bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum Intercellular Adhesion Molecule‐1 in Patients With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: Comparison With Alcoholic Hepatitis
Authors: Ito Shuji , Yukawa Toyokazu , Uetake Shinichiro , Yamauchi Masayoshi 
Published: February 2007

Background:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes both nonalcoholic fatty liver (FL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It has previously been reported that alcoholic hepatitis, which shows morphological findings similar to that of NASH, leads to the onset of endotoxinemia and to an increase in the production of tumor necrosis factor‐α(TNF‐α) and/or interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) from macrophages. Tumor necrosis factor‐αand IL‐1 induce strong expression of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) of the cell membranes of hepatocytes and/or sinusoidal endothelial cells, resulting in increased serum ICAM‐1 levels in our previous study. In this study, we clarified the significance of serum ICAM‐1 levels in patients with NAFLD, and especially in NASH.Methods:Thirty‐three obese patients of NAFLD (FL:n=14, NASH:n=19) with no habit of drinking, 20 cases of alcoholic liver diseases (alcoholic hepatitis; ASH:n=10, alcoholic hepatic fibrosis; HF:n=10), and 10 healthy individuals were studied. Serum ICAM‐1 concentrations were analyzed by enzyme‐linked immunoassay in patients with NAFLD and alcoholic liver diseases. Potential factors were assessed for increase in serum ICAM‐1 and a diagnostic tool for NASH including ICAM‐1 levels, C‐reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase,γ‐gluatmyl transferase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, type‐IV collagen, body mass index, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA‐IR), and existence of high blood pressure.Results:The serum ICAM‐1 level was significantly higher in the patients with NASH than in the patients with FL, and in the normal subjects. The serum ICAM‐1 level was also significantly higher in the patients with ASH. The serum ICAM‐1 level in the patients with ASH was remarkably high compared with that of the patients with NASH. No significant difference in serum ICAM‐1 levels was found between the patients with NASH and those with HF. The serum ICAM‐1 level was significantly higher in patients with high blood pressure than in those without high blood pressure in NAFLD. A multivariate analysis using multiple logistic regression showed that high blood pressure and GGTP were the significant factors contributing to high serum ICAM‐1 levels, while highly sensitive CRP and ICAM‐1 were the significant factors for the diagnosis of NASH.Conclusions:The serum ICAM‐1 concentration is increased in patients with NASH. The serum level of ICAM‐1 in patients with NAFLD may be a useful marker for the diagnosis of NASH.
Effects of Gangliosides on Ethanol‐Induced Neurodegeneration in the Developing Mouse Brain
Authors: Saito Mariko , Mao Rui‐Fen , Wang Ray , Vadasz Csaba , Saito Mitsuo 
Published: February 2007

Background: Ethanol exposure induces apoptotic neurodegeneration in the developing rodent brain during synaptogenesis. This process has been studied as a model for fetal alcohol syndrome. Previously, we have shown that gangliosides and LIGA20 (a semisynthetic derivative of GM1 ganglioside) attenuate ethanol‐induced apoptosis in cultured neurons. In the present study, the effects of GM1 and LIGA20 on ethanol‐induced apoptotic neurodegeneration were examined using an in vivo neonatal mouse model.Methods: Seven‐day‐old C57BL/6By (B6By) mice were pretreated twice with intraperitoneal administration of GM1 (30 mg/kg), LIGA20 (2.5 mg/kg), or saline, followed by subcutaneous injection of either saline or ethanol (2.5 g/kg) twice with a 2 hours interval. Then the brains were: (1) perfusion‐fixed 24 hours after the first ethanol injection, and the extent of neurodegeneration was assessed by cupric silver staining of the brain sections, or (2) perfusion‐fixed 8 hours after the first ethanol injection, and the sections were immunostained with anti‐cleaved (activated) caspase‐3 antibody to evaluate caspase‐3 activation.Results: The comparison of cupric silver stained coronal sections indicates that ethanol‐induced widespread neurodegeneration in the forebrains of B6By mice was reduced overall by GM1 and LIGA20 pretreatments. The extent of neurodegeneration detected by silver impregnation and activated caspase‐3 immunostaining was quantified in the cingulate and retrosplenial cortices, which were the regions most severely affected by ethanol. The results indicate that GM1 and LIGA20 pretreatments induced statistically significant reductions—approximately 50% of the ethanol‐treated samples—in silver impregnation and activated caspase‐3 immunostaining. No significant differences were observed between saline controls and samples treated with GM1 or LIGA20 alone.Conclusions: These results indicate that GM1 and LIGA20, which have been shown to be neuroprotective against insults caused by various agents, partially attenuate ethanol‐induced apoptotic neurodegeneration in the developing mouse brain.
Direct Evidence for Imidazoline (I1) Receptor Modulation of Ethanol Action on Norepinephrine‐Containing Neurons in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla in Conscious Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Li Guichu , Abdel‐Rahman Abdel A. 
Published: February 2007

Background: Enhancement of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) presympathetic (norepinephrine, NE) neuronal activity represents a neurochemical mechanism for the pressor effect of ethanol. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ethanol action on RVLM presympathetic neurons is selectively influenced by the signaling of the local imidazoline (I1) receptor. To support a neuroanatomical and an I1‐signaling selectivity of ethanol, and to circumvent the confounding effects of anesthesia, the dose‐related neurochemical and blood pressure effects of ethanol were investigated in the presence of selective pharmacological interventions that cause reduction in the activity of RVLM or nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) NE neurons via local activation of the I1 or the α2‐adrenergic receptor in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats.Results: Local activation of the I1 receptor by rilmenidine (40 nmol) or by the I1/α2 receptor mixed agonist clonidine (1 nmol), and local activation of the α2‐adrenergic receptor (α2AR) by the pure α2AR agonist α‐methylnorepinephrine (α‐MNE, 10 nmol) caused reductions in RVLM NE, and blood pressure. Intra‐RVLM ethanol (1, 5, or 10 μg), microinjected at the nadir of the neurochemical and hypotensive responses, elicited dose‐dependent increments in RVLM NE and blood pressure in the presence of local I1—but not α2‐receptor activation. Only intra‐NTS α‐MNE, but not rilmenidine or clonidine, elicited reductions in local NE and blood pressure; ethanol failed to elicit any neurochemical or blood pressure responses in the presence of local activation of the α2AR within the NTS.Conclusion: The findings support the neuroanatomical selectivity of ethanol, and support the hypothesis that the neurochemical (RVLM NE), and the subsequent cardiovascular, effects of ethanol are selectively modulated by I1 receptor signaling in the RVLM.
Alcohol Binge Before Trauma/Hemorrhage Impairs Integrity of Host Defense Mechanisms During Recovery
Authors: Greiffenstein Patrick , Mathis Keisa W. , Stouwe Curtis Vande , Molina Patricia E. 
Published: February 2007

Background: Alcohol abuse, both chronic and acute, is a known modulator of immune function and is associated with increased incidence of traumatic injury. Previously, we demonstrated that acute alcohol intoxication before hemorrhagic shock impairs hemodynamic and neuroendocrine counterregulation, suppresses early lung proinflammatory cytokine expression, and increases mortality from infection during recovery. In the present study, we examined the impact of a 3‐day alcohol binge on host responses during trauma/hemorrhage (T × Hem) and following overnight recovery.Methods: Chronically catheterized, adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were administered an intragastric bolus of alcohol (5 g/kg; 30% w/v) or isocaloric dextrose solution for 3 consecutive days, followed by a 2.5 g/kg dose on day 4 before undergoing full‐thickness muscle‐crush and fixed pressure (∼40 mmHg) hemorrhage and fluid resuscitation (2.4 × total blood volume removed).Results: Alcohol‐binge produced a 16% decrease in basal mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), reduced the total blood loss required to reach and to sustain MABP of 40 mmHg, markedly blunted the increase in circulating epinephrine and norepinephrine (20‐fold and 3‐fold, respectively) levels, and increased immediate mortality from T × Hem. Consistent with our previous reports, significant up‐regulation in lung and spleen tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐1α expression was observed immediately following T × Hem and fluid resuscitation. Only the T × Hem‐induced increase in lung TNF‐α was prevented by binge alcohol administration. Following overnight recovery, significant lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated release of TNF‐α, IL‐1α, IL‐6, and IL‐10 was observed in cells isolated from blood and the alveolar and pleural compartments from all experimental groups. While T × Hem did not prevent LPS‐induced release of TNF‐α, IL‐1α, IL‐6, or IL‐10 at 6 or 24 hours, alcohol binge suppressed TNF‐α, IL‐1 and IL‐6 release, without altering IL‐10 response in cells isolated from blood and pleural compartment. No significant modulation of alveolar macrophage response was observed following alcohol binge and T × Hem.Conclusions: These results indicate that a 3‐day alcohol binge results in hemodynamic instability associated with attenuated neuroendocrine activation and increased mortality during T × Hem as well as sustained suppression of the proinflammatory cytokine response of blood and pleural‐derived cells to a “second‐hit” inflammatory challenge. As a result, we speculate that the net shift toward an anti‐inflammatory state may contribute to enhanced susceptibility to infection during the recovery period.
The Consequences of Falls in Acute and Subacute Hospitals in Australia That Cause Proximal Femoral Fractures
Authors: Murray Geoffrey R. , Cameron Ian D. , Cumming Robert G. 
Published: February 2007

OBJECTIVES:To compare consequences for patients with proximal femoral fractures (PFFs) sustained in the hospital with patients who sustained PFFs in the community.DESIGN:Data were collected from inpatient notes and incident reports of patients admitted to hospitals over a 6‐year period. All patients aged 75 and older sustaining a PFF in the hospital were identified and matched according to sex, age, and fracture date with patients who sustained a PFF in the community.SETTING:Illawarra region hospitals, New South Wales, Australia.PARTICIPANTS:Forty‐three patients with a hospital‐acquired PFF and 43 patients with a community‐acquired PFF; mean age was 84.0 (range 75–92), and 67% were women.MEASUREMENTS:Outcomes at hospital discharge and circumstances of hospital‐acquired PFF.RESULTS:Comparing outcomes of subjects with hospital versus community‐acquired PFF revealed that 12 versus four died in the hospital (P=.03), 14 versus five were discharged to long‐term nursing care facilities (P=.02), six versus 18 returned to preadmission ambulation (P=.004), and four versus 24 returned to preadmission activity of daily living status (P<.001). The median postfracture length of stay was 46 days for subjects with hospital‐acquired PFF versus 32 days for those sustaining a PFF in the community (P<.01). Review of circumstances of the 43 hospital‐acquired fractures revealed that 26 occurred in subacute wards, 25 occurred in bedrooms, 25 occurred at night, and 38 occurred while unsupervised.CONCLUSION:Patients with hospital‐acquired PFF have poor outcomes. Adequate supervision, provision of hip protectors in the hospital, and strategies that address fracture circumstances may hold the keys to prevention.
Validity of the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 (PHQ‐2) in Identifying Major Depression in Older People
Authors: Li Chunyu , Friedman Bruce , Conwell Yeates , Fiscella Kevin 
Published: February 2007

OBJECTIVES: To determine the performance of the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 (PHQ‐2) against the criterion standard for diagnosing major depression, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM‐IV), and to examine its performance across age, sex, and racial/ethnic groups.DESIGN: Cross‐sectional observational study.SETTING: The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) (2001/02), a nationally representative survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S. household population.PARTICIPANTS: The 8,205 adults aged 65 and older who participated in NESARC.MEASUREMENTS: The PHQ‐2's criterion validity (sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) against the DSM‐IV) and construct validity (Spearman correlations between the PHQ‐2 and the six scales of the Medical Outcomes Study 12‐item Short Form Questionnaire (SF‐12)) were calculated.RESULTS: The PHQ‐2's criterion validity for major depression was good (sensitivity=100%, specificity=77%, AUC=0.88). Its sensitivity was 100% for each subgroup. Specificity increased with age, was higher for men than for women, and differed across racial and ethnic groups. For the total sample and each sex, all six SF‐12 scales were significantly lower in people who tested positive using the PHQ‐2. For each age and racial or ethnic group, most of the six scales differed significantly between those who tested positive and tested negative.CONCLUSION: The PHQ‐2 is a valid screening tool for major depression in older people but should be followed by a more‐comprehensive diagnostic process. Although its specificity differs by age, sex, and racial and ethnic groups, these differences appear to be of little clinical significance.
The Benefits of Biventricular Pacing in Heart Failure Patients with Narrow QRS, NYHA Class II and Right Ventricular Pacing
Authors: NG KENNETH , KEDIA NAVIN , MARTIN DAVID , TCHOU PATRICK , NATALE ANDREA , WILKOFF BRUCE , STARLING RANDALL , GRIMM RICHARD A. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: To identify subgroups of heart failure patients who might benefit from biventricular pacing.
Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves the quality of life, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, and exercise capacity and decreases hospitalizations for heart failure for patients who have severe heart failure and a wide QRS. It is unclear if other populations of heart failure patients would benefit from CRT.
Methods: One hundred forty‐four consecutive heart failure patients who underwent CRT and completed 3 months of follow‐up were reviewed. Demographic, echocardiographic, electrocardiographic, and clinical outcome data were analyzed to assess the relationship of functional class and QRS duration before device implantation to postimplant outcomes.
Results: There were 20, 88, and 36 patients in NYHA functional class II, III, and IV, respectively. Thirty‐four patients had right ventricular pacing and another 29 patients had a QRS duration ≤150 ms. Patients who were in NYHA functional class II at baseline had significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction and indices of left ventricular remodeling after CRT. Similar significant findings were seen in the subgroup with right ventricular pacing at baseline after CRT. However, in the subgroup with a narrow QRS duration, there were no significant changes in the indices of left ventricular remodeling or in the NYHA functional class and there was a significant increase in the QRS duration. For the study cohort as a whole, an improvement in NYHA functional class after CRT correlated with a significant decrease in adverse clinical outcomes.
Conclusions: Heart failure patients who were in NYHA functional class II and those with right ventricular pacing appeared to benefit from CRT.
Laser Lead Extraction: Predictors of Success and Complications
Authors: ROUX JEAN‐FRANÇOIS , PAGÉ PIERRE , DUBUC MARC , THIBAULT BERNARD , GUERRA PETER G. , MACLE LAURENT , ROY DENIS , TALAJIC MARIO , KHAIRY PAUL 
Published: March 2007

Background: Paralleling the rise in pacemaker and defibrillator implantations, lead extraction procedures are increasingly required. Concerns regarding failure and complications remain.
Methods and Results: A total of 200 lead extraction procudures were performed at the Montreal Heart Institute between September 2000 and August 2005. In 23 patients, all leads were removed by traction with a locking stylet. A total of 270 leads were extracted using a laser sheath system (Spectranectics, Colorado Springs, CO, USA) in 177 procedures involving 175 patients (74% male), age 62±16 years. Procedural indications were: infection 88 (50%), dysfunction 54 (30%), upgrade 21 (12%), and other 14 (8%). Overall, 241 leads (89%) were successfully extracted, 7 (3%) were partially extracted (≤4 cm retained), and 22 (8%) were non‐extractable. In multivariate analyses, predictors of failed extraction were longer time from implant (OR 1.16 per year, P=0.0001) and history of hypertension (OR 5.2, P=0.0023). Acute complications occurred in 14 of 177 procedures (7.9%): 8 (4.5%) minor and 6 (3.4%) major, with one death. In multivariate analyses, the only predictor of acute complications was laser lead extraction from both right and left sides during the same procedure (OR 9.4, P = 0.0119). In addition, 3 of 10 patients with failed or partially extracted infected systems eventually required open chest explantation because of endocarditis.
Conclusion: Most leads not amenable to manual traction may be successfully extracted by a percutaneous laser sheath system. While most complications are minor, major complications including death may occur. Older leads are at higher risk for failed extraction. Endocarditis may ensue if infected leads are incompletely removed.
Determinants of millet diversity at the household‐farm and village‐community levels in the drylands of India: the role of local seed systems
Authors: Nagarajan Latha , Smale Melinda , Glewwe Paul 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThis research characterizes the biological diversity of millet crops in the semiarid regions of India at the household and village‐community ( panchayat) scales of analysis, placing that evidence in the context of local seed systems. A set of seed system parameters that span formal and informal exchange and can be measured empirically are proposed. The analysis is based on data collected through sample surveys of farmers and traders in selected sites of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, combined with cultivar taxonomies developed with geneticists and applied to seed samples. Findings demonstrate that millet crop diversity levels at both scales of analysis are significantly influenced by seed system parameters, factors which related studies have omitted. In particular, the presence of active local (formal and informal) seed markets enhances millet richness among and within farming communities. Crop improvement strategies oriented toward local seed markets could provide important benefits and incentives to farm households living in these marginal environments. There is a need, however, for an enhanced theoretical understanding of local seed markets in analyzing crop variety choices and the diversity of materials grown in less favored environments.
Accounting for agricultural decline with economic growth in Taiwan
Authors: Sun Ling , Fulginiti Lilyan E. , Wesley E. , Peterson F. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractIn this paper, we develop an empirical model to decompose the evolution of the agricultural share of GDP into three components: price changes, factor endowment changes and technological change. Our results suggest that relative prices have a positive but small influence on the share of agriculture in GDP in both the long‐run and the short‐run. An increase in capital per unit of labor, on the other hand, is associated with a smaller agricultural share. Technical change has been biased in favor of the agricultural sector but this effect has been swamped by the magnitude of the input effects, in particular, the changes in the capital‐labor ratio.
Agricultural growth and poverty in an archetypical middle income country: Chile 1987–2003
Authors: Anríquez Gustavo , López Ramón 
Published: February 2007

AbstractIs a reduced share of agriculture in the economy an obstacle for the agricultural sector to play an important role in poverty alleviation? What is the key channel, if any, by which agriculture is benefiting the poor in Chile that would be worthwhile to promote in other countries? By answering these questions we expand the literature on poverty and composition of growth by proposing a methodology that allows to disentangle the mechanisms by which agricultural growth can be poverty reducing. We find that in Chile agriculture plays a large role in reducing poverty, and most of this effect is channeled through the labor market.
Morphine analgesia as an alternative to general anaesthesia during laser treatment of retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Kirwan Caitriona , O'Keefe Michael , Prendergast Michael , Twomey Ann , Murphy John 
Published: February 2007

Abstract.
Purpose:
To determine the feasibility and efficacy of morphine sedation/analgesia in the laser treatment of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).Methods:  A retrospective study was carried out on all infants who underwent laser treatment for ROP over a 7 year period. Morphine infusion commenced 6 hrs prior to treatment at a rate of 10 µg/kg/hr. This rate increased to 20 µg/kg/hr at the start of laser treatment. Subsequent infusion rate was titrated according to tolerance of the laser and cardio and respiratory system changes and evidence of infant distress (truncal and limb movements) up to a maximum rate of 40 µg/kg/hr. Following treatment, morphine was weaned over 6 hrs. Infant ventilation status was recorded prior to and during morphine infusion and during laser treatment. The incidences of adverse cardiac or respiratory events occurring during laser treatment were determined.Results:  One hundred and nine infants treated from 1998 to 2005 were involved in the study. One hundred and thirty‐six treatments were performed and mean gestational age at the time of treatment was 36 weeks. In 130 treatments, respiratory status remained stable and was not adversely affected. Infants were mechanically ventilated because of morphine‐induced apnoea during three treatments, because of poor laser tolerance during two treatments and because of post‐procedure apnoea in one case. In 65 treatments, minor alterations in oxygen saturation (< 90%), bradycardia or tachycardia occurred.Conclusion:  This study demonstrates that morphine analgesia can be used as an alternative to general anaesthesia.