bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Conservation genetics ofAmorpha georgiana(Fabaceae), an endangered legume of the Southeastern United States
Authors: STRAUB SHANNON C. K. , DOYLE JEFF J. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAmorpha georgiana(Fabaceae) is an endangered legume species found in longleaf pine savannas in the Southeastern United States. Approximately 900 individuals and 14 populations remain, most of which are concentrated in North Carolina. Eleven microsatellite loci were used to explore genetic diversity, population structure and recent population bottlenecks using genotypic data from 132 individuals collected at ten different localities. AlthoughA. georgianais quite rare, it exhibited high levels of genetic diversity (17.7 alleles/locus;Ho = 0.65,HE = 0.75). Most of the genetic variation was found within rather than between populations of this species. The single remaining Georgia population was well differentiated from populations of the Carolinas (FST > 0.1), which had weaker structure among them (FST < 0.1). Only a geographically disjunct population showed strong evidence of a recent population bottleneck, perhaps due to a recent founder event. Hybridization withA. herbaceawas also detected. For conservation management plans,A. georgianapopulations in each geographic region (North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia) plus a disjunct population in North Carolina (Holly Shelter) should be treated as separate management units for whichin situconservation, including habitat restoration and use of prescribed burns, should ensure persistence of this species and preservation of its evolutionary potential.
Lack of global population genetic differentiation in the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae suggests a recent range expansion which may have coincided with the spread of agriculture
Authors: ROSENDAHL SØREN , MCGEE PETER , MORTON JOSEPH B 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae is commonly found in agricultural fields. The cosmopolitan species is found in Africa, Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Three hypotheses may explain this worldwide distribution: First, speciation occurred before the continents separated 120 Ma; second, the distribution is a result of human‐mediated dispersal related to agriculture and finally, the morphologically defined species may encompass several local endemic species. To test these hypotheses, three genes were sequenced from 82 isolates of G. mosseae originating from six continents and the resulting sequences analysed for geographical subdivision and estimation of migration between continents. Coalescent analyses estimated divergence and age of mutations. Bayesian coalescent modelling was used to reveal important past population changes in the global population. The sequence data showed no geographical structure, with identical genotypes found on different continents. Coalescence analyses indicated a recent diversification in the species, and the data could be explained by a recent population expansion in G. mosseae. The results of this study suggest that speciation and the range expansion happened much later than continental spread and that human activity may have had a major impact on the dispersal and the population structure of the fungus.
A rare connexin 26 mutation in a patient with a forme fruste of keratitis–ichthyosis–deafness (KID) syndrome
Authors: Neoh Ching Yin , Chen Huijia , Ng See Ket , Lane Ellen Birgitte , Common John Edmund Armourer 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground  Keratitis–ichthyosis–deafness (KID) syndrome is a rare ectodermal dysplasia characterized by generalized erythrokeratotic plaques, sensorineural hearing loss, and vascularizing keratitis. Cutaneous changes and hearing loss typically present in early childhood, whereas ocular symptoms present later. Mutations in the connexin (Cx) 26 gene, GJB2, are now established to underlie many of the affected cases, with the majority of patients harboring the p.D50N mutation.Methods  A rare patient demonstrating features of incomplete KID syndrome associated with an uncommon Cx26 gene mutation is described.Results  The patient presented late in adolescence with partial features of KID syndrome. There was limited cutaneous involvement and the rare association of cystic acne. Both hearing impairment and ophthalmic involvement were mild in severity. Genetic mutation analysis revealed a previously described, rare mutation in GJB2, resulting in a glycine to arginine change at codon 12 (p.G12R).Conclusions  This report describes a patient exhibiting characteristics suggestive of a late‐onset, incomplete form of KID syndrome with the GJB2 mutation (p.G12R). The p.G12R mutation has only been described in one other patient with KID syndrome, whose clinical presentation was not characterized.
Combination therapy of intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroid in the treatment of toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens–Johnson syndrome: a retrospective comparative study in China
Authors: Yang Yongsheng , Xu Jinhua , Li Feng , Zhu Xiaohua 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground  Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens–Johnson Syndrome (SJS) are drug‐induced diseases with no well‐established treatments. The application of corticosteroid therapy is controversial. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is emerging as a promising new method for the treatment of these two diseases. The efficacy of combination therapy of IVIG and corticosteroid in the treatment of TEN/SJS has seldom been reported.Methods  Sixty‐five consecutive patients with either TEN or SJS, admitted over a 14‐year period from January 1993 to October 2007, were treated with corticosteroid and analyzed retrospectively using SCORTEN, a severity‐of‐illness scoring system for TEN/SJS prognosis, to evaluate efficacy. For patients admitted after January 2001, additional therapy with a dose of 0.4 g/kg/day of IVIG for 5 days was applied.Results  In the 45 patients with TEN treated without IVIG, 8.63 patients were expected to die based on the SCORTEN system, but 10 deaths were observed. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analysis [(Σobserved deaths/Σexpected deaths) × 100] suggested that patients with TEN treated with systemic corticosteroid were 16% more likely to die than those treated with routine therapy (SMR = 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.56–2.13). In the further study of combination therapy, 12 patients with TEN and eight patients with SJS were admitted. There were two deaths in the TEN group and one death in the SJS group, with 3.51 deaths expected on the basis of the SCORTEN system. SMR analysis showed that combination therapy had a tendency to reduce the mortality rate of TEN (SMR = 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.18–2.50). Nevertheless, in both the TEN and SJS groups, the difference in mortality rate between the two therapies was not statistically significant (P = 0.651 and P = 1, respectively). In patients with TEN, combination therapy also reduced significantly the time of arrested progression (P = 0.019) and the total hospitalization time (P = 0.043), but could not reduce the time to the tapering of corticosteroid (P = 0.96). In SJS patients, the times of arrested progression and hospitalization were also reduced significantly (P = 0.019 and P = 0.0475, respectively). Likewise, the time to the tapering of corticosteroid was not reduced (P = 0.122).Conclusion  Combination therapy with corticosteroid and IVIG exhibited a tendency to reduce the mortality rate in comparison with the solo administration of corticosteroid. The decrease in the mortality rate, however, was not statistically significant. Combination therapy also arrested progression earlier and decreased the hospitalization time, meaning that the total dose of corticosteroid may be reduced. Combination therapy, however, did not lead to earlier tapering of corticosteroid. No severe adverse effects of IVIG were found during treatment.
Physical examination of the potential tissue donor, what do European tissue banks do?
Authors: Van Geyt Caroline , Van Wijk Marja , Bokhorst Arlinke , Beele Hilde 
Published: September 2009

Van Geyt C, Van Wijk M, Bokhorst A, Beele H. Physical examination of the potential tissue donor, what do European tissue banks do? Clin Transplant 2009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399‐0012.2009.01089.x © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  According to the EU Directive 2006/17/EC, European tissue banks are required to perform a physical examination on every potential tissue donor. The directive itself, however, does not specify the content of this examination. The aim of this study was to investigate the current practice of physical examination in European tissue banks. A questionnaire was drawn up and sent to the members of the European Association of Tissue Banks and the European Eye Bank Association. Information was gathered on the type of procurement; the personnel involved (number, educational background and training); the content of physical examination; the problems encountered; and the outcome of the performed physical examinations. Completed questionnaires were received from 32 European tissue banks (response rate of 35%). Of these tissue banks, 73% perform a physical examination. The most frequently encountered problems are the inability to open the mouth due to rigor mortis, the inability to examine the total body surface and the incapacity to palpate the lymph nodes. Tissue banks reject potential donors, based on the results of the physical examination in 5% of cases (median rejection rate). Twenty‐seven percent of the responding tissue banks do not perform a physical examination. This was most often due to a lack of adequate educational background and/or a lack of appropriate training.
Genetic determinants of HIV‐1 infection and progression to AIDS: immune response genes
Authors: Kaur G. , Mehra N. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractGenomic studies involving well‐defined multicenter cohorts of HIV‐1/AIDS covering multiple populations have led to a greater understanding of the role of host determinants in viral acquisition, disease progression, transmission, and response to anti‐retroviral therapy. Similarly, recent knowledge on the virus genetic diversity has helped in elucidating mechanisms leading to the evolution of viral escape mutants and the role played by host immune determinants, in particular the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) associated genes. At least two alleles, HLA‐B*27 and B*57, have been identified as ‘protective’ against HIV‐1 while B*35 and B*53 act as susceptibility favoring factors. How human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐mediated selection drives the evolution of HIV‐1 and which circulating variants are more likely to evade immune surveillance of the population are now beginning to become clear. Importantly, the rare HLA alleles in a population bear a selective advantage to the host because these can induce immune responses against pre‐adapted viruses. It is conceivable that previously established protective HLA associations are shifting with the evolving cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes and may not remain protective in future. At the same time, this process is unraveling novel sub‐dominant epitopes of the virus which could now be incorporated as the dominant target CTL epitopes. An insight into the population‐specific correlates of protection is hence necessary for designing future anti‐HIV therapeutic and/or prophylactic vaccine formulation(s).
Drosophila melanogastermales respond differently at the behavioural and genome‐wide levels toDrosophila melanogasterandDrosophila simulansfemales
Authors: ELLIS L. L. , CARNEY G. E. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractDrosophila melanogasterare found in sympatry withDrosophila simulans, and matings between the species produce nonfertile hybrid offspring at low frequency. Evolutionary theory predicts that females choose mates, so males should alter their behaviour in response to female cues. We show thatD. melanogastermales quickly decrease courtship towardsD. simulansfemales. Courtship levels are reduced within 5 min of exposure to a heterospecific female, and overall courtship is significantly lower than courtship towards conspecific females. To understand changes at the molecular level during mate choice, we performed microarray analysis onD. melanogastermales that courted heterospecificD. simulansfemales and found nine genes have altered expression compared with controls. In contrast, males that court conspecific females alter expression of at least 35 loci. The changes elicited by conspecific courtship likely modulate nervous system function to reinforce positive conspecific signals and dampen the response to heterospecific signals.
EARLY LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY FOR ACUTE CHOLECYSTITIS: OPTIMAL TIMING OF OPERATION AND PREDICTIVE FACTORS FOR CONVERSION
Authors: Cheung K.F. , Yuen K.S. , Ng T.K. , Sze Y.S. , Lui K.W. , Lee W.M. , Cheung C.H. , Kong C.K. , Ng W.T. 
Published: September 2009

The role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in management of acute cholecystitis remained controversial. Unless contraindicated or refused, early laparoscopic cholecystectomy was offered to patients suffered from acute cholecystitis in our department. Patients data and outcome were collected and analyzed to assess the safety and efficacy of the procedure and to identify predictive factors for conversion.From January 1999 to December 2000, a total of 78 patients with diagnosis of acute cholecystitis were operated. 18 patients had immediate open operation due to previous upper abdominal surgery, or presence of septic shock/peritonitis.Laparoscopic cholecystomy (LC) were successful in 41 (68.3%) of the remaining 60 patients and converted in 19 (31.7%). No mortality was found in the successful or attempted laparoscopic group but 3 patients died in the open group, probably due to poorer premorbid state. The successful LC group had the best outcome in terms of shorter postoperative stay (mean 8.2 days) and less complication rate (7.3%). The only statistically significant predictive factor for conversion are WBC count >19 × 109/L and duration of symptoms of more than 72 hours after onset.Conclusion: Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis is safe and effective when operated within 72 hours of symptom onset before significant sepsis occur.
AMBULATORY LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY: THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE
Authors: Lau H. , Brooks D.C. 
Published: September 2009

Objectives: The present study was conducted to report the transitions in the practice of laparoscopic cholecsytectomy since the inception of ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy and to evaluate the contemporary outcomes of day‐case laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Methods: Hospital database of patients who underwent cholecystectomies for benign hepatobiliary pathologies were reviewed between 1993 and 1999. Changes in the practice of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and length of hospital stay were analyzed. Causes for unanticipated admission and readmission were evaluated.Results: Of 2891 laparoscopic cholecystectomies recruited in the present study, 888 (31%) were performed as day case and 2003 (69%) were inpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomies. The annual number of ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy increased from 3 (0.6%) in 1993 to 212 (48%) in 1997, which was followed by a plateau in the next 3 years. There was a significant shift of patients who used to stay overnight to same day discharge, accounting for the increment of ambulatory procedures. Twenty‐eight (3.2%) patients were admitted overnight after operation because of pain (n = 11), nausea and vomiting (n = 7) and other reasons (n = 10).Conclusions: The present study demonstrated a net trend towards ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Post‐operative pain was the commonest reason for unanticipated admission after operation. Ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy heralds the wave of the future.
APOLIPOPROTEIN E GENOTYPE AND OUTCOME IN ANEURYSMAL SUBARACHNOID HAEMORRHAGE
Authors: Leung C.H.S. , Poon W.S. , Wong G.K.C. , Yu L.M. , Ng H.K. 
Published: September 2009

Background: Active management of ruptured intracranial aneurysm in subarachnoid haemorrhage is commonly reserved for patient with favourable prognosis. Current clinical grading scales on outcome prediction are imprecise with low inter‐observer reproducibility. We designed a prospective clinical study on the association between Apolipoprotein E genotype and the outcome of patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage.Method: We conducted a prospective study on patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage admitted to our unit during a 2 years period. All patients were managed under a standard protocol. Patient’s characteristics, clinical grade, radiological grade and Apolipoprotein E genotype were documented. We focused on the 6 months neurological outcome for this group of patients after discharged.Results: 72 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage were recruited into the study. Unfavourable outcome was found with increasing age (62.2 years ± 17.2 vs. 55.7 years ± 12.9; P = 0.07; odds ratio, 1.03; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.07), poor Fisher’s grades (86 percent vs. 58 percent; P = 0.015; odds ratio, 4.50; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.33 to 15.20) and poor WFNS grades (48 percent vs. 14 percent; P = 0.002; odds ratio, 5.76; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.86 to 17.80). A higher distribution of Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 was found amongst those had unfavourable outcome (38 percent vs. 9 percent; P = 0.006; odds ratio, 5.96; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.67 to 21.29). Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 remains to be an independent outcome‐predicting factor (P = 0.003) after adjusted with age, WFNS grading, and Fisher’s grading.Conclusions: Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 was found to be associated with an unfavourable outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.
ILEAL CONDUIT URINARY DIVERSION: A REAPPAISAL OF ITS UPPER TRACT COMPLICATIONS
Authors: Lo H.K. , Wong B.T.H. 
Published: September 2009

Objective: To study the long‐term upper tract complications in patients with ileal conduit urinary diversion following total cystectomy.Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective review of all the patients who attended regular follow‐up at the Urostoma Clinic of a general hospital in year 1999. 86 patients were available for analysis: male‐to‐female ratio 2:1, age 24 to 92 (mean 70.6) years, duration of follow‐up 1.1 to 28.5 (mean 10.5) years. 87.2% of the patients had had total cystectomy for bladder cancer.Results: Among the 86 patients, the incidences of acute pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis and impairment of renal function were 11.6% (10), 46.5% (40) and 46.5% (40) respectively. Four patients eventually developed end stage renal failure. Presence of acute pyelonephritis and hydronephrosis correlated with subsequent development of renal impairment (p < 0.05). At 5 and 10 years, incidences of hydronephrosis were 19.8% and 32.6% respectively, incidences of renal impairment were 27.9% and 37.2% respectively, and the overall incidences of having either or both of these upper tract complications were 33.7% and 50.0% respectively.Ultrasonography and/or intravenous urography were the first‐line investigations to screen for hydronephrosis. Of the 40 patients with hydronephrosis, 25 had non‐obstructed ureters as confirmed by contrast studies and DTPA renography, and the other 15 required flexible conduitoscopy—with contrast conduitography, retrograde pyelo‐ureterography and/or biopsy—to ascertain the nature of urinary obstruction: mid‐conduit stenosis (1), tumour recurrence at anastomosis (1), anastomotic stricture (9) and ureteral stricture (4). One other patient was incidentally found to have TCC in left renal pelvis.Of the 86 patients, 13 had remedial surgical intervention for the complications, including: balloon dilatation of mid‐conduit stenosis (1), nephrectomy (5), revision of ileal conduit (5) and conversion to continent cutaneous diversion (2).Conclusions: Ileal conduit urinary diversion resulted in signifi‐cant long‐term upper tract complications. 50% of the patients developed complications by 10 years. Regular long‐term follow‐up is mandatory.
H. PYLORI STRAINS ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC CANCER EXPRESS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER N‐NITROSATING ACTIVITIES THAN STRAINS COLLECTED FROM DUODENAL ULCER AND NON‐ULCER DYSPEPSIA
Authors: Ng E.K.W. , Chan M.C.W. , Leung W.K. , Sung J.J.Y. , Chung S.C.S. 
Published: September 2009

Background: Chronic Helicobacter pylori infection and exposure to N‐nitroso compounds (NOC) are considered the two most important contributing factors in gastric carcinogenesis. It has been shown in a previous study that H. pylori also catalyzes N‐nitrosation in vitro. Whether the N‐nitrosating activity of H. pylori plays any role in the development of gastric adenocarcinoma has yet to be determined.Methods: H. pylori strains isolated from patients with different gastroduodenal pathologies were subcultured with the addition of morpholine (a nitrosable chemical) and sodium nitrite at a concentration of 25mM and 16mM, respectively. The bacteria were allowed to grow for 6 to 8 hours until OD600 of the culture media reached a value between 0.6 and 0.8. The culture‐supernatants were then separated at 4°C, and the quantity of N‐nitroso‐morpholine formed was assayed using gas chromatography, as described by Suzaki and Mitsuoka. The nitrosating activity of individual H. pylori strain was calculated by adjusting the OD600 to unity. Bacterial genotypes, cagA, iceA and vacA of the H. pylori isolates were also determined by polymerase chain reaction based on published primer sequences. N‐nitrosating activities of the H. pylori strains were compared with regard to the patient characteristics, the bacterial genotypes, and their related disease categories.Results: 20 strains from gastric cancer (GC), 27 from duodenal ulcer (DU) and 22 from non‐ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) were studied. Though patients with GC were significantly older than those with DU and NUD, the 3 groups were comparable with regard to patient’s gender and bacterial genotypes. All 69 H. pylori strains expressed N‐nitrosating activities with a uni‐modal distribution (median 41.3 μg/L; range: 9.2–152.3 μg/L). Strains isolated from GC patients had a significantly higher mean N‐nitrosating activity (65.3 ± 27.2 μg/L) than those collected from patients with DU (43.8 ± 24.9 μg/L) or NUD (33.8 ± 21.1 μg/L) (p = 0.003, one‐way ANOVA), but there was no difference between the DU and the NUD groups. Neither the patient characteristics (age and gender) nor the bacterial cagA, iceA and vacA subtypes had any association with the nitrosating activity.Conclusions: H. pylori‐catalyzed N‐nitrosation may be important in gastric carcinogenesis as strains isolated from stomach cancer patients express a higher level of N‐nitrosating activity than those found in non‐cancer patients.