bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Complementary DNA sequences of the constant regions of T‐cell antigen receptors α, β and γ in mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi Basilewsky, and their transcriptional changes after stimulation with Flavobacterium columnare
Authors: Tian J Y , Qi Z T , Wu N , Chang M X , Nie P 
Published: December 2013

AbstractIn this study, the constant‐region genes (Cα, Cβ and Cγ) that encode the T‐cell antigen receptor (TCR) α, β and γ chains were cloned from mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi Basilewsky, an important freshwater fish species in China. The complementary DNA sequences of Cα, Cβ and Cγ were 843, 716 and 906 base pairs (bp) in length and had a 465‐, 289‐ and 360‐bp 3′ untranslated region, encoding 125, 142 and 182 amino acids, respectively. The amino‐acid sequences of the constant regions of mandarin fish TCR α, β and γ chains (encoded by Cα, Cβ and Cγ, respectively) were most similar to those of their teleost counterparts, showing 60% similarity with pufferfish, 48% similarity with Atlantic salmon and 57% similarity with flounder, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the mandarin fish Cα, Cβ and Cγ were clustered, respectively, with their vertebrate counterparts. The mandarin fish Cα, Cβ and Cγ could also be separated into four domains: immunoglobulin; connecting peptide (CP); transmembrane (TM); and cytoplasmic tail. Several conserved features in mammalian TCRs were also found in those of mandarin fish, such as a conserved cysteine residue in the CP domain of Cα, necessary for creating an interchain disulphide bond with the TCR β chain, and a conserved antigen receptor TM motif in Cα and Cβ. Meanwhile, transcripts of Cα, Cβ and Cγ were detectable in all examined organs, with a stronger signal observed in lymphoid organs. In addition, the temporal transcriptional changes for Cα and Cγ were investigated, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 weeks after stimulation with Flavobacterium columnare, in head kidney, spleen, blood, thymus, gill and intestine, using real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated stimulation‐dependent up‐regulations in almost all tissues examined, which indicates that T cells may play important roles in preventing mandarin fish from bacterial invasion. In particular, apart from thymus, T cells were distributed mainly in gill and intestine, where striking up‐regulation of Cγ was also observed. These results will facilitate functional studies of teleost TCRs and T cells.
Prenatal exposure to the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212‐2 alters migration of early‐born glutamatergic neurons and GABAergic interneurons in the rat cerebral cortex
Authors: Saez Trinidad M. M. , Aronne María P. , Caltana Laura , Brusco Alicia H. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe endocannabinoid system, composed of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids, and synthesis and degradation enzymes, is present since early stages of brain development. During this period, the endocannabinoid system is involved in the regulation of neural progenitor proliferation and specification as well as the migration and differentiation of pyramidal neurons and interneurons. Marijuana consumption during pregnancy represents a serious risk in relation to the fetal brain development since Δ9‐tetrahidrocannabinol, the main active compound of cannabis, can reach the fetus through placenta and hemato‐encephalic barrier. Cohort studies performed on children and adolescents of mothers who consumed marijuana during pregnancy reported cognitive and comportamental abnormalities. In the present study, we examined the expression of the cannabinoid receptor CB1R during corticogenesis in radially and tangentially migrating post‐mitotic neurons. We found that prenatal exposure to WIN impaired tangential and radial migration of post‐mitotic neurons in the dorsal pallium. In addition, we described alterations of two transcription factors associated with proliferating and newly post‐mitotic glutamatergic cells in the dorsal pallium, Tbr1 and Tbr2, and disruption in the number of Cajal–Retzius cells. The present results contribute to the knowledge of neurobiological substrates that determine neuro‐comportamental changes that will persist through post‐natal life.
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During corticogenesis, the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in neural progenitor proliferation, specification, neuronal migration, and differentiation. Children prenatally exposed to marijuana have a significant impairment of higher cognitive functions. We showed in the present study that Prenatal WIN55,212‐2 exposure alters radial and tangential migration and induces a delay in glutamatergic neurons differentiation in the embryonic rat cerebral cortex. The present results contribute to the knowledge on neurobiological substrates that determine neurobehavioral changes that will persist through post‐natal life.
Cholesterol as a causative factor in Alzheimer's disease: a debatable hypothesis
Authors: Wood W. Gibson , Li Ling , Müller Walter E. , Eckert Gunter P. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractHigh serum/plasma cholesterol levels have been suggested as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Some reports, mostly retrospective epidemiological studies, have observed a decreased prevalence of AD in patients taking the cholesterol lowering drugs, statins. The strongest evidence causally linking cholesterol to AD is provided by experimental studies showing that adding/reducing cholesterol alters amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid beta‐protein (Aβ) levels. However, there are problems with the cholesterol‐AD hypothesis. Cholesterol levels in serum/plasma and brain of AD patients do not support cholesterol as a causative factor in AD. Prospective studies on statins and AD have largely failed to show efficacy. Even the experimental data are open to interpretation given that it is well‐established that modification of cholesterol levels has effects on multiple proteins, not only amyloid precursor protein and Aβ. The purpose of this review, therefore, was to examine the above‐mentioned issues, discuss the pros and cons of the cholesterol‐AD hypothesis, involvement of other lipids in the mevalonate pathway, and consider that AD may impact cholesterol homeostasis.
imageHigh serum/plasma cholesterol levels have been suggested as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). This Review addresses the Pro's and Con's of whether cholesterol is a causative factor in AD, covering articles ranging from human to cell culture studies, both in vitro and in vivo. Among others, we review models of how abeta could act on a membrane and of how abeta might be perturbing cholesterol in a cell.
Healthcare needs of older Arab migrants: a systematic review
Authors: Al Abed Naser A , Davidson Patricia M , Hickman Louise D 
Published: December 2013

Aims and objectivesTo explore the healthcare needs of older Arab migrants, focussing on Arab‐Australians and their socio‐cultural characteristics.BackgroundDisparities in accessing healthcare services and addressing healthcare needs are evident among ethnic minorities including Arab migrants, particularly, older people. Racial stereotyping can also affect their ability to use these services. Arabs are a populous and diverse group with a long history of global migration. Australia is one of the most multicultural societies in the world, and Arab‐Australians constitute an important ethnic minority group.DesignSystematic review.MethodsThe electronic databases Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), MEDLINE (Ovid), Ageline, ProQuest, CINAHL, PubMed, PsychINFO and Google Scholar were searched from 1990–October 2012. Search terms included health care needs, aged care, ethnic, cultural, linguistics, social, ethnic groups, culturally and linguistically diverse, nonEnglish speaking, ageing, elderly, Arabs, Arabic‐speaking and Australia.ResultsEight articles reviewing the healthcare issues of Australians from Arabic‐speaking background were identified using the search strategy. An additional eight articles were identified through hand searching.ConclusionsRacial stereotyping can alter health‐seeking behaviours and healthcare treatment. Increasing the understanding of specific cultural attributes of Arab‐Australians will contribute to improving health outcomes.Relevance to clinical practiceHealthcare providers and policymakers need to adopt more effective ways of communication with Arab‐Australians to provide more culturally competent care and achieve better health outcomes.
Care zoning in a psychiatric intensive care unit: strengthening ongoing clinical risk assessment
Authors: Mullen Antony , Drinkwater Vincent , Lewin Terry J 
Published: December 2013

Aims and objectivesTo implement and evaluate the care zoning model in an eight‐bed psychiatric intensive care unit and, specifically, to examine the model's ability to improve the documentation and communication of clinical risk assessment and management.BackgroundCare zoning guides nurses in assessing clinical risk and planning care within a mental health context. Concerns about the varying quality of clinical risk assessment prompted a trial of the care zoning model in a psychiatric intensive care unit within a regional mental health facility. The care zoning model assigns patients to one of 3 ‘zones’ according to their clinical risk, encouraging nurses to document and implement targeted interventions required to manage those risks.DesignAn implementation trial framework was used for this research to refine, implement and evaluate the impact of the model on nurses' clinical practice within the psychiatric intensive care unit, predominantly as a quality improvement initiative.MethodsThe model was trialled for three months using a pre‐ and postimplementation staff survey, a pretrial file audit and a weekly file audit. Informal staff feedback was also sought via surveys and regular staff meetings.ResultsThis trial demonstrated improvement in the quality of mental state documentation, and clinical risk information was identified more accurately. There was limited improvement in the quality of care planning and the documentation of clinical interventions. Nurses' initial concerns over the introduction of the model shifted into overall acceptance and recognition of the benefits.ConclusionsThe results of this trial demonstrate that the care zoning model was able to improve the consistency and quality of risk assessment information documented. Care planning and evaluation of associated outcomes showed less improvement.Relevance to clinical practiceCare zoning remains a highly applicable model for the psychiatric intensive care unit environment and is a useful tool in guiding nurses to carry out routine patient risk assessments.
Hospital‐based nurse practitioner roles and interprofessional practice: A scoping review
Authors: Hurlock‐Chorostecki Christina , Forchuk Cheryl , Orchard Carole , van Soeren Mary , Reeves Scott 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThis scoping review provides current global understanding of the rapidly evolving nurse practitioner role within hospital settings, and considers the level of understanding of its enactment within interprofessional teamwork. Arksey and O'Malley's framework was used to explore recent primary research, reviews, and gray literature in two ways. First, hospital‐based nurse practitioner literature was mapped to country of origin, and thematically summarized. Second, clearly developed and consistently defined key interprofessional concepts were identified in the interprofessional literature then conceptually mapped to the nurse practitioner studies by their operationalization. The nurse practitioner review located 103 abstracts. Twenty‐nine, originating from four countries, met the inclusion criteria. The interprofessional concept review identified a total of 137 relevant abstracts, however, only ten met the inclusion criteria. Understanding the nurse practitioner role within hospital teams remains limited due to a small number of countries producing evidence, the lack of nurse practitioner role title standardization hindering consistent knowledgebase development, and limited application and inconsistent operationalization of concepts within nurse practitioner research. Research focused on role enactment is needed to understand the uniqueness of the hospital‐based nurse practitioner role.
Continuous glucose monitoring for suspected dumping syndrome in infants after Nissen fundoplication
Authors: Ueda Kazutoshi , Mizumoto Hiroshi , Shibata Hirofumi , Miyauchi Yuya , Sato Masahito , Hata Daisuke 
Published: December 2013

AbstractDumping syndrome is infrequently reported, but known to occur after Nissen fundoplication in children. However, it may be difficult both to diagnose and manage. Here we presented four infants who received Nissen fundoplication for severe gastroesophageal reflux disease, two of whom developed dumping syndrome whilst the other two did not. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was very useful to clearly detect large glycemic fluctuation around each feeding. CGM was also helpful to prove the effect of treatment to avoid abnormal glucose levels. We believe that dumping syndrome in children may be underdiagnosed if clinicians rely solely on the recognition of symptoms or limited frequency of blood samplings. CGM might be the most sensitive diagnostic tool.
Acute alcohol intoxication in a 15‐day‐old neonate
Authors: Zaitsu Masafumi , Inada Yukiko , Tashiro Katsuya , Hayashi Chiduru , Doi Hirohito , Hamasaki Yuhei , Matsuo Muneaki 
Published: December 2013

AbstractWe describe a 15‐day‐old newborn girl who was fed with formula milk that was accidentally diluted with sake (Japanese wine prepared from fermented rice). The clinical features were flushed skin, tachycardia and low blood pressure indicating circulatory failure, somnolence and metabolic acidosis without hypoglycemia. The serum ethanol concentration was 43.0 mg/dL at 3 h after intake. The patient recovered under intravenous fluid replacement without complications. Follow‐up examinations at 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months confirmed normal psychomotor development.
Infantile splenorenopancreatic mucormycosis complicating neuroblastoma
Authors: Ebadi Maryam , Alavi Samin , Ghojevand Nozar , Kazemi Aghdam Maryam , Yazdi Mohammad Kaji , Zahiri Ali 
Published: December 2013

AbstractHerein is described the first case of an infant with neuroblastoma who developed isolated splenorenopancreatic mucormycosis. An 18‐month‐old boy with neuroblastoma who was on intensive chemotherapy was admitted with febrile neutropenia. On abdominal computed tomography, multiple hypodense lesions in the spleen with invasion to the upper pole of the left kidney were demonstrated. Enlargement of splenic lesions with a complete hypoechoic pattern replacing the whole spleen, consistent with splenic abscess were observed on serial ultrasound. On splenectomy the resected spleen appeared to be severely fragmented and necrotic. On pathology, massive infiltration of broad, non‐septate hyphal fragments identified as Mucor with invasion to all blood vessels was seen. Histologically, a piece of the tail of the pancreas also showed involvement by the filamentous Mucor. The present case highlights the necessity of high index of suspicion in susceptible patients, early diagnosis and appropriate management in order to minimize the mortality rate.
Social prejudice hindering proper use of car safety seats
Authors: Kanburoglu Mehmet Kenan , Cizmeci Mehmet Nevzat , Akelma Ahmet Zulfikar , Orun Emel , Yesilyurt Kubra , Tatli Mustafa Mansur 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe compliance of parents with child passenger safety (CPS) has been mainly explained by their level of knowledge. Social, ethnic and cultural factors have not been investigated in detail. This study investigated the rate of compliance of parents with CPS guidelines, as well as the factors hindering it. Parents of infants aged 2–10 days were enrolled. The proportions of families obtaining a car safety seat (CSS; 57%) and complying with CPS recommendations (2%) were very low. Most of the parents thought CSS were harmful for infants (mother, 57%; father, 63%), despite having already purchased one. Parents believed their children to be too small to use CSS and cannot sit in CSS because they should lie flat on their backs at all times. These prejudices may be due to the social and cultural circumstances specific to Turkey, or corresponding findings may be found in countries with similar socioeconomic status.
Treatment of cartilage–hair hypoplasia with recombinant human growth hormone
Authors: Obara‐Moszynska Monika , Wielanowska Weronika , Rojek Aleksandra , Wolnik‐Brzozowska Danuta , Niedziela Marek 
Published: December 2013

AbstractCartilage–hair hypoplasia (CHH) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by short stature, hypoplastic hair and humoral immunity disorders. It is a mutation in the RMRP gene, located on chromosome 9p13.3, that leads to CHH. There is no special treatment for short stature in CHH. The efficacy and safety of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in CHH is still under discussion. The present study describes the case of a girl with CHH who was treated with rhGH. The rhGH treatment had a significant effect on the height gain: the height SD score was changed from −4. to −2.98 after 4 years 7 months of treatment. rhGH therapy should be considered as a treatment modality for CHH, and insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1 and IGF‐binding protein 3 concentrations should be closely monitored, particularly because of the increased cancer risk that is a characteristic feature of CHH.
Development of Kawasaki disease in a patient with PFAPA
Authors: Ninomiya Takahito , Takada Hidetoshi , Nagatomo Yusaku , Nanishi Etsuro , Nagata Hazumu , Yamamura Kenichiro , Doi Takehiko , Ikeda Kazuyuki , Hara Toshiro 
Published: December 2013

AbstractPeriodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis syndrome (PFAPA) is one of the autoinflammatory diseases of unknown etiology characterized by regularly recurrent fever episodes with attacks lasting 3–6 days every 3–8 weeks associated with at least one of the three cardinal clinical signs: aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis. Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self‐limited systemic vasculitis that occurs predominantly in infants and young children. In most KD patients, i.v. immunoglobulin leads to a rapid amelioration of clinical symptoms and significantly decreases the risk of coronary artery aneurysms. Although the etiology of KD is still unknown, it was reported that innate immunity was activated in the patients. Described herein is a patient with PFAPA who developed KD. This is the first report of KD development in a PFAPA patient. The association between KD and PFAPA may represent a genetic predisposition to dysregulated innate immune response.
Job Search and the Measurement of Unemployment in South Africa
Authors: Posel Dorrit , Casale Daniela , Vermaak Claire 
Published: December 2013

AbstractWe interrogate the distinction between searching and non‐searching unemployment in South Africa using data from the first national panel survey that tracks the individual. In particular, we test whether the non‐searching unemployed display a weaker commitment to the labour market than the searching unemployed, and we investigate what counts as search activity. We find that over the panel, the search status of the unemployed does not predict their subsequent employment status, a result that is robust also for subsamples that vary by age cohort, gender and location. Moreover, social networks are the most important job‐finding strategy of the employed. These findings challenge the exclusion of the non‐searching unemployed from the measure of “genuine” work seekers.
The Medical‐Legal Responsibilities of a Dialysis Unit Medical Director
Authors: Vaqar Sarosh , Murray Brian , Panesar Mandip 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe specialty of Nephrology, by virtue of its relationship with the dialysis procedure, is highly vulnerable to litigation. As is the case with all nephrologists, a dialysis unit medical director is not immune to medical malpractice suits, and can be held liable for any act of perceived or potential harm to any dialysis patient, regardless of the director's level of involvement. The medical director, per the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation, accepts the responsibilities, accountability, and consequent legal liabilities of the quality of the medical care provided to every dialysis patient in the unit. This review is a synopsis of lawsuits filed against medical directors of dialysis units in the past forty years. Six categories of legal actions were noted; medical malpractice, fraudulent claims, self‐referral and Stark Law, discrimination, negligence, and violation of patient autonomy and dignity.
Novel techniques for enhancement and segmentation of acne vulgaris lesions
Authors: Malik A. S. , Humayun J. , Kamel N. , Yap F. B.‐B. 
Published: December 2013

BackgroundMore than 99% acne patients suffer from acne vulgaris. While diagnosing the severity of acne vulgaris lesions, dermatologists have observed inter‐rater and intra‐rater variability in diagnosis results. This is because during assessment, identifying lesion types and their counting is a tedious job for dermatologists. To make the assessment job objective and easier for dermatologists, an automated system based on image processing methods is proposed in this study.ObjectivesThere are two main objectives: (i) to develop an algorithm for the enhancement of various acne vulgaris lesions; and (ii) to develop a method for the segmentation of enhanced acne vulgaris lesions.MethodsFor the first objective, an algorithm is developed based on the theory of high dynamic range (HDR) images. The proposed algorithm uses local rank transform to generate the HDR images from a single acne image followed by the log transformation. Then, segmentation is performed by clustering the pixels based on Mahalanobis distance of each pixel from spectral models of acne vulgaris lesions.ResultsTwo metrics are used to evaluate the enhancement of acne vulgaris lesions, i.e., contrast improvement factor (CIF) and image contrast normalization (ICN). The proposed algorithm is compared with two other methods. The proposed enhancement algorithm shows better result than both the other methods based on CIF and ICN. In addition, sensitivity and specificity are calculated for the segmentation results. The proposed segmentation method shows higher sensitivity and specificity than other methods.ConclusionThis article specifically discusses the contrast enhancement and segmentation for automated diagnosis system of acne vulgaris lesions. The results are promising that can be used for further classification of acne vulgaris lesions for final grading of the lesions.
CFD-Based Design Improvement for Single-Phase and Two-Phase Flows Inside an Electrical Submersible Pump
Authors: Marsis Emanuel , Pirouzpanah Sahand , Morrison Gerald 
Published: December 2013

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is widely used to simulate fluid flows in turbomachinery. A detailed CFD study was performed to enhance the design of an electrical submersible pump (ESP) manufactured by Baker Hughes. The pump has a special patented impeller design enabling it to handle up to 70% gas volume fraction (GVF).
A CFD-based design study was performed on the ESP diffuser (for the first time) to improve the pump’s performance and reduce losses. The CFD model was initially validated using experimental results. Different designs were simulated to reach the optimum design. Many factors affect pump performance, including flow separation losses in the stator (such as the number of blades, the meridional profile of the pump and the shape of the stator blades). In addition, a non-uniform flow while exiting one stage affects the rotor performance of the next stage. Therefore, improving the diffuser design improves the current stage performance as well as the performance of the next rotor. In this study, improved designs show that optimizing the stator design can increase the static pressure of the pump by 4% for single-phase flow, and 23% for two-phase flow in the simulated cases.