bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Granada Agar Plate for Detection of
Streptococcus agalactiae
in Urine Specimens from Pregnant Women
Authors: Tamayo Javier , Gómez-Garcés José-Luis , Alós Juan-Ignacio 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACT
The Granada agar plate (GAP; Biomedics SL, Madrid, Spain) was evaluated for the detection of group B streptococci (GBS) in urine specimens from pregnant women submitted for testing for asymptomatic bacteriuria and was compared with blood agar (BA [Columbia agar with 5% sheep blood]; bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France). The GAP detected 103 out of 105 GBS, whereas BA detected only 50. Use of the GAP could be a good method for the detection of GBS in urine specimens from pregnant women.
Clonal Spread of
emm
Type 28 Isolates of
Streptococcus pyogenes
That Are Multiresistant to Antibiotics
Authors: Mihaila-Amrouche Liliana , Bouvet Anne , Loubinoux Julien 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACT

Fifty-three pharyngitis-related and invasive isolates of
Streptococcus pyogenes
that are resistant to bacitracin were collected. They were also resistant to streptomycin, kanamycin, macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramin B. These multiresistant isolates were of
emm
type 28 and clonally related as shown by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
V-Antigen Genotype and Phenotype Analyses of Clinical Isolates of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Allmond Leonard R. , Ajayi Temitayo , Moriyama Kiyoshi , Wiener-Kronish Jeanine P. , Sawa Teiji 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACT

The
pcrV
genotype was analyzed in clinical isolates of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
which showed a negative phenotype for secretion of V-antigen PcrV. The suppression of PcrV secretion in these isolates was due not to a lack of the
pcrV
gene but rather to suppression of PcrV expression.
Detection of Human Papillomavirus DNA in Cervical Samples: Analysis of the New PGMY-PCR Compared To the Hybrid Capture II and MY-PCR Assays and a Two-Step Nested PCR Assay
Authors: Giovannelli Lucia , Lama Anna , Capra Giuseppina , Giordano Viviana , Aricò Pietro , Ammatuna Pietro 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACT

The PGMY-PCR for human papillomavirus (HPV) was evaluated, in parallel with nested PCR (
n
PCR), in samples with noted Hybrid Capture II (HCII) and MY-PCR results. PGMY-PCR detected HPV DNA in 2.5% of HCII-negative-MY-PCR-negative samples and in 71.7% of HCII-positive-MY-PCR-negative samples; also, it detected the MY-PCR-negative-
n
PCR-negative types HPV-42, HPV-44, HPV-51, HPV-87, and HPV-89.
Distribution of
Porphyromonas gingivalis
Biotypes Defined by Alleles of the
kgp
(Lys-Gingipain) Gene
Authors: Nadkarni Mangala A. , Nguyen Ky-Anh , Chapple Cheryl C. , DeCarlo Arthur A. , Jacques Nicholas A. , Hunter Neil 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACT

Paired subgingival plaque samples representing the most-diseased and least-diseased sites were collected from 34 adult patients with diagnosed chronic periodontitis. The percentage of
Porphyromonas gingivalis
relative to the total anaerobic and gram-negative bacterial load at each site was determined by real-time PCR. Based on variations in the noncatalytic C terminus of the Lys-gingipain (Kgp), it was reasoned that DNA sequence variation in the 3′-coding region of the
kgp
gene might determine functional biotypes. Perusal of the available sequence information in GenBank indicated three such forms of the
kgp
gene corresponding to
P. gingivalis
strains HG66, 381, and W83. Analysis of patient samples revealed the presence of a fourth genotype (W83v) that showed duplication of a sequence recognized by the W83 reverse primer. The four biotypes, HG66, 381, W83, and W83v, were present in the study group in the ratio 8:11:6:5, respectively. Each subject was colonized by one predominant biotype, and only three patients were colonized by a trace amount of a second biotype.
Surveillance of Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
in a Pediatric Hospital in Mexico City during a 7-Year Period (1997 to 2003): Clonal Evolution and Impact of Infection Control
Authors: Velazquez-Meza M. E. , Aires de Sousa M. , Echaniz-Aviles G. , Solórzano-Santos F. , Miranda-Novales G. , Silva-Sanchez J. , de Lencastre H. 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACT

Between 1997 and 2000 a single multidrug-susceptible methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
clone, M (sequence type 30 [ST30]-staphylococcal cassette chromosome
mec
[SCC
mec
] type IV), was present in a pediatric hospital in Mexico City, Mexico. In 2001 the international multidrug-resistant New York-Japan clone (ST5-SCC
mec
type II) was introduced into the hospital, completely replacing clone M by 2002.
Mucoid Nitrate-NegativeMoraxella nonliquefaciensfrom Three Patients with Chronic Lung Disease
Authors: Davis Jennifer M. , Whipp Margaret J. , Ashhurst-Smith Christopher , DeBoer Jim C. , Peel Margaret M. 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACTMucoid strains ofMoraxella nonliquefacienswere recovered from the sputa of three indigenous Australians with chronic lung disease. These atypical strains failed to reduce nitrate, and one strain produced β-lactamase. While the mucoid phenotype ofM. nonliquefacienshas rarely been reported, the mucoid nitrate-negative biovar has never been previously reported.
Solitary Neurocysticercosis Case Caused by Asian Genotype of
Taenia solium
Confirmed by Mitochondrial DNA Analysis
Authors: Yamasaki Hiroshi , Matsunaga Shigeo , Yamamura Koji , Chang Chia-Cheng , Kawamura Shunji , Sako Yasuhito , Nakao Minoru , Nakaya Kazuhiro , Ito Akira 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACT

A Japanese woman presenting with neurologic symptoms was presumptively diagnosed with neurocysticercosis based on imaging findings. Hooklets in the scolex of the resected lesion were not confirmed through histopathological observation. However, the illness was confirmed by mitochondrial DNA analysis to be a solitary neurocysticercosis case caused by the Asian genotype of
Taenia solium
.
Applying Ecological Input‐Output Flow Analysis to Material Flows in Industrial Systems: Part I: Tracing Flows
Authors: Bailey Reid , Allen Janet K. , Bras Bert 
Published: August 2004

Input‐output mathematics, which allows a modeler to fully consider direct and indirect relationships among conserved flows in a system, has a long history in economics with prominent use dating to Leontief in the 1930s. Nearly all previous industrial applications of input‐output analysis have been grounded in the monetary flows of an economy. Here however, because of the central nature of physical flows in the environmental impact of industry, we consider physical flows to be a fundamental component of an industrial economy. Hence, we propose an input‐output based approach for modeling physical flows in industry independent of their monetary implications.In this first part of a two‐part article, a framework for using input‐output mathematics to model material and energy flows is constructed from a foundation laid by previous research in nutrient and energy cycling in natural ecosystems. The mathematics of input‐output flow analysis is presented from an ecological perspective, culminating in two core capabilities: tracing of flows with environs (investigated in this article) and characterizing system behavior with flow metrics (presented in the second article). We assert that environ analysis is an effective means for tracing flows through industrial systems while fully considering direct and indirect flow paths. We explore material flows of aluminum and five other metals in depth using environ analysis in this article.
Process Knowledge, System Dynamics, and Metal Ecology
Authors: Verhoef E. V. , Dijkema Gerard P. J. , Reuter Markus A. 
Published: August 2004

A key principle in industrial ecology is the cyclic use of materials, a characteristic of natural ecosystems but a challenge in economic systems. Indeed, in society, metal retention, that is, the ongoing use or ready availability of metal in the economy between the life‐cycle stages of resource extraction and final disposal back into the lithosphere, is finite because of the limited grade of secondary (recycled) metals. Currently, the utility of metals is maintained through the addition of high primary (virgin) metals, bringing the concentration of the recycled metals to desired levels. This mixing with high‐grade primary metals keeps these recycled metals in the cycle. Long term, this practice of dilution of the undesired substances prevents a closure of the material cycles, whereas recovery without dilution reduces the quality (or quantity) of recycled metals.Metals participate in a system of linked cycles and thus cannot be produced or recovered independently from one another. The metal wheel is introduced in this article as a concise but powerful instrument for the communication of available process knowledge in process metallurgy, the science and technology of producing metals from natural ores and societal raw materials, residues, and end‐of‐life products. It summarizes the chemical and physical linkages between metals found in ores and the set of metallurgical processes that has been developed to accommodate these linkages.A dynamic mass‐flow model is introduced to characterize the global metal cycles. The model facilitates the visualization of the evolution of their structure and technological content.To illustrate the interdependency of metal cycles using the metal wheel and the dynamic model, the transition to lead‐free solder is evaluated. Neglect of metal‐cycle linkages and dynamics in policy formulation may lead to a shortage of lead substitutes. In case of an extended ban on lead, both the availability and recovery of a range of metals will be affected.
The Doctrinal Development of “Maraḍ Al-Mawt” in the Formative Period of Islamic Law
Authors: Yanagihashi Hiroyuki 
Published: August 2004

AbstractMuslim jurists were at first reluctant to place restrictions on gratuitous dispositions by a dying person. During the first quarter of the second century/second quarter of the eighth century, however, they created a concept of “a sickness causing a fear of death” (al-maraḍ al-mukhawwif) to safeguard the interests of heirs and creditors. They did so by introducing the principle that a gratuitous disposition made by a sick person for the purpose of modifying the inheritance rules should be subject to the bequest restrictions. At the same time, Muslim jurists permitted the wife divorced by her dying husband to inherit from him by according her, retrospectively, inheritance rights at the moment when her husband contracted a sickness which led irrevocably to his death. By the end of the third quarter of the second century/end of the eighth century, the jurists had combined these two definitions of sickness to form the classical theory of death-sickness (Maraḍ Al-Mawt).
Orphaned Grandchildren in Islamic Law of Succession: Reform and Islamization in Pakistan
Authors: Carroll Lucy 
Published: August 2004

AbstractThe Islamic law of succession, worked out in precision by the classical jurists from a few Qurʾanic verses, is regarded as the central core and prime achievement of the shariʿa. However, in the changed circumstances of the fifteenth century Hijra, attention has focused on some perceived inequities of the traditional scheme, raising challenging questions of whether and how the traditional law can be reformed. This essay examines Pakistan's attempt to deal with the problem of the “orphaned grandchild.” It then turns to a consideration of the fate of the reformist legislation in the context of “Islamization” and the institutional heritage of the Zia period.
The Art of the Judicial Opinion: On Tawlīj in Fifteenth-Century Tunis
Authors: Powers David 
Published: August 2004

AbstractIn an effort to circumvent the constraints of Islamic inheritance law, a Muslim proprietor may attempt to shift assets to his or her desired heir/s by means of an inter vivos transaction, e.g., a gift, acknowledgement of a debt, sale, or creation of a family endowment. In the present essay, I analyze a case that occurred in fifteenth-century Tunis in which a father, taking advantage of his role as the guardian of his minor children, engages in a series of financial transactions that appear to have as their goal the disinheritance of certain other children. The differing responses to this case by two Mālikī jurists provides an opportunity to explore the relationship between the choice of a judicial style and the direction of a judicial outcome.
Retrieving sequences of enzymes experimentally characterized but erroneously annotated : the case of the putrescine carbamoyltransferase
Authors: Naumoff Daniil G , Xu Ying , Glansdorff Nicolas , Labedan Bernard 
Published: August 2004

Abstract
Background
Annotating genomes remains an hazardous task. Mistakes or gaps in such a complex process may occur when relevant knowledge is ignored, whether lost, forgotten or overlooked. This paper exemplifies an approach which could help to ressucitate such meaningful data.

Results
We show that a set of closely related sequences which have been annotated as ornithine carbamoyltransferases are actually putrescine carbamoyltransferases. This demonstration is based on the following points : (i) use of enzymatic data which had been overlooked, (ii) rediscovery of a short NH2-terminal sequence allowing to reannotate a wrongly annotated ornithine carbamoyltransferase as a putrescine carbamoyltransferase, (iii) identification of conserved motifs allowing to distinguish unambiguously between the two kinds of carbamoyltransferases, and (iv) comparative study of the gene context of these different sequences.

Conclusions
We explain why this specific case of misannotation had not yet been described and draw attention to the fact that analogous instances must be rather frequent. We urge to be especially cautious when high sequence similarity is coupled with an apparent lack of biochemical information. Moreover, from the point of view of genome annotation, proteins which have been studied experimentally but are not correlated with sequence data in current databases qualify as "orphans", just as unassigned genomic open reading frames do. The strategy we used in this paper to bridge such gaps in knowledge could work whenever it is possible to collect a body of facts about experimental data, homology, unnoticed sequence data, and accurate informations about gene context.
Lymphoedema management knowledge and practices among patients attending filariasis morbidity control clinics in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka
Authors: Chandrasena TGA Nilmini , Premaratna Ranjan , de Silva Nilanthi R 
Published: August 2004

Abstract
Background
Little information is available on methods of treatment practiced by patients affected by filarial lymphoedema in Sri Lanka. The frequency and duration of acute dematolymphangioadenitis (ADLA) attacks in these patients remain unclear. This study reports the knowledge, practices and perceptions regarding lymphoedema management and the burden of ADLA attacks among patients with lymphoedema.

Methods
A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess morbidity alleviation knowledge, practices and perceptions. The burden of ADLA attacks was assessed using one-year recall data.

Results
66 patients (22 males, 44 females) with mean age 51.18 years (SD ± 13.9) were studied. Approximately two thirds of the patients were aware of the importance of skin and nail hygiene, limb elevation and use of footwear. Washing was practiced on a daily and twice daily basis by 40.9% and 48.5% respectively. However, limb elevation, exercise and use of footwear were practiced only by 21–42.4% (while seated and lying down), 6% and 34.8% respectively. The majority of patients considered regular intake of diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) important. Approximately two thirds (65.2%) had received health education from filariasis clinics. Among patients who sought private care (n = 48) the average cost of treatment for an ADLA attack was Rs. 737.91. Only 18.2% had feelings of isolation and reported community reactions ranging from sympathy to fear and ridicule.

Conclusions
Filariasis morbidity control clinics play an essential role in the dissemination of morbidity control knowledge. Referral of lymphoedema patients to morbidity control clinics is recommended.
Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis in a patient with endometriosis: case report and review of the literature
Authors: Baptist Alan P , Baldwin James L 
Published: August 2004

AbstractAutoimmune progesterone dermatitis (APD) is a condition in which the menstrual cycle is associated with a number of skin findings such as urticaria, eczema, angioedema, and others. In affected women, it occurs 3–10 days prior to the onset of menstrual flow, and resolves 2 days into menses. Women with irregular menses may not have this clear correlation, and therefore may be missed. We present a case of APD in a woman with irregular menses and urticaria/angioedema for over 20 years, who had not been diagnosed or correctly treated due to the variable timing of skin manifestations and menses. In addition, we review the medical literature in regards to clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment options.
Identification of proteases employed by dendritic cells in the processing of protein purified derivative (PPD)
Authors: Mohamadzadeh Mansour , Mohamadzadeh Hamid , Brammer Melissa , Sestak Karol , Luftig Ronald B 
Published: August 2004

AbstractDendritic cells (DC) are known to present exogenous protein Ag effectively to T cells. In this study we sought to identify the proteases that DC employ during antigen processing. The murine epidermal-derived DC line Xs52, when pulsed with PPD, optimally activated the PPD-reactive Th1 clone LNC.2F1 as well as the Th2 clone LNC.4k1, and this activation was completely blocked by chloroquine pretreatment. These results validate the capacity of XS52 DC to digest PPD into immunogenic peptides inducing antigen specific T cell immune responses. XS52 DC, as well as splenic DC and DCs derived from bone marrow degraded standard substrates for cathepsins B, C, D/E, H, J, and L, tryptase, and chymases, indicating that DC express a variety of protease activities. Treatment of XS52 DC with pepstatin A, an inhibitor of aspartic acid proteases, completely abrogated their capacity to present native PPD, but not trypsin-digested PPD fragments to Th1 and Th2 cell clones. Pepstatin A also inhibited cathepsin D/E activity selectively among the XS52 DC-associated protease activities. On the other hand, inhibitors of serine proteases (dichloroisocoumarin, DCI) or of cystein proteases (E-64) did not impair XS52 DC presentation of PPD, nor did they inhibit cathepsin D/E activity. Finally, all tested DC populations (XS52 DC, splenic DC, and bone marrow-derived DC) constitutively expressed cathepsin D mRNA. These results suggest that DC primarily employ cathepsin D (and perhaps E) to digest PPD into antigenic peptides.
Optimizing the HIV/AIDS informed consent process in India
Authors: Sastry J , Pisal H , Sutar S , Kapadia-Kundu N , Joshi A , Suryavanshi N , Bharucha KE , Shrotri A , Phadke MA , Bollinger RC , Shankar AV 
Published: August 2004

Abstract
Background
While the basic ethical issues regarding consent may be universal to all countries, the consent procedures required by international review boards which include detailed scientific and legal information, may not be optimal when administered within certain populations. The time and the technicalities of the process itself intimidate individuals in societies where literacy and awareness about medical and legal rights is low.

Methods
In this study, we examined pregnant women's understanding of group education and counseling (GEC) about HIV/AIDS provided within an antenatal clinic in Maharashtra, India. We then enhanced the GEC process with the use of culturally appropriate visual aids and assessed the subsequent changes in women's understanding of informed consent issues.

Results
We found the use of visual aids during group counseling sessions increased women's overall understanding of key issues regarding informed consent from 38% to 72%. Moreover, if these same visuals were reinforced during individual counseling, improvements in women's overall comprehension rose to 96%.

Conclusions
This study demonstrates that complex constructs such as informed consent can be conveyed in populations with little education and within busy government hospital settings, and that the standard model may not be sufficient to ensure true informed consent.
Capillary Electrophoresis with Chemiluminescence Detector Using On-capillary Detection
Authors: Tsukagoshi Kazuhiko , Fujii Tatsuya , Nakajima Riichiro 
Published: August 2004

Abstract
We achieved capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detector using on-capillary detection, taking advantage of the commercially available chemiluminescence reagent (LUMICA) and its oxidant. A mixture of dansyl tryptophan and dansyl glycine as a model sample migrated in two different running buffers, both containing LUMICA and the oxidant, indicating chemiluminescence was generated by the reaction of LUMICA, the oxidant, and dansyl α-amino acids. When the α-amino acids went through the detection window on the capillary, the chemiluminescence signals were observed with the chemiluminescence detector using on-capillary detection. This new concept of on-capillary chemiluminescence detection did not require any interface device between the electrophoresis capillary and the chemiluminescence detector.
Easily Oxidizable Polysulfide Anion Occluded in the Interlayer Space of Mg/Al Layered Double Hydroxide
Authors: Ogawa Makoto , Saito Fumihiro 
Published: August 2004

Abstract
Magnesium–aluminum layered double hydroxide containing polysulfide anions was prepared by a hydrothermal reaction from magnesium and aluminum hydroxides. Thioacetamide was used as the sulfide source. The product exhibits light green color corresponding to the S2− and S3− ions and turns to colorless when the sample was stored in air for several days or heat treated in air at 120 °C. The color change showed that the occluded polysulfide anions were oxidized to sulfate anion by atmospheric oxygen.
Efficient Electron Injection Characteristics of Triazine Derivatives for Transparent OLEDs (TOLEDs)
Authors: Oyamada Takahito , Yoshizaki Hiroki , Sasabe Hiroyuki , Adachi Chihaya 
Published: August 2004

Abstract
We demonstrated that triazine (TRZ) derivatives possessing metal coordination sites in their structures showed excellent electron transport and injection characteristics in transparent organic light emitting diodes (TOLEDs). High luminescence efficiency with low driving voltage was observed with a TRZ/ITO cathode configuration (ITO: indium-tin-oxide), suggesting that the TRZ layer can efficiently accept electrons from the metal-oxide cathode layer, and inject electrons into an adjacent organic layer.
Electrodeposition of Hydrophobic Nickel Composite Containing Surface-Modified SiO2 Particles under the Influence of a Surfactant with an Azobenzene Moiety
Authors: Shrestha Nabeen K , Kobayashi Genta , Saji Tetsuo 
Published: August 2004

Abstract
Electrodeposit of nickel with high content of the surface-modified silica particles by a silane-coupling agent was prepared from the Watts nickel bath containing the silica particles dispersed with the aid of a surfactant containing an azobenzene moiety. This composite coating plated under optimized conditions exhibited the ultra high water repellency property with the contact angle of 156°.