bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Imaging of Ovarian Teratomas in Children: A 9-Year Review
Authors: Alotaibi Mohammed O.S. , Navarro Oscar M. 
Published: November 2009

Objective Germ cell tumours are the most common ovarian neoplasms in childhood and, of these, teratomas, whether mature or immature, are the most frequently found. Mature teratoma is a benign tumour, whereas the immature type, although also benign, has a more aggressive course, with a propensity to recurrence. A review of the literature revealed that there are some imaging features that may help to differentiate between these 2 types of teratoma, although no systematic comparison has been made. The objective of this study was to review imaging features of ovarian teratomas in children and to assess differentiating imaging features between the mature and immature types of ovarian teratoma. Methods Retrospective analysis of all patients who presented to our institution during a 9-year period (September 1999 to August 2008) with ovarian teratoma as confirmed on histology. Results Forty-one patients with pathologically proven ovarian teratoma were found. The patient ages ranged from 4–18 years at presentation (mean [standard deviation] age, 12.4 ± 3.4 years; median age, 13 years). Thirty patients (73.2%) were found to have mature ovarian teratoma, and 11 (26.8%) had immature teratoma. A component of endodermal sinus tumour was found in one of the immature teratomas. On ultrasonography, the appearance of the immature teratomas was purely solid in 3 (27.3%), mixed solid and cystic in 6 (54.5%), and predominantly cystic in 2 (18%). The mature ovarian teratomas demonstrated a predominantly cystic appearance in 22 (73.3%) and a mixed solid and cystic appearance in 8 (26.6%); there were no cases with a pure solid appearance. The prevalence of the more cystic appearance of the mature type showed significant statistical difference when compared with its prevalence in the immature type ( P = .0008, χ2 test). Other imaging features, such as size, presence of fat, or calcifications, did not show a significant difference between the 2 types of teratoma. Conclusions The predominance of a cystic component and a pure solid component in ovarian teratoma are significant differentiating factors between the mature type and the more aggressive immature type of teratoma.
Spatial and non-spatial analyses of insect counts in bulk-stored barley
Authors: Athanassiou C.G. , Nansen C. , Vayias B.J. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractStored grain insect species in bulk-stored barley were sampled during 15 consecutive weeks in two ways: direct sampling based on grain trier samples and indirect sampling based on probe trap captures. A total number of 22 insect taxa were found; this study focused on the six most abundant species and their natural enemies. Four aspects were addressed: (i) differences in insect counts when based on either probe trap captures or grain trier samples, (ii) usefulness of grain temperature and moisture content as explanatory variables for insect densities, (iii) density-dependent relationships between natural enemies and their hosts, and (iv) spatial and non-spatial analyses of insect counts. Both total captures and frequencies of insect taxa were consistently higher in captures with probe traps than insect numbers obtained from grain samples. Regression analysis with abiotic conditions and probe trap captures as explanatory variables provided good fits to insect counts in grain samples for four of the six insect species (R2-values>0.40). Using multi-regression analyses, we showed that: (i) the occurrence of natural enemies was only weakly associated with the abundance of hosts; (ii) grain moisture content and temperature appeared to be at least as important variables as host availability; and (iii) the predictive strengths of regression models were similar when based on either data from grain samples or probe traps. Spatial analyses (SADIE) of both sampling data suggested that all data sets followed a spatially random distribution; re-arrangement of the data provided insight into important aspects of SADIE analyses of small data sets. Non-spatial analysis (Lloyd's aggregation index) showed significant differences among species and that the level of non-spatial aggregation was quite sensitive to sampling method used.
Effects of no-tillage management on soil biochemical characteristics in northern China
Authors: LIU E. K. , ZHAO B. Q. , MEI X. R. , SO H. B. , LI J. , LI X. Y. 
Published: November 2009

SUMMARYField experiments (15 years) were carried out to study the effects of no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) management practices on the soil chemical properties, microbial biomass, soil enzymatic activities and winter wheat yield on a cinnamon soil in Shanxi, on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Compared to CT, NT increased soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen and soil total phosphorus in the 0–100 mm layer by 25, 18 and 7%, respectively. Microbial biomass C and N contents under NT were 41 and 57% greater than under CT on the same layer. In general, higher enzymatic activities were found in the more superficial layers of soil under NT than under CT in the same layer. Winter wheat yield wasc. 20% higher under NT than under CT. These findings have implications for understanding how conservation tillage practices improve soil quality and sustainability in the rainfed dryland farming areas of northern China.
Lower algebraicK-theory of certain reflection groups
Authors: LAFONT JEAN-FRANÇOIS , MAGURN BRUCE A. , ORTIZ IVONNE J. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractForP⊂3a finite volume geodesic polyhedron, with the property that all interior angles between incident faces are of the form π/mij(mij≥ 2 an integer), there is a naturally associated Coxeter group ΓP. Furthermore, this Coxeter group is a lattice inside the semi-simple Lie groupO+(3, 1) = Isom(3), with fundamental domain the original polyhedronP. In this paper, we provide a procedure for computing the lower algebraicK-theory of the integral group ring of such groups ΓPin terms of the geometry of the polyhedronP. As an ingredient in the computation, we explicitly calculate theK−1andWhof the groupsDnandDn×3, and we also summarize what is known about the0.
Producción de fibra de alpaca, llama, vicuña y guanaco en Sudamérica
Authors: Quispe E.C. , Rodríguez T.C. , Iñiguez L.R. , Mueller J.P. 
Published: November 2009

ResumenMás de un millón de pequeños productores de los Andes centrales de Sudamérica tienen alpacas (Vicugna pacos) y llamas (Lama glama) como principal medio de subsistencia. Los animales proveen carne, leche, fibra, energía de transporte y guano y, además, son un elemento importante de la identidad cultural de sus pueblos. Con 3,9 millones de llamas y 3,3 millones de alpacas la producción total de fibras de camélidos en la región supera los 5 millones de kg anuales. Cerca del 30% de la producción de fibra se transforma y es usada a nivel de predio o comunidad. Alrededor del 80% de la alpaca comercializada es de color blanco y el 12% tiene diámetros de fibra menores de 23 micrones. Las fibras de llama son de menor valor y más variables en colores y diámetros que las fibras de alpaca. Ambas especies tienen dos razas, cada una con características de calidad de fibra y adaptación específica. También existen en Sudamérica dos especies de camélidos silvestres, el guanaco (Lama guanicoe) y la vicuña (Vicugna vicugna). Ambas tienen vellones de valiosa fibra down. Poblaciones específicas de estos camélidos califican para ser capturadas, esquiladas y liberadas generando un ingreso adicional a las comunidades en que viven. El aumento de la producción de fibras y demás productos de los camélidos sudamericanos, a la vez de preservar un recurso genético animal crítico y los valores culturales asociados y mejorar la calidad de vida de muchos pequeños productores, debe ser parte de una estrategia global de inversión sostenida en investigación y desarrollo apropiados.
Cashmere-producing goats in Central Asia and Afghanistan
Authors: Kerven Carol , McGregor Bruce , Toigonbaev Sabyr 
Published: November 2009

SummaryIndigenous goats of Central Asia and Afghanistan produce cashmere, the warm undercoat grown annually to protect them from cold winters. Cashmere is appreciated in luxury markets, but there are no efforts to conserve these goats. Commercial assessments of their fibre quality have recently been undertaken. Poorer villagers in the most climatically difficult remote desert and high altitude regions are particularly dependent on raising goats. Villagers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan started selling raw cashmere mainly to Chinese traders in the 1990s. Afghan producers have been selling cashmere for a longer time. In comparison with China and Mongolia, Central Asian and Afghan producers sell their cashmere unsorted and at relatively low prices. Traders do not offer producers differentiated prices according to quality, but world commercial prices are highly sensitive to quality. Producers thus lose potential value. Summaries are given of tests on the quality of cashmere from samples of 1 592 goats in 67 districts and 221 villages from 2003 to 2008. There are cashmere goats in these sampled districts which produce the finest qualities of cashmere typical of Chinese and Mongolian cashmere. There is impetus to increase the production, commercial value and income for producers from cashmere produced by Central Asian goats.
Variabilidad del color de la fibra de alpaca en la zona altoandina de Huancavelica-Perú
Authors: Oria I. , Quicaño I. , Quispe E. , Alfonso L. 
Published: November 2009

ResumenEn este trabajo se describe la variabilidad de colores de fibra existente en las poblaciones de alpacas de la región de Huancavelica, Perú. También se analiza la estructura poblacional, la incidencia de defectos y la calidad de la fibra. Se caracterizaron 2341 animales de 22 rebaños de siete comunidades con alpacas de color, y se analizó la calidad de fibra de una pequeña submuestra (121 alpacas). Un 10% de los animales fueron Huarizos y sobre un 20% de color manchado. De los animales de color sólido, un 96% fueron de raza Huacaya y sólo un 4% de raza Suri. El 66% de las alpacas eran de color blanco. Los colores crema y café están bien representados, no así los negro y gris. Para la raza Suri, el problema de conservación va más allá de su coloración, estando en riesgo la propia raza. La estructura de población y la presencia de defectos parecen indicar una menor atención en el manejo de las alpacas de color que en el de las blancas. También la calidad de la fibra de los animales de color fue menor que la de los blancos, decreciendo a medida que aumentaba el tono oscuro de la fibra.
The Pecora Nera di Arbus: a new sheep breed in Sardinia, Italy
Authors: Piras M. , Casu Sara , Salaris S. , Usai M.G. , Carta A. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryA study of the genetic diversity of Sardinian sheep identified a small population of Pecora Nera di Arbus sheep. This population is composed of about 1000 ewes located in the southwest of Sardinia (Medio-Campidano district), mainly in the area surrounding the village of Arbus. The main features of this breed are black fleece, small size, small or absent auricles and a high frequency of horns in both sexes. These ancestral traits suggest that the population escaped the selection process, that was mainly oriented toward milk yield and the white colour of the fleece, for which the predominant white strain of Sardinian sheep was established. Currently, a programme of promoting this new breed is ongoing. It is mainly based on the production of natural black wool for apparel without chemical dyes.
Lithostratigraphy and study of planktonic foraminifera of the Abderaz Formation at type section, Kopet-Dagh basin, IRAN
Authors: Shafiee Ardestani Meysam , allameh Mohsen , Kohansal Esmail 
Published: November 2009

AbstractIn order to study the fossil contents of the Abderaz Formation for biostratigraphical purposes the 300 meters thick section was sampled at type section. The sequence is mainly made up of grey shales and marls with two units of chalky limestone in upper part. The lower contact of the formation with Aitamir Formation is disconform while the upper contact with Abtalkh is continuous. There are huge amounts of inoceramids and ammonite. In the chalk limestone bonds of this formation which is belong to Santonian time planktonic, would exist some foraminifera with a less diversity because during the Santonian, the members of morphotype group three (M3) shows a regression in the above-mentioned section, with association of tegilla shapes decreases in the area and sea water. The study of the planktonic foraminifera in isolated form led to differentiate three morphotype groups. The first group is characterized by trochospiral tests usually indicate shallow waters, the second group contains forms with strong ornamentations and the primary keels representing mid waters and finally compact trochospiral tests with keels known as deep water indices are included in the third group. Studies on the morphotypes showed a regressive cycle for Abderaz Formation.
AQUA: automated quality improvement for multiple sequence alignments
Authors: Muller Jean , Creevey Christopher J. , Thompson Julie D. , Arendt Detlev , Bork Peer 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
Summary: Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) is a central tool in most modern biology studies. However, despite generations of valuable tools, human experts are still able to improve automatically generated MSAs. In an effort to automatically identify the most reliable MSA for a given protein family, we propose a very simple protocol, named AQUA for ‘Automated quality improvement for multiple sequence alignments’. Our current implementation relies on two alignment programs (MUSCLE and MAFFT), one refinement program (RASCAL) and one assessment program (NORMD), but other programs could be incorporated at any of the three steps.
Availability: AQUA is implemented in Tcl/Tk and runs in command line on all platforms. The source code is available under the GNU GPL license. Source code, README and Supplementary data are available at http://www.bork.embl.de/Docu/AQUA.
Contact: muller@embl.de, bork@embl.de
Spring 2009 H1N1 Influenza Outbreak in King County, Washington
Authors: Kwan-Gett Tao Sheng , Baer Atar , Duchin Jeffrey S. 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACTBackground:In April 2009, King County, Washington, experienced a sustained outbreak of 2009 H1N1 influenza A. This report describes the epidemiology of that outbreak in King County, home to a diverse population of 1.9 million people.Methods:The 2 primary sources of data are case investigations of reported laboratory-confirmed 2009 H1N1 influenza A and a population-based syndromic surveillance system that captures data from emergency departments (EDs). A syndromic category for influenza-like illness was defined based on chief complaint and diagnosis.Results:ED visits for influenza-like illness peaked quickly in the first week of the outbreak and remained high for approximately 6 weeks, with school-age children accounting for the greater number of ED visits, followed by young adults. Children ages 0 to 4 years had the highest rate of hospitalization. Among reported cases, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics were more likely to be hospitalized. Predisposing factors associated with admission were immune compromise, chronic lung disease, chronic heart disease, pregnancy, diabetes, and asthma. Of people receiving antiviral treatment, 34% started their medication more than 2 calendar days after the onset of illness. Mean days between illness onset and antiviral treatment were greater for blacks, Hispanics, and foreign language speakers.Conclusions:The spring 2009 influenza A H1N1 outbreak disproportionately affected children, young adults, and racial and ethnic minorities. Opportunities exist to improve the timeliness of antiviral treatment. Potential barriers to care for racial and ethnic minorities should be proactively addressed to ensure prompt evaluation and treatment. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3(Suppl 2):S109–S116)
TheGibberellic Acid Stimulated-LikeGene Family in Maize and Its Role in Lateral Root Development
Authors: Zimmermann Roman , Sakai Hajime , Hochholdinger Frank 
Published: November 2009

AbstractIn an approach to study lateral root development in monocots, genome-wide searches for homologs of the Gibberellic Acid Stimulated Transcript-like (GAST-like) gene family in rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays) were carried out. Six novel GAST-like genes in rice and 10 members of the gene family in maize, which were designated ZmGSL (for Z. mays Gibberellic Acid Stimulated-Like), were identified. The ZmGSL family encodes small proteins of 75 to 128 amino acids, which are characterized by a conserved 59 to 64 amino acid C-terminal domain. Within this domain, 17 amino acids, including 12 cysteines, are perfectly conserved. The transcript of the ZmGSL1 gene is differentially spliced into the alternative variants ZmGSL1a and ZmGSL1b, the latter of which is translated into a premature protein that lacks the C-terminal domain. The presence of an additional N-terminal cleavable signal sequence in eight of the 10 ZmGSL proteins suggests that they are secreted into the extracellular matrix. In-depth root-specific gene expression analyses carried out in the wild type and the lateral root mutants lrt1 and rum1 suggest a role for ZmGSL genes in early lateral root development, which is likely regulated by gibberellic acid. Expression patterns of ZmGSL1a and ZmGSL1b propose antagonistic functions of these splice variants during early lateral root formation.
Ribavirin with either standard or pegylated interferon to treat recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation
Authors: CICINNATI V. R. , IACOB S. , KLEIN C. G. , BABA H. A. , SOTIROPOULOS G. C. , HILGARD P. , ERIM Y. , BROELSCH C. E. , GERKEN G. , BECKEBAUM S. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryAim  To investigate the efficacy of two anti‐viral protocols in hepatitis C virus‐reinfected liver transplant recipients.Methods  In this prospective study, 26 liver transplant patients were treated with standard interferon‐α2b for 12 months or standard interferon‐α2b for 3 months followed by pegylated interferon‐α2b for 9 months. Interferon was combined with ribavirin in all patients. The histological course of the study population was compared with an untreated historic control group (n = 38) with similar baseline characteristics.Results  The sustained virological response rates in the standard interferon group and in the pegylated interferon group were 27.3% and 26.7%, respectively. Only 29% of patients with sustained virological response had end of treatment histological response, whereas 47% of viral non‐responders showed end of treatment histological response. The percentage of patients with histological improvement was significantly higher in the study population when compared to the controls. Univariate analysis indicated that hepatitis C virus genotype non‐1, high baseline alanine aminotransferase, the time interval between liver transplant and interferon therapy and the body mass index predicted sustained virological response. In the multivariate model, baseline alanine aminotransferase and the body mass index remained a significant predictor of sustained virological response.Conclusions  Both treatment regimens offer similar efficacy profiles. Failure to eradicate hepatitis C virus should not lead to treatment discontinuation if serial liver biopsies demonstrate histological response.
Adherence to thiopurine treatment in out‐patients with Crohn’s disease
Authors: BOKEMEYER B. , TEML A. , ROGGEL C. , HARTMANN P. , FISCHER C. , SCHAEFFELER E. , SCHWAB M. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryBackground  High frequency of incomplete or non‐response to azathioprine (AZA) and/or mercaptopurine (MP) limit their use in Crohn’s disease (CD). Non‐adherence is considered to be of relevance for ineffectiveness.Aim To assess adherence to thiopurines in CD out‐patients treated in a single gastroenterology practice.Methods Patients were eligible for inclusion if they received AZA/MP for at least 3 months. After follow‐up of 3 months, adherence to AZA/MP was assessed by quantitation of relevant thiopurine metabolite levels in red blood cells as well as by patients’ self‐report using standardized questionnaire.Results Sixty‐five patients were prospectively included. Six patients (9.2%) had metabolite profiles indicative of non‐adherence. Self‐assessed questionnaire revealed non‐adherence in four of 56 patients (7.1%). Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and self‐assessment as two independent methods had a concordance rate of 75%. Metabolite levels and self‐assessed adherence were not significantly different between patients in remission compared with those with active disease.Conclusions Out‐patients with CD treated in a single gastroenterology practice had a satisfactory adherence (>90%) to thiopurine therapy. Different measures of adherence (TDM and self‐report) applied to the same patient suggest comparable levels. TDM appears to be a reliable tool to assess adherence to thiopurines in clinical practice.
Hospitalizations for gastrointestinal and cardiovascular events in the CADEUS cohort of traditional or Coxib NSAID users
Authors: Laharie David , Droz‐Perroteau Cécile , Bénichou Jacques , Amouretti Michel , Blin Patrick , Bégaud Bernard , Guiard Estelle , Dutoit Sylvie , Lamarque Stéphanie , Moride Yola , Depont Fanny , Fourrier‐Réglat Annie , Moore Nicholas 
Published: November 2009

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Traditional or COX‐2‐specific (coxib) nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used.• Their use is associated with gastrointestinal toxicity and cardiovascular events. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • The low event rates observed for gastrointestinal bleeding and myocardial infarction in the real‐life conditions of NSAID use (traditional and coxib) in France preclude their exploration using realistic field studies.• Large population healthcare databases are required to study such risks.AIMS To assess hospital admission rates for gastrointestinal (GI) or cardiovascular (CV) events in real‐life use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).METHODS CADEUS is a real‐life population‐based cohort study of 23 535 coxib (celecoxib or rofecoxib) and 22 919 traditional NSAID (tNSAID) users. Each hospitalization reported between index day (NSAID delivery) and questionnaire submission (median = 75 days) was explored using hospital discharge summaries. An expert committee validated blindly serious GI and CV events according to predefined criteria.RESULTS Coxib users were older and had more GI history than tNSAID users. There were 21 hospitalizations for GI events, 12 in the coxib cohort and nine in the tNSAID cohort (respectively one and three upper GI haemorrhages and no ulcer perforations). Rates of GI events were 0.39 per 1000 patients [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18, 0.75] for tNSAID users and 0.51 per 1000 patients (95% CI 0.26, 0.89) for coxib users. There were 21 hospitalizations for CV events, 13 in the coxib cohort and eight in the tNSAID cohort. None was fatal. Rates of CV events were, respectively, 0.59 (95% CI 0.24, 1.22), 0.51 (95% CI 0.19, 1.11) and 0.35 (95% CI 0.15, 0.69) per 1000 patients for celecoxib, rofecoxib and tNSAIDs. GI or CV event rates were not different between products even for patients >60 years old.CONCLUSIONS Hospitalization rates for GI bleeding were 10–20 times lower than expected from published randomized clinical trials, probably because of differences in drug usage and concomitant gastroprotection. CV event rates conformed to those expected from general population data. These results emphasize the necessity of developing population healthcare databases to explore such low event rates.