bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Severe neurological crisis in a patient with hereditary tyrosinaemia type I after interruption of NTBC treatment
Authors: Schlump J.‐U. , Perot C. , Ketteler K. , Schiff M. , Mayatepek E. , Wendel U. , Spiekerkoetter U. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryNeurological crises do not occur in patients with tyrosinaemia type I treated with NTBC. We report an 8 month‐old boy with severe neurological crisis after interruption of NTBC treatment including progressive ascending polyneuropathy and diaphragmatic paralysis, arterial hypertension, respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation who later also developed impaired liver function and tubulopathy. After re‐introduction of NTBC the patient slowly regained normal neurological functions and recovered completely.
Unusual complication following trauma to a bone-anchored hearing aid: case report and literature review
Authors: McDermott A-L , Barraclough J , Reid A P 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjective:We report the second published case of a child with a serious traumatic injury involving the fixture and abutment of their bone-anchored hearing aid.Method:Case reports and review of the world literature concerning unusual complications following trauma to bone-anchored hearing aids.Results:A nine-year-old girl with Dubowitz syndrome sustained an intrusion injury of her bone-anchored hearing aid fixture and abutment following a fall. No other injury was sustained, and there was no neurological complication. The patient underwent immediate removal of the implant and subsequently made a full recovery. Such serious and unusual complications are fortunately very rare. On review of the literature, four cases of similar complications were identified. Only one involved a traumatic injury in a child.Conclusion:Provision of bone-anchored hearing aids involves many clinicians. All clinicians involved in this procedure must be aware of the need to monitor their patients carefully, and to remember that unusual and unexpected complications, although rare, do happen. The patient's need for care continues long after the surgery is complete.
Physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract and host protective immunity: learning from the mouse-Trichinella spiralismodel
Authors: Khan W. I. 
Published: May 2008

SUMMARYInfection and inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract induces a number of changes in the GI physiology of the host. Experimental infections with parasites represent valuable models to study the structural and physiological changes in the GI tract. This review addresses research on the interface between the immune system and GI physiology, dealing specifically with 2 major components of intestinal physiology, namely mucin production and muscle function in relation to host defence, primarily based on studies using the mouse-Trichinella spiralissystem. These studies demonstrate that the infection-induced T helper 2 type immune response is critical in generating the alterations of infection-induced mucin production and muscle function, and that this immune-mediated alteration in gut physiology is associated with host defence mechanisms. In addition, by manipulating the host immune response, it is possible to modulate the accompanying physiological changes, which may have clinical relevance. In addition to enhancing our understanding of immunological control of GI physiological changes in the context of host defence against enteric infections, the data acquired using the mouse-T. spiralismodel provide a basis for understanding the pathophysiology of a wide range of GI disorders associated with altered gut physiology.
The suitability of the fuel used for motor-sledging on Scott's last expedition, 1910–1913
Authors: McIntyre Cameron P. , Volk Herbert , Batts Barry D. , George Simon C. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTThe fuel used for motor-sledging during Scott's 1910–1913 expedition has been reanalysed to assess its suitability for that task in Antarctica. A research octane number of 65 and volatility were low compared with modern fuels but probably suitable when considering the design of the flathead engine. The findings are consistent with view that engine design was the primary cause of the mechanical failings.
Ontology change: classification and survey
Authors: FLOURIS GIORGOS , MANAKANATAS DIMITRIS , KONDYLAKIS HARIDIMOS , PLEXOUSAKIS DIMITRIS , ANTONIOU GRIGORIS 
Published: May 2008

AbstractOntologies play a key role in the advent of the Semantic Web. An important problem when dealing with ontologies is the modification of an existing ontology in response to a certain need for change. This problem is a complex and multifaceted one, because it can take several different forms and includes several related subproblems, like heterogeneity resolution or keeping track of ontology versions. As a result, it is being addressed by several different, but closely related and often overlapping research disciplines. Unfortunately, the boundaries of each such discipline are not clear, as the same term is often used with different meanings in the relevant literature, creating a certain amount of confusion. The purpose of this paper is to identify the exact relationships between these research areas and to determine the boundaries of each field, by performing a broad review of the relevant literature.
A Bayesian estimator of protein–protein association probabilities
Authors: Gilmore Jason M. , Auberry Deanna L. , Sharp Julia L. , White Amanda M. , Anderson Kevin K. , Daly Don S. 
Published: May 2008

Abstract
Summary: The Bayesian Estimator of Protein–Protein Association Probabilities (BEPro aff3) is a software tool for estimating probabilities of protein–protein association between bait and prey protein pairs using data from multiple-bait, multiple-replicate, protein liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry LC–MS/MS affinity isolation experiments.
Availability: BEPro 3 is public domain software, has been tested on WIndows XP, Linux and Mac OS, and is freely available from http://www.pnl.gov/statistics/BEPro3.
Contact: ds.daly@pnl.gov
Supplementary Information: A user guide, example dataset with analysis and additional documentation are included with the BEPro 3 download.
MALDI‐TOF MS analysis of labile Lolium perenne major allergens in mixes
Authors: Irañeta S. G. , Acosta D. M. , Duran R. , Apicella C. , Orlando U. D. , Seoane M. A. , Alonso A. , Duschak V. G. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryBackground
It is well known that allergen extracts used for specific therapy of allergic disorders are commonly stored as mixtures, causing an alteration of its stability.Objective
The aim of this report is to identify pollen allergens susceptible to degradation during storage of mixtures containing different sources of proteases in the absence of glycerol as a preserving agent.Methods
Mixes containing Lolium perenne (Lol p) pollen extract with either Aspergillus fumigatus or Periplaneta americana extracts were prepared and co‐incubated for 90 days at 4 °C. Samples were taken off at fixed times and comparatively tested by in vitro and in vivo assays with atopic patients. Selected pollinic allergens were subjected to MALDI‐TOF MS analysis.Results
ELISA inhibition evidenced the loss of potency from ryegrass extract, and immunoblotting assays showed the degradation of specific pollinic allergens during storage of mixtures containing protease‐rich sources. An in vivo intradermal skin assay confirmed the gradual loss of the biological activity of L. perenne pollen extract co‐incubated with non‐related protease‐rich extracts in comparison with that of the control pollen extract. MALDI‐TOF MS analysis allowed us to determine that Lol p 1 and Lol p 5 are susceptible to proteolysis whereas Lol p 4 was found to be resistant to degradation during storage.Conclusions
Lol p 1 and Lol p 5 degradation is responsible for the loss of the biological activity of L. perenne pollen extract when co‐incubated with protease‐rich fungal and cockroach extracts in the same vial for months in the absence of glycerol as a preserving agent. The integrity of these major allergens must be preserved to increase the vaccine stability and to assure efficacy when mixes are used for immunotherapy.
δ18O of water vapour, evapotranspiration and the sites of leaf water evaporation in a soybean canopy
Authors: WELP LISA R. , LEE XUHUI , KIM KYOUNGHEE , GRIFFIS TIMOTHY J. , BILLMARK KAYCIE A. , BAKER JOHN M. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTStable isotopes in water have the potential to diagnose changes in the earth's hydrological budget in response to climate change and land use change. However, there have been few measurements in the vapour phase. Here, we present high‐frequency measurements of oxygen isotopic compositions of water vapour (δv) and evapotranspiration (δET) above a soybean canopy using the tunable diode laser (TDL) technique for the entire 2006 growing season in Minnesota, USA. We observed a large variability in surface δv from the daily to the seasonal timescales, largely explained by Rayleigh processes, but also influenced by vertical atmospheric mixing, local evapotranspiration (ET) and dew formation. We used δET measurements to calculate the isotopic composition at the sites of evaporative enrichment in leaves (δL,e) and compared that with the commonly used steady‐state prediction (δL,s). There was generally a good agreement averaged over the season, but larger differences on individual days. We also found that vertical variability in relative humidity and temperature associated with canopy structure must be addressed in canopy‐scale leaf water models. Finally, we explored this data set for direct evidence of the Péclet effect.
Levator trauma is associated with pelvic organ prolapse
Authors: Dietz HP , Simpson JM 
Published: May 2008

Objective  To estimate the risk of prolapse associated with levator avulsion injury among a urogynaecological clinic population.Design  Retrospective observational study.Setting  Tertiary urogynaecological unit.Sample  A total of 934 women seen for interview, examination using the pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP‐Q) staging system and imaging of the levator ani muscle by four‐dimensional translabial ultrasound.Methods  Retrospective review of charts and stored imaging data.Main outcome measures  Pelvic organ prolapse stage II and higher and presence of defects of the levator ani muscle.Results  After exclusion of 137 women with a history of anti‐incontinence or prolapse surgery, and a further exclusion of 16 women in whom either examination or imaging was impossible, we compared prolapse and imaging data in 781 women. Mean age was 53 years (range 15–89 years), and median parity was 2 (range 0–12). Women reported stress incontinence (76%), urge incontinence (69%), frequency (47%), nocturia (49%) and symptoms of prolapse (38%). Significant prolapse (stage II or higher) was diagnosed in 415 (53%) women, and 181 (23%) women were found to have levator avulsion defects. Prolapse was seen in 150/181 (83%) women with avulsion and in 265/600 (44%) women without avulsion, giving a relative risk (RR) of 1.9 (95% CI 1.7–2.1). The association was strongest for cystocele (RR 2.3, 95% CI 2.0–2.7) and uterine prolapse (RR 4.0, 95% CI 2.5–6.5).Conclusions  Women with levator avulsion defects were about twice as likely to show pelvic organ prolapse of stage II or higher than those without. This effect is mainly due to an increased risk of cystocele and uterine prolapse.
Percutaneous Lysis of Epidural Adhesions—Evidence for Safety and Efficacy
Authors: Racz Gabor B. , Heavner James E. , Trescot Andrea 
Published: May 2008

▪ AbstractBackground:  Percutaneous lysis of epidural adhesions is done worldwide. Over 1.7 million of these procedures were done in the U.S.A. by 2006. This interventional pain management technique is used to treat chronic low back pain (LBP) and/or radiculopathy. The primary object of the approach is to target drug delivery to areas of pathology in the spinal epidural space. The procedure involves removing barriers, such as epidural fibrosis, that prevent drug from reaching target sites.Literature search:  Primary sources of information for this manuscript include: (1) 2 systematic literature reviews that include literature published through September 2006; (2) expert opinions; and (3) peer reviewed publications from September 2006 to January 2008. The focus was on percutaneous entry using catheters via the sacral hiatus to treat pain in the lumbosacral region.Results:  The evidence is strong for short‐term efficacy (3 months) and moderate for long‐term efficacy (greater than 3 months). Complications do occur, but limited literature exists that documents incidence.Conclusion:  The cumulative evidence through January 2008 show that percutaneous adhesiolysis with targeted drug delivery is an effective treatment for LBP and/or radiculopathy. ▪
Staff attitudes about event reporting and patient safety culture in hospital transfusion services
Authors: Sorra Joann , Nieva Veronica , Fastman Barbara Rabin , Kaplan Harold , Schreiber George , King Melissa 
Published: May 2008

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how transfusion service staff view issues pertaining to event reporting and patient safety. The goal of this study was to assess transfusion service staff attitudes about these issues.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A survey was developed and administered to 945 transfusion service staff from 43 hospital transfusion services in the United States and 10 in Canada. The overall response rate was 73 percent (693 responses), with a mean of 15 respondents per site.RESULTS: While events resulting in patient harm are reported (91%) as well as mistakes not corrected that could cause harm (79%), less than one‐third of respondents report deviations from procedures with no apparent potential to harm (31%) and mistakes that staff catch and correct on their own (27%). Staff indicated that the main reasons mistakes happen are interruptions (51%) and staff in other departments not knowing or understanding proper procedures (49%). Staff had overall positive attitudes about event reporting, but a significant minority were afraid of punitive consequences. Most were positive about their supervisor's safety actions and believed that their transfusion service tries to identify causes of mistakes. Only 31 percent, however, agreed that nursing staff would work with the transfusion service to reduce mistakes.CONCLUSION: Overall, the transfusion services had very positive attitudes about event reporting and safety culture. Transfusion services do well recording events that result in patient harm or have the potential for harm, but there is a need to increase reporting of deviations from procedures and mistakes that staff catch and correct on their own. In addition, there are a few areas of safety culture that warrant improvement, particularly the transfusion service's work relationship with nursing staff. The study provides useful descriptive information about how staff view event reporting and safety‐related issues and identifies strengths and areas for improvement.
DETERMINING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CHERRY TOMATO VARIETIES FOR HANDLING
Authors: KABAS ONDER , OZMERZI AZIZ 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT Tomatoes, like other vegetables, are susceptible to different kinds of damage during and after harvest. Such damage is a major cause of quality loss in fruit. In order to reduce these losses, it is necessary to know the mechanical properties of the fruit. These mechanical properties of tomato were determined in terms of average rupture force, deformation energy, specific deformation and modulus of elasticity. Variance analysis was carried out on three tomato varieties, and the difference between the mean values was investigated by the least significant difference test. Mean values were represented with the standard error. The results provide useful data to be used by engineers in the design of sorting, grading and packing machines, equipment for loading and unloading, storage structures, drying equipment, (all postharvest operations), harvesting machines and conveyors. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSOur aim for this research is to get useful data for engineers in the design of sorting, grading and packing machines, equipment for loading and unloading, storage structures, drying equipment, harvesting machines and conveyors.
GELLING BEHAVIOR OF RICE FLOUR DISPERSIONS AT DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF SOLIDS AND TIME OF HEATING
Authors: KAPRI ALKA , BHATTACHARYA SUVENDU 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT Rice flour dispersions, under suitable conditions of processing, can form a gel. The effect of concentration of solids (10–18%) and time (0–75 min) of processing on textural attributes, and viscoelasticity were investigated along with sensory attributes. The textural attribute determined is gel strength, while viscoelasticity was determined in terms of mechanical spectra like storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), complex viscosity (η*) and loss factor (tan δ) during a frequency sweep varying from 0.01 to 40 Hz at a constant stress of 25 Pa. Microstructural observation indicates the swelling of starch granules in the beginning of heating, while damaged granule and leached‐out materials are visible at the end of the gelling process. Desirability function analysis has been applied to obtain a rice gel with acceptable textural attributes; a solid concentration of 15.2% and a heating time of 75 min can lead to the development of a gel with a satisfaction level of 0.6.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSRice flour gels in the form of hard‐set gels, porridges and spreads are popular in several parts of the world particularly for feeding of infants and children. The application of the present study lies in understanding the role of major processing variables on the quality attributes and viscoelasticity of a product, characterization of cooked gels and for developing rice flour‐based food gels. The findings may also be extended for the development of other cereal‐based gels.
Use of biodegradable urethane‐based adhesives to appose meniscal defect edges in an ovine model: a preliminary study
Authors: FIELD JR , GUNATILLAKE P , ADHIKARI R , RAMSHAW JAM , WERKMEISTER JA 
Published: May 2008

Objective  To evaluate the biological response to two urethane‐based adhesives used to repair full thickness meniscal wounds created in the partially vascularised (red‐white) zone.Design  An ovine bilateral meniscal defect model was used to evaluate the initial biological response of the meniscal cartilage and synovium over a 1‐month period. A 10‐mm full‐thickness defect was created in the medial meniscus of each femorotibial joint. The defects were either left untreated or repaired using the urethane‐based adhesives. Synovial fluid, synovial membrane and the meniscal cartilages were retrieved at necropsy for cytological and histological assessment.Results  The ovine model proved to be a suitable system for examining meniscal repair. Untreated defects showed no tissue apposition or cellular healing response, whereas all eight defects repaired with the two urethane‐based adhesive formulations showed signs of repair and tissue regeneration with indications of cell infiltration and new collagen deposition in and around the polymer. No adverse cellular response to the adhesives was observed in the meniscal defect or in the synovial membrane and fluid.Conclusion  Trauma to the knee commonly results in tears to the meniscal cartilage, with the majority of these occurring in the partially vascularised (red‐white) or non‐vascularised (white) zones of the meniscus. Repair, and subsequent healing, of these tears is poor because of the reduced vascularity and limited surgical access. The present data indicate that an ovine model is a suitable system for examining meniscal repair, and that development of urethane‐based adhesives offers a strategy that may be clinically effective for the treatment of these injuries.
The Power of Expectation – Understanding the Placebo and Nocebo Phenomenon
Authors: Rief Winfried , Hofmann Stefan G. , Nestoriuc Yvonne 
Published: May 2008

AbstractAlthough placebo pills are supposed to have no pharmacological activity, people taking placebo pills describe a variety of positive (i.e., placebo phenomenon) and negative (i.e., nocebo phenomenon) reactions. This has major clinical implications. Placebo reactions account for a substantial part of improvement when treating patients with hypertension, mental disorders, and even after surgical procedures. The nocebo phenomenon on the other hand is responsible for non‐compliance and discontinuation of many pharmaceutical interventions. Mechanisms that underlie the placebo and nocebo effects may be related to expectation and/or classical conditioning, but some methodological issues should also be considered. Most experimental studies investigating the placebo effect have used paradigms to induce ‘placebo analgesia’, the reduction of pain perception after receiving an inert substance and an instruction that this medication would relieve pain. This paradigm allows investigators to examine the neurobiological circuitry of the placebo response using neuroimaging techniques.
‘The Inner Citadels of the Color Line’: Mapping the Micro‐Ecology of Racial Segregation in Everyday Life Spaces
Authors: Dixon John , Tredoux Colin , Durrheim Kevin , Finchilescu Gillian , Clack Beverley 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe role of racial segregation in perpetuating racial prejudice and inequality has been widely investigated by social scientists. Most research has concentrated on the macro‐sociological organization of institutions of residence, education and employment. In this paper, we suggest that such work may be usefully complemented by research that investigates the so‐called ‘micro‐ecology of segregation’ in everyday life spaces – the dynamic, largely informal network of social practices through which individuals maintain racial isolation within settings where members of other race groups are physically co‐present. Developing this argument, we discuss some historical examples of research on the micro‐ecological dimension of race segregation in the United States. We also draw examples from an ongoing program of work on everyday practices of contact and segregation in post‐apartheid South Africa. The paper concludes by exploring some conceptual and methodological implications of treating racial segregation as a micro‐ecological practice.
Forest fragmentation and body condition in wintering black-capped chickadees
Authors: Turcotte Yves , Desrochers André 
Published: May 2008

Winter represents a critical energy management challenge for northern birds. Subzero temperatures may persist almost without interruption for months, food supply steadily decreases, day length greatly limits time available for foraging, and they must endure long fasting at night. Body condition represents a potentially important concept to our understanding of how severe winters impact individual fitness and populations. Many researchers have addressed body condition in small wintering birds. However, studies published so far have rarely been placed into a landscape context, despite reported effects of landscape structure on the ecology of birds exposed to severe winters. We investigated whether forest cover affects body condition in a population of black-capped chickadees ( Poecile atricapillus (L., 1766)) during winter. We measured residual body mass, fat score, and rate of growth of induced feathers to assess body condition in 12 landscapes with forest cover ranging from 10% to 87%. Forest cover was not associated with any of these measures of body condition, suggesting that highly deforested and fragmented landscapes were not energetically more costly to chickadees. However, we may not rule out the possibility that this result was biased against by a higher emigration or mortality rate of individuals in poor body condition.