Publications

genomics and microbiology. microbial forensics--"cross-examining pathogens".		2002	12004075
anthrax sequence. useful data but no smoking gun.		2002	12004096
a primer on sampling for biological contaminants--part one: science and theory.		2002	12004589
post september 11: some reflections on the role of environmental health in terrorism response.		2002	12004594
our first line of defense against bioterrorism part 2.	in march, part 1 of this two-part series examined the challenges with identifying bioterrorism-specifically the anthrax outbreak. part 2 explains what's being done to equip america's health care providers to recognize and respond to future attacks, while protecting the public.	2002	12006878
expression of anthrax lethal factor gene by osmolyte induction.	the anthrax toxin consists of protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf) and edema factor (ef). pa mediates the entry of lf and ef to the cytosol where they exert their effects. although pa is the major component of the vaccines against anthrax, lf has also been found to play an important role in enhancing protective immunity. we have developed an osmolyte-inducible lf expression system. the protein expression system contributed no additional amino acids to the recombinant lf making it suitable ...	2002	12007822
monitoring anthrax vaccine safety in us military service members on active duty: surveillance of 1998 hospitalizations in temporal association with anthrax immunization.	we compared 1998 hospitalizations in active-duty us military personnel for possible temporal association with anthrax immunization. immunization, demographic, and hospitalization data were analyzed using cox proportional hazards modeling for hospitalization within 42 days of vaccination. discharge diagnoses were aggregated into 14 international classification of disease, ninth revision, clinical modification (icd-9-cm) categories. approximately 11% of subjects received one or more doses of vacci ...	2002	12009293
progress in rapid screening of bacillus anthracis lethal factor activity.		2002	12011416
mailborne transmission of anthrax: modeling and implications.	a mathematical model is developed to analyze the transmission of inhalational anthrax through the postal system by cross-contamination of mail. the model consists of state vectors describing the numbers of cross-contaminated letters generated, the numbers of anthrax spores on these letters, the numbers of resulting infections in recipients, and matrices of transition probabilities acting on these vectors. the model simulates the recent outbreak in the united states, and provides a general framew ...	2002	12011462
[evaluation of the relation between the traditional index on the identification of bacillus anthracis and its virulence determinant genes].	to evaluate the significance of traditional index on the identification of bacillus anthracis and its correlation with pathogenic strains.	2002	12015097
inhalational anthrax.	until recently, inhalational anthrax was a medical curiosity in both the western medical literature and clinical practice. the post-september 11, 2001 outbreak of this disease in the eastern united states that spread through the mail, however, instantly changed the appreciation of this disease and the appreciation of biological terrorism/warfare in general. the microbiology, epidemiology, clinical, and therapeutic/preventative aspects of this entity, classically known as "wool sorter's disease" ...	2002	12015917
cutaneous anthrax: an overview.	the recent acts of bioterrorism have raised new questions about this uncommon disease. clinicians are puzzled as to why some of the victims exposed to bacillus anthracis spores developed the cutaneous form of the disease and others the inhalational form. despite these questions, cutaneous anthrax remains relatively simple to treat effectively. the real clinical challenge lies in the diagnosis, especially being able to distinguish it from a spider bite.	2002	12017087
isolation, purification and partial chemical characterization of a lethal factor from common indian toad (bufo melanostictus, schneider) skin extract.	indian toad (bufo melanostictus, schneider) skin extract (tse) is pharmacologically potent and probably contains several bioactive compounds [das et. al., indian j pharmacol, 28 (1996) 72]. a lethal factor was isolated and purified by neutral alumina column chromatography followed by hplc. spectroscopic (uv, ir, fab-mass) study indicated that the lethal factor (tse-lf) was a 254 da long chain compound with carbonyl, hydroxyl and ester as functional groups. ld50 of tse-lf was found to be 3.5 mg/k ...	2001	12018580
on the risk of mortality to primates exposed to anthrax spores.	current events have heightened the importance of understanding the risks from inhalation exposure to small numbers of spores of bacillus anthracis. previously reported data sets have not been fully assessed using current understanding of microbial dose response. this article presents an assessment of the reported primate dose-response data. at low doses, the risk to large populations of low doses of inhaled spores (e.g., < 100) is not insignificant.	2002	12022669
[fingerprints of anthrax bacteria].		2002	12025199
biological weapons, war crimes, and wwi.		2002	12025830
[sporicidal activities of disinfectants against bacillus anthracis spores].		2002	12030029
active systemic anthrax infection or lingering anthrax infection of cerebrospinal compartment?		2002	12033752
effect of nasal immunization with protective antigen of bacillus anthracis on protective immune response against anthrax toxin.	anthrax toxin consists of three proteins: protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf) and edema factor (ef). pa in combination with lf (lethal toxin) is lethal to mammalian cells and is the major component of human anthrax vaccine. immunization with pa elicits the production of neutralizing antibodies that form a major component of the protective immunity against anthrax. recent reports have shown that neutralizing antibody titres can serve as a reliable surrogate marker for protection against a ...	2002	12034111
bioterrorism: an update with a focus on anthrax.		2002	12034576
bioterrorism.		2001	12035346
antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacillus anthracis: comparison of results obtained by using the national committee for clinical laboratory standards broth microdilution reference and etest agar gradient diffusion methods.	we determined the patterns of antimicrobial susceptibility of 65 isolates of bacillus anthracis (50 historical and 15 recent u.s. clinical isolates) to nine antimicrobial agents using the national committee for clinical laboratory standards (nccls) broth microdilution reference method. the results for the 50 historical b. anthracis isolates obtained by the broth microdilution method were compared to those generated by the etest agar gradient diffusion method. one isolate of b. anthracis was beta ...	2002	12037041
scientists placated as us bill gets tough on bioterror.		2002	12037529
protection against anthrax toxin by recombinant antibody fragments correlates with antigen affinity.	the tripartite toxin produced by bacillus anthracis is the key determinant in the etiology of anthrax. we have engineered a panel of toxin-neutralizing antibodies, including single-chain variable fragments (scfvs) and scfvs fused to a human constant kappa domain (scabs), that bind to the protective antigen subunit of the toxin with equilibrium dissociation constants (k(d)) between 63 nm and 0.25 nm. the entire antibody panel showed high serum, thermal, and denaturant stability. in vitro, post-ch ...	2002	12042864
[anthrax due to deliberate infection].		2002	12043452
responding to chemical, biological, or nuclear terrorism: the indirect and long-term health effects may present the greatest challenge.	the possibility of terrorists employing chemical, biological, or nuclear/ radiological (cbn) materials has been a concern since 1995 when sarin gas was dispersed in a tokyo subway. contingency planning almost exclusively involved detection. containment, and emergency health care for mass casualties. however, it is clear that even small-scale cbn incidents--like the recent spread of anthrax spores through the mail--can cause widespread confusion, fear, and psychological stress that have lasting e ...	2002	12043900
landscape with dead sheep: what they did to gruinard island.	in the context of intensified international concern about biological weapons (bw), this article looks at the pioneering british research in this field during the second world war, which caused the long-term contamination of gruinard island in north-west scotland. public record office documents have been examined to show how scientists reported on the experiments at the time and what they thought about their (top secret) work, as well as how politicians directed their efforts and used their resul ...	2002	12044028
bioterrorism watch. they don't call it bioterror for nothing: fear is the foe when anthrax spores are found within hospital walls.		2002	12046239
anthrax vaccine and causality assessment from individual case reports.		2002	12051117
safety of anthrax vaccine: a review by the anthrax vaccine expert committee (avec) of adverse events reported to the vaccine adverse event reporting system (vaers).	to assess the safety of a licensed anthrax vaccine given to nearly 400,000 us military personnel, reports of adverse events (aes) submitted to the vaccine adverse event reporting system (vaers) were reviewed and evaluated medically.	2002	12051118
anthrax vaccination and joint related adverse reactions in light of biological warfare scenarios.	the purpose of this analysis was to evaluate anthrax vaccine (ava) and joint related adverse reactions based upon analysis of the vaers database in light of the current possibility of the use of anthrax as a biological warfare agent.	2002	12051402
[contemporary control of biological warfare].	biological pathogens actually are in the focus of interest as a potential biological weapon in bioterrorist's disposition. in the study the main pathogens and their activity spectrum have been presented. the special attention has been paid upon aerosol way of transmission and its consequences. the possibilities of prevention and treatment of diseases caused by biological pathogens have been also discussed.	2002	12053581
recognizing the real threat of biological terror.	weapons of mass destruction can be used to harm and terrorize populations. such weapons include those with chemical, nuclear or biological properties. obviously computer viruses can add additional barriers to a quick response. the most effective, least costly and greatest threats are biologicals. biological terror is not new, and biological weapons have been used for centuries. however, as a result of modern technology, the risks are greater now and the outcomes more terrible. today they include ...	2002	12053717
lethal toxin of bacillus anthracis causes apoptosis of macrophages.	lethal toxin is a major anthrax virulence factor, causing the rapid death of experimental animals. lethal toxin can enter most cell types, but only certain macrophages and cell lines are susceptible to toxin-mediated cytolysis. we have shown that in murine raw 264.7 cells, sublytic amounts of lethal toxin trigger intracellular signaling events typical for apoptosis, including changes in membrane permeability, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and dna fragmentation. the cells were protect ...	2002	12054607
plague, pressure and politics part of life for cdc leader. how koplan coped with the anthrax outbreak, and a look at his rise to the top. interview by maryn mckenna..		2002	12055950
[carbuncle (anthrax) as biological weapon].	the authors explain the anthrax pathogeny as necessary base to treat the systemic anthrax, that it can be secondary to a terrorist aggression, that until now it causes death to damaged people. for fear that a contamination with anthracis spores by a terrorist aggression, it is imposed to administrate chymeprotection to damaged people, because once it is appeared the symptoms of the systemic illness, the antibiotics don't stop the process evolution. for that reason, we think it is important to kn ...	2001	12056261
biological agents as weapons 1: smallpox and botulism.	1. early recognition by clinicians of illnesses suggesting a biological attack is integral to the public health response. 2. the four biological agents of most concern are smallpox virus, botulinum toxin, and anthrax and plague bacteria. 3. smallpox is distinguishable from chickenpox by the prominent prodromal period and lesions that develop at the same pace and, on any part of the body, appear identical to each other, evolve slowly and are peripherally distributed. 4. the degree of protection c ...	2002	12056996
occurrence of anthrax in kars district, turkey.	the aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of anthrax by bacteriologic methods in cattle and sheep between january 2000 and september 2001 and to determine the distribution of this zoonotic disease in humans in kars district, turkey. bacillus anthracis was isolated and identified in 34 out of 38 (91%) cattle and 11 out of 17 (64%) sheep samples obtained from organs suspected of anthrax. the records of the governmental health branch showed that 89 cases of cutaneous anthrax were diagn ...	2002	12061231
self-reported changes in subjective health and anthrax vaccination as reported by over 900 persian gulf war era veterans.	a 1999 study of united kingdom servicemembers by unwin, et al. recently found significant relationships between anthrax and other vaccinations, reactions to those vaccines, and later health problems for male current or former active military gulf war veterans. likewise, in 2000 steele and in 1998 gilroy found possible adverse effects of vaccinations on gulf war veterans. however, the role of such vaccinations remains controversial; more recent government reports continue to dispute the existence ...	2002	12061608
development and application of an analytical method for the determination of squalene in formulations of anthrax vaccine adsorbed.	specific lots of anthrax vaccine adsorbed, administered to members of the us armed forces, have been described on various internet sites and in news articles as a source of squalene, a chemical purported by these media to be associated with the gulf war syndrome. we have developed and validated a method using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection for the determination of squalene in anthrax vaccine preparations. the method has a limit of detection of 140 parts per bil ...	2002	12062677
bioterrorism: what is and what may never be. part 1.		2002	12063832
update: cutaneous anthrax in a laboratory worker--texas, 2002.	on april 5, 2002, cdc reported a case of suspected cutaneous anthrax in a worker at laboratory a who had been processing environmental samples for bacillus anthracis in support of cdc investigations of the 2001 bioterrorist attacks in the united states. since the initial report, the worker had serial serology performed at the cdc laboratory. a greater than fourfold rise from baseline in the concentration of immunoglobulin g to protective antigen was demonstrated. the peak antibody level was obse ...	2002	12064454
biological agents as weapons 2: anthrax and plague.	although most naturally occurring infections with anthrax and plague are cutaneous, both organisms are most likely to be deliberately disseminated in aerosolised form, resulting in severe pulmonary illness. mortality from both would be high and rapid in the absence of early and effective treatment, making swift and effective liaison between alert clinicians and public health authorities crucial to an effective response. differentiating features include mediastinal widening (anthrax) and haemopty ...	2002	12064962
after september 11: rethinking public health federalism.		2002	12066598
sequence analysis of the genes encoding for the major virulence factors of bacillus anthracis vaccine strain 'carbosap'.	this study was performed to analyse the molecular characteristics of genes encoding for the major virulence factors in bacillus anthracis vaccine strain 'carbosap' compared with the wild b. anthracis strain, to evaluate the basis of attenuation.	2002	12067380
bioterrorism: better safe than sorry.		2002	12068488
bioterrorism watch. they don't call it bioterror for nothing: fear is the foe when anthrax spores are found within hospital walls.		2002	12068508
the 1979 anthrax epidemic in the ussr: applied science and political controversy.		2002	12068904
antibiotic susceptibilities of 96 isolates of bacillus anthracis isolated in france between 1994 and 2000.	ninety-six isolates of bacillus anthracis recovered in france between 1994 and 2000 were tested for their susceptibilities to 25 different antibiotics. resistance to penicillin g and amoxicillin was 11.5%. all of the isolates were resistant to cotrimoxazole and susceptible to doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin, levofloxacin, teicoplanin, vancomycin, clindamycin, imipenem, and rifampin.	2002	12069996
[anthrax--the past, present and future].	anthrax has been known since ancient times. besides some references in the old testament, there is evidence of plagues in ancient egypt, as well as descriptions of the disease by the roman poet virgil. etiology: anthrax is caused by bacillus anthracis, unmovable, aerobic, gram-positive rods. it forms spores, which can survive for years in the environment.	2002	12070927
fatal case of inhalational anthrax mimicking intra-abdominal sepsis.	in this report, we discuss the second fatal case of inhalational anthrax related to the use of bacillus anthracis spores as a biological weapon in the united states. this case highlights two of the major characteristics of inhalational anthrax: the fulminating nature of the infection and the difficulty of promptly establishing a diagnosis. in the patient discussed here, gastrointestinal symptoms and findings were so impressive that the patient was thought to have a primary intra-abdominal condit ...	2002	12071107
anthrax in adults and children: a review of 132 cases in turkey.	in this retrospective study, 132 cases of anthrax observed in a turkish hospital over a 14-year period (october 1986 to october 2000) were evaluated with respect to clinical features, therapy, and outcome. the results show that anthrax is a disease of significance in the eastern anatolian region of turkey. preventive measures such as education of the population and vaccination of animals against anthrax would reduce the incidence of the disease.	2002	12072935
2001 anthrax crisis in washington, d.c.: clinic for persons exposed to contaminated mail.	an anthrax prophylaxis clinic is described. in october 2001, four workers from the u.s. postal service's brentwood facility in washington, d.c., were hospitalized with inhalational anthrax; many others may have been exposed to anthrax spores. u.s. public health service (usphs) teams were deployed to establish an anthrax prophylaxis clinic that would provide education and medication to workers and people who visited the mail facility. the temporary clinic was set up at d.c. general hospital and w ...	2002	12073860
2001 anthrax crisis in washington, d.c.: pharmacists' role in screening patients and selecting prophylaxis.	pharmacists' development and use of a worksheet facilitating their rapid selection of patient-appropriate prophylactic antimicrobials in an anthrax clinic is described. a clinic housed at d.c. general hospital, in washington, d.c., treated most of the people--many of them postal workers--who may have been exposed to anthrax in that city during the 2001 anthrax crisis. a form was needed to assist pharmacists in the rapid selection of prophylactic antimicrobials and in patient education and counse ...	2002	12073861
summary report of the experiments conducted at pouilly-le-fort, near melun, on the anthrax vaccination, 1881.		2002	12074483
terrorism from a public health perspective.	the use of biological and chemical weapons as agents of warfare and terrorism has occurred sporadically, but recent events demonstrate the increasing risk and possibility that terrorist groups with grievances against the government or groups may employ them. historically, most evaluations of the potential risk for biological weaponry have focused on the military, but the recent release of anthrax in the united states demonstrates that civilian populations are also at risk. more likely than not, ...	2002	12074484
bacterial pathogens as biological weapons and agents of bioterrorism.	bacterial pathogens have been identified as agents that have been, or could be, used as weapons of biological warfare and/or biological terrorism. these agents are relatively easily obtained, prepared, and dispersed, either as weapons of mass destruction or for more limited terrorist attacks. although phylogenetically diverse, these agents all have the potential for aerosol dissemination. physicians in the united states and most of the developed world have never encountered most of these agents ...	2002	12074485
rethink anti-bioterrorism plans.		2002	12075302
terrorism response resources for clinicians.		2001	12080532
group i self-splicing intron in the reca gene of bacillus anthracis.	self-splicing introns are rarely found in bacteria and bacteriophages. they are classified into group i and ii according to their structural features and splicing mechanisms. while the group i introns are occasionally found in protein-coding regions of phage genomes and in several trna genes of cyanobacteria and proteobacteria, they had not been found in protein-coding regions of bacterial genomes. here we report a group i intron in the reca gene of bacillus anthracis which was initially found b ...	2002	12081963
bioterrorism syndromes.		2002	12085490
bioterrorism threat makes preparation essential.		2002	12085491
the usa preparing for bioterrorism: the role of fort detrick since 1970.		2002	12085492
more fda resources to counter terrorism.		2002	12085814
fda approves anthrax vaccine license supplements.		2002	12085816
case records of the massachusetts general hospital. weekly clinicopathological exercises. case 20-2002. a 37-year-old man with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and a cutaneous foot lesion after a trip to africa.		2002	12087144
a perspective: risk analysis as a tool for reducing the risks of terrorism.	the destruction by terrorists of the twin towers of the world trade center and major damage wrought to the pentagon on september 11, 2001, followed closely by the bioterrorist anthrax attacks via the mails raised the question of whether risk analysis might have a place in defending the united states against terrorist attacks. after first reviewing the multifaceted nature of terrorism and the reasons it is likely to become endemic in world society in the long term, just as other areas of crime ar ...	2002	12088218
bacterial and fungal aerosols in indoor environment in central and eastern european countries.	studies of indoor bioaerosols conducted in central and eastern european countries, as a result of the scarcity of funding, mostly do not attain the level presented by similar studies in northern america and western europe. for socio-economic reasons, most of the intense studies on indoor bioaerosols in central and eastern european countries were carried out in industrial facilities and have contributed significantly to occupational health science. in contrast, until recently, insufficient of stu ...	2002	12088392
maximum shields: the assembly and function of the bacterial spore coat.	spores produced by bacilli and clostridia are surrounded by a multilayered protein shell called the coat. as the armor-like appearance of the coat suggests, this structure, along with others within the spore, confers the remarkable resistance properties that make bacillus anthracis spores such potent biological weapons. here, i review recent studies of coat assembly in the model organism bacillus subtilis, and explore the implications of these findings for coat assembly in b. anthracis and for d ...	2002	12088650
2001: a year of major advances in anthrax toxin research.	anthrax is caused when spores of bacillus anthracis enter a host and germinate. the bacteria multiply and secrete a tripartite toxin causing local edema and, in systemic infection, death. in nature, anthrax is primarily observed in cattle and other herbivores; humans are susceptible but rarely affected. in 2001, anthrax spores were used effectively for the first time in bioterrorist attacks, resulting in 11 confirmed cases of human disease and five deaths. these events have underscored the need ...	2002	12088665
[anthrax. the growing danger].		2002	12089782
diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous anthrax.		2002	12090858
diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous anthrax.		2002	12090859
[anthrax and disaster planning at the university hospital in ulleval].		2002	12092084
perceptions of state public health officers and state veterinarians regarding risks of bioterrorism in the united states.	to assess perceptions of state public health officers and state veterinarians in the united states regarding the risks of bioterrorism and determine the degree of support provided for activities related to bioterrorism.	2002	12092950
anthrax of the gastrointestinal tract.	when swallowed, anthrax spores may cause lesions from the oral cavity to the cecum. gastrointestinal anthrax is greatly underreported in rural disease-endemic areas of the world. the apparent paucity of this form of anthrax reflects the lack of facilities able to make the diagnosis in these areas. the spectrum of disease, ranging from subclinical infection to death, has not been fully recognized. in some community-based studies, cases of gastrointestinal anthrax outnumbered those of cutaneous an ...	2002	12095428
horse kicks, anthrax and the poisson model for deaths.		2002	12095459
bioterrorism today.	anthrax being sent through the postal service brought the risks of bioterrorism home to us all: but what dies it really mean?	2002	12097718
a collagen-like surface glycoprotein is a structural component of the bacillus anthracis exosporium.	bacillus anthracis, the aetiological agent of anthrax, is a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium. the exosporium is the outermost integument surrounding the mature spore. here, we describe the purification and the characterization of an immunodominant protein of the spore surface. this protein was abundant, glycosylated and part of the exosporium. the amino-terminal sequence was determined and the corresponding gene was identified. it encodes a protein of 382 amino acid residues, the central pa ...	2002	12100557
germination of bacillus cereus spores in response to l-alanine and to inosine: the roles of gerl and gerq operons.	bacillus cereus 569 (atcc 10876) endospores germinate in response to inosine or l-alanine, the most rapid germination response being elicited by a combination of these germinants. the geri operon has already been characterized as a homologue of the gera spore-germination receptor family of operons found in all bacillus spp. examined; the primary defect in geri mutant spores is in the inosine germination response, although spores were also slower to germinate in l-alanine. additional transposon-i ...	2002	12101297
anthrax: factsheet.		2001	12105641
vaccines against dangerous infections and cancer.		2002	12107018
[anthrax].		2002	12108013
detection of vaccinia virus, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and bacillus anthracis dna by lightcycler polymerase chain reaction after autoclaving: implications for biosafety of bioterrorism agents.	to determine whether autoclaving suspensions of vaccinia virus, herpes simplex virus (hsv), varicella-zoster virus (vzv), and bacillus anthracis inactivate infectivity of these agents but allow detection of target dna by lightcycler polymerase chain reaction (pcr).	2002	12108599
confronting bioterrorism: physicians on the front line.	the events surrounding september 11, 2001, and its aftermath have compelled the public health and medical community to face the hitherto unfamiliar reality of bioterrorism. physicians and public health personnel are frontline soldiers in this new form of warfare. this article provides a general overview of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of patients infected with the 6 highest priority agents that could potentially be used in bioterrorism. the diseases discu ...	2002	12108604
application of rapid-cycle real-time polymerase chain reaction for the detection of microbial pathogens: the mayo-roche rapid anthrax test.	rapid-cycle real-time polymerase chain reaction has immediate and important implications for diagnostic testing in the clinical microbiology laboratory. in our experience this novel testing method has outstanding performance characteristics. the sensitivities for detecting microorganisms frequently exceed standard culture-based assays, and the time required to complete the assays is considerably shorter than that required for culture-based assays. we describe the principle of real-time polymeras ...	2002	12108605
asp 187 and phe 190 residues in lethal factor are required for the expression of anthrax lethal toxin activity.	anthrax toxin consists of three proteins, protective antigen, lethal factor, and edema factor. protective antigen translocates lethal factor and edema factor to the cytosol of mammalian cells. the amino-termini of lethal factor and edema factor have several homologous stretches. these regions are presumably involved in binding to protective antigen. in the present study we have determined the role of one such homologous stretch in lethal factor. residues 187aspleuleuphe190 were replaced by alani ...	2002	12113932
immunological responses are not abnormal in symptomatic gulf war veterans.	the underlying etiology and pathogenesis of gulf war veterans' illnesses continue to be under intense investigation. reports have suggested the basis for these illnesses may be an altered immune system, but compelling evidence is lacking. we sought to determine whether in vitro immune responses were abnormal in symptomatic gulf war veterans relative to matched controls. a randomized case-control study was conducted by blinded comparison of laboratory measures of in vitro immune responses in bloo ...	2002	12114290
microbiology. a binding contract for anthrax.		2002	12114612
effect of electrical charges and fields on injury and viability of airborne bacteria.	in this study, the effects of the electric charges and fields on the viability of airborne microorganisms were investigated. the electric charges of different magnitude and polarity were imparted on airborne microbial cells by a means of induction charging. the airborne microorganisms carrying different electric charge levels were then extracted by an electric mobility analyzer and collected using a microbial sampler. it was found that the viability of pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria, used as a ...	2002	12115440
[anthrax as biological warfare weapon].	anthrax-disease of herbivorous animals, occasionally affecting humans, is regarded as an ideal biowarfare weapon. this was witnessed during a tragic accident in swierdłowsk some time ago and nowadays it has been observed among post office workers in the usa. depending on the way the pathogen enters the body, several forms of disease develops: skin anthrax specific for the man (with mortality up to 20%), intestinal anthrax resulting from the consumption of infected food or flash of infected anima ...	2002	12116908
identification of amino acid residues of anthrax protective antigen involved in binding with lethal factor.	protective antigen (pa) and lethal factor (lf) are the two components of anthrax lethal toxin. pa is responsible for the translocation of lf to the cytosol. the binding of lf to cell surface receptor-bound pa is a prerequisite for the formation of lethal toxin. it has been hypothesized that hydrophobic residues p184, l187, f202, l203, p205, i207, i210, w226, and f236 of domain 1b of pa play an important role in the binding of pa to lf. these residues are normally buried in the 83-kda version of ...	2002	12117959
broadway: anthrax threat intensifies focus on disaster preparedness.		2002	12119826
virtual screening using grid computing: the screensaver project.		2002	12120261
preparedness of the israeli health system for a biologic warfare event.	the threat of a disease outbreak resulting from biologic warfare has been of concern for the israeli health system for many years. in order to be prepared for such an event the health system has formulated doctrines for various biologic agents and defined the logistic elements for the procurement of drugs. during the last 4 years, and especially after the west nile fever epidemic in 2000, efforts to prepare the healthcare system and the relevant organizations were accelerated. the director-gener ...	2002	12120458
the epidemiologic pyramid of bioterrorism.	recent events have drawn world attention to "mythological diseases"--such as anthrax, plague and smallpox--which have been out of the spotlight for some decades. much of our current knowledge of epidemic intervention and disease prevention was acquired over history through our experience with these diseases, such that the sudden panic over the reemergence of these historically well-known entities is perplexing. over time, changes in the balance of the epidemiologic triangle have driven each of t ...	2002	12120459
threats in bioterrorism. i: cdc category a agents.	although once considered unlikely, bioterrorism is now a reality in the united states since the anthrax cases began appearing in the fall of 2001. intelligence sources indicate there are many countries and terrorist organizations that either possess biological weapons or are attempting to procure them. in the future it is likely that we will experience additional acts of bioterrorism. the cdc category a agents represent our greatest challenge because they have the potential to cause grave harm t ...	2002	12120480
medical management of the suspected victim of bioterrorism: an algorithmic approach to the undifferentiated patient.	we have purposely expanded on the well-known atls paradigm to aid ehcps in their approach to a potential bioterrorism event. by building on a process that is already familiar, we hope this will aid the ehcp to remember a systematic approach to such an incident. by following this ten-step process, we believe that all ehcps, and especially those practicing at the first echelons of care in urgent care clinics and eds, can approach the daunting problem of biological defense with a good deal more con ...	2002	12120483
bioterrorism preparedness. iii: state and federal programs and response.	management of a bioterrorism event will begin with early detection and intervention at the local level. any large-scale event will require rapid state and federal assistance. federal initiatives targeting bioterrorism have increasingly become a complex web of executive and legislative actions, frequently initiated in reaction to specific events, and often unrelated to this threat. multiple executive and legislative branch actions have resulted in a proliferation of federal programs, and coordina ...	2002	12120488
development of an improved vaccine for anthrax.		2002	12122102