bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Transforming growth factor beta1 gene expression during vaginal wound healing in a rabbit menopause model
Authors: Abramov Y , Hirsch E , Ilievski V , Goldberg RP , Sand PK 
Published: July 2012

Objective  Surgical outcome following reconstructive pelvic surgery is largely dependent on the vaginal wound healing process. As peri‐ and post‐menopausal women are the most likely candidates to undergo these surgeries, it is important to understand the effect of estrogen deficiency on this process. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is an important mediator of wound healing. We sought to assess TGFβ1 gene expression during the vaginal incisional wound healing process in a rabbit menopause model.Design  Animal study.Setting  Animal laboratory.Sample  Sixty‐three rabbits were used for this study.Methods  Twenty‐one underwent bilateral oophorectomy, 21 underwent a sham surgery, and 21 served as controls. Eight weeks later, standardised full‐thickness 6‐mm diameter circular segments were excised from the vagina of all rabbits. Animals were killed sequentially, before wounding, and at 0, 4, 7, 14, 21 and 35 days after wounding, and the wounds were harvested.Main outcome measures  Wound closure and TGFβ1 gene transcription, as measured by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Results  Wound closure was significantly protracted (P < 0.02), whereas TGFβ1 gene expression was significantly increased (P < 0.0001) during the wound healing process in oophorectomised rabbits, as compared with both control and sham groups.Conclusion  Oophorectomised rabbits show protracted incisional vaginal wound healing associated with increased TGFβ1 gene transcription.
Fatally flawed? A review and ethical analysis of lethal congenital malformations
Authors: Wilkinson DJC , Thiele P , Watkins A , De Crespigny L 
Published: July 2012

Please cite this paper as: Wilkinson D, Thiele P, Watkins A, De Crespigny L. Fatally flawed? A review and ethical analysis of lethal congenital malformations. BJOG 2012;119:1302–1308.Prenatally diagnosed abnormalities that are associated with death in the newborn period are often referred to as ‘lethal malformations’. Yet, for many of the commonly described lethal malformations long‐term survival is possible if supportive interventions are provided. In this paper we analyse and review fetal or congenital lethal abnormalities. The designation ‘lethal’ overlaps with the concept of ‘medical futility’. The term is used for a heterogenous group of conditions, and hinders clear communication and counselling. We argue that the term should be avoided, and propose in its place a set of key questions that should be addressed by counselling.
Migraine, Headaches, and Cognition
Authors: Martins Isabel Pavão , Gil‐Gouveia Raquel , Silva Claudia , Maruta Carolina , Oliveira Antonio Gouveia 
Published: July 2012

Objectives and Background.— The possible effects of migraine on executive abilities remain controversial; hence, we studied inter‐ictal cognitive performance of individuals with migraine and non migraine headaches (NMH) compared with headache free controls.Design and Method.— In a cross‐sectional observational study, taking place in primary care, adults aged 50 or above were evaluated by a neurobehavioral battery including several executive measures. Present history of headache was sought, and migraine was diagnosed by the ID‐Migraine questionnaire. The effect of headache type on cognitive measures was analyzed with multiple regression with adjustment by diagnosis, age, gender, education, and depressive symptoms.Results.— Among 478 participants, 23.2% reported current headache, of whom 50 were NMH, and 61 were migraine headaches. No group differences were found in the majority of cognitive measures. Compared with controls, migraine subjects performed worse on a test of attention, while NMH participants presented more intrusions and worse discriminability in memory recognition plus a lower performance on semantic memory tests.Conclusion.— The presence of headaches in late adulthood was related to a worse performance on few measures of executive functioning, suggesting that cognitive impact is not specific to migraine but might be associated to headache.
Tension‐Type Headache or Migraine? Adolescents' Pain Descriptions Are of Little Help
Authors: Wager Julia , Hirschfeld Gerrit , Zernikow Boris 
Published: July 2012

Objective.— The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of pain descriptors (pain quality, pain intensity) assessed in a questionnaire to discriminate tension‐type headache (TTH) from TTH plus migraine in a sample of adolescents.Background.— Epidemiological studies assess pain characteristics via questionnaire and estimate prevalence rates based on these pain descriptions. According to International Headache Society criteria, the subjective pain quality and intensity for TTH and migraine differs and therefore should be able to discriminate the 2 diagnoses. The discriminative ability between TTH and TTH plus migraine may be a special challenge.Design and methods.— One hundred twenty‐two adolescents with pure TTH and 110 adolescents with TTH plus migraine aged 11‐18 years presenting to a tertiary pediatric pain clinic were included in the study. Questionnaire reports of pain intensity and quality were compared with physician's diagnosis as the gold standard. Mean differences as well as receiver operating characteristics were analyzed.Results.— Adolescents with TTH plus migraine reported more pulsating and less intense pain compared with pure TTH. Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that pain descriptors did not discriminate between groups. Diagnostic utility of descriptors was similarly low for older adolescents and parental proxy reports.Conclusions.— Pain intensity and quality assessed by questionnaires are not suitable to discriminate TTH from TTH plus migraine. This may lead to inaccurate prevalence estimates in epidemiological studies and may mislead practitioners in forming diagnostic hypotheses. The exclusion of these pain descriptors in questionnaires should be considered. More research systematically assessing the diagnostic utility of verbal pain descriptors in primary care and epidemiological samples is needed.
Spontaneous Behavioral Responses in the Orofacial Region: A Model of Trigeminal Pain in Mouse
Authors: Romero‐Reyes Marcela , Akerman Simon , Nguyen Elaine , Vijjeswarapu Alice , Hom Betty , Dong Hong‐Wei , Charles Andrew C. 
Published: July 2012

Objectives.— To develop a translational mouse model for the study and measurement of non‐evoked pain in the orofacial region by establishing markers of nociceptive‐specific grooming behaviors in the mouse.Background.— Some of the most prevalent and debilitating conditions involve pain in the trigeminal distribution. Although there are current therapies for these pain conditions, for many patients, they are far from optimal. Understanding the pathophysiology of pain disorders arising from structures innervated by the trigeminal nerve is still limited, and most animal behavioral models focus on the measurement of evoked pain. In patients, spontaneous (non‐evoked) pain responses provide a more accurate representation of the pain experience than do responses that are evoked by an artificial stimulus. Therefore, the development of animal models that measure spontaneous nociceptive behaviors may provide a significant translational tool for a better understanding of pain neurobiology.Methods.— C57BL/6 mice received either an injection of 0.9% saline solution or complete Freund's adjuvant into the right masseter muscle. Animals were video‐recorded and then analyzed by an observer blind to the experiment group. The duration of different facial grooming patterns performed in the area of injection were measured. After 2 hours, mice were euthanized and perfused, and the brainstem was removed. Fos protein expression in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis was quantified using immunohistochemistry to investigate nociceptive‐specific neuronal activation. A separate group of animals was treated with morphine sulfate to determine the nociceptive‐specific nature of their behaviors.Results.— We characterized and quantified 3 distinct patterns of acute grooming behaviors: forepaw rubbing, lower lip skin/cheek rubbing against enclosure floor, and hindpaw scratching. These behaviors occurred with a reproducible frequency and time course, and were inhibited by the analgesic morphine. Complete Freund's adjuvant‐injected animals also showed Fos labeling consistent with neuronal activation in nociceptive‐specific pathways of the trigeminal nucleus after 2 hours.Conclusions.— These behaviors and their correlated cellular responses represent a model of trigeminal pain that can be used to better understand basic mechanisms of orofacial pain and identify new therapeutic approaches to this common and challenging condition.
3 Tesla MRI‐Detected Brain Lesions after Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Atrial Fibrillation: Results of the MACPAF Study
Authors: HAEUSLER KARL GEORG , KOCH LYDIA , HERM JULIANE , KOPP UTE A. , HEUSCHMANN PETER U. , ENDRES MATTHIAS , SCHULTHEISS HEINZ‐PETER , SCHIRDEWAN ALEXANDER , FIEBACH JOCHEN B. 
Published: July 2012

MRI Results of the MACPAF Study. Background: Left atrial catheter ablation (LACA) is an established therapeutic approach to abolish symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF).
Objective:
Based on the prospective MACPAF study (clinicaltrials.gov NCT01061931) we report the rate of ischemic brain lesions postablation and their impact on cognitive function.
Methods:
Patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AF were randomized to LACA using the Arctic Front® or the HD Mesh Ablator® catheter. All patients underwent brain MRI at 3 Tesla, neurological, and neuropsychological examinations within 48 hours prior and after the ablation procedure.
Results:
There was no clinically evident stroke in 37 patients (mean age 62.4 ± 8.4 years; 41% female; median CHADS2 score 1 [IQR 0–2]) after LACA but high‐resolution diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) detected new ischemic lesions in 15 (41%) patients after LACA. Four (27%) of the HD Mesh Ablator® patients and 11 (50%) of the Arctic Front® patients suffered a silent ischemic lesion (P = 0.19). In these 15 patients, there was a nonsignificant trend toward lower cardiac ejection fraction (P = 0.07) and AF episodes during LACA (P = 0.09), while activated clotting time levels, number of energy applications, periprocedural electrocardioversion or CHADS2 score had no impact. Lesion volumes varied from 5 to 150 mm3 and 1 to 5 lesions were detected per patient. However, acute brain lesions had no effect on cognitive performance immediately after LACA. Of the DWI lesions postablation 82% were not detectable on FLAIR images 6–9 months postablation.
Conclusions:
According to 3 Tesla high‐resolution DWI, ischemic brain lesions after LACA were common but not associated with impaired cognitive function after the ablation procedure. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 24, pp. 14‐21, January 2013)
Outcomes of Ablation of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Patients on Chronic Hemodialysis
Authors: SAIRAKU AKINORI , YOSHIDA YUKIHIKO , KAMIYA HIROKI , TATEMATSU YASUSHI , NANASATO MAMORU , HIRAYAMA HARUO , NAKANO YUKIKO , KIHARA YASUKI 
Published: July 2012

AF Ablation in HD Patients. Introduction: It is not common for patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD) to undergo catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to show the outcomes of AF ablation in the HD patients.
Methods and Results:
Thirty HD patients who underwent pulmonary vein (PV) isolation for drug refractory paroxysmal AF were retrospectively studied, and their AF recurrence free rate and frequency of periprocedural complications were compared to 60 age‐ and gender‐matched control patients not requiring HD. A nonirrigated ablation catheter was used in both patient groups. During a mean follow‐up period of 821 ± 218 days, 16 (54%) of the HD patients remained free from AF recurrence without any antiarrhythmic agents versus 47 (78%) of the control patients with an initial ablation (P = 0.013). A second ablation procedure was performed in 12 patients with an AF recurrence, and consequently 20 (67%) of the HD patients were in sinus rhythm compared to 53 (88%) of the controls during a follow‐up duration of 747 ± 221 after the last ablation (P = 0.012). Bleeding from the venipuncture site requiring a prolonged hospital stay was identified in 2 HD patients and 1 control subject, while no life‐threatening complications were observed in either patient group.
Conclusion:
Although the success rate of the PV isolation in HD patients was far from satisfactory, it may be considered as one of the therapeutic options for them. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 1289‐1294, December 2012)
Impact of Helicobacter pylori on the clinical course of recurrent aphthous stomatitis
Authors: Arslan Taş Didem , Yakar Tolga , Sakalli Hakan , Serin Ender 
Published: July 2012

BackgroundRecurrent aphthous stomatitis is one of the most common lesions of oral mucosa. Helicobacter pylori is suggested as one of the etiological agents of recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Here, we conduct a study for evaluating the impact of H. pylori eradication on clinical course of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.MethodsForty‐six patients with minor aphthous lesions were enrolled. The number of RAS lesions at last 6 months and vitamin B12 levels were recorded. All patients were detected for H. pylori with endoscopic biopsy. H. pylori was positive in 30 patients and negative in 16 patients. H. pylori‐positive 30 patients received eradication therapy. Three months after therapy, patients were re‐evaluated with urea breath test; 18 patients were negative (eradicated), and the remainders (12 patients) were positive (non‐eradicated) for H. pylori. 6 months after eradication, vitamin B12 levels and number of aphthous lesions at 6 months were recorded.ResultsVitamin B12 levels were significantly increased in H. pylori‐eradicated group (P = 0.001), whereas no significant change was found in non‐eradicated group (P = 0.638). Mean number of aphthous lesions (per 6 months) of H. pylori‐eradicated group was significantly decreased after eradication (P = 0.0001); in the non‐eradicated group, no significant change was found (P = 0.677). In Hp‐positive group, number of RAS lesions and vitamin B12 levels were negatively correlated when evaluated both before and after eradication.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence to support the beneficial effect of H. pylori eradication in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis. The underlying mechanism might be the increase in vitamin B12 levels after eradication.
Maternal and fetal complications of systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Cauldwell Matthew , Nelson‐Piercy Catherine 
Published: July 2012

Key content

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune condition that has multi‐organ involvement.
It is approximately ten times more common in women than in men and is often diagnosed during the childbearing years.
SLE is known to increase the risk of spontaneous miscarriage; it can also cause fetal growth restriction and increased rates of sudden intrauterine death, pre‐eclampsia and preterm delivery.
Management of women with lupus nephritis can be difficult, as the disease may mimic and overlap significantly with pre‐eclampsia.
Multidisciplinary management of pregnant women with SLE ensures optimal surveillance of both mother and fetus.

Learning objectives

To understand how to manage pregnant women with SLE.

To understand the importance of pre‐pregnancy counselling for women with SLE.

To understand the features and associated risk factors which increase the chance of adverse pregnancy outcome in women with SLE.

To understand which therapies for SLE can be used safely in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

To understand the role of the multidisciplinary team in the care of women with SLE, particularly those with underlying organ impairment.

Ethical issues

When should women with SLE be advised against pregnancy?

At what point should termination of pregnancy be considered if there is deterioration in maternal health in early pregnancy?
Crystallographic Evaluation of Sodium Zirconium Phosphate as a Host Structure for Immobilization of Cesium and Strontium
Authors: Bohre Ashish , Shrivastava Om Prakash 
Published: July 2012

Sodium zirconium phosphate (NZP) is a potential material for immobilization of nuclear effluents. It was observed up to ~7.16 wt% (~2.67 mol%) of strontium and ~14.46 wt% (~3.56 mol%) of cesium could be simultaneously loaded into NZP formulations without significant changes in the three‐dimensional framework structure. The crystal chemistry of Na1−x(Cs1.33Sr1)xZr2P3O12 (x = 0.1–1.0) has been investigated using General Structure Analysis System programming. The CsSrNZP phases crystallize in the space group R‐3c and Z = 6. Powder diffraction data have been subjected to Rietveld refinement to arrive at a satisfactory structural convergence of R‐factors.
Effect of gland extracts on digging and residing preferences of red imported fire ant workers (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: Chen Jian , Zhang Guangmei 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThere is evidence that ant‐derived chemical stimuli are involved in regulating the digging behavior in Solenopsis invicta Buren. However, the source gland(s) and chemistry of such stimuli have never been revealed. In this study, extracts of mandibular, Dufour's, postpharyngeal, and poison glands were evaluated for their effect on ant digging and residing preferences of S. invicta workers from three colonies. In the intracolonial bioassays, workers showed significant digging preferences to mandibular gland extracts in 2 of 3 colonies and significant residing preferences in 1 of 3 colonies; significant digging preferences to Dufour's gland extracts in 1 of 3 colonies and significant residing preferences in 2 of 3 colonies. No digging and residing preferences were found for postpharyngeal and poison gland extracts. In intercolonial bioassays, significant digging and residing preferences were found for mandibular gland extracts in 3 of 6 colony combinations. Significant digging preferences to Dufour's gland extracts were found in 4 of 6 colony combinations and significant residing preferences in all 6 colony combinations. For postpharyngeal gland extracts, significant digging preferences were found only in 1 of 6 colonial combinations and no significant residing preferences were found. For poison gland extracts, no significant digging preferences were found; significant residing preferences were found in 1 of 6 colony combinations. However, a significant residing deterrence (negative residing preference index) was found for 2 of 6 colony combinations. Statistical analyses using data pooled from all colonies showed that mandibular and Dufour's gland extracts caused significant digging and residing preferences in both intracolonial and intercolonial bioassays but not postpharyngeal and poison gland extracts. By analyzing the data pooled from the same three colonies used for gland extract bioassays, it was found that, in no cases, workers showed significant digging and residing preferences to 2‐ethyl‐3,6‐dimethylpyrazine, an alarm pheromone component from mandibular gland.
Identifying stars of mass &gt;150 M⊙ from their eclipse by a binary companion
Authors: Pan Tony , Loeb Abraham 
Published: July 2012

Abstract
We examine the possibility that very massive stars greatly exceeding the commonly adopted stellar mass limit of 150 M⊙ may be present in young star clusters in the local universe. We identify 10 candidate clusters, some of which may host stars with masses up to 600 M⊙ formed via runaway collisions. We estimate the probabilities of these very massive stars being in eclipsing binaries to be ≳30 per cent. Although most of these systems cannot be resolved at present, their transits can be detected at distances of 3 Mpc even under the contamination of the background cluster light, due to the large associated luminosities ∼107 L⊙ and mean transit depths of ∼106 L⊙. Discovery of very massive eclipsing binaries would flag possible progenitors of pair-instability supernovae and intermediate-mass black holes.
Performance of two new, automated chemiluminescence assay panels for anticardiolipin and anti‐beta2‐glycoprotein I antibodies in the laboratory diagnosis of the antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Van Hoecke F. , Persijn L. , Decavele A.‐S. , Devreese K. 
Published: July 2012

SummaryIntroductionAnticardiolipin (aCL) and anti‐β2‐glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI) antibodies are two of the three laboratory criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). All assays for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), coagulation assays as well as ELISAs, show methodological shortcomings, which makes the search for better assays everlasting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of two new, fully automated systems (Zenit RA and HemosIL Acustar) applying chemiluminescent technology for aPL detection.MethodsThe study cohort consisted of a patient population presenting with thrombosis. In such patient population, the demonstration of aPL determines whether a patient has APS or not with implications for treatment. One hundred and twenty‐four patients with thrombotic complications, of whom 26 were patients with definite APS, were integrated in this study. Besides, aPL titres were compared to the Sapporo standards.ResultsResults of both systems agreed well with ELISA and mutually. Analysis of the discrepant results between Zenit and Acustar finally led to one misclassification as APS.ConclusionDiagnostic performances of both Zenit RA and HemosIL Acustar were comparable with odds ratios lower limits of CI of 5 for aβ2
GPI IgG for Zenit and Acustar and 6 and 5 for aCl IgG on Zenit and Acustar, respectively. However, even with these new automated systems, titres differed largely between systems, especially for aβ2
GPI IgG.
Capacity to consent to research: The evolution and current concepts
Authors: Peisah Carmelle , Vollmer‐Conna Ute , Kim Scott Y.H. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThe ethical problem of the need to conduct research on the very conditions that impair the ability to consent to such research is widely acknowledged. People with cognitive impairment and mental illness have an equitable right to research being conducted in areas relevant to their treatment and care, and should be given an equitable opportunity to participate in such research, even if they lack capacity. They also have a right to adequate safeguards to protect their interests and respect their wishes in regards to research participation. Provisions for involvement in research of those who are unable to give consent have only developed over the last 50 years. Over this period we have witnessed a proliferation of policies, regulations and laws that govern research involving subjects unable to give consent. There has been a parallel increase in our understanding of the concepts of consent and capacity, specifically as it relates to the research context, with development of standards for research consent and instruments to guide capacity evaluation. We review the evolution of research governance and the underlying ethical principles that underpin such regulations, approaches to capacity evaluation and the use of proxies and advance research directives to facilitate research participation in adults who lack capacity.
Hilbert schemes and Betti numbers over Clements–Lindström rings
Authors: Murai Satoshi , Peeva Irena 
Published: July 2012

AbstractWe show that the Hilbert scheme, that parameterizes all ideals with the same Hilbert function over a Clements–Lindström ring W, is connected. More precisely, we prove that every graded ideal is connected by a sequence of deformations to the lex-plus-powers ideal with the same Hilbert function. This is an analogue of Hartshorne’s theorem that Grothendieck’s Hilbert scheme is connected. We also prove a conjecture by Gasharov, Hibi, and Peeva that the lex ideal attains maximal Betti numbers among all graded ideals in W with a fixed Hilbert function.