bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of laser on retinal oxygenation (animal studies)
Authors: POURNARAS CJ 
Published: October 2007

Abstract Purpose: To discuss the effect of laser on the retinal oxygen distribution, in experimental animal models. Methods: Transretinal and preretinal O2 measurments were obtained by O2 sensitive micro‐electrodes in anesthetized animal models. The effect of laser photogoagulation on the oxygen preretinal and transretinal distribution and retinal oxygen consumption, within normal and post experimental ischemic micro‐angiopathies retinas, were calculated. Results: Laser photocoagulation, resulting to pigment epithelium and photoreceptors layers disruption, reduces the outer retina’s demand for O2 and nutrients. Transretinal PO2 measurements confirm changes of the tranretinal PO2 grandients distribution. O2 diffusing from the choroid, non consumpted by the outer retinal layers reaches the inner retina, resulting to PO2 raise in preretinal areas and in the inner healthy retinal layers of experimental animal and relieve retinal hypoxia in experimental BRVO in mini‐pigs and cats. Improvement of inner retinal oxygenation affect the retinal circulation resulting to retinal vessels constriction and restoration of retinal blood flow regulation. Conclusions: Laser photocoagulation improves the inner retinal layers oxygenation thus reversing tissue hypoxia and improving the retinal blood flow regulation in retinas with ischemic micro‐angiopathies. Reversal of retinal tissue hypoxia and restoration of retinal blood flow regulation potentially affect the evolution of the macular edema related to ischemic microagiopathies.
The eyes – Doors to the world
Authors: ECKER B , GERBER G , REINELT T 
Published: October 2007

AbstractOur eyes are the sense organs which provide us with the greatest perspective of our world. Therefore they are deemed to be the most intellectual of our sense organs. But through our eyes we can understand only to a certain extent. We need the use of other senses which come together, stabilize and are rooted in our neurophysiological system. The eyes are an important door to the world which inspires and motivates to further discovery and invention. They create aspects of motivation dealing with perception, combinations of distant, nearby and internal senses which are the basis for increasing the depth of our knowledge and true understanding. We also want to emphasize the emotional side of those interna‐lised, neurophysiological, “bio‐psychic representations” (Gerber/Reinelt 1989). Emotions are created within us ‐ fear, joy, panic, visions, dreams and much more. This “Power of internal images” (Huether, 2006) is our partner on our way. Each psycho‐therapy works at these basics to differenciate, to change these emotions with whatever motivation created them. In addition, we will show, based on “Constructivism”(Foerster, 1999), that in each of us there arise subjectiv realities, which are individual and not objective.But what happens when we are unable to see with our eyes? When one is blind or visually handicapped? As a result of these questions we want to describe our project “Theatre for Everyone“ in the Viena Schauspielhaus with Airan Berg as director with Walther Schorn and Birgit Ecker in cooperation with the professors Gisela Gerber and Toni Reinelt as scientifique co‐ordinators from the University of Viena. Connie Ederer und Clemens Desero are the student’s co‐ordinators. This project has been developed since 2005 for visually handicapped and blind people, enabling them to attend the theatre with the assistence of students.
Effect of Silver Content on the Structure and Antibacterial Activity of Silver-Doped Phosphate-Based Glasses
Authors: Valappil Sabeel P. , Pickup David M. , Carroll Donna L. , Hope Chris K. , Pratten Jonathan , Newport Robert J. , Smith Mark E. , Wilson Michael , Knowles Jonathan C. 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

Staphylococcus aureus
can cause a range of diseases, such as osteomyelitis, as well as colonize implanted medical devices. In most instances the organism forms biofilms that not only are resistant to the body's defense mechanisms but also display decreased susceptibilities to antibiotics. In the present study, we have examined the effect of increasing silver contents in phosphate-based glasses to prevent the formation of
S. aureus
biofilms. Silver was found to be an effective bactericidal agent against
S. aureus
biofilms, and the rate of silver ion release (0.42 to 1.22 μg·mm
−2
·h
−1
) from phosphate-based glass was found to account for the variation in its bactericidal effect. Analysis of biofilms by confocal microscopy indicated that they consisted of an upper layer of viable bacteria together with a layer (∼20 μm) of nonviable cells on the glass surface. Our results showed that regardless of the silver contents in these glasses (10, 15, or 20 mol%) the silver exists in its +1 oxidation state, which is known to be a highly effective bactericidal agent compared to that of silver in other oxidation states (+2 or +3). Analysis of the glasses by
31
P nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and high-energy X-ray diffraction showed that it is the structural rearrangement of the phosphate network that is responsible for the variation in silver ion release and the associated bactericidal effectiveness. Thus, an understanding of the glass structure is important in interpreting the in vitro data and also has important clinical implications for the potential use of the phosphate-based glasses in orthopedic applications to deliver silver ions to combat
S. aureus
biofilm infections.
Activity of a Potent Hepatitis C Virus Polymerase Inhibitor in the Chimpanzee Model
Authors: Chen Chih-Ming , He Yupeng , Lu Liangjun , Lim Hock Ben , Tripathi Rakesh L. , Middleton Tim , Hernandez Lisa E. , Beno David W. A. , Long Michelle A. , Kati Warren M. , Bosse Todd D. , Larson Daniel P. , Wagner Rolf , Lanford Robert E. , Kohlbrenner William E. , Kempf Dale J. , Pilot-Matias Tami J. , Molla Akhteruzzaman 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACTA-837093 is a potent and specific nonnucleoside inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. It possesses nanomolar potencies in both enzymatic and replicon-based cell culture assays. In rats and dogs this compound demonstrated an oral plasma half-life of greater than 7 h, and its bioavailability was >60%. In monkeys it had a half-life of 1.9 h and 15% bioavailability. Its antiviral efficacy was evaluated in two chimpanzees infected with HCV in a proof-of-concept study. The design included oral dosing of 30 mg per kg of body weight twice a day for 14 days, followed by a 14-day posttreatment observation. Maximum viral load reductions of 1.4 and 2.5 log10copies RNA/ml for genotype 1a- and 1b-infected chimpanzees, respectively, were observed within 2 days after the initiation of treatment. After this initial drop in the viral load, a rebound of plasma HCV RNA was observed in the genotype 1b-infected chimpanzee, while the genotype 1a-infected chimpanzee experienced a partial rebound that lasted throughout the treatment period. Clonal analysis of NS5B gene sequences derived from the plasma of A-837093-treated chimpanzees revealed the presence of several mutations associated with resistance to A-837093, including Y448H, G554D, and D559G in the genotype 1a-infected chimpanzee and C316Y and G554D in the genotype 1b-infected chimpanzee. The identification of resistance-associated mutations in both chimpanzees is consistent with the findings of in vitro selection studies, in which many of the same mutations were selected. These findings validate the antiviral efficacy and resistance development of benzothiadiazine HCV polymerase inhibitors in vivo.
National and Regional Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance among Community-Acquired Respiratory Tract Pathogens Identified in a 2005-2006 U.S. Faropenem Surveillance Study
Authors: Critchley Ian A. , Brown Steven D. , Traczewski Maria M. , Tillotson Glenn S. , Janjic Nebojsa 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

Surveillance studies conducted in the United States over the last decade have revealed increasing resistance among community-acquired respiratory pathogens, especially
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, that may limit future options for empirical therapy. The objective of this study was to assess the scope and magnitude of the problem at the national and regional levels during the 2005-2006 respiratory season (the season when community-acquired respiratory pathogens are prevalent) in the United States. Also, since faropenem is an oral penem being developed for the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infections, another study objective was to provide baseline data to benchmark changes in the susceptibility of U.S. respiratory pathogens to the drug in the future. The in vitro activities of faropenem and other agents were determined against 1,543
S. pneumoniae
isolates, 978
Haemophilus influenzae
isolates, and 489
Moraxella catarrhalis
isolates collected from 104 U.S. laboratories across six geographic regions during the 2005-2006 respiratory season. Among
S. pneumoniae
isolates, the rates of resistance to penicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and cefdinir were 16, 6.4, and 19.2%, respectively. The least effective agents were trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) and azithromycin, with resistance rates of 23.5 and 34%, respectively. Penicillin resistance rates for
S. pneumoniae
varied by region (from 8.7 to 22.5%), as did multidrug resistance rates for
S. pneumoniae
(from 8.8 to 24.9%). Resistance to β-lactams, azithromycin, and SXT was higher among
S. pneumoniae
isolates from children than those from adults. β-Lactamase production rates among
H. influenzae
and
M. catarrhalis
isolates were 27.4 and 91.6%, respectively. Faropenem MICs at which 90% of isolates are inhibited were 0.5 μg/ml for
S. pneumoniae
, 1 μg/ml for
H. influenzae
, and 0.5 μg/ml for
M. catarrhalis
, suggesting that faropenem shows promise as a treatment option for respiratory infections caused by contemporary resistant phenotypes.
Neutrophils Play an Important Role in Host Resistance to Respiratory Infection with
Acinetobacter baumannii
in Mice
Authors: van Faassen Henk , KuoLee Rhonda , Harris Greg , Zhao Xigeng , Conlan J. Wayne , Chen Wangxue 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

Acinetobacter baumannii
has emerged as a major cause of both community-associated and nosocomial pneumonia, but little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of host defense against respiratory infection with this bacterial pathogen. In this study, we examined the role of neutrophils in host resistance to pulmonary
A. baumannii
infection in a mouse model of intranasal (i.n.) infection. We found that neutrophils were rapidly recruited to the lungs following i.n. inoculation of the pathogen and declined to baseline level upon clearance of the infection. Depletion of neutrophils using monoclonal antibody RB6-8C5 prior to infection resulted in an acute lethal infection that was associated with enhanced bacterial burdens in the lung (
P
< 0.05) and extrapulmonary dissemination to the spleen. The increased susceptibility to
A. baumannii
in neutropenic mice was associated with a delay in the mRNA expression and production of early proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, keratinocyte chemoattractant protein, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) in the lungs and development of severe bronchopneumonia and lymphoid tissue destruction in the spleen. Moreover, i.n. administration of the neutrophil-inducing chemokine MIP-2 to normal mice induced a pulmonary influx of neutrophils and significantly enhanced the clearance of
A. baumannii
from the lungs (
P
< 0.01). These results imply that neutrophils play a critical role in host resistance to respiratory
A. baumannii
infection.
Contribution of
Moraxella catarrhalis
Type IV Pili to Nasopharyngeal Colonization and Biofilm Formation
Authors: Luke Nicole R. , Jurcisek Joseph A. , Bakaletz Lauren O. , Campagnari Anthony A. 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACT

Moraxella catarrhalis
is a gram-negative mucosal pathogen of the human respiratory tract. Although little information is available regarding the initial steps of
M. catarrhalis
pathogenesis, this organism must be able to colonize the human mucosal surface in order to initiate an infection. Type IV pili (TFP), filamentous surface appendages primarily comprised of a single protein subunit termed pilin, play a crucial role in the initiation of disease by a wide range of bacteria. We previously identified the genes that encode the major proteins involved in the biosynthesis of
M. catarrhalis
TFP and determined that the TFP expressed by this organism are highly conserved and essential for natural transformation. We extended this initial study by investigating the contribution of TFP to the early stages of
M. catarrhalis
colonization. TFP-deficient
M. catarrhalis
bacteria exhibit diminished adherence to eukaryotic cells in vitro. Additionally, our studies demonstrate that
M. catarrhalis
cells form a mature biofilm in continuous-flow chambers and that biofilm formation is enhanced by TFP expression. The potential role of TFP in colonization by
M. catarrhalis
was further investigated using in vivo studies comparing the abilities of wild-type
M. catarrhalis
and an isogenic TFP mutant to colonize the nasopharynx of the chinchilla. These results suggest that the expression of TFP contributes to mucosal airway colonization. Furthermore, these data indicate that the chinchilla model of nasopharyngeal colonization provides an effective animal system for studying the early steps of
M. catarrhalis
pathogenesis.
The Tropical Atmospheric Energy Budget from the TRMM Perspective. Part II: Evaluating GCM Representations of the Sensitivity of Regional Energy and Water Cycles to the 1998–99 ENSO Cycle
Authors: L’Ecuyer Tristan S. , Stephens Graeme L. 
Published: October 2007

Abstract
The impact of clouds and precipitation on the climate is a strong function of their spatial distribution and microphysical properties, characteristics that depend, in turn, on the environments in which they form. Simulating feedbacks between clouds, precipitation, and their surroundings therefore places an enormous burden on the parameterized physics used in current climate models. This paper uses multisensor observations from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) to assess the representation of the response of regional energy and water cycles in the tropical Pacific to the strong 1998 El Niño event in (Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project) AMIP-style simulations from the climate models that participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) most recent assessment report. The relationship between model errors and uncertainties in their representation of the impacts of clouds and precipitation on local energy budgets is also explored.
With the exception of cloud radiative impacts that are often overestimated in both regions, the responses of atmospheric composition and heating to El Niño are generally captured in the east Pacific where the SST forcing is locally direct. Many models fail, however, to correctly predict the magnitude of induced trends in the west Pacific where the response depends more critically on accurate representation of the zonal atmospheric circulation. As a result, a majority of the models examined do not reproduce the apparent westward transport of energy in the equatorial Pacific during the 1998 El Niño event. Furthermore, the intermodel variability in the responses of precipitation, total heating, and vertical motion is often larger than the intrinsic ENSO signal itself, implying an inherent lack of predictive capability in the ensemble with regard to the response of the mean zonal atmospheric circulation in the tropical Pacific to ENSO. While ENSO does not necessarily provide a proxy for anthropogenic climate change, the results suggest that deficiencies remain in the representation of relationships between radiation, clouds, and precipitation in current climate models that cannot be ignored when interpreting their predictions of future climate.
Abrupt Climate Changes Observed in Late August over Central Japan between 1983 and 1984
Authors: Inoue Tomoshige , Matsumoto Jun 
Published: October 2007

Abstract
Interdecadal climate changes occurring during the latter half of August (LA) in central Japan are described, and the associated changes in rainfall, typhoon tracks, and circulation patterns over East Asia and the western North Pacific (WNP) regions are investigated. Since 1984, rates of sunshine and temperature have increased, while rainfall has decreased significantly during LA in central Japan. In contrast, rainfall over the Southwest Islands, northern part of Taiwan, and in the south of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China has increased. Changes in the positions and tracks of typhoons are responsible for these changes. Prior to 1983, many typhoons approached the central-western part of Japan during LA, while after 1984, most typhoons were deflected away from Japan and moved northwestward to Taiwan and China. The North Pacific subtropical high during LA extended more westward after 1984, which affected the interdecadal changes in sunshine, temperature, rainfall, and typhoon tracks, not only in central Japan, but also over East Asia and the WNP regions.
Diagnosing the 2005 Drought in Equatorial East Africa
Authors: Hastenrath Stefan , Polzin Dierk , Mutai Charles 
Published: October 2007

Abstract
Equatorial East Africa suffered severe drought during its 2005 “short rains,” centered on October–November. The circulation mechanisms of such precipitation anomalies are examined, using long-term upper-air and surface datasets, and based on diagnostic findings from earlier empirical investigations. The steep eastward pressure gradient is conducive to fast westerlies over the central-equatorial Indian Ocean, surface manifestation of a powerful zonal circulation cell with subsidence over East Africa, and ascending motion over Indonesia. With fast westerlies, rainfall in East Africa is deficient and they tend to be accompanied by anomalously cold waters in the northwestern and warm anomalies in the southeastern extremity of the equatorial Indian Ocean Basin, without any seesaw between these domains. In October–November 2005, pressure in the west was anomalously high, entailing a steep eastward pressure gradient along the equator, conducive to fast westerlies and, further symptomatic of the zonal circulation cell, subsidence in the west and ascending motion in the east were enhanced. Overall, the chain of causalities can be traced to anomalously high pressure in the west.
Experimental Implementation of an Ensemble Adjustment Filter for an Intermediate ENSO Model
Authors: Karspeck Alicia R. , Anderson Jeffrey L. 
Published: October 2007

Abstract
The assimilation of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies into a coupled ocean–atmosphere model of the tropical Pacific is investigated using an ensemble adjustment Kalman filter (EAKF). The intermediate coupled model used here is the operational version of the Zebiak–Cane model, called LDEO5. The assimilation is applied as a means of estimating the true state of the system in the presence of incomplete observations of the state.
In the first part of this study assimilation is performed under the “perfect model” assumption, where SST observations are synthetically derived from a trajectory of the model. The focus is on how and why changes in the filter parameters (ensemble size, covariance localization, and covariance inflation) affect the quality of the analysis. It is shown that isotropic covariance localization does not benefit the analysis even when a small number of ensemble members are used. These results suggest that destruction of the “balance” between variables caused by localization is more detrimental than spurious correlation due to small ensemble size.
In the second part of this study the EAKF is used to assimilate an independent dataset of SST observations. The EAKF/Zebiak–Cane assimilation system is able to correctly estimate the phase and intensity of ENSO, as measured by the average SST anomaly in the eastern equatorial Pacific. A comparison of the analysis herein to independent wind stress and thermocline depth datasets suggests that even with the assimilation of only SST observations it is possible to reproduce over 70% of the interannual variability of thermocline depth in the eastern equatorial Pacific and off the coast of the Philippine Islands. The interannual variability of zonal wind stress in the central and western equatorial Pacific is also well correlated with independent observations (R &gt; 0.75).
A Comparison of Cloud Cover Statistics from the GLAS Lidar with HIRS
Authors: Wylie Donald , Eloranta Edwin , Spinhirne James D. , Palm Steven P. 
Published: October 2007

Abstract
The cloud dataset from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) lidar on the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) spacecraft is compared to the cloud analysis of the Wisconsin NOAA High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) Pathfinder. This is the first global lidar dataset from a spacecraft of extended duration that can be compared to the HIRS climatology. It provides an excellent source of cloud information because it is more sensitive to clouds that are difficult to detect, namely, thin cirrus and small boundary layer clouds. The second GLAS data collection period from 1 October to 16 November 2003 was used for this comparison, and a companion dataset of the same days were analyzed with HIRS. GLAS reported cloud cover of 0.70 while HIRS reported slightly higher cloud cover of 0.75 for this period. The locations where HIRS overreported cloud cover were mainly in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans and parts of the Tropics.
GLAS also confirms that upper-tropospheric clouds (above 6.6 km) cover about 0.33 of the earth, similar to the reports from HIRS data. Generally, the altitude of the cloud tops reported by GLAS is, on average, higher than HIRS by 0.4 to 4.5 km. The largest differences were found in the Tropics, over 4 km, while in midlatitudes average differences ranged from 0.4 to 2 km. Part of this difference in averaged cloud heights comes from GLAS finding more high cloud coverage in the Tropics, 5% on average but &gt;13% in some areas, which weights its cloud top average more toward the high clouds than the HIRS. The diffuse character of the upper parts of high clouds over tropical oceans is also a cause for the difference in reported cloud heights.
Statistics on cloud sizes also were computed from GLAS data to estimate the errors in cloud cover reported by HIRS from its 20-km field-of-view (FOV) size. Smaller clouds are very common with one-half of all clouds being &lt;41 km in horizontal size. But, clouds &lt;41 km cover only 5% of the earth. Cloud coverage is dominated by larger clouds with one-half of the coverage coming from clouds &gt;1000 km. GLAS cloud size statistics also show that HIRS possibly overreports some cloud forms by 2%–3%. Looking at groups of GLAS data 21 km long to simulate the HIRS FOV, the authors found that ∼5% are partially filled with cloud. Since HIRS does not account for the part of the FOV without cloud, it will overreport the coverage of these clouds. However, low-altitude and optically thin clouds will not be reported by HIRS if they are so small that they do not affect the upwelling radiation in the HIRS FOV enough to trigger the threshold for cloud detection. These errors are partially offing.