bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mycobacterium avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
Strains Isolated from Crohn's Disease Patients and Animal Species Exhibit Similar Polymorphic Locus Patterns
Authors: Ghadiali Alifiya H. , Strother Megan , Naser Saleh A. , Manning Elizabeth J. B. , Sreevatsan Srinand 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

Analysis of short sequence repeats of
Mycobacterium avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
isolated from Crohn's disease patients identified two alleles, both of which clustered with strains derived from animals with Johne's disease. Identification of a limited number of genotypes among human strains implies the existence of human disease-associated genotypes and strain sharing with animals.
Monitoring for Presence of Potentially Xenotic Viruses in Recipients of Pig Islet Xenotransplantation
Authors: Garkavenko O. , Croxson M. C. , Irgang M. , Karlas A. , Denner J. , Elliott R. B. 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACTThis study represents a long-term follow-up of human patients receiving pig islet xenotransplantation. Eighteen patients had been monitored for up to 9 years for potentially xenotic pig viruses: pig endogenous retrovirus, pig cytomegalovirus, pig lymphotropic herpesvirus, and pig circovirus type 2. No evidence of viral infection was found.
Fibronectin-Binding Protein Gene Recombination and Horizontal Transfer between Group A and G Streptococci
Authors: Towers Rebecca J. , Gal Daniel , McMillan David , Sriprakash Kadaba S. , Currie Bart J. , Walker Mark J. , Chhatwal Gursharan S. , Fagan Peter K. 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACTWe report evidence of interspecies gene transfer between the important virulence factor genessfbIandgfbA. Because the identified group G streptococcusgfbAtypes possess DNA cassettes that can be identified in a number of group A streptococcus strains, it appears that homologous recombination is occurring between these species.
Characterization of a West Nile Virus Isolate from a Human on the Gulf Coast of Texas
Authors: Granwehr Bruno P. , Li Li , Davis Charles T. , Beasley David W. C. , Barrett Alan D. T. 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT
Genetic characterization of a human cerebrospinal fluid West Nile virus isolate from Beaumont, Texas, revealed several nucleotide changes and amino acid substitutions that differentiated it from all other North American strains isolated to date, suggesting that isolates from the Texas Gulf Coast may form a unique genetic group among North American strains.
Clonal Spread of IMP-1-Producing
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
in Two Hospitals in Singapore
Authors: Koh Tse Hsien , Wang Grace Chee Yeng , Sng Li-Hwei 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

Thirty-six isolates of carbapenem-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
were studied. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of two clones. One clone carried a
bla
IMP-1
gene identical to that first described in Japan. The other clone carried a
bla
IMP-1
variant containing four silent mutations. One isolate with a unique pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern contained
bla
IMP-7
.
Interstitial Pneumonitis and Coinfection of Human Herpesvirus 6 and
Pneumocystis carinii
in a Patient with Hypogammaglobulinemia
Authors: Vuorinen Tytti , Kotilainen Pirkko , Lautenschlager Irmeli , Kujari Harry , Krogerus Leena , Oksi Jarmo 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) has occasionally been associated with cases of interstitial pneumonitis, mainly in individuals with impaired cellular immunity. Here we report for the first time severe interstitial pneumonitis with simultaneous HHV-6 and
Pneumocystis carinii
infections in the lung tissue of a young patient with hypogammaglobulinemia.
Fatal Cerebral Phaeohyphomycosis Due to
Curvularia lunata
in an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Carter Elliot , Boudreaux Carole 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

Curvularia
infections in humans are relatively uncommon despite the ubiquitous presence of this soil-dwelling dematiaceous fungus in the environment. Originally thought to be solely a pathogen of plants,
Curvularia
has been described as a pathogen of humans and animals in the last half-century, causing respiratory tract, cutaneous, and corneal infections. Only three previous cases of central nervous system involvement by
Curvularia
have been documented in the medical literature. We report a fatal case of cerebral
Curvularia
infection in which there was no known history of immunocompromise or prior respiratory tract or sinus infection in the patient.
Aeromonas popoffii
Urinary Tract Infection
Authors: Hua Huy Thong , Bollet Claude , Tercian Stephane , Drancourt Michel , Raoult Didier 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

Aeromonas popoffii
is a recently described species isolated mainly from freshwater. An isolate of
Aeromonas popoffii
was found to be responsible for a urinary tract infection in a 13-year-old boy suffering from spina bifida with enterocystoplasty. This is the first reported case of human infection attributed to this species.
Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection Caused by
Mycobacterium brumae
Authors: Lee Stephanie A. , Raad Issam I. , Adachi Javier A. , Han Xiang Y. 
Published: November 2004

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium brumae
is a rapidly growing environmental mycobacterial species identified in 1993; so far, no infections by this organism have been reported. Here we present a catheter-related
M. brumae
bloodstream infection in a 54-year-old woman with breast cancer. The patient presented with high fever (39.7°C), and >1,000 colonies of
M. brumae
grew from a quantitative culture of blood drawn through the catheter. A paired peripheral blood culture was negative, however, suggesting circulational control of the infection. The patient was treated empirically with meropenem and vancomycin, and the fever resolved within 24 h. The catheter was removed a week later, and from the tip
M. brumae
was isolated a second time, suggesting catheter colonization. The organism was identified by colonial morphology, sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, and biochemical tests.
Life as Understanding
Authors: Figal Günter 
Published: November 2004

In this paper I take up the "claim to universality" of hermeneutics, as put forth by Hans-Georg Gadamer; the aim is to grasp the "life that can understand," to grasp it in its essence and in terms of understanding. In this way I deal critically with Gadamer's (and Heidegger's) idea that all understanding is "self-understanding" and work out the dependence of understanding on the other, on the "hermeneutic object" (
Gegenstand
) of understanding. But a "hermeneutic object" (
Gegenstand
) is not a "mere object" (
Objekt
). On the basis of this distinction, I develop, in conclusion, a critical reflection on the selfobjectification of the human in those interpretations of human life that are oriented solely to natural science. Self-objectfication is a wrongly directed understanding and can therefore be corrected on the basis of a developed concept of life as understanding.
A Game Theoretical Approach of Price Negotiation and Coordination in an Innovative Firm-Supplier Context: An Experimental Analysis
Authors: Garapin Alexis , Duvallet Jeanne , Robin Stephane , Llerena Daniel 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThis article analyzes a sequential interaction between a firm and its supplier, involving negotiation in the first round and coordination between two different production activities in the second round. The evolution of the vertical relations in the manufacturing sectors reveals that the performance of the firms increasingly depends on these two dimensions. Price negotiation determines the share of the profits of the two actors, while coordination determines the performance of the overall chain. To model this sequential interaction between the supplier and the firm, we use the tools and concepts of game theory. While game theory usually considers the coordination problem as an isolated phenomenon, the originality of our work is that it examines the problem of in a context where coordination between agents is preceded by a negotiation phase. The model emphasizes the influence of the price negotiation on the coordination round. Several theoretical predictions are proposed, derived not only from the strict assumptions of game theory, but also from assumptions which relax those of game theory. These predictions are then experimentally tested. The results do not confirm the predictions of game theory. In fact, they are consistent with the predictions put forth as alternatives to the predictions of game theory. They show i) a propensity to maximize the performance of the chain, and ii) a propensity to arrive at an equitable share of the joint profit in the chain. Finally, though the experiment was not designed to study cross-cultural or international cases, the results suggest new research directions in this area.
In vitro maturation of nascent reticulocytes to erythrocytes
Authors: Koury Mark J. , Koury Stephen T. , Kopsombut Prapaporn , Bondurant Maurice C. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractMost studies of mammalian reticulocyte maturation have used blood reticulocytes.Nascent reticulocytes, as found in bone marrow, have not been available in developmentally synchronized populations. Nascent murine reticulocytes formed in vitro by enucleation of Friend virus–infected erythroblasts were purified and recultured for 110 hours. At 0 hours, all recultured cells were lobulated and contained dense, centralized reticulin. By 110 hours, about 20% to 25% of the cells became biconcave erythrocytes. Most ribosomes and cellular RNAs were degraded within 20 hours, and during that period, heme synthesis declined from a rate equal to that of late erythroblasts to less than 10% of that rate. Many mitochondria appeared normal until they showed outer membrane swelling, degradation, and apparent fusion with intracellular vacuoles at 40 hours of culture. During the period of mitochondrial loss, Bcl-XL, an antiapoptotic protein that accumulates during erythroblast differentiation and maintains mitochondrial membrane integrity, demonstrated progressive decreases and changes consistent with deamidation. Nevertheless, the reticulocytes did not undergo apoptosis, because their apoptotic machinery was degraded. This experimental system that provides a developmentally synchronized population of nascent murine reticulocytes that mature into biconcave erythrocytes in vitro should be useful in further investigations of the cellular events involved in reticulocyte maturation.
Membrane receptors are not required to deliver granzyme B during killer cell attack
Authors: Kurschus Florian C. , Bruno Roxana , Fellows Edward , Falk Christine S. , Jenne Dieter E. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractGranzyme B (GzmB), a serine protease of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, induces apoptosis by caspase activation after crossing the plasma membrane of target cells. The mechanism of this translocation during killer cell attack, however, is not understood. Killer cells release GzmB and the membrane-disturbing perforin at the contact site after target recognition. Receptor-mediated import of glycosylated GzmB and release from endosomes were suggested, but the role of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor was recently refuted. Using recombinant nonglycosylated GzmB, we observed binding of GzmB to cellular membranes in a cell type–dependent manner. The basis and functional impact of surface binding were clarified. GzmB binding was correlated with the surface density of heparan sulfate chains, was eliminated on treatment of target cells with heparinase III or sodium chlorate, and was completely blocked by an excess of catalytically inactive GzmB or GzmK. Although heparan sulfate–bound GzmB was taken up rapidly into intracellular lysosomal compartments, neither of the treatments had an inhibitory influence on apoptosis induced by externally added streptolysin O and GzmB or by natural killer cells. We conclude that membrane receptors for GzmB on target cells are not crucial for killer cell–mediated apoptosis.
Punish the parent not the progeny
Authors: Elrick Lucy J. , Jorgensen Heather G. , Mountford Joanne C. , Holyoake Tessa L. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractChronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is sustained by a rare population of primitive, quiescent, BCR-ABL+ cells and represents an excellent example of a malignancy in which tumor-initiating cells represent the key to disease eradication. CML is also the first malignancy for which targeted therapy has replaced conventional chemotherapy. Within a vast excess of proliferating progenitor cells that express breakpoint cluster region-abelson (BCR-ABL) and are exquisitely sensitive to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate (IM) resides a small population of quiescent leukemic cells that, despite higher levels of BCR-ABL transcripts, exhibits innate insensitivity to IM. These cells remain after IM therapy, even when apparently complete responses are achieved, and they probably explain molecular disease persistence. Although it can be argued that patients may survive for many years with low levels of leukemia still present, it is possible to achieve disease clearance at the molecular level following an allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The emergence of drug resistance with IM monotherapy also argues in favor of complete disease eradication that we believe should remain the ultimate therapeutic goal in CML. New approaches to the elimination of these primitive CML cells may thus be crucial to the development of curative strategies.
Immunotherapy of autoimmune encephalomyelitis with redirected CD4+CD25+ T lymphocytes
Authors: Mekala Divya J. , Geiger Terrence L. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractWe developed an approach that increases CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cell potency by antigen-specifically redirecting them against pathologic T lymphocytes. The regulatory cells are transgenically modified with chimeric receptors that link antigen–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) extracellular and transmembrane domains with the cytoplasmic signaling tail of T-cell receptor ζ (TCR-ζ). The receptors' antigen-MHC recognizes the TCR of cognate T lymphocytes. Receptor engagement stimulates the receptor-modified T cell (RMTC) through the linked ζ chain. CD4+CD25+ RMTCs expressing a myelin basic protein (MBP) 89-101-IAs-ζ receptor, unlike unmodified CD4+CD25+ T cells or CD4+CD25- RMTCs, prevented and treated experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced with MBP89-101. The RMTCs were effective even after the autoreactive T-cell repertoire had diversified to include specificities not directly targeted by the chimeric receptor. Remissions were sustained and mortality was decreased from more than 50% to 0%. These results provide proof of principal for a novel approach to enforce the interaction of regulatory and pathologic T lymphocytes, thereby facilitating the treatment of autoimmune disease.
Generation of Globular Fragment of Adiponectin by Leukocyte Elastase Secreted by Monocytic Cell Line THP-1
Authors: Waki Hironori , Yamauchi Toshimasa , Kamon Junji , Kita Shunbun , Ito Yusuke , Hada Yusuke , Uchida Shoko , Tsuchida Atsushi , Takekawa Sato , Kadowaki Takashi 
Published: November 2004

AbstractPrevious studies revealed that carboxyl-terminal fragment containing the globular domain of adiponectin exists in human plasma. Although it is proposed that the globular fragment is generated by proteolytic cleavage, the place and responsible enzyme of the cleavage are still unclear. In this study, we evaluated the activity to cleave adiponectin in culture medium of several cell lines in vitro. Adiponectin cleavage into several carboxyl-terminal fragments containing the globular domain was observed in the medium of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-stimulated monocytic cell lines THP-1 and U937. The molecular masses of the major products were 25, 20, and 18 kDa. The cleavage was thought to be mediated by leukocyte elastase (also known as neutrophil elastase) based on the following observations. First, the cleavage was inhibited by serine-protease inhibitors [phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, Pefabloc SC (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland) and aprotinin] and by the leukocyte elastase-specific peptide inhibitor MeOSuc-AAPV-CMK. Second, no activity was detected after THP-1 cells had fully differentiated into macrophages. Third, purified leukocyte elastase cleaved adiponectin with the same cleavage pattern as THP-1 cells. Finally, leukocyte elastase secreted by activated neutrophils cleaved adiponectin into the globular fragments. Amino-terminal sequence analysis revealed that cleavage sites of adiponectin by purified leukocyte elastase were between 38Thr and 39Cys, 40Ala and 41Gly, 44Ala and 45Gly, 91Ala and 92Glu, and 110Ala and 111Ala (the numbering of the positions of the amino acids starts at the signal sequence), suggesting that the cleavage occurs in the collagenous domain. These data indicate that the cleavage of adiponectin by leukocyte elastase secreted from activated monocytes and/or neutrophils could be a candidate for the mechanism of the generation of the globular fragment of adiponectin.
Evidence for an Association between Metabolic Cardiovascular Syndrome and Coronary and Aortic Calcification among Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Talbott E. O. , Zborowski J. V. , Rager J. R. , Boudreaux M. Y. , Edmundowicz D. A. , Guzick D. S. 
Published: November 2004

Abstract
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibit an adverse cardiovascular risk profile, characteristic of the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome (MCS). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of coronary artery (CAC) and aortic (AC) calcification among middle-aged PCOS cases and controls and to explore the relationship among calcification, MCS, and other cardiovascular risk factors assessed 9 yr earlier. This was a prospective study of 61 PCOS cases and 85 similarly aged controls screened in 1993–1994 for risk factors and reevaluated in 2001–2002. The main outcome measures were CAC and AC, measured by electron beam tomography. Women with PCOS had a higher prevalence of CAC (45.9% vs. 30.6%) and AC (68.9% vs. 55.3%) than controls. After adjustment for age and body mass index, PCOS was a significant predictor of CAC (odds ratio = 2.31; P = 0.049). PCOS subjects were also 4.4 times more likely to meet the criteria for MCS than controls. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and insulin appeared to mediate the PCOS influence on CAC. Interestingly, total testosterone was an independent risk factor for AC in all subjects after controlling for PCOS, age, and body mass index (P = 0.034). We conclude that women with PCOS are at increased risk of MCS and demonstrate increased CAC and AC compared with controls. Components of MCS mediate the association between PCOS and CAC, independently of obesity.
Serum Parathyroid Hormone Is Associated with Increased Mortality Independent of 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Status, Bone Mass, and Renal Function in the Frail and Very Old: A Cohort Study
Authors: Sambrook P. N. , Chen J. S. , March L. M. , Cameron I. D. , Cumming R. G. , Lord S. R. , Schwarz J. , Seibel M. J. 
Published: November 2004

Abstract
Very frail older people constitute an increasing proportion of the aging population and often have vitamin D deficiency and impaired renal function. Primary hyperparathyroidism has been associated with increased mortality, but it is unclear whether secondary hyperparathyroidism is associated with increased mortality independent of renal function and vitamin D status. This study aimed to examine the effect of vitamin D deficiency and secondary hyperparathyroidism on mortality in frail older people after accounting for renal function and general measures of health. We evaluated 842 subjects (182 men with a mean age of 81.9 yr and 660 women with a mean age of 86.2 yr) living in residential aged care facilities in Sydney, Australia in a prospective, cohort study. Over a mean duration of follow-up of 31 months, 345 subjects died. Baseline serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D, serum PTH, and bone ultrasound attenuation were significantly associated with mortality in univariate and multivariate analyses (for PTH, a hazard ratio of 1.39 for time to death) after correcting for age and gender. In multivariate analyses that corrected for health status, nutritional status, and renal function, PTH remained a significant predictor of mortality but not 25-hydroxy vitamin D or bone ultrasound attenuation. Serum PTH appears to be associated with increased mortality in the frail elderly independent of vitamin D status, renal function, bone mass, and measures of general health. The mechanism of this effect requires further investigation.
Erosion of Endogenous Testosterone-Driven Negative Feedback on Pulsatile Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in Healthy Aging Men
Authors: Veldhuis Johannes D. , Iranmanesh Ali , Keenan Daniel M. 
Published: November 2004

Abstract
The present study tests the intuition that successful aging in men is marked by: 1) impaired feedforward by endogenous LH concentrations (con) of testosterone (Te) secretion (sec); and/or 2) attenuated feedback by unmanipulated Te con of LH sec. The goal was to assess both implicit linkages analytically without disrupting normal pathway coupling. This strategy required: 1) assay of paired LH and Te con sampled every 10 min for 24 h in 13 older (O) (ages 60–78 yr) and 13 young (Y) (ages 18–30 yr) men; 2) deconvolution-based estimation of LH and Te sec rates; 3) lag-specific cross-correlation analyses of the relationships between LH and Te con and sec; and 4) statistical contrasts by age stratum. Salient outcomes were: 1) O and Y men maintain comparable LH con drive of Te sec, viz maximal r = +0.51 and r = +0.52, respectively, at an optimal time lag of 50 min (both P &lt; 0.001 against random LH and Te associations); 2) elderly subjects exhibit reduced Te con inhibition of LH sec [minimal r = −0.008 (O) vs. r = −0.10 (Y), P &lt; 0.01 at a time lag of 40 min]; 3) mean (24-h) LH con do not differ by age; and 4) molar Te/sex hormone-binding globulin con are lower in the elderly than in Y individuals (P &lt; 0.01).
In conclusion, noninvasive analyses predict that attenuation of endogenous Te feedback restraint on the hypothalamo-pituitary unit may be an early biological marker of adaptive changes in the GnRH-LH-Te ensemble axis in the healthy O male.
The Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Postmenopausal Women: Relationship to Body Composition, Visceral Fat, and Inflammation
Authors: You Tongjian , Ryan Alice S. , Nicklas Barbara J. 
Published: November 2004

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether aerobic fitness, body composition, body fat distribution, and inflammation are different in obese postmenopausal women with and without the metabolic syndrome (MS), and whether the severity of MS is associated with these characteristics. Fifty-eight women (age, 59 ± 1 yr; body mass index, 33.0 ± 0.6 kg/m2) completed testing of maximal aerobic capacity, body composition (fat mass, lean mass, and percent body fat), body fat distribution (sc and visceral fat areas, and regional adipocyte sizes), and inflammation (C-reactive protein, IL-6, and TNF-α, and their soluble receptors). Lean mass (44.4 ± 0.9 vs. 41.2 ± 0.9 kg; P &lt; 0.05), visceral fat area (180 ± 10 vs. 135 ± 7 cm2; P &lt; 0.001), and plasma soluble TNF receptor 1 (sTNFR1; 860 ± 25 vs. 765 ± 42 pg/ml; P &lt; 0.05) were higher in women with the MS (n = 27) than in those without the MS (n = 31). The number of MS components was directly related to weight, body mass index, fat mass, lean mass, visceral fat area, and plasma sTNFR1. We conclude that obese older women with the MS are characterized by high lean mass, high visceral fat, and elevated sTNFR1, and the severity of the MS is associated with body composition, visceral adiposity, and inflammation.