bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mortality and HIV transmission among male Vietnamese injection drug users
Authors: Quan Vu Minh , Minh Nguyen Le , Ha Tran Viet , Ngoc Nguyen Phuong , Vu Pham The , Celentano David D. , Mo Tran Thi , Go Vivian F. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTAims  To estimate all‐cause mortality rate and to assess predictors of all‐cause mortality among injection drug users (IDUs) in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam between 2005 and 2007.Design  Prospective cohort study.Setting  Community‐dwelling IDUs were enrolled and followed at 3‐month intervals for up to 2 years.Participants  A total of 894 male IDUs (median age of 32 years, 22.8% HIV‐positive, all having injected opioids).Measurements   Deaths were confirmed by family members and by reviewing government records. Marginal Cox proportional hazards models for clustered data were constructed to determine the independent predictors of all‐cause mortality, using both fixed baseline measurements and time‐dependent repeated measurements.Findings  During 710.1 person‐years of follow‐up, 45 (5.0%) drug injectors died. The causes of deaths were AIDS‐related (14 cases, 31%), drug overdose (12, 27%), suicide (three, 7%), traffic accident (three, 7%), violence (two, 4%), pneumonia (two, 4%), non‐traffic accident (one, 2%) and unknown causes (eight, 18%). The all‐cause mortality rate was 6.3% (95% CI = 4.6–8.5) per 100 person‐years. The standardized mortality ratio was 13.4. The HIV incidence rate was 5.2 (95% CI = 3.5–7.6) per 100 person‐years. In multi‐factorial analysis, HIV infection [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.9–6.3] and previous diagnosis of tuberculosis (HR = 10.0, 95% CI = 4.1–24.3) were associated significantly with increased hazard of death.Conclusions  The all‐cause, age‐ and sex‐standardized mortality among Vietnamese IDUs is 13‐fold higher than the general population and substantially higher than IDUs studied in developed countries. Effective prevention and control of HIV infection and tuberculosis are needed urgently.
Treating heavy smokers in primary care with the nicotine nasal spray: randomized placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Stapleton John A. , Sutherland Gay 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTAims  Of six established nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) formulations, only the gum and patch have been tested without specialist clinic support in placebo‐controlled trials. We aimed to broaden the evidence base by examining if the nicotine nasal spray (NNS) could be effective with only brief support in general practice.Design  Randomized placebo‐controlled trial.Setting  Twenty‐seven English general practices.Participants  A total of 761 heavy smokers received brief support and 12 weeks of treatment with NNS (506) or placebo (255).Measurements  The primary outcome was biochemically verified complete abstinence from smoking throughout weeks 3–12.Findings  NNS compared with placebo more than doubled the number who successfully stopped smoking [15.4% versus 6.7%, odds ratio (OR) = 2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.5–4.4]. Many participants reported minor irritant adverse symptoms. NNS was particularly effective among those who were more highly dependent on nicotine (OR = 6.17, 95% CI = 2.13–17.9). Of those who failed to stop during the first week (417, 54.8%), only one (0.2%) achieved later success.Conclusions  NNS is effective when given in primary care. The benefit was lower than in a specialist clinic but similar to that with the nicotine patch in primary care. Unlike most other NRT formulations, bupropion or varenicline, NNS was especially helpful for more dependent smokers. Continuing treatment of those initially failing was not beneficial. An initial 1‐week prescription to those more dependent on nicotine is likely to be the most cost‐effective NNS treatment protocol. These results should offer support to the effectiveness of the other NRT formulations untested in this setting.
Effects of competition on tree radial‐growth vary in importance but not in intensity along climatic gradients
Authors: Kunstler Georges , Albert Cécile H. , Courbaud Benoît , Lavergne Sébastien , Thuiller Wilfried , Vieilledent Ghislain , Zimmermann Niklaus E. , Coomes David A. 
Published: November 2010

Summary 1. Plant interactions play a central role in regulating plant communities and this role can be altered by abiotic stress. With increasing stress, ecological theory predicts that the role of competition decreases whilst that of facilitation increases. Such predictions have been tested with short‐term plant removal experiments using two distinct indices evaluating the role of plant interactions: the intensity (absolute impact) and the importance (impact relative to that of other abiotic constraints) of plant interactions. 2. Using data on individual tree radial growth from more than 17 000 forest plots covering the habitat conditions of 16 species in the Alps and the Jura mountains of France, we show that non‐manipulative estimates of plant interactions provide an alternative to this experimental approach. We developed a Bayesian neighbourhood growth competition model to test theoretical predictions about plant–plant interactions with a much larger spatio‐temporal scope and set of study species than classically used in experimental studies of plant–plant interactions. 3. Our analyses revealed that competition – measured as neighbours effects on adult tree growth – varies in importance but not in intensity along two major bioclimatic gradients (degree‐day sum and water availability). Observed patterns of competition importance differed between shade‐tolerant and shade‐intolerant tree species. First, the mean importance of competition was found to be much higher for shade‐intolerant species. Second, for shade‐intolerant species the importance of competition remained high even at low crowding indices (i.e. at a low competitor density), whereas for shade‐tolerant species competition only became important at high crowding indices. 4.
Synthesis. Our non‐manipulative approach to the study of plant–plant interactions allows analysing interactions among many species over large climatic gradients. Our results clearly demonstrate that a quantitative estimation of density dependence effects is key to understanding how plant–plant interactions vary along abiotic gradients. Growth predictions derived from our model can easily be integrated with other results on tree regeneration and mortality in individual‐based models to investigate how plant–plant interactions drive tree population and community dynamics under varying climatic conditions.
Neurological soft signs in non‐psychotic patients with cannabis dependence
Authors: Dervaux Alain , Bourdel Marie‐Chantal , Laqueille Xavier , Krebs Marie‐Odile 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTPsychomotor performance has consistently been found to be altered in chronic cannabis users. Neurological soft signs (NSS) reflect neurological dysfunction involving integrative networks, especially those involving the cerebellum, where cannabinoid receptors are particularly concentrated. Our objective was to study, for the first time, NSS in a group of patients with cannabis dependence compared with a of healthy control subjects, matched for age, gender and level of education. All outpatients seeking treatment for chronic cannabis use in the substance abuse department of Sainte‐Anne Hospital in Paris between June 2007 and May 2009 and meeting the cannabis dependence DSM‐IV criteria were included in the study (n = 45). Patients with psychotic disorders, bipolar 1 disorder and current alcohol, opioid or cocaine dependence were excluded. All patients and controls were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies, which screens for lifetime DSM‐IV diagnoses, and the Standardized Neurological Examination of Neurological Soft Signs. NSS scores were significantly higher in patients with cannabis dependence compared with healthy subjects (8.90 ± 4.85 versus 6.71 ± 2.73, respectively, Mann–Whitney: U = 775.0, P = 0.05). Patients had particularly high scores on motor coordination and sensory integration NSS factors. Cannabis dependence is associated with more NSS and especially motor coordination and sensory integration signs. These results suggest that cannabinoids interact with the brain networks underlying NSS, known to be altered in schizophrenia.
Proteomic analysis of functional dyspepsia in stressed rats treated with traditional Chinese medicine “Wei Kangning”
Authors: Wei Wei , Li Xia , Hao Jianjun , Zhang Rong , Guo Jianli , Zong Yiqiang , Lu Yanjun , Qu Shen , Tian Jun 
Published: November 2010

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Chinese traditional medical science is generally used as a therapeutic method against functional dyspepsia (FD) in China. Although great effort is made to understand the pharmaceutical mechanisms of Chinese traditional medicine, such as typical traditional Chinese medicine, Wei Kangning, there are still many mysteries to be uncovered.Methods:  The model of FD was established by stimulating rats via tail damping and the rats were treated with traditional Chinese medicine, Wei Kangning. The proteins of the rat gastrointestinal tissues were extracted and run by 2‐DE, then the differential proteins were identified using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionisation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and validated with Western blotting or fluorescent quantitation polymerase chain reaction.Results:  A total of 228 unique proteins in FD model rats were detected with significant changes in their expression levels corresponding with traditional Chinese medicine, Wei Kangning, administration. Twenty‐eight of these proteins were identified, which are involved in many biological functions, such as organism antioxidant enzymes, energy metabolism, glutathione S‐transferase, pi2, superoxide dismutase 2 and alpha‐enolase and so on.Conclusions:  These proteomic results presented therefore provide additional support to the hypothesis that glutathione S‐transferase, pi2, superoxide dismutase 2, α‐enolase and voltage‐dependent anion channel are the targets of FD treated with traditional Chinese medicine, Wei Kangning.
Laryngeal penetration and aspiration in individuals with stable COPD
Authors: CVEJIC Lydia , HARDING Richard , CHURCHWARD Thomas , TURTON Anthony , FINLAY Paul , MASSEY David , BARDIN Philip G. , GUY Paul 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTBackground and objective:  Swallowing is closely coordinated with breathing but in COPD altered synchronization may predispose patients to a breach of the upper airway protective mechanisms. However, aspiration during swallow has never been shown in COPD. We examined penetration of liquid material into the airway of patients with COPD and correlated it with breathing‐swallow patterns.Methods:  A case–control study was performed. Patients with COPD (n = 16) were matched with normal control subjects (n = 15). Sub‐mandibular videofluoroscopy was carried out during swallow of graduated volumes of barium to detect penetration (contrast enters the airway and may contact vocal folds) and aspiration (contrast passes glottis). Respiration was monitored simultaneously to gauge synchronization. Hospitalization and mortality were assessed after 36 months.Results:  Penetration/aspiration scores were higher in patients with COPD (3.3 ± 0.7 vs 1.6 ± 0.4 in healthy controls, P = 0.03; mean ± SE). Penetration with aspiration was observed in 4/16 patients with COPD versus 1/15 controls (P = 0.07). Penetration with or without aspiration was found in 6/16 patients (P = 0.04). Inspiration‐swallow‐expiration patterns were favoured in individuals with COPD (P = 0.02). Penetration/aspiration was associated with higher respiratory rates (P = 0.01), reduced hyoid elevation (P = 0.04), post‐swallow larynx penetration (P = 0.05) and oxygen desaturation (P = 0.01). There was a trend for the penetration/aspiration group to have an adverse outcome.Conclusions:  Upper airway protective mechanisms may be flawed in COPD, possibly through reduced coordination of breathing with swallowing. This abnormality may contribute to COPD morbidity in a subgroup of patients.
Security rules and banned items in psychiatric acute admission wards in Athens, Greece
Authors: Koukia Evmorfia , Giannouli Eleni , Gonis Nikolaos , Douzenis Athanassios 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTMental health nurses play a key role in maintaining the safety of patients, themselves, and others during hospitalization. The aim of the research was to evaluate the safety measures that are taken by mental health nurses to identify the security policies that exist in acute mental health wards. The Ward Safety and Security Rules Survey was used as a method of data collection. Descriptive analysis and content analysis were carried out in order to identify nurses' practices. The total sample consisted of 172 mental health nurses and nurses' assistants who worked in 14 acute inpatient psychiatric wards in three psychiatric hospitals in the greater area of Athens, Greece. The results show a minimum number of security features existing in the wards. Only one of the 14 wards had an intercom system. In only nine wards, there was a panic alarm in the office, and in eight, an emergency response telephone extension. A wide range of practices were noted concerning banned items and patient searches upon admission and return from leave. The results indicate the significant lack of protocols and specific safety rules to guide nurses' actions across psychiatric acute admission wards in Athens.
Alexithymia and script‐driven emotional imagery in healthy female subjects: no support for deficiencies in imagination
Authors: BAUSCH SANDRA , STINGL MARKUS , HARTMANN LUISA C. , LEIBING ERIC , LEICHSENRING FALK , KRUSE JOHANNES , STARK RUDOLF , LEWEKE FRANK 
Published: November 2010

Bausch, S., Stingl, M., Hartmann, L.C., Leibing, E., Leichsenring, F., Kruse, J., Stark, R. & Leweke, F. (2011). Alexithymia and script‐driven emotional imagery in healthy female subjects: no support for deficiencies in imagination. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 179–184.Alexithymia is associated with a limited access to inner emotional processes. Furthermore, alexithymia is assumed to be characterized by a limited ability to use imagination. To evaluate the frequently proposed thesis of a reduced imagination ability in alexithymic persons, 25 high and 24 low alexithymic women self‐rated their imagination ability. Furthermore, the electrodermal activity (EDA) during script‐driven emotional imagination was determined and valence, arousal, and vividness of the respective imaginations were rated. Our results indicate no significant differences between high and low alexithymic women in the self‐rated imagination ability, the EDA during imagination and the ratings of valence, arousal and vividness. The study provides evidence that healthy high alexithymic women are capable of differentiated emotional imagination.
Qualitative Business Surveys: Signal or Noise?
Authors: Lui Silvia , Mitchell James , Weale Martin 
Published: November 2010

SummaryThe paper identifies the information content at the firm level of qualitative business survey data by examining the consistency between these data and the quantitative data that are provided by the same respondents to the UK’s Office for National Statistics in official surveys. Since the qualitative data are published ahead of the quantitative data the paper then assesses the ability of the qualitative data to predict the firm level quantitative data.
Histological evaluation of residual basal cell carcinoma after shave biopsy prior to Mohs micrographic surgery
Authors: Alcalay J. , Alkalay R. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractBackground  Patients who are referred for Mohs surgery after pre‐operative biopsy has been performed show in some cases no clinical or pathological evidence of tumour persistence. We have previously shown that 25% of these patients show no residual skin cancer either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. The reasons for ‘disappearance’ of the tumour may be true non‐persistence or false non‐persistence because of wrong‐site Mohs surgery.Objective  To determine the incidence of residual basal cell carcinoma after shave biopsy of primary nodular basal cell carcinoma prior to Mohs micrographic surgery.Methods  A prospective unblinded study was performed on patients undergoing Mohs surgery for primary nodular basal cell carcinoma. The tumour was removed as a shaved excision using a No. 15 blade at the clinical borders like a shave biopsy (Mohs shave). The bases of the tumors were excised and then sectioned vertically at the middle and cut to the periphery at 10–15 μm intervals till the edge.Results  Fifty‐one patients were evaluated. In 40 patients, residual basal cell carcinoma was found at the base of the shave excision site (78.4%).Conclusions  Pre‐operative shave biopsy performed during Mohs surgery for primary nodular basal cell carcinoma is ‘curative’ in 22% of the patients.
Skin carotenoid levels in adult patients with psoriasis
Authors: Lima X.T. , Kimball A.B. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractBackground  Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease that not only affects the skin but can also have systemic implications such as obesity and nutritional deficiencies. Carotenoids are vitamin A provitamins with anti‐oxidant properties that are present in human tissues including skin.Objectives  To determine whether psoriasis is associated with lower levels of skin carotenoid levels.Methods  In this cross‐sectional study, skin carotenoid levels were measured on the palms of 44 patients with psoriasis and 72 patients without psoriasis. A linear regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between psoriasis and carotenoid levels (primary aim) and to determine if severity of disease was associated with carotenoid levels (secondary aim). Potential confounders included demographic factors, smoking status, body mass index and multivitamin intake.Results  The mean carotenoid levels in the psoriasis and no psoriasis groups were respectively 22 099 and 29 180 and presence of psoriasis was found to be significantly related to lower levels of carotenoids in both univariable and multivariable analysis (P < 0.05). In the psoriasis group, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score was not significantly related to carotenoid levels (P = 0.07).Conclusions  Patients with psoriasis appear to have lower skin carotenoid counts than patients without psoriasis.
Antimigraine Efficacy of Telcagepant Based on Patient's Historical Triptan Response
Authors: Ho Tony W. , Olesen Jes , Dodick David W. , Kost James , Lines Christopher , Ferrari Michel D. 
Published: November 2010

(Headache 2011;51:64‐72)Objective.— To evaluate whether the same or different patients respond to triptans and telcagepant.Background.— Telcagepant is an oral calcitonin gene‐related peptide receptor antagonist with acute antimigraine efficacy comparable to oral triptans. It is currently unknown whether migraine patients who cannot be adequately helped with triptans might benefit from treatment with telcagepant.Methods.— Post‐hoc analysis of data from a randomized, controlled trial of telcagepant (150 mg, 300 mg) zolmitriptan 5 mg, or placebo for a moderate/severe migraine. Responder rates were analyzed according to patients' self‐reported historical triptan response (HTR): (1) good HTR (N = 660): response in 75‐100% of attacks; (2) intermediate HTR (N = 248): response in 25‐74% of attacks; (3) poor HTR/no use (N = 407): response in <25% of attacks, or patient did not take triptans. A limitation of the analysis is that the last subgroup comprised mainly (91%) patients who reported that they did not take triptans, but it was not known whether these patients were triptan‐naïve or had previously used triptans and stopped taking them.Results.— For zolmitriptan, 2‐hour pain relief rates were higher in the good HTR subgroup (116/162, 72%) than in the intermediate (29/62, 47%) and poor/no use (44/111, 40%) HTR subgroups. The 2‐hour pain relief rates were similar across HTR subgroups for telcagepant 150 mg (48‐58%), 300 mg (52‐58%), and placebo (26‐31%). In the poor/no use HTR subgroup, more patients receiving telcagepant 300 mg (56/98, 57.1%) had 2‐hour pain relief than those receiving zolmitriptan (44/111, 39.6%; odds ratio = 2.11 [95% CI: 1.20,3.71], P = .009); the percentage for telcagepant 150 mg (57/119, 47.9%) was not significantly different from zolmitriptan (odds ratio = 1.41 [95% CI: 0.82, 2.40], P = .211).Conclusions.— This suggests that different patients may respond to triptans or telcagepant 300 mg. Caution should be exercised in interpreting the results because of the post‐hoc nature of the analysis (clinical trial registry: NCT00442936).
Rotation of the Solar system planets and the origin of the Moon in the context of the tidal downsizing hypothesis
Authors: Nayakshin Sergei 
Published: November 2010

Abstract
It has been proposed recently that the first step in the formation of both rocky and gas giant planets is dust sedimentation into a solid core inside a gas clump (giant planet embryo). The clumps are then assumed to migrate closer to the star where their metal poor envelopes are sheared away by the tidal forces or by an irradiation-driven mass loss. We consider the implications of this hypothesis for natal rotation rates of both terrestrial and gas giant planets. It is found that both types of planets may rotate near their breakup angular frequencies at birth. The direction of the spin should coincide with that of the parent disc and the star, except in cases of embryos that had close interactions or mergers with other embryos in the past. Furthermore, the large repository of specific angular momentum at birth also allows formation of close binary rocky planets inside the same embryos. We compare these predictions with rotation rates of planets in the Solar system and also question whether the Earth—Moon pair could have been formed within the same giant planet embryo.
Treatment of Aqueous Nitrate by Zero Valent Iron Powder in the Presence of CO2 Bubbling
Authors: Hsu Chiung‐Yuan , Liao Chih‐Hsiang , Lu Ming‐Chun 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThis paper investigates a process for the removal of nitrate from ground water by combination of Fe° and CO2 bubblin*** The bubbling of CO2 effectively creates an acidic environment favorable to Fe° corrosion, which results in nitrate reduction. I 10 min, the solution pH dropped to 3.2 with CO2 inflow rate of 500 mL/min. In the presence of Fe° (2 g/L), the CO2 bubblin (500 mL/min) induced conversion of nitrate‐N (∼7 mg/L) by 85% in 40 min. In addition, the end product in the reaction mi***xture was ammonium, which accounts for 90% to 104% of nitrate conversion with the presence of various iron dosages (0.5 t 2.0 g/L). Though the formation of ammonium is a drawback, the ammonium was eliminated from aqueous phase by a follow up treatment of settling (30 min) and air aeration (50 min).