bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pioneering robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy in a regional UK centre: first 100 cases with a minimum 12 months’ follow-up
Authors: Bishop Conrad V , Boustead Gregory , Lane Tim , McNicolas Tom , Adshead Jim 
Published: March 2013

Objective: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) has become an increasingly popular choice of treatment for prostate cancer, but there is a paucity of published outcome data in the UK. We aim to assess the safety and feasibility of RALP at a regional UK hospital. Methods: The first 100 cases of RALP performed by four surgeons at our institution were analysed. Demographic, clinical, surgical, pathological and outcome data were collected with a minimum of 12 months’ follow up. Results: The mean age of the patients was 60.7 years. The D’Amico risk stratifications were 41% low risk, 55% intermediate risk and 4% high risk. The median operating time was 245 min (150–522 min) and the median blood loss was 200ml (50–1800ml). Eighty-four per cent were pathological T1/T2; 16% were T3/T4. The positive margin rate was 22% with T3/T4 disease the dominant risk factor ( p<0.05). The stage specific positive margin rate was 16.7% for T1/T2 and 50.0% for T3/T4 disease. At 12-month follow-up the pad free continence rate was 82.0%. The 0–1 pad rate was 96%. The 12-month potency rates were 62.8% for bilateral nerve spare and 31.8% for unilateral nerve spare procedures. Two patients experienced biochemical recurrence at six and 18 months, respectively. Conclusion: RALP is a safe and feasible procedure at a regional non-teaching hospital.
A unique presentation of varicella-zoster neuropathy with a thoracolumbar rash and acute urinary retention
Authors: Walkden GJ , Ryan N 
Published: March 2013

A 47-year-old female presented to a tertiary centre with a rare case of acute urinary retention (AUR) with a concomitant vesicular rash over the thoracic region that was clinically consistent with unilateral herpes zoster reactivation. Diagnosis was made by clinical examination. She was managed conservatively and discharged with oral aciclovir.
Bosniak IIF renal cysts: is there a malignancy potential?
Authors: Elmussareh Muhammad , Moazzam Muhammad , De Anirban , Rajesh Arumugam , Khan Masood A 
Published: March 2013

Objective: To assess the radiological and clinical outcomes of patients with Bosniak IIF in our centre. Methods: We retrospectively analysed patients diagnosed with complex renal cysts classified as Bosniak IIF on contrast computed tomography imaging in our centre between March 2003 and September 2008. Surveillance images of Bosniak IIF were reviewed to determine radiological progression and clinical outcomes. Results: Forty patients with 42 category IIF cysts were included in our study (median age 68 years (range 38–88 years), median follow-up of 29 months (range 5–77 months)). Only one IIF cyst showed radiological progression to category III after a follow-up of 42 months (progression rate of 2.5%). Twenty-two cysts increased in size (mean 10.7 mm, range 3–41 mm), 10 cysts showed reduction in size (mean 7.9 mm, range 3–17 mm) and 10 cysts remained stable. Five patients died during surveillance and none of them had cause of death attributed to renal cancer or its complication. Conclusions: Our study has demonstrated that surveillance for Bosniak IIF cyst is a safe strategy. Furthermore, routine follow-up may not be required in all patients. However, longer term study is required before this can be confirmed.
Genome-wide association study of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in Angus cattle
Authors: Kizilkaya Kadir , Tait Richard G , Garrick Dorian J , Fernando Rohan L , Reecy James M 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) in beef cattle, commonly known as pinkeye, is a bacterial disease caused by M
o
r
a
x
e
l
l
a
bovis. IBK is characterized by excessive tearing and ulceration of the cornea. Perforation of the cornea may also occur in severe cases. IBK is considered the most important ocular disease in cattle production, due to the decreased growth performance of infected individuals and its subsequent economic effects. IBK is an economically important, lowly heritable categorical disease trait. Mass selection of unaffected animals has not been successful at reducing disease incidence. Genome-wide studies can determine chromosomal regions associated with IBK susceptibility. The objective of the study was to detect single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with genetic variants associated with IBK in American Angus cattle.

Results
The proportion of phenotypic variance explained by markers was 0.06 in the whole genome analysis of IBK incidence classified as two, three or nine categories. Whole-genome analysis using any categorisation of (two, three or nine) IBK scores showed that locations on chromosomes 2, 12, 13 and 21 were associated with IBK disease. The genomic locations on chromosomes 13 and 21 overlap with QTLs associated with Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, clinical mastitis or somatic cell count.

Conclusions
Results of these genome-wide analyses indicated that if the underlying genetic factors confer not only IBK susceptibility but also IBK severity, treating IBK phenotypes as a two-categorical trait can cause information loss in the genome-wide analysis. These results help our overall understanding of the genetics of IBK and have the potential to provide information for future use in breeding schemes.
Endogenous cholinergic tone modulates spontaneous network level neuronal activity in primary cortical cultures grown on multi-electrode arrays
Authors: Hammond Mark W , Xydas Dimitris , Downes Julia H , Bucci Giovanna , Becerra Victor , Warwick Kevin , Constanti Andrew , Nasuto Slawomir J , Whalley Benjamin J 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Cortical cultures grown long-term on multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) are frequently and extensively used as models of cortical networks in studies of neuronal firing activity, neuropharmacology, toxicology and mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. However, in contrast to the predominantly asynchronous neuronal firing activity exhibited by intact cortex, electrophysiological activity of mature cortical cultures is dominated by spontaneous epileptiform-like global burst events which hinders their effective use in network-level studies, particularly for neurally-controlled animat (‘artificial animal’) applications. Thus, the identification of culture features that can be exploited to produce neuronal activity more representative of that seen in vivo could increase the utility and relevance of studies that employ these preparations. Acetylcholine has a recognised neuromodulatory role affecting excitability, rhythmicity, plasticity and information flow in vivo although its endogenous production by cortical cultures and subsequent functional influence upon neuronal excitability remains unknown.

Results
Consequently, using MEA electrophysiological recording supported by immunohistochemical and RT-qPCR methods, we demonstrate for the first time, the presence of intrinsic cholinergic neurons and significant, endogenous cholinergic tone in cortical cultures with a characterisation of the muscarinic and nicotinic components that underlie modulation of spontaneous neuronal activity. We found that tonic muscarinic ACh receptor (mAChR) activation affects global excitability and burst event regularity in a culture age-dependent manner whilst, in contrast, tonic nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR) activation can modulate burst duration and the proportion of spikes occurring within bursts in a spatio-temporal fashion.

Conclusions
We suggest that the presence of significant endogenous cholinergic tone in cortical cultures and the comparability of its modulatory effects to those seen in intact brain tissues support emerging, exploitable commonalities between in vivo and in vitro preparations. We conclude that experimental manipulation of endogenous cholinergic tone could offer a novel opportunity to improve the use of cortical cultures for studies of network-level mechanisms in a manner that remains largely consistent with its functional role.
Pertussis re-emergence in the post-vaccination era
Authors: Chiappini Elena , Stival Alessia , Galli Luisa , de Martino Maurizio 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Resurgence of pertussis in the post-vaccination era has been reported in Western countries. A shift of cases from school-age children to adolescents, adults and children under 1 year of age has been described in the last decade, and mortality rates in infants are still sustained. We aimed to review and discuss the possible vaccination strategies which can be adopted in order to improve the pertussis control, by searches of Pubmed, and websites of US and European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1st January 2002, and 1st March 2013.

Discussion
The following vaccination strategies have been retrieved and analysed: the cocooning strategy, the immunization of pregnant women and newborns, vaccination programs for preschool children, adolescents, adults and health-care workers. Cost-effectiveness studies provide some contrasting data, mainly supporting both maternal vaccination and cocooning. Adolescent and/or adult vaccination seems to be cost-effective, however data from observational studies suggest that this vaccination strategy, used alone, leads to a reduced pertussis burden globally, but does not affect the disease incidence in infants. Moreover, substantial logistical and economic difficulties have to be overcome to vaccinate the largest number of individuals.

Summary
The simultaneous use of more than one strategy, including cocooning strategy plus vaccination of adolescents and adults, seems to be the most reasonable preventive measure. The development of new highly immunogenic and efficacious pertussis vaccines continues to be a primary objective for the control of pertussis.
Perceived physical activity barriers related to body weight status and sociodemographic factors among Malaysian men in Klang Valley
Authors: Ibrahim Suraya , Karim Norimah A , Oon Ng Lai , Ngah Wan Zurinah Wan 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Physical inactivity has been acknowledged as a public health issue and has received increasing attention in recent years. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the barriers to physical activity among Malaysian men. These barriers were analyzed with regards to sociodemographic factors, physical activity level, BMI and waist circumference.

Methods
Subjects in this study included 308 Malay men and 422 Chinese men aged 20 years and older. Subjects completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and a questionnaire on barriers to physical activity, categorized into personal and psychological, physical and social environment barriers. Weight, height and waist circumference were also measured and BMI was calculated.

Results
Descriptive analyses showed that 79.3% of subjects were married, 52.1% had secondary educational level, 68.8% were still working, and 39.7% had household income between RM1500 to RM3500. The perception that other recreational activities with family and friends were more fun was the most frequently reported barrier, followed by weather, lack of discipline, lack of free time, lack of money, and lack of friends. Marriage status, educational level, household income, BMI, and physical activity status were shown to be associated with perceived barriers.

Conclusions
To increase participation in physical activity, policy makers should consider significant personal, social and environmental barriers when developing appropriate intervention programmes. Health-promoting strategies that increase awareness, knowledge, skills and motivation related to physical activity are required.
Proteomic analysis of elite soybean Jidou17 and its parents using iTRAQ-based quantitative approaches
Authors: Qin Jun , Gu Feng , Liu Duan , Yin Changcheng , Zhao Shuangjin , Chen Hao , Zhang Jianan , Yang Chunyan , Zhan Xu , Zhang Mengchen 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Derived from Hobbit as the female parent and Zao5241 as the male parent, the elite soybean cultivar Jidou17 is significantly higher yielding and shows enhanced qualities and stronger resistance to non-biological stress than its parents. The purpose of this study is to understand the difference in protein expression patterns between Jidou17 and its parental strains and to evaluate the parental contributions to its elite traits.

Results
Leaves (14 days old) from Jidou17 and its parental cultivars were analysed for differential expressed proteins using an iTRAQ-based (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation) method. A total of 1269 proteins was detected, with 141 and 181 proteins in Jidou17 differing from its female and male parent, respectively. Functional classification and an enrichment analysis based on biological functions, biological processes, and cellular components revealed that all the differential proteins fell into many functional categories but that the number of proteins varied greatly for the different categories, with enrichment in specific categories. A pathway analysis indicated that the differentiated proteins were mainly classified into the ribosome assembly pathway. Protein expression clustering results showed that the expression profiles between Jidou17 and its female parent Hobbit were more similar than those between Jidou17 and its male parent Zao5241 and between the two parental strains. Therefore, the female parent Hobbit contributed more to the Jidou17 genotype.

Conclusions
This study applied a proven technique to study proteomics in 14-day-old soybean leaves and explored the depth and breadth of soybean protein research. The results provide new data for further understanding the mechanisms of elite cultivar development.
Changes in quality of life into adulthood after very preterm birth and/or very low birth weight in the Netherlands
Authors: van Lunenburg Afra , van der Pal Sylvia M , van Dommelen Paula , van der Pal – de Bruin Karin M , Bennebroek Gravenhorst Jack , Verrips Gijsbert HW 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
It is important to know the impact of Very Preterm (VP) birth or Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW). The purpose of this study is to evaluate changes in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of adults born VP or with a VLBW, between age 19 and age 28.

Methods
The 1983 nationwide Dutch Project On Preterm and Small for gestational age infants (POPS) cohort of 1338 VP (gestational age <32 weeks) or VLBW (<1500 g) infants, was contacted to complete online questionnaires at age 28. In total, 33.8% of eligible participants completed the Health Utilities Index (HUI3), the London Handicap Scale (LHS) and the WHOQoL-BREF. Multiple imputation was applied to correct for missing data and non-response.

Results
The mean HUI3 and LHS scores did not change significantly from age 19 to age 28. However, after multiple imputation, a significant, though not clinically relevant, increase of 0.02 on the overall HUI3 score was found. The mean HRQoL score measured with the HUI3 increased from 0.83 at age 19 to 0.85 at age 28. The lowest score on the WHOQoL was the psychological domain (74.4).

Conclusions
Overall, no important changes in HRQoL between age 19 and age 28 were found in the POPS cohort. Psychological and emotional problems stand out, from which recommendation for interventions could be derived.
Nonlocal semilinear evolution equations without strong compactness: theory and applications
Authors: Benedetti Irene , Malaguti Luisa , Taddei Valentina 
Published: March 2013

Abstract
A semilinear multivalued evolution equation is considered in a reflexive Banach space. The nonlinear term has convex, closed, bounded values and a weakly sequentially closed graph when restricted to its second argument. No strong compactness is assumed, neither on the evolution operator generated by the linear part, or on the nonlinear term. A wide family of nonlocal associated boundary value problems is investigated by means of a fixed point technique. Applications are given to an optimal feedback control problem, to a nonlinear hyperbolic integro-differential equation arising in age-structure population models, and to a multipoint boundary value problem associated to a parabolic partial differential equation.

MSC:34G25, 34B10, 34B15, 47H04, 28B20, 34H05.
Comparative absorption, distribution, and excretion of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles after repeated oral administration
Authors: Cho Wan-Seob , Kang Byeong-Cheol , Lee Jong Kwon , Jeong Jayoung , Che Jeong-Hwan , Seok Seung Hyeok 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
The in vivo kinetics of nanoparticles is an essential to understand the hazard of nanoparticles. Here, the absorption, distribution, and excretion patterns of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles following oral administration were evaluated.

Methods
Nanoparticles were orally administered to rats for 13 weeks (7 days/week). Samples of blood, tissues (liver, kidneys, spleen, and brain), urine, and feces were obtained at necropsy. The level of Ti or Zn in each sample was measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Results
TiO2 nanoparticles had extremely low absorption, while ZnO nanoparticles had higher absorption and a clear dose-response curve. Tissue distribution data showed that TiO2 nanoparticles were not significantly increased in sampled organs, even in the group receiving the highest dose (1041.5 mg/kg body weight). In contrast, Zn concentrations in the liver and kidney were significantly increased compared with the vehicle control. ZnO nanoparticles in the spleen and brain were minimally increased. Ti concentrations were not significantly increased in the urine, while Zn levels were significantly increased in the urine, again with a clear dose-response curve. Very high concentrations of Ti were detected in the feces, while much less Zn was detected in the feces.

Conclusions
Compared with TiO2 nanoparticles, ZnO nanoparticles demonstrated higher absorption and more extensive organ distribution when administered orally. The higher absorption of ZnO than TiO2 nanoparticles might be due to the higher dissolution rate in acidic gastric fluid, although more thorough studies are needed.
Molars and incisors: show your microarray IDs
Authors: Laugel-Haushalter Virginie , Paschaki Marie , Thibault-Carpentier Christelle , Dembelé Doulaye , Dollé Pascal , Bloch-Zupan Agnès 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
One of the key questions in developmental biology is how, from a relatively small number of conserved signaling pathways, is it possible to generate organs displaying a wide range of shapes, tissue organization, and function. The dentition and its distinct specific tooth types represent a valuable system to address the issues of differential molecular signatures. To identify such signatures, we performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of developing murine lower incisors, mandibular molars and maxillary molars at the developmental cap stage (E14.5).

Results
231 genes were identified as being differentially expressed between mandibular incisors and molars, with a fold change higher than 2 and a false discovery rate lower than 0.1, whereas only 96 genes were discovered as being differentially expressed between mandibular and maxillary molars. Numerous genes belonging to specific signaling pathways (the Hedgehog, Notch, Wnt, FGF, TGFβ/BMP, and retinoic acid pathways), and/or to the homeobox gene superfamily, were also uncovered when a less stringent fold change threshold was used. Differential expressions for 10 out of 12 (mandibular incisors versus molars) and 9 out of 10 selected genes were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). A bioinformatics tool (Ingenuity Pathway Analysis) used to analyze biological functions and pathways on the group of incisor versus molar differentially expressed genes revealed that 143 genes belonged to 9 networks with intermolecular connections. Networks with the highest significance scores were centered on the TNF/NFκB complex and the ERK1/2 kinases. Two networks ERK1/2 kinases and tretinoin were involved in differential molar morphogenesis.

Conclusion
These data allowed us to build several regulatory networks that may distinguish incisor versus molar identity, and may be useful for further investigations of these tooth-specific ontogenetic programs. These programs may be dysregulated in transgenic animal models and related human diseases leading to dental anomalies.
Memory B cell compartment constitution and susceptibility to recurrent lower respiratory tract infections in young children
Authors: Siebert Johan N , L’Huillier Arnaud G , Grillet Stéphane , Delhumeau Cécile , Siegrist Claire-Anne , Posfay-Barbe Klara M 
Published: March 2013

Abstract
A quantitative or qualitative defect in the memory B cell compartment is not identified in young children with recurrent lower respiratory tract infections.
A proportion of children have recurrent LRTIs, mostly as a result of Spn, which persist after 2 years of age. Here, we investigate, by flow cytofluorometry, the constitution of the memory B cell compartment in 90 healthy children and 49 children with recurrent LRTIs to determine if an increased susceptibility to recurrent LRTIs results from a delayed or abnormal ontogeny with poor antibody-mediated protection. Total IgA, IgM, IgG, and IgG subclasses were measured by nephelometry, as well as antipneumococcal antibodies by ELISA. Pneumococcal vaccination status was obtained. We show that the memory B cells increase between birth and 2 years of age (1.6% vs. 21.1%, P&lt;0.001) without further significant increase noted per additional years (3–4 years old: 23.3%; 4–5 years old: 22.2%, P&gt;0.40) to reach adult-like values (31.8±11.8%, P=0.08). Proportions of switched and IgM memory B cells were similar in children and adults. Comparatively, LRTI children had no delay in the constitution of their memory B cell compartment (2–3 years old: 26.9%; 3–4 years old: 18.2%; 4–5 years old: 26.8%, P&gt;0.05). Their switched and IgM memory B cells were similar among age categories, and the distribution was overall similar to that of healthy controls. LRTI children had normal total and pneumococcal serotype-specific antibody values but showed a rapid waning of antipneumococcal antibody levels after vaccination. In summary, our results show that the memory B cell compartment is already similarly constituted at 2 years of age in healthy and LRTI children and thus, cannot explain the increased susceptibility to bacterial pneumonia. However, the waning of antibodies might predispose children to recurrent infections in the absence of revaccination.