bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fast track: Has it changed patient care in the emergency department?
Authors: Kwa Paul , Blake Denise 
Published: November 2007

AbstractObjective:  To determine whether the introduction of a designated fast‐track area altered the time to care and patient flow in an Australian mixed adult and paediatric ED.Methods:  Retrospective cohort study of all patients presenting to the ED between 08.00 and 22.00 hours, during a 6 month period before and after the opening of a fast‐track area. Data were stratified according to Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) category, and comparisons were made for performance indicators, waiting time, length of stay and did‐not‐waits.Results:  During its operational hours, fast track managed 14.9% of all patients presenting to the ED. There was a significant increase in the proportion of all ATS 4 patients seen within their target times (77.8% to 79.9%, P < 0.001). There was a trend towards improved performance in ATS categories 2, 3 and 5. Median patient waiting times were significantly decreased in ATS 4 (24 to 22 min, P < 0.001) and ATS 5 (27 to 25 min, P < 0.05), but increased in ATS 2 (3 to 4 min, P < 0.05). No deterioration in performance or waiting time for ATS 1 was shown. There was a decreasing trend in the proportion of patients who did not wait to be assessed by a doctor in ATS categories 4 and 5. These improvements occurred despite a 12% increase in patient attendances and no change in medical staffing levels.Conclusions:  Fast track in an Australian mixed ED can help meet the demand of increasing patient attendances, allowing lower‐acuity patients to be seen quickly without a negative impact on high‐acuity patients.
Leucine Aminopeptidase Is an Immunodominant Antigen of
Fasciola hepatica
Excretory and Secretory Products in Human Infections
Authors: Marcilla A. , De la Rubia J. E. , Sotillo J. , Bernal D. , Carmona C. , Villavicencio Z. , Acosta D. , Tort J. , Bornay F. J. , Esteban J. G. , Toledo R. 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

The liver fluke
Fasciola hepatica
parasitizes humans and ruminant livestock worldwide, and it is now being considered a reemerging zoonotic disease, especially in areas in which it is endemic, such as South America. This study investigates the immune response to excretory and secretory products produced by
F. hepatica
in a group of patients from the Peruvian Altiplano, where the disease is highly endemic. Using a proteomic approach and immunoblotting techniques, we have identified the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase as immunodominant antigens recognized by sera from fasciolosis patients. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant LAP as the antigen was developed to check sera from individuals of this region. Our results demonstrate that LAP produces a specific and strong reaction, suggesting its potential use in the serologic diagnosis of
F. hepatica
infections in humans.
Acute Renal Failure Due to Acute Tubular Necrosis Caused by Direct Invasion of
Orientia tsutsugamushi
Authors: Kim Dong-Min , Kang Dae Woong , Kim Jong O. , Chung Jong Hoon , Kim Hyun Lee , Park Chi Young , Lim Sung-Chul 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

We describe a scrub typhus patient with acute renal failure for whom a diagnosis was made based on serology as well as immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and an electron microscopic examination (EM) of a renal biopsy specimen. For our case, we demonstrated by IHC staining and EM that renal failure was caused by acute tubular necrosis due to a direct invasion of
Orientia tsutsugamushi
.
Improvement of PCR for Detection of
Opisthorchis viverrini
DNA in Human Stool Samples
Authors: Duenngai Kunyarat , Sithithaworn Paiboon , Rudrappa Umesha Kanasinakatte , Iddya Karunasagar , Laha Thewarach , Stensvold Christen Rune , Strandgaard Hanne , Johansen Maria Vang 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

Opisthorchis viverrini
is an important food-borne trematode in Southeast Asia. The infection causes significant morbidity in terms of hepatobiliary diseases and cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to improve the sensitivity of the PCR-based diagnosis of
O. viverrini
infection. A new fecal DNA extraction protocol for the detection of
O. viverrini
DNA using cetyltrimethyl-ammoniumbromide to remove PCR inhibitor was used and compared with the commercial stool kit method. The sensitivity of the new test was 79.3%, compared with the 44.8% of the previous method (
P
< 0.01). PCR-positive tests identified several cases judged parasite negative by the parasitological method (28.6%), indicating the new test's advantage in the diagnosis of individuals with light infections.
High Rates of Transmission of and Colonization by
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and
Haemophilus influenzae
within a Day Care Center Revealed in a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Sá-Leão Raquel , Nunes Sónia , Brito-Avô António , Alves Carla R. , Carriço João A. , Saldanha Joana , Almeida Jonas S. , Santos-Sanches Ilda , de Lencastre Hermíniade 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

Day care centers (DCCs) are unique settings where young children are at increased risk for colonization by pneumococci and
Haemophilus influenzae
. Although point prevalence studies in DCCs are frequent, only a few longitudinal studies on the dynamics of colonization have been published. We conducted a 1-year longitudinal study with 11 sampling periods on nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci and
H. influenzae
among 47 children who attended a single DCC. All isolates were antibiotyped and genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Pneumococci were also serotyped. Of the 414 samples obtained, 61.4% contained pneumococci, and 87% contained
H. influenzae
. Only 8.3% of the samples were negative for both species. Twenty-one pneumococcal clones and 47
H. influenzae
clones were identified. Introduction of clones occurred during all year. Ninety-eight percent and 96% of all pneumococcal and
H. influenzae
isolates, respectively, belonged to clones shared by more than one child. Children were sequentially colonized with up to six pneumococcal clones (mean, 3.6) and five serotypes and nine
H. influenzae
clones (mean, 7.1). Clones with increased capacity for transmission and/or prolonged colonization were identified in both species. These two fitness properties appeared to be independent. In conclusion, among DCC attendees, a high rate of acquisition and turnover of strains was observed, and all children were overwhelmingly colonized by clones shared with others. DCCs are units where permanent introduction of new clones occurs, and attendees, as a whole, provide a pool of hosts where the fittest clones find privileged opportunities to persist and expand.
Clostridium perfringen
s Type A Strains Carrying a Plasmid-Borne Enterotoxin Gene (Genotype IS
1151
-
cpe
or IS
1470
-like-
cpe
) as a Common Cause of Food Poisoning
Authors: Lahti Päivi , Heikinheimo Annamari , Johansson Tuula , Korkeala Hannu 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT

The prevalences of various genotypes of enterotoxin gene-carrying (
cpe
-positive)
Clostridium perfringens
type A in 24 different food poisoning outbreaks were 75% (chromosomal IS
1470
-
cpe
), 21% (plasmid-borne IS
1470
-like-
cpe
), and 4% (plasmid-borne IS
1151
-
cpe
). These results show that
C. perfringens
type A carrying the plasmid-borne
cpe
is a common cause of food poisoning.
Transcriptome Analysis of NF-κB- and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Regulated Genes in Human Cytomegalovirus-Infected Monocytes
Authors: Chan Gary , Bivins-Smith Elizabeth R. , Smith M. Shane , Yurochko Andrew D. 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACTHuman cytomegalovirus induces a proinflammatory monocyte following infection, and we have evidence that NF-κB and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase [PI(3)K] are key mediators in this early activation. To begin to address how these signaling pathways are responsible for the rapid activation of infected monocytes, we examined the role that these pathways played in the transcriptome of infected monocytes. Global transcriptional profiling using cDNA microarrays revealed that a significant number of genes, including inflammatory genes, were regulated in an NF-κB- and/or PI(3)K-dependent manner, identifying the NF-κB and PI(3)K pathways as key cellular control points in the conversion of monocytes to an activated proinflammatory state following HCMV infection.
An Ectromelia Virus Protein That Interacts with Chemokines through Their Glycosaminoglycan Binding Domain
Authors: Ruiz-Argüello M. Begoña , Smith Vincent P. , Campanella Gabriele S. V. , Baleux Françoise , Arenzana-Seisdedos Fernando , Luster Andrew D. , Alcami Antonio 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACTPoxviruses encode a number of secreted virulence factors that modulate the host immune response. The vaccinia virus A41 protein is an immunomodulatory protein with amino acid sequence similarity to the 35-kDa chemokine binding protein, but the host immune molecules targeted by A41 have not been identified. We report here that the vaccinia virus A41 ortholog encoded by ectromelia virus, a poxvirus pathogen of mice, named E163 in the ectromelia virus Naval strain, is a secreted 31-kDa glycoprotein that selectively binds a limited number of CC and CXC chemokines with high affinity. A detailed characterization of the interaction of ectromelia virus E163 with mutant forms of the chemokines CXCL10 and CXCL12α indicated that E163 binds to the glycosaminoglycan binding site of the chemokines. This suggests that E163 inhibits the interaction of chemokines with glycosaminoglycans and provides a mechanism by which E163 prevents chemokine-induced leukocyte migration to the sites of infection. In addition to interacting with chemokines, E163 can interact with high affinity with glycosaminoglycan molecules, enabling E163 to attach to cell surfaces and to remain in the vicinity of the sites of viral infection. These findings identify E163 as a new chemokine binding protein in poxviruses and provide a molecular mechanism for the immunomodulatory activity previously reported for the vaccinia virus A41 ortholog. The results reported here also suggest that the cell surface and extracellular matrix are important targeting sites for secreted poxvirus immune modulators.
The First Hypervariable Region of the gp120 Env Glycoprotein Defines the Neutralizing Susceptibility of Heterologous Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Isolates to Neutralizing Antibodies Elicited by the SF162gp140 Immunogen
Authors: Ching Lance K. , Vlachogiannis Giorgos , Bosch Katherine A. , Stamatatos Leonidas 
Published: November 2007

ABSTRACT
Current vaccine efforts to elicit cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) focus on the engineering of soluble mimetics of the trimeric HIV Env glycoprotein (commonly termed gp140 immunogens). Such immunogens are thought to be more effective than previously tested monomeric gp120 immunogens at eliciting cross-reactive NAbs. Still, the breadth of neutralizing antibody responses elicited by gp140 immunogens is narrow. Understanding why antibodies elicited by gp140 immunogens fail to neutralize a wide range of heterologous primary HIV isolates is necessary for improving the design of such immunogens. We previously reported that antibodies elicited in macaques by SF162 Env-derived gp140 immunogens fail to neutralize several heterologous “neutralization-resistant” primary HIV type 1 isolates, such as JRFL, ADA, and YU2. Here we show that by replacing the V1 region of Env on these heterologous viruses with that of SF162, we render them highly susceptible to neutralization by the SF162gp140-elicited antibodies. We observed that viral neutralization was mediated not only by vaccine-elicited anti-V1 but also by anti-V3 antibodies and antibodies directed against as yet unidentified Env regions, depending on the heterologous Env background. Our study indicates that common neutralization epitopes are differentially exposed on diverse primary HIV isolates and that the V1 loop contributes to this differential exposure. Therefore, the antibody responses elicited by soluble gp140 immunogens will have to overcome several distinct obstacles in order to neutralize diverse primary HIV isolates.
Goal-directed weakening of abstract interpretation results
Authors: Seo Sunae , Yang Hongseok , Yi Kwangkeun , Han Taisook 
Published: November 2007

One proposal for automatic construction of proofs about programs is to combine Hoare logic and abstract interpretation. Constructing proofs is in Hoare logic. Discovering programs' invariants is done by abstract interpreters.
One problem of this approach is that abstract interpreters often compute invariants that are not needed for the proof goal. The reason is that the abstract interpreter does not know what the proof goal is, so it simply tries to find as strong invariants as possible. These unnecessary invariants increase the size of the constructed proofs. Unless the proof-construction phase is notified which invariants are not needed, it blindly proves all the computed invariants.

In this article, we present a framework for designing algorithms, called
abstract-value slicers
, that slice out unnecessary invariants from the results of forward abstract interpretation. The framework provides a generic abstract-value slicer that can be instantiated into a slicer for a particular abstract interpretation. Such an instantiated abstract-value slicer works as a post-processor to an abstract interpretation in the whole proof-construction process, and notifies to the next proof-construction phase which invariants it does not have to prove. Using the framework, we designed an abstract-value slicer for an existing relational analysis and applied it on programs. In this experiment, the slicer identified 62%--81% of the computed invariants as unnecessary, and resulted in 52%--84% reduction in the size of constructed proofs.
Can programming be liberated from the two-level style
Authors: Kühne Thomas , Schreiber Daniel 
Published: November 2007

Since the introduction of object-oriented programming few programming languages have attempted to provide programmers with more than objects and classes, i.e., more than two levels. Those that did, almost exclusively aimed at describing language properties-i.e., their metaclasses exert linguistic control on language concepts and mechanisms-often in order to make the language extensible. In terms of supporting logical domain classification levels, however, they are still limited to two levels.
In this paper we conservatively extend the object-oriented programming paradigm to feature an unbounded number of domain classification levels. We can therefore avoid the introduction of accidental complexity into programs caused by accommodating multiple domain levels within only two programming levels. We present a corresponding language design featuring ``deep instantiation'' and demonstrate its features with a running example. Finally, we outline the implementation of our compiler prototype and discuss the potentials of further developing our language design.
Notation and representation in collaborative object-oriented design
Authors: Dekel Uri , Herbsleb James D. 
Published: November 2007

Software designers in the object-oriented paradigm can make use of modeling tools and standard notations such as UML. Nevertheless, casual observations from collocated design collaborations suggest that teams tend to use physical mediums to sketch a plethora of informal diagrams in varied representations that often diverge from UML. To better understand such collaborations and support them with tools, we need to understand the origins, roles, uses, and implications of these alternate representations. To this end we conducted observational studies of collaborative design exercises, in which we focused on representation use.
Our primary finding is that teams intentionally improviserepresentations and organize design information in responseto ad-hoc needs, which arise from the evolution of the design, and which are difficult to meet with fixed standard notations. This behavior incurs orientation and grounding difficulties for which teams compensate by relying on memory, other communication mediums, and contextual cues. Without this additional information the artifacts are difficult to interpret and have limited documentation potential. Collaborative design tools and processes should therefore focus on preserving contextual information while permitting unconstrained mixing and improvising of notations.
Modular verification of higher-order methods with mandatory calls specified by model programs
Authors: Shaner Steve M. , Leavens Gary T. , Naumann David A. 
Published: November 2007

What we call a''higher-order method" (HOM) is a method that makes mandatory calls to other dynamically-dispatched methods. Examples include template methods as in the Template method design pattern and notify methods in the Observer pattern. HOMs are particularly difficult to reason about, because standard pre- and postcondition specifications cannot describe the mandatory calls. For reasoning about such methods, existing approaches use either higher order logic or traces, but both are complex and verbose.
We describe a simple, concise, and modular approach to specifying HOMs We show how to verify calls to HOMs and their code using first-order verification conditions, in asound and modular way.
Verification of client code that calls HOMs can take advantage of the client's knowledge about the mandatory calls to make strong conclusions. Our verification technique validates and explains traditional documentation practice for HOMs, which typically shows their code. However, specifications do not have to expose all of the code to clients, but only enough to determine how the HOM makes its mandatory calls.
Starc
Authors: Elkarablieh Bassem , Khurshid Sarfraz , Vu Duy , McKinley Kathryn S. 
Published: November 2007

Data structure corruptions are insidious bugs that reduce the reliability of software systems. Constraint-based datastructure repair promises to help programs recover from potentially crippling corruption errors. Prior work repairs a variety of relatively small data structures, usually with hundreds of nodes.
We present STARC which uses static analysis to repair data structures with tens of thousands of nodes. Given a Java predicate method that describes the integrity constraints of a structure, STARC statically analyzes the method to identify: (1) the recurrent fields, i.e., fields that the predicate method uses to traverse the structure; and (2) local field constraints, i.e., how the value of an object field is related to the value of a neighboring object field. STARC executes the predicate method on the structure and monitors its execution to identify corrupt object fields, which STARC then repairs using a systematic search of a neighborhood of the given structure. Each repair action is guided by the result of the static analysis, which enables more efficient and effective repair compared to prior work. Experimental results showthat STARC can repair structures with tens of thousands of nodes, up to 100 times larger than prior work.
STARC efficiency is probably not practical for very large data structures in deployed systems, but opens a promising direction for future work.
Multiple ownership
Authors: Cameron Nicholas R. , Drossopoulou Sophia , Noble James , Smith Matthew J. 
Published: November 2007

Existing ownership type systems require objects to have precisely one primary owner, organizing the heap into an ownership tree. Unfortunately, a tree structure is too restrictive for many programs, and prevents many common design patterns where multiple objects interact.
Multiple Ownership is an ownership type system where objects can have more than one owner, and the resulting ownership structure forms a DAG. We give a straightforward model for multiple ownership, focusing in particular on how multiple ownership can support a powerful effects system that determines when two computations interfere-in spite of the DAG structure.
We present a core programming language MOJO, Multiple ownership for Java-like Objects, including a type and effects system, and soundness proof. In comparison to other systems, MOJO imposes absolutely no restrictions on pointers, modifications or programs' structure, but in spite of this, MOJO's effects can be used to reason about or describe programs' behaviour.
SA1
Authors: Barnes John G. P. 
Published: November 2007

This tutorial assumes no previous knowledge or experience with the Ada programming language.
Ada was originally designed in around 1980. Important goals included: to provide a portable and uniform language to replace a number of existing languages then in use; to capture the state of the art in language design; to recognize that programming was a serious engineering discipline; and to be highly reliable and encourage the development of long lived and maintainable programs.
However, Ada 83 (as the first version was known) was developed before the ideas of OOP matured and tasking was fully understood. Accordingly Ada was enhanced in 1995 to cover these topics and others. In this tutorial John will introduce the main themes of Ada and hopefully show why it is an excellent language for systems that need to be reliable and to be maintained.
MF1
Authors: Chapman Rod 
Published: November 2007

Practising software engineers, programme managers, and those involved with procurement of high-integrity software systems might attend this tutorial. Some background in the development of safety- or security-critical software might be useful, but not essential.
This tutorial will cover the use of "Correctness by Construction" (CbyC) techniques in the development of highly secure software systems. While the use of CbyC is well-known in the development of safety-related systems, it has also been deployed in the domain of highly secure systems. The software world seems plagued by security problems caused by basic mistakes in software design and construction, but this tutorial will show how practices from the safety-critical domain can be used to tackle these problems. In particular, the role of formal methods, programming language design, and strong static verification will be covered. The tutorial will be illustrated with reference to CbyC security projects such as the MULTOS CA and the NSA Tokeneer system.
Software security is one of the highest-profile and most important topics facing researchers today. The plague of "buffer overflow" and similar attacks that we read about every day seem almost endemic, yet these are problems that have been faced (and solved) by the safety-critical community for many years. This tutorial will recount our experience in building high-grade secure systems using the CbyC approach developed by Praxis over the last 15 years.
MA1
Authors: McCormick John W. 
Published: November 2007

This tutorial assumes basic knowledge or experience with the Ada programming language.
This tutorial covers two of the major problems with parallel and real-time programming -- time management and storage management. Parallel processing, whether on single-processor machines or multiple processors, has many pitfalls. We will examine these potential pitfalls, and discuss ways to avoid common problems, such as deadlocks and race conditions. We will also discuss how to write code that efficiently passes data with other parallel processes. The basics of parallel processing are covered, leading to a discussion and examples using Ada tasking. In addition, the Ada Real-Time Systems Annex is also covered.