bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predictive score for early preterm birth in decisions about emergency cervical cerclage in singleton pregnancies
Authors: FUCHS FLORENT , SENAT MARIE‐VICTOIRE , FERNANDEZ HERVÉ , GERVAISE AMÉLIE , FRYDMAN RENÉ , BOUYER JEAN 
Published: February 2012

Abstract Objective. To develop a simple score for assessing the risk of early preterm delivery before 32 weeks in women with singleton pregnancies receiving emergency cervical cerclage. Design. Retrospective study. Setting. French tertiary care center from 1994 to 2006. Population. A total of 134 pregnant women underwent emergency cervical cerclage procedure at 15–26 weeks. The analysis concerned 85 singleton pregnancies after exclusion of women with a dilated cervix without visible membranes, or presenting for revision of failed prophylactic cerclage, or who had either preterm premature rupture of membranes or clinical signs of chorioamnionitis. Methods. Multivariate logistic regression methods with rounded coefficients were used to develop a score to predict early preterm delivery before 32 weeks. Main outcome measures. Early preterm delivery before 32 weeks. Results. The score, ranging from 0 to 15 points, was based on the following four criteria independently associated with early preterm delivery: obstetric history; cervical dilatation; membranes bulging into the vagina; and infection. Each score value was associated with a predicted probability of early preterm birth. Conclusions. The score and its associated early preterm probabilities may be a valuable tool to help physicians in advising women about the need for emergency cerclage.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotypes, the JP2 clone and cytolethal distending toxin genes in a Thai population
Authors: Bandhaya Panwadee , Saraithong Prakaimuk , Likittanasombat Khanchit , Hengprasith Bunlue , Torrungruang Kitti 
Published: March 2012

AbstractAimTo examine the genetic diversity of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in Thai adults.Materials and MethodsSubgingival plaque samples from 453 subjects were analysed for A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes, the presence of the high leukotoxin‐producing JP2 clone and cytolethal distending toxin genes (cdtABC) using the polymerase chain reaction technique. In subjects who were positive for cdtABC, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was used to identify a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the cdtB gene at amino acid position 281. The extent and severity of periodontal disease were compared between subjects harbouring different A. actinomycetemcomitans genotypes.ResultsEighty six subjects (19%) were positive for A. actinomycetemcomitans. The JP2 clone was not detected. Serotype c was the most prevalent (57%), followed by serotypes a (33%) and b (7%). Among A. actinomycetemcomitans‐positive subjects, 27% were positive for cdtABC. All cdtABC‐positive subjects possessed the SNP in the cdtB, which is involved with increased toxin activity. The presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans, but not a specific genotype, was significantly related to increased probing depth and periodontal attachment loss.ConclusionsOur results confirm the previous findings that genotype distribution of A. actinomycetemcomitans varies between ethnic groups. However, no clear relationship between a specific genotype and periodontal conditions was observed.
Slow Resorption of Anorganic Bovine Bone by Osteoclasts in Maxillary Sinus Augmentation
Authors: Galindo‐Moreno Pablo , Hernández‐Cortés Pedro , Mesa Francisco , Carranza Nelson , Juodzbalys Gintaras , Aguilar Mariano , O'Valle Francisco 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTPurpose: Different biomaterials have been suggested for guided bone regeneration (GBR). These might show the ideal properties to let a new bone formation in the grafted area. Among these ideal features, it is essential their controlled resorption in order to be replaced for new vital bone. Bovine bone has been used widely as a good biomaterial for GBR, however there is still an interesting controversy about its resorbable capacity. In this sense, the objective of this study was to examine the behavior of anorganic bovine bone (ABB) in long‐term maxillary sinus graft healing and study its relationship with morphological and morphometrical variables.Materials and Methods: Seventeen maxillary sinus augmentation procedures were performed in patients. Bone cores were obtained from implant receptor sites at 6 months, 3 years, and 7 years of implant placement for histological, morphometric, and immunohistochemical (tartrate resistant acid phosphatase [TRAP]/cathepsin K/CD68) studies.Results: The percentages of bone, ABB particles, connective tissue, osteocytes, and osteoblasts in maxillary sinus grafts were similar at 6 months, 3 years, and 7 years. A progressive and significant decrease was detected in osteoclasts (p = .05, Kruskal‐Wallis test), TRAP and cathepsin K expression (p = .014 and p = .021, respectively), and osteoid lines (p = .038).Conclusion: According to these data, a decrease in osteoclasts over time may, partially, explain the ABB persistence observed in core biopsies. Further studies with more cases and different graft maturation times are required to elucidate the resorption rates and cell events underlying these phenomena.
Doing what's important: Valued activities for older New Zealand Māori and non‐Māori
Authors: Wright‐St Clair Valerie A , Kepa Mere , Hoenle Stefanie , Hayman Karen , Keeling Sally , Connolly Martin , Broad Joanna , Dyall Lorna , Kerse Ngaire 
Published: February 2012

Aim:  This project explored the usability of the World Health Organisation, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) for describing older Māori and non‐Māori people's self‐nominated important activities.Method:  Within a feasibility‐for‐cohort study, 112 participants, 33 Māori, aged 75–79 years, and 79 non‐Māori, aged 85 years, nominated their three most important activities. Verbatim responses were coded using the ICF classifications and described using non‐parametric statistics.Results:  Men and women mostly named domestic life, interpersonal relationships and recreation and leisure activities. While Māori frequently named extended family relationship activities as being most important, non‐Māori named more recreation and leisure activities.Conclusions:  The ICF is useful for classifying older New Zealanders' important activities, although some activities of older Māori were not specified in the original version used. While important activity patterns were similar for men and women, those related to ancestral connectivity and community collectivity were most important for Māori.
Standard Operating Procedures: Pubertas Tarda/Delayed Puberty—Male
Authors: Maggi Mario , Buvat Jaques 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Delayed puberty (DP) is a condition characterized by the lack of sexual maturation in boys (testis volume &lt;4 mL) at a chronological age that is 2.5 standard deviations above the mean age of puberty in a normal population.

Aim
To review the etiology, pathogenesis diagnosis, and the available treatments for DP in males.

Methods
A systematic search of published evidence was performed using Medline (1969 to September 2011).

Main Outcome Measures
The most important evidence regarding DP and the available treatment options were reviewed and discussed. Whenever possible, levels of evidence are reported.

Results
The prevalence of DP in 14-year-old boys in the United States is less than 2%, almost double of same figure in females. The etiology of DP is complex including genetic, functional, or nonidentifiable defects. The correct diagnosis should include an accurate medical history and physical examination along with specific laboratory tests. In addition, bone age radiographs are frequently helpful. If a specific disorder can be identified, therapy should be targeted at that disorder. Short-term testosterone therapy can be offered to boys with constitutional DP after a variable time of expectant observation essentially dictated by the patient's distress. Reassurance and continued observation, to ensure that the expected sexual maturation occurs, are often sufficient. In all other cases, exogenous gonadotropins, either recombinant or extracted, induce full gonadal maturation, while long-term testosterone therapy is the treatment of choice for hypergonadotropic hypogonadism or for hypothalamic or pituitary gonadotropin deficiency until fertility is attained.

Conclusions
DP is a frequent condition that if not correctly diagnosed, may cause serious clinical and psychological consequences. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment provide normal pubertal development.
Retrospective analysis of an efficient peripheral blood stem cell collection and the relation between infused cell dose and clinical outcome in patients with malignant lymphoma and multiple myeloma
Authors: TSUTSUMI Y. , OGASAWARA R. , ITO S. , SASAKI J. , MORITA A. , SENOO N. , MURATA N. , TANAKA J. , ASAKA M. , IMAMURA M. 
Published: February 2012

SummaryIntroduction:  Etoposide (VP16) is a drug used not only for the treatment of lymphoma but also for the collection of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs). We analysed the efficacy and adverse effects of collecting PBSCs and the relation between the infused cell dose and the clinical outcome in lymphoid malignancies.Method:  Investigating 30 patients with non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma, one patient with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and five patients with multiple myeloma, we compared the effects of several doses of etoposide with those of CHOP or CHOP‐like treatments or salvage treatments. We also analysed the relation between the amount of CD34+ cells collected (above or below 5.0 × 106/kg/day) and prognosis of these patients.Results:  We found the collected cell count to be highest in patients treated with 500 mg/m2 of VP16 and lowest in those not treated with VP16 (P = 0.0073). A CD34+ cell count above 100/μL on the collection day indicates that the target amount of CD34+ cells (4.0 × 106/kg) can be readily obtained and was reached most rapidly by the patients who had received 500 mg/m2 of VP16 (P = 0.01). The longer duration of neutropenia in those patients (P = 0.000006) resulted in longer antibiotic treatment (P = 0.0052). Both progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were better for the patients who yielded more than 5.0 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg/day (P = 0.087 for PFS and P < 0.033 for OS).Conclusion:  We show here that 3 days of VP16 at 500 mg/m2 was useful for the collection of PBSCs and that patients who yielded more than 5.0 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg/day survived longer than those who yielded less.
Invariance, Structure, Measurement – Eino Kaila and the History of Logical Empiricism
Authors: Neuber Matthias 
Published: February 2012

AbstractEino Kaila's thought occupies a curious position within the logical empiricist movement. Along with Hans Reichenbach, Herbert Feigl, and the early Moritz Schlick, Kaila advocates a realist approach towards science and the project of a “scientific world conception”. This realist approach was chiefly directed at both Kantianism and Poincaréan conventionalism. The case in point was the theory of measurement. According to Kaila, the foundations of physical reality are characterized by the existence of invariant systems of relations, which he called structures. In a certain sense, these invariant structures, he maintained, are constituted in the act of measuring. By “constitution”, however, Kaila meant neither the dependency of the objects of measurement on a priori concepts (or Kantian categories) nor their being effected by conventional stipulations in a Poincaréan sense. He held that invariant structures are, quite literally, real: they exist prior to and independently of our theoretical capacity. By executing measurements, invariant structures are detected and objectively determinable by laws of nature.
Mapping Lunar Olivine Using Clementine Spectral Indices and Chemical Composition Parameters
Authors: Zongyu YUE , Hongjie XIE , Kaichang DI , Ziyuan OUYANG 
Published: February 2012

Abstract:Olivine exposures at the central peak of Copernicus crater of the Earth's Moon have been confirmed by telescope observations and Clementine spectra data. Using these exposures as training sites, this study used a method of combining two spectral indices (950 nm/750 nm and 2000 nm/1500 nm), one maturity index (Is/FeO), and four chemical content indices (FeO, Mg, Al, Ca), through a decision tree classifier, to map olivine‐rich units on the west lunar surface based on mosaicked Clementine image (500 m pixel size). Most classified olivine exposures are found inside craters or on their rays, suggesting that olivine exposures are directly associated with the impact processes. The results have been validated in several selected sites, though further validations with data from the newest missions are strongly needed.
A Hybrid Multi‐Objective Evolutionary Algorithm for Optimal Groundwater Management under Variable Density Conditions
Authors: Yun YANG , Jianfeng WU , Xiaomin SUN , Jin LIN , Jichun WU 
Published: February 2012

Abstract:In this paper, a new hybrid multi‐objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA), the niched Pareto tabu search combined with a genetic algorithm (NPTSGA), is proposed for the management of groundwater resources under variable density conditions. Relatively few MOEAs can possess global search ability contenting with intensified search in a local area. Moreover, the overall searching ability of tabu search (TS) based MOEAs is very sensitive to the neighborhood step size. The NPTSGA is developed on the thought of integrating the genetic algorithm (GA) with a TS based MOEA, the niched Pareto tabu search (NPTS), which helps to alleviate both of the above difficulties. Here, the global search ability of the NPTS is improved by the diversification of candidate solutions arising from the evolving genetic algorithm population. Furthermore, the proposed methodology coupled with a density‐dependent groundwater flow and solute transport simulator, SEAWAT, is developed and its performance is evaluated through a synthetic seawater intrusion management problem. Optimization results indicate that the NPTSGA offers a tradeoff between the two conflicting objectives. A key conclusion of this study is that the NPTSGA keeps the balance between the intensification of nondomination and the diversification of near Pareto‐optimal solutions along the tradeoff curves and is a stable and robust method for implementing the multi‐objective design of variable‐density groundwater resources.
Application of cone beam volumetric tomography in endodontics
Authors: Tyndall DA , Kohltfarber H 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIn a 2008 article on cone beam volumetric tomography (CBVT) and dentoalveolar applications, Tyndall and Rathore wrote: ‘It is in the area of endodontic applications that the literature has proved most fruitful to date.’ This statement is even truer today than in 2008. A review of the literature has demonstrated that, in many cases, CBVT is more efficacious than traditional forms of 2‐D imaging. Endodontic applications of CBVT include the diagnosis of periapical lesions due to pulpal inflammation, identification and localization of internal and external resorption, the detection of vertical root fractures, the visualization of accessory canals, and elucidation of the causes of non‐healing endodontically treated teeth. Prior to 2008, most published articles on CBVT applications in endodontics were either case reports or in vitro studies. Since that time more well designed clinically related scholarly activity has been published. This article attempts to survey the field of CBVT applications in endodontics and provide the readers with an overview of what has been found. The authors hope that this knowledge will form a foundation for appropriate clinical decision making with specific reference to selection criteria for the endodontic applications of CBVT.
Identification of a Highly Transmissible Animal-Independent Staphylococcus aureus ST398 Clone with Distinct Genomic and Cell Adhesion Properties
Authors: Uhlemann Anne-Catrin , Porcella Stephen F. , Trivedi Sheetal , Sullivan Sean B. , Hafer Cory , Kennedy Adam D. , Barbian Kent D. , McCarthy Alex J. , Street Craig , Hirschberg David L. , Lipkin W. Ian , Lindsay Jodi A. , DeLeo Frank R. , Lowy Franklin D. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACT

A methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) clone known as ST398 has emerged as a major cause of acute infections in individuals who have close contact with livestock. More recently, the emergence of an animal-independent ST398 methicillin-sensitive
S. aureus
(MSSA) clone has been documented in several countries. However, the limited surveillance of MSSA has precluded an accurate assessment of the global spread of ST398 and its clinical relevance. Here we provide evidence that ST398 is a frequent source of MSSA infections in northern Manhattan and is readily transmitted between individuals in households. This contrasts with the limited transmissibility of livestock-associated ST398 (LA-ST398) MRSA strains between humans. Our whole-genome sequence analysis revealed that the chromosome of the human-associated ST398 MSSA clone is smaller than that of the LA-ST398 MRSA reference strain S0385, due mainly to fewer mobile genetic elements (MGEs). In contrast, human ST398 MSSA isolates harbored the prophage φ3 and the human-specific immune evasion cluster (IEC) genes
chp
and
scn
. While most of the core genome was conserved between the human ST398 MSSA clone and S0385, these strains differed substantially in their repertoire and composition of intact adhesion genes. These genetic changes were associated with significantly enhanced adhesion of human ST398 MSSA isolates to human skin keratinocytes and keratin. We propose that the human ST398 MSSA clone can spread independent of animal contact using an optimized repertoire of MGEs and adhesion molecules adapted to transmission among humans.

IMPORTANCE
Staphylococcus aureus
strains have generally been considered to be species specific. However, cross-species transfers of
S. aureus
clones, such as ST398 methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
(MRSA), from swine to humans have been reported. Recently, we observed the emergence of ST398 methicillin-susceptible
S. aureus
(MSSA) as a colonizing strain of humans in northern Manhattan. Here we report that ST398 is a frequent cause of MSSA infections in this urban setting. The ST398 MSSA clone was readily transmitted within households, independent of animal contact. We discovered that human ST398 MSSA genomes were smaller than that of the LA-ST398 strain S0385 due to fewer mobile genetic elements. Human and LA-ST398 strains also differed in their composition of adhesion genes and their ability to bind to human skin keratinocytes, providing a potential mechanism of
S. aureus
host adaptation. Our findings illustrate the importance of implementing molecular surveillance of MSSA given the evidence for the rapid and clinically undetected spread of ST398 MSSA.
Inadvertent prescription of gelatin-containing oral medication: its acceptability to patients
Authors: Vissamsetti Bharat , Payne Mark , Payne Stephen 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
When prescribing, doctors usually only consider the ‘active’ component of any drug's formulation ignoring the majority of the agents which make up the bulk of the tablet or capsule, collectively known as excipients. Many urological drugs contain the excipient gelatin which is, universally, of animal origin; this may conflict with the dietetic ideals of patients. A questionnaire-based study, undertaken between January and June 2010 in a mixed ethnicity inner-city population presenting with urological symptoms, asked which patients preferred not to ingest animal-based products, who would ask about the content of their prescribed treatment and who would refuse to take that medication if alternatives were available. Ultimately, the authors sought to find out how many patients had been inadvertently prescribed gelatin-containing oral medications and to suggest ways in which prescriptions might be more congruous with an individual patient's dietetic wishes. This study demonstrated that 43.2% of the study population would prefer not to take animal product-containing medication even if no alternative were available. 51% of men with lower urinary tract symptoms were also found to have inadvertently been prescribed gelatin-containing products against their preferred dietary restriction. Education of healthcare professionals about excipients and getting them to ask about a patient's dietetic preferences may help avoid inadvertent prescription of the excipient gelatin in oral medications. Substitution of gelatin with vegetable-based alternatives and clearer labelling on drug packaging are alternative strategies to help minimise the risks of inadvertently contravening a patient's dietetic beliefs when prescribing oral medication.
Response of plant community abundance and diversity during 10 years of cattle exclusion within silvopasture systems
Authors: Lindgren Pontus M.F. , Sullivan Thomas P. 
Published: March 2012

The effects of cattle ( Bos taurus L.) grazing on upland plant communities in forested rangelands are poorly understood. Cattle interactions with plant communities were studied in intensively managed (precommercially thinned (PCT) and repeatedly fertilized) silvopasture systems in young lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) forests. We investigated the response of plant community abundance and diversity to cattle grazing and how these responses were affected by PCT and repeated fertilization. The study was conducted inside and outside cattle exclosures over 10 years in two regional replicates in south-central British Columbia, Canada. PCT and repeated fertilization increased both the amount and quality of forage. Effects of cattle grazing on plant community abundance and diversity were variable and significantly influenced by the nutrient status of the site. In fertilized stands, cattle grazing increased species richness and diversity, particularly for the herb layer, although these treatment effects often took several years to be expressed. In unfertilized stands, cattle grazing did not significantly reduce herb or shrub volumes; however, species richness and, to a lesser extent, diversity of the shrub layer declined. In a landscape context, management strategies for silvopasture should promote heterogeneity for conservation of plant diversity through a variety of grazing pressures, as well as forest enhancement treatments such as PCT and repeated fertilization.