bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Timing of maturation and predictors of Tanner stage transitions in boys enrolled in a contemporary British cohort
Authors: Monteilh Carolyn , Kieszak Stephanie , Flanders W. Dana , Maisonet Mildred , Rubin Carol , Holmes Adrianne K. , Heron Jon , Golding Jean , McGeehin Michael A. , Marcus Michele 
Published: November 2010

SummaryMonteilh C, Kieszak S, Flanders WD, Maisonet M, Rubin C, Holmes AK, Heron J, Golding J, McGeehin MA, Marcus M. The Timing of maturation and predictors of Tanner stage transitions in boys enrolled in a contemporary British cohort. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2010.This study describes the timing of puberty in 8‐ to 14‐year‐old boys enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and identifies factors associated with earlier achievement of advanced pubic hair stages. Women were enrolled during pregnancy and their offspring were followed prospectively. We analysed self‐reported pubic hair Tanner staging collected annually. We used survival models to estimate median age of attainment of pubic hair stage >1, stage >2 and stage >3 of pubic hair development. We also constructed multivariable logistic regression models to identify factors associated with earlier achievement of pubic hair stages.Approximately 5% of the boys reported Tanner pubic hair stage >1 at age 8; 99% of boys were at stage >1 by age 14. The estimated median ages of entry into stages of pubic hair development were 11.4 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.3, 11.4] for stage >1, 12.7 years [95% CI 12.7, 12.8] for stage >2 and 13.5 years [95% CI 13.5, 13.6] for stage >3. Predictors of younger age at Tanner stage >1 included low birthweight, younger maternal age at delivery and being taller at age 8. Associations were found between younger age at attainment of stage >2 and gestational diabetes and taller or heavier body size at age 8. Being taller or heavier at age 8 also predicted younger age at Tanner stage >3. The results give added support to the strong influence of pre‐adolescent body size on male pubertal development; the tallest and heaviest boys at 8 years achieved each stage earlier and the shortest boys later. Age at attainment of pubic hair Tanner stages in the ALSPAC cohort are similar to ages reported in other European studies that were conducted during overlapping time periods. This cohort will continue to be followed for maturational information until age 17.
The magnitude of CD4+ T‐cell activation rather than TCR diversity determines the outcome of Leishmania infection in mice
Authors: XIN L. , WANDERLEY J. L. , WANG Y. , VARGAS‐INCHAUSTEGUI D. A. , SOONG L. 
Published: November 2010

SummaryCD4+ T cells play a critical role in determining the disease outcome in murine cutaneous leishmaniasis, and selective usage of T‐cell receptor (TCR) is implied in promoting Leishmania major infection. However, little information is available on TCR usage in Leishmania‐specific, IFN‐γ‐producing CD4+ T cells. In this study, we investigated the TCR diversity and activation of CD4+ T cells in a nonhealing model associated with L. amazonensis (La) infection and a self‐healing model associated with L. braziliensis (Lb) infection. While marked expansion in the absolute number of several subsets was observed in Lb‐infected mice, the percentages of TCR Vβ+ CD4+‐cell subsets were comparable in draining LN‐ and lesion‐derived T cells in two infection models. We found that multiple TCR Vβ CD4+T cells contributed collectively and comparably to IFN‐γ production and that the overall levels of IFN‐γ production positively correlated with the control of Lb infection. Moreover, pre‐infection with Lb parasites provided cross‐protection against secondary La infection, owing to an enhanced magnitude of T‐cell activation and IFN‐γ production. Collectively, this study suggests that the magnitude of CD4+ T‐cell activation, rather than the TCR diversity, is the major determining factor for the outcome of Leishmania infection.
Multigene sequence data and genetic diversity among ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ulmi’ strains infecting Ulmus spp. in Serbia
Authors: Jović J. , Cvrković T. , Mitrović M. , Petrović A. , Krstić O. , Krnjajić S. , Toševski I. 
Published: November 2010

Elm yellows phytoplasmas (EY) belonging to the 16SrV‐A subgroup were recently proposed as a new candidate species ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ulmi’. These pathogens infect elm trees, causing leaf yellowing and premature drying. In this study, 25 isolates originating from localities in northeast, east and southwest Serbia were characterized by means of RFLP analysis and DNA sequencing of four genomic loci: 16S rRNA, ribosomal protein rpl22‐rps3, secY and map. In total, five different genotypes were identified based on collective sequencing of all four genes. Four of these genotypes showed significant nucleotide changes compared with the EY1T reference strain. Phylogeny based on parsimony analyses of ribosomal protein, secY and map genetic loci indicated a single monophyletic origin of EY1T and the new ‘Ca. Phytoplasma ulmi’ strains. Unlike phylogenetic clustering, DNA sequence comparison of EY1T and the novel strains revealed mutations in oligonucleotide signature sequences for all three genes (16S, rpl22‐rps3 and secY) used for the characterization and assignment of 16SrV‐A phytoplasmas to the ‘Ca. Phytoplasma ulmi’ species in the original description. Based on their high degree of genetic variability, the Serbian strains were assigned to four different subtypes of ‘Ca. Phytoplasma ulmi’ (EY‐S1, EY‐S2, EY‐S3 and EY‐S4). New diagnostic enzymes for practical use in ‘Ca. Phytoplasma ulmi’ identification are proposed for the 16S rRNA, ribosomal protein and secY genes. The implications of genetic variability within signature sequences for taxonomy and identification of ‘Ca. Phytoplasma’ species, as well as the importance of geographic variability and number of strains characterized for species description, are discussed.
Successful early intervention for hyperacute transplant‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy following pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Jodele Sonata , Bleesing Jack J. , Mehta Parinda A. , Filipovich Alexandra H. , Laskin Benjamin L. , Goebel Jens , Pinkard Susan L. , Davies Stella M. 
Published: November 2010

Jodele S, Bleesing JJ, Mehta PA, Filipovich AH, Laskin BL, Goebel J, Pinkard SL, Davies SM. Successful early intervention for hyperacute transplant‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy following pediatric hematopietic stem cell transplantation.  Pediatr Transplantation 2012: 16: E39–E42. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  TA‐TMA is a serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, presenting as microangiopathic hemolytic anemia with severe renal injury and mortality as high as 60%. Diagnosis and treatment of TA‐TMA is very challenging after HSCT because anemia, thrombocytopenia, hypertension, and renal impairment are multifactorial, leading to delayed recognition and management of this complication. We report a successful outcome following early intervention for hyperacute TA‐TMA after allogeneic HSCT.
Thyroxine for transient hypothyroxinemia and cerebral palsy in extremely preterm infants
Authors: Suzumura Hiroshi , Nitta Akihisa , Tsuboi Yayoi , Watabe Yoshiyuki , Kuribayashi Ryouta , Arisaka Osamu 
Published: November 2010

AbstractBackground:  The relationship of thyroxine supplementation for transient hypothyroxinemia of prematurity to the incidence of cerebral palsy (CP) in infants <28 weeks of gestation is unclear.Methods:  The incidence of CP at a corrected age of 18 months was compared between infants born in a 3‐year period in which routine measurement of free T4 (FT4) in the blood was not performed (first period, n= 54), and those born in a later 3‐year period in which FT4 was measured (second period, n= 60; mainly at 7 days old), and in which l‐thyroxine 5–10 µg/kg per day (mean, 9 µg/kg/day) was administered for FT4 levels <0.8 ng/dL. Incidence of CP at 3 years of age was also compared between the same groups.Results:  Background clinical factors between the two groups were comparable except for prenatal steroid administration, which was reduced in the second period. Incidence of CP at a corrected age of 18 months was significantly lower in the second period (3.3%) than in the first period (16.6%). Incidence of CP at 3 years of age was also significantly lower in the second period. Multiple logistic regression analysis using factors except thyroxine supplementation, for the total of 114 infants from both groups, found no perinatal factors related to the development of CP at a corrected age of 18 months.Conclusions:  Thyroxine supplementation for transient hypothyroxinemia of prematurity may reduce the incidence of CP in extremely preterm infants. Large‐scale randomized controlled trials are essential to determine the effects of thyroxine supplementation in reducing the incidence of CP among extremely preterm infants.
Inflammation of the residual appendix stump: a systematic review
Authors: Leff D. R. , Sait M. R. , Hanief M. , Salakianathan S. , Darzi A. W. , Vashisht R. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractAim  A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to examine reported cases of stump appendicitis (SA) to determine the relationship between SA and the original operative strategy (open vs laparoscopic), and to evaluate the clinical features and diagnosis.Method  A Pub‐med search was conducted to identify cases of appendicitis of a residual stump following appendicectomy. Two original cases of SA following laparoscopic appendicectomy treated in our own hospitals are also included in the analysis. Sixty cases of SA reported in the English medical literature were analysed.Results  The interval from the original appendicectomy ranged from 4 days to 50 years. SA followed appendicectomy in 58% of open and 31.6% of laparoscopic procedures. SA was frequently misdiagnosed as constipation or gastroenteritis, with a significant delay to surgery. Computerized tomography diagnosed SA in 46.6% of cases. Perforation with gangrene of the stump occurred in 40%.Conclusion  Stump appendicitis is rare. It may complicate open or laparoscopic appendicectomy. A high level of suspicion should be maintained in any patient with right sided abdominal pain and a history of prior appendicectomy.
The Hammersmith colorectal foot pedal
Authors: Goode E. C. , Buchanan G. N. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractAim  This technical note describes use of a footpedal to switch on a rigid sigmoidoscope/proctoscope, demonstrating increased speed and efficiency of proctoscopy examination.Method  Use of a footpedal to control the light source of a rigid sigmoidoscope/proctoscope, enabling the user to switch the light source on and off with their foot, rather then at the wall, switch, leaving hands free.Results  Benefits include increased efficiency and speed of examination with reduced time on the couch for the patient and reduced risk of the halogen lighting bulb being left switched on, thus prolonging the life of the equipment.Conclusion  Although we do not claim originality for its use we have found it particularly helpful and believe that its use should be more widely publicised.
GreenLight laser prostatectomy: a safe and effective treatment for bladder outlet obstruction by prostate cancer
Authors: Liberale Fabiola , Muir Gordon Hugh , Walsh Killian , Krishnamoorthy Rajbabu 
Published: November 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series)Level of Evidence 4 What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Although looked on as standard of care there is little published data on the use of “channel TURP” . Those case series that have been published show significant morbidity (in particular stress incontinence) and relatively long hospitalization compared to standard TURP. The use of vaprorising lasers in this patient group has not been addressed.GreenLight laser is a safe and efficacious treatment for bladder outflow obstruction in men with prostate cancer. Hospitalization is minimal (most were day cases) which we feel is important in men who are often in their last few months. We had no serious complications apart from a few patients with stress incontinence. The stress incontinence rate was dramatically lower than that reported in previous reported series of channel TURP – we are not however able to offer any obvious explanation for that finding.OBJECTIVE

To present our experience on photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) in a cohort of men with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) by prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 2003 to 2008 we identified 43 patients with prostate cancer treated with PVP.
The patients’ hospital records were comprehensively reviewed to obtain preoperative, intra‐operative and postoperative data.
Inclusion criteria were patients with BOO or urinary retention with a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

RESULTS

Mean operating time was 42 min, mean post‐operative hospital stay was 9.6 h. 32 out of 43 patients were discharged home within 24 h. Twelve patients (28%) did not need post‐operative catheter. Mean and median catheter times were 22 and 21.5 h respectively.
Complications were mild: 1 patient needed bladder irrigation, 3 failed initial TWOC, 1 had early stress incontinence. Three had clot retention.
At 3 months post‐operatively, 41 of 42 evaluable patients were voiding without a catheter. The mean peak flow rate had increased by 80% and a mean residual volume decreased of 49%.
Four patients underwent a second laser treatment. Three had developed further retention between 7 and 23 months post‐operatively and did not want further surgery. The local failure rate at a mean follow up of 22 months was 7 of 39 patients (18%).

CONCLUSION

The present study is the first on PVP applied to patients with prostate cancer.
It is shown that, for patients with CaP bothered by LUTS or retention, GreenLight laser prostatectomy is very safe and gives excellent relief from symptoms, with a good improvement in peak flow rate.
Dolpopa and Gyaltsab Debate Tathāgatagarbha: Two Distinct Interpretations of Buddha‐Nature in Tibet
Authors: Wangchuk Tsering 
Published: November 2010

AbstractBuddhists have discussed the concept of enlightenment since the time of the Buddha, but the notion that all sentient beings have buddha‐nature is found in Mahāyāna Buddhism. For the Mahāyāna thinkers, one of the crucial questions at the center of how all beings can achieve enlightenment is this apparent paradox: frailty, ignorance, and delusions presumably exist concomitantly with buddha‐nature in all sentient beings. This article provides a brief survey of the textual history of the buddha‐nature literature followed by an in‐depth discussion of buddha‐nature in the terms set out by two influential Tibetan thinkers, Dolpopa and Gyaltsab; the debate between these thinkers is set in relation to extant discourses of Buddhist ontology, epistemology, and enlightenment within the Tibetan Buddhist scholastic tradition.
Expert‐Built and Collaboratively Constructed Lexical Semantic Resources
Authors: Gurevych Iryna , Wolf Elisabeth 
Published: November 2010

AbstractKnowledge about words, their meanings, and their relations to other words contained in lexical semantic resources is of particular interest for the automatic processing of human language. In the last decades, expert‐built lexical semantic resources such as WordNet have been utilized in a vast number of natural language processing (NLP) tasks. Recently, collaboratively constructed resources such as the online encyclopedia Wikipedia with its exceptional scale and Wiktionary, a combination of dictionary and thesaurus, have been discovered as valuable substitutes for expert‐built resources. In this study, we first introduce diverse types of lexical semantic resources with respect to their content and structure. We identify the differences between expert‐built and collaboratively constructed resources and compare WordNet, Wiktionary, and Wikipedia. We provide a comprehensive overview of the lexical semantic knowledge therein and discuss their assets and drawbacks. Finally, we review work on orchestrating different resources in order to combine their strengths and explore their use in major NLP applications.
Traces or Copies, or Both – Part II: Introducing Further Considerations
Authors: Takahashi Shoichi 
Published: November 2010

AbstractIn Part II of this two‐part article, we first discuss some proposals that have been advanced to explain the characterization of movement properties that we arrived at by exploring the reconstruction and ellipsis facts in Part I of the article: A’‐movement obligatory leaves behind a copy of a moved element, but A‐movement only optionally does. We also explore three topics that raise various types of issues that provide further insights into the development of the theory of movement: processes of manipulating copies, properties of non‐DP category movement, and phonological manifestations of movement dependencies.
Social Movement Theory Today: Toward a Theory of Action?
Authors: Jasper James M. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractGrand theories of social movements, relating them to History or Society, are being dismantled and reevaluated. In their place approaches are emerging that offer a cultural and emotional theory of action, allowing analysts to build from the micro‐level to the macro‐level in a more empirical way rather than deductively from the top down. Social movements are composed of individuals and their interactions. Rational‐choice approaches recognize this, but their version of the calculating individual is too abstract to be realistic or helpful. Pragmatism, feminism, and related traditions are encouraging a rethinking of collective action.
Immigrants’ Perceptions of the Police
Authors: Wu Yuning 
Published: November 2010

AbstractDespite a fast growing immigrant population and the recent intensive debate over immigration law enforcement, research on police‐immigrant relations in general and immigrants’ perceptions of the police in particular remains limited. This article comprehensively reviews existing literature on immigrants’ perceptions of the police. It starts with the value and timeliness of studying immigrants’ attitudes and expectations of the police in today’s multi‐racial, multi‐cultural society. Then the article summarizes findings regarding how immigrants perceive the police and what factors shape their perceptions. Evidence about the effects of both universal factors and factors unique to immigrants on their perceptions of the police is presented. The article concludes with a brief discussion of future research.
Drug-use patterns in an intensive care unit of a hospital in Iran: an observational prospective study
Authors: Tavallaee Mahkam , Fahimi Fanak , Kiani Shirin 
Published: November 2010

Abstract

Objectives
The aim of this study was to evaluate drug-use patterns, investigate the factors influencing patient outcome, and determine the cost of drugs utilized in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods
In an observational prospective study, drug prescriptions for 113 patients admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Iran were recorded. The cost of drugs in ICU and the entire hospital was also calculated. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were used to present the results.

Key findings
The mean age of patients was 50.3 years (SD = 20.4). The average ICU stay was 6 days. The mean length of stay was significantly lower in surgical patients compared to medical patients (odds ratio (OR) = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84–0.97). Mortality rate was significantly higher among medical patients (OR = 10.5, 95% CI 3.7–29.8). There was a significant positive association between the total number of prescribed drugs or antibiotics received by patients and mortality. Patients received an average of 8.2 drugs at admission, 10.1 drugs during the first 24 h and an average of 14.6 drugs over their entire stay at the ICU. Among drug groups, antibiotics and sedatives were most ordered drugs in ICU.

Conclusions
Antibiotics are responsible for the majority of ICU drug costs. Appropriate selection of antibiotics in terms of type, dose and duration of therapy could tremendously reduce the expenses in hospitals without negatively influencing the quality of healthcare.
Practice and attitudes regarding the management of childhood diarrhoea among pharmacies in Thailand
Authors: Saengcharoen Woranuch , Lerkiatbundit Sanguan 
Published: November 2010

Abstract

Objectives
To compare practice behaviour and attitudes of pharmacy personnel in the management of childhood diarrhoea between type I (requiring a pharmacist to be on duty) and type II (pharmacist not required) pharmacies, between those surveyed in 2008 and in 2001, and between new-generation (graduation ≤10 years) and old-generation (graduation &gt;10 years) pharmacists.

Methods
The setting was 115 pharmacies in a city in the south of Thailand. The study was separated into two phases: a simulated client method to evaluate history taking, drug dispensing and advice giving among pharmacy personnel and a questionnaire to measure attitudes and factors affecting diarrhoea treatment.

Key findings
In the simulated client method study, questions asked and advice given by the providers (the pharmacists or non-pharmacists responding to the simulated clients), especially in type II pharmacies, were insufficient. Only 5.2% of pharmacies correctly dispensed for a child with viral diarrhoea, using oral rehydration salts (ORS) alone. Appropriate ORS dispensing of providers was not affected by shop type, survey time or peer generation. However, 52.2% of providers inappropriately dispensed antibiotics for such illness. In the questionnaire study, 108 completed surveys were obtained (a response rate of 93.9%). The providers working in 2008 more strongly agreed that ORS was effective, safe, used by health professionals and requested by patients, relative to those in 2001 (P &lt; 0.05). No potential factor influencing the actual ORS dispensing was identified. Nevertheless, antibiotic dispensing was affected by beliefs in producing recovery and high profit.

Conclusions
Practice and attitudes of pharmacy personnel were inappropriate in the management of childhood diarrhoea. Revision of the pharmacy curriculum did not result in improvement of practice as seen by the similarity of practice patterns among the 2001 and 2008 samples. Improvement of knowledge and practice behaviour among providers in pharmacies is needed.