bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cyclophilin A Is an Essential Cofactor for Hepatitis C Virus Infection and the Principal Mediator of Cyclosporine Resistance In Vitro
Authors: Yang Feng , Robotham Jason M. , Nelson Heather B. , Irsigler Andre , Kenworthy Rachael , Tang Hengli 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACTCyclosporine (CsA) and its derivatives potently suppress hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. Recently, CsA-resistant HCV replicons have been identified in vitro. We examined the dependence of the wild-type and CsA-resistant replicons on various cyclophilins for replication. A strong correlation between CsA resistance and reduced dependency on cyclophilin A (CyPA) for replication was identified. Silencing of CyPB or CyPC expression had no significant effect on replication, whereas various forms of small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed at CyPA inhibited HCV replication of wild-type but not CsA-resistant replicons. The efficiency of a particular siRNA in suppressing CyPA expression was correlated with its potency in inhibiting HCV replication, and expression of an siRNA-resistant CyPA cDNA rescued replication. In addition, an anti-CyPA antibody blocked replication of the wild-type but not the resistant replicon in an in vitro replication assay. Depletion of CyPA alone in the CsA-resistant replicon cells eliminated CsA resistance, indicating that CyPA is the chief mediator of the observed CsA resistance. The dependency on CyPA for replication was observed for both genotype (GT) 1a and 1b replicons as well as a GT 2a infectious virus. An interaction between CyPA and HCV RNA as well as the viral polymerase that is sensitive to CsA treatment in wild-type but not in resistant replicons was detected. These findings reveal the molecular mechanism of CsA resistance and identify CyPA as a critical cellular cofactor for HCV replication and infection.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperones Are Involved in the Morphogenesis of Rotavirus Infectious Particles
Authors: Maruri-Avidal Liliana , López Susana , Arias Carlos F. 
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT
The final assembly of rotavirus particles takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In this work, we evaluated by RNA interference the relevance to rotavirus assembly and infectivity of grp78, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), grp94, calnexin, calreticulin, and ERp57, members of the two ER folding systems described herein. Silencing the expression of grp94 and Erp57 had no effect on rotavirus infectivity, while knocking down the expression of any of the other four chaperons caused a reduction in the yield of infectious virus of about 50%. In grp78-silenced cells, the maturation of the oligosaccharide chains of NSP4 was retarded. In cells with reduced levels of calnexin, the oxidative folding of VP7 was impaired and the trimming of NSP4 was accelerated, and in calreticulin-silenced cells, the formation of disulfide bonds of VP7 was also accelerated. The knockdown of PDI impaired the formation and/or rearrangement of the VP7 disulfide bonds. All these conditions also affected the correct assembly of virus particles, since compared with virions from control cells, they showed an altered susceptibility to EGTA and heat treatments, a decreased specific infectivity, and a diminished reactivity to VP7 with monoclonal antibody M60, which recognizes only this protein when its disulfide bonds have been correctly formed. In the case of grp78-silenced cells, the virus produced bound less efficiently to MA104 cells than virus obtained from control cells. All these results suggest that these chaperones are involved in the quality control of rotavirus morphogenesis. The complexity of the steps of rotavirus assembly that occur in the ER provide a useful model for studying the organization and operation of the complex network of chaperones involved in maintaining the quality control of this organelle.
Effects of petrissage massage on fatigue and exercise performance following intensive cycle pedalling
Authors: Ogai R , Yamane M , Matsumoto T , Kosaka M 
Published: April 2008

Objective:Petrissage is assumed to influence circulation as well as interstitial drainage of both superficial and deep tissues. To study its effect it was applied between consecutive bouts of supramaximal exercise performed by the lower leg muscles.Methods:Subjects were 11 healthy female students actively engaged in sports. Exercise bouts of ergometer cycling at loads determined individually (0.075 kp × body weight (kg)) for 5 s repeated eight times at intervals of 20 s had to be performed twice on an experimental day with 35 min intermittent bed rest. Each subject was investigated on two occasions with a minimum interval of 1 week, once without (control, CO) and once with 10 min petrissage (massage, MA) of the exercising lower leg during the bed rest phase. Effects of exercise bouts on blood lactate, muscle stiffness and perceived lower limb fatigue and their recovery before and after the second exercise bout were determined.Results:For the first exercise bouts total power did not differ between MA and CO. Courses of blood lactate did not differ between MA and CO. However, recovery from measured muscle stiffness (p<0.05) and perceived lower limb fatigue (p<0.05) were more pronounced and total power during the second exercise bout was enhanced (p<0.01) in MA as compared with CO subjects.Conclusion:Petrissage improved cycle ergometer pedalling performance independent of blood lactate but in correlation with improved recovery from muscle stiffness and perceived lower limb fatigue.
Examining the burden of work-related hospitalized injuries: definitional issues
Authors: Mitchell R , Williamson A 
Published: April 2008

Background:Identifying work-related injuries from hospitalization data is not straightforward. How a work-related injury, either acute or non-acute, is defined will affect injury enumeration, injury burden estimates, and subsequent priority setting for prevention activity.Aim:To examine the effect of different case identification criteria on the number and rate of hospitalized work-related injuries and to identify the type of pathologies that are recorded for work-related admissions that have an external cause code.Method:Identified work-related hospitalization admissions from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2005 were analysed according to different injury case-selection criteria (ie, a principal diagnosis in the ICD-10-AM range S00–T98 and/or an external cause code in the ICD-10-AM range V01–Y98) and different admission restrictions (ie, exclusion of: transfers and type changes; re-admissions within 28 days; or day-only admissions). The principal diagnosis recorded for work-related admissions that had an external cause code were examined.Results:The incidence of identified work-related hospitalized injuries varied widely, from 289 to 611 per 100 000 workers depending on the identification criteria adopted. The exclusion of day-only stays reduced the identified work-related injury admissions by about one-third for each definitional condition. Where only an external cause code was used to identify an injury, the principal diagnoses codes were predominantly injuries, poisoning, and certain other consequences of external causes (74.6%) and diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (15.5%).Conclusions:Case-selection criteria adopted to identify work-related hospitalized injuries should be carefully considered. It is recommended that inclusion of certain musculoskeletal conditions that are likely to arise from repetitive minor trauma over time (ie non-acute injuries) should be considered in calculating the estimate of the burden of all work-related hospitalized injuries.
Exposure times and energy densities for ultrasonic disinfection of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus avium, and sewage
Authors: Stamper David M. , Holm Eric R. , Brizzolara Robert A. 
Published: April 2008

We investigated the disinfection of sewage and several bacterial pure cultures relevant to sewage using ultrasound produced by the magnetostrictive material, TERFENOL-D. Particular attention was paid to measuring the ultrasonic exposure time and energy density required to kill bacteria. Ultrasonic power was measured and recorded during the treatments, and bacterial kill curves were constructed based on both exposure time and total energy. In 100 mL of synthetic graywater medium, bacterial pure cultures required from ~5 to 16 min per log kill at moderate intensity (~25 W·cm–2), while a sewage sample took several times longer to experience a 90% kill. The effects of intensity, horn size, sonication medium, and vessel geometry and volume on exposure time and energy density were explored. Intensity, horn size, and the sonication medium had significant effects on bacterial kill by ultrasound, but vessel geometry did not. The volume of the liquid being treated and the treatment time were correlated, indicating that the volume of the disinfection zone was smaller than the volume of the liquid being treated.
Properties of a non collagen-degradingBacillus subtiliskeratinase
Authors: Macedo Alexandre José , Beys da Silva Walter Orlando , Termignoni Carlos 
Published: April 2008

Bacillus subtilis S14 produces a keratinase (KerS14) with non collagen-degrading activity. Indeed, this is the first keratinase described so far that does not have any detectable effect on collagen, which is a crucial property for an enzyme intended to be used in skin dehairing. Because of its importance as an industrial tanning enzyme, we report the biochemical characterization of KerS14. This protein exhibited an apparent molecular mass of 27 kDa, a pI of 6.5, and an optimum pH in the range of 8.0–9.0. The enzyme’s activity was stimulated by Mn2+(7.7-fold), Ca2+(6.1-fold), Mg2+(4.9-fold), and Co2+(4.0-fold) but was inhibited by Cu2+and Zn2+. Using p-nitroanilide and methylcoumarine derivatized peptides, we observed that KerS14 prefered Arg at subsite P1, small amino acid residues at subsite P2, and Gln or Glu at subsite P3. KerS14 presented higher keratin degradation specificity than other commercial proteases. Its high keratinolytic activity and the absence of virtually any activity against collagen remark the biotechnological potential of this enzyme to be used at larger scales in tannery dehairing processes.
Recovery of useful traits from isolates inhabiting an agricultural soil cultivated with herbicide-resistant poplars
Authors: Balestrazzi Alma , Bonadei Martina , Zelasco Samanta , Quattrini Emanuele , Calvio Cinzia , Galizzi Alessandro , Carbonera Daniela 
Published: April 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the culturable bacteria living in soil cultivated with Basta®-tolerant transgenic white poplars ( Populus alba L. ‘Villafranca’). Plate Count Agar medium containing phosphinothricin, the active component of Basta®, was used to isolate the herbicide-resistant bacteria (HRB). No significant changes in the size of the soil microbial flora following herbicide treatment were observed. The characterization of HRB isolates by 16S rDNA-based taxonomy revealed a predominance of Pseudomonas and Bacillus species. The screening carried out on soil samples allowed for the recovery of isolates with useful properties for biotechnological and agronomical purposes, particularly in relation to root development. Among the tested isolates, only HRB-1b, HRB-1c, and HRB-7 showed remarkable swarming ability, a valuable trait supporting the beneficial plant–microbe interactions. HRB-1c was also characterized by consistent production of indoleacetic acid (17.8 ± 0.09 μg·mL–1· (OD600unit)–1), and it was able to stimulate the in vitro growth of Villafranca explants. Since novel tools are constantly required to enhance productivity of perennial species and to expand their use for practical purposes, the availability of bacteria that support tree growth, such as the HRB-1c isolate, represents a significant advantage.
Impact of Vegetation Types on Surface Temperature Change
Authors: Lim Young-Kwon , Cai Ming , Kalnay Eugenia , Zhou Liming 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
The impact of different surface vegetations on long-term surface temperature change is estimated by subtracting reanalysis trends in monthly surface temperature anomalies from observation trends over the last four decades. This is done using two reanalyses, namely, the 40-yr ECMWF (ERA-40) and NCEP–NCAR I (NNR), and two observation datasets, namely, Climatic Research Unit (CRU) and Global Historical Climate Network (GHCN). The basis of the observation minus reanalysis (OMR) approach is that the NNR reanalysis surface fields, and to a lesser extent the ERA-40, are insensitive to surface processes associated with different vegetation types and their changes because the NNR does not use surface observations over land, whereas ERA-40 only uses surface temperature observations indirectly, in order to initialize soil temperature and moisture. As a result, the OMR trends can provide an estimate of surface effects on the observed temperature trends missing in the reanalyses. The OMR trends obtained from observation minus NNR show a strong and coherent sensitivity to the independently estimated surface vegetation from normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The correlation between the OMR trend and the NDVI indicates that the OMR trend decreases with surface vegetation, with a correlation &lt; −0.5, indicating that there is a stronger surface response to global warming in arid regions, whereas the OMR response is reduced in highly vegetated areas. The OMR trend averaged over the desert areas (0 &lt; NDVI &lt; 0.1) shows a much larger increase of temperature (∼0.4°C decade−1) than over tropical forest areas (NDVI &gt; 0.4) where the OMR trend is nearly zero. Areas of intermediate vegetation (0.1 &lt; NDVI &lt; 0.4), which are mostly found over midlatitudes, reveal moderate OMR trends (approximately 0.1°–0.3°C decade−1). The OMR trends are also very sensitive to the seasonal vegetation change. While the OMR trends have little seasonal dependence over deserts and tropical forests, whose vegetation state remains rather constant throughout the year, the OMR trends over the midlatitudes, in particular Europe and North America, exhibit strong seasonal variation in response to the NDVI fluctuations associated with deciduous vegetation. The OMR trend rises up approximately to 0.2°–0.3°C decade−1 in winter and early spring when the vegetation cover is low, and is only 0.1°C decade−1 in summer and early autumn with high vegetation. However, the Asian inlands (Russia, northern China with Tibet, and Mongolia) do not show this strong OMR variation despite their midlatitude location, because of the relatively permanent aridity of these regions.
Over-Ocean Validation of the Global Convective Diagnostic
Authors: Martin David W. , Kohrs Richard A. , Mosher Frederick R. , Medaglia Carlo Maria , Adamo Claudia 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
The global convective diagnostic (GCD) is a bispectral (infrared and water vapor), day–night scheme for operationally mapping deep convection by means of geostationary satellite images. This article describes a test of GCD performance over tropical and subtropical waters near North America. The test consists of six cases, each involving a convective cloud complex. A seventh case treats convection over land. For each case, a map of deep convection was constructed from image pairs from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-12 (GOES-12). Case by case and for all maritime cases together, the GCD map was compared with a convective parameter derived from the radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), a polar-orbiting satellite. In general, each GCD map showed a bloblike feature. In each case, the radar convective pixels typically fell within the GCD blob. However, (except for the land case) the GCD predicted far too many convective pixels. In the maritime cases overprediction was reduced (without correspondingly impairing other measures of performance) by lowering the nominal GCD threshold. With this adjustment in place, for the six maritime cases taken individually, the GCD tended to yield more consistent results than did a monospectral (infrared) convective scheme. With the cases combined, at the lower threshold the GCD performed somewhat better than one of the more stable versions of the infrared scheme. Comparison with lightning events (also observed by TRMM) suggests the possibility of future improvement to the GCD through the incorporation of geostationary satellite observations of lightning.
Radar Observations of Rainfall Variability Using Non-Rayleigh Signal Fluctuations
Authors: Jameson A. R. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
The spatial variability and temporal variability of precipitation are widely recognized. In particular, rainfall rates can fluctuate widely in regions where the raindrops are clustered and where mean conditions are changing (statistical heterogeneity). Indeed, at times, the ambiguity associated with an estimated average rainfall rate may become very large. Therefore, in quantitative measurements of precipitation, it would be useful to identify where this occurs. In this work a technique is proposed and applied to quantify the variability in rainfall rates introduced by statistical heterogeneity and raindrop clustering using deviations from Rayleigh statistics of intensity fluctuations. This technique separates the Rayleigh contributions to the observed relative dispersion from those arising from clustering and statistical heterogeneities. Applications to conventional meteorological radar measurements are illustrated using two scans. Often, but not always, the greatest ambiguities in estimates of the average rainfall rate occur just where the rainfall rates are the largest and presumably where accurate estimates are most important. This ambiguity is not statistical; rather, it indicates the presence of important sub-beam-scale fluctuations. As a consequence, no single average value can be applied uniformly to the entire domain. The examples provided here also demonstrate that the appropriate observations are feasible using current conventional meteorological radars with adequate processing capabilities. However, changes in radar technology that improve and increase pulse-to-pulse statistical independence will permit such observations to be gathered more routinely at finer spatial resolution and with enhanced precision.
An Exploratory Study to Derive Precipitation over Land from X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar Measurements
Authors: Weinman J. A. , Marzano F. S. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractGlobal precipitation measurements from space-based radars and microwave radiometers have been the subject of numerous studies during the past decade. Rainfall retrievals over land from spaceborne microwave radiometers depend mainly on scattering from frozen hydrometeors. Unfortunately, the relationship between frozen hydrometeors and rainfall varies considerably. The large field of view and related beam filling of microwave radiometer footprints introduce additional difficulties. Some of these problems will be addressed by the improved sensors that will be placed on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core satellite. Two shuttle missions demonstrated that X-band synthetic aperture radar (X-SAR) could observe rainfall over land. Several X-band SARs that can provide such measurements will be launched in the coming decade. These include four Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean Basin Observations (COSMO-SkyMed), two TerraSAR-X, and a fifth Korea Multipurpose Satellite (KOMPSAT-5) to be launched by the Italian, German, and Korean Space Agencies, respectively. Data from these satellites could augment the information available to the GPM science community. The present study presents computations of normalized radar cross sections (NRCS) that employed a simple, idealized two-layer cloud model that contained both rain and frozen hydrometeors. The modeled spatial distributions of these hydrometeors varied with height and horizontal distance. An exploratory algorithm was developed to retrieve the shape, width, and simple representations of the vertical profiles of frozen hydrometeors and rain from modeled NRCS scans. A discussion of uncertainties in the retrieval is presented.
Combined Observational and Model Investigations of the Z–LWC Relationship in Stratocumulus Clouds
Authors: Khain A. , Pinsky M. , Magaritz L. , Krasnov O. , Russchenberg H. W. J. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
In situ measurements indicate the complexity and nonunique character of radar reflectivity–liquid water content (Z–LWC) relationships in stratocumulus and cumulus clouds. Parameters of empirical (statistical) Z–LWC dependences vary within a wide range. Respectively, the accuracy of retrieval algorithms remains low. This situation is partially related to the fact that empirical algorithms and parameters are often derived without a corresponding understanding of physical mechanisms responsible for the formation of the Z–LWC diagrams. In this study, the authors investigate the processes of formation of the Z–LWC relationships using a new trajectory ensemble model of the cloud-topped boundary layer (BL). In the model, the entire volume of the BL is covered by Lagrangian parcels advected by a turbulent-like velocity field. The time-dependent velocity field is generated by a turbulent model and obeys the correlation turbulent laws. Each Lagrangian parcel represents the “cloud parcel model” with an accurate description of processes of diffusion growth–evaporation of aerosols and droplets and droplet collisions. The fact that parcels are adjacent to each other allows one to calculate sedimentation of droplets and precipitation (drizzle) formation. The characteristic parcel size is 50 m; the number of parcels is 1840. The model calculates droplet size distributions (DSDs), as well as their moments (e.g., aerosol and drop concentration, mass content, radar reflectivity) in each parcel. In the course of the model integration, Z–LWC relationships are calculated for each parcel, as well as the scattering diagram including all parcels. The model reproduces in situ observed types of the Z–LWC relationships. It is shown that different regimes represent different stages of cloud evolution: diffusion growth, beginning of drizzle formation, and stage of heavy drizzle, respectively. The large scattering of the Z–LWC relationships is found to be an inherent property of any drizzling cloud. Different zones on the Z–LWC diagram are related to cloud volumes located at different levels within a cloud and having different DSD. This finding allows for improvement of retrieval algorithms.
Comparison of Local and Basinwide Methods for Risk Assessment of Tropical Cyclone Landfall
Authors: Hall Timothy M. , Jewson Stephen 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
Two statistical methods for predicting the number of tropical cyclones (TCs) making landfall on sections of the North American coastline are compared. The first method—the “local model”—is derived exclusively from historical landfalls on the particular coastline section. The second method—the “track model”—involves statistical modeling of TC tracks from genesis to lysis, and is based on historical observations of such tracks. Identical scoring schemes are used for each model, derived from the out-of-sample likelihood of a Bayesian analysis of the Poisson landfall number distribution. The track model makes better landfall rate predictions on most coastal regions, when coastline sections at a scale of several hundred kilometers or smaller are considered. The reduction in sampling error due to the use of the much larger dataset more than offsets any bias in the track model. When larger coast sections are considered, there are more historical landfalls, and the local model scores better. This is the first clear justification for the use of track models for the assessment of TC landfall risk on regional and smaller scales.