bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reference Values of CD4 T Lymphocytes in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Negative Adult Nigerians
Authors: Aina Olumuyiwa , Dadik Jelpe , Charurat Manhattan , Amangaman Patience , Gurumdi Silas , Mang Edwina , Guyit Ruth , Lar Ndam , Datong Pam , Daniyam Comfort , Kanki Phyllis , Abimiku Alash'le 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACT

A cross-sectional study that involved secondary analysis of data collected from 681 pregnant women and 183 miners (94 men and 89 women; ratio of men to women, 1:0.95) in Jos, Nigeria, was carried out to determine the reference ranges for CD4
+
-cell counts in healthy HIV-negative adult Nigerians. The main results of interest were CD4
+
-cell counts and odds ratios (ORs) of low CD4
+
-cell counts, defined as below 350 cells per μl. CD4
+
-cell counts were similar in men and nonpregnant women, with a mean (standard deviation) of 828 (203) cells per μl, but pregnant women had a lower value of 771 (250) cells per μl. None of the factors assessed was related to the odds of having a low CD4
+
-cell count among men and nonpregnant women, but age, age of marriage, and alcohol usage were significant predictors in pregnant women. Compared to pregnant women less than 20 years old, older women had significantly lower odds of a low CD4
+
-cell count (ORs were 0.06 for women aged 20 to 29 years and 0.22 for those aged 30 to 39 years). When compared with those pregnant women who were married before 20 years of age, those who married at 20 to 29 years and 30 to 39 years had odds ratios of 6.41 and 9.40, respectively. Previous alcohol use was also associated with low CD4
+
-cell counts (OR, 5.15). The 95% confidence interval for CD4
+
-cell counts in healthy adult Nigerians is 547 to 1,327 cells per μl, and this is the first time this has been determined.
Rapid Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detection of Antibodies to Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus
Authors: Choi Kang-Seuk , Nah Jin-Ju , Ko Young-Joon , Kang Shien-Young , Jo Nam-In 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACTPeste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a contagious viral disease of small ruminants that is of economic importance in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. We developed a rapid competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (rapid c-ELISA) for the diagnosis and surveillance of PPR. This assay detects PPR virus (PPRV) antibodies in serum samples by quantifying the amount of monoclonal antibody (MAb) P-3H12 after 30 min of incubation of a serum-MAb conjugate mixture on plates coated with a PPRV recombinant nucleocapsid protein (rPPRV-N). We tested 249 PPRV-positive serum samples and 733 PPRV-negative serum samples from field ruminants. The threshold of percent inhibition (PI) was determined to be <50 on the basis of the mean PI plus 3 standard deviations for sera from PPRV-negative ruminants. The relative specificity and sensitivity of the rapid c-ELISA were 98.5% (722 of 733 serum samples) and 93.4% (234 of 249 serum samples), respectively. The rapid c-ELISA sensitively detected PPRV antibodies in hyperimmune sera (virus neutralization test [VNT] titer, >512), even at dilutions ≥512 in normal goat serum, and as early as 6 to 13 days postinfection from 12 goats, each of which was infected with one of the four PPRV lineages. Hyperimmune sera from animals experimentally vaccinated with rinderpest virus gave positive results by the rapid c-ELISA when the rinderpest virus VNT titers were >512, although the rapid c-ELISA titers were very low (2 to 16). However, the rapid c-ELISA was negative when the rinderpest virus VNT titer was ≤128. The rapid c-ELISA developed in the present work provides a short turnaround time and could be a useful tool for the diagnosis of PPR and screening for PPRV in the field.
Comparing Genomes of
Helicobacter pylori
Strains from the High-Altitude Desert of Ladakh, India
Authors: Kauser Farhana , Hussain M. Abid , Ahmed Irshad , Ahmad Naheed , Habeeb Aejaz , Khan Aleem A. , Ahmed Niyaz 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACT

The genomic diversity of
Helicobacter pylori
from the vast Indian subcontinent is largely unknown. We compared the genomes of 10
H. pylori
strains from Ladakh, North India. Molecular analysis was carried out to identify rearrangements within and outside the
cag
pathogenicity island (
cag
PAI) and DNA sequence divergence in candidate genes. Analyses of virulence genes (such as the
cag
PAI as a whole,
cagA
,
vacA
,
iceA
,
oipA
,
babB
, and the plasticity cluster) revealed that
H. pylori
strains from Ladakh are genetically distinct and possibly less virulent than the isolates from East Asian countries, such as China and Japan. Phylogenetic analyses based on the
cagA
-
glr
motifs, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus patterns, repetitive extragenic palindromic signatures, the
glmM
gene mutations, and several genomic markers representing fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphisms revealed that Ladakhi strains share features of the Indo-European, as well as the East Asian, gene pools. However, the contribution of genetic features from the Indo-European gene pool was more prominent.
Clonal Spread of a Vancomycin-Resistant
Enterococcus faecium
Strain among Bloodstream-Infecting Isolates in Italy
Authors: Stampone Lucia , Del Grosso Maria , Boccia Delia , Pantosti Annalisa 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACT

Recent data indicated that the rate of vancomycin resistance in bloodstream-infecting enterococcal isolates in Italy is one of the highest in Europe. The aims of this study were to characterize bloodstream-infecting vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) obtained from various Italian hospitals and to establish whether the isolates were clonally related. During the years 2001 to 2003, a total of 39 VRE isolates were obtained from 19 hospital laboratories in various areas of Italy. Species identification and resistance genotypes of the isolates were obtained by multiplex PCR. Further characterization included antibiotic susceptibility testing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of SmaI-digested genomic DNA, detection of virulence genes (
esp
and
hyl
), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of selected isolates. VRE were identified as 31
Enterococcus faecium
(VREfm) isolates and 8
E. faecalis
isolates. All but one isolate carried the
vanA
gene; one VREfm isolate carried the
vanB
gene. Analysis of the PFGE profiles showed that 28 VREfm isolates shared a similar electrophoretic profile, designed type 1, and were clonally related. All type 1 isolates were resistant to ampicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin, and rifampin and were positive for the
esp
gene. MLST identified an allelic profile (ST78) comprising
purK
allele 1, belonging to the C1 clonal lineage, characteristic of human infection and hospital outbreak isolates. The
vanB
-carrying VREfm isolate, of PFGE type 2, was shown to be a single-locus variant of ST78. Our data indicate that the recent increase in the number of bloodstream infections caused by VRE in Italy is due to the spread of a hospital-adapted, multidrug-resistant VREfm clone belonging to an internationally disseminated lineage.
Genetic Diversity, Determined on the Basis of
katG463
and
gyrA95
Polymorphisms, Spoligotyping, and IS
6110
Typing, of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Complex Isolates from Italy
Authors: Lari Nicoletta , Rindi Laura , Sola Christophe , Bonanni Daniela , Rastogi Nalin , Tortoli Enrico , Garzelli Carlo 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
complex isolates (
n
= 248) collected during a 1-year period in Tuscany, Italy, were genotyped for the
katG463
and
gyrA95
polymorphisms and by standard spacer oligonucleotide typing (spoligotyping) and IS
6110
restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assays. Most of the isolates (
n
= 212; 85.5%) belonged to genotypic groups 2 and 3, which included most isolates from Italian-born patients. The remaining isolates were genotypic group 1 organisms, which were prevalent among foreign-born patients (29 of 36; 80.6%). Spoligotype analysis detected 116 unique patterns and 34 clusters including 166 isolates. The combination of spoligotyping and IS
6110
RFLP analyses yielded 28 distinct clusters including 65 identical isolates (26.2%)—22 clusters with 2 isolates, 4 clusters with 3 isolates, 1 cluster with 4 isolates, and 1 cluster with 5 isolates—thus proving a low transmission rate in the community. Predominant spoligotypes representing 50% of clustered isolates were found in six clusters that included widespread type ST53 (clade T1) with 29 isolates (11.7% of total isolates); types ST50 and ST47 (Haarlem family) with 18 isolates (7.3%) and 8 isolates (3.2%), respectively; type ST42 (Latino-American and Mediterranean clade) with 13 isolates (5.2%); new type ST1737 (named “Tuscany”) with 8 isolates (3.2%); and type ST1 (W-Beijing family) with 7 isolates (2.8%). Other spoligotype families, such as the
Mycobacterium africanum
, East African-Indian (EAI2/Manila), and central Asia 1 (CAS1/Delhi) families (all including organisms of genotypic group 1) and the Cameroun family (genotypic group 2), were detected especially among immigrant patients. The occurrence of genotypes originally found in distant geographic areas with a high prevalence of tuberculosis may represent a hallmark for changes in the dynamics of transmission of tuberculosis in the region in the near future.
Efficient Discrimination within aCorynebacterium diphtheriaeEpidemic Clonal Group by a Novel Macroarray-Based Method
Authors: Mokrousov Igor , Narvskaya Olga , Limeschenko Elena , Vyazovaya Anna 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACTA large diphtheria epidemic in the 1990s in Russia and neighboring countries was caused by a clonal group of closely relatedCorynebacterium diphtheriaestrains (ribotypes Sankt-Peterburg and Rossija). In the recently published complete genome sequence ofC. diphtheriaestrain NCTC13129, representative of the epidemic clone (A. M. Cerdeño-Tarraga et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 31:6516-6523, 2003), we identified in silico two direct repeat (DR) loci 39 kb downstream and 180 kb upstream of theoriCregion, consisting of minisatellite (27- to 36-bp) alternating DRs and variable spacers. We designated these loci DRA and DRB, respectively. A reverse-hybridization macroarray-based method has been developed to study polymorphism (the presence or absence of 21 different spacers) in the larger DRB locus. We name it spoligotyping (spacer oligonucleotide typing), analogously to a similar method ofMycobacterium tuberculosisgenotyping. The method was evaluated with 154 clinical strains of theC. diphtheriaeepidemic clone from the St. Petersburg area in Russia from 1997 to 2002. By comparison with the international ribotype database (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France), these strains were previously identified as belonging to ribotypes Sankt-Peterburg (n= 79) and Rossija (n= 75). The 154 strains were subdivided into 34 spoligotypes: 14 unique strains and 20 types shared by 2 to 46 strains; the Hunter Gaston discriminatory index (HGDI) was 0.85. DRB locus-based spoligotyping allows fast and efficient discrimination within theC. diphtheriaeepidemic clonal group and is applicable to both epidemiological investigations and phylogenetic reconstruction. The results are easy to interpret and can be presented and stored in a user-friendly digital database (Excel file), allowing rapid type determination of new strains.
Phenotypic and Genetic Characterization of Clinical Isolates of CDC Coryneform Group A-3: Proposal of a New Species of
Cellulomonas
,
Cellulomonas denverensis
sp. nov
Authors: Brown June M. , Frazier Rodrick P. , Morey Roger E. , Steigerwalt Arnold G. , Pellegrini Gerald J. , Daneshvar Maryam I. , Hollis Dannie G. , McNeil Michael M. 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACT

CDC coryneform group A-3 bacteria are rare human pathogens. In this study, six group A-3 isolates (two from blood, one from cerebrospinal fluid, and one each from homograft valve, lip wound, and pilonidal cyst) were compared to the type strains of phenotypically related organisms,
Cellulomonas fimi
,
Cellulomonas hominis
,
Oerskovia turbata
, and
Sanguibacter suarezii
, and characterized by phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genotypic studies. DNA-DNA reassociation analysis identified two genomic groups, and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence identified the taxonomic positions of these groups to genus level. Two groups were defined, and both were more closely related to
Cellulomonas
species: one group of three strains, for which we propose the new species
Cellulomonas denverensis
sp. nov., with the type strain W6929 (ATCC BAA-788
T
or DSM 15764
T
), was related to
C. hominis
ATCC 51964
T
(98.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), and the second group of three strains was related to
C. hominis
ATCC 51964
T
(99.8 to 99.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). The definition of this new
Cellulomonas
species and the confirmation of three strains as
C. hominis
serve to further clarify the complex taxonomy of CDC coryneform group A-3 bacteria and will assist in our understanding of the epidemiology and clinical significance of these microorganisms.
Evaluation of Broth Microdilution Antifungal Susceptibility Testing Conditions for
Trichophyton rubrum
Authors: Santos D. A. , Hamdan J. S. 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACT

Fifty clinical isolates of
Trichophyton rubrum
were selected to test with ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole, griseofulvin, and terbinafine by following the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards susceptibility testing guidelines for filamentous fungi (M38-A). In addition, other susceptibility testing conditions were evaluated: (i) three medium formulations including RPMI 1640 (standard medium), McVeigh & Morton (MVM), and Sabouraud dextrose broth (SDB); (ii) two incubation temperatures (28 and 35°C); and (iii) three incubation periods (4, 7, and 10 days). The strains
Candida parapsilosis
(ATCC 22019),
Candida krusei
(ATCC 6258),
T. rubrum
(ATCC 40051), and
Trichophyton mentagrophytes
(ATCC 40004) were included as quality controls. All isolates produced clearly detectable growth only after 7 days of incubation. MICs were significantly independent of the incubation temperature (28 or 35°C) (
P
< 0.05). Different incubation periods resulted in MICs which were consistently different for each medium when azoles and griseofulvin were tested (
P
< 0.05). MICs obtained from different media at the same incubation time for the same isolate were significantly different when azoles and griseofulvin were tested (
P
< 0.05). MICs were consistently higher (usually 1 to 2 dilutions) with RPMI than with MVM or SDB (
P
< 0.05). When terbinafine was tested, no parameter had any influence on MICs (
P
< 0.05). RPMI standard medium appears to be a suitable testing medium for determining the MICs for
T. rubrum
. MICs obtained at different incubation times need to be correlated with clinical outcome to demonstrate which time has better reliability.
Detection of Human Metapneumovirus in Clinical Samples by Immunofluorescence Staining of Shell Vial Centrifugation Cultures Prepared from Three Different Cell Lines
Authors: Landry Marie L. , Ferguson David , Cohen Sandra , Peret Teresa C. T. , Erdman Dean D. 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACT
Monoclonal antibody MAb-8 was evaluated for detection of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in shell vial centrifugation cultures (SVCC). Detection of HMPV was similar in A549, HEp-2, and LLC-MK2 SVCC, and MAb-8 staining was optimal on day 2 postinoculation. Availability of SVCC for HMPV will be of significant benefit to clinical laboratories.
Identity and Prevalence of Multilocus Sequence Typing-Defined Clones of Group A Streptococci within a Hospital Setting
Authors: McGregor Karen F. , Spratt Brian G. 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACTBetween July and October 2003, 121 clinical isolates of group A streptococci (GAS) were collected from a London hospital and characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to determine the identity and prevalence of clones circulating within this setting. A total of 39 sequence types (ST), of which 20 were represented by a single isolate, were identified. The eight most prevalent clones among the 121 GAS were ST117/emm81(16%), ST39/emm4(9%), ST62/emm87(7%), ST28/emm1(6%), ST36/emm12(6%), ST46/emm22(5%), ST334/emm82(5%), and ST101/emm89(4%). Compared to those in the MLST database (http://spyogenes.mlst.net), 12 (31%) of the 39 STs had not been previously identified, although 7 of these differed from recognized STs at only a single locus, suggesting they were closely related to previously recognized strains. Resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline was seen in 7 and 20% of isolates, respectively, with four isolates resistant to both agents. GAS strains with higher (>80)emmtypes accounted for 45% of GAS isolates collected during this study. Continuing GAS surveillance, using easily comparable methods, is important for detecting changes in the character of disease-causing isolates.
Sayyids of Hadhramaut in Early Modern India
Authors: Khalidi Omar 
Published: April 2005

AbstractEthnic Arab communities in medieval India originate mainly from the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf. Among these Arabs, the ones that gained widespread fame within India and abroad were the Sayyids of Hadhramaut, descendants of Prophet Muhammad, through his daughter Fatima. Many of these Hadhrami Sayyids achieved rapid upward social mobility in India through their ascribed status as the Prophet's descendants, as exemplars of good Muslims, and as preachers and teachers of Islam in a non-Muslim environment. However, migration to India at the dawn of the modern era heralded changes in their traditional status and occupation. The sources of this article are primary works in Arabic, Persian and, Urdu, supplemented with interviews and field observations.
History and the Indigenization of the Arabs in Kedah, Malaysia
Authors: Zaleha binte Syed Hassan Sharifah 
Published: April 2005

AbstractThe Arabs in Southeast Asia have to a large or small extent been indigenized as a result of exposure to and interaction with local cultures and societies. For those Arabs living in colonial and post-independence times in the state of Kedah, Malaysia, making the transition from being an Arab to a Malay means employing different assimilative strategies. In colonial times, because of their close relationship with the Kedah ruling family and the favour shown to them by the British, the Arabs assumed high social status in Kedah. During that time, and consistent with Malay preference for status-ranking, becoming Malay for the Arabs involved acknowledging their moral and social superiority over the local people. In the years following independence, the process entailed the new generation of Arabs in the state downplaying status differences, externalizing values of equality and demonstrating loyalty to the Malaysian nation. In so doing, they almost completely dissolved into Malay society. Though still vaguely recognizable as a social category by their phenotypical features and the use of clan names and the honorific titles of sayyid and sharifah, the Arabs in Kedah are so strongly acculturated to Malay customs, norms, beliefs and political aspirations that to them, Arabness is now an anomaly.
Whose Ministry? a Re-appraisal of Ephesians 4:12
Authors: Page Sydney 
Published: April 2005

AbstractEph. 4:12 consists of three prepositional phrases that indicate why Christ gave the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Recent translations take the second of the three phrases as dependent on the first, so that together the two phrases refer to the single purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry. However, a careful examination of the prepositions used in verse 12, the grammatical structure of the verse, the key terms found here, the literary context, and the way the text was understood by Chrysostom suggests that the three phrases ought to be seen as parallel to one another, in which case they describe three distinct purposes for the giving of the individuals mentioned in verse 11.
Trapping of normal EB1 ligands in aggresomes formed by an EB1 deletion mutant
Authors: Riess Nick P , Milward Kelly , Lee Tracy , Adams Matthew , Askham Jon M , Morrison Ewan E 
Published: April 2005

Abstract
Background
EB1 is a microtubule tip-associated protein that interacts with the APC tumour suppressor protein and the p150glued subunit of dynactin. We previously reported that an EB1 deletion mutant that retains both of these interactions but does not directly associate with microtubules (EB1-ΔN2-GFP) spontaneously formed perinuclear aggregates when expressed in COS-7 cells.

Results
In the present study live imaging indicated that EB1-ΔN2-GFP aggregates underwent dynamic microtubule-dependent changes in morphology and appeared to be internally cohesive. EB1-ΔN2-GFP aggregates were phase-dense structures that displayed microtubule-dependent accumulation around the centrosome, were immunoreactive for both the 20s subunit of the proteasome and ubiquitin, and induced the collapse of the vimentin cytoskeleton. Fractionation studies revealed that a proportion of EB1-ΔN2-GFP was detergent-insoluble and ubiquitylated, indicating that EB1-ΔN2-GFP aggregates are aggresomes. Immunostaining also revealed that APC and p150glued were present in EB1-ΔN2-GFP aggregates, whereas EB3 was not. Furthermore, evidence for p150glued degradation was found in the insoluble fraction of EB1-ΔN2-GFP transfected cultures.

Conclusion
Our data indicate that aggresomes can be internally cohesive and may not represent a simple "aggregate of aggregates" assembled around the centrosome. Our observations also indicate that a partially misfolded protein may retain the ability to interact with its normal physiological ligands, leading to their co-assembly into aggresomes. This supports the idea that the trapping and degradation of co-aggregated proteins might contribute to human pathologies characterised by aggresome formation.