Clinical Laboratory Assessment of \u3cem\u3eMycoplasma genitalium\u3c/em\u3e Transcription-Mediated Amplification Using Primary Female Urogenital Specimens

Following analysis of primary cervix, vagina, and first-void female urine specimens for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis via commercial transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), residual material was subjected to Mycoplasma genitalium research-use-only TMA. Representation within a 2,478-specimen retrospective study set was established by comparison to a 6-month audit of clinical C. trachomatis TMA (12,999 specimens) on the basis of the C. trachomatis detection rate, specimen source distribution, clinic location, and age. M. genitalium was detected in 282 (11.4%) patients. This rate was higher than those seen with T. vaginalis (9.0%; P _ 0.005), C. trachomatis (6.2%), and N. gonorrhoeae (1.4%). Positive M. genitalium results were confirmed by repeat testing or alternative-target TMA at a rate of 98.7%. The mean age of the M. genitalium-infected females (24.7 years) was lower than that of the T. vaginalis-infected females (mean, 30.1 years; P\u3c0.0001) and higher than that of the C. trachomatis-infected females (mean, 23.8 years; P_0.003). Of 566 patient encounters positive for at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI), 35.9% exhibited sole detection of M. genitalium (P \u3c 0.0004 versus sole detection of other STI agents) and 26.1% were solely positive for T. vaginalis (P \u3c 0.0002 versus C. trachomatis). The M. genitalium and T. vaginalis detection rates among 755 patients at urban emergency departments were 14.6% and 13.0%, respectively (P _ 0.37). A 10.0% M. genitalium detection rate from other facilities exceeded that of T. vaginalis (7.2%; P _ 0.004). Incorporation of M. genitalium TMA into comprehensive testing programs would detect M. genitalium in a significant proportion of females, particularly those in outpatient obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) settings

Arthritis Is Developed in Borrelia-Primed And -Infected Mice Deficient of Interleukin-17

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been shown to participate in the development of Lyme arthritis in experimental mice. For example, neutralization of IL-17 with antibodies inhibits induction of arthritis in Borrelia-primed and -infected C57BL/6 wild-type mice. We hypothesized that mice lacking IL-17 would fail to develop Borrelia-induced arthritis. IL-17-deficient and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were primed with heat-inactivated Borrelia and then infected with viable spirochetes 3 weeks later. No swelling or major histopathological changes of the hind paws were detected in IL-17-deficient or wild-type mice that were primed with Borrelia or infected with viable spirochetes. By contrast, IL-17-deficient and wild-type mice that were primed and subsequently infected with heterologous Borrelia developed severe swelling and histopathological changes of the hind paws. In addition, Borrelia-primed and -infected IL-17-deficient mice exhibited elevated gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) levels in sera and increased frequencies of IFN-γ-expressing lymphocytes in popliteal lymph nodes compared to Borrelia-primed and -infected wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that IL-17 is not required for development of severe pathology in response to infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, but may contribute to disease through an interaction with IFN-γ

Letter from F. L. Munson

Letter in response of a position in the military department at Utah Agricultural College

Comparative evaluation of predicted and measured performance of a 68-cubic meter truncated reverberant noise chamber

The performance of a medium size, truncated reverberation chamber is evaluated in detail. Chamber performance parameters are predicted, using classical acoustic theory, and are compared to results from actual chamber measurements. Discrepancies are discussed in relation to several available empirical corrections developed by other researchers. Of more practical interest is the confirmation of a recent theory stating that the present guide for the ratio of specimen volume to test chamber volume, approximately 10 percent, is overly conservative, and can be increased by a factor of at least 2 and possibly 3. Results and theoretical justification of these findings are presented

First Experiences Integrating PC Distributed I/O Into Argonne's ATLAS Control System

First Experiences Integrating PC Distributed I/O Into Argonne's ATLAS Control System The roots of ATLAS (Argonne Tandem-Linac Accelerator System) date back to the early 1960s. Located at the Argonne National Laboratory, the accelerator has been designated a National User Facility, which focuses primarily on heavy-ion nuclear physics. Like the accelerator it services, the control system has been in a constant state of evolution. The present real-time portion of the control system is based on the commercial product Vsystem [1]. While Vsystem has always been capable of distributed I/O processing, the latest offering of this product provides for the use of relatively inexpensive PC hardware and software. This paper reviews the status of the ATLAS control system, and describes first experiences with PC distributed I/O.Comment: ICALEPCS 2001 Conference, PSN WEAP027, 3 pages, 1 figur