bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A prospective evaluation of adherence to medication in first episode schizophrenia
Authors: Kamali M. , Kelly B.D. , Clarke M. , Browne S. , Gervin M. , Kinsella A. , Lane A. , Larkin C. , O'Callaghan E. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe aim of this study was to identify the features of first episode schizophrenia that predict adherence antipsychotic medication at six-month follow-up. We used validated instruments to assess clinical and socio-demographic variables in all patients with first episode schizophrenia from a defined geographical area admitted to a Dublin psychiatric hospital over a four-year period (N = 100). At six-month follow-up (N = 60) we assessed adherence to medication using the Compliance Interview. One third of patients with schizophrenia were non-adherent with medication within six months of their first episode of illness. High levels of positive symptoms at baseline, lack of insight at baseline, alcohol misuse at baseline and previous drug misuse predict non-adherence. These results indicate that an identifiable subgroup of patients with first episode schizophrenia is at high risk of early non-adherence to medication. While high positive symptom scores pre-date and predict non-adherence in most patients, reduced insight is the best predictor of non-adherence in patients who do not misuse alcohol or other drugs.
Food ingestion in juvenile cod estimated by inert lanthanide markers – effects of food particle size
Authors: Garatun-Tjeldstø Oddvard , Otterå Håkon , Julshamn Kåre , Austreng Erland 
Published: February 2006

AbstractDevelopment of formulated starter diets and improvement of diets for juvenile marine fish species are major challenges in aquaculture. The ingestion rate may be regarded as a parameter for evaluating whether a diet particle is available, recognized, of adequate size, palatable, and preferred by small fish. In this study, we evaluated the effect of food particle size (150–3425 μm) on ingestion rate in juvenile cod (36–826 mg wet weight). Lanthanide oxides were used as markers. Several mixtures of lanthanide marker-labelled diets were produced by combination of the mono-labelled size classes. Each combination was fed for one, four, or seven days to groups of juvenile cod in separate tanks. After termination by anaesthetic, the fish were collected, individually weighed, and frozen until analysis. The amount of lanthanides in the homogenized fish was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). There were no significant differences in ingestion of any of the markers when given in a mixture of mono-labelled particles. Thus, the markers Y2O3, La2O3, Nd2O3, Dy2O3, and Yb2O3 may be used as inert tools for evaluating diet ingestion. The total intake of dry diet was about 13 mg g−1 body weight. The particle size that caused the highest food intake was less than 1.2 mm in all experiments.
Parental effects on early life history traits of haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Authors: Nikolaus Probst W. , Kraus Gerd , Rideout Rick M. , Trippel Edward A. 
Published: February 2006

Abstract
Gametes from five male and three female haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) were crossed to produce 15 half-sibling families that were used to evaluate potential parental contributions to early life history variability. Larval morphology at 0 and 5 days post-hatch (dph) and time to starvation in the absence of food were examined. Maternal influences on larval standard length and yolk area were significant at 0 and 5 dph. Paternal effects on larval standard length were significant at 0 and 5 dph, whereas paternal effects on yolk area were only significant at 5 dph. Larval eye diameter was influenced by maternity at day 0 post-hatch and by both maternity and paternity at 5 dph. Myotome height of larvae was subject to maternal and paternal influences at 0 and 5 dph. Growth rate was significantly influenced by both paternity and maternity. Yolk utilization efficiency was significantly influenced by parental interaction, while the time taken for larvae to die in the absence of food was affected only by maternity. Results of this study not only confirm the importance of female contributions to larval development but also indicate a paternal influence on the development and the early life history success of marine fish.
Diffuse Mucosal Inflammation in Nasal Polyps and Adjacent Middle Turbinate
Authors: Hao Jing , Pang Yoke‐Teen , Wang De‐Yun 
Published: February 2006

BACKGROUNDNasal polyp (NP) is the most common mass lesion in the nose with unclear etiology and pathogenesis.OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of allergy and type of cellular inflammation in Asian patients with NPs.METHODSImmunohistochemical staining with a panel of antibodies for CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, B cells, Langerhans' cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, and mast cells were performed in pairs of NP tissue and middle turbinate (MT) biopsies from the same side of 48 patients and MT of controls. Serum total IgE and specific IgE to a panel of common local allergens were tested by the UniCAP (Pharmacia & Upjohn AB, Uppsala, Sweden) system.RESULTSAtopy was found in 29.7% of NP patients. Strong correlations of cell scores were evidenced between the paired samples from nasal polyp patients. The cell patterns in nasal polyp mainly showed a combined cell infiltration with significantly higher CD8+ T cell, eosinophil and neutrophil scores, and an inverse median ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells as compared with the MT from controls.CONCLUSIONThe similar immunohistochemical pattern of mucosal inflammation in NPs and the paired MT mucosa suggests a diffuse mucosal involvement. This indicates the necessity of antiinflammatory treatment of changes in the adjacent nasal mucosa in addition to the surgical removal of NPs. Besides the well‐recognized eosinophilic inflammation in Caucasian studies, predominant infiltration of T cells, especially CD8+ T cells, could be a key component underlying the pathogeneses of NPs.EBM rating: C‐4
Histologic Changes in the Anterior Mallear Ligament and the Head of the Malleus in Otosclerosis
Authors: Oktay Mehmet F. , Cureoglu Sebahattin , Schachern Patricia A. , Gulbahce Evin , Paparella Michael M. , Hayasi Hideo 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVETo determine ossicular and anterior mallear ligament (AML) changes in otosclerosis.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTINGHyalinization of AML was graded as follows: none, patchy, or diffuse in 95 temporal bones (TBs) with otosclerosis: 52 with stapedial fixation (SF); 43 without fixation (NSF); and 52 age‐matched controls. Fixation of the head of the malleus was noted.RESULTSHyalinization with SF was 17 none, 23 patchy, and 12 diffuse; with NSF it was 16 none, 20 patchy, and 7 diffuse; and in controls, 23 none, 24 patchy, and 5 diffuse. There was no significant difference in hyalinization among groups and no correlation between degree of hyalinization and age. The malleus head was fixed in 4 TBs with SF.CONCLUSIONBased on our findings, we do not believe that there is a relationship between hyalinization of the AML and otosclerosis; however, otosclerosis with SF seems to be a predisposing factor for fixation of the head of the malleus.
The Effects of Melatonin on Tinnitus and Sleep
Authors: Megwalu Uchechukwu C. , Finnell Joshua E. , Piccirillo Jay F. 
Published: February 2006

GOALTo determine if melatonin improves tinnitus and if this improvement is related to improvement in sleep.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTINGProspective open‐label study of 24 patients with tinnitus. The patients took 3 mg of melatonin per day for 4 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of observation. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were administered.RESULTSThe mean THI score decreased significantly between weeks 0 and 4, and between weeks 0 and 8. The mean PSQI significantly decreased between weeks 0 and 4 (P < 0.0001), and between weeks 0 and 8 (P = 0.0003). The change in PSQI was significantly associated with the change in THI between weeks 0 and 4. The change in PSQI was not significantly associated with the change in THI between weeks 0 and 8. The change in the PSQI in the first 4 weeks was associated with the initial PSQI. There was no association between the initial THI and the change in the THI in the first 4 weeks.CONCLUSIONMelatonin use is associated with improvement of tinnitus and sleep. There was an association between the amount of improvement in sleep and tinnitus. The impact of melatonin on sleep was greatest among patients with the worst sleep quality, but its impact on tinnitus was not associated with the severity of the tinnitus.SIGNIFICANCEMelatonin may be a safe treatment for patients with idiopathic tinnitus, especially those with sleep disturbance due to tinnitus.EBM rating: C‐4
Combined Endoscopic Medial and External Lateral Orbital Decompression for Progressive Thyroid Eye Disease
Authors: Silver Robert D. , Harrison Andrew R. , Goding George S. 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy of endoscopic medial and lateral orbital wall surgery to 3‐wall decompression in patients with thyroid eye disease.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTINGA retrospective study of patients with thyroid eye disease with severe proptosis, exposure keratitis, or compressive optic neuropathy was conducted.RESULTSMean reduction in proptosis was 4.37 mm in the 2‐wall approach and 4.59 mm in the 3‐wall group. Seventy‐five percent of patients in the 2‐wall group demonstrated improved visual acuity; 50% improved after 3‐wall decompression. Vertical palpebral fissure height decreased by an average of 2.50 mm in the 2‐wall group and by 2.03 mm in the 3‐wall group. New onset diplopia was 11.8% and 12.5%, respectively.CONCLUSIONSImprovement in the degree of proptosis, visual acuity, and palpebral fissure height was seen in the majority of our patients and compared favorably to our results with 3‐wall orbital decompression.EBM rating: C‐4
Comparison of Intradermal Dilutional Testing with the Multi‐Test II Applicator in Testing for Mold Allergy
Authors: Peltier Jacques , Ryan Matthew W. 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVESTo compare and correlate wheal size using the Multi‐Test II applicator with the endpoint obtained by intradermal dilutional testing (IDT) for common mold allergens. To validate the safety and efficacy of modified quantitative testing (MQT) for determining immunotherapy starting doses.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTINGProspective study of 86 subjects with Multi‐Test II and IDT for 6 common mold antigens.RESULTSThere was 84% concordance between IDT results and the results expected from the MQT method. When IDT and MQT results differed, the MQT algorithm predicted a safer end‐point for starting immunotherapy in all but 2 cases.CONCLUSIONThe correlation between Multi‐Test II and IDT is not strong enough to infer IDT endpoint from Multi‐Test II results for molds. MQT is nearly as effective as formal IDT in determining endpoint.SIGNIFICANCEMQT appears to be a safe method for determining starting doses for immunotherapy with fungal allergens.
Peak discharge of a Pleistocene lava-dam outburst flood in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
Authors: Fenton Cassandra R. , Webb Robert H. , Cerling Thure E. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe failure of a lava dam 165,000 yr ago produced the largest known flood on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. The Hyaloclastite Dam was up to 366 m high, and geochemical evidence linked this structure to outburst-flood deposits that occurred for 32 km downstream. Using the Hyaloclastite outburst-flood deposits as paleostage indicators, we used dam-failure and unsteady flow modeling to estimate a peak discharge and flow hydrograph. Failure of the Hyaloclastite Dam released a maximum 11 × 109 m3 of water in 31 h. Peak discharges, estimated from uncertainty in channel geometry, dam height, and hydraulic characteristics, ranged from 2.3 to 5.3 × 105 m3 s−1 for the Hyaloclastite outburst flood. This discharge is an order of magnitude greater than the largest known discharge on the Colorado River (1.4 × 104 m3 s−1) and the largest peak discharge resulting from failure of a constructed dam in the USA (6.5 × 104 m3 s−1). Moreover, the Hyaloclastite outburst flood is the oldest documented Quaternary flood and one of the largest to have occurred in the continental USA. The peak discharge for this flood ranks in the top 30 floods (>105 m3 s−1) known worldwide and in the top ten largest floods in North America.
A multi-proxy lacustrine record of Holocene climate change on northeastern Baffin Island, Arctic Canada
Authors: Briner Jason P. , Michelutti Neal , Francis Donna R. , Miller Gifford H. , Axford Yarrow , Wooller Matthew J. , Wolfe Alexander P. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractReconstructions of past environmental changes are critical for understanding the natural variability of Earth's climate system and for providing a context for present and future global change. Radiocarbon-dated lake sediments from Lake CF3, northeastern Baffin Island, Arctic Canada, are used to reconstruct past environmental conditions over the last 11,200 years. Numerous proxies, including chironomid-inferred July air temperatures, diatom-inferred lakewater pH, and sediment organic matter, reveal a pronounced Holocene thermal maximum as much as 5°C warmer than historic summer temperatures from ∼10,000 to 8500 cal yr B.P. Following rapid cooling ∼8500 cal yr B.P., Lake CF3 proxies indicate cooling through the late Holocene. At many sites in northeastern Canada, the Holocene thermal maximum occurred later than at Lake CF3; this late onset of Holocene warmth is generally attributed to the impacts of the decaying Laurentide Ice Sheet on early Holocene temperatures in northeastern Canada. However, the lacustrine proxies in Lake CF3 apparently responded to insolation-driven warmth, despite the proximity of Lake CF3 to the Laurentide Ice Sheet and its meltwater. The magnitude and timing of the Holocene thermal maximum at Lake CF3 indicate that temperatures and environmental conditions at this site are highly sensitive to changes in radiative forcing.
Jonathan Edwards: Advice to Weary Theologians
Authors: Ross Melanie 
Published: February 2006

This essay puts the issue of spiritual fatigue – those times when emotional despondency prohibits our wholehearted participation in worship – in conversation with Jonathan Edwards's public and private writings. Following an outline of the parameters for the discussion, Part I examines Edwards's Treatise Concerning Religious Affections. Although this was a treatise intended to trouble individuals who were overly confident in their religious affections, I suggest that when read through an alternative lens, Edwards's work offers comfort to those who struggle with their inability to ‘be present’ in worship. Edwards reminds us that religious affections have as much to do with constancy and disciplined habit as with fervour and immediacy of feeling.Part II takes a biographical turn, with particular interest in Edwards's Diary, Resolution, and Personal Narrative. Whereas Religious Affections stressed the necessity of self-discipline in religious practice, the twenty-year trajectory of Edwards's private writings reveals a subtle parallel emphasis: the need for patience and relinquishment in times of discouragement. Using insights from the public and private writings of Edwards, I conclude that times of spiritual fatigue call not only for constancy of practice but also for self-care and relaxation of heart.
α1‐, α2‐ and β‐adrenoceptors in the urinary bladder, urethra and prostate
Authors: Michel Martin C. , Vrydag Wim 
Published: February 2006

We have systematically reviewed the presence, functional responses and regulation of α1‐, α2‐ and β‐adrenoceptors in the bladder, urethra and prostate, with special emphasis on human tissues and receptor subtypes.α1‐Adrenoceptors are only poorly expressed and play a limited functional role in the detrusor. α1‐Adrenoceptors, particularly their α1A‐subtype, show a more pronounced expression and promote contraction of the bladder neck, urethra and prostate to enhance bladder outlet resistance, particularly in elderly men with enlarged prostates. α1‐Adrenoceptor agonists are important in the treatment of symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, but their beneficial effects may involve receptors within and outside the prostate.α2‐Adrenoceptors, mainly their α2A‐subtype, are expressed in bladder, urethra and prostate. They mediate pre‐junctional inhibition of neurotransmitter release and also a weak contractile effect in the urethra of some species, but not humans. Their overall post‐junctional function in the lower urinary tract remains largely unclear.β‐Adrenoceptors mediate relaxation of smooth muscle in the bladder, urethra and prostate. The available tools have limited the unequivocal identification of receptor subtypes at the protein and functional levels, but it appears that the β3‐ and β2‐subtypes are important in the human bladder and urethra, respectively. β3‐Adrenoceptor agonists are promising drug candidates for the treatment of the overactive bladder.We propose that the overall function of adrenoceptors in the lower urinary tract is to promote urinary continence. Further elucidation of the functional roles of their subtypes will help a better understanding of voiding dysfunction and its treatment.British Journal of Pharmacology(2006)147, S88–S119. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706619
Molecular mechanisms of detrusor and corporal myocyte contraction: identifying targets for pharmacotherapy of bladder and erectile dysfunction
Authors: Christ George J. , Hodges Steve 
Published: February 2006

The Post‐Genomic age presents many new challenges and opportunities for the improved understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human disease. The long‐term goal is to identify molecular correlates of disease processes, and use this information to develop novel and more effective therapeutics. A major hurdle in this regard is ensuring that the molecular targets of interest are indeed relevant to the physiology and/or pathophysiology of the processes being studied, and, moreover, to determine if they are specific to the tissue/organ being investigated. As a first step in this direction, we have reviewed the literature pertaining to bladder and erectile physiology/pharmacology and dysfunction and attempted to summarize some of the critical molecular mechanisms regulating detrusor and corporal myocyte tone. Because of the vast amount of published data, we have limited the scope of this review to consideration of the calcium‐mobilizing and calcium‐sensitizing pathways in these cells. Despite obvious differences in phenotypic characteristics of the detrusor and corporal myocyte, there are some common molecular changes that may contribute to, for example, the increased myocyte contractility characteristic of bladder and erectile dysfunction (i.e. increased Rho kinase activity and decreased K+channel function). Of course, there are also some important distinctions in the pathways that modulate contractility in these two cell types (i.e. the contribution of ryanodine‐sensitive calcium stores and the nitric oxide/cGMP pathways). This report highlights some of these similarities and distinctions in the hope that it will encourage scientific discourse and research activity in this area, eventually leading to an improved quality of life for those millions of individuals that are afflicted with bladder and erectile dysfunction.British Journal of Pharmacology(2006)147, S41–S55. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706627
Evaluation of an Intervention Designed to Decrease the Rate of Nosocomial Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusInfection by Encouraging Decreased Fluoroquinolone Use
Authors: Madaras-Kelly Karl J. , Remington Richard E. , Lewis Pamela G. , Stevens Dennis L. 
Published: February 2006

Objective.Society for Health Care Epidemiology guidelines recommend decreasing the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in institutions where methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is endemic. We evaluated whether an intervention to limit fluoroquinolone use was associated with a lower rate of nosocomial MRSA infection and summarized changes in antibiotic use, changes in other variables potentially correlated with a lower rate of MRSA infection, and rates of nosocomial infections due to other pathogens.Design.Single-center quasi-experimental design. A time series of nosocomial MRSA infections was measured at monthly intervals from July 2001 through June of 2004; there were 80 MRSA infections recorded. Segmented regression analysis (ie, quasi-Poisson generalized linear models) was used to evaluate variables possibly associated with the nosocomial MRSA infection rate.Setting.An 87-bed Veterans Affairs teaching hospital with an extended-care facility.Intervention.A physician-directed computer-generated intervention designed to limit the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics was initiated, and institutional changes in antibiotic use and nosocomial MRSA infection rates were tracked.Results.After the intervention, fluoroquinolone use decreased by approximately 34%, and levofloxacin use decreased by approximately 50%. Decreased fluoroquinolone use was offset by increased cephalosporin, piperacillin-tazobactam, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole use. The nosocomial MRSA infection rate decreased from 1.37 to 0.63 episodes per 1,000 patient-days after the study intervention (P= .02). Coagulase-negativeStaphylococcusandEnterococcusinfection rates also decreased. However, the rate of infection with gram-negative organisms increased. The rate of MRSA infection was positively correlated with levofloxacin use (P= .01) and azithromycin use (P= .08), whereas it was negatively correlated with summer season (P= .05). In a subsequent model, the rate of MRSA infection was negatively correlated with the study intervention (P= .04).Conclusion.Reduction in the institutional use of fluoroquinolones may be associated with a lower nosocomial MRSA infection rate.
A Study of the Relationship Between Environmental Contamination with Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and Patients' Acquisition of MRSA
Authors: Hardy Katherine J. , Oppenheim Beryl A. , Gossain Savita , Gao Fang , Hawkey Peter M. 
Published: February 2006

Objective.The study aimed to examine the presence of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) in the environment and its relationship to patients' acquisition of MRSA.Design.A prospective study was conducted in a 9-bed intensive care unit for 14 months. At every environmental screening, samples were obtained from the same 4 sites in each bed space. Patients were screened at admission and then 3 times weekly. All environmental and patient strains were typed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.Results.MRSA was isolated from the environment at every environmental screening, when both small and large numbers of patients were colonized. Detailed epidemiological typing of 250 environmental and 139 patient isolates revealed 14 different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles, with variants of EMRSA-15 being the predominant type. On only 20 (35.7%) of 56 occasions were the strains isolated from the patients and the strains isolated from their immediate environment indistinguishable. There was strong evidence to suggest that 3 of 26 patients who acquired MRSA while in the intensive care unit acquired MRSA from the environment.Conclusions.This study reveals widespread contamination of the hospital environment with MRSA, highlights the complexities of the problem of contamination, and confirms the need for more-effective cleaning of the hospital environment to eliminate MRSA.