bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plasma copeptin, a possible prognostic marker in cirrhosis
Authors: Moreno José‐Philippe , Grandclement Emilie , Monnet Elisabeth , Clerc Béatrice , Agin Arnaud , Cervoni Jean‐Paul , Richou Carine , Vanlemmens Claire , Dritsas Stavros , Dumoulin Gilles , Di Martino Vincent , Thevenot Thierry 
Published: March 2013

AbstractBackground & AimCopeptin, secreted stoichiometrically with vasopressin, demonstrated its prognostic role in various diseases other than cirrhosis.MethodsWe investigated the association between severity of cirrhosis and plasma concentrations of copeptin, and the prognostic value of copeptin in 95 non‐septic cirrhotic patients (34 Child‐Pugh A, 29 CP‐B, 32 CP‐C), 30 septic patients with a Child‐Pugh >8 (‘group D’), and 16 healthy volunteers. Patients were followed for at least 12 months to assess the composite endpoint death/liver transplantation.ResultsMedian copeptin concentrations (interquartile range) increased through healthy volunteers group [5.95 (3.76–9.43) pmol/L] and ‘group D’ patients [18.81 (8.96–36.66) pmol/L; P < 0.001)]. During a median follow‐up of 11.0 ± 6.1 months, 28 non‐transplanted patients died and eight were transplanted. In receiver operated characteristic curves analysis, the area under the curve values were as follows: Child‐Pugh score 0.80 (95% CI: 0.71–0.86), model of end‐stage liver disease (MELD) score 0.80 (0.70–0.86), C‐reactive protein (CRP) 0.71 (0.60–0.80) and copeptin 0.70 (0.57–0.79). By stratifying the values of these variables into tertiles, the risk of death/liver transplantation for patients belonging to the highest tertile of copeptin (>13 pmol/L) was high (Log‐rank test: P = 0.0002) and 2.3‐fold higher than for patients with lower concentrations after adjusting for MELD score (>21) and CRP (>24 mg/L) in a Cox model. Other potential predictors (age, total cholesterol, natraemia and serum free cortisol) did not reach a significant level.ConclusionIn cirrhotic patients, copeptin concentrations increased along with the severity of liver disease. In our cohort, the 1‐year mortality or liver transplantation was predicted by high MELD score and high concentrations of CRP and copeptin.
Novel Plasmodium falciparum Maurer's clefts protein families implicated in the release of infectious merozoites
Authors: Mbengue Alassane , Audiger Nicolas , Vialla Emilie , Dubremetz Jean‐François , Braun‐Breton Catherine 
Published: March 2013

SummaryThe pathogenicity of the most deadly human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, relies on the export of virulence factors to the surface of infected erythrocytes. A novel membrane compartment, referred to as Maurer's clefts, is transposed to the host erythrocyte, acting as a marshal platform in the red blood cell cytoplasm, for exported parasite proteins addressed to the host cell plasma membrane. We report here the characterization of three new P. falciparum multigene families organized in 9 highly conserved clusters with the Pfmc‐2tm genes in the subtelomeric regions of parasite's chromosomes and expressed at early trophozoite stages. Like the PfMC‐2TM proteins, the PfEPF1, 3 and 4 proteins encoded by these families are exported to the Maurer's clefts, as peripheral or integral proteins of the Maurer's cleft membrane and largely exposed to the red cell cytosolic face of this membrane. A promoter titration approach was used to question the biological roles of these P. falciparum‐specific exported proteins. Using the Pfepf1 family promoter, we observed the specific downregulation of all four families, correlating with the inefficient release of merozoites while the parasite intra‐erythrocytic maturation and Maurer's clefts morphology were not impacted.
Parenteral nutrition in home‐based palliative care: Swedish district nurses experiences
Authors: Holmdahl Solveig , Sävenstedt Stefan , Imoni RoseMarie 
Published: March 2013

AimThe aim of this study was to describe the experiences of district nurses in caring for patients with home‐parenteral nutrition (HPN) in palliative care.MethodA qualitative approach was adopted using thematic content analysis of semi‐structured interviews. Twelve district nurses working with primary health care in Sweden participated in the study that was conducted during 2011.FindingsThe analysis resulted in one overarching theme: The agony of terminating hope and three categories: all focus is on the infusion, alone without support, confidence in the relationship. HPN seemed to have a symbolic meaning when patients and family members connected the infusion with hope and life. District nurses expressed that they felt alone with the responsibility for the HPN due to the lack of a structured plan. Difficult discussions around termination of the infusion seemed to be connected to a feeling of agony of terminating hope among the district nurses. All district nurses expressed a need for support in their work, and factors like experience and the development of a good relationship with the patient and the family, could decrease the agony.ConclusionThe draw up of a plan when starting HPN, could be a support for the district nurse and make the aim, follow‐up and future termination clearer. The establishment of a plan could make the work easier and reduce the feeling of agony of terminating hope among the district nurses.
Anti‐foreigner Sentiment: State of the Art
Authors: Zamora‐Kapoor Anna , Kovincic Petar , Causey Charles 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThis review presents the contributions of anti‐foreigner sentiment research, its theoretical and methodological limitations, and potential solutions for its further development.Six different explanations are proposed to account for the distribution of anti‐foreigner sentiment within and across countries: economic competition, human capital, cultural affinity, social capital, political values, and the institutional environment. In this review, we argue that much of the extant literature heavily emphasizes variables, rather than causal mechanisms, and exhibits three main methodological limitations: (a) variable selection bias; (b) determining causality; and (c) endogeneity. We propose synthesizing prevailing theoretical perspectives around causal mechanisms and reformulating predictive models to strengthen a promising research program.
Youth Migration, Stratification and State Policy in Post‐Soviet Russia
Authors: Eastman Jason T. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractIn principle, the fall of the Soviet Union brought democratic capitalism to the Russian people. In practice, during the post‐Soviet era power elites influence state policies governing social processes like migration to protect their power from democracy and shield their economic status from free market competition. Manipulating policy stalls social mobility and reinforces stratification as many Russian migrants, most of whom are young and poor, cannot assimilate into cities like Moscow in order to take advantage of the economic and educational opportunities exclusively available there and nowhere else in the country. While Russia is unique in being a newly established democracy with a free market, similar processes also create and reproduce inequalities in the west. Thus, sociologists should explore how denying access to space and the unprecedented opportunity some places offer migrants limits social mobility thereby maintaining the social stratification hierarchy.
A Review of the Motherhood Wage Penalty in the United States
Authors: Gough Margaret , Noonan Mary 
Published: March 2013

AbstractOn average, mothers earn lower wages than childless women. This well‐established finding is referred to as the “motherhood penalty.” In this review, we summarize the main theoretical explanations for the motherhood penalty, and briefly discuss which theories have received empirical support. We evaluate research that explores variation in the motherhood penalty by important demographic and job‐related characteristics. Additionally, we highlight recent methodological advances used to estimate the penalty. The review concludes with suggestions for future research in this area.
Diploidization and genome size change in allopolyploids is associated with differential dynamics of low‐ and high‐copy sequences
Authors: Renny‐Byfield Simon , Kovarik Ales , Kelly Laura J. , Macas Jiri , Novak Petr , Chase Mark W. , Nichols Richard A. , Pancholi Mahesh R. , Grandbastien Marie‐Angele , Leitch Andrew R. 
Published: March 2013

SummaryRecent advances have highlighted the ubiquity of whole‐genome duplication (polyploidy) in angiosperms, although subsequent genome size change and diploidization (returning to a diploid‐like condition) are poorly understood. An excellent system to assess these processes is provided by Nicotiana section Repandae, which arose via allopolyploidy (approximately 5 million years ago) involving relatives of Nicotiana sylvestris and Nicotiana obtusifolia. Subsequent speciation in Repandae has resulted in allotetraploids with divergent genome sizes, including Nicotiana repanda and Nicotiana nudicaulis studied here, which have an estimated 23.6% genome expansion and 19.2% genome contraction from the early polyploid, respectively. Graph‐based clustering of next‐generation sequence data enabled assessment of the global genome composition of these allotetraploids and their diploid progenitors. Unexpectedly, in both allotetraploids, over 85% of sequence clusters (repetitive DNA families) had a lower abundance than predicted from their diploid relatives; a trend seen particularly in low‐copy repeats. The loss of high‐copy sequences predominantly accounts for the genome downsizing in N. nudicaulis. In contrast, N. repanda shows expansion of clusters already inherited in high copy number (mostly chromovirus‐like Ty3/Gypsy retroelements and some low‐complexity sequences), leading to much of the genome upsizing predicted. We suggest that the differential dynamics of low‐ and high‐copy sequences reveal two genomic processes that occur subsequent to allopolyploidy. The loss of low‐copy sequences, common to both allopolyploids, may reflect genome diploidization, a process that also involves loss of duplicate copies of genes and upstream regulators. In contrast, genome size divergence between allopolyploids is manifested through differential accumulation and/or deletion of high‐copy‐number sequences.
Immune Responses to the O-Specific Polysaccharide Antigen in Children Who Received a Killed Oral Cholera Vaccine Compared to Responses following Natural Cholera Infection in Bangladesh
Authors: Leung Daniel T. , Uddin Taher , Xu Peng , Aktar Amena , Johnson Russell A. , Rahman Mohammad Arif , Alam Mohammad Murshid , Bufano Meagan Kelly , Eckhoff Grace , Wu-Freeman Ying , Yu Yanan , Sultana Tania , Khanam Farhana , Saha Amit , Chowdhury Fahima , Khan Ashraf I. , Charles Richelle C. , LaRocque Regina C. , Harris Jason B. , Calderwood Stephen B. , Kováč Pavol , Qadri Firdausi , Ryan Edward T. 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACT

Current oral cholera vaccines induce lower levels of protective efficacy and shorter durations of protection in young children than in adults. Immunity against cholera is serogroup specific, and immune responses to
Vibrio cholerae
lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the antigen that mediates serogroup-specific responses, are associated with protection against disease. Despite this, responses against
V. cholerae
O-specific polysaccharide (OSP), a key component of the LPS responsible for specificity, have not been characterized in children. Here, we report a comparison of polysaccharide antibody responses in children from a region in Bangladesh where cholera is endemic, including infants (6 to 23 months,
n
= 15), young children (24 to 59 months,
n
= 14), and older children (5 to 15 years,
n
= 23) who received two doses of a killed oral cholera vaccine 14 days apart. We found that infants and young children receiving the vaccine did not mount an IgG, IgA, or IgM antibody response to
V. cholerae
OSP or LPS, whereas older children showed significant responses. In comparison to the vaccinees, young children with wild-type
V. cholerae
O1 Ogawa infection did mount significant antibody responses against OSP and LPS. We also demonstrated that OSP responses correlated with age in vaccinees, but not in cholera patients, reflecting the ability of even young children with wild-type cholera to develop OSP responses. These differences might contribute to the lower efficacy of protection rendered by vaccination than by wild-type disease in young children and suggest that efforts to improve lipopolysaccharide-specific responses might be critical for achieving optimal cholera vaccine efficacy in this younger age group.
Comparative Efficacy of Two Leading Candidate Ricin Toxin A Subunit Vaccines in Mice
Authors: O'Hara Joanne M. , Brey Robert N. , Mantis Nicholas J. 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACT

The two leading ricin toxin vaccine candidates, RV
Ec
and RiVax, are recombinant derivatives of the toxin's 267-amino-acid enzymatic A chain (RTA). RV
Ec
is truncated at the C terminus (residues 199 to 267) to improve protein thermostability, while RiVax has two point mutations (V76M and Y80A) that eliminate the RNA
N
-glycosidase activity of RTA, as well as its ability to induce vascular leak syndrome. The two vaccines have never been directly compared in terms of their ability to stimulate RTA-specific antibodies (Abs), toxin-neutralizing activity (TNA), or protective immunity. To address this issue, groups of female BALB/c mice were immunized two or three times with Alhydrogel-adsorbed RiVax or RV
Ec
at a range of doses (0.3 to 20 μg) and then challenged with 10 50% lethal doses (LD
50
s) of ricin. We found that the vaccines were equally effective at eliciting protective immunity at the doses tested. There were, however, quantitative differences in the antibody responses. RV
Ec
tended to elicit higher levels of ricin-specific RTA IgG and TNA than did RiVax. Pepscan analysis revealed that serum Abs elicited by RV
Ec
were skewed toward a solvent-exposed immunodominant α-helix known to be the target of potent toxin-neutralizing Abs. Finally, immunodepletion experiments suggest that the majority of toxin-neutralizing Abs elicited by RiVax were confined to residues 1 to 198, possibly explaining the equal effectiveness of RV
Ec
as a vaccine.
Severe Soft Tissue Infection Caused by a Non-Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus pyogenes Strain Harboring a Premature Stop Mutation in the
sagC
Gene
Authors: Jantsch Jonathan , Gerlach Roman G. , Ensser Armin , Dahesh Samira , Popp Isabel , Heeg Christiane , Bleiziffer Oliver , Merz Thomas , Schulz Theresia , Horch Raymund E. , Bogdan Christian , Nizet Victor , van der Linden Mark 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACT

We recovered a non-beta-hemolytic
Streptococcus pyogenes
strain from a severe soft tissue infection. In this isolate, we detected a premature stop codon within the
sagC
gene of the streptolysin S (SLS) biosynthetic operon. Reintroduction of full-length
sagC
gene on a plasmid vector restored the beta-hemolytic phenotype to our clinical isolate, indicating that the point mutation in
sagC
accounted for loss of hemolytic activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate that a severe soft tissue infection can be caused by a non-beta-hemolytic
S. pyogenes
strain lacking a functional SagC.
A Continuous Bovine Kidney Cell Line Constitutively Expressing Bovine αVβ6Integrin Has Increased Susceptibility to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus
Authors: LaRocco Michael , Krug Peter W. , Kramer Ed , Ahmed Zaheer , Pacheco Juan M. , Duque Hernando , Baxt Barry , Rodriguez Luis L. 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTFoot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a worldwide problem limiting the trade of animals and their products from affected countries. The rapid isolation, serotyping, and vaccine matching of FMD virus from disease outbreaks is critical for enabling the implementation of effective vaccination programs and to stop the spread of infection during outbreaks. Some primary cells have been shown to be highly susceptible to most strains of FMD virus (FMDV) but are difficult and expensive to prepare and maintain. Since the αVβ6integrin is a principal receptor for FMDV, we transduced a bovine kidney cell line to stably express both the αVand β6bovine integrin subunits. This stable cell line (LFBK-αVβ6) showed β6expression and enhanced susceptibility to FMDV infection for ≥100 cell passages. LFBK-αVβ6cells were highly sensitive for detecting all serotypes of FMDV from experimentally infected animals, including the porcinophilic FMDV strain O/TAW/97. In comparison to other cell types that are currently used for virus isolation, LFBK-αVβ6cells were more effective at detecting FMDV in clinical samples, supporting their use as a more sensitive tool for virus isolation.
Impact of Hourly Emergency Department Patient Volume on Blood Culture Contamination and Diagnostic Yield
Authors: Halverson Schuyler , Malani Preeti N. , Newton Duane W. , Habicht Andrea , Vander Have Kenneth , Younger John G. 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACT

Emergency departments (EDs) are an important diagnostic site for outpatients with potentially serious infections. EDs frequently experience high patient volumes, and crowding has been shown to negatively impact the delivery of early care for serious infections, such as pneumonia. Here, we hypothesized that other important factors in the early care of infectious diseases, the rate of blood culture contamination and the accurate detection of pathogens, would be sensitive to ED operational stress, as proper collection requires fastidious attention to technique and timing. We related all blood samples collected over 1 year and their rates of recovery of likely contaminants and pathogens to the number of patients being cared for in the ED at the time of sample collection. Likely pathogens and contaminants were classified through combined microbiological and manual chart review criteria. Zero-inflated Poisson regression was used to relate crowding to culture results. Blood samples were obtained from 7,586 patients over 82,521 adult and pediatric patient visits. The unadjusted rates of recovering a likely pathogen or a likely contaminant were 8.0% and 3.7%, respectively. Periods of increased crowding (3rd and 4th quartiles of hourly occupancy) were significantly associated (
P
< 0.01) with increased rates of contamination (relative risk, 1.23 compared to the least busy quartile). Collecting samples for culture during busy times was also associated with a reduced likelihood of recovering a likely pathogen (relative risk, 0.93 compared to the least busy quartile). ED crowding was associated with degraded performance of blood cultures, both increasing the rate of contamination and decreasing the diagnostic yield.
Single-Dose Vaccination of a Recombinant Parainfluenza Virus 5 Expressing NP from H5N1 Virus Provides Broad Immunity against Influenza A Viruses
Authors: Li Zhuo , Gabbard Jon D. , Mooney Alaina , Gao Xiudan , Chen Zhenhai , Place Ryan J. , Tompkins S. Mark , He Biao 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACT
Influenza viruses often evade host immunity via antigenic drift and shift despite previous influenza virus infection and/or vaccination. Vaccines that match circulating virus strains are needed for optimal protection. Development of a universal influenza virus vaccine providing broadly cross-protective immunity will be of great importance. The nucleoprotein (NP) of influenza A virus is highly conserved among all strains of influenza A viruses and has been explored as an antigen for developing a universal influenza virus vaccine. In this work, we generated a recombinant parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) containing NP from H5N1 (A/Vietnam/1203/2004), a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, between HN and L (PIV5-NP-HN/L) and tested its efficacy. PIV5-NP-HN/L induced humoral and T cell responses in mice. A single inoculation of PIV5-NP-HN/L provided complete protection against lethal heterosubtypic H1N1 challenge and 50% protection against lethal H5N1 HPAI virus challenge. To improve efficacy, NP was inserted into different locations within the PIV5 genome. Recombinant PIV5 containing NP between F and SH (PIV5-NP-F/SH) or between SH and HN (PIV5-NP-SH/HN) provided better protection against H5N1 HPAI virus challenge than did PIV5-NP-HN/L. These results suggest that PIV5 expressing NP from H5N1 has the potential to be utilized as a universal influenza virus vaccine.
Influence of Antigen Insertion Site and Vector Dose on Immunogenicity and Protective Capacity in Sendai Virus-Based Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 Vaccines
Authors: Mason John N. , Elbahesh Husni , Russell Charles J. 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACT

Recombinant Sendai virus (rSeV) was used as a live, attenuated vaccine vector for intranasal inoculation and mucosal expression of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) surface glycoprotein of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3). Two vaccine candidates rSeV-HPIV3HN(P-M) and rSeV-HPIV3(F-HN) were constructed in which the HPIV3 HN open reading frame and an additional gene junction was inserted in the P-M and F-HN gene junctions of rSeV, respectively. The rSeV-HPIV3HN(P-M) virus was attenuated compared to rSeV-HPIV3(F-HN) in LLC-MK2 cells, and yet both vaccine candidates grew to similar extents in NHBE cells and in the respiratory tracts of cotton rats. These results suggest that
in vitro
vector growth in NHBE cells more accurately predicts virus yield in cotton rats than does growth in LLC-MK2 cells. Both vaccine vectors elicited high levels of serum neutralizing antibodies and conferred protection from HPIV3 challenge in cotton rats. Compared to vaccination with a high dose (2,000,000 PFU), intranasal inoculation with a low dose (200 PFU) resulted in a 10-fold decrease in vector growth in the nasal cavity and trachea and a 50-fold decrease in the lungs. However, low-dose vaccination resulted in only modest decreases in anti-HPIV3 antibodies in sera and was sufficient to confer complete protection from HPIV3 challenge. Varying the HPIV3 antigen insertion site and vector dose allowed fine-tuning of the
in vivo
growth and immunogenicity of rSeV-based vaccines, but all four vaccination strategies tested resulted in complete protection from HPIV3 challenge. These results highlight the versatility of the rSeV platform for developing intranasally administered respiratory virus vaccines.
Different Mechanisms Regulate Productive Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 Infections in Adult Trigeminal Neurons
Authors: Bertke Andrea S. , Ma AyeAye , Margolis Mathew S. , Margolis Todd P. 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACT

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 establish latency in different neuronal subtypes (A5+ and KH10+) in murine trigeminal ganglia, results which correlate with restricted productive infection in these neurons
in vitro
. HSV-2 latency-associated transcript (LAT) contains a
cis
-acting regulatory element near the transcription start site that promotes productive infection in A5+ neurons and a second element in exon 1 that inhibits productive infection in KH10+ neurons. HSV-1 contains no such regulatory sequences, demonstrating different mechanisms for regulating productive HSV infection in neurons.