bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Homocysteinemia, hypertension, and family history of diabetes in a smoking male population in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Daghri Nasser , Al-Attas Omar 
Published: March 2008

AbstractArabs have a lower incidence of atherosclerosis than other ethnicities, but few studies have examined homocysteine (HCYS) as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in this population. Here, we investigated the association between serum HYCS levels and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (smoking, hypertension, and family history of diabetes) in Saudi males. A total of 50 smokers and 72 nonsmokers completed a general health questionnaire. In addition, their lipid profiles were measured using routine methods and HCYS levels by high-performance liquid chromatograph with electrochemical detection. Regression analysis showed negative associations between HCYS and glucose (r = −0.22; P < 0.05) as well as family history of diabetes (r = −0.21; P < 0.05). HCYS levels were similar between hypertensive and nonhypertensive smokers, but they were significantly elevated in hypertensive nonsmokers (P = 0.027) and lower in smokers with family history of diabetes (P = 0.01). Levels of HCYS among nonsmokers inversely correlated with history of diabetes and elevated glucose. Nonsmokers’ HCYS levels were significantly elevated in the presence of hypertension and correlated with diastolic blood pressure. Thus, HCYS may be a predictor of hypertension among nonsmokers. Until further trials are conducted, we recommend vitamin B6/folic acid supplementation for the Saudi hypertensive population as an adjuvant therapy.
Reproducibility and Minimal Detectable Change of Three-Dimensional Kinematic Analysis of Reaching Tasks in People With Hemiparesis After Stroke
Authors: Wagner Joanne M , Rhodes Jennifer A , Patten Carolynn 
Published: March 2008

Background and PurposeThree-dimensional kinematic analysis of reaching has emerged as an evaluative measure of upper-extremity motor performance in people after stroke. However, the psychometric properties supporting the use of kinematic data for evaluating longitudinal change in motor performance have not been established. The objective of this study was to determine, in a test-retest reliability manner, the reproducibility and minimal detectable change for reaching kinematics in people after stroke.Subjects and MethodsFourteen participants with hemiparesis after stroke performed forward reaching tasks on 2 occasions 37.3 (SD=9.8) days apart. At each session, participants performed 4 forward reaching tasks produced by the combination of 2 target heights (low and high [109 and 153 cm from the floor, respectively]) and 2 instructed movement speeds (self-selected and as fast as possible). Two analytical methods were used to calculate kinematic parameters.ResultsRelative reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) ranged from .04 to .99, and absolute reliability (standard error of measurement) ranged from 2.7% to 76.8%, depending on the kinematic variable, the demands of the motor task (target height and movement speed), and the analytical method. Bland-Altman analysis, a statistical method used to assess the repeatability of a method, revealed few systematic errors between sessions. The minimal detectable change ranged from 7.4% to 98.9%.Discussion and ConclusionDepending on the demands of the motor task and the analytical method, most kinematic outcome measures (such as peak hand velocity, endpoint error, reach extent, maximum shoulder flexion range of motion, and minimum elbow extension range of motion) are reliable measures of motor performance in people after stroke. However, because of the magnitude of within-subject measurement error, some variables (such as peak hand velocity, time to peak hand velocity, and movement time) must change considerably (&gt;50%) to indicate a real change in individual participants. The results of our reliability analysis, which are based on our cohort of participants with hemiparesis after stroke and our specific paradigm, may not be generalizable to different subpopulations of people with hemiparesis after stroke or to the myriad movement tasks and kinematic variables used for the assessment of reaching performance in people after stroke.
The Effect of Character Sex on Story Interest and Comprehension in Children
Authors: Bleakley Mary Ellen , Westerberg Virginia , Hopkins Kenneth D. 
Published: March 2008

The effect of the sex of the main character on boys’ and girls’ reading interest and comprehension was studied for 540 students in grade 5. Each student was randomly assigned one of 18 representative stories from children’s periodicals written at an appropriate readability. There were three stories in each of the three types of stories (mystery, adventure, and humor); each of the nine stories appeared in two versions that were identical except for the sex of the main character. Following the reading of the story, the students completed a measure of interest and two comprehension measures (multiple-choice and cloze tests). Students were classified by sex into three levels of reading, and a balanced five-factor (reader-sex, sex-of-protagonist, ability-level, type-of-story, and story [nested within type-of-story]) ANOVA was performed for each dependent measure. A strong sex-of-reader by sex-of-main-character interaction was observed on the interest measure. Boys rated stories much less interesting when the main character was female; girls found stories with male protagonists less interesting, although their preferences were much less pronounced. The interaction was evident at each of three levels of reading ability for each story type. The interest pattern did not translate into comprehension differences. On the comprehension measures, the sex of the main character had no significant effects—girls outscored boys, but this pattern was not significantly influenced by the sex of the protagonist.
High School Size: Which Works Best and for Whom?
Authors: Lee Valerie E. , Smith Julia B. 
Published: March 2008

The study described in this article investigates the relationship between high school size and student learning. We used three waves of data from NELS:88 and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) methods to examine how students’ achievement growth in two subjects (reading and mathematics) over the high school years is influenced by the size of the high school they attend. Three research questions guided the study: (a) Which size high school is most effective for students’ learning?, (b) In which size high school is learning most equitably distributed?, and (c) Are size effects consistent across high schools defined by their social compositions? Results suggest that the ideal high school, defined in terms of effectiveness (i.e., learning), enrolls between 600 and 900 students. In schools smaller than this, students learn less; those in large high schools (especially over 2,100) learn considerably less. Learning is more equitable in very small schools, with equity defined by the relationship between learning and student socioeconomic status (SES). An important finding from the study is that the influence of school size on learning is different in schools that enroll students of varying SES and in schools with differing proportions of minorities. Enrollment size has a stronger effect on learning in schools with lower-SES students and also in schools with high concentrations of minority students. Implications for educational policy are discussed.
Improved Type I Error Control and Reduced Estimation Bias for DIF Detection Using SIBTEST
Authors: Jiang Hai , Stout William 
Published: March 2008

One emphasis in the development and evaluation of SIBTEST has been the control of Type I error (false flagging of non-differential item functioning [DIF] items) inflation and estimation bias. SIBTEST has performed well in comparative simulation studies of Type I error and estimation bias relative to other procedures such as the Mantel-Haenszel and Logistic Regression. Nevertheless it has for a minority of cases that might occur in applications displayed sizable Type I error inflation and estimation bias. A vital part of SIBTEST is the regression correction, which adjusts for the Type I error-inflating and estimation-biasing influence of group target ability differences by using the linear regression of true on observed matching subtest scores from Classical Test Theory. In this paper, we propose a new regression correction, using essentially a two-segment piecewise linear regression of the true on observed matching subtest scores. A realistic simulation study of the new approach shows that when there is a clear group ability distributional difference, the new approach displays improved SIBTEST Type I error performance; when there is no group ability distributional difference, its Type I error rate is comparable to the current SIBTEST. We have also conducted a power study which indicates that the new approach has on average similar power as the current SIBTEST. We concluded that the new version of SIBTEST, although not perfectly robust, seems appropriately robust against sizable Type I error inflation, while retaining other desirable features of the current version.
Preventive effect of ritodrine hydrochloride and/or urinary trypsin inhibitor against lipopolysaccharide‐induced preterm delivery in mice
Authors: Kaga Nobuhiko , Katsuki Yukio , Kajikawa Satoshi , Shibutani Yasunori 
Published: March 2008

Background. The purpose of this study was to confirm the preventive effect of ritodrine hydrochloride (ritodrine) alone or ritodrine plus urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) in a mouse model of preterm delivery.Methods. On day 17 of pregnancy, female C3H/HeN mice impregnated by male B6D2F1 mice were given two intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (50 μg/kg) at a 3‐hour interval, which induced a 100% incidence of preterm delivery within 25 hours of the second dose. Ritodrine (1, 3, or 10 mg/kg, po), UTI (25 × 104units/kg, ip), ritodrine (3 mg/kg, po) plus UTI (25×104units/kg, ip), distilled water (10 ml/kg, po), or distilled water (10 mg/kg, po) plus saline solution (10 ml/kg, ip) were administered to the pregnant animals 10 times at 1‐hour intervals from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on day 18 of pregnancy. In addition, the preventive effect of ritodrine, UTI, or ritodrine plus UTI was examined on LPS‐induced contraction of uterine muscle strips isolated from pregnant mice on day 17 of gestation. Results. The incidence of preterm delivery decreased significantly in a dose‐dependent fashion with ritodrine treatment, and there was a significant and synergistic decrease after combined treatment with ritodrine plus UTI. The in vitro uterine contraction induced by LPS was significantly suppressed by both ritodrine and UTI.Conclusions. Combination therapy with ritodrine plus UTI may be helpful for preventing preterm delivery in humans without the cardiovascular side effects that often accompany treatment with ritodrine alone.
A study on prophylactic antibiotics in cesarean sections ‐ is it worthwhile?
Authors: Yip Shing‐Kai , Lau Tze‐Kin , Rogers Michael Scott 
Published: March 2008

Background. To study the effect of single‐dose prophylactic Augmentin™ on patients under‐going cesarean section.Methods and material. Three hundred and twenty women undergoing cesarean section were randomized into two groups in a prospective, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study. One hundred and sixty women were allocated to receive a single‐dose of 1.2 g Augmentin™ at induction of anesthesia and 160 were allocated to a control group who received placebo. The following post‐cesarean outcome parameters were compared between the two groups: duration of hospital stay, febrile morbidity, urine microscopy, bacteriuria, endometritis, and wound infection.Results. There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to the duration of post‐operative hospital stay or the incidence of febrile morbidity, endometritis, and wound infection. However, the study group had fewer post‐operative abnormalities in urine microscopy (p<0.05) and bacteriuria (p<O.Ol). The bacterial flora were also different between the two groups.Conclusion. Single‐dose prophylactic AugmentinTM did not produce any clinically significant improvement in the post‐operative course of patients undergoing cesarean section. If proper surgical techniques are followed in association with closed rectus sheath drainage, it is unlikely that any trial of antibiotics will be able to demonstrate any clinically significant outcome.
Clinical and urodynamic characteristics of women with recurrent urinary incontinence after Burch colposuspension
Authors: KjøLhede Preben , RydéN Gunnar 
Published: March 2008

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical and urodynamic characteristics of women with recurrent urinary incontinence after Burch colposuspension.Methods. The participants were assessed with medical history, uro‐gynecological examination and urodynamic investigation consisting of pad‐test, urethrocystoscopy, cough provocation test, cystometry, urethra profilometry and fiowmetry.Results. Women with RUI demonstrated significantly increased incidences of recurrent lower urinary tract infection (24% vs. 8%), lumbago and sciatica (66% vs. 38%), rectocele (80% vs. 21%), and enterocele (24%> vs. 0%) compared to women with primary stress urinary incontinence. Hypermobility of the bladder neck and urethra and palpable contraction of the levator ani muscles was observed significantly more often among the women with primary stress incontinence (90% vs. 42% and 83% vs. 56%>, respectively). The leakage in women with RUI was significantly less pronounced than among women with primary stress incontinence. Detrusor instability was found significantly more often in women with RUI (47.5% vs. 23%). Low urethra pressure was found in five women with RUI.Conclusion. Women with RUI after Burch colposuspension seem to have a more pronounced pelvic floor weakness than women with primary stress urinary incontinence, whereas the urinary leakage is less pronounced. Recurrent lower urinary tract infection, lumbago and sciatica as well as detrusor instability are commonly observed whereas low urethral closure pressure is rare in women with RUI after Burch colposuspension.
Epididymal and testicular sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection in the treatment of obstructive azoospermia
Authors: Rosenlund Björn , Sjöblom Peter , Dimitrakopoulos Anna , Hillensjö Torbjörn 
Published: March 2008

Background. The possibility of treating male infertility because of obstructive azoospermia has been poor, but intracytoplasmic sperm injection (1CSI) has given this type of infertility sufferer a new option.Material and methods. In this study 13 couples with obstructive azoospermia were treated in a total of 19 stimulated IVF cycles. The men were between 27 and 45 (mean 33) years of age. Their partners, 24–39 (mean 31) years of age were treated according to routine IVF procedures, i.e. down regulation with buserelin followed by hyperstimulation with urofollitropin. Fertilization was obtained by ICSI. Two embryos were transferred on day two after the ovum pick up. Sperm were retrieved through microsurgical epididymal aspiration (MESA) in four cycles, percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) in three cycles and through testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in 12 cycles.Results. The overall fertilization rate was 68%, with a cleavage rate of 82%. The fertilization rate was equal (68%) with epididymal and testicular sperm and the cleavage rate was 87% and 80%, respectively. Embryos were obtained for embryo transfer (ET) in all cases and five pregnancies (one twin pregnancy) were established (26% per ET), three using epididmal sperm and two using testicular sperm.Conclusion. Infertility due to obstructive azoospermia can successfully be treated with epididymal sperm and ICSI. When epididymal sperm cannot be found sperm extracted from a testicular biopsy can be used. PESA and TESE are quicker and easier alternatives to MESA and can be performed on an outpatient basis with local anesthesia.
High risk HPV persists after treatment of genital papillomavirus infection but not after treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
Authors: Strand Anders , Wilander Eric , Zehbe Ingeborg , Rylander Eva 
Published: March 2008

Background. Knowledge about the natural course of HPV infection is still limited. In this study we investigated the presence of HPV DNA after treatment and clinical clearance of infection.Methods. Eighty‐two women treated for genital HPV infection at the STD clinic in Uppsala were consecutively selected for the study. After treatment with podophyllotoxin, and in some cases laser vaporization, a cell sample was taken at the follow‐up visit 6–12 months after clinical clearance of the lesions as evaluated by colposcopy. Samples were analysed with PCR to detect HPV DNA. As a reference group, women treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (ON) with laser surgery, either with cone biopsy or vaporization, were followed‐up after 6 months for the presence of HPV DNA.Results. Six to 12 months after clinical clearance of HPV infection, 39 (48%) of the women showed detectable HPV DNA in cell samples from the cervix. Of these, 26 (67%) were found to harbor high risk HPV. six (15%) low risk, and seven (18%) either had more than one HPV type or HPV that could not be classified. All but three of the women treated for ON (90%) were negative for HPV DNA.Conclusion. After clinical clearance of genital HPV infection half of the women had detectable HPV DNA. This does not necessarily imply that transmission to a new partner may occur, but indicates this possibility. Only 10% of the ON treated women harbored HPV DNA in the cell samples in spite of showing high risk HPV infection before treatment.
Morphological integration and natural selection in the postcranium of wild verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi)
Authors: Lawler Richard R. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractMorphological integration manifests as strong phenotypic covariation among interacting traits. In this study, a graph‐theory approach is used to analyze patterns of morphological integration in a wild population of Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi). The motivation for this study is to determine the relative roles of development versus function in shaping patterns of morphological integration in the sifaka postcranium. A developmental and a functional hypothesis of integration are compared with the observed pattern of integration and the fit of these hypotheses is assessed using information theoretic statistics. Correlational selection is also estimated on limb elements. Information theoretic statistics indicate that the developmental hypothesis fits the observed pattern of integration slightly better than the functional hypothesis. Only two pairs of traits experience correlational selection but neither of the traits within each pair are morphologically integrated. The observed pattern of integration contains several trait–trait associations that are specified by both the functional and developmental hypotheses. These results likely reflect the nested covariation structure in which a novel locomotor mode, vertical clinging and leaping, is derived from a primitive quadrupedal morphotype. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Brief communication: New evidence of tuberculosis from prehistoric Korea—Population movement and early evidence of tuberculosis in far East Asia
Authors: Suzuki Takao , Fujita Hisashi , Choi Jong Gyu 
Published: March 2008

AbstractTuberculosis has been recognized in Japan and Korea for more than 500 years in historical medical documents. However, the origin and early existence of tuberculosis is poorly understood in these regions. Very recently, skeletal evidence for tuberculosis from the Bronze Age (or Aneolithic) period was reported from Japan and Korea. This article describes a possible case of spinal tuberculosis from an archeological site in Korea, which was dated to the first century BC. This date corresponds to the Aneolithic (Yayoi) period in Japan. Skeletal evidence for tuberculosis during the Bronze Age period found in both Korea and Japan are, therefore, discussed as evidence of the earliest tuberculosis outbreaks in East Asia and as biological indicators of population movement between Korea and Japan during this period. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inflammation induces tau pathology in inclusion body myositis model via glycogen synthase kinase‐3β
Authors: Kitazawa Masashi , Trinh Dan N. , LaFerla Frank M. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractObjectiveInclusion body myositis (IBM) is an inflammatory muscle disease, although the role of inflammation remains to be elucidated. Here, we address the mechanisms by which inflammation modulates Aβ and tau, two hallmark features of this disease.MethodsA transgenic mouse model of IBM was utilized in which acute and chronic inflammation was induced via lipopolysaccharide. The effects of inflammation were assessed by analyzing the myopathological and the behavioral phenotype. Human IBM skeletal muscle biopsies were investigated to determine concordance with data from the animal model.ResultsBoth acute and chronic lipopolysaccharide exposure augmented infiltration by CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and increased amyloid precursor protein steady‐state levels in skeletal muscle, whereas increased Aβ generation was observed only in chronically treated mice. Both acute and chronic inflammation enhanced tau phosphorylation in skeletal muscle. The mechanism underlying this effect was mediated by the tau kinase, glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK‐3β). Suppression of GSK‐3β activity using either a specific inhibitor or lithium chloride significantly reduced tau phosphorylation and partially rescued motor impairment. In human IBM muscle, GSK‐3β and phospho‐tau were colocalized, further supporting the pathogenic role of GSK‐3β in this disease. Using C2C12 myoblast cultures, we found that GSK‐3β was activated by proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin‐1β, interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α), leading to enhanced tau phosphorylation.InterpretationOur results identify a molecular mechanism by which proinflammatory stimuli affect tau pathology via the GSK‐3β signaling pathway in skeletal muscle. Ann Neurol 2008
Degradability of the linear azo polymer conjugated 5,5′‐azodisalicylic acid segment in the main chain for colon‐specific drug delivery
Authors: Lai Junying , Tu Kehua , Wang Hongjun , Chen Zhengjian , Wang Li‐Qun 
Published: March 2008

AbstractA novel type of linear copolymer composed of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with 5,5′‐azodisalicylic acid [olsalazine (OLZ)] was developed for colon‐specific drug delivery. These copolymers contained azo bonds that would be degraded by the azoreductase activities in the colon. The resultant condensation polymers were characterized with Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and gel permeation chromatography. The degradation behavior of the polymer was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro results indicated that the active 5‐aminosalicylic acid (5‐ASA), one of the degradation products, could be released in the medium of the cecum contents specifically. In an in vivo test, there was a 8‐h lag time before 5‐ASA could be detected in urine samples, and this indicated that the conjugate could remain intact in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. In comparison with OLZ, the release profiles of 5‐ASA from PEG–OLZ copolymers were significantly prolonged. In addition, the release profiles of 5‐ASA from PEG–OLZ copolymers could be adjusted by changes in the molecular weight of the PEG segment. Because of these advantages of PEG–OLZ copolymers, it could be concluded that PEG–OLZ copolymers could be promising candidates for colon‐specific polymeric prodrugs of 5‐ASA. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008