bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification, Cloning, and Expression of the CAMP-Like Factor Autotransporter Gene (
cfa
) of
Bartonella henselae
Authors: Litwin Christine M. , Johnson Joel M. 
Published: June 2005

ABSTRACT

The CAMP reaction was first described by Christie et al. (R. Christie, N. E. Atkins, and E. Munch-Petersen, Aust. J. Exp. Biol.
22:
197-200, 1944) as the synergistic lysis of sheep red blood cells by
Staphylococcus aureus
sphingomyelinase and CAMP factor (cohemolysin), a secreted protein from group B streptococci. We observed a CAMP-like reaction when
Bartonella henselae
was grown in close proximity to
S. aureus
on 5% sheep blood agar. This study describes the cloning, sequencing, and characterization of a CAMP-like factor autotransporter gene (
cfa
) from
B. henselae
. A cosmid library of
B. henselae
ATCC 49793 was constructed using SuperCos1 in
Escherichia coli
XL1-Blue MR. Cosmids were screened for the CAMP reaction, and a quantitative cohemolysis microtiter assay was developed using purified sphingomyelinase. Cosmid clones with the strongest cohemolytic reaction had similar restriction enzyme patterns. A DNA fragment that expressed the cohemolysin determinant was subcloned in a 7,200-bp StuI-BamHI fragment which contained a 6,024-bp open reading frame. The deduced amino acid sequence showed homology to the family of autotransporters. The autotransporters are a group of proteins that mediate their own export through the outer membrane. They contain an N-terminal passenger region, the α-domain, and a C-terminal transporter region, the β-domain. The α-domain contained four, nearly identical 42-amino-acid repeats and showed homology to the family of RTX (repeat in toxin) hemolysins. The concentrated supernatant of the recombinant strain expressed a protein with a molecular mass of 180 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis consistent with the calculated molecular weight of the secreted α-domain. In conclusion, we have characterized a novel secreted cohemolysin autotransporter protein of
B. henselae
.
Sequence Diversity and Antigenic Variation at the
rag
Locus of
Porphyromonas gingivalis
Authors: Hall Lucinda M. C. , Fawell Stuart C. , Shi Xiaoju , Faray-Kele Marie-Claire , Aduse-Opoku Joseph , Whiley Robert A. , Curtis Michael A. 
Published: June 2005

ABSTRACT

The
rag
locus of
Porphyromonas gingivalis
W50 encodes RagA, a predicted
tonB
-dependent receptor protein, and RagB, a lipoprotein that constitutes an immunodominant outer membrane antigen. The low G+C content of the locus, an association with mobility elements, and an apparent restricted distribution in the species suggested that the locus had arisen by horizontal gene transfer. In the present study, we have demonstrated that there are four divergent alleles of the
rag
locus. The original
rag
allele found in W50 was renamed
rag-1
, while three novel alleles,
rag-2
to
rag-4
, were found in isolates lacking
rag-1
. The three novel alleles encoded variants of RagA with 63 to 71% amino acid identity to RagA1 and each other and variants of RagB with 43 to 56% amino acid identity. The RagA/B proteins have homology to numerous
Bacteroides
proteins, including SusC/D, implicated in polysaccharide uptake. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies raised against RagB1 of
P. gingivalis
W50 did not cross-react with proteins from isolates carrying different alleles. In a laboratory collection of 168 isolates, 26% carried
rag-1
, 36% carried
rag-2
, 25% carried
rag-3
, and 14% carried
rag-4
(including the type strain, ATCC 33277). Restriction profiles of the locus in different isolates demonstrated polymorphism within each allele, some of which is accounted for by the presence or absence of insertion sequence elements. By reference to a previously published study on virulence in a mouse model (M. L. Laine and A. J. van Winkelhoff, Oral Microbiol. Immunol.
13:
322-325, 1998), isolates that caused serious disease in mice were significantly more likely to carry
rag-1
than other
rag
alleles.
Chlamydia pneumoniaeAugments the Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein-Induced Death of Mouse Macrophages by a Caspase-Independent Pathway
Authors: Yaraei Kambiz , Campbell Lee Ann , Zhu Xiaodong , Liles W. Conrad , Kuo Cho-chou , Rosenfeld Michael E. 
Published: June 2005

ABSTRACTChlamydia pneumoniaeis a common respiratory pathogen that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms by whichC. pneumoniaecontributes to cardiovascular disease have not been determined yet.C. pneumoniaeinfection may accelerate the death of cells within atherosclerotic lesions and contribute to the formation of unstable lesions. To test this hypothesis, the impact ofC. pneumoniaeinfection on the death of lipid-loaded mouse macrophages was investigated. It was observed that RAW 264.7 cells are highly susceptible to the toxic effects of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and exhibit markers of cell death within 24 h of treatment with as little as 5 μg/ml oxidized LDL. Subsequent infection with either liveC. pneumoniaeor heat-killed or UV-inactivatedC. pneumoniaeat a low multiplicity of infection for 24 to 72 h stimulated both additional binding of annexin V and the uptake of propidium iodide. Thus,C. pneumoniaeaugments the effects of oxidized LDL on cell death independent of a sustained infection. However, unlike oxidized LDL,C. pneumoniaeinfection does not activate caspase 3 or induce formation of the mitochondrial transition pore or the fragmentation of DNA, all of which are classical markers of apoptosis. Furthermore, primary bone marrow macrophages isolated from mice deficient in Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2) but not TLR-4 are resistant toC. pneumoniae-induced death. These data suggest thatC. pneumoniaekills cells by a caspase-independent pathway and that the process is potentially mediated by activation of TLR-2.
Profile of Gene Expression in a Murine Model of Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis
Authors: Kurup Viswanath P. , Raju Raghavan , Manickam Pachiappan 
Published: June 2005

ABSTRACTAllergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) results from the interactions of theAspergillusallergens and immune system of the patients. We studied the gene expression profile in a mouse model of ABPA. Of the 12,000 genes studied, 1,300 genes showed enhanced expression and represent chemokine, cytokine, growth factor, signal transduction, and transmembrane receptor genes as well as genes related to arginine metabolism.
The "Secular" as a Tragic Category: On Talal Asad, Religion and Representation
Authors: Craig Brittain Christopher 
Published: June 2005

AbstractAmong current efforts to deconstruct the category "religion" is a tendency to problematize the secular/sacred distinction with the argument that it is simply the product of the distinctive history of post-Reformation Western Europe. The "secular," it is claimed, is a category employed to legitimize the modern state by establishing a boundary between the authority of the public sphere, in opposition to the privatized sphere of the individual religious practitioner. This paper analyses this argument as it is developed by Talal Asad and contrasts his "genealogy" of the secular with Dominique Colas' genealogy of the concept of "civil society". This comparison raises pragmatic and political concerns about Asad's perspective, and problematizes his description of Islamic subjectivity. The paper concludes by furthering Asad's reading of Walter Benjamin's understanding of allegory, in order to argue for the secular as a tragic category that continues to represent a vital theoretical and political concept.
A Look at the Surface-Based Temperature Inversion on the Antarctic Plateau
Authors: Hudson Stephen R. , Brandt Richard E. 
Published: June 2005

Abstract
Data from radiosondes, towers, and a thermistor string are used to characterize the temperature inversion at two stations: the Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole, and the somewhat higher and colder Dome C Station at a lower latitude.
Ten years of temperature data from a 22-m tower at the South Pole are analyzed. The data include 2- and 22-m temperatures for the entire period and 13-m temperatures for the last 2 yr. Statistics of the individual temperatures and the differences among the three levels are presented for summer (December and January) and winter (April–September).
The relationships of temperature and inversion strength in the lowest 22 m with wind speed and downward longwave flux are examined for the winter months. Two preferred regimes, one warming and one cooling, are found in the temperature versus longwave flux data, but the physical causes of these regimes have not been determined. The minimum temperatures and the maximum inversions tend to occur not with calm winds, but with winds of 3–5 m s−1, likely due to the inversion wind. This inversion wind also explains why the near-surface winds at South Pole blow almost exclusively from the northeast quadrant.
Temperature data from the surface to 2 m above the surface from South Pole in the winter of 2001 are presented, showing that the steepest temperature gradient in the entire atmosphere is in the lowest 20 cm. The median difference between the temperatures at 2 m and the surface is over 1.0 K in winter; under clear skies this difference increases to about 1.3 K.
Monthly mean temperature profiles of the lowest 30 km of the atmosphere over South Pole are presented, based on 10 yr of radiosonde data. These profiles show large variations in lower-stratospheric temperatures, and in the strength and depth of the surface-based inversion.
The near-destruction of a strong inversion at South Pole during 7 h on 8 September 1992 is examined using a thermal-conductivity model of the snowpack, driven by the measured downward longwave flux. The downward flux increased when a cloud moved over the station, and it seems that this increase in radiation alone can explain the magnitude and timing of the warming near the surface.
Temperature data from the 2003/04 and 2004/05 summers at Dome C Station are presented to show the effects of the diurnal cycle of solar elevation over the Antarctic Plateau. These data include surface temperature and 2- and 30-m air temperatures, as well as radiosonde air temperatures. They show that strong inversions, averaging 10 K between the surface and 30 m, develop quickly at night when the sun is low in the sky, but are destroyed during the middle of the day. The diurnal temperature range at the surface was 13 K, but only 3 K at 30 m.
The Role of Northern Lakes in a Regional Energy Balance
Authors: Rouse Wayne R. , Oswald Claire J. , Binyamin Jacqueline , Spence Christopher , Schertzer William M. , Blanken Peter D. , Bussières Normand , Duguay Claude R. 
Published: June 2005

Abstract
There are many lakes of widely varying morphometry in northern latitudes. For this study region, in the central Mackenzie River valley of western Canada, lakes make up 37% of the landscape. The nonlake components of the landscape are divided into uplands (55%) and wetlands (8%). With such abundance, lakes are important features that can influence the regional climate. This paper examines the role of lakes in the regional surface energy and water balance and evaluates the links to the frequency–size distribution of lakes. The primary purpose is to examine how the surface energy balance may influence regional climate and weather. Lakes are characterized by both the magnitude and temporal behavior of their surface energy balances during the ice-free period. The impacts of combinations of various-size lakes and land–lake distributions on regional energy balances and evaporation cycles are presented. Net radiation is substantially greater over all water-dominated surfaces compared with uplands. The seasonal heat storage increases with lake size. Medium and large lakes are slow to warm in summer. Their large cumulative heat storage, near summer’s end, fuels large convective heat fluxes in fall and early winter. The evaporation season for upland, wetland, and small, medium, and large lakes lasts for 19, 21, 22, 24, and 30 weeks, respectively. The regional effects of combinations of surface types are derived. The region is initially treated as comprising uplands only. The influences of wetland, small, medium, and large lakes are added sequentially, to build up to the energy budget of the actual landscape. The addition of lakes increases the regional net radiation, the maximum regional subsurface heat storage, and evaporation substantially. Evaporation decreases slightly in the first half of the season but experiences a large enhancement in the second half. The sensible heat flux is reduced substantially in the first half of the season, but changes little in the second half. For energy budget modeling the representation of lake size is important. Net radiation is fairly independent of size. An equal area of medium and large lakes, compared with small lakes, yields substantially larger latent heat fluxes and lesser sensible heat fluxes. Lake size also creates large differences in regional flux magnitudes, especially in the spring and fall periods.
The Utility of X-Band Polarimetric Radar for Quantitative Estimates of Rainfall Parameters
Authors: Matrosov Sergey Y. , Kingsmill David E. , Martner Brooks E. , Ralph F. Martin 
Published: June 2005

Abstract
The utility of X-band polarimetric radar for quantitative retrievals of rainfall parameters is analyzed using observations collected along the U.S. west coast near the mouth of the Russian River during the Hydrometeorological Testbed project conducted by NOAA’s Environmental Technology and National Severe Storms Laboratories in December 2003 through March 2004. It is demonstrated that the rain attenuation effects in measurements of reflectivity (Ze) and differential attenuation effects in measurements of differential reflectivity (ZDR) can be efficiently corrected in near–real time using differential phase shift data. A scheme for correcting gaseous attenuation effects that are important at longer ranges is introduced. The use of polarimetric rainfall estimators that utilize specific differential phase and differential reflectivity data often provides results that are superior to estimators that use fixed reflectivity-based relations, even if these relations were derived from the ensemble of drop size distributions collected in a given geographical region. Comparisons of polarimetrically derived rainfall accumulations with data from the high-resolution rain gauges located along the coast indicated deviation between radar and gauge estimates of about 25%. The ZDR measurements corrected for differential attenuation were also used to retrieve median raindrop sizes, D0. Because of uncertainties in differential reflectivity measurements, these retrievals are typically performed only for D0 &gt; 0.75 mm. The D0 estimates from an impact disdrometer located at 25 km from the radar were in good agreement with the radar retrievals. The experience of operating the transportable polarimetric X-band radar in the coastal area that does not have good coverage by the National Weather Service radar network showed the value of such radar in filling the gaps in the network coverage. The NOAA X-band radar was effective in covering an area up to 40–50 km in radius offshore adjacent to a region that is prone to flooding during wintertime landfalling Pacific storms.
MDMA affects both error-rate dependent and independent aspects of decision-making in a two-choice prediction task
Authors: Vollenweider Franz X. , Liechti Matthias E. , Paulus Martin P. 
Published: June 2005

Decision-making, i.e. selecting an action from a number of alternatives when the outcome is uncertain, is a complex process that is important for everyday life. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also known as ‘Ecstasy’, is a widely used recreational drug that is known to increase serotonin (5-HT) and, to a lesser extent, dopamine (DA) in animals. This study examined whether MDMA alters decision-making in a way that depends on the degree of success and outcome. Forty-two normal, healthy volunteers were given placebo or 1.5mg/kg p.o. MDMA in a randomized crossover design. Subjects completed the two-choice prediction task 120min after administration of the drug. Decision-making characteristics were obtained at 20% error rate, 50% error rate or 80% error rate. MDMA affected decision-making via a process that is dependent on success or failure. Administration of MDMA increased the degree to which the previous response predicted the current response (mutual information) and the average response sequence predictability (average dynamical entropy) at low error rates. MDMA increased the degree to which the previous stimulus influenced the selection of the current response at 20%, 50% or 80% error rate. MDMA did not significantly alter basic response characteristics such as response latency or switching. Self-assessment of the psychological state induced by MDMA did not predict the MDMA induced decision-making patterns. These results support the hypothesis that acute administration of MDMA affects success-related response selection during decision-making.
The Guanine-Thymine Dinucleotide Repeat Polymorphism within the Tenascin-C Gene is Associated with Achilles Tendon Injuries
Authors: Mokone Gaonyadiwe G. , Gajjar Mamta , September Alison V. , Schwellnus Martin P. , Greenberg Jacquie , Noakes Timothy D. , Collins Malcolm 
Published: June 2005

Background Although there is a high incidence of tendon injury as a result of participation in physical activity, the mechanisms responsible for such injuries are poorly understood. Investigators have suggested that some people may have a genetic predisposition to develop tendon injuries; in particular, genes on the tip of the long arm of chromosome 9 might, at least in part, be associated with this condition. The tenascin-C gene, which has been mapped to chromosome 9q32-q34, encodes for a structural component of tendons. Hypothesis The tenascin-C gene is associated with Achilles tendon injury. Study Design Case control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods A total of 114 physically active white subjects with symptoms of Achilles tendon injury and 127 asymptomatic, physically active white control subjects were genotyped for the guanine-thymine dinucleotide repeat polymorphism within the tenascin-C gene. Results A significant difference in the allele frequencies of this polymorphism existed between the 2 groups of subjects (χ2 = 51.0, P =. 001). The frequencies of the alleles containing 12 repeats (symptomatic group, 18.9% vs control group, 10.2%) and 14 repeats (symptomatic group, 9.2% vs control group, 0.8%) were significantly higher in the symptomatic group, while the frequencies of the alleles containing 13 repeats (symptomatic group, 8.8% vs control group, 24.0%) and 17 repeats (symptomatic group, 7.5% vs control group, 20.1%) were significantly lower in this same group. Subjects who were homozygous or heterozygous for the underrepresented alleles (13 and 17 repeats) but who did not possess an overrepresented allele (12 and 14 repeats) may have a lower risk of developing Achilles tendon injuries (odds ratio, 6.2; 95% confidence interval, 3.5-11.0; P <. 001). Conclusions The guanine-thymine dinucleotide repeat polymorphism within the tenascin-C gene is associated with Achilles tendon injury. Alleles containing 12 and 14 guanine-thymine repeats were overrepresented in subjects with tendon injuries, while the alleles containing 13 and 17 repeats were underrepresented. Clinical Relevance Persons who have variants of the tenascin-C gene with 12 and 14 guanine-thymine repeats appear to have a 6-fold risk of developing Achilles tendon injuries.
Effect of Fatigue on Knee Kinetics and Kinematics in Stop-Jump Tasks
Authors: Chappell Jonathan D. , Herman Daniel C. , Knight Bradford S. , Kirkendall Donald T. , Garrett William E. , Yu Bing 
Published: June 2005

Background Altered motor control strategies in landing and jumping maneuvers are a potential mechanism of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury. There are biomechanical differences between male and female athletes in the landing phase of stop-jump tasks. Fatigue is a risk factor in musculoskeletal injuries. Hypothesis Lower extremity muscle fatigue alters the knee kinetics and kinematics during the landing phase of 3 stop-jump tasks and increases an athlete's risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Three-dimensional videography and force plate data were collected for 20 recreational athletes (10 male and 10 female athletes) performing 3 stop-jump tasks before and after completing a fatigue exercise. Knee joint angles and resultant forces and moments were calculated. Results Both male and female subjects had significantly increased peak proximal tibial anterior shear forces (P =. 01), increased valgus moments (P =. 03), and decreased knee flexion angles (P =. 03) during landings of all 3 stop-jump tasks when fatigued. Fatigue did not significantly affect the peak knee extension moment for male or female athletes. Conclusion Fatigued recreational athletes demonstrate altered motor control strategies, which may increase anterior tibial shear force, strain on the anterior cruciate ligament, and risk of injury for both female and male subjects. Clinic Relevance Fatigued athletes may have an increased risk of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Utilizing Latent Building Thermal Mass for Dehumidification
Authors: Abaza Hussein F. 
Published: June 2005

Traditionally, attic space in buildings is perceived as a source of nuisance. In winter, moisture condensation on the attic ceiling encourages mildew growth. In summer, the heat buildup in the attic space increases the cooling load. However, if the attic is integrated in a holistic design and control strategy, it can function as a solar energy collector, a heat exchanger, and a desiccant. This research investigates energy saving by optimizing direct and indirect ventilation through the attic to precool buildings and to reduce humidity. The proposed energy saving strategies are examined in a double story house with an attic. The house is located in a moderate-humid climate. The built-up heat in the attic space and outside air ventilation is used to dry up roof construction materials during the day. When outside air cools down during the night but maintains high humidity, the indoor air is circulated through the attic space. The attic construction materials absorb moisture from the indoor air. Thus, indoor air loses both heat and moisture. EnergyPlus Simulation software was used to simulate these cooling and dehumidification strategies. The simulation results show a significant passive cooling and dehumidification in the building.