bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Altimeter and Current Meter Observations of Internal Tides: Do They Agree?
Authors: Chiswell Stephen M. 
Published: September 2006

Abstract
Baroclinic tides can be observed both remotely from the Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon (T/P) altimeter and in situ using current meters. However, it is rare that current meter moorings have high vertical resolution and are located under T/P ground tracks so that a direct comparison can be made between the two methods of observations. Here, data from a current meter mooring directly under a T/P ground track off the Bounty Plateau, New Zealand, are used to obtain energy estimates of the first baroclinic mode. These estimates are compared with those calculated from the T/P surface elevation. The two methods return estimates of the internal tide that are in agreement in phase and direction but have about a factor-of-2 difference in amplitude (and a factor-of-4 difference in energy); the flux estimates are 787 and 170 W m−1, respectively. Uncertainties in these estimates are relatively large, and there is a low but not negligible probability that the differences are entirely due to measurement error. However, there are other reasons that might explain the differences in the estimates. It may be that the baroclinic tide is highly modulated in time and the current meters were deployed during a period of relatively low amplitude.
Disturbance of systemic antioxidant profile in nonsmall cell lung carcinoma
Authors: Ho J. C. , Chan-Yeung M. , Ho S. P. , Mak J. C. , Ip M. S. , Ooi G. C. , Wong M. P. , Tsang K. W. , Lam W. K. 
Published: September 2006

The present study aimed to determine the alterations of antioxidant activities in erythrocytes from patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).A comparative study of the systemic antioxidant activities in red blood cell lysate from subjects with NSCLC and healthy control subjects was conducted. The antioxidants catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured using chemical kinetic reactions under spectrophotometry.In total, 189 cases of mostly advanced-stage IIIB or stage IV NSCLC and 202 healthy controls were studied. In subjects with lung cancer, there was similar catalase activity, lower SOD activity (median (interquartile range) 13.4 (9.0–27.2)versus48.7 (27.0–64.3) U·(ghaemoglobulin(Hb)-1), and higher GPx activity (175.2 (126.6–288.3)versus49.2 (39.5–59.2) mU·(gHb)-1) compared with controls. The antioxidant activities in lung cancer subjects were not associated with age, sex, smoking status, or tumour cell types. However, more advanced disease (stage IV compared with stage IIIB) was associated with lower SOD activity. Using multivariable analysis, the presence of lung cancer independently predicted SOD and GPx activities.In conclusion, nonsmall cell lung carcinoma in Chinese subjects is associated with alterations in systemic antioxidant activities, which may play an important role in carcinogenesis.
Expression of histo-blood group antigens in bronchial squamous metaplasia
Authors: Sánchez-Mora N. , Cebollero Presmanes M. , Monroy V. , Herranz Aladro M. , Álvarez-Fernández E. 
Published: September 2006

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of blood group antigens in squamous bronchial metaplasia in order to determine whether this factor could identify patients at risk of lung cancer.In total, 100 bronchial biopsies were included in the present study. The cases were classified according to the World Health Organization grading system. Immunohistochemical stains for histo-blood groups A and B, and reactivity tests to p53 and the cellular proliferation index were performed.A total of 56 (56%) patients belonged to blood group A. Among them, six (10.7%) patients who did not express antigen in squamous metaplasia, showed carcinoma at the moment of the biopsy (n = 3) or developed synchronous lung carcinoma (n = 3). A total of nine (9%) patients belonged to blood group B. Loss of antigenic expression was observed in five cases. All of them developed synchronous lung carcinoma. The patients with low- and high-grade dysplasia developed lung cancer in 71 and 100% of the cases, respectively.In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that the loss of histo-blood antigens expression is an event in the carcinogenesis of bronchial mucosa and it is usually associated with high-grade lesions and hyperproliferative activity.
Estimated numbers and prevalence of PI*S and PI*Z deficiency alleles of α1-antitrypsin deficiency in Asia
Authors: de Serres F. J. , Blanco I. , Fernández-Bustillo E. 
Published: September 2006

The current study focuses on updating estimates of the numbers of individuals carrying the two most common deficiency alleles, protease inhibitor (PI)*S and PI*Z, for α1-antitrypsin deficiency (AT-D) in 20 Asian countries.A total of 170 cohorts with 31,177 individuals were selected from 20 Asian countries. The total AT-D populations in the countries selected were: 7,264 ZZ; 36,754 SZ; 6,672,479 MZ; 46,492 SS; and 16,881,108 MS. Marked differences among the Asian countries and regions were also found for the prevalence of the deficiency alleles PI*S and PI*Z. These numbers demonstrate that AT-D is not just a genetic disease that affects smaller numbers than various countries, for example, in Europe.There were marked differences between the prevalence of the PI*S and PI*Z deficiency alleles among these 20 Asian countries as well as among the countries within a given geographic region in Asia. The largest numbers of ZZ phenotypes (3,000–14,000) were in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Thailand; with <1,700 in each of the remaining countries.
Surfactant protein C mutations in sporadic forms of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias
Authors: Markart P. , Ruppert C. , Wygrecka M. , Schmidt R. , Korfei M. , Harbach H. , Theruvath I. , Pison U. , Seeger W. , Guenther A. , Witt H. 
Published: September 2006

Interstitial pneumonias have recently been associated with mutations in the gene encoding surfactant protein C (SFTPC). In particular,SFTPCmutations have been reported in a number of familial forms of pulmonary fibrosis and in infants with interstitial lung diseases. The present study searched forSFTPCmutations in adult patients with sporadic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.In total, 35 adult patients with sporadic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and 50 healthy subjects were investigated forSFTPCmutations by direct DNA sequencing. Of the patients with sporadic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, 25 suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and 10 patients from nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.Only two frequent nonsynonymous variants, T138N and S186N, were detected. Allele frequencies of both variations as well as of other identified noncoding alterations did not differ significantly between the diverse patient groups and control subjects.In conclusion, mutations in the gene encoding surfactant protein C are not common in sporadic cases of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, suggesting that the mutated gene does not play an important role in the pathogenesis of these forms of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.
The influence of patent foramen ovale on oxygen desaturation in obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Johansson M. C. , Eriksson P. , Peker Y. , Hedner J. , Råstam L. , Lindblad U. 
Published: September 2006

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with oxygen desaturation to a varying degree. A patent foramen ovale (PFO) may allow interatrial right-to-left shunting. The hypothesis of the current study was that oxygen desaturation will occur more often, in proportion to the frequency of respiratory disturbances, in OSA subjects with PFO than in those without.In a group of 209 subjects diagnosed with OSA, the proportion of desaturation to respiratory events was calculated as the ratio of oxygen desaturation index (ODI)/apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI). A total of 15 cases with high proportional desaturation (ODI/AHI ≥0.66) were individually matched with 15 controls with low proportional desaturation (ODI/AHI ≤0.33), all without pulmonary disease. PFO was assessed with contrast transoesophageal echocardiography and considered large when ≥20 bubbles passed over from the right to the left atrium after a single injection.The prevalence of large PFO was nine out of 15 (60%) in the high proportional desaturation groupversustwo out of 15 (13%) in the low proportional desaturation group. The median number of passing bubbles was positively correlated to minimum oxygen saturation among those with PFO.In conclusion, oxygen desaturation occurs more often, in proportion to the frequency of respiratory disturbances, in obstructive sleep apnoea subjects with a patent foramen ovale than in those without.
Economic evaluation of adherence to treatment guidelines in nonintensive care pneumonia
Authors: Menéndez R. , Reyes S. , Martínez R. , de la Cuadra P. , Manuel Vallés J. , Vallterra J. 
Published: September 2006

Guidelines have been developed to improve the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) but information regarding their influence on costs is lacking. The aim of the present study was to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of CAP treatment from the hospital perspective when adhering to Spanish guidelines.A prospective cohort study was performed in 271 patients with CAP admitted to a tertiary-care hospital, not needing intensive care. Collected data included patients' characteristics, comorbidity, initial risk class, resource use (medication, blood and microbiological analyses, and radiology) and economic data. Antimicrobial treatment was recorded as adherent or nonadherent to Spanish guidelines. Outcome measures were mortality and readmission at 30 days.The median cost for adherent treatment was 1,665.5versus1,710.5 Euros for nonadherent treatment. Mortality and readmission were 10% and 2.1% for adherent treatmentversus13.6% and 6.2% for nonadherent treatment. The cost-effectiveness ratio was 2,277 Euros per expected cure for patients treated according to the guidelines and 2,567 Euros per expected cure for the nonadherence group. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio showed that adherence to treatment guidelines saved 1,121 Euros per patient cured compared with nonadherence. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the findings were robust.An antimicrobial treatment according to guidelines is the dominant alternative due to its cost-effectiveness.
Obstructive sleep apnoea and oral breathing in patients free of nasal obstruction
Authors: Koutsourelakis I. , Vagiakis E. , Roussos C. , Zakynthinos S. 
Published: September 2006

Although there is an association between nasal obstruction, oral breathing and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS), it remains unknown whether increased oral breathing occurs in patients with OSAS who are free of nasal obstruction. The present study evaluated the relationship between breathing route and OSAS in patients without nasal obstruction.The breathing route of 41 snorers (25 male; aged 26–77 yrs) with normal nasal resistance was examined during overnight polysomnography using a nasal cannula/pressure transducer and an oral thermistor.In total, 28 patients had OSAS (apnoeics) and 13 patients were simple snorers. Apnoeics had a higher percentage of oral and oro-nasal breathing epochs. Oral and oro-nasal breathing epochs were positively related with apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) and duration of apnoeas/hypopnoeas and inversely related to oxygen saturation. Additionally, oro-nasal breathing epochs correlated with body mass index (BMI). In multiple linear regression analysis, oral breathing epochs were independently related only to AHI (r2 = 0.443), and oro-nasal breathing epochs were independently related to AHI (r2 = 0.736) and BMI (r2 = 0.036).In conclusion, apnoeics spent more time breathing orally and oro-nasally than simple snorers, and the apnoea/hypopnoea index is a major determinant of the time spent breathing orally and oro-nasally.
Hot biopsy forceps in the diagnosis of endobronchial lesions
Authors: Tremblay A. , Michaud G. , Urbanski S. J. 
Published: September 2006

Electrocoagulation bronchoscopy biopsy forceps may prevent bleeding, but could also impair the quality of the specimens obtained.Patients with endobronchial lesions during bronchoscopy underwent six endobronchial biopsies each with a hot biopsy forceps, alternating between with electrocoagulation (“hot”) and without (“cold”). Bleeding was quantified on a scale of 1–4, with 1 being no bleeding. The generator was set on “soft coagulation” mode, with power settings of 40, 60, 80 and 100 W for each group of 10 patients in a sequential fashion. Clinical pathology results were recorded before samples were reviewed by a second, blinded, pulmonary pathologist.A total of 39 patients with 40 endobronchial lesions had six biopsies performed (one patient had only four samples taken), giving a total of 238 biopsy samples. Concordance between hot and cold samples was 92.5% for the clinical pathologist and 87% for the blinded pathologist. Paired analysis suggested lower average bleeding score with the use of hot forceps. Overall bleeding rates for cold and hot biopsies, respectively, were as follows: grade 1: 30.3 and 41.2%; grade 2: 62.2 and 49.6%; grade 3: 7.6 and 9.2%; and grade 4: 0 and 0%.In conclusion, the use of hot biopsy forceps for endobronchial biopsy does not appear to have a negative impact on the pathological samples. Hot biopsy forceps showed a statistically significant reduction in bleeding score, which is unlikely to be of clinical significance.
Sporadic and epidemic community legionellosis: two faces of the same illness
Authors: Sopena N. , Force L. , Pedro-Botet M. L. , Barrufet P. , Sauca G. , García-Núñez M. , Tolchinsky G. , Capdevila J. A. , Sabrià M. 
Published: September 2006

The present study compares the risk factors, presentation and outcome of community-acquiredLegionella pneumophilapneumonia in 138 sporadic-case patients (1994–2004) and 113 outbreak-case patients (2002) treated in two hospitals in Catalonia (Spain) since urinary antigen assays were adopted.Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to compare epidemiological and clinical features, blood chemistry values, radiological findings and outcome of sporadic and epidemic legionnaires' disease.Univariate analysis showed that male sex, chronic lung disease, HIV infection and immunosuppressive therapy prevailed in sporadic cases. Presentation with respiratory symptoms, confusion and blood chemistry alterations, such as hyponatraemia, aspartate aminotransferase and blood urea nitrogen elevation, and partial pressure of oxygenPO2<7.98 KPa (60 mmHg) were also more frequent in sporadic cases, while headache prevailed in outbreak cases. Sporadic cases had a greater delay in treatment, were more severe and had a worse outcome than epidemic cases. Multivariate analysis showed significant differences in sex, chronic lung disease, HIV infection and headache.The clinical and outcome differences between the two groups may be explained by the detection of milder forms of legionnaires' disease, the earlier treatment and the lower severity of underlying disease in the outbreak cases.
Sarcoidosis and MIF gene polymorphism: a case–control study in an Irish population
Authors: Plant B. J. , Ghani S. , O'Mahony M. J. , Morgan L. , O'Connor C. M. , Morgan K. , Baugh J. A. , Donnelly S. C. 
Published: September 2006

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor is a key pro-inflammatory mediator. A 5-CATT repeat functional polymorphism within the promoter of the gene was previously associated with the lowest promoter activity. It was hypothesised that patients exhibiting a 5-CATT allele would have a less aggressive inflammatory response with an associated less severe clinical phenotype in sarcoidosis.Irish Caucasian sarcoidosis patients (n = 173) followed up for 1–39 yrs and a control group (n = 166) were genotyped for the CATT repeat polymorphism. Disease severity at the time of diagnosis and at the time of elaboration of the present study was assessed by the presence of thoracic and extrathoracic symptoms, erythema nodosum, radiographic interstitial changes (chest radiograph score equal to stage II or greater, or high-resolution computed tomography confirmed), pulmonary function tests, steroid use, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme levels.In the Irish population studied, no evidence was found of a significant association between either sarcoidosis susceptibility and disease severity and the 5-CATT repeat functional polymorphism in the macrophage migration inhibitory gene.The present study found no significant association between the 5-CATT repeat macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene polymorphism and sarcoidosis, and did not support the overriding role for macrophage migration inhibitory factor in driving sarcoidosis pathogenesis.
Apolipoprotein E isoform-dependent dendritic recovery of hippocampal neurons following activation of innate immunity
Authors: Maezawa Izumi , Zaja-Milatovic Snjezana , Milatovic Dejan , Stephen Christina , Sokal Izabela , Maeda Nobuyo , Montine Thomas J , Montine Kathleen S 
Published: September 2006

AbstractBackgroundInnate immune activation, including a role for cluster of differentiation 14/toll-like receptor 4 co-receptors (CD14/TLR-4) co-receptors, has been implicated in paracrine damage to neurons in several neurodegenerative diseases that also display stratification of risk or clinical outcome with the common alleles of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE):APOE2, APOE3, andAPOE4. Previously, we have shown that specific stimulation of CD14/TLR-4 with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leads to greatest innate immune response by primary microglial cultures from targeted replacement (TR) APOE4 mice and greatest p38MAPK-dependent paracrine damage to neurons in mixed primary cultures and hippocampal slice cultures derived from TR APOE4 mice. In contrast, TR APOE2 astrocytes had the highest NF-kappaB activity and no neurotoxicity. Here we tested the hypothesis that direct activation of CD14/TLR-4in vivowould yield different amounts of paracrine damage to hippocampal sector CA1 pyramidal neurons in TR APOE mice.MethodsWe measuredin vivochanges in dendrite length in hippocampal CA1 neurons using Golgi staining and determined hippocampal apoE levels by Western blot. Neurite outgrowth of cultured primary neurons in response to astrocyte conditioned medium was assessed by measuring neuron length and branch number.ResultsOur results showed that TR APOE4 mice had slightly but significantly shorter dendrites at 6 weeks of age. Following exposure to intracerebroventricular LPS, there was comparable loss of dendrite length at 24 hr among the three TR APOE mice. Recovery of dendrite length over the next 48 hr was greater in TR APOE2 than TR APOE3 mice, while TR APOE4 mice had failure of dendrite regeneration. Cell culture experiments indicated that the enhanced neurotrophic effect of TR APOE2 was LDL related protein-dependent.ConclusionThe data indicate that the environment within TR APOE2 mouse hippocampus was most supportive of dendrite regeneration while that within TR APOE4 hippocampus failed to support dendrite regeneration in this model of reversible paracrine damage to neurons from innate immune activation, and suggest an explanation for the stratification of clinical outcome withAPOEseen in several degenerative diseases or brain that are associated with activated innate immune response.
The automatic recognition and counting of cough
Authors: Barry Samantha J , Dane Adrie D , Morice Alyn H , Walmsley Anthony D 
Published: September 2006

Abstract

Background
Cough recordings have been undertaken for many years but the analysis of cough frequency and the temporal relation to trigger factors have proven problematic. Because cough is episodic, data collection over many hours is required, along with real-time aural analysis which is equally time-consuming.
A method has been developed for the automatic recognition and counting of coughs in sound recordings.

Methods
The Hull Automatic Cough Counter (HACC) is a program developed for the analysis of digital audio recordings. HACC uses digital signal processing (DSP) to calculate characteristic spectral coefficients of sound events, which are then classified into cough and non-cough events by the use of a probabilistic neural network (PNN). Parameters such as the total number of coughs and cough frequency as a function of time can be calculated from the results of the audio processing.
Thirty three smoking subjects, 20 male and 13 female aged between 20 and 54 with a chronic troublesome cough were studied in the hour after rising using audio recordings.

Results
Using the graphical user interface (GUI), counting the number of coughs identified by HACC in an hour long recording, took an average of 1 minute 35 seconds, a 97.5% reduction in counting time. HACC achieved a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 96%. Reproducibility of repeated HACC analysis is 100%.

Conclusion
An automated system for the analysis of sound files containing coughs and other non-cough events has been developed, with a high robustness and good degree of accuracy towards the number of actual coughs in the audio recording.
Ubiquitin crosstalk connecting cellular processes
Authors: Groothuis Tom AM , Dantuma Nico P , Neefjes Jacques , Salomons Florian A 
Published: September 2006

Abstract
The polypeptide ubiquitin is used in many processes as different as endocytosis, multivesicular body formation, and regulation of gene transcription. Conjugation of a single ubiquitin moiety is typically used in these processes. A polymer of ubiquitin moieties is required for tagging proteins for proteasomal degradation. Besides its role in protein degradation, ubiquitin is also engaged as mono- or polymer in intracellular signalling and DNA repair. Since free ubiquitin is present in limiting amounts in cells, changes in the demands for ubiquitin in any of these processes is likely to indirectly affect other ubiquitin modifications. For example, proteotoxic stress strongly increases poly-ubiquitylated proteins at the cost of mono-ubiquitylated histones resulting in chromatin remodelling and altered transcription. Here we discuss the interconnection between ubiquitin-dependent processes and speculate on the functional significance of the ubiquitin equilibrium as a signalling route translating cellular stress into molecular responses.