bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fetal thymus size in uncomplicated twin and singleton pregnancies
Authors: Gamez F. , De Leon‐Luis J. , Pintado P. , Perez R. , Robinson J. N. , Antolin E. , Ortiz‐Quintana L. , Santolaya‐Forgas J. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractObjectivesThe main objective of this study was to determine whether fetal thymic measurements could be obtained in twins, with a secondary goal to determine whether thymic measurements from uncomplicated singleton and twin pregnancies are comparable.MethodsThe transverse diameter and perimeter of the fetal thymus were measured prospectively in 678 singleton and 56 twin pregnancies, and their relationships with gestational age were determined and compared between groups.ResultsThymic measurements were possible in 757 (95.8%) of the 790 fetuses. Measurements were not possible in 19 of 678 singletons (2.8%) and in 14 of the 112 (12.5%) twins (P < 0.001). After construction of nomograms for the transverse diameter and perimeter of the fetal thymus, similar measurements were noted for singletons and twins.ConclusionsThese results suggest that sonographic measurements of the thymus are feasible in twin pregnancies and that, in uncomplicated pregnancies, these measurements are similar to those noted for singletons. These findings pave the way for future studies aimed at determining the clinical utility of thymic measurements in complicated singleton and twin pregnancies. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surgeon‐Performed Ultrasound in Patients Referred for Thyroid Disease Improves Patient Care by Minimizing Performance of Unnecessary Procedures and Optimizing Surgical Treatment
Authors: Mazzaglia Peter J. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackgroundUltrasonography has become an indispensable tool in the evaluation of thyroid nodular disease, and most patients will have had a thyroid ultrasound prior to initial surgical evaluation. This study examines the added benefit of office‐based, surgeon‐performed ultrasonography in patients referred for thyroid disease.MethodsAll patients referred to a single endocrine surgeon for evaluation of thyroid disease over a 2‐year period were reviewed. Outside ultrasonographic findings were compared to the surgeon‐performed ultrasound that was used to formulate treatment decisions.ResultsOf 286 consecutive patients referred for surgical evaluation of thyroid disease, 261 had an outside ultrasound available for comparison. There were 239 women and 47 men. Mean age was 54.7 ± 16.6. In 46 patients (17.6%), differences between the two ultrasounds were significant enough to alter treatment plans. For 18 patients no distinct nodule was identified and biopsy was avoided. Nine of these patients had ultrasound characteristics of Hashimoto’s disease. In five patients the nodule was significantly smaller than reported and biopsy was not warranted. Twelve patients had nonpalpable, enlarged lymph nodes not previously identified; these were biopsied. Three were positive for metastatic thyroid cancer, which prompted the addition of neck dissection to the operative procedure. In 8 of 132 patients undergoing thyroidectomy, the surgical procedure was significantly altered by the ultrasound findings.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates a clear advantage for patients who undergo a surgeon‐performed ultrasound. For many, unnecessary procedures were prevented. For others, substantial modifications to the extent of surgery were made when new ultrasonographic findings were identified during the preoperative investigation.
Impact of Prophylactic Central Neck Lymph Node Dissection on Early Recurrence in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Moo Tracy‐Ann , McGill Julie , Allendorf John , Lee James , Fahey Thomas , Zarnegar Rasa 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackgroundAlthough the role of prophylactic central neck lymph node dissection (CNLD) in the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is controversial, many surgeons perform routine prophylactic CNLD. The present study compares local recurrence rates in PTC patients undergoing total thyroidectomy with and without prophylactic CNLD.Materials and MethodsA retrospective review of 206 patients undergoing thyroidectomy for PTC was conducted at two tertiary referral centers. Of these, 81 patients had total thyroidectomy for PTC and a follow‐up between 2 and 9 years with a mean of 3.1 years. Of these 81 patients, 45 underwent routine prophylactic CNLD and 36 did not. For those two groups, demographics, clinical and pathologic findings, radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, and the incidence of recurrence were compared. Univariate statistical analysis was performed.ResultsThere was no significant difference in age, gender, multifocality, or extrathyroidal extension for the two groups. Patients with CNLD had an average tumor size of 1.4 cm versus 2 cm in the group without CNLD (p < 0.05). Patients who underwent CNLD had an average of 8 nodes removed, and positive nodes were found in 33%. Patients with CNLD received a higher dose of RAI, 102.7 mCi versus 66.3 mCi (p < 0.05). The incidence of positive nodes correlated with an increased RAI dose (r = 0.55). Rates of parathyroid removal and autotransplantation were higher in the CNLD group, 36 and 16% in the CNLD group versus 22 and 3% in the group without CNLD (p = 0.4 and p = 0.07). Rates of temporary hypocalcemia were higher in the CNLD group (31 versus 5%; p = 0.001), however rates of permanent hypocalcemia were similar, 1/35 in the no CNLD group versus 0/45 in the CNLD group (p = 0.4). There was a higher recurrence rate among patients without CNLD 6/36 (16.7%) versus 2/45 (4.4%), although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.13).ConclusionsRoutine CNLD as an adjunct to total thyroidectomy identifies positive nodes in over 30% of patients with PTC. The discovery of positive nodes is associated with higher doses of RAI for postoperative ablation, and there is a trend toward decreased recurrence in patients undergoing CNLD.
Fetal Bovine Serum Concentration Affects Δ9 Desaturase Activity of Trypanosoma cruzi
Authors: Villasuso Ana L. , Romero Patricio , Woelke Mariela , Moyano Patricia , Machado Estela , García de Lema Mirta 
Published: February 2010

AbstractFetal bovine serum (FBS) is an important factor in the culture of Trypanosoma cruzi, since this parasite obtains and metabolizes fatty acids (FAs) from the culture medium, and changes in FBS concentration reduce the degree of unsaturation of FAs in phosphoinositides. When T. cruzi epimastigotes were cultured with 5% instead of 10% FBS, and stearic acid was used as the substrate, ∆9 desaturase activity decreased by 50%. Apparent Km and Vm values for stearic acid, determined from Lineaweaver–Burk plots, were 2 μM and 219 pmol/min/mg of protein, respectively. In studies of the requirement for reduced pyridine nucleotide, ∆9 desaturase activity reached a maximum with 8 μM NADH and then remained constant; the apparent Km and Vm were 4.3 μM and 46.8 pmol/min/mg of protein, respectively. The effect of FBS was observed only for ∆9 desaturase activity; ∆12 desaturase activity was not affected. The results suggest that decreased FBS in culture medium is a signal that modulates ∆9 desaturase activity in T. cruzi epimastigotes.
Characteristics and Composition of Watermelon Seed Oil and Solvent Extraction Parameters Effects
Authors: Moaddabdoost Baboli Zahra , Safe Kordi Ali Akbar 
Published: February 2010

AbstractWatermelon seed oil characteristics were evaluated to determine whether this oil could be exploited as an edible oil. Hexane extraction of watermelon seeds produced yields of 50% (w/w) oil. The refractive index, saponification and iodine value were 1.4712 (at 25 °C), 200 mg KOH/g and 156 g I/100 g, respectively. The acid and peroxide values were 2.4 mg KOH/g and 3.24 mequiv/kg, respectively. The induction time of the oil was also 5.14 h at 110 °C, which was measured for the first time. Total unsaturation contents of the oil was 81.6%, with linoleic acid (18:2) being the dominant fatty acid (68.3%). Considering that the watermelon seed oil was highly unsaturated, the relatively high induction time might indicate the presence of natural antioxidants. In addition, the influence of extraction parameters on extraction of oil from watermelon seed with hexane as a solvent was studied at several temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C), times (1, 2, and 3 h) and solvent/kernel ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1). The oil yield was primarily affected by the solvent/kernel ratio and then time and temperature, respectively. The protein content of the oil‐free residue was 47%.
The Use and Misuse of the PSA Test: A Retrospective Case Note Review of Testing in a UK Teaching Hospital
Authors: Osman N.I. , Chow K. , Ng W. , Burrows G. , Adeyoju A. 
Published: February 2010

Introduction: PSA testing is commonly performed by non-urological specialties in the hospital setting. The indications for requesting a PSA test can vary widely in this group and may not always be appropriate. This may generate unnecessary patient anxiety and additional testing. This study was designed to assess the appropriateness of PSA requests by non-urologists in the hospital setting. Methods: A computer search for patient details of all PSA requests within a 3 month period by non-urologists was generated by the pathology department. 130 consecutive case notes were then reviewed of which 95 met the inclusion criteria. The reason for each request was then determined to be appropriate or inappropriate according to standard urological practice. Results: 95 patients were included. Of these, 61 (64%) requests were made by medical specialties, 17 (18%) were requested by orthopaedics, 12 (13%) by general surgery and the remaining 5 (5%) by other specialties. There were 26 (27%) requests deemed appropriate and 69 (73%) inappropriate. Of the inappropriate requests in 52 cases no reason was given, 14 were made immediately after acute urinary retention and 9 were during a suspected urinary infection. A rectal examination was performed in conjunction with the test in 24 cases. Conclusion: In this setting the majority of PSA requests made by non-urologists was inappropriate. This may be due to a lack of knowledge of the indication for PSA testing and the factors which may cause a false positive result. There was a low level of rectal examination. More education is needed to improve this situation.
UNDERSTANDING AND STRENGTHENING INFORMAL SEED MARKETS
Authors: SPERLING LOUISE , MCGUIRE SHAWN 
Published: February 2010

SUMMARYInformal markets receive little attention from governments and researchers, despite their centrality to farmers' seed security. This paper documents the importance of informal markets for supplying seed and restocking critical plant genetic resources in normal and stress periods. It analyses farmers' rationales for using such markets and their strategic actions in selecting out seed from grain. Conceptual aids for differentiating among market goods – grain, ‘implicit seed’ and seed – are presented, including tracing of agro-ecological seed sources, traders’ seed management behaviour and seed/grain price patterns. Ethiopian case material gives rare insight into how different scales of traders manage the seed/grain divide. Better understanding of informal markets is an important precursor to strengthening them as such markets have unrealized potential to deliver more and higher quality seed, and a greater range of modern and local varieties. Support for informal seed markets could usefully feature in rural livelihood and social protection programmes, but this will require basic shifts in interventions and further refinements in market analysis.
Land, song, constitution: exploring expressions of ancestral agency, intercultural diplomacy and family legacy in the music of Yothu Yindi with Mandawuy Yunupiŋu
Authors: Corn Aaron 
Published: February 2010

AbstractYothu Yindi stands as one of Australia's most celebrated popular bands, and in the early 1990s became renowned worldwide for its innovative blend of rock and indigenous performance traditions. The band's lead singer and composer, Mandawuy Yunupiŋu, was one of the first university-trained Yolŋu educators from remote Arnhem Land, and an influential exponent of bicultural education within local indigenous schools. This article draws on my comprehensive interview with Yunupiŋu for an opening keynote address to the Music and Social Justice Conference in Sydney on 28 September 2005. It offers new insights into the traditional values and local history of intercultural relations on the Gove Peninsula that shaped his outlook as a Yolŋu educator, and simultaneously informed his work through Yothu Yindi as an ambassador for indigenous cultural survival in Australia. It also demonstrates how Mandawuy's personal history and his call for a constitutional treaty with indigenous Australians are further grounded in the inter-generational struggle for justice over the mining of their hereditary lands. The article's ultimate goal is to identify traditional Yolŋu meanings in Yothu Yindi's repertoire, and in doing so, generate new understanding of Yunupiŋu's agency as a prominent intermediary of contemporary Yolŋu culture and intercultural politics.
Prospective memory function in mild cognitive impairment and early dementia
Authors: THOMPSON CLAIRE , HENRY JULIE D. , RENDELL PETER G. , WITHALL ADRIENNE , BRODATY HENRY 
Published: February 2010

AbstractWhen compared with controls, both mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia are each associated with impaired memory for future intentions, or prospective memory (PM). However, prior studies have failed to agree on whether there are group differences in PM function between those with MCI and dementia. Furthermore, the degree and nature of the impairment remains to be clarified, as does the degree to which this impairment is secondary to deficits in other aspects of cognition. In the present study, MCI (n= 48), dementia (n= 39), and control participants (n= 53) were compared onVirtual Week, a measure that closely represents the types of PM tasks that occur in everyday life. Both clinical groups exhibited impairment irrespective of the specific task demands, but the magnitude of this deficit was greater for those with dementia. After covarying for other key cognitive parameters, although the absolute magnitude of the deficit was reduced, significant impairment remained. These results indicate that individuals with MCI, and to a greater extent dementia, experience generalized difficulties with PM. It is suggested that, while other cognitive deficits contribute to these difficulties, there is something unique to prospective remembering that may be additionally disrupted in these groups. (JINS, 2010,16, 318–325.)
Cerebral blood flow velocity and language functioning in pediatric sickle cell disease
Authors: SANCHEZ CARMEN E. , SCHATZ JEFFREY , ROBERTS CARLA W. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractWe investigated the association of increased cerebral blood flow velocity with specific language abilities in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Thirty-nine children ages 5 to 8 years old with high-risk genotypes of SCD underwent cognitive testing, which included tests of language skills, visual motor skills, and attention/working memory as part of a routine hematology health-maintenance visit. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocities were obtained from review of medical records, with the velocities that were in closest temporal proximity to the cognitive assessment used in the analysis. TCD velocities predicted scores on tests of syntactical skills, even when controlling for anemia severity. Semantic and phonological ability and other cognitive skills were not strongly related to TCD velocities. Elevated blood flow velocities in children with high-risk SCD may contribute to a specific language impairment or to a broader dysfunction of short-term and/or working memory. This study underscores the need for clinicians to monitor language skills of children with SCD who have elevated TCD velocities, as these cognitive abilities might be particularly sensitive to cerebrovascular disruption related to their disease. (JINS, 2010, 16, 326–334.)
Regulatory Match Effects on a Modified Wisconsin Card Sort Task
Authors: MADDOX W. TODD , FILOTEO J. VINCENT , GLASS BRIAN D. , MARKMAN ARTHUR B. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThe Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST; Heaton, 1980) is commonly used to assess concept formation and set shifting. Cognitive research suggests that set shifting performance is enhanced by a match between a person’s regulatory focus (promotion focus: attempting to earn an entry into a cash drawing; prevention focus: attempting to avoid losing an entry into the drawing) and the task reward structure (gains: attempting to maximize points gained; losses: attempting to minimize points lost). A regulatory match results when attempting to earn an entry by maximizing points or attempting to avoid losing an entry by minimizing losses. We test the hypothesis that performance on a modified WCST is accentuated in younger, healthy participants when there is a match between the global performance incentive and the local task reward structure. As predicted, participants in a match showed better set shifting but equivalent initial concept formation when compared with participants in a mismatch. Furthermore, relative to a baseline control group, mismatch participants were significantly worse at set shifting than were participants in a regulatory match. These results suggest that set shifting performance might be impacted by incentive and task reward factors in ways that have not been considered previously. (JINS, 2010, 16, 352–359.)
McNutt Outlines Priorities for the U.S. Geological Survey
Authors: Showstack Randy 
Published: February 2010

For Marcia McNutt, the new director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and science advisor to the secretary of the interior, the clock is ticking. “Everyone feels that we have perhaps 3 years in which a very ambitious agenda needs to be accomplished,” McNutt told Eos in a recent exclusive interview. “We want to make sure by the end of [U.S. President Obama's] first term we have got significant accomplishments on issues such as climate change, environment, and energy, and other things that are important to the president.”“Everything is on a fast track to move quickly,” she said. “Everything had to be done yesterday, if not last week.” While the political process often requires immediate scientific information, the scientific process can take a bit longer, McNutt said, noting that it is fortunate research at the USGS has persisted in many areas.
Age and growth estimates for the starry smoothhound (Mustelus asterias) in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Farrell Edward D. , Mariani Stefano , Clarke Maurice W. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractFarrell, E. D., Mariani, S., and Clarke, M. W. 2010. Age and growth estimates for the starry smoothhound (Mustelus asterias) in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 931–939. Age, growth, and longevity were estimated for the starry smoothhound (Mustelus asterias), based on the interpretation of sectioned vertebrae of 106 males (35–104 cm stretch total length, STL) and 114 females (44–112 cm STL). Growth curves were fitted to length-at-age data using von Bertalanffy and Gompertz models. The three-parameter von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) provided the best statistical fit to the male data (L∞ = 103.7 cm STL, L0 = 38.1 cm STL, k = 0.195 year−1). The Gompertz growth function provided the best statistical fit to the female data, although the estimated parameters were biologically unreasonable. Therefore, the three-parameter VBGF was also accepted for females (L∞ = 123.5 cm STL, L0 = 34.9 cm STL, k = 0.146 year−1). Longevity was estimated to be 13 and 18.3 years for males and females, respectively. The length–weight relationship is also presented for 304 male and 424 female M. asterias. The von Bertalanffy model was fitted to the weight-at-age data. These estimates can form the basis of future work on the assessment and management of this species.
Between-year variability in the mixing of North Sea herring spawning components leads to pronounced variation in the composition of the catch
Authors: Bierman Stijn M. , Dickey-Collas Mark , van Damme Cindy J. G. , van Overzee Harriët M. J. , Pennock-Vos M. G. , Tribuhl Silja V. , Clausen Lotte A. W. 
Published: February 2010

Abstract
Bierman, S. M., Dickey-Collas, M., van Damme, C. J. G., van Overzee, H. M. J., Pennock-Vos, M. G., Tribuhl, S. V., and Clausen, L. A. W. 2010. Between-year variability in the mixing of North Sea herring spawning components leads to pronounced variation in the composition of the catch. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 885–896. North Sea herring (Clupea harengus) are managed as a single stock, but maintaining a diversity of spawning components is considered important. However, the total catch from each of these components cannot be estimated easily because the components mix during the summer feeding season. The spawning origin of herring is determined from patterns in the microstructure of the otolith core, from samples taken in the central and northern North Sea during summer of 2004–2007. The annual catch composition of Dutch vessels is determined within a statistical framework that takes account of the spatial patterns in mixing of spawning components and the classification success of the method. Mixing of components varied between years, with steep latitudinal gradients in compositions in some years, resulting in pronounced between-year differences in estimated catch compositions. Differences in lengths-at-age between spawning components, in particular of the 2000 year class, may have caused the observed between-year changes in mixing of components. Our results indicate that estimates of compositions change when assumptions of perfect spatial mixing and perfect classification are relaxed, and can be uncertain in particular as a result of misclassifications, and that it may not be appropriate to assume that ratios between components are constant through time.