bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Genotyping of Helicobacter pylori cagA and vacA Virulence Genes from Gastric Biopsies and Stool Specimens
Authors: Sicinschi Liviu A. , Correa Pelayo , Schneider Barbara G. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACTBackground.  We compared results of genotyping of Helicobacter pylori cagA and vacA virulence genes in DNA from gastric biopsies, both paraffin‐embedded and frozen, and from stool samples, in order to evaluate the comparative sensitivity of the stool assay.Methods.  Genomic DNA from paraffin‐embedded biopsies, unfixed frozen biopsies, and stool samples of the same 20 patients was amplified for the cagA gene, an empty site (which provides a positive signal for cagA negative strains) and for the s and m alleles of the vacA gene. Composite genotypes were determined by combining data from analysis of all three materials.Results.  Analysis of none of the materials taken singly showed all of the genotypes revealed by all three materials taken together, probably because of sampling error. Analysis of paraffin biopsies revealed 83.5%, that of frozen biopsies revealed 74.7% and that of stools revealed 75.9% of the genotypes. There was no significant difference in the percentage of the H. pylori genotypes identified from the three materials. Analysis of combinations of frozen biopsies and stools revealed 89.9% of the composite genotypes, and that of paraffin biopsies and stools revealed 96.2% of the composite genotypes. Evidence of multiple genotypes was found in 10 of 20 (50%) of the cases.Conclusions.  Any one of the investigated biological materials can be used for detection of cagA and vacA genes, but no single assay provided a complete genotype. The use of a combination of two materials may generate a more accurate representation of H. pylori genotypes in each individual.
Immunization with Attenuated Salmonella typhimurium Producing Catalase in Protection against Gastric Helicobacter pylori Infection in Mice
Authors: Chen Minhu , Chen Jie , Liao Wenjun , Zhu Senlin , Yu Jun , Leung Wai K. , Hu Pinjin , Sung Joseph J. Y. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACTAim.  To evaluate the protective effect of live attenuated Salmonella typhimurium expressing catalase against gastric Helicobacter pylori infection in mice, and to explore the underlying mechanisms of the protective immune reaction.Materials and Methods  The H. pylori catalase gene was introduced into attenuated S. typhimurium strain SL3261. C57BL/6 mice were orally immunized with the SL3261 vaccine strain expressing catalase or with SL3261 alone or phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS). Mice were sacrificed 4 weeks after immunization and 5 weeks after H. pylori challenge, respectively.Results.  All PBS control mice were infected. Eight of 13 (61.5%) mice immunized with the SL3261 vaccine strain and three of 14 (21%) mice immunized with SL3261 alone showed protection against H. pylori infection. Serum anti‐H. pylori IgG2a levels of S. typhimurium‐immunized mice were higher than those of PBS controls, both before and after H. pylori challenge, while there were no differences for IgG1 and IgA. Similarly, mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)‐2, IL‐12 and interferon‐γ in the gastric mucosa of S. typhimurium‐immunized mice was significantly higher than that of PBS controls both before and after challenge. Moreover, S. typhimurium‐immunized mice were characterized by marked infiltration of lymphocyte and mononuclear cells in the gastric mucosa after challenge. IL‐4 and IL‐10 were not detected in any of the three groups. IL‐6 expression was increased in the PBS group compared with the S. typhimurium‐immunized groups after challenge.Conclusions.  This study demonstrates that oral immunization of mice with catalase delivered by an attenuated S. typhimurium strain offers protection against H. pylori infection. This protective immunity was mediated through a predominantly Th1‐type response and was associated with post‐immunization gastritis.
Effect of Moxifloxacin on Production ofProinflammatory Cytokines from Human Peripheral BloodMononuclearCells
Authors: Choi Jung-Hyun , Song Min-Jin , Kim Seung-Han , Choi Su-Mi , Lee Dong-Gun , Yoo Jin-Hong , Shin Wan-Shik 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACTThe effects of moxifloxacin, a new methoxyfluoroquinolone, on the production of proinflammatory cytokines from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were evaluated. Moxifloxacin inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and/or interleukin-6 (IL-6) by PBMCs stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and heat-killed bacteria in a concentration-dependent manner without cytotoxic effects. The addition of moxifloxacin reduced the population of cells positive for CD-14 and TNF-α and for CD-14 and IL-6 among the LPS- or LTA-stimulated PBMCs. By Western blot analysis, moxifloxacin pretreatment reduced the degradation of IκBα in LPS-stimulated PBMCs. In conclusion, moxifloxacin could interfere with NF-κB activation by inhibiting the degradation of IκBα and reduce the levels of production of proinflammatory cytokines.
Epidemiologyof Nalidixic Acid Resistance and TEM-1- and TEM-52-Mediated AmpicillinResistance of
Shigella sonnei
Isolates Obtained inKorea between 1980 and2000
Authors: Jeong Young Sook , Lee Je Chul , Kang Hee Young , Yu Hak Sun , Lee Eun Young , Choi Chul Hee , Tae Seong Ho , Lee Yoo Chul , Cho Dong Taek , Seol Sung Yong 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

The
resistance to ampicillin and nalidixic acid in
Shigella sonnei
isolates obtained in Korea during the period 1998 to 2000 was
characterized. Recently (J. Y. Oh, H. S. Yu,
S. K. Kim, S. Y. Seol, D. T. Cho, and
J. C. Lee, J. Clin. Microbiol.
41:
421-423,
2003) ampicillin and nalidixic acid resistance was found in 49 and
70%, respectively, of the 67
S. sonnei
isolates
obtained during this period. We analyzed 138
S. sonnei
isolates collected during the same period. Ampicillin and nalidixic
acid resistance was found in 30 and 86% of the isolates,
respectively. The ampicillin resistance was mediated by a TEM-1β
-lactamase, and TEM-52 extended-spectrum β-lactamase
was identified in one sporadic
S. sonnei
isolate from 1999.
bla
TEM-1
and
bla
TEM-52
were
located in conjugative R-plasmids. Tn
3
was detected in
41% of the ampicillin-resistant isolates. The R-plasmids from
the transconjugants that transferred resistance to ampicillin exhibited
different restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns, and a
bla
TEM-1
probe was hybridized with the different
fragments. The nalidixic acid resistance was exclusively associated
with an amino acid substitution, Ser83→Leu (TCG→TTG),
in
gyrA
. These findings indicate that the genetically related
S. sonnei
strains readily acquire resistance to ampicillin,
streptomycin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole but not nalidixic acid
through conjugative R-plasmids from difference sources when confronted
by antibiotic selective
pressures.
InVitro and In Vivo Antibacterial Activities of DK-507k, aNovelFluoroquinolone
Authors: Otani Tsuyoshi , Tanaka Mayumi , Ito Emi , Kurosaka Yuichi , Murakami Yoichi , Onodera Kiyomi , Akasaka Takaaki , Sato Kenichi 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

The
antibacterial activities of DK-507k, a novel quinolone, were compared
with those of other quinolones: ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin,
levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, sitafloxacin, and garenoxacin (BMS284756).
DK-507k was as active as sitafloxacin and was as active as or up to
eightfold more active than gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, and garenoxacin
against
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, methicillin-susceptible and
methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
, and
coagulase-negative staphylococci. DK-507k was as active as or 4-fold
more active than garenoxacin and 2- to 16-fold more active than
gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin against ciprofloxacin-resistant strains
of
S. pneumoniae
, including clinical isolates and in
vitro-selected mutants with known mutations. DK-507k inhibited all
ciprofloxacin-resistant strains of
S. pneumoniae
at 1μ
g/ml. A time-kill assay with
S. pneumoniae
showed
that DK-507k was more bactericidal than gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin.
The activities of DK-507k against most members of the family
Enterobacteriaceae
were comparable to those of ciprofloxacin
and equal to or up to 32-fold higher than those of gatifloxacin,
levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and garenoxacin. DK-507k was fourfold less
active than sitafloxacin and ciprofloxacin against
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
, while it was two to four times more potent than
levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, and garenoxacin against
P. aeruginosa
. In vivo, intravenous treatment with
DK-507k was more effective than that with gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin
against systemic infections caused by
S. aureus
,
S.
pneumoniae
, and
P. aeruginosa
in mice. In a mouse model
of pneumonia due to penicillin-resistant
S. pneumoniae
,
DK-507k administered subcutaneously showed dose-dependent efficacy and
eliminated the bacteria from the lungs, whereas gatifloxacin and
moxifloxacin had no significant efficacy. Oral treatment with DK-507k
was slightly more effective than that with ciprofloxacin in a rat model
of foreign body-associated urinary tract infection caused by a
P.
aeruginosa
isolate for which the MIC of DK-507k was fourfold
higher than that of ciprofloxacin. Oral administration of DK-507k to
rats achieved higher peak concentrations in serum and higher
concentrations in cumulative urine than those achieved with
ciprofloxacin. These data indicate the potential advantages of DK-507k
over other quinolones for the treatment of a wide range of
community-acquired
infections.
Triclosan as a Systemic Antibacterial Agent in a MouseModel of Acute BacterialChallenge
Authors: Sharma Shilpi , Ramya T. N. C. , Surolia Avadhesha , Surolia Namita 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT
The
upsurge of multiple-drug-resistant microbes warrants the development
and/or use of effective antibiotics. Triclosan, though used in cosmetic
and dermatological preparations for several decades, has not been used
as a systemic antibacterial agent due to problems of drug
administration. Here we report the striking efficacy of triclosan in a
mouse model of acute systemic bacterial infection. Triclosan not only
significantly extends the survival time of the infected mice, it also
restores blood parameters and checks liver damage induced by the
bacterial infection. We believe that the excellent safety track record
of triclosan in topical use coupled with our findings qualifies
triclosan as a candidate drug or lead compound for exploring its
potential in experimental systems for treating systemic bacterial
infections.
Comparative Drug Disposition, UrinaryPharmacokinetics, and Renal Effects of Multilamellar Liposomal Nystatinand Amphotericin B Deoxycholate inRabbits
Authors: Groll Andreas H. , Mickiene Diana , Petraitis Vidmantas , Petraitiene Ruta , Alfaro Raul M. , King Christine , Piscitelli Stephen C. , Walsh Thomas J. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

The
comparative drug dispositions, urinary pharmacokinetics, and effects on
renal function of multilamellar liposomal nystatin (LNYS; Nyotran) and
amphotericin B deoxycholate (DAMB; Fungizone) were studied in rabbits.
Drug concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid
chromatography as total concentrations of LNYS and DAMB. In comparison
to a standard dose of 1 mg of DAMB/kg of body weight, therapeutic
dosages of LNYS, i.e., 2, 4, and 6 mg/kg, resulted in escalating
maximum concentrations (
C
max
) (17 to 56μ
g/ml for LNYS versus 3.36 μg/ml for DAMB;
P
< 0.001) and values for the area under the concentration-time
curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC
0-24
) (17 to 77μ
g · h/ml for LNYS versus 12μ
g · h/ml for DAMB;
P
<
0.001) in plasma but a significantly faster total clearance from plasma
(0.117 to 0.080 liter/h/kg for LNYS versus 0.055 liter/h/kg for DAMB;
P
= 0.013) and a ≤8-fold-smaller volume of
distribution at steady state (
P
= 0.002). Urinary drug
concentration data revealed a ≥10-fold-higher
C
max
(16 to 10 μg/ml for LNYS versus 0.96μ
g/ml for DAMB;
P
= 0.015) and a 4- to
7-fold-greater AUC
0-24
(63 to 35μ
g · h/ml for LNYS versus 8.9μ
g · h/ml for DAMB;
P
=
0.015) following the administration of LNYS, with a dose-dependent
decrease in the dose-normalized AUC
0-24
in urine (
P
=
0.001) and a trend toward a dose-dependent decrease in renal
clearance. Except for the kidneys, the mean concentrations of LNYS in
liver, spleen, and lung 24 h after dosing were severalfold
lower than those after administration of DAMB (
P
,<0.002 to <0.001). Less than 1% each of the
total dose of LNYS was recovered from the kidneys, liver, spleen, and
lungs; in contrast, a quarter of the total dose was recovered from the
livers of DAMB-treated animals. LNYS had dose-dependent effects on
glomerular filtration and distal, but not proximal, renal tubular
function which did not exceed those of DAMB at the highest investigated
dosage of 6 mg/kg. The results of this experimental study demonstrate
fundamental differences in the dispositions of LNYS and DAMB. Based on
its enhanced urinary exposure, LNYS may offer a therapeutic advantage
in systemic fungal infections involving the upper and lower urinary
tracts that require therapy with antifungal
polyenes.
MannosylGlycodendritic Structure Inhibits DC-SIGN-Mediated Ebola VirusInfection in
cis
and in
trans
Authors: Lasala Fátima , Arce Eva , Otero Joaquín R. , Rojo Javier , Delgado Rafael 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT
We
have designed a glycodendritic structure, BH30sucMan, that blocks the
interaction between dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion
molecule 3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) and Ebola virus (EBOV)
envelope. BH30sucMan inhibits DC-SIGN-mediated EBOV infection at
nanomolar concentrations. BH30sucMan may counteract
important steps of the infective process of EBOV and, potentially, of
microorganisms shown to exploit DC-SIGN for cell entry and
infection.
Industrial Ecology and Ecological Engineering
Authors: Tilley David Rogers 
Published: November 2003

SummaryEcological engineering (EE) and industrial ecology (IE) strive to balance humanity's activities with nature. The disciplines have emerged separately but share theoretical foundations and philosophies on how to address today's complex environmental issues. Although EE and IE share motive, goals, theories, and philosophies, there are many differences. These similarities and differences may make for a strong symbiotic relationship between the two fields. The goals of this article are (1) to compare and contrast the two fields to identify opportunities for collaboration and integration and (2) to suggest three cross‐disciplinary focal areas that bridge EE and IE.The first symbiotic area, ecosystem engineering for byproduct recovery, is defined as the design, creation, and management of living ecosystems (e.g., forests, wetlands) that utilize the by‐products of industrial systems. Examples of this exist, including constructed wetlands for lead recovery and phyto‐mining of nickel tailings. The second symbiotic focus is entitled “ecosystem analogues for industrial ecology”, which fits with a founding principle of IE to strive to have industry emulate the energy efficiencies and material cycles of natural ecosystems. This focal area quantifies the ecological analogy and exploits the tremendous library of design alternatives that nature has developed over thousands of years to deal with varied resource situations. The third focal area is termed “eco‐system information engineering.” The means by which living ecosystems have created robust knowledge systems and information cycles should be understood in terms useful for managing current society's information explosion. As industrial society evolves toward the information society, holistic models are needed that account for the available energy and material resources required to operate effective information ecosystems, such as service industries.
Comparing Products and Production in Ecological and Industrial Systems
Authors: Levine Stephen H. 
Published: November 2003

SummaryEcological systems and industrial systems have much in common. Both systems are characterized by flows of material and energy between components, both contain components that use energy to transform materials, and both contain energy‐and material flow‐regulating interactions such as competition and mutualism. These shared traits are reflected in the metaphor “an industrial system is an ecological system” that is central to industrial ecology. At the same time, critical differences exist between the two systems. Products, that is, goods and services exchanged for something of value, are characteristic of industrial systems, but relatively rare in ecological systems. This prevalence of products leads to a number of other interesting differences between the two systems, some of which might limit the value of ecological systems as prescriptive models for industrial systems.
Rationale for and Interpretation of Economy‐Wide Materials Flow Analysis and Derived Indicators
Authors: Bringezu Stefan , Schütz Helmut , Moll Stephan 
Published: November 2003

SummaryEconomy‐wide material flow analysis (MFA) and derived indicators have been developed to monitor and assess the metabolic performance of economies, that is, with respect to the internal economic flows and the exchange of materials with the environment and with other economies. Indicators such as direct material input (DMI) and direct material consumption (DMC) measure material use related to either production or consumption. Domestic hidden flows (HF) account for unused domestic extraction, and foreign HF represent the upstream primary resource requirements of the imports. DMI and domestic and foreign HF account for the total material requirement (TMR) of an economy. Subtracting the exports and their HF provides the total material consumption (TMC).DMI and TMR are used to measure the (de‐) coupling of resource use and economic growth, providing the basis for resource efficiency indicators. Accounting for TMR allows detection of shifts from domestic to foreign resource requirements. Net addition to stock (NAS) measures the physical growth of an economy. It indicates the distance from flow equilibrium of inputs and outputs that may be regarded as a necessary condition of a sustainable mature metabolism.We discuss the extent to which MFA‐based indicators can also be used to assess the environmental performance. For that purpose we consider different impacts of material flows, and different scales and perspectives of the analysis, and distinguish between turnover‐based indicators of generic environmental pressure and impact‐based indicators of specific environmental pressure. Indicators such as TMR and TMC are regarded as generic pressure indicators that may not be used to indicate specific environmental impacts. The TMR of industrial countries is discussed with respect to the question of whether volume and composition may be regarded as unsustainable.
Demand and Dematerialization Impacts of Second‐Hand Markets
Authors: Thomas Valerie M. 
Published: November 2003

SummaryThe potential for second‐hand markets to reduce demand for new goods is investigated. Using a variant of an economic model originally developed by Anderson and Ginsburgh, the physical implications for material use are explored. The second‐hand market grows if transaction costs decrease or if product lifetime increases. In this model, growth of the secondhand market reduces demand for new goods if there are waste used goods that can be brought into the market. But if there is not a ready supply of waste used goods, growth of the second‐hand market can increase demand for new goods, thereby increasing material consumption. Moreover, even when second‐hand sales reduce demand for new goods, it is typically not on a one‐for‐one basis. The extent to which the purchase of used goods replaces the purchase of new goods is shown to be an explicit function of the relative value provided by used versus new goods.
What Users Want and May Need
Authors: Hofstetter Patrick , Mettier Thomas M. 
Published: November 2003

SummaryAn increasing number of software tools support designers and other decision makers in making design, production, and purchasing decisions. Some of these tools provide quantitative information on environmental impacts such as climate change, human toxicity, or resource use during the life cycle of these products. Very little is known, however, about how these tools are actually used, what kind of modeling and presentation approaches users really want, or whether the information provided is likely to be used the way the developers intended. A survey of users of one such software tool revealed that although users want more transparency, about half also want an easy‐to‐use tool and would accept built‐in assumptions; that most users prefer modeling of environmental impacts beyond the stressor level, and the largest group of respondents wants results simultaneously on the stressor, impact potential, and damage level; and that although many users look for aggregated information on impacts and costs, a majority do not trust that such an aggregation is valid or believe that there are tradeoffs among impacts. Further, our results show that the temporal and spatial scales of single impact categories explain only about 6% of the variation in the weights between impact categories set by respondents if the weights are set first. If the weights are set after respondents specify temporal and spatial scales, however, these scales explain about 24% of the variation. These results not only help method and tool developers to reconsider some previous assumptions, but also suggest a number of research questions that may need to be addressed in a more focused investigation.
Necessity and Inefficiency in the Generation of Waste
Authors: Baumgärtner Stefan , Arons Jakob de Swaan 
Published: November 2003

SummaryThe laws of thermodynamics are employed as an analytical framework within which results about society's metabolism may be rigorously deduced in energetic and material terms. We demonstrate that the occurrence of waste is an unavoidable necessity in the industrial production of desired goods. Although waste is thus an essential qualitative element of industrial production, the quantitative extent to which waste occurs may vary within certain limits according to the degree of thermodynamic (in) efficiency with which these processes are operated. We discuss the question of which proportion of the amount of waste currently generated is due to thermodynamic necessity and which proportion is due to thermodynamic inefficiency.