bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Finding of the Atrial Substrate Properties and Long‐Term Results of Catheter Ablation in Chronic Atrial Fibrillation Patients with Left Atrial Spontaneous Echo Contrast
Authors: HARTONO BENY , LO LI‐WEI , CHENG CHEN‐CHUAN , LIN YENN‐JIANG , CHANG SHIH‐LIN , HU YU‐FENG , SUENARI KAZUYOSHI , HUNG LI CHENG , CHAO TZE‐FAN , LIU SHUEN‐HSIN , NIU YA‐LEI , CHANG HUNG‐YU , AMBROSE KIBOS , YU WEN‐CHUNG , HSU TSUI‐LIEH , CHEN SHIH‐ANN
Published: September 2011

Atrial Substrate Properties in Chronic AF Patients with LASEC. Background: The atrial substrate in chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with a left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (LASEC) has not been previously reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the atrial substrate properties and long‐term follow‐up results in the patients who received catheter ablation of chronic AF.

Methods: Of 36 consecutive patients with chronic AF who received a stepwise ablation approach, 18 patients with an LASEC (group I) were compared with 18 age‐gender‐left atrial volume matched patients without an LASEC (group II). The atrial substrate properties including the weighted peak‐to‐peak voltage, total activation time during sinus rhythm (SR), dominant frequency (DF), and complex fractionated electrograms (CFEs) during AF in the bi‐atria were evaluated.

Result: The left atrial weighted bipolar peak‐to‐peak voltage (1.0 ± 0.6 vs 1.6 ± 0.7 mV, P = 0.04), total activation time (119 ± 20 vs 103 ± 13 ms, P < 0.001) and DF (7.3 ± 1.3 vs 6.6 ± 0.7 Hz, P < 0.001) differed between group I and group II, respectively. Those parameters did not differ in the right atrium. The bi‐atrial CFEs (left atrium: 89 ± 24 vs 92 ± 25, P = 0.8; right atrium: 92 ± 25 vs 102 ± 3, P = 0.9) did not differ between group I and group II, respectively. After a mean follow‐up of 30 ± 13 month, there were significant differences in the antiarrhythmic drugs (1.1 ± 0.3 vs 0.7 ± 0.5, P = 0.02) needed after ablation, and recurrence as persistent AF (92% vs 50%, P = 0.03) between group I and group II, respectively. After multiple procedures, there were more group II patients that remained in SR, when compared with group I (78% vs 44%, P = 0.04).

Conclusion: There was a poorer atrial substrate, lesser SR maintenance after catheter ablation and need for more antiarrhythmic drugs in the chronic AF patients with an LASEC when compared with those without an LASEC. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. pp. 1‐8)
Atlas‐Based Versus Individual‐Based Fiber Tracking of the Corpus Callosum in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Reliability and Clinical Correlations
Authors: Marcella Laganà Maria , Ceccarelli Antonia , Giulia Preti Maria , Venturelli Chiara , Pia Sormani Maria , Cavarretta Rosella , Baselli Giuseppe , Cecconi Pietro , Caputo Domenico , Rovaris Marco
Published: September 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In multiple sclerosis (MS), the presence of lesions and normal‐appearing white matter damage may affect the reliability of diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐based tractography. We compared the performance of an individual‐based method for corpus callosum (CC) fiber tracking in MS with those of two atlas‐based methods.

METHODS

Brain DT MRI scans were acquired from 35 patients with MS and 18 age‐matched healthy volunteers (HV). DT‐derived metrics from the CC—the mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA)—were calculated using an individual‐based and two atlas‐based methods with different types of subject registration (linear and nonlinear) to a CC atlas. Customized termination criteria were applied to stop the tracking algorithm when using the individual‐based method.

RESULTS

All the methods were able to distinguish between MS patients and HV. Using the individual‐based method, stronger relationships were found between CC DT‐derived metrics and the subjects’ clinical condition.

CONCLUSION

CC DT tractography using an individual‐based method is more sensitive than the atlas‐based ones to tract‐specific alterations related to MS disability. An atlas‐based method with nonlinear registration can be a valid alternative when an automated postprocessing is warranted, such as in the case of high volumes of data.
Do patients with chronic patellar tendinopathy have an altered somatosensory profile? – A Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) study
Authors: van Wilgen C. P. , Konopka K. H. , Keizer D. , Zwerver J. , Dekker R.
Published: September 2011

The prevalence of tendinopathies in sports is high. The etiology and pain mechanisms of tendinopathies are not completely understood. Currently, little is known whether, or to which degree, somatosensory changes within the nervous system may contribute to the pain in tendinopathies. We conducted a patient controlled study in which we used the standardized QST protocol developed by the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain. This protocol consists of seven different tests that measures 13 somatosensory parameters and can be seen as the gold standard to measure somatosensory function. Twelve athletes with clinically diagnosed chronic patellar tendinopathy (PT) mean duration 30 months (range 6–120) and 20 controls were included in the study. In two of the 13 QST parameters namely Mechanical Pain Threshold (P < 0.05) and Vibration Disappearance Threshold (P < 0.5) injured athletes were significantly more sensitive for the applied stimuli. None of the athletes had signs of Dynamic Mechanical Allodynia. Reduced mechanical pain thresholds or pinprick allodynia reflects the involvement of central sensitization upon the myelinated (Aδ‐fibre) nociceptive input. From this explorative study, we conclude that sensitization may play a prominent role in the pain during and after sports activity in patella tendinopathy patients.
Impact of polymerase chain reaction results on patient management during a viral meningitis outbreak in Tropical North Queensland
Authors: Stonehouse Vicki , Furyk Jeremy , Norton Robert
Published: September 2011

Objectives: Enterovirus is the most commonly isolated pathogen in viral meningitis. We report on the first outbreak of viral meningitis in Tropical Queensland and the effect of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results on antibiotic use and hospital length of stay.

Methods: Retrospective case series of consecutive patients presenting to the Townsville ED with viral meningitis were evaluated by examining hospital medical records. The study period was November 2008 to February 2009.

Results: Forty‐three patients were available for full analysis of which 17 (40%) were female and 17 (40%) had a positive enteroviral PCR. Antibiotics were commenced on 37 (86%) of patients. There was no difference in hospital length of stay in patients with a negative versus positive PCR (2.52 vs 2.72 days, P = 0.68) or duration of antibiotic therapy (2.20 vs 1.94 days, P = 0.61).

Conclusion: In our study a positive result on PCR was not associated with a shorter hospital length of stay or a shorter duration of antibiotic therapy. This contrasts with previous reports on this topic and requires further evaluation.
Population structure of melon‐headed whales (Peponocephala electra) in the Hawaiian Archipelago: Evidence of multiple populations based on photo identification
Authors: Aschettino Jessica M. , Baird Robin W. , McSweeney Daniel J. , Webster Daniel L. , Schorr Gregory S. , Huggins Jessica L. , Martien Karen K. , Mahaffy Sabre D. , West Kristi L.
Published: September 2011

Abstract

Despite the presence of melon‐headed whales in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, little is known about this species. To assess population structure in Hawai‘i, dedicated field efforts were undertaken from 2000 to 2009. Using only good quality photographs, there were 1,433 unique photo‐identified individuals, of which 1,046 were distinctive. Of these, 31.5% were seen more than once. Resighting data combined with social network analyses showed evidence of two populations—a smaller, resident population, seen exclusively off the northwest region of the island of Hawai‘i, and a larger population, seen throughout all the main Hawaiian Islands (hereafter the “main Hawaiian Islands” population). A Bayesian analysis examining the probability of movements of individuals between populations provided a posterior median dispersal rate of 0.0009/yr (95% CI = 0–0.0041), indicating the populations are likely demographically independent. Depth of encounters with the Hawai‘i Island resident population was significantly shallower (median = 381 m) than those with the main Hawaiian Islands population (median = 1,662 m). Resightings of individuals have occurred up to 22 yr apart for the Hawai‘i Island resident population and up to 13 yr apart for the main Hawaiian Islands population, suggesting long‐term residency to the islands for both populations.
Predation of cassowary dispersed seeds: is the cassowary an effective disperser?
Authors: BRADFORD Matt G. , WESTCOTT David A.
Published: September 2011

Post‐dispersal predation is a potentially significant modifier of the distribution of recruiting plants and an often unmeasured determinant of the effectiveness of a frugivore's dispersal service. In the wet tropical forests of Australia and New Guinea, the cassowary provides a large volume, long distance dispersal service incorporating beneficial gut processing; however, the resultant clumped deposition might expose seeds to elevated mortality. We examined the contribution of post‐dispersal seed predation to cassowary dispersal effectiveness by monitoring the fate of 11 species in southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii Linnaeus) droppings over a period of 1 year. Across all species, the rate of predation and removal was relatively slow. After 1 month, 70% of seeds remained intact and outwardly viable, while the number fell to 38% after 1 year. The proportion of seeds remaining intact in droppings varied considerably between species: soft‐seeded and large‐seeded species were more likely to escape removal and predation. Importantly, across all species, seeds in droppings were no more likely to be predated than those left undispersed under the parent tree. We speculate that seed predating and scatter‐hoarding rodents are responsible for the vast majority of predation and removal from droppings and that the few seeds which undergo secondary dispersal survive to germination. Our findings reinforce the conclusion that the cassowary is an important seed disperser; however, dispersal effectiveness for particular plant species can be reduced by massive post‐dispersal seed mortality.
Cuticular hydrocarbons in two parapatric species of ants and their hybrid
Authors: EL‐SHEHABY Mohamed , SALAMA Mohamed Sayed , BRUNNER Elisabeth , HEINZE Jürgen
Published: September 2011

Discrimination between nestmates and non‐nestmates in social insects is thought to rely on the pattern of cuticular hydrocarbons. We investigated the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of 2 parapatric sibling ant species, Temnothorax nylanderi (Förster, 1850) and Temnothorax crassispinus (Karavaiev, 1926), and their hybrid. We found that although the profiles show considerable similarities, a discriminant analysis based on the relative peak areas of cuticular hydrocarbons separates the 3 taxa. The profiles of hybrids were not consistently intermediate between those of the paternal species, suggesting either non‐additive interactions among the parental biosynthetic pathways or systematic differences in environment‐derived odor cues.
Difficult Urination Does Not Affect the Successful Outcome after 100U OnabotulinumtoxinA Intravesical Injection in Patients with Idiopathic Detrusor Overactivity
Authors: CHEN Yih‐Chou , KUO Hann‐Chorng
Published: September 2011

Objectives: Intravesical injection of onabotulinumtoxinA (i.e. Botox) provides effective treatment for overactive bladder. However, treatment‐related adverse events (AEs) remain problems. This study investigated the effect of AEs after onabotulinumtoxinA injection on the success rate for idiopathic detrusor overactivity (IDO).

Methods: A total of 174 patients who received the first single intravesical onabotulinumtoxinA 100U injection for refractory IDO were included. The onabotulinumtoxinA related AEs including acute urinary retention (AUR), large postvoid residual (PVR, ≥150 mL), difficult urination, urinary tract infection, gross hematuria and general weakness were recorded. The success rate was determined based on patient perception of bladder condition improved by two scales. The short‐term (3 months) and long‐term (up to 24 months) success rates were analyzed according to the occurrence of these AEs.

Results: A successful outcome was reported by 138 (79.3%) patients at 3 months. AUR occurred in 12 (6.9%) patients, large PVR developed in 81 (46.6%) and 73 (42%) needed straining to void. Gross hematuria occurred in 17 (9.8%) patients, urinary tract infection developed in 27 (15.5%) and general weakness was noted in 6 (3.4%). The occurrence of AUR did not affect the therapeutic results. Patients having large PVR and difficult urination had a significantly higher success rate at 3 months. Long‐term success rates up to 24 months showed no significant difference between patients with and without AEs.

Conclusions: AEs after intravesical 100U onabotulinumtoxinA for IDO were frequently encountered. However, the occurrence of AUR, large PVR or difficult urination did not affect the final therapeutic outcome.
Clinical Trial of Vinblastine in Dogs with Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder
Authors: Arnold E.J. , Childress M.O. , Fourez L.M. , Tan K.M. , Stewart J.C. , Bonney P.L. , Knapp D.W.
Published: September 2011

Background

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder of dogs can be a difficult cancer to treat, and effective therapies are limited. Vinblastine has been used in humans with TCC and has potent anti‐proliferative effects against canine TCC cells in vitro.

Objectives

To determine the antitumor activity and toxicoses of vinblastine in dogs with urinary bladder TCC.

Animals

Animals selected were 28 privately owned dogs that presented to the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (PUVTH) with measurable, histologically confirmed TCC.

Methods

Prospective clinical trial: The starting vinblastine dosage was 3.0 mg/m2 IV every 2 weeks. Treatment continued until cancer progression or unacceptable toxicoses occurred. Complete evaluations (physical exam, complete blood count [CBC], serum biochemical profile, urinalysis, thoracic radiography, abdominal ultrasound [US]) were performed at 8‐week intervals. Urinary tract US with bladder tumor mapping was performed monthly. Toxicoses were graded according to Veterinary Co‐Operative Oncology Group (VCOG) criteria.

Results

Tumor responses included 10 (36%) partial remission, 14 (50%) stable disease, and 4 (14%) progressive disease. The median progression free interval was 122 days (range, 28–399 days). The median survival time was 147 days (range, 28–476 days) from 1st vinblastine treatment to death and 299 days (range, 43–921 days) from diagnosis to death. The majority of dogs (27 of 28) did not have clinically relevant adverse effects. Seventeen of 28 (61%) dogs required dosage reductions because of neutropenia.

Conclusion and Clinical Importance

Vinblastine has antitumor activity against TCC in dogs and can be considered another treatment option for this cancer.
Activated by Force
Authors: Wong Wei
Published: September 2011

An amiloride-sensitive sodium channel transduces intense mechanical stimuli in
Caenorhabditis elegans
.
Characterization of Mutations Conferring Extensive Drug Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Asho , Hasan Rumina , Jabeen Kauser , Jabeen Nusrat , Qadeer Ejaz , Hasan Zahra
Published: September 2011

The increasing incidence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in high-tuberculosis-burden countries further highlights the need for improved rapid diagnostic assays. An increasing incidence of XDR
M. tuberculosis
strains in Pakistan has been reported, but drug resistance-associated mutations in these strains have not been evaluated previously. We sequenced the “hot-spot” regions of
rpoB
,
katG
,
inhA
,
ahpC
,
gyrA
,
gyrB
, and
rrs
genes in 50 XDR
M. tuberculosis
strains. It was observed that 2% of rifampin, 6% of isoniazid, 24% of fluoroquinolone, and 32% of aminoglycoside/capreomycin resistance in XDR
M. tuberculosis
strains would be undetected if only these common hot-spot regions were tested. The frequencies of resistance-conferring mutations were found to be comparable among all XDR
M. tuberculosis
strain families present, including the Central Asian Strain, Beijing, and East African Indian genogroups and the Unique isolates. Additional genetic loci need to be tested for detection of mutations conferring fluoroquinolone, aminoglycoside, and capreomycin resistance in order to improve molecular diagnosis of regional XDR
M. tuberculosis
strains.
The Capsule of Porphyromonas gingivalis Leads to a Reduction in the Host Inflammatory Response, Evasion of Phagocytosis, and Increase in Virulence
Authors: Singh Amrita , Wyant Tiana , Anaya-Bergman Cecilia , Aduse-Opoku Joseph , Brunner Jorg , Laine Marja L. , Curtis Michael A. , Lewis Janina P.
Published: September 2011

Periodontal disease is a chronic oral inflammatory disease that is triggered by bacteria such as
Porphyromonas gingivalis
.
P. gingivalis
strains exhibit great heterogeneity, with some strains being encapsulated while others are nonencapsulated. Although the encapsulated strains have been shown to be more virulent in a mouse abscess model, so far the role of the capsule in
P. gingivalis
interactions with host cells is not well understood and its role in virulence has not been defined. Here, we investigated the contribution of the capsule to triggering a host response following microbial infection, as well as its protective role following bacterial internalization by host phagocytic cells with subsequent killing, using the encapsulated
P. gingivalis
strain W50 and its isogenic nonencapsulated mutant, PgC. Our study shows significant time-dependent upregulation of the expression of various groups of genes in macrophages challenged with both the encapsulated and nonencapsulated
P. gingivalis
strains. However, cells infected with the nonencapsulated strain showed significantly higher upregulation of 9 and 29 genes at 1 h and 8 h postinfection, respectively, than cells infected with the encapsulated strain. Among the genes highly upregulated by the nonencapsulated PgC strain were ones coding for cytokines and chemokines. Maturation markers were induced at a 2-fold higher rate in dendritic cells challenged with the nonencapsulated strain for 4 h than in dendritic cells challenged with the encapsulated strain. The rates of phagocytosis of the nonencapsulated
P. gingivalis
strain by both macrophages and dendritic cells were 4.5-fold and 7-fold higher, respectively, than the rates of phagocytosis of the encapsulated strain. On the contrary, the survival of the nonencapsulated
P. gingivalis
strain was drastically reduced compared to the survival of the encapsulated strain. Finally, the encapsulated strain exhibited greater virulence in a mouse abscess model. Our results indicate that the
P. gingivalis
capsule plays an important role in aiding evasion of host immune system activation, promoting survival of the bacterium within host cells, and increasing virulence. As such, it is a major virulence determinant of
P. gingivalis.
Complete Genomic Sequence of the
O
-Desmethylangolensin-Producing Bacterium Clostridium rRNA Cluster XIVa Strain SY8519, Isolated from Adult Human Intestine
Authors: Yokoyama Shin-ichiro , Oshima Kenshiro , Nomura Izumi , Hattori Masahira , Suzuki Tohru
Published: September 2011

The
O
-desmethylangolensin-producing
Clostridium
rRNA cluster XIVa strain SY8519 was isolated from the intestinal flora of a healthy human as a key isoflavonoid-metabolizing bacterium. Here, we report the finished and annotated genomic sequence of this organism.
The Software Industry IS the Problem
Authors: Kamp Poul-Henning
Published: September 2011

One score and seven years ago, Ken Thompson brought forth a new problem, conceived by thinking, and dedicated to the proposition that those who trusted computers were in deep trouble. I am, of course, talking about Thompson’s Turing Award lecture, "Reflections on Trusting Trust." Unless you remember this piece by heart, you might want to take a moment to read it if at all possible.
Privacy preservation in the dissemination of location data
Authors: Terrovitis Manolis
Published: September 2011

The rapid advance in handheld communication devices and the appearance of smartphones has allowed users to connect to the Internet and surf on the WWW while they are moving around the city or traveling. Location based services have been developed to deliver content that is adjusted to the current user location. Social networks have also responded to the challenge of users who can access the Internet from any place in the city, and location based social-networks like Foursquare have become very popular in a short period of time. The popularity of these applications is linked to the significant advantages they offer: users can exploit live location-based information to take dynamic decisions on issues like transportation, identification of places of interest or even on the opportunity to meet a friend or an associate in nearby locations. A side effect of sharing location-based information is that it exposes the user to substantial privacy related threats. Revealing the user's location carelessly can prove to be embarrassing, harmful professionally, or even dangerous.

Research in the data management field has put significant effort on anonymization techniques that obfuscate spatial information in order to hide the identity of the user or her exact location. Privacy guaranties and anonymization algorithms become increasingly sophisticated offering better and more efficient protection in data publishing and data exchange. Still, it is not clear yet what are the greatest dangers to user privacy and which are the most realistic privacy breaching scenarios. The aim of the paper is to provide a brief survey of the attack scenarios, the privacy guaranties and the data transformations employed to protect user privacy in real time. The paper focuses mostly on providing an overview of the privacy models that are investigated in literature and less on the algorithms and their scaling capabilities. The models and the attack scenarios are classified and compared, in order to provide an overview of the cases that are covered by existing research.
Relationship of Acute Phase Reactants and Fat Accumulation during Treatment for Tuberculosis
Authors: Sanchez Alejandro , Azen Colleen , Jones Brenda , Louie Stan , Sattler Fred
Published: September 2011

Background. Tuberculosis causes inflammation and muscle wasting. We investigated how attenuation of inflammation relates to repletion of body composition during treatment in an underserved population.Design. Twenty-four patients (23 to 79 years old) with pulmonary tuberculosis and inflammation (pretreatment albumin  g/dL, C-reactive protein [CRP]  μg/dL, and beta-2-microglobulin  μg/L) were evaluated and had BIA over 24 weeks.Results. Weight increased by  kg (5.5%; ) at week 4 and by  kg (15.6%; ) at week 24. Repletion of body mass was primarily fat, which increased by  kg at week 4 and  kg at week 24 ( and versus baseline). Fat-free mass (FFM), body cell mass (BCM), and phase angle did not increase until study week 8. Albumin rose to  g/dL by week 4 () and slowly increased thereafter. CRP levels declined by~50% at each interval visit.Conclusions. During the initial treatment, acute phase reactants returned towards normal. The predominant accrual of fat mass probably reflects ongoing, low levels of inflammation.
Cost-Effective Utilization of a Private Facility to Perform Outpatient Surgery in Public Hospital Waiting List Patients
Authors: Vuilleumier Henri , Coquelin Guy , Wasserfallen Jean-Blaise , Demartines Nicolas
Published: September 2011

Background: Public hospitals’ long waiting lists make outpatient surgery in private facilities very attractive provided a standardized protocol is applied. The aim of this study was to assess this kind of innovative collaboration in abdominal surgery from a clinical and economical perspective. Methods: All consecutive patients operated on in an outpatient basis in a private facility by a public hospital abdominal surgeon and an assistant over a 5-year period (2004–2009) were included. Clinical assessment was carried out from patients’ charts and satisfaction questionnaire, and economic assessment from the comparison between the surgeons’ charges paid by the private facility and the surgeons’ hospital salaries during the days devoted to surgery at the private facility. Results: Over the 5 years, 602 operative procedures were carried out during 190 operative days. All patients could be discharged the same day and only 1% of minor complications occurred. The patients’ satisfaction was 98%. The balance between the surgeons’ charges paid by the private facility and their hospital salary costs was positive by 25.8% for the senior surgeon and 12.6% for the assistant or, on average, 21.9% for both. Conclusion: Collaboration between an overloaded university hospital surgery department and a private surgical facility was successful, effective, safe, and cost-effective. It could be extended to other surgical specialities.
Risk, Clinical Features, and Outcomes of Thrombosis Associated With Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Manlhiot Cedric , Menjak Ines B. , Brandão Leonardo R. , Gruenwald Colleen E. , Schwartz Steven M. , Sivarajan V. Ben , Yoon Hyaemin , Maratta Robert , Carew Caitlin L. , McMullen Janet A. , Clarizia Nadia A. , Holtby Helen M. , Williams Suzan , Caldarone Christopher A. , Van Arsdell Glen S. , Chan Anthony K. , McCrindle Brian W.
Published: September 2011

Background—

Thrombosis, usually considered a serious but rare complication of pediatric cardiac surgery, has not been a major clinical and/or research focus in the past.

Methods and Results—

We noted 444 thrombi (66% occlusive, 60% symptomatic) in 171 of 1542 surgeries (11%). Factors associated with increased odds of thrombosis were age <31 days (odds ratio [OR], 2.0;
P
=0.002), baseline oxygen saturation <85% (OR, 2.0;
P
=0.001), previous thrombosis (OR, 2.6;
P
=0.001), heart transplantation (OR, 4.1;
P
<0.001), use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (OR, 1.9
P
=0.01), longer cumulative time with central lines (OR, 1.2 per 5-day equivalent;
P
<0.001), and postoperative use of extracorporeal support (OR, 5.2;
P
<0.001). Serious complications of thrombosis occurred with 64 of 444 thrombi (14%) in 47 of 171 patients (28%), and were associated with thrombus location (intrathoracic, 45%; extrathoracic arterial, 19%; extrathoracic venous, 8%;
P
<0.001), symptomatic thrombi (OR, 8.0;
P
=0.02), and partially/fully occluding thrombi (OR, 14.3;
P
=0.001); indwelling access line in vessel (versus no access line) was associated with lower risk of serious complications (OR, 0.4;
P
=0.05). Thrombosis was associated with longer intensive care unit (+10.0 days;
P
<0.001) and hospital stay (+15.2 days;
P
<0.001); higher odds of cardiac arrest (OR, 4.9;
P
<0.001), catheter reintervention (OR, 3.3;
P
=0.002), and reoperation (OR, 2.5;
P
=0.003); and increased mortality (OR, 5.1;
P
<0.001). Long-term outcome assessment was possible for 316 thrombi in 129 patients. Of those, 197 (62%) had resolved at the last follow-up. Factors associated with increased odds of thrombus resolution were location (intrathoracic, 75%; extrathoracic arterial, 89%; extrathoracic venous, 60%;
P
<0.001), nonocclusive thrombi (OR, 2.2;
P
=0.01), older age at surgery (OR, 1.2 per year;
P
=0.04), higher white blood cell count (OR, 1.1/10
9
cells per 1 mL;
P
=0.002), and lower fibrinogen (OR, 1.4/g/L;
P
=0.02) after surgery.

Conclusions—

Thrombosis affects a high proportion of children undergoing cardiac surgery and is associated with suboptimal outcomes. Increased awareness and effective prevention and detection strategies are needed.
Comparison of Ensemble Kalman Filter–Based Forecasts to Traditional Ensemble and Deterministic Forecasts for a Case Study of Banded Snow
Authors: Suarez Astrid , Reeves Heather Dawn , Wheatley Dustan , Coniglio Michael
Published: September 2011

The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) technique is compared to other modeling approaches for a case study of banded snow. The forecasts include a 12- and 3-km grid-spaced deterministic forecast (D12 and D3), a 12-km 30-member ensemble (E12), and a 12-km 30-member ensemble with EnKF-based four-dimensional data assimilation (EKF12). In D12 and D3, flow patterns are not ideal for banded snow, but they have similar precipitation accumulations in the correct location. The increased resolution did not improve the quantitative precipitation forecast. The E12 ensemble mean has a flow pattern favorable for banding and precipitation in the approximate correct location, although the magnitudes and probabilities of relevant features are quite low. Six members produced good forecasts of the flow patterns and the precipitation structure. The EKF12 ensemble mean has an ideal flow pattern for banded snow and the mean produces banded precipitation, but relevant features are about 100 km too far north. The EKF12 has a much lower spread than does E12, a consequence of their different initial conditions. Comparison of the initial ensemble means shows that EKF12 has a closed surface low and a region of high low- to midlevel humidity that are not present in E12. These features act in concert to produce a stronger ensemble-mean cyclonic system with heavier precipitation at the time of banding.
Early detection of malaria foci for targeted interventions in endemic southern Zambia
Authors: Davis Ryan G , Kamanga Aniset , Castillo-Salgado Carlos , Chime Nnenna , Mharakurwa Sungano , Shiff Clive
Published: September 2011

Background

Zambia has achieved significant reductions in the burden of malaria through a strategy of "scaling-up" effective interventions. Progress toward ultimate malaria elimination will require sustained prevention coverage and further interruption of transmission through active strategies to identify and treat asymptomatic malaria reservoirs. A surveillance system in Zambia's Southern Province has begun to implement such an approach. An early detection system could be an additional tool to identify foci of elevated incidence for targeted intervention.

Methods

Based on surveillance data collected weekly from 13 rural health centres (RHCs) divided into three transmission zones, early warning thresholds were created following a technique successfully implemented in Thailand. Alert levels were graphed for all 52 weeks of a year using the mean and 95% confidence interval upper limit of a Poisson distribution of the weekly diagnosed malaria cases for every available week of historic data (beginning in Aug, 2008) at each of the sites within a zone. Annually adjusted population estimates for the RHC catchment areas served as person-time of weekly exposure. The zonal threshold levels were validated against the incidence data from each of the 13 respective RHCs.

Results

Graphed threshold levels for the three zones generally conformed to observed seasonal incidence patterns. Comparing thresholds with historic weekly incidence values, the overall percentage of aberrant weeks ranged from 1.7% in Mbabala to 36.1% in Kamwanu. For most RHCs, the percentage of weeks above threshold was greater during the high transmission season and during the 2009 year compared to 2010. 39% of weeks breaching alert levels were part of a series of three or more consecutive aberrant weeks.

Conclusions

The inconsistent sensitivity of the zonal threshold levels impugns the reliability of the alert system. With more years of surveillance data available, individual thresholds for each RHC could be calculated and compared to the technique outlined here. Until then, "aberrant" weeks during low transmission seasons, and during high transmission seasons at sites where the threshold level is less sensitive, could feasibly be followed up for household screening. Communities with disproportionate numbers of aberrant weeks could be reviewed for defaults in the scaling-up intervention coverage.
Fixed point theorems for some new nonlinear mappings in Hilbert spaces
Authors: Lin Lai-Jiu , Chuang Chih-Sheng , Yu Zenn-Tsun
Published: September 2011

In this paper, we introduced two new classes of nonlinear mappings in Hilbert spaces. These two classes of nonlinear mappings contain some important classes of nonlinear mappings, like nonexpansive mappings and nonspreading mappings. We prove fixed point theorems, ergodic theorems, demiclosed principles, and Ray's type theorem for these nonlinear mappings.

Next, we prove weak convergence theorems for Moudafi's iteration process for these nonlinear mappings. Finally, we give some important examples for these new nonlinear mappings.
Government use licenses in Thailand: The power of evidence, civil movement and political leadership
Authors: Wibulpolprasert Suwit , Chokevivat Vichai , Oh Cecilia , Yamabhai Inthira
Published: September 2011

This paper attempts to describe and analyse the policy processes that led to the granting and implementation of the government use licenses to enable the import and production of generic versions of medicines patented in Thailand. The decision to grant the series of government use licenses was taken despite much domestic and international controversy. The paper demonstrates that the policy processes leading to the granting of government use licenses are a successful application of the concept of "the triangle that moves the mountain". This is a well-known conceptualisation of a philosophical and strategic approach to public policy advocacy in Thailand, which propounds that the effective bridging of three powers; a.) Knowledge and evidence generated by research and analysis, b.) Civil society movements and public support, and c.) Leadership of policy makers and politicians; in a synergistic "triangle" can move "mountains", meaning the resolution of seemingly insurmountable problems. The paper provides insights into the policy context for the decision and analyses the roles of key actors, their motivations and the policy processes in the country.
High level secretion of cellobiohydrolases by Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Ilmén Marja , den Haan Riaan , Brevnova Elena , McBride John , Wiswall Erin , Froehlich Allan , Koivula Anu , Voutilainen Sanni P , Siika-aho Matti , la Grange Daniël C , Thorngren Naomi , Ahlgren Simon , Mellon Mark , Deleault Kristen , Rajgarhia Vineet , van Zyl Willem H , Penttilä Merja
Published: September 2011

Background

The main technological impediment to widespread utilization of lignocellulose for the production of fuels and chemicals is the lack of low-cost technologies to overcome its recalcitrance. Organisms that hydrolyze lignocellulose and produce a valuable product such as ethanol at a high rate and titer could significantly reduce the costs of biomass conversion technologies, and will allow separate conversion steps to be combined in a consolidated bioprocess (CBP). Development ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaefor CBP requires the high level secretion of cellulases, particularly cellobiohydrolases.

Results

We expressed various cellobiohydrolases to identify enzymes that were efficiently secreted byS. cerevisiae. For enhanced cellulose hydrolysis, we engineered bimodular derivatives of a well secreted enzyme that naturally lacks the carbohydrate-binding module, and constructed strains expressing combinations ofcbh1andcbh2genes. Though there was significant variability in the enzyme levels produced, up to approximately 0.3 g/L CBH1 and approximately 1 g/L CBH2 could be produced in high cell density fermentations. Furthermore, we could show activation of the unfolded protein response as a result of cellobiohydrolase production. Finally, we report fermentation of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel™) to ethanol by CBH-producingS. cerevisiaestrains with the addition of beta-glucosidase.

Conclusions

Gene or protein specific features and compatibility with the host are important for efficient cellobiohydrolase secretion in yeast. The present work demonstrated that production of both CBH1 and CBH2 could be improved to levels where the barrier to CBH sufficiency in the hydrolysis of cellulose was overcome.
Information of Imminent Death or Not: Does It Make a Difference?
Authors: Lundquist Gunilla , Rasmussen Birgit H. , Axelsson Bertil
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This study examines whether end-of-life care for patients with cancer who were informed about imminent death differs from care for those patients with cancer who were not informed.

Patients and Methods

This study included all cancer deaths between 2006 and 2008 for which the patient did not lose his or her decision-making capacities until hours or days before death (N=13,818). These patients were taken from a national quality register for end-of-life care. The majority of the patients—91% (n=12,609) —had been given information about imminent death; 9% (n=1,209) had not been informed. Because of the difference in sample size, a matching procedure was performed to minimize bias. This resulted in a comparison of 1,191 informed and 1,191 uniformed patients. Nonparametric methods were used for statistical analyses.

Results

Informed patients significantly more often had parenteral drugs prescribed as needed (ie, PRN), had his or her family informed, died in his or her preferred place, and had family who were offered bereavement support. There was no difference in symptom control (ie, pain, anxiety, confusion, nausea, and respiratory tract secretions) between the groups.

Conclusion

Providing information of imminent death to a patient with cancer at the end of life does not seem to increase pain or anxiety, but it does seem to be associated with improved care and to increase the likelihood of fulfilling the principles of a good death.
Born in Translation: Mikhail Chulkov and Charlotte Summers
Authors: Garn Rimma
Published: September 2011

This essay discusses an intriguing literary journey, one in which an anonymous English eighteenth-century novel crossed the channel and, through its translation into French and Russian, became a crucial narrative model for one of the first published Russian fiction writers, Mikhail Chulkov. The English novel in question, The History of Charlotte Summers, The Fortunate Parish Girl (1749), was translated into French in 1751 and from French into Russian in 1763, just three years before the publication of the first installment of Chulkov's first literary work, The Mocker or Slavonic Tales (1766). This essay argues that Chulkov was inspired by at least one of these versions of Charlotte Summers when he developed his own self-conscious, self-mocking narrator and mock(ed) readers and listeners. The essay focuses on the self-conscious narrator and mock readers in the English original and their peculiarly transformed counterparts in its Russian translation and examines how Chulkov appropriates these elements to his own literary purpose, in both his voluminous collection The Mocker (1766–1768) and his short picaresque novel The Comely Cook or The Adventures of a Debauched Woman (1770). The timing of both the original publication and the translations of Charlotte Summers as well as textual evidence support the hypothesis that this anonymous English novel constitutes a profoundly important, yet overlooked, model for a crucial and entertaining feature of Chulkov's fiction: his ironic, self-conscious narrators' method of interweaving the narrative with an incessant squabble/dialogue/interaction with their mock readers and listeners. Charlotte Summers offered Chulkov, then a novice fiction writer, ways to undermine the earnest authoritative narrative voice ubiquitous in early Russian prose fiction, to introduce entertainment and mockery as valid aesthetic principles, and to fight his own literary and polemical battles.
Rethinking Working-Class Struggle through the Lens of the Carceral State: Toward a Labor History of Inmates and Guards
Authors: Thompson Heather Ann
Published: September 2011

Penitentiaries, prison farms, and other institutions of incarceration have long been places of production as well as punishment. This essay suggests that it is time for the American working class to pay attention to penal facilities as sites of productive labor and wage competition and to recognize that its destiny is tied in subtle but important ways to the ability of inmates as well as prison guards to demand fair pay as well as safe working conditions. Similarly, it is time for scholars to probe this historical relationship more carefully. America's inmate population and its many prison guards have a very rich labor history. This “hidden” labor history helps us to better understand why this nation's penal institutions experienced so much upheaval in the 1960s and 1970s, and why the “free-world” working class has faced its increasingly uphill battle to secure and keep decently paying and safe jobs from the 1970s onward.
Distributed Computation as an Economic System
Authors: Huberman Bernardo A , Hogg Tad
Published: September 2011

As computer networks grow and blanket the planet, they become a community of concurrent processes, which, in their interactions, strategies, and lack of perfect knowledge, become analogous to human market economies. Economics may thus offer new ways of designing and understanding the behavior of distributed computer systems.
The Single Transferable Vote
Authors: Tideman Nicolaus
Published: September 2011

The single transferable vote (STV) is a family of vote-counting procedures that use voters’ rankings of candidates as input and achieve proportional representation. This paper compares STV with other types of voting procedures and discusses the history of STV, issues concerning the rules of STV, limitations of various versions of STV, and a new version of STV based on paired comparisons of sets of candidates. Each refinement of STV overcomes a limitation of previous versions but at some cost in either the difficulty of understanding the procedure, the cost of computing the outcome, or both.
The Economic Case Against Drug Prohibition
Authors: Miron Jeffrey A , Zwiebel Jeffrey
Published: September 2011

This paper discusses the costs and benefits of drug prohibition. It offers a detailed outline of the economic consequences of drug prohibition and a systematic analysis of the relevant empirical evidence. The bottom line is that a relatively free market in drugs is likely to be vastly superior to the current policy of prohibition.
Comparison of Two Bone Surrogates for Interbody Device Subsidence Testing
Authors: Aiyangar Ameet K. , Au Anthony G. , Anderson Paul A. , Ploeg Heidi-Lynn
Published: September 2011

Bone surrogates are proposed alternatives to human cadaveric vertebrae for assessing interbody device subsidence. Polyurethane foam blocks are an accepted surrogate for cancellous bone but do not share their heterogeneous bone density distribution. Synthetic vertebrae have been recently developed as an alternative bone surrogate with representations of cortices, endplates, and cancellous bone. The efficacy of each surrogate was evaluated by uniaxially indenting it with an interbody device. The force-displacement curve profiles, failure forces, and depth of implant subsidence were compared for devices seated centrally and peripherally on the surrogates. The synthetic endplate mimicked human endplates through a gradually increasing endplate thickness toward the periphery. This enabled the synthetic vertebrae to provide additional subsidence resistance to implants seated at the periphery. By contrast, the foam block was insensitive to implant placement. Absence of failure in synthetic vertebrae from peripheral implant indentation suggests the synthetic endplate is stronger than human endplates but further study with human cadaveric vertebrae is needed.
Who Gets the Benefit of the Doubt From Uncertainty?
Authors: Hall John R.
Published: September 2011

Codes, standards and regulations require compliance with criteria stated as the results of tests or calculations. These results have associated uncertainty. This paper discusses different approaches to the use of uncertainty in the determination of compliance. In particular, most discussion addresses the many ways in which the decision-making protocol, intended to result in a determination of compliance, may shift the benefit of the doubt of the uncertainty between different interested parties.
Effects of Na-butyrate supplementation in milk formula on plasma concentrations of GH and insulin, and on rumen papilla development in calves
Authors: Kato Shin-Ichi , Sato Katsuyoshi , Chida Haruka , Roh Sang-Gun , Ohwada Shyuichi , Sato Shusuke , Guilloteau Paul , Katoh Kazuo
Published: September 2011

Although the growth-promoting action of sodium-butyrate (Na-butyrate) used as a feed additive has been observed in calves and pigs, the precise mechanisms involved remain to be clarified. In this study, pre-weaning calves were given milk formula (MF) supplemented with butyrate for 6 weeks to investigate its effects on postprandial changes in the plasma concentrations of metabolic hormones, and, simultaneously, on growth performance, the weight of the digestive organs and rumen papilla development. Ingestion of MF increased (P<0.05) the plasma concentrations of GH and insulin as well as the glucose level, but decreased the non-esterified fatty acid concentration. Na-butyrate supplementation in MF or in lactose solution (with the same quantity of lactose contained in the MF, 5%) suppressed the increase in plasma insulin and GH concentrations, and the plasma IGF1 level was not changed. The length of the rumen papilla and the weight of the perirenal fat tended to increase in the calves fed with Na-butyrate-supplemented MF, but the weight of the liver, spleen, and stomach were not changed. In addition, there was no difference in the expression of mRNA for sodium-dependent glucose transporter-1 in the small intestinal epithelial tissues. We conclude that the accelerated growth performance related to the intake of Na-butyrate used as a feed additive reported previously in several species is partly due to improved insulin sensitivity and a better digestive functional development. These data could be applicable to animal and human nutrition.
Transcriptional dynamics of the sex chromosomes and the search for offspring sex-specific antigens in sperm
Authors: Ellis Peter J I , Yu Yong , Zhang Shujun
Published: September 2011

The ability to pre-select offspring sex via separation of X- and Y-bearing sperm would have profound ramifications for the animal husbandry industry. No fully satisfactory method is as yet available for any species, although flow sorting is commercially viable for cattle. The discovery of antigens that distinguish X- and Y-bearing sperm, i.e. offspring sex-specific antigens (OSSAs), would allow for batched immunological separation of sperm and thus enable a safer, more widely applicable and high-throughput means of sperm sorting. This review addresses the basic processes of spermatogenesis that have complicated the search for OSSAs, in particular the syncytial development of male germ cells, and the transcriptional dynamics of the sex chromosomes during and after meiosis. We survey the various approaches taken to discover OSSA and propose that a whole-genome transcriptional approach to the problem is the most promising avenue for future research in the field.