bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Midazolam vs ondansetron for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Lee Y. , Wang J. J. , Yang Y. L. , Chen A. , Lai H. Y. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryWe compared the prophylactic anti‐emetic efficacy of midazolam and ondansetron in 90 patients scheduled for minor gynaecological (hysteroscopy) or urological (ureteroscopy) procedures planned to last 1–2 h under sevoflurane anaesthesia with spontaneous ventilation of the lungs via a laryngeal mask airway. Midazolam 2 mg or ondansetron 4 mg were administered intravenously 30 min before the end of surgery. The proportions of patients who experienced postoperative nausea and vomiting in the first 24 h (30% and 27% for the midazolam and ondansetron groups, respectively) were similar in the two groups. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was significantly smaller in both groups than predicted according to the patients' underlying risks (midazolam group: p = 0.018; ondansetron group: p = 0.017). There were no significant differences in average sedation scores or pain scores. Treatment using ondansetron for anti‐emetic prophylaxis did not provide a superior benefit compared to midazolam in the present study.
Cost effectiveness of recombinant activated factor VII for the control of bleeding in patients with severe blunt trauma injuries in the United Kingdom
Authors: Morris S. , Ridley S. , Munro V. , Christensen M. C. ,   the NovoSeven Trauma Study Group
Published: December 2006

SummaryThe aim of this study was to assess the lifetime cost effectiveness of recombinant activated factor VII vs placebo as adjunctive therapy for control of bleeding in patients with severe blunt trauma in the UK. We developed a cost‐effectiveness model based on patient level data from a 30‐day international, randomised, placebo‐controlled Phase II trial. The data were supplemented with secondary data from UK sources to estimate lifetime costs and benefits. The model produced a baseline estimate of the incremental cost per life year gained with recombinant activated factor VII relative to placebo of £12 613. The incremental cost per quality adjusted life year gained was £18 825. These estimates are sensitive to the choice of discount rate and health state utility values used. Preliminary results suggest that relative to placebo, recombinant activated factor VII may be a cost‐effective therapy to the UK National Health Service.
Use of helium‐oxygen mixture in adult patients presenting with exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review
Authors: Colebourn C. L. , Barber V. , Young J. D. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryWe examined systematically all controlled and cross‐over randomised trials in patients with acute exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease comparing Heliox against air‐oxygen mixtures. Fourteen studies were identified. In asthma studies, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was increased by an average of 29.6% (95% CI 16.6–42.6) by Heliox‐driven nebulisers, or by 13.3 l.min−1 (95% CI 3.71–22.81) absolute. In studies of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease receiving non‐invasive ventilation the arterial carbon dioxide tension (Paco2) and respiratory rate were unchanged: weighted mean difference for Paco2−0.29kPa (95% CI − 0.64–0.07) favoured Heliox, and for respiratory rate 1.6 breaths.min−1 (95% CI − 0.93, 4.14) favoured control. Heliox minimally reduced the work of breathing in intubated patients, and reduced intrinsic positive end expiratory pressure (iPEEP). The use of Heliox to drive nebulisers in patients with acute asthma slightly improves airflow measures. We were unable to determine whether this improved recovery.
Pattern of ventilation during manual hyperinflation performed by physiotherapists
Authors: Maxwell L. J. , Ellis E. R. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryThe aim of this prospective observational study was to document patterns of ventilation during manual hyperinflation by physiotherapists. Manual hyperinflation with a Mapleson‐F system was performed on the same patients on two consecutive days. Patterns of ventilation were recorded using a heated pneumotachometer, pressure transducer and custom designed data acquisition and analysis systems. The mean (SE) results were: inspiratory time 1.45 (0.10) s; volume delivered 1.23 (0.07) l; peak inspiratory and expiratory flow rate 1.51 (0.06) l.s−1 and 3.26 (0.30) l.s−1, respectively and I : E flow rate ratio 0.63 (0.05). All the physiotherapists achieved an increase in volume which was delivered within a safe and effective pressure range and without cardiovascular compromise. Most (26 out of 34 sessions) performed the technique in the way recommended for enhancing secretion clearance. This is the first study to document comprehensively the pattern of ventilation during manual hyperinflation and provides the basis for further clinical trials evaluating its effectiveness for secretion clearance and volume restoration.
Multiple detachment levels and their control on fold styles in the compressional domain of the deepwater west Niger Delta
Authors: Briggs Sepribo E. , Davies Richard J. , Cartwright Joe A. , Morgan Richard 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTWe interpret recently acquired two‐dimensional (2D) and 3D seismic data from the contractional domain of the Tertiary deepwater west Niger Delta, which is an area of current hydrocarbon exploration and development to show that during its gravitational collapse, multiple detachments were active. Detachments are located within (1) what we herein refer to as the ‘Dahomey unit’, (2) the transition between the Agbada and Akata formations (Top Akata) and (3) the Akata formation. Seismic interpretation and quantitative measurements of fault displacements show that the utilisation of different detachments results in contrasting styles of thrust propagation and fold growth. Two geographical zones are defined. In zone A (NW sector of the study area), the stratigraphically shallowest Dahomey detachment is dominant and is associated with thrust truncated folds. In zone B (SE sector of the study area), a stratigraphically lower detachment approximately at the Agbada–Akata formation boundary is associated with thrust propagation folds. A third detachment, within the Akata formation, is locally developed and is also associated with thrust propagation folds. The different deformational histories are probably related to the mechanical stratigraphy and the pore‐pressure characteristics of the succession.
Slump folds as estimators of palaeoslope: a case study from the Fisherstreet Slump of County Clare, Ireland
Authors: Strachan L. J. , Alsop G. I. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTFolds and faults preserved within slump horizons are thought to be the only sedimentary structures that primarily reflect palaeoslope direction. By evaluating methods for the analysis of slump folds, the robustness of many palaeoslope and palaeogeographical reconstructions can be tested. Five methods for estimating palaeoslope direction from slump fold orientation data are tested with reference to the Upper Carboniferous Fisherstreet Slump horizon of County Clare, Ireland. These methods are the Mean Axis Method, the Separation Arc Method, the Downslope Average axis Method, the Axial–planar Intersection Method and the Fold Hinge Azimuth and Interlimb Angle Method. Transport determination techniques have mixed success when applied to this example and reveal a mean downslope transport direction of 067°. This result reflects the varied boundary conditions that are possible during slumping, resulting from variations in initial fold geometries, progressive fold formation, spatial and temporal changes in velocity, material properties, pore fluid pressures and the local slope. Without a comprehensive analysis of slump data – using all available techniques – large errors in interpreted transport direction can exist and may invalidate palaeogeographic reconstructions. It is essential to use as many transport determination techniques as possible to determine slip direction accurately. With this in mind, a general procedure for determining palaeoslope directions is suggested and used to examine existing palaeogeographic models for the Clare Basin.
Miocene to Recent exhumation of the central Himalaya determined from combined detrital zircon fission‐track and U/Pb analysis of Siwalik sediments, western Nepal
Authors: Bernet Matthias , van der Beek Peter , Pik Raphaël , Huyghe Pascale , Mugnier Jean‐Louis , Labrin Erika , Szulc Adam 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTFission‐track (FT) analysis of detrital zircon from synorogenic sediment is a well‐established tool to examine the cooling and exhumation history of convergent mountain belts, but has so far not been used to determine the long‐term evolution of the central Himalaya. This study presents FT analysis of detrital zircon from 22 sandstone and modern sediment samples that were collected along three stratigraphic sections within the Miocene to Pliocene Siwalik Group, and from modern rivers, in western and central Nepal. The results provide evidence for widespread cooling in the Nepalese Himalaya at about 16.0±1.4 Ma, and continuous exhumation at a rate of about 1.4±0.2 km Myr−1 thereafter. The ∼16 Ma cooling is likely related to a combination of tectonic and erosional activity, including movement on the Main Central thrust and Southern Tibetan Detachment system, as well as emplacement of the Ramgarh thrust on Lesser Himalayan sedimentary and meta‐sedimentary units. The continuous exhumation signal following the ∼16 Ma cooling event is seen in connection with ongoing tectonic uplift, river incision and erosion of lower Lesser Himalayan rocks exposed below the MCT and Higher Himalayan rocks in the hanging wall of the MCT, controlled by orographic precipitation and crustal extrusion. Provenance analysis, to distinguish between Higher Himalayan and Lesser Himalayan zircon sources, is based on double dating of individual zircons with the FT and U/Pb methods. Zircons with pre‐Himalayan FT cooling ages may be derived from either nonmetamorphic parts of the Tethyan sedimentary succession or Higher Himalayan protolith that formerly covered the Dadeldhura and Ramgarh thrust sheets, but that have been removed by erosion. Both the Higher and Lesser Himalaya appear to be sources for the zircons that record either ∼16 Ma cooling or the continuous exhumation afterwards.
Late Miocene – Recent exhumation of the central Himalaya and recycling in the foreland basin assessed by apatite fission‐track thermochronology of Siwalik sediments, Nepal
Authors: van der Beek Peter , Robert Xavier , Mugnier Jean‐Louis , Bernet Matthias , Huyghe Pascale , Labrin Erika 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTThermochronological analysis of detrital sediments derived from the erosion of mountain belts and contained in the sedimentary basins surrounding them allows reconstructing the long‐term exhumation history of the sediment source areas. The effective closure temperature of the thermochronological system analysed determines the spatial and temporal resolution of the analysis through the duration of the lag time between closure of the system during exhumation and its deposition in the sedimentary basin. Here, we report apatite fission‐track (AFT) data from 31 detrital samples collected from Miocene to Pliocene stratigraphic sections of the Siwalik Group in western and central Nepal, as well as three samples from modern river sediments from the same area, that complement detrital zircon fission‐track (ZFT) and U–Pb data from the same samples presented in a companion paper. Samples from the upper part of the stratigraphic sections are unreset and retain a signal of source‐area exhumation; they show spatial variations in source‐area exhumation rates that are not picked up by the higher‐temperature systems. More deeply buried samples have been partially reset within the Siwalik basin and provide constraints on the thermal and kinematic history of the fold‐and‐thrust belt itself. The results suggest that peak source‐area exhumation rates have been constant at ∼1.8 km Myr−1 over the last ∼7 Ma in central Nepal, whereas they ranged between 1 and ∼1.5 km Myr−1 in western Nepal over the same time interval; these spatial variations may be explained by either a tectonic or climatic control on exhumation rates, or possibly a combination of the two. Increasing lag times within the uppermost part of the sections suggest an increasing component of apatites that have been recycled within the Siwalik belt and are corroborated by AFT ages of modern river sediment downstream as well as the record of the distal Bengal Fan. The most deeply buried and most strongly annealed samples record onset of exhumation of the frontal Siwaliks along the Himalayan frontal thrust at ∼2 Ma and continuous shortening at rates comparable with the present‐day shortening rates from at least 0.3 Ma onward.
Late orogenic vertical movements in the Carpathian Bend Zone – seismic constraints on the transition zone from orogen to foredeep
Authors: Leever K. A. , Matenco L. , Bertotti G. , Cloetingh S. , Drijkoningen G. G. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTPostcollisional tectonic movements in orogens and their adjacent foreland basins related to intraplate stresses and the presence of a remnant slab are likely to induce significant deformations overprinting the existing patterns of nappe emplacement. In the Carpathian Bend Zone, Romania, vertical motions associated with very limited postorogenic intraplate shortening are of similar magnitude as those generally caused by large orogenic deformations. In the Latest Miocene–Pliocene, up to 6 km of postcollisional sediments of remarkably parallel stratification were deposited in a basin extending over a large part of the present‐day orogen. The Early Quaternary featured a dramatical change as the orogen was uplifted while subsidence continued in the basin, tilting the basin flank adjacent to the orogen to a vertical position. The remnant slab presently below the Bend zone in Vrancea is the prime mechanism to have driven the Pliocene subsidence. The Quaternary changes and the eastwards migration of the pattern of vertical motions can be explained by large‐scale folding, in response to the overall compressive regime that is recorded in the whole Pannonian‐Carpathian area.
Health professionals’ perceptions of feeding‐related quality of life in children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy
Authors: Morrow A. M. , Quine S. , Craig J. C. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBackground Our aim was to identify the major determinants of feeding‐related quality of life (QoL) in children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy (QCP) from the perspective of health professionals to provide a framework for comprehensive clinical evaluation of health status in this group.Methods A trained facilitator conducted five semi‐structured focus groups during September and November 2003. Participants were recruited through the two paediatric hospitals in Sydney and community‐based services, and included general and specialist paediatricians (n = 18), nurses (n = 15) and allied health professionals (n = 13), with an 80% response rate. All sessions were audio‐ and videotaped.nvivosoftware was used to facilitate thematic analysis of the transcribed audiotapes.Results Responses clustered into five themes: delivery of health services, parent–child interaction, the child’s physical and emotional well‐being, and social participation. Participants thought the QoL of child and parent was inseparable. Parent–child interaction, delivery of services and physical well‐being were the topics which prompted most participant interaction. These findings did not vary across disciplines.Conclusions Health professionals identified five domains which provide a framework within which clinicians may comprehensively evaluate the health status of children with QCP and feeding difficulties. These five domains may also be used to inform a new feeding‐related QoL instrument for use in this group of patients.
Alternaria alternata NADP*‐dependent mannitol dehydrogenase is an important fungal allergen
Authors: Schneider P. B. , Denk U. , Breitenbach M. , Richter K. , Schmid‐Grendelmeier P. , Nobbe S. , Himly M. , Mari A. , Ebner C. , Simon‐Nobbe B. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryBackground
Alternaria alternata is one of the most important allergenic fungi worldwide. Mannitol dehydrogenase (MtDH) has previously been shown to be a major allergen of Cladosporium herbarum and cross‐reactivity has been demonstrated for several fungal allergens.Objective
The present study's objective was to clone the MtDH from an A. alternata cDNA library, express and purify the recombinant non‐fusion protein and test its IgE‐binding properties.Methods
A cDNA library prepared from A. alternata hyphae and spores was screened for mannitol dehydrogenase by DNA hybridization with the radioactively labelled C. herbarum homologue as a probe. The resulting clone was sequenced and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli as a recombinant non‐fusion protein, which was purified to homogeneity and analysed for its IgE‐binding capacity.Results
The coding sequence of the full‐length cDNA clone comprises 798 bp encoding a protein with a molecular mass of 28.6 kDa and a predicted pI of 5.88. Protein sequence analysis revealed an identity of 75% and a homology of 86% between the MtDHs of A. alternata and C. herbarum. The functional mannitol dehydrogenase was expressed in the E. coli strain BL21(DE3) transformed with the vector pMW172 and purified to homogeneity. The enzyme catalyses the NADPH‐dependent conversion of d‐fructose to d‐mannitol. In IgE‐ELISA and immunoblots, MtDH is recognized by 41% of A. alternata‐allergic patients. In vivo immunoreactivity of the recombinant MtDH was verified by skin prick testing. Finally, inhibition‐ELISA experiments confirmed cross‐reactivity between the MtDHs of A. alternata and C. herbarum.Conclusion
Mannitol dehydrogenase (Alt a 8) represents an important new allergen of the ascomycete A. alternata that might be suitable for improving diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Skin test results and self‐reported symptom severity in allergic rhinitis: the role of psychological factors
Authors: Graif Y. , Goldberg A. , Tamir R. , Vigiser D. , Melamed S. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryBackground
In allergic conditions, the degree of skin test reactivity does not always correlate with the severity of clinical symptoms. Additional factors may contribute to the reported symptom severity.Objectives
To investigate the association between the magnitude of the skin prick test (SPT) response and the reported symptom severity in patients with allergic rhinitis and the possible modifying role of psychological factors.Methods
One hundred four patients with allergic rhinitis and 23 with non‐allergic rhinitis, classified according to their SPT response to 19 aeroallergens, were asked to rate the severity of five symptoms and to indicate whether their symptoms intensified on exposure to five common aeroallergens. They also completed a psychological questionnaire.Results
Reported symptom severity of allergic rhinitis did not correlate with weal size for any of the aeroallergens tested or with the number of positive responses on SPT. It was not related to patient age, sex, or education. The reported symptoms severity correlated positively (0.29, P<0.01) with reported symptom intensification on exposure to allergens. Moreover, both outcomes were positively associated with the psychological factors of hypochondriasis (0.20, P<0.05 and 0.18, P<0.05, respectively), and somatic awareness (0.24, P<0.05 and 0.33, P<0.01, respectively), but not with neuroticism.Conclusions
The severity of symptoms experienced by patients with allergic rhinitis is apparently not related to the magnitude of SPT response, but rather to psychological factors of hypochondriasis and somatic awareness. Physicians should be aware of the contribution of psychological factors to patient perceptions of the intensity of symptoms and of the intensification of symptoms on their exposure to allergens.
Surfactant protein D regulates chemotaxis and degranulation of human eosinophils
Authors: Von Bredow Christina , Hartl Dominik , Schmid Kristina , Schabaz Farhad , Brack Eva , Reinhardt Dietrich , Griese Matthias 
Published: December 2006

SummaryThe collectin surfactant protein D (SP‐D) is an important component of the pulmonary innate host defence. Up to now, little is known about the regulation of eosinophil function by SP‐D. Various murine models of pulmonary hypersensitivity suggest that SP‐D may be a potent anti‐allergic protein. We investigated the modulation of eosinophil chemotaxis and degranulation by human SP‐D. SP‐D markedly inhibited the chemotaxis of eosinophils triggered by eotaxin, a major tissue‐derived CC‐chemokine, as shown in a modified Boyden chamber assay. In addition, degranulation of ECP in response to Ca2+ ionophore, immobilized IgG and serum from allergic patients was inhibited by SP‐D. In a fixed‐cell enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and in flow cytometry, SP‐D bound to eosinophils. This binding was saturable and was inhibited by the addition of maltose and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, suggesting the involvement of the carbohydrate recognition domain of SP‐D. In addition, flow cytometry showed significant interaction of SP‐D with CD32 (FcγII receptor) on eosinophils, which might explain the inhibitory effect of SP‐D on the IgG and serum‐triggered eosinophil cationic protein degranulation of eosinophils. Our data further support the concept of an anti‐inflammatory function of SP‐D in the lung of patients with allergic diseases.
Spontaneous remission of acute monocytic leukemia after infection with Clostridium septicum
Authors: AL‐TAWFIQ J. A. , AL‐KHATTI A. A. 
Published: December 2006

SummarySpontaneous remissions of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been reported in association with infection. Here, we report a case of spontaneous remission of AML in a 47‐year‐old Saudi Arabian male patient who presented with a few weeks history of recurrent abdominal pain, vomiting and fever. He was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia (AML, FAB M5b) and a perforated bowel. He also had Clostridium septicum bacteremia and thus chemotherapy was deferred. He received supportive therapy and intravenous antibiotics. Six weeks later, he achieved spontaneous and complete remission lasting for about 4 months. The remission and relapse were documented by bone marrow examination. Similarly, previous reports of spontaneous remission of AML were short lived and were followed by relapse and progression.
Epidemiology of non‐gastroenteropancreatic (neuro)endocrine tumours
Authors: Ferolla P. , Faggiano A. , Avenia N. , Milone F. , Masone S. , Giampaglia F. , Puma F. , Daddi G. , Angeletti G. , Lombardi G. , Santeusanio F. , Colao A. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryThe widespread availability and reliability of immunohistochemical techniques in the last three decades have allowed researchers to identify cells with common neuroendocrine markers in virtually every organ. As a whole, these neuroendocrine cells form the so‐called diffuse neuroendocrine system. Tumours arising from the cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system are defined as (neuro)endocrine tumours (NETs). NETs have been increasingly described in recent years. However, despite the increase in the number of published papers focused on NET, we still lack adequate epidemiological data, particularly for non‐gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) NETs. Furthermore, the real incidence of neuroendocrine differentiation for most sites is not completely known and is probably underestimated. As a consequence, data on the clinical features of many NET subgroups are not well known or confusing. For all of these reasons, we have attempted to evaluate the epidemiology of non‐GEP NETs, reviewing the limited data available in the literature.