Publications

a silent bomb: the risk of anthrax as a weapon of mass destruction.		2003	12682291
inhalational anthrax and bioterrorism.	until recently, inhalational anthrax was considered an infectious disease curiosity for medical specialists and veterinarians. this attitude abruptly changed following the intentional release of bacillus anthracis spores via the us postal service in october 2001. because of its rarity, few physicians were familiar with its clinical manifestations, treatment and prophylaxis. in this report, we try to fill this informational gap by reviewing these issues based on additional data culled from this r ...	2003	12682568
detection of anthrax simulants with microcalorimetric spectroscopy: bacillus subtilis and bacillus cereus spores.	recent advances in the development of ultrasensitive micromechnical thermal detectors have led to the advent of novel subfemtojoule microcalorimetric spectoscopy (calspec). on the basis of principles of photothermal ir spectroscopy combined with efficient thermomechanical transduction, calspec provides acquisition of vibrational spectra of microscopic samples and absorbates. we use calspec as a method of identifying nanogram quantities of biological micro-organisms. our studies focus on bacillus ...	2003	12683752
the fossil tabanids (diptera tabanidae): when they began to appreciate warm blood and when they began transmit diseases?	a discussion of the known fossil tabanids (diptera tabanidae) is presented based on fossil evidence. this includes the origin of the hemathophagy in the brachycera, more specifically for tabanids. several tabanid species in the extant fauna are vectors for disease-producing organisms that affect humans and animals. bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, protozoa, and filarial worms can be transmitted by them, causing such diseases as anthrax, tularemia, anaplasmosis, various forms of trypanosomiasis, q ...	2003	12687759
volatile organic compounds produced during irradiation of mail.	in 2001, bacillus anthracis spores were delivered through the united states postal system in a series of bioterrorist acts. controls proposed for this threat included sanitization with high-energy electrons. solid phase microextraction was used with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for field sampling and analysis of volatile compounds apparently produced from polymeric materials such as cellulose and plastics, immediately following processing of mail at a commercial irradiation facility. sol ...	2003	12688843
demonstration of a hermetic airborne ozone disinfection system: studies on e. coli.	an enclosed flow-through system using airborne ozone for disinfection and which removes the ozone with a catalytic converter was tested with a strain of escherichia coli. petri dishes containing the microorganisms were inserted in a chamber and exposed for 10-480 min to ozone concentrations between 4 and 20 ppm. death rates in excess of 99.99% were achieved. survival data is fitted to a two-stage curve with a shoulder based on the multihit target model. ozone was removed from the exhaust air to ...	2003	12688846
epidemiologic clues to bioterrorism.	public health investigators have successfully carried out epidemiologic investigations of outbreaks of disease for many years. by far the majority of these outbreaks have occurred naturally. with the recent illnesses resulting from deliberate dissemination of b. anthracis on an unsuspecting population, public health investigation of diseases must now include consideration of bioterrorism as a potential cause of outbreaks of disease. the features of naturally occurring outbreaks have a certain am ...	2003	12690063
the threat of bioterrorism.		2003	12693375
bacillus anthracis: current knowledge in relation to contamination of food.	in this article, information related to anthrax and its etiologic agent, bacillus anthracis, in food is reviewed. the major topics discussed include the taxonomic relationship of b. anthracis to other bacillus species, methods used for the recovery of the organism from surfaces and foods, routes of infection, the pathogenesis of the organism, the microbial ecology of the vegetative cell and spore in foods and the environment, chemical and physical treatments for spore inactivation, and the contr ...	2003	12696699
the germs of war.		2003	12698861
new challenges for public health care: biological and chemical weapons awareness, surveillance, and response.	recent events in the united states have demonstrated a critical need for recognizing nurses and emergency health care providers as important elements of the nation's first line of defense and response against terrorist attacks involving biological, chemical, or radiological weapons. the anthrax letter attacks of september/october 2001 demonstrate the importance of vigilance and attention to detail while interviewing and attending patients and when entering, reviewing, and cataloging patient reco ...	2003	12698916
factors contributing to the occurrence of emerging infectious diseases.	emerging infectious diseases (eids) have been receiving increasing attention for more than two decades. such attention has resulted from observations of increasing resistance of microorganisms to the usual antibiotics, the identification of formerly unknown disease agents and the diseases they cause, and the realization that the concept of globalization includes global exposure to disease agents formerly confined to small, endemic, or remote areas. sadly, in the fall of 2001, the potential for u ...	2003	12698918
bioterrorism and critical care.	a bioterrorist attack of any kind has the potential to overwhelm a community and, indeed, in the case of smallpox, an entire nation. during such an attack the number of patients requiring hospitalization and specifically critical care is likely to be enormous. intensivists will be at the forefront of this war and will play an important role in dealing with mass casualties in an attempt to heal the community. a high degree of suspicion and prompt recognition of an event will be required to contai ...	2003	12699324
acute psychological effects of suspected bioterrorism.		2003	12700219
the ysirk-g/s motif of staphylococcal protein a and its role in efficiency of signal peptide processing.	many surface proteins of pathogenic gram-positive bacteria are linked to the cell wall envelope by a mechanism requiring a c-terminal sorting signal with an lpxtg motif. surface proteins of streptococcus pneumoniae harbor another motif, ysirk-g/s, which is positioned within signal peptides. the signal peptides of some, but not all, of the 20 surface proteins of staphylococcus aureus carry a ysirk-g/s motif, whereas those of surface proteins of listeria monocytogenes and bacillus anthracis do not ...	2003	12700270
human capillary morphogenesis protein 2 functions as an anthrax toxin receptor.	bacillus anthracis secretes two bipartite toxins thought to be involved in anthrax pathogenesis and resulting death of the host. the current model for intoxication is that protective antigen (pa) toxin subunits bind a single group of cell-surface anthrax toxin receptors (atrs), encoded by the tumor endothelial marker 8 (tem8) gene. the atr/tem8-pa interaction is mediated by the receptor's extracellular domain related to von willebrand factor type a or integrin inserted domains (vwa/i domains). a ...	2003	12700348
fear of bioterrorism and implications for public health preparedness.	after the human anthrax cases and exposures in 2001, the illinois department of public health received an increasing number of environmental and human samples (1,496 environmental submissions, all negative for bacillus anthracis). these data demonstrate increased volume of submissions to a public health laboratory resulting from fear of bioterrorism.	2003	12702237
anthrax. from bioweapons backwater to main attraction.		2003	12702854
an epidemiologist's view of bioterrorism. eddy a. bresnitz, md, ms, discusses state initiatives and preparedness. interview by leah z. ziskin.		2003	12703333
we haven't heard much about anthrax since the mail attacks in 2001. are there any new treatments for it?		2003	12703468
link between anthrax immunization and hypersensitivity pneumonitis?		2003	12740301
a fragment of anthrax lethal factor delivers proteins to the cytosol without requiring protective antigen.	anthrax protective antigen (pa) is a 735-aa polypeptide that facilitates the exit of anthrax lethal factor (lf) from the endosome to the cytosol where the toxin acts. we recently found, however, that a fusion protein of the detoxified n-terminal domain of lethal factor (lfn) with a foreign peptide could induce cd8 t cell immune responses in the absence of pa. because cd8 t cells recognize peptides derived from proteins degraded in the cytosol, this result suggests that lethal factor may be capab ...	2003	12740437
[bioterrorism as a threat to safety. an evaluation of readiness degree of medical institutions to resist bioterrorism].		2003	12741359
gastric anthrax.		2003	12741910
the history of anthrax.	anthrax, a potentially fatal infection, is a virulent and highly contagious disease. descriptions of this disease begin in antiquity, with the best ancient account being by the roman poet virgil. during the 19th century, anthrax was the infection involved in several important medical developments. it served as the prototype for koch's postulates regarding the causation of infectious disease. the first vaccine containing attenuated live organisms was louis pasteur's veterinary anthrax vaccine. in ...	2003	12745053
cutaneous anthrax associated with facial palsy: case report and literature review.	anthrax is primarily an animal disease. bacillus anthracis, the causal agent in anthrax, is a gram-positive rod. humans can acquire anthrax by industrial exposure to infected animals or animal products.	2003	12745857
inhalational anthrax due to bioterrorism: would current centers for disease control and prevention guidelines have identified the 11 patients with inhalational anthrax from october through november 2001?	a panel of 10 physicians used the nominal group technique to assess the ability of the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) interim guidelines for clinical evaluation of persons with possible inhalational anthrax (ia) to retrospectively identify the 11 patients with ia seen during the october 2001 bioterrorism outbreak. the guidelines would not have identified 10 of 11 of these patients, primarily because the guidelines were designed to address only those patients with a known histor ...	2003	12746773
anthrax during pregnancy: case reports and review.	we review, in detail, 2 cases of anthrax during pregnancy, its maternal and perinatal complications, and its management. patient 1 was a 33-year-old woman at 32 weeks of gestation. she had a submandibular eschar; extensive edema on her face, neck, and upper thorax that inhibited respiratory function; and fever. the patient was treated with penicillin g and prednisolone after the diagnosis of anthrax. she recovered within 10 days but delivered a preterm baby. patient 2 was a 29-year-old woman at ...	2003	12746784
increased us prescription trends associated with the cdc bacillus anthracis antimicrobial postexposure prophylaxis campaign.	we evaluated national outpatient antimicrobial prescription trends in relation to the first united states case of inhalational anthrax due to the intentional delivery of bacillus anthracis (b. anthracis) spores.	2003	12733470
infection control practitioners' perceptions and educational needs regarding bioterrorism: results from a national needs assessment survey.	the perceived threat that biological weapons will be used in an act of terror against the united states has escalated sharply since the discovery of anthrax-tainted letters after the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001. these events underscore the critical nature of health care and public health preparedness and the need to augment infection control practitioner education and training.	2003	12734517
the anthrax team: a novel teaching approach to increase anthrax and bioterrorism awareness.	a team approach to educating staff regarding anthrax and bioterrorism awareness was implemented after the acts of terrorism that began september 11, 2001. "the anthrax team" developed algorithms on the basis of 5 different scenarios, an educational brochure, and a powerpoint presentation. with use of the algorithms and powerpoint material, the team conducted informal educational sessions to increase awareness and allay fears. on the basis of the success of this educational method, the teaching p ...	2003	12734524
anthrax and the mail: the making of an educational video for mail workers.	the anthrax bioterrorist attacks in 2001 affected millions of people who process, sort, and deliver mail. to more effectively communicate information intended to protect the health of these workers, the centers for disease control and prevention produced a short-format educational video in december 2001 that targets this diverse group. this report illustrates how an educational video can be rapidly produced to translate and disseminate public health recommendations as part of a public health eme ...	2003	12734525
amazing terrorism tool: new foam could revolutionize decon.		2003	12736611
endemic gastrointestinal anthrax in 1960s lebanon: clinical manifestations and surgical findings.	anthrax is an ancient disease caused by the gram-positive bacillus anthracis; recently, it has gained much attention because of its potential use in biologic warfare. anthrax infection occurs in three forms: cutaneous, inhalational, and gastrointestinal. the last type results from ingestion of poorly cooked contaminated meat. intestinal anthrax was widely known in lebanon in the 1960s, when a series of >100 cases were observed in the bekaa valley. we describe some of these cases, introduce the c ...	2003	12737733
endemic, notifiable bioterrorism-related diseases, united states, 1992-1999.	little information is available in the united states regarding the incidence and distribution of diseases caused by critical microbiologic agents with the potential for use in acts of terrorism. we describe disease-specific, demographic, geographic, and seasonal distribution of selected bioterrorism-related conditions (anthrax, botulism, brucellosis, cholera, plague, tularemia, and viral encephalitides) reported to the national notifiable diseases surveillance system in 1992 to 1999. tularemia a ...	2003	12737739
a black necrotic ulcer.		2003	12737863
anthrax vaccine. niaid's nasty surprise.		2003	12738817
[modern possibilities of bioterrorism diagnosis].	one of the most important components of early detecting and response to biological attack are microbiological diagnostic methods. in order to provide the effectiveness of diagnosis continuous training in detection of potentially dangerous bioterrorist agents is needed. basic information about selected microbiological agents most dangerous for public health, belonging to a and b cdc categories are presented in the article. the most potent biological weapon mentioned in the last decade is anthrax. ...	2003	12728676
[anthrax as a pathogen for a biological weapon].	the authors presented an outline of modern knowledge about anthrax. some aspects of the use of bacillus anthracis as a biological terrorist agent are also described.	2003	12728680
smallpox.	with recent events, the threat of bioterrorism has become a reality. in late 2001, multiple cases of cutaneous and inhalation anthrax were spread through the us mail. on the front line were dermatologists who diagnosed the first cases of cutaneous anthrax in new york city. since then, physicians who are unsure if they are facing a new form of bioterrorism frequently have consulted dermatologists to evaluate rashes. because most biological weapons (anthrax, tularemia, plague, smallpox) can have c ...	2003	12729099
genome differences that distinguish bacillus anthracis from bacillus cereus and bacillus thuringiensis.	the three species of the group 1 bacilli, bacillus anthracis, b. cereus, and b. thuringiensis, are genetically very closely related. all inhabit soil habitats but exhibit different phenotypes. b. anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax and is phylogenetically monomorphic, while b. cereus and b. thuringiensis are genetically more diverse. an amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis described here demonstrates genetic diversity among a collection of non-anthrax-causing bacillus species, ...	2003	12732546
biosensor for the specific detection of a single viable b. anthracis spore.	a simple membrane strip-based biosensor for the detection of viable b. anthracis spores was developed and combined with a spore germination procedure as well as a nucleic acid amplification reaction to identify as little as one viable b. anthracis spore in less than 12 h. the biosensor is based on identification of a unique mrna sequence from the anthrax toxin activator (atxa) gene encoded on the toxin plasmid, pxo1. preliminary work relied on plasmid vectors in both e. coli and b. thuringiensis ...	2003	12732924
comprehensive systematic surveillance for adverse effects of anthrax vaccine adsorbed, us armed forces, 1998-2000.	routine vaccinations of us military personnel with anthrax vaccine adsorbed began in 1998. to systematically identify clinical diagnoses reported more frequently after vaccination than before, all military personnel were retrospectively assigned to pre- or post-vaccination cohorts. cohort assignments were based on vaccination statuses each day of the 3-year surveillance period. for each cohort, rates of hospitalizations and ambulatory visits for 843 specific diagnoses were calculated using data ...	2003	12639483
medicinal use and social status of the soap berry endod (phytolacca dodecandra) in ethiopia.	berries from phytolacca dodecandra l'herit. (endod in amharic) offer a readily available molluscicide to control schistosomiasis. parts of the endod plant have been used as a detergent and as traditional medicine for centuries in ethiopia. an interview survey was performed in the highlands of ethiopia to provide information on the distribution of the plant, people's traditional use of it, their perception of the plant, and the potential for increased production and use of endod as a soap for ind ...	2003	12639751
[anthrax--an old disease becomes topical: cutaneous anthrax and the eye].	anthrax disease and its eye manifestations were rare in the last 100 years, but the threat of terrorist actions has revived its topicality.	2003	12640551
emergency response to an anthrax attack.	we developed a mathematical model to compare various emergency responses in the event of an airborne anthrax attack. the system consists of an atmospheric dispersion model, an age-dependent dose-response model, a disease progression model, and a set of spatially distributed two-stage queueing systems consisting of antibiotic distribution and hospital care. our results underscore the need for the extremely aggressive and timely use of oral antibiotics by all asymptomatics in the exposure region, ...	2003	12651951
genomics: relative pathogenic values.		2003	12721608
the genome sequence of bacillus anthracis ames and comparison to closely related bacteria.	bacillus anthracis is an endospore-forming bacterium that causes inhalational anthrax. key virulence genes are found on plasmids (extra-chromosomal, circular, double-stranded dna molecules) pxo1 (ref. 2) and pxo2 (ref. 3). to identify additional genes that might contribute to virulence, we analysed the complete sequence of the chromosome of b. anthracis ames (about 5.23 megabases). we found several chromosomally encoded proteins that may contribute to pathogenicity--including haemolysins, phosph ...	2003	12721629
genome sequence of bacillus cereus and comparative analysis with bacillus anthracis.	bacillus cereus is an opportunistic pathogen causing food poisoning manifested by diarrhoeal or emetic syndromes. it is closely related to the animal and human pathogen bacillus anthracis and the insect pathogen bacillus thuringiensis, the former being used as a biological weapon and the latter as a pesticide. b. anthracis and b. thuringiensis are readily distinguished from b. cereus by the presence of plasmid-borne specific toxins (b. anthracis and b. thuringiensis) and capsule (b. anthracis). ...	2003	12721630
[germs and toxins in bioterrorism].		2003	12722194
[anthrax].		2003	12722243
[the plague].	the word plague evokes associations with old times, but plague actually does still occur all over the world. the survival chances are at the moment much better (antibiotics) than formerly, when half of the patients died; now this figure is 15%. the causal organism is yersinia pestis, a bacterium in fleas on rodents. this bug is a plausible candidate for attacks by bioterrosists. so, in this time, there is good reason to pay attention to it, as well as to to smallpox and anthrax and their causal ...	2003	12723295
calcium dependence of the interaction between calmodulin and anthrax edema factor.	edema factor (ef), a toxin from bacillus anthracis (anthrax), possesses adenylyl cyclase activity and requires the ubiquitous ca2+-sensor calmodulin (cam) for activity. cam can exist in three major structural states: an apo state with no ca2+ bound, a two ca2+ state with its c-terminal domain ca2+-loaded, and a four ca2+ state in which the lower ca2+ affinity n-terminal domain is also ligated. here, the interaction of ef with the three ca2+ states of cam has been examined by nmr spectroscopy and ...	2003	12724328
anthrax lethal factor represses glucocorticoid and progesterone receptor activity.	we report here that a bacterial toxin, anthrax lethal toxin (letx), at very low concentrations represses glucocorticoid receptor (gr) transactivation in a transient transfection system and the activity of an endogenous gr-regulated gene in both a cellular system and an animal model. this repression is noncompetitive and does not affect ligand binding or dna binding, suggesting that anthrax lethal toxin (letx) probably exerts its effects through a cofactor(s) involved in the interaction between g ...	2003	12724519
australia's notifiable diseases status, 2001: annual report of the national notifiable diseases surveillance system.	in 2001 there were 104,187 notifications of communicable diseases in australia reported to the national notifiable diseases surveillance system (nndss). the number of notifications in 2001 was an increase of 16 per cent of those reported in 2000 (89,740) and the largest annual total since the nndss commenced in 1991. in 2001, nine new diseases were added to the list of diseases reported to nndss and four diseases were removed. the new diseases were cryptosporidiosis, laboratory-confirmed influen ...	2003	12725505
mobile genetic elements and bacterial toxinoses: the superantigen-encoding pathogenicity islands of staphylococcus aureus.	it is a remarkable observation that virtually all bacterial toxins associated with specific clinical conditions (toxinoses) are encoded by mobile (and therefore variable) genetic elements. remarkably, these rarely, if ever, carry determinants of antibiotic resistance. examples are the toxins responsible for diphtheria, anthrax, tetanus, botulism, cholera, toxic shock, scarlet fever, exfoliative dermatitis, food poisoning, travelers' diarrhea, shigella dysentery, necrotizing pneumonia, and others ...	2003	12726763
chemical and bio-warfare detection system piloted at us airport.		2003	12726956
characterisation of the immune response to the uk human anthrax vaccine.	the uk human anthrax vaccine consists of the alum-precipitated culture supernatant of bacillus anthracis sterne. in addition to protective antigen (pa), the key immunogen, the vaccine also contains a number of other bacteria- and media-derived proteins. these proteins may contribute to the transient side effects experienced by some individuals and could influence the development of the pa-specific immune response. bacterial cell-wall components have been shown to be potent immunomodulators. b. a ...	2003	12727370
a poor experience with anthrax.		2003	12973260
mutations in capillary morphogenesis gene-2 result in the allelic disorders juvenile hyaline fibromatosis and infantile systemic hyalinosis.	juvenile hyaline fibromatosis (jhf) and infantile systemic hyalinosis (ish) are autosomal recessive syndromes of unknown etiology characterized by multiple, recurring subcutaneous tumors, gingival hypertrophy, joint contractures, osteolysis, and osteoporosis. both are believed to be allelic disorders; ish is distinguished from jhf by its more severe phenotype, which includes hyaline deposits in multiple organs, recurrent infections, and death within the first 2 years of life. using the previousl ...	2003	12973667
biodefense: medicine in the time of bioterrorism.		2003	12973895
[confronting bioterrorism: epidemiologic, clinical, and preventive aspects of smallpox].	the worldwide eradication of smallpox, a major achievement in public health, is currently threatened by the risk of bioterrorism. the debate on the destruction of the variola virus in the two reference laboratories of the world health organization has dramatically switched to the preservation of the remaining virus after the september 2001 terrorist events in the u.s. along with the intentional release of bacillus anthracis in the u.s. the risk of intentional release of variola virus constitutes ...	2003	12974047
automated syndromic surveillance for the 2002 winter olympics.	the 2002 olympic winter games were held in utah from february 8 to march 16, 2002. following the terrorist attacks on september 11, 2001, and the anthrax release in october 2001, the need for bioterrorism surveillance during the games was paramount. a team of informaticists and public health specialists from utah and pittsburgh implemented the real-time outbreak and disease surveillance (rods) system in utah for the games in just seven weeks. the strategies and challenges of implementing such a ...	2003	12925547
anthrax: a review for the medical officer.		2003	12929516
bioterrorism: preparing for the unthinkable.	terrorism is not a new concept but our need to prepare for the effects of bioterrorism has achieved a particular urgency. the use of biological agents provides a new set of challenges to professional caregivers, emergency personnel and governments. these agents are generally not readily identified through the senses, have delayed effects and have the power to generate fear and panic. they are also intended to demonstrate that governments and other organisations are not able to protect their citi ...	2003	12929520
[clinical course of pyoinflammatory diseases of the maxillofacial area similar to anthrax manifestations].		2003	12931428
the metalloproteolytic activity of the anthrax lethal factor is substrate-inhibited.	the anthrax lethal factor (lf) is a zn2+ endopeptidase specific for mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (mapkks), which are cleaved within their n termini. here, the proteolytic activity of lf has been investigated using novel chromogenic mapkk-derived peptide substrates, which allowed us to determine the kinetic parameters of the reaction. lf displayed maximal proteolytic activity at the ph and temperature values of the cell cytosol, which is its site of action. lf undergoes substrate inhi ...	2003	12888555
decontamination by fumigation.	since the terrorist attack on the world trade centre on september 11th 2001, and the subsequent deliberate release of anthrax spores into the postal system of the usa, nhs hospitals and microbiology pathology laboratories have had to consider how they would respond to a release of a hazardous biological agent. this article looks at the procedure of fumigation of a known contaminated area following spillage or handling of a biological agent, and considers the additional problems that would occur ...	2003	12889302
modeling the optimum duration of antibiotic prophylaxis in an anthrax outbreak.	a critical consideration in effective and measured public health responses to an outbreak of inhalational anthrax is the optimum duration of antibiotic prophylaxis. we develop a competing-risks model to address the duration of antibiotic prophylaxis and the incubation period that accounts for the risks of spore germination and spore clearance. the model predicts the incubation period distribution, which is confirmed by empirical data. the optimum duration of antibiotic prophylaxis depends critic ...	2003	12890865
kakadumycins, novel antibiotics from streptomyces sp nrrl 30566, an endophyte of grevillea pteridifolia.	an endophytic streptomycete (nrrl 30566) is described and partially characterized from a fern-leaved grevillea (grevillea pteridifolia) tree growing in the northern territory of australia. this endophytic streptomycete produces, in culture, novel antibiotics - the kakadumycins. methods are outlined for the production and chemical characterization of kakadumycin a and related compounds. this antibiotic is structurally related to a quinoxaline antibiotic, echinomycin. each contains, by virtue of t ...	2003	12892881
deletion mutants of protective antigen that inhibit anthrax toxin both in vitro and in vivo.	the anthrax toxin complex is primarily responsible for most of the symptoms of anthrax. this complex is composed of three proteins, anthrax protective antigen, anthrax edema factor, and anthrax lethal factor. the three proteins act in binary combination of protective antigen plus edema factor (edema toxin) and protective antigen plus lethal factor (lethal toxin) that paralyze the host defenses and eventually kill the host. both edema factor and lethal factor are intracellularly acting proteins t ...	2003	12893241
public health's response to a changed world: september 11, biological terrorism, and the development of an environmental health tracking network.	historically, the importance of public health has often been recognized during or as a result of major tragedy. the attacks that occurred in the united states in 2001 are no exception. these events have raised awareness of our vulnerability and the need for emergency preparedness, the need for a flexible and sustainable public health infrastructure, and the importance of linkages between environmental exposures and health outcomes. the authors encourage the public health community, along with po ...	2003	12893600
anthrax delivers a lethal blow to host immunity.		2003	12894159
anxiety-related visits to ontario physicians following september 11, 2001.	to determine whether the climate of increased anxiety following the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax cases led to increased anxiety-related physician visits.	2003	12894617
anthrax refusers: a 2nd infantry division perspective.	the department of defense anthrax vaccination program has been in the news often recently. concerns are cited over the safety and usefulness of the vaccine. this brief report describes some of the characteristics of anthrax vaccine refusers. this report examines the implementation of an anthrax vaccination program in a well-disciplined, forward-deployed army unit facing a hostile enemy with access to anthrax biological warfare stocks.	2003	12901458
[survival of bacillus anthracis spores in baths using modern technologic tannery processes].	the influence of skin tannery baths, according as wet-blue, wet-white and plant technology, on b. anthracis spores survival was investigated. as a result of this study there was explained that lime bath do not inactivated of all spores that are present in infected bath. as a result of these experiments the spores were inactivated completely not before pickle bath.	2003	12908413
[experimental infections and colonization of porcine skin samples with b. anthracis].	in this study there was demonstrated the process of appearance and intensity of colonisation of the swine's skin samples by exposing them on agar plate cultures or immersed in liquid cultures of b. anthracis. the results of research were documented with photos of coloured histological preparations. as a result of the research there was demonstrated the possibility of infection and colonisation of skin consignment by b. anthracis from accidental located skin of died or killed animals because of a ...	2003	12908414
comprehensive aligned sequence construction for automated design of effective probes (cascade-p) using 16s rdna.	motivation: prokaryotic organisms have been identified utilizing the sequence variation of the 16s rrna gene. variations steer the design of dna probes for the detection of taxonomic groups or specific organisms. the long-term goal of our project is to create probe arrays capable of identifying 16s rdna sequences in unknown samples. this necessitated the authentication, categorization and alignment of the >75 000 publicly available '16s' sequences. preferably, the entire process should be comput ...	2003	12912825
application of comparative genomics in the identification and analysis of novel families of membrane-associated receptors in bacteria.	a great diversity of multi-pass membrane receptors, typically with 7 transmembrane (tm) helices, is observed in the eukaryote crown group. so far, they are relatively rare in the prokaryotes, and are restricted to the well-characterized sensory rhodopsins of various phototropic prokaryotes.	2003	12914674
terahertz imaging: t-ray specs.		2003	12917655
bioterrorism: a new frontier for drug discovery and development.	only a few years ago bioterrorism was considered a remote concern but today it has reached the forefront of the public imagination following recent terrorist attacks around the world. the disaster of september 11 2001, followed by anthrax letters sent via the us postal system, and now the renewed tension in the middle east, have all brought the possibility of bioterrorism a little closer to reality. a number of biological agents could be used in a terrorist attack, including anthrax, botulinum, ...	2003	12917773
[preparation of gene chip probes for bacillus anthracis protective antigen].	to study the method for rapid preparation of the gene chip probes for bacillus anthracis protective antigen (pag).	2003	12919907
pathology of inhalation anthrax in cynomolgus monkeys (macaca fascicularis).	anthrax is considered a serious biowarfare and bioterrorism threat because of its high lethality, especially by the inhalation route. rhesus macaques (macaca mulatta) are the most commonly used nonhuman primate model of human inhalation anthrax exposure. the nonavailability of rhesus macaques necessitated development of an alternate model for vaccine testing and immunologic studies. this report describes the median lethal dose (ld(50)) and pathology of inhalation anthrax in cynomolgus macaques ( ...	2003	12920249
regulation of the g2/m transition in oocytes of xenopus tropicalis.	the molecular events regulating hormone-induced oocyte activation and meiotic maturation are probably best understood in xenopus laevis. in x. laevis, progesterone activates the g2-arrested oocyte, induces entry into m phase of meiosis i (mi) and resumption of the meiotic cell cycles, and leads to the formation of a mature, fertilizable egg. oocytes of xenopus tropicalis offer several practical advantages over those of x. laevis, including faster and more synchronous meiotic cell cycle progressi ...	2003	12921744
comparison of individual and combination dna vaccines for b. anthracis, ebola virus, marburg virus and venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.	multiagent dna vaccines for highly pathogenic organisms offer an attractive approach for preventing naturally occurring or deliberately introduced diseases. few animal studies have compared the feasibility of combining unrelated gene vaccines. here, we demonstrate that dna vaccines to four dissimilar pathogens that are known biowarfare agents, bacillus anthracis, ebola (ebov), marburg (marv), and venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (veev), can elicit protective immunity in relevant animal model ...	2003	12922144
an enzymatic electrochemiluminescence assay for the lethal factor of anthrax.	the lethal factor (lf) of anthrax toxin is the toxic component of the exotoxin (lethal toxin) secreted by toxic strains of bacillus anthracis. the lethal factor is a zinc-dependent metalloprotease that specifically cleaves the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (mapkk) family of enzymes. we took advantage of this substrate specificity to develop an electrochemiluminescence (ecl) peptide cleavage assay. the ecl assay uses the stable ruthenium (ru) metal chelate that, in the presence of tripr ...	2003	12963063
a pcr-based anthrax detector.		2003	12964729
accuracy of screening for inhalational anthrax after a bioterrorist attack.	bioterrorism using anthrax claimed five lives in the united states in 2001 and remains a potential public health threat. in the aftermath of a large-scale anthrax attack, mass screening to identify early inhalational anthrax may improve both the management of individual cases and the efficiency of health resource utilization.	2003	12965942
a triage algorithm for inhalational anthrax.		2003	12965947
summaries for patients. screening for inhalational anthrax after a bioterrorist attack.		2003	12965957
detecting bioterror attacks by screening blood donors: a best-case analysis.	to assess whether screening blood donors could provide early warning of a bioterror attack, we combined stochastic models of blood donation and the workings of blood tests with an epidemic model to derive the probability distribution of the time to detect an attack under assumptions favorable to blood donor screening. comparing the attack detection delay to the incubation times of the most feared bioterror agents shows that even under such optimistic conditions, victims of a bioterror attack wou ...	2003	12967486
nonhemolytic, nonmotile gram-positive rods indicative of bacillus anthracis.	we report a 40-year-old female patient who was admitted to the hospital because of a left ovarian mass torsion. a nonhemolytic, nonmotile bacillus, suspicious of bacillus anthracis, was isolated from a blood culture. we discuss the evaluation that led to the final identification of the bacterium as b. megaterium.	2003	12967505
identifying and subtyping species of dangerous pathogens by automated ribotyping.	an investigation of dangerous bacterial pathogens was conducted to determine the usefulness of automated rrna operon ribotyping (riboprinter system) to identify species. a total of 26 isolates comprising bacillus anthracis, brucella spp., burkholderia mallei, francisella tularensis, and yersinia pestis were tested using restriction endonucleases ecori, psti, pvuii and asei. the main problem was that the system's database-relying on ecori as restriction enzyme-does not contain the essential dange ...	2003	12967744
rapid and effective detection of anthrax spores in soil by pcr.	to detect bacillus anthracis dna from soil using rapid and simple procedures.	2003	12969286
control and prevention of emerging zoonoses.	emerging and re-emerging zoonoses are zoonotic diseases caused by either totally new or partially new agents or by microorganisms previously known but now occurring in places or in species where the disease was previously unknown. zoonotic diseases account for the majority of all emerging infectious diseases. several factors have led to the emergence of these infections, including human demographics, the industrialization of food production, globalization, international travel and commerce, land ...	2003	12970860
fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies on anthrax lethal toxin.	anthrax lethal toxin is a binary bacterial toxin consisting of two proteins, protective antigen (pa) and lethal factor (lf), that self-assemble on receptor-bearing eukaryotic cells to form toxic, non-covalent complexes. pa(63), a proteolytically activated form of pa, spontaneously oligomerizes to form ring-shaped heptamers that bind lf and translocate it into the cell. site-directed mutagenesis was used to substitute cysteine for each of three residues (n209, e614 and e733) at various levels on ...	2003	12935906
systemic and mucosal antibody responses following retroductal gene transfer to the salivary gland.	gene transfer to salivary glands by retrograde perfusion of the salivary duct has been shown to result in production of the encoded protein. we sought to determine if this technique would be useful for genetic immunization. in studies that compare delivery of dna to either the salivary gland (sg) or muscle (im), mean plasma igg and iga titers obtained following sg delivery were 46- and 86-fold greater, respectively, than those following im delivery. we also tested the hypothesis that sg vaccinat ...	2003	12946312
the host response to anthrax lethal toxin: unexpected observations.	bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is believed to induce disease and death in humans in an endotoxic shock-like manner. a comprehensive study of the effects of anthrax toxin in mice demonstrates that toxin-induced death is mediated not by cytokine release, as previously thought, but by hypoxia-induced liver failure. the study strongly suggests that the therapies developed for treatment of cytokine-mediated septic shock will not be appropriate for the treatment of anthrax.	2003	12952914
bacillus anthracis lethal toxin induces tnf-alpha-independent hypoxia-mediated toxicity in mice.	bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (lt) is the major virulence factor of anthrax and reproduces most of the laboratory manifestations of the disease in animals. we studied lt toxicity in balb/cj and c57bl/6j mice. balb/cj mice became terminally ill earlier and with higher frequency than c57bl/6j mice. timed histopathological analysis identified bone marrow, spleen, and liver as major affected organs in both mouse strains. lt induced extensive hypoxia. crisis was due to extensive liver necrosis acco ...	2003	12952916
morphology of the type strain of bacillus anthracis ey 3169t=atcc 14578t grown either aerobically or anaerobically on agar plates--observation by light and laser microscopes.	growth characteristics including cell-arrangement of the type strain of bacillus anthracis ey 3169t=atcc 14578t grown on agar plates in level 3 laboratory were observed by both light and laser microscopes. small daughter colonies appeared on parent colonies grown on 5% sheep blood or chocolate agar plates after 12 days incubation at room temperature. daughter colonies, stained by wirtz-conklin method, were composed with vegetative cells and spores. growth of daughter colonies might be supported ...	2003	12953842