bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of grass height at the start of grazing on herbage intake and milk production under rotational grazing by lactating dairy cows
Authors: Nakatsuji H. , Nishimichi Y. , Yayota M. , Takahashi M. , Ueda K. , Kondo S. , Okubo M. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractUnder rotational grazing by lactating dairy cows, effects of grass height at the start of a grazing season on herbage intake and milk production were evaluated. A 1.87 ha grass‐clover mixed sward was divided evenly into two paddocks, and a different group of six lactating Holstein cows were rotationally grazed on each paddock for 5 h a day. Grazing was commenced when mean grass height in the two paddocks reached 15 cm (S15) and 20 cm (S20), respectively. Mean grass height throughout the grazing period tended to be higher in S20 than S15, and in particular, the difference at June between the treatments was significant (P < 0.01). However, mean crude protein and neutral detergent fiber contents of herbage, including those at June, did not significantly differ between S15 and S20. Mean daily herbage dry matter (DM) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) intake per cow were similar between S15 and S20, while mean daily total feed DM and TDN intake tended to be higher in S15 than S20, although the difference was not significant. Mean daily total 4% fat‐corrected milk (FCM) yield tended to be higher in S15 than S20, but there was no difference in mean daily FCM yield derived from herbage between the treatments. The amount of herbage DM and TDN intake per unit area throughout the grazing period was similar between the treatments, and were 8.56 and 5.61 t/ha in S15 and 8.62 and 5.54 t/ha in S20. The amount of FCM yield from pasture differed very little between the treatments, and was 11.10 and 10.81 t/ha in S15 and S20, respectively. The difference in the grass height at the start of grazing as in the present study had no obvious effect on nutritive values of herbage, herbage intake per animal, and herbage intake and milk production per unit area.
Multitracer Test Approach to Characterize Reactive Transport in Karst Aquifers
Authors: Geyer Tobias , Birk Steffen , Licha Tobias , Liedl Rudolf , Sauter Martin 
Published: December 2006

AbstractA method to estimate reactive transport parameters as well as geometric conduit parameters from a multitracer test in a karst aquifer is provided. For this purpose, a calibration strategy was developed applying the two‐region nonequilibrium model CXTFIT. The ambiguity of the model calibration was reduced by first calibrating the model with respect to conservative tracer breakthrough and later transferring conservative transport parameters to the reactive model calibration. The reactive transport parameters were only allowed to be within a defined sensible range to get reasonable calibration values. This calibration strategy was applied to breakthrough curves obtained from a large‐scale multitracer test, which was performed in a karst aquifer of the Swabian Alb, Germany. The multitracer test was conducted by the simultaneous injection of uranine, sulforhodamine G, and tinopal CBS‐X. The model succeeds to represent the tracer breakthrough curves (TBCs) of uranine and sulforhodamine G and verifies that tracer‐rock interactions preferably occur in the immobile fluid region, although the fraction of this region amounts to only 3.5% of the total water. However, the model failed to account for the long tailing observed in the TBC of tinopal CBS‐X. Sensitivity analyses reveal that model results for the conservative tracer transport are most sensitive to average velocity and volume fraction of the mobile fluid region, while dispersion and mass transfer coefficients are least influential. Consequently, reactive tracer calibration allows the determination of sorption sites in the mobile and immobile fluid region at small retardation coefficients.
Successful wastewater reuse scheme and sustainable development: a case study in Adelaide
Authors: Keremane Ganesh B. , McKay Jennifer 
Published: December 2006

AbstractFreshwater availability to meet the growing needs of humankind has raised serious concerns in the recent past. Two immediate responses to counter this challenge are efficient allocation of the scarce resources, and development and use of alternative sources of water. While ‘water markets’ are seen as a means to achieve efficient allocation of the scare resources, treated wastewater and low‐quality water are now considered as potential sources of water to supplement the freshwater supplies. However, the latter option, that is use of reclaimed water as an alternative, imposes concerns regarding its suitability to sustain development. This is because of various issues related to wastewater usage and application. At the same time, it is also true that a successful and well‐planned reuse scheme can help achieve sustainability as evidenced in some isolated cases around the world. In line with this, the current paper adopts a case‐study approach to demonstrate how a successful reuse scheme in Adelaide, South Australia, has contributed to the sustainable development of the region. The paper looks into the socio‐economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability and arrives at a conclusion that properly planned and managed reuse schemes backed with effective regulatory and policy measures can lead to sustainable development.
Comparative Immune Responses of Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Diseases during the 2-Year Period after Pneumococcal Vaccination
Authors: Chen Meng , Hisatomi Yuki , Furumoto Akitsugu , Kawakami Kenji , Masaki Hironori , Nagatake Tsuyoshi , Sueyasu Yoshiko , Iwanaga Tomoaki , Aizawa Hisamichi , Oishi Kazunori 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT

Antibody responses to a 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine for
Streptococcus pneumoniae
serotypes 6B, 14, 19F, and 23F in 84 patients with chronic pulmonary diseases over a 2-year period after vaccination were examined by using a third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of these patients, 28 (31%) were low responders who had developed increases of at least twofold in the levels of serotype-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) in sera for none of the four serotypes at 1 month after vaccination. Although no specific clinical features of low responders were evident, their prevaccination levels of IgG for all serotypes were higher than those of responders. In responders, the levels of IgG specific for serotypes 14 and 23F in sera were greatly increased 1 month after vaccination and those specific for serotypes 6B and 19F were moderately increased. In contrast, no significant increases in the levels of IgG specific for serotypes 6B, 19F, and 23F in the low responders during the same period were found, but the levels of IgG specific for serotype 14 did increase. Although a rapid decline in the levels of IgG for all serotypes in responders between 1 month and 6 months after vaccination was found, the levels of IgG specific for serotypes 14 and 23F in sera remained higher than the prevaccination levels for at least 2 years after vaccination. These data suggest the need for the revaccination of responders but not low responders among patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. Revaccination as early as 3 years postvaccination is recommended for responders to increase the reduced levels of IgG in sera, especially those specific for the weak vaccine antigens.
Evaluation of NucliSens easyMAG for Automated Nucleic Acid Extraction from Various Clinical Specimens
Authors: Loens K. , Bergs K. , Ursi D. , Goossens H. , Ieven M. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of the NucliSens easyMAG platform for nucleic acid extraction from different clinical specimens compared to NucliSens miniMAG platform and manual QIAGEN extraction. The NucliSens easyMAG and the NucliSens miniMAG showed equal performance on 215 throat swabs since real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification scored the same samples positive for
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
(
n
= 9) and
Chlamydia pneumoniae
(
n
= 5) RNAs, although internal control RNA was slightly better detected with the NucliSens easyMAG (99.3% versus 96.8%). NucliSens easyMAG extracted nucleic acids more efficiently (higher recovery and/or fewer inhibitors) compared to QIAGEN extraction by showing, on average, lower Ct values in real-time LightCycler PCR, although 4 individual specimen out of 45 were found positive only with QIAGEN. For nine
M. pneumoniae
-positive throat swabs, the mean difference in Ct values between NucliSens easyMAG extraction and QIAGEN extraction was −2.26 (range, −5.77 to +0.60); for the detection of five
C. pneumoniae
-positive throat swabs, the average difference in Ct values between the two methods was −3.38 (range, −6.62 to −2.02); and for the detection of cytomegalovirus in 24 blood samples, the mean difference in Ct values between the two methods was −0.95 (range, −5.51 to +1.68). The NucliSens easyMAG is considerably easier to perform, efficiently extracts nucleic acids from throat swabs and whole blood, is automated, and has high throughput.
Geno- and Phenotypic Diversity of Avian Isolates ofStreptococcus gallolyticussubsp.gallolyticus(Streptococcus bovis) and Associated Diagnostic Problems
Authors: Chadfield M. S. , Christensen J. P. , Decostere A. , Christensen H. , Bisgaard M. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTRecently, strains ofStreptococcus boviswere reclassified asStreptococcus gallolyticus. In the present study we describe for the first time an outbreak ofS. gallolyticusin a broiler flock. Mortality during the first week was normal (<1%), with a final total mortality at the end of production reaching 4.3%. Specific symptoms were not observed. Postmortem pathology demonstrated enlarged and light spleens and livers accompanied by multifocal irregular necroses surrounded by a hemorrhagic zone. In addition, these birds suffered from arthritis and osteomyelitis. Strains isolated from liver and spleen lesions showed clonality as demonstrated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Compared to strains representing previously derived phylogeny, including theS. bovis-S. equinuscomplex, the 16S rRNA-derived phylogeny of the strains investigated in this study demonstrated a paraphyletic group (S. gallolyticus) well separated from two monophyletic groups: (i)S. equinus-S. bovisplusS. infantariusand (ii)S. alactolyticusplusS. intestinalis. According to information in GenBank, none of the strains included from the two monophyletic groups have been isolated from birds. Further biochemical analyses, including tannase activity, identified for the first time avian isolates belonging toS. gallolyticussubsp.gallolyticus. However, these investigations also demonstrated a clear heterogeneity with pigeon isolates.
Use of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis of Conserved XbaI Fragments for Identification of SwineSalmonellaSerotypes
Authors: Gaul Stephen B. , Wedel Stephanie , Erdman Matthew M. , Harris D. L. , Harris Isabel Turney , Ferris Kathleen E. , Hoffman Lorraine 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTSwineSalmonellaisolates (n= 674) from various locations throughout the United States and Canada were analyzed via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with XbaI. PFGE subtypes were analyzed by cluster analysis and compared to conventional serotyping results. The analysis showed a correlation of serotype to PFGE subtype. In addition, conserved fragments were identified within the restriction patterns that were unique to each serotype. PFGE using XbaI restriction provided a possible alternative method for screening and identifying swineSalmonellaserotypes.
Necrotizing Fasciitis Due to a Methicillin-Sensitive
Staphylococcus aureus
Isolate Harboring an Enterotoxin Gene Cluster
Authors: Morgan William R. , Caldwell Michael D. , Brady Jennifer M. , Stemper Mary E. , Reed Kurt D. , Shukla Sanjay K. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT

Benign papular eruption on the left leg of a 72-year-old diabetic man developed into rapidly spreading necrotizing fasciitis despite antimicrobial therapy and surgical debridements. This led to eventual amputation to control the infection. The etiological agent was a
Staphylococcus aureus
isolate harboring the enterotoxin gene cluster
seg
,
sei
,
sem
,
sen
, and
seo
but lacked all common toxin genes, including Panton-Valentine leukocidin.
Use of Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor for Deactivation of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in a Biological Safety Cabinet and a Room
Authors: Hall Leslie , Otter Jonathan A. , Chewins John , Wengenack Nancy L. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
is an important human pathogen that is routinely cultured in clinical and research laboratories.
M. tuberculosis
can contaminate surfaces and is highly resistant to disinfection. We investigated whether hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) is effective for the deactivation of
M. tuberculosis
on experimentally contaminated surfaces in a biological safety cabinet (BSC) and a room. Biological indicators (BIs) consisting of an ∼3-log
10
inoculum of
M. tuberculosis
on stainless steel discs and a 6-log
10
inoculum of
Geobacillus stearothermophilus
were exposed to HPV in BSC time course experiments and at 10 locations during room experiments. In three separate BSC experiments,
M. tuberculosis
BIs were transferred to growth media at 15-min intervals during a 180-min HPV exposure period. No
M. tuberculosis
BIs grew following 30 min of HPV exposure. In three separate room experiments,
M. tuberculosis
and
G. stearothermophilus
BIs were exposed to HPV for 90, 120, and 150 min, respectively. BIs for both microorganisms were deactivated in all 10 locations following 90 min of HPV exposure. HPV provides an alternative to traditional decontamination methods, such as formaldehyde fumigation, for laboratories and other areas contaminated with
M. tuberculosis
.
Evaluation of Dried Blood Spots for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Drug Resistance Testing
Authors: McNulty Amanda , Jennings Cheryl , Bennett Diane , Fitzgibbon Joseph , Bremer James W. , Ussery Michael , Kalish Marcia L. , Heneine Walid , García-Lerma J. Gerardo 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTDried blood spots (DBS) are simpler to prepare, store, and transport than plasma or serum and may represent a good alternative for drug resistance genotyping, particularly in resource-limited settings. However, the utility of DBS for drug resistance testing is unknown. We investigated the efficiency of amplification of large human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)polfragments (1,023 bp) from DBS stored at different temperatures, the type of amplified product(s) (RNA and/or DNA), and the similarity between plasma and DBS sequences. We evaluated two matched plasma/DBS panels stored for 5 to 6 years at several temperatures and 40 plasma/DBS specimens collected from untreated persons in Cameroon and stored for 2 to 3 years at −20°C. The amplification of HIV-1polwas done using an in-house reverse transcriptase-nested PCR assay. Reactions were done with and without reverse transcription to evaluate the contribution of HIV DNA topolsequences from DBS. Amplification was successful for the DBS samples stored for 5 to 6 years at −20°C or at −70°C but not for those stored at room temperature. Thirty-seven of the 40 (92.5%) DBS from Cameroon were amplifiable, including 8/11 (72.7%) with plasma virus loads of <10,000 RNA copies/ml and all 29 with plasma virus loads of >10,000. Proviral DNA contributed significantly to DBS sequences in 24 of the 37 (65%) specimens from Cameroon. The overall similarity between plasma and DBS sequences was 98.1%. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of DBS for drug resistance testing and indicate that −20°C is a suitable temperature for long-term storage of DBS. The amplification of proviral DNA from DBS highlights the need for a wider evaluation of the concordance of resistance genotypes between plasma and DBS.
Molecular Characterization of a New Variant of Rotavirus P[8]G9 Predominant in a Sentinel-Based Survey in Central Italy
Authors: Ansaldi Filippo , Pastorino Barbara , Valle Laura , Durando Paolo , Sticchi Laura , Tucci Pierluigi , Biasci Paolo , Lai Piero , Gasparini Roberto , Icardi Giancarlo ,   and the Paediatric Leghorn Group
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT
Rotavirus P[8]G9 was recognized as the most widespread genotype during a sentinel-based survey in Italy; phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 and VP4 genes showed that Italian isolates constituted a closely related genetic cluster distinct from the other G9 strains recently isolated in other European countries, America, and Asia.
Usefulness of PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Typing of the Coagulase Gene To Discriminate Arbekacin-Resistant Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Strains
Authors: Ishino Keiko , Tsuchizaki Naofumi , Ishikawa Jun , Hotta Kunimoto 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT

We compared the results of two typing methods for 678 strains of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
and methicillin-susceptible
S. aureus
. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism typing of the coagulase gene was a more reliable method than coagulase serotyping from the viewpoint of arbekacin resistance.
A Cautionary Tale: Lack of Consistency in Allele Sizes between Two Laboratories for a Published Multilocus Microsatellite Typing System
Authors: Pasqualotto Alessandro C. , Denning David W. , Anderson Michael J. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTFor species with low genetic diversity, typing using the differences in PCR fragment length resulting from variations in numbers of short tandem repeats has been shown to provide a high level of discrimination. This technique has been called multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) or multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis, and studies usually employ genetic or sequence analyzers to size PCR fragments to a high degree of precision. We set out to validate one such system that has been developed forAspergillus fumigatus(H. A. de Valk, J. F. G. M. Meis, I. M. Curfs, K. Muehlethaler, J. W. Mouton, and C. H. W. Klaassen, J. Clin. Microbiol. 43:4112-4120, 2005). The sizes of the alleles were compared both by sequencing and from two genotyping laboratories, where they used capillary electrophoresis (CE) for sizing. Size differences of up to 6 bases were found between the actual sizes reported by sequencing and the sizes reported by CE. In addition, because the two genotyping laboratories used different machines and running conditions, differences of up to 3 bases were identified between them. As the microsatellite markers used differ by repeat units of 3 or 4 bases, it was not possible to assign PCR fragments to the correct alleles without confirming the sizes of a range of alleles by direct sequencing. Lines of best fit were plotted for each CE machine against actual sizes and will therefore enable unsequenced PCR fragments to be assigned to the correct alleles. This study highlights the care required to ensure that an MLMT system undergoes a suitable correction procedure before data can be merged between different laboratories involved in the typing of individual species.
Evolutionary History and Global Spread of the Emerging G12 Human Rotaviruses
Authors: Rahman Mustafizur , Matthijnssens Jelle , Yang Xuelei , Delbeke Thomas , Arijs Ingrid , Taniguchi Koki , Iturriza-Gómara Miren , Iftekharuddin Nadia , Azim Tasnim , Van Ranst Marc 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT
G12
rotaviruses were first detected in diarrheic children in the
Philippines in 1987, but no further cases were reported until 1998.
However, G12 rotaviruses have been detected all over the world in
recent years. Here, we report the worldwide variations of G12
rotaviruses to investigate the evolutionary mechanisms by which they
managed to spread globally in a short period of time. We sequenced the
complete genomes (11 segments) of nine G12 rotaviruses isolated in
Bangladesh, Belgium, Thailand, and the Philippines and compared them
with the genomes of other rotavirus strains. Our genetic analyses
revealed that after introduction of the VP7 gene of the rare G12
genotype into more common local strains through reassortment, a vast
genetic diversity was generated and several new variants with distinct
gene constellations emerged. These reassortment events most likely took
place in Southeast Asian countries and spread to other parts of the
world. The acquirement of gene segments from human-adapted rotaviruses
might allow G12 to better propagate in humans and hence to develop into
an important emerging human
pathogen.
Preferential Infection of Dendritic Cells during Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection of Blood Leukocytes
Authors: Cameron Paul U. , Handley Amanda J. , Baylis Dean C. , Solomon Ajantha E. , Bernard Nicholas , Purcell Damian F. J. , Lewin Sharon R. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission by the parenteral route is similar to mucosal transmission in the predominance of virus using the CCR5 coreceptor (R5 virus), but it is unclear whether blood dendritic cells (DCs), monocytes, or T cells are the cells initially infected. We used ex vivo HIV-1 infection of sorted blood mononuclear cells to model the in vivo infection of blood leukocytes. Using quantitative real-time PCR to detect full-length HIV-1 DNA, both sorted CD11c+myeloid and CD11c−plasmacytoid DCs were more frequently infected than other blood mononuclear cells, including CD16+or CD14+monocytes or resting CD4+T cells. There was a strong correlation between CCR5 coreceptor use and preferential DC infection across a range of HIV-1 isolates. After infection of unsorted blood mononuclear cells, HIV-1 was initially detected in the CD11c+DCs and later in other leukocytes, including clustering DCs and activated T cells. DC infection with R5 virus was productive, as shown by efficient transmission to CD4+T cells in coculture. Blood DCs infected with HIV-1 in vitro and cultured alone expressed only low levels of multiply spliced HIV-1 RNA unless cocultured with CD4+T cells. Early selective infection of immature blood DCs by R5 virus and upregulation of viral expression during DC-T-cell interaction and transmission provide a potential pathway for R5 selection following parenteral transmission.
Clade-Specific Differences between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Clades B and C: Diversity and Correlations in C3-V4 Regions of gp120
Authors: Gnanakaran S. , Lang Dorothy , Daniels Marcus , Bhattacharya Tanmoy , Derdeyn Cynthia A. , Korber Bette 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT
Current knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein structure and function is based on studies of clade B viruses. We present evidence of sequence and structural differences in viral glycoprotein gp120 between clades B and C. In clade C, the C3 region α2-helix exhibits high sequence entropy at the polar face but maintains its amphipathicity, whereas in clade B it accommodates hydrophobic residues. The V4 hypervariable domain in clade C is shorter than that in clade B. Generally, shorter V4 loops are incompatible with a glycine occurring in the α2-helix in clade C, an intriguing association that could be exploited to inform Env immunogen design.