bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitigation of nitrofurantoin-induced toxicity in the perfused rat lung
Authors: Bernard Craig E , Magid Amani A , Benedict Yen TS , Hoener Betty-ann 
Published: December 2008

1 Nitrofurantoin is an antimicrobial agent which pro duces pulmonary toxicity via the redox cycling of the nitro group and its radical anion. This futile cycling triggers a complex series of events known collectively as oxidative stress. 2 In the isolated perfused rat lung, nitrofurantoin induced a decrease in tissue levels of glutathione but not protein thiols by the end of the 180 min experi ment. There was no decline in tissue levels of angiotensin converting enzyme (a marker of cell disruption). However, edema was extensive as mon itored in real time by weight gain (2.71 ± 0.56 g vs 0.63 ± 0.53 g in control, P<0.05, n=4) and lung mechanical functioning. The edema was matched by an increase in lavage proteins (85 ± 15 mg vs 16 ± 9 mg in controls, P<0.05, n=4). Electron microscopic examination of tissue indicated that the endothelial cells were detached from the basement membrane which would account for the edema. 3 Co-infusion of penicillamine, N-acetylcysteine or N- (2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine which can protect tissue from oxidative stress failed to mitigate NFT induced edema. Allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase and a metal chelator, significantly decreased weight gain but did not prevent the loss of glutathione. These results suggested that allopurinol was not blocking metabolic activation of NFT by xanthine oxidase but scavenging metal cations which can initiate and/or propagate the oxidative stress cascade. 4 We concluded that, in the isolated perfused rat lung, the classic pathway of oxidative stress induced by NFT is interrupted at the stage of GSH loss. These experiments demonstrated that organ function was compromised more than the individual cells. They also suggested that allopurinol may prove beneficial in modulating NFT pulmonary toxicity.
Supported Employment Implementation
Authors: Rhodes Larry , Mank David , Sandow Dennis , Buckley Jay , Albin Joyce 
Published: December 2008

The national proliferation of supported employment services for people with severe disabilities has governmental funders and regulators scrambling for standards upon which to judge the adequacy of these new services. The task is complicated by the variability in both employer needs and service requirements for supported employees as well as the community resources available to meet these needs. Conventional monitoring provides some safeguards against major abuses to persons receiving services, but does little to satisfy consumer, advocate, or policymaker interest in promoting quality assurance in service provision. Issues are raised within this paper regarding the appropriateness and effectiveness of methods traditionally used by states to monitor or promote quality assurance. Guidelines are suggested for developing state quality assurance systems that will promote continuous improvement. It is maintained that states should promote the development of systems that move beyond conventional monitoring approaches, and that tie program assistance to areas where needed improvements are identified that directly benefit individuals with severe disabilities.
Out of Mind, Out of Sight?
Authors: Wolf Jessica 
Published: December 2008

National disability advocacy groups have increasingly sought legal guarantees to define and protect the rights of people with disabilities, including mental illness. The battle to secure the rights of people with mental illness to live in communities has taken place as policy emphasis has shifted from community residential facilities toward personal choice of where, how, and with whom to live. This article describes efforts in Connecticut to assure access to housing and public accommodations by people with mental illness. It describes and analyzes the evolution of policy, legislative efforts, and service development. The Connecticut experience is viewed in relationship to national efforts to promote consumer choice and assure equal protection for people with disabilities.
Investing in People: Launching Supported Employment on a Crowded Public Agenda (Part 1)
Authors: Elder Jean K. 
Published: December 2008

When historians look back on American politics of the 1980s, they will be tempted to see the "Reagan Era" as a distinctive movement in American government. I am hopeful that there will be a general mention of the significant policy issues addressed in the disability area, and specifically, that attention will be given to launching supported employment on a crowded public agenda. The "how" of getting supported employment on the Reagan policy agenda, highlighting the budget context, demographics, and program data supporting such a change and policy advocacy within the administration, is detailed elsewhere in this volume by Tom Bellamy and Dick Melia. Here, I will address the broader political context.
Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by Washington State Hospices
Authors: Kozak Leila E. , Kayes Lucy , McCarty Rachelle , Walkinshaw Catharine , Congdon Sean , Kleinberger Janis , Hartman Valerie , Standish Leanna J. 
Published: December 2008

Purpose. To assess the use of complementary and alternative medicine in hospice care in the state of Washington. Methods. Hospices offering inpatient and outpatient care in Washington State were surveyed by phone interview. Results. Response rate was 100%. Results indicated that 86% of Washington State hospices offered complementary and alternative services to their patients, most frequently massage (87%), music therapy (74%), energy healing (65%), aromatherapy (45%), guided imagery (45%), compassionate touch (42%), acupuncture (32%), pet therapy (32%), meditation (29%), art therapy (22%), reflexology (19%), and hypnotherapy (16%). Most hospices relied on volunteers with or without small donations to offer such services. Conclusions. Complementary and alternative therapies are widely used by Washington State hospices but not covered under hospice benefits. Extensive use of these therapies seems to warrant the inclusion of complementary and alternative providers as part of hospice staff, and reimbursement schedules need to be integrated into hospice care.
A Forum
Authors: Barbe Walter B. , Swassing Raymond H. , Milone Michael N. , Kampwirth Thomas J. 
Published: December 2008

In the May 1980 issue of Academic Therapy (15:5), we published an article by Thomas J. Kampwirth and Marion Bates entitled, “Modality Preference and Teaching Method: A Review of the Research.” The article concluded by saying that “ … there is little research supporting the efficacy of matching children's auditory and visual preferred modalities to teaching approaches.” The article generated a great deal of interest. With the following two articles, the first by Walter Barbe, Raymond Swassing, and Michael Milone, and the second a reply by Thomas Kampwirth, Academic Therapy intends to provide a forum for the discussion of this important topic in the field of learning disabilities. Editor.
How Inclusion Can Facilitate Teaching and Learning
Authors: Giangreco Michael F. , J. Baumgart Diane M. , Doyle Mary Beth 
Published: December 2008

Discusses what inclusive education is, what it is not, and seven ways it can provide opportunities for improving education Michael, I'm a fourth-grade “Regular Ed” teacher who was very reluctantly drafted to have a child with severe disabilities in my room. It didn't take me long to be genuinely glad to have Sandy in my class. I can support inclusion. But please tell me who is going to watch out for people like me? Who will make sure administrators give us smaller class loads to compensate? Who will keep the curriculum people off my back when I don't cover the already overwhelming amount the state expects us to cover? After all, to properly achieve inclusion my time will now be more pressed than ever. Who will ensure that I receive the time I need to meet with the rest of the team (special educator, physical therapist, occupational therapist, etc.)? Who will watch over us, Mike? Sue Flynn East Aurora Elementary School
Recruit It or Lose It!
Authors: Alber Sheila R. , Heward William L. 
Published: December 2008

But it was different in Mr. Patterson's room. Jessica would only be on the third or fourth problem when first Clifton, then Gloria, and then two or three other students would call out, “Finished!” or, “I'm all done, Mr. Patterson.” That's when Jessica would usually stop working; she still had so many more problems left. “Jessica's always quiet and well behaved. She doesn't cause any trouble.” Fourth-grade teacher Mr. Patterson was talking with Ms. Marino, the special educator who works with Jessica. “She just never finishes her seatwork.” Ms. Marino was disappointed. For several weeks now she and Jessica had been working in the resource room on just that problem. Each day Ms. Marino would give Jessica several opportunities to see how many worksheet problems she could complete in 1 minute. Jessica would try to beat her score each time, and she and Ms. Marino marked each day's best total on a colorful chart. It was fun, and Jessica was learning to be a good worker in the resource room. She'd start her seatwork assignments immediately and keep working until she completed all the problems or items. Ms. Marino made a point of stopping at Jessica's desk from time to time to tell Jessica what a good worker she was.
Stuttering in Young Children and Level of Demand
Authors: Stocker Beatrice , Usprich Celia 
Published: December 2008

An instrument called a Probe was devised to present five levels of demand. Probes were given to three groups, an experimental group of nine young stutterers ranging in age from four to seven years, a control group of speech and language defective but non-stuttering children, and a second group of speech defect-free children. The hypotheses of the study were that the effect of level demand on dysfluency (Probe Level) is independent of (a) order of presentation, (b) duration of the speaker's response; and (c) the linguistic complexity of the speaker's response; and that when dysfluency has occurred at a given level of demand, recovery of fluency tends to occur upon reducing the level of demand. The data obtained from the probes supported the hypotheses. Date revealed significant monotonic increases in dysfluency with increasing Probe levels in all groups. Analysis of individual stutterers clearly supported group results. The Probes arrayed the three groups on a quantitative continuum of dysfluency as hypothesized and revealed qualitative differences between stutterers and both control groups, suggesting that dysfluency is a different phenomenon in stutterers than in non-stutterers. Data further revealed that when communicative demand was reduced, stutterers' dysfluency dropped to the level of the non-stuttering controls. Behavior on the Probes was significantly related to severity of stuttering, suggesting the usefulness of further development of this instrument for test purposes.
Disease-specific analyses of unrelated cord blood transplantation compared with unrelated bone marrow transplantation in adult patients with acute leukemia
Authors: Atsuta Yoshiko , Suzuki Ritsuro , Nagamura-Inoue Tokiko , Taniguchi Shuichi , Takahashi Satoshi , Kai Shunro , Sakamaki Hisashi , Kouzai Yasushi , Kasai Masaharu , Fukuda Takahiro , Azuma Hiroshi , Takanashi Minoko , Okamoto Shinichiro , Tsuchida Masahiro , Kawa Keisei , Morishima Yasuo , Kodera Yoshihisa , Kato Shunichi ,   for the Japan Marrow Donor Program and the Japan Cord Blood Bank Network
Published: December 2008

Abstract
We made a disease-specific comparison of unrelated cord blood (CB) recipients and human leukocyte antigen allele–matched unrelated bone marrow (BM) recipients among 484 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML; 173 CB and 311 BM) and 336 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; 114 CB and 222 BM) who received myeloablative transplantations. In multivariate analyses, among AML cases, lower overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-2.0, P = .028) and leukemia-free survival (HR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.0, P = .012) were observed in CB recipients. The relapse rate did not differ between the 2 groups of AML (HR = 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8-1.9, P = .38); however, the treatment-related mortality rate showed higher trend in CB recipients (HR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.3, P = .085). In ALL, there was no significant difference between the groups for relapse (HR = 1.4, 95% CI, 0.8-2.4, P = .19) and treatment-related mortality (HR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.6-1.7, P = .98), which contributed to similar overall survival (HR = 1.1; 95% CI, 0.7-1.6, P = .78) and leukemia-free survival (HR = 1.2; 95% CI, 0.9-1.8, P = .28). Matched or mismatched single-unit CB is a favorable alternative stem cell source for patients without a human leukocyte antigen–matched related or unrelated donor. For patients with AML, decreasing mortality, especially in the early phase of transplantation, is required to improve the outcome for CB recipients.
Analysis of plasmid genes by phylogenetic profiling and visualization of homology relationships using Blast2Network
Authors: Brilli Matteo , Mengoni Alessio , Fondi Marco , Bazzicalupo Marco , Liò Pietro , Fani Renato 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBackgroundPhylogenetic methods are well-established bioinformatic tools for sequence analysis, allowing to describe the non-independencies of sequences because of their common ancestor. However, the evolutionary profiles of bacterial genes are often complicated by hidden paralogy and extensive and/or (multiple) horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events which make bifurcating trees often inappropriate. In this context, plasmid sequences are paradigms of network-like relationships characterizing the evolution of prokaryotes. Actually, they can be transferred among different organisms allowing the dissemination of novel functions, thus playing a pivotal role in prokaryotic evolution. However, the study of their evolutionary dynamics is complicated by the absence of universally shared genes, a prerequisite for phylogenetic analyses.ResultsTo overcome such limitations we developed a bioinformatic package, named Blast2Network (B2N), allowing the automatic phylogenetic profiling and the visualization of homology relationships in a large number of plasmid sequences. The software was applied to the study of 47 completely sequenced plasmids coming fromEscherichia,SalmonellaandShigellaspps.ConclusionThe tools implemented by B2N allow to describe and visualize in a new way some of the evolutionary features of plasmid molecules of Enterobacteriaceae; in particular it helped to shed some light on the complex history ofEscherichia,SalmonellaandShigellaplasmids and to focus on possible roles of unannotated proteins.The proposed methodology is general enough to be used for comparative genomic analyses of bacteria.
Oceanic dispersal barriers, adaptation and larval retention: an interdisciplinary assessment of potential factors maintaining a phylogeographic break between sister lineages of an African prawn
Authors: Teske Peter R , Papadopoulos Isabelle , Newman Brent K , Dworschak Peter C , McQuaid Christopher D , Barker Nigel P 
Published: December 2008

Abstract

Background
Genetic breaks separating regional lineages of marine organisms with potentially high broadcasting abilities are generally attributed either to dispersal barriers such as currents or upwelling, or to behavioural strategies promoting self-recruitment. We investigated whether such patterns could potentially also be explained by adaptations to different environmental conditions by studying two morphologically distinguishable genetic lineages of the estuarine mudprawn Upogebia africana across a biogeographic disjunction in south-eastern Africa. The study area encompasses a transition between temperate and subtropical biotas, where the warm, southward-flowing Agulhas Current is deflected away from the coast, and its inshore edge is characterised by intermittent upwelling. To determine how this phylogeographic break is maintained, we estimated gene flow among populations in the region, tested for isolation by distance as an indication of larval retention, and reared larvae of the temperate and subtropical lineages at a range of different temperatures.

Results
Of four populations sampled, the two northernmost exclusively included the subtropical lineage, a central population had a mixture of both lineages, and the southernmost estuary had only haplotypes of the temperate lineage. No evidence was found for isolation by distance, and gene flow was bidirectional and of similar magnitude among adjacent populations. In both lineages, the optimum temperature for larval development was at about 23°C, but a clear difference was found at lower temperatures. While larvae of the temperate lineage could complete development at temperatures as low as 12°C, those of the subtropical lineage did not complete development below 17°C.

Conclusion
The results indicate that both southward dispersal of the subtropical lineage inshore of the Agulhas Current, and its establishment in the temperate province, may be limited primarily by low water temperatures. There is no evidence that the larvae of the temperate lineage would survive less well in the subtropical province than in their native habitat, and their exclusion from this region may be due to a combination of upwelling, short larval duration with limited dispersal potential near the coast, plus transport away from the coast of larvae that become entrained in the Agulhas Current. This study shows how methods from different fields of research (genetics, physiology, oceanography and morphology) can be combined to study phylogeographic patterns.
Sequence divergence of Mus spretus and Mus musculus across a skin cancer susceptibility locus
Authors: Mahler Kimberly L , Fleming Jessica L , Dworkin Amy M , Gladman Nicholas , Cho Hee-Yeon , Mao Jian-Hua , Balmain Allan , Toland Amanda Ewart 
Published: December 2008

Abstract

Background

Mus spretus diverged from Mus musculus over one million years ago. These mice are genetically and phenotypically divergent. Despite the value of utilizing M. musculus and M. spretus for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, relatively little genomic information on M. spretus exists, and most of the available sequence and polymorphic data is for one strain of M. spretus, Spret/Ei. In previous work, we mapped fifteen loci for skin cancer susceptibility using four different M. spretus by M. musculus F1 backcrosses. One locus, skin tumor susceptibility 5 (Skts5) on chromosome 12, shows strong linkage in one cross.

Results
To identify potential candidate genes for Skts5, we sequenced 65 named and unnamed genes and coding elements mapping to the peak linkage area in outbred spretus, Spret/EiJ, FVB/NJ, and NIH/Ola. We identified polymorphisms in 62 of 65 genes including 122 amino acid substitutions. To look for polymorphisms consistent with the linkage data, we sequenced exons with amino acid polymorphisms in two additional M. spretus strains and one additional M. musculus strain generating 40.1 kb of sequence data. Eight candidate variants were identified that fit with the linkage data. To determine the degree of variation across M. spretus, we conducted phylogenetic analyses. The relatedness of the M. spretus strains at this locus is consistent with the proximity of region of ascertainment of the ancestral mice.

Conclusion
Our analyses suggest that, if Skts5 on chromosome 12 is representative of other regions in the genome, then published genomic data for Spret/EiJ are likely to be of high utility for genomic studies in other M. spretus strains.
A comprehensive collection of experimentally validated primers for Polymerase Chain Reaction quantitation of murine transcript abundance
Authors: Spandidos Athanasia , Wang Xiaowei , Wang Huajun , Dragnev Stefan , Thurber Tara , Seed Brian 
Published: December 2008

Abstract

Background
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) is a widely applied analytical method for the accurate determination of transcript abundance. Primers for QPCR have been designed on a genomic scale but non-specific amplification of non-target genes has frequently been a problem. Although several online databases have been created for the storage and retrieval of experimentally validated primers, only a few thousand primer pairs are currently present in existing databases and the primers are not designed for use under a common PCR thermal profile.

Results
We previously reported the implementation of an algorithm to predict PCR primers for most known human and mouse genes. We now report the use of that resource to identify 17483 pairs of primers that have been experimentally verified to amplify unique sequences corresponding to distinct murine transcripts. The primer pairs have been validated by gel electrophoresis, DNA sequence analysis and thermal denaturation profile. In addition to the validation studies, we have determined the uniformity of amplification using the primers and the technical reproducibility of the QPCR reaction using the popular and inexpensive SYBR Green I detection method.

Conclusion
We have identified an experimentally validated collection of murine primer pairs for PCR and QPCR which can be used under a common PCR thermal profile, allowing the evaluation of transcript abundance of a large number of genes in parallel. This feature is increasingly attractive for confirming and/or making more precise data trends observed from experiments performed with DNA microarrays.
Imbalances in faecal and duodenal Bifidobacterium species composition in active and non-active coeliac disease
Authors: Collado Maria Carmen , Donat Ester , Ribes-Koninckx Carmen , Calabuig Miguel , Sanz Yolanda 
Published: December 2008

Abstract

Background
Gut bifidobacteria are believed to influence immune-related diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the possible relationships between the gut bifidobacteria composition and coeliac disease (CD) in children.
A total of 48 faecal samples (30 and 18 samples from active and no active CD patients, respectively) and 33 duodenal biopsy specimens of CD patients (25 and 8 samples from active and non-active CD patients, respectively) were analysed. Samples (30 faecal samples and 8 biopsies) from a control age-matched group of children were also included for comparative purposes. Gut Bifidobacterium genus and species were analyzed by real-time PCR.

Results
Active and non-active CD patients showed lower numbers of total Bifidobacterium and B. longum species in faeces and duodenal biopsies than controls, and these differences were particularly remarkable between active CD patients and controls. B. catenulatum prevalence was higher in biopsies of controls than in those of active and non-active CD patients, whereas B. dentium prevalence was higher in faeces of non-active CD patients than in controls. Correlations between levels of Bifidobacterium and B. longum species in faecal and biopsy samples were detected in both CD patients and controls.

Conclusion
Reductions in total Bifidobacterium and B. longum populations were associated with both active and non-active CD when compared to controls. These bacterial groups could constitute novel targets for adjuvant dietary therapies although the confirmation of this hypothesis would require further investigations.