bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A pilot phase II study of alternate day ganciclovir and foscarnet in preventing cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in at‐risk pediatric and adolescent allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients
Authors: Shereck Evan B. , Cooney Erin , van de Ven Carmella , Della‐Lotta Phyllis , Cairo Mitchell S. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractBackgroundProphylaxis with ganciclovir or foscarnet post allogeneic stem cell transplant (AlloSCT) reduces cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease. Combination ganciclovir/foscarnet is more effective than monotherapy in HIV patients with CMV retinitis. We hypothesized that alternate day ganciclovir and foscarnet for the prevention of CMV during the first 100 days after AlloSCT would be safe and effective.ProcedureFifty‐three pediatric and adolescent AlloSCT recipients receiving 57 AlloSCTs where donors and/or recipients were CMV seropositive received ganciclovir (5 mg/kg/48 hr) alternating with foscarnet (90 mg/kg/48 hr) from myeloid recovery (≥ANC 750/mm3) until Day +100.ResultsPatients were: M:F 31:22; age 6 years (0.8–18 years); donor sources: 25 related peripheral blood/bone marrow, 3 unrelated adult peripheral blood, 26 unrelated cord blood, and 3 related cord blood. GVHD prophylaxis included tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Median‐nucleated and CD34 cell counts were 7.3 × 108/kg and 5.07 × 106/kg, respectively, for BM/PBSC; 4.07 × 107/kg and 1.69 × 105/kg, respectively, for CB. Despite a 36.5% probability of Grades II–IV acute GVHD, no patient developed systemic CMV disease. Five percent had Grade IV hematological toxicity that required discontinuation of ganciclovir. Twenty‐five percent required discontinuation of foscarnet secondary to electrolyte abnormalities and/or renal dysfunction that were presumed to be multifactorial in origin. Probability of 1‐year overall survival was 58.8%.ConclusionsAlternate day ganciclovir/foscarnet in AlloSCT recipients where recipient and/or donor is seropositive appears to be tolerable and 100% effective in preventing CMV systemic disease. A randomized study will be required to determine if this approach is superior to other CMV prophylactic designs. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:306–312. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Treatment of Pediatric non‐Hodgkin lymphomas in a country with limited resources: Results of the first national protocol in Nicaragua
Authors: Baez F. , Pillon M. , Manfredini L. , Ocampo E. , Mendez G. , Ortiz R. , Palacios R. , Gutierrez T. , Tridello G. , Conter V. , Valsecchi MG. , Bellani F. Fossati , Cavalli F. , Masera G. , Rosolen A. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe report the results of a protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric non‐Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) conducted in Nicaragua in the context of an international collaborative program. Fifty‐three children with NHL treated between 1996 and 2003 were retrospectively evaluated. Therapy was designed based on local drug availability and affordability with dose and schedule adaptations for Burkitt and lymphoblastic lymphomas. With a median follow‐up of 3 years, the projected 9‐year overall survival was 63% and event‐free survival 53%. The treatment was efficacious, feasible, and well tolerated in spite of the local socio‐economical conditions. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:148–152. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Rovibrationally averaged properties of H2 using Monte Carlo methods
Authors: Alexander S. A. , Coldwell R. L. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractUsing variational Monte Carlo and a simple explicitly correlated wave function, we have computed 18 molecular properties of the hydrogen molecule (X1∑) at 24 internuclear distances. These properties have been combined with rapidly convergent rovibrational wave functions to produce rovibrationally averaged properties for several of the lowest rotational and vibrational levels of this system. Our results are in very good agreement with previous values found in the literature. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
Temperature‐dependent conformational analysis of cyclononane: An ab initio study
Authors: Franco Mauro L. , Ferreira Dalva E. C. , Dos Santos Hélio F. , De Almeida Wagner B. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractQuantum chemical methods were used for the theoretical determination of the conformational population for the relevant conformers of cyclononane, i.e., TBC, TCB, TCC, and M4 (or C1), which have been previously investigated experimentally through detailed examination of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum. Our best Gibbs free energy result, evaluated with MP4(SDTQ)/6‐31G(d,p)//MP2/6‐31G(d,p) energy differences and MP2/6‐31G(d,p) thermal corrections, lead to a temperature‐dependent population in excellent agreement with the experimental results based on the analysis of the low temperature 13C NMR spectrum. The nice agreement with experiment is achieved using MP2 harmonic frequencies for the evaluation of vibration partition functions within the standard statistic thermodynamics formalism. Theoretical temperature‐dependent infrared (IR) and 13C NMR spectra were simulated and compared with experimental data, which confirmed the ab initio conformational population reported here. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007
Modification of optimal complete active space choices for the multiconfigurational spin‐tensor electron propagator method for ionization potentials
Authors: Saha Rajiv , Ma Dongxia , Yeager Danny L. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe multiconfigurational spin tensor electron propagator (MCSTEP) method was developed as an implementation of electron propagator/single particle Green's function methods. MCSTEP was specifically designed for open‐shell and highly correlated (nondynamically correlated) initial states. Ionization or electron attachment is always from a state of pure spin symmetry to a state of pure spin symmetry even if the initial state is open shell. MCSTEP can be used as well for molecules with initial states that can be accurately described by a single determinant‐based theory. The initial state that is used in MCSTEP is typically a small complete active space (CAS) multiconfigurational self‐consistent field (MCSCF) state. We previously examined different small CAS choices for MCSTEP initial states and have developed a generally workable scheme. This article further examines some different ways to choose the CAS for MCSTEP. With several logical CAS choices, we have calculated the low‐lying vertical MCSTEP ionization potentials (IPs) of C2, N2, linear H2O, O2, CH2, and NH2, comparing them with large multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations. We conclude that generally a small modification and extension of our previous schemes for choosing the MCSTEP CAS gives IPs that most effectively mimics the results of large scale MRCI IPs in general. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007
Peculiarities of the silica surface center structure in rigid dehydroxidation conditions
Authors: Litinsky A. O. , Perminov V. N. , Vasiljeva G. Y. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractA model of molecular claster and nonempirical calculation schemes MP2/6‐31G*, MP4/6‐31G*, and MP2/DZVP2 were applied to study electronic and energy characteristics of the surface centers of different SiO2 modifications in rigid dehydroxidation conditions. It was established that depending on an angle α = Si′O′Si″ (where O′ is an oxygen atom of the nearest to the surface layer), O* atom corresponding with two surface Si atoms, could (i) form a chemical bond with one of the Si′ or Si″‐centers (an asymmetric configuration, α > 118° ÷ 120°); or (ii) be common for these centers (a symmetric configuration, α < 118° ÷ 120°). It was also established that when α > 132° ÷ 133°, the basic state was triple and at α < 132° ÷ 133°, it was single. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007
Synchronicity related to dead loved ones as a natural healing modality
Authors: Todaro‐Franceschi Vidette 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe purpose of this exploratory descriptive study was to explore the experience of synchronicity (meaningful coincidence) related to dead loved ones and to identify whether these events, when experienced by those who are grieving, help to create opportunities for personal transformation and enhanced well‐being. Nine female adults agreed to participate in the study, which was conducted in a nondenominational community group setting using weekly group sessions, one‐to‐one interviews, and written questionnaires. Several common themes emerged: participants verbalized feeling happy while sad, believing and at the same time disbelieving, being scared and yet reassured, feeling connected but also disconnected, and sometimes having faith while at other times lacking faith. In addition, it was identified that the sharing of synchronicity experiences with other individuals who were grieving contributed positively to the grief‐healing process for the group as a whole. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Magnetostratigraphic dating of an intensification of glacial activity in the southern Italian Alps during Marine Isotope Stage 22
Authors: Muttoni Giovanni , Ravazzi Cesare , Breda Marzia , Pini Roberta , Laj Carlo , Kissel Catherine , Mazaud Alain , Garzanti Eduardo 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe applied magnetostratigraphy and mammal biostratigraphy to date climate-sensitive pollen cycles and lithostratigraphic units of the Pliocene–Pleistocene Leffe sedimentary succession from the Southern Alps, Italy. The Leffe section was correlated to additional sections (Casnigo, Fornaci di Ranica, and Pianengo) to construct a stratigraphic network along a common fluviatile system (the Serio River) sourced in the Southern Alps and flowing southward into the Po River Basin. We obtained a coherent scenario of climate variability for the last ∼ 2 Myr. At Leffe, lacustrine deposition commenced during the Olduvai Normal Subchron (1.94–1.78 Ma) and lasted up to a chronologic level compatible with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 22 (0.87 Ma). Pollen analysis revealed that climate varied cyclically from warm-temperate to cool during this time interval, but never as cold as during glacial intervals. At around MIS 22, climate cooled globally. Gravels, attributed to high-energy braided river systems fed locally by alluvial fans, prograded from the Serio River catchment area over the Leffe Basin and toward the Po Plain in response to a generalized event of vegetation withdrawal and enhanced physical erosion. At this time, Alpine valley glaciers reached their first maximum southward expansion with glacier fronts located at only ∼ 5 km upstream from Leffe.
Two Tales of Municipal Reorganization: Toronto's and Montreal's Diverging Paths Toward Regional Governance and Social Sustainability
Authors: Le Blanc Marie-France 
Published: September 2006

Abstract.In Toronto and Montreal, territorial reorganizations modified the arrangements governing regional cooperation, the channels for citizen participation, and the composition of the civic community, all important factors that define the margins local authorities have to control and shape economic and social development. In both cases, these changes brought about a realignment of local civic forces and modified political arrangements at the metropolitan level, leading each city to break from its former path of development.Résumé.Les réorganisations territoriales de Toronto et Montréal ont modifié les paramètres guidant la coopération régionale, les modes de participation des citoyens et la composition de la communauté civique, soit autant de facteurs déterminant les marges de manœuvre des autorités locales pour encadrer le développement économique et social. Dans les deux cas, ces changements ont modifié les institutions politiques métropolitaines et ont amené les deux villes à s'engager dans de nouvelles avenues.
Survey on the involvement of consumers in health technology assessment programs
Authors: Hailey David , Nordwall Margareta 
Published: September 2006

Objectives: The aim of this study was to obtain information from members of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) on their involvement of consumers (patients, carers, and related organizations) in their programs.Methods: A questionnaire for a survey was developed and sent to member agencies in October 2005.Results: Of the thirty-seven agencies that provided responses, 57 percent involve consumers in some aspects of their HTA programs and 83 percent intend to involve consumers in the future. Summaries of HTA reports that are intended to be easily understood by consumers are prepared by 49 percent of the agencies, and 36 percent involve consumers in dissemination of HTA material.Conclusions: Most INAHTA members involve consumers in some aspects of their programs, although not always routinely. Involvement seems likely to increase in the future.
Clearcut: a fast implementation of relaxed neighbor joining
Authors: Sheneman Luke , Evans Jason , Foster James A. 
Published: September 2006

Abstract
Summary: Clearcut is an open source implementation for the relaxed neighbor joining (RNJ) algorithm. While traditional neighbor joining (NJ) remains a popular method for distance-based phylogenetic tree reconstruction, it suffers from a O(N3) time complexity, where N represents the number of taxa in the input. Due to this steep asymptotic time complexity, NJ cannot reasonably handle very large datasets. In contrast, RNJ realizes a typical-case time complexity on the order of N2logN without any significant qualitative difference in output. RNJ is particularly useful when inferring a very large tree or a large number of trees. In addition, RNJ retains the desirable property that it will always reconstruct the true tree given a matrix of additive pairwise distances. Clearcut implements RNJ as a C program, which takes either a set of aligned sequences or a pre-computed distance matrix as input and produces a phylogenetic tree. Alternatively, Clearcut can reconstruct phylogenies using an extremely fast standard NJ implementation.
Availability: Clearcut source code is available for download at:
Contact: sheneman@hungry.com
Supplementary information:
ADAM: another database of abbreviations in MEDLINE
Authors: Zhou Wei , Torvik Vetle I. , Smalheiser Neil R. 
Published: September 2006

Abstract
Motivation: Abbreviations are an important type of terminology in the biomedical domain. Although several groups have already created databases of biomedical abbreviations, these are either not public, or are not comprehensive, or focus exclusively on acronym-type abbreviations. We have created another abbreviation database, ADAM, which covers commonly used abbreviations and their definitions (or long-forms) within MEDLINE titles and abstracts, including both acronym and non-acronym abbreviations.
Results: A model of recognizing abbreviations and their long-forms from titles and abstracts of MEDLINE (2006 baseline) was employed. After grouping morphological variants, 59 405 abbreviation/long-form pairs were identified. ADAM shows high precision (97.4%) and includes most of the frequently used abbreviations contained in the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Lexicon and the Stanford Abbreviation Database. Conversely, one-third of abbreviations in ADAM are novel insofar as they are not included in either database. About 19% of the novel abbreviations are non-acronym-type and these cover at least seven different types of short-form/long-form pairs.
Availability: A free, public query interface to ADAM is available at , and the entire database can be downloaded as a text file.
Contact: neils@uic.edu
The phylogeny of the living and fossil Sphenisciformes (penguins)
Authors: Ksepka Daniel T. , Bertelli Sara , Giannini Norberto P. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe present the first phylogenetic analysis of the Sphenisciformes that extensively samples fossil taxa. Combined analysis of 181 morphological characters and sequence fragments from mitochondrial and nuclear genes (12S, 16S, COI, cytochrome b, RAG‐1) yields a largely resolved tree. Two species of the New Zealand Waimanu form a trichotomy with all other penguins in our result. The much discussed giant penguins Anthropornis and Pachydyptes are placed in two clades near the base of the tree. Stratigraphic and phylogenetic evidence suggest that some lineages of penguins attained very large body size rapidly and early in the clade's evolutionary history. The only fossil taxa that fall inside the crown clade Spheniscidae are fossil species assigned to the genus Spheniscus. Thus, extant penguin diversity is more accurately viewed as the product of a successful radiation of derived taxa than as an assemblage of survivors belonging to numerous lineages. The success of the Spheniscidae may be due to novel feeding adaptations and a more derived flipper apparatus. We offer a biogeographical scenario for penguins that incorporates fossil distributions and paleogeographic reconstructions of the Southern continent's positions. Our results do not support an expansion of the Spheniscidae from a cooling Continental Antarctica, but instead suggest those species that currently breed in that area are the descendants of colonizers from the Subantarctic. Many important divergence events in the clade Spheniscidae can instead be explained by dispersal along the paths of major ocean currents and the emergence of new islands due to tectonic events.© The Willi Hennig Society 2006.
Adrenal axis suppression unrelated to the dynamics of dosing with beclomethasone monopropionate
Authors: Mulrennan Siobhan A. , Hogg Joseph S. , Teoh Richard C. , Morice Alyn H. 
Published: September 2006

AimsInhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstone of asthma treatment. At high doses they can give rise to systemic side‐effects such as hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis suppression. This effect may depend on the delivery system, which in turn alters drug deposition and adsorption. We hypothesized that adrenal suppression depends on the rate of steroid absorption rather than the total steroid dose received.MethodsEight healthy adult males were recruited for a randomized double‐blind placebo controlled trial. Adrenocortical suppression ability was demonstrated by a 30% suppression of early morning cortisol following 1 mg dexamethasone. Subjects then attended in the evening on two occasions receiving 500 µg of intravenous beclomethasone monopropionate (17‐BMP) for either 15 min or 2 h. Overnight urinary cortisol : creatinine (C : C) ratio was measured before and after the infusion and an 08.00 h serum cortisol was measured following the infusion.ResultsMean C : C pre and post 15 min infusion was 5.97 and 3.22 (P = 0.005). Mean C : C pre and post 2 h infusion was 6.31 and 4.15 (P = 0.004). Delta C : C and mean 08.00 h cortisol for 15 min and 2 h infusion was 2.74 and 2.16 and 425 nmol l−1 and 400 nmol l−1, respectively (P = NS).ConclusionsThe rate of infusion of 17‐BMP seemed to have little effect on the degree of adrenal suppression. Individual C : C ratios were reproducible. Differences in absorption of ICS are unlikely to explain observed differences in HPA axis suppression.
Differential protein binding of indinavir and saquinavir in matched maternal and umbilical cord plasma
Authors: Sudhakaran Sreeja , Rayner Craig R. , Li Jian , Kong David C. M. , Gude Neil M. , Nation Roger L. 
Published: September 2006

AimsTo determine whether lower umbilical cord than maternal binding of indinavir and saquinavir contributed to the low cord : maternal (C : M) total concentration ratios reported previously.MethodsIndinavir and saquinavir unbound fraction (fu) was determined using equilibrium dialysis. Buffer solutions of human serum albumin (HSA) (20.0, 30.0, 40.0 g l−1) and α1‐acid glycoprotein (AAG) (0.20, 0.60, 2.00 g l−1) were spiked with indinavir (1.00 and 8.00 mg l−1) or saquinavir (0.15 and 1.50 mg l−1). Matched maternal and umbilical cord plasma was spiked with 1.00 mg l−1 indinavir (n = 12) or 0.15 mg l−1 saquinavir (n = 20). Spiked protein/plasma solutions were dialyzed against isotonic phosphate buffer, at 37 °C. At equilibrium, indinavir and saquinavir concentrations were quantified, and the fu determined.ResultsIndinavir and saquinavir demonstrated protein concentration‐dependent binding in buffer solutions of HSA and AAG. Indinavir fu was significantly higher in umbilical cord (0.53 ± 0.12) compared with maternal (0.36 ± 0.11) plasma (95% CI of the difference −0.26, −0.097). Similarly, saquinavir fu was different between umbilical cord (0.0090 ± 0.0046) and maternal plasma (0.0066 ± 0.0039) (95% CI of the difference −0.0032, −0.0016). The transplacental AAG concentration gradient contributed significantly to the binding differential of both drugs.ConclusionsThe differential plasma binding of both drugs, which was largely the result of the transplacental AAG concentration gradient, would contribute to the low C : M total plasma concentration ratios observed previously. Unbound concentrations of indinavir and saquinavir are likely to be substantially lower in umbilical cord than maternal plasma.
Distribution of the FcγRIIIa 176 F/V polymorphism amongst healthy Chinese, Malays and Asian Indians in Singapore
Authors: Chong K. T. , Ho W. F. , Koo S. H. , Thompson Peter , Lee Edmund J. D. 
Published: September 2006

What is already known about this subject• Genetic variability of the FcγRIIIa 176 F/V polymorphism has been widely studied in patients with systemic lupus erythomatosus and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as the general population of various White groups.• Its implications in disease pathogenesis and response to therapeutics have been well documented.• This study aimed to profile its polymorphism pattern in the Asian population, thus it serves as useful reference controls in disease association studies and tailoring therapy to ethnic‐specific populations.What this study adds• In this study, we have established the genetic variability profile of the FcγRIIIa 176 F/V polymorphism in three distinct Asian groups (Chinese, Malays and Indians) and also supplemented existing data based on ethnic‐specific healthy controls.• The polymorphism pattern of Malays was found to differ significantly from Chinese and Indians, which was also extended to almost all other healthy controls of various ethnic groups published elsewhere.• Such differences could have implications in disease susceptibility and pathogenesis, as well as response to drug therapeutics.AimsTo determine and compare the distribution of the FcγRIIIa 176 F/V polymorphism across three ethnically distinct populations (Chinese, Asian Indians and Malays) in Singapore.MethodsThe FcγRIIIa 176 F/V polymorphism was genotyped by direct sequencing from genomic DNA samples obtained from normal healthy Chinese, Asian Indians and Malays (n = 192 from each population).ResultsThe allelic frequencies of the high binding affinity FcγRIIIa 176 V allele for Chinese, Asian Indians and Malays were 35%, 33% and 46%, respectively (F allele frequencies were 65%, 67% and 54%, respectively). Genotype distributions were found to conform to the Hardy–Weinberg law (P > 0.05) in each group. χ2 comparisons revealed significant differences in the genotype distributions of the FcγRIIIa 176 V/F polymorphism of Malays from the other two populations (Chinese and Asian Indians). However, no significant difference in the genotype distributions of the FcγRIIIa 176 V/F polymorphism was observed between Chinese and Asian Indian populations.ConclusionsThe genotype distributions of the FcγRIIIa 176 V/F polymorphism in healthy Malays are significantly different from both Chinese and Indians. These observations provide the fundamentals on which future disease associations may be built and also present important implications for the design of therapeutic regimens amongst various ethnic groups.