bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Cheetah and Leopard Spermatozoa Developmental Capability after Interspecific ICSI with Domestic Cat Oocytes
Authors: Moro LN , Sestelo AJ , Salamone DF 
Published: June 2014

ContentsThe ICSI procedure is potentially of great value for felids, and it has not been extensively studied in these species. The objectives of this work were to determine the best conditions for ICSI in the domestic cat (DC) to generate interspecific embryos by injecting cheetah (Ch) and leopard (Leo) spermatozoa. Firstly, DC oocytes were matured with insulin–transferrin–selenium (ITS) or without it (MM) and cultured using atmospheric (21%) or low (5%) oxygen tension after ICSI. The group ITS‐5%O2 showed the highest blastocyst rate (p < 0.05), 20.9% vs 8.7%, 7% and 6.5%, for MM‐21%O2, MM‐5%O2 and ITS‐21%O2, respectively. The best conditions were used to generate the interspecific embryos, together with ionomycin activation (Io) after ICSI. Interspecific embryos resulted in high rates of blastocysts that were not positively affected by Io activation: 32.6% vs 21% for Ch and Ch‐Io, 9.8% vs 21% for Leo and Leo‐Io, and 20% vs 17.4% for DC and DC‐Io. We also evaluated DNA‐fragmented nuclei of experiment 1 and 2 blastocysts, using TUNEL assay. The fragmented nucleus proportion was higher in the ITS‐5%O2 group, 67.6%. Surprisingly, interspecific blastocysts showed the lowest fragmented nucleus proportion: 27% and 29.9% for Ch and Leo, respectively. We concluded that ITS and 5%O2 improve blastocyst formation in DC, although with a concomitant increase in DNA fragmentation. Most importantly, cheetah and leopard spermatozoa were able to generate blastocysts without artificial activation, which suggests that developmental capacity of wild felid spermatozoa can be evaluated by interspecific ICSI. This technique should be used to assist wild felid reproduction.
Contrast and Island Sensitivity in Clausal Ellipsis
Authors: Griffiths James , Lipták Anikó 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThis paper offers a comprehensive and uniform theory of island repair in clausal ellipsis (sluicing and fragments). We show that the correct generalization defines the repairing and the nonrepairing types ofTPellipsis in terms ofcontrastivity:TPellipsis withcontrastiveremnants does not repair islands, whereasTPellipsis withnoncontrastiveremnants does. Contrary to the influential account of Merchant (), we base our explanation for the island sensitivity of contrastive fragments entirely on the notion of Parallelism. The island insensitivity of noncontrastive remnants, on the other hand, follows from the island node being deleted atPF. With this we simplify the theory of islands, and, by treating the different types of clausal ellipsis on a par, we move away from the construction‐specific study of ellipsis that has characterized syntactic theorizing for the last forty years.
Current characteristics and outcome of cytomegalovirus infections after kidney transplantation
Authors: Helanterä I. , Schachtner T. , Hinrichs C. , Salmela K. , Kyllönen L. , Koskinen P. , Lautenschlager I. , Reinke P. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractIntroductionThe clinical course of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in the current era is poorly described. We characterized the symptoms and outcome of all CMV infections in a large cohort of kidney transplant recipients. Among 1129 kidney transplant recipients transplanted between 2004 and 2011 in Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Helsinki University Hospital, 297 patients with CMV infection were characterized.ResultsCMV disease occurred in 217/1129 patients (19.2%), and CMV infection in 297/1129 (26.3%). Gastrointestinal symptoms were recorded in 58% and fever in 47% patients with primary CMV disease, compared to 46% and 27% patients with symptomatic CMV reactivation, whereas leukopenia or thrombocytopenia were seen in only 17–28% patients, and malaise in 9–10%. Tissue‐invasive CMV gastroenteritis was confirmed in 11% and CMV pneumonia in only 1% of patients with CMV disease. Only 1 patient died because of CMV infection (mortality 0.3%). Virus‐related factors or the use of secondary prophylaxis did not predict the risk of recurrence, which occurred in 33% patients.ConclusionIn conclusion, CMV disease remains a common problem after kidney transplantation. Gastrointestinal symptoms were common, especially in patients with primary CMV infection, whereas bone marrow suppression, hepatopathy, or malaise were seen less frequently.
Adenovirus causing fever, upper respiratory infection, and allograft nephritis complicated by persistent asymptomatic viremia
Authors: Lachiewicz A.M. , Cianciolo R. , Miller M.B. , Derebail V.K. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractA 20‐year‐old woman, with renal transplant complicated by recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, presented nearly 2 years after transplantation with fever, conjunctivitis, and sinus congestion. She was found to have severe adenovirus (ADV)‐induced granulomatous interstitial nephritis, confirmed by immunohistochemical staining for ADV in the renal biopsy, without urinary symptoms, hematuria, or laboratory evidence of a change in allograft function. Fever, upper respiratory tract symptoms, and evidence of adenoviral infection in the allograft resolved with decreased immunosuppression and treatment with cidofovir and intravenous immunoglobulin. Creatinine rose during treatment and remained elevated, possibly related to cidofovir nephrotoxicity. Despite therapy and continued reduction in immunosuppression, asymptomatic low‐level viremia persisted for a year. In renal transplant patients with ADV infection, allograft involvement should be highly suspected even without overt urinary symptoms or laboratory evidence of allograft dysfunction. Demonstration of allograft involvement may prompt alternative management that could limit continued allograft infection. No clear recommendations exist for management of asymptomatic ADV viremia in solid organ transplant patients.
Spontaneous resolution of post‐transplant localized cytomegalovirus lymphadenitis mimicking tumor recurrence
Authors: Kang K.W. , Lee J.H. , Choi J.S. , Lee S.R. , Park Y. , Kim B.S. , Kim I. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractCompromised T‐cell immunity persists for up to 1 year after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), and patients treated with ASCT are more likely to develop atypical lymphoid hyperplasia that mimics tumor recurrence. Here, we present a case of cervical lymphadenitis due to cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in a patient who had undergone ASCT for Burkitt lymphoma, which mimicked tumor recurrence on computed tomography and positron emission tomography‐computed tomography 6 months after ASCT. This lesion was confined to the regional lymph nodes and was not accompanied by signs of systemic involvement, such as fever, splenomegaly, an elevated C‐reactive protein level, or viremia. The localized CMV lymphadenitis resolved spontaneously without treatment after 6 months (12 months after ASCT) and the elevated CMV immunoglobulin‐M titer normalized 6 months after resolution. Our experience with this case suggests that cautious follow‐up without anti‐CMV treatment should be considered in cases of post‐ASCT localized CMV lymphadenitis without systemic involvement in patients with complete engraftment.
West Nile virus nucleic acid persistence in whole blood months after clearance in plasma: implication for transfusion and transplantation safety
Authors: Lanteri Marion C. , Lee Tzong‐Hae , Wen Li , Kaidarova Zhanna , Bravo Marjorie D. , Kiely Nancy E. , Kamel Hany T. , Tobler Leslie H. , Norris Philip J. , Busch Michael P. 
Published: June 2014

BackgroundPrevious reports of West Nile virus (WNV) RNA persistence in blood compartments have raised concerns around the remaining risk of WNV transfusion transmission. This study characterized the dynamics of WNV viremia in blood compartments in a longitudinal cohort of 54 WNV‐infected blood donors.Study Design and MethodsBlood samples were collected throughout the year after WNV RNA–positive blood donation (index) and characterized for WNV immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG antibodies and for WNV RNA by real‐time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. WNV viral loads were compared in plasma and whole blood samples and correlated with blood groups and clinical outcomes.ResultsWNV RNA persisted in the red blood cell (RBC) compartment up to 3 months postindex in 42% of the donors. Donors with the highest WNV RNA levels in plasma at index maintained the highest WNV RNA levels in whole blood over the 3 months postindex. Blood group A donors maintained higher postindex WNV viral load in whole blood than blood group O individuals (p = 0.027). Despite a trend for WNV RNA to persist longer in whole blood from symptomatic subjects, no significant association was found between WNV RNA levels in whole blood and disease outcome.ConclusionThis study confirmed that WNV RNA persists in the RBC fraction in whole blood and further suggested that the level of persistence in whole blood may be a reflection of initial viral burden in plasma. The association with blood groups suggests that WNV adherence to RBCs may be mediated by molecules overrepresented at the surface of blood group A RBCs.
Application of Immunosignatures for Diagnosis of Valley Fever
Authors: Navalkar Krupa Arun , Johnston Stephen Albert , Woodbury Neal , Galgiani John N. , Magee D. Mitchell , Chicacz Zbigniew , Stafford Phillip 
Published: June 2014

ABSTRACTValley fever (VF) is difficult to diagnose, partly because the symptoms of VF are confounded with those of other community-acquired pneumonias. Confirmatory diagnostics detect IgM and IgG antibodies against coccidioidal antigens via immunodiffusion (ID). The false-negative rate can be as high as 50% to 70%, with 5% of symptomatic patients never showing detectable antibody levels. In this study, we tested whether the immunosignature diagnostic can resolve VF false negatives. An immunosignature is the pattern of antibody binding to random-sequence peptides on a peptide microarray. A 10,000-peptide microarray was first used to determine whether valley fever patients can be distinguished from 3 other cohorts with similar infections. After determining the VF-specific peptides, a small 96-peptide diagnostic array was created and tested. The performances of the 10,000-peptide array and the 96-peptide diagnostic array were compared to that of the ID diagnostic standard. The 10,000-peptide microarray classified the VF samples from the other 3 infections with 98% accuracy. It also classified VF false-negative patients with 100% sensitivity in a blinded test set versus 28% sensitivity for ID. The immunosignature microarray has potential for simultaneously distinguishing valley fever patients from those with other fungal or bacterial infections. The same 10,000-peptide array can diagnose VF false-negative patients with 100% sensitivity. The smaller 96-peptide diagnostic array was less specific for diagnosing false negatives. We conclude that the performance of the immunosignature diagnostic exceeds that of the existing standard, and the immunosignature can distinguish related infections and might be used in lieu of existing diagnostics.
Performance of the Liaison XL Murex HIV Ab/Ag Test on Clinical Samples Representing Current Epidemic HIV Variants
Authors: Lemee Véronique , Leoz Marie , Etienne Manuel , De Oliveira Fabienne , Plantier Jean-Christophe 
Published: June 2014

ABSTRACT

Screening for HIV infection has improved since the first immunoassays. Today, diagnosis of HIV infection can be performed with fourth-generation tests that track both the patient's antibodies and HIV antigen. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical sensitivity and specificity of the new DiaSorin Liaison XL Murex HIV Ab/Ag assay compared to another fourth-generation assay, the Abbott Architect HIV Ag/Ab Combo kit. This work was performed on a large panel of 900 samples, including negative samples (
n
= 493) and HIV-positive (
n
= 407) representatives of HIV-1 group M subtypes and circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), HIV-1 group O, and HIV-2 variants. The results highlight the high specificity (98.9%) and sensitivity (100%) of this new fourth-generation assay, which are consistent with its use for the screening and diagnosis of HIV infections with the current circulating strains.
Murine Leukemia Virus Gag Localizes to the Uropod of Migrating Primary Lymphocytes
Authors: Li Fei , Sewald Xaver , Jin Jing , Sherer Nathan M. , Mothes Walther 
Published: June 2014

ABSTRACTB and CD4+T lymphocytes are natural targets of murine leukemia virus (MLV). Migrating lymphocytes adopt a polarized morphology with a trailing edge designated the uropod. Here, we demonstrate that MLV Gag localizes to the uropod in polarized B cells and CD4+T cells. The uropod localization of MLV Gag was dependent on plasma membrane (PM) association and multimerization of Gag but independent of the viral glycoprotein Env. Basic residues in MA that are required for MLV Gag recruitment to virological synapses between HEK293 and XC cells were dispensable for uropod localization in migrating B cells. Ultrastructural studies indicated that both wild-type and basic-residue mutant Gag localized to the outer surface of the PM at the uropod. Late-domain mutant virus particles were seen at the uropod in form of budding-arrested intermediates. Finally, uropods mediated contact between MLV-infected B cells and uninfected T cells to form virological synapses. Our results suggest that MLV, not unlike HIV, accumulates at the uropod of primary lymphocytes to facilitate viral spreading through the formation of uropod-mediated cell-cell contacts.IMPORTANCEViruses have evolved mechanisms to coordinate their assembly and budding with cell polarity to facilitate their spreading. In this study, we demonstrated that the viral determinants for MLV Gag to localize to the uropod in polarized B cells are distinct from the requirements to localize to virological synapses in transformed cell lines. Basic residues in MA that are required for the Gag localization to virological synapses between HEK293 and XC cells are dispensable for Gag localization to the uropod in primary B cells. Rather, plasma membrane association and capsid-driven multimerization of Gag are sufficient to drive MLV Gag to the uropod. MLV-laden uropods also mediate contacts between MLV-infected B cells and uninfected T cells to form virological synapses. Our results indicate that MLV accumulates at the uropod of primary lymphocytes to facilitate viral spreading through the formation of uropod-mediated cell-cell contacts.
Influenza A Virus Attenuation by Codon Deoptimization of the NS Gene for Vaccine Development
Authors: Nogales Aitor , Baker Steven F. , Ortiz-Riaño Emilio , Dewhurst Stephen , Topham David J. , Martínez-Sobrido Luis 
Published: June 2014

ABSTRACT

Influenza viral infection represents a serious public health problem that causes contagious respiratory disease, which is most effectively prevented through vaccination to reduce transmission and future infection. The nonstructural (NS) gene of influenza A virus encodes an mRNA transcript that is alternatively spliced to express two viral proteins, the nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) and the nuclear export protein (NEP). The importance of the NS gene of influenza A virus for viral replication and virulence has been well described and represents an attractive target to generate live attenuated influenza viruses with vaccine potential. Considering that most amino acids can be synthesized from several synonymous codons, this study employed the use of misrepresented mammalian codons (codon deoptimization) for the
de novo
synthesis of a viral NS RNA segment based on influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1) (PR8) virus. We generated three different recombinant influenza PR8 viruses containing codon-deoptimized synonymous mutations in coding regions comprising the entire NS gene or the mRNA corresponding to the individual viral protein NS1 or NEP, without modifying the respective splicing and packaging signals of the viral segment. The fitness of these synthetic viruses was attenuated
in vivo
, while they retained immunogenicity, conferring both homologous and heterologous protection against influenza A virus challenges. These results indicate that influenza viruses can be effectively attenuated by synonymous codon deoptimization of the NS gene and open the possibility of their use as a safe vaccine to prevent infections with these important human pathogens.

IMPORTANCE
Vaccination serves as the best therapeutic option to protect humans against influenza viral infections. However, the efficacy of current influenza vaccines is suboptimal, and novel approaches are necessary for the prevention of disease cause by this important human respiratory pathogen. The nonstructural (NS) gene of influenza virus encodes both the multifunctional nonstructural protein 1 (NS1), essential for innate immune evasion, and the nuclear export protein (NEP), required for the nuclear export of viral ribonucleoproteins and for timing of the virus life cycle. Here, we have generated a recombinant influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1) (PR8) virus containing a codon-deoptimized NS segment that is attenuated
in vivo
yet retains immunogenicity and protection efficacy against homologous and heterologous influenza virus challenges. These results open the exciting possibility of using this NS codon deoptimization methodology alone or in combination with other approaches for the future development of vaccine candidates to prevent influenza viral infections.
Trends in inequalities in premature mortality: a study of 3.2 million deaths in 13 European countries
Authors: Mackenbach Johan P , Kulhánová Ivana , Menvielle Gwenn , Bopp Matthias , Borrell Carme , Costa Giuseppe , Deboosere Patrick , Esnaola Santiago , Kalediene Ramune , Kovacs Katalin , Leinsalu Mall , Martikainen Pekka , Regidor Enrique , Rodriguez-Sanz Maica , Strand Bjørn Heine , Hoffmann Rasmus , Eikemo Terje A , Östergren Olof , Lundberg Olle 
Published: June 2014

BackgroundOver the last decades of the 20th century, a widening of the gap in death rates between upper and lower socioeconomic groups has been reported for many European countries. For most countries, it is unknown whether this widening has continued into the first decade of the 21st century.MethodsWe collected and harmonised data on mortality by educational level among men and women aged 30–74 years in all countries with available data: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England and Wales, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Lithuania and Estonia.ResultsRelative inequalities in premature mortality increased in most populations in the North, West and East of Europe, but not in the South. This was mostly due to smaller proportional reductions in mortality among the lower than the higher educated, but in the case of Lithuania and Estonia, mortality rose among the lower and declined among the higher educated. Mortality among the lower educated rose in many countries for conditions linked to smoking (lung cancer, women only) and excessive alcohol consumption (liver cirrhosis and external causes). In absolute terms, however, reductions in premature mortality were larger among the lower educated in many countries, mainly due to larger absolute reductions in mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer (men only). Despite rising levels of education, population-attributable fractions of lower education for mortality rose in many countries.ConclusionsRelative inequalities in premature mortality have continued to rise in most European countries, and since the 1990s, the contrast between the South (with smaller inequalities) and the East (with larger inequalities) has become stronger. While the population impact of these inequalities has further increased, there are also some encouraging signs of larger absolute reductions in mortality among the lower educated in many countries. Reducing inequalities in mortality critically depends upon speeding up mortality declines among the lower educated, and countering mortality increases from conditions linked to smoking and excessive alcohol consumption such as lung cancer, liver cirrhosis and external causes.
Critical assessment of complications associated with use of the Pipeline Embolization Device
Authors: Park Min S , Albuquerque Felipe C , Nanaszko Michael , Sanborn Matthew R , Moon Karam , Abla Adib A , McDougall Cameron G 
Published: June 2014

BackgroundThe Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) has become an important tool in the treatment of complex cerebrovascular pathology since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in April 2011.ObjectiveTo determine the overall complication rate (permanent and transient) associated with the use of this new device from a single institution.MethodsWe retrospectively examined a prospectively maintained database of our patients treated with the PED since its availability to the current time. 126 patients (24 men, 102 women; age range 14–83 years, mean 59.8 years) were treated for a total of 137 intracranial aneurysms, one cervical internal carotid artery dissection, one cervical vertebral artery dissection, and one carotid-cavernous fistula with a total of 217 PEDs (1.72 PED/patient).ResultsA total of 40 complications were experienced by 33 patients in our cohort. Four complications (4/126, 3.2%) in four patients were permanent, resulting in three deaths and one permanent disability. The other 36 complications (28.6%) occurred in 29 patients, all of whom went on to recover completely. The total complication rate associated with the use of the PED was 31.7% (40/126).ConclusionsDespite a low rate of permanent complications associated with the PED in this series, the total complication rate was high. This finding supports the conclusion that this device should be reserved for the most challenging aneurysms. Patients should be advised of this higher rate of transient periprocedural complications.Trial registration numberIRB#:14BN027 Q7.