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Development and validation of a quantitative real-time PCR assay using fluorescence resonance energy transfer technology for detection of Aspergillus fumigatus in experimental invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a frequently fatal infection in immunocompromised patients that is difficult to diagnose. Present methods for detection of Aspergillus spp. in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in tissue vary in sensitivity and specificity. We therefore developed an A. fumigatus-specific quantitative real-time PCR-based assay utilizing fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology. We compared the assay to quantitative culture of BAL fluid and lung tissue in a rabbit model of experimental IPA. Using an enzymatic and high-speed mechanical cell wall disruption protocol, DNA was extracted from samples of BAL fluid and lung tissues from noninfected and A. fumigatus-infected rabbits. A unique primer set amplified internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) 1 and 2 of the rRNA operon. Amplicon was detected using FRET probes targeting a unique region of ITS1. Quantitation of A. fumigatus DNA was achieved by use of external standards. The presence of PCR inhibitors was determined by use of a unique control plasmid. The analytical sensitivity of the assay was </=10 copies of target DNA. No cross-reactivity occurred with other medically important filamentous fungi. The assay results correlated with pulmonary fungal burden as determined by quantitative culture (r = 0.72, Spearman rank correlation; P </= 0.0001). The mean number of genome equivalents detected in untreated animals was 3.86 log(10) (range, 0.86 to 6.39 log(10)) in tissue. There was a 3.53-log(10) mean reduction of A. fumigatus genome equivalents in animals treated with amphotericin B (AMB) (95% confidence interval, 3.38 to 3.69 log(10); P </= 0.0001), which correlated with the reduction of residual fungal burden in lung tissue measured in terms of log(10) CFU/gram. The enhanced quantitative sensitivity of the real-time PCR assay was evidenced by detection of A. fumigatus genome in infarcted culture-negative lobes, by a greater number of mean genome equivalents compared to the number of CFU per gram in tissue and BAL fluid, and by superior detection of therapeutic response to AMB in BAL fluid compared to culture. This real-time PCR assay using FRET technology is highly sensitive and specific in detecting A. fumigatus DNA from BAL fluid and lung tissue in experimental IPA.

Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary↗

Nuclear transfer technologies: between successes and doubts.

Cloning of mammals by nuclear transfer can lead to the birth of healthy adult animals but more often compromises the development of the reconstructed embryos. A high incidence of fetal and postnatal losses has been observed in several species, revealing the existence of long-lasting effects induced by the nuclear transfer procedures. Remodeling of donor chromatin by the recipient cytoplasm after nuclear transfer is frequently associated with the deregulation of specific genes, and recent observations point to the potential importance of time-dependent DNA methylation events in the occurrence of these alterations. Screening strategies to design nuclear transfer procedures that would mimic the epigenetic remodeling occurring in normal embryos are being designed, and improvement in the efficiency of procedures could imply a pre-conditioning of donor cells. Early mammalian development appears to be rather tolerant to epigenetic abnormalities, raising the possibility that even a fully functional reprogrammed genome may have been subjected to some epigenetic alterations. Bringing nuclear transfer to routine practice requires greater knowledge and understanding of the basic biological processes underlying epigenetic controls of nuclear activities. An important issue at present is to limit the production of those aberrant phenotypes that may result in significant insult to the nature and welfare of animals.

Animals↗

Technology transfer across industries.

Many of the technical challenges faced by next generation medical applications can be solved using established design and manufacturing solutions that originated in other industries. Although these are typically outside the core competence of most medical product developers, partnering with a specialist manufacturer can offer rapid access.

Biotechnology↗

Research, technology transfer, and dentistry.

The periodontal discipline illustrates the need for dentists to be doctors specializing in oral medicine. Research findings are tending toward more complex and possibly lengthy treatment with drugs and/or growth factors, necessitating a curriculum with more emphasis on pharmacology, medical management, critical review of clinical trial results, and evaluation of risk-benefit ratios.

Dental Restoration, Permanent↗

Systematic technology transfer from biology to engineering.

Solutions to problems move only very slowly between different disciplines. Transfer can be greatly speeded up with suitable abstraction and classification of problems. Russian researchers working on the TRIZ (Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch) method for inventive problem solving have identified systematic means of transferring knowledge between different scientific and engineering disciplines. With over 1500 person years of effort behind it, TRIZ represents the biggest study of human creativity ever conducted, whose aim has been to establish a system into which all known solutions can be placed, classified in terms of function. At present, the functional classification structure covers nearly 3 000 000 of the world's successful patents and large proportions of the known physical, chemical and mathematical knowledge-base. Additional tools are the identification of factors which prevent the attainment of new technology, leading directly to a system of inventive principles which will resolve the impasse, a series of evolutionary trends of development, and to a system of methods for effecting change in a system (Su-fields). As yet, the database contains little biological knowledge despite early recognition by the instigator of TRIZ (Genrich Altshuller) that one day it should. This is illustrated by natural systems evolved for thermal stability and the maintenance of cleanliness.

Biomedical Engineering↗

Information technology in complex health services: organizational impediments to successful technology transfer and diffusion.

OBJECTIVE: To identify impediments to the successful transfer and implementation of packaged information systems through large, divisionalized health services. DESIGN: A case analysis of the failure of an implementation of a critical application in the Public Health System of the State of New South Wales, Australia, was carried out. This application had been proven in the United States environment. MEASUREMENTS: Interviews involving over 60 staff at all levels of the service were undertaken by a team of three. The interviews were recorded and analyzed for key themes, and the results were shared and compared to enable a continuing critical assessment. RESULTS: Two components of the transfer of the system were considered: the transfer from a different environment, and the diffusion throughout a large, divisionalized organization. The analyses were based on the Scott-Morton organizational fit framework. In relation to the first, it was found that there was a lack of fit in the business environments and strategies, organizational structures and strategy-structure pairing as well as the management process-roles pairing. The diffusion process experienced problems because of the lack of fit in the strategy-structure, strategy-structure-management processes, and strategy-structure-role relationships. CONCLUSION: The large-scale developments of integrated health services present great challenges to the efficient and reliable implementation of information technology, especially in large, divisionalized organizations. There is a need to take a more sophisticated approach to understanding the complexities of organizational factors than has traditionally been the case.

Computer User Training↗

Technology transfer pathways and livelihood impact indicators in central Ethiopia.

A survey was conducted in central Ethiopia to elicit information on existing and potential dissemination pathways for technical information on donkey husbandry. A detailed socio-economic survey was also conducted to provide background information on the people and the region, and livelihood indicators were drawn out at the same time. The results showed that there are many opportunities for group dissemination by making use of existing social networks. There are also opportunities for dissemination through extension agents, farmer groups and radio broadcasting.

Adult↗

Development of gene transfer technology for black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon.

An effective foreign gene transfer method for shrimp would have several potential uses in the shrimp culture industry, such as in preventing infectious diseases. We evaluated two gene transfer methods and used black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, as a model target species. For a promoter, we used the 1,592-bp promoter region of the EF-1alpha gene, a house-keeping gene, of kuruma shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus. The promoter region was linked to either the gene for green fluorescence protein (GFP) or the gene for chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT). The fusion genes were designated pJEF-GFP and pJEF-CAT, respectively. The pJEF-GFP gene was introduced into fertilized eggs of black tiger shrimp by microinjection and particle gun bombardment. The survival rate of the microinjected eggs was 17.6%, and 1.0% of the treated embryos were found to be GFP-positive. However, the GFP-positive embryos were damaged and embryogenesis did not progress. The survival rate of the particle-bombarded eggs was 60.6%, and 0.42% of the treated embryos were found to be GFP-positive. Ubiquitous GFP expression was observed from 8 hr post-fertilization and these embryos developed and hatched normally. The pJEF-CAT gene was introduced into fertilized eggs of black tiger shrimp using the optimized conditions of the particle gun bombardment. CAT activity was observed from 1 to 7 days post-fertilization, with the highest activities being observed at 5 and 7 days post-hatching.

Animals↗

Developing rehabilitative behavioral interventions for long-term care: technology transfer, acceptance, and maintenance issues.

Rehabilitative behavioral interventions that are documented in clinical trials to improve nursing home resident outcomes and are recommended by practice guidelines are often not adapted for daily use in nursing homes and other long-term care (LTC) facilities. Failure to evaluate issues other than clinical efficacy when developing interventions contributes to this gap between efficacy and effectiveness in practice. A potential solution is a research model that supplements traditional clinical intervention research with methodology designed specifically to evaluate the ability of LTC facilities to implement the interventions. This paper discusses several critical issues of intervention and implementation that should be addressed, including targeting interventions, advocacy, cost-effectiveness, training, and quality control. We also describe how clinical trials could be designed and staged to increase the probability that effective interventions will be implemented in the day-to-day care of frail older patients in LTC facilities.

Aged↗

New therapeutic uses for an old family of drugs: travels of a dental researcher from the lab to the university's office of technology transfer and beyond.

The authors, including an academic-inventor, the director of the University's tech-transfer office, and the CEO of a "start-up" pharmaceutical company based on the professor's (and his colleague's) inventions, relate the history and current status of their interactions. To start, the basic research leading to the "eureka" experiment (such things really do happen) is summarized: namely, the discovery of (i) the surprising ability of the tetracycline antibiotics to inhibit mammalian tissue-destructive proteinases (collagenase, gelatinase) during a variety of disease processes, e.g., periodontitis, the arthritides, osteopenia/osteoporosis, sterile corneal ulcers, tumor invasion/metastasis/angiogenesis, and (ii) a series of chemically-modified, non-antibacterial analogs of tetracyclines to inhibit these enzymes without producing typical antibiotic side effects. The role of the University in obtaining the services of patent attorneys, and its assistance in developing the strategy to deal with an industrial partner, is addressed. Above all, the authors stress the need for close cooperation and collegial interactions between all three groups in this high-risk (but potentially high-benefit-to-the-public) enterprise.

Academic Medical Centers↗

Corneal transplantation in a developing country: problems associated with technology transfer from rich to poor societies.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of penetrating corneal transplantation at a university hospital in Brazil. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 146 patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty at the University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil. The participants were followed postoperatively for 36 months or until graft failure. RESULTS: In this period, 49% of the grafts lost transparency. All the corneal diseases analysed were present in about the same proportions, except for keratoconus and bullous keratopathy, which showed 3% and 73% rates of graft oedema, respectively. Only 8% of the failures could be attributed to rejection. Other variables such as age, multiple surgeries and previous eye conditions could not explain the high rate of graft failure. Non-adherence to postoperative care increased with age, with a significant association between this behaviour and the rate of graft failure in the older age group. Keratoconus seems to be much less demanding and bullous keratopathy seems to be more exigent in terms of corneal transplantation than other corneal diseases. CONCLUSION: Although it involves an apparently simple surgical procedure, corneal transplantation is a demanding enterprise that can lead to very poor results under unfavourable conditions.

Adolescent↗

Technology transfer in tropical animal health and production at the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM).

Although this is an edition of the Journal celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM), tropical veterinary medicine has been taught at the Edinburgh Veterinary School for 65 years. During that time the emphasis has changed from the training solely of British veterinarians for work in the tropics to training both veterinarians and those from other disciplines from the tropics and subtropics. As a result CTVM graduates now work in most countries of the world in many different roles. The CTVM was formed 25 years ago to meet the increased demand for inservice postgraduate training for veterinarians from tropical countries. These 25 years have seen considerable changes in the training programmes offered by the CTVM to meet the developing needs of these countries. During this period the original DTVM course has been replaced by five MSc courses some of which are open to non veterinarians. The profile of the students attending these courses has constantly changed with the result that more than 1,100 students from 108 countries have attended during the 25 year period. The courses are constantly developing and now most are offered in modular form, one is available as a bilingual course (English/French) and some modules can be taught as "turnkey" courses in tropical countries. The links with research workers at the CTVM and those in the Edinburgh Centre of Rural Research (ECRR) have ensured that teaching programmes have been and continue to be relevant to current needs. In addition the CTVM graduates have proved to be a successful way of channelling research findings from these programmes to the tropics. The CTVM has provided a unique environment 55 degrees N of the equator where veterinarians and others interested in animal production and health from six continents can have access to up-to-date information and to exchange ideas with each other. Many subsequently return for refresher courses or just to renew old acquaintances.

Animal Husbandry↗

Role of ergonomics in the transfer of technology to industrially developing countries.

Technological development has contributed to economic growth and social progress as well as a reduction of many sources of occupational accidents, injuries and stresses. However, advanced technology has also brought new sources of work stress and injuries. Industrially developing countries (IDC) have tended to try to achieve economic growth and development by importing technology designed for IDC. However, because of several complex technical, cultural and socio-economic factors, this policy has not been always successful. Inappropriate technology transfer has led to many work environment and productivity problems. Consideration of ergonomics in the choice and utilization of the transferred technology can help to create a good fit between technology, technology users and the operating environment. Application of ergonomics is, however, not widely spread in most IDC. Ergonomics input will create the appropriate working environment in which people are safe and motivated to participate and can better utilize company resources for increasing system productivity, reliability and availability.

Developing Countries↗

Health care technology transfer in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The greatest problem concerning health care technology for developing countries is that they are dependent upon the industrialized world for technology. The only short-term solution to this problem is to improve the choices that are available to them. This goal will require changes in the structure and processes of policy making. A particular difficulty for these countries is the lack of trained personnel in fields related to technology assessment.

Developing Countries↗

Mood state as a predictor of treatment outcome after in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer technology (IVF/ET).

The association between mood state and treatment outcome after In Vitro Fertilization/Embryo Transfer (IVF/ET) was assessed in a prospective sample of 330 women, of whom 113 were first time participants (inductees) and 217 were repeat cycle women (veterans). Initial evaluation of mood state indicated a significantly higher level of depression amongst veterans than inductees and a significantly greater proportion of veterans (25%) with clinically elevated depression scores compared with inductees (15%) and community norms (approx. 12%). Up to 12 months after initial assessment and after controlling for the number of treatment cycles, a significant difference was observed in the course of pregnancy over time between depressed and non-depressed women. Depressed women exhibited a lower pregnancy rate for the first treatment cycles than non-depressed women. The results and their implications are discussed.

Adult↗