bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Blood screening for human immunodeficiency virus: a new algorithm to reduce the false‐positive results
Authors: Zhang R. , Sun Y. , Wang L. , Zhang K. , Xie J. , Li J. 
Published: May 2013

SUMMARYObjectivesThe objectives to this study were to evaluate the performance of an anti‐human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) blood screening test and propose a new screening algorithm for blood banks routinely using nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) to reduce false‐positive results.BackgroundMost anti‐HIV enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results are false‐positive because of the low prevalence of HIV infection and high sensitivity of the ELISAs.Methods/MaterialsA total of 281 588 voluntary donations were collected and sera reactive on one or both anti‐HIV ELISAs were confirmed by Western blot (WB) testing. All samples with nonreactive results for the two ELISAs underwent NAT. A confirmed HIV‐1‐positive result was defined by a reactive result on NAT or WB testing. Correlations between signal‐to‐cutoff ratios and the confirmed HIV‐1 infection rate were analysed for each enzyme immunoassay and two‐enzyme immunoassay combination. The positive predictive values (PPVs) of the current and proposed algorithms were calculated.ResultsSeventy‐nine donations (13·9%) were positive on WB analysis and one donation negative for anti‐HIV antibody was reactive on NAT and confirmed to be a window period donation on additional follow‐up testing. The PPV of the 567 donations reactive on one or two ELISAs was 13·9%. However, using the new screening algorithm, 457 donations underwent NAT immediately instead of WB testing. Only 110 donations were tested with WB and the PPV was 71·8%.ConclusionScreening for HIV is sensitive, specific and time saving for donors with this algorithm, which is suitable for HIV screening in low prevalence settings.
Global Analysis of Apicomplexan Protein S‐Acyl Transferases Reveals an Enzyme Essential for Invasion
Authors: Frénal Karine , Tay Chwen L. , Mueller Christina , Bushell Ellen S. , Jia Yonggen , Graindorge Arnault , Billker Oliver , Rayner Julian C. , Soldati‐Favre Dominique 
Published: May 2013

SynopsisSpiderweb‐like gelatine matrices generated by electrospinning are introduced as versatile substrate for culturing animal cell monolayers destined for cryofixation and EM. Thus, non‐disruptive sampling and transfer of native cells into high‐pressure freezing devices is possible within about 30 seconds. In addition to cryosection‐ and replica‐labelling, this aproach can be applied to various complementary microscopy and biochemical methods.
Cryptic diversity in South American Teiinae (Squamata, Teiidae) lizards
Authors: Giugliano Lilian G. , de Campos Nogueira Cristiano , Valdujo Paula H. , Collevatti Rosane G. , Colli Guarino R. 
Published: May 2013

Based on phylogenetic and molecular dating analyses of several species of Cnemidophorus and Ameiva, representing major groups of species of these two genera, we uncover a previously unrecognized Ameiva lineage, which includes described Cnemidophorus parecis from south‐western Amazonia. We discuss the diagnosis of Ameiva and Cnemidophorus and the implications of the new taxonomic rearrangement of genera from Teiidae for the monophyly of Ameiva. Based on the conclusion of our analyses, we provide description of a new species named Ameiva jacuba from the central Brazilian Cerrado and a detailed diagnosis for the relocation of C. parecis to Ameiva. We do not adopt here recent taxonomic changes proposed for Teiidae and provide a discussion about them. Finally, based on molecular dating and the distribution of living species, we propose an evolutionary scenario for the origins of South American cis‐Andean Ameiva lineages, associated with the topographic subdivision of the Cerrado region during Miocene marine introgressions.
Controlled Flight of a Biologically Inspired, Insect-Scale Robot
Authors: Ma Kevin Y. , Chirarattananon Pakpong , Fuller Sawyer B. , Wood Robert J. 
Published: May 2013

Lord of the Robotic FliesWhile small-scale flying objects are ubiquitous in nature, they are quite hard to engineer. As sizes get smaller, fixed-winged flight becomes less efficient because of increased drag resistance.Maet al.(p.603) developed a tethered robotic fly with wings that flap through the use of piezo-electric materials. Control of the flight motion involved a feedback process, which allowed the tethered robotic fly to hover and make controlled flight maneuvers.
TRPV1 Ablation Aggravates Inflammatory Responses and Organ Damage during Endotoxic Shock
Authors: Wang Youping , Wang Donna H. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTTo test the hypothesis that ablation of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) channels leads to exacerbated inflammatory responses and organ damage during endotoxic shock, lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 5 million endotoxin units/kg of body weight) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into wild-type (WT) and TRPV1-null mutant (TRPV1−/−) mice. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate, determined by radiotelemetry, were severely depressed after LPS injection into WT and TRPV1−/−mice, with no distinction between the two strains. At 24 h after LPS injection, renal glomerular hypercellularity and hepatocellular injury were observed in both strains, accompanying further elevated serum levels of creatinine and alanine aminotransferase in TRPV1−/−mice compared to those in WT mice. At 6 or 24 h after LPS injection, neutrophil recruitment into kidneys and livers, serum cytokine (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin 1β [IL-1β], IL-6) and renal chemokine (KC, macrophage inflammatory protein 2 [MIP-2]) levels, and renal VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression were greater in TRPV1−/−mice than WT mice. In addition, increased plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) levels observed in WT mice 6 h after LPS injection were absent in TRPV1−/−mice. Thus, TRPV1 ablation aggravates inflammatory responses, including neutrophil infiltration, proinflammatory cytokine production, and adhesion molecule expression, leading to intensified organ damage during endotoxic shock in the absence of worsened circulatory failure. The data indicate that TRPV1 activation may attenuate endotoxin-induced organ damage, possibly via its anti-inflammatory action rather than alteration of hemodynamics.
Time Profile of Viral DNA in Aqueous Humor Samples of Patients Treated for Varicella-Zoster Virus Acute Retinal Necrosis by Use of Quantitative Real-Time PCR
Authors: Bernheim D. , Germi R. , Labetoulle M. , Romanet J. P. , Morand P. , Chiquet C. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the kinetics of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) loads using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in patients treated for acute retinal necrosis (ARN). Six patients (52 ± 13 years old) with ARN syndrome were consecutively studied. Aqueous humor (AH) was sampled from both eyes of all patients for qPCR evaluation. The patients were treated with intravenous acyclovir and intravitreal injections of antiviral drugs. The mean follow-up time was 17.6 ± 16.4 months. Main outcome measures were the numbers of viral genome copies in the AH, assessed using real-time qPCR with hydrolysis probe technology with a threshold of detection of 200 copies/ml. Two main portions of the viral load curves were observed for each patient: a plateau phase (27.8 ± 24.9 days) and a decrease in the number of viral genome copies. The mean baseline viral load was 3.4 × 10
7
± 4.45 × 10
7
copies/ml (6 × 10
6
to 1.2 × 10
8
copies/ml). The viral load decreased according to a logarithmic model, with a 50% reduction obtained in 3 ± 0.7 days. There was a significant viral load (>102 copies/ml) at 50 days after the onset of treatment, despite antiviral drugs. qPCR use demonstrated reproducible VZV DNA kinetics with a two-phase evolution: a plateau followed by a logarithmic decrease. These data suggest that high-dosage antiviral therapy administered for the conventional 10-day duration is insufficient for most patients. This series of patients responded with a similar decrease in viral load once treatment was initiated, and the data from these patients may be used to predict the responses of future patients.
Bovine Papillomavirus Type 13 DNA in Equine Sarcoids
Authors: Lunardi Michele , de Alcântara Brígida Kussumoto , Otonel Rodrigo Alejandro Arellano , Rodrigues Wagner Borges , Alfieri Alice Fernandes , Alfieri Amauri Alcindo 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT
Equine sarcoids are locally aggressive fibroblastic neoplasms considered to be the most common skin tumors of horses worldwide. Bovine papillomavirus types 1 and 2 have typically been associated with sarcoids in equids. Investigations aiming to identify papillomavirus strains, aside from bovine papillomaviruses 1 and 2, which might be associated with sarcoid lesions, have been lacking. The aim of this article is to report the identification of a third bovine papillomavirus type, bovine papillomavirus 13, associated with equine sarcoids. Six sarcoid lesions were collected from diverse anatomical sites on two horses from southern Brazil. To detect a broad spectrum of papillomavirus strains, eight degenerate primer pairs designed to detect conserved regions on the L1 and E1 genes were tested on the DNA samples. Direct sequencing was then performed on the obtained amplicons, and sequence identities were compared with sequences from all bovine papillomavirus types. The FAP59/FAP64, MY09/MY11, and AR-E1F2/AR-E1R4 sequences generated from the sarcoids were shown to present 99 to 100% identity with bovine papillomavirus 13, a new bovine papillomavirus type previously described in cattle. The results from this study suggest that there is a need to identify bovine papillomavirus type 13 and other papillomavirus strains that might be associated with sarcoids in diverse geographical areas; such investigations might establish the frequency of occurrence of this viral type in these common tumors of equids.
Human Cryptosporidiosis Diagnosed in Western Australia: a Mixed Infection with Cryptosporidium meleagridis, the Cryptosporidium Mink Genotype, and an Unknown Cryptosporidium Species
Authors: Ng-Hublin Josephine S. Y. , Combs Barry , MacKenzie Brian , Ryan Una 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

This report describes a case of cryptosporidiosis from an immunocompetent patient from Perth, Western Australia, suffering from diarrhea and a spectrum of other symptoms. Molecular identification revealed that this patient was infected with three
Cryptosporidium
species—
Cryptosporidium meleagridis
, the
Cryptosporidium
mink genotype, and an unknown
Cryptosporidium
species.
Chemical Decontamination with
N
-Acetyl-
l
-Cysteine–Sodium Hydroxide Improves Recovery of Viable Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Organisms from Cultured Milk
Authors: Bradner L. , Robbe-Austerman S. , Beitz D. C. , Stabel J. R. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
is shed into the milk and feces of cows with advanced Johne's disease, allowing the transmission of
M. avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
between animals. The objective of this study was to formulate an optimized protocol for the isolation of
M. avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
in milk. The parameters investigated included chemical decontamination with
N
-acetyl-
l
-cysteine–sodium hydroxide (NALC-NaOH), alone and in combination with antibiotics (vancomycin, amphotericin B, and nalidixic acid), and the efficacy of solid (Herrold's egg yolk medium [HEY]) and liquid (Bactec 12B and
para
-JEM) culture media. For each experiment, raw milk samples from a known noninfected cow were inoculated with 10
2
to 10
8
CFU/ml of live
M. avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
organisms. The results indicate that an increased length of exposure to NALC-NaOH from 5 to 30 min and an increased concentration of NaOH from 0.5 to 2.0% did not affect the viability of
M. avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
. Additional treatment of milk samples with the antibiotics following NALC-NaOH treatment decreased the recovery of viable
M. avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
cells more than treatment with NALC-NaOH alone. The Bactec 12B medium was the superior medium of the three evaluated for the isolation of
M. avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
from milk, as it achieved the lowest threshold of detection. The optimal conditions for NALC-NaOH decontamination were determined to be exposure to 1.50% NaOH for 15 min followed by culture in Bactec 12B medium. This study demonstrates that chemical decontamination with NALC-NaOH resulted in a greater recovery of viable
M. avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
cells from milk than from samples treated with hexadecylpyridinium chloride (HPC). Therefore, it is important to optimize milk decontamination protocols to ensure that low concentrations of
M. avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
can be detected.
First Report of Nocardia asiatica Olecranon Bursitis in an Immunocompetent Traveler Returning to Austria
Authors: Leitner Eva , Valentin Thomas , Hoenigl Martin , Lanz Philipp , Flick Holger , Zollner-Schwetz Ines , Grisold Andrea J. , Feierl Gebhard , Krause Robert 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Nocardia
spp. are rarely isolated in extrapulmonary clinical specimens. We describe the first case of olecranon bursitis caused by
Nocardia asiatica
. The patient, a traveler returning from Thailand, was successfully treated with linezolid.
Clinical Validation of the Abbott RealTi
m
e High Risk HPV Assay According to the Guidelines for Human Papillomavirus DNA Test Requirements for Cervical Screening
Authors: Hesselink A. T. , Meijer C. J. L. M. , Poljak M. , Berkhof J. , van Kemenade F. J. , van der Salm M. L. , Bogaarts M. , Snijders P. J. F. , Heideman D. A. M. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

This study showed that the Abbott RealTi
m
e High Risk HPV assay fulfilled cross-sectional clinical equivalence and reproducibility criteria of international consensus guidelines, which indicates that this assay can be considered clinically validated for cervical cancer screening purposes.
Emergence of a New Norovirus GII.4 Variant and Changes in the Historical Biennial Pattern of Norovirus Outbreak Activity in Alberta, Canada, from 2008 to 2013
Authors: Hasing Maria E. , Lee Bonita E. , Preiksaitis Jutta K. , Tellier Raymond , Honish Lance , Senthilselvan Ambikaipakan , Pang Xiaoli L. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT
The public health impact of the emergence of new norovirus (NoV) strains is uncertain. A biennial pattern of alternating quiescent and epidemic levels of NoV outbreak activity associated with the emergence of new GII.4 variants was observed in Alberta, Canada, between July 2000 and June 2008. In this study, NoV genogroup I (GI) and GII strains isolated from 710 outbreak specimens in Alberta between July 2008 and January 2013 were characterized to update historical data. The seasonality and annual variation in NoV outbreak burden were analyzed over a 10-year period (July 2002 to June 2012). We found that GII.4-2006b had persisted as the predominant variant over three observation periods (July 2006 to June 2009) during which the biennial NoV outbreak pattern continued. The emergence of GII.4-2010 (winter 2009) was not associated with increased outbreak activity, and outbreak activity between July 2009 and June 2012 when GII.4-2010 predominated (67.5 to 97.7%) did not follow a biennial pattern. GII.4-2012 first emerged in Alberta in September 2011 and became predominant in observation period July 2012 to June 2013. NoV GI, relatively rare in past years, had a higher activity level (37.3%) as represented by GI.6 and GI.7 in the winter of 2012 to 2013. A higher proportion of GI outbreaks occurred in non-health care facility settings compared to GII. Our study suggests that factors other than new variants emergence contribute to the levels of NoV outbreak activity in Alberta.
Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis in Genotyping Yersinia enterocolitica Strains from Human and Porcine Origins
Authors: Virtanen S. , Laukkanen-Ninios R. , Ortiz Martínez P. , Siitonen A. , Fredriksson-Ahomaa M. , Korkeala H. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Sporadic and epidemiologically linked
Yersinia enterocolitica
strains (
n
= 379) isolated from fecal samples from human patients, tonsil or fecal samples from pigs collected at slaughterhouses, and pork samples collected at meat stores were genotyped using multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) with six loci, i.e., V2A, V4, V5, V6, V7, and V9. In total, 312 different MLVA types were found. Similar types were detected (i) in fecal samples collected from human patients over 2 to 3 consecutive years, (ii) in samples from humans and pigs, and (iii) in samples from pigs that originated from the same farms. Among porcine strains, we found farm-specific MLVA profiles. Variations in the numbers of tandem repeats from one to four for variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) loci V2A, V5, V6, and V7 were observed within a farm. MLVA was applicable for serotypes O:3, O:5,27, and O:9 and appeared to be a highly discriminating tool for distinguishing sporadic and outbreak-related strains. With long-term use, interpretation of the results became more challenging due to variations in more-discriminating loci, as was observed for strains originating from pig farms. Additionally, we encountered unexpectedly short V2A VNTR fragments and sequenced them. According to the sequencing results, updated guidelines for interpreting V2A VNTR results were prepared.
Brachyspira Species and Gastroenteritis in Humans
Authors: Westerman L. J. , de Boer R. F. , Roelfsema J. H. , Friesema I. H. M. , Kortbeek L. M. , Wagenaar J. A. , Bonten M. J. M. , Kusters J. G. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Brachyspira
species have been implicated as a potential cause of gastroenteritis in humans; this is, however, controversial. In 733 gastroenteritis cases and 464 controls, we found 29 samples positive for
Brachyspira
species (2.3% of cases and 2.6% of controls;
P
= 0.77).
Brachyspira
species were not associated with gastroenteritis in humans.
CK2 Phosphorylation Inactivates DNA Binding by the Papillomavirus E1 and E2 Proteins
Authors: Schuck Stephen , Ruse Cristian , Stenlund Arne 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT
Papillomaviruses have complex life cycles that are understood only superficially. Although it is well established that the viral E1 and E2 proteins play key roles in controlling viral transcription and DNA replication, how these factors are regulated is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that phosphorylation by the protein kinase CK2 controls the biochemical activities of the bovine papillomavirus E1 and E2 proteins by modifying their DNA binding activity. Phosphorylation at multiple sites in the N-terminal domain in E1 results in the loss of sequence-specific DNA binding activity, a feature that is also conserved in human papillomavirus (HPV) E1 proteins. The bovine papillomavirus (BPV) E2 protein, when phosphorylated by CK2 on two specific sites in the hinge, also loses its site-specific DNA binding activity. Mutation of these sites in E2 results in greatly increased levels of latent viral DNA replication, indicating that CK2 phosphorylation of E2 is a negative regulator of viral DNA replication during latent viral replication. In contrast, mutation of the N-terminal phosphorylation sites in E1 has no effect on latent viral DNA replication. We propose that the phosphorylation of the N terminus of E1 plays a role only in vegetative viral DNA replication, and consistent with such a role, caspase 3 cleavage of E1, which has been shown to be necessary for vegetative viral DNA replication, restores the DNA binding activity to phosphorylated E1.
Genetic Requirement for Hemagglutinin Glycosylation and Its Implications for Influenza A H1N1 Virus Evolution
Authors: Kim Jin Il , Lee Ilseob , Park Sehee , Hwang Min-Woong , Bae Joon-Yong , Lee Sangmoo , Heo Jun , Park Mee Sook , García-Sastre Adolfo , Park Man-Seong 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Influenza A virus has evolved and thrived in human populations. Since the 1918 influenza A pandemic, human H1N1 viruses had acquired additional N-linked glycosylation (NLG) sites within the globular head region of hemagglutinin (HA) until the NLG-free HA head pattern of the 1918 H1N1 virus was renewed with the swine-derived 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus. Moreover, the HA of the 2009 H1N1 virus appeared to be antigenically related to that of the 1918 H1N1 virus. Hence, it is possible that descendants of the 2009 H1N1 virus might recapitulate the acquisition of HA head glycosylation sites through their evolutionary drift as a means to evade preexisting immunity. We evaluate here the evolution signature of glycosylations found in the globular head region of H1 HA in order to determine their impact in the virulence and transmission of H1N1 viruses. We identified a polymorphism at HA residue 147 associated with the acquisition of glycosylation at residues 144 and 172. By
in vitro
and
in vivo
analyses using mutant viruses, we also found that the polymorphism at HA residue 147 compensated for the loss of replication, virulence, and transmissibility associated with the presence of the N-linked glycans. Our findings suggest that the polymorphism in H1 HA at position 147 modulates viral fitness by buffering the constraints caused by N-linked glycans and provide insights into the evolution dynamics of influenza viruses with implications in vaccine immunogenicity.
Annexin A2 and S100A10 Regulate Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Entry and Intracellular Trafficking in Human Keratinocytes
Authors: Dziduszko Agnieszka , Ozbun Michelle A. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause benign and malignant tumors of the mucosal and cutaneous epithelium. The initial events regulating HPV infection impact the establishment of viral persistence, which is requisite for malignant progression of HPV-infected lesions. However, the precise mechanisms involved in HPV entry into host cells, including the cellular factors regulating virus uptake, are not clearly defined. We show that HPV16 exposure to human keratinocytes initiates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-dependent Src protein kinase activation that results in phosphorylation and extracellular translocation of annexin A2 (AnxA2). HPV16 particles interact with AnxA2 in association with S100A10 as a heterotetramer at the cell surface in a Ca
2+
-dependent manner, and the interaction appears to involve heparan-sulfonated proteoglycans. We show multiple lines of evidence that this interaction promotes virus uptake into host cells. An antibody to AnxA2 prevents HPV16 internalization, whereas an antibody to S100A10 blocks infection at a late endosomal/lysosomal site. These results suggest that AnxA2 and S100A10 have separate roles during HPV16 binding, entry, and trafficking. Our data additionally imply that AnxA2 and S100A10 may be involved in regulating the intracellular trafficking of virus particles prior to nuclear delivery of the viral genome.