bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The lunar rock and mineral characterization consortium: Deconstruction and integrated mineralogical, petrologic, and spectroscopic analyses of mare basalts
Authors: ISAACSON Peter J. , SARBADHIKARI Amit BASU , PIETERS Carlé M. , KLIMA Rachel L. , HIROI Takahiro , LIU Yang , TAYLOR Lawrence A. 
Published: February 2011

Abstract–The lunar rock and mineral characterization consortium (LRMCC) has conducted coordinated mineralogy/petrography/spectroscopy analyses of a suite of pristine lunar basalts. Four basalt slabs (two low‐Ti, two high‐Ti) and paired thin sections were analyzed. Thin sections were analyzed for mineralogy/petrography, while the slabs were used to prepare particulate separates of major mineral phases and bulk samples. Mineral separates and particulate bulk samples were crushed to controlled grain sizes and their reflectance spectra measured in the NASA RELAB at Brown University. The resulting data set provides an essential foundation for spectral mixing models, offers valuable endmember constraints for space weathering analyses, and represents critical new ground truth results for lunar science and exploration efforts.
Does acupuncture improve allergic symptoms in adults with atopic eczema?
Authors: Liu J 
Published: February 2011

Pfab F, Huss‐Marp J, Gatti A Fuqin J, Athanasiadis GI, Irnich D, Raap U, Schober W, Behrendt H, Ring J, Darsow U. Influence of acupuncture on type I hypersensitivity itch and the wheal and flare response in adults with atopic eczema – a blinded, randomized, placebo‐controlled, crossover trial. Allergy 2010; 65: 903–10.
Glucosamine and chondroitin for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee
Authors: Ernst E 
Published: February 2011

Wandel S, Jüni P, Tendal B, Nüesch E, Villiger PM, Welton NJ, Reichenbach S, Trelle S. Effects of glucosamine, chondroitin, or placebo in patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee: network meta‐analysis. BMJ 2010; 341: c4675.
Glucosamine does not help those with back pain
Authors: Ernst E , Wilkens P 
Published: February 2011

Wilkens P, Scheel IB, Grundnes O Hellum C, Storheim K. Effect of glucosamine on pain‐related disability in patients with chronic low back pain and degenerative lumbar osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2010; 304: 45–52.
Acupressure may relieve pain, delivery time and oxytocin use during labour
Authors: Melchart D , Jack M , Kashanian M 
Published: February 2011

Kashanian M, Shahali S. Effects of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point (SP6) on the process of active phase of labor in nulliparas women. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2010; 23: 638–1.
Formulation Development of Retrocyclin 1 Analog RC-101 as an Anti-HIV Vaginal Microbicide Product
Authors: Sassi A. B. , Cost M. R. , Cole A. L. , Cole A. M. , Patton D. L. , Gupta P. , Rohan L. C. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

RC-101 is a synthetic microbicide analog of retrocyclin, which has shown
in vitro
activity against X4 and R5 HIV-1. In an effort to develop a safe and effective RC-101 vaginal microbicide product, we assessed safety in
ex vivo
macaque and human models and efficacy using
in vitro
and
ex vivo
models. A polyvinyl-alcohol vaginal film containing RC-101 (100 μg/film) was developed. Formulation assessment was conducted by evaluating disintegration, drug content, mechanical properties, and stability. Efficacy was evaluated by
in vitro
peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) assay and
ex vivo
human ectocervical tissue explant model.
Ex vivo
safety studies were conducted by exposing RC-101 to an excised monkey reproductive tract and excised human ectocervical tissue. RC-101 100 μg films were shown to be safe to human and monkey tissue and effective against HIV-1
in vitro
and
ex vivo
in human ectocervical tissue. The 90% inhibitory concentration (IC
90
) for RC-101 films at 2,000 μg (IC
90
= 57.5 μM) using an
ex vivo
model was 10-fold higher than the IC
90
observed using an
in vitro
model (IC
90
= 5.0 μM). RC-101 films were stable for 1 month at 25°C, with
in vitro
bioactivity maintained for up to 6 months. RC-101 was developed in a quick-dissolve film formulation that was shown to be safe in an
ex vivo
model and effective in
in vitro
and
ex vivo
models. RC-101 film formulations were shown to maintain bioactivity for a period of 6 months. Findings from the present study contribute to the development of a safe and effective topical microbicide product.
In Vitro
Susceptibility of Burkholderia vietnamiensis to Aminoglycosides
Authors: Jassem Agatha N. , Zlosnik James E. A. , Henry Deborah A. , Hancock Robert E. W. , Ernst Robert K. , Speert David P. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Burkholderia cepacia
complex (BCC) bacteria are opportunistic pathogens that can cause severe disease in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and other immunocompromised individuals and are typically multidrug resistant. Here we observed that unlike other BCC species, most environmental and clinical
Burkholderia vietnamiensis
isolates were intrinsically susceptible to aminoglycosides but not to cationic antimicrobial peptides or polymyxin B. Furthermore, strains acquired aminoglycoside resistance during chronic CF infection, a phenomenon that could be induced under tobramycin or azithromycin pressure
in vitro
. In comparing susceptible and resistant
B. vietnamiensis
isolates, no gross differences in lipopolysaccharide structure were observed, all had lipid A-associated 4-amino-4-
deoxy
-
l
-arabinose residues, and all were resistant to the permeabilizing effects of aminoglycosides, a measure of drug entry via self-promoted uptake. However, susceptible isolates accumulated 5 to 6 times more gentamicin than a resistant isolate, and aminoglycoside susceptibility increased in the presence of an efflux pump inhibitor.
B. vietnamiensis
is therefore unusual among BCC bacteria in its susceptibility to aminoglycosides and capacity to acquire resistance. Aminoglycoside resistance appears to be due to decreased cellular accumulation as a result of active efflux.
Impact of a Low-Oxygen Environment on the Efficacy of Antimicrobials against Intracellular Chlamydia trachomatis
Authors: Shima Kensuke , Szaszák Márta , Solbach Werner , Gieffers Jens , Rupp Jan 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Emergence of chronic inflammation in the urogenital tract induced by
Chlamydia trachomatis
infection in females is a long-standing concern. To avoid the severe sequelae of
C. trachomatis
infection, such as pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID), ectopic pregnancies, and tubal infertility, antibiotic strategies aim to eradicate the pathogen even in asymptomatic and uncomplicated infections. Although first-line antimicrobials have proven successful for the treatment of
C. trachomatis
infection, treatment failures have been observed in a notable number of cases. Due to the obligate intracellular growth of
C. trachomatis
, reliable antimicrobial susceptibility assays have to consider environmental conditions and host cell-specific factors. Oxygen concentrations in the female urogenital tract are physiologically low and decrease further during an inflammatory process. We compared MIC testing and time-kill curves (TKC) for doxycycline, azithromycin, rifampin, and moxifloxacin under hypoxia (2% O
2
) and normoxia (20% O
2
). While low oxygen availability only moderately decreased the antichlamydial activity of azithromycin in conventional MIC testing (0.08 μg/ml versus 0.04 μg/ml;
P
< 0.05), TKC analyses revealed profound divergences for antibiotic efficacies between the two conditions. Thus,
C. trachomatis
was significantly less rapidly killed by doxycycline and azithromycin under hypoxia, whereas the efficacies of moxifloxacin and rifampin remained unaffected using concentrations at therapeutic serum levels. Chemical inhibition of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR-1), but not multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP-1), restored doxycycline activity against intracellular
C. trachomatis
under hypoxia. We suggest careful consideration of tissue-specific characteristics, including oxygen availability, when testing antimicrobial activities of antibiotics against intracellular bacteria.
Antimicrobial Activity of CXA-101, a Novel Cephalosporin Tested in Combination with Tazobactam against Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacteroides fragilis Strains Having Various Resistance Phenotypes
Authors: Sader Helio S. , Rhomberg Paul R. , Farrell David J. , Jones Ronald N. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

CXA-101, a novel oxyimino-aminothiazolyl cephalosporin, CXA-201 (CXA-101 combined with tazobactam), and various comparators were susceptibility tested by broth microdilution methods against 1,301 well-characterized clinical strains collected worldwide, including ceftazidime-resistant members of the family
Enterobacteriaceae
and
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase (KPC)- and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Bacteroides fragilis
. CXA-201 was 2- to 32-fold more active than ceftazidime and piperacillin-tazobactam against ceftazidime-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
species but less active than cefepime for some species. CXA-101 and CXA-201 were very active against
P. aeruginosa
(MIC
50
, 1 μg/ml for both compounds), including imipenem-resistant strains.
Antibiotic Treatment Alters the Colonic Mucus Layer and Predisposes the Host to Exacerbated
Citrobacter rodentium
-Induced Colitis
Authors: Wlodarska M. , Willing B. , Keeney K. M. , Menendez A. , Bergstrom K. S. , Gill N. , Russell S. L. , Vallance B. A. , Finlay B. B. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Antibiotics are often used in the clinic to treat bacterial infections, but the effects of these drugs on microbiota composition and on intestinal immunity are poorly understood.
Citrobacter rodentium
was used as a model enteric pathogen to investigate the effect of microbial perturbation on intestinal barriers and susceptibility to colitis. Streptomycin and metronidazole were used to induce alterations in the composition of the microbiota prior to infection with
C. rodentium
. Metronidazole pretreatment increased susceptibility to
C. rodentium
-induced colitis over that of untreated and streptomycin-pretreated mice, 6 days postinfection. Both antibiotic treatments altered microbial composition, without affecting total numbers, but metronidazole treatment resulted in a more dramatic change, including a reduced population of
Porphyromonadaceae
and increased numbers of lactobacilli. Disruption of the microbiota with metronidazole, but not streptomycin treatment, resulted in an increased inflammatory tone of the intestine characterized by increased bacterial stimulation of the epithelium, altered goblet cell function, and thinning of the inner mucus layer, suggesting a weakened mucosal barrier. This reduction in mucus thickness correlates with increased attachment of
C. rodentium
to the intestinal epithelium, contributing to the exacerbated severity of
C. rodentium
-induced colitis in metronidazole-pretreated mice. These results suggest that antibiotic perturbation of the microbiota can disrupt intestinal homeostasis and the integrity of intestinal defenses, which protect against invading pathogens and intestinal inflammation.
Induction of Experimental Endocarditis by Continuous Low-Grade Bacteremia Mimicking Spontaneous Bacteremia in Humans
Authors: Veloso T. R. , Amiguet M. , Rousson V. , Giddey M. , Vouillamoz J. , Moreillon P. , Entenza J. M. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Transient high-grade bacteremia following invasive procedures carries a risk of infective endocarditis (IE). This is supported by experimental endocarditis. On the other hand, case-control studies showed that IE could be caused by cumulative exposure to low-grade bacteremia occurring during daily activities. However, no experimental demonstration of this latter possibility exists. This study investigated the infectivity in animals of continuous low-grade bacteremia compared to that of brief high-grade bacteremia. Rats with aortic vegetations were inoculated with
Streptococcus intermedius
,
Streptococcus gordonii
or
Staphylococcus aureus
(strains Newman and P8). Animals were challenged with 10
3
to 10
6
CFU. Identical bacterial numbers were given by bolus (1 ml in 1 min) or continuous infusion (0.0017 ml/min over 10 h). Bacteremia was 50 to 1,000 times greater after bolus than during continuous inoculation. Streptococcal bolus inoculation of 10
5
CFU infected 63 to 100% vegetations compared to 30 to 71% infection after continuous infusion (
P
> 0.05). When increasing the inoculum to 10
6
CFU, bolus inoculation infected 100% vegetations and continuous infusion 70 to 100% (
P
> 0.05).
S. aureus
bolus injection of 10
3
CFU infected 46 to 57% valves. This was similar to the 53 to 57% infection rates produced by continuous infusion (
P
> 0.05). Inoculation of 10
4
CFU of
S. aureus
infected 80 to 100% vegetations after bolus and 60 to 75% after continuous infusion (
P
> 0.05). These results show that high-level bacteremia is not required to induce experimental endocarditis and support the hypothesis that cumulative exposure to low-grade bacteremia represents a genuine risk of IE in humans.
Impact of
Salmonella
Infection on Host Hormone Metabolism Revealed by Metabolomics
Authors: Antunes L. Caetano M. , Arena Ellen T. , Menendez Alfredo , Han Jun , Ferreira Rosana B. R. , Buckner Michelle M. C. , Lolić Petra , Madilao Lufiani L. , Bohlmann Jörg , Borchers Christoph H. , Finlay B. Brett 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

The interplay between pathogens and their hosts has been studied for decades using targeted approaches, such as the analysis of mutants and host immunological responses. Although much has been learned from such studies, they focus on individual pathways and fail to reveal the global effects of infection on the host. To alleviate this issue, high-throughput methods, such as transcriptomics and proteomics, have been used to study host-pathogen interactions. Recently, metabolomics was established as a new method to study changes in the biochemical composition of host tissues. We report a metabolomic study of
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium infection. Our results revealed that dozens of host metabolic pathways are affected by
Salmonella
in a murine infection model. In particular, multiple host hormone pathways are disrupted. Our results identify unappreciated effects of infection on host metabolism and shed light on mechanisms used by
Salmonella
to cause disease and by the host to counter infection.
Development of a Real-Time PCR Assay for Detecting and Quantifying Human Bocavirus 2
Authors: Xu Zi-qian , Cheng Wei-xia , Li Bo-wen , Li Jie , Lan Bei , Duan Zhao-jun 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Human bocavirus 2 (HBoV2) is a parvovirus that has been recently identified in stool samples from children. Any association between the virus and clinical disease is unclear. A rapid, reliable diagnostic method is necessary to address this issue. In this study, we developed a sensitive and specific HBoV2 quantitative real-time PCR assay that targets the HBoV2
NP-1
gene, based on the TaqMan method. The assay could reproducibly detect 10 copies of a recombinant DNA plasmid containing a partial region of the HBoV2 genome, with a dynamic range of 8 log units (10
1
to 10
8
copies). A clinical evaluation detected HBoV2 in 85 (24.6%) of 345 children with gastroenteritis, with viral loads ranging from 1.67 × 10
2
to 4.27 × 10
9
copies per ml of stool specimen.
Genotypes and Characteristics of Clustering and Drug Susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates Collected in Heilongjiang Province, China
Authors: Wang Juan , Liu Yan , Zhang Chun-Lei , Ji Bin-Ying , Zhang Liu-Zhuo , Shao Yong-Zhen , Jiang Shui-Lian , Suzuki Yasuhiko , Nakajima Chie , Fan Chang-Long , Ma Yuan-Ping , Tian Geng-Wen , Hattori Toshio , Ling Hong 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

For the last decade China has occupied second place, after India, among the top five countries with high burdens of tuberculosis (TB). Heilongjiang Province is located in northeastern China. The prevalence of drug-resistant TB in Heilongjiang Province is higher than the average level in China. To determine the transmission characteristics of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
strains isolated in this area and their genetic relationships, especially among the Beijing family strains, we investigated their genotypes. From May 2007 to October 2008, 200
M. tuberculosis
isolates from patients presenting pulmonary TB were analyzed by molecular typing using PCR-based methods: spacer-oligonucleotide typing (spoligotyping), Beijing family-specific PCR (detection of the deletion of region of difference 105 [RD105]), and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) analysis. Different combinations of MIRU-VNTR loci were evaluated to define the genotypes and clustering characteristics of the local strains. We found that Beijing family strains represented 89.5% of the isolates studied. However, the rates of multidrug-resistant (MDR)
M. tuberculosis
among Beijing and non-Beijing family strains were not statistically different. The 15-locus set is considered the optimal MIRU-VNTR locus combination for analyzing the
M. tuberculosis
strains epidemic in this area, while the 10-locus set is an ideal set for first-line molecular typing. We found that the clustering rate of all the
M. tuberculosis
isolates analyzed was 10.0% using the 15-locus set typing. We conclude that the Beijing family genotype is predominant and that highly epidemic TB and MDR TB are less likely associated with the active transmission of
M. tuberculosis
in the study area.
Evidence that TMPRSS2 Activates the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Spike Protein for Membrane Fusion and Reduces Viral Control by the Humoral Immune Response
Authors: Glowacka Ilona , Bertram Stephanie , Müller Marcel A. , Allen Paul , Soilleux Elizabeth , Pfefferle Susanne , Steffen Imke , Tsegaye Theodros Solomon , He Yuxian , Gnirss Kerstin , Niemeyer Daniela , Schneider Heike , Drosten Christian , Pöhlmann Stefan 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACTThe spike (S) protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) can be proteolytically activated by cathepsins B and L upon viral uptake into target cell endosomes. In contrast, it is largely unknown whether host cell proteases located in the secretory pathway of infected cells and/or on the surface of target cells can cleave SARS S. We along with others could previously show that the type II transmembrane protease TMPRSS2 activates the influenza virus hemagglutinin and the human metapneumovirus F protein by cleavage. Here, we assessed whether SARS S is proteolytically processed by TMPRSS2. Western blot analysis revealed that SARS S was cleaved into several fragments upon coexpression of TMPRSS2 (cis-cleavage) and upon contact between SARS S-expressing cells and TMPRSS2-positive cells (trans-cleavage).cis-cleavage resulted in release of SARS S fragments into the cellular supernatant and in inhibition of antibody-mediated neutralization, most likely because SARS S fragments function as antibody decoys.trans-cleavage activated SARS S on effector cells for fusion with target cells and allowed efficient SARS S-driven viral entry into targets treated with a lysosomotropic agent or a cathepsin inhibitor. Finally, ACE2, the cellular receptor for SARS-CoV, and TMPRSS2 were found to be coexpressed by type II pneumocytes, which represent important viral target cells, suggesting that SARS S is cleaved by TMPRSS2 in the lung of SARS-CoV-infected individuals. In summary, we show that TMPRSS2 might promote viral spread and pathogenesis by diminishing viral recognition by neutralizing antibodies and by activating SARS S for cell-cell and virus-cell fusion.
Internal Initiation Is Responsible for Synthesis of Wuhan Nodavirus Subgenomic RNA
Authors: Qiu Yang , Cai Dawei , Qi Nan , Wang Zhaowei , Zhou Xi , Zhang Jiamin , Hu Yuanyang 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

Nodaviruses are small nonenveloped spherical viruses with a bipartite genome of RNAs. In nodaviruses, subgenomic RNA3 (sgRNA3) plays a critical role in viral replication and survival, as it coordinates the replication of two viral genomic RNAs (RNA1 and RNA2) and encodes protein B2, which is a potent RNA-silencing inhibitor. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanism of nodaviral sgRNA3 synthesis is still poorly understood. Here, we propose that sgRNA3 of Wuhan nodavirus (WhNV) is internally initiated from a promoter on the negative template of genomic RNA1. Serial deletion and mutation analyses further revealed that the core promoter of WhNV sgRNA3 is between nucleotide positions −22 and +6 of its transcription start site. Besides, a stem-loop structure of WhNV sgRNA3 was computationally predicted upstream of sgRNA3's transcription start site. Both the secondary structure and the primary sequence were determined to be required for promoter activity. Furthermore, our results show that the synthesis of WhNV sgRNA3 is counterregulated by the replication of WhNV genomic RNA2, which encodes a viral capsid precursor protein. And this sgRNA3 synthesis is also able to
trans
-activate the replication of RNA2. Altogether, findings in this study indicate that there is a newly discovered internal initiation model for the synthesis of nodaviral sgRNA.
Early Induction of Autophagy in Human Fibroblasts after Infection with Human Cytomegalovirus or Herpes Simplex Virus 1
Authors: McFarlane Steven , Aitken James , Sutherland Jane S. , Nicholl Mary Jane , Preston Valerie G. , Preston Chris M. 
Published: February 2011

ABSTRACT

The infection of human fetal foreskin fibroblasts (HFFF2) with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) resulted in the induction of autophagy. This was demonstrated by the increased lipidation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), a hallmark of autophagy, and by the visualization of characteristic vesicles within infected cells. The response was detected first at 2 h postinfection and persisted for at least 3 days.
De novo
protein synthesis was not required for the effect, since HCMV that was irradiated with UV light also elicited the response, and furthermore the continuous presence of cycloheximide did not prevent induction. Infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) under conditions that inhibited viral gene expression provoked autophagy, whereas UV-irradiated respiratory syncytial virus did not. The induction of autophagy occurred when cells were infected with HCMV or HSV-1 that was gradient purified, but HCMV dense bodies and HSV-1 light particles, each of which lack nucleocapsids and genomes, were inactive. The depletion of regulatory proteins Atg5 and Atg7, which are required for autophagy, reduced LC3 modification in response to infection but did not result in any detectable difference in viral or cellular gene expression at early times after infection. The electroporation of DNA into HFFF2 cultures induced the lipidation of LC3 but double-stranded RNA did not, even though both agents stimulated an innate immune response. The results show a novel, early cellular response to the presence of the incoming virion and additionally demonstrate that autophagy can be induced by the presence of foreign DNA within cells.