bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Quadriceps Kinesio Taping on Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise Performance in Healthy Participants: A Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Duruturk Neslihan , Pekyavas Nihan Ozunlu , Yρlmaz Atakan , Karatas Metin 
Published: March 2016

Objective:Aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacities are important components of athletic performance. The use of Kinesio Taping® (KT) as a supplementary treatment in athletic settings has increased in the recent years. KT can facilitate muscle contraction, which may be useful for improving performance. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the application of KT to the quadriceps muscle has any effect on anaerobic and aerobic performance in young healthy individuals.Design:Randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical study.Setting:Baskent University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.Patients:Thirty-two healthy male participants were randomly assigned to either the KT group or a sham KT (SKT) group.Interventions:The KT muscle facilitation technique was applied to the quadriceps muscle bilaterally and measurements were taken 45 min later to ensure full adhesion.Main Outcome Measures:The Wingate cycle ergometer test was used to assess peak anaerobic power (peak AnP, in Watts) and exercise capacity (Watt/kg), while the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) was used to assess aerobic exercise capacity of the participants. Comparisons between groups were performed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test, while those between baseline and posttaping used the nonparametric Wilcoxon test.Results:No significant difference was found between the two groups in the aerobic or anaerobic test parameters (p > .05). Within the groups, a significant improvement in time factors in peak AnP (929.7 2 ± 184.37 W to 1043.49 ± 224.42 W) was found only in the KT group (p = .028) and no other parameter was significantly different (p > .05).Conclusions:KT applied to the quadriceps muscle can positively improve anaerobic exercise performance and athletic performance capacity. However, KT did not affect aerobic capacity. Further research is needed to show that KT can improve and support anaerobic and aerobic exercise capacity in healthy participants or athletes.
The Effects of Cold Water Immersion on Postexercise Muscle Soreness and Fatigue
Authors: Lorete Christina J. , Fontaine Riley N. , Welsch Lauren A. , Hoch Johanna M. 
Published: March 2016

Clinical Question:Is there evidence to suggest continuous cold water immersion (CWI) as a postexercise recovery intervention is more effective at reducing perceived muscle fatigue or soreness as measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) when compared with passive rest in physically active adults?Summary of Key Findings:A systematic search of the literature produced 124 studies, with two randomized controlled trials and two cross-over studies meeting the inclusion criteria.Clinical Bottom Line:There is inconsistent, limited-quality evidence to support that the use of CWI postexercise is more effective at reducing perceived muscle fatigue or soreness in physically active adults when compared with passive rest. The results of the included studies were inconsistent regarding the application of continuous CWI for 10–14 min to reduce perceived muscle fatigue and soreness when compared with passive rest. The good-quality evidence found no difference between conditions and the three limited-quality studies identified differences between the conditions.
Identification of Novel VEB β-Lactamase Enzymes and Their Impact on Avibactam Inhibition
Authors: Lahiri Sushmita D. , Alm Richard A. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Ceftazidime-avibactam has activity against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Enterobacteriaceae
expressing numerous class A and class C β-lactamases, although the ability to inhibit many minor enzyme variants has not been established. Novel VEB class A β-lactamases were identified during characterization of surveillance isolates. The cloned novel VEB β-lactamases possessed an extended-spectrum β-lactamase phenotype and were inhibited by avibactam in a concentration-dependent manner. The residues that comprised the avibactam binding pocket were either identical or functionally conserved. These data demonstrate that avibactam can inhibit VEB β-lactamases.
Clofazimine Contributes Sustained Antimicrobial Activity after Treatment Cessation in a Mouse Model of Tuberculosis Chemotherapy
Authors: Swanson Rosemary V. , Ammerman Nicole C. , Ngcobo Bongani , Adamson John , Moodley Chivonne , Dorasamy Afton , Moodley Sashen , Mgaga Zinhle , Bester Linda A. , Singh Sanil D. , Almeida Deepak V. , Grosset Jacques H. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Experimental and clinical studies have indicated that the antileprosy drug clofazimine may contribute treatment-shortening activity when included in tuberculosis treatment regimens. Clofazimine accumulates to high levels in tissues, has a long half-life, and remains in the body for months after administration is stopped. We hypothesized that in tuberculosis treatment, accumulated clofazimine may contribute sustained antimicrobial activity after treatment cessation, and we used the BALB/c mouse model of chronic tuberculosis chemotherapy to address this hypothesis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
-infected mice were treated for 4 weeks or 8 weeks with either isoniazid alone, clofazimine alone, the first-line regimen rifampin-isoniazid-pyrazinamide-ethambutol, or a first-line regimen where clofazimine was administered in place of ethambutol. To evaluate posttreatment antimicrobial activity, bacterial regrowth in the lungs and spleens was assessed at the day of treatment cessation and 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after treatment was stopped. Bacterial regrowth was delayed in all mice receiving clofazimine, either alone or in combination, compared to the mice that did not receive clofazimine. This effect was especially evident in mice receiving multidrug therapy. In mice not receiving clofazimine, bacterial regrowth began almost immediately after treatment was stopped, while in mice receiving clofazimine, bacterial regrowth was delayed for up to 6 weeks, with the duration of sustained antimicrobial activity being positively associated with the time that serum clofazimine levels remained at or above the 0.25-μg/ml MIC for
M. tuberculosis
. Thus, sustained activity of clofazimine may be important in the treatment-shortening effect associated with this drug.
Zinc(II)-Dipicolylamine Coordination Complexes as Targeting and Chemotherapeutic Agents for Leishmania major
Authors: Rice Douglas R. , Vacchina Paola , Norris-Mullins Brianna , Morales Miguel A. , Smith Bradley D. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that causes painful lesions and severe disfigurement. Modern treatment relies on a few chemotherapeutics with serious limitations, and there is a need for more effective alternatives. This study describes the selective targeting of zinc(II)-dipicolylamine (ZnDPA) coordination complexes toward
Leishmania major
, one of the species responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Fluorescence microscopy of
L. major
promastigotes treated with a fluorescently labeled ZnDPA probe indicated rapid accumulation of the probe within the axenic promastigote cytosol. The antileishmanial activities of eight ZnDPA complexes were measured using an
in vitro
assay. All tested complexes exhibited selective toxicity against
L. major
axenic promastigotes, with 50% effective concentration values in the range of 12.7 to 0.3 μM. Similar toxicity was observed against intracellular amastigotes, but there was almost no effect on the viability of mammalian cells, including mouse peritoneal macrophages.
In vivo
treatment efficacy studies used fluorescence imaging to noninvasively monitor changes in the red fluorescence produced by an infection of mCherry-
L. major
in a mouse model. A ZnDPA treatment regimen reduced the parasite burden nearly as well as the reference care agent, potassium antimony(III) tartrate, and with less necrosis in the local host tissue. The results demonstrate that ZnDPA coordination complexes are a promising new class of antileishmanial agents with potential for clinical translation.
In Vitro
Analysis of the Interaction between Atovaquone and Proguanil against Liver Stage Malaria Parasites
Authors: Barata Lídia , Houzé Pascal , Boutbibe Khadija , Zanghi Gigliola , Franetich Jean-François , Mazier Dominique , Clain Jérôme 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

The interaction between atovaquone and proguanil has never been studied against liver stage malaria, which is the main target of this drug combination when used for chemoprevention. Using human hepatocytes lacking cytochrome P450 activity, and thus avoiding proguanil metabolizing into potent cycloguanil, we show
in vitro
that the atovaquone-proguanil combination synergistically inhibits the growth of rodent
Plasmodium yoelii
parasites. These results provide a pharmacological basis for the high efficacy of atovaquone-proguanil used as malaria chemoprevention.
Modulation of Membrane Influx and Efflux in Escherichia coli Sequence Type 131 Has an Impact on Bacterial Motility, Biofilm Formation, and Virulence in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model
Authors: Pantel Alix , Dunyach-Remy Catherine , Ngba Essebe Christelle , Mesureur Jennifer , Sotto Albert , Pagès Jean-Marie , Nicolas-Chanoine Marie-Hélène , Lavigne Jean-Philippe 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Energy-dependent efflux overexpression and altered outer membrane permeability (influx) can promote multidrug resistance (MDR). The present study clarifies the regulatory pathways that control membrane permeability in the pandemic clone
Escherichia coli
sequence type 131 (ST131) and evaluates the impact of efflux and influx modulations on biofilm formation, motility, and virulence in the
Caenorhabditis elegans
model. Mutants of two uropathogenic
E. coli
(UPEC) strains, MECB5 (ST131;
H
30-Rx) and CFT073 (ST73), as well as a fecal strain, S250 (ST131;
H
22), were
in vitro
selected using continuous subculture in subinhibitory concentrations of ertapenem (ETP), chloramphenicol (CMP), and cefoxitin (FOX). Mutations in genes known to control permeability were shown for the two UPEC strains: MECB5-FOX (deletion of 127 bp in
marR
; deletion of 1 bp and insertion of an IS
1
element in
acrR
) and CFT073-CMP (a 1-bp deletion causing a premature stop in
marR
). We also demonstrated that efflux phenotypes in the mutants selected with CMP and FOX were related to the AcrAB-TolC pump, but also to other efflux systems. Alteration of membrane permeability, caused by underexpression of the two major porins, OmpF and OmpC, was shown in MECB5-ETP and mutants selected with FOX. Lastly, our findings suggest that efflux pump-overproducing isolates (CMP mutants) pose a serious threat in terms of virulence (significant reduction in worm median survival) and host colonization. Lack of porins (ETP and FOX mutants) led to a high level of antibiotic resistance in an
H
30-Rx subclone. Nevertheless, this adaptation created a physiological disadvantage (decreased motility and ability to form biofilm) associated with a low potential for virulence.
In Vitro
Approach for Identification of the Most Effective Agents for Antimicrobial Lock Therapy in the Treatment of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections Caused by Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Hogan S. , Zapotoczna M. , Stevens N. T. , Humphreys H. , O'Gara J. P. , O'Neill E. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Infection of intravascular catheters by
Staphylococcus aureus
is a significant risk factor within the health care setting. To treat these infections and attempt salvage of an intravascular catheter, antimicrobial lock solutions (ALSs) are being increasingly used. However, the most effective ALSs against these biofilm-mediated infections have yet to be determined, and clinical practice varies greatly. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacies of antibiotics and antiseptics in current clinical use against biofilms produced by reference and clinical isolates of
S. aureus
. Static and flow biofilm assays were developed using newly described
in vivo
-relevant conditions to examine the effect of each agent on
S. aureus
within the biofilm matrix. The antibiotics daptomycin, tigecycline, and rifampin and the antiseptics ethanol and Taurolock inactivated established
S. aureus
biofilms, while other commonly used antistaphylococcal antibiotics and antiseptic agents were less effective. These findings were confirmed by live/dead staining of
S. aureus
biofilms formed and treated within a flow cell model. The results from this study demonstrate the most effective clinically used agents and their concentrations which should be used within an ALS to treat
S. aureus
-mediated intravascular catheter-related infections.
Susceptibility Testing of Antibiotics That Degrade Faster than the Doubling Time of Slow-Growing Mycobacteria: Ertapenem Sterilizing Effect versus Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Srivastava Shashikant , van Rijn Sander P. , Wessels A. Mireille A. , Alffenaar Jan-Willem C. , Gumbo Tawanda 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Drug susceptibility tests (DSTs) for
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
require at least 7 days of incubation. Drugs that are unstable at 37°C, such as ertapenem, are likely to be degraded before killing or inhibiting slow-growing bacteria. This would alter the MICs of these drugs, including ertapenem, leading to falsely high MICs. Here, we describe a new strategy we developed to perform DSTs and measure MICs for such unstable compounds.
Results from Oritavancin Resistance Surveillance Programs (2011 to 2014): Clarification for Using Vancomycin as a Surrogate To Infer Oritavancin Susceptibility
Authors: Jones Ronald N. , Moeck Greg , Arhin Francis F. , Dudley Michael N. , Rhomberg Paul R. , Mendes Rodrigo E. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
Measurement of vancomycin susceptibility has been shown to be highly predictive as a surrogate measure of oritavancin susceptibility among clinically indicated Gram-positive species. Results of studying over 30,000 pathogens (from 2011 to 2014) by cross-susceptibility analysis and determining the poor reproducibility of oritavancin-nonsusceptible results showed nearly perfect surrogate testing accuracy (99.86 to 99.94%). Any isolate of an indicated organism species with locally reproducible oritavancin-nonsusceptible results (extremely rare) should be referred to a reference laboratory for confirmation of the results and determination of the resistance mechanism.
Clindamycin Pharmacokinetics and Safety in Preterm and Term Infants
Authors: Gonzalez Daniel , Delmore Paula , Bloom Barry T. , Cotten C. Michael , Poindexter Brenda B. , McGowan Elisabeth , Shattuck Karen , Bradford Kathleen K. , Smith P. Brian , Cohen-Wolkowiez Michael , Morris Maurine , Yin Wanrong , Benjamin Daniel K. , Laughon Matthew M. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Clindamycin may be active against methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
, a common pathogen causing sepsis in infants, but optimal dosing in this population is unknown. We performed a multicenter, prospective pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety study of clindamycin in infants. We analyzed the data using a population PK analysis approach and included samples from two additional pediatric trials. Intravenous data were collected from 62 infants (135 plasma PK samples) with postnatal ages of <121 days (median [range] gestational age of 28 weeks [23 to 42] and postnatal age of 17 days [1 to 115]). In addition to body weight, postmenstrual age (PMA) and plasma protein concentrations (albumin and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein) were found to be significantly associated with clearance and volume of distribution, respectively. Clearance reached 50% of the adult value at PMA of 39.5 weeks. Simulated PMA-based intravenous dosing regimens administered every 8 h (≤32 weeks PMA, 5 mg/kg; 32 to 40 weeks PMA, 7 mg/kg; >40 to 60 weeks PMA, 9 mg/kg) resulted in an unbound, steady-state concentration at half the dosing interval greater than a MIC for
S. aureus
of 0.12 μg/ml in >90% of infants. There were no adverse events related to clindamycin use. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01728363.)
Involvement of NADH Oxidase in Competition and Endocarditis Virulence in Streptococcus sanguinis
Authors: Ge Xiuchun , Yu Yang , Zhang Min , Chen Lei , Chen Weihua , Elrami Fadi , Kong Fanxiang , Kitten Todd , Xu Ping 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Here, we report for the first time that the
Streptococcus sanguinis
nox
gene encoding NADH oxidase is involved in both competition with
Streptococcus mutans
and virulence for infective endocarditis. An
S. sanguinis
nox
mutant was found to fail to inhibit the growth of
Streptococcus mutans
under microaerobic conditions. In the presence of oxygen, the recombinant Nox protein of
S. sanguinis
could reduce oxygen to water and oxidize NADH to NAD
+
. The oxidation of NADH to NAD
+
was diminished in the
nox
mutant. The
nox
mutant exhibited decreased levels of extracellular H
2
O
2
; however, the intracellular level of H
2
O
2
in the mutant was increased. Furthermore, the virulence of the
nox
mutant was attenuated in a rabbit endocarditis model. The
nox
mutant also was shown to be more sensitive to blood killing, oxidative and acid stresses, and reduced growth in serum. Thus, NADH oxidase contributes to multiple phenotypes related to competitiveness in the oral cavity and systemic virulence.
Role of the Emp Pilus Subunits of Enterococcus faecium in Biofilm Formation, Adherence to Host Extracellular Matrix Components, and Experimental Infection
Authors: Montealegre Maria Camila , Singh Kavindra V. , Somarajan Sudha R. , Yadav Puja , Chang Chungyu , Spencer Robert , Sillanpää Jouko , Ton-That Hung , Murray Barbara E. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Enterococcus faecium
is an important cause of hospital-associated infections, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), bacteremia, and infective endocarditis. Pili have been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of Gram-positive bacteria, including
E. faecium
. We previously demonstrated that a nonpiliated Δ
empABC
::
cat
derivative of
E. faecium
TX82 was attenuated in biofilm formation and in a UTI model. Here, we studied the contributions of the individual pilus subunits EmpA, EmpB, and EmpC to pilus architecture, biofilm formation, adherence to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, and infection. We identified EmpA as the tip of the pili and found that deletion of
empA
reduced biofilm formation to the same level as deletion of the
empABC
operon, a phenotype that was restored by reconstituting
in situ
the
empA
gene. Deletion of
empB
also caused a reduction in biofilm, while EmpC was found to be dispensable. Significant reductions in adherence to fibrinogen and collagen type I were observed with deletion of
empA
and
empB
, while deletion of
empC
had no adherence defect. Furthermore, we showed that each deletion mutant was significantly attenuated in comparison to the isogenic parental strain, TX82, in a mixed-inoculum UTI model (
P
< 0.001 to 0.048), that reconstitution of
empA
restored virulence in the UTI model, and that deletion of
empA
also resulted in attenuation in an infective endocarditis model (
P
= 0.0088). Our results indicate that EmpA and EmpB, but not EmpC, contribute to biofilm and adherence to ECM proteins; however, all the Emp pilins are important for
E. faecium
to cause infection in the urinary tract.
Neisseria meningitidis Polynucleotide Phosphorylase Affects Aggregation, Adhesion, and Virulence
Authors: Engman Jakob , Negrea Aurel , Sigurlásdóttir Sara , Geörg Miriam , Eriksson Jens , Eriksson Olaspers Sara , Kuwae Asaomi , Sjölinder Hong , Jonsson Ann-Beth 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Neisseria meningitidis
autoaggregation is an important step during attachment to human cells. Aggregation is mediated by type IV pili and can be modulated by accessory pilus proteins, such as PilX, and posttranslational modifications of the major pilus subunit PilE. The mechanisms underlying the regulation of aggregation remain poorly characterized. Polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) is a 3′–5′ exonuclease that is involved in RNA turnover and the regulation of small RNAs. In this study, we biochemically confirm that NMC0710 is the
N. meningitidis
PNPase, and we characterize its role in
N. meningitidis
pathogenesis. We show that deletion of the gene encoding PNPase leads to hyperaggregation and increased adhesion to epithelial cells. The aggregation induced was found to be dependent on pili and to be mediated by excessive pilus bundling. PNPase expression was induced following bacterial attachment to human cells. Deletion of PNPase led to global transcriptional changes and the differential regulation of 469 genes. We also demonstrate that PNPase is required for full virulence in an
in vivo
model of
N. meningitidis
infection. The present study shows that PNPase negatively affects aggregation, adhesion, and virulence in
N. meningitidis
.
Evaluating the impacts of screening and smoking cessation programmes on lung cancer in a high-burden region of the USA: a simulation modelling study
Authors: Tramontano Angela C , Sheehan Deirdre F , McMahon Pamela M , Dowling Emily C , Holford Theodore R , Ryczak Karen , Lesko Samuel M , Levy David T , Kong Chung Yin 
Published: March 2016

ObjectiveWhile the US Preventive Services Task Force has issued recommendations for lung cancer screening, its effectiveness at reducing lung cancer burden may vary at local levels due to regional variations in smoking behaviour. Our objective was to use an existing model to determine the impacts of lung cancer screening alone or in addition to increased smoking cessation in a US region with a relatively high smoking prevalence and lung cancer incidence.SettingComputer-based simulation model.ParticipantsSimulated population of individuals 55 and older based on smoking prevalence and census data from Northeast Pennsylvania.InterventionsHypothetical lung cancer control from 2014 to 2050 through (1) screening with CT, (2) intensified smoking cessation or (3) a combination strategy.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary outcomes were lung cancer mortality rates. Secondary outcomes included number of people eligible for screening and number of radiation-induced lung cancers.ResultsCombining lung cancer screening with increased smoking cessation would yield an estimated 8.1% reduction in cumulative lung cancer mortality by 2050. Our model estimated that the number of screening-eligible individuals would progressively decrease over time, indicating declining benefit of a screening-only programme. Lung cancer screening achieved a greater mortality reduction in earlier years, but was later surpassed by smoking cessation.ConclusionsCombining smoking cessation programmes with lung cancer screening would provide the most benefit to a population, especially considering the growing proportion of patients ineligible for screening based on current recommendations.