The PLEX-ID system is a novel technology that couples PCR amplification and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry to identify pathogens directly in clinical specimens. The analytical performance of the PLEX-ID Broad Fungal assay was compared with that of traditional culture identification by using 91 characterized fungal culture isolates (64 manufacturer-claimed and 27 nonclaimed organisms) and directly by using 395 respiratory specimens. Discordant results were resolved by D2 large-subunit ribosomal DNA fungal sequencing. Environmental studies were performed to monitor for potential contamination. The PLEX-ID Broad Fungal assay correctly identified 95.6% (87/91) and 81.3% (74/91) of the culture isolates to the genus and species levels, respectively. Of the manufacturer-claimed organisms, 100% (64/64) and 92.2% (59/64) were correctly identified to the genus and species levels, respectively. Direct analysis of respiratory specimens resulted in 67.6% (267/395) and 66.6% (263/395) agreement with culture results to the genus and species levels, respectively, with 16.2% (64/395) of the results discordant with culture and 16.2% (64/395) not detected by the system. The majority (>95%) of the isolates not detected directly by the PLEX-ID system ultimately grew in low quantities in culture (<20 colonies). In 20.3% (35/172) of the respiratory specimens where no growth was observed in culture, the PLEX-ID system identified a fungus, suggesting a potential increase in sensitivity over culture in some instances. The PLEX-ID system provides a rapid method for the detection of a broad array of fungi directly in respiratory specimens and has the potential of impacting turnaround times and patient care by reducing the need to wait for the growth of an organism in culture. Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) have increased in parallel with the escalating number of immunosuppressed patients seen in health care facilities over the past several decades. IFIs are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in high-risk populations, including those individuals who are at the extremes of age, who are undergoing solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, who are undergoing prescribed immunosuppressive therapy, or who have an immunosuppressive disease (e.g., AIDS) (1). The most common fungal causes of IFIs are Candida species, Aspergillus species, and Cryptococcus species. However, the spectrum of fungal agents causing IFIs has broadened to include more atypical agents, including opportunistic yeasts (e.g., Trichosporon species and Rhodotorula species), the mucormycetes (e.g., Lichtheimia, Rhizopus, and Mucor species), the hyalohyphomycetes (e.g., Fusarium and Scedosporium species), the phaeohyphomycetes (e.g., Alternaria, Scedopsorium, and Bipolaris species), and the causes of endemic mycoses (e.g., Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Coccidioides immitis/C. posadasii) (1, 2). Early diagnosis and prompt therapy of IFIs are instrumental in the successful treatment of immunosuppressed populations, but convent...
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between reading women's health and fitness magazines and the use of eating-disordered diet methods (laxatives, appetite suppressants/diet pills, intentional vomiting, and restricting calories to 1,200 a day or less) among a group of 498adolescent girls at two western u.s. high schools. The authors found moderate to strong positive associations between reading frequency and the use of these unhealthy weight-control practices, which are often thefirst steps toward the development of eating disorders, such asanorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Frequent readers also scored significantly higher on the Mizes Anorectic Cognitions Scale, which measures the presence of eating-disordered cognitions, than moderate or infrequent readers.
The assembly of clathrin-coated vesicles is important for numerous cellular processes, including nutrient uptake and membrane organization. Important contributors to clathrin assembly are four tetrameric Assembly Proteins, also called Adaptor Proteins (AP’s), each of which contains a beta subunit. We identified a single beta subunit, named β1/2, that contributes to both the AP1 and AP2 complexes of Dictyostelium. Disruption of the gene encoding β1/2 resulted in severe defects in growth, cytokinesis, and development. Additionally, cells lacking β1/2 displayed profound osmoregulatory defects including the absence of contractile vacuoles and mislocalization of contractile vacuole markers. The phenotypes of β1/2 were most similar to previously described phenotypes of clathrin and AP1 mutants, supporting a particularly important contribution of AP1 to clathrin pathways in Dictyostelium cells. The absence of β1/2 in cells led to significant reductions in the protein amounts of the medium-sized subunits of the AP1 and AP2 complexes, establishing a role for the beta subunit in the stability of the medium subunits. Dictyostelium β1/2 could resemble a common ancestor of the more specialized β1 and β2 subunits of the vertebrate AP complexes. Our results support the essential contribution a single beta subunit to the stability and function AP1 and AP2 in a simple eukaryote.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.