bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A standardized tool to measure and describe scleral colour in osteogenesis imperfecta
Authors: Zack Philip , Zack Linda R. , Surtees Robert , Neville Brian G. R. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractBackground:  Blue colouration of the sclera is a distinctive feature of unknown aetiology in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). It has value as a diagnostic marker, for distinguishing prognostically distinct subtypes of the condition, and has been reported to undergo rapid unexplained changes concurrently to fractures. Description of the feature is currently hampered by lack of a clinical tool.Methods:  A range of blue reference colour chips from an internationally recognized standard (the Munsell system) was used under standardized viewing conditions, by two independent observers with normal colour perception, to classify the scleral colour of affected individuals.Results:  A total of 43 individuals affected by OI of a wide variety of severity with ages from 5 to 63 years were observed. All individuals in the sample had blue sclerae, and all colours seen could be matched to a Munsell standard within the hue range of 7.5B (blue) to 5PB (purple‐blue). There was little variation in observed chroma (saturation), and observations of hue showed poor inter‐observer reliability (r = 0.17 ± 0.34: 95% CI). However, levels of value (lightness) showed wide variability and good inter‐observer reliability (r = 0.63 ± 0.14: 95% CI).Conclusions:  A practical tool for the description of the colour of the sclera in individuals with OI can be constructed using the colours from the Munsell system varying in value (lightness) with hue: 2.5 PB and chroma: 2.
What Historians Talk About When They Talk About Suicide: The View from Early Modern British North America
Authors: Snyder Terri L. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThis article surveys the historiography of suicide in the early modern West, with particular reference to England, Europe, and the British North American and Caribbean colonies. It examines the religious, legal and secular punishments for suicide in the early modern era, addresses the variations in these punishments among different regions and populations, including among the enslaved in early America, and traces the changes in punishments for self‐murder over the course of the eighteenth century. Suicide was viewed less and less as an act that required punishment from the church, state and the community. The emerging modern sensibility toward self‐murder, in contrast, emphasised the elimination of legal and religious penalties and the extension of sympathy and mercy toward suicides and their families.
Railroads, Regionalism, and Postwar Economic Decline in the West: The Case of Montana's Upper Musselshell Valley
Authors: Lewis Miles D. 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThis article examines the effects of railroading within Wheatland County, Montana. Wheatland County grew, evolved, and became dependent upon the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific (i.e. the Milwaukee Road) economically, socially, and culturally compared to two neighboring counties. When the Milwaukee terminated its western operations in 1980 it devastated Wheatland County while the adjacent regions, which the Milwaukee also passed through, remained unaffected by the company's bankruptcy. Additionally, this article compares the use of broad based traditional historical interpretations of Montana, which do not explain the locale, and the grassroots history of the region as relayed by its own residents. The grassroots interpretation is more worldly, involved, and explanatory of the region than conventional grand narrative writings about the state of Montana. Taking the grassroots approach exposes regional anomalies pertinent to explaining regional identity and culture.
Science and Technology in India: The Digression of Asia and Europe
Authors: Bose Aniruddha 
Published: February 2007

AbstractThis article argues that science and technology were thriving in eighteenth‐century India. The establishment of colonial rule however, ended the indigenous traditions of elite support disrupting the positive environment in which innovations had been occurring. These observations challenge assumptions held by many historians that relative to India, Europe grew rich in the nineteenth century because science and technology flourished in Europe alone. The evidence suggests that new approaches need to be taken in order to understand how science and technology informed the making of inequalities that are reflected in today's world.
Does Resection of the Medial Temporal Lobe Improve the Outcome of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgery?
Authors: Bonilha Leonardo , Yasuda Clarissa Lin , Rorden Chris , Li Li M. , Tedeschi Helder , De Oliveira Evandro , Cendes Fernando 
Published: February 2007

Summary:  Purpose: Surgical removal of the hippocampus is the standard of care of patients with drug‐resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). The procedure carries a success rate of ∼75%, but the reasons that some patients fail to achieve seizure control after surgery remain inexplicable. The question of whether the resection of medial temporal lobe structures in addition to the hippocampus would influence the surgical outcome in patients with MTLE was examined. Methods: We conducted voxel‐based statistical analyses of postoperative high‐resolution MRI of MTLE patients who underwent anteromedial temporal resection. We applied a cost function transformation of the resection maps for each patient to a common set of spatial coordinates, and we analyzed the contribution of histologically distinct segments of the medial temporal lobe cortex to the surgical outcome. We also performed a voxel‐wise mapping of surgical outcome to the temporal lobe. Results: We observed that the extent of hippocampal removal was associated with better outcomes. However, when the resection of the hippocampus was combined with the resection of the medial temporal lobe, specifically the entorhinal cortex, a greater likelihood of higher seizure control after surgery was found. Conclusions: Based on this finding, it is possible that the efficiency of the surgical treatment of MTLE can be improved by adjusting the procedure to include the resection of the entorhinal cortex, in addition to the resection of the hippocampus.
Levetiracetam Intravenous Infusion as an Alternative to Oral Dosing in Patients with Partial‐Onset Seizures
Authors: Baulac Michel , Brodie Martin J. , Elger Christian E. , Krakow Karsten , Stockis Armel , Meyvisch Paul , Falter Ursula 
Published: February 2007

Summary: Purpose:This multicenter, open‐label study evaluated the short‐term tolerability of intravenously (IV)‐infused levetiracetam (LEV; 500–1,500 mg/100 ml, 15 min, b.i.d.) as a substitute for the same oral dose.Methods:The study consisted of screening, 4‐day IV LEV and 1–7 days of follow‐up, and was conducted in 25 adults with partial‐onset seizures receiving adjunctive oral LEV.Results:During the 4‐day IV LEV, 11 (44%) subjects experienced at least one treatment‐emergent adverse event (TEAE), with headache and fatigue being the most frequently reported. Five (20%) subjects experienced TEAEs considered to be related to the study drug. The tolerability profile was consistent with that of oral LEV, with all events judged mild or moderate in severity, no discontinuations, and no serious AEs or deaths reported. No AE related to seizure worsening was reported during IV LEV or brief follow‐up.Conclusions:LEV IV appears to be a well‐tolerated, practical alternative in patients with partial‐onset seizures temporarily unable to take the drug orally.
One‐Year Postoperative Autobiographical Memory Following Unilateral Temporal Lobectomy for Control of Intractable Epilepsy
Authors: Voltzenlogel Virginie , Despres Olivier , Vignal Jean‐Paul , Kehrli Pierre , Manning Lilianne 
Published: February 2007

Summary:  Purpose: To examine the effects of temporal lobectomy (TL), particularly concerning its lateralization. Methods: Patients completed autobiographical memory tests, preoperatively and 1‐year postoperatively. Results: (a) right TL (RTL) patients recalled significantly more memories from the year after surgery than from the year before TL; (b) their pre to postoperative improvement on autobiographical memory scores was positively correlated to improvement of delayed story recall scores; and (c) 1 year after surgery, performance on recent personal memory recall was normalized for RTL patients only. Conclusion: We suggest that, in the absence of recurrent seizures, the relative integrity of the left hemisphere together with residual right hemisphere structures sustains postoperative autobiographical memory consolidation, at least 1 year postoperatively.
Seizures Lead to Elevation of Intracranial Pressure in Children Undergoing Invasive EEG Monitoring
Authors: Shah Aash K , Fuerst Darren , Sood Sandeep , Asano Eishi , Ahn‐Ewing Judy , Pawlak Carol , Chugani Harry T 
Published: February 2007

Summary:  Purpose: To study the effects of intracranial subdural grid electrode placement and seizures on intracranial pressure (ICP) in children undergoing invasive EEG monitoring. Methods: Sixteen children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy who underwent two‐stage epilepsy surgery with subdural grid placement were included in the study. The ICP was recorded at baseline and with each seizure prospectively. A variety of seizure parameters including type of seizure, length of seizure, extent of seizure spread, and number of subdural grid electrodes inserted were analyzed retrospectively and correlated with the change in ICP. Results: A total of 48 seizures in 16 children were studied. The mean baseline ICP correlated positively with age of the child. Generalized tonic–clonic seizures were associated with the highest rise in ICP. Similarly, ICP rise was associated with seizures involving more electrodes indicating a larger area of brain participating in the seizure. Conclusion: Seizures in general and generalized tonic–clonic seizures, in particular, increase ICP temporarily in patients who are undergoing invasive EEG monitoring with subdural grids.
Hepcidin Is Down‐Regulated in Alcohol Loading
Authors: Ohtake Takaaki , Saito Hiroyuki , Hosoki Yayoi , Inoue Mitsutaka , Miyoshi Shigeki , Suzuki Yasuaki , Fujimoto Yoshinori , Kohgo Yutaka 
Published: February 2007

Background: It is common for alcoholic patients to have excess iron accumulation in the liver, which may contribute to the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). However, the mechanism of hepatic iron uptake in ALD is still obscure. Recently, a novel iron‐regulatory hormone hepcidin was found that suppresses the absorption of iron from the small intestine and the release of iron from macrophages. To elucidate the contribution of hepcidin toward the hepatic excess iron accumulation in ALD, we examined whether alcohol loading affects hepcidin expression both in ALD patients and in an ethanol‐fed mouse model.Methods: Serum prohepcidin concentration was quantified by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Hepatic hepcidin‐1 and hepcidin‐2 mRNA expressions in mouse liver were evaluated by quantitative real‐time reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method. The protein expression of prohepcidin in mouse liver was examined immunohistochemically by rabbit antimouse prohepcidin antibody.Results: Serum prohepcidin concentration in ALD was significantly lower than that in healthy subjects (p<0.001). Especially, serum prohepcidin concentrations were decreased in the patients whose serum ferritin value was high. In the ethanol‐fed mouse model, hepatic hepcidin‐1 mRNA expression was significantly lower than that in control (p=0.04). Prohepcidin was expressed in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes of mice liver tissue sections, and its expression was decreased after ethanol loading.Conclusion: Alcohol loading down‐regulates hepatic hepcidin expression and leads to the increase of iron absorption from the intestine.
Hypoadiponectinemia Plays a Crucial Role in the Development of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Independent of Visceral Adipose Tissue
Authors: Yoneda Masato , Iwasaki Tomoyuki , Fujita Koji , Kirikoshi Hiroyuki , Inamori Masahiko , Nozaki Yuichi , Maeyama Shiro , Wada Koichiro , Saito Satoru , Terauchi Yasuo , Nakajima Atsushi 
Published: February 2007

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver injury. The spectrum of NAFLD is broad, extending from simple steatosis through nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Insulin resistance has been found to increase the risk of NASH, and obesity, and decreased levels of adiponectin are important factors in determining the severity of insulin resistance. Recent evidence has indicated that hypoadiponectinemia is involved in hepatic steatosis and NASH.Methods: To investigate whether hypoadiponectinemia causes hepatic steatosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients independently of visceral adipose tissue, we measured the plasma adiponectin concentration, hepatic fat content based on the liver‐to‐spleen ratio (L/S ratio) according to computed tomography (CT) attenuation values, and the amount of visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue by CT in 248 type 2 DM patients. We also investigated the relationship between the serum level of adiponectin and hepatic fibrosis.Results: Significant correlations were observed between the L/S ratios and aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, visceral adipose tissue, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and serum adiponectin values (r=0.300, p=0.0007), and there was a highly significant inverse correlation between the visceral adipose tissue values and the serum adiponectin levels (r=−0.327, p<0.0002). The subcutaneous adipose tissue values, however, were not correlated with the serum adiponectin levels. Multiple regression analysis was used to quantify the impact of measured variables on the L/S ratio. After adjustment for age, gender, and visceral adipose tissue, the serum adiponectin levels were still significantly correlated with the L/S ratios (p=0.0064). And there was a stepwise decrease in the serum adiponectin in parallel to the severity of hepatic fibrosis.Conclusions: Hypoadiponectinemia is concluded to be involved in the etiology of hepatic steatosis independently of visceral adipose tissue content, and is considered to be an important factor in the progression of fibrosis; further studies will be necessary to elucidate the exact physiological role of adiponectin and its contribution to the progression of NASH.
Evaluation of Quantitative Portal Venous, Hepatic Arterial, and Total Hepatic Tissue Blood Flow Using Xenon CT in Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis: Comparison With Liver Cirrhosis C
Authors: Takahashi Hideaki , Suzuki Michihiro , Ikeda Hiroki , Kobayashi Minoru , Sase Shigeru , Yotsuyanagi Hiroshi , Maeyama Shiro , Iino Shiro , Itoh Fumio 
Published: February 2007

Background/Aims: Xenon computed tomography (Xe‐CT) is a noninvasive method of quantifying and visualizing tissue blood flow (TBF). For the liver, Xe‐CT allows separate measurement of hepatic arterial and portal venous TBF. The present study evaluated the usefulness of Xe‐CT as a noninvasive diagnostic procedure for measuring hepatic TBF in alcoholic liver cirrhosis (AL‐LC), compared with liver cirrhosis C (C‐LC).Methods: Xenon computed tomography was performed on 12 patients with AL‐LC and 17 patients with C‐LC. The severity of LC was classified according to Child–Pugh classification. Correlations between hepatic TBF and Child–Pugh classification were examined. Correlations of hepatic TBF in Child–Pugh class A to C‐LC and AL‐LC were also examined.Results: The mean portal venous TBF (PVTBF) was significantly lower in AL‐LC than in C‐LC (p=0.0316). Similarly, the mean total hepatic TBF (THTBF) was significantly lower in AL‐LC than in C‐LC (p=0.0390). PVTBF displayed a significant negative correlation with Child–Pugh score (r=−0.396, p=0.0368).Conclusions: Measurement of hepatic TBF using Xe‐CT is useful as a noninvasive, objective method of assessing the state of the liver in chronic liver disease.
Mitochondrial Abnormality and Oxidative Stress in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Kojima Hideyuki , Sakurai Shinya , Uemura Masahito , Fukui Hiroshi , Morimoto Hiroyo , Tamagawa Yasuhiro 
Published: February 2007

Background: Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Mitochondrial abnormality may be associated with the onset and progression of NASH via excessive formation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. This study aimed to investigate the role of mitochondrial abnormality in NASH in relation to oxidative stress.Methods: Twenty‐six patients with NASH, 11 with simple steatosis, and 10 healthy volunteers underwent clinico‐pathological analysis. The liver/spleen ratio, an index of the hepatic fat content, was evaluated with computed tomography. Plasma glutathione levels were measured as an antioxidative marker, and the urinary 8‐isoprostane levels and 3‐nitrotyrosine staining in the liver as an oxidative stress marker. Mitochondrial abnormality was estimated by serum levels of mitochondria aspartate transaminase (mAST) and the mitochondrial staining in the liver.Results: Urinary 8‐isoprostane levels were higher in NASH than in the healthy volunteers, whereas plasma glutathione levels were similar in the 2 groups. In NASH, urinary 8‐isoprostane levels positively correlated with alanine transaminase levels and negatively with the liver/spleen ratio. The 3‐nitrotyrosine staining was more advanced in simple steatosis and NASH than in the normal liver, but was similar in simple steatosis and NASH. In contrast to the normal mAST levels in the healthy volunteers and simple steatosis, serum mAST levels were elevated in one‐fourth of the NASH patients and positively correlated with urinary 8‐isoprostane levels in NASH. Most cases of NASH showed diffuse or focal but intense mitochondrial staining in the liver in contrast to scattered staining in simple steatosis.Conclusions: Our present study demonstrated that in NASH, the enhanced oxidative stress may be associated with hepatic inflammation and the degree of fat infiltration in the liver. However, simple steatosis and NASH were both exposed to oxidative stress, while NASH alone was associated with mitochondrial abnormality. These findings indicate that mitochondrial abnormality may play a role in the onset and progression of NASH in correlation with oxidative stress.
Detection of Biomarkers for Alcoholism by Two‐Dimensional Differential Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Wu Di , Tomonaga Takeshi , Sogawa Kazuyuki , Satoh Mamoru , Sunaga Masahiko , Nezu Masahiko , Oh‐Ishi Masamichi , Kodera Yoshio , Maeda Tadakazu , Ochiai Takenori , Nomura Fumio 
Published: February 2007

Background: Up to now, γ‐glutamyltransferase (γ‐GTP) and carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin (CDT) have been used as markers for alcoholism most widely, but they are not satisfactory regarding sensitivity/specificity. Therefore, for novel markers need to be searched.Methods: To detect new biomarkers for alcoholism, albumin and immunoglobulinG were first removed from serum. Then, protein profiles of 12 serum samples before and after 3 months of abstinence treatment were examined using agarose 2‐dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (agarose2‐D DIGE). Two‐dimensional differential gel electrophoresis images were analyzed using Shimadzu 2‐D Evolution Software.Results: Eight spots whose expression were significantly altered after abstinence were detected. Of these, 2 proteins increased and 6 proteins decreased after treatment.Conclusions: Altered expressions of several serum proteins after abstinence therapy were detected. They are promising markers for clinical application of alcoholism.
Naltrexone and Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy for the Treatment of Alcohol Drinking and Eating Disorder Features in Alcohol‐Dependent Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: O'Malley Stephanie S. , Sinha Rajita , Grilo Carlos M. , Capone Christy , Farren Conor K. , McKee Sherry A. , Rounsaville Bruce J. , Wu Ran 
Published: February 2007

Background: Despite important gender differences in drinking patterns, physiological effects of alcohol, and co‐occurring psychiatric conditions, relatively little is known about the efficacy of naltrexone for the treatment of alcohol dependence in women. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of naltrexone in combination with Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy (CBCST) in a sample of alcohol‐dependent women, some with comorbid eating pathology.Methods: One hundred three women meeting DSM‐IV criteria for alcohol dependence (29 with comorbid eating disturbances) were randomized to receive either naltrexone 50 mg or placebo for 12 weeks in addition to weekly group CBCST. Subjects were enrolled between October 1995 and December 2000 at an outpatient research clinic.Results: No significant differences were observed on the primary outcomes of time to first drinking day, time to first day of heavy drinking, or the percentage of participants who continued to meet the criteria for alcohol dependence. Secondary analyses revealed that naltrexone significantly delayed the time to the second (χ2=5.37, p=0.02) and third (χ2=4.35, p=0.04) drinking days among subjects who did not maintain abstinence from alcohol. Among those with eating disturbances, symptoms of eating pathology improved during treatment, but the effects did not differ according to medication condition.Conclusion: When used in conjunction with CBCST, naltrexone did not significantly improve drinking outcomes in the overall sample of alcohol‐dependent women. However, naltrexone may be of benefit to women who are unable to maintain total abstinence from alcohol. For women with concurrent eating pathology, participation in treatment for alcoholism may be associated with improvements in eating pathology.
Increased Fibronectin Expression in Lung in the Setting of Chronic Alcohol Abuse
Authors: Burnham Ellen L. , Moss Marc , Ritzenthaler Jeffrey D. , Roman Jesse 
Published: February 2007

Rationale: The incidence and severity of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is increased in individuals who abuse alcohol. One possible mechanism by which alcohol increases susceptibility to acute lung injury is through alterations in alveolar macrophage function and induction of tissue remodeling activity. Our objective was to determine whether alcohol abuse, independent of other comorbidities, alters fibronectin and metalloproteinase gene expression in alveolar macrophages and in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of the lung.Methods: Otherwise healthy subjects with alcohol abuse (n=21) and smoking‐matched controls (n=17) underwent bronchoalveolar lavage. Alveolar macrophage fibronectin and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) mRNA expression were measured via reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. The supernatant from cultured alveolar macrophages and lung ELF were tested for their ability to induce fibronectin and MMP‐9 gene transcription in cell‐based assays.Results: Alveolar macrophages from subjects with alcohol abuse demonstrated increased fibronectin mRNA expression (p<0.001), and their ELF also elicited more fibronectin gene transcription in lung fibroblasts compared with controls (p<0.001). In contrast, alveolar macrophages from subjects with alcohol abuse had decreased MMP‐9 and MMP‐2 mRNA expression (p<0.03 and p<0.005, respectively). Similarly, the supernatant (p<0.001) and ELF (p<0.01) from these subjects induced less MMP‐9 gene transcription in THP‐1 cells.Discussion: Alcohol abuse is associated with increased fibronectin mRNA expression in alveolar macrophages and increased fibronectin‐inducing activity in the ELF. This appears to be a specific effect as other tissue remodeling genes, such as MMPs, were not equally affected. These findings suggest activation of tissue remodeling that may contribute to the increased susceptibility for the ARDS observed in alcoholism.