bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Economics of COPD: literature review and experiences from field work
Authors: Nielsen R. , Klemmetsby M. , Gulsvik A. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractIntroduction:  The burden of diseases should be described in terms of costs. The available literature gives imprecise estimates of costs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the Nordic populations. Previous studies have methodological weaknesses related to choice of disease criteria, the use of highly selected populations and insufficient specification of the cost process. There are no robust estimates concerning the economics of COPD in Norway.Methods:  We have conducted a 1 year follow‐up cost of illness study in a general population, recruiting eversmoking Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 2+ COPD patients and eversmokers without COPD. We have used diaries to recollect data, and comprehensive questionnaires to cover all costs of COPD.Results:  The main challenges were the participants' unwillingness to complete diaries, the large amount of information and the logistics related to following up 476 individuals on four occasions during one year.Conclusions:  We doubt the effect of diaries. However, we recommend a detailed planning of logistics and to emphasize main cost drivers.Please cite this paper as: Nielsen R, Klemmetsby M and Gulsvik A. Economics of COPD: literature review and experiences from field work. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2008; 2: 104–110.
Asthma in school age: prevalence and risk factors by time and by age
Authors: Bjerg A. , Rönmark E. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractBackground:  Childhood is the most important age for asthma development. Recent reports indicate that the prevalence of asthma in children has plateaued after having increased for decades.Aims:  To study prevalence and risk factor patterns of asthma by age and by time.Methods:  In 1996, all children in grade 1–2 (age 7–8) in three cities in Northern Sweden were invited to an expanded International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. A total of 3430 children (97%) participated yearly until 2000 (age 11–12). A subset (n = 2454) was invited to skin‐prick testing in 1996 and 2000 with 88% and 90% participation. In 2006, another cohort (n = 2704) was identified and studied by identical methods with 96% participation. A total of 1700 children (90% of invited) were skin‐prick tested.Results and comments:  From age 7–8 to 11–12, the prevalence of physician‐diagnosed asthma increased, 5.7%–7.7% (P < 0.01) while current wheeze decreased, 11.7%–9.4% (P < 0.01), indicating a less diverse spectrum of symptoms with age. The yearly remission from asthma was 10% (lasting remission 5%), largely determined by allergic sensitisation. Allergic sensitisation (OR 5) and a family history of asthma (OR 3) were important risk factors for asthma at age 7–8 and 11–12. However, several other significant risk factors at age 7–8 (low birth weight, respiratory infections and house dampness) lost importance until age 11–12. Maternal and paternal asthma were equally important risk factors (OR 3–4) at age 7–8. Sibling asthma was only a marker of parental disease.Future perspectives:  Through comparison with the 2006 cohort, trends in prevalence and in risk factors from 1996 to 2006 will be studied.Please cite this paper as: Bjerg A and Rönmark E. Asthma in school age: prevalence and risk factors by time and by age. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2008; 2: 123–126.
FinEsS‐Stockholm and the Stockholm adult asthma study
Authors: Ekerljung L. , Lundbäck B. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractTwo major studies on asthma and respiratory symptoms are presently in progress in Stockholm. The FinEsS‐studies has been ongoing since 1996, with a follow‐up study preformed in 2006 and a new cohort selected in 2007. The FinEsS studies focus on prevalence and incidence of asthma and respiratory symptoms in a general population. Clinical follow‐up surveys will also target COPD. Further aims include remission and relapse of disease and symptoms and their determinants. The Stockholm adult Asthma Study (SaAS) began in the spring of 2007 and data is being collected presently. The SaAS study focus on the medical care and medication given to asthmatics in Stockholm, and the study population consists of asthmatics found in the two Swedish cohort studies.Please cite this paper as: Ekerljung L and Lundbäck B. FinEsS‐Stockholm and the Stockholm adult asthma study. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2008; 2: 127–128.
Comparison of Treatment Result and Compliance between Private Practice Medicaid and Non‐Medicaid Orthodontic Patients – A Brief Communication
Authors: Dickens Steven , Beane Richard A. , Caplan Daniel J. , Vann, Jr. William 
Published: September 2008

AbstractTreatment result and compliance for orthodontic Medicaid patients were assessed and compared to non‐Medicaid patients of similar initial severity. All 55 North Carolina practices providing orthodontic treatment covered by Medicaid were asked to submit their last five Medicaid cases and five non‐Medicaid cases of similar initial treatment complexity. Nine practices agreed to participate. Initial models, final models, and progress notes were obtained for all subjects. Casts were scored using the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) Index to assess initial and posttreatment orthodontic status, and progress notes were reviewed for compliance data. No clinically important differences were seen between the Medicaid and non‐Medicaid groups with respect to initial PAR, final PAR, percent PAR reduction, broken appointments, broken appliances, or poor oral hygiene. In this study, Medicaid and non‐Medicaid patients did not differ substantially with respect to effectiveness of treatment received or their compliance with treatment.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in an endemic Hawaiian planthopper (Nesosydne chambersi: Delphacidae)
Authors: GOODMAN KARI ROESCH , MORRIS VERONICA RUTH FRANCO , WELTER STEPHEN C. , RODERICK GEORGE K. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractWe have isolated and characterized 17 microsatellite loci for the endemic Hawaiian planthopper Nesosydne chambersi (Delphacidae), a member of a large Hawaiian Nesosydne radiation. Thirty individuals from one population and 10 individuals from two populations across the species’ range were tested to investigate polymorphism. The observed loci contained two to nine alleles per locus. Expected heterozygosity within this species ranged from 0.2 to 0.85. These markers will be used to assess intraspecific differentiation and population structure within N. chambersi.
Comparison of anterior chamber depth measurements taken with the Pentacam, Orbscan IIz and IOLMaster in myopic and emmetropic eyes
Authors: Utine Canan Asli , Altin Feyza , Cakir Hanefi , Perente Irfan 
Published: September 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  This study determined to assess the degree of agreement between anterior chamber depth (ACD) measurements obtained using three different devices and to analyse the relationship between ACD and spherical equivalent (SE) refraction.Methods:  In this cross‐sectional study, 42 eyes of 42 patients with a mean SE of − 4.69 ± 4.61 D (range 0.00 D to − 14.88 D) were analysed. Measurements of ACD between the corneal epithelium and the anterior surface of the crystalline lens, obtained using the Pentacam, Orbscan IIz and IOLMaster, were compared. The relationships between SE and ACD measurements obtained with different devices were also investigated. The results were analysed using Bland−Altman analyses, single‐sample t‐test and Pearson’s correlation test.Results:  Orbscan ACD measurements were an average of 0.05 mm less than Pentacam measurements (p = 0.01). IOLMaster measurements were an average of 0.06 mm less than Orbscan measurements (p < 0.001). None of the ACD values measured by any of the devices were correlated with increasing SE (p > 0.05 for all). There was a weak positive correlation between SE and the difference in ACD measurements with Pentacam and Orbscan (p = 0.04); however, the differences between Pentacam and IOLMaster ACD measurements and Orbscan and IOLMaster ACD measurements seemed to be independent of SE (p = 0.17 and p = 0.54, respectively).Conclusions:  The ACD in clinically normal eyes is measured differently by various non‐ultrasonic devices. However, the observed mean error between these modalities is too small to create any noticeable difference in refractive outcome. No significant relationship was found between SE and ACD measurements obtained by Pentacam, Orbscan or IOLMaster.
The role of optical coherence tomography in the detection of pituitary adenoma
Authors: Johansson Charlotta , Lindblom Bertil 
Published: September 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  To analyse retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness in eyes with compression of the optic chiasm by a pituitary adenoma. RNFL thickness was analysed with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and compared to visual field measurements using high‐pass resolution perimetry (HRP).Methods:  Sixteen eyes from eight patients with pituitary adenoma were studied. All had bitemporal visual field depression caused by compression of the optic chiasm. Patients were submitted to an ophthalmic examination more than 14 months after surgery (seven patients had undergone trans‐sphenoidal and one trans‐cranial adenomectomy). The examination included HRP, fundus photography and measurement of the peripapillar RNFL thickness using OCT.Results:  In spite of temporal visual field depression, not all eyes showed reduced RNFL thickness by OCT. This was also true for some eyes in which RNFL was judged to be reduced on fundus photographs. Contrary to our expectations, RNFL thickness in the nasal quadrant was normal in nine of the 16 eyes. Corresponding figures for the superior, inferior and temporal quadrants were eight, six and five, respectively. The overall RNFL thickness, as measured by OCT, did not correlate well with neural capacity, which is an index of remaining retino‐cortical neural channels in HRP.Conclusion:  RNFL thickness as measured with OCT was reduced in most, but not all, eyes with temporal field depression caused by chiasmal compression. The pattern of RNFL loss did not correlate well with the visual field defect. Sensitivity of RNFL thickness measurement in OCT was low. The method has limited value in the diagnosis of pituitary tumour compression.
Cardiac Alternans Arising From an Unfolded Border-Collision
Bifurcation
Authors: Zhao Xiaopeng , Schaeffer David G. , Berger Carolyn M. , Krassowska Wanda , Gauthier Daniel J. 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
Following an electrical stimulus, the transmembrane voltage of cardiac tissue rises rapidly and remains at a constant value before returning to the resting value, a phenomenon known as an action potential. When the pacing rate of a periodic train of stimuli is increased above a critical value, the action potential undergoes a period-doubling bifurcation, where the resulting alternation of the action potential duration is known as alternans in medical literature. Existing cardiac models treat alternans either as a smooth or as a border-collision bifurcation. However, recent experiments in paced cardiac tissue reveal that the bifurcation to alternans exhibits hybrid smooth∕nonsmooth behaviors, which can be qualitatively described by a model of so-called unfolded border-collision bifurcation. In this paper, we obtain analytical solutions of the unfolded border-collision model and use it to explore the crossover between smooth and nonsmooth behaviors. Our analysis shows that the hybrid smooth∕nonsmooth behavior is due to large variations in the system’s properties over a small interval of the bifurcation parameter, providing guidance for the development of future models.
Prevalence and Mechanisms of Broad-Spectrum β-Lactam Resistance inEnterobacteriaceae: a Children's Hospital Experience
Authors: Qin Xuan , Zerr Danielle M. , Weissman Scott J. , Englund Janet A. , Denno Donna M. , Klein Eileen J. , Tarr Phillip I. , Kwong Justin , Stapp Jennifer R. , Tulloch Luis G. , Galanakis Emmanouil 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to investigate the trends and patterns of resistance in β-lactamase-producing members of the familyEnterobacteriaceaein a children's hospital over a 9-year period (1999 to 2007). Clinically significant isolates of theEnterobacteriaceaewere screened for patterns of broad-spectrum resistance to β-lactams. The strains likely to be resistant were subsequently confirmed by an inhibitor-based disc test. The plasmid-mediated resistance determinants in these isolates were identified by PCR and by in vitro transformation, which successfully reproduced the AmpC phenotype unrestricted by the species of the host organisms. Among 8,048Enterobacteriaceaeisolates belonging to the four chromosomalampC-negative or -nonfunctional genera, 86 (1.07%) isolates (56Escherichia coliisolates, 22Klebsiellaspecies isolates, 1Proteus mirabilisisolate, and 7Salmonellaspecies isolates) exhibited broad-spectrum β-lactam resistance patterns. These organisms collectively produced three classes of β-lactamases, including class A extended-spectrum β-lactamases (n= 47), class C or AmpC β-lactamases (n= 36, including 4 isolates that produced both class A and class C enzymes), and class A or B carbapenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamases (n= 3). The proportion increased from 0.46% during the first 3 years to 1.84% during the last 3 years (relative risk [RR], 4.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.28 to 7.42;P< 0.001). The increase was mainly due to the emergence of a plasmid-mediatedblaCMY-2β-lactamase, the incidence of which increased from 0.11% during the first 3 years to 0.96% during the last 3 years (RR, 9.11; 95% CI, 2.76 to 30.1;P= 0.001). Class A-type resistance increased slightly during the study period, from 0.35% during the first 3 years to 0.85% during the last 3 years (RR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.15 to 5.07;P= 0.02). AProteus mirabilisstrain was documented to possess a novelblaDHAdeterminant. Of special concern, three carbapenemase-producing isolates were identified between 2003 and 2006. The infections caused by resistant isolates of theEnterobacteriaceaemainly affected hospitalized patients with underlying conditions; however, 19 (22%) episodes were of community onset in otherwise well children. The rate of resistance to broad-spectrum β-lactams among isolates of theEnterobacteriaceaeis increasing in children in both hospital- and community-acquired settings, and the resistance is driven largely by plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases. These data have important implications for empirical antimicrobial strategies targeting serious pediatric infections. Further study of this problem is warranted.
Staphylococcus aureusInduces Expression of Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand and Prostaglandin E2in Infected Murine Osteoblasts
Authors: Somayaji Shankari N. , Ritchie Samantha , Sahraei Mahnaz , Marriott Ian , Hudson Michael C. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTOsteomyelitis is an inflammatory disease of the bone that is characterized by the presence of necrotic bone tissue and increased osteoclast activity.Staphylococcus aureusis responsible for approximately 80% of all cases of human osteomyelitis. While the disease is especially difficult to treat, the pathogenesis ofS. aureus-induced osteomyelitis is poorly understood. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms by whichS. aureusinduces osteomyelitis could lead to a better understanding of the disease and its progression and development of new treatments. Osteoblasts can produce several soluble factors that serve to modulate the activity or formation of osteoclasts. Receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANK-L) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) are two such molecules which can promote osteoclastogenesis and stimulate bone resorption. In addition, previous studies in our laboratory have shown that osteoblasts produce inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 6, following infection withS. aureus, which could induce COX-2 and in turn PGE2, further modulating osteoclast recruitment and differentiation. Therefore, we hypothesized that following infection withS. aureus, osteoblasts will express increased levels of RANK-L and PGE2. The results presented in this study provide evidence for the first time that RANK-L mRNA and protein and PGE2expression are upregulated inS. aureus-infected primary osteoblasts. In addition, through the use of the specific COX-2 inhibitor NS 398, we show that when PGE2production is inhibited, RANK-L production is decreased. These data suggest a mechanism whereby osteoblasts regulate the production of RANK-L during infection.
Detrimental Role of CC Chemokine Receptor 4 in Murine Polymicrobial Sepsis
Authors: Traeger Tobias , Kessler Wolfram , Assfalg Volker , Cziupka Katharina , Koerner Pia , Dassow Constanze , Breitbach Katrin , Mikulcak Marlene , Steinmetz Ivo , Pfeffer Klaus , Heidecke Claus-Dieter , Maier Stefan 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTCC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) and its two ligands, CCL17 and CCL22, are critically involved in different immune processes. In models of lipopolysaccharide-induced shock, CCR4-deficient (CCR4−/−) mice showed improved survival rates associated with attenuated proinflammatory cytokine release. Using CCR4−/−mice with a C57BL/6 background, this study describes for the first time the role of CCR4 in a murine model of polymicrobial abdominal sepsis, the colon ascendens stent peritonitis (CASP). CASP-induced sepsis led to a massive downregulation of CCR4 in lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues, whereas the expression of CCL17 and CCL22 was independent of the presence of CCR4. After CASP, CCR4−/−animals showed a strongly enhanced bacterial clearance in several organs but not in the peritoneal lavage fluid and the blood. In addition, significantly reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines were measured in organ supernatants as well as in the sera of CCR4−/−mice. CCR4 deficiency consequently resulted in an attenuated severity of systemic sepsis and a strongly improved survival rate after CASP or CASP with intervention. Thus, our data provide clear evidence that CCR4 plays a strictly detrimental role in the course of polymicrobial sepsis.
RipA, a Cytoplasmic Membrane Protein Conserved amongFrancisellaSpecies, Is Required for Intracellular Survival
Authors: Fuller James R. , Craven Robin R. , Hall Joshua D. , Kijek Todd M. , Taft-Benz Sharon , Kawula Thomas H. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTFrancisella tularensisis a highly virulent bacterial pathogen that invades and replicates within numerous host cell types, including macrophages and epithelial cells. In an effort to better understand this process, we screened a transposon insertion library of theF. tularensislive vaccine strain (LVS) for mutant strains that invaded but failed to replicate within alveolar epithelial cell lines. One such strain isolated from this screen contained an insertion in the gene FTL_1914, which is conserved among all sequencedFrancisellaspecies yet lacks significant homology to any gene with known function. A deletion strain lacking FTL_1914 was constructed. This strain did not replicate in either epithelial or macrophage-like cells, and intracellular replication was restored by the wild-type allele intrans. Based on the deletion mutant phenotype, FTL_1914 was termedripA(required forintracellularproliferation, factorA). Following uptake by J774.A1 cells,F. tularensisLVSΔripAcolocalized with LAMP-1 then escaped the phagosome at the same rate and frequency as wild-type LVS-infected cells. Electron micrographs of theF. tularensisLVS ΔripAmutant demonstrated the reentry of the mutant bacteria into double membrane vacuoles characteristic of autophagosomes in a process that was not dependent on replication. TheF. tularensisLVSΔripAmutant was significantly impaired in its ability to persist in the lung and in its capacity to disseminate and colonize the liver and spleen in a mouse model of pulmonary tularemia. The RipA protein was expressed during growth in laboratory media and localized to the cytoplasmic membrane. Thus, RipA is a cytoplasmic membrane protein conserved amongFrancisellaspecies that is required for intracellular replication within the host cell cytoplasm as well as disease progression, dissemination, and virulence.
Proteomic Analysis of
Leptospira interrogans
Shed in Urine of Chronically Infected Hosts
Authors: Monahan Avril M. , Callanan John J. , Nally Jarlath E. 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease. The causative agent, pathogenic
Leptospira
species, survives in the renal tubules of chronically infected hosts, from where leptospires are shed via urine into the environment. Infection of new hosts can present as an array of acute and chronic disease processes reflecting variations in host-pathogen interactions. The present study was designed to reproduce the carrier phase of infection in
Rattus norvegicus
, thus facilitating shedding of leptospires in urine. Leptospires shed in urine were collected for proteomic analysis because these organisms reflect a naturally virulent form of
Leptospira
associated with infection of new hosts. Experimentally infected rats remained clinically asymptomatic but shed leptospires in urine for several months at concentrations of up to 10
7
leptospires/ml of urine. Proteomic analysis of rat urine-isolated leptospires compared to in vitro-cultivated leptospires confirmed differential protein and antigen expression, as demonstrated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Furthermore, while serum from chronically infected rats reacted with many antigens of in vitro-cultivated
Leptospira
, few antigens of rat urine-isolated
Leptospira
were reactive. Results confirm that differential protein expression by
Leptospira
during chronic infection facilitates its persistence in the presence of a specific host antibody response.
Functional Analysis of the
Salmonella
Pathogenicity Island 2-Mediated Inhibition of Antigen Presentation in Dendritic Cells
Authors: Halici Serkan , Zenk Sebastian F. , Jantsch Jonathan , Hensel Michael 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enterica
is a facultative intracellular pathogen that is able to modify host cell functions by means of effector proteins translocated by the type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded by
Salmonella
Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI2). The SPI2-T3SS is also active in
Salmonella
after uptake by murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DC). We have previously shown that intracellular
Salmonella
interfere with the ability of BM-DC to stimulate antigen-dependent T-cell proliferation in an SPI2-T3SS-dependent manner. We observed that
Salmonella
-mediated inhibition of antigen presentation could be restored by external addition of peptides on major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II). The processing of antigens in
Salmonella
-infected cells was not altered; however, the intracellular loading of peptides on MHC-II was reduced as a function of the SPI2-T3SS. We set out to identify the effector proteins of the SPI2-T3SS involved in inhibition of antigen presentation and demonstrated that effector proteins SifA, SspH2, SlrP, PipB2, and SopD2 were equally important for the interference with antigen presentation, whereas SseF and SseG contributed to a lesser extent to this phenotype. These observations indicate the presence of a host cell-specific virulence function of a novel subset of SPI2-effector proteins.