bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Satellite-Observed Surface Temperature Changes after the 2004 Taylor Complex Fire in Alaska
Authors: Ge Jianjun 
Published: October 2010

Abstract
Land-use and land-cover change has been recognized as a key component in global climate change. In the boreal forest ecosystem, fires often cause significant changes in vegetation structure and surface biophysical characteristics, which in turn dramatically change energy and water balances of land surface. Several studies have characterized fire-induced changes in surface energy balance in boreal ecosystem based on site observations. This study provides satellite-observed impacts of a large fire on surface climate in Alaska’s boreal forest. A land surface temperature (LST) product from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is used as the primary data. Five years after fire, surface temperature over the burned area increased by an average of 2.0°C in the May–August period. The increase reached a maximum of 3.2°C in the year immediately following the fire. The warm anomaly decreased slightly after the second year but remained until the fifth year of the study. These changes in surface temperature may directly affect surface net radiation and thus partition of surface available energy. By documenting continuous and synoptic surface temperature changes over multiple years, this paper demonstrates the value of Earth Observing System (EOS) observations for land–climate interaction research. The observed characteristics of surface temperature change as well as changes in key surface biophysical parameters such as albedo and leaf area index (LAI) can be used in the next generation of climate models to improve the representation of large-scale ecosystem disturbances.
Is goal planning in rehabilitation effective? A systematic review
Authors: Levack William MM , Taylor Kathryn , Siegert Richard J , Dean Sarah G , McPherson Kath M , Weatherall Mark 
Published: October 2010

Objective: To determine the evidence regarding the effectiveness of goal planning in clinical rehabilitation.Design: Systematic review.Method: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, AMED, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, American College of Physicians (ACP) Journal Club, and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) were searched for randomized controlled trials on the therapeutic effectiveness of goal planning in the rehabilitation of adults with acquired disability. Studies were categorized by patient population and the clinical context of the study. Data were analysed using best-research synthesis, based on methodological quality determined by Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale scores.Results: Nineteen studies were included in this review. Study populations in these papers included patients with neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory disorders and dietary/endocrine disorders. Six studies investigated the immediate effects of goal planning on patient behaviour. Thirteen studies investigated the effects of goal planning in the context of a rehabilitation programme lasting more than one week. Some limited evidence was identified that goal planning can influence patient adherence to treatment regimes and strong evidence that prescribed, specific, challenging goals can improve immediate patient performance in some specific clinical contexts. However, evidence regarding how these effects translated to improved outcomes following rehabilitation programmes was inconsistent.Conclusions: This review identified that while some studies demonstrated positive effects associated with goal planning in local contexts, the best available empirical evidence regarding the generalizable effectiveness of goal planning was inconsistent and compromised by methodological limitations.
Development and validation of a muscular dystrophy-specific functional rating scale
Authors: Lue Yi-Jing , Su Chwen-Yng , Yang Rei-Cheng , Su Wei-Lieh , Lu Yen-Mou , Lin Rong-Fong , Chen Shun-Sheng 
Published: October 2010

Objective: To develop a reliable and valid new rating scale for measuring the functional impact of muscular dystrophy. Design: Prospective and longitudinal investigation. Setting: Three academic medical centres in Taiwan and the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Taiwan. Measures: The Brooke Scale, the Vignos Scale, the Barthel Index, muscular strength, contracture severity, and predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%). Methods: Scale development was in three stages. In stage I, a preliminary pool of 53 items was generated from patient interviews (n-/25), literature review, existing functional rating scales and expert opinion. In stage II, these items were administered to 85 patients with muscular dystrophy. The resulting data were analysed to construct a rating scale (the Muscular Dystrophy Functional Rating Scale, MDFRS) that encompassed four unidimensional constructs: mobility, basic activities of daily living, arm function and impairment. In stage III, the measurement properties of this rating scale were assessed in 121 muscular dystrophy patients different from those examined with the preliminary instrument. Results: Internal consistency reliability was excellent for all domains of the final 33-item scale, with values of Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.84 to 0.97. Intraclass correlation coefficients for test-retest and inter-rater reliability were 0.99 for all domains of the MDFRS. The MDFRS showed moderate to high correlations with a range of functional rating scales measuring similar aspects and impairment parameters (Spearman’s rho=0.65-0.91; P<0.001, each). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unitary construct of the four-dimensional MDFRS. The MDFRS had small floor and ceiling effects in the study samples. Sensitivity to change was confirmed by large standardized response means for the MDFRS total score. Conclusions: The MDFRS is a reliable and valid disease-specific measure of functional status for patients with muscular dystrophy.
Adenoviral-Mediated Gene Transfer of Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein–13 Does Not Improve Rotator Cuff Healing in a Rat Model
Authors: Gulotta Lawrence V. , Kovacevic David , Packer Jonathan D. , Ehteshami John R. , Rodeo Scott A. 
Published: October 2010

Background: Rotator cuff tendon-to-bone healing occurs by formation of a scar tissue interface after repair, which makes it prone to failure. Bone morphogenetic protein–13 (BMP-13) has been implicated in tendon and cartilage repair, and thus may augment rotator cuff repairs. The purpose of this study was to determine if the application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transduced with BMP-13 could improve regeneration of the tendon-bone insertion site in a rat rotator cuff repair model. Hypothesis: Mesenchymal stem cells genetically modified to overexpress BMP-13 will improve rotator cuff healing based on histologic and biomechanical outcomes. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Sixty Lewis rats underwent unilateral detachment and repair of the supraspinatus tendon and 10 rats were used for MSC harvest. Animals were randomized into 2 groups (30 animals/group). The experimental group received 106 MSCs transduced with adenoviral-mediated gene transfer of human BMP-13 (Ad-BMP-13). The second group received untransduced MSCs. Fifteen animals in each group were sacrificed at 2 and 4 weeks. At each time point, 12 animals were allocated for biomechanical testing, and 3 for histomorphometric analysis. Results: There were no differences in the amount of new cartilage formation or collagen fiber organization between groups at either time point. There were also no differences in the biomechanical strength of the repairs, the cross-sectional area, peak stress at failure, or stiffness. Conclusion: Application of MSCs genetically modified to overexpress BMP-13 did not improve healing in a rat model of rotator cuff repair. Clinical Relevance: Further studies are needed to evaluate various growth factors and combinations of growth factors to determine the optimal factor for the biologic augmentation of rotator cuff repairs.
Deciphering the intracellular metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes by mutant screening and modelling
Authors: Schauer Kristina , Geginat Gernot , Liang Chunguang , Goebel Werner , Dandekar Thomas , Fuchs Thilo M 
Published: October 2010

AbstractBackgroundThe human pathogenListeria monocytogenesresides and proliferates within the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. While the virulence factors essentially contributing to this step of the infection cycle are well characterized, the set of listerial genes contributing to intracellular replication remains to be defined on a genome-wide level.ResultsA comprehensive library ofL. monocytogenesstrain EGD knockout mutants was constructed upon insertion-duplication mutagenesis, and 1491 mutants were tested for their phenotypes in rich medium and in a Caco-2 cell culture assay. Following sequencing of the plasmid insertion site, 141 different genes required for invasion of and replication in Caco-2 cells were identified. Ten in-frame deletion mutants were constructed that confirmed the data. The genes with known functions are mainly involved in cellular processes including transport, in the intermediary metabolism of sugars, nucleotides and lipids, and in information pathways such as regulatory functions. No function could be ascribed to 18 genes, and a counterpart of eight genes is missing in the apathogenic speciesL. innocua. Mice infection studies revealed thein vivorequirement of IspE (Lmo0190) involved in mevalonate synthesis, and of the novel ABC transporter Lmo0135-0137 associated with cysteine transport. Based on the data of this genome-scale screening, an extreme pathway and elementary mode analysis was applied that demonstrates the critical role of glycerol and purine metabolism, of fucose utilization, and of the synthesis of glutathione, aspartate semialdehyde, serine and branched chain amino acids during intracellular replication ofL. monocytogenes.ConclusionThe combination of a genetic screening and a modelling approach revealed that a series of transporters helpL. monocytogenesto overcome a putative lack of nutrients within cells, and that a high metabolic flexibility contributes to the intracellular replication of this pathogen.
Heading Down the Wrong Pathway: on the Influence of Correlation within Gene Sets
Authors: Gatti Daniel M , Barry William T , Nobel Andrew B , Rusyn Ivan , Wright Fred A 
Published: October 2010

Abstract

Background
Analysis of microarray experiments often involves testing for the overrepresentation of pre-defined sets of genes among lists of genes deemed individually significant. Most popular gene set testing methods assume the independence of genes within each set, an assumption that is seriously violated, as extensive correlation between genes is a well-documented phenomenon.

Results
We conducted a meta-analysis of over 200 datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus in order to demonstrate the practical impact of strong gene correlation patterns that are highly consistent across experiments. We show that a common independence assumption-based gene set testing procedure produces very high false positive rates when applied to data sets for which treatment groups have been randomized, and that gene sets with high internal correlation are more likely to be declared significant. A reanalysis of the same datasets using an array resampling approach properly controls false positive rates, leading to more parsimonious and high-confidence gene set findings, which should facilitate pathway-based interpretation of the microarray data.

Conclusions
These findings call into question many of the gene set testing results in the literature and argue strongly for the adoption of resampling based gene set testing criteria in the peer reviewed biomedical literature.
Interaction of functional NPC1gene Polymorphism with smoking on coronary heart disease
Authors: Ma Weiwei , Xu Jing , Wang Qianqian , Xin Ying , Zhang Lin , Zheng Xinxin , Wang Hu , Sun Kai , Hui Rutai , Huang Xiaohong 
Published: October 2010

Abstract

Background
The protein of Niemann-pick type C1 gene (NPC1) is known to facilitate the egress of cholesterol and other lipids from late endosomes and lysosomes to other cellular compartments. This study aims to investigate whether the genetic variation in NPC1 is associated with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to detect whether NPC1 might interact with smoking on the risk of CHD.

Methods
We performed a case-control study, including 873 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 864 subjects without CHD as control. Polymorphisms of NPC1 gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) -restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).

Results
A tag-SNP rs1805081 (+644A > G) in NPC1 was identified. The G allele of the +644 locus showed reduced risk of CHD than wild-type genotype in Chinese population (recessive model GG vs. AG+AA: odds ratio [OR] 0.647, 95% CI 0.428 to 0.980, P = 0.039; additive model GG vs. AG vs. AA: OR 0.847, 95% CI 0.718 to 0.998, P = 0.0471). Moreover in smokers, the G-allele carriers had reduced risk of CHD compared with A-allele carries (OR 0.552, 95% CI 0.311 to 0.979, P = 0.0421).

Conclusions
The results of the present study suggest that NPC1 variants seem to be contributors to coronary heart disease occurrence in Chinese population. Moreover, in smokers, NPC1 variants seem to confer protection to coronary heart disease.
A longitudinal study of tobacco use among American Indian and Alaska Native tribal college students
Authors: Faseru Babalola , Daley Christine M , Gajewski Byron , Pacheco Christina M , Choi Won S 
Published: October 2010

Abstract

Background
American Indians (AI) have the highest smoking rates of any ethnic group in the US (40.8%), followed most closely by African Americans (24.3%) and European Americans (23.6%). AI smokers also have more difficulty quitting smoking compared to other ethnic groups, evidenced by their significantly lower quit ratios, and are among the least successful in maintaining long term abstinence. While health disparities like these have existed for years among AI, the epidemiology of smoking and nicotine dependence has not been optimally described among this underserved population.
Our overarching hypothesis is that the susceptibility of AI to cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence and its consequences has both an underlying nicotine metabolism component as well as psychosocial, cultural, and environment causes. We are well-positioned to explore this issue for the first time in this population. Our objective is to establish a cohort of AI tribal college/university students to determine the predictors of smoking initiation (non-use to experimentation), progression (experimentation to established use), and cessation (established use to cessation). Much of what is known about the process of smoking initiation and progression comes from quantitative studies with non-Native populations. Information related to smoking use among AI tribal college/university (TCU) students is entirely unknown and critically needs further investigation. This study will be the first of its kind among AI college students who are at the highest risk among all ethnic groups for tobacco dependence.

Methods/design
First year students at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas will be recruited over four consecutive years and will be surveyed annually and repeatedly through year 5 of the study. We will use both longitudinal quantitative surveys and qualitative focus group methods to examine key measures and determinants of initiation and use among this high risk group.
Study on administration of 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose in C57BL/6J mice challenged with high-fat diet
Authors: Mei Jie , Yu Shukun , Ahrén Bo 
Published: October 2010

Abstract
1,5-Anhydro-D-fructose (AF) is a mono-saccharide directly formed from starch and glycogen by the action of α-1,4-glucan lyase (EC 4.2.2.13). Our previous study has indicated that AF increases glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in NMRI mice after administration through a gastric gavage in a single dose at 150 mg per mouse. In this study, we used high-fat feeding of C57BL/6J mice to examine the influence of long-term administration of AF on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vivo and in vitro. We found that 8-weeks of high-fat feeding increased body weight, fasting blood glucose and insulin levels in C57BL/6J mice when compared to mice fed normal diet. Impaired glucose tolerance was also observed in mice receiving 8-weeks of high-fat diet. In contrast, AF (1.5 g/kg/day), administered through drinking water for 8-weeks, did not affect body weight or food and water intake in mice fed either the high-fat or normal diet. There was no difference in basal blood glucose or insulin levels between AF-treated and control group. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed that AF did not affect glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mice. In in vitro studies with isolated islets, AF did not influence glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mice receiving either high-fat or normal diet. We therefore conclude that when given through drinking water for 8 weeks at 1.5 g/kg/day, AF has no effect on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in C57BL/6J mice challenged with a high-fat diet.
A protein-centric approach for the identification of folate enzymes from the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, using OFFGEL™ solution-based isoelectric focussing and mass spectrometry
Authors: O'Cualain Ronan DM , Hyde John E , Sims Paul FG 
Published: October 2010

Abstract

Background
Plasmodium species are difficult to study using proteomic technology because they contain large amounts of haemoglobin-derived products (HDP), generated by parasite breakdown of host haemoglobin. HDP are known to interfere with isoelectric focussing, a cornerstone of fractionation strategies for the identification of proteins by mass spectrometry. In addition to the challenge presented by this material, as in most proteomes, there exists in this parasite a considerable dynamic range between proteins of high and low abundance. The enzymes of the folate pathway, a proven and widely used drug target, are included in the latter class.

Methods
This report describes a work-flow utilizing a parasite-specific extraction protocol that minimizes release of HDP into the lysate, followed by in-solution based OFFGEL™ electrophoresis at the protein level, trypsin digestion and mass spectrometric analysis.

Results
It is demonstrated that, by removing HDP from parasite lysates, OFFGEL™-mediated protein separation is able to deliver reduced complexity protein fractions. Importantly, proteins with similar and predictable physical properties are sharply focussed within such fractions.

Conclusions
By following this novel workflow, data have been obtained which allow the unequivocal experimental identification by mass spectrometry of four of the six proteins involved in folate biosynthesis and recycling.
Association between perceived chewing ability and oral health-related quality of life in partially dentate patients
Authors: Inukai Mika , John Mike T , Igarashi Yoshimasa , Baba Kazuyoshi 
Published: October 2010

Abstract

Background
One of the most immediate and important functional consequences of many oral disorders is a reduction in chewing ability. The ability to chew is not only an important dimension of oral health, but is increasingly recognized as being associated with general health status. Whether perceived chewing ability and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) are correlated to a similar degree in patient populations has been less investigated. The aim of this study was to examine whether perceived chewing ability was related to OHRQoL in partially dentate patients.

Methods
Consecutive partially dentate patients (N = 489) without signs or symptoms of acute oral disease at Tokyo Medical and Dental University's Prosthodontic Clinic participated in the study (mean age 63.0 ± 11.5, 71.2% female). A 20-item chewing function questionnaire (score range 0 to 20) was used to assess perceived chewing ability, with higher scores indicating better chewing ability. The 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile-Japanese version (OHIP-J14, score range 0 to 56) was used to measure OHRQoL, with higher scores indicating poorer OHRQoL. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between the two questionnaire summary scores. A linear regression analysis was used to describe how perceived chewing ability scores were related to OHRQoL scores.

Results
The mean chewing function score was 12.1 ± 4.8 units. The mean OHIP-J14 summary score was 13.0 ± 9.1 units. Perceived chewing ability and OHRQoL were significantly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient: -0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.52 to -0.38), indicating that higher chewing ability was correlated with lower OHIP-J14 summary scores (p < 0.001), which indicate better OHRQoL. A 1.0-unit increase in chewing function scores was related to a decrease of 0.87 OHIP-J14 units (95% CI: -1.0 to -0.72, p < 0.001). The correlation between perceived chewing ability and OHRQoL was not substantially influenced by age and number of teeth, but by gender, years of schooling, treatment demand and denture status.

Conclusion
Patients' perception of their chewing ability was substantially related to their OHRQoL.
Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2): genetic variation and newly emerging genotypes in China
Authors: Guo Long J , Lu Yue H , Wei Yan W , Huang Li P , Liu Chang M 
Published: October 2010

Abstract

Background
Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), the causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), is a serious economic problem for the swine industry in China. In this study, we investigated the genetic variation of PCV2 in China using strains isolated from 2004-2008. Viruses were isolated from samples collected from pigs with multi-systemic lesions and clinical signs of PMWS from different regions of China, and the genomes of these viruses were sequenced. The assembled sequences were used to define the genotypes of these strains; PCR-RFLP methodology was used to distinguish isolates and capture ELISA was used to demonstrate the antigenic changes resulted from ORF2 gene mutation of the isolates.

Results
We identified 19 PCV2 isolates, including four newly emerging PCV2 mutant strains. The 19 isolates were designated into three genotypes (PCV2a, PCV2b and PCV2d). PCV2d represented a novel genotype and a shift from PCV2a to PCV2b as the predominant genotype in China was identified. This is the first report of 1766 nt PCV2 harboring a base deletion at other new different positions. Amino acid sequence analysis identified two novel ORF2 mutations (resulting in ORF2 sequences 705 and 708 nt in length) in three deletion strains (1766 nt) and one strain with a genome 1767 nt in length. Finding of two amino acids elongation of the ORF2-encoded Cap protein is firstly observed among PCV2 strains all over the world. The isolates were distinguished into different genotypes by PCR-RFLP methodology and antigenic changes were present in Cap protein of mutation isolates by capture ELISA.

Conclusions
The results of this study provide evidence that PCV2 is undergoing constant genetic variation and that the predominant strain in China as well as the antigenic situation has changed in recent years. Furthermore, the PCR-RFLP method presented here may be useful for the differential identification of PCV2 strains in future studies.