bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unravelling the microbial role in ooid formation – results of an in situ experiment in modern freshwater Lake Geneva in Switzerland
Authors: PLEE K. , ARIZTEGUI D. , MARTINI R. , DAVAUD E. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTThe microbial role in the formation of the cortex of low‐Mg calcite freshwater ooids in western part of Lake Geneva in Switzerland has been suggested previously, but not demonstrated conclusively. Early work mostly concentrated in hypersaline milieus, and hence little is known about their genesis in freshwater environments. We designed an in situ experiment to mimic the natural process of low‐Mg calcite precipitation. A special device was placed in the ooid‐rich bank of the lake. It contained frosted glass (SiO2) slides, while quartz (SiO2) is the most abundant mineral composition of ooid nuclei that acted as artificial substrates to favour microbial colonization. Microscopic inspection of the slides revealed a clear seasonal pattern of carbonate precipitates, which were always closely associated with biofilms that developed on the surface of the frosted slides containing extracellular polymeric substance, coccoid and filamentous cyanobacteria, diatoms and heterotrophic bacteria. Carbonate precipitation peaks during early spring and late summer, and low‐Mg calcite crystals mostly occur in close association with filamentous and coccoid cyanobacteria (e.g. Tolypothrix, Oscillatoria and Synechococcus, Anacystis, respectively). Further scanning electron microscope inspection of the samples revealed low‐Mg calcite with crystal forms varying from anhedral to euhedral rhombohedra, depending on the seasons. Liquid cultures corroborate the in situ observations and demonstrate that under the same physicochemical conditions the absence of biofilms prevents the precipitation of low‐Mg calcite crystals.These results illustrate that biofilms play a substantial role in low‐Mg calcite ooid cortex formation. It further demonstrates the involvement of microbes in the early stages of ooid development. Combined with ongoing microbial cultures under laboratory‐controlled conditions, the outcome of our investigation favoured the hypothesis of external microbial precipitation of low‐Mg calcite as the main mechanism involved in the early stage of ooid formation in freshwater Lake Geneva.
Effects of various concentrations of glycolic acid at the corneoxenometry and collaxenometry bioassays
Authors: Xhauflaire‐Uhoda Emmanuelle , Piérard‐Franchimont Claudine , Piérard Gérald E 
Published: August 2008

SummaryBackground  Glycolic acid is an α‐hydroxy acid used as a chemical peeling for more than a quarter century. The primary tissue target is the stratum corneum.Objective  This study aims to assess the effects of various concentrations of glycolic acid on the stratum corneum and collagen fibers using two selected bioassays.Methods  Corneoxenometry was performed to test the effects on human stratum corneum. Collaxenometry was similarly designed to quantify the effect on sheets of collagen fibers. Different glycolic acid concentrations ranging from 5% to 70% in alcohol were tested, respectively, for 3‐ and 10‐min exposure times.Results  Both bioassays showed consistent reactivities with a dose–effect relationship when using a 3‐min exposure time. By contrast, the tests appeared unreliable or uninformative for the 10‐min exposure time.Conclusion  Corneoxenometry and collaxenometry appear useful for in vitro testing peeling agents during short exposure times.
Facial scars after a road accident – combined treatment with pulsed dye laser and Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser
Authors: Martins Andréa , Trindade Felicidade , Leite Luiz 
Published: August 2008

SummaryWe report the case of a woman who presented with several facial scars following a road accident. Treatment was carried out using combined laser treatment with pulsed dye laser (PDL) and Q‐switched neodymium:yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet laser (QS Nd:YAG laser). No side effects or complications from treatment were noted or reported. The patient had very good cosmetic results with this combined technique. A variety of facial scars – erythematous, pigmented, atrophic, and hypertrophic – may occur as a result of trauma, surgery, burns, and skin disease. Surgery with other adjunctive methods including radiotherapy, intralesional steroids, and pressure therapy have shown variable results. Laser treatment has been attempted for scar revision since the 1980s. The PDL is the optimal treatment for reducing scar bulk and symptoms. It also decreases erythema and telangiectasia associated with scars, normalizes the skin surface texture, and improves the scar pliability. The QS Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) is highly effective for traumatic tattoo removal, resulting in complete clearance in the majority of cases.
Prognostic implication and biological roles of RhoH in acute myeloid leukaemia
Authors: Iwasaki Toshihiro , Katsumi Akira , Kiyoi Hitoshi , Tanizaki Ryohei , Ishikawa Yuichi , Ozeki Kazutaka , Kobayashi Miki , Abe Akihiro , Matsushita Tadashi , Watanabe Takashi , Amano Mutsuki , Kojima Tetsuhito , Kaibuchi Kozo , Naoe Tomoki 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe Rho family of small GTPases, including Rho, Rac and Cdc42, has been well characterised as a molecular switch that transduces signals from plasma membrane to the downstream effectors. RhoH gene, a member of the Rho family, is specifically expressed in haematopoietic cells. The known function of RhoH is antagonising Rac and mediating activation of ZAP‐70 in T lymphocytes; however, biological roles of RhoH in myeloid cells remain unknown. Here, we analysed the prognostic implication of the expression level of the RhoH gene transcript in bone marrow samples from 90 newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients using a real‐time fluorescence detection method. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated that low expression of the RhoH transcript was a predictor of worse prognosis in both overall and disease‐free survival. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that low expression of RhoH was an independent unfavourable prognostic factor for both overall and disease‐free survival of AML patients. Overexpression of RhoH leads to dephosphorylation of Bad at Serine 75 residue possibly through deactivation of Rac. It is possible that low expression of RhoH (i.e. high GTP‐Rac) contributes to chemotherapy resistance in leukaemia cells. Our result suggests that inhibition of Rac and its signalling components might provide a useful anti‐leukaemic strategy.
Location of Caspase 3‐like Protease in the Development of Sieve Element and Tracheary Element of Stem in Cucurbita moschata
Authors: Hao Xia , Qian Jie , Xu Shan , Song Xin , Zhu Jian 
Published: August 2008

Abstract The casepase is considered to regulate the process of programmed cell death in the development of organisms. In this study, caspase 3‐like protease was detected by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy during the development of sieve element and tracheary element of stem in Cucurbita moschata Duch. Antibody with brown color (under light microscopy) and gold particles (under transmission electron microscopy) for detecting caspase 3‐like protease was mainly displayed in inner phloem, external phloem and xylem in the region close to procambium. From the results it was considered that caspase 3‐like protease did exist in vascular elements and played different roles during the development of sieve and tracheary elements, and different types of programmed cell death might be carried out. The caspase 3‐like protease mainly participated in making cytoplasmic streaming cease and in degrading P‐protein bodies; however, it rarely participated in the function for signal transferring in the developmental sieve element. However, it might induce calcium accumulation for rupturing the tonoplast in the signal of PCD in the developmental tracheary element.
Covariance of Floral and Vegetative Traits in Four Species of Ranunculaceae: A Comparison between Specialized and Generalized Pollination Systems
Authors: Meng Jin‐Liu , Zhou Xian‐Hui , Zhao Zhi‐Gang , Du Guo‐Zhen 
Published: August 2008

Abstract Theory predicts that tighter correlation between floral traits and weaker relationship between floral and vegetative traits more likely occur in specialized flowers than generalized flowers, favoring by precise fit with pollinators. However, traits and trait correlations frequently vary under different environments. Through detecting spatiotemporal variation in phenotypic traits (floral organ size and vegetative size) and trait correlations in four Ranunculaceae species, we examined four predictions. Overall, our results supported these predictions to a certain degree. The mean coefficient of variation (CV) of floral traits in two specialized species (Delphinium kamaonense and Aconitum gymnandrum) was marginally significantly lower than that of another two generalized species (Trollius ranunculoides and Anemone obtusiloba). The two specialized species also showed marginally significantly smaller CV in floral traits than vegetative size across the two species. The absolute mean correlation between floral and vegetative traits, or that between floral traits in species with specialized flowers was not significantly lower, or higher than that in generalized plants, weakly supporting the predictions. Furthermore, we documented a large variation in trait correlations of four species among different seasons and populations. Study of covariance of floral and vegetative traits will benefit from the contrast of results obtained from generalized and specialized pollination systems.
The Sound of Silence: Valuing Acoustics in Heritage Conservation
Authors: O’CONNOR PENNY 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis paper explores the reasons behind the omission of historic acoustic values from heritage assessments in Australia. Best practice dictates that all cultural heritage values associated with significant places should be assessed in order to make informed conservation and management decisions. However, the multi‐sensory nature of aesthetics has been reframed in guidance documentation in ways that run counter to the primary frame. Conventions that have developed around the way places are assessed also work against comprehensive identification of values. As a result, the consideration of aesthetics in cultural heritage is limited to contemporary visual qualities. Furthermore, because the assessment of historic value takes a diachronic rather than synchronic approach, we have little knowledge of the places past communities valued for the sounds they experienced there. Research into landscape preference and acoustic ecology highlights the importance of identifying the inherent acoustic dimension of places and the role sound plays in developing a sense of place. Two landscape areas in Western Australia's south‐west with historic acoustic values, the Boranup Sand Patch and the Lower Reaches of the Blackwood River, illustrate how historic soundscapes can provide insightful contrasts and resonances with contemporary values, and how vulnerable such places are when the sound of place is overlooked in land management policies.
Extending the School Grounds?—Bullying Experiences in Cyberspace
Authors: Juvonen Jaana , Gross Elisheva F. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTBackground:  Bullying is a national public health problem affecting millions of students. With the rapid increase in electronic or online communication, bullying is no longer limited to schools. The goal of the current investigation was to examine the overlap among targets of, and the similarities between, online and in‐school bullying among Internet‐using adolescents. Additionally, a number of common assumptions regarding online or cyberbullying were tested.Methods:  An anonymous Web‐based survey was conducted with one thousand four hundred fifty‐four 12‐ to 17‐year‐old youth.Results:  Within the past year, 72% of respondents reported at least 1 online incident of bullying, 85% of whom also experienced bullying in school. The most frequent forms of online and in‐school bullying involved name‐calling or insults, and the online incidents most typically took place through instant messaging. When controlling for Internet use, repeated school‐based bullying experiences increased the likelihood of repeated cyberbullying more than the use of any particular electronic communication tool. About two thirds of cyberbullying victims reported knowing their perpetrators, and half of them knew the bully from school. Both in‐school and online bullying experiences were independently associated with increased social anxiety. Ninety percent of the sample reported they do not tell an adult about cyberbullying, and only a minority of participants had used digital tools to prevent online incidents.Conclusions:  The findings have implications for (1) school policies about cyberbullying, (2) parent education about the risks associated with online communication, and (3) youth advice regarding strategies to prevent and deal with cyberbullying incidents.
Affective Arousal as Information: How Affective Arousal Influences Judgments, Learning, and Memory
Authors: Storbeck Justin , Clore Gerald L. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe affect‐as‐information framework posits that affect is embodied information about value and importance. The valence dimension of affect provides evaluative information about stimulus objects, which plays a role in judgment and decision‐making. Affect can also provide evaluative information about one's own cognitions and response inclinations, information that guides thinking and reasoning. In particular, positive affect often promotes, and negative affect inhibits, accessible responses or dominant modes of thinking. Affect thus moderates many of the textbook phenomena in cognitive psychology. In the current review, we suggest additionally that the arousal dimension of affect amplifies reactions, leading to intensified evaluations, increased reliance on particular styles of learning, and enhanced long‐term memory for events. We conclude that whereas valenced affective cues serve as information about value, the arousal dimension provides information about urgency or importance.
The determinants of volatility on the American crude oil futures market
Authors: Lautier Delphine , Riva Fabrice 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis article focuses on the volatility of crude oil futures prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It aims at examining whether this market creates excess volatility, which would not be observed in the absence of such a market. In order to reach this objective, price fluctuations are separated into two components: an information component that reflects a rational assessment of the information arrival, and an error component that represents the noise introduced by the trading process. We show that a significant part of the volatility recorded during exchange trading hours is caused by mispricing errors. In particular, this phenomenon affects the nearest futures contract.
Leading indicators for Arabian Gulf oil tanker rates
Authors: Tham Eric 
Published: August 2008

AbstractIn this paper, price drivers for the Arabian Gulf oil tanker rates were derived from the Bayesian logistic regression to form a leading indicator. A universe of price drivers was filtered based on statistical criteria and speculative backtest results. Results showed that refining margins in Asia, crude production in the Arabian Gulf, the vessel utilisation rate and Brent–Dubai spreads were the most significant price drivers of TD3. A time series of these drivers indicates that Arabian Gulf production has a declining importance relative to the Brent–Dubai spreads since 2004. A vector error correction mechanism analysis of the TD1 and TD3 benchmarks indicates that TD1 returns lag behind TD3 rates.
‘Apprehensions of Controul’: The Familial Politics of Marriage, Choice and Consent in Sir Charles Grandison*
Authors: LATIMER BONNIE 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis essay explores the extent to which women's consent is requisite to marriage in Richardson's Sir Charles Grandison and is a contribution to current critical debate on Richardson's constructions of patriarchal imperatives. The essay focuses on the marriage of a minor character, Miss Mansfield, arguing that her coerced marriage is not an anomaly, but rather an example of a tendency that subtly permeates Grandison. The essay concludes, however, that we cannot read Richardson simplistically as inhibiting women's agency; rather, Miss Mansfield's marriage forms part of a background discourse that participates in contemporary debates on choice, pressure and property in marriage.
Novel Type of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome
mec
in a Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Strain Isolated in Sweden
Authors: Berglund Carolina , Ito Teruyo , Ikeda Megumi , Ma Xiao Xue , Söderquist Bo , Hiramatsu Keiichi 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

We identified a novel type of staphylococcal cassette chromosome
mec
(SCC
mec
) element carried by methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) strain JCSC6082 isolated in Sweden. The SCC
mec
element was demarcated by characteristic nucleotide sequences at both ends and was integrated at the 3′ end of
orfX
. The element carried a novel combination of a type 5
ccr
gene complex and class C1
mec
gene complex. The J regions of the element were homologous to those of the SCC
mercury
element of
S. aureus
strain 85/2082, with nucleotide identity greater than 99%. However, the novel SCC
mec
element from JCSC6082 did not carry the
mer
operon nor Tn
554
, suggesting that evolution to SCC
mec
could have been from a common ancestor by acquisition of the class C1
mec
gene complex. The novel SCC
mec
element from JCSC6082 was flanked by a novel SCC-like chromosome cassette (CC6082), which was demarcated by two direct repeats and could be excised from the chromosome independently of the SCC
mec
element. Our data suggest that novel SCC
mec
elements can be generated on the staphylococcal chromosome through the recombination between extant SCC elements and
mec
gene complexes.
Low Penetration of Oseltamivir and Its Carboxylate into Cerebrospinal Fluid in Healthy Japanese and Caucasian Volunteers
Authors: Jhee S. S. , Yen M. , Ereshefsky L. , Leibowitz M. , Schulte M. , Kaeser B. , Boak L. , Patel A. , Hoffmann G. , Prinssen E. P. , Rayner C. R. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Oseltamivir is a potent, well-tolerated antiviral for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza. Although no relationship with treatment could be demonstrated, recent reports of abnormal behavior in young individuals with influenza who were receiving oseltamivir have generated renewed interest in the central nervous system (CNS) tolerability of oseltamivir. This single-center, open-label study explored the pharmacokinetics of oseltamivir and oseltamivir carboxylate (OC) in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of healthy adult volunteers over a 24-hour interval to determine the CNS penetration of both these compounds. Four Japanese and four Caucasian males were enrolled in the study. Oseltamivir and OC concentrations in CSF were low (mean of observed maximum concentrations [
C
max
], 2.4 ng/ml [oseltamivir] and 19.0 ng/ml [OC]) versus those in plasma (mean
C
max
, 115 ng/ml [oseltamivir] and 544 ng/ml [OC]), with corresponding
C
max
CSF/plasma ratios of 2.1% (oseltamivir) and 3.5% (OC). Overall exposure to oseltamivir and OC in CSF was also comparatively low versus that in plasma (mean area under the concentration-time curve CSF/plasma ratio, 2.4% [oseltamivir] and 2.9% [OC]). No gross differences in the pharmacokinetics of oseltamivir or OC were observed between the Japanese and Caucasian subjects. Oseltamivir was well tolerated. This demonstrates that the CNS penetration of oseltamivir and OC is low in Japanese and Caucasian adults. Emerging data support the idea that oseltamivir and OC have limited potential to induce or exacerbate CNS adverse events in individuals with influenza. A disease- rather than drug-related effect appears likely.
Antagonistic Effect of Rifampin on the Efficacy of High-Dose Levofloxacin in Staphylococcal Experimental Foreign-Body Infection
Authors: Murillo O. , Pachón M. E. , Euba G. , Verdaguer R. , Tubau F. , Cabellos C. , Cabo J. , Gudiol F. , Ariza J. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Since levofloxacin at high doses was more active than levofloxacin at conventional doses and was the best therapy alone in a rat model of staphylococcal foreign-body infection, in this study we tested how these differences affect the activities of their respective combinations with rifampin in vitro and in vivo. In vitro studies were performed in the log and stationary phases. By using this model, rifampin at 25 mg/kg of body weight/12 h, levofloxacin at 100 mg/kg/day, levofloxacin at 100 mg/kg/day plus rifampin, levofloxacin at 50 mg/kg/day, levofloxacin at 50 mg/kg/day plus rifampin, or a control treatment was administered for 7 days; and therapy with for levofloxacin at 100 mg/kg/day alone and rifampin alone was prolonged to 14 days. We screened for the appearance of resistant strains. Killing curves in the log phase showed a clear antagonism with levofloxacin at concentrations ≥2× MIC and rifampin and tended to occur in the stationary phase. At the end of 7 days of therapy, levofloxacin at 100 mg/kg/day was the best treatment and decreased the bacterial counts from tissue cage fluid (
P
< 0.05 compared with the results for groups except those receiving rifampin alone). At the end of 14 days of therapy with levofloxacin at 100 mg/kg/day, levofloxacin at 100 mg/kg/day plus rifampin, and the control treatment, the bacterial counts on the coverslips were 2.24 (
P
< 0.05 compared with the results with the combined therapy), 3.36, and 5.4 log CFU/ml, respectively. No rifampin or levofloxacin resistance was detected in any group except that receiving rifampin alone. In conclusion, high-dose levofloxacin was the best treatment and no resistant strains appeared; the addition of rifampin showed an antagonistic effect. The efficacy of the rifampin-levofloxacin combination is not significantly improved by the dosage of levofloxacin.
Development of Caspofungin Resistance following Prolonged Therapy for Invasive Candidiasis Secondary to
Candida glabrata
Infection
Authors: Thompson George R. , Wiederhold Nathan P. , Vallor Ana C. , Villareal Nyria C. , Lewis James S. , Patterson Thomas F. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

We report a case of
Candida glabrata
invasive candidiasis that developed reduced susceptibility to caspofungin during prolonged therapy. Pre- and posttreatment isolates were confirmed to be isogenic, and sequencing of hot spots known to confer echinocandin resistance revealed an F659V substitution within the
FKS2
region of the glucan synthase complex.
Macrolide Antibiotic-Mediated Downregulation of MexAB-OprM Efflux Pump Expression in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Sugimura Makoto , Maseda Hideaki , Hanaki Hideaki , Nakae Taiji 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Macrolide antibiotics modulate the quorum-sensing system of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. We tested the effect of macrolide antibiotics on the cell density-dependent expression of the MexAB-OprM efflux pump and found that 1.0 μg/ml (MIC/6.25) of azithromycin suppressed the expression of MexAB-OprM by about 70%, with the result that the cells became two- to fourfold more susceptible to antibiotics such as aztreonam, tetracycline, carbenicillin, chloramphenicol, and novobiocin.