bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Time‐resolved investigation of the ν1 ro‐vibrational Raman band of H2CO with fs‐CARS
Authors: Walser A. M. , Beaud P. , Radi P. P. , Tulej M. , Gerber T. , Knopp G. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe technique of femtosecond time‐resolved coherent anti‐Stokes scattering (fs‐CARS) is used to investigate the strongly perturbed ν1 ro‐vibrational Raman band of formaldehyde (H2CO). The time‐dependent signal is simulated using a ‘Watson‐’Hamiltonian in A‐type reduction and Raman theory for asymmetric rotors. The results are compared with the experimental data. The fs‐CARS method measures the evolution of the polarization in a molecular ensemble via superposition of many states and is sensitive to spectral irregularities or line shifts of the involved transitions. ‘Coriolis’ interactions play a major role in the analysis of the ν1 band of formaldehyde. We successfully simulate the fs‐CARS transient signal from the ν1 band of formaldehyde including a model for multiple ‘Coriolis’ interactions, without the necessity of describing the complete interaction between all the vibrational levels. ‘Coriolis’ coupling coefficients and energy shifts are derived from the experiment by a least‐square fit. The results are discussed and compared to literature values. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Loss of essential oil of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) due to drying
Authors: Arabhosseini Akbar , Padhye Sudhakar , van Beek Teris A , van Boxtel Anton JB , Huisman Willem , Posthumus Maarten A , Müller Joachim 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe effect of hot air‐drying on the essential oil constituents and yield in French and Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) leaves was studied. The tarragon leaves were dried at air temperatures ranging from 40 to 90 °C. The drying stopped when the moisture content of the samples reached 10% or for some of the treatments reached 7, 20 and 30%. The essential oil of the fresh and dried leaves was isolated by hydrodistillation and analysed by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The decrease of oil during the drying process was highest at 60 °C drying temperature. For French tarragon the decrease in the amount of oil was significantly lower at 90 °C. The effect of the relative humidity of the drying air at each temperature was not significant. The main compounds were estragole in French tarragon (69%) and sabinene in Russian tarragon (40%). The drying process changed the relative percentage of the constituents in the oil; for instance, the relative percentages of estragole decreased and sabinene increased in French tarragon. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Between Decentralized Planning and Neo‐liberalism: Challenges for the Survival of the Indigenous People of Kerala, India
Authors: Kjosavik Darley Jose , Shanmugaratnam Nadarajah 
Published: October 2006

Abstract This paper examines the experiences of decentralization under successive political regimes in Kerala in the context of neo‐liberal policies, with reference to the impact on the lives of adivasi (indigenous) communities. The Communist Party‐led government had been implementing a home‐grown programme of decentralized planning since 1996 until it lost power to the Congress Party‐led conservative coalition in 2001. In the context of the accelerated structural adjustment and liberalization of the national government, the new government amended its predecessor's programme with a reduced role for the state bureaucratic and political actors in mobilizing people for planning and implementing projects at the local level. Based on a comparative analysis, the authors argue that the new programme has so far not been successful as regards enabling marginalized groups such as the indigenous communities to resist exclusion and move out of their states of deprivation. The study also shows that the withdrawal of the state from the social and economic sectors has adversely affected these groups.
Effects of within‐patch characteristics on the vulnerability of a plant to herbivory
Authors: Miller Alison M. , McArthur Clare , Smethurst Philip J. 
Published: October 2006

Consumption of a focal plant by herbivores depends, not only on the physical and chemical characteristics of that plant, but also on the characteristics of the neighbouring vegetation. Consumption of focal plants has been related to their own characteristics and to the quality of the neighbouring vegetation, but the two have not been combined to examine the relative importance of focal plant and neighbouring vegetation characteristics.We conducted a series of feeding trials to examine the relative importance of focal plant and various characteristics of neighbouring vegetation to browsing of a focal plant within vegetation patches. We planted Eucalyptus nitens seedlings of high and low nutrient status amongst vegetation patches differing in palatability, abundance and height. Generalist mammalian herbivores, red‐bellied pademelons (Thylogale billardierii), were allowed to feed in each of these patches one at a time, and seedling consumption was recorded. Results were considered in light of the attractant‐decoy and apparency hypotheses, which focus on the outcome to plants, and in terms of foraging theory, which is process‐focussed.Seedling and vegetation characteristics were both important. Seedlings of high nutrient status were preferred over those of low nutrient status. The relative quality, abundance and height of neighbouring vegetation all influenced browsing of a focal plant. Seedlings were more vulnerable amongst vegetation that was of low palatability, of low abundance, or was short. Seedling and vegetation effects were additive in two of three trials.Results were consistent with both the attractant‐decoy and apparency hypotheses, and could be explained in terms of maximising foraging efficiency. They demonstrate the need to consider characteristics of both the focal plant and its neighbouring vegetation when predicting the vulnerability of the former to browsing by generalist herbivores.
Pheromone-Responsive Conjugative Vancomycin Resistance Plasmids in
Enterococcus faecalis
Isolates from Humans and Chicken Feces
Authors: Lim Suk-Kyung , Tanimoto Koichi , Tomita Haruyoshi , Ike Yasuyoshi 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

The drug resistances and plasmid contents of a total of 85 vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) strains that had been isolated in Korea were examined. Fifty-four of the strains originated from samples of chicken feces, and 31 were isolated from hospital patients in Korea.
Enterococcus faecalis
KV1 and KV2, which had been isolated from a patient and a sample of chicken feces, respectively, were found to carry the plasmids pSL1 and pSL2, respectively. The plasmids transferred resistances to vancomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, and erythromycin to
E. faecalis
strains at a high frequency of about 10
−3
per donor cell during 4 hours of broth mating.
E. faecalis
strains containing each of the pSL plasmids formed clumps after 2 hours of incubation in broth containing
E. faecalis
FA2-2 culture filtrate (i.e., the
E. faecalis
sex pheromone), and the plasmid subsequently transferred to the recipient strain in a 10-min short mating in broth, indicating that the plasmids are responsive to
E. faecalis
pheromones. The pSL plasmids did not respond to any of synthetic pheromones for the previously characterized plasmids. The pheromone specific for pSL plasmids has been designated cSL1. Southern hybridization analysis showed that specific FspI fragments from each of the pSL plasmids hybridized with the aggregation substance gene (
asa1
) of the pheromone-responsive plasmid pAD1, indicating that the plasmids had a gene homologous to
asa1
. The restriction maps of the plasmids were identical, and the size of the plasmids was estimated to be 128.1 kb. The plasmids carried five drug resistance determinants for
vanA
,
ermB
,
aph(3
′
)
,
aph(6
′
)
, and
aac(6
′
)
/
aph(2
′
)
, which encode resistance to vancomycin, erythromycin, kanamycin, streptomycin, and gentamicin/kanamycin, respectively. Nucleotide sequence analyses of the drug resistance determinants and their flanking regions are described in this report. The results described provide evidence for the exchange of genetic information between human and animal (chicken) VRE reservoirs and suggest the potential for horizontal transmission of multiple drug resistance, including vancomycin resistance, between farm animals and humans via a pheromone-responsive conjugative plasmid.
Differential Effects of Temperature and Starvation on Induction of the Viable-but-Nonculturable State in the Coral Pathogens
Vibrio shiloi
and
Vibrio tasmaniensis
Authors: Vattakaven Thomas , Bond Peter , Bradley Graham , Munn Colin B. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

We compared induction of the viable-but-nonculturable (VBNC) state in two
Vibrio
spp. isolated from diseased corals by starving the cells and maintaining them in artificial seawater at 4 and 20°C. In
Vibrio tasmaniensis
, isolated from a gorgonian octocoral growing in cool temperate water (7 to 17°C), the VBNC state was not induced by incubation at 4°C after 157 days. By contrast,
Vibrio shiloi
, isolated from a coral in warmer water (16 to 30°C), was induced into the VBNC state by incubation at 4°C after 126 days. This result is consistent with reports of low-temperature induction in several
Vibrio
spp. A large proportion of the
V. tasmaniensis
population became VBNC after incubation for 157 days at 20°C, and
V. shiloi
became VBNC after incubation for 126 days at 20°C. Resuscitation of
V. shiloi
cells from cultures at both temperatures was achieved by nutrient addition, suggesting that starvation plays a major role in inducing the VBNC state. Our results suggest that viable
V. shiloi
could successfully persist in the VBNC state in seawater for significant periods at the lower temperatures that may be experienced in winter conditions, which may have an effect on the seasonal incidence of coral bleaching. For both species, electron microscopy revealed that prolonged starvation resulted in transformation of the cells from rods to cocci, together with profuse blebbing, production of a polymer-like substance, and increased membrane roughness.
V. shiloi
cells developed an increased periplasmic space and membrane curling; these features were absent in
V. tasmaniensis
.
Analysis of the Collar-Whisker Structure of Temperate Lactococcal Bacteriophage TP901-1
Authors: Vegge Christina S. , Neve Horst , Brøndsted Lone , Heller Knut J. , Vogensen Finn K. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Proteins homologous to the protein NPS (
n
eck
p
assage
s
tructure) are widespread among lactococcal phages. We investigated the hypothesis that NPS is involved in the infection of phage TP901-1 by analysis of an NPS
−
mutant. NPS was determined to form a collar-whisker complex but was shown to be nonessential for infection, phage assembly, and stability.
Use of Flow Cytometry To Follow the Physiological States of Microorganisms in Cider Fermentation Processes
Authors: Herrero Mónica , Quirós Covadonga , García Luis A. , Díaz Mario 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT
The flow cytometry (FC) technique used with certain fluorescent dyes (ChemChrome V6 [CV6], DRAQ5, and PI) has proven useful to label and to detect different physiological states of yeast and malolactic bacterium starters conducting cider fermentation over time (by performing sequential inoculation of microorganisms). First, the technique was tested with pure cultures of both types of microorganisms grown in synthetic media under different induced stress conditions. Metabolically active cells detected by FC and by the standard plate-counting method for both types of microorganisms in fresh overnight pure cultures gave good correlations between the two techniques in samples taken at this stage. Otherwise, combining the results obtained by FC and plating during alcoholic and malolactic fermentation over time in the cider-making process, different subpopulations were detected, showing significant differences between the methods. A small number of studies have applied the FC technique to analyze fermentation processes and mixed cultures over time. The results were used to postulate equations explaining the different physiological states in cell populations taken from fresh, pure overnight cultures under nonstress conditions or cells subjected to stress conditions over time, either under a pure-culture fermentation process (in this work, corresponding to alcoholic fermentation) or under mixed-fermentation conditions (for the malolactic-fermentation phase), that could be useful to improve the control of the processes.
Photolyase Confers Resistance to UV Light but Does Not Contribute to the Symbiotic Benefit of Bioluminescence in
Vibrio fischeri
ES114
Authors: Walker Emma L. , Bose Jeffrey L. , Stabb Eric V. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Recent reports suggest that the selective advantage of bioluminescence for bacteria is mediated by light-dependent stimulation of photolyase to repair DNA lesions. Despite evidence for this model, photolyase mutants have not been characterized in a naturally bioluminescent bacterium, nor has this hypothesis been tested in bioluminescent bacteria under natural conditions. We have now characterized the photolyase encoded by
phr
in the bioluminescent bacterium
Vibrio fischeri
ES114. Consistent with Phr possessing photolyase activity,
phr
conferred light-dependent resistance to UV light. However, upon comparing ES114 to a
phr
mutant and a dark Δ
luxCDABEG
mutant, we found that bioluminescence did not detectably affect photolyase-mediated resistance to UV light. Addition of the light-stimulating autoinducer
N
-3-oxo-hexanoyl homoserine lactone appeared to increase UV resistance, but this was independent of photolyase or bioluminescence. Moreover, although bioluminescence confers an advantage for
V. fischeri
during colonization of its natural host,
Euprymna scolopes
, the
phr
mutant colonized this host to the same level as the wild type. Taken together, our results indicate that at least in
V. fischeri
strain ES114, the benefits of bioluminescence during symbiotic colonization are not mediated by photolyase, and although some UV resistance mechanism may be coregulated with bioluminescence, we found no evidence that light production benefits cells by stimulating photolyase in this strain.
Establishment of a Gene Expression System in
Ochrobactrum anthropi
Authors: Seleem Mohamed N. , Ali Mohammed , Boyle Stephen M. , Mukhopadhyay Biswarup , Witonsky Sharon G. , Schurig Gerhardt G. , Sriranganathan Nammalwar 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Genetic studies of
Ochrobactrum anthropi
are hindered by the lack of a suitable gene expression system. We constructed a set of vectors containing several promoters and a His tag fusion in the N terminus to facilitate protein detection and purification. The new vectors should significantly enhance the genetic manipulation and characterization of
O. anthropi
.
Biotransformation of
N
-Nitrosodimethylamine by
Pseudomonas mendocina
KR1
Authors: Fournier Diane , Hawari Jalal , Streger Sheryl H. , McClay Kevin , Hatzinger Paul B. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

N
-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potent carcinogen and an emerging contaminant in groundwater and drinking water. The metabolism of NDMA in mammalian cells has been widely studied, but little information is available concerning the microbial transformation of this compound. The objective of this study was to elucidate the pathway(s) of NDMA biotransformation by
Pseudomonas mendocina
KR1, a strain that possesses toluene-4-monooxygenase (T4MO).
P. mendocina
KR1 was observed to initially oxidize NDMA to
N
-nitrodimethylamine (NTDMA), a novel metabolite. The use of
18
O
2
and H
2
18
O revealed that the oxygen added to NDMA to produce NTDMA was derived from atmospheric O
2
. Experiments performed with a pseudomonad expressing cloned T4MO confirmed that T4MO catalyzes this initial reaction. The NTDMA produced by
P. mendocina
KR1 did not accumulate, but rather it was metabolized further to produce
N
-nitromethylamine (88 to 94% recovery) and a trace amount of formaldehyde (HCHO). Small quantities of methanol (CH
3
OH) were also detected when the strain was incubated with NDMA but not during incubation with either NTDMA or HCHO. The formation of methanol is hypothesized to occur via a second, minor pathway mediated by an initial α-hydroxylation of the nitrosamine. Strain KR1 did not grow on NDMA or mineralize significant quantities of the compound to carbon dioxide, suggesting that the degradation process is cometabolic.
Alteration of the Canine Small-Intestinal Lactic Acid Bacterium Microbiota by Feeding of Potential Probiotics
Authors: Manninen Titta J. K. , Rinkinen Minna L. , Beasley Shea S. , Saris Per E. J. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTFive potentially probiotic canine fecal lactic acid bacterium (LAB) strains,Lactobacillus fermentumLAB8,Lactobacillus salivariusLAB9,Weissella confusaLAB10,Lactobacillus rhamnosusLAB11, andLactobacillus mucosaeLAB12, were fed to five permanently fistulated beagles for 7 days. The survival of the strains and their potential effects on the indigenous intestinal LAB microbiota were monitored for 17 days. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) demonstrated that the five fed LAB strains survived in the upper gastrointestinal tract and modified the dominant preexisting indigenous jejunal LAB microbiota of the dogs. When the LAB supplementation was ceased, DGGE analysis of jejunal chyme showed that all the fed LAB strains were undetectable after 7 days. However, the diversity of the intestinal indigenous microbiota of the dogs, as characterized from jejunal chyme plated onLactobacillusselective medium without acetic acid, was reduced and did not return to the original level during the study period. In all but one dog, an indigenousLactobacillus acidophilusstrain emerged as the dominant LAB strain. In conclusion, strains LAB8 to LAB12 have potential as probiotic strains for dogs as they survive in and dominate the jejunal LAB microbiota during feeding and have the ability to modify the intestinal microbiota.
Comparison of PCR-Based Methods for Typing
Staphylococcus aureus
Isolates
Authors: Sabat Artur , Malachowa Natalia , Miedzobrodzki Jacek , Hryniewicz Waleria 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

In this study, we compared the potentials of (i) a multiplex PCR-based multilocus variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) assay; (ii) a triplex PCR coamplifying fragments of
spa
,
coa
, and the hypervariable region adjacent to the
mecA
gene; (iii) restriction profile analysis of the STAR repetitive element; (iv) randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis; (v) inter-IS
256
PCR; and (vi) rep-MP3 PCR. Multilocus VNTR typing and triplex PCR (
coa
,
spa
, and hypervariable region) approaches showed excellent reproducibility and high discriminatory power; however, only multilocus VNTR typing could distinguish all pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and
spa
types. Multilocus VNTR typing appears to be the most useful PCR-based method for the rapid genotyping of
Staphylococcus aureus
strains.
Multiplex PCR-Based Method for Identification of Common Clinical Serotypes ofSalmonella entericasubsp.enterica
Authors: Kim Seonghan , Frye Jonathan G. , Hu Jinxin , Fedorka-Cray Paula J. , Gautom Romesh , Boyle David S. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTA multiplex PCR method has been developed to differentiate between the most common clinical serotypes ofSalmonella entericasubsp.entericaencountered in Washington State and the United States in general. Six genetic loci fromS. entericaserovar Typhimurium and four fromS. entericaserovar Typhi were used to create an assay consisting of two five-plex PCRs. The assays gave reproducible results with 30 different serotypes that represent the most common clinical isolates ofS. entericasubsp.enterica. Of these, 22 serotypes gave unique amplification patterns compared with each other and the other 8 serotypes were grouped into four pairs. These were further resolved by two additional PCRs. We compared the data from PCR serotyping with conventional serotyping and found that PCR serotyping was nearly as discriminatory as conventional serotyping was. The results from a blind test screening 111 clinical isolates revealed that 97% were correctly identified using the multiplex PCR assay. The assay can be easily performed on multiple samples with final results in less than 5 h and, in conjunction with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, forms a very robust test method for the molecular subtyping ofSalmonella entericasubsp.enterica.
Longitudinal Analysis of Genotype Distribution of Influenza A Virus from 2003 to 2005
Authors: Mak Annie , Rahmanian Ronak , Lei Victor , Lawrence David , Krajden Mel , Brunham Robert C. , Skowronski Danuta , Li Yan , Booth Tim , Goh Swee Han , Petric Martin 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT
Influenza A viruses cause yearly epidemics, in part, due to their ability to overcome immunity from previous infections through acquisition of mutations. Amino acid sequences encoded by genes 4 (HA), 6 (NA), 7 (M), and 8 (NS) from 77 H3N2 influenza A isolates, collected between November 2003 and March 2005, were analyzed to determine the extent to which the viruses mutated within epidemic periods and between the epidemics. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences were stable throughout the epidemics but experienced substantial changes between epidemics. Major changes occurred in the HA gene in 5 to 7 amino acids and the NA gene in 11 to 13 amino acids and changes of 5 amino acids occurred in the M and NS genes. In the HA gene, changes occurred in sites known to be epitopes that determine the hemagglutination inhibition reactivity, and these were shown to be associated with a change of strain from A/Fujian/411/2002-like to A/California/7/2004-like viruses. Our findings indicate that genotype determination promises to be a rapid approach for detecting new strains of influenza A viruses in a population.
Gene transfer of soluble transforming growth factor type II receptor by in vivo electroporation attenuates lung injury and fibrosis
Authors: Yamada Mizuho , Kuwano Kazuyoshi , Maeyama Takashige , Yoshimi Michihiro , Hamada Naoki , Fukumoto Jutaro , Egashira Kensuke , Hiasa Kenichi , Takayama Koichi , Nakanishi Yoichi 
Published: October 2006

Background:Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has the potential to induce acute inflammation and apoptosis in lung epithelial cells and plays a central role in subsequent fibrosis.Aims:To examine a new anti-TGF-β1 therapy against lung injury and fibrosis, which comprises the transfection of soluble TGF type II receptor (sTGFRII) gene into skeletal muscles by in vivo electroporation.Methods:Soluble TGFRII was detectable between 1 and 14 days in the serum and significantly increased between 3 and 10 days after gene transfer into muscles. Based on these findings, the sTGFRII gene was injected at 3 days before or 4 days after the bleomycin instillation in order to examine the significance of TGF-β1 on the early inflammatory phase (day 0 to day 7) or the fibrotic phase (day 7 to day 14) in this model.Results:Transfection of sTGFRII gene at 3 days before or 4 days after bleomycin instillation significantly attenuated apoptosis, injury, and fibrosis at 7 or 14 days, respectively. This method does not require the use of viral vector or neutralising antibody, and it is therefore possible to avoid problems regarding the pathogenicity of the viral vector or immunocomplex.Conclusions:This novel anti-TGF-β1 strategy may have clinical application in the treatment of lung injury and fibrosis.