bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hexokinase mediates stomatal closure
Authors: Kelly Gilor , Moshelion Menachem , David‐Schwartz Rakefet , Halperin Ofer , Wallach Rony , Attia Ziv , Belausov Eduard , Granot David 
Published: June 2013

SummaryStomata, composed of two guard cells, are the gates whose controlled movement allows the plant to balance the demand for CO2 for photosynthesis with the loss of water through transpiration. Increased guard‐cell osmolarity leads to the opening of the stomata and decreased osmolarity causes the stomata to close. The role of sugars in the regulation of stomata is not yet clear. In this study, we examined the role of hexokinase (HXK), a sugar‐phosphorylating enzyme involved in sugar‐sensing, in guard cells and its effect on stomatal aperture. We show here that increased expression of HXK in guard cells accelerates stomatal closure. We further show that this closure is induced by sugar and is mediated by abscisic acid. These findings support the existence of a feedback‐inhibition mechanism that is mediated by a product of photosynthesis, namely sucrose. When the rate of sucrose production exceeds the rate at which sucrose is loaded into the phloem, the surplus sucrose is carried toward the stomata by the transpiration stream and stimulates stomatal closure via HXK, thereby preventing the loss of precious water.
ABA and the ubiquitin E3 ligase KEEP ON GOING affect proteolysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factors ABF1 and ABF3
Authors: Chen Yi‐Tze , Liu Hongxia , Stone Sophia , Callis Judy 
Published: June 2013

SummaryThe ABA Binding Factor/ABA‐Responsive Element Binding Proteins (ABF/AREB) subfamily of bZIP‐type transcription factors are positive effectors of ABA responses. Here, we examine the proteolytic regulation of two members: Arabidopsis thaliana ABF1 and ABF3. Both transcription factors are unstable in seedlings, and their degradation is sensitive to proteasome inhibition. ABA treatment of seedlings leads to their rapid accumulation, the result of slowed proteolysis. Deletion of the conserved C–terminal region required for 14–3–3 interaction destabilizes the proteins. The degradation of ABF1 and ABF3 are slower in vivo in seedlings lacking the ubiquitin E3 ligase KEEP ON GOING (KEG), and in vitro in extracts from keg seedlings, implicating KEG in their degradation. ABF1 and ABF3 are ubiquitylation substrates of KEG in vitro, and in vitro pull‐down assays document their direct interaction. In contrast to ABI5, another KEG substrate, the degradation of ABFs and proteolytic regulation of ABFs by ABA still occurs in keg seedlings, suggesting that additional E3s participate in ABF1 and ABF3 proteolysis. Loss of ABF1 or ABF3 in the keg background has a phenotypic effect similar to the loss of ABI5, and there is no additional rescue of the keg phenotype in abf1 abf3 abi5 keg seedlings. This result suggests that the abundance of other substrates is altered in keg seedlings, affecting growth. In conclusion, ABF1 and ABF3 abundance is affected by ABA and KEG, and the conserved C4 region serves as a stabilizing element.
Retrobulbar rhabdomyosarcoma in a neotropical peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus cassini)
Authors: Freundt Coello Michelle J. , Schaeffer Lee S. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractA mild swelling of the left periorbital was detected on a routine physical exam of a healthy captive adult peregrine falcon. Despite treatment, the swelling did not subside and within twenty‐five days was causing significant exophthalmia and medial deviation of the left globe. A retrobulbar fusiform cell sarcoma was diagnosed with histopathology, then light microscopy and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the diagnosis of a rhabdomyosarcoma.
Treatment of human pancreatic cancer using combined ultrasound, microbubbles, and gemcitabine: A clinical case study
Authors: Kotopoulis Spiros , Dimcevski Georg , Helge Gilja Odd , Hoem Dag , Postema Michiel 
Published: June 2013

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability and efficacy of inducing sonoporation in a clinical setting, using commercially available technology, to increase the patients’ quality of life and extend the low Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance grade; as a result increasing the overall survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Methods:Patients were treated using a customized configuration of a commercial clinical ultrasound scanner over a time period of 31.5 min following standard chemotherapy treatment with gemcitabine. SonoVue® ultrasound contrast agent was injected intravascularly during the treatment with the aim to induce sonoporation.Results:Using the authors’ custom acoustic settings, the authors’ patients were able to undergo an increased number of treatment cycles; from an average of 9 cycles, to an average of 16 cycles when comparing to a historical control group of 80 patients. In two out of five patients treated, the maximum tumor diameter was temporally decreased to 80 ± 5% and permanently to 70 ± 5% of their original size, while the other patients showed reduced growth. The authors also explain and characterize the settings and acoustic output obtained from a commercial clinical scanner used for combined ultrasound microbubble and chemotherapy treatment.Conclusions:It is possible to combine ultrasound, microbubbles, and chemotherapy in a clinical setting using commercially available clinical ultrasound scanners to increase the number of treatment cycles, prolonging the quality of life in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared to chemotherapy alone.
Comparison of the Vidas System and Two Recent Fully Automated Assays for Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Toxoplasmosis in Pregnant Women and Newborns
Authors: Murat Jean-Benjamin , Dard Céline , Fricker Hidalgo Hélène , Dardé Marie-Laure , Brenier-Pinchart Marie-Pierre , Pelloux Hervé 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

Serological testing to detect toxoplasmosis is of major importance to avoid the possible effects of the disease in newborns. This study assessed anti-
Toxoplasma
IgG and IgM with the Vidas (bioMérieux), Architect (Abbott), and Liaison (DiaSorin) systems in 631 sera from pregnant women and newborns as well as anti-
Toxoplasma
IgG avidity with these three systems on 54 sera from pregnant women with positive IgG and IgM. The IgG and IgM results were in agreement in, respectively, 95.2% and 98.3% (Vidas versus Architect) and 96.9% and 95.3% (Vidas versus Liaison) of the samples. Specificities were excellent for all the assays, while Vidas sensitivities ranged (depending on the classification of gray zone results) from 93.8 to 98.4% for IgG (Architect, 84.4 to 93.8%; Liaison, 93.8%) and from 81.8 to 90.9% for IgM (Architect, 63.6%; Liaison, 81.8 to 90.9%). In seroconversion sequences, IgMs were generally detected simultaneously by the three assays, while Architect was the earliest assay to detect IgG. In noninfected children, maternally transmitted IgGs were detected for a longer time with Architect than with the other systems. IgMs were positive in only one infected child with the Vidas and Liaison systems. Significantly more sera were classified in the high-avidity category with Vidas than with Architect. This evaluation shows similar performances for Vidas and more recent systems. The Vidas system adequately detects toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and newborns. This system fits the needs of laboratories working on small routine series for first-line testing as well as expert laboratories, due to a high specificity and a powerful avidity test.
A Single Dose of a DNA Vaccine Encoding Apa Coencapsulated with 6,6′-Trehalose Dimycolate in Microspheres Confers Long-Term Protection against Tuberculosis in Mycobacterium bovis BCG-Primed Mice
Authors: Carlétti Dyego , Morais da Fonseca Denise , Gembre Ana Flávia , Masson Ana Paula , Weijenborg Campos Lívia , Leite Luciana C. C. , Rodrigues Pires Andréa , Lannes-Vieira Joseli , Lopes Silva Célio , Bonato Vânia Luiza Deperon , Horn Cynthia 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium bovis
BCG prime DNA (
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
genes)-booster vaccinations have been shown to induce greater protection against tuberculosis (TB) than BCG alone. This heterologous prime-boost strategy is perhaps the most realistic vaccination for the future of TB infection control, especially in countries where TB is endemic. Moreover, a prime-boost regimen using biodegradable microspheres seems to be a promising immunization to stimulate a long-lasting immune response. The alanine proline antigen (Apa) is a highly immunogenic glycoprotein secreted by
M. tuberculosis
. This study investigated the immune protection of Apa DNA vaccine against intratracheal
M. tuberculosis
challenge in mice on the basis of a heterologous prime-boost regimen. BALB/c mice were subcutaneously primed with BCG and intramuscularly boosted with a single dose of plasmid carrying
apa
and 6,6′-trehalose dimycolate (TDM) adjuvant, coencapsulated in microspheres (BCG-APA), and were evaluated 30 and 70 days after challenge. This prime-boost strategy (BCG-APA) resulted in a significant reduction in the bacterial load in the lungs, thus leading to better preservation of the lung parenchyma, 70 days postinfection compared to BCG vaccinated mice. The profound effect of this heterologous prime-boost regimen in the experimental model supports its development as a feasible strategy for prevention of TB.
Development of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Serodiagnosis of Ringworm Infection in Cattle
Authors: Băguţ Elena Tatiana , Cambier Ludivine , Heinen Marie-Pierre , Cozma Vasile , Monod Michel , Mignon Bernard 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to develop an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serological diagnosis of ringworm infection in cattle. We used available recombinant forms of
Trichophyton rubrum
dipeptidyl peptidase V (TruDppV) and
T. rubrum
leucin aminopeptidase 2 (TruLap2), which are 98% identical to
Trichophyton verrucosum
orthologues. Field serum samples from 135 cattle with ringworm infection, as confirmed by direct microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and PCR, and from 55 cattle without any apparent skin lesions or history of ringworm infection that served as negative controls were used. Sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values were determined to evaluate the diagnostic value of our ELISA. Overall, the ELISAs based on recombinant TruDppV and TruLap2 discriminated well between infected animals and healthy controls. Highly significant differences (
P
< 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U test) were noted between optical density values obtained when sera from infected versus control cattle were tested. The ELISA developed for the detection of specific antibodies against DppV gave 89.6% sensitivity, 92.7% specificity, a 96.8% positive predictive value, and a 78.4% negative predictive value. The recombinant TruLap2-based ELISA displayed 88.1% sensitivity, 90.9% specificity, a 95.9% positive predictive value, and a 75.7% negative predictive value. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ELISA based on recombinant antigens for assessing immune responses to ringworm infection in cattle; it is particularly suitable for epidemiological studies and also for the evaluation of vaccines and/or vaccination procedures.
Does Binding of Complement Factor H to the Meningococcal Vaccine Antigen, Factor H Binding Protein, Decrease Protective Serum Antibody Responses?
Authors: Granoff Dan M. , Ram Sanjay , Beernink Peter T. 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT
Factor H binding protein (fHbp) is a principal antigen in a multicomponent meningococcal vaccine recently licensed in Europe for prevention of serogroup B diseases. The protein recruits the complement downregulator, factor H (fH), to the bacterial surface, which enables the organism to resist complement-mediated bacteriolysis. Binding is specific for human fH. In preclinical studies, mice and rabbits immunized with fHbp vaccines developed serum bactericidal antibody responses, which in humans predict protection against developing meningococcal disease. These studies, however, were in animals whose fH did not bind to the vaccine antigen. Here we review the immunogenicity of fHbp vaccines in human fH transgenic mice. The data suggest that animals with high serum human fH concentrations have impaired protective antibody responses. Further, mutant fHbp vaccines with single amino acid substitutions that decrease fH binding are superior immunogens, possibly by unmasking epitopes in the fH binding site that are important for eliciting serum bactericidal antibody responses. Humans immunized with fHbp vaccines develop serum bactericidal antibody, but achieving broad coverage in infants required incorporation of additional antigens, including outer membrane vesicles, which increased rates of fever and local reactions at the injection site. The experimental results in transgenic mice predict that fHbp immunogenicity can be improved in humans by using mutant fHbp vaccines with decreased fH binding. These results have important public health implications for developing improved fHbp vaccines for control of serogroup B meningococcal disease and for development of vaccines against other microbes that bind host molecules.
Impact of the Yosemite Hantavirus Outbreak on Hantavirus Antibody Testing at a National Reference Laboratory
Authors: Prince Harry E. , Lieberman Jay M. 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

In conjunction with the 2012 Yosemite hantavirus outbreak, the number of sera our facility tested for hantavirus antibodies increased. We tracked test results and used the data set to determine if a more efficient testing algorithm was possible. Sera were screened using laboratory-developed pan-hantavirus IgG and IgM enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), with an index of >1.10 defined as positive. Sera that were IgM positive by screening (screen IgM
+
) were tested for Sin Nombre virus (SNV)-specific IgM using a laboratory-developed EIA; screen IgM
+
IgG
+
sera were also tested for SNV IgG using a laboratory-developed immunoblot assay. SNV antibody-positive samples were sent to state public health laboratories (PHL) or the CDC for confirmation. Of 3,946 sera tested from July through December 2012, 205 were screen IgM
+
IgG negative (IgG
−
); 7/205 were SNV IgM
+
, but only 1/5 sent to PHL/CDC was confirmed as SNV IgM
+
. Of 61 screen IgM
+
IgG
+
sera, 16 were SNV antibody positive; 13/16 sera (from 11 patients) went to PHL/CDC, where SNV infection was confirmed for all patients. Of 12 confirmed patients, 7 had been exposed at Yosemite. A modified algorithm defining screen indices of ≥2.00 as positive identified 11/12 confirmed cases while reducing the number of sera requiring SNV-specific antibody testing by 65%; the patient missed was not tested until 3 months after the onset of symptoms. Hantavirus antibody testing at our facility identified 12 SNV-infected patients, including 7 exposed at Yosemite. Some screen IgM
+
IgG
−
SNV IgM
+
results were false positives, emphasizing the value of PHL/CDC confirmatory testing. We identified a modified algorithm requiring analysis of fewer specimens for SNV-specific antibodies without loss of sensitivity.
Lagenidium sp. Ocular Infection Mimicking Ocular Pythiosis
Authors: Reinprayoon Usanee , Permpalung Nitipong , Kasetsuwan Ngamjit , Plongla Rongpong , Mendoza Leonel , Chindamporn Ariya 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

This is a report of a
Lagenidium
sp. in a Thai patient who was diagnosed with severe keratitis that was unresponsive to antibacterial and antifungal drugs. Examination of a corneal biopsy specimen confirmed the presence of aseptate hyphae. The internal transcribed spacer DNA sequence of the strain isolated showed 97% identity with
Lagenidium giganteum
and other
Lagenidium
species.
Surface Microbes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Changes with Routine Cleaning and over Time
Authors: Bokulich Nicholas A. , Mills David A. , Underwood Mark A. 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

Premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are highly susceptible to infection due to the immaturity of their immune systems, and nosocomial infections are a significant risk factor for death and poor neurodevelopmental outcome in this population. To investigate the impact of cleaning within a NICU, a high-throughput short-amplicon-sequencing approach was used to profile bacterial and fungal surface communities before and after cleaning. Intensive cleaning of surfaces in contact with neonates decreased the total bacterial load and the percentage of
Streptococcus
species with similar trends for total fungal load and
Staphylococcus
species; this may have clinical relevance since staphylococci and streptococci are the most common causes of nosocomial NICU infections. Surfaces generally had low levels of other taxa containing species that commonly cause nosocomial infections (e.g.,
Enterobacteriaceae
) that were not significantly altered with cleaning. Several opportunistic yeasts were detected in the NICU environment, demonstrating that these NICU surfaces represent a potential vector for spreading fungal pathogens. These results underline the importance of routine cleaning as a means of managing the microbial ecosystem of NICUs and of future opportunities to minimize exposures of vulnerable neonates to potential pathogens and to use amplicon-sequencing tools for microbial surveillance and hygienic testing in hospital environments.
Emerging Escherichia Pathogen
Authors: Kaewpoowat Quanhathai , Permpalung Nitipong , Sentochnik Deborah E. 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

Escherichia hermannii
was first identified as a new species in 1982. It has rarely been reported as a human pathogen. We report the first case of
E. hermannii
as the sole pathogen in a catheter-related bloodstream infection.
Multilocus Sequence Analysis Provides Insights into Molecular Epidemiology of Chlamydia pecorum Infections in Australian Sheep, Cattle, and Koalas
Authors: Jelocnik Martina , Frentiu Francesca D. , Timms Peter , Polkinghorne Adam 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

Chlamydia pecorum
is a significant pathogen of domestic livestock and wildlife. We have developed a
C. pecorum
-specific multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) scheme to examine the genetic diversity of and relationships between Australian sheep, cattle, and koala isolates. An MLSA of seven concatenated housekeeping gene fragments was performed using 35 isolates, including 18 livestock isolates (11 Australian sheep, one Australian cow, and six U.S. livestock isolates) and 17 Australian koala isolates. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the koala isolates formed a distinct clade, with limited clustering with
C. pecorum
isolates from Australian sheep. We identified 11 MLSA sequence types (STs) among Australian
C. pecorum
isolates, 10 of them novel, with koala and sheep sharing at least one identical ST (designated ST2013Aa). ST23, previously identified in global
C. pecorum
livestock isolates, was observed here in a subset of Australian bovine and sheep isolates. Most notably, ST23 was found in association with multiple disease states and hosts, providing insights into the transmission of this pathogen between livestock hosts. The complexity of the epidemiology of this disease was further highlighted by the observation that at least two examples of sheep were infected with different
C. pecorum
STs in the eyes and gastrointestinal tract. We have demonstrated the feasibility of our MLSA scheme for understanding the host relationship that exists between Australian
C. pecorum
strains and provide the first molecular epidemiological data on infections in Australian livestock hosts.
Landscape of DNA Virus Associations across Human Malignant Cancers: Analysis of 3,775 Cases Using RNA-Seq
Authors: Khoury Joseph D. , Tannir Nizar M. , Williams Michelle D. , Chen Yunxin , Yao Hui , Zhang Jianping , Thompson Erika J. ,   the TCGA Network, Meric-Bernstam Funda , Medeiros L. Jeffrey , Weinstein John N. , Su Xiaoping 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

Elucidation of tumor-DNA virus associations in many cancer types has enhanced our knowledge of fundamental oncogenesis mechanisms and provided a basis for cancer prevention initiatives. RNA-Seq is a novel tool to comprehensively assess such associations. We interrogated RNA-Seq data from 3,775 malignant neoplasms in The Cancer Genome Atlas database for the presence of viral sequences. Viral integration sites were also detected in expressed transcripts using a novel approach. The detection capacity of RNA-Seq was compared to available clinical laboratory data. Human papillomavirus (HPV) transcripts were detected using RNA-Seq analysis in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma, uterine endometrioid carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Detection of HPV by RNA-Seq correlated with detection by
in situ
hybridization and immunohistochemistry in squamous cell carcinoma tumors of the head and neck. Hepatitis B virus and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were detected using RNA-Seq in hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric carcinoma tumors, respectively. Integration sites of viral genes and oncogenes were detected in cancers harboring HPV or hepatitis B virus but not in EBV-positive gastric carcinoma. Integration sites of expressed viral transcripts frequently involved known coding areas of the host genome. No DNA virus transcripts were detected in acute myeloid leukemia, cutaneous melanoma, low- and high-grade gliomas of the brain, and adenocarcinomas of the breast, colon and rectum, lung, prostate, ovary, kidney, and thyroid. In conclusion, this study provides a large-scale overview of the landscape of DNA viruses in human malignant cancers. While further validation is necessary for specific cancer types, our findings highlight the utility of RNA-Seq in detecting tumor-associated DNA viruses and identifying viral integration sites that may unravel novel mechanisms of cancer pathogenesis.
Characterization of a Discontinuous Neutralizing Epitope on Glycoprotein B of Human Cytomegalovirus
Authors: Spindler Nadja , Rücker Pia , Pötzsch Sonja , Diestel Uschi , Sticht Heinrich , Martin-Parras Luis , Winkler Thomas H. , Mach Michael 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitously distributed pathogen that causes severe disease in immunosuppressed patients and newborn infants infected
in utero
. The viral envelope glycoprotein B (gB) is an attractive molecule for active vaccination and passive immunoprophylaxis and therapy. Using human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), we have recently identified antigenic region 4 (AD-4) on gB as an important target for neutralizing antibodies. AD-4 is formed by a discontinuous sequence comprising amino acids 121 to 132 and 344 to 438 of gB of HCMV strain AD169. To map epitopes for human antibodies on this protein domain, we used a three-dimensional (3D) model of HCMV gB to identify surface-exposed amino acids on AD-4 and selected juxtaposed residues for alanine scans. A tyrosine (Y) at position 364 and a lysine (K) at position 379 (the YK epitope), which are immediate neighbors on the AD-4 surface, were found to be essential for binding of the human MAbs. Recognition of AD-4 by sera from HCMV-infected individuals also was largely dependent on these two residues, indicating a general importance for the antibody response against AD-4. A panel of AD-4 recombinant viruses harboring mutations at the crucial antibody binding sites was generated. The viruses showed significantly reduced susceptibility to neutralization by AD-4-specific MAbs or polyclonal AD-4-specific antibodies, indicating that the YK epitope is dominant for the AD-4-specific neutralizing antibody response during infection. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular identification of a functional discontinuous epitope on HCMV gB. Induction of antibodies specific for this epitope may be a desirable goal following vaccination with gB.