bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regulation through titling laws: A case study of occupational regulation
Authors: Carpenter Dick M. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis case study examines a form of occupational regulation infrequently examined in academic literature – titling laws. These laws regulate who may legally use a phrase, or title, to describe their work to the public. Focusing on the interior design industry, this article demonstrates how industry leaders use titling laws as the first step in a push for full occupational licensure. In so doing, they allege a need for regulation out of concern for public health and safety, but as data in this case study indicate, there appears to be no threat to public health and safety from unregulated interior designers. Instead, designers advocate for increased regulation of their own industry, through the evolution of titling laws to full licensure, due to the benefits it affords them.
ACTA‐EVER lecture 2007 The retinal pigment epithelium: friend or foe?
Authors: La Cour Morten 
Published: August 2008

Abstract.The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays an important role in the physiology and pathophysiology of the vertebrate retina. The RPE absorbs fluid from the retinal extracellular space, via a proton–lactate–water co‐transport mechanism located in the apical membrane of the epithelium. This mechanism can account for the apparent capability of the RPE to absorb water against an osmotic gradient. RPE cells participate in retinal wound healing. We have created a porcine model of experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV). In this model, the CNV eventually becomes enveloped by seemingly proliferating RPE cells. By means of 5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling, we studied the proliferation of RPE cells in the porcine eye after experimental posterior pole injury. Surprisingly, we found that only the peripheral RPE cells incorporated the BrdU label, indicating that central injury elicits peripheral RPE proliferation. This might suggest the existence of a peripheral pool of RPE stem cells. RPE cell proliferation plays a role in the pathological wound healing known as proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Antiproliferative agents have been tried to treat this condition but with little success so far. We report on a drug delivery system under development where a prodrug of the antimetabolite 5‐fluoro‐uracil (5‐FU) is suspended in the silicone oil used as a surgical device in the treatment of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). The theoretical advantage of this approach is that it allows for long contact times between therapeutic, and non‐toxic, concentrations of 5‐FU and the RPE.
Real-Time PCR Detection of
gyrA
and
parC
Mutations in
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Page S. , Vernel-Pauillac F. , O'Connor O. , Bremont S. , Charavay F. , Courvalin P. , Goarant C. , Le Hello S. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Fluoroquinolone resistance in
Streptococcus pneumoniae
mainly involves stepwise mutations predominantly in the
parC
and
gyrA
genes. We have developed a single-run real-time PCR assay for detection of the four most common mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions of these genes. This assay provides a useful tool for both clinical and epidemiological use.
Effect of Electrical Current on the Activities of Antimicrobial Agents against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Staphylococcus aureus
, and
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Biofilms
Authors: del Pozo Jose L. , Rouse Mark S. , Mandrekar Jayawant N. , Sampedro Marta Fernandez , Steckelberg James M. , Patel Robin 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Bacterial biofilms are resistant to conventional antimicrobial agents. Prior in vitro studies have shown that electrical current (EC) enhances the activities of aminoglycosides, quinolones, and oxytetracycline against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
,
Staphylococcus epidermidis
,
Escherichia coli
, and
Streptococcus gordonii
. This phenomenon, known as the bioelectric effect, has been only partially defined. The purpose of this work was to study the in vitro bioelectric effect on the activities of 11 antimicrobial agents representing a variety of different classes against
P. aeruginosa
, methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA), and
S. epidermidis
. An eight-channel current generator/controller and eight chambers delivering a continuous flow of fresh medium with or without antimicrobial agents and/or EC to biofilm-coated coupons were used. No significant decreases in the numbers of log
10
CFU/cm
2
were seen after exposure to antimicrobial agents alone, with the exception of a 4.57-log-unit reduction for
S. epidermidis
and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. We detected a statistically significant bioelectric effect when vancomycin plus 2,000 microamperes EC were used against MRSA biofilms (
P
= 0.04) and when daptomycin and erythromycin were used in combination with 200 or 2,000 microamperes EC against
S. epidermidis
biofilms (
P
= 0.02 and 0.0004, respectively). The results of these experiments indicate that the enhancement of the activity of antimicrobial agents against biofilm organisms by EC is not a generalizable phenomenon across microorganisms and antimicrobial agents.
Characterization of TolC Efflux Pump Proteins from
Pasteurella multocida
Authors: Hatfaludi Tamas , Al-Hasani Keith , Dunstone Michelle , Boyce John , Adler Ben 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Two TolC homologs, PM0527 and PM1980, were identified for
Pasteurella multocida
. A pm0527 mutant displayed increased susceptibility to a range of chemicals, including rifampin (512-fold) and acridine orange (128-fold). A pm1980 mutant showed increased susceptibility to rifampin, ceftazidime, and vancomycin.
Proposed MIC and Disk Diffusion Microbiological Cutoffs and Spectrum of Activity of Retapamulin, a Novel Topical Antimicrobial Agent
Authors: Traczewski Maria M. , Brown Steven D. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Retapamulin, the first pleuromutilin antimicrobial agent approved for the topical treatment of skin infections in humans, was tested against 987 clinical isolates representing 30 species and/or resistance groups. MICs were determined along with disk diffusion zone diameters using a 2-μg disk. Population distribution and MIC versus disk zone diameter scattergrams were analyzed to determine microbiological MIC cutoff values and inhibition zone correlates. Minimum bactericidal concentrations were performed on a smaller subset of key species. The retapamulin MIC
90
against 234
Staphylococcus aureus
isolates and 110 coagulase-negative staphylococci was 0.12 μg/ml. Retapamulin MIC
90
s ranged from 0.03 to 0.06 μg/ml against beta-hemolytic streptococci including 102
Streptococcus pyogenes
, 103
Streptococcus agalactiae
, 59 group C
Streptococcus
, and 71 group G
Streptococcus
isolates. The MIC
90
against 55 viridans group streptococci was 0.25 μg/ml. Retapamulin had very little activity against 151 gram-negative bacilli and most of the
Enterococcus
species tested. Based on the data from this study, for staphylococci, MICs of ≤0.5, 1, and ≥2 μg/ml with corresponding disk diffusion values of ≥20 mm, 17 to 19 mm, and ≤16 mm can be proposed for susceptible, intermediate, and resistant microbiological cutoffs, respectively. For beta-hemolytic streptococci, a susceptible-only MIC of ≤0.25 μg/ml with a corresponding disk diffusion value of ≥15 mm can be proposed for susceptible-only microbiological cutoffs.
Plasmodium falciparum
Strains Harboring Dihydrofolate Reductase with the I164L Mutation Are Absent in Malawi and Zambia Even under Antifolate Drug Pressure
Authors: Ochong Edwin , Bell David J. , Johnson David J. , D'Alessandro Umberto , Mulenga Modest , Muangnoicharoen Sant , Van Geertruyden Jean-Pierre , Winstanley Peter A. , Bray Patrick G. , Ward Stephen A. , Owen Andrew 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

The
Plasmodium falciparum
dihydrofolate reductase (PfDHFR) enzyme is the target of pyrimethamine, a component of the antimalarial pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine. Resistance to this drug is associated primarily with mutations in the Pf
dhfr
gene. The I164L mutant allele is of particular interest, because strains possessing this mutation are highly resistant to pyrimethamine and to chlorproguanil, a component of chlorproguanil-dapsone. A recent study from Malawi reported this mutation at a prevalence of 4.7% in parasites from human immunodeficiency virus-positive pregnant women by using a real-time PCR method. These observations have huge implications for the use of pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine, chlorproguanil-dapsone, and future antifolate-artemisinin combinations in Africa. It was imperative that this finding be rigorously tested. We identified a number of critical limitations in the original genotyping strategy. Using a refined and validated real-time PCR strategy, we report here that this mutation was absent in 158 isolates from Malawi and 42 isolates from Zambia collected between 2003 and 2005.
In Vitro Activity of OPT-80 Tested against Clinical Isolates of Toxin-Producing
Clostridium difficile
Authors: Karlowsky James A. , Laing Nancy M. , Zhanel George G. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Agar dilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing (CLSI, M11-A7, 2007) performed for 208 toxin-producing clinical isolates of
Clostridium difficile
resulted in OPT-80 MICs ranging from 0.06 to 1 μg/ml, with 90% of the isolates inhibited by a concentration of 0.5 μg/ml. The in vitro activity of OPT-80 was independent of the susceptibilities of isolates to nine other antimicrobial agents.
Efficacy of Single-Dose Liposomal Amphotericin B or Micafungin Prophylaxis in a Neutropenic Murine Model of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Authors: Lewis Russell E. , Albert Nathaniel D. , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT
In a neutropenic murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, prophylaxis with single doses of liposomal amphotericin B or micafungin at ≥5 mg/kg of body weight improved animal survival and suppressed the lung fungal burden for up to 7 days after infection, demonstrating the potential utility of infrequent dosing with these antifungals.
Pharmacodynamic Modeling of Aminoglycosides against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Acinetobacter baumannii
: Identifying Dosing Regimens To Suppress Resistance Development
Authors: Tam Vincent H. , Ledesma Kimberly R. , Vo Giao , Kabbara Samer , Lim Tze-Peng , Nikolaou Michael 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

To facilitate optimal dosing regimen design, we previously developed a mathematical model using time-kill study data to predict the responses of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
to various pharmacokinetic profiles of meropenem and levofloxacin. In this study, we extended the model to predict the activities of gentamicin and amikacin exposures against
P. aeruginosa
and
Acinetobacter baumannii
, respectively. The input data were from a time-kill study with 10
7
CFU/ml of bacteria at baseline.
P. aeruginosa
ATCC 27853 was exposed to gentamicin (0 to 16× MIC; MIC = 2 mg/liter), and
A. baumannii
ATCC BAA 747 was exposed to amikacin (0 to 32× MIC; MIC = 4 mg/liter) for 24 h. Using the estimates of the best-fit model parameters, bacterial responses to various fluctuating aminoglycoside exposures (half-life, 2.5 h) over 72 h were predicted via computer simulation. The computer simulations were subsequently validated using an in vitro hollow-fiber infection model with similar aminoglycoside exposures. A significant initial reduction in the bacterial burden was predicted for all gentamicin exposures examined. However, regrowth over time due to resistance emergence was predicted for regimens with a maximum concentration of the drug (
C
max
)/MIC (dosing frequency) of 4 (every 8 h [q8h]), 12 (q24h), and 36 (q24h). Sustained suppression of bacterial populations was forecast with a
C
max
/MIC of 30 (q12h). Similarly, regrowth and suppression of
A. baumannii
were predicted and experimentally verified with a three-dimensional response surface. The mathematical model was reasonable in predicting extended bacterial responses to various aminoglycoside exposures qualitatively, based on limited input data. Our approach appears promising as a decision support tool for dosing regimen selection for antimicrobial agents.
Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance Determinants
qnrA
,
qnrB
, and
qnrS
among Clinical Isolates of
Enterobacteriaceae
in a Korean Hospital
Authors: Tamang Migma Dorji , Seol Sung Yong , Oh Jae-Young , Kang Hee Young , Lee Je Chul , Lee Yoo Chul , Cho Dong Taek , Kim Jungmin 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Screening of 368 consecutive nonreplicate clinical isolates of
Enterobacteriaceae
resistant to nalidixic acid and at least one extended-spectrum β-lactam revealed the presence of
qnrA
,
qnrB
, and
qnrS
determinants, and identified novel
qnrB
variants, in
Citrobacter freundii
isolates. This study also revealed, for the first time, the linkage of
qnrB
,
armA
, and extended-spectrum and/or AmpC-type β-lactamase genes on large conjugative plasmids.
A Replication-Limited Recombinant
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG Vaccine against Tuberculosis Designed for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Persons Is Safer and More Efficacious than BCG
Authors: Tullius Michael V. , Harth Günter , Masleša-Galić Saša , Dillon Barbara J. , Horwitz Marcus A. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death in AIDS patients, yet the current tuberculosis vaccine,
Mycobacterium bovis
bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), is contraindicated for immunocompromised individuals, including human immunodeficiency virus-positive persons, because it can cause disseminated disease; moreover, its efficacy is suboptimal. To address these problems, we have engineered BCG mutants that grow normally in vitro in the presence of a supplement, are preloadable with supplement to allow limited growth in vivo, and express the highly immunoprotective
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
30-kDa major secretory protein. The limited replication in vivo renders these vaccines safer than BCG in SCID mice yet is sufficient to induce potent cell-mediated and protective immunity in the outbred guinea pig model of pulmonary tuberculosis. In the case of one vaccine, rBCG(
mbtB
)30, protection was superior to that with BCG (0.3-log fewer CFU of
M. tuberculosis
in the lung [
P
< 0.04] and 0.6-log fewer CFU in the spleen [
P
= 0.001] in aerosol-challenged animals [means for three experiments]); hence, rBCG(
mbtB
)30 is the first live mycobacterial vaccine that is both more attenuated than BCG in the SCID mouse and more potent than BCG in the guinea pig. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of developing safer and more potent vaccines against tuberculosis. The novel approach of engineering a replication-limited vaccine expressing a recombinant immunoprotective antigen and preloading it with a required nutrient, such as iron, that is capable of being stored should be generally applicable to other live vaccine vectors targeting intracellular pathogens.
Escherichia coliO157:H7 Survives within Human Macrophages: Global Gene Expression Profile and Involvement of the Shiga Toxins
Authors: Poirier Katherine , Faucher Sébastien P. , Béland Maxime , Brousseau Roland , Gannon Victor , Martin Christine , Harel Josée , Daigle France 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTEscherichia coliO157:H7 is an important food-borne pathogen that specifically binds to the follicle-associated epithelium in the intestine, which rapidly brings this bacterial pathogen in contact with underlying human macrophages. Very little information is available about the interaction betweenE. coliO157:H7 and human macrophages. We evaluated the uptake and survival of strain EDL933 during infection of human macrophages. Surprisingly, EDL933 survived and multiplied in human macrophages at 24 h postinfection. The global gene expression profile of this pathogen during macrophage infection was determined. Inside human macrophages, upregulation ofE. coliO157:H7 genes carried on O islands (such aspagC, the genes for both of the Shiga toxins, and the two iron transport system operonsfitandchu) was observed. Genes involved in acid resistance and in the SOS response were upregulated. However, genes of the locus of enterocyte effacement or genes involved in peroxide resistance were not differentially expressed. Many genes with putative or unknown functions were upregulated inside human macrophages and may be newly discovered virulence factors. As the Shiga toxin genes were upregulated in macrophages, survival and cytotoxicity assays were performed with isogenic Shiga toxin mutants. The initial uptake of Shiga toxins mutants was higher than that of the wild type; however, the survival rates were significantly lower at 24 h postinfection. Thus, Shiga toxins are implicated in the interaction betweenE. coliO157:H7 and human macrophages. Understanding the molecular mechanisms used byE. colito survive within macrophages may help in the identification of targets for new therapeutic agents.
Role of NleH, a Type III Secreted Effector from Attaching and Effacing Pathogens, in Colonization of the Bovine, Ovine, and Murine Gut
Authors: Hemrajani Cordula , Marches Olivier , Wiles Siouxsie , Girard Francis , Dennis Alison , Dziva Francis , Best Angus , Phillips Alan D. , Berger Cedric N. , Mousnier Aurelie , Crepin Valerie F. , Kruidenier Laurens , Woodward Martin J. , Stevens Mark P. , La Ragione Roberto M. , MacDonald Thomas T. , Frankel Gad 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

The human pathogen enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EHEC) O157:H7 colonizes human and animal gut via formation of attaching and effacing lesions. EHEC strains use a type III secretion system to translocate a battery of effector proteins into the mammalian host cell, which subvert diverse signal transduction pathways implicated in actin dynamics, phagocytosis, and innate immunity. The genomes of sequenced EHEC O157:H7 strains contain two copies of the effector protein gene
nleH
, which share 49% sequence similarity with the gene for the
Shigella
effector OspG, recently implicated in inhibition of migration of the transcriptional regulator NF-κB to the nucleus. In this study we investigated the role of NleH during EHEC O157:H7 infection of calves and lambs. We found that while EHEC Δ
nleH
colonized the bovine gut more efficiently than the wild-type strain, in lambs the wild-type strain exhibited a competitive advantage over the mutant during mixed infection. Using the mouse pathogen
Citrobacter rodentium
, which shares many virulence factors with EHEC O157:H7, including NleH, we observed that the wild-type strain exhibited a competitive advantage over the mutant during mixed infection. We found no measurable differences in T-cell infiltration or hyperplasia in colons of mice inoculated with the wild-type or the
nleH
mutant strain. Using NF-κB reporter mice carrying a transgene containing a luciferase reporter driven by three NF-κB response elements, we found that NleH causes an increase in NF-κB activity in the colonic mucosa. Consistent with this, we found that the
nleH
mutant triggered a significantly lower tumor necrosis factor alpha response than the wild-type strain.
Music for the Jilted Generation: Open-Source Public Diplomacy
Authors: Fisher Ali 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe development of new technology has spawned different ideas and new approaches to engaging with people around the world. One such development is the ability to approach public diplomacy based on the methodology employed in the production of open-source software. This approach provides the means to engage with communities of other concerned actors, communicatae through human voices, place emphasis on understanding lessons from previous initiatives, and vitally engage on the bases of the interests of those communities. Ideas can no longer be seen as owned by a country; mass communication provides the means to see beyond national claims of unity. Recognizing this and embracing the means to engage with communities that are defined by ideology rather than physical borders provides the potential to render public diplomacy initiatives more relevant to the target audience and ultimately more influential.
The Emergence of International Public Opinion and the Origins of Public Diplomacy in Japan in the Inter-War Period
Authors: Akami Tomoko 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis article argues that what we now call public diplomacy emerged in the mid- to late 1930s in the case of Japan. It questions the notion that public diplomacy is new in contrast to 'traditional' diplomacy. It also questions the conventional understanding of Japan's diplomatic isolationism of the 1930s. The article argues that as a result of greater mass political participation, the idea of 'international public opinion' emerged as a new norm in inter-war international politics. States increasingly regarded news and cultural activities as crucial resources of their soft power for winning this international public opinion. Responding to technological developments in communications, they developed a more systematic approach to propaganda in order to utilize these resources in mainstream foreign policy. Even in the age of the socalled rise of nationalism and diplomatic isolationism, Japan could neither afford not to respond to other states' actions nor to ignore international public opinion. In the diplomatic crises of the 1930s, Japan began to coordinate news and cultural propaganda activities, and integrated them into a broader propaganda scheme. Here we see the origin of what is now called public diplomacy. This modern and internationalist thinking then prepared the institutional base for wartime propaganda.
Effects of stretching and heat treatment on hamstring extensibility in children with severe mental retardation and hypertonia
Authors: Lee Glory PS , Ng Gabriel YF 
Published: August 2008

Objectives: To examine the effect of heat and duration of stretching on the extensibility of hamstring muscles and their electromyographic responses to passive stretch in children with hypertonia and severe mental retardation. Design: Randomized cross-over trial. Setting: Developmental disability unit in a local hospital. Participants: Twenty-nine subjects (9 females) with ages ranged from 4 to 13 years with spastic and/or dystonic hypertonia and hamstring tightness. Interventions: Subjects received four treatment sessions in random order with each consisting of five repetitions of stretching: (A) 10-second stretching, (B) 30-second stretching, (C) hot pack followed by 10-second stretching, and (D) hot pack followed by 30-second stretching. Each treatment session comprised five repetitions of stretch and successive treatments were separated by at least 24 hours. Main outcome measures: The distance between greater trochanter and lateral malleolus and hamstring electromyographic (EMG) activity during passive knee extension stretching. Results: Two-way ANOVA showed a larger increase in hamstring extensibility in conditions C and D (1.3 ± 1.1 cm) than conditions A and B (0.7 ± 0.9 cm) (P<0.001). For the EMG recordings, conditions B and D (-25.1 ± 58.4μV) had greater decrease than conditions A and C (-3.5 ± 36.6 μV) (P= 0.039). Conclusions: Heat application to the hamstrings before stretching could result in greater increase in extensibility than stretching alone in children with hypertonia and severe mental retardation. Stretching could promote relaxation of the hamstring muscles regardless of prior heat treatment. Stretching sustained for 30 seconds led to greater relaxation than that for 10 seconds.