bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Psychological Impact of Surveillance in Patients with a Defibrillator Lead under Advisory: A Prospective Evaluation
Authors: D'ANTONO BIANCA , GOLDFARB MARIA , SOLOMON CRINA , STURMER MARCIO , BECKER GIULIANO , ESSEBAG VIDAL , HADJIS TOMY , GIZICKI EWA , GELAIS JONATHAN ST. , SAS GEORGETA , CÔTÉ MARIE‐CLAUDE , KUS TERESA 
Published: November 2012

BackgroundImplantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) leads are subject to technical failures and the impact of the resulting public advisories on patient welfare is unclear. The psychological status of patients who received an advisory for their Medtronic Fidelis ICD lead (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) and followed either by self‐surveillance for alarm or home monitoring with CareLink was evaluated prospectively and compared to patients with ICDs not under advisory.MethodsOne hundred sixty consecutive consenting patients (90 alarms, 24 Carelinks, 46 controls) were recruited within 1.5 years of advisory notification. Advisory patients were seen immediately before being told that the automatic lead surveillance utilized since the advisory had been inadequate in warning of impending fracture, as well as 1 and 6 months after programming was optimized. Depression, anxiety, quality of life (QoL), and ICD‐related concerns were assessed.ResultsSymptoms of depression and state anxiety were experienced by 31% and 48% of patients, respectively. QoL was impaired on all subscales. No significant group differences in distress and ICD‐related concerns emerged at baseline or at follow‐up. At baseline, alarm patients reported greater limitations because of body pain compared to controls (P < 0.05). All patients showed a significant reduction in body pain‐related QoL at the final versus first two evaluations (P < 0.001). Advisory patients were significantly less satisfied with surveillance at follow‐up than at baseline (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThere was limited evidence for worse psychosocial functioning in those at risk for ICD lead fracture, irrespective of surveillance method. However, many control and advisory patients experienced chronic distress for which counseling may prove beneficial.
Pacing System Malfunction is a Rare Cause of Hospital Admission for Syncope in Patients with a Permanent Pacemaker
Authors: OFMAN PETER , RAHILLY‐TIERNEY CATHERINE , DJOUSSE LUC , PERALTA ADELQUI , HOFFMEISTER PETER , GAZIANO J. MICHAEL , WEISS ALEXEY , LOTAN CHAIM , ROSENHECK SHIMON 
Published: November 2012

BackgroundFew studies have examined the prevalence of permanent pacemaker (PPM) malfunction among patients with a previously implanted pacemaker admitted to the hospital with syncope.ObjectiveThis study sought to examine causes of syncope in patients with a previously implanted pacemaker admitted to our hospital with syncope.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed our hospital admission database for patients who had both keywords “syncope” and “pacemaker” as their diagnoses from January 1, 1995 until June 1, 2012. One hundred and sixty‐two patients who were admitted to the hospital because of syncope and had a PPM implanted prior to the index syncopal episode were included. All patients had pacemakers interrogated during the admission. Two independent physicians examined the discharge summary of each patient and determined the cause of syncope in each case.ResultsOf the 162 patients studied, eight (4.9%) were found to have pacemaker system malfunction as a cause of syncope. In 96 patients (59.2%), the cause of syncope could not be determined prior to hospital discharge. Among the identifiable causes of syncope, orthostatic hypotension was most prevalent (16%) followed by vasovagal (6%), severe aortic stenosis (4.3%), atrial arrhythmia (3.1%), acute and subacute infection (3.1%), and other less prevalent causes (3.1%).ConclusionIn this study, PPM system malfunction was rarely a cause of syncope in patients admitted to the hospital with a previously implanted device.(PACE 2013; 36:109–112)
Do Baseline Diastolic Echocardiographic Parameters Predict Outcome after Resynchronization Therapy? Results from the PROSPECT Trial
Authors: SULLIVAN RENEE M. , MURILLO JAIME , GERRITSE BART , CHUNG EUGENE , ORLOV MICHAEL V. , STEGEMANN BERTHOLD , FEDEWA MICHELLE , PETERSON BRETT J. , PING SUN JING , OLSHANSKY BRIAN 
Published: November 2012

IntroductionCardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) can improve clinical and cardiac structural status in heart failure patients. The role of baseline diastolic echocardiographic parameters to characterize the likelihood of positive outcomes is not well known. We explored relationships between diastolic parameters and outcomes 6 months after CRT implant in the Predictors of Response to CRT (PROSPECT) Trial.HypothesisWe hypothesized that diastolic echocardiographic parameters were associated with clinical and structural outcomes in CRT patients.MethodsFor 426 patients in PROSPECT, a prospective observational trial of CRT, baseline E/A ratio, left atrial (LA) area, isovolumic relaxation time, left ventricular inflow deceleration time, E′ velocity, and E/E′ ratio were evaluated and related to 6‐month clinical composite score (CCS) and left ventricular end‐systolic volume (LVESV) reduction using Spearman rank‐order correlations. Parameters associated with outcomes were analyzed further by discrete categorization.ResultsAs continuous variables, only E/A ratio and LA area correlated with CCSs (P = 0.017, P = 0.045, respectively) and relative change in LVESV at 6 months (P < 0.0001, P = 0.001, respectively). As discrete variables, E/A ratio and LA area also correlated with CCSs and LVESV.ConclusionDiastolic echo parameters E/A ratio and LA area were associated with clinical and structural outcomes in CRT patients at 6 months.
Left Ventricular Asynchrony in Patients with Right Bundle Branch Block and Normal Ejection Fraction
Authors: STEGEMANN BERTHOLD , DREGER HENRYK , ISMER BRUNO , BAUMANN GERT , MELZER CHRISTOPH 
Published: November 2012

AimsThe role of right bundle branch block (RBBB) for the induction of left ventricular (LV) asynchrony is discussed controversially. The objective of this study was to assess presence and degree of LV asynchrony in patients with RBBB, left bundle branch block (LBBB), or left anterior hemiblock (LAH) and normal LV function.MethodsWe included 15 patients with RBBB, 13 patients with RBBB and concomitant LAH, 10 patients with pure LBBB, and 100 healthy controls into this study. All patients had normal LV function. Interventricular asynchrony was assessed as the difference of the right and LV ejection delay. Intraventricular delay was obtained by tissue synchronicity imaging‐guided tissue Doppler imaging measurement.ResultsInterventricular and left intraventricular asynchrony were linked to the presence of an LBBB. No left intraventricular asynchrony was noted during pure RBBB; interventricular delays were negative (aortic flow preceding pulmonary flow) in the presence of RBBB.ConclusionIn patients with normal LV function, intraventricular asynchrony depends on the presence of an LBBB and interventricular asynchrony is inversed in the presence of RBBB.(PACE 2013; 36:63–68)
Tracing Alpine sediment sources through laser ablation U–Pb dating and Hf‐isotopes of detrital zircons
Authors: Beltrán‐Triviño Alejandro , Winkler Wilfried , Von Quadt Albrecht 
Published: November 2012

AbstractAlpine provenance studies based on conventional methods such as sandstone framework grain and heavy mineral analyses are now enhanced by improved techniques in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detrital zircon analysis. Although the conventional methods appear to have reached their limits of resolution in palaeogeographic problems, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry U–Pb dating of detrital zircons adds the time dimension to the provenance analysis. Hafnium‐isotope ratios measured on dated zircons give further information on the origin of the magmas in which the detrital zircons have grown. This study reports detrital zircon U–Pb dating and Hf‐isotope results from sandstone formations related to rifting, drifting and subduction settings at different stages of the Alpine Tethys development. This study is a first evaluation of the correlation between U–Pb age and isotopic features of detrital zircons aimed at describing source terranes in different palaeogeographic domains in the Alpine Tethys area. Pan‐African/Cadomian (Ediacaran–Ordovician), Variscan (Middle Devonian–Carboniferous) and Post‐Variscan (Permian) detrital zircon populations are present in nearly all palaeogeographic settings, but in varying amounts. Single Mesoproterozoic and Palaeoproterozoic detrital zircons are found as minor populations. When comparing the northern and southern margins of the Alpine Tethys, the southern margin detrital sources are characterized mostly by a decreased occurrence or by the absence of Silurian–Devonian zircons. A major distinction between northern (Helvetic, North and Middle Penninic domains) and southern (Austro‐Alpine and South Alpine domains) detrital sources is the occurrence of Triassic zircons at the southern Alpine Tethys margin during rifting and subduction stage sedimentation. Hafnium‐isotope ratios measured on uppermost Permian–Triassic zircons from the South Alpine domain suggest a continental crust derivation of the hosting magmas, as expected in a continental rift environment. In the late stage of Alpine convergence (Late Cretaceous–Palaeogene), the Permian–Triassic zircons are reworked into basins situated on the northern Alpine Tethys margin.
Sea‐water circulation on an oolite‐dominated carbonate system in an epeiric sea (Middle Jurassic, Switzerland)
Authors: Wetzel Andreas , Weissert Helmut , Schaub Monika , Voegelin Andrea R. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe Middle Jurassic Burgundy carbonate platform occupied a central part of the Central European Epeiric Sea during the Middle Jurassic. The facies architecture of the oolitic calcarenite bodies was affected by tidal currents on the platform and relative sea‐level changes. The δ13C‐values of inorganic carbonates, sampled in biostratigraphic‐defined intervals, do not match very well between closely spaced sections and, hence, are of restricted use for stratigraphic purposes. It appears that the platform interior might have been decoupled from the global carbon pool. Although deposited in a rapidly accumulating setting, the recorded isotope signatures might be affected by some local stratigraphic gaps. Nonetheless, the carbon isotope data imply lateral changes of the platform waters; these appear to be related to the position on the platform and to the sediment dispersal pattern, as evidenced by clay minerals. Adjacent to the eastern margin of the platform, detrital chlorite and illite occur in considerable proportions, both ascribed to a boreal source to the east and the north‐east. In contrast, smectite‐rich mixed‐layer clay mineral content increases significantly towards the platform interior, pointing to a delivery from the north‐west. All these data are suggestive of an overall clockwise current pattern in the Central European Epeiric Sea during the Middle Jurassic.
A SNaPshot assay for the rapid and simple detection of known point mutations conferring resistance to ACCase‐inhibiting herbicides in Lolium spp.
Authors: ALARCÓN‐REVERTE R , HANLEY S , KAUNDUN S S , KARP A , MOSS S R 
Published: November 2012

SummaryEvolution of resistance to herbicides in weeds is becoming an increasing problem worldwide. To develop effective strategies for weed control, a thorough knowledge of the basis of resistance is required. Although non‐target‐site‐based resistance is widespread, target site resistance, often caused by a single nucleotide change in the gene encoding the target enzyme, is also a common factor affecting the efficacies of key herbicides. Therefore, fast and relatively simple high‐throughput screening methods to detect target site resistance mutations will represent important tools for monitoring the distribution and evolution of resistant alleles within weed populations. Here, we present a simple and quick method that can be used to simultaneously screen for up to 10 mutations from several target site resistance‐associated codons in a single reaction. As a proof of concept, this SNaPshot multiplex method was successfully applied to the genotyping of nine variable nucleotide positions in the CT domain of the chloroplastic ACCase gene from Lolium multiflorum plants from 54 populations. A total of 10 nucleotide substitutions at seven of these nine positions (namely codons 1781, 1999, 2027, 2041 2078, 2088 and 2096) are known to confer resistance to ACCase‐inhibiting herbicides. This assay has several advantages when compared with other methods currently in use in weed science. It can discriminate between different nucleotide changes at a single locus, as well as screening for SNPs from different target sites by pooling multiple PCR products within a single reaction. The method is scalable, allowing reactions to be carried out in either 96‐ or 384‐well plate formats, thus reducing work time and cost.
A New Robust Filtering Strategy for Linear Systems
Authors: Gadsden S. A. , Habibi S. R. 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
For linear and well-defined estimation problems with Gaussian white noise, the Kalman filter (KF) yields the best result in terms of estimation accuracy. However, the KF performance degrades and can fail in cases involving large uncertainties such as modeling errors in the estimation process. The smooth variable structure filter (SVSF) is a relatively new estimation strategy based on sliding mode theory and has been shown to be robust to modeling uncertainties. The SVSF makes use of an existence subspace and of a smoothing boundary layer to keep the estimates bounded within a region of the true state trajectory. Currently, the width of the smoothing boundary layer is chosen based on designer knowledge of the upper bound of modeling uncertainties, such as maximum noise levels and parametric errors. This is a conservative choice, as a more well-defined smoothing boundary layer will yield more accurate results. In this paper, the state error covariance matrix of the SVSF is used for the derivation of an optimal time-varying smoothing boundary layer. The robustness and accuracy of the new form of the SVSF was validated and compared with the KF and the standard SVSF by testing it on a linear electrohydrostatic actuator (EHA).
Elimination of Manganese(II,III) Oxidation in Pseudomonas putida GB-1 by a Double Knockout of Two Putative Multicopper Oxidase Genes
Authors: Geszvain Kati , McCarthy James K. , Tebo Bradley M. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Bacterial manganese(II) oxidation impacts the redox cycling of Mn, other elements, and compounds in the environment; therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms of and enzymes responsible for Mn(II) oxidation. In several Mn(II)-oxidizing organisms, the identified Mn(II) oxidase belongs to either the multicopper oxidase (MCO) or the heme peroxidase family of proteins. However, the identity of the oxidase in
Pseudomonas putida
GB-1 has long remained unknown. To identify the
P. putida
GB-1 oxidase, we searched its genome and found several homologues of known or suspected Mn(II) oxidase-encoding genes (
mnxG
,
mofA
,
moxA
, and
mopA
). To narrow this list, we assumed that the Mn(II) oxidase gene would be conserved among Mn(II)-oxidizing pseudomonads but not in nonoxidizers and performed a genome comparison to 11
Pseudomonas
species. We further assumed that the oxidase gene would be regulated by MnxR, a transcription factor required for Mn(II) oxidation. Two loci met all these criteria: PputGB1_2447, which encodes an MCO homologous to MnxG, and PputGB1_2665, which encodes an MCO with very low homology to MofA. In-frame deletions of each locus resulted in strains that retained some ability to oxidize Mn(II) or Mn(III); loss of oxidation was attained only upon deletion of both genes. These results suggest that PputGB1_2447 and PputGB1_2665 encode two MCOs that are independently capable of oxidizing both Mn(II) and Mn(III). The purpose of this redundancy is unclear; however, differences in oxidation phenotype for the single mutants suggest specialization in function for the two enzymes.
Bifidobacterial Succession and Correlation Networks in a Large Unselected Cohort of Mothers and Their Children
Authors: Avershina E. , Storrø O. , Øien T. , Johnsen R. , Wilson R. , Egeland T. , Rudi K. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Bifidobacteria are a major microbial component of infant gut microbiota, which is believed to promote health benefits for the host and stimulate maturation of the immune system. Despite their perceived importance, very little is known about the natural development of and possible correlations between bifidobacteria in human populations. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed stool samples from a randomly selected healthy cohort of 87 infants and their mothers with >90% of vaginal delivery and nearly 100% breast-feeding at 4 months. Fecal material was sampled during pregnancy, at 3 and 10 days, at 4 months, and at 1 and 2 years after birth. Stool samples were predicted to be rich in the species
Bifidobacterium adolescentis
,
B. bifidum
,
B. dentium
,
B. breve
, and
B. longum
. Due to high variation, we did not identify a clear age-related structure at the individual level. Within the population as a whole, however, there were clear age-related successions. Negative correlations between the
B. longum
group and
B. adolescentis
were detected in adults and in 1- and 2-year-old children, whereas negative correlations between
B. longum
and
B. breve
were characteristic for newborns and 4-month-old infants. The highly structured age-related development of and correlation networks between bifidobacterial species during the first 2 years of life mirrors their different or competing nutritional requirements, which in turn may be associated with specific biological functions in the development of healthy gut.
Gene Flow, Recombination, and Selection in Cyanobacteria: Population Structure of Geographically Related Planktothrix Freshwater Strains
Authors: Sogge Hanne , Rohrlack Thomas , Rounge Trine B. , Sønstebø Jørn Henrik , Tooming-Klunderud Ave , Kristensen Tom , Jakobsen Kjetill S. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Several
Planktothrix
strains, each producing a distinct oligopeptide profile, have been shown to coexist within Lake Steinsfjorden (Norway). Using nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes as markers, it has been shown that the
Planktothrix
community comprises distinct genetic variants displaying differences in bloom dynamics, suggesting a
Planktothrix
subpopulation structure. Here, we investigate the
Planktothrix
variants inhabiting four lakes in southeast of Norway utilizing both NRPS and non-NRPS genes. Phylogenetic analyses showed similar topologies for both NRPS and non-NRPS genes, and the lakes appear to have similar structuring of
Planktothrix
genetic variants. The structure of distinct variants was also supported by very low genetic diversity within variants compared to the between-variant diversity. Incongruent topologies and split decomposition revealed recombination events between
Planktothrix
variants. In several strains the gene variants seem to be a result of recombination. Both NRPS and non-NRPS genes are dominated by purifying selection; however, sites subjected to positive selection were also detected. The presence of similar and well-separated
Planktothrix
variants with low internal genetic diversity indicates gene flow within
Planktothrix
populations. Further, the low genetic diversity found between lakes (similar range as within lakes) indicates gene flow also between
Planktothrix
populations and suggests recent, or recurrent, dispersals. Our data also indicate that recombination has resulted in new genetic variants. Stability within variants and the development of new variants are likely to be influenced by selection patterns and within-variant homologous recombination.
Comparing Metabolic Functionalities, Community Structures, and Dynamics of Herbicide-Degrading Communities Cultivated with Different Substrate Concentrations
Authors: Gözdereliler Erkin , Boon Nico , Aamand Jens , De Roy Karen , Granitsiotis Michael S. , Albrechtsen Hans-Jørgen , Sørensen Sebastian R. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Two 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA)-degrading enrichment cultures selected from an aquifer on low (0.1 mg liter
−1
) or high (25 mg liter
−1
) MCPA concentrations were compared in terms of metabolic activity, community composition, population growth, and single cell physiology. Different community compositions and major shifts in community structure following exposure to different MCPA concentrations were observed using both 16S rRNA gene denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting and pyrosequencing. The communities also differed in their MCPA-mineralizing activities. The enrichments selected on low concentrations mineralized MCPA with shorter lag phases than those selected on high concentrations. Flow cytometry measurements revealed that mineralization led to cell growth. The presence of low-nucleic acid-content bacteria (LNA bacteria) was correlated with mineralization activity in cultures selected on low herbicide concentrations. This suggests that LNA bacteria may play a role in degradation of low herbicide concentrations in aquifers impacted by agriculture. This study shows that subpopulations of herbicide-degrading bacteria that are adapted to different pesticide concentrations can coexist in the same environment and that using a low herbicide concentration enables enrichment of apparently oligotrophic subpopulations.
Molecular Control of Sucrose Utilization in Escherichia coli W, an Efficient Sucrose-Utilizing Strain
Authors: Sabri Suriana , Nielsen Lars K. , Vickers Claudia E. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT

Sucrose is an industrially important carbon source for microbial fermentation. Sucrose utilization in
Escherichia coli
, however, is poorly understood, and most industrial strains cannot utilize sucrose. The roles of the chromosomally encoded sucrose catabolism (
csc
) genes in
E. coli
W were examined by knockout and overexpression experiments. At low sucrose concentrations, the
csc
genes are repressed and cells cannot grow. Removal of either the repressor protein (
cscR
) or the fructokinase (
cscK
) gene facilitated derepression. Furthermore, combinatorial knockout of
cscR
and
cscK
conferred an improved growth rate on low sucrose. The invertase (
cscA
) and sucrose transporter (
cscB
) genes are essential for sucrose catabolism in
E. coli
W, demonstrating that no other genes can provide sucrose transport or inversion activities. However,
cscK
is not essential for sucrose utilization. Fructose is excreted into the medium by the
cscK
-knockout strain in the presence of high sucrose, whereas at low sucrose (when carbon availability is limiting), fructose is utilized by the cell. Overexpression of
cscA
,
cscAK
, or
cscAB
could complement the WΔ
cscRKAB
knockout mutant or confer growth on a K-12 strain which could not naturally utilize sucrose. However, phenotypic stability and relatively good growth rates were observed in the K-12 strain only when overexpressing
cscAB
, and full growth rate complementation in WΔ
cscRKAB
also required
cscAB
. Our understanding of sucrose utilization can be used to improve
E. coli
W and engineer sucrose utilization in strains which do not naturally utilize sucrose, allowing substitution of sucrose for other, less desirable carbon sources in industrial fermentations.