bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dietary treatment of phenylketonuria: the effect of phenylalanine on reaction time
Authors: Dawson Charlotte , Murphy Elaine , Maritz Charlé , Chan Heidi , Ellerton Charlotte , Carpenter R. H. S. , Lachmann Robin H. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractThere is no evidence that high phenylalanine (Phe) levels have irreversible effects on the adult brain. Many adults with phenylketonuria (PKU) no longer follow a protein‐restricted diet. Neuropsychological studies have shown that reaction time in adults with PKU is slower than controls. There are no data to show that this is directly related to Phe levels. Another way to assess reaction time is to measure saccadic latency. We have used a portable, head‐mounted saccadometer to measure latency in the outpatient setting. Patients with PKU were split into three groups: off‐diet (Phe>1,200 μmol/l), on‐diet (Phe <800 μmol/l) and maternal diet (Phe 100–400 μmol/l ). Reciprocal median latency (RML) was compared between groups. Latency was significantly slower in patients who were off‐diet than in patients on‐diet, on a maternal diet or in normal controls. Reaction times in both diet‐treated groups were not significantly different from normal controls. In 16 women planning pregnancy we obtained values before and after they commenced the maternal diet. Stricter control of Phe levels resulted in a significant improvement in reaction times. We conclude that saccadometry is useful in monitoring PKU patients. Adult patients with PKU not on a protein‐restricted diet have significantly slower reaction times than controls. In addition, off‐diet patients have significantly slower reaction times than on‐diet. Paired data show that effects of Phe levels on reaction time are reversible.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction of the Knee
Authors: Madick Susan 
Published: February 2011

AbstractAnterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries affect more than 175,000 patients annually. Located in the center of the knee joint, the ACL is the major stabilizing ligament of the knee. If the ACL is injured, then the knee becomes unstable and can buckle when the person pivots. Surgeons can use autograft or allograft tissue to accomplish ACL reconstruction by using a single‐bundle or double‐bundle type of repair. The surgeon performs the reconstruction arthroscopically, using two ports and a small incision over the anteromedial surface of the tibia to facilitate passage of the graft and for distal fixation of the graft. Correct placement of the tibial and femoral tunnels is the most important technical aspect of the procedure. After reconstruction, the patient must undergo intense physical therapy starting one or two days after surgery. If diligent with physical therapy, then the patient can return to full activity as soon as four months after surgery.
A Prospective Comparison of the NMP22 Bladderchek® Assay and Voided Urine Cytology in the Detection of Bladder Transitional Cell Carcinoma: Is it Time up for Urine Cytology?
Authors: Srirangam Shalom J. , Marri Rajendar , Crump Ann , Gunendran Thiru , Neilson Donald 
Published: February 2011

Objectives: To prospectively compare the performance of voided urine cytology (VUC) and the Matritech NMP22 BladderChek® assay (NMP22) in their ability to detect urothelial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Methods: Successive patients presenting to our haematuria clinic were enrolled. All patients underwent ultrasound scan (US), intravenous urography (IVU), flexible cystoscopy and VUC. If bladder TCC was detected, urine was tested using the NMP22 BladderChek® assay. The study group (group I) comprised 110 patients diagnosed with bladder tumour on flexible cystoscopy. The control group (group II) included 52 patients with a history of haematuria but no demonstrable bladder tumour. The TCC detecting ability of both the NMP22 BladderChek® assay and VUC were compared. Results: In group I, the NMP22 result was positive in 62.7% (69/110) patients, while a positive VUC result was noted in 52.0% (52/100) patients. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values for NMP22 vs. VUC were 62.7% vs. 52.0%; 86.5% vs. 95.5%; 90.8% vs. 96.3% and 52.3% vs. 48.0% respectively (not significant). The performance of both urine tests improved with increasing tumour grade ( p ≤ 0.05). False positive rate in group II was 13.5% (7/52) for NMP22 and 4.5% (2/42) for VUC. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of the NMP22 BladderChek® assay for TCC detection is equivalent to conventional VUC, but the NMP22 BladderChek® has distinct advantages to promote its use over VUC.
When should mood stabilizers be withdrawn due to lack of efficacy? Some methodological considerations
Authors: Murru A. , Colom F. , Nivoli A. , Pacchiarotti I. , Valenti M. , Vieta E. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractMaintenance therapy in bipolar disorder is primarily aimed at preventing recurrence of acute episodes. Clinicians often decide on the basis of their own experience whether mood stabilizer (MS) is properly satisfying the objective of preventing a relapse/recurrence. Evidence-based data seem far from clinical practice in assessing a MS efficacy, as they mainly focus on a drug's efficacy to first relapse and not considering the patient's course of illness. The problem of assessing MS's efficacy seems further complicated when considering combination therapy, which, due to lack of evidence-based data, economical aspects, attitude of clinicians and legal issues may bring to cumulative prescriptions. Nowadays, the drug therapy for a bipolar patient is usually tailored after longitudinal observation of his specific course of illness. The course of illness should be considered also when choosing practical criteria for the suspension of a MS due to lack of efficacy. The authors propose some preliminary criteria which may help clinicians evaluating whether a mood stabilizer is being useful or not, dividing possible outcomes and suggesting subsequent therapeutic steps in the optimization of a patient's treatment.
Primary hydatid cyst masquerading as pseudocyst of the pancreas with concomitant small gut obstruction—an unusual presentation
Authors: Dalal Usha , Dalal Ashwani Kumar , Singal Rikki , Naredi Bikash , Gupta Samita 
Published: February 2011

AbstractIsolated retroperitoneal hydatid cyst is an exceptionally rare entity. Owing to vague and varied symptomatology, it is seldom diagnosed without puncture cytology or surgery. We report an unusual presentation of primary retroperitoneal hydatid cyst with concomitant small gut obstruction. Ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen showed localized abscess or pseudocyst of pancreas. Preoperatively, ultrasound‐guided puncture cytology of the lesion revealed suspicious hydatid pathology. The patient was examined and, peroperatively, the cyst masqueraded as hydatid cyst of pancreas along with an inflammatory band, and the diagnostic dilemma about its exact site of origin was solved by histopathology only. Complete excision of the cyst along with the tail of pancreas was done with concomitant excision of inflammatory band, causing small intestinal obstruction. The patient was discharged in satisfactory condition on albendazole. In follow‐up of 8 months, there was no recurrence.
Lumbar epidural space was narrower in parturients than that in nonpregnant women by ultrasound assessment
Authors: Lu I.‐Cheng , Huang Shu‐Hung , Hsu Chiung‐Dan , Chiu Chin‐Hsi , Wu Sheng‐Hua 
Published: February 2011

AbstractLabor epidural is commonly used to provide both regional anesthesia and postoperative pain relief. Epidural space is supposed to be narrower and deeper in a parturient than that in a nonpregnant woman. The aim of this study was to explore the difference of epidural spaces between parturient and nonpregnant women by ultrasound assessment. Thirty nonpregnant female volunteers and 30 parturients undergoing labor epidurals were enrolled to receive ultrasound examination. A low‐frequency (2–5 MHz) curved‐array ultrasound probe was used to obtain spinal sonoanatomy for each subject. The longitudinal paramedian scanning plane was used to obtain optimal ultrasound image for spinal sonoanatomy. Primary outcome was evaluated by the diameter and depth of epidural space at three lumbar interspaces (from L2 to L5). The quality of ultrasound images was also compared between the groups by a numerical scoring system (from 0 to 3). The mean diameters of lumbar epidural spaces were 3.03 ± 0.45 mm and 4.44 ± 0.49 mm (p < 0.05) for parturients and nonpregnant women, respectively. The mean depths of lumbar epidural spaces for parturients and nonpregnant women were 3.53 ± 0.62 cm and 3.25 ± 0.63 cm, respectively (p < 0.05). The mean scores for epidural space image quality were 2.58 ± 0.58 and 2.63 ± 0.53 for parturients and nonpregnant women, respectively (p = 0.08). Epidural space is narrower and deeper at lumbar interspaces in obstetrics by ultrasound examination. The quality of ultrasound images did not differ significantly between the groups. These quantitative results improve the understanding of the differences between two groups that have been previously known qualitatively and may help in avoiding complications.
Priority claims and public disputes in astronomy: E.M. Antoniadi, J. Comas i Solà and the search for authority and social prestige in the early twentieth century
Authors: RUIZ-CASTELL PEDRO 
Published: February 2011

AbstractThe reorganization of the astronomical community during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, due to the rise of astrophysics, was seen by some scientists as an opportunity to join an international community of prestigious researchers. This was the case of astronomers such as Josep Comas i Solà, who publicly argued with Eugène Michel Antoniadi during the first decades of the twentieth century about the veracity of astronomical observations and theoretical conclusions on Mars and Jupiter. Their priority claims and public disputes have to be understood in a new context that provided an exceptional opportunity for amateur and professional astronomers both to play an active role in the most interesting scientific debates of these years and to gain prestige, legitimacy and power.
Antioxidant effect of astaxanthin on phospholipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes
Authors: Nakagawa Kiyotaka , Kiko Takehiro , Miyazawa Taiki , Carpentero Burdeos Gregor , Kimura Fumiko , Satoh Akira , Miyazawa Teruo 
Published: January 2011

Phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH) accumulate abnormally in the erythrocytes of dementia patients, and dietary xanthophylls (polar carotenoids such as astaxanthin) are hypothesised to prevent the accumulation. In the present study, we conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial to assess the efficacy of 12-week astaxanthin supplementation (6 or 12 mg/d) on both astaxanthin and PLOOH levels in the erythrocytes of thirty middle-aged and senior subjects. After 12 weeks of treatment, erythrocyte astaxanthin concentrations were higher in both the 6 and 12 mg astaxanthin groups than in the placebo group. In contrast, erythrocyte PLOOH concentrations were lower in the astaxanthin groups than in the placebo group. In the plasma, somewhat lower PLOOH levels were found after astaxanthin treatment. These results suggest that astaxanthin supplementation results in improved erythrocyte antioxidant status and decreased PLOOH levels, which may contribute to the prevention of dementia.
CHARLES II, EXILE, AND THE PROBLEM OF ALLEGIANCE
Authors: GREENSPAN NICOLE 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACTFollowing the execution of his father Charles I in January 1649, the exiled king Charles II pursued various political, military, and diplomatic strategies to recover his kingdoms. Proclaimed king of Ireland and Scotland, Charles II adopted the traditional view of monarch–subject relations and expected the loyalty of his subjects and their devotion to his restoration. The recent experiences of war and regicide, however, had changed the ways in which Irish and Scottish subjects determined the nature and degree of allegiance owed to the king. In Ireland and Scotland, subjects placed their own interests above the royalist cause. Tensions in Ireland among Catholics and between Catholics and Protestants tested the bonds of loyalty to Charles II, and Scottish Covenanters circumscribed the king's authority and imposed strict conditions upon their political and military support. Moreover, Charles II's position of exile exacerbated existing tensions within his kingdoms. While Charles I experienced the withdrawal of his subjects' allegiance and strove to recover that loyalty, as an exiled king Charles II struggled to gain the allegiance of his kingdoms and to secure loyalty in the face of religious tension, geographic distance, failing war efforts, and conflicting interests among his subjects.
CONTESTED LEGITIMACY AND THE AMBIGUOUS RISE OF VESTRIES IN EARLY MODERN LONDON
Authors: MERRITT J. F. 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACTStudies of the rise of London's vestries in the period to 1640 have tended to discuss them in terms of the inexorable rise of oligarchy and state formation. This article re-examines the emergence of the vestries in several ways, moving beyond this traditional focus on oligarchy, and noting how London's vestries raised much broader issues concerning law, custom, and lay religious authority. The article reveals a notable contrast between the widespread influence and activities of London vestries and the questionable legal framework in which they operated. The political and ecclesiastical authorities – and in particular Archbishop Laud – are also shown to have had very mixed attitudes towards the legitimacy and desirability of powerful vestries. The apparently smooth and relentless spread of select vestries in the pre-war period is also shown to be illusory. The granting of vestry ‘faculties’ by the authorities ceased abruptly at the end of the 1620s, amid a series of serious legal challenges, on both local and ideological grounds, to the existence of vestries. Their rise had thus been seriously contested and stymied well before the upheavals of the 1640s, although opposition to them came from multiple sources – Laudians, Henry Spelman and the royal Commission on Fees, and local parishioners – whose objectives could vary.
In vitro assessment of praziquantel and a novel nanomaterial against protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus
Authors: De S. , Pan D. , Bera A.K. , Sreevatsava V. , Bandyopadhyay S. , Chaudhuri D. , Kumar S. , Rana T. , Das S. , Das S.K. , Suryanaryana V.V. , Norjit Singh M. , Bhattacharya D. 
Published: January 2011

AbstractThe present study describes the activity of a nanomaterial on protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus, which exhibited morphological changes and apoptosis. Apoptotic changes were deduced on the basis of effector caspase activation and nucleosomal laddering. Invaginated protoscoleces maintained in vitro became evaginated and had hooks, presumptive suckers and stalks. Degenerative changes of protoscoleces were evidenced after treatment with praziquantel and nano-combination. Protoscoleces treated with praziquantel had distinct attestation of necrosis and nano-combination-treated protoscoleces had signatures of apoptosis.
The epidemiology of soil-transmitted helminth and protozoan infections in south-west Cameroon
Authors: Mbuh J.V. , Ntonifor N.H. , Ojong J. 
Published: January 2011

AbstractA cross-sectional study of the prevalence, intensity and effects of soil-transmitted helminth and protozoan infections was undertaken among patients at the Buea Hospital Annex located in Buea sub-division of Cameroon. Stool samples from 356 subjects (174 males and 182 females) were collected and processed using standard concentration methods. Our results showed that 31.0% of subjects were infected with intestinal helminths and the prevalence was higher in females (32.4%) than in males (30.5%). A significantly higher prevalence was observed in rural (47.2%) than in urban areas (21.0%); significance < 0.1%. Prevalence was highest among those aged between 6 and 12 years (41.4%). The total prevalence of intestinal helminth infections were 19.3% for Ascaris lumbricoides, 14.0% for hookworm and 11.8% for Trichuris trichiura. The intensity of infection was unevenly distributed, with very heavy loads concentrated in a few individuals. Data also showed that 28.1% (100/356) of the subjects were infected with protozoans. Females showed a higher prevalence (28.6%; 52/182) than males (20.7%; 36/174). Also, there was a significantly higher prevalence in rural (34.0%; 49/144) than urban areas (18.4%; 39/212); significance < 0.1%. The age group 6–12 years again had a higher prevalence (37.1%; 26/70). The total prevalence of intestinal protozoans was: Entamoeba histolytica (24.4%), Entamoeba coli (11.2%) and Giardia lamblia (0.6%). These relatively heavy prevalences in patients may be reduced by appropriate medication and maintaining strict personal hygiene. Health education, clean water supply, good sewage management and a congenial environment will all help to minimize infection.
Prevalence of GJB2-associated deafness and outcomes of cochlear implantation in Iran
Authors: Daneshi A , Hassanzadeh S , Emamdjomeh H , Mohammadi S H , Arzhangi S , Farhadi M , Najmabadi H 
Published: January 2011

AbstractObjectives:To investigate the prevalence of mutations in the coding exon of the GJB2 gene in Iranian children with cochlear implants, and to compare the outcomes of auditory perception and speech production in cochlear-implanted children with and without GJB2 mutation.Materials and methods:One hundred and sixty-six prelingually deaf children who had undergone cochlear implantation at the Iranian Cochlear Implant Center, Tehran, were selected from a pool of 428 implanted children. The prevalence of GJB2 gene mutations was assessed using nested polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. To enable comparisons, we also identified 36 implanted children with non-GJB2 deafness. Patients' speech perception and speech production were assessed using the Categorization of Auditory Performance and Speech Intelligibility Rating scales.Results:Thirty-three of 166 probands (19.9 per cent) were found to have GJB2 deafness-causing allele variants and were diagnosed with DFNB1 deafness. Results also indicated a significant improvement in speech perception and production scores in both GJB2 and non-GJB2 patients over time.Conclusion:Children with GJB2-related deafness benefit from cochlear implantation to the same extent as those with non-GJB2-related deafness.
Airway obstruction due to inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of the posterior pharyngeal wall
Authors: Theunisse H J , van den Hoogen F J A 
Published: January 2011

AbstractObjective:We report a unique case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of the posterior wall of the hypopharynx.Method:We present the patient's case history, management and histopathological findings. A literature review of all cases localised to the larynx or pharynx is provided and discussed.Results:A 67-year-old man presented with airway obstruction due to a spherical mass in the hypopharynx originating from the posterior pharyngeal wall. The tumour was resected. Histopathological examination revealed an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour. We found only five previously reported cases with pharyngeal localisation. Further treatment of the patient is described.Conclusion:Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of the pharynx is extremely rare. It is regarded as a neoplastic tumour of intermediate biological potential. In cases with extrapulmonary localisation, the incidence of local recurrence can be as high as 25 per cent. Radical surgery is the treatment of choice; no adjuvant therapy is necessary.
Species composition and spatial distribution of abundances and biomass of phytoplankton and ciliates during summer stratification in the Gulf of Hammamet (Tunisia)
Authors: Hannachi Imen , Drira Zaher , Bel Hassen Malika , Hamza Asma , Ayadi Habib , Aleya Lotfi 
Published: February 2011

We studied the distribution of phytoplankton and ciliate communities in relation to environmental factors at 6 stations sampled between 28 and 31 July 2006 during the summer water stratification in the Gulf of Hammamet (Tunisia, eastern Mediterranean Sea). A strong thermocline was established at 30 m, and, on average, the N/P ratio was lower than the Redfield ratio (16), suggesting a potential N limitation. The inshore location was numerically dominated by dinoflagellates (55%) represented essentially by members of the generaProtoperidinium, Gymnodinium, and crypticScrippsiella trochoideaand on the offshore by diatoms (68%). The phytoplankton assemblage was largely dominated by the diatomsThalassionema nitzshioidesandRhizosolenia styliformis, while the ciliate community was numerically dominated by small taxa such asLohmanniella oviformis(6 × 102cells l−1) andUronema marinum(5.50 × 102cells l−1). The total phytoplankton abundance increased from the coastal area (5.26 × 102 ± 4.48 × 102) to the open sea (10.33 ×102 ± 28.06 × 102) and decreased from the surface to the bottom, inversely to the ciliate abundance. Total phytoplankton and abundances showed similar patterns. Total ciliate biomass decreased from the inshore (0.25 ± 0.58) to the offshore (0.06 ± 0.10) areas but increased from the surface to the bottom. The diversity index of both phytoplankton and ciliate communities showed a decrease with a coastal–open sea gradient. The relationships between phytoplankton and ciliates suggest planktonic micro-heterotrophs were implicated in the channelling of matter and energy through the microbial loop in the Gulf of Hammamet.
The spatial and agricultural basis of crop raiding by the Vulnerable common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius around Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Authors: Kendall Corinne J. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractCategorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius is under considerable pressure from habitat degradation and hunting. Although human–hippopotamus conflict is known to increase retaliatory killing and culling of hippopotamuses, the issue has been little examined. Using interviews I investigated various spatial, ecological and agricultural factors that influence the vulnerability of farms to crop raiding by hippopotamuses in three villages to the south-east of Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. There was a positive correlation between these crop-raiding events and a farm’s proximity to the river and to hippopotamus access points (places where hippopotamuses leave and enter the river). Results from this study provide insights for management and conservation of hippopotamuses, including a need to identify key habitat areas to mitigate future conflict.