bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sequence and Expression Analysis of the
ompA
Gene of
Rickettsia peacockii
, an Endosymbiont of the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick,
Dermacentor andersoni
Authors: Baldridge Gerald D. , Burkhardt Nicole Y. , Simser Jason A. , Kurtti Timothy J. , Munderloh Ulrike G. 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

The transmission dynamics of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Montana appears to be regulated by
Rickettsia peacockii
, a tick symbiotic rickettsia that interferes with transmission of virulent
Rickettsia rickettsii
. To elucidate the molecular relationships between the two rickettsiae and glean information on how to possibly exploit this interference phenomenon, we studied a major rickettsial outer membrane protein gene,
ompA
, presumed to be involved in infection and pathogenesis of spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) but which is not expressed in the symbiont. Based on PCR amplification and DNA sequence analysis of the SFGR
ompA
gene, we demonstrate that
R. peacockii
is the most closely related of all known SFGR to
R. rickettsii
. We show that
R. peacockii
, originally described as East Side agent in
Dermacentor andersoni
ticks from the east side of the Bitterroot Valley in Montana, is still present in that tick population as well as in
D. andersoni
ticks collected at two widely separated locations in Colorado. The
ompA
genes of
R. peacockii
from these locations share three identical premature stop codons and a weakened ribosome binding site consensus sequence relative to
ompA
of
R. rickettsii
. The
R. peacockii ompA
promoter closely resembles that of
R. rickettsii
and is functional based on reverse transcription-PCR results. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting showed that OmpA translation products were not detected in cultured tick cells infected with
R. peacockii
. Double immunolabeling studies revealed actin tail structures in tick cells infected with
R. rickettsii
strain Hlp#2 but not in cells infected with
R. peacockii
.
Morphotypic Conversion inListeria monocytogenesBiofilm Formation: Biological Significance of Rough Colony Isolates
Authors: Monk Ian R. , Cook Gregory M. , Monk Brian C. , Bremer Philip J. 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACTAdherence to a stainless steel surface selected isolates ofListeria monocytogeneswith enhanced surface colonization abilities and a change in phenotype from the common smooth colony morphology to a succession of rough colony morphotypes. Growth in broth culture of the best-adapted, surface-colonizing rough colony morphotype gave a smooth colony revertant. Comparative analysis revealed that the smooth and rough variants had similar phenotypic and biochemical characteristics (e.g., identical growth rates and tolerances to antibiotics and environmental stressors). Rough colony isolates, however, failed to coordinate motility or induce autolysis. The defect in autolysis of rough colony isolates, which involved impaired cellular localization of several peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes, including cell wall hydrolase A (CwhA), suggested a link to a secretory pathway defect. The genetic basis for the impairment was studied at the level of the accessory secretory pathway component SecA2. DNA sequencing of thesecA2gene in smooth and rough colony isolates found no mutations in the coding or promoter regions. Analysis of SecA2 expression with an integratedsecA2-FLAG tag construct found the protein to be upregulated in the rough and revertant backgrounds compared to the parental smooth colony isolate. A compensatory mechanism involving the SecA2 secretion pathway components is postulated to control smooth to rough interconversion ofL. monocytogenes. Such phenotypic variation may enhance the ability of this opportunistic pathogen to colonize environments as diverse as processing surfaces, food products, and animal hosts.
Ultrastructural Alterations of
Erwinia carotovora
subsp.
atroseptica
Caused by Treatment with Aluminum Chloride and Sodium Metabisulfite
Authors: Yaganza Elian-Simplice , Rioux Danny , Simard Marie , Arul Joseph , Tweddell Russell J. 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

Aluminum and bisulfite salts inhibit the growth of several fungi and bacteria, and their application effectively controls potato soft rot caused by
Erwinia carotovora
. In an effort to understand their inhibitory action, ultrastructural changes in
Erwinia carotovora
subsp.
atroseptica
after exposure (0 to 20 min) to different concentrations (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 M) of these salts were examined by using transmission electron microscopy. Plasma membrane integrity was evaluated by using the SYTOX Green fluorochrome that penetrates only cells with altered membranes. Bacteria exposed to all aluminum chloride concentrations, especially 0.2 M, exhibited loosening of the cell walls, cell wall rupture, cytoplasmic aggregation, and an absence of extracellular vesicles. Sodium metabisulfite caused mainly a retraction of plasma membrane and cellular voids which were more pronounced with increasing concentration. Bacterial mortality was closely associated with SYTOX stain absorption when bacteria were exposed to either a high concentration (0.2 M) of aluminum chloride or prolonged exposure (20 min) to 0.05 M aluminum chloride or to a pH of 2.5. Bacteria exposed to lower concentrations of aluminum chloride (0.05 and 0.1 M) for 10 min or less, or to metabisulfite at all concentrations, did not exhibit significant stain absorption, suggesting that no membrane damage occurred or it was too weak to allow the penetration of the stain into the cell. While mortality caused by aluminum chloride involves membrane damage and subsequent cytoplasmic aggregation, sulfite exerts its effect intracellularly; it is transported across the membrane by free diffusion of molecular SO
2
with little damage to the cellular membrane.
New Vector for Efficient Allelic Replacement in Naturally Nontransformable, Low-GC-Content, Gram-Positive Bacteria
Authors: Arnaud Maryvonne , Chastanet Arnaud , Débarbouillé Michel 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

A shuttle vector designated pMAD was constructed for quickly generating gene inactivation mutants in naturally nontransformable gram-positive bacteria. This vector allows, on X-Gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-
d-
galactopyranoside) plates, a quick colorimetric blue-white discrimination of bacteria which have lost the plasmid, greatly facilitating clone identification during mutagenesis. The plasmid was used in
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Listeria monocytogenes
, and
Bacillus cereus
to efficiently construct mutants with or without an associated antibiotic resistance gene.
Acetate Threshold Concentrations Suggest Varying Energy Requirements during Anaerobic Respiration byAnaeromyxobacter dehalogenans
Authors: He Qiang , Sanford Robert A. 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACTAcetate threshold concentrations were determined under chlororespiring and Fe(III)-reducing conditions forAnaeromyxobacter dehalogenansstrain 2CP-C. The acetate threshold concentrations measured were 69 ± 4, 19 ± 8, and <1 nM for chlororespiration, amorphous Fe(III) reduction, and Fe(III) citrate reduction, respectively. Residual ΔGvalues of −75.4 kJ/mol of electrons for chlororespiration and −41.5 kJ/mol of electrons for amorphous Fe(III) reduction were calculated at the acetate threshold concentration. By comparing threshold concentrations for different metabolisms in a single organism, this study provides insight into the metabolic use of energy under different growth conditions.
QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF METAL ION CONCENTRATION OF PROTEINS SEPARATED BY ELECTROPHORESIS
Authors: WEBER G. , STRIVAY D. , MENENDEZ C. , SCHOEFS B. , BERTRAND M. 
Published: November 2004

This communication is devoted to nature determination and quantification by PIXE of metals contained in proteins after their separation by PolyAcrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (PAGE). After the electrophoresis, the gel is dried and each track is scanned with a 2.5 MeV proton beam which triggers metal X-ray fluorescence and then, allows to determine the type of metals contained in an electrophoretic band. For quantitative determination of the amount of the metal contained inside the band, the characteristic X-ray peak area is compared with those obtained with polyacrylamide gels doped with the same metal. The normalization has been achieved by using RBS measurements on the gel itself. The procedure presented seems to be a very useful multielementary method for the metal content analysis and for the determination of the metal amounts inside proteins after their separation by electrophoresis. Furthermore it allows to check if metals remain bound to proteins.
SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINA TION OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN SERA OF PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION BY PIXE -2-
Authors: MIURA Y. , ITOH C. , MIYAKAWA T. , NAKAI K. , HIRAMORI K. , SERA K. , FUTATSUGAWA S. 
Published: November 2004

Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is transiently expressed on vascular endothelial cells in response to cytokines. It plays a major role in the adhesion of leucocytes to the endothelium by interaction with its ligand VLA-4, a member of the β1 integrin family. We measured the serum concentration of the soluble VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1) in 114 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 37 normal controls by enzyme-linked immunoassay in comparison with trace element concentration. sVCAM-1 levels were markedly higher ( mean ± SD =833.2 ± 328.9 ng/ml ) in the sera of patients with AMI than in normal controls ( mean ± SD = 549.5 ± 188.8 ng/ml , p<0.001). Using PIXE we also determined concentration of magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, selenium, and calcium in sera of 43 patients with AMI. There were no clear correlation between the sVCAM-1 concentration and the magnesium, manganese, copper, selenium, iron. But there were significant correlation between the sVCAM-1 concentration and the zinc, calcium (p<0.05).
How to Reduce Uncertainty in a Context of Innovation: The Case of IBM's Negotiation of its European Works Council
Authors: Le Flanchec Alice 
Published: November 2004

AbstractUncertainty is one of the natural consequences of innovation. Regardless of the particular area, innovation leads to unknown situations ranging from the creation of high-tech new products to profound modification of economic and social structures. This uncertainty creates difficulties for negotiation processes because it becomes almost impossible to anticipate all the consequences of any agreement. Consequently, innovation tremendously enhances the uncertainty of a negotiator with regard to his own interests. Uncertainty about the opponent's interests and behavior is of course another major concern and has been dealt with extensively by many authors. This paper deals with the very different concept of uncertainty regarding one's own interests. It analyzes the impact of this form of uncertainty in the negotiation process, examining the 1997–1999 negotiations at IBM over the implementation of a European Works Council. We show that when a negotiator is uncertain about his own interests, he is less inclined to consider positions located in his uncertainty zone. This occurs as soon as he discoevers an acceptable outcome outside of this zone, even when the agreement is little differentthan the status quo. The negotiator will persist in such a strategy even though alternative agreements located in the uncertainty zone could be more advantageous for one or even both parties. In order to enlarge the zone of potential agreements between parties, a negotiator should undertake one further step: exploration of his own uncertainty zone. We demonstrate that the adoption of such a strategy, is innovative in and of itself, requiring a pro-active and creative attitude on the part of negotiators in order to discover appropriate uncertainty reduction mechanisms.
High sensitivity 1H-NMR spectroscopy of homeopathic remedies made in water
Authors: Anick David J 
Published: November 2004

Abstract
Background
The efficacy of homeopathy is controversial. Homeopathic remedies are made via iterated shaking and dilution, in ethanol or in water, from a starting substance. Remedies of potency 12 C or higher are ultra-dilute (UD), i.e. contain zero molecules of the starting material. Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain how a UD remedy might be different from unprepared solvent. One such hypothesis posits that a remedy contains stable clusters, i.e. localized regions where one or more hydrogen bonds remain fixed on a long time scale. High sensitivity proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has not previously been used to look for evidence of differences between UD remedies and controls.

Methods
Homeopathic remedies made in water were studied via high sensitivity proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A total of 57 remedy samples representing six starting materials and spanning a variety of potencies from 6 C to 10 M were tested along with 46 controls.

Results
By presaturating on the water peak, signals could be reliably detected that represented H-containing species at concentrations as low as 5 μM. There were 35 positions where a discrete signal was seen in one or more of the 103 spectra, which should theoretically have been absent from the spectrum of pure water. Of these 35, fifteen were identified as machine-generated artifacts, eight were identified as trace levels of organic contaminants, and twelve were unexplained. Of the unexplained signals, six were seen in just one spectrum each. None of the artifacts or unexplained signals occurred more frequently in remedies than in controls, using a p < .05 cutoff. Some commercially prepared samples were found to contain traces of one or more of these small organic molecules: ethanol, acetate, formate, methanol, and acetone.

Conclusion
No discrete signals suggesting a difference between remedies and controls were seen, via high sensitivity 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The results failed to support a hypothesis that remedies made in water contain long-lived non-dynamic alterations of the H-bonding pattern of the solvent.
A Real‐Time Tracking, Notification, and Web‐based Enrollment System for Emergency Department Research
Authors: Quinn James , Durski Kris 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe authors describe the development of a real‐time tracking, notification, and Web‐based enrollment system designed specifically to facilitate emergency department research. The system was developed in a cooperative arrangement between an emergency medicine researcher and a medical information software company. The system design and utilization are described as well as the security measures to ensure compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations and database security.
Discrete Event Simulation of Emergency Department Activity: A Platform for System‐level Operations Research
Authors: Connelly Lloyd G. , Bair Aaron E. 
Published: November 2004

Abstract Objectives: This article explores the potential of discrete event simulation (DES) methods to advance system‐level investigation of emergency department (ED) operations. To this end, the authors describe the development and operation of Emergency Department SIMulation (EDSIM), a new platform for computer simulation of ED activity at a Level 1 trauma center. The authors also demonstrate one potential application of EDSIM by using simulated ED activity to compare two patient triage methods. Methods: The Extend DES modeling package was used to develop a model of ED activity for a five‐day period in July 2003. Model input includes staffing levels, facility characteristics, and patient data drawn from electronic patient tracking databases, billing records, and a detailed review of 674 ED charts. The accuracy of model output was tested by comparing predicted and known patient service times. The EDSIM model was then used to compare the fast‐track triage approach with an alternative acuity ratio triage (ART) approach whereby patients were assigned to staff on an acuity ratio basis. Results: The EDSIM model predicts average patient service times within 10% of actual values. The accuracy of individual patient paths, however, was variable. In the authors' model, 28% of individual patient treatment times had an absolute error of less than one hour, and 59% less than three hours. A preliminary comparison of two triage methods showed that the ART approach reduced imaging bottlenecks and average treatment times for high‐acuity patients, but resulted in an overall increase in average service time for low‐acuity patients. Conclusions: The EDSIM model provides a flexible platform for studying ED operations as they relate to average treatment times for ED patients, but the model will require further refinement to predict individual patient times. A comparative study of triage methods suggests that ART provides a mix of benefits and drawbacks, but further investigation will be required to substantiate these preliminary findings.
Scale invariance in jet streams: ER‐2 data around the lower‐stratospheric polar night vortex
Authors: Tuck A. F. , Hovde S. J. , Bui T. P. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractHigh altitude ER‐2 aircraft observations in both hemispheres of the lower‐stratospheric polar night jet stream reveal generalized scale invariance. The scaling exponent has systematic correlation with wind shear and temperature gradient showing across‐jet persistence, along‐jet anti‐persistence, and an overall average value ≈5/9. The analysis provides a natural connection between generalized scale invariance and traditional large‐scale dynamical meteorology. For one mission in the southern hemisphere composite variograms could be constructed for nitrous oxide and ozone, from which it was deduced that the former is a true passive scalar in the lower stratosphere, while sources and sinks are operative for the latter. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
Sensitivities of an intense Mediterranean cyclone: Analysis and validation
Authors: Homar Victor , Stensrud David J. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractOn 10 and 11 November 2001 a deep cyclone moved northward across the western Mediterranean. Severe floods affected Algeria on 10 November and a mesoscale‐sized region of strong damaging winds occurred over the Balearics and eastern Spain during the first hours of 11 November. These large intense cyclones, originating over north Africa and moving northward, are occasionally observed in the region. Numerical simulations of these types of events are potentially hampered by the lack of observations over the Mediterranean Sea, north Africa and the Atlantic Ocean. To evaluate more accurately the regions in which the model simulations are influenced by this lack of data, the MM5 adjoint system is used to determine the most sensitive areas within the initial conditions of the simulation of this 10–11 November event. Limitations of available adjoint models, such as their linear character, suggest that a test of the applicability of MM5 to the case under analysis is needed. In this study, the evaluation is performed by means of the tangent linear model and, despite finding that the adjoint has an acceptable accuracy, important nonlinear effects are found and attributed to the moist processes. The study tracks backward in time the sensitivities shown at different simulation times using parameters chosen to characterize the cyclone's intensity at 0000 UTC 11 November. Results reveal that the areas that show the largest sensitivities are located over north Africa for the 12 h and 24 h simulations, whereas south‐western and western Europe emerge as areas with important sensitivities for the longer 36 h and 48 h simulations. Subsynoptic details regarding the shape and intensity of an upper‐level trough, as well as a low‐level cold front, are highlighted by the adjoint runs as the structures which influence most strongly the baroclinic development of the intense Mediterranean cyclone and the damaging surface winds it produces. The usefulness of the sensitivity fields in the nonlinear simulations is confirmed by perturbing the control model's initial conditions using the adjoint results as guidance. This analysis helps to quantify the limitations of the linear estimation when applied to the full nonlinear model, focusing on the nonlinearities introduced by the moist physics parametrizations. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
Systematic review of the efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapies for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders
Authors: Cartwright‐Hatton Sam , Roberts Chris , Chitsabesan Prathiba , Fothergill Claire , Harrington Richard 
Published: November 2004

Purpose: To review the effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) as a treatment for anxiety disorders of childhood and adolescence.Method: Studies were included if they treated young people (under 19 yrs) with diagnosed anxiety disorder (excluding trials solely treating phobia, PTSD or OCD), had a no‐treatment control group, and used diagnosis as an outcome variable. A search of the literature, incorporating electronic databases, hand search and expert consultation, yielded 10 randomized controlled trials that were appropriate for inclusion.Results: The outcome of interest was remission of anxiety disorder. Employing conservative criteria, the remission rate in the CBT groups (56.5%) was higher than that in the control groups (34.8%). The pooled odds ratio was 3.3 (CI = 1.9–5.6), suggesting that CBT has a significant effect.Conclusions: CBT is useful for the treatment of anxiety in children over the age of 6 years. However, we still know little about the treatment of younger children or about the comparative efficacy of alternative treatments. Most of the trials were efficacy trials, and have limited generalizability. Reporting of many aspects of the trials was weak.
Personality characteristics in obsessive‐compulsive disorder and individuals with subclinical obsessive‐compulsive problems
Authors: Fullana Miquel Àngel , Mataix‐Cols David , Trujillo José Luis , Caseras Xavier , Serrano Francisco , Alonso Pino , Menchón Josep M. , Vallejo Julio , Torrubia Rafael 
Published: November 2004

Objective: To assess the relationship between normal personality traits and obsessive‐compulsive (OC) phenomena in individuals with subclinical OC problems and patients whose problems met diagnostic criteria for obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD).Method: In Study 1, 25 healthy volunteers with high scores on the Padua Inventory (PI) and 28 controls with low scores on the PI were compared on the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and measures of depression and state anxiety. In Study 2, 56 treatment‐seeking participants meeting DSM‐IV criteria for OCD and 40 healthy volunteers of similar sociodemographic characteristics were compared on the same measures.Results: Both individuals with subclinical OC problems and OCD patients scored significantly higher than their respective control groups on sensitivity to punishment, neuroticism and psychoticism. OCD patients, but not individuals with subclinical OC problems, scored lower in extraversion than their respective controls. Neuroticism was the strongest predictor of high scores on the PI in Study 1, while psychoticism was the strongest predictor of the presence of an OCD diagnosis in Study 2.Conclusion: Healthy participants with high scores on OC measures and OCD patients share various personality traits but can also be distinguished according to the level of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism.