bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Dexamethasone on the Expression of Transforming Growth Factor‐β in the Mouse Model of Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Lee Seung‐Sin , Won Tae‐Bin , Kim Jeong‐Whun , Rhee Chae‐Seo , Lee Chul‐Hee , Hong Seok‐Chan , Min Yang‐Gi 
Published: July 2007

AbstractObjectives/Hypothesis: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dexamethasone on the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β in the mouse model of allergic rhinitis.Study Design: Female BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to four groups, including two control groups and two treatment groups.Methods: General sensitization and local challenge were performed with ovalbumin (OVA). In the treatment groups, dexamethasone was injected intraperitoneally 3 hours before general sensitization or local challenge. Symptom score, eosinophil infiltration, and immunostaining for TGF‐β1 and CD4 in nasal mucosa, and TGF‐β1 and OVA‐specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in sera were analyzed.Results: Dexamethasone administration before general sensitization reduced the symptom score, OVA‐specific IgE, and eosinophil infiltration and increased the serum level of TGF‐β1 significantly. Dexamethasone administration before local challenge reduced only the eosinophil infiltration significantly. Immunoreactivity of TGF‐β1 and CD4 was lower in both treatment groups.Conclusion: These results suggest that dexamethasone may play an important role in the regulation of allergic reactions by at least two mechanisms; one by suppressing allergic sensitization through decrease of CD4+ T cells and increase of TGF‐β, and the other by suppressing late allergic reactions through the inhibition of proliferation and chemotaxis of inflammatory cells such as eosinophils.
Pediatric Salivary Gland Obstructive Swelling: Sialendoscopic Approach
Authors: Faure Frederic , Querin Stephanie , Dulguerov Pavel , Froehlich Patrick , Disant Francois , Marchal Francis 
Published: July 2007

AbstractObjective: To assess the efficacy of sialendoscopy as a diagnostic and interventional procedure for salivary ductal pathologies of children.Design: Prospective case series study.Setting: Tertiary care teaching hospitals.Patients: Eight children were investigated under general anesthesia by sialendoscopy for recurring salivary gland swellings between 2003 to 2004 in two university centers.Intervention: Diagnostic sialendoscopy was used for classifying ductal lesions as sialolithiasis or stenosis. Interventional sialendoscopy was used to treat these disorders. Different variables were analyzed: type of endoscope used, intraoperative findings, type of device used for sialoliths fragmentation or extraction, total number of procedures, and size and number of sialoliths removed.Results: Five cases of parotid and three cases of submandibular gland recurring swellings were included in the present study. Diagnostic sialendoscopy was possible in all cases. Salivary stones were found in six patients and parotid ductal stenosis in the remaining two. Multiple stones were seen in two cases. Interventional sialendoscopy was also possible in all cases, allowing an intraductal retrieval of the stones in three cases, and a marsupialization of the duct in two cases. Two cases required laser fragmentation of the stone. No major complications occurred intraoperatively or during follow‐up (mean 18 months).Conclusion: Diagnostic sialendoscopy is a new technique allowing a reliable evaluation of salivary ductal disorders in children, with low morbidity. Interventional sialendoscopy allows early treatment of pediatric sialoliths and stenosis in most cases, avoiding classical open surgery.
Prevalence of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux in a Population With Gastroesophageal Reflux
Authors: Groome Maximillian , Cotton James P. , Borland Marina , McLeod Shirley , Johnston David A. , Dillon John F. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractObjective: Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is a syndrome associated with a constellation of symptoms usually treated by ENT surgeons. It is believed to be caused by the retrograde flow of stomach contents into the laryngopharynx, this being a supra‐esophageal manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It has been cited that LPR and GERD can be considered separate entities. Our hypothesis was that LPR is a supra‐esophageal manifestation of GERD and therefore that patients with GERD should have a degree of symptoms suggestive of LPR because of the reflux of the gastric contents. We examined a population of patients with both upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and symptom‐proven GERD and, using a questionnaire, looked at their existing symptoms to help assess the prevalence of LPR. We also looked at whether, with more severe GERD (suggestive of increased gastric content reflux), the degree of symptoms suggestive of LPR would be increased, as would be expected.Methods: A population of patients with endoscopically proven GERD were recruited and divided into groups depending on the severity of their reflux disease. A questionnaire was then administered that examined both LPR and GERD scoring criteria. The relationship between GERD and LPR was then analyzed.Results: We recruited 1,383 subjects with GERD; those with severe GERD had significantly higher LPR scores compared with those with mild (P < .01), moderate (P < .05), or inactive disease (P < .001).Conclusions: The condition of LPR is likely to represent a supra‐esophageal manifestation of GERD. This study examined a large number of patients with endoscopically proven GERD and has demonstrated a correlation between the severity of GERD and the prevalence of LPR. LPR and GERD are common and interlinked conditions. The subsequent prevalence of LPR in the population with GERD is therefore likely to be dramatically underestimated.
HLA class I antigen expression is associated with a favorable prognosis in early stage non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Kikuchi Eiki , Yamazaki Koichi , Torigoe Toshihiko , Cho Yasushi , Miyamoto Masaki , Oizumi Satoshi , Hommura Fumihiro , Dosaka‐Akita Hirotoshi , Nishimura Masaharu 
Published: July 2007

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I displays a repertoire of endogenously processed peptides to CD8+ T lymphocytes. The present study assessed correlations between HLA class I expression, clinicopathologic factors, and tumor‐infiltrating immune cells in human non‐small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Expression of HLA class I was assessed in 161 resected primary NSCLC by immunohistochemistry using EMR8–5, a novel monoclonal anti‐pan HLA class I heavy chain antibody. Expression of HLA class I was classified into three categories: strongly positive, weakly positive, or negative. Tumor‐infiltrating CD8+ lymphocytes and CD56+ natural killer cells within cancer nests and stroma were also counted. Expression of HLA class I was strongly positive in 50 tumors, weakly positive in 57 tumors, and negative in 54 tumors. Down‐regulation of HLA class I was significantly correlated with male sex, history of smoking, non‐adenocarcinoma histology, and moderate‐/low‐grade differentiation. The density of cancer nest‐infiltrating CD8+ cells in HLA class I‐negative tumors was significantly decreased compared to that in HLA class I strongly positive tumors (P < 0.01). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a significant favorable influence on overall survival for patients displaying tumors with strongly positive expression of HLA class I (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed down‐regulation of HLA class I as an independent factor of poor prognosis in pathological stage I patients, but not in late‐stage patients. These results suggest that down‐regulation of HLA class I expression in NSCLC is a marker of poor prognosis, and this may play a critical role in immune surveillance of patients with NSCLC. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 1424–1430)
Reducing alcohol‐related damage in populations: rethinking the roles of education and persuasion interventions
Authors: Giesbrecht Norman 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTAim In order to potentially enhance the impact of most effective policies and interventions in reducing the population level damage from alcohol, a new perspective with regard to education and persuasion interventions is offered.Methods Recent studies were examined on the global burden of alcohol and also those focusing on the links between overall consumption and high‐risk drinking, on one hand, and drinking‐related damage on the other hand. A synopsis of main findings from reviews and other analysis provides the basis for conclusions about the impacts of education and persuasion interventions.Results There is a relative absence of evidence of the effectiveness of education and persuasion in reducing consumption, curtailing high‐risk drinking or reducing damage from alcohol. This is in contrast to the rising levels of damage from alcohol, and also to the demonstrated effectiveness of certain alcohol policies and interventions, as summarized in Baboret al.Conclusions Given that only a small fraction of education and persuasion interventions have any positive impact, generating ‘more of the same’ is not an impact‐effective and cost‐efficient approach. Therefore, interventions that have not been shown to be effective need to be phased out and those most effective and of widest scope should receive more attention and enhanced resources. A reframing of the roles and foci of persuasion interventions is advised, including, for example, focusing on informing policy‐makers, and stimulating public discussions about the rationale of alcohol policies and the roles that citizens can play in promoting and supporting these policies.
Does smoking in adolescence affect body mass index, waist or height? Findings from a longitudinal study
Authors: Fidler Jennifer A. , West Robert , Van Jaarsveld Cornelia H. M. , Jarvis Martin J. , Wardle Jane 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTAim  To assess the effect of smoking uptake on body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and height during adolescence.Design  Five‐year longitudinal study.Setting  Thirty‐six schools in South London, England, selected by a stratified random sampling procedure designed to ensure ethnic and socio‐economic diversity.Participants  A total of 5863 students took part in the HABITS (Health and Behaviour in Teenagers) Study between 1999 and 2003.Measurements  Self‐reported smoking behaviour, saliva cotinine concentrations and measured weight, waist circumference and height were obtained, along with information on gender, ethnicity, socio‐economic deprivation, pubertal status, self‐reported exercise and dieting. Students were examined annually from school year 7 (ages 11–12) to year 11 (ages 15–16), with response rates ranging from 74 to 84%. A total of 2665 never smokers at year 7 with complete data for years 7 and 11 were included in the analyses.Findings  Adjusting for year 7 BMI and other potential confounders, regular smokers (more than six cigarettes a week) at year 11 had significantly lower BMI (P = 0.002) than other students. Smokers defined by a cotinine above 15 ng/ml also had lower BMI (P < 0.0001). Waist circumferences were lower in regular smokers (P = 0.014) and cotinine‐defined smokers (P < 0.011). No consistent association was found between smoking and height. The adjusted difference in weight between regular smokers and other students amounted to 1.8 kg (95% CI, 0.52–3.17) for an average‐height student.Conclusion  Taking up regular smoking during adolescence may result in a lower BMI, but the effect is small and of uncertain significance.
Cost‐effectiveness of prize‐based contingency management in methadone maintenance treatment programs
Authors: Sindelar Jody L. , Olmstead Todd A. , Peirce Jessica M. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTAim To determine if prize‐based contingency management (CM), which has been shown to improve treatment outcomes over usual care (UC) alone, is cost‐effective.Design A cost‐effectiveness study of a multi‐site clinical trial. Data on the outcome measures came from the original effectiveness trial. Cost data were gathered by clinic survey specifically for this cost‐effectiveness analysis.Setting Six methadone maintenance community clinics participating in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network.Participants Participants were recruited from six methadone maintenance community treatment programs. The study sample consisted of 388 participants: 190 in the UC condition and 198 in the CM condition. Participants were randomized at each site to either the UC or the CM condition based on the presence of stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine or methamphetamine) and opioids in their baseline urine sample.Intervention Prize‐based contingency management added to usual care.Measurements Longest duration of abstinence (LDA), number of stimulant‐negative urine samples and costs of treatment.Findings Compared to usual care, the incremental cost of using prize‐based CM to lengthen the LDA by 1 week was $141 [95% confidence interval (CI), $105–$193]. The incremental cost to obtain an additional stimulant‐negative urine sample was $70 (95% CI, $53–$117).Conclusions By comparing this study to a companion study, we found that adding prize‐based CM to usual care may be more cost‐effective in methadone maintenance clinics than in counseling‐based drug‐free clinics.
HIV risk behavior among injection drug users in Tehran, Iran
Authors: Razani Nooshin , Mohraz Minoo , Kheirandish Parastoo , Malekinejad Mohsen , Malekafzali Hossein , Mokri Azarakhsh , McFarland Willi , Rutherford George 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTAims  Iran faces parallel human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and injection drug use epidemics; more than 62% of known HIV cases occur among injection drug users (IDU). We conducted a formative study of IDU in Tehran to explore risk behavior in the wake of the recent harm reduction efforts.Participants and design  Key informant interviews (n = 40), focus group discussions (nine groups of IDU, n = 66) and a review of existing published and unpublished literature were conducted. Participants included IDU, physicians, policy makers, police, IDU advocates and their families. IDU were diverse in gender, education, income and neighborhood of residence. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using grounded theory. A typology of IDUs in Tehran, categorized according to self‐defined networks as well as HIV risks, is presented. This categorization is based on the groups identified by IDUs, compared to those identified by other key informants, and on a secondary data review.Findings  Homeless, female, young IDU and users of a more potent form of heroin were identified as having increased risks for HIV. Participants described shortening transitions from smoked opium to injected opiates. Whereas a majority of participants considered needle sharing less common than previously, sharing continues in locations of group injection, and in states of withdrawal or severe addiction. System‐wise barriers to harm reduction were discussed, and include the cost or stigma of purchasing needles from pharmacies, over‐burdened clinics, irregular enforcement of laws protecting IDU and lack of efforts to address the sexual risks of IDU.Conclusions  This research is one of the first to describe a diversity of IDU, including women and higher socio‐economic class individuals, in Tehran. While efforts in harm reduction in Iran to date have been notable, ongoing risks point to an urgent need for targeted, culturally acceptable interventions.
The Substances and Choices Scale (SACS) ‐ the development and testing of a new alcohol and other drug screening and outcome measurement instrument for young people
Authors: Christie Grant , Marsh Reginald , Sheridan Janie , Wheeler Amanda , Suaalii‐Sauni Tamasailau , Black Stella , Butler Rachael 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTAims  To describe the development and evaluation of the Substances and Choices Scale (SACS), an adolescent alcohol and other drug (AOD) self‐report instrument designed in a similar format to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).Design  A literature review, extensive consultation and discriminant analysis on a pilot sample (n = 61) of adolescents informed the development of the SACS. The psychometric properties of the SACS were then tested in a larger community and clinical sample.Setting  Three youth out‐patient AOD treatment services and three secondary schools in Auckland, New Zealand.Participants  13–18‐year‐old males and females attending the services (n = 120) or schools (n = 531).Measurements  The SACS was administered with the CRAFFT, the Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).Findings  Reliability of the SACS was sound, with coefficient alpha 0.91 and 3‐week test–retest correlation 0.88. Congruent validity coefficients of the SACS versus the CRAFFT and the POSIT were 0.79 and 0.91, respectively. A ROC curve demonstrated the SACS as having a predictive value of 92%. Repeat SACS scores in a treatment sample indicated that the SACS had utility in measuring change. Feedback from participants indicated that the SACS was highly acceptable.Conclusions  The SACS is a simple AOD instrument that is reliable, valid and acceptable to young people. It has utility in screening and measuring outcome and should enhance the identification and treatment of AOD difficulties in adolescents across a range of health settings.
Root rot disease of legumes caused by Aphanomyces euteiches
Authors: GAULIN ELODIE , JACQUET CHRISTOPHE , BOTTIN ARNAUD , DUMAS BERNARD 
Published: July 2007

SUMMARYThe Oomycete genus Aphanomyces houses plant and animal pathogens found in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Aphanomyces euteiches Drechs. causes seedling damping off and root rot diseases on many legumes. It is the most devastating pea (Pisum sativum) disease in several countries, causing up to 80% losses each year. This strictly soil‐borne pathogen may survive many years in soil and no efficient chemical control is currently available. The only way to control the disease is to avoid cultivating legumes in infested fields for up to 10 years. Although huge research effort has been devoted to the Oomycete genus Phytophthora during the last decade, A. euteiches received has little attention and mechanisms by which it infects its hosts are still unclear. A. euteiches is nevertheless an interesting parasite to study plant–oomycete interactions as it is pathogenic on the model legume Medicago truncatula. This review summarizes knowledge about the main characteristics of A. euteiches and presents research currently developed to find new strategies to control this pathogen and to gain insight into its pathogenicity. Taxonomy:   Aphanomyces euteiches Drechs belongs to a kingdom of diverse eukaryotic protists named Chromista or Straminipila. It is a member of the class Oomycetes (syn. Peronosporomycetes), which gathers organisms resembling fungi through morphological and physiological traits, but are phylogenically related to diatoms, chromophyte algae and other heterokont protists. The genus Aphanomyces is classified within the order Saprolegniales, family Saprolegniaceae s.l. or Leptolegniaceae. Host range: Several legumes were found to be hosts for A. euteiches and this pathogen was isolated from field‐grown pea, alfafa, snap bean, vetch, clover, sweet clover and several weed species. Disease symptoms:   The disease begins with the yellowing of root tissue. At a later stage, infected roots become brown and the hypocotyl darkens at the soil line. The pathogen infects the cortex of primary and lateral roots and oospores are formed within the root tissues. Useful websites:   http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp (links to taxonomy data), http://www.eugrainlegumes.org/; http://www.medicago.org/ (links to the European Union ‘Grain Legume’ Integrated Project).
Differential gene expression in Arabidopsis following infection by plant‐parasitic nematodes Meloidogyne incognita and Heterodera schachtii
Authors: FULLER VICTORIA L. , LILLEY CATHERINE J. , ATKINSON HOWARD J. , URWIN PETER E. 
Published: July 2007

SUMMARYWhole genome microarrays were used to study plant gene expression in mature Meloidogyne incognita‐induced galls in Arabidopsis. We found 959 genes to be significantly differentially expressed, and two‐thirds of these were down‐regulated. Microarray results were confirmed by qRT‐PCR. The temporal and spatial responses of four differentially expressed genes were analysed using GUS reporter plants following infection with M. incognita and the cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. The ammonium transporter gene AtAMT1;2 was consistently and locally repressed in response to both nematodes at all developmental stages. The lateral organ boundary domain gene LBD41 showed up‐regulation in the feeding sites of both nematode species, although there was variation in expression in saccate H. schachtii female feeding sites. Expression of an actin depolymerizing factor ADF3 and a lipid transfer protein was induced in feeding sites of both nematodes at the fusiform stage and this persisted in feeding sites of saccate M. incognita. These results contribute to the knowledge of how plant gene expression responds to parasitism by these nematodes as well as highlighting further differences in the mechanisms of development and maintenance of these feeding site structures.
Botrytis cinerea: the cause of grey mould disease
Authors: WILLIAMSON BRIAN , TUDZYNSKI BETTINA , TUDZYNSKI PAUL , VAN KAN JAN A. L. 
Published: July 2007

SUMMARYIntroduction:  Botrytis cinerea (teleomorph: Botryotinia fuckeliana) is an airborne plant pathogen with a necrotrophic lifestyle attacking over 200 crop hosts worldwide. Although there are fungicides for its control, many classes of fungicides have failed due to its genetic plasticity. It has become an important model for molecular study of necrotrophic fungi. Taxonomy:  Kingdom: Fungi, phylum: Ascomycota, subphylum: Pezizomycotina, class: Leotiomycetes, order: Helotiales, family: Sclerotiniaceae, genus: Botryotinia. Host range and symptoms: Over 200 mainly dicotyledonous plant species, including important protein, oil, fibre and horticultural crops, are affected in temperate and subtropical regions. It can cause soft rotting of all aerial plant parts, and rotting of vegetables, fruits and flowers post‐harvest to produce prolific grey conidiophores and (macro)conidia typical of the disease. Pathogenicity:  B. cinerea produces a range of cell‐wall‐degrading enzymes, toxins and other low‐molecular‐weight compounds such as oxalic acid. New evidence suggests that the pathogen triggers the host to induce programmed cell death as an attack strategy. Resistance:  There are few examples of robust genetic host resistance, but recent work has identified quantitative trait loci in tomato that offer new approaches for stable polygenic resistance in future. Useful websites:  http://www.phi‐base.org/query.php, http://www.broad.mit.edu/annotation/genome/botrytis_cinerea/Home.html, http://urgi.versailles.inra.fr/projects/Botrytis/, http://cogeme.ex.ac.uk