bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the effects of cetrorelix, a GnRH antagonist, and leuprolide, a GnRH agonist, on experimental endometriosis
Authors: Altintas Devrim , Kokcu Arif , Tosun Migraci , Cetinkaya Mehmet B. , Kandemir Bedri 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAim:  In the present study, we aimed to compare the effects of cetrorelix and leuprolide on endometriosis.Methods:  This randomized, placebo‐controlled, single‐blind, experimental study was performed on 45 Wistar adult female rats in the Experimental Surgery Laboratory at Ondokuz Mayis University. After the peritoneal implantation of endometrial tissue, rats were randomized to three equal intervention groups: (i) control group, (ii) leuprolide group, and (iii) cetrorelix group. Six weeks later, following implant volume measurements (volume‐1) by performing a second laparotomy, saline (0.1 cc/rat) was administered subcutaneously to the control group once a week, leuprolide (0.075 mg/kg) subcutaneously to the leuprolide group twice at 4‐week intervals and cetrorelix (0.001 mg/rat/day) subcutaneously to the cetrorelix group for 8 weeks. At the end of the treatment, by performing a third laparotomy, implant volumes were remeasured (volume‐2) and implants were totally excised for histopathological examination. The volume‐1 and volume‐2 values within the groups, and stromal and glandular tissue scores between the groups were compared.Results:  In both the leuprolide group and the cetrorelix group, volume‐2 as compared to volume‐1 had significantly reduced (P < 0.01, P < 0.01 respectively), while there was no significant volume change in the control group (P > 0.05). In this group, when compared with the control group, glandular and stromal tissues had significantly lessened (P < 0.01, P < 0.01 respectively).Conclusion:  Leuprolide and cetrorelix were found to have similar efficacy in the regression of both the size and the histological structure of experimental endometriotic implants.
Perioperative course and long term outcome after vaginal sacrospinous colpopexy for vaginal vault prolapse post hysterectomy: comparison of three different suture methods
Authors: Marcickiewicz Janusz , Kjöllesdal Möyfrid , Brännström Mats 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAim:  To compare long‐term results of the vaginal sacrospinous colpopexy (VSC) procedure for the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse after previous hysterectomy with the use of either of the three most commonly used devices (the Deschamps ligature carrier, the Shutt Suture Punch System, or an ordinary straight needle holder).Method:  The study group consisted of 73 women (out of 84; response rate 86%) who had undergone VSC for vaginal vault prolapse in between January 1994 and April 2005. All these patients were contacted with a mailed questionnaire and asked about symptoms related to prolapse, possible complications, any subsequent surgical repair and their satisfaction with results of the surgery. All data concerning the patients’ characteristics at the time of surgery and perioperative events were retrospectively collected using the patient records (charts).Results:  There were no significant differences in age, parity, body mass index, or in proportion of previous prolapse or incontinence surgery between groups. The operation time was similar in all groups, with a median duration around 60 min. There was a wide distribution of the estimated blood loss in the groups, but without significant differences between groups. The rate of complications was low in all groups. Most of the patients were ‘very satisfied’ with the results of the surgery and rated their satisfaction as 8 to 10. The proportions of patients being very satisfied with the results of the surgery were 84%, 80% and 87% in the Deschamps, Shutt and needle holder groups, respectively.Conclusion:  In the present study we could not see any major differences in perioperative data when comparing usage of the three instruments. Operation time, complications rate, perioperative blood loss and the patient's satisfaction with the surgery were equal between the three groups. This indicates that the type of instrument used in VSC is of no importance.
Suppression of beta oscillations in the subthalamic nucleus following cortical stimulation in humans
Authors: Doyle Gaynor L. M. F. , Kühn A. A. , Dileone M. , Litvak V. , Eusebio A. , Pogosyan A. , Androulidakis A. G. , Tisch S. , Limousin P. , Insola A. , Mazzone P. , Di Lazzaro V. , Brown P. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractIt is unclear how subthalamic nucleus activity is modulated by the cerebral cortex. Here we investigate the effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the cortex on oscillatory subthalamic local field potential activity in the 8–35 Hz (alpha/beta) band, as exaggerated synchronization in this band is implicated in the pathophysiology of parkinsonism. We studied nine patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to test whether cortical stimulation can modulate synchronized oscillations in the human subthalamic nucleus. With patients at rest, single‐pulse TMS was delivered every 5 s over each primary motor area and supplementary motor area at intensities of 85–115% resting motor threshold. Subthalamic local field potentials were recorded from deep brain stimulation electrodes implanted into this nucleus for the treatment of PD. Motor cortical stimulation suppressed beta activity in the subthalamic nucleus from ∼0.2 to 0.6 s after TMS (repeated measures anova; main effect of time, P < 0.01; main effect of side, P = 0.03), regardless of intensity. TMS over the supplementary motor area also reduced subthalamic beta activity at 95% (P = 0.05) and 115% resting motor threshold (P = 0.01). The oscillatory activity decreased to 80 ± 26% of baseline (averaged across sites and stimulation intensities). Suppression with subthreshold stimuli confirmed that these changes were centrally driven and not due to peripheral afference. The results may have implications for mechanisms underlying the reported therapeutic benefits of cortical stimulation.
Effects of H‐reflex up‐conditioning on GABAergic terminals on rat soleus motoneurons
Authors: Pillai Shreejith , Wang Yu , Wolpaw Jonathan R. , Chen Xiang Yang 
Published: July 2008

AbstractTo explore the role of spinal cord plasticity in motor learning, we evaluated the effects of H‐reflex operant conditioning on GABAergic input to rat spinal motoneurons. Previous work indicated that down‐conditioning of soleus H‐reflex increases GABAergic input to soleus motoneurons. This study explored the effect of H‐reflex up‐conditioning on GABAergic input. Of nine rats exposed to H‐reflex up‐conditioning, up‐conditioning was successful (H‐reflex increase ≥ 20%) in seven and failed (change < 20%) in two. These rats and eight naive control (i.e. unconditioned) rats were injected with cholera toxin subunit B‐conjugated Alexa fluor 488 into the soleus muscle to retrogradely label soleus motoneurons. Sections containing soleus motoneurons were processed for GAD67 [one of the two principal forms of the GABA‐synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)] with an ABC‐peroxidase system. Two blinded independent raters counted and measured GABAergic terminals on these motoneurons. Unlike successful down‐conditioning, which greatly increased the number of identifiable GABAergic terminals on the motoneurons, up‐conditioning did not significantly change GABAergic terminal number. Successful up‐conditioning did produce slight but statistically significant increases in GABAergic terminal diameter and soma coverage. These results are consistent with other data indicating that up‐ and down‐conditioning are not mirror images of each other, but rather have different mechanisms. Although the marked changes in GABAergic terminals with down‐conditioning probably contribute to H‐reflex decrease, the modest changes in GABAergic terminals associated with up‐conditioning may be compensatory or reactive plasticity, rather than the plasticity responsible for H‐reflex increase. As a variety of spinal and supraspinal GABAergic neurons innervate motoneurons, the changes found with up‐conditioning may be in terminals other than those affected in successful down‐conditioning.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 deficiency modifies the neurochemical effects, motor impairment and co‐morbid anxiety provoked by paraquat administration in mice
Authors: Litteljohn Darcy , Mangano Emily N. , Hayley Shawn 
Published: July 2008

AbstractParkinson’s disease and other motor disorders of midbrain basal ganglia dopaminergic functioning are often characterized by alterations of brainstem and limbic systems with accompanying co‐morbid anxiety and depressive symptoms. Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammatory processes may play an important role in such neurodegenerative and psychiatric pathology. In this regard, inhibition of the inflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) was reported to limit the impact of stressors as well as the neurodegenerative effects of dopaminergic toxins. The present investigation assessed the impact of the putative dopamine toxin paraquat (a widely used herbicide) upon motor functioning, behavioural indices of anxiety‐like states and central monoamine levels and whether these effects were altered in mice lacking COX‐2. Indeed, paraquat did induce motor impairment and altered dopamine utilization within the striatum, and COX‐2 deletion moderately attenuated these effects. Conversely, COX‐2 deficiency enhanced the impact of paraquat upon indices of anxiety (open field exploration) and on serotonergic, noradrenergic and dopaminergic alterations within two brain regions implicated in stressor‐related pathologies, namely the dorsal hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that COX‐2 might differentially influence the motor and psychiatric symptoms associated with environmental toxin exposure. Furthermore, these data indicate that the neurochemical impact of paraquat is not restricted to the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway but also involves stressor‐sensitive limbic regions. It is possible that COX‐2 may play a dual role by contributing to the motor impairment induced by paraquat, but acting to moderate the effects of paraquat upon processes aligned with anxiety and depression.
Body musculature ofBeauchampiella eudactylota(Gosse, 1886) (Rotifera: Euchlanidae) with additional new data on its trophi and overall morphology
Authors: Riemann O. , Wilts E. F. , Ahlrichs W. H. , Kieneke A. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis study presents the results of confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence‐labelled phalloidin used to visualize the system of body musculature inBeauchampiella eudactylota. Moreover, the poorly known trophi ofB. eudactylotaare described based on scanning electron microscopy. In total, four paired longitudinal muscles (musculi longitudinales I–IV) and three circular muscles (musculi circulares I–III) were identified. Among these are the musculus longitudinalis ventralis, the musculus longitudinalis dorsalis and the musculus circumpedalis as documented in previous studies for other rotifer species. Compared to other species,B. eudactylotais characterized by the low number of lateral longitudinal muscles and the absence of some longitudinal muscles (musculi longitudinales capitum) and circular muscles (corona sphincter, musculus pars coronalis). Moreover, scanning electron microscopic data on the trophi ofB. eudactylotareveal a number of striking similarities to the trophi in some species of Epiphanidae. This suggests that either (1) these similarities represent plesiomorphic characters present both in Epiphanidae andB. eudactylotaor (2) they are synapomorphic features ofB. eudactylotaand some species of Epiphanidae, which would question the monophyly of Euchlanidae.
Disclosure of the impacts of adopting Australian equivalents of International Financial Reporting Standards
Authors: Palmer Philip D. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis study investigates two disclosure variables (Extent and Quality) in relation to compliance with paragraph 4.1 (b) of AASB 1047 Disclosing the Impacts of Adopting Australian Equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards. Using a sample of 150 Australian listed firms, I find that the extent and quality of disclosure is influenced by firm size, leverage and auditor firm size, with the latter variable being the most significant. In general, the results suggest that many companies might have relied on sample disclosures provided by their auditors, perhaps limiting both quality and intent. Additionally, the ultimate usefulness of broad and imprecise standards might be questionable. Smaller companies might also require more guidance and assistance with their preparation for the adoption.
Limit order book, anonymity and market liquidity: evidence from the Sydney Futures Exchange
Authors: Frino Alex , Gerace Dionigi , Lepone Andrew 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis study examines the impact of the removal of broker mnemonics on the Sydney Futures Exchange. Early research finds that a decrease in transparency reduces liquidity in the market, whereas more recent research finds that reduced transparency improves market quality. Results of the present study indicate an improvement in liquidity after the removal of broker mnemonics. There is a significant increase in quoted depth and trading volume, and a significant decrease in quoted spreads in the 90 day Bank Accepted Bill, 3 year Treasury Bond and 10 year Treasury Bond Futures. This improvement in liquidity is robust to the length of the event window around the structural change and trading in a control market.
Training teachers to use new technologies impacts multiple ecologies: Evidence from a national initiative
Authors: Davis Niki , Preston Christina , Sahin Ismail 
Published: July 2008

AbstractA pair of papers re‐examined the evidence from a national initiative to train all teachers in England to bring them up to the level of newly qualified teachers, who are required to know when to use and when not to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in their professional practice. The first paper confirmed that multilevel evaluation of professional development was robust for ICT teacher training. This second paper contrasts the highest and lowest rated designs for ICT teacher training: an ‘organic’ approach that provided training in schools was highly rated, whereas a centralised computer‐assisted learning approach with online access to trainers was the lowest rated design. The study supports an ecological view of the diffusion of ICT innovations in education and recommends that ICT teacher training be designed to support evolution of each teacher's classroom, school and region, as well as the training of the ICT teacher trainers.
‘Building brighter futures for all our children’– a new focus on families as partners and change agents in the care and development of children with disabilities or special educational needs
Authors: RUSSELL PHILIPPA 
Published: July 2008

This paper looks at recent trends in Government policy and practice around supporting and involving parents of children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN) in their care, development and education. In particular, the paper examines the opportunities offered in the Children's Plan (DCSF, 2007) and Aiming High (HM Treasury/DfES, 2007), and the strong emphasis on earlier intervention and a range of new services to facilitate better partnership with parents (including those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds). Note: In using the term ‘disabled children’, the author is using the broad definition of disability within the Disability Discrimination Acts (DDA) 1995 and 2005. The DDA definition includes the majority of children with identified and significant levels of SEN.
Recognising fathers: the needs of fathers of children with disabilities
Authors: CARPENTER BARRY , TOWERS CHRISTINE 
Published: July 2008

In this article, the authors aim to develop a better understanding among practitioners of the issues faced by fathers of children with a learning disability, and suggest how schools can involve the parents who are regarded by many as ‘hard to reach’. They recontextualize the roles and perceptions of fathers in the light of outcomes from the recent ‘Recognising Fathers’ report published by the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.Following an introduction to Government policy and literature relating to fathers, the outcomes of semi‐structured interviews conducted with 21 fathers in the course of the ‘Recognising Fathers’ study are summarized in terms of the emotional impact, the roles and responsibilities, the impact on fathers’ paid employment, support and father–practitioner interaction. The article concludes with practical suggestions for how practitioners might meet the needs of fathers in their own schools and provide them with an effective support network.
Local and Marginal Control Charts Applied to Methicillin ResistantStaphylococcus Aureus BacteraemiaReports in UK Acute National Health Service Trusts
Authors: Grigg O. A. , Spiegelhalter D. J. , Jones H. E. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryWe consider the general problem of simultaneously monitoring multiple series of counts, applied in this case to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) reports in 173 UK National Health Service acute trusts. Both within-trust changes from baseline (‘local monitors’) and overall divergence from the bulk of trusts (‘relative monitors’) are considered. After standardizing for type of trust and overall trend, a transformation to approximate normality is adopted and empirical Bayes shrinkage methods are used for estimating an appropriate baseline for each trust. Shewhart, exponentially weighted moving average and cumulative sum charts are then set up for both local and relative monitors: the current state of each is summarized by a p-value, which is processed by a signalling procedure that controls the false discovery rate. The performance of these methods is illustrated by using 4.5 years of MRSA data, and the appropriate use of such methods in practice is discussed.
Sequential Case Series Analysis for Pharmacovigilance
Authors: Hocine Mounia N. , Musonda Patrick , Andrews Nick J. , Paddy Farrington C. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe self-controlled case series method is used to evaluate drug safety, particularly the safety of paediatric vaccines with respect to rare adverse reactions. We propose a group sequential version of the method for prospective surveillance of drug safety. We focus on the surveillance of new vaccines. We develop methods that are based on the sequential probability ratio test applied at predetermined surveillance intervals, using both simple and composite alternative hypotheses. We investigate the properties of the methods analytically in a simple setting and by simulations in more realistic scenarios. The methods are applied to data on influenza vaccine and Bell’s palsy, and to data on measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and bleeding disorders.
Hitting and Missing Targets by Ambulance Services for Emergency Calls: Effects of Different Systems of Performance Measurement within the UK
Authors: Bevan Gwyn , Hamblin Richard 
Published: July 2008

SummaryFollowing devolution, differences developed between UK countries in systems of measuring performance against a common target that ambulance services ought to respond to 75% of calls for what may be immediately life threatening emergencies (category A calls) within 8 minutes. Only in England was this target integral to a ranking system of ‘star rating’, which inflicted reputational damage on services that failed to hit targets, and only in England has this target been met. In other countries, the target has been missed by such large margins that services would have been publicly reported as failing, if they had been covered by the English system of star ratings. The paper argues that this case-study adds to evidence from comparisons of different systems of hospital performance measurement that, to have an effect, these systems need to be designed to inflict reputational damage on those that have performed poorly; and it explores implications of this hypothesis. The paper also asks questions about the adequacy of systems of performance measurement of ambulance services in UK countries.
Separation Measures and the Geometry of Bayes Factor Selection for Classification
Authors: Smith Jim Q. , Anderson Paul E. , Liverani Silvia 
Published: July 2008

Summary
Conjugacy assumptions are often used in Bayesian selection over a partition because they allow the otherwise unfeasibly large model space to be searched very quickly. The implications of such models can be analysed algebraically. We use the explicit forms of the associated Bayes factors to demonstrate that such methods can be unstable under common settings of the associated hyperparameters. We then prove that the regions of instability can be removed by setting the hyperparameters in an unconventional way. Under this family of assignments we prove that model selection is determined by an implicit separation measure: a function of the hyperparameters and the sufficient statistics of clusters in a given partition. We show that this family of separation measures has plausible properties. The methodology proposed is illustrated through the selection of clusters of longitudinal gene expression profiles.
Graphical Gaussian Models With Edge and Vertex Symmetries
Authors: Højsgaard Søren , Lauritzen Steffen L. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryWe introduce new types of graphical Gaussian models by placing symmetry restrictions on the concentration or correlation matrix. The models can be represented by coloured graphs, where parameters that are associated with edges or vertices of the same colour are restricted to being identical. We study the properties of such models and derive the necessary algorithms for calculating maximum likelihood estimates. We identify conditions for restrictions on the concentration and correlation matrices being equivalent. This is for example the case when symmetries are generated by permutation of variable labels. For such models a particularly simple maximization of the likelihood function is available.