bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Evaluation of an Inverted End‐to‐End Equine Jejunojejunal Anastomosis Using Skin Staples
Authors: GANDINI MARCO , BERTUGLIA ANDREA 
Published: October 2006

Objective— To compare functional indices of end‐to‐end (EEA) jejunojejunal anastomosis using skin staples in horses with a 2‐layer inverting hand‐sewn technique.Study Design— Experimental study.Sample Population— Jejunal segments from 8 fresh equine cadavers.Methods— For each bowel segment, 2 EEA anastomoses were created: one 2‐layer hand‐sewn and one 1‐layer using skin staples. Time for anastomosis creation was recorded and compared. Lumen diameter of each anastomosis was measured on digital radiographs after intraluminal instillation of contrast medium and inflation of the jejunal segments to 14 mm Hg. Anastomotic indices (a compensated measure of stoma diameter) and bursting pressure were determined.Results— EEA jejunal anastomosis using skin staples was significantly faster than use of a 2‐layer hand‐sewn technique. Anastomotic index, a measure of lumen size, was significantly larger with the skin‐staple technique; however, the bursting pressure of stapled anastomoses was significantly less than for the hand‐sewn technique, but the values were well above those reported for other anastomotic techniques.Conclusions— An anastomotic technique using skin staples was easy to learn and perform, effective and faster, and mechanically comparable with a hand‐sewn 2‐layer technique.Clinical Relevance— The staple technique could be beneficial in equine gastrointestinal surgery by reducing anastomosis time, although further in vivo studies are needed to establish clinical safety.
Which Bets Paid Off? Early Findings on the Impact of Private Management and K‐8 Conversion Reforms on the Achievement of Philadelphia Students
Authors: Mac Iver Martha Abele , Mac Iver Douglas J. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis article reports initial findings from a study of middle grades educational reforms in Philadelphia. We use multilevel change models to analyze the impact on student mathematics achievement of privatization through the use of educational management organizations (EMOs), taking account of the structural reforms (creation of new K‐8 schools to replace selected middle schools) occurring simultaneously within the district. Overall, the longitudinal mathematics achievement gains for students in EMO‐managed schools were not larger than those for students in schools managed by the district. Non‐Edison EMO schools actually performed worse than district‐managed schools. With the exception of one older K‐8 school in one cohort, Edison schools did not significantly outperform district‐managed counterparts. Students in long‐established K‐8 schools generally outgained students in middle schools, but gains were not as large in newly‐established K‐8 schools. Across all types of schools, the second cohort of students obtained greater gains than did the first.
Phosphoinositide 3‐kinase is not overexpressed in melanocytic lesions
Authors: Singh Rajendra S. , Diwan A. Hafeez , Zhang Peter S. , Prieto Victor G. 
Published: October 2006

Background:  Although various studies have stressed the role of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN)‐PI3K‐AKT pathway in the progression of melanocytic lesions, little is known about the expression pattern of PI3K in these lesions.Objective:  To investigate the expression pattern of PI3K in benign and dysplastic nevi, primary melanomas, and metastatic melanomas and the role of PTEN and PI3K in melanocytic tumor progression.Methods:  Tissue microarrays were constructed using formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded archival tissue blocks from 89 melanocytic lesions: 17 benign nevi, 18 dysplastic nevi, 23 primary melanomas, and 31 metastatic melanomas. Expression of PTEN and PI3K (p85 and p110 subunits) was evaluated immunohistochemically, and the number of cells and labeling intensity were assessed semiquantitatively.Results:  Both benign and dysplastic nevi showed strong cytoplasmic staining with PTEN, which was subsequently less in melanomas and completely lost in the metastatic lesions. Eleven of 17 (64%) benign nevi, seven of 10 (70%) dysplastic nevi, four of 23 (17%) primaries, and one of 31 (3%) visceral or lymph node metastasis showed strong positivity. Loss of PTEN expression from benign and dysplastic nevi to melanoma was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Although few cells showed reactivity for phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3 kinase)‐p85 subunit, strong positivity was not detected in the cytoplasm of benign, malignant, or metastatic lesions, except for a single visceral metastasis. Three of 13 (23%) nevi showed positivity for the p110 subunit. No positivity was observed in the dysplastic nevi. Two of 22 (9%) melanomas, one of 14 (7%) visceral metastasis, and three of 12 (25%) lymph node metastasis showed strong positivity. There was no statistical difference in PI3 kinase expression in benign and malignant melanocytic lesions (p = 0.2).Conclusion:  PI3K is not overexpressed in melanocytic lesions.
Preliminary experiments on mechanical stretch‐induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells in vivo
Authors: SAKATA Tomowa , TATSUMI Ryuichi , YAMADA Michiko , SHIRATSUCHI Sei‐Ichi , OKAMOTO Shinpei , MIZUNOYA Wataru , HATTORI Akihito , IKEUCHI Yoshihide 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTWe have shown in vitro that mechanical stretch triggers activation of quiescent satellite cells of skeletal muscle to enter the cell cycle through an intracellular cascade of events including nitric oxide (NO) synthesis that results in the release of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) from its extracellular association and its subsequent presentation to signaling receptors. In order to explore the activation mechanism in vivo, stretch experiments were conducted in the living animal using our suspension model developed. This system used the weight of the hind portion of rats to stretch the inside muscles of the left hind limb suspended for a period of 0.5–2.0 h. At the end of the stretch period, the rats received an intraperitoneal injection of bromodeoxyuridine followed by immunocytochemistry for its incorporation as an index of satellite cell activation in vivo. Depending on the period of stretch, bromodeoxyuridine labeling was increased significantly over the contralateral unstretched leg or control muscle from untreated rats. A stretched muscle extract prepared from the 2 h stretched tissue by incubating it in PBS, showed the active form of HGF as revealed by immunoblotting and it could stimulate the activation of unstretched satellite cells. Also, administering NO synthase inhibitor L‐NAME prior to muscle stretch abolished the stretch activation of satellite cells. Therefore, the results from these experiments demonstrate that stretching muscle triggers NO synthesis and HGF release, which could activate satellite cells in vivo.
Total lipid and triacylglycerol contents in the liver of broiler and layer chickens at embryonic stages and hatching
Authors: SATO Momoka , TACHIBANA Tetsuya , FURUSE Mitsuhiro 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTTo compare the hepatic function of broiler and layer chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) at various embryonic stages and hatching, the total lipid and triacylglycerol (TG) content were determined. The chicken embryos accumulated a large amount of lipids in the liver and the total lipid content gradually increased toward hatching, though no significant difference was observed between broilers and layers. The TG contents in the liver increased considerably with developmental stage. At embryonic day 14 the TG content in the liver was similar between broilers and layers; thereafter, it was 1.3 and 2.2 times higher in broilers than in layers at embryonic day 18 and for newly hatched chicks, respectively. Chick embryos accumulate an excessive amount of cholesterol ester in the liver, but cholesterol ester is replaced by TG after hatching. The results of hepatic TG contents in the present study suggest that the development of the hepatic function between broilers and layers may already differ at embryonic stages.
Effect of a commercial microbiological additive on beef manure compost in the composting process
Authors: SASAKI Hiraku , KITAZUME Osamu , NONAKA Jun , HIKOSAKA Kenji , OTAWA Kenichi , ITOH Kikuji , NAKAI Yutaka 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTWe observed the effects of a commercial microbiological additive (MA) on the beef manure composting process and investigated the changes in its physical and chemical components and microbial populations in the composting process. When beef manure compost was inoculated with the MA, its temperature rapidly increased at the beginning of the process, and after the first turning, the ammonia emission from the compost pile and nitrate production decreased quicker than that in the composting process without the MA. During the composting process, the manure inoculated with MA showed a larger numbers of mesophilic and thermophilic aerobes, and a smaller number of thermophilic anaerobes than in the process without the MA. These results suggested that mesophilic aerobes increased in number and metabolized ammonia by assimilation rather than nitrification to accelerate the temperature elevation in the composting process with the MA.
Class and Antebellum American Literature
Authors: Lawson Andrew 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis article discusses the formation and transformation of the elite, the middle class and the artisan class in the antebellum period. It then analyses the work of three major authors from each of these classes: Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and George Lippard, showing how each author responded to the challenges and contradictions of their particular class location.
Preference for salts in cooking as perceived by sensory panelists
Authors:   Undergraduate Creative Inquiry Team
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis study was conducted to determine if consumers have a preference for sea, table or kosher salt. Mashed potatoes were tested and accepted as an adequate carrier. Preliminary sensory research was conducted over two trial days in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department. The panelists (n = 100) conducted evaluations on three samples of mashed potatoes seasoned with three types of salt (sea, kosher and noniodized table) using preference testing. A control sample, unsalted mashed potatoes, was presented with each set. The objective of this study was to determine the ‘best overall salt flavor’. Consumers preferred the table and sea salt samples more than the kosher salt, but there was not a distinguishable difference between the table and the sea salts. However, there was no statistical preference by the participant for either of the salts.
Current velocity and habitat patchiness shape stream herbivore movement
Authors: Hoffman Aaron L. , Olden Julian D. , Monroe Jeremy B. , LeRoy Poff N. , Wellnitz Todd , Wiens John A. 
Published: October 2006

Animal movements are influenced by the structure and arrangement of patches in a landscape. Most movement studies occur in terrestrial landscapes, though aquatic landscapes are equally heterogeneous and feature patches that differ in resistance to animal movements. Furthermore, the variable and highly directional flow of water over streambed landscapes is a unique environmental element, yet its constraint on animal movement is poorly understood. This study examines how habitat availability in a streambed landscape interacts with current velocity to affect movement patterns of two benthic grazers: glossosomatid caddisfly larvae (Agapetus boulderensis) and pulmonate snails (Physa sp.). Using experimental streambed landscapes, we found that Agapetus traveled farther as availability of smooth habitat (composed of low diatom turfs) increased compared to tall, structured filamentous stands, but only did so in slow current velocities. Swifter flows caused restricted movement of Agapetus and more upstream‐oriented paths, but only in smooth landscapes where the potential for flow refugia from filamentous stands was minimal. Similarly, increasing proportions of smooth habitat facilitated greater net displacement of Physa using more upstream‐oriented paths. Higher current velocities caused Physa to move faster, a pattern demonstrated only in smooth landscapes.Our results illustrate a strong interaction between benthic habitat structure and current velocity in shaping patterns of grazer movements in a streambed landscape. Our study also suggests that the flow of water be considered not only a strong environmental gradient in streams, but also an interactive landscape feature that can combine with streambed structure to determine the permeability of patches to the movement of benthic organisms. Landscape ecology has mainly focused on terrestrial environments, and this study offers insight into some of the unique processes that may shape animal movement in aquatic environments.
Assessment of Analysis of Urinary Pneumococcal Antigen by Immunochromatography for Etiologic Diagnosis of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults
Authors: Briones Maria Luisa , Blanquer José , Ferrando David , Blasco Maria Luisa , Gimeno Concepción , Marín Julio 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

The limitations of conventional microbiologic methods (CMM) for etiologic diagnosis of community pneumococcal pneumonia have made faster diagnostic techniques necessary. Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of the immunochromatography (ICT) technique for detecting urinary
Streptococcus pneumoniae
antigen in the etiologic diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonias (CAP). This was a prospective study on in-patients with CAP in a tertiary hospital conducted from October 2000 to March 2004. Apart from using CMM to reach an etiologic diagnosis, we determined pneumococcal antigen in concentrated urine by ICT. We also determined the urinary pneumococcal antigen (UPA) content in patients from two control groups to calculate the specificity of the technique. One group was comprised of in-patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, with respiratory infection, and without pneumonia; the other group included fractures. We studied 959 pneumonia patients and determined UPA content in 911 (95%) of them. We diagnosed the etiology of 253 cases (28%) using CMM;
S. pneumoniae
was the most common etiologic agent (57 cases). ICT analysis was positive for 279 patients (31%). Using this technique, the percentage of diagnoses of pneumococcal pneumonias increased by 26%, while the overall etiologic diagnosis increased from 28 to 49%. The technique sensitivity was 81%; the specificity oscillated between 80% in CAP with nonpneumococcal etiology and 99% for patients with fractures without infections. Determination of UPA is a rapid, simple analysis with good sensitivity and specificity, which increased the percentage of etiologic diagnoses. Positive UPA may persist in COPD patients with probable pneumococcal colonization or recent pneumococcal infections.
Induction of Long-Term Lipopolysaccharide Tolerance by an Agonistic Monoclonal Antibody to the Toll-Like Receptor 4/MD-2 Complex
Authors: Ohta Shoichiro , Bahrun Uleng , Shimazu Rintaro , Matsushita Hidetomo , Fukudome Kenji , Kimoto Masao 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTWe have established an agonistic monoclonal antibody, UT12, that induces stimulatory signals comparable to those induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through Toll-like receptor 4 and MD-2. UT12 activated nuclear factor κB and induced the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peritoneal exudative cells. In addition, mice injected with UT12 rapidly fell into endotoxin shock concomitant with the augmentation of serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels, followed by death within 12 h. On the other hand, when the mice were pretreated with a sublethal dose of UT12, the mice survived the subsequent lethal LPS challenges, with significant suppression of serum TNF-α and IL-6, indicating that UT12 induced tolerance against LPS. This effect of UT12 was maintained for at least 9 days. In contrast, the tolerance induced by LPS continued for less than 3 days. These results illuminate a novel potential therapeutic strategy for endotoxin shock by the use of monoclonal antibodies against the Toll-like receptor 4/MD-2 complex.
Field Evaluation of a Novel Differential Diagnostic Reagent for Detection of
Mycobacterium bovis
in Cattle
Authors: Cockle P. J. , Gordon S. V. , Hewinson R. G. , Vordermeier H. M. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

In the search for improved tools with which to control bovine tuberculosis, the development of enhanced immunodiagnostic reagents is a high priority. Such reagents are required to improve the performance of tuberculin-based reagents and allow the discrimination of vaccinated cattle from those infected with
Mycobacterium bovis
. In this study, we identified the immunodominant, frequently recognized peptides from Rv3873, Rv3879c, Rv0288, and Rv3019c, which, together with peptides comprising the current lead diagnostic antigens, ESAT-6 and CFP-10, were formulated into a peptide cocktail. In a test of naturally infected cattle, this cocktail was significantly better than tuberculin was for identifying skin test-negative animals with confirmed bovine tuberculosis. In addition, the specificity of this cocktail was not compromised by
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG vaccination. In summary, our results prioritize this peptide-based, fully synthetic reagent for assessment in larger trials.
Limited Diagnostic Capacities of Two Commercial Assays for the Detection of
Leptospira
Immunoglobulin M Antibodies in Laos
Authors: Blacksell Stuart D. , Smythe Lee , Phetsouvanh Rattanaphone , Dohnt Michael , Hartskeerl Rudy , Symonds Meegan , Slack Andrew , Vongsouvath Manivanh , Davong Viengmone , Lattana Olay , Phongmany Simmaly , Keolouangkot Valy , White Nicholas J. , Day Nicholas P. J. , Newton Paul N. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

The diagnostic utility of immunochromatographic (Leptotek) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Panbio) tests for the detection of
Leptospira
immunoglobulin M antibodies was assessed in febrile adults admitted in Vientiane, Laos. Both tests demonstrated poor diagnostic accuracy using admission serum (Leptotek sensitivity of 47.3% and specificity of 75.5%: ELISA sensitivity of 60.9% and specificity of 65.6%) compared to the
Leptospira
“gold standard” microscopic agglutination test.
Serologic Evaluation of Patients from Missouri with Erythema Migrans-Like Skin Lesions with the C
6
Lyme Test
Authors: Philipp Mario T. , Masters Edwin , Wormser Gary P. , Hogrefe Wayne , Martin Dale 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), also known as Masters disease, affects people predominantly in the Southeast and South Central United States. These patients exhibit skin lesions that resemble erythema migrans (EM), the characteristic skin lesion in early Lyme disease. The etiology of STARI remains unknown, and no serologic test is available to aid in its diagnosis. The C
6
Lyme enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to evaluate coded serum specimens from patients with STARI at two laboratory sites. The specimens tested at one site consisted of acute- and convalescent-phase samples that were obtained from nine STARI patients from Missouri and from one patient with documented
Borrelia lonestari
infection who acquired this infection in either North Carolina or Maryland. All of these samples were C
6
negative. Seventy acute- or convalescent-phase specimens from 63 STARI patients from Missouri were C
6
tested at the second site. All but one of these STARI specimens were also negative. In contrast, of nine acute- and nine convalescent-phase serum specimens obtained from culture-confirmed Lyme disease patients with EM from New York state, seven were C
6
positive at the acute stage, and eight were positive at convalescence. The C
6
test is negative in patients with STARI, providing further evidence that
B. burgdorferi
is not the etiologic agent of this disease.
Supersaturation in the Wyoming CCN Instrument
Authors: Snider Jefferson R. , Petters Markus D. , Wechsler Perry , Liu Peter S. K. 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
Two thermal diffusion cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) instruments were intercompared using a nearly monodisperse test aerosol composed of sodium chloride and ammonium sulfate. The main objective of this work is the determination of the maximum steady-state supersaturation within a thermal diffusion chamber. This required analysis of the uncertainties associated with the calibration of the instrument’s plate temperature and light scattering measurement systems.
The fraction of test particles activating to form cloud droplets, the activated fraction, was evaluated over a range of dry particle diameters at four supersaturations. Values of both the particle size, corresponding to an activated fraction equal to 0.5, and the width of a fitted activation function were derived. The former was used to evaluate the maximum steady-state chamber supersaturation. These studies reveal three significant findings. First, the derived chamber supersaturation is ∼40% smaller than values based on temperature measured at the top and bottom of the diffusion chamber. Second, using deliquesced test particles, mobility selected at a prescribed relative humidity, it is shown that the 40% discrepancy is not the result of a test particle shape effect. Third, the width of the activation function is substantially larger than the width of the test particle size spectra.
Plausible explanations for the 40% bias are considered. Contributors are the unintentional overestimation of the temperature difference imposed across the CCN chamber and the implicit assumption that water at the top and bottom of the CCN chamber has a vapor pressure equal to that over pure water.
Retrieving Storm Electric Fields from Aircraft Field Mill Data. Part I: Theory
Authors: Koshak W. J. 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
It is shown that the problem of retrieving storm electric fields from an aircraft instrumented with several electric field mill sensors can be expressed in terms of a standard Lagrange multiplier optimization problem. The method naturally removes aircraft charge from the retrieval process without having to use a high-voltage stinger and linearly combined mill data values. It allows a variety of user-supplied physical constraints (the so-called side constraints in the theory of Lagrange multipliers) and also helps improve absolute calibration. Additionally, this paper introduces an alternate way of performing the absolute calibration of an aircraft that has some benefits over conventional analyses. It is accomplished by using the time derivatives of mill and pitch data for a pitch down maneuver performed at high (&gt;1 km) altitude. In Part II of this study, the above methods are tested and then applied to complete a full calibration of a Citation aircraft.