bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of a flexed posture in the prone position with boundaries following endotracheal suction in very low birthweight infants
Authors: KONDOH Yoshie 
Published: July 2004

AbstractAim:  The purpose of this study is to determine the differences in behavioral responses (signs of stress and sleep‐wake state) following endotracheal suction in very low birthweight infants between routine care and flexed posture with boundaries. The nine infants in this study had a mean gestational age of 26.96 weeks (ranging from 23 weeks and 6 days to 28 weeks and 6 days) and a mean birthweight of 968.4 g (ranging from 572 to 1524 g).Methods:  Heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation were monitored to assess autonomic functions, while motor system parameters were assessed visually through observation. Autonomic and motor system variables were combined and used to trace signs of stress. States of sleep were assessed according to the Thoman classification system. Observations were made every 2 min for 30 min, commencing at baseline and finishing 30 min after the end of suctioning.Results:  A total of 42 sessions were recorded, comprising 20 for the experimental group and 22 for the control group. The two groups did not differ significantly in birthweight and gestational age at birth. The results of a two‐way repeated measures (anova) for each variable indicated that the groups differed significantly in signs of stress. There were significant differences in the effects of time (F = 3.530, P = 0.0001), intervention (F = 12.476, P = 0.001), and intervention‐by‐time interaction for signs of stress (F = 3.018, P = 0.001). The experimental group exhibited fewer signs of stress than the control group. The time before onset of a quiet sleep state differed significantly between the groups (t = −2.529, d.f. = 35, P = 0.016); the time for the experimental group was significantly shorter than for the control group.Conclusion:  The flexed posture in the prone position with boundaries around the infant's body is needed to enhance self‐regulatory behavior in very low birthweight infants and to help them maintain behavioral integrity.
People‐centered initiatives in health care and health promotion
Authors: KOMATSU Hiroko 
Published: July 2004

AbstractThe research themes of our center of excellence (COE) program are derived from nursing practice based on the art of wisdom, sensitivity and love; the pillar of education at St Luke's College of Nursing since its foundation. The goal of the COE is to establish, in collaboration with the general public, a foundation of nursing for people‐centered initiatives in health care and health promotion. The COE aims to deliver up‐to‐date nursing service with a high quality and easy access to people who promote health and relevant services. Through the cycle of delivery, assessment and feedback, the program also aims to help St Luke's College of Nursing to become one of the international nuclei of dynamic nursing practice research. Eleven research projects are conducted to achieve the goals of the COE. There are six research projects focusing on the ‘Nursing Service Development’ including Japanese Genetic Nursing and Women‐Centered Care. ‘Nursing Service Dissemination Strategy Development and Assessment’ involves three research projects: (i) program development of health education practice; (ii) nursing practice development for international collaboration; and (iii) nursing practice for supporting the daily lives of patients. The rest includes: (i) collection and communication of research outcomes that promotes the COE; and (ii) application and assessment of research outcomes that serves to navigate the COE. The COE is further promoted through collaboration with communities as explained, and through the sharing of outcomes with people in wider communities, whom we interact with online. In this way, the COE will be further expanded while maintaining its orientation towards providing good health for people.
Center for the creation and dissemination of a new Japanese nursing science incorporating culturally appropriate care: Establishment and development of nursing science and arts based on clinical knowledge
Authors: ISHIGAKI Kazuko 
Published: July 2004

AbstractThis program aims to describe nursing care appropriate to the Japanese culture and to internationally disseminate the importance of culturally based care. Research will be conducted in a graduate school of nursing in collaboration with other graduate schools at Chiba University, such as those for social science and medical science.
Chlamydia trachomatis-Specific Human CD8+T Cells Show Two Patterns of Antigen Recognition
Authors: Matyszak Malgosia K. , Gaston J. S. Hill 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTChlamydia trachomatisis an intracellular gram-negative bacteria which causes several clinically important diseases. T-cell-mediated immunity and the production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) are known to be essential for the clearance of the bacteria in vivo. Here we have investigated CD8+-T-cell responses toC. trachomatisin patients with previous episodes of chlamydia infection. To isolateC. trachomatis-specific CD8+-T-cell lines, dendritic cells (DC) were infected withC. trachomatisand cocultured with purified CD8+T cells to generateC. trachomatis-specific CD8+-T-cell lines which were then cloned. Two patterns of recognition ofC. trachomatis-infected cells by CD8+-T-cell clones were identified. In the first,C. trachomatisantigens were recognized in association with classical class I HLA antigens, and responses were inhibited by class I HLA-specific monoclonal antibodies. The second set of clones was unrestricted by classical HLA class I, and further studies showed that CD1 molecules were also not the restriction element for those clones. Both types of clones produced IFN-γ in response toC. trachomatisand were able to lyseC. trachomatis-infected target cells. However, unrestricted clones recognizedC. trachomatis-infected cells at much earlier time points postinfection than HLA-restricted clones. Coculture ofC. trachomatis-infected DC with theC. trachomatis-specific clones induced DC activation and a rapid enhancement of interleukin-12 (IL-12) production. Early production of IL-12 duringC. trachomatisinfection, facilitated by unrestricted CD8+-T-cell clones, may be important in ensuring a subsequent Th1 T-cell-mediated response by classical major histocompatibility complex-restricted CD4+and CD8+T cells.
Mycobacterium tuberculosisDiverts Alpha Interferon-Induced Monocyte Differentiation from Dendritic Cells into Immunoprivileged Macrophage-Like Host Cells
Authors: Mariotti Sabrina , Teloni Raffaela , Iona Elisabetta , Fattorini Lanfranco , Romagnoli Giulia , Gagliardi Maria Cristina , Orefici Graziella , Nisini Roberto 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTDendritic cells (DCs) are critical for initiating a pathogen-specific T-cell response. During chronic infections the pool of tissue DCs must be renewed by recruitment of both circulating DC progenitors and in loco differentiating monocytes. However, the interaction of monocytes with pathogens could affect their differentiation.Mycobacterium tuberculosishas been shown to variably interfere with the generation and function of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In this study we found that when alpha interferon (IFN-α) is used as an inductor of monocyte differentiation,M. tuberculosisinhibits the generation of DCs, forcing the generation of immunoprivileged macrophage-like cells instead. Cells derived fromM. tuberculosis-infected monocyte-derived macrophages (M. tuberculosis-infected MoMφ) retained CD14 without acquiring CD1 molecules and partially expressed B7.2 but did not up-regulate B7.1 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules. They synthesized tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-10 (IL-10) but not IL-12. They also showed a reduced ability to induce proliferation and functional polarization of allogeneic T lymphocytes. Thus, in the presence of IFN-α,M. tuberculosismay hamper the renewal of potent APCs, such as DCs, generating a safe habitat for intracellular growth.M. tuberculosis-infected MoMφ, in fact, showed reduced expression of both signal 1 (CD1, MHC classes I and II) and signal 2 (B7.1 and B7.2), which are essential for mycobacterium-specific T-lymphocyte priming and/or activation. These data further suggest thatM. tuberculosishas the ability to specifically interfere with monocyte differentiation. This ability may represent an effectiveM. tuberculosisstrategy for eluding immune surveillance and persisting in the host.
Mouse Susceptibility to Anthrax Lethal Toxin Is Influenced by Genetic Factors in Addition to Those Controlling Macrophage Sensitivity
Authors: Moayeri Mahtab , Martinez Nathaniel W. , Wiggins Jason , Young Howard A. , Leppla Stephen H. 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTBacillus anthracislethal toxin (LT) produces symptoms of anthrax in mice and induces rapid lysis of macrophages (Mφ) derived from certain inbred strains. We used nine inbred strains and two inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) knockout C57BL/6J strains polymorphic for the LT Mφ sensitivityKif1Clocus to analyze the role of Mφ sensitivity (to lysis) in LT-mediated cytokine responses and lethality. LT-mediated induction of cytokines KC, MCP-1/JE, MIP-2, eotaxin, and interleukin-1β occurred only in mice having LT-sensitive Mφ. However, while iNOS knockout C57BL/6J mice having LT-sensitive Mφ were much more susceptible to LT than the knockout mice with LT-resistant Mφ, a comparison of susceptibilities to LT in the larger set of inbred mouse strains showed a lack of correlation between Mφ sensitivity and animal susceptibility to toxin. For example, C3H/HeJ mice, harboring LT-sensitive Mφ and having the associated LT-mediated cytokine response, were more resistant than mice with LT-resistant Mφ and no cytokine burst. Toll-like receptor 4 (Tlr4)-deficient, lipopolysaccharide-nonresponsive mice were not more resistant to LT. We also found that CAST/Ei mice are uniquely sensitive to LT and may provide an economical bioassay for toxin-directed therapeutics. The data indicate that while the cytokine response to LT in mice requires Mφ lysis and while Mφ sensitivity in the C57BL/6J background is sufficient for BALB/cJ-like mortality of that strain, the contribution of Mφ sensitivity and cytokine response to animal susceptibility to LT differs among other inbred strains. Thus, LT-mediated lethality in mice is influenced by genetic factors in addition to those controlling Mφ lysis and cytokine response and is independent of Tlr4 function.
Attenuation of the Bacterial Load in Blood by Pretreatment with Granulocyte-Colony-Stimulating Factor Protects Rats from Fatal Outcome and Brain Damage duringStreptococcus pneumoniaeMeningitis
Authors: Brandt Christian T. , Lundgren Jens D. , Lund Søren Peter , Frimodt-Møller Niels , Christensen Thomas , Benfield Thomas , Espersen Frank , Hougaard David M. , Østergaard Christian 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTA model of pneumococcal meningitis in young adult rats receiving antibiotics once the infection was established was developed. The intent was to mimic clinical and histopathological features of pneumococcal meningitis in humans. The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate whether medical boosting of the peripheral neutrophil count affected the outcome of the meningitis. The risk of terminal illness over the first 7 days after infection was significantly reduced for rats who had elevated peripheral white blood cell counts after receiving granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) prior to the infection compared to that for untreated rats (P= 0.039 by the log rank test). The improved outcome was associated with reduced signs of cerebral cortical damage (P= 0.008). Furthermore, the beneficial effects of G-CSF were associated with reduced bacterial loads in the cerebrospinal fluid (median, 1.1 × 105versus 2.9 × 105CFU/ml;P= 0.023) and in blood (median, 2.9 × 102versus 6.3 × 102CFU/ml;P= 0.024), as well as attenuated pleocytosis (median, 800 × 106versus 1,231 × 106cells/liter;P= 0.025), 24 h after the infection. Conversely, initiation of G-CSF therapy 28 h postinfection did not alter the clinical or histological outcome relative to that for non-G-CSF-treated rats. The magnitude of bacteremia and pretreatment with G-CSF were found to be prognostic factors for both outcome and brain damage. In summary, elevated neutrophil levels prior to the development of meningitis result in reduced risks of death and brain damage. This beneficial effect is most likely achieved through improved control of the systemic disease.
Disruption of theAspergillus fumigatusGene Encoding Nucleolar Protein CgrA Impairs Thermotolerant Growth and Reduces Virulence
Authors: Bhabhra Ruchi , Miley Michael D. , Mylonakis Eleftherios , Boettner Doug , Fortwendel Jarrod , Panepinto John C. , Postow Michael , Rhodes Judith C. , Askew David S. 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTAspergillus fumigatusCgrA is the ortholog of a yeast nucleolar protein that functions in ribosome synthesis. To determine how CgrA contributes to the virulence ofA. fumigatus, a ΔcgrAmutant was constructed by targeted gene disruption, and the mutant was reconstituted to wild type by homologous introduction of a functionalcgrAgene. The ΔcgrAmutant had the same growth rate as the wild type at room temperature. However, when the cultures were incubated at 37°C, a condition that increased the growth rate of the wild-type and reconstituted strains approximately threefold, the ΔcgrAmutant was unable to increase its growth rate. The absence ofcgrAfunction caused a delay in both the onset and rate of germination at 37°C but had little effect on germination at room temperature. The ΔcgrAmutant was significantly less virulent than the wild-type or reconstituted strain in immunosuppressed mice and was associated with smaller fungal colonies in lung tissue. However, this difference was less pronounced in aDrosophilainfection model at 25°C, which correlated with the comparable growth rates of the two strains at this temperature. To determine the intracellular localization of CgrA, the protein was tagged at the C terminus with green fluorescent protein, and costaining with propidium iodide revealed a predominantly nucleolar localization of the fusion protein in living hyphae. Together, these findings establish the intracellular localization of CgrA inA. fumigatusand demonstrate thatcgrAis required for thermotolerant growth and wild-type virulence of the organism.
Protective and Nonprotective Human Immunoglobulin M Monoclonal Antibodies toCryptococcus neoformansGlucuronoxylomannan Manifest Different Specificities and Gene Use Profiles
Authors: Maitta Robert W. , Datta Kausik , Chang Qing , Luo Robin X. , Witover Bradley , Subramaniam Krishanthi , Pirofski Liise-anne 
Published: July 2004

ABSTRACTThe features of protective murine antibodies to theCryptococcus neoformanscapsular polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) have been rigorously investigated; however, the characteristics of protective human antibodies to GXM have not been defined. We produced monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from XenoMouse mice (transgenic mice that express human immunoglobulin M [IgM], IgG2, and κ) which were immunized with aC. neoformansserotype D strain 24067 GXM-diphtheria toxoid conjugate. This study reports the specificity and efficacy of three human IgM MAbs, G14, G15, and G19, generated from these mice. Each MAb was specific for GXM, but G14 and G19 had different specificity based on their binding to serotype A strain H99 and SB4 GXMs, to which G15 did not bind. Nucleic acid sequence analysis revealed that G15 uses VH3-64 in the germ line configuration. G14 and G19 use VH6-1, which has somatic mutations. All of the MAbs use Vκ DPK22/A27. Studies of MAb efficacy in BALB/c mice showed that administration of 0.1 mg, but not 1 or 0.01 mg, of G15 prolonged survival against lethalC. neoformansstrain 24067 challenge, whereas G14 and G19 were not protective at any dose. This panel of MAbs illustrates that serotype D GXM has epitopes that elicit human antibodies that can be either protective or nonprotective. Our findings suggest that VHgene use may influence GXM specificity and efficacy, and they provide insights into the possible contribution that VHgene use may have in resistance and susceptibility to cryptococcosis.
A performance study of memory consistency models
Authors: Zucker Richard N. , Baer Jean-Loup 
Published: July 2004

Recent advances in technology are such that the speed of processors is increasing faster than memory latency is decreasing. Therefore the relative cost of a cache miss is becoming more important. However, the full cost of a cache miss need not be paid every time in a multiprocessor. The frequency with which the processor must stall on a cache miss can be reduced by using a relaxed model of memory consistency.
In this paper, we present the results of instruction-level simulation studies on the relative performance benefits of using different models of memory consistency. Our vehicle of study is a shared-memory multiprocessor with processors and associated write-back caches connected to global memory modules via an Omega network. The benefits of the relaxed models, and their increasing hardware complexity, are assessed with varying cache size, line size, and number of processors. We find that substantial benefits can be accrued by using relaxed models but the magnitudes of the benefits depend on the architecture being modeled, the benchmarks, and how the code is scheduled. We did not find any major difference in levels of improvement among the various relaxed models.
Hiding memory latency using dynamic scheduling in shared-memory multiprocessors
Authors: Gharachorloo Kourosh , Gupta Anoop , Hennessy John 
Published: July 2004

The large latency of memory accesses is a major impediment to achieving high performance in large scale shared-memory multi-processsors. Relaxing the memory consistency model is an attractive technique for hiding this latency by allowing the overlap of memory accesses with other computation and memory accesses. Previous studies on relaxed models have shown that the latency of write accesses can be hidden by buffering writes and allowing reads to bypass pending writes. Hiding the latency of reads by exploiting the overlap allowed by relaxed models is inherently more difficult, however, simply because the processor depends on the return value for its future computation.
This paper explores the use of dynamically scheduled processors to exploit the overlap allowed by relaxed models for hiding the latency of reads. Our results are based on detailed simulation studies of several parallel applications. The results show that a substantial fraction of the read latency can be hidden using this technique. However, the major improvements in performance are achieved only at large instruction window sizes.
Towards a shared-memory massively parallel multiprocessor
Authors: Litaize Daniel , Mzoughi Abdelaziz , Rochange Christine , Sainrat Pascal 
Published: July 2004

A set of ultra high throughput (more than one Gigabits per second) serial links used as processor-memory network can lead to the starting up of a shared-memory massively parallel multiprocessor. The bandwidth of the network is far beyond values found in present shared-memory multiprocessor networks. To feed this network the memory must be serially multiported. Such a multiprocessor can actually be build with current technologies.
This paper analyzes the characteristics of such a novel architecture, presents the solutions that must be considered and the practical problems associated with close of experiments. These results show then the way to effectively build this multiprocessor, taking into account main topics such as data coherency, latency time and scalability.
Performance evaluation of a decoded instruction cache for variable instruction-length computers
Authors: Intrater Gideon , Spillinger Ilan 
Published: July 2004

A Decoded INstruction Cache (DINC) serves as a buffer between the instruction decoder and the other instruction-pipeline stages. In this paper we explain how techniques that reduce the branch penalty based on such a cache, can improve CPU performance. We analyze the impact of some of the design parameters of DINCs on variable instruction-length computers, e.g., CISC machines.
Our study indicates that tuning the mapping function of the instructions into the cache, can improve the performance substantially. This tuning must be based on the instruction length distribution for a specific architecture. In addition, the associativity degree has a greater effect on the DINC's performance, than on the performance of regular caches. We also discuss the difference between the performance of DINCs and other caches, when longer cache lines are used. The results presented were obtained by both analytical study and trace-driven simulations of several integer UNIX applications.
An elementary processor architecture with simultaneous instruction issuing from multiple threads
Authors: Hirata Hiroaki , Kimura Kozo , Nagamine Satoshi , Mochizuki Yoshiyuki , Nishimura Akio , Nakase Yoshimori , Nishizawa Teiji 
Published: July 2004

In this paper, we propose a multithreaded processor architecture which improves machine throughput. In our processor architecture, instructions from different threads (not a single thread) are issued simultaneously to multiple functional units, and these instructions can begin execution unless there are functional unit conflicts. This parallel execution scheme greatly improves the utilization of the functional unit. Simulation results show that by executing two and four threads in parallel on a nine-functional-unit processor, a 2.02 and a 3.72 times speed-up, respectively, can be achieved over a conventional RISC processor.Our architecture is also applicable to the efficient execution of a single loop. In order to control functional unit conflicts between loop iterations, we have developed a new static code scheduling technique. Another loop execution scheme, by using the multiple control flow mechanism of our architecture, makes it possible to parallelize loops which are difficult to parallelize in vector or VLIW machines.
Instruction-level parallelism in Prolog
Authors: De Gloria Alessandro , Faraboschi Paolo 
Published: July 2004

The demand of increasing computation power for symbolic processing has given a strong impulse to the development of ASICs dedicated to the execution of prolog. Unlike past microcoded implementation based on the Warren machine model, novel trends in high performance Prolog processors suggest the implementation of RISC-based processors committed to prolog only through the adoption of a few basic dedicated features, like the Berkeley Abstract Machine (BAM) processor.
Following the idea of using a smart compiler for a simple instruction set, the SYMBOL project represents an experiment in applying global compaction techniques and VLIW design philosophy to the static exploitation of instruction-level parallelism in Prolog.
This paper presents code analysis results and shows how we can approach the theoretical speed-up limit (about 3) imposed by Amdahl's law on shared memory models, by means of global code optimizations and a suitable architectural support. In addition, we show implementation details and some preliminary data of a VLSI prototype architecture.