bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical validity of proliferating cell nuclear antigen as an objective marker for evaluating biologic features in patients with untreated prostate cancer
Authors: MIYAMOTO SHIGEHITO , ITO KAZUTO , KUROKAWA KOHEI , SUZUKI KAZUHIRO , SUZUKI KEIJI , YAMANAKA HIDETOSHI 
Published: July 2006

Background:  Although Gleason grading may be the most useful system for evaluating biological activity of untreated prostate cancer, lack of interobserver validity with Gleason scores (GS) is an unsolved issue. In this study, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index (PCNA LI) in untreated prostate cancer was investigated in order to clarify the usefulness of supplemental and objective markers for evaluating the biologic features of prostate cancer.Methods:  Sixty cases of prostate cancer were randomly selected from the cancer registry in Gunma University Hospital for this study. PCNA LI were evaluated using paraffin‐embedded biopsy cores taken at diagnosis. Correlation of PCNA LI with the Gleason grading system, clinical stage, serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels and age were evaluated. Cumulative rates of freedom from cause‐specific death were also evaluated stratified by various clinicopathologic features, including PCNA LI using Kaplan–Meier analysis.Results:  Proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index was significantly higher in patients with PSA levels over 100 ng/mL, advanced clinical stage (>T4, N1 or M1 disease), higher Gleason grade or with a higher GS than in those with other clinicopathologic features. The 5‐year cumulative rate of death from prostate cancer was significantly higher at 62% in patients with a PCNA LI of 20 or more than those with PCNA LI of less than 20, who accounted for 4%.Conclusions:  Proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index in combination with Gleason grading system may be of clinical value in evaluating biologic features and also in predicting cause specific survival of prostate cancer in an objective, reliable and reproducible manner.
Serum calcitonin gene‐related peptide levels in untreated prostate cancer patients
Authors: SUZUKI KAZUMI , KOBAYASHI YUTAKA , MORITA TATSUO 
Published: July 2006

Background:  The role of calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) in prostate cancer has not been fully understood. Moreover, the serum CGRP level in prostate cancer patients has never been reported. We measured the serum CGRP levels in untreated prostate cancer patients to elucidate its clinical significance.Materials and methods:  We used 36 serum samples from prostate cancer patients. All patients had never received any treatment. Serum CGRP was measured by immunoradiometric assay, and we analysed the association between serum CGRP level and clinicopathological factors.Results:  Serum CGRP levels in the patients with higher clinical stages and histological grade were significantly higher than in those with lower stages and grade, respectively. But the levels did not correlate with the patient’s age, liver or renal functions, serum prostate‐specific antigen levels.Conclusion:  Serum CGRP levels were significantly elevated in the patients with high grade or high stage untreated prostate cancer patients. Measurement of the serum CGRP may be a useful predictor of staging or grading of prostate cancer in the untreated prostate cancer patients.
Ontogeny of the electric organ discharge in two parapatric species of the dwarf stonebasher, Pollimyrus castelnaui and P. marianne (Mormyridae, Teleostei)
Authors: Baier Bernd , Lamml Michael , Kramer Bernd 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThis is the first description of the ontogenetic development of the electric organ discharge (EOD) in two parapatric mormyrid sibling species, Pollimyrus castelnaui (Boulenger, 1911) and P. marianne Kramer et al. 2003, from the first appearance during the early larval stages at about 0.7 cm total length to the fully developed adult discharge at about 3.0 cm total length. At around day 20 the biphasic larval discharge (which is similar to that of P. adspersus larvae) is followed by the emerging triphasic adult discharge with a delay of about 0.7 ms. Both discharge types coexist for about 3 weeks. As the development advances, the amplitude of the adult discharge increases rapidly while that of the larval discharge diminishes. Whereas the adult EOD waveform of P. marianne remains triphasic later in life, in P. castelnaui an ‘initial flourish’, in the form of additional small phases, is added and develops at an age of about 40 days, when larval and adult EOD are present. Possible evolutionary scenarios are discussed.
Flap endonuclease 1 is overexpressed in prostate cancer and is associated with a high Gleason score
Authors: LAM JOHN S. , SELIGSON DAVID B. , YU HONG , LI AI , EEVA MERVI , PANTUCK ALLAN J. , ZENG GANG , HORVATH STEVE , BELLDEGRUN ARIE S. 
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression and potential clinical usefulness of structure‐specific flap endonuclease 1 (FEN‐1) in human primary prostate cancer using tissue microarray technology, as FEN‐1 was recently identified to be overexpressed in CL1.1, the most aggressive clone generated from the hormone‐refractory prostate cancer cell line CL1.MATERIALS AND METHODSImmunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarrays constructed from paraffin‐embedded specimens of primary prostate cancer from 246 patients who had had a radical prostatectomy. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and normal prostate epithelium were represented on the array. FEN‐1 nuclear expression was scored based on the percentage of target cells staining positively, and correlated with Gleason score, preoperative prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level and pathological stage. The time to PSA recurrence was also analysed.RESULTSThe mean expression of FEN‐1 was significantly higher in cancer (36.7%) than in normal (13.2%), BPH (4.5%) and PIN (15.4%) specimens (P < 0.001). FEN‐1 expression was significantly correlated with Gleason score (ó = 0.23, P = 0.002). A higher preoperative serum PSA level (P = 0.015), Gleason score ≥ 7 (P < 0.001), seminal vesicle invasion (P < 0.001) and capsular involvement (P = 0.004) were associated with PSA recurrence, whereas FEN‐1 expression was not. In a multivariate analysis, only Gleason score ≥ 7 (P < 0.001), seminal vesicle invasion (P = 0.005) and capsular involvement (P = 0.009) were retained as independent predictors for PSA recurrence.CONCLUSIONSFEN‐1 is overexpressed in prostate cancer compared with matched normal prostate, and its expression increases with tumour dedifferentiation, as shown by increasing Gleason score. These results suggest that FEN‐1 might be a potential marker for selecting patients at high risk, and a potential target for prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Brachytherapy in men aged ≤ 54 years with clinically localized prostate cancer
Authors: MERRICK GREGORY S. , WALLNER KENT E. , BUTLER WAYNE M. , GALBREATH ROBERT W. , ALLEN ZACHARIAH A. , ADAMOVICH EDWARD , TRUE LAWRENCE 
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVETo report the biochemical progression‐free survival (BPFS) in hormone‐naive men aged ≤ 54 years who underwent brachytherapy with or without supplemental external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), as despite favourable biochemical control rates with brachytherapy, there remains a reluctance to recommend non‐extirpative approaches for young men with clinically localized prostate cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSFrom April 1995 to October 2002, 108 hormone‐naive patients aged ≤ 54 years (median 52 years, range 45–54) had permanent interstitial brachytherapy for clinical stage T1c‐T2c NXM0 (2002 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging) prostate cancer. No patient had a seminal vesicle biopsy or pathological lymph node staging. The mean (sd, median) follow‐up was 5.3 (1.8, 4.8) years. BPFS was defined by a prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level of ≤ 0.40 ng/mL after the nadir. Risk groups were assigned using the Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center criteria. Several clinical, treatment and dosimetric variables were evaluated for their effect on BPFS.RESULTSFor the entire group, the actuarial 8‐year BPFS was 96%; for low‐ (57 men), intermediate‐ (47) and high‐ (four) risk patients, the BPFS rates were 96%, 100% and three of four, respectively. For biochemically disease‐free patients, the median PSA level after treatment was 0.05 ng/mL. In a multivariate analysis, only pretreatment PSA level predicted biochemical control, while dosimetry variables after treatment were almost statistically significant.CONCLUSIONSHormone‐naive patients aged ≤ 54 years have a high probability of a good 8‐year BPFS after permanent interstitial brachytherapy with or without supplemental EBRT.
Seminal plasma magnesium and premature ejaculation: a case‐control study
Authors: ALOOSH MEHDI , HASSANI MOHAMMAD , NIKOOBAKHT MOHAMMADREZA 
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVETo determine the relationship between premature ejaculation (PE) and serum and seminal plasma magnesium levels, in a case‐control study.PATIENTS AND METHODSThirty‐eight patients referred to the authors’ urology outpatient clinic were evaluated in two groups; cases comprised 19 men complaining of PE, defined using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria and an intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of <1 min, and a control group of 19 married men with a normal IELT. All men had a history taken, a systemic physical examination and laboratory studies. After organic and psychogenic disorders were excluded, the 19 patients were included in the study. Seminal plasma and serum magnesium levels were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry.RESULTSThe mean (sd) plasma magnesium level was 94.7 (10.9) mg/L in the cases and 116.7 (11.6) mg/L in the controls. There was a significant relationship between seminal plasma magnesium, but not the plasma level, and PE (P < 0.001 and 0.597 respectively).CONCLUSIONPE is significantly related with a lower level of seminal plasma magnesium. The pathological physiology of this relationship requires more investigation.
Traffic Fatalities and Public Sector Corruption
Authors: Anbarci Nejat , Escaleras Monica , Register Charles 
Published: July 2006

SUMMARYTraffic accidents result in 1 million deaths annually worldwide, though the burden is disproportionately felt in poorer countries. Typically, fatality rates from disease and accidents fall as countries develop. Traffic deaths, however, regularly increase with income, at least up to a threshold level, before declining. While we confirm this by analyzing 1,356 country‐year observations between 1982 and 2000, our purpose is to consider the role played by public sector corruption in determining traffic fatalities. We find that such corruption, independent of income, plays a significant role in the epidemics of traffic fatalities that are common in relatively poor countries.
Institutional Quality and the Gains from Trade
Authors: Borrmann Axel , Busse Matthias , Neuhaus Silke 
Published: July 2006

SUMMARYWhile theoretical models suggest that trade is likely to increase productivity and income levels, the empirical evidence is rather mixed. For some countries, trade has a strong impact on growth, whereas for other countries there is no or even a negative linkage. We examine one likely prerequisite for a welfare increasing impact of trade, that is, the role of institutional quality. Using several model specifications, including an instrumental variable approach, we identify those aspects of institutional quality that matter most for the positive linkage between trade and growth. We find that, above all, labour market regulation is the key to reducing trade‐related adjustment costs. Market entry regulations, the efficiency of the tax system, the rule of law and government effectiveness do play a role too. In essence, the results demonstrate that countries with low‐quality institutions do not benefit from trade.
Do Foreign Investors Punish Democracy? Theory and Empirics, 1984–2001
Authors: Jakobsen Jo , De Soysa Indra 
Published: July 2006

SUMMARYSome claim that when level of property rights protection is controlled, democracy lowers foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing countries (Li and Resnick 2003). We critically examine the theoretical claims of the pessimistic arguments and show that FDI responds to preferences of countries and that democracies have a clear preference for FDI given that the scarce factor – capital – will find it harder under democracy to seek rents by raising barriers to entry. On the other hand, labor (the abundant factor in developing countries) should profit from lower barriers to capital importation. We demonstrate conclusively that the most prominent pessimistic result on democracy in the literature is simply an artefact of sample size and testing procedure. We establish robust evidence suggesting that developing country democracies actually receivehigherinflows of FDI, net of a number of control variables. Consistent with our view that host nations' attitudes are shaped by factor endowments, which in turn determine rent‐seeking, we demonstrate that governments controlled by ‘leftist’ political parties also receive more FDI than ‘centrist’ or ‘rightist’ governments among democracies. Why this should be true is not obvious from a theory based on property rights risk alone. An extended sample of LDCs and a better operationalization show that property rightsanddemocracy positively affect FDI. Our results suggest that globalization advances the fortunes of democracies in the developing world.
Economic evaluation of alternative management methods of first‐trimester miscarriage based on results from the MIST trial
Authors: Petrou S , Trinder J , Brocklehurst P , Smith L 
Published: July 2006

Objectives  To compare the cost‐effectiveness of alternative management methods of first‐trimester miscarriage.Design  Economic evaluation conducted alongside a large randomised controlled trial (the MIST trial).Setting  Early pregnancy assessment units of seven participating hospitals in southern England.Sample  A total of 1200 women with a confirmed pregnancy of less than 13 weeks of gestation with a diagnosis of incomplete miscarriage or missed miscarriage.Methods  Random allocation to expectant management, medical management or surgical management. Collection of health service and broader resource use data, unit costs for each resource item and clinical outcomes.Main outcome measures  Costs (£, 2001–02 prices) to the health service, social services, women, carers and wider society during the first 8 weeks postrandomisation. Cost‐effectiveness estimates, expressed in terms of incremental cost per gynaecological infection prevented; cost‐effectiveness acceptability curves presented at alternative willingness‐to‐pay thresholds for preventing gynaecological infection.Results  There was no significant difference in the incidence of gynaecological infection between groups. The net societal cost per woman was estimated at £1086.20 in the expectant group, £1410.40 in the medical group and £1585.30 in the surgical group. Expectant management had a 97.8% probability of being the most cost‐effective management method at a willingness‐to‐pay threshold of £10,000 for preventing one gynaecological infection, while medical management had a 2.2% probability of being the most cost‐effective management method. Expectant management retained the highest probability of being the most cost‐effective management method at all willingness‐to‐pay thresholds of less than £70,000 for preventing one gynaecological infection.Conclusions  Expectant and medical management of first‐trimester miscarriage possess significant economic advantages over traditional surgical management.
Birth outcomes and pregnancy complications in women with a history of anorexia nervosa
Authors: Ekéus C , Lindberg L , Lindblad F , Hjern A 
Published: July 2006

Objective  To examine birth outcomes and pregnancy complications in women with a history of anorexia nervosa.Design  Prospective cohort study.Setting  Nationwide study in Sweden.Population  All primiparous women—discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa during 1973 to 1996—who gave birth during 1983 to 2002 (n= 1000) were compared with all non‐anorexia nervosa primiparous women who gave birth during the same years (n= 827 582).Method  Register study with data from Medical Birth Registry and National Patient Discharge Register.Main outcome measures  Pre‐eclampsia, instrumental delivery, prematurity, small for gestational age, birthweight, Apgar score and perinatal mortality.Results  Main birth outcome measures in women with a history of anorexia nervosa were very similar to the main population. The only observed differences were a slightly lower mean birthweight and lower adjusted odds ratios for instrumental delivery in the anorexia nervosa group compared with the main population. Neither severity of the disease nor a shorter recovery phase after first hospitalisation was related to pregnancy complications or birth outcomes.Conclusion  A history of anorexia nervosa was not associated with negative birth outcomes. Thus, special obstetric monitoring of pregnant women with history of anorexia nervosa does not seem to be warranted in a country with a satisfactory maternity surveillance.
Cannabinoid receptors in human astroglial tumors
Authors: Held‐Feindt Janka , Dörner Lutz , Sahan Gülcan , Mehdorn H. Maximilian , Mentlein Rolf 
Published: July 2006

AbstractIn animal models, cannabinoids are reported to inhibit the growth of tumors, including gliomas. These effects have been claimed to be mediated via cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1, CB2). To elucidate a possible relevance for treatment of human gliomas, we investigated receptor subtype expression in surgical material of solid human astrocytomas, gliomas and cultivated glioma cells by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, western blot and immunohistochemistry and assayed their functionality. In normal brain, cultivated glioma cells and solid tumors, CB1 mRNA was expressed to a much greater extent than CB2, which in some samples was even undetectable. Expression of both receptor subtypes was unrelated to malignancy, varied between patients, and was not significantly increased in relation to normal brain tissues. In normal brain, CB1 protein was localized on astroglial and other cell types; in gliomas, it was found on astroglial/glioma cells. CB2 protein was detected on microglial cells/macrophages but rarely on astroglial cells. Functionally, CB1 receptor agonists reduced elevated cyclic AMP levels and slightly reduced proliferation of glioma cells in vitro, but did not induce apoptosis. We conclude that cannabinoid therapy of human gliomas targets not only receptors on tumor, but also on other cell types. Therefore, complex and potential side‐effects should be considered carefully.
Down‐regulation of vesicular glutamate transporters precedes cell loss and pathology in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Kirvell Sara L. , Esiri Margaret , Francis Paul T. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized pathologically by plaques, tangles, and cell and synapse loss. As glutamate is the principle excitatory neurotransmitter of the CNS, the glutamatergic system may play an important role in AD. An essential step in glutamate neurotransmission is the concentration of glutamate into synaptic vesicles before release from the presynaptic terminal. Recently a group of proteins responsible for uptake has been identified – the vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs). The generation of antibodies has facilitated the study of glutamatergic neurones. Here, we used antibodies to the VGLUTs together with immunohistochemistry and western blotting to investigate the status of glutamatergic neurones in temporal, parietal and occipital cortices of patients with AD; these regions were chosen to represent severely, moderately and mildly affected regions at the end stage of the disease. There was no change in expression of the synaptic markers in relation to total protein in the temporal cortex, but a significant reduction in synaptophysin and VGLUT1 was found in both the parietal and occipital cortices. These changes were found to relate to the number of tangles in the temporal cortex. There were no correlations with either mental test score or behaviour syndromes, with the exception of depression.
Altered signaling pathways underlying abnormal hippocampal synaptic plasticity in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome
Authors: Siarey Richard J. , Kline‐Burgess Angelina , Cho Madelaine , Balbo Andrea , Best Tyler K. , Harashima Chie , Klann Eric , Galdzicki Zygmunt 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome (DS) has an extra segment of chromosome (Chr.) 16 exhibits abnormal behavior, synaptic plasticity and altered function of several signaling molecules. We have further investigated signaling pathways that may be responsible for the impaired hippocampal plasticity in the Ts65Dn mouse. Here we report that calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt, extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC), all of which have been shown to be involved in synaptic plasticity, are altered in the Ts65Dn hippocampus. We found that the phosphorylation of CaMKII and protein kinase Akt was increased, whereas ERK was decreased. Activities of PKA and PKC were decreased. Furthermore, abnormal PKC activity and an absence of the increase in Akt phosphorylation were demonstrated in the Ts65Dn hippocampus after high‐frequency stimulation that induces long‐term potentiation. Our findings suggest that abnormal synaptic plasticity in the Ts65Dn hippocampus is the result of compensatory alterations involving the glutamate receptor subunit GluR1 in either one or more of these signaling cascades caused by the expression of genes located on the extra segment of Chr. 16.
Unconventional neuroprotection against Ca2+‐dependent insults by metalloporphyrin catalytic antioxidants
Authors: Tauskela Joseph S. , Brunette Eric , Kiedrowski Lech , Lortie Karine , Hewitt Melissa , Morley Paul 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe evaluated whether both inert and catalytically active metalloporphyrin antioxidants,meso‐substituted with either phenyl‐based orN‐alkylpyridinium‐based groups, suppress Ca2+‐dependent neurotoxicity in cell culture models of relevance to cerebral ischemia. Representatives from both metalloporphyrin classes, regardless of antioxidant strength, protected cultured cortical neurons or PC‐12 cultures against the Ca2+ionophores ionomycin or A23187, by suppressing neurotoxic Ca2+influx. Some metalloporphyrins suppressed excitotoxic Ca2+influx indirectly induced by the Ca2+ionophores in cortical neurons. Metalloporphyrins did not quench intracellular fluorescence, suggesting localization to the plasma membrane interface and/or interference with Ca2+ionophores. Metalloporphyrins suppressed ionomycin‐induced Mn2+influx, but did not protect cortical neurons against pyrithione, a Zn2+ionophore. In other Ca2+‐dependent paradigms, Ca2+influx via plasma membrane depolarization, but not through reversal of plasmalemmal Na+/Ca2+exchangers, was modestly suppressed by MnIIImeso‐tetrakis(4‐benzoic acid)porphyrin (MnIIITBAP) or by an inert analog, ZnIITBAP. MnIIITBAP and ZnIITBAP potently protected cortical neurons against long‐duration oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD), performed in the presence of antagonists of NMDA, α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate and L‐type voltage‐gated Ca2+channels, raising the possibility of an unconventional mode of blockade of transient receptor protein melastatin 7 channels by a metalloTBAP family of metalloporphyrins. The present study extends the range of Ca2+‐dependent insults for which metalloporphyrins demonstrate unconventional neuroprotection. MetalloTBAPs appear capable of targeting an OGD temporal continuum.