bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Left Ventricular Restrictive Filling Pattern and the Presence of Contractile Reserve in Patients with Low‐Flow/Low‐Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Mahfouz Ragab A. , El Zayat Ahmed , Yousry Ahmed 
Published: March 2014

ObjectiveWe sought to study diastolic function in patients with low‐flow/low‐gradient aortic stenosis (LF/LGAS) and to clarify the relationship between contractile reserve on dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and the restrictive filling pattern on echocardiography in patients with LF/LGAS.Patients and MethodsThirty patients with LF/LG severe AS were divided into 2 groups. Group I included 14 patients with contractile reserve on DSE. Group II included 16 patients with no contractile reserve on DSE. Diastolic function was studied in all patients using baseline echo Doppler study.ResultsNo significant difference was found between both groups regarding baseline left ventriculae end‐diastolic dimension (LVEDD), ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume, aortic valve area (AVA), mean transaortic pressure gradient, septal thickness or posterior wall thickness, P > 0.05. Transmitral E/A ratio was 1.3 ± 0.5 compared to 2.6 ± 0.7, respectively, deceleration time (DT) was 160 ± 31 compared to 120 ± 15 ms, isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) was 81 ± 22 compared to 53 ± 18 ms, S/D ratio was 1.2 ± 0.3 compared to 0.8 ± 0.2, respectively, (P < 0.001 for all).Three patients in group I had restrictive pattern of diastolic dysfunction compared to 12 in group II (P < 0.003). DSE data in both groups showed a peak SV of 64 ± 11 mL compared to 50 ± 7 mL (P < 0.005), peak EF was 42 ± 9 compared to 34 ± 11% (P < 0.03). Peak stress mean transaortic pressure gradient was 39 ± 9 compared to 22 ± 10 mmHg, respectively, P < 001.ConclusionRestrictive filling pattern of diastolic dysfunction on baseline echo Doppler study may predict lack of contractile reserve in patients with LF/LG severe AS.
Unroofed Coronary Sinus Atrial Septal Defect: Diagnosis by Multimodality Cardiac Imaging
Authors: Aljizeeri Ahmed , Dennie Carole J. , Chan Kwan‐Leung , Beauchesne Luc M. 
Published: March 2014

Mini‐AbstractUnroofed coronary sinus is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly. It is a communication between the coronary sinus and the left atrium. The associated interatrial shunt can cause right atrial volume overload and possible paradoxical embolization. It is classified into four subtypes on the basis of the extent of the roof absence and the presence of persistent left superior vena cava. Although the diagnosis can be suspected by two‐dimensional echocardiography, three‐dimensional echocardiography and computerized cardiac tomography provide incremental value in delineating the precise anatomy of this condition.
Bone marrow examination in patients with immune thrombocytopenia: is there anything different in older patients?
Authors: Gunduz Eren , Kivanc Banu Kara , Arik Deniz , İsiksoy Serap , Bal Cengiz , Akay Olga Meltem 
Published: March 2014

AbstractImmune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a disorder characterised by immune‐mediated accelerated platelet destruction and suppressed platelet production. In the bone marrow examinations of patients with ITP, some investigators found megakaryocyte numbers to be increased while others have found them to be normal. Although recent guidelines recommend against bone marrow examinations in typical ITP patients, the recent introduction of thrombopoietin receptor agonists as an effective treatment for ITP has refocused attention on abnormalities of bone marrow megakaryocytes. In this study, we retrospectively analysed the bone marrow aspiration, flow cytometry‐CD45 side scatter (SSC) and biopsy results of our patients with ITP by dividing them into two groups according to age (<60 yr and ≥60 yr). Ninety eight newly diagnosed ITP patients were included in the study. CD45 SSC results were recorded as percentages of normoblasts, granulocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes and myeloid/erythroid ratio. Length of the biopsy specimen, cellularity, presence of dysplasia or fibrosis with number, morphology and distribution of megakaryocytes were recorded. In group 1, there were 49 patients. Mean age was 41.31 ± 12.77 yr. In group 2, there were 49 patients. Mean age was 70.78 ± 7.88 yr. Megakaryocyte numbers on bone marrow aspirates were not recorded in most patients, so we could not comment on this point. Flow cytometry results and bone marrow findings were similar between two groups. In conclusion, there is no difference between bone marrow examinations of young and older patients with ITP, and biopsy should not be recommended in typical ITP patients as already mentioned in guidelines.
The use of erythropoietin‐stimulating agents versus supportive care in newborns with hereditary spherocytosis: a single centre's experience
Authors: Morrison Jacqueline F. , Neufeld Ellis J. , Grace Rachael F. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractHereditary Spherocytosis (HS) is a common haemolytic anaemia in which 75% of cases are autosomal dominant. As most newborns with HS have a family history of disease, haematologists often see these infants before their physiologic haemoglobin nadir, which is exaggerated in comparison with healthy infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of implementation and cost of erythropoietin‐stimulating agents (EPO) versus transfusion in infants with HS at a single paediatric programme. In the last decade, only 15% of infants with HS at our centre have been treated with EPO, which costs twice that of a single transfusion and EPO treated infants did not always avoid transfusion. Infrequent prescription of EPO therapy to infants with HS at our centre may be related to the incomplete data supporting its use.
Experts’ considerations on HLA‐haploidentical stem cell transplantation
Authors: Patriarca Francesca , Luznik Leo , Medeot Marta , Zecca Marco , Bacigalupo Andrea , Di Bartolomeo Paolo , Arcese William , Corradini Paolo , Ciceri Fabio , Vago Luca , Kanakry Christopher G. , Fleischhauer Katharina , Martelli Massimo F. , Bosi Alberto , Rambaldi Alessandro , Cesaro Simone , Russo Domenico , Fanin Renato 
Published: March 2014

AbstractRecently, novel strategies to control graft‐versus‐host disease and facilitate engraftment have allowed an increasing number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haploHSCT) to be performed. A meeting was convened to review the biological rationale and the clinical results of various T‐cell‐depleted (TCD) and T‐cell‐replete (TCR) HLA‐haploidentical ‘transplant platforms’. The objective of the meeting was to promote discussion and consent among leading researchers in the field on three main crucial issues for haploHSCT: (i) eligibility criteria, (ii) choice of the most suitable donor, and (iii) choice of the most appropriate transplant platform. The experts in attendance agreed that a patient who is eligible for an allogeneic transplant and lacks an HLA‐identical sibling or an HLA‐matched unrelated donor should be considered for an alternative donor transplant. Together with the experience of the individual center, the most important decision criteria in choosing an alternative donor source should be the rapidity of transplantation so as to avoid disease relapse/progression. The choice of the mismatched donor should be driven by younger age, ABO blood group compatibility, and Cytomegalovirus status. If a TCD transplant is planned, NK‐alloreactive donors and/or the mother should be preferred. Prospective comparative studies are needed to establish the relative efficacy of different transplant platforms. However, expertise in stem cell manipulation and in adoptive immunotherapy is essential if a TCD transplant platform is chosen.
Control of postharvest green mould of citrus by haliscosamine isolated from Haliclona viscosa sponge
Authors: Amraoui Belkassem El , wahidi Majida El , Fassouane Aziz 
Published: March 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of haliscosamine isolated from Haliclona viscosa sea sponge from the Moroccan Atlantic coast against Penicillium digitatum, the causal agent of citrus green mould. The in vitro antifungal activity of haliscosamine, determined using the agar disc‐diffusion method, showed that haliscosamine and DESOGERME SP VEGETAUX® (reference product) have fungicidal activity with inhibition diameters of 19 and 18 mm, respectively. Haliscosamine and a positive control (DESOGERME SP VEGETAUX®) were tested in vivo in comparison with a negative control on orange fruits in normal storage conditions. This test showed that after four weeks of storage, the rate of decay of citrus fruits treated with haliscosamine or DESOGERME does not exceed 14%, whereas in the negative control the decay rate is 77%. The results of in vitro and in vivo tests indicate that haliscosamine and DESOGERME SP VEGETAUX® have an important antifungal potential against P. digitatum and that haliscosamine (a natural product) may represent an alternative to the use of chemical fungicides.
Comparison of three conventional PCR test (Bulman & Marshall, ) versions for the molecular identification of Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis cysts and juveniles
Authors: van de Vossenberg B. T. L. H. , Voogd J. G. B. , Westenberg M. , Karssen G. 
Published: March 2014

Three different versions of the conventional PCR described by Bulman & Marshall () for the identification of cysts and juveniles of Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis were compared: the original Bulman & Marshall, Bulman & Marshall as described in EPPO PM 7/40 (2) and an in‐house modified version of the Dutch National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO‐NL). The versions differ from each other in thermocycler conditions and primer sequences. Two different polymerases (Invitrogen and Roche) were assessed using the different test versions, and performance criteria analytical sensitivity and analytical specificity were determined. Roche‐based reaction mixes had the highest amplicon yield and were used for further comparison of the different test versions. The different test versions performed equally well in terms of analytical specificity. No false positive or false negative results were observed. The test version NPPO‐NL proved to be the most sensitive test version with a limit of detection of 1 juvenile for both G. pallida and G. rostochiensis.
The invasive Impatiens glandulifera Royle (Himalayan balsam) in the Republic of Macedonia: first record and forecast
Authors: Pacanoski Z. , Saliji A. 
Published: March 2014

A population of Impatiens glandulifera Royle, an invasive plant species native to the Western Himalayas, was recorded in 2013 near the village Gorno Sedlarce in the north‐western mountainous region of the Republic of Macedonia. I. glandulifera is a new alien species to the Macedonian flora. The surveys revealed an intensive growth and a low to medium density population of I. glandulifera. The population's density was not quantified, but several stands of different sizes were found. A rapid ecological risk assessment, mainly based on knowledge about invasion histories in North–Western and Central European countries, showed that this species, which is on the EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants, is a serious threat to Macedonian biodiversity. Biological invasions of I. glandulifera affect biodiversity worldwide, and, consequently, the invaded ecosystems may experience significant losses in economic and cultural values. There is a clear need to develop a strategy for control of I. glandulifera to protect biodiversity, as a whole.
Shedding new light on the role of the sunshine vitamin D for skin health: the lncRNA‐skin cancer connection
Authors: Holick Michael F. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThroughout evolution, vertebrates including humans have depended on the sunshine vitamin D for their calcified skeletons. As our hunter gatherer forefathers ventured from the equator, their skin tone became much lighter in order to permit an adequate amount of ultraviolet B radiation to enter the skin to produce the vitally important vitamin D. Although sensible sun exposure does not significantly increase risk of skin cancer, it has remained a mystery as to why. Jiang and Bikle in their viewpoint provide a novel insight as to how Mother Nature was able to balance the need for receiving adequate sun exposure to produce vitamin D while limiting damage caused by the DNA absorbing the ultraviolet B radiation. Long non‐coding RNAs which are plentiful in cells have a dual personality. Some enhance malignancy, while others act as tumor suppressors. Jiang and Bikle provide compelling evidence that these long non‐coding RNAs in skin cells are responsive to 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 by decreasing their carcinogenic activity while enhancing their tumor suppression function presumably as a strategy for reducing ultraviolet‐induced non‐melanoma skin cancer. Mother Nature got it right. Sensible sun exposure is important for maintaining an adequate vitamin D status. Once formed in the skin, vitamin D can exit into the circulation to carry out its physiologic functions on calcium and bone metabolism. Some vitamin D however remains in the skin and is activated to interact with its vitamin D receptor to control cell proliferation using a variety of strategies including interacting with long non‐coding RNAs to reduce risk of photocarcinogenesis.
Quantifying activity: a new assay reveals T‐cell signalling in tiny skin biopsy samples
Authors: Dornmair Klaus 
Published: March 2014

AbstractTissue‐invasive T cells are observed in many inflammatory dermatological diseases, but in most cases, it is not known how they were attracted, what they might recognize, and to which extent they are activated. Answering these questions is surely essential for understanding pathogeneses of the diseases. In a recent issue of Experimental Dermatology, Smith et al. showed that early signalling events in skin‐resident T cells may be investigated by multiplex immunoprecipitation flow cytometry, even if only few T cells are available from skin biopsy samples. This new technology will most likely contribute to elucidating the role of skin‐invasive T cells and to understanding the pathology of dermatological diseases.
Fatigue assessment of thin‐welded joints with pronounced terminations
Authors: Malikoutsakis M. , Savaidis G. 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTThe present paper reviews and contains simple modifications to extend the applicability of global and local fatigue concepts to thin‐welded specimens with pronounced weld terminations (starts/ends). Experimental fatigue data reported by Kaffenberger and Vormwald have been used for the validation of the proposed procedures. Special attention is paid to the notch strain concept. The material state is explicitly considered by means of corresponding strain–life curves in conjunction with PSWT, PMorrowor the experimental mean stress sensitivity factors proposed by Olivier. The accuracy of Neuber's sharp and mild notch formulas, Seeger–Beste's formulation and Glinka's strain energy density rule within the context of the notch strain approach has been investigated. Simple rules accounting for stress relaxation effects have been additionally proposed and implemented into the calculations. Comparison of experimental with theoretical fatigue lives validates the accuracy and robustness of the proposed procedures to calculate fatigue designS–Ncurves.
Climate variability and vulnerability to climate change: a review
Authors: Thornton Philip K , Ericksen Polly J , Herrero Mario , Challinor Andrew J 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe focus of the great majority of climate change impact studies is on changes in mean climate. In terms of climate model output, these changes are more robust than changes in climate variability. By concentrating on changes in climate means, the full impacts of climate change on biological and human systems are probably being seriously underestimated. Here, we briefly review the possible impacts of changes in climate variability and the frequency of extreme events on biological and food systems, with a focus on the developing world. We present new analysis that tentatively links increases in climate variability with increasing food insecurity in the future. We consider the ways in which people deal with climate variability and extremes and how they may adapt in the future. Key knowledge and data gaps are highlighted. These include the timing and interactions of different climatic stresses on plant growth and development, particularly at higher temperatures, and the impacts on crops, livestock and farming systems of changes in climate variability and extreme events on pest‐weed‐disease complexes. We highlight the need to reframe research questions in such a way that they can provide decision makers throughout the food system with actionable answers, and the need for investment in climate and environmental monitoring. Improved understanding of the full range of impacts of climate change on biological and food systems is a critical step in being able to address effectively the effects of climate variability and extreme events on human vulnerability and food security, particularly in agriculturally based developing countries facing the challenge of having to feed rapidly growing populations in the coming decades.
Soil carbon balance following conversion of grassland to oil palm
Authors: Goodrick Iain , Nelson Paul N. , Banabas Murom , Wurster Christopher M. , Bird Michael I. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractOil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) crops are expanding rapidly in the tropics, with implications for the global carbon cycle. Little is currently known about soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics following conversion to oil palm and virtually nothing for conversion of grassland. We measured changes in SOC stocks following conversion of tropical grassland to oil palm plantations in Papua New Guinea using a chronosequence of plantations planted over a 25‐year period. We further used carbon isotopes to quantify the loss of grassland‐derived and gain in oil palm‐derived SOC over this period. The grassland and oil palm soils had average SOC stocks of 10.7 and 12.0 kg m−2, respectively, across all the study sites, to a depth of 1.5 m. In the 0–0.05 m depth interval, 0.79 kg m−2 of SOC was gained from oil palm inputs over 25 years and approximately the same amount of the original grass‐derived SOC was lost. For the whole soil profile (0–1.5 m), 3.4 kg m−2 of SOC was gained from oil palm inputs with no significant losses of grass‐derived SOC. The grass‐derived SOC stocks were more resistant to decrease than SOC reported in other studies. Black carbon produced in grassfires could partially but not fully account for the persistence of the original SOC stocks. Oil palm‐derived SOC accumulated more slowly where soil nitrogen contents where high. Forest soils in the same region had smaller carbon stocks than the grasslands. In the majority of cases, conversion of grassland to oil palm plantations in this region resulted in net sequestration of soil organic carbon.
Aerobic stability of sugar‐cane silage inoculated with tropical strains of lactic acid bacteria
Authors: Carvalho B. F. , Ávila C. L. S. , Miguel M. G. C. P. , Pinto J. C. , Santos M. C. , Schwan R. F. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAerobic stability is an important feature in the evaluation of silages. The aims were to investigate the chemical and microbiological changes that occur in sugar‐cane (Saccharum spp.) silage after aerobic exposure, to identify the major species of yeasts associated with the aerobic deterioration process and to select lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that can improve the aerobic stability of this silage. Fourteen wild LAB strains belonging to Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis and L. hilgardii were evaluated using experimental silos. Silage samples were collected at 0, 96 and 216 h after aerobic exposure to determinate the DM, WSC, pH, products of fermentation, to evaluate the silage temperatures and to identify yeast species associated with the aerobic deterioration of silage. The strains tested were able to modify the fermentative and chemical parameters and the diversity of yeasts species of silage after aerobic exposure. There was no association between the facultative or obligatory heterofermentative fermentation patterns and the increased aerobic stability of silage. Aerobic stability of sugar‐cane silages was associated with high acetic acid and 1,2‐propanediol concentrations. L. hilgardii UFLA SIL51 and UFLA SIL52 strains promoted an increase in aerobic stability of silage.
Replication of Migraine GWAS Susceptibility Loci in Chinese Han Population
Authors: Fan Xiaoping , Wang Jing , Fan Wen , Chen Lixue , Gui Bei , Tan Ge , Zhou Jiying 
Published: March 2014

BackgroundRecent genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 3 genetic variants that are strongly associated with migraine in Europeans. The effect of these risk variants in other populations is unknown. To further replicate the GWAS findings, we investigated the 3 variants rs2651899 (1p36.32, PRDM16), rs10166942 (2q37.1, TRPM8), and rs11172113 (12q13.3, LRP1) for their association with migraine in the Chinese Han population.MethodsWe performed a case–control association study. Genomic DNA was collected from 608 unrelated individuals, including 304 migraineurs (41 migraine with aura and 263 migraine without aura) and 304 healthy controls. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was performed by ligase detection reaction method.ResultsWe identified the minor allele of rs2651899 located in PRDM16 to be associated with migraine (P = .005, odds ratio = 1.382, 95% confidence interval = 1.100‐1.736), the association remain significant after Bonferroni correction. For the other 2 SNPs (rs10166942 and rs11172113), no statistically significant differences were observed in the allele/genotype frequencies between cases and controls. None of the 3 SNP was associated with specific migraine features.ConclusionOur study confirmed the association of PRDM16 to migraine susceptibility in the Chinese Han population. The results also indicated that replication studies of previous GWAS findings across populations is of importance to validate these associations and to gain a better understanding of migraine susceptibility of potential genetic heterogeneity between populations. Further work is necessary to understand the functional mechanisms underlying these variants identified by GWAS.