bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of
Campylobacter
spp. and
Salmonella
Serovars in Organic Chickens from Maryland Retail Stores
Authors: Cui Shenghui , Ge Beilei , Zheng Jie , Meng Jianghong 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Retail organic (
n
= 198) and conventional (
n
= 61) chickens were analyzed. Most organic (76%) and conventional (74%) chickens were contaminated with campylobacters. Salmonellae were recovered from 61% of organic and 44% of conventional chickens. All
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium isolates from conventional chickens were resistant to five or more antimicrobials, whereas most
S. enterica
serovar Typhimurium isolates (79%) from organic chickens were susceptible to 17 antimicrobials tested.
16S rRNA Phylogeny of Sponge-Associated Cyanobacteria
Authors: Steindler Laura , Huchon Dorothée , Avni Adi , Ilan Micha 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA sequences of sponge-associated cyanobacteria showed them to be polyphyletic, implying that they derived from multiple independent symbiotic events. Most of the symbiont sequences were affiliated to a group of
Synechococcus
and
Prochlorococcus
species. However, other symbionts were related to different groups, such as the
Oscillatoriales
.
Effect of an Artificial RNA Marker on Gene Expression in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Tucker Don L. , Karouia Fathi , Wang Jim , Luo Yi , Li Tong-Bin , Willson Richard C. , Fofanov Yuriy , Fox George E. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Transcriptional analysis was used to examine the effect of a genomically encoded artificial RNA on
Escherichia coli
in rich and minimal media. Only the expression of a single gene,
deoC
, was unequivocally affected under both conditions.
E. coli
marker strains of this type may be useful in monitoring the fate and transport of bacteria in various applications.
Clinical and Immunological Features of 65 Iranian Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency
Authors: Aghamohammadi Asghar , Farhoudi Abolhasan , Moin Mostafa , Rezaei Nima , Kouhi Ali , Pourpak Zahra , Yaseri Nima , Movahedi Masoud , Gharagozlou Mohammad , Zandieh Fariborz , Yazadni Fereshteh , Arshi Saba , MohammadZadeh Iraj , Ghazi Bahram MirSaeid , Mahmoudi Maryam , Tahaei SeyedAmir , Isaeian Anna 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACTCommon variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency disease characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and recurrent bacterial infections. The records of 65 patients with CVID (37 males and 28 females) in the age range of 24 to 537 months were reviewed. By the year 2003, 11 patients had died and seven patients could not be located. The total follow-up period was 221 patient-years. The median diagnostic delay (time between onset and diagnosis) in our patient group was 60 months. At the time of diagnosis, the baseline serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA levels were below the level normal for the patients' age; the medians for this group were 120, 10, and 0 mg/dl, respectively. All of the patients presented with infectious diseases at the time of onset, the most common of which were otitis media, diarrhea, pneumonia, and sinusitis. Acute and recurrent infections were also found in almost all of the patients, particularly involving respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. The most common infections, before diagnosis and during follow-up, were pneumonia, acute diarrhea, acute sinusitis, and otitis media. CVID should be considered in any patient with a history of recurrent infections and decreased levels of all serum immunoglobulin isotypes.
Proteomic but Not Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Technology Detects Amniotic Fluid Monomeric Calgranulins from Their Complexed Calprotectin Form
Authors: Buhimschi Irina A. , Buhimschi Catalin S. , Weiner Carl P. , Kimura Tatsuji , Hamar Benjamin D. , Sfakianaki Anna K. , Norwitz Errol R. , Funai Edmund F. , Ratner Elena 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Four proteomic biomarkers (human neutrophil peptide 1 [HNP1], HNP2 [defensins], calgranulin C [Cal-C], and Cal-A) characterize the fingerprint of intra-amniotic inflammation (IAI). We compared proteomic technology using surfaced-enhanced laser desorption-ionization-time of flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of these biomarkers. Amniocentesis was performed on 48 women enrolled in two groups: those with intact membranes (
n
= 27; gestational age [GA], 26.0 ± 0.8 weeks) and those with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM;
n
= 21; GA, 28.4 ± 0.9 weeks). Paired abdominal amniotic fluids (aAFs)-vaginal AFs (vAFs) were analyzed in PPROM women. Quantitative aspects of HNP1-3, Cal-C, Cal-A, and calprotectin (a complex of Cal-A with Cal-B) were assessed by ELISA. SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry tracings from 16/48 (33.3%) aAFs and 13/17 (88.2%) vAFs were consistent with IAI (three or four biomarkers present). IAI (by SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry) was associated with increased HNP1-3 and Cal-C measured by ELISA. However, immunoassays detected Cal-A in only 4 of the AFs even though its specific SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry peak was identified in 19/48 AFs. Calprotectin immunoreactivity was decreased in AFs retrieved from women with IAI (
P
= 0.01). In conclusion, IAI is associated with increased HNP1-3 levels. In the absence of isoform-specific ELISAs, mass spectrometry remains the only way to discriminate the HNP biomarker isoforms. Monomeric Cal-A is not reliably estimated by specific ELISA as it binds to Cal-B to form the calprotectin complex. Cal-C was reliably measured by SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry or specific ELISA.
Evaluation of Rapid Prenatal Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing in Rural Cameroon
Authors: Granade Timothy C. , Parekh Bharat S. , Tih Pius M. , Welty Thomas , Welty Edith , Bulterys Marc , Ndikintum George , Nkuoh Godlove , Tancho Samuel 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Pregnant women (
n
= 859) in rural Cameroonian prenatal clinics were screened by two rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody tests (rapid tests [RT]) (Determine and Hema-Strip) using either whole blood or plasma. One additional RT (Capillus, HIV-CHEK, or Sero-Card) was used to resolve discordant results. RT results were compared with HIV-1 enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and Western blot (WB) results of matched dried blood spots (DBS) to assess the accuracy of HIV RTs. DBS EIA/WB identified 83 HIV antibody-reactive, 763 HIV antibody-nonreactive, and 13 indeterminate specimens. RT results were evaluated in serial (two consecutive tests) or parallel (two simultaneous tests) testing algorithms. A serial algorithm using Determine and Hema-Strip yielded sensitivity and specificity results of 97.6% and 99.7%, respectively, whereas a parallel RT algorithm using Determine plus a second RT produced a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 99.7%, respectively. HIV RTs provide excellent alternatives for identifying HIV infection, and their field performance could be monitored using DBS testing strategies.
Characterization of Acute-Phase Humoral Immunity to Monkeypox: Use of Immunoglobulin M Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detection of Monkeypox Infection during the 2003 North American Outbreak
Authors: Karem Kevin L. , Reynolds Mary , Braden Zach , Lou Gin , Bernard Nikeva , Patton Joanne , Damon Inger K. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

A monkeypox outbreak occurred in the United States in 2003. Patient's sera were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a part of outbreak response measures. Clinical and epidemiologic information was abstracted from the case investigation forms. Serum samples from patients were tested by using an immunoglobulin M (IgM)-capture and an IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ELISA against
Orthopoxvirus
antigen. The detection of antiviral IgG and IgM antibodies and the kinetics of the antiviral IgG and IgM antibody responses were evaluated. Patients were classified as confirmed, probable, or suspect cases or were excluded as cases based on laboratory test results and epidemiologic and clinical criteria. A total of 37 confirmed case patients with monkeypox were identified, and 116 patients were excluded as case patients based on molecular testing or insufficient epidemiology and clinical data to warrant classification as a suspect or probable case. Of 37 confirmed case patients, 36 had a known history (presence or absence) of smallpox vaccination. Of those, 29 of the 36 either had or developed an IgG response, while 34 of the 36 developed an IgM response, regardless of vaccination status. Serum collected ≥5 days for IgM detection or serum collected ≥8 days after rash onset for IgG detection was most efficient for the detection of monkeypox virus infection. IgM ELISA detects recent infection with orthopoxviruses and, in this case, recent infection with monkeypox virus. In addition, analysis of paired sera for IgG and IgM detected seroconversion, another indicator of recent infection. The ELISA results correlated with the virologic PCR and viral culture results, indicating its diagnostic capabilities for monkeypox and potentially other orthopoxvirus infections due to zoonotic transmission or bioterrorism events.
Immunoglobulin M Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using Recombinant Polypeptides for Diagnosis of Dengue
Authors: Videa Elsa , Coloma Maria Josefina , dos Santos Flavia Barreto , Balmaseda Angel , Harris Eva 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT
We demonstrate that a mixture of four recombinant dengue virus E polypeptides corresponding to the N-terminal region of the envelope protein from all serotypes substitutes for standard antigens in two immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay formats with 100% concordance, making these polypeptides a useful and accessible reagent for serological diagnosis of dengue in endemic countries.
Development of Rapid Immunochromatographic Test with Recombinant NcSAG1 for Detection of Antibodies toNeospora caninumin Cattle
Authors: Liao Min , Zhang Shoufa , Xuan Xuenan , Zhang Guohong , Huang Xiaohong , Igarashi Ikuo , Fujisaki Kozo 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACTAn immunochromatographic test (ICT) with recombinant surface antigen 1 ofNeospora caninum(NcSAG1) was developed for the rapid detection of antibodies toN. caninumin cattle. The ICT was used to clearly discriminate between immunofluorescent-antibody test (IFAT)-positive bovine sera and IFAT-negative bovine sera. Serum samples collected from cattle in Yanbian, China, were examined by the ICT. Of the 96 serum samples, 23 (24.0%) were positive by the ICT, and 19 (19.8%) samples were positive by a previously developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Eighteen of 19 ELISA-positive samples were positive according to the ICT. A good agreement was found between the results of the ICT and the ELISA. The results presented here suggest that the ICT with recombinant truncated NcSAG1 fused to glutathioneS-transferase is a useful and reliable method for the detection of antibodies toN. caninumin cattle.
Cell Cycle Dynamics and Quorum Sensing inCandida albicansChlamydospores Are Distinct from Budding and Hyphal Growth
Authors: Martin Stephen W. , Douglas Lois M. , Konopka James B. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACTThe regulation of morphogenesis in the human fungal pathogenCandida albicansis under investigation to better understand how the switch between budding and hyphal growth is linked to virulence. Therefore, in this study we examined the ability ofC. albicansto undergo a distinct type of morphogenesis to form large thick-walled chlamydospores whose role in infection is unclear, but they act as a resting form in other species. During chlamydospore morphogenesis, cells switch to filamentous growth and then develop elongated suspensor cells that give rise to chlamydospores. These filamentous cells were distinct from true hyphae in that they were wider and were not inhibited by the quorum-sensing factor farnesol. Instead, farnesol increased chlamydospore production, indicating that quorum sensing can also have a positive role. Nuclear division did not occur across the necks of chlamydospores, as it does in budding. Interestingly, nuclei divided within the suspensor cells, and then one daughter nucleus subsequently migrated into the chlamydospore. Septins were not detected near mitotic nuclei but were localized at chlamydospore necks. At later stages, septins localized throughout the chlamydospore plasma membrane and appeared to form long filamentous structures. Deletion of theCDC10orCDC11septins caused greater curvature of cells growing in a filamentous manner and morphological defects in suspensor cells and chlamydospores. These studies identify aspects of chlamydospore morphogenesis that are distinct from bud and hyphal morphogenesis.
A CDC42 Homologue in
Claviceps purpurea
Is Involved in Vegetative Differentiation and Is Essential for Pathogenicity
Authors: Scheffer Jan , Chen Changbin , Heidrich Patrick , Dickman Martin B. , Tudzynski Paul 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Claviceps purpurea
, a biotrophic pathogen of cereals, has developed a unique pathogenic strategy including an extended period of unbranched directed growth in the host's style and ovarian tissue to tap the vascular system. Since the small GTPase Cdc42 has been shown to be involved in cytoskeleton organization and polarity in other fungi, we investigated the role of Cdc42 in the development and pathogenicity of
C. purpurea
. Expression of heterologous dominant-active (DA) and dominant-negative (DN) alleles of
Colletotrichum trifolii
in a wild strain of
C. purpurea
had significant impact on vegetative differentiation: whereas DA Ct
cdc42
resulted in loss of conidiation and in aberrant cell shape, expression of DN Ct
cdc42
stimulated branching and conidiation. Deletion of the endogenous Cp
cdc42
gene was not lethal but led to a phenotype comparable to that of DN Ct
cdc42
transformants. ΔCp
cdc42
mutants were nonpathogenic; i.e., they induced no disease symptoms. Cytological analysis (light microscopy and electron microscopy) revealed that the mutants can penetrate and invade the stylar tissue. However, invasive growth was arrested in an early stage, presumably induced by plant defense reactions (necrosis or increased production of reactive oxygen species), which were never observed in wild-type infection. The data show a significant impact of Cp
cdc42
on vegetative differentiation and pathogenicity in
C. purpurea
.
Centrin Scaffold in
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Revealed by Immunoelectron Microscopy
Authors: Geimer Stefan , Melkonian Michael 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

In the flagellate green alga
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
the Ca
2+
-binding EF-hand protein centrin is encoded by a single-copy gene. Previous studies have localized the protein to four distinct structures in the flagellar apparatus: the nucleus-basal body connector, the distal connecting fiber, the flagellar transitional region, and the axoneme. To explain the disjunctive distribution of centrin, the interaction of centrin with as yet unknown specific centrin-binding proteins has been implied. Here, we demonstrate using serial section postembedding immunoelectron microscopy of isolated cytoskeletons that centrin is located in additional structures (transitional fibers and basal body lumen) and that the centrin-containing structures of the basal apparatus are likely part of a continuous filamentous scaffold that extends from the nucleus to the flagellar bases. In addition, we show that centrin is located in the distal lumen of the basal body in a rotationally asymmetric structure, the V-shaped filament system. This novel centrin-containing structure has also been detected near the distal end of the probasal bodies. Taken together, these results suggest a role for a rotationally asymmetric centrin “seed” in the growth and development of the centrin scaffold following replication of the basal apparatus.
Hyphal Guidance and Invasive Growth in
Candida albicans
Require the Ras-Like GTPase Rsr1p and Its GTPase-Activating Protein Bud2p
Authors: Hausauer Danielle L. , Gerami-Nejad Maryam , Kistler-Anderson Cassandra , Gale Cheryl A. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Candida albicans
, the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans, causes superficial mycoses, invasive mucosal infections, and disseminated systemic disease. Many studies have shown an intriguing association between
C. albicans
morphogenesis and the pathogenesis process. For example, hyphal cells have been observed to penetrate host epithelial cells at sites of wounds and between cell junctions. Ras- and Rho-type GTPases regulate many morphogenetic processes in eukaryotes, including polarity establishment, cell proliferation, and directed growth in response to extracellular stimuli. We found that the
C. albicans
Ras-like GTPase Rsr1p and its predicted GTPase-activating protein Bud2p localized to the cell cortex, at sites of incipient daughter cell growth, and provided landmarks for the positioning of daughter yeast cells and hyphal cell branches, similar to the paradigm in the model yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. However, in contrast to
S. cerevisiae
, CaRsr1p and CaBud2p were important for morphogenesis:
C. albicans
strains lacking Rsr1p or Bud2p had abnormal yeast and hyphal cell shapes and frequent bends and promiscuous branching along the hypha and were unable to invade agar. These defects were associated with abnormal actin patch polarization, unstable polarisome localization at hyphal tips, and mislocalized septin rings, consistent with the idea that GTP cycling of Rsr1p stabilizes the axis of polarity primarily to a single focus, thus ensuring normal cell shape and a focused direction of polarized growth. We conclude that the Rsr1p GTPase functions as a polarity landmark for hyphal guidance and may be an important mediator of extracellular signals during processes such as host invasion.
Galactomannoproteins of
Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Morelle W. , Bernard M. , Debeaupuis J.-P. , Buitrago M. , Tabouret M. , Latgé J.-P. 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

Galactofuranose-containing molecules have been repeatedly shown to be important antigens among human fungal pathogens, including
Aspergillus fumigatus
. Immunogenic galactofuran determinants have been poorly characterized chemically, however. We reported here the characterization of two glycoproteins of
A. fumigatus
with an N-glycan containing galactofuranose. These proteins are a phospholipase C and a phytase. Chemical characterization of the N-glycan indicates that it is a mixture of Hex
5-13
HexNAc
2
oligosaccharides, the major molecular species corresponding to Hex
6-8
HexNAc
2
. The N-glycan contained one galactofuranose unit that was in a terminal nonreducing position attached to the 2 position of Man. This single terminal nonreducing galactofuranose is essential for the immunoreactivity of the N-glycans assessed either with a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a tetra-β-1,5-galactofuran chain of galactomannan or with
Aspergillus
-infected patient sera.
Systematic Characterization of the ADP-Ribose Pyrophosphatase Family in the Cyanobacterium
Synechocystis
sp. Strain PCC 6803
Authors: Okuda Kenji , Hayashi Hidenori , Nishiyama Yoshitaka 
Published: July 2005

ABSTRACT

We have characterized four putative ADP-ribose pyrophosphatases Sll1054, Slr0920, Slr1134, and Slr1690 in the cyanobacterium
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC 6803. Each of the recombinant proteins was overexpressed in
Escherichia coli
and purified. Sll1054 and Slr0920 hydrolyzed ADP-ribose specifically, while Slr1134 hydrolyzed not only ADP-ribose but also NADH and flavin adenine dinucleotide. By contrast, Slr1690 showed very low activity for ADP-ribose and had four substitutions of amino acids in the Nudix motif, indicating that Slr1690 is not an active ADP-ribose pyrophosphatase. However, the quadruple mutation of Slr1690, T73G/I88E/K92E/A94G, which replaced the mutated amino acids with those conserved in the Nudix motif, resulted in a significant (6.1 × 10
2
-fold) increase in the
k
cat
value. These results suggest that Slr1690 might have evolved from an active ADP-ribose pyrophosphatase. Functional and clustering analyses suggested that Sll1054 is a bacterial type, while the other three and Slr0787, which was characterized previously (Raffaelli et al., FEBS Lett. 444:222-226, 1999), are phylogenetically diverse types that originated from an archaeal Nudix protein via molecular evolutionary mechanisms, such as domain fusion and amino acid substitution.
QUANTUM ENERGY INEQUALITIES IN TWO-DIMENSIONAL CONFORMAL FIELD THEORY
Authors: FEWSTER CHRISTOPHER J. , HOLLANDS STEFAN 
Published: July 2005

Quantum energy inequalities (QEIs) are state-independent lower bounds on weighted averages of the stress-energy tensor, and have been established for several free quantum field models. We present rigorous QEI bounds for a class of interacting quantum fields, namely the unitary, positive energy conformal field theories (with stress-energy tensor) on two-dimensional Minkowski space. The QEI bound depends on the weight used to average the stress-energy tensor and the central charge(s) of the theory, but not on the quantum state. We give bounds for various situations: averaging along timelike, null and spacelike curves, as well as over a space-time volume. In addition, we consider boundary conformal field theories and more general "moving mirror" models. Our results hold for all theories obeying a minimal set of axioms which — as we show — are satisfied by all models built from unitary highest-weight representations of the Virasoro algebra. In particular, this includes all (unitary, positive energy) minimal models and rational conformal field theories. Our discussion of this issue collects together (and, in places, corrects) various results from the literature which do not appear to have been assembled in this form elsewhere.
How Inter-Christian Approaches to Paul's Rhetoric Can Perpetuate Negative Valuations of Jewishness—Although Proposing to Avoid that Outcome
Authors: Nanos Mark 
Published: July 2005

AbstractAn unrecognized problem arises in recent inter-mural Christian constructions of the settings for interpreting Paul's polemic, wherein negative valuations of Jewishness persist in the discourse, regardless of stated intentions to avoid that outcome. This approach has masked the perpetuation of Christianness versus Jewishness, since moving it inside of Christianity does not eliminate the fact that what is negatively valued for non-Pauline (read "non-Gentile") Christianity is the degree to which it remains Jewish (regards Jewish identity and behavior as valuable expressions of faith). The discourse has changed a lot, but not to the degree that would match the stated intentions, and for the Jewish–Christian relations critic, the explicit although often subtle reminders of this persistent prejudice against Jewishness in writings about Paul is painful to continue to discover in (and between) the lines of many contemporary works.