bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Novel Finding of the Atrial Substrate Properties and Long‐Term Results of Catheter Ablation in Chronic Atrial Fibrillation Patients with Left Atrial Spontaneous Echo Contrast
Authors: HARTONO BENY , LO LI‐WEI , CHENG CHEN‐CHUAN , LIN YENN‐JIANG , CHANG SHIH‐LIN , HU YU‐FENG , SUENARI KAZUYOSHI , HUNG LI CHENG , CHAO TZE‐FAN , LIU SHUEN‐HSIN , NIU YA‐LEI , CHANG HUNG‐YU , AMBROSE KIBOS , YU WEN‐CHUNG , HSU TSUI‐LIEH , CHEN SHIH‐ANN 
Published: September 2011

Atrial Substrate Properties in Chronic AF Patients with LASEC. Background: The atrial substrate in chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with a left atrial spontaneous echo contrast (LASEC) has not been previously reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the atrial substrate properties and long‐term follow‐up results in the patients who received catheter ablation of chronic AF.Methods: Of 36 consecutive patients with chronic AF who received a stepwise ablation approach, 18 patients with an LASEC (group I) were compared with 18 age‐gender‐left atrial volume matched patients without an LASEC (group II). The atrial substrate properties including the weighted peak‐to‐peak voltage, total activation time during sinus rhythm (SR), dominant frequency (DF), and complex fractionated electrograms (CFEs) during AF in the bi‐atria were evaluated.Result: The left atrial weighted bipolar peak‐to‐peak voltage (1.0 ± 0.6 vs 1.6 ± 0.7 mV, P = 0.04), total activation time (119 ± 20 vs 103 ± 13 ms, P < 0.001) and DF (7.3 ± 1.3 vs 6.6 ± 0.7 Hz, P < 0.001) differed between group I and group II, respectively. Those parameters did not differ in the right atrium. The bi‐atrial CFEs (left atrium: 89 ± 24 vs 92 ± 25, P = 0.8; right atrium: 92 ± 25 vs 102 ± 3, P = 0.9) did not differ between group I and group II, respectively. After a mean follow‐up of 30 ± 13 month, there were significant differences in the antiarrhythmic drugs (1.1 ± 0.3 vs 0.7 ± 0.5, P = 0.02) needed after ablation, and recurrence as persistent AF (92% vs 50%, P = 0.03) between group I and group II, respectively. After multiple procedures, there were more group II patients that remained in SR, when compared with group I (78% vs 44%, P = 0.04).Conclusion: There was a poorer atrial substrate, lesser SR maintenance after catheter ablation and need for more antiarrhythmic drugs in the chronic AF patients with an LASEC when compared with those without an LASEC. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. pp. 1‐8)
Atlas‐Based Versus Individual‐Based Fiber Tracking of the Corpus Callosum in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Reliability and Clinical Correlations
Authors: Marcella Laganà Maria , Ceccarelli Antonia , Giulia Preti Maria , Venturelli Chiara , Pia Sormani Maria , Cavarretta Rosella , Baselli Giuseppe , Cecconi Pietro , Caputo Domenico , Rovaris Marco 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND AND PURPOSEIn multiple sclerosis (MS), the presence of lesions and normal‐appearing white matter damage may affect the reliability of diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐based tractography. We compared the performance of an individual‐based method for corpus callosum (CC) fiber tracking in MS with those of two atlas‐based methods.METHODSBrain DT MRI scans were acquired from 35 patients with MS and 18 age‐matched healthy volunteers (HV). DT‐derived metrics from the CC—the mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA)—were calculated using an individual‐based and two atlas‐based methods with different types of subject registration (linear and nonlinear) to a CC atlas. Customized termination criteria were applied to stop the tracking algorithm when using the individual‐based method.RESULTSAll the methods were able to distinguish between MS patients and HV. Using the individual‐based method, stronger relationships were found between CC DT‐derived metrics and the subjects’ clinical condition.CONCLUSIONCC DT tractography using an individual‐based method is more sensitive than the atlas‐based ones to tract‐specific alterations related to MS disability. An atlas‐based method with nonlinear registration can be a valid alternative when an automated postprocessing is warranted, such as in the case of high volumes of data.
Impact of polymerase chain reaction results on patient management during a viral meningitis outbreak in Tropical North Queensland
Authors: Stonehouse Vicki , Furyk Jeremy , Norton Robert 
Published: September 2011

AbstractObjectives: Enterovirus is the most commonly isolated pathogen in viral meningitis. We report on the first outbreak of viral meningitis in Tropical Queensland and the effect of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results on antibiotic use and hospital length of stay.Methods: Retrospective case series of consecutive patients presenting to the Townsville ED with viral meningitis were evaluated by examining hospital medical records. The study period was November 2008 to February 2009.Results: Forty‐three patients were available for full analysis of which 17 (40%) were female and 17 (40%) had a positive enteroviral PCR. Antibiotics were commenced on 37 (86%) of patients. There was no difference in hospital length of stay in patients with a negative versus positive PCR (2.52 vs 2.72 days, P = 0.68) or duration of antibiotic therapy (2.20 vs 1.94 days, P = 0.61).Conclusion: In our study a positive result on PCR was not associated with a shorter hospital length of stay or a shorter duration of antibiotic therapy. This contrasts with previous reports on this topic and requires further evaluation.
Population structure of melon‐headed whales (Peponocephala electra) in the Hawaiian Archipelago: Evidence of multiple populations based on photo identification
Authors: Aschettino Jessica M. , Baird Robin W. , McSweeney Daniel J. , Webster Daniel L. , Schorr Gregory S. , Huggins Jessica L. , Martien Karen K. , Mahaffy Sabre D. , West Kristi L. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractDespite the presence of melon‐headed whales in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, little is known about this species. To assess population structure in Hawai‘i, dedicated field efforts were undertaken from 2000 to 2009. Using only good quality photographs, there were 1,433 unique photo‐identified individuals, of which 1,046 were distinctive. Of these, 31.5% were seen more than once. Resighting data combined with social network analyses showed evidence of two populations—a smaller, resident population, seen exclusively off the northwest region of the island of Hawai‘i, and a larger population, seen throughout all the main Hawaiian Islands (hereafter the “main Hawaiian Islands” population). A Bayesian analysis examining the probability of movements of individuals between populations provided a posterior median dispersal rate of 0.0009/yr (95% CI = 0–0.0041), indicating the populations are likely demographically independent. Depth of encounters with the Hawai‘i Island resident population was significantly shallower (median = 381 m) than those with the main Hawaiian Islands population (median = 1,662 m). Resightings of individuals have occurred up to 22 yr apart for the Hawai‘i Island resident population and up to 13 yr apart for the main Hawaiian Islands population, suggesting long‐term residency to the islands for both populations.
Predation of cassowary dispersed seeds: is the cassowary an effective disperser?
Authors: BRADFORD Matt G. , WESTCOTT David A. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractPost‐dispersal predation is a potentially significant modifier of the distribution of recruiting plants and an often unmeasured determinant of the effectiveness of a frugivore's dispersal service. In the wet tropical forests of Australia and New Guinea, the cassowary provides a large volume, long distance dispersal service incorporating beneficial gut processing; however, the resultant clumped deposition might expose seeds to elevated mortality. We examined the contribution of post‐dispersal seed predation to cassowary dispersal effectiveness by monitoring the fate of 11 species in southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii Linnaeus) droppings over a period of 1 year. Across all species, the rate of predation and removal was relatively slow. After 1 month, 70% of seeds remained intact and outwardly viable, while the number fell to 38% after 1 year. The proportion of seeds remaining intact in droppings varied considerably between species: soft‐seeded and large‐seeded species were more likely to escape removal and predation. Importantly, across all species, seeds in droppings were no more likely to be predated than those left undispersed under the parent tree. We speculate that seed predating and scatter‐hoarding rodents are responsible for the vast majority of predation and removal from droppings and that the few seeds which undergo secondary dispersal survive to germination. Our findings reinforce the conclusion that the cassowary is an important seed disperser; however, dispersal effectiveness for particular plant species can be reduced by massive post‐dispersal seed mortality.
Cuticular hydrocarbons in two parapatric species of ants and their hybrid
Authors: EL‐SHEHABY Mohamed , SALAMA Mohamed Sayed , BRUNNER Elisabeth , HEINZE Jürgen 
Published: September 2011

AbstractDiscrimination between nestmates and non‐nestmates in social insects is thought to rely on the pattern of cuticular hydrocarbons. We investigated the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of 2 parapatric sibling ant species, Temnothorax nylanderi (Förster, 1850) and Temnothorax crassispinus (Karavaiev, 1926), and their hybrid. We found that although the profiles show considerable similarities, a discriminant analysis based on the relative peak areas of cuticular hydrocarbons separates the 3 taxa. The profiles of hybrids were not consistently intermediate between those of the paternal species, suggesting either non‐additive interactions among the parental biosynthetic pathways or systematic differences in environment‐derived odor cues.
Difficult Urination Does Not Affect the Successful Outcome after 100U OnabotulinumtoxinA Intravesical Injection in Patients with Idiopathic Detrusor Overactivity
Authors: CHEN Yih‐Chou , KUO Hann‐Chorng 
Published: September 2011

Objectives: Intravesical injection of onabotulinumtoxinA (i.e. Botox) provides effective treatment for overactive bladder. However, treatment‐related adverse events (AEs) remain problems. This study investigated the effect of AEs after onabotulinumtoxinA injection on the success rate for idiopathic detrusor overactivity (IDO).Methods: A total of 174 patients who received the first single intravesical onabotulinumtoxinA 100U injection for refractory IDO were included. The onabotulinumtoxinA related AEs including acute urinary retention (AUR), large postvoid residual (PVR, ≥150 mL), difficult urination, urinary tract infection, gross hematuria and general weakness were recorded. The success rate was determined based on patient perception of bladder condition improved by two scales. The short‐term (3 months) and long‐term (up to 24 months) success rates were analyzed according to the occurrence of these AEs.Results: A successful outcome was reported by 138 (79.3%) patients at 3 months. AUR occurred in 12 (6.9%) patients, large PVR developed in 81 (46.6%) and 73 (42%) needed straining to void. Gross hematuria occurred in 17 (9.8%) patients, urinary tract infection developed in 27 (15.5%) and general weakness was noted in 6 (3.4%). The occurrence of AUR did not affect the therapeutic results. Patients having large PVR and difficult urination had a significantly higher success rate at 3 months. Long‐term success rates up to 24 months showed no significant difference between patients with and without AEs.Conclusions: AEs after intravesical 100U onabotulinumtoxinA for IDO were frequently encountered. However, the occurrence of AUR, large PVR or difficult urination did not affect the final therapeutic outcome.
Clinical Trial of Vinblastine in Dogs with Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder
Authors: Arnold E.J. , Childress M.O. , Fourez L.M. , Tan K.M. , Stewart J.C. , Bonney P.L. , Knapp D.W. 
Published: September 2011

BackgroundTransitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder of dogs can be a difficult cancer to treat, and effective therapies are limited. Vinblastine has been used in humans with TCC and has potent anti‐proliferative effects against canine TCC cells in vitro.ObjectivesTo determine the antitumor activity and toxicoses of vinblastine in dogs with urinary bladder TCC.AnimalsAnimals selected were 28 privately owned dogs that presented to the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (PUVTH) with measurable, histologically confirmed TCC.MethodsProspective clinical trial: The starting vinblastine dosage was 3.0 mg/m2 IV every 2 weeks. Treatment continued until cancer progression or unacceptable toxicoses occurred. Complete evaluations (physical exam, complete blood count [CBC], serum biochemical profile, urinalysis, thoracic radiography, abdominal ultrasound [US]) were performed at 8‐week intervals. Urinary tract US with bladder tumor mapping was performed monthly. Toxicoses were graded according to Veterinary Co‐Operative Oncology Group (VCOG) criteria.ResultsTumor responses included 10 (36%) partial remission, 14 (50%) stable disease, and 4 (14%) progressive disease. The median progression free interval was 122 days (range, 28–399 days). The median survival time was 147 days (range, 28–476 days) from 1st vinblastine treatment to death and 299 days (range, 43–921 days) from diagnosis to death. The majority of dogs (27 of 28) did not have clinically relevant adverse effects. Seventeen of 28 (61%) dogs required dosage reductions because of neutropenia.Conclusion and Clinical ImportanceVinblastine has antitumor activity against TCC in dogs and can be considered another treatment option for this cancer.
Characterization of Mutations Conferring Extensive Drug Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Asho , Hasan Rumina , Jabeen Kauser , Jabeen Nusrat , Qadeer Ejaz , Hasan Zahra 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACT

The increasing incidence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in high-tuberculosis-burden countries further highlights the need for improved rapid diagnostic assays. An increasing incidence of XDR
M. tuberculosis
strains in Pakistan has been reported, but drug resistance-associated mutations in these strains have not been evaluated previously. We sequenced the “hot-spot” regions of
rpoB
,
katG
,
inhA
,
ahpC
,
gyrA
,
gyrB
, and
rrs
genes in 50 XDR
M. tuberculosis
strains. It was observed that 2% of rifampin, 6% of isoniazid, 24% of fluoroquinolone, and 32% of aminoglycoside/capreomycin resistance in XDR
M. tuberculosis
strains would be undetected if only these common hot-spot regions were tested. The frequencies of resistance-conferring mutations were found to be comparable among all XDR
M. tuberculosis
strain families present, including the Central Asian Strain, Beijing, and East African Indian genogroups and the Unique isolates. Additional genetic loci need to be tested for detection of mutations conferring fluoroquinolone, aminoglycoside, and capreomycin resistance in order to improve molecular diagnosis of regional XDR
M. tuberculosis
strains.
The Capsule of Porphyromonas gingivalis Leads to a Reduction in the Host Inflammatory Response, Evasion of Phagocytosis, and Increase in Virulence
Authors: Singh Amrita , Wyant Tiana , Anaya-Bergman Cecilia , Aduse-Opoku Joseph , Brunner Jorg , Laine Marja L. , Curtis Michael A. , Lewis Janina P. 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACT

Periodontal disease is a chronic oral inflammatory disease that is triggered by bacteria such as
Porphyromonas gingivalis
.
P. gingivalis
strains exhibit great heterogeneity, with some strains being encapsulated while others are nonencapsulated. Although the encapsulated strains have been shown to be more virulent in a mouse abscess model, so far the role of the capsule in
P. gingivalis
interactions with host cells is not well understood and its role in virulence has not been defined. Here, we investigated the contribution of the capsule to triggering a host response following microbial infection, as well as its protective role following bacterial internalization by host phagocytic cells with subsequent killing, using the encapsulated
P. gingivalis
strain W50 and its isogenic nonencapsulated mutant, PgC. Our study shows significant time-dependent upregulation of the expression of various groups of genes in macrophages challenged with both the encapsulated and nonencapsulated
P. gingivalis
strains. However, cells infected with the nonencapsulated strain showed significantly higher upregulation of 9 and 29 genes at 1 h and 8 h postinfection, respectively, than cells infected with the encapsulated strain. Among the genes highly upregulated by the nonencapsulated PgC strain were ones coding for cytokines and chemokines. Maturation markers were induced at a 2-fold higher rate in dendritic cells challenged with the nonencapsulated strain for 4 h than in dendritic cells challenged with the encapsulated strain. The rates of phagocytosis of the nonencapsulated
P. gingivalis
strain by both macrophages and dendritic cells were 4.5-fold and 7-fold higher, respectively, than the rates of phagocytosis of the encapsulated strain. On the contrary, the survival of the nonencapsulated
P. gingivalis
strain was drastically reduced compared to the survival of the encapsulated strain. Finally, the encapsulated strain exhibited greater virulence in a mouse abscess model. Our results indicate that the
P. gingivalis
capsule plays an important role in aiding evasion of host immune system activation, promoting survival of the bacterium within host cells, and increasing virulence. As such, it is a major virulence determinant of
P. gingivalis.
Complete Genomic Sequence of the
O
-Desmethylangolensin-Producing Bacterium Clostridium rRNA Cluster XIVa Strain SY8519, Isolated from Adult Human Intestine
Authors: Yokoyama Shin-ichiro , Oshima Kenshiro , Nomura Izumi , Hattori Masahira , Suzuki Tohru 
Published: September 2011

ABSTRACT

The
O
-desmethylangolensin-producing
Clostridium
rRNA cluster XIVa strain SY8519 was isolated from the intestinal flora of a healthy human as a key isoflavonoid-metabolizing bacterium. Here, we report the finished and annotated genomic sequence of this organism.
Privacy preservation in the dissemination of location data
Authors: Terrovitis Manolis 
Published: September 2011

The rapid advance in handheld communication devices and the appearance of smartphones has allowed users to connect to the Internet and surf on the WWW while they are moving around the city or traveling. Location based services have been developed to deliver content that is adjusted to the current user location. Social networks have also responded to the challenge of users who can access the Internet from any place in the city, and location based social-networks like Foursquare have become very popular in a short period of time. The popularity of these applications is linked to the significant advantages they offer: users can exploit live location-based information to take dynamic decisions on issues like transportation, identification of places of interest or even on the opportunity to meet a friend or an associate in nearby locations. A side effect of sharing location-based information is that it exposes the user to substantial privacy related threats. Revealing the user's location carelessly can prove to be embarrassing, harmful professionally, or even dangerous.
Research in the data management field has put significant effort on anonymization techniques that obfuscate spatial information in order to hide the identity of the user or her exact location. Privacy guaranties and anonymization algorithms become increasingly sophisticated offering better and more efficient protection in data publishing and data exchange. Still, it is not clear yet what are the greatest dangers to user privacy and which are the most realistic privacy breaching scenarios. The aim of the paper is to provide a brief survey of the attack scenarios, the privacy guaranties and the data transformations employed to protect user privacy in real time. The paper focuses mostly on providing an overview of the privacy models that are investigated in literature and less on the algorithms and their scaling capabilities. The models and the attack scenarios are classified and compared, in order to provide an overview of the cases that are covered by existing research.
Risk, Clinical Features, and Outcomes of Thrombosis Associated With Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Manlhiot Cedric , Menjak Ines B. , Brandão Leonardo R. , Gruenwald Colleen E. , Schwartz Steven M. , Sivarajan V. Ben , Yoon Hyaemin , Maratta Robert , Carew Caitlin L. , McMullen Janet A. , Clarizia Nadia A. , Holtby Helen M. , Williams Suzan , Caldarone Christopher A. , Van Arsdell Glen S. , Chan Anthony K. , McCrindle Brian W. 
Published: September 2011

Background—
Thrombosis, usually considered a serious but rare complication of pediatric cardiac surgery, has not been a major clinical and/or research focus in the past.

Methods and Results—

We noted 444 thrombi (66% occlusive, 60% symptomatic) in 171 of 1542 surgeries (11%). Factors associated with increased odds of thrombosis were age <31 days (odds ratio [OR], 2.0;
P
=0.002), baseline oxygen saturation <85% (OR, 2.0;
P
=0.001), previous thrombosis (OR, 2.6;
P
=0.001), heart transplantation (OR, 4.1;
P
<0.001), use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (OR, 1.9
P
=0.01), longer cumulative time with central lines (OR, 1.2 per 5-day equivalent;
P
<0.001), and postoperative use of extracorporeal support (OR, 5.2;
P
<0.001). Serious complications of thrombosis occurred with 64 of 444 thrombi (14%) in 47 of 171 patients (28%), and were associated with thrombus location (intrathoracic, 45%; extrathoracic arterial, 19%; extrathoracic venous, 8%;
P
<0.001), symptomatic thrombi (OR, 8.0;
P
=0.02), and partially/fully occluding thrombi (OR, 14.3;
P
=0.001); indwelling access line in vessel (versus no access line) was associated with lower risk of serious complications (OR, 0.4;
P
=0.05). Thrombosis was associated with longer intensive care unit (+10.0 days;
P
<0.001) and hospital stay (+15.2 days;
P
<0.001); higher odds of cardiac arrest (OR, 4.9;
P
<0.001), catheter reintervention (OR, 3.3;
P
=0.002), and reoperation (OR, 2.5;
P
=0.003); and increased mortality (OR, 5.1;
P
<0.001). Long-term outcome assessment was possible for 316 thrombi in 129 patients. Of those, 197 (62%) had resolved at the last follow-up. Factors associated with increased odds of thrombus resolution were location (intrathoracic, 75%; extrathoracic arterial, 89%; extrathoracic venous, 60%;
P
<0.001), nonocclusive thrombi (OR, 2.2;
P
=0.01), older age at surgery (OR, 1.2 per year;
P
=0.04), higher white blood cell count (OR, 1.1/10
9
cells per 1 mL;
P
=0.002), and lower fibrinogen (OR, 1.4/g/L;
P
=0.02) after surgery.

Conclusions—
Thrombosis affects a high proportion of children undergoing cardiac surgery and is associated with suboptimal outcomes. Increased awareness and effective prevention and detection strategies are needed.