bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral Surgery trainees in the UK – a profiling survey
Authors: O'Connor N. , Lopes V. , Morrison A. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractAim:  A survey was carried out of the current Oral Surgery trainees in the UK to gather information on the credentials of those selected for training programmes, at the time of entry into Specialty Training.Materials and Methods:  A web‐based questionnaire was emailed to the current Oral Surgery trainees. The questionnaire included questions on the following: demographics, undergraduate degree, postgraduate qualifications, prizes/distinctions/awards, audit, publications and presentations carried out prior to entry into Specialty Training.Results:  A total of 24 trainees completed the web‐based questionnaire. The mean age on entry into Specialty Training was 29. The mean time period post qualification prior to acceptance onto a Specialty Training programme was 5.8 years. The majority, 91%, of trainees had completed at least 1 year as an senior house officer in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. All trainees had completed audits and presentations, and 68% had publications when accepted onto an Oral Surgery training scheme.Conclusion:  This survey demonstrates that the majority of the Oral Surgery trainees had a similar profile at the point of entry into Specialty Training. This provides a useful guide for prospective trainees, as it lays out what the recruitment team are looking for.
Wavelet regression models for predicting flood stages in rivers: a case study in Eastern India
Authors: Sahay R.R. , Sehgal V. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractCombining discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and autoregression (AR), two types of wavelet regression (WR) models were developed for forecasting 1‐day‐ahead river stages. In the first type of WR models, AR was applied on the DWT‐obtained subtime series while in the second type, AR was applied on the modified time series which was formed by recombining effective subtime series and ignoring the ‘noise’ subtime series. Depending upon different input combinations, five models in each type of WR models were developed. The efficiency of developed models was tested in forecasting monsoon stages of Kosi River in Bihar State of India. During monsoon (June to Oct), the Kosi carries large flow and makes the entire North Bihar unsafe for habitation or cultivation. When compared, WR models predicted river stages with greater accuracy than AR and artificial neural network (ANN) models, developed for the purpose. Between the two types of WR models, the first type gave slightly better results than the second type. The best performing WR model, with five previous days’ subtime series as inputs, predicted stages of the Kosi River, with the highest accuracy of 97.41%, the minimum root mean square error of 7.9 cm and the maximum coefficient of correlation of 0.952.
Study of sediment transport in granular avalanches
Authors: Zhou G.G.D. , Hu K.H. , Cui P. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractUnderstanding the characteristics and mechanics of granular avalanches along sloping channels is fundamental and vital for the study of different geophysical flows in the field. By using the discrete element method (DEM), three‐dimensional (3D) granular (mass) flows along a sloping channel are numerically modelled to study the contact behaviour between solid particles. The evolution of 3D unsteady granular flows from a quasi‐static state to an inertial flow is systematically investigated through numerical simulations. Captured velocity profiles along the flow height show variation in the flow regimes, while utilisation of the definition of the Savage number allows study of the vibration of solids inside a granular body along the sloping channels. These numerical results are compared with field measurements to observe the effect of channel confinement on the solids discharge per unit width of granular flows. This particulate study illustrates that, for unsteady granular flows, solid particles in the front head are more collision dominated, with shear rates and Savage numbers greatly enhanced. Also, the solids discharge inside a granular body is not uniformly distributed. Finally, channel width acts as a confinement to the granular debris flow, which can significantly affect sediment transport.
Socioeconomic scenarios and flood damage assessment methodologies for the Taihu Basin, China
Authors: Penning‐Rowsell E.C. , Yanyan W. , Watkinson A.R. , Jiang J. , Thorne C. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe assessment of flood risk is now widely recognised to need research and data on both the probability and the consequences of flooding; the research reported here concentrates on the latter data input. Building on the UK Foresight Future Flooding project, this paper describes the development of future scenarios through which to assess possible future flood risk in the Taihu Basin area of China. In addition, we describe the flood damage assessment model that was developed there to build on these scenarios so as to calculate anticipated risk. Acknowledged methodological limitations remain, but some important developments have resulted. First, the pre‐existing flood loss data that were available from Shanghai meant that this aspect of the risk model's input was more regionally appropriate than would otherwise have been the case. Second, the damage assessment has been related both to constructed scenarios and to an agreed National Plan, so that the two can be compared. Third, the scenario construction was linked in Taihu to the statistical base contained in the 2006 Yearbook and the Fifth National Socio‐economic Survey data, giving a sounder ‘base case’ of current flood vulnerability than used in the UK Foresight Future Flooding project. Finally, much more attention was given here to agricultural production and flood risk, given the importance of agriculture in the Chinese economy and its focus on food production for a growing population.
Analysis of flood‐reduction capacity of hydropower schemes in an Alpine catchment area by semidistributed conceptual modelling
Authors: Bieri M. , Schleiss A.J. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe simulation of run‐off in Alpine catchment areas is essential for the optimal operation of high head storage hydropower plants (HPPs) under normal flow conditions, but also in case of flood events. A conceptual semidistributed numerical approach is presented, combining hydrologic modelling and operation of hydraulic works. Spatial rainfall and temperature distributions were taken into account for simulating the dominant hydrologic processes, such as glacier melt, snowpack constitution and melt, soil infiltration and run‐off. The object‐oriented modelling tool allowed run‐off generation, simulation of the operating mode of complex HPP and its impact on the downstream river network for different scenarios. The paper briefly presents the hydrologic model and then the application for the upper Aare catchment in Switzerland, where about half of the area is operated by the Oberhasli hydropower scheme. The development, calibration and validation of the hydrologic model are discussed. Finally, the retention effect of the existing reservoirs and their management, including preventive turbine operations, on flood routing in the Aare River upstream of Lake Brienz is presented for the 2005 historical flood event.
Effect of prone versus supine positioning on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and heart rate using ECG gated Tl‐201 myocardial perfusion scans and gated cardiac blood pool scans
Authors: Yap Kenneth , Campbell Patrina , Cherk Martin , McGrath Catherine , Kalff Victor 
Published: September 2012

AbstractIntroductionThere is limited data on the effect of posture on LVEF. The study aim was to determine any difference in LVEF using gated cardiac blood pool scanning (GCBPS) and Tl‐201 gated myocardial perfusion scanning (MPS) in prone or supine positions.MethodIn 50 patients undergoing evaluation for varying heart conditions, automated LVEF, end diastolic volume (EDV), end systolic volume (ESV) measurements were obtained at rest during gated MPS on Discovery NM 530c (GE Healthcare). In another 50 patients, semi‐automated LVEF measurements were obtained using GCBPS on dual‐headed gamma cameras. Average heart rate (HR) was recorded. Differences between prone and supine LVEF, HR, EDV and ESV were compared using paired two‐tailed t‐tests (P < 0.05 considered significant). Pearson's correlation, difference plots, mean, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval of the differences were also derived to analyse LVEF results.ResultsUsing GCPBS or MPS, no significant difference in LVEF or LV volumes (from gated MPS) was demonstrated between postures. Increased HR was noted in prone positioning.ConclusionPosture did not affect measured LVEF or LV volumes. However HR was higher on prone imaging.
Diel cycle of methanogen mcrA transcripts in rice rhizosphere
Authors: Xu Yuan , Ma Ke , Huang Shiwen , Liu Lianmeng , Lu Yahai 
Published: September 2012

SummaryMethanogens are known to inhabit not only the anaerobic bulk soil but also the rhizosphere of rice plants. The release of root exudates, a major carbon source for CH4 production in the rhizosphere, is closely coupled to plant photosynthesis. In the present study we hypothesized that the diel cycle of plant photosynthetic activity may shape the structure and function of methanogens in the rhizosphere of rice. We performed a field experiment to determine the diel dynamics of methanogen mcrA and their transcripts in the rhizosphere and bulk soil. The chemistry of NH4+, NO3−, SO42− and Fe(II) in the rice rhizosphere remained constant over a diel sampling. The mcrA copy number and their transcripts were greater in the rice rhizosphere compared with the bulk soil, indicating the enhanced activity of methanogens in the rhizosphere. The hydrogenotrophic Methanomicrobiales in particular increased in the rhizosphere whereas Methanosarcinaceae were more abundant in the bulk soil. Both the phylogenetic affiliation and copy numbers of methanogen mcrA in the rice rhizosphere did not display diel dynamics. The mcrA transcripts, however, significantly increased in the night compared with the daytime. The diel pattern of physical factors like temperature appeared not to affect the methanogen dynamics. The response of mcrA transcripts is probably due to the plant attributes, which release less O2 from roots in the night and hence stimulate the methanogen gene transcription and activity compared with the daytime.
The association of pharmacy drug-delivery services with adherence in an urban HIV population†
Authors: Yeh Rosa F , Gupta Shailendra A , Sangani Darshan N , Sansgiry Sujit S 
Published: September 2012

Abstract

Objective
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of drug-distribution methods on antiretroviral medication adherence in HIV-positive patients.

Methods
This was a longitudinal, retrospective study of an independent retail pharmacy providing complementary delivery services. Patients of 18 years of age or older receiving antiretroviral therapy were evaluated from 1 January to 30 June 2004. Patients were included if they had a minimum of one prescription claim for any antiretroviral medication during the study period and received state medication assistance. Using data obtained from computerized pharmacy records a medication possession ratio was calculated to assess adherence measured by pharmacy refill history over 6 months. To assess the consistency of adherence over time a modified medication possession ratio, termed the compliance/non-compliance index (CNI) at each refill, was developed and compared between each group.

Key findings
Of the 181 patients included in the study, those who had medications delivered had significantly better adherence (90.3% compared with 82.6%, P = 0.001) and CNI value (73.5% compared with 57.9%, P = 0.001) in comparison with those who picked up their medications. After controlling for age, gender, drug class, insurance type and time and distance from the pharmacy, use of medication-delivery services was significantly associated with adherence (P &lt; 0.0001) and CNI score (P = 0.012).

Conclusion
Complementary medication-delivery services by pharmacies significantly increased adherence at each refill for antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive patients. Further research is needed on how medication-distribution strategies can be implemented universally and the economic impact on cost of care to increase medication adherence in this high-risk population.
Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance in CommensalEscherichia coliwith Public Health Relevance
Authors: Kaesbohrer A. , Schroeter A. , Tenhagen B.‐A. , Alt K. , Guerra B. , Appel B. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryIn 2009, 1462Escherichia coliisolates were collected in a systematic resistance monitoring approach from primary production, slaughterhouses and at retail and evaluated on the basis of epidemiological cut‐off values. Besides resistance to antimicrobial classes that have been extensively used for a long time (e.g. sulphonamides and tetracyclines), resistance to (fluoro)quinolones and third‐generation cephalosporins was observed. While in the poultry production chain the majority (60%) of isolates from laying hens was susceptible to all antimicrobials tested, most isolates from broilers, chicken meat and turkey meat showed resistance to at least one (85–93%) but frequently even to several antimicrobial classes (73–84%). In the cattle and pig production chain, the share of isolates showing resistance to at least one antimicrobial was lowest (16%) in dairy cows, whereas resistance to at least one antimicrobial ranged between 43% and 73% in veal calves, veal and pork. Resistance rates to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid in isolates from broilers were 41.1% and 43.1%, respectively. Likewise, high resistance rates to (fluoro)quinolones were observed in isolates from chicken meat and turkey meat. In contrast, ciprofloxacin resistance was less frequent inE. coliisolates from the cattle and pig production chain with highest rate in veal calves (13.3%). Highest resistance rates to cephalosporins were observed in broilers and chicken meat, with 5.9% and 6.2% of the isolates showing resistance. In dairy cattle and veal, no isolates with cephalosporin resistance were detected, whereas 3.3% of the isolates from veal calves showed resistance to ceftazidime. Resistance to (fluoro)quinolones and cephalosporins inE. coliisolates is of special concern because they are critically important antimicrobials in human antimicrobial therapy. The emergence of this resistance warrants increased monitoring. Together with continuous monitoring of antimicrobial usage, management strategies should be regularly assessed and adapted.
Atypical Severe Puumala Hantavirus Infection and Virus Sequence Analysis of the Patient and Regional Reservoir Host
Authors: Eckerle I. , Jakob E. , Hofmann J. , Schmidt‐Bacher A. , Ettinger J. , Schnitzler P. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryNephropathia epidemica (NE) caused by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is a mild variant of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which is endemic in Germany. We describe the case of a 67‐year‐old man initially presenting with acute bilateral angle‐closure glaucoma, an atypical clinical presentation of PUUV infection. Subsequently, the patient developed a severe course of disease additionally complicated by profound hepatitis and interstitial nephritis, both phenomena which are rarely described in association with hantavirus infection. Serologic diagnosis was complicated by delayed antibody production until the 10th day of illness; however, PUUV RNA was detectable early in disease. To further analyse this unusual case, sequencing of the PUUV S segment was performed from the patient and regional reservoir host which showed a close relation.
Modelling Transmission of Bovine Tuberculosis in Red Deer and Wild Boar in Normandy, France
Authors: Zanella G. , Bar‐Hen A. , Boschiroli M.‐L. , Hars J. , Moutou F. , Garin‐Bastuji B. , Durand B. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryIn early 2001, Mycobacterium bovis infection was confirmed in red deer (RD) (Cervus elaphus) shot in Normandy region, France. An epidemiological survey conducted during the following hunting season in two connected forests confirmed the occurrence of the disease in both free‐ranging RD and wild boar (WB) (Sus scrofa). This was the first detected bovine tuberculosis outbreak in wildlife in France. We present a simple deterministic age‐structured model of the within‐ and between‐species M. bovis transmission in RD and WB populations that distinguishes direct transmission (horizontal and pseudo‐vertical) and indirect transmission through contaminated offal left behind by hunters. Results issued from the epidemiological surveys conducted in Normandy forests were used to estimate transmission parameters. Because data for RD and WB populations were not available, population sizes at demographic equilibrium were estimated and used to run the model. We qualitatively tested different control measure scenarios with our model, considering different mortality rates and offal harvesting, to determine which ones affect the success of infection control. The most realistic control scenario would combine the total depopulation of RD and good compliance with offal harvesting, because the model suggests that infected offal left by hunters represents the main transmission source of M. bovis in the field.
How Ebola Virus Counters the Interferon System
Authors: Kühl A. , Pöhlmann S. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryZoonotic transmission of Ebola virus (EBOV) to humans causes a severe haemorrhagic fever in afflicted individuals with high case‐fatality rates. Neither vaccines nor therapeutics are at present available to combat EBOV infection, making the virus a potential threat to public health. To devise antiviral strategies, it is important to understand which components of the immune system could be effective against EBOV infection. The interferon (IFN) system constitutes a key innate defence against viral infections and prevents development of lethal disease in mice infected with EBOV strains not adapted to this host. Recent research revealed that expression of the host cell IFN‐inducible transmembrane proteins 1–3 (IFITM1–3) and tetherin is induced by IFN and restricts EBOV infection, at least in cell culture model systems. IFITMs, tetherin and other effector molecules of the IFN system could thus pose a potent barrier against EBOV spread in humans. However, EBOV interferes with signalling events required for human cells to express these proteins. Here, we will review the strategies employed by EBOV to fight the IFN system, and we will discuss how IFITM proteins and tetherin inhibit EBOV infection.
Beyond Lyme: Aetiology of Tick‐borne Human Diseases with Emphasis on the South‐Eastern United States
Authors: Stromdahl E. Y. , Hickling G. J. 
Published: September 2012

SummarySince its emergence in the north‐eastern and upper mid‐western United States in the 1970s, Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, has captured the public’s attention as the nation’s most prevalent vector‐borne zoonotic disease. In contrast, recent publications on tick‐pathogen systems in the eastern United States, and findings from Department of Defense investigations of ticks found biting military personnel, indicate that residents of the south‐eastern United States are primarily at risk from emerging diseases caused by tick‐borne pathogens other than B. burgdorferi. The risk of contracting these diseases varies greatly among states as a consequence of regional variation in the abundance of the key vector tick species. Moreover, this risk is changing, because tick distributions are in flux. To improve health outcomes, health providers need better information and awareness regarding which tick species bite humans in each state and which zoonotic pathogens are prevalent in these ticks. Effective diagnosis, treatment, control and reporting of tick‐borne disease in the south‐eastern United States require that health providers think ‘beyond Lyme’ and consider the marked regional differences in the tick species that bite humans and in the pathogens that these ticks carry.
Virus‐Like Particle‐Based Countermeasures Against Rift Valley Fever Virus
Authors: Koukuntla R. , Mandell R. B. , Flick R. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryRift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an arbovirus that causes significant morbidity and mortality in both humans and livestock. With increased world travel and the threat of bioterrorism, there is a real risk of RVFV spreading to naïve geographical areas (Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg., 73, 1979, 618; MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly Rep., 49, 2000, 905). The introduction of RVFV would cause critical public health, agricultural and economic damage. Despite the clear need for an efficacious vaccine, there are no United States (US) Food and Drug Administration or US Department of Agriculture approved vaccines against RVFV. To address this need, a virus‐like particle (VLP)‐based vaccine candidate was developed. First, a non‐replicating chimeric RVF VLP vaccine candidate was generated that protected mice and rats against a lethal RVFV challenge. This was followed by the development and optimization of conditions for production of RVF VLPs in insect and mammalian cells. Immunological studies demonstrated that VLP‐based vaccine candidates elicit both humoral and cellular immune responses. Subsequent challenge studies using a lethal wild‐type RVFV strain under high‐containment conditions showed that RVF VLP vaccine candidates can completely protect mice and rats.
Constructing Ecological Networks: A Tool to Infer Risk of Transmission and Dispersal of Leishmaniasis
Authors: González‐Salazar C. , Stephens C. R. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryWe extend a recently developed method for constructing ecological networks to infer potential biotic interactions between species and to also include environmental factors, in particular land cover, thus permitting a simultaneous analysis of the interaction between environment and species distribution as well as inter‐species interactions. We apply the method to the transmission and dispersal of leishmaniasis in Mexico. We find that the most important potential vectors and reservoirs can be classified into assemblages associated with different types of habitat. This in turn can be used to understand and map potential transmission risk, as well as to construct risk scenarios for the dispersal of disease from one geographical region to another.