bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Yale‐Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS‐hd) for Heavy Drinking With Mild to Moderately Dependent Alcohol Abusers
Authors: Fedoroff Ingrid , Sobell Linda C. , Agrawal Sangeeta , Sobell Mark B. , Gavin Douglas R. 
Published: May 2006

Background: Many similarities have been noted between urges and desires to drink heavily and obsessive‐compulsive disorders (OCD). Based on such similarities, Modell et al. (1992) developed the Yale‐Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for heavy drinking (YBOCS‐hd), a modified version of YBOCS, to assess obsessions and compulsions related to heavy drinking. Evaluation of the YBOCS‐hd has been limited to more severely dependent alcohol abusers.Methods: The present study used a self‐administered version of the YBOCS‐hd to evaluate (1) the severity of drinking‐related obsessive compulsive symptoms with mild to moderately dependent alcohol abusers (problem drinkers), and (2) whether end‐of‐treatment changes in YBOCS‐hd scores would be related to within‐treatment functioning.Results: Results indicated that problem drinkers have lower alcohol‐related Obsessive and Compulsive subscale scores than did more severely dependent drinkers, but higher scores than did non‐problem drinkers, supporting the construct validity of the YBOCS‐hd. In addition, at the end of treatment, the YBOCS‐hd scores of alcohol abusers who drank at low‐risk levels during treatment were significantly lower than the scores of those who drank at high‐risk levels. Lastly, exploratory factor analysis did not provide support for the two purported YBOCS‐hd subscales (Obsessive, Compulsive). Instead, the analysis yielded a single general factor and a second factor that contained two questions measuring heavy drinking.Conclusions: Despite the fact that total YBOCS‐hd scores covaried with drinking, neither the total YBOCS‐hd pretreatment score nor the two subscale scores predicted functioning at the end of treatment. The present results call into question the utility of the YBOCS‐hd, because a single item measuring the heaviness of drinking was as useful as the total YBOCS‐hd and its two subscales in relating changes during treatment to end‐of‐treatment functioning for problem drinkers. However, although the YBOCS‐hd does not predict changes in drinking, it may have value as an indirect measure of drinking in situations where direct measurement of alcohol consumption is undesirable (i.e., direct measurement might be reactive). Because the present findings are derived from problem drinkers, further research is needed to confirm the factor structure of the YBOCS‐hd with clients who represent a broader range of alcohol problem severity.
Suppression of Mismatch Negativity by Backward Masking Predicts Impaired Working‐Memory Performance in Alcoholics
Authors: Ahveninen Jyrki , Jääskeläinen Iiro P. , Pekkonen Eero , Hallberg Anja , Hietanen Marja , Mäkelä Rauno , Näätänen Risto , Sillanaukee Pekka 
Published: May 2006

Background: Pronounced disruption of memory traces by subsequent distractors may result in impaired behavioral memory performance in alcoholics.Methods: This hypothesis was investigated with an electrophysiological index of auditory sensory‐memory traces, mismatch negativity, a preattentive event‐related potential component elicited by a “deviant” tone within a train of “standard” tones.Results: Inserting a masking stimulus after these tones abolished mismatch negativity in alcoholics (DSM‐IV) but not in social‐drinker controls. This effect predicted working‐memory impairment in alcoholics, and correlated significantly with self‐reported alcohol consumption of the subjects. Furthermore, the backward‐masking mismatch negativity paradigm detected sensory‐memory impairment in 9 of 20 alcoholics (sensitivity 45%), whereas all 20 social drinkers were unimpaired (specificity 100%). Conclusions: Vulnerability to memory trace disruption by shortly following sounds may be one of the factors contributing to behavioral memory dysfunction in alcoholics. The present result may provide an objective neurophysiological tool for investigation of alcohol‐induced and other degenerative brain disorders.
Effect of Cigarette Smoking on ACTH/Cortisol Secretion in Alcoholics After Short‐ and Medium‐Term Abstinence
Authors: Coiro V. , Vescovi P. P. 
Published: May 2006

Background: To gain a better insight into the alterations of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis in alcoholism, we evaluated the ACTH response to nicotine inhaled from cigarette smoking (two nonfilter cigarettes in succession within 10 min) in nine nonalcoholic men and nine age‐ and weight‐matched alcoholic men who had been addicted to alcohol for at least 8 years. All subjects were regular cigarette smokers.Methods: Alcoholic men were tested after 2 weeks of abstinence, when the possible interferences because of alcohol assumption or the acute withdrawal period had completely ceased, and again after 12 weeks of abstinence.Results: At both 2 and 12 weeks of abstinence, basal plasma ACTH and Cortisol levels were not significantly different in the alcoholic men from those observed in the control group. In the control group subjects, cigarette smoking induced a striking increase in the circulating concentrations of ACTH and Cortisol, with peak responses 1.4 and 1.5 times higher than baseline at 20 and 30 min, respectively. In contrast, no significant ACTH/cortisol increase was observed in alcoholic subjects at any time after cigarette smoking in any test.Conclusion: These data suggest that alterations of nicotinic cholinergic transmission occur in the control of ACTH secretion in the alcholic men, providing further evidence of modification of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis in alcoholism.
Nitric Oxide Dependent Ethanol Stimulation of Ciliary Motility Is Linked to cAMP‐Dependent Protein Kinase (PKA) Activation in Bovine Bronchial Epithelium
Authors: Sisson Joseph H. , May Kathy , Wyatt Todd A. 
Published: May 2006

Background:The first line of protection in the lung from the outside environment is provided by the mucociliary apparatus, which continually clears the airways of inhaled microorganisms, dust, and debris. Because alcohol is known to impair airway host defenses, we have examined the effects of ethanol on mucociliary function. In earlier studies, we found that ethanol rapidly and transiently stimulates ciliary motility through a nitric oxide‐dependent mechanism. Because many agonists stimulate ciliary motility through activation of cyclic nucleotide‐dependent protein kinases, we hypothesized that ethanol stimulates ciliary motility by activating protein kinases.Methods:Protein kinase activity and ciliary beat frequency (CBF) were assayed in primary cultures of bovine bronchial epithelial cells after exposure to ethanol.Results:Ethanol markedly activated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)‐dependent protein kinase [protein kinase A (PKA)] at biologically relevant concentrations (20‐100 mM), with activation detectable after 15 min and persisting up to 4 hr. Ethanol's PKA activation was blocked by nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, indicating a nitric oxide‐dependent pathway, and was also specifically blocked by PKA inhibitors. Ethanol did not directly activate cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)‐dependent protein kinase [protein kinase G (PKG)] in bovine bronchial epithelial cells, but inhibitors of PKG attenuated PKA activation, suggesting a link between PKA activation and PKG activation during ethanol exposure. CBF increased in parallel to PKA activation, suggesting tight coupling between stimulated CBF and PKA activation.Conclusion:We conclude that ethanol stimulates CBF through activating PKA in bovine bronchial epithelial cells and wc suggest a cooperative mechanism involving PKA and nitric oxide.
Stroke among male professional drivers in Denmark, 1994–2003
Authors: Tüchsen F , Hannerz H , Roepstorff C , Krause N 
Published: May 2006

Objectives:(1) To estimate the relative risk of stroke among various groups of professional drivers; (2) to determine if any excess risk should be attributed to infarction or haemorrhage; (3) to estimate the relative risk ratio for stroke among professional drivers living in Greater Copenhagen compared to those living outside the metropolis.Methods:A cohort of 6285 bus drivers, 4204 car, taxi, and van drivers, and 25 879 heavy truck and lorry drivers were followed up for hospital admission due to stroke and sub-diagnoses in the period 1994–2003. Using hospital admission for all economically active men as the standard, the standardised hospitalisation ratios (SHR) were calculated, taking age and county into consideration.Results:There was a high SHR for stroke among all groups of professional drivers (SHR = 132; 95% CI 121–141). Among car, taxi, and van drivers the SHR was 157 (95% CI 132–189), among bus drivers it was 139 (95% CI 119–163), and among heavy truck and lorry drivers it was 124 (95% CI 113–136). The excess risk for all groups of professional drivers was highest for cerebrovascular infarction (SHR = 139; 95% CI 124–155) and lowest for non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage (SHR = 113; 95% CI 96–133). The excess risks for all groups were significantly higher for cerebrovascular infarction than for non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage (relative risk ratio (RRR) 1.23; 95% CI 1.01–1.51). The RRR of stroke among drivers in the metropolitan area compared to rural areas was 1.13 (95% CI 0.94–1.36). The RRR for stroke among car, taxi, and van drivers compared to drivers of heavy trucks and of lorries was 1.28 (95% CI 1.03–1.57).Conclusion:All groups of professional drivers are at increased risk of stroke. The excess risk is more due to cerebral infarctions than to non-traumatic intracranial haemorrhage. The risk of stroke is higher among drivers carrying passengers than among drivers carrying goods.
Fetal hemoglobin silencing in humans
Authors: Oneal Patricia A. , Gantt Nicole M. , Schwartz Joseph D. , Bhanu Natarajan V. , Lee Y. Terry , Moroney John W. , Reed Christopher H. , Schechter Alan N. , Luban Naomi L. C. , Miller Jeffery L. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractInterruption of the normal fetal-to-adult transition of hemoglobin expression should largely ameliorate sickle cell and beta-thalassemia syndromes. Achievement of this clinical goal requires a robust understanding of gamma-globin gene and protein silencing during human development. For this purpose, age-related changes in globin phenotypes of circulating human erythroid cells were examined from 5 umbilical cords, 99 infants, and 5 adult donors. Unexpectedly, an average of 95% of the cord blood erythrocytes and reticulocytes expressed HbA and the adult beta-globin gene, as well as HbF and the gamma-globin genes. The distribution of hemoglobin and globin gene expression then changed abruptly due to the expansion of cells lacking HbF or gamma-globin mRNA (silenced cells). In adult reticulocytes, less than 5% expressed gamma-globin mRNA. These data are consistent with a “switching” model in humans that initially results largely from gamma- and beta-globin gene coexpression and competition during fetal development. In contrast, early postnatal life is marked by the rapid accumulation of cells that possess undetectable gamma-globin mRNA and HbF. The silencing phenomenon is mediated by a mechanism of cellular replacement. This novel silencing pattern may be important for the development of HbF-enhancing therapies.
FLOWERING LOCUS C-dependent and -independent regulation of the circadian clock by the autonomous and vernalization pathways
Authors: Salathia Neeraj , Davis Seth J , Lynn James R , Michaels Scott D , Amasino Richard M , Millar Andrew J 
Published: May 2006

AbstractBackgroundThe circadian system drives pervasive biological rhythms in plants. Circadian clocks integrate endogenous timing information with environmental signals, in order to match rhythmic outputs to the local day/night cycle. Multiple signaling pathways affect the circadian system, in ways that are likely to be adaptively significant. Our previous studies of natural genetic variation inArabidopsis thalianaaccessions implicatedFLOWERING LOCUS C(FLC) as a circadian-clock regulator. The MADS-box transcription factorFLCis best known as a regulator of flowering time. Its activity is regulated by many regulatory genes in the "autonomous" and vernalization-dependent flowering pathways. We tested whether these same pathways affect the circadian system.ResultsGenes in the autonomous flowering pathway, includingFLC, were found to regulate circadian period in Arabidopsis. The mechanisms involved are similar, but not identical, to the control of flowering time. By mutant analyses, we demonstrate a graded effect ofFLCexpression upon circadian period. Related MADS-box genes had less effect on clock function. We also reveal an unexpected vernalization-dependent alteration of periodicity.ConclusionThis study has aided in the understanding ofFLC's role in the clock, as it reveals that the network affecting circadian timing is partially overlapping with the floral-regulatory network. We also show a link between vernalization and circadian period. This finding may be of ecological relevance for developmental programing in other plant species.
Can a GP be a generalist and a specialist? Stakeholders views on a respiratory General Practitioner with a special interest service in the UK
Authors: Moffat Mandy A , Sheikh Aziz , Price David , Peel Annie , Williams Siân , Cleland Jen , Pinnock Hilary 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Background
Primary care practitioners have a potentially important role in the delivery of specialist care for people with long-term respiratory diseases. Within the UK the development of a General Practitioner with Special Interests (GPwSI) service delivered within Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) involves a process of 'transitional change' which impacts on the professional roles of clinicians who may embrace or resist change. In addition, the perspective of patients on the new roles is important. The objective of the current study is to explore the attitudes and views of stakeholders to the provision of a respiratory GPwSI service within the six PCTs in Leicester, UK.

Methods
Using a qualitative design, GPs, nurses, secondary care doctors, nurse specialists, physiotherapists, a healthcare manager and patients with respiratory disease took part in focus groups and in-depth interviews.

Results
The 25 participants expressed diverse opinions about the challenge of integrating specialist services with generalist care and the specific contribution that GPs might make to the care of people with chronic respiratory disease. A range of potential roles for a respiratory GPwSI, working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, were suggested, and a number of practical issues were highlighted. Success of the GPwSI role is deemed to be dependant on having the trust of their primary and secondary care colleagues as well as patients, credibility as a practitioner, and being politically astute thereby enabling them to act as a champion supporting the transition process within the local health service.

Conclusion
The introduction of a respiratory GPwSI service represents a challenge to traditional roles which, whilst broadly acceptable, raised a number of important issues for the stakeholders in our study. These perspectives need to be taken into account if workforce change is to be successfully negotiated and implemented.
Hypothesis: the antitumor activities of statins may be mediated by IL-18
Authors: Takahashi Hideo Kohka , Weitz-Schmidt Gabriele , Iwagaki Hiromi , Yoshino Tadashi , Tanaka Noriaki , Nishibori Masahiro 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Statins, which inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A (HMG-CoA) reductase, are thought to reduce the risk of cancer through the inhibition of Ras farnesylation and serum lipid level. A pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-18 (IL-18), is reported to exhibit significant antitumor activities through the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells and the inhibition of angiogenesis. Previously, we found that pravastatin, fluvastatin, and simvastatin induced the production of IL-18 in human monocytes. The addition of mevalonate abolished the IL-18 production induced by pravastatin, fluvastatin, and simvastatin, indicating that the IL-18 production might be a result of the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase. We present a new hypothesis that the production of IL-18 might play roles in the action of statins on cancer.
Differential Zonal Expression and Adrenocorticotropin Regulation of Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC), a Matricellular Protein, in the Midgestation Human Fetal Adrenal Gland: Implications for Adrenal Development
Authors: Ishimoto Hitoshi , Ginzinger David G. , Matsumoto Tadashi , Hattori Yoshihisa , Furuya Masataka , Minegishi Kazuhiro , Tanaka Mamoru , Yoshimura Yasunori , Jaffe Robert B. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractContext: Matricellular proteins are a group of secreted, multifunctional extracellular matrix glycoproteins that includes thrombospondins (TSPs), tenascin-C, and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC). They may be implicated in the dynamic developmental processes of the human fetal adrenal (HFA) in which the outer, definitive zone (DZ) cells are postulated to proliferate, migrate centripetally, differentiate, and populate the inner, steroidogenic fetal zone (FZ).Objective: The objective of the study was to identify a matricellular molecule that likely plays a major role in HFA development.Design: Studies involved RNA, cryosections, and cell cultures from 14- to 23-wk HFAs and human adult adrenal RNA.Main Outcome Measures: Measures included transcripts encoding matricellular proteins, using real-time quantitative RT-PCR; SPARC localization by immunostaining; and ACTH regulation of SPARC expression and secretion by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot.Results: SPARC HFA mRNA was 100-, 700-, and 300-fold higher than TSP-1, TSP-2, and tenascin-C mRNA, respectively. HFA SPARC mRNA was 3-fold higher than adult adrenals (P &lt; 0.005), comparable with levels in adult brain (positive control), whereas mRNAs encoding TSP-1 and TSP-2 were lower in fetal than adult adrenals. SPARC immunoreactivity was detected exclusively in the FZ, not DZ. ACTH, a key regulator of HFA growth and function, increased SPARC mRNA (by 1.7-fold at 1 nm, 48 h, P &lt; 0.05) in isolated FZ cells but not DZ cells. ACTH up-regulation of SPARC protein was also detected in FZ cell lysates and culture medium.Conclusions: Results suggest a possible role for SPARC in development of functional and/or structural zonation of the HFA.
Characterization of the Neutron Field in the HSSI Reusable Irradiation Facility at the Ford Nuclear Reactor
Authors: Remec I , Rosseel TM , Blakeman ED , Baldwin CA , Heatherly DW , Thoms KR 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
The characterization of the neutron environment in a reusable facility for irradiation of metallurgical specimens, located at the Ford Nuclear reactor in Michigan, was performed with a combination of transport calculations, extensive dosimeter measurements, and neutron spectrum adjustment. The average difference between the calculated and “measured” reaction rates was ∼7% (the calculations underpredicted the measurements), and the average absolute difference was ∼10%. Therefore, the calculations and measurements agreed very well. The flexible facility performed excellently during several years of operation but was discontinued when the Ford reactor ceased operation. The heavy-section steel irradiation (HSSI) program is taking the initial steps toward selecting a site for a new irradiation facility, similar to the one described here.
Prevalence, Severity, and Risk Variables Associated With Gingival Overgrowth in Renal Transplant Subjects Treated Under Tacrolimus or Cyclosporin Regimens
Authors: de Oliveira Costa Fernando , Diniz Ferreira Sérgio , de Miranda Cota Luís Otávio , da Costa José Eustáquio , Aguiar Marco Antonio 
Published: May 2006

Background: Some reports suggest that the prevalence and severity of gingival overgrowth (GO) is lower in patients taking tacrolimus (Tcr) than in those taking cyclosporin A (CsA). The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and severity of GO in a group of renal transplant recipients treated with Tcr in comparison to those treated with CsA and to evaluate the risk variables associated with the development of GO in these two drug regimens.Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted in a public hospital in Belo Horizonte City, Brazil. Demographic, pharmacological, and periodontal data were recorded for each subject. Variables from 134 subjects taking Tcr were compared to 451 subjects taking CsA using independent sample t, χ2 statistic, or Mann‐Whitney tests. The effects of potential risk factors on GO severity were determined using forward and backward stepwise regression analysis.Results: Subjects taking CsA showed a higher mean GO score (29.03% ± 22.9%) compared to subjects taking Tcr (16.9% ± 3.4%) (P = 0.0038). In the Tcr group, 17.9% of the subjects had clinically significant GO compared to 38.1% in the CsA group (P = 0.045). In the multivariate final model, papillary bleeding index, azathioprine dosage, and concomitant use of calcium channel blockers (CCB) were significant variables associated with severity of GO in Tcr and CsA groups. In addition, previous CsA use also remained significant for GO in subjects under a Tcr regimen.Conclusions: The prevalence and severity of GO is lower in transplant subjects taking Tcr compared to CsA. GO severity in both groups was strongly associated with the papillary bleeding index, highlighting the role of inflammation in this condition. Concomitant CCB use, azathioprine dosage, and previous CsA use in the Tcr group reinforces the possible synergistic effects of these pharmacological variables on GO severity.
Behavior of Transplanted Bone Marrow–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Periodontal Defects
Authors: Hasegawa Naohiko , Kawaguchi Hiroyuki , Hirachi Akio , Takeda Katsuhiro , Mizuno Noriyoshi , Nishimura Masahiro , Koike Chika , Tsuji Koichiro , Iba Hideo , Kato Yukio , Kurihara Hidemi 
Published: May 2006

Background: Recently, there have been an increased number of basic and clinical reports indicating the superior potential of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for tissue regeneration. In periodontal treatment, previous animal studies indicated that autotransplantation of bone marrow MSCs into experimental periodontal defects enhanced periodontal tissue regeneration. However, mechanisms for periodontal tissue regeneration with MSCs are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the behavior of transplanted MSCs in periodontal defects.Methods: Bone marrow MSCs were isolated from beagle dogs, labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP), and expanded in vitro. The expanded MSCs were mixed with atelocollagen (2% type I collagen) at final concentrations of 2 × 107 cells/ml and transplanted into experimental Class III periodontal defects. Localizations of GFP and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)‐positive cells were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis.Results: Four weeks after transplantation, the periodontal defects were almost regenerated with periodontal tissue. Cementoblasts, osteoblasts, osteocytes, and fibroblasts of the regenerated periodontal tissue were positive with GFP. PCNA‐positive cells were present in regenerating connective tissue.Conclusion: These findings suggest that transplanted mesenchymal stem cells could survive and differentiate into periodontal tissue cells, resulting in enhancement of periodontal tissue regeneration.