bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gender Impact on the Correlation between Sexuality and Marital Relation Quality in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Kazemi-Saleh Davoud , Pishgou Bahram , Farrokhi Farhat , Assari Shervin , Fotros Aryandokht , Naseri Hassan 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Although the negative impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) on sexual and marital relation of the patients is known, data are lacking regarding possible gender difference.

Aim
We designed a study on patients with CAD to investigate sexual relation and marital adjustment and their association with regard to gender differences.

Main Outcome Measures
Questionnaires including the Dyadic Adjustment Scale for evaluating the couple's agreement on decisions and appropriate behavior, marital satisfaction, and marital cohesion, and the Relation and Sexuality Scale (RSS) for sexual function, frequency, and fear.

Methods
We surveyed 650 patients with documented CAD without any other major comorbidities.

Results
The patients were 464 men (73.1%) and 171 women (26.9%) with CAD. The mean age of the men and the women were 57.1 ± 11.6 years and 56.3 ± 9.7 years, respectively. The women had a significantly poorer dyadic adjustment and sexual relation than men, except for sexual fear, which was more prominent in men with CAD and their spouses. The sexual frequency and the total RSS scores correlated with all aspects of the patients' marital relation in both genders. However, only men suffered from a poorer dyadic satisfaction, dyadic consensus, affectional expression, and overall marital adjustment if they were more afraid of sexual relation. In women, but not men, sexual function was significantly associated with their dyadic satisfaction and their overall marital relation.

Conclusions
Poorer sexual relation and marital adjustment was detected in our women with CAD. To manage all the problems of the patients that may impact their cardiac status, we should consider factors such as fear of sexual activity in men sexual dysfunction in women, and their correlation with marital adjustment.
Preference for salts in cooking as perceived by culinary arts students and professional chefs
Authors:   Undergraduate Creative Inquiry Team
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the salt (sea, table or kosher) preference of culinary students and professional chefs. The study was conducted using instant mashed potatoes as the salt carrier. An unsalted sample served as a reference, and treated samples (sea, table and kosher salts) were compared in a sensory panel (n = 98) using a ranking test for best overall flavor. The objective of this research was to discover if culinary students and professional chefs have a preference for salt type. In a previous study on the preference for salt, it was discovered that everyday consumers did not have a distinct preference for salt type. However, the panel of culinary students and professional chefs indicated that sea salt was preferred over table and kosher salts, but there was no significant statistical difference between the table and kosher salts.
The role of ENT surgeons in snoring assessment: some prospective preliminary evidence
Authors: Robertson S. , Young D. , McGarry G.W. , MacKenzie K. 
Published: October 2008

Objectives:  To determine (i) the prevalence of unsuspected upper aerodigestive tract disease in snorers, (ii) the diagnostic yield of routine flexible endoscopy and (iii) the relationship between symptoms of upper aerodigestive tract disease and examination findings in snorers.Design:  Prospective analytical cohort study.Setting:  Snoring clinic in Secondary Care Otolaryngology centre.Participants:  Ninety‐three patients referred with disruptive snoring.Main outcome measures:  A structured history of upper aerodigestive tract symptoms was obtained by clinic interview. All patients underwent detailed ENT examination. Univariate analysis was undertaken on data collected.Results:  The prevalence of oropharyngeal and laryngeal pathology in the cohort was 3%. No unsuspected upper aerodigestive tract pathology was found on routine flexible endoscopy. A history of Hard Nasal Symptoms was an accurate predictor of underlying nasal pathology.Conclusion:  The authors propose that the detailed examination of snorers by ENT specialists is unnecessary in the absence of Hard Nasal Symptoms, hoarseness or pain. We propose that a system of triage based on patient history could help identify the minority of snorers who require specialist assessment.
The relationship between changes in self‐rated quality of life after cochlear implantation and changes in individual complaints
Authors: Zhao F. , Bai Z. , Stephens D. 
Published: October 2008

Objectives:  To evaluate the changes in self‐rated quality of life (QoL) obtained following cochlear implantation in relation to changes in the individual’s complaints.Design:  We have used repeated responses over a period of at least 4 years following implantation so as to examine within‐subject relationships.Participants:  Twenty‐four consecutive post‐lingually deafened patients who had been fitted with cochlear implants between 1991 and December 2000 at the University Hospital of Wales were investigated.Main outcome measures:  The open‐ended problems questionnaire was used to assess what hearing impaired people themselves considered to be the main problems arising from their hearing loss. The participants were asked to rate the severity of each one of these problems as well as QoL on ‘0’ to ‘100’ visual analogue scales. Both the individual problem ratings and the ratings of QoL were re‐administered to the subjects at each follow‐up session.Results:  Changes in the rated QoL of all patients were significantly associated with changes in specific complaints, for example, the ability to communicate, feeling of isolation, telephone use, self‐confidence, enjoyment of music and watching the TV. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that, after implantation, improvements in communication abilities, reduced psychological problems and improvements in abilities of daily life were the key determinants of QoL improvement for individual cochlear implant patients. These key predictors reached a plateau at about 1.5–3 years after cochlear implantation.Conclusions:  The relationships between changes in specific complaints and the QoL in individual implantees were highlighted. We suggest that cochlear implant outcome measures should continue for at least 3 years after implantation.
Selective neck dissection for N0 and N1 oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: are skip metastases a real danger?
Authors: Lodder W.L. , Sewnaik A. , Den Bakker M.A. , Meeuwis C.A. , Kerrebijn J.D.F. 
Published: October 2008

Objectives:  To contribute to insight in therapeutic safety of selective neck dissections for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer with a special focus on the risk of skip metastases.Design:  Retrospective data analysis.Setting:  Tertiary referral centre.Participants:  A total of 291 patients operated for oral cavity or oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer between 1999 and 2004.Main outcome measures:  Incidence of skip metastases in both pathologically N0 and N+ necks for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Results:  Of all neck dissections (n = 226) performed for oral cavity cancer, skip metastases to level III or level IV occurred in 14 cases (6%). Ten skip metastases occurred in level III only (10/226 = 4%). Thus, four necks had metastases in level IV, which would not have been removed in case of a Selective neck dissection level I–III (supraomohyoid neck dissection). In case of oropharyngeal cancer, skip metastases to level III or level IV occurred in six of 92 cases (7%). Five skip metastases occurred in level III only (5/92 = 5%). This means that of the necks containing skip metastases, only one neck (1%): had metastases in level IV, which would not have been removed in case of a Selective neck dissection level I–III (Supraomohyoid neck dissection).Conclusions: The question whether level IV should be included in the treatment of N0 and even N1 necks of patients with cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx cannot be answered by all data available to us now. The fear of skip metastases including level IV does not seem to be justified.
A preliminary randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of saline douching following endoscopic sinus surgery
Authors: Freeman S.R.M. , Sivayoham E.S.G. , Jepson K. , De Carpentier J. 
Published: October 2008

Objective:  To assess whether saline reduces postoperative signs following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).Design:  Within subject, single blinded randomised controlled trial.Setting:  Single secondary referral centre.Participants:  Adults undergoing bilateral ESS for chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal polyposis.Intervention:  Saline douching of one side of the nasal cavity, three times per day for 6 weeks.Main outcome measures:  Presence of adhesions, polyps, crusting, discharge or oedema under endoscopic examination at 3 weeks and 3 months postoperative.Results:  Twenty‐three patients were recruited. Attendance was 22 patients at 3 weeks and 17 patients at 3 months. At 3 weeks saline douching significantly improved the presence of discharge (P = 0.046) and non‐significantly improved the presence of oedema (P = 0.059) with minimal difference with regard to polyps (P = 0.32) and no difference with adhesions or crusting. At 3 months there was minimal difference with regard to crusting (P = 0.18) and oedema (P = 0.32) and no difference with adhesions, discharge and polyps.Conclusions:  Saline douching reduces nasal discharge and may improve oedema during the healing phase following ESS which may represent a possible anti‐inflammatory role. No long‐term effect was found.
Local anaesthetic for post‐tonsillectomy pain: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Grainger J. , Saravanappa N. 
Published: October 2008

Background:  Tonsillectomy is one of the most commonly performed procedures in otolaryngology. Pain is a significant aspect of post‐operative patient morbidity. The use of local anaesthetic, by infiltration or topical application, has been advocated as a way of reducing post‐operative pain.Objectives:  To review the current evidence for the use of local anaesthetic as a means of reducing post‐tonsillectomy pain and reducing supplemental analgesic requirements.Type of review:  A systematic review of the literature pertaining to the use of local anaesthetic agents for post‐tonsillectomy pain and meta‐analysis of randomised control trials assessing pain scores.Search strategy:  Systematic literature searches of MEDLINE (1952–2008), EMBASE (1974–2008) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.Evaluation method:  Review of all randomised controlled trials by two authors and grading of articles for quality.Results:  Thirteen studies were included. Overall, local anaesthetic, applied topically or infiltrated, significantly reduces pain scores compared with controls at 4–6 h, −0.66 (95% CI: −0.82, −0.50); 20–24 h, −0.34 (95% CI: −0.51, −0.18) and on day 5, −0.97 (95% CI: −1.30, −0.63) (standardised mean differences). These changes approximate to a reduction in pain of between 7 and 19 mm on a 0–100 mm visual analogue scale. Most studies did not report a difference in supplemental analgesia or in adverse events.Conclusion:  Local anaesthetic does seem to provide a modest reduction in post‐tonsillectomy pain. Topical local anaesthetic on swabs appears to provide a similar level of analgesia to that of infiltration without the potential adverse effects and should be the method of choice for providing additional post‐operative analgesia.
The Ties That Bind: Towards Geographies of Intimacy
Authors: Valentine Gill 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe last decade in human geography has been marked by the emergence and development of significant bodies of work on: geographies of sexuality; children; and youth/young people's geographies. Taken together, this work might be characterised as being about intimate relations. In this article, I briefly review the differential contributions to, and place in, the discipline of these sub‐disciplinary areas as well as identifying ‘family’ studies as an absent presence within geography. I then go on to explore what might bind these disparate areas of research together, and to argue that by developing their connections, through the concept of intimacy, the contributions of these sub‐disciplinary areas might be scaled up to have a more fundamental impact on the discipline of geography.
Animals and Sociology
Authors: Irvine Leslie 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThis paper outlines some of the major theoretical contributions of the specialty field known as ‘animals and society’. It examines three areas of focus within the field. One of these areas finds connections between our exploitation of animals and other forms of domination and oppression. Consequently, this body of research provides insight into how we might challenge and overcome inequality, more generally. A second area examines animal abuse and questions entrenched assumptions about the link between cruelty to animals and violence directed toward humans. This research also reveals that animals are often victims and pawns in domestic violence. A third area uses human–animal interaction to challenge dominant sociological views of the self. By doing so, this work expands our knowledge of what it means to live in a social world. Overall, the scholarly work within the field of animals and society suggests that the inclusion of animals in sociological research can expand and clarify existing theories and concepts.
Isolation, characterization and cross‐amplification of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the threatened endemic Mammillaria crucigera (Cactaceae)
Authors: SOLÓRZANO SOFIA , CORTÉS‐PALOMEC AUREA C. , IBARRA ARTURO , DÁVILA PATRICIA , OYAMA KEN 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe cactus Mammillaria crucigera is a threatened species endemic to central Mexico. As a means of assessing population genetic status of these species, eight microsatellite markers were developed. These primers were tested in 40 individual from two wild populations. The results showed that these primers will be useful to describe population structure and aid to the conservation of species. The eight primers were tested in other Mammillaria species and most of them showed successful amplification.
Effect of High-Pressure Hydrogen Gas on Fracture of Austenitic
Steels
Authors: San Marchi C. , Balch D. K. , Nibur K. , Somerday B. P. 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Applications requiring the containment and transportation of hydrogen gas at pressures greater than 70MPa are anticipated in the evolving hydrogen economy infrastructure. Since hydrogen is known to alter the mechanical properties of materials, data are needed to guide the selection of materials for structural components. The objective of this study is to characterize the role of yield strength, microstructural orientation, and small concentrations of ferrite on hydrogen-assisted fracture in two austenitic stainless steels: 21Cr–6Ni–9Mn (21-6-9) and 22Cr–13Ni–5Mn (22-13-5). The testing methodology involves exposure of tensile specimens to high-pressure hydrogen gas at elevated temperature in order to precharge the specimens with hydrogen, and subsequently testing the specimens in laboratory air to measure strength and ductility. In all cases, the alloys remain ductile despite precharging to hydrogen concentrations of ∼1at.%, as demonstrated by reduction in area values between 30% and 60% and fracture modes dominated by microvoid processes. Low concentrations of ferrite and moderate increases in yield strength do not exacerbate hydrogen-assisted fracture in 21-6-9 and 22-13-5, respectively. Microstructural orientation has a pronounced effect on ductility in 22-13-5 due to the presence of aligned second-phase particles.
Detection of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome
mec
-Associated DNA Segments in Multiresistant Methicillin-Susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus
(MSSA) and Identification of
Staphylococcus epidermidis ccrAB4
in both Methicillin-Resistant
S. aureus
and MSSA
Authors: Shore Anna C. , Rossney Angela S. , O'Connell Brian , Herra Celine M. , Sullivan Derek J. , Humphreys Hilary , Coleman David C. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT

Methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus
(MSSA) can arise from methicillin-resistant S.
aureus
(MRSA) following partial or complete excision of staphylococcal cassette chromosome
mec
(SCC
mec)
. This study investigated whether multiresistant MSSA isolates from Irish hospitals, where MRSA has been endemic for decades, harbor SCC
mec
DNA. Twenty-five multiresistant MSSA isolates recovered between 2002 and 2006 were tested for SCC
mec
DNA by PCR and were genotyped by multilocus sequence typing and
spa
typing. All isolates lacked
mecA
. Three isolates (12%) harbored SCC
mec
DNA; two of these (genotype ST8/t190) harbored a 26-kb SCC
mec
IID (II.3.1.2) remnant that lacked part of
mecI
and all of
mecR1
,
mecA
, and IS
431
; the third isolate (ST8/t3209) harbored the SCC
mec
region from
dcs
to
orfX
. All three isolates were detected as MRSA using the BD GeneOhm and Cepheid's Xpert MRSA real-time PCR assays. Six isolates (ST8/t190,
n
= 4; ST5/t088,
n
= 2), including both isolates with the SCC
mec
IID remnant, harbored
ccrAB4
with 100% identity to
ccrAB4
from the
Staphylococcus epidermidis
composite island SCC-CI. This
ccrAB4
gene was also identified in 23 MRSA isolates representative of ST8/t190-MRSA with variant SCC
mec
II subtypes IIA to IIE, which predominated previously in Irish hospitals.
ccrAB4
was located 5,549 bp upstream of the left SCC
mec
junction in both the MRSA and MSSA isolates with SCC
mec
elements and remnants and 5,549 bp upstream of
orfX
in the four MSSA isolates with
ccrAB4
only on an SCC-CI homologous region. This is the first description of a large SCC
mec
remnant with
ccr
and partial
mec
genes in MSSA and of the
S. epidermidis
SCC-CI and
ccrAB4
genes in
S. aureus
.
Development and Qualification of a Pharmacodynamic Model for the Pronounced Inoculum Effect of Ceftazidime against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Bulitta Jürgen B. , Ly Neang S. , Yang Jenny C. , Forrest Alan , Jusko William J. , Tsuji Brian T. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT

Evidence is mounting in support of the inoculum effect (i.e., slow killing at large initial inocula [CFUo]) for numerous antimicrobials against a variety of pathogens. Our objectives were to (i) determine the impact of the CFUo of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
on ceftazidime activity and (ii) to develop and validate a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PKPD) mathematical model accommodating a range of CFUo. Time-kill experiments using ceftazidime at seven concentrations up to 128 mg/liter (MIC, 2 mg/liter) were performed in duplicate against
P. aeruginosa
PAO1 at five CFUo from 10
5
to 10
9
CFU/ml. Samples were collected over 24 h and fit by candidate models in NONMEM VI and S-ADAPT 1.55 (all data were comodeled). External model qualification integrated data from eight previously published studies. Ceftazidime displayed approximately 3 to 4 log
10
CFU/ml net killing at 10
6.2
CFUo and concentrations of 4 mg/liter (or higher), less than 1.6 log
10
CFU/ml killing at 10
7.3
CFUo, and no killing at 10
8.0
CFUo for concentrations up to 128 mg/liter. The proposed mechanism-based model successfully described the inoculum effect and the concentration-independent lag time of killing. The mean generation time was 28.3 min. The effect of an autolysin was assumed to inhibit successful replication. Ceftazidime concentrations of 0.294 mg/liter stimulated the autolysin effect by 50%. The model was predictive in the internal cross-validation and had excellent in silico predictive performance for published studies of
P. aeruginosa
ATCC 27853 for various CFUo. The proposed PKPD model successfully described and predicted the pronounced inoculum effect of ceftazidime in vitro and integrated data from eight literature studies to support translation from time-kill experiments to in vitro infection models.
1,5-Benzodiazepines, a Novel Class of Hepatitis C Virus Polymerase Nonnucleoside Inhibitors
Authors: Nyanguile Origène , Pauwels Frederik , Van den Broeck Walter , Boutton Carlo W. , Quirynen Ludo , Ivens Tania , van der Helm Liesbet , Vandercruyssen Geneviève , Mostmans Wendy , Delouvroy Frédéric , Dehertogh Pascale , Cummings Maxwell D. , Bonfanti Jean-Francois , Simmen Kenneth A. , Raboisson Pierre 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT
The exogenous control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication can be mediated through the inhibition of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity of NS5B. Small-molecule inhibitors of NS5B include nucleoside and nonnucleoside analogs. Here, we report the discovery of a novel class of HCV polymerase nonnucleoside inhibitors, 1,5-benzodiazepines (1,5-BZDs), identified by high-throughput screening of a library of small molecules. A fluorescence-quenching assay and X-ray crystallography revealed that 1,5-BZD 4a bound stereospecifically to NS5B next to the catalytic site. When introduced into replicons, mutations known to confer resistance against chemotypes that bind at this site were detrimental to inhibition by 1,5-BZD 7a. Using a panel of enzyme isolates that covered genotypes 1 to 6, we showed that compound 4a inhibited genotype 1 only. In mechanistic studies, 4a was found to inhibit the RdRp activity of NS5B noncompetitively with GTP and to inhibit the formation of the first phosphodiester bond during the polymerization cycle. The specificity for the HCV target was evaluated by profiling the 1,5-BZDs against other viral and human polymerases, as well as BZD receptors.
Impact of Secondary Structure of Toll-Like Receptor 9 Agonists on Interferon Alpha Induction
Authors: Yu Dong , Putta Mallikarjuna R. , Bhagat Lakshmi , Dai Meiru , Wang Daqing , Trombino Anthony F. , Sullivan Tim , Kandimalla Ekambar R. , Agrawal Sudhir 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTOligodeoxynucleotides containing a CpG motif and double- or multistranded structure-forming sequences act as agonists of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) and induce high levels of interferon alpha (IFN-α) in addition to other Th1-type cytokines. In the present study, we evaluated three highly effective IFN-α-inducing agonists of TLR9 to determine the type of duplex structures formed and the agonist's ability to induce immune responses, including IFN-α induction, in human cell-based assays and in vivo in mice and nonhuman primates. Thermal melting studies showed that two of the agonists evaluated had a single melting transition with similar hyperchromicity in both heating and cooling cycles, suggesting the formation of intermolecular duplexes. A third agonist showed a biphasic melting transition in the heating cycle and a monophasic melting transition with lower hyperchromicity during the cooling cycle, suggesting the formation of both intra- and intermolecular duplexes. All three agonists induced the production of Th1-type cytokines and chemokines, including high levels of IFN-α, in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell and plasmacytoid dendritic cell cultures. Subcutaneous administration of the two intermolecular duplex-forming agonists, but not the intramolecular duplex-forming agonist, induced cytokine secretion in mice. In nonhuman primates, the two agonists that formed intermolecular duplexes induced IFN-α and IP-10 secretion. On the contrary, the agonist that formed an intramolecular duplex induced only low levels of cytokines in nonhuman primates, suggesting that this type of structure formation is less immunostimulatory in vivo than the other structure. Taken together, the present results suggest that oligonucleotide-based agonists of TLR9 that form intermolecular duplexes induce potent immune responses in vivo.