bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Outcome of stand-alone thoracoscopic epicardial left atrial posterior box isolation with bipolar radiofrequency energy for longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Compier M. G. , Braun J. , Tjon A. , Zeppenfeld K. , Klautz R. J. M. , Schalij M. J. , Trines S. A. 
Published: December 2015

Abstract

Introduction
Catheter ablation of longstanding (> 1 year) persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with poor outcome. This might be due to remodelling and fibrosis formation, mainly located in the posterior left atrial (LA) wall. Therefore, we adopted a thoracoscopic epicardial box isolation of the posterior left atrium using bipolar RF energy with intraoperative testing of conduction block.

Methods and results
Bilateral thoracoscopic box isolation was performed with a bipolar RF clamp. Entrance block was defined as absence of a conducted electrogram within the box, while exit block was confirmed by pacing at 10.0 V/2 ms. Ablation outcome was evaluated after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months with 12-lead ECGs and 24-hour Holter recordings.
Twenty-five consecutive patients were included (58 ± 7 years, persistent AF duration 1.8 ± 0.9 years). Entrance block was achieved in all patients and exit block confirmed if sinus rhythm was achieved. After 17 ± 7 months, 76 % of the patients (n = 19) were free of AF recurrence. One patient died within 1 month and was considered an ablation failure. Four patients with AF recurrences regained sinus rhythm with additional catheter ablation or antiarrhythmic drugs.

Conclusions
Treatment of longstanding persistent AF with thoracoscopic epicardial LA posterior box isolation using bipolar RF energy with intraoperative testing of conduction block is feasible and highly effective.
White Workers in the Late Apartheid Period: A Report on the Wiehahn Commission and Mineworkers’ Union Archival Collections
Authors: van Zyl-Hermann Danelle 
Published: December 2015

Abstract:This paper offers a critique of the existing historiography on the late apartheid period, arguing that white workers’ role in and experience of the unraveling of racial privilege in the labor arena has been obscured by a focus on the high politics of reform and on anti-apartheid resistance emanating from African labor and the broader black population. Reporting from the archive, it discusses two under-utilized archival collections – that of the Commission of Inquiry into Labour Legislation and of the Mineworkers’ Union – as sources for starting to write white working-class organization, politics, identity, and experience into the history of reform and resistance, thereby adding a new dimension to South Africa’s broadly conceived struggle history.
Hospital Readmissions in Patients With Carbapenem-ResistantKlebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Messina Julia A. , Cober Eric , Richter Sandra S. , Perez Federico , Salata Robert A. , Kalayjian Robert C. , Watkins Richard R. , Scalera Nikole M. , Doi Yohei , Kaye Keith S. , Evans Scott , Bonomo Robert A. , Fowler Vance G. , van Duin David 
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUNDVarious transmission routes contribute to spread of carbapenem-resistantKlebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP) in hospitalized patients. Patients with readmissions during which CRKP is again isolated (“CRKP readmission”) potentially contribute to transmission of CRKP.OBJECTIVETo evaluate CRKP readmissions in the Consortium on Resistance against Carbapenems inK. pneumoniae(CRaCKLe).DESIGNCohort study from December 24, 2011, through July 1, 2013.SETTINGMulticenter consortium of acute care hospitals in the Great Lakes region.PATIENTSAll patients who were discharged alive during the study period were included. Each patient was included only once at the time of the first CRKP-positive culture.METHODSAll readmissions within 90 days of discharge from the index hospitalization during which CRKP was again found were analyzed. Risk factors for CRKP readmission were evaluated in multivariable models.RESULTSFifty-six (20%) of 287 patients who were discharged alive had a CRKP readmission. History of malignancy was associated with CRKP readmission (adjusted odds ratio [adjusted OR], 3.00 [95% CI, 1.32–6.65],P<.01). During the index hospitalization, 160 patients (56%) received antibiotic treatment against CRKP; the choice of regimen was associated with CRKP readmission (P=.02). Receipt of tigecycline-based therapy (adjusted OR, 5.13 [95% CI, 1.72–17.44], using aminoglycoside-based therapy as a reference in those treated with anti-CRKP antibiotics) was associated with CRKP readmission.CONCLUSIONHospitalized patients with CRKP—specifically those with a history of malignancy—are at high risk of readmission with recurrent CRKP infection or colonization. Treatment during the index hospitalization with a tigecycline-based regimen increases this risk.Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol.2016;37(3):281–288
Do tissue spears used to clear ear canal pus improve hearing? A case series study of hearing in remote Australian Aboriginal children with chronic suppurative otitis media before and after dry mopping with tissue spears
Authors: Sparrow K , Sanchez L , Turner D , MacFarlane P , Carney A S 
Published: December 2015

AbstractObjective:To determine whether the use of tissue spears to remove otorrhoea from Aboriginal children's ear canals improves hearing in the affected ear.Design:Case series study with controls.Methods:The study comprised 61 Aboriginal children from communities in the remote arid zone of South Australia who had otorrhoea obscuring the tympanic membrane in 1 or both ears. Eighty ears were treated with tissue spears, and hearing was assessed before and after treatment.Results:Forty-two children had unilateral and 19 had bilateral active disease. An additional 13 ears without otorrhoea served as controls. Improvement by 5 dB HL or greater in a four-frequency pure tone average occurred in 41.3 per cent of treated ears. Subsequently, blinded audiologists made qualitative judgements that a functional improvement in hearing had occurred after tissue spear use in 28.4 per cent of ears.Conclusion:Tissue spears can improve hearing thresholds in a significant proportion of children with otorrhoea. However, the duration of the effect is unknown.
Seroconversion for cytomegalovirus infection in a cohort of pregnant women in Québec, 2010–2013
Authors: LAMARRE V. , GILBERT N. L. , ROUSSEAU C. , GYORKOS T. W. , FRASER W. D. 
Published: December 2015

SUMMARYCytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading cause of congenital infection and non-genetic sensorineural hearing loss in children. There are no recent data on the incidence of CMV infection during pregnancy in Canada. This present study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of CMV IgG antibodies and the rate of seroconversion in a cohort of pregnant women in the province of Québec, Canada. We used serum samples and questionnaire data collected as part of the 3D Pregnancy and Birth Cohort Study (2010–2013) conducted in Québec, Canada. CMV IgG antibodies were determined in serum samples collected at the first and third trimesters. Associations between independent variables and seroprevalence were assessed using logistic regression, and associations with seroconversions, by Poisson regression. Of 1938 pregnant women tested, 40·4% were seropositive for CMV at baseline. Previous CMV infection was associated with: working as a daycare educator, lower education, lower income, having had children, first language other than French or English, and being born outside Canada or the United States. Of the 1122 initially seronegative women, 24 (2·1%) seroconverted between their first and third trimesters. The seroconversion rate was 1·4 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·9–2·1]/10 000 person-days at risk or 3·9 (95% CI 2·5–5·9)/100 pregnancies (assuming a 280-day gestation). The high proportion of pregnant women susceptible to CMV infection (nearly 60%) and the subsequent rate of seroconversion are of concern.
Development of a reliable GC-MS method for fatty acid profiling using direct transesterification of minimal quantities of microscopic orchid seeds
Authors: Colville Louise , Marks Tim R. , Pritchard Hugh W. , Custódio Ceci C. , Machado-Neto Nelson B. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractOrchid seeds are among the smallest seeds in nature and they are naturally rich in fatty acids. However, the fatty acid composition of orchid seeds has not been investigated because the sample masses utilized for widely used methods for fatty acid profiling would generally require prohibitively large numbers (i.e. 10,000s) of seeds. The present work aimed to develop a method for fatty acid analysis using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry on small quantities (mg) of seeds. The method was developed using the seeds of two species,Dactylorhiza fuchsii, a temperate terrestrial, andGrammatophyllum speciosum, a tropical epiphyte. A range of sample masses was tested to determine the minimum mass required to achieve reliable fatty acid composition data. A direct transesterification method was used, which did not require extraction of fatty acids from seeds prior to analysis, and the effects of seed processing (crushed versus intact seeds) and incubation time in toluene on fatty acid yield were tested. Stable fatty acid profiles were obtained using as little as 10 mg of seeds. Neither crushing the seeds nor extending the toluene incubation step had much effect on the fatty acid yield. The simple direct transesterification method presented will enable the fatty acid composition of orchid seeds, and possibly other small seeds, to be determined reliably for studies into seed development, storage and germination.
Intracellular Biosynthesis of Fluorescent CdSe Quantum Dots in Bacillus subtilis: A Strategy to Construct Signaling Bacterial Probes for Visually Detecting Interaction Between Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Yan Zheng-Yu , Ai Xiao-Xia , Su Yi-Long , Liu Xin-Ying , Shan Xiao-Hui , Wu Sheng-Mei 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn this work, fluorescent Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) cells were developed as probes for imaging applications and to explore behaviorial interaction between B. subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). A novel biological strategy of coupling intracellular biochemical reactions for controllable biosynthesis of CdSe quantum dots by living B. subtilis cells was demonstrated, through which highly luminant and photostable fluorescent B. subtilis cells were achieved with good uniformity. With the help of the obtained fluorescent B. subtilis cells probes, S. aureus cells responded to co-cultured B. subtilis and to aggregate. The degree of aggregation was calculated and nonlinearly fitted to a polynomial model. Systematic investigations of their interactions implied that B. subtilis cells inhibit the growth of neighboring S. aureus cells, and this inhibition was affected by both the growth stage and the amount of surrounding B. subtilis cells. Compared to traditional methods of studying bacterial interaction between two species, such as solid culture medium colony observation and imaging mass spectrometry detection, the procedures were more simple, vivid, and photostable due to the efficient fluorescence intralabeling with less influence on the cells’ surface, which might provide a new paradigm for future visualization of microbial behavior.
Assessment of nitrogen and phosphorus loads present in environments impacted by alternative poultry processing operations utilized in pasture-raised poultry production
Authors: O'Bryan Corliss A. , Crandall Philip , Jaroni Divya , Ricke Steven C. , Gibson Kristen E. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractPasture-raised poultry (PP) production systems allow chickens, turkeys or other poultry types to be raised entirely on pasture or in small, open-air moveable pens with access to fresh pasture daily. With an increase in consumer demand for poultry products produced using more humane and potentially environmentally sustainable practices, PP production systems are regaining popularity among farmers across the USA. The majority of research on PP is related to meat quality and forage conditions while the environmental effects have remained largely unstudied. The rotation of poultry on pasture is one of the primary best management practices (BMP) used to avoid over grazing and buildup of excess nutrients and pathogens; however, BMPs for handling and processing of the associated wastes (i.e., wastewater, feathers, offal) related to on-farm processing and mobile poultry processing units (MPPU) are not as well established. Therefore, a study with PP growers in the southern USA was initiated to provide important baseline information on the potential environmental impacts of processing methods used by PP production systems. Here, three farms utilizing on-farm processing were sampled over a 9-month period and two farms utilizing a MPPU pilot plant were sampled over a 3-month period. Soil, compost and wastewater samples were collected during each sampling date for on-farm processing while only wastewater was collected at the MPPU pilot plant. Soil samples (24-cm cores) were analyzed for total nitrogen (TN), Mehlich-3 extractable phosphorus (M3-P) and moisture content. Compost derived from processing wastes was analyzed for TN, total phosphorus (TP), water extractable P and moisture content. Wastewaters were analyzed for total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and TP. Soil TN levels (0.075–0.30%) reported here are comparable with TN levels reported for various soils in the Southeastern USA while M3-P was generally below levels found in agricultural soils subject to conventional poultry litter application based on previously published data. Conversely, TN and TP levels—0.3 to 1.3 and <0.4%, respectively—in compost were well below recommended values (i.e., approximately 2% each of N and P) for compost highlighting an opportunity for PP growers to create a more useful compost for land application. Last, wastewater collected from both, on-farm processing and the MPPU measure TKN and TP levels were much less than conventional processing. Overall, the present study provided baseline data on soil and compost nutrients related to on-farm poultry processing as well as wastewater composition for on-farm processing and MPPUs.
Special agreements as a means of enhancing compliance with IHL in non-international armed conflicts: An inquiry into the governing legal regime
Authors: Heffes Ezequiel , Kotlik Marcos D. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractCommon Article 3 to the four Geneva Conventions encourages the parties to a non-international armed conflict to bring into force international humanitarian law provisions through the conclusion of special agreements. Since armed groups are ever more frequent participants in contemporary armed conflicts, the relevance of those agreements as means to enhance compliance with IHL has grown as well. The decision-making process of special agreements recognizes that all the parties to the conflict participate in the clarification and expansion of the applicable rights and obligations in a way that is consistent with the principle of equality of belligerents. This provides incentives for armed groups to respect the IHL rules they have themselves negotiated. However, even upon the conclusion of such agreements, it remains unclear which legal regime governs them. This paper will argue that special agreements are governed by international law instead of domestic law or asui generislegal regime.
Layer-by-layer functionalized nanotube arrays: A versatile microfluidic platform for biodetection
Authors: Yost Allison L. , Shahsavari Setareh , Bradwell Grinia M. , Polak Roberta , Fachin Fabio , Cohen Robert E. , McKinley Gareth H. , Toner Mehmet , Rubner Michael F. , Wardle Brian L. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractWe demonstrate the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) on three-dimensional nanofiber scaffolds. High porosity (99%) aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays are photolithographically patterned into elements that act as textured scaffolds for the creation of functionally coated (nano)porous materials. Nanometer-scale bilayers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/poly(styrene sulfonate) (PAH/SPS) are formed conformally on the individual nanotubes by repeated deposition from aqueous solution in microfluidic channels. Computational and experimental results show that the LbL deposition is dominated by the diffusive transport of the polymeric constituents, and we use this understanding to demonstrate spatial tailoring on the patterned nanoporous elements. A proof-of-principle application, microfluidic bioparticle capture using N-hydroxysuccinimide-biotin binding for the isolation of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), is demonstrated.
Chip-scale gas chromatography: From injection through detection
Authors: Akbar Muhammad , Restaino Michael , Agah Masoud 
Published: December 2015

AbstractMiniaturized gas chromatography (µGC) systems hold potential for the rapid analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in an extremely compact and low-power enabled platform. Here, we utilize microfabrication technology to demonstrate the single chip integration of the key components of a µGC system in a two-step planar fabrication process. The 1.5 × 3 cm microfluidic platform includes a sample injection unit, a micromachined semi-packed separation column (µSC) and a micro-helium discharge photoionization detector (µDPID). The sample injection unit consists of a T-shaped channel operated with an equally simple setup involving a single three-way fluidic valve, a micropump for sample loading and a carrier gas supply for subsequent analysis of the VOCs. The innovative sample injection technique described herein requires a loading time of only a few seconds and produces sharp and repeatable sample pulses (full width at half maximum of approximately 200 ms) at a carrier gas flow rate that is compatible with efficient chromatographic separation. Furthermore, our comprehensive characterization of the chip reveals that a wide variety of VOCs with boiling points in the range of 110–216 °C can be analyzed in less than 1 min by optimizing the flow and temperature programming conditions. Moreover, the analysis of four VOCs at the concentration level of one part per million in an aqueous sample (which corresponds to a headspace concentration in the lower parts-per-billion regime) was performed with a sampling time of only 6 s. The µDPID has demonstrated a linear dynamic range over three orders of magnitude. The system presented here could potentially be used to monitor hazardous VOCs in real time in industrial workplaces and residential settings.
A genome-wide association study identifies four novel susceptibility loci underlying inguinal hernia
Authors: Jorgenson Eric , Makki Nadja , Shen Ling , Chen David C. , Tian Chao , Eckalbar Walter L. , Hinds David , Ahituv Nadav , Avins Andrew 
Published: December 2015

AbstractInguinal hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed operations in the world, yet little is known about the genetic mechanisms that predispose individuals to develop inguinal hernias. We perform a genome-wide association analysis of surgically confirmed inguinal hernias in 72,805 subjects (5,295 cases and 67,510 controls) and confirm top associations in an independent cohort of 92,444 subjects with self-reported hernia repair surgeries (9,701 cases and 82,743 controls). We identify four novel inguinal hernia susceptibility loci in the regions of EFEMP1, WT1, EBF2 and ADAMTS6. Moreover, we observe expression of all four genes in mouse connective tissue and network analyses show an important role for two of these genes (EFEMP1 and WT1) in connective tissue maintenance/homoeostasis. Our findings provide insight into the aetiology of hernia development and highlight genetic pathways for studies of hernia development and its treatment.
RSV-specific airway resident memory CD8+ T cells and differential disease severity after experimental human infection
Authors: Jozwik Agnieszka , Habibi Maximillian S. , Paras Allan , Zhu Jie , Guvenel Aleks , Dhariwal Jaideep , Almond Mark , Wong Ernie H. C. , Sykes Annemarie , Maybeno Matthew , Del Rosario Jerico , Trujillo-Torralbo Maria-Belen , Mallia Patrick , Sidney John , Peters Bjoern , Kon Onn Min , Sette Alessandro , Johnston Sebastian L. , Openshaw Peter J. , Chiu Christopher 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn animal models, resident memory CD8+ T (Trm) cells assist in respiratory virus elimination but their importance in man has not been determined. Here, using experimental human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, we investigate systemic and local virus-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in adult volunteers. Having defined the immunodominance hierarchy, we analyse phenotype and function longitudinally in blood and by serial bronchoscopy. Despite rapid clinical recovery, we note surprisingly extensive lower airway inflammation with persistent viral antigen and cellular infiltrates. Pulmonary virus-specific CD8+ T cells display a CD69+CD103+ Trm phenotype and accumulate to strikingly high frequencies into convalescence without continued proliferation. While these have a more highly differentiated phenotype, they express fewer cytotoxicity markers than in blood. Nevertheless, their abundance before infection correlates with reduced symptoms and viral load, implying that CD8+ Trm cells in the human lung can confer protection against severe respiratory viral disease when humoral immunity is overcome.
Chloroquine alleviates etoposide-induced centrosome amplification by inhibiting CDK2 in adrenocortical tumor cells
Authors: Chen T-Y , Syu J-S , Lin T-C , Cheng H-l , Lu F-l , Wang C-Y 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe antitumor drug etoposide (ETO) is widely used in treating several cancers, including adrenocortical tumor (ACT). However, when used at sublethal doses, tumor cells still survive and are more susceptible to the recurring tumor due to centrosome amplification. Here, we checked the effect of sublethal dose of ETO in ACT cells. Sublethal dose of ETO treatment did not induce cell death but arrested the ACT cells in G2/M phase. This resulted in centrosome amplification and aberrant mitotic spindle formation leading to genomic instability and cellular senescence. Under such conditions, Chk2, cyclin A/CDK2 and ERK1/2 were aberrantly activated. Pharmacological inactivation of Chk2, CDK2 or ERK1/2 or depletion of CDK2 or Chk2 inhibited the centrosome amplification in ETO-treated ACT cells. In addition, autophagy was activated by ETO and was required for ACT cell survival. Chloroquine, the autophagy inhibitor, reduced ACT cell growth and inhibited ETO-induced centrosome amplification. Chloroquine alleviated CDK2 and ERK, but not Chk2, activation and thus inhibited centrosome amplification in either ETO- or hydroxyurea-treated ACT cells. In addition, chloroquine also inhibited centrosome amplification in osteosarcoma U2OS cell lines when treated with ETO or hydroxyurea. In summary, we have demonstrated that chloroquine inhibited ACT cell growth and alleviated DNA damage-induced centrosome amplification by inhibiting CDK2 and ERK activity, thus preventing genomic instability and recurrence of ACT.