bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pliocene sand injectites from a submarine lobe fringe during hydrocarbon migration and salt diapirism: a seismic example from the Lower Congo Basin
Authors: Monnier D. , Imbert P. , Gay A. , Mourgues R. , Lopez M. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractLarge‐scale conical and saucer‐shaped sand injectites have been identified in the Upper Miocene sediments of the Lower Congo Basin. These structures are evidenced on the 3D high‐resolution seismic data at about 600 ms TWT (two‐way traveltime) beneath the seabed. The conical and saucer‐shaped anomalies range from 20 to 80 m in height, 50 to 300 m in diameter, and 10 to 20 ms TWT in thickness. They are located within a sedimentary interval of about 100 m in thickness and are aligned over 20 km in dip direction (NE‐SW), above the NW margin of an underlying Upper Miocene submarine fan. We have interpreted the conical and saucer‐shaped anomalies as upward‐emplaced sand injectites sourced from the Upper Miocene fan because of their discordant character, the postsedimentary uplifting of the sediments overlying the cones and saucer‐shaped bodies, the alignment with the lateral fringe of the Upper Miocene submarine fan, and the geological context. Sand injection dates from the Miocene–Pliocene transition (approximately 5.3 Ma). The prerequisite overpressure to the sand injection process may be due to the buoyancy effect of hydrocarbons accumulated in the margins of the fan. Additionally, overpressure could have been enhanced by the lateral transfer of fluids operating in the inclined margins of the lobe. The short duration of sand injection and the presence of many sandstone intrusions suggested that the process of injection was triggered by an event, likely due to a nearby fault displacement related to diapiric movements. This is the first time that sand injectites of seismic scale have been described from the Lower Congo Basin. The localized nature of these injectites has led to a change in the migration path of fluids through the sedimentary cover. Consequently, the sand intrusions are both evidence and vectors of fluid migration within the basin fill.
Using noninvasive hemoglobin measurements to estimate measured hemoglobin in a pediatric hemodialysis unit
Authors: Stavinoha Amanda , Modem Vinai , Quigley Raymond 
Published: October 2013

AbstractMaintaining a dialysis patient's hemoglobin (Hgb) within a very narrow range can be challenging. Relying on Hgb measurements only once or twice a month can cause large fluctuations in their measurements. Utilizing the Hgb measurement from noninvasive modalities has been studied in adult populations. Our study focused on a pediatric hemodialysis population where blood volumes are much smaller to see if these measurements would adequately work for adjusting erythropoietin dosages. We reviewed our patients' data over a 6‐month time period and collected simultaneous measurements of Hgb performed in the laboratory, as well as the initial Crit‐Line measurement. We then analyzed the correlation of the two estimates of the patient's Hgb using linear regression as well as Bland‐Altman plot and ROCs. There were 407 simultaneous measurements of Hgb in our 32 pediatric hemodialysis patients during this time. Linear regression showed good correlation with an R value of 0.85 (P value < 0.0001). The Bland‐Altman plot showed excellent agreement between the two methods. The ROC analysis showed that the performance of the noninvasive Hgb measurement was very good at predicting low measurements. Predicting Hgb less than 10 g/dL had an area under the curve of 0.94. Predicting Hgb greater than 12 g/dL had an area under the curve of 0.91. There were 100 simultaneous measurements of hematocrit. The analysis revealed similar results as the hemoglobin. Noninvasive in‐line monitoring of Hgb can be a very useful way of assessing the patient's response to erythropoietin on a day‐to‐day time frame. Utilizing this methodology should help reduce the variability in the pediatric patients' Hgb measurements.
Vascular calcification in end‐stage renal disease
Authors: Jablonski Kristen L. , Chonchol Michel 
Published: October 2013

AbstractVascular calcification is highly prevalent in end‐stage renal disease and independently predictive of future cardiovascular events and mortality. Calcification can occur in both the intimal and medial layers of vasculature, but medial calcification is the major form in end‐stage renal disease. Medial calcification increases large elastic artery stiffness and pulse‐pressure, promotes left ventricular hypertrophy, reduces perfusion of the coronary arteries, and ultimately promotes increased cardiovascular mortality via increased risk of myocardial infarction and heart failure. It results not from a passive deposition of calcium and phosphate due to increased circulating levels, but rather is an active cell‐mediated process involving vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and vesicle release, a shift in the balance of inhibitors and promoters of vascular calcification, and vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation from a contractile to osteochondrogenic phenotype. This phenotypic shift requires phosphate, as well as the uptake of phosphate by the sodium‐dependent phosphate cotransporter PiT‐1, which is upregulated by proinflammatory cytokines and the uremic milieu. Further research is needed to determine if targeting these processes can ultimately reduce vascular calcification in this high cardiovascular risk population.
Perihospitalization patterns of hemoglobin levels and erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent doses in US hemodialysis patients, 1998–2009
Authors: Foley Robert N. , Solid Craig A. , Lamb Kenneth 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAnemia management in hemodialysis patients is of primary importance for clinicians and dialysis providers. Through a retrospective claims analysis, we studied prevalent US hemodialysis patients 1998–2009, and examined patterns of hemoglobin levels and erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent (ESA, epoetin [EPO], and darbepoetin [DPO] ) doses surrounding hospitalization events. Medicare outpatient claims were used to determine monthly ESA doses and associated hemoglobin levels. ESA dose trajectories were defined with repeated measures models incorporating an autoregressive covariance matrix that compared subsequent measurements with the index month of hospitalization, with variance component covariance matrices chosen for pair‐wise comparisons. Regarding prehospitalization hemoglobin levels, a biphasic pattern occurred in both the EPO (1998–2009, n = 161,242) and DPO (2004–2009, n = 4391) populations; levels rose from 1998 to 2004, fell thereafter in the EPO population, and fell after 2006 or 2007 in the DPO population. In the EPO population, the proportions of patients with hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL were 30.1% in 1998, 14.5% in 2004, and 28.3% in 2009; corresponding values for the DPO population were 21.0% in 2004 and 31.6% in 2009. While some degree of year‐to‐year variability occurred, EPO dose trends were less pronounced, with an apparent peak in 2004 followed by a modest decline; trends were similar for DPO. Trends in EPO dose trajectories did not completely parallel those for hemoglobin level; while EPO doses increased yearly up to 2004, doses stabilized, but did not materially decrease after 2004. No definite annual trends for DPO dose trajectories were apparent.
Characterization of a new V gene replacement in the absence of activation‐induced cytidine deaminase and its contribution to human B‐cell receptor diversity
Authors: Ouled‐Haddou Hakim , Ghamlouch Hussein , Regnier Aline , Trudel Stephanie , Herent Didier , Lefranc Marie‐Paule , Marolleau Jean Pierre , Gubler Brigitte 
Published: October 2013

SummaryIn B cells, B‐cell receptor (BCR) immunoglobulin revision is a common route for modifying unwanted antibody specificities via a mechanism called VH replacement. This in vivo process, mostly affecting heavy‐chain rearrangement, involves the replacement of all or part of a previously rearranged IGHV gene with another germline IGHV gene located upstream. Two different mechanisms of IGHV replacement have been reported: type 1, involving the recombination activating genes complex and requiring a framework region 3 internal recombination signal; and type 2, involving an unidentified mechanism different from that of type 1. In the case of light‐chain loci, BCR immunoglobulin editing ensures that a second V‐J rearrangement occurs. This helps to maintain tolerance, by generating a novel BCR with a new antigenic specificity. We report that human B cells can, surprisingly, undergo type 2 replacement associated with κ light‐chain rearrangements. The de novo IGKV‐IGKJ products result from the partial replacement of a previously rearranged IGKV gene by a new germline IGKV gene, in‐frame and without deletion or addition of nucleotides. There are wrcy/rgyw motifs at the ‘IGKV donor–IGKV recipient chimera junction’ as described for type 2 IGHV replacement, but activation‐induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression was not detected. This unusual mechanism of homologous recombination seems to be a variant of gene conversion‐like recombination, which does not require AID. The recombination phenomenon described here provides new insight into immunoglobulin locus recombination and BCR immunoglobulin repertoire diversity.
Front line nurses' experiences with deteriorating ward patients: a qualitative study
Authors: Chua W.L. , Mackey S. , Ng E.K.C. , Liaw S.Y. 
Published: October 2013

BackgroundNurses in the general ward are faced with patients who are at high risk of clinical deterioration. Having the key role in performing routine vital signs monitoring, non‐registered nurses such as enrolled nurses are the front line nurses who play a pivotal role in detecting and responding to the deteriorating ward patient.Aims(1) To explore the experience of enrolled nurses with deteriorating patients in pre‐cardiac arrest situations and (2) to identify strategies to enhance their role in caring for deteriorating ward patients.MethodA qualitative study using critical incident technique was conducted. Fifteen enrolled nurses who had encountered deteriorating ward patients were interviewed. Data were analysed using content analysis.FindingsThree themes emerged describing enrolled nurse's experience with deteriorating patients: recognizing deterioration, responding to deterioration and taking responsibility. Two themes, including educational development and modifying clinical processes, were strategies identified to enhance the ability of enrolled nurses in recognizing and managing deteriorating patients.ConclusionThe study highlighted a need to enhance the ability of front line nurses in recognizing and responding to patient deterioration through nursing education and modifications of clinical processes.Implications for Nursing and Health PolicyNursing education could focus on increasing the awareness of the importance of performing complete vital signs monitoring and undertaking accurate interpretation of vital signs. Strategies to improve clinical processes could include the need for registered nurses to provide supervision of enrolled nurses in the interpretation of vital signs readings and share the responsibility of performing vital signs monitoring.
Searching for optimal integer solutions to set partitioning problems using column generation
Authors: Bredström D. , Jörnsten K. , Rönnqvist M. , Bouchard M. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractIn this paper, we describe a new approach to increase the possibility of finding integer feasible columns to a set partitioning problem (SPP) directly in solving the linear programming (LP) relaxation using column generation. Traditionally, column generation is aimed to solve the LP‐relaxation as quickly as possible without any concern for the integer properties of the columns formed. In our approach, we aim to generate columns forming an optimal integer solution while simultaneously solving the LP‐relaxation. Using this approach, we can improve the possibility of finding integer solutions by heuristics at each node in the branch‐and‐bound search. In addition, we improve the possibility of finding high‐quality integer solutions in cases where only the columns in the root node are used to solve the problem. The basis of our approach is a subgradient technique applied to a Lagrangian dual formulation of the SPP extended with an additional surrogate constraint. This extra constraint is not relaxed and is used to better control the subgradient evaluations and how the multiplier values are computed. The column generation is then directed, via the multipliers, to construct columns that form feasible integer solutions. Computational experiments show that we can generate optimal integer columns in a large set of well‐known test problems as compared to both standard and stabilized column generation, and simultaneously keep the number of columns smaller than standard column generation. This is also supported by tests on a case study with work‐shift generation.
The plantar fat pad and the diabetic foot – a review
Authors: Dalal Sunit , Widgerow Alan D , Evans Gregory RD 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThere has been much debate concerning the pathologic consequences of diabetes on the plantar fat pad and its subsequent association with the development of a foot ulcer. This review article documents two theories regarding pathophysiology in diabetic foot ulcer formation as they are related to the plantar fat pad and discusses current treatment options for this pathophysiological phenomenon. Traditionally, fat pad atrophy in diabetic patients was thought to result as an irregular arrangement of collagen fibrils within the septal walls as a result of glycation as well as diminishing adipocyte size due to thickened septal walls. Contrary to this traditional theory, a model depicting distal fat pad migration from under the metatarsal heads has been described in the diabetic patient. Such pad migration renders the metatarsal heads vulnerable to increased pressure, which, in turn, predisposes to foot ulceration. This migratory fat pad theory plays a significant role in approaches to the prevention of diabetic foot ulceration and subsequent amputation. Various methods of fat pad supplementation and claw toe management are impacted by the pathophysiological changes described and new avenues of therapy may be based on these changes.
Putative apolipoprotein A‐I, natural killer cell enhancement factor and lysozyme g are involved in the early immune response of brown‐marbled grouper, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, Forskal, to Vibrio alginolyticus
Authors: Low C‐F , Shamsudin M N , Chee H‐Y , Aliyu‐Paiko M , Idrus E S 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe gram‐negative bacterium, Vibrio alginolyticus, has frequently been identified as the pathogen responsible for the infectious disease called vibriosis. This disease is one of the major challenges facing brown‐marbled grouper aquaculture, causing fish farmers globally to suffer substantial economic losses. The objective of this study was to investigate the proteins involved in the immune response of brown‐marbled grouper fingerlings during their initial encounter with pathogenic organisms. To achieve this objective, a challenge experiment was performed, in which healthy brown‐marbled grouper fingerlings were divided into two groups. Fish in the treated group were subjected to intraperitoneal injection with an infectious dose of V. alginolyticus suspended in phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS), and those in the control group were injected with an equal volume of PBS. Blood samples were collected from a replicate number of fish from both groups at 4 h post‐challenge and analysed for immune response‐related serum proteins via two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. The results showed that 14 protein spots were altered between the treated and control groups; these protein spots were further analysed to determine the identity of each protein via MALDI‐TOF/TOF. Among the altered proteins, three were clearly overexpressed in the treated group compared with the control; these were identified as putative apolipoprotein A‐I, natural killer cell enhancement factor and lysozyme g. Based on these results, these three highly expressed proteins participate in immune response‐related reactions during the initial exposure (4 h) of brown‐marbled grouper fingerling to V. alginolyticus infection.
Modified Enrichment Strategies Coupled with Molecular and Conventional Methods to Detect and Quantify Campylobacter jejuni in Chicken Meat from the Market
Authors: Rohonczy Kata , Rantsiou Kalliopi , Cocolin Luca 
Published: October 2013

AbstractCampylobacter spp. are currently the bacterial foodborne pathogen that causes the highest number of gastrointestinal diseases in developed countries, according to the World Health Organization. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of four Campylobacter enrichment broths: Bolton broth, Bolton broth with blood, Preston broth and Preston broth with blood using both culture‐dependent methods and an optimized quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) protocol. The enrichment in Bolton broth with blood allowed most positive samples for Campylobacter jejuni to be detected when 40 chicken meat samples from the market were tested. Correlation between cultural methods and molecular methods was poor. Only in a few cases could C. jejuni and Campylobacter spp. be identified by PCR. Out of 480 colonies isolated throughout the enrichment process, only seven colonies could be identified as Campylobacter spp., three of which were C. jejuni. Enrichment of chicken meat samples with Bolton broth added with blood, coupled with qPCR resulted to be the most suitable method to detect samples contaminated with C. jejuni.Practical ApplicationsDetection and identification of Campylobacter spp. in food is still a challenge and there is lack of consensus on the methodology that should be used in order to recover these fastidious microorganisms. The application of molecular methods, such as the amplification of a target gene sequence by PCR, in order to rapidly and inequivocally detect and identify foodborne pathogens in foodstuff, offers a valid alternative to traditional microbiological testing. In this study, we investigated the performances of combined enrichment strategies with a specific C. jejuni qPCR protocol. The molecular approach resulted to be superior with respect to traditional plating and was able to detect a higher number of C. jejuni positive samples. Among the enrichment broths tested, Bolton broth added with blood resulted to be the most suitable for the detection of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat.
Automated image segmentation of haematoxylin and eosin stained skeletal muscle cross‐sections
Authors: LIU F. , MACKEY A.L. , SRIKUEA R. , ESSER K.A. , YANG L. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryThe ability to accurately and efficiently quantify muscle morphology is essential to determine the physiological relevance of a variety of muscle conditions including growth, atrophy and repair. There is agreement across the muscle biology community that important morphological characteristics of muscle fibres, such as cross‐sectional area, are critical factors that determine the health and function (e.g. quality) of the muscle. However, at this time, quantification of muscle characteristics, especially from haematoxylin and eosin stained slides, is still a manual or semi‐automatic process. This procedure is labour‐intensive and time‐consuming. In this paper, we have developed and validated an automatic image segmentation algorithm that is not only efficient but also accurate. Our proposed automatic segmentation algorithm for haematoxylin and eosin stained skeletal muscle cross‐sections consists of two major steps: (1) A learning‐based seed detection method to find the geometric centres of the muscle fibres, and (2) a colour gradient repulsive balloon snake deformable model that adopts colour gradient in colour space. Automatic quantification of muscle fibre cross‐sectional areas using the proposed method is accurate and efficient, providing a powerful automatic quantification tool that can increase sensitivity, objectivity and efficiency in measuring the morphometric features of the haematoxylin and eosin stained muscle cross‐sections.
Efficacy of narrowband ultraviolet phototherapy on renal pruritus
Authors: Wang Tsae‐Jyy , Lan Li‐Ching , Lu Chia‐Sheng , Lin Kuan‐Chia , Tung Heng‐Hsing , Wu Shu‐Fang Vivienne , Liang Shu‐Yuan 
Published: October 2013

Aims and objectivesTo test the efficacy of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy in reducing renal pruritus.BackgroundRenal pruritus is a disabling symptom affecting approximately 50% of patients undergoing maintenance haemodialysis. Managing refractory pruritus can be a great challenge for healthcare providers and patients as well. For patients who do not respond to conventional treatments, ultraviolet B phototherapy is considered the treatment of choice. Few investigators, however, have studied the efficacy of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy in this condition.DesignThe study was based on a quasi‐experimental design with repeated measures.MethodsA convenience sample of 42 haemodialysis patients with pruritus was recruited from haemodialysis units of a general hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. Two groups were created according to the dates of haemodialysis. The intervention participants received narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy three times a week for two weeks. The control participants were maintained on their prior pruritus treatment. The pruritus intensity was measured with a numerical rating scale at baseline and on alternating days for seven times. Data were collected during the year 2008.ResultsThe generalised estimating equation showed statistically significant group‐by‐time interactions in pruritus intensity. Using the control group as the reference group and baseline as the reference time, the intervention group had significantly lower pruritus intensity than the control group: 3·14 (p < 0·001) at time seven, 1·71 (p < 0·001) at time six and 1·24 at time five (p < 0·001). The group‐by‐time interactions were statistically significant after four sessions of narrowband‐UVB irradiation.ConclusionThe study findings support the efficacy of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy in alleviating renal pruritus.Relevance to clinical practiceClinicians may consider prescribing phototherapy for haemodialysis patients who have intractable renal pruritus and do not respond to conventional treatments.
Spinal muscular atrophy type I: Do the benefits of ventilation compensate for its burdens?
Authors: Gray Kelly , Isaacs David , Kilham Henry A , Tobin Bernadette 
Published: October 2013

AbstractWe report the progress of an 8‐year‐old child with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1. The parents elected in infancy that the child should be on long‐term ventilation, but all attempts to establish this care at home have failed, so the child remains ventilated in the hospital. The leader of the long‐term ventilation team reports on the child's progress and describes a week in the child's life. Two paediatricians argue that the benefits of long‐term ventilation have not and do not compensate the child for the burdens imposed on her by this treatment and explain why they would not support the withdrawal of long‐term ventilation now. They argue that long‐term ventilation might have been avoided by applying to a court of law when the child was an infant. An ethicist discusses ethical aspects of decision‐making in SMA type 1.