bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Functional assessment after sciatic nerve injury in a rat model
Authors: Dinh Paul , Hazel Antony , Palispis Winnie , Suryadevara Sourabh , Gupta Ranjan 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThe aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Sciatic Function Index (SFI) and Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) Locomotor Rating in assessing peripheral nerve injuries. SFI is a standard method for evaluating crush and transected peripheral nerve injuries, likewise BBB for spinal cord injury. Models of chronic nerve compression (CNC), crush, and transection injury were created on Sprague‐Dawley rats and functional outcomes were measured using BBB and SFI at 1‐week interval for 6 weeks. All injury models showed high correlation between SFI and BBB scores. With crush injury, the SFI showed near complete recovery while BBB showed residual deficits 6 weeks after injury. Both the BBB and SFI were unable to detect motor deficits in 6‐week CNC animals. The BBB score should be considered as an adjunct in evaluating peripheral nerve recovery and may be more sensitive in detecting residual deficits than SFI after crush‐type injuries. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2009.
Outcomes comparison of head and neck free tissue transfers in three different hospital populations
Authors: Myers Larry L. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractBackground: There are no previous studies investigating the outcomes (medical complications, surgical complications, and overall survival) of patients undergoing free tissue transfers of the head and neck in three different hospital populations: private, public (county), and veterans administration (VA). Subjects: Consecutive patients who underwent free tissue transfers of the head and neck by a single surgeon between July 2000 and July 2008. Methods: Data were reviewed for pre‐operative variables (prior irradiation and chemotherapy, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score); free tissue transfer characteristics (flap area, harvest and ischemia times); intra‐operative variables (estimated blood loss, fluid administration); postoperative variables (medical/surgical complications, intensive care unit (ICU) and total hospital days); and posttreatment mortality. Results: There were 57, 47, and 61 patients comprising the study populations at the private hospital, public hospital, and VA hospital, respectively. Statistically significant factors were: age (mean years: 64.1, 51.9, and 62.6; P < 0.0001), intraoperative fluid administration (mean mL: 4,945, 6,273, 6,113; P = 0.008), ICU days (2.4, 2.0, 7.7; P < 0.0001), and total hospital days (9.5, 11.5, 17.0; P = 0.0002). Four (7%), five (11%), and four patients (7%), respectively, experienced total flap loss requiring an additional flap (P = ns). Prior irradiation and/or chemotherapy, ASA score, and free tissue transfer characteristics did not differ significantly among the hospital populations. There were no significant differences in posttreatment Kaplan–Meier survival curves (P = 0.299). Conclusion: Free tissue transfer can and should be performed in different hospital populations with comparably high rates of success. Theauthor maintained a high level of participation in the surgeries and postoperative care across the different hospital settings. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2009.
On the solution of the static Maxwell system in axially symmetric inhomogeneous media
Authors: Khmelnytskaya Kira V. , Kravchenko Vladislav V. , Oviedo Héctor 
Published: August 2009

AbstractWe consider the static Maxwell system with an axially symmetric dielectric permittivity and construct complete systems of its solutions, which can be used for analytic and numerical solution of corresponding boundary value problems. Copyright
© 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Creatine supplementation prevents the inhibition of myogenic differentiation in oxidatively injured C2C12 murine myoblasts
Authors: Sestili Piero , Barbieri Elena , Martinelli Chiara , Battistelli Michela , Guescini Michele , Vallorani Luciana , Casadei Lucia , D'Emilio Alessandra , Falcieri Elisabetta , Piccoli Giovanni , Agostini Deborah , Annibalini Giosuè , Paolillo Marco , Gioacchini Anna Maria , Stocchi Vilberto 
Published: August 2009

AbstractCreatine (Cr), one of the most popular nutritional supplements among athletes, has been recently shown to prevent the cytotoxicity caused by different oxidative stressors in various mammalian cell lines, including C2C12 myoblasts, via a direct antioxidant activity. Here, the effect of Cr on the differentiating capacity of C2C12 cells exposed to H2O2 has been investigated. Differentiation into myotubes was monitored using morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular techniques. Treatment with H2O2 (1 h) not only caused a significant (30%) loss of cell viability, but also abrogated the myogenic ability of surviving C2C12. Cr‐supplementation (24 h prior to H2O2 treatment) was found to prevent these effects. Interestingly, H2O2‐challenged cells preconditioned with the established antioxidants trolox or N‐acetyl‐cysteine, although cytoprotected, did not display the same differentiating ability characterizing oxidatively‐injured, Cr‐supplemented cells. Besides acting as an antioxidant, Cr increased the level of muscle regulatory factors and IGF1 (an effect partly refractory to oxidative stress), the cellular availability of phosphocreatine and seemed to exert some mitochondrially‐targeted protective activity. It is concluded that Cr preserves the myogenic ability of oxidatively injured C2C12 via a pleiotropic mechanism involving not only its antioxidant capacity, but also the contribution to cell energy charge and effects at the transcriptional level which common bona fide antioxidants lack.
Efficacy of isoflavones in relieving vasomotor menopausal symptoms – A systematic review
Authors: Jacobs Anja , Wegewitz Uta , Sommerfeld Christine , Grossklaus Rolf , Lampen Alfonso 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThis review assessed the efficacy of isoflavone supplements to reduce vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women by reviewing all published randomized controlled trials. Systematic literature searches were carried out in 70 databases. Randomized and placebo controlled studies were included if they investigated the treatment of isoflavone supplements derived from soy or red clover on vasomotor symptoms in peri‐ or postmenopausal women for at least 12 wks. Data were analyzed concerning outcome and methodological quality of the study. Twenty‐three trials met the inclusion criteria, thereof 17 investigated soy isoflavones and 6 red clover isoflavones. Without exception, selected trials examining the effect of red clover isoflavones were already assessed in several meta‐analyses and were therefore excluded from this evaluation. As the soy isoflavone studies were very heterogeneous concerning interventions and outcome measures, meta‐analysis could not be performed and trials were systematically assessed in a structured approach. Included soy isoflavone studies had numerous quality deficiencies and did not consistently show a reduction of flushes after treatment with soy isoflavones. Therefore, there is no conclusive evidence, but only some indication of a benefit of soy isoflavones on hot flush frequency or severity.
Indicators of need for occupational therapy in patients with chronic pain: occupational therapists' focus groups
Authors: Skjutar Åsa , Schult Marie‐Louise , Christensson Kyllike , Müllersdorf Maria 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThis study explores occupational therapists' (OT) perceptions of indicators for occupational therapy interventions among patients with chronic pain. An exploratory design was applied to six focus groups of OTs (n = 25) for data collection. Analysis was performed using content analysis through identification of meaning units, codes, categories and themes. Limitations of occupational performance was a major theme that included participant restrictions caused by physical, emotional and environmental barriers. Five subthemes of need were identified: 1) pain behaviour that prevented engagement in activities; 2) lack of knowledge about pain mechanisms and strategies to deal with pain; 3) occupational imbalance in work, leisure and home; 4) emotional stress and depression due to pain; and 5) physical or environmental strain resulting in limitations in occupational performance. Because of the variety and the diverse trends of approaches towards interventions for patients with chronic pain that exist in different cultures and settings, this study should be replicated in other contexts to increase the transferability of the findings. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical and pathological features of paediatric malignant rhabdoid tumours
Authors: Morgenstern Daniel A. , Gibson Sian , Brown Tanya , Sebire Neil J. , Anderson John 
Published: August 2009

AbstractBackgroundMalignant rhabdoid tumours (MRT) and their central nervous system (CNS) counterparts atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumours (ATRT) are rare, highly aggressive malignant neoplasms of childhood. Although there are isolated reports of long‐term survival with intensive, multimodal therapy, outcomes are generally poor.ProcedureWe conducted a retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with MRT/ATRT at Great Ormond Street Hospital over the 20 years from 1989 to 2009. All cases were subjected to expert pathological review including INI‐1 immunostaining.ResultsIn a final cohort of 34 cases, overall survival was 17.4%, with median survival 10.1 months. Outcome in patients aged <3 years was significantly worse (median survival 6.2 months vs. 19.2 months). Data demonstrated a statistically significant benefit of radiotherapy (median survival 14.9 months vs. 6.6 months), although this analysis is confounded by the impact of patient age. There were four long‐term survivors (>30 months), all of whom received chemotherapy with or without surgical resection or radiotherapy. In the present study, immunohistochemistry revealed no significant staining for either c‐Erb or c‐Met in any case, suggesting that targeting these molecules is unlikely to be of benefit in treating MRT/ATRT.ConclusionsIn view of poor outcomes, there is a clear need for new treatment strategies and the identification of novel molecular targets for MRT/ATRT. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010; 54:29–34. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparison of adverse events between oral and intravenous formulations of antimicrobial agents: a systematic review of the evidence from randomized trials
Authors: Kouranos Vasilios D. , Karageorgopoulos Drosos E. , Peppas George , Falagas Matthew E. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractBackgroundSome clinicians may favor a strategy of early switch to oral antimicrobial therapy for patients responding to initial intravenous therapy. An important relevant consideration refers to the comparative safety and tolerability between oral and intravenous antimicrobial therapy.Literature search/study selectionWe sought to evaluate the above‐mentioned issue by performing a systematic review of randomized studies comparing the occurrence of adverse events between oral and intravenous antimicrobial therapy with the same agents.FindingsTen relevant studies (five randomized controlled trials, three randomized cross‐over studies, and two randomized, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐design studies) were included. Seven of the studies evaluated antibacterials (fluoroquinolones in four, and telithromycin, amoxicillin‐clavulanic acid, and linezolid in one study each, respectively), whereas two studies evaluated ganciclovir, and one evaluated isavuconazole. No difference was observed in the rate of total adverse events between oral and intravenous administration of the same antimicrobial agents in any of the included studies that reported specific relevant data. Injection site reactions were noted more frequently with intravenous treatment in one study. No serious drug‐related adverse events were reported, while study withdrawals due to adverse events did not considerably differ between the compared groups in any of the included studies.ConclusionThere are only limited comparative data regarding the adverse events associated with the administration of the same antimicrobial agents by the oral and intravenous route. Our review indicates that the adverse event profile of oral and intravenous antimicrobial therapy does not differ considerably; however, this issue requires validation by further studies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy adherence and its determinants in selected hospitals from south and central Ethiopia
Authors: Beyene Kebede Abera , Gedif Teferi , Gebre‐Mariam Tsige , Engidawork Ephrem 
Published: August 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the adherence rate and its determinants among people living with HIV/AIDS on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in selected governmental hospitals from central and south Ethiopia.MethodologyA cross‐sectional study involving both qualitative and quantitative methods was conducted between August and October 2007 in Yirgalem, Hawassa, and Shashemene Hospitals. Quantitative data collection techniques include patient self‐report and unannounced pill count and the qualitative methods employed were focus group discussions (FGDs), semi‐structured interviews, and observations of health facilities.ResultsWhereas females accounted for 56.4% (238), male participants were 43.6% (184) of the total participants. Adherence rate was 93.1% using 15‐days self‐report, but the rate came down to 88.1% when calculated using the unannounced pill count method (n = 90). Multivariate analysis revealed that being unmarried (OR = 0.119, CI = 0.016–0.901, p = 0.039), unemployment (OR = 0.011, CI = 0.000–0.288, p = 0.007); failure to disclose HIV status (OR = 0.433, CI = 0.198–0.949, p = 0.037); lack of support from family (OR = 0.393, CI = 0.163–0.947, p = 0.037); or others (OR = 0.332, CI = 0.144–0.845, p = 0.043); alcohol drinking (OR = 0.210, CI = 0.071–0.617, p = 0.003); treatment regimen, stavudine(40)‐lamuvidine‐nevirapine (OR = 0.174, CI = 0.033–0.923, p = 0.040), azathymidine‐lamuvidine‐nevirapine (OR = 0.172, CI = 0.034–0.867, p = 0.033) and dosing three times daily (OR = 0.073, CI = 0.018–0.290, p = 0.000) regimens were found to be associated with non‐adherence. Moreover, time since diagnosis was associated with adherence, as those tested HIV‐positive ≥ 6 months prior to date of interview (OR = 4.064, CI = 1.23–19.316, p = 0.047) had better adherence rate.ConclusionThe adherence rate obtained in this study was higher than the rates seen in developed countries despite the fact that many of the participants live in very poor conditions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spontaneously reported adverse reactions in association with complementary and alternative medicine substances in Sweden
Authors: Jacobsson Ingela , Jönsson Anna K , Gerdén Barbro , Hägg Staffan 
Published: August 2009

AbstractPurposeAlthough the safety information is limited, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products is not without risks. Spontaneous reporting systems may be used in the surveillance of these products. We describe the pattern of spontaneously reported CAM related adverse reactions submitted to the Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA) and highlight areas of safety concern.MethodsAll adverse reactions spontaneously reported to MPA between 1987 and 2006, where at least one CAM substance was a suspected agent, were scrutinised. From each report information about the patient, adverse reaction/s, drug treatment/s, dosage, time relationship and outcome was retrieved.ResultsAmong a total of 64 493 reports, 778 reports concerned 967 suspected adverse reactions related to 175 different CAM products. The main distribution of suspected adverse reactions was: urticaria (8.3%), exanthema (7.4%) and contact dermatitis (5.7%). The most reported CAM substances were purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) (8.1%), purple coneflower + siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) + malabar nut (Adhatoda vasica) (7.3%) and ginkgo leaf (Ginkgo biloba) (6.7%). In 221 reports, at least one reaction was categorised as serious, the most frequent being pulmonary embolism (1.7%), mixed liver reaction (2.8%), and anaphylactic reaction (2.0%). Eleven of the serious adverse reactions had a fatal outcome.ConclusionsCAM substances were associated with a variety of adverse reactions. Some of these have previously been unrecognised or poorly documented and suggest further investigations. By stimulating the reporting of adverse reactions of CAM products, the signal detection power of the spontaneous reporting system may increase further. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Access to linked administrative healthcare utilization data for pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics research in Canada: anti‐viral drugs as an example
Authors: Rawson Nigel S. B. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractPurposeAdministrative healthcare utilization data from Canadian provinces have been used for pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics research, but limited transparency exists about opportunities for data access, who can access them, and processes to obtain data. An attempt was made to obtain data from all 10 provinces to evaluate access and its complexity.MethodsAn initial enquiry about the process and requirements to obtain data on individual, anonymized patients dispensed any of four anti‐viral drugs in the ambulatory setting, linked with data from hospital and physician service claims, was sent to each province. Where a response was encouraging, a technical description of the data of interest was submitted.ResultsData were unavailable from the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island, and inaccessible from British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario due to policies that prohibit collaborative work with pharmaceutical industry researchers. In Nova Scotia, patient‐level data were available but only on site. Data were accessible in Alberta, Quebec and Saskatchewan, although variation exists in the currency of the data, time to obtain data, approval requirements and insurance coverage eligibility.ConclusionsAs Canada moves towards a life‐cycle management approach to drug regulation, more post‐marketing studies will be required, potentially using administrative data. Linked patient‐level drug and healthcare data are presently accessible to pharmaceutical industry researchers in four provinces, although only logistically realistic in three and limited to seniors and low‐income individuals in two. Collaborative endeavours to improve access to provincial data and to create other data resources should be encouraged. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New fluorene‐based copolymers containing oxadiazole pendant groups: Synthesis, characterization, and polymer stability
Authors: Bondarev Dmitrij , Zedník Jiří , Vohlídal Jiří , Podhájecká Klára , Sedláček Jan 
Published: August 2009

AbstractA series of fluorene‐based copolymers containing hole blocking/electron transporting diphenyloxadiazole units were synthesized by means of Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling of selected aromatic dibromo‐ and diboronato‐ derivatives catalyzed with a Pd(PPh3)4 catalyst. All of the copolymers with various composition of main‐chain units were characterized by SEC chromatography, NMR, UV–vis, fluorescence and IR spectroscopy, and DSC. The emission stability of fluorene copolymers was improved by the replacement of alkyl groups on the C‐9 carbon of fluorene with aryl groups or by the incorporation of anthracene units into the copolymer main chain. A comparison of luminescence properties of pristine and annealed thin layers of studied copolymers was performed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4532–4546, 2009
Facile method to prepare monodispersed Ag/polystyrene composite microspheres and their properties
Authors: Cheng Xinjian , Tjong Sie Chin , Zhao Qiang , Li Robert K. Y. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThis article presents a facile method to prepare silver/polystyrene composite microspheres. In this approach, monodispersed polystyrene (PS) particles were synthesized with carboxyl acid groups on the surfaces of the PS particles via dispersion polymerization at first. With the addition of [Ag(NH3)2]+ to the PS dispersion, [Ag(NH3)2]+ was absorbed to the surfaces of the PS particles, and then by heating the system, [Ag(NH3)2]+ complex ions were reduced to silver to form the Ag/PS composite microspheres. In the synthesis of PS dispersion, PVP was used as dispersant to stabilize the PS particles, it also acted as reducing agent in the reduction of [Ag(NH3)2]+ complex ions to silver, so no additional reducing agent was needed. The resulting composite microspheres were characterized by TEM, SEM, XPS, and XRD. The catalytic properties and surface‐enhance Raman scattering (SERS) was studied as well. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4547–4554, 2009
Adhesion curves between two viscoelastic materials by a point‐contact method in a crossed‐cylinder geometry
Authors: Sakasegawa Daisuke , Suzuki Atsushi 
Published: August 2009

AbstractWe investigated an evaluation method of adhesion between two cylindrical viscoelastic materials by a point contact in a crossed‐cylinder geometry. The shape of the adhesion curve obtained in this technique is characterized not only by the maximum adhesion force, FA, but also by the adhesion force at complete separation, FS. To clarify the factors that determine the characteristic properties of the adhesion curve, the adhesion forces of a highly crosslinked polydimethylsiloxane were measured as a function of the separation velocity. As a result, FA and FS strongly depended on the separation velocity. To understand the experimental results, a simulation of the separation behavior was carried out using the Generalized Maxwell model, which could qualitatively reproduce the experimental observations. From these results, we discussed the factors that determine the adhesion curve and clarified the uniqueness and advantages of this evaluation method. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1778–1788, 2009
Investigations into the antibacterial activities of phytotherapeutics against Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni
Authors: Cwikla C. , Schmidt K. , Matthias A. , Bone K. M. , Lehmann R. , Tiralongo E. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThe prevalence of gastric diseases is increasing with H. pylori, the causative agent of acute and chronic gastritis, being a major predisposing factor for peptic ulcer disease and gastric carcinoma. C. jejuni is the most common cause of enteric infections, particularly among children, resulting in severe diarrhoea. Increasing drug resistance of these bacteria against standard antibiotics, and the more widespread use of herbal medicines, favours investigations into additional anti‐Helicobacter and anti‐Campylobacter effects of phytotherapeutics that are already used for their beneficial effects on bowel and digestive functions.Twenty‐one hydroethanol herbal extracts and four essential oils were screened for antibacterial activity using a modification of a previously described micro‐dilution assay and compared with the inhibitory effects of antibiotics. The herbal extracts showing the highest growth inhibition of C. jejuni were Calendula officinalis, Matricaria recutita, Zingiber officinale, Salvia officinalis, Foeniculum vulgare and Silybum marianum. Agrimonia eupatoria, Hydrastis canadensis, Filipendula ulmaria and Salvia officinalis were the most active herbal extracts in inhibiting the growth of H. pylori. This study provides evidence for additional beneficial effects of phytotherapeutics marketed for their gastrointestinal effects and identifies new beneficial antibacterial effects for some herbal medicines not currently recommended for gastrointestinal problems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.