bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Brown Recluse Spider Envenomation: A Prospective Trial of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Authors: Maynor Michael L. , Moon Richard E. , Klitzman Bruce , Fracica Philip J. , Canada Andrew 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTObjectives: Loxosceles reclusa (brown recluse) spider bites can produce severe skin lesions that may necessitate extensive surgical repair. This study delineated the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on these lesions by performing a prospective controlled animal study.Methods: After approval by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, 41 New Zealand white rabbits received 64 intradermal injections of 73 μL of raw venom extract mixed with physiologic buffered saline (Dulbecco's solution). Control injections were made with buffer. The animals were divided into 5 groups: 1) venom and no HBO; 2) venom and 1 immediate HBO treatment (100% O2); 3) venom and immediate HBO with 10 treatments (100% O2); 4) venom and then delayed (48 hr) HBO therapy with 10 treatments (100% O2); and 5) venom and immediate hyperbaric treatment with normal inspired Po2 for 10 treatments (8.4% O2). Three animals in group 2 also received a control sodium citrate buffer injection. HBO treatments were at 2.5 atm absolute (ATA) for 90 minutes twice daily. Daily measurements were made of the lesion diameter, and skin blood flow using a laser Doppler probe.Results: There was no significant effect of HBO on blood flow at the wound center or 1–2 cm from the wound center. Standard HBO significantly decreased wound diameter at 10 days (p < 0.0001; ANOVA), whereas hyperbaric treatment with normoxic gas had no effect. Histologic preparations from 2 animals in each group revealed that there were more polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the dermis of all the HBO‐treated animals when compared with the venom‐alone and sodium‐citrate controls.Conclusion: HBO treatment within 48 hours of a simulated bite from L. reclusa reduces skin necrosis and results in a significantly smaller wound in this model. The mechanism appears unrelated to augmented local blood flow between treatments.
The Threat of Funding Cuts for Graduate Medical Education: Survey of Decision Makers
Authors: Kozak Richard J. , Kazzi A. Antoine , Langdorf Mark I. , Martinez Carlos T. J. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTObjective: To assess the potential actions of medical school deans, graduate medical education (GME) committee chairs, and hospital chief executive officers (CEOs) regarding future funding reductions for residency training. Specifically, institutions with emergency medicine (EM) residencies were surveyed to see whether EM training was disproportionally at risk for reductions.Methods: An anonymous 2‐page survey was used. Ninety‐eight EM residency programs were identified using the American Medical Association Graduate Medical Education Directory 1994–95. Seventy deans, 102 GME chairs, and 97 hospital CEOs were identified. The survey posed a hypothetical 25% forced reduction in residency positions and asked the decision makers for their responses. Options included: 1) proportional reductions of training positions from all residencies, 2) proportional reductions in either primary care or specialty residency positions, or 3) reduction or elimination of specific training programs. The survey asked for a first and second choice of residencies to be reduced or eliminated from an alphabetical list of 17. The survey elicited explanations for each program reduction.Results: 200 (74%) of 269 surveys were returned. Eighty‐four responders selected specific residencies to be reduced or eliminated. EM was selected 8 times, making EM the seventh most vulnerable residency to be targeted for reductions. The decision makers who selected proportional reductions chose to reduce across all residencies 32 times, among only the specialty residencies 129 times, and among only the primary care residencies 3 times.Conclusions: In the setting of anticipated residency cuts, favored proportional reductions in specialty residencies would likely affect EM training. However, most GME decision makers with an existing EM residency program do not consider the EM residency a top choice to be reduced or eliminated.
Wound Botulism Associated with Black Tar Heroin
Authors: Anderson Michael W. , Sharma Kanika , Feeney Colin M. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTThe incidence of wound botulism is increasing and the epidemiology of the disease is changing. The majority of new cases are associated with injection drug use, in particular, the use of Mexican black tar heroin. This case report and discussion of wound botulism illustrate the following important points: Dysphagia, dysphonia, diplopia, and descending paralysis, in association with injection drug use, should alert the treating physician to the possibility of wound botulism. In such patients, the onset of respiratory failure may be sudden and without clinically obvious signs of respiratory weakness. For the reported patient, maximum inspiratory force measurements were the only reliable indicator of respiratory muscle weakness. This is a measurement not routinely performed in the ED, but may prove essential for patients with suspected wound botulism. To minimize the effect of the botulinum toxin and to decrease length of hospital stay, antitoxin administration and surgical wound debridement should be performed early.
Vasopressin Can Increase Coronary Perfusion Pressure during Human Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Authors: Morris Daniel C. , Dereczyk Barnard E. , Grzybowski Mary , Martin Gerard B. , Rivers Emanuel F! , Wortsrnan Jacobo , Amico Janet A. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTObjectives: To determine the hemodynamic effect of vasopressin on coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) in prolonged human cardiac arrest.Methods: A prospective, open‐label clinical trial of vasopressin during cardiac resuscitation was performed. Ten patients presenting in cardiac arrest initially received resuscitative measures by emergency physicians according to Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) gcidelines. A central venous catheter for fluid and drug administration and a femoral artery catheter for measurement of CPP (aortic minus right atrial relaxation phase pressures) were placed. When each patient was deemed nonsalvageable, 1.0 mg epinephrine was given and CPP was measured for 5 minutes, followed by a dose of vasopressin (1.O Ukg). CPP measurements were continued for another 5 minutes.Results: The mean duration of cardiac arrest (out‐of‐hospital interval plus duration of ED ACLS) was 39.6 ± 16.5 min. There was no improvement in CPP after 1.0 mg of epinephrine. Vasopressin administration resulted in a significant increase of CPP in 4 of the 10 patients. Patients responding to vasopressin had a mean increase in CPP of 28.2 ± 16.4 mm Hg (range: 10–51.5), with these peak increases occurring at 15 seconds to 4 minutes after administration. The increases in the vasopressin levels after administration did not differ between the responders and nonresponders.Conclusions: In this human model of prolonged cardiac arrest, 40% of the patients receiving vasopressin had a significant increase in CPP. This pilot study suggests that investigation of earlier use of vasopressin as a therapeutic alternative in the treatment of cardiac arrest is warranted.
Specialization on Guadua Bamboo Seeds by Three Bird Species in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina
Authors: Areta Juan I. , Bodrati Alejandro , Cockle Kristina 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTMost bamboos are semelparous. Their synchronous masting events occur on a cycle of 3–120 yr and represent an extremely pulsed resource for granivorous birds. Although many bird species feed occasionally on bamboo seeds, there are constraints to specializing on such a fluctuating resource and few bird species are known to specialize on bamboo seeds. Three of these bird species are endemic to the Atlantic forest of South America: the purple‐winged ground‐dove Claravis godefrida, buff‐fronted seedeater Sporophila frontalis, and Temminck's seedeater Sporophila falcirostris. All three species are irregularly recorded in the province of Misiones, Argentina. We compared the temporal and spatial patterns of records of these birds in Misiones to masting events of the five common bamboos: yatevóGuadua trinii, takuaruzúGuadua chacoensis, takuapíMerostachys claussenii, pitinga Chusquea tenella, and takuarembóChusquea ramosissima. All bird records coincided with times and places where Guadua bamboos (G. trinii and G. chacoensis) were known or estimated to have seeds. None of the bird species occurred during masting events of Merostachys or Chusquea, unless Guadua was also masting. We discuss relevant ecological and morphological features of the birds that might bear on their association with Guadua bamboos and that might be key to their conservation.
Experimental Assessment of Factors Limiting Seedling Recruitment of an Amazonian Understory Herb
Authors: Schleuning Matthias , Huamán Vicky , Matthies Diethart 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTUnderstory herbs are an important and species‐rich component of tropical forests, but little is known about factors limiting recruitment of these herbs. In a Peruvian flood plain forest, we studied seedling recruitment of the widespread clonal herb Heliconia metallica. We analyzed natural recruitment and experimentally added seeds, excluded predators and removed the understory vegetation at occupied and unoccupied sites to test whether seed limitation, predation, disturbance, and the presence of mature conspecific plants influence seedling recruitment. The number of naturally recruited seedlings was higher at flooded sites and close to flowering H. metallica ramets. Predation caused considerable seed loss shortly after sowing. Seed survival strongly increased with the openness of a site, but was not affected by the presence of mature conspecifics. Seed addition increased the number of seedlings at both occupied and unoccupied sites. Two years after sowing, the number of established seedlings and their size increased with light availability at a site. In experimentally disturbed plots, light availability, seedling establishment, and survival were higher. The effect of disturbance on seedling survival was stronger at occupied sites, probably due to strong light competition from mature H. metallica plants. Herbivore damage on leaves of seedlings was lower at occupied sites, but seedlings grew faster at unoccupied sites. We conclude that seedling recruitment of H. metallica depends on natural disturbance and is limited by both seed availability and the presence of mature conspecific plants.
Temple, Economy, and Religion in First Millennium Babylonia
Authors: Kozuh Michael 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe study of economy and religion in Babylonia during the first millennium bc is primarily that of two well‐documented temples, the Eanna temple of the city of Uruk and the Ebabbar of Sippar. The administrative archives of those temples – consisting of tens of thousands of cuneiform texts – allow us to understand parts of the temple economy in great detail, while at the same time this abundance of material frustrates traditional approaches to Babylonian religion. This essay aims in general to emphasize that Babylonian temples were large‐scale, multifaceted religious institutions. Capitalizing on recent advancements in our technical understanding of the temple economy, it integrates these advancements into issues of broader religious, historical, intellectual, and economic significance. In particular, it stresses three points: first, the temples’ amalgamated ruling structure fostered institutional permanence and should therefore be understood as a challenge to the ‘temple‐as‐household’ metaphor; second, large‐scale centralization of wealth in the temples was necessary for advancements in Babylonian learned culture (especially in astronomy and mathematics); and, finally, the centralization of manpower in the temples gave them particular advantages in the politics of the first millennium bc. In the end, I argue that all of these are in fact manifestations of Babylonian religion in themselves.
Inactivation of
Mycobacterium avium
Complex by UV Irradiation
Authors: Shin Gwy-Am , Lee Jung-Keun , Freeman Robert , Cangelosi Gerard A. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

The effectiveness of two major UV technologies against a highly prevalent species of
Mycobacterium avium
complex was investigated. Our study indicates that
M. avium
is much more resistant to UV irradiation than most waterborne pathogens and that it is one of the rare microorganisms that are highly resistant to both chemical and UV disinfection in water.
Microbiological Analysis of Food Contact Surfaces in Child Care Centers
Authors: Cosby Catherine M. , Costello C. A. , Morris W. C. , Haughton B. , Devereaux M. J. , Harte F. , Davidson P. M. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

A study of six child care centers was conducted to assess the microbiological quality of three food contact surfaces (one food serving surface and two food preparation surfaces) and one non-food contact surface (diaper changing surface) to determine the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitization procedures within the facilities. Aerobic plate counts (APCs) and
Escherichia coli
/coliform counts of 50-cm
2
areas on all surfaces were determined using standard microbiological swabbing methods. Samples were taken three times a day (preopening, lunchtime, and following final cleanup) twice per month for 8 months in each child care center (
n
= 288 sampling times). Mean log APCs over the survey period were 1.32, 1.71, 1.34, 1.96, 1.50, and 1.81 log CFU/50 cm
2
for the six centers. Mean log coliform counts were 0.15, 0.40, 0.33, 1.41, 0.28, and 1.12 CFU/50 cm
2
for the same centers. Coliforms were detected in 283 of 1,149 (24.7%) samples, with counts ranging from 1 to 2,000 CFU/50 cm
2
, while
E. coli
was detected in 18 of 1,149 (1.6%) samples, with counts ranging from 1 to 35 CFU/50 cm
2
. The findings of this study demonstrated that the extent of bacterial contamination was dependent on the center, time of day, and the area sampled. While no direct correlation between contamination and illness can be made, given the high risk of food-borne illness associated with children, microbial contamination of food contact or non-food contact surfaces is an aspect of food safety that requires more attention. Emphasis on training and the development of modified standard sanitation operating procedures for child care centers are needed to reduce potential hazards.
Relative Importance of
Ixodes ricinus
and
Ixodes trianguliceps
as Vectors for
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
and
Babesia microti
in Field Vole (
Microtus agrestis
) Populations
Authors: Bown K. J. , Lambin X. , Telford G. R. , Ogden N. H. , Telfer S. , Woldehiwet Z. , Birtles R. J. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

The importance of
Ixodes ricinus
in the transmission of tick-borne pathogens is well recognized in the United Kingdom and across Europe. However, the role of coexisting
Ixodes
species, such as the widely distributed species
Ixodes trianguliceps
, as alternative vectors for these pathogens has received little attention. This study aimed to assess the relative importance of
I. ricinus
and
I. trianguliceps
in the transmission of
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
and
Babesia microti
among United Kingdom field voles (
Microtus agrestis
), which serve as reservoir hosts for both pathogens. While all instars of
I. trianguliceps
feed exclusively on small mammals,
I. ricinus
adults feed primarily on larger hosts such as deer. The abundance of both tick species and pathogen infection prevalence in field voles were monitored at sites surrounded with fencing that excluded deer and at sites where deer were free to roam. As expected, fencing significantly reduced the larval burden of
I. ricinus
on field voles and the abundance of questing nymphs, but the larval burden of
I. trianguliceps
was not significantly affected. The prevalence of
A. phagocytophilum
and
B. microti
infections was not significantly affected by the presence of fencing, suggesting that
I. trianguliceps
is their principal vector. The prevalence of nymphal and adult ticks on field voles was also unaffected, indicating that relatively few non-larval
I. ricinus
ticks feed upon field voles. This study provides compelling evidence for the importance of
I. trianguliceps
in maintaining these enzootic tick-borne infections, while highlighting the potential for such infections to escape into alternative hosts via
I. ricinus
.
Effect of Temperature on the Cannibalistic Behavior of
Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Nandy Subir Kumar , Prasad Vinay , Venkatesh K. V. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

Bacillus subtilis
resorts to cannibalism to delay sporulation under severe nutritional limitation. We report the effect of temperature on the dynamics of cannibalism demonstrated by
B. subtilis
. A model consisting of a delay differential equation may explain the effect of temperature on the dynamics of cannibalism.
Molecular Microbial Diversity Survey of Sponge Reproductive Stages and Mechanistic Insights into Vertical Transmission of Microbial Symbionts
Authors: Schmitt Susanne , Angermeier Hilde , Schiller Roswitha , Lindquist Niels , Hentschel Ute 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

Many marine sponges, hereafter termed high-microbial-abundance (HMA) sponges, harbor large and complex microbial consortia, including bacteria and archaea, within their mesohyl matrices. To investigate vertical microbial transmission as a strategy to maintain these complex associations, an extensive phylogenetic analysis was carried out with the 16S rRNA gene sequences of reproductive (
n
= 136) and adult (
n
= 88) material from five different Caribbean species, as well as all published 16S rRNA gene sequences from sponge offspring (
n
= 116). The overall microbial diversity, including members of at least 13 bacterial phyla and one archaeal phylum, in sponge reproductive stages is high. In total, 28 vertical-transmission clusters, defined as clusters of phylotypes that are found both in adult sponges and their offspring, were identified. They are distributed among at least 10 bacterial phyla and one archaeal phylum, demonstrating that the complex adult microbial community is collectively transmitted through reproductive stages. Indications of host-species specificity and cospeciation were not observed. Mechanistic insights were provided using a combined electron microscopy and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, and an indirect mechanism of vertical transmission via nurse cells is proposed for the oviparous sponge
Ectyoplasia ferox
. Based on these phylogenetic and mechanistic results, we suggest the following symbiont transmission model: entire microbial consortia are vertically transmitted in sponges. While vertical transmission is clearly present, additional environmental transfer between adult individuals of the same and even different species might obscure possible signals of cospeciation. We propose that associations of HMA sponges with highly sponge-specific microbial communities are maintained by this combination of vertical and horizontal symbiont transmission.
The
Bacillus subtilis ydjL
(
bdhA
) Gene Encodes Acetoin Reductase/2,3-Butanediol Dehydrogenase
Authors: Nicholson Wayne L. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

Bacillus subtilis
is capable of producing 2,3-butanediol from acetoin by fermentation, but to date, the gene encoding the enzyme responsible, acetoin reductase/2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (AR/BDH), has remained unknown. A search of the
B. subtilis
genome database with the amino acid sequences of functional AR/BDHs from
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
and
Bacillus cereus
resulted in the identification of a highly similar protein encoded by the
B. subtilis ydjL
gene. A knockout strain carrying a
ydjL
::
cat
insertion mutation was constructed, which (i) abolished 2,3-butanediol production in early stationary phase, (ii) produced no detectable AR or BDH activity in vitro, and (iii) accumulated the precursor acetoin in early stationary phase. The
ydjL
::
cat
mutation also affected the kinetics of lactate but not acetate production during stationary-phase cultivation with glucose under oxygen limitation. A very small amount of 2,3-butanediol was detected in very-late-stationary-phase (96-hour) cultures of the
ydjL
::
cat
mutant, suggesting the existence of a second gene encoding a minor AR activity. From the data, it is proposed that the major AR/BDH-encoding gene
ydjL
be renamed
bdhA
.
Immunofluorescence Flow Cytometry Technique for Enumeration of the Brown-Tide Alga,
Aureococcus anophagefferens
Authors: Stauffer Beth A. , Schaffner Rebecca A. , Wazniak Catherine , Caron David A. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

A new immunologically based flow cytometry (IFCM) technique was developed to enumerate
Aureococcus anophagefferens
, a small pelagophyte alga that is the cause of “brown tides” in bays and estuaries of the mid-Atlantic states along the U.S. coast. The method utilizes a monoclonal antibody conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-MAb) to label the surface of
A. anophagefferens
cells which are then detected and enumerated by using a flow cytometer. Optimal conditions for FITC-MAb staining, including solution composition, incubation times, and FITC-MAb concentrations, were determined. The FITC-MAb method was tested for cross-reactivity with nontarget, similarly sized, photoautotrophic protists, and the method was compared to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the same MAb. Comparisons of the IFCM technique to traditional microscopy enumeration of cultures and spiked environmental samples showed consistent agreement over several orders of magnitude (
r
2
> 0.99). Comparisons of the IFCM and ELISA techniques for enumerating cells from a predation experiment showed a substantial overestimation (up to 10 times higher) of the ELISA in the presence of consumers of
A. anophagefferens
, presumably due to egested cell fragments that retained antigenicity, using the ELISA method, but were not characterized as whole algal cells by the IFCM method. Application of the IFCM method to environmental “brown-tide” samples taken from the coastal bays of Maryland demonstrated its efficacy in resolving
A. anophagefferens
abundance levels throughout the course of a bloom and over a large range of abundance values. IFCM counts of the brown-tide alga from natural samples were consistently lower than those obtained using the ELISA method and were equivalent to those of the polyclonal immunofluorescence microscopy technique, since both methods discriminate intact cells. Overall, the IFCM approach was an accurate and relatively simple technique for the rapid enumeration of
A. anophagefferens
in natural samples over a wide range of abundance values (10
3
to 10
6
cells ml
−1
).