Psychiatric home care is an asset--not a liability.
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Aged↗
Biomedical subjects
K Nielsen
Publications and source records attributed to K Nielsen.
Effect of protease inhibitors combined with standard antiretroviral therapy on linear growth and weight gain in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected children.
Children with HIV-1 infection and poor growth have a significant increase in the risk of death. We studied the effects of protease inhibitors on the height and weight of 27 HIV-1-infected children and found that in our small pilot study, protease inhibitor therapy had a positive effect on the heights of HIV-1-infected children. Accelerated height velocity was sustained for at least 18 to 20 months.
Adolescent↗
A multifactor complex of eIF1, eIF2, eIF3, eIF5, and tRNA(i)Met promotes initiation complex assembly and couples GTP hydrolysis to AUG recognition.
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Animals↗
Update on rifampin resistance in the Legionellaceae.
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Amino Acid Sequence↗
Proteome analysis--a novel approach to understand the pathogenesis of Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with a specific destruction of the insulin-producing beta-cells in the islets of Langerhans. Several factors, e.g. genetic, environmental and immunologial, may be involved in the etiology and pathogenesis of T1DM. Autoreactive T- and B-lymphocytes, together with macrophages infiltrate the islets during the pathogenesis, releasing a mixture of cytokines, demonstrated to be specifically toxic to the beta-cells within the islets. Our goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for the beta-cell specific toxicity enabling us to design novel intervention strategies in T1DM. The proteome approach allows us to get a detailed picture of the beta-cell proteins, which change expression level or are post-translationally modified in different in vitro and in vivo models of T1DM-associated beta-cell destruction. Combining the information obtained from this extended proteome approach, with that of genetic-, transcriptome- and candidate-gene approaches, we believe that it is possible to reach this goal.
Cellular Senescence↗
Evaluation of the fluorescence polarization assay and comparison to other serological assays for detection of brucellosis in cervids.
The complement fixation test (CFT), competitive enzyme immunoassay (CELISA), indirect enzyme immunoassay (IELISA) and fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) were evaluated for the detection of antibodies to Brucella abortus and Brucella suis biotype 4 in caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), elk (Cervus elapus), red deer (Cervus elapus), and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). When combining the data the FPA and the CELISA were determined to be the most suitable tests for serodiagnosis of Cervidae. The overall actual sensitivity of the CFT and the IELISA was 100%. The overall actual sensitivity for the CELISA and FPA was 99%. The overall relative specificity of the CFT (including treatment of anti-complementary data as positive or negative for analysis), the CELISA, the IELISA and the FPA were 65%, 93%, 99%, 99%, and 99%, respectively. The specificities of the buffered plate agglutination test (BPAT), the CFT, the CELISA, the FPA and the IELISA for 55 elk vaccinated with B. abortus strain 19 and tested 4 mo post vaccination were 14%, 31%, 51%, 84%, and 2%, respectively. The FPA is the diagnostic test of choice because it has sensitivity and specificity values comparable to the CELISA; it has the capability to distinguish vaccinal antibody and antibody resulting from exposure to cross-reacting organisms such as Yersinia enterocolitica 0:9 from antibody to Brucella spp. in most cases; it is technically simple to do; it is adaptable to field use and it is relatively inexpensive.
Animal Diseases↗
Serologic survey of Brucella spp. antibodies in some marine mammals of North America.
A serologic survey of anti-Brucella spp. antibodies was undertaken on 2,470 samples of 14 North American marine mammal species collected between 1984-97. Serum or blood from eight species of cetaceans and six species of pinnipeds was sampled from Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. Two competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (C-ELISA's), using specific monoclonal antibodies to Brucella abortus cell wall components, were used to detect anti-Brucella spp. antibodies in the samples. Sera from 33 cetaceans and 61 pinnipeds gave inhibition values, in one or both of the tests, which exceeded the threshold that indicates Brucella spp. exposure in cattle. Seropositive animals were identified from Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. While Brucella spp. was not isolated, differences in the response of seropositive cetacean and pinniped sera in the two assays suggest that two antigenically distinct species or biovars of Brucella spp. are present. No pathology consistent with clinical brucellosis was noted in any of the animals tested although detailed examination was not conducted on all carcasses.
Animal Diseases↗
Pyrrolo-annelated tetrathiafulvalenes: the parent systems
The synthesis of a number pyrrolo-annelated tetrathiafulvalenes, including the parent bis(pyrrolo[3,4-d])tetrathiafulvalene (7) is decribed. Starting from readily available 4,5-bis(bromomethyl)-1, 3-dithiole-2-thione (14) and sodium tosylamide, the parent 7 and the asymmetric monopyrrolo tetrathiafulvalenes 23a,b were prepared in good yields via a nonclassical and simple pyrrole synthesis. Furthermore, a series of asymmetrical N-alkylated monopyrrolo/monodihydropyrrolotetrathiafulvalenes was prepared starting from primary amines and 14. A detailed study of the fundamental redox behavior of this class of heterocycles is reported. NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and PM3 MO calculations revealed that the pyrrolo-annelated tetrathiafulvalenes have highly extended pi-surfaces. The X-ray crystallographic analyses of the monopyrrolo tetrathiafulvalenes 22b and 24b, together with preliminary formation of a charge-transfer complex between the parent donor 7 and TCNQ, are also reported.
Journal Article↗
Recovery of replication-competent virus from CD4 T cell reservoirs and change in coreceptor use in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected children responding to highly active antiretroviral therapy.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) suppresses plasma viremia in most patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Prospective study of HIV-infected children (n=27) shows that, in 8 of 12 who responded to HAART (>/=0.5 log reduction in plasma HIV RNA), HAART restricted the number of coreceptors used by the predominant HIV isolate (mean number of coreceptors used at baseline was 4, vs. 1 coreceptor used at 6 months after treatment). This decrease was most striking in 6 of 8 children whose HIV coreceptor tropism changed from X4-tropic at baseline to R5-tropic. In 6 of 10 children tested, with plasma HIV RNA levels of <50 copies/mL, R5-tropic virus was isolated from CD4 T cell reservoirs. All the responding children had a significant increase in naive CD4 T cells (P<.05). These results show that persistent HIV T cell reservoirs are present in children and that HAART may influence the number and type of coreceptors used by the predominant virus isolate.
Adolescent↗
Fluorescence polarization immunoassay: detection of antibody to Brucella abortus.
Fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPA) is a homogeneous immunoassay useful for rapid and accurate detection of antibody or antigen. The principle of the assay is that a fluorescent dye (attached to an antigen or an antibody fragment) can be excited by plane-polarized light at the appropriate wavelength. As a rule, a small molecule rotates faster when in solution than a larger molecule. The rotation rate may be assessed by measuring light intensity in the vertical and horizontal planes. Generally, the time it takes a molecule to rotate through a given angle is an indication of its size. When a small molecule that rotates rapidly is bound to a larger molecule, the rotation rate is decreased and this decrease is measured. Because it is a primary antigen-antibody interaction, the rate of reaction is very rapid and usually a result may be obtained in minutes. This technology was applied to the detection of antibody to Brucella abortus in serum and milk, providing for the first time a rapid primary binding assay that is cost effective for use in the field.
Animals↗
Cost-benefit analysis of sustained-release bupropion, nicotine patch, or both for smoking cessation.
BACKGROUND: The nicotine transdermal patch (NTP) has been shown previously to be a cost-effective smoking cessation intervention. This is the first economic analysis comparing the NTP with the only non-nicotine-containing pharmacological intervention, bupropion HCl. METHODS: Decision-tree analysis, based on a previously published cost-benefit smoking-cessation model, was used to determine the optimal treatment from the standpoint of costs versus benefits, from the employer's perspective. Base-case probabilities of successful quitting in our model came from clinical trial point-prevalence data at the end of a 1-year follow-up study (N = 893) comparing placebo, bupropion, NTP, and bupropion/NTP in combination, administered along with minimal counseling. Sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the effects of variations in base-case assumptions regarding the monetary benefits that would accrue if an intervention were successful, probabilities of quitting, drug costs, cost of lost work time for a health care provider visit, and cost of the visit itself. RESULTS: The analysis showed that bupropion is more cost-beneficial than either NTP or bupropion/NTP, with a net benefit in the first post-quit year of up to $338 per employee who attempts to quit compared with $26 for NTP, $178 for the two in combination, and $258 for placebo. These results were robust to most plausible variations in the assumptions used in the model. One exception was the monetary benefit of successful intervention (assumed in the base-case to be $1,654). If this benefit were actually less than $1, 112, placebo (i.e., minimal counseling with no pharmacological intervention) would be more cost-beneficial than any of the active treatments. CONCLUSION: From an employer's perspective, bupropion 300 mg/day for 9 weeks is a more cost-beneficial smoking cessation intervention than the nicotine patch, and under most scenarios, bupropion is also more cost-beneficial than placebo.
Administration, Cutaneous↗
Effect of fluorine substitution on the interaction of lipophilic ions with the plasma membrane of mammalian cells.
The effects of the anionic tungsten carbonyl complex [W(CO)(5)SC(6)H(5)](-) and its fluorinated analog [W(CO)(5)SC(6)F(5)](-) on the electrical properties of the plasma membrane of mouse myeloma cells were studied by the single-cell electrorotation technique. At micromolar concentrations, both compounds gave rise to an additional antifield peak in the rotational spectra of cells, indicating that the plasma membrane displayed a strong dielectric dispersion. This means that both tungsten derivatives act as lipophilic ions that are able to introduce large amounts of mobile charges into the plasma membrane. The analysis of the rotational spectra allowed the evaluation not only of the passive electric properties of the plasma membrane and cytoplasm, but also of the ion transport parameters, such as the surface concentration, partition coefficient, and translocation rate constant of the lipophilic anions dissolved in the plasma membrane. Comparison of the membrane transport parameters for the two anions showed that the fluorine-substituted analog was more lipophilic, but its translocation across the plasma membrane was slower by at least one order of magnitude than that of the parent hydrogenated anion.
Animals↗
Diagnosis of HIV infection in children.
Many advances have been made in the area of HIV diagnostics. Commercially available virologic assays are sensitive and specific for the early detection of HIV in perinatal infection. The timing of the transmission of HIV from mother to child (in utero, at the time of birth, or postnatally by breast-feeding) is a critical consideration in the appropriate diagnosis of infants. Several algorithms can be used to define early infection and the potential timing of acquisition of infection that combine different assays and timing of specimens. The use of virologic assays, including HIV DNA PCR and HIV RNA detection methods and culture, can define and rule out infection in infants less than 18 months of age. Serologic diagnostic methods, including HIV ELISA, immunofluorescence, and western blot assays, can be used to diagnose infants more than 18 months of age, when transplacental antibody has disappeared in uninfected HIV-exposed infants. The challenge of the early and accurate diagnosis of perinatally HIV-exposed infants is the use of new assays to detect different HIV subtype infections that are prevalent in developing countries. Rapid, simple, and inexpensive serologic and virologic assays are being developed for worldwide use.
Child↗
Susceptibility of Legionella species to five antibiotics and development of resistance by exposure to erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampicin.
The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, rifampicin, and clindamycin were determined for 56 strains of Legionella pneumophila (38 patient, 3 environmental, and 15 reference strains) and 37 strains of other Legionella species (7 patient, 2 environmental, and 28 reference strains) using the epsilon-test system on BCYEalpha agar plates. High-level resistance (MIC > or = 4 microg/mL) was found only for clindamycin (57%), with MIC values ranging from 0.25-32 microg/mL. Low-level resistance was found for erythromycin (18%) (0.5 < MIC < 8), ciprofloxacin (1%) (1 < MIC < 4), and clindamycin (40%) (0.5 < MIC < 4), but not for ofloxacin and rifampicin. MIC50 for the 45 Danish clinical Legionella strains were 0.25 microg/mL (erythromycin), 0.25 microg/mL (ciprofloxacin), 0.19 microg/mL (ofloxacin), below 0.016 microg/mL (rifampicin), and 4 microg/mL (clindamycin). Of the clinical isolates, 64% were resistant to clindamycin. There were no significant differences between the MIC50 values obtained for clinical and nonclinical Legionella strains. Selected susceptible strains were exposed to increasing concentrations of either erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, or rifampicin to select for resistance. Isolates resistant to erythromycin (MIC 0.75-32 microg/mL) or ciprofloxacin (MIC 2-3 microg/mL) could be selected by a two-step procedure. One single strain recovered from media containing 50 microg/mL of erythromycin had an MIC value higher than 256 microg/mL to erythromycin. In contrast, high-level resistance toward rifampicin with MIC > or = 256 microg/mL developed as a one-step phenomenon in several strains.
Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
Perceptual confusions of high-pitched sung vowels.
Questions exist as to the intelligibility of vowels sung at extremely high fundamental frequencies and, especially, when the fundamental frequency (F0) produced is above the region where the first vowel formant (F1) would normally occur. Can such vowels be correctly identified and, if so, does context provide the necessary information or are acoustical elements also operative? To this end, 18 professional singers (5 males and 13 females) were recorded when singing 3 isolated vowels at high and low pitches at both loud and soft levels. Aural-perceptual studies employing four types of auditors were carried out to determine the identity of these vowels, and the nature of the confusions with other vowels. Subsequent acoustical analysis focused on the actual fundamental frequencies sung plus those defining the first 2 vowel formants. It was found that F0 change had a profound effect on vowel perception; one of the more important observations was that the target tended to shift toward vowels with an F1 just above the sung frequency.
Adult↗
Effect of vaccination with Brucella abortus strain RB51 on heifers and pregnant cattle.
Thirteen cows, which had been vaccinated as calves with strain 19, were revaccinated twice or three times as adults with I x 109 cfu of B. abortus strain RB51. Their serological responses following adult vaccination remained negative to conventional brucellosis surveillance tests. Vaccination with strain RB51 during the eighth month of pregnancy did not induce abortion, although strain RB51 was recovered from milk for up to 69 days after vaccination. In a parallel study, thirteen 8- to 10-month-old heifers were vaccinated as calves with 109 cfu of strain RB51. The heifers remained seronegative to conventional brucellosis surveillance tests but antibody responses to RB51 could be demonstrated using an indirect ELISA. This study showed that multiple vaccination with strain RB51 did not induce seroconversion to brucellosis surveillance tests. In addition, this study suggests that 109 cfu of strain RB51 is safe for use in pregnant cattle.
Animals↗
Sequencing of the rpoB gene in Legionella pneumophila and characterization of mutations associated with rifampin resistance in the Legionellaceae.
Rifampin in combination with erythromycin is a recommended treatment for severe cases of legionellosis. Mutations in the rpoB gene are known to cause rifampin resistance in Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the purpose of the present study was to investigate a possible similar resistance mechanism within the members of the family Legionellaceae. Since the RNA polymerase genes of this genus have never been characterized, the DNA sequence of the Legionella pneumophila rpoB gene was determined by the Vectorette technique for genome walking. A 4,647-bp DNA sequence that contained the open reading frame (ORF) of the rpoB gene (4,104 bp) and an ORF of 384 bp representing part of the rpoC gene was obtained. A 316-bp DNA fragment in the center of the L. pneumophila rpoB gene, corresponding to a previously described site for mutations leading to rifampin resistance in M. tuberculosis, was sequenced from 18 rifampin-resistant Legionella isolates representing four species (L. bozemanii, L. longbeachae, L. micdadei, and L. pneumophila), and the sequences were compared to the sequences of the fragments from the parent (rifampin-sensitive) strains. Six single-base mutations which led to amino acid substitutions at five different positions were identified. A single strain did not contain any mutations in the 316-bp fragment. This study represents the characterization of a hitherto undescribed resistance mechanism within the family Legionellaceae.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Evaluation of primary binding assays for presumptive serodiagnosis of swine brucellosis in Argentina.
An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IELISA), a competitive ELISA (CELISA), and a fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) for the presumptive serological diagnosis of swine brucellosis were evaluated using two populations of swine sera: sera from brucellosis-free Canadian herds and sera from Argentina selected based on positive reactions in the buffered antigen plate agglutination test (BPAT) and the 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) test. In addition, sera from adult swine from which Brucella suis was isolated at least once for each farm of origin were evaluated. The IELISA, CELISA, and FPA specificity values were 99.9, 99.5, and 98. 3%, respectively, and the IELISA, CELISA, and FPA sensitivity values relative to the BPAT and the 2-ME test were 98.9, 96.6, and 93.8%, respectively. Actual sensitivity was assessed by using 37 sera from individual pigs from which B. suis was cultured, and the values obtained were as follows: BPAT, 86.5%; 2-ME test, 81.1%; IELISA, 86.5%; CELISA, 78.5%; and FPA, 80.0%.
Animals↗