bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Cardiac Autonomic Denervation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: ZHANG YUJIAO , WANG ZHONGSU , ZHANG YONG , WANG WEIJIE , WANG JIANGRONG , GAO MEI , HOU YINGLONG
Published: March 2012

Cardiac Autonomic Denervation and AF.

Introduction
: Adjunctive complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) ablation or ganglionated plexi (GP) ablation have been proposed as new strategies to increase the elimination of AF, but the difference between CFAE/GP ablation and pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), as well as the combined effect of CFAE/GP plus PVI ablation were unclear. This meta‐analysis was designed to determine whether adjunctive cardiac autonomic denervation (CAD) was effective for the elimination of AF, and whether CAD alone was superior to PVI in AF patients.

Methods:
A systemic literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CCRT) was performed and controlled trials comparing the effect of PVI plus CFAE/GP ablation with PVI, as well as CFAE/GP ablation with PVI were collected.

Results
: A total of 15 trials including 1,147 patients with AF were qualified for this meta‐analysis. CAD plus PVI significantly increased the freedom from AF/ATs (OR 1.85, 95% CI: 1.33–2.59, P = 0.29). Subgroup analysis showed that additional CAD increased the ratio of sinus rhythm maintenance in both paroxysmal AF (OR 1.69; 95% CI: 1.09–2.62, P = 0.41) and nonparoxysmal AF (OR 2.11, 95% CI: 1.14–3.90, P = 0.14). Besides, when compared respectively, adjunctive CAD was not superior to PVI (OR 0.31; 95% CI: 0.11–0.86, P = 0.002).

Conclusion
: This study suggested that CAD plus PVI significantly increase the freedom from recurrence of AF both in paroxysmal and nonparoxysmal patients. However, when compared alone, the benefit of CAD was not superior to PVI. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 592–600, June 2012)
Effects of Nonsystemic Ventricular Pacing in Patients with Transposition of the Great Arteries and Atrial Redirection
Authors: HOROVITZ ALICE , DE GUILLEBON MAXIME , VAN GELDORP IRENE E. , BORDACHAR PIERRE , ROUBERTIE FRANCOIS , IRIART XAVIER , DOUARD HERVÉ , HAISSAGUERRE MICHEL , THAMBO JEAN‐BENOIT
Published: March 2012

Ventricular Pacing in Transposition of the Great Arteries. Introduction: Ventricular pacing may add additional risk for right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in patients with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and atrial redirection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of long‐term nonsystemic ventricular pacing on cardiac function, dyssynchrony, and clinical performance in patients with systemic RV.

Methods and Results:
Forty‐six adults with TGA and atrial redirection, of whom 11 were permanently paced at the nonsystemic ventricle, underwent assessment of clinical status and exercise stress testing, as well as echocardiography to assess parameters of RV function and dyssynchrony. In paced patients, median NYHA functional class was II, which was significantly higher than in nonpaced patients (median class I; P = 0.002). Maximum performance and peak oxygen consumption on exercise testing were significantly lower in paced patients when compared with nonpaced patients (100 ± 30 vs 120 ± 32 W and 22 ± 6 vs 27 ± 7 mLO2/kg/min, respectively; P < 0.05 for both). On echocardiography, RV shortening fraction (27 ± 11 vs 33 ± 10%), RV ejection fraction (39 ± 7 vs 44 ± 10%) and RV dP/dtmax (891 ± 470 vs 1,024 ± 318 mmHg/s) were significantly lower (P < 0.05 for all) in paced versus nonpaced patients. Inter‐ and intraventricular dyssynchrony was most pronounced in the paced group (99 ± 10 vs 25 ± 9 ms and 70 ± 29 vs 21 ± 15 ms, respectively; P < 0.001 for both).

Conclusions:
Long‐term pacing of the nonsystemic ventricle in patients with atrial switch for TGA was associated with significantly impaired functional status, exercise capacity, and systemic ventricular function. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 766‐770, July 2012)
Successful Surgical Repair of Iatrogenic Pulmonary Vein Stenosis
Authors: PATEL NEIL S. , PETTERSSON GOSTA , MURAT TUZCU E. , KAPADIA SAMIR R.
Published: March 2012

Surgical Correction of Pulmonary Vein Stenosis.

Pulmonary vein stenosis can complicate ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation and often presents with severe respiratory symptoms. Described in this case report is a 21‐year‐old male who underwent a bilateral surgical augmentation of the pulmonary veins for severe occlusive pulmonary vein stenosis. The occluded left lower and right upper lobe veins were surgically modified to regain flow to the left atrium. Follow‐up computed tomogram imaging showed patency of the veins intervened upon and an exercise test demonstrated an oxygen saturation of 98% at peak stress.This case report marks the first‐ever surgical intervention for acquired pulmonary vein stenosis. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 656–658, June 2012)
ENCOUNTERS WITH POLYNESIA IN BRITAIN: Art, Ancestors, Artists, and Curators
Authors: Hooper Steven , Jacobs Karen , Jessop Maia , Nuku George
Published: March 2012

The exhibition, Pacific Encounters: Art and Divinity in Polynesia 1760–1860, shown in 2006 at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich, United Kingdom, involved many Polynesians in opening and closing rituals and a program of artists‐in‐residence. The ancient artworks displayed, called taonga (“treasures”) in New Zealand Maori, were explicitly treated as embodiments of ancestors who were activated and enlivened by the ritual procedures and chanting in their vicinity. The relationship between ancestors, artworks, and descendants, particularly artists and ritual practitioners, is examined in the context of ethical and political debates about the role and location of such artworks, as many of them are held in museums and collections outside Polynesia. A new environment is explored using a conceptual model of kinship between the cultural descendants of makers and the cultural descendants of collectors, in which exhibitions can be vehicles for new productive collaborative relationships based on mutual respect.
CREATING MAMI WATA: An Interactive, Sensory Exhibition
Authors: Drewal Henry John
Published: March 2012

In Africa and its diasporas, call and response is an enduring and widespread interactive performance tradition. To encourage such interactive, dialogic activity between audiences and objects in a museum, as guest curator of Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas I devised a number of exhibition strategies to create an exhibition as interactive and multisensorial as possible, using a theoretical and methodological approach I term sensiotics. This essay details various interactive dimensions and the importance of sensory experience, including notions of “re‐creation,” “re‐membering,” and “re‐presentation,” and the challenges and objectives of this effort to engage and enlighten audiences.
Moral Maps and Medical Imaginaries: Clinical Tourism at Malawi's College of Medicine
Authors: Wendland Claire L.
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACT At an understaffed and underresourced urban African training hospital, Malawian medical students learn to be doctors while foreign medical students, visiting Malawi as clinical tourists on short‐term electives, learn about “global health.” Scientific ideas circulate fast there; clinical tourists circulate readily from outside to Malawi but not the reverse; medical technologies circulate slowly, erratically, and sometimes not at all. Medicine's uneven globalization is on full display. I extend scholarship on moral imaginations and medical imaginaries to propose that students map these wards variously as places in which—or from which—they seek a better medicine. Clinical tourists, enacting their own moral maps, also become representatives of medicine “out there”: points on the maps of others. Ethnographic data show that for Malawians, clinical tourists are colleagues, foils against whom they construct ideas about a superior and distinctly Malawian medicine and visions of possible alternative futures for themselves. [biomedicine, tourism, Africa, imaginaries]
A Biocultural Approach to Breastfeeding Interactions in Central Africa
Authors: Fouts Hillary N. , Hewlett Barry S. , Lamb Michael E.
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACT  Anthropologists have long recognized that breastfeeding involves much more than feeding; it entails intimate social interactions between infants or children and their mothers. However, breastfeeding has predominantly been studied with respect to structural features (frequency, timing) as well as nutritional and health aspects of infant feeding. Thus, in this study we complement previous anthropological studies by examining social interactions that occur during breastfeeding among the Aka and Bofi foragers and Ngandu and Bofi farmers at various ages (three to four months, nine to ten months, toddlers). Further, we use an integrated biocultural perspective to explore how patterns of breastfeeding and social interactions can be shaped by economic constraints, cultural values, and children's development. Overall, our findings illustrate how biological and cultural factors interact and provide useful explanations of variations in breastfeeding structure and social interactions more so than either perspective alone. [breastfeeding, Central African foragers and farmers, biocultural, infants and toddlers, social interactions]
Choice behaviour and performance ofCassida stigmaticaon various chemotypes ofTanacetum vulgareand implications for biocontrol
Authors: Wolf Vera C. , Gassmann André , Müller Caroline
Published: March 2012

Biological control is often an effective technique deployed to tackle invasive plant species by the release of highly specialized enemies. However, variation in plant chemistry due to high plasticity and/or evolved during the introduction process needs to be considered when testing the efficacy of potential biocontrol agents. The tortoise beetle,Cassida stigmaticaSuffrian (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a potential biological control agent selected to control the chemically highly variable and invasive plant speciesTanacetum vulgareL. (Asteraceae). This study was conducted to test whether or not plants of different chemical profiles (terpene chemotypes) are equally accepted byC. stigmatica. Therefore, female oviposition and feeding choice behaviour were examined using one pure chemotype (β‐thujone type) and three mixed chemotypes (camphor/1,8‐cineole, β‐thujone/camphor, and camphor/camphene types) in various paired‐choice combinations. Furthermore, larval survival and adult body mass were compared when beetles were reared on the four chemotypes. Overall,C. stigmaticafemales showed a clear preference for the pure β‐thujone chemotype over the mixed chemotypes containing camphor, and no preferences when only mixed chemotypes were offered in choice tests. However, they were able to use all offered chemotypes for oviposition and feeding. No differences in larval survival and adult body mass could be detected when reared on the various chemotypes. The study demonstrates that knowledge of the acceptance of chemically variable host species is essential when testing for applicability of biocontrol agents.
Placental mesenchymal dysplasia and an estimation of the population incidence
Authors: ZENG XING , CHEN MOY FONG , BUREAU YVES‐ANDRÉ , BROWN RICHARD
Published: March 2012

Placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD) is a rare placental malformation of as yet undetermined etiology. We report a single center's experience of this diagnosis and present an estimation of the population incidence. Within our institution, all placentae are examined within a pathology department that provides a dedicated perinatal service. In this study, we evaluated the incidence of PMD over a period of 18 years following the description and recognition of PMD as a pathological diagnosis. During the period 1991–2009, only two cases were identified amongst over 95 000 deliveries at our institution. This series of placental examinations is by far the largest in a normal population within which the occurrence of PMD is reported, and the resulting incidence of only 0.02 per 1000 deliveries is some 10 times less than that which has previously been estimated.
Long‐term outcome after obstetric injury: a retrospective study
Authors: SUNDQUIST JAN‐CHRISTER
Published: March 2012

Objective. To examine problems experienced by women after vaginal delivery with and without a sphincter tear and compare those with less and more severe injuries. Design. Retrospective questionnaire study. Setting. Regional hospital in Sweden. Sample. A total of 324 women with and 309 without sphincter tears. Methods. Questionnaires were sent out four to eight years after delivery enquiring about the existence and time course of gas incontinence, fecal incontinence, dyspareunia and perineal pain. A question about vacuum delivery was also included. Main outcome measures. Prevalence of persisting symptoms. Results. The reply rate was 77%. About 10% of the women with a sphincter tear had fecal incontinence initially, compared with 3% among those without a sphincter tear. In women with moderate or severe tears, 20 and 31%, respectively, had gas incontinence, compared with 6% of women without a tear. Dyspareunia and perineal pain were present 18–23% of women in the tear groups compared with 9–12% of those without a tear. Almost 45% of women with initial symptoms had remaining problems after four to eight years. There was a significantly higher risk for symptoms after vacuum extraction (p < 0.001). Conclusions. Gas incontinence, fecal incontinence, dyspareunia and perineal pain were common problems after delivery. The prevalence of persisting symptoms was high even among women without a tear. The higher prevalence after vacuum extraction delivery indicates that there are more complications associated with this mode of delivery than previously thought.
Obstetrical situations with a high risk of anal sphincter laceration in vacuum‐assisted deliveries
Authors: ROGNANT SIGOLENE , BENOIST GUILLAUME , CREVEUIL CHRISTIAN , DREYFUS MICHEL
Published: March 2012

Objective. To determine risk factors for anal sphincter laceration and define situations with a high risk for such trauma in vacuum‐assisted deliveries. Design. Retrospective observational study of 1961 vacuum‐assisted deliveries over a period of 5 years. Setting. French university hospital. Population. All women who delivered with vacuum assistance. Methods. Third‐ and fourth‐degree perineal tears were reviewed. The factors studied through univariate and multivariate logistic regression were the mother's age, parity, history of assisted delivery, cesarean section, gestational age, uterine fundal height, duration of the second stage of labor, head position at expulsion, epidural anesthesia, episiotomy, biparietal diameter and birthweight. Main outcome measures. Third‐ and fourth‐degree perineal tears. Results. There were 1.9% third‐degree and no fourth‐degree perineal tears. Risk factors identified were occipito‐posterior position (odds ratio 4.7, p < 0.001), biparietal diameter (odds ratio 2.0 for each 5 mm increase, p= 0.004), duration of second stage (only significant when parity was ≥1; odds ratio 1.3 for each 10 min increase, p= 0.004) and nulliparity (decreasing effect according to duration of the second stage). The patterns of the association between these factors and the risk of perineal tears were different for nulli‐ and multiparous women. Conclusions. In a targeted population of women having vacuum‐assisted deliveries, the association of specific risk factors allows clinicians to identify women who are at high risk of anal sphincter laceration.
Alkaline phosphatase immobilization onto Bio‐Gide® and Bio‐Oss® for periodontal and bone regeneration
Authors: Oortgiesen Daniël A. W. , Plachokova Adelina S. , Geenen Claudia , Meijer Gert J. , Walboomers X. Frank , van den Beucken Jeroen J. J. P. , Jansen John A.
Published: March 2012

Aim

To evaluate the effect of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) immobilization onto Bio‐Gide® in vitro, and to study the in vivo performance of ALP‐enriched Bio‐Gide® and/or Bio‐Oss® with the purpose to enhance periodontal regeneration.

Materials and Methods

Alkaline phosphatase ALP was immobilized onto Bio‐Gide® and Bio‐Oss®. Forty‐eight rats received periodontal defects, which were treated according to one of the following strategies: Bio‐Gide®, Bio‐Gide®‐ALP, Bio‐Gide®‐ALP/Bio‐Oss®, Bio‐Gide®/Bio‐Oss®‐ALP, Bio‐Gide®‐ALP/Bio‐Oss®‐ALP, or empty. Micro‐CT and histological analysis were performed.

Results

A 30 min ALP‐deposition time was determined as optimal from mineralization capacity assessment and consequently used as Bio‐Gide®‐ALP membranes in the animal experiment. In vivo results showed that after 2 weeks, the defect and implanted materials were still visible, an inflammatory response was present, and membrane degradation was ongoing. Bone formation, although limited, was observed in the majority of Bio‐Gide®‐ALP specimens and all of the Bio‐Gide®/Bio‐Oss®‐ALP specimens, and was significantly higher compared with Bio‐Gide® and empty controls. After 6 weeks, the defects and particles were still visible, whereas membranes were completely degraded. The inflammatory response was decreased and bone formation appeared superior for Bio‐Gide®‐ALP treated defects.

Conclusion

Immobilization of ALP onto guided tissue regeneration (GTR)/ guided bone regeneration (GBR)‐materials (Bio‐Gide® and Bio‐Oss®) can enhance the performance of these materials in GTR/GBR procedures.
Drug‐induced gingival overgrowth: a study in the French Pharmacovigilance Database
Authors: Bondon‐Guitton Emmanuelle , Bagheri Haleh , Montastruc Jean‐Louis
Published: March 2012

Background

Gingival overgrowth is an adverse drug reaction (ADR) well known with phenytoin, cyclosporine or calcium channel blockers but can be related to other drugs.

Aim

We reviewed spontaneous notifications of drug‐induced gingival overgrowth (DIGO), in France.

Material & methods

We selected DIGO cases registered in the French Pharmacovigilance Database, between 1984 and 2010.

Results

We found 147 DIGO cases (0.04% of all cases), most of them (86.4%) “non serious”. Patients were more frequently men (58.5%) and between 40 and 69 years (58.5%). Evolution was favourable in 47.5% of cases. The most frequently “suspected” drugs were calcium channel blockers (30.6%) followed by immunosuppressants (15.2%) and anticonvulsants (10.1%). The DIGO was also reported with drugs for which the ADR was “unlabelled” (mycophenolate mofetil, valproic acid, clarithromycin, ethynylestradiol, levonorgestrel, desogestrel, etc.). There were two peaks of occurrence (0–3 and >12 months) for immunosuppressants or calcium channel blockers and only one (>12 months) for anticonvulsants.

Conclusion

Gingival overgrowth is often a “non serious” ADR but evolution was favourable in only half of cases. This ADR is “labelled” for calcium channel blockers, cyclosporine and phenytoin but can also occur with other immunosuppressants or anticonvulsants, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, etc.
Occupational contact allergy to monomeric isocyanates
Authors: Aalto‐Korte Kristiina , Suuronen Katri , Kuuliala Outi , Henriks‐Eckerman Maj‐Len , Jolanki Riitta
Published: March 2012

Background. The monomeric isocyanates diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 2,4‐toluene diisocyanate (TDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) are used in polyurethane products and sometimes cause contact allergy.

Objectives. To describe patients with isocyanate contact allergy in an occupational dermatology clinic.

Methods. Test files were screened for allergic reactions to isocyanates and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane (MDA). Patients with allergic reactions to some of the allergens were analysed for occupation, exposure, concomitant reactions to other allergens, and diagnosis.

Results. Over a period of almost 13 years, 54 patients reacted to isocyanates (9 to IPDI, 12 to MDI, 6 to TDI, and 1 to HDI) or MDA (44 patients). The motor vehicle, electronics and paint industries, and painting and construction work, were among the most significant occupational fields. An in‐house polymeric MDI (PMDI) test substance was superior to commercial MDI preparations. About half of the occupational cases related to MDI products were diagnosed by testing MDA. The most prominent cause of IPDI allergy comprised polyurethane paint hardeners. Some of the IPDI reactions could be explained by cross‐allergy to isophoronediamine in epoxy products. Specific exposure to MDA was difficult to trace.

Conclusions. MDA and PMDI test substances were significant in the diagnosis of MDI contact allergy.
Targeted testing with diethylthiourea often reveals clinically relevant allergic contact dermatitis caused by neoprene rubber
Authors: Dall Anne B.‐H. , Andersen Klaus E. , Mortz Charlotte G.
Published: March 2012

Background. Diethylthiourea is widely used in the rubber industry, particularly in neoprene rubber, and may cause allergic contact dermatitis. However, as thiourea allergens are not part of the European baseline series, the diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis caused by thiourea compounds depends on clinical suspicion and aimed testing.

Objectives. The aims of this study were to evaluate the occurrence of sensitization to diethylthiourea during a 19‐year period by using data from the Allergen Bank database at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy Centre, Odense University Hospital, and to evaluate whether the yield of aimed patch tests with diethylthiourea differed between the dermatologists in practice and those working in the dermatology department.

Patients and methods. A total of 239 patients were patch tested with diethylthiourea 1% in petrolatum obtained from the Allergen Bank. The records for patients with positive reactions were evaluated retrospectively.

Results. One hundred and fifty‐one patients were tested by 27 different dermatologists in private practice, and positive reactions were found in 16% (24/151) of the patients; 88 patients were tested at the dermatology department, and positive reactions were found in 15% (13/88). Thus, 15% (37/239) had positive patch test reactions to diethylthiourea, all with current clinical relevance and all strong.

Conclusion. Clinical suspicion of neoprene rubber allergy and subsequent aimed patch testing with diethylthiourea give a high yield of clinically relevant allergic patch test reactions for both dermatologists in practice and dermatologists in the hospital department.
Nectar sugars enhance fitness in male Coenonympha pamphilus butterflies by increasing longevity or realized reproduction
Authors: Cahenzli Fabian , Erhardt Andreas
Published: March 2012

The principal components of floral nectar are water and the sugars sucrose, fructose and glucose. Several studies have shown the importance of nectar sugars for female butterfly fecundity, whereas to date little attention has been paid to the effect of nectar sugars on male butterfly reproduction. Clear evidence for an effect of nectar sugars on male realized reproductive success is still missing.

In this study, we fed male Coenonympha pamphilus butterflies nectar mimics with low (5%), medium (20%) or high (30%) total sugar concentrations with a sucrose:glucose:fructose ratio of 2.7:1.1:1. Sugar solutions were made mimicking Knautia arvensis, an essential nectar plant for C. pamphilus and many other European butterflies. Realized male reproductive success for each treatment was measured indirectly via nuptial gifts, by recording reproductive parameters and by characterizing time patterns over the oviposition period of their female partner.

Male butterflies fed high‐concentrated nectar sugars had a longer lifespan than males fed low‐concentrated nectar sugars. In contrast, offspring of males fed medium‐concentrated nectar sugars had a higher hatching mass than progeny of males fed low‐concentrated nectar sugars, indicating a tradeoff between somatic maintenance and reproduction in the use of nectar sugars. Thus, allocation patterns of nectar sugars differed according to sugar concentrations in adult food.

The method used in this experiment took into account the indispensable role of female butterflies in passing male nutrients to offspring. With this comprehensive approach, we can show the general importance of nectar sugars for male butterfly fitness and support previous findings suggesting a coevolutionary process between butterflies and flowers dependent on butterfly pollination.
Melatonin affects the temporal pattern of vocal signatures in birds
Authors: Derégnaucourt Sébastien , Saar Sigal , Gahr Manfred
Published: March 2012

Abstract:  In humans and other animals, melatonin is involved in the control of circadian biological rhythms. Here, we show that melatonin affects the temporal pattern of behavioral sequences in a noncircadian manner. The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) song and the crow of the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) are courtship vocalizations composed of a stereotyped sequence of syllables. The zebra finch song is learned from conspecifics during infancy, whereas the Japanese quail crow develops normally without auditory input. We recorded and analyzed the complete vocal activity of adult birds of both species kept in social isolation for several weeks. In both species, we observed a shortening of signal duration following the transfer from a light–dark (LD) cycle to constant light (LL), a condition known to abolish melatonin production and to disrupt circadian rhythmicity. This effect was reversible because signal duration increased when the photoperiod was returned to the previous LD schedule. We then tested whether this effect was directly related to melatonin by removal of the pineal gland, which is the main production site of circulating melatonin. A shortening of the song duration was observed following pinealectomy in LD. Likewise, melatonin treatment induced changes in the temporal structure of the song. In a song learning experiment, young pinealectomized finches and young finches raised in LL failed to copy the temporal pattern of their tutor’s song. Taken together, these results suggest that melatonin is involved in the control of motor timing of noncircadian behavioral sequences through an evolutionary conserved neuroendocrine pathway.
Temporal and histological evaluation of melatonin patterns in a ‘basal’ metazoan
Authors: Roopin Modi , Levy Oren
Published: March 2012

Abstract:  While recent advances suggest functional pleiotropy of melatonin in higher organisms, an understanding of the biological significance of this ancient molecule in early evolutionary groups is lacking. Here, endogenous melatonin production was identified for the first time in the sea anemone Actinia equina, a nonsymbiotic hexacorallian cnidarian. Day/night activity profiles of melatonin in this anemone indicated that melatonin levels oscillate with significant nocturnal peaks. However, dynamic changes in melatonin concentration did not persist under constant dark conditions and therefore were not circadian in nature. Thus, the oscillating pattern of melatonin in A. equina is presumed to be the result of alternative, simpler melatonin control mechanism that likely involves direct regulation by the daily photocycle. As nocturnal melatonin signals still potentially provide ‘time‐of‐day’ information and can illustrate the seasonally changing length of the biological night, we hypothesize that melatonin may be relevant to temporal coordination of timed processes also in anthozoans. Spatial patterns of melatonin distribution found in this study indicate abundant melatonin distribution in the endodermal filaments wrapped around gametes. This finding supports the possibility that one of the melatonin‐responsive processes in this basal metazoan species may involve reproductive functions.
RETRACTED: Melatonin attenuates inflammation and promotes regeneration in rabbits with fulminant hepatitis of viral origin
Authors: Laliena Almudena , Miguel Beatriz San , Crespo Irene , Alvarez Marcelino , González‐Gallego Javier , Tuñón María J.
Published: March 2012

Abstract:  The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of melatonin on the liver inflammatory and regenerative response in an animal model of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) of viral origin. Rabbits were experimentally infected with 2 × 104 hemagglutination units of a rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) isolate and received melatonin at two concentrations of 10 or 20 mg/kg at 0, 12 and 24 hr postinfection. RHDV infection induced an inflammatory response, with increased expression of toll‐like receptor 4, high‐mobility group box (HMGB)1, interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and C‐reactive protein, and decreased expression of decay accelerating factor (DAF/CD55). These effects were significantly reduced by melatonin. Matrix metalloproteinase‐9 expression was also lowered in melatonin‐treated rabbits. RHDV infection inhibited the hepatic regenerative/proliferative response, with a reduced expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor, platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF)‐B and vascular endothelial growth factor and their receptors; these responses were prevented by melatonin administration. Melatonin treatment also resulted in reduced expression of phosphorylated Janus kinase and enhanced expression of extracellular mitogen‐activated protein kinase (ERK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3. Our findings show that anti‐inflammatory effects and stimulation of regenerative mechanisms contribute to the beneficial effects of melatonin in rabbits with experimental infection by RHDV and support a potential hepatoprotective role of melatonin in FHF.
Regenerative capability of dental pulp cells after crown fracture
Authors: Shima Hidehito , Matsuzaka Kenichi , Kokubu Eitoyo , Inoue Takashi
Published: March 2012

Abstract –  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of dental pulp cells for tissue engineering derived from the fractured incisal portion of tooth crowns. Thirty Sprague‐Dawley rats were used for histological and immunohistochemical analysis of nestin protein expression and to measure levels of mRNAs encoding osteocalcin, osteopontin, bone sialoprotein (BSP), dentin sialoprotein (DSP), heat shock protein (HSP) 27, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), ATP‐binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2), nestin, and p57Kip2. Odontoblasts at the incisal portion in the control group were oriented in a regular pattern, but those in the experimental group were randomly stratified. Immunohistochemically, only a few odontoblasts were positive for nestin at the incisal portion in the experimental group at 2 days. Some cells in the inner area in the control group were positive for nestin, but nestin‐positive cells in the experimental group at the incisal portion were not observed. The mRNA expression for osteogenic or odontogenic markers in the experimental group was higher than in the control group. HSP27 mRNA expression in the experimental group at 2 days was higher than in the control group and in the experimental group at 7 days. mRNA expression of stem cell markers, such as ABCG2 and nestin, in the experimental group tended to decrease compared with the control. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that dental pulp stem cells derived from fractured teeth differentiate to osteogenic or odontogenic cells.
Zinc intake, zinc status and growth in a longitudinal study of healthy Danish infants
Authors: Michaelsen KF , Samuelson G. , Graham TW , Lönnerdal B.
Published: March 2012

Mild, growth‐limiting zinc deficiency might be prevalent in otherwise healthy infants according to recent studies. We examined zinc intake and status in 91 healthy term infants from birth to 12 months, as part of the Copenhagen Cohort Study on Infant Nutrition and Growth. Zinc intake was recorded monthly and the amount of zinc absorbed was estimated. These estimates were below recently published FAO/WHO/IAEA values for basal requirements in 68%, 62% and 14% of the infants at 2, 4 and 9 months of age, respectively. Serum zinc decreased significantly (p < 0.01) from 10.6 μmol/l at 6 months to 8.4μmol/l at 9 months of age (normal range 10–18 μmol/l). Erythrocyte metallothionein values, a tentative indicator of long‐term zinc status, decreased significantly from 2 to 6 months (p < 0.001) and from 6 to 9 months (p < 0.01). Serum zinc at 9 months was positively associated with growth velocity during the period from 6 to 9 months (weight: p = 0.05; knee‐heel length: p = 0.002). The results provide descriptive data on zinc intake and zinc status in healthy Danish infants. Although some of our data suggest suboptimal zinc status during late infancy, evidence for this can only be obtained through a randomized intervention study.
Antibodies against some bacterial antigens in children
Authors: Kontiainen S. , Seppälä I. , Miettinen A. , Kosunen TU , Verkasalo M. , Mäenpää J.
Published: March 2012

The prevalence of bacterial antibodies was determined in 173 children aged 0–15 years. The prevalence of IgG Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in titres > 500 in children less than 8 years of age was 6% while none of the older children had these antibodies in titres > 400. IgG Helicobacter pylori antibodies were detected only in children older than 6 years of age, with a prevalence of 6.5%, as were IgA H. pylori antibodies, with a prevalence of 3.7%. The prevalence of high‐titre IgG Campylobacter jejuni antibodies was 1.2%, that of IgA 1.8% and IgM 1.2%. The prevalence of high‐titre (> 500 IU/ml) antistreptolysin O was 3%, that of antistaphylolysin‐alpha (≥ 4 IU/ml) 2% and that of antiteichoic acid antibodies (titre 2) 2%. Low‐titre Yersinia antibodies were detected in 2%. High‐titre Bordetella pertussis antibodies were detected in 6% of recently vaccinated children and in 8% of children in their first years of school. In the latter, high‐titre antibodies were mainly of the IgM and IgA classes. Altogether 35 children tested positive for bacterial antibodies other than Bordetella pertussis antibodies. Clinical evaluation revealed a possible infection, suggested by the antibody, in 5 (3%) of the children. Two (vaccinated) children had evidence of whooping cough. Eight of the 35 children with high‐titre bacterial antibodies (23%) also had elevated levels of autoantibodies (but not autoimmune diseases).
Enzymatic changes in the cerebrospinal fluid in patients with infections of the central nervous system
Authors: Lutsar I. , Haldre S. , Topman M. , Talvik T.
Published: March 2012

Enzymatic determinations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and creatine kinase BB (CK‐BB) were performed in 16 patients with aseptic meningitis (AM), in 25 children with bacterial meningitis (BM) and in 15 patients with meningism. The activity of AST and GGT was significantly higher in patients with BM on admission compared with those with AM and meningism (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005, respectively) and decreased with therapy. The highest concentration of AST and LDH appeared in patients with poor outcome as well as in those with ventriculomegaly on neurosonography (p < 0.05). The concentration of CK‐BB increased in all patient groups on admission and remained higher on termination of therapy. The present study confirms the high activity of AST and GGT in BM patients in the CSF whereas the increased activity of AST and LDH reflects the extent of brain injury. Nevertheless, the prognosis for individual patients cannot be established on the basis of enzyme activity alone, but depends on several factors.□
Growth in children with Pierre Robin sequence and isolated cleft palate
Authors: Laitinen S. , Heliövaara A. , Pere A. , Ranta R.
Published: March 2012

Postnatal height and weight growth were assessed in 50 children (20 boys) with Pierre Robin sequence and in 58 children (27 boys) with isolated cleft palate, born in 1967–86. The height and weight measurements from birth to 12 years were collected retrospectively from child health centers and schools. The current Finnish relative weight and SD scores for height were used for growth assessment. The birth size of children with Pierre Robin sequence did not differ from those with isolated cleft palate or from healthy children, on the basis of Finnish norms. During the first year after birth, children with Pierre Robin sequence were shorter and lighter than those with isolated cleft palate but later caught up with them and the Finnish norms. Children with Pierre Robin sequence born prematurely or with associated anomalies showed more deficient growth.
Sonography in the detection of achilles tendon xanthomata in children with familial hypercholesterolaemia
Authors: Koivunen‐Niemelä T. , Viikari J. , Niinikoski H. , Simell O. , Alanen A.
Published: March 2012

Patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) are at high risk for the development of coronary artery disease. Achilles tendon xanthomata are often the first clinical manifestation of FH, but are seldom palpable earlier than during the third decade. Twenty‐one FH children aged 3–18 years underwent high‐frequency ultrasound examination of the achilles tendon. Hypoechoic infiltration of the normal tendon structure was demonstrated in 8 of 21 (38%) of the FH children. The findings were similar in boys and girls. Control subjects (n = 68) aged 1–25 years had no sonographically detectable tendon abnormalities. The thickness of the achilles tendon of the FH children was (mean ±SD) 7.1 ± 1.5 mm (range 5–10 mm). The respective values for the controls were 5.8 ± 1.0 mm (3–7 mm. We conclude that ultrasound examination sensitively detects cholesterol accumulation in the achilles tendon of FH children before tendon xanthomata are clinically evident.
School performance, nutritional status and trichuriasis in Jamaican schoolchildren
Authors: Simeon D. , Callender J. , Wong M. , Grantham‐McGregor S. , Ramdath DD
Published: March 2012

Severe infections by the geohelminth Trichuris trichiura detrimentally affect young children's growth and development. There is concern that mild to moderate infections may affect older children's school performance and nutritional status. We therefore examined the relationship between varying intensities of infection and school achievement, attendance and nutritional status in 616 schoolchildren. A total of 409 children with Trichuris infection of intensities greater than 1200 eggs per gram of stool (epg) were first identified, then for every 2 infected children in a class, an uninfected child was selected. After controlling for socioeconomic status, gender, age, school and the presence of Ascaris infections, the uninfected children had higher reading and arithmetic scores than children with infections of more than 4000 epg and were taller than those with intensities greater than 2000 epg. However, there were no significant differences in spelling, school attendance and body mass index. Although a treatment trial is needed to determine causation, these results indicate that moderate levels of infection are associated with poor school achievement and growth.
Consequences of caustic ingestions in children
Authors: Nuutinen M. , Uhari M. , Karvali T. , Kouvalainen K.
Published: March 2012

A retrospective analysis of 98 patients, less than 15 years of age, treated for caustic ingestion during 1976–1990 was performed to evaluate the modern consequences of caustic ingestion in children and to set indications for esophagoscopies and radiographic and laboratory examinations. Dishwasher detergents were ingested by 56 children. There were no lye ingestions, since lye has not been freely available in Finland since 1969. Household acetic acid (vinegar) was the most commonly (12/23) ingested acid. Primary esophagoscopy was performed in 79 of the 98 cases (80.6%). Esophageal burns were found in 20 patients. Acids caused burns more often than alkalies (9/23 (39.1%) versus 11/75 (14.7%); p = 0.011; 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the difference 5.6–43.3%) and acid burns more often developed into scars (7.4% versus 4%; p = 0.029; 95% CI for the difference 1.4–25.4%). The only esophageal stricture developed after ingestion of a Clinitest tablet. The mean time for hospitalization as a result of acid ingestion was significantly longer than after alkaline ingestion (3.2 (SD 3.5) days, n = 23 versus 1.5 (1.6) days, n = 15; p < 0.05; 95% CI for the difference 0.7–2.8 days). Prolonged drooling and dysphagia (12–24h) predicted esophageal scar formation with 100% sensitivity and 90.1% specificity, but signs and symptoms did not predict esophageal burns after primary esophagoscopy. Radiographic examinations and leukocyte counts were of no value in predicting esophageal burns and scars. The panorama of caustic ingestion appears to have changed, probably due in part to the law banning sale of lye products since 1969. This type of law should be encouraged elsewhere. Acids cause even more caustic burns than alkalies. Vinegar should be regarded as a potent caustic substance and distributed in baby‐safe bottles with appropriate information on its caustic nature. As severe esophageal lesions after accidental ingestion of caustic substances are now rare in children, primary esophagoscopies and hospitalization of patients are not indicated routinely. The decision on esophagoscopy can be made on the basis of drooling and dysphagia during follow‐up.
Soft tissue injury associated with intravenous phenytoin in a neonate
Authors: Sharief N. , Goonasekera C.
Published: March 2012

A term baby with neonatal convulsions secondary to birth asphyxia was given iv phenytoin via a cannula in the dorsum of the hand at 17 h of age. She developed a blue discolouration in the tissues surrounding the iv site. The infusion was aborted but the discolouration gradually spread to the rest of the hand. Twenty hours later, improvement could be detected although a blister appeared near the iv site. A further attempt two days later to administer phenytoin via an iv cannula sited in the left foot was aborted after the appearance of a similar reaction.
Pneumopericardium: a rare cause of cardiac tamponade in an infant on a positive pressure ventilation
Authors: Gamel A. El , Barrett P. , Kopff G.
Published: March 2012

Cardiac tamponade most commonly results from accumulation of blood, or other fluids, within the pericardial sac. However, rarely air tamponade can lead to tension pneumopericardium and death. Positive pressure ventilation in infants carries a risk of barotrauma and presents as pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum or rarely pneumopericardium. We present an infant with cardiac tamponade due to pneumopericardium to illustrate the classical signs and symptoms, and the management of this rare condition.
Sonographic demonstration of multiple intrahepatic meconium masses in a newborn with meconium peritonitis
Authors: Ries M. , Deeg K‐H
Published: March 2012

We report on a patient with atresia of the colon transversum and a large meconium pseudocyst adherent to the liver. Sonography additionally revealed multiple cystic structures due to intrahepatic meconium masses. Surgical evacuation of the meconium pseudocyst resulted in massive diffuse hemorrhage from the liver which could not be stopped. The child died intraoperatively due to hemorrhagic shock. Histologically the intrahepatic meconium masses were surrounded by various degrees of necrosis and hemorrhage without a well‐defined capsule of fibrous granulation tissue.
Haemorheology in insulin‐dependent diabetes is still normal five years after onset of the disease
Authors: Sandhagen B. , Ewald U. , Tuvemo T.
Published: March 2012

In the development of insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), rheological changes have been shown to precede clinically detectable microangiopathy. We studied 34 IDDM children 13.1 (6–20) years old with a duration of the disease of 5 years and with a haemoglobin Alc of 8.3% (4.5–12.8%). Fifteen apparently healthy children 14.7 (10–18) years old served as a control group. Whole blood and plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation tendency and erythrocyte fluidity were assessed by rotational couette viscometry. Apart from a significantly higher hæmatocrit (Hct) (42.6 vs 40.1; p < 0.05), the IDDM group did not differ from the controls in any of the measured in vitro rheological variables. The difference in Hct was due to an abnormally high Hct in the female diabetic group. The subgroup of female diabetics also displayed a higher plasma viscosity and fibrinogen concentration than the diabetic males. Despite the sex differences in the diabetic group, blood theology was still normal in both sexes in this early stage of the IDDM disease. These findings suggest that altered haemorheology is a late phenomenon (i.e. later than 5 years after the onset of the disease) in the development of vascular disease in IDDM.
Neonatal care of very‐low‐birthweight infants in special‐care units and neonatal intensive‐care units in Stockholm. Early nasal continuous positive airway pressure versus mechanical ventilation: gains and losses
Authors: Jónsson B. , Katz‐Salamon M. , Faxelius G. , Broberger U. , Lagercrantz H.
Published: March 2012

Very‐low‐birthweight (VLBW) infants are usually intubated at birth and mechanically ventilated at neonatal intensive‐care units (NICUs). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the use of early nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in a regional cohort and to determine to what extent VLBW infants need transfer to a regional NICU from special‐care units (SCUs) that primarily use early NCPAP for respiratory care. We compared the outcome for infants at SCUs and NICUs in Stockholm County, Sweden, from 1988 to 1993. All infants with birthweights of less than 1501 g were included in this study (n = 687). Fifty‐nine per cent of the infants (400/687) were supported using only supplemental oxygen or NCPAP. Of these, 170 (25%) received only supplemental oxygen and 230 (34%) were supported only by NCPAP. A total of 350 (51%) infants received early NCPAP. Of these infants, 120 (34%) later required mechanical ventilation. Only 167 (24%) infants received mechanical ventilation from the beginning. Failure of NCPAP was significantly associated with the presence of respiratory distress syndrome. A total of 161/412 (39%) infants were transferred from SCUs to NICUs. Of infants ≤ 26 weeks' gestation and infants > 26 weeks, 71% and 34% were transferred, respectively. Total mortality was 16%. The mortality for transfers was 20% compared to an overall mortality in SCU and NICU infants of 9% and 15%, respectively. The overall incidence of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), grade III—IV was 8%, periventricular leucomalacia (PVL) grade I—IV was 7%, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring cryotherapy was 4.3% and chronic lung disease (CLD) was 14%. There were significant differences in the incidence of IVH, PVL, CLD and ROP between SCU and NICU infants in matched gestational age groups. In conclusion, infants with a gestational age of 27 weeks or more may often be adequately cared for at SCUs without mechanical ventilation by using early NCPAP. However, infants with a gestational age of 26 weeks or less should be transferred to tertiary‐care centres preferably before birth, because they will often require mechanical ventilation.
The Stockholm Neonatal Project: neonatal mortality and morbidity at the Children's Centre, Karolinska Hospital
Authors: Lagercrantz H. , Katz‐Salamon M. , Forssberg H.
Published: March 2012

Two hundred and ninety‐one very‐low‐birth‐weight (VLBW) infants were studied prospectively during the period of 1988–1993. All inborn VLBW infants and most of the VLBW infants born in Greater Stockholm and requiring neonatal intensive care were included in this study. The overall mortality was 17.5% and the mortality in the group with the lowest gestational age at birth, i.e. 23–24 weeks, was 25%. The mortality for boys was higher than for the girls. The mode of delivery, i.e. vaginal versus caesarean section and multiple birth, did not seem to affect the mortality rate. Respiratory insufficiency and/or cerebral complications were the most common cause of neonatal death. Patent ductus arteriosus was found in 35% of the infants, of whom 43% needed surgical ligation. One‐third of infants with retinopathy of prematurity (30/92) required cryotherapy.