bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Survival of Enterococcus faecalis in root canals ex vivo
Authors: Sedgley C. M. , Lennan S. L. , Appelbe O. K. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractAim  The hypotheses tested in this study were that: (i) Enterococcus faecalis can survive long‐term entombment in root filled teeth without additional nutrients, (ii) initial cell density influences the survival of E. faecalis in instrumented root canals and (iii) gelatinase‐production capacity influences the survival of E. faecalis in root canals.Methodology  The root canals of 150 extracted single canal teeth were instrumented to apical size 60 and divided into six groups of 25. Within each group 10 canals were inoculated with either gelatinase‐producing E. faecalis OG1‐S and the other 10 with its gelatinase‐defective mutant E. faecalis OG1‐X. Five canals per group were kept as uninoculated controls. The root canals in groups 1 and 2 were inoculated with 106 bacteria, incubated for 48 h at 37 °C then filled with gutta‐percha and zinc‐oxide eugenol sealer. Root canals were inoculated with 106, 105, 104 and 103 bacteria in groups 3–6, respectively, and left unfilled. All teeth were sealed coronally with glass–ionomer cement. After 6‐ (groups 1, 3–6) and 12‐month (group 2) incubation at 37 °C in 100% humidity, root fragments were analysed for presence of E. faecalis, using culture, polymerase chain reaction and histological methods.Results  Viable E. faecalis was recovered from all root filled teeth and from 95–100% of unfilled inoculated teeth. Initial cell density and gelatinase production did not influence the recovery of viable E. faecalis (P > 0.05; chi‐square test). Enterococcus faecalis 16S rRNA gene products were present in all inoculated teeth and absent in all noninoculated controls. Dentinal tubule infection was evident under light microscopy in sections from inoculated teeth after 48‐h, 6‐ and 12‐month incubation.Conclusions  Enterococcus faecalis inoculated into root canals maintained viability for 12‐months ex vivo. The clinical implications are that viable E. faecalis entombed at the time of root filling could provide a long‐term nidus for subsequent infection.
Weight management: a survey of current practice in secondary care NHS settings in 2004
Authors: Leslie W. S. , Hankey C. R. , McCombie L. , Lean M. E. J. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractObjective  To determine the current practices in relation to weight management currently provided for overweight/obese patients attending different  secondary care outpatient clinics. Methods  Postal questionnaire sent to 100 consultant clinicians working in a range of specialist areas in three NHS Trust areas in Scotland, between January and March 2004.Results  Overall response rate was 55%. Only 9% (five) of clinicians reported having a protocol in place for the management of patients who were overweight or obese. Lack of expertise and inaccessibility to expertise were cited frequently as reasons for having no protocol in place. Fifty‐one per cent felt that weight management (including obesity treatment) should be undertaken by a specialist service either run by general practitioners (GPs), or by clinicians in a secondary care setting. Around a third of all  those  surveyed  reported  willingness  to  incorporate  obesity management  within  their  own routine specialty practice.Conclusion  Clinicians acknowledged the adverse health effects of obesity within their specialist area, but felt unskilled and under‐resourced to provide effective management. Effective prevention and management are required to challenge the obesity epidemic and will require the involvement of both primary and secondary care NHS settings. It is encouraging that a third of respondents felt prepared to incorporate obesity and weight management within their routine specialist practice.
Insights into creation and use of prescribing documentation in the hospital medical record
Authors: Tully Mary P. , Cantrill Judith A. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  Extraction of prescribing data from medical records is a common, albeit flawed, research method. Yet little is known about the processes that result in those data. This study explores the creation and use of prescribing documentation in the medical record, from the perspective of the hospital doctors who both create and use it.Methods  Thirty‐six hospital doctors were purposively selected for qualitative interviews, giving a maximum variability sample of grades of doctors across the range of major medical specialty areas and medical teams at a large teaching hospital in England.Results  The findings suggest a number of reasons why hospital doctors fail to record prescribing decisions in the medical record. There was no set standard, record keeping was not formally taught and the hurried environment of the ward gave little time for documentation. The doctors also acknowledged that there was no need for completeness, as colleagues would be able to ‘fill in the gaps’ via an inferential process.  Assumptions  were  made  and  although  this  was  not  seen  as  ideal, it was recognized as necessary if work was to be done efficiently.Conclusion  These results reinforce the suggestion that, despite the large number of potential users, the medical record is created for those with the right privileged knowledge. This has profound implications for those without that insider knowledge who are using medical records for research purposes.Funding  This work was funded by a North West Regional National Health Service Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Evaluating national guidelines for prevention of cardiovascular disease in primary care
Authors: Marshall Tom 
Published: September 2005

AbstractIntroduction  National guidelines for prevention of cardiovascular disease make different recommendations in relation to screening and treating patients with aspirin, antihypertensive treatment and statins. The resource cost and health implications of these differences are quantified in this paper.Data sources  Guidelines were obtained from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and USA. Effectiveness data were obtained from published sources, costs and a model population of 2000 patients from US sources.Method  The resource costs and health effects of screening and treating a standard population of 2000 persons were determined for each of the five national guidelines. Costs and effects were calculated over a 5‐year time horizon and cost‐effectiveness determined cost per cardiovascular event prevented.Results  Cost per cardiovascular event prevented is lowest in older patients and very high under 35. The New Zealand guidelines are more cost‐effective of the national guidelines, however, they would be more effective if they incorporated US recommendations on the use of aspirin. Further antihypertensive treatment is the least cost‐effective of the interventions considered.Discussion  Cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines should focus on older rather than younger patients. Treatment eligibility should be informed more by risk than by individual risk factor status. Guidelines should put greater emphasis on the use of aspirin and initial antihypertensive treatment than on achieving blood pressure targets.Conclusion  In order to justify their recommendations guidelines should quantify the resource implications in relation to the health benefits.
Capturing the full measure of patient outcome improvement using a self‐assessed health adjustment
Authors: Long Michael J. , McQueen David A. , Lescoe‐Long Mary , Schurman John R. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractRationale  Self‐assessed health (SAH) status is a very simple four‐, or five‐category self‐reported measure of health status that has been shown to be a powerful predictor of mortality, service use and total cost of medical care treatment. It is therefore reasonable to suggest that pre‐intervention SAH may influence the extent to which patient outcomes improve following surgery.Methods  Using the four‐category measure of SAH of Excellent; Good; Fair; Poor, we developed an adjustment factor based on the mean improvement  of  the  SAH  category  relative  to  the  mean  improvement  of the overall sample.Results  The results clearly  indicate  that  the  higher  patients  rated  their  pre‐operative  health, the greater their pre–post‐operative improvement. Adjusting the outcome improvement by this SAH factor  provides  for  the  adjustment  of  the  overall  sample  results  by  extent to which each category of SAH contributes  to  the  overall  mean.  Conclusion  The results indicate that by adjusting patient outcome improvement measures by a factor based on pre‐intervention SAH, overall sample patient outcome improvement increased 5.8%. The results also indicate that failure to adjust for pre‐intervention SAH will result in an understatement of patient outcome improvement following surgery.
Henneguya pagri n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) causing cardiac henneguyosis in red sea bream, Pagrus major (Temminck & Schlegel)
Authors: Yokoyama H , Itoh N , Tanaka S 
Published: September 2005

Abstract Henneguya pagri n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) is described from netpen‐cultured red sea bream, Pagrus major, in Japan. Affected fish displayed anaemic gills, an enlarged bulbus arteriosus and internal haemorrhaging in the pericardial cavity. Disease outbreaks occurred during the summer and the prevalence of infection reached 75% in August. Plasmodia of H. pagri developed in the bulbus arteriosus of red sea bream, in which degenerative cardiomyopathy was observed. Following maturation of the parasite, the influx of spores into the gills caused congestion of the gill capillaries, resulting in proliferative branchitis. Spores (10.5 × 7.5 μm) were ovoid with two caudal appendages (29.6 μm in average length), with a whip‐like extension from the end. Partial small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences of H. pagri are closely related to those of H. lateolabracis infecting the bulbus arteriosus of Chinese sea bass, Lateolabrax sp.
Organelle interactions and possible degradation pathways visualized in high‐pressure frozen algal cells
Authors: AICHINGER N. , LÜTZ‐MEINDL U. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryOrganelle interactions, although essential for both anabolic and catabolic pathways in plant cells have not been examined in detail so far. In the present study the structure of different organelle–organelle, organelle–vesicle and organelle–membrane interactions were investigated in growing and nongrowing cells of the green alga Micrasterias denticulata by use of high pressure freeze fixation and energy filtering transmission electron microscopy. It became clear that contacts between mitochondria always occur by formation of a cone‐shaped protuberance of one of the mitochondria which penetrates into its fusion partner. In the same way, structural interactions between mitochondria and mucilage vesicles and between microbodies and mucilage vesicles are achieved. Lytic compartments contact mitochondria or mucilage vesicles again by forming protuberances and by extending their contents into the respective compartment. Detached portions of mitochondria are found inside lytic compartments as a consequence of such interactions. Mitochondria found in contact with the plasma membrane reveal structural disintegration. Our study shows that interactions of organelles and vesicles are frequent events in Micrasterias cells of different ages. The interactive contacts between lytic compartments and organelles or vesicles suggest a degradation pathway different from autophagy processes described in the literature. Both the interactions between vesicles and organelles and the degradation pathways occur independently from cytoskeleton function as demonstrated by use of cytochalasin D and the microtubule inhibitor amiprophos‐methyl.
Atomic force microscopy investigation of the dependence of cellular elastic moduli on glutaraldehyde fixation
Authors: HUTTER J. L. , CHEN J. , WAN W. K. , UNIYAL S. , LEABU M. , CHAN B. M. C. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryThe atomic force microscope (AFM) has provided nanoscale analyses of surfaces of cells that exhibit strong adhesive and cell spreading properties. However, it is frequently reported that prior fixation is required for reliable imaging of cells with lower adhesive properties. In the present study, the AFM is used to assess the effects of fixation by glutaraldehyde on the elastic modulus of a human rhabdomyosarcoma transfectant cell line RDX2C2. Our results show a sharp increase in the elastic modulus for even mild fixation (0.5% glutaraldehyde for 60 s), accompanied by a dramatic improvement in imaging reproducibility. An even larger increase is seen in NIH‐3T3 mouse fibroblasts, although in that case fixation is not typically necessary for successful imaging. In addition, our results suggest that treatment with glutaraldehyde restricts the content of the resulting images to features nearer to the cell surface.
Late Pleistocene divergence between eastern and western populations of wood ducks (Aix sponsa) inferred by the ‘isolation with migration’ coalescent method
Authors: PETERS JEFFREY L. , GRETES WILLIAM , OMLAND KEVIN E. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractDuring the Late Pleistocene, glaciers sundered many species into multiple glacial refugia where populations diverged in allopatry. Although deeply divergent mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages often reflect the number of refugia occupied, it is unlikely that populations that split during the recent Wisconsin glaciations will have reached reciprocal monophyly. We examined mtDNA control region sequences from eastern and western populations of wood ducks (Aix sponsa) to determine whether their current, disjunct distribution is consistent with the occupancy of two glacial refugia. We used the ‘isolation with migration’ coalescent method (im) to simultaneously estimate effective population sizes, maternal gene flow, and time since divergence. We found 24 unique haplotypes, none of which were shared between the eastern and western populations, but we did not find diagnostic monophyletic lineages suggestive of long‐term isolation in multiple glacial refugia. However, a high ΦST (0.31) indicates that eastern and western populations are well differentiated in mtDNA, and results from im suggest that these populations have been diverging, without extensive gene flow, for 10 000 to 124 000 years. Results from im further suggest that these populations most likely split about 34 000 years ago, and this time of divergence is consistent with the occupancy of multiple glacial refugia during the Late Wisconsin glaciation. Eastern wood ducks are characterized by high genetic diversity, a large effective population size, and a recent population expansion, while western wood ducks have much less genetic diversity, a smaller population size, and have not undergone a recent population expansion.
The panmixia paradigm of eastern Pacific olive ridley turtles revised: consequences for their conservation and evolutionary biology
Authors: LÓPEZ‐CASTRO M. C. , ROCHA‐OLIVARES A. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractPrevious studies of the olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea population structure in the tropical eastern Pacific have indicated the existence of a single panmictic population ranging from Costa Rica to Mexico. This information has been used to design specific management measures to conserve primary nesting beaches in Mexico. However, little is known about olive ridleys in the Baja California Peninsula, their northernmost reproductive limit, where recent observations have shown differences in nesting female behaviour and size of hatchlings relative to other continental rookeries. We used mtDNA control region sequences from 137 turtles from five continental and four peninsular nesting sites to determine whether such differences correspond to a genetic distinction of Baja California olive ridleys or to phenotypic plasticity associated with the extreme environmental nesting conditions of this region. We found that genetic diversity in peninsular turtles was significantly lower than in continental nesting colonies. Analysis of molecular variance revealed a significant population structure (ΦST = 0.048, P = 0.006) with the inclusion of peninsular samples. Our results: (i) suggest that the observed phenotypic variation may be associated with genetic differentiation and reproductive isolation; (ii) support the recent colonization of the eastern Pacific by Lepidochelys; (iii) reveal genetic signatures of historical expansion and colonization events; and (iv) significantly challenge the notion of a single genetic and conservation unit of olive ridleys in the eastern Pacific. We conclude that conservation measures for olive ridleys in Mexico should be revised to grant peninsular beaches special attention.
Population histories of right whales (Cetacea:Eubalaena) inferred from mitochondrial sequence diversities and divergences of their whale lice (Amphipoda:Cyamus)
Authors: KALISZEWSKA ZOFIA A. , SEGER JON , ROWNTREE VICTORIA J. , BARCO SUSAN G. , BENEGAS RAFAEL , BEST PETER B. , BROWN MOIRA W. , BROWNELL ROBERT L. , CARRIBERO ALEJANDRO , HARCOURT ROBERT , KNOWLTON AMY R. , MARSHALL‐TILAS KIM , PATENAUDE NATHALIE J. , RIVAROLA MARIANA , SCHAEFF CATHERINE M. , SIRONI MARIANO , SMITH WENDY A. , YAMADA TADASU K. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractRight whales carry large populations of three ‘whale lice’ (Cyamus ovalis,Cyamus gracilis,Cyamus erraticus) that have no other hosts. We used sequence variation in the mitochondrialCOIgene to ask (i) whether cyamid population structures might reveal associations among right whale individuals and subpopulations, (ii) whether the divergences of the three nominally conspecific cyamid species on North Atlantic, North Pacific, and southern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis, Eubalaena japonica, Eubalaena australis) might indicate their times of separation, and (iii) whether the shapes of cyamid gene trees might contain information about changes in the population sizes of right whales. We found high levels of nucleotide diversity but almost no population structure within oceans, indicating large effective population sizes and high rates of transfer between whales and subpopulations. North Atlantic and Southern Ocean populations of all three species are reciprocally monophyletic, and North PacificC. erraticusis well separated from North Atlantic and southernC. erraticus. Mitochondrial clock calibrations suggest that these divergences occurred around 6 million years ago (Ma), and that theEubalaenamitochondrial clock is very slow. North PacificC. ovalisforms a clade inside the southernC. ovalisgene tree, implying that at least one right whale has crossed the equator in the Pacific Ocean within the last 1–2 million years (Myr). Low‐frequency polymorphisms are more common than expected under neutrality for populations of constant size, but there is no obvious signal of rapid, interspecifically congruent expansion of the kind that would be expected if North Atlantic or southern right whales had experienced a prolonged population bottleneck within the last 0.5 Myr.
Phylogeographic patterns of HawaiianMegalagriondamselflies (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) correlate with Pleistocene island boundaries
Authors: JORDAN STEVE , SIMON CHRIS , FOOTE DAVID , ENGLUND RONALD A. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThe Pleistocene geological history of the Hawaiian Islands is becoming well understood. Numerous predictions about the influence of this history on the genetic diversity of Hawaiian organisms have been made, including the idea that changing sea levels would lead to the genetic differentiation of populations isolated on individual volcanoes during high sea stands. Here, we analyse DNA sequence data from two closely related, endemic Hawaiian damselfly species in order to test these predictions, and generate novel insights into the effects of Pleistocene glaciation and climate change on island organisms.Megalagrion xanthomelasandMegalagrion pacificumare currently restricted to five islands, including three islands of the Maui Nui super‐island complex (Molokai, Lanai, and Maui) that were connected during periods of Pleistocene glaciation, and Hawaii island, which has never been subdivided. Maui Nui and Hawaii are effectively a controlled, natural experiment on the genetic effects of Pleistocene sea level change. We confirm well‐defined morphological species boundaries using data from the nuclear EF‐1α gene and show that the species are reciprocally monophyletic. We perform phylogeographic analyses of 663 base pairs (bp) of cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) gene sequence data from 157 individuals representing 25 populations. Our results point to the importance of Pleistocene land bridges and historical island habitat availability in maintaining inter‐island gene flow. We also propose that repeated bottlenecks on Maui Nui caused by sea level change and restricted habitat availability are likely responsible for low genetic diversity there. An island analogue to northern genetic purity and southern diversity is proposed, whereby islands with little suitable habitat exhibit genetic purity while islands with more exhibit genetic diversity.
Dispersal, vicariance, and timing of diversification in Nothonotus darters
Authors: NEAR THOMAS J. , KECK BENJAMIN P. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThe species diversity of North American freshwater fishes is unparalleled among temperate regions of the planet. This diversity is concentrated in the Central Highlands of eastern North America and this distribution pattern has inspired different models involving either dispersal or vicariance to explain the high species diversity of North American fishes. The most popular of these models is the Central Highlands vicariance hypothesis (CHVH), which proposes an ancient and diverse widespread fauna that existed across a previously continuous highland landscape that is much different from today. The mechanisms of isolation in the CHVH involve specific instances of vicariance that affected several diverse lineages of Central Highlands fishes. We tested predictions of the CHVH and alternative models using a cytochrome b‐inferred phylogeny of the darter clade Nothonotus. A Bayesian mixed‐model method was used for phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic data set included all 20 recognized Nothonotus species, and most species were represented with multiple sequences. We were able to convert genetic branch lengths to absolute age using external fossil calibrations in the freshwater perciform fish clade Centrarchidae. Using a well‐resolved Nothonotus phylogeny and divergence time estimates, we identify equal numbers of instances of both vicariance and dispersal among disjunct regions of the Central Highlands, biogeographic pseudocongruence, rather recent speciation in Nothonotus, and a surprisingly large amount of speciation within highland areas. With regard to Nothonotus, previous Central Highlands biogeographic models offer little in the way of providing possible mechanisms responsible for diversification in the clade. Patterns of speciation in Nothonotus are similar to those discovered in recent efforts that have included speciation as a parameter into classic models of island biogeography.