bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Prospective Genetic Evaluation of Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy in the Doberman Pinscher
Authors: Meurs Kathryn M. , Fox Philip R. , Norgard Michelle , Spier Alan W. , Lamb Allison , Koplitz Shianne L. , Baumwart Ryan D. 
Published: March 2010

Background: The Doberman Pinscher is one of the most common breeds of dogs to develop dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a primary heart muscle disorder characterized by myocardial dysfunction, cardiac arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure. In the Doberman Pinscher, the disease is typically adult onset, and a familial etiology has been suggested. Hypothesis: DCM in the Doberman Pinscher, is a familial disease linked to a specific genetic marker. Animals: The study comprised an extended family of Doberman Pinschers with a history of DCM. Methods: Participating dogs were prospectively evaluated over an 8‐year period. Phenotype of participating dogs was determined by annual echocardiography and ambulatory electrocardiography, and the pedigree was evaluated to determine a specific mode of inheritance. Three hundred seventy‐two microsatellite markers were selected and genotyped to cover the 38 autosomal chromosomes. Phenotyping, genotyping, and pedigree information was entered into a database, and parametric, 2‐point analysis was performed. Markers were considered to be linked to the development of DCM if the logarithm of odds LOD score was ±3.0. Results: An autosomal dominant mode of inheritance was defined by the appearance of the disease in multiple generations, equal gender representation (P = .973) and male‐to‐male transmission. A maximum LOD score of 1.31 was obtained for 1 marker on chromosome 20, a score not high enough to be associated with DCM. Conclusion: DCM in the Doberman Pinscher is a familial disease inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. The causative gene(s) responsible for this condition remain unresolved. Association studies by means of array technology may provide new insights into gene identification.
Microsatellite Instability in Canine Mammary Gland Tumors
Authors: McNiel Elizabeth A. , Griffin Kelly L. , Mellett Amelia M. , Madrill Nicole J. , Mickelson James R. 
Published: March 2010

Background: Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer and may be required for the accumulation of cancer‐causing mutations within cells. One form of genomic instability occurs in tandem nucleotide repeats and is known as microsatellite instability (MSI). Hypothesis: We hypothesized that MSI can be observed in canine mammary gland tumors (MGT) and represents a potential carcinogenic mechanism in dogs. Animals: Thirty‐five dogs with MGTs and 9 dogs with other tumors were recruited from the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center and referring veterinary clinics. Methods: A panel of 21 canine microsatellite (MS) markers was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from deoxyribonucleic acid obtained from blood and from fresh or formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tumor tissues. PCR products were evaluated by using capillary electrophoresis, and the chromatograms were analyzed by using genotyping software. MS genotypes obtained from fresh and formalin‐fixed tumor tissues were compared, as were MS genotypes from normal tissue and tumor tissue. Results: Genotypes obtained from formalin‐fixed and fresh tissues were identical for all MS in 9 tumors evaluated, suggesting excellent concordance between the 2 sample types. For the 35 canine mammary tumors evaluated, 13 (37%) had stable genotypes; 22 (63%) exhibited aberrations in 1 or 2 MS; and 4 tumors (11%) demonstrated high‐level instability, with aberrations in 29 to 61% of MS. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Although some low‐level MSI often is observed, high‐level MSI is an infrequent finding in canine mammary tumors. Further evaluations are required to better characterize this phenomenon and to determine its relevance to canine carcinogenesis.
In Vitro Cyclooxygenase‐2 Protein Expression and Enzymatic Activity in Neoplastic Cells
Authors: Heller David A. , Fan Timothy M. , de Lorimier Louis‐Philippe , Charney Sarah C. , Barger Anne M. , Tannehill‐Gregg Sarah H. , Rosol Thomas J. , Wallig Matthew A. 
Published: March 2010

Background: Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) and its principle enzymatic metabolite, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are implicated in cancer progression. Based upon immunohistochemical (IHC) evidence that several tumor types in animals overexpress COX‐2 protein, COX‐2 inhibitors are used as anticancer agents in dogs and cats. Hypothesis: IHC is inaccurate for assessing tumor‐associated COX‐2 protein and enzymatic activity. Methods: Five mammalian cell lines were assessed for COX‐2 protein expression by IHC and Western blot analysis (WB), and functional COX‐2 activity was based upon PGE2 production. Results: Detection of COX‐2 protein by IHC and WB were in agreement in 4 of 5 cell lines. In 1 cell line that lacked COX‐2 gene transcription because of promoter hypermethylation (HCT‐116), IHC produced false‐positive staining for COX‐2 protein expression. Functional COX‐2 enzymatic activity was dissociated from relative IHC‐based COX‐2 protein expression in 2 cell lines (RPMI 2650 and SCCF1). The RPMI 2650 cell line demonstrated strong COX‐2 protein expression but minimal PGE2 production. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Western blot is more accurate than IHC for the detection of COX‐2 protein in the cell lines studied. Furthermore, the semiquantitative identification of COX‐2 protein by IHC or WB does not necessarily correlate with enzymatic activity. Based upon the potential inaccuracy of IHC and dissociation of COX‐2 protein expression from enzymatic activity, the practice of instituting treatment of tumors with COX‐2 inhibitors based solely on IHC results should be reconsidered.
Mammary Gland Tumors in Male Dogs
Authors: Saba Corey F. , Rogers Kenita S. , Newman Shelley J. , Mauldin Glenna E. , Vail David M. 
Published: March 2010

Background: Reports of mammary‐gland tumors in male dogs are lacking.Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics of mammary‐gland tumors in male dogs.Animals: Eight male dogs diagnosed with mammary‐gland tumors.Methods: Retrospective study. Medical databases from 3 institutions were searched. Medical records were abstracted, and owners and referring veterinarians contacted for follow‐up information. Tissues were reviewed for histologic type, and immunohistochemical staining for estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER, PR) was performed.Results: Eight dogs with histologically confirmed mammary‐gland tumors were included in this retrospective study. Median age at diagnosis was 11.5 years. Four dogs were sexually intact; 4 were neutered. All were purebred. Mammary‐gland tumors were incidental findings in 7 of 8 dogs. All dogs were treated with only surgical excision. All but 1 dog had benign epithelial tumors. The dog with the malignant tumor was the only dog to develop possible local recurrence but de novo tumor development cannot be excluded. No dog had evidence of metastatic disease at diagnosis. Based on institutional population data, it was determined that female dogs are 62 times more likely to develop mammary‐gland tumors than male dogs (P< .001). Estrogen‐receptor expression was strong in the majority of tumors; progesterone‐receptor expression, although present in all tumors, was less intense.Conclusions/Clinical Importance: This study suggests that mammary‐gland tumors in male dogs are rare, usually benign, and surgery alone can provide long‐term control in most dogs.
Blood Glucose in Horses with Acute Abdominal Disease
Authors: Hollis A.R. , Boston R.C. , Corley K.T.T. 
Published: March 2010

Background: Hyperglycemia in critically ill humans is associated with increased glucose production and insulin resistance and is associated with death. This might also be true in horses presenting with acute abdominal disease. Hypothesis: Throughout hospitalization, hyperglycemia will be common in adult horses presenting with acute abdominal disease. Hyperglycemia will be associated with a worse prognosis for survival to hospital discharge. Animals: Two hundred sixty‐nine adult horses with acute abdominal disease. Methods: Observational retrospective study. Records were reviewed for 269 horses that had glucose data analysed and recorded at the time of hospital admission: 154 horses had a first sample after admission; 110 horses at 24 hours after admission; 74 horses at 36 hours after admission; and 49 horses at 48 hours after admission. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of glucose concentrations with survival, in addition to the association of glucose concentrations with surgical, small intestinal, strangulating lesions, and lesions requiring a resection. Results: Of 269 horses presenting with acute abdominal disease, 50.2% had blood glucose concentrations greater than the reference range (75.6–131.4 mg/dL); 0.4%, below the reference range; and 49.4%, within the reference range at admission. Of 269 horses, 2.3% had blood glucose concentrations below the reference range at some point during the first 48 hours of hospitalization, all of which had strangulating intestinal lesions. Horses that did not survive to hospital discharge had a higher mean blood glucose concentration at admission; at the first sample after admission; at 24, 36, and 48 hours after admission; and higher maximum and minimum blood glucose concentrations in the first 24 hours after admission. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Derangements of blood glucose concentration are common in horses with acute abdominal disease. Hyperglycemia is much more common than hypoglycemia in these animals. Hyperglycemia in the first 48 hours of hospitalization is associated with a worse prognosis for survival to hospital discharge.
China's “Soft” Naval Power in the Indian Ocean
Authors: Yoshihara Toshi 
Published: March 2010

For the past several years, Beijing has been attempting to “shape” the diplomatic and strategic environment in maritime Asia, projecting an image of itself as an innately trustworthy great power. As a part of this public relations campaign, Chinese leaders have retailed the story of Zheng He, the Ming Dynasty eunuch admiral who voyaged to destinations throughout the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean six centuries ago. They have touted the feats of Zheng He, who sojourned in maritime Asia without attempting military conquest, as a metaphor for China's current peaceful ascent in the maritime domain. In doing so, Beijing hopes to convince key audiences in Southeast Asia and South Asia that it remains pacific in outlook – and thus can be counted on not to abuse the sea power it is amassing. An attractive vision of China, they hope, will avert the tendency of regional states to band together to balance Chinese power.Until now, Chinese diplomats have had the luxury of telling their story how they wanted to, as deployments of China's naval forces beyond East Asia remained abstract. Beijing neither saw the need nor boasted the capacity to maintain strong forces far from Chinese shores. However, the headline‐grabbing dispatch of two destroyers and a combat logistics ship to the Gulf of Aden on counter‐piracy duty in late 2008 has put China squarely in the spotlight. By depicting itself as an inherently defensive power, China has set a high standard for its behavior at sea. Fellow Asian powers will hold Beijing to this lofty benchmark – measuring its actions against the storyline Chinese leaders have developed around Zheng He's voyages.Beijing's anti‐piracy mission thus offers an ideal opportunity to empirically test the efficacy of Chinese soft power at sea. To this end, this paper explores the motives behind the Zheng He narrative and assesses the key messages that Chinese leaders are attempting to convey to Asian capitals. This study then examines the extent to which China's unprecedented naval presence in the Indian Ocean has dovetailed with the Zheng He storyline and with the larger strategy of easing regional misgivings about Chinese maritime power. Finally, the paper analyzes how India, a target audience, is responding to China's narrative, drawing several preliminary conclusions about the effectiveness and the prospects of Chinese soft power in the Indian Ocean.
The “Century of Humiliation,” Then and Now: Chinese Perceptions of the International Order
Authors: Kaufman Alison Adcock 
Published: March 2010

Chinese elites today draw on the “Century of Humiliation” (1839–1949) as a starting point for their views on how China should interact with other nations. Arguments about the nature of international competition, about the reasons that nations succeed or fail in the international arena, and about the prospects for long‐term global peace and cooperation draw not just on China's experiences during that period, but on the vocabulary and debates that Qing‐ and republican‐era intellectuals developed to understand the modern international system.Today there are at least three views among Chinese elites of the international system and China's role in it. All three start from the implicit premise that today's international system has not changed in its essence from the 19th century: the world is composed of strong and weak nation‐states that vie for dominance on the global stage. They differ, however, on whether this state of affairs is permanent and on what global role China should seek. Some assert that the international system still revolves around Western interests that aim to subjugate and humiliate weaker nations, and that China's bitter experiences during the Century of Humiliation should provide a cautionary tale about the dangers of this system. A second viewpoint suggests that the current system is acceptable now that China can play a prominent role in it. They assert that China's period of humiliation has ended, and that China should now seek to ensure the stability of the system and to assure other nations of its commitment to doing so. This view suggests that the potential dangers of a competitive international system can be mitigated by adapting existing institutions and practices. A third line of reasoning suggests that China is in a unique position to fundamentally remake the international system because its experiences of shame and subjugation have given the Chinese people an alternative vision of how international relations can and should be conducted.
Chlamydia pneumoniae-Induced Memory CD4+T-Cell Activation in Human Peripheral Blood Correlates with Distinct Antibody Response Patterns
Authors: Bunk Sebastian , Schaffert Hanne , Schmid Bianca , Goletz Christoph , Zeller Sabine , Borisova Marina , Kern Florian , Rupp Jan , Hermann Corinna 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACTChlamydia pneumoniaeis a frequent pathogen of the respiratory tract, and persistent infections with this obligate intracellular bacterium have been associated with different severe sequelae. Although T-cell activation during acuteC. pneumoniaeinfections has been described, little is known about the frequency or the role of theC. pneumoniae-specific memory T cells that reside in the human body after the resolution of the infection. In the present study, theC. pneumoniae-induced T-cell responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 56 healthy volunteers were analyzed and compared to the donor's serum antibody reactivity toward wholeC. pneumoniaeas well as recombinantC. pneumoniaeantigens. Following short-term stimulation withC. pneumoniae, both gamma interferon (IFN-γ)- and interleukin-2 (IL-2)-producing CD4+T-cell responses could be detected in 16 of 56 healthy individuals.C. pneumoniae-activated CD4+T cells expressed CD154, a marker for T-cell receptor-dependent activation, and displayed a phenotype of central memory T cells showing dominant IL-2 production but also IFN-γ production. Interestingly, individuals with both IFN-γ- and IL-2-producing responses showed significantly decreased immunoglobulin G reactivity towardC. pneumoniaeRpoA and DnaK, antigens known to be strongly upregulated during chlamydial persistence, compared to IgG reactivity of seropositive individuals with no T-cell response or CD4+T-cell responses involving the production of a single cytokine (IFN-γ or IL-2). Our results demonstrate that memory CD4+T cells responding toC. pneumoniaestimulation can be detected in the circulation of healthy donors. Furthermore, among seropositive individuals, the presence or the absence of dual IFN-γ- and IL-2-producing T-cell responses was associated with distinct patterns of antibody responses toward persistence-associatedC. pneumoniaeantigens.
Performance of the Enferplex TB Assay with Cattle in Great Britain and Assessment of Its Suitability as a Test To Distinguish Infected and Vaccinated Animals
Authors: Whelan Clare , Whelan Adam O. , Shuralev Eduard , Kwok Hang Fai , Hewinson Glyn , Clarke John , Vordermeier H. Martin 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT

Rapid, simple, and accurate antemortem tests for tuberculosis (TB) in cattle need to be developed in order to augment the existing screening methods. In particular, as cattle vaccines are developed, such tests would allow the continuation of test-and-slaughter policies alongside vaccination. Therefore, the development of an assay that
d
istinguishes
i
nfected from
v
accinated
a
nimals (a DIVA test) is an urgent research requirement. In this study, we assessed the performance of a novel multiplex serological test with sera collected from 96 skin-tested animals with bovine tuberculosis, 93 TB-free animals, and 39 cattle vaccinated with
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG. Our results indicate that the test has a relative sensitivity range of 77.0% to 86.5% at corresponding specificity levels of 100.0% to 77.6%. Comparison with the Bovigam gamma interferon antemortem test revealed that this serology test was significantly more sensitive at specificities above 97.9%, while the Bovigam test was, on average, about 10% more sensitive when the test specificity was set below 97%. Importantly, this serological multiplex assay does not react with sera from BCG-vaccinated calves and is therefore suitable as a DIVA test alongside BCG-based vaccine strategies.
Modulation of Gene Expression Related to Toll-Like Receptor Signaling in Dendritic Cells by Poly(γ-Glutamic Acid) Nanoparticles
Authors: Hamasaki Takayuki , Uto Tomofumi , Akagi Takami , Akashi Mitsuru , Baba Masanori 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACTPoly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) nanoparticles (NPs) have previously been reported as an efficient antigen delivery system with adjuvant activity. In this study, the gene expression in murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) treated with γ-PGA NPs was examined by oligonucleotide microarray analysis and compared with that in cells treated with other adjuvants. The gene expression of proinflammatory chemokines, cytokines, and costimulatory molecules was upregulated considerably in DCs treated with γ-PGA NPs. The upregulation pattern was similar to that in DCs treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) but not to that in DCs treated with unparticulate γ-PGA. The activation of DCs by γ-PGA NPs was confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) analysis of genes related to Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. The effect of γ-PGA NPs on DCs was not annihilated by treatment with polymyxin B, an inhibitor of LPS. Furthermore, the immunization of mice with γ-PGA NPs carrying ovalbumin (OVA) as an antigen significantly induced antigen-specific CD8+T cells and antigen-specific production of interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and gamma interferon from the cells. Such activities of γ-PGA NPs were more potent than those obtained with immunization with OVA plus aluminum hydroxide or OVA plus complete Freund's adjuvant. These results suggest that γ-PGA NPs induce a CD8+T-cell response by activating innate immunity in a fashion different from that of LPS. Thus, γ-PGA NPs may be an attractive candidate to be developed further as a vaccine adjuvant.
Updated Postlicensure Surveillance of the Meningococcal C Conjugate Vaccine in England and Wales: Effectiveness, Validation of Serological Correlates of Protection, and Modeling Predictions of the Duration of Herd Immunity
Authors: Campbell Helen , Andrews Nick , Borrow Ray , Trotter Caroline , Miller Elizabeth 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT
Meningococcal serogroup C conjugate (MCC) vaccines were licensed in the United Kingdom more than 10 years ago based on correlates of protection that had previously been established for serogroup C-containing polysaccharide vaccines by using the serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assay. These correlates of protection were subsequently validated against postlicensure estimates of observed vaccine effectiveness up to 7 to 9 months after the administration of the MCC vaccine. Vaccine effectiveness was, however, shown to fall significantly more than 1 year after the administration of a 3-dose course in infancy. Despite this finding, the marked impact on serogroup C disease has been sustained, with the lowest recorded incidence (0.02 case per 100,000 population) in the 2008-2009 epidemiological year, mainly due to the indirect herd immunity effect of the vaccine in reducing carriage. Updated estimates of vaccine effectiveness through 30 June 2009 confirmed high short-term protection after vaccination in infancy, at 97% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91% to 99%), falling to 68% (95% CI, −63% to 90%) more than a year after vaccination. The observed vaccine effectiveness more than 12 months postvaccination was consistent with measured declining SBA levels, but confidence intervals were imprecise; vaccine effectiveness estimates were consistent with SBA titers of 1:4 or 1:8 as correlates of long-term protection after a primary course in infants. Modeling suggested that protection against carriage persists for at least 3 years and predicted the stabilization of serogroup C disease at low levels (fewer than 50 cases per year) up to 2015-2016.
Comparison of BD Phoenix AP Workflow with Vitek 2
Authors: Junkins Alan D. , Arbefeville Sophie S. , Howard Wanita J. , Richter Sandra S. 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT

The BD Phoenix AP instrument reduced the manual setup time for the Phoenix system by 50%. For batches of 14 organisms, the average manual manipulation time per isolate was 89.5 s for BD Phoenix by the use of the AP instrument and 101 s for Vitek 2 (
P
< 0.001).
Clinical Potential of C-Reactive Protein and Procalcitonin Serum Concentrations To Guide Differential Diagnosis and Clinical Management of Pneumococcal and
Legionella
Pneumonia
Authors: Bellmann-Weiler Rosa , Ausserwinkler Mathias , Kurz Katharina , Theurl Igor , Weiss Guenter 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACT

We retrospectively analyzed the records of 61 hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by
S
treptococcus pneumoniae
or
L
egionella pneumophila
. We found that serum procalcitonin and sodium concentrations were significantly lower, and ferritin levels were significantly higher, in patients infected with
L. pneumophila
than in those infected with
S. pneumoniae
. The ratio of C-reactive protein to procalcitonin significantly distinguished between the groups. High procalcitonin levels were associated with an adverse clinical course.