bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Allergy, total serum immunoglobulin E, and airflow in children and adolescents in TENOR
Authors: Haselkorn Tmirah , Szefler Stanley J. , Simons F. E. R. , Zeiger Robert S. , Mink David R. , Chipps Bradley E. , Borish Larry , Wong Dennis A. ,   for the TENOR Study Group
Published: April 2010

Haselkorn T, Szefler SJ, Simons FER, Zeiger RS, Mink DR, Chipps BE, Borish L, Wong DA, for the TENOR Study Group. Allergy, total serum immunoglobulin E, and airflow in children and adolescents in TENOR. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: 1157–1165. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/SIn children and adolescents with difficult‐to‐treat asthma, few data exist characterizing the relationships between basic patient characteristics (e.g., age, sex) and atopic indicators in asthma. These associations were examined in The Epidemiology and Natural History of Asthma: Outcomes and Treatment Regimens (TENOR), an observational study of a large cohort of patients with severe or difficult‐to‐treat asthma. To characterize allergy patterns and the relationship between total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and airflow in young patients with severe or difficult‐to‐treat asthma. A total of 1261 patients from the TENOR study were stratified into four age groups at baseline (6–8, 9–11, 12–14, and 15–17 yr). The objective was to characterize allergy patterns and the relationship between total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and ratio of pre‐bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) in young patients with severe or difficult‐to‐treat asthma. The chi‐square test for categorical variables and analysis of variance for continuous variables were used to identify significant differences among age groups. Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate the association between IgE and FEV1/FVC. Allergic rhinitis was reported in approximately two‐thirds of patients. Up to 25% of patients had atopic dermatitis, which differed across age groups in boys (p < 0.05). Positive allergen skin test rate differed across age groups in boys (p < 0.05). Rates of asthma triggers were higher and differed across age groups in girls (p < 0.05), particularly around menarche (12–14 yr). IgE levels were higher in boys and differed across age groups in boys (p < 0.01) and girls (p < 0.05). IgE was associated with a lower FEV1/FVC after adjusting for age and sex (p < 0.01). Severe or difficult‐to‐treat asthma in children and adolescents is characterized by high frequencies of comorbid allergic diseases, allergen sensitization, and high IgE levels. This burden is amplified by the association of more airflow limitation with higher IgE levels, suggesting the need for allergy evaluations.
Contact urticaria caused by a fluorescent dye
Authors: Sugiura Keiji , Sugiura Mariko , Sasaki Kazumi , Mori Ayumi 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTA 28‐year‐old man developed urticaria while he was working in the garage. We suspected contact urticaria, which can be caused by some products used in his field, and we carried out a prick test using his work gloves and shoes. His gloves were orange and black in colour, his shoes were black and white in colour, and the materials they were made of were unknown. The results of the prick test using the gloves and shoes were positive. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was applied, and a fluorescent dye was found to be present in his gloves and shoes. The results of a prick test using the fluorescent dye were positive. His urticaria improved after he stopped using these gloves and shoes. This was a rare case of contact urticaria caused by a fluorescent dye in clothing.
Review: T helper 17 cells: Their role in glomerulonephritis
Authors: OOI JOSHUA D , KITCHING A RICHARD , HOLDSWORTH STEPHEN R 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTT helper (Th) cells are an integral part of the host's immune response to eliminate invading pathogens. However, autoimmune or ‘autoinflammatory’ diseases can develop if Th cell responses are not effectively regulated. Several subsets of Th cells exist, including the Th17 subset that produces interleukin‐17A, important in experimental models of organ‐specific autoimmune inflammation. Its discovery has explained paradoxical observations in model systems thought to be Th1 mediated but were exacerbated in the absence of interferon‐γ, the prototypic Th1 effector cytokine. Th17 cells express unique transcription factors and secrete a unique pattern of cytokines. Interleukin‐17A induces pro‐inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and mediates neutrophil recruitment. Th17 cells have a reciprocal relationship with T regulatory cells and can also mediate suppression of Th1 responses. Recent studies also suggest that Th17 cells are not terminally differentiated but can switch into Th1 cells. Th17 cells have themselves been recently shown to induce antigen‐specific cell‐mediated proliferative glomerulonephritis. There is increasing evidence implicating Th17 cells in anti‐glomerular basement membrane disease, lupus nephritis and pauci‐immune glomerulonephritis. This review will review the discovery of the Th17 subset, its properties, its relationship with other Th subsets and assess the current evidence implicating Th17 cells in glomerulonephritis.
Involvement of peripheral adenosine 5′‐triphosphate and P2X purinoceptor in pain‐related behavior produced by orthotopic melanoma inoculation in mice
Authors: Fujita Masahide , Andoh Tsugunobu , Sasaki Atsushi , Saiki Ikuo , Kuraishi Yasushi 
Published: April 2010

AbstractAdenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP) plays an important role in nociceptive processing. We used a mouse model of skin cancer pain to investigate the role of ATP in cancer pain. Orthotopic inoculation of B16‐BL6 melanoma cells into the hind paw produced spontaneous licking of the tumor‐bearing paw. Intraperitoneal injection of the P2 purinoceptor antagonist suramin suppressed spontaneous licking dose‐dependently. Two P2X purinoceptor antagonists also suppressed spontaneous licking. An intraplantar injection of ATP, which did not induce licking in the healthy paw, increased licking of the tumor‐bearing paw. Spontaneous firing of the tibial nerve was significantly increased in tumor‐bearing mice and was inhibited by suramin. Extracellular concentration of ATP was significantly increased in the tumor‐bearing paw than in the normal paw. ATP is concentrated in the culture medium of melanoma, lung cancer and breast cancer cells, but not fibroblasts. The P2X3receptor was expressed in about 40% of peripherin‐positive small and medium‐sized neurons in the dorsal root ganglia. P2X3‐positive neurons were significantly increased in melanoma‐bearing mice. These results suggest that ATP and P2X, especially P2X3, receptors are involved in skin cancer pain, due to the increased release of ATP and increased expression of P2X3receptors in the sensory neurons.
Prepare for conflict: EEG correlates of the anticipation of target competition during overt and covert shifts of visual attention
Authors: Kelly Simon P. , Foxe John J. , Newman Geoffrey , Edelman Jay A. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractWhen preparing to make a saccadic eye movement in a cued direction, perception of stimuli at the target location is enhanced, just as it is when attention is covertly deployed there. Accordingly, the timing and anatomical sources of preparatory brain activity accompanying shifts of covert attention and saccade preparation tend to exhibit a large degree of overlap. However, there is evidence that preparatory processes are modulated by the foreknowledge of visual distractor competition during covert attention, and it is unknown whether eye movement preparation undergoes equivalent modulation. Here we examine preparatory processes in the electroencephalogram of human participants during four blocked versions of a spatial cueing task, requiring either covert detection or saccade execution, and either containing a distractor or not. As in previous work, a typical pattern of spatially selective occipital, parietal and frontal activity was seen in all task versions. However, whereas distractor presence called on an enhancement of spatially selective visual cortical modulation during covert attention, it instead called on increased activity over frontomedial oculomotor areas in the case of overt saccade preparation. We conclude that, although advance orienting signals may be similar in character during overt and covert conditions, the pattern by which these signals are modulated to ameliorate the behavioral costs of distractor competition is highly distinct, pointing to a degree of separability between the overt and covert systems.
Cutaneous anaesthesia of the lower leg can improve sensibility in the diabetic foot. A double‐blind, randomized clinical trial
Authors: Lundborg G. N. , Björkman A. C. G. , Rosén B. N. , Nilsson J.‐Å. , Dahlin L. B. 
Published: April 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 823–829 (2010)AbstractAims Impaired sensory function in the sole of the foot in diabetic patients is a substantial problem caused by unknown mechanisms. Hand or foot sensibility can be improved by cutaneous anaesthesia of the forearm or lower leg, respectively, in healthy subjects. Hypothetically, cutaneous anaesthesia induces a silent area in the primary somatosensory cortex, allowing adjacent cortical areas to expand; thus, resulting in enhanced sensory processing. Our aim was to improve sensory function in the foot in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients by application of an anaesthetic cream to the lower leg.Methods In a double‐blind study, 37 patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to cutaneous application of either an anaesthetic cream (EMLA®) or a placebo cream to the skin of the lower leg for 1.5 h. Sensibility at five points of the sole of the foot was assessed before and after 1.5 and 24 h. Vibrotactile sense was also assessed. Primary outcome was change of touch threshold at the first metatarsal head from pretreatment to 1.5 h assessment.Results Anaesthetic cream on the lower leg resulted in a significant improvement of touch threshold at the first metatarsal head after 1.5 and 24 h. In addition, improvement of touch thresholds was also observed at the other four assessment sites, together with a decreased vibration threshold at 125 Hz.Conclusions The findings of improved touch thresholds open up new possibilities in treatment of sensibility disturbances in the diabetic foot, using a simple and non‐invasive method.
The potential impact of using glycated haemoglobin as the preferred diagnostic tool for detecting Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Mostafa S. A. , Davies M. J. , Webb D. , Gray L. J. , Srinivasan B. T , Jarvis J. , Khunti K. 
Published: April 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 762–769 (2010)AbstractAims  There are calls to simplify the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to reduce the burden of undiagnosed disease. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is therefore being considered as a preferred diagnostic tool to replace the need for an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), considered by many as cumbersome and inconvenient. The aim of this study was to examine the potential impact of the preferred use of HbA1c as a diagnostic tool on the prevalence and phenotype of T2DM.Methods  Analysis of the Leicester Ethnic Atherosclerosis and Diabetes Risk (LEADER) cohort for previously undiagnosed individuals between 40 and 75 years of age who had OGTT, repeated if within the diabetes range, and HbA1c results. We compared the prevalence and phenotype of subjects with T2DM based on either HbA1c≥6.5% or OGTT using 1999 World Health Organization criteria.Results  From the total population of 8696, we detected 291 (3.3%) with T2DM from using an OGTT, and 502 (5.8%) had HbA1c≥6.5%. Of those diagnosed with T2DM by OGTT, 93 (1.2%) had HbA1c <6.5% and therefore would not have been classified as having T2DM using proposed criteria. Using HbA1c criteria resulted in 304 (3.5%) additional cases of T2DM, approximately doubling the prevalence. Of these 304 additional people, 172 (56.7%) had impaired glucose tolerance/impaired fasting glycaemia according to 1999 World Health Organization criteria. Using HbA1c criteria there was an increase of 2.2‐ and 1.4‐fold in south Asians and white Europeans detected, respectively.Conclusions  Within this multi‐ethnic cohort, we found that introducing HbA1c≥6.5% as the preferred diagnostic test to diagnose T2DM significantly increased numbers detected with T2DM; however, some people were no longer detected as having T2DM.
Delivering Flexibility: Contrasting Patterns in the French and the UK Food Processing Industry
Authors: Caroli Eve , Gautié Jérôme , Lloyd Caroline , Lamanthe Annie , James Susan 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThis article provides a comparative analysis of changes in numerical and functional labour flexibility in the French and the UK food processing industry. Based upon case study data, it explores the interaction between competitive pressures and institutional and regulatory structures and their impact on workplace practices. The findings indicate that, faced with a similar competitive environment, firms in both countries have sought to increase labour flexibility. However, the predominant forms of flexibility vary across the two countries, partly reflecting the characteristics of national labour market institutions. Numerical flexibility dominates in the UK, with high levels of paid overtime and temporary agency work. In contrast, French workplaces rely more on internal functional flexibility while also achieving numerical flexibility through seasonal variations in work schedules and a wide range of short‐term employment contracts.
The effect of inflation on growth
Authors: Gillman Max , Harris Mark N. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThe paper examines the effect of inflation on growth in transition countries. It presents panel data evidence for 13 transition countries over the 1990–2003 period; it uses a fixed effects panel approach to account for possible bias from correlations among the unobserved effects and the observed country heterogeneity. The results find a strong, robust, negative effect on growth of inflation or its standard deviation, and one that appears to decline in magnitude as the inflation rate increases, as seen for OECD countries. And the results include a role for a normalized money demand in affecting growth, as well as for a convergence variable, a trade variable and a government share variable. Robustness of the baseline single‐equation model is examined by expanding this into a three‐equation simultaneous system of output growth, inflation and money demand that allows for possible simultaneity bias in the baseline model.
Modeling physical quantities of food and nutrients consumed from aggregate data—with an application to Finland
Authors: Irz Xavier 
Published: April 2010

AbstractAnticipating the impact of changes in economic incentives on dietary quality and nutritional health requires knowledge of how physical quantities of food consumed respond to price and income variations. A problem arises, however, because physical quantities are: (1) not consistent aggregates in demand models; and (2) not measured at final/retail level in national statistics. The article develops a solution by establishing explicitly the theoretical link between composite demand and physical quantities, from which a novel empirical approach to the estimation of nutrient elasticities is derived. It is applied to Finnish aggregate data from the National Accounts and Food Balance Sheets over the 1975–2006 period, and the results are used to assess the potential effectiveness of several incentive‐based nutritional policy instruments.
Factor content of bilateral trade: the role of firm heterogeneity and transaction costs
Authors: Kancs D'Artis , Ciaian Pavel 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThe article studies the determinants of the factor content in foreign trade in countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The theoretical model relaxes several important assumptions such as factor price equalization, firm heterogeneity, and introduces technological differences into the standard Heckscher–Ohlin model. Based on the agricultural production and trade data for the CEE, we examine empirically three hypotheses, which relate cross‐country differences in technology, relative factor abundance and transaction costs and market imperfections to the factor content of trade. We find that the first two hypotheses are confirmed by the majority of the developed EU countries, but rejected by roughly one half of the CEE transition country pairs. Second, we find that when accounting for the transaction costs of farm (re)organization, both hypotheses are confirmed by the majority of the CEE country pairs. These findings provide indirect evidence of market imperfections, and particularly, of transaction costs of farm (re)organization in the CEE.
Angiogenesis Therapy for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Lysiak Jeffrey J. , Kavoussi Parviz K. , Ellati Riyad T. , Steers William D. , Annex Brian H. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Over the past 15 years, significant advances have been made in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The most significant of these advances has been pharmacological treatment of ED with phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. This therapy greatly increased the awareness of ED and has helped stimulate research into the underlying causes of ED. While treatment with PDE5 inhibitors continues to be the current therapy of choice, approximately 40% of men treated with PDE5 inhibitors fail to have significant improvement in erectile function and PDE5 inhibitors do not reverse the vasculopathic processes associated with ED. With this in mind, new therapies must be developed. The treatment with angiogenic growth factors such as vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) may be one such therapy.

Aim
This review will focus on defining key terms in the angiogenic process, angiogenic growth factors, and different delivery methods, and summarize results from angiogenic therapies for the treatment of ED.

Methods
A review of the literature was performed on all angiogenic therapies for the treatment of ED. A brief review on the angiogenic factors was also performed

Results
Angiogenic therapies for the treatment of ED are possible and promising; however, further investigation is needed to advance clinically.

Conclusions
Although numerous studies have now employed angiogenic factors for the possible treatment of ED in several animal models, we are still not at the point to begin human investigations. Future studies need to examine proper dosage of the angiogenic agent, route of delivery, time course for delivery, and combination therapies.
Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibition Reverses Nitrergic Neurovascular Dysfunctions in Penile Erectile Tissue from Streptozotocin-Diabetic Mice
Authors: Nangle Matthew R. , Cotter Mary A. , Cameron Norman E. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTIntroductionActivation of the DNA repair enzyme, poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP), in response to hyperglycemia-driven oxidative/nitrosative stress, may be an important mechanism in the development of vascular and neural complications in diabetes mellitus. However, a role for PARP in diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED) has not been demonstrated.AimTo assess whether treatment with a novel PARP-1 inhibitor, GPI 15427, could improve neurovascular dysfunction in corpus cavernosum (CC) from diabetic mice.MethodsDiabetes was induced by streptozotocin in male MF1 mice; duration was 6 weeks. Intervention GPI 15427 treatment (20 mg/kg/day intraperitoneal [i.p.]) was given for 2 weeks following 4 weeks of untreated diabetes. CC strips were mounted in aerated organ baths for measurement of pharmacological or electrical stimulation-evoked changes in smooth muscle tension.Main Outcome MeasuresContractile responses to noradrenergic stimulation and to pharmacological agents stimulating endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation, and nerve-mediated relaxations against a background precontraction.ResultsContractions in response to phenylephrine or activation of noradrenergic nerves were not significantly altered by diabetes. In contrast, maximum nitrergic nerve-mediated relaxation of phenylephrine-precontracted CC was approximately 28% reduced by diabetes: GPI 15427 treatment completely corrected this diabetic deficit. Similarly, maximal nitric oxide (NO)-mediated endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxations to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside, against phenylephrine precontraction, were attenuated approximately 37% and 23% by diabetes, respectively. These deficits were completely reversed by PARP-1 inhibition. Furthermore, GPI 15427 corrected a modest diabetic deficit in sensitivity to nitroprusside (EC50 reduced by 0.14 log units); a similar trend was observed for acetylcholine-induced relaxation.ConclusionsGPI 15427 treatment provides marked benefits for NO-dependent neurovascular function in diabetic mouse CC. Therefore, PARP-1 inhibition may be worthy of further investigation for diabetes-associated ED.
Is Obesity a Further Cardiovascular Risk Factor in Patients with Erectile Dysfunction?
Authors: Corona Giovanni , Monami Matteo , Boddi Valentina , Balzi Daniela , Melani Cecilia , Federico Nelli , Balzi Daniela , Sforza Alessandra , Rotella Carlo M. , Forti Gianni , Mannucci Edoardo , Maggi M. 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) and, in particular, arteriogenic ED have been proposed as new markers of risk for incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Reduced penile blood flow is more common in obese people than in leaner ED subjects.

Aim
To explore the interaction of overweight/obesity and penile blood flow in the prediction of incident MACE.

Methods
This is an observational prospective cohort study evaluating a consecutive series of 1,687 patients attending our andrological unit for ED. Different clinical, biochemical, and instrumental (penile flow at color Doppler ultrasound: PCDU) parameters were evaluated.

Main Outcomes Measures
According to body mass index (BMI), subjects were divided into three groups: normal weight (BMI=18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI=25.0–29.9 kg/m2), and obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2). Information on MACE was obtained through the City of Florence Registry Office.

Results
Among patients studied, 39.8% were normal weight, while 44.1% and 16.1% showed BMI 25–29.9 and 30 kg/m2 or higher, respectively. During a mean follow-up of 4.3 ± 2.6 years, 139 MACE, 15 of which were fatal, were observed. Cox regression model, after adjusting for age and Chronic Diseases Score, showed that obesity classes along with the presence of arteriogenic ED (peak systolic velocity at PCDU &lt;25 cm/second) were significantly and independently associated with incident MACE (hazard ratio=1.47 [1.1–1.95], P &lt;0.05 and 2.58 [1.28–5.09], P &lt;0.001, respectively). When a separate analysis was performed for classes of obesity, reduced peak systolic velocity at PCDU (&lt;25 cm/second) was significantly associated with incident MACE in obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), but not in leaner, subjects.

Conclusions
In obese subjects, more than in leaner ED subjects, impaired penile blood flow is associated with an increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease. The interaction with concomitant risk factors, such as obesity, should be taken into account when assessing the predictive value of penile blood flow for cardiovascular diseases.