bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV‐DNA) in anti‐HBe positive sera
Authors: Negro Francesco , Chiaberge Elisabetta , Oliviero Salvatore , Hammer Marlene , Berninger Mark , Canese Maria Grazia , Bonino Ferruccio 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT— HBV‐DNA measured by the spot hybridization technique, was found in the sera of 28 of 106 (26.4%) anti‐HBe positive carriers of HBsAg. Dane particle‐associated HBeAg, HBcAg and HBV‐specific DNA‐polymerase activity were found in the sera of nine (8.5%), five (4.7%) and two (1.9%) of these patients, respectively. All carriers with serum HBV‐DNA had chronic liver disease and 18 had intrahepatic δ‐Ag and serum anti‐δ at titers higher than 1/5000. Intrahepatic HBcAg was detected in the nuclei of 90% of delta negative individuals; 50% of them also had cytoplasmic fluorescence. Only two of the 18 patients with intrahepatic δ‐Ag (11%) had HBcAg in the liver.Viral nucleic acid was not found in the sera of 15 other patients with chronic hepatitis, seven of whom had intrahepatic δ‐Ag. Serum HBV‐DNA was also negative in the remaining 63 symptomless carriers of HBsAg lacking markers of delta infection.Interestingly, although DNA‐polymerase negative, some sera gave autoradiographic spots of high optical density. HBV‐DNA was detected in them at concentrations typical of sera which are usually both DNA‐polymerase and HBeAg positive. Detection of HBV‐DNA in serum represents the most direct and sensitive in vitro assay for assessing HBV infectivity and characterizes HBsAg carriers with HBV‐related liver damage and ongoing HBV replication independently from the state of HBeAg/anti‐HBe system. In the Mediterranean area, the majority of anti‐HBe positive carriers with serum HBV‐DNA have chronic liver disease and delta infection.
Morphometric and Dynamic Studies of Bone Changes in Hypothyroidism
Authors: Mosekilde Leif , Melsen Flemming 
Published: August 2010

Mosekilde, L. & Melsen, F. Morphometric and dynamic studies of bone changes in hypothyroidism. Acta path. microbiol. scand. Sect. A, 86: 56–62, 1978.Bone biopsies were performed after tetracycline double‐labelling by transfixing the right iliac crest in fourteen hypothyroid patients. The bone changes in cortical and trabecular bone were determined by simple measurement and point counting on decalcified and undecalcified stained sections and compared to normal controls and to sex and age matched hyperthyroid patients. The amount of trabecular bone and the cortical porosity were unchanged in the hypothyroid patients compared to normal controls, whereas the mean cortical thickness was increased. The amount of osteoid and the length of the osteoid seams were normal, whereas the mean width of the osteoid seams was decreased. The linear calcification rate in cancellous bone was decreased, as were the active calcification surfaces (tetracycline‐labelled) and the percentage of osteoid covered surfaces active in mineralization. The osteoclastic resorption surfaces were unchanged in trabecular bone, whereas the osteoclastic activity in cortical bone was decreased. The osteocytic osteolysis was normal. The bone changes in hypothyroidism were opposite to the changes in hyperthyroidism characterized by a very low bone turn‐over with a reduced osteoid apposition and bone mineralization rate, an inactive osteoclastic resorption in trabecular bone and a decreased osteoclastic resorption in cortical bone.
KEY LINKAGES BETWEEN CHILD WELFARE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT: SOCIAL FUNCTIONING IMPROVEMENTS AND CLIENT SATISFACTION IN A FAMILY DRUG TREATMENT COURT*
Authors: Bryan Valerie , Havens Jennifer 
Published: August 2010

This article summarizes early findings regarding social functioning and client satisfaction from a longitudinal study of women receiving treatment in a family drug treatment court located in the Midwestern United States (N = 33). Drug treatment court participants were interviewed at program entry and when they had completed 6 months of treatment. Family drug court participants reported significant improvements in employment status and increases in earned income after 6 months of treatment. Respondents also reported improved social functioning and high overall levels of satisfaction with treatment. Findings and implications for future research are discussed.
TWENTY‐FIRST CENTURY PINK OR BLUE: HOW SEX SELECTION TECHNOLOGY FACILITATES GENDERCIDE AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
Authors: Sharma Monica 
Published: August 2010

In the midst of a genetic revolution in medicine, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has become a well‐established technique to help infertile women achieve pregnancy. But many women are now turning to ART not just to circumvent infertility, but consciously to shape their families by determining the sex of their children. Many patriarchal cultures have a gender preference for males and to date have used technological advances in reproductive medicine to predetermine the sex of the child being born. Women have sought sex‐selective abortions, where the pregnancy was being terminated solely on the basis of the sex of the unborn fetus. The combination of ART advances and gender preference has led to the disappearance of at least 100 million girls from the world's population leading to a mass gendercide. This article examines the societal impact of unbalanced gender ratios and the need to regulate sex selection to avoid nations of bachelors.
Review of the final report of the 1998 Working Party on definition, nomenclature and diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy
Authors: MULLEN K. D. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe heterogeneity and variability of the manifestations of hepatic encephalopathy among patients and in individual patients over time make the condition difficult to diagnose and to categorize with respect to severity.Recognizing these challenges, the World Congress of Gastroenterology formed a Working Party of hepatologists, neurologists and basic scientists in 1998 to develop consensus recommendations regarding key issues relevant to the diagnosis and grading of hepatic encephalopathy in clinical research and practice.This paper discusses the Working Party recommendations, which warrant re‐examination in the context of the absolute need for consistency in diagnosis and grading of hepatic encephalopathy and in approaches to its clinical study.The Working Party recommendations provide a framework for achieving this consistency and can serve as a springboard for further refinements in diagnostic tests and procedures and in clinical‐trial methodology.
Review article: bacterial flora and pathogenesis in hepatic encephalopathy
Authors: WILLIAMS R 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe aetiology of hepatic encephalopathy has not been conclusively established, but it is widely agreed that ammonia derived primarily from enteric bacterial flora plays a central role.Recent research on the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy reinforces previous findings, supporting an integral role of bacteria‐derived ammonia and reveals other potential mechanisms by which bacterial flora and pathogens may be pathophysiologically important.This review discusses this research and considers its implications for the therapeutic management of hepatic encephalopathy.Besides producing ammonia, the enteric flora generates other neurotoxic products, such as phenols and mercaptans, that may potentiate the effects of ammonia. Bacteria may also constitute a primary source of the benzodiazepine‐like compounds implicated in neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with liver disease. New evidence suggests that acute bacterial infections, long recognized as important precipitants of hepatic encephalopathy, may mediate clinical worsening through effects on systemic inflammatory responses.Considered together, these data suggest wide‐ranging pathophysiological contributions of bacteria to hepatic encephalopathy and underline the potential for an integral role of antibiotics and other bactericidal agents in its management.
Overexpression of the
adeB
Gene in Clinical Isolates of Tigecycline-Nonsusceptible
Acinetobacter baumannii
without Insertion Mutations in
adeRS
Authors: Sun Jun-Ren , Chan Ming-Chin , Chang Tein-Yao , Wang Wei-Yao , Chiueh Tzong-Shi 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT

Thirteen clinical isolates of
m
ultidrug-
r
esistant
Acinetobacter
baumannii
r
esistant to
c
arbapenems (MRAB-C) with tigecycline nonsusceptibility were collected from individual patients in this study. None of the 13 isolates shared the same strain characteristics in molecular typing. All of them showed increased
adeB
transcription, as predicted. However, none of these tigecycline-nonsusceptible MRAB-C isolates were found to possess previously known
adeRS
mutations. Upregulation of
adeB
transcription may result from cross stimulation by other mechanisms.
Activities of High-Dose Daptomycin, Vancomycin, and Moxifloxacin Alone or in Combination with Clarithromycin or Rifampin in a NovelIn VitroModel ofStaphylococcus aureusBiofilm
Authors: Parra-Ruiz Jorge , Vidaillac Celine , Rose Warren E. , Rybak Michael J. 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTBiofilm formation is an important virulence factor that allows bacteria to resist host responses and antibacterial agents. The aim of the study was to assess thein vitroactivities of several antimicrobials alone or in combination against twoStaphylococcus aureusisolates in a novel pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model of biofilm for 3 days. One methicillin-susceptibleS. aureusstrain (SH1000) and one methicillin-resistantS. aureusstrain (N315) were evaluated in a modified biofilm reactor with polystyrene coupons. Simulated regimens included vancomycin (VAN) plus rifampin (RIF), moxifloxacin (MOX), and high doses (10 mg/kg of body weight/day) of daptomycin (DAP) alone or combined with RIF or clarithromycin (CLA). Against viable planktonic bacteria (PB) and biofilm-embedded bacteria (BB) of SH1000, neither DAP nor MOX alone was bactericidal. In contrast, the combination of DAP or MOX with CLA significantly increased the activity of the two agents against both PB and BB (P< 0.01), and DAP plus CLA reached the limit of detection at 72 h. Against PB of N315, DAP alone briefly achieved bactericidal activity at 24 h, whereas sustained bactericidal activity was observed at 32 h with VAN plus RIF. Overall, only a minimal reduction was observed with both regimens against BB (<2.8 log10CFU/ml). Finally, the combination of DAP and RIF was bactericidal against both PB and BB, achieving the limit of detection at 72 h. In conclusion, we developed a novelin vitroPK/PD model to assess the activities of antimicrobials against mature bacterial biofilm. Combinations of DAP or MOX with CLA were the most effective regimens and may represent promising options to treat persistent infections caused byS. aureusbiofilms.
Cationic Amphiphiles, a New Generation of Antimicrobials Inspired by the Natural Antimicrobial Peptide Scaffold
Authors: Findlay Brandon , Zhanel George G. , Schweizer Frank 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT

Naturally occurring cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their mimics form a diverse class of antibacterial agents currently validated in preclinical and clinical settings for the treatment of infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Numerous studies with linear, cyclic, and diastereomeric AMPs have strongly supported the hypothesis that their physicochemical properties, rather than any specific amino acid sequence, are responsible for their microbiological activities. It is generally believed that the amphiphilic topology is essential for insertion into and disruption of the cytoplasmic membrane. In particular, the ability to rapidly kill bacteria and the relative difficulty with which bacteria develop resistance make AMPs and their mimics attractive targets for drug development. However, the therapeutic use of naturally occurring AMPs is hampered by the high manufacturing costs, poor pharmacokinetic properties, and low bacteriological efficacy in animal models. In order to overcome these problems, a variety of novel and structurally diverse cationic amphiphiles that mimic the amphiphilic topology of AMPs have recently appeared. Many of these compounds exhibit superior pharmacokinetic properties and reduced
in vitro
toxicity while retaining potent antibacterial activity against resistant and nonresistant bacteria. In summary, cationic amphiphiles promise to provide a new and rich source of diverse antibacterial lead structures in the years to come.
Maternal-Fetal Pharmacokinetics and Dynamics of a Single Intrapartum Dose of Maraviroc in Rhesus Macaques
Authors: Winters Mark A. , Van Rompay Koen K. A. , Kashuba Angela D. M. , Shulman Nancy S. , Holodniy Mark 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT

Single-dose nevirapine (NVP) is effective in reducing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV; however, the subsequent development of drug resistance is problematic. The pharmacokinetic profile of the HIV entry inhibitor maraviroc after a single intrapartum dose in rhesus macaques was studied to determine whether maraviroc could serve as an alternative to NVP in a single-dose strategy. Four pregnant macaques received an oral dose of maraviroc 2 h before delivery, and both infant and maternal plasma maraviroc concentrations and CCR5 receptor occupancy on CD4
+
lymphocytes were measured over time. Maximum plasma maraviroc concentrations were found at delivery (2-h-postintrapartum dose) in both the mothers and infants, with median concentrations of 974 ng/ml (range, 86 to 2,830 ng/ml) and 22 ng/ml (range, 4 to 99 ng/ml), respectively. Maraviroc was detected in the plasma of mothers up to 48 h after dosing but only as long as 3.5 h in the infants. The median fetal-maternal area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) ratio was 0.009 (range, 0.000 to 0.015). Maraviroc receptor occupancy data showed evidence of unprotected CCR5 receptors on CD4
+
cells in the mothers 24 to 48 h after dosing. Extremely low CCR5 expression on CD4
+
cells of newborn macaques prevented determination of receptor occupancy in the infants. In rhesus macaques, maraviroc was poorly transferred across the placenta and was quickly cleared from the infants’ blood. The low concentrations of fetal maraviroc and short pharmacokinetic profile in infants suggest that a single maternal intrapartum dose of maraviroc would not be effective in reducing the risk of MTCT of HIV.
Effect of
Borrelia burgdorferi
OspC at the Site of Inoculation in Mouse Skin
Authors: Antonara Styliani , Ristow Laura , McCarthy James , Coburn Jenifer 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT

The
Borrelia burgdorferi
surface lipoprotein OspC is a critical virulence factor, but its precise role in the establishment of
B. burgdorferi
infection remains unclear. To determine whether OspC affects the host response at the site of inoculation of the bacterium, the recruitment of macrophages and neutrophils and the production of cytokines were examined at the site of infection by wild-type,
ospC
mutant, and complemented mutant
B. burgdorferi
strains. Of the 21 cytokines tested, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC, CXCL1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were found at increased levels at the site of inoculation of
B. burgdorferi
, and the levels varied with the production of OspC at one or more time points over the 1-week course of infection. The kinetics of expression and the dependence on OspC production by
B. burgdorferi
varied among the cytokines. The production of KC and MCP-1, and the appearance of monocytic infiltrates, correlated with the presence of the bacteria rather than with OspC specifically. In contrast, VEGF production was not correlated simply to the presence of the bacteria and is influenced by the presence of OspC. In
in vitro
assays, OspC and
B. burgdorferi
expressing OspC stimulated the growth of endothelial cells more than did the controls. These data suggest the possibility of a novel role for OspC in the life of
B. burgdorferi
at the interface of its mammalian and tick hosts.
Platelet Activation and Biofilm Formation by
Aerococcus urinae
, an Endocarditis-Causing Pathogen
Authors: Shannon Oonagh , Mörgelin Matthias , Rasmussen Magnus 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT

The Gram-positive bacterium
Aerococcus urinae
can cause infectious endocarditis (IE) in older persons. Biofilm formation and platelet aggregation are believed to contribute to bacterial virulence in IE. Five
A. urinae
isolates from human blood were shown to form biofilms
in vitro
, and biofilm formation was enhanced by the presence of human plasma. Four of the
A. urinae
isolates caused platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma from healthy donors. The Au3 isolate, which induced platelet aggregation in all donors, also activated platelets, as determined by flow cytometry. Platelet aggregation was dependent on bacterial protein structures and on platelet activation since it was sensitive to both trypsin and prostaglandin E
1
. Plasma proteins at the bacterial surface were needed for platelet aggregation; and roles of the complement system, fibrinogen, and immunoglobulin G were demonstrated. Complement-depleted serum was unable to support platelet aggregation by Au3 and complement blockade using compstatin-inhibited platelet activation. Platelet activation by Au3 was inhibited by blocking of the platelet fibrinogen receptor, and this isolate was also shown to bind to radiolabeled fibrinogen. Removal of IgG from platelet-rich plasma by a specific protease inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by
A. urinae
, and blockade of the platelet FcRγIIa hindered platelet activation induced by Au3. Convalescent-phase serum from a patient with
A. urinae
IE transferred the ability of the bacterium to aggregate platelets in an otherwise nonresponsive donor. Our results show that
A. urinae
exhibits virulence strategies of importance for IE.
Characterization of Unique Regions ofBorrelia burgdorferiSurface-Located Membrane Protein 1
Authors: Yang Xiuli , Lenhart Tiffany R. , Kariu Toru , Anguita Juan , Akins Darrin R. , Pal Utpal 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACTThe pathogen of Lyme disease,Borrelia burgdorferi, produces a putative surface protein termed “surface-located membrane protein 1” (Lmp1). Lmp1 has been shown previously to assist the microbe in evasion of host-acquired immune defenses and in the establishment of persistent infection of mammals. Here, we show that Lmp1 is an integral membrane protein with surface-exposed N-terminal, middle, and C-terminal regions. During murine infection, antibodies recognizing these three protein regions were produced. Separate immunization of mice with each of the discrete regions exerted differential effects on spirochete survival during infection. Notably, antibodies against the C-terminal region primarily interfered withB. burgdorferipersistence in the joints, while antibodies specific to the N-terminal region predominantly affected pathogen levels in the heart, including the development of carditis. Genetic reconstitution oflmp1deletion mutants with thelmp1N-terminal region significantly enhanced its ability to resist the bactericidal effects of immune sera and also was observed to increase pathogen survivalin vivo. Taken together, the combined data suggest that the N-terminal region of Lmp1 plays a distinct role in spirochete survival and other parts of the protein are related to specific functions corresponding to pathogen persistence and tropism during infection that is displayed in an organ-specific manner. The findings reported here underscore the fact that surface-exposed regions of Lmp1 could potentially serve as vaccine targets or antigenic regions that could alter the course of natural Lyme disease.
Invasion and Multiplication of
Helicobacter pylori
in Gastric Epithelial Cells and Implications for Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Chu Yen-Ting , Wang Ya-Hui , Wu Jiunn-Jong , Lei Huan-Yao 
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT

Helicobacter pylori
is a Gram-negative, spiral-shaped bacterium that infects more than 50% of the human population and can cause gastritis, peptic ulcer, or gastric malignancies. It is generally viewed as an extracellular microorganism. In a gentamicin protection assay on AGS or MKN45 cells,
H. pylori
could invade the epithelial cells and multiply within double-layer vesicles either on the plasma membrane or in the cytoplasm. A 5-fold increase in the number of bacteria was recultured from the infected cells at 12 h, compared with the number of invading cells at 2.5 h postinfection. The autophagic vesicles induced by
H. pylori
are the sites of replication and also of the degradation of the replicating bacteria after fusion with lysosomes. Many
H. pylori
bacteria in coccoid form associated with the plasma membrane can be released into culture. Only cell-penetrating antibiotics can enhance the intracellular killing of the replicating bacteria. The multiplication of
H. pylori
within cells provides a niche for its resistance to antibacterial therapy and has a significant impact on its biological life cycle.
A study of HER2 gene amplification and protein expression in gastric cancer
Authors: Yan Benedict , Yau Ee Xuan , Bte Omar Siti Shyba , Ong Chee Wee , Pang Brendan , Yeoh Khay Guan , Salto-Tellez Manuel 
Published: August 2010

BackgroundGastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, and current treatment outcomes for advanced disease remain poor. HER2 has been identified as a potential candidate for targeted therapy in gastric cancers displaying HER2 gene amplification and protein overexpression.AimsTo study the prevalence rate of HER2 gene amplification/overexpression in a local population, and determine the concordance rate between the various modalities.Methods128 gastric cancer samples were analysed by fluorescence (FISH) and chromogenic (CISH) in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relation between HER2 status and various clinicopathological parameters was also analysed.Results11.7% (15/128) and 9.4% (12/128) of gastric cancers displayed HER2 gene amplification and protein overexpression (score 3+), respectively, with a perfect correlation between the FISH and CISH analyses. There was also a significant inverse correlation between overall survival and HER2 protein overexpression in intestinal-type gastric carcinomas (p<0.05).ConclusionResults, besides corroborating existing reports that discrepancies exist between HER2 ISH and IHC assays, also suggest the need to rigorously evaluate CISH as an independent reference standard for assessment of HER2 amplification in gastric cancers.