bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ENDORECTAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING STAGING OF PROSTATE CANCER
Authors: Chandra Ronil V. , Heinze Stefan , Dowling Richard , Shadbolt Clair , Costello Anthony , Pedersen John 
Published: September 2007

Background:  There are important treatment and prognostic implications in distinguishing between organ‐confined prostate cancer that has spread locally outside the capsule and that which has spread into the seminal vesicles. This study is the first Australian study to report local accuracy for the locoregional staging of prostate cancer with endorectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods:  From July 2002 to December 2005, 129 patients were referred for endorectal MRI for all indications. Inclusion criteria were biopsy‐proven prostate cancer, minimum 4 weeks from previous biopsy and radical retropubic prostatectomy within 12 months of MRI. This yielded 47 patients. Those with prior hormonal and neoadjuvant radiotherapy or significant postbiopsy haemorrhage were excluded. In addition, those patients examined with our alternate‐contrast‐enhanced protocol were also excluded. A total of 38 patients met all inclusion criteria. A General Electric 1.5‐T whole‐body MR imaging unit with an endorectal coil was used with interpretation by two genito‐urinary MR radiologists. Final histopathological report was used for correlation.Results:  Median age was 60 years with a range 44–72 years. Median prostate‐specific antigen was 6.3 with a range of 2–82, and median Gleason score was 6 with a range of 5–8. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion were 69, 82 and 76% and 60, 100 and 95%, respectively. For extraprostatic extension, 71, 86 and 79%, respectively.Conclusions:  Staging accuracy is similar to internationally published standards. Improvements in hardware and software and increased reader experience will add value to the local Australian prostate imaging programme.
SECONDARY AND TERTIARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM: ROLE OF PREOPERATIVE LOCALIZATION
Authors: Lai Eric C. H. , Ching Alex S. C. , Leong Heng Tat 
Published: September 2007

Background:  The usefulness of both technetium Tc‐99m sestamibi (MIBI) scintigraphy and ultrasonography (USG) scan for the detection of enlarged parathyroid glands secondary to renal hyperparathyroidism is rarely addressed.Methods:  A retrospective study from July 1999 to June 2005 was carried out on patients with secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism to determine the role of preoperative localization.Results:  In the 5 years, 73 patients with renal hyperparathyroidism underwent initial bilateral neck exploration with total parathyroidectomy. Four patients underwent neck exploration with parathyroidectomy for persistent hyperparathyroidism. Two patients underwent neck exploration with parathyroidectomy for recurrent hyperparathyroidism. For patients with initial secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism, MIBI scintigraphy correctly showed 101 of 276 (36.6%) surgically confirmed enlarged parathyroids, whereas USG scan showed 99 of 276 (35.9%) surgically confirmed enlarged parathyroids. For persistent or recurrent secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism, MIBI scintigraphy and USG scan had sensitivity of 100 and 50%, respectively.Conclusions:  In conclusion, preoperative localization studies have a limited value when used before first neck exploration in secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism because of the poor results in identifying all parathyroid glands. In persistent/recurrent hyperparathyroidism, it may play a useful role in localization of the missed or ectopic parathyroid gland.
The timescale and mechanisms of fault sealing and water‐rock interaction after an earthquake
Authors: CLAESSON L. , SKELTON A. , GRAHAM C. , MÖRTH C.‐M. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractHydrogeochemical monitoring of a basalt‐hosted aquifer, which contains Ice Age meteoric water and is situated at 1220 m below sea level in the Tjörnes Fracture Zone, northern Iceland, has been ongoing since July 2002. Based on hydrogeochemical changes following an earthquake of magnitude (Mw) 5.8 on 16 September 2002, we constrained the timescales of post‐seismic fault sealing and water–rock interaction. We interpret that the earthquake ruptured a hydrological barrier, permitting a rapid influx of chemically and isotopically distinct Ice Age meteoric water from a second aquifer. During the two subsequent years, we monitored a chemical and isotopic recovery towards pre‐earthquake aquifer compositions, which we interpret to have been mainly facilitated by fault‐sealing processes. This recovery was interrupted in November 2004 by a second rupturing event, which was probably induced by two minor earthquakes and which reopened the pathway to the second aquifer. We conclude that the timescale of fault sealing was approximately 2 years and that the approach to isotopic equilibrium (from global meteoric water line) was approximately 18% after >104 years.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated With Pemphigus Foliaceus in a Patient Not Taking Penicillamine
Authors: Sáez‐de‐Ocariz Marimar , Granados Julio , Yamamoto‐Furusho Jesús K. , López‐Martínez Alondra , Vega‐Memije María Elisa 
Published: September 2007

A 50‐year‐old‐woman presented with a history of crusted plaques on her face and trunk. On physical examination, she had a disseminated dermatosis involving the face, chest, trunk, abdomen, and both ankles. She had erythematous and scaly plaques on both cheeks (Figure 1). In both ears and on the rest of the body, she presented with scarce intact vesicles and blisters, a few eroded and crusted vesicles, and residual hyperpigmented macules. The onset of the dermatosis occurred 6 months before diagnosis, affecting the chest, followed by further spreading of vesicles on the body. She denied ever having developed ulcerative or erosive lesions on mucosal surfaces. The presence of blisters were followed by the development of crusts and hyperpigmented macules. One month before visiting our service, the patient had been receiving treatment with dapsone, with slight improvement of the cutaneous lesions. Biopsy results of one of the scaly plaques on the cheeks demonstrated a subcorneal blister with a few acantholytic cells and a scarce inflammatory infiltrate in the papillary dermis (Figure 2). Because of the clinical picture, especially the erythematous lesions on both cheeks, tests for antinuclear antibodies were performed to rule out pemphigus erythematosus, and the results were negative. Besides the cutaneous manifestations, the patient had had signs and symptoms of arthritis for at least 11 years; she had received sporadic relief with the nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug ketoprofen. She reported generalized morning rigidity lasting for 2 hours and arthralgias in the temporomandibular joints, elbows, wrists, metacarpophalangeal joints, knees, and ankles. On examination, she had phlogosis and synovial thickening in the elbows, wrists, metacarpophalangeal joints, knees, and ankles. She also had flexion contractures on both elbows as well as ulnar deviation of the left hand and swan‐neck deformity in several fingers. Radiographic examination of the hands demonstrated generalized osteopenia, decreased articular spaces in metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints, and slight erosion in the carpal bones (Figure 3). Results of rheumatoid factor testing were positive (521 IU/mL). The diagnoses of both pemphigus foliaceus and rheumatoid arthritis were made. We performed high‐resolution DNA typing of HLA‐DRB1 polymorphism using sequence‐specific oligonucleotides,1 and found that the patient carried HLA DRB1*0404 and *1406. The patient had erythematous and scaly plaques on both cheeks. image Biopsy revealed a subcorneal blister with a few acantholytic cells and a scarce inflammatory infiltrate in the papillary dermis. image Radiography of the hands, revealed generalized osteopenia, decreased articular spaces in metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints, and slight erosion in the carpal bones. image
GRB 060206 and the quandary of achromatic breaks in afterglow light curves
Authors: Curran P. A. , van der Horst A. J. , Wijers R. A. M. J. , Starling R. L. C. , Castro-Tirado A. J. , Fynbo J. P. U. , Gorosabel J. , Järvinen A. S. , Malesani D. , Rol E. , Tanvir N. R. , Wiersema K. , Burleigh M. R. , Casewell S. L. , Dobbie P. D. , Guziy S. , Jakobsson P. , Jelínek M. , Laursen P. , Levan A. J. , Mundell C. G. , Näränen J. , Piranomonte S. 
Published: September 2007

Abstract
Gamma-ray burst afterglow observations in the Swift era have a perceived lack of achromatic jet breaks compared with the BeppoSAX era. We present our multi-wavelength analysis of GRB060206 as an illustrative example of how inferences of jet breaks from optical and X-ray data might differ. The results of temporal and spectral analyses are compared, and attempts are made to fit the data within the context of the standard blast wave model. We find that while the break appears more pronounced in the optical and evidence for it from the X-ray alone is weak, the data are actually consistent with an achromatic break at about 16 h. This break and the light curves fit standard blast wave models, either as a jet break or as an injection break. As the pre-Swift sample of afterglows are dominated by optical observations, and in the Swift era most well-sampled light curves are in the X-ray, caution is needed when making a direct comparison between the two samples, and when making definite statements on the absence of achromatic breaks.
Pre‐harvest Interventions to Reduce the Shedding ofE. coliO157 in the Faeces of Weaned Domestic Ruminants: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sargeant J. M. , Amezcua M. R. , Rajic A. , Waddell L. 
Published: September 2007

SummaryOur objective was to use formal systematic review methods to evaluate the efficacy of interventions to reduce faecal shedding ofEscherichia coliO157 in post‐weaned ruminants by increasing animal resistance. The methodology consisted of an extensive search to identify all potentially relevant research, screening of titles and abstracts for relevance to the research question, quality assessment of relevant research, extraction of data from research of sufficient quality, and qualitative summarization of results. The interventions evaluated included probiotics, vaccination, antimicrobials, sodium chlorate, bacteriophages and other feed additives. There was evidence of efficacy for the probiotic combinationLactobacillus acidophilusNP51 (NPC 747) andPropionibacterium freudenreichiiand for sodium chlorate in feed or water. The effectiveness of vaccination varied among studies and among vaccine protocols and there was no consistent evidence to suggest that antibiotic use was associated with a decrease in faecal shedding ofE. coliO157, or that current industry uses of antimicrobials were associated with increased faecal shedding. There were an insufficient number of studies available to address the effectiveness of bacteriophages and several other feed additives. In general, few of the primary studies evaluated the interventions under commercial housing conditions with a natural disease challenge, there were inconsistencies in the results among study designs and in some cases among studies within study designs, and a relatively large proportion of publications were excluded based on quality assessment criteria. Few studies reported on associations between the proposed intervention and production parameters, such as average daily gain and feed: gain ratio. While the results suggest that some interventions may be efficacious, there are knowledge gaps in our understanding of the efficacy of pre‐harvest interventions to increase animal resistance toE. coliO157 that require further targeted research.
Penetration of Amphotericin B Lipid Formulations into Pleural Effusion
Authors: Weiler Stefan , Bellmann-Weiler Rosa , Joannidis Michael , Bellmann Romuald 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACT
The penetration of the amphotericin B (AMB) lipid formulations (liposomal AMB, AMB colloidal dispersion, and AMB lipid complex formulations) into pleural effusions in seven critically ill patients was assessed. AMB was detected in all pleural effusion samples at concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.43 μg/ml. The penetration ratio was 3 to 44%.
Toll-Like Receptor 2 Controls the Gamma Interferon Response toFrancisella tularensisby Mouse Liver Lymphocytes
Authors: Hong Kee-Jong , Wickstrum Jason R. , Yeh Hung-Wen , Parmely Michael J. 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTThe production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) is a key step in the protective innate immune response toFrancisella tularensis. Natural killer cells and T cells in the liver are important sources of this cytokine during primaryF. tularensisinfections, and interleukin-12 (IL-12) appears to be an essential coactivating cytokine for hepatic IFN-γ expression. The present study was undertaken to determine whether or not macrophages (Mφ) or dendritic cells (DC) provide coactivating signals for the liver IFN-γ response in vitro, whether IL-12 mediates these effects, and whether Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is essential to induce this costimulatory activity. Both bone marrow-derived Mφ and DC significantly augmented the IFN-γ response ofF. tularensis-challenged liver lymphocytes in vitro. While both cell types produced IL-12p40 in response toF. tularensischallenge, only DC secreted large quantities of IL-12p70. DC from both IL-12p35-deficient and TLR2-deficient mice failed to produce IL-12p70 and did not costimulate liver lymphocytes for IFN-γ production in response to viableF. tularensisorganisms. Conversely, liver lymphocytes from TLR2-deficient mice cocultured with wild-type accessory cells produced IFN-γ at levels comparable to those for wild-type hepatic lymphocytes. These findings indicate that TLR2 controls hepatic lymphocyte IFN-γ responses toF. tularensisby regulating DC IL-12 production. While Mφ also coinduced hepatic IFN-γ production in response toF. tularensis, they did so in a fashion less dependent on TLR2.
The
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG Cyclic AMP Receptor-Like Protein Is a Functional DNA Binding Protein In Vitro and In Vivo, but Its Activity Differs from That of Its
M. tuberculosis
Ortholog, Rv3676
Authors: Bai Guangchun , Gazdik Michaela A. , Schaak Damen D. , McDonough Kathleen A. 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Rv3676 encodes a cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor-like protein (CRP
Mt
) that has been implicated in global gene regulation and may play an important role during tuberculosis infection. The CRP
Mt
ortholog in
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG, CRP
BCG
, is dysfunctional in an
Escherichia coli
CRP competition assay and has been proposed as a potential source of
M. bovis
BCG's attenuation. We compared CRP
BCG
and CRP
Mt
in vitro and in vivo, in
M. bovis
BCG and
M. tuberculosis
, to evaluate CRP
BCG
's potential function in a mycobacterial system. Both proteins formed dimers in mycobacterial lysates, bound to the same target DNA sequences, and were similarly affected by the presence of cAMP in DNA binding assays. However, CRP
Mt
and CRP
BCG
differed in their relative affinities for specific DNA target sequences and in their susceptibilities to protease digestion. Surprisingly, CRP
BCG
DNA binding activity was stronger than that of CRP
Mt
both in vitro and in vivo, as measured by electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Nutrient starvation-associated regulation of several CRP
Mt
regulon members also differed between
M. bovis
BCG and
M. tuberculosis
. We conclude that CRP
BCG
is a functional cAMP-responsive DNA binding protein with an in vivo DNA binding profile in
M. bovis
BCG similar to that of CRP
Mt
in
M. tuberculosis
. However, biologically significant functional differences may exist between CRP
BCG
and CRP
Mt
with respect to gene regulation, and this issue warrants further study.
Galectin-3 Modulates Immune and Inflammatory Responses during Helminthic Infection: Impact of Galectin-3 Deficiency on the Functions of Dendritic Cells
Authors: Breuilh Laetitia , Vanhoutte François , Fontaine Josette , van Stijn Caroline M. W. , Tillie-Leblond Isabelle , Capron Monique , Faveeuw Christelle , Jouault Thierry , van Die Irma , Gosset Philippe , Trottein François 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTGalectin-3 (Gal-3) is a multifunctional β-galactoside-binding lectin that senses self-derived and microbial glycoconjugates. Although Gal-3 is important in immune reactions and host defense in some experimental models, the function of Gal-3 during helminthic diseases (e.g., schistosomiasis) is still elusive. We show that, compared to wild-typeSchistosoma mansoni-infected mice, infected Gal-3−/−mice have a reduced number of T and B lymphocytes in the spleen, develop reduced liver granulomas at 7 weeks (acute phase) and 14 weeks (chronic phase) postinfection, and mount a biased cellular and humoral Th1 response. In an attempt to understand this latter phenomenon, we studied the role of endogenous Gal-3 in dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent antigen-presenting cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Although Gal-3 deficiency in DCs does not impact their differentiation and maturation processes, it greatly influences the strength (but not the nature) of the adaptive immune response that they trigger, suggesting that Gal-3 deficiency in some other cell types may be important during murine schistosomiasis. As a whole, this study implies that Gal-3 is a modulator of the immune/inflammatory responses during helminthic infection and reveals for the first time that Gal-3 expression in DCs is pivotal to control the magnitude of T-lymphocyte priming.
Feasibility of a Molecular Screening Method for Detection ofSalmonella entericaandCampylobacter jejuniin a Routine Community-Based Clinical Microbiology Laboratory
Authors: Schuurman T. , de Boer R. F. , van Zanten E. , van Slochteren K. R. , Scheper H. R. , Dijk-Alberts B. G. , Möller A. V. M. , Kooistra-Smid A. M. D. 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACTConventional diagnostic methods for the detection ofSalmonella entericaandCampylobacter jejuniare laborious and time-consuming procedures, resulting in final results, for the majority of specimens, only after 3 to 4 days. Molecular detection can improve the time to reporting of the final results from several days to the next day. However, molecular assays for the detection of gastrointestinal pathogens directly from stool specimens have not made it into the routine clinical microbiology laboratory. In this study we have assessed the feasibility of a real-time PCR-based molecular screening method (MSM), aimed atS. entericaandC. jejuni, in the daily practice of a routine clinical microbiology laboratory. We have prospectively analyzed 2,067 stool specimens submitted for routine detection of gastrointestinal bacterial pathogens over a 7-month period. The MSM showed 98 to 100% sensitivity but routine culture showed only 77.8 to 86.8% sensitivity when an extended “gold standard” that included all culture-positive and all MSM-positive specimens, as confirmed by an independent secondary PCR of a different target gene, was used. An overall improvement in the rate of detection of both pathogens of 15 to 18% was observed. Both approaches performed nearly identically with regard to the specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, with the values for MSM being 99.7%, 93.1 to 96.6%, and 99.8 to 100%, respectively, and those for routine culture being 100%, 100%, and 97.6 to 99.5%, respectively. Finally, the final results were reported between 3 and 4 days earlier for negative specimens compared to the time of reporting of the results of routine culture. Positive specimens, on the other hand, required an additional 2 days to obtain a final result compared to the time required for routine culture, although preliminary MSM PCR-positive results were reported, on average, 2.9 to 3.8 days before the final routine culture results were reported. In conclusion, MSM can be incorporated into the daily practice of a routine clinical microbiology laboratory with ease. Furthermore, it provides an improvement in the screening forS. entericaandC. jejuniand substantially improves the time to the reporting of negative results.
Accuracy of
Burkholderia pseudomallei
Identification Using the API 20NE System and a Latex Agglutination Test
Authors: Amornchai Premjit , Chierakul Wirongrong , Wuthiekanun Vanaporn , Mahakhunkijcharoen Yuvadee , Phetsouvanh Rattanaphone , Currie Bart J. , Newton Paul N. , van Vinh Chau Nguyen , Wongratanacheewin Surasakdi , Day Nicholas P. J. , Peacock Sharon J. 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACT

In an evaluation of the API 20NE for the identification of
Burkholderia
spp., 792/800 (99%)
Burkholderia pseudomallei
and 17/19 (89%)
B. cepacia
isolates were correctly identified but 10
B. mallei
and 98
B. thailandensis
isolates were not correctly identified. A latex agglutination test was positive for 796/800 (99.5%)
B. pseudomallei
isolates and negative for 120 other oxidase-positive gram-negative bacilli.
Genetic Diversity of Paired Middle-Ear and Pharyngeal Nontypeable
Haemophilus influenzae
Isolates from Children with Acute Otitis Media
Authors: Berrens Zachary J. , Marrs Carl F. , Pettigrew Melinda M. , Sandstedt Sara A. , Patel Mayuri , Gilsdorf Janet R. 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACT

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to determine genetic diversities of multiple nontypeable
Haemophilus influenzae
isolates from throat and ear specimens of eight children with otitis media. From five children, all ear and throat isolates were identical. The bacterial populations in these specimens showed less diversity than populations in throat isolates of healthy children.
Isolation and Genetic Characterization of a Coinfection of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing
Escherichia coli
Authors: Gilmour Matthew W. , Tabor Helen , Wang Gehua , Clark Clifford G. , Tracz Dobryan M. , Olson Adam B. , Mascarenhas Mariola , Karmali Mohamed A. , Mailman Tim , Ng Lai-King 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACT

A coinfection of O177:NM and O55:H7 Shiga toxin-producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC) was identified for a child with acute bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome by using culture and serotype-specific molecular reagents. The profile of O157-related genetic islands revealed that the O55:H7 isolate was highly similar to O157 STEC whereas the O177:NM isolate lacked several fimbrial O islands and non-locus-of-enterocyte-effacement effector determinants. However, both STEC serotypes are known to cause serious disease, and the significant repertoire of virulence determinants in both strains made it impossible to determine their individual contributions to the clinical symptoms.
Use of Peptide Nucleic Acid-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization for Definitive, Rapid Identification of Five Common
Candida
Species
Authors: Reller Megan E. , Mallonee Amanda B. , Kwiatkowski Nicole P. , Merz William G. 
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACT

We investigated a 2.5-h peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH) assay with five
Candida
species-specific probes to identify
Candida
colonies and compared it to standard 2-h to 5-day phenotypic identification methods. Suspensions were made and slides were prepared and read for fluorescence per the manufacturer's instructions. Sensitivity was 99% (109/110), and specificity was 99% (129/130). PNA-FISH can rapidly identify those
Candida
species isolated most frequently.