bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MBL2 gene variation affecting serum MBL is associated with prosthetic joint infection in Czech patients after total joint arthroplasty
Authors: Navratilova Z. , Gallo J. , Mrazek F. , Lostak J. , Petrek M.
Published: September 2012

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a serious complication of the total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Serum mannose‐binding lectin (MBL), a pattern recognition receptor, is involved in antibacterial immune response. This study investigated whether functional variants of the MBL2 gene may be associated with the risk of PJI. MBL2 −550 (H/L, rs11003125), MBL2 −221 (Y/X, rs7096206) and MBL2 +54 (G/A, rs1800450) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were genotyped in 112 PJI patients and two control groups: 245 patients with aseptic TJA and 196 Czech population controls without TJA. Serum MBL concentration was assessed in PJI patients (n = 92) and aseptic TJA controls (n = 56). The distribution of MBL2 genotypes complied with the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in all investigated groups. Importantly, MBL2 −550 L allele (allelic frequency, 0.72) and LL genotype (genotype frequency, 0.51) were more frequent among PJI patients compared to aseptic TJA controls (L allele: 0.63, P = 0.016, Pc = 0.048; LL genotype: 0.39, P = 0.037, Pc > 0.05) and to Czech population controls (L allele: 0.61, P = 0.010, Pc = 0.030; LL genotype: 0.35, P = 0.006, Pc = 0.018), respectively. Regarding MBL protein, the MBL2 −550 L carriers presented with lower serum MBL concentrations than non‐carriers (median; 593 vs 1876 ng/ml; P < 0.01). Similarly, the carriage of MBL2 −221 X and 54 A alleles was associated with lower serum MBL concentrations (P < 0.01). In conclusion, MBL2 −550 genetic variant(s) associated with low serum concentration of MBL protein can increase the risk of PJI.
Changing Human Behavior to Prevent Disease: The Importance of Targeting Automatic Processes
Authors: Marteau Theresa M. , Hollands Gareth J. , Fletcher Paul C.
Published: September 2012

Much of the global burden of disease is associated with behaviors—overeating, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity—that people recognize as health-harming and yet continue to engage in, even when undesired consequences emerge. To date, interventions aimed at changing such behaviors have largely encouraged people to reflect on their behaviors. These approaches are often ineffectual, which is in keeping with the observation that much human behavior is automatic, cued by environmental stimuli, resulting in actions that are largely unaccompanied by conscious reflection. We propose that interventions targeting these automatic bases of behaviors may be more effective. We discuss specific interventions and suggest ways to determine whether and how interventions that target automatic processes can enhance global efforts to prevent disease.
Moving and the Neighborhood Glass Ceiling
Authors: Sampson Robert J.
Published: September 2012

Moving to a lower-poverty neighborhood can have a lasting effect on individual well-being.
Nature—Half Lost or Half Saved?
Wild Hope
On the Front Lines of Conservation Success

by Andrew Balmford

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2012. 279 pp. $26, £17. ISBN 9780226035970.
Authors: McCauley Douglas
Published: September 2012

Balmford offers a collection of success stories intended to infuse optimism into the science and practice of nature conservation
The Social Stakes of Interoperability
Interop
The Promise and Perils of Highly Interconnected Systems

by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser

Basic Books (Perseus), New York, 2012. 304 pp. $28.99, C$33.50. ISBN 9780465021970.
Authors: DeNardis Laura
Published: September 2012

While recognizing the risks posed by and hurdles to implementing fully interoperable systems, Palfrey and Gasser argue that the potential benefits are well worth pursuing.
Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Selkoe Dennis J.
Published: September 2012

Despite intensive laboratory and clinical research over three decades, an effective treatment to delay the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease is not at hand. Recent clinical trial failures suggest that we must treat the disease earlier than in its mild to moderate stages, and major progress in validating presymptomatic biomarkers now makes secondary prevention trials possible. We will learn more about the natural history of the disease and any partial therapeutic responses from detailed analyses of recent trial results. This process will likely position the field for success, but only with much greater investment in all aspects of Alzheimer research and with careful design of future trials.
Evaluation of the New Elecsys Toxo IgG Avidity Assay for Toxoplasmosis and New Insights into the Interpretation of Avidity Results
Authors: Murat Jean-Benjamin , L'Ollivier Coralie , Fricker Hidalgo Hélène , Franck Jacqueline , Pelloux Hervé , Piarroux Renaud
Published: September 2012

Detection and treatment of acute toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can avoid severe disease of the fetus. In this context, assessment of anti-ToxoplasmaIgG avidity has been shown to exclude recent infection. The Elecsys Toxo IgG and IgM assays (Roche Diagnostics) have been validated for screening pregnant women and a new assay, Elecsys Toxo IgG Avidity, was recently developed. Our aims were to investigate the performance characteristics of this new avidity assay and explore whether additional information can be provided by avidity assays. The Elecsys assay was compared with the Vidas (bioMérieux) and Architect (Abbott) Avidity assays using two sets of serum samples (n= 291 andn= 255). The rate of general agreement between the Elecsys and Vidas assays was 74%, and that between the Elecsys and Architect assays was 83%. For 11% of the serum samples, avidity was high with the Vidas assay and within the gray zone with the Elecsys assay. None of the assays detected high-avidity antibodies in serum taken <4 months after infection. Avidity values of >90% were exclusively reported in sera taken >9 months after infection by the Elecsys and Architect assays. Almost all avidities of <19% with the Elecsys assay and <17% with the Architect assay corresponded to sera taken <3 and <2 months after infection, respectively. The Elecsys IgG Avidity assay can be used to exclude recent infection. New ways of interpreting the avidity result are also suggested: very high or low values could exclude infections within the last 9 months or help to confirm a recent infection, respectively. However, these potential interpretations require further investigation.
Development of Monoclonal Antibodies to West Nile Virus and Their Application in Immunohistochemistry
Authors: Hirota Jiro , Shimizu Shinya , Shibahara Tomoyuki , Isobe Takashi , Yamada Manabu , Tanimura Nobuhiko
Published: September 2012

West Nile virus (WNV) is endemic throughout Africa, Eurasia, America, and Australia and has important implications for avian, horse, and human health. In these regions, dead birds are monitored for the presence of WNV through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and PCR. However, a number of the tools for IHC are inadequate owing to their cross-reactivity to other Japanese encephalitis serogroup viruses. Here we have established eight monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to WNV. Four of them bound to the envelope protein, three of them bound to nonstructural protein 1 (NS1), and one bound to precursor membrane protein (prM), as shown by Western blot analysis. The anti-NS1 MAbs and the anti-prM MAb did not cross-react with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Murray valley encephalitis virus, or St. Louis encephalitis virus in an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. One NS1-specific MAb, SHW-32B1, and the previously reported NS1-specific MAb, SHW-7A11, were shown by IHC to specifically detect the cytoplasm of degenerated cells in the heart and brain of a WNV-infected goose. Neither of these MAbs were shown by IHC to cross-react with degenerated cells in the brain of a JEV-infected pig. These MAbs are the first reported anti-NS1 MAbs that can be used for WNV-specific IHC using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. They may be useful for WNV research and surveillance.
Genotypic Resistance Testing Creates New Treatment Challenges: Two Cases of Oxacillin-Susceptible Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Sharff Katie A. , Monecke Stefan , Slaughter Sarah , Forrest Graeme , Pfeiffer Chris , Ehricht Ralf , Oethinger Margret
Published: September 2012

Oxacillin-susceptible,
mecA
-positive
Staphylococcus aureus
isolates create a treatment challenge for the clinician. In this article, we describe two cases of bacteremia from isolates that carried the
mecA
gene but were susceptible to oxacillin (oxacillin-susceptible methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
[OS-MRSA]). DNA microarray analysis was used to characterize these isolates as a
mecA
-positive, clonal complex 5, pediatric strain and a
mecA
-positive, clonal complex 8, USA300 strain.
Gardnerella vaginalis as a Rare Cause of Prosthetic Joint Infection
Authors: Hoarau Gautier , Bernard Sylvain , Pavese Patricia , Saragaglia Dominique , Croize Jacques , Maurin Max
Published: September 2012

We describe a septic loosening of a hip prosthesis in a 71-year-old woman caused by
Gardnerella vaginalis
. Infection was confirmed by culture and molecular identification of this bacterium. The patient was treated by a one-step exchange of prosthesis and antibiotic therapy combining trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and rifampin, with favorable evolution.
Laboratory Detection of Enterobacteriaceae That Produce Carbapenemases
Authors: Doyle Diana , Peirano Gisele , Lascols Christine , Lloyd Tracie , Church Deirdre L. , Pitout Johann D. D.
Published: September 2012

A study was designed to evaluate the modified Hodge test (MHT), Mastdiscs ID inhibitor combination disks (MDI), Rosco Diagnostica Neo-Sensitabs (RDS), metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) Etest, and in-house multiplex PCR for the detection of well-characterized carbapenemase-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
. One hundred forty-two nonrepeat clinical isolates of carbapenemase-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
(including
Klebsiella
spp.,
Escherichia coli
,
Citrobacter freundii
, and
Enterobacter
spp.) obtained from the SMART worldwide surveillance program during 2008 to 2009 were included. These included 49 KPC-, 27 NDM-, 19 VIM-, 14 OXA-48-like enzyme-, and 5 IMP-producing isolates and 28 carbapenem-resistant, carbapenemase-negative isolates. The manufacturer's instructions were followed for MDI, RDS, and MBL Etest and CLSI guidelines for MHT. A multiplex PCR was designed to detect KPC, NDM, VIM, IMP, and OXA-48-like carbapenemases. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity were 78% and 93% for MDI, 80% and 93% for RDS, 58% and 93% for MHT, and 55% and 100% for MBL Etest, respectively. The PCR had 100% sensitivity and specificity. MDI and RDS performed well for the detection of KPCs and NDMs but poorly for VIMs, IMPs, and OXA-48-like enzymes. MHT performed well for KPCs and OXA-48-like enzymes but poorly for NDMs, VIMs, and IMPs. MDI and RDS were easy to perform and interpret but lacked sensitivity for OXA-48-like enzymes, VIMs, and IMPs. MHT and MBL Etest were often difficult to interpret. We recommend using molecular tests for the optimal detection of carbapenemase-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
.
Toxin Detection in Patients' Sera by Mass Spectrometry during Two Outbreaks of Type A Botulism in France
Authors: Mazuet Christelle , Ezan Eric , Volland Hervé , Popoff Michel Robert , Becher François
Published: September 2012

In two outbreaks of food-borne botulism in France,
Clostridium botulinum
type A was isolated and characterized from incriminated foods. Botulinum neurotoxin type A was detected in the patients' sera by mouse bioassay and
in vitro
endopeptidase assay with an immunocapture step and identification of the cleavage products by mass spectrometry.
Characterization of Conserved Region 2-Deficient Mutants of the Cytomegalovirus Egress Protein pM53
Authors: Pogoda Madlen , Bosse Jens B. , Wagner Felicia M. , Schauflinger Martin , Walther Paul , Koszinowski Ulrich H. , Ruzsics Zsolt
Published: September 2012

Dominant-negative (DN) mutants are powerful tools for studying essential protein-protein interactions. A systematic genetic screen of the essential murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) protein pM53 identified the accumulation of inhibitory mutations within conserved region 2 (CR2) and CR4. The strong inhibitory potential of these CR4 mutants is characterized by a particular phenotype. The DN effect of the small insertion mutations in CR2 was too weak to analyze (M. Popa, Z. Ruzsics, M. Lötzerich, L. Dölken, C. Buser, P. Walther, and U. H. Koszinowski, J. Virol. 84:9035–9046, 2010); therefore, the present study describes the construction of M53 alleles lacking CR2 (either completely or partially) and subsequent examination of the DN effect on MCMV replication upon conditional expression. Overexpression of CR2-deficient pM53 inhibited virus production by about 10,000-fold. This was due to interference with capsid export from the nucleus and viral genome cleavage/packaging. In addition, the fate of the nuclear envelopment complex in the presence of DN pM53 overexpression was analyzed. The CR2 mutants were able to bind to pM50, albeit to a lesser extent than the wild-type protein, and relocalized the wild-type nuclear envelope complex in infected cells. Unlike the CR4 DN, the CR2 DN mutants did not affect the stability of pM50.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus ORF57 Is Not a Bona Fide Export Factor
Authors: Pilkington Guy R. , Majerciak Vladimir , Bear Jenifer , Uranishi Hiroaki , Zheng Zhi-Ming , Felber Barbara K.
Published: September 2012

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV [human herpesvirus 8; HHV-8]) open reading frame 57 (ORF57) is a viral early protein participating in posttranscriptional regulatory events, such as splicing, RNA stabilization, and protein expression. Recent data suggest that ORF57 recruits the transcription and export (TREX) complex to viral RNA and exports these transcripts to the cytoplasm. In this study, we show that although ORF57 promotes expression of a selection of KSHV viral intronless RNAs, it is not a
bona fide
export factor.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Induces Autophagosomes during Cell Entry via a Class III Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Independent Pathway
Authors: Berryman Stephen , Brooks Elizabeth , Burman Alison , Hawes Philippa , Roberts Rebecca , Netherton Christopher , Monaghan Paul , Whelband Matthew , Cottam Eleanor , Elazar Zvulun , Jackson Terry , Wileman Thomas
Published: September 2012

Autophagy is an intracellular pathway that can contribute to innate antiviral immunity by delivering viruses to lysosomes for degradation or can be beneficial for viruses by providing specialized membranes for virus replication. Here, we show that the picornavirus foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) induces the formation of autophagosomes. Induction was dependent on Atg5, involved processing of LC3 to LC3II, and led to a redistribution of LC3 from the cytosol to punctate vesicles indicative of authentic autophagosomes. Furthermore, FMDV yields were reduced in cells lacking Atg5, suggesting that autophagy may facilitate FMDV infection. However, induction of autophagosomes by FMDV appeared to differ from starvation, as the generation of LC3 punctae was not inhibited by wortmannin, implying that FMDV-induced autophagosome formation does not require the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) activity of vps34. Unlike other picornaviruses, for which there is strong evidence that autophagosome formation is linked to expression of viral nonstructural proteins, FMDV induced autophagosomes very early during infection. Furthermore, autophagosomes could be triggered by either UV-inactivated virus or empty FMDV capsids, suggesting that autophagosome formation was activated during cell entry. Unlike other picornaviruses, FMDV-induced autophagosomes did not colocalize with the viral 3A or 3D protein. In contrast, ∼50% of the autophagosomes induced by FMDV colocalized with VP1. LC3 and VP1 also colocalized with the cellular adaptor protein p62, which normally targets ubiquitinated proteins to autophagosomes. These results suggest that FMDV induces autophagosomes during cell entry to facilitate infection, but not to provide membranes for replication.
Variations in Hypovirus Interactions with the Fungal-Host RNA-Silencing Antiviral-Defense Response
Authors: Zhang Xuemin , Shi Diane , Nuss Donald L.
Published: September 2012

Hypoviruses
Cryphonectria hypovirus 1
(CHV-1)/EP713, CHV-1/Euro7, and CHV-1/EP721, which infect the chestnut blight fungus
Cryphonectria parasitica
, differ in their degrees of virulence attenuation (hypovirulence), symptom expression, and viral RNA accumulation, even though they share between 90% and 99% amino acid sequence identity. In this report we examine whether this variability is influenced by interactions with the
C. parasitica
Dicer gene
dcl2
-dependent RNA-silencing antiviral defense response. The mild symptoms exhibited by strains infected with CHV-1/Euro7 and CHV-1/EP721 relative to those with severe hypovirus CHV-1/EP713 did not correlate with a higher induction of the RNA-silencing pathway. Rather,
dcl2
transcripts accumulated to a higher level (∼8-fold) following infection by CHV-1/EP713 than following infection by CHV-1/Euro7 (1.2-fold) or CHV-1/EP721 (1.4-fold). The differences in
dcl2
transcript accumulation in response to CHV-1/EP713 and CHV-1/EP721 were unrelated to the suppressor of RNA silencing, p29, encoded by the two viruses. Moreover, the coding strand viral RNA levels increased by 33-, 32-, and 16-fold for CHV-1/EP713, CHV-1/Euro7, and CHV-1/EP721, respectively, in Δ
dcl2
mutant strains. This indicates that a very robust antiviral RNA-silencing response was induced against all three viruses, even though significant differences in the levels of
dcl2
transcript accumulation were observed. Unexpectedly, the severe debilitation previously reported for CHV-1/EP713-infected Δ
dcl2
mutant strains, and observed here for the CHV-1/Euro7-infected Δ
dcl2
mutant strains, was not observed with infection by CHV-1/EP721. By constructing chimeric viruses containing portions of CHV-1/EP713 and CHV-1/EP721, it was possible to map the region that is associated with the severe debilitation of the Δ
dcl2
mutant hosts to a 4.1-kb coding domain located in the central part of the CHV-1/EP713 genome.
A 205-Nucleotide Deletion in the 3′ Untranslated Region of Avian Leukosis Virus Subgroup J, Currently Emergent in China, Contributes to Its Pathogenicity
Authors: Wang Qi , Gao Yulong , Wang Yongqiang , Qin Liting , Qi Xiaole , Qu Yue , Gao Honglei , Wang Xiaomei
Published: September 2012

In the past 5 years, an atypical clinical outbreak of avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J), which contains a unique 205-nucleotide deletion in its 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR), has become epidemic in chickens in China. To determine the role of the 205-nucleotide deletion in the pathogenicity of ALV-J, a pair of viruses were constructed and rescued. The first virus was an ALV-J Chinese isolate (designated HLJ09SH01) containing the 205-nucleotide deletion in its 3′UTR. The second virus was a chimeric clone in which the 3′UTR contains a 205-nucleotide sequence corresponding to a region of the ALV-J prototype virus. The replication and pathogenicity of the rescued viruses (rHLJ09SH01 and rHLJ09SH01A205) were investigated. Compared to rHLJ09SH01A205, rHLJ09SH01 showed a moderate growth advantage
in vitro
and
in vivo
, in addition to exhibiting a higher oncogenicity rate and lethality rate in layers and broilers. Increased vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and vascular endothelial growth receptor subtype 2 (VEGFR-2) expression was induced by rHLJ09SH01 more so than by rHLJ09SH01A205 during early embryonic vascular development, but this increased expression disappeared when the expression levels were normalized to the viral levels. This finding suggests that the expression of VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 is associated with viral replication and may also represent a novel molecular mechanism underlying the oncogenic potential of ALV-J. Overall, our findings not only indicate that the unique 205-nucleotide deletion in the ALV-J genome occurred naturally in China and contributes to increased pathogenicity but also point to the possible mechanism of ALV-J-induced oncogenicity.
Full Genome Sequence of a Novel Coxsackievirus B5 Strain Isolated from Neurological Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Patients in China
Authors: Hu Y. F. , Zhao R. , Xue Y. , Yang Fan , Jin Q.
Published: September 2012

Coxsackievirus B5 (CVB5) belongs to the human enterovirus B species within the family
Picornaviridae
. We report the complete genome sequence of a novel CVB5 strain, CVB5/SD/09, that is associated with neurological hand, foot, and mouth disease in China. The complete genome consists of 7,399 nucleotides, excluding the 3′ poly(A) tail, and has an open reading frame that maps between nucleotide positions 744 and 7301 and encodes a 2,185-amino-acid polyprotein. Phylogenetic analysis based on different genome region regions reveals that CVB5/SD/09 belongs to a novel CVB5 lineage, and similarity plotting and bootscanning analysis based on the whole genome of CVB5 in the present study and those available in GenBank indicate that the genome of CVB5/SD/09 has a mosaic-like structure, suggesting that recombination between different CVB5 strains may occur.
Complete Genome Sequence of an H3N2 Canine Influenza Virus from Dogs in Jiangsu, China
Authors: Lin Yan , Zhao Yan-Bing , Zeng Xu-Jian , Lu Cheng-Ping , Liu Yong-Jie
Published: September 2012

A canine influenza virus (CIV) strain of avian origin designated A/Canine/Jiangsu/06/2010 (H3N2) was isolated from dogs exhibiting severe respiratory disease in Jiangsu, China. We announce the complete genome sequence of this viral strain and report major findings from the genomic analysis. This sequence will help us understand the molecular characteristics and evolutionary of H3N2 CIV in China.
Neutralizing Capacity of Monoclonal Antibodies That Recognize Peptide Sequences Underlying the Carbohydrates on gp41 of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus
Authors: Martinez-Navio José M. , Desrosiers Ronald C.
Published: September 2012

Extensive glycosylation of the envelope spikes of human and simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV and SIV) is an important factor for the resistance of these viruses to neutralization by antibodies. SIVmac239 gp41 has three closely spaced sites for N-linked carbohydrate attachment. Rhesus macaques experimentally infected with mutant versions of SIVmac239 lacking two or three of these carbohydrate sites developed strong serum reactivity against mutated peptide sequences at the site of these glycosylations, as well as high titers of neutralizing activity to the mutant viruses (E. Yuste et al., J. Virol. 82:12472–12486, 2008). However, whether antibodies that recognize these underlying peptides have neutralizing activity has not been directly demonstrated. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of three gp41-specific monoclonal antibodies (4G8, 6G8, and 7D6) from one of these mutant-infected monkeys. All three antibodies reacted with mutant gp41 from viral particles and also with peptides corresponding to mutated sequences. Slight differences in peptide specificities were observed among the three antibodies. Sequence analysis revealed that the heavy chains of all three antibodies were derived from the same germ line heavy-chain segment (IGHV4-59*01), but they all had very different sequences in complementarity-determining region 3. The light chains of all three antibodies were very closely related to one another. All three antibodies had neutralizing activity to mutant viruses deficient in gp41 carbohydrate attachment, but they did not neutralize the parental SIVmac239. These results demonstrate unambiguously that antibodies with specificity for peptide sequences underlying gp41 carbohydrates can effectively neutralize SIV when these carbohydrates are absent. However, the presence of these gp41 carbohydrates effectively shields the virus from antibodies that would otherwise neutralize viral infectivity.
Complete Genome Sequence of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum Bacteriophage My1
Authors: Lee Dong Hwan , Lee Ju-Hoon , Shin Hakdong , Ji Samnyu , Roh Eunjung , Jung Kyusuk , Ryu Sangryeol , Choi Jaehyuk , Heu Sunggi
Published: September 2012

Pectobacterium carotovorum
subsp.
carotovorum
, a member of the
Enterobacteriaceae
family, is an important plant-pathogenic bacterium causing significant economic losses worldwide.
P. carotovorum
subsp.
carotovorum
bacteriophage My1 was isolated from a soil sample. Its genome was completely sequenced and analyzed for the development of an effective biological control agent. Sequence and morphological analyses revealed that phage My1 is a T5-like bacteriophage and belongs to the family
Siphoviridae
. To date, there is no report of a
Pectobacterium
-targeting siphovirus genome sequence. Here, we announce the complete genome sequence of phage My1 and report the results of our analysis.
Rift Valley Fever Virus Strain MP-12 Enters Mammalian Host Cells via Caveola-Mediated Endocytosis
Authors: Harmon Brooke , Schudel Benjamin R. , Maar Dianna , Kozina Carol , Ikegami Tetsuro , Tseng Chien-Te Kent , Negrete Oscar A.
Published: September 2012

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic pathogen capable of causing serious morbidity and mortality in both humans and livestock. The lack of efficient countermeasure strategies, the potential for dispersion into new regions, and the pathogenesis in humans and livestock make RVFV a serious public health concern. The receptors, cellular factors, and entry pathways used by RVFV and other members of the family
Bunyaviridae
remain largely uncharacterized. Here we provide evidence that RVFV strain MP-12 uses dynamin-dependent caveola-mediated endocytosis for cell entry. Caveolae are lipid raft domains composed of caveolin (the main structural component), cholesterol, and sphingolipids. Caveola-mediated endocytosis is responsible for the uptake of a wide variety of host ligands, as well as bacteria, bacterial toxins, and a number of viruses. To determine the cellular entry mechanism of RVFV, we used small-molecule inhibitors, RNA interference (RNAi), and dominant negative (DN) protein expression to inhibit the major mammalian cell endocytic pathways. Inhibitors and RNAi specific for macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis had no effect on RVFV infection. In contrast, inhibitors of caveola-mediated endocytosis, and RNAi targeted to caveolin-1 and dynamin, drastically reduced RVFV infection in multiple cell lines. Expression of DN caveolin-1 also reduced RVFV infection significantly, while expression of DN EPS15, a protein required for the assembly of clathrin-coated pits, and DN PAK-1, an obligate mediator of macropinocytosis, had no significant impact on RVFV infection. These results together suggest that the primary mechanism of RVFV MP-12 uptake is dynamin-dependent, caveolin-1-mediated endocytosis.
Manual aspiration thrombectomy for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
Authors: Jankowitz Brian Thomas , Bodily Lance Matukas , Jumaa Mouhammad , Syed Zaidi F , Jovin Tudor G
Published: September 2012

Background

Hydration and anticoagulation are the standard of care for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) but some patients remain refractory to medical management and warrant more aggressive therapy. Here we present the technique of endovascular transvenous manual aspiration thrombectomy (MAT) in six patients.

Objective

Present an alternative technique for endovascular transvenous thrombectomy in a series of CVST patients.

Methods

We reviewed the records of six patients with medically refractory CVST. Transvenous access via the femoral vein was used to advance an aspiration catheter of varying internal diameter (0.044, 0.054, 0.057, 0.070, 0.072) up to and through the thrombus. Tissue plasminogen activator was administered in select cases. Manual aspiration with a 20 ml syringe applied to the catheter hub was applied as the catheter was slowly retracted. Presentation, technique, and outcome were evaluated.

Results

Clinical presentation included vomiting, dehydration, mental status changes, headaches, and acute motor deficits. On imaging, four of the six patients had hemorrhage, edema, and mass effect present before treatment, while two had edema only. All patients demonstrated continued deterioration despite early and aggressive medical anticoagulation therapy, warranting aggressive intervention. Aspiration of the superior sagittal sinus, transverse sinuses, straight sinus, sigmoid sinus, and internal jugular vein were performed in this series. There were no procedural complications. Revascularization was achieved in all instances. A modified Rankin Scale score of 1–3 was attained in 5/6 patients, while one patient died.

Conclusions

In this series, transvenous MAT was a safe, simple, and effective revascularization technique to treat patients with CVST who remained refractory to medical management.
ENERGY RELEASE ASSOCIATED WITH QUARK PHASE TRANSITION IN NEUTRON STARS: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MAXWELL AND GLENDENNING SCENARIOS
Authors: ALAVERDYAN ANI , ALAVERDYAN GRIGOR , MELIKYAN SHUSHAN
Published: September 2012

We study the compact stars internal structure and observable characteristics alterations due to the quark deconfinement phase transition. To proceed with, we investigate the properties of isospin- asymmetric nuclear matter in the improved relativistic mean-field (RMF) theory, including a scalar-isovector δ-meson effective field. In order to describe the quark phase, we use the improved version of the MIT bag model, in which the interactions between u, d and s quarks inside the bag are taken into account in the one-gluon exchange approximation. We compute the amount of energy released by the corequake for both cases of deconfinement phase transition scenarios, corresponding to the Maxwellian type ordinary first-order phase transition and the phase transition with formation of a mixed quark-hadron phase (Glendenning scenario).
STUDY OF THE OBJECT HD 87643
Authors: LENHO COELHO EDUARDO , DE FARIA LOPES DALTON
Published: September 2012

HD 87643 is one of the B[e] stars that still defy our understanding to better classify it. The spectroscopic observations of HD 87643 performed in the Astronomical Observatory of La Silla (ESO) between December 1998 and April 2000 show an object far more complex than was already known, with profiles of the Balmer series showing variability on different time scales. This work examine the formation of Hα and Hβ profiles with the SEI method (Sobolev approximation with Exact Integration of the transfer equation), as well as their spectral energy distribution by means of codes Cloudy and Dusty. For a homogeneous and spherically symmetric nebula around a star with T ef ~ 15, 000 K and log L/L⊙ > 4.2, the reproduction of the profiles mentioned was only achieved for Hβ and to some extent, considering two distinct regions with different laws for the expansion of the wind and with different rates of mass loss.
STELLAR STRUCTURE FROM QCD
Authors: FRANZON BRUNO , NAVARRA F. S. , FOGAÇA DAVID
Published: September 2012

Using an equation of state based on a mean-field approximation for QCD (MQCD) to describe the cold quark gluon plasma we study the stellar structure of compact stars.
WHAT IS THE TOPOLOGY OF A SCHWARZSCHILD BLACK HOLE?
Authors: MONTE EDMUNDO M.
Published: September 2012

We investigate the topology of Schwarzschild's black holes through the immersion of this space-time in space of higher dimension. Through the immersions of Kasner and Fronsdal we calculate the extension of the Schwarzschilds black hole.
THE RANKING OF f(R) THEORIES AMONG ALTERNATIVE COSMOLOGICAL SCENARIOS
Authors: PIRES NILZA
Published: September 2012

There are many cosmological scenarios that try to explain the observed current accelerated expansion. They are based or on the existence of new fields in nature or on the modification of the gravitation theory. This work investigates the observational viability of a modified gravity f(R) = R - α/ Rn within the Palatine approach, in the light of 32 age measurements of passively evolving galaxies and the baryonic acoustic oscillation peak scale. By using information-criteria model selection, this scenario is compared with the DGP alternative cosmological model as well the adjustable components of energy based in the general relativity based int the observational data set.
The Fluid Dynamics of Tornadoes
Authors: Rotunno Richard
Published: September 2012

Because of the difficulty in making measurements under controlled conditions, most of what is known about the fluid dynamics of tornadoes comes from laboratory experiments that produce vortices with features similar to those observed in a tornado. Numerical simulation of laboratory experiments has become a valuable analytical tool owing to the greater ease of extracting data. The success of the numerical simulations has inspired better-defined numerical experiments capable of quantitatively describing the basic features of observed tornado vortices and has motivated simple fluid dynamical explanations. The present article reviews the state of knowledge concerning the fluid dynamics of tornadoes as found in laboratory and numerical analogs.
Wave Packets and Turbulent Jet Noise
Authors: Jordan Peter , Colonius Tim
Published: September 2012

Turbulent jet noise is a controversial fluid mechanical puzzle that has amused and bewildered researchers for more than half a century. Whereas numerical simulations are now capable of simultaneously predicting turbulence and its radiated sound, the theoretical framework that would guide noise-control efforts is incomplete. Wave packets are intermittent, advecting disturbances that are correlated over distances far exceeding the integral scales of turbulence. Their signatures are readily distinguished in the vortical, turbulent region; the irrotational, evanescent near field; and the propagating far field. We review evidence of the existence, energetics, dynamics, and acoustic efficiency of wave packets. We highlight how extensive data available from simulations and modern measurement techniques can be used to distill acoustically relevant turbulent motions. The evidence supports theories that seek to represent wave packets as instability waves, or more general modal solutions of the governing equations, and confirms the acoustic importance of these structures in the aft-angle radiation of high subsonic and supersonic jets. The resulting unified view of wave packets provides insights that can help guide control strategies.
Paleopopulation Genetics
Authors: Wall Jeffrey D. , Slatkin Montgomery
Published: September 2012

Paleopopulation genetics is a new field that focuses on the population genetics of extinct groups and ancestral populations (i.e., populations ancestral to extant groups). With recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies, we now have unprecedented ability to directly assay genetic variation from fossils. This allows us to address issues, such as past population structure, changes in population size, and evolutionary relationships between taxa, at a much greater resolution than can traditional population genetics studies. In this review, we discuss recent developments in this emerging field as well as prospects for the future.
Memories from the Polycomb Group Proteins
Authors: Lanzuolo Chiara , Orlando Valerio
Published: September 2012

The first genes composing the Polycomb group (PcG) were identified 50 years ago in Drosophila melanogaster as essential developmental functions that regulate the correct segmental expression of homeotic selector genes. In the past two decades, what was initially described as a large family of chromatin-associated proteins involved in the maintenance of transcriptional repression to maintain cellular memory of homeotic genes turned out to be a highly conserved and sophisticated network of epigenetic regulators that play key roles in multiple aspects of cell physiology and identity, including regulation of all developmental genes, cell differentiation, stem and somatic cell reprogramming and response to environmental stimuli. These myriad phenotypes further spread interest for the contribution that PcG proteins revealed in the pathogenesis and progression of cancer and other complex diseases. Recent novel insights have increasingly clarified the molecular regulatory mechanisms at the basis of PcG-mediated epigenetic silencing and opened new visions about PcG functions in cells. In this review, we focus on the multiple modes of action of the PcG complexes and describe their biological roles.
A Deep-Time Perspective of Land-Ocean Linkages in the Sedimentary Record
Authors: Romans Brian W. , Graham Stephan A.
Published: September 2012

It is increasingly important to understand and predict how marine environments respond to changes in climate and sea level and to variability in sediment flux from rivers. The dynamics of these factors occur over several orders of temporal magnitude and, under favorable geologic conditions, contribute to long-lived sediment accumulation. Thus, stratigraphic successions along continental margins are archives of these environmental changes and can be used to reconstruct land-ocean linkages, which provide important context for shorter-term and future modifications to this critical zone. Here, we discuss an integrated approach to the analysis of deep-time sediment archives (>106years) that considers the entire system, from eroding catchments where sediment is produced to subsiding basins where sediment accumulates. This holistic approach is presented within the framework of fundamental concepts about sedimentary-basin analysis and stratigraphic characterization through a combination of foundational literature and studies that represent the state of the art.
Memories of a Senior Scientist: On Passing the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Beginning of Deciphering the Genetic Code
Authors: Lengyel Peter
Published: September 2012

2011 marked the fiftieth anniversary of breaking the genetic code in 1961. Marshall Nirenberg, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968 for his role in deciphering the code, wrote in 2004 a personal account of his research. The race for the code was a competition between the NIH group and Severo Ochoa's laboratory at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, where I was a graduate student and conducted many of the experiments. I am now 83 years old. These facts prompt me to recall how I, together with Joe Speyer, an instructor in the Department of Biochemistry at NYU, unexpectedly became involved in deciphering the code, which also became the basis of my PhD thesis. Ochoa won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1959 for discovering polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNP), the first enzyme found to synthesize RNA in the test tube. The story of how PNP made the deciphering of the code feasible is recalled here.
Bacterial Chemotaxis: The Early Years of Molecular Studies
Authors: Hazelbauer Gerald L.
Published: September 2012

This review focuses on the early years of molecular studies of bacterial chemotaxis and motility, beginning in the 1960s with Julius Adler's pioneering work. It describes key observations that established the field and made bacterial chemotaxis a paradigm for the molecular understanding of biological signaling. Consideration of those early years includes aspects of science seldom described in journals: the accidental findings, personal interactions, and scientific culture that often drive scientific progress.
A Fortunate Journey on Uneven Grounds
Authors: Ullmann Agnes
Published: September 2012

I was surprised to be invited to write a prefatory chapter for the Annual Review of Microbiology. Indeed, I did not feel that I belonged to that class of eminent scientists who had written such chapters. Perhaps it is because I am a kind of mutant: In spite of having experienced war, both German and Soviet occupations, repeated bombardments, dictatorships, and a revolution, I managed nonetheless to engage in scientific research, thus realizing a childhood dream. After having obtained my Doctor Rerum Naturalium degree in Budapest, Hungary, I was fortunate to meet Jacques Monod at the Pasteur Institute, and this became a turning point in my scientific career. In his laboratory, I contributed to the definition of the lactose operon promoter, uncovered intracistronic complementation in β-galactosidase, and investigated the role of cAMP in Escherichia coli. In my own laboratory, together with many gifted students and collaborators, I studied the role of adenylate cyclase in bacterial virulence. This allowed the engineering of recombinant adenylate cyclase toxin from Bordetella pertussis for the development of protective and therapeutic vaccines.
‘Gestalt,’ Composition and Function of the Trypanosoma brucei Editosome
Authors: Göringer H. Ulrich
Published: September 2012

RNA editing describes a chemically diverse set of biomolecular reactions in which the nucleotide sequence of RNA molecules is altered. Editing reactions have been identified in many organisms and frequently contribute to the maturation of organellar transcripts. A special editing reaction has evolved within the mitochondria of the kinetoplastid protozoa. The process is characterized by the insertion and deletion of uridine nucleotides into otherwise nontranslatable messenger RNAs. Kinetoplastid RNA editing involves an exclusive class of small, noncoding RNAs known as guide RNAs. Furthermore, a unique molecular machinery, the editosome, catalyzes the process. Editosomes are megadalton multienzyme assemblies that provide a catalytic surface for the individual steps of the reaction cycle. Here I review the current mechanistic understanding and molecular inventory of kinetoplastid RNA editing and the editosome machinery. Special emphasis is placed on the molecular morphology of the editing complex in order to correlate structural features with functional characteristics.
Dynamic modulation of intrinsic functional connectivity by transcranial direct current stimulation
Authors: Sehm Bernhard , Schäfer Alexander , Kipping Judy , Margulies Daniel , Conde Virginia , Taubert Marco , Villringer Arno , Ragert Patrick
Published: September 2012

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique capable of modulating cortical excitability and thereby influencing behavior and learning. Recent evidence suggests that bilateral tDCS over both primary sensorimotor cortices (SM1) yields more prominent effects on motor performance in both healthy subjects and chronic stroke patients than unilateral tDCS over SM1. To better characterize the underlying neural mechanisms of this effect, we aimed to explore changes in resting-state functional connectivity during both stimulation types. In a randomized single-blind crossover design, 12 healthy subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest before, during, and after 20 min of unilateral, bilateral, and sham tDCS stimulation over SM1. Eigenvector centrality mapping (ECM) was used to investigate tDCS-induced changes in functional connectivity patterns across the whole brain. Uni- and bilateral tDCS over SM1 resulted in functional connectivity changes in widespread brain areas compared with sham stimulation both during and after stimulation. Whereas bilateral tDCS predominantly modulated changes in primary and secondary motor as well as prefrontal regions, unilateral tDCS affected prefrontal, parietal, and cerebellar areas. No direct effect was seen under the stimulating electrode in the unilateral condition. The time course of changes in functional connectivity in the respective brain areas was nonlinear and temporally dispersed. These findings provide evidence toward a network-based understanding regarding the underpinnings of specific tDCS interventions.
Decision making by urgency gating: theory and experimental support
Authors: Thura David , Beauregard-Racine Julie , Fradet Charles-William , Cisek Paul
Published: September 2012

It is often suggested that decisions are made when accumulated sensory information reaches a fixed accuracy criterion. This is supported by many studies showing a gradual build up of neural activity to a threshold. However, the proposal that this build up is caused by sensory accumulation is challenged by findings that decisions are based on information from a time window much shorter than the build-up process. Here, we propose that in natural conditions where the environment can suddenly change, the policy that maximizes reward rate is to estimate evidence by accumulating only novel information and then compare the result to a decreasing accuracy criterion. We suggest that the brain approximates this policy by multiplying an estimate of sensory evidence with a motor-related urgency signal and that the latter is primarily responsible for neural activity build up. We support this hypothesis using human behavioral data from a modified random-dot motion task in which motion coherence changes during each trial.
Students' Persistence and Academic Success in a First-Year Professional Bachelor Program: The Influence of Students' Learning Strategies and Academic Motivation
Authors: Vanthournout Gert , Gijbels David , Coertjens Liesje , Donche Vincent , Van Petegem Peter
Published: September 2012

The present study explores whether students' learning strategies and academic motivation predict persistence and academic success in the first year of higher education. Freshmen students in a professional bachelor program in teacher education were questioned on their learning strategy use and motivation at the start and at the end of the academic year. Students' learning strategies were assessed using the inventory of learning styles-SV. Motivation was measured using scales from the self-regulation questionnaire and the academic motivation scale. Gender and students' prior education were incorporated as control variables. Logistic regression analyses and general linear modelling were applied to predict persistence and academic success, respectively. In each case a stepwise approach in data analysis was used. Results on persistence indicate that lack of regulation and amotivation at the start of the year are significant predictors. For academic success, results showed that relating and structuring, lack of regulation, and lack of motivation at the end of the year are meaningful predictors. Overall, our study demonstrates that learning strategies and motivation have a moderate explanatory value regarding academic success and persistence, and that these effects remain even after controlling for the influence of background variables.
Graphene: A Rising Star on the Horizon of Materials Science
Authors: Sur Ujjal Kumar
Published: September 2012

Graphene, a one-atom thick planar sheet of sp2bonded carbon atoms packed in a honeycomb lattice, is considered to be the mother of all graphitic materials like fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphite. Graphene has created tremendous interest to both physicists and chemists due to its various fascinating properties, both observed and predicted with possible potential applications in nanoelectronics, supercapacitors, solar cells, batteries, flexible displays, hydrogen storage, and sensors. In this paper, a brief overview on various aspects of graphene such as synthesis, functionalization, self-assembly, and some of its amazing properties along with its various applications ranging from sensors to energy storage devices had been illustrated.