bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media in Cleft Palate: Microorganism Etiology and Susceptibilities
Authors: Weckwerth Paulo Henrique , de Magalhães Lopes Carlos Alberto , Duarte Marco Antonio Húngaro , Weckwerth Ana Carolina Villas Bôas , Martins Carlos Henrique Ferreira , Neto Domingos Lamônica , de Aguiar Helder Fernandes 
Published: September 2009

Objective: To investigate the microbial etiology of suppurative chronic otitis media (SCOM) in patients with complete cleft lip and palate and isolated cleft palate and to determine the sensitivity of isolated microorganisms to antibiotics by drug diffusion from impregnated discs in agar and the minimum inhibitory concentration of each drug to these microorganisms by drug dilution in agar. Design/Patients: Effusion samples of SCOM obtained from 40 patients with cleft lip and palate registered at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo, at Bauru, Brazil, were bacteriologically analyzed by cultures. The isolated bacteria were submitted to an in vitro susceptibility test to clinically used drugs. Results: Positive cultures were obtained in 100% of studied cases. Among the 57 strains observed, the most frequent were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (35%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.5%), Enterococcus faecalis (14%), and Proteus mirabilis (12%). The frequency of Gram-negative bacilli (enterobacteriaceae and nonfermentative bacilli) was 67%. Pseudomonas aeruginosa presented the highest sensitivity to ciprofloxacin, and enterobacteriaceae exhibited the highest sensitivity to gentamicin. The strains of S. aureus and E. faecalis presented the highest sensitivity to imipenem and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with cleft lip and palate presenting with SCOM exhibited 100% positive cultures, with the highest frequency of Pseudomonas and enterobacteriaceae. With regard to the action of antibiotics, imipenem was effective against the four species of isolated microorganisms, followed by ciprofloxacin, which was effective against 75% of isolated species.
When My Child Was Born: Cross-Cultural Reactions to the Birth of a Child with Cleft Lip and/or Palate
Authors: Black Jonathan D. , Girotto John A. , Chapman Karina E. , Oppenheimer Adam J. 
Published: September 2009

Objective: To compare across cultures the maternal reactions toward the birth of children with cleft lip and/or palate. Design: An adaptation of When My Child Was Born, a Likert-type scale designed to assess reactions to the birth of a child, was used to survey the target populations. Setting: The surveys were administered between February 2006 and February 2008 at four hospitals: the Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand; Sappasitprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; the No. 5 Affiliated Hospital to Xinjiang Medical College, Urumqi, China; and Santa Monica Hospital, Pereira, Colombia. Participants: Thai (n  =  22), Chinese (n  =  25), Uygur (n  =  15), and Colombian (n  =  36) biological mothers completed the survey. A historical cohort of American mothers (n  =  99) was used for comparison. Main Outcome Measure(s): The primary study outcome measure was the mean maternal affect score, which was calculated from the individual responses of study participants. Results: The mean maternal affect scores for the Thai, Chinese, Uygur, and Colombian mothers were 3.68 ± 0.38, 2.97 ± 0.52, 3.40 ± 0.47, and 3.51 ± 0.61, respectively. The American cohort score was 3.44 ± 0.67. Analysis of variance testing indicated that these groups were not equal (p < .0001). There were statistically significant differences between groups (p < .05). Conclusions: Maternal reactions to the birth of cleft children are different across cultures. These differences must be considered when administering care on international surgical missions.
The Need for Orthognathic Surgery in Patients with Repaired Complete Unilateral and Complete Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Daskalogiannakis John , Mehta Manisha 
Published: September 2009

Objective: To determine the percentage of patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and complete bilateral cleft lip and palate treated at SickKids since birth who would benefit from orthognathic surgery. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Subjects: The review comprised records of 258 patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and 149 patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate born from 1960 to 1989. Of these, 211 and 129 patients, respectively, had been treated at SickKids since birth. Patients with syndromes or associated anomalies were excluded. Methods: Patients who had undergone orthognathic surgery were recorded. For the remaining patients, arbitrarily set cephalometric criteria were used in order to identify the “objective” need for surgery. Lateral cephalometric radiographs taken beyond the age of 15 years were digitized using Dentofacial Planner cephalometric software. Results: Of the 211 patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, 102 (48.3%) were deemed to benefit from orthognathic surgery. For the complete bilateral cleft lip and palate sample, the percentage was 65.1% (84 of 129). Definitive information on presurgical orthopedics was available for a small subsample (101 patients) of the complete unilateral cleft lip and palate cohort. The need for orthognathic surgery for this group was slightly higher (59.4%, or 60 of 101). Conclusion: These results suggest that a considerable percentage of patients with a history of complete cleft lip and palate at our institution require orthognathic surgery. Factors that need to be considered in the interpretation of these results include the quest for improvement in the profile aesthetics; the fact that the Canadian health care system covers the costs of surgery, making it more accessible to the patients; and the inclusion in the above figures of patients who had orthognathic surgery solely for reasons of closure of previously ungrafted alveolar clefts and associated fistulae.
Coding Region of IRF6 Gene May Not Be Causal for Van Der Woude Syndrome in Cases from India
Authors: Ali Akhtar , Singh Subodh Kumar , Raman Rajiva 
Published: September 2009

Objective: Evaluation of the IRF6 gene in Van der Woude syndrome cases from an Indian population. Subjects: Nine affected and four unaffected individuals from seven families with Van der Woude syndrome as well as five normal controls (with no history of Van der Woude or any other congenital malformation and belonging to the same geographical area as the families with Van der Woude syndrome). Method: Direct sequencing of all coding regions and exon-intron boundaries of the IRF6 gene. Results: Five novel variants: IVS1+3900 A>G, 191 T>C, IVS4+775 C>T, IVS8+218 C>T, 1511 T>A (Ser 416 Arg) and two known variants: IVS6+27 C>G, 1083 G>A (V274I) were detected. Except for one, all were in noncoding regions either in 3′UTR or in introns. There was only one mutation in the coding region, detected in a normal control. Conclusion: The present report indicates that point mutations in the coding region of the IRF6 gene may not be a major cause of Van der Woude syndrome in Indian populations.
Palaeobiogeography of the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene larger Miliolids from tropical to subtropical sea belts (Neotethys to Caribbean)
Authors: Drobne Katica , Ćosović Vlasta 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
Paleobiogeographic distribution within the larger, trematophore miliolids was evaluated using presence/absence (Parsimony Analysis) patterns and distributional extension of 7 genera and 47 species from the Coniacian to the Oligocene. The oldest group of larger miliolids (from late Cretaceous), represented by four parallel genera (Periloculina, Lacazina, Pseudolacazina, Idalina) from the southern Pyrenean province exhibits an endemic character. Later periods of the Senonian with uniform distribution of miliolids over the shallow-marine carbonate environments in the western and central Neotethys are characterized by reduction in generic diversity and in abundance of individuals. The morphological analysis indicated four major biogeographic regions for the Eocene larger Miliolids: 1) the Caribbean, 2) the “European” Neotethys (western, central and eastern), 3) the North African Neotethys (southern) and 4) the Indo-Pacific. The morphological biogeographic pattern corresponds to the circum-global Eocene current ocean system and the prevailing temperature sea surface gradient along tropical-subtropical paleolatitudes. A tendency to endemism can be observed for Fabulariids in the Caribbean during the Middle and Upper Eocene, and for Lacazinella during the Middle and late Eocene to Oligocene in the New Guinea and Molucca regions.
Late Cretaceous continental vertebrate fossil record from India: Palaeobiogeographical insights
Authors: Prasad Guntupalli V. R. , Sahni Ashok 
Published: September 2009

AbstractGeophysical data suggested a minimum of 35 Ma physical isolation for the Indian plate from the time of its separation from Madagascar around 88 Ma ago to its final collision with Asia in the Early-Middle Eocene (55-50 Ma ago). Such an extended period of segregation of any landmass is expected to result in genetic isolation of pre-existing populations leading to the development of endemic biota. Therefore, continental Late Cretaceous biota of India hold the key to our understanding of effects of long isolation and northward drift of the Indian plate over different latitudinal belts. Focused palaeontological research in the last one and half decades on the Deccan volcano-sedimentary sequences (infra– and intertrappean beds) has resulted in the recovery of diverse assemblages of vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant fossils. The Deccan volcano-sedimentary sequences were dated Late Cretaceous-Early Palaeocene in age based on vertebrate, ostracod, planktonic foraminiferal, palynofloral and geochronological data. Critical evaluation of the biota from these strata brings out a complex biogeographical picture. The Late Cretaceous biota of India include some taxa of Gondwanan affinities (leptodactylid, hylid and ranoid frogs, madtsoiid and nigerophiid snakes, pelomedusoid turtles, mesosuchian crocodiles, abelisaurid dinosaurs, and gondwanathere mammals), Gondwanan relicts (haramiyidan mammals), certain taxa of Laurasian affinities (pelobatid and Gobiatinae frogs, anguimorph lizards, eutherian mammals, charophytes), and ostracods of predominantly endemic nature. Since India was once part of the former Gondwanaland, the presence of Gondwanan taxa in the Late Cretaceous of India is not anomalous from a biogeographic point of view. These taxa might have been derived from Gondwanan stocks that boarded the Indian plate prior to its break-up from Africa or might represent immigrants from South America that reached the Indo-Madagascar block via Antarctica and the Kerguelen Plateau/Gunnerus ridge not later than 80 Ma. However, the presence of Laurasian non-marine taxa in the northward drifting Indian plate defies palaeogeographical data showing a wide body of marine water (Tethys) separating India from Asia. In the light of latest palaeontological, stratigraphic, geochemical and geophysical data from the northern margin of India, one cannot rule out dispersals from the northern landmasses across the Kohistan and Dras island-arcs and Trans-Himalayan magmatic arc. Other biogeographical models, such as “Out-of-India Dispersals” for many vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant groups, also deserve a close examination. At present, limited quantitative fossil data is available to test these biogeographical models.
Conserved Cytogenetic Features in the Amazonian Arapaima, Arapaima gigas (Schinz 1822) from Jamari River, Rondônia–Brazil
Authors: da Rosa Renata , Rubert Marceléia , Caetano-Filho Mauro , Giuliano-Caetano Lucia 
Published: September 2009

Specimens of Arapaima gigas from Jamari River (RO) were cytogenetically analyzed. A diploid number of
2n=56 chromosomes was found (28m-sm + 28st-a). Secondary constrictions were observed on the short arms of
chromosome 3. Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NORs) were detected at the subterminal region on short arms of the third
chromosomal pair by both silver nitrate staining and FISH with 45S rDNA probe, being equivalent to secondary
constrictions. The ribosomal sites were also characterized by size heteromorphism and presence of CMA3+/DAPI- blocks.
The constitutive heterochromatin was located at pericentromeric region of some chromosomes. After sequential Cbanding
and base-specific fluorochromes staining, most of the heterochromatins proved to be neutral, i.e., with similar
amounts of AT and GC bases. Nonetheless, some heterochromatic regions were marked by GC-specific fluorochromes in
one chromosomal pair and by AT-specific fluorochrome staining on two pairs. The present data are in agreement with
previous reports in populations from Araguaya River, indicating that conserved cytogenetic features are present in this
important fish species.
Effect of Blockade of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α with Etanercept on Surgical Wound Healing in SWISS-OF1 Mice
Authors: IGLESIAS ESTIBALIZ , O’VALLE FRANCISCO , SALVATIERRA JUAN , ANEIROS-FERNÁNDEZ JOSE , CANTERO-HINOJOSA JESUS , HERNÁNDEZ-CORTÉS PEDRO 
Published: September 2009

Objective.To assess whether blockade of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) influences surgical wound healing in a normal mouse experimental model.Methods.Wound healing time course and degree of surgical wound collagenization were measured by morphological techniques and digital image analysis in 80 male SWISS-OF1 mice (40 received subcutaneous etanercept at a dose of 0.1 mg/25g/ at −7, 0, 7, and 14 days).Results.No significant differences were observed between treated and untreated animals in wound healing, re-epithelialization, or formation of inflammatory infiltrate or granulation tissue at days 7, 15, or 20 after surgery. At 20 days, the collagen area was larger in treated versus untreated mice (109029 ± 28489 μm2 vs 79305 ± 19798 μm2, p = 0.026, Mann-Whitney U test).Conclusion.Surgical wounds showed a higher degree of collagenization at 20 days in etanercept-treated versus untreated mice, with no differences in the time course of wound healing. These data suggest that biological therapies to block TNF-α do not affect wound healing and do not need to be suspended during the perioperative period.
Is Complementary and Alternative Healthcare Use Associated with Better Outcomes in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis?
Authors: TOUPIN-APRIL KARINE , EHRMANN FELDMAN DEBBIE , ZUNZUNEGUI MARIA VICTORIA , DESCARREAUX MARTIN , MALLESON PETER , DUFFY CIARÁN M. 
Published: September 2009

Objective.The objectives of this study were (1) to examine the association between the use of complementary and alternative healthcare (CAHC) and subsequent health outcomes; and (2) to explore the association between CAHC use and adherence to conventional treatments in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).Methods.A cohort of children with JIA (n = 182, mean age 10 yrs) who attended outpatient clinics were followed for one year. We evaluated the use of CAHC, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), global health, physical functioning, pain, and disease severity at 3-month intervals. We also evaluated perceived adherence to treatments. General estimating equations were performed to determine the association between use of CAHC and subsequent outcomes while controlling for possible confounders.Results.CAHC was used by 36.4% of participants over the 12-month period. Use of CAHC was associated with subsequent lower global health and physical functioning despite higher adherence to prescribed medications as assessed by the rheumatologist (p < 0.05). Use of CAHC was not associated with subsequent improved HRQOL or decreased pain or disease severity.Conclusion.Children with JIA who use CAHC do not have improved outcomes, at least over the relatively short term. Nevertheless, they seem to be more adherent to conventional treatment according to the rheumatologist.
Positive Conversion of Tuberculin Skin Test and Performance of Interferon Release Assay to Detect Hidden Tuberculosis Infection During Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Agent Trial
Authors: PARK JEONG HA , SEO GA YOUNG , LEE JIN SOOK , KIM TAE-HWAN , YOO DAE-HYUN 
Published: September 2009

Objectives.To evaluate tuberculin skin tests (TST) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) assay in the detection of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection during tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist treatment in Korean patients with initial negative TST result.Methods.Eighty-six patients with rheumatic diseases who had received anti-TNF agents for over one year were investigated. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. All patients received followup TST, and IFN-γ assay was performed in 64.Results.The study population consisted of 40 rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 34 ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 9 juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), and 3 other patients. The TST converted to positive in 28 (32.6%) patients. There was no significant variation between TST conversion rate and all risk factors. Although there was no statistical significance, the odds of the TST conversion rate tended to increase with the duration of TNF antagonist administration. Nine (14.1%) of 64 patients who performed an IFN-γ assay had positive results. Among 28 TST positive conversion cases, 4 patients with AS and 1 with psoriatic arthritis had positive IFN-γ assay results, and one of them developed miliary TB. However, none of the 4 RA patients with positive IFN-γ assay showed TST conversion. There was 68.6% agreement (kappa = 0.29, p = 0.02) between TST and IFN-γ assay results.Conclusion.Serial TST with IFN-γ assay may be useful to identify false-negative response to cases of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and new TB infections in patients with immune mediated inflammatory diseases during longterm anti-TNF therapy, especially in areas with intermediate TB burden.
Obesity: A preliminary report of an introductory service- learning course on the role of pharmacy students in health promotion
Authors: Srinivas Sunitha C. , Wrench Wendy , Karekezi Catherine W. , Radloff Sarah , Daya Santy 
Published: September 2009

Lifestyle diseases such as obesity have been neglected in developing countries partly due to a more urgent focus on infectious diseases in these countries. The incidence of obesity is on the increase in developing countries, with a marked rise in childhood obesity. The present health-promotion activity employed service-learning principles by which final year pharmacy students prepared a piloted computer-based quiz using a pre- and post- test design along with other learning material, for participants who attended the 2007 Sasol National Festival of Science and Technology (SciFest). Interactive models, posters and information leaflets were used in explaining the prevention and control of obesity to learners. The results showed that the pre-existing knowledge of the participants was good. There was a further improvement after the educational intervention. Activities such as this are important in heightening awareness of obesity in learners as it is likely to reduce the incidence of obesity later in life. Furthermore, the activity also served to increase awareness of the role of pharmacists in the prevention of lifestyle diseases such as obesity.OpsommingLeefwysesiektes soos obesiteit word verwaarloos in ontwikkelende lande weens die fokus op aansteeklike siektes. Voorvalle van obesiteit het verdriedubbel in ontwikkelende lande, met 'n skerp styging in kinderobesiteit. Die huidige gesondheidsprogram bied 'n indiensopleidingskursus aan, waar finalejaar-aptekerstudente 'n loodsprogram aanbied met behulp van 'n rekenaarvasvraprogram waar 'n voor- en na-toets saam met ander leermateriaal gebruik word vir bywoners van die 2007 Sasol Nasionale Wetenskap- fees. Interaktiewe modelle, plakkate en inligtingspam- flette is as hulpmiddels gebruik om die voorkoming en beheer van obesiteit aan leerders te illustreer. Die resultate het gewys dat die kennis van die deelnemers goed was. Dit het ná opvoedkundige raadgewing verder verbeter. Projekte soos hierdie is belangrik om leerders van obesiteit bewus te maak, aangesien dit baie moontlik die voorkoms van obesiteit later in deelnemers se lewens kan verminder. Die projek poog verder om bewustheid oor die rol wat aptekers in die voorkoming van leefwysesiektes soos obesiteit kan speel, te verhoog.
A slope method for the determination of electron energy for quality assurance
Authors: Hill Larry W. , Jack David 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundParticle accelerators, manufactured for delivering patient radiation treatment, require numerous and frequent quality assurance measures. One of those is the periodic check for electron energy stability. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine has established requirements for this procedure. The current recommendation is to perform a ratio of two ionization points, one at Dmax and another at a point approximately to the 50% depth, compared to a baseline as a relative check.PurposeThis ratio method is a sensitive measurement and sometimes produces results that are difficult to interpret or relate to acceptable tolerances. We sought to find a simple method that gives more stable results, which can be interpreted and related to energy changes.MethodWe propose a method that takes two measurements on the descending portion of the shifted percent depth ionization (PDI) curves to calculate the slope, tangent to the I50 point, the point at which the ionization falls to 50% of its maximum value. We then used the slope measurement, compared to an established baseline, to relate energy.ResultsAfter collecting data over a 3‐year period, we saw that standard deviations for the slope method have much less variability than the traditional ratio method. We were also able to correlate the slope results to ionization scans performed in water and found they were in better agreement than the traditional ratio method.ConclusionThe slope method does not require precise positioning since the slope remains relatively constant over the descending portion of the curve. Our data show that this results in an easier interpretative test of electron energy stability and delivers reliable feedback for quality assurance.
Gene‐Environment Interactions and Gene–Gene Interactions on Two Biological Age Measures: Evidence from Taiwan Biobank Participants
Authors: Lin Wan‐Yu 
Published: April 2024

AbstractPhenoAge and BioAge are two commonly used biological age (BA) measures. The author here searched for gene‐environment interactions (GxE) and gene‐gene interactions (GxG) on PhenoAgeAccel (age‐adjusted PhenoAge) and BioAgeAccel (age‐adjusted BioAge) of 111,996 Taiwan Biobank (TWB) participants, including a discovery set of 86,536 TWB2 individuals and a replication set of 25,460 TWB1 individuals. Searching for variance quantitative trait loci (vQTLs) provides a convenient way to evaluate GxE and GxG. A total of 4 nearly independent (linkage disequilibrium measure r2 < 0.01) PhenoAgeAccel‐vQTLs are identified from 5,303,039 autosomal TWB2 SNPs (p < 5E‐8), whereas no vQTLs are found from BioAgeAccel. These 4 PhenoAgeAccel‐vQTLs (rs35276921, rs141927875, rs10903013, and rs76038336) are further replicated by TWB1 (p < 5E‐8). They are located in the OR51B5, FAM234A, and AXIN1 genes. All 4 PhenoAgeAccel‐vQTLs are significantly associated with PhenoAgeAccel (p < 5E‐8). A phylogenetic heat map of the GxE analyses showed that smoking exacerbated the PhenoAgeAccel‐vQTLs’ aging effects, while higher educational attainment attenuated the PhenoAgeAccel‐vQTLs’ aging effects. Body mass index, chronological age, alcohol consumption, and sex do not prominently modulate PhenoAgeAccel‐vQTLs’ aging effects. Based on these vQTL results, rs141927875‐rs35276921 interaction (p = 4.7E‐61) and rs76038336‐rs10903013 interaction (p = 3.3E‐116) on PhenoAgeAccel are detected.