bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Single cell oil of oleaginous fungi from the tropical mangrove wetlands as a potential feedstock for biodiesel
Authors: Khot Mahesh , Kamat Srijay , Zinjarde Smita , Pant Aditi , Chopade Balu , RaviKumar Ameeta 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Single cell oils (SCOs) accumulated by oleaginous fungi have emerged as a potential alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Though fungi from mangrove ecosystem have been reported for production of several lignocellulolytic enzymes, they remain unexplored for their SCO producing ability. Thus, these oleaginous fungi from the mangrove ecosystem could be suitable candidates for production of SCOs from lignocellulosic biomass. The accumulation of lipids being species specific, strain selection is critical and therefore, it is of importance to evaluate the fungal diversity of mangrove wetlands. The whole cells of these fungi were investigated with respect to oleaginicity, cell mass, lipid content, fatty acid methyl ester profiles and physicochemical properties of transesterified SCOs in order to explore their potential for biodiesel production.

Results
In the present study, 14 yeasts and filamentous fungi were isolated from the detritus based mangrove wetlands along the Indian west coast. Nile red staining revealed that lipid bodies were present in 5 of the 14 fungal isolates. Lipid extraction showed that these fungi were able to accumulate > 20% (w/w) of their dry cell mass (4.14 - 6.44 g L-1) as lipids with neutral lipid as the major fraction. The profile of transesterified SCOs revealed a high content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids i.e., palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0) and oleic (C18:1) acids similar to conventional vegetable oils used for biodiesel production. The experimentally determined and predicted biodiesel properties for 3 fungal isolates correlated well with the specified standards. Isolate IBB M1, with the highest SCO yield and containing high amounts of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid was identified as Aspergillus terreus using morphotaxonomic study and 18 S rRNA gene sequencing. Batch flask cultures with varying initial glucose concentration revealed that maximal cell biomass and lipid content were obtained at 30gL-1. The strain was able to utilize cheap renewable substrates viz., sugarcane bagasse, grape stalk, groundnut shells and cheese whey for SCO production.

Conclusion
Our study suggests that SCOs of oleaginous fungi from the mangrove wetlands of the Indian west coast could be used as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production with Aspergillus terreus IBB M1 as a promising candidate.
Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine as a treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium vivax malaria in eastern Sudan
Authors: Abdallah Tajeldin M , Ali Abdel Aziem A , Bakri Mohammed , Gasim Gasim I , Musa Imad R , Adam Ishag 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the treatment of choice for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in most areas of the world, where malaria is endemic, including Sudan. However, few published data are available on the use of ACT for treatment of P. vivax malaria.

Methods
This study was conducted at a health centre in Kassala, eastern Sudan, from October to December 2011. Patients with uncomplicated P. vivax malaria received artemether-lumefantrine (AL) tablets (containing 20mg artemether and 120 mg lumefantrine) and were monitored for 28 days.

Results
Out of the 43 cases enrolled in this study, 38 completed the 28-day follow-up. Their mean age was 25.1 years (SD: 1.5). On day 3 following AL treatment, all of the patients were afebrile and aparasitaemic. By day 28, all 38 patients exhibited adequate clinical and parasitological responses to AL treatment. The cure rate was 100% and 88.4% for the per protocol analysis andfor the intention to treat analysis, respectively. Mild adverse effects (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness and/or rash) that resolved spontaneously were observed in four (10.5%) of the patients.

Conclusion
AL combination therapy was fully effective for treatment of P. vivax malaria in the study in eastern Sudan.

Trial registration
Trial. Gov: NCT01625871
Inhibitory effect of the combination therapy of simvastatin and pinocembrin on atherosclerosis in apoE-deficient mice
Authors: Sang Hui , Yuan Na , Yao Shutong , Li Furong , Wang Jiafu , Fang Yongqi , Qin Shucun 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
The present study was performed to investigate the effects of the combination therapy of pinocembrin and simvastatin on the atherosclerotic lesions development in the ApoE−/− mice.

Methods

Eight-week-old male ApoE−/− mice were fed high fat diet (HFD) and treated with simvastatin (10 mg/kg per day), pinocembrin (20 mg/kg per day), or the combination therapy (simvastatin 5 mg/kg per day and pinocembrin 20 mg/kg per day) for 14 weeks. The serum lipid levels, nitric oxide (NO), endothelin (ET), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined with spectrophotometric measurement and ELISA assay. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in serum and aortic root was detected. En face analyses of atherosclerotic lesion in whole aorta and aortic root sections were performed with plaque staining using oil red O.

Results

The combination treatment with simvastatin and pinocembrin resulted in significantly decreased levels of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, augmented NO levels and SOD activity, inhibited ET and VEGF expression. Immunohistochemistry of aortic valve sections revealed that the combination therapy also suppressed the expression of VEGF induced by HFD. In addition, HFD-induced arterial wall lipid disposition displayed by oil red O staining was reduced significantly in aortic root and whole aorta en face in the combination administrated mice. The effect of the combination was superior to simvastatin alone.

Conclusion

The combination of simvastatin and pinocembrin synergistically inhibited atherosclerotic lesion development in ApoE−/− mice with hyperlipidemia, which is partially dependent on the protective of vascular endothelium.
Minimally invasive liver resection to obtain tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for adoptive cell therapy in patients with metastatic melanoma
Authors: Alvarez-Downing Melissa M , Inchauste Suzanne M , Dudley Mark E , White Donald E , Wunderlich John R , Rosenberg Steven A , Kammula Udai S 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in patients with metastatic melanoma has been reported to have a 56% overall response rate with 20% complete responders. To increase the availability of this promising therapy in patients with advanced melanoma, a minimally invasive approach to procure tumor for TIL generation is warranted.

Methods
A feasibility study was performed to determine the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic liver resection to generate TIL for ACT. Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database identified 22 patients with advanced melanoma and visceral metastasis (AJCC Stage M1c) who underwent laparoscopic liver resection between 1 October 2005 and 31 July 2011. The indication for resection in all patients was to receive postoperative ACT with TIL.

Results
Twenty patients (91%) underwent resection utilizing a closed laparoscopic technique, one required hand-assistance and another required conversion to open resection. Median intraoperative blood loss was 100 mL with most cases performed without a Pringle maneuver. Median hospital stay was 3 days. Three (14%) patients experienced a complication from resection with no mortality. TIL were generated from 18 of 22 (82%) patients. Twelve of 15 (80%) TIL tested were found to have in vitro tumor reactivity. Eleven patients (50%) received the intended ACT. Two patients were rendered no evidence of disease after surgical resection, with one undergoing delayed ACT with generated TIL after relapse. Objective tumor response was seen in 5 of 11 patients (45%) who received TIL, with one patient experiencing an ongoing complete response (32+ months).

Conclusions
Laparoscopic liver resection can be performed with minimal morbidity and serve as an effective means to procure tumor to generate therapeutic TIL for ACT to patients with metastatic melanoma.
A generalization of Geraghty's theorem in partially ordered metric spaces and applications to ordinary differential equations
Authors: Gordji Madjid Eshaghi , Ramezani Maryam , Cho Yeol Je , Pirbavafa Saeideh 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
The purpose of this article is to present some fixed point theorems for generalized contraction in partially ordered complete metric spaces. As an application, we give an existence and uniqueness for the solution of an initial-boundary-value problem.

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 47H10; 54H25; 34B15.
Efficacy of single dose of gentamicin in combination with metronidazole versus multiple doses for prevention of post-caesarean infection: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lyimo Fadhili M , Massinde Anthony N , Kidenya Benson R , Konje Evelyne , Mshana Stephen E 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Caesarean section is a commonly performed operation worldwide. It has been found to increase rates of maternal infectious morbidities more than five times when compared to vaginal delivery. Provision of intravenous prophylactic antibiotics 30 to 60 minutes prior to caesarean section has been found to reduce post-caesarean infection tremendously. Many centers recommend provision of a single dose of antibiotics, as repeated doses offer no benefit over a single dose.
At Bugando Medical Centre post caesarean infection is among the top five causes of admission at the post-natal ward. Unfortunately, there is no consistent protocol for the administration of antibiotic prophylaxis to patients who are designated for caesarean section. Common practice and generally the clinician’s preference are to provide repeated dosages of antibiotic prophylaxis after caesarean section to most of the patients. This study aims to determine the comparative efficacy of a single dose of gentamicin in combination with metronidazole versus multiple doses for prevention of post caesarean infection.

Methods/Design
The study is an interventional, open-label, two-armed, randomized, single-center study conducted at Bugando Medical Centre Mwanza, Tanzania. It is an ongoing trial for the period of seven months; 490 eligible candidates will be enrolled in the study. Study subjects will be randomly allocated into two study arms; “A” and “B”. Candidates in “A” will receive a single dose of gentamicin in combination with metronidazole 30 to 60 minutes prior to the operation and candidates in “B” will receive the same drugs prior to the operation and continue with gentamicin and metronidazole for 24 hours. The two groups will be followed up for a period of one month and assessed for signs and symptoms of surgical site infection.
Data will be extracted from a case record form and entered into Epi data3.1 software before being transferred to SPSS version 17.0 for analysis. The absolute difference in proportion of women who develop surgical site infection in the two study arms will be the effectiveness of one regime over the other.

Trial registration
Current Controlled TrialsISRCTN44462542.
Use of dermal-fat grafts in the post-oncological reconstructive surgery of atrophies in the zygomatic region: clinical evaluations in the patients undergone to previous radiation therapy
Authors: Inchingolo Francesco , Tatullo Marco , Pacifici Andrea , Gargari Marco , Inchingolo Alessio D , Inchingolo Angelo M , Dipalma Gianna , Marrelli Massimo , Abenavoli Fabio M , Pacifici Luciano 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Introduction
Grafting of autologous adipose tissue can be recommended in some cases of facial plastic surgery. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of cancer that can also affect the orbit. Enucleation of the eye can cause atrophy of the corresponding hemiface and decreased orbital growth.

Case report
We report a case of a female patient with a medical history of surgical enucleation of the right eyeball, who had received rhabdomyosarcoma radiation therapy in her youth. The patient presented with a depression in the right zygomatic region. We took a dermal-fat flap from the abdominal region, which had been previously treated.

Results
The surgical outcome, 48 hours, and much clearly 31 days after the surgery, revealed that the right zygomatic region had returned to its proper anatomical shape, although there were still signs of postoperative edema.

Discussion
Very damaged tissues, like those exposed to radiation therapy, are generally not suitable for grafting of adipose tissue.

Conclusions
In the described case, we achieved a technically and aesthetically satisfying result despite the patient's medical history involving several perplexities about the use of autologous dermal-fat tissues, because of prior radiation therapy exposure. The clinical case shows that even a region exposed to radiation therapy can be a valid receiving bed for dermal-fat grafting.
The technical feasibility of an image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) to perform a hypofractionated schedule in terms of toxicity and local control for patients with locally advanced or recurrent pancreatic cancer
Authors: Son Seok Hyun , Song Jin Ho , Choi Byung Ock , Kang Young nam , Lee Myung Ah , Kang Ki Mun , Jang Hong Seok 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the technical feasibility of an image-guided intensity modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) using involved-field technique to perform a hypofractionated schedule for patients with locally advanced or recurrent pancreatic cancer.

Methods
From May 2009 to November 2011, 12 patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent pancreatic cancer received hypofractionated CCRT using TomoTherapy Hi-Art with concurrent and sequential chemotherapy at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, the Catholic University of Korea. The total dose delivered was 45 Gy in 15 fractions or 50 Gy in 20 fractions. The target volume did not include the uninvolved regional lymph nodes. Treatment planning and delivery were performed using the IG-IMRT technique. The follow-up duration was a median of 31.1 months (range: 5.7-36.3 months).

Results
Grade 2 or worse acute toxicities developed in 7 patients (58%). Grade 3 or worse gastrointestinal and hematologic toxicity occurred in 0% and 17% of patients, respectively. In the response evaluation, the rates of partial response and stable disease were 58% and 42%, respectively. The rate of local failure was 8% and no regional failure was observed. Distant failure was the main cause of treatment failure. The progression-free survival and overall survival durations were 7.6 and 12.1 months, respectively.

Conclusion
The involved-field technique and IG-IMRT delivered via a hypofractionated schedule are feasible for patients with locally advanced or recurrent pancreatic cancer.
On optimal control policy for probabilistic Boolean network: a state reduction approach
Authors: Chen Xi , Jiang Hao , Qiu Yushan , Ching Wai-Ki 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackgroundProbabilistic Boolean Network (PBN) is a popular model for studying genetic regulatory networks. An important and practical problem is to find the optimal control policy for a PBN so as to avoid the network from entering into undesirable states. A number of research works have been done by using dynamic programming-based (DP) method. However, due to the high computational complexity of PBNs, DP method is computationally inefficient for a large size network. Therefore it is natural to seek for approximation methods.ResultsInspired by the state reduction strategies, we consider using dynamic programming in conjunction with state reduction approach to reduce the computational cost of the DP method. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate both the effectiveness and the efficiency of our proposed method.ConclusionsFinding the optimal control policy for PBNs is meaningful. The proposed problem has been shown to be∑2p - hard. By taking state reduction approach into consideration, the proposed method can speed up the computational time in applying dynamic programming-based algorithm. In particular, the proposed method is effective for larger size networks.
Elsholtzia: phytochemistry and biological activities
Authors: Guo Zhiqin , Liu Zizhen , Wang Xiaohong , Liu Weirui , Jiang Rui , Cheng Ruiyang , She Gaimei 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Plants of the genus Elsholtzia (Lamiaceae) have a long history of medicinal use in folk. The phytochemical investigations revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, and other compounds. Abundant volatile components are also identified. Pure compounds, volatile constituents and crude extracts from the genus exhibited a wide spectrum of in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activities. The aims of this review hopefully provide comprehensive information on the distribution, phytochemistry, volatile components, and pharmacological research of Elsholtzia for exploring the potential and advance researches.
Growth promotion and colonization of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) cv. Alamo by bacterial endophyte Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN
Authors: Kim Seonhwa , Lowman Scott , Hou Guichuan , Nowak Jerzy , Flinn Barry , Mei Chuansheng 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackgroundSwitchgrass is one of the most promising bioenergy crop candidates for the US. It gives relatively high biomass yield and can grow on marginal lands. However, its yields vary from year to year and from location to location. Thus it is imperative to develop a low input and sustainable switchgrass feedstock production system. One of the most feasible ways to increase biomass yields is to harness benefits of microbial endophytes.ResultsWe demonstrate that one of the most studied plant growth promoting bacterial endophytes,Burkholderia phytofirmansstrain PsJN, is able to colonize and significantly promote growth of switchgrass cv. Alamo underin vitro, growth chamber, and greenhouse conditions. In severalin vitroexperiments, the average fresh weight of PsJN-inoculated plants was approximately 50% higher than non-inoculated plants. When one-month-old seedlings were grown in a growth chamber for 30 days, the PsJN-inoculated Alamo plants had significantly higher shoot and root biomass compared to controls. Biomass yield (dry weight) averaged from five experiments was 54.1% higher in the inoculated treatment compared to non-inoculated control. Similar results were obtained in greenhouse experiments with transplants grown in 4-gallon pots for two months. The inoculated plants exhibited more early tillers and persistent growth vigor with 48.6% higher biomass than controls. We also found that PsJN could significantly promote growth of switchgrass cv. Alamo under sub-optimal conditions. However, PsJN-mediated growth promotion in switchgrass is genotype specific.ConclusionsOur results showB. phytofirmansstrain PsJN significantly promotes growth of switchgrass cv. Alamo under different conditions, especially in the early growth stages leading to enhanced production of tillers. This phenomenon may benefit switchgrass establishment in the first year. Moreover, PsJN significantly stimulated growth of switchgrass cv. Alamo under sub-optimal conditions, indicating that the use of the beneficial bacterial endophytes may boost switchgrass growth on marginal lands and significantly contribute to the development of a low input and sustainable feedstock production system.
Fibrosis in systemic sclerosis: common and unique pathobiology
Authors: Bhattacharyya Swati , Wei Jun , Tourtellotte Warren G , Hinchcliff Monique , Gottardi Cara G , Varga John 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc), a complex polygenic disease associated with autoimmunity and proliferative/obliterative vasculopathy, shares pathobiologic features in common with other fibrosing illnesses, but also has distinguishing characteristics. Fibroblast activation induced by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), Wnts and innate immune receptors, along with oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in pathogenesis. On the other hand, the roles of endothelial-mesenchymal differentiation and bone marrow-derived fibrocytes remain to be established. Fibrotic responses are modulated by transcriptional activators and cofactors, epigenetic factors, and microRNAs that can amplify or inhibit ligand-induced signaling. The nuclear orphan receptor PPAR-γ appears to be important in governing the duration and intensity of fibroblast activation and mesenchymal progenitor cell differentiation, and defects in PPAR-γ expression or function in SSc may underlie the uncontrolled progression of fibrosis. Identifying the perturbations in signaling pathways and cellular differentiation programs responsible for tissue damage and fibrosis in SSc allows their selective targeting using novel compounds, or by innovative uses of already-approved drugs (drug repurposing).
Thematic clustering of text documents using an EM-based approach
Authors: Kim Sun , Wilbur W John 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Clustering textual contents is an important step in mining useful information on the web or other text-based resources. The common task in text clustering is to handle text in a multi-dimensional space, and to partition documents into groups, where each group contains documents that are similar to each other. However, this strategy lacks a comprehensive view for humans in general since it cannot explain the main subject of each cluster. Utilizing semantic information can solve this problem, but it needs a well-defined ontology or pre-labeled gold standard set. In this paper, we present a thematic clustering algorithm for text documents. Given text, subject terms are extracted and used for clustering documents in a probabilistic framework. An EM approach is used to ensure documents are assigned to correct subjects, hence it converges to a locally optimal solution. The proposed method is distinctive because its results are sufficiently explanatory for human understanding as well as efficient for clustering performance. The experimental results show that the proposed method provides a competitive performance compared to other state-of-the-art approaches. We also show that the extracted themes from the MEDLINE® dataset represent the subjects of clusters reasonably well.
The global epidemiology of clonorchiasis and its relation with cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Qian Men-Bao , Chen Ying-Dan , Liang Song , Yang Guo-Jing , Zhou Xiao-Nong 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThis paper reviews the epidemiological status and characteristics of clonorchiasis at global level and the etiological relationship betweenClonorchis sinensisinfection and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). A conservative estimation was made that 15 million people were infected in the world in 2004, of which over 85% distributed in China. The epidemiology of clonorchiasis is characterized by rising trend in its prevalence, variability among sexes and age, as well as endemicity in different regions. More data indicate thatC. sinensisinfection is carcinogenic to human, and it is predicted that nearly 5 000 CCA cases attributed toC. sinensisinfection may occur annually in the world decades later, with its overall odds ratio of 4.47. Clonorchiasis is becoming one major public health problem in east Asia, and it is worthwhile to carry out further epidemiological studies.