bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Profile of 513 patients with alopecia areata: associations of disease subtypes with atopy, autoimmune disease and positive family history
Authors: Goh C , Finkel M , Christos PJ , Sinha AA 
Published: August 2006

AbstractBackground  Several lines of evidence support a genetic component to alopecia areata (AA), including differences in patients based on severity of AA, associated diseases and family history.Objective  We aimed to examine clinical and genetic features of patients with AA with a focus on associated diseases, especially atopy, and family history of AA in the USA.Methods  From 1998 to 2001, 513 patients with AA completed interviews consisting of demographic information, patient's medical history, and family history of AA.Results  Forty per cent of respondents had alopecia totalis and/or universalis (AT/AU). These patients were younger at the age of onset than those with patchy AA (P < 0.001), were more likely to have associated autoimmune or atopic disease (P = 0.047), most notably atopic dermatitis (P = 0.021) and thyroid disease (P = 0.012). They also had a greater number of relatives affected by AA (P < 0.05).Conclusions  Our findings show marked associations between severity of AA, atopic dermatitis, thyroid disease and other autoimmune diseases, and extensive family history of AA, suggesting two clinically distinct subtypes of AA with the severe subtype possibly associated with greater familial autoimmunity. Further research exploring the possibility of a genetic basis to explain these clinical findings will be helpful in clarifying our understanding of AA, leading to improvements in diagnosis and treatment.
Self‐advocacy in historical perspective
Authors: Buchanan Ian , Walmsley Jan 
Published: August 2006

Accessible Summary

This paper looks at the history of self advocacy in England.
Self advocacy has helped many people with learning difficulties to speak up and gain more confidence.
But now it is associated with Government policy. After Valuing People, people expect self advocacy organizations to speak up for everyone with learning difficulties.
This might mean there is less time and space to help new people learn about speaking up as individuals.
It is important to find ways to support self advocacy groups, especially those run by people themselves, to avoid this happening.
Patterns of culture & power after ‘The Great Release’: the history of movements of subculture & empowerment among Danish people with learning difficulties
Authors: Bylov Frank 
Published: August 2006

Accessible Summary

This article tells us about the history of self‐advocacy in Denmark.
It also gives some information about how services for people with learning difficulties in Denmark have changed over the past 100 years.
In this article, I talk about ‘movements’ of self‐advocacy, which means the different types of self‐advocacy groups that have grown in Denmark.
I also describe how these movements have developed in ‘generations’. Like families, I say that self‐advocacy goes through ‘generations’ where it has to change because the world around it is changing. Sometimes, self‐advocacy groups have helped to make these big changes.
I use theory in this article to help explain some of the very complicated developments that self‐advocacy groups in Denmark have been through during their history.
Netnography as a consumer education research tool
Authors: Sandlin Jennifer A. 
Published: August 2006

Abstract‘Netnography’ is a research methodology in use since the late 1990s in the fields of consumer behaviour and marketing, but not fully utilized by researchers in the field of consumer education. This article argues that netnography is a helpful research tool for consumer education researchers who are interested in capturing and critically examining the education and learning occurring in informal sites of consumer education, especially in online communities. This article also presents an example of recent research conducted using netnography to understand how readers of the informal consumer education lifestyle magazine Budget Living created their own interpretations of meaning from the magazine.
Obesity among female adolescents in Vienna, Austria—the impact of childhood weight status and ethnicity
Authors: Kirchengast S , Schober E 
Published: August 2006

Objective  The objective of the study was to analyse prevalence of overweight and obesity among migrant girls in Vienna, Austria, starting at the age of 6 years up to the age of 15 years.Design  In a longitudinal study, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among migrant girls from Turkey and former Yugoslavia was documented and compared with that among Austrian girls in Vienna.Setting  Medical investigation of medical school authority in Viennese schools.Sample  Seven hundred and ninety girls of low socio‐economic status were included in the study.Methods  Anthropometric data were collected at the age of 6, 10 and 15 years. Body mass was estimated by means of the body mass index (BMI), and percentile curves were used for determining the weight status.Main outcome measure  Stature, body weight, BMI, weight status.Results  The prevalence of overweight and obesity was significantly higher among migrant girls at all age groups. The highest percentage of overweight was found among 10‐year‐old girls from Yugoslavia (nearly 35%) and the lowest percentage of overweight was exhibited in 6‐year‐old Austrian girls (20%). Being overweight or obese at the age of 6 years increased the risk of being overweight at 10 and 15 years significantly (P < 0.001). Among migrants, this risk was significantly higher than among Austrian girls (P < 0.001). Only 64.8% of Austrian girls, who were overweight/obese at the age of 6 years, were still classified as overweight at the age of 15 years. Among migrant girls, who were overweight at the age of 6 years, 72.0% (Turkish girls) and 78.3% (Yugoslavian girls) remained overweight until the age of 15 years.Conclusions  Especially girls from former Yugoslavia but also Turkish girls exhibited high rates of overweight and obesity. Prevention should start as early as possible since overweight tends to persist from childhood into adolescence.
Explaining Direct Care Resource Use of Nursing Home Residents: Findings from Time Studies in Four States
Authors: Arling Greg , Kane Robert L. , Mueller Christine , Lewis Teresa 
Published: August 2006

Objective. To explain variation in direct care resource use (RU) of nursing home residents based on the Resource Utilization Groups III (RUG‐III) classification system and other resident‐ and unit‐level explanatory variables.Data Sources/Study Setting. Primary data were collected on 5,314 nursing home residents in 156 nursing units in 105 facilities from four states (CO, IN, MN, MS) from 1998 to 2004.Study Design. Nurses and other direct care staff recorded resident‐specific and other time caring for all residents on sampled nursing units. Care time was linked to resident data from the Minimum Data Set assessment instrument. Major variables were: RUG‐III group (34‐group), other health and functional conditions, licensed and other professional minutes per day, unlicensed minutes per day, and direct care RU (wage‐weighted minutes). Resident‐ and unit‐level relationships were examined through hierarchical linear modeling.Data Collection/Extraction Methods. Time study data were recorded with hand‐held computers, verified for accuracy by project staff at the data collection sites and then merged into resident and unit‐level data sets.Principal Findings. Resident care time and RU varied between and within nursing units. RUG‐III group was related to RU; variables such as length of stay and unit percentage of high acuity residents also were significantly related. Case‐mix indices (CMIs) constructed from study data displayed much less variation across RUG‐III groups than CMIs from earlier time studies.Conclusions. Results from earlier time studies may not be representative of care patterns of Medicaid and private pay residents. New RUG‐III CMIs should be developed to better reflect the relative costs of caring for these residents.
The Complementarity and Substitution between Unconventional and Mainstream Medicine among Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States
Authors: Tom Xu K. , Farrell Tommie W. 
Published: August 2006

Objectives. To describe racial and ethnic differences in the utilization patterns of 12 common types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and mainstream medicine (MSM) and to test whether a specific CAM type is a substitute for or a complement to MSM among five racial and ethnic groups in the United States.Methods. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey in 1996 and 1998 were used. The sample of 46,673 respondents was stratified into non‐Hispanic whites (NHW), Hispanics, blacks, Asians, and other races. Twelve types of CAM visits and visits to office‐based and outpatient physicians were used to describe the pattern of CAM and MSM use. Utilization patterns among each racial and ethnic group were established and compared. Multivariate analyses were conducted to test whether each type of CAM and MSM were complements or substitutes within a racial and ethnic group, controlling for respondents' sociodemographics and health.Results. Significant intergroup differences in the prevalence rates of using various types of CAM were found. In particular, for some racial and ethnic groups, CAM can be either a substitute for or a complement to MSM visits, depending on the CAM type. More complementary relationships between CAM and physician visits were found in NHW and Asians than in other groups. All significant relationships between CAM types and physician visits among Hispanics and other races (predominantly Native American Indians) were substitution.Conclusions. Complementarity and substitution of CAM and MSM varied by racial and ethnic groups and by type of CAM. Culturally sensitive approaches are needed in successful integration of CAM in treatment management.
Graduate students’ experiences with standardized patients as adjuncts for teaching pelvic examinations
Authors: Theroux Rosemary , Pearce Carole 
Published: August 2006

AbstractPurpose: To explore graduate nurse practitioner students’ perceptions of their experiences when learning to perform pelvic examinations in the laboratory and performing them in subsequent clinical rotations. One group was taught by faculty with voluntary peer examination, and the other two groups were taught by standardized patients (SPs).Data sources: Surveys with open‐ and closed‐ended (responses on Likert scales) items administered twice during 3 consecutive years to students enrolled in an advanced health assessment course.Conclusions: All groups reported feeling anxious while learning pelvic exam techniques and in subsequent clinical experiences. SPs provided immediate feedback to students, decreased their feelings of anxiety, and increased their confidence in performing examinations. Students who were taught pelvic examination techniques by SPs rated their learning experiences more positively and reported a better understanding of exam techniques than students who learned to perform exams by voluntary examination of classmates.Implications for practice: Graduate nursing programs should consider locating and using SP programs for teaching pelvic examinations in advanced health assessment courses. Although more cost‐effective, voluntary peer examination was a less effective teaching method.
Prospective evaluation of a peripherally administered three‐in‐one parenteral nutrition product in dogs
Authors: Chandler M. L. , Payne‐James J. J. 
Published: August 2006

Objectives: Peripheral parenteral nutrition is an option for short‐term nutritional support in dogs which cannot be supported with enteral nutrition. The objective of this study was to examine the use of a three‐in‐one, 840 mOsmol/l peripheral parenteral nutrition product containing amino acids, lipids and glucose in separate compartments in dogs. Methods: Nine dogs were administered the three‐in‐one product, and two dogs were administered the amino acid part of the product, via a peripheral vein. Dogs were monitored for mechanical and metabolic complications. Results: Mechanical complications (apparent thrombus or thrombophlebitis) caused failure of infusion at a median of 36 hours. None of the dogs appeared to develop catheter‐related sepsis. Using a 10‐hour infusion period appeared to decrease the incidence of line failure. Mild and clinically non‐significant hyperglycaemia was the only metabolic complication. In four of the dogs, serum folate, cobalamin and homocysteine concentrations were determined before and after peripheral parenteral nutrition administration. Oral and parenteral administration of methionine has been previously associated with lowered serum folate concentrations. Low serum folates and the subsequent hyperhomocysteinaemia have been associated with venous endothelial damage and venous thrombus in other species. Serum cobalamin also affects homocysteine metabolism. Median serum folate, cobalamin and homocysteine concentrations were not affected by the short‐term administration of this three‐in‐one product. Clinical Significance: Using the product for 24 hours/day may require catheter replacement due to line failure. Other than line failure, which may be improved by 10‐ to 12‐hour infusion times, this product was found to be safe and practical for short‐term peripheral parenteral nutrition in dogs.
MarA-Like Regulator of Multidrug Resistance in
Yersinia pestis
Authors: Udani Rupa A. , Levy Stuart B. 
Published: August 2006

ABSTRACT

MarA47
Yp
from
Yersinia pestis
, showing 47% identity to
Escherichia coli
MarA in its N terminus, caused resistance to antibiotics and to organic solvents when expressed in both
E. coli
and
Y. pestis
. Resistance was linked to increased expression of the AcrAB multidrug efflux pump. In four of five spontaneous multidrug-resistant mutants of
Y. pestis
independently selected by growth on tetracycline, the
marA47
Yp
gene was overexpressed. The findings suggest that
marA47
Yp
is a
marA
ortholog in
Y. pestis
.
Frequent Emergence of Resistance in
Clostridium difficile
during Treatment of
C. difficile
-Associated Diarrhea with Fusidic Acid
Authors: Norén T. , Wullt M. , Åkerlund Thomas , Bäck E. , Odenholt I. , Burman L. G. 
Published: August 2006

ABSTRACT

Samples from patients with
Clostridium difficile-
associated diarrhea (CDAD) that were randomized to fusidic acid (
n
= 59) or metronidazole (
n
= 55) therapy for 7 days were cultured for
Clostridium difficile
in feces on days 1, 8 to 13, and 35 to 40. Of the patients who were culture positive only before treatment, 77% (36/47) were permanently cured (no treatment failure and no clinical recurrence), compared to 54% (22/41) of those with persistence of
C. difficile
at one or both follow-ups (
P
= 0.03). A similar association between bacterial persistence and a worse outcome of therapy was seen in both treatment groups. Resistance to fusidic acid was found in 1 of 88 pretherapy isolates available, plus in at least 1 subsequent isolate from 55% (11/20) of patients who remained culture-positive after fusidic acid therapy. In 10 of these 11 patients, the resistant follow-up isolate(s) belonged to the same PCR ribotype as the susceptible day 1 isolate, confirming frequent emergence of resistance to fusidic acid during treatment. Despite this, 5 of these 11 patients were permanently cured with fusidic acid, relative to 5 of 9 patients with susceptible
C. difficile
at follow-up (
P
= 1.0). None of the 36 PCR ribotypes of
C. difficile
identified was associated with any particular clinical outcome or emergence of fusidic acid resistance. In conclusion, culture positivity for
C. difficile
was common after both fusidic acid and metronidazole therapy and was associated with treatment failure or recurrence of CDAD. Development of resistance in
C. difficile
was frequent in patients given fusidic acid, but it was without apparent negative impact on therapeutic efficacy in the actual CDAD episode.
In Vitro Activity of a Novel Antimicrobial Agent, TG44, for Treatment of
Helicobacter pylori
Infection
Authors: Kamoda Osamu , Anzai Kinsei , Mizoguchi Jun-ichi , Shiojiri Masatoshi , Yanagi Toshiharu , Nishino Takeshi , Kamiya Shigeru 
Published: August 2006

ABSTRACT

Due to concerns about the current therapeutic modalities for
Helicobacter pylori
infection, e.g., the increased emergence of drug-resistant strains and the adverse reactions of drugs currently administered, there is a need to develop an anti-
H. pylori
agent with higher efficacy and less toxicity. The antibacterial activity of TG44, an anti-
H. pylori
agent with a novel structural formula, against 54 clinical isolates of
H. pylori
was examined and compared with those of amoxicillin (AMX), clarithromycin (CLR), and metronidazole (MNZ). Consequently, TG44 inhibited the growth of
H. pylori
in an MIC range of 0.0625 to 1 μg/ml. The MIC ranges of AMX, CLR, and MNZ were 0.0078 to 8 μg/ml, 0.0156 to 64 μg/ml, and 2 to 128 μg/ml, respectively. The antibacterial activity of TG44 against AMX-, CLR-, and MNZ-resistant strains was nearly comparable to that against drug-susceptible ones. In a pH range of 3 to 7, TG44 at 3.13 to 12.5 μg/ml exhibited potent bactericidal activity against
H. pylori
in the stationary phase of growth as early as 1 h after treatment began, in contrast to AMX, which showed no bactericidal activity at concentrations of up to 50 μg/ml at the same time point of treatment. TG44 at 25 μg/ml exhibited no antibacterial activity against 13 strains of aerobic bacteria, suggesting that its antibacterial activity against
H. pylori
is potent and highly specific. The present study indicated that TG44 possesses antibacterial activity which manifests quickly and is potentially useful for eradicating not only the antibiotic-susceptible but also the antibiotic-resistant strains of
H. pylori
by monotherapy.
High-Level Mupirocin Resistance within Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusPandemic Lineages
Authors: Pérez-Roth Eduardo , López-Aguilar Celeste , Alcoba-Florez Julia , Méndez-Álvarez Sebastián 
Published: August 2006

ABSTRACTThe methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) population in the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria over a 5-year period (1998 to 2002) was marked by shifts in the circulation of pandemic clones. Here, we investigated the emergence of high-level mupirocin resistance (Hi-Mupr). In addition to clonal spread, transfer ofileS2-carrying plasmids played a significant role in the dissemination of Hi-Mupramong pandemic MRSA lineages.
Heteroresistance to Colistin in Multidrug-Resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Li Jian , Rayner Craig R. , Nation Roger L. , Owen Roxanne J. , Spelman Denis , Tan Kar Eng , Liolios Lisa 
Published: August 2006

ABSTRACT

Multidrug-resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
has emerged as a significant clinical problem worldwide and colistin is being used increasingly as “salvage” therapy. MICs of colistin against
A. baumannii
indicate its significant activity. However, resistance to colistin in
A. baumannii
has been reported recently. Clonotypes of 16 clinical
A. baumannii
isolates and ATCC 19606 were determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and colistin MICs were measured. The time-kill kinetics of colistin against
A. baumannii
ATCC 19606 and clinical isolate 6 were investigated, and population analysis profiles (PAPs) were conducted. Resistance development was investigated by serial passaging with or without exposure to colistin. Five different PFGE banding patterns were found in the clinical isolates. MICs of colistin against all isolates were within 0.25 to 2 μg/ml. Colistin showed early concentration-dependent killing, but bacterial regrowth was observed at 24 h. PAPs revealed that heteroresistance to colistin occurred in 15 of the 16 clinical isolates. Subpopulations (<0.1% from inocula of 10
8
to 10
9
CFU/ml) of ATCC 19606, and most clinical isolates grew in the presence of colistin 3 to 10 μg/ml. Four successive passages of ATCC 19606 in broth containing colistin (up to 200 μg/ml) substantially increased the proportion of the resistant subpopulations able to grow in the presence of colistin at 10 μg/ml from 0.000023 to 100%; even after 16 passages in colistin-free broth, the proportion only decreased to 2.1%. This represents the first demonstration of heterogeneous colistin-resistant
A. baumannii
in “colistin-susceptible” clinical isolates. Our findings give a strong warning that colistin-resistant
A. baumannii
may be observed more frequently due to potential suboptimal dosage regimens recommended in the product information of some products of colistin methanesulfonate.
Transcriptomic and Functional Analysis of an Autolysis-Deficient, Teicoplanin-Resistant Derivative of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Renzoni Adriana , Barras Christine , François Patrice , Charbonnier Yvan , Huggler Elzbieta , Garzoni Christian , Kelley William L. , Majcherczyk Paul , Schrenzel Jacques , Lew Daniel P. , Vaudaux Pierre 
Published: August 2006

ABSTRACTThe molecular basis of glycopeptide-intermediateS. aureus(GISA) isolates is not well defined though frequently involves phenotypes such as thickened cell walls and decreased autolysis. We have exploited an isogenic pair of teicoplanin-susceptible (strain MRGR3) and teicoplanin-resistant (strain 14-4) methicillin-resistantS. aureusstrains for detailed transcriptomic profiling and analysis of altered autolytic properties. Strain 14-4 displayed markedly deficient Triton X-100-triggered autolysis compared to its teicoplanin-susceptible parent, although microarray analysis paradoxically did not reveal significant reductions in expression levels of major autolytic genesatl,lytM, andlytN, except forsle1, which showed a slight decrease. The most important paradox was a more-than-twofold increase in expression of thecidABCoperon in 14-4 compared to MRGR3, which was correlated with decreased expression of autolysis negative regulatorslytSRandlrgAB. In contrast, the autolysis-deficient phenotype of 14-4 was correlated with both increased expression of negative autolysis regulators (arlRS,mgrA, andsarA) and decreased expression of positive regulators (agrRNAII and RNAIII). Quantitative bacteriolytic assays and zymographic analysis of concentrated culture supernatants showed a striking reduction in Atl-derived, extracellular bacteriolytic hydrolase activities in 14-4 compared to MRGR3. This observed difference was independent of the source of cell wall substrate (MRGR3 or 14-4) used for analysis. Collectively, our results suggest that altered autolytic properties in 14-4 are apparently not driven by significant changes in the transcription of key autolytic effectors. Instead, our analysis points to alternate regulatory mechanisms that impact autolysis effectors which may include changes in posttranscriptional processing or export.
Multicity Outbreak of Carbapenem-Resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
Isolates Producing the Carbapenemase OXA-40
Authors: Lolans Karen , Rice Thomas W. , Munoz-Price L. Silvia , Quinn John P. 
Published: August 2006

ABSTRACT

During 2005 we detected a multicity outbreak of infections or colonization due to high-level imipenem-resistant
Acinetobacter baumannii
(MIC, 64 μg/ml). One hundred isolates from diverse sources were obtained from seven acute-care hospitals and two extended-care facilities; 97% of the isolates belonged to one clone. Susceptibility testing of the first 42 isolates (January to April 2005) revealed broad resistance profiles. Half of the isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime, with many isolates susceptible only to colistin. The level of AmpC β-lactamase expression was stronger in isolates resistant to ceftazidime. PCR and subsequent nucleotide sequencing analysis identified
bla
OXA-40
. The presence of an OXA-40 β-lactamase in these isolates correlated with the carbapenem resistance. By Southern blot analysis, a
bla
OXA-40
-specific probe revealed that the gene was both plasmid and chromosomally located. This is the first time in the United States that such carbapenem resistance in
A. baumannii
has been attributable to a carbapenemase.