bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of
Candida
Species, Including
Candida dubliniensis
, in Singapore
Authors: Yang C. W. , Barkham T. M. S. , Chan F. Y. , Wang Y. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

We present data on the prevalence of
Candida
species isolated from inpatients in three Singapore hospitals and from vaginal samples collected at community clinics. Strikingly, ∼20% of the isolates from blood and vaginal samples were fluconazole-resistant species. By analyzing species-specific gene sequence signatures, we identified
Candida dubliniensis
from both groups of patients.
Evaluation of MicroScan Autoscan for Identification of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Isolates from Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Saiman Lisa , Burns Jane L. , Larone Davise , Chen Yunhua , Garber Elizabeth , Whittier Susan 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

Accurate identification of gram-negative bacilli from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is essential. Only 57% (108 of 189) of nonmucoid strains and 40% (24 of 60) of mucoid strains were definitively identified as
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
with MicroScan Autoscan. Most common misidentifications were
Pseudomonas fluorescens
-
Pseudomonas putida
(i.e., the strain was either
P. fluorescens
or
P. putida
, but the system did not make the distinction and yielded the result
P. fluorescens/putida
) and
Alcaligenes
spp. Extending the incubation to 48 h improved identification, but 15% of isolates remained misidentified. The MicroScan Autoscan system cannot be recommended for the identification of
P. aeruginosa
isolates from CF patients.
Analysis of
Mycobacterium avium
Complex Isolates from Blood Samples of AIDS Patients by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Kunimoto D. Y. , Peppler M. S. , Talbot J. , Phillips P. , Shafran S. D. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

A molecular analysis of the first
Mycobacterium avium
complex (MAC) blood isolates from 177 patients from 10 Canadian cities revealed that each cluster of indistinguishable strains consisted of isolates from epidemiologically unrelated patients in the same city or region. This study supports the premise that acquisition of MAC from a common environmental source occasionally occurs.
Discrimination of Human Pathogenic Subspecies of
Francisella tularensis
by Using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism
Authors: Thomas Rebecca , Johansson Anders , Neeson Brendan , Isherwood Karen , Sjöstedt Anders , Ellis Jill , Titball Richard W. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

We describe the use of two insertion sequence elements (ISFtu1 and ISFtu2) in
Francisella tularensis
to type strains by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The RFLP profiles of 17 epidemiologically unrelated isolates were determined and compared. Our results showed that RFLP profiles can be used to assign
F. tularensis
strains into five main groups corresponding to strains of
F. tularensis
subsp.
tularensis
,
F. tularensis
strain ATCC 6223, strains of
F. tularensis
subsp.
holarctica
, strains of
F. tularensis
subsp.
holarctica
from Japan, and
F. tularensis
subsp.
mediaasiatica
. The results confirm the genetic identities of these subspecies and also support the suggestion that strains of
F. tularensis
subsp.
holarctica
from Japan should be considered members of a separate biovar. These findings should support future studies to determine the genetic differences between strains of
F. tularensis
at the whole-genome level.
Rapid Detection of Classical Swine Fever Virus by a Portable Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase PCR Assay
Authors: Risatti G. R. , Callahan J. D. , Nelson W. M. , Borca M. V. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT
A fluorogenic-probe hydrolysis (TaqMan)-reverse transcriptase PCR assay for classical swine fever virus (CSFV) was developed and evaluated in experimentally infected swine. The assay detected CSFV, representing different phylogenetic groupings, but did not amplify viral RNA from related pestiviruses. The assay met or exceeded the sensitivity (1 to 100 50% tissue culture infective doses per ml) of viral cultures of samples from experimentally infected animals. Viral RNA was detected in nasal and tonsil scraping samples 2 to 4 days prior to the onset of clinical disease. The assay can be performed in 2 h or less, thus providing a rapid method for the diagnosis of classical swine fever.
Meningitis Due to Mixed Infection with Penicillin-Resistant and Penicillin-Susceptible Strains of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Chaves Fernando , Campelo Carolina , Sanz Francisca , Otero Joaquin R. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is the major cause of bacterial meningitis. We report a case of meningitis due to a mixed infection with two distinct strains of
S. pneumoniae
: one penicillin-resistant strain of serotype 9V and one penicillin-susceptible strain of serotype 7. The two strains exhibited different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles.
Duration of Infection and Proportion of Pigs Persistently Infected with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus
Authors: Wills Robert W. , Doster Alan R. , Galeota Judith A. , Sur Jung-Hyang , Osorio Fernando A. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT
Understanding the dynamics of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) persistence in individual pigs is essential to the development of successful control programs. The objectives of this study were to investigate the proportion of inoculated pigs that become persistently infected with PRRSV and the duration of their infection. Additionally, different diagnostic techniques that detect persistent infections were compared. Twenty-eight 35-day-old pigs were inoculated with PRRSV. Serum and tonsil biopsy samples were collected on days 0, 7, 14, and 28 and then approximately monthly thereafter until day 251 postinoculation (p.i.). Tonsil, lymph node, and lung samples were collected following euthanasia on day 251 p.i. Virus was isolated from serum and tonsil biopsy samples that had been collected through days 28 and 56 p.i., respectively. Viral RNA was detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR in serum and tonsil biopsy samples that had been collected through day 251 p.i., although no serum samples collected from days 84 to 196 p.i. were positive and the presence of infectious PRRSV was not detected by swine bioassay of tissue samples collected at necropsy. The results confirmed that RT-PCR is more sensitive than virus isolation in identifying PRRSV-infected pigs. Six pigs that were persistently infected through days 225 or 251 p.i. remained seropositive throughout the study, although one pig had an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay sample-to-positive ratio that was only slightly above the cutoff value of 0.40. Twenty of 28 tonsil biopsy samples collected on day 84 p.i. were positive by RT-PCR compared to only 1 positive biopsy sample out of 28 collected on day 119 p.i. The study's results indicate that most pigs clear PRRSV within 3 to 4 months, but that some may remain persistently infected for several months.
Evaluation of a PCR Assay for Detection of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
in Respiratory and Nonrespiratory Samples from Adults with Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Authors: Murdoch David R. , Anderson Trevor P. , Beynon Kirsten A. , Chua Alvin , Fleming Angela M. , Laing Richard T. R. , Town G. Ian , Mills Graham D. , Chambers Stephen T. , Jennings Lance C. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia, but it is undoubtedly underdiagnosed. We used a nested PCR assay (targeting the pneumolysin gene) to detect
S. pneumoniae
DNA in multiple sample types from 474 adults with community-acquired pneumonia and 183 control patients who did not have pneumonia. Plasma or buffy coat samples were PCR positive in only 6 of the 21 patients with positive blood cultures for
S. pneumoniae
and in 12 other patients (4 of whom had no other laboratory evidence of
S. pneumoniae
infection). Buffy coat samples from two control patients (neither having evidence of
S. pneumoniae
infection), but no control plasma samples, were PCR positive. Although pneumococcal antigen was detected in the urine from 120 of 420 (29%) patients, only 4 of 227 (2%) urine samples tested were PCR positive. Overall, 256 of 318 (81%) patients had PCR-positive sputum samples, including 58 of 59 samples from which
S. pneumoniae
was cultured. Throat swab samples from 229 of 417 (55%) patients were PCR positive and, in those who produced sputum, 96% also had positive PCR results from sputum. Throat swabs from 73 of 126 (58%) control patients were also PCR positive. We conclude that the pneumolysin PCR assay adds little to existing diagnostic tests for
S. pneumoniae
and is unable to distinguish colonization from infection when respiratory samples are tested.
Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Human β-Defensin 1: High-Throughput SNP Assays and Association with
Candida
Carriage in Type I Diabetics and Nondiabetic Controls
Authors: Jurevic Richard J. , Bai Mai , Chadwick Robert B. , White Theodore C. , Dale Beverly A. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

β-Defensins are cationic antimicrobial peptides expressed in epithelia. They exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Defensins are a component of the innate immune response, and it has been proposed that they have a protective role in the oral cavity. Previous studies have shown that human β-defensin 1 (hBD-1) is constitutively expressed in oral epithelial cells but that expression varies between individuals. We tested the hypothesis that genetic variations in defensin peptide expression may be associated with opportunistic infections. This may be critical in the immunocompromised patient population, in which innate immune responses may have a relatively more important role. Oral
Candida
carriage status and the presence of six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the
DEFB1
gene encoding hBD-1 were evaluated in type I diabetic patients (
n
= 43) and nondiabetic controls (
n
= 50). Genomic DNA was obtained from buccal swabs. Portions of the
DEFB1
gene were amplified, and each SNP was analyzed by a TaqMan assay, standardized with control DNA of known genotype.
Candida
carriage status was determined from unstimulated saliva on CHROMagar plating medium. A low level of
Candida
carriage was defined as ≤350 CFU/ml. A high level of
Candida
carriage was seen in 44% of the diabetic subjects but only in 28% of the nondiabetic controls (
P
< 0.05).
C. albicans
predominated; however, diabetic subjects, especially those with high levels of carriage, showed an increased proportion of
Candida glabrata
and
C. tropicalis.
There was a strong association between an SNP in the 5′ untranslated region (C→G at position −44) and
Candida
carriage in both groups. Among individuals in the diabetic population who had the SNP allele 2 (G), 58% had low CFU, while 6% had high CFU. The C→G SNP at position −44 is associated with low levels of
Candida
carriage. The resultant odd ratios are statistically significant for a protective effect (odd ratios, 25 for diabetic subjects and 8.5 for nondiabetic subjects). These results indicate that genetic variations in the
DEFB1
gene encoding hBD-1 may have a major role in mediating and/or contributing to susceptibility to oral infection.
TESTING GRAVITY IN LARGE EXTRA DIMENSIONS USING BOSE–EINSTEIN CONDENSATES
Authors: SIGURDSSON STEINN 
Published: January 2003

Recent conjectures that there are mesoscopically "large" extra dimensions, through which gravity propagates have interesting implications for much of physics. The scenario implies gross departures from Newton's law of gravity at small length scales. Testing departures from Coulomb's law on sub-millimetre scales is hard. It is now possible to routinely create Bose–Einstein condensates with de Broglie wavelengths of order a μm and total size of order 10 μm. BEC condensates move coherently under gravitational acceleration, and I propose that the transverse fringe shift due to the acceleration of a pair of interfering BECs passing a dense linear mass may be measurable, and provide direct evidence for anomalous gravitational acceleration. Ideally such experiments are best carried out in free fall to maximise the time spent by a BEC in the non-Newtonian regime.
Components of Switching Intentional Set
Authors: Rushworth Matthew F. S. , Passingham R. E. , Nobre A. C. 
Published: January 2003

Abstract
Despite the intuition that we can shift cognitive set on instruction, some behavioral studies have suggested that set shifting might only be accomplished once we engage in performance of the new task. It is possible that set switching consists of more than one component cognitive process and that the component processes might segregated in time. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) during two set-switching tasks to test whether different component processes were responsible for (i) set initiation and reconfiguration when presented with the instruction to switch, and (ii) the implementation of the new set once subjects engaged in performing the new task. The response switching (RS) task required shifts of intentional set; subjects selected between responses according to one of two conflicting intentional sets. The results demonstrated the existence of more than one constituent process. Some of the processes were linked to the initiation and reconfiguration of the set prior to actual performance of the new task. Other processes were time locked to performance of new task items. Set initiation started with modulation of medial frontal ERPs and was followed by modulation over parietal electrodes. Implementation of intentional set was associated with modulation of response-related ERPs.
Paradoxical Interhemispheric Summation in the Split Brain
Authors: Corballis Michael C. , Hamm Jeff P. , Barnett Kylie J. , Corballis Paul M. 
Published: January 2003

Abstract
We measured simple reaction time (RT) to light flashes, presented either singly or in pairs, in two people who had undergone callosotomy, one person with agenesis of the corpus callosum, and 17 normal subjects. The three split-brained subjects' RTs were decreased to bilateral pairs beyond predictions based on a simple race between independent unilateral processes, while those of the normal subjects were actually longer than predicted by the race model. This effect was present whether the bilateral pairs were in mirror-image locations or not, but was not present when the pairs were presented unilaterally. Since summation does not depend on close spatial correspondence, and also occurs when inputs are staggered in time, we suggest that it is due to cortical projection to a subcortical arousal system, and is normally inhibited by the corpus callosum.
Extensive Individual Differences in Brain Activations Associated with Episodic Retrieval are Reliable Over Time
Authors: Miller Michael B. , Van Horn John Darrell , Wolford George L. , Handy Todd C. , Valsangkar-Smyth Monica , Inati Souheil , Grafton Scott , Gazzaniga Michael S. 
Published: January 2003

Abstract
The localization of brain functions using neuroimaging techniques is commonly dependent on statistical analyses of groups of subjects in order to identify sites of activation, particularly in studies of episodic memory. Exclusive reliance on group analysis may be to the detriment of understanding the true underlying cognitive nature of brain activations. In the present study, we found that the patterns of brain activity associated with episodic retrieval are very distinct for individual subjects from the patterns of brain activity at the group level. These differences go beyond the relatively small variations due to cyctoarchitectonic differences or spatial normalization. We quantify this individual variability by cross-correlating volumes of brain images. We demonstrate that individual patterns of brain activity are reliable over time despite their extensive variability. We suggest that varied but reliable individual patterns of significant brain activity may be indicative of different cognitive strategies used to produce a recognition response. We believe that individual analysis in conjunction with group analysis may be critical to fully understanding the relationship between retrieval processes and underlying brain regions.
When Action Turns into Words. Activation of Motor-Based Knowledge during Categorization of Manipulable Objects
Authors: Gerlach Christian , Law Ian , Paulson Olaf B. 
Published: January 2003

Abstract
Functional imaging studies have demonstrated that processing of man-made objects activate the left ventral premotor cortex, which is known to be concerned with motor function. This has led to the suggestion that the comprehension of man-made objects may rely on motor-based knowledge of object utilization (action knowledge). Here we show that the left ventral premotor cortex is activated during categorization of “both” fruit/vegetables and articles of clothing, relative to animals and nonmanipulable man-made objects. This observation suggests that action knowledge may not be important for the processing of man-made objects per se, but rather for the processing of manipulable objects in general, whether natural or man-made. These findings both support psycholinguistic theories suggesting that certain lexical categories may evolve from, and the act of categorization rely upon, motor-based knowledge of action equivalency, and have important implications for theories of category specificity. Thus, the finding that the processing of vegetables/fruit and articles of clothing give rise to similar activation is difficult to account for should knowledge representations in the brain be truly categorically organized. Instead, the data are compatible with the suggestion that categories differ in the weight they put on different types of knowledge.
Two Corticotectal Areas Facilitate Multisensory Orientation Behavior
Authors: Jiang Wan , Jiang Huai , Stein Barry E. 
Published: January 2003

Abstract
It had previously been shown that influences from two cortical areas, the anterior ectosylvian sulcus (AES) and the rostral lateral suprasylvian sulcus (rLS), play critical roles in rendering superior colliculus (SC) neurons capable of synthesizing their cross-modal inputs. The present studies examined the consequences of selectively eliminating these cortical influences on SC-mediated orientation responses to cross-modal stimuli. Cats were trained to orient to a low-intensity modality-specific cue (visual) in the presence or absence of a neutral cue from another modality (auditory). The visual target could appear at various locations within 45° of the midline, and the stimulus effectiveness was varied to yield an average of correct orientation responses of approximately 45%. Response enhancement and depression were observed when the auditory cue was coupled with the target stimulus: A substantially enhanced probability in correct responses was evident when the cross-modal stimuli were spatially coincident, and a substantially decreased response probability was obtained when the stimuli were spatially disparate. Cryogenic blockade of either AES or rLS disrupted these behavioral effects, thereby eliminating the enhanced performance in response to spatially coincident cross-modal cues and degrading the depressed performance in response to spatially disparate cross-modal cues. These disruptive effects on targets contralateral to the deactivated cortex were restricted to multisensory interactive processes. Orientation to modality-specific targets was unchanged. Furthermore, the pattern of orientation errors was unaffected by cortical deactivation. These data bear striking similarities to the effects of AES and rLS deactivation on multisensory integration at the level of individual SC neurons. Presumably, eliminating the critical influences from AES or rLS cortex disrupts SC multisensory synthesis that, in turn, disables SC-mediated multisensory orientation behaviors.
The Greening of a Pulp and Paper Mill: International Paper's Androscoggin Mill, Jay, Maine
Authors: Hill Marquita , Saviello Thomas , Groves Stephen 
Published: January 2003

SummaryInternational Paper (IP), the world's largest forest products company, owns the Androscoggin Mill, a large pulp and paper mill in Jay, Maine, in the northeastern United States. This case study describes the transformation of the Androscoggin Mill from an object of public opprobrium and conflict to a show‐case for environmental management. In the late 1980s, an 18‐month strike had embittered workers and townspeople and left the mill's reputation in tatters. In response to mill environ‐mental violations, some of which were considered crimes by state regulators, the town of Jay passed its own environmental ordinance to control mill emissions. Early in the 1990s, new management, including two former corporate‐level employ‐ees, sought to change the mill's business approach and turn the Androscoggin Mill into IP's best environmental performer. The initial emphasis on establishing and maintaining compliance was expanded to include aggressive pollution prevention efforts that led to cooperative projects with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and stakeholder groups. The mill's ap‐proach in the 1990s evolved further to essentially follow prin‐ciples of industrial ecology. New approaches focused on “clos‐ing the loop” by finding beneficial uses for previously landfilled wastes, replacements for most hazardous chemicals, and re‐ductions in solid and hazardous waste generation. The mill also pursued the establishment of symbiotic relationships with a facility that began using a mill by‐product on‐site and an on‐site natural gas burning facility that provided part of the mill's steam demand. IP also established a public advisory committee in 1992 to advise management on operational and “big‐picture” issues, which later included the application of sustain‐ability criteria to the mill. IP has since formed community advisory committees at each of their integrated pulp and paper mills.
AN EARLY RESPONSE TO SHĀFI'Ī: ĪSĀ B. ABĀN ON THE PROPHETIC REPORT (KHABAR)
Authors: Bedir Murteza 
Published: January 2003

AbstractThis is a study of an early Hanafī jurist, Īsā b. Aban (d. 221/836). After collecting historical information about his life, I explore his views, as preserved in a fourth-century text, al-Fusūl fī'l-Usūl by Abū Bakr al-Jassās. Īsā's views, as presented there, shed important light on the development of the Hanafī concept of prophetic reports. I refer to non-Hanafī texts in order to check any possible ideological reconstruction by Jassās. Finally I compare my findings with J. Schacht's observations on 'early schools of law' and find interesting parallels between them and Īsā's views, as presented by Jassās.