bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of ureteral stents on risk of bacteriuria in renal allograft recipients
Authors: Chordia P. , Schain D. , Kayler L. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractBackgroundPlacement of ureteral stents at the time of renal transplantation is thought to decrease the incidence of postoperative complications, such as anastomotic leakage and stenosis. However, stents may also predispose to post‐transplantation urinary tract infection, which can lead to increased risks of graft dysfunction, sepsis, and death. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of post‐transplantation bacteriuria with ureteral stent placement in renal allograft recipients.MethodsA retrospective single‐center analysis was conducted to investigate the incidence of bacteriuria in all renal allograft recipients transplanted between January 2007 and March 2009. Recipients were categorized as in the nonstent group (NSTG) or the stent group (STG). Stent removal was performed per protocol at 6 weeks, and all patients were followed for at least 1 year post transplantation. In the NSTG, the incidence of bacteriuria was assessed at 0–6, 6–12, and 12 weeks to 1 year post transplantation. In the STG, bacteriuria was assessed prior to stent removal, 6 weeks after stent removal, and thereafter until 1 year post transplantation.ResultsA total of 395 renal allograft recipients, 183 in the NSTG and 212 in the STG groups, were studied. The overall incidence of bacteriuria within 1 year post transplantation was similar between NSTG and STG (28.0 vs. 24.0%, P = 0.38). No difference was found in the incidence of bacteriuria when NSTG and STG were compared at 0–6 weeks or prior to stent removal (9.7% vs. 9.1%, P = 0.81), at 6–12 weeks, or 6 weeks after stent removal (6.7% vs. 5.8%, P = 0.75), and thereafter for 1 year post transplantation (13.3% vs. 10.8%, P = 0.46). The incidence of graft failure at 1 year was similar in NSTG and STG (6.2% vs. 4.9%, P = 0.6). Urinary anastomotic leakage occurred in none of the NSTG and 2 of the STG recipients. On multivariate analysis, risk factors for bacteriuria were female recipient gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5–4.3, P = 0.001), delayed graft function (DGF) (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.8, P = 0.01), and postoperative Foley catheterization for >5 days (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.3–17.6, P = 0.02).ConclusionIndependent risk factors for bacteriuria following kidney transplantation include DGF, prolonged postoperative Foley catheterization, and recipient female gender, but not placement of ureteral stents.
The Fiscal Impact of Immigration in France: A Generational Accounting Approach
Authors: Chojnicki Xavier 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe objective of this study is to use both static and dynamic frameworks to compare the benefits that immigrants draw from the public system with their contributions through the taxes that they pay. The main conclusion of this paper is that the impact of immigration on welfare systems is weak. Thus, if we compare, on a given date, immigrants' global contribution to the public administration budget with the volume of transfers they receive, immigrants appear to be relatively favoured by the redistribution system. At the same time, even if immigrants seem to pay less taxes and receive more transfers than natives, the difference in distribution between the two populations, with a higher concentration of immigrants in the active age groups and a sparser concentration among the net beneficiaries of the social transfer system, leads to a slightly positive long‐term impact of immigration on public finances. However, the impact of immigration remains very slight compared with the global effort that would have to be undertaken to reduce budgetary imbalances.
A methodology for image quality evaluation of advanced CT systems
Authors: Wilson Joshua M. , Christianson Olav I. , Richard Samuel , Samei Ehsan 
Published: February 2013

Purpose:This work involved the development of a phantom‐based method to quantify the performance of tube current modulation and iterative reconstruction in modern computed tomography (CT) systems. The quantification included resolution, HU accuracy, noise, and noise texture accounting for the impact of contrast, prescribed dose, reconstruction algorithm, and body size.Methods:A 42‐cm‐long, 22.5‐kg polyethylene phantom was designed to model four body sizes. Each size was represented by a uniform section, for the measurement of the noise‐power spectrum (NPS), and a feature section containing various rods, for the measurement of HU and the task‐based modulation transfer function (TTF). The phantom was scanned on a clinical CT system (GE, 750HD) using a range of tube current modulation settings (NI levels) and reconstruction methods (FBP and ASIR30). An image quality analysis program was developed to process the phantom data to calculate the targeted image quality metrics as a function of contrast, prescribed dose, and body size.Results:The phantom fabrication closely followed the design specifications. In terms of tube current modulation, the tube current and resulting image noise varied as a function of phantom size as expected based on the manufacturer specification: From the 16‐ to 37‐cm section, the HU contrast for each rod was inversely related to phantom size, and noise was relatively constant (<5% change). With iterative reconstruction, the TTF exhibited a contrast dependency with better performance for higher contrast objects. At low noise levels, TTFs of iterative reconstruction were better than those of FBP, but at higher noise, that superiority was not maintained at all contrast levels. Relative to FBP, the NPS of iterative reconstruction exhibited an ∼30% decrease in magnitude and a 0.1 mm−1 shift in the peak frequency.Conclusions:Phantom and image quality analysis software were created for assessing CT image quality over a range of contrasts, doses, and body sizes. The testing platform enabled robust NPS, TTF, HU, and pixel noise measurements as a function of body size capable of characterizing the performance of reconstruction algorithms and tube current modulation techniques.
Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase CTX-M-15-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of Sequence Type ST274 in Companion Animals
Authors: Poirel Laurent , Nordmann Patrice , Ducroz Sébastien , Boulouis Henri-Jean , Arné Pascal , Millemann Yves 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

Screening of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Gram-negative bacteria in companion animals living in the Paris area in France identified a high rate of CTX-M-15-producing
Klebsiella pneumoniae
. Those isolates were recovered during the 2010-2011 period from both infections and asymptomatic colonizations. Sequence typing revealed that most of these isolates belonged to sequence type ST274. Interestingly, the
bla
CTX-M-15
gene was located on a specific and novel plasmid scaffold. These findings highlight that companion animals may be reservoirs for CTX-M-15-producing
K. pneumoniae
evolving separately from the human reservoir of CTX-M-15 producers.
Multiple Legionella pneumophila Type II Secretion Substrates, Including a Novel Protein, Contribute to Differential Infection of the Amoebae Acanthamoeba castellanii, Hartmannella vermiformis, and Naegleria lovaniensis
Authors: Tyson Jessica Y. , Pearce Meghan M. , Vargas Paloma , Bagchi Sreya , Mulhern Brendan J. , Cianciotto Nicholas P. 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

Type II protein secretion (T2S) by
Legionella pneumophila
is required for intracellular infection of host cells, including macrophages and the amoebae
Acanthamoeba castellanii
and
Hartmannella vermiformis
. Previous proteomic analysis revealed that T2S by
L. pneumophila
130b mediates the export of >25 proteins, including several that appeared to be novel. Following confirmation that they are unlike known proteins, T2S substrates NttA, NttB, and LegP were targeted for mutation.
nttA
mutants were impaired for intracellular multiplication in
A. castellanii
but not
H. vermiformis
or macrophages, suggesting that novel exoproteins which are specific to
Legionella
are especially important for infection. Because the importance of NttA was host cell dependent, we examined a panel of T2S substrate mutants that had not been tested before in more than one amoeba. As a result, RNase SrnA, acyltransferase PlaC, and metalloprotease ProA all proved to be required for optimal intracellular multiplication in
H. vermiformis
but not
A. castellanii
. Further examination of an
lspF
mutant lacking the T2S apparatus documented that T2S is also critical for infection of the amoeba
Naegleria lovaniensis
. Mutants lacking SrnA, PlaC, or ProA, but not those deficient for NttA, were defective in
N. lovaniensis
. Based upon analysis of a double mutant lacking PlaC and ProA, the role of ProA in
H. vermiformis
was connected to its ability to activate PlaC, whereas in
N. lovaniensis
, ProA appeared to have multiple functions. Together, these data document that the T2S system exports multiple effectors, including a novel one, which contribute in different ways to the broad host range of
L. pneumophila
.
The Absence of Myocardial Calcium-Independent Phospholipase A
2
γ Results in Impaired Prostaglandin E
2
Production and Decreased Survival in Mice with Acute Trypanosoma cruzi Infection
Authors: Sharma Janhavi , Eickhoff Christopher S. , Hoft Daniel F. , Ford David A. , Gross Richard W. , McHowat Jane 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

Cardiomyopathy is a serious complication of Chagas' disease, caused by the protozoan parasite
Trypanosoma cruzi
. The parasite often infects cardiac myocytes, causing the release of inflammatory mediators, including eicosanoids. A recent study from our laboratory demonstrated that calcium-independent phospholipase A
2
γ (iPLA
2
γ) accounts for the majority of PLA
2
activity in rabbit ventricular myocytes and is responsible for arachidonic acid (AA) and prostaglandin E
2
(PGE
2
) release. Thus, we hypothesized that cardiac iPLA
2
γ contributes to eicosanoid production in
T. cruzi
infection. Inhibition of the isoform iPLA
2
γ or iPLA
2
β, with the
R
or
S
enantiomer of bromoenol lactone (BEL), respectively, demonstrated that iPLA
2
γ is the predominant isoform in immortalized mouse cardiac myocytes (HL-1 cells). Stimulation of HL-1 cells with thrombin, a serine protease associated with microthrombus formation in Chagas' disease and a known activator of iPLA
2
, increased AA and PGE
2
release, accompanied by platelet-activating factor (PAF) production. Similarly,
T. cruzi
infection resulted in increased AA and PGE
2
release over time that was inhibited by pretreatment with (
R
)-BEL. Further,
T. cruzi
-infected iPLA
2
γ-knockout (KO) mice had lower survival rates and increased tissue parasitism compared to wild-type (WT) mice, suggesting that iPLA
2
γ-KO mice were more susceptible to infection than WT mice. A significant increase in iPLA
2
activity was observed in WT mice following infection, whereas iPLA
2
γ-KO mice showed no alteration in cardiac iPLA
2
activity and produced less PGE
2
. In summary, these studies demonstrate that
T. cruzi
infection activates cardiac myocyte iPLA
2
γ, resulting in increased AA and PGE
2
release, mediators that may be essential for host survival during acute infection. Thus, these studies suggest that iPLA
2
γ plays a cardioprotective role during the acute stage of Chagas' disease.
Diversity Covering AMA1-MSP1
19
Fusion Proteins as Malaria Vaccines
Authors: Faber Bart W. , Younis Sumera , Remarque Edmond J. , Rodriguez Garcia Roberto , Riasat Vanessa , Walraven Vanessa , van der Werff Nicole , van der Eijk Marjolein , Cavanagh David R. , Holder Anthony A. , Thomas Alan W. , Kocken Clemens H. M. 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

To overcome polymorphism in the malaria vaccine candidate
Plasmodium falciparum
apical membrane antigen 1 (PfAMA1), fusion protein chimeras comprised of three diversity-covering (DiCo) PfAMA1 molecules (D1, D2, and D3) and two allelic variants of the C-terminal 19-kDa region of merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1
19
) (variants M1 and M2) were generated. A mixture of fusion proteins (D1M1/D2M2D3) and the D1M1D2M2D3 fusion were compared to a single-unit mixture (D1/D2/D3/M1) in an immunological study in groups of rabbits. Following immunization, titers of antibodies (Abs) against four naturally occurring PfAMA1 alleles were high for all groups, as were growth inhibition assay (GIA) levels against two antigenically distinct laboratory parasite strains. Fusion of AMA1 to MSP1
19
did not suppress levels of antibodies against the AMA1 component. In addition, the breadth of antibody responses was unaffected. Anti-AMA1 antibodies were largely responsible for parasite growth inhibition, as shown in reversal-of-inhibition experiments by adding competing AMA1 antigen. For all groups, titration of the MSP1
19
antigen into the GIA led to only a small decrease in parasite inhibition, although titers of antibodies against MSP1
19
were increased 15-fold for the groups immunized with fusion proteins. GIA with affinity-purified anti-MSP1
19
antibodies showed that the 50% inhibitory concentrations of the anti-MSP1
19
antibody preparations were in the same order of magnitude for all animals tested, leading to the conclusion that fusing MSP1
19
to PfAMA1 leads to a small but significant increase in functional antibody levels. This study shows that combination of multiple vaccine candidates in fusion proteins may lead to improved characteristics of the vaccine.
Critical Roles for Lipomannan and Lipoarabinomannan in Cell Wall Integrity of Mycobacteria and Pathogenesis of Tuberculosis
Authors: Fukuda Takeshi , Matsumura Takayuki , Ato Manabu , Hamasaki Maho , Nishiuchi Yukiko , Murakami Yoshiko , Maeda Yusuke , Yoshimori Tamotsu , Matsumoto Sohkichi , Kobayashi Kazuo , Kinoshita Taroh , Morita Yasu S. 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT

Lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are mycobacterial glycolipids containing a long mannose polymer. While they are implicated in immune modulations, the significance of LM and LAM as structural components of the mycobacterial cell wall remains unknown. We have previously reported that a branch-forming mannosyltransferase plays a critical role in controlling the sizes of LM and LAM and that deletion or overexpression of this enzyme results in gross changes in LM/LAM structures. Here, we show that such changes in LM/LAM structures have a significant impact on the cell wall integrity of mycobacteria. In
Mycobacterium smegmatis
, structural defects in LM and LAM resulted in loss of acid-fast staining, increased sensitivity to β-lactam antibiotics, and faster killing by THP-1 macrophages. Furthermore, equivalent
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
mutants became more sensitive to β-lactams, and one mutant showed attenuated virulence in mice. Our results revealed previously unknown structural roles for LM and LAM and further demonstrated that they are important for the pathogenesis of tuberculosis.

IMPORTANCE
Tuberculosis (TB) is a global burden, affecting millions of people worldwide.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
is a causative agent of TB, and understanding the biology of
M. tuberculosis
is essential for tackling this devastating disease. The cell wall of
M. tuberculosis
is highly impermeable and plays a protective role in establishing infection. Among the cell wall components, LM and LAM are major glycolipids found in all
Mycobacterium
species, show various immunomodulatory activities, and have been thought to play roles in TB pathogenesis. However, the roles of LM and LAM as integral parts of the cell wall structure have not been elucidated. Here we show that LM and LAM play critical roles in the integrity of mycobacterial cell wall and the pathogenesis of TB. These findings will now allow us to seek the possibility that the LM/LAM biosynthetic pathway is a chemotherapeutic target.
Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders in liver transplant recipients: a clinicopathological study
Authors: Lo Regina Cheuk-lam , Chan See-ching , Chan Kwong-leung , Chiang Alan Kwok-shing , Lo Chung-mau , Ng Irene Oi-lin 
Published: February 2013

Background and aimsComplications after liver transplantation are major factors that determine the prognosis of patients. In this study, we aimed at investigating an important though less frequently occurring complication, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD), in a single institution after liver transplantation.Methods15 cases with a diagnosis of PTLD in post-liver transplant patients were retrieved from our archive and the clinicopathological features reviewed.ResultsThe overall incidence of PTLD was 2.3% (n=15/658), and the incidence was much higher in the paediatric than the adult age groups, being 11.1% (9/81) and 1% (6/577), respectively. The median time of presentation was 16 months after transplantation (occurrence time ranging from 2 to 87 months after transplantation). Lymph nodes, gastrointestinal tract and graft liver were the commonest sites of involvement. 11 cases were classified as monomorphic PTLD according to WHO classification and the majority (n=10/11) of them were of B cell differentiation. 12 of the total 15 PTLD cases showed a positive result for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNAs with in situ hybridisation. Eight patients were alive at the time of review, and two of them suffered from recurrence of the PTLD. Among the seven patients who died, six succumbed within 1 year from the diagnosis of PTLD.ConclusionsDespite its relative rarity as a complication for liver transplantation, PTLD imposes significant effects on the morbidity, mortality and treatment implications in postliver transplant patients. The clinicopathological data would hopefully provide better insight into the surveillance and management for susceptible patients.
Mesozoic magmatic and sedimentary development of the Tavşanlı Zone (NW Turkey): implications for rifting, passive margin development and ocean crust emplacement
Authors: Özbey Zeynep , Ustaömer Timur , Robertson Alastair H. F. 
Published: February 2013

Abstract

Upper Ordovician–Upper Cretaceous high-pressure–low-temperature metasedimentary and meta-igneous rocks in the Dursunbey area provide insights into the Tavşanlı Zone (Anatolides) when compared to crustal units further south (e.g. Afyon Zone and Taurides). Schists near the base of the Tavşanlı Zone succession are cut by a small Upper Ordovician metagranite. This is covered by metaclastic sediments that are interbedded with bimodal rift-related basic-silicic volcanics of inferred Triassic age. Above this is a thick metacarbonate platform interpreted as the result of post-rift subsidence. Overlying metacarbonates, metapelites and metachert with metabasaltic intercalations (Upper Cretaceous?) reflect platform collapse. Overlying mélange contains blocks of ocean-derived intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks (e.g. ocean island-type basalt), metacarbonates and radiolarian chert, set in a low-grade metamorphosed shaly matrix. The Tavşanlı Zone was buried in a north-dipping subduction zone to 74–79 km at
c.
88 Ma, exhumed and tectonically juxtaposed with accretionary mélange prior to the Late Palaeocene–Early Eocene. Geochemical studies of the meta-igneous rocks indicate the presence of ocean island basalt (OIB) and mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) sources modified by crustal contamination, evidenced by Th enrichment and fractional crystallization. A subduction chemical influence in the lower part of the succession (e.g. Nb depletion) was probably derived from subcontinental mantle lithosphere, modified during some previous subduction event (Panafrican?).

supplementary-material:

Full geochemical data are available at
www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18570
Role of the Palaeogene–Recent sinistral El-Kabir Lineament and the associated transtensional Neogene–Recent El-Kabir Basin (northern Syria) in distributed deformation between the African and Eurasian plates
Authors: Hardenberg Mathew F. , Robertson Alastair H. F. 
Published: February 2013

Abstract
The El-Kabir Lineament and the El-Kabir Basin further south form part of the southernmost of several sinistral strike-slip lineaments that characterize the distributed Africa–Eurasian collision zone in the easternmost Mediterranean region. Based on onshore field evidence and offshore two-dimensional (2D) seismic evidence, the El-Kabir fault lineament is interpreted as a sinistral strike-slip fault zone that was active at least from Middle Eocene time onwards. The El-Kabir Lineament was probably active in a transpressional mode during Middle Eocene–Early Miocene(?). The fault lineament was then active in a transtensional mode during Miocene–Recent time. The transtension resulted in the formation of the adjacent NE–SW El-Kabir Basin. Continuing subsidence provided the accommodation space for thick sediment accumulation (>3 km) within the El-Kabir Basin and its offshore extension (roughly corresponding to the Latakia Basin). Offshore 2D seismic data confirm that the basin is fault-bounded and that it continued to be active during Pliocene–Recent time. To the NE, the NE–SW El-Kabir Lineament is truncated and offset by the north–south-trending Dead Sea Transform Fault Zone (Ghab Graben), which propagated northwards during the Pliocene. The inferred Neogene–Recent transtension is explicable by kinematic linkage with oceanic crust in the easternmost Mediterranean that is likely to have experienced contemporaneous subduction zone rollback.
Selective Blockade of Matrix Metalloprotease-14 with a Monoclonal Antibody Abrogates Invasion, Angiogenesis, and Tumor Growth in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Kaimal Rajani , Aljumaily Raid , Tressel Sarah L. , Pradhan Rutika V. , Covic Lidija , Kuliopulos Athan , Zarwan Corrine , Kim Young B. , Sharifi Sheida , Agarwal Anika 
Published: February 2013

Abstract
Most patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed late in progression and often experience tumor recurrence and relapses due to drug resistance. Surface expression of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-14 on ovarian cancer cells stimulates a tumor–stromal signaling pathway that promotes angiogenesis and tumor growth. In a cohort of 92 patients, we found that MMP-14 was increased in the serum of women with malignant ovarian tumors. Therefore, we investigated the preclinical efficacy of a MMP-14 monoclonal antibody that could inhibit the migratory and invasive properties of aggressive ovarian cancer cells in vitro. MMP-14 antibody disrupted ovarian tumor–stromal communication and was equivalent to Avastin in suppressing blood vessel growth in mice harboring Matrigel plugs. These effects on angiogenesis correlated with downregulation of several important angiogenic factors. Furthermore, mice with ovarian cancer tumors treated with anti–MMP-14 monotherapy showed a marked and sustained regression in tumor growth with decreased angiogenesis compared with immunoglobulin G (IgG)-treated controls. In a model of advanced peritoneal ovarian cancer, MMP-14–dependent invasion and metastasis was effectively inhibited by intraperitoneal administration of monoclonal MMP-14 antibody. Together, these studies provide a preclinical proof-of-concept for MMP-14 targeting as an adjuvant treatment strategy for advanced ovarian cancer. Cancer Res; 73(8); 2457–67. ©2013 AACR.