bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Autologous serum in the management of recalcitrant dry eye syndrome
Authors: Lee Graham A , Chen Simon X 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPurpose:  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of long‐term application of autologous serum eye drops treating recalcitrant dry eye syndrome.Methods:  A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients who had serum eye drops between May 2001 and March 2006. The clinical data collected included sex, age, indications for serum eye drops, frequency of lubricant eye drops use before and after serum eye drop treatment, Schirmer tear function test with anaesthesia, fluorescein staining at baseline and at follow up and changes in subjective symptoms.Results:  There were 46 eyes of 23 patients (19 female and 4 male) in the study group. The average follow‐up period was 17.3 months (range 6–55 months). Corneal fluorescein staining of 34 eyes (73.9%) showed improvement at follow up. Sixteen patients (32 eyes, 69.6%) reported a decreased frequency of lubricant use including eight patients (16 eyes, 34.8%) who used only serum eye drops for dry eye treatment. Eighteen patients (35 eyes, 76.1%) reported subjective improvement after using serum eye drops. No significant complications were reported in this study.Conclusion:  Serum eye drops can be effective in treating recalcitrant dry eye syndrome and should be available as a management option when other treatments have failed. Meticulous attention must be paid to the possible contamination of the bottle to minimize the risk of infection.
Cryopreserved amniotic membrane transplantation for the management of symptomatic bullous keratopathy
Authors: Georgiadis Nick S , Ziakas Nikolas G , Boboridis Kostas G , Terzidou Chrysa , Mikropoulos Dimitrios G 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackground:  To report the results of cryopreserved human amniotic membrane transplantation for the management of symptomatic bullous keratopathy.Methods:  Prospective non‐comparative interventional case series study. Consecutive cases with symptomatic bullous keratopathy for more than 12 months not amenable to conservative treatment were managed with amniotic membrane transplantation. They were recruited over a 5‐year period (September 1999 to November 2004) in one referral centre. Only one eye of each patient (the worse affected eye in bilateral cases) was operated. A 360 degree conjunctival peritomy was followed by removal of the diseased corneal epithelium. Amniotic membrane was transplanted over the cornea as a patch and sutured to the free conjunctival edges. Primary outcome measures were ocular pain and epithelial defects; secondary measures were visual acuity and ocular surface inflammation.Results:  Four out of 85 recruited cases did not complete the minimum observation of 12 months and were excluded from the study. The mean follow‐up period for the remaining 81 cases was 21 ± 4.2 months (range 14–34 months). Seventy‐one (87.6%) eyes became asymptomatic with healed epithelium, seven required repeated amniotic transplantation and three underwent penetrating keratoplasty. Visual acuity improved in 64 (79%) patients and remained unchanged in 14. No complications were recorded.Conclusions:  Amniotic membrane transplantation is an efficient and safe treatment for symptomatic bullous kerato pathy, when penetrating keratoplasty is not available. It has been shown to alleviate pain, promote corneal epithelialization and reduce conjunctival inflammation whereas in some cases it may also improve visual acuity.
Biometric calculation of intraocular lens power for cataract surgery following pupil dilatation
Authors: Bansal Shveta , Quah Say A , Turpin Tim , Batterbury Mark 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackground:  The ability to perform biometry accurately on a dilated pupil can greatly facilitate the efficiency of a cataract service as it can be done on the day of surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the repeatability of axial length (AL) calculations in undilated pupils and measure the difference in predicted and actual refractive outcomes in dilated pupils compared with undilated pupils.Methods:  First, intraobserver repeatability was assessed by taking two consecutive recordings of AL using applanation A‐scan ultrasonography in undilated pupils in 21 eyes. The mean AL for each eye was compared with a measurement made following pupil dilatation. Second, we audited the mean spherical equivalent refractive errors following routine cataract surgery in 38 patients with undilated pupils and 36 patients with dilated pupils.Results:  The mean difference in intraobserver measurements was −0.05 mm (standard deviation [SD] 0.15) with pupils undilated. Following pupil dilatation, the mean dilated AL differed from the mean undilated AL reading by only 0.03 mm (P > 0.05). The mean differences between planned and actual refractive error were 0.71D (SD 0.54) and 0.55D (SD 0.41) in dilated and undilated patients, respectively. This was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The range of differences between target and actual refraction was −1.45D to 2.70D for undilated patients and −1.88D to 1.18D in dilated patients.Conclusion:  Although there was a greater spread of postoperative refractive errors in the dilated group, there were no statistically or clinically significant differences in postoperative refractive errors between the two categories of patients. Our study shows that applanation biometry may be safely performed for the purpose of cataract surgery after pupil dilatation.
Long‐term results of viscocanalostomy in pseudoexfoliative and primary open angle glaucoma
Authors: Wishart Peter K , Wishart Manijeh S , Choudhary Anshoo , Grierson Ian 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPurpose:  To document the outcome of viscocanalostomy (VC) alone or combined with phacoemulsification (phaco‐VC) in eyes with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG) and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).Methods:  A prospective, comparative study of 314 eyes undergoing VC in two centres over 6 years was conducted. Main outcome measures were: (i) intraocular pressure (IOP) control (complete success was IOP ≤ 18 mmHg without medication and failure IOP > 18 mmHg); and (ii) requirement for Nd:YAG laser goniopuncture (YAG‐GP) if IOP > 21 mmHg.Results:  In the POAG group, 174 eyes underwent phaco‐VC and 104 VC. In the PEX group, 20 eyes underwent phaco‐VC and 16 VC. At final follow up, complete success rate (CSR) was 76% for POAG phaco‐VC, 67% for POAG VC, 95% for PEXG phaco‐VC and 63% for PEXG VC with mean IOP reduction of 29.9%, 40%, 42.5% and 51%, respectively. Without YAG‐GP, by 3 years postoperatively the failure rate was 100% for PEXG eyes and 21% for POAG eyes undergoing VC alone, but PEXG eyes undergoing phaco‐VC were 100% successful. CSR for YAG‐GP was 92% in PEXG VC eyes and 55% in POAG VC eyes.Conclusions:  In phakic eyes with PEXG undergoing VC, an absolute requirement for long‐term success was YAG‐GP. This was not the case in POAG eyes or PEXG eyes undergoing phaco‐VC. Late IOP rise in phakic PEXG eyes and restoration of IOP control following YAG‐GP suggests that continued release of PEX material from the lens capsule with time blocks the outflow through the trabecular‐Descemetic window created by VC.
Sexually dimorphic activation of the periaqueductal gray–rostral ventromedial medullary circuit during the development of tolerance to morphine in the rat
Authors: Loyd Dayna R. , Morgan Michael M. , Murphy Anne Z. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) and its descending projections to the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) provides an essential neural circuit for the antinociceptive effects of opiates, and has been implicated in the development of tolerance to morphine. Systemic morphine activates a greater proportion of PAG–RVM neurons in male vs female rats, and induces tolerance to a greater degree in males. The present studies tested the hypothesis that if the PAG–RVM pathway is essential for the development of tolerance, then: (i) morphine activation of the PAG–RVM pathway should decline as tolerance develops; and (ii) sex differences in the development of tolerance to morphine should be reflected as a greater decline in the activation of this pathway in males. These hypotheses were tested in male and female rats using behavioral testing (hot‐plate) and immunohistochemistry to map the activation of the PAG–RVM pathway following repeated morphine administration (5 mg/kg; s.c.). In males, morphine potency decreased from 3.0 to 6.3 mg/kg, indicating tolerance, and this was paralleled by a steady decline in the percentage of PAG–RVM output neurons activated by morphine. In contrast, in females the shift in morphine potency was significantly attenuated (D50 6–8.3 mg/kg), and no significant difference in the activity of PAG–RVM output neurons was noted. These results demonstrate that the greater development of tolerance to morphine administration in male rats corresponds with a significant reduction in the activation of the PAG–RVM circuit and suggest a central role for the PAG in the development of tolerance to morphine.
Early differential processing of verbs and nouns in the human brain as indexed by event‐related brain potentials
Authors: Hasting Anna S. , Winkler István , Kotz Sonja A. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractA recent study on syntactic influences on the mismatch negativity (MMN) reported preliminary evidence that processing or representational differences between verbs and nouns could be reflected in modulations of this early component of the event‐related brain potential (ERP). However, this previous investigation was unable to separate the putative word category effects from possible influences of the direction of acoustic change on the MMN response. The present study disentangled these two effects by comparing the effects of the direction of acoustic change within and isolated from the lexical context that had previously been used to create the word‐category contrast. Although the direction of acoustic change exerted a significant influence on the MMN amplitude, some of the temporal and topographic characteristics of the MMN and the overall pattern of the deviance‐related ERP response proved to be specific to word‐category effects. These findings provide the first reliable evidence that the MMN can serve as an index of word‐category‐specific processing and support the notion of early processing and representational differences between verbs and nouns.
Exogenous agmatine has neuroprotective effects against restraint‐induced structural changes in the rat brain
Authors: Zhu Meng‐Yang , Wang Wei‐Ping , Cai Zheng‐Wei , Regunathan Soundar , Ordway Gregory 
Published: March 2008

AbstractAgmatine is an endogenous amine derived from decarboxylation of arginine catalysed by arginine decarboxylase. Agmatine is considered a novel neuromodulator and possesses neuroprotective properties in the central nervous system. The present study examined whether agmatine has neuroprotective effects against repeated restraint stress‐induced morphological changes in rat medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Sprague‐Dawley rats were subjected to 6 h of restraint stress daily for 21 days. Immunohistochemical staining with β‐tubulin III showed that repeated restraint stress caused marked morphological alterations in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Stress‐induced alterations were prevented by simultaneous treatment with agmatine (50 mg/kg/day, i.p.). Interestingly, endogenous agmatine levels, as measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography, in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus as well as in the striatum and hypothalamus of repeated restraint rats were significantly reduced as compared with the controls. Reduced endogenous agmatine levels in repeated restraint animals were accompanied by a significant increase of arginine decarboxylase protein levels in the same regions. Moreover, administration of exogenous agmatine to restrained rats abolished increases of arginine decarboxylase protein levels. Taken together, these results demonstrate that exogenously administered agmatine has neuroprotective effects against repeated restraint‐induced structural changes in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. These findings indicate that stress‐induced reductions in endogenous agmatine levels in the rat brain may play a permissive role in neuronal pathology induced by repeated restraint stress.
Kv4 (A‐type) potassium currents in the mouse medial nucleus of the trapezoid body
Authors: Johnston Jamie , Griffin Sarah J. , Baker Claire , Forsythe Ian D. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPrincipal neurones of the mouse medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) possess multiple voltage‐gated potassium currents, including a transient outward current (or A‐current), which is characterized here. The A‐current exhibited rapid voltage‐dependent inactivation and was half inactivated at resting membrane potentials. Following a hyperpolarizing pre‐pulse to remove inactivation, the peak transient current was 1.07 nA at −17 mV. The pharmacological characteristics of this A‐current were consistent with Kv4 subunits in expression studies; the A‐current was resistant to block by tetraethylammonium and dendrotoxin‐I but sensitive to millimolar concentrations of 4‐aminopyridine and 5 µm hanatoxin. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that Kv4.3 sub‐units are present in the MNTB. In a single‐compartment model of an MNTB neurone, the A‐current served to accelerate the decay of the initial action potentials in a stimulus train and suggested that removal of A‐current steady‐state inactivation could raise firing threshold for non‐calyceal synaptic inputs. This A‐type current was not observed in the rat.
α‐Phenyl‐n‐tert‐butyl‐nitrone ameliorates hippocampal injury and improves learning and memory in juvenile rats following neonatal exposure to lipopolysaccharide
Authors: Fan Lir‐Wan , Tien Lu‐Tai , Mitchell Helen J. , Rhodes Philip G. , Cai Zhengwei 
Published: March 2008

AbstractNeonatal exposure to infectious agents may result in long‐term neurological disability, and is particularly associated with the subsequent development of motor and cognitive disturbances. Our previous studies have shown that treatment with α‐phenyl‐n‐tert‐butyl‐nitrone (PBN) following exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) reduces LPS‐induced brain injury in the neonatal rat. To examine whether PBN has long‐lasting protective effects and ameliorates LPS‐induced motor and cognitive dysfunction, PBN (100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 5 min after an LPS (1 mg/kg) intracerebral injection in postnatal day 5 (P5) Sprague–Dawley rat pups. Neurobehavioral tests were carried out from P3 to P21, and brain injury was examined at 24 h and 16 days after LPS injection. Neonatal LPS exposure resulted in hyperactivity from P13 to P17 in the open field task as compared with the control rat. Neurobehavioral deficits that were still observable at P21 included dysfunction in the beam‐walking and pole tests, learning and memory deficits in the passive avoidance task, and less anxiety‐like response in the elevated plus‐maze task. These behavioral findings were matched by LPS‐induced axonal injury in the CA1 region of the middle dorsal hippocampus (HP), reduction in the size of the HP and the number of neurons in the CA1 region of the middle dorsal HP, and loss of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in neurons in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental areas. Treatment with PBN provided long‐lasting protection against the LPS‐induced axonal injury and neuronal loss, and improved the associated neurological dysfunctions in juvenile rats.
The effects of running and of inhibiting adult neurogenesis on learning and memory in rats
Authors: Wojtowicz J. Martin , Askew Michele L. , Winocur Gordon 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe presence of ongoing adult neurogenesis within the highly plastic hippocampal circuitry poses questions as to the relevance of new neurons to learning and memory. Correlational and causal evidence suggests that some, but not all, hippocampal tasks involve the new neurons. The evidence with regard to spatial learning in the water maze, one of the most commonly used hippocampal tasks, is contradictory. In this study we examined the effects of irradiation‐induced reduction in neurogenesis on spatial learning and another standard hippocampal task, contextual fear conditioning, in rats that experienced normal cage conditions or voluntary running. The results indicate that reduced neurogenesis had little effect on spatial learning but severely impaired contextual fear conditioning. It was suggested that compensatory mechanisms within the hippocampus may have contributed selectively to sparing of spatial function. Performance on the fear conditioning task was weakly related to enhanced neurogenesis or running. The results improve our understanding of the functional role of adult neurogenesis in behaving animals.
High dose dexmedetomidine as the sole sedative for pediatric MRI
Authors: MASON KEIRA P. , ZURAKOWSKI DAVID , ZGLESZEWSKI STEVEN E. , ROBSON CAROLINE D. , CARRIER MAUREEN , HICKEY PAUL R. , DINARDO JAMES A. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryObjective:  This large‐scale retrospective review evaluates the sedation profile of dexmedetomidine.Aim:  To determine the hemodynamic responses, efficacy and adverse events associated with the use of high dose dexmedetomidine as the sole sedative for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies.Background:  Dexmedetomidine has been used at our institution since 2005 to provide sedation for pediatric radiological imaging studies. Over time, an effective protocol utilizing high dose dexmedetomidine as the sole sedative agent has evolved.Methods/Materials:  As part of the ongoing Quality Assurance process, data on all sedations are reviewed monthly and protocols modified as needed. Data were analyzed from all 747 consecutive patients who received dexmedetomidine for MRI sedation from April 2005 to April 2007.Results:  Since 2005, the 10‐min loading dose of our dexmedetomidine protocol increased from 2 to 3 μg·kg−1, and the infusion rate increased from 1 to 1.5 to 2 μg·kg−1·h−1. The current sedation protocol progressively increased the rate of successful sedation (able to complete the imaging study) when using dexmedetomidine alone from 91.8% to 97.6% (P = 0.009), reducing the requirement for adjuvant pentobarbital in the event of sedation failure with dexmedetomidine alone and decreased the mean recovery time by 10 min (P < 0.001). Although dexmedetomidine sedation was associated with a 16% incidence of bradycardia, all concomitant mean arterial blood pressures were within 20% of age‐adjusted normal range and oxygen saturations were 95% or higher.Conclusion:  Dexmedetomidine in high doses provides adequate sedation for pediatric MRI studies. While use of high dose dexmedetomidine is associated with decreases in heart rate and blood pressure outside the established ‘awake’ norms, this deviation is generally within 20% of norms, and is not associated with adverse sequelae. Dexmedetomidine is useful as the sole sedative for pediatric MRI.
Lidocaine 5% patch for localized chronic neuropathic pain in adolescents: report of five cases
Authors: NAYAK SANDEEP , CUNLIFFE MARY 
Published: March 2008

SummaryWe describe a case series of five adolescents who were managed with lidocaine 5% patches for chronic localized neuropathic pain from a variety of causes with minimal adverse effects. Treatment was effective in four of five patients with only one patient complaining of minimal pain relief. 5% Lidocaine patches have been used for treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in adults and we have found this to be effective in management of localized neuropathic pain in children and adolescents.
Temporal and spatial archaeal colonization of hydrothermal vent deposits
Authors: Pagé Antoine , Tivey Margaret K. , Stakes Debra S. , Reysenbach Anna‐Louise 
Published: March 2008

SummaryThermocouple arrays were deployed on two deep‐sea hydrothermal vents at Guaymas Basin (27°0.5′N, 111°24.5′W) in order to measure in situ temperatures at which microorganisms colonize the associated mineral deposits. Intact sections of three structures that formed around the arrays were collected after 4 and 72 day deployments (named BM4, BM72 and TS72). Archaeal diversity associated with discreet subsamples collected across each deposit was determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification of 16S rRNA genes. Spatial differences in archaeal diversity were observed in all deposits and appeared related to in situ temperature. In BM4, no 16S rRNA genes were detected beyond about 1.5 cm within the sample (> 200°C). Phylotypes detected on the outside of this deposit belong to taxonomic groups containing mesophiles and (hyper)thermophiles, whereas only putative hyperthermophiles were detected 1.5 cm inside the structure (∼110°C). In contrast, the more moderate thermal gradient recorded across TS72 was associated with a deeper colonization (2–3 cm inside the deposit) of putative hyperthermophilic phylotypes. Although our study does not provide a precise assessment of the highest temperature for the existence of microbial habitats inside the deposits, archaeal 16S rRNA genes were detected directly next to thermocouples that measured 110°C (Methanocaldococcus spp. in BM4) and 116°C (Desulfurococcaceae in TS72). The successive array deployments conducted at the Broken Mushroom (BM) site also revealed compositional differences in archaeal communities associated with immature (BM4) and mature chimneys (BM72) formed by the same fluids. These differences suggest a temporal transition in the primary carbon sources used by the archaeal communities, with potential CO2/H2 methanogens prevalent in BM4 being replaced by possible methylotroph or acetoclastic methanogens and heterotrophs in BM72. This study is the first direct assessment of in situ conditions experienced by microorganisms inhabiting actively forming hydrothermal deposits at different stages of structure development.
Presence of vancomycin and ampicillin‐resistant Enterococcus faecium of epidemic clonal complex‐17 in wastewaters from the south coast of England
Authors: Caplin Jonathan L. , Hanlon Geoffrey W. , Taylor Huw D. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryThe occurrence and diversity of vancomycin‐resistant enterococci (VRE) in wastewaters from the Brighton and Hove area of south‐east England were investigated. VRE were recovered from 71% of raw urban wastewater samples, 22% of treated urban wastewater samples, 15% of hospital wastewater sample and 33% of farm wastewater samples. Two hundred and eighty‐eight isolates were typed and identified and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to six antibiotics were determined for selected VRE. Vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) strains with a vancomycin MIC of more than 32 μg ml−1 were examined by polymerase chain reaction for the vanA, vanB and esp genes. Twenty‐three VREF with the vanA or vanB gene were further analysed by multilocus sequence typing which revealed that a cluster of VREF from both hospital and urban wastewaters belonged to the high‐risk, epidemic, clonal complex‐17 (CC17). Vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus faecium belonging to the CC17 group contained the purK‐1 allele, were resistant to ampicillin and frequently ciprofloxacin, and usually contained the esp gene. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of CC17 strains isolated from urban wastewaters in the UK, and indicates that certain clones carrying antibiotic resistance or virulence traits indicative of the hospital environment can be detected in the urban wastewater system.