OBJECTIVES To describe the prevalence and characteristics of isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae grown from urine samples that produced negative results with nucleic acid amplification assays (NAA) targeting the cppB gene. METHODS An initial cluster of culture positive, but cppB gene based NAA negative, gonococcal infections was recognised. Urine samples and suspensions of gonococci isolated ov...

In the present study, an attempt was made to induce rooting from single-node cuttings of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.) with different concentrations of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), Indole-3-Butytric acid (IBA) and 1-Naphthylacetic acid (NAA). Among the three auxins used, 0.54 mM NAA showed more effective induction on rooting as compared to IAA and IBA at the whole lev...

In spite of the excellent performance of rapid tuberculosis (TB) nucleic acid amplification (NAA) tests and the clear benefits of immediate diagnosis of TB disease, NAA tests frequently are not used in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB cases, particularly TB cases with smear-negative sputa. Public health laboratories primarily perform TB NAA tests only on a targeted subset of specimens, usually inc...

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of the nucleic acid amplification (NAA) technique for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex from archival fine needle aspirate (FNA) smear scrapings of confirmed cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) for a retrospective diagnosis of EPTB as compared to NAA from fresh FNA material from the same cases. STUDY DESIGN Smear scrapings from 51 cases; 33 case...

BACKGROUND Brain metabolite levels are measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) and include N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and lactate and the ratios NAA to Cho and Cr (NAA-ChoCr), NAA-Cr, NAA-Cho, and Cho-Cr. Brain metabolite levels may correlate with the degree of neonatal asphyxia. OBJECTIVE To determine which brain metabolite ratios have the stro...

Canavan disease is caused by mutations in the gene encoding aspartoacylase (ASPA), a deacetylase that catabolizes N-acetylaspartate (NAA). The precise involvement of elevated NAA in the pathogenesis of Canavan disease is an ongoing debate. In the present study, we tested the effects of elevated NAA in the brain during postnatal development. Mice were administered high doses of the hydrophobic m...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The perceived safety of the recreational drug methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or Ecstasy, conflicts with animal evidence indicating that MDMA damages cortical serotonin (5-HT) neurons at doses similar to those used by humans. Few data are available about the effects of MDMA on the human brain. This study was designed to evaluate MDMA-related alterations in metabolit...

Background: Imbalances in cellular energy homeostasis can lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The heart, which has to contract incessantly, is very sensitive to nutritional changes and requires optimal energy to fuel adjustment [1]. N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is one of the most abundant metabolites in brain [2] with yet unknown function. NAA is synthesized ...

Background: Imbalances in cellular energy homeostasis can lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The heart, which has to contract incessantly, is very sensitive to nutritional changes and requires optimal energy to fuel adjustment [1]. N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is one of the most abundant metabolites in brain [2] with yet unknown function. NAA is synthesized ...