bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preventing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Chromobacterium violaceum infections by anti-adhesion-active components of edible seeds
Authors: Rachmaninov Ofra , Zinger-Yosovich Keren D , Gilboa-Garber Nechama 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion to animal/human cells for infection establishment involves adhesive proteins, including its galactose- and fucose-binding lectins PA-IL (LecA) and PA-IIL (LecB). The lectin binding to the target-cell receptors may be blocked by compatible glycans that compete with those of the receptors, functioning as anti-adhesion glycodecoys. The anti-adhesion treatment is of the utmost importance for abrogating devastating antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa infections in immunodeficient and cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This strategy functions in nature in protecting embryos and neonates. We have shown that PA-IL, PA-IIL, and also CV-IIL (a PA-IIL homolog produced in the related pathogen Chromobacterium violaceum) are highly useful for revealing natural glycodecoys that surround embryos in diverse avian eggs and are supplied to neonates in milks and royal jelly. In the present study, these lectins were used as probes to search for seed embryo-protecting glycodecoys.

Methods
The lectin-blocking glycodecoy activities were shown by the hemagglutination-inhibition test. Lectin-binding glycoproteins were detected by Western blotting with peroxidase-labeled lectins.

Results
The present work reports the finding - by using PA-IL, PA-IIL, and CV-IIL - of rich glycodecoy activities of low (< 10 KDa) and high MW (> 10 kDa) compounds (including glycoproteins) in extracts of cashew, cocoa, coffee, pumpkin, and tomato seeds, resembling those of avian egg whites, mammal milks, and royal jelly.

Conclusions
Edible seed extracts possess lectin-blocking glycodecoys that might protect their embryos from infections and also might be useful for hampering human and animal infections.
High serum alkaline phosphatase cooperating with MMP-9 predicts metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with primary osteosarcoma in Southern China
Authors: Han Ju , Yong Bicheng , Luo Canqiao , Tan Pingxian , Peng Tingsheng , Shen Jingnan 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBackgroundOsteosarcoma is a malignant tumor with high ability to form invasion and metastasis. Identifying prognostic factor in osteosarcoma is helpful to select those patients for more aggressive management. Our study evaluated serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) cooperating with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) as an important prognostic predictor for local recurrence and distant metastasis of osteosarcoma.Methods177 cases were included from the osteosarcoma patients treated at 1st Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (1999-2008). Pre-chemotherapy serum ALP (pre-ALP) were studied and correlated with tumor recurrence, lung metastasis and patient survival. MMP-9 protein in tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry and correlated with pre-ALP level.ResultsPre-ALP were partitioned into normal, high, and very high groups, in each group the incidence of metastases was 12.2%, 21.2% and 34.6%, respectively (p = 0.007). In the three groups the mean disease-free survival (DFS) was 57 ± 3.15, 28 ± 3.57 and 14 ± 3.35 months, respectively (p < 0.001); overall survival (OS) was 92 ± 26.89, 39 ± 8.61 and 17 ± 5.07 months, respectively (p < 0.001). By multivariate analysis, elevated serum pre-ALP were associated with shorter DFS (p = 0.018) and OS (p = 0.031). If elevated ALP levels decreased after clinical treatment, the incidence of lung metastasis rate decreased (p = 0.028); DFS and OS were both prolonged (p < 0.001). Pre-ALP was also positively correlated with MMP-9 expression (p = 0.015) in tumor tissue.ConclusionsPre-ALP was an independent prognostic factor for the survival of osteosarcoma patients in south China, and correlated with MMP-9 expression and lung metastasis. ALP can also serve as a prognostic marker for treatment, and merit large-scale validation studies.
Robust reconstruction algorithm for compressed sensing in Gaussian noise environment using orthogonal matching pursuit with partially known support and random subsampling
Authors: Sermwuthisarn Parichat , Auethavekiat Supatana , Gansawat Duangrat , Patanavijit Vorapoj 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
The compressed signal in compressed sensing (CS) may be corrupted by noise during transmission. The effect of Gaussian noise can be reduced by averaging, hence a robust reconstruction method using compressed signal ensemble from one compressed signal is proposed. The compressed signal is subsampled for L times to create the ensemble of L compressed signals. Orthogonal matching pursuit with partially known support (OMP-PKS) is applied to each signal in the ensemble to reconstruct L noisy outputs. The L noisy outputs are then averaged for denoising. The proposed method in this article is designed for CS reconstruction of image signal. The performance of our proposed method was compared with basis pursuit denoising, Lorentzian-based iterative hard thresholding, OMP-PKS and distributed compressed sensing using simultaneously orthogonal matching pursuit. The experimental results of 42 standard test images showed that our proposed method yielded higher peak signal-to-noise ratio at low measurement rate and better visual quality in all cases.
Up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in primary afferent pathway regulates colon-to-bladder cross-sensitization in rat
Authors: Xia Chun-Mei , Gulick Melisa A , Yu Sharon J , Grider John R , Murthy Karnam S , Kuemmerle John F , Akbarali Hamid I , Qiao Li-Ya 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBackgroundIn humans, inflammation of either the urinary bladder or the distal colon often results in sensory cross-sensitization between these organs. Limited information is known about the mechanisms underlying this clinical syndrome. Studies with animal models have demonstrated that activation of primary afferent pathways may have a role in mediating viscero-visceral cross-organ sensitization.MethodsColonic inflammation was induced by a single dose of tri-nitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) instilled intracolonically. The histology of the colon and the urinary bladder was examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain. The protein expression of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel of the vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were examined by immunohistochemistry and/or western blot. The inter-micturition intervals and the quantity of urine voided were obtained from analysis of cystometrograms.ResultsAt 3 days post TNBS treatment, the protein level of TRPV1 was increased by 2-fold (p< 0.05) in the inflamed distal colon when examined with western blot. TRPV1 was mainly expressed in the axonal terminals in submucosal area of the distal colon, and was co-localized with the neural marker PGP9.5. In sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), BDNF expression was augmented by colonic inflammation examined in the L1 DRG, and was expressed in TRPV1 positive neurons. The elevated level of BDNF in L1 DRG by colonic inflammation was blunted by prolonged pre-treatment of the animals with the neurotoxin resiniferatoxin (RTX). Colonic inflammation did not alter either the morphology of the urinary bladder or the expression level of TRPV1 in this viscus. However, colonic inflammation decreased the inter-micturition intervals and decreased the quantities of urine voided. The increased bladder activity by colonic inflammation was attenuated by prolonged intraluminal treatment with RTX or treatment with intrathecal BDNF neutralizing antibody.ConclusionAcute colonic inflammation increases bladder activity without affecting bladder morphology. Primary afferent-mediated BDNF up-regulation in the sensory neurons regulates, at least in part, the bladder activity during colonic inflammation.
Polysaccharide and extracts from Lentinula edodes: structural features and antiviral activity
Authors: Rincão Vinicius Pires , Yamamoto Kristie Aimi , Silva Ricardo Nágila Maria Pontes , Soares Sandra Aguiar , Paccola Meirelles Luzia Doretto , Nozawa Carlos , Carvalho Linhares Rosa Elisa 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Background

Lentinula edodes, known as shiitake, has been utilized as food, as well as, in popular medicine, moreover, compounds isolated from its mycelium and fruiting body have shown several therapeutic properties. The aim of this study was to determine the antiviral activity of aqueous (AqE) and ethanol (EtOHE) extracts and polysaccharide (LeP) from Lentinula edodes in the replication of poliovirus type 1 (PV-1) and bovine herpes virus type 1 (BoHV-1).

Methods
The time-of-addition assay was performed at the times -2, -1, 0, 1 and 2 h of the infection. The virucidal activity and the inhibition of viral adsorption were also evaluated. Plaque assay was used to monitor antiviral activity throughout.

Results
The AqE and LeP were more effective when added at 0 h of infection, however, EtOHE was more effective at the times 1 h and 2 h of the infection. AqE, EtOHE and LeP showed low virucidal activity, and the inhibition of viral adsorption was not significant.

Conclusions
The results allowed us to conclude that AqE, EtOHE and LeP act on the initial processes of the replication of both strains of virus.
Epidemics of viral meningitis caused by echovirus 6 and 30 in Korea in 2008
Authors: Kim Hye-Jin , Kang Byounghak , Hwang Seoyeon , Hong Jiyoung , Kim Kisang , Cheon Doo-Sung 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Background
Enteroviruses (EVs) are the leading cause of aseptic meningitis, which is the most frequent central nervous system infection worldwide. We aimed to characterize the EVs involved in an aseptic meningitis outbreak in Korea in 2008. In Korea, Echovirus type 30 (E30) and E6 have been associated with outbreaks and frequent meningitis.

Methods
During 2008, through nationwide surveillance, we collected specimens from 758 patients with aseptic meningitis-related clinical manifestations. The detection of EVs from specimens was subjected to a diagnostic real-time RT-PCR in the 5' NCR. A semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify sequences from the VP1 region and sequence comparison with reference strains registered in Genbank was performed for the genotype determination.

Results
Most patients (98%) in this outbreak were children < 15 years of age. The temporal distribution of the E6 and E30 epidemics showed an obvious seasonal pattern during the short period from June to July. A large majority of the EV-positive patients experienced fever, headache, vomiting, and neck stiffness. Some patients also showed cold symptoms, sore throat, altered mental status, and seizures. We did not observe a higher fatality rate in children with E6 or E30 infection. Most of the patients recovered uneventfully. In most cases, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile was studied, and generally showed a higher than normal white blood cell count (≥ 5/mm3). We detected EVs from 513 patients (67.68%) and identified the EV genotype in 287 patients. E30 (n = 155, 50.4%) and E6 (n = 95, 33.1%) were the predominant genotypes. E9, E1, E7, E16, coxsackievirus A3, 4, 6, coxsackievirus B1, 3, and 10 were also identified. According to phylogenetic analysis, E30 belonged to subgroup 4b, and E6, to the C4 subgroup.

Conclusions
Conclusively, aseptic meningitis was the most common manifestation in children with either echovirus 30 or 6 infection. Identification of E6 and E30 as the prominent EVs in the 2008 outbreak in South Korea shows the potential of EVs to cause a serious disease in an unpredictable (fashion. Our findings provide new) insights into the clinical and virological features of the aseptic meningitis outbreak caused by E30 and E6.
Phylogenetic and molecular characterization of coxsackievirus A24 variant isolates from a 2010 acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis outbreak in Guangdong, China
Authors: De Wu , Huanying Zheng , Hui Li , Corina Monagin , Xue Guo , Leng Liu , Hanri Zeng , Ling Fang , Yanling Mo , Huiqiong Zhou , Huan Zhang , Jing Kou , Caiyun Long , Yoshida Hiromu , Changwen Ke 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Background
Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis is a common disease in China. As a notifiable disease, cases are registered by ophthalmologists on the AHC surveillance system. An AHC outbreak caused by CA24v was observed in Guangdong Province in 2007 by the National Disease Supervision Information Management System. Three years later, a larger outbreak occurred in Guangdong during the August-October period (2010). To characterize the outbreak and compare the genetic diversity of CA24v, which was determined to be the cause of the outbreak, the epidemiology and the molecular characterization of CA24v were analyzed in this study.

Results
A total of 69,635 cases were reported in the outbreak. 73.5% of index cases originated from students, children in kindergarten and factory workers, with the ≦ 9 age group at the highest risk. The male to female ratio was 1.84:1 among 0-19 years. 56 conjunctival swabs were collected to identify the causative agent from five cities with the AHC outbreak. 30 virus strains were isolated, and two of the genomes had the highest identity values (95.8%) with CA24v genomes. Four CA24v genotypes were identified by phylogenetic analysis for the VP1 and 3C regions. CA24v which caused the outbreak belonged to genotype IV. Furthermore, full nucleotide sequences for four representative isolates in 2010 and 2007 were determined and compared. 20 aa mutations, two nt insertions and one nt deletion were observed in the open reading frame, with 5'- and 3'- UTR respectively between them.

Conclusions
CA24v was determined to be the pathogen causing the outbreak and belongs to genotype IV. VP1 is more informative than 3CPro for describing molecular epidemiology and we hypothesize that accumulative mutations may have promoted the outbreak.
Serum levels of CXCL13 are associated with ultrasonographic synovitis and predict power Doppler persistence in early rheumatoid arthritis treated with non-biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs
Authors: Bugatti Serena , Manzo Antonio , Benaglio Francesca , Klersy Catherine , Vitolo Barbara , Todoerti Monica , Sakellariou Garifallia , Montecucco Carlomaurizio , Caporali Roberto 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Introduction
Biological markers specifically reflecting pathological processes may add value in the assessment of inter-individual variations in the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The current study was undertaken to investigate whether baseline serum levels of the chemokine CXCL13 might predict clinical and ultrasonographic (US) outcomes in patients with recent-onset RA.

Methods
The study included 161 early RA patients (disease duration < 12 months) treated according to a disease activity score (DAS) driven step-up protocol aiming at DAS < 2.4. Clinical disease activity measures were collected at baseline, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months, and US examination of the hands was performed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Grey-Scale (GS) and Power Doppler (PD) synovitis were scored (0 to 3), with overall scores as the sum of each joint score. CXCL13 levels were measured at baseline by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and evaluated in relation to the achievement of low disease activity (LDA, DAS < 2.4) and US residual inflammation (PD ≤ 1) at 12 months.

Results
Baseline levels of CXCL13 were significantly higher in RA compared to healthy controls (n = 19) (P = 0.03) and correlated with measures of synovitis, such as the swollen joint count (R 0.28, P < 0.001), the US-GS (R 0.27, P = 0.003) and US-PD (R 0.26, P = 0.005) score. Although CXCL13 did not predict the likelihood of achieving clinical LDA at 12 months within a structured treat-to-target protocol, elevated levels of CXCL13 were associated with more frequent increases of methotrexate dosage (P < 0.001). Using adjusted analyses, the highest levels of CXCL13 (> 100 pg/ml) were the only independent predictor of residual imaging inflammation (P = 0.005), irrespective of initial US-PD scores, disease activity status, acute phase reactants and autoantibodies. Among the patients in clinical LDA at 12 months, US-PD scores ≤ 1 were less frequently achieved in the high baseline CXCL13 (> 100 pg/ml) group, with an adjusted OR = 0.06 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.55, P = 0.01).

Conclusions
CXCL13 emerges as a new biological marker in early RA, accurate in assessing the severity of synovitis and the persistence of US-PD activity over time in response to conventional treatments.
Early use of imipenem/cilastatin and vancomycin followed by de-escalation versus conventional antimicrobials without de-escalation for patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia in a medical ICU: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Kim Jong Wook , Chung Joowon , Choi Sang-Ho , Jang Hang Jea , Hong Sang-Bum , Lim Chae-Man , Koh Younsuck 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Introduction
Although early use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials in critically ill patients may increase antimicrobial adequacy, uncontrolled use of these agents may select for more-resistant organisms. This study investigated the effects of early use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials in critically ill patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia.

Methods
We compared the early use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials plus subsequent de-escalation (DE) with conventional antimicrobial treatment (non-de-escalation, NDE) in critically ill patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). This open-label, randomized clinical trial was performed in patients in a tertiary-care center medical intensive care unit (MICU) in Korea. Patients (n = 54) randomized to the DE group received initial imipenem/cilastatin plus vancomycin with subsequent de-escalation according to culture results, whereas patients randomized to the NDE group (n = 55) received noncarbapenem, nonvancomycin empiric antimicrobials.

Results
Between November 2004 and October 2006, 109 MICU patients with HAP were enrolled. Initial antimicrobial adequacy was significantly higher in the DE than in the NDE group for Gram-positive organisms (100% versus 14.3%; P < 0.001), but not for Gram-negative organisms (64.3% versus 85.7%; P = 0.190). Mean intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and 14-day, 28-day, and overall mortality rates did not differ in the two groups. Among culture-positive patients, mortality from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia was higher in the DE group, even after early administration of vancomycin. Multidrug-resistant organisms, especially MRSA, were more likely to emerge in the DE group (adjusted hazard ratio for emergence of MRSA, 3.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 13.91).

Conclusions
The therapeutic advantage of early administration of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, especially with vancomycin, was not evident in this study.
sizzled function and secreted factor network dynamics
Authors: Shi Jianli , Zhang Huarong , Dowell Robin D. , Klymkowsky Michael W. 
Published: February 2012

Summary
Studies on the role of the E-box binding transcription factor Snail2 (Slug) in the induction of neural crest by mesoderm (Shi et al., 2011) revealed an unexpected increase in the level of sizzled RNA in the dorsolateral mesodermal zone (DMLZ) of morphant Xenopus embryos. sizzled encodes a secreted protein with both Wnt and BMP inhibitor activities. Morpholino-mediated down-regulation of sizzled expression in one cell of two cell embryos or the C2/C3 blastomeres of 32-cell embryos, which give rise to the DLMZ, revealed decreased expression of the mesodermal marker brachyury and subsequent defects in neural crest induction, pronephros formation, and muscle patterning. Loss of sizzled expression led to decreases in RNAs encoding the secreted Wnt inhibitor SFRP2 and the secreted BMP inhibitor Noggin; the sizzled morphant phenotype could be rescued by co-injection of RNAs encoding Noggin and either SFRP2 or Dickkopf (a mechanistically distinct Wnt inhibitor). Together, these observations reveal that sizzled, in addition to its established role in dorsal-ventral patterning, is also part of a dynamic BMP and Wnt signaling network involved in both mesodermal patterning and neural crest induction.
Phase-contrast X-ray microtomography of mouse fetus
Authors: Hoshino Masato , Uesugi Kentaro , Yagi Naoto 
Published: February 2012

Summary
A phase-contrast X-ray microtomography system using the Talbot imaging has been built at the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility. This system has much higher density resolution than absorption-based X-ray microtomography. The tomographic sections of formalin-fixed mouse fetuses obtained with this method clearly depict various organs without any staining at a pixel resolution of up to 5 µm. Since this technique allows us to obtain three-dimensional structural information without sectioning, it will be particularly useful to examine anomalies that take place during development. It can be also used to quantitatively measure volume and mass of organs during development.
Diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography and histopathology in the diagnosis of usual interstitial pneumonia
Authors: Aaløkken Trond Mogens , Naalsund Anne , Mynarek Georg , Berstad Audun Elnaes , Solberg Steinar , Strøm Erik H , Scott Helge , Kolbenstvedt Alf , Søyseth Vidar 
Published: February 2012

Background The relative clinical benefit of histopathology and computed tomography (CT) in patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) is under debate. Purpose To analyze thin-section CT features and histopathologic findings in patients with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) in the clinical context of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and to evaluate and compare diagnostic accuracy of the two methods among patients with an appropriate spectrum of IIP. Material and Methods The study included 91 patients (49 men; mean age 53.2 years; median follow-up 7.2 years) with clinically suspected interstitial lung disease. All underwent surgical lung biopsy and thin-section CT. Two independent readers retrospectively assessed the CT images for the extent and pattern of abnormality and made a first-choice diagnosis. Two pathologists retrospectively assessed the histopathologic slides. In 64 patients with IIP, a retrospective composite reference standard identified 41 patients with UIP. CT characteristics of UIP and IIPs other than UIP were compared with univariate and multivariate analyses. Results There was good agreement between the readers for the correct first-choice CT diagnosis of UIP (κ = 0.79). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the CT diagnosis of UIP were 63%, 96%, and 96%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the histological diagnosis of UIP were 73%, 74%, and 83%, respectively. The CT feature that best differentiated UIP from IIPs other than UIP was the extent of reticular pattern (odds ratio, 5.1). Conclusion Surgical lung biopsy may not be warranted in patients with thin-section CT diagnosis of UIP.
Thymomas II
Authors: Moran Cesar A. , Walsh Garrett , Suster Saul , Kaiser Larry 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
We present 250 cases of thymomas with emphasis on their clinical staging and follow-up. The patients were 120 males and 130 females between the ages of 13 and 92 years. Surgical resection was performed and histopathologic material evaluated in every case. Grossly, the tumors resected varied in size from 3 to 20 cm in greatest diameter. According to our proposed staging system, 31 cases were stage 0, 128 were stage I, 70 stage II, and 21 stage III at the time of resection. Histologically, approximately 53% of thymomas were of mixed histologic types. Follow-up information ranging from 1 to 16 years was obtained, showing significant statistical P values of .044 and .016 for overall and recurrence-free survival, respectively. We consider that our proposed staging system offers better stratification of cases and improved histologic definitions for proper staging of cases of thymoma.