bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Metformin associated with lower mortality in diabetic patients with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation
Authors: Chen Tsung‐Ming , Lin Chun‐Che , Huang Pi‐Teh , Wen Chen‐Fan 
Published: January 2011

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of cancer development and mortality. However, antidiabetic treatment with metformin can reduce the risk of cancer. We studied whether metformin users among diabetic patients with early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) would have a favorable survival compared with those without metformin treatment.Methods:  A total of 135 patients with early stage HCC having 162 tumors underwent RFA. Among them, 53 patients were diabetic, including 21 metformin users and 32 patients without metformin treatment.Results:  Diabetic patients had an inferior survival rate compared with nondiabetic patients (1 year, 82.8% vs 93.9%; 3 years, 55.1% vs 80.2%; 5 years, 41.3% vs 64.7%; P = 0.004). With regards to antidiabetic treatments, metformin users had better survival outcome (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07–0.80; P = 0.020) compared to patients without metformin treatment after adjustments for potential confounders. Sulfonylureas and insulin exposures did not achieve significant conclusions. For the whole studied population including nondiabetic and diabetic patients, the multivariate analysis revealed that maximum tumor size more than 2.5 cm (HR, 3.49; 95% CI, 1.74–6.99; P < 0.001) and diabetic patients without metformin treatment (HR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.67–6.71, P = 0.001) were independent explanatory variables associated with unfavorable survival.Conclusions:  Metformin users among diabetic patients with HCC undergoing RFA had a favorable overall survival compared with patients without metformin treatment.
Familial Amyloidosis A Histopathological Study
Authors: Tanimura Akira , Cho Takanori , Shinohara Yasuyuki , Yamaguchi Tatsuo , Nakashima Akihiko , Okuzono Hiroji , Kurinami Shigeru , Kitsu Takashi 
Published: January 2011

Four autopsy cases of familial amyloidosis were reported. The ages of the patients ranged from 37 to 51 years consisting of 3 males and 1 female. They all complained of neurological symptoms.Histologically, amyloid deposition in familial amyloidosis was different in site and grade from that of other types of amyloidosis, showing heavy deposition in nervous and endocrine system but no differences were found referring to deposition in other tissues. Electronmicroscopically, the peripheral nervous tissue was examined and amyloid fibrils were found to be deposited massively in interstices of nerve fiber.
Extratubular efflux and nephropathy
Authors: Shigematsu Hidekazu , Murakami Shino , Akikusa Bunshiro 
Published: January 2011

The extratubular efflux of periodic acid‐Schiff (PAS) positive material is used as a histological indicator of intrarenal reflux, and correlation of the PAS positive material and interstitial as well as glomerular changes were analyzed in 114 surgical specimens consisting of renal calculi, hydronephrosis, vesicoureteral reflux, and others. (1) The incidence of extratubular efflux was apparently higher in the kidneys of hydronephrosis. (2) PAS positive material was seen not only in the interstitium but also flowed into the venous and lymphatic spaces. (3) Potent interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration and larger amounts of PAS positive material were seen in the kidneys showing a moderate grade of hydronephrosis rather than renal calculi. (4) Global glomerular sclerosis was the most frequent glomerular lesion, and segmental sclerosis and crescentic epithelial reaction in a small number of glomeruli were also noted. These results imply that intrarenal reflux could play an important role in the development of various renal tissue injuries.Acta pathol. jpn. 34: 715∼726, 1984.
Inhibitor of plasminogen activator in human arterial wall: II. Biochemical Characterization
Authors: Okamura Takashi , Nanno Shigeru , Sueishi Katsuo , Tanaka Kenzo 
Published: January 2011

Fibrionlytic inhibitor was prepared from human aortas and some of its biochemical properties were investigated. The fibrinolytic inhibitor suppressed urokinase activity, but did not inhibit plasmin activity when assayed by fibrin plate method and synthetic fluorogenic substrate method. The urokinase inhibitor was a glycoprotein and migrated similar to α‐globulin upon fibrin‐agar electrophoresis. The molecular weight determined by gel filtration was approximately 98,000. The urokinase inhibitor was immunologically different from other known plasma protease inhibitors, such as α2‐plasmin inhibitor, α2‐macroglobulin, and α2‐antitrypsin. The interaction of urokinase with the inhibitor was dose‐dependent. Progressive inactivation of urokinase occurred by increasing time of incubation with the inhibitor at 37°C, and over 90% inhibition of urokinase required 30 min of incubation. The inhibitor of plasminogen activator in human aorta may be noteworthy in relation to thrombogenesis and atherogenesis.Acta pathol. jpn. 34: 749∼757, 1984.
A study on the mesothelial cell kinetics in pleural effusions by dna cytophotometry and autoradiography with tritiated thymidine3
Authors: Isoda Kötarö , Kim Hojin , Hamamoto Yüji 
Published: January 2011

On 34 samples of pleural fluid a cell kinetic study of mesothelial cells was carried out by Feulgen‐DNA cytophotometry and the autoradiographic estimation of 3H‐thymidine uptake. The generation time of mesothelial cells in malignant effusions was found to be shorter than in non‐malignant ones, though the cellular activity for both effusions was essentially the same. Furthermore, with the development of complicating pleuritis from the early stage to the fibrino‐fibrous stage, the appearance rate of 3H‐thymidine labeled and activated mesothelial cells in the DNA synthetic phase changed quite differently in both effusions. The differences were thought to be due to neoplastic invasion itself or inflammatory reactions to the neoplastic growth.Acta pathol. jpn. 34: 775∼783, 1984.
Progeria with cardiac hypertrophy and review of 12 autopsy cases in the literature
Authors: Shozawa Takeshi , Sageshima Masato , Okada Eikichi 
Published: January 2011

An autopsy of an 11 years 5 months old boy with progeria is presented. Hyaluronuria, low growth rate of skin fibroblasts, decreased number of T‐cells in lymphocyte subpopulation, increase of anti DNA antibody, and antibody for microsome of thyroid gland were detected clinically. He had suffered an attack of cerebral infarct and died of congestive cardiac failure. Pathologic findings were scleroderma‐like skin atrophy, moderate arteriosclerosis of the aorta and great arteries, severely narrowed coronary sclerosis with an extensive subendo‐cardial fibrosis, a large left cerebral infarct with pin‐holed stenosis of both internal carotid arteries, cortical atrophy of thymus, and atrophic lymph nodes. The cardiac muscle fibers were slightly hypertrophied and measured 15.5 ± 2.8 &#x006d;̈ in diameter. Histologic findings suggest that increasing of collagen in the connective tissue may play an important role in progeria. Further study of metabolic disturbance in the connective tissue of progeria is necessary.Acta pathol. jpn. 34: 797∼811, 1984.
Pain management in 100 episodes of severe mucositis in children
Authors: White Michelle C. , Hommers Clare , Parry Sarah , Stoddart Peter A 
Published: January 2011

SummaryObjective:  We aimed to review the pain management in 100 episodes of severe mucositis in children and determine the incidence of associated side effects.Background:  Mucositis is a painful, debilitating condition affecting the alimentary mucosa and occurs following many anticancer treatments. Severe pain associated with mucositis may necessitate reductions, delays or termination of anticancer therapy and so intravenous morphine, preferably by patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA) is the treatment of choice.Methods:  Retrospective review of consecutive episodes of mucositis in children requiring intravenous opioid analgesia over a 3‐year period (May 2006–April 2009).Results:  In 24/92 (26%) of cases, morphine PCA provided insufficient pain relief and children required adjuvant ketamine therapy. These children had rapidly increasing morphine requirements approaching 1000 mcg/kg/day by day 2 (more than double compared with children on morphine alone), were more likely to be female, and tended to be older (median [IQR] age 12 [6–12] years vs 7 [3–14] years). The addition of ketamine to the morphine PCA appears to be associated with reduced morphine consumption, improved pain scores, causing minimal side effects and no hallucinations.Conclusions:  Children with severe mucositis who have escalating morphine requirements may benefit from the addition of ketamine to their morphine PCA.
Mathematical Beauty and Perceptual Presence
Authors: van Gerwen Rob 
Published: January 2011

AbstractThis paper discusses the viability of claims of mathematical beauty, asking whether mathematical beauty, if indeed there is such a thing, should be conceived of as a sub‐variety of the more commonplace kinds of beauty: natural, artistic and human beauty; or, rather, as a substantive variety in its own right. If the latter, then, per the argument, it does not show itself in perceptual awareness – because perceptual presence is what characterises the commonplace kinds of beauty, and mathematical beauty is not among these. I conclude that the reference to mathematical beauty merely expresses the awe in the mathematician about the intricate complexities and simplicity of certain proofs, theorems or mathematical “objects.”
Imperfect Reasons and Rational Options
Authors: Portmore Douglas W. 
Published: January 2011

Abstract Agents often face a choice of what to do. And it seems that, in most of these choice situations, the relevant reasons do not require performing some particular act, but instead permit performing any of numerous act alternatives. This is known as thebasic belief. Below, I argue that the best explanation for the basic belief is not that the relevant reasons are incommensurable (Raz) or that their justifying strength exceeds the requiring strength of opposing reasons (Gert), but that they areimperfect reasons—reasons that do not support performing any particular act, but instead support choosing any of the numerous alternatives that would each achieve the same worthy end. In the process, I develop and defend a novel theory of objective rationality, arguing that it is superior to its two most notable rivals.
What Tipper is Ready for: A Semantics for Incomplete Predicates
Authors: Gauker Christopher 
Published: January 2011

Abstract This paper presents a precise semantics for incomplete predicates such as “ready”. Incomplete predicates have distinctive logical properties that a semantic theory needs to accommodate. For instance, “Tipper is ready” logically implies “Tipper is ready for something”, but “Tipper is ready for something” does not imply “Tipper is ready”. It is shown that several approaches to the semantics of incomplete predicates fail to accommodate these logical properties. The account offered here defines contexts as structures containing an element called a proposition set, which contains atomic propositions and negations of atomic propositions. The condition under which “Tipper is ready” is true in a context is defined in terms of the contents of the proposition set for the context. On this account, the content of the context pertinent to a conversation must be determined not by what speakers have in mind but by relations of objective relevance.
Did Kant Conflate the Necessary and the A Priori?
Authors: Stang Nicholas F. 
Published: January 2011

AbstractIt is commonly accepted by Kant scholars that Kant held that all necessary truths are a priori, and all a priori  knowledge is knowledge of necessary truths. Against the prevailing interpretation, I argue that Kant was agnostic as to whether necessity and a priority  are co‐extensive. I focus on three kinds of modality Kant implicitly distinguishes: formal possibility and necessity, empirical possibility and necessity, and noumenal possibility and necessity. Formal possibility is compatibility with the forms of experience; empirical possibility is compatibility with the causal powers of empirical objects; noumenal possibility is compatibility with the causal powers of things in themselves. Because we cannot know the causal powers of things in themselves, we cannot know what is noumenally necessary and what is noumenally contingent. Consequently, we cannot know whether noumenal necessity is co‐extensive with a priority. Therefore, for all we know, some a priori  propositions are noumenally contingent, and some a posteriori  propositions are noumenally necessary. Thus, contrary to the received interpretation, Kant distinguishes epistemological from metaphysical modality.
Can Counterfactuals Really Be about Possible Worlds?
Authors: Barker Stephen 
Published: January 2011

AbstractThe standard view about counterfactuals is that a counterfactual (A > C) is true if and only if the A‐worlds most similar to the actual world @ are C‐worlds. I argue that the worlds conception of counterfactuals is wrong. I assume that counterfactuals have non‐trivial truth‐values under physical determinism. I show that the possible‐worlds approach cannot explain many embeddings of the form (P > (Q > R)), which intuitively are perfectly assertable, and which must be true if the contingent falsity of (Q > R) is to be explained. If (P > (Q > R)) has a backtracking reading then the contingent facts that (Q > R) needs to be true in the closest P‐worlds are absent. If (P > (Q > R)) has a forwardtracking reading, then the laws required by (Q > R) to be true in the closest P‐worlds will be absent, because they are violated in those worlds. Solutions like lossy laws or denial of embedding won't work. The only approach to counterfactuals that explains the embedding is a pragmatic metalinguistic approach in which the whole idea that counterfactuals are about a modal reality, be it abstract or concrete, is given up.
What You Don't Know Can Help You: The Ethics of Placebo Treatment
Authors: GROLL DANIEL 
Published: January 2011

abstractIs it permissible for a doctor or nurse to knowingly administer a placebo in a clinical setting? There is certainly something suspicious about it: placebos are typically said to be ‘sham’ treatments, with no ‘active’ properties and so giving a placebo is usually thought to involve tricking or deceiving the patient who expects a genuine treatment. Nonetheless, some physicians have recently suggested that placebo treatments are sometimes the best way to help their patients and can be administered in an honest way. These physicians conclude that placebo treatments are a perfectly acceptable, and ethically unproblematic, mode of treatment.While I grant the common idea that placebos are deceptive is correct, I argue that widespread misunderstandings concerning why this is so has led proponents of placebo treatments to respond to the charge of deception in a way that misses the mark entirely. My goal in this paper, then, is to develop a precise conception of what makes something a placebo, which in turn will clarify the central charge concerning the ethics of placebo treatment, viz. that it is deceptive.
Inhaled innate immune ligands to prevent pneumonia
Authors: Evans Scott E , Tuvim Michael J , Fox Cory J , Sachdev Nidhi , Gibiansky Leonid , Dickey Burton F 
Published: January 2011

Epithelial surfaces throughout the body continuously sample and respond to environmental stimuli. The accessibility of lung epithelium to inhaled therapies makes it possible to stimulate local antimicrobial defences with aerosolized innate immune ligands. This strategy has been shown to be effective in preclinical models, as delivery of innate immune ligands to the lungs of laboratory animals results in protection from subsequent challenge with microbial pathogens. Survival of the animal host in this setting correlates directly with killing of pathogens within the lungs, indicating the induction of a resistance mechanism. Resistance appears to be mediated primarily by activated epithelial cells rather than recruited leucocytes. Resistance reaches a peak within hours and persists for several days. Innate immune ligands can interact synergistically under some circumstances, and synergistic combinations of innate ligands delivered by aerosol are capable of inducing a high level of broad host resistance to bacteria, fungi and viruses. The induction of innate antimicrobial resistance within the lungs could have clinical applications in the prevention of lower respiratory tract infection in subjects transiently at high risk. These include cancer patients undergoing myeloablative chemotherapy, intubated patients being mechanically ventilated, vulnerable individuals during seasonal influenza epidemics, asthmatic subjects experiencing a respiratory viral infection, and healthy subjects exposed to virulent pathogens from a bioterror attack or emergent pandemic. In summary, stimulation of the lung epithelium to induce localized resistance to infection is a novel strategy whose clinical utility will be assessed in the near future.LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Respiratory Pharmacology. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.163.issue‐1
Classification Tree Model Identifies Home‐based Service Needs of Japanese Long‐term Care Insurance Consumers
Authors: Naruse Takashi , Nagata Satoko , Taguchi Atsuko , Murashima Sachiyo 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACT
Objectives: To clarify care receivers' needs and unmet needs for home help or home nursing services during daytime and/or nighttime hours, and to identify the characteristic of elders who are most likely to need home care services.Design and Sample: We used a chi‐squared automatic interaction detection technique to analyze data from 92 care management researchers, who interviewed 280 caregivers.Measures: Demographic information, assessments of the statuses and service needs of elders.Results: We found that care receivers had more unmet needs at night than during the day. Daytime home help was needed by elders who (1) lived alone or (2) lived with just one person and whose primary caregiver was not their wife. Nighttime home help was needed by those who required assistance eating, and whose primary caregiver was male. Daytime home nursing was needed by elders who (1) received medical treatment instead of day care or (2) did not receive medical treatment, but had difficulty eating. Nighttime home nursing was needed by those who had unstable illnesses and whose medical treatments continued during the night.Conclusions: Our findings may help public health nurses assess community needs in order to effectively and efficiently manage health care resources.
Occult hepatitis B virus infection in Thai blood donors
Authors: Louisirirotchanakul Suda , Oota Sineenart , Khuponsarb Kalayanee , Chalermchan Wilai , Phikulsod Soisaang , Chongkolwatana Viroje , Sakuldamrongpanish Tasanee , Kitpoka Pimpun , Chielsilp Pimol , Tanprasert Srivilai , Tirawatnapong Thaweesak , Wasi Chantapong ,   the Working Group for NAT Study in Thai Blood Donations
Published: January 2011

BACKGROUND: An evaluation by the National Blood Center, the Thai Red Cross Society, of two commercial multiplex nucleic acid tests (NATs; the Chiron PROCLEIX ULTRIO test and the Roche Cobas TaqScreen MPX test) for screening Thai blood donors for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 identified 175 HBV NAT–reactive/hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐negative donors. The classification of the HBV infection of these donors was confirmed by follow‐up testing.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Index samples were tested for HBV serologic markers and HBV viral loads were determined. Donors were followed for up to 13 months and samples were tested with both NAT assays and for all HBV serological markers.RESULTS: Of 175 HBV NAT–yield donors, 72 (41%) were followed. Based on the follow‐up results, the majority of donors who were followed had an occult HBV infection (66.7%), followed by donors with a primary, acute infection (26.4%). The majority of donors in this latter group (20.8%) were in the window period. Three donors (4.2%), who were anti‐HBs positive, had a reinfection or breakthrough infection.CONCLUSION: The majority of donors detected during routine screening, who were HBsAg negative and NAT reactive, had an occult HBV infection, thus validating the decision to introduce NAT for blood donations in Thailand.
The Relationship Between Undergraduate Attendance and Performance Revisited: Alignment of Student and Instructor Goals
Authors: Westerman James W. , Perez‐Batres Luis A. , Coffey Betty S. , Pouder Richard W. 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACTWe revisit the relationship between attendance and performance in the undergraduate university setting and apply agency theory in the instructor–student context. Building on agency theory propositions in the educational setting advanced by Smith, Zsidisin, and Adams (2005), we propose that the student and instructor must align goals to promote the student's achievement of performance learning outcomes, and attendance functions as a behavior‐based alignment mechanism to encourage the convergence of faculty and student interests. Further, we propose that attendance does not equally affect lower‐ and higher‐performing students and that absences are also negatively related to students' cumulative grade point average. We test these hypotheses with data from undergraduates enrolled in management courses at a state university in the southeast. Our results show that attendance is positively related to exam performance, there are more pronounced negative effects of an absence for lower‐performing students than for higher performers, and absences are negatively related to a student's cumulative grade point average. We discuss the implications of our findings for students, instructors, and universities as well as practice in teaching and learning.
Early Recurrences after Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: When is the Proper Timing for Reablation?
Authors: WANG XINHUA , LIU XU , SHI HAIFENG , TAN HONGWEI , JIANG WEIFENG , WANG YUANLONG , YANG GUOSHU , ZHOU LI 
Published: January 2011

Background:
Early recurrences (ERs) within 1 month after paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation are common and may subside in a considerable proportion of patients. Although late reablation after 3 months is recommended, the proper timing for reablation remains undetermined.
Methods and Results:
One hundred and seventeen (31.2%) from the pool of 375 patients experienced ERs at 7.5 ± 5.5 days postablation. They were allocated into two groups randomly: early reablation group (ERe+) (n = 57) and nonearly reablation group (ERe−) (n = 60). Forty patients (70.2%) in ERe+ group underwent early reablation at 28.1 ± 2.7 days postablation. Forty patients (66.7%) in ERe− group underwent late reablation at 98.2 ± 5.2 days postablation. The proportion of reablation was comparable (P = 0.68). ERs subsided in 17 (29.8%) in ERe+ group and in 20 (33.3%) in ERe− group. In ERe+ group, PV reconnection in 36 (80.0%), non‐PV foci in six (10.5%), and right or left atrial flutter in five (8.8%) was abolished by ablation. In ERe− group, pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection in 29 (72.5%), non‐PV foci in eight (13.3%), and right or left atrial flutter in eight (13.3%) was ablated successfully. The proportion of PV reconnection, nonfoci, and atrial flutter was comparable, P = 0.45, 0.64, and 0.56, respectively. At the end of 16.5 ± 2.0 (ERe+ group) and 15.2 ± 2.6 (ERe− group) months’ follow‐up, 47 (82.5%) in ERe+ group and 51 (85%) in ERe− group were free of atrial tachyarrhythmias, P = 0.70.
Conclusions:
Compared with reablation 2 months later after initial ablation, early reablation at ≈1 month had similar clinical effectiveness. The proper timing for reablation can be set at ≈1 month after initial paroxysmal AF ablation. (PACE 2011; 709–716)