Frequency of alleles conferring resistance to a Bacillus thuringiensis toxin in a Philippine population of Scirpophaga incertulas (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Using the F2 screen methodology, we estimated the frequency of alleles conferring resistance to the Cry1Ab toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner in a Philippine population of the stem borer Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker). Evaluation of >450 isofemale lines for survival of F2 larvae on cry1Ab plants did not detect the presence of an allele conferring a high level of resistance. The frequency of such an allele in the sampled population was conservatively estimated to be <3.

Donor organ transmission of varicella zoster due to cardiac transplantation.

Background: We report a case of donor-transmitted varicella zoster viral (VZV) infection in a cardiac transplant recipient. A 15-month-old girl developed primary VZV infection 12 days after cardiac transplantation. The donor suffered from varicella 2 weeks before death from pneumococcal meningitis.

Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin proteins show a correlation in toxicity and short circuit current inhibition against Helicoverpa zea.

Pesticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxins, Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry2A, was determined by using the force-feeding bioassay method to 4(th) instar larvae of Helicoverpa zea. H. zea was susceptible to Bt toxins in the order Cry1Ac > Cry1Ab > Cry1Aa > Cry2A with 63.

Heat disinfection of clinical waste: microbiological assessment and monitoring of effectiveness.

Simple, rapid and reproducible protocols are described for the microbiological assessment of clinical waste treatment processes, using Bacillus subtilis spore tests and end-product sampling. The use of these protocols to commission a new heat disinfection system (HDS), based on a hot oil-filled auger, and to monitor it over the first 21 months of operation is described. It is suggested that these protocols are suitable for assessment of other non-burn heat-treatment technologies.

Structure of the human D1F15S1A locus: a chromosome 1 locus with 97% identity to the chromosome 3 gene coding for hepatocyte growth factor-like protein.

The human chromosome 3 locus coding for hepatocyte growth factor-like protein/macrophage stimulating protein (HGFL/MSP) is homologous to two sets of amplified loci on human chromosome 1 at 1p36. One copy of one of the amplified loci (D1F15S1A) has been further characterized by restriction enzyme and DNA sequence analysis. A total of 8331 bp of continuous sequence was determined for this locus.

Prosthetic heart valve endocarditis caused by Bacillus circulans.

We report a case of prosthetic valve endocarditis due to Bacillus circulans in a 56-year-old woman. Pre-operative blood cultures were negative and the organism was only recovered on culture of the explanted mechanical valve. We discuss the reasons for the late clinical presentation of this case, 15 months post valve replacement, caused by an organism which is conventionally regarded as 'early' pathogen.

Very large (CAG)(n) DNA repeat expansions in the sperm of two spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 males.

Genetic anticipation, i.e. increasing disease severity and decreasing age of onset from one generation to the next, is observed in a number of diseases, including myotonic dystrophy type 1, Huntington's disease and several of the spinocerebellar ataxias.

Identification of residues in domain III of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxin that affect binding and toxicity.

Alanine substitution mutations in the Cry1Ac domain III region, from amino acid residues 503 to 525, were constructed to study the functional role of domain III in the toxicity and receptor binding of the protein to Lymantria dispar, Manduca sexta, and Heliothis virescens. Five sets of alanine block mutants were generated at the residues (503)SS(504), (506)NNI(508), (509)QNR(511), (522)ST(523), and (524)ST(525). Single alanine substitutions were made at the residues (509)Q, (510)N, (511)R, and (513)Y.

Glycopeptide tolerance in bacteria causing endocarditis.

Glycopeptides have been recommended as therapy for endocarditis. MICs and MBCs of vancomycin and teicoplanin were compared for 100 isolates from patients with proven bacterial endocarditis. MICs were generally lower for teicoplanin and tolerance to both agents was common.

Prevention of nosocomial infection in solid organ transplantation.

Despite improvements in survival rates, infection remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality following solid organ transplantation. Prevention of infection and, failing this, prompt diagnosis and treatment remain the cornerstones of management. During the peri-operative admission, when the level of immunosuppression is at its height, nosocomial infection accounts for the majority of infective morbidity.

Does clinical case management improve outpatient addiction treatment.

This project evaluated whether clinical case managers (CCMs) could increase access and utilization of social services in the community; and thereby improve outcomes of addiction treatment. No case management (NoCM)--patients received standard, group-based, abstinence-oriented, outpatient drug abuse counseling, approximately twice weekly. Clinical case management (CCM)--patients were treated in the same programs but also were assigned a CCM who provided access to pre-contracted, support services such as drug free housing, medical care, legal referral, and parenting classes from community agencies.

Significance of Epstein-Barr virus status and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease in pediatric thoracic transplantation.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a serious complication of organ and bone marrow transplantation. The importance of EBV matching between recipient and donor remains unclear. Between October 1987 and December 1997, 64 pediatric cardio-pulmonary transplants were performed at this center (58 hearts, two heart/lungs, four sequential single lungs).

Rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus by using fluorescent staphylocoagulase assays.

Two rapid (1-h) assays for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus staphylocoagulase were developed by using the fluorogenic thrombin substrates N-t-boc-Val-Pro-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (VPA) and N-t-boc-beta-benzyl-Asp-Pro-Arg-7-amido-4-methylocoumarin (BB). The assays were compared to the tube coagulase test and latex agglutination (LA) (Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom) by using 406 clinical isolates of staphylococci, and they produced positive and negative predictive values of 99.2 and 99.

Evaluation of tube coagulase and a fluorogenic substrate for rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from selective enrichment broth in an outbreak of EMRSA 15.

We investigated the use of tube coagulase and a fluorescent substrate, N-t-BOC-val-pro-arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin for the rapid detection of MRSA in selective broth enrichment cultures during an outbreak. These methods were compared with direct plating of swabs and plating a selective broth enrichment culture using 200 screening swabs collected from forty patients during the investigation of an outbreak of E-MRSA 15. Overall 66 swabs were positive for MRSA following subculture of broth enrichment culture.

Overexpression of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry2Aa2 protein in chloroplasts confers resistance to plants against susceptible and Bt-resistant insects.

Evolving levels of resistance in insects to the bioinsecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) can be dramatically reduced through the genetic engineering of chloroplasts in plants. When transgenic tobacco leaves expressing Cry2Aa2 protoxin in chloroplasts were fed to susceptible, Cry1A-resistant (20,000- to 40,000-fold) and Cry2Aa2-resistant (330- to 393-fold) tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens, cotton bollworm Helicoverpa zea, and the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua, 100% mortality was observed against all insect species and strains. Cry2Aa2 was chosen for this study because of its toxicity to many economically important insect pests, relatively low levels of cross-resistance against Cry1A-resistant insects, and its expression as a protoxin instead of a toxin because of its relatively small size (65 kDa).

ABC medium, a new chromogenic agar for selective isolation of Salmonella spp.

We describe a new chromogenic agar medium, ABC medium (alphabeta-chromogenic medium), which includes two substrates, 3, 4-cyclohexenoesculetin-beta-D-galactoside and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-alpha-D-galactopyranoside, to facilitate the selective isolation of Salmonella spp. This medium exploits the fact that Salmonella spp. may be distinguished from other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae by the presence of alpha-galactosidase activity in the absence of beta-galactosidase activity.

Supplemental social services improve outcomes in public addiction treatment.

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness and value of social services added to standard addiction rehabilitation.

Design: A controlled, quasi-experimental, field study with repeated measures.

Setting: Conducted in two groups of publicly supported outpatient addiction treatment programs.

A SPATIALLY EXPLICIT STOCHASTIC MODEL DEMONSTRATES THE FEASIBILITY OF WRIGHT'S SHIFTING BALANCE THEORY.

Recently there has been a resurgence of theoretical papers exploring Wright's Shifting Balance Theory (SBT) of evolution. The SBT explains how traits which must pass through an adaptive valley may evolve in substructured populations. It has been suggested that Phase III of the SBT (the spread of new advantageous traits through the populations) proceeds only under a very restricted set of conditions.