bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Early childhood wheezing symptoms in relation to plasma selenium in pregnant mothers and neonates
Authors: Devereux G. , McNeill G. , Newman G. , Turner S. , Craig L. , Martindale S. , Helms P. , Seaton A. 
Published: June 2007

SummaryObjective
Reduced dietary selenium intake has been linked to the development of asthma. We have investigated whether childhood wheezing symptoms, and asthma up to the age of 5 years are associated with plasma selenium and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx) concentrations in pregnant mothers and neonates.Methods
Two thousand pregnant women were recruited and their 1924 singleton children followed up. Plasma selenium and erythrocyte GPx concentrations were measured in maternal blood during early pregnancy (12 weeks gestation) and in neonatal cord blood. Cohort children were followed up at 1, 2 and 5 years using a respiratory symptom questionnaire and at 5 years children were also invited for spirometry and skin‐prick test (SPT). Maternal and neonatal plasma selenium and erythrocyte GPx were related to the childhood outcomes of wheezing, and asthma.Results
At 2 years 1282 children were followed up. At 5 years symptom data were available for 1167 children, 700 children were SPT tested, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was measured in 478. Maternal plasma selenium concentration during early pregnancy was inversely associated with wheezing (odds ratio per 10 μg/kg plasma selenium 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.76–0.97), and consulting a doctor because of wheeze (0.79, 0.69–0.93) in the second year of life. Cord plasma selenium was also inversely associated with wheezing (0.67, 0.47–0.96), and consulting a doctor because of wheeze (0.62, 0.41–0.93) in the second year of life. By age 5 these associations had disappeared. Maternal and neonatal erythrocyte GPx concentrations were not associated with any childhood outcomes at 2 or 5 years.Conclusion
The selenium status of mothers during early pregnancy, and neonates is associated with early childhood wheezing but not asthma or atopic sensitization, furthermore, this association is absent by the age of 5 years.
The association of sex hormone levels with quantitative ultrasound, bone mineral density, bone turnover and osteoporotic fractures in older men and women
Authors: Kuchuk Natalia O. , Van Schoor Natasja M. , Pluijm Saskia M. F. , Smit Johannes H. , De Ronde Willem , Lips Paul 
Published: June 2007

SummaryObjective  Sex steroids play an important role in the maintenance of bone health. Association studies on sex steroids and fractures are not consistent. Our objective was to examine whether serum oestradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) are associated with quantitative ultrasound (QUS), bone mineral density (BMD), bone turnover markers and fracture incidence.Design  The Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam (LASA), an ongoing cohort study including 623 men and 634 women, aged 65–88 years.Measurements  Serum levels of E2, T, SHBG, albumin, bone turnover markers serum osteocalcin (OC) and urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD/Cr) were measured. QUS of the heel and BMD of the hip were assessed, and a 6‐year fracture follow‐up was performed.Results  Men in the lowest quartile (Q1) of bioavailable E2 (bioE2) had higher levels of bone turnover and lower BMD (B = –0·09, P < 0·01) and QUS than men in the highest quartile (Q4). This also applied to Q1 of bioT. Women in Q1 of bioE2 had higher levels of bone turnover and lower BMD (B = –0·07, P < 0·01) and QUS than women in Q4. In men and women, levels of bioE2 below the median were associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures after all adjustments [hazard ratio (HR) 1·53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·02–2·29]. In men, univariate analysis revealed that low bioT was associated with an increased fracture risk (HR 1·91, 95% CI 1·03–3·56), but after adjustment for age, this association was no longer significant.Conclusions  Low levels of bioE2 and bioT were found to be associated with high bone turnover, low QUS and BMD and high risk of osteoporotic fractures in both men and women.
Does partial surgical tumour removal influence the response to octreotide‐LAR in acromegalic patients previously resistant to the somatostatin analogue?
Authors: Jallad Raquel S. , Musolino Nina R. , Kodaira Sergio , Cescato Valter A. , Bronstein Marcello D. 
Published: June 2007

SummaryObjective  To compare the intrapatient response to the same dose of slow‐release octreotide (OCT‐LAR) before and after noncurative surgery in acromegalic patients who did not attain disease control after primary treatment with OCT‐LAR.Design  Prospective clinical study.Patients  Eleven acromegalic patients (eight men, aged 42·45 ± 11·15 years, 10 macroadenomas) received OCT‐LAR (20 mg, n = 1; 30 mg, n = 10) every 28 days as the primary treatment (1stOCT‐LAR) for 11·3 ± 4·2 months, without IGF‐I normalization. They were subsequently submitted to surgery without cure and were then treated with the same dose of OCT‐LAR for 8·0 ± 6·5 months (2ndOCT‐LAR).Measurements  GH and IGF‐I serum concentrations were obtained under basal conditions as well as during treatment. Pituitary tumour volume was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sella. IGF‐I was also expressed as a percentage of the upper limit of the normal age‐ and sex‐matched range (%ULNR IGF‐I).Results  After 1stOCT‐LAR, there was a decrease in GH levels (P = 0·003) and %ULNR IGF‐I (P = 0·009) compared to baseline (B), but no IGF‐I normalization. Tumour shrinkage was observed in eight of 10 patients with macroadenomas (median 63·7%, range 24·5–75·5%). After surgery, mean levels of GH and %ULNR IGF‐I were lower than those at baseline (P = 0·0004 and P = 0·003, respectively), but not when compared to values during 1stOCT‐LAR (P = 1·000 and P = 0·957, respectively). MRI confirmed surgical tumour removal (median 64%, range 4·9–96·6%) in eight of the 10 patients. Comparing the 2ndOCT‐LAR results with postsurgical results, there were no significant decrease in %ULNR IGF‐I (P = 0·061) and GH levels (P = 0·414). Nine patients (82%) achieved IGF‐I normalization. The degree of surgical tumour reduction did not correlate with IGF‐I normalization (P = 0·794). When comparing the results between 1stOCT‐LAR and 2ndOCT‐LAR, there was a decrease, albeit not statistically significant, in serum GH levels (P = 0·059) and a significant decrease in %ULNR IGF‐I (P = 0·011).Conclusions  Using strict criteria (same patient, same drug, same dose) our results strongly suggest that the surgical reduction of tumour mass can improve the outcome of OCT‐LAR treatment in acromegalic patients resistant to primary therapy with SA.
Clinical features of thyroid autoimmunity are associated with thyroiditis on histology and are not predictive of malignancy in 570 patients with indeterminate nodules on cytology who had a thyroidectomy
Authors: Rago T. , Di Coscio G. , Ugolini C. , Scutari M. , Basolo F. , Latrofa F. , Romani R. , Berti P. , Grasso L. , Braverman L. E. , Pinchera A. , Vitti P. 
Published: June 2007

SummaryBackground  The relationship between thyroid autoimmunity and cancer is still uncertain.Patients   We approached this issue in 570 consecutive patients submitted to thyroidectomy for an indeterminate nodule on cytology. Thyroid autoimmunity was defined as positivity of circulating thyroid autoantibodies (TAb), autoimmune hypo‐ or hyperthyroidism, thyroid hypoechogenicity on ultrasound, and lymphocytic infiltration on histology.Results   TAb were found in 122/570 (21·4%), hypoechogenicity in 115/570 (20·1%), and lymphocytic infiltration in 117/570 (20·5%) of patients. The three features of thyroid autoimmunity were highly concordant: hypoechogenicity was observed in 71/448 (15·8%) patients with negative TAb and in 44/122 (36%) with positive TAb (P < 0·0001); lymphocytic infiltration was found in 53/448 (11·8%) patients with negative TAb and in 64/122 (52·4%) with positive TAb (P < 0·0001); hypoechogenicity on ultrasound was observed in 73/453 (16·1%) patients without, and in 42/117 (35·9%) with lymphocytic infiltration (P < 0·0001). None of these parameters was associated with malignancy. TAb were found in 32/135 (23·7%) patients with carcinoma and in 90/435 (20·6%) with a benign lesion (P = NS); hypoechogenicity was observed in 26/135 (19·2%) patients with carcinoma and in 89/435 (20·4%) patients with benign lesions (P = NS); lymphocytic infiltration was present in 28/135 (20·7%) patients with carcinoma and in 89/435 (20·4%) with benign lesions (P = NS). The frequency of cancer in 11 patients with clinically overt thyroid autoimmune disease did not differ from that observed in the whole study group.Conclusion   In this group of patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules at cytology, clinical and pathological criteria of thyroid autoimmunity were strongly concordant and not associated with malignancy.
Rosiglitazone decreases 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in subcutaneous adipose tissue
Authors: Mai Knut , Andres Janin , Bobbert Thomas , Maser‐Gluth Christiane , Möhlig Matthias , Bähr Volker , Pfeiffer Andreas F. H. , Spranger Joachim , Diederich Sven 
Published: June 2007

SummaryObjective  The peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ (PPARγ) agonist rosiglitazone increases insulin sensitivity, which, in animal models, is comparable to the effect of a reduction in 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β‐HSD1) activity. We therefore investigated whether rosiglitazone‐induced insulin sensitivity is associated with changes in 11β‐HSD1 activity in different tissues.Methods  An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and a euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp were performed in seven male volunteers [age 59·3 ± 3·0 years, body mass index (BMI) 29·3 ± 4·1 kg/m2] with impaired glucose tolerance before and after 8 weeks of rosiglitazone treatment. To assess hepatic 11β‐HSD1 activity, serum cortisol levels were measured after oral administration of cortisone acetate. 11β‐HSD1 activity and mRNA expression were assessed in abdominal subcutaneous fat biopsies. Total‐body 11β‐HSD activities were estimated by calculating the urinary ratios of glucocorticoid metabolites.Results  As expected, rosiglitazone improved insulin resistance and postprandial hyperglycaemia. In parallel, 11β‐HSD1 mRNA expression [100 ± 0% (reference) vs. 68·5 ± 9·3%, P < 0·01] and activity [0·18 ± 0·02 vs. 0·13 ± 0·02 pmol/min/mg, P < 0·05] decreased in abdominal subcutaneous fat, while an increase in hepatic 11β‐HSD1 activity was detected [the area under the curve (AUC) for the cortisol/cortisone ratio was 1319 ± 76 vs. 955 ± 59; P < 0·05]. No changes in BMI, waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR) and whole‐body 11β‐HSD1 activity were found.Conclusions  Part of the beneficial effects of rosiglitazone may be mediated by a reduction in the 11β‐HSD1 mRNA expression and activity in subcutaneous abdominal fat.
Autoimmune thyroid disease and chronic urticaria
Authors: Monge Cecilia , DeMarco Paul , Burman Kenneth D. , Wartofsky Leonard 
Published: June 2007

SummaryWe report six cases of autoimmune thyroid disease associated with chronic urticaria and briefly review the literature, including the histopathological nature of such lesions, and their aetiology and pathogenesis. In view of the prevalence of thyroid disease in patients with chronic urticaria, screening measurements of thyrotropin and anti‐thyroperoxidase antibodies are recommended, although negative antibodies do not exclude a relationship between urticaria and thyroid autoimmunity. After failure of conventional therapy for urticaria, patients who are apparently clinically euthyroid may be considered for a trial with levothyroxine. Improvement of urticaria was seen with levothyroxine treatment in three of four patients with only marginal abnormalities in thyroid function.
Translabyrinthine surgery for disabling vertigo in vestibular schwannoma patients
Authors: Godefroy W.P. , Hastan D. , Van Der Mey A.G.L. 
Published: June 2007

Objective:  To determine the impact of translabyrinthine surgery on the quality of life in vestibular schwannoma patients with rotatory vertigo.Study design:  Prospective study in 18 vestibular schwannoma patients.Setting:  The study was conducted in a multispecialty tertiary care clinic.Participants:  All 18 patients had a unilateral intracanalicular vestibular schwannoma, without serviceable hearing in the affected ear and severely handicapped by attacks of rotatory vertigo and constant dizziness. Despite an initial conservative treatment, extensive vestibular rehabilitation exercises, translabyrinthine surgery was performed because of the disabling character of the vertigo, which considerably continued to affect the patients’ quality of life.Main outcome measures:  Preoperative and postoperative quality of life using the Short Form 36 Health Survey (Short Form‐36) scores and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores.Results:  A total of 17 patients (94%) completed the questionnaire preoperatively and 3 and 12 months postoperatively. All Short Form‐36 scales of the studied patients scored significantly lower when compared with the healthy Dutch control sample (P < 0.05). There was a significant improvement of DHI total scores and Short Form‐36 scales on physical and social functioning, role‐physical functioning, role‐emotional functioning, mental health and general health at 12 months after surgery when compared with preoperative scores (P < 0.05).Conclusions:  Vestibular schwannoma patients with disabling vertigo, experience significant reduced quality of life when compared with a healthy Dutch population. Translabyrinthine tumour removal significantly improved the patients’ quality of life. Surgical treatment should be considered in patients with small‐ or medium‐sized tumours and persisting disabling vertigo resulting in a poor quality of life.
Antimicrobial prophylaxis in otorhinolaryngology/head and neck surgery
Authors: Fennessy B.G. , Harney M. , O'Sullivan M.J. , Timon C. 
Published: June 2007

Keypoints• Prophylactic antimicrobial therapy is defined as the administration of an antimicrobial agent prior to contamination of previously sterile tissues or fluids, in an attempt to reduce the microbial burden of intraoperative contamination. Prophylactic antimicrobial therapy should cover the anticipated floral contamination, with therapeutic levels from incision to closure.• There is level I evidence to support the use of prophylaxis in clean‐contaminated head and neck procedures and tonsillectomy, while level II evidence fails to support the use of prophylaxis in clean head and neck procedures.• The aim of this study was to evaluate the use, timing and appropriateness of antimicrobial prophylaxis perioperatively, in otorhinolaryngological/head and neck procedures.• A total of 34/51 (66%) patients were administered antimicrobial agents prophylactically. Six of 19 patients (42%) who ought to have received prophylaxis did not, while six of 13 (46%) of those who did not require it received it. Administration was unsuitably timed in 14 of 34 (41%) operations.• This study demonstrates unnecessary administration of antimicrobial agents perioperatively, subclinical intraoperative antimicrobial levels for prophylaxis and inconsistent documentation regarding prophylaxis in otorhinolaryngological/head and neck procedures in a general ENT unit.
Systemic high blood pressure and inner ear dysfunction: a preliminary study
Authors: Esparza C.M. , Jáuregui‐Renaud K. , Morelos C.M.C. , Muhl G.E.A. , Mendez M.N. , Carillo N.S. , Bello N.S. , Cardenas M. 
Published: June 2007

Objective:  To assess the association between inner ear dysfunction and retinal vascular changes related to systemic arterial hypertension.Design:  A comparative, cross‐sectional and observational study.Setting:  Primary care.Main outcomes measures:  Hearing and vestibular symptoms evaluated by a standardized questionnaire; cochlear function evaluated by audiometry and distortion product otoacoustic emissions; vestibular function evaluated by oculomotor and bithermal caloric tests and vascular retinal compromise evaluated by ophthalmoscopy (according to the modified Scheie classification).Results:  Forty‐two subjects participated in the study, 21 with and 21 without arterial hypertension, age and sex matched; with no history of diabetes mellitus and with normal glucose levels and normal blood lipids. Although patients with hypertension reported vertigo more frequently than control subjects, conventional oculomotor and bithermal caloric tests showed no difference between the two groups. Patients with hypertension showed deterioration of hearing thresholds at 8 kHz and, compared with normotensive subjects, a higher frequency of abnormal otoacoustic emissions (P = 0.01). According to Scheie classification, 43% (95% CI: 33–53%) of the patients showed second degree retinal vascular compromise and 24% (95% CI: 15–33%) of them showed first degree compromise. The degree of the vascular retinal compromise was significantly correlated with the hearing thresholds at 8 kHz (Spearman's correlation coefficient 0.45, P = 0.002) and it was also consistent with the absence of otoacoustic emissions at frequencies between 4 and 8 kHz.Conclusion:  The results of this preliminary study suggest that patients with systemic arterial hypertension may have cochlear dysfunction associated with the vascular disease because of hypertension, which could be silent and without clear evidence of vestibular dysfunction.
Turbidity‐mediated interactions between invasive filter‐feeding mussels and native bioturbating mayflies
Authors: MARTIN OSTERLING E. , BERGMAN EVA , GREENBERG LARRY A. , BALDWIN BRAD S. , MILLS EDWARD L. 
Published: June 2007

Summary1. Invasive dreissenid mussels are known to cause large ecosystem changes because of their high filter‐feeding capacity, while native bioturbators may interfere with the mussels filter feeding. In this experiment, we investigated indirect environmental interactions between invasive filter‐feeding dreissenid mussels (zebra and quagga mussels) and native recolonizing bioturbating hexagenid mayflies (Hexagenia) at two mussel densities and two Hexagenia densities in a 2‐month long laboratory experiment.2. Mean turbidity increased with increasing density of Hexagenia and decreased with increasing density of mussels. Turbidity showed the fastest decline at the highest mussel density, and no decline or a lower rate of decline at the low mussel density, dependent on Hexagenia density.3. Mussel growth decreased with increasing Hexagenia density at low but not at high mussel density. Moreover, growth of mussels decreased as a function of increased mean turbidity at low mussel density but not at high mussel density. Filtering activity at the highest mussel density increased after introduction of food at the lower two densities of Hexagenia, but was constantly high at the highest Hexagenia density.4. There was no difference in emergence of Hexagenia among the treatments, but mortality of Hexagenia was higher in the presence of mussels than in their absence.5. Our results indicate that interactions between dreissenids and hexagenids are mediated through the sediment, and depend on density of both dreissenids and hexagenids. As the natural densities of these animals vary considerably within lakes, their growth and survival because of indirect environmental interactions is expected to vary spatially.
Winter diatom blooms in a regulated river in South Korea: explanations based on evolutionary computation
Authors: KIM DONG‐KYUN , JEONG KWANG‐SEUK , WHIGHAM PETER A. , JOO GEA‐JAE 
Published: June 2007

Summary1. An ecological model was developed using genetic programming (GP) to predict the time‐series dynamics of the diatom, Stephanodiscus hantzschii for the lower Nakdong River, South Korea. Eight years of weekly data showed the river to be hypertrophic (chl. a, 45.1 ± 4.19 μg L−1, mean ± SE, n = 427), and S. hantzschii annually formed blooms during the winter to spring flow period (late November to March).2. A simple non‐linear equation was created to produce a 3‐day sequential forecast of the species biovolume, by means of time series optimization genetic programming (TSOGP). Training data were used in conjunction with a GP algorithm utilizing 7 years of limnological variables (1995–2001). The model was validated by comparing its output with measurements for a specific year with severe blooms (1994). The model accurately predicted timing of the blooms although it slightly underestimated biovolume (training r2 = 0.70, test r2 = 0.78). The model consisted of the following variables: dam discharge and storage, water temperature, Secchi transparency, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, evaporation and silica concentration.3. The application of a five‐way cross‐validation test suggested that GP was capable of developing models whose input variables were similar, although the data are randomly used for training. The similarity of input variable selection was approximately 51% between the best model and the top 20 candidate models out of 150 in total (based on both Root Mean Squared Error and the determination coefficients for the test data).4. Genetic programming was able to determine the ecological importance of different environmental variables affecting the diatoms. A series of sensitivity analyses showed that water temperature was the most sensitive parameter. In addition, the optimal equation was sensitive to DO, Secchi transparency, dam discharge and silica concentration. The analyses thus identified likely causes of the proliferation of diatoms in ‘river‐reservoir hybrids’ (i.e. rivers which have the characteristics of a reservoir during the dry season). This result provides specific information about the bloom of S. hantzschii in river systems, as well as the applicability of inductive methods, such as evolutionary computation to river‐reservoir hybrid systems.
Effects of a self‐management arthritis programme with an added exercise component for osteoarthritic knee: randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yip Y. B. , Sit Janet W. H. , Fung Karin K. Y. , Wong Doris Y. S. , Chong Samantha Y. C. , Chung L. H. , Ng T. P. 
Published: June 2007

Abstract Title. Effects of a self‐management arthritis programme with an added exercise component for osteoarthritic knee: randomized controlled trial. Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to assess the effect of an adapted arthritis self‐management programme with an added focus on exercise practice among osteoarthritic knee sufferers.Background.  Osteoarthritis of the knee is a major source of loss of function in older people. Previous studies have found self‐management programmes to be effective in increasing arthritis self‐efficacy and in mastery of self‐management practice.Method.  A randomized control trial was carried out from December 2002 to May 2003 and 120 participants (65·9%, including 67 in intervention group and 53 in control group) completed the 16‐week postintervention assessments. Outcome measures included arthritis self‐efficacy, use of self‐management techniques, pain intensity and daily activity.Findings.  At 16 weeks, there was a ‘statistically’ significant improvement in the arthritis self‐efficacy level (P ≤ 0·001), in most of the self‐management skills, i.e. use of cold and hot compresses, in two of three joint protective practices (P ≤ 0·001; P = 0·01), an increase in the duration of light exercise practice (P ≤ 0·001), reduction of current arthritis pain (P ≤ 0·001) and in the ability to perform daily activities (P ≤ 0·001) among the intervention group but not for the control group (P‐range from 0·04 to 0·95). One joint protective practice showed a statistically significant increase in both groups (P ≤ 0·001).Conclusion.  Our findings add to evidence showing short‐term beneficial effects of self‐efficacy theory in education programmes. Self‐efficacy theory has great potential for empowering sufferers of chronic conditions to live with their illness.