bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Asymptomatic leukocyturia and the autonomic nervous system in women
Authors: Igari Yoshimasa , Oba Kenzo , Yamamoto Yuko , Yasuoka Hiroko , Ouchi Motoshi , Watanabe Kentaro , Matsumura Noriaki , Suzuki Tatsuya , Nakano Hiroshi 
Published: March 2009

Background: The present study sought to investigate the relationship between asymptomatic leukocyturia (ASL) and autonomic nervous function by power spectral analysis of the R‐R intervals in women.Methods: One hundred and forty‐two female outpatients aged 23–91 years were studied. We regarded ASL to be present if two consecutive samples were found to have 10 or more leukocytes/high‐power field at ×400 magnification in a centrifuged midstream urine sample. The R‐R intervals of all subjects were measured by the wavelet transform analysis system. This system detected R‐R variation data distributed in two bands: low‐frequency power (LF) (0.04–0.15 Hz) and high‐frequency power (HF) (0.15–0.40 Hz). The ratio of LF to HF (LF/HF) was also determined. Post‐void residual urine volume was measured using an automated, compact 3‐D ultrasound device.Results: The patients with ASL had diabetes mellitus more frequently than those without ASL. Residual urine volume was significantly higher in the former than in the latter, while the HF values in both a recumbent position and a standing position were significantly lower in the former than in the latter (P = 0.003,P = 0.001, respectively). However, there were no significant differences in LF or LF/HF values in either a recumbent or a standing position between the two groups. The HF values in both a recumbent position and in a standing position were independent indicators of ASL, even after adjustment for age, diabetes mellitus and residual urine volume.Conclusion: The present study reveals the relationship between ASL and impairment of the parasympathetic nervous system in women.
Ecological implications of plants’ ability to tell the time
Authors: Resco Víctor , Hartwell James , Hall Anthony 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe circadian clock (the endogenous mechanism that anticipates diurnal cycles) acts as a central coordinator of plant activity. At the molecular and organism level, it regulates key traits for plant fitness, including seed germination, gas exchange, growth and flowering, among others. In this article, we explore current evidence on the effect of the clock for the scales of interest to ecologists. We begin by synthesizing available knowledge on the effect of the clock on biosphere–atmosphere interactions and observe that, at least in the systems where it has been tested, the clock regulates gas exchange from the leaf to the ecosystem level, and we discuss its implications for estimates of the carbon balance. Then, we analyse whether incorporating the action of the clock may help in elucidating the effects of climate change on plant distributions. Circadian rhythms are involved in regulating the range of temperatures a species can survive and affects plant interactions. Finally, we review the involvement of the clock in key phenological events, such as flowering time and seed germination. Because the clock may act as a common mechanism affecting many of the diverse branches of ecology, our ultimate goal is to stimulate further research into this pressing, yet unexplored, topic.
Short‐term administration of prulifloxacin in patients with nonmuscle‐invasive bladder cancer: an effective option for the prevention of bacillus Calmette‐Guérin‐induced toxicity?
Authors: Damiano Rocco , De Sio Marco , Quarto Giuseppe , Di Lorenzo Giuseppe , Perdonà Sisto , Palumbo Italo M. , Azzarito Giuseppina , Giugliano Francesco , Autorino Riccardo 
Published: March 2009

OBJECTIVETo determine whether the new fluoroquinolone prulifloxacin might improve tolerance to Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) intravesical therapy in patients with bladder cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSA series of 72 patients with intermediate‐ or high‐risk nonmuscle‐invasive bladder cancer were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, open‐label, controlled clinical trial performed at a single tertiary care institution. After complete transurethral resection, patients were randomized to receive induction treatment with BCG and three capsules of prulifloxacin 600 mg or no prophylactic treatment (control group). Adverse events (AEs) were self‐recorded by the patients after each instillation and classified by the investigator according to a classification grid considering account duration and intensity. Cystoscopy findings at 3 and 6 months were also recorded.RESULTSThere was no significant difference in baseline symptoms between the groups. Overall, there was a significant decrease in the percentage of patients with at least one AE between instillations in prulifloxacin‐treated group. The proportion of patients with moderate to severe AEs after the fourth instillation was significantly less in the prulifloxacin‐treated group. There was a significant effect of prulifloxacin on the need for anti‐tuberculosis treatment. More patients in the control group stopped or delayed the full induction course of BCG instillations (34% vs 19%, P = 0.04). Recurrence rates were not affected by prulifloxacin treatment.CONCLUSIONPrulifloxacin reduces the incidence of moderate to severe AEs from BCG intravesical therapy in patients with nonmuscle‐invasive bladder cancer, improving compliance to the induction BCG course. These preliminary findings warrant further clinical research.
How can Rorty help nursing science in the development of a philosophical ‘foundation’?
Authors: Isaacs Sandy , Ploeg Jenny , Tompkins Catherine 
Published: March 2009

AbstractWhat can nurse scientists learn from Rorty in the development of a philosophical foundation? Indeed, Rorty in his 1989 text entitled Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity tantalizes the reader with debates of reason ‘against’ philosophizing. Forget truth seeking; move on to what matters. Rorty would rather the ‘high brow’ thinking go to those that do the work in order to make the effort useful. Nursing as an applied science, has something real that is worth looking at, and that nurse researchers need to think about. And as a profession built upon relationships, we should be thinking of the exchanges we have with those around us, of the contrasts in vocabularies used and of the contingencies involved, letting this launch us into our imaginings and areas of enquiry. The business of nurse researchers is to study what nurses do – how we care; Rorty would have us care. But, not to dismiss the reflective thinker as Rorty advocates for the self‐doubting ironist to continue to seek the final vocabulary, the ideal of what ‘this’ means, accepting this as the best to be offered at the time. As a science struggling to find foundation, we need only to look at what we do and value – as antifoundational as Rorty portrays himself, Rorty ‘ironically’ may have revealed a foundation for nursing science that is consistent with its path.
CALHM1 Polymorphism is not Associated with Late‐onset Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Beecham Gary W. , Schnetz‐Boutaud Nathalie , Haines Jonathan L. , Pericak‐Vance Margaret A. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryData suggests that the P86L polymorphism (rs2986017) in the calcium homeostasis modulator 1 (CALHM1) gene interferes with CALHM1 functionality, increases Aβ levels, and is associated with late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). Previous studies have demonstrated association with P86L and LOAD in three of five case‐control cohorts, and a joint analysis of all datasets showed association with a p‐value of 2 × 10−10 and an allele‐specific odds ratio of 1.44 (2,043 cases, 1,361 controls total).In this short communication we attempt to replicate these results in our case‐control cohort (510 cases, 524 controls). We show no association between P86L and LOAD despite having sufficient power to detect at the reported odds ratios, and briefly discuss potential reasons for the discrepancy.
High‐resolution Melting Facilitates Mutation Screening of PYGM in Patients with McArdle Disease
Authors: Duno Morten , Quinlivan Ros , Vissing John , Schwartz Marianne 
Published: March 2009

SummaryMutations in PYGM, encoding the muscle‐specific glycogen phosphorylase (myophosphorylase), are responsible for McArdle disease. Among Caucasians, a large proportion of patients are homozygous for the R50X mutation, but other mutations can affect all the 20 exons of PYGM, making mutation detection laborious.We have developed a high‐resolution melting (HRM) assay for mutation detection in PYGM. Twelve McArdle patients were investigated, in whom pre‐screening had ruled out homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for the two common G205S and R50X mutations. In total, we identified 16 different variations. Thirteen of these are pathogenic, and three were classified as polymorphisms. Nine variations had not previously been described. One of the novel mutations, c.2430C > T, was initially predicted to result in a silent G810G change, but cDNA analysis demonstrated that the mutation led to abnormal mRNA processing.The HRM protocol reduced the need for direct sequencing by approximately 85%, and is a good approach to search for new mutations in PYGM.
Drivers of megaherbivore demographic fluctuations: inference from elephants
Authors: Trimble M. J. , Ferreira S. M. , Van Aarde R. J. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractEnvironmentally induced variation in survival and fecundity generates demographic fluctuations that affect population growth rate. However, a general pattern of the comparative influence of variation in fecundity and juvenile survival on elephant population dynamics has not been investigated at a broad scale. We evaluated the relative importance of conception, gestation, first year survival and subsequent survivorship for controlling demographic variation by exploring the relationship between past environmental conditions determined by integrated normalized difference vegetation index (INDVI) and the shape of age distributions at 17 sites across Africa. We showed that, generally, INDVI during gestation best explained anomalies in age structure. However, in areas with low mean annual rainfall, INDVI during the first year of life was critical. The results challenge Eberhardt's paradigm for population analysis that suggests that populations respond to limited resource availability through a sequential decrease in juvenile survival, reproductive rate and adult survival. Contrastingly, elephants appear to respond first through a reduction in reproductive rate. We conclude that this discrepancy is likely due to the evolutionary significance of extremely large body size – an adaptation that increases survival rate but decreases reproductive potential. Other megaherbivores may respond similarly to resource limitation due to similarities in population dynamics. Knowing how vital rates vary with changing environmental conditions will permit better forecasts of the trajectories of megaherbivore populations.
Quantitative analysis of the scientific literature on acetaminophen in medicine and biology: a 2003–2005 study†
Authors: Robert Claude , Saenz‐Feijoo Rosa , Gaudy Jean‐François , Arreto Charles‐Daniel 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis study quantifies the utilization of acetaminophen in life sciences and clinical medicine using bibliometric indicators. A total of 1626 documents involving acetaminophen published by 74 countries during 2003–2005 in the Thompson‐Scientific Life sciences and Clinical Medicine collections were identified and analyzed. The USA leads in the number of publications followed by the UK, and industrialized countries, including France, Japan and Germany; the presence of countries such as China, India and Turkey among the top 15 countries deserves to be noticed. The European Union stands as a comparable contributor to the USA, both in terms of number of publications and in terms of profile of papers distributed among subcategories of Life Sciences and Clinical Medicine disciplines. All documents were published in 539 different journals. The most prolific journals were related to pharmacology and/or pharmaceutics. All aspects of acetaminophen (chemistry, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, etc.) were studied with primary interest for therapeutic use (42%) and adverse effects (28%) comprising a large part of publications focusing on acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. This quantitative overview provides as to the interest of the scientific community in this analgesic and completes the various review documents that regularly appear in the scientific literature.
Age‐related myelin dynamics revealed by increased oligodendrogenesis and short internodes
Authors: Lasiene Jurate , Matsui Aya , Sawa Yuhito , Wong Fernando , Horner Philip J. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryAging is associated with many functional and morphological central nervous system changes. It is important to distinguish between changes created by normal aging and those caused by disease. In the present study we characterized myelin changes within the murine rubrospinal tract and found that internode lengths significantly decrease as a function of age which suggests active remyelination. We also analyzed the proliferation, distribution and phenotypic fate of dividing cells with Bromodeoxyuridine (5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine, BrdU). The data reveal a decrease in glial cell proliferation from 1 to 6, 14 and 21 months of age in gray matter 4 weeks post‐BrdU injections. However, we found an increase in gliogenesis at 21st month in white matter of the spinal cord. Half of newly generated cells expressed NG2. Most cells were positive for the early oligodendrocyte marker Olig2 and a few also expressed CC1. Very few cells ever became positive for the astrocytic markers S100β or GFAP. These data demonstrate ongoing oligodendrogenesis and myelinogenesis as a function of age in the spinal cord.
Identification of paraxanthine as the most potent caffeine‐derived inhibitor of connective tissue growth factor expression in liver parenchymal cells
Authors: Gressner Olav A. , Lahme Birgit , Siluschek Monika , Gressner Axel M. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractBackground: Recently, we identified hepatocytes as the major cellular source of profibrogenic connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) in the liver. Based on reports of a hepatoprotective effect of coffee consumption, we were the first to provide evidence that caffeine suppresses transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β dependent and ‐independent CTGF expression in hepatocytes in vitro and in vivo, thus suggesting this xanthine‐alkaloid as a potential therapeutic agent.Aim: This study aims at comparing the inhibitory capacities of caffeine and its three demethylated derivates paraxanthine, theophylline and theobromine on CTGF expression in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSC).Results: Our data suggest paraxanthine as the most important pharmacological repressor of hepatocellular CTGF expression among the caffeine‐derived metabolic methylxanthines with an inhibitory dosage (ID)50 of 1.15 mM, i.e. 3.84‐fold lower than what is observed for caffeine. In addition, paraxanthine displayed the least cell toxicity as proven by the water‐soluble tetrazolium‐1 cell vitality assay. However, caffeine or any of the metabolites did not inhibit CTGF expression in HSC. At the toxicological threshold concentration of 1 mM for paraxanthine, we observed an inhibition of hepatocellular CTGF synthesis by 44%, which was strongly reverted in the presence of the specific competitive cyclic adenosine monophosphate inhibitor Rp‐adenosine 3′,5‐cyclic monophosphorothioate triethylammonium salt. Furthermore, CTGF protein expression induced by various concentrations of TGF‐β (0.13–1 ng/ml) is still reduced by, on average, 27%/45% in the presence of paraxanthine (1.25 mM/2.5 mM).Conclusion: Our data provide an evidence‐based suggestion of the caffeine‐derived primary metabolite paraxanthine as a potentially powerful antifibrotic drug by its inhibitory effect on (hepatocellular) CTGF synthesis.
Folic acid efficacy as an alternative drug added to sodium valproate in the treatment of acute phase of mania in bipolar disorder: a double‐blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Behzadi A. H. , Omrani Z. , Chalian M. , Asadi S. , Ghadiri M. 
Published: March 2009

Objective:  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of adding folic acid to sodium valproate in the acute phase of mania.Method:  Following a double‐blind randomized controlled trial, 88 clinically manic patients with diagnosis of type I bipolar disorder (BID) were divided randomly into two groups (case and control). The case group was treated with folic acid and sodium valproate and the control group with sodium valproate and placebo. The severity of mania was assessed using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) at the beginning and end of the first, second and third weeks of the study.Results:  The case group’s mean manic YMRS measurements (SD) before the initiation of therapy and in the first, second and third weeks of treatment were 34.0 ± 7.7, 26.7 ± 2.1, 18.1 ± 2.1 and 7.1 ± 0.9 respectively. The control group’s measurements were 34.7 ± 3.8, 27.3 ± 2.3, 20.7 ± 2.5 and 10.1 ± 1.1. There was a statistically significant difference in YMRS scaling results between the case and control groups after 3 weeks of treatment (7.1 ± 0.9 vs. 10.1 ± 1.1, P = 0.005).Conclusion:  Based on our findings, folic acid seems to be an effective adjuvant to sodium valproate in the treatment of the acute phase of mania in patients with bipolar disorder.
In‐patient suicide – a 13‐year assessment
Authors: Ajdacic‐Gross V. , Lauber C. , Baumgartner M. , Malti T. , Rössler W. 
Published: March 2009

Objective:  To describe the suicide rates of psychiatric in‐patients in the canton of Zurich for the period 1992–2004, and to determine putative risk factors.Method:  The data were derived from the psychiatric case register of the canton Zurich. The analyses were based on person‐years calculations and standardised mortality ratios. Additional information was assessed via case records.Results:  During the 13‐year period the standardised mortality ratio was 48.9. The risk of suicide was particularly high in patients with personality and affective disorders. Most suicides occurred during regular leave periods, despite the fact that clinical assessment had indicated there was no suicide risk for the patient.Conclusion:  The suicide risk of in‐patients is distinctly higher than in the general population. A better assessment of suicide risk before regular leave periods could lead to a decrease of suicides in in‐patient settings, as well as a more rigorous treatment of borderline cases, and of affective and psychotic symptoms.
Effects of near‐infrared laser exposure in a cellular model of wound healing
Authors: Skopin Mark D. , Molitor Scott C. 
Published: March 2009

Background: Clinical studies have demonstrated beneficial outcomes for low‐level laser therapy (LLLT) using near‐infrared (NIR) wavelengths. It has been hypothesized that the benefits of NIR LLLT are due in part to the thermal effects of NIR exposure. However, it is not clear whether photochemical interactions between NIR light and superficial tissues contribute to beneficial outcomes. To investigate the photochemical effects of NIR exposure, the efficacy of 980 nm NIR LLLT on human fibroblast growth rates is investigated using an in vitro model of wound healing.Methods: A small pipette is used to induce a wound in fibroblast cell cultures, which are imaged at specific time intervals over 48 h and exposed to a range of laser doses (1.5–66 J/cm2) selected to encompass the range of doses used during other in vivo and in vitro studies. For each image acquired, wound sizes were quantified using a novel application of existing image processing algorithms.Results: Cell growth rates were compared across different laser exposure intensities with the same exposure duration, and across different laser exposure durations with the same exposure intensity. Exposure to low‐ and medium‐intensity laser light accelerates cell growth, whereas high‐intensity light negated the beneficial effects of laser exposure. Cell growth was accelerated over a wide range of exposure durations using medium‐intensity laser light, with no significant inhibition of cell growth at the longest exposure durations used in this study.Conclusion: Low‐level exposure to 980 nm laser light can accelerate wound healing in vitro without measurable temperature increases. However, these results also demonstrate the need for appropriate supervision of laser therapy sessions to prevent overexposure to NIR laser light that may inhibit cell growth rates observed in response to lower intensity laser exposure.
Tanning salons in Santiago, Chile: the knowledge of the staff in charge and the quality of information provided to potential clients before and after a new regulatory law
Authors: Salomone Claudia , Majerson Daniela , Molgó Montserrat , Sáenz de Santa María Mariá Luisa , Romero William 
Published: March 2009

Introduction: In recent years, the use of artificial tanning devices has become very popular in Chile. In April, 2007, a new law was established to regulate the non‐medical use of tanning beds and tanning booths. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level and quality of information provided by tanning salon staff to clients before deciding on using the services. This information was collected before and 6 months after the law was enacted by researchers visiting tanning salons posing as potential clients.Methods: Using a previously designed questionnaire, 24 tanning salons in Santiago, Chile, were evaluated by researchers acting as potential customers without experience with artificial tanning devices. Employees were questioned using a hidden questionnaire before and 6 months after enactment of the law.Results: Before the law, 25% of the establishments gave spontaneous information about the risks of using tanning beds, which increased to 45.8% after enactment of the law. Clients never received written information, either before or after enactment of the law. On both evaluations, more than 1/3 of the employees affirmed that there were no risks in using tanning beds. Before enactment of the law, only 12.5% of the tanning salons required the use of goggles, while after the law, this increased to 25% (P=NS). Only two establishments required that clients sign an informed consent form after enactment of the law.Discussion: The level of knowledge among employees in tanning salons was very low and the quality of the information they provided to the clients was very poor. It was important to legislate on ultraviolet tanning services, but at present, the impact of the law has been very limited.