bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biologically induced mineralization of dypingite by cyanobacteria from an alkaline wetland near Atlin, British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Power Ian M , Wilson Sasha , Thom James M , Dipple Gregory M , Southam Gordon 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Background
This study provides experimental evidence for biologically induced precipitation of magnesium carbonates, specifically dypingite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·5H2O), by cyanobacteria from an alkaline wetland near Atlin, British Columbia. This wetland is part of a larger hydromagnesite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·4H2O) playa. Abiotic and biotic processes for magnesium carbonate precipitation in this environment are compared.

Results
Field observations show that evaporation of wetland water produces carbonate films of nesquehonite (MgCO3·3H2O) on the water surface and crusts on exposed surfaces. In contrast, benthic microbial mats possessing filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya sp.) contain platy dypingite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·5H2O) and aragonite. Bulk carbonates in the benthic mats (δ13C avg. = 6.7‰, δ18O avg. = 17.2‰) were isotopically distinguishable from abiotically formed nesquehonite (δ13C avg. = 9.3‰, δ18O avg. = 24.9‰). Field and laboratory experiments, which emulated natural conditions, were conducted to provide insight into the processes for magnesium carbonate precipitation in this environment. Field microcosm experiments included an abiotic control and two microbial systems, one containing ambient wetland water and one amended with nutrients to simulate eutrophic conditions. The abiotic control developed an extensive crust of nesquehonite on its bottom surface during which [Mg2+] decreased by 16.7% relative to the starting concentration. In the microbial systems, precipitation occurred within the mats and was not simply due to the capturing of mineral grains settling out of the water column. Magnesium concentrations decreased by 22.2% and 38.7% in the microbial systems, respectively. Laboratory experiments using natural waters from the Atlin site produced rosettes and flakey globular aggregates of dypingite precipitated in association with filamentous cyanobacteria dominated biofilms cultured from the site, whereas the abiotic control again precipitated nesquehonite.

Conclusion
Microbial mats in the Atlin wetland create ideal conditions for biologically induced precipitation of dypingite and have presumably played a significant role in the development of this natural Mg-carbonate playa. This biogeochemical process represents an important link between the biosphere and the inorganic carbon pool.
Direct maximum parsimony phylogeny reconstruction from genotype data
Authors: Sridhar Srinath , Lam Fumei , Blelloch Guy E , Ravi R , Schwartz Russell 
Published: December 2007

AbstractBackgroundMaximum parsimony phylogenetic tree reconstruction from genetic variation data is a fundamental problem in computational genetics with many practical applications in population genetics, whole genome analysis, and the search for genetic predictors of disease. Efficient methods are available for reconstruction of maximum parsimony trees from haplotype data, but such data are difficult to determine directly for autosomal DNA. Data more commonly is available in the form of genotypes, which consist of conflated combinations of pairs of haplotypes from homologous chromosomes. Currently, there are no general algorithms for the direct reconstruction of maximum parsimony phylogenies from genotype data. Hence phylogenetic applications for autosomal data must therefore rely on other methods for first computationally inferring haplotypes from genotypes.ResultsIn this work, we develop the first practical method for computing maximum parsimony phylogenies directly from genotype data. We show that the standard practice of first inferring haplotypes from genotypes and then reconstructing a phylogeny on the haplotypes often substantially overestimates phylogeny size. As an immediate application, our method can be used to determine the minimum number of mutations required to explain a given set of observed genotypes.ConclusionPhylogeny reconstruction directly from unphased data is computationally feasible for moderate-sized problem instances and can lead to substantially more accurate tree size inferences than the standard practice of treating phasing and phylogeny construction as two separate analysis stages. The difference between the approaches is particularly important for downstream applications that require a lower-bound on the number of mutations that the genetic region has undergone.
Determinants of Skeletal Age Deviation in a Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Powell Sandi , Ma Deqiong , Jones Graeme 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Objective: Skeletal age deviation (SAD) is associated with bone mass and fracture risk in children, but factors determining this are unknown. The aim of this population-based cross-sectional study was to describe the factors associated with SAD.
Methods: A convenience sample of 640 male and female children aged 7–17 yr was studied. All were assessed for body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), diet, strength, dexterity, habitual physical activity, sunlight exposure, smoking, and medication use. Skeletal age was assigned using the Tanner-Whitehouse-2 method.
Results: Subjects with a SAD greater than the 75th percentile had significantly higher height, weight, and Tanner stage compared with all other subjects. Bone-free lean mass, fat mass, and grip strength were positively associated with SAD. In multivariate analysis, ever smoking and use of inhaled corticosteroids were negatively associated with SAD, whereas milk drinking was positively associated with SAD. There was no significant association between sunlight exposure, television watching, light, or strenuous exercise and SAD.
Conclusions: The results of this study should be regarded as hypothesis generating but are biologically plausible and suggest that body composition, strength, diet, ever smoking, and inhaled corticosteroid use may be determinants of bone maturity relative to age and thus affect fracture risk in children. However, more studies are necessary to explore other determinants of SAD such as genetic and perinatal factors and whether SAD influences peak bone mass.
Fusion of the wrist in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Toma C. D. , Machacek P. , Bitzan P. , Assadian O. , Trieb K. , Wanivenhaus A. 
Published: December 2007

We retrospectively compared wrist arthrodesis using the Mannerfelt technique in 19 or an AO-plate in 23 patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis. The mean follow-up was for 76 months. Compared with the Mannerfelt fusion group, patients in the AO-plate group reported greater satisfaction with their wrist function (74% vs 37%, p = 0.015). Complications were reported in six wrists in the AO-plate group and two wrists in the Mannerfelt fusion group (p = 0.258). At final follow-up, 95% of patients (41) reported either no pain or only mild pain. There was improvement in flexion of the finger joints in both groups but no significant improvement in the extension lag in either group. Both methods relieve pain and improve function. Overall, the activities of daily living scores and the patients’ subjective assessment of outcome tended to be higher in the AO-plate group than in the Mannerfelt fusion group, although the difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, although more postoperative complications occurred in the AO-plate group, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.
The management of cubitus varus and valgus using the Ilizarov method
Authors: Piskin A. , Tomak Y. , Sen C. , Tomak L. 
Published: December 2007

Cubitus varus and valgus are the most common complications of supracondylar and lateral condylar fractures. Various combinations of osteotomy and fixation have been described to correct these deformities but each is associated with significant complications. In this study, we used distraction osteogenesis and Ilizarov frame fixation to treat 24 elbows in 23 patients with cubitus varus or valgus. Their clinical outcome was evaluated using the protocol of Bellemore et al. The mean time to follow-up was 18.3 months (10 to 36) and the mean time to frame removal was 13.5 weeks (8 to 20). The mean carrying angle was corrected from −18.7° (−10° to −30°) to 6.1° (2° to 10°) in patients with cubitus varus and from 36.5° (25° to 45°) to 9.4° (4° to 15°) in patients with cubitus valgus. There were 18 excellent and six good results. The Ilizarov method with gradual distraction is a safe, stable, adjustable and versatile method of treating deformities at the elbow without the problems of an unsightly scar or limited range of movement, and gives a good clinical and radiological outcome. Tardy ulnar nerve palsy should be treated first by anterior transposition.
The ‘four-in-one’ procedure for habitual dislocation of the patella in children
Authors: Joo S. Y. , Park K. B. , Kim B. R. , Park H. W. , Kim H. W. 
Published: December 2007

We describe our experience with the ‘four-in-one’ procedure for habitual dislocation of the patella in five children (six knees). All the patients presented with severe generalised ligamentous laxity and aplasia of the trochlear groove. All had a lateral release, proximal ‘tube’ realignment of the patella, semitendinosus tenodesis and transfer of the patellar tendon. The mean age at the time of the operation was 6.1 years (4.9 to 6.9), and the patients were followed up for a mean of 54.5 months (31 to 66). The clinical results were evaluated using the Kujala score. There has been no recurrence of dislocation. All the patients have returned to full activities and the parents and children were satisfied with the clinical results. The mean Kujala score was 95.3 (88 to 98). Two patients had marginal skin necrosis which healed after debridement and secondary closure. These early results in this small group have shown that the ‘four-in-one’ procedure is effective in the treatment of obligatory dislocation of the patella in children with severe ligamentous laxity and trochlear aplasia.
Total hip replacement in renal transplant patients
Authors: Nowicki P. , Chaudhary H. 
Published: December 2007

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head creates considerable morbidity in successful renal transplant recipients who are generally young and expect active lifestyles. Total hip replacement is considered the treatment of choice in these patients, but surgeons may be wary because of a supposed increase in the risk of infection and other complications. A review of the literature reveals that cemented hip arthroplasty provides good to excellent functional outcomes for renal transplant patients. Most authors have found that the risk of infection is not increased despite chronic immunosuppression, but the rates of general complications are and should be anticipated and treated. There is a high rate of early failure in these patients because of their young age and diffuse osteopenia as a result of secondary hyperparathyroidism related to the underlying renal disease and chronic steroid use. Recent studies have found that despite decreased bone stock in these patients, porous-coated prostheses are not contraindicated.
Radiological evidence of femoroacetabular impingement in mild slipped capital femoral epiphysis
Authors: Fraitzl C. R. , Käfer W. , Nelitz M. , Reichel H. 
Published: December 2007

Conventional treatment of mild slipped capital femoral epiphysis consists of fixation in situ with wires or screws. Recent contributions to the literature suggest that even a mild slip may lead to early damage of the acetabular labrum and adjacent cartilage by abutment of a prominent femoral metaphysis. It has been suggested that the appropriate treatment in mild slipped capital femoral epiphysis should not only prevent further slipping of the epiphysis, but also address potential femoroacetabular impingement by restoring the anatomy of the proximal femur.Between October 1984 and December 1995 we treated 16 patients for unilateral mild slipped capital femoral epiphysis by fixation in situ with Kirschner wires. In this study we have reviewed these patients for clinical and radiological evidence of femoroacetabular impingement. There was little clinical indication of impingement but radiological evaluation assessing the femoral head-neck ratio and measuring the Nötzli α angle on the anteroposterior and cross-table radiographs showed significant alterations in the proximal femur. None of the affected hips had a normal head-neck ratio and the mean α angle was 86° (55° to 99°) and 55° (40° to 94°) on the anteroposterior and lateral cross-table radiographs, respectively.While our clinical data favours conventional treatment, our radiological findings are in support of restoring the anatomy of the proximal femur to avoid or delay the development of femoroacetabular impingement following mild slipped capital femoral epiphysis.
Using Budget Pies to Reveal Preferences: Validation of a Survey Instrument
Authors: McIver John P. , Ostrom Elinor 
Published: December 2007

Why use a budget pie? A classic problem faccs everyone who is curious about the perferences of at least one other individual: How can some simple questions lead us to accurately know about another’s preferences? Husbands and wives sometimes face this problem when they are trying to find out where the other would like to vacation, what type of Christmas present the other would like, and so on. Some spouses try to hide their own prefercnces, deferring instead to the preferences of the other. Some married couples end up doing something neither partner prefers, both of them believing they are doing the thing the other most wants.
In the market-place, the entrepreneur faces the problem of ascertaining what his customers prefer. A misjudgement on his part will result in a loss of sales and profit. Continued difficulty in determining others’ prefcrences will result in business failure. But a private entrepreneur does have some information to go on. As private consumers purchase goods, they reveal their preferences for certain goods at one price over other goods at other prices. In the short run, quid pro quo relationships reveal much about the preferences of buyers for the goods and services they are currently offered.
Efficacy of Memantine on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms Related to Dementia: A Systematic Meta-Analysis
Authors: Maidment Ian D , Fox Chris G , Boustani Malaz , Rodriguez Jorge , Brown Ruth C , Katona Cornelius L 
Published: December 2007

Background: The behavioral and psychological symptoms related to dementia (BPSD) are difficult to manage and are associated with adverse patient outcomes. Objective: To systematically analyze the data on memantine in the treatment of BPSD. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Pharm-line, the Cochrane Centre Collaboration, www.clinicaltrials.gov , www.controlled-trials.com , and PsycINFO (1966–July 2007). We contacted manufacturers and scrutinized the reference sections of articles identified in our search for further references, including conference proceedings. Two researchers (IM and CF) independently reviewed all studies Identified by the search strategy. We Included 6 randomized, parallel-group, double-blind studies that rated BPSD with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) in our meta-analysis. Patients had probable Alzheimer's disease and received treatment with memantine for at least one month. Overall efficacy of memantine on the NPI was established with a t-test for the average difference between means across studies, using a random effects model. Results: Five of the 6 studies identified had NPI outcome data. In these 5 studies, 868 patients were treated with memantine and 882 patients were treated with placebo. Patients on memantine improved by 1.99 on the NPI scale (95% CI –0.08 to –3.91: p = 0.041) compared with the placebo group. Conclusions: Initial data appear to indicate that memantine decreases NPI scores and may have a role in managing BPSD. However, there are a number of limitations with the current data; the effect size was relatively small, and whether memantine produces significant clinical benefit is not dear.
Evaluation of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden biopulping with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora under non-aseptic conditions
Authors: Masarin Fernando , Ferraz André 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
In biopulping, efficient wood colonization by a selected white-rot fungus depends on previous wood chip decontamination to avoid the growth of primary molds. Although simple to perform in the laboratory, in large-scale biopulping trials, complete wood decontamination is difficult to achieve. Furthermore, the use of fungal growth promoters such as corn steep liquor enhances the risk of culture contamination. This paper evaluates the ability of the biopulping fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora to compete with indigenous fungi in cultures of fresh or poorly decontaminated Eucalyptus grandis wood chips. While cultures containing autoclaved wood chips were completely free of contaminants, primary molds grew rapidly when non-autoclaved wood chips were used, resulting in heavily contaminated cultures, regardless of the C. subvermispora inoculum/wood ratio evaluated (5, 50 and 3000 mg mycelium kg−1 wood). Studies on benomyl-amended medium suggested that the fungi involved competed by consumption of the easily available nutrient sources, with C. subvermispora less successful than the contaminant fungi. The use of acid-washed wood chips decreased the level of such contaminant fungi, but production of manganese peroxidase and xylanases was also decreased under these conditions. Nevertheless, chemithermomechanical pulping of acid-washed samples biotreated under non-aseptic conditions gave similar fibrillation improvements compared to samples subjected to the standard biodegradation process using autoclaved wood chips.
A new and facile method for isolation of lignin from wood based on complete wood dissolution
Authors: Fasching Mario , Schröder Philipp , Wollboldt R. Petra , Weber Hedda K. , Sixta Herbert 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
A new method for the isolation of lignin in high yield from wood and pretreated wood is presented, avoiding the liquid-solid extraction step of the classical milled wood lignin (MWL) isolation. Dissolved wood lignin (DWL) was obtained by total dissolution of ball milled wood in dimethylsulfoxide and N-methylimidazole (DMSO/NMI) followed by precipitation in dioxane/water in the course of which lignin and carbohydrate fractions were separated. The lignin fraction was purified. High lignin yields and the low number of separation steps belong to the advantages of the described method. DWL lignin was isolated from beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) and the sample was compared to MWL obtained by the classical Björkman method. Elemental analyses, methoxyl group content, potassium permanganate oxidation, infrared spectroscopy, and 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated that both lignin preparations are quite similar. However, MWL contained significantly more phenolic hydroxyl groups than DWL. The results indicated that MWL contains higher amounts of smaller fractions with broken β-O-4 linkages than DWL.
Isolation and characterization of lignins from Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden and Eucalyptus globulus Labill. by enzymatic mild acidolysis (EMAL)
Authors: Guerra Anderson , Lucia Lucian A. , Argyropoulos Dimitris S. 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Despite the growing importance of Eucalyptus wood as raw material for pulp and paper, there is a lack of knowledge on the chemistry of their macromolecular components. The present paper addresses this issue by applying the recently developed protocol for isolating enzymatic mild acidolysis lignins (EMAL) from Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus globulus and the softwood species Douglas fir and white fir, which were used for comparative purposes. The structures of EMALs were investigated by quantitative 31P NMR, DFRC/31P NMR (derivatization followed by reductive cleavage followed by quantitative 31P NMR) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Overall, the yields of EMALs isolated from Eucalyptus were higher than those from the softwoods examined. Lignin from E. globulus was found to contain higher contents of arylglycerol-β-aryl ether structures, free phenolic hydroxyl groups and syringyl-type units than lignin from E. grandis. New insights provided by the DFRC/31P NMR revealed that up to 62.2% of arylglycerol-β-aryl ether structures in E. globulus are uncondensed, while in E. grandis the amount of such uncondensed structures was found to be lower than 48%. SEC analyses showed that lignins from E. grandis and softwoods associate in greater extension than lignin from E. globulus.
Effects of Education on Return-to-Work Status for People With Fear-Avoidance Beliefs and Acute Low Back Pain
Authors: Godges Joseph J , Anger Marie A , Zimmerman Grenith , Delitto Anthony 
Published: December 2007

Background and PurposePeople with acute low back injury and fear-avoidance beliefs are at risk for remaining off work for an extended period of time. However, the effectiveness of intervention strategies for improving return-to-work status in people with acute low back pain and fear-avoidance beliefs has not been reported. The objective of this study was to determine whether education and counseling on pain management, physical activity, and exercise could significantly decrease the number of days that people with low back injury are off work.SubjectsThirty-four people who were unable to return to work following a work-related episode of low back pain and who exhibited fear-avoidance beliefs participated in this study.MethodsParticipants who scored 50 points or higher on the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire were alternately assigned to an education group or a comparison group. Both groups received conventional physical therapy intervention. Participants in the education group were given education and counseling on pain management tactics and the value of physical activity and exercise. The effectiveness of the interventions was measured by the number of days before people returned to work without restrictions.ResultsAll participants in the education group returned to regular work duties within 45 days. One third of the participants in the comparison group remained off work at 45 days. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups with regard to the number of days before returning to work.Discussion and ConclusionEducation and counseling regarding pain management, physical activity, and exercise can reduce the number of days off work in people with fear-avoidance beliefs and acute low back pain.