bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rituximab as successful therapy in a patient with refractory paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria
Authors: Koppel Ahrin , Lim Stephen , Osby Melanie , Garratty George , Goldfinger Dennis 
Published: September 2007

BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH) is a rare autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) attributed to a biphasic hemolysin known as the Donath‐Landsteiner (DL) antibody. It is most commonly encountered as an acute transient AIHA after a viral infection in children; the disease resolves after cessation of the infection. The rarest form of PCH is a chronic form in adults that is not (nowadays) associated with infection and is not responsive to conventional therapies. Rituximab has been found to be effective therapy in other forms of AIHA, such as cold agglutinin syndrome, that are refractory to conventional therapies. We describe a case of PCH refractory to steroids that responded to rituximab therapy on two separate occasions.CASE REPORT: A 64‐year‐old woman with fatigue was found to be profoundly anemic with laboratory findings consistent with AIHA. She was admitted for the workup and management of her disease after she failed to respond to a course of oral steroids. Laboratory evaluation demonstrated a positive DL test suggesting PCH. She was given a course of rituximab that resulted in normalization of her hemoglobin concentration. She presented 9 months later with recurrent hemolysis. She was given another course of rituximab that again resulted in termination of hemolysis. The patient remained in remission since her last dose of rituximab 19 months previously.CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of an adult case of refractory PCH successfully treated with rituximab.
Consequences and costs of noncompliance with iron chelation therapy in patients with transfusion‐dependent thalassemia: a literature review
Authors: Delea Thomas E. , Edelsberg John , Sofrygin Oleg , Thomas Simu K. , Baladi Jean‐Francois , Phatak Pradyumna D. , Coates Thomas D. 
Published: September 2007

BACKGROUND: Patients with thalassemia major require iron chelation therapy (ICT) to prevent complications from transfusional iron overload. Deferoxamine is effective, but requires administration as a slow continuous subcutaneous or intravenous infusion five to seven times per week. Deferiprone is a three‐times‐daily oral iron chelator, but has limited availability in the United States. Deferasirox is a once‐daily oral iron chelator that was approved in the United States in 2005 for patients older than 2 years of age with transfusional iron overload.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Published evidence on rates of compliance with ICT and the association between compliance, and the incidence and costs of complications of iron overload, in patients with thalassemia major was reviewed.RESULTS: A total of 18 studies were identified reporting data on compliance with ICT, including 7 that examined deferoxamine only, 6 that examined deferiprone only, and 5 that compared deferoxamine and deferiprone; no studies reporting compliance with deferasirox were identified. In studies of deferoxamine only, estimated mean compliance ranged from 59 to 78 percent. Studies of deferiprone generally reported better compliance, ranging from 79 to 98 percent. Results of comparative studies of deferoxamine and deferiprone suggest that compliance may be better with oral therapy. Numerous studies demonstrate that that poor compliance with ICT results in increased risk of cardiac disease and endocrinopathies, as well as lower survival. Although data on the costs of noncompliance are limited, a recent model‐based study estimated the lifetime costs of inadequate compliance with deferoxamine to be $33,142.CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate compliance with ICT in thalassemia major is common and results in substantial morbidity and mortality, as well as increased costs.
Effect of inorganic and organic forms of selenium supplementation on development of larval Heliothis virescens
Authors: Popham Holly J. R. , Shelby Kent S. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractSelenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for vertebrates though little is known about the effects on insects. Herbivorous insect larvae acquire Se from plant tissues in the inorganic form of sodium selenate and sodium selenite, and in the organic form of selenoamino acids, selenomethionine, and selenocystine. In this study, we document the effects of dietary supplementation with sodium selenite, sodium selenate, selenocystine, selenomethionine, and selenized yeast on the developmental rate of Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Larvae tolerated high levels of Se (500 µg g−1 Se) as sodium selenate and to a lesser extent as selenocystine. Lower levels of sodium selenite (>1 µg g−1 Se) caused increased mortality, reduced rates of pupation, more pupal/adult intermediates, and reduced adult emergence. Selenomethionine proved toxic to larvae at levels above 25 µg g−1 Se, significantly delaying pupation and raising mortality. Provision of Se as selenized yeast, which contains primarily selenomethionine, was also extremely detrimental to larval development and survival. The results indicate that the impact of dietary Se supplement for insects may differ from vertebrates.
Ovarian dynamics, egg size, and egg number in relation to temperature and mating status in a butterfly
Authors: Steigenga Marc J. , Fischer Klaus 
Published: September 2007

AbstractAlthough the temperature‐size rule, that is, an increase in egg (and body) size at lower temperatures, applies almost universally to ectotherms, the developmental mechanisms underlying this consistent pattern of phenotypic plasticity are hitherto unknown. By investigating ovarian dynamics and reproductive output in the tropical butterfly Bicyclus anynana (Butler) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) in relation to oviposition temperature and mating status, we tested the relevance of several competing hypotheses for temperature‐mediated variation in egg size and number. As expected, females ovipositing at a lower temperature laid fewer but larger eggs than those ovipositing at a higher temperature. Despite pronounced differences in egg‐laying rates, oocyte numbers were equal across temperatures at any given time, while oocyte size increased at the lower temperature. In contrast, there were greatly reduced oocyte numbers in mated compared to virgin females. Our results indicated that temperature‐mediated plasticity in egg size cannot be explained by reduced costs of somatic maintenance at lower temperatures, enabling the allocation of more resources to reproduction (reproductive investment was higher at the higher temperature). Furthermore, there was no indication for delayed oviposition (no accumulation of oocytes at the lower temperature, in contrast to virgin females). Rather, low temperatures greatly reduced the oocyte production (i.e., differentiation) rate and prolonged egg‐maturation time, causing low egg‐laying rates. Our data thus suggested that oocyte growth is less sensitive to temperature than oocyte production, resulting in a lower number of larger eggs at lower temperatures.
Synergism between aromatic compounds and green leaf volatiles derived from the host plant underlies female attraction in the oriental fruit moth
Authors: Piñero Jaime C. , Dorn Silvia 
Published: September 2007

AbstractBlends of volatile compounds emitted by host plants are known to mediate the attraction of gravid female herbivores to oviposition sites, but the role of individual odor components is still little understood. We characterized the olfactory response of mated female Cydia (Grapholita) molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) to synthetic mixtures of compounds emitted by peach shoot, a key host plant of this herbivore, and investigated the role of important constituents of bioactive mixtures in moth attraction. Relative ratios of constituents of the mixtures corresponded to the natural ratio of volatile compounds collected in the plant's headspace. A significant attractant effect was found for a comparatively complex 10‐compound mixture that included four green leaf volatiles [(Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, 1‐hexanol, (E)‐2‐hexenal, and (Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐yl acetate], five aromatics (benzaldehyde, methyl salicylate, methyl benzoate, benzonitrile, and phenylacetonitrile), and a carboxylic acid (valeric acid). Using a subtraction approach, the number of compounds was progressively decreased, resulting in a bioactive 5‐compound mixture composed of two constituents, green leaf volatiles and aromatic compounds. Further evaluations revealed that benzaldehyde and benzonitrile must be present in association with three distinct green leaf volatiles to produce an attractant effect on the female moths. This 5‐compound mixture was as attractive as natural peach shoot volatiles, which are known to comprise over 20 compounds. Results are discussed in light of the documented synergistic effect between the three general green leaf volatiles and the two specific aromatic compounds.
Shifting of the life cycle and life‐history traits of the fall webworm in relation to climate change
Authors: Gomi Tadashi , Nagasaka Masami , Fukuda Takeshi , Hagihara Hideharu 
Published: September 2007

AbstractThe effects of global warming on the life cycle and life‐history traits of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), were investigated in Fukui, Japan. Our previous studies showed that the Fukui population had a predominantly bivoltine life cycle, but recently the life cycle has changed. In the present study, the life‐history traits of individuals collected in 2002 in Fukui were clarified and compared to those in the previous studies. The lower threshold temperature for development and the thermal constant for one generation were 10.6 °C and 724.4 degree days, respectively. Although these developmental parameters were not investigated in the previous studies, the difference of the developmental period between the present and previous results was negligible in the larval and pupal stages at 20 °C. The critical photoperiod for diapause induction was 14 h 29 min at 20 °C and 14 h 10 min at 25 °C. The critical photoperiod at 25 °C was shortened to 14 min from that of the previous studies for individuals collected in 1995. The incidence of pupal diapause in the second generation was investigated in individuals that were collected as fourth and fifth instars in the field. Some portion of individuals averted diapause even if they were kept under a short photoperiod of L14:D10 at 25 °C after collection. These results, together with climate data and field observations in Fukui, suggest that at least a part of the population has three generations per year at present. This shift of the life cycle occurred within 7 years and is probably related to global warming in recent years.
Myocardial interstitial Cajal‐like cells (ICLC) and their nanostructural relationships with intercalated discs: shed vesicles as intermediates
Authors: Mandache E. , Popescu L.M. , Gherghiceanu Mihaela 
Published: September 2007

AbstractIntercalated discs (ID) are complex junctional units that connect cardiac myocytes mechanically and electrochemically. However, there is limited information concerning the cardiomyocyte interaction with interstitial non‐muscle cells. Our previous studies showed that myocardial interstitial Cajal‐like cells (ICLC) are located in between cardiomyocytes, blood capillaries and nerve fibres. Typically, ICLC have several very long, moniliform, cytoplasmic processes which establish closed contacts with nerve fibres, as well as each other. We report here ultrastructural evidence concerning the relationships of ICLC processes with ID. The ICLC cytoplasmic prolongations (tens micrometers length) preferentially pass by or stop nearby the ID. Transmission electron microscopy emphasized three distinct connecting features between the tips of ICLC extensions and myocytes at the ‘mouth’ of ID: free or budding shed vesicles, exocytotic multi‐vesicular bodies and direct contacts. In the last case, electron‐dense repetitive nanostructures (‘pillars’) (35–40 nm high and 100–150 nm wide, similar to adhesion molecules) fasten the ICLC to the myocytes. All these features suggest a juxtacrine and/or paracrine intercellular mutual modulation of ICLC and cardiomyocytes in the microenvironment of ID, possibly monitoring the cardiac functions, particularly the electrical activity.
Replacement of teeth exhibiting periapical pathology by immediate implants. A prospective, controlled clinical trial
Authors: Siegenthaler David W. , Jung Ronald E. , Holderegger Claudia , Roos Malgorzata , Hämmerle Christoph H. F. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractObjectives: The aim of the present study was to test whether or not immediate implantation leads to more biological complications, when performed at extraction sockets of teeth exhibiting periapical pathology compared with teeth not exhibiting periapical pathology.Materials and methods: In 17 consecutively admitted patients, immediate implant placement was planned in order to replace single teeth exhibiting periapical pathology (test group). These teeth demonstrated pain, periapical radiolucency, fistula, suppuration or a combination of these findings. Another 17 consecutively admitted patients in need of single tooth replacement in the absence of periapical pathology served as the control group. Implant placement and accompanying bone regeneration were performed according to standard clinical procedures. Implants were loaded after a healing period of 3 months. Clinical and radiographical parameters were assessed at the time of implant placement (baseline) and at 12 months thereafter.Results: Out of the 34 patients, four test and one control patient had to be withdrawn from the study due to the inability to obtain primary implant stability. The residual 29 implants revealed a survival rate of 100% 1 year after placement. Clinical and radiographical differences between 12 months and baseline comparing test and control groups showed no statistical significances for any of the parameters assessed. Within test and control groups there was a statistically significant loss of vertical bone height at the adjacent teeth (mesial test=0.4±0.6 mm, control=0.4±0.5 mm; distal test=0.3±0.2 mm, control=0.7±0.8 mm) as well as at the implant site (mesial test=1.9±1.4 mm, control=1.8±1.1 mm; distal test=1.7±1.4 mm, control=1.6±1.1 mm) and of buccal keratinized mucosa (test=−2.2±1.2 mm; control=−1.3±1.6 mm) between baseline and 12 months. During the first 13 weeks of healing, two sites of the test and one site of the control group showed signs of infection, which required intervention. Neither the incident of early exit nor of signs of infection was statistically significantly different between the test and the control group (Mann–Whitney U test).Conclusion: It is concluded that for those implants where primary stability was achieved, the immediate implant placement performed at extraction sockets exhibiting periapical pathology did not lead to an increased rate of complications and rendered an equally favorable type of tissue integration of the implants in both groups. Implant placement into such sites can, therefore, be successfully performed.
Damping factor for monitoring the bone interface at dental implants
Authors: Veltri Mario , Balleri Piero , Ferrari Marco 
Published: September 2007

AbstractObjectives: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the damping of osseointegrated implants, as measured quantitatively with the Osstell™ equipment, is related to the fractal dimension of peri‐implant bone.Material and methods: Fifty‐five maxillary implants in function for 3 years before the present study were investigated. Two Osstell™ measurements were obtained for each implant with the transducer oriented first palatally and then distally. Using the half‐power bandwidth method, the damping was calculated from the frequency/amplitude plot obtained from the Osstell™. Damping data were then related to the fractal dimension of peri‐implant bone. Fractal dimensions were calculated using a box‐counting algorithm on digitally processed intra‐oral radiographs of the implants. A Spearman's test was used to verify the correlation between damping and fractal dimension values.Results: All the implants were clinically stable and free from symptoms. The mean ISQ was 63 for the palatal orientation and 71 for the distal orientation. The mean fractal dimension was 1.47; the mean damping value for palatal orientation was 12.3%, while that for the distal orientation was 8.2%. No significant correlation was found.Conclusions: Damping values, measured at peri‐implant bone, were found not to be related to a radiographic parameter of trabecular bone pattern like the fractal dimension. The clinical implication would be that Osstell™ graphs displaying distinct or more rounded peaks might both indicate a stable implant as long as the associated implant stability quotients are in the range of satisfactory values proposed in the literature.
Technical complications of implant‐supported fixed partial dentures in partially edentulous cases after an average observation period of 5 years
Authors: Kreissl Marion E. , Gerds Thomas , Muche Robert , Heydecke Guido , Strub Jörg R. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractObjectives: The purpose of this prospective long‐term study was to evaluate the incidence of the most common technical problems, namely screw loosening, screw fracture, fracturing of veneering porcelain and framework fracture in implant‐supported fixed partial dentures (FPDs), and assess the survival and success rate (event‐free survival) after 5 years of function.Materials and methods: In 76 partially edentulous patients, a total of 205 3i‐implants (machined surface) were placed and restored with 112 implant‐supported FPDs (46 single crowns, 81 splinted crowns, seven FPD bridges and 23 FPDs with cantilevers). The survival rate of FPDs supported by implants was 94.5% (CI‐95: 90.1–98.8) after an average observation period of 5 years. The success rate (event‐free survival) of the FPDs was 80% (CI‐95: 87.3–72.7). After an observation period of 5 years the cumulative incidence of screw loosening was 6.7% (CI‐95: 1.8–11.5), the cumulative incidence for screw fracture was 3.9% (CI‐95: 0.1–7.7). Fracture of the veneering porcelain occurred in 5.7% (CI‐95: 1.2–10.2) of all FPDs. Fracturing of the suprastructure framework was rare (1%; CI‐95: 0–2.9). The overall complication incidence after 5 years was highest in the group of FPDs with cantilever, which showed the lowest success rate 68.6% (CI‐95: 50–87.3), followed by single crowns (77.6%; CI‐95: 53.3–100) and splinted crowns (86.1%; CI‐95: 59.5–100). No complication occurred in FPD bridges.Conclusion: Fixed partial dentures supported by 3i‐implants showed low technical complications rates, the most common being loosening of the abutment screw. Managing these complications can cause extra amount of chair‐side time and patient dissatisfaction.
Evaluation of aesthetics of implant‐supported single‐tooth replacements using different bone augmentation procedures: a prospective randomized clinical study
Authors: Meijndert Leo , Meijer Henny J. A. , Stellingsma Kees , Stegenga Boudewijn , Raghoebar Gerry M. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractObjectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the aesthetics of implant‐supported single‐tooth replacements using different augmentation procedures in a prospective study with the use of an objective rating index and with a subjective patient questionnaire, and to compare the results with each other.Material and methods: Ninety‐three patients with a single‐tooth gap in the anterior zone of the maxilla were selected for the study. All patients had a local bone defect that needed augmentation before placement of an endosseous implant with sufficient initial stability. Aesthetics of the implant‐supported crown and adjacent mucosa was rated by a prosthodontist 1 year after placement of the porcelain crown. Aesthetics was rated using the Implant Crown Aesthetic Index. A subjective appreciation of the final result was assessed with a patient questionnaire.Results: The Implant Crown Aesthetic Index reveals a mean overall score of 4.8, with an acceptable result in 66% of the cases. Results of the satisfaction questionnaire reveal a mean overall score of 8.5 with an acceptable result in 100% of the cases. There is no correlation between results of the Index and the questionnaire for the overall and the crown score. The patients' opinion and the professionals' opinion about the peri‐implant mucosa do show a significant correlation.Conclusions: The peri‐implant mucosa is rated as less satisfactory than the implant‐supported crown by both the dental professional and patients. The dental professional was less satisfied with respect to the total result and results of the crown than the patients.
Lateral alveolar ridge augmentation using a synthetic nano‐crystalline hydroxyapatite bone substitution material (Ostim®). Preliminary clinical and histological results
Authors: Strietzel Frank Peter , Reichart Peter A. , Graf Hans‐Ludwig 
Published: September 2007

AbstractObjectives: The purpose of this preliminary two‐center clinical prospective study was to evaluate the tissue composition of augmented sites after the use of a nano‐crystalline hydroxyapatite (ncHA) bone substitution material by clinical and histological examinations.Material and methods: A synthetic ncHA augmentation material was used without any additives in 14 patients requiring lateral ridge augmentation 6–7 months before (10 patients) or at implant placement (four patients). The ncHA material was covered by a titanium mesh for space maintenance. Clinical and radiographic parameters were evaluated and bone biopsy cores, obtained 6–7 months following augmentation, were assessed histologically and histomorphometrically.Results: One patient showed gingival swelling, redness and pain at the augmentation site requiring removal of the titanium mesh 6 weeks postoperatively. In seven patients, a premature exposure of the titanium mesh without any inflammatory symptoms was noted. The width of the fixed gingival and the alveolar ridge height did not change significantly at least 6 months following augmentation (P>0.5), whereas a significant gain in alveolar ridge width (P=0.01) was noted. After a median period of prosthetic loading of 24 months, no implant was considered to be a failure. Histology revealed ncHA remnants in peripheral and central parts of biopsy cores obtained from seven patients after at least 6 months without histological symptoms of inflammation, whereas histomorphometry of bone cores revealed no significant differences of the mean percentage area of ncHA in peripheral (23.4%) and central (15.1%) parts of biopsy cores (P=0.262). The mean percentage area of bone colonizing the defect was 52.3%.Conclusions: Small amounts of ncHA were found after at least 6 months in bone biopsies. The former defect space was filled with bone. The alveolar ridge width gain was found to be significant after lateral augmentation utilizing ncHA, providing a quantitatively and qualitatively sufficient site for primary stable implant placement.