bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Control of AA amyloidosis complicating Crohn's disease: a clinico‐pathological study
Authors: Denis Marie A. , Cosyns Jean‐Pierre , Persu Alexandre , Dewit Olivier , de Galocsy Chantal , Hoang Pierre , Maldague Philippe , Wallemacq Pierre , Zerbib Frank , Fiasse René 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBackgroundImmunosuppressive drugs may prevent or partially reverse progression of renal AA‐amyloidosis, a rare complication of Crohn's disease, often fatal due to renal failure.Materials and methodsThe clinical, biological and pathological data of 16 patients treated since 1976 were reviewed. Serum amyloid A was determined in surviving patients.ResultsThe median age of the 16 patients (13 men) was 23·5 years (range 16–69). At Crohn's disease onset, Montreal phenotypes were similar to reported data. Out of 15 patients with renal insufficiency, 8 developed a nephrotic syndrome and 7 a low grade proteinuria. The single patient without renal insufficiency had nephrotic syndrome. A significant correlation (P < 0·05) between the extension of renal amyloid A and sclerosis was found in 12 patients. One patient had a 10 year remission of nephrotic syndrome with immunosuppressive drugs. In 6 patients treated with anti‐TNF‐α (Tumor‐Necrosis‐Factor‐α) agents, anaphylactic reaction (1/6), death from septic shock (1/6), 5‐year remission (1/6) or reduction of nephrotic syndrome (1/6) and stabilization of renal insufficiency (2/6) were observed. Surgery was performed in 10 patients. Kidney transplantation was performed in 5 of the 8 patients dialysed for end‐stage renal failure. Among 6/16 patients (37%) still alive, 3 belong to the 5 transplanted patients (survival: 3–20 years) and 3 to the anti‐TNF‐α drugs treated patients; all but one exhibited a low serum amyloid A level.ConclusionsSuppression of Crohn's disease inflammation potentially leads to the control of amyloid A production, assessed by a decrease of serum amyloid A. Kidney transplantation provides a long survival.
Occurrence of horse chestnut bleeding canker caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi in the Czech Republic
Authors: Mertelik J. , Kloudova K. , Pankova I. , Krejzar V. , Kudela V. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryBetween 2008 and 2010, horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees growing at 216 locations in the Czech Republic were surveyed for bleeding canker disease. Typical symptoms of bleeding canker were found at 16 locations, and samples were collected from five of these locations. The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae was isolated from five locations, and Pseudomonas syringae pathovar aesculi, which is the causal agent of bleeding canker disease, was isolated at one location. This is the first report of P. syringae pv. aesculi in the Czech Republic.
Identification and molecular characterization of a novel 55‐kb deletion recurrent in southern Italy: the Italian Gγ(Aγδβ)°‐thalassemia
Authors: Lacerra Giuseppina , Prezioso Romeo , Musollino Gennaro , Piluso Giulio , Mastrullo Lucia , De Angioletti Maria 
Published: January 2013

AbstractObjectivesTo characterize the molecular basis of a β‐thalassemia defect in subjects with mild microcytosis associated with normal Hb A2 and increased levels of Hb F.MethodsSix subjects from three apparently unrelated families from Campania (southern Italy) have been investigated using DNA restriction analysis, inverse PCR, cloning, sequencing, multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA), quantitative real‐time PCR, and gap‐PCR.ResultsWe have identified a novel 55‐kb β‐globin gene cluster deletion in three unrelated families: the Italian Gγ(Aγδβ)°‐thalassemia. This deletion removes most of the β‐globin cluster. The 5′ breakpoint was within the Aγ‐globin exon 2, and the 3′ breakpoint was within a 160‐bp palindrome: the breakpoint‐flanking regions present a microhomology (5′‐TGGG‐3′) that, together with the palindromic structure, may have contributed to the recombination.ConclusionsLarge deletions of β‐globin gene cluster are usually found in single families. Here, we report about the novel Italian Gγ(Aγδβ)°‐thalassemia we have found in three families. Twenty years ago, the characterization of the first family was challenging, whereas that of the other families has taken advantage of nowadays techniques. The relatively high frequency of this novel deletion in southern Italy suggests that it should be tested, together with the Sicilian (δβ)°‐thalassemia, in Italian and Mediterranean families with microcytosis, normal Hb A2, and increased Hb F levels.
Fluctuations in water level and the dynamics of zooplankton: a data‐driven modelling approach
Authors: GAL GIDEON , SKERJANEC MATEJA , ATANASOVA NATASA 
Published: January 2013

Summary1. The zooplankton in Lake Kinneret (Israel) have undergone large fluctuations in recent decades, which have been linked to both biotic and abiotic processes.2. By applying a data‐driven modelling approach to a long‐term database, and focusing on key abiotic (lake‐level change) and biotic (prey abundance) variables, we attempted to identify the possible factors impacting the lake’s zooplankton community.3. We hypothesised that changes in the predatory zooplankton (adult cyclopoids) assemblage are driven by changes in lake level during years of large changes. We further postulated that lake‐level changes would have a similar impact on the herbivorous zooplankton (cladocerans and cyclopoid copepodites) but an opposite effect on the microzooplankton. In the years of moderate changes to lake level, however, the abundance of predatory zooplankton would determine the size of the herbivore and microzooplankton populations rather than their food sources, that is, top‐down control.4. The resulting decision trees supported the hypotheses stressing the importance of the annual rate of lake‐level change in shaping the zooplankton community in the lake. In addition, and in contrast to expectations, bottom‐up processes seem to play a role in determining zooplankton abundance.
Barriers and motivators of adherence to prophylactic treatment in haemophilia: a systematic review
Authors: Schrijvers L. H. , Uitslager N. , Schuurmans M. J. , Fischer K. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryLong‐term adherence to prophylactic therapy is the key to successful prevention of bleeds in severe haemophilia. The present study aims to provide a systematic review of the literature on the determinants of adherence to prophylaxis in haemophilia. A literature search in the largest medical databases in Oct 2011 yielded 880 articles, which were reduced to 72 by further selection on title. Twenty‐eight articles were excluded due to inclusion criteria. Full paper evaluation of 44 articles yielded five relevant articles that were critically appraised using the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and items extracted from the critical appraisal criteria for cohort studies (Dutch Cochrane Centre). After critical appraisal, 2/5 studies were considered as the best evidence available. The results of these two studies were further used in the synthesis for description of the determinants of adherence. This concerned a total of 245 subjects in all age groups. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. Motivators for a high adherence were as follows: experience of symptoms, a positive belief of necessity of treatment and a good relationship with the health care provider. Important barriers were defined as: infrequent or absence of symptoms and increasing age. Two high‐quality studies were identified. Reported determinants of adherence to prophylaxis were age, symptoms, beliefs, and the relation with the health care provider. This information may provide a first step towards a strategy to promote adherence in haemophilia, with an important focus on age‐specific interventions and patient education.
Inducibility of Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter Following Pulmonary Vein Ablation
Authors: LEONG‐SIT PETER , ROBINSON MELISSA , ZADO ERICA S. , CALLANS DAVID J. , GARCIA FERMIN , LIN DAVID , DIXIT SANJAY , BALA RUPA , RILEY MICHAEL P. , HUTCHINSON MATHEW D. , COOPER JOSHUA , GERSTENFELD EDWARD P. , MARCHLINSKI FRANCIS E. 
Published: January 2013

Arrhythmia Inducibility Post‐AF Ablation IntroductionPrior reports demonstrate prognostic value in noninducibility of atrial arrhythmias after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and suggest their utility in guiding additional ablation lesion sets. The type and mechanism of induced atrial arrhythmias, their relationship to the underlying atrial substrate, and prognostic significance of induced organized atrial arrhythmias are unknown.Methods and ResultsOne hundred forty‐four patients (30 women; median age 60 years; 54% with paroxysmal AF) undergoing AF ablation (circumferential pulmonary vein isolation and focal ablation of nonvein triggers on isoproterenol) were evaluated prospectively. All underwent a standardized postablation induction protocol from the coronary sinus and right atrium: 15 beat burst pacing at 250 milliseconds and decrementing to 180 milliseconds. Sustained rhythms were defined as greater than 2 minutes Of 144 patients, 55 patients (38.2%) did not have sustained inducible arrhythmias. Fifty‐two (36.1%) had inducible AF and 37 (25.7%) had inducible organized arrhythmias. A logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR 2.10 per decade; P = 0.003) and hypertension (OR 4.15; P = 0.009) were predictive of inducibility. However, inducibility of either AF or organized arrhythmias was not prognostic of clinical recurrence at 1 year postablation (P = 0.65). Furthermore, inducibility of organized arrhythmias did not predict clinical recurrence of an organized arrhythmia. Only LA size (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.02–4.67; P = 0.04) and persistent AF (OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.09–5.40; P = 0.03) predicted atrial arrhythmia recurrence.ConclusionsMultisite atrial burst pacing post‐AF ablation induced organized rhythms in 25.7% and AF in 36.1% of patients after AF ablation. Hypertension and age predict inducibility of arrhythmias, but inducibility did not predict clinical recurrence in follow‐up. Distinguishing organized atrial arrhythmias from AF did not yield any further prognostic information. The utility of aggressive stimulation protocols after AF ablation for prognosis and to guide therapy appears limited.
A novel vibratory stimulation‐based occlusal splint for alleviation of TMD painful symptoms: a pilot study
Authors: Hara E. S. , Witzel A. L. , de Luca C. E. P. , Ballester R. Y. , Kuboki T. , Bolzan M. C. 
Published: January 2013

SummaryThis pilot study introduces a novel vibratory stimulation‐based occlusal splint (VibOS) for management of pain related to temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The study sample consisted of 10 patients (mean age: 40·5 ± 13·7 years, male/female: 3/7) who were using stabilisation splints for more than 2 months prior to the study onset and still complained of pain. Patients utilised the active and inactive VibOS during 15 days in a crossover designed clinical trial. The analysed variables were self‐reported VAS pain levels and number of painful sites to palpation (PSP). Statistical analysis was performed with repeated measures anova. At baseline, mean VAS pain levels for group I and II were 45·6 ± 21·0 mm and 37·4 ± 16·3 mm, respectively. Comparison between these baseline values showed no statistical difference (P > 0·05, unpaired t‐test). In group I, the inactive VibOS caused a slight increase in VAS pain levels, whereas the active VibOS promoted a significant decrease in VAS pain levels and PSP (P < 0·01). In group II, which received the active VibOS first, a significant decrease in VAS levels (P < 0·05) and in PSP (P < 0·01) was observed. No significant decrease in VAS pain levels or PSP (P > 0·05) was observed with the use of the inactive VibOS. In conclusion, this study demonstrated a good tendency of this novel VibOS in the alleviation of painful symptoms related to TMD after a 15‐day management period compared to control VibOS.
Neurotransmitters involved in fast excitatory neurotransmission directly activate enteric glial cells
Authors: Boesmans W. , Cirillo C. , Van den Abbeel V. , Van den Haute C. , Depoortere I. , Tack J. , Vanden Berghe P. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBackground  The intimate association between glial cells and neurons within the enteric nervous system has confounded careful examination of the direct responsiveness of enteric glia to different neuroligands. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether neurotransmitters known to elicit fast excitatory potentials in enteric nerves also activate enteric glia directly.Methods  We studied the effect of acetylcholine (ACh), serotonin (5‐HT), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on intracellular Ca2+ signaling using aequorin‐expressing and Fluo‐4 AM‐loaded CRL‐2690 rat and human enteric glial cell cultures devoid of neurons. The influence of these neurotransmitters on the proliferation of glia was measured and their effect on the expression of c‐Fos as well as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Sox10, and S100 was examined by immunohistochemistry and quantitative RT‐PCR.Key Results  Apart from ATP, also ACh and 5‐HT induced a dose‐dependent increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration in CRL‐2690 cells. Similarly, these neurotransmitters also evoked Ca2+ transients in human primary enteric glial cells obtained from mucosal biopsies. In contrast with ATP, stimulation with ACh and 5‐HT induced early gene expression in CRL‐2690 cells. The proliferation of enteric glia and their expression of GFAP, Sox10, and S100 were not affected following stimulation with these neurotransmitters.Conclusions & Inferences  We provide evidence that enteric glial cells respond to fast excitatory neurotransmitters by changes in intracellular Ca2+. On the basis of our experimental in vitro setting, we show that enteric glia are not only directly responsive to purinergic but also to serotonergic and cholinergic signaling mechanisms.
Do pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgeries require larger‐size cuffed endotracheal tubes? A prospective study
Authors: Azarfarin Rasoul , Seyedhejazi Mahin , Golzari Samad E. J. , Bilehjani Eissa , Ghabili Kamyar , Alizadehasl Azin 
Published: January 2013

SummaryBackgroundThere is a controversy over using either smaller‐ or larger‐size endotracheal tubes (ETT) in children undergoing cardiac surgery, and some anesthesiologists prefer to use ETT sizes different from the formula‐based sizes. The aim of the present study was to compare proper‐size cuffed ETT in children undergoing cardiac vs noncardiac surgeries.MethodsIn an observational prospective study, 80 children planned to undergo noncardiac elective surgeries (NCS group) and 80 children scheduled for cardiac surgeries (CS group) were recruited. For intubation, initial cuffed ETT size was calculated based on the following formula: Tube size (mm ID) = age (year)/4 + 3.5. The estimated ETT size for each age group and the size of final utilized tubes for each age range were recorded.ResultsPatients of tube sizes 4.5, 5, and 5.5 in the CS group were of lower age, weight, height, and body surface area compared with the patients of the same tube sizes in the NCS group (P < 0.05). The compatibility of the predicted vs actual required tube sizes was more in the NCS group compared to the CS group (72.5% vs 56.2%; P = 0.02). Additionally, the cases with underestimated tube sizes were significantly more in the CS group compared with the NCS group (38.8% vs 18.8%, P = 0.01).ConclusionChildren undergoing cardiac surgeries in relation to their age and body size do require larger‐size ETTs compared with the children scheduled for noncardiac surgeries.
Effect of Chilling Duration on Post‐Thaw Characteristics of Sperm from theNorthAmerican bison (Bison bison)
Authors: Krishnakumar S , Whiteside D , Dance A , Elkin B , Thundathil J 
Published: January 2013

ContentsThe objective of this study was to determine the duration for which sperm from theNorthAmerican bison (Bison bison) could be chilled prior to being cryopreserved, without compromising post‐ thaw sperm quality. This would permit transport of samples collected remotely, to the laboratory (at 4°C) for cryopreservation. Epididymal sperm from plains bison (n = 11) and ejaculated sperm from wood bison (n = 3) were collected, extended and held at 4°Cfor extended periods of time. At intervals, an aliquot was cryopreserved. Post‐thaw sperm motion characteristics were evaluated by computer assisted sperm analysis. Representative plains bison sperm samples (n = 3) were evaluated for theirin vitrofertilizing ability in a heterologous system using bovine oocytes. There was no statistical difference in total and progressive motility of plains bison epididymal sperm when cryopreserved after chilling for 24, 48 or 72 h. For wood bison ejaculated sperm, there was no difference in total and progressive motility for sperm cryopreserved following 24 or 48 h of chilling. However, one of the three bulls showed significantly poorer fertilization (based on cleavage rate) with sperm chilled for 72 compared to 24 and 48 h prior to freezing. In conclusion, plains bison epididymal sperm can be chilled for 72 h and wood bison ejaculated sperm can be chilled for at least 48 h prior to cryopreservation without compromising post‐thaw sperm motility, while heterologousin vitrofertilization (IVF) assay indicated a between‐bull variation in thein vitrofertilizing ability of sperm chilled for an extended duration before cryopreservation.
Ultrasonographic features of PMEL17 (Silver) mutant gene–associated multiple congenital ocular anomalies (MCOA) in Comtois and Rocky Mountain horses
Authors: Ségard Emilie M. , Depecker Marianne C. , Lang Johann , Gemperli Armin , Cadoré Jean‐Luc 
Published: January 2013

AbstractObjective(1) To describe the ultrasonographic appearance of multiple congenital ocular anomalies (MCOA) in the eyes of horses with the PMEL17 (Silver) mutant gene. (2) To compare the accuracy of B‐mode ocular ultrasound to conventional direct ophthalmoscopy.Animals studiedSixty‐seven Comtois and 18 Rocky Mountain horses were included in the study.ProceduresHorses were classified as being carriers or noncarriers of the PMEL17 mutant allele based on coat color or genetic testing. Direct ophthalmoscopy followed by standardized ultrasonographic examination was performed in all horses.ResultsSeventy‐five of 85 horses (88.24%) carried at least one copy of the Silver mutant allele. Cornea globosa, severe iridal hypoplasia, uveal cysts, cataracts, and retinal detachment could be appreciated with ultrasound. Carrier horses had statistically significantly increased anterior chamber depth and decreased thickness of anterior uvea compared with noncarriers (P < 0.05). Uveal cysts had a wide range of location and ultrasonographic appearances. In 51/73 (69.86%) carrier horses, ultrasound detected ciliary cysts that were missed with direct ophthalmoscopy.ConclusionsIn this study, ultrasonography was useful to identify uveal cysts in PMEL17 mutant carriers and to assess anterior chamber depth.
Establishing hydroecological relationships to manage the impacts of groundwater abstraction
Authors: Bradley David C. , Streetly Mike , Farren Emma , Cadman Daniel , Banham Andrew 
Published: January 2013

AbstractDespite the pressing environmental, economic and social issues surrounding water abstraction, scientific methods for managing its ecological impacts remain in their infancy. In this paper, we demonstrate statistically significant relationships between in‐stream ecological condition using macroinvertebrates and the hydrological effect of groundwater abstraction on surface water flows in streams originating from Permo‐Triassic sandstone aquifers in the English midlands. Ecological condition was most strongly correlated to the effect of abstraction on medium‐low flows (Q75) compared with effects at other flows, water quality, habitat or seasonal effects. Ecological impacts occurred when the effect of abstraction on Q75 flows exceeded 60%. The same relationships were shown among individual macroinvertebrate taxa, validating the biological responses. The hydroecological model has provided a scientific basis for making local decisions on investigation sites and has helped to focus resources to areas at risk of not meeting Good Ecological Status under the Water Framework Directive because of abstraction.
Summarizing data succinctly with the most informative itemsets
Authors: Mampaey Michael , Vreeken Jilles , Tatti Nikolaj 
Published: January 2013

Knowledge discovery from data is an inherently iterative process. That is, what we know about the data greatly determines our expectations, and therefore, what results we would find interesting and/or surprising. Given new knowledge about the data, our expectations will change. Hence, in order to avoid redundant results, knowledge discovery algorithms ideally should follow such an iterative updating procedure.
With this in mind, we introduce a well-founded approach for succinctly summarizing data with the most informative itemsets; using a probabilistic maximum entropy model, we iteratively find the itemset that provides us the most novel information—that is, for which the frequency in the data surprises us the most—and in turn we update our model accordingly. As we use the maximum entropy principle to obtain unbiased probabilistic models, and only include those itemsets that are most informative with regard to the current model, the summaries we construct are guaranteed to be both descriptive and nonredundant.

The algorithm that we present, called mtv, can either discover the top-
k
most informative itemsets, or we can employ either the Bayesian Information Criterion (bic) or the Minimum Description Length (mdl) principle to automatically identify the set of itemsets that together summarize the data well. In other words, our method will “tell you what you need to know” about the data. Importantly, it is a one-phase algorithm: rather than picking itemsets from a user-provided candidate set, itemsets and their supports are mined on-the-fly. To further its applicability, we provide an efficient method to compute the maximum entropy distribution using Quick Inclusion-Exclusion.

Experiments on our method, using synthetic, benchmark, and real data, show that the discovered summaries are succinct, and correctly identify the key patterns in the data. The models they form attain high likelihoods, and inspection shows that they summarize the data well with increasingly specific, yet nonredundant itemsets.
Combinatiorial algorithms for wireless information flow
Authors: Ebrahimi Javad B. , Fragouli Christina 
Published: January 2013

A long-standing open question in information theory is to characterize the unicast capacity of a wireless relay network. The difficulty arises due to the complex signal interactions induced in the network, since the wireless channel inherently broadcasts the signals and there is interference among transmissions. Recently, Avestimehr et al. [2007b] proposed a linear deterministic model that takes into account the shared nature of wireless channels, focusing on the signal interactions rather than the background noise. They generalized the min-cut max-flow theorem for graphs to networks of deterministic channels and proved that the capacity can be achieved using information theoretical tools. They showed that the value of the minimum cut is in this case the minimum rank of all the adjacency matrices describing source-destination cuts.
In this article, we develop a polynomial-time algorithm that discovers the relay encoding strategy to achieve the min-cut value in linear deterministic (wireless) networks, for the case of a unicast connection. Our algorithm crucially uses a notion of linear independence between channels to calculate the capacity in polynomial time. Moreover, we can achieve the capacity by using very simple one-symbol processing at the intermediate nodes, thereby constructively yielding finite-length strategies that achieve the unicast capacity of the linear deterministic (wireless) relay network.