bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Discoid lupus erythematosus presenting as acneiform pitting scars
Authors: Chang Yu‐Hao , Wang Shu‐Hui , Chi Ching‐Chi 
Published: February 2006

A 32‐year‐old man presented with conspicuous acneiform pitting scars on the right nasolabial fold of 3 years’ duration (Fig. 1). He stated that the scars were preceded by erythematous plaques. Physical examination also revealed perilesional erythematous infiltration and telangiectasia. Tracing back the history, there was no malar erythema, oral ulcer, or arthralgia. A skin biopsy showed irregular acanthosis, follicular plugging, vacuolar degeneration of the basal cell layer with marked melanin incontinence, and heavy periadnexal mononuclear cell infiltration (Fig. 2a,b). Direct immunofluorescence studies displayed continuous granular deposition of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and C3 along the dermo‐epidermal junction. The hemogram, antinuclear antibody (ANA) test, complement, and urinalysis were within normal limits. Based on the histopathologic findings and a positive lupus band test, a diagnosis of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) was made.An atrophic plaque composed of conspicuous acneiform pitting scars with surrounding erythema and telangiectasia on the right nasolabial foldimage(a) Marked follicular plugging and perivascular and periadnexal mononuclear cell infiltrates (hematoxylin and eosin, ×40). (b) Vacuolar degeneration of the basal layer with melanin incontinence (hematoxylin and eosin, ×400)image
Cutaneous Plasmacytoma in Three Golden Hamsters (Mesocrietus auratus)
Authors: Kondo H. , Takada M. , Shibuya H. , Shirai W. , Matsuo K. , Sato T. 
Published: February 2006

SummarySpontaneously occurring cutaneous tumours in three golden hamsters were characterized using histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural methods. Histologically, the tumours were composed of sheets of round to oval plasmacytoid cells with eccentrically placed nuclei. Tissue sections were weakly positive for anti‐B lymphocyte antigen (BLA) staining. Ultrastructurally, large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm were observed. BLA positivity and characteristics of ultrastructure showed the plasma cell origin.
A case of peritonitis caused by Rhizopus microsporus
Authors: Monecke Stefan , Hochauf Kristina , Gottschlich Birgit , Ehricht Ralf 
Published: February 2006

SummaryWe report a case of a 62‐year‐old female patient who developed peritonitis after receiving a renal transplant. Candida glabrata was detected and treated with voriconazole. As the patient did not improve under therapy, laparotomy was performed. Mould‐like plaques were found on the peritoneum. Using culture as well as pan‐fungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by DNA microarray hybridisation of the amplicon, the causative agent was identified as Rhizopus microsporus. Despite aggressive surgical treatment, intravenous therapy with amphotericin B and topical administration of Lavasept (polyhexamethylenbiguanide), the patient died.
Chronic pyoderma vegetans triggered by Trichophyton mentagrophytes
Authors: Skořepová M. , Stuchlík D. 
Published: February 2006

SummaryChronic vegetating pyoderma is usually associated with staphylococci and streptococci. A case that started as a therapeutically resistant tinea of the hand caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes is described. The vegetating skin lesion was associated with low immunoglobulin levels and impaired phagocytosis. It healed after long‐term low‐dose doxycycline, topical steroids and immunotherapy. An analogy between chronic vegetating pyoderma and recalcitrant tinea is discussed.
The major allergen of Alternaria alternata (Alt a 1) is expressed in other members of the Pleosporaceae family
Authors: Sáenz‐de‐Santamaría M. , Postigo I. , Gutierrez‐Rodríguez A. , Cardona G. , Guisantes J. A. , Asturias J. , Martínez J. 
Published: February 2006

SummaryThere is general consensus regarding the scarce cross‐reactivity existing between Alternaria alternata and other allergenic moulds such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium notatum or Cladosporium herbarum. However, A. alternata has been shown to have a very significant level of allergenic cross‐reactivity with other fungi belonging to the Pleosporaceae family. To date, no biological identity or homologies with other proteins have been described for Alt a 1, and it remains unclear whether the major allergen Alt a 1 contributes to the cross‐reactivity shown for these moulds. Specific quantification of Alt a 1 in culture filtrates of Stemphylium botryosum, Ulocladium botrytis, Curvularia lunata, Alternaria tenuissima, C. herbarum, Penicillium chrysogenum and Asp. fumigatus, and immunoblotting using culture filtrate extracts from the above‐mentioned moulds and rabbit serum anti‐recombinant Alt a 1 have shown significant amounts of Alt a 1 in culture filtrates as well as antigenic components ranging from 14 to 20 kDa that strongly react with the specific serum for all taxonomically related species (Pleosporaceae family). No reactions were revealed in culture filtrates of Cladosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus. These results restrict the cross‐reactivity phenomenon due to Alt a 1 to the scope of the taxonomical term of family.
Deoxycholate amphotericin B and amphotericin B lipid complex exert additive antifungal activity in combination with pulmonary alveolar macrophages against Fusarium solani
Authors: Roilides Emmanuel , Lyman Caron A. , Armstrong Derek , Stergiopoulou Theodouli , Petraitiene Ruta , Walsh Thomas J. 
Published: February 2006

Summary Fusarium spp. have emerged as important causes of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. Rabbit pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) exhibited fungicidal activity against conidia of Fusarium solani and achieved a time‐dependent increase in killing. Neither deoxycholate amphotericin B (DAMB) nor amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC) exerted a suppressive effect on PAMs by decreasing their conidiocidal activity against F. solani. On the contrary, at a concentration of 0.125 μg ml−1, ABLC and, to a lesser degree, DAMB additively augmented the fungicidal activity of pulmonary alveolar macrophages against conidia of Fusarium solani.
Identification of differentially expressed genes in Tetrahymena thermophila in response to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) by suppression subtractive hybridization
Authors: Miao Wei , Yu Ting , Orias Eduardo , Wan Mingliang , Fu Chenjie 
Published: February 2006

SummaryThe insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is persistent in the environment, and continues to cause health problems. Tetrahymena has potential as a model organism for assaying low levels of DDT and for analysing the mechanisms of its toxicity. We constructed the suppression subtractive hybridization library of T. thermophila exposed to DDT, and screened out 90 Expressed Sequence Tags whose expressions were significantly up‐ or downregulated with DDT treatment. From this, a series of important genes related to the DDT metabolism and detoxification were discovered, such as P450 gene, glutathione S‐transferase gene and sterol carrier protein 2 gene. Furthermore, their expressions under different concentrations of DDT treatment were detected by real‐time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The results show that Tetrahymena is a relevant and useful model organism for detecting DDT in the environment and for discovering biomarkers that can be used to develop specific bio‐reporters at the molecular and genomic levels.
Molecular characterization of thermostable direct haemolysin‐related haemolysin (TRH)‐positive Vibrio parahaemolyticus from oysters in Mangalore, India
Authors: Parvathi Ammini , Kumar H. Sanath , Bhanumathi Amarbahadur , Ishibashi Masanori , Nishibuchi Mitsuaki , Karunasagar Indrani , Karunasagar Iddya 
Published: February 2006

SummaryPathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains producing either or both of a thermostable direct haemolysin (TDH) and a TDH‐related haemolysin (TRH) encoded by tdh and trh genes, respectively, are isolated at a low rate from the environment. However, recently we observed that a considerable percentage of APW (alkaline peptone water) enrichment broths of oysters collected off Mangalore India, were trh+, rather than tdh+ by PCR. In order to further investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of trh bearing V. parahaemolyticus in our coast, we attempted to isolate and characterize trh+V. parahaemolyticus from oysters. A total of 27 trh+ strains were isolated during the period between March 2002 and February 2004, of which nine were also tdh+. All the trh+ isolates were positive for urease phenotype. The isolates belonged to diverse phenotypes. In order to explore the possible presence of heterogeneity in the trh gene region among trh+V. parahaemolyticus, a 1.5 kb region around trh gene was PCR amplified and restriction digested using selected restriction enzymes. The whole genome comparison of strains was performed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA PCR (RAPD PCR). The PCR‐RFLP results revealed fairly well conserved nature of the trh gene region studied in different serotypes. Though 11 strains were positive by PCR for a genomic fragment that has been reported to be amplified in pandemic strains, all strains were negative by group‐specific PCR (GS‐PCR), orf8 PCR and showed a different RAPD pattern compared with pandemic strains. The results suggest that genetically diverse V. parahaemolyticus carrying virulence genes are associated with the aquatic environment in this region.
Effects of management regime and plant species on the enzyme activity and genetic structure of N‐fixing, denitrifying and nitrifying bacterial communities in grassland soils
Authors: Patra Ashok K. , Abbadie Luc , Clays‐Josserand Annie , Degrange Valérie , Grayston Susan J. , Guillaumaud Nadine , Loiseau Pierre , Louault Frédérique , Mahmood Shahid , Nazaret Sylvie , Philippot Laurent , Poly Franck , Prosser James I. , Roux Xavier Le 
Published: February 2006

SummaryManagement by combined grazing and mowing events is commonly used in grasslands, which influences the activity and composition of soil bacterial communities. Whether observed effects are mediated by management‐induced disturbances, or indirectly by changes in the identity of major plant species, is still unknown. To address this issue, we quantified substrate‐induced respiration (SIR), and the nitrification, denitrification and free‐living N2‐fixation enzyme activities below grass tufts of three major plant species (Holcus lanatus, Arrhenatherum elatius and Dactylis glomerata) in extensively or intensively managed grasslands. The genetic structures of eubacterial, ammonia oxidizing, nitrate reducing, and free‐living N2‐fixing communities were also characterized by ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) or restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) targeting group‐specific genes. SIR was not influenced by management and plant species, whereas denitrification enzyme activity was influenced only by plant species, and management–plant species interactions were observed for fixation and nitrification enzyme activities. Changes in nitrification enzyme activity were likely largely explained by the observed changes in ammonium concentration, whereas N availability was not a major factor explaining changes in denitrification and fixation enzyme activities. The structures of eubacterial and free‐living N2‐fixing communities were essentially controlled by management, whereas the diversity of nitrate reducers and ammonia oxidizers depended on both management and plant species. For each functional group, changes in enzyme activity were not correlated or were weakly correlated to overall changes in genetic structure, but around 60% of activity variance was correlated to changes in five RFLP or DGGE bands. Although our conclusions should be tested for other ecosystems and seasons, these results show that predicting microbial changes induced by management in grasslands requires consideration of management–plant species interactions.
The role of quorum sensing mediated developmental traits in the resistance of Serratia marcescens biofilms against protozoan grazing
Authors: Queck Shu‐Yeong , Weitere Markus , Moreno Ana María , Rice Scott A. , Kjelleberg Staffan 
Published: February 2006

SummaryResistance against protozoan grazers is a crucial factor that is important for the survival of many bacteria in their natural environment. However, the basis of resistance to protozoans and how resistance factors are regulated is poorly understood. In part, resistance may be due to biofilm formation, which is known to protect bacteria from environmental stress conditions. The ubiquitous organism Serratia marcescens uses quorum sensing (QS) control to regulate virulence factor expression and biofilm formation. We hypothesized that the QS system of S. marcescens also regulates mechanisms that protect biofilms against protozoan grazing. To investigate this hypothesis, we compared the interactions of wild‐type and QS mutant strains of S. marcescens biofilms with two protozoans having different feeding types under batch and flow conditions. Under batch conditions, S. marcescens forms microcolony biofilms, and filamentous biofilms are formed under flow conditions. The microcolony‐type biofilms were protected from grazing by the suspension feeder, flagellate Bodo saltans, but were not protected from the surface feeder, Acanthamoeba polyphaga. In contrast, the filamentous biofilm provided protection against A. polyphaga. The main findings presented in this study suggest that (i) the QS system is not involved in grazing resistance of S. marcescens microcolony‐type biofilms; (ii) QS in S. marcescens regulates antiprotozoan factor(s) that do not interfere with the grazing efficiency of the protozoans; and (iii) QS‐controlled, biofilm‐specific differentiation of filaments and cell chains in biofilms of S. marcescens provides an efficient mechanism against protozoan grazing.
Measurement of liver fat by magnetic resonance imaging: relationships with body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and plasma lipids in healthy men
Authors: Chan D. C. , Watts G. F. , Ng T. W. K. , Hua J. , Song S. , Barrett P. H. R. 
Published: February 2006

Aim:  We compared the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a test for liver fat content (LFAT) with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and investigated its relationship with body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity, plasma lipids and lipoproteins.Methods:  LFAT was quantified by MRI and MRS in 17 free‐living, healthy men with a wide range of body mass indexes. Fasting adiponectin was measured by immunoassay and insulin resistance by homeostasis assessment (HOMA) score. Intraperitoneal, retroperitoneal, anterior subcutaneous and posterior subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue masses (ATMs) were determined by MRI.Results:  Measurements of LFAT by MRI and MRS were highly correlated (r = 0.851, p < 0.001). In univariate regression analysis, LFAT by MRI was also significantly correlated with plasma triglycerides (TGs), insulin, HOMA score, carbohydrate intake and the masses of all abdominal adipose tissue compartments (p < 0.05). LFAT was inversely correlated with plasma adiponectin (r = −0.505, p < 0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis including plasma adiponectin and age, intraperitoneal ATM was an independent predictor of LFAT (β‐coefficient = 0.587, p = 0.024). Moreover, intraperitoneal ATM was also an independent predictor of HOMA score after adjusting for LFAT, plasma adiponectin and age (β‐coefficient = 0.810, p = 0.010). Conversely, LFAT was a significant predictor of plasma TG concentration after adjusting for adiponectin, intraperitoneal ATM, HOMA and age (β‐coefficient = 0.751, p = 0.007). Similar findings applied with LFAT measured by MRS.Conclusions:  These data suggest that MRI is as good as MRS to quantify liver fat content. Our data also suggest that liver fat content could link intraabdominal fat with insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia.
Chinese Students in a UK Business School: Hearing the Student Voice in Reflective Teaching and Learning Practice
Authors: Turner Yvonne 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThis paper presents the outcomes of a study carried out in 2001–2002 with nine postgraduate students from China, enrolled on taught master's programmes in a UK university business school. The aims of the research were to explore the development of the students’ orientations to learning during their year of study in the UK, and to explore how the researcher's interactions with the study group contributed to her professional reflections and influenced her academic practice. The main conclusions of the project were that participants’ underlying approaches to learning did not change substantially over the year, owing to the culturally implicit nature of UK academic conventions and that they experienced high levels of emotional isolation and loneliness, which affected their academic confidence.
Poor Relations?: Nursing and Medicine in the English Academy
Authors: Meerabeau Elizabeth 
Published: February 2006

AbstractDepartment of Health policy currently espouses shared learning between the various health ‘tribes’. There are many cogent arguments for this; however, there may be unaddressed tensions because of status differences between the disciplines. This paper compares two of the main academic disciplines involved – nursing, a recent entrant to higher education, and its much longer established neighbour, medicine, with the emphasis in the paper being on nursing. The paper explores the differences in cultural capital between medicine and nursing, the vastly different research funding and the government intervention in curriculum issues in nursing, drawing on empirical data on the social class of entrants to medicine and nursing, the league table ranking of the universities in which they are based, and data from the Research Assessment Exercises.
Setting Standards in a Professional Higher Education Course: Defining the Concept of the Minimally Competent Student in Performance‐Based Assessment at the Level of Graduation from Medical School
Authors: Boursicot Katharine 
Published: February 2006

AbstractIn this era of audit and accountability, there is an imperative to demonstrate and document that appropriate standards have been set in professional education. In medicine, stakeholders want assurance that graduates have attained the required level of competence to be awarded a provisional licence to practise.To investigate the results of a previous study, which revealed that different medical schools set significantly different pass marks for graduating examinations, we examined the descriptors for the minimally competent or ‘borderline’ students which the participants had produced. In this paper we analyse the differences in these descriptors.There was good agreement in the areas of knowledge and clinical skills proficiencies but much less consistency in the use of descriptors covering the themes of communication skills, interpersonal skills and professionalism. It may be that clinicians are not used to thinking about the ‘borderline’ area of clinical competence and have difficulty in translating this nebulous concept into a numerical score.
Work‐Based Learning: Effectiveness in Information Systems Training and Development
Authors: Walters David 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe ability to use methodologies is an essential ingredient in the teaching of Information System techniques and approaches. One method to achieve this is to use a practical approach where students undertake ‘live’ projects with local client organisations. They can then reflect on the approach adopted with the aim of producing a ‘reflective methodological practitioner’.This paper focuses on the use of experiential learning in a modular course at the University of Central Lancashire to produce these ‘methodological practitioners’ and is based on the experiences of the authors in running this module. A model is presented which outlines three viewpoints of the project. This is in line with a ‘soft systems’ perspective in analysing the three views of the project or problem situation. It reports the results of investigations into one of those viewpoints [that of the students]. This is approached by a survey undertaken amongst students to obtain their views on the determinants of project success and failure.
Publishing trends in Chinese medicine and related subjects documented in WorldCat
Authors: Leung Shirley , Chan Kylie , Song Lisa 
Published: February 2006

AbstractBackground:  Chinese medicine (CM) has been the subject of increasing interest in the past 30 years, both as a discipline and in the larger context of alternative medicine. It has steadily been accepted by and integrated into the medical and health‐care fields in many countries.Objective:  This study aims to gain an overview of how CM has been interpreted and presented to the world outside China and to identify emerging trends.Methods:  This study is designed to analyse the publishing trends of CM and related subjects in all languages except Chinese, ranging from books and serials to audio‐visual and electronic resources found in WorldCat, the world's largest bibliographic database produced by OnLine Computer Library Center (OCLC).Results:  The findings showed a flourishing growth of publications in CM and related subjects beginning in the 1970s with greater coverage on acupuncture. The materials in English language constitute the major portion of total output.Conclusion:  We conclude that Chinese medicine has steadily gained recognition in the world based on the analysis of publication records. The translation of original works and analysis of journal literature and conference proceedings on Chinese medicine merit further study.
Zebrafish lacking Alzheimer presenilin enhancer 2 (Pen‐2) demonstrate excessive p53‐dependent apoptosis and neuronal loss
Authors: Campbell William A. , Yang Hongwei , Zetterberg Henrik , Baulac Stéphanie , Sears Jacqueline A. , Liu Tianming , Wong Stephen T. C. , Zhong Tao P. , Xia Weiming 
Published: February 2006

Abstractγ‐Secretase cleavage, mediated by a complex of presenilin, presenilin enhancer (Pen‐2), nicastrin, and Aph‐1, is the final proteolytic step in generating amyloid β protein found in brains of Alzheimer's disease patients and Notch intracellular domain critical for proper neuronal development. Here, we employ the zebrafish model to study the role of Pen‐2 in neuronal survival. We found that (i) knockdown of Pen‐2 using antisense morpholino led to a reduction of islet‐1 positive neurons, (ii) Notch signaling was reduced in embryos lacking Pen‐2 or other γ‐secretase components, (iii) neuronal loss in Pen‐2 knockdown embryos is not as a result of a lack of neuronal precursor cells or cell proliferation, (iv) absence of Pen‐2 caused massive apoptosis in the whole animal, which could be suppressed by simultaneous knockdown of the tumor suppressor p53, (v) loss of islet‐1 or acetylated tubulin positive neurons in Pen‐2 knockdown embryos could be partially rescued by knockdown of p53. Our results demonstrate that knockdown of Pen‐2 directly induces a p53‐dependent apoptotic pathway that contributes to neuronal loss and suggest that Pen‐2 plays an important role in promoting neuronal cell survival and protecting from apoptosis in vivo.