bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Primary primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the retina and ciliary body in dogs
Authors: Regan Daniel P. , Dubielzig Richard R. , Zeiss Caroline J. , Charles Brad , Hoy Sarah S. , Ehrhart E. J. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractWe describe the clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical features of primary intraocular primitive neuroectodermal tumors in eight dogs. Four of eight tumors exhibited histological features similar to human retinoblastomas characterized by Flexner–Wintersteiner rosettes, and fleurettes, and demonstrated variable immunoreactivity for retinal markers opsin, S‐antigen (S‐Ag) and interphotoreceptor retinoid‐binding protein (IRBP). All dogs with tumors displaying histological and immunohistochemical features of retinal differentiation were ≤2 years of age. All tumors diagnosed as medulloepitheliomas (n = 4) did not display histological and immunohistochemical features of retinal differentiation and were present in dogs 7 years or older. Age of onset, in conjunction with immunohistochemistry for opsin, S‐Ag, and IRBP, is an important aid in the differentiation of primary, primitive neuroectodermal tumors arising within the canine ciliary body, retina, and optic papilla.
Intraocular myelolipoma in a dog
Authors: Storms Goedele , Janssens Gerlinde 
Published: May 2013

AbstractAn 8‐year‐old Scottish terrier was presented with a red and painful right eye. Slitlamp biomicroscopy and ocular ultrasound demonstrated the presence of a large mass in the anterior chamber. Enucleation was performed one week after initial presentation. Histological examination of the eye revealed a relatively well‐delineated mass distorting the dorsal iris and occupying most of the anterior chamber. The tumor was composed of fully differentiated adipose tissue and normal hematopoietic cells of the three major blood‐forming elements. These findings were most consistent with the diagnosis of an anterior chamber myelolipoma distorting the iris. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of an intraocular myelolipoma in any species.
Human adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells can survive and integrate into the adult rat eye following xenotransplantation
Authors: Haddad‐Mashadrizeh Aliakbar , Bahrami Ahmad R. , Matin Maryam M. , Edalatmanesh Mohammad A. , Zomorodipour Alireza , Gardaneh Mossa , Farshchian Moein , Momeni‐Moghaddam Madjid 
Published: May 2013

AbstractBackgroundNovel threads of discovery provide the basis for optimism for the development of a stem‐cell‐based strategy for the treatment of retinal blindness. Accordingly, achievement to suitable cell source with potential‐to‐long‐term survival and appropriate differentiation can be an effective step in this direction.MethodsAfter derivation of human adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (HAD‐MSCs), they were stably transfected with a vector containing Turbo‐green fluorescent protein (GFP) and JRed to be able to trace them after transplantation. Labeled HAD‐MSCs were transplanted into the intact adult rat eye and their survival, integration, and migration during 6 months post‐transplantation were assessed.ResultsThe transplanted cells were traceable in the rat vitreous humor (VH) up until 90 days after transplantation, with gradual reduction in numbers, their adhesion and expansion capacity after recovery. These cells were also integrated into the ocular tissues. Nonetheless, some of the implanted cells succeeded to cross the blood–retina barrier (BRB) and accumulate in the spleen with time.ConclusionsThe survival of the HAD‐MSCs for a period of 90 days in VH and even longer period of up to 6 months in other eye tissues makes them a promising source to be considered in regenerative medicine of eye diseases. However, the potency of crossing the BRB by the implanted cells suggests that use of HAD‐MSCs must be handled with extreme caution.
Relationships among the basal lineages of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea) based on eight gene regions
Authors: Zahiri Reza , Lafontaine Donald , Schmidt Christian , Holloway Jeremy D. , Kitching Ian J. , Mutanen Marko , Wahlberg Niklas 
Published: May 2013

In this study, we clarify the relationships between the basal lineages in the moth family Noctuidae using DNA sequence data from eight independent gene regions. Data matrices (6.4 kbp) are analysed using parsimony and model‐based methods (maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference). Our results support the family Noctuidae as a monophyletic group in which most subfamilies have hindwing vein M2 reduced or absent. Our phylogenetic hypothesis suggests that in the Noctuidae, the plesiomorphic condition is that in which vein M2 arises about one‐third of the way up the discocellular vein between the origins of M1 and M3, mainly parallel to M3, and is of thickness similar to vein M3. Most Noctuidae lineages possess an apomorphic (derived) condition in which hindwing vein M2 is markedly reduced or totally absent, so that the cubital vein appears to be three‐branched and these lineages are hence referred to as ‘trifine’. However, Noctuidae also include a number of lineages in which vein M2 is unreduced, or only slightly reduced, and these are more problematic for morphological association with the family Noctuidae. Our results also show that the subfamily Acronictinae is not closely related to Pantheinae, but instead shows a closer association with Amphipyrinae. Among the major lineages of Noctuidae, we postulate a general trend, with numerous exceptions, in larval host plants from woody plants in the basal groups towards herb feeding in derived groups. Similarly, the major radiations of monocot‐feeding groups within the family Noctuidae are in the higher trifines. The following taxonomic changes are proposed: Thiacidinae, syn. nov., a junior synonym of Pantheinae, and Dyopsinae, stat. nov., are reinstated as a subfamily.
Seroprevalence of Antipolio Antibodies among Children <15 Years of Age in Border Provinces in China
Authors: Wang HaiBo , Cui Hui , Ding ZhengRong , Ba Pian , Zhu ShuangLi , Wen Ning , Hao LiXin , Ning Jing , Zhang Jie , Yang De , Xu WenBo , Zhang Yong , Fan ChunXiang , Yu WenZhou , Liang XiaoFeng , Luo HuiMing 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTDespite remarkable progression toward polio eradication worldwide, wild poliovirus (WPV) importation has been a great challenge for China, as it shares borders with countries where WPV is endemic. The objective of this study was to estimate poliovirus antibody seroprevalence among children <15 years of age in 3 border provinces (Yunnan Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region) in China. A cross-sectional, hospital-based study was undertaken in 3 border provinces in 2010. Individuals <15 years old who visited hospitals at the prefecture level or above to have their blood drawn for any reason were invited to participate in our study. Neutralizing antibody titers to polio serotypes 1 (P1), P2, and P3 were assayed according to the World Health Organization manual for the virological investigation of polio. Antibody titers of ≥8 were considered positive. Among the 1,360 subjects enrolled, 1,220 (89.7%), 1,259 (92.6%), and 1,112 (81.8%) were seropositive to P1, P2, and P3, respectively, and 1,051 (77.3%) subjects were seropositive to all three serotypes. The highest seropositive rates were observed in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. By age, 3- to 5-year-old subjects had the highest rate of seropositivity, and seropositivity decreased significantly with increasing age. The risk of WPV importation will continue until WPV transmission has been interrupted worldwide. Consistent with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative's polio endgame strategy, China must maintain its polio-free status by ensuring adequate population immunity against polio. Because immunity wanes with increasing age, a booster dose with bivalent type 1 and 2 oral poliovirus vaccine could be considered for teenagers in China.
Protection against Experimental Melioidosis following Immunization with Live Burkholderia thailandensis Expressing amanno-Heptose Capsule
Authors: Scott Andrew E. , Laws Thomas R. , D'Elia Riccardo V. , Stokes Margaret G. M. , Nandi Tannistha , Williamson E. Diane , Tan Patrick , Prior Joann L. , Atkins Timothy P. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTMelioidosis is a severe infectious disease caused byBurkholderia pseudomallei. It is highly resistant to antibiotic treatment, and there is currently no licensed vaccine.Burkholderia thailandensisis a close relative ofBurkholderia pseudomalleibut is essentially avirulent in mammals. In this report, we detail the protective efficacy of immunization with liveB. thailandensisE555, a strain which has been shown to express an antigenic capsule similar to that ofB. pseudomallei. Immunization with E555 induced significant protection against a lethal intraperitonealB. pseudomalleichallenge in a mouse model of infection, with no mice succumbing to infection over the course of the study, even with challenges of up to 6,000 median lethal doses. By comparison, mice immunized withB. thailandensisnot expressing aB. pseudomallei-like capsule had significantly decreased levels of protection. E555-immunized mice had significantly higher levels of IgG than mice immunized with noncapsulatedB. thailandensis, and these antibody responses were primarily directed against the capsule.
Influence of Oxidation and Multimerization on the Immunogenicity of a Thioredoxin-L2 Prophylactic Papillomavirus Vaccine
Authors: Seitz Hanna , Dantheny Tatiana , Burkart Frank , Ottonello Simone , Müller Martin 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT
Current commercial prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are based on virus-like particles assembled from the major capsid protein L1 and show excellent safety and efficacy profiles. Still, a major limitation is their rather narrow range of protection against different HPV types. In contrast, the minor capsid protein L2 contains a so-called major cross-neutralizing epitope that can induce broad-range protective responses against multiple HPV types. This epitope is conserved among different papillomaviruses (PV) and contains two cysteine residues that are present in the L2 proteins of all known PV types. The main challenge in developing L2-directed vaccines is to overcome the intrinsically low immunogenicity of the L2 protein. Previously, we developed a recombinant L2-based prototype vaccine by inserting peptide epitopes spanning the cross-neutralizing L2 sequence into a bacterial thioredoxin (Trx) scaffold. These antigens induced high-titer neutralizing antibodies in mice. Here, we address the question of whether Trx scaffold multimerization may further enhance the immunogenicity of the TrxL2 vaccine. We also demonstrate that the oxidation state of the conserved cysteine residues is not essential for vaccine functionality, but it contributes to immunogenicity.
Vaccination with Lentiviral Vector Expressing thenfa1Gene Confers a Protective Immune Response to Mice Infected with Naegleria fowleri
Authors: Kim Jong-Hyun , Sohn Hae-Jin , Lee Jinyoung , Yang Hee-Jong , Chwae Yong-Joon , Kim Kyongmin , Park Sun , Shin Ho-Joon 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTNaegleria fowleri, a pathogenic free-living amoeba, causes fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans and animals. Thenfa1gene (360 bp), cloned from a cDNA library ofN. fowleri, produces a 13.1-kDa recombinant protein which is located on pseudopodia, particularly the food cup structure. Thenfa1gene plays an important role in the pathogenesis ofN. fowleriinfection. To examine the effect ofnfa1DNA vaccination againstN. fowleriinfection, we constructed a lentiviral vector (pCDH) expressing thenfa1gene. For thein vivomouse study, BALB/c mice were intranasally vaccinated with viral particles of a viral vector expressing thenfa1gene. To evaluate the effect of vaccination and immune responses of mice, we analyzed the IgG levels (IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a), cytokine induction (interleukin-4 [IL-4] and gamma interferon [IFN-γ]), and survival rates of mice that developed PAM. The levels of both IgG and IgG subclasses (IgG1 and IgG2a) in vaccinated mice were significantly increased. The cytokine analysis showed that vaccinated mice exhibited greater IL-4 and IFN-γ production than the other control groups, suggesting a Th1/Th2 mixed-type immune response. In vaccinated mice, high levels of Nfa1-specific IgG antibodies continued until 12 weeks postvaccination. The mice vaccinated with viral vector expressing thenfa1gene also exhibited significantly higher survival rates (90%) after challenge withN. fowleritrophozoites. Finally, thenfa1vaccination effectively induced protective immunity by humoral and cellular immune responses inN. fowleri-infected mice. These results suggest that DNA vaccination using a viral vector may be a potential tool againstN. fowleriinfection.
Impact of Analytical Variability on Clinical Interpretation of Multiplex Pneumococcal Serology Assays
Authors: Zhang Xiaochun , Simmerman Kelly , Yen-Lieberman Belinda , Daly Thomas M. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTThe response to pneumococcal vaccination can be used to assess a patient's humoral immune response to polysaccharide antigens. Multiplex assays measuring serotype-specific levels of pneumococcal antibodies are often used for this purpose, and clinical algorithms have been published to assist in the definition of an adequate immune response. We evaluated whether interlaboratory variability in multiplex pneumococcal serology assays would affect the clinical classification of the immune response. Specimens from 57 patients were analyzed at three reference laboratories with different multiplex assays to measure pneumococcal serology. Analytical correlation and clinical agreement in the classification of a patient's vaccination status by the three methods were compared. Although substantial variation in the quantitative antibody levels measured by different laboratories was seen, the qualitative classification of individual serologic results showed a high degree of agreement between labs and the ultimate classification of a patient as “protected” or “nonprotected” was the same for most patients. The majority of discordant classifications were driven by a systematic bias in results from one of the assays rather than by random error. These data suggest that the use of integrated assessments based on multiple serotypes can compensate for much of the analytical variability seen between laboratories. Knowledge of the analytical performance characteristics of a particular assay is most important when evaluating patients with results near clinical cut points.
Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas veronii Strain 1YdBTEX2
Authors: de Lima-Morales Daiana , Chaves-Moreno Diego , Jarek Michael , Vilchez-Vargas Ramiro , Jauregui Ruy , Pieper Dietmar H. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Pseudomonas veronii
strain 1YdBTEX2 was isolated from a benzene-contaminated site. Here we report the draft genome sequence of 1YdBTEX2 and its genes associated with aromatic metabolism. The broad catabolic potential of this strain is consistent with the environment from which it was isolated.
Evaluation of Xpert MTB/RIF for Detection of Tuberculosis from Blood Samples of HIV-Infected Adults Confirms Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bacteremia as an Indicator of Poor Prognosis
Authors: Feasey Nicholas A. , Banada Padmapriya P. , Howson William , Sloan Derek J. , Mdolo Aaron , Boehme Catharina , Chipungu Geoffrey A. , Allain Theresa J. , Heyderman Robert S. , Corbett Elizabeth L. , Alland David 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death among HIV-infected adults, in part because of delayed diagnosis and therefore delayed initiation of treatment. Recently, the Gene-Xpert platform, a rapid, PCR-based diagnostic platform, has been validated for the diagnosis of TB with sputum. We have evaluated the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for the diagnosis of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
bacteremia and investigated its impact on clinical outcomes. Consecutive HIV-infected adults with fever and cough presenting to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi, were recruited and followed up for 2 months. At presentation, three sputum samples were examined by smear, culture, and Xpert MTB/RIF assay for the presence of
M. tuberculosis
and blood was drawn for PCR with Xpert, for mycobacterial culture (Myco/F Lytic), and for aerobic culture. One hundred four patients were recruited, and 44 (43%) were sputum culture positive for
M. tuberculosis
. Ten were Xpert blood positive, for a sensitivity of 21% and a specificity of 100%. The 2-week mortality rate was significantly higher among patients who were Xpert blood positive than among those who were negative (40% versus 3%; multivariate odds ratio [OR] for death if positive, 44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3 to 662). This effect persisted on assessment of the mortality rate at 2 months (40% versus 11%; OR, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.3 to 24.6). When screening uncomplicated patients presenting with a productive cough for pulmonary TB, Xpert blood offers no diagnostic advantage over sputum testing. Despite this, Xpert blood positivity is highly predictive of early death and this test rapidly identifies a group of patients in urgent need of initiation of treatment.
Longitudinal Analysis of Methicillin-Resistant and Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Carriage in Healthy Adolescents
Authors: Chen Chih-Jung , Wang Shao-Chung , Chang Hsin-Yu , Huang Yhu-Chering 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

To determine the long-term carriage patterns, strain relatedness, and incidence of subsequent infections among methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible
S. aureus
(MSSA) carriers, we screened 154 high school students for nasal carriage of
S. aureus
on 8 occasions over 11 months. Persistent carriage was defined as a positive culture on ≥7 occasions. Two consecutive isolates from the same subject comprised a pair, and strain relatedness was determined for each pair by molecular typing. Of 1,232 nasal swab cultures obtained on 8 occasions, 323 (26.2%) were positive for
S. aureus
. Forty-five isolates (3.7%) were MRSA and 278 isolates (22.6%) were MSSA from 12 and 63 subjects, respectively. Thirty-five (77.8%) MRSA isolates harbored a type IV or V
T
staphylococcal chromosomal cassette
mec
element. Among the 154 subjects, 52 (33.8%) were intermittent (1 to 6 positive swabs) carriers. Persistent carriage was identified in 23 (14.9%) subjects, and the incidence was not significantly different for MRSA and MSSA carriers (3/12 [25%] versus 20/63 [31.7%];
P
= 0.7449). The MRSA and MSSA isolates were composed of 33 and 215 strain pairs, respectively. Of them, an indistinguishable genotype was identified in 33 (100%) MRSA pairs and 173 (80.5%) MSSA pairs (
P
= 0.0053). Five subjects developed cellulitis, and the incidence of this was higher for MRSA carriers (2/12 [16.7%]) than for MSSA carriers (1/63 [1.58%];
P
= 0.0632) and noncarriers (2/79 [2.56%];
P
= 0.0828). In conclusion, the long-term carriage patterns for MRSA and MSSA in healthy individuals were similar. MRSA carriers were more likely to carry a single strain, with a trend toward a higher chance of developing cellulitis than for MSSA carriers.
The L60V Variation in Hepatitis B Virus Core Protein Elicits New Epitope-Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and Enhances Viral Replication
Authors: Zhang Yu , Ren Yulin , Wu Yan , Zhao Bao , Qiu Lipeng , Li Xiaodong , Xu Dongping , Liu Jun , Gao George F. , Meng Songdong 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTMutations in the core protein (HBc) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) are associated with aggressive hepatitis and advanced liver diseases in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In this study, we identified the L60V variation in HBc that generates a new HLA-A2-restricted CD8+T cell epitope by screening an overlapping 9-mer peptide pool covering HBc and its variants. The nonameric epitope V60 was determined by structural and immunogenic analysis. The HBc L60V variation is correlated with hepatic necroinflammation and higher viral levels, and it may be associated with a poor prognosis in CHB patients. Immunization with the defined HBV epitope V60 peptide elicited specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-induced liver injury in HLA-A2+HBV transgenic mice. In addition,in vitroandin vivoexperiments both demonstrated that the HBc L60V variation facilitates viral capsid assembly and increases HBV replication. These data suggest that the HBc L60V variation can impact both HBV replication and HBV-specific T cell responses. Therefore, our work provides further dissection of the impact of the HBc L60V variation, which orchestrates HBV replication, viral persistence, and immunopathogenesis during chronic viral infection.
Hepatitis C Virus Infection Induces Inflammatory Cytokines and Chemokines Mediated by the Cross Talk between Hepatocytes and Stellate Cells
Authors: Nishitsuji Hironori , Funami Kenji , Shimizu Yuko , Ujino Saneyuki , Sugiyama Kazuo , Seya Tsukasa , Takaku Hiroshi , Shimotohno Kunitada 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTInflammatory cytokines and chemokines play important roles in inflammation during viral infection. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic RNA virus that is closely associated with chronic liver inflammation, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. During the progression of HCV-related diseases, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) contribute to the inflammatory response triggered by HCV infection. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that mediate HSC-induced chronic inflammation during HCV infection are not fully understood. By coculturing HSCs with HCV-infected hepatocytesin vitro, we found that HSCs stimulated HCV-infected hepatocytes, leading to the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α), and MIP-1β. Moreover, we found that this effect was mediated by IL-1α, which was secreted by HSCs. HCV infection enhanced production of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) β mRNA, and HSC-dependent IL-1α production contributed to the stimulation of C/EBPβ target cytokines and chemokines in HCV-infected hepatocytes. Consistent with this result, knockdown of mRNA for C/EBPβ in HCV-infected hepatocytes resulted in decreased production of cytokines and chemokines after the addition of HSC conditioned medium. Induction of cytokines and chemokines in hepatocytes by the HSC conditioned medium required a yet to be identified postentry event during productive HCV infection. The cross talk between HSCs and HCV-infected hepatocytes is a key feature of inflammation-mediated, HCV-related diseases.