featured a White female as a primary or a secondary communicator relative to a Black female, while a control DVD featured 2 Black females. Respondents watched 1 DVD and completed questionnaires before and after viewing the DVD as well as 2 and 4 weeks later.Sample: 79 African American females and 88 Caucasian females participated.Measurements: Perceptions of the DVDs, HIV/STD risk, intentions to use condoms, and number of condoms purchased after viewing the videos were assessed.Results: The intervention was effective in increasing intentions to use condoms with a current partner across the follow‐up periods. There was no effect of race of communicator on any variable for African American or Caucasians.Conclusions: While communicator's race did not affect this intervention, more research is necessary. Future studies should use multiple Black and White communicators to isolate the role of race and should be conducted where larger samples of African American college students can be recruited.
Relationship between chewing ability and high‐level functional capacity in an 80‐year‐old population in Japan
Authors: Takata Yutaka , Ansai Toshihiro , Soh Inho , Akifusa Sumio , Sonoki Kazuo , Fujisawa Kiyoshi , Yoshida Akihiro , Kagiyama Shuntaro , Hamasaki Tomoko , Nakamichi Ikuo , Awano Shuji , Torisu Takehiro , Takehara Tadamichi 
Published: August 2008

Objectives:  To evaluate the association between high‐level functional capacity and chewing in a middle‐old community‐based population.Background:  Although basic and instrumental activities of daily living are known to be associated with chewing ability in the elderly, an association between higher levels of competence and chewing ability has not been evaluated in the elderly.Materials and methods:  The association between chewing ability using a number of different foods and high‐level functional capacity by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology was evaluated in 694, 80‐year‐old people residing in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.Results:  A significant correlation was found, using multiple regression or logistic regression analyses adjusted for various confounding factors, between the number of total chewable foods, hard foods or moderately hard foods, and total functional capacity, instrumental activity, intellectual activity or social role ability. In contrast, the number of slightly hard foods, easily chewable foods and remaining teeth were only partly related to total functional capacity and intellectual activity.Conclusion:  High‐level functional capacity including intellectual activity and social role in middle‐old elderly was associated with the ability to chew hard foods than to chew easily chewable foods. Maintenance of chewing ability in elderly might result in better intellectual activity and social role.
Features of tropical cyclone‐induced flood peaks on Grande Terre, New Caledonia
Authors: Terry James P. , Kostaschuk Ray A. , Wotling Geoffroy 
Published: August 2008

AbstractNew Caledonia, an archipelago of islands in the South Pacific, is periodically affected in the wet season by tropical cyclones that can deliver intense rainfall and cause severe river flooding. On the mountainous island of Grande Terre, the majority of the largest historical flows in the Tontouta River were caused by tropical cyclones and 75% of cyclone‐induced floods were overbank events. Discharge data for the Tontouta River over the period 1969–2003 were used to construct partial duration series (PDS) of daily mean and instantaneous flows. The log Pearson Type III distribution provided a good fit to the PDS. Instantaneous flows are much higher than daily flows, reflecting the flashiness of tropical cyclone hydrographs. This highlights the need to use instantaneous flow data, where available, to investigate flood hazards in steep tropical basins impacted by tropical cyclones.
Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on serum liver enzymes and bile acid metabolism in chronic active hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Nojiri Shunsuke , Nakao Haruhisa , Sugauchi Fuminaka , Miyaki Tomokatsu , Senda Katsuhiro , Sasaki Makoto , Kataoka Hiromi , Kamiya Takeshi , Nakazawa Takahiro , Ohara Hirotaka , Orito Etsuro , Joh Takashi 
Published: August 2008

Aim:  Many reports have revealed ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) to be effective against chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, some cases resist this therapy and the mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, UDCA was administered to patients with chronic HCV and the correlation between the bile acids of the biliary bile and serum and the drug efficacy was investigated.Methods:  Fifteen patients were given 600 mg/day of UDCA for more than 24 weeks. The serum bile acid concentrations and biliary and serum bile acid were collected before and after 24 weeks of UDCA treatment, and composition determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography.Results:  The treatment was effective in nine cases (ALT decreased to less than twice the normal values 80 IU/L) and ineffective in six cases. There was no significant difference in the serum bile acid concentrations before and after UDCA treatment between the values of both cases. After UDCA treatment, the serum percentage of UDCA (effective, 62.5 ± 2.0; ineffective, 53.5 ± 2.5, (P = 0.02)) and the percentage of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) showed no remarkable changes. In the biliary bile the percentage of CDCA (effective, 30.9 ± 2.0; ineffective, 20.0 ± 3.0, (P = 0.007)) and the percentage of UDCA showed no remarkable changes.Conclusion:  In the effective cases, the percentage of UDCA in the serum and the percentage of CDCA in biliary bile were significantly higher than in the ineffective cases. This indicates that, when effective, CDCA decreases in hepatocytes and this reduction contributes to hepatoprotection.
Small and Large Time Solutions for Surface Temperature, Surface Heat Flux, and Energy Input in Transient, One-Dimensional Conduction
Authors: Lavine A. S. , Bergman T. L. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis paper addresses one-dimensional transient conduction in simple geometries. It is well known that the transient thermal responses of various objects, or of an infinite medium surrounding such objects, collapse to the same behavior as a semi-infinite solid at small dimensionless time. At large dimensionless time, the temperature reaches a steady state (for a constant surface temperature boundary condition) or increases linearly with time (for a constant heat flux boundary condition). The objectives of this paper are to bring together existing small and large time solutions for transient conduction in simple geometries, put them into forms that will promote their usage, and quantify the errors associated with the approximations. Approximate solutions in the form of simple algebraic expressions are derived (or compiled from existing solutions) for use at both small and large times. In particular, approximate solutions, which are accurate for Fo&lt;0.2 and which bridge the gap between the large Fo (single-term) approximation and the semi-infinite solid solution (valid only at very small Fo), are presented. Solutions are provided for the surface temperature when there is a constant surface heat flux boundary condition, or for the surface heat flux when there is a constant surface temperature boundary condition. These results are provided in terms of a dimensionless heat transfer rate. In addition, the dimensionless energy input is given for the constant surface temperature cases. The approximate expressions may be used with good accuracy over the entire Fourier number range to rapidly estimate important features of the transient thermal response. With the use of the approximations, it is now a trivial matter to calculate the dimensionless heat transfer rate and dimensionless energy input, using simple closed-form expressions.
Flows
Between Rotating Cylinders With a Porous Lining
Authors: Subotic M. , Lai F.
C. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
Flow and temperature fields in an annulus between two rotating cylinders have been examined in this study. While the outer cylinder is stationary, the inner cylinder is rotating with a constant angular speed. A homogeneous and isotropic porous layer is press fit to the inner surface of the outer cylinder. The porous sleeve is saturated with the fluid that fills the annulus. The Brinkman-extended Darcy equations are used to model the flow in the porous layer while the Navier–Stokes equations are used for the fluid layer. The conditions applied at the interface between the porous and fluid layers are the continuity of temperature, heat flux, tangential velocity, and shear stress. Analytical solutions have been attempted. Through these solutions, the effects of Darcy number, Brinkman number, and porous sleeve thickness on the velocity profile and temperature distribution are studied.
Differentiation of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Conjunctivitis Outbreak Isolates by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Williamson Yulanda M. , Moura Hercules , Woolfitt Adrian R. , Pirkle James L. , Barr John R. , Carvalho Maria Da Gloria , Ades Edwin P. , Carlone George M. , Sampson Jacquelyn S. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus pneumoniae
(pneumococcus [Pnc]) is a causative agent of many infectious diseases, including pneumonia, septicemia, otitis media, and conjunctivitis. There have been documented conjunctivitis outbreaks in which nontypeable (NT), nonencapsulated Pnc has been identified as the etiological agent. The use of mass spectrometry to comparatively and differentially analyze protein and peptide profiles of whole-cell microorganisms remains somewhat uncharted. In this report, we discuss a comparative proteomic analysis between NT
S. pneumoniae
conjunctivitis outbreak strains (cPnc) and other known typeable or NT pneumococcal and streptococcal isolates (including Pnc TIGR4 and R6,
Streptococcus oralis
,
Streptococcus mitis
,
Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae
, and
Streptococcus pyogenes
) and nonstreptococcal isolates (including
Escherichia coli
,
Enterococcus faecalis
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
) as controls. cPnc cells and controls were grown to mid-log phase, harvested, and subsequently treated with a 10% trifluoroacetic acid-sinapinic acid matrix mixture. Protein and peptide fragments of the whole-cell bacterial isolate-matrix combinations ranging in size from 2 to 14 kDa were evaluated by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Additionally Random Forest analytical tools and dendrogramic representations (Genesis) suggested similarities and clustered the isolates into distinct clonal groups, respectively. Also, a peak list of protein and peptide masses was obtained and compared to a known Pnc protein mass library, in which a peptide common and unique to cPnc isolates was tentatively identified. Information gained from this study will lead to the identification and validation of proteins that are commonly and exclusively expressed in cPnc strains which could potentially be used as a biomarker in the rapid diagnosis of pneumococcal conjunctivitis.
Resolution of Culture
Clostridium bifermentans
DPH-1 into Two Populations, a
Clostridium
sp. and Tetrachloroethene-Dechlorinating
Desulfitobacterium hafniense
Strain JH1
Authors: Fletcher Kelly E. , Ritalahti Kirsti M. , Pennell Kurt D. , Takamizawa Kazuhiro , Löffler Frank E. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Clostridium bifermentans
strain DPH-1 reportedly dechlorinates tetrachloroethene (PCE) to
cis
-1,2-dichloroethene. Cultivation-based approaches resolved the DPH-1 culture into two populations: a nondechlorinating
Clostridium
sp. and PCE-dechlorinating
Desulfitobacterium hafniense
strain JH1. Strain JH1 carries
pceA
, encoding a PCE reductive dehalogenase, and shares other characteristics with
Desulfitobacterium hafniense
strain Y51.
Meta-Analysis of Experimental Data Concerning Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Transfer Rates during Conjugation
Authors: Hunter Paul R. , Wilkinson Dawn C. , Catling Louise A. , Barker Gary C. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis of published transfer rates of antimicrobial resistance genes. A total of 34 papers were identified, of which 28 contained rates estimated in relation to either donor or recipient bacterial counts. The published rates ranged from 10
−2
to 10
−9
. Generalized linear modeling was conducted to identify the factors influencing this variation. Highly significant associations between transfer frequency and both the donor (
P
= 1.2 × 10
−4
) and recipient (
P
= 1.0 × 10
−5
) genera were found. Also significant was whether the donor and recipient strains were of the same genus (
P
= 0.023) and the nature of the genetic element (
P
= 0.0019). The type of experiment, in vivo or in vitro, approached statistical significance (
P
= 0.12). Parameter estimates from a general linear model were used to estimate the probability of transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes to potential pathogens in the intestine following oral ingestion. The mean logarithms of these probabilities are in the range of [−7.0, −3.1]. These probability distributions are suitable for use in the quantitative assessment of the risk of transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes to the intestinal flora of humans and animals.
Recovery and Sequence Analysis of Hepatitis A Virus from Springwater Implicated in an Outbreak of Acute Viral Hepatitis
Authors: Tallon Lindsay A. , Love David C. , Moore Zack S. , Sobsey Mark D. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT
An outbreak of acute hepatitis A virus in North Carolina was linked to drinking water from a contaminated shallow spring by phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis A virus (HAV) genomic sequences. Detection of HAV and fecal indicators in the water provided useful and timely information to assist with public health prevention and control measures.
Selection of Antigens and Development of Prototype Tests for Point-of-Care Leprosy Diagnosis
Authors: Duthie Malcolm S. , Ireton Greg C. , Kanaujia Ganga V. , Goto Wakako , Liang Hong , Bhatia Ajay , Busceti Jean Marie , Macdonald Murdo , Neupane Kapil Dev , Ranjit Chaman , Sapkota Bishwa Raj , Balagon Marivic , Esfandiari Javan , Carter Darrick , Reed Steven G. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Leprosy can be a devastating chronic infection that causes nerve function impairment and associated disfigurement. Despite the recent reduction in the number of registered worldwide leprosy cases as a result of the widespread use of multidrug therapy, the number of new cases detected each year remains relatively stable. The diagnosis of leprosy is currently based on the appearance of clinical signs and requires expert clinical, as well as labor-intensive and time-consuming laboratory or histological, evaluation. For the purpose of developing an effective, simple, rapid, and low-cost diagnostic alternative, we have analyzed the serologic antibody response to identify
Mycobacterium leprae
proteins that are recognized by leprosy patients. More than 100 recombinant antigens were analyzed in a protein array format to select those with discriminatory properties for leprosy diagnosis. As expected, multibacillary leprosy patients recognized more antigens with stronger antibody responses than paucibacillary leprosy patients. Our data indicate, however, that multibacillary patients can be distinguished from paucibacillary patients, and both of these groups can be segregated from endemic control groups. We went on to confirm the diagnostic properties of antigens ML0405 and ML2331 and the LID-1 fusion construct of these two proteins by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We then demonstrated the performance of these antigens in rapid test formats with a goal of developing a point-of-care diagnostic test. A serological diagnostic test capable of identifying and allowing treatment of leprosy could reduce transmission, prevent functional disabilities and stigmatizing deformities, and facilitate leprosy eradication.
The Putative α-1,2-Mannosyltransferase AfMnt1 of the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen
Aspergillus fumigatus
Is Required for Cell Wall Stability and Full Virulence
Authors: Wagener Johannes , Echtenacher Bernd , Rohde Manfred , Kotz Andrea , Krappmann Sven , Heesemann Jürgen , Ebel Frank 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Proteins entering the eukaryotic secretory pathway commonly are glycosylated. Important steps in this posttranslational modification are carried out by mannosyltransferases. In this study, we investigated the putative α-1,2-mannosyltransferase AfMnt1 of the human pathogenic mold
Aspergillus fumigatus.
AfMnt1 belongs to a family of enzymes that comprises nine members in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
but only three in
A. fumigatus
. A Δ
afmnt1
mutant is viable and grows normally at 37°C, but its hyphal cell wall appears to be thinner than that of the parental strain. The lack of AfMnt1 leads to a higher sensitivity to calcofluor white and Congo red but not to sodium dodecyl sulfate. The growth of the mutant is abrogated at 48°C but can be restored by osmotic stabilization. The resulting colonies remain white due to a defect in the formation of conidia. Electron and immunofluorescence microscopy further revealed that the observed growth defect of the mutant at 48°C can be attributed to cell wall instability resulting in leakage at the hyphal tips. Using a red fluorescence fusion protein, we localized AfMnt1 in compact, brefeldin A-sensitive organelles that most likely represent fungal Golgi equivalents. The tumor necrosis factor alpha response of murine macrophages to hyphae was not affected by the lack of the
afmnt1
gene, but the corresponding mutant was attenuated in a mouse model of infection. This and the increased sensitivity of the Δ
afmnt1
mutant to azoles, antifungal agents that currently are used to treat
Aspergillus
infections, suggest that α-1,2-mannosyltransferases are interesting targets for novel antifungal drugs.
Substrate Specificities and Availability of Fucosyltransferase and β-Carotene Hydroxylase for Myxol 2′-Fucoside Synthesis in
Anabaena
sp. Strain PCC 7120 Compared with
Synechocystis
sp. Strain PCC 6803
Authors: Mochimaru Mari , Masukawa Hajime , Maoka Takashi , Mohamed Hatem E. , Vermaas Wim F. J. , Takaichi Shinichi 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

To elucidate the biosynthetic pathways of carotenoids, especially myxol 2′-glycosides, in cyanobacteria,
Anabaena
sp. strain PCC 7120 (also known as
Nostoc
sp. strain PCC 7120) and
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC 6803 deletion mutants lacking selected proposed carotenoid biosynthesis enzymes and GDP-fucose synthase (WcaG), which is required for myxol 2′-fucoside production, were analyzed. The carotenoids in these mutants were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography, field desorption mass spectrometry, and
1
H nuclear magnetic resonance. The
wcaG
(all4826) deletion mutant of
Anabaena
sp. strain PCC 7120 produced myxol 2′-rhamnoside and 4-ketomyxol 2′-rhamnoside as polar carotenoids instead of the myxol 2′-fucoside and 4-ketomyxol 2′-fucoside produced by the wild type. Deletion of the corresponding gene in
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC 6803 (sll1213; 79% amino acid sequence identity with the
Anabaena
sp. strain PCC 7120 gene product) produced free myxol instead of the myxol 2′-dimethyl-fucoside produced by the wild type. Free myxol might correspond to the unknown component observed previously in the same mutant (H. E. Mohamed, A. M. L. van de Meene, R. W. Roberson, and W. F. J. Vermaas, J. Bacteriol.
187:
6883-6892, 2005). These results indicate that in
Anabaena
sp. strain PCC 7120, but not in
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC 6803, rhamnose can be substituted for fucose in myxol glycoside. The β-carotene hydroxylase orthologue (CrtR, Alr4009) of
Anabaena
sp. strain PCC 7120 catalyzed the transformation of deoxymyxol and deoxymyxol 2′-fucoside to myxol and myxol 2′-fucoside, respectively, but not the β-carotene-to-zeaxanthin reaction, whereas CrtR from
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC 6803 catalyzed both reactions. Thus, the substrate specificities or substrate availabilities of both fucosyltransferase and CrtR were different in these species. The biosynthetic pathways of carotenoids in
Anabaena
sp. strain PCC 7120 are discussed.
Helcococcus ovis
, an Emerging Pathogen in Bovine Valvular Endocarditis
Authors: Kutzer Peter , Schulze Christoph , Engelhardt Andreas , Wieler Lothar H. , Nordhoff Marcel 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

The initial isolation of
Helcococcus ovis
from a valvular thrombus prompted us to investigate the prevalence of this bacterium in bovine valvular endocarditis. Specimens from 55 affected hearts were examined by culture using Columbia blood agar and cross streaking the inoculated plate with a
Staphylococcus aureus
strain. As confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing,
H. ovis
was isolated with an unexpectedly high frequency of 33%, predominantly as heavy growth and pure culture. The majority of
H. ovis
isolates showed distinct satellitism around
S. aureus
and pyridoxal dependency, resembling “nutritionally variant streptococci” (now assigned to the genera
Abiotrophia
and
Granulicatella
). Using the API rapid ID 32 Strep, API ZYM, and Rosco Diatabs systems, incongruent results were obtained for alkaline phosphatase, β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase, and leucine aminopeptidase activities. Based on the satellitism/pyridoxal dependency; hemolysis on blood agar; the API rapid ID 32 Strep results for arginine dihydrolase, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase, and pyroglutamic acid arylamidase activities; hippurate hydrolysis; and acidification of sucrose, a scheme for the identification of
H. ovis
and its differentiation from other members of the
Helcococcus
genus and the pyridoxal-dependent species
Abiotrophia defectiva, Granulicatella adiacens
, and
Granulicatella elegans
is proposed. By establishing specific fluorescence in situ hybridization, large
H. ovis
aggregates were specifically detected within the fibrinous exudate of the valvular thrombi. Our results demonstrate for the first time that
H. ovis
represents an emerging pathogen in bovine valvular endocarditis that is frequently isolated if appropriate culture conditions are used.