bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mortality in individuals with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease in a unique New Zealand population
Authors: Kerr G. D. , Gamble G. D. , Doughty R. N. , Simmons D. , Baker J. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractAims  To determine rate and predictors of mortality in patients with Type 2 diabetes living in a population with a large proportion of Maori and Pacific peoples who were admitted to hospital with myocardial infarction (MI) or congestive cardiac failure (CCF).Methods  The study population included 4193 individuals with Type 2 diabetes who lived in South Auckland and who participated in a primary care audit between 1994 and 1999. We studied a subgroup of 319 patients who subsequently had a hospital admission for MI or CCF between 1999 and 2001. We examined their demographics, drug treatment, vascular risk factors and mortality up to 2003.Results  Following discharge, the prescription of β‐blockers, angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, aspirin and statins had all increased significantly. Vascular risk factors including total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) improved significantly. Nevertheless, mortality remained high with individuals admitted because of an MI 7.2‐fold more likely to die early and those with a CCF admission 5.9‐fold more likely to die early than other individuals with Type 2 diabetes. Maori patients have an 80% excess mortality.Conclusions  Patients with past admission for MI and/or CCF remain at exceptionally high risk of death for at least 4 years after hospital admission, even with improvements in management of cardiovascular risk factors. Maori individuals are at particular risk.
HNF‐1α G574S is a functional variant with decreased transactivation activity
Authors: Navalón‐García K. , Mendoza‐Alcantar L. , Díaz‐Vargas M. E. , Martínez‐Godínez M. A. , Reyna‐Garfias H. , Aguilar‐Salinas C. A. , Riba L. , Canizales‐Quinteros S. , Villarreal‐Molina T. , González‐Chávez A. , Argueta‐Villamar V. , Tusié‐Luna M. T. , Miliar‐García A. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractAim  To assess the functional consequence of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α gene (HNF‐1α) G574S variant previously proposed as a diabetes susceptibility allele, in a group of Mexican Type 2 diabetic patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD).Methods  The transcriptional activity of the HNF‐1α G574S recombinant protein on the human insulin promoter was assessed by transfection assays in RINm5f and HepG2 cell lines.Results  Two unrelated Mexican diabetic patients with no known African ancestry were found to carry the G574S variant. This substitution was not found among unrelated healthy control subjects. Whereas the G574S HNF‐1α transcription activation of the human insulin promoter was 40% lower than that of the wild‐type protein in RINm5f β cells, no difference was found in a hepatic cell line (HepG2).Conclusions  G574S affects the transactivation potential of HNF‐1α on the insulin promoter in pancreatic β‐cells. Although it has been difficult to prove its role in the development of diabetes in case–control association studies, this variant exhibits functional effects consistent with it being a potential diabetes susceptibility allele.
A test of Metabolic Theory as the mechanism underlying broad‐scale species‐richness gradients
Authors: Algar Adam C. , Kerr Jeremy T. , Currie David J. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTAim  To test whether the temperature dependence of individuals’ metabolic rates is the mechanism shaping broad‐scale species‐richness gradients as proposed in the Metabolic Theory of Ecology recently proposed by Allen, Gillooly and Brown.Location  North America, north of Mexico.Methods  Metabolic Theory predicts that the natural logarithm of species richness will be a linear function of environmental temperature ((kT)−1, where k is Boltzmann's constant and T is temperature in K) with a slope of −0.78. We tested these predictions using the broad‐scale variation in richness of amphibians, reptiles, trees, tiger beetles, butterflies and blister beetles. We tested whether the temperature–richness relationship was linear or curvilinear, and determined the range of temperature values (and geographical area) where the instantaneous slope of the curvilinear temperature–richness relationship was statistically indistinguishable from −0.78, after correcting for spatial autocorrelation.Results  We found that for all taxa, temperature–richness relationships were curvilinear. Moreover, for five of six taxa, the slope of this relationship was close to the predicted value for only a narrow range of temperatures. Blister beetles displayed the widest temperature range that is consistent with the Metabolic Theory, covering 45% of the study's geographical area. For the remaining taxa, the geographical range in which the slope is consistent with the predicted value amounts to only 10–20% of North America.Main conclusions  For a wide array of taxa in North America, temperature–richness relationships deviate from the pattern predicted by Metabolic Theory. These results demonstrate that the temperature dependence of individuals’ metabolic rates is not the sole cause of broad‐scale diversity gradients. Even in areas where factors other than temperature do not influence productivity, the data do not suggest that richness patterns are determined by the temperature dependence of metabolic rate.
Intellectual Property Rights and Economic Growth
Authors: Falvey Rod , Foster Neil , Greenaway David 
Published: October 2006

AbstractInterest in links between protection of intellectual property and growth has been revived by developments in new growth theory and by the WTO’s TRIPS Agreement. The relationship between the strength of a country’s intellectual property rights (IPRs) regime and rate of growth is ambiguous from a theoretical standpoint, reflecting the variety of channels through which technology can be acquired and their differing importance at different stages of development. We investigate the impact of IPR protection on economic growth in a panel of 79 countries using threshold regression analysis. We show that whilst the effect of IPR protection on growth depends upon the level of development, it is positively and significantly related to growth for low‐ and high‐income countries, but not for middle‐income countries. This suggests that, although IPR protection encourages innovation in high‐income countries, and technology flows to low‐income countries, middle‐income countries may have offsetting losses from reduced scope for imitation.
Subendocardial versus transmural ischaemia in myocardial perfusion SPECT – a Monte Carlo study
Authors: Bartosik Jolanta , El‐Ali Henrik Hussein , Nilsson Ulf , Dahlström Jan , Edenbrandt Lars , Ljungberg Michael 
Published: October 2006

SummaryMyocardial perfusion imaging with single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is useful for the evaluation of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. Parameters of interest are the reduction in the blood perfusion (severity) and the lesion volume (extent). The aim of this study was to evaluate these parameters, as calculated by automatic quantification software, for different cases of subendocardial and transmural myocardial lesions.Methods  A computer phantom was used to simulate 32 male patients with different defect locations and activity uptakes, which were based on clinical patient studies. The Monte Carlo program SIMIND was used to simulate realistic SPECT projections which were reconstructed to give short‐axis images, analysed by the AutoQUANT program using the same procedure as for a real patient.Results  The results showed a disparity between the quantification of transmural and subendocardial lesions with the same lesion activity uptake reduction and this could be confirmed by visual interpretation. Neither the parameters given by the quantification program nor visual interpretation could distinguish between the transmural lesions and the subendocardial lesions with activity uptake reduction twice as high as in the corresponding transmural lesions.Conclusion  Transmural lesions and the corresponding subendocardial lesions with the same activity uptake reduction could be separated by the quantification software for SPECT imaging and visual analysis. The subendocardial lesions with activity uptake reduction twice as high as in the corresponding transmural lesions could not be differentiated neither by the quantification software nor by visual interpretation. Thus these lesions will get the same scoring when analysed by the AutoQUANT program.
Can Hip Protector Use Cost‐Effectively Prevent Fractures in Community‐Dwelling Geriatric Populations?
Authors: Honkanen Lisa A. , Mushlin Alvin I. , Lachs Mark , Schackman Bruce R. 
Published: October 2006

OBJECTIVES:To estimate the cost‐effectiveness from a societal perspective of a hip protector (HP) program over the remaining lifetime of individuals initially living at home.DESIGN:A state‐transition Markov model considering outcomes of HP use in cohorts stratified by age, sex, and functional and residential status. Costs, transition probabilities, HP adherence, and efficacy were derived from published sources.SETTING:Community and nursing homes in the United States.PARTICIPANTS:Hypothetical cohort of individuals aged 65 and older without a hip fracture and initially living at home.INTERVENTION:HP program.MEASUREMENTS:Fractures, life years, and dollars saved, quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs), and incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICER).RESULTS:HP use prevented fractures and increased life expectancy in all cohorts. HP use saved costs and improved QALYs in women initiating HP use at age 80 and in men at age 85. In women initiating HP use at age 75, the HP ICER was $19,000/QALY. In men initiating HP use at age 80, HP use saved costs but slightly decreased QALYs. In younger cohorts, HP use was neither cost saving nor QALY improving. In sensitivity analyses, if there was no QALY loss from wearing a HP, the ICER was less than $50,000/QALY for all age and sex cohorts. If HP cost was reduced 50%, HP use was cost saving for women initiating HP use at age 75. In probabilistic sensitivity analyses, the HP ICER was less than $50,000/QALY in 68% of simulations for women initiating HP use at age 75 and 61% of simulations for men initiating at age 85.CONCLUSION:HP use saved costs and QALYs for older age cohorts of both sexes. Additional research on the quality‐of‐life effects and obstacles to wearing HP is warranted.
Socioeconomic Status and Survival in Older Patients with Melanoma
Authors: Reyes‐Ortiz Carlos A. , Goodwin James S. , Freeman Jean L. , Kuo Yong‐Fang 
Published: October 2006

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and survival in older patients with melanoma.DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.SETTING: Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER): a population‐based cancer registry covering 14% of the U.S. population.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty‐three thousand sixty‐eight patients aged 65 and older with melanoma between 1988 and 1999.MEASUREMENTS: Outcome was melanoma‐specific survival. Main independent variable was SES (measured as census tract median household income) taken from the SEER‐Medicare linked data.RESULTS: Subjects residing in lower‐income areas (≤$30,000/y) had lower 5‐year survival rates (88.5% vs 91.1%, P<.001) than subjects residing in higher‐income areas (>$30,000/y). In Cox proportional hazard models, higher income was associated with lower risk of death from melanoma (hazard ratio=0.88, 95% confidence interval=0.79–0.98, P=.02) after adjusting for sociodemographics, stage at diagnosis, thickness, histology, anatomic site, and comorbidity index. There was an interaction effect between SES and ethnicity and survival from melanoma. For whites and nonwhites (all other ethnic groups), 5‐year survival rates increased as income increased, although the effect was greater for nonwhites (77.6% to 90.1%, 1st to 5th quintiles, P=.01) than for whites (89.0% to 91.9%, 1st to 5th quintiles, P<.001).CONCLUSION: Older subjects covered by Medicare residing in lower‐SES areas had poorer melanoma survival than those residing in higher‐SES areas. Further research is needed to determine whether low SES is associated with late‐stage disease biology and poorer early detection of melanoma.
Modification of host finding and oviposition behaviour of the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella, by horticultural mineral oil
Authors: Liu Z. M. , Meats A. , Beattie G. A. C. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractHorticultural mineral oil (HMO) deposits affect postlanding searching behaviour and contact evaluation of oviposition substrates by females of the citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). Both unsprayed and sprayed lemon trees were equally capable of arresting randomly moving female moths by eliciting kinetic responses. The presence of HMO deposits did not affect the approach of female moths to flushes (shoots with immature leaves suitable as oviposition sites), and female moths were equally likely to land on sprayed and unsprayed immature flushes provided mature leaves were not sprayed. The presence of HMO on both the mature leaves and the flushes caused shorter residence and search times within trees and also resulted in fewer immature leaves visited. The HMO‐sprayed flushes were also more likely to be rejected for oviposition after contact. Nevertheless, eggs were sometimes deposited on sprayed flushes between residues of the oil droplets.
Colocalization of lipedematous scalp and nevus lipomatosus superficialis: a case report
Authors: Mansur A. Tülin , Yasar Sirin , Aydingöz Ikbal Esen , Göktay Fatih , Özdemir Nilgün , Sungurlu Faik 
Published: October 2006

Lipedematous scalp (LS) is a rare condition of unknown etiology characterized by a thick, boggy scalp that occurs mostly in adult black females. The main pathologic finding consists of increased thickness of scalp resulting from thickening of the subcutaneous fat layer.Nevus lipomatosus superficialis (NLS) is an uncommon hamartomatous skin tumor characterized by soft, yellowish papules, or cerebriform plaques, usually localized on the buttock or thigh.Here, we report a 46‐year‐old woman who has NLS localized on the occipital area, accompanied by LS just beneath and peripheral area of this plaque. The diagnoses of NLS and LS were established by histopathological examination. In addition, the increase in subcutaneous fat layer was demonstrated using magnetic resonance imaging.The presented patient is the first case showing colocalization of NLS and LS.
H63D homozygotes with hyperferritinaemia: is this genotype, the primary cause of iron overload?
Authors: De Diego Carles , Opazo Sonsoles , Murga Maria J. , Martínez‐Castro Pedro 
Published: October 2006

Abstract Objectives: Hereditary haemochromatosis is a disease that affects iron metabolism and leads to iron overload. Homozygosity for the H63D mutation is associated with increased transferrin saturation (TS) and ferritin levels. Our objective was to find out if the homozygosity of H63D mutation was the primary cause of iron overload. Patients and methods: We studied 45 H63D homozygotes (31 males and 14 females) with biochemical iron overload and/or clinical features of haemochromatosis. The simultaneous detection of 18 known HFE, TFR2 and FPN1 mutations and sequencing of the HAMP gene were performed to rule out the possible existence of genetic modifier factors related with iron overload. Results: Values of biochemical iron overload, measured as percentage TS and serum ferritin concentration (SF), in our H63D homozygotes were significantly higher in patients than in controls: TS 55 ± 15% vs. 35 ± 15% and SF 764 (645–883) μg/L vs. 115 (108–123) μg/L for patients and controls, respectively. These H63D homozygotes presented extreme hyperferritinaemia and no additional mutations in HFE, TFR2, FPN1 and HAMP genes were detected. Conclusions: The lack of additional mutations in our H63D homozygotes suggests that this genotype could be the primary cause of iron overload in these patients. Despite our results, we cannot entirely discount the possibility that one or more genetic modifier factor exists, simply because we were unable to find it, although there was a precedent in the HFE gene. Genetic modifier factors have been described for C282Y mutations in the HFE gene, but at the present time they have never been reported in H63D homozygotes.
Investigation of the Dynamics of Microend Milling—Part I: Model Development
Authors: Jun Martin B. G. , Liu Xinyu , DeVor Richard E. , Kapoor Shiv G. 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
In microend milling, due to the comparable size of the edge radius to chip thickness, chip formation mechanisms are different. Also, the design of microend mills with features of a large shank, taper, and reduced diameter at the cutting edges introduces additional dynamics and faults or errors at the cutting edges. A dynamic microend milling cutting force and vibration model has been developed to investigate the microend milling dynamics caused by the unique mechanisms of chip formation as well as the unique microend mill design and its associated fault system. The chip thickness model has been developed considering the elastic-plastic nature in the ploughing process. A slip-line field modeling approach is taken for a cutting force model development that accounts for variations in the effective rake angle and dead metal cap. The process fault parameters associated with microend mills have been defined and their effects on chip load have been derived. Finally, a dynamic model has been developed considering the effects of both the unique microend mill design and fault system and factors that become significant at high spindle speeds including rotary inertia and gyroscopic moments.
Constitutive Modeling
and Discontinuous Bifurcation Assessment in Unsaturated
Soils
Authors: Schiava Ricardo , Etse Guillermo 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
In this work an elastoplastic constitutive theory for unsaturated soils is presented. The proposed material model is formulated in the general framework of the theory of porous media and of the flow theory of plasticity. The model is based on an extension of the well-known MRS Lade model whereby the suction and the effective stress tensor are introduced as additional independent and dependent stress components, respectively. Consequently the cap and cone yield conditions of the MRS Lade model both in hardening and softening as well as the internal evolution laws in these regimes are redefined to include the dependency on the suction. The paper illustrates the predictive capability of the extended MRS Lade model for partially saturated soils. Finally, the condition for discontinuous bifurcation in elastoplastic partially saturated porous media as well as the localized failure predictions of the proposed material formulation for different suctions and stress states are also analyzed and discussed.
Helicobacter pylori
FlhB Function: the FlhB C-Terminal Homologue HP1575 Acts as a “Spare Part” To Permit Flagellar Export When the HP0770 FlhB
CC
Domain Is Deleted
Authors: Wand Matthew E. , Sockett R. Elizabeth , Evans Katy J. , Doherty Neil , Sharp Paul M. , Hardie Kim R. , Winzer Klaus 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

In
Helicobacter pylori
26695, a gene annotated HP1575 encodes a putative protein of unknown function which shows significant similarity to part of the C-terminal domain of the flagellar export protein FlhB. In
Salmonella enterica
, this part (FlhB
CC
) is proteolytically cleaved from the full-length FlhB, a processing event that is required for flagellar protein export and, thus, motility. The role of FlhB (HP0770) and its C-terminal homologue HP1575 was studied in
H. pylori
using a range of nonpolar deletion mutants defective in HP1575, HP0770, and the CC domain of HP0770 (HP0770
CC
). Deletion of HP0770 abolished swimming motility, whereas mutants carrying a deletion of either HP1575 or HP0770
CC
retained their ability to swim. An
H. pylori
strain containing deletions in both HP1575 and HP0770
CC
was nonmotile and did not produce flagella, suggesting that at least one of the two proteins had to be present for flagellar assembly to occur. Indeed, motility was restored when HP1575 was reintroduced into this strain immediately downstream of, but not fused to, the truncated HP0770 gene. Thus, HP1575 can functionally replace HP0770
CC
in this background. Like FlhB in
S. enterica
, HP0770 appeared to be proteolytically processed at a conserved NPTH processing site. However, mutation of the proline contained within the NPTH site of HP0770 did not affect motility and flagellar assembly, although it clearly interfered with processing when the protein was heterologously produced in
Escherichia coli
.
Transcriptome Profiling Reveals the Importance of Plasmid pSymB for Osmoadaptation of
Sinorhizobium meliloti
Authors: Domínguez-Ferreras Ana , Pérez-Arnedo Rebeca , Becker Anke , Olivares José , Soto María J. , Sanjuán Juan 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

In this work, DNA microarrays were used to investigate genome-wide transcriptional responses of
Sinorhizobium meliloti
to a sudden increase in external osmolarity elicited by addition of either NaCl or sucrose to exponentially growing cultures. A time course of the response within the first 4 h after the osmotic shock was established. We found that there was a general redundancy in the differentially expressed genes after NaCl or sucrose addition. Both kinds of stress resulted in induction of a large number of genes having unknown functions and in repression of many genes coding for proteins with known functions. There was a strong replicon bias in the pattern of the osmotic stress response; whereas 64% of the upregulated genes had a plasmid localization, 85% of the downregulated genes were chromosomal. Among the pSymB osmoresponsive genes, 83% were upregulated, suggesting the importance of this plasmid for
S. meliloti
osmoadaptation. Indeed, we identified a 200-kb region in pSymB needed for adaptation to saline shock which has a high density of osmoregulated genes.
Helicobacter pylori
Genes Involved in Avoidance of Mutations Induced by 8-Oxoguanine
Authors: Mathieu Aurélie , O'Rourke Eyleen J. , Radicella J. Pablo 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Chromosomal rearrangements and base substitutions contribute to the large intraspecies genetic diversity of
Helicobacter pylori
. Here we explored the base excision repair pathway for the highly mutagenic 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG), a ubiquitous form of oxidized guanine. In most organisms, 8-oxoG is removed by a specific DNA glycosylase (Fpg in bacteria or OGG1 in eukaryotes). In the case where replication of the lesion yields an A/8-oxoG base pair, a second DNA glycosylase (MutY) can excise the adenine and thus avoid the fixation of the mutation in the next round of replication. In a genetic screen for
H. pylori
genes complementing the hypermutator phenotype of an
Escherichia coli fpg mutY
strain, open reading frame HP0142, a putative MutY coding gene, was isolated. Besides its capacity to complement
E. coli mutY
strains, HP0142 expression resulted in a strong adenine DNA glycosylase activity in
E. coli mutY
extracts. Consistently, the purified protein also exhibited such an activity. Inactivation of HP0142 in
H. pylori
resulted in an increase in spontaneous mutation frequencies. An Mg-dependent AP (abasic site) endonuclease activity, potentially allowing the processing of the abasic site resulting from
H. pylori
MutY activity, was detected in
H. pylori
cell extracts. Disruption of HP1526, a putative
xth
homolog, confirmed that this gene is responsible for the AP endonuclease activity. The lack of evidence for an Fpg/OGG1 functional homolog is also discussed.