Simplified methods of DNA extraction for amplification and sequencing for emm typing of group A streptococci (GAS) can save valuable time and cost in resource crunch situations. To evaluate this, we compared two methods of DNA extraction directly from colonies with the standard CDC cell lysate method for emm typing of 50 GAS strains isolated from children with pharyngitis and impetigo. For this...

Requirements engineering is an important component of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects. We propose: (1) An ERP maturity model (EMM) for assessing the ERP maturity within the organization and (2) A Requirements Engineering (RE) method to capture the requirements from the different types of users of an ERP system, verifying and validating them. The EMM consists of three levels and each...

PURPOSE To evaluate macular function before and after surgical peeling of idiopathic epimacular membrane (EMM). METHODS Logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution visual acuity and results of focal (central 9 x 9 degrees) electroretinogram (fERG), pattern electroretinogram (pERG), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) assessment of macular volume were evaluated for 22 eyes of 22 patients (...

Background Electromechanical mapping (EMM) of the left ventricle (LV) provides voltage and contractility information of the LV (based on linear local shortening, LLS). Although EMM parameters show excellent correlation with viability data by MRI, little information is available regarding performance of EMM for assessment of regional and global LV function. The purposes of our study were: a) to ...

The M-protein genes (emm genes) of 103 separate impetiginous Streptococcus pyogenes isolates were sequenced and the sequence types were compared to the types obtained by Vir typing. Vir typing is based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of a 4- to 7-kb pathogenicity island encoding emm and other virulence genes. By using both HaeIII and HinfI to generate RFLP profiles, ...

Introduction Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes diseases ranging from superficial skin & throat infections to severe lifethreatening diseases. Streptococcus invasive locus (sil) is a virulence gene responsible for pathogenesis of GAS. This study intends to detect the presence of sil gene among the non-invasive GAS and its association with toxin genes, erythromycin resistance genes, and emm types.

Since the mid-1980s, there has been a resurgence of severe forms of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease in many Western countries. In Hong Kong, a similar increase has also been observed in recent years. One hundred seven GAS isolates collected from 1995 to 1998 from individuals with necrotizing fasciitis, toxic shock syndrome, meningitis, or other type of bacteremic sepsis (invasive g...

Although patients with schizophrenia have severe memory impairments and emotional deficits, studies investigating emotional memory modulation (EMM) in schizophrenia show contradictory results, possibly due to methodological differences and small group size. We investigated whether impaired EMM is already present in First Episode Psychosis (FEP) and whether impairments in EMM are task or stimulu...