bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical Quality Performance in U.S. Health Centers
Authors: Shi Leiyu , Lebrun Lydie A. , Zhu Jinsheng , Hayashi Arthur S. , Sharma Ravi , Daly Charles A. , Sripipatana Alek , Ngo‐Metzger Quyen 
Published: May 2012

ObjectiveTo describe current clinical quality among the nation's community health centers and to examine health center characteristics associated with performance excellence.Data SourcesNational data from the 2009 Uniform Data System.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsHealth centers reviewed patient records and reported aggregate data to the Uniform Data System.Study DesignSix measures were examined: first‐trimester prenatal care, childhood immunization completion, Pap tests, low birth weight, controlled hypertension, and controlled diabetes. The top 25 percent performing centers were compared with lower performing (bottom 75 percent) centers on these measures. Logistic regressions were utilized to assess the impact of patient, provider, and institutional characteristics on health center performance.Principal FindingsClinical care and outcomes among health centers were generally comparable to national averages. For instance, 67 percent of pregnant patients received timely prenatal care (national = 68 percent), 69 percent of children achieved immunization completion (national = 67 percent), and 63 percent of hypertensive patients had blood pressure under control (national = 48 percent). Depending on the measure, centers with more uninsured patients were less likely to do well, while centers with more physicians and enabling service providers were more likely to do well.ConclusionsHealth centers provide quality care at rates comparable to national averages. Performance may be improved by increasing insurance coverage among patients and increasing the ratios of physicians and enabling service providers to patients.
Fat‐Soluble Vitamins in Advanced CKD/ESKD: A Review
Authors: Holden Rachel M. , Ki Vincent , Morton Alexander Ross , Clase Catherine 
Published: May 2012

AbstractPatients requiring dialysis often experience a significant decline in their nutritional status through a combination of chronic disease, reduced appetite, and dietary restrictions, which places them at risk for vitamin deficiencies. The concept of vitamin deficiency has evolved from obvious deficiency states to the subtle effects that suboptimal intake may have on chronic disease prevalence or progression. The purpose of this study was to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the status of the fat‐soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving hemodialysis.
The mTOR pathway is activated in glial cells in mesial temporal sclerosis
Authors: Sosunov Alexander A. , Wu Xiaoping , McGovern Robert A. , Coughlin David G. , Mikell Charles B. , Goodman Robert R. , McKhann Guy M. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryMammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key protein kinase that regulates basic cellular processes, including development and growth. Mutations in mTOR cause tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a condition that is characterized by developmental brain malformations (cortical tubers) and epilepsy. Although considerable insight has been gained recently into the pathologic dysfunction of mTOR in tubers in TSC‐related epilepsy, data on the mTOR cascade in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) are lacking. Immunohistochemical investigation with confocal microscopy was performed to evaluate mTOR cascade and to correlate its activity with cellular alterations observed in surgically resected samples of human neocortex and hippocampus in MTLE. We compared results in human tissue to findings in the rat pilocarpine model of sclerotic MTLE. In nonsclerotic and control hippocampus, many neurons in the CA1 subfield expressed high levels of phospho‐S6 (p‐S6), a reliable marker of mTOR activation. In nonsclerotic and control hippocampus, as well as in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) normal human neocortex, protoplasmic astrocytes did not express p‐S6. In contrast, in sclerotic hippocampus, prominent p‐S6 immunostaining was observed mainly in astrocytes and microglia located in the areas of neuronal loss and astrogliosis, whereas neurons in preserved areas of CA1 expressed significantly lower levels of p‐S6 immunopositivity than neurons in nonsclerotic or control CA1 subfields. In surgically resected neocortex with chronic astroglial scar tissue, only microglia revealed moderate p‐S6 immunoreactivity. Different from human sclerotic epileptic hippocampus, astrogliosis in the chronic rat pilocarpine model of epilepsy was not characterized by glial cells with mTOR activation. The mTOR cascade is activated in astroglial cells in sclerotic MTLE, but not in astrocytes in chronic neocortical scarring or in the pilocarpine model of MTLE. These findings suggest that the astroglial “scar” in sclerotic MTLE has active, ongoing cellular changes. Targeting mTOR in MTLE may provide new pathways for the medical therapy of epilepsy.
A SURVEY OF BANGIALES (RHODOPHYTA) BASED ON MULTIPLE MOLECULAR MARKERS REVEALS CRYPTIC DIVERSITY1
Authors: Kucera Hana , Saunders Gary W. 
Published: May 2012

The Bangiales is a diverse order consisting of 28 species in Canada. Morphological simplicity and similarity among species has led to taxonomic confusion and the need for molecular techniques for species identification. This study is the first to employ the standardized DNA barcode marker COI‐5P in a broad floristic survey of the Bangiales in Canadian marine waters. A total of 37 species were ultimately sequenced, 29 of which occurred in Canada. Molecular results led to the synonymization of Wildemania cuneiformis with W. amplissima, as well as the description of two new species: Porphyra corallicola sp. nov. and Pyropia peggicovensis sp. nov., and discovery of another five putative new species. Comparison of the performance of COI‐5P as a species identification tool relative to rbcL (large subunit of ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase) and the UPA (universal plastid amplicon) revealed that, although each marker had strengths and weaknesses, the COI‐5P showed the highest species‐discriminatory power due to its high level of interspecific variation. The rbcL was further used to place the new species into a phylogenetic context, whereas UPA was not recommended for species identification in the Bangiales owing to within‐individual heterogeneity between the two copies present in the plastid genomes in some lineages.
The Story Is As Good As the Real Thing: Early Customer Input on Product Applications of Radically New Technologies
Authors: van den Hende Ellis A. , Schoormans Jan P. L. 
Published: May 2012

Early customer input on applications that use radically new technologies is crucial for gaining an understanding of the benefits and value of these new technologies. Potential customers should have a clear understanding of a new technology application before they give their input on it. Prototypes provide a clear picture to the customer, but are seldom available in the early (predevelopment) stage. Therefore, a customer research technique that provides valuable input is needed. The aim of the study is to show that product narratives provide valuable input from customers in the predevelopment phase of a discontinuous new product development (NPD) process.This study compares a product narrative with a benchmark condition of a working prototype, a nonnarrative, and two conditions that have been added to make a comparison possible. Confirming this study's prediction, the analysis of variance results show that no differences are present between the narrative text with drawn images and a prototype demonstration on all dependent variables (i.e., evaluations of the product, interaction, ease of use, and aesthetics). Differences in customers' evaluations are only present when the narration is removed from the text with drawn images. Regression analysis confirms that narration is the key variable that predicts the evaluations of the product, interaction, ease of use, and aesthetics. The mediating role of narrative transportation provides explanation of these findings. Narrative transportation is a mixture of attention, imagery, and feelings that people experience when they watch a movie or read a narrative. According to narrative transportation theory, transported consumers immerse themselves in what they watch or read and have vivid images in their mind, see themselves in the scene of the action, experience emotions, and forget the world around them.This study shows that without narration, texts with drawn images are insufficiently vivid to transport the reader to enable him or her to imagine using the really new product, and consequently, provide evaluations similar to prototype evaluations. The narrative character of the utilized technology application presentation provides vivid imagery of the technology application, thereby compensating for a lack of realism. To conclude, an easy‐to‐apply product narrative successfully explains a technology application that uses a radically new technology to a customer before prototypes have been completed.
Evidence of increased skin irritation after wet work: impact of water exposure and occlusion
Authors: Fartasch Manigé , Taeger Dirk , Broding Horst C. , Schöneweis Sandra , Gellert Beatrix , Pohrt Ute , Brüning Thomas 
Published: May 2012

Background. Exposure to humid environments/water and prolonged glove occlusion are both believed to cause irritant contact dermatitis.Objectives. To study the effects of different forms of wet work, especially the differences between water exposure and occlusion, by using an experimental model simulating occupational wet work.Methods. The responses to water exposure and occlusion over multiple daily exposure periods for 7 days were compared in 73 volunteers. After the 1 week exposure, the sites were irritated with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Comparison was performed via visual inspection and bioengineering methods.Results. Whereas occlusion did not induce measurable alterations in skin physiology, water exposure for more than 3 hr daily caused a significant increase in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) as compared with the control areas. SLS irritation of the previously occluded and the water‐exposed sites induced higher TEWL and clinical scores in a time‐dependent fashion as compared with the control areas, with more pronounced reactions in the water‐exposed sites than in the occluded sites.Conclusion. Both previous occlusion and water exposure were capable of inducing higher susceptibility to SLS irritation. Skin hydration by occlusion had a different biological effect than water exposure. Short occlusions seem to harm the skin less than water exposure for the same duration.
Maximum SUV on positron emission tomography and serum CEA level as prognostic factors after curative resection for non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: TOMITA Masaki , SHIMIZU Tetsuya , AYABE Takanori , ONITSUKA Toshio 
Published: May 2012

AbstractAims:  The relationship between the maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) on positron emission tomography (PET) and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was investigated.Methods:  Consecutively, 197 surgically resected NSCLC patients with preoperative staging including serum CEA and PET were reviewed retrospectively.Results:  When patients were subdivided into two groups based on the median value of the SUVmax (6.6), the 5‐year survival of patients with a high SUVmax was 63.20%, which was significantly worse than patients with a low SUVmax (87.29%, P = 0.0004). The 5‐year survival of patients with normal and high serum CEA level was 82.70 and 51.08%, respectively (P < 0.0001). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated the independent prognostic impact of the SUVmax and serum CEA level. Patients with both low SUVmax and normal serum CEA level had favorable prognosis, whereas those with both high SUVmax and high serum CEA level had poor prognosis.Conclusion:  Preoperative SUVmax and serum CEA level are independent prognostic factors for survival in NSCLC. The combined use of preoperative SUVmax and serum CEA level might be a better prognostic indicator.
Expression of hilA in Response to Mild Acid Stress in Salmonella enterica is Serovar and Strain Dependent
Authors: González‐Gil Francisco , Le Bolloch Alexandre , Pendleton Sean , Zhang Nan , Wallis Audra , Hanning Irene 
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  Salmonella enterica is the leading cause of foodborne illness with poultry and poultry products being primary sources of infection. The 2 most common S. enterica serovars associated with human infection are Typhimurium and Enteritidis. However, Kentucky and Heidelburg and the 2 most prevalent serovars isolated from poultry environments. Given the prevalence of other serovars in poultry products and environments, research is needed to understand virulence modulation in response to stress in serovars other than Typhimurium and Enteritidis. Thus, the objective of this research was to compare hilA gene expression (a master regulator of the virulence pathogenicity island) in response to acid stress among different strains and serovars of Salmonella. A total of 11 serovars consisting of 15 strains of S. enterica were utilized for these experiments. Cultures were suspended in tryptic soy broth (TSB) adjusted to pH 7.2, 6.2, or 5.5 with HCl or acetic acid. Total RNA was extracted from cultures at specific time points (0, 2, 4, and 24 h). Gene expression of hilA was measured with quantitative reverse transcriptase real time PCR (qRT‐PCR). Growth and pH were measured throughout the 24 h time frame. Regulation of hilA in response to acid stress varied by serovar and strain and type of acid. The results of these experiments indicate that hilA regulation may have some impact on virulence and colonization of S. enterica. However, these results warrant further research to more fully understand the significance of hilA regulation in response to mild acid stress in S. enterica.Practical Applications:  In the industry, some treatments or marinades used for poultry meat utilize a low pH that may also kill bacteria. However, if bacteria survive these treatments, they can endure further stress because genes to survive stresses are activated and may remain activated. In this research, we show that a virulence gene (hilA) is regulated in response to acid stress in Salmonella. If upregulation is sustained, this may have an effect on the virulence of Salmonella of the bacteria. Thus, we show that some acid based treatments could have an effect on the potential virulence of S. enterica.
Dietary Vitamin D3 Supplementation at 10× the Adequate Intake Improves Functional Capacity in the G93A Transgenic Mouse Model of ALS, a Pilot Study
Authors: Gianforcaro Alexandro , Hamadeh Mazen J 
Published: May 2012

SUMMARY BackgroundVitamin D has antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, and may mitigate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathology.AimsTo determine the effects of dietary vitamin D3 (D3) at 10‐fold the adequate intake (AI) on functional and disease outcomes and lifespan in the transgenic G93A mouse model of ALS.MethodsStarting at age 40 days, 32 G93A mice (21 M, 11 F) were provided ad libitum with either an adequate (AI; 1 IU/g feed) or high (HiD; 10 IU/g feed) D3 diet. Differences were considered significant at P≤ 0.10, as this was a pilot study.ResultsFor paw grip endurance, HiD mice had a 7% greater score between 60–133 d versus AI mice (P= 0.074). For motor performance, HiD mice had a 22% greater score between 60–133 days (P= 0.074) versus AI mice due to changes observed in male mice, where HiD males had a 33% greater score (P= 0.064) versus AI males. There were no significant diet differences in disease onset, disease progression, or lifespan.ConclusionAlthough disease outcomes were not affected, D3 supplementation at 10‐fold the AI improved paw grip endurance and motor performance in the transgenic G93A mouse model of ALS, specifically in males.
Rational design of a dry powder inhaler: device design and optimisation
Authors: Friebel Christian , Steckel Hartwig , Müller Bernd W 
Published: May 2012

Abstract

Objectives
As part of the development of a dry powder inhalation system for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, this work specifically aimed at the systematic, however, cost-effective and efficient development of an inhalation device.

Methods
Based on theoretical design considerations and an initial inhaler prototype, the concept of a modular inhaler was developed. The modular inhaler was used for the systematic evaluation of the influence of the inhaler's inner dimensions on the resistance to the air flow and the in-vitro deposition characteristics of the inhalation system by using statistical design of experiments and cascade impaction analysis.

Key findings
A reliable statistical model enabled the accurate prediction of the device resistance of any combination of inner dimensions of the inhaler. In conjunction with results from in-vitro deposition studies, this allowed for the definition of optimised inner dimensions of the inhaler to maximise the fine particle fraction and minimise oropharyngeal deposition within the desired range of the inhaler's resistance to air flow.

Conclusions
The concept of the modular inhaler and statistical design and evaluation of experiments proved to be important tools for an efficient and successful product development. Eventually, the approaches described and the knowledge obtained enabled the cost-effective development and design of a technically feasible and competitive dry powder inhaler.
A Baculovirus-Encoded MicroRNA (miRNA) Suppresses Its Host miRNA Biogenesis by Regulating the Exportin-5 Cofactor Ran
Authors: Singh C. P. , Singh J. , Nagaraju J. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT

MicroRNAs have emerged as key players in the regulation of various biological processes in eukaryotes, including host-pathogen interactions. Recent studies suggest that viruses encode miRNAs to manipulate their host gene expression to ensure their effective proliferation, whereas the host limits virus infection by differentially expressing miRNAs that target essential viral genes. Here, we demonstrate that an insect virus,
Bombyx mori
nucleopolyhedrosis virus (BmNPV), modulates the small-RNA-mediated defense of its host,
B. mori
, by encoding an miRNA (bmnpv-miR-1) that downregulates the expression of the host GTP-binding nuclear protein Ran, an essential component of the exportin-5-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport machinery mainly involved in small-RNA transport from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. We demonstrate the sequence-dependent interaction of bmnpv-miR-1 with Ran mRNA using cell culture and
in vivo
assays, including RNA interference (RNAi) of Ran. Our results clearly show that bmnpv-miR-1 represses Ran, leading to reduction in the host small-RNA population, and consequently, the BmNPV load increases in the infected larvae. Blocking of bmnpv-miR-1 resulted in higher expression levels of Ran and a decrease in BmNPV proliferation. In contrast, blockage of host miRNA, bmo-miR-8, which targets the immediate-early gene of the virus and whose production was repressed upon bmnpv-miR-1 and Ran dsRNA administration, resulted in a significant increase in the virus load in the infected
B. mori
larvae. The present study provides an insight into one of the evasion strategies used by the virus to counter the host defense for its effective proliferation and has relevance to the development of insect virus control strategies.
Modeling the Intracellular Dynamics of Influenza Virus Replication To Understand the Control of Viral RNA Synthesis
Authors: Heldt Frank S. , Frensing Timo , Reichl Udo 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT
Influenza viruses transcribe and replicate their negative-sense RNA genome inside the nucleus of host cells via three viral RNA species. In the course of an infection, these RNAs show distinct dynamics, suggesting that differential regulation takes place. To investigate this regulation in a systematic way, we developed a mathematical model of influenza virus infection at the level of a single mammalian cell. It accounts for key steps of the viral life cycle, from virus entry to progeny virion release, while focusing in particular on the molecular mechanisms that control viral transcription and replication. We therefore explicitly consider the nuclear export of viral genome copies (vRNPs) and a recent hypothesis proposing that replicative intermediates (cRNA) are stabilized by the viral polymerase complex and the nucleoprotein (NP). Together, both mechanisms allow the model to capture a variety of published data sets at an unprecedented level of detail. Our findings provide theoretical support for an early regulation of replication by cRNA stabilization. However, they also suggest that the matrix protein 1 (M1) controls viral RNA levels in the late phase of infection as part of its role during the nuclear export of viral genome copies. Moreover, simulations show an accumulation of viral proteins and RNA toward the end of infection, indicating that transport processes or budding limits virion release. Thus, our mathematical model provides an ideal platform for a systematic and quantitative evaluation of influenza virus replication and its complex regulation.
Flow control techniques for Onyx embolization of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae
Authors: Shi Zhong-Song , Loh Yince , Gonzalez Nestor , Tateshima Satoshi , Feng Lei , Jahan Reza , Duckwiler Gary , Viñuela Fernando 
Published: May 2012

ObjectivesExperience of flow control techniques during endovascular treatment of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) using the Onyx liquid embolic system is reported, with an emphasis on high flow shunts.MethodsData were evaluated in patients with DAVFs treated endovascularly with Onyx. Adjunctive techniques with coils, acrylics and balloon assistance were utilized to reduce the rate of flow with transarterial and transvenous approaches.ResultsThe following types of adjunctive techniques were used in 58 patients who underwent a total of 84 embolization sessions with Onyx: transvenous coiling with transvenous or transarterial Onyx embolization in 36 patients, transarterial coiling with transarterial Onyx embolization in eight patients, arterial or venous balloon assisted technique with transarterial or transvenous Onyx embolization in 11 patients, transarterial high concentration acrylics with transarterial Onyx embolization in one patient and staged transarterial or transvenous coiling and Onyx embolization in two patients. Complete obliteration of the fistulae was achieved in 41 patients (70.7%) and 27 patients (65.9%) with high flow fistulae after endovascular treatment alone. Periprocedural complications were encountered in 16 patients, and 13 complications were associated with the adjunctive techniques. There were four neurologic and two non-neurologic clinical sequelae. Distal Onyx migration occurred in four, microcatheter retention in three and cranial neuropathy in three patients. There was one instance each of cerebellar hemorrhage, thromboembolism, coil stretching and retention, and dissection. 56 survivors experienced complete resolution or significant improvement of their symptoms on follow-up.ConclusionsFlow control techniques are safe and effective adjunctive methods in primary endovascular Onyx embolization of high flow DAVFs.