bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diversity and abundance of Gram positive bacteria in a tidal flat ecosystem
Authors: Stevens Heike , Brinkhoff Thorsten , Rink Beate , Vollmers John , Simon Meinhard 
Published: April 2007

SummaryGram positive bacteria recently have been identified as important components of freshwater ecosystems and are also present in marine environments. However, their quantitative significance and possible role in the latter systems is still little studied, in particular in coastal regions. Therefore, we investigated the abundance and composition of Gram positive bacteria in the Wadden Sea, a tidal flat ecosystem in the German Bight of the North Sea. Applying fluorescence in situ hybridization we found that Actinobacteria constitute 4–7% of total bacteria in the Wadden Sea and slightly higher proportions in a freshwater drainage channel connected to the sea by a sluice. The application of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA gene fragments after amplification by an Actinobacteria‐specific primer set and subsequent sequencing showed that the composition of the actinobacterial community in the Wadden Sea was distinctly different from that in the freshwater system. A bacterial clone library of 111 clones yielded eight Gram positive phylotypes which are related closely to other marine phylotypes including the Marine Actinobacteria Clade but also to freshwater phylotypes. We applied dilution cultures, enriched with various biopolymers, Marine Broth and Fucus vesiculosus extracts, for isolating bacteria from the bulk water, suspended aggregates, the oxic surface and oxic/anoxic transition zone of the sediment. Fifty‐three isolates affiliated to seven families of the order Actinomycetales and nine isolates to the family Bacillaceae. The salinity range (1–45‰ NaCl) and growth optimum of 14 strains from various families showed that all except one strain exhibited a rather broad range of sustained growth from 1‰ to ≥ 20‰ NaCl and several strains exhibited an optimum of > 10‰ NaCl. The results indicate that the Gram positive bacterial community in the Wadden Sea is surprisingly diverse and consists mainly of indigenous species which appear to be well adapted to the environmental conditions of this coastal ecosystem.
Diverse origins and timing of formation of basinal brines in the Gulf of Mexico sedimentary basin
Authors: HANOR J. S. , MCINTOSH J. C. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA review of five different field areas in the Gulf of Mexico sedimentary basin (GOM) illustrates some of the potentially diverse chemical and physical processes which have produced basinal brines. The elevated salinities of most of the formation waters in the GOM are ultimately related to the presence of the Middle Jurassic Louann Salt. Some of these brines likely inherited their salinity from evaporated Mesozoic seawater, while other saline fluids have been produced by subsequent dissolution of salt, some of which is occurring today. The timing of the generation of brines has thus not been restricted to the Middle Jurassic. The mechanisms of solute transport that have introduced brines throughout much of the sedimentary section of the GOM are not entirely understood. Free convection driven by spatial variations in formation water temperature and salinity is undoubtedly occurring around some salt structures. However, the driving mechanisms for the broad, diffusive upward solute transport in the northern Gulf rim of Arkansas and northern Louisiana are not known. In the Lower Cretaceous of Texas, fluid flow was much more highly focused, and perhaps episodic. It is clear that many areas of the Gulf basin are hydrologically connected and that large‐scale fluid flow, solute transport, and dispersion have occurred.The Na‐Mg‐Ca‐Cl compositions of brines in the areas of the Gulf Coast sedimentary basin reviewed in this article are products of diagenesis and do not reflect the composition of the evaporated marine waters present at the time of sediment deposition. Large differences in Na, Ca, and Mg trends for waters hosted by Mesozoic versus Cenozoic sediments may reflect differences in: (i) the sources of salinity (evaporated seawater for some of the Mesozoic sediments, dissolution of salt for some of the Cenozoic sediments); (ii) sediment lithology (dominantly carbonates for much of the Mesozoic sediments, and dominantly siliciclastics for the Cenozoic sediments); or (iii) residence times of brines associated with these sediments (tens of millions of years versus perhaps days).
Localization of the spinal nucleus of accessory nerve in rat: a horseradish peroxidase study
Authors: Ullah Muzammil , Mansor Othman , Ismail Zul Izhar Mohammad , Kapitonova Marina Yu , Sirajudeen K. N. S. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve (SNA) comprises the group of somata (perikarya) of motor neurons that supply the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. There are many conflicting views regarding the longitudinal extent and topography of the SNA, even in the same species, and these disagreements prompted the present investigation. Thirty Sprague–Dawley rats (15 males, 15 females) were used. The SNA was localized by retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. Longitudinally, the SNA was found to be located in the caudal part (caudal 0.9–1.2 mm) of the medulla oblongata, the whole lengths of cervical spinal cord segments C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and rostral fourth of C6. In the caudal part of the medulla oblongata, the SNA was represented by a group of perikarya of motor neurons lying immediately ventrolateral to the pyramidal fibres that were passing dorsolaterally after their decussation. In the spinal cord, the motor neuronal somata of the SNA were located in the dorsomedial and central columns at C1, in the dorsomedial, central and ventrolateral columns at C2 and in the ventrolateral column only at C3, C4, C5 and rostral quarter of C6. The perikarya of motor neurons supplying the sternocleidomastoid were located in the caudal part (caudal 0.9–1.2 mm) of the medulla oblongata ventrolateral to the pyramidal fibres that were passing dorsolaterally after their decussation. They were also located in the dorsomedial and central columns at C1, in the dorsomedial, central and ventrolateral columns at C2 and only in the ventrolateral column at the rostral three‐quarters of C3. The perikarya of motor neurons supplying the trapezius muscle were located in the ventrolateral column only in the caudal three‐quarters of C2, the whole lengths of C3, C4 and C5, and in the rostral quarter of C6.
The impact of arthritis on daily life with the patient perspective in focus
Authors: Lütze Ulla , Archenholtz Birgitha 
Published: April 2007

Background:  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often has a major impact on many areas of an individuals’ life. The unpredictability of the prognosis as well as the day‐to‐day symptoms make it impossible to plan ahead. The aim of this study was to identify the domains of concern in the early course of RA.Methods:  Interviews were carried out according to the focus group method. Twenty‐three patients with RA, aged between 27 and 67 years and with a disease duration ranging from 1 to 5 years, were included. Four groups were established, the composition of which was based on age, gender and social situation.Results:  Arthritis had a major impact on daily life of the patients, especially on the way they performed activities. It also strongly influenced their mood and social life. The participants tried to cope by ‘dosing their activities’, ‘using new strategies’ or to ‘stretching their limits’. Their sense of helplessness and uncertainty led to both ‘anger’ and ‘depression’. When activities could no longer be maintained, the role positioning in the family also changed.Conclusion:  The results of this study support the view that more psychosocial support is required to encourage the recently diagnosed RA patient in the new situation of having a chronic disease.
Isolation and characterization of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci from the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria
Authors: KAATZ H.‐H. , FERENZ H.‐J. , LANGER B. , MORITZ R. F. A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBecause of the scarcity of polymorphic genetic markers, only a few genetic studies on the population structure of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, have been carried out. We isolated and characterized nine polymorphic dinucleotide microsatellite loci. These markers were evaluated using individuals from Niger and Senegal. Seven of these microsatellite markers are also applicable to the nongregarious subspecies Schistocerca gregaria flaviventris. Cross‐species applicability was limited to one of the loci in the sister species S. americana and in the locust Locusta migratoria.
Clinical pharmacology in the geriatric patient
Authors: Hilmer Sarah N. , McLachlan Andrew J. , Le Couteur David G. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractGeriatric patients are a subset of older people with multiple comorbidities that usually have significant functional implications. Geriatric patients have impaired homeostasis and wide inter‐individual variability. Comprehensive geriatric assessment captures the complexity of the problems that characterize frail older patients and can be used to guide management, including prescribing. Prescribing for geriatric patients requires an understanding of the efficacy of the medication in frail older people, assessment of the risk of adverse drug events, discussion of the harm:benefit ratio with the patient, a decision about the dose regime and careful monitoring of the patient's response. This requires evaluation of evidence from clinical trials, application of the evidence to frail older people through an understanding of changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and attention to medication management issues. Given that most disease occurs in older people, and that older people are the major recipients of drug therapy in the Western world, increased research and a better evidence base is essential to guide clinicians who manage geriatric patients.
Temporal denitrification patterns in different horizons of two riparian soils
Authors: Cosandey A‐C. , Maître V. , Guenat C. 
Published: April 2007

SummaryThe dynamics of biological denitrification in riparian soil is still poorly understood. We studied the spring‐time pattern of denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) and the rate of denitrification (DNT) in two hydromorphic riparian soils, one a mollic Gleysol and the other a terric Histosol. The average DEA ranged from 73 to 1232 ng N g−1 hour−1, and DNT ranged from 4 to 36 ng N g−1 hour−1. Both DEA and DNT diminished with increasing depth in both soil types. This decrease corresponded to a decrease in total and K2SO4‐extractable organic carbon and K2SO4‐extractable mineral nitrogen. The DEA and DNT differed in their dynamics. The former had no evident pattern in subsurface horizons but increased with temperature at the end of spring in surface and structural horizons. The DNT diminished as the soil dried in the mollic Gleysol when the water table fell. In the terric Histosol, the water table was still too high at the end of spring to affect the DNT. The results suggest that the vertical pattern of denitrification is related to that of organic carbon content. This organic carbon content determines biological activity and the supply of carbon and nitrous oxides. In biologically active horizons temperature drives the dynamics of DEA, whereas soil moisture drives the dynamics of DNT. Our results show the importance of the dynamic soil–water relationship in controlling denitrification within the riparian zone.
Prevalence and incidence of depressive disorder: the Baltimore ECA follow‐up, 1981–2004
Authors: Eaton W. W. , Kalaydjian A. , Scharfstein D. O. , Mezuk B. , Ding Y. 
Published: April 2007

Objective:  To describe trends in prevalence and incidence of depressive disorder in a cohort from Eastern Baltimore.Method:  Twenty‐three‐year‐old longitudinal cohort, the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Follow‐up. Participants were selected probabilistically from the household population in 1981, and interviewed in 1981, 1993, and 2004. Diagnoses were made via the Diagnostic Interview Schedule according to successive editions of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.Results:  Older age, lower education, non‐White race, and cognitive impairment are independent predictors of attrition due to death and loss of contact, but depressive disorder is not related to attrition. Prevalence rates rise for females between 1981, 1993, and 2004. Incidence rates in the period 1993–2004 are lower than the period 1981–1993, suggesting the rise in prevalence is due to increasing chronicity.Conclusion:  There has been a rise in the prevalence of depression in the prior quarter century among middle‐aged females.
A cost‐effectiveness analysis of caspofungin vs. liposomal amphotericin B for treatment of suspected fungal infections in the UK
Authors: Bruynesteyn Karin , Gant Vanya , McKenzie Catherine , Pagliuca Tony , Poynton Chris , Kumar Ritesh N. , Jansen Jeroen P. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractObjective:  To evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of caspofungin vs. liposomal amphotericin B in the treatment of suspected fungal infections in the UK.Methods:  The cost‐effectiveness of caspofungin vs. liposomal amphotericin B was evaluated using a decision‐tree model. The decision tree was populated using both data and clinical definitions from published clinical studies. Model outcomes included success in terms of resolution of fever, baseline infection, absence of breakthrough infection, survival and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) saved. Discontinuation due to nephrotoxicity or other adverse events were included in the model. Efficacy and safety data were based on additional analyses of a randomised, double blind, multinational trial of caspofungin compared with liposomal amphotericin B. Information on life expectancy, quality of life, medical resource consumption and costs were obtained from peer‐reviewed published data.Results:  The caspofungin mean total treatment cost was £9762 (95% uncertainty interval 6955–12 577), which was £2033 (−2489; 6779) less than liposomal amphotericin B. Treatment with caspofungin resulted in 0.40 (−0.12; 0.94) additional QALYs saved in comparison with liposomal amphotericin B. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis found a 95% probability of the incremental cost per QALY saved being within the generally accepted threshold for cost‐effectiveness (£30 000). Additional analyses with varying dose of caspofungin and liposomal amphotericin B confirmed these findings.Conclusion:  Given the underlying assumptions, caspofungin is cost‐effective compared with liposomal amphotericin B in the treatment of suspected fungal infections in the UK.
The prognostic significance of cytogenetic aberrations in childhood acute myeloid leukaemia. A study of the Swiss Paediatric Oncology Group (SPOG)
Authors: Betts David R. , Ammann Roland A. , Hirt Andreas , Hengartner Heinz , Beck‐Popovic Maja , Kuhne Thomas , Nobile Luisa , Caflisch Ueli , Wacker Pierre , Niggli Felix K. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn childhood‐onset acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) the clinical value of karyotypic aberrations is now acknowledged, although there is still debate concerning the prognostic significance of some events. To add to this knowledge, cytogenetic analysis was performed on a consecutive series of 84 childhood AML patients diagnosed in Switzerland. A result was obtained for all patients, with 69 (82%) showing a clonal karyotypic aberration. In the remaining 15 (18%), no karyotypic aberration was seen by either conventional or fluorescence in situ hybridisation analyses. The most frequent aberrations observed were t(11q23) (19% of all patients), t(8;21) (12%) and +8 (11%). Except for cytogenetics, no clinical parameter was shown to be significantly associated with outcome. The analysis of individual cytogenetic subgroups demonstrated that aberrations involving chromosome 16q were the strongest predictor of a good prognosis, while +8 and complex karyotypes represented the strongest predictors of a poor prognosis. It was also noteworthy that patients with the rare aberrations of del(11q) (n = 4) and t(16;21)(p11;q22) (n = 3) had a poor outcome. The results support the importance of cytogenetic analysis in childhood AML, but show that further work is required in the classification of the poor prognosis aberrations.
Alopecia areata in a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Beardi B. , Wanert F. , Zöller M. , Freyschmidt‐Paul P. , Bodemer W. , Kaup F.‐J. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBackground  A 14‐year‐old female rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) of Chinese origin has been suffering from alopecia universalis since childhood.Methods  Recently, the health status of the animal was recorded comprehensively by detailed clinical examination including hematology and serology supplemented by histological and immunohistochemical investigations of skin biopsies and molecular biological techniques to clarify the causes of the persistent hair loss.Results and conclusions  The hairless gene (hr) nonsense mutation was ruled out by polymerase chain reaction and by sequencing of the corresponding gene. Histological examinations revealed a prominent chronic lymphocytic perifolliculitis and folliculitis affecting anagen stage hair follicles as well as miniaturized hair follicles. Immunohistochemistry using the antibodies CD3, CD20 and CD4 confirmed the diagnosis of a T‐cell‐mediated autoimmune disease resembling alopecia areata universalis in humans.
Pegylated interferon‐α2a treatment of chronic SIV‐infected macaques
Authors: Asmuth D.M. , Abel K. , George M.D. , Dandekar S. , Pollard R.B. , Miller C.J. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBackground  In vitro and clinical observations in HIV‐infected patients receiving interferon α therapy have shown a reduction in HIV loads. Limited investigations have explored the innate or adaptive immune responses of IFN‐α on SIV replication in vivo.Methods  Seven chronically infected rhesus macaques were given pegylated IFN‐α2a (n = four) or saline (n = three) injections once weekly for 14 weeks. Weekly peripheral blood samples were taken for safety parameters, viral load determinations, and measurements of innate and adaptive immune responses.Results  Pharmacokinetic measurements demonstrated therapeutic peg‐IFN‐α levels for the initial period of therapy and IFN‐α inducible antiviral molecules were increased sporadically in the PBMC mRNA of the treatment group. Despite the demonstrable effect of the IFN‐α injections, the treatment had no effect on plasma viral RNA levels.Conclusions  This work demonstrates that while short term IFN‐α therapy induces innate antiviral immunity, it does not dramatically enhance or suppress viral replication. However, studies in the SIV model to determine therapeutic potential of chronic IFN‐α therapy for the treatment of HIV will require macaque specific cytokines.
Successful management of deep facial burns in a patient with extensive third‐degree burns: the role of a nanocrystalline silver dressing in facilitating resurfacing
Authors: Marazzi Mario , De Angelis Armando , Ravizza Adriano , Ordanini Marco N. , Falcone Leonarda , Chiaratti Anna , Crovato Francesca , Calò Donata , Veronese Silvio , Rapisarda Vincenzo 
Published: April 2007

AbstractFull‐thickness burns of the face are notoriously difficult to repair and their management poses a series of problems to the surgeon. We present the case of a 49‐year‐old man (only survivor of a catastrophic airport accident) with third‐degree flame burns to >80% of total body surface area and extensive face damage who achieved a fully satisfactory outcome after a treatment plan based on gradual escharectomy followed by application of artificial dermis and, later, grafting with sheets of cultured keratinocytes. Re‐epithelialisation was already visible at day 16 after admission and all facial wounds were closed by day 56, the treatment continuing on the scalp. Within 6 months of the accident, the patient had recovered functional and cosmetic features (including re‐growth of skin appendages) that were beyond expectations. The use of nanocrystalline silver‐coated dressings during the escharectomy and resurfacing phases was important, as part of a multifaceted strategy, in ensuring excellent antimicrobial control, thus avoiding the need for autologous grafting and contributing to a rapid healing and complete restoration of the face and head skin.
Clinical predictors of treatment failure for diabetic foot infections: data from a prospective trial
Authors: Lipsky Benjamin A , Sheehan Peter , Armstrong David G , Tice Alan D , Polis Adam B , Abramson Murray A 
Published: April 2007

AbstractTo aid clinicians in selecting the appropriate approach for treating patients with diabetic foot infections, we investigated whether any baseline clinical findings predicted an unfavourable clinical outcome. Using data from a large, prospective treatment trial of diabetic foot infections (SIDESTEP), we assessed the association between clinical treatment failure and baseline history, physical and laboratory findings, by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Among 402 patients clinically evaluable 10 days after completing antibiotic therapy, baseline factors significantly (P < 0·05) associated by univariate analysis with treatment failure were ‘severe’ (versus ‘moderate’) University of Texas (UT) wound grade; elevated white blood cell count, C‐reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate; high wound severity score; inpatient treatment; low serum albumin; male sex; and skin temperature of affected foot >10°C above that of unaffected foot. By multivariate logistic regression only severe UT wound grade (odds ratio 2·1) and elevated white blood cell count [odds ratio 1·7 for a 1 standard deviation (2971 cells/mm3) increase] remained statistically significant. Clinical failure rates were 46% for patients with both risk factors compared with 10% for patients with no risk factors and 16–17% for patients with one risk factor. Increased white blood cell count and severe UT wound grade at baseline, but not other features, were significant independent and additive risk factors for clinical failure in patients treated for a diabetic foot infection.
Rational Peptide Selection To Detect Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Specific T-Cell Responses under Resource-Limited Conditions
Authors: Willberg C. B. , Pillai S. K. , Sharp E. R. , Rosenberg M. G. , Agudelo J. D. , Barbour J. D. , Nixon D. F. 
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT
Understanding human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses is important for the development of vaccines and therapies. We describe a novel method for the rational selection of peptides that target stable regions of the HIV-1 genome, rich in epitopes specifically recognized by the study population. This method will be of particular use under resource/sample-limited conditions.