bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fluctuations of anti‐Xa concentrations during maintenance enoxaparin therapy for neonatal thrombosis
Authors: Lulic‐Botica Mirjana , Rajpurkar Madhvi , Sabo Cindy , Tutag‐Lehr Victoria , Natarajan Girija
Published: December 2011

Aim:  To evaluate fluctuations in anti‐Xa concentrations in infants treated with enoxaparin for thrombosis and describe clinical outcomes.

Methods:  A retrospective chart review was performed on infants treated with enoxaparin in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and data on enoxaparin doses, anti‐Xa concentrations, clinical characteristics and outcomes were abstracted.

Results:  Our cohort (n = 26) had a median gestation of 36 (range, 23–41) weeks, birthweight of 2522 (510–3912) grams and 5‐min Apgar score of 8(4–9). Fifteen (57.7%) infants were males. Thromboses was diagnosed at a median age of 22 (range, 1–97) days; enoxaparin was initiated at 27.5 (range, 4–98) days at a mean (SD) dose of 1.4 (0.3) mg/kg every 12 h. Therapeutic anti‐Xa concentrations (0.5–1 U/mL) were achieved at a mean (SD) dose of 2.1 (0.6) mg/kg at 12.5 (12.2) days of treatment. Of the 143 anti‐Xa concentrations, 39 (27%) were within the therapeutic range. During maintenance therapy following initial therapeutic anti‐Xa concentration, 40% concentrations were therapeutic. Minor bleeding was noted in four infants and intracranial bleed in one infant; four infants died. During treatment, thrombocytopenia, renal and hepatic impairment during treatment were noted in 7, 2 and 4 infants, respectively. Clot resolution was observed in 21 (81%) infants.

Conclusions:  Anti‐Xa concentrations fluctuate during maintenance enoxaparin therapy, with therapeutic levels being achieved only sporadically in young infants. Despite this, enoxaparin appears efficacious in thrombosis resolution. Further studies on the impact of stringent control of concentrations on outcomes in this population are warranted.
Health outcomes among Swedish children: the role of social capital in the family, school and neighbourhood
Authors: Eriksson Ulrika , Hochwälder Jacek , Carlsund Åsa , Sellström Eva
Published: December 2011

Aim:  The aim of the study was to explore the extent to which Swedish children’s perceptions of social capital in the family, school and neighbourhood predicted health complaints and well‐being.

Methods:  The study used data from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children survey. The sample consisted of 3926 children aged 11–15 years. Correlations and hierarchical multiple linear regression were performed.

Results:  Higher degrees of family, school and neighbourhood social capital corresponded to lower levels of health complaints and higher levels of well‐being. Social capital in these three spheres had a cumulative effect on children’s health and well‐being.

Conclusions:  Social capital in the family, school and neighbourhood matters for children’s health and well‐being and the contributions from each context seem to be additive. Besides the family context, investments for improving child health should primarily be in the school, focusing on social relations and on creating safe and cohesive school environments. Neighbourhood social capital is also of importance and so must be taken into consideration when planning child health promotion interventions.
Estimation of body surface area in various childhood ages – validation of the Mosteller formula
Authors: El Edelbi Ranaa , Lindemalm Synnöve , Eksborg Staffan
Published: December 2011

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to validate the Mosteller formula for the estimation of body surface area (BSA) in various childhood ages. Many physiological processes including drug metabolism correlate with values for BSA. In addition, dosing of many drugs, especially drugs with low therapeutic index, for example, anti‐neoplastics, are based on estimated values of BSA.

Methods:  Published data from measured BSA in 268 children and infants (median age: 8 month; range: 0–18 years) were compared with BSA values estimated by the Mosteller formula. Correlation between estimated and measured BSA values was performed by the Spearman rank correlation. Bias and precision were evaluated as outlined by Sheiner and Beal. Measured and estimated BSA values were compared by the Eksborg’s plot.

Results:  Measured values of BSA and BSA values estimated by the Mosteller formula were closely correlated (rs = 0.973; p < 0.0001). The formula of Mosteller had with a precision of 9.38% and underestimated BSA by 4.06%. The quotients Estimated/Measured BSA were within the range 0.9–1.1 in 71.3% of the observations, but deviation up to 35% occurred.

Conclusion:  The Mosteller formula underestimates BSA in the paediatric population and must be used with precautions because of low precision, most pronounced in neonates and infants.
The reliability of the disabled children's quality‐of‐life questionnaire in Swedish children with diabetes
Authors: Chaplin JE , Hallman M , Nilsson NO , Lindblad B
Published: December 2011

Aim:  To determine the reliability of the disabled children’s quality‐of‐life measure (DISABKIDS) chronic generic questionnaire and diabetes module in children. The questionnaire is being evaluated for repeated routine health‐related quality‐of‐life (HrQoL) assessment and in association with the Swedish national paediatric diabetes registry (Swediabkids), which is a tool for regular clinical use.

Methods:  Children and parents completed the questionnaire during a routine visit to the diabetes clinic. In total, 120 families completed the test and retest. Split‐half reliability correlation and intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients were calculated. Bland & Altman plots were calculated on the generic HRQoL domain.

Results:  Both child and parent versions showed good internal consistency. Test–retest ICC coefficients for the generic HrQoL module were 0.913 for the children and 0.820 for the parent version. All generic domains independently showed good reliability. The diabetes module had a score of 0.855 for children and 0.823 for parents. Split‐half correlation for generic and diabetes modules was 0.930 and 0.848 for children, 0.953 and 0.903 for parents. Bland and Altman plots showed substantial agreement between the two administrations for both children and parents.

Conclusion:  The DISABKIDS questionnaire is a reliable instrument for the repeated measurements of HrQoL in children with diabetes.
Markers of systemic inflammation in children with hyperuricemia
Authors: Wasilewska Anna , Tenderenda Edyta , Taranta‐Janusz Katarzyna , Tobolczyk Jolanta , Stypułkowska Justyna
Published: December 2011

Aim:  The purpose of the study was to investigate serum concentrations of the monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) and high‐sensitivity CRP (hs‐CRP) in children with hyperuricemia and to evaluate its association with obesity.

Patients and Methods:  The study involved 52 hyperuricemic patients with mean age of 15.53 ± 1.7 years. Twenty‐seven healthy individuals with normal serum uric acid (SUA) level were selected as the control group (C). Serum MCP‐1 and hs‐CRP were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunonephelometry, respectively.

Results:  Hyperuricemic patients showed increased sMCP‐1 (median: 69.58 pg/mL) and hs‐CRP (median: 0.53 mg/L) vs. controls (48.39 pg/mL, 0.24 mg/L; respectively) (p < 0.01). The obese children also presented significantly higher levels of sMCP‐1 and hs‐CRP (median, 81.69 and 1.18 mg/L, respectively) in comparison with nonobese (median, 59.62 and 0.41 mg/L, respectively; p < 0.01). Only hs‐CRP correlated positively with body mass index Z‐score (r = 0.33, p < 0.05). Receiver operator characteristic analyses checking the sensitivity and specificity of examined markers for hyperuricemia revealed the higher area under the curve (AUC) for sMCP‐1; however, the difference between AUC for sMCP‐1 and for hs‐CRP was not significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:  Serum MCP‐1 and hs‐CRP are elevated in hyperuricemic patients, but the role of obesity in inflammation markers needs further investigation.
Interaction of HRP‐2 isoforms with HDGF. Chromatin binding of a specific heteromer
Authors: Thakar Ketan , Votteler Ina , Kelkar Dipti , Shidore Teja , Gupta Shivangi , Kelm Sørge , Dietz Frank
Published: December 2011

Hepatoma‐derived growth‐factor‐related protein 2 (HRP‐2) belongs to a family with five additional members: hepatoma‐derived growth factor (HDGF); lens epithelium‐derived growth factor; and the HDGF‐related proteins ‐1, ‐3 and ‐4. Very little is known regarding the function of HRP‐2 in particular. This study shows for the first time heteromer formation of different members of the HRP family; HDGF and HRP‐2. In addition, we discovered a previously unknown splice variant of HRP‐2 mRNA encoding for a protein with a 53‐amino acid deletion in its hath region. This HRP‐2 isoform c interacts preferentially with a processed form of HDGF probably because of the loss of an α helix of HRP‐2. Furthermore, in contrast to other isoforms of HRP‐2, isoform c binds to chromatin similar to its most closely related family member lens epithelium‐derived growth factor with potential consequences regarding its function in HIV integration. Interestingly, only the new HRP‐2 isoform c and a processed form of HDGF are displaced from condensed mitotic metaphase chromatin. In conclusion, these observations provide a new perspective for understanding the biological functions of HDGF and related proteins.

Structured digital abstract

 HRP2 a and Hdgf physically interact by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (View interaction)

 HRP2 a and Hdgf colocalize by fluorescence microscopy (View interaction)

 HRP2 b physically interacts with Hdgf by pull down (View Interaction: 1, 2)

 Hdgf and HRP2 c physically interact by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (View interaction)

 Hdgf and HRP2 b colocalize by fluorescence microscopy (View interaction)

 HRP2 a physically interacts with Hdgf by pull down (View Interaction: 1, 2)

 Hdgf and HRP2 b physically interact by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (View interaction)

 HRP2 c physically interacts with Hdgf by pull down (View Interaction: 1, 2)

 Hdgf and HRP2 c colocalize by fluorescence microscopy (View interaction)
Mapping out the multistage fibrillation of glucagon
Authors: Ghodke Shirin , Nielsen Søren B. , Christiansen Gunna , Hjuler Hans A. , Flink James , Otzen Daniel
Published: December 2011

The 29‐residue peptide hormone glucagon forms many different morphological types of amyloid‐like fibrils, depending on solvent conditions. Here, we combine time‐series far‐UV CD with singular value decomposition analysis to reveal six different conformational states populated during fibrillation at 25 °C and pH 2.5. The existence of these states is supported by complementary fluorescence and electron microscopy data. This highlights a multitude of structural transitions of glucagon from unordered structure to β sheets, β turns and further tertiary‐level changes. We attribute the observed unusual far‐UV CD spectra to tertiary‐level structural changes during the formation and maturation of fibrils. The fibrillation model for the whole process involves the formation of three oligomeric species and two different morphologies of fibrils in the same solution. The visualization of annular pore‐like species in the early stages of glucagon fibrillation and the prevalence of such species in the amyloidogenesis of several proteins indicates that they may be a common feature of the fibrillation process. This study gives significant insights into the stepwise conversion of soluble glucagon to its fibrillar state and identifies the importance of fibril twisting for its thermodynamic stabilization.

Structured digital abstract

 Glucagon and Glucagon bind by circular dichroism (View interaction)

 Glucagon and Glucagon bind by transmission electron microscopy (View interaction)

 Glucagon and Glucagon bind by fluorescence technology (View interaction)
Conservation of structure and mechanism within the transaldolase enzyme family
Authors: Samland Anne K. , Baier Shiromi , Schürmann Melanie , Inoue Tomoyuki , Huf Sabine , Schneider Gunter , Sprenger Georg A. , Sandalova Tatyana
Published: December 2011

Transaldolase (Tal) is involved in the central carbon metabolism, i.e. the non‐oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and is therefore a ubiquitous enzyme. However, Tals show a low degree in sequence identity and vary in length within the enzyme family which previously led to the definition of five subfamilies. We wondered how this variation is conserved in structure and function. To answer this question we characterised and compared the Tals from Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium glutamicum and Escherichia coli, each belonging to a different subfamily, with respect to their biochemical properties and structures. The overall structure of the Tal domain, a (β/α)8‐barrel fold, is well conserved between the different subfamilies but the enzymes show different degrees of oligomerisation (monomer, dimer and decamer). The substrate specificity of the three enzymes investigated is quite similar which is reflected in the conservation of the active site, the phosphate binding site as well as the position of a catalytically important water molecule. All decameric enzymes characterised so far appear to be heat stable no matter whether they originate from a mesophilic or thermophilic organism. Hence, the thermostability might be due to the structural properties, i.e. tight packing, of these enzymes.

Database

The crystal structures have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank with accession code 3R8R for BsTal and 3R5E for CgTal.

Structured digital abstract

 BsTal and BsTal bind by x‐ray crystallography (View interaction)

 BsTal and BsTal bind by x‐ray crystallography (View interaction)
Chronic Vitamin C Deficiency does not Accelerate Oxidative Stress in Ageing Brains of Guinea Pigs
Authors: Tveden‐Nyborg Pernille , Hasselholt Stine , Miyashita Namiyo , Moos Torben , Poulsen Henrik E. , Lykkesfeldt Jens
Published: December 2011

Increased oxidative stress in the brain has consistently been implied in ageing and in several degenerative brain disorders. Acting as a pivotal antioxidant in the brain, vitamin C is preferentially retained during deficiency and may play an essential role in neuroprotection during ageing. Thus, a lack of vitamin C could be associated with an increase in redox imbalance in the ageing brain. The present study compared oxidative stress of ageing to that of a long‐term non‐scorbutic vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs. Adults (3–9 months old) were compared to old (36–42 months old) animals during a 6‐month dietary intervention by assessing vitamin C transport and redox homoeostasis in the brain. In contrast to our hypothesis, chronic vitamin C deficiency did not affect the measured markers of oxidative stress in the brains of adult and aged animals. However, aged animals generally showed increased lipid oxidation (p < 0.001), decreased glutathione (p < 0.05), increased p53 mRNA expression (p < 0.01) and somewhat elevated DNA oxidation (p = 0.08) compared to adult counterparts irrespective of dietary vitamin C intake. Increased mRNA expression of sod1 (p < 0.05) and svct2 (p = 0.05) was observed in aged animals together with increased superoxide dismutase activity (p < 0.01) and cerebrospinal fluid vitamin C status (p < 0.001) suggesting a compensatory effort that did not counterbalance the effects of ageing. Essentially, no effects of age were observed in the liver demonstrating the brain's unique susceptibility to redox imbalance. Consistent with previous findings, we show that ageing per se constitutes a considerable oxidative insult in the brain. However, our data also suggest that a long‐term poor vitamin C status does not accelerate this process.
Benzo[α]pyrene‐Induced Anti‐Depressive‐like Behaviour in Adult Female Mice: Role of Monoaminergic Systems
Authors: Bouayed Jaouad , Bohn Torsten , Tybl Elisabeth , Kiemer Alexandra K. , Soulimani Rachid
Published: December 2011

Benzo[α]pyrene (B[α]P) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant exhibiting adverse effects on cognitive function and behaviour. In this study, depressive or antidepressive effects of B[α]P were investigated. Here, we report that a subacute B[α]P oral exposure (0.02–0.2 mg/kg) increases mobility behaviour in female adult mice in the tail suspension test, but not in the forced swimming test, without altering locomotion, suggesting that the tail suspension test was a more sensitive indicator of B[α]P‐induced neurobehavioural disturbance. This might be because of differences in neurochemical substrates and pathways, mediating the performance in these behavioural models of depression. The effect of B[α]P on female adult mice in the tail suspension test was similar to that obtained with subacute treatment of the antidepressant reference drug imipramine (10 mg/kg). Therefore, B[α]P at 0.02 mg/kg and 0.2 mg/kg induces an antidepressant‐like effect in mice, suggesting a neurobehavioural disturbance after oral exposure to this environmental compound. Furthermore, oral exposure to B[α]P at 0.02 mg/kg significantly increased gene expression levels of the brain receptors 5‐hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 1A (5HT1A) and alpha‐1D adrenergic (ADRA1D). In summary, the presented findings suggest that subacute oral exposure to B[α]P results in behavioural changes in female adult mice, possibly caused by alterations in the serotoninergic and adrenergic systems.
CB1 receptor antagonists: new discoveries leading to new perspectives
Authors: Kirilly E. , Gonda X. , Bagdy G.
Published: December 2011

CB1 receptor antagonists were among the most promising drug targets in the last decade. They have been explored and found to be effective as therapeutic agents for obesity and related cardiometabolic problems; however, use of rimonabant, the first marketed CB1 receptor antagonist, has been suspended because of its anxiogenic and depressogenic side effects. Because some other antiobesity drugs, like dexfenfluramine or sibutramine, were also suspended, the unmet need for drugs that reduce body weight became enormous. One approach that emerged was the use of CB1 receptor antagonists that poorly cross the blood brain barrier, the second, the development of neutral antagonists instead of inverse agonists, and the third, use of personalized medicine, namely the selection of the patient population without psychiatric side effects. In this review, we dissect the peripheral and central mechanisms involved in the effects of CB1 receptor antagonists and argue that central mechanisms are more or less involved in most cardiometabolic therapeutic effects and thus, among patients with unsatisfactory therapeutic response to compounds with peripheral action, centrally acting antagonists may be needed. An analysis of pharmacogenetic factors may help to identify persons who are at no or low risk for psychiatric adverse effects. Here, we present the models and identify molecular mechanisms and receptors involved in the effects of stress‐, anxiety‐ and depression‐related neurocircuitries sensitive to CB1 receptor antagonists, like the serotonergic, noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems, which are not only regulated by CB1 receptors, but also regulate the synthesis of the endocannabinoid 2‐arachidonoyl‐glycerol.
Study of the TmoS/TmoT two‐component system: towards the functional characterization of the family of TodS/TodT like systems
Authors: Silva‐Jiménez Hortencia , García‐Fontana Cristina , Cadirci Bilge Hilal , Ramos‐González María Isabel , Ramos Juan Luis , Krell Tino
Published: December 2011

The two‐component system TmoS/TmoT controls the expression of the toluene‐4‐monooxygenase pathway in Pseudomonas mendocina RK1 via modulation of PtmoX activity. The TmoS/TmoT system belongs to the family of TodS/TodT like proteins. The sensor kinase TmoS is a 108 kDa protein composed of seven different domains. Using isothermal titration calorimetry we show that purified TmoS binds a wide range of aromatic compounds with high affinities. Tightest ligand binding was observed for toluene (KD = 150 nM), which corresponds to the highest affinity measured between an effector and a sensor kinase. Other compounds with affinities in the nanomolar range include benzene, the 3 xylene isomers, styrene, nitrobenzene or p‐chlorotoluene. We demonstrate that only part of the ligands that bind to TmoS increase protein autophosphorylation in vitro and consequently pathway expression in vivo. These compounds are referred to as agonists. Other TmoS ligands, termed antagonists, failed to increase TmoS autophosphorylation, which resulted in their incapacity to stimulate gene expression in vivo. We also show that TmoS saturated with different agonists differs in their autokinase activities. The effector screening of gene expression showed that promoter activity of PtmoX and PtodX (controlled by the TodS/TodT system) is mediated by the same set of 22 compounds. The common structural feature of these compounds is the presence of a single aromatic ring. Among these ligands, toluene was the most potent inducer of both promoter activities. Information on the TmoS/TmoT and TodS/TodT system combined with a sequence analysis of family members permits to identify distinct features that define this protein family.
Epidemiology, complications and management of diabetes in Ethiopia: A systematic review
Authors: NIGATU Tilahun
Published: December 2011

Non‐communicable diseases are becoming major problems of public health importance in most developing countries as a result of the effects of globalization and epidemiologic transition; however, there is little evidence regarding diabetes and other non‐communicable diseases in these countries. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the magnitude of diabetes, the relationship between malnutrition and diabetes, diabetic complications, and the management of diabetes in Ethiopia. Relevant studies and other evidence were identified by searches in the Embase from 1970 to December 2011 and by reviewing the reference lists from retrieved articles. Relevant articles from non‐indexed local journals were also included. Data were extracted and summarized using the major themes of the systematic review. Although the prevalence of diabetes in Ethiopia is estimated to be 2% nationally, evidence suggests that it prevalence could be >5% in those older than 40 years of age in some settings. Studies in the 1980s and 1990s have reported conflicting evidence regarding malnutrition‐related diabetes; however, more recent studies are reconfirming a strong association between malnutrition and diabetes. There is remarkable prevalence of both acute and chronic complications in diabetic cases in Ethiopia. In addition to this, more than one‐third, but only less than half, of diabetic patients in Ethiopia receive standard diabetes care. The results of this study indicate that, in response to the emergence of diabetes and other non‐communicable diseases, effective and efficient prevention and control strategies should be designed and implemented in Ethiopia.
Geochemical Constrains on Petrogenesis and Tectonic Setting of Volcanic Rocks from the Baimianxia and Sanwan Formations in the Northern Margin of the Yangtze Plate
Authors: Xueyi XU , Junlu CHEN , Xiangmin LI , Zhongping MA , Hongliang WANG , Ping LI , Ting LI
Published: December 2011

On the basis of petrogeochemical data, the volcanic lavas of the Baimianxia Formation can be classified into two units: high TiO2 and low TiO2. The TiO2 concentration of the former is generally higher than 1%, which occurs in the lower part with high‐grade metamorphism, but the latter is less than 1% and crops out in the upper part with low‐grade metamorphism. The high‐TiO2 unit is dominated by tholeiitic lavas showing high rare earth element (REE) contents (ΣREE = 83.4–180.8 μg/g), high light/heavy REE (LREE/HREE) ratios (LREE/HREE=2.17–5.85) and weak negative Eu anomaly (Eu=0.79–1.01). Its trace element patterns display weak Nb‐Ta anomalies with respect to Th, K, La, Ce, showing within‐plate basalt affinities. In contrast, the low‐TiO2 unit is characterized by low REE contents, low LREE/HREE ratios, and pronounced Nb‐Ta anomalies, indicating typical arc or continental arc signature. Chondrite‐normalized REE patterns of basalts and andesites from the Sanwan Formation are flat or LREE depletion, which is very similar to normal mid‐oceanic basalt. Therefore, we suggest that these lavas should be formed in a back‐arc basin setting. Sr‐Nd isotopic data of the basalt in the lower part suggest that the rocks would have been formed in ∼1144 Ma. Based on the geochemical and isotopic features of the basalts, we suggest that these rocks in the low part of the Baimianxia Formation should originate from an asthenospheric oceanic‐island basalt‐like mantle source, which may be produced by partial melting of garnet lherzolite, and significantly underwent fractional crystallization and crustal or lithospheric mantle contamination en route to the surface. However, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry zircon U‐Pb dating of the basalt sample from the upper part of the Baimianxia Formation gives a 437 Ma, indicating a Early Paleozoic age. The geochemical analysis in this paper suggests that they may originate from an arc or continental arc in response to aqueous fluids or melt expelled from a subducting slab, and the partial melting occurred in the garnet stability field. The samples of basalts and andesites in the Sanwan Formation show they are derived from depleted mantle source similar to normal mid‐oceanic basalt. Finally, we can conclude that the lavas in the lower part of the Baimianxia Formation represent the geological records of rift‐related volcanism in the middle Proterozoic, which is commonly considered to be the precursor of continental breakup and followed by oceanic basin forming from Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic. Whereas, the lavas in upper part of the Baimianxia Formation and Sanwan Formations may have been generated by the oceanic and continental conversion that occurred in the early Paleozoic.
Zircon U‐Pb Dating on Granitoids from the Northern South China Sea and its Geotectonic Relevance
Authors: Hesheng SHI , Changhai XU , Zuyi ZHOU , Changqian MA
Published: December 2011

Zircon U‐Pb ages of 163.8–100.4 Ma and 146.6–134.5 Ma are obtained for the granitoids from the Pearl River mouth basin, and from southern Guangdong Province, respectively. These new dating data accord well with the crystallization ages of Yanshanian granitoids broadly in the Nanling. The active continental margin of South China, as revealed by a combination of zircon U‐Pb data, underwent a key granitoid‐dominated magmatism in 165–100 Ma. Its evolution varied temporally, and spatially, registering under control of the paleo‐Pacific slab subduction. The granitoids that occurred in 165–150 Ma broadly from the South China Sea to the Nanling are preferably related to two settings from volcanic‐arc to back‐arc extension, respectively. The activities of Cretaceous granitoids migrated from the southeastern Guangdong (148–130 Ma) to the Pearl River Mouth basin (127–112 Ma), corresponding to the model of a retreating subduction. The subduction‐related granitoid magmatism in South China continued until 108–97 Ma. A tectonic transformation from slab‐subduction to extension should occur at ∼100 Ma.
Risk Factors Associated with Transmission ofMycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisto Calves within Dairy Herd: A Systematic Review
Authors: Doré E. , Paré J. , Côté G. , Buczinski S. , Labrecque O. , Roy J.P. , Fecteau G.
Published: December 2011

Background

Paratuberculosis has a worldwide distribution and many countries have implemented control programs to prevent transmission among and within herds. For these programs to be efficient, knowledge of the risk factors involved in transmission is essential.

Objectives

Systematically review the scientific literature concerning risk factors associated withMycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis(MAP) transmission to dairy calves.

Study Design

Systematic review.

Methods

An electronic search was done inPubMed andCABto retrieve references relevant to answer at least 1 of the 5 questions concerning neonatal environment, colostrum, milk, housing of calves, and contact of calves with adult cow feces as risk factors inMAPtransmission. A 1st screening was done using titles only, then abstracts, and finally full‐length articles were reviewed for relevance. From the articles selected, risk factors and presence of a significant association between these risk factors andMAPtransmission were recorded.

Results

Twenty‐three articles from 11 different countries and published in 12 different journals were reviewed. The most common study design was cross‐sectional (n = 16). The case definition and diagnostic tests used were very variable among studies, but serumELISAwas used in most studies (n = 14). The study unit was the herd in 18 studies.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The contact of calves with adult cow feces is the most important risk factor inMAPtransmission. The 5 categories of risk factors are linked to one another.
Latent Equine Herpesvirus‐1 in Trigeminal Ganglia and Equine Idiopathic Headshaking
Authors: Aleman M. , Pickles K.J. , Simonek G. , Madigan J.E.
Published: December 2011

Background

Trigeminal neuralgia or neuropathic pain has been regarded as a putative cause of idiopathic headshaking in horses. Equine herpesvirus‐1 (EHV‐1) infection and resultant postherpetic pain have been suggested as a possible cause of such neuropathic pain.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To determine the presence of EHV‐1 in the trigeminal ganglia of horses with idiopathic headshaking.

Animals

Nineteen horses: control (n = 11, 9 geldings, 2 mares, median age 11 years) and headshaking (n = 8, all geldings, median age 11.5 years) horses were sourced from the equine research herd and caseload at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Methods

Prospective study to determine the presence of EHV‐1 latency in trigeminal ganglia of horses with idiopathic headshaking by real‐time PCR detection of the glycoprotein B (gB) gene and the DNA polymerase (ORF 30) gene of EHV‐1 in the absence of detectable late structural protein gene (gB gene) mRNA. Control horses were used for comparison. A house keeping gene (equine GAPDH) and positive and negative samples for EHV‐1 were used for quality control.

Results

All samples from control horses and 7 of 8 headshaking horses were negative for EHV‐1. One headshaking horse tested positive for a single copy of EHV‐1 gene.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

This study does not support a role for EHV‐1 infection and presumed postherpetic pain in the etiopathogenesis of equine headshaking.
Occlusion Devices and Approaches in Canine Patent Ductus Arteriosus: Comparison of Outcomes
Authors: Singh M. K. , Kittleson M. D. , Kass P. H. , Griffiths L. G.
Published: December 2011

Background

A comparison of transvascular occlusion methods for closing patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in dogs has not been done.

Objectives

To determine if clinically important differences exist between the approaches and devices currently used.

Animals

A total of 112 client‐owned dogs with left‐to‐right shunting PDA.

Methods

Retrospective study. Records from dogs that underwent attempted transvascular PDA occlusion from January 2006 to December 2009 were examined. Dogs were placed into 4 groups: Group 1: Amplatz Canine Duct Occluder (ACDO) (transarterial) — 36 dogs; Group 2: Gianturco or MReye Flipper Detachable Embolization (Flipper) coil (transarterial) — 38 dogs; Group 3: Amplatzer Vascular Plug (AVP) (transarterial) — 23 dogs; Group 4: Flipper coil (transvenous) — 15 dogs.

Results

The overall success rate of the procedures was high (92%) with comparable success rates among groups (87–97%). There were significantly fewer complications (P < .0001) in dogs receiving an ACDO than in the remaining groups (3% for ACDO versus 26–33% for the other groups). Fluoroscopy time for the transvenous method was significantly longer (median, 13 minutes) than for the other groups (median, 6 minutes) (P < .0001). Severity of residual flow 24 hours postprocedure was significantly less in the ACDO group than in the remaining groups (P = .0001–.05).

Conclusions

The ACDO appears superior in ease of use, complication rate, and completeness of occlusion. The remaining limiting factor with this device is patient size. Until a smaller ACDO device is marketed, coils remain the only choice for interventional closure in very small dogs.
Survival Characteristics and Prognostic Variables of Dogs with Preclinical Chronic Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease Attributable to Myxomatous Degeneration
Authors: Borgarelli M. , Crosara S. , Lamb K. , Savarino P. , La Rosa G. , Tarducci A. , Haggstrom J.
Published: December 2011

Background

Preclinical myxomatous mitral valve degeneration (MMVD) includes a heterogeneous group of dogs. Therefore, identifying risk factors for progression of the disease is of clinical importance.

Objectives

To investigate survival time and risk factors for clinical and echocardiographic variables taken at initial examination for clinical progression in preclinicalMMVDdogs.

Animals

A total of 256 dogs with stage B1 or B2 MMVD.

Materials and Methods

Medical records of 256 dogs with preclinicalMMVDwere reviewed retrospectively. Long‐term outcome was assessed by telephone interview. Dogs alive at the time of phone interview were asked to return to the hospital for re‐evaluation of their cardiac status.

Results

Seventy of 256 (27.3%) dogs died during the observation period. The median survival time, regardless of cause of death, was 588 (range 75–1,668) days. The presence of a murmur was associated with an increased risk of death (AHR2.14; 95%CI1.12, 4.11;P = 0.022). Thirty (12%) deaths were considered cardiac related.LA/Ao > 1.4 was the only negative predictor (AHR2.64; 1.13, 6.13;P = 0.024) for cardiac‐related deaths. Eighty‐three dogs were re‐examined, of which 34 progressed to a more advanced stage ofMMVD. The presence of Emax > 1.2 (AHR2.75; 95%CI1.01, 7.48;P = 0.047) and cough (AHR7.89; 95%CI3.18, 20.07;P < 0.001) were significant in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

PreclinicalMMVDrepresents a relatively benign condition in dogs. Clinicians might find stratification of this dog population according to risk factors based on clinical and echocardiographic findings helpful in determining treatment.
Efficacy of Protamine Zinc Recombinant Human Insulin for Controlling Hyperglycemia in Dogs with Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Maggiore A. Della , Nelson R. W. , Dennis J. , Johnson E. , Kass P. H.
Published: December 2011

Background

Alternative insulin preparations are needed whenNPHinsulin is ineffective in diabetic dogs. This study evaluated the efficacy of recombinant human protamine zinc insulin (rhPZI) for treating diabetic dogs.

Hypothesis

rhPZIis effective for treating diabetic dogs.

Animals

Six newly diagnosed and 11 insulin‐treated diabetic dogs.

Methods

Prospective clinical trial. Dogs were treated withrhPZIfor 60 days. Control of glycemia was assessed on days 7, 14, 30, and 60 by evaluation of history, physical examination, body weight, serum fructosamine concentration, and blood glucose concentrations measured before and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 hours afterrhPZIadministration. Adjustments in dosage ofrhPZIwere made as needed to control glycemia.

Results

rhPZIadministration resulted in a significant decrease in 10‐hour mean blood glucose (MBG10h; 299 ± 115 versus 457 ± 38 mg/dL,X ± SD,P = .0003) and serum fructosamine (478 ± 83 versus 557 ± 104 μmol/L,P = .006) concentration at day 60, compared with day 1, respectively. By day 60, polyuria and polydipsia had improved in 14, body weight was stable or increased in 16,MBG10hhad decreased in 16, and serum fructosamine concentration had decreased in 11 of 17 dogs, compared with day 1. Hypoglycemia (<80 mg/dL) was the only consistent adverse event.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

rhPZIis effective in diabetic dogs and can be considered as an alternative treatment in diabetic dogs that are poorly controlled using other insulin preparations.
Identification of a functional capsule locus in Streptococcus mitis
Authors: Rukke H.V. , Hegna I.K. , Petersen F.C.
Published: December 2011

The polysaccharide capsule of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a hallmark for virulence in humans. In its close relative Streptococcus mitis, a common human commensal, analysis of the sequenced genomes of six strains revealed the presence of a putative capsule locus in four of them. We constructed an isogenic S. mitis mutant from the type strain that lacked the 19 open reading frames in the capsule locus (Δcps mutant), using a deletion strategy similar to previous capsule functional studies in S. pneumoniae. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed a capsule‐like structure in the S. mitis type strain that was absent or reduced in the Δcps mutant. Since S. mitis are predominant oral colonizers of tooth surfaces, we addressed the relevance of the capsule locus for the S. mitis overall surface properties, autoaggregation and biofilm formation. The capsule deletion resulted in a mutant with approximately two‐fold increase in hydrophobicity. Binding to the Stains‐all cationic dye was reduced by 40%, suggesting a reduction in the overall negative surface charge of the mutant. The mutant exhibited also increased autoaggregation in coaggregation buffer, and up to six‐fold increase in biofilm levels. The results suggested that the capsule locus is associated with production of a capsule‐like structure in S. mitis and indicated that the S. mitis capsule‐like structure may confer surface attributes similar to those associated with the capsule in S. pneumoniae.
Angular Acceleration Without Torque?
Authors: Kaufman Richard D.
Published: December 2011

Hardly. Just as Robert Johns qualitatively describes angular acceleration by an internal force in his article “Acceleration Without Force?”1 here we will extend the discussion to consider angular acceleration by an internal torque. As we will see, this internal torque is due to an internal force acting at a distance from an instantaneous center.2
Application of a public health framework to examine the characteristics of coroners' recommendations for injury prevention
Authors: Bugeja Lyndal , Ibrahim Joseph Elias , Ozanne-Smith Joan , Brodie Lisa Ruth , McClure Roderick J
Published: December 2011

Objectives

Exploring the characteristics of recommendations generated from medicolegal death investigations is an important step towards improving their contribution to injury prevention. This study aimed to: (1) quantify coroners' recommendations; and (2) examine the nature of these recommendations according to public health principles of injury causation and prevention.

Methods

Deaths where coroners' recommendations were and were not made in the State of Victoria, Australia during the period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2005 were compared by sex, age group and underlying cause of death. The nature of recommendations made was examined retrospectively using a derived model based on principles of injury causation and prevention, comprising seven elements: (1) priority population; (2) risk/contributing factors; (3) countermeasure; (4) level of intervention; (5) strategy for implementation; (6) organisation; (7) time frame for implementation.

Results

Coroners' recommendations were relatively rare, made in only ∼6% of external-cause deaths. When coroners did make recommendations, they were statistically significantly more likely for persons aged 0–14 years and deaths resulting from transport crashes, complications of medical and surgical care, drowning and inanimate mechanical forces. Of the coroners' recommendations, ∼70% included at least four of the model's seven elements. The elements ‘countermeasure’ and ‘level of intervention’ were most commonly specified by coroners (∼95%) in their recommendations.

Conclusions

This study shows that highly evolved medicolegal death investigation systems may not draw systematically from the scientific research evidence base to inform the formulation of coroners' public health and safety recommendations. To maximise its contribution to fatal injury prevention, the medicolegal death investigation may benefit from incorporation of a public health perspective.
PEREA
Authors: Au M. Ho , Tsang P. P. , Kapadia A.
Published: December 2011

Several anonymous authentication schemes allow servers to revoke a misbehaving user's ability to make future accesses. Traditionally, these schemes have relied on powerful Trusted Third Parties (TTPs) capable of deanonymizing (or linking) users' connections. Such TTPs are undesirable because users' anonymity is not guaranteed, and users must trust them to judge misbehaviors fairly. Recent schemes such as
Blacklistable Anonymous Credentials (BLAC)
and
Enhanced Privacy ID (EPID)
support “privacy-enhanced revocation”— servers can revoke misbehaving users without a TTP's involvement, and without learning the revoked users' identities.

In BLAC and EPID, however, the computation required for authentication at the server is
linear in the size (L) of the revocation list
, which is impractical as the size approaches thousands of entries. We propose PEREA, a new anonymous authentication scheme for which this bottleneck computation is
independent of the size of the revocation list
. Instead, the time complexity of authentication is linear in the size of a
revocation window
K
≪
L
, the number of subsequent authentications before which a user's misbehavior must be recognized if the user is to be revoked. We extend PEREA to support more complex revocation policies that take the
severity
of misbehaviors into account. Users can authenticate anonymously if their
naughtiness
, i.e., the sum of the severities of their blacklisted misbehaviors, is below a certain naughtiness threshold. We call our extension PEREA-Naughtiness. We prove the security of our constructions, and validate their efficiency as compared to BLAC analytically and quantitatively.
On two RFID privacy notions and their relations
Authors: Li Yingjiu , Deng Robert H. , Lai Junzuo , Ma Changshe
Published: December 2011

Privacy of RFID systems is receiving increasing attention in the RFID community. Basically, there are two kinds of RFID privacy notions in the literature: one based on the indistinguishability of two tags, denoted as ind-privacy, and the other based on the unpredictability of the output of an RFID protocol, denoted as unp-privacy. In this article, we first revisit the existing unpredictability-based RFID privacy models and point out their limitations. We then propose a new RFID privacy model, denoted as unp
*
-privacy, based on the indistinguishability of a real tag and a virtual tag. We formally clarify its relationship with the ind-privacy model. It is proven that ind-privacy is weaker than unp
*
-privacy. Moreover, the minimal (necessary and sufficient) condition on RFID tags to achieve unp
*
-privacy is determined. It is shown that if an RFID system is unp
*
-private, then the computational power of an RFID tag can be used to construct a pseudorandom function family provided that the RFID system is complete and sound. On the other hand, if each tag is able to compute a pseudorandom function, then the tags can be used to construct an RFID system with unp
*
-privacy. In this sense, a pseudorandom function family is the minimal requirement on an RFID tag's computational power for enforcing RFID system privacy. Finally, a new RFID mutual authentication protocol is proposed to satisfy the minimal requirement.
Privacy-preserving distributed network troubleshooting—bridging the gap between theory and practice
Authors: Burkhart Martin , Dimitropoulos Xenofontas
Published: December 2011

Today, there is a fundamental imbalance in cybersecurity. While attackers act more and more globally and coordinated, network defense is limited to examine local information only due to privacy concerns. To overcome this privacy barrier, we use secure multiparty computation (MPC) for the problem of aggregating network data from multiple domains. We first optimize MPC comparison operations for processing high volume data in near real-time by not enforcing protocols to run in a constant number of synchronization rounds. We then implement a complete set of basic MPC primitives in the SEPIA library. For parallel invocations, SEPIA's basic operations are between 35 and several hundred times faster than those of comparable MPC frameworks. Using these operations, we develop four protocols tailored for distributed network monitoring and security applications: the entropy, distinct count, event correlation, and top-k protocols. Extensive evaluation shows that the protocols are suitable for near real-time data aggregation. For example, our top-k protocol PPTKS accurately aggregates counts for 180,000 distributed IP addresses in only a few minutes. Finally, we use SEPIA with real traffic data from 17 customers of a backbone network to collaboratively detect, analyze, and mitigate distributed anomalies. Our work follows a path starting from theory, going to system design, performance evaluation, and ending with measurement. Along this way, it makes a first effort to bridge two very disparate worlds: MPC theory and network monitoring and security practices.
Sampling Exponentially Tilted Stable Distributions
Authors: Hofert Marius
Published: December 2011

Several algorithms for sampling exponentially tilted positive stable distributions have recently been suggested. Three of them are known as exact methods, that is, neither do they rely on approximations nor on numerically critical procedures. One of these algorithms is outperformed by another one uniformly over all parameters. The remaining two algorithms are based on different ideas and both have their advantages. After a brief overview of sampling algorithms for exponentially tilted positive stable distributions, the two algorithms are compared. A rule is derived when to apply which for sampling these distributions.
A New Algorithm for Simulating Wildfire Spread through Cellular Automata
Authors: Trunfio Giuseppe A. , D’Ambrosio Donato , Rongo Rocco , Spataro William , Di Gregorio Salvatore
Published: December 2011

Cell-based methods for simulating wildfires can be computationally more efficient than techniques based on the fire perimeter expansion. In spite of this, their success has been limited by the distortions that plague the simulated shapes. This article presents a novel algorithm for wildfire simulation through Cellular Automata (CA), which is able to effectively mitigate the problem of distorted fire shapes. Such a result is obtained allowing spread directions that are not constrained to the few angles imposed by the lattice of cells and the neighborhood size. The characteristics of the proposed algorithm are empirically investigated under homogeneous conditions through some comparisons with the outcomes of a typical CA-based simulator. Also, using two significant heterogeneous landscapes, a comparison with the vector-based simulator FARSITE is discussed. According to the results of this study, the proposed approach performs significantly better, in terms of accuracy, than the CA taken as reference. In addition, at a far less computational cost, it provides burned regions that are equivalent, for practical purposes, to those given by FARSITE.