bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fipronil–amitraz–S‐methoprene‐triggered pemphigus foliaceus in 21 dogs: clinical, histological and immunological characteristics
Authors: Bizikova Petra , Linder Keith E. , Olivry Thierry 
Published: March 2014

BackgroundA recently launched topical ectoparasiticide containing fipronil, amitraz and S‐methoprene has been associated with the development of an acantholytic pustular dermatitis similar to that of Promeris‐triggered pemphigus foliaceus (PF).Hypothesis/ObjectivesOur objectives were to describe the clinical, histological and immunological features of this PF‐like cutaneous adverse drug reaction.AnimalsTwenty‐one dogs with a probable or definitive diagnosis of PF‐like cutaneous adverse drug reaction were identified between May 2012 and February 2013.Material and MethodsHistology, direct and indirect immunofluorescence were employed to address the study objectives.ResultsMost dogs were middle‐aged or older (median, 9 years) and of large size (median, 23 kg). In six dogs (29%), the PF‐like lesions remained confined to the site of application, while 15 dogs (71%) exhibited lesions at distant sites. One or two applications of the ectoparasiticide were sufficient to trigger PF‐like lesions in seven (33%) and six (29%) dogs, respectively. Systemic signs were reported in nine dogs (43%), all with lesions extending to sites distant from application areas. Tissue‐bound antikeratinocyte IgG was detected in the lesional epidermis of eight of 19 (42%) cases by direct immunofluorescence, while serum antikeratinocyte IgG was detected in 10 of 14 (71%) cases by indirect immunofluorescence. Autoantibodies were found to target canine desmocollin‐1 in 11 of 14 dogs (79%), but not canine desmoglein‐1, by indirect immunofluorescence on transfected cells. These immunological findings were similar in cases with localized and distant disease.Conclusions and clinical importanceThis new topical ectoparasiticide containing fipronil, amitraz and S‐methoprene is capable of triggering the development of an acantholytic pustular dermatosis that is a clinical, histological and immunological close match for Promeris‐triggered PF and naturally occurring autoimmune PF in dogs.
Galois representations attached to automorphic forms on over fields
Authors: Mok Chung Pang 
Published: March 2014

AbstractIn this paper we generalize the work of Harris–Soudry–Taylor and construct the compatible systems of two-dimensional Galois representations attached to cuspidal automorphic representations of cohomological type on${\rm GL}_2$over a CM field with a suitable condition on their central characters. We also prove a local-global compatibility statement, up to semi-simplification.
On a completed generating function of locally harmonic Maass forms
Authors: Bringmann Kathrin , Kane Ben , Zwegers Sander 
Published: March 2014

AbstractWhile investigating the Doi–Naganuma lift, Zagier defined integral weight cusp forms$f_D$which are naturally defined in terms of binary quadratic forms of discriminant$D$. It was later determined by Kohnen and Zagier that the generating function for the function$f_D$is a half-integral weight cusp form. A natural preimage of$f_D$under a differential operator at the heart of the theory of harmonic weak Maass forms was determined by the first two authors and Kohnen. In this paper, we consider the modularity properties of the generating function of these preimages. We prove that although the generating function is not itself modular, it can be naturally completed to obtain a half-integral weight modular object.
Automated bone segmentation from dental CBCT images using patch‐based sparse representation and convex optimization
Authors: Wang Li , Chen Ken Chung , Gao Yaozong , Shi Feng , Liao Shu , Li Gang , Shen Steve G. F. , Yan Jin , Lee Philip K. M. , Chow Ben , Liu Nancy X. , Xia James J. , Shen Dinggang 
Published: March 2014

Purpose:Cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an increasingly utilized imaging modality for the diagnosis and treatment planning of the patients with craniomaxillofacial (CMF) deformities. Accurate segmentation of CBCT image is an essential step to generate three‐dimensional (3D) models for the diagnosis and treatment planning of the patients with CMF deformities. However, due to the poor image quality, including very low signal‐to‐noise ratio and the widespread image artifacts such as noise, beam hardening, and inhomogeneity, it is challenging to segment the CBCT images. In this paper, the authors present a new automatic segmentation method to address these problems.Methods:To segment CBCT images, the authors propose a new method for fully automated CBCT segmentation by using patch‐based sparse representation to (1) segment bony structures from the soft tissues and (2) further separate the mandible from the maxilla. Specifically, a region‐specific registration strategy is first proposed to warp all the atlases to the current testing subject and then a sparse‐based label propagation strategy is employed to estimate a patient‐specific atlas from all aligned atlases. Finally, the patient‐specific atlas is integrated into amaximum a posterioriprobability‐based convex segmentation framework for accurate segmentation.Results:The proposed method has been evaluated on a dataset with 15 CBCT images. The effectiveness of the proposed region‐specific registration strategy and patient‐specific atlas has been validated by comparing with the traditional registration strategy and population‐based atlas. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves the best segmentation accuracy by comparison with other state‐of‐the‐art segmentation methods.Conclusions:The authors have proposed a new CBCT segmentation method by using patch‐based sparse representation and convex optimization, which can achieve considerably accurate segmentation results in CBCT segmentation based on 15 patients.
The Pathogen Candida albicans Hijacks Pyroptosis for Escape from Macrophages
Authors: Uwamahoro Nathalie , Verma-Gaur Jiyoti , Shen Hsin-Hui , Qu Yue , Lewis Rowena , Lu Jingxiong , Bambery Keith , Masters Seth L. , Vince James E. , Naderer Thomas , Traven Ana 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACT

The fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
causes macrophage death and escapes, but the molecular mechanisms remained unknown. Here we used live-cell imaging to monitor the interaction of
C. albicans
with macrophages and show that
C. albicans
kills macrophages in two temporally and mechanistically distinct phases. Early upon phagocytosis,
C. albicans
triggers pyroptosis, a proinflammatory macrophage death. Pyroptosis is controlled by the developmental yeast-to-hypha transition of
Candida
. When pyroptosis is inactivated, wild-type
C. albicans
hyphae cause significantly less macrophage killing for up to 8 h postphagocytosis. After the first 8 h, a second macrophage-killing phase is initiated. This second phase depends on robust hyphal formation but is mechanistically distinct from pyroptosis. The transcriptional regulator Mediator is necessary for morphogenesis of
C. albicans
in macrophages and the establishment of the wild-type surface architecture of hyphae that together mediate activation of macrophage cell death. Our data suggest that the defects of the Mediator mutants in causing macrophage death are caused, at least in part, by reduced activation of pyroptosis. A Mediator mutant that forms hyphae of apparently wild-type morphology but is defective in triggering early macrophage death shows a breakdown of cell surface architecture and reduced exposed 1,3 β-glucan in hyphae. Our report shows how
Candida
uses host and pathogen pathways for macrophage killing. The current model of mechanical piercing of macrophages by
C. albicans
hyphae should be revised to include activation of pyroptosis by hyphae as an important mechanism mediating macrophage cell death upon
C. albicans
infection.

IMPORTANCE
Upon phagocytosis by macrophages,
Candida albicans
can transition to the hyphal form, which causes macrophage death and enables fungal escape. The current model is that the highly polarized growth of hyphae results in macrophage piercing. This model is challenged by recent reports of
C. albicans
mutants that form hyphae of wild-type morphology but are defective in killing macrophages. We show that
C. albicans
causes macrophage cell death by at least two mechanisms. Phase 1 killing (first 6 to 8 h) depends on the activation of the pyroptotic programmed host cell death by fungal hyphae. Phase 2 (up to 24 h) is rapid and depends on robust hyphal formation but is independent of pyroptosis. Our data provide a new model for how the interplay between fungal morphogenesis and activation of a host cell death pathway mediates macrophage killing by
C. albicans
hyphae.
Coupling Between Protein Level Selection and Codon Usage Optimization in the Evolution of Bacteria and Archaea
Authors: Ran Wenqi , Kristensen David M. , Koonin Eugene V. 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACT

The relationship between the selection affecting codon usage and selection on protein sequences of orthologous genes in diverse groups of bacteria and archaea was examined by using the Alignable Tight Genome Clusters database of prokaryote genomes. The codon usage bias is generally low, with 57.5% of the gene-specific optimal codon frequencies (
F

opt

) being below 0.55. This apparent weak selection on codon usage contrasts with the strong purifying selection on amino acid sequences, with 65.8% of the gene-specific d
N
/d
S
ratios being below 0.1. For most of the genomes compared, a limited but statistically significant negative correlation between
F

opt

and d
N
/d
S
was observed, which is indicative of a link between selection on protein sequence and selection on codon usage. The strength of the coupling between the protein level selection and codon usage bias showed a strong positive correlation with the genomic GC content. Combined with previous observations on the selection for GC-rich codons in bacteria and archaea with GC-rich genomes, these findings suggest that selection for translational fine-tuning could be an important factor in microbial evolution that drives the evolution of genome GC content away from mutational equilibrium. This type of selection is particularly pronounced in slowly evolving, “high-status” genes. A significantly stronger link between the two aspects of selection is observed in free-living bacteria than in parasitic bacteria and in genes encoding metabolic enzymes and transporters than in informational genes. These differences might reflect the special importance of translational fine-tuning for the adaptability of gene expression to environmental changes. The results of this work establish the coupling between protein level selection and selection for translational optimization as a distinct and potentially important factor in microbial evolution.

IMPORTANCE
Selection affects the evolution of microbial genomes at many levels, including both the structure of proteins and the regulation of their production. Here we demonstrate the coupling between the selection on protein sequences and the optimization of codon usage in a broad range of bacteria and archaea. The strength of this coupling varies over a wide range and strongly and positively correlates with the genomic GC content. The cause(s) of the evolution of high GC content is a long-standing open question, given the universal mutational bias toward AT. We propose that optimization of codon usage could be one of the key factors that determine the evolution of GC-rich genomes. This work establishes the coupling between selection at the level of protein sequence and at the level of codon choice optimization as a distinct aspect of genome evolution.
Helicobacter pylori-negative Russell body gastritis: does the diagnosis call for screening for plasmacytic malignancies, especially multiple myeloma?
Authors: Klair Jagpal Singh , Girotra Mohit , Kaur Aneet , Aduli Farshad 
Published: March 2014

Russell body gastritis (RBG) is a rare entity with unestablished pathophysiology, endoscopic findings, clinical manifestations and treatments. Literature is scarce on this clinical entity with unclear clinical significance. Of 18 cases reported, 12 tested (+) forHelicobacter pyloriand improved with treatment, but it remains unclear whether this link is coincidental or bears some clinical significance. We describe a case of elderly woman who had a follow-up oesophagogastroduodenoscopy for chronic peptic ulcers, and biopsy showed positive immunohistochemical stains for κ and λ, indicating a polytypic population of plasma cells. Immunostaining forH pyloriwas negative. Biopsies were also (−) for gastric carcinoma, lymphoma and plasmacytoma. Considering her RGB-suggestive histology and her symptoms of bone pains and anaemia, multiple myeloma screening was considered clinically relevant. The purpose of this review was to educate clinicians and gastroenterologists about this unique entity and explore its association with multiple myeloma or other plamacytic malignancies.
Narrowing the gap between the number of athletes who dope and the number of athletes who are caught: scientific advances that increase the efficacy of antidoping tests
Authors: Botrè Francesco , de la Torre Xavier , Donati Francesco , Mazzarino Monica 
Published: March 2014

The analytical methods developed and applied by the antidoping laboratories have been continuously evolving over the past 50 years, with the aim of keeping pace with the constant evolution of doping strategies. Despite this, the number of adverse analytical tests reported worldwide by the network of the WADA-accredited laboratories still seems to underestimate the actual number of doped athletes.We investigate the most likely causes for this gap between the likely doping rate and the detection of athletes with positive doping tests. We consider laboratory and non-laboratory reasons that contribute to this gap. More specifically, laboratory issues are focused not only on those doping practices that may still be ‘invisible’ at the time of a doping test, but also on the possible role of non-conventional masking strategies. These include (1) the intake of banned drugs by specific novel drug delivery systems and (2) the coadministration of prohibited and non-prohibited drugs, taking advantage of the capacity of the latter to affect the metabolism, and consequently the detection, of the former. Non-laboratory issues include the lack of a sufficient level of ‘intelligent testing’, with the result that, even in the cases of doped athletes, the biological samples delivered to the antidoping laboratories for analysis may not contain those target analytes whose detection (and if necessary quantification above a decision limit) constitutes an adverse analytical finding. We present proposals to improve the efficacy of the doping control policies based on the analysis of biological samples and suggest how to constantly keep up with the continuous developments of new forms of doping.
A national, cross-sectional survey of children's hospital-based safety resource centres
Authors: Kendi Sadiqa , Zonfrillo Mark R , Seaver Hill Karen , Arbogast Kristy B , Gittelman Michael A 
Published: March 2014

ObjectiveTo describe the location, staffing, clientele, safety product disbursement patterns, education provided and sustainability of safety resource centres (SRCs) in US children's hospitals.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was distributed to children's hospital-based SRC directors. Survey categories included: funding sources, customer base, items sold, items given free of charge, education provided and directors’ needs.Results32/38 (84.2%) SRC sites (affiliated with 30 hospitals) completed the survey. SRCs were in many hospital locations including lobby (28.1%), family resource centres (12.5%), gift shop/retail space (18.8%), mobile units (18.8%) and patient clinics (12.5%). 19% of respondents reported that their SRC was financially self-sustainable. Sales to patients predominated (mean of 44%); however, hospital employees made up a mean of 20% (range 0–60%) of sales. 78.1% of SRCs had products for children with special healthcare needs. Documentation kept at SRC sites included items purchased (96.9%), items given free of charge (65.6%) and customer demographics (50%). 56.3% of SRCs provided formal injury prevention education classes. The SRCs’ directors’ most important needs were finances (46.9%), staffing (50%) and space (46.9%). All of the directors were ‘somewhat interested’ or ‘very interested’ in each of the following: creation of a common SRC listserv, national SRC data bank and multisite SRC research platform.ConclusionsSRCs are located in many US children's hospitals, and can be characterised as heterogeneous in location, products sold, data kept and ability to be financially sustained. Further research is needed to determine best practices for SRCs to maximise their impact on injury prevention.
Mechanical properties and fibrin characteristics of endovascular coil–clot complexes: relevance to endovascular cerebral aneurysm repair paradigms
Authors: Haworth Kevin J , Weidner Christopher R , Abruzzo Todd A , Shearn Jason T , Holland Christy K 
Published: March 2014

BackgroundAlthough coil embolization is known to prevent rebleeding from acutely ruptured cerebral aneurysms, the underlying biological and mechanical mechanisms have not been characterized. We sought to determine if microcoil-dependent interactions with thrombus induce structural and mechanical changes in the adjacent fibrin network. Such changes could play an important role in the prevention of aneurysm rebleeding.MethodsThe stiffness of in vitro human blood clots and coil–clot complexes implanted into aneurysm phantoms were measured immediately after formation and after retraction for 3 days using unconfined uniaxial compression assays. Scanning electron microscopy of the coil–clot complexes showed the effect of coiling on clot structure.ResultsThe coil packing densities achieved were in the range of clinical practice. Bare platinum coils increased clot stiffness relative to clot alone (Young's modulus 6.9 kPa and 0.83 kPa, respectively) but did not affect fibrin structure. Hydrogel-coated coils prevented formation of a clot and had no significant effect on clot stiffness (Young's modulus 2 kPa) relative to clot alone. Clot age decreased fiber density by 0.2 fibers/µm2but not the stiffness of the bare platinum coil–clot complex.ConclusionsThe stiffness of coil–clot complexes is related to the summative stiffness of the fibrin network and associated microcoils. Hydrogel-coated coils exhibit significantly less stiffness due to the mechanical properties of the hydrogel and the inhibition of fibrin network formation by the hydrogel. These findings have important implications for the design and engineering of aneurysm occlusion devices.
Using the voids to fill the gaps: caves, time, and stratigraphy
Authors: Plotnick Roy E. , Kenig Fabien , Scott Andrew C. 
Published: March 2014

Abstract
Karstification produces a unique and spatially complex architecture of accommodation space for the accumulation of later sediments. The sedimentary record within caves can act as a repository for stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental information that has been locally removed by subsequent surface erosion. Caves and karst also allow for the preservation of biota not usually found in the fossil record. Pennsylvanian palaeokarst from Illinois, USA, illustrate the potential of ancient caves as a home for ‘lost stratigraphy’. These palaeocaves have dissolutional features associated with contemporaneous sediment influx (paragenesis), indicating that speleogenesis and cave sediment deposition were synchronous. These features also provide evidence of changing water tables. The fill within the caves suggests multiple flood events on the surface. The enclosed biota contains rare upland plants, such as conifers, as well as scorpions. Both plants and animals preserve original organic constituents. The presence of charcoal, as well as diagnostic polyaromatic hydrocarbons, point to wildfires and thus dry episodes on the land surface. The cave fills are outliers from correlative formations in the region. The filled voids of these ancient caves thus fill palaeontological, palaeoenvironmental, and stratigraphic gaps.
Chimeric Rat/Human HER2 Efficiently Circumvents HER2 Tolerance in Cancer Patients
Authors: Occhipinti Sergio , Sponton Laura , Rolla Simona , Caorsi Cristiana , Novarino Anna , Donadio Michela , Bustreo Sara , Satolli Maria Antonietta , Pecchioni Carla , Marchini Cristina , Amici Augusto , Cavallo Federica , Cappello Paola , Pierobon Daniele , Novelli Francesco , Giovarelli Mirella 
Published: March 2014

AbstractPurpose: Despite the great success of HER2 vaccine strategies in animal models, effective clinical results have not yet been obtained. We studied the feasibility of using DNA coding for chimeric rat/human HER2 as a tool to break the unresponsiveness of T cells from patients with HER2-overexpressing tumors (HER2-CP).Experimental Design: Dendritic cells (DCs) generated from patients with HER2-overexpressing breast (n = 28) and pancreatic (n = 16) cancer were transfected with DNA plasmids that express human HER2 or heterologous rat sequences in separate plasmids or as chimeric constructs encoding rat/human HER2 fusion proteins and used to activate autologous T cells. Activation was evaluated by IFN-γ ELISPOT assay, perforin expression, and ability to halt HER2+ tumor growth in vivo.Results: Specific sustained proliferation and IFN-γ production by CD4 and CD8 T cells from HER2-CP was observed after stimulation with autologous DCs transfected with chimeric rat/human HER2 plasmids. Instead, T cells from healthy donors (n = 22) could be easily stimulated with autologous DCs transfected with any human, rat, or chimeric rat/human HER2 plasmid. Chimeric HER2-transfected DCs from HER2-CP were also able to induce a sustained T-cell response that significantly hindered the in vivo growth of HER2+ tumors. The efficacy of chimeric plasmids in overcoming tumor-induced T-cell dysfunction relies on their ability to circumvent suppressor effects exerted by regulatory T cells (Treg) and/or interleukin (IL)-10 and TGF-β1.Conclusions: These results provide the proof of concept that chimeric rat/human HER2 plasmids can be used as effective vaccines for any HER2-CP with the advantage of being not limited to specific MHC. Clin Cancer Res; 20(11); 2910–21. ©2014 AACR.