bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Contribution of PET-CT to staging, gross tumour volume definition, planning and response assessment in IMRT for nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Guden Metin , Ceylan Cemile , Berberoglu Kezban , Dogan Semih , Kucuk Nadir , Bas Hande , Kilic Ayhan , Engin Kayıhan 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThe effectiveness of PET-CT (positron emission tomography–computed tomography) was investigated for staging target delineation compared with CT-MR (computed tomography–magnetic resonance) and early response of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Gross tumour volume–clinical target volume (GTV-CTV) differences between PET-CT and CT-MR for 14 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients were compared. Evaluation of doses of organs at risk (OARs) was done by IMRT plans. Responses of IMRT were evaluated with both sets. PET-CT changed MR-based TNM (Tumour Lymph Nodes Metastasis) in 11 of 14 patients. The median GTVNP (nasopharyx gross tumour volume) was 49.25 and 18.8 cm3 for CT-MR and PET-CT, respectively. In eight cases, GTVNP in the PET-CT was smaller than the CT-MR. The PET-CT presented a larger GTVNP than the CT-MR for six cases. Mean doses for the parotid glands were found to be higher than in CT-MR-based plan in one patient although he had smaller GTVNP at the PET-CT. The median follow-up was 16 months. Only one patient experienced recurrence in the CTVNP (nasopharyx clinical target volume). MR showed a decrease in the size-number of lymph nodes in four patients whereas PET-CT showed no uptake. All patients had positive responses to IMRT in their second control MR and PET-CT. PET-CT could improve tumour delineation. This enables an increase in dose inside the CTV. PET-CT provided significant information on the control scans for most of our patients whose MR imaging showed residual or recurrence.
On the close relationship between speciation, inbreeding and recessive mutations.
Authors: Joly Etienne 
Published: November 2010

AbstractWhilst the principle of adaptive evolution is unanimously recognised as being caused by the process of natural selection favouring the survival and/or reproduction of individuals having acquired new advantageous traits, a consensus has proven much harder to find regarding the actual origin of species. Indeed, since speciation corresponds to the establishment of reproductive barriers, it is difficult to see how it could bring a selective advantage because it amounts to a restriction in the opportunities to breed with as many and/or as diverse partners as possible. In this regard, Darwin himself did not believe that reproductive barriers could be selected for, and today most evolutionary biologists still believe that speciation can only occur through a process of separation allowing two populations to diverge sufficiently to become infertile with one another. I do, however, take the view that, if so much speciation has occurred, and still occurs around us, it cannot be a consequence of passive drift but must result from a selection process, whereby it is advantageous for groups of individuals to reproduce preferentially with one another and reduce their breeding with the rest of the population.In this essay, I propose a model whereby new species arise by “budding” from an ancestral stock, via a process of inbreeding among small numbers of individuals, driven by the occurrence of advantageous recessive mutations. Since the phenotypes associated to such mutations can only be retained in the context of inbreeding, it is the pressure of the ancestral stock which will promote additional reproductive barriers, and ultimately result in complete separation of a new species. I thus contend that the phenomenon of speciation would be driven by mutations resulting in the advantageous loss of certain functions, whilst adaptive evolution would correspond to gains of function that would, most of the time be dominant.A very important further advantage of inbreeding is that it reduces the accumulation of recessive mutations in genomes. A consequence of the model proposed is that the existence of species would correspond to a metastable equilibrium between inbreeding and outbreeding, with excessive inbreeding promoting speciation, and excessive outbreeding resulting in irreversible accumulation of recessive mutations that could ultimately only lead to the species extinction.
The role of interactions in a world implementing adaptation and mitigation solutions to climate change
Authors: Warren Rachel 
Published: November 2010

The papers in this volume discuss projections of climate change impacts upon humans and ecosystems under a global mean temperature rise of 4°C above preindustrial levels. Like most studies, they are mainly single-sector or single-region-based assessments. Even the multi-sector or multi-region approaches generally consider impacts in sectors and regions independently, ignoring interactions. Extreme weather and adaptation processes are often poorly represented and losses of ecosystem services induced by climate change or human adaptation are generally omitted. This paper addresses this gap by reviewing some potential interactions in a 4°C world, and also makes a comparison with a 2°C world. In a 4°C world, major shifts in agricultural land use and increased drought are projected, and an increased human population might increasingly be concentrated in areas remaining wet enough for economic prosperity. Ecosystem services that enable prosperity would be declining, with carbon cycle feedbacks and fire causing forest losses. There is an urgent need for integrated assessments considering the synergy of impacts and limits to adaptation in multiple sectors and regions in a 4°C world. By contrast, a 2°C world is projected to experience about one-half of the climate change impacts, with concomitantly smaller challenges for adaptation. Ecosystem services, including the carbon sink provided by the Earth’s forests, would be expected to be largely preserved, with much less potential for interaction processes to increase challenges to adaptation. However, demands for land and water for biofuel cropping could reduce the availability of these resources for agricultural and natural systems. Hence, a whole system approach to mitigation and adaptation, considering interactions, potential human and species migration, allocation of land and water resources and ecosystem services, will be important in either a 2°C or a 4°C world.
Effect of ethnicity on the hypnotic and cardiovascular characteristics of propofol induction
Authors: Natarajan A. , Strandvik G. F. , Pattanayak R. , Chakithandy S. , Passalacqua A. M. , Lewis C. M. , Morley A. P. 
Published: November 2010

SummaryWe compared the propofol dose causing loss of verbal response and suppression of bispectral index to 50, between 50 white and 50 black patients, aged 18–65 years. Propofol was administered at 40 mg.kg−1.h−1and reduced to 8 mg.kg−1.h−1 when bispectral index fell to 50. We recorded heart rate and mean arterial pressure for 15 min in total and calculated, for this period, maximal percentage change from baseline for each. A statistician, blinded to patient ethnicity, found mean (SD) propofol dose for loss of verbal response in white and black patients to be 1.41 (0.37) mg.kg−1 and 1.16 (0.25) mg.kg−1, respectively (p < 0.001). Corresponding figures for maximal percentage change in heart rate were 14.1 (12.6) % and 7.5 (14.0) % (p = 0.015). Other differences were non‐significant. The dose of propofol required for loss of verbal response, but not for suppression of bispectral index to 50, is lower in black than in white patients.
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole‐induced phenytoin toxicity in the elderly: a population‐based study
Authors: Antoniou Tony , Gomes Tara , Mamdani Muhammad M. , Juurlink David N. 
Published: November 2010

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT• Drug interactions are an important and avoidable, yet underappreciated cause of phenytoin toxicity.• Trimethoprim (TMP), a potent inhibitor of the CYP2C8 isoenzyme that is commonly administered with sulfamethoxazole (SMX) for the treatment of urinary tract infections, is known to reduce phenytoin clearance by 30%. Given the saturable nature of phenytoin metabolism, decreases in phenytoin clearance of this magnitude may be clinically significant.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS• Prescription of TMP/SMX was associated with a more than doubling of the risk of hospitalization for phenytoin toxicity [adjusted odds ratio 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24, 3.60].• Co‐prescription of TMP/SMX and phenytoin is common. In our study, approximately 20% of phenytoin users received at least one prescription for TMP/SMX, thereby being placed at excess risk of phenytoin toxicity.AIMSPharmacokinetic studies suggest that trimethoprim (TMP) can inhibit the hepatic metabolism of phenytoin, but the clinical relevance of this is uncertain. We studied the risk of phenytoin toxicity following the prescription of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), a commonly used antibiotic, among elderly patients receiving phenytoin.METHODSWe conducted a population‐based, nested case–control study of a cohort of Ontario residents aged 66 years of age or older treated with phenytoin over a 17‐year period (April 1 1992 to March 31 2009). Within this group, case patients were those hospitalized with phenytoin toxicity. For each case, we identified up to four control patients from the same cohort, matched for age and sex, and determined the odds ratio (OR) for the association between phenytoin toxicity and receipt of TMP/SMX in the preceding 30 days.RESULTSAmong 58 429 elderly patients receiving phenytoin during the study period, we identified 796 case patients hospitalized for phenytoin toxicity and 3148 matched controls. Following multivariable adjustment for potential confounders, we observed a more than doubling of the risk of phenytoin toxicity following the receipt of TMP/SMX [adjusted OR 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24, 3.60]. In contrast, we observed no such risk with amoxicillin, an antibiotic with similar indications but not expected to interact with phenytoin (adjusted OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.64, 1.98).CONCLUSIONAmong older patients receiving phenytoin, treatment with TMP/SMX is associated with a more than twofold increase in the risk of phenytoin toxicity. When clinically appropriate, alternate antibiotics should be considered for these patients.
The clinical significance of class III (suspicious) urine cytology
Authors: Sternberg I. , Rona R. , Olsfanger S. , Lew S. , Leibovitch I. 
Published: November 2010

I. Sternberg, R. Rona, S. Olsfanger, S. Lew and I. LeibovitchThe clinical significance of class III (suspicious) urine cytologyBackground:  Urine cytology, combined with cystoscopy, is the mainstay of the diagnosis and surveillance of urothelial carcinoma (UC). While classes I and II urine cytology are considered benign and classes IV and V are considered malignant the clinical significance of class III urine cytology is unclear. We evaluated the positive predictive value of class III urine cytology for concurrent and subsequent UC.Methods:  The records of all class III urine cytology cases during a 3‐year period were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of concurrent and subsequent UC, determined by cystoscopy and histological confirmation.Results:  Of 111 cases, 54 (48.7%) were associated with concurrent UC and 14 (12.6%) with subsequent UC after an initial evaluation negative for malignancy, with a mean time to diagnosis of 10.8 months. Of 27 cases of class III urine cytology with no prior history of UC, 13 (48.1%) had concomitant UC and none had subsequent UC. Of 84 cases of class III urine cytology with a prior history of UC, 41 (48.8%) had a concomitant diagnosis of UC and 14 (16.7%) developed UC during their follow‐up, leading to a total of 55 (65.5%) cases of UC.Conclusions:  Patients with class III urine cytology and a prior history of UC should undergo a full initial evaluation of their urinary tract, and should be followed vigorously if this evaluation is negative for malignancy. Patients without a prior diagnosis of UC and class III urine cytology should also undergo a full initial evaluation, while further larger studies are needed to elucidate the need for further follow‐up in such patients.
Can New Zealand achieve self‐sufficiency in its nursing workforce?
Authors: North Nicola 
Published: November 2010

Aims and objectives.  This paper reviews impacts on the nursing workforce of health policy and reforms of the past two decades and suggests reasons for both current difficulties in retaining nurses in the workforce and measures to achieve short‐term improvements.Background.  Difficulties in retaining nurses in the New Zealand workforce have contributed to nursing shortages, leading to a dependence on overseas recruitment. In a context of global shortages and having to compete in a global nursing labour market, an alternative to dependence on overseas nurses is self‐sufficiency.Design.  Discursive paper.Method.  Analysis of nursing workforce data highlighted threats to self‐sufficiency, including age structure, high rates of emigration of New Zealand nurses with reliance on overseas nurses and an annual output of nurses that is insufficient to replace both expected retiring nurses and emigrating nurses. A review of recent policy and other documents indicates that two decades of health reform and lack of a strategic focus on nursing has contributed to shortages. Recent strategic approaches to the nursing workforce have included workforce stocktakes, integrated health workforce development and nursing workforce projections, with a single authority now responsible for planning, education, training and development for all health professions and sectors.Conclusions.  Current health and nursing workforce development strategies offer wide‐ranging and ambitious approaches. An alternative approach is advocated: based on workforce data analysis, pressing threats to self‐sufficiency and measures available are identified to achieve, in the short term, the maximum impact on retaining nurses. A human resources in health approach is recommended that focuses on employment conditions and professional nursing as well as recruitment and retention strategies.Relevance to clinical practice.  Nursing is identified as ‘crucial’ to meeting demands for health care. A shortage of nurses threatens delivery of health services and supports the case for self‐sufficiency in the nursing workforce.
Determining the amount, timing and causes of mortality among infants with Down syndrome
Authors: Goldman S. E. , Urbano R. C. , Hodapp R. M. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractObjective  To examine the amount, timing and causes/correlates of infant mortality among newborns with Down syndrome.Methods  Using the Tennessee Department of Health Birth, Hospital Discharge and Death records, infants were identified who were born with Down syndrome from 1990 to 2006. Those who died during the first year were separated into three groups (first day death, neonatal mortality, post‐neonatal mortality) and data from the Birth and Death records were used to compare the three death groups and the survival group on correlates of mortality.Results  Of 1305 infants born in Tennessee with Down syndrome from 1990 to 2006, 97 died within the first year, for a mortality rate of 74 per 1000. Most Down syndrome infant deaths occurred during the post‐neonatal period (56%), although many occurred during the first day (27%). Newborns who died during the first day had significantly lower birthweight, 5‐min Apgar scores and gestational lengths, whereas those who died in the post‐neonatal period had significantly more heart‐related causes of death (all Ps < 0.001). No associations were found in this sample between increased infant mortality and maternal age, education, race, marital status or familial urban residence.Conclusions  Infants with Down syndrome experience high rates of mortality occurring at three distinct times during the first year. These groupings are tied to specific, different causes of death.
Visual local and global processing in low‐functioning deaf individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Maljaars J. P. W. , Noens I. L. J. , Scholte E. M. , Verpoorten R. A. W. , van Berckelaer‐Onnes I. A. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractBackground  The ComFor study has indicated that individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show enhanced visual local processing compared with individuals with ID only. Items of the ComFor with meaningless materials provided the best discrimination between the two samples. These results can be explained by the weak central coherence account. The main focus of the present study is to examine whether enhanced visual perception is also present in low‐functioning deaf individuals with and without ASD compared with individuals with ID, and to evaluate the underlying cognitive style in deaf and hearing individuals with ASD.Method  Different sorting tasks (selected from the ComFor) were administered from four subsamples: (1) individuals with ID (n = 68); (2) individuals with ID and ASD (n = 72); (3) individuals with ID and deafness (n = 22); and (4) individuals with ID, ASD and deafness (n = 15). Differences in performance on sorting tasks with meaningful and meaningless materials between the four subgroups were analysed. Age and level of functioning were taken into account.Results  Analyses of covariance revealed that results of deaf individuals with ID and ASD are in line with the results of hearing individuals with ID and ASD. Both groups showed enhanced visual perception, especially on meaningless sorting tasks, when compared with hearing individuals with ID, but not compared with deaf individuals with ID.Conclusions  In ASD either with or without deafness, enhanced visual perception for meaningless information can be understood within the framework of the central coherence theory, whereas in deafness, enhancement in visual perception might be due to a more generally enhanced visual perception as a result of auditory deprivation.
Myeloperoxidase binds to and kills Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites
Authors: PACHECO‐YÉPEZ J. , RIVERA‐AGUILAR V. , BARBOSA‐CABRERA E. , ROJAS HERNÁNDEZ S. , JARILLO‐LUNA R. A. , CAMPOS‐RODRÍGUEZ R. 
Published: November 2010

SummaryDuring amebic invasion, neutrophils are a key component in either protecting against invading trophozoites or contributing to tissue damage. Upon degranulating or being lysed, neutrophils release toxic substances that can kill amebas as well as damage host tissue. In a previous study we identified a protein from nonspecifically stimulated peritoneal exudates of hamster that has peroxidase and marked amebicidal activity. In the current study we analyzed the in vitro amebicidal effect of purified hamster myeloperoxidase (MPO). The results demonstrate that MPO must bind directly to the surface of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites in order to carry out amebicidal activity by using the H2O2 produced by the amebas themselves. Myeloperoxidase‐incubated amebas showed important morphological and ultrastructural alterations that increased with incubation time. Changes included an increase of vacuoles in the cytoplasm, a decrease of glycogen, alterations of nuclear morphology and disturbances in the plasma membrane culminating in complete ameba destruction.
Genetic differentiation and gene flow in Colletotrichum sublineolum in Ethiopia, the centre of origin and diversity of sorghum, as revealed by AFLP analysis
Authors: Chala A. , Tronsmo A. M. , Brurberg M. B. 
Published: November 2010

Isolates of Colletotrichum sublineolum were collected from different sorghum‐producing regions of Ethiopia and divided into five groups based on their geographic origin. The growth rate of 50 isolates showed considerable variation: 1·7–5·8 mm day−1, mean 3·3 mm day−1. However, the isolates displayed little variation in colony colour and colony margin, except for isolates from the north, which were different from the others. Amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis of 102 isolates revealed much greater variations among the different groups. Dice similarity coefficients ranged from 0·32 to 0·96 (mean 0·78). Cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis revealed a differentiation of the isolates according to their geographic origin, and both methods clearly indicated a genetic separation between the southern, the eastern and the other isolates. Analysis of molecular variance (amova) indicated a high level of genetic variation both among (42%) and within (58%) the C. sublineolum sampling sites in Ethiopia. The amova also indicated a high level of genetic differentiation (FST = 0·42) and limited gene flow (Nm = 0·343). The results of this study confirmed the presence of a highly diverse pathogen, which is in agreement with the existence of diverse host genotypes and widely ranging environmental conditions in sorghum‐producing regions of the country. Such diversity should be taken into account in future breeding programmes to achieve an effective and sustainable disease management strategy.
The transcriptome landscape of Arabidopsis male meiocytes from high‐throughput sequencing: the complexity and evolution of the meiotic process
Authors: Yang Hongxing , Lu Pingli , Wang Yingxiang , Ma Hong 
Published: November 2010

SummaryMeiosis is essential for eukaryotic sexual reproduction, with two consecutive rounds of nuclear divisions, allowing production of haploid gametes. Information regarding the meiotic transcriptome should provide valuable clues about global expression patterns and detailed gene activities. Here we used RNA sequencing to explore the transcriptome of a single plant cell type, the Arabidopsis male meiocyte, detecting the expression of approximately 20 000 genes. Transcription of introns of >400 genes was observed, suggesting previously unannotated exons. More than 800 genes may be preferentially expressed in meiocytes, including known meiotic genes. Of the 3378 Pfam gene families in the Arabidopsis genome, 3265 matched meiocyte‐expressed genes, and 18 gene families were over‐represented in male meiocytes, including transcription factor and other regulatory gene families. Expression was detected for many genes thought to encode meiosis‐related proteins, including MutS homologs (MSHs), kinesins and ATPases. We identified more than 1000 orthologous gene clusters that are also expressed in meiotic cells of mouse and fission yeast, including 503 single‐copy genes across the three organisms, with a greater number of gene clusters shared between Arabidopsis and mouse than either share with yeast. Interestingly, approximately 5% transposable element genes were apparently transcribed in male meiocytes, with a positive correlation to the transcription of neighboring genes. In summary, our RNA‐Seq transcriptome data provide an overview of gene expression in male meiocytes and invaluable information for future functional studies.