bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cerebral zygomycosis
Authors: Sundaram C. , Mahadevan A. , Laxmi V. , Yasha T. C. , Santosh V. , Murthy J. M. K. , Purohit A. K. , Mohandas S. , Shankar S. K. 
Published: October 2005

SummaryFifty‐six patients with cerebral zygomycosis (mucormycosis) were seen during the period 1971–2001 in two tertiary care hospitals located in south India with tropical climate and catering to neurological diseases. Forty‐four patients had rhinocerebral and twelve patients had isolated central nervous system (CNS) zygomycosis. Of these, ten were culture proven (Rhizopus oryzae in eight and Mucor in two); 30 were diagnosed as probable and 16 were diagnosed possible; mixed infections were seen in three patients. Diabetes mellitus was the predisposing condition in a majority (31/44) of patients with the rhinocerebral form of zygomycosis. The tissue obtained at biopsy/autopsy in either form showed necrotic/infarcted tissue with neutrophilic infiltration with broad non‐septate hyphae showing irregular branching. The outcome was poor despite surgical excision and antifungal therapy. The high concentration of spores in a mouldy environment, the bird population and improper disposal of hospital waste may facilitate healthy hosts presenting with primary CNS disease.
Extraction of the generalized stress intensity factor in gross sliding complete contacts using a path‐independent integral*
Authors: FUENMAYOR F. J. , GINER E. , TUR M. 
Published: October 2005

ABSTRACTA new procedure to extract the generalized stress intensity factor (GSIF) in full sliding complete contact problems is proposed. It is based on a path‐independent integral derived from the reciprocal theorem of Maxwell‐Betti and on a specially conceived extraction field. This extraction field avoids the computation of path integrals along the contact plane that start from the singular point. The methodology presented here is also applicable to configurations with large relative displacements of the indenter (gross sliding). The procedure overcomes the problems that arise when extracting the GSIF via the stress extrapolation technique, because it does not need highly refined meshes, and it can be applied far from the singularity‐dominated zone and with much less user intervention. The robustness of the method has been verified with numerical examples, studying the effect of large displacements of the indenter and different discretizations.
Characterization of fatigue damage for paving asphaltic materials*
Authors: ARTAMENDI I. , KHALID H. 
Published: October 2005

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the fatigue characteristics of typical bituminous materials used in road applications. Fatigue testing was performed in a four‐point bending beam test apparatus under controlled strain and stress conditions. Fatigue life was defined using the classical approach as the number of cycles, Nf, to 50% reduction in the initial stiffness modulus. It has also been defined in terms of macro‐crack initiation, N1. A different approach, based on the linear reduction in stiffness during a particular stage of a fatigue test, was introduced to define a damage parameter, and the evolution of this damage parameter with number of cycles was used to characterize fatigue life. Furthermore, refinements to the linear damage model were introduced to take into account the difference in the evolution of dissipated energy between controlled strain and stress testing modes. These modifications have enabled the identification of a unique fatigue damage rate for both controlled strain and stress test modes.
A review of deformation and fatigue of metals at small size scales
Authors: CONNOLLEY T. , MCHUGH P. E. , BRUZZI M. 
Published: October 2005

ABSTRACTMechanical devices are being introduced whose size scale is well below that of conventional mechanical test specimens. The smallest devices have sizes in the nanometer range, though a good proportion of structural devices are of the micrometer scale. Development of these products raises the question of how their mechanical behaviour and reliability may be predicted. Conventional macroscopic test data can be used, but these are obtained using specimens whose size is much larger than the devices themselves. There is a risk that performance predictions will be inaccurate, due to the existence of size effects. This paper covers small size scale testing in metallic specimens and devices, concentrating on free‐standing specimens. To begin, some examples of micro‐scale devices are given. Fabrication methods for small metallic devices are then briefly described. This is followed by a review of experimental observations of mechanical properties in various metallic materials at the micro‐scale, highlighting the differences in results from different research groups and the gaps in our current knowledge. A section on computational and predictive modelling is included, in recognition of the role of modelling in device design and testing. Overall, the findings are that size effects are common, particularly in crystalline samples when the grain size is similar to one or more of the specimen dimensions. However, observations of size effects differ between studies and mechanical properties can vary widely, even for the same type of material. As a consequence, the relationships between specific device processing methods, specimen size and material properties must be adequately understood to ensure successful performance.
Fatigue of materials used in microscopic components
Authors: WIERSMA S. , TAYLOR D. 
Published: October 2005

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the fatigue behaviour of materials used in microscopic components, which are defined as components in which the section size is between one and ten grain diameters. Experimental data were obtained on microscopic and conventional (macroscopic) notched specimens of 316L stainless steel, which is used in many biomedical components including the cardiovascular stent. Microscopic specimens showed unusual behaviour: low threshold values and very flat stress‐life(S‐N) curves. The low threshold values were attributed to the extremely small thickness, which may be preventing closure; a secondary contribution may be coming from a change in the length of non‐propagating cracks. Good predictions could be achieved using the Smith–Miller approach and the theory of critical distances (TCD) if this reduced threshold was taken into account or if, alternatively, the critical distance was made equal to the grain size.
Smoking and other lifestyle factors in relation to erectile dysfunction
Authors: Polsky Jane Y. , Aronson Kristan J. , Heaton Jeremy P.W. , Adams Michael A. 
Published: October 2005

OBJECTIVETo assess the association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and various lifestyle and medical factors, including smoking and cardiovascular disease (CVD) medications, among men attending urology clinics in Kingston, Canada.SUBJECTS AND METHODSWe conducted a case‐control study of men aged 50–80 years in Kingston, Ontario who agreed to participate at visits to urology clinics during 1997–99. We compared 101 men with clinically diagnosed ED and 234 controls with various benign urological conditions. All men completed a questionnaire on lifestyle and medical factors.RESULTSMen with ED were twice as likely to be former smokers (odds ratio 2.2, 95% confidence interval, 1.2–3.9), and cumulative smoking in pack‐years suggests a dose‐response pattern with the risk of ED. Having diabetes was associated with double the risk of ED, and increased alcohol intake appeared to increase the risk.CONCLUSIONThere was a greater risk of ED among former smokers, and the suggestion of a dose‐response relationship with cumulative smoking.
Lower urinary tract symptoms and male sexual dysfunction in Asia: a survey of ageing men from five Asian countries
Authors: Li Man‐Kay , Garcia Lester A. , Rosen Raymond 
Published: October 2005

OBJECTIVETo determine, using the Asian Survey of Aging Males (ASAM), the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and sexual disorders in Asian men aged 50–80 years, and to investigate the relationship between LUTS and sexual dysfunction, as community‐based studies have shown a relationship between LUTS and sexual dysfunction.SUBJECTS AND METHODSThe ASAM survey was conducted in selected cities in five Asian countries, using a combination of face‐to‐face and mail‐survey methods. The survey evaluated demographics, urinary symptoms (using the International Prostate Symptom Score, IPSS, and bother score), functional problems (using the Danish Prostatic Symptoms Score, DAN‐PSS‐Sex, and International Index of Erectile Function, IIEF) and comorbidity factors. In all, 1155 men aged 50–80 years completed the survey.RESULTSThe prevalence of LUTS varied among the countries, ranging from 14% in Singapore to 59% in the Philippines. Moderate to severe LUTS were reported by 36% of men aged 50–59 years, 50% aged 60–69 years and 60% aged 70–79 years. About three‐quarters of all respondents (72%) aged 50–80 years were sexually active. Erectile dysfunction was reported by 63% of men in the study, of whom 57% were bothered by their symptoms. Ejaculation disorders were present in 68% of respondents (52% reported bothersomeness) and pain on ejaculation was experienced by 19% of the men in the study (88% reported bothersomeness). Sexual disorders increased with age and increasing severity of their LUTS. Erectile and ejaculation problems were more common in subjects with diabetes or hypertension; these two groups showed the same relationship between LUTS severity and sexual disorders.CONCLUSIONThese results confirmed that sexual activity is common in Asian men aged 50–80 years, even at an advanced age. They also confirmed the correlation between LUTS and sexual dysfunction.
Histopathological evaluation of the uterosacral ligament: is this a dependable structure for pelvic reconstruction?
Authors: COLE EMILY E. , LEU PATRICK B. , GOMELSKY ALEX , REVELO PATRICIA , SHAPPELL HEIDI , SCARPERO HARRIETTE M. , DMOCHOWSKI ROGER R. 
Published: October 2005

OBJECTIVETo explore, by histological examination, whether the uterosacral ligament complex is an adequate support structure for vaginal vault suspension and other reconstructive procedures of the female pelvis.MATERIALS AND METHODSWe dissected 14 fresh hemipelves from seven adult female cadavers. The uterosacral complexes were excised from the pelvic sidewall immediately beneath the uterosacral pedicle. The specimens were stained with connective tissue‐specific Movat stain and evaluated microscopically for the presence of collagen and/or elastin.RESULTSUterosacral tissue similar to that identified during pelvic reconstructive surgery was obtained in all cases. Six of the women had had a hysterectomy. A ligamentous structure with clearly aligned collagen and interspersed elastin was identified in only three specimens, two from one cadaver of a young woman who had not had a hysterectomy. The other specimens had an attenuated, poorly organized layer of collagen immediately beneath the peritoneum.CONCLUSIONWe could not consistently identify normal ligamentous tissue in the uterosacral complexes. The overwhelming majority of specimens from women who had had a hysterectomy showed disorganized tissue with reduced cellularity. This reinforces doubts about the integrity of these tissues as structural supports in pelvic reconstructive surgery, particularly in elderly women who have had a hysterectomy.
Assessment of male sexual function by the Brief Sexual Function Inventory
Authors: MYKLETUN ARNSTEIN , DAHL ALV A. , O'LEARY MICHAEL P. , FOSSÅ SOPHIE D. 
Published: October 2005

OBJECTIVETo present normative data from Norway using the Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory (BSFI, the first patient self‐administered questionnaire to assess male sexuality, and used in the USA) in men aged 20–79 years, examine the psychometric properties of the BSFI, explore the impact of sexual function and other variables on overall sexual satisfaction, and compare American and Norwegian normative data.SUBJECTS AND METHODSFrom public official address lists 3500 men aged 20–79 years were invited to take part in an anonymous questionnaire study, including the BSFI. Altogether 1185 (34%) responded, and the response rates varied with age.RESULTSThere was increasingly reduced sexual function concerning drive, erection, ejaculation, and problem assessment with age, and most of the age‐effect started at >50 years old. Overall sexual satisfaction followed the same trend, but with a weaker association with age. Analyses of factor structure and internal consistency of the BSFI supported a one‐factor solution with good internal consistency. Drive, erection, ejaculation, and problem assessment explained 28% of the variance in overall sexual satisfaction. Being younger and having a sexual partner were also associated with high scores of overall sexual satisfaction. American and Norwegian normative data in the BSFI dimensions were markedly similar.CONCLUSIONThe BSFI is a short and discrete screening tool for sexual function, and for most clinical and research purposes we recommend using the BSFI as a one‐dimensional scale.
Reduction of moderate‐to‐large cystocele during urodynamic evaluation using a vaginal gauze pack: 8‐year experience
Authors: GILLERAN JASON P. , LEMACK GARY E. , ZIMMERN PHILIPPE E. 
Published: October 2005

OBJECTIVETo determine the effect of cystocele reduction by a vaginal gauze pack on urodynamic studies (UDS).PATIENTS AND METHODSUDS from consecutive women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse were reviewed. The protocol included a ‘fill‐void’ study with a vaginal gauze pack, and then repeated without the pack. Tracings were categorized based on filling cystometrograms (CMGs) and pressure‐flow studies (PFS).RESULTSOf 202 women, 121 with a mean (sd) age of 67 (9.4) years contributed 221 interpretable ‘pack, then no‐pack’ UDS (111 CMGs and 110 PFS); 77 of the women had a moderate cystocele and 44 had a large cystocele. Eighty‐five women had urethral hypermobility (UH), and 36 had a well‐supported urethra (WSU). The pack unmasked stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in 6% of women, with a mean (sd, range) Valsalva leak‐point pressure of 54 (22, 23–90) cmH2O. SUI occurred more often in women with UH than WSU. Detrusor overactivity occurred similarly in pack (15%) and no‐pack (14%) tracings. Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) was relieved by the pack in 25 studies and caused by the pack in four. Women with WSU had BOO more often than those with UH (43% vs 22%, P < 0.05), regardless of the presence or absence of the pack.CONCLUSIONUnmasked SUI by pack reduction was uncommon, presumably due to anterior vaginal wall stabilization, as the pack rarely caused BOO. Those with SUI had Valsalva leak‐point pressures suggestive of intrinsic sphincter deficiency. The pack did not significantly influence the presence of detrusor overactivity.
Gender‐associated differences in the psychosocial and developmental outcome in patients affected with the bladder exstrophy‐epispadias complex
Authors: LEE CELINE , REUTTER HEIKO M. , GRÄßER MELANIE F. , FISCH MARGIT , NOEKER MEINOLF 
Published: October 2005

OBJECTIVETo identify problems in the long‐term psychosocial and developmental outcome specific to patients with the bladder exstrophy‐epispadias complex (BEEC), using a self‐developed semi‐structured questionnaire, as there are various techniques of reconstruction to repair BEEC but to date neither patients nor surgeons have a clear answer about which type gives the most acceptable long‐term results.PATIENTS AND METHODSIncreasingly many patients with BEEC reach adulthood and wish to have sexual relationships and families. To date, no studies have used disease‐specific psychological instruments to measure the psychosocial status of patients with BEEC. Thus we contacted 208 patients with BEEC, and 122 were enrolled, covering the complete spectrum of the BEEC. The data assessed included the surgical reconstruction, subjective assessment of continence, developmental milestones, school performance and career, overall satisfaction in life, disease‐specific fears and partnership experiences in patients aged >18 years. We compared affected females and males to assess gender‐associated differences in quality of life.RESULTSAffected females had more close friendships, fewer disadvantages in relation to healthy female peers and more partnerships than the males. Family planning seemed to be less of a problem in affected females. There were no gender differences in the adjustments within school and professional career, which was very good in general.CONCLUSIONFuture studies are needed to assess the disease‐specific anxieties, considering gender‐specific differences.
Intravesical instillation of human urine after oral administration of trospium, tolterodine and oxybutynin in a rat model of detrusor overactivity
Authors: KIM YONGTAE , YOSHIMURA NAOKI , MASUDA HITOSHI , MIGUEL FERNANDO de , CHANCELLOR MICHAEL B. 
Published: October 2005

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of antimuscarinics excreted into human urine on normal bladder in a rat model of detrusor overactivity.MATERIALS AND METHODSTwo ‘normal’ adult volunteers collected voided urine after taking trospium (20 mg, twice daily), tolterodine LA (4 mg, four times daily), or oxybutynin XL (10 mg, four times daily). The drugs were taken in a random order for 5 days with a 7‐day washout period between the drugs. The urine collected from the two volunteers was mixed together and then blindly labelled and used for testing. Control human urine (no oral antimuscarinics) was also used. The effect of intravesical administration of human urine on carbachol‐induced bladder overactivity was studied in female Sprague‐Dawley rats anaesthetised with urethane. Cystometric variables during continuous infusion (0.04 mL/min) for >1 h each of saline, human urine, then a mixture of carbachol (30 µm) and human urine were compared in the four groups (control and the three different antimuscarinics tested; six rats per group).RESULTSHuman urine, with or with no intake of antimuscarinic agents, had no effect on normal bladder function. Bladder capacity and intercontraction intervals were significantly decreased after adding carbachol to urine containing vehicle, tolterodine or oxybutynin. However, urine collected from the humans who had taken trospium prevented the carbachol‐induced reduction in bladder capacity and intercontraction intervals. Maximum voiding pressure and pressure threshold were not changed in any case.CONCLUSIONThis is the first report that the urine excreted after oral ingestion of trospium (20 mg, twice daily) has a significant inhibitory effect in a rat model of detrusor overactivity. This suggests that antimuscarinic agents have a local bladder effect during the bladder‐storage phase in addition to the smooth muscle‐mediated voiding phase.
Young children's rapid learning about artifacts
Authors: Casler Krista , Kelemen Deborah 
Published: October 2005

Abstract Tool use is central to interdisciplinary debates about the evolution and distinctiveness of human intelligence, yet little is actually known about how human conceptions of artifacts develop. Results across these two studies show that even 2‐year‐olds approach artifacts in ways distinct from captive tool‐using monkeys. Contrary to adult intuition, children do not treat all objects with appropriate properties as equally good means to an end. Instead, they use social information to rapidly form enduring artifact categories. After only one exposure to an artifact's functional use, children will construe the tool as ‘for’ that particular purpose and, furthermore, avoid using it for another feasible purpose. This teleo‐functional tendency to categorize tools by intentional use represents a precursor to the design stance – the adult‐like tendency to understand objects in terms of intended function – and provides an early foundation for apparently distinctive human abilities in efficient long‐term tool use and design.
Foundations for self and other: a study in autism
Authors: Hobson R. Peter , Meyer Jessica A. 
Published: October 2005

AbstractThere is controversy over the basis for young children's experience of themselves and other people as separate yet related individuals, each with a mental perspective on the world – and over the nature of corresponding deficits in autism. Here we tested a form of self–other connectedness (identification) in children with and without autism, who were group‐matched according to CA (approximately 6 to 16 years) and verbal MA (approximatelyto 14 years), and therefore IQ. We gave two forms of a novel ‘sticker test’ in which children needed to communicate to another person where on her body she should place her sticker‐badge. Across the trials of Study 1, all of the non‐autistic children pointed to their own bodies at least once, but over half the children with autism failed to point to themselves at all, even though they communicated successfully in other ways. In Study 2, where a screen was introduced to hide the tester's body, group differences in the children's communicative self‐orientated gestures were most marked after the tester had ‘modelled’ a point‐to‐herself gesture in communicating to the child. Our interpretation is that autism involves a relative failure to adopt the bodily‐anchored psychological and communicative stance of another person. We suggest that this process of identification is essential to self–other relations and grounds young children's developing understanding of minds.
One‐year‐olds comprehend the communicative intentions behind gestures in a hiding game
Authors: Behne Tanya , Carpenter Malinda , Tomasello Michael 
Published: October 2005

Abstract This study explored infants’ ability to infer communicative intent as expressed in non‐linguistic gestures. Sixty children aged 14, 18 and 24 months participated. In the context of a hiding game, an adult indicated for the child the location of a hidden toy by giving a communicative cue: either pointing or ostensive gazing toward the container containing the toy. To succeed in this task children had to do more than just follow the point or gaze to the target container. They also had to infer that the adult's behaviour was relevant to the situation at hand – she wanted to inform them that the toy was inside the container toward which she gestured. Children at all three ages successfully used both types of cues. We conclude that infants as young as 14 months of age can, in some situations, interpret an adult behaviour as a relevant communicative act done for them.
Sensitivity to social contingencies between 1 and 3 months of age
Authors: Striano Tricia , Henning Anne , Stahl Daniel 
Published: October 2005

Abstract Infants’ sensitivity to social contingencies was assessed. In Study 1, 1‐month‐old infants and their mothers interacted face‐to‐face in three types of imperfect contingent interactions: Normal, Non‐Contingent and Imitation. One‐month‐old infants did not discriminate these conditions. In Study 2, 3‐month‐old infants were tested as in Study 1. At 3 months of age, infants gazed reliably longer in the Imitation condition and smiled reliably more in the Normal than in the Non‐Contingent and Imitation interactions. These findings suggest a developmental transition in the sensitivity to social contingencies between 1 and 3 months of age. The relationship between the developing sensitivity to social contingencies and social cognition is discussed.