bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Subcision in acne scar with and without subdermal implant: a clinical trial
Authors: Balighi K , Robati RM , Moslehi H , Robati AM 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackground  Subcision is a procedure that has been reported to be beneficial in treatment of acne scars.Objective  This stady aims to assess the efficacy of subcision in the treatment of rolling acne scars and evaluate a novel subdermal filler ‘absorbable plain catgut suture’ with subcision.Methods  Twenty‐two patients with rolling acne scars underwent subcision, 20 of whom completed treatment and follow‐up period. One side of the face underwent subcision and another side subcision with subdermal implant. The patients and investigators’ assessment of improvement were both recorded.Results  Subcision showed mild improvement in about 60% of patient and moderate improvement in about 40% of them. The rate of response showed no significant difference with the use of subdermal implant. The side‐effects of local oedema, bruising and infection were all transient.Conclusions  Subcision seems to be a safe method to correct the rolling acne scars with long‐term improvement. However, the subdermal implant led to no significant superior results.
Increased mechanosensitivity and nuclear stiffness in Hutchinson–Gilford progeria cells: effects of farnesyltransferase inhibitors
Authors: Verstraeten Valerie L. R. M. , Ji Julie Y. , Cummings Kiersten S. , Lee Richard T. , Lammerding Jan 
Published: March 2008

SummaryHutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), reportedly a model for normal aging, is a genetic disorder in children marked by dramatic signs suggestive for premature aging. It is usually caused by de novo mutations in the nuclear envelope protein lamin A. Lamins are essential to maintaining nuclear integrity, and loss of lamin A/C results in increased cellular sensitivity to mechanical strain and defective mechanotransduction signaling. Since increased mechanical sensitivity in vascular cells could contribute to loss of smooth muscle cells and the development of arteriosclerosis – the leading cause of death in HGPS patients – we investigated the effect of mechanical stress on cells from HGPS patients. We found that skin fibroblasts from HGPS patients developed progressively stiffer nuclei with increasing passage number. Importantly, fibroblasts from HGPS patients had decreased viability and increased apoptosis under repetitive mechanical strain, as well as attenuated wound healing, and these defects preceded changes in nuclear stiffness. Treating fibroblasts with farnesyltransferase inhibitors restored nuclear stiffness in HGPS cells and accelerated the wound healing response in HGPS and healthy control cells by increasing the directional persistence of migrating cells. However, farnesyltransferase inhibitors did not improve cellular sensitivity to mechanical strain. These data suggest that increased mechanical sensitivity in HGPS cells is unrelated to changes in nuclear stiffness and that increased biomechanical sensitivity could provide a potential mechanism for the progressive loss of vascular smooth muscle cells under physiological strain in HGPS patients.
Separating the left cardiac ventricle from the atrium in short axis MR images using the equation of the atrioventricular plane
Authors: Thunberg Per , Emilsson Kent , Rask Peter , Kähäri Anders 
Published: March 2008

SummaryShort axis (SA) images obtained from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging are used to advantage in the calculation of important clinical parameters such as the ejection fraction and stroke volume (SV). A prerequisite for these calculations is the separation of the left ventricle and the left atrium. When only using the information seen in the SA images this separation can be a source of error due to the through‐plane motion of the basal part of the left ventricle.In this study a method is proposed where the separation of the left ventricle and the atrium is performed by identifying the intersections of the atrioventricular plane in the SA images. The equation of the atrioventricular plane was determined in both systole and diastole using long axis and four chamber image views. Stroke volumes were measured in 20 patients using SA images where the endocardium had been delineated. The SV obtained using the new method was compared with quantitative flow measurements and the conventional technique for calculation of SV from SA images, respectively. The agreement of SV was, according to Bland–Altman analysis, 2·0 ml (95% CI −12·0 to 15·9 ml) in comparison with the flow measurements and 2·2 ml (95% CI −9·2 to 13·6 ml) compared to the conventional method. Inter‐ and intra‐observer variability, when using the new proposed method, was small. This study shows that the identification of the left atrioventricular plane in SA images can be used in the separation of the left atrium and ventricle.
Restoration Ecology and Invasive Riparian Plants: An Introduction to the Special Section on Tamarix spp. in Western North America
Authors: Shafroth Patrick B. , Briggs Mark K. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract River systems around the world are subject to various perturbations, including the colonization and spread of non‐native species in riparian zones. Riparian resource managers are commonly engaged in efforts to control problematic non‐native species and restore native habitats. In western North America, small Eurasian trees or shrubs in the genus Tamarix occupy hundreds of thousands of hectares of riparian lands, and are the targets of substantial and costly control efforts and associated restoration activities. Still, significant information gaps exist regarding approaches used in control and restoration efforts and their effects on riparian ecosystems. In this special section of papers, eight articles address various aspects of control and restoration associated with Tamarix spp. These include articles focused on planning restoration and revegetation; a synthetic analysis of past restoration efforts; and several specific research endeavors examining plant responses, water use, and various wildlife responses (including birds, butterflies, and lizards). These articles represent important additions to the Tamarix spp. literature and contain many lessons and insights that should be transferable to other analogous situations in river systems globally.
Reduced serum level of THDOC, an anticonvulsant steroid, in women with perimenstrual catamenial epilepsy
Authors: Tuveri Antonella , Paoletti Anna Maria , Orrù Marisa , Melis Gian Benedetto B. , Marotto Maria Francesca , Zedda Pierina , Marrosu Francesco , Sogliano Cristiana , Marra Carla , Biggio Giovanni , Concas Alessandra 
Published: March 2008

Summary
Purpose: Seizure exacerbation in catamenial epilepsy (CE) is associated with the decrease in progesterone secretion and increase in estradiol secretion during the premenstrual period. Moreover, experimental evidence suggests that tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC), a positive modulator of the type A receptor for γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), a negative modulator of this receptor, might play a crucial role in modulating seizure frequency during the menstrual cycle. Following these studies it seems of interest to investigate possible variations, among other hormonal parameters, of THDOC and DHEAS in CE patients.
Methods: The serum concentrations of progesterone (P4), pregnenolone, allopregnanolone (AP), THDOC, DHEAS, cortisol, and DHEAS/cortisol ratio were measured throughout the menstrual cycle at the 7th, 11th, 15th, 19th, 23rd, and 27th day from the onset of spontaneous menstrual blood loss in young premenopausal women with CE (n = 17) and age‐matched controls (n = 13).
Results: At each time of the study, the serum concentration of THDOC and the DHEAS/cortisol ratio were lower (p < 0.05) in women with CE than in control women. The concentrations of P4, pregnenolone, and AP did not differ between the two groups of subjects.
Conclusions: The reduced serum concentration of THDOC and the reduced DHEAS/cortisol ratio detected throughout the menstrual cycle in women with CE might play a role in CE. Moreover, the peculiar pattern of CE seizure exacerbation might suggest that these neuroendocrine variations are worth investigating in other epileptic syndromes, particularly in those characterized by relevant and uncontrolled variations in seizure frequency.
Prenatal freeze lesioning produces epileptogenic focal cortical dysplasia
Authors: Takase Kei‐ichiro , Shigeto Hiroshi , Suzuki Satoshi O. , Kikuchi Hitoshi , Ohyagi Yasumasa , Kira Jun‐ichi 
Published: March 2008

Summary
Purpose: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is thought to be an important cause of intractable epilepsy. However, its epileptogenicity remains unclear. Therefore, we created a novel rat model by freeze lesioning during the late embryonic stage to verify whether FCD influences seizure activities.
Methods: At 18 days postconception, a frozen probe was placed on the left scalp of a Sprague–Dawley rat embryo through the uterus wall. For 40 consecutive days from postnatal day 38 (P38), electrical kindling stimulation was applied to the frontal lobes of male rat pups. Afterdischarges (ADs) were measured in both the cortex and hippocampus. Brain tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry.
Results: All brains from prenatally freeze‐lesioned rats displayed severe disorganization of the cortical layers with randomly oriented dendrites/axons. In addition, heterotopic cortices were observed in 42.1% of cases. ADs in the cortex and hippocampus were significantly prolonged in freeze‐lesioned rats compared with those in sham‐operated and control rats. FCD rats also revealed early development of hippocampal kindling and spontaneous cortico‐hippocampal spikes, even in the chronic EEG recordings. Immunoreactivities for N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit 2B and glutamate/aspartate transporter in the lesions were significantly enhanced compared with the nonlesioned side, even in the absence of electrical stimulation. After electrical stimulation, NMDAR1 and 2B were markedly upregulated not only in the FCD, but also in the hippocampus.
Conclusions: Prenatal freeze lesioning of the brain produces a severe neuronal migration disorder, closely mimicking human FCD. Our model suggests that FCD is associated with vulnerability to epilepsy, and may augment hippocampal epileptogenicity.
Employer Health Insurance Mandates and the Risk of Unemployment
Authors: Baicker Katherine , Levy Helen 
Published: March 2008

AbstractEmployer health insurance mandates form the basis of many health care reform proposals. Proponents make the case that they will increase insurance, while opponents raise the concern that low‐wage workers will see offsetting reductions in their wages and that in the presence of minimum wage laws some of the lowest wage workers will become unemployed. We construct an estimate of the number of workers whose wages are so close to the minimum wage that they cannot be lowered to absorb the cost of health insurance, using detailed data on wages, health insurance, and demographics from the Current Population Survey (CPS). We find that 33 percent of uninsured workers earn within $3 of the minimum wage, putting them at risk of unemployment if their employers were required to offer insurance. Assuming an elasticity of employment with respect to minimum wage increase of ‐0.10, we estimate that 0.2 percent of all full‐time workers and 1.4 percent of uninsured full‐time workers would lose their jobs because of a health insurance mandate. Workers who would lose their jobs are disproportionately likely to be high school dropouts, minority, and female. This risk of unemployment should be a crucial component in the evaluation of both the effectiveness and distributional implications of these policies relative to alternatives such as tax credits, Medicaid expansions, and individual mandates, and their broader effects on the well‐being of low‐wage workers.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Th1 and Th2 in Human IVF Pregnancy with Allogenic Fetus
Authors: Chernyshov Victor P. , Tumanova Larisa E. , Sudoma Irina A. , Bannikov Vladimir I. 
Published: March 2008

Problem  Positive obstetric outcome of allogenic in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies makes interesting the subject of additional regulatory mechanisms after oocyte donation.Method of study  Eighty eight women: 23 donation of oocytes (DO), 33 IVF, 32 natural conception (NC) were studied in first trimester of pregnancy. Intracellular production of cytokines and chemokine receptors expression were studied by flow cytometry.Results  Intracellular production of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), interleukin (IL)‐4, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha by CD4 T lymphocytes in DO women was higher than in IVF and NC women. Ratio IFN‐γ/IL‐4 in DO was lower than in IVF. We found higher expression of chemokine receptor CCR4 but not CXCR3 on CD4 T cells in DO compared with IVF and NC. Ratio CXCR3/CCR4 in DO was lower than in NC.Conclusion  Hyperactivation of T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) by allogenic fetus is specific for DO pregnancy. Preferable activation of Th2 and relative suppression of Th1 chemokine expression reflect additional regulatory counteractive mechanism(s).
Nitric Oxide Synthesis Leads to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Synthesis via the NO/Cyclic Guanosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate (cGMP) Pathway in Human Corpus Cavernosal Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Komori Kazuhiko , Tsujimura Akira , Takao Tetsuya , Matsuoka Yasuhiro , Miyagawa Yasushi , Takada Shingo , Nonomura Norio , Okuyama Akihiko 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Vascular smooth muscle cells express endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and produce nitric oxide (NO). Recently, increased NO production has been reported to induce the synthesis and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) via the NO/cyclic guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cGMP) pathway. L-arginine (L-arg), the precursor of NO, and selective phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors that increase levels of intracellular cGMP may complementarily enhance VEGF synthesis in corpus cavernosal smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs), and may consequently restore impaired endothelial function. Expression of eNOS in corpus cavernosal smooth muscle has also been reported. However, it is unclear whether CCSMCs can generate NO.

Aim
To elucidate whether CCSMCs can synthesize NO and whether NO synthesis enhances VEGF synthesis via the NO/cGMP pathway.

Methods
Corpus cavernosal cells were cultured and characterized by immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting. CCSMCs were treated with L-arg. CCSMCs were also incubated with L-arg and with vardenafil, an inhibitor of PDE-5.

Main Outcome Measures
Release of NO from cells was confirmed by assay of NO metabolites (NOx). Intracellular cGMP concentration and VEGF concentration in the medium were measured.

Results
Isolated cells were determined to be CCSMCs. The expression of eNOS by CCSMCs was also identified. NOx and cGMP levels in the L-arg-treated group were significantly greater than those in the control group. VEGF and cGMP levels in the L-arg-treated group were also significantly greater than those in the control group. VEGF and cGMP levels in the L-arg+vardenafil-treated group were significantly greater than those in the L-arg-treated group and the control group.

Conclusions
CCSMCs express eNOS and synthesize NO. NO synthesis leads to enhancement of VEGF synthesis via the NO/cGMP pathway. Combined L-arg and vardenafil treatment, which can enhance VEGF production, may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction as well as endothelial dysfunction in general.
Assessment of Sexual Health in Aging Men in Europe: Development and Validation of the European Male Ageing Study Sexual Function Questionnaire
Authors: O'Connor Daryl B. , Corona Giovanni , Forti Gianni , Tajar Abdelouahid , Lee David M. , Finn Joseph D. , Bartfai Gyorgy , Boonen Steven , Casanueva Felipe F. , Giwercman Aleksander , Huhtaniemi Ilpo T. , Kula Krzysztof , O'Neill Terence W. , Pendleton Neil , Punab Margus , Silman Alan J. , Vanderschueren Dirk , Wu Frederick C.W. , European Male Ageing Study group  
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Introduction
Assessment of male sexual dysfunction has been the focus of substantial scientific effort. Less research has focused on the development of instruments for the measurement of sexual functioning in aging men.

Aims
The aims of this study were: (i) to characterize the psychometric properties of a new brief, reliable, and valid measure of male sexual functioning for use in a large population survey of middle-aged and elderly European men; and (ii) specifically, to determine whether the new instrument, the European Male Ageing Study–sexual function questionnaire (EMAS–SFQ), discriminates between men with high and low levels of circulating testosterone (T) (total T, free T, and bioavailable T).

Method
One thousand six hundred men aged 40–79 years completed the self-administered EMAS–SFQ, the Beck depression inventory, and provided a blood sample for assessment of sex hormones. Eighty-five men aged 35–74 years completed the EMAS–SFQ twice, 2 weeks apart to examine the test–retest reliability of the instrument.

Main Outcome Measures
Scores on the EMAS–SFQ in relation to age and T levels.

Results
Principal component analysis showed that the EMAS–SFQ had four distinct domains (overall sexual functioning [OSF], masturbation, sexual functioning-related distress, and change in sexual functioning). The instrument demonstrated excellent internal and test–retest reliability, as well as convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity. Men with the lowest levels of total, free, and bioavailable T reported lower OSF scores compared to men with the highest T levels.

Conclusions
The EMAS–SFQ is a valid and reproducible instrument, sensitive to age and T levels. It should be suitable for the assessment of sexual health in population samples of men in epidemiological studies of aging.
Strain Differences in Susceptibility to In Vivo Erectile Dysfunction Following 6 weeks of Induced Hyperglycemia in the Mouse
Authors: Chitaley Kanchan , Luttrell Ian 
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Introduction
With the large-scale availability of transgenic and knockout mouse models, the use of mice may greatly facilitate the examination of the mechanisms underlying diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED). Although in vitro studies of the mouse cavernosum show impairment of vasoreactivity, to date, no studies have demonstrated the in vivo impairment of erectile function in diabetic mice.

Aim
To establish whether mouse models of type I diabetes exhibit in vivo ED.

Methods
Hyperglycemia was induced by injection with streptozotocin (STZ, 125 mg/kg × 2 days) in two mouse strains, C57BLKS (BKS) and BALB/c. Six weeks after injection, the cavernosum was removed from some mice for the in vitro assessment of the endothelium and nerve-mediated dilatory responses of the cavernosal strips. The in vivo assessment of intracorporal pressure normalized to mean arterial pressure, in response to the electrical stimulation of the cavernosal nerve, was performed in the remaining mice.

Main Outcome Measures
The main outcome measure of this study was the in vivo assessment of erectile function following diabetic induction in mice.

Results
Despite similar levels of sustained hyperglycemia following STZ injection, the phenotype of diabetic ED was observed only in BKS and not BALB/c mice. The cavernosum from diabetic BKS mice showed decreased endothelium-dependent dilation in response to acetylcholine (ACh), as well as impaired parasympathetic nerve-mediated relaxation. There was no change in ACh or nerve-mediated relaxation in the cavernousum from diabetic vs. control BALB/c mice. Further, in vivo physiologic assessment of erectile activity revealed a significant decrease in erectile function in diabetic BKS but not in BALB/c mice.

Conclusion
Together these data first established in vivo ED in a mouse model of type I diabetes (BKS mouse) and importantly demonstrated that certain inbred strains may be protected from hyperglycemia-induced erectile impairment. Further study of the strain-dependent effects may offer important clues into the mechanisms of ED as it relates to type I diabetes.
The Use of Old and Recent DSM Definitions of Premature Ejaculation in Observational Studies: A Contribution to the Present Debate for a New Classification of PE in the DSM-V
Authors: Waldinger Marcel D. , Schweitzer Dave H. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Introduction
The DSM-III definition of premature ejaculation (PE) contains the criterion “control” but not that of “ejaculation time.” In contrast, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition, Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR) contains the criterion “short ejaculation time,” while it lacks “control.”

Aim
To review the adequacy and consequent use of all criteria of the DSM-IV-TR definition in previously published PE Internet surveys.

Methods
Reviewing all published cohort studies on PE from 2004 to 2007. MEDLINE and EMBASE computer bibliographies were used.

Main Outcome Measure
Definitions of DSM-III, DSM-IV-TR, and International Classification of Diseases.

Results
Five papers, of which three are original studies, reported inclusion of men with PE according to DSM-IV-TR definition but omitted to apply the required “short ejaculation time” criterion. These studies, which have defined PE according to subjective criteria such as control, actually referred to the DSM-III definition. Using DSM-III-like definitions in three different studies revealed a highly variable prevalence of PE (32.5%, 27.6%, and 13.0%). In contrast, based on studies using a 1-minute cutoff point, being the time that is required to call ejaculation time “short” or using the criterion “persistent occurrence,” PE revealed to be far less prevalent (5–6%).

Conclusions
Unacceptable discrepancies of PE definitions according to DSM-III (abandoned but still used) and DSM-IV-TR argue strongly in favor of a multidimensional new classification of PE for the DSM-V.
Demographic and Psychosocial Features of Participants in Bondage and Discipline, “Sadomasochism” or Dominance and Submission (BDSM): Data from a National Survey
Authors: Richters Juliet , De Visser Richard O. , Rissel Chris E. , Grulich Andrew E. , Smith Anthony M.A. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTIntroductionPeople with sexual interests in bondage and discipline, “sadomasochism” or dominance and submission (BDSM) have been seen by many professionals as damaged or dangerous.AimTo examine sexual behavior correlates of involvement in BDSM and test the hypothesis that BDSM is practiced by people with a history of sexual coercion, sexual difficulties, and/or psychological problems.MethodsIn Australia in 2001–2002, a representative sample of 19,307 respondents aged 16–59 years was interviewed by telephone. Weighted data analysis used univariate logistic regression.Main Outcome MeasuresSelf-reported demographic and psychosocial factors; sexual behavior and identity; sexual difficulties.ResultsIn total, 1.8% of sexually active people (2.2% of men, 1.3% of women) said they had been involved in BDSM in the previous year. This was more common among gay/lesbian and bisexual people. People who had engaged in BDSM were more likely to have experienced oral sex and/or anal sex, to have had more than one partner in the past year, to have had sex with someone other than their regular partner, and to have: taken part in phone sex, visited an Internet sex site, viewed an X-rated (pornographic) film or video, used a sex toy, had group sex, or taken part in manual stimulation of the anus, fisting or rimming. However, they were no more likely to have been coerced into sexual activity, and were not significantly more likely to be unhappy or anxious—indeed, men who had engaged in BDSM scored significantly lower on a scale of psychological distress than other men. Engagement in BDSM was not significantly related to any sexual difficulties.ConclusionOur findings support the idea that BDSM is simply a sexual interest or subculture attractive to a minority, and for most participants not a pathological symptom of past abuse or difficulty with “normal” sex.