bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identifying Tinnitus Subgroups With Cluster Analysis
Authors: Tyler Richard , Coelho Claudia , Tao Pan , Ji Haihong , Noble William , Gehringer Anne , Gogel Stephanie 
Published: December 2008

Purpose
We believe it is important to uncover tinnitus subgroups to identify subsets of patients most likely to benefit from different treatments. We review strategies for subgrouping based on etiology, subjective reports, the audiogram, psychoacoustics, imaging, and cluster analysis.

Method
Preliminary results of a 2-step cluster analysis based on 246 participants from whom we had 26 categorical and 25 continuous variables were determined.

Results
A 4-cluster solution suggested the following subgroups: (a) constant distressing tinnitus, (b) varying tinnitus that is worse in noise, (c) tinnitus patients who are copers and whose tinnitus is not influenced by touch (somatic modulation), and (d) tinnitus patients who are copers but whose tinnitus is worse in quiet environments.

Conclusions
Subgroups of tinnitus patients can be identified by using statistical approaches. The subgroups we identify here represent a preliminary attempt at identifying such patients. One next step would be to explore clinical trials of tinnitus treatments based on subgroup analyses or on using subgroups in the selection criteria.
Automated Pure-Tone Audiometry: An Analysis of Capacity, Need, and Benefit
Authors: Margolis Robert H. , Morgan Donald E. 
Published: December 2008

Purpose
The rationale for automating pure-tone audiometry based on the need for hearing tests and the capacity of audiologists to provide testing is presented. The personnel time savings from automated testing are analyzed. Some possible effects of automated testing on the profession are explored.

Method
Need for testing was based on prevalence of hearing impairment, number of normal hearing patients seen for testing, and an assumption of the frequency of testing. Capacity is based on the number of audiologists and the number of audiograms performed in a typical workday. Time savings were estimated from the average duration of an audiogram and an assumption that 80% can be automated.

Results
A large gap exists between the need and the capacity of audiologists to provide testing. Automating 80% of audiograms would only partially close the gap. A significant time savings could accrue, permitting reallocation of time for doctoral level services.

Conclusion
Although certain jobs could be affected, the gap between capacity and need is so great that automated audiometry will not significantly affect employment. Automation could increase the number of hearing impaired patients that could be served. The reallocation of personnel time would be a positive change for our patients and our profession.
Contrast agent-enhanced computed tomography of articular cartilage: Association with tissue composition and properties
Authors: Silvast T. S. , Jurvelin J. S. , Aula A. S. , Lammi M. J. , Töyräs J. 
Published: December 2008

Background: Contrast agent-enhanced computed tomography may enable the noninvasive quantification of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of articular cartilage. It has been reported that penetration of the negatively charged contrast agent ioxaglate (Hexabrix) increases significantly after enzymatic degradation of GAGs. However, it is not known whether spontaneous degradation of articular cartilage can be quantitatively detected with this technique. Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic potential of contrast agent-enhanced cartilage tomography (CECT) in quantification of GAG concentration in normal and spontaneously degenerated articular cartilage by means of clinical peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Material and Methods: In this in vitro study, normal and spontaneously degenerated adult bovine cartilage ( n=32) was used. Bovine patellar cartilage samples were immersed in 21 mM contrast agent (Hexabrix) solution for 24 hours at room temperature. After immersion, the samples were scanned with a clinical pQCT instrument. From pQCT images, the contrast agent concentration in superficial as well as in full-thickness cartilage was calculated. Histological and functional integrity of the samples was quantified with histochemical and mechanical reference measurements extracted from our earlier study. Results: Full diffusion of contrast agent into the deep cartilage was found to take over 8 hours. As compared to normal cartilage, a significant increase (11%, P<0.05) in contrast agent concentration was seen in the superficial layer of spontaneously degenerated samples. Significant negative correlations were revealed between the contrast agent concentration and the superficial or full-thickness GAG content of tissue (| R| > 0.5, P<0.01). Further, pQCT could be used to measure the thickness of patellar cartilage. Conclusion: The present results suggest that CECT can be used to diagnose proteoglycan depletion in spontaneously degenerated articular cartilage with a clinical pQCT scanner. Possibly, the in vivo use of clinical pQCT for CECT arthrography of human joints is feasible.
Effects of methylprednisolone on bone mineral density and microarchitecture of trabecular bones in rats with administration time and assessed by micro-computed tomography
Authors: Liu S. P. , Liao E. Y. , Chen J. , Yang S. M. , Li J. W. , Sheng Z. F. , Mo H. , Wu X. P. , Yao L. , Dai R. C. 
Published: December 2008

Background: Little research exists on the dynamic effects of glucocorticoids on bone mineral density (BMD) and microarchitecture of trabecular bones of rats assessed by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Purpose: To investigate time-related changes in the BMD and microarchitecture of trabeculae in rats exposed to glucocorticoid. Material and Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were recruited into a baseline group, glucocorticoid-treated groups, or control groups. Glucocorticoid-treated rats were given daily subcutaneous injections of methylprednisolone at a dosage of 3.5 mg/kg for 1 or 9 weeks. A high-resolution micro-CT was used to identify the densitometric and microarchitectural properties of trabeculae in both the proximal metaphysis of tibiae and the sixth lumbar vertebrae (L6). Results: Compared with baseline rats, volumetric BMD, tissue BMD, bone volume fraction, trabecular number, and degree of anisotropy of trabeculae from tibiae or L6 increased in control rats and glucocorticoid-treated rats with time; however, changes in the latter group were smaller. Compared with control rats at each time point, a decrease occurred in volumetric BMD, tissue BMD, bone volume fraction, trabecular number, degree of anisotropy, and trabecular connectivity density in trabecular bones from tibiae or L6 in glucocorticoid-treated rats. The decrease was greater in week 9 compared to week 1. Contrarily, an increase was noted in trabecular thickness, trabecular separation, and structure model index in glucocorticoid-treated rats. A time-related analysis within glucocorticoid-treated groups in both skeletal regions showed a decline in bone volume fraction, trabecular connectivity density, trabecular number, and degree of anisotropy with time, but trabecular thickness and trabecular separation were elevated. Conclusion: Methylprednisolone can inhibit bone mineralization and bone mass gain with growth in rats. It can also deteriorate microarchitecture of trabeculae in a time-dependent or an accumulative dose-dependent manner. Further, the remaining trabeculae appear to thicken in order to adapt to altered stress.
Response of taxonomic groups in streams to gradients in resource and habitat characteristics
Authors: Johnson Richard K. , Hering Daniel 
Published: December 2008

SummaryCompared to other ecosystem types, a wide variety of biomonitoring methods are available for rivers. Few studies have, however, compared the response of bioindicators (i.e. different river inhabiting taxonomic groups) to different types of environmental stress.We regressed diversity, taxonomic distinctness and assemblage composition of fish, invertebrates, macrophytes and benthic diatoms to multivariate gradients in nutrient enrichment and habitat degradation using data from 66 lowland and 77 mountain streams.In lowland streams, the composition of benthic diatom assemblages, measured by Detrended Correspondence Analysis, showed the strongest response to elevated nutrient concentrations (R2 = 0·830), followed by macrophytes (0·711), fish (0·443) and invertebrates (0·391). Macrophyte richness was slightly better correlated with the habitat gradient (0·253) than diatom richness (0·235) and both were better predictors than either fish (0·147) or invertebrate (0·140) assemblage composition.For mountain streams, invertebrate assemblage composition was the best predictor of changes in nutrient concentrations (R2 = 0·749), followed by macrophyte (0·396) and benthic diatom (0·325) assemblages and fish diversity (0·099). Invertebrate assemblage composition was also slightly better correlated with the habitat gradient (0·391) compared to macrophyte richness (0·323) and both were better than either benthic diatom assemblage composition (0·206) or fish abundance (0·161).Macrophyte and benthic diatom assemblages in lowland streams and fish and invertebrate assemblages in mountain streams were correlated with the other taxonomic groups, implying that these taxonomic groups may be used as surrogates for indicating wholesale change in diversity.Synthesis and applications. Our findings show that response trajectories differ between taxonomic groups and stressor, and even with stream type. For this reason, streams and other ecosystem type's response signatures and first and second principle relations should be considered in the selection of robust, complementary and cost‐effective measures for biomonitoring. For instance, our findings of asymmetric response to stress show how different taxonomic groups can be used to strengthen inference of change.
Annotation: New research into general psychiatric services for adults with intellectual disability and mental illness
Authors: Chaplin R. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBackground  There are a variety of models for the mental health care of adults with comorbid intellectual disability (ID) and mental illness. There has been a long‐running debate as to whether this should be provided by general psychiatric or specialised ID services. A previous review concluded that there was no clear evidence to support either model with research being often of a poor quality, lacking replication, and outcome measures were often inappropriate or varied between studies. This review aims assess differences in outcome for patients with ID and mental disorders treated in general or specialised ID mental health services.Method  A literature review was conducted using electronic databases and websites of ID and mental health organisations to locate all references where people with ID receive mental health care in general psychiatric services from 2003. No meta‐analysis was attempted because of the divergent nature of the studies.Results  People with ID (especially severe ID) have reduced access to general psychiatric services. General psychiatric inpatient care is unpopular especially with carers but can be improved by providing specially trained staff and in‐reach from community ID teams. Opportunities may exist to enhance the care of people with borderline intellectual functioning within general psychiatric services.Conclusions  Although no new randomised controlled trials have been published, the weight of research is accumulating to suggest that provision of general psychiatric services without extra help is not sufficient to meet the needs of people with ID.
BLADDER NECK STENOSIS IN CHILDREN—IS IT IMPORTANT?1
Authors: Grieve John 
Published: December 2008

SUMMARYThirty‐eight young people aged 4 to 18 years had chronic urinary infection or enuresis or both. All had bladder neck stenosis and the main infecting organism was E. coli. Thirty‐seven had a Y‐V plasty done and all but four of the enuretics showed considerable improvement. In six children there was complete cure. The relative incidence of bladder neck and distal urethral stenosis is not agreed, but this paper gives evidence that treatment of bladder neck stenosis is likely to benefit the patient.
Effects of multiple study–test repetition on the neural correlates of recognition memory: ERPs dissociate remembering and knowing
Authors: De Chastelaine Marianne , Friedman David , Cycowicz Yael M. , Horton Cort 
Published: December 2008

AbstractEvent‐related potential (ERP) frontal (300–500 ms) and parietal (500–700 ms) episodic memory (EM) effects are thought to reflect, respectively, familiarity and recollection. However, as most ERP studies use preexperimentally familiar items, an alternative idea is that the frontal EM effect reflects conceptual priming. Repetition of unnameable symbols was used to assess modulations of the putative ERP indices of familiarity and recollection. The same symbols were viewed in each of 4 study/test blocks. Increases in familiarity and conceptual processing of symbols did not modulate the frontal EM effect, suggesting that it reflects neither familiarity nor conceptual priming. The magnitude of the parietal EM effect increased and its onset latency decreased across tests for items given remember (R) but not know (K) judgments. R and K old–new topographies differed. These findings support dual‐process proposals that familiarity‐ and recollection‐based processes are distinct.
Parallel processing of affective visual stimuli
Authors: Peyk Peter , Schupp Harald T. , Keil Andreas , Elbert Thomas , Junghöfer Markus 
Published: December 2008

AbstractEvent‐related potential (ERP) studies of affective picture processing have demonstrated an early posterior negativity (EPN) for emotionally arousing pictures that are embedded in a rapid visual stream. The present study examined the selective processing of emotional pictures while systematically varying picture presentation rates between 1 and 16 Hz. Previous results with presentation rates up to 5 Hz were replicated in that emotional compared to neutral pictures were associated with a greater EPN. Discrimination among emotional and neutral contents was maintained up to 12 Hz. To explore the notion of parallel processing, convolution analysis was used: EPNs generated by linear superposition of slow rate ERPs explained 70%–93% of the variance of measured EPNs, giving evidence for an impressive capacity of parallel affective discrimination in rapid serial picture presentation.
Visual P3 amplitude and self‐reported psychopathic personality traits: Frontal reduction is associated with self‐centered impulsivity
Authors: Carlson Scott R. , Thái Stephanie , McLarnon Megan E. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPast studies have examined P3 amplitude as an index of cognitive function related to psychopathy with mixed results. Psychopathy is a heterogeneous set of dissociable traits, and no previous study has examined relationships between P3 and specific traits. A Two Process Theory (TPT) of psychopathy has recently been advanced predicting that P3 reductions are related to only one dimension. We evaluated the relationship between P3 and the two factors of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) in 96 undergraduates who performed a visual task. One factor of the PPI, Self‐Centered Impulsivity, is related to the dimension of the TPT predicted to underlie P3 reduction. Frontal amplitude reduction was uniquely and inversely related to this trait. The other PPI factor, Fearless Dominance, was associated with faster reaction times. Future work on psychopathic personality and P3 should evaluate whether relationships are unique to one personality dimension.
Differentiation of myoclonic seizures in epileptic syndromes: A video‐polygraphic study of 26 patients
Authors: Hirano Yoshiko , Oguni Hirokazu , Funatsuka Makoto , Imai Kaoru , Osawa Makiko 
Published: December 2008

SummaryObjective:  We conducted a video‐polygraphic study of myoclonic seizures (MS) in different epileptic syndromes to clarify semiologic and electroencephalography (EEG) differences among them.Subjects and methods:  The subjects were 26 children with MS, including benign myoclonic epilepsy in infants (BME) in 10, severe myoclonic epilepsy in infants (SME) in 6, idiopathic epilepsy with myoclonic‐astatic seizures (IEMAS) in 4, and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) in 6. We reviewed the video‐polygraphs of MS, including the predominant area of muscle involvement (neck, trunk, and proximal or distal upper extremities), postural changes including astatic falling, and mode of appearance. We also analyzed the frequency of a corresponding generalized spike‐and‐wave complex (GSW) and the duration of myoclonic electromyography (EMG) activity.Results:  A total of 550 MS were documented in the 26 cases. MS manifested with proximal predominance/forward flexion/single occurrence in BME, proximal predominance/forward astatic flexion/single occurrence in IEMAS, proximal predominance/extension/succession in SME, and distal predominance/extension/succession in JME. The median frequency of GSW was 1.5, 1.3, 3.2, and 3.1 Hz, respectively, and the median duration of the myoclonic EMG activity was 387, 587, 81, and 65 ms, respectively.Conclusion:  MS in the four different epileptic syndromes show significant semiologic and EEG differences, as well as similarities. Although our study has the limitations of the small number of patients and retrospective methodology, these results should be considered in the classification and differential diagnosis of myoclonic epileptic syndromes.
High‐frequency oscillations: What is normal and what is not?
Authors: Engel Jr Jerome , Bragin Anatol , Staba Richard , Mody Istvan 
Published: December 2008

SummaryHigh‐frequency oscillations (HFOs) in the 80–200 Hz range can be recorded from normal hippocampus and parahippocampal structures of humans and animals. They are believed to reflect inhibitory field potentials, which facilitate information transfer by synchronizing neuronal activity over long distances. HFOs in the range of 250–600 Hz (fast ripples, FRs) are pathologic and are readily recorded from hippocampus and parahippocampal structures of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, as well as rodent models of this disorder. These oscillations, and similar HFOs recorded from neocortex of patients, appear to identify brain tissue capable of spontaneous ictogenesis and are believed to reflect the neuronal substrates of epileptogenesis and epileptogenicity. The distinction between normal and pathologic HFOs (pHFOs), however, cannot be made on the basis of frequency alone, as oscillations in the FR frequency range can be recorded from some areas of normal neocortex, whereas oscillations in the ripple frequency range are present in epileptic dentate gyrus where normal ripples never occur and, therefore, appear to be pathologic. The suggestion that FRs may be harmonics of normal ripples is unlikely, because of their spatially distinct generators, and evidence that FRs reflect synchronized firing of abnormally bursting neurons rather than inhibitory field potentials. These synchronous population spikes, however, can fire at ripple frequencies, and their harmonics appear to give rise to FRs. Investigations into the fundamental neuronal processes responsible for pHFOs could provide insights into basic mechanisms of epilepsy. The potential for pHFOs to act as biomarkers for epileptogenesis and epileptogenicity is also discussed.
Solving the “Lachmann Problem”: Orientation, Individualism, and the Causal Explanation of Socioeconomic Order
Authors: Lewis Paul 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThis article examines the question of whether social institutions should be treated as possessing the sui generis causal power to influence people's actions. It does so by means of a case study of the work of the Austrian economist Ludwig Lachmann. Lachmann's account of how social institutions facilitate intentional human agency in the face of uncertainty contains significant ambiguities and tensions, stemming from his reluctance to acknowledge the causal efficacy of social institutions. The conceptual resources required to overcome these problems are to be found in realist social philosophy and social theory. The proposed resolution comes at a price, however, for it calls into question Lachmann's self‐avowed commitment to methodological individualism.
Extrasinus Zygomatic Implants: Three Year Experience from a New Surgical Approach for Patients with Pronounced Buccal Concavities in the Edentulous Maxilla
Authors: Aparicio Carlos , Ouazzani Wafaa , Aparicio Arnau , Fortes Vanessa , Muela Rosa , Pascual Andrés , Codesal Maria , Barluenga Natalia , Manresa Carolina , Franch Monica 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTBackground: The surgical protocol for zygomatic fixtures prescribes an intrasinus approach ideally maintaining the sinus membrane intact and the implant body inside the sinus while gaining access to the zygomatic bone. In the presence of a pronounced buccal concavity, the implant head has to be placed far from the alveolar crest in a palatal direction, which results in a bulky bridge construction.Purpose: The aim of this study was to report on the preliminary experiences with zygomatic implants placed with an extrasinus approach in order to have the implant head emerging at or near the top of the alveolar crest.Materials and Methods: Twenty consecutive patients with pronounced buccal concavities in the edentulous posterior maxilla were treated with 104 regular and 36 zygomatic implants as support of fixed dental bridges. Sixteen patients were treated bilaterally and four patients were treated unilaterally. The zygomatic implants were inserted by using an extrasinus surgical approach with the implant body passing from the alveolar crest through the buccal concavity into the zygomatic bone. This enabled placement of the implant head at or close to the alveolar crest. The patients were followed from 36 to 48 months after occlusal loading with a mean follow‐up of 41 months. The relation of the zygomatic implants to the crest was measured and compared with a control group of 20 patients treated with conventional placement of zygomatic implants.Results: No implants were lost during the study period. No pain, discomfort, or complications related to the extrasinus path of the zygomatic implants were recorded after the initial healing period and up to the 36th‐month checkup. The zygomatic implants emerged, on average, 3.8 mm (SD 2.6) palatal to the top of the crest compared with 11.2 mm (SD 5.3) to the conventional technique.Conclusion: The present 3‐year clinical study shows that an extrasinus approach can be utilized when placing zygomatic implants in patients with pronounced buccal concavities in the posterior maxilla. Moreover, the technique results in an emergence of the zygomatic fixture close to the top of the crest, which is beneficial from a cleaning and patient‐comfort point of view.