bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) specific immune responses in anti-HCV positive patients without hepatitis C viraemia
Authors: Cramp M E , Carucci P , Rossol S , Chokshi S , Maertens G , Williams R , Naoumov N V 
Published: June 2010

BACKGROUND/AIMSMost patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) develop chronic infection and persistent viraemia. The immune mechanisms responsible for resolution of viraemia remain poorly understood. HCV specific humoral and cellular immune responses in patients with and without viraemia were investigated.METHODSIn vitro T helper (TH) lymphocyte responses to structural and non-structural HCV proteins were determined by means of proliferative response and cytokine production in 35 anti-HCV positive/HCV RNA negative patients and in 31 patients with chronic HCV infection and persistent viraemia. Humoral responses were determined by measuring HCV specific antibody quantity and specificity.RESULTSA TH response to two or more HCV proteins was present in 18 of 35 patients with serological viral clearance compared with just one of 31 viraemic patients (p = 0.00001). HCV specific interferon-γ production was increased only in the former group. In contrast, the antibody levels were significantly lower and directed at fewer HCV antigens in patients with undetectable HCV RNA.CONCLUSIONSPatients without viraemia after HCV infection frequently have strong TH lymphocyte responses of the TH1 type to multiple HCV antigens many years after the onset of infection, whereas antibody responses are less marked. These results suggest that control of HCV replication may depend on effective TH lymphocyte activation.
Prolonged large bowel transit increases serum deoxycholic acid: a risk factor for octreotide induced gallstones
Authors: Veysey M J , Thomas L A , Mallet A I , Jenkins P J , Besser G M , Wass J A H , Murphy G M , Dowling R H 
Published: June 2010

BACKGROUNDTreatment of acromegaly with octreotide increases the proportion of deoxycholic acid in, and the cholesterol saturation of, bile and induces the formation of gallstones. Prolongation of intestinal transit has been proposed as the mechanism for the increase in the proportion of deoxycholic acid in bile.AIMSTo study the effects of octreotide on intestinal transit in acromegalic patients during octreotide treatment, and to examine the relation between intestinal transit and bile acid composition in fasting serum.METHODSMouth to caecum and large bowel transit times, and the proportion of deoxycholic acid in fasting serum were measured in non-acromegalic controls, acromegalic patients untreated with octreotide, acromegalics on long term octreotide, and patients with simple constipation. Intestinal transit and the proportion of deoxycholic acid were compared in acromegalic patients before and during octreotide.RESULTSAcromegalics untreated with octreotide had longer mouth to caecum and large bowel transit times than controls. Intestinal transit was further prolonged by chronic octreotide treatment. There were significant linear relations between large bowel transit time and the proportion of deoxycholic acid in the total, conjugated, and unconjugated fractions of fasting serum.CONCLUSIONSThese data support the hypothesis that, by prolonging large bowel transit, octreotide increases the proportion of deoxycholic acid in fasting serum (and, by implication, in bile) and thereby the risk of gallstone formation.
Perception of and adaptation to rectal isobaric distension in patients with faecal incontinence
Authors: Siproudhis L , Bellissant E , Juguet F , Allain H , Bretagne J-F , Gosselin M 
Published: June 2010

BACKGROUNDPerception of, and adaptation of the rectum to, distension probably play an important role in the maintenance of continence, but perception studies in faecal incontinence provide controversial conclusions possibly related to methodological biases. In order to better understand perception disorders, the aim of this study was to analyse anorectal adaptation to rectal isobaric distension in subjects with incontinence.PATIENTS/METHODSBetween June 95 and December 97, 97 consecutive patients (nine men and 88 women, mean (SEM) age 55 (1) years) suffering from incontinence were evaluated and compared with 15 healthy volunteers (four men and 11 women, mean age 48 (3) years). The patients were classified into three groups according to their perception status to rectal isobaric distensions (impaired, 22; normal, 61; enhanced, 14). Anal and rectal adaptations to increasing rectal pressure were analysed using a model of rectal isobaric distension.RESULTSThe four groups did not differ with respect to age, parity, or sex ratio. Magnitude of incontinence, prevalence of pelvic disorders, and sphincter defects were similar in the incontinent groups. When compared with healthy controls, anal pressure and rectal adaptation to distension were decreased in incontinent patients. When compared with incontinent patients with normal perception, patients with enhanced perception experienced similar rectal adaptation but had reduced anal pressure. In contrast, patients with impaired perception showed considerably decreased rectal adaptation but had similar anal pressure.CONCLUSIONAbnormal sensations during rectal distension are observed in one third of subjects suffering from incontinence. These abnormalities may reflect hyperreactivity or neuropathological damage of the rectal wall.
Why children with inflammatory bowel disease are diagnosed at a younger age than their affected parent
Authors: Lee J C W , Bridger S , McGregor C , Macpherson A J S , Jones J E Lennard 
Published: June 2010

BACKGROUNDGenetic anticipation has been proposed to explain observed age differences at diagnosis of Crohn’s disease in affected parents and offspring.AIMSTo compare affected parent-child pairs with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis with a control group of non-familial patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in order to quantify whether ascertainment bias could account for this effect.METHODS137 affected parent-child pairs from 96 families and 214 patients with sporadic IBD were studied. Age at onset of symptoms and diagnosis were ascertained by interview and disease confirmed from clinical records.RESULTSOf the 137 affected parent-child pairs, 50 had Crohn’s disease only, 51 had ulcerative colitis only, and in 36, one had Crohn’s disease and the other ulcerative colitis. The median age of parents at diagnosis was 17.5 years older, 16 years older, and 18 years older in the Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and mixed disease families respectively (p<0.001 in each case). These observed age differences were compatible with those predicted from the regression lines of years of birth against age at diagnosis for the non-familial IBD patients. No evidence was found for an effect of parental sex on age at diagnosis or disease extent in offspring.CONCLUSIONSThere was no evidence of genetic anticipation or genomic imprinting of age at diagnosis in this sample of IBD families. Ascertainment bias is responsible for the age differences at diagnosis between affected parents and children.
Factors influencing hip protector use among community-dwelling older adults
Authors: Blalock Susan J , Demby Karen B , McCulloch Karen L , Stevens Judy A 
Published: June 2010

PurposeTo obtain a better understanding of the issues that influence hip protector use among community-dwelling older adults.MethodsThe study used a longitudinal, crossover design. A convenience sample of 32 participants used four different brands of hip protectors, each for a 1-week period. Data were collected by weekly telephone interviews and a mailed questionnaire administered at baseline and follow-up. Participant perceptions regarding hip protectors were assessed using both open-ended questions and Likert-type items.ResultsThe most common concerns about hip protectors mentioned in response to open-ended questions involved: discomfort, poor fit, inconvenience and unfavourable effects on appearance. Participants spontaneously mentioned at least one of these barriers in over 70% of the interviews. In contrast, participants spontaneously mentioned the protective benefits offered by hip protectors in only 16% of the interviews. The intention to continue using a particular hip protector after the study ended was associated with the number of hours the hip protector was worn during the study (p<0.01). After controlling for other variables, beliefs concerning the amount of protection that a hip protector provided was positively associated with the number of hours the hip protector was worn during the study (p<0.05) and the intention to continue using the hip protector after the study (p<0.01).ConclusionStudy findings suggest that the use of hip protectors by community-dwelling older adults is influenced by beliefs about both barriers to use and the amount of protection provided.
The inclusion of adult vehicle occupants in matched cohort studies of child restraint effectiveness: a study of potential bias
Authors: Rice Thomas M , Anderson Craig L 
Published: June 2010

ObjectiveTo determine whether either the inclusion of adults in matched cohort studies of passenger vehicle occupants or modification of age effects by collision severity biases child restraint risk ratios biases estimate of child restraint effectiveness.MethodsMonte Carlo data simulations were conducted to represent 10 000 collision-involved vehicles carrying a mix of children and adults. The effects of age category, adult seat belt use, child seat belt use, and child safety seat use were set to known values. Age was a modifier of the adult and child seat belt risk ratios and of the safety seat RR, and crash severity was a modifier of the age RRs. We also created an association between restraint use and collision severity to confound the restraint-death risk associations. RRs were estimated using conditional Poisson regression and compared with the true values.ResultsEstimated RRs for death were identical to the simulated values. The average child safety seat RR was 0.42 (true value 0.42), and the average seat belt RRs for children were 0.54 (true value 0.54) for those aged 0–3 years and 0.61 (true value 0.61) for those aged 4–17. Age effects were also correctly estimated, 1.69 (true value 1.69) for those aged 0–3 and 1.35 (true value 1.35) for those aged 4–17.ConclusionsNeither the use of matched sets of adults and children nor the modification of age effects by collision severity biases estimates of child restraint effectiveness in matched cohort studies.
A Need for Basic Research on Fluid-Based Early Detection Biomarkers
Authors: Martin Katherine J. , Fournier Marcia V. , Reddy G. Prem Veer , Pardee Arthur B. 
Published: June 2010

Abstract
Cancer continues to be a major cause of mortality despite decades of effort and expense. The problem reviewed here is that before many cancers are discovered they have already progressed to become drug resistant or metastatic. Biomarkers found in blood or other body fluids could supplement current clinical indicators to permit earlier detection and thereby reduce cancer mortality. Cancer Res; 70(13); 5203–6. ©2010 AACR.
Radiosensitization and Stromal Imaging Response Correlates for the HIF-1 Inhibitor PX-478 Given with or without Chemotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Schwartz David L. , Bankson James A. , Lemos Robert , Lai Stephen Y. , Thittai Arun K. , He Yi , Hostetter Galen , Demeure Michael J. , Von Hoff Daniel D. , Powis Garth 
Published: June 2010

AbstractGrowing tumors are hypoxic and respond to microenvironmental stress through increased expression of the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) transcription factor, resulting in an adaptive switch to glycolytic metabolism, angiogenic signaling, survival, and metastasis. HIF-1α expression is associated with tumor resistance to cytotoxic therapy and inferior patient outcomes. Pancreatic cancer is the most hypoxic of all solid tumors and remains refractory to current chemoradiotherapy. We have seen nuclear HIF-1α in 88% of human pancreatic ductal carcinoma but in only 16% of normal pancreas. Stroma adjacent to the pancreatic ductal carcinoma also showed HIF-1α in 43% of cases. We investigated the novel selective HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478 on in vitro and in vivo radiation response of human pancreatic cancer models. Inhibition of HIF-1α by PX-478 increased cell killing by radiation. In mice with Panc-1, CF-PAC-1, or SU.86.86 pancreatic xenografts, concurrent administration of PX-478 potentiated the antitumor effects of fractionated radiation, with or without combined treatment with 5-fluorouracil or gemcitabine. Alternative sequencing of PX-478 with fractionated radiotherapy suggests optimal radiosensitization with concurrent or neoadjuvant administration of drug. Early tumor responses to combined PX-478/radiation treatment could be rapidly and repeatedly quantified by vascular imaging biomarkers. Dual-tracer dynamic contrast enhanced–magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound imaging discriminated response to combined treatment prior to detection of differences in anatomic tumor size at 10 days posttreatment. Therefore, PX-478 is a mechanistically appealing and potentially clinically relevant enhancer of pancreatic cancer radiosensitivity, inhibiting tumor and stromal HIF-1 proangiogenic signaling and reducing the innate radiation resistance of hypoxic tumor cells. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(7); 2057–67. ©2010 AACR.
Silencing of Integrated Human Papillomavirus-16 Oncogenes by Small Interfering RNA–Mediated Heterochromatization
Authors: Palanichamy Jayanth Kumar , Mehndiratta Mohit , Bhagat Mohita , Ramalingam Pradeep , Das Brati , Das Prerna , Sinha Subrata , Chattopadhyay Parthaprasad 
Published: June 2010

Abstract
Double-stranded RNAs or small interfering RNAs (siRNA) targeting the promoters of genes are known to cause gene knockdown by a process known as transcriptional gene silencing (TGS). We screened multiple siRNAs homologous to one of the NF-1 binding sites in the human papillomavirus-16 (HPV-16) enhancer and identified one siRNA which causes specific TGS of the HPV-16 oncogenes E6 and E7 when transfected into two HPV-16–positive cell lines siHa and CaSki. This phenomenon was specific to the HPV-16 enhancer with no effect on the HPV-18 enhancer. TGS was associated with heterochromatization of the targeted region of the enhancer but no DNA methylation was noted during the time period studied. The choice of target in the enhancer was important as siRNAs differing by one or two bases showed no suppression of downstream gene expression. A low copy number enhancer-associated transcript was detected in the cell lines studied and its level decreased significantly after treatment with the siRNA that caused TGS. This supports the RNA:RNA model described previously for TGS. This siRNA which causes simultaneous silencing of E6 as well as E7 oncogenes by an epigenetic mechanism might be useful as a therapeutic modality for HPV-16–positive cervical and other epithelial cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(7); 2114–22. ©2010 AACR.
The Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles Carrying theE1AGene Enhance the Radiosensitivity of Human Cervical Carcinoma in Nude Mice
Authors: Shen Liang-Fang , Chen Jia , Zeng Shan , Zhou Rong-Rong , Zhu Hong , Zhong Mei-Zuo , Yao Ruo-Jing , Shen Hong 
Published: June 2010

AbstractTo explore the effects of early region 1A (E1A) carried by superparamagnetic dextran iron oxide nanoparticles (SDION) on the radiosensitivity of human cervical cancer. The xenograft mice with cervical cancer received weekly intratumoral SDION-E1A injection and a subsequent 50-Gy irradiation. The weekly relative tumor volume and the final tumor volume were compared among different experimental groups. p53 and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)/Neu expression in final tumor tissue was detected by reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot. The relative tumor volume and the final tissue volume in the SDION-E1A group was significantly smaller than that in Sham and SDION-Vector groups at each time points after irradiation (P &lt; 0.05). Exogenous E1A expression by SDION delivery significantly increased p53 expression, but inhibited HER-2/Neu expression in tumor tissue (P &lt; 0.05). The intratumoral delivery of exogenous E1A carried by SDION increases p53 expression but inhibits HER-2/neu expression, and enhances the radiosensitivity of human cervical cancer in xenograft mice. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(7); 2123–30. ©2010 AACR.
The Convective Instability Pathway to Warm Season Drought in Texas. Part II: Free-Tropospheric Modulation of Convective Inhibition
Authors: Myoung Boksoon , Nielsen-Gammon John W. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThis study is concerned with the modulation by convective instability of summertime precipitation in Texas as a mechanism for maintaining or enhancing drought. The important role of convective inhibition (CIN), its dependence on the temperature at 700 hPa and the surface dewpoint, and the mechanism by which soil moisture modulates precipitation through CIN were described in Part I of this two-part series study. This study, Part II, examines the dynamic and physical processes controlling the temperature at 700 hPa and elucidates the large-scale influences on convective instability and precipitation integrating the principal processes found in both Parts I and II.Back-trajectory analysis indicates that a significant contributor to warming at 700 hPa is the inversion caused by warm air transport from the Rocky Mountains and the Mexican Plateau where the surface potential temperature is greater than 307.5 K, rather than by subsidence. It was found that downward motion and warm air transport are enhanced in Texas when an upper-level anticyclonic circulation develops in the southern United States.Upper-level anticyclonic circulations in the southern United States, one of the distinctive features of central U.S. droughts, strongly affect Texas summertime precipitation by modulating the thermodynamic structure of the atmosphere and thus convective instability. Stationary anticyclonic anomalies increase CIN not only by enhancing warm air transport from the high terrain but also by suppressing the occurrence of traveling disturbances. The resulting reduced precipitation and dry soil significantly modulate surface conditions, which elevates CIN and decreases precipitation. The aforementioned chain reaction of upper-level anticyclone influences that is expected to play an important role in initiating and maintaining Texas summer droughts can be understood within the context of CIN.
Spatial normalization improves the quality of genotype calling for Affymetrix SNP 6.0 arrays
Authors: Chai High Seng , Therneau Terry M , Bailey Kent R , Kocher Jean-Pierre A 
Published: June 2010

Abstract

Background
Microarray measurements are susceptible to a variety of experimental artifacts, some of which give rise to systematic biases that are spatially dependent in a unique way on each chip. It is likely that such artifacts affect many SNP arrays, but the normalization methods used in currently available genotyping algorithms make no attempt at spatial bias correction. Here, we propose an effective single-chip spatial bias removal procedure for Affymetrix 6.0 SNP arrays or platforms with similar design features. This procedure deals with both extreme and subtle biases and is intended to be applied before standard genotype calling algorithms.

Results
Application of the spatial bias adjustments on HapMap samples resulted in higher genotype call rates with equal or even better accuracy for thousands of SNPs. Consequently the normalization procedure is expected to lead to more meaningful biological inferences and could be valuable for genome-wide SNP analysis.

Conclusions
Spatial normalization can potentially rescue thousands of SNPs in a genetic study at the small cost of computational time. The approach is implemented in R and available from the authors upon request.
Treatment of reducible unstable fractures of the distal radius in adults: a randomised controlled trial of De Palma percutaneous pinning versus bridging external fixation
Authors: Belloti João C , Tamaoki Marcel JS , Atallah Alvaro N , Albertoni Walter M , dos Santos João BG , Faloppa Flavio 
Published: June 2010

Abstract

Background
At present, there is no conclusive evidence regarding the best treatment method for reducible unstable fractures of the distal radius. This study compared the effectiveness of two methods used in surgical treatment of such fractures: percutaneous pinning and external fixation.

Methods
We randomly allocated 100 patients into two groups treated surgically with modified De Palma percutaneous pinning and bridging external fixation. Independent but not blinded evaluators administered the DASH quality-of-life questionnaire at postoperative months 6 and 24, performed functional assessment of pain, range of motion, and palm grip strength, and radiographic examinations (volar and radial angle, and height of the radius) before the operation, immediately afterwards, and at 6 and 24 months postoperative. Modified De Palma percutaneous pinning patients used an above-elbow cast whereas external fixation group had unrestricted elbow motion after surgery. Patients who for any reason demonstrated treatment failure or required additional interventions were followed up and their results were included in the group into which these patients had initially been randomised according to the intention-to-treat principle. A significance level of 5% (alpha = 0.05). was used for all statistical tests, such that tests presenting a p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results
Ninety one (58.8 mean age and 66 participants were female) were included in the final assessment at 24 months. The DASH questionnaire evaluation showed a statistically significant result favouring the De Palma group (mean difference = -7.1 p = 0.044) after six months, but this was not maintained at 24 months. There were no statistically differences between the groups with respect to palm grip strength. Analysis of the range-of-motion limitation index (uninjured side minus affected side motion of) showed a statistical difference (mean difference = 2.4 p = 0.043) favoring the external fixator group with regard to the supination movement 6 months after the operation; however, this was not maintained at 24 months. The final results of the radiographic evaluation were similar for the two groups. Overall, five patients developed complications: two with De Palma pinning and three with external fixation.

Conclusion
There was a small statistically significant difference favouring the De Palma method in early functional at 6 months according to the DASH questionnaire, and for supination movement favouring the fixator group. However, both were not clinical relevant. By 24 months the groups were similar for all outcomes

Trial registration
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN04892785