bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nasal Sound Analysis: A New Method for Evaluating Nasal Obstruction in Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Tahamiler Rauf , Edizer Deniz Tuna , Canakcioglu Salih , Guvenc Melih Guven , Inci Ender , Dirican Ahmet 
Published: November 2006

AbstractObjective: Current measurements of nasal obstruction are unreliable and may be improved with the development of new techniques. The effectiveness of odiosoft‐rhino (OR) in the evaluation of nasal obstruction was investigated in a blind comparison at a referral center, institutional practice.Patients: Forty‐eight patients with perennial allergic rhinitis and 52 healthy subjects were studied. Nasal endoscopic examination, acoustic rhinometry (AR), and OR were performed and symptom scores compared.Main Outcome Measure: Assessment of nasal blockage with OR method was the main outcome measure.Results: Using the OR technique, significant differences were observed between the patient and control groups. OR data correlated with symptom scores and endoscopic examination. However, this was not observed with AR. A 15.5‐dB cutoff point for the left side and 14.5 dB cutoff point for the right side at the 2,000 to 4,000 Hz frequency interval resulted in 93.8% sensitivity and 92.3% specificity and 72.9% sensitivity and 80.8% specificity, respectively. A 8.5‐dB cutoff point for the left and right sides at the 4,000 to 6,000 Hz frequency interval resulted in 87.5% sensitivity and 80.8% specificity and 70.8% sensitivity and 78.8% specificity, respectively.Conclusion: OR is a simple, noninvasive test for assessing nasal obstruction. The OR technique can detect nasal obstruction with high sensitivity and specificity, and these findings correlate with symptoms and physical examination.
Long‐Term Follow‐up of Hearing Loss in Children and Young Adults With Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts: Relationship to Radiologic Findings and Pendred Syndrome Diagnosis
Authors: Colvin Ian B. , Beale Timothy , Harrop‐Griffiths Katherine 
Published: November 2006

AbstractObjective: To describe the long‐term audiologic findings in pediatric patients with enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVAs). The relationship between the hearing loss (HL) and the dimensions of the EVA, enlarged endolymphatic duct (EED), or enlarged endolymphatic sac (EES) was also investigated. The influence of a Pendred syndrome (PS) diagnosis on the audiologic phenotype was also examined.Study Design: Retrospective analysis of case notes and imaging records, including measurement of the dimensions of the EVA, EED, and EES.Setting: Tertiary referral center.Patients: Twenty‐seven patients (21 female, 6 male) had an EVA in at least one ear. Eighty‐five percent had bilateral enlargements. Median age at onset of follow‐up was 5.0 years, and median follow‐up was 9.7 years.Main Outcome Measures: Hearing thresholds at the start and end of follow‐up, rate of progression of HL, history of sudden drops in hearing.Results: All ears with an EVA had HL. Average HL at the start and end of follow‐up was severe. Thirty‐seven percent of patients had progressive HL, and 33% reported sudden drops in hearing. Progression was significantly associated with a history of sudden drops. PS patients had worse hearing at the end of follow‐up as compared with nonsyndromic patients. There was no evidence of a relationship between the dimensions of the EVA, EED, or EES and the severity or progression of HL.Conclusions: Patients with EVAs should be advised to avoid known trigger factors for sudden drops in hearing (e.g., minor head trauma). A diagnosis of PS may be associated with a worse audiologic prognosis.
Lymphovascular Invasion is Associated With Lateral Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Kim Jung Min , Kim Tae Yong , Kim Won Bae , Gong Gyungyup , Kim Seong Chul , Hong Suck Joon , Shong Young Kee 
Published: November 2006

AbstractObjectives: The objective of this retrospective study to evaluate whether lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is associated with lateral cervical lymph node metastasis and tumor recurrence in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Methods: We evaluated the medical records of patients with PTC who had undergone total thyroidectomy and subsequent 131I remnant ablation at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, from January 1997 thorough December 2000.Results: A total of 662 patients (585 women and 77 men; mean age, 44.8 years) with PTC were enrolled in the study. Of these patients, 33 were found to have LVI. We found a significant association between LVI and lateral cervical lymph node metastasis at the time of initial surgery (P = .001). Multivariate analyses adjusting for clinicopathologic parameters known to predict recurrence such as age, gender, tumor size, extrathyroid extension, and multifocality also showed a significant association between LVI and lateral cervical lymph node metastasis. For the 633 patients without distant metastasis at the time of initial surgery, LVI was also significantly associated with tumor recurrence during the follow‐up period (median, 68 months; range, 3–108 months): 29% versus 13.6% for patients with and without LVI, respectively (P = .048 by log‐rank test). However, this association was lost on multivariate analyses adjusting for conventional clinicopathologic predictors of recurrence.Conclusions: In patients with PTC, LVI is associated with lateral cervical lymph node metastasis and clinical recurrence.
Trifluralin herbicide‐induced resistance of melon to fusarium wilt involves expression of stress‐ and defence‐related genes
Authors: LOTAN‐POMPAN MAYA , COHEN RON , YARDEN ODED , PORTNOY VITALY , BURGER YOSEF , KATZIR NURIT 
Published: November 2006

SUMMARYTo identify genes involved in trifluralin herbicide‐induced resistance of melon to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and cDNA‐amplified fragment‐length polymorphism (cDNA‐AFLP) were used. A total of 123 clones—60 of which have never been isolated from melon—were isolated, sequenced and annotated. A significant proportion (35%) of the total 123 clones exhibited similarity to genes that have been formerly described as stress‐ or defence‐related. Thirty‐two selected clones were subjected to a detailed expression analysis, one‐third of which were found to be up‐regulated in response to trifluralin treatment and/or fusarium inoculation. The putative roles of seven of these clones in stress are discussed. Furthermore, the expression of four stress‐related and up‐regulated genes was enhanced when the plants were subjected to salinity stress, suggesting that trifluralin induces a general stress response which protects the plant against fusarium wilt.
Preceding immunosuppressive therapy with antithymocyte globulin and ciclosporin increases the incidence of graft rejection in children with aplastic anaemia who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from HLA‐identical siblings
Authors: Kobayashi Ryoji , Yabe Hiromasa , Hara Junichi , Morimoto Akira , Tsuchida Masahiro , Mugishima Hideo , Ohara Akira , Tsukimoto Ichiro , Kato Koji , Kigasawa Hisato , Tabuchi Ken , Nakahata Tatsutoshi , Ohga Shoichi , Kojima Seiji ,   the Japan Childhood Aplastic Anemia Study Group
Published: November 2006

SummaryThe incidence of graft rejection was determined in 66 children with acquired aplastic anaemia (AA) following bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from a related donor. Eleven of 65 evaluable patients experienced either early or late rejection. Multivariate analysis identified previous immunosuppressive therapy with antithymocyte‐globulin (ATG) and ciclosporin (CsA) as a risk factor for graft rejection (relative risk: 16·6, P = 0·001). Patients who received ATG and CsA had a significantly lower probability of failure‐free survival than those who did not (69·7 ± 6·2% vs. 87·9 ± 8·0%, P = 0·044). These results suggest that BMT should be instituted immediately in children with severe AA who have human leucocyte antigen‐identical siblings.
Probiotics in the treatment of Japanese cedar pollinosis: a double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Xiao J.‐Z. , Kondo S. , Yanagisawa N. , Takahashi N. , Odamaki T. , Iwabuchi N. , Miyaji K. , Iwatsuki K. , Togashi H. , Enomoto K. , Enomoto T. 
Published: November 2006

SummaryBackground
Probiotic bacteria may be effective in the treatment of allergic inflammation and food allergy, but efficacy and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Objective
The present study investigated the effects of probiotic strain Bifidobacterium longum BB536 in the treatment of Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCPsis).Methods
In a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial, 44 JCPsis subjects received BB536 or placebo for 13 weeks during the pollen season. Subjective symptoms and self‐care measures were recorded daily and blood samples were taken before and during intervention to measure blood levels of parameters related to JCPsis.Results
BB536 intake was associated with a significant reduction in number of subjects prematurely terminated due to severe symptoms and pollinosis medication (P=0.0057 vs. placebo group). Comparison of subjective symptom scores indicated significant decreases in rhinorrhea, nasal blockage and composite scores in the BB536 group compared with the placebo group. Comparison of medical scores showed marked improvements in all symptoms on BB536 intake. A T‐helper type 2 (Th2)‐skewed immune response occurring along with pollen dispersion was observed. BB536 significantly suppressed increases in plasma thymus‐ and activation‐regulated chemokine and tended to suppress elevations of Japanese cedar pollen (JCP)‐specific IgE.Conclusion
These results suggest the efficacy of BB536 in relieving JCPsis symptoms, probably through the modulation of Th2‐skewed immune response.
Ultrafine but not fine particulate matter causes airway inflammation and allergic airway sensitization to co‐administered antigen in mice
Authors: De Haar C. , Hassing I. , Bol M. , Bleumink R. , Pieters R. 
Published: November 2006

SummaryBackground
Airborne particulate matter (PM) is an important factor associated with the enhanced prevalence of respiratory allergy. The PM adjuvant activity on allergic sensitization is a possible mechanism of action involved, and the induction of airway inflammation is suggested to be of importance in PM‐induced adjuvant activity.Objective
Because differently sized PM have different toxic potentials, we studied the role of particle size in the induction of airway inflammation and allergic sensitization. This was done using fine (0.250 and 0.260 μm) and ultrafine (0.029 and 0.014 μm) titanium dioxide (TiO2) and carbon black particles (CBP) with known differences in airway toxicity.Methods
Mice were intranasally exposed to ovalbumin (OVA) alone or in combination with one of the different particles. The induction of airway inflammation and the immune adjuvant activity were studied in the lungs and lung‐draining peribronchial lymph nodes (PBLN) at day 8. OVA‐specific antibodies were measured at day 21, and the development of allergic airway inflammation was studied after OVA challenges (day 28).Results
When administered at the same total particle mass (200 μg), exposure to ultrafine TiO2 and CBP‐induced airway inflammation, and had immune adjuvant activity. The latter was shown by increasing both the PBLN cell numbers and the production of OVA‐specific T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines (IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐10 and IL‐13). Whereas OVA‐specific IgE and IgG1 levels in serum were only increased in animals exposed to the ultrafine TiO2, allergic airway inflammation could be detected in both ultrafine TiO2‐and CBP‐treated groups after challenges with OVA.Conclusion
Our data show that only the ultrafine particles, with a small diameter and a large total surface area/mass, cause airway inflammation and have immune adjuvant activity in the current model supporting the hypothesis that particle toxicity is site‐dependent and related to adjuvant activity.
Genetic selection for resistance or susceptibility to oral tolerance imparts correlation to both Immunoglobulin E level and mast cell number phenotypes with a profound impact on the atopic potential of the individual
Authors: Da Silva M. F. S. , Nóbrega A. , Ribeiro R. C. , Levy M. S. , Ribeiro O. G. , Tambourgi D. V. , Sant'Anna D. A. , Da Silva A. C. 
Published: November 2006

SummaryBackground
Immunological oral tolerance is being studied with great interest due to its therapeutic potential in allergy and autoimmunity processes, although the cellular and molecular mechanisms linking these different phenomena remain elusive. In the present study, two mouse lines with extreme phenotypes for susceptibility [TS Line] or resistance [TR Line] to oral tolerance and their [TS × TR]F2 segregants were used in order to evaluate the impact of these traits on the atopic potential of the individuals.Objective
Demonstrate whether the tr and ts genes, cumulated during 18 generations of bidirectional genetic selection, influence expression of two important immunobiological traits (IgE and mast cell) critical to allergic response.Methods
Mice with extreme phenotypes for oral tolerance to ovalbumin (OVA), produced by assortative mating (TS and TR Line), and their (TS × TR)F2 segregating were used. Serum IgE levels assayed by ELISA, and mastocytes counted with toluidine blue staining were evaluated in naïve mice. Anaphylaxis was induced by intravenous injection of OVA, intestinal inflammation by oral administration of OVA 7 days after immunization, and pulmonary inflammation by intranasal and nebulization OVA challenges. Specific IgE was dosed by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis.Results
The naïve TS mice have a 20‐fold lower serum IgE level and two‐ to threefold diminished mast cell numbers in mucosal sites, when compared with TR‐mice, which were highly susceptible to allergic inflammation and anaphylactic shock. The associations of oral tolerance, serum IgE levels and mast cell numbers in naïve animals were confirmed analysing the simultaneous presence of these traits in individuals of a [TS × TR]F2‐segregating population.Conclusion
The results suggest that the complex of genes controlling TS and TR phenotypes play a main role in the regulation of the atopic potential of the individual. The studies of these traits in interline F2 segregants demonstrated a co‐segregation of TS and TR phenotypes with IgE responsiveness and mast cell numbers. Thus, the opposite capacity of the genetically modified mice may be involved in co‐adaptative mechanisms reflecting a dynamic relation between gene frequencies in a natural population. These correlations give circumstantial evidence to support clinical applications of oral tolerance in allergic and autoimmune diseases.
Effects of subcutaneous methadone, morphine, buprenorphine or saline on thermal and pressure thresholds in cats
Authors: STEAGALL P. V. M. , CARNICELLI P. , TAYLOR P. M. , LUNA S. P. L. , DIXON M. , FERREIRA T. H. 
Published: November 2006

This study compared pressure and thermal thresholds after administration of three opioids in eight cats. Pressure stimulation was performed via a bracelet taped around the forearm. Three ball‐bearings were advanced against the forearm by inflation of a modified blood pressure bladder. Pressure in the cuff was recorded at the end point (leg shake and head turn). Thermal threshold was tested as previously reported using a heated probe held against the thorax [Dixon et al. (2002)Research in Veterinary Science, 72, 205]. After baseline recordings, each cat received subcutaneous methadone 0.2 mg/kg, morphine 0.2 mg/kg, buprenorphine 0.02 mg/kg or saline 0.3 mL in a four period cross‐over study. Measurements were made at 15, 30, 45 min and 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h after the injection. Data were analysed by anova (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in thresholds after saline. Thermal threshold increased at 45 min after buprenorphine (maximum 2.8 ± 3 °C), 1–3 h after methadone (maximum 3.4 ± 1.9 °C) and 45 min to 1 h (maximum 3.4 ± 2 °C) after morphine. Pressure threshold increased 30–45 min (maximum 238 ± 206 mmHg) after buprenorphine, 45–60 min after methadone (maximum 255 ± 232 mmHg) and 45–60 min and 3–6 h (maximum 255 ± 232 mmHg) after morphine. Morphine provided the best analgesia, and methadone appears a promising alternative. Buprenorphines limited effect was probably related to the subcutaneous route of administration. Previously, buprenorphine has produced much greater effects when given by other routes.
Sensitivity of the population growth rate to demographic variability within and between phases of the disturbance cycle
Authors: Morris W. F. , Tuljapurkar S. , Haridas C. V. , Menges E. S. , Horvitz C. C. , Pfister C. A. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractFor species in disturbance‐prone ecosystems, vital rates (survival, growth and reproduction) often vary both between and within phases of the cycle of disturbance and recovery; some of this variation is imposed by the environment, but some may represent adaptation of the life history to disturbance. Anthropogenic changes may amplify or impede these patterns of variation, and may have positive or negative effects on population growth. Using stochastic population projection matrix models, we develop stochastic elasticities (proportional derivatives of the long‐run population growth rate) to gauge the population effects of three types of change in demographic variability (changes in within‐ and between‐disturbance‐phase variability and phase‐specific changes). Computing these elasticities for five species of disturbance‐influenced perennial plants, we pinpoint demographic rates that may reveal adaptation to disturbance, and we demonstrate that species may differ in their responses to different types of changes in demographic variability driven by climate change.
Impact of carbon metabolism on 13C signatures of cyanobacteria and green non‐sulfur‐like bacteria inhabiting a microbial mat from an alkaline siliceous hot spring in Yellowstone National Park (USA)
Authors: Van Der Meer Marcel T. J. , Schouten Stefan , Damsté Jaap S. Sinninghe , Ward David M. 
Published: November 2006

SummaryAlkaline siliceous hot spring microbial mats in Yellowstone National Park are composed of two dominant phototropic groups, cyanobacteria and green non‐sulfur‐like bacteria (GNSLB). While cyanobacteria are thought to cross‐feed low‐molecular‐weight organic compounds to support photoheterotrophic metabolism in GNSLB, it is unclear how this could lead to the heavier stable carbon isotopic signatures in GNSLB lipids compared with cyanobacterial lipids found in previous studies. The two groups of phototrophs were separated using percoll density gradient centrifugation and subsequent lipid and stable carbon isotopic analysis revealed that we obtained fractions with a ∼60‐fold enrichment in cyanobacterial and an approximately twofold enrichment in GNSLB biomass, respectively, compared with the mat itself. This technique was used to study the diel cycling and 13C content of the glucose pools in and the uptake of 13C‐bicarbonate by the cyanobacteria and GNSLB, as well as the transfer of incorporated 13C from cyanobacteria to GNSLB. The results show that cyanobacteria have the highest bicarbonate uptake rates and accumulate glucose during the afternoon in full light conditions. In contrast, GNSLB have relatively higher bicarbonate uptake rates compared with cyanobacteria in the morning at low light levels. During the night GNSLB take up carbon that is likely derived through fermentation of cyanobacterial glucose enriched in 13C. The assimilation of 13C‐enriched cyanobacterial carbon may thus lead to enriched 13C‐contents of GNSLB cell components.
The Practical Approach to Lung Health in South Africa (PALSA) intervention: respiratory guideline implementation for nurse trainers
Authors: Bheekie A. , Buskens I. , Allen S. , English R. , Mayers P. , Fairall L. , Majara B. , Bateman E. D. , Zwarenstein M. , Bachmann M. 
Published: November 2006

Aim:  This paper describes the design, facilitation and preliminary assessment of a 1‐week cascade training programme for nurse trainers in preparation for implementation of the Practical Approach to Lung Health in South Africa (PALSA) intervention, tested within the context of a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial in the Free State province. PALSA combines evidence‐based syndromic guidelines on the management of respiratory disease in adults with group educational outreach to nurse practitioners.Background:  Evidence‐based strategies to facilitate the implementation of primary care guidelines in low‐ to middle‐income countries are limited. In South Africa, where the burden of respiratory diseases is high and growing, documentation and evaluation of training programmes in chronic conditions for health professionals is limited.Method:  The PALSA training design aimed for coherence between the content of the guidelines and the facilitation process that underpins adult learning. Content facilitation involved the use of key management principles (key messages) highlighted in nurse‐centred guidelines manual and supplemented by illustrated material and reminders. Process facilitation entailed reflective and experiential learning, role‐playing and non‐judgemental feedback.Discussion and results:  Preliminary feedback showed an increase in trainers’ self‐awareness and self‐confidence. Process and content facilitators agreed that the integrated training approach was balanced. All participants found that the training was motivational, minimally prescriptive, highly nurse‐centred and offered personal growth.Conclusion:  In addition to tailored guideline recommendations, training programmes should consider individual learning styles and adult learning processes.
Intraspecific food competition in fishes
Authors: Ward Ashley J. W. , Webster Michael M. , Hart Paul J. B. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractIntraspecific food competition exerts powerful selective forces on all animals; successful foragers thrive relative to weaker conspecifics. Understanding competition is therefore fundamental both to ecological insight and to conservation efforts. Fish are adaptable and tractable experimental organisms, offering excellent model systems for studies on competition, and they lend themselves to two approaches: (i) studies of short‐term competition, which quantify the components of behavioural interactions; (ii) studies of long‐term interactions, in which the indeterminate nature of fish growth makes it possible to measure rates directly and correlate them with competitive success. The nature and the intensity of competition vary according to resource characteristics and distributions in time and space, the ecological context, and the relative competitive abilities of the foragers. Second‐order effects, such as winner and loser consequences, add to the complexity and frustrated early attempts to develop realistic models of intraspecific competition. Recently, however, considerable advances have been made in both laboratory and field studies on fishes adding to our understanding of these interacting effects. At the same time, the application of individual‐based modelling offers the prospect of progress towards greater realism and accuracy in predicting competitive outcomes. This review draws together a wide and disparate literature on intraspecific competition in fishes to facilitate the work of both empiricists and theoreticians towards these important goals.In the short term, competing individuals may adopt different behavioural strategies and feeding patterns or establish dominance hierarchies and feeding territories. In the longer term, competition can drive character displacement and the formation of species pairs and fish provide some of the most compelling examples of these processes in evolutionary biology. The challenge for the future is to further develop our understanding of the relationship between the competitive environment and the responses of fishes, particularly with closer co‐operation between empiricists and theoreticians, and to apply this knowledge to aquaculture and to better management of exploited fish stocks.