bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seasonal Influenza Vaccination during Pregnancy and the Risks of Preterm Delivery and Small for Gestational Age Birth
Authors: Ahrens Katherine A. , Louik Carol , Kerr Stephen , Mitchell Allen A. , Werler Martha M. 
Published: October 2014

AbstractBackgroundInfluenza vaccination is routinely recommended for pregnant women, yet information on perinatal outcomes is sparse.MethodsWe investigated the associations between trivalent (seasonal) influenza vaccination during pregnancy and the risks of preterm delivery (PTD, live birth <37 weeks gestation) and small for gestational age birth (SGA, <10th percentile in weight for sex‐specific gestational age) during the influenza seasons 2006–07 through 2009–10. The study population included 1619 mothers of live‐born, non‐malformed singleton infants interviewed as part of the Slone Epidemiology Center's Birth Defects Study. Associations between influenza vaccination and PTD and SGA were assessed using Cox and logistic regression models, respectively, with propensity scores used to adjust for confounding. Women vaccinated against pandemic H1N1 were excluded from the analysis.ResultsInfluenza vaccination during pregnancy showed a near null association with PTD for influenza seasons 2006–07 through 2008–09 compared with unvaccinated women [adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) ranged from 0.79 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.28, 2.21] in 2007–08 to 1.08 [95% CI: 0.40, 2.95] in 2008–09]. For 2009–10, the risk of PTD was higher in vaccinated women (aHR, 7.81 [95% CI: 2.66, 23.0]). Influenza vaccination was not associated with appreciable risks for SGA for all seasons with sufficient numbers of exposed SGA.ConclusionThough limited by study size, these findings add support to previous observations of little or no increased risk of PTD or SGA associated with seasonal influenza vaccination for three of the four influenza seasons in our study. The increased risk of PTD observed for the 2009–10 influenza season warrants further investigation.
Deriving island constraints with searle and grice. A pragmatic account of bridge verbs
Authors: Müller Sonja 
Published: October 2014

AbstractThis paper proposes a pragmatic account of restrictions on extractions fromthat‐complement clauses. Forthat‐complements, it is well known that their transparancy for extraction gets influenced by the matrix verb selecting them: So‐calledbridge verbsallow extraction from their complement,non‐bridge verbsdo not. Analysing the differentcontext changesinduced by the extraction constructions, an account is developed which proves a violation of very basic pragmatic principles (Searle's 1969felicity conditionsfor questions and Grice's 1975Cooperative Principle(plusConversational Maxims)) under the occurrence of the negatively influencingfactive,implicativeandmanner‐of‐speaking verbs. Evidence for an account of this nature in general as well as the particular one proposed in this paper comes from the observation that manipulating contextual factors in the shape of subtypes of the illocutionary force, the questions' intentions and intonational patterns has an impact on the structures’ acceptability.
Pepper pathogenesis‐related protein 4c is a plasma membrane‐localized cysteine protease inhibitor that is required for plant cell death and defense signaling
Authors: Kim Nak Hyun , Hwang Byung Kook 
Published: October 2014

SummaryXanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) type III effector AvrBsT triggers programmed cell death (PCD) and activates the hypersensitive response (HR) in plants. Here, we isolated and identified the plasma membrane localized pathogenesis‐related (PR) protein 4c gene (CaPR4c) from pepper (Capsicum annuum) leaves undergoing AvrBsT‐triggered HR cell death. CaPR4c encodes a protein with a signal peptide and a Barwin domain. Recombinant CaPR4c protein expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited cysteine protease‐inhibitor activity and ribonuclease (RNase) activity. Subcellular localization analyses revealed that CaPR4c localized to the plasma membrane in plant cells. CaPR4c expression was rapidly and specifically induced by avirulent Xcv (avrBsT) infection. Transient expression of CaPR4c caused HR cell death in pepper leaves, which was accompanied by enhanced accumulation of H2O2 and significant induction of some defense‐response genes. Deletion of the signal peptide from CaPR4c abolished the induction of HR cell death, indicating a requirement for plasma membrane localization of CaPR4c for HR cell death. CaPR4c silencing in pepper disrupted both basal and AvrBsT‐triggered resistance responses, and enabled Xcv proliferation in infected leaves. H2O2 accumulation, cell‐death induction, and defense‐response gene expression were distinctly reduced in CaPR4c‐silenced pepper. CaPR4c overexpression in transgenic Arabidopsis plants conferred greater resistance against infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. These results collectively suggest that CaPR4c plays an important role in plant cell death and defense signaling.
OsCERK1 and OsRLCK176 play important roles in peptidoglycan and chitin signaling in rice innate immunity
Authors: Ao Ying , Li Zhangqun , Feng Dongru , Xiong Feng , Liu Jun , Li Jian‐Feng , Wang Menglong , Wang Jinfa , Liu Bing , Wang Hong‐Bin 
Published: October 2014

SummaryMicrobe‐associated molecular pattern (MAMP)‐triggered immunity plays critical roles in the basal resistance defense response in plants. Chitin and peptidoglycan (PGN) are major molecular patterns for fungi and bacteria, respectively. Two rice (Oryza sativa) lysin motif‐containing proteins, OsLYP4 and OsLYP6, function as receptors that sense bacterial PGN and fungal chitin. These membrane receptors, which lack intracellular kinase domains, likely contain another component for transmembrane immune signal transduction. Here, we demonstrate that the rice LysM receptor‐like kinase OsCERK1, a key component of the chitin elicitor signaling pathway, also plays an important role in PGN‐triggered immunity in rice. Silencing of OsCERK1 suppressed PGN‐induced (and chitin‐induced) immunity responses, including reactive oxygen species generation, defense gene expression, and callose deposition, indicating that OsCERK1 is essential for both PGN and chitin signaling initiated by OsLYP4 and OsLYP6. OsLYP4 associated with OsLYP6 and the rice chitin receptor chitin oligosaccharide elicitor‐binding protein (CEBiP) in the absence of PGN or chitin, and treatment with PGN or chitin led to their disassociation in vivo. OsCERK1 associated with OsLYP4 or OsLYP6 when induced by PGN but it associated with OsLYP4, OsLYP6, or CEBiP under chitin treatment, suggesting the presence of different patterns of ligand‐induced heterooligomeric receptor complexes. Furthermore, the receptor‐like cytoplasmic kinase OsRLCK176 functions downstream of OsCERK1 in the PGN and chitin signaling pathways, suggesting that these MAMPs share overlapping intracellular signaling components. Therefore, OsCERK1 plays dual roles in PGN and chitin signaling in rice innate immunity and as an adaptor involved in signal transduction at the plasma membrane in conjunction with OsLYP4 and OsLYP6.
Umbilical cord blood CD34+ stem cells and other mononuclear cell subtypes processed up to 96 h from collection and stored at room temperature maintain a satisfactory functionality for cell therapy
Authors: Pereira‐Cunha F. G. , Duarte A. S. S. , Reis‐Alves S. C. , Olalla Saad S. T. , Metze K. , Lorand‐Metze I. , Luzo Â. C. M. 
Published: October 2014

Background and ObjectivesUmbilical cord blood (UCB) is a good stem cell source for cell therapy. We recently demonstrated that cord blood mononuclear cell (MNCs) subtypes were viable and functional until 96 h after collection, even stored at room temperature. Now, we analyzed the viability and functionality of the cells before and after cryopreservation.Materials and MethodsTwenty UCB units were analyzed at 24 and 96 h after collection, frozen for 6 months, thawed and re‐evaluated. MNCs were analyzed by flow cytometry, viability by 7‐AAD and clonogenic assays (CFU) were performed.ResultsAfter 96 h of storage, no substantial loss of MNC was found (median 7·320 × 106 × 6·305 × 106). Percentage and viability CD34+ cells, B‐cell precursors and mesenchymal stem cells were not affected. However, mature B and T lymphocytes as well as granulocytes had a substantial loss. CFU growth was observed in all samples. Prefreezing storage of 96 h was associated with a relative loss of colony formation (median 12%). Postthaw, this loss had a median of 49% (24 h samples) to 56% (96 h samples).ConclusionThe delay of 96 h before UCB processing is possible, without a prohibitive impairment of CD34+ loss in number and functionality.
T‐Cell death, phosphatidylserine exposure and reduced proliferation rate to validate extracorporeal photochemotherapy
Authors: Schmid D. , Grabmer C. , Streif D. , Lener T. , Schallmoser K. , Rohde E. 
Published: October 2014

Background and ObjectivesExtracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) is an established therapy in various diseases, such as cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma and graft‐versus‐host disease. This study was performed to investigate the practicability of a flow cytometric T‐cell evaluation after ECP as a tool to validate the quality of ECP procedures and to enable the comparability of treatments with different ECP devices.Materials and MethodsPeripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) of healthy volunteer blood donors were treated by offline ECP. To quantify the effect of ECP on T cells in vitro, phosphatidylserine exposure and 7‐aminoactinomycin D (7‐AAD) reactivity as well as the proliferative activity of phytohaemagglutinin‐induced, viable CD3+ lymphocytes were analysed by flow cytometry.ResultsThe expected T‐cell death after ECP was confirmed by 7‐AAD measurements. Phosphatidylserine exposure gradually increased between 20 and 70 h after ECP. Treatment‐related inhibition of T‐cell proliferation was 92·6 ± 1·4%.ConclusionThe combination of viability, phosphatidylserine exposure and T‐cell division analyses by flow cytometry in a single‐platform system provides a valuable tool to validate ECP procedures.
Quantitative evaluation of atrial radio frequency ablation using intracardiac shear‐wave elastography
Authors: Kwiecinski Wojciech , Provost Jean , Dubois Rémi , Sacher Frédéric , Haïssaguerre Michel , Legros Mathieu , Nguyen‐Dinh An , Dufait Rémi , Tanter Mickaël , Pernot Mathieu 
Published: October 2014

Purpose:Radio frequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is a well‐established clinical procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) but suffers from a low single‐procedure success rate. Recurrence of AF is most likely attributable to discontinuous or nontransmural ablation lesions. Yet, despite this urgent clinical need, there is no clinically available imaging modality that can reliably map the lesion transmural extent in real time. In this study, the authors demonstrated the feasibility of shear‐wave elastography (SWE) to map quantitatively the stiffness of RFCA‐induced thermal lesions in cardiac tissues in vitro and in vivo using an intracardiac transducer array.Methods:SWE was first validated in ex vivo porcine ventricular samples (N = 5). Both B‐mode imaging and SWE were performed on normal cardiac tissue before and after RFCA. Areas of the lesions were determined by tissue color change with gross pathology and compared against the SWE stiffness maps. SWE was then performed in vivo in three sheep (N = 3). First, the stiffness of normal atrial tissues was assessed quantitatively as well as its variation during the cardiac cycle. SWE was then performed in atrial tissue after RFCA.Results:A large increase in stiffness was observed in ablated ex vivo regions (average shear modulus across samples in normal tissue: 22 ± 5 kPa, average shear‐wave speed (ct): 4.5 ± 0.4 m s−1 and in determined ablated zones: 99 ± 17 kPa, average ct: 9.0 ± 0.5 m s−1 for a mean shear modulus increase ratio of 4.5 ± 0.9). In vivo, a threefold increase of the shear modulus was measured in the ablated regions, and the lesion extension was clearly visible on the stiffness maps.Conclusions:By its quantitative and real‐time capabilities, Intracardiac SWE is a promising intraoperative imaging technique for the evaluation of thermal ablation during RFCA.
Dose equations for shift‐variant CT acquisition modes using variable pitch, tube current, and aperture, and the meaning of their associated CTDIvol
Authors: Dixon Robert L. , Boone John M. , Kraft Robert A. 
Published: October 2014

Purpose:With the increasing clinical use of shift‐variant CT protocols involving tube current modulation (TCM), variable pitch or pitch modulation (PM), and variable aperture a(t), the interpretation of the scanner‐reported CTDIvol is called into question. This was addressed for TCM in their previous paper published by Dixon and Boone [Med. Phys. 40, 111920 (14pp.) (2013)] and is extended to PM and concurrent TCM/PM as well as variable aperture in this work.Methods:Rigorous convolution equations are derived to describe the accumulated dose distributions for TCM, PM, and concurrent TCM/PM. A comparison with scanner‐reported CTDIvol formulae clearly identifies the source of their differences with the traditional CTDIvol. Dose distribution simulations using the convolution are provided for a variety of TCM and PM scenarios including a helical shuttle used for perfusion studies (as well as constant mA)—all having the same scanner‐reported CTDIvol. These new convolution simulations for TCM are validated by comparison with their previous discrete summations.Results:These equations show that PM is equivalent to TCM if the pitch variation p(z) is proportional to 1/i(z), where i(z) is the local tube current. The simulations show that the local dose at z depends only weakly on the local tube current i(z) or local pitch p(z) due to scatter from all other locations along z, and that the “local CTDIvol(z)” or “CTDIvol per slice” do not represent a local dose but rather only a relative i(z) or p(z). The CTDI‐paradigm does not apply to shift‐variant techniques and the scanner‐reported CTDIvol for the same lacks physical significance and relevance.Conclusions:While the traditional CTDIvol at constant tube current and pitch conveys useful information (the peak dose at the center of the scan length), CTDIvol for shift‐variant techniques (TCM or PM) conveys no useful information about the associated dose distribution it purportedly represents. On the other hand, the total energy absorbed E (“integral dose”) as well as its surrogate DLP remain robust (invariant) with respect to shift‐variance, depending only on the total mAs = 〈i〉t0 accumulated during the total beam‐on time t0 and aperture a, where 〈i〉 is the average current.
Validation of a stereo camera system to quantify brain deformation due to breathing and pulsatility
Authors: Faria Carlos , Sadowsky Ofri , Bicho Estela , Ferrigno Giancarlo , Joskowicz Leo , Shoham Moshe , Vivanti Refael , De Momi Elena 
Published: October 2014

Purpose:A new stereo vision system is presented to quantify brain shift and pulsatility in open‐skull neurosurgeries.Methods:The system is endowed with hardware and software synchronous image acquisition with timestamp embedding in the captured images, a brain surface oriented feature detection, and a tracking subroutine robust to occlusions and outliers. A validation experiment for the stereo vision system was conducted against a gold‐standard optical tracking system, Optotrak CERTUS. A static and dynamic analysis of the stereo camera tracking error was performed tracking a customized object in different positions, orientations, linear, and angular speeds.Results:The system is able to detect an immobile object position and orientation with a maximum error of 0.5 mm and 1.6° in all depth of field, and tracking a moving object until 3 mm/s with a median error of 0.5 mm. Three stereo video acquisitions were recorded from a patient, immediately after the craniotomy. The cortical pulsatile motion was captured and is represented in the time and frequency domain. The amplitude of motion of the cloud of features’ center of mass was inferior to 0.8 mm. Three distinct peaks are identified in the fast Fourier transform analysis related to the sympathovagal balance, breathing, and blood pressure with 0.03–0.05, 0.2, and 1 Hz, respectively.Conclusions:The stereo vision system presented is a precise and robust system to measure brain shift and pulsatility with an accuracy superior to other reported systems.
Identification of VIM-2-Producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Tanzania Is Associated with Sequence Types 244 and 640 and the Location of
bla
VIM-2
in a TniC Integron
Authors: Moyo Sabrina , Haldorsen Bjørg , Aboud Said , Blomberg Bjørn , Maselle Samuel Y. , Sundsfjord Arnfinn , Langeland Nina , Samuelsen Ørjan 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACT

Epidemiological data on carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria on the African continent are limited. Here, we report the identification of VIM-2-producing
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
isolates in Tanzania. Eight out of 90 clinical isolates of
P. aeruginosa
from a tertiary care hospital in Dar es Salaam were shown to harbor
bla
VIM-2
. The
bla
VIM-2
-positive isolates belonged to two different sequence types (ST), ST244 and ST640, with
bla
VIM-2
located in an unusual integron structure lacking the 3′ conserved region of
qac
Δ
E1-sul1
.
JPC-2997, a New Aminomethylphenol with High
In Vitro
and
In Vivo
Antimalarial Activities against Blood Stages of Plasmodium
Authors: Birrell Geoffrey W. , Chavchich Marina , Ager Arba L. , Shieh Hong-Ming , Heffernan Gavin D. , Zhao Wenyi , Krasucki Peter E. , Saionz Kurt W. , Terpinski Jacek , Schiehser Guy A. , Jacobus Laura R. , Shanks G. Dennis , Jacobus David P. , Edstein Michael D. 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACT

4-(
tert
-Butyl)-2-((
tert
-butylamino)methyl)-6-(6-(trifluoromethyl)pyridin-3-yl)-phenol (JPC-2997) is a new aminomethylphenol compound that is highly active
in vitro
against the chloroquine-sensitive D6, the chloroquine-resistant W2, and the multidrug-resistant TM90-C2B
Plasmodium falciparum
lines, with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC
50s
) ranging from 7 nM to 34 nM. JPC-2997 is >2,500 times less cytotoxic (IC
50
s > 35 μM) to human (HepG2 and HEK293) and rodent (BHK) cell lines than the D6 parasite line. In comparison to the chemically related WR-194,965, a drug that had advanced to clinical studies, JPC-2997 was 2-fold more active
in vitro
against
P. falciparum
lines and 3-fold less cytotoxic. The compound possesses potent
in vivo
suppression activity against
Plasmodium berghei
, with a 50% effective dose (ED
50
) of 0.5 mg/kg of body weight/day following oral dosing in the Peters 4-day test. The radical curative dose of JPC-2997 was remarkably low, at a total dose of 24 mg/kg, using the modified Thompson test. JPC-2997 was effective in curing three
Aotus
monkeys infected with a chloroquine- and pyrimethamine-resistant strain of
Plasmodium vivax
at a dose of 20 mg/kg daily for 3 days. At the doses administered, JPC-2997 appeared to be well tolerated in mice and monkeys. Preliminary studies of JPC-2997 in mice show linear pharmacokinetics over the range 2.5 to 40 mg/kg, a low clearance of 0.22 liters/h/kg, a volume of distribution of 15.6 liters/kg, and an elimination half-life of 49.8 h. The high
in vivo
potency data and lengthy elimination half-life of JPC-2997 suggest that it is worthy of further preclinical assessment as a partner drug.
A Continuous Enzyme-Coupled Assay for Triphosphohydrolase Activity of HIV-1 Restriction Factor SAMHD1
Authors: Arnold Laurence H. , Kunzelmann Simone , Webb Martin R. , Taylor Ian A. 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACT
The development of deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP)-based drugs requires a quantitative understanding of any inhibition, activation, or hydrolysis by off-target cellular enzymes. SAMHD1 is a regulatory dNTP-triphosphohydrolase that inhibits HIV-1 replication in human myeloid cells. We describe here an enzyme-coupled assay for quantifying the activation, inhibition, and hydrolysis of dNTPs, nucleotide analogues, and nucleotide analogue inhibitors by triphosphohydrolase enzymes. The assay facilitates mechanistic studies of triphosphohydrolase enzymes and the quantification of off-target effects of nucleotide-based antiviral and chemotherapeutic agents.
The Investigational Agent E1210 Is Effective in Treatment of Experimental Invasive Candidiasis Caused by Resistant Candida albicans
Authors: Wiederhold Nathan P. , Najvar Laura K. , Fothergill Annette W. , McCarthy Dora I. , Bocanegra Rosie , Olivo Marcos , Kirkpatrick William R. , Everson Michael P. , Duncanson Frederick P. , Patterson Thomas F. 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACT

The
in vitro
and
in vivo
activity of the inositol acyltransferase inhibitor E1210 was evaluated against echinocandin-resistant
Candida albicans
. E1210 demonstrated potent
in vitro
activity, and in mice with invasive candidiasis caused by echinocandin-resistant
C. albicans
, oral doses of 10 and 40 mg E1210/kg of body weight twice daily significantly improved survival and reduced fungal burden compared to those of controls and mice treated with caspofungin (10 mg/kg/day). These results demonstrate the potential use of E1210 against resistant
C. albicans
infections.
Oxidative Stress Enhances Cephalosporin Resistance of Enterococcus faecalis through Activation of a Two-Component Signaling System
Authors: Djorić Dušanka , Kristich Christopher J. 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACT

Enterococcus faecalis
is a low-GC Gram-positive bacterium, a normal resident of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and an important hospital-acquired pathogen. An important risk factor for hospital-acquired enterococcal infections is prior therapy with broad-spectrum cephalosporins, antibiotics that impair cell wall biosynthesis by inhibiting peptidoglycan cross-linking. Enterococci are intrinsically resistant to cephalosporins; however, environmental factors that modulate cephalosporin resistance have not been described. While searching for the genetic determinants of cephalosporin resistance in
E. faecalis
, we unexpectedly discovered that oxidative stress, whether from external sources or derived from endogenous metabolism, drives enhanced intrinsic resistance to cephalosporins. A particular source of oxidative stress, H
2
O
2
, activates signaling through the CroR-CroS two-component signaling system, a known determinant of cephalosporin resistance in
E. faecalis
. We find that CroR-CroS is required for adaptation to H
2
O
2
stress and that H
2
O
2
potentiates the activities of cephalosporins against
E. faecalis
when the CroR-CroS signaling system is nonfunctional. Rather than directly detecting H
2
O
2
, our data suggest that the CroR-CroS system responds to cell envelope damage caused by H
2
O
2
exposure in order to promote cell envelope repair and enhanced cephalosporin resistance.