bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Post‐traumatic stress disorder, social support and cognitive status in community‐based older veterans
Authors: Alpass Fiona , Long Nigel , Blakey Judy , Pachana Nancy 
Published: July 2004

Objective: The present study investigated the relationships between structural and qualitative aspects of social support, combat‐related post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cognitive status in a New Zealand veterans sample. Methods: A random sample of 232 New Zealand veterans completed a self‐report questionnaire and participated in a face‐to‐face interview. Results: Regression analysis showed that when controlling for age, income, education, depression and general health, PTSD scores had a negative relationship with cognitive status. Those who reported having private, restricted social networks had poorer cognitive functioning. These relationships were independent of each other. Conclusions: The findings suggest that while social support might be a potential target for interventions in at‐risk older adults, health professionals need to be aware of the concomitant possible influence of past trauma when dealing with this specific population.
Oral health of Adelaide nursing home residents: longitudinal study
Authors: Chalmers JM , Carter KD , Spencer AJ 
Published: July 2004

Objective: The Adelaide Dental Study of Nursing Homes aimed to quantify oral disease experience, incidence and increments in Adelaide nursing home residents. Methods: Questionnaires and dental inspections were completed at baseline and at 1‐year for residents from randomly selected Adelaide nursing homes. Results: The residents were very functionally dependent, cognitively impaired and behaviourally difficult older adults with complex oral problems and dental treatment needs. The prevalence of edentulism (total tooth loss) (63%) decreased and more residents were retaining natural teeth. Existing residents had a mean of 10.8 teeth present and new residents had a mean of 12.7 teeth present. Residents’ previous experiences of caries (decay) were high – existing residents had a mean of 1.2 decayed teeth and new residents had a mean of 0.8 decayed teeth. Residents’ caries increments (new decay) over the 1‐year period were high (coronal = 2.5 surfaces; root = 1.0 surfaces), especially in those who had lost weight and who could eat fewer food types. These levels of caries were many times greater than had been reported for community‐dwelling older adults. Large accumulations of plaque, calculus and debris (food) were evident on residents’ natural teeth and dentures, especially those with dementia. Up to 25% of residents owned dentures that were not worn. Residents with dementia gave their carers complex and challenging oral hygiene care problems. Existing and new residents had similar general health and oral health characteristics, with the exceptions that new residents had significantly more filled tooth surfaces, and fewer decayed retained roots. Conclusion: New residents were being admitted to the nursing homes with a compromised oral health status or developed severe oral diseases and conditions within several months of their admittance. Residents’ oral diseases, especially coronal and root caries, rapidly progressed during their stay in residential care.
Balance, fear of falling, pain and gait aid use by low care older people: pilot study
Authors: Watson SC , Chipchase LS , Mackintosh S 
Published: July 2004

Objective:To investigate the influence of balance, fear of falling and pain on the type of gait aids used by low care residential older persons.Method:A cross‐sectional design was used. Valid and reliable measures of balance (Berg Balance Test), fear of falling (Falls Efficacy Scale) and pain (Geriatric Pain Measure) were collected. The influence of these clinical factors on the type of gait aid subjects used (no aid, stick or frame, or both) was analysed using one‐wayanovafor multiple independent groups.Results:Balance and fear of falling were significantly related to the type of gait aid subjects used (P < 0.05), whereas pain had no significant influence (P > 0.05).Conclusions:Balance and fear of falling are significantly associated with the type of gait aid used in this low care population and thus might be important clinical factors to consider when prescribing gait aids. The Berg Balance Test and the Falls Efficacy Scale appear to be useful quantitative tools that might assist this.
The humble telephone: a medium for running carer support groups
Authors: Shanley Chris , Roddy Mary , Cruysmans Bénédicte , Eisenberg Masha 
Published: July 2004

Objective: Teleconferencing is commonly used in business to conduct meetings and interviews. It can also be used to conduct education and support groups for carers who are not able to attend face‐to‐face groups. The Carer Support Network Project was funded by the New South Wales (NSW) Government to promote the use of telephone support groups for carers of people living with dementia. Method: Twenty‐two health and community workers were trained in the conduct of telephone support groups and were helped to organise and run 10 support groups across NSW. These included six groups conducted in a language other than English and one for Aboriginal carers. Result: The program was evaluated highly by the trainee group facilitators and the group participants. Conclusion: Telephone support groups should be more widely available as one option for carer support, especially for people who are geographically or socially isolated.
Comparative Effects of Ciprofloxacin and Ceftazidime on Cytokine Production in Patients with Severe Sepsis Caused by Gram-Negative Bacteria
Authors: Gogos C. A. , Skoutelis A. , Lekkou A. , Drosou E. , Starakis I. , Marangos M. N. , Bassaris H. P. 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACT
In the present study the effect of ciprofloxacin versus ceftazidime on concentrations of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the sera of patients with severe sepsis was evaluated. The study included 58 previously healthy patients suffering from severe sepsis caused by gram-negative bacteria, treated with either ciprofloxacin or ceftazidime after thorough clinical and microbiological evaluation and followed up for clinical outcome. Levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1b (IL-1b), IL-6, and IL-8 and of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, as well as of IL-1 receptor antagonist and soluble TNF receptors I and II, in serum were measured at baseline and 24 and 48 h after the first antimicrobial dose. Mean SAPS-II scores, development of septic shock, and mortality rates were similar in the two groups (43.2 ± 9.2, 21.4%, and 14.3% in the ceftazidime group versus 49.8 ± 11.3, 20%, and 13.3% in the ciprofloxacin group). Serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels at 24 and 48 h were significantly lower in the ciprofloxacin group, while the IL-10/TNF-α ratio was significantly higher, than those for the ceftazidime group. Among patients with high baseline TNF-α levels, there were significant increases in the IL-10/TNF-α ratio at both 24 and 48 h over that at admission for the ciprofloxacin group, while no differences were noted in the ceftazidime group. These results indicate that ciprofloxacin may have an immunomodulatory effect on septic patients by attenuating the proinflammatory response, while there is no evidence that differences in the cytokines measured have any impact on the final outcome.
Multiple Outbreaks of Nosocomial Salmonellosis in Russia and Belarus Caused by a Single Clone of
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Typhimurium Producing an Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase
Authors: Edelstein M. , Pimkin M. , Dmitrachenko T. , Semenov V. , Kozlova N. , Gladin D. , Baraniak A. , Stratchounski L. 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACT

Thirty-four cefotaxime-resistant
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium isolates representative of the isolates that caused outbreaks of gastroenteritis in 10 hospitals in seven regions of Russia and Belarus from 1994 to 2003 were analyzed. All isolates produced the CTX-M-5-like extended-spectrum β-lactamase, which confers high-level resistance to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone and decreased susceptibility to ceftazidime. The
bla
CTX-M
genes were located on small (7.4- to 12-kb) non-self-transferable plasmids approximately 20 bp downstream of the IS
Ecp1
insertion sequences. Some isolates carried additional conjugative plasmids mediating resistance to penicillin-inhibitor combinations and various non-β-lactam agents, including tetracycline, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, tobramycin, and co-trimoxazole. Despite the minor differences in susceptibility patterns, all isolates were considered clonally related on the basis of arbitrarily primed PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis. The similarities of the restriction profiles of the CTX-M-coding plasmids further supported the clonal origin of these isolates.
Unraveling the Mode of Action of the Antimalarial Choline Analog G25 inPlasmodium falciparumandSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Roggero Rodolphe , Zufferey Rachel , Minca Mihaela , Richier Eric , Calas Michele , Vial Henri , Ben Mamoun Choukri 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTPharmacological studies have indicated that the choline analog G25 is a potent inhibitor ofPlasmodium falciparumgrowth in vitro and in vivo. Although choline transport has been suggested to be the target of G25, the exact mode of action of this compound is not known. Here we show that, similar to its effects onP. falciparum, G25 prevents choline entry intoSaccharomyces cerevisiaecells and inhibitsS. cerevisiaegrowth. However, we show that the uptake of this compound is not mediated by the choline carrier Hnm1. Anhnm1Δyeast mutant, which lacks the only choline transporter geneHNM1, was not altered in the transport of a labeled analog of this compound. Eleven yeast mutants lacking genes involved in different steps of phospholipid biosynthesis were analyzed for their sensitivity to G25. Four mutants affected in the de novo cytidyldiphosphate-choline-dependent phosphatidylcholine biosynthetic pathway and, surprisingly, a mutant strain lacking the phosphatidylserine decarboxylase-encoding genePSD1(but notPSD2) were found to be highly resistant to this compound. Based on these data forS. cerevisiae, labeling studies inP. falciparumwere performed to examine the effect of G25 on the biosynthetic pathways of the major phospholipids phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Labeling studies inP. falciparumand in vitro studies with recombinantP. falciparumphosphatidylserine decarboxylase further supported the inhibition of both the de novo phosphatidylcholine metabolic pathway and the synthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine from phosphatidylserine. Together, our data indicate that G25 specifically targets the pathways for synthesis of the two major phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, to exert its antimalarial activity.
Zidovudine, Lamivudine, and Abacavir Have Different Effects on Resting Cells Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus In Vitro
Authors: Saavedra-Lozano Jesús , McCoig Cynthia C. , Cao Yanying , Vitetta Ellen S. , Ramilo Octavio 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTWe have previously described an in vitro model for the evaluation of the effects of different immunomodulatory agents and immunotoxins (ITs) on cells latently infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We demonstrated that latently infected, replication-competent cells can be generated in vitro after eliminating CD25+cells with an IT. Thus, by selectively killing the productively infected cells with an anti-CD25 IT we can generate a population of latently infected cells. CD25−cells generated in this manner were treated with nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors and subsequently activated with phytohemagglutinin in the presence of the drugs. The antiviral activities of zidovudine (ZDV), lamivudine (3TC), and abacavir (ABC) were evaluated by using this model. 3TC and ABC demonstrated significant activity in decreasing HIV production from recently infected resting cells following their activation, whereas the effect of ZDV was more modest. These results suggest that the differences in antiviral activity of nucleoside analogs on resting cells should be considered when designing drug combinations for the treatment of HIV infection. The model presented here offers a convenient alternative for evaluating the mechanism of action of new antiretroviral agents (J. Saavedra, C. Johnson, J. Koester, M. St. Claire, E. Vitteta, O. Ramilo, 37th Intersci. Conf. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., abstr. I-59, 1997).
Prediction of Mechanisms of Action of Antibacterial Compounds by Gene Expression Profiling
Authors: Hutter Bernd , Schaab Christoph , Albrecht Sebastian , Borgmann Matthias , Brunner Nina A. , Freiberg Christoph , Ziegelbauer Karl , Rock Charles O. , Ivanov Igor , Loferer Hannes 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTWe have generated a database of expression profiles carrying the transcriptional responses of the model organismBacillus subtilisfollowing treatment with 37 well-characterized antibacterial compounds of different classes. The database was used to build a predictor for the assignment of the mechanisms of action (MoAs) of antibacterial compounds by the use of support vector machines. This predictor was able to correctly classify the MoA class for most compounds tested. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the in vivo MoA of hexachlorophene does not match the MoA predicted from in vitro data, a situation frequently faced in drug discovery. A database of this kind may facilitate the prioritization of novel antibacterial entities in drug discovery programs. Potential applications and limitations are discussed.
DNA Sequence Analysis of Regions SurroundingblaCMY-2from MultipleSalmonellaPlasmid Backbones
Authors: Giles W. P. , Benson A. K. , Olson M. E. , Hutkins R. W. , Whichard J. M. , Winokur P. L. , Fey P. D. 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTThe emergence in the United States of resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporin (e.g., ceftriaxone) within the salmonellae has been associated primarily with three large (>100-kb) plasmids (designated types A, B, and C) and one 10.1-kb plasmid (type D) that carry theblaCMY-2gene. In the present study, the distribution of these four knownblaCMY-2-carrying plasmids among 35 ceftriaxone-resistantSalmonellaisolates obtained from 1998 to 2001 was examined. Twenty-three of these isolates wereSalmonella entericaserotype Newport, 10 wereSalmonella entericaserotype Typhimurium, 1 wasSalmonella entericaserotype Agona, and 1 wasSalmonella entericaserotype Reading. All 23 serotype Newport isolates carried a type C plasmid, and 5, 4, and 1 serovar Typhimurium isolate carried type B, A, and C plasmids, respectively. Both the serotype Agona and serotype Reading isolates carried type A plasmids. None of the isolates carried a type D plasmid. Hybridization data suggested that plasmid types A and C were highly related replicons. DNA sequencing revealed that the region surroundingblaCMY-2was highly conserved in all three plasmid types analyzed (types B, C, and D) and was related to a region surroundingblaCMY-5from theKlebsiella oxytocaplasmid pTKH11. These findings are consistent with a model in whichblaCMY-2has been disseminated primarily through plasmid transfer, and not by mobilization of the gene itself, to multipleSalmonellachromosomal backbones.
Effects of an Antibiotic Cycling Program on Antibiotic Prescribing Practices in an Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Merz Liana R. , Warren David K. , Kollef Marin H. , Fraser Victoria J. 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACT

Various interventions have been proposed to combat the increase of antibiotic resistance and influence antibiotic prescribing practices. A prospective cohort study in a medical intensive care unit was conducted to determine the effect of an antibiotic cycling program on patterns of antibiotic use and to determine patient factors associated with cycling adherence. Four major classes of antibiotics for empirical therapy of suspected gram-negative bacterial infections were rotated at 3- and 4-month intervals. During the study, 1,003 patients received antibiotic therapy with at least one of the study drugs; of the 792 receiving cycle antibiotics during the cycling period, 598 (75.5%) received an on-cycle drug. Compared to the baseline, cycling recommendations increased the use of the target cycle agent: the use of cephalosporins increased during cycle 1 (56 to 64% of total antibiotic days,
P
< 0.001), fluoroquinolone use increased in cycle 2 (24 to 55%,
P
< 0.001), carbapenem use increased during cycle 3 (14 to 38%,
P
< 0.001), and use of extended-spectrum penicillins increased in cycle 4 (5 to 36%,
P
< 0.001). Overall, 48% of total cycle antibiotic days were compliant with the cycling protocol. On average, 8.8 days per patient were spent receiving on-cycle drugs (range, 1 to 109). Cycle periods that specified carbapenem and fluoroquinolone use had the highest number of off-cycle days (62 and 64%). Predictors of on-cycle antibiotic use were increased severity of illness, as measured by an acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score, and greater length of intensive care unit stay. In conclusion, the successful implementation of this cycling protocol increased antibiotic heterogeneity over time in the study unit.
Impact of Cethromycin (ABT-773) Therapy on Microbiological, Histologic, Immunologic, and Respiratory Indices in a Murine Model ofMycoplasma pneumoniaeLower Respiratory Infection
Authors: Ríos Ana María , Mejías Asunción , Chávez-Bueno Susana , Fonseca-Aten Mónica , Katz Kathy , Hatfield Jeanine , Gómez Ana María , Jafri Hasan S. , McCracken George H. , Ramilo Octavio , Hardy Robert Doug 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTMycoplasma pneumoniaeis a major etiologic agent of acute lower respiratory infections. We evaluated the antimicrobial and immunologic effects of cethromycin (ABT-773), a ketolide antibiotic, for the treatment ofM. pneumoniaepneumonia in a mouse model. Eight-week-old BALB/c mice were inoculated intranasally once with 106CFU ofM. pneumoniaeon day 0. Treatment was started 24 h after inoculation. Groups of mice were treated subcutaneously with cethromycin at 25 mg/kg of body weight or with placebo daily until sacrifice. Five to ten mice per group were evaluated at days 1, 4, 7, and 10 after inoculation. Outcome variables included bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) forM. pneumoniaequantitative culture and cytokine and chemokine concentration determinations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], gamma interferon [IFN-γ], interleukin-1β [IL-1β], IL-2, IL-4, IL-12, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 [MCP-1], and macrophage inflammatory protein 1α [MIP-1α]), histopathologic score of the lungs (HPS), and pulmonary function tests (PFT) using whole-body, unrestrained plethysmography at the baseline and post-methacholine exposure as indicators of airway obstruction (AO) and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), respectively. The cethromycin-treated mice had a greater reduction inM. pneumoniaeculture titers than placebo-treated mice, reaching statistical significance on days 7 and 10 (P< 0.05). HPS was significantly reduced in cethromycin-treated mice compared with placebo-treated mice on days 4, 7, and 10 (P< 0.05). Cytokine concentrations in BAL samples were reduced in mice that received cethromycin, and the differences were statistically significant for 7 of the 10 cytokines measured (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-12, MCP-1, and MIP-1α) on day 4 (P< 0.05). PFT values were improved in the cethromycin-treated mice, with AO and AHR significantly reduced on day 4 (P< 0.05). In this mouse model, treatment with cethromycin significantly reducedM. pneumoniaeculture titers in BAL samples, cytokine and chemokine concentrations in BAL samples, histologic inflammation in the lungs, and disease severity as defined by AO and AHR.
Molecular Characterization of a Cephamycin-Hydrolyzing and Inhibitor-Resistant Class A β-Lactamase, GES-4, Possessing a Single G170S Substitution in the Ω-Loop
Authors: Wachino Jun-ichi , Doi Yohei , Yamane Kunikazu , Shibata Naohiro , Yagi Tetsuya , Kubota Takako , Arakawa Yoshichika 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACT

The nosocomial spread of six genetically related
Klebsiella pneumoniae
strains producing GES-type β-lactamases was found in a neonatal intensive care unit, and we previously reported that one of the six strains, strain KG525, produced a new β-lactamase, GES-3. In the present study, the molecular mechanism of cephamycin resistance observed in strain KG502, one of the six strains described above, was investigated. This strain was found to produce a variant of GES-3, namely, GES-4, which was responsible for resistance to both cephamycins (cefoxitin MIC, >128 μg/ml) and β-lactamase inhibitors (50% inhibitory concentration of clavulanic acid, 15.2 ± 1.7 μM). The GES-4 enzyme had a single G170S substitution in the Ω-loop region compared with the GES-3 sequence. This single amino acid substitution was closely involved with the augmented hydrolysis of cephamycins and carbapenems and the decreased affinities of β-lactamase inhibitors to GES-4. A cloning experiment and sequencing analysis revealed that strain KG502 possesses duplicate
bla
GES-4
genes mediated by two distinct class 1 integrons with similar gene cassette configurations. Moreover, the genetic environments of the
bla
GES-4
genes found in strain KG502 were almost identical to that of
bla
GES-3
in strain KG525. From these findings, these two phenotypically different strains were suggested to belong to a clonal lineage. The
bla
GES-4
gene found in strain KG502 might well emerge from a point mutation in the
bla
GES-3
gene harbored by its ancestor strains, such as strain KG525, under heavy antibiotic stress in order to acquire extended properties of resistance to cephamycins and carbapenems.
Estimation of Serum-Free 50-Percent Inhibitory Concentrations for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Protease Inhibitors Lopinavir and Ritonavir
Authors: Hickman Dean , Vasavanonda Sudthida , Nequist George , Colletti Lynn , Kati Warren M. , Bertz Richard , Hsu Ann , Kempf Dale J. 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTUsing measured free fraction and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for the human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors lopinavir (LPV) and ritonavir (RTV) in tissue culture media with various protein concentrations ranging from 5 to 50%, we estimated serum-free IC50values for each drug. The range of serum-free IC50values (0.64 to 0.77 ng/ml for LPV and 3.0 to 5.0 ng/ml for RTV) did not exhibit a trend with increasing protein concentrations, despite a 10-fold difference in the free fraction value (0.006 to 0.063) for LPV and a 5-fold difference in the free fraction value (0.013 to 0.057) for RTV. The mean serum-free IC50by the MTT-MT4 assay (0.69 ng/ml for LPV and 4.0 ng/ml for RTV) may be the most accurate parameter for the estimation of the inhibitory quotient (IQ), a relative measure of in vivo potency defined as the ratio of the minimal free drug concentration in plasma (Ctrough,free) for a specific patient population and the serum-free IC50. Using this approach, we calculated the average IQs for protease inhibitor-naïve patients for LPV and RTV to be 67 and 5.6, respectively.