bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systematic review of early vs deferred hormonal treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Boustead Gregory , Edwards Steven J. 
Published: March 2007

OBJECTIVETo compare the effectiveness of hormonal treatment (luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone agonists and/or antiandrogens) as an early or as a deferred intervention for patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (LAPC), as radiotherapy is currently the standard treatment for LAPC, with hormonal treatment considered a reserve option.METHODSWe systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in patients with LAPC treated with standard care (radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, and/or watchful waiting) or standard care plus hormonal treatment. Outcomes assessed were mortality and objective disease progression. The meta‐analysis used a fixed‐effects model.RESULTSOf the 108 trials identified, seven met the inclusion criteria and were of sufficient quality to be included in the analysis. Early intervention with hormonal treatment significantly reduced all‐cause mortality compared with deferred treatment (relative risk, RR, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.82–0.91; P < 0.001). Similarly, early vs deferred use of hormonal treatment significantly reduced: prostate cancer‐ specific mortality (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.65–0.79); overall progression (RR 0.74; 0.69–0.78); local progression (RR 0.65; 0.57–0.73); and distant progression (RR 0.67; 0.61–0.74; all P < 0.001). Results were robust to changes in inclusion/exclusion criteria and use of a random‐effects model for the meta‐analyses. Heterogeneity and publication bias had no significant effect on the analyses.CONCLUSIONSEarly intervention with hormonal treatment for patients with LAPC provides significantly lower mortality and objective disease progression than deferring their use until standard care has failed.
Potential environmental determinants of physical activity in adults: a systematic review
Authors: Wendel‐Vos W. , Droomers M. , Kremers S. , Brug J. , Van Lenthe F. 
Published: March 2007

SummaryThe objective of this systematic review of observational studies was to gain insight into potential determinants of various types and intensities of physical activity among adult men and women. Studies were retrieved from Medline, PsycInfo, Embase and Social scisearch. The ANGELO framework was used to classify environmental factors. In total, 47 publications were identified. Social support and having a companion for physical activity were found to be convincingly associated with different types of physical activity [(neighbourhood) walking, bicycling, vigorous physical activity/sports, active commuting, leisure‐time physical activity in general, sedentary lifestyle, moderately intense physical activity and a combination of moderately intense and vigorous activity]. Availability of physical activity equipment was convincingly associated with vigorous physical activity/sports and connectivity of trails with active commuting. Other possible, but less consistent correlates of physical activity were availability, accessibility and convenience of recreational facilities. No evidence was found for differences between men and women. In conclusion, supportive evidence was found for only very few presumed environmental determinants. However, most studies used cross‐sectional designs and non‐validated measures of environments and/or behaviour. Therefore, no strong conclusions can be drawn and more research of better quality is clearly needed.
Comparison of Demodex folliculorum density in haemodialysis patients with a control group
Authors: Yagdiran Düzgün O , Aytekin S 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBackground  Demodex folliculorum (DF) is resident in human pilosebaceous follicles. Mite density is low in healthy skin. Many cases of demodicosis in association with immunosuppression have been reported. Patients undergoing haemodialysis are also immunosuppressed.Objective  We aimed to compare the Demodex folliculorum density in haemodialysis patients and healthy subjects.Methods  Mite density of 87 patients undergoing haemodialysis was compared with that of age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Two samples of standardized skin surface biopsies were taken from each subject from the forehead, cheek and nose. The number of mites counted on the surface area of 1 cm2 was accepted as the density of DF. The length and width of mites were measured by oculometer.Results  DF density was found in 17 (19.54%) of the 87 dialysis patients and in 9 (10.34%) of 87 controls. A mean mite density of 5.11 ± 5.65 was found in dialysis patients and of 2.55 ± 1.6 in controls. Differences between the two groups in mite density were not statistically significant (P = 0.13). There was also no significant difference in mite length between the two groups (P = 0.06). There was, however, a significant difference in mite width (P = 0.018).Conclusion  Despite the presence of sebaceous gland atrophy in haemodialysis patients, the higher density of DF in these patients than controls supports the supposition that this mite can increase immunosuppression.
The German Democratic Republic: State Power and Everyday Life
Authors: Witkowski Gregory 
Published: March 2007

AbstractScholars continue to debate the relationship of state and society in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) over fifteen years after the demise of that communist state. After briefly tracing the western historiography during the Cold War, this article concentrates its analysis on conceptual frameworks employed after the fall of the East German regime. Historians who emphasize the totalitarian power of the state argue that no independent society existed as the regime played an important role in all sectors of society, while those who focus on everyday life declare there was more individual agency in the former GDR. I argue that a more useful paradigm than state and society may be a breakdown between center and periphery as at the local level, state representatives often had more in common with their neighbors than with leaders in Berlin.
Utility of Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry for the Diagnosis of Palpitations, Presyncope, Syncope, and the Assessment of Therapy Efficacy
Authors: OLSON JEFFREY A. , FOUTS ANDREW M. , PADANILAM BENZY J. , PRYSTOWSKY ERIC N. 
Published: March 2007

Introduction: Continuous mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry (MCOT) may have several advantages over traditional ambulatory monitoring systems in the diagnostic evaluation of symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, and syncope. However, only limited published data are available showing its advantages. Methods and Results: We reviewed the records of 122 consecutive patients evaluated using MCOT for palpitations, presyncope/syncope, or to monitor the efficacy of a specific antiarrhythmic therapy. Ten of 17 patients (59%) studied for presyncope/syncope had a diagnosis made with MCOT. Eight of these 17 patients had a previous negative evaluation for presyncope/syncope and five had an event correlated with the heart rhythm during the monitoring period. Nineteen patients monitored for palpitations or presyncope/syncope were asymptomatic during monitoring but had a prespecified arrhythmia detected. When MCOT was used as the first ambulatory monitoring system to evaluate palpitations (n = 18), 73% of patients correlated their symptoms with the underlying cardiac rhythm. Seven of 21 patients monitored for medication titration had dosage adjustments during outpatient monitoring. Conclusions: MCOT can detect asymptomatic clinically significant arrhythmias, and was especially useful to identify the cause of presyncope/syncope, even in patients with a previous negative workup. This outpatient monitoring system allows patients to undergo daily medication dose titration in the outpatient setting, thus avoiding hospitalization.
Electrophysiologic Manifestations of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias Provoking Appropriate Defibrillator Interventions in High‐Risk Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: CHA YONG‐MEI , GERSH BERNARD J. , MARON BARRY J. , BORIANI GIUSEPPE , SPIRITO PAOLO , HODGE DAVID O. , WEIVODA PEGGY L. , TRUSTY JANE M. , FRIEDMAN PAUL A. , HAMMILL STEPHEN C. , REA ROBERT F. , SHEN WIN‐KUANG 
Published: March 2007

Introduction: Our objective was to determine features of ventricular tachyarrhythmias triggering appropriate implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) interventions in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods and Results: The study cohort was 68 high‐risk HCM patients who received ICDs for primary sudden cardiac death prevention from 1995 to 2003. All episodes of sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias identified by stored intracardiac electrograms were analyzed. Nine patients had 51 episodes of sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmic events that required device therapy (mean follow‐up, 3.4 ± 2.2 years; cumulative event rate, 3.2% per year): five had 47 episodes of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT); four each had one episode of ventricular fibrillation (VF). Sinus tachycardia or atrial fibrillation was the initiating rhythm in five of nine patients and in 43 of 51 episodes of events. Of the 17 episodes of monomorphic VT detected in the VT zone, 16 (94%) were terminated by antitachycardia pacing. Thirty episodes of monomorphic VT were detected in the VF zone and were terminated by defibrillation. Conclusion: Sustained monomorphic VT is common in a high‐risk cohort with HCM. Sinus tachycardia is often the initiating rhythm, suggesting that high sympathetic drive may be proarrhythmic when a susceptible substrate is present. Antitachycardia pacing is highly effective in terminating VT in this patient population.
Laser Lead Extraction in Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: KHAIRY PAUL , ROUX JEAN‐FRANÇOIS , DUBUC MARC , THIBAULT BERNARD , GUERRA PETER G. , MACLE LAURENT , MERCIER LISE‐ANDRÉE , DORE ANNIE , ROY DENIS , TALAJIC MARIO , PAGÉ PIERRE 
Published: March 2007

Background: In adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), lead extraction procedures are expected to parallel increasing transvenous pacemaker and defibrillator implantations. We sought to assess the safety and feasibility of laser lead extraction in ACHD. Methods and Results: All laser lead extractions (Spectranectics, Colorado Springs, CO, USA) performed at the Montreal Heart Institute between September 2000 and August 2005 were prospectively registered. Efficacy and complications in patients with ACHD were compared to the larger cohort. Laser lead extraction was attempted on 270 leads in 175 patients. In ACHD, 23 (five atrial, 15 ventricular pacing, and three defibrillator) leads were targeted in 16 patients. Indications were: infection 44%, dysfunction 25%, upgrade 25%, and pain 6%. Patients with ACHD were younger (43.0 ± 13.5 vs 63.7 ± 14.7 years, P < 0.0001) and had a higher proportion of active fixation leads (74% vs 37%, P = 0.0013). Lead age in patients with and without ACHD was 9.0 ± 5.2 vs 7.7 ± 5.2 years (P = 0.2713). Overall, 21 of 23 leads (91%) were successfully extracted in ACHD compared with 220 of 247 leads (89%) (P = 0.7405). One major complication (6.3%) occurred in ACHD (tricuspid valve laceration) compared with five major (3.0%) and eight minor (5.0%) complications in patients without ACHD. Presence of ACHD did not modulate procedural success (OR 1.3, 95% CI [0.3, 5.8]) or complications (OR 1.0, 95% CI [0.2, 4.4]). Median procedural time was 27 minutes longer in ACHD (127 vs 100 minutes, P = 0.0595). Conclusion: In selected patients with ACHD, laser lead extraction may be performed with a safety and efficacy profile comparable to patients without ACHD.
Magnetic Navigation in Left‐Sided AV Reentrant Tachycardias: Preliminary Results of a Retrograde Approach
Authors: THORNTON ANDREW S. , RIVERO‐AYERZA MAXIMO , KNOPS PAUL , JORDAENS LUC J. 
Published: March 2007

Introduction: A novel magnetic navigation system allows remote guidance of floppy radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheters. We evaluated the feasibility of mapping and ablation of left‐sided accessory pathways (APs) using the retrograde transaortic approach with this system. This might open the gate to retrograde ablation of left atrial arrhythmias. Methods and Results: Twenty consecutive patients were included. A Helios II was used in five and in 15 a Celsius RMT RF catheter with higher magnetic mass and different flexibility was used. Mapping and ablation were attempted. The learning curve was analyzed. Ablation was acutely successful in 60% of the patients using the Helios II and in 80% using the Celsius RMT. Median procedure time was 158 minutes, with median patient and physician fluoroscopy times of 26 and 4 minutes. In the last 10 patients, procedure times became significantly shorter (median 122 minutes, only Celsius RMT catheters) and standard catheters had to be used only twice. No complications occurred. Conclusions: Remote retrograde transaortic RF ablation of left‐sided APs is feasible, safe, and reduces the physician's fluoroscopy exposure. There is a very steep initial learning curve, with the success rate increasing from 50% in the first 10 cases to 80% in the last 10 cases. Different catheter configurations may influence the outcome.
Murine leukemia following irradiation conditioning for transplantation of lentivirally‐modified hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Siapati Elena K. , Bigger Brian W. , Kashofer Karl , Themis Mike , Thrasher Adrian J. , Bonnet Dominique 
Published: March 2007

AbstractEmerging reports are conclusively demonstrating the mutagenic risks involved in using retroviral vectors for gene therapy. Animal studies, as well as cases from a human clinical trial, have proven the potential of insertional leukemogenesis caused by a retroviral vector. Here, we report the observation of six T‐lymphoblastic leukemia cases arising during the course of a gene therapy study for hemophilia B after transplantation of ex vivo transduced hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by a lentivirus vector. Three of these animals comprised secondary recipients of the same donor and LAM‐PCR was performed to identify the vector integration loci. We located integrations in repeat elements of known genes, including a candidate brain‐tumor locus, but none of these clones could be tracked in the leukemic blasts. Although transduced clones with an intact proviral cassette were detected in the spleen of the leukemic animals, they comprised a very small proportion, not correlating to the levels of leukemic blasts. After propagation of the latter in NOD/SCID mice, we could no longer detect the proviral cassette suggesting that the leukemic blasts were untransduced. We did, however, detect increased levels of reverse transcriptase activity in the leukemic blasts which may suggest activation of endogenous retroviruses. This study demonstrates that tumors arising in these type of gene therapy protocols are not necessarily due to vector insertional mutagenesis and highlights the importance of careful functional studies to delineate the nature of tumorigenesis.
A Full‐Scale Porous Reactive Wall for Prevention of Acid Mine Drainage
Authors: Benner Shawn G. , Blowes David W. , Ptacek Carol J. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThe generation and release of acidic drainage containing high concentrations of dissolved metals from decommissioned mine wastes is an environmental problem of international scale. A potential solution to many acid drainage problems is the installation of permeable reactive walls into aquifers affected by drainage water derived from mine waste materials. A permeable reactive wall installed into an aquifer impacted by low‐quality mine drainage waters was installed in August 1995 at the Nickel Rim mine site near Sudbury, Ontario. The reactive mixture, containing organic matter, was designed to promote bacterially mediated sulfate reduction and subsequent metal sulfide precipitation. The reactive wall is installed to an average depth of 12 feet (3.6 m) and is 49 feet (15 m) long perpendicular to ground water flow. The wall thickness (flow path length) is 13 feet (4 m). Initial results, collected nine months after installation, indicate that sulfate reduction and metal sulfide precipitation is occurring. Comparing water entering the wall to treated water exiting the wall, sulfate concentrations decrease from 2400 to 4600 mg/L to 200 to 3600 mg/L; Fe concentrations decrease from 250 to 1300 mg/L to 1.0 to 40 mg/L; pH increases from 5.8 to 7.0; and alkalinity (as CaCO3) increases from 0 to 50 mg/L to 600 to 2000 mg/L. The reactive wall has effectively removed the capacity of the ground water to generate acidity on discharge to the surface. Calculations based on comparison to previously run laboratory column experiments indicate that the reactive wall has potential to remain effective for at least 15 years.
TAXONOMIC STATUS OF THE GENUSSOTALIA: SPECIES LEVEL RANKING FOR “TUCUXI” (SOTALIA FLUVIATILIS) AND “COSTERO” (SOTALIA GUIANENSIS) DOLPHINS
Authors: Caballero S. , Trujillo F. , Vianna J. A. , Barrios‐Garrido H. , Montiel M. G. , Beltrán‐Pedreros S. , Marmontel M. , Santos M. C. , Rossi‐Santos M. , Santos F. R. , Baker C. S. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractDolphins of the genusSotaliaare found along the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts of Central and South America and in the Amazon River and most of its tributaries. At present, the taxonomy of these dolphins remains unresolved. Although five species were described in the late 1800s, only one species is recognized currently (Sotalia fluviatilis) with two ecotypes or subspecies, the coastal subspecies (Sotalia fluviatilis guianensis) and the riverine subspecies (Sotalia fluviatilis fluviatilis). Recent morphometric analyses, as well as mitochondrial DNA analysis, suggested recognition of each subspecies as separate species. Here we review the history of the classification of this genus and present new genetic evidence from ten nuclear and three mitochondrial genes supporting the elevation of each subspecies to the species level under the Genealogical/Lineage Concordance Species Concept and the criterion of irreversible divergence. We also review additional evidence for this taxonomic revision from previously published and unpublished genetic, morphological, and ecological studies. We propose the common name “costero” for the coastal species,Sotalia guianensis(Van Bénéden 1864), and accept the previously proposed “tucuxi” dolphin,Sotalia fluviatilis(Gervais, 1853), for the riverine species.
SUCKLING BEHAVIOR IN SPERM WHALE CALVES: OBSERVATIONS AND HYPOTHESES
Authors: Gero Shane , Whitehead Hal 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThis study is the first to describe quantitatively the apparent suckling behavior of sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), calves using observations from both above and below the surface. Peduncle dives are short (mean 14 s) dives made by sperm whale calves beside the peduncle of an adult female, which were previously assumed to be indicative of suckling. Photo‐identification and focal calf‐follows were used to collect data during 177 peduncle dive bouts from 22 different calves (11 calves from the Caribbean Sea, 11 from the Sargasso Sea), one of which was followed on forty different days. We found that peduncle diving in sperm whale calves is laterally asymmetrical with a bias to the left side of the escorting adult (69.8% of peduncle dives) and that calves generally do not switch sides during a bout of peduncle dives (switches occurred in only 10.8% of bouts). Further subsurface observations gave insight into potential alternative functions of peduncle diving. These alternative hypotheses, including nasal suckling, and the existing supporting evidence for each are discussed. It is likely that peduncle diving is related to suckling but that the exact function of the dives and manner in which sperm whale calves ingest milk remains unclear.
Continuing developments with the automated platelet count1
Authors: BRIGGS C. , HARRISON P. , MACHIN S. J. 
Published: March 2007

SummaryThe four main procedures for platelet counting are: manual phase contrast microscopy, impedance, optical light scatter/fluorescence and flow cytometry. Early methods to enumerate platelets were inaccurate and irreproducible. The manual count is still recognized as the gold standard or reference method, and until very recently the calibration of platelet counts by the manufacturers of automated cell counters and quality control material was performed by this method. However, it is time‐consuming and results in high levels of imprecision. The introduction of automated full blood counters using impedance technology resulted in a dramatic improvement in precision. However, impedance counts still have limitations as cell size analysis cannot discriminate platelets from other similar‐sized particles. More recently, light scatter or fluorescence methods have been introduced for automated platelet counting, but there are still occasional cases where an accurate platelet count remains a challenge. Thus, there has been interest in the development of an improved reference procedure to enable optimization of automated platelet counting. This method utilizes monoclonal antibodies to platelet cell surface antigens conjugated to a suitable fluorophore. This permits the possible implementation of a new reference method to calibrate cell counters, assign values to calibrators, and to obtain a direct platelet count on a variety of pathological samples. In future, analysers may introduce additional platelet parameters; a reliable method to quantify immature or reticulated platelets would be useful.
Artemisinins Inhibit
Trypanosoma cruzi
and
Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
In Vitro Growth
Authors: Mishina Yuliya V. , Krishna Sanjeev , Haynes Richard K. , Meade John C. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACT

Artemisinin compounds inhibit in vitro growth of cultured
Trypanosoma cruzi
and
Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
at concentrations in the low micromolar range. Artemisinin also inhibits calcium-dependent ATPase activity in
T. cruzi
membranes, suggesting a mode of action via membrane pumps. Artemisinins merit further investigation as chemotherapeutic options for these pathogens.
Requirements for Assembly of PtlH with the Pertussis Toxin Transporter Apparatus of
Bordetella pertussis
Authors: Verma Anita , Burns Drusilla L. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACT

PtlH is an essential component of the Ptl system, the type IV transporter responsible for secretion of pertussis toxin (PT) across the outer membrane of
Bordetella pertussis
. The nine Ptl proteins are believed to interact to form a membrane-spanning apparatus through which the toxin is secreted. In this study, we monitored the subcellular localization of PtlH in strains of
B. pertussis
lacking PT, lacking other Ptl proteins, or from which ATP has been depleted in order to gain insight into the requirements for assembly of PtlH with the remainder of the Ptl transporter complex that is thought to be tightly embedded in the membrane. We found that PtlH is exclusively localized to the inner membrane fraction of the cell in a wild-type strain of
B. pertussis
. In contrast, PtlH localized to both the cytoplasmic and inner membrane fractions of a mutant strain of
B. pertussis
that does not produce PT. In comparison to how it localized in wild-type strains of
B. pertussis
, PtlH exhibited aberrant localization in strains lacking PtlD, PtlE, PtlF, and PtlG. We also found that localization of PtlH was perturbed in
B. pertussis
strains that were treated with carbonyl cyanide
m
-chlorophenylhydrazone and sodium arsenate, which are capable of depleting cellular ATP levels, and in strains of
B. pertussis
that produce an altered form of PtlH that lacks ATPase activity. When taken together, these results indicate that tight association of PtlH with the membrane, likely through interactions with components of the transporter-PT complex, requires the toxin substrate, a specific subset of the Ptl proteins, and ATP. Based on these data, a model for the assembly of the Ptl transporter-PT complex is presented.