bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does box model training improve surgical dexterity and economy of movement during virtual reality laparoscopy? A randomised triala
Authors: CLEVIN LOTTE , GRANTCHAROV TEODOR P. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractObjective. Laparoscopic box model trainers have been used in training curricula for a long time, however data on their impact on skills acquisition is still limited. Our aim was to validate a low cost box model trainer as a tool for the training of skills relevant to laparoscopic surgery. Design. Randomised, controlled trial (Canadian Task Force Classification I). Setting. University Hospital. Measurements and main results. Sixteen gynaecologic residents with limited laparoscopic experience were randomised to a group that received a structured box model training curriculum, and a control group. Performance before and after the training was assessed in a virtual reality laparoscopic trainer (LapSim®) and was based on objective parameters, registered by the computer system (time, error, and economy of motion scores). Group A showed significantly greater improvement in all performance parameters compared with the control group: economy of movement (p = 0.001), time (p = 0.001) and tissue damage (p = 0.036), confirming the positive impact of box‐trainer curriculum on laparoscopic skills acquisition. Conclusions. Structured laparoscopic skill training on a low cost box model trainer improves performance as assessed using the VR system. Trainees who used the box model trainer showed significant improvement compared to the control group. Box model trainers are valid tools for laparoscopic skills training and should be implemented in the comprehensive training curricula in gynaecology.
Decreased endopelvic fascia elastin content in uterine prolapse
Authors: KLUTKE JOHN , JI QING , CAMPEAU JOSEPH , STARCHER BARRY , FELIX JUAN CARLOS , STANCZYK FRANK Z. , KLUTKE CARL 
Published: December 2007

AbstractBackground. Genital prolapse is a debilitating manifestation of pelvic floor dysfunction. The cause of this condition has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine elastin content and RNA expression of related enzymes of elastin synthesis in uterosacral ligament biopsies from women with severe prolapse, and controls with normal pelvic support. Methods. Biopsies were taken from the uterosacral ligament tissue of 31 women with Grade III or greater prolapse and 29 women with normal pelvic support. Elastin content was assessed by measuring desmosine using radioimmunoassay, and quantitative real time PCR was performed to quantify mRNA levels of lysyl oxidase (LOX), lysyl oxidase like‐1 (LOXL1), LOXL2 and fibulin‐5 (FIB‐5). Results. The mean desmosine concentration found in uterosacral ligaments of women with prolapse (n =26) was 103.3±59.3 pmolD/mgP compared to controls (n =29) 120.5±47.4 pmolD/mgP (p =0.1943). In the subgroup of subjects with complete procidentia (n =8), mean desmosine concentration was 50.6±25.8 and 127.1±42.2 pmolD/mgP in age‐matched controls (n =12) (p <0.05). In tissue from subjects with more than 2 vaginal deliveries (n =18), the mean desmosine concentration was 99.9±60.7 and 133.0±44.0 pmolD/mgP in controls (n =17) (p <0.05). Expression of LOX, LOXL1 and LOXL2 decreased 8.2‐fold±3.4, 5.0‐fold±1.7 and 15.2‐fold±5.2, respectively (mean±SD) in cases versus controls (p<0.05). Expression of FIB‐5 was increased 3.1‐fold±0.7 compared to controls (p<0.05). Conclusions. Significantly decreased desmosine content was measured in the uterosacral ligament tissue from women with prolapse versus controls in women with parity >2 and in women with complete procidentia. Suppression of mRNA for LOX and two LOX isoenzymes was correspondingly present. These results suggest that altered elastin metabolism is present in women with uterine prolapse.
An unusual red‐edge excitation and time‐dependent Stokes shift in the single tryptophan mutant protein DD‐carboxypeptidase from Streptomyces: The role of dynamics and tryptophan rotamers
Authors: Maglia Giovanni , Jonckheer Abel , De Maeyer Marc , Frère Jean‐Marie , Engelborghs Yves 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThe fluorescence emission of the single tryptophan (W233) of the mutant protein DD‐carboxypeptidase from streptomyces is characterized by a red‐edge excitation shift (REES), i.e., the phenomenon that the wavelength of maximum emission depends on the excitation wavelength. This phenomenon is an indication for a strongly reduced dynamic environment of the single tryptophan, which has a very low accessibility to the solvent. The REES shows, however, an unusual temperature and time dependence. This, together with the fluorescence lifetime analysis, showing three resolvable lifetimes, can be explained by the presence of three rotameric states that can be identified using the Dead‐End Elimination method. The three individual lifetimes increase with increasing emission wavelength, indicating the presence of restricted protein dynamics within the rotameric states. This is confirmed by time‐resolved anisotropy measurements that show dynamics within the rotamers but not among the rotamers. The global picture is that of a protein with a single buried tryptophan showing strongly restricted dynamics within three distinct rotameric states with different emission spectra and an anisotropic environment.
Crystal structure of 5‐methylthioribose 1‐phosphate isomerase product complex from Bacillus subtilis: Implications for catalytic mechanism
Authors: Tamura Haruka , Saito Yohtaro , Ashida Hiroki , Inoue Tsuyoshi , Kai Yasushi , Yokota Akiho , Matsumura Hiroyoshi 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThe methionine salvage pathway (MSP) plays a crucial role in recycling a sulphahydryl derivative of the nucleoside. Recently, the genes and reactions in MSP from Bacillus subtilis have been identified, where 5‐methylthioribose 1‐phosphate isomerase (M1Pi) catalyzes a conversion of 5‐methylthioribose 1‐phosphate (MTR‐1‐P) to 5‐methylthioribulose 1‐phosphate (MTRu‐1‐P). Herein, we report the crystal structures of B. subtilis M1Pi (Bs‐M1Pi) in complex with its product MTRu‐1‐P, and a sulfate at 2.4 and 2.7 Å resolution, respectively. The electron density clearly shows the presence of each compound in the active site. The structural comparison with other homologous proteins explains how the substrate uptake of Bs‐M1Pi may be induced by an open/closed transition of the active site. The highly conserved residues at the active site, namely, Cys160 and Asp240 are most likely to be involved in catalysis. The structural analysis sheds light on its catalytic mechanism of M1Pi.
Structural determinants of nitroxide motion in spin‐labeled proteins: Solvent‐exposed sites in helix B of T4 lysozyme
Authors: Guo Zhefeng , Cascio Duilio , Hideg Kálmán , Hubbell Wayne L. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractSite‐directed spin labeling provides a means for exploring structure and dynamics in proteins. To interpret the complex EPR spectra that often arise, it is necessary to characterize the rotamers of the spin‐labeled side chain and the interactions they make with the local environment in proteins of known structure. For this purpose, crystal structures have been determined for T4 lysozyme bearing a nitroxide side chain (R1) at the solvent‐exposed helical sites 41 and 44 in the B helix. These sites are of particular interest in that the corresponding EPR spectra reveal two dynamic states of R1, one of which is relatively immobilized suggesting interactions of the nitroxide with the environment. The crystal structures together with the effect of mutagenesis of nearest neighbors on the motion of R1 suggest intrahelical interactions of 41R1 with the i + 4 residue and of 44R1 with the i + 1 residue. Such interactions appear to be specific to particular rotamers of the R1 side chain.
Protein folding transition states probed by loop extension
Authors: Sánchez Ignacio Enrique 
Published: December 2007

AbstractWe propose a new way to characterize protein folding transition states by (1) insertion of one or more residues into an unstructured protein loop, (2) measurement of the effect on protein folding kinetics and thermodynamics, and (3) analysis of the results in terms of a rate‐equilibrium free energy relationship, αLoop. αLoop reports on the fraction of molecules that form the perturbed loop in the transition state. Interpretation of the changes in equilibrium free energy using standard polymer theory can help detect residual structure in the unfolded state. We illustrate our approach with data for the model proteins CI2 and the alpha spectrin SH3 domain.
Solution structure of the C‐terminal domain of Ole e 9, a major allergen of olive pollen
Authors: Treviño Miguel Á. , Palomares Oscar , Castrillo Inés , Villalba Mayte , Rodríguez Rosalía , Rico Manuel , Santoro Jorge , Bruix Marta 
Published: December 2007

AbstractOle e 9 is an olive pollen allergen belonging to group 2 of pathogenesis‐related proteins. The protein is composed of two immunological independent domains: an N‐terminal domain (NtD) with 1,3‐β‐glucanase activity, and a C‐terminal domain (CtD) that binds 1,3‐β‐glucans. We have determined the three‐dimensional structure of CtD‐Ole e 9 (101 amino acids), which consists of two parallel α‐helices forming an angle of ∼55°, a small antiparallel β‐sheet with two short strands, and a 3–10 helix turn, all connected by long coil segments, resembling a novel type of folding among allergens. Two regions surrounded by aromatic residues (F49, Y60, F96, Y91 and Y31, H68, Y65, F78) have been localized on the protein surface, and a role for sugar binding is suggested. The epitope mapping of CtD‐Ole e 9 shows that B‐cell epitopes are mainly located on loops, although some of them are contained in secondary structural elements. Interestingly, the IgG and IgE epitopes are contiguous or overlapped, rather than coincident. The three‐dimensional structure of CtD‐Ole e 9 might help to understand the underlying mechanism of its biochemical function and to determine possible structure–allergenicity relationships.
Selenoproteinless animals: Selenophosphate synthetase SPS1 functions in a pathway unrelated to selenocysteine biosynthesis
Authors: Lobanov Alexey V. , Hatfield Dolph L. , Gladyshev Vadim N. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractProteins containing the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec), have been described in all three domains of life, but the composition of selenoproteomes in organisms varies significantly. Here, we report that aquatic arthropods possess many selenoproteins also detected in other animals and unicellular eukaryotes, and that most of these proteins were either lost or replaced with cysteine‐containing homologs in insects. As a result of this selective selenoproteome reduction, fruit flies and mosquitoes have three known selenoproteins, and the honeybee, Apis mellifera, a single detected candidate selenoprotein. Moreover, we identified the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, and the silkworm, Bombyx mori, as the first animals that lack any Sec‐containing proteins. These insects also lost the Sec biosynthesis and insertion machinery, but selenophosphate synthetase 1 (SPS1), an enzyme previously implicated in Sec biosynthesis, is present in all insects, including T. castaneum and B. mori. These data indicate that SPS1 functions in a pathway unrelated to selenoprotein synthesis. Since SPS1 evolved from a protein that utilizes selenium for Sec biosynthesis, an attractive possibility is that SPS1 may define a new pathway of selenium utilization in animals.
Survival Benefit of Screening for Early Esophageal Carcinoma in Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Authors: HORIUCHI Masatoshi , MAKUUCHI Hiroyasu , MACHIMURA Takao , TAMURA Yoshiyuki , SAKAI Makoto 
Published: December 2007

Abstract: Primary cancer of the head and neck was diagnosed in 676 cases. Systematic endoscopic screening of the upper gastrointestinal tract (including iodine staining of the esophagus) was performed within 1 month of diagnosing head and neck cancer in order to determine the possible presence of a second malignancy‐ We divided cases in which esophageal cancer was detected into a group in which the initially diagnosed head and neck cancer had been treated curatively and those in which the treatment had been non‐curative. A pathological diagnosis of primary esophageal cancer was obtained in 37 cases (5.5%). The incidence of esophageal cancer associated with cancer of the oral cavity or pharynx was significantly higher (10.9%) than in cases with an associated cancer of the larynx or paranasal sinus (1.9%, p<0.05). All but one of the 37 cases detected by screening were asymptomatic and had superficial carcinoma. Of these lesions, 19 Were mucosal carcinomas, 17 submucosal carcinomas and only one an advanced cancer. Twenty‐four of these 37 cases had died. The cause of death was head and neck cancer in 17, esophageal cancer in two and other causes in five. The 5‐year survival rate of cases in whom the initial head and neck cancer had been treated curatively was 46.7%.The risk of synchronous esophageal cancer associated with cancer of the head and neck is high. Early detection of esophageal cancer at the time of diagnosing cancer of the head and neck and treatment at an early stage is a new strategy for improving the long‐term outcome of cases with head and neck cancers associated with esophageal cancer.
Current Status of Laparoscopic Surgery in China: Review of more than 150,000 Cases
Authors: LIU Guoli 
Published: December 2007

Abstract:To review the use of laparoscopic surgery in China, in 1997 the Chinese Society of Laparoscopic Surgery sent questionnaires to all hospitals which undertake laparoscopic surgery. Analyzable questionnaires were returned from 222 hospitals. A total of 156,515 patients in 222 hospitals had undergone laparoscopic surgery by the end of March, 1998. These included 50 categories of laparoscopic general surgery, 9 categories of gynaecologic surgery, 7 categories of urological surgery, and 13 categories of thoracoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy accounted for 91% of all 156,515 cases. Among these 3005 cases (2.1%) were changed to open cholecystectomy or lapa‐rotomy, and 1025 cases (0.71%) developed operative complications, with a mortality of 0.02% (27 cases). The mean rate of bile duct injury was 0.19% (range 0–2%) with bile leak in 0.14%, hemorrhage in 0.11%, and bowel injuries in 0.04% of patients. Since its introduction in 1991 in China, laparoscopic surgery has become increasingly widely used, especially for choecystectomy. It should continue to develop with further economic progress in China. (Dig Endosc 1999; 11: 215–219)
Endoscopic Bilateral Hepatic Drainage with Self‐Expandable Metallic Stents for Malignant Hilar Stricture
Authors: KIN Hideyuki , KUBOTA Yoshitsugu , SUMITOMO Yasuhiko , KIRIYA Keiichi , AGAWA Hiroyuki , SHIMATANI Masaaki , SUZUKI Naoyuki , KOJIMA Hiroyoshi , ITO Kazuki , KOJIMA Koichi , INOUE Kyoichi 
Published: December 2007

Abstract:Endoscopic insertion of self‐expandable metallic stents is considered to be safer and less invasive than percutaneous stenting for patients with malignant biliary strictures. However, the technique of implantation of multiple self‐expandable metallic stents by endosocpic means has not yet been fully established. We evaluated the technical feasibility of endoscopic negotiation of bilateral hepatic ducts with subsequent placement of multiple self‐expandable metallic stents in parallel. Bilateral hepatic ducts were negotiated with guidewires, and self‐expandable metallic stents were sequentially introduced and deployed over the prepositioned guidewires in seven patients with irre‐sectable malignant hilar strictures. Insertion and deployment of self‐expandable metallic stents into both the right and left hepatic ducts were successful in six of the seven patients. The remaining patient was eventually treated with bilateral hepatic drainage using two wallstents; one was inserted endoscopically and the other percutaneously. The patients were followed up for 36–349 days (mean; 227). In two patients, stent occlusion due to sludge formation occurred 119 and 178 days after the treatment. However, endoscopic reintervention was easily performed with a favorable clinical outcome in both patients. Endoscopic bilateral hepatic drainage of multiple, self‐expandable metallic stents in parallel is considered to be a simple, safe, and reliable for irresectable malignant hilar stricture. (Dig Endosc 1999; 11: 225–230)
Laparoscopic Pancreatic Biopsy in Autoimmune Pancreatitis—Report of TWO Cases
Authors: MATSUMOTO Toshifumi , BANDOH Toshio , YOSHIDA Takanori , KITANO Seigo 
Published: December 2007

Abstract:Two cases of autoimmune pancreatitis that were diagnosed by laparoscopic pancreatic biopsy are reported. Patient 1 was a 71–year‐old woman with obstructive jaundice and dry eyes. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed stenosis of the distal common bile duct and proximal main pancreatic duct. Only the head of the pancreas was enlarged. The patient had associated Sjogren's syndrome and sclerosing cholangitis. Patient 2 was a 65–year‐old man with obstructive jaundice that occurred after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ERCP revealed a diffusely irregular and narrowed pancreatic duct and stenosis of the distal common bile duct. The whole pancreas was enlarged. Both patients underwent laparoscopic pancreatic biopsy to rule out pancreatic cancer. The definitive diagnosis in each case was autoimmune pancreatitis. The postoperative course in both cases was uneventful. Both patients recovered quickly with steroid therapy undertaken soon after the biopsy. In summary, a laparoscopic approach for the pancreatic biopsy in autoimmune pancreatitis appears to be feasible and useful in determining the therapeutic strategy. (Dig Endosc 1999; 11: 250–254)
A Case of Non‐Alcoholic Pancreatitis Treated with Steroid Followed‐up Using Intraductal Ultrasonography and Endoscopic Retrograde Pancreatography
Authors: OKANIWA Shinji , OYAMA Tsuneo , TAKAMATSU Masato , HISA Takeshi , TOMORI Akihisa , HOTTA Kin‐ichi , YAMADA Shigeru 
Published: December 2007

Abstract:A 42‐year‐old man with jaundice was found to have a pancreatic mass in the head by ultrasonography. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed a segmental narrowing of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) with a mild upstream dilatation and an extrinsic stenosis of the inferior common bile duct (CBD). lntraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) showed a diffuse hypoechoic area with echogenic spots surrounding the narrowed MPD and the stenotic CBD. He was suspected of having autoimmune pancreatitis because of a characteristic pancreatogram, and 30 mg/day predniso‐lone was started. Two weeks later, the narrowing of the MPD and the stenosis of the CBD improved dramatically. But the hypoechoic area remained separate from the MPD with a fine reticular pattern on the inside. It completely disappeared in the eighth week. The diachronic changes in the IDUS were characteristic in that the hypoechoic area, which initially surrounded the MPD, disappeared near the MPD, followed by a distant area. This might explain the discrepancy between the images of ERCP and IDUS in the second week of steroid therapy.
A Case of Esophageal Cyst Excised Successfully Using Laparoscopy
Authors: SAKAMOTO Kazuhiro , MIZOBUCHI Noboru , NARUMI Kenji , WATABE Suguru , OKUZAWA Atsushi , SHIROTA Shigeru , KAJIYAMA Yoshiaki , KOBAYASHI Shigeru , HAYASHIDA Yasuo , KAMANO Toshiki , TSURUMARU Masahiko , FUNABIKI Hitoshi 
Published: December 2007

Abstract:Laparoscopic excision of an esophageal cyst was successfully performed on a 29‐year‐old male. The patient, complaining of back pain, was admitted to our hospital for further evaluation of a submucosal esophageal tumor. Close examination revealed a cystic tumor originating from the proper muscular layer at the distal esophagus, measuring 3 cm in diameter. Under general anesthesia, the tumor was excised laparoscopi‐cally without esophageal mucosal injury, with monitering by esophagoscopy. Postoperative esophagography showed no stagnation or stenosis. He was discharged on the 11th postoperative day. The cyst was diagnosed pathologically as an inclusion cyst of the esophagus. Laparoscopic or thoracoscopic surgery is a useful treatment for benign esophageal tumors, because it is less invasive giving more rapid recovery. Concomitant esophagoscopic monitering is beneficial to avoid injury of the esophageal mucosa, especially in such benign tumors that are firmly adherent to the esophageal muscle and mucosal layer.
Changes in the trace fossil biota across the Proterozoic-Phanerozoic boundary
Authors: CRIMES T. P. 
Published: December 2007

Trace fossils became relatively diverse in shallow-water clastic seas in the late Proterozoic (Vendian), with a further significant increase in abundance, diversity and complexity in the Tommotian and Atdabanian. Little change followed in the remainder of the Lower Palaeozoic. Traces typical of deeper-water facies evolved in shallow water during the Vendian and early Cambrian, and may have slowly migrated into the deep ocean during the remainder of the Lower Palaeozoic.
There are a limited number of short-ranging ichnogenera which may be useful for correlation but the first appearance of ichnogenera may be a more satisfactory method. Three trace fossil zones covering the ranges Redkino and Kotlin, Rovno and Tommotian-lower Atdabanian are recognized and may be useful for world-wide correlation.
Influence of subsidence on the anatomy of marine siliciclastic sequences and on the distribution of shell and bone beds
Authors: KIDWELL SUSAN M. 
Published: December 2007

Skeletal concentrations are common foci for palaeontological collecting, yet vary widely in their expected levels of taphonomic bias depending on whether they are comparatively simple event-concentrations, more complex accretionary accumulations of either normal or condensed thickness, or residual lags that mark horizons of significant erosional/corrosional truncation of the record (Table 1). These different types and their intermediates also have different potential for use in basin analysis, for example as marker beds, bathymetric indicators, and clues to hiatuses. The stratigraphy and taphonomy of marine siliciclastic sequences from a spectrum of basin types have been examined to determine the extent to which shell and bone beds are linked to physical stratigraphic features such as discontinuity surfaces and transgressive-regressive cycles at various scales, and thus the extent to which physical processes might influence palaeontological data. This series of basin-scale studies has also provided an opportunity to assess the practical utility of skeletal concentrations in reconstructing basin history and to investigate subsidence-related variation both in skeletal accumulation and in the anatomy of siliciclastic sequences.
Field studies have been restricted to post-Palaeozoic, primarily Neogene sections in warm temperate to subtropical palaeolatitudes and have focused on marine facies tracts developed in shelf and shallower water depths during phases of ‘coastal onlap’. (Sequence stratigraphic terms are used here to describe physical aspects of the record, and do not imply any particular chronostratigraphic value or genetic, i.e. eustatic, origin.) The results of this work indicate that: (a) skeletal concentrations are distributed fairly systematically within marine sequences, both in