bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systematic Review and Pooled Estimates for the Diagnostic Accuracy of Serological Markers for Intestinal Ischemia
Authors: Evennett Nicholas J. , Petrov Maxim S. , Mittal Anubhav , Windsor John A. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractBackgroundIntestinal ischemia is a potentially catastrophic abdominal emergency that presents a significant diagnostic challenge in the critical care setting. We performed a systematic review of the literature to define the diagnostic accuracy of serological markers of intestinal ischemia.MethodsObservational studies on the performance of markers of intestinal ischemia were identified within the MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases. All studies from which it was possible to derive true positive, false positive, false negative, and true negative results were included. A random‐effects model was used to calculate the pooled estimates of diagnostic accuracy.ResultsA total of 20 articles examining 18 different serological markers were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The global measures of test performance (diagnostic odds ratio and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve) for markers investigated in three or more studies were d‐lactate (10.75 and 0.86, respectively), glutathione S‐transferase (GST; 8.82 and 0.87, respectively), intestinal fatty‐acid binding protein (i‐FABP; 7.62 and 0.78, respectively), and d‐dimer (5.77 and 0.53, respectively).ConclusionsThe performance of the currently available serological markers is suboptimal for routine clinical use, but novel markers of intestinal ischemia such as d‐lactate, GST, and i‐FABP may offer improved diagnostic accuracy. The early diagnosis of intestinal ischemia remains a challenge, and further research is required to identify improved serological markers and to demonstrate their clinical utility in the individual patient.
Assessment of the In Vivo Toxicity of Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Chen Yu-Shiun , Hung Yao-Ching , Liau Ian , Huang G Steve 
Published: May 2009

Abstract
The environmental impact of nanoparticles is evident; however, their toxicity due to their nanosize is rarely discussed. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) may serve as a promising model to address the size-dependent biological response to nanoparticles because they show good biocompatibility and their size can be controlled with great precision during their chemical synthesis. Naked GNPs ranging from 3 to 100 nm were injected intraperitoneally into BALB/C mice at a dose of 8 mg/kg/week. GNPs of 3, 5, 50, and 100 nm did not show harmful effects; however, GNPs ranging from 8 to 37 nm induced severe sickness in mice. Mice injected with GNPs in this range showed fatigue, loss of appetite, change of fur color, and weight loss. Starting from day 14, mice in this group exhibited a camel-like back and crooked spine. The majority of mice in these groups died within 21 days. Injection of 5 and 3 nm GNPs, however, did not induce sickness or lethality in mice. Pathological examination of the major organs of the mice in the diseased groups indicated an increase of Kupffer cells in the liver, loss of structural integrity in the lungs, and diffusion of white pulp in the spleen. The pathological abnormality was associated with the presence of gold particles at the diseased sites, which were verified by ex vivo Coherent anti-Stoke Raman scattering microscopy. Modifying the surface of the GNPs by incorporating immunogenic peptides ameliorated their toxicity. This reduction in the toxicity is associated with an increase in the ability to induce antibody response. The toxicity of GNPs may be a fundamental determinant of the environmental toxicity of nanoparticles.
Informal Payments: A Side Effect of Transition or a Mechanism for Sustaining the Illusion of ‘Free’ Health Care? The Experience of Four Regions in the Russian Federation
Authors: FOTAKI MARIANNA 
Published: May 2009

AbstractInformal payments for health services are widespread in many transition economies in post-communist Europe and the former Soviet Union. Their existence complements and in some cases significantly contributes to the financing of their health systems. It has been suggested that they are the legacy of planned socialist economies and a temporary side effect of the transition from a planned to a market economy. This article discusses the findings of the study investigating the extent and nature of the informal payments and evaluates the policy options on offer. It asserts that despite the level of declared support for moderate cost-sharing by different population groups, it is unlikely that any legalised form of co-payment will affect or replace informal payments, as the government uses them to sustain the illusion of ‘free’ health care. The study argues that the utilitarian gain maximisation principle, calling for the greatest collective welfare in communitarian egalitarianism, and the satisfaction of individual preferences in libertarian economics enable the acceptance of informal payments as a viable policy option.
An Integral Analogue of Theta Functions and Gauss Sums in Ramanujan's Lost Notebook
Authors: BERNDT BRUCE C. , XU PING 
Published: May 2009

AbstractOne page in Ramanujan's lost notebook is devoted to claims about a certain integral with two parameters. One claim gives an inversion formula for the integral that is similar to the transformation formula for theta functions. Other claims are remindful of Gauss sums. In this paper we prove all the claims made by Ramanujan about this integral.
Harmonic morphisms from solvable Lie groups
Authors: GUDMUNDSSON SIGMUNDUR , SVENSSON MARTIN 
Published: May 2009

AbstractIn this paper we introduce two new methods for constructing harmonic morphisms from solvable Lie groups. The first method yields global solutions from any simply connected nilpotent Lie group and from any Riemannian symmetric space of non-compact type and rank r ≥ 3. The second method provides us with global solutions from any Damek–Ricci space and many non-compact Riemannian symmetric spaces. We then give a continuous family of 3-dimensional solvable Lie groups not admitting any complex-valued harmonic morphisms, not even locally.
Einführung eines Moduls «Evidenz-basierte Medizin in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie» in das Blockpraktikum Psychiatrie an der Universität Ulm
Authors: Libal Gerhard , Keller Ferdinand , Fegert Jörg M. , Weninger Laura 
Published: May 2009

Fragestellung: In den letzten Jahren ist «Evidenz-basierte Medizin» (EBM) zu einem zentralen Begriff geworden, da es heute essentiell ist, zusätzliche relevante Informationen zeitnah verfügbar zu machen. Für die Lehre in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie ist die Vermittlung von Kenntnissen für die effektive Nutzung der vorhandenen Literatur aufgrund der oft unzureichenden Datenlage von besonderer Bedeutung. Methodik: Zur besseren Integration von EBM in die Lehre wurde das «Duke-Modell» für den Einsatz von EBM in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie für eine deutsche Universität modifiziert. Die Einführung des Moduls «Evidenz-basierte Medizin in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie» in einem klinischen Praktikum wird dargestellt. Ergebnisse: Die Integration in ein Pflichtpraktikum ermöglicht es Studierenden sich mit Fragestellungen, welche die Behandlung von Patienten direkt betreffen, und der für den jeweiligen Fall relevanten wissenschaftlichen Literatur auseinanderzusetzen. Die Ergebnisse einer ersten Evaluation zeigen, dass mit diesem Modellprojekt die Verknüpfung zwischen Wissenschaft und klinischem Alltag gelungen ist und Entscheidungsfähigkeit sowie die Haltung lebenslang zu lernen vermittelt werden kann. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Modifikation des Moduls EBM für ein klinisches Praktikum ist ein innovativer Ansatz einer Integration von EBM im Lehrplan. Im Rahmen einer Curriculumsreform wurde in der neuen Studienordnung der Medizinischen Fakultät der Universität Ulm ein Querschnittsfach «EBM» für alle Studierende eingeführt.
E-learning mit Docs’n Drugs – Anwendung und Akzeptanz in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie der Universität Ulm
Authors: Weninger Laura , Keller Ferdinand , Fegert Jörg M. , Libal Gerhard 
Published: May 2009

Einleitung: Der Einsatz neuer Medien (E-learning) findet in der medizinischen Ausbildung immer weitere Verbreitung. An der Universität Ulm, dem Kompetenzzentrum E-Learning des Kompetenznetzes in der Lehre in Baden-Württemberg, wurde das E-learning System Docs’n Drugs als webbasiertes, multimediales Lehr- und Lernangebot für Studierende der Medizin seit 1998 erstellt und eingeführt. Es bietet Lehrfälle aus verschiedenen Fachbereichen der Medizin. An virtuellen Patienten können konkrete diagnostische Problemlösefähigkeiten und Entscheidungsfähigkeit unabhängig von Zeit, Ort und Dozent im simulierten medizinischen Alltag trainiert werden. Projektbeschreibung: 2004 wurde im Rahmen der von der Fakultät geförderten Baustein-Lehrprojekte das E-learning-Modul Docs’n Drugs um kinder- und jugendpsychiatrische Fälle erweitert. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, das somatisch orientierte System um typische Anamneseabläufe und diagnostische Entscheidungsprozesse des kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischen Bereiches zu erweitern und die Akzeptanz dieser Fälle unter Studierenden zu evaluieren. Ergebnisse: Nach Erstellung der Fälle erfolgte die Integration von Docs’ n Drugs in ein eineinhalbstündiges E-learning-Seminar in das Blockpraktikum der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und deren Evaluation. Die Evaluation durch 69 Medizinstudierende erfolgte im Zeitraum von Sommer 2004 bis Frühjahr 2006. 80,8 % der teilnehmenden Studierenden hatte bisher nicht mit Docs’n Drugs außerhalb des Unterrichts gearbeitet. 44,9 % bzw. 41 % gaben an, dass psychiatrische Fälle gut bzw. teilweise gut mit diesem System bearbeitet werden können. Diskussion: Der Einsatz von Docs’n Drugs im Rahmen eines E-learning-Seminars im Blockpraktikum in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie wurde von den Studierenden überwiegend positiv aufgenommen. Kinder- und jugendpsychiatrisches Wissen kann durch Docs’n Drugs vermittelt werden. Eine Einbindung in ein bestehendes Curriculum ist auf jeden Fall sinnvoll.
Überbringen schlechter Nachrichten – Videogestützte Trainingseinheit für Medizinstudenten
Authors: Kopecky-Wenzel Marie , Maier Esther M. , Muntau Ania C. , Reinhardt Dietrich , Frank Reiner 
Published: May 2009

Fragestellung: Die im Jahr 2002 verabschiedete Ärztliche Approbationsordnung sieht eine grundlegende Reformierung des Studentenunterrichtes mit Verstärkung von Kleingruppenunterricht und mehr Praxisbezug vor. Ein Defizit der bisherigen Ausbildung war die nahezu fehlende Schulung kommunikativer Fähigkeiten der zukünftigen Ärzte. Hierdurch fühlten diese sich ungenügend auf ein zentrales Element ärztlichen Handelns – das Arzt-Patient-Gespräch – vorbereitet. Methodik: Im Jahr 2005 wurde an der Medizinischen Fakultät der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität im Rahmen des Medizinischen Curriculums München – MeCuMLMUeine Pflichtlehrveranstaltung in Gesprächsführung zum Thema «Breaking Bad News» (Überbringen schlechter Nachrichten) entwickelt. Zentrales Element des Seminars sind videogestützte Rollenspiele mit systematischer Videoanalyse, in denen die Studierenden die Rolle eines Arztes, einer Ärztin oder eines Elternteils bei der Mitteilung einer schwerwiegenden Erkrankung des Kindes einnehmen. Hierbei soll die zukünftige ärztliche Rolle erlebt und analysiert werden. Als Voraussetzung für die Durchführung des Seminars in Kleingruppen wurden 15 Dozenten in Rollenspielanalyse anhand von Videoaufnahmen geschult. Ein Manual mit Lerninhalten gewährleistet ein standardisiertes Vorgehen. Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen: Die hohe Akzeptanz durch Studierende und Dozenten – belegt durch eine Evaluation unter Verwendung standardisierter Fragebögen – zeigt, dass diese Unterrichtsform für die Vermittlung ärztlicher kommunikativer Fähigkeiten geeignet ist. Der hohe personelle und technische Aufwand ist als lohnende Investition in eine bessere Vorbereitung junger Ärzte auf ihre berufliche Situation zu betrachten.
Temperature-responsive sensing regulates biocontrol factor expression in Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0
Authors: Humair Bérénice , González Nicolas , Mossialos Dimitris , Reimmann Cornelia , Haas Dieter 
Published: May 2009

Abstract
In the plant-beneficial, root-colonizing strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0, the Gac/Rsm signal transduction pathway positively regulates the synthesis of biocontrol factors (mostly antifungal secondary metabolites) and contributes to oxidative stress response via the stress sigma factor RpoS. The backbone of this pathway consists of the GacS/GacA two-component system, which activates the expression of three small regulatory RNAs (RsmX, RsmY, RsmZ) and thereby counters translational repression exerted by the RsmA and RsmE proteins on target mRNAs encoding biocontrol factors. We found that the expression of typical biocontrol factors, that is, antibiotic compounds and hydrogen cyanide (involving the phlA and hcnA genes), was significantly lower at 35 °C than at 30 °C. The expression of the rpoS gene was affected in parallel. This temperature control depended on RetS, a sensor kinase acting as an antagonist of the GacS/GacA system. An additional sensor kinase, LadS, which activated the GacS/GacA system, apparently did not contribute to thermosensitivity. Mutations in gacS or gacA were epistatic to (that is, they overruled) mutations in retS or ladS for expression of the small RNAs RsmXYZ. These data are consistent with a model according to which RetS–GacS and LadS–GacS interactions shape the output of the Gac/Rsm pathway and the environmental temperature influences the RetS–GacS interaction in P. fluorescens CHA0.
Plankton composition and environmental factors contribute to Vibrio seasonality
Authors: Turner Jeffrey W , Good Brooks , Cole Dana , Lipp Erin K 
Published: May 2009

Abstract
Plankton represent a nutrient-rich reservoir capable of enriching Vibrio species, which can include human pathogens, at higher densities than the surrounding water column. To better understand the relationship between vibrios and plankton, the partitioning of culturable vibrios, on TCBS, between free living and plankton associated (63–200- and &gt;200-μm-size fractions) was monitored over a 1-year period in coastal waters of Georgia, USA. Seasonal changes in the total Vibrio concentration were then compared with changes in environmental parameters as well as changes in the relative composition of the plankton community. Using univariate analyses, Vibrio concentrations were strongly associated with temperature, especially when those vibrios were plankton associated (R2=0.69 and 0.88 for the water and both plankton fractions; respectively) (P&lt;0.01). Multivariate general linear models revealed that Vibrio concentrations in the plankton fractions were also correlated to shifts in the relative abundance of specific plankton taxa. In the 63–200-μm fraction, Vibrio concentrations were inversely associated with copepods, cyanobacteria and diatoms. In the &gt;200-μm fraction, Vibrio concentrations were positively associated with copepods and negatively associated with decapod larvae. Our results confirm the role of temperature in Vibrio seasonality and highlight an important and independent role for plankton composition in explaining seasonal changes in Vibrio concentration.
MitoWheel, visualizing the human mitochondrial genome
Authors: Zsurka Gábor , Csordás Attila 
Published: May 2009

AbstractSo far researchers, web users were restricted to non-intuitive and visually poor text based databases every time they wanted to take a look on the mitochondrial DNA and find a region of interest. But with MitoWheel the situation is about to change. MitoWheel is a graphical representation of the circular human mitochondrial genome available on the web at "http://mitowheel.org":http://mitowheel.org.The human mitochondrial DNA is a 16569 basepair long, circular molecule and this very circularity is the basic idea behind MitoWheel. The mitochondrial genome can be represented with a wheel and by spinning this wheel users can quickly scan through, browse and identify the particular regions. The spinning is via click-and-drag or by using the left and right arrows in the sequence bar.The sequence used is the standard Revised Cambridge Reference Sequence. The main components of the application are a search box, a sequence bar and the wheel itself.The most important feature of the MitoWheel is its versatile search function. As an output of a query the wheel and the sequence bar stops at the searched nucleotide position or sequence and additional information (whether the nucleotide or the sequence is part of a gene or other specific region) can be seen on a pop-up window. People can search for a nucleotide position or sequence in the search box with numbers (15450, 8366-8572), with nucleotides (ATGCTAAAA), search for an encoded gene or specific region by abbreviations (atp8), genes (complex III, cytochrome b) and sequence features, even mutations (12276A) with the possible functional effects of the mutation. Selected sequences or their reverse complementary sequences can be send to the clipboard and saved.MitoWheel incorporates data on fully sequenced human mitochondrial genomes that have been deposited in the GenBank nucleotide database by different research groups. The sequence bar contains information not only about the function of specific nucleotides, but also about allele frequencies at polymorphic positions.MitoWheel was developed by human mitochondrial geneticist Gábor Zsurka, the wheel was made with Flash Professional 8.0 and the code harnessed the power of Actionscript, a scripting language designed specially for Flash. Attila Csordás is the other member of the developer group. The web application can be useful for anybody interested in human mitochondrial genetics and its biological, medical consequences.
IUPHAR-DB: An Expert-Curated, Peer-Reviewed Database of Receptors and Ion Channels
Authors: Sharman Joanna , Hale Valerie , Hills Rebecca , Rosser Edward , Jones Martin , Greenhill Stuart , Harmar Anthony , IUPHAR NC - 
Published: May 2009

AbstractThe International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology database (IUPHAR-DB) integrates peer-reviewed pharmacological, chemical, genetic, functional and anatomical information on the 354 non-sensory G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), 71 ligand-gated ion channel subunits and 141 voltage-gated ion channel subunits encoded by the human, rat and mouse genomes. These genes represent the targets of about a third of currently approved drugs and are a major focus of drug discovery and development programs in the pharmaceutical industry. Individual gene pages provide a comprehensive description of the genes and their functions, with information on protein structure, ligands, expression patterns, signaling mechanisms, functional assays and biologically important receptor variants (e.g. single nucleotide polymorphisms and splice variants). The phenotypes resulting from altered gene expression (e.g. in genetically altered animals) and genetic mutations are described. Links are provided to bioinformatics resources such as NCBI RefSeq, OMIM, PubChem, human, rat and mouse genome databases. Recent developments include the addition of ligand-centered pages summarising information about unique ligand molecules in IUPHAR-DB. IUPHAR-DB represents a novel approach to biocuration because most data are provided through manual curation of published literature by a network of over 60 expert subcommittees coordinated by NC-IUPHAR. Data are referenced to the primary literature and linked to PubMed. The data are checked to ensure accuracy and consistency by the curators, added to the production server using custom-built submission tools and peer-reviewed by NC-IUPHAR, before being transferred to the public database. Data are reviewed and updated regularly (at least biennially). Other website features include comprehensive database search tools, online and downloadable gene lists and links to recent publications of interest to the field, such as reports on receptor-ligand pairings. The database is freely available at "http://www.iuphar-db.org":http://www.iuphar-db.org. Curators can be reached at curators [at] iuphar-db.org. We thank British Pharmacological Society, UNESCO (through the ICSU Grants Programme), Incyte, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Servier and Wyeth for their support.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa MurE amide ligase: enzyme kinetics and peptide inhibitor
Authors: Paradis-Bleau Catherine , Lloyd Adrian , Sanschagrin François , Maaroufi Halim , Clarke Tom , Blewett Anne , Dowson Chris , Roper David I. , Bugg Timothy D. H. , Levesque Roger C. 
Published: May 2009

The enzyme kinetics of the amide ligase MurE, a cell wall biosynthesis enzyme, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa were determined using the synthesized nucleotide substrate UDP-MurNAc-Ala-Glu (uridine 5′-diphosphoryl N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanyl-D-glutamate). When coupled to a competitive bio-panning technique using a M13 phage display library encoding ∼2.7×109 random peptide permutations and the specific substrates meso-A2pm (meso-diaminopimelic acid) and ATP, a peptide inhibitor of MurE was identified. The MurEp1 dodecamer selected and synthesized inhibited MurE ATPase activity with an IC50 value of 500 μM. The inhibition was shown to be time-dependent and was reversed by the addition of meso-A2pm or UDP-MurNAc-Ala-Glu during the pre-incubation step. Kinetic analysis defined MurEp1 as a mixed inhibitor against both substrates with Ki values of 160 and 80 μM respectively. MurEp1 was found to interfere in meso-A2pm and UDP-MurNAc-Ala-Glu binding necessary for amide bond formation. Modelling of Ps. aeruginosa MurE and docking of MurEp1 on the Ps. aeruginosa MurE surface indicated that MurEp1 binds at the juxtaposition of both meso-A2pm- and UDP-MurNAc-Ala-Glu-binding sites in the closed conformational state of the enzyme. Identification of the MurEp1 residues involved in MurE binding and inhibition will allow the development of a novel class of inhibitors having a novel mode of action against MurE.
Hsp70 is required for optimal cell proliferation in mouse A6 mesoangioblast stem cells
Authors: Turturici Giuseppina , Geraci Fabiana , Candela Maria E. , Cossu Giulio , Giudice Giovanni , Sconzo Gabriella 
Published: May 2009

Mouse Hsp70 (70 kDa heat shock protein) is preferentially induced by heat or stress stimuli. We previously found that Hsp70 is constitutively expressed in A6 mouse mesoangioblast stem cells, but its possible role in these cells and the control of its basal transcription remained unexplored. Here we report that in the absence of stress, Ku factor is able to bind the HSE (heat shock element) consensus sequence in vitro, and in vivo it is bound to the proximal hsp70 promoter. In addition, we show that constitutive hsp70 transcription depends on the co-operative interaction of different factors such as Sp1 (specificity protein 1) and GAGA-binding protein with Ku factor, which binds the HSE consensus sequence. We used mRNA interference assays to select knockdown cell clones. These cells were able to respond to heat stress by producing a large amount of Hsp70, and produced the same amount of Hsp70 as that synthesized by stressed A6 cells. However, severe Hsp70 knockdown cells had a longer duplication time, suggesting that constitutive Hsp70 expression has an effect on the rate of proliferation.