bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Standardization of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve in Thyroid Operation
Authors: Chiang Feng‐Yu , Lee Ka‐Wo , Chen Hui‐Chun , Chen Hsiu‐Ya , Lu I‐Cheng , Kuo Wen‐Rei , Hsieh Ming‐Chia , Wu Che‐Wei 
Published: December 2009

AbstractBackgroundThe lack of standardized procedures of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) during thyroid operations may lead to highly variable results, and many of these results can cause misleading information and, conversely, increase the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury. Therefore, standardization of IONM procedures is necessary.MethodsA total of 289 patients (435 nerves at risk) who underwent thyroidectomy by the same surgeon were enrolled in this study. Each patient was intubated with EMG endotracheal tube by the same anesthesiologist. Standardized IONM procedures were applied in each patient. The procedures include preoperative and postoperative video‐recording of vocal cord movement, ensuring the correct position of electrodes after the neck was placed at full extension, vagal stimulation and registration of EMG signals before and after RLN dissection, and photographic documentation of the exposed RLN.ResultsFive patients encountered dysfunction of IONM, which was caused by malposition of electrodes and the problem was detected at once. One patient with non‐RLN was detected at the earlier stage of operation. Eighteen nerves experienced loss of EMG signals during thyroid dissection, and the causes of nerve injuries were well elucidated with the application of our standardized IONM procedures.ConclusionsThe standardized IONM procedures are useful and helpful not only to eliminate false IONM results, but also to elucidate the mechanism of RLN injury. After ascertaining the surgical pitfalls and improving the surgical techniques, the palsy rate was significantly reduced in this study.
THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO MASS MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT ON LEVELS AND TRENDS OF HIV-RELATED STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION IN NIGERIA: TOOLS FOR ENHANCING EFFECTIVE HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMMES
Authors: FAKOLADE R. , ADEBAYO S. B. , ANYANTI J. , ANKOMAH A. 
Published: December 2009

SummaryPeople living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs) often face stigma and discrimination, especially in developing countries. HIV-related stigma is expressed through social ostracism, personal rejection, direct and indirect discrimination, and denial from families and friends. Consequently, it is associated with reduced adoption of preventive and care behaviours, including condom use, seeking for HIV test and care-seeking behaviour subsequent to diagnosis. Ignorance about the epidemiology of the disease on modes of transmission and prevention aggravates HIV-related stigma in Nigeria. Behaviour change communication activities through mass media have been shown to be an effective approach in improving people's knowledge about the disease. This paper monitors trends in the level of accepting attitudes towards PLWHAs in Nigeria between 2003 and 2007. It also evaluates the impact of exposure to mass media and social support on the levels of accepting attitudes towards PLWHAs. A significant and positive trend was evident between 2003 and 2007 (p<0.0001). Furthermore, exposure to mass media communications on HIV and AIDS issues and social support were significantly related to the reduced stigma and discrimination against PLWHAs (p<0.0001).
Cultivating Knowledge in Nineteenth-Century English Gardens
Authors: Lustig A. J. 
Published: December 2009

The ArgumentThe popularity of botany and natural history in England combined with the demographic changes of the first half of the nineteenth century to bring about a new aesthetics of gardening, fusing horticultural practice with a connoisseurship of botanical science. Horticultural societies brought theoretical botany into the practice of gardening. Botanical and horticultural periodicals disseminated both science and prescriptions for practice, yoking them to a progressive social agenda, including the betterment of the working class and urban planning. Finally, botany was incorporated into systems of education, reinforcing the union of theory and practice.Three garden plans from the 1790s, 1835, and 1846 illustrate the embodiment of this theory and practice in the design of private suburban gardens. These horticultural/botanical gardens, described in the second half of the article, represent a neglected side of botany's bifurcated descent from Renaissance collections of curiosities into horticultural gardening and herbarium-based systematics.
Modelling multi-type transmission of pneumococcal carriage in Bangladeshi families
Authors: ERÄSTÖ P. , HOTI F. , GRANAT S. M. , MIA Z. , MÄKELÄ P.H. , AURANEN K. 
Published: December 2009

SUMMARYThe burden of pneumococcal carriage is largest in developing countries from which, however, detailed studies on pneumococcal transmission are missing. In this study we followed nasopharyngeal carriage in Bangladeshi infants (n=99) from birth, with 2-week sampling intervals until age 4 months, and monthly thereafter until age 1 year, and also their family members at the same intervals. We assessed the dependence of pneumococcal acquisition rates on age, serotype, serotype-specific exposure (i.e. transmission) and current state of carriage (yes/no). A statistical model of pneumococcal transmission, taking into account incompletely observed data, was applied to estimate rates of acquisition and clearance for a large number of serotypes at the same time. Serotypes that were common in the study population were more often acquired from the community than rarer serotypes. However, when conditioning on serotype-specific exposure within the family, transmission rates were similar between different serotypes. Exposure within families signified more than tenfold increase in the rate of acquisition.
Celiac Disease: Predictors of Compliance With a Gluten‐free Diet in Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Errichiello Simona , Esposito Oscar , Di Mase Raffaella , Camarca Maria Erminia , Natale Clelia , Limongelli Maria Giovanna , Marano Caterina , Coruzzo Anna , Lombardo Maria , Strisciuglio Pietro , Greco Luigi 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACTAims:To identify risk as well as protective factors related to compliance with the gluten‐free diet in a cohort of teenagers with celiac disease (CD).Patients and Methods:Two hundred four patients with CD (European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition criteria) older than or equal to 13 years and residents of Campania (southern Italy) were enrolled in the study. Patients underwent clinical examination and blood sampling, and were interviewed about school performance, social relationships, family integration, smoking habit, and compliance with a gluten‐free diet. Anti‐tissue transglutaminase antibodies were assayed with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.Results:One hundred fifty of 204 (73.5%) reported no dietary transgressions, and 54 of 204 (26.5%) reported occasional or frequent transgressions. During the previous month 29 of 54 (53.7%) poor compliers ate from 0.001 to 1 g of gluten per day, 14 (25.9%) from 1 to 5 g, and 11 (20.4%) more than 5 g. The daily intake of gluten was significantly related to anti‐tissue transglutaminase antibodies (χ2 = 38.872, P = 0.000). Height was below the third percentile in 19 of 204 (9.3%), and weight was above the 97th percentile in 20 of 204 (9.8%). Diet compliance did not seem to influence the weight and height. One hundred eleven of 150 good compliers (74%) and 31of 54 (57.4%) poor compliers were asymptomatic. Most patients reported good family relationships (88.7%), social relationships (91.2%), and school integration (88.2%). Alternatively, 54% of patients reported some limitation in their social life. Compliance was good in patients who reported excellent school integration (83%) and social relationships (81%).Conclusion:Optimal school integration significantly contributes to the likelihood of good compliance. A better understanding within the school environment about CD‐related issues could improve motivation to adhere to a gluten‐free diet.
VP7 and VP4 Sequence Analyses of Rotavirus Strains From Italian Children With Viraemia and Acute Diarrhoea
Authors: Chiappini Elena , Arista Serenella , Moriondo Maria , De Grazia Simona , Giammanco Giovanni Maurizio , Azzari Chiara , Galli Luisa , de Martino Maurizio 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACTInformation on genotypes or variants associated with systemic rotavirus infection is lacking. Seven viraemic children with acute rotavirus diarrhoea were evaluated. All faecal strains were genotyped (5 G1P[8] type, 1 G9P[8], 1 G1‐G4P[8]). Only 3 of 7 blood strains were typeable (G1P[8], G4P8, and G1P[ND]). A discrepancy between faecal and blood VP7 amino acid sequences (Ser→Asp at position 94) was found in the first child. Two amino acid substitutions (Ile→Val and Asn→Ser at position 106 and 113) in the VP4 sequences were demonstrated in the second child. Complete correspondence was found in the third child. All of the observed amino acid substitutions may be involved in rotavirus neutralisation. We speculate that during co‐infection by multiple strains, a preferential extraintestinal dissemination of some variants may occur, possibly because of differential viral characteristics.
Intestinal Adaptation Following Massive Ileocecal Resection in 20‐day‐old Weanling Rats
Authors: Yang Qing , Kock Nancy D 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACTObjective:Few infant animal models have been used to study infantile short bowel syndrome (SBS). Most SBS models involve removal of the proximal small bowel followed by jejunoileal anastomosis, which has unclear clinical relevance to human infantile SBS that often results from surgical treatment for necrotizing enterocolitis and involves removal of the ileum, ileocecal valve, and part of or the entire colon. Our objective was to develop a more appropriate SBS model in developing rats.Materials and Methods:Twenty‐day‐old weanling rats were divided into 2 surgery groups, ileocecal resection (ICR) and sham groups, and a control group that did not undergo surgery. All were fed a liquid diet ad libitum for 7 days after surgery or for 7 days in the controls, and body weight, food intake, and stool changes were recorded daily. The rats were then euthanized and intestinal lengths and weights were recorded. Samples of intestine from the distal jejunum and proximal colon were collected for histology. Mucosal samples from the middle, distal jejunum, and colon were collected for measurements of mucosal weights, DNA, RNA, and protein levels. Maltase activity was determined in the small intestine.Results:Eighty‐five percent of rats survived the ICR with subsequent development of diarrhea, hyperphagia, and poor growth. Adaptive responses to ICR, as compared with sham, were evidenced by increased intestinal and mucosal weights, DNA, RNA, and protein levels, increased maltase activity and villous thickness in distal jejunum, and increased mucosal thickness in the colon.Conclusions:This ICR model in weanling rats is appropriate for studying human infantile SBS.
The Laforin-Like Dual-Specificity Phosphatase SEX4 from Arabidopsis Hydrolyzes Both C6- and C3-Phosphate Esters Introduced by Starch-Related Dikinases and Thereby Affects Phase Transition of α-Glucans
Authors: Hejazi Mahdi , Fettke Joerg , Koݶtting Oliver , Zeeman Samuel C. , Steup Martin 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
The biochemical function of the Laforin-like dual-specific phosphatase AtSEX4 (EC 3.1.3.48) has been studied. Crystalline maltodextrins representing the A- or the B-type allomorph were prephosphorylated using recombinant glucan, water dikinase (StGWD) or the successive action of both plastidial dikinases (StGWD and AtPWD). AtSEX4 hydrolyzed carbon 6-phosphate esters from both the prephosphorylated A- and B-type allomorphs and the kinetic constants are similar. The phosphatase also acted on prelabeled carbon-3 esters from both crystalline maltodextrins. Similarly, native starch granules prelabeled in either the carbon-6 or carbon-3 position were also dephosphorylated by AtSEX4. The phosphatase did also hydrolyze phosphate esters of both prephosphorylated maltodextrins when the (phospho)glucans had been solubilized by heat treatment. Submillimolar concentrations of nonphosphorylated maltodextrins inhibited AtSEX4 provided they possessed a minimum of length and had been solubilized. As opposed to the soluble phosphomaltodextrins, the AtSEX4-mediated dephosphorylation of the insoluble substrates was incomplete and at least 50% of the phosphate esters were retained in the pelletable (phospho)glucans. The partial dephosphorylation of the insoluble glucans also strongly reduced the release of nonphosphorylated chains into solution. Presumably, this effect reflects fast structural changes that following dephosphorylation occur near the surface of the maltodextrin particles. A model is proposed defining distinct stages within the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation-dependent transition of α-glucans from the insoluble to the soluble state.
A comparison of inhalation sedation agents in the management of children receiving dental treatment: a randomized, controlled, cross‐over pilot trial
Authors: SOLDANI FRANCESCA , MANTON SARAH , STIRRUPS DAVID R. , CUMMING CRAIG , FOLEY JENNIFER 
Published: December 2009

Aims.  First, to compare the relative effectiveness of inhalation sedation using (A) nitrous oxide and oxygen with (B) nitrous oxide, sevoflurane, and oxygen in the management of children receiving dental extractions. Secondly, to determine patient and guardian preference between the two sedation techniques.Materials and methods.  A randomized, controlled, double‐blinded, cross‐over, pilot clinical trial was undertaken. Thirty patients aged 6–15 years, ASA category I or II, who required two identical dental extractions with inhalation sedation were recruited. At the first session, patients were randomly allocated to receiving treatment with sedation Method A or B. At the second session, the alternative sedation protocol was employed.Results.  Overall, 80% of patients successfully completed treatment at both appointments. There was no statistically significant difference between either the success rate of the two methods or in guardian preference between the two modes of sedation. There was a statistically significant difference in patient preference in favour of Method B.Conclusions.  The results from this pilot study would suggest no increased benefit, in terms of treatment completion, from the additional use of sevoflurane in combination with nitrous oxide and oxygen. There was, however, a small but significant patient preference in favour of nitrous oxide with sevoflurane and oxygen.
The longevity of different restorations in primary teeth
Authors: QVIST VIBEKE , POULSEN AGNETA , TEGLERS POUL THORPEN , MJÖR IVAR A. 
Published: December 2009

Background and aim.  This paper reviews three published papers and adds results from a fourth study which aimed to determine which restorative material would be the best alternative(s) to amalgam (AM) in primary teeth.Design.  All studies had a practice‐based design and were part of the routine treatment of children and adolescents. The clinicians were assigned which materials to use in a randomised matter in the first three studies which lasted for 7–8 years. In the fourth study conducted 4 years after the initial studies, the clinicians were free to select the restorative materials.Results and conclusions.  Resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI) and compomer (COM) restorations showed similar longevity compared with AM, whereas conventional GI restorations showed significantly shorter longevity. The studies indicated that the ‘new and improved’ materials based on in vitro tests did not always show enhanced clinical properties. In the last study, where clinicians freely selected the restorative materials they used in their practices, seven used COM, one used conventional GI materials and one used a combination of the two types of material.
Fatigue and its related factors in patients with chronic heart failure
Authors: Tang Woung‐Ru , Yu Chiung‐Yao , Yeh San‐Jou 
Published: December 2009

Aims and objectives.  To understand fatigue in chronic heart failure patients and its related factors.Background.  Fatigue is a common symptom in patients with chronic heart failure, but little is known about this phenomenon.Design.  Correlational study.Methods.  This correlational study sampled 107 chronic heart failure patients from a medical centre in northern Taiwan. Data were collected on objective outcomes (ejection fraction, EF; New York Heart Association classification, NYHA; beta‐blocker use and haemoglobin, Hb) and subjective outcomes (depression and fatigue). Since the main outcome variable, fatigue, is multidimensional, it was measured by two scales: Lee’s Fatigue Visual Analog Scale and a researcher‐developed scale, the Tang Fatigue Rating Scale.Results.  Subjects experienced a medium level of fatigue. Fatigue was significantly higher (p < 0·05) in females (226·6 SD 49·1) than males (203·0 SD 52·2) and in patients who took beta‐blockers than those who did not (p < 0·01). Depression, EF and NYHA as a set explained 73% of the variance in subjects’ fatigue. Subjects with greater depression, lower EF and worse NYHA experienced significantly higher fatigue (F = 76·50, p < 0·001).Conclusions.  Fatigue for this sample of chronic heart failure patients was significantly predicted by depression, EF and NYHA. Additional research is needed to explore patterns of fatigue and its related factors over time.Relevance to clinical practice.  In nursing care, psychological factors are as important as physiological factors to patients’ well‐being. Health care providers should therefore pay more attention to the psychological status of patients with chronic heart failure, thus helping them control their fatigue and improve their well‐being.
Direct MinE–membrane interaction contributes to the proper localization of MinDE in E. coli
Authors: Hsieh Cheng‐Wei , Lin Ti‐Yu , Lai Hsin‐Mei , Lin Chu‐Chi , Hsieh Ting‐Sung , Shih Yu‐Ling 
Published: December 2009

SummaryDynamic oscillation of the Min system in Escherichia coli determines the placement of the division plane at the midcell. In addition to stimulating MinD ATPase activity, we report here that MinE can directly interact with the membrane and this interaction contributes to the proper MinDE localization and dynamics. The N‐terminal domain of MinE is involved in direct contact between MinE and the membranes that may subsequently be stabilized by the C‐terminal domain of MinE. In an in vitro system, MinE caused liposome deformation into membrane tubules, a property similar to that previously reported for MinD. We isolated a mutant MinE containing residue substitutions in R10, K11 and K12 that was fully capable of stimulating MinD ATPase activity, but was deficient in membrane binding. Importantly, this mutant was unable to support normal MinDE localization and oscillation, suggesting that direct MinE interaction with the membrane is critical for the dynamic behavior of the Min system.
Presence of Bartonella species and Rickettsia species DNA in the blood, oral cavity, skin and claw beds of cats in the United States
Authors: Lappin Michael R. , Hawley Jennifer 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Bartonella species and Rickettsia species DNA in the blood, oral cavity, skin and claw beds of feral cats without evidence of skin disease that were housed in Alabama (n = 24), Florida (n = 27) and Colorado (n = 32). Samples were assessed by use of polymerase chain reaction assays. The Bartonella species IgG prevalence was also determined. While Bartonella species DNA was not amplified from any sample from Colorado cats, it was commonly amplified from blood (56.9%), skin (31.4%), claws (17.6%) and gingiva (17.6%) of the 51 cats housed in Alabama and Florida. All 10 flea groups assessed in this study were infected with a Bartonella species or R. felis. Bartonella species IgG titres did not accurately predict bacteraemia (positive predictive value = 57.1%; negative predictive value = 82.1%). Bartonella species DNA was amplified from blood of cats with and without C. felis. Rickettsia felis DNA was only detected in or on the skin of one cat and the gingiva of an additional cat. It was concluded that cats can be an occupational health risk for veterinarians, particularly in areas with high prevalence of Ctenocephalides felis. Further study is required to determine whether Bartonella species or Rickettsia species infections of cats are associated with dermatological disease. The combination of Bartonella species serological test results with Bartonella species PCR or culture is likely to give the most accurate information concerning the current infection status of individual cats.
Treatment of canine‐generalized demodicosis: a blind, randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy of Advocate®(Bayer Animal Health) with ivermectin
Authors: Paterson Tara E. , Halliwell Richard E. , Fields Paul J. , Louw Marta Lanza , Louw Jakobus P. , Ball Geoff S. , Pinckney Rhonda D. , McKibben John S. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractAdvocate®(moxidectin 2.5% + imidacloprid 10%) is a multiparasiticidal agent authorized for treating canine demodicosis in many countries. This blind, randomized clinical trial assessed the efficacy of Advocate®at varying treatment intervals and compared it with that of oral ivermectin. Fifty dogs with generalized demodicosis were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: oral ivermectin (500 μg/kg once daily), Advocate®applied at the authorized dose monthly (ADV1), every 2 weeks (ADV2) or weekly (ADV4). Each dog was evaluated every 4 weeks for 4 months or until negative scrapings at all sites resulted on two successive evaluations (parasitological cure). Miticidal efficacy was determined through deep skin scrapings taken from the same three sites on each occasion. Total numbers of live and dead adult mites, juveniles and eggs were determined. Thirty‐five dogs completed the 4‐month trial. Parasiticidal efficacy was assessed using several parameters including reduction in live adult mite counts.ancovaanalysis for this parameter confirmed that there were differences in efficacy among the treatment groups (P < 0.002). Tukey–Kramer all pairwise multiple comparison tests revealed that ADV4 was more effective than ADV1 (P = 0.016). Ivermectin was more effective than ADV1 (P = 0.003). Both ivermectin and ADV4 showed clinically substantial reductions in adult mite counts (89% for ADV4 and 98% for ivermectin). In conclusion, the efficacy of Advocate®increased with the rate of application and weekly application may represent a new approach to the treatment of caninegeneralized demodicosis.
An open study to evaluate topical treatment of equine chorioptic mange with shampooing and lime sulphur solution
Authors: Paterson S. , Coumbe K. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractChorioptic mange caused by Chorioptes bovis is a common pruritic skin condition of the horse. This surface‐browsing parasite usually affects the lower legs (leg mange) but can present as a generalized skin disease. Numerous anecdotal reports exist in the literature about the benefit of lime sulphur as a treatment for surface ectoparasites in the horse. This report studies the use of lime sulphur when applied as a 5% solution, some with and some without prior shampooing and clipping, to treat confirmed cases of chorioptic mange in 22 horses. Horses included in the trial had clinical signs indicative of chorioptic mange and positive identification of chorioptic mites on skin scrapings and tape preparations. Each horse was treated with sulphurated lime dip solution four times at 7‐day intervals. Most horses were clipped and/or shampooed prior to treatment. Animals were assigned a score based on a scale of 1–10 to assess the severity of their lesions and degree of behavioural signs. The horses were again scored and examined for mites after four treatments. All animals showed a reduction in scores at the end of the trial and mites were not demonstrated from any animal.