bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Self-report Functioning According to the ICF Model in Elderly Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and in Population Controls Using the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire
Authors: HÄKKINEN ARJA , ARKELA-KAUTIAINEN MARJA , SOKKA TUULIKKI , HANNONEN PEKKA , KAUTIAINEN HANNU 
Published: December 2008

Objective.To assess disability and functioning of elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and population controls by linking the items included in the self-report Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) with components of the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) instrument.Methods.In total, 1439 patients with RA (mean age 66 yrs, men 29%) and 957 population controls (65 yrs, men 27%) completed a mailed questionnaire. Functioning was recorded by the Finnish version of MDHAQ. Data included comorbidity, subjective health, education level, employment, exercise habits, self-report joint pain/tenderness, and, for patients, the disease duration.Results.Patients had lower levels of functioning compared to controls in all ICF domains, with the exception that male patients functioned comparably to male controls in the “general tasks and demands” domain. In patients, disease activity, education, exercise frequency, and comorbidities were expectedly associated with lower functioning in the body structure and function component, while male sex and subjectively perceived health were associated with more favorable functioning. In the activity and participation components, disease activity, exercise frequency, and comorbidities were associated with impaired functioning, while better health on self-report was associated with better functioning.Conclusion.There is an extra burden of disability in elderly patients with RA compared to the reference population. With a large patient and control population sample, our study shows that use of the self-report MDHAQ identifies all 3 main components of the ICF framework, thus covering a wide spectrum of functioning. Elderly patients with RA, in comparison to population controls, encounter more difficulties in daily activities and their social life.
Current Therapies for Lupus Nephritis in an Ethnically Heterogeneous Cohort
Authors: RIVERA TANIA L. , BELMONT H. MICHAEL , MALANI SEEMA , LATORRE MELISSA , BENTON LAURI , WEISSTUCH JOSEPH , BARISONI LAURA , TSENG CHUNG-E , IZMIRLY PETER M. , BUYON JILL P. , ASKANASE ANCA D. 
Published: December 2008

Objective.To evaluate responses to mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and intravenous cyclophosphamide (CYC) in lupus nephritis in a multiethnic population.Methods.This was a retrospective study of all patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that underwent kidney biopsy at New York University Medical Center. Patients with followup of at least 6 months were included. Clinical response was defined as complete (return to ± 10% of normal) or partial (improvement of 50% in abnormal renal measurements).Results.Ninty-nine patients were included in the study: 86% females, 86% non-Caucasian, age 34.2 ± 1.1 years, 62% with proliferative nephritis (PN; ISN/RPS-III and IV), and 32% with membranous nephritis (MN; ISN/RPS-V). Of the 70 patients with PN, 37 were treated with CYC and 33 with MMF. The baseline characteristics of the 2 treatment groups were different in the incidence of ISN/RPS-IV, values of serum creatinine and serum albumin, and type of insurance (p < 0.05). The response rate was greater in the MMF than in the CYC group (70% vs 41%). Responses to MMF were different in Asians (11/11), Caucasians (4/5), African Americans (3/5), and Hispanics (5/11). Responses to CYC had a similar distribution (Asians 6/10, Caucasians 4/5, African Americans 4/9, Hispanics 1/11). In the MN group (N = 23) responses were similar to the PN group (73% MMF and 38% CYC). After adjusting for race, serum creatinine, serum albumin, type of insurance, and class of nephritis, in a logistic regression model, response to MMF was superior to CYC: OR 6.2 (95% CI 1.9–20.2). Hispanics had worse outcome than Caucasians (OR 0.17). Longterm followup suggested no difference in maintenance with MMF or CYC.Conclusion.After controlling for the fact that less severe nephritis is preferentially treated with MMF, we found overall that response to MMF was superior to CYC. In this US population, ethnicity was observed to have an influence on response.
Telomerase Transduced Osteoarthritis Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes Display a Distinct Gene Expression Profile
Authors: SUN YUBO , MAUERHAN DAVID R. , FIRESTEIN GARY S. , LOEFFLER BRYAN J. , HANLEY EDWARD N. , GRUBER HELEN E. 
Published: December 2008

Objective.To examine the differential gene expression in telomerase transduced osteoarthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (hTERT-OA 13A FLS) and telomerase transduced rheumatoid arthritis FLS (hTERT-RA 516 FLS) and test the hypothesis that longterm culture of hTERT-OA 13A FLS display a disease-specific gene expression profile.Methods.Gene expression in passage 8 hTERT-OA 13A FLS and passage 8 hTERT-RA 516 FLS were compared using microarray assays. Differential expression of selected genes was further examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). After continuous expansion in culture for an additional 4 months, gene expression in the longterm cultures of hTERT-OA 13A FLS and hTERT-RA 516 FLS was again examined with microarray and real-time RT-PCR.Results.hTERT-OA 13A FLS displayed a distinct gene expression profile. While hTERT-RA 516 FLS expressedADAMTS1, ADAMTS3, ADAMTS5, and several carboxypeptidases, hTERT-OA 13A FLS expressed matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)1, MMP3, and several cathepsins at higher levels. Numerous genes classified in the immune response, lipid transport/catabolism, and phosphate transport biological processes were also expressed at higher levels in hTERT-OA 13A FLS. In contrast, numerous genes classified in the positive regulation of cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis, and angiogenesis biological processes were expressed at higher levels in hTERT-RA 516 FLS. Further, of the recently proposed 21 candidate synovial biomarkers of OA, 12 (57%) were detected in our study.Conclusion.The findings indicate that OA FLS may not be a passive bystander in OA and that telomerase transduced OA FLS offer an alternative tool for the study of synovial disease markers and for the identification of new therapeutic targets for OA therapy.
Fertility and Reproduction in Male Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis Treated with Infliximab: Table 1.
Authors: PASCHOU SOPHIA , VOULGARI PARASKEVI V. , VRABIE ILEANA G. , SAOUGOU IOANNA G. , DROSOS ALEXANDROS A. 
Published: December 2008

Objective.To identify male patients who were treated with infliximab and had fathered healthy newborns during their management.Methods.We reviewed medical records of men with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who were followed up at the Rheumatology Outpatients clinic and were treated with infliximab during the period 2001–2007.Results.We identified 4 patients with AS who had fathered 6 healthy children during infliximab treatment. One patient was also treated with small doses of methotrexate.Conclusion.Limited data are available concerning the effects of infliximab on semen quality. Our cases provide some evidence or reassurance for male patients treated with the anti-tumor necrosis factor-α agent. Further prospective studies are necessary, however, to guide clinicians in decisionmaking.
Proposed Metrics for the Determination of Rheumatoid Arthritis Outcome and Treatment Success and Failure
Authors: WOLFE FREDERICK , MICHAUD KALEB 
Published: December 2008

ObjectivePatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their physicians often disagree as to the success of RA treatment or RA outcomes. However, guidelines (such as EULAR criteria for DAS scores) are heavily weighted toward joint counts and laboratory tests, and no guidelines exist for patient reported outcomes. Our aims were (1) to provide a patient-based definition of successful RA outcome or of treatment success and failure; (2) to describe the characteristics of patients meeting this definition; (3) to describe how external states such as disability and comorbidity influence definitions of health outcome; and (4) to derive surrogate-measure cutpoints for the definition.MethodsA total of 20,268 patients with RA (5132 without comorbidity) were studied by recursive partitioning and regression methods to determine best dividing points between RA treatment and outcome success and non-success using 0–10 visual analog scales (VAS) for patient global assessment, pain, fatigue, and RA activity, and a Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scale.Results14.5% of all patients and 22.9% of those without comorbidity were very satisfied with their health (success). Patient global at a level ≤ 1.25 best separated success from failure. Mean and median scores for those who were very satisfied were HAQ (0–3 scale) 0.36, 0.12; pain (0–10) 1.1, 0.5; global (0–10) 0.9, 0.5; and fatigue (0–10) 1.5, 1.0. VAS scores increased by approximately 0.5 units for each comorbid condition.ConclusionPatient global at a level ≤ 1.25 best separates patients who are very satisfied with their health from those not very satisfied, regardless of the presence of comorbidity. All scores increase with increasing comorbidity, which must be accounted for when assessing individual patients. Values identified here suggest patients require better outcomes than are found in patients who are in Disease Activity Score-28 remission or OMERACT low disease activity states.
C-Reactive Protein Gene Polymorphisms in Biopsy-proven Giant Cell Arteritis from Northwestern Spain
Authors: PALOMINO-MORALES ROGELIO , VAZQUEZ-RODRIGUEZ TOMAS R. , MIRANDA-FILLOY JOSE A. , MARTIN JAVIER , GONZALEZ-GAY MIGUEL A. 
Published: December 2008

Objective.To investigate the potential implication of several polymorphisms of the C-reactive protein (CRP) gene in the predisposition to or clinical expression of giant cell arteritis (GCA).Methods.A total of 125 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA and 234 ethnically matched controls from the Lugo region of Northwestern Spain were included in our study. Four functional gene polymorphisms for CRP rs1417938, rs1800947, rs1205, and rs3093059 variants were assessed using a polymerase chain reaction system with predeveloped TaqMan allelic discrimination assay.Results.Although we observed a significant increase in the frequency of heterozygotes for rs1417938 A/T [odds ratio (OR) = 1.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–2.80; p = 0.03] and rs1205 C/T (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.07–2.78; p = 0.02) in patients with GCA, no statistically significant differences in the allelic frequencies of these 2 polymorphisms were found between patients with GCA and controls. A marginal significant increase in the frequency of rs3093059 allele T in patients with GCA compared to controls was observed (OR 1.81; 95% CI 0.97–3.39; p = 0.04). However, the increased frequency of patients with GCA homozygous for rs3093059 T/T in patients with GCA compared to controls was out of the range of significance (OR 1.77; 95% CI 0.92–3.40; p = 0.07). No significant differences were found when we stratified patients with GCA according to the presence of polymyalgia rheumatica or severe ischemic complications of the disease.Conclusion.The functional CRP gene polymorphisms assessed in our study do not seem to play a major role in the pathogenesis of GCA in individuals from Northwestern Spain.
Births in wild black and gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) in Northern Argentina
Authors: Peker Silvana , Kowalewski Martin M. , Pavé Romina E. , Zunino Gabriel E. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPrevious studies on births in nonhuman primates suggest that births are expected to occur at night to avoid predators. Here, we describe birth‐related behaviors in wild black and gold howler monkeys, Alouatta caraya and address the various ideas proposed in the literature about the timing of births in group‐living nonhuman primates. We collected data on females' birth‐related behaviors through continuous focal observations and scan samples. Focal observations on females giving birth were taken for the remainder of the day after noticing a female was in labor. We recorded behaviors and the spatial distribution of the whole group using scan samples taken every 10 min from sunrise to sunset the same day of birth. We recorded five births at the continuous forest (CF) over a 25 months period (January 2004–December 2004 and September 2005–September 2006) and two births in the fragmented forest (FF) over a 13 months period (September 2005–September 2006). From these, four births were during daylight (two at CF and two at FF) and three during the night at CF. Our descriptions of A. caraya births contribute to a growing data set on the timing of parturition in wild nonhuman primates and suggest that a clear pattern of nocturnal births is not universal across nonhuman primate species. Am. J. Primatol. 71:261–265, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Micro‐CT evaluation of murine fetal skeletal development yields greater morphometric precision over traditional clear‐staining methods
Authors: Oest Megan E. , Jones Jeryl C. , Hatfield Cindy , Prater M. Renee 
Published: December 2008

AbstractTraditional techniques for quantification of murine fetal skeletal development (gross measurements, clear‐staining) are severely limited by specimen processing, soft tissue presence, diffuse staining, and unclear landmarks between which to make measurements. Nondestructive microcomputed tomography (micro‐CT) imaging is a versatile, well‐documented tool traditionally used to generate high‐resolution 3‐D images and quantify microarchitectural parameters of trabecular bone. Although previously described as a tool for phenotyping fetal murine specimens, micro‐CT has not previously been used to directly measure individual fetal skeletal structures. Imaging murine fetal skeletons using micro‐CT enables the researcher to nondestructively quantify fetal skeletal development parameters including limb length, total bone volume, and average bone mineral density, as well as identify skeletal malformations. Micro‐CT measurement of fetal limb lengths correlates well with traditional clear‐staining methods (83.98% agreement), decreases variability in measurements (average standard errors: 6.28% for micro‐CT and 10.82% for clear‐staining), decreases data acquisition time by eliminating the need for tissue processing, and preserves the intact fixed fetus for further analysis. Use of the rigorous micro‐CT technique to generate 3‐D images for digital measurement enables isolation of skeletal structures based on degree of mineralization (local radiodensity), eliminating the complications of blurred stain boundaries and soft tissue inclusion that accompany clear‐staining and gross measurement techniques. Microcomputed tomography provides a facile, accurate, and nondestructive method for determining the developmental state of the fetal skeleton using not only limb lengths and identification of malformations, but total skeletal bone volume and average skeletal mineral density as well. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
High‐Level Expression and Efficient Purification of Recombinant Somatostatin in Escherichia Coli
Authors: Notani Joji , Saitoh Yoshimasa , Terada Masafumi , Yamada Hisashi , Ishii Yoshinari , Satoh Susumu , Tomoi Masaaki , Niwa Mineo 
Published: December 2008

AbstractSomatostatin (SS) was produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a 110 aminoacid fused protein, C‐L‐Met‐SS, consisting of somatomedin C (Phe23Glu46) [1], human interferon‐γ (Cys1‐Leu59) [1], methionine and 14 aminoacids of SS. High‐level expression of the fused protein, C‐L‐Met‐SS, was achieved with pCLSStrpN2, a plasmid containing trp promoter. The fused protein, C‐L‐Met‐SS, which was formed as a insoluble inclusion body in E. coli, was easily cleaved with cyanogen bromide to give reduced SS (SS(R)). The SS(R) was purified efficiently by gelfiltration chromatography, refolded under dilution, and further purified by reversed phase HPLC to give biologically active SS. The yield was 6.6 mg of the purified SS/20 L culture of E. Coli.
Gelatinization Kinetics of Starch by Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Kim Ik‐Hwan , Yeh An‐I , Zhao B. L. , Wang Shaw S. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractAfter the Raman effect was discovered in 1928, Raman spectroscopy has been widely applied to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of organic, inorganic and biological systems. Especially for the study of biological compounds, Raman spectroscopy has advantages over the other spectroscopic methods. The advantages of Raman spectroscopy are the small sample requirement, the minimal interference by water, and the conformational sensitivity etc. The advantages enable Raman spectroscopy to be a promising tool for the study of starch gelatinization.
Polyplex formation between four‐arm poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) and plasmid DNA in gene delivery
Authors: He E. , Yue C. Y. , Simeon F. , Zhou L. H. , Too H. P. , Tam K. C. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractAmphiphilic polyelectrolytes comprising cationic and uncharged hydrophilic segments condensed negatively charged DNA to form a core‐shell structure stabilized by a layer of hydrophilic corona chains. At physiological pH, four‐arm star‐shaped poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (four‐arm PEO‐b‐PDEAEMA) block copolymer possessed positively charged amine groups that interacted with negatively charged plasmid DNA to form polymer/DNA complexes. The mechanism and physicochemical properties of the complex formation were investigated at varying molar ratio of amine groups on polymer chains and phosphate group on plasmid DNA segments (N/P ratio). The capability of the star block copolymer to condense DNA was demonstrated through gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide exclusion assay. In the absence of salt, the hydrodynamic radius of polyplexes was about 94 nm at low polymer/DNA ratio, and it decreased to about 34 nm at large N/P ratios, forming a compact spherical structure with a weighted average molecular weight of 4.39 ± 0.22 × 106 g/mol. Approximately 15 polymeric chains were required to condense a plasmid DNA. The addition of monovalent salt to the polyplexes significantly altered the size of the complexes, which would have an impact on cell transfection. Because of the electrostatic interaction induced by the diffusion of small ions, the polyplex increased in size to about 53 nm with a less compact structure. In vitro cytotoxicty of polymer and polymer/pDNA complexes were evaluated, and the polyplexes exhibited low toxicity at low N/P ratios. At N/P ratio of 4.5, the four‐arm PEO‐b‐PDEAEMA showed the highest level of transfection in Neuro‐2A cells. These observations showed that the star‐shaped multi‐arm polymers offers interesting properties in self‐association and condensation ability for plasmid DNA and can serve as a nonviral DNA delivery system. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009
Surface engineering of poly(D,L‐lactic acid) by entrapment of soluble eggshell membrane protein
Authors: Lu Jian‐Wei , Li Qiang , Qi Qing‐Lei , Guo Zhao‐Xia , Yu Jian 
Published: December 2008

AbstractSoluble eggshell membrane protein (SEP) is used to engineer poly(D,L‐lactic acid) (PDL‐LA) membrane surface by a physical entrapment method to enhance cytocompatibility. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements are used to characterize SEP‐modified PDL‐LA membrane surface and confirm the formation of an even and stable layer of SEP on PDL‐LA membrane surface. NIH3T3 cell lines are used as model cells to evaluate cytocompatibility of the SEP‐modified PDL‐LA membrane, which is much better than that of virgin PDL‐LA membrane. The enhanced cytocompatibility facilitates potential application in tissue engineering. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009
Tracing misalignment and unequal crossing over during evolution of the repetitive region of the SM50 gene in sea urchins
Authors: Hussain Sofia , Livingston Brian T. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe location of misalignment and unequal crossover involved in concerted evolution of tandemly repetitive sequences is difficult to document owing to the homogeneity of sequences that are subject to this process. However, the repetitive domain of the SM50 gene in sea urchins contains variation, within the gene itself, between alleles, and between species that has allowed us to determine where misalignment and unequal crossing over occurred during evolution of this gene. We have therefore analyzed the SM50 repeat regions in a variety of species to determine where recent changes in repeat numbers have occurred, and from this have deduced the mechanisms that lead to these changes. We next tried to determine whether recent misalignment and unequal crossover has produced allelic variation in current populations of sea urchins. We found SM50 alleles within three species that have different numbers of repeats. This marks the first reported documentation of allelic variation in the number of repeats in the SM50 gene. We also show how a single unequal crossover event could have produced the allelic variation. We have found that substitutions and small deletions in the sequences within the repeats can substantially affect how misalignment occurs, resulting in different patterns of repeats after concerted evolution. J. Exp. Zool. 311A:143–154, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A pilot study of hydroxyurea to prevent chronic organ damage in young children with sickle cell anemia
Authors: Thornburg Courtney D. , Dixon Natalia , Burgett Shelly , Mortier Nicole A. , Schultz William H. , Zimmerman Sherri A. , Bonner Melanie , Hardy Kristina K. , Calatroni Agustin , Ware Russell E. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBackgroundHydroxyurea improves laboratory parameters and prevents acute clinical complications of sickle cell anemia (SCA) in children and adults, but its effects on organ function remain incompletely defined.MethodsTo assess the safety and efficacy of hydroxyurea in young children with SCA and to prospectively assess kidney and brain function, 14 young children (mean age 35 months) received hydroxyurea at a mean maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of 28 mg/kg/day.ResultsAfter a mean of 25 months, expected laboratory effects included significant increases in hemoglobin, MCV and %HbF along with significant decreases in reticulocytes, absolute neutrophil count, and bilirubin. There was no significant increase in glomerular filtration rate by DTPA clearance or Schwartz estimate. Mean transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocity changes were −25.6 cm/sec (P < 0.01) and −26.8 cm/sec (P < 0.05) in the right and left MCA vessels, respectively. At study exit, no child had conditional or abnormal TCD values, and none developed brain ischemic lesions or vasculopathy progression by MRI/MRA. Growth and neurocognitive scores were preserved and Impact‐on‐Family scores improved.ConclusionsThese pilot data indicate hydroxyurea at MTD is well‐tolerated by both children and families, and may prevent chronic organ damage in young children with SCA. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:609–615. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pleural fibrosis mediates shrinking lungs syndrome in children
Authors: Krych Esther H. , Fischer Philip R. , Wylam Mark E. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe etiology of restrictive lung physiology in SLS is not well‐defined, and has been hypothesized to be due to defects in lung recoil, phrenic nerve function and diaphragmatic strength. We present a case of SLS in an adolescent in whom imaging and electrophysiology studies demonstrate pleural fibrosis as the fundamental defect accounting for the restrictive lung physiology. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:90–92. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.