bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Direct Coprecipitation Route to Monodisperse Dual‐Functionalized Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanocrystals Without Size Selection
Authors: Li Zhen , Tan Bien , Allix Mathieu , Cooper Andrew I. , Rosseinsky Matthew J. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractWater‐soluble monodisperse superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanocrystals decorated with two distinct functional groups are prepared in a single‐step procedure by injecting iron precursors into a refluxing aqueous solution of a polymer ligand, trithiol‐terminated poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA‐PTTM), bearing both carboxylate and thiol functionalities. The ratio of carboxylic acid groups in the polymer‐protecting ligand to the iron precursors plays a key role in determining the particle size and particle size distribution. The surface functionalities of the ligands allow post‐synthesis modification of the materials to produce water‐soluble fluorescent magnetic nanocrystals.
Bone Mineral Density Before and After Surgical Cure of Cushing’s Syndrome Due to Adrenocortical Adenoma: Prospective Study
Authors: Kawamata Akiko , Iihara Masatoshi , Okamoto Takahiro , Obara Takao 
Published: January 2008

AbstractOsteoporosis is a major complication of Cushing’s syndrome. The aim of the present study was to assess the chronologic effect of surgical cure on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with Cushing’s syndrome due to adrenal adenoma. BMD was examined in 28 patients before laparoscopic adrenalectomy; 17 patients with reduced BMD were then included in the longitudinal evaluation. BMD was determined using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) before and at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after adrenalectomy. The prevalence of osteoporosis was 64% (95% confidence interval 44–81%). Preoperative BMD of the lumbar spine in the lateral projection was significantly lower than that of the femoral neck (mean ± SD score: −3.53 ± 0.75 vs. −1.54 ± 0.22, p = 0.003). A significant increase in BMD was observed at 3 months after surgery in the lumbar spine (p = 0.0004). Improvement at both sites was maintained at 24 months after surgery. The postoperative percentage change in BMD of the lumbar spine was significantly higher than that of the femoral neck (mean ± SD 36.7% ± 26.5% vs. 11.2% ± 12.1%, p = 0.01). The change in the seven premenopausal patients was significantly higher than that in the three postmenopausal patients (p = 0.0006). Surgical cure of hypercortisolism provides significant improvement in BMD in patients with Cushing’s syndrome due to adrenal adenoma. The improvement is particularly apparent in the lumbar spine measured in the lateral projection. Premenopausal women are more likely to benefit from surgery in terms of secondary osteoporosis.
The geography of genetics: an analysis of referral patterns to a cancer genetics service
Authors: McDonald Kevin , Iredale Rachel , Higgs Gary 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
This study uses a geographical information system (GIS) and statistical analysis to look for patterns in referrals to a British cancer genetics service. In this case, familial cancers are taken to be those that can develop when an individual inherits DNA mutations that cause an increased risk of cancer. Between 1998 and 2006 the Cancer Genetics Service for Wales received nearly 11,000 referrals for patients resident in Wales and it is the service database recording those referrals which is the subject of this secondary analysis. Using postcodes to match referred patients to areas, deprivation scores were assigned. Referral rates per 10,000 head of population across the 8-year study period by unitary authority are presented, as is information on referrals from primary and secondary care sources by year. Each patient referred has their family history of cancer recorded and is assigned to a risk category; high, medium or average. There are correlations between number of GPs (General Practitioners) in a practice, number of patients referred from a practice, and deprivation as measured by the overall Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2005, such that the two former factors increase as deprivation decreases. Over time there were changes in referral sources, with referrals from primary care overtaking those from secondary care in percentage and absolute terms. There were also changes in the types of cancer referred, risk categories seen and to which centre referrals were made. Referral patterns reveal an inverse relationship between deprivation and health service availability and use.
Antipsychotic drugs alter neuronal development including ALM neuroblast migration and PLM axonal outgrowth in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Donohoe Dallas R. , Weeks Kathrine , Aamodt Eric J. , Dwyer Donard S. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractAntipsychotic drugs are increasingly being prescribed for children and adolescents, and are used in pregnant women without a clear demonstration of safety in these populations. Global effects of these drugs on neurodevelopment (e.g., decreased brain size) have been reported in rats, but detailed knowledge about neuronal effects and mechanisms of action are lacking. Here we report on the evaluation of a comprehensive panel of antipsychotic drugs in a model organism (Caenorhabditis elegans) that is widely used to study neuronal development. Specifically, we examined the effects of the drugs on neuronal migration and axonal outgrowth in mechanosensory neurons visualized with green fluorescent protein expressed from the mec‐3 promoter. Clozapine, fluphenazine, and haloperidol produced deficits in the development and migration of ALM neurons and axonal outgrowth in PLM neurons. The defects included failure of neuroblasts to migrate to the proper location, and excessive growth of axons past their normal termination point, together with abnormal morphological features of the processes. Although the antipsychotic drugs are potent antagonists of dopamine and serotonin receptors, the neurodevelopmental deficits were not rescued by co‐incubation with serotonin or the dopaminergic agonist, quinpirole. Other antipsychotic drugs, risperidone, aripiprazole, quetiapine, trifluoperazine and olanzapine, also produced modest, but detectable, effects on neuronal development. This is the first report that antipsychotic drugs interfere with neuronal migration and axonal outgrowth in a developing nervous system.
Olfactory ensheathing cells conditioned medium prevented apoptosis induced by 6‐OHDA in PC12 cells through modulation of intrinsic apoptotic pathways
Authors: Feng Lei , Meng Haiwei , Wu Fengxia , Cheng Baohua , He Xiuquan , Wang Xiaohong , Li Zhengping , Liu Shuwei 
Published: January 2008

AbstractOlfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) express a high level of growth factors which play a very important role as neuronal support. Recent evidence in literatures showed that transplantation of OECs may improve functional restoration in 6‐OHDA‐induced rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the biological function of various factors released from OECs in Parkinson' disease is still unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of newborn rat OECs conditioned medium (CM) on PC12 cells. Cells treated with 6‐OHDA underwent cytotoxicity and apoptotic death determined by MTT assay and Hoechst 33342/PI staining. OECs CM was able to reduce the cellular damage in PC12 cells. Further investigation results showed that CM inhibited the disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, up‐regulation of Bcl‐2 and down‐regulation of Bax. Taken together, this study indicates that CM has a neuroprotective effect on 6‐OHDA induced apoptosis of PC12 cells, which is through up‐regulation of the Bcl‐2/Bax ratio and protection for mitochondrion.
Iodine intake before and after mandatory iodization in Denmark: results from the Danish Investigation of Iodine Intake and Thyroid Diseases (DanThyr) study
Authors: Rasmussen Lone B. , Carlé Allan , Jørgensen Torben , Knudsen Nils , Laurberg Peter , Pedersen Inge B. , Perrild Hans , Vejbjerg Pernille , Ovesen Lars 
Published: January 2008

Iodine deficiency is still common in some European countries. In Denmark an iodine fortification programme was introduced in 1998 and a monitoring programme was established prior to iodization. This study reports the change in urinary iodine excretion caused by fortification and investigates determinants of iodine intake after fortification. Iodine excretion in casual urine samples was assessed in 4649 subjects in 1997–8 and in 3570 comparable subjects in 2004–5 in women 18–22, 25–30, 40–45 and 60–65 years of age and in men 60–65 years of age living in Aalborg (western part of Denmark) or Copenhagen (eastern part of Denmark). These areas had moderate and mild iodine deficiency, respectively, before iodine fortification. All subjects filled in a FFQ and a questionnaire regarding lifestyle factors. Iodine excretion, expressed as the estimated 24 h urinary iodine excretion and as urinary iodine concentration, increased significantly in all age and sex groups. However, the iodine intake was still below the recommended in the youngest age groups in both cities and in women 40–45 years of age living in Aalborg. Intake of milk and salt had strong significant direct associations with iodine excretion (P < 0·001). It is concluded that although the median iodine intake in the whole study population is at the recommended level, some groups still have an intake below the recommended. It is important to have a moderate milk intake to obtain a sufficient iodine intake in Denmark.
Effect of vitamin D supplementation on bone and vitamin D status among Pakistani immigrants in Denmark: a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled intervention study
Authors: Andersen Rikke , Mølgaard Christian , Skovgaard Lene T. , Brot Christine , Cashman Kevin D. , Jakobsen Jette , Lamberg-Allardt Christel , Ovesen Lars 
Published: January 2008

Severe vitamin D deficiency is common among Muslim immigrants. The dose necessary to correct the deficiency and its consequence for bone health are not known for immigrants. The aim was to assess the effect of relatively low dosages of supplemental vitamin D on vitamin D and bone status in Pakistani immigrants. This 1-year-long randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled intervention with vitamin D3 (10 and 20 μg/d) included girls (10·1–14·7 years), women (18·1–52·7 years) and men (17·9–63·5 years) of Pakistani origin living in Denmark. The main endpoints were serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25OHD), parathyroid hormone, bone turnover markers and bone mass. The study showed that supplementation with 10 and 20 μg vitamin D3 per d increased S-25OHD concentrations similarly in vitamin D-deficient Pakistani women (4-fold), and that 10 μg increased S-25OHD concentrations 2-fold and 20 μg 3-fold in Pakistani men. S-25OHD concentrations increased at 6 months and were stable thereafter. Baseline S-25OHD concentrations tended to be lower in girls and women than in men; females achieved about 46 nmol/l and men 55 nmol/l after supplementation. Serum intact parathyroid hormone concentrations decreased at 6 months, but there was no significant effect of the intervention on bone turnover markers and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements of the whole body and lumbar spine.
Population genetics ofDrosophila ananassae: genetic differentiation among Indian natural populations at the level of inversion polymorphism
Authors: SINGH PRANVEER , SINGH B. N. 
Published: January 2008

SummaryThe present study, which is one of the longest temporal (two decades) and largest spatial (different parts of India covered) investigations on inversion polymorphism in natural populations ofD. ananassae, was undertaken to understand the dynamics of inversion polymorphism in a broad and comprehensive manner. Forty-five natural populations from different ecogeographic regions of the country (covering the regions from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari and Gujarat to Nagaland) were analysed for chromosomal inversions. All the populations show the presence of the three cosmopolitan inversions, frequencies of which vary among the populations analysed. Simple correlations between frequencies of different inversions and regression analysis of inversion frequencies with latitude, longitude and altitude were insignificant. This reinforces the concept of rigid polymorphism inD. ananassae. Genetic divergence (spatial and temporal) at the level of chromosomal polymorphism among natural populations was calculated. Results show spatial divergence but no temporal divergence. Rigid polymorphic systems ofD. ananassaedid not show long-term directional trends. On the basis of the present study, and after including comparisons with the studies conducted more than two decades ago, the most important conclusion to be drawn is that the three cosmopolitan inversions inD. ananassaesegregate within populations at fairly similar frequencies, and the general geographic pattern has remained constant.
The role of biotic factors in the transmission of free-living endohelminth stages
Authors: THIELTGES D. W. , JENSEN K. T. , POULIN R. 
Published: January 2008

SUMMARYThe transmission success of free-living larval stages of endohelminths is generally modulated by a variety of abiotic and biotic environmental factors. Whereas the role of abiotic factors (including anthropogenic pollutants) has been in focus in numerous studies and summarized in reviews, the role of biotic factors has received much less attention. Here, we review the existing body of literature from the fields of parasitology and ecology and recognize 6 different types of biotic factors with the potential to alter larval transmission processes. We found that experimental studies generally indicate strong effects of biotic factors, and the latter emerge as potentially important, underestimated determinants in the transmission ecology of free-living endohelminth stages. This implies that biodiversity, in general, should have significant effects on parasite transmission and population dynamics. These effects are likely to interact with natural abiotic factors and anthropogenic pollutants. Investigating the interplay of abiotic and biotic factors will not only be crucial for a thorough understanding of parasite transmission processes, but will also be a prerequisite to anticipate the effects of climate and other global changes on helminth parasites and their host communities.
Comparison study of intraarticular and intravenous gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage in a canine model
Authors: Kwack Kyu-Sung , Cho Jae Hyun , Kim Myung Soon , Yoon Choon-Sik , Yoon Yeo Seung , Choi Jae Won , Kwon Jong Won , Min Byoung-Hyun , Sun Joo Sung , Kim Sun Yong 
Published: January 2008

Background: Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and measurement of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) have potential for characterization of hyaline articular cartilage. Recently, some reports have demonstrated the potential of direct administration of contrast media for MR imaging of cartilage. Purpose: To prove the feasibility of intraarticular gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging of cartilage (iGEMRIC) and T1 relaxation mapping of the articular cartilage in vivo with intraarticular injection of Gd-DTPA2−. Material and Methods: Five healthy beagle dogs underwent MR imaging and T1 relaxation mapping of the knee joints of both hind legs. The delayed gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and iGEMRIC techniques were interchanged with MR imaging. For dGEMRIC, a double routine dose of Gd-DTPA2− (0.2 mM/kg) was administered intravenously. For iGEMRIC, 2.5 and 1.25 mmol/l saline-diluted Gd-DTPA2− solutions were separately injected into the right and left knee joints, respectively, prior to MR imaging. Color-coded T1 maps of 20 femoral condyles were obtained from the dGEMRIC and iGEMRIC images. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) delineation of articular cartilage were compared between the dGEMRIC and iGEMRIC techniques. Results: The mean SNR was higher with dGEMRIC than with iGEMRIC, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.174). The mean (±SD) CNR was higher with iGEMRIC (−11.6±3.4) than with dGEMRIC (−16.7±4.0; P = 0.000), although the absolute value of the CNR was higher with dGEMRIC. The layering and gradient distribution of GAG were more clearly visualized on the iGEMRIC images. The mean scores of GAG delineation with dGEMRIC and iGEMRIC were 0.7±0.6 and 2.2±1.7, respectively. The iGEMRIC method better visualized GAG distribution ( P = 0.001). Conclusion: Although the SNR did not differ significantly between the iGEMRIC and dGEMRIC techniques, the color-coded T1 map produced with iGEMRIC allowed better cartilage evaluation. Thus, iGEMRIC exhibits the useful features of both MR arthrography and dGEMRIC, and provides a color-coded T1 map that is useful for diagnosing early articular cartilage damage.
Regional white matter decreases in alzheimer's disease using optimized voxel-based morphometry
Authors: Li Shuyu , Pu Fang , Shi Feng , Xie Sheng , Wang Yinhua , Jiang Tianzi 
Published: January 2008

Background: Most studies that attempt to clarify structural abnormalities related to functional disconnection in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have focused on exploring pathological changes in cortical gray matter. However, white matter fibers connecting these cerebral areas may also be abnormal. Purpose: To investigate the regional changes of white matter volume in patients with AD compared to healthy subjects. Material and Methods: White matter volume changes in whole-brain magnetic resonance images acquired from 19 patients with AD and 20 healthy subjects (control group) were observed using the optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) method. In addition, the corpus callosum (CC) of AD patients and the control group was investigated further by outlining manually the boundary of the CC on a midsagittal slice. Each area of the CC was then corrected by dividing each subject's intracranial area in the midsagittal plane. Results: Compared with the control group, AD patients showed significantly reduced white matter volumes in the posterior part of the CC and the temporal lobe in the left and right hemispheres. Moreover, the voxel showing peak statistical difference in the posterior of the CC was left sided. The five subdivisions of the CC were also significantly smaller among the AD patients relative to the control group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that these abnormalities in white matter regions may contribute to the functional disconnections in AD.
Transcatheter arterial embolization for massive hemoptysis in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis: an 11-year experience
Authors: Lee Sang Hoon , Hahn Seong Tai , Choi Byung Gil 
Published: January 2008

Background: Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is a safe and well-established treatment option to control hemoptysis, but there are few studies focused on treating hemoptysis accompanying coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP). Purpose: To evaluate the immediate and long-term efficacy of TAE for control of massive hemoptysis in patients with CWP, and to clarify the factors which influence the frequency of rebleeding. Material and Methods: This study included 34 CWP patients with massive hemoptysis who were treated with 47 TAE sessions over the last 11 years. Immediate (within 1 month) and long-term outcomes (mean 37 months, range 1 month–11 years) were evaluated retrospectively. The relationships between the frequency of rebleeding and the type of CWP, angiographic findings, and presence of tuberculosis were evaluated. Results: The immediate success rate was 91.2% (31/34). In 23 patients (68%), hemoptysis did not recur on long-term follow-up. In eight patients who received repeated procedures for recurrent hemoptysis, bleeding was discovered in the non-bronchial systemic artery ( n = 13) or bronchial artery ( n = 7). The frequency of recurrent hemoptysis was higher in cases with complicated pneumoconiosis ( n = 7) than in cases of the simple type ( n = 1; P = 0.029). There was no statistical difference between rebleeding and angiographic findings or the presence of tuberculosis. Conclusion: TAE is an effective treatment modality for controlling massive hemoptysis in patients with CWP. However, many non-bronchial systemic collaterals contribute to recurrent hemoptysis. Furthermore, there is a high probability of rebleeding in patients with the complicated type of CWP, and extra care must be taken in the embolization procedure.
Evidence that Natural Immunity to Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer Exists in the Majority of Their Risk Populations Is Predicted by a Novel, Inherently Saturated, Ordered Mutation Model
Authors: Kramer Ivan 
Published: January 2008

The series of ordered mutations that cause a specific cell to become cancerous is modeled so that the fraction of a risk population (e.g. White men) that has developed a specific cancer (e.g. melanoma) at any age can be calculated. The saturated model constructed and solved here is isomorphic to the physical model describing an ordered chain of radioactive nuclei decays with the exception that it allows for the possibility that a fraction of a risk population may be immune to developing a specific cancer.The simplest model developed here depends on only three independent parameters: the number of ordered mutations necessary for a cell to become cancerous, the fraction of the risk population that is immune to developing a specific cancer and the average time between mutations (a time defined as the mutation lifetime). The values of these independent parameters are determined by fitting the model′s cancer incidence function to the cancer incidence data.This model was applied to five widely different cancers: melanoma, pancreatic cancer, female breast cancer, non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and prostate cancer. The modeling predicts that all White males in the USA are vulnerable to developing melanoma, five‐ordered mutations are required to develop it and the mutation lifetime is 48.3 years. By contrast, the modeling predicts that 80.7% of White females in the USA are immune to developing melanoma, three‐ordered mutations are required to develop it and the mutation lifetime is 78.9 years. Remarkably, it was also found that about 70% of females are immune to developing breast cancer and about 70% of males are immune to developing prostate cancer, predictions that fit in with the experimental evidence of cancer immunosurveillance and immunoediting.Clearly, different risk populations can develop the same cancer through different pathways. Delineating the mechanism underlying the prevalence of immunity to specific cancers in specific risk populations should become a research priority. Finding ways of blocking or repairing cellular mutations and/or destroying mutated, potentially cancerous cells would prevent cancers from developing altogether and eliminate a major cause of mortality.
Conclusion
Authors: Roessel David 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis concluding chapter looks at the Greece brought into existence by Henry Miller and Lawrence Durrell. The two authors reinvested modern Greece with meaning by stripping it of all political significance. This occurred when Greece itself was under a dictatorship and under the shadow of the impending war, so that the creation of an idyllic Greece during these years was an act of will by both Miller and Durrell. Those writers who came to Greece in the late 1940s and 1950s carrying the books of Miller and Durrell also persisted in turning their eyes from the internal politics of Greece, despite a bitter civil war between the Left and the Right from 1945 to 1949. Greece became repoliticized in Western eyes by the military coup in 1967, partly because leftist political activism in the West viewed the coup as a cause and partly because the unappealing politics within Greece helped to move lotus land elsewhere.