bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hypercoagulable state in Cushing's syndrome is reversible following remission
Authors: Kastelan Darko , Dusek Tina , Kraljevic Ivana , Aganovic Izet 
Published: June 2012

SummaryObjectiveHypercoagulability is a commonly described complication in patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS). The aim of this study was to assess the long‐term effects of surgical remission from CS on serum levels of coagulation and fibrinolytic markers.Design and methodsEighteen patients with active CS (16 women, 2 men; age: 38·6 ± 13·7 years) were enrolled in the study. We measured serum levels of coagulation and fibrinolytic markers during active CS and 6 months after remission. The control group comprised 18 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy individuals.ResultsSix months after remission from CS, patients had lower levels of factors II (P < 0·001), V (P = 0·02), XI (P = 0·04) and XII (P < 0·001), protein C (P < 0·001), protein S (P = 0·002), antithrombin (P = 0·03), antithrombin Ag (P = 0·008), plasminogen (P = 0·03) and C1 inhibitor (P = 0·001), and aPTT was longer than at enrolment (P = 0·001). Levels of PAI‐1 and factors VII, VIII and IX tended to normalize, but there were no significant differences in these parameters before and after surgery, nor were differences found in haemostatic and fibrinolytic markers between the patients in remission and control individuals, except for factor XII (P = 0·02) and protein C (P = 0·004), which were lower among patients in remission.ConclusionSix months after remission from CS, patients' risk of thromboembolism is comparable to that of healthy individuals.
Sleep EEG alterations: effects of pulsed magnetic fields versus pulse‐modulated radio frequency electromagnetic fields
Authors: SCHMID MARC R. , MURBACH MANUEL , LUSTENBERGER CAROLINE , MAIRE MICHELINE , KUSTER NIELS , ACHERMANN PETER , LOUGHRAN SARAH P. 
Published: June 2012

SummaryStudies have repeatedly shown that electroencephalographic power during sleep is enhanced in the spindle frequency range following radio frequency electromagnetic field exposures pulse‐modulated with fundamental frequency components of 2, 8, 14 or 217 Hz and combinations of these. However, signals used in previous studies also had significant harmonic components above 20 Hz. The current study aimed: (i) to determine if modulation components above 20 Hz, in combination with radio frequency, are necessary to alter the electroencephalogram; and (ii) to test the demodulation hypothesis, if the same effects occur after magnetic field exposure with the same pulse sequence used in the pulse‐modulated radio frequency exposure. In a randomized double‐blind crossover design, 25 young healthy men were exposed at weekly intervals to three different conditions for 30 min before sleep. Cognitive tasks were also performed during exposure. The conditions were a 2‐Hz pulse‐modulated radio frequency field, a 2‐Hz pulsed magnetic field, and sham. Radio frequency exposure increased electroencephalogram power in the spindle frequency range. Furthermore, delta and theta activity (non‐rapid eye movement sleep), and alpha and delta activity (rapid eye movement sleep) were affected following both exposure conditions. No effect on sleep architecture and no clear impact of exposure on cognition was observed. These results demonstrate that both pulse‐modulated radio frequency and pulsed magnetic fields affect brain physiology, and the presence of significant frequency components above 20 Hz are not fundamental for these effects to occur. Because responses were not identical for all exposures, the study does not support the hypothesis that effects of radio frequency exposure are based on demodulation of the signal only.
U‐Pb age and Hf isotope compositions of zircons from the north‐western region of the Ukrainian shield: mantle melting in response to post‐collision extension
Authors: Shumlyanskyy Leonid , Billström Kjell , Hawkesworth Chris , Elming Sten‐Åke 
Published: June 2012

Terra Nova, 24, 373–379, 2012AbstractThe North‐Western region of the Ukrainian shield represents Palaeoproterozoic continental crust formed essentially during two orogenic events at ca. 2.1–2.05 and 2.0–1.95 Ga. At 1.8–1.74 this area was intruded by huge Korosten anorthosite–mangerite–charnockite granite complex. At least three generations of mafic dykes can be distinguished in the region. We report new U‐Pb data obtained for a suite of Ni‐enriched dolerite dykes and layered gabbroic intrusions. Our results indicate that the Tomashgorod dyke was formed at 1787.4 ± 6.4 Ma, the Prutivka intrusion at 1777.0 ± 4.7 Ma and the Kamenka massif at ca. 1.79 Ga. This time coincides with the collision of the Fennoscandian and Sarmatian segments of the East European craton and it is contemporaneous with the initial stages of evolution of the Korosten complex. Hf isotopic compositions of zircons indicate that these rocks originated due to melting of moderately depleted mantle material.
Two‐stage evolution of the Altyn Tagh Fault during the Cenozoic: new insight from provenance analysis of a geological section in NW Qaidam Basin, NW China
Authors: Wu Lei , Xiao Ancheng , Yang Shufeng , Wang Liqun , Mao Liguang , Wang Liang , Dong Youpu , Xu Bo 
Published: June 2012

Terra Nova, 24, 387–395, 2012AbstractWe analysed provenance of conglomerate in a geological section spanning late Eocene to Pliocene using the gravel‐count method in the NW Qaidam Basin, NW China. The result indicates that the clasts were all derived from the Altyn Mountain to the north with a sudden alteration at ca. 15 Ma, and supports a two‐stage evolution model for the Cenozoic Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF) highlighting the history prior to the initiation of left‐slip movement on the ATF. During the first stage of ca. 36–15 Ma, the ATF was a basal shear zone confined in the middle – lower crust and created obvious uplift of the Altyn Mountain. During the second stage since ca. 15 Ma, the crust beneath the Altyn Mountain was eventually split, and left‐slip movement on the ATF then initiated.
Tissue‐specific profiling of the Arabidopsis thaliana auxin metabolome
Authors: Novák Ondřej , Hényková Eva , Sairanen Ilkka , Kowalczyk Mariusz , Pospíšil Tomáš , Ljung Karin 
Published: June 2012

SummaryThe plant hormone auxin is believed to influence almost every aspect of plant growth and development. Auxin transport, biosynthesis and degradation combine to form gradients of the hormone that influence a range of key developmental and environmental response processes. There is abundant genetic evidence for the existence of multiple pathways for auxin biosynthesis and degradation. The complexity of these pathways makes it difficult to obtain a clear picture of the relative importance of specific metabolic pathways during development. We have developed a sensitive mass spectrometry‐based method to simultaneously profile the majority of known auxin precursors and conjugates/catabolites in small amounts of Arabidopsis tissue. The method includes a new derivatization technique for quantification of the most labile of the auxin precursors. We validated the method by profiling the auxin metabolome in root and shoot tissues from various Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes and auxin over‐producing mutant lines. Substantial differences were shown in metabolite patterns between the lines and tissues. We also found differences of several orders of magnitude in the abundance of auxin metabolites, potentially indicating the relative importance of these compounds in the maintenance of auxin levels and activity. The method that we have established will enable researchers to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of auxin metabolism and activity during plant growth and development.
Soybean ureide transporters play a critical role in nodule development, function and nitrogen export
Authors: Collier Ray , Tegeder Mechthild 
Published: June 2012

SummaryLegumes can access atmospheric nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen‐fixing bacteroids that reside in root nodules. In soybean, the products of fixation are the ureides allantoin and allantoic acid, which are also the dominant long‐distance transport forms of nitrogen from nodules to the shoot. Movement of nitrogen assimilates out of the nodules occurs via the nodule vasculature; however, the molecular mechanisms for ureide export and the importance of nitrogen transport processes for nodule physiology have not been resolved. Here, we demonstrate the function of two soybean proteins – GmUPS1‐1 (XP_003516366) and GmUPS1‐2 (XP_003518768) – in allantoin and allantoic acid transport out of the nodule. Localization studies revealed the presence of both transporters in the plasma membrane, and expression in nodule cortex cells and vascular endodermis. Functional analysis in soybean showed that repression of GmUPS1‐1 and GmUPS1‐2 in nodules leads to an accumulation of ureides and decreased nitrogen partitioning to roots and shoot. It was further demonstrated that nodule development, nitrogen fixation and nodule metabolism were negatively affected in RNAi UPS1 plants. Together, we conclude that export of ureides from nodules is mediated by UPS1 proteins, and that activity of the transporters is not only essential for shoot nitrogen supply but also for nodule development and function.
A recursive method for computing expected kinship and inbreeding in complex and dynamic breeding programmes
Authors: Sitzenstock F. , Ytournel F. , Simianer H. 
Published: June 2012

SummaryIn many livestock breeding programmes, the development of inbreeding is of critical importance. Thus, the assessment of the expected development of inbreeding should be an essential element in the design of breeding programmes. We propose a new method to deterministically predict the rate of inbreeding based on the gene‐flow method in well‐defined complex and dynamic breeding programmes. In the suggested approach, a breeding programme has to be structured in homogeneous age‐sex‐groups, so called cohorts, with a defined origin of genes. Starting from an initial setup (usually an unrelated and non‐inbred base population), transition rules to calculate the kinship within and between cohorts originating from reproduction or ageing, respectively, are defined. Using this approach recursively provides the expected development of kinship within and between all cohorts over time, which can be combined into average kinships for the whole population or defined subsets. From these quantities, relevant parameters like the inbreeding rate or the effective population size are easily derived. We illustrate the method with a simple static example breeding programme in sheep. Based on this reference breeding programme, we demonstrate the use of our approach for dynamic breeding programmes, in which cohort sizes or vectors of gene origin change over time: here, we model the situation of exponential population growth and a bottleneck situation, respectively. The suggested approach does not account for the effect of selection on the development of inbreeding, but ideas to overcome this limitation are discussed.
Molecular Typing and Genetic Characterization of Pathogenic Variants of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Hsin‐Cheng , Feng Chun‐Yu , Chang Yu‐An , Chang Hsiang 
Published: June 2012

AbstractMolecular typing was applied and optimized for genetic characterization for three pathogenic variants of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) from Taiwan. These three novel variants of atypical symptom–producing X. axonopodis pv. citri were designated as Xac‐Af, Xac‐Ap and Xac‐Ar. Based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific to X. axonopodis pv. citri, leucine‐responsive regulatory protein (lrp) gene assay and DNA fingerprintings generated by repetitive‐sequence PCR (rep‐PCR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were used to compare strains including the three types of atypical symptom–producing strains Xac‐Af, Xac‐Ap and Xac‐Ar, and additional reference strains from pathotypes Xac‐A, Xac‐A*, Xac‐Aw, X. axonopodis pv. auruantifolii and X. axonopodis pv. citrumelo. These three types of X. axonopodis pv. citri variants can be detected with six sets of primer specific for X. axonopodis pv. citri. Cluster analyses by lrp sequence assay, AFLP and combing the band patterns of rep‐PCR clearly grouped the atypical symptom–producing variants in types Xac‐ Af, Xac‐Ar and Xac‐Ap into the same cluster with typical symptom‐producing strains in pathotype Xac‐A. These three types of X. axonopodis pv. citri variants could be excluded from strains of Xac‐A* and Xac‐Aw in these genotypic analyses. Strains of Xac‐A* and Xac‐Aw were closely related to Xac‐A strains in our results. No Taiwan isolate was related to X. axonopodis pv. auruantifolii or X. axonopodis pv. citrumelo. The results further confirmed the atypical symptom–producing variants of X. axonopodis pv. citri in Taiwan belong to pathotype Xac‐A.
Genetic polymorphism of copper transporter protein 1 is related to platinum resistance in Chinese non‐small cell lung carcinoma patients
Authors: Xu Xiaojing , Duan Li , Zhou Boting , Ma Rui , Zhou Honghao , Liu Zhaoqian 
Published: June 2012

Summary
Chemotherapeutic resistance to platinum‐based anticancer drugs is a major obstacle in the successful treatment of lung cancer. Cellular uptake and platinum accumulation are considered the most important factors contributing to platinum resistance. The copper transporter family is the major plasma membrane transporter for platinum uptake. Copper transporter protein 1 (CTR1) plays an essential role in cisplatin influx and is closely related to platinum resistance by influencing platinum uptake and accumulation. The aim of the present study was to determine whether CTR1 polymorphisms are associated with platinum resistance in non‐small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients.
A total of 282 incident Chinese Han NSCLC patients were enrolled in the study and followed up at three different institutions. All patients underwent at least two cycles of platinum‐based chemotherapy. Twenty single‐nucleotide polymorphisms of CTR1 were detected from genomic DNA samples.
Genetic polymorphisms of CTR1 at rs7851395 and rs12686377 were associated with platinum resistance in NSCLC patients. Patients with a GT haplotype presented with increased susceptibility to platinum resistance (P < 0.05), whereas an AG haplotype contributed to longer survival (P < 0.05).
In conclusion, a significant relationship was found between rs7851395 and rs12686377 polymorphisms and platinum resistance, as well as clinical outcomes, in Chinese NSCLC patients. Thus, CTR1 plays an essential role in platinum resistance and could be considered a predictive marker for the pretreatment evaluation of NSCLC patients.
Motor Vehicle Collision–related Emergency Department Visits by Older Adults in the United States
Authors: Platts‐Mills Timothy F. , Hunold Katherine M. , Esserman Denise A. , Sloane Philip D. , McLean Samuel A. 
Published: June 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:821–827 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractObjectives:  Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are the second most common cause of nonfatal injury among U.S. adults age 65 years and older. However, the frequency of emergency department (ED) visits, disposition, pain locations, and pain severity for older adults experiencing MVCs have not previously been described. The authors sought to determine these characteristics using information from two nationally representative data sets.Methods:  Data from the 2008 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) were used to estimate MVC‐related ED visits and ED disposition for patients 65 years and older. NHAMCS data from 2004 through 2008 were used to further characterize MVC‐related ED visits.Results:  In 2008, the NEDS contained 28,445,564 patient visits, of which 760,356 (2.7%) were due to MVCs. The NHAMCS contained 34,134 patient visits, of which 1,038 (3.0%) were due to MVCs. National estimates of MVC‐related ED visits by patients 65 years and older in 2008 are 226,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 210,000 to 240,000) for NEDS and 270,000 (95% CI = 185,000 to 355,000) for NHAMCS. Most older adults with MVC‐related ED visits were sent home from the ED (proportion discharged NEDS 78%, 95% CI = 78% to 79%; NHAMCS 77%, 95% CI = 66% to 86%). During the years 2004 through 2008, of MVC‐related ED visits by older adults not resulting in hospital admission, moderate or severe pain was reported in 61% (95% CI = 52% to 70%) of those with recorded pain scores. Older patients sent home after MVC‐related ED visits were less likely than younger patients to receive analgesics (35%, 95% CI = 26% to 43% vs. 47%, 95% CI = 44% to 50%) during their ED evaluations or as discharge prescriptions (52%, 95% CI = 41% to 62% vs. 65%, 95% CI = 61% to 68%).Conclusions:  In 2008, adults age 65 years or older made more than 200,000 MVC‐related ED visits. Approximately 80% of these visits were discharged home from the ED, but the majority of discharged patients reported moderate or severe pain. Further studies of pain and functional outcomes in this population are needed.
Gender‐specific Medicine: Yesterday’s Neglect, Tomorrow’s Opportunities
Authors: McGregor Alyson J. , Choo Esther 
Published: June 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:861–865 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractThe Institute of Medicine has stated that analyzing data according to sex and gender may change practices used by clinicians and taught in medical education. Gender‐specific medicine embraces the concept that differences between men and women encompass the entire organism, not just their reproductive biology, and that recognizing these differences will improve the precision and quality of health care for both men and women. Research conducted to date has deepened our scientific understanding of sex and gender differences in the etiology, diagnosis, progression, outcomes, treatment, and prevention of many conditions that affect both women and men.The rapid growth and maturation of emergency medicine (EM) research provides a major opportunity to make an impact in this broad area of scientific inquiry. However, recent evidence suggests that barriers to the recognition of gender in funded and published research persist. Without systematic inclusion in research, and medical school and residency curricula, gender‐based medicine cannot be translated into widespread clinical practice. Collaborations between women’s health researchers across fields of medicine will be essential, given the large knowledge deficits to be addressed and the gender‐based issues that span all specialties. We provide one model for a multifaceted initiative targeting improvements in gender medicine for the specialty of EM. If emergency health services are to meet the needs of both women and men at modern‐day standards, then they must acknowledge the emerging science demonstrating that sex and gender differences influence the delivery of high‐quality clinical care.
Pediatric Emergency Department Crowding Is Associated With a Lower Likelihood of Hospital Admission
Authors: Michelson Kenneth A. , Monuteaux Michael C. , Stack Anne M. , Bachur Richard G. 
Published: June 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:816–820 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractObjectives:  Emergency department (ED) crowding may affect disposition decision‐making. The objective was to measure the effect of ED crowding on probability of admission and return visit to the ED after discharge.Methods:  The authors studied a historical cohort at a large pediatric ED over 40 months. Each patient was assigned a score on arrival based on the ED occupancy rate (the ratio of patients to beds). Patients were divided into quintiles by occupancy rate. The proportion admitted for each quintile was compared to the least crowded quintile adjusting for acuity, hospital occupancy, and time of arrival. The same analysis was performed for return visits to the ED within 48 hours. The analyses were repeated for the subsets of patients with asthma and with gastroenteritis and/or dehydration.Results:  From the 40 months of historical data, 198,778 visits were analyzed. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for admission among the whole cohort was 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81 to 0.89) comparing the highest to the lowest crowding quintiles (occupancy rate > 1.17 and < 0.54, respectively). For asthma patients, aOR = 0.93 (95% CI = 0.72 to 1.20), and for gastroenteritis patients, aOR = 0.87 (95% CI = 0.65 to 1.17). The aOR of return visits comparing the highest to the lowest crowding quintiles for all patients was aOR = 0.87 (95% CI = 0.79 to 0.97), for asthma patients was aOR = 1.52 (95% CI = 0.95 to 2.46), and for gastroenteritis patients was aOR = 0.83 (95% CI = 0.54 to 1.28).Conclusions:  Increasing ED crowding is associated with a lower likelihood of hospital admission and lower frequency of return visits within 48 hours.
Ultrasound‐guided, Bougie‐assisted Cricothyroidotomy: A Description of a Novel Technique in Cadaveric Models
Authors: Curtis Keith , Ahern Matthew , Dawson Matthew , Mallin Michael 
Published: June 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:876–879 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicineAbstractBackground:  Ultrasound (US) has well‐documented utility in critical procedures performed in the emergency department. It has been described as a “skill integral to the practice of emergency medicine” in the 2007 Model of Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. One of the ideal uses for US in critical care may be in the performance of emergent cricothyroidotomy. To the best of our knowledge there is currently no description of how to perform an US‐guided open cricothyroidotomy in the literature.Objectives:  This study aimed to develop and describe an US‐guided technique for emergent open cricothyroidotomy and evaluate the time to completion and failure rate of this technique.Methods:  This study was performed in a cadaver lab on 21 cadavers. The procedure was performed by two independent operators with US guidance using a linear transducer in the longitudinal orientation placed on the anterior midline of the neck. The cricothyroid membrane was incised with a No. 20 scalpel and a bougie with a coude tip was inserted into the trachea. A 6.0 endotracheal tube was then advanced over the bougie and the cuff was inflated. Endotracheal tube placement was confirmed by dissection. The procedure was timed to evaluate the length of time to identification of the cricothyroid membrane and completion of the procedure. There was no control group for this study.Results:  There were 12 female and nine male cadavers. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.9 (range = 12.2 to 44.9). There was a median time to identification of the cricothyroid membrane of 3.6 seconds (interquartile range [IQR] = 1.9 to 15.3 seconds) and median time to completion of the procedure of 26.2 seconds (IQR = 10.7 to 50.7 seconds). The failure rate was 1 out of 21, with one incision placed between the cricoid cartilage and the first tracheal ring. In this case, the trachea was still cannulated. Similar completion times were obtained with high‐ and low‐BMI cadavers.Conclusions:  Ultrasound‐guided bougie‐assisted cricothyroidotomy is a novel technique that may be beneficial in emergent open cricothyroidotomy. The data suggest that this technique is rapid, with a median time to completion of 26.2 seconds. The data also suggest that the procedure may have a low failure rate, with 20 of 21 cadavers undergoing successful cricothyroidotomy.