Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| pathophysiological investigations into the terminal course of experimental anthrax in the rabbit. | 1961 | 14480282 | |
| [a case of anthrax of the skin]. | 1961 | 14481735 | |
| inhalational anthrax: radiologic and pathologic findings in two cases. | 2003 | 14500233 | |
| when bioterrorism strikes: diagnosis and management of inhalational anthrax. | in october and november, 2001, reports of patients with inhalational anthrax reacquainted the public with this ancient disease and introduced the harsh reality of a bioterrorist act. bacillus anthracis, a rod-shaped, spore-forming bacterium, primarily infects herbivores. humans traditionally have acquired the disease from occupational or agricultural exposure to infected animals and animal products. recent events saw the intentional release of anthrax spores, using the u.s. postal system as an u ... | 2003 | 14505276 |
| using a structured medical note for determining the safety profile of anthrax vaccine for us soldiers in korea. | selected military personnel are immunized with an fda-licensed anthrax vaccine unless there are clinical contraindications. the objective of this analysis is to capture the experience of soldiers receiving anthrax vaccine to assist in better patient-provider communication and clarify the safety profile of the vaccine in this population as a quality-assurance initiative. between august 1998 and july 1999, 2824 soldiers immunized against anthrax at one military clinic completed a structured medica ... | 2003 | 14505923 |
| 'we're looking for zebras now'. | 2003 | 14507083 | |
| binding of anthrax toxin to its receptor is similar to alpha integrin-ligand interactions. | the secreted protein toxin produced by bacillus anthracis contributes to virulence of this pathogen and can cause many of the symptoms seen during an anthrax infection, including shock and sudden death. the cell-binding component of anthrax toxin, protective antigen, mediates entry of the toxin into cells by first binding directly to the extracellular integrin-like inserted (i) domain of the cellular anthrax toxin receptor, atr. here we report that this interaction requires an intact metal ion-d ... | 2003 | 14507921 |
| mutations in the gene encoding capillary morphogenesis protein 2 cause juvenile hyaline fibromatosis and infantile systemic hyalinosis. | juvenile hyaline fibromatosis (jhf) and infantile systemic hyalinosis (ish) are autosomal recessive conditions characterized by multiple subcutaneous skin nodules, gingival hypertrophy, joint contractures, and hyaline deposition. we previously mapped the gene for jhf to chromosome 4q21. we now report the identification of 15 different mutations in the gene encoding capillary morphogenesis protein 2 (cmg2) in 17 families with jhf or ish. cmg2 is a transmembrane protein that is induced during capi ... | 2003 | 14508707 |
| molecular diagnostic techniques for use in response to bioterrorism. | the use of micro-organisms as agents of biological warfare is considered inevitable for several reasons, including ease of production and dispersion, delayed onset of symptoms, ability to cause high rates of morbidity and mortality and difficulty in diagnosis. therefore, the clinical presentation and pathogenesis of the organisms posing the highest threat (variola major, bacillus anthracis, yersinia pestis, clostridium botulinum toxin, francisella tularensis, filoviruses, arenaviruses and brucel ... | 2003 | 14510181 |
| calls about anthrax to the texas poison center network in relation to the anthrax bioterrorism attack in 2001. | between october 4, 2001 and november 20, 2001, 22 cases of anthrax were identified in a bioterrorism attack on the us. this study examined the patterns of anthrax calls before and after the bioterrorist attack based on calls received by poison centers in texas, a state that reported no anthrax cases as a result of the attack. during 1998-2002, 553 calls about anthrax were received. the majority of the anthrax calls occurred in 2001 (n = 489, 88.4%) and 2002 (n = 52, 9.4%). the number of calls in ... | 2003 | 14513892 |
| anthrax: forms, symptoms and treatment. | background: this article examines the history of anthrax, the organism, the different forms of human anthrax, its symptoms and treatment. set against fears of a bioterrorist attack, the article also examines the potential threat of anthrax as a weapon. conclusion: frontline staff such as nurses can contribute greatly to increasing survival by recognising symptoms, treating patients promptly and helping to allay public concern. | 2003 | 14515539 |
| toxin-induced resistance in bacillus anthracis lethal toxin-treated macrophages. | in the current study, we show that macrophages adaptively resist anthrax lethal toxin (lt) through a toxin-activated process termed toxin-induced resistance (tir). tir was triggered by pretreatment of raw 264.7 or j774a.1 macrophages with a low dose of lt for at least 6 h, which resulted in resistance to high doses of lt for 96 h. activation of tir required functional toxin, because lt subunits, mutants, and heat-inactivated toxin were unable to trigger resistance. tir macrophages were not alter ... | 2003 | 14519843 |
| the growing pains of biodefense. | 2003 | 14523029 | |
| follow-up of deaths among u.s. postal service workers potentially exposed to bacillus anthracis--district of columbia, 2001-2002. | in october 2001, two letters contaminated with bacillus anthracis spores were processed by mechanical and manual methods at the u.s. postal service (usps) brentwood mail processing and distribution center in the district of columbia. four postal workers at the brentwood facility became ill with what was diagnosed eventually as inhalational anthrax; two died. the facility was closed on october 21, and postexposure prophylaxis was recommended for approximately 2,500 workers and business visitors. ... | 2003 | 14523371 |
| [bacillus anthracis and anthrax]. | 2003 | 14524244 | |
| anthrax: lessons learned from the u.s. capitol experience. | 2003 | 14527185 | |
| advances in molecular-based diagnostics in meeting crop biosecurity and phytosanitary issues. | awareness of crop biosecurity and phytosanitation has been heightened since 9/11 and the unresolved anthrax releases in october 2001. crops are highly vulnerable to accidental or deliberate introductions of crop pathogens from outside u.s. borders. strategic thinking about protection against deliberate or accidental release of a plant pathogen is an urgent priority. rapid detection will be the key to success. this review summarizes recent progress in the development of rapid real-time pcr protoc ... | 2003 | 14527331 |
| detection of the sentinel anthrax case in the united states. | first-hand knowledge of the detection of the first bioweapon in modern united states history is described in this article. the method by which the presumptive diagnosis of anthrax meningitis was made within 13 hours of the patient presenting to the emergency department is described using pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic phases. the lessons learned from this process are briefly presented so that other laboratories may learn from our experience: how to prepare; how to quickly analyze a po ... | 2003 | 14531222 |
| innate immunity and biodefence vaccines. | host defence in vertebrates is achieved by the integration of two distinct arms of the immune system: the innate and adaptive responses. the innate response acts early after infection (within minutes), detecting and responding to broad cues from invading pathogens. the adaptive response takes time (days to weeks) to become effective, but provides the fine antigenic specificity required for complete elimination of the pathogen and the generation of immunologic memory. antigen-independent recognit ... | 2003 | 14531891 |
| species-specific peptide ligands for the detection of bacillus anthracis spores. | currently available detectors for spores of bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, are inadequate for frontline use and general monitoring. there is a critical need for simple, rugged, and inexpensive detectors capable of accurate and direct identification of b. anthracis spores. necessary components in such detectors are stable ligands that bind tightly and specifically to target spores. by screening a phage display peptide library, we identified a family of peptides, with the cons ... | 2003 | 14532093 |
| use of denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography to identify bacillus anthracis by analysis of the 16s-23s rrna interspacer region and gyra gene. | denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (dhplc) was evaluated as a method for identifying bacillus anthracis by analyzing two chromosomal targets, the 16s-23s intergenic spacer region (isr) and the gyra gene. the 16s-23s isr was analyzed by this method with 42 strains of b. anthracis, 36 strains of bacillus cereus, and 12 strains of bacillus thuringiensis; the gyra gene was analyzed by this method with 33 strains of b. anthracis, 27 strains of b. cereus, and 9 strains of b. thuringiens ... | 2003 | 14532217 |
| molecular characterization of anthrax in positive powders: a mexican experience. | 2003 | 14532260 | |
| anthrax toxin induces hemolysis: an indirect effect through polymorphonuclear cells. | anthrax toxin can induce hemolysis in the presence of polymorphonuclear cells (pmns), an activity primarily mediated by protective antigen, with synergic effects provided by lethal factor and edema factor. lethal factor and edema factor, individually or in combination, are incapable of lysing red blood cells. the requirement for the presence of pmns indicates that hemolysis associated with bacillus anthracis infection is indirect rather than direct, as observed in many other bacterial infections ... | 2003 | 14551883 |
| a new world order for human experiments. | 2003 | 14552300 | |
| novel protein targeted therapy of metastatic melanoma. | metastatic melanoma patients have a dismal prognosis with poor responsiveness to chemotherapy, radiation therapy and current immunotherapy regimens and a median survival of less than six months. novel therapies directed at melanoma-selective molecular targets are urgently needed. based on the frequent constitutive activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (mapk) signaling pathway in malignant melanomas and the selective inhibition of mapk signaling by anthrax lethal factor which proteol ... | 2003 | 14552326 |
| prevention and treatment of bacterial diseases caused by bacterial bioterrorism threat agents. | there is general consensus that the bacterial agents or products most likely to be used as weapons of mass destruction are bacillus anthracis, yersinia pestis, francisella tularensis and the neurotoxin of clostridium botulinum. modern supportive and antimicrobial therapy for inhalational anthrax is associated with a 45% mortality rate, reinforcing the need for better adjunctive therapy and prevention strategies. pneumonic plague is highly contagious, difficult to recognize and is frequently fata ... | 2003 | 14554016 |
| human antibodies from immunized donors are protective against anthrax toxin in vivo. | a panel of fabs that neutralize anthrax toxin in vitro was selected from libraries generated from human donors vaccinated against anthrax. at least two of these antibodies protect rats from anthrax intoxication in vivo. fabs 83k7c and 63l1d bind with subnanomolar affinity to protective antigen (pa) 63, and fab 63l1d neutralizes toxin substoichiometrically, inhibits lethal factor (lf) interaction with pa63 and binds to a conformational epitope formed by pa63. | 2003 | 14555959 |
| cutaneous anthrax in adults: a review of 25 cases in the eastern anatolian region of turkey. | the clinical features, therapy and outcome of anthrax cases from the elazig province (the eastern anatolian region) of turkey seen in our clinic over an 8-year period were reviewed. | 2003 | 14556058 |
| anthrax--cdc review. | 2003 | 14556368 | |
| statistical analysis of microarray data: a bayesian approach. | the potential of microarray data is enormous. it allows us to monitor the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously. a common task with microarray is to determine which genes are differentially expressed between two samples obtained under two different conditions. recently, several statistical methods have been proposed to perform such a task when there are replicate samples under each condition. two major problems arise with microarray data. the first one is that the number of replicates ... | 2003 | 14557114 |
| differential processing of cd4 t-cell epitopes from the protective antigen of bacillus anthracis. | we have mapped cd4+ t-cell epitopes located in three domains of the recombinant protective antigen of bacillus anthracis. mouse t-cell hybridomas specific for these epitopes were generated to study the mechanisms of proteolytic processing of recombinant protective antigen for antigen presentation by bone marrow-derived macrophages. overall, epitopes differed considerably in their processing requirements. in particular, the kinetics of presentation, ranging from 15 (fast) to 120 min (slow), sugge ... | 2003 | 14561737 |
| morphogenesis of bacillus spore surfaces. | spores produced by bacilli are encased in a proteinaceous multilayered coat and, in some species (including bacillus anthracis), further surrounded by a glycoprotein-containing exosporium. to characterize bacillus spore surface morphology and to identify proteins that direct formation of coat surface features, we used atomic-force microscopy (afm) to image the surfaces of wild-type and mutant spores of bacillus subtilis, as well as the spore surfaces of bacillus cereus 569 and the sterne strain ... | 2003 | 14563859 |
| [first research work by robert koch on etiology of anthrax-in cooperation with józef knechtel, polish apothecary]. | terroristic attack on united states of america 11 september 2001 and just after many cases of anthrax spores employment as biological warfare called our attention to robert koch. he determined anthrax etiology and enclosed it in his first research work: die aetiologie der milzbrand-kranheit begrundet auf die entwicklungsgeschichte des bacillus anthracis. the results of this research are widely described. in the scientific researches participated j. knechtel, pole, pharmacist, pharmacy owner in w ... | 2003 | 14565192 |
| bioterrorism and the nervous system. | recent events of war, terrorist attacks, and mail-borne anthrax exposure have produced increasing awareness of potential bioterrorism attacks in the united states and other parts of the world. physicians and healthcare personnel play a key role in identifying potential bioterrorist attacks. early recognition and preparedness for bioterrorism-associated illnesses is especially important for neurologists because most bioterrorism agents can directly or indirectly affect the nervous system. this ar ... | 2003 | 14565901 |
| blinded by bioterrorism: public health and liberty in the 21st century. | 2003 | 14569657 | |
| bioterrorism. clinical recognition and primary management. | the recent anthrax attacks in the united states have demonstrated the reality of bioterrorist threats as well as the need for preparedness and planning to mount a successful response to such events. medical practitioners have a key role in responding to bioterrorist activity because they can contribute to the timely recognition of an event and to the mitigation of morbidity resulting from a bioterrorist attack. the medical community needs to become familiar with how to recognize and manage disea ... | 2002 | 14569808 |
| a reusable flow-through polymerase chain reaction instrument for the continuous monitoring of infectious biological agents. | continuous monitoring of the environment for infectious diseases and related biowarfare agents requires the implementation of practical cost-effective methodologies that are highly sensitive and specific. one compatible method employed in clinical diagnostics is real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) analysis. the utility of this technique for environmental monitoring is limited, however, by the utilization of single-use consumables in commercial pcr instruments. this greatly increases mechan ... | 2003 | 14570196 |
| anthrax toxin. | anthrax toxin consists of three nontoxic proteins that associate in binary or ternary combinations to form toxic complexes at the surface of mammalian cells. one of these proteins, protective antigen (pa), transports the other two, edema factor (ef) and lethal factor (lf), to the cytosol. lf is a zn2+-protease that cleaves certain map kinase kinases, leading to death of the host via a poorly defined sequence of events. ef, a calmodulin- and ca2+-dependent adenylate cyclase, is responsible for th ... | 2003 | 14570563 |
| isdg and isdi, heme-degrading enzymes in the cytoplasm of staphylococcus aureus. | staphylococcus aureus requires iron for growth and utilizes heme as a source of iron during infection. staphylococcal surface proteins capture hemoglobin, release heme from hemoglobin and transport this compound across the cell wall envelope and plasma membrane into the bacterial cytoplasm. here we show that staphylococcus aureus isdg and isdi encode cytoplasmic proteins with heme binding properties. isdg and isdi cleave the tetrapyrrol ring structure of heme in the presence of nadph cytochrome ... | 2004 | 14570922 |
| phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase c and sphingomyelinase activities in bacteria of the bacillus cereus group. | bacillus anthracis is nonhemolytic, even though it is closely related to the highly hemolytic bacillus cereus. hemolysis by b. cereus results largely from the action of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase c (pc-plc) and sphingomyelinase (sph), encoded by the plc and sph genes, respectively. in b. cereus, these genes are organized in an operon regulated by the global regulator plcr. b. anthracis contains a highly similar cereolysin operon, but it is transcriptionally silent because the b. ... | 2003 | 14573681 |
| molecular diagnostics in an insecure world. | as of october 2001, the potential for use of infectious agents, such as anthrax, as weapons has been firmly established. it has been suggested that attacks on a nations' agriculture might be a preferred form of terrorism or economic disruption that would not have the attendant stigma of infecting and causing disease in humans. highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is on every top ten list available for potential agricultural bioweapon agents, generally following foot and mouth disease virus an ... | 2003 | 14575112 |
| comparative evaluation of protective antigen produced from bacillus anthracis & escherichia coli. | anthrax has been reported from almost every country and india is endemic for this disease. there is considerable under reporting of the disease because of lack of microbiological facilities and diagnostic reagents. in india only conventional methods which have limitations, are being used to diagnose the disease. hence the aim of this study was to isolate and purify protective antigen (pa) using different protocols and to use this pa for detection of anti-pa antibodies from sera samples. | 2003 | 14575176 |
| acid induced unfolding of anthrax protective antigen. | acidic ph plays an important role in the membrane insertion of protective antigen (pa) of anthrax toxin leading to the translocation of the catalytic moieties. the structural transitions occurring in pa as a consequence of change in ph were investigated by fluorescence and circular dichroism measurements. our studies revealed the presence of two intermediates on-pathway of acid induced unfolding; one at ph 2.0 and other at ph 4-5. intrinsic fluorescence measurements of these intermediates showed ... | 2003 | 14575718 |
| milker's nodule in a healthy young woman. | milker's nodules (pseudocowpox) are harmless skin lesions most commonly seen in persons whose occupation regularly brings them into close contact with cattle. they are caused by the paravaccinia virus, a member of the poxvirus family. awareness of their clinical and histopathologic features is important, especially with today's heightened awareness of the threat of biologic warfare, to distinguish them from more worrisome entities such as tularemia and anthrax. | 2003 | 14576676 |
| exposing a killer: pathologists angle for anthrax. | 2003 | 14578167 | |
| susceptibility to anthrax lethal toxin is controlled by three linked quantitative trait loci. | anthrax lethal toxin (lt) is the principal virulence factor associated with lethal pathologies following infection with bacillus anthracis. macrophages are the primary effector cells mediating lethality since macrophage-depleted mice are resistant to lt challenge. recently, ltxs1, the gene controlling differential susceptibility of murine macrophages to cytolysis following in vitro exposure to lt, was identified as kif1c. to directly assess the in vivo role of kif1c alleles in mortality, we stud ... | 2003 | 14578173 |
| the critical role of pathology in the investigation of bioterrorism-related cutaneous anthrax. | cutaneous anthrax is a rare zoonotic disease in the united states. the clinical diagnosis traditionally has been established by conventional microbiological methods, such as culture and gram staining. however, these methods often yield negative results when patients have received antibiotics. during the bioterrorism event of 2001, we applied two novel immunohistochemical assays that can detect bacillus anthracis antigens in skin biopsy samples even after prolonged antibiotic treatment. these ass ... | 2003 | 14578189 |
| real-time multicolor dna detection with chemoresponsive diffraction gratings and nanoparticle probes. | we report a real-time dna detection method that utilizes single-strand dna-modified nanoparticle probes and micropatterned chemoresponsive diffraction gratings interrogated simultaneously at multiple laser wavelengths. the surface-bound nanoparticle probe based assay with the chemoresponsive diffraction grating signal transduction scheme results in an experimentally simple dna detection protocol, displaying attributes of both detection methodologies: the high sensitivity and selectivity afforded ... | 2003 | 14583051 |
| [anthrax. basic principles and preventive measures]. | 2001 | 14584137 | |
| [guidelines for clinical management of bioterrorism bacterial diseases: anthrax, plague, turalemia and brucellosis]. | 2003 | 14585044 | |
| lymphocytic vasculitis associated with the anthrax vaccine: case report and review of anthrax vaccination. | anthrax is caused by the spore-forming bacteria bacillus anthracis. it occurs naturally, but recently has been manufactured as a biological warfare agent. this makes prophylaxis for anthrax an urgent concern and efforts are ongoing for the production of an efficient and safe vaccine. side effects to the current anthrax vaccine are usually minor and mainly consist of local skin reactions. occasionally an unusual complication may occur; a case of a patient with lymphocytic vasculitis temporally as ... | 2003 | 14585454 |
| anthrax--an overview. | anthrax, a disease of mammals (including humans), is caused by a spore-forming gram-positive bacilli called bacillus anthracis. anthrax is one of the oldest threats to humanity, and remains endemic in animals in many parts of the world. the incidence of anthrax has decreased in developed countries, but it remains a considerable health problem in developing countries. the disease is transmitted to humans by contact with sick animals or their products, such as wool, skin, meat etc. capsular polype ... | 2003 | 14586293 |
| terrorism preparedness in state health departments--united states, 2001-2003. | the anthrax attacks in fall 2001 highlighted the role of infectious disease (id) epidemiologists in terrorism preparedness and response. beginning in 2002, state health departments (shds) received approximately 1 billion dollars in new federal funding to prepare for and respond to terrorism, infectious disease outbreaks, and other public health threats and emergencies. this funding is being used in part to improve epidemiologic and surveillance capabilities. to determine how states have used a p ... | 2003 | 14586300 |
| electrogenerated chemiluminescence. 72. determination of immobilized dna and c-reactive protein on au(111) electrodes using tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(ii) labels. | anodic electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ecl) with tri-n-propylamine (tpra) as a coreactant was used to determine dna and c-reactive protein (crp) by immobilizations on au(111) electrodes using tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(ii) (ru(bpy)(3)(2+)) labels. a 23-mer synthetic single-stranded (ss) dna derived from the bacillus anthracis with an amino-modified group at the 5' end position was covalently attached to the au(111) substrate precoated with a self-assembled thiol monolayer of 3-mercaptopro ... | 2003 | 14588023 |
| bacterial agents used for bioterrorism. | bacterial pathogens and their products are potential agents of biological terrorism and biological warfare. these agents can be deployed through simple aerosol delivery systems and thereby cause widespread disease and death. | 2003 | 14588163 |
| xp38gamma/sapk3 promotes meiotic g(2)/m transition in xenopus oocytes and activates cdc25c. | we have studied the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (mapks) in the meiotic maturation of xenopus oocytes. overexpression of a constitutively active mutant of the p38 activator mkk6 accelerates progesterone-induced maturation. immunoprecipit ation experiments indicate that p38gamma/sapk3 is the major p38 activated by mkk6 in the oocytes. we have cloned xenopus p38gamma (xp38gamma) and show that co-expression of active mkk6 with xp38gamma induces oocyte maturation in the absence of p ... | 2003 | 14592973 |
| preparedness for a bioterrorism event in alaska. part 1: detection and identification of a biologic event. | u.s. military and public health experts are increasingly concerned that the general public is at risk for terrorist attacks. traditional weapons of mass destruction such as explosive and chemical devices remain the most likely forms of terrorism, however the threat of bioterrorism is also present and may be increasing. an intentional biologic event may be covert and if so, will not become apparent for days or even weeks when many ill people present with an unidentified illness. health care provi ... | 2000 | 14593880 |
| purification and characterization of the pcra helicase of bacillus anthracis. | pcra is an essential helicase in gram-positive bacteria, and a gene encoding this helicase has been identified in all such organisms whose genomes have been sequenced so far. the precise role of pcra that makes it essential for cell growth is not known; however, pcra does not appear to be necessary for chromosome replication. the pcra gene was identified in the genome of bacillus anthracis on the basis of its sequence homology to the corresponding genes of bacillus subtilis and staphylococcus au ... | 2003 | 14594837 |
| scientific triumphalism and learning from facts: bacteriology and the "spanish flu" challenge of 1918. | the devastating influenza pandemic known as 'spanish flu', which killed at least 20 million people all over the world in 1918, was responsible for the first bitter blow inflicted on triumphant bacteriology, fortified by the series of resounding successes achieved in identifying the pathogenic agents of terrible diseases such as anthrax, cholera, tuberculosis, plague, and syphilis. over-confidence and the idea, born of the pasteur revolution, that every infectious disease was caused by a bacteriu ... | 2003 | 14598819 |
| bacteriocidal activity of garlic powder against bacillus anthracis. | the antibacterial activity of garlic powder was examined against bacillus anthracis using agar plate cultivation and test tube methods. on the agar plate test, 1-5% garlic powder inhibited the growth of b. anthracis and escherichia coli o157 used as references. a 1% water solution of garlic powder in the test tube method killed b. anthracis at 10(7) cfu/ml within 3 h of treatment at room temperature. a number of intestinal bacteria in a balb/c mouse decreased after the oral administration of 1 m ... | 2003 | 14598920 |
| identification of genomic islands in the genome of bacillus cereus by comparative analysis with bacillus anthracis. | horizontal gene transfer has been recognized as a universal event throughout bacterial evolution. the availability of both complete genome sequences of bacillus cereus and b. anthracis provides the possibility to perform comparative analysis based on their genomes. by using a windowless method to display the distribution of the genomic gc content of b. cereus and b. anthracis, we have found three genomic islands in the genome of b. cereus, i.e., bcgi-1, bcgi-2, and bcgi-3, respectively, which ar ... | 2003 | 14600214 |
| sequencing and characterization of pbm400 from bacillus megaterium qm b1551. | bacillus megaterium qm b1551 plasmid pbm400, one of seven indigenous plasmids, has been labeled with a selectable marker, isolated, completely sequenced, and partially characterized. a sequence of 53,903 bp was generated, revealing a total of 50 predicted open reading frames (orfs); 33 were carried on one strand and 17 were carried on the other. these orfs comprised 57% of the pbm400 sequence. besides the replicon region and a complete rrna operon that have previously been described, several int ... | 2003 | 14602653 |
| tnf-alpha detection using a flow cytometric assay to determine cellular responses to anthrax vaccine. | this study describes a four-color flow cytometric assay that detects cd4+ t cell responses to the anthrax vaccine. whole blood from seven volunteers who previously obtained the anthrax vaccine was inoculated in vitro with varying concentrations of the anthrax antigen. tnf-alpha and ifn-gamma production from memory cd4+ t cells were measured and compared to a control group who never received the anthrax vaccine. the optimal antigen concentration for tnf-alpha was determined to be around 7.5 micro ... | 2003 | 14604550 |
| sensitive and rapid quantitative detection of anthrax spores isolated from soil samples by real-time pcr. | quantitative analysis of anthrax spores from environmental samples is essential for accurate detection and risk assessment since bacillus anthracis spores have been shown to be one of the most effective biological weapons. using taqman real-time pcr, specific primers and probes were designed for the identification of pathogenic b. anthracis strains from pag gene and cap gene on two plasmids, pxo1 and pxo2, as well as a sap gene encoded on the s-layer. to select the appropriate lysis method of an ... | 2003 | 14605435 |
| anthrax mounts a nuclear attack on glucocorticoid signaling. | anthrax causes profound inflammation and systemic shock. a recent study has shown that anthrax lethal toxin represses the transcriptional activity of the glucocorticoid receptor, which is a crucial component of the body's defenses against inflammation. the study reports evidence that lethal toxin blocks the glucocorticoid receptor by inhibiting the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. thus, these findings suggest that glucocorticoid receptor inactivation contributes to anthrax toxicity ... | 2003 | 14607073 |
| identification of foodborne bacteria by infrared spectroscopy using cellular fatty acid methyl esters. | identification of bacterial species by profiling fatty acid methyl esters (fames) has commonly been carried out by using a 20-min capillary gas chromatographic procedure followed by library matching of fame profiles using commercial midi databases and proprietary pattern recognition software. fast gc (5 min) fame procedures and mass spectrometric methodologies that require no lipid separation have also been reported. in this study, bacterial identification based on the rapid (2 min) infrared mea ... | 2003 | 14607413 |
| acylation of sc4 dodecapeptide increases bactericidal potency against gram-positive bacteria, including drug-resistant strains. | we have conjugated dodecyl and octadecyl fatty acids to the n-terminus of sc4, a potently bactericidal, helix-forming peptide 12-mer (klfkrhlkwkii), and examined the bactericidal activities of the resultant sc4 'peptide-amphiphile' molecules. sc4 peptide-amphiphiles showed up to a 30-fold increase in bactericidal activity against gram-positive strains (staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pyogenes and bacillus anthracis), including s. aureus strains resistant to conventional antibiotics, but lit ... | 2004 | 14609430 |
| syndromic surveillance and bioterrorism-related epidemics. | 2003 | 14609452 | |
| gastrointestinal anthrax: review of the literature. | recent events have drawn attention to cases of inhalational and cutaneous anthrax associated with contaminated mail. gastrointestinal anthrax, the disease caused by ingestion of bacillus anthracis organisms, has rarely been reported in the united states. this review provides background information on the gastrointestinal form of the disease. we describe the clinical course of gastrointestinal anthrax, outline current therapy, review the microbiology of b anthracis, examine the epidemiology of na ... | 2003 | 14609791 |
| [genomics and bioterrorism]. | the use of biological weapons has been recorded throughout history. however, the anthrax-tainted letters of the fall of 2001 caused shock and panic in several countries. knowledge of the principal bacteriological weapons allows design of novel rapid dna-based diagnostic tests that should help defuse the impact of future bioterrorist attacks. less than one-hour real-time pcr identification of bacteria and their associated antibiotic resistance genes will revolutionize the practice of medicine. | 2003 | 14613008 |
| a canadian national survey of attitudes and knowledge regarding preventive vaccines. | background: vaccines have virtually eliminated many diseases, but public concerns about their safety could undermine future public health initiatives. objective: to determine canadians' attitudes and knowledge about vaccines, particularly in view of increasing public concern about bioterrorism and the possible need for emergency immunizations after weaponized anthrax incidents and the events of september 11, 2001. method: a 20-question survey based on well-researched dimensions of vaccine respon ... | 2003 | 14613575 |
| anthrax lethal factor-cleavage products of mapk (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinases exhibit reduced binding to their cognate mapks. | anthrax lethal toxin is the major cause of death in systemic anthrax. lethal toxin consists of two proteins: protective antigen and lf (lethal factor). protective antigen binds to a cell-surface receptor and transports lf into the cytosol. lf is a metalloprotease that targets mkks [mapk (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinases]/meks [mapk/erk (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) kinases], cleaving them to remove a small n-terminal stretch but leaving the bulk of the protein, including the p ... | 2004 | 14616089 |
| antibiotic susceptibility of isolates of bacillus anthracis, a bacterial pathogen with the potential to be used in biowarfare. | bacillus anthracis is a bacterial species that could be used in a bioterrorist attack. we tested a collection of isolates with a range of relevant antimicrobial compounds. all isolates tested were susceptible to ciprofloxacin and doxycycline. penicillin and amoxicillin, with or without clavulanate, showed in vitro activity against all b. anthracis isolates. ceftriaxone demonstrated lower-level in vitro activity compared to penicillin-related compounds against b. anthracis. in vitro data from thi ... | 2003 | 14616693 |
| a fast method for the detection of penicillin resistance in bacillus anthracis. | 2003 | 14616737 | |
| application of bacillus anthracis pcr to simulated clinical samples. | we evaluated pcr for the detection of bacillus anthracis dna from simulated clinical specimens relevant for the microbiological diagnosis of anthrax or exposure to b. anthracis spores. in simulated blood specimens, the lowest limit of detection was 400 cfu per ml of blood, which may be sufficient for samples from patients with septic anthrax. screening nasal swabs by pcr may not be sensitive enough to rule out dangerous exposure to anthrax spores, as a minimum of 2000 spores per sample was requi ... | 2003 | 14616752 |
| initiating informatics and gis support for a field investigation of bioterrorism: the new jersey anthrax experience. | background: the investigation of potential exposure to anthrax spores in a trenton, new jersey, mail-processing facility required rapid assessment of informatics needs and adaptation of existing informatics tools to new physical and information-processing environments. because the affected building and its computers were closed down, data to list potentially exposed persons and map building floor plans were unavailable from the primary source. results: controlling the effects of anthrax contamin ... | 2003 | 14617376 |
| conformational fluctuations in anthrax protective antigen: a possible role of calcium in the folding pathway of the protein. | protective antigen (pa) is the central receptor binding component of anthrax toxin, which translocates catalytic components of the toxin into the cytosol of mammalian cells. ever since the crystal structure of pa was solved, there have been speculations regarding the possible role of calcium ions present in domain i of the protein. we have carried out a systematic study to elucidate the effect of calcium removal on the structural stability of pa using various optical spectroscopic techniques, li ... | 2003 | 14623120 |
| mapping dominant-negative mutations of anthrax protective antigen by scanning mutagenesis. | the protective antigen (pa) moiety of anthrax toxin transports edema factor and lethal factor to the cytosol of mammalian cells by a mechanism that depends on its ability to oligomerize and form pores in the endosomal membrane. previously, some mutated forms of pa, designated dominant negative (dn), were found to coassemble with wild-type pa and generate defective heptameric pore-precursors (prepores). prepores containing dn-pa are impaired in pore formation and in translocating edema factor and ... | 2003 | 14623961 |
| computational identification of the spo0a-phosphate regulon that is essential for the cellular differentiation and development in gram-positive spore-forming bacteria. | spo0a-phosphate is essential for the initiation of cellular differentiation and developmental processes in gram-positive spore-forming bacteria. here we combined comparative genomics with analyses of microarray expression profiles to identify the spo0a-phosphate regulon in bacillus subtilis. the consensus spo0a-phosphate dna-binding motif identified from the training set based on different computational algorithms is an 8 bp sequence, ttgtcgaa. the same motif was identified by aligning the upstr ... | 2003 | 14627822 |
| the role of an advanced practice public health nurse in bioterrorism preparedness. | the 2001 anthrax events have vividly illustrated that terrorism involving the release of a biological agent is a major public health emergency requiring an immediate and well-coordinated response. if healthcare professionals and emergency responders are to be prepared to manage such attacks, unprecedented cooperative efforts at the national, state, and local levels are necessary. to aid such efforts, advanced practice public health nurses (phns) must exercise their ability to collaborate with a ... | 2003 | 14629673 |
| a broad-spectrum peptide inhibitor of beta-lactamase identified using phage display and peptide arrays. | hydrolysis of beta-lactam antibiotics by beta-lactamase enzymes is the most common mechanism of bacterial resistance to these agents. several small-molecule, mechanism-based inhibitors of beta-lactamases such as clavulanic acid are clinically available although resistance to these inhibitors has been increasing in bacterial populations. in addition, these inhibitors act only on class a beta-lactamases. here we utilized phage display to identify peptides that bind to the class a beta-lactamase, t ... | 2003 | 14631075 |
| protective immunity evoked against anthrax lethal toxin after a single intramuscular administration of an adenovirus-based vaccine encoding humanized protective antigen. | because of the need to develop a vaccine to rapidly protect the civilian population in response to a bioterrorism attack with bacillus anthracis, we designed adsechpa, a replication-deficient human serotype 5 adenovirus encoding b. anthracis protective antigen (pa) with codons optimized for expression in mammalian cells. with a single intramuscular administration to mice of 10(9) particle units of adsechpa, a dose that can be scaled to human use, anti-pa antibodies were evoked more rapidly and a ... | 2003 | 14633409 |
| extraction and analysis of human nuclear and mitochondrial dna from electron beam irradiated envelopes. | the united states postal service is considering methods such as electron beam irradiation to neutralize biological agents sent through the mail. while this is proven to reduce/eliminate pathogenic organisms, it may also degrade human genomic dna and therefore hinder the ability to garner forensically informative genetic profiles. to determine the effects of electron beam irradiation on dna typing, 16 white, standard letter-sized envelopes were licked. half of the envelopes served as nonirradiate ... | 2003 | 14640275 |
| defensive applications of gene transfer technology in the face of bioterrorism: dna-based vaccines and immune targeting. | gene transfer involves the introduction of an engineered gene into a person's cells with the expectation that the protein expressed from the gene will produce a therapeutic benefit. strategies based on this principle have led to the approval of > 600 clinical trials and enrollment of approximately 3500 subjects worldwide in attempts to treat diseases ranging from cancer to aids to cystic fibrosis. while gene therapy has met with limited success and still has many hurdles to overcome before it se ... | 2003 | 14640954 |
| simulation modeling of anthrax spore dispersion in a bioterrorism incident. | recent events have increased awareness of the risk posed by terrorist attacks. bacillus anthracis has resurfaced in the 21st century as a deadly agent of bioterrorism because of its potential for causing massive civilian casualties. this analysis presents the results of a computer simulation of the dispersion of anthrax spores in a typical 50-story, high-rise building after an intentional release during a bioterrorist incident. the model simulates aerosol dispersion in the case of intensive, sma ... | 2003 | 14641889 |
| bioterrorism. anthrax powder: state of the art? | 2003 | 14645823 | |
| mayo clinic develops new rapid rest for anthrax. | 2002 | 14646905 | |
| an innovative approach to training hospital-based clinicians for bioterrorist attacks. | the recent attacks of september 11, 2001, and the subsequent dissemination event of anthrax in the united states demonstrated the necessity for hospitals to initiate bioterrorism education for clinicians. events such as the release of sarin gas into the tokyo subway by the aum shinrikyo cult provided some insight into how quickly emergency medical personnel may be overwhelmed by causalities of unconventional weapons. educational interventions to prepare hospital-based practitioners for such disa ... | 2003 | 14647116 |
| coding ethical behaviour: the challenges of biological weapons. | since 11 september 2001 and the anthrax attacks that followed in the us, public and policy concerns about the security threats posed by biological weapons have increased significantly. with this has come an expansion of those activities in civil society deemed as potential sites for applying security controls. this paper examines the assumptions and implications of national and international efforts in one such area: how a balance or integration can take place between security and openness in ci ... | 2003 | 14652899 |
| the state laboratory of hygiene's role in terrorism preparedness and response. | in the fall of 2001, the national public health system found itself responding to acts of terrorism. the intentional release of bacillus anthracis spores on the east coast tested the capacity of all state public health laboratories to respond. the impact on the public health system extended to the wisconsin state laboratory of hygiene (wslh). fortunately, participation in the national laboratory response network helped the wslh meet the challenge of 24 hour/7 days a week coverage, and subsequent ... | 2003 | 14658571 |
| a new epitope tag from hepatitis b virus pres1 for immunodetection, localization and affinity purification of recombinant proteins. | previously, a murine monoclonal antibody (mab) kr127 (igg2a/kappa) that binds specifically to the pres1 of hepatitis b virus (hbv) was generated and the fine epitope was mapped to amino acids (aa) 37-45 (nsnnpdwdf). in this current study, the epitope in combination with kr127 was tested for protein tagging. initially, to evaluate the importance of each residue of the kr127 epitope in antibody binding, alanine substitution mutants of the epitope were constructed and characterized for kr127 bindin ... | 2003 | 14659901 |
| defining a serological correlate of protection in rabbits for a recombinant anthrax vaccine. | in these studies, a serological correlate of protection against anthrax was identified in new zealand white (nzw) rabbits that had been given one or two injections of various amounts of recombinant protective antigen (rpa) combined with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant (alhydrogel). rabbits were subsequently challenged by the aerosol route with spores of the ames isolate of bacillus anthracis. results suggested that the antibody response, as determined by the quantitative anti-rpa igg elisa and toxin ... | 2004 | 14670324 |
| detection and fate of bacillus anthracis (sterne) vegetative cells and spores added to bulk tank milk. | a preparation of bacillus anthracis (sterne strain) spores was used to evaluate commercially available reagents and portable equipment for detecting anthrax contamination by using real-time pcr and was used to assess the fate of spores added directly to bulk tank milk. the ruggedized advanced pathogen identification device (rapid) was employed to detect spores in raw milk down to a concentration of 2,500 spores per ml. commercially available primers and probes developed to detect either the prot ... | 2003 | 14672236 |
| implication of ph in the catalytic properties of anthrax lethal factor. | the anthrax lethal factor (lf) is a zn(2+)-endopeptidase specific for mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (mapkks), which are cleaved within their n-terminal region. much line of effort was carried out to elucidate the catalytic activity of lf for designing the inhibitor and to understand the cellular mechanism of its cytotoxicity. current assay methods to analyze the lf activity have been based on a synthetic peptide, consisting of 15-20 residues around being cleaved. however, there are ac ... | 2004 | 14672720 |
| increased detection of rickettsialpox in a new york city hospital following the anthrax outbreak of 2001: use of immunohistochemistry for the rapid confirmation of cases in an era of bioterrorism. | rickettsialpox is a self-limited febrile illness with skin lesions that may be mistaken for signs of potentially more serious diseases, such as cutaneous anthrax or chickenpox. the cluster of cutaneous anthrax cases from bioterrorism in october 2001 likely heightened awareness of and concern for cutaneous eschars. | 2003 | 14676069 |
| formation and composition of the bacillus anthracis endospore. | the endospores of bacillus anthracis are the infectious particles of anthrax. spores are dormant bacterial morphotypes able to withstand harsh environments for decades, which contributes to their ability to be formulated and dispersed as a biological weapon. we monitored gene expression in b. anthracis during growth and sporulation using full genome dna microarrays and matched the results against a comprehensive analysis of the mature anthrax spore proteome. a large portion (approximately 36%) o ... | 2004 | 14679236 |
| cutaneous manifestations of anthrax in eastern anatolia: a review of 39 cases. | anthrax is essentially a disease of grazing herbivorous animals. the most common form of the disease is cutaneous anthrax, which accounts for 95% of all cases. we report here 39 cutaneous anthrax cases in humans that were seen in eastern anatolia over a six-year period. the clinical presentation was malignant edema in 16 of the cases (41%) and malignant pustule in 23 (59%). a secondary bacterial infection was present in 13 patients (33.3%) in the vicinity of the lesions. the agent was observed u ... | 2003 | 14679401 |
| minimizing pathogenic bacteria, including spores, in indoor air. | five experiments were conducted to assess whether aerosolized bacteria, including spores, respond like particulate contaminants to the primary (electrical) forces that control the distribution of small particulate contaminants in indoor air. such response would suggest an approach to minimizing infection in offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities. it also would have implications for protection against intentionally introduced pathogenic bacteria, including spores. the experiments ... | 2003 | 14679721 |
| diagnosis of militarily relevant diseases using oral fluid and saliva antibodies: fluorescence polarization immunoassay. | this laboratory is developing fluorescence polarization (fp) methods as diagnostic tools to assay antibodies in saliva and other oral fluids. fp provides quantitation of molecular interaction, such as antigen-antibody binding, of a single, small-volume sample in real time and without prior separation of components such as blood cells. there is potential for wide-spread use of these homogeneous assays as noninvasive tests, especially as more compact, simplified fluorescence polarimeters become av ... | 2003 | 14680048 |
| tumor endothelial markers: new targets for cancer therapy. | targeting the endothelial cells that line tumor infiltrating blood vessels is a new anticancer strategy that has gained widespread support from biologists and clinicians. here we highlight different approaches currently being used to target tumor endothelium and discuss new avenues for intervention that have been opened through the recent identification of tumor endothelial markers (tems). | 2004 | 14685092 |