bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Erythropoietin reduces epileptogenic processes following status epilepticus
Authors: Chu Kon , Jung Keun‐Hwa , Lee Soon‐Tae , Kim Jin‐Hee , Kang Kyung‐Muk , Kim Hyun‐Kyung , Lim Jae‐Sung , Park Hee‐Kwon , Kim Manho , Lee Sang Kun , Roh Jae‐Kyu 
Published: May 2008

SummaryPurpose:  Erythropoietin (EPO) has neuron and astroglial protective effects via reduction of tissue‐injuring molecules such as reactive oxygen species, glutamate, inflammatory cytokines, and other damaging molecules. Although EPO may constitute an effective therapeutic modality in cases of epileptic insult, no study has been performed on the effects of exogenous EPO on the chronic seizure formation. In this study, we attempted to investigate if EPO could modulate the altered microenvironment in the epileptic rat brain.Methods:  Morphological changes in the hippocampi of rats subjected to lithium‐pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus (SE) were examined with respect to neuronal loss, inflammation, blood–brain barrier (BBB) leakage, and cell genesis. Spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs) were investigated by long‐term video‐EEG monitoring.Results:  EPO receptor (EPOR) was found to be increased in the hippocampus after SE. Administered EPO prevented, during the latent period following SE, BBB leakage, neuronal death, and microglia activation in the dentate hilus, CA1, and CA3, and inhibited the generation of ectopic granule cells in the hilus and new glia in CA1. Moreover, EPO reduced the risk of SRS development.Discussion:  These findings suggest that EPO has a potential therapeutic role in the setting of acute epileptic insults.
Measures of adherence to epilepsy treatment: Review of present practices and recommendations for future directions
Authors: Paschal Angelia M. , Hawley Suzanne R. , Romain Theresa St. , Ablah Elizabeth 
Published: May 2008

Summary Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders worldwide, and the majority of people with epilepsy who live in developed countries manage their condition with antiseizure medication. Surprisingly, therefore, the literature on epilepsy does not document a comprehensive investigation of patient adherence to medication treatment. This paper reviews existing literature on direct and indirect measures of adherence. Based on this review, areas in need for further research have been identified, including improvement of self‐report instruments, consideration of cultural factors, attention to patient literacy or numeracy levels, and inclusion of patient‐guided measures. While no single method of determining adherence has proved effective, combining direct and indirect measures in a patient‐guided, culturally competent atmosphere may increase adherence to treatment, improving health outcomes for this population.
Morphological skin ageing criteria by multiphoton laser scanning tomography: non‐invasive in vivo scoring of the dermal fibre network
Authors: Koehler Martin Johannes , Hahn Stefanie , Preller Anja , Elsner Peter , Ziemer Mirjana , Bauer Andrea , König Karsten , Bückle Rainer , Fluhr Joachim W. , Kaatz Martin 
Published: May 2008

AbstractBackground:  Morphological changes in the dermal collagen and elastin fibre network are characteristic for skin ageing and for pathological skin conditions of the dermis.Objectives:  To characterize pathological and physiological conditions by multiphoton laser scanning tomography (MLT) in vivo, it is necessary to investigate and identify morphological alterations related to ageing.Methods:  In vivo MLT was used to image two‐photon excited autofluorescence (AF) and second harmonics generation (SHG) in human dermis of 18 volunteers of different ages. Criteria for the evaluation of age‐dependent morphological changes in MLT images were fibre tension and morphology, network pattern, clot formation and image homogeneity. These criteria were weighted and a score was calculated.Results:  The resulting MLT‐based Dermis Morphology Score is correlated with age (R2 = −0.90) and with the previously published SHG to AF Ageing Index of Dermis (R2 = 0.66). The two groups of young (age 21–38) and old (age 66–84) volunteers showed a significant difference in MLT score values (P < 0.001).Conclusions:  We could demonstrate an in vivo relationship between morphological characteristics of human dermis assessed by MLT and age. The present score allows the semi‐quantitative evaluation of specific morphological changes of the dermal fibre network in ageing skin by in vivo AF and SHG imaging. This method will be useful for diagnostics of pathological conditions and their differentiation from ageing effects.
Rural Youth Migration Trends in Australia: an Overview of Recent Trends and Two Inland Case Studies
Authors: ARGENT NEIL , WALMSLEY JIM 
Published: May 2008

AbstractMuch of what has been written on the topic of Australian rural youth migration trends and processes has often proceeded from data‐free, or data‐poor grounds. In this context, this paper analyses recent trends in youth (15 to 24 years of age) migration for a temporally‐consistent set of Statistical Divisions (SDs) in inland rural Australia, and for local government areas within the Northern Tablelands and Slopes and Ranges of northern New South Wales and the Western Australian Central Wheatbelt. The paper finds that rates of youth loss from rural regions have increased over the past twenty years. Yet the patterns, processes, causes and impacts of rural youth migration are distributed in a spatially‐uneven fashion. Some remote areas are receiving net migration gains while booming ‘sea change’ coastal regions have experienced heavy losses. While the ‘flight to the bright city lights’ syndrome is evident, relatively high proportions of young people in the Northern SD of NSW move within their immediate region. Nevertheless, some common understandings concerning youth mobility were also confirmed. Gender differentials in migration propensity between women and men are evident even at quite local scales. Young people are also more likely to search out capital cities than the rest of the population. Most inland areas still continue to experience heavy losses of local youth. A more precise understanding of rural youth migration trends is an important stepping stone in the establishment of a reinvigorated research effort into young rural people's perspectives of their changing life chances in their home communities.
‘We’re moving out’: Youth Out‐Migration Intentions in Coastal Non‐Metropolitan New South Wales
Authors: DROZDZEWSKI DANIELLE 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThis article discusses youth out‐migration on the non‐metropolitan New South Wales Eastern Seaboard. High levels of in‐migration and counter‐urbanisation, typical of many coastal non‐metropolitan towns in NSW, mask the out‐migration of youth. There are relatively few 15–24 year olds in the coastal communities of non‐metropolitan New South Wales, because many youths out‐migrate to larger centres, for a range of reasons. Out‐migration also demarcates a life transition away from school life, adolescence and the parental home. This paper draws from research with senior high school students in one coastal town – Coffs Harbour – where such trends have been particularly apparent. It examines the propensity for youth out‐migration and discusses how young people articulate their migration intentions. Young people's perceptions of their current and future prospects feature prominently in their discourses about intended migration, although this research also demonstrates that the life courses of regional youth are unorthodox and diverse in nature.
Turbulent Lives: Exploring the Cultural Meaning of Regional Youth Migration
Authors: EASTHOPE HAZEL , GABRIEL MICHELLE 
Published: May 2008

AbstractMigration is an important part of the lives of many young adults. In numerous areas around the world, and particularly in regional and remote areas, cultures have emerged where the migration of young adults is normalised and expected. While the impact of the migration of young adults on the areas they have left and have moved to has received considerable attention in both political and academic arenas, there is a need for more research that addresses the cultural meaning of migration and the importance of the migration process for young people themselves. The paper is based on two large research projects undertaken between 2000 and 2005, which focused on the experiences of migration of young adults in Tasmania, and includes data sourced from interviews and focus groups with young migrants as well as an analysis of media and policy documents. We discuss the ‘turbulent lives’ of young people in Tasmania, including the expectations and aspirations of young adults growing up in a culture in which migration is normalised and their experiences of leaving, and returning to, their childhood homes. These issues are considered in the context of recent theoretical debates surrounding the impact of mobility and attachment to place on the identities of migrants.
Scenic Perceptions of the Visual Effects of Wind Farms on South Australian Landscapes
Authors: LOTHIAN ANDREW 
Published: May 2008

AbstractA survey of the visual effects of wind farms was undertaken in South Australia, with the aim of quantifying the impact of wind farms on the perceived scenic quality of landscapes. In the study a total of 311 participants assessed the scenic quality of a photographed landscape in 68 coastal and inland locations where wind farms could be located, both without wind farms and with wind farms digitally added to the scene. A key finding of the study was that wind farms generally had a negative effect on landscapes of higher scenic quality but a positive effect on landscapes of lower scenic quality. The negative visual effects of a wind farm did not reduce appreciably with distance. White, blue or grey coloured turbines were preferred over tan or rainbow hues, but this finding was based on a small number of scenes. Limitations of the study included using static views of wind farms and having an insufficient number of scenes to assess the influence of the number of turbines on scenic quality ratings. The study concluded that wind farms should avoid areas of higher perceived scenic quality, particularly on the coast, and be located in areas of lower scenic quality. The study adds to the growing body of international research on community attitudes to wind farms, and contributes useful knowledge for future planning of wind farms in Australia. These research results should assist communities, government agencies and the wind energy industry and improve the planning and design of wind farms by taking community perceptions into account.
The Kabbalah Centre and Contemporary Spirituality
Authors: Myers Jody 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThis paper focuses on the Kabbalah Centre, an international new religious movement that popularizes formerly esoteric Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) and attempts to spread it to a universal audience. Like many new religious movements, its cultural and social nonalignment fosters intense opposition as well as attraction, the latter most notably from celebrity followers such as Madonna. I summarize portions of my ethnographic and historical research to illumine some basic aspects of the movement: its connection to Jewish and Christian Kabbalah, its postmodern social structure, and its appeal to both people seeking a spiritual outlook and practice seemingly unconnected to normative, organized religion.
ATR Harmony in African Languages
Authors: Casali Roderic F. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractA widespread phonological pattern in African languages of the Niger‐Congo and Nilo‐Saharan families is a type of vowel harmony or assimilation based on a phonological feature [ATR], or advanced tongue root. This article introduces the general behavior of African ATR harmony systems, briefly describes their geographic and genetic distribution, and discusses the phonetic basis of the feature [ATR]. I describe several aspects of typological variation in ATR harmony languages, with particular attention to some controversial issues of theoretical interest on which recent research may shed additional light. Topics covered include the nature of a widely discussed typological distinction between dominant and root‐controlled ATR harmony languages, the extent to which [–ATR] vowels behave as dominant, the behavior of the frequently neutral vowel /a/, and the question of whether the direction of application of ATR harmony can be predicted from the morphological possibilities found in a language.
Making a Virtue of Evil: A Five‐Step Social Identity Model of the Development of Collective Hate
Authors: Reicher Stephen , Haslam S. Alexander , Rath Rakshi 
Published: May 2008

AbstractIn the first part of this paper, we re‐examine the historical and psychological case for ‘the banality of evil’– the idea that people commit extreme acts of inhumanity, and more particularly genocides, in a state where they lack awareness or else control over what they are doing. Instead, we provide evidence that those who commit great wrongs knowingly choose to act as they do because they believe that what they are doing is right. In the second part of the paper, we then outline an integrative five‐step social identity model that details the processes through which inhumane acts against other groups can come to be celebrated as right. The five steps are: (i)Identification, the construction of an ingroup; (ii)Exclusion, the definition of targets as external to the ingroup; (iii)Threat, the representation of these targets as endangering ingroup identity; (iv)Virtue, the championing of the ingroup as (uniquely) good; and (v)Celebration, embracing the eradication of the outgroup as necessary to the defence of virtue.
Lack of somatic ErbB2 tyrosine kinase domain mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wong Chiung‐Ing , Yap Hui‐Ling , Lim Seng‐Gee , Guo Jia‐Yi , Goh Boon‐Cher , Lee Soo‐Chin 
Published: May 2008

Aim:  Small molecules targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) intracellular tyrosine kinase domain have shown promising activity in cancer therapeutics. Recent reports suggest activity of erlotinib, an ErbB1 inhibitor, and lapatinib, a dual inhibitor of ErbB1 and ErbB2, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Activating ErbB1 somatic mutations may predict treatment responses.Method and Results:  We have previously reported ErbB1 tyrosine kinase domain mutations to be rare or absent in HCC, but data on the frequency of ErbB2 tyrosine kinase domain mutations in HCC is currently limited, apart from reports of a missense mutation identified in 11% of a small Caucasian sample. We studied exons 18–23 of the ErbB2 gene from tumor DNA of 100 Asian human HCC and found no exonic mutations of potential significance.Conclusion:  Alternative mechanisms may be responsible for the observed therapeutic efficacy of ErbB1 and ErbB2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Re‐evaluation of the Guideline published by the Acute Liver Failure Study Group of Japan in 1996 to determine the indications of liver transplantation in patients with fulminant hepatitis
Authors: Mochida Satoshi , Nakayama Nobuaki , Matsui Atsushi , Nagoshi Sumiko , Fujiwara Kenji 
Published: May 2008

Aim:  The indications for liver transplantation in cases of fulminant hepatitis are currently determined according to the Guideline of the Acute Liver Failure Study Group of Japan in 1996, which is based on assessment of the prognosis of the patients at the onset of hepatic encephalopathy and reassessed 5 days later. This Guideline was prepared based on the clinical findings in patients seen between 1988 and 1992, and showed a predictive accuracy of 82% in the patients seen between 1993 and 1995. In this study, the usefulness of the Guideline was re‐evaluated, since the therapeutic strategies for fulminant hepatitis have advanced remarkably over the last 10 years.Methods:  The predictive accuracy of the Guideline was assessed in 698 patients with fulminant hepatitis and late onset hepatic failure (LOHF) between 1998 and 2003. The time‐point in the course of the disease at which physicians considered liver transplantation was examined.Results:  The accuracy in patients not receiving liver transplantation was 68% and 78% in acute and subacute types, respectively, of fulminant hepatitis, and 84% among LOHF cases. The values did not improve following the reassessment. The sensitivity and specificity of the assessment in patients with acute and subacute types, respectively, were extremely low. Liver transplantation was considered in 42% of LOHF patients at 8 or more days before encephalopathy development.Conclusion:  The Guideline should be modified to improve its accuracy. The Guideline should also be made adoptable for the assessment of LOHF patients before hepatic encephalopathy onset.
Transition in Wall-Bounded Flows
Authors: Lee C. B. , Wu J. Z. 
Published: May 2008

Abstract
In this paper, we present direct comparisons of experimental results on transition in wall-bounded flows obtained by flow visualizations, hot-film measurement, and particle-image velocimetry, along with a brief mention of relevant theoretical progresses, based on a critical review of about 120 selected publications. Despite somewhat different initial disturbance conditions used in experiments, the flow structures were found to be practically the same. The following observed flow structures are considered to be of fundamental importance in understanding transitional wall-bounded flows: the three-dimensional nonlinear wave packets called solitonlike coherent structures (SCSs) in boundary layer and pipe flows, the Λ-vortex, the secondary vortex loops, and the chain of ring vortices. The dynamic processes of the formation of these structures and transition as newly discovered by recent experiments include the following: (1) The sequential interaction processes between the Λ-vortex and the secondary vortex loops, which control the manner by which the chain of ring vortices is periodically introduced from the wall region into the outer region of the boundary layer. (2) The generation of high-frequency vortices, which is one of the key issues for understanding both transitional and developed turbulent boundary layers (as well as other flows), of which several explanations have been proposed but a particularly clear interpretation can be provided by the experimental discovery of secondary vortex loops. The ignorance of secondary vortex loops would make the dynamic processes and flow structures in a transitional boundary layer inconsistent with previous discoveries. (3) The dominant role of SCSs in all turbulent bursting, which is considered as the key mechanism of turbulent production in a low Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layer. Of direct relevance to bursting is the low-speed streaks, whose formation mechanism and link to the flow structures in wall-bounded flows can be answered more clearly than before in terms of the SCS dynamics. The observed SCSs and secondary vortex loops not only enable revisiting the classic story of wall-bounded flow transition, but also open a new avenue to reconstruct the possible universal scenario for wall-bounded flow transition.
Development of an Immunochromatographic Lateral-Flow Device for Rapid Serodiagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis
Authors: Thornton Christopher R. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT

Aspergillus fumigatus
is a cosmopolitan saprotrophic fungus that is second only to
Candida
species as a cause of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised humans. Current immunodiagnostic tests for invasive aspergillosis (IA) are based on the detection of circulating galactomannan (GM) in a patient's serum by using a rat monoclonal antibody (MAb), EB-A2, that binds to tetra (1→5)-β-
d
-galactofuranoside, the immunodominant epitope in GM. The potential cross-reactivity of MAb EB-A2 with non-
Aspergillus
fungi, with contaminating GM in β-lactam antibiotics and foodstuffs, and with bacterial lipoteichoic acids has prompted efforts to discover non-GM antigens that can act as surrogate markers for the diagnosis of IA. This paper describes the development of a mouse MAb, JF5, that binds to a protein epitope present on an extracellular glycoprotein antigen secreted constitutively during the active growth of
A. fumigatus
. The MAb was used to develop an immunochromatographic lateral-flow device (LFD) for the rapid (15-min) detection of
Aspergillus
antigens in human serum. The test is highly specific, reacting with antigens from
Aspergillus
species but not with antigens from a large number of clinically important fungi, including
Candida
species,
Cryptococcus neoformans
,
Fusarium solani
,
Penicillium marneffei
,
Pseudallescheria boydii
, and
Rhizopus oryzae
. The LFD was able to detect circulating antigen in serum samples from patients suspected of having or shown to have IA on the basis of their clinical symptoms and results from tests for GM and fungal (1→3)-β-
d
-glucan. The ease of use of the LFD provides a diagnostic platform for the routine testing of vulnerable patients who have an elevated risk of IA.
Is the Incidence of Anaerobic Bacteremia Decreasing? Analysis of 114,000 Blood Cultures over a Ten-Year Period
Authors: Fenner Lukas , Widmer Andreas F. , Straub Clarisse , Frei Reno 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT

The number of positive anaerobic blood culture results per 1,000 blood cultures performed decreased from 12.6 in the period from 1997 to 2001 to 7.0 in the period from 2002 to 2006 (
P
< 0.001), as did the proportion of isolated anaerobic organisms compared to the number of all organisms isolated from blood cultures (7.6% to 4.3% [
P
< 0.001]), while positive aerobic cultures remained stable. In contrast, the proportion of
Bacteroides fragilis
group members and gram-positive cocci within the anaerobic group increased (26.8% to 36.7% [
P
= 0.004] and 5.4% to 12% [
P
< 0.001], respectively). The number of patients with anaerobic bacteremia decreased from 122 patients in 1997 to 69 in 2006.
RD
Rio
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Infection Is Associated with a Higher Frequency of Cavitary Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Lazzarini Luiz Claudio Oliveira , Spindola Silvana Miranda , Bang Heejung , Gibson Andrea L. , Weisenberg Scott , da Silva Carvalho Wania , Augusto Claudio José , Huard Richard C. , Kritski Afrânio L. , Ho John L. 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT

Molecular genotyping has shown
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
lineages to be geographically restricted and associated with distinct ethnic populations. Whether tuberculosis (TB) caused by some
M. tuberculosis
lineages can present with a differential clinical spectrum is controversial because of very limited clinical data. We recently reported on the discovery of RD
Rio
M. tuberculosis
, a Latin American-Mediterranean sublineage that is the predominant cause of TB in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To investigate the clinical attributes of TB caused by RD
Rio
strains, we studied a cohort of TB cases from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in which clinical information recorded on a standardized questionnaire was collected at the time of microbiological testing. These patients were referred for culture and drug susceptibility testing because of the clinical suspicion of “complicated” TB, as demonstrated by high rates of multidrug resistance (12%) and cavitary TB (80%). We performed spoligotyping and RD
Rio
genotyping on the
M. tuberculosis
strains and analyzed the clinical data from these patients. RD
Rio
M. tuberculosis
accounted for 37% of the total TB burden. Multivariate analysis found a significant association between TB caused by RD
Rio
strains and pulmonary cavitation and residence in Belo Horizonte. Since cavitary TB is associated with higher sputum bacillary load, our findings support the hypothesis that RD
Rio
M. tuberculosis
is associated with a more “severe” disease as a strategy to increase transmission. Future studies are needed to confirm these observations and to better define the contribution of RD
Rio
M. tuberculosis
to the global TB epidemic.