bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patients in the Intensive Care Unit are Exposed to Amoeba-Associated Pathogens
Authors: Scola Bernard La , Mezi Liazyd , Auffray Jean-Pierre , Berland Yvon , Raoult Didier 
Published: February 2006

Objective:To study the role of amoeba-associated alpha Proteobacteria as infecting agents in intensive care units (ICUs).Design:Amoeba-associated alpha Proteobacteria were isolated from water samples taken from ICU taps and general hospital reservoir tanks using an amoebal co-culture procedure. Isolates were identified by 16S rDNA gene sequence comparison, and one isolate of each species was used as an antigen in a microimmunofluorescence assay to test the sera of the patients in the ICUs and compare them with those of control subjects.Setting:The four university hospitals in Marseilles, France.Patients:The sera of 85 patients in the ICUs with nosocomial pneumonia were tested.Results:We isolated 64 bacterial strains that were identified asAfipiaspecies or close relatives within the Rhizobiaceae subgroup of alpha Proteobacteria. These bacteria were assigned to 8 different species. Eleven patients were found to have an elevated antibody titer to eitherAfipiagenospecies 1, or 3 still unnamed bacteria. No specific antibodies were detected in 100 control subjects (P<.01).Conclusion:These preliminary results support the hypothesis that ICU patients are exposed to amoeba-associated alpha Proteobacteria.
Prevalence and Acquisition of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in a Medical Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Gardiner David , Murphey Sheila , Ossman Elizabeth , Jungkind Donald 
Published: February 2006

AbstractPatients admitted to a medical intensive care unit during 21 days had rectal and urine samples cultured for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). The prevalence rate was 55.3%. Only enteral feedings were associated with acquisition of VRE. One-quarter of VRE transmission resulted from acquisition in the study unit, 35% arrived from other units, and 15% from other hospital.
An Outbreak of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in a Hematology–Oncology Unit: Control by Patient Cohorting and Terminal Cleaning of the Environment
Authors: Sample Mary Lu , Gravel Denise , Oxley Cathy , Toye Baldwin , Garber Gary , Ramotar Karam 
Published: February 2006

AbstractWe describe the impact of enhanced infection control interventions on controlling the spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in our hematology–oncology unit. Between April and September 1998, 13 patients on this unit were identified as having VRE. In addition to contact precautions, other measures that were needed to control the outbreak included closure of the unit to new admissions, creation of a cohort of VRE-positive patients and staff, and thorough cleaning of patients' rooms with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite.
Impact of Infection by Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus on Survival and Resource Utilization for Patients With Leukemia
Authors: Bach Peter B. , Malak Sharp F. , Jurcic Joseph , Gelfand Sarah E. , Eagan Janet , Little Claudia , Sepkowitz Kent A. 
Published: February 2006

Abstract We estimated the impact of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) infection on the outcomes of patients with leukemia in a case-control study. Compared with their matched controls (n = 45), cases (n = 23) had 22% greater total charges and shorter survival (P= .04). These findings substantiate the need for aggressive interventions to prevent VRE transmission.
Undetected Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Stool Colonization in a Veterans Affairs Hospital Using a Clostridium difficile–Focused Surveillance Strategy
Authors: Ray Amy J. , Hoyen Claudia K. , Das Sarbani M. , Eckstein Elizabeth C. , Donskey Curtis J. 
Published: February 2006

Abstract We examined the point prevalence of undetected vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) stool colonization in an institution that screens stool samples submitted for Clostridium difficile testing. Of 112 patients not known to be colonized, 10 (9%) had rectal VRE colonization. A prospective algorithm was effective for identification of colonized patients.
Completely Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strains
Authors: Mahgoub Siham , Ahmed Jimi , Glatt Aaron E. 
Published: February 2006

Abstract Nosocomially acquired completely resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains are a major clinical concern. We identified completely resistant A. baumannii in 6 (4.9%) of 122 A. baumannii isolates in a retrospective chart review at two teaching hospitals. All of these patients had received broad-spectrum antibiotics and had severe underlying comorbid illnesses, long hospitalizations, or recent surgical procedures; 3 had been in the intensive care unit. Five (83%) of the 6 patients were older than 70 years. Only one death occurred. Strict infection control measures may limit further spread.
Using a capture–recapture method to assess the frequency of adverse drug reactions in a French university hospital
Authors: Lugardon Stephanie , Desboeuf Karine , Fernet Pierre , Montastruc Jean‐Louis , Lapeyre‐Mestre Maryse 
Published: February 2006

AimsThere is evidence that different methods used to identify and quantify adverse drug reactions (ADR) in hospitals are not exhaustive (spontaneous reporting or computerized medical databases). The combination of these different sources of data could improve knowledge about ADR frequency in hospitals. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of serious ADRs handled in medical wards of a French university hospital using data from the Programme de Medicalization des Systemes d’Information (PMSI) and spontaneous reports recorded in the French Pharmacovigilance Database.MethodsThe study period was the first semester of 2001. From PMSI, all hospitalization summaries including an ICD‐10th code related to a potential ADR were selected. From the French Pharmacovigilance Database, all serious ADRs which occurred during the study period and were reported by physicians working in the University Hospital were collected. After identification of common cases, the capture–recapture method was applied in order to estimate the real number of ADRs occurring during the first semester of 2001.ResultsFrom PMSI, we identified 274 different hospital stays related to an ADR. Out of 241 reports selected from the French Pharmacovigilance Database, we retained 151 ADRs for analysis. Fifty‐two ADRs were common in the two databases, giving an estimated number of serious ADRs of 796 [95% confidence interval (CI) 638, 954], corresponding to 2.9% of inpatients (95% CI 2.3, 3.5).ConclusionsThis study shows the lack of exhaustiveness of ADR reporting whatever the sources of data and underlines the interest of merging data from different databases to identify fully the real impact of ADR in hospitals.
Prescribing behaviour according to Dutch and European guidelines on the management of hypercholesterolaemia (1992–1999)
Authors: Mantel‐Teeuwisse Aukje K. , Klungel Olaf H. , Hofman Albert , Verschuren W. M. Monique , Trienekens Paul H. , Porsius Arijan J. , Stricker Bruno H. CH. , De Boer Anthonius 
Published: February 2006

BackgroundThe success of the full implementation of a new guideline may depend on the observed discrepancy between daily medical practice developed before the release of the guideline and new treatment recommendations issued by the guideline.AimTo assess whether the initiation of statin treatment for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in an elderly population was in agreement with guidelines.MethodsData were obtained from the Rotterdam Study, a prospective population‐based cohort study consisting of 7983 subjects aged ≥ 55 years. In the period 1992–1999, all patients starting statins for primary prevention were selected. Treatment eligibility was established according to Dutch guidelines based on considerations of cost effectiveness (1998) and European guidelines based on clinical effectiveness (1998 and 2003).ResultsOnly 5.7%[95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1, 8.3] of the 299 subjects starting statins for primary prevention met the eligibility criteria of the Dutch guidelines. Most patients (92.0%, 95% CI 88.9, 95.1) met the criteria of the 2003 European guidelines. Patients who did not meet any eligibility criteria were female and had one or less cardiovascular risk factor, except for two patients with total cholesterol levels < 5 mmol l−1 prior to start of statin therapy.ConclusionsThe use of statins was in agreement with the most recent European guidelines in over 90% of elderly patients who started statins for primary prevention, but in only 6% of these patients according to the Dutch guidelines. As long as existing guidelines are as discrepant as they are now, variation in agreement between physicians’ prescribing and guideline recommendations is unavoidable.
Characteristics of baled silage made from first and second harvests of wilted and severely wilted forages
Authors: Han K. J. , Collins M. , Vanzant E. S. , Dougherty C. T. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractFirst and second harvests of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and a lucerne–perennial ryegrass mixture [80 or 144 g kg−1 dry matter (DM) of ryegrass] at the first and second harvests were cut and conditioned, wilted to 500 or 700 g DM kg−1 then baled and stretch‐wrapped for silage on the same dates. Lucerne bales were denser (411 kg m−3) than bales of perennial ryegrass (331 kg m−3) (P < 0·05). After an 8‐month storage period, silage made from high DM‐content forage had a higher concentration of neutral‐detergent fibre (NDF) and was less digestible than that made from low DM‐content forage. Daily DM intakes by beef steers, when the silages of the second harvest were fed ad libitum, were 31·2, 31·2 and 22·3 g kg−1 live weight for lucerne, lucerne–perennial ryegrass mixture and perennial ryegrass silages, respectively (P < 0·01), when the herbage had been wilted to 500 g kg−1. In vivo digestibility of NDF in the lucerne–perennial ryegrass mixture silage (0·587) was significantly lower than that of perennial ryegrass silage (0·763) but higher than lucerne silage (0·518). Higher intakes of baled lucerne silage tended to offset its lower digestibility values. Lucerne–perennial ryegrass mixture silage had a higher DM and NDF digestibility than lucerne silage, indicating perhaps the presence of associative effects.
The use of pasture reflectance characteristics and arbuscular mycorrhizal root colonization to predict pasture characteristics of tallgrass prairie grazed by cattle and bison
Authors: Villarreal M. , Cochran R. C. , Johnson D. E. , Towne E. G. , Wilson G. W. T. , Hartnett D. C. , Goodin D. G. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractAn experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential for using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) root colonization and pasture reflectance characteristics as indicators of changes in tallgrass prairie vegetation resulting from differences in grazing history. The experiment was conducted within the context of a separate long‐term experiment in which eight 4·9‐ha pastures were grazed by either bison or cattle for nine consecutive years. Two separate ungrazed pastures were selected for comparison with grazed areas on the basis of similarity in burning regime, vegetation, soil and topographic characteristics. Four 45 m‐long transects were located in the upland sites within each pasture, and four plots were clipped to ground level along each transect. Reflectance readings were taken with a hand‐held radiometer at each sampling location and a soil core was collected within each plot for analysis of AMF root colonization. Reflectance readings at sixteen different wavelengths were used directly as inputs during multiple regression development or were transformed into each of three vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index, soil‐adjusted vegetation index and wide‐dynamic‐range vegetation index) and used in simple linear regressions. Ungrazed pastures were characterized by higher (P < 0·01) grass biomass, total biomass and canopy height than grazed pastures, but had a lower proportional abundance of forbs (P < 0·01) and amounts of forb biomass (P = 0·04). Species of herbivore did not significantly influence above‐ground characteristics that were measured. In general, AMF root colonization was relatively small and was not significantly affected by treatment and, accordingly, the variation was insufficient to test its potential as an indicator of grazing effects on vegetation or its potential relationship with pasture reflectance. Multiple regression equations based on individual wavelength reflectance values explained significantly more of the variation in above‐ground vegetation characteristics than did simple regressions using vegetation indices as predictor variables (r2 values from 0·36 to 0·46 vs. 0·11 to 0·27) and have the potential to predict above‐ground vegetation characteristics in heterogeneous rangelands.
Changes in plant densities in a mesic species‐rich grassland after imposing different grazing management treatments
Authors: Pavlů V. , Hejcman M. , Pavlů L. , Gaisler J. , Hejcmanová‐Nežerková P. , Meneses L. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractChanges in plant density were evaluated monthly in the first three vegetation seasons after imposing different grazing management treatments on abandoned semi‐natural grassland in the Czech Republic. There was no agricultural management in the 5 years before the start of the experiment in 1998. A completely randomized block experiment was established with the following five treatments: unmanaged control, intensive continuous grazing, extensive continuous grazing and a harvest in June followed by either intensive or extensive continuous grazing for the rest of the growing season. The sward was maintained at a target height of 5 and 10 cm under the intensive and extensive grazing managements respectively. An almost immediate increase in the densities of all sward components, especially grass tillers, occurred after the introduction of grazing on the previously abandoned grassland in comparison with the unmanaged control treatment. Trifolium repens was able to colonize and increase the number of its stolon growing‐points in all managed treatments, particularly in intensively grazed patches during the second and third experimental seasons. Delay to defoliation in both treatments containing a harvest in June resulted in an increase in the number of forb plants, particularly in the number of Taraxacum spp. plants, most probably due to an enabling of its seed production. It is evident that increases in plant density as a function of intensive defoliation are not restricted to the frequently documented effect on grass tillers but also can occur in many legume and forb species in species‐rich grasslands.
Increased concentration of water‐soluble carbohydrate in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Evaluation in dairy cows in early lactation
Authors: Moorby J. M. , Evans R. T. , Scollan N. D. , MacRae J. C. , Theodorou M. K. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractTwelve multiparous Holstein–Friesian dairy cows in early lactation were used to investigate the potential of using perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) with a high concentration of water‐soluble carbohydrates (WSC) to increase the efficiency of milk production. Ad libitum access to one of two varieties of zero‐grazed herbage was given continuously for 3 weeks: treatment High Sugar (HS), an experimental perennial ryegrass variety (Ba11353) bred to contain a high concentration of WSC, harvested in the afternoon; or Control, a standard variety of perennial ryegrass (cv. AberElan), harvested in the morning. All dairy cows also received 4 kg d−1 of a standard dairy concentrate. Dairy cows given the HS diet treatment consumed 2·8 kg dry matter (DM) d−1 more than Control dairy cows (P < 0·01), and the DM digestibility of the diet on the HS treatment was significantly greater than that of the diet on the Control treatment (0·75 vs. 0·72; s.e.d. 0·010; P < 0·05). Excretion of urinary purine derivatives (PD) tended (P < 0·1) to be higher from dairy cows on the HS treatment, implying increased microbial protein flow to the duodenum, although there was no significant difference in the apparent efficiency of rumen fermentation of either dietary nitrogen (N) or DM expressed as a ratio to urinary PD. Milk yields and milk composition were not significantly affected by dietary treatment, although true protein yields of milk were higher (P < 0·05) from dairy cows given the HS treatment. The proportion of dietary N excreted in urine was significantly lower from HS cows, although the values were low for both treatments (0·20 g g−1 vs. 0·27 g g−1; s.e.d. 0·020; P < 0·05). It is concluded that increased DM intakes by dairy cows given the HS treatment led to increased milk protein outputs. With a proportional decrease in urinary N excretion, the use of perennial ryegrass with a high WSC concentration, in the context of the harvesting regime used in this study, may help to reduce N pollution from dairy systems into which it is incorporated.
Production, survival and nutritive value of the perennial legumes Dorycnium hirsutum and D. rectum subjected to different cutting heights
Authors: Bell L. W. , Moore G. A. , Ewing M. A. , Ryan M. H. 
Published: February 2006

Abstract Dorycnium hirsutum and D. rectum are perennial legumes which may have potential for use as pastures for the control of groundwater recharge in southern Australia. Little is known about the quality of the forage of Dorycnium species for grazing livestock or how these species respond to cutting. The effect of cutting height on plant survival, production of dry matter (DM), the proportion of leaf, edible stem (approximately <5 mm diameter) and woody stem in the DM and the nutritive value of the edible components was investigated. Biomass above five cutting‐height treatments (uncut, ground level, 5–8 cm, 10–15 cm and 15–30 cm above ground level) was removed at 8‐week intervals from plots of D. hirsutum and D. rectum from September 2002 to July 2003. In both species, plants subjected to lower cutting height treatments produced less DM above the height of the cut than those cut at higher heights. DM production declined over time in all treatments. Plants cut to ground level failed to regrow after the second harvest in D. hirsutum and the fourth harvest in D. rectum. Thus, these Dorycnium species were susceptible to high severity defoliations at 8‐week intervals. Negligible inedible woody stem was present in regrowth of both species after 8 weeks but D. hirsutum regrowth had a higher proportion of leaf (0·72) than D. rectum (0·56). Plants left uncut accumulated a large proportion of inedible woody stem in the DM (0·69 in both species) by July 2003, particularly at the base of the plant. Edible DM from regrowth of D. hirsutum and D. rectum had crude protein (CP) concentrations of 120 and 150 g kg−1 DM; dry matter digestibility (DMD) values of 0·45 and 0·58; organic matter digestibility (OMD) values of 0·50 and 0·64; neutral‐detergent fibre (NDF) concentrations of 370 and 290 g kg−1 DM; and acid‐detergent fibre (ADF) concentrations of 260 and 210 g kg−1 DM, respectively. Medicago sativa, grown under similar conditions, had higher digestibility values (0·63 DMD and 0·66 OMD) and similar CP concentrations to D. rectum (140 g kg−1 DM), but higher concentrations of NDF and ADF (410 and 290 g kg−1 DM). Leaf material from both Dorycnium species had a higher nutritive value than edible stems, with DMD and OMD values of leaf of D. rectum being 0·68 and 0·74 respectively. Uncut plants had a much lower nutritive value of edible DM than the regrowth from cut treatments; older material was also of a lower nutritive value. The relatively low nutritive value of even the young regrowth of Dorycnium species suggests that forage quality is a major limitation to its use. Forage of Dorycnium species could be used during periods when other sources of forage are in short supply but infrequent grazing it is likely to produce forage of a low nutritive value.
Amount and quality of grass harvested for first‐cut silage for differing spring‐grazing frequencies of two mixtures of perennial ryegrass cultivars with contrasting heading date
Authors: Humphreys J. , O'Kiely P. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThere are potential advantages and disadvantages associated with grazing spring perennial ryegrass swards designated for first‐cut silage. These may differ for intermediate‐heading (0·50 ear emergence in the second half of May) and late‐heading (0·50 ear emergence in the first half of June) cultivars. The interactions between cultivar type, spring‐grazing frequency, silage‐harvest date and year were examined in an experiment with a randomized complete block (n = 4) design with a factorial arrangement of treatments, conducted in Ireland. The factors were (i) two perennial ryegrass mixtures: intermediate‐ vs. late‐heading cultivars, (ii) three spring‐grazing regimes: no grazing, grazing in mid‐March or grazing in both mid‐March and mid‐April, (iii) four first‐cut silage‐harvest dates that were at c. 10‐d intervals from 19 May and (iv) 2 years (1998 and 1999). The effects of cultivar mixture on herbage mass of the swards in spring were small and not statistically significant. The late‐heading cultivars provided lower amounts of herbage dry matter for harvesting for first‐cut silage but herbage with higher in vitro organic digestibility values compared with intermediate‐heading cultivars. To achieve the same amount of herbage for silage, the late‐heading cultivars needed to be harvested 8 d later than the intermediate‐heading cultivars. Even with this delay in harvest date, the late‐heading cultivars had higher in vitro organic digestibility values than the intermediate‐heading cultivars. The late‐heading cultivars could be harvested up to 30 d later and produce a higher amount of herbage for first‐cut silage with similar digestibility values compared with the intermediate‐heading cultivars.
Extended sequence preferences for oligodeoxyribonucleotide activity
Authors: Lenert Petar , Goeken Adam J. , Ashman Robert F. 
Published: February 2006

SummarySynthetic type B phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODN) activate mouse B cells via Toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9). Starting with closely related 15‐mer prototype ODN, the sequence requirements for stimulatory (ST‐) and inhibitory (IN‐) activity were contrasted, by measuring apoptosis protection, G1 entry and interleukin‐6 secretion. ST‐ODN and IN‐ODN differ in that (1) ST‐ODN require a 5′ T, (2) the central CG is obligatory, (3) CG must be flanked 3′ specifically by TT at the position where IN‐ODN have GG, and (4) IN‐ODN tolerate truncation of the 3′ end better than ST‐ODN. Features shared by ST‐ODN and IN‐ODN include (1) requiring CC adjacent to the 5′ end, and (2) avoiding CC immediately 5′ to the CG. This pattern is used to create a model of how ST‐ODN binding might function to aggregate TLR9 so as to initiate the signal, and how the 5′ ends of ST‐ODN and IN‐ODN compete for binding. Further justification for considering TLR9 to be the ODN receptor was provided by a demonstration that in HEK293 cells transfected with TLR9, the potency of a panel of ODN for activating NF‐κB roughly parallels that seen in the biological assays in mouse B cells.