bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thermoelastic waves in a continuum with complex structure
Authors: Indeitsev D.A. , Naumov V.N. , Semenov B.N. , Belyaev A.K. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractA mechanical two‐component model of the solid of complex structure is presented. The suggested structural‐rheological model is governed by a system of equations describing dynamics of thermoelastic body of complex structure and accounting for the force and energy exchange between the material components of the body. Propagation of mechanical and temperature disturbances due to a pulse laser excitation is considered. The influence of the material structure on the character of transfer of the temperature disturbances is studied. The possibility of transfer of temperature disturbances with the velocity close to that of the mechanical pulse propagation is shown.
Intra‐Abdominal Hypertension in Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: De Waele Jan J. , Leppäniemi Ari K. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe incidence of intra‐abdominal hypertension (IAH) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is approximately 60–80%. It is usually an early phenomenon, partly related to the effects of the inflammatory process, causing retroperitoneal edema, fluid collections, ascites, and ileus, and partly iatrogenic, resulting from aggressive fluid resuscitation. It also can manifest at a later stage, often associated with local pancreatic complications. IAH is associated with impaired organ dysfunction, especially of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal systems. Using current definitions, the incidence of the clinical manifestation, abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS), has been reported as 27% in the largest study so far. Despite several intervention options, the mortality in patients developing ACS remains high: 50–75%. Prevention with judicious use of crystalloids is important, and nonsurgical interventions, such as nasogastric decompression, short‐term use of neuromuscular blockers, removal of fluid by extracorporeal techniques, and percutaneous drainage of ascites should be instituted early. The indications for surgical decompression are still not clearly defined, but undoubtedly some patients benefit from it. It can be achieved with full‐thickness laparostomy (midline or transverse subcostal) or through a subcutaneous linea alba fasciotomy. Despite the improvement in physiological variables and significant decrease in IAP, the effects of surgical decompression on organ function and outcome are less clear. Because of the significant morbidity associated with surgical decompression and the management of the ensuing open abdomen, more research is needed to define better the appropriate indications and techniques for surgical intervention.
Intraabdominal Hypertension and the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome in Burn Patients
Authors: Kirkpatrick Andrew W. , Ball Chad G. , Nickerson Duncan , D’Amours Scott K. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractSevere burns represent a devastating injury that induces profound systemic inflammation requiring large volumes of resuscitative fluids. The consequent massive swelling and peritoneal ascites raises intraabdominal pressures (IAP) to supraphysiologic levels commensurate with intraabdominal hypertension (IAH) and with the abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) if consistently associated with IAP >20 mmHg and associated with new organ failure. Severe burn injuries are an example of the secondary ACS (2° ACS), wherein there has been no primary inciting intraperitoneal injury, yet severe IAH/ACS develops, setting the stage for progressive multiorgan dysfunction. These definitions along with practice management guidelines have recently been promulgated by the World Society of the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (WSACS) in an effort to standardize terminology and communication regarding IAH/ACS in critical care. It is currently unknown whether these syndromes are iatrogenic consequences of excessive or poorly managed fluid resuscitation or unavoidable sequelae of the primary injury. It occurs frequently with burns of >60% body surface area, especially with associated inhalational injury, delayed resuscitation, and abdominal wall injuries. IAH/ACS is often a hyperacute phenomenon that occurs within the first hours of admission and thereafter with any complication requiring aggressive fluid resuscitation. Despite a number of noninvasive management strategies, interventions such as percutaneous peritoneal drainage and, ultimately, decompressive laparotomy are often required once the ACS is established. Whether novel resuscitation strategies can avoid or minimize IAH/ACS is unproven at present and requires further study. Truly understanding postburn ACS may require further insights into the basic mechanisms of injury and resuscitation.
Highly Uniform Epitaxial ZnO Nanorod Arrays for Nanopiezotronics
Authors: Volk J. , Nagata T. , Erdélyi R. , Bársony I. , Tóth A. L. , Lukács I. E. , Czigány Zs , Tomimoto H. , Shingaya Y. , Chikyow T. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Highly uniform and c-axis-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were fabricated in predefined patterns by a low temperature homoepitaxial aqueous chemical method. The nucleation seed patterns were realized in polymer and in metal thin films, resulting in, all-ZnO and bottom-contacted structures, respectively. Both of them show excellent geometrical uniformity: the cross-sectional uniformity according to the scanning electron micrographs across the array is lower than 2%. The diameter of the hexagonal prism-shaped nanorods can be set in the range of 90–170 nm while their typical length achievable is 0.5–2.3 μm. The effect of the surface polarity was also examined, however, no significant difference was found between the arrays grown on Zn-terminated and on O-terminated face of the ZnO single crystal. The transmission electron microscopy observation revealed the single crystalline nature of the nanorods. The current–voltage characteristics taken on an individual nanorod contacted by a Au-coated atomic force microscope tip reflected Schottky-type behavior. The geometrical uniformity, the designable pattern, and the electrical properties make the presented nanorod arrays ideal candidates to be used in ZnO-based DC nanogenerator and in next-generation integrated piezoelectric nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS).
Brief report: Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in pregnant teenagers
Authors: Mitsuhiro Sandro Sendin , Chalem Elisa , Moraes Barros Marina Carvalho , Guinsburg Ruth , Laranjeira Ronaldo 
Published: April 2009

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the prevalence of ICD‐10 psychiatric disorders in a population of pregnant teenage women from a Brazilian public hospital.Method1000 pregnant teenage women were evaluated using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, a structured interview which establishes diagnoses according to the International Classification of Diseases.Results325 of the 1000 patients were found to have at least one psychiatric disorder; 33.2% of them had a second psychiatric diagnosis. The most prevalent disorders were depression (12.9%), post‐traumatic stress disorder (10%), and tobacco dependence/harmful use (10.3%). The most prevalent co‐morbidity was ICD‐10 Affective Disorders versus Neurotic, Stress‐related, and Somatoform Disorders. Substance‐related disorders are significantly correlated with all of the ICD‐10 psychiatric diagnoses but Psychotic Disorders.ConclusionThe prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this population is high, and one third of them had co‐morbidities, a condition usually associated with a more serious course of illness. This finding has important implications for clinical management and prognosis, and demands preventive public policies.
Expression of the nociceptin receptor during zebrafish development: Influence of morphine and nociceptin
Authors: Macho Sanchez‐Simon F. , Rodriguez R.E. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe NOP system is considered to be part of the opioid system, although it exerts antiopioid actions depending on the anatomical region where it is localized. This apparent controversy has lead to the hypothesis that the NOP system interacts with the classical opioid systems (mu, delta, kappa) and regulates/modulates their activity in relation to analgesia and the development of addiction to drugs. In order to shed light into the importance of the NOP system, we have analyzed the expression of NOP during zebrafish development, and the effect of its endogenous agonist nociceptin and the opioid agonist morphine on NOP expression. Our qPCR study show that the number of NOP transcripts is different at each developmental stage studied (0.5 hpf, 2.75 hpf, 3 hpf, 8 hpf, 16 hpf, 19 hpf, 22 hpf, 24 hpf, 30 hpf, 48 hpf, 60 hpf and 72 hpf). Nociceptin enhances NOP expression at 24 hpf but decreases the number of NOP copies at 48 hpf, whereas NOP expression decreases after morphine exposure at 24 hpf and 48 hpf. Also, our ISH analysis demonstrates that nociceptin causes a change in the distribution of NOP towards rostral areas at both developmental stages. Morphine produces similar changes to those of nociceptin although only at 48 hpf. The present work leads to the conclusion that the NOP system is important during embryogenesis. Exposure to drugs changes the expression level and localization of NOP, suggesting that also during development, NOP plays a role in the apparition of dependence and addiction to drugs.
Gas1 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis of human primary gliomas in the absence of Shh
Authors: Domínguez‐Monzón Gabriela , Benítez Jorge A. , Vergara Paula , Lorenzana Rodrigo , Segovia José 
Published: April 2009

AbstractGrowth arrest specific1 (Gas1) is a protein expressed during development and when cells arrest their growth. The potential of Gas1 as an adjuvant in the treatment of cancer, and its role as a tumor suppressor have also been proposed. In this work we are addressing the molecular mechanisms by which Gas1 induces cell arrest and apoptosis of cancer cells, using primary cultures of human gliomas as a model. We had previously demonstrated the structural relationship between Gas1 and the α receptors for the Glial‐cell line‐Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) family of ligands, and showed that Gas1 acts by inhibiting the intracellular signaling induced by GDNF. There are also reports indicating that Gas1 positively cooperates with Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) during embryonic development and in this paper we analyzed the potential interactions between Gas1 and Shh. We show that human gliomas do not express Shh, whereas GDNF and the molecular components necessary to transduce its signaling are present in human gliomas. Furthermore, the over‐expression of Gas1 induces cell arrest, apoptosis and prevents the activation of Akt, a crucial mediator of survival and cellular proliferation pathways. In the present work, we present evidence demonstrating that Gas1 exerts its effects inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis of glioma cells in the absence of Shh.
Timing and determinants of mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV in Nigeria
Authors: Charurat Man , Datong Pam , Matawal Bitrus , Ajene Anuli , Blattner William , Abimiku Alash'le 
Published: April 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo characterize the timing and determinants of mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) of HIV among mothers receiving single‐dose nevirapine to prevent MTCT in Nigeria.MethodsThree hundred and seventy‐one HIV‐infected mothers and their infants were followed from birth, at 1 week, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Risks of in utero (IU), intrapartum (IP/EPP), and postnatal (PP) transmission were quantified using conditional Cox regressions.ResultsMaternal viral load was the only risk factor for IU transmission after controlling for known risk factors. Low birth weight, premature birth, mixed feeding, and maternal viral load were associated with IP/EPP transmission. Increased PP transmission was associated with low birth weight and mixed feeding. At 6 months, mixed‐fed infants were more likely to acquire infection than formula‐fed infants (hazard ratio = 5.74; 95% CI, 1.26–26.2).ConclusionRisk factors for IU transmission differed from those of IP and PP transmission. Reducing mixed feeding and low birth weight delivery among HIV‐infected mothers can further decrease IP and PP transmission.
The value of neurostimulation and intraoperative nerve monitoring of inferior laryngeal nerve in thyroid surgery
Authors: Cavicchi Ottavio , Caliceti Umberto , Fernandez Ignacio Javier , Macrì Giovanni , Di Lieto Cristiana , Marcantoni Alessandra , Ceroni Alberto Rinaldi , Piccin Ottavio 
Published: April 2009

ObjectiveTo determine the accuracy of neurostimulation with laryngeal palpation (NSLP) and intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) to predict the postoperative function of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) in thyroid surgery.Study DesignHistorical cohort study.Subjects and MethodsA retrospective case control study with 993 patients. The control group (799 patients with 1450 nerves at risk) included patients who underwent NSLP and the case group (194 patients with 354 nerves at risk) consisted of those who underwent NSLP in association with IONM. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), and accuracy were calculated for NSLP and IONM, with nerve palsy as the target outcome.ResultsA significant difference in nerve injury between the case and the control group (P = 0.31) was not observed. The presence or absence of laryngeal twitch (LT) (P < 0.0001) and the acoustic response to electrical stimulation (P = 0.003) were significantly associated with nerve function at the end of the surgery.ConclusionOur results indicate that NSLP is a safe and reliable intraoperative method of RLN monitoring. Moreover our data confirm that IONM is not a helpful tool to reduce the rate of palsy in thyroid surgery.
The importance of preoperative swallowing therapy in subtotal laryngectomies
Authors: Cavalot Andrea L. , Ricci Eugenia , Schindler Antonio , Roggero Nicolò , Albera Roberto , Utari Cristina , Cortesina Giorgio 
Published: April 2009

ObjectiveTo examine the utility of swallowing therapy (ST) before and after surgery in patients undergoing subtotal laryngectomy.Study Design and SettingFrom 1990 to 2000, 43 patients underwent subtotal laryngectomy. Prior to 1997 patients received ST only after surgery, while from 1997 on, patients scheduled for subtotal laryngectomy also received some sessions of ST before surgery.ResultsThe average time to swallowing resumption was 27.76 ± 5.206 days for the 25 patients who received ST only after surgery, and 16.38 ± 2.953 for those who underwent ST both before and after surgery.ConclusionThe difference between the two groups was significant on Student's t test (P < 0.001) and shows that preoperative rehabilitation is of significant help in the early resumption of normal deglutition.SignificanceThe authors find that the duration of nasogastric tube feeding is reduced in subjects who underwent ST.
Last resort gambles, risky debt and liquidation policy
Authors: Agliardi Elettra , Andergassen Rainer 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThis paper develops a real option model in which the interaction between debt, liquidation policy and risky investments is studied. We consider a manager who owns the firm and faces the opportunity to invest in risky projects which may boost current profits at the cost of bankruptcy if they turn out to be unsuccessful. These investments are “last resort gambles” in the sense that, if successful, they save the company from insolvency, while, if unsuccessful, they make liquidation unavoidable. It is shown that last resort gambles delay liquidation. We study how the liquidation trigger and the last resort investment decisions are affected by the firm's capital structure.
Formal and functional assessment of the pyramid method for summary content evaluation
Authors: PASSONNEAU REBECCA J. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractPyramid annotation makes it possible to evaluate quantitatively and qualitatively the content of machine-generated (or human) summaries. Evaluation methods must prove themselves against the same measuring stick – evaluation – as other research methods. First, a formal assessment of pyramid data from the 2003 Document Understanding Conference (DUC) is presented; this addresses whether the form of annotation is reliable and whether score results are consistent across annotators. A combination of interannotator reliability measures of the two manual annotation phases (pyramid creation and annotation of system peer summaries against pyramid models), and significance tests of the similarity of system scores from distinct annotations, produces highly reliable results. The most rigorous test consists of a comparison of peer system rankings produced from two independent sets of pyramid and peer annotations, which produce essentially the same rankings. Three years of DUC data (2003, 2005, 2006) are used to assess the reliability of the method across distinct evaluation settings: distinct systems, document sets, summary lengths, and numbers of model summaries. This functional assessment addresses the method's ability to discriminate systems across years. Results indicate that the statistical power of the method is more than sufficient to identify statistically significant differences among systems, and that the statistical power varies little across the 3 years.
Anaemia and associated factors among under-fives and their mothers in Bushenyi district, Western Uganda
Authors: Kikafunda Joyce K , Lukwago Fred B , Turyashemererwa Florence 
Published: April 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of anaemia and associated factors among under-fives and their mothers in a rural area of Western Uganda.DesignA cross-sectional investigation using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Stratified multistage sampling methods were used to select the study sample. A haemoglobinometer was used to assess Hb levels in the blood.SettingA rural district in Western Uganda.SubjectsChildren aged 6–59 months and their mothers aged 15–49 years.ResultsThe overall prevalence of Fe-deficiency anaemia among children and their mothers was 26·2 % and 17·9 %, respectively. There was a significant correlation (r= 0·5,P= 0·008) between the Hb levels of the mothers and their children. Place of birth, age of the child, factors related to complementary foods, and formal education and nutrition knowledge of the mother were major factors that were significantly associated (r= 0·05,P= 0·05) with low Hb levels among the children. The most important factors that were associated with low Hb levels of the mothers were their formal education, nutrition knowledge and health status.ConclusionsFe-deficiency anaemia was found to be a major problem in this cohort of children and their mothers. Dietary factors and sociodemographic factors were the major factors associated with high levels of anaemia among the children and their mothers. It is therefore recommended that rural mothers should be sensitized on best practices for prevention of anaemia among both women and children.
Characterization of PRMT1 fromPlasmodium falciparum
Authors: Fan Qi , Miao Jun , Cui Long , Cui Liwang 
Published: April 2009

Arginine methylation is a post-translational modification that affects many cellular processes in eukaryotes. The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum encodes three conserved PRMTs (protein arginine N-methyltransferases). We have determined that PfPRMT1 (P. falciparum PRMT1) has authentic type I PRMT activity to form monomethylarginines and asymmetric dimethylarginines. Compared with mammalian PRMT1s, PfPRMT1 possesses a distinctive N-terminal sequence that is ∼50 amino acids longer and is essential for enzyme activity. Recombinant PfPRMT1 methylated histones H4 and H2A and several conserved substrates involved in RNA metabolism, including fibrillarin, poly(A)-binding protein II, ribosomal protein S2 and a putative splicing factor. Using synthetic peptides and MS, we determined target arginines in several substrates and studied the enzyme kinetics. Whereas the kinetic parameters of recombinant PfPRMT1 on an H4 peptide and S-adenosylmethionine were similar to those of mammalian PRMT1s, PfPRMT1 had much higher substrate-turnover rates. In the histone H4 N-terminus, PfPRMT1 could methylate only Arg3, a mark for transcription activation. Western blotting detected dynamic dimethylation of H4-Arg3 during parasite development, suggesting that histone-arginine methylation may play a conserved role in chromatin-mediated gene regulation. Consistent with the presence of potential substrates in both the cytoplasm and nucleus, green fluorescent protein-tagged PfPRMT1 and untagged PfPRMT1 were localized in both cellular compartments, with the majority in the cytoplasm. in vitro assays showed that PfPRMT1 could be inhibited by several small-molecule inhibitors, with IC50-values in the sub-micromolar range. Most of these compounds also effectively inhibited parasite growth, suggesting that parasite PRMTs are promising targets for developing antiparasitic drugs.
Tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa) as a Natural New Host for Tomato yellow leaf curl virus in Sinaloa, Mexico
Authors: Gámez-Jiménez C. , Romero-Romero J. L. , Santos-Cervantes M. E. , Leyva-López N. E. , Méndez-Lozano J. 
Published: April 2009

Tomatillo, also known as husk or green tomato, is cultivated in 29 of 32 states in Mexico, with the main production areas located in the states of Sinaloa, Michoacán, Puebla, Sonora, Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Hidalgo. The national production of tomatillo in 2006 was 805,721 tons with a value of $259 million. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is one of the most damaging begomoviruses affecting tomato worldwide. TYLCV was first identified in Mexico in 1999 in Yucatán (1) and most recently identified as infecting tomato in Sinaloa (3). During December of 2006, symptoms including chlorotic margins, yellowing, and interveinal yellowing were observed in tomatillo fields. Symptomatic plants were associated with the presence of whiteflies in many fields, suggesting a begomovirus etiology. Total DNA was extracted from leaves of 77 symptomatic tomatillo plants from Guasave and Ahome counties and amplified by PCR using a degenerate primer pair (2). These primers can differentiate between monopartite and bipartite begomoviruses on the basis of the size of the amplification products, approximately 750 and 650 bp, respectively. A PCR product of 742 bp was obtained from 48 of 97 samples. The PCR product of two representative samples from each county were cloned into pGEM-T Easy Vector (Promega, Madison, WI) and sequenced. The sequences of the four amplicons were identical (GenBank Accession No. EU224314) and were compared with sequences of others begomoviruses in the NCBI/GenBank database using the Clustal V alignment method (MegAlign, DNASTAR software, London). The highest sequence identity of 100% was with a TYLCV isolate from Sinaloa (GenBank Accession No. DQ377367), 99.8% with a TYLCV isolate from Tosa (GenBank Accession No. AB192965), 98.4% with a TYLCV isolate from China (GenBank Accession No. AM282874), 95.8% with a TYLCV isolate from Yucatán (GenBank Accession No. AF168709), and 94.6% with TYLCV-Is (GenBank Accession No. X15656). The genome of tomatillo TYLCV isolate was amplified using PCR and overlapping primer pair (TYLCV NcoI Forward GGCCCATGGCCGCGCAGCGG and Reverse CGGCCATGGAGACCCATAAG). Sequence of a 2,781-bp fragment was obtained (GenBank Accession No. FJ609655) and sequence analysis corroborated that the tomatillo TYLCV has 99.3% identity with two TYLCV isolates from Sinaloa (GenBank Accession Nos. EF5234478 and FJ012358). To our knowledge, this is the first report of tomatillo as a natural host of TYLCV in Mexico. These results suggest that TYLCV has begun to establish itself in others crops since it was first reported to be infecting tomato in Sinaloa, Mexico. References: (1) J. T. Ascencio-Ibañez et al. Plant Dis. 83:1178, 1999. (2) J. T. Ascencio-Ibañez et al. Plant Dis. 86:692, 2002. (3) C. Gámez-Jímenez et al. (Abstr.) Phytopathology 96(suppl.):S38. 2006.