bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Prospective Randomised Controlled Study on Efficacies of Acupuncture and Steroid in Treatment of Idiopathic Peripheral Facial Paralysis
Authors: Tong Fu Man , Chow Shun Kit , Chan Patrick Yiu Bong , Wong Alex Kam Wah , Wan Sambo Shuk Ying , Ng Rebecca Ka Wah , Chan Geoffrey , Chan Wing Shan , Ng Angela , Law Chi Keung 
Published: November 2009

Objective A randomised controlled trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in comparison with steroid in treatment of idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis (Bell's palsy). Methods A total of 119 patients attending Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital from February 2003 to December 2005 were randomly allocated to groups of acupuncture, steroid and control (conventional expectant treatment). There were 53 in the steroid group, 28 in the acupuncture group and 38 in the control group. Patients were assessed weekly by blinded assessors, using the House–Brackmann facial nerve grading system. Results The efficacy of treatment in three groups was compared, in terms of degree of recovery and speed of recovery. Intention-to-treat analyses were performed. Results were analysed with SPSS software. Distribution of initial grade on presentation was analysed with the Pearson chi-square test and showed uneven distribution in the three groups in the intention-to-treat analysis. The overall improvement (grade 3 or better) was 86.9% in the steroid group, 96.4% in the acupuncture group and 89.5% in the control group respectively. However, the difference in degree of recovery and speed of recovery in the three groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion The efficacies of acupuncture, steroid and conventional expectant treatment (natural course of recovery) in idiopathic peripheral facial palsy (Bell's palsy) in the study were the same with respect to the degree of recovery and speed of recovery.
Acupuncture and Reflexology for Insomnia: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Hughes Ciara M , McCullough Carey A , Bradbury Ian , Boyde Carol , Hume Diane , Yuan Jiang , Quinn Fionnuala , McDonough Suzanne M 
Published: November 2009

Objective To assess the feasibility of patient recruitment and retention, logistics of intervention and outcome measure sensitivity for a study designed to investigate the use of acupuncture and reflexology for the management of insomnia. Design Feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial. Setting University of Ulster Clinic. Patients Thirteen participants with sleep disturbances. Interventions Participants were randomised to receive one of three treatments, either: acupuncture (n = 5), reflexology (n = 4) or music therapy (n = 4). These treatments were administered six times over a 3-week period. Main outcome measures The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Short Form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2) were recorded at baseline, post-treatment and follow-up. Each participant also completed a Sleep Diary. Results Ten participants completed treatment. In the acupuncture and reflexology groups, a clinically relevant improvement in two out of three participants was observed on the PSQI following treatment. Music therapy produced no clinically important improvements. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of conducting an RCT on the effect of acupuncture and reflexology in primary insomnia using PSQI as the primary outcome measure. Modifications for a more rigorous study design have been discussed. Results from such a study would address the lack of high-quality evidence for the effectiveness of such therapies.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acupuncture Treatment and Local Anaesthetic Injection for Low Back Pain: A Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Inoue Motohiro , Hojo Tatsuya , Nakajima Miwa , Kitakoji Hiroshi , Itoi Megumi 
Published: November 2009

Objective To compare the effectiveness of repeated acupuncture stimulation and local anaesthetic injection at the most painful points in patients with low back pain. Method This randomised controlled clinical trial involved 26 patients with low back pain randomly allocated to either an acupuncture group (n = 13) or a local anaesthetic injection group (n = 13). Both acupuncture and anaesthetic injection were performed at two to five of the most painful points on the lower back once weekly for 4 weeks. In the acupuncture group, a 0.18 mm diameter stainless steel needle was inserted to a depth of 10–20 mm and manual stimulation was applied. In the local anaesthetic injection group, a 0.5 mm diameter needle was inserted to a depth of 10–20 mm and a local anaesthetic was injected. Participants evaluated pain using a Visual Analogue Scale immediately before and after the first treatment, before each subsequent treatment, and at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after completion of treatment. Results There was a significant difference between the two groups in the change in Visual Analogue Scale pain scores (p<0.01), with acupuncture providing more favourable results than local anaesthetic injection. The reduction in pain score from baseline calculated at each time period was significantly different between the two groups after the first (p<0.05) and final (p<0.01) treatments, and during the follow-up period (after 2 weeks (p<0.01) and 4 weeks (p<0.05)). Conclusion Both injection and acupuncture relieved pain, but acupuncture was superior for the immediate and sustained effects, suggesting that it is a useful treatment for low back pain. The difference in the effects may be attributable to differences in the mechanism of pain suppression.
Phosphatidylcholine in membrane ofEscherichia colichanges bacterial antigenicity
Authors: Chen Fan , Zhao Qiong , Cai Xueli , Lv Luchao , Lin Wen , Yu Xuejin , Li Changyu , Li Yang , Xiong Min , Wang Xing-Guo 
Published: November 2009

This study reports that Escherichia coli phosphatidylcholine-positive (PC+) strain Top10/ptac66 (PC+PE+), in which borrelial PC synthase (PCS) directly condenses exogenous choline with CDP-diacylglycerol (CDP-DAG) to form PC, displayed not only stronger resistance to antimicrobial peptides cecropin P1 and indolicidin, but also decreased ability to attract macrophages to the abdominal cavity of infected mice in the 36 h following infection, compared with the control strainTop10/ptac85 (PC–PE+). Rabbit sera raised against the PC+strains Top10/ptac66 (PC+ PE+) and AD93/ptac67 (PC+PE–) recognized a different set of periplasmic proteins and lipopolysaccharides,compared with those detected by antisera to the PC–strains Top10/ptac85 and AD93 (PC–PE–) . Electron microscopy also showed that the morphology of cell wall of Top10/ptac66 was different from that of the control strain Top10/ptac85. Enhancement of bacterial resistance to antimicrobe peptides, alteration of bacterial antigenicity and evasion of macrophage attacks in mice suggest that PC in the bacterial membrane may play a role in bacterial evasion of the innate or adaptive immune response of the host.
Expression of the atf1+ gene is upregulated in fission yeast under nitrosative and nutritional stresses
Authors: Song S.-H. , Kim B.-M. , Lim C.-J. , Song Y.S. , Park E.-H. 
Published: November 2009

This work was designed to assess regulation of the atf1+ gene in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe under nitrosative and nutritional stresses, using the atf1+–lacZ fusion gene and RT–PCR. Nitric oxide (NO)-generating sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 10 µmol/L) and nitrogen depletion significantly enhanced synthesis of β-galactosidase from the atf1+–lacZ fusion gene in S. pombe Pap1-positive KP1 cells, but not in S. pombe Pap1-negative TP108-3C cells. SNP (10 µmol/L) and nitrogen depletion also caused a significant increase in atf1+ mRNA levels in Pap1-positive cells, but not in Pap1-negative cells. Depletion of glucose marginally increased synthesis of β-galactosidase from the fusion gene in S. pombe Pap1-positive cells. Taken together, the S. pombe atf1+ gene is upregulated by nitrosative and nutritional stresses on a transcriptional level, possibly via the mediation of Pap1.
Role of YiaX2 in l-ascorbate transport in Klebsiella pneumoniae 13882
Authors: Campos Evangelina , Aguilera Laura , Giménez Rosa , Aguilar Juan , Baldoma Laura , Badia Josefa 
Published: November 2009

The yiaK–S operon is required for aerobic growth on l-ascorbate in several Enterobacteriaceae. Here we present evidence that the yiaX2 gene belonging to the yiaK–S operon of Klebsiella pneumoniae 13882, which encodes a protein similar to the putative transporters classified as the major facilitator superfamily, is involved in the uptake of l-ascorbate. Concentration kinetic analysis yielded an apparent Km of YiaX2 for l-ascorbate of 161.38 ±8.28 µmol·L–1 and a Vmax of 3.81 ± 0.60 nmol·mg–1·min–1. This carrier uses the energy from electrochemical gradients, since it was inhibited by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, a hydrophobic proton conductor that dissipates proton motive force.
Endovascular Management of the Popliteal Artery: Comparison of Atherectomy and Angioplasty
Authors: Semaan Elie , Hamburg Naomi , Nasr Wael , Shaw Palma , Eberhardt Robert , Woodson Jonathan , Doros Gheorghe , Rybin Denis , Farber Alik 
Published: November 2009

Purpose: Symptomatic atherosclerotic disease of the popliteal artery presents challenges for endovascular therapy. We evaluated the technical success, complications, and midterm outcomes of atherectomy and angioplasty involving the popliteal segment. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of outcomes of popliteal artery intervention using atherectomy or angioplasty performed between 2003 and 2008. Results: A total of 56 patients (36% women, age 72.8 ± 12.2 years, 77% critical limb ischemia) underwent popliteal atherectomy (n = 18) or angioplasty (n = 38). These patients had similar clinical characteristics, TransAtlantic Intersociety Consensus (TASC)/ TASC II classification, mean lesion length, and runoff scores. We observed a trend toward higher rates of technical success defined as <30% residual stenosis after atherectomy compared to angioplasty (94% vs 71%, P = .08). While angioplasty was associated with a higher frequency of arterial dissection (23% vs 0%, P = .003), atherectomy was associated with a higher rate of thromboembolic events (22% vs 0%, P = 0.01). Adjunctive stenting was used more frequently following angioplasty compared to atherectomy (45% vs 6%, P = .005). Thrombolysis was used to treat embolization in 4 patients in the atherectomy group. The improvement in the ankle-brachial index (ABI) was similar between the 2 treatment groups. Primary patency of the popliteal artery at 3, 6, and 12 months was 94%, 88%, and 75% in the atherectomy group and 89%, 82%, and 73% in the angioplasty group (P = not significant [NS]). There were no significant differences in limb salvage and freedom from reintervention at 1 year between the atherectomy and angioplasty groups. Conclusions: Our experience with popliteal artery endovascular therapy indicates a distinct pattern of procedural complications with atherectomy compared to angioplasty but similar midterm patency, limb salvage, and freedom from intervention.
Single nucleotide polymorphism discovery in rainbow trout by deep sequencing of a reduced representation library
Authors: Sánchez Cecilia Castaño , Smith Timothy PL , Wiedmann Ralph T , Vallejo Roger L , Salem Mohamed , Yao Jianbo , Rexroad Caird E 
Published: November 2009

Abstract

Background
To enhance capabilities for genomic analyses in rainbow trout, such as genomic selection, a large suite of polymorphic markers that are amenable to high-throughput genotyping protocols must be identified. Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) have been used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in salmonids. In those strategies, the salmonid semi-tetraploid genomes often led to assemblies of paralogous sequences and therefore resulted in a high rate of false positive SNP identification. Sequencing genomic DNA using primers identified from ESTs proved to be an effective but time consuming methodology of SNP identification in rainbow trout, therefore not suitable for high throughput SNP discovery. In this study, we employed a high-throughput strategy that used pyrosequencing technology to generate data from a reduced representation library constructed with genomic DNA pooled from 96 unrelated rainbow trout that represent the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture (NCCCWA) broodstock population.

Results
The reduced representation library consisted of 440 bp fragments resulting from complete digestion with the restriction enzyme Hae III; sequencing produced 2,000,000 reads providing an average 6 fold coverage of the estimated 150,000 unique genomic restriction fragments (300,000 fragment ends). Three independent data analyses identified 22,022 to 47,128 putative SNPs on 13,140 to 24,627 independent contigs. A set of 384 putative SNPs, randomly selected from the sets produced by the three analyses were genotyped on individual fish to determine the validation rate of putative SNPs among analyses, distinguish apparent SNPs that actually represent paralogous loci in the tetraploid genome, examine Mendelian segregation, and place the validated SNPs on the rainbow trout linkage map. Approximately 48% (183) of the putative SNPs were validated; 167 markers were successfully incorporated into the rainbow trout linkage map. In addition, 2% of the sequences from the validated markers were associated with rainbow trout transcripts.

Conclusion
The use of reduced representation libraries and pyrosequencing technology proved to be an effective strategy for the discovery of a high number of putative SNPs in rainbow trout; however, modifications to the technique to decrease the false discovery rate resulting from the evolutionary recent genome duplication would be desirable.
Characterising the KMP-11 and HSP-70 recombinant antigens' humoral immune response profile in chagasic patients
Authors: Flechas Ivonne D , Cuellar Adriana , Cucunubá Zulma M , Rosas Fernando , Velasco Víctor , Steindel Mario , Thomas María del Carmen , López Manuel Carlos , González John Mario , Puerta Concepción Judith 
Published: November 2009

AbstractBackgroundAntigen specificity and IgG subclass could be significant in the natural history of Chagas' disease. The relationship between the different stages of human Chagas' disease and the profiles of total IgG and its subclasses were thus analysed here; they were directed against a crudeT. cruziextract and three recombinant antigens: theT. cruzikinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (rKMP-11), an internal fragment of theT. cruziHSP-70 protein192-433, and the entireTrypanosoma rangeliHSP-70 protein.MethodsSeventeen Brazilian acute chagasic patients, 50 Colombian chronic chagasic patients (21 indeterminate and 29 cardiopathic patients) and 30 healthy individuals were included. Total IgG and its subtypes directed against the above-mentioned recombinant antigens were determined by ELISA tests.ResultsTheT. cruziKMP-11 andT. rangeliHSP-70 recombinant proteins were able to distinguish both acute from chronic chagasic patients and infected people from healthy individuals. Specific antibodies toT. cruzicrude antigen in acute patients came from IgG3 and IgG4 subclasses whereas IgG1 and IgG3 were the prevalent isotypes in indeterminate and chronic chagasic patients. By contrast, the specific prominent antibodies in all disease stages againstT. cruziKMP-11 andT. rangeliHSP-70 recombinant antigens were the IgG1 subclass.ConclusionT. cruziKMP-11 and theT. rangeliHSP-70 recombinant proteins may be explored together in the immunodiagnosis of Chagas' disease.Polarising the IgG1 subclass of the IgG response toT. cruziKMP-11 andT. rangeliHSP-70 recombinant proteins could have important biological effects, taking into account that this is a complement fixing antibody.
A rapid and inexpensive labeling method for microarray gene expression analysis
Authors: Ouellet Mario , Adams Paul D , Keasling Jay D , Mukhopadhyay Aindrila 
Published: November 2009

Abstract

Background
Global gene expression profiling by DNA microarrays is an invaluable tool in biological research. However, existing labeling methods are time consuming and costly and therefore often limit the scale of microarray experiments and sample throughput. Here we introduce a new, fast, inexpensive method for direct random-primed fluorescent labeling of eukaryotic cDNA for gene expression analysis and compare the results obtained on the NimbleGen microarray platform with two other widely-used labeling methods, namely the NimbleGen-recommended double-stranded cDNA protocol and the indirect (aminoallyl) method.

Results
Two total RNA samples were labeled with each method and hybridized to NimbleGen expression arrays. Although all methods tested here provided similar global results and biological conclusions, the new direct random-primed cDNA labeling method provided slightly better correlation between replicates compared to the other methods and thus increased ability to find statistically significant differentially expressed genes.

Conclusion
The new direct random-primed cDNA labeling method introduced here is suitable for gene expression microarrays and provides a rapid, inexpensive alternative to existing methods. Using NimbleGen microarrays, the method produced excellent results comparable to those obtained with other methods. However, the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the new method allows for increased sample throughput in microarray experiments and makes the process amenable to automation with a relatively simple liquid handling system.
Lévy flights and Lévy-Schrödinger semigroups
Authors: Garbaczewski Piotr 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
We analyze two different confining mechanisms for Lévy flights in the presence of external potentials. One of them is due to a conservative force in the corresponding Langevin equation. Another is implemented by Lévy-Schrödinger semigroups which induce so-called topological Lévy processes (Lévy flights with locally modified jump rates in the master equation). Given a stationary probability function (pdf) associated with the Langevin-based fractional Fokker-Planck equation, we demonstrate that generically there exists a topological Lévy process with the same invariant pdf and in reverse.
Gamma-ray production in the 170Er(p,n)170Tm nuclear reaction
Authors: Mihailescu Alexandru , Cata-Danil Gheorghe 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
For the first time discrete gamma-rays following the nuclear reaction 170Er(p,n)170Tm with enriched target were measured with a high resolution GeHP spectrometer. Protons delivered by the Bucharest FN Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator bombarded a thin self-supporting film of enriched erbium. Measured γ-ray energies (Eγ), their relative intensities (Iγ) and corresponding excitation functions for the beam energy range 2.0–3.6 MeV are reported in the present work. The measured excitation functions were fairly well reproduced by compound nucleus calculations based on the Hauser-Feshbach formalism.
The telomere-specific non-LTR retrotransposons SART1 and TRAS1 are suppressed by Piwi subfamily proteins in the silkworm, Bombyx mori
Authors: Tatsuke Tsuneyuki , Sakashita Kosuke , Masaki Yuki , Lee Jae , Kawaguchi Yutaka , Kusakabe Takahiro 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe telomere structures in Bombyx mori are thought to be maintained mainly by the transposition of the specialized telomeric retroelements SART and TRAS. The silkworm genome has telomeric TTAGG repeats and telomerase, but this telomerase displays little or no activity. Here, we report that the transcription of the telomeric retroelements SART1 and TRAS1 is suppressed by the silkworm Piwi subfamily proteins BmAgo3 and Siwi. The silkworm Piwi subfamily was found to be expressed predominantly in the gonads and early embryo, as in other model organisms, but in BmN4 cultured cells, these proteins formed granules that were separate from the nuage, which is a different behaviour pattern. The expression of TRAS1 was increased in BmN4 cells when BmAgo3 or Siwi were silenced by RNAi. Our results suggest that B. mori Piwi proteins are involved in regulating the transposition of telomeric retroelements, and that the functional piRNA pathway is conserved in BmN4 cultured cells.
Factors Affecting Template Usage in the Development of K65R Resistance in Subtype C Variants of HIV Type-1
Authors: Coutsinos Dimitrios , Invernizzi Cédric F , Xu Hongtao , Brenner Bluma G , Wainberg Mark A 
Published: November 2009

Background: We have shown that the K65R resistance mutation in HIV type-1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) is selected more rapidly in subtype C than subtype B HIV-1 in biochemical, cell culture and clinical studies. Template-usage experiments demonstrated that subtype C nucleotide coding sequences caused RT to preferentially pause, leading to K65R acquisition. This new study now further establishes the basis for differential occurrence of both K65R and thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs) between subtypes. Methods: Gel-based nucleotide extension assays were used to study the homopolymeric sequence surrounding K65. Results: When positive double-stranded DNA synthesis was evaluated from a negative single-stranded DNA template, pausing at the 67 region, which is linked to occurrence of TAMs, was alleviated with both subtype B and C templates at high dCTP concentrations, but this alleviation was more pronounced with the subtype C template. By contrast, pausing at the 65 region on the subtype C but not subtype B template always occurred and was not alleviated at high levels of nucleotide triphosphates or by other means. Furthermore, templates containing repeats of the homopolymeric sequence spanning codons 64–66 of pol showed corresponding pausing repeats at the 65 region with the subtype C template only. Inverted RNA and DNA templates both displayed pausing at position K65 for the subtype C template and a ladder of pausing events culminating at codon 67 for the subtype B templates. Conclusions: These results further establish a mechanistic basis for the exclusion of both K65R and TAMs on single templates as well as the preferential acquisition of K65R in subtype C viruses.
Synthesis and characterization of new (N‐diphenylphosphino)‐isopropylanilines and their complexes: crystal structure of (Ph2P S)NHC6H44CH(CH3)2 and catalytic activity of palladium(II) complexes in the Heck and Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions
Authors: Aydemir Murat , Baysal Akın , Gürbüz Nevin , Özdemir İsmail , Gümgüm Bahattin , Özkar Saim , Çaylak Nagihan , Yıldırım Leyla Tatar 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThree new (N‐diphenylphosphino)‐isopropylanilines, having isopropyl substituent at the carbon 2‐ (1) 4‐ (2) or 2,6‐ (3) were prepared from the aminolysis of chlorodiphenylphosphine with 2‐isopropylaniline, 4‐isopropylaniline or 2,6‐diisopropylaniline, respectively, under anaerobic conditions. Oxidation of 1,2 and 3 with aqueous hydrogen peroxide, elemental sulfur or gray selenium gave the corresponding oxides, sulfides and selenides (Ph2PE)NHC6H42‐CH(CH3)2, (Ph2PE)NHC6H44‐CH(CH3)2 and (Ph2PE)NHC6H42,6‐{CH(CH3)2}2, where E = O, S, or Se, respectively. The reaction of [M(cod)Cl2] (M = Pd, Pt; cod = 1,5‐cyclooctadiene) with two equivalents of 1,2 or 3 yields the corresponding monodendate complexes [M((Ph2P)NHC6H42‐CH(CH3)2)2Cl2], M = Pd 1d, M = Pt 1e, [M((Ph2P)NHC6H44‐CH(CH3)2)2Cl2], M = Pd 2d, M = Pt 2e and [M((Ph2P)NHC6H42,6‐(CH(CH3)2)2)2Cl2], M = Pd 3d, M = Pt 3e, respectively. All the compounds were isolated as analytically pure substances and characterized by NMR, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Furthermore, representative solid‐state structure of [(Ph2PS)NHC6H44‐CH(CH3)2] (2b) was determined using single crystal X‐ray diffraction technique. The complexes 1d–3d were tested and found to be highly active catalysts in the Suzuki coupling and Heck reaction, affording biphenyls and stilbenes, respectively. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.