bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Emergence of Carbapenem-Resistant Non-baumannii Species of Acinetobacter Harboring a
bla
OXA-51
-Like Gene That Is Intrinsic to A. baumannii
Authors: Lee Yi-Tzu , Kuo Shu-Chen , Chiang Mei-Chun , Yang Su-Pen , Chen Chien-Pei , Chen Te-Li , Fung Chang-Phone 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACT

The
bla
OXA-51
-like gene, originally intrinsic to
Acinetobacter baumannii
, had been detected in two clones of
Acinetobacter nosocomialis
and one clone of
Acinetobacter
genomic species “Close to 13TU.” These
bla
OXA-51
-like genes, all preceded by IS
Aba1
, were located on plasmids that might have originated with
A. baumannii
. The plasmid-borne IS
Aba1
--
bla
OXA-51
-like confers a high level of carbapenem resistance and affects the accuracy of using
bla
OXA-51
-like detection as a tool for differentiating
A. baumannii
from other
Acinetobacter
species.
Activities of E1210 and Comparator Agents Tested by CLSI and EUCAST Broth Microdilution Methods against Fusarium and Scedosporium Species Identified Using Molecular Methods
Authors: Castanheira Mariana , Duncanson Frederick P. , Diekema Daniel J. , Guarro Josep , Jones Ronald N. , Pfaller Michael A. 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACT

Fusarium
(
n
= 67) and
Scedosporium
(
n
= 63) clinical isolates were tested by two reference broth microdilution (BMD) methods against a novel broad-spectrum (active against both yeasts and molds) antifungal, E1210, and comparator agents. E1210 inhibits the inositol acylation step in glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) biosynthesis, resulting in defects in fungal cell wall biosynthesis. Five species complex organisms/species of
Fusarium
(4 isolates unspeciated) and 28
Scedosporium apiospermum
, 7
Scedosporium aurantiacum
, and 28
Scedosporium prolificans
species were identified by molecular techniques. Comparator antifungal agents included anidulafungin, caspofungin, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B. E1210 was highly active against all of the tested isolates, with minimum effective concentration (MEC)/MIC
90
values (μg/ml) for E1210, anidulafungin, caspofungin, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B, respectively, for
Fusarium
of 0.12, >16, >16, >8, >8, 8, and 4 μg/ml. E1210 was very potent against the
Scedosporium
spp. tested. The E1210 MEC
90
was 0.12 μg/ml for
S. apiospermum
, but 1 to >8 μg/ml for other tested agents. Against
S. aurantiacum
, the MEC
50
for E1210 was 0.06 μg/ml versus 0.5 to >8 μg/ml for the comparators. Against
S. prolificans
, the MEC
90
for E1210 was only 0.12 μg/ml, compared to >4 μg/ml for amphotericin B and >8 μg/ml for itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole. Both CLSI and EUCAST methods were highly concordant for E1210 and all comparator agents. The essential agreement (EA; ±2 doubling dilutions) was >93% for all comparisons, with the exception of posaconazole and
F. oxysporum
species complex (SC) (60%), posaconazole and
S. aurantiacum
(85.7%), and voriconazole and
S. aurantiacum
(85.7%). In conclusion, E1210 exhibited very potent and broad-spectrum antifungal activity against azole- and amphotericin B-resistant strains of
Fusarium
spp. and
Scedosporium
spp. Furthermore,
in vitro
susceptibility testing of E1210 against isolates of
Fusarium
and
Scedosporium
may be accomplished using either of the CLSI or EUCAST BMD methods, each producing very similar results.
Effects of Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Essential Oil and the Major Monoterpene Component Terpinen-4-ol on the Development of Single- and Multistep Antibiotic Resistance and Antimicrobial Susceptibility
Authors: Hammer Katherine A. , Carson Christine F. , Riley Thomas V. 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effect of subinhibitory
Melaleuca alternifolia
(tea tree) essential oil on the development of antibiotic resistance in
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Escherichia coli
. Frequencies of single-step antibiotic-resistant mutants were determined by inoculating bacteria cultured with or without subinhibitory tea tree oil onto agar containing 2 to 8 times the MIC of each antibiotic and with or without tea tree oil. Whereas most differences in resistance frequencies were relatively minor, the combination of kanamycin and tea tree oil yielded approximately 10-fold fewer resistant
E. coli
mutants than kanamycin alone. The development of multistep antibiotic resistance in the presence of tea tree oil or terpinen-4-ol was examined by culturing
S. aureus
and
E. coli
isolates daily with antibiotic alone, antibiotic with tea tree oil, and antibiotic with terpinen-4-ol for 6 days. Median MICs for each antibiotic alone increased 4- to 16-fold by day 6. Subinhibitory tea tree oil or terpinen-4-ol did not greatly alter results, with day 6 median MICs being either the same as or one concentration different from those for antibiotic alone. For tea tree oil and terpinen-4-ol alone, day 6 median MICs had increased 4-fold for
S. aureus
(
n
= 18) and 2-fold for
E. coli
(
n
= 18) from baseline values. Lastly, few significant changes in antimicrobial susceptibility were seen for
S. aureus
and
S. epidermidis
isolates that had been serially subcultured 14 to 22 times with subinhibitory terpinen-4-ol. Overall, these data indicate that tea tree oil and terpinen-4-ol have little impact on the development of antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility.
Pathoadaptive Conditional Regulation of the Type VI Secretion System in Vibrio cholerae O1 Strains
Authors: Ishikawa Takahiko , Sabharwal Dharmesh , Bröms Jeanette , Milton Debra L. , Sjöstedt Anders , Uhlin Bernt Eric , Wai Sun Nyunt 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACT

The most recently discovered secretion pathway in Gram-negative bacteria, the type VI secretion system (T6SS), is present in many species and is considered important for the survival of non-O1 non-O139
Vibrio cholerae
in aquatic environments. Until now, it was not known whether there is a functionally active T6SS in wild-type
V. cholerae
O1 strains, the cause of cholera disease in humans. Here, we demonstrate the presence of a functionally active T6SS in wild-type
V. cholerae
O1 strains, as evidenced by the secretion of the T6SS substrate Hcp, which required several gene products encoded within the putative
vas
gene cluster. Our analyses showed that the T6SS of wild-type
V. cholerae
O1 strain A1552 was functionally activated when the bacteria were grown under high-osmolarity conditions. The T6SS was also active when the bacteria were grown under low temperature (23°C), suggesting that the system may be important for the survival of the bacterium in the environment. A test of the interbacterial virulence of
V. cholerae
strain A1552 against an
Escherichia coli
K-12 strain showed that it was strongly enhanced under high osmolarity and that it depended on the
hcp
genes. Interestingly, we found that the newly recognized osmoregulatory protein OscR plays a role in the regulation of T6SS gene expression and secretion of Hcp from
V. cholerae
O1 strains.
RrgB321, a Fusion Protein of the Three Variants of the Pneumococcal Pilus Backbone RrgB, Is ProtectiveIn Vivoand Elicits Opsonic Antibodies
Authors: Harfouche Carole , Filippini Sara , Gianfaldoni Claudia , Ruggiero Paolo , Moschioni Monica , Maccari Silvia , Pancotto Laura , Arcidiacono Letizia , Galletti Bruno , Censini Stefano , Mori Elena , Giuliani Marzia , Facciotti Claudia , Cartocci Elena , Savino Silvana , Doro Francesco , Pallaoro Michele , Nocadello Salvatore , Mancuso Giuseppe , Haston Mitch , Goldblatt David , Barocchi Michèle A. , Pizza Mariagrazia , Rappuoli Rino , Masignani Vega 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTStreptococcus pneumoniaepilus 1 is present in 30 to 50% of invasive disease-causing strains and is composed of three subunits: the adhesin RrgA, the major backbone subunit RrgB, and the minor ancillary protein RrgC. RrgB exists in three distinct genetic variants and, when used to immunize mice, induces an immune response specific for each variant. To generate an antigen able to protect against the infection caused by all pilus-positiveS. pneumoniaestrains, we engineered a fusion protein containing the three RrgB variants (RrgB321). RrgB321 elicited antibodies against proteins from organisms in the three clades and protected mice against challenge with piliated pneumococcal strains. RrgB321 antisera mediated complement-dependent opsonophagocytosis of piliated strains at levels comparable to those achieved with the PCV7 glycoconjugate vaccine. These results suggest that a vaccine composed of RrgB321 has the potential to cover 30% or more of all pneumococcal strains and support the inclusion of this fusion protein in a multicomponent vaccine againstS. pneumoniae.
Disruption of the Phospholipase D Gene Attenuates the Virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Li Xianping , Gao Meihua , Han Xuelin , Tao Sha , Zheng Dongyu , Cheng Ying , Yu Rentao , Han Gaige , Schmidt Martina , Han Li 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTAspergillus fumigatusis the most prevalent airborne fungal pathogen that induces serious infections in immunocompromised patients. Phospholipases are key enzymes in pathogenic fungi that cleave host phospholipids, resulting in membrane destabilization and host cell penetration. However, knowledge of the impact of phospholipases onA. fumigatusvirulence is rather limited. In this study, disruption of thepldgene encoding phospholipase D (PLD), an important member of the phospholipase protein family inA. fumigatus, was confirmed to significantly decrease both intracellular and extracellular PLD activity ofA. fumigatus. Thepldgene disruption did not alter conidial morphological characteristics, germination, growth, and biofilm formation but significantly suppressed the internalization ofA. fumigatusinto A549 epithelial cells without affecting conidial adhesion to epithelial cells. Importantly, the suppressed internalization was fully rescued in the presence of 100 μM phosphatidic acid, the PLD product. Indeed, complementation ofpldrestored the PLD activity and internalization capacity ofA. fumigatus. Phagocytosis ofA. fumigatusconidia by J774 macrophages was not affected by the absence of thepldgene. Pretreatment of conidia with 1-butanol and a specific PLD inhibitor decreased the internalization ofA. fumigatusinto A549 epithelial cells but had no effect on phagocytosis by J774 macrophages. Finally, loss of thepldgene attenuated the virulence ofA. fumigatusin mice immunosuppressed with hydrocortisone acetate but not with cyclophosphamide. These data suggest that PLD ofA. fumigatusregulates its internalization into lung epithelial cells and may represent an important virulence factor forA. fumigatusinfection.
Oral Infection with Signature-Tagged Listeria monocytogenes Reveals Organ-Specific Growth and Dissemination Routes in Guinea Pigs
Authors: Melton-Witt Jody A. , Rafelski Susanne M. , Portnoy Daniel A. , Bakardjiev Anna I. 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACTListeria monocytogenescauses a serious food-borne disease due to its ability to spread from the intestine to other organs, a process that is poorly understood. In this study we used 20 signature-tagged wild-type clones ofL. monocytogenesin guinea pigs in combination with extensive quantitative data analysis to gain insight into extraintestinal dissemination. We show thatL. monocytogenescolonized the liver in all asymptomatic animals. Spread to the liver occurred as early as 4 h after ingestion via a direct pathway from the intestine to the liver. This direct pathway contributed significantly to the bacterial load in the liver and was followed by a second wave of dissemination via the mesenteric lymph nodes (indirect pathway). Furthermore, bacteria were eliminated in the liver, whereas small intestinal villi provided a niche for bacterial replication, indicating organ-specific differences in net bacterial growth. Bacteria were shed back from intestinal villi into the small intestinal lumen and reinfected the Peyer's patches. Together, these results support a novel dissemination model whereL. monocytogenesreplicates in intestinal villi, is shed into the lumen, and reinfects intestinal immune cells that traffic to liver and mesenteric lymph nodes, a process that occurs even during asymptomatic colonization.
In Vitro
Assembly of Virus-Like Particles of a Gammaretrovirus, the Murine Leukemia Virus XMRV
Authors: Hadravová Romana , de Marco Alex , Ulbrich Pavel , Štokrová Jitka , Doležal Michal , Pichová Iva , Ruml Tomáš , Briggs John A. G. , Rumlová Michaela 
Published: November 2011

ABSTRACT

Immature retroviral particles are assembled by self-association of the structural polyprotein precursor Gag. During maturation the Gag polyprotein is proteolytically cleaved, yielding mature structural proteins, matrix (MA), capsid (CA), and nucleocapsid (NC), that reassemble into a mature viral particle. Proteolytic cleavage causes the N terminus of CA to fold back to form a β-hairpin, anchored by an internal salt bridge between the N-terminal proline and the inner aspartate. Using an
in vitro
assembly system of capsid-nucleocapsid protein (CANC), we studied the formation of virus-like particles (VLP) of a gammaretrovirus, the xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV). We show here that, unlike other retroviruses, XMRV CA and CANC do not assemble tubular particles characteristic of mature assembly. The prevention of β-hairpin formation by the deletion of either the N-terminal proline or 10 initial amino acids enabled the assembly of ΔProCANC or Δ10CANC into immature-like spherical particles. Detailed three-dimensional (3D) structural analysis of these particles revealed that below a disordered N-terminal CA layer, the C terminus of CA assembles a typical immature lattice, which is linked by rod-like densities with the RNP.
Mapping physicians' admission diagnoses to structured concepts towards fully automatic calculation of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation score
Authors: Chandra Subhash , Kashyap Rahul , Trillo-Alvarez Cesar A , Tsapenko Mykola , Yilmaz Murat , Hanson Andrew C , Pickering Brian W , Gajic Ognjen , Herasevich Vitaly 
Published: November 2011

ObjectiveAcute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) is most widely used as a mortality prediction score in US intensive care units (ICUs), but its calculation is onerous. The authors aimed to develop and validate automatic mapping of physicians' admission diagnoses to structured concepts for automated APACHE IV calculation.MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted in medical ICUs of a tertiary healthcare and academic centre. Boolean-logic text searches were used to map admission diagnoses, and these were compared with conventional APACHE database entry by bedside nurses and a gold-standard physician chart review. The primary outcome was APACHE IV predicted hospital mortality. The tool was developed in a larger cohort of ICU patients.ResultsIn a derivation cohort of 192 consecutive critically ill patients, the diagnosis coefficient coded by three different methods had a positive correlation, highest between manual and gold standard (r2=0.95; mean square error (MSE)=0.040) and least between manual and automatic tool (r2=0.88; MSE=0.066). The automatic tool had an area under the curve (95% CI) value of 0.82 (0.74 to 0.90) which was similar to the physician gold standard, 0.83 (0.75 to 0.91) and standard manual entry, 0.81 (0.73 to 0.89). The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test demonstrated good calibration of automatically calculated APACHE IV score (χ2=6.46; p=0.6). The automatic tool demonstrated excellent discrimination with an area under the curve value of 0.87 (95% CI 0.83 to 0.92) and good calibration (p=0.58) in the validation cohort of 593 patients.ConclusionA Boolean-logic text search is an efficient alternative to manual database entry for mapping of ICU admission diagnosis to structured APACHE IV concepts.
Physiotherapy rehabilitation for whiplash associated disorder II: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Rushton Alison , Wright Chris , Heneghan Nicola , Eveleigh Gillian , Calvert Melanie , Freemantle Nick 
Published: November 2011

ObjectiveTo evaluate effectiveness of physiotherapy management in patients experiencing whiplash associated disorder II, on clinically relevant outcomes in the short and longer term.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis. Two reviewers independently searched information sources, assessed studies for inclusion, evaluated risk of bias and extracted data. A third reviewer mediated disagreement. Assessment of risk of bias was tabulated across included trials. Quantitative synthesis was conducted on comparable outcomes across trials with similar interventions. Meta-analyses compared effect sizes, with random effects as primary analyses.Data sourcesPredefined terms were employed to search electronic databases. Additional studies were identified from key journals, reference lists, authors and experts.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English before 31 December 2010 evaluating physiotherapy management of patients (>16 years), experiencing whiplash associated disorder II. Any physiotherapy intervention was included, when compared with other types of management, placebo/sham, or no intervention. Measurements reported on ≥1 outcome from the domains within the international classification of function, disability and health, were included.Results21 RCTs (2126 participants, 9 countries) were included. Interventions were categorised as active physiotherapy or a specific physiotherapy intervention. 20/21 trials were evaluated as high risk of bias and one as unclear. 1395 participants were incorporated in the meta-analyses on 12 trials. In evaluating short term outcome in the acute/sub-acute stage, there was some evidence that active physiotherapy intervention reduces pain and improves range of movement, and that a specific physiotherapy intervention may reduce pain. However, moderate/considerable heterogeneity suggested that treatments may differ in nature or effect in different trial patients. Differences between participants, interventions and trial designs limited potential meta-analyses.ConclusionsInconclusive evidence exists for the effectiveness of physiotherapy management for whiplash associated disorder II. There is potential benefit for improving range of movement and pain short term through active physiotherapy, and for improving pain through a specific physiotherapy intervention.
Deformation mechanisms of plagioclase and seismic anisotropy of the Acebuches metabasites (SW Iberian massif)
Authors: Díaz-Azpiroz Manuel , Lloyd Geoffrey E. , Fernández Carlos 
Published: November 2011

Abstract

Samples of the Acebuches metabasites (SW Spain), deformed under low-pressure/medium-to-high temperature metamorphic conditions, have been analysed via electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) to obtain their plagioclase crystal lattice preferred orientations (LPO). Plagioclases from the highest temperature amphibolites show moderate LPO and a good correlation between 180° misorientation angles and both the crystal and the kinematic coordinate systems, which is attributed to dislocation glide accommodated by mechanical albite+pericline twinning. Plagioclases from medium-temperature amphibolites exhibit well-developed LPO, suggesting that dislocation creep was active during plagioclase deformation. Plagioclases from the more intensively deformed mafic schists exhibit weak LPO, indicating the activity of LPO-destroying deformation mechanisms. Evidence points to grain-boundary sliding accompanied by limited fracturing. The observed LPO are characterized by the alignment of [100] parallel to the kinematic
X
-direction. This association suggests that [100] was the preferential slip direction during dislocation creep of plagioclase, with (010) and/or (001) appearing to have acted as the dominant slip planes. The observed plagioclase LPO is combined with hornblende LPO to define the seismic fabric of the Acebuches metabasites. In samples with strong plagioclase LPO, the resulting seismic fabrics are highly influenced by this phase.
Seismic velocity in antigorite-bearing serpentinite mylonites
Authors: Watanabe Tohru , Shirasugi Yuhto , Yano Hideaki , Michibayashi Katsuyoshi 
Published: November 2011

Abstract

The relationships between elastic wave velocities and petrofabrics were studied in two antigorite-bearing serpentinite mylonites. Rock samples with antigorite content of 37 and 80 vol% were collected from the Happo ultramafic complex, Central Japan. Compressional and shear-wave velocities were measured by the pulse transmission technique at room temperature and confining pressures of up to 180 MPa. Petrofabrics were examined by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with electron backscattered diffraction (SEM-EBSD). Olivine
a
- and
c
-axes are weakly oriented perpendicular to the foliation and parallel to the lineation, respectively. Antigorite
b
- and
c
-axes are distinctly oriented parallel to the lineation and perpendicular to the foliation, respectively. Both samples show strong anisotropy of velocity. The compressional wave velocity is fastest in the direction parallel to the lineation, and slowest in the direction perpendicular to the foliation. The shear wave oscillating parallel to the foliation has higher velocity than that oscillating perpendicular to the foliation. As the antigorite content increases, the mean velocity decreases but both azimuthal and polarization anisotropies are enhanced. Measured velocities were compared with velocities calculated from petrofabric data by using Voigt, Reuss and Voight-Reuss-Hill (VRH) averaging schemes. All averaging schemes show velocity anisotropy qualitatively similar to measurements. There are large velocity differences between Voigt and Reuss averages (0.7–1.0 km/s), reflecting the strong elastic anisotropy of antigorite. Measured velocities are found between Reuss and VRH averages. We suggest that the relatively low velocity is due to the platy shape of antigorite grains, the well-developed shape fabric and their strong elastic anisotropy. The configuration of grains should be an important factor for calculating seismic velocities in an aggregate composed of strongly anisotropic materials, such as sheet silicates.
Plumbagin Inhibits Osteoclastogenesis and Reduces Human Breast Cancer-Induced Osteolytic Bone Metastasis in Mice through Suppression of RANKL Signaling
Authors: Sung Bokyung , Oyajobi Babatunde , Aggarwal Bharat B. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBone loss is one of the major complications of advanced cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma; agents that can suppress this bone loss have therapeutic potential. Extensive research within the last decade has revealed that RANKL, a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily, plays a major role in cancer-associated bone resorption and thus is a therapeutic target. We investigated the potential of vitamin K3 analogue plumbagin (derived from Chitrak, an Ayurvedic medicinal plant) to modulate RANKL signaling, osteoclastogenesis, and breast cancer-induced osteolysis. Plumbagin suppressed RANKL-induced NF-κB activation in mouse monocytes, an osteoclast precursor cell, through sequential inhibition of activation of IκBα kinase, IκBα phosphorylation, and IκBα degradation. Plumbagin also suppressed differentiation of these cells into osteoclasts induced either by RANKL or by human breast cancer or human multiple myeloma cells. When examined for its ability to prevent human breast cancer-induced bone loss in animals, plumbagin (2 mg/kg body weight) administered via the intraperitoneal route significantly decreased osteolytic lesions, resulting in preservation of bone volume in nude mice bearing human breast tumors. Overall, our results indicate that plumbagin, a vitamin K analogue, is a potent inhibitor of osteoclastogenesis induced by tumor cells and of breast cancer-induced osteolytic metastasis through suppression of RANKL signaling. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(2); 350–9. ©2011 AACR.