bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myeloid sarcoma: current approach and therapeutic options
Authors: Avni Batia , Koren-Michowitz Maya
Published: October 2011

Myeloid sarcoma is a rare disease that can present as an isolated extramedullary leukemic tumor, concurrently with or at relapse of acute myeloid leukemia. Owing to the rarity of this disorder, most of the literature comprises small retrospective studies and case reports. The aim of this review is to summarize the current published data regarding the clinical presentation, morphological, cytogenetic and molecular features, prognosis and treatment of myeloid sarcoma.
A Case of Heterotopic Heart Transplant as a “Biologic Left Ventricular Assist” in Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Copeland Hannah , Kalra Nishant , Gustafson Monica , Coehlo-Anderson Romana , Friedman Mark , Copeland Jack G.
Published: October 2011

Heterotopic heart transplant (HHT) has traditionally been thought of as creating 2 parallel circulations. We present a case of using the donor heart as a “biologic left ventricular assist” (bio-LVA). The heterotopic technique used consisted of 4 anastomoses: the donor heart pulmonary artery (PA) to the native heart right atrium, the superior vena cava to superior vena cava, the left atrium to left atrium, and the aorta to aorta. A 9-year-old boy with restrictive cardiomyopathy, a PA pressure of 85/53 mmHg, received a HHT because he would probably not be able to tolerate an orthotopic heart transplant secondary to elevated PA pressure. He is currently alive 14 years post-transplantation.
Midterm Outcome After Surgical Correction of Anomalous Left Coronary Artery From Pulmonary Artery
Authors: Bakhtiary Farhad , Mohr Friedrich Wilhelm , Kostelka Martin
Published: October 2011

Background: Early establishment of a two-coronary artery system has become the standard surgical approach in patients with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. After surgical repair, presentation of severely impaired ventricular function and mitral regurgitation is a common finding. Methods: We reviewed midterm outcome of 18 consecutive patients with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) undergoing surgical repair for establishment of dual coronary system operated on between September 1999 and July 2009. Mortality, morbidity, echocardiography assessment of left ventricular function, mitral valve regurgitation, and indications for reoperation were studied retrospectively. Results: The mean age at the time of surgery was 26 ± 44 months (range, 14 days-12.7 years), 14 patients were younger than 6 months. There was no in-hospital or late mortality. Recovery of left ventricular function was associated with improvement in the degree of mitral valve regurgitation. At the latest follow-up, mitral valve regurgitation was none or trace in 14 patients (78%), mild to moderate in 3 patients (16%), and remained severe in 1 patient (6%). Left ventricular function normalized in 16 patients and remained mildly impaired in 2 patients. Late postoperative echocardiograms demonstrated a patent left coronary artery in 17 patients. In 5 patients temporary left heart bypass (LHB) was needed. Conclusions: Early establishment of a 2-coronary artery system artery results in complete recovery of left ventricular function and without relevant mitral valve dysfunction. Reoperation rates are acceptable. Our results support the use of LHB in patients with refractory low cardiac output. The need of mechanical circulatory support was short and very effective in our patient cohort.
Protein phosphatase 2a (PP2A) binds within the oligomerization domain of striatin and regulates the phosphorylation and activation of the mammalian Ste20-Like kinase Mst3
Authors: Gordon Johnthan , Hwang Juyeon , Carrier Karma J , Jones Candace A , Kern Quiana L , Moreno Carlos S , Karas Richard H , Pallas David C
Published: October 2011

Background

Striatin, a putative protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) B-type regulatory subunit, is a multi-domain scaffolding protein that has recently been linked to several diseases including cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM), which causes symptoms ranging from headaches to stroke. Striatin association with the PP2A A/C (structural subunit/catalytic subunit) heterodimer alters PP2A substrate specificity, but targets and roles of striatin-associated PP2A are not known. In addition to binding the PP2A A/C heterodimer to form a PP2A holoenzyme, striatin associates with cerebral cavernous malformation 3 (CCM3) protein, the mammalian Mps one binder (MOB) homolog, Mob3/phocein, the mammalian sterile 20-like (Mst) kinases, Mst3, Mst4 and STK25, and several other proteins to form a large signaling complex. Little is known about the molecular architecture of the striatin complex and the regulation of these sterile 20-like kinases.

Results

To help define the molecular organization of striatin complexes and to determine whether Mst3 might be negatively regulated by striatin-associated PP2A, a structure-function analysis of striatin was performed. Two distinct regions of striatin are capable of stably binding directly or indirectly to Mob3--one N-terminal, including the coiled-coil domain, and another more C-terminal, including the WD-repeat domain. In addition, striatin residues 191-344 contain determinants necessary for efficient association of Mst3, Mst4, and CCM3. PP2A associates with the coiled-coil domain of striatin, but unlike Mob3 and Mst3, its binding appears to require striatin oligomerization. Deletion of the caveolin-binding domain on striatin abolishes striatin family oligomerization and PP2A binding. Point mutations in striatin that disrupt PP2A association cause hyperphosphorylation and activation of striatin-associated Mst3.

Conclusions

Striatin orchestrates the regulation of Mst3 by PP2A. It binds Mst3 likely as a dimer with CCM3 via residues lying between striatin's calmodulin-binding and WD-domains and recruits the PP2A A/C heterodimer to its coiled-coil/oligomerization domain. Residues outside the previously reported coiled-coil domain of striatin are necessary for its oligomerization. Striatin-associated PP2A is critical for Mst3 dephosphorylation and inactivation. Upon inhibition of PP2A, Mst3 activation appears to involve autophosphorylation of multiple activation loop phosphorylation sites. Mob3 can associate with striatin sequences C-terminal to the Mst3 binding site but also with sequences proximal to striatin-associated PP2A, consistent with a possible role for Mob 3 in the regulation of Mst3 by PP2A.
An empirical Bayes model using a competition score for metabolite identification in gas chromatography mass spectrometry
Authors: Jeong Jaesik , Shi Xue , Zhang Xiang , Kim Seongho , Shen Changyu
Published: October 2011

Background

Mass spectrometry (MS) based metabolite profiling has been increasingly popular for scientific and biomedical studies, primarily due to recent technological development such as comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC/TOF-MS). Nevertheless, the identifications of metabolites from complex samples are subject to errors. Statistical/computational approaches to improve the accuracy of the identifications and false positive estimate are in great need. We propose an empirical Bayes model which accounts for a competing score in addition to the similarity score to tackle this problem. The competition score characterizes the propensity of a candidate metabolite of being matched to some spectrum based on the metabolite's similarity score with other spectra in the library searched against. The competition score allows the model to properly assess the evidence on the presence/absence status of a metabolite based on whether or not the metabolite is matched to some sample spectrum.

Results

With a mixture of metabolite standards, we demonstrated that our method has better identification accuracy than other four existing methods. Moreover, our method has reliable false discovery rate estimate. We also applied our method to the data collected from the plasma of a rat and identified some metabolites from the plasma under the control of false discovery rate.

Conclusions

We developed an empirical Bayes model for metabolite identification and validated the method through a mixture of metabolite standards and rat plasma. The results show that our hierarchical model improves identification accuracy as compared with methods that do not structurally model the involved variables. The improvement in identification accuracy is likely to facilitate downstream analysis such as peak alignment and biomarker identification. Raw data and result matrices can be found at http://www.biostat.iupui.edu/~ChangyuShen/index.htm

Trial Registration

2123938128573429
Improving probe set selection for microbial community analysis by leveraging taxonomic information of training sequences
Authors: Ruegger Paul M , Della Vedova Gianluca , Jiang Tao , Borneman James
Published: October 2011

Background

Population levels of microbial phylotypes can be examined using a hybridization-based method that utilizes a small set of computationally-designed DNA probes targeted to a gene common to all. Our previous algorithm attempts to select a set of probes such that each training sequence manifests a unique theoretical hybridization pattern (a binary fingerprint) to a probe set. It does so without taking into account similarity between training gene sequences or their putative taxonomic classifications, however. We present an improved algorithm for probe set selection that utilizes the available taxonomic information of training gene sequences and attempts to choose probes such that the resultant binary fingerprints cluster into real taxonomic groups.

Results

Gene sequences manifesting identical fingerprints with probes chosen by the new algorithm are more likely to be from the same taxonomic group than probes chosen by the previous algorithm. In cases where they are from different taxonomic groups, underlying DNA sequences of identical fingerprints are more similar to each other in probe sets made with the new versus the previous algorithm. Complete removal of large taxonomic groups from training data does not greatly decrease the ability of probe sets to distinguish those groups.

Conclusions

Probe sets made from the new algorithm create fingerprints that more reliably cluster into biologically meaningful groups. The method can readily distinguish microbial phylotypes that were excluded from the training sequences, suggesting novel microbes can also be detected.
Constraints on genes shape long-term conservation of macro-synteny in metazoan genomes
Authors: Lv Jie , Havlak Paul , Putnam Nicholas H
Published: October 2011

Background

Many metazoan genomes conserve chromosome-scale gene linkage relationships (“macro-synteny”) from the common ancestor of multicellular animal life [1–4], but the biological explanation for this conservation is still unknown. Double cut and join (DCJ) is a simple, well-studied model of neutral genome evolution amenable to both simulation and mathematical analysis [5], but as we show here, it is not sufficent to explain long-term macro-synteny conservation.

Results

We examine a family of simple (one-parameter) extensions of DCJ to identify models and choices of parameters consistent with the levels of macro- and micro-synteny conservation observed among animal genomes. Our software implements a flexible strategy for incorporating genomic context into the DCJ model to incorporate various types of genomic context (“DCJ-[C]”), and is available as open source software from http://github.com/putnamlab/dcj-c.

Conclusions

A simple model of genome evolution, in which DCJ moves are allowed only if they maintain chromosomal linkage among a set of constrained genes, can simultaneously account for the level of macro-synteny conservation and for correlated conservation among multiple pairs of species. Simulations under this model indicate that a constraint on approximately 7% of metazoan genes is sufficient to constrain genome rearrangement to an average rate of 25 inversions and 1.7 translocations per million years.
Development of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay applied to the Botrytis cinerea quantification in tissues of postharvest fruits
Authors: Fernández-Baldo Martín A , Fernández Jorge G , Pereira Sirley V , Messina Germán A , Salinas Eloy , Raba Julio , Sanz Ferramola María I
Published: October 2011

Background

Botrytis cinereais a phytopathogenic fungus responsible for the disease known as gray mold, which causes substantial losses of fruits at postharvest. This fungus is present often as latent infection and an apparently healthy fruit can deteriorate suddenly due to the development of this infection. For this reason, rapid and sensitive methods are necessary for its detection and quantification. This article describes the development of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantification ofB. cinereain apple (Red Delicious), table grape (pink Moscatel), and pear (William's) tissues.

Results

The method was based in the competition for the binding site of monoclonal antibodies betweenB. cinereaantigens present in fruit tissues andB. cinereapurified antigens immobilized by a crosslinking agent onto the surface of the microtiter plates. The method was validated considering parameters such as selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and sensibility. The calculated detection limit was 0.97 μg mL-1B. cinereaantigens. The immobilized antigen was perfectly stable for at least 4 months assuring the reproducibility of the assay. The fungus was detected and quantified in any of the fruits tested when the rot was not visible yet. Results were compared with a DNA quantification method and these studies showed good correlation.

Conclusions

The developed method allowed detects the presence ofB. cinereain asymptomatic fruits and provides the advantages of low cost, easy operation, and short analysis time determination for its possible application in the phytosanitary programs of the fruit industry worldwide.
A novel bacteriophage Tail-Associated Muralytic Enzyme (TAME) from Phage K and its development into a potent antistaphylococcal protein
Authors: Paul Vivek Daniel , Rajagopalan Sanjeev Saravanan , Sundarrajan Sudarson , George Shilpa E , Asrani Jiya Y , Pillai Renjith , Chikkamadaiah Ravisha , Durgaiah Murali , Sriram Bharathi , Padmanabhan Sriram
Published: October 2011

Background

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. However, the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance limits the choice of therapeutic options for treating infections caused by this organism. Muralytic enzymes from bacteriophages have recently gained attention for their potential as antibacterial agents against antibiotic-resistant gram-positive organisms. Phage K is a polyvalent virulent phage of the Myoviridae family that is active against many Staphylococcus species.

Results

We identified a phage K gene, designated orf56, as encoding the phage tail-associated muralytic enzyme (TAME). The gene product (ORF56) contains a C-terminal domain corresponding to cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolase/peptidase (CHAP), which demonstrated muralytic activity on a staphylococcal cell wall substrate and was lethal to S. aureus cells. We constructed N-terminal truncated forms of ORF56 and arrived at a 16-kDa protein (Lys16) that retained antistaphylococcal activity. We then generated a chimeric gene construct encoding Lys16 and a staphylococcal cell wall-binding SH3b domain. This chimeric protein (P128) showed potent antistaphylococcal activity on global clinical isolates of S. aureus including methicillin-resistant strains. In addition, P128 was effective in decolonizing rat nares of S. aureus USA300 in an experimental model.

Conclusions

We identified a phage K gene that encodes a protein associated with the phage tail structure. The muralytic activity of the phage K TAME was localized to the C-terminal CHAP domain. This potent antistaphylococcal TAME was combined with an efficient Staphylococcus-specific cell-wall targeting domain SH3b, resulting in the chimeric protein P128. This protein shows bactericidal activity against globally prevalent antibiotic resistant clinical isolates of S. aureus and against the genus Staphylococcus in general. In vivo, P128 was efficacious against methicillin-resistant S. aureus in a rat nasal colonization model.
MiR-125b promotes proliferation and migration of type II endometrial carcinoma cells through targeting TP53INP1 tumor suppressor in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Jiang Feizhou , Liu Te , He Yinyan , Yan Qin , Chen Xiaoyue , Wang Hui , Wan Xiaoping
Published: October 2011

Background

Our previous studies have identified that miR-125b was overexpressed in type II endometrial carcinoma (EC) cells compared with type I using microRNAs microarray. Although recent studies have shown the important role of miR-125b in several tumors and overexpression of miR-125b in advanced EC, its function in this disease has not yet been defined. In the present study, we tried to confirm the result of microRNAs microarray and further investigated the functions of miR-125b in EC, and tried to find new downstream targets of miR-125b.

Methods

Differential expression of miR-125b was detected between type II EC cells (KLE, AN3CA) with ER negative and type I EC cells (ishikawa, RL95-2) with ER positive by qRT-PCR and northern blotting. The effects of miR-125b of on proliferation, migration, and target protein expression were evaluated by CCK8 assay, wound healing assay, transwell migration assay, western blotting, and Tumorigenicity assays in nude mice. In addition, luciferase reporter plasmid was constructed to demonstrate the direct target of miR-125b.

Results

MiR-125b was overexpressed in type II EC cells compared with type I. Exogenous miR-125b expression increased proliferation and migration of ishikawa cells and abrogating expression of miR-125b suppressed proliferation, and migration of AN3CA cells in vitro. In addition, in vivo tumor formation assay confirmed that forced miR-125b expression promoted proliferation potential of ishikawa cells, and tumor suppressor gene Tumor Protein 53-Induced Nuclear Protein 1 (TP53INP1) was identified to be the direct target of miR-125b.

Conclusions

TP53INP1 was newly identified to be the direct downstream target of miR-125b. MiR-125b, which was overexpressed in type II EC cells compared with type I, contributes to malignancy of type II EC possibly through down-regulating TP53INP1.
Nitric oxide involvement in the acrosome reaction triggered by leptin in pig sperm
Authors: Aquila Saveria , Giordano Francesca , Guido Carmela , Rago Vittoria , Carpino Amalia
Published: October 2011

Background

Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule produced by intracellular nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. This free radical appears to affect sperm capacitation, a maturation step preceding acrosome reaction. Recent studies have reported leptin ability to promote capacitation and acrosome reaction in pig male gametes.

Methods

This study has investigated nitric oxide production in leptin-treated pig spermatozoa by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, while the intracellular NOS isoforms were assessed by Western blot analysis. In addition, acrosome status of treated-spermatozoa was evaluated by FITC-PNA staining.

Results

Significant increases of nitric oxide levels and acrosome reaction extent were detected in leptin-treated spermatozoa, but both the effects were reversed in presence ofL-NAME. Furthermore, the immunoblots of sperm extracts have evidenced three bands of ~160 Kd(bNOS), ~130 Kd (iNOS) and ~135 Kd (eNOS).

Conclusions

The identification of the three intracellular NOS isoforms suggests that pig spermatozoa could produce NO, while the augmented nitric oxide levels in leptin-treated male gametes indicates the capacity of the hormone to induce nitric oxide production. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect ofL-NAME and of Ab-ObR on the promotion of acrosome reaction triggered by leptin suggests a possible involvement of NO in the hormone action.
Prioritizing cancer-related genes with aberrant methylation based on a weighted protein-protein interaction network
Authors: Liu Hui , Su Jianzhong , Li Junhua , Liu Hongbo , Lv Jie , Li Boyan , Qiao Hong , Zhang Yan
Published: October 2011

Background

As an important epigenetic modification, DNA methylation plays a crucial role in the development of mammals and in the occurrence of complex diseases. Genes that interact directly or indirectly may have the same or similar functions in the biological processes in which they are involved and together contribute to the related disease phenotypes. The complicated relations between genes can be clearly represented using network theory. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network offers a platform from which to systematically identify disease-related genes from the relations between genes with similar functions.

Results

We constructed a weighted human PPI network (WHPN) using DNA methylation correlations based on human protein-protein interactions. WHPN represents the relationships of DNA methylation levels in gene pairs for four cancer types. A cancer-associated subnetwork (CASN) was obtained from WHPN by selecting genes associated with seed genes which were known to be methylated in the four cancers. We found that CASN had a more densely connected network community than WHPN, indicating that the genes in CASN were much closer to seed genes. We prioritized 154 potential cancer-related genes with aberrant methylation in CASN by neighborhood-weighting decision rule. A function enrichment analysis for GO and KEGG indicated that the optimized genes were mainly involved in the biological processes of regulating cell apoptosis and programmed cell death. An analysis of expression profiling data revealed that many of the optimized genes were expressed differentially in the four cancers. By examining the PubMed co-citations, we found 43 optimized genes were related with cancers and aberrant methylation, and 10 genes were validated to be methylated aberrantly in cancers. Of 154 optimized genes, 27 were as diagnostic markers and 20 as prognostic markers previously identified in literature for cancers and other complex diseases by searching PubMed manually. We found that 31 of the optimized genes were targeted as drug response markers in DrugBank.

Conclusions

Here we have shown that network theory combined with epigenetic characteristics provides a favorable platform from which to identify cancer-related genes. We prioritized 154 potential cancer-related genes with aberrant methylation that might contribute to the further understanding of cancers.
Real-Life Death: Between Public and Private, Interior and Exterior, the Real and the Fictional
Authors: Gibson Margaret
Published: October 2011

This essay examines the expansion of death and grief from private experience and spaces, into public spheres via a range of media events and communication technologies. This shift is increasingly acknowledged and documented in death studies and to some extent in media research. The modern experience of “sequestered death” has passed. Death images and events are now thoroughly mediated by the visual and communication technologies used and accessed by a vast number of people across the globe. At the same time, the proliferation and accessibility of death imagery and narratives do not necessarily equate to a familiar and especially an existential acceptance of death, as it is faced and experienced in everyday life and relationships. Indeed, what we may be facing and witnessing is a widening gap and experiential differential between media/technological death culture and “real-life” contexts and temporalities of death and bereavement.
Marked Unmarked: Black Politics and the Western Political
Authors: Hesse Barnor
Published: October 2011

Modern political theory has traditionally exorcised the meaning of black politics from its conceptual landscape. The poststructuralist distinction between politics and the political potentially offers radical possibilities for thinking against this. Its emphasis on contingency, groundlessness, and incompleteness subverts liberal political theory's identification of politics with the formalism of law, the preservation of order, and elected administrations. However, despite engaging questions of institution, hegemony, and antagonism, poststructuralist political theory currently remains indebted to the racialized conventions of a Western order of things. This essay considers how a poststructuralist approach to black politics might be conceptualized otherwise.
Classification of Viable and Non-Viable Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea L.) Seeds by Single Seed near Infrared Spectroscopy and Extended Canonical Variates Analysis
Authors: Olesen Merete Halkjaer , Shetty Nisha , Gislum Rene , Boelt Birte
Published: October 2011

Figures 3(a) and 4(a) of this paper published as J. Near Infrared Spectrosc. 19(3), 171–180 (2011) were incorrect. The correct version of these figures is printed below. We apolgise for any confusion.

[Figure: see text]

[Figure: see text]
Atorvastatin therapy decreases androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate concentrations in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: randomized controlled study
Authors: Sathyapalan Thozhukat , Smith Karen A , Coady Anne-Marie , Kilpatrick Eric S , Atkin Stephen L
Published: October 2011

Background

Hyperandrogenaemia in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents a composite of raised serum concentrations of testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulphate (DHEAS). In patients with PCOS, testosterone and androstenedione are primarily derived from the ovaries and DHEAS is a metabolite predominantly from the adrenals. It has been shown that atorvastatin reduces testosterone concentrations in patients with PCOS. The objective was to study the effect of atorvastatin on serum androstenedione and DHEAS concentrations in patients with PCOS.

Methods

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed. Forty medication-naive patients with PCOs were randomized to either atorvastatin 20mg daily or placebo for three months. Subsequently, a three-month extension study for all patients was undertaken with metformin 1500 mg daily. The main outcome measures were change in androstenedione and DHEAS concentrations.

Results

The mean (SD) baseline androstenedione (5.7 [0.8] versus 5.6 [1.3] nmol/L; P = 0.69) and DHEAS (7.1 [1.0] versus 7.2 [1.2] μmol/L; P = 0.72) concentrations were comparable between two groups. There was a significant reduction of androstenedione (5.7 [0.8] versus 4.7 [0.7] nmol/L; P = 0.03) and DHEAS (7.1 [1.0] versus 6.0 [0.9] μmol/L; P = 0.02) with three months of atorvastatin while there were no significant changes with placebo. Three months' treatment with metformin maintained the reduction of androstenedione and DHEAS concentrations with atorvastatin compared with baseline. There were no changes in either DHEAS or androstenedione concentrations in the initial placebo group after 12 weeks of metformin.

Conclusions

Twelve weeks of atorvastatin significantly reduced both DHEAS and androstenedione contributing to the total reduction of androgen concentrations and indicating that the reduction of the hyperandrogenaemia could be partly due to the action of atorvastatin at both the ovary and the adrenal gland in PCOS.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Associated with the Use of Prochlorperazine in a Patient with a Recent History of Antipsychotic-Induced Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
Authors: Musselman Megan E , Browning Linda A , Parker Dennis , Saely Suprat
Published: October 2011

Objective:

To describe a case of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) associated with the use of prochlorperazine in a patient recently hospitalized for NMS secondary to olanzapine.

Case Summary:

A 28-year-old African American male with a history of schizophrenia was hospitalized 22 days prior to the current admission for an episode of olanzapine-induced NMS. The patient was discharged from our hospital to an outside psychiatric facility. At this facility, the patient developed nausea and was given 2 doses (unknown amount and route) of prochlorperazine. Over the next 24 hours, the patient exhibited signs and symptoms of NMS including fever, agitation, and muscle rigidity. He was transported to the emergency department and became increasingly agitated. Upon admission, the patient was hyperthermic (rectal temperature 39 °C) and tachycardic (heart rate 138 beats/min), with an elevated white blood cell count of 13.5 × 103/μL, creatine kinase 431 units/L, serum sodium 150 mEq/L, blood urea nitrogen 25 mg/dL, and creatinine 1.1 mg/dL A diagnosis of NMS was speculated and infectious causes were excluded. The patient was treated with aggressive fluid resuscitation and rapid cooling measures, as well as bromocriptine and lorazepam. Cooling measures were used for 48 hours, during which time the creatine kinase, white blood cell count, sodium, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine gradually normalized. The patient was discharged to a psychiatry facility with a treatment regimen of oxcarbazepine 600 mg twice daily, lorazepam 2 mg 3 times daily, and clozapine 25 mg at bedtime, which was titrated over 2 months to 200 mg twice daity. There have been no further occurrences of NMS.

Discussion:

The patient had all of the major characteristics of NMS with no other likely causative factors that may have contributed to his illness. Use of the Naranjo probability scale suggested that NMS was probably related to prochlorperazine. This case highlights the potential increased risk with the use of prochlorperazine in a patient with a history of olanzapine-induced NMS.

Conclusions:

NMS should be considered as a rare complication of therapy with antipsychotics and agents that alter dopamine activity, especially in patients with a history of the syndrome. Careful consideration should be given regarding the risks and benefits of using non-antipsychotic dopamine antagonists in patients with a history of antipsychotic-induced NMS.
Group rings in which the group of units is hyperbolic
Authors: Bovdi Victor
Published: October 2011

We study those group rings in which the group of units is hyperbolic.
Marches Through the Institutions: University Activism in the Sixties and Present
Authors: Connery Christopher L.
Published: October 2011

Student movements in United States during the 1960s enjoyed massive student support and participation, and resulted in significant changes within US universities. In part, it is the legacy of these victories that has been at stake, whether acknowledged as such or not, in the University of California student and faculty movements over the past two years. This essay considers the character of recent student and faculty opposition, both in relation to the earlier movement and to the differential character of oppositional politics in the two periods.
Growth and Predictors of Growth Restraint in Moderately Preterm Children Aged 0 to 4 Years
Authors: Bocca-Tjeertes Inger F. A. , Kerstjens Jorien M. , Reijneveld Sijmen A. , de Winter Andrea F. , Bos Arend F.
Published: October 2011

OBJECTIVE:

To describe growth in moderately preterm-born children, determine the prevalence of growth restraint at the age of 4, and identify predictors of growth restraint. We hypothesized that growth in moderately preterm-born children differs from growth in term-born children and that growth restraint is more prevalent in those born prematurely.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

This was a community-based cohort study of 1123 children born moderately prematurely (gestational age [GA]: 32–3567 weeks) between January 2002 and June 2003.

RESULTS:

On average, we found that moderately preterm-born children were shorter and weighed less at each assessment during the first 4 years of life than their term-born counterparts. Thirty-two boys (5.6%) and 18 girls (3.8%) were growth-restricted in height, and 21 boys (3.4%) and 27 girls (5.8%) were growth-restricted in weight. Their growth in head circumference was normal compared with term-born children. In addition, growth restraint was associated with being small for GA at birth (odds ratio [OR] for height: 7.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.9–20.4]; OR for weight: 9.5 [95% CI: 3.9–23.1]) and maternal height below −1 SD (OR for height: 4.9 [95% CI: 2.6–10.2]; OR for weight: 2.6 [95% CI: 1.3–5.2]). Poor head-circumference growth was associated with a low level of maternal education (OR: 5.3 [95% CI: 1.4–20.8]).

CONCLUSIONS:

Growth in moderately preterm-born children significantly differs from that of term-born children. Predictors at birth are being small for GA, maternal height below −1 SD, and a low level of maternal education. The fact that growth in moderately preterm-born children may lag warrants close monitoring during routine practice. Additional research on prevention of growth restraint is needed.
A novel integrated assessment methodology of urban water reuse
Authors: Listowski A. , Ngo H. H. , Guo W. S. , Vigneswaran S.
Published: October 2011

Wastewater is no longer considered a waste product and water reuse needs to play a stronger part in securing urban water supply. Although treatment technologies for water reclamation have significantly improved the question that deserves further analysis is, how selection of a particular wastewater treatment technology relates to performance and sustainability? The proposed assessment model integrates; (i) technology, characterised by selected quantity and quality performance parameters; (ii) productivity, efficiency and reliability criteria; (iii) quantitative performance indicators; (iv) development of evaluation model. The challenges related to hierarchy and selections of performance indicators have been resolved through the case study analysis. The goal of this study is to validate a new assessment methodology in relation to performance of the microfiltration (MF) technology, a key element of the treatment process. Specific performance data and measurements were obtained at specific Control and Data Acquisition Points (CP) to satisfy the input–output inventory in relation to water resources, products, material flows, energy requirements, chemicals use, etc. Performance assessment process contains analysis and necessary linking across important parametric functions leading to reliable outcomes and results.
The use of microsensors to study the role of the loading rate and surface velocity on the growth and the composition of nitrifying biofilms
Authors: Gonzalez B. C. , Spínola A. L. G. , Lamon A. W. , Araujo J. C. , Campos J. R.
Published: October 2011

The good composition and activity of biofilms are very important for successful operation and control of fixed-film biological reactors employed in liquid effluents treatment. During the last decade, microsensors have been applied to study microbial ecology. These sensors could provide information regarding the microbial activity concerning nitrification and denitrification that occur inside biofilms. Other techniques of molecular biology, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), have also contributed to this matter because their application aids in the identification of the bacterial populations that compose the biofilms. The focus of this paper was to study the loading rate and surface velocity to promote the development of nitrifying biofilms in three distinct flow cells that were employed in the post treatment of a synthetic wastewater simulating the effluent from a UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) reactor. Using the FISH technique, it was found that the population of ammonia-oxidizing-bacteria was greater than that of nitrite-oxidizing-bacteria; this was also supported by the lower production of nitrate determined by physicochemical and microsensor analyses. It was verified that the loading rate and surface velocity that promoted the greatest nitrogen removal were 0.25 g N-amon·m−2biofilm·day−1 and 1 m h−1, respectively.
An enterprise information system agility assessment model
Authors: Imache Rabah , Izza Said , Ahmed-Nacer Mohamed
Published: October 2011

The enterprise strategy is influenced by the environment changes: socio
economic, legislative, technology, and the globalization. This makes its
Information System more complex and competition increasingly fierce. In order
for an enterprise to ensure its place in this hard context characterized by
rapid and random changes of the internal and external environments, it must
have fast adapting policy of its strategy and drive quickly important changes
at all levels of its Information System in order to align it to its strategy
and vice versa; that?s, it must always be agile. Therefore, agility of the
Enterprise Information System can be considered as a primary objective of an
enterprise. This paper deals with agility assessment in the context of POIRE
project. It proposes a fuzzy logic based assessment approach in order to
measure, regulate and preserve continuously the Information System agility.
It also proposes a prototype implementation and an application of the
proposed approach to a tour operator enterprise.
Effects of 50°C temperature on Sitophilus granarius (L.), Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.)
Authors: Prazic-Golic Marijana , Andric Goran , Kljajic Petar
Published: October 2011

Adults of laboratory populations of granary weevil (S. granarius), rice
weevil (S. oryzae) and maize weevil (S. zeamais) were exposed at the
temperature of 50?C to determine lethal time (parameters LT20, LT50 and LT99)
and progeny production/reduction in F1 generation at mentioned temperature.
For each exposure and each species 25 adults aged 2-5 weeks, in four
replicates, were used. In the first treatment, the insects were exposed for
6, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 26 and 30 min in plastic dishes (V=200 cm3) with
1.8 ? 0.2g of untreated coarse wheat. In the second treatment, in dishes with
100 g of untreated wheat grain the adults were exposed for 90, 100, 110, 120,
130, 140, 150, 165 and 180 min. After the exposure, the adults were placed in
100 g of untreated wheat grain, in four replicates, at 25 ? 1?C and 60 ? 5%
r.h., for recovery. After one, two and seven days of recovery, the weevils
were separated by sifting of wheat, and the mortality was determined, and
after total period of eight weeks from the exposure of parents, the effect on
progeny in F1 generation was determined. Lethal time for weevils was
determined by probit analysis, and progeny production/reduction by analysis
of variance. After weevils exposure in coarse wheat and after one, two and
seven days of recovery, S. oryzae adults were the most susceptible (LT50
12.48-13.68 min), and the most tolerant were adults of S. granarius (LT50
17.79-20.89 min). After insects exposure in wheat grain, the most susceptible
were S. granarius and S. oryzae (LT50 107.11-120.73 min), and the most
tolerant S. zeamais (LT50 139.90-155.35 min). After exposure of parents of
all three weevil species, in coarse wheat, progeny reduction at 100% level is
after 22 min. However, after exposure of parents of all three weevil species
in wheat grain, progeny reduction at 100% level in S. granarius is after 130
min, in S. oryzae after 150 min, and at 99.7% level in S. zeamais after 180
min. The investigations indicated that short-term exposure of weevils from
Sitophilus genus at the temperature of 50?C adversely affects their survival
and progeny production, as well as that there is a potential for its
successful use as a physical measure in control of storage pest insects.
Differentiation of Phytopathogenic agrobacterium spp.
Authors: Kuzmanovic Nemanja , Ivanovic Milan , Calic Andjelka , Gasic Katarina , Obradovic Aleksa
Published: October 2011

Due to the difficulties in differentiation of phytopathogenic Agrobacterium
spp. and lack of a standardized protocol, we carried out selection and
evaluation of suitable methods based on the bacterial physiological, genetic
and pathogenic properties. Strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, A.
rhizogenes and A. vitis were differentiated using standard bacteriological
and molecular methods. The biochemical and physiological tests confirmed
authenticity of the strains. Two duplex PCR methods were conducted with four
different primer pairs. In all strains, presence of plasmid virD2 and virC
pathogenicity genes was detected. Chromosomal pehA gene was determined in A.
vitis strain. Pathogenicity was confirmed on carrot slices and young plants
of tomato and sunflower. Strains of A. tumefaciens and A. vitis were
pathogenic on all test plants, while strain of A. rhizogenes induced
characteristic symptoms only on carrot slices. The tests used in this study
provided reliable discrimination between the three species and confirmed
their identity as tumorigenic (Ti) Agrobacterium tumefaciens and A. vitis,
and rhizogenic (Ri) A. rhizogenes.
Impact of different adjuvants and modes of application on efficacy of rimsulfuron in maize
Authors: Radivojevic Ljiljana , Gasic Slavica , Gajic-Umiljendic Jelana , Santric Ljiljana , Brkic Dragica
Published: October 2011

Field studies were conducted in order to investigate the efficacy of
herbicide rimsulfuron in maize with three various commercial products (WG and
OD formulations), in combination with three different nonionic adjuvants
(Extravon, Trend 90 and Break-Thru S240). The investigation was carried out
at two different locations during two years. The application of products in
combination with adjuvants was done in one and two steps. The efficacy was
evaluated on five weed species. The results demonstrated that the addition of
any of the adjuvants improved the efficacy of rimsulfuron, but that there
were no significant differences between products of different producers in
the case of same or different formulation of rimsulfuron. Two different modes
of application had no impact on efficacy.
Diabetes, Glycemic Control, and Risk of Tuberculosis
Authors: Leegaard Anne , Riis Anders , Kornum Jette B. , Prahl Julie B. , Thomsen Vibeke Ø , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Horsburgh C. Robert , Thomsen Reimar W.
Published: October 2011

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between diabetes, glycemic control, and risk of tuberculosis (TB).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a population-based case-control study in Northern Denmark. Cases of active TB were all individuals with a first-time principal hospital diagnosis of TB between 1980 and 2008. Each case subject was matched with up to five population control subjects with similar age, sex, place and length of residence in Denmark, and country of emigration. We computed odds ratios (ORs) for a first-time TB diagnosis among people with and without diabetes using regression to control for other comorbidities, alcoholism, immunosuppressive medications, and socioeconomic markers.

RESULTS

We identified 2,950 patients, including 156 diabetic individuals (5.3%), with active TB, and 14,274 population control subjects, of which 539 had diabetes (3.8%). The adjusted OR for active TB among subjects with diabetes was 1.18 (95% CI 0.96–1.45) compared with nondiabetic individuals. We found a similar risk increase from diabetes in the 843 (29%) TB case subjects who were immigrants; adjusted OR = 1.23 (95% CI 0.78–1.93). In a subset with laboratory data, diabetic individuals with an HbA1c <7.0, 7–7.9, and ≥8.0% had ORs of 0.91 (0.51–1.63), 1.05 (0.41–2.66), and 1.19 (CI 0.61–2.30), respectively, compared with individuals without diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

In the low TB–burden country of Denmark, the TB risk increase associated with diabetes is substantially lower than previously suggested. We found no evidence for any association between TB and dysglycemia.
Implementation of a limited set of SSR markers for screening of genetic variability in Latvian and Swedish sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) genetic resources collections
Authors: Lācis Gunārs , Rashal Isaak , Trajkovski Viktor
Published: October 2011

Implementation of a limited set of SSR markers for screening of genetic variability in Latvian and Swedish sour cherry (Prunus cerasusL.) genetic resources collections

Forty-one sour cherry (Prunus cerasusL.) accessions were evaluated using three SSR markers to characterise genetic diversity in the sour cherry genetic resource collections at the Latvia State Institute of Fruit-Growing (LIFG), Dobele, Latvia and the Division of Horticultural Genetics and Plant Breeding at Balsgård, Department of Crop Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU-Balsgård), Sweden, and to test the usability and reliability of a small set of SSR markers for preliminary characterisation of sour cherry germplasm collections. The SSR loci were highly polymorphic with 7-14 alleles per locus. Heterozygosity and Polymorphic Information Content values ranged from 0.750 to 1.000 and 0.748-0.899, respectively, while discrimination power per locus varied from 0.716 to 0.965. Five to thirty genotypes were found in the sour cherry collections for the three tested SSR loci. The combined discrimination power of all loci was effectively 0.994 and 0.999 for the LIFG and SLU-Balsgård collections, respectively. The SSRs used were able to uniquely identify all accessions in the analysed genetic resources collections. The genotype data allowed estimation of genetic diversity and genetic characterisation of accessions in the collections. Genetic similarity analysis showed higher genetic similarity among the Baltic and Scandinavian sour cherry varieties, than between Baltic and Eastern European varieties.
Present-day changes in the morphology of the shore zone in the conditions of heavy tourist use: the case of Lake Czarne (upper Parsęta catchment)
Authors: Cichoń Małgorzata
Published: October 2011

Present-day changes in the morphology of the shore zone in the conditions of heavy tourist use: the case of Lake Czarne (upper Parsęta catchment)

So far, works on the effect of tourist use on relief have usually focused on mountain areas. Research confirms that changes in montane geoecosystems are not always a natural manifestation of landscape evolution, but often result from poorer resistance to degradation caused by heavy tourist traffic. In spite of a great number of studies concerning this problem, few address the effect of tourists on the geographical environment of lake-land areas. Hence, Lake Czarne was selected to determine the dynamics of morphogenetic changes in its shore area, especially in the scarp zone, with the help of geodetic surveys and studies of tourist capacity conducted in the years 2006-2009. On the basis of observations and the research, four stages in the evolution of the shore zone of Lake Czarne were distinguished that were correlated with specific meteorological and hydrological conditions affecting the number of recreationists on the beach.
Erosional-denudational valleys and their significance for the reconstruction of the Late Glacial environmental conditions (The Drawsko Lakeland, NW Poland)
Authors: Paluszkiewicz Renata
Published: October 2011

Erosional-denudational valleys and their significance for the reconstruction of the Late Glacial environmental conditions (The Drawsko Lakeland, NW Poland)

The article presents the morphological-lithological development and operation of dry erosional-denudational valleys located on morainic uplands in the Drawsko Lakeland. A detailed research was carried out on the morainic upland of the Buślarka and Piaski Pomorskie area. A geodetic study made it possible to identify over ten NW-SE and N-S oriented erosional-denudational valleys, clearly marked in the relief. They are small landforms: their length does not exceed 100 m, and the depth of incision reaches 4 m. Their exact morphometric description with the help of GIS methods and a detailed study of lithofacies characteristics of their deposits provided an insight into their operation. They follow a Late Glacial pattern in which Late Vistulian erosion only rejuvenated the already existing older forms.