bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative Analysis of Amphotericin B Lipid Complex and Liposomal Amphotericin B Kinetics of Lung Accumulation and Fungal Clearance in a Murine Model of Acute Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Authors: Lewis Russell E. , Liao Guangling , Hou Jinggou , Chamilos Georgios , Prince Randall A. , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT

The reformulation of amphotericin B (AMB) into a lipid complex (AMB lipid complex [ABLC]) or liposomal carrier (liposomal AMB [L-AMB]) changes the rate and extent of drug distribution to the lung. The importance of pharmacokinetic differences among the various lipid AMB formulations in the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) remains unknown. We compared the kinetics of AMB lung accumulation and fungal clearance of ABLC- and L-AMB-treated mice with acute IPA. BALB/c mice were immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide and cortisone before intranasal inoculation with 1.5 × 10
6
Aspergillus fumigatus
293 conidia. ABLC or L-AMB was administered in daily intravenous doses (1, 5, or 10 mg/kg of body weight), starting 12 h after infection and continuing until day 5. At predetermined times (0, 24, 72, and 120 h), mice were euthanized, and lungs were harvested for determinations of lung fungal burdens (quantitative PCR) and total AMB lung tissue concentrations. Both ABLC and L-AMB were effective at reducing lung fungal burdens at doses of ≥5 mg/kg/day. Clearance of
A. fumigatus
during the first 24 h was associated with AMB tissue concentrations of >4 μg/g. At 5 mg/kg/day, ABLC produced a more rapid fungal clearance than did L-AMB, but at the end of therapy, fungal burden reductions were similar for both formulations and were not improved with higher dosages. These data suggest that ABLC delivers active AMB to the lung more rapidly than does L-AMB, resulting in faster
Aspergillus
clearance in an experimental model of IPA. However, pharmacodynamic differences between the two formulations were less apparent when mice were dosed at 10 mg/kg/day.
Genetic Elements Carrying
erm
(B) in
Streptococcus pyogenes
and Association with
tet
(M) Tetracycline Resistance Gene
Authors: Brenciani Andrea , Bacciaglia Alessandro , Vecchi Manuela , Vitali Luca A. , Varaldo Pietro E. , Giovanetti Eleonora 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT

This study was directed at characterizing the genetic elements carrying the methylase gene
erm
(B), encoding ribosome modification-mediated resistance to macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B (MLS) antibiotics, in
Streptococcus pyogenes
. In this species,
erm
(B) is responsible for MLS resistance in constitutively resistant isolates (cMLS phenotype) and in a subset (iMLS-A) of inducibly resistant isolates. A total of 125
erm
(B)-positive strains were investigated, 81 iMLS-A (uniformly tetracycline susceptible) and 44 cMLS (29 tetracycline resistant and 15 tetracycline susceptible). Whereas all tetracycline-resistant isolates carried the
tet
(M) gene,
tet
(M) sequences were also detected in most tetracycline-susceptible isolates (81/81 iMLS-A and 7/15 cMLS). In 2 of the 8
tet
(M)-negative cMLS isolates,
erm
(B) was carried by a plasmid-located Tn
917
-like transposon.
erm
(B)- and
tet
(M)-positive isolates were tested by PCR for the presence of genes
int
(integrase),
xis
(excisase), and
tndX
(resolvase), associated with conjugative transposons of the Tn
916
family. In mating experiments using representatives of different combinations of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics as donors,
erm
(B) and
tet
(M) were consistently cotransferred, suggesting their linkage in individual genetic elements. The linkage was confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and hybridization studies, and different elements, variably associated with the different phenotypes/genotypes, were detected and characterized by amplification and sequencing experiments. A previously unreported genetic organization, observed in all iMLS-A and some cMLS isolates, featured an
erm
(B)-containing DNA insertion into the
tet
(M) gene of a defective Tn
5397
, a Tn
916
-related transposon. This new element was designated Tn
1116
. Genetic elements not previously described in
S. pyogenes
also included Tn
6002
, an unpublished transposon whose complete sequence is available in GenBank, and Tn
3872
, a composite element resulting from the insertion of the Tn
917
transposon into Tn
916
[associated with a
tet
(M) gene expressed in some cMLS isolates and silent in others]. The high frequency of association between a tetracycline-susceptible phenotype and
tet
(M) genes suggests that transposons of the Tn
916
family, so far typically associated solely with a tetracycline-resistant phenotype, may be more widespread in
S. pyogenes
than currently believed.
Detection of UV-Induced Thymine Dimers in IndividualCryptosporidium parvumandCryptosporidium hominisOocysts by Immunofluorescence Microscopy
Authors: Al-Adhami B. H. , Nichols R. A. B. , Kusel J. R. , O'Grady J. , Smith H. V. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACTTo investigate the effect of UV light onCryptosporidium parvumandCryptosporidium hominisoocysts in vitro, we exposed intact oocysts to 4-, 10-, 20-, and 40-mJ·cm−2doses of UV irradiation. Thymine dimers were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy using a monoclonal antibody against cyclobutyl thymine dimers (anti-TDmAb). Dimer-specific fluorescence within sporozoite nuclei was confirmed by colocalization with the nuclear fluorogen 4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Oocyst walls were visualized using either commercial fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled anti-Cryptosporidiumoocyst antibodies (FITC-CmAb) or Texas Red-labeled anti-Cryptosporidiumoocyst antibodies (TR-CmAb). The use of FITC-CmAb interfered with TD detection at doses below 40 mJ·cm−2. With the combination of anti-TDmAb, TR-CmAb, and DAPI, dimer-specific fluorescence was detected in sporozoite nuclei within oocysts exposed to 10 to 40 mJ·cm−2of UV light. Similar results were obtained withC. hominis. C. parvumoocysts exposed to 10 to 40 mJ·cm−2of UV light failed to infect neonatal mice, confirming that results of our anti-TD immunofluorescence assay paralleled the outcomes of our neonatal mouse infectivity assay. These results suggest that our immunofluorescence assay is suitable for detecting DNA damage inC. parvumandC. hominisoocysts induced following exposure to UV light.
Prevalence ofStreptococcus suisGenotypes in Wild Boars of Northwestern Germany
Authors: Baums Christoph G. , Verkühlen Gerd Josef , Rehm Thomas , Silva Luciana M. G. , Beyerbach Martin , Pohlmeyer Klaus , Valentin-Weigand Peter 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACTInvasive serotype 2 (cps2+) strains ofStreptococcus suiscause meningitis in pigs and humans. Four case reports ofS. suismeningitis in hunters suggest transmission ofS. suisthrough the butchering of wild boars. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of potentially human-pathogenicS. suisstrains in wild boars.S. suiswas isolated from 92% of all tested tonsils (n= 200) from wild boars. A total of 244S. suisisolates were genotyped using PCR assays for the detection of serotype-specific genes, the hemolysin genesly, and the virulence-associated genesmrpandepf. The prevalence of thecps2+genotype among strains from wild boars was comparable to that of control strains from domestic pig carriers. Ninety-five percent of thecps2+wild boar strains were positive formrp,sly, andepf*, the large variant ofepf. Interestingly,epf* was significantly more frequently detected incps2+strains from wild boars than in those from domestic pigs;epf* is also typically found in EuropeanS. suisisolates from humans, including a meningitis isolate from a German hunter. These results suggest that at least 10% of wild boars in Northwestern Germany carryS. suisstrains that are potentially virulent in humans. Additional amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis supported this hypothesis, since homogeneous clustering of theepf*mrp+sly+cps2+strains from wild boars with invasive human and porcine strains was observed.
Contributions of Pneumolysin, Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (PspA), and PspC to Pathogenicity ofStreptococcus pneumoniaeD39 in a Mouse Model
Authors: Ogunniyi Abiodun D. , LeMessurier Kim S. , Graham Rikki M. A. , Watt James M. , Briles David E. , Stroeher Uwe H. , Paton James C. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACTSuccessful colonization of the upper respiratory tract byStreptococcus pneumoniaeis an essential first step in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal disease. However, the bacterial and host factors that provoke the progression from asymptomatic colonization to invasive disease are yet to be fully defined. In this study, we investigated the effects of single and combined mutations in genes encoding pneumolysin (Ply), pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), and pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC, also known as choline-binding protein A) on the pathogenicity ofStreptococcus pneumoniaeserotype 2 (D39) in mice. Following intranasal challenge with D39, stable colonization of the nasopharynx was maintained over a 7-day period at a level of approximately 105bacteria per mouse. The abilities of the mutant deficient in PspA to colonize the nasopharynx and to cause lung infection and bacteremia were significantly reduced. Likewise, the PspC mutant and, to a lesser extent, the Ply mutant also had reduced abilities to colonize the nasopharynx. As expected, the double mutants colonized less well than the parent to various degrees and had difficulty translocating to the lungs and blood. A significant additive attenuation was observed for the double and triple mutants in pneumonia and systemic disease models. Surprisingly, the colonization profile of the derivative lacking all three proteins was similar to that of the wild type, indicating virulence gene compensation. These findings further demonstrate that the mechanism of pneumococcal pathogenesis is highly complex and multifactorial but ascribes a role for each of these virulence proteins, alone or in combination, in the process.
Effect of Fatty Acids and Cholesterol Present in Bile on Expression of Virulence Factors and Motility of
Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Chatterjee Arpita , Dutta Pradeep K. , Chowdhury Rukhsana 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT

Bile induces pleiotropic responses that affect production of virulence factors, motility, and other phenotypes in the enteric pathogen
Vibrio cholerae
. Since bile is a heterogeneous mixture, crude bile was fractionated, and the components that mediate virulence gene repression and enhancement of motility were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography (GC), and GC-mass spectrometry analyses. The unsaturated fatty acids detected in bile, arachidonic, linoleic, and oleic acids, drastically repressed expression of the
ctxAB
and
tcpA
genes, which encode cholera toxin and the major subunit of the toxin-coregulated pilus, respectively. The unsaturated fatty acid-dependent repression was due to silencing of
ctxAB
and
tcpA
expression by the histone-like nucleoid-structuring protein H-NS, even in the presence of the transcriptional activator ToxT. Unsaturated fatty acids also enhanced motility of
V. cholerae
due to increased expression of
flrA
, the first gene of a regulatory cascade that controls motility. H-NS had no role in the fatty acid-mediated enhancement of motility. It is likely that the ToxR/ToxT system that negatively regulates motility is rendered nonfunctional in the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, leading to an increase in motility. Motility and
flrA
expression were also increased in the presence of cholesterol, another component of bile, in an H-NS- and ToxR/ToxT-independent manner.
Extracellular Gelatinase ofEnterococcus faecalisDestroys a Defense System in Insect Hemolymph and Human Serum
Authors: Park Shin Yong , Kim Kyoung Mi , Lee Joon Ha , Seo Sook Jae , Lee In Hee 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACTWe isolatedEnterococcus faecalisfrom the body fluids of dead larvae of the greater wax moth,Galleria mellonella. Extracellular gelatinase (GelE) and serine protease (SprE), both of which are considered putative virulence factors ofE. faecalis, were purified from the culture supernatant ofE. faecalis. In an attempt to elucidate their virulence mechanisms, purified GelE and SprE were injected into hemolymph ofG. mellonellaand evaluated with regard to their effects on the immune system of insect hemolymph. As a result, it was determined thatE. faecalisGelE degraded an inducible antimicrobial peptide (Gm cecropin) which is known to perform a critical role in host defense during the early phase of microbial infection. The results obtained from theG. mellonella-E. faecalisinfection model compelled us to assess the virulence activity of GelE against the complement system in human serum.E. faecalisGelE hydrolyzed C3a and also mediated the degradation of the alpha chain of C3b, thereby inhibiting opsonization and the formation of the membrane attack complex resultant from the activation of the complement cascade triggered by C3 activation. In contrast,E. faecalisSprE exhibited no virulence effect against the immune system of insect hemolymph or human serum tested in this study.
Effects of short-term treatment strategies over 4 weeks in Achilles tendinopathy
Authors: Mayer Frank , Hirschmüller Anja , Müller Steffen , Schuberth Martin , Baur Heiner 
Published: February 2007

Background:The therapeutic efficacy of non-surgical treatment strategies in Achilles tendinopathy (AT) has not been well clarified. Time-consuming and costly combinations of treatment for pain, physiotherapy and biomechanical procedures are often applied.Objective:To analyse the efficacy of single therapeutic regimens commonly used over a short period of 4 weeks.Methods:31 male runners (mileage >32 km/week) with unilateral, untreated AT completed 4 weeks of either physiotherapy (10 treatments: deep-friction, pulsed ultrasound, ice, sensory motor training; (P)), wearing custom fit semirigid insoles (I) or remained without treatment (control group C). Before and after treatment, all patients underwent a treadmill test and a plantar flexion strength exercise. Subjective pain (Pain Disability Index, Pain Experience Scale), as well as strength performance capacity (peak torque), was analysed (mean, 95% CI, repeated measures analysis of variance, α = 0.05).Results:Pain was reduced to <50% of the baseline value after physiotherapy or after wearing insoles (p<0.05). Individual pain reduction was >50% (25%) in 89% (100%) of subjects in I and 55% (73%) in P. Higher eccentric plantar flexion peak torques after treatment were observed in I and P.Conclusions:Most patients with AT experience a reduction in pain after only 4 weeks of differentiated, non-surgical treatment consisting of physiotherapy or semirigid insoles.
Changes in muscle temperature induced by 434 MHz microwave hyperthermia
Authors: Ichinoseki-Sekine Noriko , Naito Hisashi , Saga Norio , Ogura Yuji , Shiraishi Minoru , Giombini Arrigo , Giovannini Valentina , Katamoto Shizuo 
Published: February 2007

Objective:To investigate the changes in temperature of human muscle during microwave hyperthermia.Methods:Skin surface and muscle temperatures were measured in 11 healthy adult men (mean (SD) age 24.3 (2.2) years; height 174.2 (6.1) cm; weight 70.0 (5.3) kg) during a 30 min exposure of the thigh to 434 MHz microwave hyperthermia. Skin temperature was maintained at the pilot temperature of 40°C, and the temperature of the water in the bolus was 38°C. The peak power output was set at 60 W and controlled automatically to maintain the pilot temperature. The temperature was measured in the vastus lateralis muscle at an average muscle depth of 2.0 (0.2) cm, using a 23 G Teflon-shielded thermocouple. Biopsy specimens were obtained for light microscopy from three subjects. A muscle-equivalent phantom was used to evaluate the vertical heating pattern.Results:Both skin and muscle temperatures increased from baseline, and muscle temperature was higher than skin temperature (skin temperature 39.2 (0.5)°C, temperature rise 5.0 (1.5)°C; muscle temperature 43.7 (0.8)°C, temperature rise 8.9 (1.4)°C). At the end of the hyperthermia treatment, muscle temperature decreased to 39.8 (0.9)°C, but was still 4.8 (1.5)°C higher than the baseline. No signs of muscle damage were observed on the basis of the blood creatine kinase activity and histological sections.Conclusions:The results show that the 434 MHz microwave hyperthermia treatment increased and maintained muscle temperature locally by 6.3–11.4°C without muscle damage. These findings suggest that the microwave hyperthermia system provides effective and safe treatment.
Long-standing groin pain in sportspeople falls into three primary patterns, a “clinical entity” approach: a prospective study of 207 patients
Authors: Hölmich Per 
Published: February 2007

Background:Groin pain remains a major challenge in sports medicine.Aim:To examine 207 consecutive athletes (196 men, 11 women) with groin pain using a standardised and reliable clinical examination programme that focused on signs that suggest pathology in (1) the adductors, (2) the ilopsoas and (3) the rectus abdominis.Patients and methods:Most patients were football players (66%) and runners (18%). In this cohort, the clinical pattern consistent with adductor-related dysfunction, was the primary clinical entity in 58% of the patients and in 69% of the football players. Iliopsoas-related dysfunction was the primary clinical entity in 36% of the patients. Rectus abdominis-related dysfunction was found in 20 (10%) patients but it was associated with adductor-related pain in 18 of these patients. Multiple clinical entities were found in 69 (33%) patients; of these, 16 patients had three clinical entities.Conclusions:These descriptive data extend previous findings that physical examination for groin pain can be reliable. While underscoring the prevalence of adductor-related physical examination abnormality in football players, the data highlight the prevalence of examination findings localising to the iliopsoas among this cohort. Also, the fact that combinations of clinical entities were present has important implications for treatment. The finding of multiple abnormal clinical entities also raises the possibility that earlier presentation may be prudent; it is tempting to speculate that one clinical entity likely precedes other developing entities. These data argue for the need for a trial where clinical entities are correlated with systematic investigation including MRI and ultrasonography.
Full symptomatic recovery does not ensure full recovery of muscle-tendon function in patients with Achilles tendinopathy
Authors: Grävare Silbernagel Karin , Thomeé Roland , Eriksson Bengt I , Karlsson Jon 
Published: February 2007

Objective:To assess the relationship between muscle-tendon function and symptoms in patients with Achilles tendinopathy using a validated test battery.Design:A prospective non-randomised trial.Setting:Orthopaedic Department, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden.Patients:37 patients with a clinical diagnosis of Achilles tendinopathy in the midportion of the tendon, with symptoms for >2 months, were evaluated at the initiation of the study and after 1 year.Intervention:The patients were treated using a rehabilitation programme, under the supervision of a physical therapist, for 6 months.Main outcome measurements:The patients were evaluated using the Swedish version of the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment—Achilles questionnaire (VISA-A-S) for symptoms, and a test battery for evaluation of the lower leg muscle-tendon function.Results:There were significant improvements in the VISA-A-S score (p<0.00, n = 37) and the test battery (p<0.02, n = 19) at the 1-year follow-up. The VISA-A-S questionnaire had an effect size of 2.1 and the test battery had an effect size of 0.73. A low correlation (r = 0.178, p>0.05) was found between the VISA-A-S score and the test battery. A high correlation (r = 0.611, p<0.05) was found between the drop counter movement jump and the VISA-A-S score. All other tests in the test battery had low correlations (r = −0.305 to 0.155, p>0.05) with the VISA-A-S score. Only 25% (4/16) of the patients who had full symptomatic recovery had achieved full recovery of muscle–tendon function as measured by the test battery.Conclusion:Full symptomatic recovery in patients with Achilles tendinopathy does not ensure full recovery of muscle–tendon function. The VISA-A-S questionnaire and the test battery are sensitive to clinically relevant changes with treatment and can be recommended for use in both the clinic and research.
Ice-water immersion and delayed-onset muscle soreness: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Sellwood Kylie Louise , Brukner Peter , Williams David , Nicol Alastair , Hinman Rana 
Published: February 2007

Objective:To determine if ice-water immersion after eccentric quadriceps exercise minimises the symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).Design:A prospective randomised double-blind controlled trial was undertaken. 40 untrained volunteers performed an eccentric loading protocol with their non-dominant leg.Interventions:Participants were randomised to three 1-min immersions in either ice water (5±1°C) or tepid water (24°C).Main outcome measures:Pain and tenderness (visual analogue scale), swelling (thigh circumference), function (one-legged hop for distance), maximal isometric strength and serum creatine kinase (CK) recorded at baseline, 24, 48 and 72 h after exercise. Changes in outcome measures over time were compared to determine the effect of group allocation using independent t tests or Mann–Whitney U tests.Results:No significant differences were observed between groups with regard to changes in most pain parameters, tenderness, isometric strength, swelling, hop-for-distance or serum CK over time. There was a significant difference in pain on sit-to-stand at 24 h, with the intervention group demonstrating a greater increase in pain than the control group (median change 8.0 vs 2.0 mm, respectively, p = 0.009).Conclusions:The protocol of ice-water immersion used in this study was ineffectual in minimising markers of DOMS in untrained individuals. This study challenges the wide use of this intervention as a recovery strategy by athletes.
Shared Waters: Conflict and Cooperation
Authors: Wolf Aaron T. 
Published: February 2007

This review examines the state of conflict and cooperation over transboundary water resources from an environmental, political, and human development perspective. Although the potential for outright war between countries over water is low, cooperation is often missing in disputes over transboundary resources. This background chapter will ▪ Provide a brief overview of the nature of conflict and experiences of cooperation over transboundary resources. ▪ Provide a conceptual basis for understanding cooperation and the costs of noncooperation over water. ▪ Indicate the possible triggers for conflict over water sharing and the implications on the livelihoods of ordinary communities. ▪ Offer evidence on the potential costs of noncooperation or even conflict over water resources. ▪ Analyze power asymmetries between riparian states and how they affect the outcomes of negotiations. ▪ Analyze different examples of cases that countries have used to manage the competition for water resources. ▪ Propose general principles and conclusions on conflict and cooperation.