bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fruit load and elevation affect ethylene biosynthesis and action in apple fruit (Malus domestica L. Borkh) during development, maturation and ripening
Authors: CIN VALERIANO DAL , DANESIN MARCELLO , BOTTON ALESSANDRO , BOSCHETTI ANDREA , DORIGONI ALBERTO , RAMINA ANGELO 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTThe influence of internal and external factors such as tree fruit load and elevation on ethylene biosynthesis and action was assessed during apple fruit development and ripening. Ethylene biosynthesis, as well as transcript accumulation of the hormone biosynthetic enzymes (MdACS1 and MdACO1), receptors (MdETR1 and MdERS1) and an element of the transduction pathway (MdCTR1), were evaluated in apples borne by trees with high (HL) and low (LL) fruit load. Orchards were located in two localities differing in elevation and season day degree sum. These parameters significantly affected the date of bloom and commercial harvest, and the length of the fruit developmental cycle. Trees from the low elevation (LE) bloomed and the fruit ripened earlier than those from the high elevation (HE), displaying also a shortened fruit developmental cycle. Dynamics of ethylene evolution was apparently not affected by elevation. The onset of ethylene evolution started 130 days after bloom (DAB) at both elevations. During early ripening, fruits from LL trees produced significantly more ethylene than those from HL trees. Expression analysis of MdACS1, MdACO1 and MdERS1 indicated that the transcript accumulation well correlated with ethylene evolution. MdCTR1 was expressed at constant level throughout fruit growth and development up to 130 DAB, thereafter, the transcript accumulation decreased up to commercial harvest, concurrently with the onset of ethylene evolution.
CARDIOVASCULAR AND SURVIVAL PARADOXES IN DIALYSIS PATIENTS: Role of Leptin in Reverse Epidemiology in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Scholze Alexandra , Tepel Martin 
Published: August 2007

AbstractLeptin is mainly produced by adipocytes and metabolized in the kidney. Leptin is taken up into the central nervous system by a saturable transport system, and controls appetite in rodents and in healthy subjects. Leptin acts on peripheral tissue and increases the inflammatory response by stimulating the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin‐6 and interleukin‐12. In healthy humans, serum leptin concentration is related to the size of adipose tissue mass in the body. The majority of obese subjects have inappropriately high levels of circulating plasma leptin concentrations, indicating leptin resistance. In healthy subjects increased leptin concentration constitutes a biomarker for increased cardiovascular risk. On the other hand, a recent prospective long‐term study in patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5 on hemodialysis therapy showed that reduced serum leptin concentration is an independent risk factor for mortality in these patients.
CARDIOVASCULAR AND SURVIVAL PARADOXES IN DIALYSIS PATIENTS: Kinetic Studies of Atherogenic Lipoproteins in Hemodialysis Patients: Do They Tell Us More about Their Pathology?
Authors: Kronenberg Florian , Ikewaki Katsunori , Schaefer Juergen R. , König Paul , Dieplinger Hans 
Published: August 2007

AbstractPatients with chronic kidney disease have one of the highest risks for atherosclerotic complications. Several large epidemiological studies described an opposite association of total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol with cardiovascular complications and total mortality compared to the general population, a circumstance often called “reverse epidemiology.” Many factors might contribute to this reversal such as interaction with malnutrition/inflammation, pronounced fluctuations of atherogenic lipoproteins during the course of renal disease, heterogeneity of lipoprotein particles with preponderance of remnant particles, and chemical modification of lipoproteins caused by the uremic environment. A vicious cycle has been suggested in uremia in which the decreased catabolism of atherogenic lipoproteins such as LDL, IDL and Lp(a) leads to their increased plasma residence time and further modification of these lipoproteins by oxidation, carbamylation, and glycation. Using stable isotope techniques, it has been shown recently that the plasma residence time of these particles is more than twice as long in hemodialysis patients as in nonuremic subjects. This reduced catabolism, however, is masked by the decreased production of LDL, resulting in near‐normal plasma levels of LDL. The production rate of Lp(a) in hemodialysis patients is similar to that in controls which together with the doubled residence time results in elevated Lp(a) levels. An increased clearance of these altered lipoproteins via the scavenger receptors of macrophages leads to the transformation of macrophages into foam cells in the vascular wall and might contribute to the pronounced risk for cardiovascular complications of these patients. These observations suggest that the real danger of these particles is not reflected by the measured concentrations but by their metabolic qualities.
CARDIOVASCULAR AND SURVIVAL PARADOXES IN DIALYSIS PATIENTS: The Association between Blood Pressure and Mortality in ESRD—Not Different from the General Population?
Authors: Lacson Eduardo , Lazarus J. Michael 
Published: August 2007

AbstractHypertension (HTN) is a traditional cardiovascular risk factor and is prevalent in end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). There are no adequately powered prospective studies that explore the natural history and outcomes of HTN and blood pressure management in ESRD. Observational studies have not uniformly showed a relationship between HTN and mortality risk in this population. Furthermore, many studies paradoxically show an increased risk of death associated with low and “normal” blood pressure (BP), sometimes referred to as “reverse epidemiology.” We review findings from observational studies specifically performed in ESRD and provide an alternative interpretation—that patients with kidney disease on dialysis therapy are indeed different from the general population. At minimum, these differences may be based on the prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity, specifically the excessive prevalence of congestive heart failure. However, there are other reasons for ESRD patients, especially those on hemodialysis, to exhibit differential effects with regard to blood pressure and outcomes. We explore the implications of available observational evidence and recommend studies that elucidate the differences between ESRD and the general population. Because of the higher mortality risk associated with low or “normal” BP, diagnostic and therapeutic options and strategies for ESRD patients whose BP falls within “goal” should be addressed in future iterations of clinical practice guidelines. These strategies may include assessment of cardiac function and careful attention to achieving optimal fluid balance.
CARDIOVASCULAR AND SURVIVAL PARADOXES IN DIALYSIS PATIENTS: Misleading Associations between Cholesterol and Vascular Outcomes in Dialysis Patients: The Need for Randomized Trials
Authors: Baigent Colin , Landray Martin J. , Wheeler David C. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractHigher cholesterol is strongly associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in nonrenal populations, so the lack of a clear positive association between total cholesterol and mortality among dialysis patients is unexpected. This review of prospective studies of the association between total cholesterol and mortality among dialysis patients suggests that there is a negative association at below average cholesterol levels and a flat or weakly positive association at higher levels. In nonrenal populations total cholesterol is not positively associated with vascular causes of death other than CHD, so the lack of a strongly positive association at above average cholesterol concentrations in dialysis patients may be explained by the high proportion of deaths due to non‐CHD vascular causes. The observation of a negative association between total cholesterol and mortality at below average cholesterol concentrations in some studies is consistent with confounding by both vascular and nonvascular morbidity (i.e., reverse causality). We argue that evaluating the importance of cholesterol for vascular disease risk in dialysis patients can only be achieved through the eradication of confounding by randomization, and that ongoing trials of cholesterol‐lowering therapy will provide a definitive answer to this question.
Clinical predictors of alloimmunization after red blood cell transfusion
Authors: Bauer Martijn P. , Wiersum‐Osselton Jo , Schipperus Martin , Vandenbroucke Jan P. , Briët Ernest 
Published: August 2007

BACKGROUND: Development of new red blood cell (RBC) alloantibodies (alloimmunization) is one of the most frequent adverse reactions after an RBC transfusion. Few studies have investigated clinical risk factors for alloimmunization.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this case‐control study, the characteristics of all patients in whom alloimmunization occurred for the first time after an RBC transfusion in two hospitals between January 1, 2003, and May 5, 2005, were examined and compared to a randomly selected control group who received RBC transfusions in the same hospitals during the same period without alloimmunization. Odds ratios (ORs) for the association between these characteristics and alloimmunization were calculated and analyzed with a logistic regression model.RESULTS: Eighty‐seven cases were found, and 101 controls were selected. Female sex (OR, 1.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05‐3.38), diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 0.91‐5.05), solid malignancy (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.00‐4.30), and previous allogeneic hematopoietic peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 0.64‐7.81) were associated most strongly with alloimmunization, whereas lymphoproliferative disorders (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13‐0.81) and symptomatic atherosclerosis (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.25‐1.08) were associated with the absence of alloimmunization. All of these associations except for female sex became stronger after adjustment for possible confounders.CONCLUSION: Female sex, diabetes mellitus, solid malignancy, and previous allogeneic PBPC transplantation seem to be risk factors for alloimmunization, whereas lymphoproliferative disorders and symptomatic atherosclerosis seem to protect against it. Further studies are needed to confirm these associations and investigate underlying mechanisms.
Blood bank management of sickle cell patients at comprehensive sickle cell centers
Authors: Afenyi‐Annan Araba , Willis Monte S. , Konrad Thomas R. , Lottenberg Richard 
Published: August 2007

BACKGROUND: Transfusion therapy has been integral to decreasing morbidity and mortality in sickle cell disease (SCD). Several studies however, have demonstrated variation in the blood bank (BB) practices for these patients. The purpose of this study was to examine BB practices for SCD patients at NIH Comprehensive Sickle Cell Centers (CSCCs) and to determine whether consensus in BB management exists.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross‐sectional survey of BB medical directors and laboratory supervisors at CSCCs was conducted between October 2004 and March 2005. The survey assessed respondent, hospital, and BB characteristics; pretransfusion procedures; blood product selection; and agreement with statements about consensus in management. Physician respondents were also asked to select their preferred management strategy in four hypothetical transfusion‐related cases.RESULTS: Responses were received from 36 of 49 (73.5%) institutions. Pretransfusion procedures and blood product selection were nearly uniform among CSCCs. Of the respondents, 69 percent disagreed with the statement that clear consensus exists on the use of phenotypically matched red blood cells for SCD patients; 55 percent disagreed that clear consensus exists on the use of chronic transfusion programs for SCD patients. Although there was consensus on the use of transfusion therapy for life‐ or organ‐threatening situations, optimal management of preoperative transfusion therapy and severe delayed transfusion reactions appears controversial.CONCLUSION: This study provides the first overview of BB management of patients with SCD at CSCCs and identifies areas where there is perceived and actual lack of consensus. These results suggest that opportunities remain to standardize transfusion practices for SCD patients across all hospital settings.
Hematology patterns after hemoglobin‐based oxygen carrier resuscitation from severe controlled hemorrhage with prolonged delayed definitive care
Authors: Arnaud Francoise , Fasipe Daniel , Philbin Nora , Rice Jennifer , Flournoy W. Shannon , Ahlers Stephen , McCarron Richard , Freilich Daniel 
Published: August 2007

BACKGROUND: The hemoglobin‐based oxygen carrier (HBOC‐201) resuscitation fluid improves outcome in hemorrhagic shock swine models with minimal coagulopathy. Herein, coagulation parameters were evaluated after resuscitation with HBOC‐201 after severe bleeding and prolonged delay to definitive care.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: After 55 percent estimated blood volume–controlled hemorrhage by catheter withdrawal, swine (n = 48) were resuscitated with HBOC‐201 or Hextend (HEX) infused in four doses over 4 hours or not resuscitated (NON). Animals were randomly assigned in two cohorts of 4‐ or 24‐hour simulated delay to hospital arrival (access to blood and saline infusions up to 72 hr). In vitro hematologic monitoring was assessed with complete blood count, hemostasis (thromboelastography [TEG], in vitro bleeding time [PFA]), and coagulation (prothrombin time [PT], thrombin‐antithrombin, fibrinogen) indices.RESULTS: Within groups, survival was unaffected by extending delay from 4 to 24 hours. Combined survival was similar for HBOC‐201 and HEX but lower for NON animals (93.5, 81.5, and 25 percent, respectively; p < 0.01). Blood transfusion requirements were lower with HBOC‐201 than HEX. Elevated TEG and PFA parameters in resuscitated animals reflected fluid and blood transfusion regimens. TEG reaction time and PFA were transiently higher with HBOC‐201 than with HEX during the early hospital phase. PT was increased in HEX animals.CONCLUSION: In this severe model, survival was equivalent with HBOC‐201 and HEX resuscitation. HBOC‐201 or HEX allowed delayed hospital arrival to 24 hours without worsening coagulation parameters, but dilutional mild coagulopathy in the hospital phase persisted with HBOC‐201 due to blood transfusion avoidance. Low hematocrit suggests that blood administration after HBOC‐201 resuscitation could be beneficial to replete blood cellular mass.
Rapid and effective CD3 T‐cell depletion with a magnetic cell sorting program to produce peripheral blood progenitor cell products for haploidentical transplantation in children and adults
Authors: Dykes Josefina H. , Toporski Jacek , Juliusson Gunnar , Békássy Albert N. , Lenhoff Stig , Lindmark Anders , Scheding Stefan 
Published: August 2007

BACKGROUND: Effective T‐cell depletion is a prerequisite for haploidentical peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation. This study was performed to investigate the performance of magnetic cell sorting–based direct large‐scale T‐cell depletion, which is an attractive alternative to standard PBPC enrichment procedures.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: PBPCs were harvested from 11 human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐haploidentical donors. T cells labeled with anti‐CD3–coated beads were depleted with a commercially available magnetic separation unit (CliniMACS, Miltenyi Biotec) with either the Depletion 2.1 (D2.1, n = 11) or the novel Depletion 3.1 (D3.1, n = 12) program. If indicated, additional CD34+ selections were performed (n = 6). Eleven patients received T‐cell‐depleted grafts after reduced‐intensity conditioning.RESULTS: The median log T‐cell depletion was better with the D2.1 compared to the D3.1 (log 3.6 vs. log 2.3, p < 0.05) and was further improved by introducing an immunoglobulin G (IgG)‐blocking step (log 4.5 and log 3.4, respectively). The D3.1 was superior to the D2.1 (p < 0.05) in median recovery of CD34+ cells (90% vs. 78%) and in median recovery of CD3– cells (87% vs. 76%). The median processing times per 1010 total cells were 0.90 hours (D2.1) and 0.35 hours (D3.1). The transplanted grafts (directly T‐cell–depleted products with or without positively selected CD34+ cells) contained a median of 10.5 × 106 per kg CD34+, 0.93 × 105 per kg CD3+, and 11.6 × 106 per kg CD56+. Rapid engraftment was achieved in 10 patients. The incidences of acute graft‐versus‐host disease were less than 10 percent (Grade I/II) and 0 percent (Grade III/IV).CONCLUSION: The novel D3.1 program with IgG blocking enables highly effective, time‐saving large‐scale T‐cell depletion. Combining direct depletion techniques with standard CD34+ selection enables the composition of grafts optimized to the specific requirements of the patients.
Influence of nutrition on disease development caused by fungal pathogens: implications for plant disease control
Authors: Walters D.R. , Bingham I.J. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractA great deal of information is available in the literature on the effects of nutrition on disease development in plants and crops. However, much of this information is contradictory and although it is widely recognised that nutrition can influence disease in crops, limited progress has been made in the manipulation of crop nutrition to enhance disease control. Achieving this aim requires a sound understanding of the effects of fertilisation on nutrient levels and availability in crop tissues, and in turn, how the nutrient status of such tissues influences pathogen infection, colonisation and sporulation. Some of these details are known for a number of crop plants under controlled conditions, but very little of this type of information is available for crops under field conditions. This review focuses on nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, potassium and silicon, examines the availability of these nutrients in plant tissues to support pathogen growth and development, and reviews the effects of the different nutrients on disease development. The review also examines the potential for manipulating crop nutrition to enhance disease control in conventional and organic cropping systems.
Insect symbionts and applications: The paradigm of cytoplasmic incompatibility‐inducing Wolbachia
Authors: Panagiotis IOANNIDIS , BOURTZIS Kostas 
Published: August 2007

AbstractWolbachia is a group of Gram‐negative, obligatory intracellular and maternally transmitted alpha‐Proteobacteria. They have been reported to establish symbiotic relationships with a great variety of species of the most diverse animal class, the insects, as well as with several other arthropods and with filarial nematodes. The reproductive alterations Wolbachia causes in its hosts account for its widespread distribution. These alterations include parthenogenesis, feminization, male killing, and cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI is the most frequent and best studied effect Wolbachia has on its hosts. CI is a form of male sterility, ultimately resulting in embryo lethality in diplodiploid host species. As a consequence of CI, Wolbachia infections spread and lead to the replacement of uninfected populations. CI was used nearly four decades ago to control important disease vectors with very encouraging results, and a number of more recent studies have confirmed the effectiveness of CI as a pest population suppression tool as well as a driving mechanism. Furthermore, recent advancements in the field encourage the development of Wolbachia‐based methods for the biological control of insect pests and disease vectors of agricultural, environmental and medical importance.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of a proposed public health legislative/educational strategy to reduce tap water scald injuries in children
Authors: Han Ra K , Ungar Wendy J , Macarthur Colin 
Published: August 2007

Objective:To determine the cost effectiveness of a public health legislative/educational strategy to reduce tap water scalds in children less than 10 years of age.Design:Cost-effectiveness analysis conducted from the government perspective over a 10-year time horizon.Population:Children under 10 years of age in Ontario, CanadaInterventions:Legislation to set thermostat settings on new domestic water heaters to lower temperatures (maximum 49°C) plus annual educational notices to utility customers versus status quo.Main outcome measures:The burden of tap water scalds, healthcare resource utilization, the cost and effectiveness of the proposed intervention, and the probabilities assigned to health outcomes were modeled in a decision analysis based on population-based data, patient charts, and the published medical literature. All costs and health outcomes beyond 1 year were discounted at 3%.Results:An estimated 182 children under 10 require medical care for tap water scald injuries annually in Ontario (13.98 per 100 000). Of these, 65 require emergency department (ED) care only (median cost $C149 per injury), 103 require ED care with clinic follow-up ($C577 per injury), 14 require hospital admission ($C5203 per injury), and two require surgical skin grafting ($C28 526 per injury). The estimated cost of the intervention was $C51 000 annually, with a projected 56% reduction in tap water scald injuries. Over 10 years, the intervention group would show total costs of $C1.17 million and 704 scalds, compared with $C1.65 million and 1599 scalds in the status quo group. Therefore, the intervention would be cost saving, with an incremental ratio of $C531 saved per scald averted. Sensitivity analyses showed that the intervention would remain cost saving through a wide range of variable estimates.Conclusions:Legislation to lower thermostat settings on domestic water heaters plus annual educational notices to utility customers would generate cost savings while reducing the morbidity from tap water scalds in children.
Hospitalized head injuries among older people in Australia, 1998/1999 to 2004/2005
Authors: Jamieson Lisa M , Roberts-Thomson Kaye F 
Published: August 2007

Objective:To explore rates of hospitalized head injury among older Australians by a range of risk indicators.Design:Head injury data for 60+-year-olds were obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Hospital Morbidity Database from 1998/1999 to 2004/2005. Poisson regression modeling was used to examine head injury rates in relation to age, sex, Indigenous status, location, and injury type.Results:Rates of hospitalized head injury among the older population increased 1.4-fold between 1998/1999 (582.8 per 100 000) and 2004/2005 (844.3 per 100 000) (p<0.001). Those aged 85+ years had 10.8 times the rate of their 60–64-year-old counterparts (95% CI 10.6 to 11.0) after adjustment for other covariates. Men had 1.1 times the rate of women (95% CI 1.1 to 1.2), and those living in rural/remote areas had 3.1 times the rate of their metropolitan-dwelling counterparts (95% CI 3.0 to 3.1). Those identifying themselves as Indigenous had 1.7 times the rate of non-Indigenous persons (95% CI 1.6 to 1.8). The most prevalent injuries were open wounds of the head (38.0%), followed by superficial injuries (24.7%) and intracranial trauma (18.3%). Falls accounted for 81.4% of all head injury admissions.Conclusions:The oldest old were disproportionately represented among those sustaining hospitalized head injuries, along with men, those living in rural/remote areas, and Indigenous persons. Given the increasing proportion of older people in Western societies and the costs of treating hospitalized head injuries, the ability to reduce risk of such trauma in this age group is of critical public health importance.