bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Subtyping of
Salmonella enterica
Serotype Enteritidis Strains by Manual and Automated
Pst
I-
Sph
I Ribotyping
Authors: Clark Clifford G. , Kruk Tamara M. A. C. , Bryden Louis , Hirvi Yolanda , Ahmed Rafiq , Rodgers Frank G. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serotype Enteritidis is not readily subtyped beyond the level of phage type (PT). A recently developed method for ribotyping of this organism, which uses a mixture of
Pst
I and
Sph
I (PS) for restriction of DNA (PS ribotyping), has proved useful for further subtyping of a number of PTs of this organism, including PT 4. However, it has not been extensively tested with PT 8. In the present study the PS ribotyping method was used to investigate outbreaks of both
S. enterica
serotype Enteritidis PT 4 and PT 8 and provided subtyping data that were consistent with information obtained from epidemiologic investigations. The method proved to be more discriminatory than phage typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) combined and was useful for investigating a pseudo-outbreak involving isolates that had identical PTs and PFGE types but that could not be linked epidemiologically. Several PS ribotypes were found within the cluster of isolates indistinguishable by other subtyping methods, confirming the epidemiologic findings. Although the PS ribotyping method proved to have a superior discriminatory ability in resolving clusters, it did not have high enough throughput for use in outbreak investigations. This method has therefore been adapted for use in automated ribotyping with a RiboPrinter, and the results were compared with those obtained by manual ribotyping. Both methods produce equivalent results and are useful for obtaining epidemiologically relevant subtyping data for
S. enterica
serotype Enteritidis, including PT 8 strains not extensively tested previously.
Identification of Urovirulence Traits inEscherichia coliby Comparison of Urinary and RectalE. coliIsolates from Dogs with Urinary Tract Infection
Authors: Johnson James R. , Kaster Nicholas , Kuskowski Michael A. , Ling Gerald V. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACTSpontaneously occurring urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs was exploited as an experiment of nature to gain insights into UTI pathogenesis in humans. Concurrent urinary and rectalEscherichia coliisolates from 37 dogs with UTI were compared with respect to phylogenetic background, O antigens, and extended virulence genotype. In 54% of the UTI episodes, the dog's urinary and rectal isolates represented the same strain. Urinary isolates differed dramatically from rectal-only isolates in that they derived predominantly fromE. coliphylogenetic group B2, expressed typical (human) UTI-associated O antigens, and possessed many virulence-associated genes, most notablypapelements (P fimbriae),papG(adhesin) allele III,sfa/focandsfaS(S fimbriae),hly(hemolysin),fyuA(yersiniabactin),iroN(siderophore), andompT(outer membrane protease T). The 20 urinary isolates that corresponded with the host's predominant rectal strain were no less virulent according to the markers analyzed than were the 17 urinary isolates that differed from the host's predominant rectal strain. These findings suggest that UTI pathogenesis is similar in dogs and humans, provide added support for the special-pathogenicity over the prevalence hypothesis of UTI pathogenesis, and identify numerous specific virulence-associated factors as significant correlates of urovirulence.
Characterization ofMycobacterium tuberculosisComplex DNAs from Egyptian Mummies by Spoligotyping
Authors: Zink Albert R. , Sola Christophe , Reischl Udo , Grabner Waltraud , Rastogi Nalin , Wolf Hans , Nerlich Andreas G. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACTBone and soft tissue samples from 85 ancient Egyptian mummies were analyzed for the presence of ancientMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex DNA (aDNA) and further characterized by spoligotyping. The specimens were obtained from individuals from different tomb complexes in Thebes West, Upper Egypt, which were used for upper social class burials between the Middle Kingdom (since ca. 2050 BC) and the Late Period (until ca. 500 BC). A total of 25 samples provided a specific positive signal for the amplification of a 123-bp fragment of the repetitive element IS6110, indicating the presence ofM. tuberculosisDNA. Further PCR-based tests for the identification of subspecies failed due to lack of specific amplification products in the historic tissue samples. Of these 25 positive specimens, 12 could be successfully characterized by spoligotyping. The spoligotyping signatures were compared to those in an international database. They all show either anM. tuberculosisor anM. africanumpattern, but none revealed anM. bovis-specific pattern. The results from a Middle Kingdom tomb (used exclusively between ca. 2050 and 1650 BC) suggest that these samples bear anM. africanum-type specific spoligotyping signature. The samples from later periods provided patterns typical forM. tuberculosis. This study clearly demonstrates that spoligotyping can be applied to historic tissue samples. In addition, our results do not support the theory thatM. tuberculosisoriginated from theM. bovistype but, rather, suggest that humanM. tuberculosismay have originated from a precursor complex probably related toM. africanum.
Detection of
Borrelia lonestari
, Putative Agent of Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, in White-Tailed Deer (
Odocoileus virginianus
) from the Southeastern United States
Authors: Moore IV Victor A. , Varela Andrea S. , Yabsley Michael J. , Davidson William R. , Little Susan E. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

To determine if white-tailed deer may serve as a reservoir host for
Borrelia lonestari
, we used a nested PCR for the
Borrelia
flagellin gene to evaluate blood samples collected from deer from eight southeastern states. Seven of 80 deer (8.7%) from 5 of 17 sites (29.4%) had sequence-confirmed evidence of a
B. lonestari
flagellin gene by PCR, indicating that deer are infected with
B. lonestari
or another closely related
Borrelia
species. Our findings expand the known geographic range of
B. lonestari
and provide the first evidence of this organism in a vertebrate other than humans.
Identification of
Mycobacterium avium
Genotypes with Distinctive Traits by Combination of IS
1245
-Based Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism and Restriction Analysis of
hsp65
Authors: Oliveira R. S. , Sircili M. P. , Oliveira E. M. D. , Balian S. C. , Ferreira-Neto J. S. , Leão S. C. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

One-hundred eight
Mycobacterium avium
isolates from pigs, humans, birds, and bovines were typed by the IS
1245
-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method and PCR-restriction enzyme analysis (PRA) of
hsp65
. Nine clusters of isolates showing more than 80% similarity in their RFLP profiles were detected. The largest cluster (cluster B) included 32 of 79 pig isolates (40.5%), 3 of 25 human isolates (12%), and 1 of 2 bovine isolates, comprising 33% of all isolates. The second largest cluster (cluster A) included 18 pig isolates (22.8%) and 6 human isolates (24%). Six smaller clusters included six pig isolates (clusters C and D), four and two human isolates (clusters E and F, respectively), two pig isolates (cluster I), and two pig isolates plus one bovine isolate and the avian purified protein derivative strain (cluster H). Cluster G represented the “bird-type” profile and included the bird isolate in this series, one pig isolate, plus reference strain R13. PRA revealed four allelic variants. Seventy-seven isolates were identified as
M. avium
PRA variant I, 24 were identified as
M. avium
PRA variant II, 6 were identified as
M. avium
PRA variant III, and 1 was identified as
M. avium
PRA variant IV. Except for three isolates from cluster B, each of the RFLP clusters was associated with a single PRA pattern. Isolates with unique (nonclustered) RFLP profiles were distributed between PRA variants I and II, and there was one unique isolate of PRA variant IV. These observations are consistent with divergent evolution within
M. avium
, resulting in the emergence of distinct lineages with particular competence to infect animals and humans.
Accuracy of a Commercial Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for CagA in Patients from Brazil with and without Gastric Carcinoma
Authors: Rocha Andreia Maria Camargos , Rocha Gifone Aguiar , Santos Adriana , de Oliveira Celso Affonso , Queiroz Dulciene Maria Magalhães 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

We validated a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of anti-CagA antibodies in Brazilian patients with
Helicobacter pylori
infection. The test presented high sensitivity (97.4%) and specificity (88.9%) when employed in patients without gastric carcinoma. However, in gastric carcinoma patients, the test was neither sensitive nor specific enough to detect
cagA-
positive
H. pylori
infection.
Prevalence of
agr
Specificity Groups among
Staphylococcus aureus
Strains Colonizing Children and Their Guardians
Authors: Shopsin B. , Mathema B. , Alcabes P. , Said-Salim B. , Lina G. , Matsuka A. , Martinez J. , Kreiswirth B. N. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

PCR-based assays were used to evaluate
agr
locus nucleotide polymorphism for the identification of
agr
autoinducer receptor specificity groups within a population of
Staphylococcus aureus
isolates colonizing children and their guardians. All isolates could be assigned to one of three major
agr
groups that had similar prevalences, regardless of whether isolates were implicated in transmission of
S. aureus
within families. Among healthy carriers,
agr
groups I to III appear to be equally fit, which may reflect selection for the coexistence of
S. aureus
strains in a population.
Evaluation of a Method for Identification of
Candida dubliniensis
Bloodstream Isolates
Authors: Sancak Banu , Rex John H. , Paetznick Victor , Chen Enuo , Rodriguez Jose 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

To evaluate methods for differentiating
Candida albicans
and
Candida dubliniensis
, 772 putative
C. albicans
bloodstream isolates were tested for growth at 37 and 42°C. Isolates showing no growth at 42°C, abundant chlamydospore production, and the sugar assimilation pattern of the type strain were confirmed by DNA-based procedures to be
C. dubliniensis
.
Detection and Treatment of Bloodstream Infection: Laboratory Reporting and Antimicrobial Management
Authors: Munson Erik L. , Diekema Daniel J. , Beekmann Susan E. , Chapin Kimberle C. , Doern Gary V. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT
We analyzed antimicrobial use in 509 episodes of clinically significant bloodstream infection to assess the impact that microbiology laboratory reporting had on antimicrobial management. Most therapy interventions occurred at the time of phlebotomy and after notification of Gram stain results by telephone. Release of antimicrobial susceptibility data had the least impact on antimicrobial management.
Staphylococcus lugdunensis
Carrying the
mecA
Gene Causes Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infection in Premature Neonate
Authors: Tee Wen Sim Nancy , Soh Shui Yen , Lin Raymond , Loo Liat Hui 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

A premature neonate had a catheter-associated bloodstream infection due to
Staphylococcus lugdunensis
. The MIC of oxacillin for the strain was >256 μg/ml, and the
mecA
gene of
S. lugdunensis
was detected by PCR. The infection was resolved after removal of the line and treatment with vancomycin for 2 weeks.
Deciphering an Outbreak of Drug-Resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Dahle Ulf R. , Sandven Per , Heldal Einar , Mannsaaker Turid , Caugant Dominique A. 
Published: January 2003

ABSTRACT

There have been ample warnings that multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) will continue to emerge if countries do not strengthen their control of TB. In low-incidence European countries, however, these warnings have been substantiated mainly by outbreaks in association with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. The aim of this study was to investigate an outbreak of infection with MDR and drug-resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
that was diagnosed among 20 HIV-negative patients living in Norway. Of these, 19 were immigrants from East Africa and one was an ethnic Norwegian. We wanted to find out if transmission had taken place in Norway or abroad and to identify the genetic basis of drug resistance. The strains were analyzed by IS
6110
restriction fragment length polymorphism, antibiotic susceptibility tests, spoligotyping, reverse hybridization to regions of the
rpoB
gene, and sequencing of the
katG
gene. Epidemiological links between the patients were mapped, and the strains were compared to those isolated in 36 other countries and regions. All strains were resistant to isoniazid and carried Ala234Gly, Ser315Thr, and Arg463Leu substitutions in the
katG
gene. Eleven strains were MDR and carried a Ser531Leu substitution in the
rpoB
gene. MDR was acquired in the index patient after arrival in Norway. Links were found among 14 patients. The strain was imported from Somalia but acquired MDR and was transmitted in Norway. This demonstrated that MDR strains are not necessarily imported from high-incidence countries and can be highly communicable. The outbreak underscores a deficiency in the TB control measures employed in many countries and challenges the adequacy of the policy of screening immigrants for TB only on arrival.
Modulation of the Auditory Cortex during Speech: An MEG Study
Authors: Houde John F. , Nagarajan Srikantan S. , Sekihara Kensuke , Merzenich Michael M. 
Published: January 2003

Abstract
Several behavioral and brain imaging studies have demonstrated a significant interaction between speech perception and speech production. In this study, auditory cortical responses to speech were examined during self-production and feedback alteration. Magnetic field recordings were obtained from both hemispheres in subjects who spoke while hearing controlled acoustic versions of their speech feedback via earphones. These responses were compared to recordings made while subjects listened to a tape playback of their production. The amplitude of tape playback was adjusted to match the amplitude of self-produced speech. Recordings of evoked responses to both self-produced and tape-recorded speech were obtained free of movement-related artifacts. Responses to self-produced speech were weaker than were responses to tape-recorded speech. Responses to tones were also weaker during speech production, when compared with responses to tones recorded in the presence of speech from tape playback. However, responses evoked by gated noise stimuli did not differ for recordings made during self-produced speech versus recordings made during tape-recorded speech playback. These data suggest that during speech production, the auditory cortex (1) attenuates its sensitivity and (2) modulates its activity as a function of the expected acoustic feedback.
Evaluating Environmental Performance of Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Life‐Cycle Assessment
Authors: Pineda‐Henson Ruby , Culaba Alvin B. , Mendoza Guillermo A. 
Published: January 2003

SummaryThis article addresses the need for a structured and compre‐hensive methodology for assessing the environmental perfor‐mance of manufacturing processes. The analytic hierarchy pro‐cess (AHP) is used as the basic framework for analyzing environmental impacts and improvement options following a streamlined life‐cycle assessment (LCA) approach that is fo‐cused on the manufacturing operation. The multicriteria de‐cision analysis approach of the AHP is consistent with the LCA concept because the environmental factors can be hierarchi‐cally structured into impacts and improvement options. Its po‐tential as a valuation tool for impact and improvement assess‐ment addresses both qualitative and quantitative issues in environmental decision making.Through application to a pulp and paper manufacturing case study, the viability of the AHP for evaluating environmen‐tal impacts and prioritizing process improvement options rela‐tive to these impacts is demonstrated. AHP was used to pro‐vide a quantitative tool for the design of a set of weighting factors for impact and improvement analyses.
Anthropomorphism and Anthropomorphic Selection—Beyond the "Cute Response"
Authors: Serpell James 
Published: January 2003

AbstractThis article explores the origin and evolutionary implications of anthropomorphism in the context of our relationships with animal companions. On the human side, anthropomorphic thinking enables animal companions' social behavior to be construed in human terms, thereby allowing these nonhuman animals to function for their human owners or guardians as providers of nonhuman social support. Absence of social support is known to be detrimental to human health and well being. Therefore, anthropomorphism and its corollary, pet keeping, have obvious biological fitness implications. On the animal side, anthropomorphism constitutes a unique evolutionary selection pressure, analogous to sexual selection, which has molded the appearance, anatomy, and behavior of companion animal species so as to adapt them to their unusual ecological niche as social support providers. Although such species undoubtedly have benefited numerically from the effects of this process, the consequences of anthropomorphism are less benign when viewed from the perspective of individual animals. Indeed, anthropomorphic selection probably is responsible for some of the more severe welfare problems currently found in companion animals.
Intuitive Conceptions of Dead Agents' Minds: The Natural Foundations of Afterlife Beliefs as Phenomenological Boundary
Authors: Bering Jesse 
Published: January 2003

AbstractLittle is known about how the minds of dead agents are represented. In the current experiment, individuals with different types of explicit afterlife beliefs were asked in an implicit interview task whether various mental state types, as well as pure biological imperatives, continue after death. The results suggest that, regardless of one's explicit reports about personal consciousness after death, those who believe in some form of life after death (and, to a certain extent, even those who do not) implicitly represent dead agents' minds in the same way: psychobiological and perceptual states cease while emotional, desire, and epistemic states continue. The findings are interpreted according to simulation constraints — because it is epistemologically impossible to know what it is like to be dead, individuals will be most likely to attribute to dead agents those types of mental states that they cannot imagine being without. Such a model argues that it is natural to believe in life after death and social transmission serves principally to conceptually enrich (or degrade) intuitive conceptions of the afterlife.
Effects of habitat complexity and predator identity on predation of Rana clamitans larvae
Authors: Babbitt Kimberly , Tarr Tracy 
Published: January 2003

AbstractWe examined the microhabitat distribution of green frog larvae (Rana clamitans) and two common predacious insect genera at 27 wetlands in southern New Hampshire to determine if it was related to the presence of vegetation. Rana clamitans and hemipterans (Belostoma spp.) were rarely captured in non-vegetated microhabitats. Larval odonates (Aeshna spp.) were captured more frequently in vegetated microhabitats but the difference was not significant. In a laboratory experiment, we tested the effects of plant density on the survival of R. clamitans larvae exposed to either Belostoma flumineum or Aeshna mutata. When no cover was available, survival of R. clamitans tadpoles was very low when exposed to either predator. Belostoma flumineum was a less effective predator than A. mutata, and survival rates of tadpoles did not differ between high and low plant density when exposed to this predator. In contrast, survival of tadpoles was significantly higher in the high density vegetation treatment compared to the low density treatment when exposed to A. mutata. Although plant structure can reduce predation on R. clamitans larvae, the level of structure necessary to significantly mediate predation may depend largely on the foraging mode of the predator.
Influence of incubation temperature and substrate on eggs and embryos of the garden lizard, Calotes versicolor (Daud.)
Authors: Saidapur Srinivas , Radder Rajkumar , Shanbhag Bhagyashri 
Published: January 2003

AbstractThe influence of incubation temperature and substrate on hatching success, duration of incubation and hatchlings' traits in Calotes versicolor was studied experimentally. The eggs were incubated in soil at 1) ambient (27°C±2 s), 2) ambient temperature and exposed to 35°C for 1 or 3hrs/day, 3) constant 30°C, 33°C and 35°C. In another experiment soil, sand or cotton wool was used as incubation substrate at ambient temperature. Duration of incubation was inversely related to incubation temperature. Hatching success was high at ambient (93%), at 30°C (89%) and for eggs exposed to 1 hr (94%) or 3 hr/day to 35°C (93%) compared to those at 33°C (59%) and 35°C (53%). Egg mass increased until hatching, but with a temporal difference in the gain at different temperatures. At high temperatures, it increased rapidly. Eggs incubated at ambient temperature and 1 or 3 hrs exposure to 35°C produced hatchlings heavier than their sibs that hatched at 30°C, 33°C or 35°C. Smaller size of hatchlings at higher incubation temperatures was due to early hatching and low utilization of yolk. Incubation substrate had no influence on offspring traits but hatching success was low (84 ± 9%) in cotton wool. Thus, incubation of eggs in soil or sand at ambient temperature with a periodic exposure to high tolerable temperature provides an optimum balance between developmental rate, hatching success and hatchling quality in C. versicolor.
A new cryptic frog species of the Mantidactylus boulengeri group with a divergent vocal sac structure
Authors: Vences Miguel , Glaw Frank 
Published: January 2003

AbstractWe describe a new frog species of the Mantidactylus boulengeri group (Amphibia: Anura: Mantellidae) in the subgenus Gephyromantis from south-eastern Madagascar. It is morphologically similar to M. eiselti and M. thelenae but differs in its advertisement calls with a distinctly shorter note duration, and in its bilobate (not single) subgular vocal sac. Like M. eiselti and M. thelenae the new species Mantidactylus enki is predominantly diurnal and calling males do not aggregate close to water bodies, indicating direct development as it has been demonstrated previously in M. eiselti. The advertisement calls of all three species are described in detail. A comparison with a further pair of cryptic species with bilobate vs. single subgular vocal sac (Mantidactylus tschenki — M. cornutus) did not reveal any consistent pattern of call variation correlated with vocal sac structure. Therefore, sexual selection may also be considered to explain differences in the colour and external structure of vocal sacs among closely related species.