bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Agronomic effects of a reciprocal translocation in a widely grown Spanish barley variety
Authors: Farré A. , Visioni A. , Lacasa-Benito I. , Cistué L. , Jansen J. , Romagosa I. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractA large spontaneous reciprocal translocation is present in a widely grown Spanish barley cv. ‘Albacete’. It has been hypothesized that high popularity of ‘Albacete’ with farmers, particularly in semi-arid areas where barley is grown under rainfed conditions, may be due to the presence of this translocation. Agronomic effects of this translocation were studied at two locations and two growing seasons in a set of 245 doubled haploid lines derived from the F1s of four crosses involving ‘Albacete’. The results have shown a significant positive main effect of the translocation on the thousand kernel weight and a significant environment by translocation interaction for the thousand kernel weight, lodging and tiller number. However, the results do not support the hypothesis that this chromosomal structural change alone provides an increased adaptation to low-yielding sites.
Performance of Portable Ventilators for Mass-Casualty Care
Authors: Blakeman Thomas C. , Rodriquez Dario , Dorlac Warren C. , Hanseman Dennis J. , Hattery Ellie , Branson Richard D. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIntroduction: Disasters and mass-casualty scenarios may overwhelm medical resources regardless of the level of preparation. Disaster response requires medical equipment, such as ventilators, that can be operated under adverse circumstances and should be able to provide respiratory support for a variety of patient populations.Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of three portable ventilators designed to provide ventilatory support outside the hospital setting and in mass-casualty incidents, and their adherence to the Task Force for Mass Critical Care recommendations for mass-casualty care ventilators.Methods: Each device was evaluated at minimum and maximum respiratory rate and tidal volume settings to determine the accuracy of set versus delivered VT at lung compliance settings of 0.02, 0.08 and 0.1 L/cm H20 with corresponding resistance settings of 10, 25, and 5 cm H2O/L/sec, to simulate patients with ARDS, severe asthma, and normal lungs. Additionally, different FIO2 settings with each device (if applicable) were evaluated to determine accuracy of FIO2 delivery and evaluate the effect on delivered VT. Ventilators also were tested for duration of battery life.Results: VT decreased with all three devices as compliance decreased. The decrease was more pronounced when the internal compressor was activated. At the 0.65 FIO2 setting on the MCV 200, the measured FIO2 varied widely depending on the set VT. Battery life range was 311-582 minutes with the 73X having the longest battery life. Delivered VT decreased toward the end of battery life with the SAVe having the largest decrease. The respiratory rate on the SAVe also decreased approaching the end of battery life.Conclusion: The 73X and MCV 200 were the closest to satisfying the Task Force for Mass Critical Care requirements for mass casualty ventilators, although neither had the capability to provide PEEP. The 73X provided the most consistent tidal volume delivery across all compliances, had the longest battery duration and the least decline in VT at the end of battery life.
Fuel Use in a Large, Dynamically Deployed Emergency Medical Services System
Authors: Hess Jeremy J. , Greenberg Lawrence A. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIntroduction: Emergency medical services (EMS) systems are a central component of the healthcare system, particularly for older patients. As currently configured, EMS transport is fundamentally petroleum dependent. Petroleum scarcity is an emerging public health concern, particularly for patient transport. Little is known regarding EMS fuel use, potential impacts of scarcity on operations, or strategies to minimize these impacts.Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize the fuel use of a large, urban, hospital-based, dynamically-deployed EMS system, and to identify broad optimization categories to minimize EMS’s petroleum dependence.Methods: Fuel use was reviewed retrospectively using fuel purchasing and maintenance data from January 2007 through September 2008. Data on unit-hours, call volume, and patient transports also were collected. Data were processed using descriptive statistics.Results: During the study period, a fleet of 35 diesel ambulances operated for 277,849 unit-hours and traveled 1,902,710 miles. Detailed mileage data were available for 66,527 unit-hours, 23.9% of the sample. Overall, vehicles averaged 6.6.89 (6.71, 7.08) miles per gallon (mpg), 11.5 (10.4, 12.6) miles were travelled per call, and 16.2 (14.8, 17.6) miles per transport; 2.7 (2.4, 2.9) gallons of fuel were used per transport.Conclusions: In this EMS system, operations are fundamentally dependent on petroleum. Mileage estimates can serve as a baseline to evaluate interventions for reducing petroleum dependence and in contingency planning. As cost pressures increase and these interventions become more common, systematic evaluations will be important.
Topiramate Augmentation in Resistant OCD: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Mowla Arash , Khajeian Abdol Mohammad , Sahraian Ali , Chohedri Abdol Hamid , Kashkoli Faramarz 
Published: February 2012

AbstractObjectivesGlutaminergic dysfunction has been shown to be related to the pathphysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Topiramate is an antiepileptic that inhibits glutaminergic action. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of topiramate augmentation in patients with treatment resistant OCD.MethodsThis augmentation trial was designed as a 12-week randomized, placebocontrolled, double-blind study. Forty-nine patients suffering from OCD who had failed to respond to at least 12 weeks of treatment of an adequate and stable dose of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) were randomly allocated to receive topiramate or placebo plus their current anti OCD treatment. Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was the primary outcome measure. Treatment response was defined as 25 % or more decrease in scores of Y-BOCS. The mean dosage of topiramate was 180.15 mg/day (range 100–200 mg/day).ResultsForty-one patients (20 of 24 in topiramate group; 21 of 25 in placebo group) completed the trial. The topiramate group showed significant improvement over the study period (mean Y-BOCS score at week 12 as compared with baseline: P=.000). Those receiving topiramate experienced a mean decrease of 32.0% in Y-BOCS score, compared with 2.4% decrease for those receiving placebo. Twelve patients in the topiramate group versus no patient in the placebo group were rated as responder.ConclusionThe results of our study demonstrated that topiramate may augment the therapeutic effect of SSRIs in treatment-resistant OCD patients. However, it should be noted that our study is preliminary and larger double-blind studies are needed to confirm these results.
Profile of Behavior and IQ in Anemic Children
Authors: Mubarak Ahmed , Fadel Wael , Said Shibl , Hammar Mohamed Abu 
Published: February 2012

AbstractObjectivesStudy the profile of behavior and intelligence of children with anemia and their possible association to the hematological parameters.MethodsFifty-eight children (42 anemic; 16 controls), matched by age, sex, and culture with the patients, were subjected to both behavioral and IQ testing using Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPCL) and Wechsler intelligence scale for children-revised and hematological laboratory evaluationResultsAfter controlling for age, sex and culture, the mean IQ was lower in the iron deficiency group than both thalassemic and control groups (P<.000). The mean scores of conduct disorder, socialized aggression, and anxiety withdrawal of RBPCL were higher in thalassemic group while the mean scores of motor excess and attention problems score were higher in the iron deficiency group. Regression analysis showed that hemoglobin concentration in gram/dl was the predictor of IQ in both anemic group and for attention problems in iron deficiency group while the mean corpuscular volume was the predictor of motor excess score in iron deficiency group. Other associations were not statistically significant.ConclusionBehavior problems and low intelligence were significantly high among anemic children. Their association with the hematological parameters varies according to the type of behavior and the type of anemia. These results cannot exclude the role of other factors in shaping the profile of behavior and IQ.
Effect of beam limiting aperture and collector potential on multi-element focused ion beams
Authors: Paul Samit , Chowdhury Abhishek , Bhattacharjee Sudeep 
Published: February 2012

A compact microwave driven plasma based multi-element focused ion beam system has been developed. In the present work, the effect of reduced beam limiter (BL) aperture on the focused ion beam parameters, such as current and spot size, and a method of controlling beam energy independently by introducing a biased collector at focal point (FP) are investigated. It is found that the location of FP does not change due to the reduction of BL aperture. The location of FP and beam size are found to be weakly dependent on the collector potential in the range from –8 kV to –18 kV.
Assessing Red Drum Juvenile Stocking in a South Carolina Estuary Using Genetic Identification
Authors: Denson Michael R. , Brenkert Karl , Jenkins Wallace E. , Darden Tanya L. 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has been stocking red drum Sciaenops ocellatus since 1988 to evaluate parameters critical to their successful survival and recruitment in South Carolina estuaries. From 1999 to 2002, between 600,000 and 1,000,000 juvenile red drum were stocked each year in two tributaries of Charleston Harbor. The harbor and each tributary were partitioned into three independent strata and randomly sampled monthly for two decades, allowing population trends before, during, and after stocking to be evaluated. Using microsatellite-based parentage analysis, we examined the contribution of stocked age-0 juvenile red drum (15–60 mm total length) to the local population 1 year after release by using fishery-independent sampling. Analysis of these data showed that the highest contributions (88.9%) were close to the stocking site in years with low natural recruitment, whereas in years with high natural recruitment, contributions were lower and stocking was less effective in increasing catch per unit effort. The results of stocking 600,000 small juveniles/year from 1999 to 2001 in one of the study tributaries (Ashley River) indicated that stocked fish did not displace wild fish but had an additive effect on their abundance, supporting the hypothesis that trophic resources are not limiting for postlarval age-0 red drum within Charleston Harbor. The high observed variability in contribution among years of stocking similar-sized red drum suggests that (1) interpretation on a year-class-specific basis is necessary to fully understand the effects of stocking and (2) marine stock enhancement programs would benefit substantially from evaluation in the context of wild annual recruitment patterns.
Received June 3, 2010; accepted August 18, 2011
ShapePheno: unsupervised extraction of shape phenotypes from biological image collections
Authors: Karaletsos Theofanis , Stegle Oliver , Dreyer Christine , Winn John , Borgwardt Karsten M. 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Motivation: Accurate large-scale phenotyping has recently gained considerable importance in biology. For example, in genome-wide association studies technological advances have rendered genotyping cheap, leaving phenotype acquisition as the major bottleneck. Automatic image analysis is one major strategy to phenotype individuals in large numbers. Current approaches for visual phenotyping focus predominantly on summarizing statistics and geometric measures, such as height and width of an individual, or color histograms and patterns. However, more subtle, but biologically informative phenotypes, such as the local deformation of the shape of an individual with respect to the population mean cannot be automatically extracted and quantified by current techniques.
Results: We propose a probabilistic machine learning model that allows for the extraction of deformation phenotypes from biological images, making them available as quantitative traits for downstream analysis. Our approach jointly models a collection of images using a learned common template that is mapped onto each image through a deformable smooth transformation. In a case study, we analyze the shape deformations of 388 guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata). We find that the flexible shape phenotypes our model extracts are complementary to basic geometric measures. Moreover, these quantitative traits assort the observations into distinct groups and can be mapped to polymorphic genetic loci of the sample set.
Availability: Code is available under: http://bioweb.me/GEBI
Contact: theofanis.karaletsos@tuebingen.mpg.de; oliver.stegle@tuebingen.mpg.de
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Profile of microvolt T‐wave alternans testing in 1003 patients hospitalized with heart failure
Authors: Jackson Colette E. , Myles Rachel C. , Tsorlalis Ioannis K. , Dalzell Jonathan R. , Spooner Richard J. , Rodgers John R. , Bezlyak Vladimir , Greenlaw Nicola , Ford Ian , Cobbe Stuart M. , Petrie Mark C. , McMurray John J.V. 
Published: February 2012

AimsObservational studies in selected populations have suggested that microvolt T‐wave alternans (MTWA) testing may identify patients with heart failure (HF) at risk of sudden cardiac death. The aims of this study were to investigate the utility of MTWA testing in an unselected population of patients with HF and to evaluate the clinical characteristics associated with the MTWA results.Methods and resultsA total of 1003 patients hospitalized with decompensated HF were enrolled. MTWA testing was planned 1 month post‐discharge; 648 patients returned for MTWA testing. Mean age was 70.8 ± 10.6 years and 58% were male. Of these patients who returned, 318 (49%) were ineligible for MTWA testing due to atrial fibrillation (AF), pacemaker dependency, or physical inability to undertake the test. Of the MTWA tests, 100 (30%) were positive, 78 (24%) were negative, and 152 (46%) were indeterminate; 112/152 indeterminate tests (74%) occurred because of failure to achieve target heart rate (HR) due to chronotropic incompetence or physical limitations. There were differences in patient characteristics according to MTWA result. Independent predictors of a negative result included younger age and higher left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Independent predictors of a positive result included higher HR during MTWA testing and lower LVEF. Independent predictors of an indeterminate result included older age and history of previous/paroxysmal AF.ConclusionsOnly half of patients with HF are eligible for MTWA testing and the most common result is an indeterminate test. Patients with positive and indeterminate tests have different clinical characteristics. MTWA treadmill testing is not widely applicable in typical HF patients and is unlikely to refine risk stratification for sudden death on a population level.
Gastric Emptying in Children
Authors: Drubach Laura A. , Kourmouzi Vasiliki , Cao Xinhua , Zurakowski David , Fahey Frederic H. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTObjectives:The geometric mean is the recommended method for calculating gastric emptying in adults to correct for variable attenuation during the study. In children, it has been reported that a single posterior acquisition is sufficient. Our objective was to evaluate the relation between the values of gastric emptying in children obtained by posterior view only and by the geometric mean of conjugate anterior and posterior views.Methods:The gastric residual of a standard meal was calculated in 81 children of different ages. The calculation of the gastric residual was performed with different methods, posterior only and geometric mean of anterior and posterior acquisitions. The variation between these 2 methods was evaluated in different age groups and different body weights.Results:There was a high correlation (r = 0.942) between the values using posterior as compared with geometric mean for all of the patients. For children younger than 8 years and weighing <30 kg, there was no significant difference between the 2 methods for either liquid or solid meals (P = 0.89 and P = 0.11 for age; P = 0.95 and P = 0.80 for weight). For children older than 8 years and weighing >30 kg, there was no significant difference between the 2 methods for liquids (P = 0.57 for age; P = 0.69 for weight), but there was a significant difference with solids (P < 0.0001 for both age and weight).Conclusions:In children younger than 8 years and weighing <30 kg, acquisition of a single posterior image is sufficient for calculating gastric emptying at 1 hour postingestion for either liquid or solid meals. In children older than 8 years and weighing >30 kg, acquisition of both anterior and posterior images with geometric mean calculation is recommended when a solid meal is used. If a liquid meal is used in patients older than 8 years, the posterior only may be adequate.
CpG‐enriched plasmid enhances the efficacy of the traditional foot‐and‐mouth disease killed vaccine
Authors: Guo Xiaoyu , Jia Hong , Zhang Quan , Yuan Weifeng , Zhu Gang , Xin Ting , Zhu Hongfei , Manuel Sánchez‐Vizcaíno José 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACT A CpG‐enriched recombinant plasmid (pUC18‐CpG) as an adjuvant of FMD killed vaccine was tested for immunization and vaccination challenge in a porcine model. Our preliminary results had indicated that the recombinant plasmid could enhance the humoral immune response triggered by the traditional oil‐adjuvant vaccine after the initial inoculation. A subsequent vaccination‐challenge test showed an increased PD50 value. Thus, coadministration of the recombinant plasmid with the oil‐adjuvant vaccine helped illicit an immune response earlier than that elicited by giving the vaccine alone. Our results showed that pUC18‐CpG can be a potent immunoadjuvant for the traditional FMD killed vaccine and can greatly enhance the traditional vaccine's efficacy when given in combination with it.
Phase I study of anti‐CD22 immunoconjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin plus rituximab in relapsed/refractory B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Ogura Michinori , Hatake Kiyohiko , Ando Kiyoshi , Tobinai Kensei , Tokushige Kota , Ono Chiho , Ishibashi Taro , Vandendries Erik 
Published: February 2012

Inotuzumab ozogamicin (CMC‐544), a humanized anti‐CD22 antibody conjugated to the potent cytotoxic antibiotic calicheamicin, targets the CD22 antigen expressed on the majority of B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphomas. This phase I study assessed the tolerability, safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of inotuzumab ozogamicin administered intravenously in combination with rituximab in Japanese patients with relapsed or refractory B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma. Ten patients were administered rituximab 375 mg/m2 followed by inotuzumab ozogamicin at the maximum tolerated dose (1.8 mg/m2). Treatment was repeated every 28 days up to eight cycles, or until occurrence of disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The safety profile was similar to that of inotuzumab ozogamicin monotherapy, with hematologic adverse events occurring most frequently. The most common grade three or higher adverse events were thrombocytopenia (70%), neutropenia (50%), leukopenia (30%), and lymphopenia (30%). The overall response rate was 80% (8/10; 95% CI, 44–98%). Drug exposure increased with successive doses, similar to the pharmacokinetic profiles observed in previous phase I monotherapy studies. Efficacy results suggested promising antitumor activity, and the overall findings support the continued clinical development of this therapeutic regimen in patients with relapsed or refractory B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT00724971. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 933–938)
Identification of novel genetic variants in phosphodiesterase 8B (PDE8B), a cAMP‐specific phosphodiesterase highly expressed in the adrenal cortex, in a cohort of patients with adrenal tumours
Authors: Rothenbuhler Anya , Horvath Anelia , Libé Rossella , Faucz Fabio R. , Fratticci Amato , Raffin Sanson Marie L. , Vezzosi Delphine , Azevedo Monalisa , Levy Isaak , Almeida Madson Q. , Lodish Maya , Nesterova Maria , Bertherat Jérôme , Stratakis Constantine A. 
Published: February 2012

SummaryBackgroundGenetic aberrations in various components of cAMP signalling pathway predispose to endocrine tumours. Mutations in the phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are involved in the predisposition to adrenocortical neoplastic conditions.ObjectiveTo screen for genetic variations in
PDE8B
among patients with different types of adrenocortical tumours.Design and subjectsThis is a case–control study followed by functional analyses. Two hundred and sixteen unrelated patients with different types of adrenocortical tumours and 192 healthy control individuals participated in the study.MethodsBidirectional Sanger sequencing, in vitro cell line transfection and in silico modelling are used in this study.ResultsNine different
PDE8B
sequence changes, six novel and three previously reported, were identified in our patients and controls. Two of the variations, seen only in the patient group, showed significant potential to impair protein function, both in vitro and in silico.Conclusion

PDE8B
is another PDE gene in which variations may contribute to predisposition of adrenocortical tumours.
Exhaled nitric oxide and atherosclerosis
Authors: Salonen Iiris , Huttunen Kati , Hirvonen Maija‐Riitta , Dufva Juhani , Groundstroem Kaj , Dufva Hilkka , Salonen Raimo O. 
Published: February 2012

Eur J Clin Invest 2012AbstractBackground  Fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentration (FENO) measurement has been proposed to be an important adjunct in the diagnosis and management of asthma, pulmonary hypertension and cystic fibrosis. But do we understand how other diseases influence the FENO values? In particular, atherosclerosis is one of the pathological conditions, in which nitric oxide (NO) production is inhibited and its degradation enhanced. Therefore, hypothesis of the current study was that FENO is inversely associated with risk markers of atherosclerosis and with diseases leading secondarily to the progression of atherosclerosis.Materials and methods  A long‐term FENO value (median of biweekly measurements over a 24‐week period) of 53 patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was compared with the results of clinical and biochemical analyses.Results  Fractional exhaled NO was inversely associated with the plasma concentration of triglycerides (P = 0·01) and with the blood concentration of glycated haemoglobin A1c (P = 0·03). It also tended to be inversely associated with the plasma glucose concentration (P = 0·10). However, there were no statistically significant associations with inflammatory or other biochemical markers, health status, lifestyle or other personal determinants.Conclusions  In accordance with the hypothesis, FENO is inversely associated with some of risk markers of atherosclerosis in patients with stable IHD (triglycerides and haemoglobin A1c, a marker of hyperglycaemic metabolism). A potential explanation is that, at hyperglycaemia and with higher triglyceride concentrations, atherosclerosis leads to endothelial dysfunction and, subsequently, to decreased production and increased degradation of NO.