bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Local injection of botulinum toxin A for palmar hyperhidrosis: Usefulness and efficacy in relation to severity
Authors: YAMASHITA Noriko , SHIMIZU Hirokazu , KAWADA Morihiro , YANAGISHITA Takeshi , WATANABE Daisuke , TAMADA Yasuhiko , MATSUMOTO Yoshinari 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTBotulinum toxin A is widely used in Europe and the USA for the treatment of localized hyperhidrosis, and its efficacy has been recognized. In this study, botulinum toxin A (Botox) was locally injected at 30 sites (2 U/injection) on the right palm in 27 patients with palmar hyperhidrosis (14 severe patients, 13 mild patients), and the results confirmed the efficacy of injection. The amount of sweat was then quantified for the left and right hands every month after local injection. The quantity of sweat on the treated hand was approximately one‐fifth that on the untreated hand. In addition, the quantity of sweat on the untreated hand decreased slightly. Over time, the quantity of sweat on the treated hand increased slightly, but the quantity of sweat on the treated hand at 6 months after injection was less than half that before injection, and there were significant differences before and after injection. In the present study, severe sweating was defined as 1 mg/cm2/min or more and mild sweating as less than 1 mg/cm2/min, and the therapeutic effects of botulinum toxin A were analyzed in relation to severity. When compared to the mild cases, the quantity of sweat remained higher in the severe cases after botulinum toxin A therapy. Therefore, to achieve satisfactory effects in severe cases, it would be necessary to increase the number of injection sites, as well as injection dose.
p120 catenin is associated with desmogleins when desmosomes are assembled in high‐Ca2+ medium but not when disassembled in low‐Ca2+ medium in DJM‐1 cells
Authors: KANNO Miho , AOYAMA Yumi , ISA Yasuka , YAMAMOTO Yukari , KITAJIMA Yasuo 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTWe recently showed that p120 catenin (p120ctn), which is an armadillo family protein member that binds to E‐cadherin (E‐cad), is also localized to desmosomes by directly or indirectly binding to desmogleins (Dsg). We examined whether p120ctn is associated with Dsg1 and Dsg3, as compared with E‐cad and plakoglobin (PG), in keratinocytes grown in high or low Ca2+, using a human squamous cell carcinoma cell line, DJM‐1 cells. The cell lysate of DJM‐1 cells grown in high‐ or low‐Ca2+ media was immunoprecipitated with anti‐Dsg1/2 and Dsg3 antibodies, and we examined whether p120ctn is associated with Dsg1 and Dsg3. Then, we observed the co‐localization between Dsg3 and p120ctn in cells grown in high‐ or low‐Ca2+ medium on double‐staining immunofluorescence microscopy using anti‐p120ctn and anti‐Dsg3 antibodies. Immunoprecipitates with anti‐Dsg1/2 and Dsg3 antibodies in cells grown in high‐Ca2+ medium contained p120ctn. In contrast, in low‐Ca2+ medium, p120ctn was co‐immunoprecipitated with neither Dsg1 nor Dsg3, but was co‐immunoprecipitated with E‐cad in cells grown in both high‐ and low‐Ca2+ media. Dsg3 was associated with PG in cells grown in both low‐ and high‐Ca2+ media. On immunofluorescence microscopy, p120ctn and Dsg3 were independently observed in cells grown in low‐Ca2+ medium; p120ctn, but not Dsg3, was observed in a linear pattern at the cell–cell boundary. However, they were co‐localized at cell–cell contacts in cells grown in high‐Ca2+ medium. Thus, these proteins are not co‐localized in low Ca2+ medium. These results suggest that p120ctn plays an important role in Ca2+‐induced desmosome formation.
Alcohol consumption patterns and risk factors among childhood cancer survivors compared to siblings and general population peers
Authors: Lown E. Anne , Goldsby Robert , Mertens Ann C. , Greenfield Thomas , Bond Jason , Whitton John , Korcha Rachael , Robison Leslie L. , Zeltzer Lonnie K. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTAims  This study describes alcohol consumption among adult survivors of pediatric cancer compared to sibling controls and a national sample of healthy peers. Risk factors for heavy drinking among survivors are described.Design, setting and participants  Cross‐sectional data were utilized from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study including adult survivors of pediatric cancer (n = 10 398) and a sibling cohort (n = 3034). Comparison data were drawn from the National Alcohol Survey (n = 4774).Measurement  Alcohol consumption, demographic, cancer diagnosis, treatment and psychosocial factors were measured.Findings  Compared to peers, survivors were slightly less likely to be risky [adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) = 0.9; confidence interval (CI) 0.8–1.0] and heavy drinkers (ORadj = 0.8; CI 0.7–0.9) and more likely to be current drinkers. Compared to siblings, survivors were less likely to be current, risky and heavy drinkers. Risk factors for survivors' heavy drinking included being age 18–21 years (ORadj = 2.0; 95% CI 1.5–2.6), male (ORadj = 2.1; 95% CI 1.8–2.6), having high school education or less (ORadj = 3.4; 95% CI 2.7–4.4) and drinking initiation before age 14 (ORadj = 6.9; 95% CI 4.4–10.8). Among survivors, symptoms of depression, anxiety or somatization, fair or poor self‐assessed health, activity limitations and anxiety about cancer were associated with heavy drinking. Cognitively compromising treatment, brain tumors and older age at diagnosis were protective.Conclusions  Adult survivors of childhood cancer show only a modest reduction in alcohol consumption compared to peers despite their more vulnerable health status. Distress and poorer health are associated with survivor heavy drinking. Screening for alcohol consumption should be instituted in long‐term follow‐up care and interventions among survivors and siblings should be established to reduce risk for early drinking.
A prospective audit of regional anaesthesia failure in 5080 Caesarean sections*
Authors: Kinsella S. M. 
Published: June 2008

SummaryAnaesthesia for Caesarean section was audited over a 5 year period: 5080 cases were performed using spinal 63%, epidural top‐up 26%, combined spinal‐epidural 5% and primary general anaesthesia 5%. The rate of general anaesthesia conversion of regional anaesthesia was 0.8% for elective and 4.9% for emergency Caesarean section compared to Royal College of Anaesthetists targets of 1% and 3%. The rate of conversion of regional to general anaesthesia in category 1 Caesarean section was 20%. A total of 8% of women had general anaesthesia when both primary general and conversion of regional anaesthesia were combined. The rate of failure to achieve a pain‐free operation was 6% with spinals, 24% with epidural top‐up and 18% with combined spinal‐epidural. Besides the type of anaesthesia and operative urgency, other factors associated with pre‐operative failure of regional anaesthesia included body mass index, no previous Caesareans, and indication for Caesarean of acute fetal distress or maternal medical condition. Inadequacy of pre‐operative anaesthetic block and duration of surgery were important risk factors for intra‐operative failure. For spinal anaesthesia, use of a spinal opioid was associated with less pre‐operative failure. For epidural top‐up anaesthesia, lower epidural top‐up volume was associated with less pre‐operative failure, and use of adrenaline was associated with both less pre‐operative and intra‐operative failure. The rate of serious adverse incidents was 1 : 126 with general anaesthesia and 1 : 501 with regional anaesthesia.
Syntaxin‐11 is expressed in primary human monocytes/macrophages and acts as a negative regulator of macrophage engulfment of apoptotic cells and IgG‐opsonized target cells
Authors: Zhang Shouting , Ma Daoxin , Wang Xiangling , Celkan Tiraje , Nordenskjöld Magnus , Henter Jan‐Inge , Fadeel Bengt , Zheng Chengyun 
Published: June 2008

SummarySyntaxin‐11 is a member of a family of membrane‐trafficking proteins referred to as soluble N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs). Recent studies have shown that syntaxin‐11 is expressed in natural killer cells and cytotoxic T cells and is likely to play a role in the granule exocytosis pathway. However, the biological role of syntaxin‐11 in other immune cells has remained elusive. This study found that stimulation with interferon‐γ upregulated syntaxin‐11 expression in primary monocytes. Experiments using monocytes from patients with familial haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis harbouring mutations in the gene encoding syntaxin‐11 (STX11), or monocytes from healthy individuals in which syntaxin‐11 was downregulated using specific short‐interfering RNA, demonstrated that syntaxin‐11 was not required for antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity. On the other hand, silencing of syntaxin‐11 expression in primary macrophages enhanced the phagocytosis of apoptotic target cells with a concomitant increase in macrophage secretion of tumour necrosis factor‐α. Moreover, Fcγ‐receptor‐mediated uptake of target cells was also enhanced following silencing of syntaxin‐11 expression in macrophages. In addition, syntaxin‐11 localized to the plasma membrane in macrophages ingesting apoptotic cell corpses. Syntaxin‐11 thus appears to act as a negative regulator of human macrophage engulfment of apoptotic cells and IgG‐opsonized red blood cells.
Reliability of the MDRD method for estimating glomerular filtration rate in relation to gender, body mass index and extracellular fluid volume
Authors: Bird N. J. , Peters C. , Michell A. R. , Peters A. M. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTBackground The accuracy of estimating glomerular filtration rate from plasma creatinine (eGFR) has been questioned but it is unclear how much covert error in several reference methods that have been used has contributed to this perceived inaccuracy. The aim of the study was to evaluate eGFR in comparison with a second ‘gold standard’ to test the performance of the primary gold standard and to examine the influence of patient demographics (age, body mass index (BMI), extracellular fluid volume (ECV) and gender).Design Non‐fasting multisample GFR and ECV were measured in 80 subjects simultaneously and independently with Cr‐51‐EDTA (GFREDTA) and iohexol (GFRiohexol). Percentage bias and imprecision in the prediction of, and disagreement with, GFREDTAwere compared between eGFR and GFRiohexol. Another simplified method for measuring GFR, the slope‐only method (SOGFR), was also evaluated against multisample GFR (measured with the opposing indicator). Accuracies were assessed in all subjects and across age, BMI and ECV boundaries of 65 y, 29 kg m−2and 14 L.Results eGFR was less precise than GFRiohexol(imprecisions of 22·3% and 12·9%;P < 0·01). The precision ofSOGFR was intermediate between eGFR and GFRiohexol. Both GFRiohexoland eGFR were less precise in the elderly, the obese and men, but minimally influenced by ECV.SOGFR was minimally influenced by subject demographics.Conclusion Although eGFR does not predict GFR (based on a primary gold standard) as accurately as a second gold standard, a significant component of its poor performance is the result of inaccuracy in the primary gold standard.SOGFR measured with Cr‐51‐EDTA is superior to eGFR.
Exogenous nitric oxide regulates activity and synthesis of vascular endothelial nitric oxide synthase
Authors: Schmidt A. , Bilgasem S. , Lorkowski S. , Vischer P. , Völker W. , Breithardt G. , Siegel G. , Buddecke E. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTBackground  Nitric oxide (NO) – a major signalling molecule of the vascular system – is constitutively produced in endothelial cells (EC) by the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). Since a reduced NO synthesis is an early sign of endothelial dysfunction and NO delivering drugs are used to substitute the impaired endothelial NO production, we addressed the effect of exogenous NO on eNOS in human umbilical venous endothelial cell cultures.Materials and methods  The synthetic NO donor DETA/NO (trade name, but in the following we refer to detNO), that releases NO in a strictly first order reaction with a half life of 20 h, was used in our experiments.Results  Short‐term (20–30 min) detNO treatment of EC increases the Ser1177 phosphorylation of the constitutively expressed endothelial NOS and the production of endogenous NO generated by eNOS from [3H]arginine. The phosphorylation of eNOS is Akt‐dependent and completely reverted by the phosphatidylinositol‐3 kinase (PI‐3K) inhibitor LY294002. A prolonged continuous exposure of EC to detNO 150 µmol L−1 over a period of 24–48 h causes a reversible cell cycle arrest at G1‐phase associated with a larger cell volume and increased cell protein content (hypertrophic phenotype of EC). The eNOS protein and mRNA of the hypertrophic cells and the generation of endogenous NO are reduced but eNOS phosphorylation could still be elevated by stimulation with vascular endothelial growth factor.Conclusions  Our data explain clinical studies describing a short‐term but not a long‐term benefit of NO treatment for patients with cardiovascular risk factors. The results could be a rational approach to develop a generation of NO donors accomplishing a retarded release from NO donors that mimic the low continuous pulsatile stress‐induced release of endogenous NO.
Sex and muscle structural lipids in obese subjects – an impact on insulin action?
Authors: Haugaard S. B. , Vaag A. , Høy C.‐E. , Madsbad S. 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTBackground   Long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) especially the n‐3‐FA of skeletal muscle phospholipids may facilitate insulin action, whereas saturated and trans‐FA act oppositely. Community studies show that non‐diabetic weight matched obese men and women display similar insulin resistance, despite the fact that an android fat distribution is detrimental to insulin action. The increased extramyocellular fat mass of obese women may act in a paracrine manner such that its release of free FA and cytokines may hamper in situ desaturation and elongation of FA in skeletal muscle phospholipids.Material and methods   To test the hypothesis that obese women may display an inferior FA composition compared to obese men, the FA composition of skeletal muscle phospholipids was determined in vastus lateralis biopsies obtained from 12 non‐diabetic obese women with a typical gynoid fat distribution, nine non‐diabetic obese men with a typical android fat distribution and 12 (seven females) lean age matched healthy controls (body mass index 34·6 ± 1·0 kg m−2, 36·5 ± 1·2 and 22·5 ± 0·5; age 47 ± 2 years, 51 ± 3 and 49 ± 2).Results   Obese women displayed decreased LCPUFA n‐3 and ratio of n‐3/n‐6 PUFA, whereas trans‐FA and palmitic‐FA (C16 : 0) were increased compared to obese men and controls (all Ps < 0·05). Plasma high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), triglycerides and a marker of insulin sensitivity were similar between obese women and men but impaired compared to controls (Ps < 0·05).Conclusions   The data support the hypothesis that insulin resistant non‐diabetic obese men display a more optimal skeletal muscle phospholipid FA composition than their female counterparts, which may be a mechanism to compensate the detrimental effect on insulin action of an android fat distribution.
CANu1, a novel nucleolar protein, accumulated on centromere in response to DNA damage
Authors: Sihn Choong‐Ryoul , Lee Yeon‐Su , Jeong Jin‐Sook , Park Kyunghee , Kim Sang Hoon 
Published: June 2008

Single nucleotide polymorphism is known to be an ideal marker to detect human diseases. We isolated a novel human gene, to be called as CANu1, by the large‐scale genome‐wide association analysis to screen specific Single nucleotide polymorphisms in colon cancer. It is mapped to chromosome 14q11.2 and its transcript contains a 948‐nt open reading frame encoding a protein of 315 aa. Here, we observed that green fluorescence protein (GFP)‐fused CANu1 protein was localized to nucleoli and the C‐termini of CANu1 protein were essential for its localization. Moreover, the silencing of the CANu1 gene by siRNA caused ribosomal stress leading to G1 cell cycle arrest, the induction of p53 protein, and the translocation of B23 protein. In addition, CANu1 protein was translocated from nucleolus to nuclear foci in response to UV damage. Interestingly, the mobility of a GFP‐CANu1 protein in the UV damaged cells was two times faster than non‐irradiated cells. Taken together, we report that a novel nucleolar protein, CANu1, is essential to maintain ribosomal structure and responsive upon UV damage.
Using an airgun array in a land reservoir as the seismic source for seismotectonic studies in northern China: experiments and preliminary results
Authors: Chen Yong , Liu Lanbo , Ge Hongkui , Liu Baojun , Qiu Xuelin 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper reports the field setup and preliminary results of experiments utilizing an airgun array in a reservoir in north China for a seismotectonic study. Commonly used in offshore petroleum resource exploration, the airgun source was found to be more useful than a traditional explosive source for large‐scale and long offset land seismic surveys. The airgun array, formed by four 1,500 in3 airguns (a total of 6,000 in3 in volume) was placed at a depth of 6–9 m into the reservoir to generate the pressure impulse. No direct evidence was found that the airgun source adversely affected the fish in the reservoir. The peak ground acceleration recorded on the top of the reservoir dam 100 m away was 17.8 gal in the horizontal direction; this is much less than the designed earthquake‐resistance threshold of 125 gal for this dam. The energy for one shot of this airgun array is about 6.68 MJ, equivalent to firing a 1.7 kg explosive. The seismic waves generated by the airgun source were recorded by receivers of the regional seismic networks and a temporary wide‐angle reflection and refraction profile formed by 100 short‐period seismometers with the maximum source‐receiver offset of 206 km. The seismic wave signature at these long‐offset stations is equivalent to that generated by a traditional blast source in a borehole with a 1,000–2,000 kg explosive. Preliminary results showed clear seismic phases from refractions from the multi‐layer crustal structures in the north China region. Forward modelling using numerical simulation confirms that the seismic arrivals are indeed from lower crustal interfaces. The airgun source is efficient, economical, environmentally friendly and suitable for being used in urbanized areas. It has many advantages over an explosive source for seismotectonic studies such as the high repeatability that is supreme for stacking to improve signal qualities. The disadvantage is that the source is limited to existing lakes or reservoirs, which may restrict experimental geometry.
Merging active and passive data sets in traveltime tomography: The case study of Campi Flegrei caldera (Southern Italy)
Authors: Battaglia Jean , Zollo Aldo , Virieux Jean , Dello Iacono Dario 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTWe propose a strategy for merging both active and passive data sets in linearized tomographic inversion. We illustrate this in the reconstruction of 3D images of a complex volcanic structure, the Campi Flegrei caldera, located in the vicinity of the city of Naples, southern Italy. The caldera is occasionally the site of significant unrests characterized by large ground uplifts and seismicity. The P and S velocity models of the caldera structure are obtained by a tomographic inversion based on travel times recorded during two distinct experiments. The first data set is composed of 606 earthquakes recorded in 1984 and the second set is composed of recordings for 1528 shots produced during the SERAPIS experiment in 2001. The tomographic inversion is performed using an improved method based on an accurate finite‐difference traveltime computation and a simultaneous inversion of both velocity models and earthquake locations. In order to determine the adequate inversion parameters and relative data weighting factors, we perform massive synthetic simulations allowing one to merge the two types of data optimally. The proper merging provides high resolution velocity models, which allow one to reliably retrieve velocity anomalies over a large part of the tomography area. The obtained images confirm the presence of a high P velocity ring in the southern part of the bay of Pozzuoli and extends its trace inland as compared to previous results. This annular anomaly represents the buried trace of the rim of the Campi Flegrei caldera. Its shape at 1.5 km depth is in good agreement with the location of hydrothermalized lava inferred by gravimetric data modelling. The Vp/Vs model confirms the presence of two characteristic features. At about 1 km depth a very high Vp/Vs anomaly is observed below the town of Pozzuoli and is interpreted as due to the presence of rocks that contain fluids in the liquid phase. A low Vp/Vs body extending at about 3–4 km depth below a large part of the caldera is interpreted as the top of formations that are enriched in gas under supercritical conditions.
Depth and morphology of reflectors from the non‐linear inversion of arrival‐time and waveform semblance data. Part I: method and applications to synthetic data
Authors: Vassallo Maurizio , Zollo Aldo 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTWe propose a two‐dimensional, non‐linear method for the inversion of reflected/converted traveltimes and waveform semblance designed to obtain the location and morphology of seismic reflectors in a lateral heterogeneous medium and in any source‐to‐receiver acquisition lay‐out. This method uses a scheme of non‐linear optimization for the determination of the interface parameters where the calculation of the traveltimes is carried out using a finite‐difference solver of the Eikonal equation, assuming an a priori known background velocity model. For the search for the optimal interface model, we used a multiscale approach and the genetic algorithm global optimization technique. During the initial stages of inversion, we used the arrival times of the reflection phase to retrieve the interface model that is defined by a small number of parameters. In the successive steps, the inversion is based on the optimization of the semblance value determined along the calculated traveltime curves. Errors in the final model parameters and the criteria for the choice of the best‐fit model are also estimated from the shape of the semblance function in the model parameter space. The method is tested and validated on a synthetic dataset that simulates the acquisition of reflection data in a complex volcanic structure. This study shows that the proposed inversion approach is a valid tool for geophysical investigations in complex geological environments, in order to obtain the morphology and positions of embedded discontinuities.
Potential and limits of double‐difference tomographic methods
Authors: Got Jean‐Luc , Monteiller Vadim , Virieux Jean , Operto Stéphane 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTDouble‐difference tomographic methods use directly accurate time delays computed between similar signals. Such methods are designed to image very heterogeneous media, such as volcanoes or fault zones. In seismological applications, similar signals are recorded at a given station from earthquakes sharing similar and close‐by sources. In seismic exploration experiments, similar signals are often recorded at neighbouring receivers. After a brief presentation of the tomographic algorithm used, a seismological application is summarized. The potential and limits of double‐difference tomographic methods are explored using various numerical experiments. They show that two effects are competing in double‐difference tomography: (i) the degradation of the stability of the inversion due to the geometrical proximity of the rays used in the differentiation and (ii) the decrease in modelling error, which allows improving the stability of the inversion and using smaller quantities of a priori information when data are sufficiently accurate. The best resolution is obtained for an optimal value of the inter‐source or inter‐receiver distance. For optimal values of these distances and a priori information, tomography using traveltime differences provides significantly better resolved results than using traveltimes.