bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Emergence of Macrolide Resistance Gene
mph
(B) in
Streptococcus uberis
and Cooperative Effects with
rdmC
-Like Gene
Authors: Achard Adeline , Guérin-Faublée Véronique , Pichereau Vianney , Villers Corinne , Leclercq Roland 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus uberis
UCN60 was resistant to spiramycin (MIC = 8 μg/ml) but susceptible to erythromycin (MIC = 0.06 μg/ml), azithromycin (MIC = 0.12 μg/ml), josamycin (MIC = 0.25 μg/ml), and tylosin (MIC = 0.5 μg/ml). A 2.5-kb HindIII fragment was cloned from
S. uberis
UCN60 DNA on plasmid pUC18 and introduced into
Escherichia coli
AG100A, where it conferred resistance to spiramycin by inactivation. The sequence analysis of the fragment showed the presence of an
rdmC
-like gene that putatively encoded a protein belonging to the alpha/beta hydrolase family and of the first 196 nucleotides of the
mph
(B) gene putatively encoding a phosphotransferase known to inactivate 14-, 15-, and 16-membered macrolides in
E. coli
. The entire
mph
(B) gene was then identified in
S. uberis
UCN60. The two genes were expressed alone or in combination in
E. coli
,
Staphylococcus aureus
, and
Enterococcus faecalis
. Analysis of MICs revealed that
rdmC
-like alone did not confer resistance to erythromycin, tylosin, and josamycin in those three hosts. It conferred resistance to spiramycin in
E. coli
and
E. faecalis
but not in
S. aureus. mph
(B) conferred resistance in
E. coli
to erythromycin, tylosin, josamycin, and spiramycin but only low levels of resistance in
E. faecalis
and
S. aureus
to spiramycin (MIC = 8 μg/ml). The combination of
mph
(B) and
rdmC
-like genes resulted in a resistance to spiramycin and tylosin in the three hosts that significantly exceeded the mere addition of the resistance levels conferred by each resistance mechanism alone.
Pharmacodynamics of Minocycline against
Staphylococcus aureus
in an In Vitro Pharmacokinetic Model
Authors: Bowker Karen E. , Noel Alan R. , MacGowan Alasdair P. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

Free drug serum concentrations of minocycline associated with the doses given to humans (100 mg every 12 hours for 24 hours) were simulated in an in vitro hollow-fiber pharmacokinetic model. Four strains of methicillin (meticillin)-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA), United Kingdom EMRSA 15 and 16 plus a pair of blood culture isolates before and after long-term minocycline treatment, were employed. The minocycline MICs for these four strains were 0.04 mg/liter, 0.19 mg/liter, 0.06 mg/liter, and 0.75 mg/liter. The antibacterial effect (ABE) of minocycline was measured using the area under the bacterial kill curve to 24 h (AUBKC) and the log change in viable count at 24 h (d24). The ABEs of minocycline with and without the addition of rifampin (rifampicin) were compared to those of vancomycin, and dose escalation and fractionation were used to determine the dominant pharmacodynamic index and its size. Minocycline alone produced a 1.5- to 2.0-log
10
-unit reduction in viable count for the strains with MICs of <0.2 mg/liter, while the addition of rifampin increased the ABE for these strains (
P
< 0.05). Vancomycin simulations produced a reduction in viable counts of 2.8 to 4.5 log units at 24 h, which was equivalent to the minocycline-plus-rifampin combination. Free area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)/MIC was best related to AUBKC or d24 using a sigmoid maximal effect (Emax) model with
r
2
of 0.92 and 0.87, respectively, and the AUC/MIC ratios for no change and −1-log-unit, −2-log-unit, and −3-log-unit drop at 24 h were 33.9, 75.9, 1,350, and >2,000, respectively. Fractionation of the dose at free AUC/MICs associated with human doses showed no difference between once, twice, or three times a day dosing. In contrast, fractionation of the dose at a free AUC associated with a static effect indicated that once daily dosing was superior. These data show that minocycline is an AUC/MIC-driven agent at human exposures and that the addition of rifampin may offer benefit in terms of MRSA killing.
Plasmid-Mediated
qnrB2
and Carbapenemase Gene
bla
KPC-2
Carried on the Same Plasmid in Carbapenem-Resistant Ciprofloxacin-Susceptible
Enterobacter cloacae
Isolates
Authors: Chmelnitsky Inna , Navon-Venezia Shiri , Strahilevitz Jacob , Carmeli Yehuda 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACT

Fourteen out of 16 carbapenem-resistant quinolone-susceptible
Enterobacter cloacae
isolates were found to carry
qnrB2
and
bla
KPC-2
genes encoded on the same plasmid. One isolate also carried the
aac(6
′)-
Ib-cr
gene. Coexistence of quinolone resistance determinants and
bla
KPC-2
on the same plasmid in quinolone-susceptible
E. cloacae
isolates may have important clinical implications.
Oral Vaccination of Guinea Pigs with aMycobacterium bovisBacillus Calmette-Guérin Vaccine in a Lipid Matrix Protects against Aerosol Infection with VirulentM. bovis
Authors: Clark Simon , Cross Martin L. , Nadian Allan , Vipond Julia , Court Pinar , Williams Ann , Hewinson R. Glyn , Aldwell Frank E. , Chambers Mark A. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTIncreased incidence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in the United Kingdom caused by infection withMycobacterium bovisis a cause of considerable economic loss to farmers and the government. The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) represents a wildlife source of recurrentM. bovisinfections of cattle in the United Kingdom, and its vaccination against TB withM. bovisbacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an attractive disease control option. Delivery of BCG in oral bait holds the best prospect for vaccinating badgers over a wide geographical area. Using a guinea pig pulmonary challenge model, we evaluated the protective efficacy of candidate badger oral vaccines, based on broth-grown or ball-milled BCG, delivered either as aqueous suspensions or formulated in two lipids with differing fatty acid profiles (one being animal derived and the other being vegetable derived). Protection was determined in terms of increasing body weight after aerosol challenge with virulentM. bovis, reduced dissemination ofM. bovisto the spleen, and, in the case of one oral formulation, restricted growth ofM. bovisin the lungs. Only oral BCG formulated in lipid gave significant protection. These data point to the potential of the BCG-lipid formulation for further development as a tool for controlling tuberculosis in badgers.
Personality disorders and nonfatal unintentional injuries among US adults
Authors: Chen G , Sinclair S , Smith G A , Kelleher K , Pajer K A , Gardner W , Xiang H 
Published: June 2008

Objective:To investigate the association between personality disorders and nonfatal unintentional injuries in a representative sample of US adults.Methods:Data on self-reported nonfatal unintentional injuries during the 12 months before the interview were obtained from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) were analyzed; 43 093 adults ⩾18 years participated in the NESARC wave I survey in 2001–02. Personality disorders were determined using the NIAAA Alcohol Use Disorders and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-DSM-IV.Results:Individuals with at least one personality disorder had a significantly higher 12-month incidence of injuries than people without any personality disorder (p<0.001). After accounting for sociodemographic characteristics or other mental disorders, OR was 1.54 (95% CI 1.39 to 1.71) for individuals with one personality disorder and 1.80 (95% CI 1.58 to 2.05) for individuals with two or more personality disorders compared with people with no personality disorder.Conclusion:Personality disorders were associated with a significantly increased risk of unintentional injuries. This information has important implications for the treatment of patients with these disorders.
Traffic and the risk of vehicle-related pedestrian injury: a decision analytic support tool
Authors: Chalabi Z , Roberts I , Edwards P , Dowie J 
Published: June 2008

Background:Pedestrian injuries are a leading cause of death and disability. Transport policy decisions have a major impact on the risk of pedestrian injury, but the effects cannot usually be quantified in controlled studies. However, mathematical modeling can help to establish the injury consequences of transport policy decisions.Methods:A stochastic mathematical model was developed to estimate the effect of alternative transport scenarios on pedestrian injury risk. The model is based on a mechanistic description of pedestrian injury causation and comprises four sub-models: vehicle dynamics, pedestrian dynamics, collision incidence, and injury severity.Results:The model was used to estimate the yearly pedestrian injury rate for a baseline scenario, corresponding to current traffic conditions in London, UK, and three alternative scenarios, comprising reductions in vehicle speed, traffic volume, and vehicle mass. The model simulated a baseline injury rate of 88 per 100 000. Compared with baseline, a 15% reduction in mean speed resulted in a 21% reduction in injury rate and a 75% reduction in fatality rate. A 15% reduction in traffic volume resulted in a 14% reduction in injury rate and a 25% reduction in fatality rate. Reducing vehicle mass by 15% did not reduce the number of injuries, but a 25% reduction resulted in less severe injuries.Conclusions:The model simulated well the rates and severity of pedestrian injury corresponding to the baseline scenario and made predictions for different transport policy scenarios. However, it is offered primarily as a generic decision support tool for the assessment of alternative policies by transport authorities.
Restraining orders among victims of intimate partner homicide
Authors: Vittes K A , Sorenson S B 
Published: June 2008

Background:Most intimate partner homicides (IPHs) follow a long history of violence and occur while the victim is ending the relationship. Restraining orders are a common legal recourse by which to seek protection from an abusive partner. This study expands on prior research by examining the restraining order history of IPH victims by characteristics of the victim, assailant, and homicide.Methods:State-wide databases containing information about restraining orders and homicides were linked, and bivariate and multivariate statistics were then calculated to identify differences between IPH victims who had and had not been issued a restraining order.Results:About 11% of 231 women killed by male intimates had been issued a restraining order. About one-fifth of the female IPH victims who had a restraining order were killed within 2 days of the order being issued; about one-third were killed within a month. Nearly half of those with a restraining order had been protected by multiple orders. Victims killed in a shared residence (versus elsewhere) had lower odds of having a restraining order, whereas victims from rural (versus urban) counties, married (versus dating) victims, and Latino (versus non-Latino) victim–offender dyads had higher odds of having a restraining order. The type of weapon used was not associated with whether the victim had been under the protection of a restraining order.Conclusions:Most female IPH victims did not have a restraining order when they were killed. Further research is needed to determine whether restraining orders protect against IPH and, if they do, on how to increase their utilization.
Between Science and Religion: An Astrological Interpretation of the Asian Tsunami in India
Authors: Yongjia Liang 
Published: June 2008

AbstractAstrology plays an important role in Indian social life. Indian astrologers' claim to have accurately predicted the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, or the Asian Tsunami, was an effort to legitimize astrology as a full science. This effort demonstrates a difficulty in knowledge categorization, for in India, astrology is neither classified as a science nor as a religion. This is a result of the idea of an Indian nation-state, which rests upon both science and religion as foundations, but at the expense of expelling astrology from religion for not being scientific. However, as astrology continues to be important in India, the astrological interpretation of the Indian Ocean Tsunami drew substantial public attention. Astrology's significant presence in Indian society shows the role of a mature civil society in India as well.
Global Rise of Suicide Terrorism: An Overview
Authors: Hassan Riaz 
Published: June 2008

AbstractSuicide attacks are the targeted use of self-destructing humans against a perceived enemy for political ends. After reviewing terrorism and suicide terrorism trends between 1980 and 2003 the paper shows that suicide attacks have increased dramatically between 2004 and 2005 and have become a global phenomenon. Three main sites of suicide terrorism namely, Iraq, Israel and Sri Lanka are examined in some detail including information about the main terrorist groups responsible for sponsoring suicide attacks and some profiles of individuals involved. The paper then examines the main sociological explanations of suicide attacks, including a description of the strategic logic behind these atrocities, and the notion of life being a weapon. It concludes with an overview of the recommendations emerging from studies that seek to prevent suicide terrorism.
The Role of Government in Technology Transfer to SME Clusters in Indonesia: Micro-level Evidence from the Metalworking Industry Cluster in Tegal (Central Java)
Authors: Tambunan Tulus 
Published: June 2008

AbstractIt is evident everywhere that levels of productivity are higher in large enterprises (LEs) and foreign-owned enterprises than in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), partly because they have higher levels of technology capacity. Thus increasing the productivity of SMEs might be facilitated through improved knowledge or technology. The literature on the development of SME clusters in developing countries argues that clusters are an effective means for technology transfer to SMEs and that government can play as the main source of technology transfer to the clusters, especially in regions where production linkages between LEs and SMEs are not yet well developed. This study indeed shows that in Indonesia government agencies are currently the largest providers of training and similar assistance. However, these programmes are marred by a low level of coverage, lack of effective evaluation and assessment, and a supply rather than demand orientation. The case study of the Tegal metalworking industry also shows that the most important channels for the transfer of technology to SME clusters are not only government agencies but also sub-contracting arrangements with LEs.
Theorising the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child within Canadian Post-Secondary Education: A Grounded Theory Approach
Authors: Mitchell Richard , McCusker Shawna 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe following exploratory study was conducted in 2005 within Canadian post-secondary institutions for those intending to gain employment within public education for children and related professions. Data are comprised from thirteen interviews and draw upon students and educators from education, child health, and child and youth studies programmes. The researchers adopted a qualitative, grounded theory methodology to analyze documentary themes and those that emerged during theoretical sampling. Although there is variance of opinion, the majority confirm there is a limited theoretical appreciation of the Convention, and of concepts related to 'childhood' with a resultant lack of knowledge within post-secondary education. Interview findings were corroborated by policy analyses and data from non-governmental surveys, the Concluding Observations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and a contemporaneous parliamentary review undertaken by Canada's Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. A number of implications stemming from the ongoing violation of international human rights law in Canada are discussed as well as directions for future research.
New Zealand Children and Young People's Perspectives on Citizenship
Authors: Smith Anne , Gollop Megan , Taylor Nicola 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe perspectives of 66 children and young people (aged 8/9 and 14/15 years) on their understanding of citizenship issues were obtained through focus group discussions in New Zealand schools. The children reported on their rights and responsibilities in the everyday contexts of home, school and community. An imaginary country exercise was also utilized to compare children's responses with their current lives in New Zealand. Children generally conceived of the new land as safer, happier and healthier, with greater freedoms and respect than they currently enjoyed.
"It's Like Mental Torture": Participation and Mental Health Services
Authors: LeFrançois Brenda 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThis article discusses findings from an ethnographic research study looking at the ways in which children's participation rights are incorporated within an adolescent mental health inpatient unit. The practitioners working within this setting have reinterpreted the concept of 'participation' to suit a coercive agenda associated with the authoritarian medical model of treatment used within child psychiatry. Indeed, the use of the term 'participation' has become a tool to enforce children's compliance with adult (and practitioner) determined treatment plans. For the most part, the barriers to according children's participation rights within this setting relate to the institution's and practitioners' protectionist stance vis-à-vis children who are deemed informally to be both vulnerable and incompetent.
'Me and the 5 P's': Negotiating Rights-Based Critical Disabilities Studies and Social Inclusion
Authors: Moore Shannon , Davis John , Melchior Luke 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThis paper presents an integration of insights from critical disabilities studies, child rights and social exclusion in theory and practice and is conceptualized from two keynote presentations given by Dr. John Davis and Mr. Luke Melchior at Investment and Citizenship Towards a Transdisciplinary Dialogue in Child Rights, at Brock University Canada. In addition, the lived experience of disability is at the centre of this discussion rather than being the object of inquiry, providing a nuanced experiential perspective. The aim of this collaboration is to emphasise that young peoples' rights from the perspective of critical disabilities studies may be informed by an analysis of power relations and the five principles of protection, prevention, provision, participation, and perception (5 P's).
An Assessment of Errors in the Simulation of Atmospheric Interannual Variability in Uncoupled AGCM Simulations
Authors: Kumar Arun , Zhang Qin , Schemm J-K. E. , L’Heureux Michelle , Seo K-H. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
For the uncoupled atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) simulations, the quantification of errors due to the lack of coupled ocean–atmospheric evolution on the characteristics of the atmospheric interannual variability is important for various reasons including the following: 1) AGCM simulations forced with specified SSTs continue to be used for understanding atmospheric interannual variability and 2) there is a vast knowledge base quantifying the global atmospheric influence of tropical SSTs that traditionally has relied on the analysis of AGCM-alone simulations. To put such results and analysis in a proper context, it is essential to document errors that may result from the lack of a coupled ocean–atmosphere evolution in the AGCM-alone integrations.
Analysis is based on comparison of tier-two (or uncoupled) and coupled hindcasts for the 1982–2005 period, and interannual variability for the December–February (DJF) seasonal mean is analyzed. Results indicate that for the seasonal mean variability, and for the DJF seasonal mean, atmospheric interannual variability between coupled and uncoupled simulations is similar. This conclusion is drawn from the analysis of interannual variability of rainfall and 200-mb heights and includes analysis of SST-forced interannual variability, analysis of El Niño and La Niña composites, and a comparison of hindcast skill between tier-two and coupled hindcasts.
Response of Regional Sea Level to Atmospheric Pressure Loading in a Climate Change Scenario
Authors: Stammer Detlef , Hüttemann Sören 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
The regional response of the global ocean to low-frequency changes in atmospheric pressure loading, ηib, is analyzed as it occurs in the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) coupled ocean–atmosphere climate model in response to increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Results suggest that long-term changes in ηib can lead to increases in high-latitude sea level by up to 5 and 10 cm, respectively, after doubling and quadrupling the atmospheric CO2 content. At low latitudes, sea level will decrease simultaneously between 2 and 4 cm through the combined effects of changes in the atmospheric circulation and through the increase of its moisture content. In subpolar regions, associated rates of sea level increase are of the order of 0.4–0.6 mm yr−1 for quadrupled atmospheric CO2 concentrations, while in mid- and low latitudes, sea level will decrease at a rate of 0.2 mm yr−1. Differences between doubling and quadrupling CO2 concentrations indicate regionally dependent nonlinearities in the changing climate system. The analysis suggests that in some regions (including the coasts of northern Europe) low-frequency ηib changes could be as large as 10%–20% of a global sea level increase anticipated over the next 100 yr. While not being a dominant effect, amplitudes of long-period ηib changes are large enough to be included in future estimates of climate-related regional sea level change. Increasing the vertically integrated atmospheric CO2 content by 4 and 12 kg m−2 (on global average), in response to doubling and quadrupling atmospheric CO2 concentrations, suggests associated reductions of global sea level by 0.6 and 1.7 cm, respectively. The differences between two different model solutions are significant, especially in the Southern Ocean, where they show significantly different atmospheric mass and pressure distributions, and at low latitudes, where differences resemble the contribution of increased moisture content added to the inverted-barometer (IB) effect in the MPI-M solution.
North American Droughts in ERA-40 Global and NCEP North American Regional Reanalyses: A Palmer Drought Severity Index Perspective
Authors: Karnauskas Kristopher B. , Ruiz-Barradas Alfredo , Nigam Sumant , Busalacchi Antonio J. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
The Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) monitors meteorological and surface hydrological parameters to represent the severity of drought conditions. PDSI datasets are developed for the NCEP North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) and the 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-40) to facilitate North American drought research with these datasets. The drought index calculation, in particular, allows diagnostic assessment of the relative contributions of various surface water balance terms in generation of drought conditions by selectively holding these terms to their climatological value in PDSI computations. The length of the diagnosed PDSI permits analysis of subdecadal time-scale variability, such as ENSO, whose influence on North American drought evolution is investigated. ENSO’s considerable drought impact is potentially predictable, especially in the southern half of the United States.