bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
End‐of‐Life Care in Assisted Living and Related Residential Care Settings: Comparison with Nursing Homes
Authors: Sloane Philip D. , Zimmerman Sheryl , Hanson Laura , Mitchell C. Madeline , Riedel‐Leo Charlene , Custis‐Buie Verita 
Published: October 2003

Objectives: To define the current state of end‐of‐life care in residential care/assisted living (RC/AL) facilities and nursing homes (NHs) and to compare these two types of care settings.Design: Interviews of staff and family informants about deaths that occurred during a longitudinal study.Setting: Fifty‐five RC/AL facilities and 26 NHs in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and North Carolina.Participants: Two hundred twenty‐four staff and family informants that best knew the 73 RC/AL residents and 72 NH residents who died in or within 3 days after discharge from a study facility.Measurements: Telephone interviews conducted with the facility staff member who knew the decedent best and the family member who was most involved in care during the last month of life of the decedent. Data were collected on circumstances of death, perceptions of dying process, cause of death, care during the last month of life, mood, discomfort, and family satisfaction.Results: Most decedents died in the facility where they had resided, and more than half of the subjects were alone when they died. Greater proportions of staff and family in the NHs knew that the resident's death was only days or weeks away. Both RC/AL and NH residents experienced few highly negative moods, and even on their most uncom‐fortable day, the overall discomfort was low for residents in both facility types. Summary ratings of family satisfaction were significantly higher for the RC/AL (32.1) than the NH (41.2) group (P=.016).Conclusion: These data suggest that end‐of‐life care in RC/AL settings appears similar in process and outcomes to that provided in NHs. Thus, aging and dying‐in‐place can effectively occur in RC/AL.
Measuring Life‐Space Mobility in Community‐Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Baker Patricia S. , Bodner Eric V. , Allman Richard M. 
Published: October 2003

Objectives: To evaluate the validity and reliability of a standardized approach for assessing life‐space mobility (the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life‐Space Assessment (LSA)) and its ability to detect changes in life‐space over time in community‐dwelling older adults.Design: Prospective, observational cohort study.Setting: Five counties (three rural and two urban) in central Alabama.Participants: Community‐dwelling Medicare beneficiaries (N=306; 46% male, 43% African American) who completed in‐home baseline interviews and 2‐week and 6‐month telephone follow‐up interviews.Measurements: The LSA assessed the range, independence, and frequency of movement over the 4 weeks preceding assessments. Correlations between the baseline LSA and measures of physical and mental health (physical performance, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, a global measure of health (the short form‐12 question survey), the Geriatric Depression Scale, and comorbidities) established validity. Follow‐up LSA scores established short‐term test‐retest reliability and the ability of the LSA to detect change.Results: For all LSA scoring methods, baseline and 2‐week follow‐up LSA correlations were greater than 0.86 (95% confidence interval=0.82–0.97). Highest correlations with measures of physical performance and function were noted for the LSA scoring method considering all attributes of mobility. The LSA showed both increases and decreases at 6 months.Discussion: Life‐space correlated with observed physical performance and self‐reported function. It was stable over a 2‐week period yet showed changes at 6 months.
Residual cell content in plasma produced by three centrifugal apheresis procedures
Authors: Burnouf Thierry , Kappelsberger Claudia , Frank Kerstin , Burkhardt Thomas 
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND:  Understanding the impact of collection procedures on the residual amount of blood cells in plasma for transfusion and for fractionation is of current interest. This prospective work evaluated plasma donations collected on an apheresis machine (PCS 2, Haemonetics) with three different automatic centrifugal apheresis procedures, currently largely used in the US (Revision G) and in Europe (Revision F), and included a new procedure that uses a high‐separation core (HSC) that is designed with a second separation chamber to further separate cells from plasma.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  A total of 90 collection procedures have been performed from a population of 37 donors, under comprehensively standardized conditions. There were 30 well‐matched donors in each group. Plasma aliquots were taken from the plasma units within 30 minutes of the end of the collection procedures and immediately assessed for WBCs, RBCs, PLTs, and supernatant Hb.RESULTS:  In Revision F and Revision G plasma donations, the mean numbers of WBCs were 83.1 × 104 and 311 × 104 per L; PLTs, 5.01 × 109 and 20 × 109 per L; and RBCs, 58 × 109 and 43 × 109 per L, respectively. Significantly lower values were found with the HSC procedure (mean WBC, RBC, and PLT counts, 3.01 × 104/L [p < 0.05], 9 × 106/L [p < 0.001], and 3.5 × 109/L [p < 0.001], respectively). The amount of free Hb was similar in all three procedures.CONCLUSION:  Significant differences in numbers of cells in plasma were found depending on the centrifugal procedures used and the design of the separation bowl. The lowest level of cell contamination was found with the new HSC bowl, which without a filtration step, yielded plasma that met the standard for WBC‐reduced plasma. Plasma collectors can select the most appropriate method of plasma collection based on donor criteria, use of plasma (transfusion, viral inactivation, or fractionation), and local or international regulations, when in place.
Antibodies to high‐frequency antigens may decrease the quality of transfusion support: an observational study
Authors: Seltsam Axel , Wagner Franz F. , Salama Abdulgabar , Flegel Willy A. 
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND:  There is only little information on the transfusion support of patients with antibodies to high‐frequency RBC antigens.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  In cooperation with reference laboratories and transfusion services in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, the transfusion support provided to hospitalized patients identified as having such antibodies was reviewed during a 20‐month period.RESULTS:  A total of 52 patients with antibodies to high‐frequency antigens were treated in hospitals. Twenty‐two of them received 104 units of antigen‐negative RBCs. In 23 cases, a deviation from the standard transfusion policy (e.g., transfusion of antigen‐incompatible units) occurred. The use of frozen or fresh units varied amongst the different countries but did not affect the rate of deviation from protocol. About 20 percent of all units were supplied internationally. Four antibody specificities, anti‐Kpb, anti‐Vel, anti‐Lub, and anti‐Yta, were identified in two‐thirds of the patients.CONCLUSION:  This survey indicated that transfusion support was unsatisfactory in about one‐third of the hospitalized patients with antibodies to high‐frequency antigens. Maintaining a rapidly accessible stock of just four types of rare blood units would ensure adequate transfusion support for most of these patients.
Increased transmigration of G–CSF‐mobilized peripheral blood CD34+ cells after overnight storage at 37°C
Authors: Greco Nicholas J. , Lee Wendy R. , Moroff Gary 
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND:  G–CSF‐mobilized PBPCs are utilized in allogeneic and autologous PBPC transplants. Homing, adhesion, and transmigration of hematopoietic CD34+ cells are required for successful engraftment. Hematopoietic CD34+ cells undergo directional migration toward the CXCR4 receptor ligand stromal‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1). Limited data are available on the effects of liquid storage and cryopreservation on PBPC CD34+ cells.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  Magnetic‐assisted cell sorting (MACS)‐selected CD34+ cells were assayed for retention of in vitro transmigration and phenotypic changes of unit‐matched liquid‐stored and cryopreserved PBPC samples from healthy donors. Studies evaluated whether transmigration of CD34+ cells in Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium plus 1 percent HSA alone or in medium supplemented with SCF or allogeneic plasma was affected by overnight incubation at 37°C, relative to nonincubated conditions.RESULTS:  Transmigration was maintained during liquid storage at 1 to 6°C during a 2‐day period and in unit‐matched cryopreserved‐thawed samples that had been initially liquid stored. Overnight incubation at 37°C of MACS‐selected unit‐matched liquid‐stored or cryopreserved‐thawed CD34+ cells resulted in substantially increased transmigration, in particular with noncoated filters chemoattracted with the chemokine SDF‐1.CONCLUSION:  CD34+ cell transmigration was comparable between liquid‐stored and cryopreserved samples, and both demonstrated similar increases after overnight incubation at 37°C.
Scanbacks and direct rebates: manufacturer's tools against forward buying
Authors: Arcelus F. J. , Srinivasan G. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThis paper evaluates the role of trade incentives specifically designed to fight forward‐buying practices on the part of the retailers, by examining the use of scanbacks and direct rebates as manufacturers' tools for the prevention of these practices. Scanner data allows the manufacturer to keep track of the retailer's pricing policies at the point of sale and hence tie its discount policy to the magnitude of the retailer's pass‐through to the final customers. Trade incentives of this type are called scanbacks, whereby the determination of the retailer's compensation is based on actual performance normally measured by scanner data. Another incentive is the direct rebate, whereby the manufacturer passes on directly to the final customer some discount, normally in the form of a coupon, upon proof of purchase. Rebates are one of the oldest trade incentives and certainly predate the advent of electronic commerce. Their relevance is enhanced by the fact that they can be easily adapted to the modern B2B marketplace. The economic effects of these incentives are evaluated in terms of their effect on the three basic links of the supply chain in question, namely (i) the manufacturer that offers the incentive; (ii) the retailer that develops the optimal pricing and ordering policy for each manufacturer's incentive; and (iii) the final customer who is the ultimate purchaser of the merchandise.
The Operating Performance of Firms that Switch Their Stock Listings
Authors: Papaioannou George J. , Travlos Nickolaos G. , Viswanathan K. G. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractIn this article we examine the operating performance of stocks that switch from NASDAQ to the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) or the New Stock Exchange (NYSE) and from AMEX to the NYSE. Specifically, we investigate whether post‐listing operating performance is consistent with the reported negative long‐term drift of post‐listing stock returns and whether there is evidence of self‐selection of the listing time. We find evidence of negative post‐listing changes in operating return on assets and sales, which, on a match‐adjusted basis, are significant for the relatively small NASDAQ stocks switching to AMEX. We also find evidence that firms self‐select the time of listing changes.
Anti-Clumping Factor A Immunoglobulin Reduces the Duration of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusBacteremia in an Experimental Model of Infective Endocarditis
Authors: Vernachio John , Bayer Arnold S. , Le Thuan , Chai Yin-Li , Prater Bradley , Schneider Amy , Ames Brenda , Syribeys Peter , Robbins Jeffrey , Patti Joseph M. 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACTSA-IGIV is a human polyclonal immunoglobulin containing elevated levels of antibodies specific for the fibrinogen-binding MSCRAMM protein clumping factor A (ClfA). In vitro, SA-IGIV specifically recognized ClfA that was expressed on the surface ofStaphylococcus aureusand inhibited bacterial adherence to immobilized human fibrinogen by >95%. Moreover, SA-IGIV efficiently opsonized ClfA-coated fluorescent beads and facilitated phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. To determine its potential therapeutic efficacy, SA-IGIV was evaluated in combination with vancomycin in a rabbit model of catheter-induced aortic valve infective endocarditis (IE) caused by methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA). The combination therapy was more effective than vancomycin alone in sterilizing all valvular vegetations when used therapeutically during early (12-h) IE. The combination therapy resulted in clearance of bacteremia that was significantly faster than that of vancomycin alone in animals with well-established (24-h) IE. Therefore, in both early and well-established MRSA IE, the addition of SA-IGIV to a standard antibiotic regimen (vancomycin) increased bacterial clearance from the bloodstream and/or vegetations.
Influence of VanD Type Resistance on Activities of Glycopeptides In Vitro and in Experimental Endocarditis Due to
Enterococcus faecium
Authors: Lefort Agnès , Garry Louis , Depardieu Florence , Courvalin Patrice , Fantin Bruno 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

The consequences of VanD type glycopeptide resistance on the activity of vancomycin and teicoplanin were evaluated in vitro and in a rabbit model of aortic endocarditis with VanD type clinical isolate
Enterococcus faecium
BM4339 (MICs: vancomycin, 64 μg/ml; teicoplanin, 4 μg/ml) and its susceptible derivative BM4459 (MICs: vancomycin, 1 μg/ml; teicoplanin, 1 μg/ml). The two antibiotics were inactive against BM4339 in vivo, in terms both of reduction of bacterial counts and of prevention of emergence of glycopeptide-resistant subpopulations, despite using teicoplanin at concentrations greater than the MIC for VanD strains. This could be due to the high inoculum effect also observed in vitro with BM4339 and two other VanD type isolates against both antibiotics. These results suggest that detection of VanD type resistance is of major importance because it abolishes in vivo glycopeptide activity and allows the emergence of mutants highly resistant to glycopeptides.
Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases in
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Bloodstream Isolates from Seven Countries: Dominance and Widespread Prevalence of SHV- and CTX-M-Type β-Lactamases
Authors: Paterson David L. , Hujer Kristine M. , Hujer Andrea M. , Yeiser Bethany , Bonomo Michael D. , Rice Louis B. , Bonomo Robert A. ,   the International Klebsiella Study Group
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

A huge variety of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) have been detected during the last 20 years. The majority of these have been of the TEM or SHV lineage. We have assessed ESBLs occurring among a collection of 455 bloodstream isolates of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
, collected from 12 hospitals in seven countries. Multiple β-lactamases were produced by isolates with phenotypic evidence of ESBL production (mean of 2.7 β-lactamases per isolate; range, 1 to 5). SHV-type ESBLs were the most common ESBL, occurring in 67.1% (49 of 73) of isolates with phenotypic evidence of ESBL production. In contrast, TEM-type ESBLs (TEM-10 type, -12 type, -26 type, and -63 type) were found in just 16.4% (12 of 73) of isolates. The finding of TEM-10 type and TEM-12 type represents the first detection of a TEM-type ESBL in South America. PER (for
Pseudomonas
extended resistance)-type β-lactamases were detected in five of the nine isolates from Turkey and were found with SHV-2-type and SHV-5-type ESBLs in two of the isolates. CTX-M-type ESBLs (
bla
CTX-M-2
type and
bla
CTX-M-3
type) were found in 23.3% (17 of 73) of isolates and were found in all study countries except for the United States. We also detected CTX-M-type ESBLs in four countries where they have previously not been described—Australia, Belgium, Turkey, and South Africa. The widespread emergence and proliferation of CTX-M-type ESBLs is particularly noteworthy and may have important implications for clinical microbiology laboratories and for physicians treating patients with serious
K. pneumoniae
infections.
In Vitro and Ex Vivo Activities of Minocycline and EDTA against Microorganisms Embedded in Biofilm on Catheter Surfaces
Authors: Raad Issam , Chatzinikolaou Ioannis , Chaiban Gassan , Hanna Hend , Hachem Ray , Dvorak Tanya , Cook Guy , Costerton William 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

Minocycline-EDTA (M-EDTA) flush solution has been shown to prevent catheter-related infection and colonization in a rabbit model and in hemodialysis patients. We undertook this study in order to determine the activities of M-EDTA against organisms embedded in fresh biofilm (in vitro) and mature biofilm (ex vivo). For the experiment with the in vitro model, a modified Robbin’s device (MRD) was used whereby 25 catheter segments were flushed for 18 h with 10
6
CFU of biofilm-producing
Staphylococcus epidermidis
,
Staphyloccocus aureus
, and
Candida albicans
per ml. Subsequently, each of the catheter segments was incubated in one of the following solutions: (i) streptokinase, (ii) heparin, (iii) broth alone, (iv) vancomycin, (v) vancomycin-heparin, (vi) EDTA, (vii) minocycline (high-dose alternating with low-dose), or (viii) M-EDTA (low-dose minocycline alternating with high-dose minocycline were used to study the additive and synergistic activities of M-EDTA). All segments were cultured quantitatively by scrape sonication. For the experiment with the ex vivo model, 54 catheter tip segments removed from patients and colonized with bacterial organisms by roll plate were longitudinally cut into two equal segments and exposed to either saline, heparin, EDTA, or M-EDTA (with high-dose minocycline). Subsequently, all segments were examined by confocal laser electron microscopy. In the in vitro MRD model, M-EDTA (with a low concentration of minocycline) was significantly more effective than any other agent in reducing colonization of
S. epidermidis
,
S. aureus
, and
C. albicans
(
P
< 0.01). M-EDTA (with a high concentration of minocycline) eradicated all staphylococcal and
C. albicans
organisms embedded in the biofilm. In the ex vivo model, M-EDTA (with a high concentration of minocycline) reduced bacterial colonization more frequently than EDTA or heparin (
P
< 0.01). We concluded that M-EDTA is highly active in eradicating microorganisms embedded in fresh and mature biofilm adhering to catheter surfaces.
In Vitro Activity of Recombinant Lysostaphin against
Staphylococcus aureus
Isolates from Anterior Nares and Blood
Authors: von Eiff Christof , Kokai-Kun John F. , Becker Karsten , Peters Georg 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

The in vitro activity of recombinant lysostaphin was tested against a collection of well-characterized clinical
Staphylococcus aureus
isolates by disk diffusion (429 isolates) and minimum bactericidal concentration (10 isolates) assays. Minimum bactericidal concentrations of 0.16 μg/ml and zones of inhibition ranging between 15 and 21 mm in diameter demonstrate that lysostaphin was highly active against all isolates tested.
Resazurin Microtiter Assay Plate Testing of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Susceptibilities to Second-Line Drugs: Rapid, Simple, and Inexpensive Method
Authors: Martin Anandi , Camacho Mirtha , Portaels Françoise , Palomino Juan Carlos 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis calls for new, rapid drug susceptibility tests. We have tested 150
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
isolates against the second-line drugs ethionamide, kanamycin, capreomycin, ofloxacin, and
para
-aminosalicylic acid by the colorimetric resazurin microtiter assay and the proportion method. By visual reading, MICs were obtained after 8 days. A very good correlation between results by the colorimetric resazurin microtiter assay and the proportion method was obtained. The colorimetric resazurin microtiter assay is inexpensive, rapid, and simple to perform, and implementation of the assay is feasible for low-resource countries.
Rapid Detection and Estimation by Pyrosequencing of 23S rRNA Genes with a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Conferring Linezolid Resistance in Enterococci
Authors: Sinclair Alistair , Arnold Catherine , Woodford Neil 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT
Pyrosequencing was used to detect rapidly and estimate the number of 23S rRNA genes with a G2576T mutation in 43 linezolid-resistant and -susceptible clinical isolates of enterococci. The method showed 100% concordance with PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism for detecting isolates homozygous for either G2576 or T2576 or heterozygous for this mutation. A good correlation was found between linezolid MICs and the number of 23S rRNA gene copies carrying the mutation.
G484S Amino Acid Substitution in Lanosterol 14-α Demethylase (
ERG11
) Is Related to Fluconazole Resistance in a Recurrent
Cryptococcus neoformans
Clinical Isolate
Authors: Rodero Laura , Mellado Emilia , Rodriguez A. Carolina , Salve Angela , Guelfand Liliana , Cahn Pedro , Cuenca-Estrella Manuel , Davel Graciela , Rodriguez-Tudela Juan L. 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

Five sequential
Cryptococcus neoformans
isolates recovered from an AIDS patient with recurrent meningitis were analyzed. Four isolates were fluconazole susceptible, while the fifth isolate developed fluconazole resistance. Analysis of the 14-α lanosterol demethylase gene (
ERG11
) showed a point mutation in the resistant strain responsible for the amino acid substitution G484S.