bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
BREAST SPECIMEN ULTRASOUND AND MAMMOGRAPHY IN THE PREDICTION OF TUMOUR‐FREE MARGINS
Authors: Tan Kok‐Yang , Tan Su‐Ming , Chiang Siew‐Hwa , Tan Andrew , Chong Chee‐Keong , Tay Khoon‐Hean 
Published: December 2006

Background:  Adequacy of margins is important for local recurrence control in breast‐conserving surgery for breast cancer. This study aims to compare the accuracy of intraoperative specimen ultrasonography (IOUS) and specimen mammography in the prediction of achieving adequate histologically tumour‐free margins during breast‐conserving surgery.Methods:  Between March 2003 and September 2004, a prospective study was carried out on 25 patients who underwent breast‐conserving surgery. After wide excision, IOUS and specimen mammography were used to assess adequacy of margins. Further surgery was undertaken when either method showed an inadequate margin. The margins were assessed histologically and correlated with IOUS and mammographic findings.Results:  Using IOUS alone, higher rates of histologically tumour‐free margins were achieved compared with mammography alone. Combined IOUS and mammography achieved similar or slightly higher rates of histologically tumour‐free margins compared with IOUS alone. If the margin measured on IOUS is twice the desired histological margin, this will result in achieving a histologically tumour‐free rate of >90%. Associated ductal carcinoma in situ was the only significant factor found to decrease the rate of achieving adequate margins.Conclusion:  Intraoperative specimen ultrasonography is useful in predicting histologically tumour‐free margins during breast conserving surgery for cancer.
SURGICAL INCLINATION AND ANATOMY TEACHING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND
Authors: Insull Phillip J. , Kejriwal Ritwik , Blyth Phil 
Published: December 2006

Background:  Medical graduate interest in surgery has declined and medical students are less capable in anatomy than they once were. Declining interest in surgery is because of factors, including growing number of women entering medical school. There has been less emphasis in teaching anatomy at various medical schools in recent years. The aim of this study is to quantify surgical inclination in Auckland medical students to assess whether gender differences exist in surgical inclination and determine confidence in anatomy knowledge and resources used by Auckland medical students.Method:  Survey design was cross‐sectional and included 25‐point questionnaire using Likert scale response ranking and tick box replies. Two hundred and eighteen surveys were emailed to functioning addresses of fourth and fifth year students at University of Auckland, School of Medicine, New Zealand.Results:  Response rate was 71.6%. Twenty per cent of students were found to be surgically inclined (95% confidence interval, 0.15–0.26). The proportion of surgically inclined men was significantly higher than women (P < 0.05). Thirty‐three per cent of all respondents (95% confidence interval, 0.26–0.41) felt their knowledge of anatomy was adequate to practice medicine safely. Textbooks and atlases were most commonly used to learn anatomy (P < 0.05). Radiology was the least commonly used method to learn anatomy (P < 0.05). Eighty‐seven per cent (95% confidence interval, 0.81–0.92) of respondents agreed that revisiting dissection during surgical attachments would be helpful.Conclusion:  Men are significantly more likely to be surgically inclined than women at the University of Auckland. A significantly greater proportion of students felt that their knowledge of gross anatomy was inadequate for safe medical practice. Students use traditional methods to learn anatomy more commonly than radiological methods. The majority of students surveyed would like to revisit cadaver dissection during clinical attachments in surgery.
COMMENTARY: SCIENCE SCANDAL OR ETHICS SCANDAL? OLIVIERI REDUX
Authors: SCHAFER ARTHUR 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACTDr. Nancy Olivieri has become an icon of research integrity for her insistence on publishing adverse data about a drug she was investigating. She has been celebrated world‐wide as a hero of biomedical ethics for her bravery in disclosing potential dangers to research subjects, in the face of both drug company threats and coercive pressures from her hospital and university. Like so many other ‘whistle‐blowers’ however, she now faces both personal vilification and disturbing accusations of scientific error. The case against Olivieri is assessed and found to be baseless.
Carrier Frequency of a Nonsense Mutation in the Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) Gene Implies a High Incidence of ADA‐deficient Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) in Somalia and a Single, Common Haplotype Indicates Common Ancestry
Authors: Sanchez Juan J. , Monaghan Gemma , Børsting Claus , Norbury Gail , Morling Niels , Gaspar H. Bobby 
Published: December 2006

SummaryInherited adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency is a rare metabolic disorder that causes immunodeficiency, varying from severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in the majority of cases to a less severe form in a small minority of patients. Five patients of Somali origin from four unrelated families, with severe ADA‐SCID, were registered in the Greater London area. Patients and their parents were investigated for the nonsense mutation Q3X (ADA c7C>T), two missense mutations K80R (ADA c239A>G) and R142Q (ADA c425G>A), and a TAAA repeat located at the 3′ end of an Alu element (AluVpA) positioned 1.1 kb upstream of the ADA transcription start site. All patients were homozygous for the haplotype ADA‐7T/ADA‐239G/ADA‐425G/AluVpA7. Among 207 Somali immigrants to Denmark, the frequency of ADA c7C>T and the maximum likelihood estimate of the frequency of the haplotype ADA‐7T/ADA‐239G/ADA‐425G/AluVpA7 were both 0.012 (carrier frequency 2.4%). Based on the analysis of AluVpA alleles, the ADA c7C/T mutation was estimated to be approximately 7,100 years old. Approximately 1 out of 5 – 10000 Somali children will be born with ADA deficiency due to an ADA c7C/T mutation, although within certain clans the frequency may be significantly higher. ADA‐SCID may be a frequent immunodeficiency disorder in Somalia, but will be underdiagnosed due to the prevailing socioeconomic and nutritional deprivation.
Effects of an antiatherogenic diet during pregnancy on markers of maternal and fetal endothelial activation and inflammation: the CARRDIP study
Authors: Khoury J , Henriksen T , Seljeflot I , Mørkrid L , Frøslie KF , Tonstad S 
Published: January 2007

Objective To study the effect of an antiatherogenic diet on maternal and cord blood concentrations of systemic biomarkers of endothelial cell activation, haemostasis and inflammation.Design Single blinded randomised controlled clinical trial.Setting Obstetric outpatient clinic and maternity unit of a university hospital in Norway.Population Nonsmoking pregnant women aged 21–38 years carrying a single fetus and with no previous pregnancy‐related complications.Methods Subjects (n= 290) were randomised to continue their usual diet or to adopt a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol from gestational week 17–20 to birth. Soluble forms of cellular adhesion molecules, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (CRP) and haemostatic markers were measured at 17–20 weeks of gestation (baseline) and subsequently up to week 36. All the above, except CRP, were also measured in cord blood.Main outcome measures Concentrations of maternal and fetal biomarkers and maternal CRP.Results All biomarkers except CRP levels increased significantly during the study period in both the intervention and control groups. None of the maternal or fetal biomarkers were influenced by the intervention (P> 0.05) except for a tendency to lower concentrations of cord blood tissue plasminogen activator antigen in the intervention group compared with the control group, median (interquartile range) 5.4 ng/ml (3.1–7.7) versus 5.8 ng/ml (3.5–11.8),P= 0.05.Conclusion An antiatherogenic diet in pregnancy did not significantly influence maternal or fetal blood concentrations of a range of biomarkers for inflammation. Thus, the previously reported effects of a cholesterol‐lowering diet on maternal lipid profile and preterm delivery (<37 complete weeks of gestation) do not seem to involve changes in the systemic inflammatory responses of pregnancy.
Dopaminergic neuron loss and up‐regulation of chaperone protein mRNA induced by targeted over‐expression of alpha‐synuclein in mouse substantia nigra
Authors: St Martin Jessie L. , Klucken Jochen , Outeiro Tiago F. , Nguyen Paul , Keller‐McGandy Christine , Cantuti‐Castelvetri Ippolita , Grammatopoulos Tom N. , Standaert David G. , Hyman Bradley T. , McLean Pamela J. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractSeveral transgenic mouse lines with altered α‐synuclein expression have been developed that show a variety of Parkinson’s disease‐like symptoms without specific loss of dopaminergic neurons. Targeted over‐expression of human α‐synuclein using viral‐vector mediated gene delivery into the substantia nigra of rats and non‐human primates leads to dopaminergic cell loss and the formation of α‐synuclein aggregates reminiscent of Lewy bodies. In the context of these recent findings, we used adeno‐associated virus (AAV) to over‐express wild type human α‐synuclein in the substantia nigra of mice. We hypothesized that this over‐expression would recapitulate pathological hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease, creating a mouse model to further characterize the disease pathogenesis. Recombinant AAV expressing α‐synuclein was stereotaxically injected into the substantia nigra of mice, leading to a 25% reduction of dopaminergic neurons after 24 weeks of transduction. Furthermore, examination of mRNA levels of stress‐related proteins using laser capture microdissection and quantitative PCR revealed a positive correlation of Hsp27 expression with the extent of viral transduction at 4 weeks and a positive correlation of Hsp40, Hsp70 and caspase 9 with the extent of viral transduction at 24 weeks. Taken together, our findings suggest that targeted over‐expression of α‐synuclein can induce pathology at the gross anatomical and molecular level in the substantia nigra, providing a mouse model in which upstream changes in Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis can be further elucidated.
BMI and objectively measured body fat and body fat distribution in prepubertal children
Authors: Dencker Magnus , Thorsson Ola , Lindén Christian , Wollmer Per , Andersen Lars B. , Karlsson Magnus K. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryBackground  Body Mass Index (BMI) is often used as a surrogate estimate of body fat in epidemiological studies. This study explores the association between BMI, body fat and body fat distribution assessed by Dual‐Energy X‐Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in younger children.Methods  Cross‐sectional study of 246 children (138 boys and 108 girls) aged 8–11 years. DXA was used to quantify abdominal fat mass (AFM), total body fat (TBF) and also total body fat as percentage of total body mass (BF%). Body fat distribution was calculated as AFM/TBF.Results  We found close correlations between BMI vs. TBF, BF% and AFM (r = 0·94, r = 0·92 and r = 0·93) for boys and (r = 0·95, r = 0·92 and r = 0·95) for girls, respectively (P<0·05 for all r‐values). However, significantly lower correlation (P<0·001 for difference between the r‐values) existed for body fat distribution (r = 0·64 for boys and 0·73 for girls).Conclusion  Percentage body fat, TBF and AFM were all closely associated with BMI, suggesting that BMI serves as a good surrogate marker for obesity in population studies. However, a significantly lower correlation existed for BMI vs. body fat distribution, which may be a limitation when BMI is used to study cardiovascular risk factors in epidemiological studies.
Myocardial ischaemia in patients with peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Svensson Per , De Faire Ulf , Niklasson U. , Östergren Jan 
Published: December 2006

SummaryAim: To study the relation between myocardial ischemia assessed with different techniques in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in comparison with a matched control group.Methods: Ninety‐nine male patients with PAD and 94 age‐ and sex‐matched control subjects without PAD or ischaemic heart disease performed a exercise treadmill test, dipyridamole Tc‐99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) (43 controls) and 48‐h ambulatory ECG (AECG)‐monitoring (43 controls).Results: Thirteen of 99 patients had irreversible and 24 of 99 had reversible perfusion defects in MPS in comparison with 0 of 43 and six of 43 of control subjects respectively (P<0·01). Thirteen of 84 evaluable patients experienced a total of 36 episodes of ST‐depression in AECG in comparison with two episodes in two of 42 control subjects (P = 0·07). Out of 13 patients with ST‐depression episodes only three had reversible ischaemia in MPS.Conclusion: Most PAD patients with episodes of ST‐segment depression have no reversible ischaemia as assessed with dipyridamole‐stress MPS. Episodes of ST‐segment depression may reflect types of myocardial ischaemia that are different from those detected by MPS.
Effect of fat digestion on superior mesenteric artery blood flow in humans
Authors: Symersky T. , Huisman E. J. , Wasser M. N. J. M. , Masclee A. A. M. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryBackground and aim:  Intraluminal nutrients stimulate superior mesenteric artery (SMA) blood flow. Of the macronutrients, especially fat affects the magnitude of the SMA blood flow response to a meal. Little is known however on the influence of fat hydrolysis on SMA flow.Methods:  We compared in eight healthy volunteers the SMA flow response (Doppler ultrasonography) to continuous intraduodenal fat perfusion (LCT, 240 kCal h−1) during conditions with normal hydrolysis (placebo, control), increased hydrolysis (pancreatic enzyme supplementation; 50 kU lipase) and impaired hydrolysis (orlistat 240 mg).Results:  Intraduodenal LCT significantly (P<0·01) increased SMA flow in all experiments over basal. The SMA flow response to fat during pancreatic enzyme supplementation (1·49 ± 0·1 l min−1) was significantly (P<0·05) higher compared with placebo (1·11 ± 0·16 l min−1). Lipase inhibition with orlistat did not significantly affect fat stimulated SMA flow compared with placebo: 0·89 ± 0·08 l min−1 versus 1·11 ± 0·16 l min−1.Conclusions:  Administration of pancreatic enzymes significantly increases fat stimulated SMA flow. Fat digest products in the intestinal lumen contribute to the regulation of SMA blood flow.
The effect of mandibular advancement appliances on awake upper airway and masticatory muscle activity in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Johal Ama , Gill Gulsharondip , Ferman Anthony , McLaughlin Kieron 
Published: December 2006

SummaryBackground:  There is little understanding of how dental appliances, designed to posture the mandible forwards, act on pharyngeal airway dilatory and masticatory muscles in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This study evaluates, in a prospective cohort design, the effect of mandibular advancement splints (MAS) on awake genioglossus (GG), geniohyoid (GH) and masseter (M) muscle activity.Methods:  Fifty OSA patients received a custom‐made removable Herbst MAS appliance, adjusted for maximum therapeutic benefit, as judged by subjective improvement. Awake electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded at baseline and with the MAS in situ, by using bipolar surface electrodes in patients seated upright and in the natural head position. The lower splint was modified to facilitate the placement of the intra‐oral bipolar surface electrodes used to record GG EMG activity.Results:  Significant increases in GG (P = 0·041), GH (P<0·001) and M (P<0·001) muscle activity accompanied placement of the MAS.Conclusions:  These findings support the contention of a physiological role, which may act to augment the anatomical action of MAS.
Skin tissue water and laser Doppler blood flow during a menstrual cycle
Authors: Mayrovitz Harvey N. , Brown‐Cross Dawn , Washington Zee 
Published: December 2006

SummaryPrevious work offers conflicting evidence concerning whether basal skin blood flow (SBF) varies with the menstrual cycle. Our goal was to determine the extent of cycle‐dependent changes in forearm SBF parameters and if they are linked to local tissue water content and arm volume changes. Both arms of 10 premenopausal women were evaluated three times during their cycle (days 4, 12 and 22) and 10 postmenopausal women were evaluated once. Each evaluation included laser Doppler blood flow parameters (perfusion, volume and velocity), skin temperature, arm volume and local tissue water determined by a new tissue dielectric constant method. Estradiol and progesterone concentrations were determined at each visit by using saliva samples and analysis showed the expected pattern of variation over the cycle. Main results showed no significant cycle‐dependent variations in any SBF parameter, temperature, tissue water or arm volume. Postmenopausal women had significantly less estradiol levels, but did not differ with respect to premenopausal women in any measured parameter except for a slightly less blood velocity (P<0·01). We hypothesize that that the absence of changes in tissue water and arm volume in our group may account for the constancy of the measured SBF parameters. However, in other populations, hormonally induced tissue changes may occur and contribute to the cycle‐dependent changes in resting blood perfusion that have been reported. This possibility suggests that it may be useful to measure and report a skin tissue water index when serial changes in blood perfusion are being investigated.
The potential of non‐pathogenic Gaeumannomyces spp., occurring naturally or introduced into wheat crops or preceding crops, for controlling take‐all in wheat
Authors: Gutteridge R.J. , Jenkyn J.F. , Bateman G.L. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractTake‐all disease (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici) in wheat crops is known to be suppressed by naturally occurring antagonistic fungi, closely related to the pathogen, that infect grasses and cereals. This form of suppression was re‐investigated because of the changing importance and role of grass weeds and grass covers in arable farming. Natural populations of the competitive fungus Gaeumannomyces cylindrosporus, allowed to develop under rye‐grass, were more effective than artificially introduced populations in suppressing the development of take‐all in following wheat crops. To be effective, the antagonist needs to be present before the start of wheat cropping. Introducing G. cylindrosporus, but not G. graminis var. graminis (a potential antagonist that is faster growing), into a previous crop, or just after the previous crop, sometimes suppressed take‐all, but the effect was small. It is concluded that, for any future attempts at biocontrol by these fungi, they should be introduced into a preceding crop not susceptible to take‐all. Take‐all inoculum in the soil should be at a minimum and effective hosts of the take‐all pathogen must not be present as weeds or volunteers.
Spreading
Characteristics and Microscale Evaporative Heat Transfer in an Ultrathin Film Containing a Binary
Mixture
Authors: Panchamgam Sashidhar
S. , Plawsky Joel
L. , Wayner Peter
C. 
Published: December 2006

Abstract
Using image-analyzing interferometry, the thickness profile, in the range of δ0 (adsorbed thickness) &lt;δ&lt;3μm, at the leading edge of a moving ultrathin film with phase change, was measured for a mixture of pentane-octane and compared to that of pure pentane. An improved data-analysis procedure was used to enhance the use of the measured thickness profile. There were significant differences between these two systems, demonstrating the presence of large Marangoni interfacial shear stresses with the mixture. A control volume model was developed to evaluate the differences between the pure fluid and the mixture. The disjoining pressure at the leading edge was found to control fluid flow in the evaporating pure system. However, due to Marangoni stresses, the effect of disjoining pressure on the mixture was found to be small at steady state for the fluxes studied. With an upstream bulk mixture of 2% octane and 98% pentane, a shear stress due to the gradient of the liquid-vapor interfacial surface tension resulting from distillation controlled fluid flow in the contact line region. The average curvature of the evaporating pseudo-steady state pure system was significantly larger (smaller length and larger apparent contact angle at δ=0.1μm) than the isothermal value, whereas the reverse occurred for the mixture. Using a continuum model, a comparison of numerically obtained Marangoni stresses and local evaporative heat flux profiles between the two systems was also made.
Thermal Modeling and Control in Production of Intermetallic Coatings From Layered Precursors
Authors: Alaeddine Marios , Ranganathan Rajesh , Ando Teiichi , Doumanidis Charalabos C. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractSuccessful fabrication of intermetallic coatings on surfaces of manufacturing interest involves regulation of the temperature/concentration dynamic distributions that develop in the molten layer during the thermal and reaction process. Modeling the spatio-temporal dynamics of this metallurgical process, however, requires partial differential equations that are cumbersome to solve on-line, as part of a real time reference model to the controller. To this end, we present a computationally parallel and meshless model (i.e., decoupled with the capability to be solved numerically in real time) to decipher the dynamics of the thermal coating process and to permit real time monitoring and control of the resulting coating microstructure. The analytical model is based on kinetic growth theories, lumped energy and mass balances, and convolution expressions of distributed temperature and concentration Green’s fields (accounting for the orientation of their gradient and decomposing heat and mass transfer across the coating from substrate conduction). The model is validated with nickel aluminide coatings processed on a robotic plasma arc laboratory station, through in-process infrared thermal sensing and off-line metallographic analysis. A Monte Carlo sample control scheme, that involves on-line parameter identification and model adaptation, is also developed using the model as an in-process observer for successful production of binary metal system coatings that exhibit the desired microstructure geometry and characteristics.
Combination of Multiplex PCRs for Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome
mec
Type Assignment: Rapid Identification System for
mec
,
ccr
, and MajorDifferences in Junkyard Regions
Authors: Kondo Yoko , Ito Teruyo , Ma Xiao Xue , Watanabe Shinya , Kreiswirth Barry N. , Etienne Jerome , Hiramatsu Keiichi 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACT

Staphylococcal
cassette chromosome
mec
(SCC
mec
) typing, in
combination with genotyping of the
Staphylococcus
aureus
chromosome, has become essential for defining
methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
(MRSA) clones in
epidemiological studies. We have developed a convenient system for
SCC
mec
type assignment. The system consists of six multiplex
PCRs (M-PCRs) for identifying the
ccr
gene complex
(
ccr
), the
mec
gene complex (
mec
), and
specific structures in the junkyard (J) regions: M-PCR with primer set
1 (M-PCR 1) identified five types of
ccr
genes; M-PCR 2
identified class A to class C
mec
; M-PCRs 3 and 4 identified
specific open reading frames in the J1 regions of type I and IV and of
type II, III, and V SCC
mec
elements, respectively; M-PCR 5
identified the transposons Tn
554
and ΨTn
554
integrated into the J2 regions of type II and III SCC
mec
elements; and M-PCR 6 identified plasmids pT181 and pUB110 integrated
into J3 regions. The system was validated with 99 MRSA strains carrying
SCC
mec
elements of different types. The SCC
mec
types
of 93 out of the 99 MRSA strains could be assigned. The SCC
mec
type assignments were identical to those made with a PCR system that
uses numerous primer pairs to identify genes or gene alleles. Our
system of six M-PCRs is thus a convenient and reliable method for
typing SCC
mec
elements.