bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of Weekend Lifestyle Patterns on Body Weight
Authors: Racette Susan B. , Weiss Edward P. , Schechtman Kenneth B. , Steger‐May Karen , Villareal Dennis T. , Obert Kathleen A. , Holloszy John O. ,   Washington University School of Medicine CALERIE Team
Published: June 2008

Objective: To determine whether alterations in diet and/or activity patterns during weekends contribute to weight gain or hinder weight loss.Methods and Procedures: Randomized, controlled trial comparing 1 year of caloric restriction (CR) with 1 year of daily exercise (EX). Subjects included 48 healthy adults (30F, 18M) aged 50–60 years with BMI 23.5–29.9 kg/m2. Body weight was measured on 7 consecutive mornings for a total of 165 weeks at baseline and 437 weeks during the 1‐year interventions. Daily weight changes were calculated for weekends (Friday to Monday) and weekdays (Monday to Friday). Daily energy intake was estimated using food diaries; daily physical activity was measured using accelerometers. Both measures were validated against doubly labeled water (DLW).Results: At baseline, participants consistently gained weight on weekend days (+0.06 ± 0.03 kg/day, (mean ± s.e.), P = 0.02), but not on weekdays (−0.02 ± 0.02 kg/day, P = 0.18). This was attributable to higher dietary intake on Saturdays and lower physical activity on Sundays relative to weekdays (both P < 0.05). During the interventions, both CR and EX participants were in negative energy balance on weekdays (P < 0.005). On weekends, however, CR participants stopped losing weight, and EX participants gained weight (+0.08 ± 0.03 kg/day, P < 0.0001) due to higher dietary intakes on weekends. This helps to explain the slower‐than‐expected rate of weight loss during the interventions.Discussion: Alterations in lifestyle behaviors on weekends contribute to weight gain or cessation of weight loss on weekends. These results provide one explanation for the relatively slow rates of weight loss observed in many studies, and the difficulty with maintaining significant weight loss.
Prevention of Nosocomial Infection and Standard Precautions: Knowledge and Source of Information Among Healthcare Students
Authors: Tavolacci Marie-Pierre , Ladner Joël , Bailly Laurent , Merle Véronique , Pitrou Isabelle , Czernichow Pierre 
Published: June 2008

Objective.To evaluate the knowledge of healthcare students after four curricula on infection control and to identify sources of information.Design.Cross-sectional study.Setting.Four healthcare schools at Rouen University (Rouen, France).Participants.Medical students, nursing students, assistant radiologist students, and physiotherapist students taking public health courses.Methods.To measure students' knowledge of infection control and their sources of information, 6 multiple-choice questions were asked about 3 specific areas: standard precautions, hand hygiene, and nosocomial infection. Each questionnaire section had 10 possible points, for an overall perfect score of 30. The sources of information for these 3 areas were also recorded: self-learning, practice training in wards, formal training in wards, and teaching during the curriculum. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with acceptable level of knowledge.Results.Three hundred fifty students (107 medical students, 78 nursing students, 71 physiotherapist students, and 94 assistant radiologist students) were included in the study. The mean overall score (±SD) was 21.5 ± 2.84. Nursing students had a better mean overall score (23.2 ± 2.35) than did physiotherapist students (21.9 ± 2.36), medical students (21.1 ± 2.35), and assistant radiologist students (20.5 ± 3.04; P < .001). The mean scores (±SD) for the component sections of the questionnaire were 8.5 ±1.4 for standard precautions, 7.4 ± 1.26 for hand hygiene, and 5.7 ± 1.55 for nosocomial infections (P < .001). The main source of information was material taught during the curriculum. Results of multivariate analysis indicate that the probability of attaining acceptable knowledge in each area was smaller for medical students and assistant radiologist students than for nursing students.Conclusion.The overall score for infection control indicated that instruction was effective; however, knowledge levels were different by area (the best scores were results of tests of standard precautions) and curriculum (nursing students achieved the best overall score). Ward training for daily infection control practice (ie, bedside instructions training and course work) could be improved for healthcare students.
Impact of Public Health Emergencies on Modern Disaster Taxonomy, Planning, and Response
Authors: Burkle Frederick M. , Greenough P. Gregg 
Published: June 2008

ABSTRACTCurrent disaster taxonomy describes diversity, distinguishing characteristics, and common relations in disaster event classifications. The impact of compromised public health infrastructure and systems on health consequences defines and greatly influences the manner in which disasters are observed, planned for, and managed, especially those that are geographically widespread, population dense, and prolonged. What may first result in direct injuries and death may rapidly change to excess indirect illness and subsequent death as essential public health resources are destroyed, deteriorate, or are systematically denied to vulnerable populations. Public health and public health infrastructure and systems in developed and developing countries must be seen as strategic and security issues that deserve international public health resource monitoring attention from disaster managers, urban planners, the global humanitarian community, World Health Organization authorities, and participating parties to war and conflict. We posit here that disaster frameworks be reformed to emphasize and clarify the relation of public health emergencies and modern disasters. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2008;2:192–199)
Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma after transformation from low‐grade follicular lymphoma: morphological, immunohistochemical, and FISH analyses
Authors: Maeshima Akiko Miyagi , Omatsu Mutsuko , Nomoto Junko , Maruyama Dai , Kim Sung‐Won , Watanabe Takashi , Kobayashi Yukio , Tobinai Kensei , Matsuno Yoshihiro 
Published: June 2008

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is one of the most common subtypes of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and frequently transforms to diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). To clarify some aspects of the natural history of FL, we retrospectively examined 43 consecutive patients who had DLBCL with pre‐ or coexisting FL grade 1 or 2. The patients comprised 22 men and 21 women with a median age of 53 years. Most of the patients (34/43) showed advanced‐stage (III or IV) disease initially. We examined both FL and DLBCL components morphologically, immunohistochemically, and by interface fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH: IGH/BCL2 fusion, BCL6 translocation) analysis. Most of the DLBCLs were classified as the centroblastic subtype, with two exceptions of the anaplastic subtype. Immunohistochemical analysis of both the FL and DLBCL components revealed the following respective positivity rates: CD20 100%/100%, CD10 86%/66%, Bcl‐2 96%/91%, Bcl‐6 84%/88%, MUM1 16%/34%, CD30 0%/20%, CD138 0%/0%, and CD5 0%/3%. Loss of CD10 (6/36, 17%) and gain of MUM1 (7/28, 25%) and CD30 (5/21, 24%) through transformation were not infrequent. High positivity rates for Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐6 were maintained throughout transformation. Among the DLBCLs, 84% were classified as the germinal center B‐cell phenotype (GCB) and 16% as non‐GCB in accordance with the criteria of Hans et al. IGH/BCL2 fusion was detected by FISH in 89% of FLs and 82% of DLBCLs. BCL6 translocation was detected in 1/6 (17%) DLBCLs without IGH/BCL2 fusion. Thus, although the morphological features and FISH results for DLBCL were consistent with transformed FL, the immunophenotype showed wide heterogeneity. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1760–1768)
Methylation status of Wnt signaling pathway genes affects the clinical outcome of Philadelphia‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Martin Vanesa , Agirre Xabier , Jiménez‐Velasco Antonio , José‐Eneriz Edurne San , Cordeu Lucia , Gárate Leire , Vilas‐Zornoza Amaia , Castillejo Juan A. , Heiniger Anabel , Prósper Felipe , Torres Antonio , Roman‐Gomez Jose 
Published: June 2008

The clinical significance of aberrant promoter methylation of the canonical Wnt pathway antagonist genes (sFRP1, sFRP2, sFRP4, sFRP5, Wif1, Dkk3, and Hdpr1) and also putative tumor‐suppressor gene Wnt5a, belonging to the non‐canonical Wnt signaling pathway, was investigated in a large series of 75 patients with Philadelphia chromosome‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia by methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction. At least one methylated gene was observed in cells from 66% (49/75) of patients (methylated group). Disease‐free survival and overall survival at 9 years were 51 and 40%, respectively, for the unmethylated group and 3 and 2%, respectively, for the methylated group (both P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the Wnt methylation profile was an independent prognostic factor predicting disease‐free survival (P = 0.007) and overall survival (P = 0.039). Abnormal DNA methylation of promoter‐associated CpG islands in the Wnt signaling pathway is very common in Philadelphia chromosome‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia and potentially defines subgroups with distinct clinical characteristics. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1865–1868)
Periplasmic chaperone FkpA is essential for imported colicin M toxicity
Authors: Hullmann Julia , Patzer Silke I. , Römer Christin , Hantke Klaus , Braun Volkmar 
Published: June 2008

SummaryChaperones facilitate correct folding of newly synthesized proteins. We show here that the periplasmic FkpA chaperone is required for killing Escherichia coli by colicin M entering cells from the outside. Highly active colicin M preparations were inactive against fkpA mutant cells; 104‐fold dilutions killed fkpA+ cells. Three previously isolated spontaneous mutants tolerant to colicin M carried a stop codon or an IS1 insertion in the peptidyl‐prolyl‐cis‐trans‐isomerase (PPIase) domain (C‐domain) of FkpA, which resulted in deletion of the domain. A randomly generated mutant carried a G148D mutation in the C‐domain. A temperature‐sensitive mutant tolerant to colicin M carried a Y25N mutation in the FkpA N‐domain. Mutants transformed with wild‐type fkpA were colicin M‐sensitive. Isolated FkpA‐His reduced colicin M‐His cleavage by proteinase K and renatured denatured colicin M‐His in vitro; renaturation was prevented by the PPIase inhibitor FK506. In both assays, periplasmic SurA‐His had no effect. No other tested periplasmic chaperone could activate colicin M. Among the tested colicins, only colicin M required FkpA for activity. Colicin M bound to cells via FhuA was inactivated by trypsin; unbound colicin M retained activity. We propose that colicin M unfolds during import across the outer membrane, FkpA specifically assists in folding colicin M into an active toxin in the periplasm and PPIase is essential for colicin M activity. Colicin M is a suitable tool for the isolation of FkpA mutants used to elucidate the functions of the FkpA N‐ and C‐domains.
Efficacy and safety of entecavir in lamivudine‐refractory patients with chronic hepatitis B: Randomized controlled trial in Japanese patients
Authors: Suzuki Fumitaka , Toyoda Joji , Katano Yoshiaki , Sata Michio , Moriyama Mitsuhiko , Imazeki Fumio , Kage Masayoshi , Seriu Taku , Omata Masao , Kumada Hiromitsu 
Published: June 2008

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Entecavir is a potent inhibitor of both wild‐type and lamivudine‐resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) with proven clinical efficacy. We conducted a randomized, double‐blind, multicenter study in Japan (ETV‐052) evaluating the efficacy and safety of two doses of entecavir in adult patients with lamivudine‐refractory chronic hepatitis B infection.Methods:  Eighty‐four patients with chronic hepatitis B who were refractory to lamivudine therapy were switched from lamivudine to daily oral doses of 0.5 mg entecavir (41 patients) or 1 mg entecavir (43 patients) for 52 weeks.Results:  The proportions of patients achieving the primary end‐point (≥2 log10 reduction in HBV‐DNA from baseline by polymerase chain reaction assay or undetectable HBV‐DNA levels [<400 copies/mL] at week 48) were 90% and 93% for entecavir 0.5 mg and 1 mg, respectively, with 33% of patients in each dosing group achieving <400 copies/mL. The mean reduction in HBV‐DNA from baseline was 3.58 and 3.75 log10 copies/mL for entecavir 0.5 mg and 1 mg, respectively. High proportions of patients achieved alanine aminotransferase normalization at week 48 (0.5 mg 86%, 1 mg 78%). Histological improvement was observed in most patients (0.5 mg 52%, 1 mg 60%). Virological breakthrough (increase in HBV‐DNA of ≥1 log10 copies/mL from nadir) was observed in one patient but was not associated with selection of entecavir‐associated resistance substitutions. Entecavir was well tolerated, with no patients discontinuing study drug due to adverse events.Conclusions:  These findings indicate that entecavir is safe and effective for the treatment of Japanese adults with lamivudine‐refractory chronic hepatitis B.
Uncoupling of sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis in cirrhosis
Authors: Wiest Reiner , Moleda Lukas , Zietz Bettina , Hellerbrand Claus , Schölmerich Jürgen , Straub Rainer 
Published: June 2008

AbstractBackground and Aim: The hypothalamic‐autonomic nervous system (HANS) axis and the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis are stimulated in parallel in response to stress factors under healthy conditions. This physiological synergism of the axes aims at optimizing anti‐inflammatory actions. Therefore, we investigated whether this synergism is altered in patients with liver cirrhosis.Methods: As a typical marker of the HANS axis neuropeptide Y (NPY is a neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nerve terminal) and of the HPA axis, cortisol together with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol‐binding globulin (CBG), were measured in samples from control subjects and patients with liver cirrhosis.Results: Plasma NPY was found to be increased in cirrhotic patients compared to control subjects (P < 0.01). This increase was observed to be independent of the severity of liver disease (Child class). Serum cortisol was decreased in cirrhotics, particularly in patients with Child A cirrhosis. Plasma NPY was positively correlated with serum cortisol in control subjects (r = 0.32,P < 0.05) reflecting the parallel activation of both axes under the normal condition. However, serum cortisol was not correlated with plasma NPY in cirrhotic patients. For the subgroup of Child A patients, even a negative correlation between NPY and cortisol was observed (r = −0.43,P < 0.05). No significant change in serum levels of ACTH and its positive correlation with serum cortisol was observed in cirrhotic patients.Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that the two stress axes seem to act in parallel fashion in control subjects but are uncoupled in liver cirrhosis. We discuss how uncoupling of the two anti‐inflammatory axes can occur and may contribute to the increased susceptibility for infections and lethal complications in cirrhotic patients.
Size variance of motor evoked potential at initiation of voluntary contraction in palsy of conversion disorder
Authors: Morita Hiroshi , Shimojima Yoshio , Nishikawa Noriko , Hagiwara Naoki , Amano Naoji , Ikeda Shu‐ichi 
Published: June 2008

Aim:  To investigate the efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a cue signal for the objective diagnosis of palsy of conversion disorder (CD).Methods:  Ten patients with palsy of CD, nine with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and eight control subjects were examined. Motor evoked potential (MEP) was recorded from the abductor digiti minimi muscle under three conditions: at rest, during tonic contraction, and with an audio cue signal. In the cue signal paradigm, subjects were asked to perform ramp‐and‐hold contraction in response to a cue signal.Results:  MEP size increased in the cue signal paradigm in both controls and patients with ALS, but was not obvious in some CD patients. This was likely due to variance among trials in the cue signal paradigm in each CD patient. The coefficients of variance (CV) among trials in the cue signal paradigm were 15 ± 4.3 in controls, 25 ± 11 in ALS, and 70 ± 40 in CD.Conclusions:  CV of MEP size with cue signal was larger in CD than in controls (P < 0.005) and in ALS patients (P < 0.01). The size variance among MEP trials with the cue signal is a supportive parameter for the diagnosis of CD.
The relationship between patient characteristics and psychiatric day care outcomes in schizophrenic patients
Authors: Miyaji Shingo , Yamamoto Kenji , Morita Nana , Tsubouchi Yumi , Hoshino Syunya , Yamamoto Hiroaki , Sakai Yoshiro , Tanaka Katsutoshi , Miyaoka Hitoshi 
Published: June 2008

Aim:  A retrospective study was conducted to assess the relationship between patient characteristics and psychiatric day care outcomes in 430 Japanese schizophrenic patients.Methods:  The patients were divided into psychiatric day care completers and non‐completers. Patients who could not be included in these groups were categorized as unclassifiable. The completers were subdivided into four outcome groups: (i) patients who obtained a part‐time job, (ii) patients who began working at community workshops for mentally disabled persons, (iii) patients who obtained a full‐time job or returned to their former positions, and (iv) patients who entered or returned to school. The non‐completers were subdivided into two outcome groups: (i) patients who discontinued psychiatric day care because of worsened schizophrenia, and (ii) patients who were rehospitalized because of worsened schizophrenia. Age, sex, age of onset of schizophrenia, number and duration of previous psychiatric hospitalizations, number of persons living with the patient, educational background, previous employment type, marital status, chlorpromazine‐equivalent doses of antipsychotic drugs used, and psychiatric day care outcomes were compared among the outcome groups with logistic regression analysis using the outcomes as target variables.Results:  A later onset of schizophrenia and fewer previous psychiatric hospitalizations were significantly related with better outcomes. A higher educational background was related with the outcomes without statistical significance.Conclusions:  Our results suggest that the assessment of the relationship between patient characteristics and psychiatric day care outcomes is essential to enhance therapeutic effectiveness of psychiatric day care by beginning appropriate communication, support, and programs for individual patients at the initiation of the care.
Predictors of antidepressant response to fluvoxamine obtained using the three‐factor structures of the Montgomery and Åsberg Depression Rating Scale for major depressive disorders in Japanese patients
Authors: Higuchi Hisashi , Sato Kazuhiro , Yoshida Keizo , Takahashi Hitoshi , Kamata Mitsuhiro , Otani Koichi , Yamaguchi Noboru 
Published: June 2008

Aims:  Fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is widely used to treat major depression. However, the symptomatological predictors of the response to fluvoxamine have not been studied.Methods:  This study included 100 Japanese patients who fulfilled the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)‐IV criteria for the diagnosis of major depressive disorders and whose score on the Montgomery and Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was 21 or higher. Eighty‐one patients were included. Patients with a pretreatment MADRS score of ≥31 were defined as ‘severe’ (n = 32) and the rest were defined as ‘non‐severe’ (n = 49). The three‐factor model of MADRS was used for analysis: the first factor was defined by three items, the second factor was defined by four items, and the third factor was defined by three items representing dysphoria, retardation, and vegetative symptoms, respectively. Fluvoxamine (100–200 mg/day) was administered twice daily for 6 weeks.Results:  In the non‐severe patients, the mean factor 3 score of the non‐responders at pretreatment was significantly higher than that of the responders. However, a significant difference was observed in the mean factor 3 scores from 1 week onwards between the non‐severe responders and non‐responders. Furthermore, the fluvoxamine response rate in the severe patients was 75% and higher than that of the non‐severe patients (65.3%).Conclusions:  This study suggested that a low factor 3 score at pretreatment was a good predictor of the response to fluvoxamine in non‐severe patients. The marked efficacy of fluvoxamine in the treatment of severe patients was also confirmed.
The value of interleukin‐12B (p40) gene promoter polymorphism in patients with schizophrenia in a region of East Turkey
Authors: Ozbey Ulku , Tug Esra , Kara Murat , Namli Mustafa 
Published: June 2008

Aims:  It has been hypothesized that the activation of the immune system may be involved in the neuropathological changes occurring in the central nervous system of schizophrenic patients. Cytokines play a key role in the activation of the immune system. Moreover, they strongly influence the dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. To the best of our knowledge, in schizophrenic patients, plasma levels of interleukin (IL)‐12 were investigated only in one study, where deregulation of IL‐12 was determined. However, genotypical variations of the IL‐12B (p40) gene have not been investigated for schizophrenic patients yet. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to examine polymorphic variants of IL‐12B (p40) gene promoter region in patients with schizophrenia in a population of the Elazig Region of East Anatolia, Turkey.Methods:  One hundred Turkish patients diagnosed with schizophrenia based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM‐IV), and 116 healthy control subjects participated in the present study. The genotype characteristics were determined by polymerase chain reaction‐based restriction fragment length polymorphism method using DNA extracted from peripheral blood.Results:  Significant differences in both the genotype and allele frequencies were found between schizophrenia patients and control groups (P < 0.01).Conclusions:  These findings may support the hypothesis that activation of the inflammatory response system and in particular, of Th‐1 cells, is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. We think that this study is the first trial associated with IL‐12 cytokine at the molecular genetic level on immune mechanisms for neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, and this perspective and the role of the cytokines in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia may constitute a reasonable target for the present and future treatment strategies and prognosis.