bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Competition between microcystin‐ and non‐microcystin‐producing Planktothrix agardhii (cyanobacteria) strains under different environmental conditions
Authors: Briand Enora , Yéprémian Claude , Humbert Jean‐François , Quiblier Catherine 
Published: August 2008

SummaryThe factors that control the production of microcystins (hepatotoxins) during cyanobacterial blooms, and the function of these metabolites remain largely unknown. In an attempt to provide answers to these questions, we compared the fitness of microcystin (MC)‐producing and non‐MC‐producing Planktothrix agardhii strains under various experimental conditions. More specifically, we investigated the effects of temperature, light intensity and nitrate concentrations on several MC‐producing and non‐MC‐producing strains in monoculture and competition experiments. In the monoculture experiments, no significant difference in cell growth rates was found for any of the environmental conditions tested. On the other hand, at the end of the competition experiments, we found that when the environmental conditions limited cell growth, MC‐producing strains were clearly winning out over the non‐MC‐producing ones. This suggested that, under growth‐limiting conditions, the benefits of producing MC outweigh the cost. Moreover, the reverse was found under non‐growth‐limiting conditions, suggesting that under environmental conditions that favour cyanobacterial growth, the cost of MC production must outweigh its benefits. These findings suggest that environmental factors may have an indirect effect on the MC production rate, and on the selection of MC‐producing and non‐MC‐producing strains, via their direct impact on both the cell growth rate and the cell densities in the cultures. Several hypotheses have been advanced concerning the possible function of MCs, but none of them seems to be supported by our data.
Dual citizenship or dual identity? Does ‘transnationalism’ supplant ‘nationalism’ among returning Trinidadians?
Authors: CONWAY DENNIS , POTTER ROBERT B. , ST BERNARD GODFREY 
Published: August 2008

AbstractIn this article we focus on the dual identities of relatively young Trinidadians who have decided to return to the island of their birth, or of their parents, while still in their thirties and forties. Highly‐educated professional transnational migrants mostly make up our sample of 36; 26 possess dual citizenship. We focus on our informants’ narratives about their transnational experiences, self‐appraisals of their dual identities and how they value dual citizenship. More generally, we ask, does transnationalism supplant nationalism among our returning informants? Unsurprisingly, the diverse responses we document do not support the commonly held explanatory relationship between return adaptations, ‘national belonging’ and the expected dominance of ‘transnational belonging’. Family relations intervene significantly, both to encourage transnationalism and to strengthen nationalism. Feelings of national belonging often accompany transnationalism. Notably, we view dual citizenship strategically and pragmatically as advantageous to the continuation of transnational practices.
But are they Meritorious? Genetic Productivity Gains under Plant Intellectual Property Rights
Authors: Kolady Deepthi Elizabeth , Lesser William 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of Plant Variety Protection (PVP) on the productive merit/yield increases of US seed varieties. As an example, we use wheat varieties, which are and have been available as both protected and unprotected under PVP from both the public and private sectors. We find evidence that PVP has contributed to the genetic improvement of wheat, using varietal trial data from Washington State. As the private open‐pollinated varieties exist only because of PVP and are higher yielding, these results indicate a clear public benefit from PVP.
The O‐Ring Universal Impression Technique
Authors: Hussaini Souheil 
Published: August 2008

AbstractRecording the implant position for master cast fabrication for multiple implant systems may require a large inventory of impression copings. A technique is described whereby implant impression‐making procedures can be modified to be more universal to all implant systems. This makes the procedure more cost‐effective by simply incorporating the use of a rubber O‐ring on the abutment or fixture mount, which then eliminates the use of a transfer coping. This technique can be applied at the time of surgery for indexing as well as during the final impression appointment.
Pacemaker Therapy for Early and Late Sinus Node Dysfunction in Orthotopic Heart Transplant Recipients: A Single‐Center Experience
Authors: LUEBBERT JEFFREY J. , LEE FORRESTER A. , ROSENFELD LYNDA E. 
Published: August 2008

Background:

Sinus node dysfunction (SND) is a well‐known early complication of orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). Its incidence over the lifetime of transplant recipients is less well characterized. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence and timing of SND treated with a permanent pacemaker in a large cohort of OHT recipients.
Methods:

The databases of the Yale University Heart Transplant and Electrophysiology Services were reviewed and cross referenced. Patients who received pacemakers for SND were identified for analysis. A total of 241 patients underwent OHT using biatrial anastamoses from 1984 to 2006. Two hundred sixteen patients, 149 men and 55 women, mean age 50.2 ± 11.6 years, survived > 5 days post‐OHT. These, minus 12 lost to follow‐up, were included in the analysis.
Results:

These 204 patients were followed in the Yale Heart Transplant Clinic and had yearly electrocardiograms and 24‐hour ambulatory monitoring. Of these patients, 24 (four female, 20 male, mean age at transplant 49 ± 12 years) were felt to have clinically significant SND and received a pacemaker. Fourteen patients received pacemakers within 30 days of OHT; 10 patients received pacemakers 45 to 4,329 days after OHT.
Conclusions:

Although frequently seen as an early complication of OHT, SND remains a risk throughout the lifetime of OHT recipients. Its mechanism is likely multifactorial, and whether this risk can be mitigated over the long term by newer techniques such as bicaval anastamoses remains to be established.
Protracted CRP Elevation after Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
Authors: McCABE JAMES M. , SMITH LISA M. , TSENG ZIAN H. , BADHWAR NITISH , LEE BYRON K. , LEE RANDALL J. , SCHEINMAN MELVIN M. , OLGIN JEFFREY E. , MARCUS GREGORY M. 
Published: August 2008

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been linked to an inflammatory process detected through various biomarkers, including C‐Reactive Protein (CRP). Early recurrence of AF within the first 3 months after curative AF ablation is not felt to reflect success or failure of the procedure. We hypothesized that this early recurrence is due to an inflammatory response to the ablation itself. We therefore sought to evaluate levels of CRP after AF ablation.
Methods: We prospectively enrolled subjects undergoing AF ablation. A control group of patients undergoing ablation for supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) was also enrolled. Each patient had CRP drawn on the day of the procedure (prior to ablation) and during their first follow‐up (median 49 days, interquartile range [IQR] 37–93) and second follow‐up (median 147 days, IQR 141–257) clinic visits. Patient interviews were performed and medical histories reviewed for evidence of recurrent AF prior to the first follow‐up.
Results: CRP levels significantly increased from baseline to first follow‐up in the AF ablation group (P = 0.0017). CRP did not significantly change after SVT ablation (P = 0.92). Seventeen (45%) of the AF subjects exhibited recurrence of AF prior to first follow‐up. After adjusting for multiple potential confounders, AF ablation patients with recurrent AF prior to their first follow‐up had a statistically significant greater odds of having an increase in CRP (OR 21, 95% CI 1.1–417, P = 0.045).
Conclusions: AF ablation generates an inflammatory response that persists for several weeks. This inflammation may explain early recurrence of AF after curative ablation.
Health‐Related Quality of Life in Brazilian Pacemaker Patients
Authors: OLIVEIRA BRUNA G. , VELASQUEZ‐MELENDEZ GUSTAVO , RINCÓN LEONOR G. , CICONELLI ROZANA M. , SOUSA LIDIANE A. , RIBEIRO ANTONIO L. 
Published: August 2008

Background:

Most quality of life (QoL) studies of pacemaker patients have been conducted in either North America or Europe and their applicability to Latin American populations is largely unknown. Our aim is to study health‐related QoL indices in Brazilian pacemaker patients and their determinants using both a generic (SF‐36) and a disease‐specific questionnaire (AQUAREL).
Methods:

The study enrolled 139 clinically stable patients (aged 59 ± 14, 60.4% female) without any communication or cognitive impairments who went to the Pacemaker Laboratory for postimplantation follow‐up. All patients were submitted to a standard protocol, which included an interview, functional class assessment, and QoL questionnaires. Additionally, 74 patients were requested to perform a 6‐minute walk test.
Results:

Female patients and patients without a partner displayed low QoL scores in both the SF‐36 mental component summary and the AQUAREL arrhythmia domain. Chagas disease patients displayed low scores only in AQUAREL domains. All health‐related QoL scores were low in patients with the worst, high‐numbered functional classes, the strongest determinant of low QoL scores in multivariate analysis.
Conclusion:

In this first systematic study of QoL in a Latin American pacemaker population, AQUAREL detected well‐impaired health‐related QoL scores in different groups of patients, particularly in those with Chagas disease. Heart failure, evaluated by functional class, was the strongest predictor of low QoL in pacemaker patients.
What works for whom in a computer‐mediated communication intervention in community psychiatry? Moderators of outcome in a cluster randomized trial
Authors: Hansson L. , Svensson B. , Björkman T. , Bullenkamp J. , Lauber C. , Martinez‐Leal R. , McCabe R. , Rössler W. , Salize H. , Torres‐Gonzales F. , Van Den Brink R. , Wiersma D. , Priebe S. 
Published: August 2008

Objective:  An intervention to structure patient–key worker communication has been tested in a randomized controlled trial. The aim of this paper was to investigate effectiveness of the intervention in terms of moderators of effectiveness.Method:  A total of 507 patients with schizophrenia were included. Moderators of effectiveness were investigated using two‐way anovas.Results:  Patients with a better relationship with their key worker and a shorter duration of illness at baseline benefited more from the intervention in terms of quality of life. Patients who received the intervention who were in competitive employment or had a shorter duration of illness showed greater reduction of unmet needs. Older patients receiving the intervention had better treatment satisfaction.Conclusion:  Outcome of the intervention was moderated by patient characteristics. Moreover, the moderating characteristics varied depending on the specific outcome. Evidence on moderators is very limited, even though, they are significant for understanding, targeting and implementing complex interventions.
Primary CD8+T-Cell Response to Soluble Ovalbumin Is Improved by Chloroquine Treatment In Vivo
Authors: Garulli Bruno , Stillitano Maria G. , Barnaba Vincenzo , Castrucci Maria R. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTThe efficiency of cross-presentation of exogenous antigens by dendritic cells (DCs) would seem to be related to the level of antigen escape from massive degradation mediated by lysosomal proteases in an acidic environment. Here, we demonstrate that a short course of treatment with chloroquine in mice during primary immunization with soluble antigens improved the cross-priming of naïve CD8+T lymphocytes in vivo. More specifically, priming of chloroquine-treated mice with soluble ovalbumin (OVA), OVA associated with alum, or OVA pulsed on DCs was more effective in inducing OVA-specific CD8+T lymphocytes than was priming of untreated mice. We conclude that chloroquine treatment improves the cross-presentation capacity of DCs and thus the size of effector and memory CD8+T cells during vaccination.
Rapid and Inexpensive Detection of Multidrug-Resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
with the Nitrate Reductase Assay Using Liquid Medium and Direct Application to Sputum Samples
Authors: Affolabi Dissou , Odoun Mathieu , Sanoussi N'Dira , Martin Anandi , Palomino Juan Carlos , Kestens Luc , Anagonou Séverin , Portaels Françoise 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

For rapid and low-cost detection of multidrug-resistant (MDR)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, we applied the nitrate reductase assay (NRA) using a liquid medium directly to sputum samples. A total of 179 sputum samples were analyzed by the NRA, and results were compared to those obtained by the indirect proportion method (IPM) as a standard reference. Out of 144 specimens for which comparable results were available, only one discrepant result was obtained: MDR by NRA but susceptible by the IPM. In total 56% of the results were obtained in 10 days by the NRA. NRA performed in liquid medium is rapid and inexpensive and can be easily implemented in low-income countries.
Capnocytophaga cynodegmi
in a Rottweiler Dog with Severe Bronchitis and Foreign-Body Pneumonia
Authors: Workman Heather C. , Bailiff Nathan L. , Jang Spencer S. , Zinkl Joe G. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Capnocytophaga cynodegmi
is a zoonotic, gram-negative, capnophilic bacterium that is usually seen in people with infections associated with dog or cat bites. The first reported case of
C
.
cynodegmi
infection in a dog is described here.
Proportions of
Mycobacterium massiliense
and
Mycobacterium bolletii
Strains among Korean
Mycobacterium chelonae-Mycobacterium abscessus
Group Isolates
Authors: Kim Hee-Youn , Kook Yoonwon , Yun Yeo-Jun , Park Chan Geun , Lee Nam Yong , Shim Tae Sun , Kim Bum-Joon , Kook Yoon-Hoh 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Korean isolates of the
Mycobacterium chelonae
-
Mycobacterium abscessus
group, which had been isolated from two different hospitals in South Korea, were identified by PCR restriction analysis (PRA) and comparative sequence analysis of 16S rRNA genes,
rpoB
, and
hsp65
to evaluate the proportion of four closely related species (
M. chelonae
,
M. abscessus
,
M. massiliense
, and
M. bolletii
). Of the 144 rapidly growing mycobacterial strains tested, 127 strains (88.2%) belonged to the
M. chelonae
-
M. abscessus
group. In this group,
M. chelonae
,
M. abscessus
,
M. massiliense
, and
M. bolletii
accounted for 0.8% (
n
= 1), 51.2% (
n
= 65), 46.5% (
n
= 59), and 1.6% (
n
= 2), respectively. Two isolates which showed discordant results,
M. massiliense
by
rpoB
sequence analysis and
M. abscessus
by
hsp65
sequence analysis, were finally identified as
M. massiliense
based on the additional analysis of
sodA
and the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer.
M. abscessus
group I isolates previously identified by
hsp65
PRA were all found to be
M. abscessus
, whereas group II isolates were further identified as
M. massiliense
or
M. bolletii
by sequencing of
rpoB
and
hsp65
. Smooth, rough, or mixed colonies of both
M. abscessus
and
M. massiliense
isolates were observed.
M. massiliense
strains that were highly resistant to clarithromycin had a point mutation at the adenine at position 2058 (A
2058
) or 2059 (A
2059
) in the peptidyltransferase region of the 23S rRNA gene.
Analysis of the 16S–23S rRNA Gene Internal Transcribed Spacer Region in
Klebsiella
Species
Authors: Wang Min , Cao Boyang , Yu Qunfang , Liu Lei , Gao Qili , Wang Lei , Feng Lu 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

The 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of
Klebsiella
spp., including
Klebsiella pneumoniae
subsp.
pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae
subsp.
ozaenae, Klebsiella pneumoniae
subsp.
rhinoscleromatis, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella planticola, Klebsiella terrigena
, and
Klebsiella ornithinolytica
, were characterized, and the feasibility of using ITS sequences to discriminate
Klebsiella
species and subspecies was explored. A total of 336 ITS sequences from 21 representative strains and 11 clinical isolates of
Klebsiella
were sequenced and analyzed. Three distinct ITS types—ITS
none
(without tRNA genes), ITS
glu
[with a tRNA
Glu (UUC)
gene], and ITS
ile+ala
[with tRNA
Ile (GAU)
and tRNA
Ala (UGC)
genes]—were detected in all species except for
K. pneumoniae
subsp.
rhinoscleromatis
, which has only ITS
glu
and ITS
ile+ala
. The presence of ITS
none
in
Enterobacteriaceae
had never been reported before. Both the length and the sequence of each ITS type are highly conserved within the species, with identity levels from 0.961 to 1.000 for ITS
none
, from 0.967 to 1.000 for ITS
glu
, and from 0.968 to 1.000 for ITS
ile+ala
. Interspecies sequence identities range from 0.775 to 0.989 for ITS
none
, from 0.798 to 0.997 for ITS
glu
, and from 0.712 to 0.985 for ITS
ile+ala
. Regions with significant interspecies variations but low intraspecies polymorphisms were identified; these may be targeted in the design of probes for the identification of
Klebsiella
to the species level. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS regions reveals the relationships among
Klebsiella
species similarly to that based on 16S rRNA genes.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus, but Not Bovine Enterovirus, Targets the Host Cell Cytoskeleton via the Nonstructural Protein 3C
pro
Authors: Armer Hannah , Moffat Katy , Wileman Thomas , Belsham Graham J. , Jackson Terry , Duprex W. Paul , Ryan Martin , Monaghan Paul 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a member of the
Picornaviridae
, is a pathogen of cloven-hoofed animals and causes a disease of major economic importance. Picornavirus-infected cells show changes in cell morphology and rearrangement of cytoplasmic membranes, which are a consequence of virus replication. We show here, by confocal immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, that the changes in morphology of FMDV-infected cells involve changes in the distribution of microtubule and intermediate filament components during infection. Despite the continued presence of centrosomes in infected cells, there is a loss of tethering of microtubules to the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) region. Loss of labeling for γ-tubulin, but not pericentrin, from the MTOC suggests a targeting of γ-tubulin (or associated proteins) rather than a total breakdown in MTOC structure. The identity of the FMDV protein(s) responsible was determined by the expression of individual viral nonstructural proteins and their precursors in uninfected cells. We report that the only viral nonstructural protein able to reproduce the loss of γ-tubulin from the MTOC and the loss of integrity of the microtubule system is FMDV 3C
pro
. In contrast, infection of cells with another picornavirus, bovine enterovirus, did not affect γ-tubulin distribution, and the microtubule network remained relatively unaffected.
Bluetongue Virus Outer Capsid Protein VP5 Interacts with Membrane Lipid Rafts via a SNARE Domain
Authors: Bhattacharya Bishnupriya , Roy Polly 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a nonenveloped double-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family
Reoviridae
. The two outer capsid proteins, VP2 and VP5, are responsible for virus entry. However, little is known about the roles of these two proteins, particularly VP5, in virus trafficking and assembly. In this study, we used density gradient fractionation and methyl beta cyclodextrin, a cholesterol-sequestering drug, to demonstrate not only that VP5 copurifies with lipid raft domains in both transfected and infected cells, but also that raft domain integrity is required for BTV assembly. Previously, we showed that BTV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) interacts with VP2 and also with cellular exocytosis and ESCRT pathway proteins, indicating its involvement in virus egress (A. R. Beaton, J. Rodriguez, Y. K. Reddy, and P. Roy,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
99:13154-13159, 2002; C. Wirblich, B. Bhattacharya, and P. Roy
J. Virol
.
80
:460-473, 2006). Here, we show by pull-down and confocal analysis that NS3 also interacts with VP5. Further, a conserved membrane-docking domain similar to the motif in synaptotagmin, a protein belonging to the SNARE (soluble
N
-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion attachment protein receptor) family was identified in the VP5 sequence. By site-directed mutagenesis, followed by flotation and confocal analyses, we demonstrated that raft association of VP5 depends on this domain. Together, these results indicate that VP5 possesses an autonomous signal for its membrane targeting and that the interaction of VP5 with membrane-associated NS3 might play an important role in virus assembly.
In Vitro and In Vivo Properties of Adenovirus Vectors with Increased Affinity to CD46
Authors: Wang Hongjie , Liu Ying , Li ZongYi , Tuve Sebastian , Stone Daniel , Kalyushniy Oleksandr , Shayakhmetov Dmitry , Verlinde Christophe L. M. , Stehle Thilo , McVey John , Baker Andrew , Peng Kah-Whye , Roffler Steve , Lieber André 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Gene transfer vectors containing adenovirus (Ad) serotype 35 (Ad35) fibers have shown promise for cancer and stem cell gene therapy. In this study, we attempted to improve the in vitro and in vivo infection properties of these vectors by increasing their affinity to the Ad35 fiber receptor CD46. We constructed Ad vectors containing either the wild-type Ad35 fiber knob (Ad5/35) or Ad35 knob mutants with 4-fold- and 60-fold-higher affinity to CD46 (Ad5/35+ and Ad5/35++, respectively). In in vitro studies with cell lines, the higher affinities of Ad5/35+ and Ad5/35++ to CD46 did not translate into correspondingly higher transduction efficiencies, regardless of the CD46 receptor density present on cells. However, in vivo, in a mouse model with preestablished CD46
high
liver metastases, intravenous injection of Ad5/35++ resulted in more-efficient tumor cell transduction. We conclude that Ad5/35 vectors with increased affinity to CD46 have an advantage in competing with non-CD46-mediated sequestration of vector particles after intravenous injection.
The Reverse Transcriptase of the Tf1 Retrotransposon Has a Specific Novel Activity for Generating the RNA Self-Primer That Is Functional in cDNA Synthesis
Authors: Hizi Amnon 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

The Tf1 retrotransposon of
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
represents a group of eukaryotic long terminal repeat (LTR) retroelements that, based on their sequences, were predicted to use an RNA self-primer for initiating reverse transcription while synthesizing the negative-sense DNA strand. This feature is substantially different from the one typical to retroviruses and other LTR retrotransposons that all exhibit a tRNA-dependent priming mechanism. Genetic studies have suggested that the self-primer of Tf1 can be generated by a cleavage between the 11th and 12th bases of the Tf1 RNA transcript. The in vitro data presented here show that recombinant Tf1 reverse transcriptase indeed introduces a nick at the end of a duplexed region at the 5′ end of Tf1 genomic RNA, substantiating the prediction that this enzyme is responsible for generating this RNA self-primer. The 3′ end of the primer, generated in this manner, can then be extended upon the addition of deoxynucleoside triphosphates by the DNA polymerase activity of the same enzyme, synthesizing the negative-sense DNA strand. This functional primer must have been generated by the RNase H activity of Tf1 reverse transcriptase, since a mutant enzyme lacking this activity has lost its ability to generate the self-primer. It was also found here that the reverse transcriptases of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and of murine leukemia virus do not exhibit this specific cleavage activity. In all, it is likely that the observed unique mechanism of self-priming in Tf1 represents an early advantageous form of initiating reverse transcription in LTR retroelements without involving cellular tRNAs.