bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mycobacterial Pathogenomics and Evolution
Authors: Bottai Daria , Stinear Timothy P. , Supply Philip , Brosch Roland 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTMost mycobacterial species are harmless saprophytes, often found in aquatic environments. A few species seem to have evolved from this pool of environmental mycobacteria into major human pathogens, such asMycobacterium tuberculosis, the agent of tuberculosis,Mycobacterium leprae, the leprosy bacillus, andMycobacterium ulcerans, the agent of Buruli ulcer. While the pathogenicity ofM. ulceransrelates to the acquisition of a large plasmid encoding a polyketide-derived toxin, the molecular mechanisms by whichM. lepraeorM. tuberculosishave evolved to cause disease are complex and involve the interaction between the pathogen and the host.Here we focus onM. tuberculosisand closely related mycobacteria and discuss insights gained from recent genomic and functional studies. Comparison ofM. tuberculosisgenome data with sequences from nontuberculous mycobacteria, such asMycobacterium marinumorMycobacterium kansasii, provides a perception of the more distant evolution ofM. tuberculosis, while the recently accomplished genome sequences of multiple tubercle bacilli with smooth colony morphology, namedMycobacterium canettii, have allowed the ancestral gene pool of tubercle bacilli to be estimated. The resulting findings are instrumental for our understanding of the pathogenomic evolution of tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria. Comparison of virulent and attenuated members of theM. tuberculosiscomplex has further contributed to identification of a specific secretion pathway, named ESX or Type VII secretion. The molecular machines involved are key elements for mycobacterial pathogenicity, strongly influencing the ability ofM. tuberculosisto cope with the immune defense mounted by the host.
BCG Vaccines
Authors: Tran Vanessa , Liu Jun , Behr Marcel A. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

BCG is the collective name for a family of live attenuated strains of
Mycobacterium bovis
that are currently used as the only vaccine against tuberculosis (TB). There are two major reasons for studying the genome of these organisms: (i) Because they are attenuated, BCG vaccines provide a window into
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
virulence, and (ii) because they have provided protection in several clinical trials and case-control studies, BCG vaccines may shed light on properties required of a TB vaccine. Since the determination of the
M. tuberculosis
genome in 1998, the study of BCG vaccines has accelerated dramatically, offering data on the genomic differences between virulent
M. tuberculosis, M. bovis
, and the vaccine strains. While these findings have been rewarding for the study of virulence, there is unfortunately less accrued knowledge about protection. In this chapter, we review briefly the history of BCG vaccines and then touch upon studies over the past two decades that help explain how BCG underwent attenuation, concluding with some more speculative comments as to how these vaccines might offer protection against TB.
Molecular Genetics of Mycobacteriophages
Authors: Hatfull Graham F. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTMycobacteriophages have provided numerous essential tools for mycobacterial genetics, including delivery systems for transposons, reporter genes, and allelic exchange substrates, and components for plasmid vectors and mutagenesis. Their genetically diverse genomes also reveal insights into the broader nature of the phage population and the evolutionary mechanisms that give rise to it. The substantial advances in our understanding of the biology of mycobacteriophages including a large collection of completely sequenced genomes indicates a rich potential for further contributions in tuberculosis genetics and beyond.
Cholera: Environmental Reservoirs and Impact on Disease Transmission
Authors: Almagro-Moreno Salvador , Taylor Ronald K. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

Vibrio cholerae
is widely known to be the etiological agent of the life-threatening diarrheal disease cholera. Cholera remains a major scourge in many developing countries, infecting hundreds of thousands every year. Remarkably,
V. cholerae
is a natural inhabitant of brackish riverine, estuarine, and coastal waters, and only a subset of strains are known to be pathogenic to humans. Recent studies have begun to uncover a very complex network of relationships between
V. cholerae
and other sea dwellers, and the mechanisms associated with the occurrence of seasonal epidemics in regions where cholera is endemic are beginning to be elucidated. Many of the factors required for the organism's survival and persistence in its natural environment have been revealed, as well as the ubiquitous presence of horizontal gene transfer in the emergence of pathogenic strains of
V. cholerae
. In this article, we will focus on the environmental stage of pathogenic
V. cholerae
and the interactions of the microorganism with other inhabitants of aquatic environments. We will discuss the impact that its environmental reservoirs have on disease transmission and the distinction between reservoirs of
V. cholerae
and the vectors that establish cholera as a zoonosis.
Emerging Infectious Diseases of Wildlife and Species Conservation
Authors: Medina-Vogel G. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTThere has been an increase in the emergence and reemergence of human infectious diseases on a global scale, and zoonotic diseases in which wildlife serves as the reservoir are a large contributing factor. Faced with this situation, there is a necessity to create integrated prevention strategies and predictive models to determine the sites most vulnerable to the emergence of new zoonoses. Cases have been documented in which pathogens responsible for infectious diseases in wild species have been readily transmitted between hosts and have threatened vulnerable declining populations. Habitat destruction and man-made changes in the landscape together with the introduction of alien species are significant environmental variables that affect the ecology of infectious diseases. Thus, the loss of biodiversity is illustrated to be related to both the emergence of new or the exacerbation of existing vector-borne zoonotic diseases through mechanisms such as the loss of the dilution effect and ecological release and simplification. Hence, it is important to consider this factor when assessing disease risk and disease prevention in domestic animals and humans. Diseases like leptospirosis in which water plays an important role are ecosystem health diseases; in fact, the reported higher prevalence ofLeptospiraspp. in river otters in southern Chile compared with species less adapted to aquatic environments and with terrestrial domestic carnivores provides evidence that man-made landscape alterations, including the introduction of alien species, has exacerbated the transmission and prevalence of leptospirosis in wildlife and thus the risk of human infection.
One Health: Lessons Learned from East Africa
Authors: Travis Dominic A. , Chapman David W. , Craft Meggan E. , Deen John , Farnham MacDonald W. , Garcia Carolyn , Hueston William D. , Kock Richard , Mahero Michael , Mugisha Lawrence , Nzietchueng Serge , Nutter Felicia B. , Olson Debra , Pekol Amy , Pelican Katharine M. , Robertson Cheryl , Rwego Innocent B. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT
Africa is faced with many of the most daunting challenges of our time. It comprises roughly 15% of the world’s human population, and most of its countries are perpetually ranked “Low” on the United Nations’ Human Development Index. On the other hand, Africa has arguably the largest proportion of intact natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and sociocultural capital and the lowest impact on global warming of any continent. Thus, African leaders are faced with competing demands and values among a multitude of complex issues, such as high human population growth, extreme poverty, food insecurity, land use policy, climate change, and biodiversity conservation. In this context, building sustainable national systems for human and/or animal health is one of the grand challenges of this generation. Today’s complex global health and development challenges require long-term commitment and a range of approaches that are too broad for any one discipline, institution, or country to implement on its own. The One Health concept recognizes the interconnectedness of global health issues and, as such, promotes the importance of and need for international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral communication and collaboration at local, national, and international levels. By taking advantage of natural cultural tendencies for shared leadership, resource allocation, and community values, African leaders are currently proactively demonstrating the principles of One Health, and thus becoming a model for this global vision. And by focusing on partnerships rather than donor-recipient relationships, they are fostering the development of shared priorities and are increasingly driving their own health agenda to fulfill their own needs.
Genome Diversity of Spore-Forming
Firmicutes
Authors: Galperin Michael Y. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACT

Formation of heat-resistant endospores is a specific property of the members of the phylum
Firmicutes
(low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria). It is found in representatives of four different classes of
Firmicutes
,
Bacilli
,
Clostridia
,
Erysipelotrichia
, and
Negativicutes
, which all encode similar sets of core sporulation proteins. Each of these classes also includes non-spore-forming organisms that sometimes belong to the same genus or even species as their spore-forming relatives. This chapter reviews the diversity of the members of phylum
Firmicutes
, its current taxonomy, and the status of genome-sequencing projects for various subgroups within the phylum. It also discusses the evolution of the
Firmicutes
from their apparently spore-forming common ancestor and the independent loss of sporulation genes in several different lineages (staphylococci, streptococci, listeria, lactobacilli, ruminococci) in the course of their adaptation to the saprophytic lifestyle in a nutrient-rich environment. It argues that the systematics of
Firmicutes
is a rapidly developing area of research that benefits from the evolutionary approaches to the ever-increasing amount of genomic and phenotypic data and allows arranging these data into a common framework.
Acupuncture Combined with An Antidepressant for Patients with Depression in Hospital: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Wang Tianjun , Wang Lingling , Tao Wenjian , Chen Li 
Published: April 2014

Objective To assess the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for patients with depression in hospital using a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Methods 76 patients with depression were randomly divided into two groups (randomisation ratio 2:1 for treatment and control groups (CGs), respectively) and 71 patients completed the study. The 45 patients in the treatment group (TG) underwent acupuncture and received an SSRI and the 26 patients in the CG received an SSRI only. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) was used to quantitatively assess patients after 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks of treatment. Results The mean (SD) baseline total HDRS scores were 22.2 (0.60) and 22.1 (0.33) in the TG and CG, respectively. After the first week of treatment the HDRS score for the TG was reduced to 15.6 (0.81), significantly different from the score of 18.3 (0.55) for the CG, p<0.05. This significant difference was maintained to the end of the 6-week treatment period, when HDRS scores had fallen to 6.3 (0.49) and 8.2 (0.35) for the TG and CG, respectively. Conclusions Acupuncture combined with an SSRI showed a statistically significant benefit for patients with depression in hospital over the 6-week period compared with SSRIs alone. This reduction in symptoms started in the first week and continued throughout the 6 weeks of treatment.
Jump frequency may contribute to risk of jumper's knee: a study of interindividual and sex differences in a total of 11 943 jumps video recorded during training and matches in young elite volleyball players
Authors: Bahr Martin A , Bahr Roald 
Published: April 2014

BackgroundMale sex, total training volume (number of hours per week) and match exposure (number of sets played per week) are risk factors for jumper's knee among young elite volleyball players. However, it is not known whether jump frequency differs among players on the same squad.ObjectiveTo examine interindividual and sex differences in jump frequency during training and matches in young elite volleyball players.DesignObservational study.SettingNorwegian elite volleyball boarding school training programme.ParticipantsStudent-athletes (26 boys and 18 girls, 16–18 years).MethodsIndividual jump counts were recorded based on visual analysis of video recordings obtained from 1 week of volleyball training (9 training sessions for boys and 10 for girls, 14.1 h and 17.8 h of training, respectively) and 10 matches (5.9 h for boys (16 sets) and 7.7 h for girls (21 sets).ResultsA total of 11 943 jumps were recorded, 4138 during matches and 7805 during training. As training attendance and jump frequency varied substantially between players, the total exposure in training ranged from 50 to 666 jumps/week among boys and from 11 to 251 jumps/week among girls. On average, this corresponded to 35.7 jumps/h for boys and 13.7 jumps/h for girls (Student t test, p=0.002). Total jump exposure during matches ranged between 1 and 339 jumps among boys and between 0 and 379 jumps among girls, corresponding to an average jump frequency of 62.2 jumps/h for boys and 41.9 jumps/h for girls (Student t test, p<0.039). The interindividual differences in jump frequency were substantially greater than any differences observed among player functions.ConclusionsJump frequency has substantial interindividual and sex differences during training and matches in young elite volleyball players. Total jump volume may represent a more important risk factor for jumper's knee than total training volume, warranting further research attention.
Methamphetamine use is an independent predictor of poor outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Moon Karam , Albuquerque Felipe C , Mitkov Mario , Ducruet Andrew F , Wilson David A , Crowley R Webster , Nakaji Peter , McDougall Cameron G 
Published: April 2014

BackgroundClinical outcomes of methamphetamine users with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) are unknown.ObjectiveTo analyze differences in presentation, in-hospital morbidity, and outcomes between methamphetamine users and non-users.MethodsAll 472 patients included in the Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial from 2003 to 2007 were reviewed. Patients with 1- and 3-year follow-up were included in this analysis (n=398). Methamphetamine users were identified as patients who provided a history of methamphetamine use on admission or tested positive on urine toxicology testing. Methamphetamine users were compared with non-users using univariate analysis. Outcomes were then analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models for demographic characteristics, medical comorbidities, radiographic and clinical presentation, and vasospasm.ResultsThirty-one patients (7.8%) were identified as methamphetamine users in this cohort. Methamphetamine users were younger than non-users (mean age 42.8 vs 55 years, p<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression models, methamphetamine use was an independent predictor of poor Glasgow Outcome Scale score at both 1 year (OR=5.02; 95% CI 1.03 to 24.48; p<0.05) and 3 years (OR=7.18; 95% CI 1.73 to 29.87; p=0.007). Other independent predictors in this model included older age, clinical vasospasm, diabetes, and aneurysm size. Cocaine and tobacco use were not significantly associated with poor outcome in our cohort. Methamphetamine use was not significantly associated with vasospasm, higher Fisher or Hunt and Hess grade, or intraparenchymal hemorrhage/intraventricular hemorrhage.ConclusionsMethamphetamine users have significantly worse outcomes at 1 and 3 years following aSAH. Further analysis is necessary to understand the pathological response associated with methamphetamine use in this setting.
The Massawa gold deposit, Eastern Senegal, West Africa: an orogenic gold deposit sourced from magmatically derived fluids?
Authors: Treloar P. J. , Lawrence D. M. , Senghor D. , Boyce A. , Harbidge P. 
Published: April 2014

Abstract

The Massawa gold project is situated on the Senegalese side of the highly prospective/productive Palaeo-Proterozoic (Birimian) Kédougou–Kéniéba inlier, which hosts several world-class orogenic gold deposits/districts in western Mali (e.g. Loulo and Sadiola). The Massawa ore body has a strike length of at least 4 km and a current resource of 3.61 Moz at a grade of 2.8 g t
−1
. The ore body is structurally controlled and located within a package of low-grade regionally metamorphosed volcaniclastic sediments (agglomerates, tuffs and ash-tuffs), quartz–feldspar and lithic wackes, carbonaceous shales, hydrothermal breccias, and gabbro and porphyry sills. These rocks have undergone pervasive silica alteration followed by a sericite–ankerite–chlorite alteration event related to mineralization. Two major styles of mineralization are recognized at Massawa from field and laboratory studies. The first stage of sulphide–Au mineralization is associated with disseminated arsenopyrite–pyrite, which follows shear zones in the sedimentary and volcano-sedimentary host rocks. The second stage consists of quartz–stibnite±tetrahedrite veining distinguished by coarse visible gold and represents a late stage overprint on the primary mineralization. The two stages of gold mineralization are separated by a phase of quartz–molybdenite veining. A distinctive base metal trace assemblage is linked to stibnite formation including multiple Sb phases such as chalcostibite, zinkenite, roshchinite, aurostibite, jamesonite and robinsonite. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy-based gold deportment data indicate that up to 90% of stage 1 gold is held as a solid solution within either arsenopyrite or arsenian pyrite. Stable isotope data yield δ
34
S
sulphide
values of between 0 and 4.1‰ and δ
18
O
H2O
values of 5.5–10.9‰ for all stages of mineralization, suggesting a magmatic fluid influence. This is consistent with field data that suggest that mineralization is synchronous with emplacement of a sequence of concordant felsic sheets. That mineralization occurred at shallow (<6 km) depths is suggested both by the presence of stibnite and by fluid inclusion studies. Low-temperature (homogenization temperatures between 150 °C and 230 °C) H
2
O–NaCl fluids (<6 wt% NaCl equiv.) and coeval CO
2
–CH
4
inclusions, observed in both phases of mineralization, indicate trapping conditions of 220–315 °C at 1–1.65 kbar. A combination of phase petrology, fluid inclusion and stable isotope data suggests deposition of gold from low-salinity, magmatic fluids, most probably released from felsic rocks similar to those emplaced into the Massawa sequence during mineralization.
Local and Systemic Protumorigenic Effects of Cancer-Associated Fibroblast-Derived GDF15
Authors: Bruzzese Francesca , Hägglöf Christina , Leone Alessandra , Sjöberg Elin , Roca Maria Serena , Kiflemariam Sara , Sjöblom Tobias , Hammarsten Peter , Egevad Lars , Bergh Anders , Östman Arne , Budillon Alfredo , Augsten Martin 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
The tumor stroma is vital to tumor development, progression, and metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are among the abundant cell types in the tumor stroma, but the range of their contributions to cancer pathogenicity has yet to be fully understood. Here, we report a critical role for upregulation of the TGFβ/BMP family member GDF15 (MIC-1) in tumor stroma. GDF15 was found upregulated in situ and in primary cultures of CAF from prostate cancer. Ectopic expression of GDF15 in fibroblasts produced prominent paracrine effects on prostate cancer cell migration, invasion, and tumor growth. Notably, GDF15-expressing fibroblasts exerted systemic in vivo effects on the outgrowth of distant and otherwise indolent prostate cancer cells. Our findings identify tumor stromal cells as a novel source of GDF15 in human prostate cancer and illustrate a systemic mechanism of cancer progression driven by the tumor microenvironment. Further, they provide a functional basis to understand GDF15 as a biomarker of poor prognosis and a candidate therapeutic target in prostate cancer. Cancer Res; 74(13); 3408–17. ©2014 AACR.
Metalloprotease-Mediated Tumor Cell Shedding of B7-H6, the Ligand of the Natural Killer Cell–Activating Receptor NKp30
Authors: Schlecker Eva , Fiegler Nathalie , Arnold Annette , Altevogt Peter , Rose-John Stefan , Moldenhauer Gerhard , Sucker Antje , Paschen Annette , von Strandmann Elke Pogge , Textor Sonja , Cerwenka Adelheid 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are potent immune effector cells capable of mediating antitumor responses. Thus, during immunoediting, tumor cell populations evolve strategies to escape NK-cell–mediated recognition. In this study, we report a novel mechanism of immune escape involving tumor cell shedding of B7-H6, a ligand for the activating receptor NKp30 that mediates NK-cell binding and NK-cell–mediated killing. Tumor cells from different cancer entities released B7-H6 by ectodomain shedding mediated by the cell surface proteases “a disintegrin and metalloproteases” (ADAM)-10 and ADAM-17, as demonstrated through the use of pharmacologic inhibitors or siRNA-mediated gene attenuation. Inhibiting this proteolytic shedding process increased the levels of B7-H6 expressed on the surface of tumor cells, enhancing NKp30-mediated activation of NK cells. Notably, we documented elevated levels of soluble B7-H6 levels in blood sera obtained from a subset of patients with malignant melanoma, compared with healthy control individuals, along with evidence of elevated B7-H6 expression in melanoma specimens in situ. Taken together, our results illustrated a novel mechanism of immune escape in which tumor cells impede NK-mediated recognition by metalloprotease-mediated shedding of B7-H6. One implication of our findings is that therapeutic inhibition of specific metalloproteases may help support NK-cell–based cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 74(13); 3429–40. ©2014 AACR.