bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Touch screen computer‐assisted health‐related quality of life and distress data collection in head and neck cancer patients
Authors: De Bree R. , Verdonck‐de Leeuw I.M. , Keizer A.L. , Houffelaar A. , Leemans C.R. 
Published: April 2008

Keypoints

Touch screen computer‐assisted health‐related quality of life data collection in head and neck cancer patients is feasible.
Touch screen computer‐assisted health‐related quality of life data collection can be used for scientific documentation as well as in clinical setting.
Patients are willing to complete the questionnaire on a touch‐screen and find the equipment easy to use.
Compliance needs improvement by instructing clinicians and nurses and a better alert system.
No Long‐Term Effect Two Years after Intrauterine Exposure to Dexamethasone on Dentate Gyrus Volume, Neuronal Proliferation and Differentiation in Common Marmoset Monkeys
Authors: Tauber Simone C. , Bunkowski Stephanie , Schlumbohm Christina , Rühlmann Malte , Fuchs Eberhard , Nau Roland , Gerber Joachim 
Published: April 2008

AbstractGlucocorticoids are prenatally administered to promote the maturation of the lungs. They, however, can affect neuronal proliferation and differentiation. In newborn marmoset monkeys, intrauterine hyperexposure to dexamethasone (DEX) resulted in a significantly decreased proliferation rate in the hippocampal dentate gyrus without affecting neuronal differentiation. In this study, marmoset monkeys received 5 mg/kg body weight DEX either during early (days 42–48) or late (days 90–96) pregnancy. The volume of the dentate granule cell layer as well as the proliferation and neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus of their 2‐year‐old offspring were investigated. The density of proliferating cells (Ki‐67), apoptotic cells (in situ tailing) and cells differentiating to neurons (double cortin, TUC‐4 and calretinin) were determined immunohistochemically. Analysis of the dentate granule cell layer volume showed no significant differences between early or late DEX‐exposed marmosets and untreated control animals. Similarly, proliferation and neuronal differentiation in DEX‐treated animals was not significantly different in comparison with controls. In summary, the decreased proliferation rate observed in newborn marmosets after intrauterine exposure to DEX was no longer detectable in their 2‐year‐old siblings suggesting no long‐lasting effect of prenatal hyperexposure to DEX on neuronal proliferation and differentiation in the dentate gyrus of marmoset monkeys.
Ultrastructural analysis of collagen fibrils and proteoglycans in keratoconus
Authors: Akhtar Saeed , Bron Anthony J. , Salvi Sachin M. , Hawksworth Nicolas R. , Tuft Stephen J. , Meek Keith M. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  To investigate ultrastructural alterations in the distribution of collagen fibrils (CFs) and proteoglycans (PGs) in the keratoconus cornea.Methods:  Four normal corneas (donor age 24–75 years) and four severe and one mild keratoconus corneas (donor age 24–47 years) were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde containing 0.05% cuprolinic blue dye for electron microscopy. Analyses were carried out on approximately 39 000 CF and 66 000 PG filaments in the anterior, middle and posterior stroma, using analySIS® soft imaging software.Results:  In severe keratoconus, stromal lamellae were seen to undulate in most regions, whereas in mild keratoconus only the middle and posterior lamellae were affected. In keratoconus corneas the mean diameter and interfibrillar spacing of CFs was reduced in all zones (p < 0.0001) and the CF and PG number density and area fractions were significantly increased (p < 0.0001) compared with in normal corneas and were higher (p < 0.0001) in the corneas with severe keratoconus than in that with mild keratoconus. The lamellae contained microfibrils (8–9 nm wide) and, in addition, PGs embedded within CFs. Degenerate keratocytes containing PGs were found in all keratoconus corneas.Conclusions:  These studies suggest that as keratoconus progresses, the PG content of the stroma increases, whereas fibril diameter is reduced. The altered stromal content of PGs may influence CF diameters and their organization in keratoconus, weakening lateral cohesion and resulting in significant disorder of CF packing.
Evaluation of platelet count and its association with plateletcrit, mean platelet volume, and platelet size distribution width in a canine model of endotoxemia
Authors: Yilmaz Zeki , Eralp Oya , Ilcol Yesim Ozarda 
Published: April 2008

Background: Platelets are of great importance in the pathogenesis of endotoxemia. Although thrombocytopenia is used as a diagnostic sign of endotoxemia, changes in values for platelet indices (plateletcrit [PCT], mean platelet volume [MPV], and platelet size distribution width [PDW]) in response to endotoxin are still unknown.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate platelet count and its relations with platelet indices in a canine model of endotoxemia.Methods: Twenty dogs were divided into 2 groups of 10 each, and treated intravenously with Escherichia coli endotoxin (1 mg/kg) or vehicle. Venous blood samples were collected before treatment (0 hour) and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours after treatment. Platelet counts and indices were determined on a CELL‐DYN hematology analyzer.Results: The platelet count and PCT decreased by a mean of 73% and 93%, respectively (P<.001), at 0.5 hour, and remained 70% and 85% lower than baseline values (P<.001) for 24 hours after endotoxin injection. MPV and PDW increased by a mean of 28% and 45%, respectively (P<.01), at 0.5 hour, and remained increased by 7% and 16% over baseline values for 24 hours (P<.01–.001). Platelet count correlated positively with PCT (P<.001), but correlated negatively with MPV (P<.001) and PDW (P<.01).Conclusions: Changes in platelet count and its association with platelet indices may reflect changes in platelet production and reactivity. Platelet indices have potential value in the diagnosis and monitoring of dogs and humans with endotoxemia.
Cardiac autonomic neuropathy in diabetes mellitus: prevalence, risk factors and utility of corrected QT interval in the ECG for its diagnosis
Authors: Pappachan J M , Sebastian J , Bino B C , Jayaprakash K , Vijayakumar K , Sujathan P , Adinegara L A 
Published: April 2008

Abstract

Objectives
To study the prevalence and risk factors for cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) and the utility of prolongation of corrected QT interval (QTc) in the ECG to diagnose CAN in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Design and setting
Cross-sectional study conducted among patients attending the diabetic clinic of a teaching hospital.

Methods
The prevalence of CAN among 100 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus was assessed by the five autonomic function tests by Eving's methodology. The CAN score in each patient and its relationship to the QTc interval were analysed. Possible influences of age, duration of diabetes and coexistent peripheral neuropathy on the occurrence of CAN also were studied.

Results
The prevalence of CAN was 60%. Univariate analysis showed a significant association between CAN and higher age (odds ratio (OR) 15.75), prolongation of QTc (OR 5.55), duration of disease over 10 years (OR 2) and peripheral neuropathy (p&lt;0.001) in patients with type 1 diabetes. Significant risks for CAN among patients with type 2 diabetes were coexistent peripheral neuropathy (OR 14), prolonged QTc (OR 9.75), higher age (OR 7.2) and disease duration over 10 years (OR 1.92) in univariate analysis, but none of them showed independent risk in multivariate analysis. Disease duration over 10 years resulted in QTc prolongation in a significant numbers of cases with type 1 (p&lt;0.001) and type 2 (p = 0.006) diabetes. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of QTc prolongation for the diagnosis of CAN were 77%, 62.5% and 77% in type 1 and 76.5%, 75% and 81.3% in type 2, respectively. Higher CAN scores correlated with longer QTc intervals (coefficient of correlation 0.73; p&lt;0.001).

Conclusions
The prevalence of CAN in diabetes mellitus is high. Higher age, longer duration of diabetes and peripheral neuropathy are significant risk factors. QTc interval in the ECG can be used to diagnose CAN with reasonable sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value.
Characterization of self-incompatibility inCampanula rapunculoides(Campanulaceae) through genetic analyses and microscopy
Authors: Good-Avila S. V. , Majumder D. , Amos H. , Stephenson A. G. 
Published: April 2008

In this paper, we seek to identify the genetic basis of self-incompatibility (SI) in Campanula rapunculoides L. through diallel analysis of full siblings; to characterize the growth of pollen tubes in vivo after incompatible and compatible pollination; and to determine whether the SI system is based on pistil S-RNases. Pollinations were performed among individuals from five diallel crosses and scored for both fruit set and pollen-tube growth to determine the genetic basis of SI. On a subset of these individuals with known cross-(in)compatibility relationships, additional crosses were performed and pistils collected 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after pollination to assess both the percentage of pollen grains that had germinated on the stigma, and the number of pollen tubes that had grown 20%, 40% 60%, 80%, and 100% of the distance down the pistil over five time intervals. Finally, total pistillate proteins were extracted and subjected to isoelectric focusing and RNase activity staining to find evidence of a highly basic S-RNases associated with SI in the Solanaceae. We found evidence that the SI system was based on the haplotype of the male gametophyte, and was not sporophytic. Protein analyses showed that SI was not based on a pistillate S-RNase. The existence of modifiers of SI and possible polyploidy at the S-locus complicated the expression of SI in this species, and single-gene inheritance could not be determined. This represents the first published characterization of incompatibility in the family Campanulaceae.
Growth responses of riparian Thuja occidentalis to the damming of a large boreal lake
Authors: Denneler Bernhard , Bergeron Yves , Bégin Yves , Asselin Hugo 
Published: April 2008

Growth responses of riparian eastern white cedar trees ( Thuja occidentalis L.) to the double damming of a large lake in the southeastern Canadian boreal forest was analyzed to determine whether the shoreline tree limit is the result of physiological flood stress or mechanical disturbances. The first damming, in 1915, caused a rise in water level of ca. 1.2 m and resulted in the death of the trees that formed the ancient shoreline forest, as well as the wounding and tilting of the surviving trees (by wave action and ice push) that constitute the present forest margin. The second damming, in 1922, did not further affect the water level, but did retard the occurrence of spring high water levels, as well as reduce their magnitude. However, this did not injure or affect the mortality of riparian eastern white cedars. Radial growth was not affected by flooding stress, probably because inundation occurred prior to the start of the growing season (1915–1921) or was of too short duration to adversely affect tree metabolism (after 1921). It follows that (i) the shoreline limit of eastern white cedar is a mechanical rather than a physiological limit, and (ii) disturbance-related growth responses (e.g., ice scars, partial cambium dieback, and compression wood) are better parameters than ring width for the reconstruction of long-term water level increases of natural, unregulated lakes.
SIRT1, a Longevity Gene, Downregulates Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Expression in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Miyazaki Ryohei , Ichiki Toshihiro , Hashimoto Toru , Inanaga Keita , Imayama Ikuyo , Sadoshima Junichi , Sunagawa Kenji 
Published: April 2008

Objective—Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene), a polyphenol found in red wine, is known to activate sirtuin1 (SIRT1), a longevity gene. Previous studies have demonstrated that resveratrol extends the life span of diverse species through activation of SIRT1. It was also reported that inhibition of angiotensin II function by angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R) antagonist prolonged rat life span. We, therefore, hypothesized that resveratrol may inhibit the renin-angiontein system and examined whether resveratrol affects AT1R expression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).Methods and Results—Northern and Western blot analysis revealed that resveratrol significantly decreased the expression of AT1R at mRNA and protein levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Overexpression of SIRT1 reduced AT1R expression whereas nicotinamide, an inhibitor of SIRT1, increased AT1R expression and reversed the resveratrol-induced AT1R downregulation. AT1R gene promoter activity was decreased by resveratrol, but resveratrol did not affect the AT1R mRNA stability. Deletion analysis showed that the most proximal region of AT1R gene promoter containing Sp1 site is responsible for downregulation. Administration of resveratrol suppressed AT1R expression in the mouse aorta and blunted angiotensin II–induced hypertension.Conclusion—Resveratrol suppressed AT1R expression through SIRT1 activation both in vivo and in vitro. The inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system may contribute, at least in part, to the resveratrol-induced longevity and antiatherogenic effect of resveratrol.
No Patriotic Fervor for Pella: Aelius Aristides and the Presentation of the Macedonians in the Second Sophistic
Authors: Ruth Asirvatham Sulochana 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis paper examines four speeches by Aelius Aristides that contrast the image of Macedonian history negatively with Greek past and Roman present. Aristides' literary milieu of the 'Second Sophistic' is characterized by Greek self-consciousness and nostalgia in the Roman Empire. While writers like Plutarch and Arrian mythologize the figure of Alexander as a second Achilles and a philosopher-of-war as a means of offering subtle proof of 'Hellenic' primacy over the Romans, Aristides chooses to focus on the more negative aspects of the Macedonian legacy. To the Thebans I and II elaborately update the 'barbaric' image of Philip II found in Demosthenes, making him parallel not only, perhaps, to the Persian enemy of old but also to Rome's contemporary Parthian enemy. The Panathenaic Oration and To Rome, on the other hand, idealize the world of the present, where Athens reigns supreme in culture, Rome in conquest. Aristides' stance suggests that, despite the attractions of the 'Hellenic' Alexander, pride in Greece does not necessarily have to include Macedonian history. What is more important is that writers have some means of Hellenizing Rome, whether by idealizing a 'Greco-Roman' Alexander, or by seeing Rome as the ultimate polis.
Revolutionaries and Revivalists: Pentecostal Eschatology, Politics and the Nicaraguan Revolution
Authors: Smith Calvin 
Published: April 2008

AbstractIn 1979 Nicaragua's Sandinista guerrillas seized power with the help of revolutionary Christians. Yet by virtue of their eschatology and worldview, classical Pentecostals in Nicaragua were less enthusiastic. Premillennialism, otherworldliness and a focus on evangelism generated an apoliticism that was wholly unacceptable to a collectivist, this-worldly regime keen to co-opt the Church to help establish its vision of heaven on earth. Meanwhile, Sandinista antipathy towards Israel, close links with the East Bloc (traditionally associated with biblical Gog and Magog), and the sometimes brutal repression of evangelicals all contributed to a dispensational perception of an apocalyptic, dualistic struggle between good and evil. Thus, eschatology played an important role in shaping the nature of Pentecostal-Sandinista relations.
“The New World of Realities in Which We Live”: How Speaking in Tongues Empowered Early Pentecostals
Authors: McGee Gary 
Published: April 2008

AbstractHistories of Pentecostalism have recounted how early adherents anticipated preaching in their newfound languages until disappointing reports from missionaries trickled home. Yet, in the years from 1901 to 1908, many Pentecostals recognized the value of glossolalic utterances to include languages not only for preaching but also as a means of prayer, with the latter especially denoting their willingness to step beyond the border of rational spirituality into the realm of Christian mysticism. At the same time, they addressed the connection of Spirit baptism to love in the Spirit-filled life and struggled with questions that arose about the meaning of the gift of interpretation. This essay proposes that the early literature reveals a consistently held role for adoration and prayerful intercession that enabled the faithful to withstand the impact of other changes in meaning.
Tornado Warnings, Lead Times, and Tornado Casualties: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Simmons Kevin M. , Sutter Daniel 
Published: April 2008

AbstractConventional wisdom holds that improved tornado warnings will reduce tornado casualties, because longer lead times on warnings provide extra opportunities to alert residents who can then take precautions. The relationship between warnings and casualties is examined using a dataset of tornadoes in the contiguous United States between 1986 and 2002. Two questions are examined: Does a warning issued on a tornado reduce the resulting number of fatalities and injuries? Do longer lead times reduce casualties? It is found that warnings have had a significant and consistent effect on tornado injuries, with a reduction of over 40% at some lead time intervals. The results for fatalities are mixed. An increase in lead time up to about 15 min reduces fatalities, while lead times longer than 15 min increase fatalities compared with no warning. The fatality results beyond 15 min, however, depend on five killer tornadoes and consequently are not robust.
A Remote Sensing Survey of the Role of Landform on the Organization of Orographic Precipitation in Central and Southern Mexico
Authors: Giovannettone Jason P. , Barros Ana P. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
Data from NASA’s TRMM satellite and NOAA’s GOES satellites were used to survey the orographic organization of cloud precipitation in central and southern Mexico during the monsoon with two main objectives: 1) to investigate large-scale forcing versus local landform controls, and 2) to compare the results with previous work in the Himalayas. At large scales, the modes of spatial variability of cloudiness were estimated using the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of GOES brightness temperatures. Terrain modulation of synoptic-scale high-frequency variability (3–5- and 6–9-day cycles normally associated with the propagation of easterly waves) was found to cause higher dispersion in the EOF spectrum, with the first mode explaining less than 30% of the spatial variability in central and southern Mexico as opposed to 50% and higher in the Himalayas. A detailed analysis of the first three EOFs for 1999, an average La Niña year with above average rainfall, and for 2001, a weak La Niña year with below average rainfall, shows that landform (mountain peaks and land–ocean contrast) and large-scale circulation (moisture convergence) alternate as the key controls of regional hydrometeorology in dry and wet years, or as active and break (midsummer drought) phases of the monsoon, respectively. The diurnal cycle is the dominant time scale of variability in 2001, as it is during the midsummer drought in all years. Strong variability at time scales beyond two weeks is only present during the active phases of the monsoon. At the river basin scale, the data show increased cloudiness over the mountain ranges during the afternoon, which moves over the low-lying regions at the foot of the major orographic barriers [the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO)/Sierra Madre del Sur (SMS) and Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB)], specifically the Balsas and the Rio de Santiago basins at nighttime and in the early morning. At the ridge–valley scale (∼100–200 km), robust day–night (ridge–valley) asymmetries suggest strong local controls on cloud and precipitation, with convective activity along the coastal region of the SMO and topographically forced convection at the foothills of headwater ridges in the Altiplano and the SMS. These day–night spatial shifts in cloudiness and precipitation are similar to those found in the Himalayas at the same spatial scales.
`Aftermath: Living with the crisis': From PTC to Governing Through Crime
Authors: Brown Michelle 
Published: April 2008

In these disparate voices we can hear the closure occurring — the interlocking mechanisms closing, the doors clanging shut. The society is battening itself down for `the long haul' through a crisis. There is light at the end of the tunnel — but not much; and it is far off. Meanwhile, the state has won the right, and indeed inherited the duty, to move swiftly, to stamp fast and hard, to listen in, discreetly survey, saturate and swamp, charge or hold without charge, act on suspicion, hustle and shoulder, to keep society on the straight and narrow. Liberalism, that last back-stop against arbitrary power, is in retreat. It is suspended. The times are exceptional. The crisis is real. We are inside the `law-and-order' state. (Hall et al., 1978: 323) Welcome to the desert of the real.1
Virulence studies of Enterobacter sakazakiiisolates associated with a neonatal intensive care unit outbreak
Authors: Townsend Stacy , Hurrell Edward , Forsythe Stephen 
Published: April 2008

Abstract

Background
In 1994, an outbreak of Enterobacter sakazakii infections in France occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit during which 17 neonates were infected. More than half of the infected neonates had severe clinical symptoms; 7 cases of necrotising enterocolitis (one with abdominal perforation), one case of septicemia, and one case of meningitis. The other 8 neonates were shown to be colonized but remained asymptomatic. There were three deaths. Four distinguishable pulsotypes of E. sakazakii were isolated during the outbreak, and the deaths were attributable to one pulsotype. This paper compares strains, from the four pulsotypes, for attachment and invasion of mammalian intestinal cells, macrophage survival and blood-brain barrier invasion. A fourth death from septic shock also occurred during the E. sakazakii outbreak. This was due to E. cloacae which at the time of the outbreak had been misidentified as E. sakazakii. This isolate has been included in this study.

Results
All E. sakazakii strains attached and invaded Caco-2 human epithelial cells, and invaded rat brain capillary endothelial cells. The majority of strains persisted in macrophage cells for 48 h. Two strains from fatal NEC and meningitis cases showed the highest invasion rate of Caco-2 intestinal cells. Their invasion of brain capillary endothelial cells was equivalent or greater than that of the neonatal E. coli meningitis strain K1. These strains also had extended spectrum β-lactamase activities. E. cloacae differed from E. sakazakii due to the greater attachment and less invasion of epithelial cells, no survival in macrophages, and less invasion of capillary endothelial brain cells.

Conclusion
While variables such as host factors and treatment strategies determine the outcome of infection, our in vitro studies evaluated the virulence of the isolates associated with this outbreak. It was not possible to directly correlate clinical symptoms and outcomes with in vitro studies. Nevertheless, we have shown the variation in invasive potential of E. sakazakii with intestinal and blood-brain barrier cells between and within pulsotypes from a neonatal intensive care unit outbreak. E. sakazakii strains were able to persist and even replicate for a period within macrophage cells. These traits appear to facilitate host immune evasion and dissemination.