bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Horizontal Transfer of Antimicrobial Resistance by Extended-Spectrum β Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Vaidya Varsha K 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT
Background: The purpose of this work was to study the acquisition of new antibiotic-resistant genes carried by extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae via horizontal transfer to understand their rampant spread in the hospitals and in the community.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 120 ESBL screen-positive isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, was carried out. The Double Disc Synergy Test (DDST) and Inhibitor-Potentiation Disc Diffusion Test (IPDD) were employed for confirmation of ESBL activity. The transferability of the associated antibiotic resistance for amoxicillin, amikacin, gentamicin, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone was elucidated by intra- and intergenus conjugation in Escherichia coli under laboratory as well as under simulated environmental conditions. Transformation experiments using plasmids isolated by alkaline lysis method were performed to study the transferability of resistance genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates.
Results : ESBL production was indicated in 20% each of the Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. All the ESBL isolates showed co- resistance to various other groups of antibiotics, including 3GC antibiotics, though all the isolates were sensitive to both the carbapenems tested. Conjugation-mediated transfer of resistance under laboratory as well as environmental conditions at a frequency of 3-4 x 10-5 , and transformation-mediated dissemination of cefotaxime and gentamicin resistance shed light on the propensity of ESBL producers for horizontal transfer.
Conclusions: The transfer of resistant markers indicated availability of a large pool of resistance genes in the hospital setting as well as in the environment, facilitating long-term persistence of organisms.
Actinomycetes Mycetoma
Authors: Hogade Sumati , C. Metgud S ,   Swoorooparani
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTMycetoma is a chronic infection, frequently seen in tropical and sub-tropical countries and is considered as an occupational disease. Nocardia species though it can infect immunocompetent individuals, it most commonly affects immunocompromised patients. A 50-year-old male, farmer presented to our hospital with serosanguineous discharging swelling over the dorsum of right foot. We have isolated Nocardia asteroides from the tissue sample. Speciation of this isolate was carried out based on phenotypic methods. Hereby we report a case of Actinomycetes Mycetoma in an immunocompetent individual.
A Rare Case of Fungal Maxillary Sinusitis due to Paecilomyces lilacinus in an Immunocompetent Host, Presenting as a Subcutaneous Swelling
Authors: Permi Harish S , Y. Sunil kumar , Karnaker Vimal K , L. Kishan Prasad H , Teerthanath S , Bhandary Satheesh Kumar 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTPaecilomyces is a colonizing fungal species which usually causes keratitis, endocarditis, sinusitis, nephritis, fungemia, cutaneous, and subcutaneous infections in immunocompromised host. Very rarely, it causes similar infection in immunocompetent host without any risk factors. We report a case of maxillary sinusitis due to Paecilomyces lilacinus in a 65-year-old immunocompetent male, who presented with a subcutaneous swelling below the left eye. The lesion was excised by surgery and treated with itraconazole for 6 months based on culture and sensitivity. After 1 year of follow up, he is free of symptoms with no evidence of recurrence.
Uncommon Manifestations of Endocervical Malignant Mixed Mullerian Tumor with Incidental Bilateral Fallopian Tube Carcinoma
Authors: L. Kishan Prasad H , Makannavar J H , Shetty Jayaprakash , Patil Channappa , Permi Harish S ,   Vinutha
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTA 43-year-old perimenopausal lady presented with bleeding per vagina and lower abdominal pain. On evaluation, she had cervical polyp, which expelled spontaneously during the per speculum examination. Histopathology revealed malignant mixed Mullerian tumor. Extended hysterectomy with salphingo oophorectomy was carried out, which showed bilateral fallopian tube carcinoma and leiomyoma uterus. The patient was treated with carboplatin regime and found to be disease-free for 1 year. This case presented because of a rare combination of the lesions.
Spinal shortening and monosegmental posterior spondylodesis in the management of dorsal and lumbar unstable injuries
Authors: Aly Tarek A 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT
Introduction: Patients with spinal injuries have been treated in the past by laminectomy in an attempt to decompress the spinal cord. The results have shown insignificant improvement or even a worsening of neurologic function and decreased stability without effectively removing the anterior bone and disc fragments compressing the spinal cord. The primary indication for anterior decompression and grafting is narrowing of the spinal canal with neurologic deficits that cannot be resolved by any other approach. One must think of subsequent surgical intervention for increased stability and compressive posterior fusion with short-armed internal fi xators. Aim: To analyze the results and efficacy of spinal shortening combined with interbody fusion technique for the management of dorsal and lumbar unstable injuries. Materials and Methods: Twenty-three patients with traumatic fractures and or fracture-dislocation of dorsolumbar spine with neurologic deficit are presented. All had radiologic evidence of spinal cord or cauda equina compression, with either paraplegia or paraparesis. Patients underwent recapping laminoplasty in the thoracic or lumbar spine for decompression of spinal cord. The T-saw was used for division of the posterior elements. After decompression of the cord and removal of the extruded bone fragments and disc material, the excised laminae were replaced exactly in situ to their original anatomic position. Then application of a compression force via monosegmental transpedicular fixation was done, allowing vertebral end-plate compression and interbody fusion. Results: Lateral Cobb angle (T10–L2) was reduced from 26 to 4 degrees after surgery. The shortened vertebral body united and no or minimal loss of correction was seen. The preoperative vertebral kyphosis averaged +17 degrees and was corrected to +7 degrees at follow-up with the sagittal index improving from 0.59 to 0.86. The segmental local kyphosis was reduced from +15 degrees to −3 degrees. Radiography demonstrated anatomically correct reconstruction in all patients, as well as solid fusion. Conclusion: This technique permits circumferential decompression of the spinal cord through a posterior approach and posterior interbody fusion.
Placebo - More hatred than love
Authors: Hong-Liang Zhang 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTA placebo is a sham medical intervention that can produce a placebo eff ect. Laboratory evidence supports the existence of several mechanisms of placebo eff ects in both healthy population and patients with a variety of medical conditions. The ethics of placebos have long been debated. However, accumulating ethical concern has arisen from the worldwide use of placebo in randomized control trials (RCTs), which may render their participants without early and optimal treatment. Although the pilgrimage of placebo is still on the way, refi nement of controls in RCTs is worth paying new attention to.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Authors: Guo Xiang-Dong 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTBenign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common clinical disorder characterized by brief recurrent spells of vertigo often brought about by certain head position changes as may occur with looking up, turning over in bed, or straightening up after bending over. It is important to understand BPPV not only because it may avert expensive and often unnecessary testing, but also because treatment is rapid, easy, and eff ective in >90% of cases. The diagnosis of BPPV can be made based on the history and examination. Patients usually report episodes of spinning evoked by certain movements, such as lying back or getting out of bed, turning in bed, looking up, or straightening after bending over. At present, the generally accepted recurrence rate of BPPV after successful treatment is 40%–50% at 5 years of average follow-up. There does appear to be a subset of individuals prone to multiple recurrences..
The effect of right or left handedness on caries experience and oral hygiene
Authors: Çakur Binali , Yildiz Mehmet , Dane Şenol , Zorba Yahya Orçun 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTBackground: There is an indisputable relationship between tooth decay and oral hygiene. Caries can only be prevented by keeping tooth decay at bay. In several prophylactic methods, brushing is the most important. Brushing efficiency is directly related to an individuals’ manual dexterity. Objective: To investigate whether there were differences in oral hygiene and caries prevalence between right- and left-handers. Materials and Methods: Forty-six elementary school students were included in the study. The subjects were 30 males and 16 females, ranging in age from 11 to 13 years. Handedness was ascertained by using the Edinburgh Handedness Scale. All students were examined intraorally. During this examination, the necessary values to determine oral hygiene status and to determine caries prevalence were recorded. Results: It was observed that subjects who used their right hands were in a better position in terms of oral hygiene than those using the left (P < 0.01). In terms of caries prevalence, however, averages for right-handed individuals were lower than those for left-handed subjects, although the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: It can be stated that the right-handed individuals have better oral hygiene and the lower incidence of caries because of their better manual dexterity and brush efficiency. So, dentists should consider better manual dexterity and brush efficiency in right-handed individuals before treatment planning. However, future well-designed neurologic studies involving larger numbers of subjects will be necessary to confirm the findings of this study and to understand more about the effects of handedness on oral hygiene performance.
Rehabilitation for cerebral palsy: Analysis of the Australian rehabilitation outcome dataset
Authors: Amatya Bhasker , Khan Fary 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT
Objective: To examine the outcome of inpatient rehabilitation for cerebral palsy (CP), using the Australian Rehabilitation Outcomes Center (AROC) database. Materials and Methods: De-identified data from the AROC database was analyzed for all rehabilitation admissions during 2003 – 2008, using four classes for the functional level. The outcomes included: Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores, FIM efficiency, hospital length of stay (LOS), and discharge destination. Results: Of 141 case episodes 56.7% were female, mean age 48.5 years, 87.2% were discharged to the community and 64.5% (n = 91) were in the lowest functional classes (217, 218, and 219). The majority of CP patients were treated in the public hospital system (66.7% versus 33.3%), and had a slightly longer LOS compared with those treated in private facilities (22.6 versus 17.9 days, mean difference - 4.7 days, 95% CI - 9.2 to - 0.2, P = 0.041). The FIM for all classes (216 – 218) showed significant functional improvement during the admission (P = 0.001). As expected those in the most functionally impaired classes showed most change (FIM change: 16.6 in class 217, 15.3 in class 218). FIM efficiency was the highest in classes 217 compared to the other classes. The year-to-year trend demonstrated a mixed pattern for hospital LOS and was not significant (P = 0.492). Conclusion: The AROC dataset is a valuable research tool for describing rehabilitation outcomes. However, more specific information needs to be collected alongside the core AROC data, to allow a more meaningful evaluation of outcomes for CP rehabilitation..
Headache in a 27-year-old man: Bilateral serous retinal detachment
Authors: Yaghoubi Gholamhossein , Heydari Behrouz , Yaghoobi Mohammad Ali 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTA 27-year-old man with a complaint of headache, tinnitus, and visual obscuration presented to a neurologist. Neurologic evaluations, including MRI and CT scan, were within normal limit. The prescribed medicines were propranolol, sumatriptin, valproate sodium, and dexamethasone. Ophthalmic examination was associated with reduction of visual acuity of eyes, bilateral uveitis, and serous retinal detachment. The most probable diagnosis was Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) disease. Prescribing high-dose oral steroid and acetazolamide-improved systemic and ocular symptoms. Although HLAB5 is positive in Behçet disease, it also may be seen in VKH.
Magnetic resonance “flip-flop” in idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Authors: George Uttam , Bansal Geetika , Pandian Jeyaraj 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTIdiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a headache syndrome with raised CSF pressure in the absence of an intracranial mass lesion. Though earlier confined to excluding intracranial lesions, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in recent years has been shown to identify intracranial changes from prolonged raised CSF pressure, suggestive of IIH. We present the MRI and TOF (time-of-flight) venography findings involving the orbit, sella tursica and cerebral venous structures in a 45-year-old lady with IIH and illustrate their reversibility (“flip-fl op”) following CSF drainage. Our case highlights the role of imaging in evaluation and follow-up of patients with IIH, without the need for repeated lumbar punctures to monitor pressures.
Modeling Energy Demand and Socioeconomic Development Of Taiwan
Authors: Tzeng Gwo-Hshiung 
Published: May 2011

Taiwan lacks a natural energy endowment. Its energy demands have dramatically increased with the growth of the economy and standard of living during the past two decades. Based on the new socioeconomic development policy for the next two decades, the government of Taiwan has devoted special attention and effort to improving various social and environmental problems affecting the country’s overall quality of life. The increasing rate of household energy demand will slow down as the market for electrical appliances reaches a saturation point and as the energy efficiency of appliances is improved. Transportation policies call for energy conservation during the next two decades by raising energy use efficiency. The industrial sector has also implemented energy conservation measures by raising energy efficiency and by diagnosing and improving energy-use. Based on these concepts and by developing a new set of assumptions, several translog models are calibrated for forecasting energy demand and socioeconomic development in the next two decades.
Efficient International Agreements for Reducing Emissions of CO2
Authors: Hoel Michael 
Published: May 2011

International agreements are necessary to achieve significant reductions of emissions of C02 and other greenhouse gases. Traditional agreements of the type “uniform percent reductions” have two disadvantages: in the first place, it would probably be difficult to get a sufficiently large participation in such an agreement, since it gives a distribution of costs of reducing emissions which may differ strongly from the advantages the countries have from avoiding climatic changes. In the second place, agreements of this type are generally not efficient. An international C02 tax and tradeable CO2 quotas are two alternative schemes which have several common features, and which both are (almost) efficient under reasonable conditions. With appropriately chosen tax reimbursements in the case of a C02 tax, or initial distribution of quotas in the case of tradeable quotas, it is possible to make all, or at least almost all, countries better off with the agreement than without.
A Risk Analysis of Oil Development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Authors: Powell Stephen G. 
Published: May 2011

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska is simultaneously the most promising onshore area for oil exploration and one of the wildest areas remaining in the USA. The conflict between the need to develop energy resources and the desire to preserve wild areas has led to a prolonged debate over the merits of programs to lease the region for oil exploration and development. In this study we report on a risk analysis of the oil potential of the ANWR. We develop a comprehensive simulation model of the oil exploration, development and production process in the ANWR based on publicly available data on the oil geology of the region. Compared to existing models of the ANWR, this model is unique in that it simultaneously takes into account the essential geologic characteristics of the region and the dynamic nature of the development process. The model projects the volume of oil production over time, oil industry profits and net national economic benefits, all in probabilistic terms. The model provides a unifying framework for evaluating the limitations of previous models. It also allows us to better assess the potential role of the ANWR in future U.S. oil production, to evaluate the effects of policies that would mitigate environmental damage and, in general, to better frame the debate between advocates and opponents of development.
Is the World Oil Market “One Great Pool”?
Authors: Weiner Robert J. 
Published: May 2011

Is there one, global market for crude oil? This appears to be the assumption made by most petroleum economists, stated succinctly by Adelman in a recent issue of The Energy Journal “The world oil market, like the world ocean, is one great pool” (July 1984, p. 5). Policymakers have often implicitly held the opposite assumption — that the world market is fragmented — as evidenced by the efforts of many importing-country governments to seek special arrangements for “secure supply” from exporters in the 1970s and early 1980s. Likewise, oil exporters have sought “secure outlets” for their crude in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These arrangements make no sense if the world crude oil market is integrated. In a similar fashion, a policy of diversifying suppliers, which is practised by many importers now, is senseless in a globally unified market. Surprisingly, despite the importance of this issue, there has been no research directed at examining the question of the degree of integration vs. fragmentation of the world crude market. This study makes the first systematic effort in this direction — by analyzing patterns of price adjustment. The correlation and regression results on price adjustment across regions indicate a surprisingly high degree of regionalization, implying that the world oil market is far from completely unified. The findings could be due to the ability of crude oil sellers to engage in price discrimination. The findings imply that the world oil market is not “one great pool,” as claimed by Adelman. The implications for SPR policy, and other policies based on assumptions of international crude oil market integration, are discussed in the conclusion of the paper.
The Khazzoom-Brookes Postulate and Neoclassical Growth
Authors: Saunders Harry D. 
Published: May 2011

In a disturbing assault on intuition and conventional wisdom, Khazzoom and Brookes have asserted that energy efficiency improvements might increase, rather than decrease energy consumption. If true, policies aimed at encouraging conservation could worsen rather than ameliorate global warming and would accelerate the need for offshore drilling rather than provide a substitute for it. More generally, this result would pit conservation against environmental goals, in direct contradiction to many countries ‘ energy plans (which see conservation as an environmental solution). Yet neoclassical growth theory confirms this possibility given certain fairly reasonable conditions—conditions that recent work by Hogan and Jorgenson indicates may hold in the U. S. economy. By no means proving the postulate, this analysis appears to make it much more difficult to dismiss. In fact, the effect can be more dramatic than even Khazzoom and Brookes may appreciate. Energy efficiency gains can increase energy use even more directly by increasing the economic growth rate, not only by decreasing the effective cost of energy. Efficiency gains for other factors (capital and labor) can also increase energy use.
Forecasting Nonlinear Crude Oil Futures Prices
Authors: Moshiri Saeed , Foroutan Faezeh 
Published: May 2011

The movements in oil prices are very complex and, therefore, seem to be unpredictable. However, one of the main challenges facing econometric models is to forecast such seemingly unpredictable economic series. Traditional linear structural models have not been promising when used for oil price forecasting. Although linear and nonlinear time series models have performed much better in forecasting oil prices, there is still room for improvement. If the data generating process is nonlinear, applying linear models could result in large forecast errors. Model specification in nonlinear modeling, however, can be very case dependent and time-consuming. In this paper, we model and forecast daily crude oil futures prices from 1983 to 2003, listed in NYMEX, applying ARIMA and GARCH models. We then test for chaos using embedding dimension, BDS(L), Lyapunov exponent, and neural networks tests. Finally, we set up a nonlinear and flexible ANN model to forecast the series. Since the test results indicate that crude oil futures prices follow a complex nonlinear dynamic process, we expect that the ANN model will improve forecasting accuracy. A comparison of the results of the forecasts among different models confirms that this is indeed the case.
The Impact of Climate Policies on the Operation of a Thermal Power Plant
Authors: Rosnes Orvika 
Published: May 2011

Climate policy measures aimed at power markets influence the cost structure of producers and price patterns, and are therefore likely to influence the production decision of power plants, even in the short run. When power plants have costs related to starting and stopping, decisions on short-term production are intertemporal, and the conventional ‘price vs. marginal cost’ rule is not sufficient to predict production in thermal power plants. This paper analyzes how the optimal production decision is influenced by climate policies: namely, CO2 trading mechanisms, the expansion of renewables and the interaction between these policies. The main result is that higher power price variation (as a result of increased wind power production) makes the thermal power producer less flexible, but the effect on emissions is ambiguous. A CO2 cost (as a result of an emission trading system) increases the flexibility of the producer and the operation decision resembles the conventional ‘price vs. marginal cost’ rule more. This implies lower emissions. However, when the CO2 price is coupled with higher power price variation, the positive effects may be reversed since the two policies have opposing effects.