bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum levels of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products and of S100 proteins are associated with inflammatory, autoantibody, and classical risk markers of joint and vascular damage in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Chen Yueh-Sheng , Yan Weixing , Geczy Carolyn L , Brown Matthew A , Thomas Ranjeny 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Introduction
The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface receptor molecules. High concentrations of three of its putative proinflammatory ligands, S100A8/A9 complex (calprotectin), S100A8, and S100A12, are found in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) serum and synovial fluid. In contrast, soluble RAGE (sRAGE) may prevent proinflammatory effects by acting as a decoy. This study evaluated the serum levels of S100A9, S100A8, S100A12 and sRAGE in RA patients, to determine their relationship to inflammation and joint and vascular damage.

Methods
Serum sRAGE, S100A9, S100A8 and S100A12 levels from 138 patients with established RA and 44 healthy controls were measured by ELISA and compared by unpaired t test. In RA patients, associations with disease activity and severity variables were analyzed by simple and multiple linear regressions.

Results
Serum S100A9, S100A8 and S100A12 levels were correlated in RA patients. S100A9 levels were associated with body mass index (BMI), and with serum levels of S100A8 and S100A12. S100A8 levels were associated with serum levels of S100A9, presence of anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA), and rheumatoid factor (RF). S100A12 levels were associated with presence of ACPA, history of diabetes, and serum S100A9 levels. sRAGE levels were negatively associated with serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), history of vasculitis, and the presence of the RAGE 82Ser polymorphism.

Conclusions
sRAGE and S100 proteins were associated not just with RA inflammation and autoantibody production, but also with classical vascular risk factors for end-organ damage. Consistent with its role as a RAGE decoy molecule, sRAGE had the opposite effects to S100 proteins in that S100 proteins were associated with autoantibodies and vascular risk, whereas sRAGE was associated with protection against joint and vascular damage. These data suggest that RAGE activity influences co-development of joint and vascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Cost effectiveness of antimicrobial catheters in the intensive care unit: addressing uncertainty in the decision
Authors: Halton Kate A , Cook David A , Whitby Michael , Paterson David L , Graves Nicholas 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Introduction
Some types of antimicrobial-coated central venous catheters (A-CVC) have been shown to be cost effective in preventing catheter-related bloodstream infection (CR-BSI). However, not all types have been evaluated, and there are concerns over the quality and usefulness of these earlier studies. There is uncertainty amongst clinicians over which, if any, A-CVCs to use. We re-evaluated the cost effectiveness of all commercially available A-CVCs for prevention of CR-BSI in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Methods
We used a Markov decision model to compare the cost effectiveness of A-CVCs relative to uncoated catheters. Four catheter types were evaluated: minocycline and rifampicin (MR)-coated catheters, silver, platinum and carbon (SPC)-impregnated catheters, and two chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine-coated catheters; one coated on the external surface (CH/SSD (ext)) and the other coated on both surfaces (CH/SSD (int/ext)). The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained and the expected net monetary benefits were estimated for each. Uncertainty arising from data estimates, data quality and heterogeneity was explored in sensitivity analyses.

Results
The baseline analysis, with no consideration of uncertainty, indicated all four types of A-CVC were cost-saving relative to uncoated catheters. MR-coated catheters prevented 15 infections per 1,000 catheters and generated the greatest health benefits, 1.6 quality-adjusted life years, and cost savings (AUD $130,289). After considering uncertainty in the current evidence, the MR-coated catheters returned the highest incremental monetary net benefits of AUD $948 per catheter; however there was a 62% probability of error in this conclusion. Although the MR-coated catheters had the highest monetary net benefits across multiple scenarios, the decision was always associated with high uncertainty.

Conclusions
Current evidence suggests that the cost effectiveness of using A-CVCs within the ICU is highly uncertain. Policies to prevent CR-BSI amongst ICU patients should consider the cost effectiveness of competing interventions in the light of this uncertainty. Decision makers would do well to consider the current gaps in knowledge and the complexity of producing good quality evidence in this area.
Lymphocytes from P2X7-deficient mice exhibit enhanced P2X7 responses
Authors: Taylor Simon R J , Gonzalez-Begne Mireya , Sojka Dorothy K , Richardson Jill C , Sheardown Steven A , Harrison Stephen M , Pusey Charles D , Tam Frederick W K , Elliott James I 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe purinergic receptor P2X7 is expressed on immune cells, and its stimulation results in the release of IL-1β from macrophages. Its absence, as evidenced from the analysis of two independent strains of P2X7-deficient mice, results in reduced susceptibility to inflammatory disease, and the molecule is an important, potential therapeutic target in autoimmunity. However, P2X7 has also been detected in several neuronal cell types, although its function and even its presence in these cells are highly contested, with anti-P2X7 antibodies staining brain tissue from both strains of P2X7−/− mice identically to wild-type mice. It has therefore been suggested that neurons express a distinct “P2X7-like” protein that has similar antibody recognition epitopes to P2X7 and some properties of the genuine receptor. In this study, we show that whereas P2X7 activity is absent from macrophages and dendritic cells in P2X7−/− animals, T cells from one gene-deficient strain unexpectedly exhibit higher levels of P2X7 activity than that found in cells from control, unmanipulated C57BL/6 mice. A potential mechanism for this tissue-specific P2X7 expression in P2X7−/− animals is discussed, as is the implication that the immune and indeed neuronal functions of P2X7 may have been underestimated.
Immune dysregulation in severe influenza
Authors: Heltzer Meredith L , Coffin Susan E , Maurer Kelly , Bagashev Asen , Zhang Zhe , Orange Jordan S , Sullivan Kathleen E 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAmong previously healthy children with severe influenza, the mechanisms leading to increased pathology are not understood. We hypothesized that children with severe influenza would have high levels of circulating cytokines. To examine this, we recruited patients with severe influenza and examined plasma cytokine levels as well as the ability of peripheral blood cells to respond to stimuli. Ten patients with severe influenza were enrolled during the 2005–2007 influenza seasons. We evaluated plasma cytokine levels, circulating NK cells, and responses to TLR ligands during the illness. We compared these patients with five patients with moderate influenza, six patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and 24 noninfected controls. Patients with influenza showed depressed responses to TLR ligands when compared with RSV patients and healthy controls (P&lt;0.05). These normalized when retested during a convalescent phase. Plasma levels of IL-6, IL-12, and IFN-γ were elevated in influenza patients compared with controls (P&lt;0.05). A compromised ability to produce TNF-α was reproduced by in vitro infection, and the magnitude of the effect correlated with the multiplicity of infection and induction of IFN regulatory factor 4 expression. Aberrant, systemic, innate responses to TLR ligands during influenza infection may be a consequence of specific viral attributes such as a high inoculum or rapid replication and may underlie the known susceptibility of influenza-infected patients to secondary bacterial infections.
Fournier’s gangrene
Authors: Romics Imre 
Published: March 2009

A hímvessző fulmináns gangrénáját Fournier több mint 200 éve leírta, kezelését illetően azonban fennállnak bizonyos ellentmondások. A betegséget ma már nem tekintjük idiopathiásnak, mert a legtöbb esetben urológiai, colorectalis vagy bőreredetű forrás kimutatható. A halálozási arány továbbra is magas, különösképpen kiterjedt folyamatok esetén. Hajlamosító tényezőnek tekintjük a cukorbetegséget, az alkoholizmust és az immunszuppressziós állapotokat, különös tekintettel a HIV-fertőzésre. A Fournier-gangréna kórisméje alapvetően a klinikai képen nyugszik, a genitoanális tájékon jelentkező súlyos, heveny gyulladásos folyamatokat indokolt a Fournier-gangréna kiindulási helyzetének tekinteni. Sürgős kezelés szükséges, amely az aerob és anaerob kórokozók ellen egyaránt hatékony, széles spektrumú antibiotikum-kezelést és a szeptikus állapotban lévő betegek intenzív osztályos ellátását igényli. Az azonnali sebészi beavatkozás elengedhetetlen: az elhalt szövetek kimetszése és az elégséges drenázs biztosítása. A sebészi kezelés rendszerint ismétlendő, majd a végleges szövethiány pótlása esetenként már speciális helyreállító, plasztikai műtéttel lehetséges.
Liver failure a la Eastern Europe
Authors: Müller Zsófia , Sárkány Ágnes , Altorjay Áron , Szilágyi Anna , Tura Tímea , Ozsvár Zsófia 
Published: March 2009

A valeriána használata már a XX. század elején visszaszorult addiktív és egyéb mellékhatásai miatt. A kelet-európai származású, harmincnyolc éves nő, egy 20 hónapos kisded édesanyja első alkalommal vascularisan dekompenzált cirrhosis és máj parenchyma működési elégtelensége miatt került a szerzők látókörébe. Anamnézisében toxikus ágensként etil-alkohol-, valamint valeriánatartalmú gyógynövénykészítmény-abúzus szerepelt, amelyeket a májbetegség, illetve az akut májelégtelenség etiológiai ágensének tekintettek. Több alkalommal végzett plazmaferezis mellett állapota rendeződött, ambuláns követés alkalmával panaszmentes, kémiai laboratóriumi eredményei a referenciatartományban vannak. Fél év múlva külföldi tartózkodásakor intenzív osztályos kezelést igénylő gyomorvérzés lépett fel. A szerzők kórházában elvégzett endoszkópos vizsgálat szövettani eredménye gastricus sigillocellularis carcinomát igazolt. Totális gastrectomia, omentectomia, lymphadenectomia során a tumor eltávolításra került, majd a páciens citosztatikus kezelésben részesült. Felmerült a valeriána és az etil-alkohol potenciális szerepe a daganat kialakulásában, a toxicitás fokozódásában.
Comparative study of antioxidant capacity in organs of different Allium species
Authors: Štajner Dubravka , Popović Boris 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Cultivated and wild Allium species were investigated in order to compare the antioxidant capacity of their leaves and bulbs. Leaf and bulb anti-oxidative enzymes and scavenger activities, along with quantities of non-enzymic antioxidants, malonyl-dialdehyde and OH radicals were determined. Results obtained suggest that leaves possess higher anti-oxidant and scavenging activities than bulbs in the majority of cultivated and wild Allium species examined. Cultivation of some wild species such as A. flavum L., A. schoenoprasum L. and A. ursinum L. could be conducted in the future in order to produce Allium species with high antioxidant capacity in leaves and bulbs.
Flower-visiting and mating behaviour of Eulonchus sapphirinus (Diptera: Acroceridae)
Authors: Borkent Christopher J. , Schlinger Evert I. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAcrocerid flies are often considered to be rare and their role in pollination is poorly understood. In this study, adult Eulonchus sapphirinus Osten Sacken were common on flowers of Geranium robertianum L. (Geraniaceae) in Olympic National Park, Washington, and have morphological and behavioural characteristics that indicate a dependence on floral nectar. Both males and females of this species are good potential pollinators from a behavioural standpoint. They make few revisits to individual flowers, remain highly constant to one flowering species in each nectar-foraging bout, and carry pollen on their bodies. Individuals were abundant and formed the majority of insect visitors to G. robertianum flowers. Males and females differed in their flower-visiting behaviour, with females visiting more individual flowers and doing so more slowly than males. This difference between the sexes appears to relate to mating behaviour, which takes place within the flower patches. The ramifications of the observed flower-visiting and mating behaviour for flower pollination are discussed. This study shows that based on both their abundance and their behaviour, these flies are potentially important pollinators in certain habitats.
South Korean species of the genus Geodromicus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae)
Authors: Kim Tae-Kyu , Shin Choru , Ahn Kee-Jeong 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn a taxonomic study of the genus Geodromicus Redtenbacher in South Korea, five species are recognized, two of which, G. abdominalis Zerche and G. beibienkoi Tikhomirova, are reported for the first time in South Korea, and G. hermani (Watanabe), previously recorded from South Korea, is reported as a misidentification of G. beibienkoi. A comparison of morphological features of South Korean Geodromicus species, a key, and illustrations of the diagnostic characters are provided.
Description and phylogenetic interpretation of chromatophore migration from larval air sacs to adult structures in some Chaoboridae (Diptera)
Authors: Borkent Christopher J. , Borkent Art 
Published: March 2009

AbstractDuring development, many chromatophores on the air sacs of larvae of Chaoborus Lichtenstein disperse to the tracheal trunks and throughout the body of the pupae. In male pupae, chromatophores on the posterior air sacs move to the developing testes and vasa deferentia and some become the adventitious spotting previously reported for adults of Chaoborus. In larvae of Mochlonyx Loew, chromatophores have a similar development pattern, but in female pupae some also surround the spermathecae. Larvae of Eucorethra Underwood have chromatophores scattered throughout much of the body but it is uncertain whether these are homologous to those of Chaoborus and Mochlonyx. Outgroup comparisons show that the migration of chromatophores from the larval air sacs to the adult male testes and vasa deferentia is a synapomorphy of Chaoborinae. The presence of pigmented fat body on the larval testes in many Culicidae, Eucorethra, and Mochlonyx is plesiomorphic, and the transparent larval testes in Chaoborus are a synapomorphy of the genus. The dark adult testes in Mochlonyx are derived from pigmented larval fat body and chromatophores from the larval air sacs, and this is proposed as an intermediate evolutionary state. It is likely that the chromatophores surrounding the testes of pupae of Chaoborinae provide protection against ultraviolet radiation, but further study is needed.
Good Seismic Data in Bad Weather
Authors: Kostov C. , Barsch J. , Deal K. , Grion S. , Ronen S. , Walker L. 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
Acquisition downtime resulting from bad weather is often a significantfactor in the cost of marine seismic surveys. In the North Sea, for instance, seismic data are acquired mostly during the summer, and weather downtime canstill amount to 40% of the survey time.
Our approach to reducing weather downtime is based on the followingconcepts:During multiple acquisition passes, seismic signal is repeatable; badweather noise is not.Filtering algorithms are applied to reduce swell noise.Imaging with least-squares inversion algorithms is less sensitive tonoise-edited data than conventional imaging.
To test these concepts we acquired multiple pass data covering the sameareas in good and bad weather. A survey was made from the Barents sea and theacquisition was performed with a vessel equipped for standard 3D surveys.
Commercial 3D data provide a reference for quantitative comparison ofseismic images and of attributes derived from the seismic data. The resultsobtained so far are encouraging, and we expect opportunities for cost-effectivereduction of bad weather downtime (10% to 20%) without compromising qualityrequirements.

Introduction
The purpose of this work is to process and combine data from multi-passacquisitions during bad weather conditions to obtain a reliable image of thesubsurface.
The survey acquired with this aim had 6 streamers each 3 Km long, towed at 7m nominal depth, with an overall separation of 750 m. Dual 3707 cubic inchessources with 75 m separation at a depth of 6 m were fired every 25 m. Thenumber of channels per cable was 240 with 12.5 m group spacing.
During recording in bad weather, the streamers were towed at 7-8 m depth. Maintaining seismic instruments in their nominal positions by varying sourceand streamer depths was identified as an important aspect of the survey design. In practice acquisition in bad weather was stopped when the swell noise was sohigh that it pulled the streamers up to the surface.
Social and Financial Costs of Neonatal Intestinal Failure
Authors: Raghu Vikram K. , Belaid Sirine , Gutierrez Susan , Holzer Pamela , Orris Shelby , Rothenberger Scott , Presel Tracey , Ackerman Kimberly , Alissa Feras , King Dale , Woo Baidal Jennifer , Rudolph Jeffrey A. , Bond Geoffrey , Mazariegos George V. , Horslen Simon P. , Smith Kenneth J. 
Published: February 2025

ImportanceNeonatal short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure is rare, and observational studies are limited to small cohorts. Health disparities exist in long-term management with little known about the initial hospitalization.ObjectiveTo identify children with neonatal short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure and to determine whether race, ethnicity, and neighborhood opportunity are associated with length of stay during their initial hospitalizations.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cross-sectional study of children with neonatal short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure was conducted between 2004 and 2020, with validation and analysis performed from July 2022 to April 2024. Children were identified from the Pediatric Health Information System database, which included administrative data from 50 freestanding US children’s hospitals. Children were included on the basis of a diagnosis code of postsurgical malabsorption and billed charges for a neonatal intensive care unit stay and sustained parenteral nutrition use.ExposuresRace and ethnicity were included as a single variable with categories of Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, other (Asian and multiracial, combined because of low numbers), and unknown according to hospital report. Child Opportunity Index quintile ranged from very low (lowest quintile) to very high (highest quintile).Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was length of stay measured in number of days from admission to discharge. The χ2 analysis was used to examine unadjusted associations between categorical variables, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for continuous variables.ResultsA total of 2267 children with neonatal short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure were identified (997 female [44%]; 410 Hispanic [18%]; 481 non-Hispanic Black [21%]; 690 non-Hispanic White [30%]; 231 other [10%]; 455 unknown [20%]), with 629 (28%) living in areas with very low Child Opportunity Index. The median (IQR) length of stay for the initial admission was 150 (112-200) days, with a median (IQR) cost of $528 628 ($374 040-$766 446). In multivariable analysis, non-Hispanic Black children remained in the hospital for 16 days longer than their non-Hispanic White counterparts (95% CI, 7-25 days; P &amp;lt; .001). Child Opportunity Index was not significantly associated with length of stay when controlling for race and ethnicity.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cross-sectional study, children with neonatal short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure experienced long initial hospital stays, incurring high costs, with non-Hispanic Black children disproportionately affected. Interventions targeting safe and efficient transition to home are needed to address both efficacy and equity for these children.
Racial Differences in ctDNA Profiles, Targeted Therapy Use, and Outcomes in Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Podany Emily L. , Foffano Lorenzo , Gerratana Lorenzo , Medford Arielle J. , Clifton Katherine , Tapiavala Shaili , Velimirovic Marko , Lipsyc-Sharf Marla , Reduzzi Carolina , Bubie Adrian , Putur Annika , Ademuyiwa Foluso O. , Puglisi Fabio , Gradishar William J. , Ma Cynthia X. , Bardia Aditya , Cristofanilli Massimo , Davis Andrew A. 
Published: February 2025

ImportanceBlack patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) have higher mortality rates than White patients despite advances in treatment.ObjectivesTo examine whether Black patients with metastatic breast cancer have different genomic profiles compared with White patients and whether there are inequities in targeted treatment use between these groups.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis retrospective, population-based cohort study assessed adult patients with mBC who underwent genomic profiling at academic institutions in the US between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2023. Data analysis was performed between July 2023 and July 2024. A validation cohort was also included.ExposuresTargeted treatment use.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcomes were differences in circulating tumor DNA profiles and use of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors between Black and White patients with metastatic breast cancer.ResultsThe study sample included 1327 women with mBC (mean [SD] age, 58.0 [12.8] years; 140 Black and 1057 White). Black patients had a significantly higher rate of GATA3 single-nucleotide variants (odds ratio, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.17-4.54; P = .02) and CCND2 copy number variants (odds ratio, 4.63; 95% CI, 1.79-11.97; P = .002) on multivariate analysis. These differences were validated in a population-based evidence cohort of 27 224 patients. Black patients with PIK3CA single-nucleotide variants were significantly less likely to receive PI3K inhibitors than White patients (1 of 17 [5.9%] vs 45 of 156 [28.8%]; P = .04), whereas there was no difference in use of CDK4/6 and mTOR inhibitors, which do not require a targetable alteration. Black patients had a shorter overall survival from the time of circulating tumor DNA testing compared with White patients.Conclusions and RelevanceThis cohort study of patients with mBC found somatic differences, shorter overall survival, and targeted treatment disparities in PI3K inhibitor use in Black compared with White patients despite equal incidence of PIK3CA alterations. Researchers should consider these differences when designing future research and interventions to address the striking and persistent outcomes gap between Black and White patients with mBC.