bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of neonatal sepsis in South Korea
Authors: Shin Youn‐Jeong , Ki Moran , Foxman Betsy 
Published: September 2008

AbstractBackground:  Neonatal sepsis is a severe clinical syndrome characterized by systemic signs of infection, shock and system organ failure; diagnosis is confirmed on positive culture from a normally sterile site(s). There are few reports comparing incidence, mortality, and risk factors between clinically diagnosed sepsis and that confirmed by culture.Methods:  All infants diagnosed with early‐ (within first 72 h after birth) or late‐onset (72 h–4 weeks after birth) neonatal sepsis between 1997 and 1999 from four neonatal centers in South Korea, were investigated.Results:  The estimated incidence rate of neonatal sepsis during the 3 years was 30.5 per 1000 live births for clinical sepsis and 6.1 per 1000 live births for sepsis with positive culture, with case‐fatality rates of 4.7% and 2.2%, respectively. When only early‐onset sepsis was considered, the incidence and fatality rates were 25.1 per 1000 live births and 6.1% for clinical sepsis, and 4.3 per 1000 live births and 2.5% for culture‐confirmed sepsis, respectively. For the 179 patients (185 causative organisms) of proven sepsis, Staphylococcus spp. including S. aureus were the most frequent isolates. In early‐onset clinical sepsis, having very low birthweight (≤1500 g), a low Apgar score at 5 min (≤7), and being male were related to higher rates of case‐fatality (relative risk: 11.3, 6.8 and 2.5, respectively)Conclusions:  Clinical sepsis was more common than culture‐confirmed sepsis and had a higher case‐fatality rate. It seems prudent to take rapid and decisive steps toward better management of the high‐risk group whether the sepsis is clinically diagnosed or culture confirmed.
Pregnancy may be followed by an inflexion of the immune reconstitution in HIV‐infected women who receive antiretroviral drugs before conception
Authors: Le Moing V , Taïeb A , Longuet P , Lewden C , Delcey V , Drobacheff MC Thiebaut , Chêne G , Leport C ,   the ANRS CO8 (APROCO‐COPILOTE) study group
Published: September 2008

BackgroundWhether pregnancy has an impact on the evolution of CD4 cell counts in women treated with highly potent antiretrovirals before conception remains largely unknown.MethodsAmong patients enrolled in the ANRS CO8 (APROCO/COPILOTE) cohort, we selected all women aged between 18 and 50 years at initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Slopes of CD4 cell counts during follow‐up were estimated using mixed longitudinal models with time‐dependent indicators for pregnancy and delivery.ResultsOf the 260 selected HIV‐infected women, a pregnancy occurred in 39 women in a median follow‐up time of 66 months. Women who became pregnant had higher CD4 cell count at baseline but this difference progressively lessened during follow‐up because they had a slower increase than women who did not become pregnant. The estimated slope of CD4 cell count decreased significantly from +2.3 cells/μL/month before pregnancy and in women who did not become pregnant to −0.04 cells/μL/month after delivery (P=0.0003).ConclusionA significant increase in CD4 cell count may be preferable before pregnancy in women treated with cART, in order to overcome the evolution observed after pregnancy.
Wound dressing components degrade proteins detrimental to wound healing
Authors: Baskovich Brett , Sampson Edith M , Schultz Gregory S , Parnell Laura KS 
Published: September 2008

AbstractExcessive levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are present in chronic wounds preventing wound closure. Reducing detrimental components may be key in healing chronic wounds. Elta Protease‐containing wound dressings have been observed clinically to resolve inflammation and appear to aid healing in acute and chronic recalcitrant wounds. To investigate possible mechanisms of action, in vitro tests, zymography, collagenase assays and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), were performed to evaluate the effect of the dressing proteases on detrimental and beneficial wound healing components such as MMPs, Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases (TIMPs), cytokines and growth factors. Standards of pro‐ and active MMP‐2, MMP‐9 and chronic wound fluid (CWF) were prepared. Degradation of target proteins was enhanced by increased Elta Protease concentration, temperature and incubation time. Incubation with serial dilutions of the Elta Proteases resulted in nearly complete degradation of all MMP standards. After a 30‐minute incubation, twofold diluted Elta Proteases degraded >90% of the gelatinases in CWF. ELISAs showed that Elta Proteases effectively degraded MMP‐9 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF‐α). In contrast, Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and interleukin 1β were resistant to degradation by Elta Proteases. These results suggest that Elta Protease dressings appear to deactivate detrimental components in CWF, which may reduce wound bed contact with harmful proteins.
Pressure transduction to the thoracic cavity during topical negative pressure therapy of a sternotomy wound
Authors: Torbrand Christian , Ingemansson Richard , Gustafsson Lotta , Paulsson Per , Malmsjö Malin 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe present study was performed to examine pressure transduction to the thoracic cavity during topical negative pressure (TNP) therapy of a sternotomy wound. Seven pigs underwent median sternotomy. Pressure transduction catheters were placed on the anterior surface of the heart (under the foam), in the pericardium (under the heart), in the left pleura and in the oesophagus at the level of the heart. The wound was sealed as for TNP therapy. The vacuum source was set to deliver negative pressures between −50 and −200 mmHg. The pressure on the anterior surface of the heart changed in a linear relationship with the applied negative pressure and was slightly lower than the applied negative pressure (−102 ± 9 mmHg at delivered −125 mmHg). Further down in the thoracic cavity, in the pericardium (under the heart), in the left pleura and in the oesophagus, the wound pressure was only slightly affected by TNP therapy. In conclusion during TNP therapy, negative pressure is effectively transmitted to anterior portions of the heart. This may explain our recent findings that TNP increases microvascular blood flow in the myocardium. The pressure difference between the anterior and the posterior portions of the heart causes the right ventricle to be sucked up towards the posterior parts of the sternum, where it might be exposed to the sharp edges of the sternal bone, which may result in heart injury.
Telemedicine in wound care
Authors: Chanussot‐Deprez Caroline , Contreras‐Ruiz José 
Published: September 2008

AbstractTelemedical wound care is one of the applications of teledermatology. We present our experience using telemedicine in the successful assessment and treatment of three patients with hard‐to‐heal ulcers. Three patients were seen at the PEMEX General Hospital in Veracruz, Mexico. The first patient was a 53‐year‐old man with hypertension, morbid obesity, chronic venous insufficiency, recurrent erysipelas, leg ulcers and lymphoedema. There was one ulcer on his left lower leg (20 × 10 cm) and one on his right leg (9 × 7 cm). The second patient was a 73‐year‐old woman with class III obesity and ulcers in her right leg, secondary to surgical debridement of bullous erysipelas. The third patient was a 51‐year‐old female with rheumatoid arthritis with one ulcer on each leg and chronic lymphostasis. Photographs with a digital camera were taken and sent weekly via email to a wound care specialist in Mexico City. The photographs allowed the expert to diagnose and evaluate the chronic wounds periodically. In the present cases, telemedicine allowed us to have a rapid evaluation, diagnosis and treatment. The images were of enough quality to be useful and small enough to be sent via regular email to the remote physician who immediately gave his feedback. The expert was confident to give therapeutic recommendations in this way, and we considered this method to be very cost‐effective, saving the patient and the health care system, especially in transportation.
The expression patterns of Pax7 in satellite cells during overload‐induced rat adult skeletal muscle hypertrophy
Authors: Ishido M. , Uda M. , Kasuga N. , Masuhara M. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractAim:  Activated satellite cells (SCs) have the ability to reacquire a quiescent, undifferentiated state. Pax7 plays a crucial role in allowing activated SCs to undergo self‐renewal. Because the increase in the SC population is induced during overload‐induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy, it is possible that Pax7‐regulated SC self‐renewal is involved in the modulation of the SC population during the functional overload of skeletal muscles. However, the characteristics of the expression patterns of Pax7 in SCs during the functional overload of adult skeletal muscles are poorly understood.Methods:  Using immunohistochemical approaches, we examined the temporal and spatial expression patterns of Pax7 expressed in SCs during the functional overloading of rat skeletal muscles.Results:  The time course of Pax7 expression in SCs was similar to that of the expression of the differentiation regulatory factor myogenin during the early stage of functional overload. However, the percentage of SCs that expressed Pax7 was markedly higher than that of the SCs that expressed myogenin. Coexpression of Pax7 and myogenin was not detected in SCs. In addition, the expression of cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor p21, which regulates cell cycle arrest and differentiation, was not detected in Pax7‐positive SCs.Conclusion:  These results suggest that Pax7‐regulated self‐renewal of SCs may be induced during the early stage of functional overload and may contribute to modulating the SC population in hypertrophied muscles. Furthermore, it was suggested that the numbers of SCs which underwent self‐renewal may be higher than that of SCs which were provided as the additional myonuclei for hypertrophying myofibres.
Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for myopic choroidal neovascularisation: 1-year results of a prospective pilot study
Authors: Chan W-M , Lai T Y Y , Liu D T L , Lam D S C 
Published: September 2008

Aim:The aim of the study was to examine the 1-year results of intravitreal bevacizumab for myopic choroidal neovascularisation (CNV).Methods:Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients with myopic CNV were prospectively recruited to receive three initial monthly intravitreal bevacizumab injections. Three additional monthly injections were performed in eyes with persistent or recurrent CNV after 3 months.Results:The mean spherical equivalent refractive error was −10.0 D. Sixteen eyes had previous photodynamic therapy (PDT) and 13 eyes had no prior PDT. All patients completed follow-up at 1 year. Following the initial three bevacizumab injections, 27 (93.1%) eyes had angiographic closure and two (6.9%) required further treatment. Two additional patients required re-treatment for CNV recurrence between 6 and 9 months. The mean baseline logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR best-corrected visual acuity) was 0.62 (20/83), which improved to 0.38 (20/48) at 12 months (p<0.001). The mean visual improvement was 2.4 lines and 21 (72.4%) eyes had improvement of ⩾2 lines. Optical coherence tomography showed significant reduction in central foveal thickness following treatment. Eyes without previous PDT were more likely to gain ⩾2 lines after treatment than eyes that had previous PDT (p = 0.010).Conclusions:The 1-year outcomes confirmed the results of previous short-term studies that intravitreal bevacizumab is effective for myopic CNV, with a high proportion of patients sustaining visual gain after treatment.
Running in new and worn shoes: a comparison of three types of cushioning footwear
Authors: Kong P W , Candelaria N G , Smith D R 
Published: September 2008

Objectives:In this study, the effect of shoe degradation on running biomechanics by comparing the kinetics and kinematics of running in new and worn shoes was investigated. Three types of footwear using different cushioning technologies were compared.Design:Longitudinal study.Setting:Pre- and post-tests on overground running at 4.5 m s−1on a 20-m laboratory runway; performance measured using a force platform and a motion capture system.Participants:24 runners (14 men and 10 women)Interventions:200 miles of road running in the same pair of shoes. Within-group factor: shoe condition (new/worn); between-group factor: footwear type (air/gel/spring).Main outcome measurements:Stance time was calculated from force data. External loads were measured by maximum vertical force and loading rate. Kinematic changes were indicated by sagittal plane angles of the torso, hip, knee and ankle at critical events during the stance phase.Results:Stance time increased (p = 0.035) in worn shoes. The torso displayed less maximum forward lean (p<0.001) and less forward lean at toe-off (p<0.001), while the ankle displayed reduced maximum dorsiflexion (p = 0.013) and increased plantar flexion at toe-off (p<0.001) in worn shoes. No changes in the hip and knee angles. No between-group difference among the three footwear groups or condition by type interaction was found in any measured variables.Conclusions:As shoe cushioning capability decreases, runners modify their patterns to maintain constant external loads. The adaptation strategies to shoe degradation were unaffected by different cushioning technologies, suggesting runners should choose shoes for reasons other than cushioning technology.
Ultrasonographic evaluation of splenic enlargement in athletes with acute infectious mononucleosis
Authors: Hosey R G , Kriss V , Uhl T L , DiFiori J , Hecht S , Wen D Y 
Published: September 2008

Objective:To quantitatively assess the degree and rate of splenic enlargement and the time required for regression of splenic enlargement in collegiate athletes diagnosed with acute infectious mononucleosis (IM).Design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:Academic Medical Center(s) outpatient sports medicine clinic.Study participants:Volunteer Division I University athletes.Interventions:A limited abdominal ultrasound was performed on each participant by a licensed and experienced ultrasonographer. Splenic measurements were taken to assess maximum splenic length. Athletes who were subsequently diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis (clinical illness and a positive monospot) underwent serial splenic ultrasounds and physical exams (weekly) until resolution of clinical symptoms and splenic enlargement (as determined by ultrasound measurements).Main outcome measures:Per cent enlargement of spleen size (length) from baseline. Time (in days) from onset of clinical illness to maximum splenic length. Time (in days) required for resolution of splenic enlargement.Results:20 subjects were diagnosed with acute IM during a 5 year time period. Maximum splenic length increased a mean of 33.6% (SD 19.9%) from baseline values. Peak splenic enlargement was reached a mean of 12.3 (SD 5.1) days from onset of clinical illness. A linear model demonstrated that spleen size decreases approximately 1% per day after reaching peak splenic enlargement.Conclusions:The majority of athletes with IM experience a moderate degree of splenomegaly. Peak splenic enlargement occurs within 2 weeks from the time of symptom onset in most cases, but may extend to 3.5 weeks. The rate of splenic enlargement appears to be predictable for an individual who develops IM. Ultrasonographic data further show that splenomegaly associated with acute IM infection resolves within 4–6 weeks of symptom onset in the majority of cases.
A diver survey design to estimate absolute density, biomass, and spatial distribution of abalone
Authors: McGarvey Richard , Mayfield Stephen , Byth Karen , Saunders Thor , Chick Rowan , Foureur Brian , Feenstra John E. , Preece Peter , Jones Alan 
Published: September 2008

Abalone surveys worldwide measure relative stock abundance. However, important advantages accrue if diver surveys measure absolute numbers or biomass per square metre. Principally, absolute biomass permits quota setting from a single survey using a decision table. Although relative abundance surveys have permanently fixed sampling protocols and locations, absolute abundance survey designs can be improved with technology over time. Furthermore, surveys can be directed to areas of principal management focus, and absolute survey population numbers by length with confidence intervals provide informative model input. We propose and test a transect survey design to estimate and map absolute density and biomass of abalone or other sedentary invertebrates. Divers count and measure all abalone within 1 m of a 100 m, boat-deployed leaded rope line. Semi-systematic transect locations provide spatially representative sampling inside bounded survey regions and geostatistical data for contour maps of abalone density and mean size. The effectiveness of the design for estimating change in population size under harvesting and for locating areas of fishable density was tested by a fish-down experiment, using surveys run before and after commercial harvest. The leaded-line survey design estimates of population change and spatial distribution showed agreement with the fish-down experimental harvest.
Acoustically derived fine-scale behaviors of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) associated with intertidal benthic habitats in an estuary
Authors: Semmens Brice Xavier 
Published: September 2008

Given the presumed importance of benthic and epibenthic estuarine habitats in Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) smolt growth and survival, resource managers would be well served by an improved understanding of how smolts use such habitats. A cabled acoustic positioning system was used to precisely track (<1 m resolution) the movement of seventeen 0-aged hatchery-reared fall Chinook smolts in a large (~4000 m2) enclosure over a period of 10 days in Willapa Bay, Washington, USA. A hierarchical Bayesian state–space model of movement was subsequently developed to associate the behaviors of tagged salmon with characteristics of benthic habitat in the enclosure. Model results indicated that smolts had a strong preference for remaining in native eelgrass ( Zostera marina ). Conversely, no such preference existed for other structured benthic habitats such as oyster ( Crassostrea gigas ) beds, non-native eelgrass ( Zostera japonica ), and non-native smooth cordgrass ( Spartina alterniflora ). There was a positive relationship between individual survivorship in the enclosure and the strength of behavioral preference for native eelgrass, suggesting that predator avoidance may be the evolutionary mechanism driving behavioral responses of smolts to benthic habitats.
Dominant height growth equations including site attributes in the generalized algebraic difference approach
Authors: Bravo-Oviedo Andrés , Tomé Margarida , Bravo Felipe , Montero Gregorio , del Río Miren 
Published: September 2008

We present a new dynamic dominant height growth model based on Cieszewski’s generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) advanced dynamic site equation strengthened by the use of explicit climate and soil variables (i.e., H = f(H0,T0, T, site conditions)). The results suggest that the inclusion of climatic variables would improve the applicability of the inter-regional model in regions in which climate and soil type lead to intra-regional variability. The new model reduces the bias present in a previous dynamic model that did not include climatic attributes and improves the model efficiency across the different age classes. Climate has a multiplicative effect on dominant tree growth in the early development stages (<20 years) and an additive effect in older stands.
Pre- and post-European settlement fire history of red pine dominated forest ecosystems of Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Upper Michigan
Authors: Drobyshev Igor , Goebel P. Charles , Hix David M. , Corace R. Gregory , Semko-Duncan Marie E. 
Published: September 2008

To understand the dynamics of fire in red pine ( Pinus resinosa Ait.) forest ecosystems that once dominated areas of the northern Lake States, we dendrochronologically reconstructed the fire regime prior to European settlement (pre-1860), after European settlement (1860–1935), and postrefuge establishment (post-1935) for different portions (wilderness and nonwilderness) and landforms (sand ridges and outwash channels) of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in eastern Upper Michigan. Using data from 50 sites, we found that the cumulative number of fires showed a slow rate of accumulation from the 1700s to 1859, a steeper pattern suggesting higher fire occurrence from 1860 to 1935, and a return to fewer fires after 1935. Prior to European settlement, the fire cycle (FC) of sand ridge landforms interspersed within a poorly drained lacustrine plain in the Seney Wilderness Area was 91–144 years. This was longer than on glacial outwash channel landforms (53 years) and on sand ridge landforms interspersed within lacustrine plains located outside of the wilderness (47 years). The FC was also shorter (30 years) during this period and has subsequently increased (149–1090 years) after SNWR establishment. Differences in fire regimes among landform types were minor relative to the temporal variation in fire regimes among the three time periods.
Decomposition of stumps 10 years after partial and complete harvesting in a southern boreal forest in Finland
Authors: Shorohova Ekaterina , Kapitsa Ekaterina , Vanha-Majamaa Ilkka 
Published: September 2008

We studied the decomposition of cut stumps of Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.), Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.), and birches ( Betula pubescens Ehrh. and Betula pendula Roth.) 10 years after clear felling, low level retention felling, gap felling, and selection felling. Bulk density of wood, mass per surface area of bark, and mass of wood and bark for entire stumps were estimated. Using a single exponential model, annual decomposition rate constants (k) were calculated as 0.071, 0.052, and 0.041 ·year–1 for birch, spruce, and pine, respectively. The k values for wood decreased in the same order. For bark, the order was different: spruce bark decomposed slower than pine bark. Fragmentation accelerated mass loss. Pine and birch bark decomposed faster than pine and birch wood, whereas spruce showed the opposite tendency. The wood density and bark mass did not depend on retention levels. Diameter of stumps did not explain variation in decomposition either. The high importance of stumps for biodiversity, carbon, and nutrient cycling requires refinements to decomposition rate constants. Thus, further research based on new empirical data and meta-analysis of published data is needed to reveal factors influencing the decomposition process in situ.