bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fast and Sensitive Detection of Enteropathogenic Yersinia by Immunoassays
Authors: Laporte Jérôme , Savin Cyril , Lamourette Patricia , Devilliers Karine , Volland Hervé , Carniel Elisabeth , Créminon Christophe , Simon Stéphanie 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACT

Yersinia enterocolitica
and
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
, the two
Yersinia
species that are enteropathogenic for humans, are distributed worldwide and frequently cause diarrhea in inhabitants of temperate and cold countries.
Y. enterocolitica
is a major cause of foodborne disease resulting from consumption of contaminated pork meat and is further associated with substantial economic cost. However, investigation of enteropathogenic
Yersinia
species is infrequently performed routinely in clinical laboratories because of their specific growth characteristics, which make difficult their isolation from stool samples. Moreover, current isolation procedures are time-consuming and expensive, thus leading to underestimates of the incidence of enteric yersiniosis, inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotic treatments, and unnecessary appendectomies. The main objective of the study was to develop fast, sensitive, specific, and easy-to-use immunoassays, useful for both human and veterinary diagnosis. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against
Y. enterocolitica
bioserotypes 2/O:9 and 4/O:3 and
Y. pseudotuberculosis
serotypes I and III were produced. Pairs of MAbs were selected by testing their specificity and affinity for enteropathogenic
Yersinia
and other commonly found enterobacteria. Pairs of MAbs were selected to develop highly sensitive enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) and lateral flow immunoassays (LFIs or dipsticks) convenient for the purpose of rapid diagnosis. The limit of detection of the EIAs ranged from 3.2 × 10
3
CFU/ml to 8.8 × 10
4
CFU/ml for pathogenic serotypes I and III of
Y. pseudotuberculosis
and pathogenic bioserotypes 2/O:9 and 4/O:3 of
Y. enterocolitica
and for the LFIs ranged from 10
5
CFU/ml to 10
6
CFU/ml. A similar limit of detection was observed for artificially contaminated human feces.
A Novel Factor I Activity in Nipah Virus Inhibits Human Complement Pathways through Cleavage of C3b
Authors: Johnson John B. , Borisevich Viktoriya , Rockx Barry , Parks Griffith D. 
Published: October 2014

ABSTRACTComplement is an innate immune system that most animal viruses must face during natural infections. Given that replication and dissemination of the highly pathogenic Nipah virus (NiV) include exposure to environments rich in complement factors, we tested thein vitrosensitivity of NiV to complement-mediated neutralization. Here we show that NiV was completely resistant toin vitroneutralization by normal human serum (NHS). Treatment of purified NiV with NHS activated complement pathways, but there was very little C3 deposition on virus particles. Inin vitroreconstitution experiments, NiV particles provided time- and dose-dependent factor I-like protease activity capable of cleaving C3b into inactive C3b (iC3b). NiV-dependent inactivation of C3b only occurred with the cofactors factor H and soluble CR1 but not with CD46. Purified NiV particles did not support C4b cleavage. Electron microscopy of purified NiV particles showed immunogold labeling with anti-factor I antibodies. Our results suggest a novel mechanism by which NiV evades the human complement system through a unique factor I-like activity.IMPORTANCEViruses have evolved mechanisms to limit complement-mediated neutralization, some of which involve hijacking cellular proteins involved in control of inappropriate complement activation. Here we report a previously unknown mechanism whereby NiV provides a novel protease activity capable ofin vitrocleavage and inactivation of C3b, a key component of the complement cascade. These data help to explain how an enveloped virus such as NiV can infect and disseminate through body fluids that are rich in complement activity. Disruption of the ability of NiV to recruit complement inhibitors could form the basis for the development of effective therapies and safer vaccines to combat these highly pathogenic emerging viruses.
A prospective cohort study of the morbidity associated with operative vaginal deliveries performed by day and at night
Authors: Butler Katherine , Ramphul Meenakshi , Dunney Clare , Farren Maria , McSweeney Aoife , McNamara Karen , Murphy Deirdre J 
Published: October 2014

ObjectiveTo evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with operative vaginal deliveries (OVDs) performed by day and at night.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingUrban maternity unit in Ireland with off-site consultant staff at night.PopulationAll nulliparous women requiring an OVD with a term singleton fetus in a cephalic presentation from February to November 2013.MethodsDelivery outcomes were compared for women who delivered by day (08:00–19:59) or at night (20:00–07:59).Main outcome measuresThe main outcomes included postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), anal sphincter tear and neonatal unit admission. Procedural factors included operator grade, sequential use of instruments and caesarean section.ResultsOf the 597 women who required an OVD, 296 (50%) delivered at night. Choice of instrument, place of delivery, sequential use of instruments and caesarean section did not differ significantly in relation to time of birth. Mid-grade operators performed less OVDs by day than at night, OR 0.60 (95% CI 0.43 to 0.83), and a consultant supervisor was more frequently present by day, OR 2.26 (95% CI 1.05 to 4.83). Shoulder dystocia occurred more commonly by day, OR 2.57 (95% CI 1.05 to 6.28). The incidence of PPH, anal sphincter tears, neonatal unit admission, fetal acidosis and neonatal trauma was similar by day and at night. The mean decision to delivery intervals were 12.0 and 12.6 min, respectively.ConclusionsThere was no evidence of an association between time of OVD and adverse perinatal outcomes despite off-site consultant obstetric support at night.
Optimising calcium monitoring post thyroid and parathyroid surgery
Authors: Rayner Eleanor , Williams Nerida , Dunn Julie 
Published: October 2014

AbstractThere is a risk of hypocalcaemia following total thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy surgery, with the nadir being two to five days post operatively.[1] This project examined and improved the post-operative monitoring of serum calcium in patients undergoing these procedures at the Royal Devon and Exeter (RD&E) Hospital over a ten month period in 2013. A retrospective audit was undertaken, identifying whether serum calcium was monitored according to guideline; ie measured within the first 24 hours of surgery and daily thereafter until the patient was normocalcaemic.[2-3] The audit showed an overall compliance in 79% (n = 34) of cases. Of the non-compliant cases (n=9), seven also suffered hypocalcaemia.The current process was mapped by a flow chart and used as a basis for discussing experiences and identifying areas for improvement. Interventions implemented included a patient leaflet, a process flow chart displayed in the team office and in the weekend handover book, standard text for use in discharge summaries describing the process to GPs, the issuing of prescriptions or actual supplements for patients felt to be at high risk of hypocalcaemia, and finally education to the wider surgical junior doctor team. Percentage compliance with guidelines was compared before and after intervention with a re-audit undertaken in April 2014. Significant improvement was shown, with 100% of re-audit cases compliant (n=41), and all seven cases of hypocalcaemia were managed in full compliance with guideline.
Validation of whole slide imaging in the primary diagnosis of gynaecological pathology in a University Hospital
Authors: Ordi Jaume , Castillo Paola , Saco Adela , del Pino Marta , Ordi Oriol , Rodríguez-Carunchio Leonardo , Ramírez Jose 
Published: October 2014

AimsExperience in the use of whole slide imaging (WSI) for primary diagnosis in pathology is very limited. We aimed to determine the accuracy of interpretation of WSI compared with conventional light microscopy (CLM) in the diagnosis of routine gynaecological biopsies.MethodsAll gynaecological specimens (n=452) received over a 2-month period at the Department of Pathology of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona were analysed blindly by two gynaecological pathologists, one using CLM and the other WSI. All slides were digitised in a Ventana iScan HT (Roche diagnostics) at 200×. All discrepant diagnoses were reviewed, and a final consensus diagnosis was established. The results were evaluated by weighted κ statistics for two observers.ResultsThe level of interobserver agreement between WSI and CLM evaluations was almost perfect (κ value: 0.914; 95% CI 0.879 to 0.949) and increased during the study period: κ value 0.890; 95% CI 0.835 to 0.945 in the first period and 0.941; 95%; CI 0.899 to 0.983 in the second period. Major discrepancies (differences in clinical management or prognosis) were observed in 9 cases (2.0%). All discrepancies consisted of small lesions (8 high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the uterine cervix, one lymph node micrometastasis of an ovarian carcinoma) underdiagnosed or missed in the WSI or the CLM evaluation. Discrepancies with no or minor clinical relevance were identified in 3.8% of the biopsies. No discrepancy was related to the poor quality of the WSI image.ConclusionsDiagnosis of gynaecological specimens by WSI is accurate and may be introduced into routine diagnosis.
The role of visual cues in learning escape behaviour in the little brown skink (Scincella lateralis)
Authors: Paulissen Mark A. 
Published: October 2014

Many small animals escape predators by running under an escape retreat such as a rock, log, or pile of leaves. Rapid escape to a retreat would be facilitated if the animal already learned the location of the retreat before it ever had to flee from a predator. One way a small animal might do this is to attend to a prominent ‘local cue’, that is, a visual cue that is part of, or contiguous with, the retreat. I tested the hypothesis that a small lizard commonly known as the little brown skink, Scincella lateralis, can use a local visual cue to learn an escape behaviour. Little brown skinks were presented with two retreats side-by side in an observation chamber. One retreat was backed with a vertical striped cue and the other backed with a horizontal striped cue. Each lizard was induced to run from one end of the observation tank to the opposite end with the two retreats; the retreat that each lizard chose for escape was recorded through a series of 15 trials conducted over three days. Half of the lizards were trained to escape to the vertical cue retreat; half were trained to escape to the horizontal cue retreat. About one-third of little brown skinks met the learning criterion of escaping to the correct retreat in five consecutive trials. However, significantly more of the vertical cue lizards met the learning criterion than did horizontal cue lizards. Also, the vertical cue lizards escaped to the correct retreat significantly more often than expected by chance. Furthermore, even the horizontal cue lizards showed a preference for escaping to the vertical cue retreat. This suggests little brown skinks can use a local visual cue to learn an escape behaviour, but only if it a vertical cue. This may be related to the use of a vertical cue to obtain positional information to locate a retreat or perhaps to the tendency of this forest species to attend to abundant vertical cues in its habitat.
Description of Rotylenchus arasbaranensis n. sp. from Iran with discussion on the taxonomic status of Plesiorotylenchus Vovlas, Castillo & Lamberti, 1993 (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae)
Authors: Atighi Mohammad Reza , Pourjam Ebrahim , Ghaemi Razieh , Pedram Majid , Liébanas Gracia , Cantalapiedra-Navarrete Carolina , Castillo Pablo , Palomares-Rius Juan E. 
Published: October 2014

Rotylenchus arasbaranensisn. sp., a new monosexual species is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric and molecular studies. The new species is characterised by having an offset and hemispherical lip region with 5-6 annuli, 32-36 μm long stylet, vulva located at 43.9-59.2% with a single epiptygma and rounded tail, rarely bilobed, with 6-8 annuli. The speciesR. striaticepsand the male ofR. buxophilusare reported for the first time from Iran andR. fragaricusis reported and studied for the second time after its original description. The results of the phylogenetic analyses based on the sequences of the D2-D3 expansion region of the 28S, ITS1-rRNA and the partial 18S rRNA genes were provided for the studied species, confirming their differences from each other and determining the position of them and their relationships with closely related taxa. Also, the validity ofPlesiorotylenchusis discussed on the basis of molecular data and its synonymisation (with only one sequence) withRotylenchusis accepted.
T2 relaxation times of the glenohumeral joint at 3.0 T MRI in patients with and without primary and secondary osteoarthritis
Authors: Lee So-Yeon , Park Hee-Jin , Kwon Heon-Ju , Kim Mi Sung , Choi Seon Hyeong , Choi Yoon Jung , Kim Eugene 
Published: October 2014

Background Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cartilage has recently been applied to patients with osteoarthritis (OA). T2 mapping is a sensitive method of detecting changes in the chemical composition and structure of cartilage. Purpose To establish baseline T2 values of glenohumeral joint cartilage at 3.0 T and compare T2 values among subjects with and without OA. Material and Methods The study involved 30 patients (18 women, 12 men; median age, 67 years; age range, 51–78 years) with primary ( n = 7) and secondary OA ( n = 23) in the glenohumeral joint and 34 subjects without OA (19 women, 15 men; median age, 49 years; age range, 23–63 years). All subjects were evaluated by radiography and 3.0 T MRI including a multi-echo T2-weighted spin echo pulse sequence. The T2 value of the cartilage was measured by manually drawing the region of interest on the T2 map. Per-zone comparison of T2 values was performed using Mann-Whitney U test. Results Median T2 values differed significantly between subjects without OA (36.00 ms [interquartile range, 33.89–37.31 ms]) and those with primary (37.52 ms [36.84–39.11], P = 0.028), but not secondary (36.87 ms [34.70–41.10], P = 0.160) OA. Glenohumeral cartilage T2 values were higher in different zones between patients with primary and secondary OA than in subjects without OA. Conclusion These T2 values can be used for comparison to assess cartilage degeneration in patients with shoulder OA. Significant differences in T2 were observed among subjects without OA and those with primary and secondary OA.
Ethical values in emergency medical services
Authors: Bremer Anders , Herrera María Jiménez , Axelsson Christer , Martí Dolors Burjalés , Sandman Lars , Casali Gian Luca 
Published: October 2014

Background: Ambulance professionals often address conflicts between ethical values. As individuals’ values represent basic convictions of what is right or good and motivate behaviour, research is needed to understand their value profiles. Objectives: To translate and adapt the Managerial Values Profile to Spanish and Swedish, and measure the presence of utilitarianism, moral rights and/or social justice in ambulance professionals’ value profiles in Spain and Sweden. Methods: The instrument was translated and culturally adapted. A content validity index was calculated. Pilot tests were carried out with 46 participants. Ethical considerations: This study conforms to the ethical principles for research involving human subjects and adheres to national laws and regulations concerning informed consent and confidentiality. Findings: Spanish professionals favoured justice and Swedish professionals’ rights in their ambulance organizations. Both countries favoured utilitarianism least. Gender differences across countries showed that males favoured rights. Spanish female professionals favoured justice most strongly of all. Discussion: Swedes favour rights while Spaniards favour justice. Both contexts scored low on utilitarianism focusing on total population effect, preferring the opposite, individualized approach of the rights and justice perspectives. Organizational investment in a utilitarian perspective might jeopardize ambulance professionals’ moral right to make individual assessments based on the needs of the patient at hand. Utilitarianism and a caring ethos appear as stark opposites. However, a caring ethos in its turn might well involve unreasonable demands on the individual carer’s professional role. Since both the justice and rights perspectives portrayed in the survey mainly concern relationship to the organization and peers within the organization, this relationship might at worst be given priority over the equal treatment and moral rights of the patient. Conclusion: A balanced view on ethical perspectives is needed to make professionals observant and ready to act optimally – especially if these perspectives are used in patient care. Research is needed to clarify how justice and rights are prioritized by ambulance services and whether or not these organization-related values are also implemented in patient care.
The aneurysmal arteriovenous fistula – morphological study and assessment of clinical implications. A pilot study
Authors: Watson Kenneth R , Gallagher Maeve , Ross Rose , Severn Alison , Nagy Janos , Cochrane Lynda , Griffiths Gareth D 
Published: October 2014

Aneurysmal dilation of arteriovenous fistulae used for haemodialysis is a recognised complication but its clinical significance is a contentious issue. Our aims were to describe aneurysmal fistulae morphologically and clinically. Sixty patients underwent duplex scanning to measure the maximum diameter and skin thickness of their fistula. Haemodialysis function and bleeding risk were assessed clinically. The 75th percentile of maximum diameter was 2.05 cm. In addition to conventional diameter measurement, we describe a novel volume measurement technique which may be of value. No relationship was found between maximum diameter or volume and function, skin thickness or bleeding. Some studies define aneurysm at 2 cm (75th percentile); however, this definition and other arbitrary definitions lack clinical significance. This work suggests that fistula dilation should be considered together with clinical issues when determining the clinical significance of an aneurysm. Our finding that haemodialysis function, skin thickness and bleeding were not associated with diameter needs further study.
Hybrid extragradient method for hierarchical variational inequalities
Authors: Ceng Lu-Chuan , Latif Abdul , Ansari Qamrul Hasan , Yao Jen-Chih 
Published: October 2014

AbstractIn this paper, we consider a hierarchical variational inequality problem (HVIP) defined over a common set of solutions of finitely many generalized mixed equilibrium problems, finitely many variational inclusions, a general system of variational inequalities, and the fixed point problem of a strictly pseudocontractive mapping. By combining Korpelevich’s extragradient method, the viscosity approximation method, the hybrid steepest-descent method and Mann’s iteration method, we introduce and analyze a multistep hybrid extragradient algorithm for finding a solution of our HVIP. It is proven that under appropriate assumptions, the proposed algorithm converges strongly to a solution of a general system of variational inequalities defined over a common set of solutions of finitely many generalized mixed equilibrium problems (GMEPs), finitely many variational inclusions, and the fixed point problem of a strictly pseudocontractive mapping. In the meantime, we also prove the strong convergence of the proposed algorithm to a unique solution of our HVIP. The results obtained in this paper improve and extend the corresponding results announced by many others.MSC:49J30, 47H09, 47J20.
Simulation of floating potentials in industrial applications by boundary element methods
Authors: Amann Dominic , Blaszczyk Andreas , Of Günther , Steinbach Olaf 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
We consider the electrostatic field computations with floating potentials in a multi-dielectric setting. A floating potential is an unknown equipotential value associated with an isolated perfect electric conductor, where the flux through the surface is zero. The floating potentials can be integrated into the formulations directly or can be approximated by a dielectric medium with high permittivity. We apply boundary integral equations for the solution of the electrostatic field problem. In particular, an indirect single layer potential ansatz and a direct formulation based on the Steklov-Poincaré interface equation are considered. All these approaches are discussed in detail and compared for several examples including some industrial applications. In particular, we will demonstrate that the formulations involving constraints are vastly superior to the penalized formulations with high permittivity, which are widely used in practice.

MSC: 65N38, 78A30.
Evolution Management of Production Facilities by Semi-Automated Requirement Verification
Authors: Ladiges Jan , Haubeck Christopher , Fay Alexander , Lamersdorf Winfried 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
The concept described in this contribution utilizes available process data in
production systems to enable to verify the fulfillment of
(non-functional) requirements during operation. Therefore, the contribution presents a systematic approach to automatically derive
property values out of signal traces by using adaptable runtime models. Those can be checked for the violation of limit values in order
to verify the fulfillment or violation of requirements on these properties during an evolution. In an example application to a Pick and
Place unit, the concept is used together with an anomaly detection method to support the operator during the evolution process by
constantly providing information regarding requirement fulfillment.
Challenges of Parallel Evolution in Production Automation Focusing on Requirements Specification and Fault Handling
Authors: Vogel-Heuser Birgit , Legat Christoph , Folmer Jens , Rösch Susanne 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
Evaluating research approaches in production automation can be cost- and time-intensive. Motivated by this challenge, the role of a case study which is open to the research community is discussed at first and recent developments towards an open case study, the Pick & Place Unit (PPU), are presented. Based on evolution aspects not covered by the PPU case study until now, an extension on requirements, fault handling and parallel evolution are presented as an example. While carving out essential aspects of these topics, various challenges were identified that conclude this article.
Investigation on Fluidized Bed Bioreactor Treating Ice Cream Wastewater Using Response Surface Methodology and Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Thirugnanasambandham K. , Sivakumar V. 
Published: October 2014

Abstract
In this study, a comparative approach was developed between response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) in the predictive capabilities for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from ice cream industry wastewater using fluidized bed bioreactor. The effects of process variables such as pH, temperature, flow rate and agitation speed investigated using a four-factor three-level Box–Behnken experimental design (BBD). Same design was utilized to train a feed-forward multilayered perceptron (MLP) ANN with back-propagation algorithm. The predictive capabilities of the two methodologies were compared in terms of statistical parameters including coefficient of determination (R2). The results showed that properly trained ANN model is more accurate in prediction as compared to RSM model. Under the optimum conditions (pH of 7, temperature of 40°C, flow rate of 20 ml/min and agitation speed of 175 rpm), 91% of COD was removed.