bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Differences in perceptions of functional foods: UK public vs. nutritionists
Authors: McConnon A. , Fletcher P. L. , Cade J. E. , Greenwood D. C. , Pearman A. D. 
Published: February 2004

SummaryAs concepts in nutrition move towards emphasising the use of foods to promote better health and to help reduce the risk of disease, a new generation of functional food products has emerged. Nutritionists play a key role in educating the public on matters regarding diet and health. Therefore, they need to understand consumers’ attitudes to ensure their work is effective. This study aims to explore consumers’ and nutritionists’ perceptions of this relatively new area of nutrition using a psychometric questionnaire, adapted from Fife‐Schaw and Rowe (1996), to quantify attitudes towards five types of functional foods. The questionnaire was administered to 331 members of the British public (40% response rate) and a random sample of 199 members of the Nutrition Society (58% response rate). Perceptions held by the two groups were compared. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was carried out to highlight underlying components revealed by the questionnaire. The most extreme differences in responses were evident on three issues: the ability to tell if functional foods were about to be consumed; who should take responsibility for informing consumers about the health effects; and understanding of functional foods. Nutritionists believed they had a greater understanding of functional foods and found it easier to tell if the foods they ate contained a functional component. Consumers had a stronger belief that it is the food manufacturers’ responsibility to provide information about functional foods. Using PCA to identify components of importance to each group confirmed differences in perceptions. For the consumer group worry and benefit were the most prominent components. For nutritionists, components relating to control and responsibility were most apparent. As consumers are more willing to look to food manufacturers than the government for information regarding these new foods, the importance of appropriate food labelling and legislation on health claims is of increasing importance. The differences in perceptions will be of interest to the different stakeholders involved in the provision of information to consumers, and should be used to ensure that appropriate messages and channels of communication are used in the development of this new branch of nutritional science.
The metabolic syndrome
Authors: P. Anne, Nugent 
Published: February 2004

SummaryThe metabolic syndrome has been described as a ‘clustering’ of several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, namely obesity (particularly abdominal obesity), dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance and hypertension. Globally, the incidence of this syndrome is rising at an alarming rate. Treatments involve pharmacological therapies and diet and lifestyle changes. In order to reduce the incidence of this disease, and to minimise costs to health services, increasing emphasis must be placed on prevention, and on the education of health professionals and the public regarding the importance of diet and exercise in preventing this disease. Research is urgently required to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this syndrome, to evaluate prognostic biomarkers identifying this disease and to isolate and evaluate potential therapeutic agents. The OB‐AGE and LIPGENE projects are European Union funded research projects which aim to enhance our understanding of this syndrome (at a whole body, cellular and molecular level) and to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary fatty acids in preventing/ameliorating this disease.
The impact of shared practice learning on the quality of assessment carried out by social work and district nurse students
Authors: Torkington Claire , Lymbery Mark , Millward Andy , Murfin Maureen , Richell Barbara 
Published: February 2004

AbstractIt is evident from many recent government publications that health and social care agencies need to reduce the ‘gap’ between the various organizational and professional structures that exist. In the context of primary health and social care services, it has been suggested that this ‘gap’ exists at three levels – financial, organizational and professional. This article reports the findings from the Shared Practice Learning Project, which sought to reduce the ‘gap’ between social workers and district nurses by providing a shared practice learning experience for students undertaking their professional training in both disciplines. It identifies the key areas of learning that were generated by the project, focusing particularly on the commonalties and differences in assessment processes. It is suggested that the skills and orientation of social workers and district nurses are complementary and that there is much to be gained from more structured opportunities for students from both disciplines to share practice learning experiences.
The recognition of and response to dementia in the community: lessons for professional development
Authors: Iliffe Steve , Manthorpe Jill 
Published: February 2004

AbstractAdult learning approaches require professionals to identify their learning needs. Learning about dementia syndromes is a complex task because of the insidious onset and variable course of the disease processes, the inexorability of cognitive and functional loss, and the emotional impact of neurodegenerative disorders on those experiencing them and on their family and professional carers. This report describes the ways in which learning tasks were understood and articulated by 774 community‐based professionals from different disciplines, working in nominal groups in 24 settings across the United Kingdom, and explores how these groups set about identifying their learning needs. These groups focused on being insufficiently skilled to carry out educational functions, on solving problems of limited resources and inflexible systems, and on carers rather than on people with dementia. The groups’ solution hinged on multidisciplinary learning being the best route to achieving system change, but such an approach to learning was dealt with uncritically. Three themes received scant attention: the impact of practitioners’ own emotional responses to dementia on their clinical or practical skills; the educational potential of voluntary organizations; and the value of learning from the person with dementia, as much as from their carers. Professional development should therefore widen the debate about recognition of dementia to improvement of timely responses. It should concentrate on developing capacities not only around diagnosis, but also around communication and support.
Biochemical and Proteomic Analysis of the Magnetosome Membrane in
Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense
Authors: Grünberg Karen , Müller Eva-Christina , Otto Albrecht , Reszka Regina , Linder Dietmar , Kube Michael , Reinhardt Richard , Schüler Dirk 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

We analyzed the biochemical composition of the magnetosome membrane (MM) in
Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense
. Isolated magnetosomes were associated with phospholipids and fatty acids which were similar to phospholipids and fatty acids from other subcellular compartments (i.e., outer and cytoplasmic membranes) but were present in different proportions. The binding characteristics of MM-associated proteins were studied by selective solubilization and limited proteolysis. The MM-associated proteins were further analyzed by various proteomic approaches, including one- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by Edman and mass spectrometric (electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry) sequencing, as well as capillary liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry of total tryptic digests of the MM. At least 18 proteins were found to constitute the magnetosome subproteome, and most of these proteins are novel for
M. gryphiswaldense
. Except for MM22 and Mms16, all bona fide MM proteins (MMPs) were encoded by open reading frames in the
mamAB
,
mamDC
, and
mms6
clusters in the previously identified putative magnetosome island. Eight of the MMPs display homology to known families, and some of them occur in the MM in multiple homologues. Ten of the MMPs have no known homologues in nonmagnetic organisms and thus represent novel, magnetotactic bacterium-specific protein families. Several MMPs display repetitive or highly acidic sequence patterns, which are known from other biomineralizing systems and thus may have relevance for magnetite formation.
Spatial Variation in Frequency and Intensity of Antibiotic Interactions among Streptomycetes from Prairie Soil
Authors: Davelos Anita L. , Kinkel Linda L. , Samac Deborah A. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

Antibiotic interactions are believed to be significant to microbial fitness in soil, yet little is known of the frequency, intensity, and diversity of antibiotic inhibition and resistance among indigenous microbes. To begin to address these issues, we studied the abilities of streptomycete isolates from prairie soil to inhibit growth and display resistance to antibiotics produced by a test collection of 10 streptomycete isolates. Wide variations in antibiotic inhibition and resistance for prairie isolates among three locations and four soil depths within a 1-m
2
plot were revealed. Fewer than 10% of 153 prairie isolates inhibited all 10 test isolates, while more than 40% of the isolates did not inhibit any of the test isolates. No field isolate was resistant to all of the test isolates, nor was any isolate susceptible to all of the test isolates. No correlation between inhibition and resistance phenotypes was found, suggesting that inhibition and resistance are under independent selection. The significant spatial variation in the frequency and intensity of antibiotic inhibition implies that the fitness benefits of antibiotic production are not the same among locations in soil. In contrast, the consistency of resistance over space indicates that its significance to fitness across locations is stable or the costs of maintaining resistance in the absence of selection are small or nonexistent. The spatial clustering of antibiotic inhibitory activity suggests a variable matrix of selection pressures and microbial responses across the soil landscape.
Fluorescent Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis of
Bacillus anthracis
,
Bacillus cereus
, and
Bacillus thuringiensis
Isolates
Authors: Hill Karen K. , Ticknor Lawrence O. , Okinaka Richard T. , Asay Michelle , Blair Heather , Bliss Katherine A. , Laker Mariam , Pardington Paige E. , Richardson Amber P. , Tonks Melinda , Beecher Douglas J. , Kemp John D. , Kolstø Anne-Brit , Wong Amy C. Lee , Keim Paul , Jackson Paul J. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

DNA from over 300
Bacillus thuringiensis
,
Bacillus cereus
, and
Bacillus anthracis
isolates was analyzed by fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP).
B. thuringiensis
and
B. cereus
isolates were from diverse sources and locations, including soil, clinical isolates and food products causing diarrheal and emetic outbreaks, and type strains from the American Type Culture Collection, and over 200
B. thuringiensis
isolates representing 36 serovars or subspecies were from the U.S. Department of Agriculture collection. Twenty-four diverse
B. anthracis
isolates were also included. Phylogenetic analysis of AFLP data revealed extensive diversity within
B. thuringiensis
and
B. cereus
compared to the monomorphic nature of
B. anthracis
. All of the
B. anthracis
strains were more closely related to each other than to any other
Bacillus
isolate, while
B. cereus
and
B. thuringiensis
strains populated the entire tree. Ten distinct branches were defined, with many branches containing both
B. cereus
and
B. thuringiensis
isolates. A single branch contained all the
B. anthracis
isolates plus an unusual
B. thuringiensis
isolate that is pathogenic in mice. In contrast,
B. thuringiensis
subsp.
kurstaki
(ATCC 33679) and other isolates used to prepare insecticides mapped distal to the
B. anthracis
isolates. The interspersion of
B. cereus
and
B. thuringiensis
isolates within the phylogenetic tree suggests that phenotypic traits used to distinguish between these two species do not reflect the genomic content of the different isolates and that horizontal gene transfer plays an important role in establishing the phenotype of each of these microbes.
B. thuringiensis
isolates of a particular subspecies tended to cluster together.
Sourdough Bread Made from Wheat and Nontoxic Flours and Started with Selected Lactobacilli Is Tolerated in Celiac Sprue Patients
Authors: Di Cagno Raffaella , De Angelis Maria , Auricchio Salvatore , Greco Luigi , Clarke Charmaine , De Vincenzi Massimo , Giovannini Claudio , D'Archivio Massimo , Landolfo Francesca , Parrilli Giampaolo , Minervini Fabio , Arendt Elke , Gobbetti Marco 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT
This work was aimed at producing a sourdough bread that is tolerated by celiac sprue (CS) patients. Selected sourdough lactobacilli had specialized peptidases capable of hydrolyzing Pro-rich peptides, including the 33-mer peptide, the most potent inducer of gut-derived human T-cell lines in CS patients. This epitope, the most important in CS, was hydrolyzed completely after treatment with cells and their cytoplasmic extracts (CE). A sourdough made from a mixture of wheat (30%) and nontoxic oat, millet, and buckwheat flours was started with lactobacilli. After 24 h of fermentation, wheat gliadins and low-molecular-mass, alcohol-soluble polypeptides were hydrolyzed almost totally. Proteins were extracted from sourdough and used to produce a peptic-tryptic digest for in vitro agglutination tests on K 562(S) subclone cells of human origin. The minimal agglutinating activity was ca. 250 times higher than that of doughs chemically acidified or started with baker's yeast. Two types of bread, containing ca. 2 g of gluten, were produced with baker's yeast or lactobacilli and CE and used for an in vivo double-blind acute challenge of CS patients. Thirteen of the 17 patients showed a marked alteration of intestinal permeability after ingestion of baker's yeast bread. When fed the sourdough bread, the same 13 patients had values for excreted rhamnose and lactulose that did not differ significantly from the baseline values. The other 4 of the 17 CS patients did not respond to gluten after ingesting the baker's yeast or sourdough bread. These results showed that a bread biotechnology that uses selected lactobacilli, nontoxic flours, and a long fermentation time is a novel tool for decreasing the level of gluten intolerance in humans.
Inactivation of
Escherichia coli
by Photochemical Reaction of Ferrioxalate at Slightly Acidic and Near-Neutral pHs
Authors: Cho Min , Lee Yunho , Chung Hyenmi , Yoon Jeyong 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

Fenton chemistry, which is known to play an effective role in degrading toxic chemicals, is difficult to apply to disinfection in water treatment, since its reaction is effective only at the acidic pH of 3. The presence of oxalate ions and UV-visible light, which is known as a photoferrioxalate system, allows the Fe(III) to be dissolved at slightly acidic and near-neutral pHs and maintains the catalytic reaction of iron. This study indicates that the main oxidizing species in the photoferrioxalate system responsible for microorganism inactivation is OH radical.
Escherichia coli
was used as an indicator microorganism. The
CT
value (OH radical concentration × contact time; used to indicate the effect of the combination of the concentration of the disinfectant and the contact time on inactivation) for a 2-log inactivation of
E. coli
was approximately 1.5 × 10
−5
mg/liter/min, which is approximately 2,700 times lower than that of ozone as estimated by the delayed Chick-Watson model. Since the light emitted by the black light blue lamp is similar to sunlight in the specific wavelength range of 300 to 420 nm, the photoferrioxalate system, which can have a dual function, treating water for both organic pollutants and microorganisms simultaneously, shows promise for the treatment of water or wastewater in remote or rural sites. However, the photoferrioxalate disinfection system is slower in inactivating microorganisms than conventional disinfectants are.
Dispersion and Transport ofCryptosporidiumOocysts from Fecal Pats under Simulated Rainfall Events
Authors: Davies Cheryl M. , Ferguson Christobel M. , Kaucner Christine , Krogh Martin , Altavilla Nanda , Deere Daniel A. , Ashbolt Nicholas J. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTThe dispersion and initial transport ofCryptosporidiumoocysts from fecal pats were investigated during artificial rainfall events on intact soil blocks (1,500 by 900 by 300 mm). Rainfall events of 55 mm h−1for 30 min and 25 mm h−1for 180 min were applied to soil plots with artificial fecal pats seeded with approximately 107oocysts. The soil plots were divided in two, with one side devoid of vegetation and the other left with natural vegetation cover. Each combination of event intensity and duration, vegetation status, and degree of slope (5° and 10°) was evaluated twice. Generally, a fivefold increase (P< 0.05) in runoff volume was generated on bare soil compared to vegetated soil, and significantly more infiltration, although highly variable, occurred through the vegetated soil blocks (P< 0.05). Runoff volume, event conditions (intensity and duration), vegetation status, degree of slope, and their interactions significantly affected the load of oocysts in the runoff. Surface runoff transported from 100.2oocysts from vegetated loam soil (25-mm h−1, 180-min event on 10° slope) to up to 104.5oocysts from unvegetated soil (55-mm h−1, 30-min event on 10° slope) over a 1-m distance. Surface soil samples downhill of the fecal pat contained significantly higher concentrations of oocysts on devegetated blocks than on vegetated blocks. Based on these results, there is a need to account for surface soil vegetation coverage as well as slope and rainfall runoff in future assessments ofCryptosporidiumtransport and when managing pathogen loads from stock grazing near streams within drinking water watersheds.
Integron Diversity in Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Mine Tailings and Inferences about Integron Evolution
Authors: Nemergut D. R. , Martin A. P. , Schmidt S. K. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTIntegrons are horizontal gene transfer (HGT) systems containing elements necessary for site-specific recombination and expression of foreign DNA. The overall phylogenetic distribution of integrons and range of genes that can be transferred by integrons are unknown. This report contains an exploration of integrons in an environmental microbial community and an investigation of integron evolution. First, using culture-independent techniques, we explored the diversity of integrons and integron-transferred genes in heavy-metal-contaminated mine tailings. Using degenerate primers, we amplified integron integrase genes from the tailings. We discovered 14 previously undescribed integrase genes, including six novel gene lineages. In addition, we found 11 novel gene cassettes in this sample. One of the gene cassettes that we sequenced is similar to a gene that codes for a step in a pathway for nitroaromatic catabolism, a group of compounds associated with mining activity. This suggests that integrons may be important for gene transfer in response to selective pressures other than the presence of antibiotics. We also investigated the evolution of integrons by statistically comparing the phylogenies of 16S rRNA and integrase genes from the same organisms, using sequences from GenBank and various sequencing projects. We found significant differences between the organismal (16S rRNA) and integrase trees, and we suggest that these differences may be due to HGT.
Colonization and Immunomodulation by
Lactobacillus reuteri
ATCC 55730 in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract
Authors: Valeur Nana , Engel Peter , Carbajal Noris , Connolly Eamonn , Ladefoged Karin 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACT

Lactobacillus reuteri
ATCC 55730 is a probiotic (health-promoting) bacterium widely used as a dietary supplement. This study was designed to examine local colonization of the human gastrointestinal mucosa after dietary supplementation with
L. reuteri
ATCC 55730 and to determine subsequent immune responses at the colonized sites. In this open clinical investigation, 10 healthy volunteers and 9 volunteers with ileostomy underwent gastroscopy or ileoscopy and biopsy samples were taken from the stomach, duodenum, or ileum before and after supplementation with 4 × 10
8
CFU of live
L. reuteri
ATCC 55730 lactobacilli per day for 28 days. Biopsy specimen colonization was analyzed using fluorescence in situ hybridization with a molecular beacon probe, and immune cell populations were determined by immunostaining. Endogenous
L. reuteri
was detected in the stomach of 1 subject and the duodenum of 3 subjects (out of 10 subjects). After
L. reuteri
ATCC 55730 supplementation, the stomachs of 8 and the duodenums of all 10 subjects were colonized. Three ileostomy subjects (of six tested) had endogenous
L. reuteri
at baseline, while all six displayed colonization after
L. reuteri
supplementation. Gastric mucosal histiocyte numbers were reduced and duodenal B-lymphocyte numbers were increased by
L. reuteri
ATCC 55730 administration. Furthermore,
L. reuteri
administration induced a significantly higher amount of CD4-positive T-lymphocytes in the ileal epithelium. Dietary supplementation with the probiotic
L. reuteri
ATCC 55730 induces significant colonization of the stomach, duodenum, and ileum of healthy humans, and this is associated with significant alterations of the immune response in the gastrointestinal mucosa. These responses may be key components of a mechanism by which
L. reuteri
ATCC 55730 exerts its well-documented probiotic effects in humans.