bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intracranial EEG with Very Low Frequency Activity Fails to Demonstrate an Advantage Over Conventional Recordings
Authors: Gross D. W. , Gotman J. , Quesney L. F. , Dubeau F. , Olivier A. 
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: Conventional scalp and intracranial EEG is recorded within a limited band of frequencies (0.3–70 Hz) based on the premise that clinically relevant cerebral activity occurs within this frequency range. Ikeda et al. recently demonstrated focal very low frequency activity (VLFA), <0.3 Hz, at seizure onset for both intra‐ and extracranial recordings. The purpose of this investigation was prospectively to study VLFA during seizures in intracranial recordings to determine whether activity in this frequency range provides useful information regarding localization of seizure onset and spread. Methods: Patients undergoing intracranial electrode implantation were studied by using a high‐pass filter of 0.01 Hz. The timing, location, and pattern of seizure onset were first determined by using a digital high‐pass filter of 0.3 Hz (conventional seizure onset). Seizures were then reviewed without digital filters and the presence of VLFA recorded, along with its timing and location. Results: Forty‐seven seizures were recorded in four patients. VLFA was not observed in 29 seizures and, in one other case, VLFA occurred simultaneous with movement. Of seizures with VLFA (n= 17), the timing and location of VLFA were not consistent with those of conventional seizure onset or propagation. Conclusions: Our study failed to demonstrate any clinical advantage of intracranial telemetry recordings with a high‐pass filter of 0.01 Hz over conventional recordings with regard to determining the timing and location of seizure onset and propagation.
Familial Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Choreoathetosis: An Electrophysiologic and Genotypic Analysis
Authors: Sadamatsu Miyuki , Masui Akira , Sakai Toshiyuki , Kunugi Hiroshi , Nanko Shin‐ichirou , Kato Nobumasa 
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: We report a pedigree of familial paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis (PKC) in which five of 18 members are affected. The pathophysiologic basis for PKC is still uncertain; reflex epilepsy versus dysfunction of basal ganglia. We examined (a) whether there were ictal discharges during the attacks, and (b) a linkage between PKC and possible DNA markers linked to several familial epileptic or movement disorders. Methods: Video‐monitoring EEG was performed in two patients with PKC during attacks elicited by movements of the lower extremities. Blood samples for DNA studies were obtained from 15 members of the pedigree. Fourteen polymorphic markers on chromosomes 1p, 2q, 6p, 10q, and 20q were genotyped, and two‐point lod scores were calculated for each marker under a dominant model. Results: No ictal discharges were found during the attacks in both patients. We could not obtain significant linkage of PKC with any marker examined. Conclusions: The video‐monitoring EEG findings in our cases strongly suggested that the etiology of PKC should be considered distinct from that of reflex epilepsy. However, the patients in this pedigree had experienced generalized convulsions in their infancies; thus we could not deny the possibility of an epileptogenic basis for PKC. There was no strong evidence for a linkage of the gene for PKC with the candidate regions on 1p, 2q, 6p, 10q, or 20q.
Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus in Childhood Localization‐Related Epilepsy
Authors: Ohtsuka Yoko , Sato Masahiro , Oka Eiji 
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: To report on three children with localization‐related epilepsy who exhibited minor seizures (atypical absences, brief atonic, and myoclonic) and nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) consisting of these minor seizures, and to elucidate their significance. Methods: We studied the electroclinical characteristics of these children. Ictal electroencephalograms (EEGs) of NCSE were evaluated by using simultaneous video‐EEG‐electromyo‐gram (EMG) polygraphic recordings. Results: All patients began to have partial seizures between the ages of 6 months and 2 years 7 months, with minor seizures appearing later, between the ages of 1 year 11 months and 6 years 6 months. These minor seizures evolved into NCSE. Complex partial seizures remained after suppression of the minor seizures. Interictal EEGs taken when the minor seizures appeared showed excessive diffuse epileptic discharges in addition to multifocal spike‐waves. Before and after suppression of the minor seizures, focal epileptic discharges predominated on the EEGs. On ictal EEGs of brief atonic and myoclonic seizures, diffuse spike‐wave and polyspike‐wave bursts were detected. Ictal EEGs of the atypical absences revealed diffuse spike‐wave bursts mixed with irregular high‐voltage slow waves, often interspersed with brief atonic and myoclonic seizures. When atypical absences lasted for a long time, patients manifested NCSE. Polytherapy might be related to the occurrence of minor seizures and NCSE, because all patients were treated with polytherapy at their appearance, and simplification of antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy seemed to be effective. Conclusions: We concluded that this NCSE is a type of atypical absence status which is an age‐dependent, transient, electroclinical condition. The mechanism of occurrence of these minor seizures might be related to secondary bilateral synchrony.
Applications of a Rapid Endospore Viability Assay for Monitoring UV Inactivation and Characterizing Arctic Ice Cores
Authors: Shafaat Hannah S. , Ponce Adrian 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

We have developed a rapid endospore viability assay (EVA) in which endospore germination serves as an indicator for viability and applied it to (i) monitor UV inactivation of endospores as a function of dose and (ii) determine the proportion of viable endospores in arctic ice cores (Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 [GISP2] cores; 94 m). EVA is based on the detection of dipicolinic acid (DPA), which is released from endospores during germination. DPA concentrations were determined using the terbium ion (Tb
3+
)-DPA luminescence assay, and germination was induced by
l
-alanine addition. The concentrations of germinable endospores were determined by comparison to a standard curve. Parallel EVA and phase-contrast microscopy experiments to determine the percentage of germinable spores yielded comparable results (54.3% ± 3.8% and 48.9% ± 4.5%, respectively), while only 27.8% ± 7.6% of spores produced CFU. EVA was applied to monitor the inactivation of spore suspensions as a function of UV dose, yielding reproducible correlations between EVA and CFU inactivation data. The 90% inactivation doses were 2,773 J/m
2
, 3,947 J/m
2
, and 1,322 J/m
2
for EVA, phase-contrast microscopy, and CFU reduction, respectively. Finally, EVA was applied to quantify germinable and total endospore concentrations in two GISP2 ice cores. The first ice core contained 295 ± 19 germinable spores/ml and 369 ± 36 total spores/ml (i.e., the percentage of germinable endospores was 79.9% ± 9.3%), and the second core contained 131 ± 4 germinable spores/ml and 162 ± 17 total spores/ml (i.e., the percentage of germinable endospores was 80.9% ± 8.8%), whereas only 2 CFU/ml were detected by culturing.
Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of Tetracycline-Resistant
Aeromonas veronii
Isolates from Catfish
Authors: Nawaz Mohamed , Sung Kidon , Khan Saeed A. , Khan Ashraf A. , Steele Roger 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Eighty-one tetracycline-resistant
Aeromonas
sp. strains were isolated from farm-raised catfish. Morphological and biochemical characteristics indicated that 23 of the 81 aeromonads were
Aeromonas hydrophila
, 7 isolates were
Aeromonas trota
, 6 isolates were
Aeromonas caviae
, 42 isolates were
Aeromonas veronii
, and 3 isolates were
Aeromonas jandaei
. However, the AluI and MboI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of the PCR-amplified 1.4-kb 16S rRNA gene from all 81 tetracycline-resistant aeromonads from catfish were identical to the RFLP banding patterns of
A. veronii
ATCC 35626, indicating that all 81 isolates were strains of
A. veronii
. A multiplex PCR assay successfully amplified the 5 tetracycline-resistant genes (
tet
A to E) from the genomic DNA of all 81 isolates. The assay determined that
tet
E was the dominant gene occurring in 73/81 (90.0%) of the aeromonads. Plasmids (2.0 to 20 kb) were isolated from 33 of the 81 isolates. Dendrogram analysis of the SpeI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified 15 distinct macrorestriction patterns among the isolates. Our results indicate the need for use of 16S rRNA in the identification of
Aeromonas
spp. and the prevalence of catfish as a reservoir of
tet
genes.
Culture-Independent Analysis of Indomethacin-Induced Alterations in the Rat Gastrointestinal Microbiota
Authors: Dalby Andrew B. , Frank Daniel N. , St. Amand Allison L. , Bendele Alison M. , Pace Norman R. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly prescribed for a variety of inflammatory conditions; however, the benefits of this class of drugs are accompanied by deleterious side effects, most commonly gastric irritation and ulceration. NSAID-induced ulceration is thought to be exacerbated by intestinal microbiota, but previous studies have not identified specific microbes that contribute to these adverse effects. In this study, we conducted a culture-independent analysis of ∼1,400 bacterial small-subunit rRNA genes associated with the small intestines and mesenteric lymph nodes of rats treated with the NSAID indomethacin. This is the first molecular analysis of the microbiota of the rat small intestine. A comparison of clone libraries and species-specific quantitative PCR results from rats treated with indomethacin and untreated rats revealed that organisms closely related to
Enterococcus faecalis
were heavily enriched in the small intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes of the treated rats. These data suggest that treatment of NSAID-induced ulceration may be facilitated by addressing the microbiological imbalances.
Manganese(IV) Oxide Production by
Acremonium
sp. Strain KR21-2 and Extracellular Mn(II) Oxidase Activity
Authors: Miyata Naoyuki , Tani Yukinori , Maruo Kanako , Tsuno Hiroshi , Sakata Masahiro , Iwahori Keisuke 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Ascomycetes that can deposit Mn(III, IV) oxides are widespread in aquatic and soil environments, yet the mechanism(s) involved in Mn oxide deposition remains unclear. A Mn(II)-oxidizing ascomycete,
Acremonium
sp. strain KR21-2, produced a Mn oxide phase with filamentous nanostructures. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy showed that the Mn phase was primarily Mn(IV). We purified to homogeneity a laccase-like enzyme with Mn(II) oxidase activity from cultures of strain KR21-2. The purified enzyme oxidized Mn(II) to yield suspended Mn particles; XANES spectra indicated that Mn(II) had been converted to Mn(IV). The pH optimum for Mn(II) oxidation was 7.0, and the apparent half-saturation constant was 0.20 mM. The enzyme oxidized ABTS [2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] (pH optimum, 5.5;

K
m

, 1.2 mM) and contained two copper atoms per molecule. Moreover, the N-terminal amino acid sequence (residues 3 to 25) was 61% identical with the corresponding sequence of an
Acremonium
polyphenol oxidase and 57% identical with that of a
Myrothecium
bilirubin oxidase. These results provide the first evidence that a fungal multicopper oxidase can convert Mn(II) to Mn(IV) oxide. The present study reinforces the notion of the contribution of multicopper oxidase to microbially mediated precipitation of Mn oxides and suggests that
Acremonium
sp. strain KR21-2 is a good model for understanding the oxidation of Mn in diverse ascomycetes.
Use of Optical Density Detection Times To Assess the Effect of Acetic Acid on Single-Cell Kinetics
Authors: Métris A. , George S. M. , Baranyi J. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

The growth of
Listeria innocua
at different acetic acid concentrations (0 to 2,000 ppm) was monitored by optical density measurements in a Bioscreen (Labsystems, Vantaa, Finland). The generated populations came from low inocula that were obtained by serial dilution. A new method to estimate both the growth rate and the lag time of single cells from the detection times (time to reach an optical density of 0.11) was developed. It assumes that the single-cell lag times follow a gamma distribution and takes into account the randomness of the inoculation level. (The initial cell number per well was assumed to follow a Poisson distribution.) In this way, relatively small numbers of replicates are sufficient to obtain a robust estimation of the distribution of single-cell lag times. The results were validated with plate count experiments. It was found that logarithms of both the growth rates and of population lag times increased linearly with the acetic acid concentration. The logarithm of the scale parameter of the gamma distribution of the single-cell lag times also increased linearly with the acetic acid concentration irrespective of the phase of the inoculum.
Host
PGRP
Gene Expression and Bacterial Release in Endosymbiosis of the Weevil
Sitophilus zeamais
Authors: Anselme Caroline , Vallier Agnès , Balmand Séverine , Fauvarque Marie-Odile , Heddi Abdelaziz 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Intracellular symbiosis (endosymbiosis) with gram-negative bacteria is common in insects, yet little is known about how the host immune system perceives the endosymbionts and controls their growth and invasion without complete bacterial clearance. In this study, we have explored the expression of a peptidoglycan recognition protein gene of the weevil
Sitophilus zeamais
(
wPGRP
); an ortholog in
Drosophila
(i.e.,
PGRP-LB
) was recently shown to downregulate the Imd pathway (A. Zaidman-Remy, M. Herve, M. Poidevin, S. Pili-Floury, M. S. Kim, D. Blanot, B. H. Oh, R. Ueda, D. Mengin-Lecreulx, and B. Lemaitre, Immunity
24:
463-473, 2006). Insect challenges with bacteria have demonstrated that
wPGRP
is induced by gram-negative bacteria and that the level of induction depends on bacterial growth. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR quantification of the
wPGRP
gene transcript performed at different points in insect development has shown a high steady-state level in the bacteria-bearing organ (the bacteriome) of larvae and a high level of
wPGRP
up-regulation in the symbiotic nymphal phase. Concomitantly, during this stage fluorescence in situ hybridization has revealed an endosymbiont release from the host bacteriocytes. Together with the previously described high induction level of endosymbiont virulence genes at the nymphal phase (C. Dale, G. R. Plague, B. Wang, H. Ochman, and N. A. Moran, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
99:
12397-12402, 2002), these findings indicate that insect mutualistic relationships evolve through an interplay between bacterial virulence and host immune defense and that the host immunity engages the
PGRP
gene family in that interplay.
Multiparameter Assessments To Determine the Effects of Sugars and Antimicrobials on a Polymicrobial Oral Biofilm
Authors: Yang Ying , Sreenivasan Prem K. , Subramanyam Ravi , Cummins Diane 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Clinical studies indicate relationships between dental plaque, a naturally formed biofilm, and oral diseases. The crucial role of nonmicrobial biofilm constituents in maintaining biofilm structure and biofilm-specific attributes, such as resistance to shear and viscoelasticity, is increasingly recognized. Concurrent analyses of the diverse nonmicrobial biofilm components for multiparameter assessments formed the focus of this investigation. Comparable numbers of
Actinomyces viscosus
,
Streptococcus sanguinis
,
Streptococcus mutans
,
Neisseria subflava
, and
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
cells were seeded into multiple wells of 96-well polystyrene plates for biofilm formation. Quantitative fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) examined the influences of dietary sugars, incubation conditions, ingredients in oral hygiene formulations, and antibiotics on biofilm components. Biofilm extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were examined with an optimized mixture of fluorescent lectins, with biofilm proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids detected with specific fluorescent stains. Anaerobic incubation of biofilms resulted in significantly more biofilm EPS and extractable carbohydrates than those formed under aerobic conditions (
P
< 0.05). Sucrose significantly enhanced biofilm EPS in comparison to fructose, galactose, glucose, and lactose (
P
< 0.05). CLSM demonstrated thicker biofilms under sucrose-replete conditions, along with significant increases in biofilm EPS, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, than under conditions of sucrose deficiency (
P
< 0.05). Agents in oral hygiene formulations (chlorhexidine, ethanol, and sodium lauryl sulfate), a mucolytic agent (
N
-acetyl-
l
-cysteine), and antibiotics with different modes of action (amoxicillin, doxycycline, erythromycin, metronidazole, and vancomycin) inhibited biofilm components (
P
< 0.05). Multiparameter analysis indicated a dose-dependent inhibition of biofilm EPS and protein by chlorhexidine and sodium lauryl sulfate, along with distinctive inhibitory patterns for subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. Collectively, these results highlight multiparameter assessments as a broad platform for simultaneous assessment of diverse biofilm components.
Phylogeny of Acetate-Utilizing Microorganisms in Soils along a Nutrient Gradient in the Florida Everglades
Authors: Chauhan Ashvini , Ogram Andrew 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTThe consumption of acetate in soils taken from a nutrient gradient in the northern Florida Everglades was studied by stable isotope probing. Bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from eutrophic and oligotrophic soil microcosms strongly suggest that a significant amount of acetate is consumed by syntrophic acetate oxidation in nutrient-enriched soil.
Virulence Factor Gene Profiles of
Escherichia coli
Isolates from Clinically Healthy Pigs
Authors: Schierack Peter , Steinrück Hartmut , Kleta Sylvia , Vahjen Wilfried 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Nonpathogenic, intestinal
Escherichia coli
(commensal
E. coli
) supports the physiological intestinal balance of the host, whereas pathogenic
E. coli
with typical virulence factor gene profiles can cause severe outbreaks of diarrhea. In many reports,
E. coli
isolates from diarrheic animals were classified as putative pathogens. Here we describe a broad variety of virulence gene-positive
E. coli
isolates from swine with no clinical signs of intestinal disease. The isolation of
E. coli
from 34 pigs from the same population and the testing of 331 isolates for genes encoding heat-stable enterotoxins I and II, heat-labile enterotoxin I, Shiga toxin 2e, and F4, F5, F6, F18, and F41 fimbriae revealed that 68.6% of the isolates were positive for at least one virulence gene, with a total of 24 different virulence factor gene profiles, implying high rates of horizontal gene transfer in this
E. coli
population. Additionally, we traced the occurrence of hemolytic
E. coli
over a period of 1 year in this same pig population. Hemolytic isolates were differentiated into seven clones; only three were found to harbor virulence genes. Hemolytic
E. coli
isolates without virulence genes or with only the
fedA
gene were found to be nontypeable by slide agglutination tests with OK antisera intended for screening live cultures against common pathogenic
E. coli
serogroups. The results appear to indicate that virulence gene-carrying
E. coli
strains are a normal part of intestinal bacterial populations and that high numbers of
E. coli
cells harboring virulence genes and/or with hemolytic activity do not necessarily correlate with disease.
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis as a Diagnostic Tool in Periodontal Microbiology
Authors: Zijnge Vincent , Welling Gjalt W. , Degener John E. , van Winkelhoff Arie Jan , Abbas Frank , Harmsen Hermie J. M. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Bacteria play an important role in the initiation and progression of periodontal diseases and are part of a biofilm, which can contain over 100 different species. The aim of the present study was to show the potential of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) as a tool for the detection of clinically relevant species and to compare the results of detection by DGGE with those by PCR and culturing. Hybridization of the bands from the DGGE profiles with species-specific probes was developed to confirm the band positions in the marker obtained with reference strains. The sensitivities of DGGE compared to those of cultivation for the detection of
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
,
Porphyromonas gingivalis
,
Prevotella intermedia
, and
Tannerella forsythensis
were 100, 100, 88, and 100%, respectively; and the sensitivities of DGGE compared to those of PCR were 100, 90, 88, and 96%, respectively. DGGE as a diagnostic tool could easily be extended to other species, as shown for
Treponema denticola
, which could be detected in 48% of the samples. Three different groups of
A. actinomycetemcomitans
serotypes could be distinguished by DGGE (i.e., a group comprising serotypes a, d, e, and f; a group comprising serotype b; and a group comprising serotype c). Amplicons from
P. gingivalis
and
T. denticola
migrated to the same position in the gel, and
P. intermedia
produced multiple bands. In the present study we show that the DGGE profiles represent clinically relevant species which can be detected by hybridization with species-specific probes. With DGGE, large numbers of samples can be analyzed for different species simultaneously, and DGGE may be a good alternative in periodontal microbial diagnostics.
Contemporary Prevalence of BRO β-Lactamases in
Moraxella catarrhalis
: Report from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (North America, 1997 to 2004)
Authors: Deshpande Lalitagauri M. , Sader Helio S. , Fritsche Thomas R. , Jones Ronald N. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

A total of 7,860 community-acquired
Moraxella catarrhalis
isolates (SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, 1997 to 2004) were tested by broth microdilution methods, and 399 randomly selected strains from North American sites were tested for BRO-1 and BRO-2 by PCR methods. Several antimicrobials remained very active, including amoxicillin-clavulanate (MIC
90
s, ≤0.25 μg/ml), azithromycin (MIC
90
s, ≤0.12 μg/ml), ceftriaxone (MIC
90
s, 0.5 μg/ml), and levofloxacin (MIC
90
s, ≤0.03 to 0.06 μg/ml). The BRO-2 incidence rates by year were 3 to 4% overall (96 to 97% for BRO-1) and were the highest in Canada (7.9%), with the incidence in the United States being only 2.0%.