bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of N‐Terminal Prohormone B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Lampropoulos Konstantinos M. , Marinakis Andreas , Sokolis Dimitrios P. , Iliopoulos Themistoklis A. 
Published: July 2010

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The aim of this research was to describe N‐terminal part of the prohormone B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) levels over time in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). NT‐proBNP, troponin I (Tn‐I), creatine kinase (CK), CK MB isoenzyme (CKMB), fibrinogen, D‐dimers, and C‐reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 300 consecutive patients with ACS before undergoing successful reperfusion with PCI in the first 48 hours, 2 days after, and at the end of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th, and 24th month. The concentration of NT‐proBNP was cross‐correlated with the levels of NT‐proBNP in 300 patients without ACS and was significantly increased before and after PCI and at the end of the 3rd month, contrasting with the fast conversion to normal levels of Tn‐I, CK, CKMB, fibrinogen, D‐dimers, and CRP. In patients with ACS undergoing successful PCI, NT‐proBNP shows slow kinetics, especially in patients with an increased thrombolysis in myocardial infarction risk score, hypertension, and diabetes. Nevertheless, cardiac neurohormonal activation may be a unifying feature among patients at high risk for cardiovascular events after ACS and PCI. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2010;12:861–868.
Species delimitation – a geneious plugin for the exploration of species boundaries
Authors: MASTERS BRADLEY C. , FAN VICKY , ROSS HOWARD A. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractSpecies Delimitation is a plugin to the Geneious software to support the exploration of species boundaries in a gene tree. The user assigns taxa to putative species and the plugin computes statistics relating to the probability of the observed monophyly or exclusivity having occurred by chance in a coalescent process. It also assesses the within and between species genetic distances to infer the probability with which members of a putative species might be identified successfully with tree‐based methods.
High-Throughput Genotyping of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the
Plasmodium falciparum dhfr
Gene by Asymmetric PCR and Melt-Curve Analysis
Authors: Cruz Rochelle E. , Shokoples Sandra E. , Manage Dammika P. , Yanow Stephanie K. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT

Mutations within the
Plasmodium falciparum
dihydrofolate reductase gene (
Pfdhfr
) contribute to resistance to antimalarials such as sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP). Of particular importance are the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within codons 51, 59, 108, and 164 in the
Pfdhfr
gene that are associated with SP treatment failure. Given that traditional genotyping methods are time-consuming and laborious, we developed an assay that provides the rapid, high-throughput analysis of parasite DNA isolated from clinical samples. This assay is based on asymmetric real-time PCR and melt-curve analysis (MCA) performed on the LightCycler platform. Unlabeled probes specific to each SNP are included in the reaction mixture and hybridize differentially to the mutant and wild-type sequences within the amplicon, generating distinct melting curves. Since the probe is present throughout PCR and MCA, the assay proceeds seamlessly with no further addition of reagents. This assay was validated for analytical sensitivity and specificity using plasmids, purified genomic DNA from reference strains, and parasite cultures. For all four SNPs, correct genotypes were identified with 100 copies of the template. The performance of the assay was evaluated with a blind panel of clinical isolates from travelers with low-level parasitemia. The concordance between our assay and DNA sequencing ranged from 84 to 100% depending on the SNP. We also directly compared our MCA assay to a published TaqMan real-time PCR assay and identified major issues with the specificity of the TaqMan probes. Our assay provides a number of technical improvements that facilitate the high-throughput screening of patient samples to identify SP-resistant malaria.
Comparison of In-House Real-Time Quantitative PCR to the Adenovirus R-Gene Kit for Determination of Adenovirus Load in Clinical Samples
Authors: Jeulin Hélène , Salmon Alexandra , Bordigoni Pierre , Venard Véronique 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT

In the context of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, adenovirus infections are associated with relevant mortality and morbidity. Detection of adenovirus DNA by quantitative PCR is the “gold standard” for these patients. A total of 150 samples, namely, 78 whole-blood, 22 cerebrospinal fluid, 24 digestive biopsy, and 26 stool samples, from 29 patients, including 24 hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, were tested for the detection of adenovirus using an in-house real-time quantitative PCR assay (A. Heim, C. Ebnet, G. Harste, and P. Pring-Akerblom, J. Med. Virol. 70:228-239, 2003) and the commercially available Adenovirus R-Gene kit. Adenovirus DNA was automatically isolated from whole-blood samples (Magna Pure LC system; Roche) or was manually extracted from other specimens (QIAamp; Qiagen) using the appropriate kit. The intra- and interassay reproducibilities and sensitivities were evaluated with cell culture supernatant dilutions. Of the 150 samples tested, 86 were found to be positive and 55 were found to be negative using both techniques. Nine (6%) discordant results were obtained. In most cases, discrepant results concerned samples with low viral loads. Quantitative results for all concordant positive samples were analyzed using the Spearman correlation test. A good correlation between the results of the in-house assay and those of the kit assay was obtained (
r
= 0.95;
P
< 0.001). Regarding the threshold cycle value for internal control spiked samples, none of the 150 samples tested contained a PCR inhibitor. In conclusion, a relevant correlation of results between the in-house assay and the kit assay, as well as the high-quality reproducibility and sensitivity of the kit assay, warranted its use for follow-up of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients.
Development of a Targeted Gene Vector Platform Based on Simian Adenovirus Serotype 24
Authors: Belousova Natalya , Mikheeva Galina , Xiong Chiyi , Soghomonian Suren , Young Daniel , Le Roux Lucia , Naff Katherine , Bidaut Luc , Wei Wei , Li Chun , Gelovani Juri , Krasnykh Victor 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT

Efforts to develop adenovirus vectors suitable for genetic interventions in humans have identified three major limitations of the most frequently used vector prototype, human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5). These limitations—widespread preexisting anti-Ad5 immunity in humans, the high rate of transduction of normal nontarget tissues, and the lack of target-specific gene delivery—justify the exploration of other Ad serotypes as vector prototypes. In this paper, we describe the development of an alternative vector platform using simian Ad serotype 24 (sAd24). We found that sAd24 virions formed unstable complexes with blood coagulation factor X and, because of that, transduced the liver and other organs at low levels when administered intravenously. The overall pattern of biodistribution of sAd24 particles was similar, however, to that of Ad5, and the intravenously injected sAd24 was cleared by Kupffer cells, leading to their depletion. We modified the virus's fiber protein to design a Her2-specific derivative of sAd24 capable of infecting target human tumor cells
in vitro
. In the presence of neutralizing anti-Ad5 antibodies, Her2-mediated infection with targeted sAd24 compared favorably to that with the Ad5-derived vector. When used to target Her2-expressing tumors in animals, this fiber-modified vector achieved a higher level of gene transfer to metastasis-containing murine lungs than to tumor-free lungs. In aggregate, these studies provide important insights into sAd24 biology, identify its advantages and limitations as a vector prototype, and are thus essential for further development of an sAd24-based gene delivery platform.
Data Portraits
Authors: Donath Judith , Dragulescu Alex , Zinman Aaron , Viégas Fernanda , Xiong Rebecca 
Published: July 2010

Data portraits depict their subjects' accumulated data rather than their faces. They can be visualizations of discussion contributions, browsing histories, social networks, travel patterns, etc. They are subjective renderings that mediate between the artist's vision, the subject's self-presentation, and the audience's interest. Designed to evocatively depict an individual, a data portrait can be a decorative object or be used as an avatar, one's information body for an online space. Data portraits raise questions about privacy, control, aesthetics, and social cognition. These questions become increasingly important as more of our interactions occur online, where we exist as data, not bodies.
Human Rights, Animal Wrongs? Exploring Attitudes toward Animal Use and Possibilities for Change
Authors: Bard Kim , Knight Sarah , Vrij Aldert , Brandon Doug 
Published: July 2010

AbstractPresented here are three research studies examining psychological characteristics underlying attitudes toward the use of nonhuman animals: beliefs and value systems; their comparative impact on opinions; and empathetic responses to humans and to animals. The first study demonstrated that the attitudes of laypeople are context dependent: different sets of beliefs underlie attitudes toward various types of animal use. Belief in the existence of alternatives (“perceptions of choice”) was especially important, accounting alone for 40% of the variance in attitudes. The second study compared the opinions, beliefs, value systems, and empathetic responses of scientists, animal welfarists, and laypeople. Results demonstrated that laypersons are most similar to the science community, not the animal welfare community. Scientists and laypeople differed on very few measures, whereas animal welfarists differed on most measures. The third study demonstrated a causal link between belief and attitude: manipulating “perceptions of choice” led to a significant change in support for animal use. These studies explain how individuals and groups can have dramatically different attitudes toward animal use and demonstrate how opinions can be changed.
The Inconsistent Vegetarian
Authors: van der Kooi Merle E. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractVegetarians are often charged with inconsistency. They are told that, if they refrain from meat consumption, they should also refrain from the consumption of all animal products. The central question this paper addresses is whether the requirement of consistency means that vegetarians should become vegans. It is argued that if a vegetarian is motivated by arguments that focus on animals, she is indeed inconsistent and should become a vegan.
Maximum size of dwarf caiman, Paleosuchus palpebrosus (Cuvier, 1807), in the Amazon and habitats surrounding the Pantanal, Brazil
Authors: Sanaiotti Tânia , Magnusson William , Campos Zilca 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThe dwarf caiman, Paleosuchus palpebrosus, is considered one of the smallest crocodilians. However, our surveys indicate that the species regularly reaches larger sizes than usually reported in the literature. Most individuals lose tail tips, and we did not encounter any individual with snout-vent length (SVL) > 70 cm that had an intact tail. P. palpebrosus attains SVL > 112.5 cm (equivalent to a total length with intact tail estimated from SVL of 210 cm) in streams around the Pantanal, 106 cm (198 cm) in flooded forest in central Amazonia, and 100 cm (187 cm) in flooded forest and around the Madeira-Guaporé River.
Weak population structuring in the Danube crested newt, Triturus dobrogicus, inferred from allozymes
Authors: Arntzen  , Vörös Judit 
Published: July 2010

AbstractNuclear genetic variation and population structure were assessed in 140 individuals from 16 populations across the range of the Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus) using 40 enzyme loci. Intraspecific hybridization with other crested newt species (Triturus carnifex, T. cristatus, T. macedonicus and T. arntzeni) affected 33 individuals in 11 populations at the range edge and reduced operational sample size to 107 T. dobrogicus in 14 populations. Allele diversity was high, and we inferred a high level of gene flow among T. dobrogicus populations, possibly associated with flooding conditions and the relatively continous habitat along rivers. Triturus dobrogicus showed weak but significant genetic structure between tributaries of the three main river systems of Danube, Sava and Tisza. The highest genetic diversity was observed in the Sava drainage, suggesting that this area might have been a Pannonian refugium during the most recent glacial maximum. The relatively high level of genetic variation observed suggests that a genetic bottleneck during this period has not been extreme.
Effect of habitat drying on the development of the Eastern spadefoot toad (Pelobates syriacus) tadpoles
Authors: Székely Paul , Cogălniceanu Dan , Tudor Marian 
Published: July 2010

AbstractAmphibians exhibit plasticity in the timing of metamorphosis, and tadpoles of many species respond to pond drying by accelerating their development. In the present study we investigated the phenotypic plasticity of the developmental response to water volume reduction in tadpoles of Eastern spadefoot toad Pelobates syriacus. The response of tadpoles to the simulated drying conditions was evaluated by gradually reducing the water level in the experimental containers under controlled laboratory conditions. Four water level treatments were used: constant high, slow decrease, fast decrease and constant low level. We tested if (i) tadpoles can speed up their development in a drying aquatic habitat, and (ii) if the accelerated development causes a reduced body size at metamorphosis. Our results showed that P. syriacus tadpoles were able to respond to pond drying by speeding up their metamorphosis and that metamorphosis was not influenced by water level, but by water level decrease rate. The accelerated development caused by the decreasing water level resulted in smaller body size at metamorphosis. The smallest size at metamorphosis was in tadpoles raised in constant low water level treatments and was probably induced by the crowding effect. We compared our results to similar studies which show that the response of the Eastern spadefoot toad tadpoles to pond drying is less impressive, especially if compared to the response of the North American spadefoot toads inhabiting desert environments.
Diplomatic Persuasion: An Under-Investigated Process
Authors: Kerr Pauline L. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThe under-investigation in diplomatic studies of processes of persuasion in explaining diplomatic outcomes needs to be addressed in the interests of better scholarly explanations and diplomatic practice. Although such processes are implicit in nearly all concepts and practice of diplomacy, neither scholars nor practitioners explicitly investigate them. Yet other related fields of study and disciplines examine persuasion and demonstrate its explanatory value. Drawing on this literature, but also bearing in mind the nature of outcomes that diplomatic studies seeks to understand, this article offers a model of processes of persuasion and illustrates its potential for explaining a 2003 peace process negotiation in the Solomon Islands.
Human CD14hi monocytes and myeloid dendritic cells provide a cell contact–dependent costimulatory signal for early CD40 ligand expression
Authors: Chakrabarty Sagarika , Snyder James T. , Shen Jijia , Azmi Hooman , Hu Paul Q. , Chen Qian , Ragheb Jack A. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractCD40L on CD4+ T cells plays a vital role in the activation of antigen-presenting cells, thus catalyzing a positive feedback loop for T-cell activation. Despite the pivotal juxtaposition of CD40L between antigen-presenting cells and T-cell activation, only a T-cell receptor stimulus is thought to be required for early CD40L surface expression. We show, for the first time, that CD40L expression on peripheral blood CD4+ T cells is highly dependent on a cell-cell interaction with CD14hiCD16− monocytes. Interactions with ICAM-1, LFA-3, and to a lesser extent CD80/CD86 contribute to this enhancement of CD40L expression but are not themselves sufficient. The contact-mediated increase in CD40L expression is dependent on new mRNA and protein synthesis. Circulating myeloid dendritic cells also possess this costimulatory activity. By contrast, CD14loCD16+ monocytes, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, B-cell lymphoma lines, and resting, activated, and Epstein-Barr virus–immortalized primary B cells all lack the capacity to up-regulate early CD40L. The latter indicates that a human B cell cannot activate its cognate T cell to deliver CD40L-mediated help. This finding has functional implications for the role of biphasic CD40L expression, suggesting that the early phase is associated with antigen-presenting cell activation, whereas the late phase is related to B-cell activation.
Immune activation induces immortalization of HTLV-1 LTR-Tax transgenic CD4+ T cells
Authors: Swaims Alison Y. , Khani Francesca , Zhang Yingyu , Roberts Arthur I. , Devadas Satish , Shi Yufang , Rabson Arnold B. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractInfection with the human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1) results in a variety of diseases including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). Although the pathogenesis of these disorders is poorly understood, it involves complex interactions with the host immune system. Activation of infected T cells may play an important role in disease pathogenesis through induction of the oncogenic HTLV-1 Tax transactivator protein. To test this hypothesis, we employed transgenic mice in which Tax is regulated by the HTLV-1 LTR. T-cell receptor stimulation of LTR-Tax CD4+ T cells induced Tax expression, hyper-proliferation, and immortalization in culture. The transition to cellular immortalization was accompanied by markedly increased expression of the antiapoptotic gene, mcl-1, previously implicated as important in T-cell survival. Immortalized cells exhibited a CD4+CD25+CD3− phenotype commonly observed in ATL. Engraftment of activated LTR-Tax CD4+ T cells into NOD/Shi-scid/IL-2Rγ null mice resulted in a leukemia-like phenotype with expansion and tissue infiltration of Tax+, CD4+ lymphocytes. We suggest that immune activation of infected CD4+ T cells plays an important role in the induction of Tax expression, T-cell proliferation, and pathogenesis of ATL in HTLV-1–infected individuals.
Beyond hairy cell: the activity of cladribine in other hematologic malignancies
Authors: Sigal Darren S. , Miller Heather J. , Schram Ethan D. , Saven Alan 
Published: July 2010

AbstractBefore the contemporary development of rationally designed antineoplastic therapies, cladribine was identified as a lymphocyte-specific agent. Its profound impact on the natural history of hairy cell leukemia, with responses approaching 100% and a median duration of response of nearly a decade after only a single 7-day course, is well known and revolutionized the treatment of hairy cell leukemia. However, cladribine's impressive activity in other lymphoproliferative disorders has been generally underappreciated. Multiple single-arm phase 2 trials have demonstrated cladribine's potency across the full spectrum of lymphoid malignancies. In a limited number of phase 3 trials and cross-study analyses, cladribine compared favorably with fludarabine, another purine nucleoside analog that is more commonly used in the treatment of indolent lymphoid malignancies. Cladribine has been noted to have particular activity among lymphoid disorders with few effective therapies, specifically, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma. Recently approved novel agents may act in synergy with cladribine for these conditions and should be incorporated into future clinical studies.
Vimentin/cardiolipin complex as a new antigenic target of the antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Ortona Elena , Capozzi Antonella , Colasanti Tania , Conti Fabrizio , Alessandri Cristiano , Longo Agostina , Garofalo Tina , Margutti Paola , Misasi Roberta , Khamashta Munther A. , Hughes Graham R. V. , Valesini Guido , Sorice Maurizio 
Published: July 2010

AbstractAntiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by arterial and venous thrombosis, recurrent abortions, and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). However, it is possible to find patients with clinical signs of APS who persistently test negative for aPL (seronegative APS, or SN-APS). The aim of this study was to identify new antigenic target(s) of autoantibodies in APS patients, which may also be recognized in SN-APS. We tested sera from patients with SN-APS with a proteomic approach by analyzing endothelial cell-surface membrane proteins. Sera from SN-APS patients revealed 2 reactive spots corresponding to vimentin, a protein that is shown to bind cardiolipin in vitro. Antivimentin/cardiolipin antibodies were tested in 29 SN-APS patients, 40 APS patients, 30 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 30 with rheumatoid arthritis, 30 with venous or arterial thrombosis, and 32 healthy control patients. We observed that not only a large proportion of SN-APS patients but also almost all the APS patients displayed the presence of antivimentin/cardiolipin antibodies. To verify the possible pathogenic role of these autoantibodies, we demonstrated that affinity-purified antivimentin/cardiolipin antibodies induced interleukin receptor-associated kinase phosphorylation and nuclear factor-κB activation in endothelial cells. Our results prompt to identify vimentin as a “new” cofactor for aPL, which may represent a useful tool mainly in SN-APS patients.
Hydrogen peroxide stimulates nuclear import of the POU homeodomain protein Oct-1 and its repressive effect on the expression of Cdx-2
Authors: Wang Peixiang , Jin Tianru 
Published: July 2010

Abstract

Background
The ubiquitously expressed POU homeodomain protein Oct-1 serves as a sensor for stress induced by irradiation. We found recently that in pancreatic and intestinal endocrine cells, Oct-1 also functions as a sensor for cyclic AMP (cAMP). The caudal homeobox gene Cdx-2 is a transactivator of proglucagon (gcg) and pro-insulin genes. Oct-1 binds to Cdx-2 promoter and represses its expression. cAMP elevation leads to increased nuclear exclusion of Oct-1, associated with reduced recruitment of nuclear co-repressors to the Cdx-2 promoter and increased Cdx-2 expression.

Results
We show in this study that inducing oxidative stress by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increased nuclear Oct-1 content in both pancreatic α and β cell lines, as well as in a battery of other cells. This increase was then attributed to accelerated nuclear import of Oct-1, assessed by Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) using green fluorescence protein (EGFP) tagged Oct-1 molecule. H2O2 treatment was then shown to stimulate the activities of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Finally, increased Oct-1 nuclear content upon H2O2 treatment in a pancreatic α cell line was associated with reduced Cdx-2 and gcg mRNA expression.

Conclusion
These observations suggest that Oct-1 functions as a sensor for both metabolic and stress/survival signaling pathways via altering its nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling.