bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of rapid smoking on post‐cessation urges to smoke
Authors: McRobbie Hayden , Hajek Peter 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACTContext  Rapid smoking (RS) is a smoking cessation technique with sufficient indications of promise to warrant further investigation. The main presumed effect of RS is on reducing desire to smoke.Aim  To evaluate the effect of a single session of RS immediately prior to quitting smoking on urges to smoke over the first week of abstinence.Design  Randomized controlled trial.Setting  Specialist smoking cessation clinic (SSCC).Participants  A total of 100 smokers attending the quit day session.Intervention  Participants in the rapid smoking group underwent a single session of RS immediately prior to quitting smoking. Participants in the control group watched a health promotion video on giving up smoking.Primary outcome measures  Ratings of urges to smoke in the first 24 hours and 1 week of abstinence.Findings  The RS procedure was well tolerated. It led to significantly lower urges to smoke compared to the control procedure during the first 24 hours (mean rating of 2.6 versus 3.2, P < 0.001) and the first week of abstinence (1.8 versus 2.5, P < 0.01). In patients abstinent for 4 weeks, urges to smoke were low and the difference was no longer significant (1.4 versus 1.8).Conclusion  RS has an ‘active ingredient’ (craving reduction) and its effects on smoking cessation may merit further examination using modern rigorous methodology.
Ifosphamide, etoposide and epirubicin is an effective combined salvage and peripheral blood stem cell mobilisation regimen for transplant‐eligible patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin disease
Authors: Bishton Mark J. , Lush Richard J. , Byrne Jenny L. , Russell Nigel H. , Shaw Bronwen E. , Haynes Andrew P. 
Published: February 2007

SummaryA total of 143 patients with relapsed (n =  90), primary refractory (n = 32) and first line chemotherapy responsive (n = 21) non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin disease (HD) were treated with IVE (ifosphamide, etoposide and epirubicin) chemotherapy with the intent to proceed to high‐dose therapy with either autologous or allogeneic transplantation, following peripheral blood stem cell mobilisation. A major response (complete/partial response) to IVE was seen in 115 patients (80·4%) with 5‐year overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) of 53% and 43%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed overall response rates of 93·1% for HD with a 5‐year OS and EFS of 62% and 52% respectively, while NHL showed response rates of 78·0% with 5‐year OS and EFS of 50% and 39% respectively. The median number of CD34 +ve cells mobilised following IVE was 7·86 × 106 (range 1·72–42·91 × 106), with 60% mobilising >2 × 106/kg in a single collection. Grade IV neutropenia was seen in 79·6% patients and 77/270 cycles required intravenous antibiotic treatment. We conclude that IVE has a high response rate across a range of refractory and relapsed lymphoma with acceptable toxicity and excellent PBSC mobilising characteristics.
Metastases to the thyroid gland: prevalence, clinicopathological aspects and prognosis: a 10‐year experience
Authors: Papi Giampaolo , Fadda Guido , Corsello Salvatore Maria , Corrado Stefania , Rossi Esther Diana , Radighieri Elena , Miraglia Antonella , Carani Cesare , Pontecorvi Alfredo 
Published: February 2007

SummaryBackground  Metastases to thyroid (TM) are rarely observed in the clinical practice.Objective  To assess the prevalence, clinicopathological aspects and prognosis of TM, and to evaluate the role of thyroidectomy in the management of TM.Methods  The pathology files (databases) of two Italian Pathology Units were searched for thyroid cytology (FNAC) and histology reports covering the time period January 1993 through December 2003.Results  Thirty‐six cases of TM were found, accounting for 0·13% of thyroidectomies and 0·07% of FNAC. The main site of origin of TM was the lung, followed by oesophagus, breast and kidney. TM patients were divided into two groups, based on whether they were (Group 1) or were not (Group 2) submitted to surgery. Thirty‐five subjects diagnosed with the same primary tumours as TM patients, but without TM, served as controls. The mean patient age, the mean time from diagnosis of primary tumour to TM detection, and the mean survival time did not significantly differ in Group 1 and Group 2 (63·2 ± 1·6 vs. 66·6 ± 2·9 years, 24·7 ± 8·6 vs. 19·7 ± 4·4 months and 24·3 ± 4·9 vs. 39 ± 9·9 months, respectively). In contrast, the mean time from detection of TM to death was longer in Group 1 than in Group 2 (14·3 ± 2·5 vs. 4·5 ± 0·5 months, respectively; P = 0·002). The overall survival of TM patients and control subjects was not significantly different (33·7 ± 6·6 vs. 32·3 ± 6 months).Conclusions  TM is a rare event, is more frequent in patients older than 60 years, and has the same impact on prognosis as nonthyroidal metastases. Although thyroidectomy may be useful to avoid further dissemination of the primary tumour in case of solitary TM, it does not contribute to prolonging patient's life.
Histological, digestive, metabolic, hormonal and some immune factor responses in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., fed genetically modified soybeans
Authors: Bakke‐McKellep A M , Koppang E O , Gunnes G , Sanden M , Hemre G‐I , Landsverk T , Krogdahl Å 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThe paper reports the second and final part of an experiment aiming to study physiological and health‐related effects of genetically modified (GM) soybean meal (SBM) type Roundup Ready® soybean (RRS) in diets for post‐smolt Atlantic salmon. For 3 months salmon were fed diets containing 172 g kg−1 full‐fat SBM from RRS (GM‐soy) or an unmodified, non‐isogenic line (nGM‐soy), or a reference diet with fishmeal as the sole protein source (FM). Slight differences in anti‐nutrient levels were observed between the GM and nGM‐soy. Histological changes were observed only in the distal intestine of the soy‐fed fish. The incidence of moderate inflammation was higher in the GM‐soy group (9 of 10 sampled fish) compared with the nGM‐soy group (7 of 10). However, no differences in the concomitant decreases in activities of digestive enzymes located in the brush border (leucine aminopeptidase and maltase) and apical cytoplasm (acid phosphatase) of enterocytes or in the number of major histocompatibility complex class II+ cells, lysozyme activity, or total IgM of the distal intestine were observed. GM compared with nGM‐soy fed fish had higher head kidney lysozyme (11 856 vs. 10 456 units g−1 tissue) and a tendency towards higher acid phosphatase (0.45 vs. 0.39 μmol h−1 kg−1 body mass in whole tissue) activities, respectively. Plasma insulin and thyroxin levels, and hepatic fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphatase and ethoxyresorufin‐O‐deethylase activities were not significantly affected. It is not possible, however, to conclude whether the differences in responses to GM‐soy were due to the genetic modification or to differences in soy cultivars in the soy‐containing diets. Results from studies using non‐modified, parental line soybeans as the control group are necessary to evaluate whether genetic modification of soybeans in diets poses any risk to farmed Atlantic salmon.
A stochastic modelling approach to describing the dynamics of an experimental furunculosis epidemic in Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum)
Authors: Ogut H , Bishop S C 
Published: February 2007

AbstractA susceptible‐infected‐removed (SIR) stochastic model was compared to a susceptible‐latent‐infectious‐removed (SLIR) stochastic model in terms of describing and capturing the variation observed in replicated experimental furunculosis epidemics, caused by Aeromonas salmonicida. The epidemics had been created by releasing a single infectious fish into a group of susceptible fish (n = 43) and progress of the epidemic was observed for 10 days. This process was replicated in 70 independent groups. The two stochastic models were run 5000 times and after every run and every 100 runs, daily mean values of each compartment were compared to the observed data. Both models, the SIR model (R2 = 0.91), and the SLIR model (R2 = 0.90) were successful in predicting the number of fish in each category at each time point in the experimental data. Moreover, between‐replicate variability in the stochastic model output was similar to between‐replicate variability in the experimental data. Generally, there was little change in the goodness of fit (R2) after 200 runs in the SIR model whereas 500 runs were necessary to have stable predictions with the SLIR model. In the SIR model, on an individual replicate basis, ∼80% of 5000 simulated replicates had R2 = 0.7 and above, whereas this ratio was slightly higher (82%) with the SLIR model. In brief, both models were equally effective in predicting the observed data and its variance but the SLIR model was advantageous because it differentiated the latent, i.e. infected but not having the ability to discharge pathogen, from the infectious fish.
4‐Hydroxynonenal‐induced apoptosis in rat hepatic stellate cells: Mechanistic approach
Authors: De Villiers Willem JS , Song Zhenyuan , Nasser Munira S , Deaciuc Ion V , McClain Craig J 
Published: February 2007

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Although lipid peroxidation products act as apoptotic signals for several cell types, including hepatic stellate cells, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study we determined if: (i) 4‐hydroxy‐2,3‐nonenal (HNE) induces apoptosis in two rat stellate cell lines, HSC‐T6 and CFSC‐2G; and (ii) if apoptosis is regulated at the transcriptional and/or translational level.Methods:  HSC‐T6 and CFSC‐2G cells were treated with HNE and total RNA and protein extracted. mRNA and protein expression levels of pro‐ and antiapoptotic factors were determined. The effects of HNE on activation, morphology and cell death by apoptosis were also studied.Results:  HNE caused dose‐dependent apoptosis in both HSC‐T6 and CFSC‐2G cell lines. Apoptosis in HSC‐T6 cells was associated with increased mRNA expression of the pro‐apoptotic adaptors/regulators FasR, FasL, Bax, and caspases‐2 and ‐3. In contrast, CFSC‐2G cells showed no changes in FasR, Bax and caspase‐3 mRNA levels. Caspase‐3 activity was elevated in T6 but not in 2G cells. Changes in protein expression generally paralleled the mRNA findings.Conclusions:  HNE‐induced apoptosis of both CFSC‐2G and HSC‐T6 rat hepatic stellate cells is associated with changes in mRNA and protein expression of several apoptotic adaptors/regulators. The underlying mechanism for HNE‐induced apoptosis may involve both transcriptional and translational regulatory steps.
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease: Further expression of the metabolic syndrome
Authors: Tarantino Giovanni , Saldalamacchia Gennaro , Conca Paolo , Arena Adriano 
Published: February 2007

AbstractNon‐alcoholic fatty liver disease has been associated with metabolic disorders, including central obesity, dyslipidema, hypertension and hyperglycemia. Metabolic syndrome, obesity, and insulin resistance are major risk factors in the pathogenesis of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease refers to a wide spectrum of liver damage, ranging from simple steatosis to non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Effects of endothelin‐1 on thymidine uptake and fibronectin production of diabetic glomeruli
Authors: CHANG JER‐MING , CHIU YI‐WEN , TSAI JER‐CHIA , CHEN HUNG‐CHUN 
Published: February 2007

SUMMARY:Aim:  Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) is a potent mitogenic and vasoconstricting agent. The effect of ET‐1 upon the diabetic kidney may be important because diabetic glomeruli exhibit a poor contractile response and because diabetic kidneys do not contract even by end‐stage renal failure.Methods:  In the present study, we investigated the effect of ET‐1 on diabetic glomeruli that were freshly isolated from Wistar rats after streptozotocin‐induced diabetes for 1 week (DM1W), 1 month (DM1M) and 3 months (DM3M), respectively, and then observed the glomerular uptake of [3H]‐labelled thymidine and the production of fibronectin.Results:  We found that the basal [3H]‐labelled thymidine uptake of isolated glomeruli was significantly higher in DM1M and DM3M than in the normal control (both P < 0.05). ET‐1 enhanced the [3H]‐labelled thymidine uptake in both normal and DM1W glomeruli (both P < 0.005), but not in DM1M and DM3M, and all were not suppressed by exogenous medications. The basal production of fibronectin in isolated glomeruli was also significantly higher in DM1M and DM3M than in the normal controls (P < 0.05 and P < 0.005, respectively). ET‐1 enhanced the fibronectin production in both normal and all diabetic groups. Pretreatment with insulin and dexamethasone suppressed the ET‐1‐enhanced fibronectin production in diabetic but not in normal glomeruli, while indomethacin and heparin had no effect in all groups.Conclusion:  Our results indicated that basal glomerular thymidine uptake and fibronectin production were enhanced in diabetic rats, and that ET‐1 further enhanced the cellular proliferation and fibronectin production of isolated diabetic glomeruli. The ET‐1‐enhanced fibronectin production can be partially attenuated by insulin and dexamethasone.
Nodular glomerulosclerosis in patients without any manifestation of diabetes mellitus
Authors: SANAI TORU , OKUDA SEIYA , YOSHIMITSU TAKAHIRO , OOCHI NOBUAKI , KUMAGAI HARUMITSU , KATAFUCHI RITSUKO , HARADA ATSUMI , CHIHARA JUNICHI , ABE TETSUYA , NAKAMOTO MASAHIKO , HIRAKATA HIDEKI , ONOYAMA KAORU , IIDA MITSUO 
Published: February 2007

SUMMARY:Aim/Methods:  Diabetic nodular glomerulosclerosis is considered to be the specific renal lesion of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, some cases, in which nodular glomerulosclerosis was found without any manifestation of DM, have also occasionally been reported. We clinicopathologically examined seven cases without a prior history of DM. They consisted of six men and one woman with a mean age of 57 years, and included three cases with family history of DM and six cases with hypertension.Results:  Mean body mass index was 26.2 ± 5.9 (means ± SD) kg/m2 and haemoglobin A1c 5.3 ± 1.1% or haemoglobin A1 7.0 ± 0.6%. Mean plasma glucose levels were 5.3 ± 0.7 mmol/L at fasting and 10.1 ± 1.9 mmol/L at 2 h of 75 g OGTT (normal: 1 patient; impaired glucose tolerance: 4 patients; DM: 2 patients). None of them showed diabetic retinopathy in fundoscopic ophthalmoscopy. Mean serum creatinine was 268 ± 215 μmol/L, urinary protein 5.2 ± 4.0 g/day, and three patients had mild haematuria. Renal biopsy revealed typical nodular glomerulosclerosis, a negative deposition based on an immunofluorescence study, and neither any significant electron dense deposits nor fibrils on electron microscopy.Conclusion:  These patients at presentation had no overt clinical manifestations of glucose intolerance. Diabetic nodular glomerulosclerosis can occur in patients without overt DM, suggesting the role of factors additional to prolonged hyperglycaemia in the pathogenesis of this disorder.
Impairments of the biological properties of serum albumin in patients on haemodialysis
Authors: LIM PAIK‐SEONG , CHENG YUEH‐MEI , YANG SHIH‐MING 
Published: February 2007

SUMMARY:Background:  End‐stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with enhanced oxidative stress and may contribute to substantial cardiovascular complications in dialysis patients. Recent studies suggested that human serum albumin (HSA), the major plasma protein, may possess a direct vasculoprotective antioxidant effect. In this study, we investigated if such protective effect is impaired in uremic milieu.Methods:  Thirty‐one ESRD patients on maintenance haemodialysis and 22 age‐matched healthy controls were recruited. Serum albumin was purified and changes in biological properties of HSA were analysed by several biochemistry techniques, spectrophotometric measurements, ligand‐binding assays and western blot analysis.Results:  We found that both dityrosine (0.25 ± 0.1 vs 0.15 ± 0.07, P < 0.001), and carbonyl (10.5 ± 1.88 nmol/mg vs 5.29 ± 1.21 nmol/mg, P < 0.001) contents were increased in the uremic HSA. Decreased thiol activity of plasma was also noted and may be related to dimerization of HSA. In addition, uremic HSA had shown impaired ligand‐binding capability such as haemin (0.37 × 107/M vs 2.18 × 107/M, P < 0.001), bilirubin (0.08 × 106/M vs 0.15 × 106/M, P < 0.05) and cis‐parinaric acid (3.8 × 107/M vs 2.9 × 107/M, P < 0.05). Furthermore, using two different systems namely copper mediated oxidation of human low density lipoproteins and the free radicals mediated haemolysis test, we have demonstrated that the observed changes of uremic HSA can affect its antioxidant properties.Conclusion:  In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the quality and integrity of HSA molecule in dialysis patients were subtly altered and impaired its biological properties. Oxidative alterations of this major plasma protein might adversely affect its vasculoprotective effects in dialysis patients.
Factors associated with metabolic acidosis in patients receiving parenteral nutrition
Authors: TSAI I‐CHIEH , HUANG JENQ‐WEN , CHU TZONG‐SHINN , WU KWAN‐DUN , TSAI TUN‐JUN 
Published: February 2007

SUMMARY:Aims:  Metabolic acidosis is a common problem after infusion with chloride‐based parenteral nutrition. However, it is unknown whether the occurrence of metabolic acidosis is related to this regimen of therapy or to patient‐specific risk factors.Methods:  Patients receiving parenteral nutrition from July to December 2003 at this hospital were included for a retrospective study. Patients were excluded who had illnesses that were potentially related to acid‐base disorders. The remaining patients were divided on the basis of parental nutrition they had received: a chloride‐base regimen group, and an acetate‐based therapy group. Biochemical character and blood gas data were analysed. Continuous variables were analysed by t‐test. Categorical variables were assessed by chi‐squared test. Independent determinants for bicarbonate decline were analysed using forward stepwise multiple linear regression analysis.Results:  There were 29 patients (17 women, 12 men) who received chloride‐based regimen and 26 patients (16 women, 10 men) took acetate‐based therapy. The acetate group had significantly higher baseline serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen than chloride group. The blood pH, CO2, bicarbonate and base excess were significantly lower after receiving chloride‐based therapy; while these changes were not observed in acetate‐based therapy group. However, the serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were not statistically different. With multiple‐stepwise linear regression, parenteral nutrition formula and estimated creatinine clearance are independent predictors of bicarbonate decline.Conclusion:  The acetate‐base regimen can decrease the occurrence of metabolic acidosis after parenteral nutrition. In addition, the risk of acidosis is higher in patients with impaired renal function.
Ultrastructure and phylogenetic relationships of the unicellular green algae Ignatius tetrasporus and Pseudocharacium americanum (Chlorophyta)
Authors: Watanabe Shin , Nakayama Takeshi 
Published: February 2007

SUMMARYThe phylogenetic relationships of two unicellular green algae, Ignatius tetrasporus Bold et MacEntee and Pseudocharacium americanum Lee et Bold were investigated by ultrastructural and molecular methods. The zoospores from both species were covered neither by scales nor cell walls. The flagellar apparatus of the zoospores commonly included these features: the upper basal bodies were displaced counterclockwise in half to two‐thirds of the basal body diameter and did not overlap with each other; the lower basal bodies were directly opposed or slightly displaced clockwise; the distal fiber had gently sigmoid central striations; terminal caps were absent from the ends of the basal bodies; a V‐shaped proximal sheath extended from the upper basal bodies; a posterior fiber lay between the opposite lower basal bodies; and the coarsely striated band linked the sinister rootlet to the lower basal body. The suite of these features was not identical to that of any other quadriflagellate swimming cells, but some features including the lower basal body orientation, the striated distal fiber, and the coarsely striated fiber resemble those of the several organisms of the Siphonocladales sensu Floyd and O’Kelly. Phylogenetic analysis using 18S rDNA sequence data revealed that I. tetrasporus and P. americanum formed a monophyletic clade within the clade of Ulvophyceae sensu López‐Bautista and Chapman, but was not nested within any of the orders of the class that were examined.
Effect of epiphytism on reproductive and vegetative lateral formation in the brown, intertidal seaweedAscophyllum nodosum(Phaeophyceae)
Authors: Kraberg Alexandra C. , Norton Trevor A. 
Published: February 2007

SUMMARYIn the brown algaAscophyllum nodosum(L) Le Jolis, a common species on sheltered Northern temperate rocky shores, gametes are produced in receptacles that emerge from small depressions (lateral pits) along the branched frond. These lateral pits are also the preferred settling site for the obligate epiphytePolysiphonia lanosa(L) Tandy.Therefore, epiphytism can be expected to interfere with host reproductive output. The present study investigated the potential impact of the epiphyte onA. nodosumin two series of laboratory experiments that measured: (i) the direct shading of the host plant underneath an epiphyte canopy; and (ii) the development of receptacles in clean and epiphytisedA. nodosumsegments (excised from individual fronds) over a 6 month period. These experiments showed that light reaching emerged fronds underneath a dense epiphyte cover was reduced by 40%, and this was independent of the degree of desiccation the epiphyte experienced. Concurrently, in the growth study with epiphytisedA. nodosumsegments (segments with one clean and one epiphytised lateral pit) total receptacle biomass per epiphytised fragment was significantly reduced compared with clean segments (0.52 g and 1.25 g per gram of frond segment, respectively), although this effect was only significant inA. nodosumfrom sheltered shores. However, expressed as biomass per lateral pit, receptacle biomass in the remaining clean lateral pits in epiphytised segments was significantly increased in segments from both shores, demonstrating thatA. nodosumcan at least partially compensate for the loss of production resulting from epiphytism.
DEMAND POLICIES FOR LONG‐RUN GROWTH: BEING KEYNESIAN BOTH IN THE SHORT AND IN THE LONG RUN?
Authors: Missaglia Marco 
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACTThe idea of demand‐led growth is defended by neo‐Kaleckians and neo‐Keynesians using very specific assumptions. In their models the paradox of costs is always valid in the long run. The central message of this paper is that these specific and strong assumptions are not needed to defend the Kaleckian perspective of a demand‐driven long‐run growth. What is needed is simply a less demanding theory of flexible mark‐ups in an open economy. The formal model developed in this paper shows that long‐run growth may be demand driven even when the paradox of costs does not hold in the long run.