bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The assessment of suturing skills of dental undergraduates
Authors: Hanson C. , Mossey P. , Macluskey M. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractIntroduction:  To improve the assessment of suturing skills, we firstly developed a checklist based assessment. As an aid to the teaching of suturing skills a video was subsequently developed.Materials and methods:  To validate the checklist a cohort of 57 final year students were videoed performing the formative suturing assessment which was assessed by two examiners independently. Two cohorts of third year students took part in the formal assessment but only the second cohort of students would have access to the video.Results:  The first cohort of 58 third year students’ success rate was 93% and 1 year later 94% of 53 third year students were successful. One hundred per cent of the first cohort and 98% of the second cohort thought that the exam was a fair assessment of suturing skills. The majority of students thought that the checklist was helpful (94% and 93%). However, 62% and 55% thought that the assessment was a stressful experience. However, only 80% of the first cohort compared with 98% of the second cohort thought that they could now place sutures in intra‐oral wounds.Conclusion:  Our findings suggest that checklist based assessments of suturing skills were well received by the students and improved the objectivity and transparency of the assessment process. Further work is required to determine if teaching initially on a tabletop model can be transferred to the dental clinical situation.
REVIEW ARTICLE: An updated review of simianbetaretrovirus(SRV) in macaque hosts
Authors: Montiel N.A. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThis review is an updated summary of nearly 30 years of SRV history and provides new and critical findings of original research accomplished in the last 5 years including, but not limited to, the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the origin of hematopoietic abnormalities observed in infected hosts and proposed new SRV serotypes. Despite major advances in the understanding and control of SRV disease, much more remains to be learned and SRV continues to be an exciting and attractive primate model for comparative studies of the mechanisms of retroviral immunosuppression.
THE ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS OF POLLUTION IN AUSTRALIA
Authors: Davidson B. R. 
Published: April 2010

SUMMARYWater, air and land pollution exist in Australia, but are still well below the levels found in the U.S.A. and Europe. It has not been demonstrated that either water or air pollution causes serious economic loss in Australia. On the other hand the high cost of using automobiles as a means of transport in the cities and the losses caused by accidents are an economic drain on the economy.Most of the water pollution in Australia could be removed by sewering all urban centres at a cost of between $700 and $1,100 million to public authorities and of an additional $450 million to householders in unsewered urban areas. The cost to public authorities should be contrasted with the $635 million spent on roads in 1969–70 and with the $672 million spent on irrigation between 1948 and 1969, much of which would be difficult to justify on economic grounds.These figures are particularly pertinent when it is remembered that Australia's citizens have demonstrated that they are prepared to pay for the cost of sewerage. Australia's sewage authorities in major cities show a profit after meeting operating expenses, interest and repayment of capital charges. The same cannot be said for irrigation farmers or for many road users.Air pollution could become a major problem in Australian cities if the automobile remains the major means of transport. The problem could be overcome at a cost of $300 per vehicle or a total of $840 million for the 2.8 million cars in large cities.The major land pollution problem is the congestion caused in large cities by the automobile. The problem arises because the automobile is not charged for the space it occupies. In the business centre of Sydney the correct charge could range from $1 to $3 per hour. Once land is charged for the automobile becomes an expensive means of transport in cities. American figures suggest that trains can move peak crowds at the rate of 30,000 per hour at a total cost of $9 million per annum, compared with $29 million per annum for automobiles.A proper distribution of resources into uses for which citizens are prepared to pay and economic charges for services provided by the State would probably completely overcome the pollution problems which do exist in Australia at present.
FINANCE FOR AUSTRALIAN SMEs: POLICY ISSUES
Authors: HAWTREY K. M. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThe special financial needs of small business have long been a policy issue in Australia, with the claim often made that capital markets are less than fully responsive to this sector. This paper argues that despite financial deregulation, the small business sector is yet to fully benefit from improved supply of finance. The future reform process should not be jeopardised by precipitate policy changes (such as bank mergers) which could upset the delicate balance of forces currently emerging in the industry. Further, proactive policies are needed to encourage the growth of secondary debt and primary equity capital markets for small business.
Targeted Delivery of a Photosensitizer to
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
Biofilm
Authors: Suci Peter , Kang Sebyung , Gmür Rudolf , Douglas Trevor , Young Mark 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

The ability to selectively target specific biofilm species with antimicrobials would enable control over biofilm consortium composition, with medical applications in treatment of infections on mucosal surfaces that are colonized by a mixture of beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms. We functionalized a genetically engineered multimeric protein with both a targeting moiety (biotin) and either a fluorophore or a photosensitizer (SnCe6). Biofilm microcolonies of
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
, a periodontal pathogen, were targeted with the multifunctional dodecamer. Streptavidin was used to couple biotinylated dodecamer to a biotinylated anti-
A. actinomycetemcomitans
antibody. This modular targeting approach enabled us to increase the loading of photosensitizer onto the cells by a cycle of amplification. Scanning laser confocal microscopy was used to characterize transport of fluorescently tagged dodecamer into the microcolonies and targeting of the cells with biotin-labeled, fluorescently tagged dodecamer. Light-induced activity of the targeted photosensitizer reduced the viability of
A. actinomycetemcomitans
biofilm, as indicated by membrane permeability to propidium iodide. The functionalized multimeric protein promises to be a useful tool for controlling periodontal biofilm consortia and offers a modular design whereby moieties that target different species can be readily combined with the functionalized protein construct.
Global Spread of the
hyl
Efm
Colonization-Virulence Gene in Megaplasmids of the
Enterococcus faecium
CC17 Polyclonal Subcluster
Authors: Freitas Ana R. , Tedim Ana P. , Novais Carla , Ruiz-Garbajosa Patricia , Werner Guido , Laverde-Gomez Jenny A. , Cantón Rafael , Peixe Luísa , Baquero Fernando , Coque Teresa M. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

Enterococcus faecium
has increasingly been reported as a nosocomial pathogen since the early 1990s, presumptively associated with the expansion of a human-associated
Enterococcus faecium
polyclonal subcluster known as clonal complex 17 (CC17) that has progressively acquired different antibiotic resistance (ampicillin and vancomycin) and virulence (
esp
Efm
,
hyl
Efm
, and
fms
) traits. We analyzed the presence and the location of a putative glycoside hydrolase
hyl
Efm
gene among
E. faecium
strains obtained from hospitalized patients (255 patients; outbreak, bacteremic, and/or disseminated isolates from 23 countries and five continents; 1986 to 2009) and from nonclinical origins (isolates obtained from healthy humans [25 isolates], poultry [30], swine [90], and the environment [55]; 1999 to 2007). Clonal relatedness was established by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Plasmid analysis included determination of content and size (S1-PFGE), transferability (filter mating), screening of Rep initiator proteins (PCR), and location of
vanA
,
vanB
,
ermB
, and
hyl
Efm
genes (S1/I-CeuI hybridization). Most
E. faecium
isolates contained large plasmids (>150 kb) and showed variable contents of
van
,
hyl
Efm
, or
esp
Efm
. The
hyl
Efm
gene was associated with megaplasmids (170 to 375 kb) of worldwide spread (ST16, ST17, and ST18) or locally predominant (ST192, ST203, ST280, and ST412) ampicillin-resistant CC17 clones collected in the five continents since the early 1990s. All but one
hyl
Efm
-positive isolate belonged to the CC17 polyclonal subcluster. The presence of
hyl
Efm
megaplasmids among CC17 from Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa since at least the mid-1990s was documented. This study further demonstrates the pandemic expansion of particular CC17 clones before acquisition of vancomycin resistance and putative virulence traits and describes the presence of megaplasmids in most of the contemporary
E. faecium
isolates with different origins.
Intravenous Voriconazole after Toxic Oral Administration
Authors: Alffenaar J. W. C. , van Assen S. , de Monchy J. G. R. , Uges D. R. A. , Kosterink J. G. W. , van der Werf T. S. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT
In a male patient with rhinocerebral invasive aspergillosis, prolonged high-dosage oral administration of voriconazole led to hepatotoxicity combined with a severe cutaneous reaction while intravenous administration in the same patient did not. High concentrations in the portal blood precipitate liver enzyme abnormalities, and therefore, oral administration of voriconazole may have a hepatotoxicity profile different from that of intravenous (i.v.) administration. Intravenously administered voriconazole might still be an option after oral-voriconazole-induced toxicity has resolved.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Vancomycin in Premature Malaysian Neonates: Identification of Predictors for Dosing Determination
Authors: Lo Yoke-Lin , van Hasselt Johan G. C. , Heng Siow-Chin , Lim Chin-Theam , Lee Toong-Chow , Charles Bruce G. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

The present study determined the pharmacokinetic profile of vancomycin in premature Malaysian infants. A one-compartment infusion model with first-order elimination was fitted to serum vancomycin concentration data (
n
= 835 points) obtained retrospectively from the drug monitoring records of 116 premature newborn infants. Vancomycin concentrations were estimated by a fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Population and individual estimates of clearance and distribution volume and the factors which affected the variability observed for the values of these parameters were obtained using a population pharmacokinetic modeling approach. The predictive performance of the population model was evaluated by visual inspections of diagnostic plots and nonparametric bootstrapping with replacement. Dosing guidelines targeting a value of ≥400 for the area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h in the steady state divided by the MIC (AUC
24
/MIC ratio) were explored using Monte Carlo simulation. Body size (weight), postmenstrual age, and small-for-gestational-age status are important factors explaining the between-subject variability of vancomycin pharmacokinetic parameter values for premature neonates. The typical population parameter estimates of clearance and distribution volume for a 1-kg premature appropriate-for-gestational-age neonate with a postmenstrual age of 30 weeks were 0.0426 liters/h and 0.523 liters, respectively. There was a 20% reduction in clearance for small-for-gestational-age infants compared to the level for the appropriate-for-gestational-age control. Dosage regimens based on
a priori
target response values were formulated. In conclusion, the pharmacokinetic parameter values for vancomycin in premature Malaysian neonates were estimated. Improved dosage regimens based on
a priori
target response values were formulated by incorporating body size, postmenstrual age, and small-for-gestational-age status, using Monte Carlo simulations with the model-estimated pharmacokinetic parameter values.
Antimicrobial Resistance of
Listeria monocytogenes
Strains Isolated from Humans in France
Authors: Morvan A. , Moubareck C. , Leclercq A. , Hervé-Bazin M. , Bremont S. , Lecuit M. , Courvalin P. , Le Monnier A. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

Susceptibility to antibiotics of 4,816 clinical
L. monocytogenes
strains isolated since 1926 was studied, and the temporal evolution of susceptibility to antibiotics was analyzed through several decades. The mechanisms of resistance in each resistant strain were studied. The prevalence of resistant strains was estimated at 1.27% among isolates from humans. Resistance to tetracyclines+ and fluoroquinolones was more common and has recently emerged. Although acquired resistance in clinical
L. monocytogenes
did not implicate clinically relevant antibiotics, the possibility of resistance gene transfers, the description of the first clinical isolate with high-level resistance to trimethoprim, and the recent increase in penicillin MICs up to 2 μg/ml reinforce the need for microbiological surveillance.
In Vivo
Comparison of the Pharmacodynamic Targets for Echinocandin Drugs against
Candida
Species
Authors: Andes D. , Diekema D. J. , Pfaller M. A. , Bohrmuller J. , Marchillo K. , Lepak A. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

Previous pharmacodynamic studies using
in vivo
candidiasis models have demonstrated that the 24-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)/MIC is a good descriptor of the echinocandin exposure-response relationship. Further studies investigating the 24-h AUC/MIC target for a stasis endpoint identified free-drug 24-h AUC/MIC against
Candida albicans
and were similar for two echinocandins, anidulafungin and micafungin. The current studies expand investigation of a third echinocandin (caspofungin) and compare the pharmacodynamic target among
C. albicans
,
Candida glabrata
, and
Candida parapsilosis
. Treatment studies were conducted with six
C. albicans
, nine
C. glabrata
, and 15
C. parapsilosis
strains with various MICs (anidulafungin, 0.015 to 4.0 μg/ml; caspofungin, 0.03 to 4.0 μg/ml; and micafungin, 0.008 to 1.0 μg/ml). Efficacy was closely tied to MIC and the 24-h AUC/MIC. Therapy against
C. parapsilosis
required more of each echinocandin on a mg/kg basis. Caspofungin required less drug on a mg/kg basis for efficacy against all of the organisms than did the other two drugs. However, the 24-h AUC/MIC targets were similar among the echinocandins when free drug concentrations were considered, suggesting the relevance of protein binding. The targets for
C. parapsilosis
(mean, 7) and
C. glabrata
(mean, 7) were significantly lower than those for
C. albicans
(mean, 20) for each echinocandin. The results suggest that current susceptibility breakpoints and the consideration of organism species in these determinations should be reexplored.
Experimental Conditions That Enhance Potency of an Antibacterial Oligo-Acyl-Lysyl
Authors: Goldfeder Yair , Zaknoon Fadia , Mor Amram 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTOligo-acyl-lysyls (OAKs) are synthetic mimics of host defense peptides known to exert antibacterial activity both in cultures and in animal models of disease. Here, we investigated how environmental conditions (temperature, pH, and ionic strength) affect the antibacterial properties of an octamer derivative, C12K-7α8. Data obtained with representative bacteria, including the Gram-negative bacteriumEscherichia coliand the Gram-positive bacteriaListeria monocytogenesandStaphylococcus aureus, showed that OAK's potency was proportionally affected by pH changes and subsided essentially throughout a wide range of salt concentrations and temperature values, whereas antistaphyloccocal activity was relatively more vulnerable. It was rather the mode of action that was most susceptible to the environmental changes. Thus, OAK's bactericidal effect was limited to a growth-inhibitory effect under acidic pH, low temperatures, or high salt concentrations, whereas basic pH or high temperatures have enhanced the bactericidal kinetics. Properties of binding to model phospholipid membranes provided evidence that correlated the differential modes of action with variable binding affinities. Interestingly, combination of the optimal incubation conditions resulted in a remarkable increase in potency, as expressed by a 16- to 32-fold reduction in the MIC value and by much faster bactericidal rates (>99% death induced within minutes versus hours) compared with the standard incubation conditions. Collectively, the data suggest that OAKs might be useful in developing design strategies for robust antimicrobial peptides that are able to affect a pathogen's viability under a large spectrum of incubation conditions.
Natamycin Inhibits Vacuole Fusion at the Priming Phase via a Specific Interaction with Ergosterol
Authors: te Welscher Yvonne Maria , Jones Lynden , van Leeuwen Martin Richard , Dijksterhuis Jan , de Kruijff Ben , Eitzen Gary , Breukink Eefjan 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT
The antifungal antibiotic natamycin belongs to the family of polyene antibiotics. Its antifungal activity arises via a specific interaction with ergosterol in the plasma membrane (te Welscher et al., J. Biol. Chem. 283:6393-6401, 2008). However, this activity does not involve disruption of the membrane barrier function, a well-known property of other members of the polyene antibiotic family, such as filipin and nystatin. Here we tested the effect of natamycin on vacuole membrane fusion, which is known to be ergosterol dependent. Natamycin blocked the fusion of isolated vacuoles without compromising the barrier function of the vacuolar membrane. Sublethal doses of natamycin perturbed the cellular vacuole morphology, causing the formation of many more small vacuolar structures in yeast cells. Using vacuoles isolated from yeast strains deficient in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, we showed that the inhibitory activity of natamycin was dependent on the presence of specific chemical features in the structure of ergosterol that allow the binding of natamycin. We found that natamycin inhibited the priming stage of vacuole fusion. Similar results were obtained with nystatin. These results suggest a novel mode of action of natamycin and perhaps all polyene antibiotics, which involves the impairment of membrane fusion via perturbation of ergosterol-dependent priming reactions that precede membrane fusion, and they may point to an effect of natamycin on ergosterol-dependent protein function in general.
Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic-Model-Guided Doripenem Dosing in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Samtani Mahesh N. , Flamm Robert , Kaniga Koné , Nandy Partha 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

The growing number of infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens has prompted a more rational use of available antibiotics given the paucity of new, effective agents. Monte Carlo simulations were utilized to determine the appropriateness of several doripenem dosing regimens based on the probability of attaining the critical drug exposure metric of time that drug concentrations remain above the drug MIC (
T
>MIC) for 35% (and lower thresholds) of the dosing interval in >80 to 90% of the population (
T
>MIC 35% target). This exposure level generally correlates with
in vivo
efficacy for carbapenems. In patients with creatinine clearance of >50 ml/min, a 500-mg dose of doripenem infused over 1 h every 8 h is expected to be effective against bacilli with doripenem MICs of ≤1 μg/ml based on a
T
>MIC 35% target and MICs of ≤2 μg/ml based on lower targets. A longer, 4-hour infusion time improved target attainment in most cases, such that the
T
>MIC was adequate for pathogens with doripenem MICs as high as 4 μg/ml. Efficacy is expected for infections caused by pathogens with doripenem MICs of ≤2 μg/ml in patients with moderate renal impairment (creatinine clearance, 30 to 50 ml/min) who receive doripenem at 250 mg infused over 1 h every 8 h and in patients with severe impairment (creatinine clearance between 10 and 29 ml/min) who receive doripenem at 250 mg, infused over 1 h or 4 h, every 12 h. Results of pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) modeling can guide dose optimization, thereby potentially increasing the clinical efficacy of doripenem against serious Gram-negative bacterial infections.
Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1 Is a Lung-Specific Innate Immune Defense Mechanism That Inhibits Growth ofFrancisella tularensisTryptophan Auxotrophs
Authors: Peng Kaitian , Monack Denise M. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTUpon microbial challenge, organs at various anatomic sites of the body employ different innate immune mechanisms to defend against potential infections. Accordingly, microbial pathogens evolved to subvert these organ-specific host immune mechanisms to survive and grow in infected organs.Francisella tularensisis a bacterium capable of infecting multiple organs and thus encounters a myriad of organ-specific defense mechanisms. This suggests thatF. tularensismay possess specific factors that aid in evasion of these innate immune defenses. We carried out a microarray-based, negative-selection screen in an intranasal model ofFrancisella novicidainfection to identifyFrancisellagenes that contribute to bacterial growth specifically in the lungs of mice. Genes in the bacterial tryptophan biosynthetic pathway were identified as being important forF. novicidagrowth specifically in the lungs. In addition, a host tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), is induced specifically in the lungs of mice infected withF. novicidaorStreptococcus pneumoniae. Furthermore, the attenuation ofF. novicidatryptophan mutant bacteria was rescued in the lungs of IDO1−/−mice. IDO1 is a lung-specific innate immune mechanism that controls pulmonaryFrancisellainfections.
Taming the Elephant:
Salmonella
Biology, Pathogenesis, and Prevention
Authors: Andrews-Polymenis Helene L. , Bäumler Andreas J. , McCormick Beth A. , Fang Ferric C. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

Salmonella
infections continue to cause substantial morbidity and mortality throughout the world. However, recent discoveries and new paradigms promise to lead to novel strategies to diagnose, treat, and prevent
Salmonella
infections. This review provides an update of the
Salmonella
field based on oral presentations given at the recent 3rd ASM Conference on
Salmonella:
Biology, Pathogenesis and Prevention.