bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Differences in collagen architecture between keloid, hypertrophic scar, normotrophic scar, and normal skin: An objective histopathological analysis
Authors: Verhaegen Pauline D. H. M. , Van Zuijlen Paul P. M. , Pennings Noor M. , Van Marle Jan , Niessen Frank B. , Van Der Horst Chantal M. A. M. , Middelkoop Esther 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTNormotrophic, hypertrophic, and keloidal scars are different types of scar formation, which all need a different approach in treatment. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between these types of scar, not only clinically but also histopathologically. Differences were explored for collagen orientation and bundle thickness in 25 normal skin, 57 normotrophic scar, 56 hypertrophic scar, and 56 keloid biopsies, which were selected on clinical diagnosis. Image analysis was performed by fast fourier transformation. The calculated collagen orientation index ranged from 0 (random orientation) to 1 (parallel orientation). The bundle distance was calculated by the average distance between the centers of the collagen bundles. The results showed that compared with all three types of scars, the collagen orientation index was significantly lower in normal skin, which indicates that scars are organized in a more parallel manner. No differences were found between the different scars. Secondly, compared with normal skin, normotrophic scar, and hypertrophic scar, the bundle distance was significantly larger in keloidal scar, which suggests that thicker collagen bundles are present in keloidal scar. This first extensive histological study showed objective differences between normal skin, normotrophic, hypertrophic, and keloidal scar.
The treatment gap of epilepsy in a rural district of Vietnam: A study from the EPIBAVI project
Authors: Tuan Nguyen Anh , Tomson Torbjörn , Allebeck Peter , Chuc Nguyen Thi Kim , Cuong Le Quang 
Published: September 2009

SummaryWe analyzed the treatment gap by interviewing 189 persons previously identified as having active epilepsy in a population‐based epidemiological project in a rural district of Vietnam (EPIBAVI). Only 29 persons were on regular treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at the time of the survey; treatment gap 84.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 79.5–89.8%). The treatment gap was not associated with age, gender, education, income, or seizure control status, but was higher among those living single compared to those who were married (p < 0.05). The most common reason for not taking AEDs expressed by patients who never tried, as well as among those who tried but discontinued, AEDs was the perception that their seizures were too few to justify the trouble and costs associated with treatment.
Antiepileptic drugs in children in developing countries: Research and treatment guideline needs
Authors: Farkhondeh Mina , Hill Suzanne R. , Cross J. Helen , Dua Tarun 
Published: September 2009

SummaryEpilepsy is the most common neurologic disorder in childhood. Effective interventions are available for treatment; however, the treatment gap in children is more than 80% in many developing countries. An important reason for this huge treatment gap is limited access to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). This article discusses the reasons for such a treatment gap, and possible ways forward in improving care of children with epilepsy worldwide.
Centrifugal Gradients of Rate and Organization in Human Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: KRUMMEN DAVID E. , PENG KEVIN A. , BULLINGA JOHN R. , NARAYAN SANJIV M. 
Published: September 2009

Introduction:

Animal studies show that atrial fibrillation (AF) may emanate from sites of high rate and regularity, with fibrillatory conduction to adjacent areas. We used simultaneous mapping to find evidence for potential drivers in human AF defined as sites with higher rate and regularity than surrounding tissue.
Materials and Methods:

In 24 patients (age 61 ± 10 years; 12 persistent), we recorded AF simultaneously from 32 left atrial bipolar basket electrodes in addition to pulmonary veins (PV), coronary sinus, and right atrial electrodes. We measured AF cycle length (CL) by Fourier transform and electrogram regularity at each electrode, referenced to patient‐specific atrial anatomy.
Results:

We analyzed 10,298 electrode‐periods. Evidence for potential AF drivers was found in 11 patients (five persistent). In persistent AF, these sites lay at the coronary sinus and left atrial roof but not PVs, while in paroxysmal AF six of nine sites lay at PVs (P < 0.05). During ablation, a subset of patients experienced AF CL prolongation or termination with a focal lesion; in each case this lesion mapped to potential driver sites on blinded analysis. Conversely, sequential mapping failed to reveal these sites, possibly due to fluctuations in dominant frequency at driver locations in the context of migratory AF.
Conclusions:

Simultaneous multisite recordings in human AF reveal evidence for drivers that lie near PVs in paroxysmal but not persistent AF, and were sites where ablation slowed or terminated AF in a subset of patients. The future work should determine if real‐time ablation of AF‐maintaining regions defined in this fashion eliminates AF.
An intron 1 polymorphism in the cholecystokinin‐A receptor gene associated with schizophrenia in males
Authors: Koefoed P. , Hansen T. V. O. , Woldbye D. P. D. , Werge T. , Mors O. , Hansen T. , Jakobsen K. D. , Nordentoft M. , Wang A. , Bolwig T. G. , Rehfeld J. F. 
Published: September 2009

Objective:  To identify whether a genetic variation (rs1800857; IVS1‐5T>C) in the neuropeptide cholecystokinin‐A receptor (CCKAR) gene is a risk factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.Method:  The variation was analysed in a case–control design comprising 508 patients with schizophrenia and 1619 control subjects. A possible functional impact of this variant on CCKAR protein synthesis through alterations in splicing was analysed in an exon‐trapping assay.Results:  In males only, the risk variant, IVS1‐5C, was associated with a significantly increased risk of schizophrenia. Carrying one risk allele was associated with an increased risk of 1.74 (Odds Ratio, OR) and homozygosity (CC) was associated with an OR of 3.19. The variation had no impact on protein synthesis of CCKAR.Conclusion:  This is the first report associating the CCKAR gene variant with schizophrenia specifically in men. Our study strengthens the conclusion that a CCKAR dysfunction could be involved in the aetiology of schizophrenia.
The signaling function of an extra‐floral display: what selects for signal development?
Authors: Keasar Tamar , Sadeh Adi , Gerchman Yoram , Shmida Avi 
Published: September 2009

The vertical inflorescences of the Mediterranean annualSalvia viridiscarry many small, colorful flowers, and are frequently terminated by a conspicuous tuft of colorful leaves (‘flag’) that attracts insect visitors. Insects may use the flags as indicators of food rewards in the inflorescences below, as long‐distance cues for locating and choosing flowering patches, or both. Clipping of all flags from patches of inflorescences in the field reduced the number of arriving insects, but not the total number of inflorescences and flowers visited by them. The number of flowers visited per inflorescence increased with inflorescence size, and inflorescence and flower visits rates significantly increased with patch size. Six percent of the plants in the study population did not develop any flag during blooming, yet suffered no reduction in seed set as compared to flag‐bearing neighboring individuals. Removal of flags from all inflorescences in a patch reduced seed set in comparison with untreated controls, while flag clipping from ten randomly selected inflorescences in a patch did not decrease seed production. These results suggest that flags signal long‐distance information to potential pollinators (possibly indicating patch location or size), while flower‐related cues may indicate inflorescence quality.Plants that do not develop flags probably benefit from the flag signals displayed by their neighbors, without bearing the costs of signal production. Greenhouse‐grownS. viridisplants allocated a low proportion of their biomass to flags. Plants grown under water stress did not reduce biomass allocation to flags as compared to irrigated controls. Water loss rates of picked flags were lower than those of picked leaves. These findings suggest that the expenses of flag production and maintenance are modest, reducing the selective advantage of individuals that do not carry flags. We discuss additional potential evolutionary mechanisms that may select for flag production.
The origin of failed subhaloes and the common mass scale of the Milky Way satellite galaxies
Authors: Okamoto Takashi , Frenk Carlos S. 
Published: September 2009

Abstract
We study the formation histories and present-day structure of satellite galaxies formed in a high-resolution hydrodynamic simulation of a Milky Way like galaxy. The simulated satellites span nearly four orders of magnitude in luminosity but have a very similar mass within their inner 600 pc, ∼3 × 107M⊙, with very little scatter. This result is in agreement with the recent measurements for dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) in the Milky Way by Strigari et al. In our simulations, a preferred mass scale arises naturally from the effects of the early re-ionization of gas. These impose a sharp threshold of ∼12kms−1 on the circular velocity of haloes which can cool gas and make stars. At the present day, subhaloes that host satellites as luminous as the classical Milky Way dwarfs (LV≥ 2.6 × 105L⊙) have typically grown to have circular velocities of ≳20 km s−1. There are, however, subhaloes with similar circular velocities today which were, nevertheless, below threshold at re-ionization and thus remain dark. Star formation in above-threshold haloes is truncated when the halo is accreted into the main galaxy progenitor. Thus, many properties of today's dwarf satellites such as their luminosity and star formation rate are set by their accretion time.
Practical Postcalibration Uncertainty Analysis: Yucca Mountain, Nevada
Authors: James Scott C. , Doherty John E. , Eddebbarh Al‐Aziz 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe values of parameters in a groundwater flow model govern the precision of predictions of future system behavior. Predictive precision, thus, typically depends on an ability to infer values of system properties from historical measurements through calibration. When such data are scarce, or when their information content with respect to parameters that are most relevant to predictions of interest is weak, predictive uncertainty may be high, even if the model is “calibrated.” Recent advances help recognize this condition, quantitatively evaluate predictive uncertainty, and suggest a path toward improved predictive accuracy by identifying sources of predictive uncertainty and by determining what observations will most effectively reduce this uncertainty. We demonstrate linear and nonlinear predictive error/uncertainty analyses as applied to a groundwater flow model of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the United States' proposed site for disposal of high‐level radioactive waste. Linear and nonlinear uncertainty analyses are readily implemented as an adjunct to model calibration with medium to high parameterization density. Linear analysis yields contributions made by each parameter to a prediction's uncertainty and the worth of different observations, both existing and yet‐to‐be‐gathered, toward reducing this uncertainty. Nonlinear analysis provides more accurate characterization of the uncertainty of model predictions while yielding their (approximate) probability distribution functions. This article applies the above methods to a prediction of specific discharge and confirms the uncertainty bounds on specific discharge supplied in the Yucca Mountain Project License Application.
Endogenous Nitric Oxide Protects Bacteria Against a Wide Spectrum of Antibiotics
Authors: Gusarov Ivan , Shatalin Konstantin , Starodubtseva Marina , Nudler Evgeny 
Published: September 2009

It's a GasMany antibiotics, including beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, and quinolones, kill bacteria (at least in part) by oxidative stress.Gusarovet al.(p.1380) show that nitric oxide (NO) produced by bacterial NO synthases (bNOS) protects bacteria, includingStaphylococcus aureusandBacillus anthracis, against toxic agents they may encounter in the soil or in host organisms. Thus, bNOS activity is specifically induced in response to antibiotics and, in turn, activates the expression of another key antioxidant enzyme: superoxide dismutase. Hence, NO-mediated antibiotic resistance not only operates by direct chemical modification of toxic molecules, but also alleviates oxidative stress caused by naturally occurring antibiotics.
Differentiation of Larva Migrans Caused byBaylisascaris procyonisandToxocaraSpecies by Western Blotting
Authors: Dangoudoubiyam Sriveny , Kazacos Kevin R. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTBaylisascaris procyonisandToxocaraspecies are two important causes of larva migrans in humans. Larva migrans caused byToxocaraspp. is well known and is diagnosed serologically by enzyme immunoassay. Over a dozen cases of larva migrans and associated eosinophilic encephalitis caused byB. procyonishave also been reported, and at least a dozen additional cases are known. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the excretory-secretory (ES) antigen ofB. procyonislarvae is currently being used in our laboratory as an aid in the diagnosis of this infection in humans. Clinically affected individuals show very high reactivity (measured as the optical density) on this ELISA; however, a one-way cross-reactivity withToxocaraspp. has been observed. As an approach to differentiate these two infections based on serology, we performed Western blots, wherein theB. procyonisES antigen was reacted with serum samples from individuals known to be positive for eitherToxocaraspp. orB. procyonislarva migrans. Western blot results showed thatB. procyonisantigens of between 30 and 45 kDa were specifically identified only by the sera from individuals withBaylisascarislarva migrans, thus allowing for differentiation between the two infections. This included human patient serum samples submitted for serologic testing, as well as sera from rabbits experimentally infected withB. procyonis. When used in conjunction with the ELISA, Western blotting could be an efficient tool for diagnosis of this infection in humans.
Salmonella enterica
Serotype 4,5,12:i:−, an Emerging
Salmonella
Serotype That Represents Multiple Distinct Clones
Authors: Soyer Y. , Moreno Switt A. , Davis M. A. , Maurer J. , McDonough P. L. , Schoonmaker-Bopp D. J. , Dumas N. B. , Root T. , Warnick L. D. , Gröhn Y. T. , Wiedmann M. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT

The prevalence, among human clinical cases, of
Salmonella enterica
serotype 4,5,12:i:−, a serotype antigenically similar to
Salmonella enterica
serotype Typhimurium but lacking second-phase flagellar antigens, has increased considerably over the last 10 years. To probe the evolution and ecology of this emerging serotype, we characterized 190
Salmonella
isolates initially classified as
Salmonella
serotypes 4,5,12:i:− (
n
= 90) and Typhimurium (
n
= 100) and obtained from various sources in the United States and Spain. These isolates were characterized into six sequence types (determined by multilocus sequence typing [MLST]) and 79 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types. The majority of
Salmonella
serotype 4,5,12:i:− and Typhimurium isolates (85 and 84 isolates, respectively) represented a single MLST type. Existing genome information revealed different genome deletions (which included genes responsible for phase 2 flagellum expression) in four Spanish
Salmonella
serotype 4,5,12:i:− isolates and one U.S.
Salmonella
serotype 4,5,12:i:− isolate. Fifty-nine isolates of both serotypes, representing different sources and geographical locations as well as different molecular subtypes, were thus screened for the presence of six genes and one specific region, all of which were previously found to show variable presence among
Salmonella
serotype 4,5,12:i:− and Typhimurium strains. All
Salmonella
serotype 4,5,12:i:− isolates lacked the phase 2 flagella genes
fljA
and
fljB
, which were present in all
Salmonella
serotype Typhimurium isolates. While all Spanish
Salmonella
serotype 4,5,12:i:− isolates carried the same deletion surrounding
fljAB
, all but two U.S. isolates showed a different genomic deletion; the two atypical U.S. isolates represented the “Spanish” deletion genotype and a unique deletion genotype.
Salmonella
serotype 4,5,12:i:− thus appears to represent at least two common clones, which cannot easily be differentiated with standard diagnostic procedures.
Development and Validation of a Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay for Simultaneous Genotyping and Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1, 2, and 3 Proviral Load Determination
Authors: Moens Britta , López Giovanni , Adaui Vanessa , González Elsa , Kerremans Lien , Clark Daniel , Verdonck Kristien , Gotuzzo Eduardo , Vanham Guido , Cassar Olivier , Gessain Antoine , Vandamme Anne-Mieke , Van Dooren Sonia 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT

The human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) proviral load remains the best surrogate marker for disease progression. Real-time PCR techniques have been developed for detection and quantification of cosmopolitan HTLV type 1a (HTLV-1a) and HTLV-2. Since a growing level of diversity in subtypes and genotypes is observed, we developed a multiplex quantitative PCR for simultaneous detection, genotyping, and quantification of proviral loads of HTLV-1, 2, and 3. Our assay uses
tax
type-specific primers and dually labeled probes and has a dynamic range of 10
5
to 10 HTLV copies. One hundred sixty-three samples were analyzed, among which all of the different subtypes within each HTLV genotype could be detected. The performance of proviral load determination of our multiplex assay was compared with that of a previously published HTLV-1 singleplex quantitative PCR based on SYBR green detection, developed at a different institute. Linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant (
P
< 0.0001) and strong (
r
2
= 0.87) correlation between proviral load values measured with the two distinct real-time PCR assays. In conclusion, our novel assay offers an accurate molecular diagnosis and genotyping, together with the determination of the proviral load of HTLV-infected individuals, in a single amplification reaction. Moreover, our molecular assay could offer an alternative when current available serological assays are insufficient.
Multicenter Evaluation of Bactec MGIT 960 System for Second-Line Drug Susceptibility Testing of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Complex
Authors: Lin S.-Y. Grace , Desmond Edward , Bonato Donald , Gross Wendy , Siddiqi Salman 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT
The Bactec MGIT 960 system for testing susceptibility to second-line drugs was evaluated with 117 clinical strains in a multicenter study. The four drugs studied were levofloxacin, amikacin, capreomycin, and ethionamide. The critical concentration established for levofloxacin and amikacin was 1.5 μg/ml, that established for capreomycin was 3.0 μg/ml, and that established for ethionamide was 5.0 μg/ml. The overall level of agreement between the agar proportion method and the MGIT 960 system was 96.4%, and the levels of agreement for the individuals drugs were 99.1% for levofloxacin, 100% for amikacin, 97.4% for capreomycin, and 88.9% for ethionamide. The rate of reproducibility of the drug susceptibility testing results between the participating laboratories was 99.5%.
Direct 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing from Clinical Specimens, with Special Focus on Polybacterial Samples and Interpretation of Mixed DNA Chromatograms
Authors: Kommedal Øyvind , Kvello Kristine , Skjåstad Rune , Langeland Nina , Wiker Harald G. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT
RipSeq (iSentio, Bergen, Norway) is a web-based application for the analysis of mixed DNA chromatograms. It opens the possibility to analyze chromatograms obtained by direct 16S rRNA gene sequencing from polybacterial human clinical samples. In this study, we used direct 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate 264 samples from a wide range of suspected human bacterial infections. The sequence-based identification was compared with the results from routine culture-based identification. A total of 151 samples were positive by the first PCR, producing 85 pure and 66 mixed DNA chromatograms. All mixed chromatograms were analyzed by RipSeq, although seven were so complex that only the dominant bacterial sequences could be identified. In general, sequence-based identification detected a larger number of species than did culture for samples from patients who had received antibiotics prior to sample collection and for samples containing anaerobic bacteria. RipSeq made it possible to apply this supplementary diagnostic tool to typical polybacterial specimens, such as internal abscesses, pleural fluids, and bile.
Comparison of BD Phoenix to Vitek 2, MicroScan MICroSTREP, and Etest for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Mittman Scott A. , Huard Richard C. , Della-Latta Phyllis , Whittier Susan 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT

The performance of the BD Phoenix Automated Microbiology System (BD Diagnostic Systems) was compared to those of the Vitek 2 (bioMérieux), the MicroScan MICroSTREP
plus
(Siemens), and Etest (bioMérieux) for antibiotic susceptibility tests (AST) of 311 clinical isolates of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
. The overall essential agreement (EA) between each test system and the reference microdilution broth reference method for
S. pneumoniae
AST results was >95%. For Phoenix, the EAs of individual antimicrobial agents ranged from 90.4% (clindamycin) to 100% (vancomycin and gatifloxacin). The categorical agreements (CA) of Phoenix, Vitek 2, MicroScan, and Etest for penicillin were 95.5%, 94.2%, 98.7%, and 97.7%, respectively. The overall CA for Phoenix was 99.3% (1 very major error [VME] and 29 minor errors [mEs]), that for Vitek 2 was 98.8% (7 VMEs and 28 mEs), and those for MicroScan and Etest were 99.5% each (19 and 13 mEs, respectively). The average times to results for Phoenix, Vitek 2, and the manual methods were 12.1 h, 9.8 h, and 24 h, respectively. From these data, the Phoenix AST results demonstrated a high degree of agreement with all systems evaluated, although fewer VMEs were observed with the Phoenix than with the Vitek 2. Overall, both automated systems provided reliable AST results for the
S. pneumoniae
-antibiotic combinations in half the time required for the manual methods, rendering them more suitable for the demands of expedited reporting in the clinical setting.