bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anterior dynamic ultrasound and graf's examination in neonatal hip instability
Authors: Finnbogason T. , Jorulf H. , Söderman E. , Rehnberg L. 
Published: February 2008

Background: Discrepancy between neonatal hip morphology and stability has been reported in the literature. Comparative ultrasound studies on this issue are limited. Purpose: To compare neonatal hip instability, as assessed by dynamic ultrasound and clinical examination, with acetabular morphology, as assessed by Graf's method. Material and Methods: 536 newborn infants with clinical signs of hip instability, ambiguous findings at clinical hip examination, or positive risk factors for DDH were investigated with two ultrasound methods, the Graf method and anterior dynamic ultrasound, at an average age of 12 days. The hips were allocated to three groups according to the Graf result: A, normal (type Ia and b); B, borderline or immature (type IIa); and C, pathologic (type IIc and worse). Graf examination was compared with two diagnostic tests for instability, namely clinical examination by senior pediatric orthopedists and anterior dynamic ultrasound. Results: According to Graf's method, 77% of the hips were normal, 20% borderline/immature, and 3% pathologic. On clinical hip examination, 82% were stable, 14% unstable, and 4% dislocatable. The dynamic ultrasound outcome was 88% stable hips, 10% unstable, and 2% dislocatable. Of the hips considered unstable or dislocatable on dynamic ultrasound, 21% had normal (type I) and 66% immature acetabular morphology according to the Graf method. Of the hips that were stable on dynamic ultrasound, only one (0.1%) was dysplastic according to the Graf method. Graf's examination showed the smallest number of normal hips, but also the fewest pathologic hips, with many indeterminate results that needed follow-up. Conclusion: Acetabular morphology correlated better to stability as assessed by dynamic ultrasound than to the clinical examination results, with fair to moderate agreement. Graf's examination resulted in a large number of indeterminate results that needed follow-up, but when used as the sole criterion for deciding treatment did not lead to a higher treatment rate than when the decision was based on clinical hip examination.
Post‐translational modification of host proteins in pathogen‐triggered defence signalling in plants
Authors: STULEMEIJER IRIS J. E. , JOOSTEN MATTHIEU H. A. J. 
Published: February 2008

SUMMARYMicrobial plant pathogens impose a continuous threat to global food production. Similar to animals, an innate immune system allows plants to recognize pathogens and swiftly activate defence. To activate a rapid response, receptor‐mediated pathogen perception and subsequent downstream signalling depends on post‐translational modification (PTM) of components essential for defence signalling. We discuss different types of PTMs that play a role in mounting plant immunity, which include phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation, nitrosylation, myristoylation, palmitoylation and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)‐anchoring. PTMs are rapid, reversible, controlled and highly specific, and provide a tool to regulate protein stability, activity and localization. Here, we give an overview of PTMs that modify components essential for defence signalling at the site of signal perception, during secondary messenger production and during signalling in the cytoplasm. In addition, we discuss effectors from pathogens that suppress plant defence responses by interfering with host PTMs.
Transfer of isoniazid from circulation to breast milk in lactating women on chronic therapy for tuberculosis
Authors: Singh Neera , Golani Anil , Patel Zarine , Maitra Anurupa 
Published: February 2008

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Isoniazid is the most widely used first line antituberculosis drug.• It is considered safe during lactation, but limited data are available on the transfer of isoniazid from circulation to milk in lactating women, which can provide an assessment of extent of exposure to the nursling. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • The study documents the transfer pattern and milk to plasma (M : P) ratio of isoniazid at a steady state.• Peak plasma and milk concentrations of isoniazid were reached within 1 h and the projected exposure of the drug to the infant is much lower than the prophylactic dose, supporting its safety during breast feeding.AIMTo determine milk to plasma (M : P) ratios and infant dose (absolute and relative) for isoniazid in lactating women on antituberculosis therapy.METHODSConcentrations of isoniazid in plasma and milk were measured in exclusively breast feeding women taking 300 mg day−1 as treatment for tuberculosis.RESULTSPeak plasma and milk concentrations of isoniazid were observed at 1 h. A mean M : PAUC value of 0.89 (95% CI 0.7, 1.1) was calculated for isoniazid from seven women over 24 h. The mean absolute infant dose was estimated to be 89.9 μg kg day−1 (95% CI 65.6, 114) and the relative infant dose was 1.2% of the weight adjusted maternal dose.CONCLUSIONSThe mean relative dose of isoniazid (1.2%) transmitted to the infant via breast milk is below the 10% notional level of concern. These data suggest that isoniazid therapy is safe during breastfeeding.
Cord blood stem cell transplantation for haemoglobinopathies
Authors: Pinto Fernando O. , Roberts Irene 
Published: February 2008

SummaryDespite improvements in supportive care, patients with β‐thalassaemia major or sickle cell disease (SCD) may benefit from haematopoietic stem cell transplantation at some point during their lives. Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐matched sibling bone marrow donors are not always available and alternative sources of stem cells have been sought, including related and unrelated donor cord blood transplants (CBT). The outcome of CBT from related donors for the treatment of both thalassaemia major and SCD is now approaching that for bone marrow transplantation, with around 90% of patients surviving disease‐free. The main complication is graft rejection, which may be reduced by increasing pretransplant immune suppression. Transplant‐related mortality following HLA‐identical matched related donor CBT is extremely low but is significant in the small series of unrelated and/or mis‐matched donor CBT. The principal limitation to extending the use of CB stem cells for the cure of haemoglobinopathies is the need to better understand the mechanisms of action and optimal conditioning regimens used to secure long‐term engraftment while minimizing morbidity and mortality. Further biological studies and clinical trials are needed to address this aim.
A single weekly dose of imatinib is sufficient to induce and maintain remission of chronic eosinophilic leukaemia in FIP1L1‐PDGFRA‐expressing patients
Authors: Helbig Grzegorz , Stella‐Hołowiecka Beata , Majewski Mirosław , Całbecka Małgorzata , Gajkowska Jolanta , Klimkiewicz Ryszard , Moskwa Andrzej , Grzegorczyk Janina , Lewandowska Monika , Hołowiecki Jerzy 
Published: February 2008

SummaryHypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is defined as chronic, unexplained hypereosinophilia with organ involvement. A subset of HES patients presents an interstitial deletion in chromosome 4q12, which leads to the expression of an imatinib‐responsive fusion gene, FIP1L1‐PDGFRA. These patients are diagnosed as chronic eosinophilic leukaemia (CEL). We treated seven CEL and HES patients, six of which expressed FIP1L1‐PDGFRA, with imatinib using initial daily doses ranging from 100 to 400 mg. In a remission maintenance phase, the patients were treated with imatinib once weekly. All imatinib‐treated patients achieved a complete haematological remission (CHR), and five of the six patients with FIP1L1‐PDGFRA expression exhibited molecular remission. The decreased imatinib doses were as follows: 200 mg/week in three patients, 100 mg/week in two patients and 100 mg/d in the remaining two patients. For remission maintenance, imatinib doses were set at 100 mg/week in five patients and 200 mg/week in two patients. At a median follow‐up of 30 months all patients remained in CHR and FIP1L1‐PDGFRA expression was undetectable in five of the six FIP1L1‐PDGFRA‐expressing patients. These data suggest that a single weekly dose of imatinib is sufficient to maintain remission in FIP1L1‐PDGFRA‐ positive CEL patients.
Epicutaneous sensitization with Dermatophagoides farinae induces generalized allergic dermatitis and elevated mite‐specific immunoglobulin E levels in a canine model of atopic dermatitis
Authors: Pucheu‐Haston C. M. , Jackson H. A. , Olivry T. , Dunston S. M. , Hammerberg B. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryBackground
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a cutaneous hypersensitivity associated with elevated levels of antigen‐specific IgE, commonly to house dust mites (HDMs). It remains controversial as to whether sensitization and clinical disease are induced by cutaneous exposure to HDM.Objectives
The objectives of this study were to determine whether repeated applications of Dermatophagoides farinae slurry to intact skin of Maltese–Beagle atopic (MAB) dogs would result in the development of clinical signs or lesions resembling spontaneous canine AD, to determine whether repeated slurry applications would induce elevations in mite‐specific IgE and/or IgG, and to determine whether mite antigens could be demonstrated within the dermis of application sites.Methods
Dogs received weekly slurry applications to the axilla and groin, and were patch tested at 120 days, or were patch tested at days 1, 60 and 120, but did not receive further slurry applications. Skin biopsies and serum samples were obtained on days 1, 60 and 120.Results
Pruritic dermatitis was seen in all dogs by day 60. D. farinae‐specific IgE was elevated by day 60. Histologic examination of early application sites revealed mild, mononuclear perivascular dermatitis. Later application sites were characterized by a dense inflammatory infiltrate and oedema in both the dermis and the epidermis. Immunofluorescent staining confirmed the presence of D. farinae antigens in the dermis.Conclusions
This study demonstrated that epicutaneous application of HDM slurry to MAB dogs results in elevations of HDM‐specific IgE, localized and generalized pruritic dermatitis resembling spontaneous canine AD, and histologic changes typical of IgE‐driven inflammation. We feel that these results suggest that epicutaneous exposure to allergen may play an important role during both the sensitization and the perpetuation of AD, and provide support for the use of a canine model in the investigation of the pathogenesis of AD.
Trigeminal nasal‐specific neurons respond to nerve growth factor with substance‐P biosynthesis
Authors: Mingomataj E. , Dinh Q. T. , Groneberg D. , Feleszko W. , Schmeck B. , Joachim R. , Noga O. , Nagel S. , Klapp B. F. , Fischer A. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryBackground
Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been found to induce substance‐P biosynthesis in large‐diameter A‐fibres vagal airway neurons. However, the effect of NGF on trigeminal neurons innervating the nasal mucosa of the mouse has not been investigated so far.Objective
NGF has been implicated in allergic diseases by modulating sensory nerves. Therefore, the present study investigated the effect of NGF on neuropeptides expression such as substance‐P and glutamate in nasal trigeminal neurons.Methods
Using neuronal tracing in combination with double labelling immunohistochemistry the expression of substance‐P, glutamate and neurofilament protein 68‐kDa expression was examined in nasal‐specific trigeminal neurons of BALB/c‐mice.Results
The numbers of Fast blue‐labelled trigeminal neurons expressing substance‐P were significantly increased after NGF exposure (NGF‐treated ganglia: 16.4 ± 0.6% vs. control: 7.0 ± 0.4%, P0.001). NGF treatment‐induced substance‐P biosynthesis in neurofilament‐positive (NGF‐treated ganglia: 8.6 ± 0.2% vs. control: 1.1 ± 0.2%, P0.001) as well as neurofilament‐negative (NGF‐treated ganglia: 7.8 ± 0.6% vs. control: 5.9 ± 0.4%, P=0.05) and non‐glutamatergic neurons (NGF‐treated ganglia: 11.8 ± 1.9% vs. control 1.1 ± 1.0%, P0.001) 24 h after NGF exposure.Conclusion
Under normal conditions, substance‐P was expressed in nasal‐specific neurofilament‐negative, glutamatergic and C‐fibre neurons. Nasal‐specific trigeminal neurons respond to NGF treatment with substance‐P biosynthesis in non‐glutamatergic, neurofilament‐positive as well as ‐negative neurons. These findings suggest that nasal‐specific trigeminal neurons are composed of heterogenous subpopulations in relation to their peptide profiles and therefore may have different functions in neurogenic airway inflammation.
Where temperate meets tropical: multi‐factorial effects of elevated CO2, nitrogen enrichment, and competition on a mangrove‐salt marsh community
Authors: McKEE KAREN L. , ROOTH JILL E. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractOur understanding of how elevated CO2 and interactions with other factors will affect coastal plant communities is limited. Such information is particularly needed for transitional communities where major vegetation types converge. Tropical mangroves (Avicennia germinans) intergrade with temperate salt marshes (Spartina alterniflora) in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and this transitional community represents an important experimental system to test hypotheses about global change impacts on critical ecosystems. We examined the responses of A. germinans (C3) and S. alterniflora (C4), grown in monoculture and mixture in mesocosms for 18 months, to interactive effects of atmospheric CO2 and pore water nitrogen (N) concentrations typical of these marshes. A. germinans, grown without competition from S. alterniflora, increased final biomass (35%) under elevated CO2 treatment and higher N availability. Growth of A. germinans was severely curtailed, however, when grown in mixture with S. alterniflora, and enrichment with CO2 and N could not reverse this growth suppression. A field experiment using mangrove seedlings produced by CO2‐ and N‐enriched trees confirmed that competition from S. alterniflora suppressed growth under natural conditions and further showed that herbivory greatly reduced survival of all seedlings. Thus, mangroves will not supplant marsh vegetation due to elevated CO2 alone, but instead will require changes in climate, environmental stress, or disturbance to alter the competitive balance between these species. However, where competition and herbivory are low, elevated CO2 may accelerate mangrove transition from the seedling to sapling stage and also increase above‐ and belowground production of existing mangrove stands, particularly in combination with higher soil N.
Probing surface plasmon fields by far‐field Raman imaging
Authors: LAURENT G. , FÉLIDJ N. , GRAND J. , AUBARD J. , LÉVI G. , HOHENAU A. , KRENN J. R. , AUSSENEGG F. R. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryThis article reports on the imaging of the surface plasmon fields of lithographically designed micrometre‐sized gold structures. We investigate rings made of disk‐shaped particles and individual crescent‐shaped particles. These structures are imaged with two techniques, dark field imaging of elastically scattered light and imaging the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering signal of methylene blue dye adsorbed onto the structures. Although elastically scattered light images result from the coherently summed contributions from all elementary scattering volumes, surface‐enhanced Raman scattering images reflect the optical near‐field intensity incoherently averaged over a surface area corresponding to the spatial resolution of the microscope objective. The combination of both imaging methods enables us to emphasize the role of plasmon coupling and antenna effect in the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering enhancement.
Broadband optical near‐field microscope for nanoscale absorption spectroscopy of organic materials
Authors: POMRAENKE R. , ROPERS C. , RENARD J. , LIENAU C. , LÜER L. , POLLI D. , CERULLO G. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryConjugated organic materials in the solid state are generally amorphous or polycrystalline, with local order only achieved in mesoscopic domains with size ranging from a few tens to a few hundreds of nanometres. Understanding the interplay between mesoscopic order and macroscopic behaviour of these materials calls for a spatially resolved study of their optical properties. Near‐field scanning optical microscopy allows one in principle to beat the diffraction limit in optical imaging. A quantitative measurement of nanoscale absorption spectra is, however, complicated by the difficulty of obtaining broadband near‐field illumination with sufficiently high intensity. Here we demonstrate a near‐field spectrometer with 100‐nm spatial resolution based on an ultrabroadband Ti : sapphire oscillator coupled to an aperture‐based near‐field scanning optical microscopy, enabling structural phase‐selective imaging of organic materials at the nanoscale. In polycrystalline phtalocyanine films we can distinguish between the crystalline and the amorphous phase, thus providing previously unavailable information on their mesoscopic texture.
Stress imagining of semiconductor surface by tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: SAITO Y , MOTOHASHI M. , HAYAZAWA N. , KAWATA S. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryTip‐enhanced Raman imaging of strained silicon reveals the property of nanoscale stress imposed on the lattice. Our approach relies on the highly localized excitation provided by a metallized tip. Surface sensitive detections in nanoscale are realized by a reflection‐mode configuration combined with 442‐nm excitation and a silver‐coated silicon nitride tip. The background signals from an underlying silicon germanium layer and a tip are well suppressed. The quantitative stress analysis is made on the basis of the Raman shift of the Si–Si phonon mode. We succeeded in visualizing the localized stress with a spatial resolution down to 25 nm whereas a conventional micro Raman technique provides only a uniform image because of the averaging effect within a diffraction‐limited focused spot.
Optical near field dressed by localized and coherent phonons
Authors: TANAKA Y. , KOBAYASHI K. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryWe present a quantum‐field theoretical model to explain the experimentally suggested spatial localization of photons associated with the coherent state of phonons in an optical near‐field probe system. Considering the localized phonon modes due to the impurity in a one‐dimensional system, we have obtained the temporal evolution of the localization of photons, which depends on the photon–phonon coupling constant, as well as the hopping constant of photons. Numerical results show that photons move and localize at the impurity sites when the hopping constant is comparable to the photon–phonon coupling.
Individual gold dimers investigated by far‐ and near‐field imaging
Authors: LEREU A. L. , SANCHEZ‐MOSTEIRO G. , GHENUCHE P. , QUIDANT R. , VAN HULST N. F. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryPlasmon resonances in 3D nanoparticle arrangements can produce strong localized optical fields, which are of importance for any application involving interaction of light with subwavelength volumes of matter down to the molecular level. In particular, remarkable field enhancement and confinement occur in a dimer geometry formed by two identical closely spaced particles. Although, recent advances in nanofabrication have rendered the fabrication of complex plasmon architectures more accessible, addressing their local fields in a nonperturbative fashion remains not straightforward, because metallic nanostructures are rather sensitive to their local environment. Here we study gold dimers fabricated by e‐beam lithography. Individual dimers are imaged both by far‐ and near‐field methods. First, the near‐field electromagnetic interaction in an ensemble of dimers is investigated by scattering spectroscopy, using dark field microscopy. Next, to probe their local field, we explore the luminescence of individual gold dimers utilizing a confocal microscope with single molecule detection sensitivity. We provide a statistical analysis of the dimer luminescence for different incident polarizations, with direct comparison to single particles (monomers). Finally, the near‐field transmission of the resonant dimers is mapped with a subwavelength resolution using polarized controlled near‐field scanning optical microscopy. Surprisingly, no clear evidence of the high mode density in the dimer gap is observed. This result may be attributed to the limited coupling of the field emitted by the aperture probe to the dimer mode.
Near‐field measurement of ZnS:Mn nanocrystal and bulk thin‐film electroluminescent devices
Authors: GRMELA L. , MACKU R. , TOMANEK P. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryA near‐field study of the electro‐optical phenomena and aging characteristics of nanostructured and bulk ZnS:Mn alternating‐current thin‐film electro‐optical devices is presented. ZnS:Mn nanocrystals embedded in the glass matrices as well as ZnS:Mn thin‐film phosphors contain four different concentrations of Mn (from 0.05 to 1.0 mol%). The activator impurity in the phosphor influences the spectral properties and, to a large extent, the temporal properties of optical emission and an aging process of the devices. Therefore, a local photoluminescence and electroluminescence investigation using a scanning near‐field optical microscope technique is provided and the aging characteristics of ZnS:Mn nanocrystal structure also presented.
A metamaterial based on coupled metallic nanoparticles and its band‐gap property
Authors: ROCKSTUHL C. , SCHARF T. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryThe properties of an ensemble of densely packed metallic nanoparticles and the effective material properties of a metamaterial based on them are studied in detail using rigorous diffraction theory. We show that in the spectral vicinity of the plasmon resonance, the metamaterial shows a well‐defined Lorentzian resonance in its effective permittivity whereas the permeability is unaltered. The metamaterial shows a stop band in the spectral domain where the real part of the effective permittivity is negative. Modifying the effective properties of the metamaterial allows efficient tuning of the band‐gap properties. The implementation of the proposed approach towards a band‐gap metamaterial employing self‐organization in liquid crystals is discussed.
Raman and near‐field spectroscopic study on localized surface plasmon excitation from the 2D nanostructure of gold nanoparticles
Authors: HOSSAIN M. K. , SHIMADA T. , KITAJIMA M. , IMURA K. , OKAMOTO H. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryWe have studied electromagnetic field on the surface of two‐dimensional nanostructure of gold nanoparticles through two‐photon–induced photoluminescence images by using scanning near‐field optical microscope and far‐field surface‐enhanced Raman scattering measurements. The near‐field two‐photon–induced photoluminescence image shows that strong inhomogeneous enhancement in two‐photon–induced photoluminescence occurs over the two‐dimensional nanostructure, representing localized surface plasmon excitations. The results suggest that the local structure of the two‐dimensional nanostructure influences the distribution of localized surface plasmon excitation.