bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Yardstick Cost Comparison and Economies of Scale and Scope in Japan's Electric Power Industry
Authors: Ida Takanori , Kuwahara Tetsuya
Published: December 2004

This paper utilizes a fixed‐effects model of panel data analysis and estimates the translog cost function of the Japanese electric power industry from 1978 to 1998. First, we investigate whether the Japanese electric power industry is naturally monopolistic. We find that all electric power companies still benefit from both scale and scope economies and therefore, this industry remains a naturally mono‐polistic industry. Second, in order to apply the idea of yardstick‐type competition to a naturally monopolistic industry where costs are quite different between companies, we introduce two kinds of cost‐comparison coefficients, one for the individually specific effects and the other for scale and scope economies.
Operations of a Pension Fund after the Asian Crisis: The Thai Experience*
Authors: Funke Katja , Stadtmann Georg
Published: December 2004

During and after the Asian crisis, institutional investors and pension funds in Asian financial markets have been confronted with a number of difficulties effecting their performance and the way they carry out their role within the national pension system. We analyze these problems by comparing the actual investment policy of an institutional investor with an optimal investment strategy derived from the insights of modern portfolio theory. We also analyze whether the organizational set‐up of a pension fund allows it to adequately perform its role within the pension system. As an example, we examine the operations of the Thai Government Pension Fund (GPF). We find that allowing international investments and reducing restrictions on equity investments while lowering the implicit requirements for investments in government debt would allow the GPF to further diversify its investment risk and to increase its risk‐adjusted return. We also show that some changes in the governance structure of the GPF would lower the occurrence of conflicts of interest for the management and increase the efficiency of the GPF operations.
Transitions between Formations and Organisations: An Historical Perspective on the Political Representation of Australian Farmers
Authors: Halpin Darren
Published: December 2004

The political representation of Australian farmers merits more attention from an historical perspective. Drawing upon the existing wealth of organisational histories it is argued that one can identify a number of shifts in the dominant organisational form or strategy pursued by primary producers in seeking political representation over time. Each phase has its own logic and rationale rooted in a range of historical conditions. The article identifies the importance of the pattern of social interaction, economic conditions and the prevailing political process in catalysing transitions between “phases” of representation. It concludes that the current debate over representation amongst primary producers and rural communities should be interpreted as the precursor to yet another phase of representation.
The Breadwinner, his Wife and their Welfare: Identity, Expertise and Economic Security in Australian Post‐War Reconstruction
Authors: Firth Ann
Published: December 2004

The architects of Australian post‐war reconstruction had learned from the experience of the Depression that subordinating the social order to economic objectives could have disastrous results. In Australia as elsewhere, interwar political and civic institutions were not sufficiently robust to protect society from the instability of a system based on the economically rational choices of individual entrepreneurs. High unemployment, which had characterised the interwar years and reached catastrophic levels in the Depression, convinced the architects of post‐war reconstruction that new political institutions were necessary. The civil and political institutions they attempted to create were expressed in a particular anthropology constituted around their own identity as experts and the identities of the entrepreneur, the breadwinner and his wife.
The Origins of the British Commonwealth Strategic Reserve: The UK Proposal to Revitalise ANZAM and the increased Australian Defence Commitment to Malaya
Authors: Umetsu Hiroyuki
Published: December 2004

At the end of 1952 the UK proposed to revitalise the ANZAM arrangement by concentrating it more closely on the defence of British interests in Malaya. Hitherto ANZAM had focused almost completely upon planning for the wartime defence of sea communications in the Southwest Pacific. This article explains why the UK sought to revitalise ANZAM, and why Australia accepted the British proposal. The British proposal arose from the adoption by the UK of a strategy of nuclear deterrence which led it to project both a future reduction of British conventional forces available for overseas commitments, and a greater reliance upon Commonwealth partners for the protection of British interests in Malaya. It also represented an attempt to reduce the value of the ANZUS security treaty, signed in early September 1951. Australia accepted the British proposal that Commonwealth partners should shoulder a heavier burden in Malaya as a way of preserving the value of ANZUS and of adjusting to the future reduction of the British military presence in Asia.
Why the “Green Mess”: An Analysis of Key Political Tensions and Cleavages within the Sydney‐Based Environment Movement in the 1989‐1990 Period
Authors: Jensen‐Lee Catherine
Published: December 2004

This paper addresses issues related to the structure of social movements, the presence of diversity within movements and the management of the conflicts that diversity generates. It outlines and analyses the main dimensions of an unusually intense and bitter conflict that erupted between environmental activists in Sydney in the lead‐up to the 1990 federal election. The paper's central argument is that the conflict analysed was a product of the incompatibility between one particular activist network's attempt to impose its political assessment on a cross‐section of movement elites and the underlying segmentation, polycephaly and loose integration that characterises the movement's structure. While the paper uses the Sydney case study as an illustrative vehicle, the themes and issues discussed have a broader applicability in the analysis of environment movement dynamics.
Electoral Cycles, Party Organization and Mobilization in Canada
Authors: Carty R. Kenneth , Eacles Munroe
Published: December 2004

Canadian political parties oscillate between periods of inter‐election quiescence and electoral year mobilization. In this paper we measure, across a series of elections, organizational activity in inter‐election periods as parties develop strategic positions and seek to reshape their bases, and then their subsequent mobilization strategies and successes. Our research strategy employs ecological models rooted in electoral district level data including party resources and activity (from annual financial accounts), census data describing the electoral districts, as well as conventional aggregate electoral data. Our initial models utilise evidence from Ontario, Canada's largest province, and cover several electoral cycles that witnessed a string of governmental turnovers. This analysis provides a more nuanced model of party systems than those based on simple election results. Even in a period of remarkable electoral flux, party activity and success appear to be deeply rooted in the diverse constituency social and political contexts of the system.
Fifty years since Koyck (1954)*
Authors: Franses Philip Hans
Published: December 2004

This paper shows that Koyck (1954)’s PhD thesis amounts to one of the very important innovations in econometrics. The model and the associated transformation are still used in classrooms and in academic articles. His book is one of the most often cited econometrics publications of the 1950s, and still receives its share of citations. It remains a source of inspiration for present‐day researchers. To sum up, it amounts to one of the most influential Dutch publications on econometrics.
The estimation of a state space model by estimating functions with an application
Authors: Papanastassiou Demetrios , Ioannides Demetrios
Published: December 2004

Conventionally the parameters of a linear state space model are estimated by maximizing a Gaussian likelihood function, even when the input errors are not Gaussian. In this paper we propose estimation by estimating functions fulfilling Godambe's optimality criterion. We discuss the issue of an unknown starting state vector, and we also develop recursive relations for the third‐ and fourth‐order moments of the state predictors required for the calculations. We conclude with a simulation study demonstrating the proposed procedure on the estimation of the stochastic volatility model. The results suggest that the new estimators outperform the Gaussian likelihood.
Medication Overuse Headache: Rates and Predictors for Relapse in a 4-year Prospective Study
Authors: Katsarava Z , Muessig M , Dzagnidze A , Fritsche G , Diener HC , Limmroth V
Published: December 2004

We present a prospective 4-year follow-up study of 96 patients with medication overuse headache following withdrawal. Complete datasets were available from 85 patients (89%) 6 months, from 79 patients (82%) 1 year and from 75 patients (78%) 4 years after withdrawal. Twenty-six patients (31%) relapsed within the first 6 months after withdrawal. The number of relapses increased to 32 (41%) 1 year and to 34 (45%) 4 years after withdrawal. The 4-year relapse rate was lower in migraine than in tension-type headache (32% vs. 91%, P ≤ 0.001) and combination of migraine and tension-type headache (32% vs. 70%, P ≤ 0.027) and also lower in patients overusing triptans than analgesics (21% vs. 71%, P ≤ 0.001). The study suggests that the majority of relapses occur within the first year after withdrawal and that the long-term success of withdrawal depends on the type of primary headache and the type of overused medication.
Neuroimaging in the Evaluation of Patients with Non-Acute Headache
Authors: Sempere AP , Porta-Etessam J , Medrano V , Garcia-Morales I , Concepción L , Ramos A , Florencio I , Bermejo F , Botella C
Published: December 2004

Available studies offer only limited guidance on neuroimaging of non-acute headache patients. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of significant intracranial lesions in patients with headache and to determine the clinical variables helpful in identifying patients with intracranial lesions. All patients aged ≥l 15 years attending the Neurology Clinic with non-acute headache were included in the study and followed prospectively. Every patient was investigated by neuroimaging studies, either computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimaging results were classified as ‘significant abnormalities’, ‘nonsignificant abnormalities’ or ‘normal’. Significant abnormalities included neoplastic disease, hydrocephalus, vascular malformations, Chiari malformation, large arachnoid cysts, intracranial haemorrhage, and acute cerebral infarcts. Consecutive patients ( n = 1876; 1243 women and 633 men) were included. Their mean age was 38 years (range 15-95 years). Neuroimaging studies detected significant lesions in 22 patients [1.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7, 1.8]. The rate of significant intracranial abnormalities in patients with headache and normal neurological examination was 0.9% (95% CI 0.5, 1.4). The only clinical variable associated with a higher probability of intracranial abnormalities was neurological examination. The proportion of patients with headache and intracranial lesions is relatively small, but neither neurological examination nor the features in the clinical history permit us to rule out such abnormalities.
Role of the Needling per se in Acupuncture as Prophylaxis for Menstrually Related Migraine: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study
Authors: Linde M , Fjell A , Carlsson J , Dahlöf C
Published: December 2004

The objectives were to introduce a new method for controlled trials of acupuncture in the field of headache research and to examine the role of needling per se. Women with menstrually related migraine were randomized to three months of treatment with verum or placebo needles. Three standard size casts were moulded to secure the placebo needles in the head. No significant differences were found between the verum group ( n = 15) and the placebo group ( n = 13) during treatment or follow up three and six months later, either in the attack frequency or in the number of days per month with migraine, headache intensity or drug-use. The casts held the needles exactly in place despite movements of the head, and are validated as practical, hygienic and extremely durable. This method is satisfactory for controlled studies of acupuncture in headache. It is possible that the positive results in earlier clinical trials on acupuncture in migraine are attributable to other mechanisms than needling of subcutaneous tissue.
Octreotide is not Effective in the Acute Treatment of Migraine
Authors: Levy MJ , Matharu MS , Bhola R , Meeran K , Goadsby PJ
Published: December 2004

The aim of this study was to determine whether subcutaneous octreotide is effective for the treatment of acute migraine. Patients with migraine with and without aura as classified by the International Headache Society were recruited to a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study. Patients were instructed to treat two attacks of at least moderate pain severity, with at least a 7 day interval, using subcutaneous 100 μg octreotide or matching placebo. The primary endpoint was the headache response defined as: severe or moderate pain becomes mild or nil, at 2 h. The primary endpoint was analysed using a Multilevel Analysis approach. Secondary end-points included associated symptoms and a four-point functional disability score. The study was powered to detect a 30% difference at an α of 0.05 and a β of 0.8. A total of 51 patients were recruited, of whom 42 provided efficacy data on an attack treated with octreotide and 41 with placebo. Modelling the headache response as a binomial determined by treatment, using the patient as the level 2 variable, and considering a possible period effect, and sex and migraine type as other variables of interest, subcutaneous octreotide was not significantly superior to placebo. The two hour headache response rates were 20% for placebo and 14% for octreotide, whilst the two hour pain free rates were 7% and 2%, respectively. Subcutaneous octreotide 100 μg is not effective in the acute treatment of migraine when compared to placebo.
Preventive Treatment of Migraine: Effect on Weight
Authors: Young WB , Rozen TD
Published: December 2004

Weight gain is a side-effect commonly associated with drugs used for headache prophylaxis. Weight gain can adversely affect patient health, exacerbate comorbid metabolic disorders and encourage noncompliance. Few studies have been conducted specifically on the effect of headache medications on weight, and it is important for physicians to have accurate information about weight-gain side-effects when identifying appropriate pharmacological regimens. This review discusses the potential effects on weight of the more common headache medications.
Referred Cutaneous Allodynia in a Migraine Patient without Simultaneous Headache
Authors: Ashkenazi A , LoPinto C , Young WB
Published: December 2004

Cutaneous allodynia has been described in migraine. We report on a 39-year-old woman with migraine with aura who had cutaneous allodynia to both dynamic (brush) and static (pressure) mechanical stimulation between attacks. For both sensory modalities, the evoked pain on allodynia testing was located to the right frontal area (the location of her usual migraine headache), contralaterally to the stimulated skin area. There was no allodynia when the right frontal area was stimulated directly. We suggest the term ‘referred allodynia’ for this phenomenon and discuss possible mechanisms for its occurrence.
Visions in monochrome: families, marriage and the individualization thesis1
Authors: Smart Carol , Shipman Beccy
Published: December 2004

This paper takes issue with the way in which the individualization thesis – in which it is assumed that close relationships have become tenuous and fragile – has become so dominant in ‘new’ sociological theorizing about family life. Although others have criticized this thesis, in this paper the main criticism derives from empirical research findings carried out with members of transnational families living in Britain whose values and practices do not fit easily with ideas of individualization. It is argued that we need a much more complex and less linear notion of how families change across generations and in time.
Generic obstetric database systems are unreliable for reporting the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
Authors: THORNTON Charlene , MAKRIS Angela , OGLE Robert , HENNESSY Annemarie
Published: December 2004

Background: Obstetric outcome data can be accessed by a variety of different methods in New South Wales, Australia, including Diagnosis‐Related Group (DRG) summaries and the Midwives Data Collection (MDC). The accuracy of the reporting of the obstetric complications encompassed by the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) has been doubted owing to the inconsistency and confusing coding categories available in both coding systems.

Aim: To test that there would be no disagreement in coding between DRG coding, MDC coding and a disorder‐specific database.

Methods: A prospective disorder‐specific database, namely the Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Database (HDPDB), was maintained for 6 months and diagnoses were compared with the DRG and MDC coding systems. Medical records of all women (n = 230) who received a HDP coding during this period were examined and recoded using the Australasian Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy diagnostic groupings. The HDPDB was the gold standard for the comparison of coding.

Results: Significant coding errors were found in both systems available. Sixty‐four percent (P < 0.001) of medical records were incorrectly coded in the DRG coding system and 56% (P < 0.001) were incorrectly coded in the MDC.

Conclusions: Current database systems are unreliable for recording maternal medical conditions, such as hypertension, and accuracy can only be assured with the use of a disorder‐specific database, such as the HDPDB.
Impact of first‐stage ambulation on mode of delivery among women with epidural analgesia
Authors: ROBERTS Christine L. , ALGERT Charles S. , OLIVE Emily
Published: December 2004

Background: New techniques for administering epidural analgesia allow increased mobility for labouring women with epidurals.

Aim: To determine the effect of ambulation or upright positions in the first stage of labour among women with epidural analgesia on mode of delivery and other maternal and infant outcomes.

Methods: We undertook a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCT) of ambulation or upright positions versus recumbency in the first stage of labour among women with effective first‐stage epidural analgesia in an uncomplicated pregnancy. Trials were identified by searching Medline, Embase and CINAHL databases and the Cochrane Trials Register to March 2004. Trial eligibility and outcomes were prespecified. Group tabular data were obtained for each trial and analysed using meta‐analytic techniques.

Results: There were five eligible RCT, with a total of 1161 women. There was no statistically significant difference in the mode of delivery when women with an epidural ambulated in the first stage of labour compared with those who remained recumbent: instrumental delivery (relative risk (RR) = 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93–1.44) and Caesarean section (RR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.70–1.19). There were no significant differences between the groups in use of oxytocin augmentation, the duration of labour, satisfaction with analgesia or Apgar scores. There were no apparent adverse effects of ambulation, but data were reported by only a few trials.

Conclusions: Although ambulation in the first stage of labour for women with epidural analgesia provided no clear benefit to delivery outcomes or satisfaction with analgesia, neither were there are any obvious harms.
Colposcopic and histologic findings in women with a cytologic diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance
Authors: YARANDI Fariba , IZADI MOOD Narges , MIRASHRAFI Fatemeh , EFTEKHAR Zahra
Published: December 2004

Background: The optimal method for managing a patient diagnosed with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) has not yet been established. The interim guidelines published by the National Cancer Institute suggest that a patient should be referred for colposcopy after the second ASCUS diagnosis within 2 years.

Aim: To assess the significance of ASCUS in predicting the presence of underlying squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) of the uterine cervix.

Study population: Women undergoing colposcopy for ASCUS cytology at a teaching hospital in Tehran University, in the years 1998–2001, considered eligible to enter this retrospective study.

Results: Of the 266 patients who underwent colposcopy, 28 (11%) had low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 16 (6.3%) had high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) two (0.8%) had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and 48 (18.8%) had flat condyloma.

Conclusion: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) on a cervical smear is a good marker for detecting underlying SIL and condyloma. Thus, immediate colposcopy and directed biopsy are appropriate follow‐up procedures.
Women's experiences and preferences following Caesarean birth
Authors: DODD Jodie , PEARCE Elizabeth , CROWTHER Caroline
Published: December 2004

Aims: To seek women's views on their planned mode of birth in a subsequent pregnancy when they had a single prior Caesarean birth in the immediately preceding pregnancy.

Methods: This study was conducted at the Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide. Using a hospital maintained database, women were identified based on who had given birth by primary Caesarean section between December 2002 and June 2003 to a live born infant. The women were sent a questionnaire to assess their experiences related to their Caesarean birth and their plans for mode of birth in any subsequent pregnancy.

Results: A total of 319 eligible women were identified from the database and sent a questionnaire, with responses obtained from 208 women (65.2%). Most women were satisfied with their birth experience with a mean satisfaction score of 6.3 (± 2.8). The most common response when women were asked to indicate the aspects of their birth experience that they liked was those caring for them (153 women; 48%), followed by the reassurance provided about the health of their baby (106 women; 33%) and their own health (88 women; 28%). One fifth of women (63 women; 20%) indicated that they were glad that they had experienced labour. Eighty‐five women (41%) indicated that they would in future plan for a vaginal birth, 48 women (23%) would plan for Caesarean section, and 72 women (35%) were unsure.

Conclusions: A proportion of women have a strong preference for mode of birth in a subsequent pregnancy, which is established within 6 months of the woman's birth experience.
Endothelial cell function enhancement in a late normal human pregnancy
Authors: FABER‐SWENSSON Anders Per , O'CALLAGHAN Stephen Patrick Michael , WALTERS William Allen Willcox
Published: December 2004

Objective: To assess endothelial cell function throughout normal human pregnancy.

Design: Longitudinal observational study.

Population: Pregnant women attending antenatal clinics and female nursing staff.

Methods: Flow mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured by high resolution ultrasound and used as a surrogate measure for endothelial cell function and measured in pregnant women and in non‐pregnant female controls. Measurements were performed throughout normal pregnancies in each trimester.

Results: Mean FMD was increased by 80% and 64% in the third trimester compared to the first and second trimesters, respectively, and by 92% compared to the mean FMD of the non‐pregnant controls. The increased FMD in the third trimester was demonstrated to be statistically significant in comparison with all the above groups by two‐sample t‐tests (P < 0.01for all comparisons).

Conclusion: Endothelial cell function, measured by ultrasound assessment of FMD, is enhanced in late normal human pregnancy.
Escherichia coli: a growing problem in early onset neonatal sepsis
Authors: JONES Bronwyn , PEAKE Kirstie , MORRIS Arthur J. , MCCOWAN Lesley M. , BATTIN Malcolm R.
Published: December 2004

Aims: To review the demographic characteristics, antecedents and outcome for early neonatal Escherichia coli sepsis. Secondary aims were to identify antenatal antibiotic use and to review the antimicrobial susceptibility.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for all infants with a positive culture for E. coli from either blood or CSF samples obtained between January 1998 and October 2002.

Results: Nineteen liveborn infants with early onset sepsis and one stillborn baby with a positive maternal blood culture for E. coli were identified. Pregnancy complications included multiple pregnancy in five (25%), preterm rupture of membranes 10 (50%) and maternal urinary tract infection in five (25%). Eighteen of the cases were born preterm and two at term. The mortality was 8/20 (40%), and for nine cases with developmental outcome data available, 67% were within normal limits and 33% were abnormal. Of the 20 E. coli isolates 11 (55%) were resistant to amoxycillin and 1 (5%) was resistant to gentamicin.

Conclusions: Infants with early onset E. coli sepsis had a poor outcome with high mortality and a third of the survivors manifesting neurodevelopmental impairment. Although amoxycillin resistance is common, there is a low prevalence of gentamicin resistance in local isolates.
The early history of IVF in Australia and its contribution to the world (1970–1990)*
Authors: LEETON John
Published: December 2004

Although Edwards and Steptoe achieved the first IVF pregnancy and birth in 1978, the majority of pioneering developments in IVF during the eighties came from Australia. They included the world's first donor egg pregnancy, the first frozen embryo pregnancy and the first IVF multiple pregnancies. Australia also produced the first national guidelines for IVF practices, the first statute legislation protecting donor gamete pregnancies, and Victoria proclaimed the first statute legislation regarding control of IVF procedures. The reporting of the outcome of all IVF pregnancies began in 1980 as another world initiative.
Periodontal disease as a risk factor for pre‐eclampsia: A case control study
Authors: CANAKCI Varol , CANAKCI Cenk Fatih , CANAKCI Hümeyra , CANAKCI Ebru , CICEK Yasin , INGEC Metin , OZGOZ Mehmet , DEMIR Turgut , DILSIZ Alparslan , YAGIZ Hatice
Published: December 2004

Objective: To investigate the association between periodontal disease and pre‐eclampsia, while controlling known risk factors for pre‐eclampsia.

Methods: A matched case‐control study was carried out on 41 pre‐eclamptic women and 41 normotensive, healthy, pregnant, control women. The pre‐eclamptic women and controls were individually matched for age, gravidity, parity, smoking and prenatal care. The number of teeth and the number of restorations and decay on all tooth surfaces, and clinical periodontal parameters, excluding third molars were determined within 48 h before delivery. The relation of independent variables to pre‐eclampsia was assessed using conditional multiple logistic regression analysis on subject‐based data.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in mean percentages of sites with plaque between groups. The mean probing depth (PD) and mean clinical attachment level (CAL) for pre‐eclamptic patients were significantly greater compared to those of normotensive patients (P < 0.01). The percentage of sites exhibiting bleeding on probing (BOP) (P < 0.05), the number of sites with PD ≥ 4 mm and with CAL ≥ 3 mm was significantly higher among pre‐eclamptic patients than those with normotensive patients (P < 0.01). Conditional multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that periodontal disease and triglycerides level were significantly associated with pre‐eclampsia. Other independent variables (maternal body weight and serum total cholesterol level) did not appear to be associated with pre‐eclampsia. Conditional multiple logistic regression results showed that pre‐eclamptic patients were 3.47 (95% CI = 1.07–11.95) times more likely to have periodontal disease than normotensive patients.

Conclusion: The present study shows that maternal periodontal disease during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for the development of pre‐eclampsia. The higher incidence of periodontal disease parameters in pre‐eclamptic group would suggest a possible role for periodontal disease in the development of pre‐eclampsia. The nature both of periodontitis and pre‐eclampsia is multifactorial, and caution should be exercised when implicating periodontal disease in causation of pre‐eclampsia.
Genetic Bases of the Rifampin Resistance Phenotype inBrucellaspp
Authors: Marianelli Cinzia , Ciuchini Franco , Tarantino Michela , Pasquali Paolo , Adone Rosanna
Published: December 2004

Rifampin is one of the most potent and broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacterial pathogens. Its bactericidal activity is due to its ability to bind to the β subunit of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase encoded by therpoBgene. Mutations of therpoBgene have been characterized in rifampin-resistant (Rifr) strains ofEscherichia coliandMycobacterium tuberculosis.The genetic bases of RifrinBrucellaspp. are still unknown. In the present study, the nucleotide sequences of therpoBgene of the Rifrvaccine strainBrucella abortusRB51 and of 20 Rifrclones derived in our laboratory from twoBrucella melitensisisolates were determined. These sequences were then compared to those of the respective rifampin-susceptible (Rifs) parental strains and to the publishedB. melitensisstrain 16M. All Rifrstrains carried one or more missense mutations mapping in two regions of therpoBgene. These two “hot” regions were investigated in eight additional RifrBrucellalaboratory mutants and in 20 reference RifsBrucellastrains.rpoBmutations were found in all Rifrmutants. In contrast, no missense mutations were found in any analyzed Rifsstrains. Our results represent the first from a study of the molecular characterization ofrpoBmutations in resistantBrucellastrains and provide an additional proof of the association of specificrpoBmutations with the development of the Rifrphenotype in prokaryotes. In addition, because of the relationship between Rifrand the attenuation of virulence inBrucellaspp., studies of virulence in these mutants may provide useful information about the genetic basis of pathogenesis inBrucella.
Heterogeneity among Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Profiles of Extraintestinal
Escherichia coli
Isolates of Animal and Human Origin
Authors: Maynard Christine , Bekal Sadjia , Sanschagrin François , Levesque Roger C. , Brousseau Roland , Masson Luke , Larivière Serge , Harel Josée
Published: December 2004

Extraintestinal pathogenic
Escherichia coli
(ExPEC) isolates collected from different infected animals and from human patients with extraintestinal infections in 2001 were characterized for their phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles, genotypes, and key virulence factors. Among the 10 antimicrobial agents tested, resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, and sulfonamides was most frequent. Multiresistant strains were found in both the animal and the human groups of isolates. Resistance gene distribution was assessed by colony hybridization. Similar antibiotic resistance patterns could be observed in the animal and the human isolates. Although some resistance genes, such as
bla
TEM
,
sulI
, and
sulII
, were equally represented in the animal and human ExPEC isolates, differences in the distributions of tetracycline [
tet
(D)], chloramphenicol (
catI
,
catIII
, and
floR
), and trimethoprim (
dhfrI
,
dhfrV
,
dhfrVII
, and
dhfrXIII
) resistance genes were observed between the animal and the human isolates. Approximately one-third of the ExPEC isolates possessed a class 1 integron. The four major different variable regions of the class 1 integron contained aminoglycoside (
aadA1
,
aadA2
,
aadA5
, and
aadA6
) and/or trimethoprim (
dhfrIb
,
dhfrXII
, and
dhfrXVII
) resistance genes. The ExPEC strains belonged to different phylogenetic groups, depending on their host origin. Strains isolated from animal tissues belonged to either a commensal group (group A or B1) or a virulent group (group B2 or D), while the majority of the human isolates belonged to a virulent group (group B2 or D). Although the limited number of isolates evaluated in the present study prevents firm epidemiological conclusions from being made, on a more global scale, these data demonstrate that extraintestinal isolates of
E. coli
can possess relatively distinct intra- and intergroup resistance gene profiles, with animal isolates presenting a more heterogeneous group than human isolates.
Isolates of
Burkholderia pseudomallei
from Northern Australia Are Distinct by Multilocus Sequence Typing, but Strain Types Do Not Correlate with Clinical Presentation
Authors: Cheng Allen C. , Godoy Daniel , Mayo Mark , Gal Daniel , Spratt Brian G. , Currie Bart J.
Published: December 2004

Melioidosis is the disease caused by the saprophytic organism
Burkholderia pseudomallei
. Previous studies have suggested some strain tropism and differential virulence. In this study, we defined strains by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of isolates taken from the Top End of Australia's Northern Territory and compared the results with those of other strains typed worldwide. We specifically sought clinical and geographical correlates of strain types. Among 87 Australian isolates, 48 sequence types were defined. None of the sequence types in this study has been found elsewhere in the world. Strains were distributed widely throughout the region, and the different presentations of disease, including neurological and prostatic infection, were associated with many different strains. There was excellent congruence between pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and MLST, and the two typing methods had a similar level of strain discrimination. The work suggests that host and environmental factors may be more important in determining disease presentation than infecting strain type. It is possible that the distinct but diverse strain types found in this study reflect Australia's geographical isolation over many millions of years.
Impact of Proficiency Testing on Results of the Microscopic Agglutination Test for Diagnosis of Leptospirosis
Authors: Chappel R. J. , Goris M. , Palmer M. F. , Hartskeerl R. A.
Published: December 2004

A proficiency testing scheme for the leptospirosis microscopic agglutination test was provided to 37 laboratories in 23 countries in 2002 (round 1) and to 60 laboratories in 34 countries in 2003 (round 2). Thirty-four laboratories participated in both rounds. Each panel consisted of five rabbit serum samples, four of which were antisera raised against pathogenic serovars of
Leptospira
. One of these samples was a mixture of two different antisera. The rates of false-negative results, calculated on the basis of the assumption that serovars within a serogroup will cross-react, were 11% for round 1 and 14% for round 2. There were regional differences in the rates of false-negative results. The titers reported by laboratories testing for the same sample with the same serovar varied widely. Laboratories that had previously participated in round 1 reported fewer false-negative results in round 2 than new participants (10 and 21%, respectively [
P
= 0.002]) and reported 0.56 false-negative results per participant, whereas new participants reported 1.23 false-negative results per participant (
P
= 0.041). Laboratories that had previously participated also reported fewer false-negative results in round 2 than in round 1 when samples common to both rounds were tested (5 and 15%, respectively [
P
= 0.028]). The titers reported by the new participants were, on average, lower than those reported by the laboratories that had participated previously (
P
= 0.019) and were significantly more variable (
P
= 0.001). Analysis of these results suggests a positive impact of proficiency testing on the testing performance of the participating laboratories.
Evaluation of a Bedside Immunochromatographic Test for Detection of Adenovirus in Respiratory Samples, by Comparison to Virus Isolation, PCR, and Real-Time PCR
Authors: Fujimoto Tsuguto , Okafuji Teruo , Okafuji Takao , Ito Masahiro , Nukuzuma Soichi , Chikahira Masatsugu , Nishio Osamu
Published: December 2004

An immunochromatography (IC) kit for human adenovirus (HAdV) was evaluated with 138 patient nasopharyngeal samples. The samples were collected at a sentinel clinic in Japan from January through June 2003. Patients were diagnosed by clinical manifestation of pharyngoconjunctival fever (
n
= 38) or exudative tonsillitis (
n
= 100). The IC kit was positive for 84% (116 of 138) of patients diagnosed at bedside. The remaining extract solution of the IC kit test was transferred into maintenance medium and tested via laboratory diagnoses. The IC kit had 95% sensitivity (116 of 122 patients) with HAdV isolation (isolation) as the standard and 91% sensitivity (116 of 128 patients) with PCR as the standard. All of the IC kit-positive samples were isolation and PCR positive. Similarly, all the isolation-positive samples were PCR positive. Twenty-two IC kit-negative samples were evaluated by real-time PCR. Six samples were IC kit negative and isolation positive and contained 3.8 × 10
7
to 2.5 × 10
9
copies of the HAdV genome/ml. Five samples that were only PCR positive contained 3.0 × 10
4
to 3.8 × 10
5
copies of the HAdV genome/ml, but one sample was real-time PCR negative. We conclude that the IC kit is a useful bedside diagnostic tool for HAdV infections because it has 95% sensitivity (compared to isolation), but a negative result does not always rule out HAdV infection.
AspergillusGalactomannan Enzyme Immunoassay and Quantitative PCR for Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis with Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
Authors: Musher Benjamin , Fredricks David , Leisenring Wendy , Balajee S. Arunmozhi , Smith Caitlin , Marr Kieren A.
Published: December 2004

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is frequent and often fatal in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Diagnosis requires microbiological or histopathologic demonstration of the organism in tissues; however, cultivation ofAspergillusspecies from respiratory secretions has low diagnostic sensitivity. Assays to detectAspergillusantigen or DNA in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid could facilitate earlier diagnosis, thereby guiding optimal therapy and obviating the need for additional costly and potentially morbid diagnostic evaluation. We evaluated the performance of a galactomannan enzyme immunoassay (GM EIA; Bio-Rad) by using a range of index cutoffs to define positivity and a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for the detection ofAspergillusspecies from BAL samples of patients with proven and probable IPA (case patients;n= 49) and without IPA (control patients;n= 50). The sensitivity of the GM EIA was 61% with an index cutoff of 1.0 and 76% with an index cutoff of 0.5; the corresponding specificities were 98 and 94%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of qPCR assay were 67 and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity with 22 culture-negative BAL specimens from patients with IPA was 41% for GM EIA with an index cutoff of 1.0, 59% for GM EIA with an index cutoff of 0.5, and 36% for qPCR assay. GM EIA indices and DNA quantities corresponded to BAL fungal burdens, with culture-positive samples having larger amounts of antigen and DNA compared to culture-negative samples. GM EIA and qPCR assay add to the sensitivity of BAL for diagnosing IPA in high-risk patients, with excellent specificity. Adjunctive use of these tests may reduce dependence on invasive diagnostic procedures.
Culture-Independent Identification of Periodontitis-Associated
Porphyromonas
and
Tannerella
Populations by Targeted Molecular Analysis
Authors: de Lillo A. , Booth V. , Kyriacou L. , Weightman A. J. , Wade W. G.
Published: December 2004

Periodontitis is the commonest bacterial disease of humans and is the major cause of adult tooth loss. About half of the oral microflora is unculturable; and 16S rRNA PCR, cloning, and sequencing techniques have demonstrated the high level of species richness of the oral microflora. In the present study, a PCR primer set specific for the genera
Porphyromonas
and
Tannerella
was designed and used to analyze the bacterial populations in subgingival plaque samples from inflamed shallow and deep sites in subjects with periodontitis and shallow sites in age- and sex-matched controls. A total of 308 clones were sequenced and found to belong to one of six
Porphyromonas
or
Tannerella
species or phylotypes, one of which,
Porphyromonas
P3, was novel.
Tannerella forsythensis
was found in significantly higher proportions in patients than in controls.
Porphyromonas catoniae
and
Tannerella
phylotype BU063 appeared to be associated with shallow sites. Targeted culture-independent molecular ecology studies have a valuable role to play in the identification of bacterial targets for further investigations of the pathogenesis of bacterial infections.
Genotypic and Phenotypic Heterogeneity amongMycobacterium tuberculosisIsolates from Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients
Authors: Shamputa Isdore Chola , Rigouts Leen , Eyongeta Lovet Achale , El Aila Nabil Abdullah , van Deun Armand , Salim Abdul Hamid , Willery Eve , Locht Camille , Supply Philip , Portaels Françoise
Published: December 2004

Although the heterogeneity ofMycobacterium tuberculosispopulations and the existence of mixed infections are now generally accepted, systematic studies on their relative importance are rare. In the present study, 10 individual colonies of eachM. tuberculosisisolate (primary isolate) from 97 tuberculosis patients in a primarily human immunodeficiency virus-negative population were screened for heterogeneity and detectable mixed infections by spoligotyping, IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number of tandem repeat typing. The MICs of antituberculosis drugs for colonies with divergent fingerprints were determined. Infections with different bacterial subpopulations were detected in the samples from eight patients (8.2%), and the frequency of detectable mixed infections in the study population was estimated to be 2.1%. Genotypic variations were found to be independent of the drug susceptibilities, and the various molecular markers evolved independently in most cases. The predominant strains and the primary isolates always had concordant drug susceptibility and MIC testing results. These findings have implications on the interpretation of molecular epidemiology results for patient follow-up and in transmission studies.
Nicoletella semolinagen. nov., sp. nov., a New Member ofPasteurellaceaeIsolated from Horses with Airway Disease
Authors: Kuhnert Peter , Korczak Bożena , Falsen Enevold , Straub Reto , Hoops Anneliese , Boerlin Patrick , Frey Joachim , Mutters Reinier
Published: December 2004

Gram-negative, nonmotile bacteria that are catalase, oxidase, and urease positive are regularly isolated from the airways of horses with clinical signs of respiratory disease. On the basis of the findings by a polyphasic approach, we propose that these strains be classified asNicoletella semolinagen. nov, sp. nov., a new member of the familyPasteurellaceae. N. semolinareduces nitrate to nitrite but is otherwise biochemically inert; this includes the lack of an ability to ferment glucose and other sugars. Growth is fastidious, and the isolates have a distinctive colony morphology, with the colonies being dry and waxy and looking like a semolina particle that can be moved around on an agar plate without losing their shape. DNA-DNA hybridization data and multilocus phylogenetic analysis, including 16S rRNA gene (rDNA),rpoB, andinfBsequencing, clearly placedN. semolinaas a new genus in the familyPasteurellaceae. In all the phylogenetic trees constructed,N. semolinais on a distinct branch displaying ∼5% 16S rDNA, ∼16%rpoB, and ∼20%infBsequence divergence from its nearest relative within the familyPasteurellaceae. High degrees of conservation of the 16S rDNA (99.8%),rpoB(99.6%), andinfB(99.7%) sequences exist within the species, indicating thatN. semolinaisolates not only are phenotypically homogeneous but also are genetically homogeneous. The type strain ofN. semolinais CCUG43639T(DSM16380T).
“
Bacteroides nordii
” sp. nov. and “
Bacteroides salyersae
” sp. nov. Isolated from Clinical Specimens of Human Intestinal Origin
Authors: Song Y. L. , Liu C. X. , McTeague M. , Finegold S. M.
Published: December 2004

Two groups of unknown bacteria, which phenotypically resemble members of the
Bacteroides fragilis
group but phylogenetically display >5% 16S rRNA gene sequence divergence from their nearest validly described species,
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron
, were characterized by phenotypic and molecular taxonomic methods. Phylogenetically and phenotypically, the unidentified bacteria displayed a relatively close association with each other. However, a 16S rRNA gene sequence divergence of approximately 4% between the two unknown bacteria, as well as distinguishable biochemical characteristics, demonstrates that these organisms are genotypically and phenotypically distinct, and each group may represent a previously unknown subline within the
Bacteroides
phylogenetic cluster. Subsequent DNA-DNA hybridization studies confirmed that the two novel organisms were indeed distinct from each other. The previously described species closest to both of them is
B. thetaiotaomicron
(approximately 94% sequence similarity), but they can be differentiated easily from
B. thetaiotaomicron
by virtue of not utilizing trehalose. DNA-DNA pairing studies also documented the separateness of the unknown species and
B. thetaiotaomicron
. Based on the phenotypic and phylogenetic findings, two new species, “
Bacteroides nordii
” sp. nov. and “
Bacteroides salyersae
” sp. nov, are proposed. The G+C content of the DNA is 41.4 mol% for
Bacteroides nordii
and 42.0 mol% for
Bacteroides salyersae
. The type strains of
Bacteroides nordii
and
Bacteroides salyersae
are WAL 11050 (ATCC BAA-998 or CCUG 48943) and WAL 10018 (ATCC BAA-997 or CCUG 48945), respectively.