bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic and Molecular Analysis of Tellurite Resistance among Enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
O157:H7 and Sorbitol-Fermenting O157:NM Clinical Isolates
Authors: Bielaszewska Martina , Tarr Phillip I. , Karch Helge , Zhang Wenlan , Mathys Werner 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACT

A total of 66 (98.5%) of 67 enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EHEC) O157:H7 strains had increased potassium tellurite (Te) MICs (32 to 1,024 μg/ml), grew on Te-containing media, and possessed Te resistance (
ter
) genes, whereas 83 (96.5%) of 86 sorbitol-fermenting (SF) EHEC O157:NM strains had Te MICs of ≤4 μg/ml, did not grow on Te-containing media, and lacked
ter
genes. Optimal detection of SF EHEC O157:NM strains requires Te-independent strategies.
Diagnostic Evaluation of a Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase PCR Assay for Detection of Classical Swine Fever Virus
Authors: Risatti G. , Holinka L. , Lu Z. , Kutish G. , Callahan J. D. , Nelson W. M. , Brea Tió E. , Borca M. V. 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACT
A fluorogenic-probe hydrolysis (TaqMan)-reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR for classical swine fever virus (CSFV) was evaluated for diagnostic sensitivity and specificity by using clinical samples obtained from the Dominican Republic, where the disease is enzootic. The sensitivity of this test, using nasal swab samples taken from both symptomatic and asymptomatic animals, exceeded the diagnostic sensitivity of virus isolation (100% versus 72.4%, respectively) with little loss of specificity (98.9% versus 100%, respectively). At the herd level, three of four infected farms were identified by virus isolation, while the CSFV real-time RT-PCR assay identified all four infected premises. This simple and accurate test permits rapid detection of CSFV in affected herds.
Clonal Spread of a
Clostridium difficile
Strain with a Complete Set of Toxin A, Toxin B, and Binary Toxin Genes among Polish Patients with
Clostridium difficile
-Associated Diarrhea
Authors: Pituch Hanna , Kreft Deborah , Obuch-Woszczatyński Piotr , Wultańska Dorota , Meisel-Mikołajczyk Felicja , Łuczak Mirosław , van Belkum Alex 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACT

Clinically relevant
Clostridium difficile
strains usually produce toxins A and B. Some
C. difficile
strains can produce an additional binary toxin. We report clonality among five strains carrying all toxin genes from Polish patients with
C. difficile
-associated diarrhea. In another strain, possible recombination between binary toxin genes is documented.
Simultaneous Detection of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgM Antibodies against Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Is Highly Specific for Diagnosis of Acute HEV Infection
Authors: Takahashi Masaharu , Kusakai Shigeyuki , Mizuo Hitoshi , Suzuki Kazuyuki , Fujimura Kuniko , Masuko Kazuo , Sugai Yoshiki , Aikawa Tatsuya , Nishizawa Tsutomu , Okamoto Hiroaki 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACT
Serum samples collected from 68 patients (age, mean ± the standard deviation [SD], 56.3 ± 12.8 years) at admission who were subsequently molecularly diagnosed as having hepatitis E and from 2,781 individuals who were assumed not to have been recently infected with hepatitis E virus (HEV; negative controls; 52.9 ± 18.9 years), were tested for immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgA classes of antibodies to HEV (anti-HEV) by in-house solid-phase enzyme immunoassay with recombinant open reading frame 2 protein expressed in the pupae of silkworm as the antigen probe. The 68 patients with hepatitis E had both anti-HEV IgM and anti-HEV IgA. Among the 2,781 controls, 16 (0.6%) had anti-HEV IgM alone and 4 (0.1%) had anti-HEV IgA alone: these IgA/IgM anti-HEV-positive individuals were not only negative for HEV RNA but lack IgG anti-HEV antibody as well (at least in most of the cases). Periodic serum samples obtained from 15 patients with hepatitis E were tested for HEV RNA, anti-HEV IgM, and anti-HEV IgA. Although HEV RNA was detectable in the serum until 7 to 40 (21.4 ± 9.7) days after disease onset, both IgM and IgA anti-HEV antibodies were detectable until 37, 55, or 62 days after disease onset in three patients and up through the end of the observation period (50 to 144 days) in 12 patients. These results indicate that detection of anti-HEV IgA alone or along with anti-HEV IgM is useful for serological diagnosis of hepatitis E with increased specificity and longer duration of positivity than that by RNA detection.
Assessing the Serodiagnostic Potential of 35
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Proteins and Identification of Four Novel Serological Antigens
Authors: Weldingh Karin , Rosenkrands Ida , Okkels Limei Meng , Doherty T. Mark , Andersen Peter 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACT

Improved diagnostic reagents are needed for the detection of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
infections, and the development of a serodiagnostic test would complement presently available diagnostic methods. The aim of the present study was to identify novel serological targets for use for the future serodiagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). We cloned and expressed 35
M. tuberculosi
s proteins as recombinant proteins in
Escherichia coli
and analyzed their serodiagnostic potentials. By a two-step selection process, four superior seroantigens, TB9.7, TB15.3, TB16.3, and TB51, were identified, none of which has been described before. The four novel antigens were tested with panels of sera from smear-positive and smear-negative TB patients from areas both where TB is endemic and where TB is not endemic, with recognition frequencies ranging from 31 to 93% and with a specificity of at least 97%. The single most potent antigen was TB16.3, which had a sensitivity of 48 to 55% with samples from Danish resident TB patients and a sensitivity of 88 to 98% with samples from African TB patients. Importantly, the TB16.3 and the TB9.7 antigens were recognized by more than 85% of the samples from TB patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus, a patient group for which it is in general difficult to detect
M. tuberculosis
-specific antibodies.
Extensive Gene Diversity in Septicemic
Escherichia coli
Strains
Authors: Mokady Daphna , Gophna Uri , Ron Eliora Z. 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACT

Extraintestinal pathogenic
Escherichia coli
strains (ExPEC) are the cause of a diverse spectrum of invasive infections in humans and animals, and these infections often lead to septicemia. Strains of serogroups O2 and O78 of
E. coli
are involved in human urinary tract infections and newborn meningitis and also constitute the major serotypes involved in avian colisepticemia. In the present study we compared the unique genomic sequences of two such septicemic strains, strains O2-1772 and O78-9, obtained by suppression subtractive hybridization. Evaluation of the degree of similarity between these two strains, which cause the same disease, revealed a high degree of diversity, with only a few shared genes. Subsequently, additional strains of each serogroup of human and animal origin were screened by PCR, and the results provided further evidence for the existence of a high degree of genome plasticity. These results were unexpected, in view of data showing that the two O157:H7 strains that have been sequenced are nearly identical in terms of virulence factors. Furthermore, the data obtained for the septicemic strains suggest that each step in the infection can be mediated by a number of alternative virulence factors, indicating the existence of a mix-and-match combinatorial system. Although whole-genome comparisons of
E. coli
strains causing different diseases have shown great differences in gene contents, we show that such differences exist even within strains that cause the same disease and that target the same host tissues. Moreover, in addition to the high level of genome plasticity, we show that the large pool of virulence genes in the septicemic strains is independent of the host, implying a high degree of zoonotic risk.
Improving hospital doctors’ working lives: online questionnaire survey of all grades
Authors: Dornhorst A , Cripps J , Goodyear H , Marshall J , Waters E , Boddy S-A 
Published: January 2005

Abstract

Background
In 2001, the Department of Health produced the Improving Working Lives (IWL) for Doctors document. This is the first national survey which asks hospital doctors what changes are needed to improve their working lives.

Methods
An online questionnaire was run over a period of six weeks and was open to all doctors of all grades. Doctors were asked to choose their top five factors from a list of 35 diverse choices or to provide alternatives in free text. Demographic data were also collected.

Results
1603 hospital doctors working in the UK completed the online questionnaire. Improved secretarial or managerial support was the first IWL choice for consultants, with different aspects of clinical and non-clinical support representing their top four choices. Junior hospital doctors and staff and associate specialist grades (staff grades, associate specialists, and clinical assistants) identified improved support for education and training as their first choice, while among the female specialist registrars, it was improved support for childcare.
Greater opportunities to develop new skills was an important issue for doctors in the surgical specialties and improved access to mentoring was important for all junior doctors, staff and associate specialist grades, and doctors from black and ethnic minority groups.

Conclusions
Hospital doctors in the UK need more support to improve their working lives. The principle needs are better secretarial and managerial support for consultants; education, training, and mentoring for junior doctors and staff and associate specialist grades; and improved opportunities to develop new skills for those in surgical specialties. Support with childcare is an important issue for female specialist registrars. The Department of Health, NHS trusts, deaneries, and Royal Colleges need to endorse policies that promote a training and working environment that will improve working lives for all hospital doctors, ensuring that appropriate and continuing support is available from the time doctors enter the new foundation programmes and proposed run-through grades, to their time spent as consultants in today’s NHS.
The adaptive immune system and long-term outcome in patients with stable coronary disease
Authors: Graf Senta , Nikfardjam Mariam , Lehr Stephan , Maurer Gerald , Wojta Johann , Huber Kurt , Niessner Alexander 
Published: January 2005

SummaryComponents of the adaptive immune system, in particular lymphocytes and immunoglobulin, play a major role in advanced atherosclerotic lesions. We sought to determine whether routine measurements of the relative number of circulating lymphocytes (%L) and γ -globulin (%G) reflecting immunoglobulin are related to event-free survival in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). We prospectively studied the combined endpoint all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization procedures in 141 patients after successful percutaneous coronary intervention during a median follow-up time of 13.2 years. Using Cox regression, we found a significant influence of %L on event-free survival (P = 0.007) with a relative risk of 2.21 comparing third to first tertile. Subjects with higher %G values likewise had a shorter event-free survival (P = 0.008) with a relative risk of 1.67 comparing third to first tertile. The predictive value of %L and %G remained significant after adjustment for demographic data, cardiovascular risk factors, extent of CAD and other inflammatory markers. We conclude that the fraction of γ -globulin and in particular the relative lymphocyte cell count may serve as readily available and reliable prognostic tools for the long-term outcome in patients with stable CAD.
Influence of factor VII gene polymorphisms and environmental factors on plasma coagulation factor VII concentrations in middleaged women with and without manifest coronary heart disease
Authors: Eriksson-Berg Margita , Deguchi Hiroyuki , Hawe Emma , Scanavini Daniela , Orth-Gomér Kristina , Schenck-Gustafsson Karin , Humphries Steve E. , Silveira Angela , Hamsten Anders 
Published: January 2005

SummaryPlasma concentrations of coagulation factorVII (FVII) are determined by environmental and genetic factors. The influence of functional polymorphisms in the FVII gene (-670A>C, –402G>A, –401G>T and R353Q) and of established cardiovascular risk factors on plasma concentrations of FVII were investigated in a representative sample of middle-aged women with (n=238) and without (n=220) coronary heart disease (CHD). Specific and sensitive assays were used to measure FVII antigen (VIIag) and activated factorVII (VIIa).The effect of genotypes was markedly stronger on VIIa than on VIIag, with the percentage variation in FVII levels accounted for by genotypes being greater in controls than in patients. Of the four polymorphisms examined, only the R353Q contributed to the variation inVIIa (24.1% in patients and 30.3% in controls). The –401G>T and –670A>C promoter polymorphisms together accounted for 12.2% of the variation in VIIag amongst patients whereas the –401G>T polymorphism alone contributed 19.7% of the variation in VIIag in controls. Serum triglycerides exerted a major influence onVIIag in both patients (13.0%) and controls (7.2%).Three main haplotypes emerged from the four polymorphisms which accounted for 98% of all haplotypes. Large-scale prospective studies of CHD including FVII haplotypes and sensitive and specific FVII measurements are needed in women.
Assimilating Coherent Doppler Lidar Measurements into a Model of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer. Part II: Sensitivity Analyses
Authors: Newsom Rob K. , Banta Robert M. 
Published: January 2005

Abstract
A series of trials are performed to evaluate the sensitivity of a 4DVAR algorithm for retrieval of microscale wind and temperature fields from single-Doppler lidar data. These trials use actual Doppler lidar measurements to examine the sensitivity of the retrievals to changes in 1) the prescribed eddy diffusivity profile, 2) the first-guess or base-state virtual potential temperature profile, 3) the phase and duration of the assimilation period, and 4) the grid resolution.
The retrieved fields are well correlated among trials over a reasonable range of variation in the eddy diffusivity coefficients. However, the retrievals are quite sensitive to changes in the gradients of the first-guess or base-state virtual potential temperature profile, and to changes in the phase (start time) and duration of the assimilation period. Retrievals using different grid resolutions exhibit similar larger-scale structure, but differ considerably in the smaller scales. Increasing the grid resolution significantly improved the fit to the radial velocity measurements, improved the convergence rate, and produced variances and fluxes that were in better agreement with tower-based sonic anemometers.
Horizontally averaged variance and heat flux profiles derived from the final time steps of all the retrievals are similar to typical large-eddy-simulation (LES) results for the convective boundary layer. However, all retrieved statistics show significant nonstationarity because fluctuations in the initial state tend to be confined within the boundaries of the scan.
Successful adoptive transfer and in vivo expansion of human haploidentical NK cells in patients with cancer
Authors: Miller Jeffrey S. , Soignier Yvette , Panoskaltsis-Mortari Angela , McNearney Sarah A. , Yun Gong H. , Fautsch Susan K. , McKenna David , Le Chap , Defor Todd E. , Burns Linda J. , Orchard Paul J. , Blazar Bruce R. , Wagner John E. , Slungaard Arne , Weisdorf Daniel J. , Okazaki Ian J. , McGlave Philip B. 
Published: January 2005

AbstractWe previously demonstrated that autologous natural killer (NK)–cell therapy after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is safe but does not provide an antitumor effect. We hypothesize that this is due to a lack of NK-cell inhibitory receptor mismatching with autologous tumor cells, which may be overcome by allogeneic NK-cell infusions. Here, we test haploidentical, related-donor NK-cell infusions in a nontransplantation setting to determine safety and in vivo NK-cell expansion. Two lower intensity outpatient immune suppressive regimens were tested: (1) low-dose cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone and (2) fludarabine. A higher intensity inpatient regimen of high-dose cyclophosphamide and fludarabine (Hi-Cy/Flu) was tested in patients with poor-prognosis acute myeloid leukemia (AML). All patients received subcutaneous interleukin 2 (IL-2) after infusions. Patients who received lower intensity regimens showed transient persistence but no in vivo expansion of donor cells. In contrast, infusions after the more intense Hi-Cy/Flu resulted in a marked rise in endogenous IL-15, expansion of donor NK cells, and induction of complete hematologic remission in 5 of 19 poor-prognosis patients with AML. These findings suggest that haploidentical NK cells can persist and expand in vivo and may have a role in the treatment of selected malignancies used alone or as an adjunct to HCT.
Macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor c-fms is a novel target of imatinib
Authors: Dewar Andrea L. , Cambareri Antony C. , Zannettino Andrew C. W. , Miller Bernadette L. , Doherty Kathleen V. , Hughes Timothy P. , Lyons A. Bruce 
Published: January 2005

AbstractImatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that suppresses the growth of bcr-abl–expressing chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) progenitor cells by blockade of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–binding site of the kinase domain of bcr-abl. Imatinib also inhibits the c-abl, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor, abl-related gene (ARG) and stem-cell factor (SCF) receptor tyrosine kinases, and has been used clinically to inhibit the growth of malignant cells in patients with CML and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Although initially considered to have minimal effects of normal hematopoiesis, recent studies show that imatinib also inhibits the growth of some nonmalignant hematopoietic cells, including monocyte/macrophages. This inhibition could not be attributed to the known activity profile of imatinib. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that imatinib targets the macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) receptor c-fms. Phosphorylation of c-fms was inhibited by therapeutic concentrations of imatinib, and this was not due to down-regulation in c-fms expression. Imatinib was also found to inhibit M-CSF–induced proliferation of a cytokine–dependent cell line, further supporting the hypothesis that imatinib affects the growth and development of monocyte and/or macrophages through inhibition of c-fms signaling. Importantly, these results identify an additional biologic target to those already defined for imatinib. Imatinib should now be assessed for activity in diseases where c-fms activation is implicated, including breast and ovarian cancer and inflammatory conditions.
IgE- and IgE+Ag-mediated mast cell migration in an autocrine/paracrine fashion
Authors: Kitaura Jiro , Kinoshita Tatsuya , Matsumoto Masaaki , Chung Shaun , Kawakami Yuko , Leitges Michael , Wu Dianqing , Lowell Clifford A. , Kawakami Toshiaki 
Published: January 2005

AbstractMast cells are the major effector cells for immediate hypersensitivity and chronic allergic reactions. These cells accumulate in mucosal tissues of allergic reactions, where immunoglobulin E (IgE) is produced locally. Here we provide evidence that, in addition to antigen that can attract IgE-bound mast cells, the type of IgE molecules that efficiently activate mast cells can promote the migration of mast cells in the absence of antigen. IgE- and IgE+Ag-mediated migration involves an autocrine/paracrine secretion of soluble factors including adenosine, leukotriene B4, and several chemokines. Their secretion depends on 2 tyrosine kinases, Lyn and Syk, and they are agonists of G-protein-coupled receptors and signal through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase γ, leading to mast cell migration. In mouse experiments, naive mast cells are attracted to IgE, and IgE-sensitized mast cells are attracted to antigen. Therefore, IgE and antigen are implicated in mast cell accumulation at allergic tissue sites with local high IgE levels. (Blood. 2005;105:3222-3229)
Salvage Radiotherapy in Patients With Relapsed and Refractory Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: A Retrospective Analysis From the German Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group
Authors: Josting Andreas , Nogová Lucia , Franklin Jeremy , Glossmann Jan-Peter , Eich Hans Theodor , Sieber Markus , Schober Thomas , Boettcher Heinz-Dietrich , Schulz Ulrich , Müller Rolf-Peter , Diehl Volker , Engert Andreas 
Published: January 2005

Purpose To evaluate treatment outcome and prognostic factors in patients with refractory or first relapsed Hodgkin’s disease (HD) treated with salvage radiotherapy (SRT) alone. Patients and Methods From 4,754 patients registered in the database of the German Hodgkin Study Group from 1988 to 1999, 624 patients were identified with progressive disease (n = 202), or with early (n = 170) or late (n = 252) relapsed HD. At first treatment failure, SRT alone was given to 100 patients. Patient characteristics were: median age, 36 years; progressive disease, 47%; early relapse, 23%; late relapse, 30%; and “B” symptoms, 14%. Eighty-five percent of the patients relapsed after cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone/doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (COPP/ABVD) –like regimens; 8% after bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP) regimens, 7% after first-line radiotherapy alone. Results The volume irradiated was mantle field in 43% of patients, inverted-Y in 8%, total nodal irradiation in 12%, and involved-field in 37%. The median SRT dose was 40 Gy (range, 15 to 50 Gy). Seventy-seven patients achieved a complete remission and four patients achieved a partial remission. The 5-year freedom from treatment failure and overall survival (OS) rates were 28% and 51%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, significant prognostic factors for OS were B symptoms (P = .018) and stage at relapse (P = .014). For freedom from second failure (FF2F) Karnofsky performance status (P = .0001) was significant. In patients with limited stage at progression/relapse, duration of first remission was significant (P = .04) for FF2F. Conclusion SRT offers an effective treatment for selected subsets of patients with relapsed or refractory HD.