bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of pleural viscosity in the differential diagnosis of exudative pleural effusion
Authors: YETKIN Ozkan , TEK Ibrahim , YETKIN Funda , NUMANOGLU Numan 
Published: February 2007

Objective and background:  Determining the aetiology of an effusion involves assessing if it is an exudate or a transudate. However, a reliable test for determining the aetiology of a pleural effusion is lacking. Pleural viscosity has a high sensitivity and specificity and a high positive and negative predictive value for discriminating exudative and transudative pleural effusions. The aim of this study was to use pleural fluid viscosity to discriminate between various aetiologies of exudative effusions, namely malignant, parapneumonic and tuberculous.Methods:  Seventy consecutive patients (24 women, 46 men, mean age = 67 years) with exudative pleural effusion due to pneumoniae in 24 patients, tuberculous pleurisy in 21 and lung cancer in 25 were studied prospectively. Measurements of pleural fluid and plasma viscosity were performed using Brookfield DV‐II viscometer.Results:  Pleural viscosity and pleural LDH were highest in the tuberculous pleurisy patients and lowest in the lung cancer patients. Pleural viscosity ≥1.57 was found to be indicative of tuberculous pleurisy with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 95%. Pleural viscosity <1.39 was found to be indicative of lung cancer with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 94%. Pleural viscosity was significantly correlated with pleural albumin (r = 0.34, P = 0.004), protein (r = 0.40, P = 0.001), LDH (r = 0.70, P < 0.001) and plasma viscosity (r = 0.44, P < 0.001), having the most significant value with pleural LDH.Conclusion:  The pleural fluid viscosity of patients with parapneumonic, tuberculous and malignant effusions are significantly different from each other. Among these groups, tuberculous effusions had the highest viscosity, and malignant effusions from lung cancer the lowest.
Correlates of erectile dysfunction in moderate‐to‐severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients
Authors: KARADAG Fisun , OZCAN Hatice , KARUL Aslihan B. , CEYLAN Emel , CILDAG Orhan 
Published: February 2007

Objective and background:  Erectile dysfunction (ED) has important negative effects on male quality of life and self‐esteem. The aim of this study was to acquire an insight into the sexual status of COPD patients.Methods:  Ninety‐five male patients aged 48–75 years, with moderate‐to‐severe stable COPD, and 30 age‐matched subjects with normal pulmonary function were included. After clinical evaluation and measurement of serum sex hormones and TNF‐α concentration, subjects were asked to answer the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire as a method to diagnose and classify ED.Results:  Varying degrees of ED were detected in 87% of COPD patients and 83% of controls. Although the total percentages of subjects with various severities of ED seemed similar, moderate and severe ED was 57% in COPD group and 20% in control subjects, suggesting a more severe course of ED in COPD patients. ED score of COPD patients was not correlated with age, smoking burden, duration of COPD, FEV1%, PaO2, PaCO2, serum dehydroepiandrosterone‐sulphate, testosterone or estradiol levels. When patients were subgrouped according to severity of ED, serum TNF‐α concentration, used as a marker of systemic inflammatory status in COPD, was significantly higher in patients with moderate‐to‐severe ED compared with mild‐moderate ED.Conclusion:  The present study showed that ED is frequent and more severe in COPD patients than age‐matched controls. Chronic systemic inflammation is likely to play a role in ED in COPD; the role of TNF‐α should be evaluated further. Patients with COPD need comprehensive management including a detailed sexual evaluation.
Phospholipase Cβ3 is distributed in both somatodendritic and axonal compartments and localized around perisynapse and smooth endoplasmic reticulum in mouse Purkinje cell subsets
Authors: Nomura Sachi , Fukaya Masahiro , Tsujioka Takao , Wu Dianqing , Watanabe Masahiko 
Published: February 2007

AbstractPhospholipase Cβ3 (PLCβ3) and PLCβ4 are the two major isoforms in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs), displaying reciprocal expression across the cerebellum. Here, we examined subcellular distribution of PLCβ3 in the mouse cerebellum by producing specific antibody. PLCβ3 was detected as a particulate pattern of immunostaining in various PC elements. Like PLCβ4, PLCβ3 was richly distributed in somatodendritic compartments, where it was colocalized with molecules constituting the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR1) signalling pathway, i.e. mGluR1α, Gαq/Gα11 subunits of Gq protein, inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor IP3R1, Homer1, protein kinase C PKCγ, and diacylglycerol lipase DAGLα. Unlike PLCβ4, PLCβ3 was also distributed at low to moderate levels in PC axons, which were intense for IP3R1 and PKCγ, low for Gαq/Gα11, and negative for mGluR1α, Homer1, and DAGLα. By immunoelectron microscopy, PLCβ3 was preferentially localized around the smooth endoplasmic reticulum in spines, dendrites, and axons of PCs, and also accumulated at the perisynapse of parallel fibre‐PC synapses. Consistent with the ultrastructural localization, PLCβ3 was biochemically enriched in the microsomal and postsynaptic density fractions. These results suggest that PLCβ3 plays a major role in mediating mGluR1‐dependent synaptic transmission, plasticity, and integration in PLCβ3‐dominant PCs, through eliciting Ca2+ release, protein phosphorylation, and endocannabinoid production at local somatodendritic compartments. Because PLCβ3 can be activated by Gβγ subunits liberated from Gi/o and Gs proteins as well, axonal PLCβ3 seems to modulate the conduction of action potentials through mediating local Ca2+ release and protein phosphorylation upon activation of a variety of G protein‐coupled receptors other than mGluR1.
Somatodendritic localization of EFA6A, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for ADP‐ribosylation factor 6, and its possible interaction with α‐actinin in dendritic spines
Authors: Sakagami Hiroyuki , Honma Takashi , Sukegawa Jun , Owada Yuji , Yanagisawa Teruyuki , Kondo Hisatake 
Published: February 2007

AbstractEFA6A is a member of the guanine nucleotide exchange factors that can specifically activate ADP ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6). In this study, we identified α‐actinin‐1 as a possible interacting protein with EFA6A by the yeast two‐hybrid screening with its C‐terminal region as bait. The central region of α‐actinin‐1 containing a part of spectrin repeat 1 and spectrin repeats 2–3 is responsible for this interaction. In the hippocampal formation, EFA6A immunoreactivity occurred at a high level as numerous fine puncta in the strata oriens, radiatum, lacunosum‐moleculare of the hippocampal CA1–3 subfields and the dentate molecular layer, whereas the immunoreactivity was faint in the neuronal cell layers and the stratum lucidum, the mossy fiber‐recipient layer of the CA3 subfield. Double‐immunofluorescent analyses revealed a partial overlapping of EFA6A and α‐actinin at the dendritic spines of in vivo and cultured hippocampal neurons. Our present findings suggest that EFA6A may form a protein complex with α‐actinin and activate ARF6 in close proximity of the actin cytoskeleton and membrane proteins in the dendritic spines.
Polymodal conceptual processing of human biological actions in the left inferior frontal lobe
Authors: Baumgaertner Annette , Buccino Giovanni , Lange Ruediger , McNamara Adam , Binkofski Ferdinand 
Published: February 2007

AbstractApart from being increasingly implicated in higher motor control, Broca's area is considered to play an important role in action understanding by coding the motor goal of an action. Moreover, recent findings suggest that parts of Broca's area may be able to code action content in a more abstract fashion, independent of modality, specific movement parameters or effector used. We performed functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether in humans processing object‐directed hand actions presented either visually as video clips or verbally as spoken sentences relies on the same neural substrates. To control for action specificity, we included videos and sentences depicting inanimate motion events. In order to induce conceptual processing, we asked participants to make judgements about the acceptability of the stimuli. Results show that processing object‐directed hand actions presented both visually and verbally leads to common activation of areas in parietal and frontal regions, most prominently in the pars opercularis of Broca's region. We conclude that the pars opercularis of Broca's area is endowed with polymodal capabilities, allowing the processing of higher‐level conceptual aspects of action understanding.
MAPK‐dependent actin cytoskeletal reorganization underlies BK channel activation by insulin
Authors: O'Malley Dervla , Harvey Jenni 
Published: February 2007

AbstractNumerous brain regions are enriched with insulin and insulin receptors, and several lines of evidence indicate that insulin is an important modulator of neuronal function. Indeed, recent studies have demonstrated that insulin inhibits hippocampal epileptiform‐like activity, in part by activating large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated potassium (BK) channels. Moreover, the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling cascade has been found to couple insulin to BK channel activation. However, the cellular events downstream of MAPK that underlie this action of insulin are unknown. Here we demonstrate that in hippocampal neurons, BK channel activation by insulin is blocked by actin filament stabilization, suggesting that this process is dependent on the actin cytoskeleton. Stabilizing actin filaments also markedly attenuated the ability of insulin to inhibit the aberrant hippocampal synaptic activity evoked following Mg2+ removal. Insulin also promoted rapid reorganization of fluorescently labelled polymerized actin filaments; an action that was prevented by inhibitors of MAPK activation. Moreover, in parallel studies, insulin increased the level of phospho‐MAPK immunostaining in hippocampal neurons. These data are consistent with BK channel activation by insulin involving MAPK‐dependent alterations in actin dynamics. This process may have important implications for the role of insulin in regulating hippocampal excitability.
Retrosplenial and hippocampal brain regions in human navigation: complementary functional contributions to the formation and use of cognitive maps
Authors: Iaria Giuseppe , Chen Jen‐Kai , Guariglia Cecilia , Ptito Alain , Petrides Michael 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe ability to orientate within familiar environments relies on the formation and use of a mental representation of the environment, namely a cognitive map. Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies suggest that the retrosplenial and hippocampal brain regions are involved in topographical orientation. We combined functional magnetic resonance imaging with a virtual‐reality paradigm to investigate the functional interaction of the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex during the formation and utilization of cognitive maps by human subjects. We found that the anterior hippocampus is involved during the formation of the cognitive map, while the posterior hippocampus is involved when using it. In conjunction with the hippocampus, the retrosplenial cortex was active during both the formation and the use of the cognitive map. In accordance with earlier studies in non‐human animals, these findings suggest that, while navigating within the environment, the retrosplenial cortex complements the hippocampal contribution to topographical orientation by updating the individual's location as the frame of reference changes.
What do you do at work? Profession building and doing nursing
Authors: Allen D. 
Published: February 2007

Background:  The dominant image of nursing promotes individualized care based on emotional intimacy as the basis of its distinctive service contribution. However, the empirical basis for nursing’s claims about its function is weak.Aim:  The aim of this paper is to review a decade of observational studies as a starting point for understanding the actual content of nursing work.Methods:  The paper draws on a previously published interpretative review of field studies of nursing work published in the English language between 1993 and 2003.Results:  Eight bundles of activity are identified and described. These indicate that contrary to the profession’s claims, nursing work is not centred exclusively on individuals but is orientated to the effective functioning of healthcare systems.Conclusions:  The bundles of activity identified by the review provide the starting point for a research‐based understanding of nursing work. This might enable a closer coupling of professional identities with service realities.
Trends in ecological science – is there a paradigm shift?
Authors: Aulmann W. 
Published: February 2007

The cosmetic industry takes full responsibility for the safety of its products. The common understanding of this responsibility has been moving lately from the basic concept of ensuring consumer protection to a wider perspective also encompassing the protection of indirectly exposed targets. Hence, a newly defined responsibility also accounts for exposure to chemicals that possibly spread globally having an impact at any remote spot in the world. Such responsibility safeguards future human generations as well as other living organisms, both wildlife and experimental animals. In pursuit of taking this responsibility seriously, the scientific and regulatory community has to accept new challenges. This compels us to question paradigms that were once considered indisputable. It may even be necessary to change them. The basic Paracelsus imperative of ecological and toxicological science, the dose, is such a paradigm, which is increasingly called into question. The substantial erosion of the dose paradigm is illustrated by the example of persistence and bio‐accumulation. Likewise, in the search for in vitro alternatives to animal tests, possible future breakthroughs will be linked to challenging the dose paradigm.Paper presented as a keynote lecture at the IFSCC International Conference 2005, Florence, Italy
Skin in maturity: the endocrine and neuroendocrine pathways
Authors: Quatresooz P. , Piérard‐Franchimont C. , Kharfi M. , Al Rustom K. , Chian C. A. , Garcia R. , Kamoun Md. R. , Piérard G. E. 
Published: February 2007

SynopsisIrrespective of age, most of the skin components are under the physiological control of endocrine and neuroendocrine factors. There is evidence that skin ageing appears complex showing much interindividual variability. Conceptually, ageing is a single biological process that is influenced and modulated by a series of various internal and exogenous factors. Among them, hormones and neuroendocrine signals play key roles in several ways. Ageing of most endocrine glands will in turn alter the skin biology. In addition, the age‐related reduction in the intrinsic neuroendocrine activity of the skin will also alter the ageing rate of this organ. At last, various endocrinopathies will boost or conversely decrease the severity of the signs of cutaneous ageing.
Topical proteolytic enzymes affect epidermal and dermal properties
Authors: Smith W.P. , Bishop M. , Gillis G. , Maibach H. 
Published: February 2007

SynopsisAlthough proteolytic enzymes have a history of use in skin care products it is not known whether they simply induce superficial exfoliation or with continued use can alter epidermal and dermal skin properties. We examined herein whether enhanced exfoliation resulting from treatment with an aspartyl dependent acid protease produces appearance improvements and over time, changes in the epidermis and dermis. Test participants applied 15% enzyme containing serum and a simple moisturizer twice daily for 3 months; a matched control group applied the same serum (without enzyme) and moisturizer. Changes in skin smoothness and texture, the depth and number of lines and wrinkles, and epidermal and dermal firmness and thickness were examined in a double‐blind fashion. Treatment with 15% enzyme product(s) resulted in significant improvement in epidermal properties after 1 month and both epidermal and dermal properties after 3 months. The control group showed modest improvements in surface properties only. These results demonstrate that significant appearance benefits can be derived from use of exfoliative proteolytic enzymes. Such improvements are the result of changes to the epidermis and dermis and are strikingly similar to results observed with higher concentrations of AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids).
A Non‐Destructive Method for Assessing Hair Interior and Surface Damage by Near Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Miyamae Y. , Yamakawa Y. , Ozaki Y. 
Published: February 2007

This paper reports a non‐destructive method for evaluating hair interior and surface damage based on near‐infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance (DR) spectroscopy. It is important to know the extent of chemical damage in the interior and surface proteins of the hair in order to choose an appropriate restoration agent or chemical treatment. Unfortunately, though there are many simple and non‐destructive methods for evaluating the hair surface, the existing evaluation methods for monitoring chemical changes in the interior proteins are very complicated and destructive. Therefore, we have attempted to develop a new non‐destructive method to evaluate the damage of the hair interior and surface simultaneously by using NIR‐DR spectroscopy. The key to this study was the combined application of NIR‐DR spectroscopy and principal component analysis to development of a method for the evaluation of hair damage and finding the most suitable wavenumber region (5060—4500 cm‐1) for this evaluation. In this study, we developed a new evaluation method that can indicate hair interior and surface damage conditions induced by chemical treatments in a simple, rapid, non‐destructive manner based on NIR‐DR using a fibre probe on hairPaper presented at the IFSCC International Conference 2005, Florence, Italy.
Study of dyeing properties of semipermanent dyestuffs for hair
Authors: Ballarin B. , Galli S. , Morigi M. 
Published: February 2007

SynopsisIn this article we have evaluated some of the factors (pH, solvent composition and dye structure) that influence the dyeing of hair with dyes from direct semipermanent categories. These dyes, in fact, have been used more and more in cosmetic industry over the last years, due to their lesser aggressiveness vs. hair fibres. Two different dye classes are investigated: phenylene diamine (HC), well known for their low molecular weight and their small size, and a series of Basic dyes, characterized by the same ionic charge (positive) but with different sizes and different polar groups in the molecule. pH and dyebath composition result critical factors controlling the diffusion and adsorption process.
Protection against singlet oxygen, the main actor of sebum squalene peroxidation during sun exposure, using Commiphora myrrha essential oil
Authors: Auffray B. 
Published: February 2007

SynopsisSqualene is a component of sebum. Both are directly exposed to the external environment and play a key role in skin physiology. They are particularly prone to photo oxidation during sun exposure. We studied the impact of two types of antioxidant on sebum squalene peroxidation by UV irradiation. The first type is free radical scavenger (Butyl hydroxyl toluene and an olive extract rich in hydroxytyrosol). The second type is the essential oil of Commipora myrrha, a singlet oxygen quencher. These properties were confirmed using the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl test for antiradical capacity [Yoshida et al. (1989) Chem. Pharm. Bull., 37, 1919; Buenger et al. (2006) Int. J. Cosmet. Sci., 28, 135] and 1,3‐diphenylisobenzofuran test for the capacity to quench singlet oxygen [Kochewar and Redmond (2000) Meth. Enzymol., 28, 319; Racine and Auffray (2005) Fitoterapia, 76, 316]. Furthermore, we have extended an ex vivo method to classify the efficacy of cosmetics to protect squalene by collecting sebum in vivo and irradiating it in a controlled way. The squalene monohydroperoxide formation is monitored by high performance liquid chromatography. This methods allows us to compare the efficiency of the three antioxidants at 0.6% in a cosmetic formulation to protect squalene from photo oxidation. Our results clearly show that essential oil of Commiphora myrrha provides the best protection against squalene peroxidation. These results demonstrate that squalene peroxidation during solar exposure is mainly because of singlet oxygen and not due to free radical attack. This suggests that sun care cosmetics should make use not only of free radical scavengers but also of singlet oxygen quenchers.
Developmental connections between cranial components and the emergence of the first permanent molar in humans
Authors: Sardi Marina L. , Rozzi Fernando Ramírez 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe age of emergence of the first molar (M1) is a developmental event correlated with many variables of primate life history, such as adult brain size. The evolution of human life history is characterized by the inclusion of childhood, which takes place between weaning and M1 emergence. Children still depend on adults for nutrition due to their small digestive system and their immature brains. By contrast, juveniles are not dependent because of M1 emergence, which enables shifting to adult type diet, and attainment of nearly adult brain size. In this study, developmental connections between M1 emergence and growth of cranial components were explored in two ways in order to understand the developmental basis of their evolutionary connections: (1) differences in growth trajectories of cranial components with respect to M1 emergence and (2) differences between individuals with and without fully emerged M1. Growth of anteroneural, midneural, posteroneural, otic, optic, respiratory, masticatory and alveolar cranial components was analysed in human skulls of individuals aged 0–20 years and in an adult reference skull. Volumetric indices were calculated to estimate size. Two subsamples were selected in order to focus on the transition between deciduous and permanent dentition: those with full deciduous dentition and before M1 reaches the occlusal plane; and those who present M1 in full emergence and no other cheek‐tooth at the occlusal plane. The principal results were as follows. (1) Trajectories fitted using the whole sample are characterized by an inflection point that takes place before M1 emergence for neural components and around M1 emergence for facial components. (2) Associations between growth and age tend to be strong in those with full deciduous dentition, and weak in those who present M1 in full emergence. (3) Individuals who present M1 in full emergence are larger than those with full deciduous dentition. (4) Growth of components linked to the central nervous system is not linear until M1 emergence. Individuals who present M1 in full emergence are only larger than individuals with full deciduous dentition by 4–5% of adult size. (5) The alveolar component does not show increments between full deciduous dentition and M1 emergence. (6) When volumetric indices were standardized by age, the growth trajectories of individuals with full deciduous dentition and of those with M1 were not decoupled. In general terms, M1 emergence does not show a strong association with growth of the components that may explain differences in life histories. However, the main changes in neural and alveolar components occur in the first 3 years of life, which may be developmentally connected with M1 crown formation.