PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Community assembly”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Kids Health Day: one community hospital's approach to health education for families.

This paper describes a health fair for children and their families that is designed to decrease children's fear and apprehension about being hospitalized either as inpatients or outpatients; introduce hospital departments, personnel, equipment and tests to children in a non-threatening atmosphere; teach children about good health and safety, and encourage them to use sound health processes. The sponsor, Kennebec Valley Medical Center, is a 165 bed community hospital in Central Maine which serves a primarily rural population base of approximately 70,000 people. The planning process is discussed, activities and events are highlighted, and financial and promotional caveats and examples are provided. Screening data are presented, along with their outcomes, and evaluation instruments and findings also are discussed. Kids Health Day received a 1994 Blue Ribbon Award from the New England Healthcare Assembly.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Self-assembly of sensory neurons into ganglia-like microtissues.

Unraveling intra- and inter-cellular signaling networks managing cell-fate control, coordinating complex differentiation regulatory circuits and shaping tissues and organs in living systems remain major challenges in the post-genomic era. Resting on the laurels of past-century monolayer culture technologies, the cell culture community has only recently begun to appreciate the potential of three-dimensional mammalian cell culture systems to reveal the full scope of mechanisms orchestrating the tissue-like cell quorum in space and time. Capitalizing on gravity-enforced self-assembly of monodispersed primary embryonic mouse cells in hanging drops, we designed and characterized a three-dimensional cell culture model for ganglion-like structures. Within 24h, a mixture of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) and cells, derived from the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) (sensory neurons and Schwann cells) grown in hanging drops, assembled to coherent spherical microtissues characterized by a MEF feeder core and a peripheral layer of DRG-derived cells. In a time-dependent manner, sensory neurons formed a polar ganglion-like cap structure, which coordinated guided axonal outgrowth and innervation of the distal pole of the MEF feeder spheroid. Schwann cells, present in embryonic DRG isolates, tended to align along axonal structures and myelinate them in an in vivo-like manner. Whenever cultivation exceeded 10 days, DRG:MEF-based microtissues disintegrated due to an as yet unknown mechanism. Using a transgenic MEF feeder spheroid, engineered for gaseous acetaldehyde-inducible interferon-beta (ifn-beta) production by cotransduction of retro-/ lenti-viral particles, a short 6-h ifn-beta induction was sufficient to rescue the integrity of DRG:MEF spheroids and enable long-term cultivation of these microtissues. In hanging drops, such microtissues fused to higher-order macrotissue-like structures, which may pave the way for sophisticated bottom-up tissue engineering strategies. DRG:MEF-based artificial micro- and macrotissue design demonstrated accurate key morphological aspects of ganglions and exemplified the potential of self-assembled scaffold-free multicellular micro-/macrotissues to provide new insight into organogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Diagnosis and management of community-acquired pneumonia in childhood--South African Thoracic Society Guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in South African children. The incidence, severity and spectrum of childhood pneumonia have changed owing to the HIV epidemic. Increasing emergence of antimicrobial resistance necessitates a rational approach to the use of antibiotics in pneumonia management. OBJECTIVE: To develop guidelines for the diagnosis, management and prevention of CAP in South African children. METHODS: The Paediatric Assembly of the South African Thoracic Society established five expert subgroups to address: (i) epidemiology and aetiology; (ii) diagnosis; (iii) antibiotic treatment; (iv) supportive therapy; and (v) prevention of CAP. Each subgroup developed a position paper based on the available published evidence; in the absence of evidence, expert opinion was accepted. After peer review and revision, the position papers were synthesised into an overall guideline which was further reviewed and revised. RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendations based on epidemiological factors include a diagnostic approach, investigations, supportive therapy, appropriate antibiotic treatment and preventive strategies. Specific recommendations for HIV-infected children are provided. VALIDATION: These guidelines are based on the available evidence supplemented by the consensus opinion of South African experts in paediatrics, paediatric pulmonology, radiology, infectious diseases and microbiology. Published international guidelines have also been consulted.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

Hierarchical organization of biological systems and the structure of adaptation in evolution and tumorigenesis.

Biological systems are structurally organized according to patterns repeated at each hierarchical level. Complex units are composed of so-called interactors, systems that by cooperative interaction maintain the structure of the complex unit. Interactors are composed of large numbers of assemblies of complex units of a limited number of types of a lower hierarchical level. Thus, macromolecules, cells, organisms and ecological communities should be defined as complex units, and cellular organelles, organs and oligospecies populations as the interactors between those units. The similarity of organization at each level should make it possible to describe patterns of structure at one level and apply it to organization at another level. This was tested for the structural aspects of adaptation as viewed in a pathobiological context. Adaptation is then viewed as the result of stress seen at the level of the interactors or at the level of the lower complex units related to the type of stress. Subsequently, this structure of adaptation was applied to adaptation in biological evolution and tumorigenesis, which has led to the conclusion that stress is a driving force for both and that an increase in number of organisms or cells may precede heritable changes or mutations, respectively.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2006

Eukaryotic genome size databases.

Three independent databases of eukaryotic genome size information have been launched or re-released in updated form since 2005: the Plant DNA C-values Database (www.kew.org/genomesize/homepage.html), the Animal Genome Size Database (www.genomesize.com) and the Fungal Genome Size Database (www.zbi.ee/fungal-genomesize/). In total, these databases provide freely accessible genome size data for >10,000 species of eukaryotes assembled from more than 50 years' worth of literature. Such data are of significant importance to the genomics and broader scientific community as fundamental features of genome structure, for genomics-based comparative biodiversity studies, and as direct estimators of the cost of complete sequencing programs.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Classification of practitioners by urban Chicano patients: an aspect of the sociology of lay knowledge.

This study in the sociology of lay knowledge seeks to conceptualize the "everyday rules" by which a patient makes choices about which practitioner should be consulted for which episode. A lay person must often choose a practitioner from among competing coteries of specialists, without having recourse to their specialized knowledge in order to classify them. The patient must develop her own typology of specialists, utilizing her own criteria. The patient becomes aware of a number of aspects of an epsiode, each of which requires a response of some sort. In the course of her interaction with a practitioner, the patient discovers that the practitioner is competent, in her perception to handle some aspects and inadequate to handle others, thereby presenting her with a particular constellation of competencies and inadequacies. When seeing different practitioners, the patient encounters vertical and horizontal conflict between the assessments offered her by each. She must decide which offers the competencies most needed and the inadequacies most tolerable. A practitioner's constellation may change over time or by episode. In order to secure the competencies she feels necessary, the patient may utilize a number of practitioners either sequentially or simultaneously, thereby functioning as an assembler of her own health care team.

Choice Behavior↗
PubMed1993

Epidemiologic studies of Escherichia coli diarrheal infections in a low socioeconomic level peri-urban community in Santiago, Chile.

The incidence of diarrhea due to six categories of diarrheogenic Escherichia coli was determined in two pediatric cohorts in a low socioeconomic level community in Santiago, Chile, with access to chlorinated water. An age cross-sectional cohort of 340 children aged birth to 47 months was assembled. A newborn cohort was assembled by enrolling 10-12 newborns monthly for 12 months. Episodes of diarrhea were detected by twice weekly household visits. E. coli from stool cultures of cases and matched controls were hybridized with DNA probes specific for enterotoxigenic, enteroinvasive, enteropathogenic, enterohemorrhagic, enteroaggregative, and diffuse adherence E. coli. Overall, the incidence of diarrhea was low (2.1 episodes/infant/year). Nevertheless, a putative E. coli enteropathogen was found in a large proportion of diarrheal episodes, particularly during the summer. In both cohorts, enterotoxigenic E. coli were important pathogens. Enteropathogenic E. coli were incriminated during the first year of life in the newborn cohort, where they were found significantly more often in cases (p = 0.021) than in controls; beyond this age, isolation rates were similar. In contrast, the relative risk of isolation of diffuse adherence E. coli increased with age in the age cross-sectional cohort, where, overall, the difference in rate of isolation between cases and controls was significant (p = 0.0024). Enteroinvasive and enterohemorrhagic E. coli were isolated infrequently. Enteroaggregative E. coli were encountered equally in cases and controls. Facile transmission of E. coli enteropathogens is occurring in this community despite the availability of potable water.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed2000

Design and implementation of an inpatient disease management program.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and implementation of an inpatient disease management program. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: On the basis of opportunities for improving quality or efficiency of inpatient and emergency department care, 4 diagnoses, including congestive heart failure (CHF), gastrointestinal hemorrhage, community-acquired pneumonia and sickle-cell crisis were selected for implementation of a disease management program. For each diagnosis, a task force assembled a disease management team led by a "physician champion" and nurse care manager and identified opportunities for improvement through medical literature review and interviews with caregivers. A limited number of disease-specific guidelines and corresponding interventions were selected with consensus of the team and disseminated to caregivers. Physician and nurse team leaders were actively involved in patient care to facilitate adherence to guidelines. RESULTS: For quarter 2 to 4 of 1997, there were improvements in angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use, daily weight compliance, assessment of left ventricular function, hospital costs, and length of stay for care-managed patients with CHF. Differences in utilization-related outcomes persisted even after adjustment for severity of illness. For the other 3 diagnoses, the observational period was shorter (quarter 4 only), and hence preliminary data showed similar hospital costs and length of stay for care-managed and noncare-managed patients. CONCLUSIONS: An interdisciplinary approach to inpatient disease management resulted in substantial improvements in both quality and efficiency of care for patients with CHF. Additional data are needed to determine the program's impact on outcomes of other targeted diagnoses.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed2006

Assembly of the human intestinal microbiota.

Complex microbial ecosystems occupy the skin, mucosa and alimentary tract of all mammals, including humans. Recent advances have highlighted the tremendous diversity of these microbial communities and their importance to host physiology, but questions remain about the ecological processes that establish and maintain the microbiota throughout life. The prevailing view, that the gastrointestinal microbiota of adult humans is a climax community comprised of the superior competitors for a stable set of niches, does not account for all of the experimental data. We argue here that the unique history of each community and intrinsic temporal dynamics also influence the structure of human intestinal communities.

Humans↗
PubMed1999

The use of microcosms as an experimental approach to understanding terrestrial ecosystem functioning.

Since 1986, a series of microcosm experiments has been conducted at the Unit of Comparative Plant Ecology (UCPE) in an attempt to test our understanding of the principles controlling the structure and dynamics of plant communities and ecosystems. In each experiment microcosms have been seeded with a common pool of organisms, and systems have been allowed to assemble under replicated controlled conditions. Experiment variables have included mineral nutrient supply, temperature, moisture supply, soil depth, carbon dioxide concentration, mycorrhizas, rhizobia, herbivores and carnivores. Results from these experiments are presented to illustrate the value of synthesised ecosystems in ecological research.

Biomass↗
PubMed2025

Annotation matters: the effect of structural gene annotation on orthology inference.

MOTIVATION: In silico gene annotation, the process of identifying the genes present in a genome, remains a challenging task. As genome assemblies rapidly increase, the corresponding gene models and repertoires often fall short in quality. Despite advances in annotation methods, a lack of community standards means that most published gene annotations result from ad hoc pipelines. As a result, only a few species have nearly complete and accurate gene models. This annotation quality is thought to affect downstream analyses, including orthology inference, often the first step of comparative genomics studies. RESULTS: We show that different annotation methods yield markedly distinct orthology inferences. We compared orthology assignments of gene models obtained by four prominent protein-coding gene model sources: the NCBI Eukaryotic Genome Annotation Pipeline, the Ensembl Gene Annotation System, the UniProt Reference Proteomes, and Augustus 3.4 (an ab initio pipeline). We observe significant discrepancies between sources, namely in the proportion of orthologous genes per genome, the completeness of Hierarchical Orthologous Groups, and the accuracy and recall of the predicted orthologs on a standard orthology benchmark.

Molecular Sequence Annotation↗
PubMed2026

Genome-resolved assessment of archaeal diversity in full-scale anaerobic digesters reveals variability in mcrA primer coverage.

AIMS: Methanogenic archaea are key players in anaerobic digestion, driving methane production in biogas reactors. This study aimed to assess the diversity of methanogenic archaea in full-scale anaerobic digesters using genome-resolved metagenomics and to systematically evaluate the taxonomic coverage of commonly used mcrA-targeted qPCR primer sets against this genomic framework. METHODS AND RESULTS: Methanogenic diversity was assessed using 113 dereplicated archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) recovered from 109 full-scale anaerobic digesters treating diverse substrates. Genome-resolved analyses revealed a diverse archaeal community spanning multiple phyla, dominated by Halobacteriota and Methanobacteriota, with additional representatives from Methanobacteriota_B, Thermoplasmatota, and Thermoproteota. The presence of the mcrA gene was identified in a subset 55 MAGs, which were subsequently used as the genomic framework to evaluate six commonly used mcrA qPCR primer sets in silico. This subset clustered into nine phylogenetic groups and formed the basis for the primer coverage analysis. The evaluation revealed marked differences in taxonomic coverage among primer sets. Most primers preferentially detected Methanobacteriales and Methanosarcinales, while underrepresenting or excluding other methanogenic lineages, including H₂-dependent methylotrophic Methanomassiliicoccaceae. CONCLUSIONS: Commonly used mcrA primer sets differ substantially in their ability to capture methanogenic diversity, with some showing broad representation of reactor-associated methanogens and others exhibiting strong lineage-specific biases. Genome-resolved metagenomics provides an effective framework for benchmarking primer performance and supports the selection and improvement of molecular tools for more accurate monitoring of anaerobic digestion systems.

Archaea↗
PubMed1978

Caries, periodontal diseases and oral hygiene among six- to twelve-year-old children in the Druze village of Yarka.

The purpose of the present study was to assemble data on the prevalence of caries and periodontal diseases and on the state of oral hygiene in members of the Druze community in Israel aged six to twelve years, and to compare the findings for the different age sub-groups and for males and females within each age sub-group. The population investigated was a sample of 396 children aged six to twelve, 182 males and 213 females, in the village of Yarka in the Western Galilee. The indices used for the purpose of evaluation were: DMF for caries, PI for periodontal diseases, and OHI-S for oral hygiene. No significant differences were found in the incidence of gingivitis as between the various age sub-groups. Oral hygiene was found to deteriorate as age increased. Oral hygiene in ages 9 to 12 was found to be of a lower level in the males than in the females, while in ages 6 to 9 no significant variation was recorded between the sexes. A comparison of the prevalence of caries as established in this study with the figures recorded in earlier years shows an increase. Dental treatment supplied to the children studied had been zero. Comparison of this fact with earlier studies revealed that with regard to treatment no improvement had taken place in the Druze population in recent years.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Gap junction function and cancer.

Gap junctions (GJs) provide cell-to-cell communication of essential metabolites and ions. GJs allow tissues to average responses, clear waste products, and minimize the effects of xenobiotics by dilution and allowing steady-state catabolism. Many chemicals can adversely affect the membrane GJ assembly causing reversible alterations in GJ intercellular communication. During toxicity essential metabolites, ions, and regulators are not shared homeostatically throughout a tissue community. Alterations in metabolic circuits are thought to interrupt organ integration. Persistent GJ perturbation can cause chronic effects (e.g., cancer), and many tumor promoters inhibit GJ intercellular communication. Liver precancerous foci intracommunicate (but at a reduced level) and intercommunicate improperly (or not at all) across the foci boundary to normal cells. In time, foci can become less regulated and more isolated within the tissue. GJs remain reduced quantitatively in the tumor progression stage and may be qualitatively altered in metastasis since connections are made between the primary tumor cells and foreign host cells at the secondary metastatic site. Cell sorting and binding mechanisms by the cell adhesion molecules and integrins may also be altered at secondary sites. This may allow the relocation of primary tumor cells and nurturance via GJs at the secondary site.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

Annotated genome of the Atlantic dog whelk, Nucella lapillus.

Nucella lapillus is an important player in rocky shore food chains and has been a focal organism of ecological and evolutionary studies for decades. Despite poor dispersal, they have a broad geographic range, which makes them an ideal species to examine isolation by distance and selection across environmental gradients. Here we present the fully annotated genome of N. lapillus generated with Oxford Nanopore Techonology sequencing at ∼37× coverage. The genome assembly is 2.32 Gbp and consists of 2,525 contigs, with an N50 length of 2 Mbp. Repeat annotation identified 2,491 families that cover 67.56% of the genome, which is similar to other gastropods. Despite its large size and high proportion of repeats, the genome is of high quality. Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) analysis revealed a score of 96.8%. Functional annotation of the genome produced 45,848 protein-coding genes with a 96.6% BUSCO score. Genomic resources for mollusks lag behind that of other phyla, perhaps because many of their innate characteristics complicate DNA extraction, sequencing, and assembly. This new N. lapillus genome will increase our genomic understanding of the second largest phylum (and the most diverse class within said phylum) and serve as a key resource to advance studies on the organismal biology and population genetics of this iconic species as well as the connection between genomic variation and community-level processes.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) meeting summary.

The Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) planning meeting was the first of a series of organizational meetings and VA-sponsored conference calls designed to build the scientific foundation and methodological infrastructure for a multisite, longitudinal study of HIV and chronic disease outcomes among aging veterans. More specifically, it served as a consensus conference to determine scientific priorities, develop hypotheses, and to assemble working groups and committees to outline the specific methodological approaches needed. Scientists, physicians from 20 VA clinical facilities in the United States, community members, and experts in the fields of immunology, cancer, sociology, aging, cognition, psychiatry and mental health, epidemiology, large database analysis, and health services research gathered for an intense, 2-day meeting held in Pittsburgh, PA, November 8-9, 2000.

Aging↗