bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
SHOULD SOUTH AFRICA HAVE A FISCAL RULE?
Authors: Burger Philippe , Jimmy Chandapiwa 
Published: February 2007

AbstractOver the past three decades many countries have struggled to find solutions to their persistent public sector deficits. For some the solution to this problem seemingly became the adoption of fiscal rules. This paper considers the applicability of one such rule, namely the output‐sensitive deficit rule of Taylor, and in particular its applicability to South Africa. The paper shows that its applicability in developing countries such as South Africa might be limited due to higher output volatility that may cause output‐sensitive deficit rules such as the Taylor rule to become more volatile. Such volatility in the deficit/GDP ratio may cause fears that government may not be able to maintain the stability of the debt/GDP ratio, thereby again introducing fiscal unsustainability. To address this problem the paper augments the Taylor rule to reduce the volatility in the public debt/GDP ratio and demonstrates how these rules would have performed in South Africa. It concludes that the augmented fiscal rule might contribute to both fiscal sustainability and economic stability in South Africa.
Antifungal Drug Susceptibility Profile of
Pichia anomala
Isolates from Patients Presenting with Nosocomial Fungemia
Authors: da Matta Vânia Lúcia Ribeiro , Melhem Márcia de Souza Carvalho , Colombo Arnaldo Lopes , Moretti Maria Luiza , Rodero Laura , de Almeida Gisele Madeira Duboc , Martins Marilena dos Anjos , Costa Silvia Figueiredo , Souza Dias Maria Beatriz G. , Nucci Márcio , Levin Anna S. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT

In vitro susceptibility of 58 isolates of
Pichia anomala
to five antifungal drugs using two broth microdilution methods (CLSI and EUCAST) was analyzed. Low susceptibility to itraconazole was observed. Fluconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B, and caspofungin showed good antifungal activity, although relatively high drug concentrations were necessary to inhibit the isolates.
Antistaphylococcal Activity of DX-619 Alone and in Combination with Vancomycin, Teicoplanin, and Linezolid Assessed by Time-Kill Synergy Testing
Authors: Credito Kim , Lin Genrong , Appelbaum Peter C. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT

Time-kill synergy studies testing in vitro activity of DX-619 alone and with added vancomycin, teicoplanin, or linezolid against 101
Staphylococcus aureus
strains showed synergy between DX-619 and teicoplanin at 12 to 24 h in 72 strains and between DX-619 and vancomycin in 28 strains. No synergy was found with linezolid, and no antagonism was observed with any combination.
Molecular Epidemiology and Dynamics of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Populations in Lungs of Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Jelsbak Lars , Johansen Helle Krogh , Frost Anne-Louise , Thøgersen Regitze , Thomsen Line E. , Ciofu Oana , Yang Lei , Haagensen Janus A. J. , Høiby Niels , Molin Søren 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT

The ability to establish lifelong persistent infections is a fundamental aspect of the interactions between many pathogenic microorganisms and their mammalian hosts. One example is chronic lung infections by the opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This infection process is associated with extensive genetic adaptation and microevolution of the infecting bacteria. Through investigations of
P. aeruginosa
populations and infection dynamics in a group of CF patients followed at the Danish CF Clinic in Copenhagen, we have identified two distinct and dominant clones that have evolved into highly successful colonizers of CF patient airways. A significant component of the evolutionary success of these two clones has been their efficient transmissibility among the CF patients. The two clones have been present and transmitted among different CF patients for more than 2 decades. Our data also suggest that the
P. aeruginosa
population structure in the CF patient airways has been influenced by competition between different clones and that the two dominant clones have been particularly competitive within the lungs, which may add to their overall establishment success. In contrast, we show that adaptive traits commonly associated with establishment of chronic
P. aeruginosa
infections of CF patients, such as transition to the mucoid phenotype and production of virulence factors, play minor roles in the ability of the two dominant clones to spread among patients and cause long-term chronic infections. These findings suggest that hitherto-unrecognized evolutionary pathways may be involved in the development of successful and persistent
P. aeruginosa
colonizers of CF patient lungs.
Complement Factor D, Albumin, and Immunoglobulin G Anti-Band 3 Protein Antibodies Mimic Serum in Promoting Rosetting of Malaria-Infected Red Blood Cells
Authors: Luginbühl Alexander , Nikolic Milica , Beck Hans Peter , Wahlgren Mats , Lutz Hans U. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACTRosetting ofPlasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (parasitized RBC [pRBC]) with uninfected RBC has been associated in many studies with malaria morbidity and is one form of cytoadherence observed with malarial parasites. Rosetting is serum dependent for many isolates ofP. falciparum, including the strains FCR3S1.2 and Malayan Camp studied here. We identified the three naturally occurring components of sera which confer rosetting. Complement factor D alone induced 30 to 40% of de novo rosetting. Its effect was additive to that of 0.5 mg/ml albumin and to that of 15 ng/ml of naturally occurring antibodies to the anion transport protein, band 3. The three components together mediated rosetting as effectively as 10% serum. De novo rosetting experiments showed that naturally occurring anti-band 3 antibodies as well as factor D were effective only when added to pRBC. Factor D appeared to cleave a small fraction of a protein expressed on the surface of pRBC.
New Tick Defensin Isoform and Antimicrobial Gene Expression in Response to
Rickettsia montanensis
Challenge
Authors: Ceraul Shane M. , Dreher-Lesnick Sheila M. , Gillespie Joseph J. , Rahman M. Sayeedur , Azad Abdu F. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT

Recent studies aimed at elucidating the rickettsia-tick interaction have discovered that the spotted fever group rickettsia
Rickettsia montanensis
, a relative of
R. rickettsii
, the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, induces differential gene expression patterns in the ovaries of the hard tick
Dermacentor variabilis
. Here we describe a new defensin isoform, defensin-2, and the expression patterns of genes for three antimicrobials, defensin-1 (
vsnA1
), defensin-2, and lysozyme, in the midguts and fat bodies of
D. variabilis
ticks that were challenged with
R. montanensis
. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic analyses of the primary structure of defensin-2 support its role as an antimicrobial. The tissue distributions of the three antimicrobials, especially the two
D. variabilis
defensin isoforms, are markedly different, illustrating the immunocompetence of the many tissues that
R. montanensis
presumably invades once acquired by the tick. Antimicrobial gene expression patterns in
R. montanensis
-challenged ticks suggest that antimicrobial genes play a role during the acquisition-invasion stages in the tick.
Bradyzoite-Specific Surface Antigen SRS9 Plays a Role in Maintaining
Toxoplasma gondii
Persistence in the Brain and in Host Control of Parasite Replication in the Intestine
Authors: Kim Seon-Kyeong , Karasov Ariela , Boothroyd John C. 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT

Toxoplasma gondii
is a ubiquitous parasite that persists for the life of a healthy mammalian host. A latent, chronic infection can reactivate upon immunosuppression and cause life-threatening diseases, such as encephalitis. A key to the pathogenesis is the parasite's interconversion between the tachyzoite (in acute infection) and bradyzoite (in chronic infection) stages. This developmental switch is marked by differential expression of numerous, closely related surface proteins belonging to the SRS (
S
AG1-
r
elated
s
equence) superfamily. To probe the functions of bradyzoite-specific SRSs, we created a bioluminescent strain lacking the expression of SRS9, one of the most abundant SRSs of the bradyzoite stage. Imaging of mice intraperitoneally infected with tachyzoites revealed that during an acute infection, wild-type and Δ
srs9
strains replicated at similar rates, disseminated systemically following similar kinetics, and initially yielded similar brain cyst numbers. However, during a chronic infection, Δ
srs9
cyst loads substantially decreased compared to those of the wild type, suggesting that SRS9 plays a role in maintaining parasite persistence in the brain. In oral infection with bradyzoite cysts, the Δ
srs9
strain showed oral infectivity and dissemination patterns indistinguishable from those of the wild type. When chronically infected mice were treated with the immunosuppressant dexamethasone, however, the Δ
srs9
strain reactivated in the intestinal tissue after only 8 to 9 days, versus 2 weeks for the wild-type strain. Thus, SRS9 appears to play an important role in both persistence in the brain and reactivation in the intestine. Possible mechanisms for this are discussed.
Doctor’s views on disclosing or withholding information on low risks of complication
Authors: Palmboom G G , Willems D L , Janssen N B A T , de Haes J C J M 
Published: February 2007

Background:More and more quantitative information is becoming available about the risks of complications arising from medical treatment. In everyday practice, this raises the question whether each and every risk, however low, should be disclosed to patients. What could be good reasons for doing or not doing so? This will increasingly become a dilemma for practitioners.Objective:To report doctors’ views on whether to disclose or withhold information on low risks of complications.Methods:In a qualitative study design, 37 respondents (gastroenterologists and gynaecologists or obstetricians) were included. Focus group interviews were held with 22 respondents and individual in-depth interviews with 15.Results:Doctors have doubts about disclosing or withholding information on complication risk, especially in a risk range of 1 in 200 to 1 in 10 000. Their considerations on whether to disclose or to withhold information depend on a complicated mix of patient and doctor-associated reasons; on medical and personal considerations; and on the kind and purpose of intervention.Discussion:Even though the degree of a risk is important in a doctor’s considerations, the severity of the possible complications and patients’ wishes and competencies have an important role as well. Respondents said that low risks should always be communicated when there are alternatives for the intervention or when the patient may prevent or mitigate the risk. When the appropriateness of disclosing risks is doubtful, doctors should always tell their patients that no intervention is without risk, give them the opportunity to gather all the information they need or want, and enable them to detect a complication at an early stage.
Rumor, Trust and Civil Society: Collective Memory and Cultures of Judgment
Authors: Fine Gary Alan 
Published: February 2007

Contemporary societies are awash in rumor. For better and worse, we live in an information surround in which there is simultaneously too much information and too little. Many wish to persuade us of truth claims, or, at the very least, to share them. These claims may have an uncertain provenance, but, under the right circumstances, we incorporate them into our belief system, act upon them, and recall them through collective memory.Given these claims, the question becomes who, what, where and when do we trust. To the extent that reactions to assertions about society channel our actions, judgment is necessary, even if it is only implicit and tacit. The analysis of rumor belongs to the sociology of action. To produce a response, we must judge both those who communicate and what they communicate. As an everyday practice, we engage in the politics of credibility and the politics of plausibility. These concepts are tied to issues of public trust within civil society.
Rumor, Gossip and Urban Legends
Authors: DiFonzo Nicholas , Bordia Prashant 
Published: February 2007

The terms ‘gossip’ and ‘urban legend’ are often used interchangeably with ‘rumor’ by both naïve laypersons and professional scholars. Consider our students as naïve laypersons: When asked to evaluate the terms ‘rumor’ and ‘gossip’ along certain dimensions, they rate them almost identically. When asked to ‘think of a rumor’, they frequently report a scandalous tidbit of gossip. Similarly, some of our colleagues - professional scholars of rumor, gossip and/or urban legends - also tend to use these terms interchangeably. For example, participants at a recent interdisciplinary conference on rumor and legend came to no consensus over what distinguishes rumor from legend; scholars of rumor and gossip at a recent conference of social psychologists also argued over whether rumor could be differentiated from gossip. This conceptual fuzziness has been noted for some time (Ojha, 1973). And though much progress has been made in sharpening the construct of rumor (Fine, 1985; Rosnow and Georgoudi, 1985; Rosnow and Kimmel, 2000), ambiguities still remain.Meaningful and important differences do exist, however. In this article we further clarify the concept of rumor and distinguish it from its two cousins, gossip and urban legend. The source of conceptual difficulties has arisen from insufficient attention to the context and function of these genres of informal communication, and conversely, overmuch attention to content.2 We therefore posit a definition of rumor focused upon contexts, functions and contents. We also examine contexts, functions and contents of gossip and urban legends, and explore similarities and differences between these three forms of social discourse. We begin with rumor.
Cathepsin-cleaved Bid promotes apoptosis in human neutrophils via oxidative stress-induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization
Authors: Blomgran Robert , Zheng Limin , Stendahl Olle 
Published: February 2007

AbstractLysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) is emerging as an important regulator of cell apoptosis. Human neutrophils are highly granulated phagocytes, which respond to pathogens by exhibiting increased production of reative oxygen species (ROS) and lysosomal degranulation. In a previous study, we observed that intracellular, nonphagosomal generation of ROS triggered by adherent bacteria induced ROS-dependent neutrophil apoptosis, whereas intraphagosomal production of ROS during phagocytosis had no effect. In the present study, we measured lysosomal membrane stability and leakage in human neutrophils and found that adherent, noningested, Type 1-fimbriated Escherichia coli bacteria induced LMP rapidly in neutrophils. Pretreatment with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium markedly blocked the early LMP and apoptosis in neutrophils stimulated with Type 1-fimbriated bacteria but had no effect on the late LMP seen in spontaneously apoptotic neutrophils. The induced lysosomal destabilization triggered cleavage of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 protein Bid, followed by a decrease in the antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1. Involvement of LMP in initiation of apoptosis is supported by the following observations: Bid cleavage and the concomitant drop in mitochondrial membrane potential required activation of cysteine-cathepsins but not caspases, and the differential effects of inhibitors of cysteine-cathepsins and cathepsin D on apoptosis coincided with their ability to inhibit Bid cleavage in activated neutrophils. Together, these results indicate that in microbe-induced apoptosis in neutrophils, ROS-dependent LMP represents an early event in initiation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, which is followed by Bid cleavage, mitochondrial damage, and caspase activation.
Endocytosis targets exogenous material selectively to cathepsin S in live human dendritic cells, while cell-penetrating peptides mediate nonselective transport to cysteine cathepsins
Authors: Reich Michael , van Swieten Paul F , Sommandas Vinod , Kraus Marianne , Fischer Rainer , Weber Ekkehard , Kalbacher Hubert , Overkleeft Herman S , Driessen Christoph 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe way the MHC II-associated proteolytic system of APC handles exogenous antigen is key to the stimulation of the T cell in infections and immunotherapy settings. Using a cell-impermeable, activity-based probe (ABP) for papain cathepsins, the most abundant type of endocytic proteases, we have simulated the encounter between exogenous antigen and endocytic proteases in live human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MO-DC). Although cathepsin S (CatS), -B, -H, and -X were active in DC-derived endocytic fractions in vitro, the peptide-size tracer was routed selectively to active CatS after internalization by macropinocytosis. Blocking of the vacuolar adenosine triphosphatase abolished this CatS-selective targeting, and LPS-induced maturation of DC resulted in degradation of active CatS. Conjugation of the ABP to a protein facilitated the delivery to endocytic proteases and resulted in labeling of sizable amounts of CatB and CatX, although CatS still remained the major protease reached by this construct. Conjugation of the probe to a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) routed the tracer to the entire panel of intracellular cathepsins, independently from endocytosis or LPS stimulation. Thus, different means of internalization result in differential targeting of active cathepsins in live MO-DC. CPP may serve as vehicles to target antigen more efficiently to protease-containing endocytic compartments.
Phase I Trial of Polifeprosan 20 With Carmustine Implant Plus Continuous Infusion of Intravenous O6-Benzylguanine in Adults With Recurrent Malignant Glioma: New Approaches to Brain Tumor Therapy CNS Consortium Trial
Authors: Weingart Jon , Grossman Stuart A. , Carson Kathryn A. , Fisher Joy D. , Delaney Shannon M. , Rosenblum Mark L. , Olivi Alessandro , Judy Kevin , Tatter Stephen B. , Dolan M. Eileen 
Published: February 2007

Purpose This phase I trial was designed to (1) establish the dose of O6-benzylguanine (O6-BG) administered intravenously as a continuous infusion that suppresses O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) levels in brain tumors, (2) evaluate the safety of extending continuous-infusion O6-BG at the optimal dose with intracranially implanted carmustine wafers, and (3) measure the pharmacokinetics of O6-BG and its metabolite. Patients and Methods The first patient cohort (group A) received 120 mg/m2 of O6-BG over 1 hour followed by a continuous infusion for 2 days at escalating doses presurgery. Tumor samples were evaluated for AGT levels. The continuous-infusion dose that resulted in undetectable AGT levels in 11 or more of 14 patients was used in the second patient cohort. Group B received the optimal dose of O6-BG for 2, 4, 7, or 14 days after surgical implantation of the carmustine wafers. The study end point was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Results Thirty-eight patients were accrued. In group A, 12 of 13 patients had AGT activity levels of less than 10 fmol/mg protein with a continuous-infusion O6-BG dose of 30 mg/m2/d. Group B patients were enrolled onto 2-, 4-, 7-, and 14-day continuous-infusion cohorts. One DLT of grade 3 elevation in ALT was seen. Other non-DLTs included ataxia and headache. For up to 14 days, steady-state levels of O6-BG were 0.1 to 0.4 μmol/L, and levels for O6-benzyl-8-oxoguanine were 0.7 to 1.3 μmol/L. Conclusion Systemically administered O6-BG can be coadministered with intracranially implanted carmustine wafers, without added toxicity. Future trials are required to determine if the inhibition of tumor AGT levels results in increased efficacy.
Long-Term Prediction of Prostate Cancer Up to 25 Years Before Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer Using Prostate Kallikreins Measured at Age 44 to 50 Years
Authors: Lilja Hans , Ulmert David , Björk Thomas , Becker Charlotte , Serio Angel M. , Nilsson Jan-Åke , Abrahamsson Per-Anders , Vickers Andrew J. , Berglund Göran 
Published: February 2007

Purpose We examined whether prostate-specific antigen (PSA) forms and human kallikrein 2 (hK2) measured at age 44 to 50 years predict long-term risk of incident prostate cancer. Methods From 1974 to 1986, 21,277 men age ≤ 50 years in Malmö, Sweden, enrolled onto a cardiovascular study (74% participation). The rate of PSA screening in this population is low. According to the Swedish Cancer Registry, 498 were later diagnosed with prostate cancer. We measured hK2, free PSA, and total PSA (tPSA) in archived blood plasma from 462 participants later diagnosed with prostate cancer and from 1,222 matched controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to test for association of prostate cancer with hK2 and PSA forms measured at baseline. Results Median delay between venipuncture and prostate cancer diagnosis was 18 years. hK2 and all PSA forms were strongly associated with prostate cancer (all P < .0005). None of the 90 anthropometric, lifestyle, biochemical, and medical history variables measured at baseline was importantly predictive. A tPSA increase of 1 ng/mL was associated with an increase in odds of cancer of 3.69 (95% CI, 2.99 to 4.56); addition of other PSA forms or hK2 did not add to the predictive value of tPSA. tPSA remained predictive for men diagnosed ≥ 20 years after venipuncture, and the predictive value remained unchanged in an analysis restricted to palpable disease. Conclusion A single PSA test at age 44 to 50 years predicts subsequent clinically diagnosed prostate cancer. This raises the possibility of risk stratification for prostate cancer screening programs.
Clinicopathologic Features of Osteosarcoma in Patients With Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome
Authors: Hicks M. John , Roth Jill R. , Kozinetz Claudia A. , Wang Lisa L. 
Published: February 2007

Purpose Patients with Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS) and RECQL4 gene mutations have an increased risk of developing osteosarcoma (OS). Because RTS is considered a genomic instability syndrome, patients may experience increased toxicity with chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to summarize the clinical features and response to therapy of OS in patients with RTS. The results of this analysis will help to define treatment guidelines for this complex and rare condition. Patients and Methods An international cohort of patients with RTS and OS was enrolled in an institutional review board–approved study at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX). Medical records were reviewed, and the following information was extracted: clinical features, treatment, pathologic findings, and clinical outcome. Results The median age at diagnosis of OS for the 12 patients was 10 years. The most common primary tumor sites were the long bones (femur, tibia); the most frequent histologic subtype was conventional OS. Histologic response to chemotherapy and outcome were similar to other published large series of sporadic OS. Eight patients are alive and disease free; four died as a result of cancer. Five patients required chemotherapy dose modifications, most commonly due to mucositis from doxorubicin. Conclusion Our results indicate that patients with RTS and OS are younger, but that their clinical behavior is similar to patients with sporadic OS. Our report suggests that these patients should initially be treated with conventional doses of chemotherapy as prescribed by current protocols; however, cautious and careful clinical observation is warranted to monitor for enhanced doxorubicin sensitivity in patients with RTS.