bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk modelling in blood safety – review of methods, strengths and limitations
Authors: Custer B. 
Published: June 2010

Risk modelling studies in blood safety play an important but occasionally misunderstood role. These studies are intended to quantify and contrast risks and benefits. This information is critical for policy development and intervention decision‐making. The limitations of risk modelling should be considered alongside the results obtained.The goal of this manuscript and presentation is to review current risk modelling techniques used in blood safety and to discuss the pros and cons of using this information in the decision‐making process. The types of questions that can be answered include the extent of a risk or threat; implications of action or inaction; identification of effective strategies for risk management; or whether to adopt specific interventions. These analyses can be focused on a risk alone but are often combined with economic information to gain an understanding of feasible risk interventions given budgetary or other monetary considerations. Thus, analyses that include risk modelling provide insights along multiple lines. As important, the analyses also provide information on what is not known or uncertain about a potential hazard and how much that uncertainty may influence the decision‐making process.Specific examples of the range of risk analyses in which the author has participated will be reviewed and will include ongoing process improvement in testing laboratories such as error identification/eradication, estimation of the risk of malaria exposure based on the specific locations of travel, evaluation of blood supply and demand during an influenza pandemic, cost‐utility analyses of screening interventions for infectious diseases in countries with different human development indices, and insurance against emerging pathogen risk. Each of these analyses has a different purpose and seeks to answer different questions, but all rely on similar methods.The tool kit for risk analysis is broad and varied but does have limitations. The chief limitation of risk modelling is that risk analyses are not scientific experiments or otherwise controlled studies. Consequently, the analyses are more apt to be influenced by assumptions. These assumptions may be necessary to structure a problem in a way that will allow the question of interest to be answered or may result from incomplete or missing information. Another potential limitation is that commissioners of such studies, those who undertake them, and the intended audience, such as regulatory agencies, may have distinct and differing interpretations of the results.Risk modelling is a set of techniques that can be used to inform and support decision‐making at all levels in transfusion medicine. Advances in risk modelling techniques allow for continued expansion in the scope of possible questions that can be analysed. Expanded use also improves the acceptance of the utility of these studies in blood safety and transfusion medicine.
How do we treat? Clinical haemotherapy: platelet transfusion
Authors: Schrezenmeier H. , Höchsmann B. , Wiesneth M. 
Published: June 2010

Platelet transfusions play an important role in prevention or treatment of bleeding in patients with thrombocytopenia or severely impaired platelet function. In clinical haemotherapy a number of decisions are necessary, including choice of the type of platelet concentrate, transfusion trigger for prophylactic platelet transfusions and the dose of platelet transfusion.Usage of apheresis platelet concentrates and pooled whole blood‐derived platelet concentrates varies greatly between countries and individual institutions. A clear advantage of apheresis concentrates can only be demonstrated in allosensitized patients with HLA‐ or HPA‐antibodies who receive antigen‐compatible apheresis platelet concentrates. We follow the recommendation to base the product choice mainly on availability and medical indication.Recent data on therapeutic instead of prophylactic transfusions require a new position‐fixing on when platelet transfusions should be given. Given the attempt to optimize patient safety and to avoid life‐threatening bleeding complications the available data still suggest using a prophylactic approach in routine settings outside of clinical trials for treatment of thrombocytopenia in the context of chemotherapy and impaired platelet production.Various studies addressed the effect of platelet dose in prophylactic transfusions in patients with hypoproliferative thrombocytopenia. We will review these studies and discuss implications for clinical practice.Some patients fail to achieve the appropriate platelet count increase after transfusion. This is still a challenging situation for clinicians and transfusion services. Approaches to identify the cause of platelet refractoriness as well as therapeutic algorithms will be proposed.
The Hull floods of 2007: implications for the governance and management of urban drainage systems
Authors: Coulthard T.J. , Frostick L.E. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractOn 25 June, the City of Hull suffered from extensive pluvial flooding, causing damage to over 8600 homes and 1300 businesses. Over 100 mm of rain fell over a 24‐h period, rapidly overwhelming the city's drainage system. Hull is especially vulnerable to flooding as it is largely below sea level and relies on a pumped drainage system with no natural ways of drainage. The causes of the flooding can be locally attributed to blocked roadside gulleys but in the main were due to issues with the conveyance of drained water in sewers and the performance of the three pumping stations. In particular, an extensive redesign of the system in 2001 increased flood storage and reduced the pumping capacity. In 2004, remodelling of the 2001 system indicated that it may be underpredicting flood volumes by 100% and decommissioned pumping stations were re‐activated to rectify matters. Subsequent modelling showed that the performance of the drainage system in 2007 was slightly worse than its 2001 configuration. The floods also revealed a series of key weaknesses in how urban drainage systems are managed. There is no system of warning from surface water flooding in the United Kingdom, despite there being an extensive warning system for coastal and fluvial flooding. Urban drainage is largely designed to accommodate 1 in 30‐year events, but this level is not appropriate in all areas, especially low‐lying regions with little or no natural drainage such as Hull. Finally, the structure of the UK water industry postprivatisation, with Local Authority, the Environment Agency and the Water Utility all having control over separate parts of the system, left no single agency with lead control or responsibility for urban surface water flooding.
Assessment of Microbial Biofilm Growth on Nanocrystalline Diamond in
a Continuous Perfusion Environment
Authors: Lewis J. S. , Gittard S. D. , Narayan R. J. , Berry C. J. , Brigmon R. L. , Ramamurti R. , Singh R. N. 
Published: June 2010

Abstract
A major concern with medical and dental biomaterials is colonization of these materials with microbial biofilms. One material processed using chemical vapor deposition and other conventional top-down nanomanufacturing technologies that has recently been considered for use in preventing growth of microorganisms is the nanocrystalline diamond. Nanocrystalline diamond coatings have been evaluated for use as coatings on medical implants (e.g., hip prostheses) and surgical tools due to their low coefficient of friction, high corrosion resistance, high hardness, and high wear resistance. In this study, the microstructural properties and microorganism interaction behavior of nanocrystalline diamond coatings were examined. A device for examining microbial biofilms known as a CDC biofilm reactor was used to examine the interaction between a fluorescent microorganism, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and nanocrystalline diamond coatings in a continuous perfusion environment. Biofilm formation was evident on the nanocrystalline diamond surface after 24 h. No correlation between grain size or morphology and cell density was observed; large variations in P. fluorescens growth on the coatings were observed, even for the samples with similar grain sizes and morphologies. The results of this study suggest that nanocrystalline diamond coatings do not prevent Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilm development in a continuous perfusion environment. Additional treatment of the nanocrystalline diamond coatings with antimicrobial and/or antifouling agents would be necessary to prevent formation of microbial biofilms. The development of novel continuous flow technologies for evaluating the growth of microbial biofilms on biomaterials will provide a better understanding of biomaterial-microorganism interaction and will enable the creation of enhanced antimicrobial biomaterials.
Unusual Applications of Machining: Controlled Nanostructuring of
Materials and Surfaces
Authors: Saldana C. , Swaminathan S. , Brown T. L. , Moscoso W. , Mann J. B. , Compton W. D. , Chandrasekar S. 
Published: June 2010

Abstract
A class of deformation processing applications based on the severe plastic deformation (SPD) inherent to chip formation in machining is described. The SPD can be controlled, in situ, to access a range of strains, strain rates, and temperatures. These parameters are tuned to engineer nanoscale microstructures (e.g., nanocrystalline, nanotwinned, and bimodal) by in situ control of the deformation rate. By constraining the chip formation, bulk forms (e.g., foil, sheet, and rod) with nanocrystalline and ultrafine grained microstructures are produced. Scaling down of the chip formation in the presence of a superimposed modulation enables production of nanostructured particulate with controlled particle shapes, including fiber, equiaxed, and platelet types. The SPD conditions also determine the deformation history of the machined surface, enabling microstructural engineering of surfaces. Application of the machining-based SPD to obtain deformation-microstructure maps is illustrated for a model material system—99.999% pure copper. Seemingly diverse, these unusual applications of machining are united by their common origins in the SPD phenomena prevailing in the deformation zone. Implications for large-scale manufacturing of nanostructured materials and optimization of SPD microstructures are briefly discussed.
Blocking Effect of a Monoclonal Antibody against Recombinant Pvs25 on Sporozoite Development in
Anopheles sinensis
Authors: Moon Sung-Ung , Kim Hyung-Hwan , Kim Tong-Soo , Choi Kyung-Mi , Oh Chang-Mi , Ahn Yong-Joo , Hwang Seo-Kyoung , Sohn Youngjoo , Shin E-Hyun , Kim Hyuck , Lee Hyeong-Woo 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACT

To develop a vaccine to block the transmission of vivax malaria, the gene encoding the ookinete surface protein Pvs25 was cloned from a Korean malaria patient. The
Pvs25
gene was 660 bp long, encoding 219 amino acids. It was subcloned into the expression vector pQE30 and expressed in
Escherichia coli
. The expressed recombinant protein, named rPvs25, showed a molecular mass of approximately 25 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis. An anti-rPvs25 monoclonal antibody produced in BALB/c mice was able to inhibit sporozoite development in the mosquito
Anopheles sinensis
, which is known as the malaria transmission vector in the Republic of Korea. In addition, rPvs25 produced a relatively high antibody titer in BALB/c mice that lasted for more than 6 months. Based on these results, we suggest that recombinant Pvs25 could be a useful antigen in the development of a vaccine to prevent local malaria transmission in the Republic of Korea.
A Large Study on Immunological Response to a Whole-Cell Killed Oral Cholera Vaccine Reveals That There Are Significant Geographical Differences in Response and That O Blood Group Individuals Do Not Elicit a Higher Response
Authors: Ramamurthy T. , Wagener Diane , Chowdhury Goutam , Majumder Partha P. 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACT
The ABO blood group system has been implicated in susceptibility to cholera or in explaining variability in the immune response to a cholera vaccine. O blood group individuals were found to be more susceptible to cholera and elicited lower vibriocidal antibody response to cholera toxin B subunit-killed oral vaccine. Based on the observations that O blood group individuals were more susceptible to cholera and that high mortality was associated with cholera, an evolutionary explanation was provided for the extremely low prevalence of the O blood group in the Gangetic Delta (West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh). However, conflicting results were reported from a later study conducted in Indonesia using a live attenuated oral cholera vaccine; O blood group individuals showed a higher vibriocidal antibody response. In a study conducted in a region of India where cholera is endemic (Kolkata, West Bengal) that comprised 992 individuals vaccinated by a killed whole-cell oral cholera vaccine, we found no statistically significant difference between O and non-O individuals either in the frequency distributions of the fold increase or in the postvaccination increase in geometric mean titer compared to the baseline. Further, in contrast to the earlier observation that the O allele frequency is extremely low in the Gangetic Delta, we have noted that the O allele frequency exceeds 0.5 in the vast majority of ethnic groups of this region. In addition, we have found large differences in response to the vaccine among residents of an area where cholera is not endemic compared to an area where cholera is endemic to The percentages of vaccinees who seroconverted in an area where cholera is not endemic (Son La province of Vietnam) was >90% compared to ∼50% in Kolkata, India, an area where cholera is endemic.
Mobilization of CD34
+
Progenitor Cells in Association with Decreased Proliferation in the Bone Marrow of Macaques after Administration of the Fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 Ligand
Authors: Reeves R. Keith , Wei Qing , Fultz Patricia N. 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACT

Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3-L) is critical for the differentiation and self-renewal of CD34
+
progenitor cells in primates and has been used therapeutically to mobilize progenitor and dendritic cells
in vivo
. However, little is known regarding the expansion of progenitor cells outside of peripheral blood, particularly in bone marrow (BM), where progenitor cells primarily reside. Evaluation of FLT3-L-mediated cell mobilization during lentivirus infections, where the numbers of CD34
+
progenitor cells are reduced, is limited. We enumerated frequencies and absolute numbers of CD34
+
progenitor cells in blood and BM of naive and SIV- or SHIV-infected macaques during and after the administration of FLT3-L. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that, while CD34
+
cells increased in the circulation, no expansion was observed in BM. Furthermore, in the BM intracellular Ki67, a marker of cell proliferation, was downregulated in CD34
+
progenitor cells but was upregulated significantly in the bulk cell population. Although the exact mechanism(s) remains unclear, these data suggest that CD34
+
cell mobilization in blood was the result of cellular emigration from BM and not the proliferation of CD34
+
cells already in the periphery. It is possible that the decreased progenitor cell proliferation observed in BM is evidence of a negative regulatory mechanism preventing hyperproliferation and development of neoplastic cells.
Comparison of an Automated Repetitive-Sequence-Based PCR Microbial Typing System with Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis for Molecular Typing of Vancomycin-Resistant
Enterococcus faecium
Authors: Chuang Yu-Chung , Wang Jann-Tay , Chen Mei-Ling , Chen Yee-Chun 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACT

Vancomycin-resistant
Enterococcus faecium
(VRE) has become an important health care-associated pathogen because of its rapid spread, limited therapeutic options, and possible transfer of vancomycin resistance to more-virulent pathogens. In this study, we compared the ability to detect clonal relationships among VRE isolates by an automated repetitive-sequence-based PCR (Rep-PCR) system (DiversiLab system) to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), the reference method for molecular typing of VRE. Two sets of VRE isolates evaluated in this study were collected by active microbial surveillance at a large teaching hospital in Taiwan during 2008. The first set included 90 isolates randomly selected from the surveillance cohort. The first set consisted of 34 pulsotypes and 10 Rep-PCR types. There was good correlation between the two methods (
P
< 0.001). The second set included 68 VRE isolates collected from eight clusters of colonization. A dominant clone was detected in five out of eight clusters by both methods. Two clusters were characterized by Rep-PCR as being caused by a dominant clone, whereas PFGE showed polyclonal origins. One cluster was shown to be polyclonal by both methods. A single Rep-PCR clone type was detected among 12 of 14 vancomycin-intermediate enterococci, whereas PFGE detected six pulsotypes. In conclusion, the Rep-PCR method correlated well with PFGE typing but was less discriminative than PFGE in defining clonal relationships. The ease of use and more rapid turnaround time of Rep-PCR compared to PFGE offers a rapid screening method to detect outbreaks of VRE and more rapidly implement control measures. PFGE remains the preferred method to confirm clonal spread.
Rapid Genus- and Species-Specific Identification of
Cronobacter
spp. by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Stephan Roger , Ziegler Dominik , Pflüger Valentin , Vogel Guido , Lehner Angelika 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACT

Cronobacter
spp. are Gram-negative opportunistic food-borne pathogens and are known as rare but important causes of life-threatening neonatal infections. Rapid and reliable identification of
Cronobacter
species and their differentiation from phenotypically similar, nonpathogenic
Enterobacter turicensis
,
Enterobacter helveticus
, and
Enterobacter pulveris
have become increasingly important. We evaluated here the application of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for rapid genus and species identification of the six
Cronobacter
species recognized so far. To this end, we developed a reference MS database library that includes 54
Cronobacter
target strains as well as 17 nontarget strains. The strains provided reproducible and unique mass spectra profiles covering a wide molecular mass range (2,000 to 30,000 Da). Genus- and species-specific biomarker protein mass patterns were determined. The defined biomarker mass patterns (Spectral Archive and Microbial Identification System [SARAMIS] SuperSpectrum) were validated using 36 strains from various
Cronobacter
species as well as eight nontarget strains. For all strains the mass spectrometry-based identification scheme yielded identical results as with a PCR-based identification system. All strains were correctly identified, and no nontarget strain was misidentified as
Cronobacter
. Our study demonstrates that MALDI-TOF MS is a reliable and powerful tool for the rapid identification of
Cronobacter
strains to the genus and species level.
Comparative Analysis of Rabies Virus Reverse Transcription-PCR and Virus Isolation Using Samples from a Patient Infected with Rabies Virus
Authors: Panning Marcus , Baumgarte Sigrid , Pfefferle Susanne , Maier Tanja , Martens Andreas , Drosten Christian 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACTDefinite and rapid diagnosis of rabies is required for individual case management as well as for public health. For the first time, a direct comparison of virus isolation with quantitative real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR on human rabies samples was conducted. RT-PCR was found to be more sensitive than virus isolation.
Validation of a Rapid Immunochromatographic Assay for Diagnosis of
Trypanosoma cruzi
Infection among Latin-American Migrants in Geneva, Switzerland
Authors: Chappuis François , Mauris Anne , Holst Marylise , Albajar-Vinas Pedro , Jannin Jean , Luquetti Alejandro O. , Jackson Yves 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACT

Chagas' disease is a global public health problem due to the recent exchange of population between Latin America and other regions, including Europe. The recent development of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for
Trypanosoma cruzi
infection may improve patient access to diagnosis and care worldwide. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the Chagas Stat-Pak RDT in a cohort of undocumented Latin-American migrants living in Geneva, Switzerland. Study participants were enrolled in a primary health care center. The Chagas Stat-Pak test was performed independently on blood and serum samples. A combination of two commercialized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based serological tests was used for comparison (reference standard). A total of 999 adults (median age, 36 years) were included in the study; the majority were women (83%) and originally from Bolivia (47%) or Brazil (25%). A total of 125 participants (12.5%) were diagnosed with
T. cruzi
infection; with the exception of three individuals, all individuals diagnosed with
T. cruzi
were originally from Bolivia. The sensitivity and specificity of the Chagas Stat-Pak test on blood samples were 95.2% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 89.2% to 97.9%) and 99.9% (95% CI, 99.3% to 100%), respectively. When the test was performed on serum samples, the sensitivity was 96% (95% CI, 91% to 98.3%), and the specificity was 99.8% (95% CI, 99.2% to 99.9%). The concordance of test results for blood and serum samples was 99.7%. Both negative and positive predictive values were above 98%. The Chagas Stat-Pak is an accurate diagnostic test for
T. cruzi
infection among Latin-American migrants living in Europe. The mild deficit in sensitivity should be interpreted in light of its ease of use and capacity to provide immediate results, which allow more people at risk to have access to diagnosis and care both in countries where Chagas' disease is endemic and in countries where this disease is not endemic.
Functional Properties of the Human Cytomegalovirus IE86 Protein Required for Transcriptional Regulation and Virus Replication
Authors: Harris Siabhon M. , Bullock Brady , Westgard Elizabeth , Zhu Hua , Stenberg Richard M. , Kerry Julie A. 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACT

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) IE86 protein is essential for HCMV replication due to its ability to transactivate critical viral early promoters. In the current study, we performed a comprehensive mutational analysis between amino acids (aa) 535 and 545 of IE86 and assessed the impact of these mutations on IE86-mediated transcriptional activation. Using transient assays and complementing analysis with recombinant HCMV clones, we show that single amino acid mutations differentially impair the ability of IE86 to mediate transactivation of essential early gene promoters. The conserved tyrosine at amino acid 544 is critical for activation of the UL54 promoter
in vitro
and in the context of the viral genome. In contrast, mutation of the proline at position 535 disrupted activation of the UL54 promoter in transient assays but displayed activity similar to that of wild-type (WT) IE86 when assessed in the genomic context. To examine the underlying mechanism of this differential effect, glutathione
S
-transferase (GST) pulldown assays were performed, revealing that Y544 is critical for binding to the TATA binding protein (TBP), suggesting that this interaction is likely necessary for the ability of IE86 to activate the UL54 promoter. In contrast, mutation of either P535 or Y544 disrupted activation of the UL112-113 promoter both
in vitro
and
in vivo
, suggesting that interaction with TBP is not sufficient for IE86-mediated activation of this early promoter. Together, these studies demonstrate that IE86 activates early promoters by distinct mechanisms.