bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relative Importance of Reproductive Biology and Establishment Ecology for Persistence of a Rare Shrub in a Fragmented Landscape
Authors: YATES COLIN J. , LADD PHILIP G. 
Published: January 2005

Abstract:
Verticordia fimbrilepis (Turcz) ssp. fimbrilepis (Myrtaceae) is an endangered shrub that occurs in a number of populations varying in size and landscape context. We compared the importance of factors associated with its reproductive biology with that of factors influencing the regeneration niche in survival of small, isolated populations in contrasting habitat fragments. Small populations on road verges had equal or greater diversity of insect visitors to flowers, rates of pollination, and seed production compared with larger populations in conservation reserves. V. fimbrilepis seeds remained dormant in the soil for at least 30 months, and germination was stimulated by smoke. Plants were killed by fire, but mass recruitment from soil‐stored seed reserves occurred in the first and second winters following fire. Our studies showed some seedling recruitment between fires, but this was strongly related to the availability of competition‐free establishment sites. Whether this is enough to replace older plants as they die and thereby sustain stable populations is unknown and probably varies with the landscape. Environmental variation between fire episodes influenced population size. Drought increased mortality, but wetter years encouraged interfire recruitment. Most populations are declining and cannot recover without the occurrence of fire. In a fragmented agricultural landscape, fire suppression is the primary management practice. This may adversely affect rare species such as V. fimbrilepis and others with similar life histories that rely on a particular fire regime to persist. Population persistence is more likely to be related to stochastic environmental events than to factors associated with reproductive biology.
An In Vitro Biomechanical Comparison of the Insertion Variables and Pullout Mechanical Properties of AO 6.5‐mm Standard Cancellous and 7.3‐mm Self‐Tapping, Cannulated Bone Screws in Foal Femoral Bone
Authors: Johnson Nicole L. , Galuppo Larry D. , Stover Susan M. , Taylor Ken T. 
Published: January 2005

Objective—To compare screw insertion variables and pullout mechanical properties between AO 6.5‐mm cancellous and 7.3‐mm cannulated bone screws in foal femoral bone.Study Design—A paired, in vitro mechanical study.Sample Population—Seven pairs of femora from immature (1–7 months) foals.Methods—The 6.5 cancellous and 7.3‐mm cannulated screws were inserted at standardized proximal and distal metaphyseal, and mid‐diaphyseal locations. Insertion torque, force, and time to drill, tap (6.5‐mm cancellous), guide wire insertion (7.3‐mm cannulated), and screw insertion were measured. Screw pullout properties (yield and failure load, displacement, and energy, and stiffness) were determined from mechanical tests. The effects of screw type and location on insertion variables and pullout properties were assessed with repeated measures ANOVA. Pairwise comparisons were examined with post hoc contrasts. Significance was set atP<.05 for all comparisons.Results—Insertion torques for the 7.3‐mm cannulated screws were significantly greater than for the 6.5‐mm tap, but significantly lower than for the 6.5‐mm cancellous screws. Total screw insertion times were similar. Pullout properties of both screws were similar at each femoral location. The holding power of both screws was significantly greater in the mid‐diaphysis than in either metaphyseal location. Pullout failure occurred by bone shearing at the bone–screw interface in all specimens.Conclusions—The 6.5‐mm cancellous and 7.3‐mm cannulated screws vary in insertion properties, but have similar pullout properties in the mid‐diaphysis, proximal, and distal metaphysis of foal femora. Both screw types have greater holding power at the mid‐diaphyseal location compared with metaphyseal locations. Based on overall similar holding powers of 6.5‐mm cancellous and 7.3‐mm cannulated screws, it is unlikely that increasing the screw diameter beyond 6.5 mm will provide increased holding power in foal femoral bone.Clinical Relevance—Use of the 7.3‐mm cannulated screw should be considered for foal femoral fracture repair when greater accuracy is needed, or when bone threads for the 6.5‐mm cancellous screw have been stripped.
Red blood cell exchange transfusion in two patients with advanced erythropoietic protoporphyria
Authors: Eichbaum Quentin G. , Dzik Walter H. , Chung Raymond T. , Szczepiorkowski Zbigniew M. 
Published: January 2005

BACKGROUND:  Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic disorder caused by the decreased or absent activity of ferrochelatase, the final enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway. This enzyme defect in peripheral blood progenitor cells leads to the accumulation of protoporphyrin deposits in multiple tissues. Plasmapheresis has been previously reported as an adjunctive therapy for patients with advanced hepatic EPP. Because the concentration of protoporphyrins is severalfold higher inside the red blood cell (RBC) compared to plasma, it was hypothesized that RBC exchange therapy might absorb excess protoporphyrins from the plasma and serve as an effective therapy to reduce protoporphyrin load in patients with advanced hepatic EPP. The effectiveness of RBC exchange plus hematin versus plasmapheresis plus hematin in two patients with advanced hepatic EPP is reported.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  Two patients with advanced hepatic EPP were treated with RBC exchange and plasmapheresis in the setting of recurrent disease in the graft (Patient 1) or preparation for liver transplantation (Patient 2). In vitro studies were performed to test transport of protoporphyrins from patients’ plasma to normal RBCs.RESULTS:  Compared with plasmapheresis, RBC exchange was more effective, for the duration of the therapy, in reducing blood levels of protoporphyrins. Liver function tests, however, showed only a modest improvement during therapy. In vitro extracellular protoporphyrin were rapidly adsorbed into normal RBCs.CONCLUSION:  Neither RBC exchange nor plasmapheresis prevented progressive hepatic deterioration in advanced hepatic EPP despite a significant decrease in protoporphyrin levels.
STAR: a novel high‐prevalence antigen in the Scianna blood group system
Authors: Hue‐Roye Kim , Chaudhuri Asok , Velliquette Randall W. , Fetics Susan , Thomas Rebecca , Balk Mary , Wagner Franz F. , Flegel William A. , Reid Marion E. 
Published: January 2005

BACKGROUND:  More than 20 years ago, a proband was described whose red blood cells (RBCs) typed Sc:1,−2,3. His serum sample contained an immunoglobulin G alloantibody that reacted with all RBCs tested except his own, his brother’s, and those with the Sc:−1,−2 phenotype. Cloning of the SC gene allowed determination of the molecular basis associated with this novel high‐prevalence antigen.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  Samples from frozen storage were obtained from the proband, his serologically matched brother, and 15 serologically mismatched family members. DNA was extracted, and amplified products from all 11 SC (ERMAP) exons and their flanking regions of the proband were sequenced.RESULTS:  A single‐nucleotide mutation was detected (139G>A) in Exon 3 that is predicted to encode a change of Amino Acid 47 from glutamic acid to lysine. The sequence analyses on samples from family members were as expected.CONCLUSIONS:  The absence of the high‐prevalence antigen STAR detected by the proband's antibody is likely associated with lysine at Position 47 of the Sc glycoprotein. This amino acid change is located on the extracellular portion of HERMAP, 10 residues upstream from the polymorphism associated with Sc1 and Sc2 (Gly57Arg). STAR expands the Sc blood group system to five antigens and has been assigned the ISBT Number 013005 (SC5).
Prevalence and Management of Inappropriate Detection and Therapies in Patients with First‐Generation Biventricular Pacemaker‐Defibrillators
Authors: CHUGH AMAN , SCHARF CHRISTOPH , HALL BURR , CHEUNG PETER , GOOD ERIC , HORWOOD LAURA , ORAL HAKAN , PELOSI FRANK , MORADY FRED 
Published: January 2005

Background: Tachycardia detection in first‐generation biventricular pacemaker‐implantable cardioverter defibrillators (BiV ICD) occurs through both the right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) leads, creating the potential for inappropriate detection and therapies. Little is known regarding the prevalence and management of patients with BiV ICDs and inappropriate detection.
Methods and Results: A transvenous, first‐generation BiV ICD was implanted in 77 consecutive patients (age 61 ± 11 years) for drug‐refractory heart failure. The mean New York Heart Association class, QRS duration, and ejection fraction were 3.1 ± 0.4, 168 ± 24 ms, and 0.19 ± 0.07, respectively. Among the 77 patients, 17 (22%) experienced inappropriate detection at a mean of 154 ± 140 days after implantation. Fifteen of the 17 patients (88%) experienced inappropriate ICD therapy. In 16 of the 17 (94%) patients, the cause of inappropriate detection was double counting during sinus (8) or atrial rhythm (3), and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (5). Despite reprogramming of the ICD, 9 patients (53%) required an additional procedure because of inappropriate therapies, including an upgrade to a dedicated BiV ICD (5), revision of the LV lead (2), ablation of the atrioventricular junction (1), and repeat defibrillation threshold testing (2).
Conclusions: Inappropriate detection in patients with a first‐generation BiV ICD is common and often results in inappropriate ICD therapy. The most common mechanism of inappropriate detection is double counting that often creates the need for additional procedures. Although devices in which tachycardia detection occurs only through the RV lead now are available, close follow‐up of the many patients who received a first‐generation BiV ICD is necessary.
Manual and Automated Instrumentation for Identification ofEnterobacteriaceaeand Other Aerobic Gram-Negative Bacilli
Authors: O'Hara Caroline M. 
Published: January 2005

SUMMARYIdentification of gram-negative bacilli, both enteric and nonenteric, by conventional methods is not realistic for clinical microbiology laboratories performing routine cultures in today's world. The use of commercial kits, either manual or automated, to identify these organisms is a common practice. The advent of rapid or “spot” testing has eliminated the need for some commonly isolated organisms to be identified with the systems approach. Commercially available systems provide more in-depth identification to the species level as well as detect new and unusual strains. The answers obtained from these systems may not always be correct and must be interpreted with caution. The patient demographics, laboratory workload and work flow, and technologist's skill levels should dictate the system of choice. Cost considerations introduce another variable into the equation affecting choice. Each system has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each laboratory must decide on the level of sophistication that fulfills its particular needs.
AspergillusInfections in Transplant Recipients
Authors: Singh Nina , Paterson David L. 
Published: January 2005

SUMMARYAspergillusinfections are occurring with an increasing frequency in transplant recipients. Notable changes in the epidemiologic characteristics of this infection have occurred; these include a change in risk factors and later onset of infection. Management of invasive aspergillosis continues to be challenging, and the mortality rate, despite the use of newer antifungal agents, remains unacceptably high. Performing molecular studies to discern new targets for antifungal activity, identifying signaling pathways that may be amenable to immunologic interventions, assessing combination regimens of antifungal agents or combining antifungal agents with modulation of the host defense mechanisms, and devising diagnostic assays that can rapidly and reliably diagnose infections represent areas for future investigations that may lead to further improvement in outcomes.
DNA Methylation in Lysogens of Pathogenic
Burkholderia
spp. Requires Prophage Induction and Is Restricted to Excised Phage DNA
Authors: Smith M. J. , Jeddeloh J. A. 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACT

Burkholderia mallei
-specific phage ΦE125 encodes DNA methyltransferases in both the lysogenic and replication modules within its genome. Characterization of DNA methylation in recombinant systems, specifically in ΦE125 lysogenic strains of
B. mallei
and
Burkholderia thailandensis
, revealed that, upon induction, cytosine methylation was targeted specifically to the phage episome but not the phage provirus or the host chromosome.
Expression Profiling of Virulence and Pathogenicity Genes ofXanthomonas axonopodispv. citri
Authors: Astua-Monge Gustavo , Freitas-Astua Juliana , Bacocina Gisele , Roncoletta Juliana , Carvalho Sérgio A. , Machado Marcos A. 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACTDNA macroarrays of 279 genes ofXanthomonas axonopodispv. citri potentially associated with pathogenicity and virulence were used to compare the transcriptional alterations of this bacterium in response to two synthetic media. Data analysis indicated that 31 genes were up-regulated by synthetic medium XVM2, while only 7 genes were repressed. The results suggest that XVM2 could be used as an in vitro system to identify candidate genes involved in pathogenesis ofX.axonopodispv. citri.
Substrate Requirements for Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis ofBacillus subtilisPro-σK
Authors: Prince Heather , Zhou Ruanbao , Kroos Lee 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACTDuring sporulation ofBacillus subtilis, pro-σKis activated by regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) in response to a signal from the forespore. RIP of pro-σKremoves its prosequence (amino acids 1 to 20), releasing σKfrom the outer forespore membrane into the mother cell cytoplasm, in a reaction catalyzed by SpoIVFB, a metalloprotease in the S2P family of intramembrane-cleaving proteases. The requirements for pro-σKto serve as a substrate for RIP were investigated by producing C-terminally truncated pro-σKfused at different points to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) or hexahistidine in sporulatingB. subtilisor inEscherichia coliengineered to coexpress SpoIVFB. Nearly half of pro-σK(amino acids 1 to 117), including part of sigma factor region 2.4, was required for RIP of pro-σK-GFP chimeras in sporulatingB. subtilis. Likewise, pro-σK-hexahistidine chimeras demonstrated that the N-terminal 117 amino acids of pro-σKare sufficient for RIP, although the N-terminal 126 amino acids, which includes all of region 2.4, allowed much better accumulation of the chimeric protein in sporulatingB. subtilisand more efficient processing by SpoIVFB inE. coli. In contrast to the requirements for RIP, a much smaller N-terminal segment (amino acids 1 to 27) was sufficient for membrane localization of a pro-σK-GFP chimera. Addition or deletion of five amino acids near the N terminus allowed accurate processing of pro-σK, ruling out a mechanism in which SpoIVFB measures the distance from the N terminus to the cleavage site. A charge reversal at position 13 (substituting glutamate for lysine) reduced accumulation of pro-σKand prevented detectable RIP by SpoIVFB. These results elucidate substrate requirements for RIP of pro-σKby SpoIVFB and may have implications for substrate recognition by other S2P family members.
Using large-scale perturbations in gene network reconstruction
Authors: MacCarthy Thomas , Pomiankowski Andrew , Seymour Robert 
Published: January 2005

Abstract
Background
Recent analysis of the yeast gene network shows that most genes have few inputs, indicating that enumerative gene reconstruction methods are both useful and computationally feasible. A simple enumerative reconstruction method based on a discrete dynamical system model is used to study how microarray experiments involving modulated global perturbations can be designed to obtain reasonably accurate reconstructions. The method is tested on artificial gene networks with biologically realistic in/out degree characteristics.

Results
It was found that a relatively small number of perturbations significantly improve inference accuracy, particularly for low-order inputs of one or two genes. The perturbations themselves should alter the expression level of approximately 50–60% of the genes in the network.

Conclusions
Time-series obtained from perturbations are a common form of expression data. This study illustrates how gene networks can be significantly reconstructed from such time-series while requiring only a relatively small number of calibrated perturbations, even for large networks, thus reducing experimental costs.
Human resources: the Cinderella of health sector reform in Latin America
Authors: Homedes Núria , Ugalde Antonio 
Published: January 2005

AbstractHuman resources are the most important assets of any health system, and health workforce problems have for decades limited the efficiency and quality of Latin America health systems. World Bank-led reforms aimed at increasing equity, efficiency, quality of care and user satisfaction did not attempt to resolve the human resources problems that had been identified in multiple health sector assessments. However, the two most important reform policies – decentralization and privatization – have had a negative impact on the conditions of employment and prompted opposition from organized professionals and unions. In several countries of the region, the workforce became the most important obstacle to successful reform.This article is based on fieldwork and a review of the literature. It discusses the reasons that led health workers to oppose reform; the institutional and legal constraints to implementing reform as originally designed; the mismatch between the types of personnel needed for reform and the availability of professionals; the deficiencies of the reform implementation process; and the regulatory weaknesses of the region.The discussion presents workforce strategies that the reforms could have included to achieve the intended goals, and the need to take into account the values and political realities of the countries. The authors suggest that autochthonous solutions are more likely to succeed than solutions imported from the outside.
Free does not mean affordable: maternity patient expenditures in a public hospital in Bangladesh
Authors: Khan Suhaila H 
Published: January 2005

Abstract
Objective
This study investigated a) the amount and types of out-of-pocket expenditures by patients for nominally free services in a large public hospital in Bangladesh, b) the factors influencing these expenses, and c) the impact of these expenses on household income.

Methods
Eighty-one maternity patients were interviewed during their hospitalization in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Patients were selected by quota sample to match the distribution of maternity patient categories in the hospital. Patients were interviewed with a semi-structured, in-depth questionnaire.

Results
All interviewees incurred substantial out-of-pocket expenditures for travel, hospital admission fees, medicine, tests, food, and tips. Only two of the expenditures, travel expenses and admission fees, were not supposed to be provided free of charge by the hospital. The median total per-patient expenditure was $65 (range $2–$350), equivalent to 7% (range 0.04%–225%) of annual household income. Half of all patients reported that their families had to borrow to pay for care at interest rates of 5%–30% per month. A third of these families reported selling jewelry, land or household items to moneylenders. The rural patients reported more difficulty in paying for care than the urban patients. Factors increasing the expenditures were duration of hospitalization, rural residence, and necessary (e.g. C-section, hysterectomy) and unnecessary (e.g. episiotomy) medical procedures.

Conclusion
Free maternity services in Bangladesh impose large out-of-pocket expenditures on patients. Authorities could reduce the burden by reducing the duration of hospital stays, limiting use of medical procedures, eliminating tips, and moving routine services closer to potential users. Fee for service could reduce unofficial expenditures if the fee were lower than and replaced typical unofficial expenditures, otherwise adding service fees without reform of current hospital practices would lead to even more burdensome expenditures and inequities.
T cell responses against tumor associated antigens and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Nagorsen Dirk , Scheibenbogen Carmen , Letsch Anne , Germer Christoph-Thomas , Buhr Heinz-Johannes , Hegewisch-Becker Susanna , Rivoltini Licia , Thiel Eckhard , Keilholz Ulrich 
Published: January 2005

Abstract
Introduction
Spontaneous T cell responses against specific tumor-associated antigens (TAA) are frequently detected in peripheral blood of tumor patients of various histiotypes. However, little is known about whether these circulating, spontaneously occurring, TAA-reactive T cells influence the clinical course of disease.

Methods
Fifty-four HLA-A2 positive colorectal cancer patients had been analyzed for the presence of T cell responses against epitopes derived from the TAA Ep-CAM, her-2/neu, and CEA either by ELISPOT assay or by intracellular cytokine staining. Then, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed comparing T-cell-responders and T-cell-non-responders. For comparison, a group of T-cell-non-responders was compiled stringently matched to T-cell-responders based on clinical criteria and also analyzed for survival.

Results
Sixteen out of 54 patients had a detectable T cell response against at least one of the three tested TAA. Two out of 21 patients (9.5%) with limited stage of disease (UICC I and II) and 14 out of 33 patients (42.4%) with advanced disease (UICC III and IV) were T cell response positive. Comparing all T-cell-responders (n = 16) and all T-cell-non-responders (n = 38), no survival difference was found. In an attempt to reduce the influence of confounding clinical factors, we then compared 16 responders and 16 non-responders in a matched group survival analysis; and again no survival difference was found (p = 0.7).

Conclusion
In summary, we found no evidence that spontaneous peripheral T cell responses against HLA-A2-binding epitopes of CEA, her-2/neu and Ep-CAM are a strong prognostic factor for survival.