bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a multiplex human immunodeficiency virus‐1, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus nucleic acid testing assay to detect viremic blood donors in northern Thailand
Authors: Nantachit Niwes , Thaikruea Lakkana , Thongsawat Satawat , Leetrakool Nipapan , Fongsatikul Ladda , Sompan Prakai , Fong Yiu‐Lian , Nichols David , Ziermann Rainer , Ness Paul , Nelson Kenrad E. 
Published: July 2007

BACKGROUND: Screening of blood donors with nucleic acid testing (NAT) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been implemented recently in the United States. There are limited data, however, on the additional NAT yield of donors in developing countries in Asia where the prevalence of infection is higher. In addition, data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) NAT in high prevalence areas are minimal.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 5083 whole‐blood donors at the Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand, blood bank were evaluated with a commercially available NAT assay (Procleix Ultrio, Gen‐Probe, Inc.) to screen individual donations.RESULTS: No NAT yield cases were found for HIV‐1 or HCV. There were 17 samples with discrepant HBV DNA NAT and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) tests, however. Seven of these were HBV DNA NAT–positive, HBsAg‐negative; of these 7, 1 was NAT‐positive at baseline, but negative on follow‐up, and considered a false‐positive, 1 had an acute infection, and 5 had chronic prevalent HBV infections, for a NAT yield of 6 in 4798 HBsAg negative donors (1:800). In addition there were 10 NAT‐negative, HBsAg‐positive serum samples. All were anti‐hepatitis B core antigen immunoglobulin G–positive; on testing with a more sensitive NAT target capture assay, 5 were positive (1.8‐20.6 IU/mL) and 5 were negative.CONCLUSION: Multiplex NAT screening of individual‐donor serum samples in Northern Thailand detected approximately 1 per 800 HBV NAT–positive, HBsAg‐negative donors. The especially high prevalence of HBV infection in Thailand and other Asian countries suggests that HBV NAT screening of donors will be more cost‐effective than in other areas.
Rheolytic Thrombectomy during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Improves Long‐Term Outcome in High‐Risk Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: DE ROSA SALVATORE , CIRILLO PLINIO , DE LUCA GIUSEPPE , GALASSO GENNARO , ESPOSITO GIOVANNI , LEOSCO DARIO , PISCIONE FEDERICO , CHIARIELLO MASSIMO 
Published: July 2007

Objectives: Aim of the present study was to compare the immediate and long‐term effects of AngioJet® rheolytic thrombectomy performed in the setting of a percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PTCA) with those of conventional PTCA in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and angiographic evidence of high intracoronary thrombus burden.
Background: Plaque rupture, with subsequent exposure to the flowing bloodstream of high thrombotic materials often leads to intravascular thrombosis, representing the main pathophysiological event of acute coronary syndromes. PTCA is the first‐choice treatment for these patients in hospitals with cardiac catheterization facilities. However, distal embolization of thrombotic material, fibrin, and other fragments from atherosclerotic plaques might lead to procedural failure.
Methods: Immediate and 1‐year follow‐up results of a group of 30 consecutive patients, presenting with AMI and angiographic evidence of high thrombus burden, who underwent rheolytic thrombectomy and PTCA were compared with those of 30 consecutive patients with similar clinical presentation, risk profile, and angiographic picture, and treated with standard PTCA procedure.
Results: After the procedure, angiographic analysis showed a higher incidence of final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3 in the AngioJet® group (93.3% vs 83.3%, P = 0.034). In addition, mean corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC) was significantly lower in the AngioJet® group (22.4 vs 32.4, P = 0,0004). At 1‐year follow‐up, patients treated with AngioJet® showed a significantly lower incidence of death (3.33% vs 13.33%,P < 0.001), major adverse cardiac events (MACE: 10% vs 30%, P = 0.026), and need of revascularization (6.67% vs 20%, P = 0.013).
Conclusions: Data of the present study highlight that AngioJet® thrombectomy in selected AMI patients at high risk for distal thrombotic embolization results not only in immediately improved angiographic results as compared to conventional PTCA but, indeed, seems to be associated with a significantly better long‐term clinical outcome.
The attitudes of dental students towards socially acceptable and unacceptable group working practices
Authors: Sisson K. , Newton J. 
Published: July 2007

Objectives:  To explore the attitudes of undergraduate dental students towards academically unacceptable behaviour.Methods:  Three sets of vignettes were designed exploring; attitudes towards sharing essays which students present as their own work (set 1), attitudes towards purchasing an essay from a commercial website (set 2), and attitudes towards working in a group (set 3). Eighty‐nine dental students read the vignettes, then indicated whether they felt the student depicted should engage in the behaviour, and whether any assessment of the work would be a fair assessment of the student's ability. In addition for the group working vignette, respondents were asked to indicate whether in that situation they would speak to the tutor about their own contribution to the group product.Results:  Twenty‐one respondents (24%) reported that students should share essays, 11 (12%) felt that the essay would be a fair assessment; 13 (15%) felt that students should buy commercially produced essays, five (6%) felt it would be a fair assessment. For the vignettes involving group work, 31 (35%) respondents felt that group‐based assessments were fair, 65 (73%) of respondents felt it unlikely that they would speak to the tutor about their individual contribution.Conclusions:  A disturbing proportion of dental students report that cheating is acceptable, the majority feel that unacceptable academic practices are not a fair indication of students’ ability. The respondents reported that they were unlikely to report the unacceptable working practices of fellow students.
Complex Adenovirus-Mediated Expression of West Nile Virus C, PreM, E, and NS1 Proteins Induces both Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses
Authors: Schepp-Berglind Jennifer , Luo Min , Wang Danher , Wicker Jason A. , Raja Nicholas U. , Hoel Brian D. , Holman David H. , Barrett Alan D. T. , Dong John Y. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTWest Nile Virus (WNV), a member of the familyFlaviviridae, was first identified in Africa in 1937. In recent years, it has spread into Europe and North America. The clinical manifestations of WNV infection range from mild febrile symptoms to fatal encephalitis. Two genetic lineages (lineages I and II) are recognized; lineage II is associated with mild disease, while lineage I has been associated with severe disease, including encephalitis. WNV has now spread across North America, significantly affecting both public and veterinary health. In the efforts to develop an effective vaccine against all genetic variants of WNV, we have studied the feasibility of inducing both neutralizing and cellular immune responses by de novo synthesis of WNV antigens using a complex adenoviral vaccine (CAdVax) vector. By expressing multiple WNV proteins from a single vaccine vector, we were able to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses in vaccinated mice. Neutralization assays demonstrated that the antibodies were broadly neutralizing against both lineages of WNV, with a significant preference for the homologous lineage II virus. The results from this study show that multiple antigens synthesized de novo from a CAdVax vector are capable of inducing both humoral and cellular immune responses against WNV and that a multiantigen approach may provide broad protection against multiple genetic variants of WNV.
Development of Real-Time PCR Assays and Evaluation of Their Potential Use for Rapid Detection of
Burkholderia pseudomallei
in Clinical Blood Specimens
Authors: Supaprom Chonthida , Wang Dongling , Leelayuwat Chanvit , Thaewpia Wisansanee , Susaengrat Wattanachai , Koh Victor , Ooi Eng Eong , Lertmemongkolchai Ganjana , Liu Yichun 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT

The early initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy is critical for improving the prognosis of patients with septicemic melioidosis. Thus, the use of a rapid molecular diagnosis may affect the outcome of this disease, which has a high mortality rate. We report the development of two TaqMan real-time PCR assays (designated 8653 and 9438) that detect the presence of two novel genes unique to
Burkolderia pseudomallei
. The analytical sensitivity and specificity of the assays were assessed with 91 different
B. pseudomallei
isolates, along with 96 isolates and strains representing 28 other bacterial species, including the closely related
Burkholderia
/
Ralstonia
. The two assays performed equally well with both purified DNA and crude cell lysates, with 100% analytical specificity for the detection of
B. pseudomallei
. The limit of detection was 50 fg of DNA (equivalent to six bacterial genomes) per PCR for both assay 8563 and 9438. We also evaluated these assays with DNA extracted from blood specimens taken from 45 patients with culture-confirmed septicemic melioidosis or other septicemias. Of the 28 melioidosis blood specimens, assays 8653 and 9438 gave sensitivities of 71% (20/28) and 54% (15/28), respectively. Effectively, all fatal cases of septicemic melioidosis were detected by 8653. For the 17 non-melioidosis blood specimens, specificities of 82% (14/17) and 88% (15/17) were obtained for assays 8653 and 9438, respectively. The real-time PCR assays developed in this study provide alternative, rapid molecular tools for the specific detection of
B. pseudomallei
, and this may be of particular use in the early diagnosis and treatment of septicemic melioidosis.
Evaluation of BBL CHROMagar O157 versus Sorbitol-MacConkey Medium for Routine Detection of
Escherichia coli
O157 in a Centralized Regional Clinical Microbiology Laboratory
Authors: Church D. L. , Emshey D. , Semeniuk H. , Lloyd T. , Pitout J. D. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT

The performance of BBL CHROMagar O157 (CHROM) versus that of sorbitol-MacConkey (SMAC) media for detection of
Escherichia coli
O157 was determined for a 3-month period. Results for 27/3,116 (0.9%) stool cultures were positive. CHROM had a higher sensitivity (96.30%) and negative predictive value (100%) and a better diagnostic efficiency than SMAC. Labor and material costs decreased when CHROM was used.
Reverse Line Blot Hybridization Assay for Identification of Medically Important Fungi from Culture and Clinical Specimens
Authors: Zeng Xianyu , Kong Fanrong , Halliday Catriona , Chen Sharon , Lau Anna , Playford Geoffrey , Sorrell Tania C. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT

We evaluated a combined panfungal PCR-reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization assay based on internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2 region polymorphisms to identify 159
Candida
,
Cryptococcus neoformans
, and
Aspergillus
isolates (22 species). Its utility to identify fungal pathogens directly from 27 clinical specimens was also determined. ITS sequence analysis was performed to resolve discrepant identifications or where no RLB result was obtained. Species-specific ITS2- and ITS1-based probes correctly identified 155 of 159 isolates (98%) and 149 (93.7%) isolates, respectively. All strains were unambiguously differentiated with the exception of cross-reactivity between the
Candida norvegensis
probe and
Candida haemulonii
DNA product. Species identification of the pathogen was made for all 21 specimens (sensitivity of 100%) where species-specific probes were included in the RLB; however, there was no ITS2 probe-based hybridization signal for two specimens. Results were concordant with the culture results for 18 (85.7%) specimens. The assay was able to provide species identification in the absence of a culture result (two specimens) and to detect mixed infection (one specimen). The results indicate that the RLB assay is capable of reliably detecting yeasts and
Aspergillus
spp. in clinical specimens and that the incorporation of both ITS1- and ITS2-targeted probes is required for optimal sensitivity. The test has potential utility in the early diagnosis of invasive fungal infection, since “fungal” DNA was detected in all 27 specimens. Prior to incorporation of probes to detect other fungal species, ITS sequencing may be performed to achieve species identification.
Isolation ofSalmonella entericaSerotype Newport from a Partly Ruptured Splenic Abscess in a Traveler Returning from Zanzibar
Authors: Tappe Dennis , Müller Andreas , Langen Heinz-Jakob , Frosch Matthias , Stich August 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTSalmonella entericasubsp.entericaserotype Newport is a pathogen of growing importance because of its epidemic spread in dairy cattle and increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance. Human infections, however, are rare. We report a case of a splenic abscess in a young traveler returning from East Africa.
Outbreak of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Infections with PER-1 Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in Warsaw, Poland: Further Evidence for an International Clonal Complex
Authors: Empel Joanna , Filczak Krzysztof , Mrówka Agnieszka , Hryniewicz Waleria , Livermore David M. , Gniadkowski Marek 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT

Forty-one
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
isolates with extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) from a hospital in Warsaw, Poland, were analyzed. Thirty-seven isolates from several wards were collected over 9 months in 2003 and 2004. The isolates were recovered from patients with multiple types of infections, mostly respiratory tract and postoperative wound infections. All 41 isolates produced the PER-1 ESBL, originally observed in Turkey but recently also identified in several countries in Europe and the Far East. The
bla
PER-1
gene resided within the Tn
1213
composite transposon, which was chromosomally located. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed the presence of three separate clones among the isolates. Two of these, corresponding to sequence types (STs) ST244 and ST235, were responsible for parallel outbreaks. Apart from PER-1, all the isolates produced OXA-2 oxacillinase. ST235 isolates additionally expressed a novel enzyme, OXA-74, differing by one amino acid from the OXA-17 ESBL identified originally in PER-1- and OXA-2-positive
P. aeruginosa
isolates from Ankara, Turkey, in 1992. These earlier Ankara isolates with PER-1, OXA-2, and OXA-17 were also classified into ST235, which is a single-locus variant of two other STs, ST227 and ST230. ST227, ST230, and ST235 all correspond to the recently described clonal complex BG11, which seems to be internationally distributed, having spread in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, and much of Russia. It is associated with various β-lactamases, including PER-1 and VIM metalloenzymes. This work further demonstrates the value of MLST of
P. aeruginosa
.
Processing of Open Reading Frame 1a Replicase Proteins nsp7 to nsp10 in Murine Hepatitis Virus Strain A59 Replication
Authors: Deming Damon J. , Graham Rachel L. , Denison Mark R. , Baric Ralph S. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT

Coronaviruses express open reading frame 1a (ORF1a) and ORF1b polyproteins from which 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp) are derived. The highly conserved region at the carboxy terminus of ORF1a is processed by the nsp5 proteinase (M
pro
) into mature products, including nsp7, nsp8, nsp9, and nsp10, proteins with predicted or identified activities involved in RNA synthesis. Although continuous translation and proteolytic processing of ORF1ab by M
pro
is required for replication, it is unknown whether specific cleavage events within the polyprotein are dispensable. We determined the requirement for the nsp7 to nsp10 proteins and their processing during murine hepatitis virus (MHV) replication. Through use of an MHV reverse genetics system, in-frame deletions of the coding sequences for nsp7 to nsp10, or ablation of their flanking M
pro
cleavage sites, were made and the effects upon replication were determined. Viable viruses were characterized by analysis of M
pro
processing, RNA transcription, and growth fitness. Deletion of any of the regions encoding nsp7 to nsp10 was lethal. Disruption of the cleavage sites was lethal with the exception of that of the nsp9-nsp10 site, which resulted in a mutant virus with attenuated replication. Passage of the attenuated nsp9-nsp10 cleavage mutant increased fitness to near-wild-type kinetics without reversion to a virus capable of processing nsp9-nsp10. We also confirmed the presence of a second cleavage site between nsp7 and nsp8. In order to determine whether a distinct function could be attributed to preprocessed forms of the polyprotein, including nsp7 to nsp10, the genes encoding nsp7 and nsp8 were rearranged. The mutant virus was not viable, suggesting that the uncleaved protein may be essential for replication or proteolytic processing.
Effects of Recombination Rate on Human Endogenous Retrovirus Fixation and Persistence
Authors: Katzourakis Aris , Pereira Vini , Tristem Michael 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) result from germ line infections by exogenous retroviruses. They can proliferate within the genome of their host species until they are either inactivated by mutation or removed by recombinational deletion. ERVs belong to a diverse group of mobile genetic elements collectively termed transposable elements (TEs). Numerous studies have attempted to elucidate the factors determining the genomic distribution and persistence of TEs. Here we show that, within humans, gene density and not recombination rate correlates with fixation of endogenous retroviruses, whereas the local recombination rate determines their persistence in a full-length state. Recombination does not appear to influence fixation either via the ectopic exchange model or by indirect models based on the efficacy of selection. We propose a model linking rates of meiotic recombination to the probability of recombinational deletion to explain the effect of recombination rate on persistence. Chromosomes 19 and Y are exceptions, possessing more elements than other regions, and we suggest this is due to low gene density and elevated rates of human ERV integration in males for chromosome Y and segmental duplication for chromosome 19.
Cellular and Viral Factors Regulate the Varicella-Zoster Virus gE Promoter during Viral Replication
Authors: Berarducci Barbara , Sommer Marvin , Zerboni Leigh , Rajamani Jaya , Arvin Ann M. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) glycoprotein E (gE) is essential for viral replication and is involved in cell-to-cell spread, secondary envelopment, and entry. We created a set of mutations in the gE promoter to investigate the role of viral and cellular transcriptional factors in regulation of the gE promoter. Deletion or point mutation of the two Sp1 sites in the gE promoter abolished Sp1 binding and IE62-mediated transactivation of the gE promoter in vitro. Incorporation of the deletion or the point mutations disrupting both of the Sp1 binding sites into the VZV genome was not compatible with viral replication. A point mutation altering the atypical Sp1 binding site was lethal, while altering the second site impaired VZV replication significantly, indicating functional differences between the two Sp1 binding sites. Deletions in the gE promoter that abolished putative binding sites for cellular transcriptional factors other than Sp1, identified by bioinformatics analysis, were inserted in the VZV genome. Replication of the viruses with mutations of the gE promoter did not differ from control recombinants in melanoma cells or primary human tonsil T cells in vitro. These deletions did not affect infection of human skin xenografts in SCIDhu mice. These results indicate that Sp1 is required for IE62-mediated transactivation of the gE promoter and that this transcriptional factor appears to be the only cellular factor essential for regulation of the gE promoter.
A Potential α-Helix Motif in the Amino Terminus of LANA Encoded by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Is Critical for Nuclear Accumulation of HIF-1α in Normoxia
Authors: Cai Qiliang , Murakami Masanao , Si Huaxin , Robertson Erle S. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a ubiquitously expressed transcriptional regulator involved in induction of numerous genes associated with angiogenesis and tumor growth. Kaposi's sarcoma, associated with increased angiogenesis, is a highly vascularized, endothelial cell-derived tumor. Previously, we have shown that the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) encoded by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) targets the HIF-1α suppressors von Hippel-Lindau protein and p53 for degradation via its suppressor of cytokine signaling-box motif, which recruits the EC
5
S ubiquitin complex. Here we further show that HIF-1α was aberrantly accumulated in KSHV latently infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells, as well as HEK293 cells infected with KSHV, and also show that a potential α-helical amino-terminal domain of LANA was important for HIF-1α nuclear accumulation in normoxic conditions. Moreover, we have now determined that this association was dependent on the residues 46 to 89 of LANA and the oxygen-dependent degradation domain of HIF-1α. Introduction of specific small interfering RNA against LANA into PEL cells also resulted in a diminished nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α. Therefore, these data show that LANA can function not only as an inhibitor of HIF-1α suppressor proteins but can also induce nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α during KSHV latent infection.
The Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus LANA Protein Stabilizes and Activates c-Myc
Authors: Liu Jianyong , Martin Heather J. , Liao Gangling , Hayward S. Diane 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT
The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) protein is functionally pleiotropic. LANA contributes to KSHV-associated pathogenesis, in part, by increasing entry of cells into S phase through a process that is driven by LANA interaction with the serine-threonine kinase glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) and stabilization of β-catenin. We now show that LANA affects the activity of another protein involved in cell cycle regulation, c-Myc. Sequencing of c-Myc coding sequences revealed that c-Myc in KSHV-positive primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cell lines is wild type in the N-terminal region that regulates c-Myc protein stability. Despite this, c-Myc in PEL cells is stabilized. In LANA-expressing cells, inactivation of nuclear GSK-3 reduced phosphorylation of c-Myc at Thr58 and contributed to c-Myc stabilization by decreasing c-Myc ubiquitination. Phosphorylation of c-Myc on Ser62 also affects c-Myc stability and function. We now show that LANA increases the level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) and increases ERK phosphorylation of c-Myc on Ser62. LANA also interacted with c-Myc, and c-Myc amino acids 147 to 220 were required for this interaction. LANA (L1006P) retained the ability to bind to c-Myc and activate ERK1, indicating that these events did not require LANA interaction with GSK-3. Thus, LANA stabilizes c-Myc; prevents the phosphorylation of c-Myc at Thr58, an event that promotes Myc-induced apoptosis; and independently stimulates phosphorylation of c-Myc at Ser62, an event that transcriptionally activates c-Myc. LANA-mediated manipulation of c-Myc function is likely to contribute to KSHV-associated tumorigenesis through the induction of c-Myc regulated cellular genes, as well as by the stimulation of cell cycle progression.