bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pricing of Private Placements of Equity
Authors: Chung Jaiho , Hwang Joon Ho 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBuilding on the models of Benveniste & Spindt (1989) and Maksimovic & Pichler (2006), the present paper examines the optimal pricing and allocation mechanism for private placements of equity. Our model shows that for firms that receive favorable information prior to private placements, both the information acquisition cost and the value of information affect the offer discount. However, for firms that receive unfavorable information, only the information acquisition cost is the driving force behind the discount. We also show that the value of information has a greater impact on the discount level in private offerings compared to public offerings. However, the information acquisition cost has a greater effect on the discount in public offerings than in private placements.
Promising Rabies Vaccine for Postexposure Prophylaxis in Developing Countries, a Purified Vero Cell Vaccine Produced in China
Authors: Wang Chuanlin , Zhang Xiaowei , Song Qingkun , Tang Kun 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT
We evaluated the immunogenicity, safety, and antibody persistence of a Vero cell rabies vaccine manufactured in China, compared with those of Verorab. Adequate titers of antibody were observed for the two vaccines. ChengDa rabies vaccine could be a promising alternative vaccine for many developing countries which cannot afford expensive rabies vaccines.
Etiological Spectrum of Clinically Diagnosed Japanese Encephalitis Cases Reported in Guizhou Province, China, in 2006
Authors: Xufang Ye , Huanyu Wang , Shihong Fu , Xiaoyan Gao , Shuye Zhao , Chunting Liu , Minghua Li , Yougang Zhai , Guodong Liang 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTThe proportion of laboratory-confirmed Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus (JEV) infections was compared to the number of JE cases reported on the basis of seasonality and the clinical symptoms of hospitalized patients in Guizhou Province, China, between April and November 2006. Of the 1,837 patients with reported JE, 1,382 patients in nine prefectures were investigated. JE was confirmed in 1,210 of 1,382 (87.6%) patients by a JEV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MAC-ELISA), heminested reverse transcriptase PCR, and virus isolation. Two strains of JEV belonging to genotype 1 were isolated. Other viral pathogens responsible for encephalitis, including echovirus, mumps virus, herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus, were identified in 67 of 172 (38.9%) JE-negative cases. On the basis of the distribution of the laboratory-confirmed JE cases from different hospitals according to the Chinese administrative division, which included hospitals at the provincial, city, county, and township levels, county hospitals detected the highest number of JE cases (81.8%), whereas township hospitals detected the smallest number of JE cases (1.4%). Provincial and city hospitals had the highest and lowest rates of accuracy of providing a clinical diagnosis of JE, as confirmed by laboratory testing (91.8% and 76.7%, respectively). This study demonstrates that laboratory confirmation improves the accuracy of diagnosis of JE and that an enhanced laboratory capacity is critical for JE surveillance as well as the identification of other pathogens that cause encephalitic syndromes with clinical symptoms similar to those caused by JEV infection.
Globicatella sanguinis
Meningitis Associated with Human Carriage
Authors: Héry-Arnaud Geneviève , Doloy Alexandra , Ansart Séverine , Le Lay Geneviève , Le Flèche-Matéos Anne , Seizeur Romuald , Garré Michel , Payan Christopher , Bouvet Anne 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT

Globicatella sanguinis
is a rare cause of acute meningitis. We demonstrated human carriage of
Globicatella
by identifying cefotaxime-resistant strains in groin and rectal specimens 9 months after invasive infection. The pathogenic strain isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid and the carriage strains were accurately identified by
sodA
gene sequence analysis.
Public Hospital-Based Laboratory Experience during an Outbreak of Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infections
Authors: Leonardi Gary P. , Mitrache Ileana , Pigal Ana , Freedman Lester 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT
The experience of a public hospital virology laboratory during a springtime 2009 outbreak of a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus in New York State is described. Influenza virus was isolated from 145 of 613 respiratory swab specimens. Symptoms of fever (temperature, 102.7 ± 0.32°F), cough, upper respiratory infection, myalgia, and headache were reported. Atypical symptoms of nausea/vomiting and diarrhea were also observed. Illness occurred mainly in patients ≤21 years of age (85/145 patients). Only two patients were ≥65 years old. Compared to the results of traditional culture methods, the sensitivities of a rapid chromatographic influenza A and B virus immunoassay and rapid shell vial culture were 70.3% and 98.6%, respectively. A sensitivity of 80% was obtained by testing 50 specimens by a direct fluorescent-antibody (DFA) assay. The observation of adequate numbers of cells on the DFA assay slides suggests that the low sensitivity of the chromatographic immunoassay may result from its intrinsic nature and not from improper specimen collection. A reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay of 45 specimens performed off-site yielded 21 novel (H1N1) viruses and 2 seasonal (H3N2) influenza viruses. The mean time interval of 5.69 ± 0.37 days from specimen collection to the availability of RT-PCR results limited the value of this assay for patient care. In laboratories lacking on-site molecular capabilities, shell vial techniques can rapidly (about 1 day) confirm negative results and/or identify false-negative chromatographic immunoassay results. Laboratories lacking culture capabilities may also use the DFA assay to confirm or replace the results obtained by these immunoassays. Increasing testing demands caused shortages in commodities and personnel. Alternative testing strategies and planning are necessary in order to optimize virus detection and ensure appropriate resource allocation.
Two Unusual Cases of Severe Soft Tissue Infection Caused by
Streptococcus dysgalactiae
subsp.
equisimilis
Authors: Kittang Bård Reiakvam , Langeland Nina , Skrede Steinar , Mylvaganam Haima 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT

We present two cases of invasive infection caused by
Streptococcus dysgalactiae
subsp.
equisimilis
, one that showed rapidly developing necrotizing fasciitis in a previously healthy man and one that showed severe cellulitis and septic shock even though the bacterium possessed a mutated
emm
gene, predicted to encode a truncated M protein.
Cost-Effective Modification of a Commercial PCR Assay for Detection of Methicillin-Resistant or -SusceptibleStaphylococcus aureusin Positive Blood Cultures
Authors: Munson Erik , Kramme Timothy , Culver Anne , Hryciuk Jeanne E. , Schell Ronald F. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTReal-time detection of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and methicillin-susceptibleS. aureus(MSSA) in cases of clinical bacteremia may promote appropriate antimicrobial therapy and infection control. Expense inherent to molecular diagnostics may prevent laboratories from utilizing real-time PCR for this purpose. BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay master mix was reconstituted and aliquoted into SmartCycler tubes in 25-μl volumes (freshly reconstituted master mix), with a portion being frozen at −70°C (frozen master mix). Incubation of 40 previously analyzed lysates from positive BacT/Alert SA and SN blood culture bottles (identified as 10 MRSA strains, 10 MSSA strains, 12 coagulase-negativeStaphylococcusstrains, and 8Micrococcusstrains) in freshly reconstituted master mix and master mix frozen between 1 week and 6 months generated the expected results in all PCRs. Similarly, positive- and negative-control reagents stored frozen at −70°C for up to 18 weeks yielded the expected reactions. Prospective analysis of 244 positive blood culture samples utilizing 1-week-frozen master mix and freshly reconstituted master mix yielded a 1.2% discordant rate upon initial testing due to three unresolved results (two unresolved results for freshly reconstituted master mix and one unresolved result for frozen master mix). Repeat testing produced a final 100% concordance rate between the two master mix preparations. Use of master mix that was frozen up to 6 months did not compromise performance of the BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay. This modification, resulting in less reagent waste, may allow a greater number of laboratories to consider real-time PCR methodology for detection of bacteremia caused by MRSA and MSSA.
Mechanisms Responsible for a ΦX174 Mutant's Ability To InfectEscherichia coliby Phosphorylation
Authors: Cox Jennifer , Putonti Catherine 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTThe ability for a virus to expand its host range is dependent upon a successful mode of viral entry. As such, the host range of the well-studied ΦX174 bacteriophage is dictated by the presence of a particular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the bacterial surface. The mutant ΦX174 strain JACS-K, unlike its ancestor, is capable of infecting both its native hostEscherichia coliC andE. coliK-12, which does not have the necessary LPS. The conversion of an alanine to a very reactive threonine on its virion surface was found to be responsible for the strain's expanded host range.
Ablation of the Complementarity-Determining Region H3 Apex of the Anti-HIV-1 Broadly Neutralizing Antibody 2F5 Abrogates Neutralizing Capacity without Affecting Core Epitope Binding
Authors: Julien Jean-Philippe , Huarte Nerea , Maeso Rubén , Taneva Stefka G. , Cunningham Annie , Nieva José L. , Pai Emil F. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT

The identification and characterization of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against HIV-1 has formed a major research focus, with the ultimate goal to help in the design of an effective AIDS vaccine. One of these bnAbs, 2F5, has been extensively characterized, and residues at the apex of its unusually long complementarity-determining region (CDR) H3 loop have been shown to be crucial for neutralization. Structural studies, however, have revealed that the
100
TLFGVPI
100F
apex residues of the CDR H3 loop do not interact directly with residues of its core gp41 epitope. In an attempt to gain better insight into the functional role of this element, we have recombinantly expressed native 2F5 Fab and two mutants in which either the apical Phe100B(H) residue was changed to an alanine or the CDR H3 residues
100
TLFGVPI
100F
were replaced by a Ser-Gly dipeptide linker. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and competitive-binding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) rendered strikingly similar affinity constants (

K
d

[dissociation constant] of ∼20 nM) for linear peptide epitope binding by 2F5 Fabs, independent of the presence or absence of the apex residues. Ablation of the CDR H3 apex residues, however, abolished the cell-cell fusion inhibition and pseudovirus neutralization capacities of 2F5 Fab. We report competitive ELISA data that suggest a role of 2F5 CDR H3 apex residues in mediating weak hydrophobic interactions with residues located at the C terminus of the gp41 membrane proximal external region and/or membrane components in the context of core epitope binding. The present data therefore imply an extended 2F5 paratope that includes weak secondary interactions that are crucial for neutralization of Env-mediated fusion.
Simian Virus 40 T/t Antigens and Lamin A/C Small Interfering RNA Rescue the Phenotype of an Epstein-Barr Virus Protein Kinase (BGLF4) Mutant
Authors: Meng Qiao , Hagemeier Stacy R. , Kuny Chad V. , Kalejta Robert F. , Kenney Shannon C. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded viral protein kinase, EBV-PK (the BGLF4 gene product), is required for efficient nuclear viral egress in 293 cells. However, since EBV-PK phosphorylates a number of different viral and cellular proteins (including lamin A/C), the relative importance of each target during lytic viral replication remains unclear. We show here that an EBV PK mutant (PKmut; containing stop codons at residues 1 and 5 in EBV-PK) is highly defective for release of infectious virus from 293 cells but not 293T cells. Furthermore, the phenotype of the PKmut in 293 cells is substantially reversed by expression of the simian virus 40 (SV40) large (T) and small (t) T antigens. Efficient rescue requires the presence of both SV40 T/t proteins. We show that 293T cells have a much higher level of constitutive lamin A/C phosphorylation than do 293 cells over residues (S22 and S392) that promote phosphorylation-dependent nuclear disassembly and that both large T and small t contribute to enhanced lamin A/C phosphorylation. Finally, we demonstrate that knockdown of lamin A/C expression using small interfering RNA also rescues the PKmut phenotype in 293 cells. These results suggest that essential roles of EBV-PK during lytic viral replication include the phosphorylation and dispersion of lamin A/C.
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Capsid Protein Forms a Tetrameric Complex with CRM1 and Importin α/β That Obstructs Nuclear Pore Complex Function
Authors: Atasheva Svetlana , Fish Alexander , Fornerod Maarten , Frolova Elena I. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT
Development of the cellular antiviral response requires nuclear translocation of multiple transcription factors and activation of a wide variety of cellular genes. To counteract the antiviral response, several viruses have developed an efficient means of inhibiting nucleocytoplasmic traffic. In this study, we demonstrate that the pathogenic strain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) has developed a unique mechanism of nuclear import inhibition. Its capsid protein forms a tetrameric complex with the nuclear export receptor CRM1 and the nuclear import receptor importin α/β. This unusual complex accumulates in the center channel of the nuclear pores and blocks nuclear import mediated by different karyopherins. The inhibitory function of VEEV capsid protein is determined by a short 39-amino-acid-long peptide that contains both nuclear import and supraphysiological nuclear export signals. Mutations in these signals or in the linker peptide attenuate or completely abolish capsid-specific inhibition of nuclear traffic. The less pathogenic VEEV strains contain a wide variety of mutations in this peptide that affect its inhibitory function in nuclear import. Thus, these mutations appear to be the determinants of this attenuated phenotype. This novel mechanism of inhibiting nuclear transport also shows that the nuclear pore complex is vulnerable to unusual cargo receptor complexes and sheds light on the importance of finely adjusted karyopherin-nucleoporin interactions for efficient cargo translocation.
Low pH-Induced Conformational Change in Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein B
Authors: Dollery Stephen J. , Delboy Mark G. , Nicola Anthony V. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT

Herpesviruses can enter host cells using pH-dependent endocytosis pathways in a cell-specific manner. Envelope glycoprotein B (gB) is conserved among all herpesviruses and is a critical component of the complex that mediates membrane fusion and entry. Here we demonstrate that mildly acidic pH triggers specific conformational changes in herpes simplex virus (HSV) gB. The antigenic structure of gB was specifically altered by exposure to low pH both
in vitro
and during entry into host cells. The oligomeric conformation of gB was altered at a similar pH range. Exposure to acid pH appeared to convert virion gB into a lower-order oligomer. The detected conformational changes were reversible, similar to those in other class III fusion proteins. Exposure of purified, recombinant gB to mildly acidic pH resulted in similar changes in conformation and caused gB to become more hydrophobic, suggesting that low pH directly affects gB. We propose that intracellular low pH induces alterations in gB conformation that, together with additional triggers such as receptor binding, are essential for virion-cell fusion during herpesviral entry by endocytosis.
Predicting the long-term performance of a wide embankment on soft soil using an elastic–viscoplastic model
Authors: Karim M. R. , Gnanendran C. T. , Lo S.-C. R. , Mak J. 
Published: February 2010

This paper presents modelling of the consolidation of foundation soil under a wide embankment constructed over soft soil. An elastic–viscoplastic (EVP) constitutive model is used to represent the foundation soil for the coupled finite element analysis (FEA). A unit-cell analysis is carried out to capture the maximum settlement and the development of excess pore-water pressure with time below the centreline of the embankment for a long period (9 years). A new function for capturing the varying nature of the creep or secondary compression coefficient is proposed and used in association with the EVP model. The input material parameters for this study were determined from extensive laboratory experiments except for the equivalent horizontal permeability, which was systematically estimated by using vertical permeability data obtained from one-dimensional consolidation tests and by back-analysing the first 12 months of field settlement data. Comparisons are made among the predictions obtained adopting an elastoplastic modified Cam clay model and the EVP model with constant and varying creep coefficients for the foundation soil and the corresponding field data. The predictions with the EVP model are found to be better than those with the elastoplastic model and the use of a varying creep coefficient for the EVP model seems to further improve its predicting ability.
The Szlenk Index and the Fixed Point Property under Renorming
Authors: Benavides TDomínguez 
Published: February 2010

AbstractAssume that "Equation missing" is a Banach space such that its Szlenk index "Equation missing" is less than or equal to the first infinite ordinal "Equation missing". We prove that "Equation missing" can be renormed in such a way that "Equation missing" with the resultant norm satisfies "Equation missing", where "Equation missing" is the García-Falset coefficient. This leads us to prove that if "Equation missing" is a Banach space which can be continuously embedded in a Banach space "Equation missing" with "Equation missing", then, "Equation missing" can be renormed to satisfy the w-FPP. This result can be applied to Banach spaces which can be embedded in "Equation missing", where "Equation missing" is a scattered compact topological space such that "Equation missing". Furthermore, for a Banach space "Equation missing", we consider a distance in the space "Equation missing" of all norms in "Equation missing" which are equivalent to "Equation missing" (for which "Equation missing" becomes a Baire space). If "Equation missing", we show that for almost all norms (in the sense of porosity) in "Equation missing", "Equation missing" satisfies the w-FPP. For general reflexive spaces (independently of the Szlenk index), we prove another strong generic result in the sense of Baire category.
Iterative Algorithms with Variable Coefficients for Asymptotically Strict Pseudocontractions
Authors: Ge Ci-Shui , Liang Jin , Xiao Ti-Jun 
Published: February 2010

AbstractWe introduce and study some new CQ-type iterative algorithms with variable coefficients for asymptotically strict pseudocontractions in real Hilbert spaces. General results for asymptotically strict pseudocontractions are established. The main result extends the previous results.
The Paradox of Victim-Centrism: Victim Participation at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal
Authors: Mohan Mahdev 
Published: February 2010

AbstractIt has been claimed – though not proved – that victims will be benefited by participation in international criminal tribunals. This article interrogates this claim in the context of victim participation at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), commonly referred to as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Based on interviews with Cambodian victims and Tribunal affiliates, it examines why and how the Tribunal permits victims to intervene as les parties civile, pulling together the normative and legal basis for this mode of victim participation. This article does not purport to generalize with confidence about Cambodian victims in general, let alone all victims of mass atrocity. Instead, it simply seeks to move beyond vague speculations that victim participation in international trials is always therapeutic, and suggest a new indigenized victimology that the Tribunal should explore as the long-awaited trials of the Khmer Rouge unfold.
The Swan Song of Universal Jurisdiction in Spain
Authors: de la Rasilla del Moral Ignacio 
Published: February 2010

AbstractOn 29 April 2009 the Spanish National Court opened a cause against the "perpetrators, the instigators, the necessary collaborators and accomplices" of alleged tortures at the Guantanamo camp and other overseas detention facilities. Before examining how these and other causes currently opened in Spain under the principle of universal jurisdiction enshrined by Art. 23.4 of the Organic Law of the Judicial Branch (LOPJ) are likely to be affected by the legislative reform of that very provision approved by the Spanish Congress of Deputies on 25 June 2009, we will first examine the sinuous - and now dramatically indicative in retrospect - jurisprudential evolution of the treatment of the principle of universal justice by Spanish Courts since the Constitutional Court enshrined a doctrine of unconditional universal jurisdiction in its widely celebrated Guatemala Genocide case in June 2005. This is complemented by an overview of the cases that, jurisdictionally based on the principle of universal justice enshrined by Article 23 of the LOPJ, are still currently open (from e.g., Tibet to Rwanda or Gaza) before Spanish Courts. In addition, set against the background provided by the release of the four so-called "torture memos" by the Obama Administration in April 2009, there is a brief examination of the possibilities of jurisdictional prosecution of both the perpetrators and those who formulated the legal guidance authorizing the "enhanced interrogators techniques" in both the U.S. domestic law system and international legal jurisdictional settings, including at the ICJ level. Eventually, an examination of the hasty procedure through which the new relevant Spanish provision in this area has been adopted and the legal effects, with reference to cases currently opened before the Spanish courts, of the newly reformed article give place to a brief reflection on the prospects of international law in the age of an emerging new international judiciary in view of the structural deficit of mechanisms of participatory democracy on the domestic plane with relevance in the international realm as dramatically epitomized at this juncture by the Spanish legal system.
Towards Restorative Sentencing in International Criminal Trials
Authors: Henham Ralph 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThis article considers how sentencing might be re-conceptualised if restorative justice became a more integral part of the rationale for international criminal trials. More specifically, it focuses on issues of admissibility and proof; trial structure; procedural justice; the role of victims and trial professionals, and the role of judicial discretionary power in sentencing decisions. The paper concludes by suggesting that change is possible by utilising judicial discretion as a force for developing more restorative trial outcomes and dealing effectively with inconsistency, appeal and the enforcement of sentences. More broadly, such changes should be seen as an opportunity for international trial outcomes to engage more directly with the challenges of facilitating transitional justice in post-conflict states.