bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli Detection in Stool Samples Screened for Viral Gastroenteritis in Alberta, Canada
Authors: Couturier Marc Roger , Lee Bonita , Zelyas Nathan , Chui Linda 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACTShiga-toxigenicEscherichia coli(STEC) is an important cause of diarrheal disease. The most notorious STEC serotype is O157:H7, which is associated with hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). As a result, this serotype is routinely screened for in clinical microbiology laboratories. With the bias toward the identification of the O157 serogroup in routine diagnostic processes, non-O157 STEC has been largely underrepresented in the epidemiology of STEC infections. This diagnostic bias is further complicated by the fact that many non-O157 STEC infections cause nonspecific gastroenteritis symptoms reminiscent of enteric viral infections. In this study, real-time PCR was used to amplify Shiga toxin genetic determinants (stx1andstx2) from enriched stool samples that were initially submitted for the testing of enteric viruses in patients with suspected viral gastroenteritis between May and September of 2006, 2007, and 2008 (n= 2,702). Samples were submitted from the province of Alberta, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, Canada. A total of 38 samples (1.4%) tested positive for Shiga toxin genes, and 15 isolates were cultured for further characterization. Several of the serotypes identified (O157:H7, O26:HNM, O26:H11, O103:H25, O121:H19, and O145:HNM) have been previously associated with outbreaks and HUS. This study outlines the importance of combining molecular methods with classical culture techniques to enhance the detection of emerging non-O157 as well as O157 serotypes in diarrheal stool samples. Furthermore, atypical diarrhea disease caused by non-O157 STEC can be routinely missed due to screening only for viral agents.
Aptima HPV E6/E7 mRNA Test Is as Sensitive as Hybrid Capture 2 Assay but More Specific at Detecting Cervical Precancer and Cancer
Authors: Ratnam Samuel , Coutlee Francois , Fontaine Dan , Bentley James , Escott Nicholas , Ghatage Prafull , Gadag Veeresh , Holloway Glen , Bartellas Elias , Kum Nick , Giede Christopher , Lear Adrian 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

Detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 oncogene expression may be more predictive of cervical cancer risk than testing for HPV DNA. The Aptima HPV test (Gen-Probe) detects E6/E7 mRNA of 14 oncogenic types. Its clinical performance was compared with that of the Hybrid Capture 2 DNA test (HC2; Qiagen) in women referred for colposcopy and those routinely screened. Aptima was also compared with the PreTect HPV-Proofer E6/E7 mRNA assay (Proofer; Norchip) in the referral population. Cervical specimens collected in PreservCyt (Hologic Inc.) were processed for HPV detection and genotyping with the Linear Array (LA) method (Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Laval, Quebec, Canada). Histology-confirmed high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2) or worse (CIN 2+) served as the disease endpoint. On the basis of 1,418 referral cases (CIN 2+,
n
= 401), the sensitivity of Aptima was 96.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94.4, 98.2), whereas it was 94.3% (95% CI, 92.0, 96.6) for HC2. The specificities were 43.2% (95% CI, 40.2, 46.2) and 38.7% (95% CI, 35.7, 41.7), respectively (
P
< 0.05). In 1,373 women undergoing routine screening (CIN 2+,
n
= 7), both Aptima and HC2 showed 100% sensitivity, and the specificities were 88.3% (95% CI, 86.6, 90.0) and 85.3% (95% CI, 83.5, 87.3), respectively (
P
< 0.05); for women ≥30 years of age (
n
= 845), the specificities were 93.9% (95% CI, 92.3, 95.5) and 92.1% (95% CI, 90.3, 93.9), respectively (
P
< 0.05). On the basis of 818 referral cases (CIN 2+,
n
= 235), the sensitivity of Aptima was 94.9% (95% CI, 92.1, 97.7) and that of Proofer was 79.1% (95% CI, 73.9, 84.3), and the specificities were 45.8% (95% CI, 41.8, 49.8) and 75.1% (95% CI, 71.6, 78.6), respectively (
P
< 0.05). Both Aptima and Proofer showed a higher degree of agreement with LA genotyping than HC2. In conclusion, the Aptima test is as sensitive as HC2 but more specific for detecting CIN 2+ and can serve as a reliable test for both primary cervical cancer screening and the triage of borderline cytological abnormalities.
Characterization of the Betaherpesviral pUL69 Protein Family Reveals Binding of the Cellular mRNA Export Factor UAP56 as a Prerequisite for Stimulation of Nuclear mRNA Export and for Efficient Viral Replication
Authors: Zielke Barbara , Thomas Marco , Giede-Jeppe Antje , Müller Regina , Stamminger Thomas 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

UL69 of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes a pleiotropic transactivator protein and has a counterpart in every member of the
Herpesviridae
family thus far sequenced. However, little is known about the conservation of the functions of the nuclear phosphoprotein pUL69 in the homologous proteins of other betaherpesviruses. Therefore, eukaryotic expression vectors were constructed for pC69 of chimpanzee cytomegalovirus, pRh69 of rhesus cytomegalovirus, pM69 of murine cytomegalovirus, pU42 of human herpesvirus 6, and pU42 of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus. Indirect immunofluorescence experiments showed that all pUL69 homologs expressed by these vectors were localized to the cell nucleus. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments identified homodimerization as a conserved feature of all homologs, whereas heterodimerization with pUL69 was restricted to its closer relatives. Further analyses demonstrated that pC69 and pRh69 were the only two homologs that functioned, like pUL69, as viral-mRNA export factors. As we had reported recently that nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and interaction with the cellular DExD/H-box helicases UAP56 and URH49 were prerequisites for the nuclear-mRNA export activity of pUL69, the homologs were characterized with regard to these properties. Heterokaryon assays demonstrated nucleocytoplasmic shuttling for all homologs, and coimmunoprecipitation and mRNA export assays revealed that the interaction of UAP56 and/or URH49 with pC69 or pRh69 was required for mRNA export activity. Moreover, characterization of HCMV recombinants harboring mutations within the N-terminal sequence of pUL69 revealed a strong replication defect of viruses expressing pUL69 variants that were deficient in UAP56 binding. In summary, homodimerization and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling activity were identified as conserved features of betaherpesviral pUL69 homologs. UAP56 binding was shown to represent a unique characteristic of members of the genus
Cytomegalovirus
that is required for efficient replication of HCMV.
Molecular Interactions of Epstein-Barr Virus Capsid Proteins
Authors: Wang Wen-Hung , Chang Li-Kwan , Liu Shih-Tung 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

The capsids of herpesviruses, which comprise major and minor capsid proteins, have a common icosahedral structure with 162 capsomers. An electron microscopic study shows that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) capsids in the nucleus are immunolabeled by anti-BDLF1 and anti-BORF1 antibodies, indicating that BDLF1 and BORF1 are the minor capsid proteins of EBV. Cross-linking and electrophoresis studies of purified BDLF1 and BORF1 revealed that these two proteins form a triplex that is similar to that formed by the minor capsid proteins, VP19C and VP23, of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Although the interaction between VP23, a homolog of BDLF1, and the major capsid protein VP5 could not be verified biochemically in earlier studies, the interaction between BDLF1 and the EBV major capsid protein, viral capsid antigen (VCA), can be confirmed by glutathione
S
-transferase (GST) pulldown assay and coimmunoprecipitation. Additionally, in HSV-1, VP5 interacts with only the middle region of VP19C; in EBV, VCA interacts with both the N-terminal and middle regions of BORF1, a homolog of VP19C, revealing that the proteins in the EBV triplex interact with the major capsid protein differently from those in HSV-1. A GST pulldown study also identifies the oligomerization domains in VCA and the dimerization domain in BDLF1. The results presented herein reveal how the EBV capsid proteins interact and thereby improve our understanding of the capsid structure of the virus.
Loss of the Type I Interferon Pathway Increases Vulnerability of Mice to Genital Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Infection
Authors: Conrady Christopher D. , Halford William P. , Carr Daniel J. J. 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACTThe mouse model of genital herpes relies on medoxyprogesterone treatment of female mice to render the vaginal lumen susceptible to inoculation with herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). In the present study, we report that mice deficient in the A1 chain of the type I interferon receptor (CD118−/−) are susceptible to HSV-2 in the absence of medroxyprogesterone preconditioning. In the absence of hormone pretreatment, 2,000 PFU of a clinical isolate of HSV-2 was sufficient to establish a productive infection in the vagina of 75% ± 17% and in the spinal cord of 71% ± 14% of CD118−/−mice, whereas the same dose of HSV-2 replicated to detectable levels in only 13% ± 13% of vaginal samples and 0% of spinal cord samples from wild-type mice, as determined at day 5 postinfection. The susceptibility to HSV-2 infection in the CD118−/−mice was associated with a significant reduction in the infiltration of HSV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes into the vaginal tissue, the local production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), and the expression of T cell-recruiting chemokines CCL5, CXCL9, and CXCL10. Collectively, the results underscore the significant contribution of type I IFNs in resistance to genital HSV-2 infection.
Parainfluenza Virus 5 M Protein Interaction with Host Protein 14-3-3 Negatively Affects Virus Particle Formation
Authors: Pei Zifei , Harrison Megan S. , Schmitt Anthony P. 
Published: December 2010

ABSTRACT

Paramyxovirus matrix (M) proteins organize virus assembly, linking viral glycoproteins and viral ribonucleoproteins together at virus assembly sites on cellular membranes. Using a yeast two-hybrid screening approach, we identified 14-3-3 as a binding partner for the M protein of parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5). Binding in both transfected and PIV5-infected cells was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation and was mapped to a C-terminal region within the M protein, namely, 366-KTKSLP-371. This sequence resembles known 14-3-3 binding sites, in which the key residue for binding is a phosphorylated serine residue. Mutation of S369 within the PIV5 M protein disrupted 14-3-3 binding and improved the budding of both virus-like particles (VLPs) and recombinant viruses, suggesting that 14-3-3 binding impairs virus budding. 14-3-3 protein overexpression reduced the budding of VLPs. Using
33
P labeling, phosphorylated M protein was detected in PIV5-infected cells, and this phosphorylation was nearly absent in cells infected with a recombinant virus harboring an S369A mutation within the M protein. Assembly of the M protein into clusters and filaments at infected cell surfaces was enhanced in cells infected with a recombinant virus defective in 14-3-3 binding. These findings support a model in which a portion of M protein within PIV5-infected cells is phosphorylated at residue S369, binds the 14-3-3 protein, and is held away from sites of virus budding.
Meta-analysis of randomized intra-arterial thrombolytic trials for the treatment of acute stroke due to middle cerebral artery occlusion
Authors: Fields Jeremy D , Khatri Pooja , Nesbit Gary M , Liu Kenneth C , Barnwell Stanley L , Lutsep Helmi L , Clark Wayne M , Lansberg Maarten G 
Published: December 2010

BackgroundRandomized clinical trials supporting the use of intra-arterial administration of thrombolytics (IAT) for the treatment of stroke due to middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion have been positive on some, but not all, endpoints. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate with more precision the effect of IAT on several key clinical endpoints.MethodsAll randomized trials of IAT in the treatment of MCA stroke were identified by PUBMED search and by hand search of potentially relevant references. Trial methodologies were assessed for compatibility in study protocols and statistical analysis. A meta-analysis was performed evaluating the effect of IAT on functional outcome at 90 days and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) within 24 h.ResultsThree trials met the criteria for the meta-analysis. IAT treated patients were significantly more likely to have a modified Rankin scale (mRS) ≤1 (31% vs 20%, OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.4, p=0.01); mRS ≤2 (43% vs 31%, OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.0, p=0.01); and NIH Stroke Scale score 0 or 1 (23% vs 12%, OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 4.4, p=0.007) at the 90 day follow-up. There was no effect on mortality at 90 days (20% vs 19%, OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.5 to 1.5). The risk of SICH was significantly increased in the active treatment arms (11% vs 2%, OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.3 to 16, p=0.02).ConclusionsOur meta-analysis demonstrates that all standard functional endpoints for stroke trials were substantially improved in the active treatment arms. Despite an increased risk of SICH, there was no effect on mortality. These results support endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke due to MCA occlusion with intra-arterial thrombolytics.
Balloon-augmented Onyx embolization of a dural arteriovenous fistula arising from the neuromeningeal trunk of the ascending pharyngeal artery: technical report
Authors: Spiotta Alejandro M , Hughes Gwyneth , Masaryk Thomas J , Hui Ferdinand K 
Published: December 2010

IntroductionIntracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) with perimedullary drainage are an uncommon but well-recognized lesion that can lead to spinal cord edema. The authors present a case of a foramen magnum dAVF with unilateral arterial supply from the ascending pharyngeal artery.PresentationA 49-year-old male presented with a 1-year history of slowly progressive lower extremity weakness and underwent a two-level cervical corpectomy for presumed spondylotic myelopathy. On further workup, he was found to have a dAVF arising from the ascending pharyngeal artery.InterventionSelective angiography revealed the origin of the neuromeningeal trunk, which was proximal to the arteriovenous fistula. The microcatheter was advanced into the neuromeningeal trunk past the origin of the inferior tympanic artery and origin of the hypoglossal artery. A 4×7 mm Hyperform balloon (EV3, Irvine, California, USA) was then delivered past the origin of the vessel supplying the skull base cranial nerves, but proximal to the microcatheter tip. The balloon was inflated and Onyx embolization was employed to obliterate the fistula with controlled penetration. The patient showed immediate postprocedural improvement in motor function.DiscussionEmbolization of branches of the ascending pharyngeal artery carries risks of inadvertent embolization of branches of the neuromeningeal trunk as well as the risk for extracranial to intracranial anastamoses. An awareness of the highly variable anatomy of the ascending pharyngeal artery is necessary for the safe treatment of lesions supplied by this artery. This is, to the authors' knowledge, the first report of balloon-augmented embolization of an arteriovenous fistula arising from the neuromeningeal trunk.
Hybrid Proximal-Type Algorithms for Generalized Equilibrium Problems, Maximal Monotone Operators, and Relatively Nonexpansive Mappings
Authors: Zeng Lu-Chuan , Ansari QH , Al-Homidan S 
Published: December 2010

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to introduce and consider new hybrid proximal-type algorithms for finding a common element of the set "Equation missing" of solutions of a generalized equilibrium problem, the set "Equation missing" of fixed points of a relatively nonexpansive mapping "Equation missing", and the set "Equation missing" of zeros of a maximal monotone operator "Equation missing" in a uniformly smooth and uniformly convex Banach space. Strong convergence theorems for these hybrid proximal-type algorithms are established; that is, under appropriate conditions, the sequences generated by these various algorithms converge strongly to the same point in "Equation missing". These new results represent the improvement, generalization, and development of the previously known ones in the literature.
Uneasy Embodiment: Eating Disorders Through A Feminist Lens
Authors: Hayden Mary 
Published: December 2010

Feminist Perspectives on Eating Disorders, Patricia Fallin, Melanie A. Katzman, and Susan C. Wooley (Eds.). New York: Guilford Press, 1994. 465 pp., $36.95. ISBN: 0-89862-180–1. Understanding Eating Disorders, Leann Alexander-Mott and D. Barry Lumsden (Eds.). Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis, 1994. 302 pp., $29.50. ISBN: 0-89116-295–0.
Teaching EBP in social work: Retrospective and prospective
Authors: Rubin Allen 
Published: December 2010

• Summary: This article examines the precursors and advent of the evidence-based practice (EBP) movement, identifies feasibility obstacles to increasing the emphasis on teaching EBP in social work, offers some suggestions for alleviating those obstacles, and discusses arguments for and against the proposition that EBP is being oversold by advocates for increasing its emphasis in social work practice and education. • Findings and Applications: It suggests that that if we increase the emphasis on EBP in the curriculum, we must so in an appropriate manner that gives adequate attention to the various kinds of EBP questions and their respective research hierarchies, to the significant degree of practitioner flexibility encouraged by the EBP process, and to the important role of theory and relationship factors in that process.
Revisiting and revising Alderson’s formula to measure the productivity of the aggregate marketing system
Authors: Shaw Eric H. 
Published: December 2010

In response to a swirling controversy over high costs, wastes and inefficiencies in marketing, Wroe Alderson (1948) proposed a novel formula to measure the productivity (or efficiency) of the marketing system. His dual input—output formulation represented a significant conceptual advance over marketing efficiency measures that had gone before or have come after. Alderson’s main contribution was to add a measure of household purchasing productivity to the standard economic formulation of the aggregate marketing productivity of business firms. There were, however, conceptual, operational and empirical problems with the formula, particularly with Alderson’s inclusion of household buying behavior. Because the conceptual challenges appeared so intractable and also because the difficulties of measurement seemed so insurmountable, the formula has long been relegated to the scrapheap of marketing history. Conceptual advances in marketing theory, particularly in light of Alderson’s later theoretical work, along with the availability of data sources hitherto unavailable, now make empirically testing the efficiency formula a realistic possibility. Consequently, it is worth revisiting the formula and reexamining the conceptual challenges so that one of Alderson’s most brilliant theoretical contributions to marketing thought may finally be conceptually resurrected and empirically tested.
Bioprocess Control in Microscale: Scalable Fermentations in Disposable and User-Friendly Microfluidic Systems
Authors: Funke Matthias , Buchenauer Andreas , Mokwa Wilfried , Kluge Stefanie , Hein Lea , Müller Carsten , Kensy Frank , Büchs Jochen 
Published: December 2010

Abstract

Background
The efficiency of biotechnological production processes depends on selecting the best performing microbial strain and the optimal cultivation conditions. Thus, many experiments have to be conducted, which conflicts with the demand to speed up drug development processes. Consequently, there is a great need for high-throughput devices that allow rapid and reliable bioprocess development. This need is addressed, for example, by the fiber-optic online-monitoring system BioLector which utilizes the wells of shaken microtiter plates (MTPs) as small-scale fermenters. To further improve the application of MTPs as microbioreactors, in this paper, the BioLector technology is combined with microfluidic bioprocess control in MTPs. To realize a user-friendly system for routine laboratory work, disposable microfluidic MTPs are utilized which are actuated by a user-friendly pneumatic hardware.

Results
This novel microfermentation system was tested in pH-controlled batch as well as in fed-batch fermentations of Escherichia coli. The pH-value in the culture broth could be kept in a narrow dead band of 0.03 around the pH-setpoint, by pneumatically dosing ammonia solution and phosphoric acid to each culture well. Furthermore, fed-batch cultivations with linear and exponential feeding of 500 g/L glucose solution were conducted. Finally, the scale-up potential of the microscale fermentations was evaluated by comparing the obtained results to that of fully controlled fermentations in a 2 L laboratory-scale fermenter (working volume of 1 L). The scale-up was realized by keeping the volumetric mass transfer coefficient k

L

a constant at a value of 460 1/h. The same growth behavior of the E. coli cultures could be observed on both scales.

Conclusion
In microfluidic MTPs, pH-controlled batch as well as fed-batch fermentations were successfully performed. The liquid dosing as well as the biomass growth kinetics of the process-controlled fermentations agreed well both in the microscale and laboratory scale. In conclusion, a user-friendly and disposable microfluidic system could be established which allows scaleable, fully controlled and fully monitored fermentations in working volumes below 1 milliliter.
Insulin Up-Regulates Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes via PI3-Kinase- and PKC-Dependent Pathways and Heme Oxygenase-1–Associated MicroRNA Downregulation
Authors: Chang Chih-Ling , Au Lo-Chun , Huang Seng-Wong , Fai Kwok Ching , Ho Low-Tone , Juan Chi-Chang 
Published: December 2010

AbstractHeme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, has antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects in many physiological systems. HO-1 activity in obese mice is lower than in controls, and a sustained increase in HO-1 protein levels ameliorates insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia. In the present study, we explored the regulatory effect of insulin on HO-1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and the underlying mechanism. We investigated the time- and dose-effect of insulin on HO-1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Using specific inhibitors acting on insulin signaling pathways, we clarified the involvement of insulin downstream signaling molecules in insulin-regulated HO-1 expression. We also investigated the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in insulin-regulated HO-1 expression using microarray and real-time RT-PCR assays. In an in vivo study, we performed insulin/glucose coinfusion in rats to increase circulating insulin levels for 8 h, then measured adipocyte HO-1 expression. Insulin caused a significant increase in HO-1 expression that was time- and dose-dependent, and this effect was blocked by inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase activation using LY294002 (50 μM) or of protein kinase C activation using Ro-318220 (2 μM), but not by an Akt inhibitor, triciribine (10 μM). Furthermore, incubation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with 100 nm insulin resulted in a significant decrease in levels of the miRNAs mir-155, mir-183, and mir-872, and this effect was also blocked by pretreatment with LY294002 or Ro-318220, but not triciribine. An in vivo study in rats showed that 8 h of a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic state resulted in a significant increase in adipocyte HO-1 expression. In conclusion, insulin increases HO-1 protein expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via PI3-kinase and protein kinase C-dependent pathways and miRNAs down-regulation.