bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TRALI after the infusion of marrow cells in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Urahama Norinaga , Tanosaki Ryuji , Masahiro Kami , Iijima Kimiko , Chizuka Aki , Kim Sung‐Won , Hori Akiko , Kojima Rie , Imataki Osamu , Makimito Atsushi , Mineishi Shin , Takaue Yoichi 
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND:  TRALI is one of the most serious, life‐threatening complications after blood transfusion. Antibodies against neutrophils or HLA molecules from the donor are thought to be the primary causative agents. Rarely, antibodies in the recipient may react with transfused neutrophils and initiate the same events, which raises the possibility that TRALI may also occur in an allogeneic PBPC transplantation setting.CASE REPORT:  A 30‐year‐old Japanese man with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed TRALI immediately after the infusion of marrow cells from an unrelated donor. The infusion was suspended, and he gradually improved after receiving steroids and oxygen support. The next day, the remaining cells, which were separated to MNCs, were infused with no reactions. He then recovered over 5 days without the use of mechanical ventilation.RESULTS:  Laboratory evaluation disclosed the presence of antibodies to neutrophils in his sera sampled after transplantation, but not in the donor's marrow graft. Hence, antibodies to neutrophils in the recipient may have reacted with neutrophils in the graft and contributed to the development of TRALI.CONCLUSION:  This is the first reported case of TRALI after allogeneic BMT. TRALI should be recognized as a rare but serious complication in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Management of severe VWD with cryoprecipitate collected by repeated apheresis of a single dedicated donor
Authors: Pomper Gregory J. , Rick Margaret E. , Epstein Jay S. , Read Elizabeth J. , Leitman Susan F. 
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND:  Rare and severe forms of VWD are associated with trace or absent VWF. The feasibility of supporting a child with severe VWD from birth through age 12 with cryoprecipitate derived from DDAVP‐stimulated plasma exchange of a single dedicated donor is reported.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  An infant with excessive hemorrhage at circumcision was found to have Type 3 VWD. His father carried an allele with a mutation at the level of VWF mRNA expression but did not have a history of bleeding. Cryoprecipitate was prepared from serial DDAVP‐stimulated plasma exchanges of the father.RESULTS:  Repeated plasma‐exchange donations were performed to provide all of the VWF needed for his son. An average of 14 cryoprecipitate units was prepared from each donation, and the units contained markedly elevated levels of FVIII:C. The cryoprecipitate was stored for up to 102 months. Components tested after more than 8 years of storage showed 48 to 130 percent of original FVIII:C activity. Ninety‐seven percent of the bleeding episodes, such as epistaxis, tongue‐biting accidents, and other minor lacerations, were successfully managed with a single 50‐ to 100‐percent replacement dose of FVIII. The patient experienced normal growth and development and is free of any long‐term sequelae attributable to his disease.CONCLUSIONS:  Cryoprecipitate prepared by repeated plasma exchange of a VWD carrier provided excellent hemostatic function, even after storage intervals of more than a year. Plasma exchange of a committed donor was a cost‐effective and safe option for long‐term management of VWD.
Saintliness and the Moral Life
Authors: Wynn Mark Robert 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACTDrawing on the work of Raimond Gaita, the paper considers the role that may be played by the lives of the saints, both in alerting us to the moral standing of other human beings, and in helping us to articulate the concept of “humanity” understood in a morally rich sense. The paper considers whether Gaita's treatment of these themes presents something like a natural law ethic, in the sense of supplying arguments which favour broadly Christian conclusions without depending upon explicitly Christian premises. It also considers whether Gaita's view, contrary to his own belief, invites extrapolation in the direction of a more religiously engaged stance. In these ways, the paper aims to address the question of the relationship between religious and moral understanding in terms that are arguably more fruitful than those suggested by the dominant ethical theories.
Reinhold Niebuhr in Contemporary Scholarship
Authors: Lovin Robin 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACTRecent studies of Reinhold Niebuhr's life and work demonstrate his continued importance in theology, ethics, and political thought. Historical studies by Heather Warren, Mark Kleinman, and Normunds Kamergrauzis provide new assessments of Niebuhr's role as a political and religious leader in his own time and trace the consequences of the movements in which he participated. They also show us more clearly how his work was connected to the ideas and programs of his contemporaries. Colm McKeogh offers a more systematic treatment of Niebuhr's political realism in relation to just war theory. Niebuhr's intellectual legacy remains disputed, with Stanley Hauerwas and Langdon Gilkey offering radically different assessments of his theology. Hauerwas sees in Niebuhr a close connection to the religious liberalism of William James that precludes any authentic Christian witness. Niebuhr's empiricism reduces God to a necessary feature of human consciousness. Gilkey notes Niebuhr's early use of James' psychology, but discerns a theology of history that is central to Niebuhr's mature work. In that theology, the ground of hope necessarily lies beyond human consciousness, and indeed beyond history itself.
Intransitivity and Future Generations: Debunking Parfit's Mere Addition Paradox
Authors: Chan Kai M. A. 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT Duties to future persons contribute critically to many important contemporaneous ethical dilemmas, such as environmental protection, contraception, abortion, and population policy. Yet this area of ethics is mired in paradoxes. It appeared that any principle for dealing with future persons encountered Kavka's paradox of future individuals, Parfit's repugnant conclusion, or an indefensible asymmetry. In 1976, Singer proposed a utilitarian solution that seemed to avoid the above trio of obstacles, but Parfit so successfully demonstrated the unacceptability of this position that Singer abandoned it. Indeed, the apparently intransitivity of Singer's solution contributed to Temkin's argument that the notion of “all things considered better than” may be intransitive. In this paper, I demonstrate that a time‐extended view of Singer's solution avoids the intransitivity that allows Parfit's mere addition paradox to lead to the repugnant conclusion.However, the heart of the mere addition paradox remains: the time‐extended view still yields intransitive judgments. I discuss a general theory for dealing with intransitivity (Transitivity by Transformation) that was inspired by Temkin's sports analogy, and demonstrate that such a solution is more palatable than Temkin suspected. When a pair‐wise comparison also requires consideration of a small number of relevant external alternatives, we can avoid intransitivity and the mere addition paradox without infinite comparisons or rejecting the Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives Principle
A machine‐order search space for job‐shop scheduling problems
Authors: Choi S. H. , Yang F. Y. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThis paper proposes a methodology for real‐time job‐shop scheduling problems. It introduces a new classification of the scheduling methods for JSSPs with emphasis on the search methods and the significance of the search space. Subsequently, a machine‐order search space is proposed as a new framework in which different single‐machine scheduling algorithms and search methods can be incorporated to solve JSSPs. An optimization model relating makespan minimization and the proposed machine‐order search space is also described. The proposed methodology finds an optimal solution by searching a proper machine order in the machine‐order search space and scheduling the machines one by one in this order. Such an approach significantly reduces the size of the search space, and hence the computing efforts. As a result, scheduling of large JSSPs in real‐time becomes practicable.
An algorithm for clustering based on non‐smooth optimization techniques
Authors: Bagirov A. M. , Rubinov A. M. , Soukhoroukova N. V. , Yearwood J. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThe problem of cluster analysis is formulated as a problem of non‐smooth, non‐convex optimization, and an algorithm for solving the cluster analysis problem based on non‐smooth optimization techniques is developed. We discuss applications of this algorithm in large databases. Results of numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of this algorithm.
The Information Content Of Calls Of Debt: Evidence From Long‐Run Stock Returns
Authors: Affleck‐Graves John , Miller Robert E. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractWe examine the long‐run performance of the common stock of firms following calls of both straight and convertible debt from 1945 to 1995. Using a sample of 718 calls of straight debt, we find an average abnormal return in the five years following the call of between 0.16% and 0.34% per month, which compounds to an economically and statistically significant 11% to 22% over the five‐year period. This evidence of overperformance following calls shows a distinct symmetry between the straight debt and equity markets. Issues of debt and equity are both followed by long‐term underperformance, whereas stock repurchases and debt calls are both followed by long‐run overperformance. For our sample of 713 calls of convertible debt, we find little systematic evidence of abnormal performance following the call. Some researchers suggest that calls of convertible debt provide negative signals to the market. Our results provide no support for this claim. In contrast, our evidence of marginal positive long‐run returns provides weak support for the model that calls of convertible debt signal the realization of profitable investment options, and for the price pressure hypothesis.
Lysostaphin Disrupts
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Biofilms on Artificial Surfaces
Authors: Wu Julie A. , Kusuma Caroline , Mond James J. , Kokai-Kun John F. 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

Staphylococci often form biofilms, sessile communities of microcolonies encased in an extracellular matrix that adhere to biomedical implants or damaged tissue. Infections associated with biofilms are difficult to treat, and it is estimated that sessile bacteria in biofilms are 1,000 to 1,500 times more resistant to antibiotics than their planktonic counterparts. This antibiotic resistance of biofilms often leads to the failure of conventional antibiotic therapy and necessitates the removal of infected devices. Lysostaphin is a glycylglycine endopeptidase which specifically cleaves the pentaglycine cross bridges found in the staphylococcal peptidoglycan. Lysostaphin kills
Staphylococcus aureus
within minutes (MIC at which 90% of the strains are inhibited [MIC
90
], 0.001 to 0.064 μg/ml) and is also effective against
Staphylococcus epidermidis
at higher concentrations (MIC
90
, 12.5 to 64 μg/ml). The activity of lysostaphin against staphylococci present in biofilms compared to those of other antibiotics was, however, never explored. Surprisingly, lysostaphin not only killed
S. aureus
in biofilms but also disrupted the extracellular matrix of
S. aureus
biofilms in vitro on plastic and glass surfaces at concentrations as low as 1 μg/ml. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that lysostaphin eradicated both the sessile cells and the extracellular matrix of the biofilm. This disruption of
S. aureus
biofilms was specific for lysostaphin-sensitive
S. aureus
, as biofilms of lysostaphin-resistant
S. aureus
were not affected. High concentrations of oxacillin (400 μg/ml), vancomycin (800 μg/ml), and clindamycin (800 μg/ml) had no effect on the established
S. aureus
biofilms in this system, even after 24 h. Higher concentrations of lysostaphin also disrupted
S. epidermidis
biofilms.
Interlaboratory Comparison of Agar Dilution and Etest Methods for Determining the MICs of Antibiotics Used in Management of
Neisseria meningitidis
Infections
Authors: Vázquez Julio A. , Arreaza Luisa , Block Colin , Ehrhard Ingrid , Gray Stephen J. , Heuberger Sigrid , Hoffmann Steen , Kriz Paula , Nicolas Pierre , Olcen Per , Skoczynska Anna , Spanjaard Lodewijk , Stefanelli Paola , Taha Muhamed-Kheir , Tzanakaki Georgina 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have shown that there is considerable variation in the methods and media used to determine the susceptibility of
Neisseria meningitidis
to antimicrobial agents in different countries. In this study, national and regional reference laboratories used a standardized methodology to determine the MICs of antibiotics used in the management of meningococcal infection. Fourteen laboratories participated in the study, determining the susceptibility to penicillin G, rifampin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin of a collection of 17 meningococci, of which 11 strains were previously defined as having intermediate resistance to penicillin (Pen
I
) by sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the
penA
gene. The MIC was determined by agar dilution and Etest with Mueller-Hinton agar (MH), MH supplemented with sheep blood (MH+B), and MH supplemented with heated (chocolated) blood. Several laboratories encountered problems obtaining confluent growth with unsupplemented MH. MH+B was considered to give the most congruent and reproducible results among the study laboratories. The modal MIC for MH+B for each antibiotic and method was calculated to define the MIC consensus, allowing assessment of each individual laboratory's data in relation to the others. The agreement in each antibiotic/method/medium combination was defined as the percentage of laboratories with a result within one dilution of the modal result. For the whole study, an agreement of 90.6% was observed between agar dilution and Etest methods. The agreement in each laboratory/antibiotic/method combination ranged from 98.2% to 69.7%, with six laboratories demonstrating agreement higher than 90% and 11 more than 80%. The ability of the laboratories to detect the Pen
I
isolates ranged from 18.2% to 100%. The apparent difficulty in interpreting susceptibility to rifampin, particularly with the Etest method, is very interesting.
Chloramphenicol Is a Potent Inhibitor of Cytochrome P450 Isoforms CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 in Human Liver Microsomes
Authors: Park Ji-Young , Kim Kyoung-Ah , Kim Su-Lyun 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

The inhibitory effect of chloramphenicol on human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms was evaluated with human liver microsomes and cDNA-expressed CYPs. Chloramphenicol had a potent inhibitory effect on CYP2C19-catalyzed
S
-mephytoin 4′-hydroxylation and CYP3A4-catalyzed midazolam 1-hydroxylation, with apparent 50% inhibitory concentrations (inhibitory constant [

K
i

] values are shown in parentheses) of 32.0 (7.7) and 48.1 (10.6) μM, respectively. Chloramphenicol also weakly inhibited CYP2D6, with an apparent 50% inhibitory concentration (

K
i

) of 375.9 (75.8) μM. The mechanism of the drug interaction reported between chloramphenicol and phenytoin, which results in the elevation of plasma phenytoin concentrations, is clinically assumed to result from the inhibition of CYP2C9 by chloramphenicol. However, using human liver microsomes and cDNA-expressed CYPs, we showed this interaction arises from the inhibition of CYP2C19- not CYP2C9-catalyzed phenytoin metabolism. In conclusion, inhibition of CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 is the probable mechanism by which chloramphenicol decreases the clearance of coadministered drugs, which manifests as a drug interaction with chloramphenicol.
Controlled Expression of an
rpoS
Antisense RNA Can Inhibit RpoS Function in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Chen Guozhu , Patten Cheryl L. , Schellhorn Herb E. 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

We show that an inducible
rpoS
antisense RNA complementary to the
rpoS
message can inhibit expression of RpoS in both exponential and stationary phases and can attenuate expression of the
rpoS
regulon in
Escherichia coli
. Plasmids containing
rpoS
antisense DNA expressed under the control of the
T7lac
promoter and T7 RNA polymerase were constructed, and expression of the
rpoS
antisense RNA was optimized in the pET expression system.
rpoS
antisense RNA levels could be manipulated to effectively control the expression of RpoS and RpoS-dependent genes. RpoS expression was inhibited by the expression of
rpoS
antisense RNA in both exponential and stationary phases in
E. coli
. RpoS-dependent catalase HPII was also downregulated, as determined by catalase activity assays and with native polyacrylamide gels stained for catalase. Induced RpoS antisense expression also reduced the level of RpoS-dependent glycogen synthesis. These results demonstrate that controlled expression of antisense RNA can be used to attenuate expression of a regulator required for the expression of host adaptation functions and may offer a basis for designing effective antimicrobial agents.
Tylosin Resistance inArcanobacterium pyogenesIs Encoded by an Erm X Determinant
Authors: Jost B. Helen , Field Adam C. , Trinh Hien T. , Songer J. Glenn , Billington Stephen J. 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACTArcanobacterium pyogenes, a commensal on the mucous membranes of many economically important animal species, is also a pathogen, causing abscesses of the skin, joints, and visceral organs as well as mastitis and abortion. In food animals,A. pyogenesis exposed to antimicrobial agents used for growth promotion, prophylaxis, and therapy, notably tylosin, a macrolide antibiotic used extensively for the prevention of liver abscessation in feedlot cattle in the United States. Of 48A. pyogenesisolates, 11 (22.9%) exhibited inducible or constitutive resistance to tylosin (MIC of ≥128 μg/ml). These isolates also exhibited resistance to other macrolide and lincosamide antibiotics, suggesting a macrolide-lincosamide resistance phenotype. Of the 11 resistant isolates, genomic DNA from nine hybridized to anerm(X)-specific probe. Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of theA. pyogenes erm(X) gene indicated that it was >95% similar toerm(X) genes fromCorynebacteriumandPropionibacteriumspp. Eight of theerm(X)-containingA. pyogenesisolates exhibited inducible tylosin resistance, which was consistent with the presence of a putative leader peptide upstream of theerm(X) open reading frame. For at least oneA. pyogenesisolate, 98-4277-2,erm(X) was present on a plasmid, pAP2, and was associated with the insertion sequence IS6100. pAP2 also carried genes encoding the repressor-regulated tetracycline efflux system determinant Tet 33. TherepAgene from pAP2 was nonfunctional inEscherichia coliand at least oneA. pyogenesisolate, suggesting that there may be host-encoded factors required for replication of this plasmid.
Resistance Profile of a Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Benzothiadiazine Inhibitor
Authors: Nguyen Tammy T. , Gates Adam T. , Gutshall Lester L. , Johnston Victor K. , Gu Baohua , Duffy Kevin J. , Sarisky Robert T. 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

Recently, a benzo-1,2,4-thiadiazine antiviral agent (C
21
H
21
N
3
O
4
S; compound 4) was shown to be a potent, highly specific inhibitor of the primary catalytic enzyme of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicase complex. In this study, we selected for resistance to confirm the mechanism of action for compound 4 in HCV replicon cells. As expected, spontaneous mutations or fluidity in the HCV polymerase (NS5B) coding sequence occurred upon routine passage of the HCV replicon cells in the absence of compound 4. After 1 month of culture in the presence of 10 μM compound 4, or 20 times the 50% inhibitory concentration of the replicon, replicon cells were almost 20-fold less susceptible to compound 4. Twenty-one NS5B cDNA clones were generated from the resistant replicon cells. Five mutations in the 21 NS5B clones were present at frequencies higher than that of control replicon cells, and no clone contained more than a single mutation within the polymerase gene. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase studies using purified recombinant NS5B containing these single point mutations allowed the identification of residue 414 as sufficient for biochemical resistance to compound 4. Further, the contribution of this residue to confer cell-based resistance to compound 4 was validated using a stable recombinant mutant replicon cell line which harbors a methionine-to-threonine change at residue 414. The potential for additional mutations in other nonstructural genes of HCV to contribute to the resistance profile of compound 4 is discussed.
Multiple-Drug Resistance in
d
-Tartrate-Positive
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Paratyphi B Isolates from Poultry Is Mediated by Class 2 Integrons Inserted into the Bacterial Chromosome
Authors: Miko Angelika , Pries Karin , Schroeter Andreas , Helmuth Reiner 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

The presence of integrons in 85 multiresistant German isolates of the predominating
Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serovar Paratyphi B dT
+
clone was investigated. All isolates possessed a chromosomally located Tn
7
-like class 2 integron carrying the same
dfrA1
-
sat1
-
aadA1
array of gene cassettes. Only four isolates (4.7%) revealed an additional class 1 integron with two strains each containing the
aadA1
or
dfrA1-aadA1
gene cassettes.
Antifungal Combinations against
Candida albicans
Biofilms In Vitro
Authors: Bachmann Stefano P. , Ramage Gordon , VandeWalle Kacy , Patterson Thomas F. , Wickes Brian L. , López-Ribot José L. 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT

Candida
biofilms display increased resistance to most antifungal agents. We have evaluated the efficacy of combinations of fluconazole (FLC), amphotericin B, and caspofungin (CSP) against
Candida albicans
biofilms in vitro. Indifference was observed for all the combinations of paired antifungal agents when a checkerboard titration method was used. Time-kill experiments revealed an antagonistic effect of high FLC doses with CSP.
Norfloxacin-Induced Electroencephalogram Alteration and Seizures in Rats Are Not Triggered by Enhanced Levels of Intracerebral Glutamate
Authors: Chenel Marylore , Limosin Anne , Marchand Sandrine , Paquereau Joël , Mimoz Olivier , Couet William 
Published: October 2003

ABSTRACT
Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of the electroencephalogram (EEG) effect was combined with intracerebral glutamate determinations using microdialysis for rats receiving norfloxacin intravenously (150 mg/kg of body weight). The EEG effect (accompanied by tremors and seizures) was consistently observed without glutamate level modifications. Therefore, norfloxacin-inducted seizures are not triggered by intracerebral glutamate level enhancement.