bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bilateral, spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea: endoscopic, uninasal, trans-septal approach for simultaneous closure
Authors: Kurien M , Mathew G A , Abraham S L , Irodi A 
Published: August 2011

AbstractBackground:Bilateral, spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea is extremely rare, with only one previous case report (this patient developed contralateral cerebrospinal fluid leakage four years after successful endoscopic repair). We present the first English-language report of simultaneous, bilateral, spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea.Objective:To recommend a simple alternative endoscopic technique for simultaneous closure of bilateral, spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea.Case report:A 47-year-old woman presented with recent onset of bilateral, spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea, a recent history suggestive of meningitis, and a past history of pneumococcal meningitis. Bony defects on both sides of the cribriform plate were closed endoscopically in the same anaesthetic session, via a uninasal, trans-septal approach, enabling both leakage sites to be sealed simultaneously.Conclusion:In cases of bilateral, spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea, uninasal, trans-septal endoscopic repair is a simple and effective technique for simultaneous closure of cerebrospinal fluid leakage.
Differential effectiveness of berry polyphenols as anti-giardial agents
Authors: ANTHONY J.-P. , FYFE L. , STEWART D. , McDOUGALL G. J. 
Published: August 2011

SUMMARYFollowing previous work on the anti-giardial effect of blueberry polyphenols, a range of polyphenol-rich extracts from berries and other fruits was screened for their ability to kill Giardia duodenalis, an intestinal parasite of humans. Polyphenol-rich extracts were prepared from berries using solid-phase extraction and applied to trophozoites of Giardia duodenalis grown in vitro. All berry extracts caused inhibition at 166 μg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/ml phenol content but extracts from strawberry, arctic bramble, blackberry and cloudberry were as effective as the currently used drug, metronidazole, causing complete trophozoite mortality in vitro. Cloudberry extracts were found to be the most effective causing effectively complete trophozoite mortality at 66 μg GAE/ml. The polyphenol composition of the more effective berry extracts suggested that the presence of ellagitannins could be an important factor. However, the potency of cloudberry could be related to high ellagitannin content but also to the presence of substantial amounts of unconjugated p-coumaric acid and benzoic acid. These in vitro effects occur at concentrations easily achievable in the gut after berry ingestion and we discuss the likelihood that berry extracts could be effective anti-giardial agents in vivo.
Leishmania donovani: proteasome-mediated down-regulation of methionine adenosyltransferase
Authors: PÉREZ-PERTEJO YOLANDA , ÁLVAREZ-VELILLA RAQUEL , ESTRADA CARLOS GARCÍA , BALAÑA-FOUCE RAFAEL , REGUERA ROSA M. 
Published: August 2011

SUMMARYMethionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) is an important enzyme for metabolic processes, to the extent that its product, S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), plays a key role intrans-methylation,trans-sulphuration and polyamine synthesis. Previous studies have shown that a MAT-overexpressing strain ofLeishmania donovanicontrols AdoMet production, keeping the intracellular AdoMet concentration at levels that are compatible with cell survival. This unexpected result, together with the fact that MAT activity and abundance changed with time in culture, suggests that different regulatory mechanisms acting beyond the post-transcriptional level are controlling this protein. In order to gain an insight into these mechanisms, several experiments were carried out to explain the MAT abundance during promastigote cell growth. Determination of MAT turnover in cycloheximide (CHX)-treated cultures resulted in a surprising 5-fold increase in MAT turnover compared to CHX-untreated cultures. This increase agrees with a stabilization of the MAT protein, whose integrity was maintained during culture. The presence of proteasome inhibitors, namely MG-132, MG-115, epoxomycin and lactacystin in the culture medium prevented MAT degradation in both MAT-overexpressing and ‘mock-transfected’ leishmanial strains. The role of the ubiquitin (Ub) pathway in MAT down-regulation was supported using immunoprecipitation experiments. Immunoprecipitated MAT cross-reacted with anti-Ub antibodies, which provides evidence of a proteasome-mediated down-regulation of the leishmanial MAT abundance.
Rational deployment of antimalarial drugs in Africa: should first-line combination drugs be reserved for paediatric malaria cases?
Authors: SUTHERLAND COLIN J. , BABIKER HAMZA , MACKINNON MARGARET J. , RANFORD-CARTWRIGHT LISA , SAYED BADRIA BABIKER EL 
Published: August 2011

SUMMARYArtemisinin-based combination therapy is exerting novel selective pressure upon populations ofPlasmodium falciparumacross Africa. Levels of resistance to non-artemisinin partner drugs differ among parasite populations, and so the artemisinins are not uniformly protected from developing resistance, already present in South East Asia. Here, we consider strategies for prolonging the period of high level efficacy of combination therapy for two particular endemicities common in Africa. Under high intensity transmission, two alternating first-line combinations, ideally with antagonistic selective effects on the parasite genome, are advocated for paediatric malaria cases. This leaves second-line and other therapies for adult cases, and for intermittent preventive therapy. The drug portfolio would be selected to protect the ‘premier’ combination regimen from selection for resistance, while maximising impact on severe disease and mortality in children. In endemic areas subject to low, seasonal transmission ofPlasmodium falciparum, such a strategy may deliver little benefit, as children represent a minority of cases. Nevertheless, the deployment of other drug-based interventions in low transmission and highly seasonal areas, such as mass drug administration aimed to interrupt malaria transmission, or intermittent preventive therapy, does provide an opportunity to diversify drug pressure. We thus propose an integrated approach to drug deployment, which minimises direct selective pressure on parasite populations from any one drug component. This approach is suitable for qualitatively and quantitatively different burdens of malaria, and should be supported by a programme of routine surveillance for emerging resistance.
Comparative efficacy of immunization with inactivated whole tachyzoites versus a tachyzoite-bradyzoite mixture against neosporosis in mice
Authors: ROJO-MONTEJO S. , COLLANTES-FERNÁNDEZ E. , RODRÍGUEZ-MARCOS S. , PÉREZ-ZABALLOS F. , LÓPEZ-PÉREZ I. , PRENAFETA A. , ORTEGA-MORA L. M. 
Published: August 2011

SUMMARYThe worldwide economic impact ofNeospora caninuminfection has caused the development of effective vaccines to become one of the main goals in the field of neosporosis research. In this study, the protection conferred by antigens from inactivated whole tachyzoites (TZ) and a tachyzoite-bradyzoite mixture (TZ-BZ) ofN. caninum(Nc-Spain7 isolate) incorporated into a water-in-oil emulsion (W/O) and aluminium hydroxide-ginseng extract (Al/G) was evaluated in mouse models of congenital and cerebralN. caninuminfection. Immunization with TZ-BZ induced congenital and cerebral neosporosis exacerbation that was mainly characterized by reduced neonatal median survival time and increased parasite presence in adult mouse brains. The immune response of mice immunized with TZ-BZ was characterized by an increase in IFN-γexpression prior to challenge and an increase in IL-4 expression accompanied with significantly higher levels of antibodies against 2 recombinant bradyzoite-specific proteins (rNcSAG4 and rNcBSR4) after challenge. Immunization with TZ in W/O significantly reduced neonatal mortality, vertical transmission as well as parasite presence in adult mouse brains and induced a strong humoral immune response. The current study demonstrates the critical role of stage-specific antigens and adjuvants on the development of effective inactivated vaccines for the prevention ofN. caninuminfection.
Rating reliability for life events and difficulties in the elderly
Authors: Wilkinson Susan J. , Downes John , James Owen , Davies Morris G. , Davies Ann D. M. 
Published: August 2011

SynopsisThe inter-rater reliability of Brown's measure of ongoing difficulties (‘severity’) is shown to be comparable with that of the measure of life events (‘long-term threat’) when using data from an elderly subject pool. Test–retest reliabilities for both the life event and difficulty measures are shown to be adequate if based on ‘consensus’ ratings. The question is raised of generalizability of the concepts of ‘threat’ and ‘severity’ across the lifespan.
Self-incineration: a controlled comparison of in-patient suicide attempts. Clinical features and history of self-harm
Authors: Jacobson R. , Jackson M. , Berelowitz M. 
Published: August 2011

SynopsisA systematic survey of in-patient accidents and injuries in an inner London hospital over 9 years established that, after incisions and overdoses, self-incineration was one of the commoner methods of violent self-harm. A case-controlled study of in-patient suicide attempts compared a series of 12 self-incinerators with 12 patients using other methods. Irrespective of method, the suicide attempt was predominantly a psychotic act of young single people with chronic, severe disorders and considerable past parasuicide, in a setting of escalating self-harm. Younger age, greater psychiatric morbidity, absence of alcoholism, a history of childhood arson, past and current self-burning were the features specific to self-incineration, which had a 25% mortality rate.
Implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of a payment scheme for environmental services from agricultural land
Authors: ULBER LENA , KLIMEK SEBASTIAN , STEINMANN HORST-HENNING , ISSELSTEIN JOHANNES , GROTH MARKUS 
Published: August 2011

SUMMARYThe current rapid decline in biodiversity in human-dominated agricultural landscapes, both in Europe and worldwide, impacts on the provision of environmental services essential to human well-being. There is, therefore, a pressing need to develop and implement incentive-based conservation policies to counteract the ongoing loss of biodiversity. This paper presents results of a regionally-scaled conservation procurement auction, a type of incentive-based payments for environmental services (PES), targeted at the conservation of arable plant diversity. By matching arable fields that were participating in the PES scheme to control fields that were not enrolled in the PES scheme, two critical key characteristics were addressed, namely additionality and bid prices. Additionality was addressed by evaluating whether fields for which PES were issued had significantly higher arable plant diversity than the matched control fields. The cost-effectiveness of a conservation auction increases if payments compensate just farmers’ opportunity costs (in terms of forgone production); bid prices of participating farmers were thus also evaluated to determine whether they were related to their individual opportunity costs. The PES scheme proved to be highly effective in ensuring environmental services delivery through enhanced arable plant diversity on participating fields. In contrast, the potential of the proposed conservation auction design to raise cost-effectiveness has to be questioned, because bid prices submitted in this scheme substantially exceeded individual farmers’ opportunity costs. Therefore, bid prices were most likely influenced by socioeconomic factors other than opportunity costs. This case study illustrates potentials and pitfalls associated with the implementation of a PES scheme and, by evaluating the effectiveness of the scheme, contributes to an improved understanding of incentive-based mechanisms for both policymakers and practitioners involved in PES scheme design and implementation.
CONTACT PROBLEMS FOR NONLINEARLY ELASTIC MATERIALS: WEAK SOLVABILITY INVOLVING DUAL LAGRANGE MULTIPLIERS
Authors: MATEI A. , CIURCEA R. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractA class of problems modelling the contact between nonlinearly elastic materials and rigid foundations is analysed for static processes under the small deformation hypothesis. In the present paper, the contact between the body and the foundation can be frictional bilateral or frictionless unilateral. For every mechanical problem in the class considered, we derive a weak formulation consisting of a nonlinear variational equation and a variational inequality involving dual Lagrange multipliers. The weak solvability of the models is established by using saddle-point theory and a fixed-point technique. This approach is useful for the development of efficient algorithms for approximating weak solutions.
Low Prevalence of Clinically High-Risk Women and Pathological Thyroid Ultrasound among Pregnant Women Positive in Universal Screening for Thyroid Disorders
Authors: Jiskra J. , Bartáková J. , Holinka Š. , Límanová Z. , Springer D. , Antošová M. , Telička Z. , Potluková E. 
Published: August 2011

AbstractIt is controversial whether screening program for thyroid disorders in pregnancy should be universal or targeted case-finding.To evaluate the relationship between history, laboratory parameters and thyroid ultrasound (TUS) in pregnant women positive in universal screening.The screening included investigation of serum TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and TPOAb (antithyroperoxidase antibodies) in 5 520 unselected pregnant women in the 9–11th gestational week. In 822 the screening was positive: abnormal TSH (> 3.67 or < 0.06 mIU/l) and/or positive TPOAb (> 143 kIU/l). 200 consecutive women with positive screening were included it the study.41 women (21%) had transient gestational hyperthyroidism (TGH) and 159 (79%) had a thyroid pathology: 10 (5%) overt hypothyroidism; 76 (38%) subclinical hypothyroidism, 7 (3.5%) overt hyperthyroidism and 66 (33%) euthyroid TPOAb positivity. After exclusion of TGH, only 74/159 (47%) women were classified as high-risk for thyroid disease according to their history. There were no significant clinical and laboratory differences between the high- vs. low-risk women, except for higher proportion of FT4<75th percentile (P=0.008) and larger thyroid volume in the high-risk group (P=0.04). Finally, only 66/126 (52%) of TPOAb-positive pregnant women had autoimmune pattern in TUS in comparison with 41/49 (84%) TPOAb-positive non-pregnant control women of comparable age (P<0.001).Less than half of the positively screened pregnant women can be classified as high-risk and almost half of them had not autoimmune pattern in TUS. High- and low-risk pregnant women have similar clinical and laboratory characteristics.
A powerful and flexible approach to the analysis of RNA sequence count data
Authors: Zhou Yi-Hui , Xia Kai , Wright Fred A. 
Published: August 2011

Abstract
Motivation: A number of penalization and shrinkage approaches have been proposed for the analysis of microarray gene expression data. Similar techniques are now routinely applied to RNA sequence transcriptional count data, although the value of such shrinkage has not been conclusively established. If penalization is desired, the explicit modeling of mean–variance relationships provides a flexible testing regimen that ‘borrows’ information across genes, while easily incorporating design effects and additional covariates.
Results: We describe BBSeq, which incorporates two approaches: (i) a simple beta-binomial generalized linear model, which has not been extensively tested for RNA-Seq data and (ii) an extension of an expression mean–variance modeling approach to RNA-Seq data, involving modeling of the overdispersion as a function of the mean. Our approaches are flexible, allowing for general handling of discrete experimental factors and continuous covariates. We report comparisons with other alternate methods to handle RNA-Seq data. Although penalized methods have advantages for very small sample sizes, the beta-binomial generalized linear model, combined with simple outlier detection and testing approaches, appears to have favorable characteristics in power and flexibility.
Availability: An R package containing examples and sample datasets is available at http://www.bios.unc.edu/research/genomic_software/BBSeq
Contact: yzhou@bios.unc.edu; fwright@bios.unc.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Mauve Assembly Metrics
Authors: Darling Aaron E. , Tritt Andrew , Eisen Jonathan A. , Facciotti Marc T. 
Published: August 2011

Abstract
Summary: High-throughput DNA sequencing technologies have spurred the development of numerous novel methods for genome assembly. With few exceptions, these algorithms are heuristic and require one or more parameters to be manually set by the user. One approach to parameter tuning involves assembling data from an organism with an available high-quality reference genome, and measuring assembly accuracy using some metrics.
We developed a system to measure assembly quality under several scoring metrics, and to compare assembly quality across a variety of assemblers, sequence data types, and parameter choices. When used in conjunction with training data such as a high-quality reference genome and sequence reads from the same organism, our program can be used to manually identify an optimal sequencing and assembly strategy for de novo sequencing of related organisms.
Availability: GPL source code and a usage tutorial is at http://ngopt.googlecode.com
Contact: aarondarling@ucdavis.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data is available at Bioinformatics online.
Influence of Adjuvants and Spray Timing of Movento on Aphid Contamination and Crop Injury in Baby Spinach
Authors: Palumbo John C. 
Published: August 2011

Movento (spirotetramat), a new tetramic acid derivative insecticide, has shown to provide excellent activity against sucking insects through acropetal and basipetal systemic activity following foliar application on some vegetable crops. Studies conducted from 2007-2010 clearly showed that the addition of a penetrating adjuvant (i.e., Dyne-Amic) with Movento sprays significantly enhanced its efficacy against green peach aphid in baby spinach and prevented aphid contamination on marketable spinach plants. Aliette, a systemic fungicide, also significantly enhanced aphid control when combined with Movento. In the absence of a penetrating adjuvant, Movento sprays did not provide commercially acceptable control of green peach aphids in spinach, regardless of spray timing. Addition of other spray additives commonly used in spinach production did not significantly enhance Movento's aphicidal activity. Trials in 2009 and 2010 suggested that a single spray application of Movento with Dyne-Amic on older spinach plants (4-leaf stage) provided control comparable with the same mixture applied twice on smaller (2- and 4-leaf stages). Although growers are generally reluctant to apply oil-based chemicals on baby spinach crops due to risk of crop injury, no phytotocixity was observed with application of Movento/Dyne-Amic mixtures in any of the trials. Accepted for publication 16 May 2011. Published 30 June 2011.
Two Mechanosensitive Channel Homologs Influence Division Ring Placement in Arabidopsis Chloroplasts
Authors: Wilson Margaret E. , Jensen Gregory S. , Haswell Elizabeth S. 
Published: August 2011

Abstract
Chloroplasts must divide repeatedly to maintain their population during plant growth and development. A number of proteins required for chloroplast division have been identified, and the functional relationships between them are beginning to be elucidated. In both chloroplasts and bacteria, the future site of division is specified by placement of the Filamentous temperature sensitive Z (FtsZ) ring, and the Min system serves to restrict FtsZ ring formation to mid-chloroplast or mid-cell. How the Min system is regulated in response to environmental and developmental factors is largely unstudied. Here, we investigated the role in chloroplast division played by two Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of the bacterial mechanosensitive (MS) channel MscS: MscS-Like 2 (MSL2) and MSL3. Immunofluorescence microscopy and live imaging approaches demonstrated that msl2 msl3 double mutants have enlarged chloroplasts containing multiple FtsZ rings. Genetic analyses indicate that MSL2, MSL3, and components of the Min system function in the same pathway to regulate chloroplast size and FtsZ ring formation. In addition, an Escherichia coli strain lacking MS channels also showed aberrant FtsZ ring assembly. These results establish MS channels as components of the chloroplast division machinery and suggest that their role is evolutionarily conserved.
The effects of a care map for total knee replacement patients
Authors: Lin Pi‐Chu , Hung Shih‐Hsin , Wu Heng‐Fei , Hsu Hsiu‐Chu , Chu Chan‐Yi , Su Shu‐Juan 
Published: August 2011

Aims.  The aim of this study was to establish and evaluate the effectiveness of a care map for total knee replacement patients.Background.  Bureau of National Health Insurance in Taiwan is about to launch a diagnosis‐related group. This major reform has seriously affected the running of medical institutions, which are facing unprecedented management pressure.Design.  A quasi‐experimental control group design was carried out.Methods.  Eighty‐three patients were recruited, with 39 experimental group patients received nursing care based on a care map, while 44 patients who were in control group received routine nursing care. An interdisciplinary team designed the care map, which included items required for patient care from outpatient to postdischarge.Results.  (1) The mean age of patients was 72·73 (SD 8·42) years. Mean length of stay was 4·92 (SD 0·77) days for the experimental group and 7·09 (SD = 1·09) for the control group. Difference between groups was significant (t = −10·285, p < 0·001). The medical cost for the experimental group was less than that for the control group (t = −6·03, p < 0·001). (2) The self‐care efficacy score before discharge for the experimental group was higher than that for the control group (t = 5·90, p < 0·001). (3) Significant improvements were observed in activities of daily living for both groups with the passage of time after discharge (F = 229·034, p < 0·001), and the experimental group was better than the control group (F = 40·895, p < 0·001). The instrumental activities of daily living abilities of both groups were also significant improvements with the passage of time after discharge (F = 46·568, p < 0·001), and the experimental group was better than the control group (F = 32·163, p < 0·001).Conclusions.  A care map for total knee replacement patient can shorten length of stay, save medical cost and improve patient’s functional recovery.Relevance to clinical practice.  Results of this study can be used as a basis for practical implementation of care map in total knee replacement patients.