bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An autoanti‐Kpb immunoglobulin M that simulates antigen suppression
Authors: Bosco AnnMarie , Xenocostas Anargyros , Kinney Jeff , Cadwell Chantel M. , Zimring James C. 
Published: January 2009

BACKGROUND: Patients may present with an antibody against a blood group antigen, a negative direct antiglobulin test (DAT), and a null phenotype. Typically, this represents an alloantibody in a null individual. However, on occasion, the antibody disappears coincident with conversion to a positive red blood cell (RBC) phenotype. This has been called antigen loss, antigen suppression, or weakened antigenicity. Herein, a unique serologic profile that mimics this pattern, when in fact antigen loss did not occur, is described.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: RBCs and serum were analyzed using a gel microtyping system and flow cytometry. Genomic DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced.RESULTS: Initially, an anti‐Kpb was detected in MTS gel, RBCs typed K−k−Kp(b−), and the DAT was negative for immunoglobulin G (IgG). Later, the anti‐Kpb disappeared and RBCs phenotyped as K−k+Kp(b+). Analysis of initial specimens by flow cytometry identified an immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti‐Kpb with a positive IgM‐specific DAT; eluates contained an anti‐Kpb at immediate spin. Supporting the presence of the Kell glycoprotein, RBCs agglutinated with anti‐Jsb. Sequencing showed homozygosity for Kpb with no mutations surrounding the Kpb polymorphism.CONCLUSION: In antigen loss, antibody masking is excluded by a negative DAT. However, because typical DAT reagent does not detect IgM, such reasoning was inaccurate in the current case. In addition, an anti‐Kpb resulted in RBCs typing k−, even though no anti‐k was detected. Overall, this case suggests that an IgM may mask adjacent epitopes and illustrates the potential to mistake a non‐IgG autoantibody as antigen loss.
Identification of RHD alleles with the potential of anti‐D immunization among seemingly D− blood donors in Upper Austria
Authors: Polin Helene , Danzer Martin , Gaszner Waltraud , Broda Doris , St‐Louis Maryse , Pröll Johannes , Hofer Katja , Gabriel Christian 
Published: January 2009

BACKGROUND: Aberrant RHD alleles leading to a reduced expression of D antigen on the red blood cell (RBC) surface may be mistyped as D− by serology. To quantify the occurrence of weak D, DEL, and D+/− chimera among apparent D− first‐time blood donors, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening was implemented as a routine service.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 23,330 pretyped D− samples were tested for RHD markers in Exons 4, 7, and 10 in pools of 20 by PCR. Samples with positive results in PCR were reevaluated by exon‐specific PCRs, DNA sequencing, and serologic methods.RESULTS: Among 94 PCR‐positive samples, 74 exhibited a weak D or DEL phenotype, dubbed weak D type 1, weak D type 2, weak D type 5, weak D type 32, weak D type 4.3, RHD(M295I), RHD(del147), and RHD(1227G>A). The most prevalent alleles were weak D type 4.3 (n = 31) and RHD(IVS3+1G>A) (n = 24).CONCLUSIONS: As a clinical consequence, 74 blood donor samples carrying weak D and DEL phenotypes with the potential of causing secondary immunizations in recipients were reclassified as D+. Those samples were reliably amplified by RHD Exon 7 PCR; therefore, its usage in the Upper Austrian population is recommended. The association of the weak D type 4.3 samples with a ce leads to the policy that all apparently D− donors should be tested with genotyping methods; otherwise, potentially immunogenic RHD alleles may be overseen.
Reduction of disulfide bonds within anti‐D results in enhanced Fcγ receptor blockade
Authors: Kruspe Andrew S. , Katsman Yulia , Sakac Darinka , Chagneau Cécile , Glistvain Anna , Langler Richard F. , Branch Donald R. 
Published: January 2009

BACKGROUND: We have investigated whether chemicals known to disrupt disulfide bonds are capable of altering immunoglobulin anti‐D structure resulting in an increased efficacy of the chemically modified anti‐D to inhibit Fcγ receptor (FcγR)‐mediated phagocytosis. If successful, this would provide a rationale to explore this mechanism of enhancing FcγR blockade for future use in immunoglobulin therapies for immune cytopenias.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Anti‐D that was shown to block 50 percent of the FcγR‐mediated phagocytosis of opsonized red blood cells (RBCs) using a monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) was combined with two different thiol‐containing compounds, dithiothreitol (DTT) or p‐toluenesulfonylmethyl mercaptan, with or without treatment with iodoacetamide, and allowed to react. Excess chemical was removed by extensive dialysis. FcγR blockade was assessed by MMA with dialyzed, untreated, or chemically treated anti‐D using both D+ and D− opsonized target RBCs. Toxicity was determined by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. Aggregates and oligomerization of chemically treated anti‐D were examined using gel filtration–high pressure liquid chromatography.RESULTS: Using disulfide‐reducing compounds to chemically modify anti‐D significantly increases the efficacy of the anti‐D to induce an FcγR blockade and decrease phagocytosis in vitro of opsonized D+ or D− RBCs. This effect was shown not due to unbound residual chemical, toxicity, or formation of immunoglobulin G oligomers. S‐alkylation was required when using low concentrations of reducing compound.CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that irreversible reduction of interchain disulfide bonds within the immunoglobulin anti‐D results in a significantly increased efficacy to inhibit FcγR‐mediated phagocytosis regardless of opsonized target cell. With the use of this strategy, more effective and less expensive immunoglobulin treatment for immune cytopenias such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura or autoimmune hemolytic anemia may be developed.
A cross‐sectional investigation of discontinuation of self‐injury and normalizing pain perception in patients with borderline personality disorder
Authors: Ludäscher P. , Greffrath W. , Schmahl C. , Kleindienst N. , Kraus A. , Baumgärtner U. , Magerl W. , Treede R.‐D. , Bohus M. 
Published: January 2009

Objective:  Several studies have shown reduced pain perception in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and current self‐injurious behavior (SIB). The aim of the present study was to test whether pain perception in patients with current SIB is different from that of patients who had stopped SIB, and whether pain perception of the latter group differs from healthy controls (HC).Method:  We investigated 24 borderline patients and 24 HC. Thirteen patients showed current SIB (BPD‐SIB) and 11 patients did not exhibit SIB anymore (BPD‐non‐SIB). Pain thresholds were assessed using thermal stimuli and laser radiant heat pulses.Results:  We found significant linear trends for all pain measures. The BPD‐SIB group was less sensitive than the BPD‐non‐SIB group and the latter were less sensitive than HC. The pain sensitivity negatively correlated with borderline symptom severity.Conclusion:  The results suggest an association between the termination of SIB, decline of psychopathology and normalization of pain perception in borderline patients.
Milia complicating bullous polymorphic light eruption
Authors: Bulai Livideanu Cristina , Ammoury Alfred , Viraben Roland , Lamant Laurence , Journée Fabienne , Paul Carle , Marguery Marie Claude 
Published: January 2009

SummaryPolymorphic light eruption (PLE) is the most common photosensitivity disorder. Typically, PLE manifests in the spring or summer months as a recurrent pruritic papular and/or vesicular eruption occurring on photoexposed skin areas following sun exposure. The milia are caused by proliferative tendencies of the epithelium after injury. These may occur in areas of subepidermal bullous eruption. We report an original case of bullous PLE complicated by milia. Such association has not been reported previously.
Effects of zinc supplementation on parent and teacher behaviour rating scores in low socioeconomic level Turkish primary school children
Authors: Üçkardeş Yasemin , Özmert Elif N , Ünal Fatih , Yurdakök Kadriye 
Published: January 2009

AbstractObjective: To determine the effect of zinc supplementation on behaviour in low‐income school aged children.Design: Double‐blind randomized, placebo controlled trial.Setting: Low‐income district primary school in Turkey.Participants: Third grade students in the school. Among 252 students, 226 participated and 218 completed the study.Intervention: Children in each class were randomized either to the study group to receive 15 mg/day elemental zinc syrup or to placebo group to receive the syrup without zinc for 10 weeks.Main Outcome Measures: The change in Conner's Rating Scales for Teachers and Parents scores after supplementation.Results: The mean Conner's Rating Scale for Parents scores on attention deficit, hyperactivity, oppositional behaviour and conduct disorder decreased significantly in the study and placebo groups after supplementation (p < 0.01). The prevalence of children with clinically significant parent ratings on attention deficit (p = 0.01) and hyperactivity (p = 0.004) decreased in the study group while prevalence of oppositional behaviour (p = 0.007) decreased in the placebo group. In children of mothers with low education all mean Parents' scores decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in the study group while only hyperactivity scores decreased in the placebo group (p < 0.01). In this subgroup the prevalence of children with clinically significant scores for attention deficit, hyperactivity and oppositional behaviour decreased only in the study group (p < 0.05). There was no change in mean Teachers' scores.Conclusion: In our study zinc supplementation decreased the prevalence of children with clinically significant scores for attention deficit and hyperactivity. The affect on behaviour was more evident in the children of low educated mothers.
Molecular cloning and expression analysis of the pig small ubiquitin‐like modifier (SUMO) gene family
Authors: Lee J. Y. , Park Y. , Kim S. J. , Park C.‐G. , Chun T. 
Published: January 2009

SummarySmall ubiquitin‐like modifiers (SUMOs) are structurally related to ubiquitin and are ligated to lysine residues within sumoylation target proteins. Currently, a growing body of evidence shows that the SUMO family has evolved as an important modifier of many proteins in a variety of cellular pathways. In this study, we have cloned cDNA encoding for three different pig SUMO isoforms. The full‐length cDNA encoding for pig Sumo1, Sumo2 and Sumo4 consists of 306, 288 and 288 nucleotide base pairs of the open reading frame, respectively, and the putative amino acid sequences of pig Sumo1, Sumo2 and Sumo4 are composed of 101, 95 and 95 peptides, respectively. The structures of pig SUMOs are evolutionally well conserved, and their expression has been detected in a broad range of tissues. We also determined that all pig SUMOs are localized within the nucleus. However, the different tissue expression observed in individual pig SUMOs may show the divergent or specialized role of each of the pig SUMO isoforms. Future studies will focus on the identification of targets for sumoylation by different pig SUMO isoforms and the analysis of the functional consequences of sumoylation during the course of infectious diseases in pigs.
Reduction of Cerebral Oxidative Stress Following Environmental Enrichment in Mice with Alzheimer‐Like Pathology
Authors: Herring Arne , Blome Mareike , Ambrée Oliver , Sachser Norbert , Paulus Werner , Keyvani Kathy 
Published: January 2009

AbstractOxidative stress is a key feature during progression of chronic neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. In aging humans and animals, voluntary exercise lowers oxidative stress reactions. Additionally, recent work in our lab demonstrated that cognitive and physical stimulation (termed environmental enrichment) counteracts amyloid beta pathology, neurovascular dysfunction and behavioral symptoms in mice with Alzheimer‐like disease. Based on these facts, we hypothesized that cognitive and physical activity can also protect against oxidative stress in Alzheimer‐diseased brain. We, therefore, kept female TgCRND8 mice under standard and enriched housing from day 30 until 5 months of age. Environmental stimulation attenuated pro‐oxidative processes and triggered anti‐oxidative defense mechanisms as indicated by diminished biomarkers for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, downregulation of pro‐inflammatory and pro‐oxidative mediators, decreased expression of pro‐apoptotic caspases, and upregulation of SOD1 and SOD2. This study identifies a thus far undescribed antagonizing effect of environmental stimulation on Alzheimer's disease‐related oxidative damage.
Relationships between hand‐rolled cigarettes and primary lung cancer: A Norwegian experience
Authors: Rolke Heidi Berg , Bakke Per Sigvald , Gallefoss Frode 
Published: January 2009

AbstractIntroduction:  Detailed smoking history of patients developing lung cancer is rarely known, especially not for users of hand‐rolled cigarettes. In Norway, smoking hand‐rolled tobacco is still popular, accounting for one‐third of the total tobacco consume.Methods:  A questionnaire‐based study revealing detailed information about tobacco consume with consecutive inclusion of all persons developing lung cancer in Southern Norway 2002–2005.Results:  In this unselected population with 479 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer, 95% had a smoking history and 88% of ever‐smokers had smoked primarily hand‐rolled cigarettes. The hand‐rolled cigarette smokers had smoked fewer cigarettes daily (15) and less pack‐years of tobacco (34) than fabricated cigarette smokers (20, P < 0.0001 and 42, P = 0.021, respectively). Smoking hand‐rolled cigarettes was considerably more frequent than expected from official sales statistics. Hand‐rolled cigarette smoking revealed an odds ratio of 13 for developing lung cancer compared with smoking fabricated cigarettes.Conclusion:  In this unselected population with newly diagnosed lung cancer, nine out of 10 ever‐smokers had smoked primarily hand‐rolled cigarettes. Patients smoking hand‐rolled cigarettes had a smoking history of fewer daily cigarettes and less pack‐years tobacco consumed than fabricated cigarette smokers. In this study, hand‐rolled cigarettes are more frequently used than shown in national statistics.Smokers of hand‐rolled cigarettes may have a greatly increased risk for lung cancer compared with smokers of fabricated cigarettes.Please cite this paper as: Rolke HB, Bakke PS and Gallefoss F. Relationships between hand‐rolled cigarettes and primary lung cancer: A norwegian experience. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2009; 3: 152–160.
Risks of general anesthesia for the special needs dental patient
Authors: Messieha Zakaria 
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTThe risk of dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia has multiple contributing factors. The literature has addressed the general anesthetic risk of dental general anesthesia and sedation in the operating room and the office settings, but more studies are needed to address the special needs population in particular. There is still a great need for more studies to assess the risk versus benefit for special need population as well as to stratify such risk in order to assist care providers in decision making as well as in sharing such risk concerns with patients, caretakers, and guardians. One recommended approach is to conduct a national retrospective study of patients treated under general anesthesia in the past 10 years in all the various settings and assess the associated risks and complications related to their physical status and the underlying physical and mental disabilities. The product of such a study could be a stratification of risk versus benefit as well as some guidelines for decision making as far as which kind of procedures should be conducted under general anesthesia while weighing the level of risk for the particular patient. Although access to care is not a direct risk factor, it can certainly deter timely treatment and intervention for patients with special needs.
Serrated and non-serrated polyps of the colorectum: their prevalence in an unselected case series and correlation ofBRAFmutation analysis with the diagnosis of sessile serrated adenoma
Authors: Carr N J , Mahajan H , Tan K L , Hawkins N J , Ward R L 
Published: January 2009

Aims:To determine the prevalence of colorectal polyps of different types in an unselected population, and to correlate the morphological diagnoses withBRAFmutation analysis.Methods:Cases of colorectal polyps diagnosed at endoscopy were retrieved from the files of Southern.IML Pathology. All slides were reviewed and the lesions classified histologically. A diagnosis of sessile serrated adenoma was made even if the characteristic features were present only focally. If there was more than one polyp of a particular type in any patient, one lesion was chosen at random so that the results represent the number of patients with each type of polyp rather than the total number of polyps. A proportion of the polyps was subjected toBRAFmutation analysis.Results:A total of 1479 patients were identified. Non-serrated (“conventional”) adenomas were found in 964 patients (65%), hyperplastic polyps in 437 (30%), sessile serrated adenomas in 57 (3.9%), traditional serrated adenomas in 11 (0.7%) and mixed hyperplastic adenomatous polyps in 10 (0.7%).BRAFV600E mutation analysis was performed in 148 selected cases; mutations were found in 44/49 (90%) of lesions diagnosed as sessile serrated adenoma, in 10/34 (29%) of hyperplastic polyps of microvesicular type, in 4/11 (36%) of traditional serrated adenomas, in 10/10 (100%) of mixed hyperplastic adenomatous polyps, and in 2/42 (5%) of “conventional” adenomas.Conclusions:Sessile serrated adenomas are encountered commonly in routine endoscopy practice. The histological diagnosis correlates strongly with the presence ofBRAFmutation.
Repetitive genome elements in a European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, bacterial artificial chromosome library were indicated by bacterial artificial chromosome end sequencing and development of sequence tag site markers: implications for lepidopteran genomic research
Authors: Coates Brad S. , Sumerford Douglas V. , Hellmich Richard L. , Lewis Leslie C. 
Published: January 2009

The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis , is a serious pest of food, fiber, and biofuel crops in Europe, North America, and Asia and a model system for insect olfaction and speciation. A bacterial artificial chromosome library constructed for O. nubilalis contains 36 864 clones with an estimated average insert size of ≥120 kb and genome coverage of 8.8-fold. Screening OnB1 clones comprising approximately 2.76 genome equivalents determined the physical position of 24 sequence tag site markers, including markers linked to ecologically important and Bacillus thuringiensis toxin resistance traits. OnB1 bacterial artificial chromosome end sequence reads (GenBank dbGSS accessions ET217010 to ET217273) showed homology to annotated genes or expressed sequence tags and identified repetitive genome elements, O. nubilalis miniature subterminal inverted repeat transposable elements (OnMITE01 and OnMITE02), and ezi-like long interspersed nuclear elements. Mobility of OnMITE01 was demonstrated by the presence or absence in O. nubilalis of introns at two different loci. A (GTCT)n tetranucleotide repeat at the 5′ ends of OnMITE01 and OnMITE02 are evidence for transposon-mediated movement of lepidopteran microsatellite loci. The number of repetitive elements in lepidopteran genomes will affect genome assembly and marker development. Single-locus sequence tag site markers described here have downstream application for integration within linkage maps and comparative genomic studies.
Quantitative analysis of the speed/accuracy trade-off in transaction level modeling
Authors: Schirner Gunar , Dömer Rainer 
Published: January 2009

The increasing complexity of embedded systems requires modeling at higher levels of abstraction. Transaction level modeling (TLM) has been proposed to abstract communication for high-speed system simulation and rapid design space exploration. Although being widely accepted for its high performance and efficiency, TLM often exhibits a significant loss in model accuracy.
In this article, we systematically analyze and quantify the speed/accuracy trade-off in TLM. To this end, we provide a classification of TLM abstraction levels based on model granularity and define appropriate metrics and test setups to quantitatively measure and compare the performance and accuracy of such models.
Addressing several classes of embedded communication protocols, we apply our analysis to three common bus architectures, the industry-standard AMBA advanced high-performance bus (AHB) as an on-chip parallel bus, the controller area network (CAN) as an off-chip serial bus, and the Motorola ColdFire Master Bus as an example for a custom embedded processor bus.
Based on the analysis of these individual busses, we then generalize our results for a broader conclusion. The general TLM trade-off offers gains of up to four orders of magnitude in simulation speed, generally however, at the price of low accuracy. We conclude further that model granularity is the key to efficient TLM abstraction, and we identify conditions for accuracy of abstract models. As a result, this article provides general guidelines that allow the system designer to navigate the TLM trade-off effectively and choose the most suitable model for the given application with fast and accurate results.
Quasistatic shared libraries and XIP for memory footprint reduction in MMU-less embedded systems
Authors: Park Jiyong , Lee Jaesoo , Kim Saehwa , Hong Seongsoo 
Published: January 2009

Despite a rapid decrease in the price of solid state memory devices, system memory is still a very precious resource in embedded systems. The use of shared libraries and execution-in-place (XIP) is known to be effective in significantly reducing memory usage. Unfortunately, many resource-constrained embedded systems lack an MMU, making it extremely difficult to support these techniques. To address this problem, we propose a novel shared library technique called a quasi-static shared library and an XIP, both based on our enhanced position independent code technique. In our quasistatic shared libraries, global symbols are bound to pseudoaddresses at linking time and actual physical addresses are bound at loading time. Unlike conventional shared libraries, they do not require symbol tables that take up valuable memory space and, therefore, allow for expedited address translation at runtime. Our XIP technique is facilitated by our enhanced position independent code where a data section can be arbitrarily located. Both the shared library and XIP techniques are made possible by emulating an MMU's memory mapping feature with a data section base register (DSBR) and a data section base table (DSBT).
We have implemented these proposed techniques in a commercial ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) home network gateway equipped with an MMU-less ARM7TDMI processor core, 2MB flash memory, and 16MB RAM. We measured its memory usage and evaluated its performance overhead by conducting a series of experiments. These experiments clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of our techniques in reducing memory usage. The results are impressive: 35% reduction in flash memory usage when using only the shared library and 30% reduction in RAM usage when using the shared library and XIP together. These results were achieved with only a negligible performance penalty of less than 4%. Even though these techniques were applied to uClinux-based embedded systems, they can be used for any MMU-less real-time operating system.