bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and nedaplatin (TIN) salvage chemotherapy for patients with advanced germ cell tumors
Authors: Nonomura Norio , Oka Daizo , Nishimura Kazuo , Nakayama Masashi , Inoue Hitoshi , Mizutani Yoichi , Miki Tsuneharu , Okuyama Akihiko 
Published: June 2007

Background:  The paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin regimen has been used to treat metastatic testicular cancer with successful results. We investigated the usefulness of a paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and nedaplatin (TIN) regimen as salvage therapy for patients with advanced testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs).Methods:  Eight patients with advanced GCTs were treated with TIN. The treatment was performed as salvage therapy for cases refractory to therapies, such as bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin, and irinotecan with nedaplatin. The TIN regimen consisted of paclitaxel (200 mg/m2) by 24‐h infusion on day 1, followed by ifosfamide (1.2 g/m2) infusions over 2 h on days 2–6, and nedaplatin (100 mg/m2) given over 2 h on day 2.Results:  Seven out of eight patients achieved a disease‐free status after chemotherapy, followed by surgical resection of the residual tumor. Six of the seven patients have continued to show no evidence of disease after salvage therapy, with a median follow‐up period of 27 months, but one patient developed a ‘growing teratoma syndrome’ in the mediastinum 31 months after TIN chemotherapy. All patients developed grade 4 leukocytopenia. However, it could be managed by using granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor. Only one patient developed grade 2 sensory neuropathy and no patient developed nephrotoxicity.Conclusion:  The TIN regimen was efficacious and well‐tolerated as salvage chemotherapy for Japanese patients with advanced GCTs.
The utility of sildenafil citrate for infertile men with sexual dysfunction: a pilot study
Authors: Boorjian Stephen , Hopps Carin V. , Ghaly Sameh W. , Parker Marilyn , Mulhall John P. 
Published: June 2007

Associate EditorMichael G. WyllieEditorial BoardIan Eardley, UKJean Fourcroy, USASidney Glina, BrazilJulia Heiman, USAChris McMahon, AustraliaBob Millar, UKAlvaro Morales, CanadaMichael Perelman, USAMarcel Waldinger, NetherlandsOBJECTIVETo investigate the use the sildenafil citrate, recognized as a first‐line therapy for men with erectile dysfunction (ED), and which is safe and effective in men with various causes and severity of ED, including psychogenic ED, in a population of infertile men with sexual dysfunction.PATIENTS AND METHODSInfertility is a major source of life stress and might be associated with sexual dysfunction through the erosion of self‐esteem and self‐confidence, and in stimulating discord in a relationship. Men presenting for evaluation of fertility who on questioning by the physician reported the recent onset of sexual dysfunction, had a history taken, a physical examination, hormonal profile, and completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), a validated inventory for assessing sexual dysfunction. Thirty men with a score of <26 on the erectile function domain of the IIEF, or who complained of new onset rapid or delayed ejaculation, were treated with sildenafil with no randomization or placebo control. The evaluation was repeated and the IIEF completed again ≥3 months after starting treatment.RESULTSFor men complaining of ED, subjective erectile rigidity, duration of erection, and the percentage of successful penetration attempts significantly improved with sildenafil. The mean (sd) IIEF domain scores for erection and satisfaction, at 18 (4) vs 27 (3), and 12 (2) vs 16 (3) (both P = 0.01), and orgasm, at 4 (1) vs 6 (3) (P = 0.001), respectively, significantly improved after treatment. In patients with ejaculatory dysfunction, the function improved in 64% after sildenafil therapy.CONCLUSIONSWe identified the nature of sexual dysfunction associated with male‐factor infertility, and showed the efficacy of sildenafil therapy in men with this condition.
Vesico‐uterine fistula: report of 14 cases
Authors: Hadzi‐Djokic Jovan B. , Pejcic Tomislav P. , Colovic Vidosav C. 
Published: June 2007

Authors from Serbia present a retrospective review of their experience in the treatment of the uncommon condition of vesico‐uterine fistula. They discovered 14 such cases, and present the results of surgery, with advice on how to optimise the results.OBJECTIVETo analyse the indications, diagnosis, major causes and basic principles of surgical treatment of vesico‐uterine fistulas (VUF).PATIENTS AND METHODSFrom 1970 to 2006, 14 patients underwent surgical repair of VUF in two Belgrade hospitals. The most common cause of a fistula was previous Caesarean section (13/14). The mean (range) age was 27 (22–38) years. Five women underwent transvesical fistula suture, and nine underwent a transperitoneal surgical approach with the interposition of a tissue flap; an omental flap in five and a peritoneal flap in four.RESULTSThe mean (range) duration of surgery was 85 (70–120) min. The mean hospital stay was 14 (12–22) days. The urethral catheter was removed 10 days after surgery. One woman with no tissue flap repair relapsed and none of the women with a tissue flap repair relapsed. After surgery, eight patients became pregnant and underwent Caesarean section.CONCLUSIONSuccessful closure of VUF requires accurate diagnostic evaluation, appropriate repair using techniques that utilize basic surgical principles, and the careful application of interposing tissue flaps.
Creativity as capital in the literacy classroom: youth as multimodal designers
Authors: Walsh Christopher S. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractMany school literacy practices ignore adolescents' new digitally mediated subjectivity as it has been shaped by the new media age. Youth possess often unappreciated repertories of practice which allow them to use their imagination and creativity to combine print, visual and digital modes in combinations that can be applied to new educational, civic, media and workplace contexts. This paper reports on research in two middle years classrooms in New York City's Chinatown, where students' design skills were recognised and validated when they were encouraged to critically re‐represent curricular knowledge through multimodal design. The curriculum, rather than privileging print‐only representations, recognised the linguistic, social, economic and cultural capital that different students brought to school. The findings suggest schools should harness youths' creativity – that often manifests itself through their capital resources – as they integrate and adapt to the new digital affordances acquired through their out‐of‐school literacy practices.
Productivity Trends and the Sterling Real Exchange Rates*
Authors: Engels Frank , Konstantinou Panagiotis Th. , Søndergaard Jens 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThis paper provides favorable econometric evidence for a productivity‐based model of the pound/euro real exchange rate. We find that a 1% increase in UK productivity is consistent with a 3.5% real depreciation of sterling. Likewise, a 1% increase in euro area productivity is compatible with a 5.16% real appreciation of sterling. The asymmetric response of UK and foreign productivity shocks corresponds well with our model if UK labor supply is more elastic than euro area labor supply. Estimates of equilibrium exchange rates suggest that sterling was not overvalued at its 2004Q3 level vis‐à‐vis the euro.
Itch in the community: associations with psychosocial factors among adults
Authors: Dalgard F , Lien L , Dalen I 
Published: June 2007

AbstractBackground Itch is a major symptom in dermatology but is little explored epidemiologically.Objective To describe the prevalence and the severity of itch, and to explore its relation to psychosocial factors.Methods The design was cross‐sectional and population‐based. A total of 40 880 adults in Oslo were invited to answer a questionnaire.Results Twenty‐seven per cent report itch. Individuals reporting itch were younger, the majority were female, were non‐Norwegian, had lower income, were more distressed, had experienced more negative life events and had poorer social support. Individuals with poor support who had experienced more negative life events reported more itch than individuals with good support (15. 6% compared to 10. 9%). The strong association with psychosocial factors was confirmed in a logistic regression.Conclusion There is a strong association between itch and psychosocial factors in the general population.
Genetic influences on mechanically‐assessed activity level in children
Authors: Wood Alexis C. , Saudino Kimberly J. , Rogers Hannah , Asherson Philip , Kuntsi Jonna 
Published: June 2007

Background:  Activity level is an important component of children's temperament, as well as being part of the core symptom domain of hyperactivity‐impulsivity within attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet it is poorly understood, due partly to limitations on parent and teacher ratings, which are typically used as measurements of these symptoms.Methods:  We aimed to study the etiology of objectively‐measured activity level across two situations, using actigraphs. A population‐based sample of 463 7–9‐year‐old twin pairs were assessed individually both when apart undergoing laboratory‐based cognitive testing and when together during a break in testing.Results:  Heritability of activity level was estimated as 24% during the test session and at 30% during the break in testing. Shared environmental influences accounted for 27% of the variance in activity level during the test session and 42% of activity level measured during the break. A genetic correlation of 1.0 indicated that the same genes influenced activity level across the two situations, justifying the use of a composite measure of the two situations. This produced a heritability estimate of 36%.Conclusions:  Objectively‐measured activity level shows a moderate degree of genetic influence, with a common set of genes influencing activity level across situations. This supports the use of actigraphs as an additional source of information in studies that aim to improve phenotype definition for molecular genetic studies of activity level and ADHD.
Adolescent tobacco and cannabis use: young adult outcomes from the Ontario Child Health Study
Authors: Georgiades Katholiki , Boyle Michael H. 
Published: June 2007

Background:  This study examines the longitudinal associations between adolescent tobacco and cannabis use and young adult functioning.Methods:  Data for analysis come from the Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS), a prospective study of child health, psychiatric disorder and adolescent substance use in a general population sample that began in 1983, with follow‐ups in 1987 and 2001. The sample for analysis includes 1,282 individuals who were between the ages of 12 and 16 years during the original OCHS in 1983 or the first follow‐up in 1987 and returned for the 2001 follow‐up.Results:  Tobacco use in adolescence and continued use in adulthood is associated with increased risk for poorer functioning across multiple domains, including physical health and life satisfaction (.62 and .66 standard units lower, respectively), depression (Odds Ratio = 3.44), personal income ($7,281 less per year) and years of education (2.29 years lower). Cannabis use is associated with a reduced set of adverse outcomes and the magnitude of the effects is weaker.Conclusions:  The long‐term risks associated with adolescent tobacco and cannabis use speak to the importance of prevention and early intervention.
High intracellular concentrations of amyloid‐beta block nuclear translocation of phosphorylated CREB
Authors: Arvanitis D. N. , Ducatenzeiler A. , Ou J. N. , Grodstein E. , Andrews S. D. , Tendulkar S. R. , Ribeiro‐da‐Silva A. , Szyf M. , Cuello A. C. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe beta‐amyloid peptide (Aβ) is considered responsible for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the magnitude of reports describing a neurotoxic role of extracellular Aβ, the role for intracellular Aβ (iAβ) has not been elucidated. We previously demonstrated that in rat pheochromocytoma cells expression of moderate levels of Aβ results in the up‐regulation of phospho‐extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERK1)/2 along with an elevation of cyclic AMP‐response element (CRE)‐regulated gene expression; however, the effect of high intracellular levels of Aβ were not examined. Towards this goal we generated constructs that endogenously produce different expression levels of iAβ in a human cell line. We show a bimodal response to Aβ in a neural human cell line. A moderate increase of endogenous Aβ up‐regulates certain cyclic AMP‐response element‐binding protein (CREB) responsive genes such as presenilin 1, presenilin 2, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, and mRNA and protein levels by CREB activation and Synapsin 1 nuclear translocation. On the other hand, high‐loads of iAβ resulted in sustained hyper‐phosphorylation of CREB that did not translocate to the nucleus and did not stimulate activation of CRE‐regulated gene expression. Our study suggests that variations in levels of iAβ could influence signaling mechanisms that lead to phosphorylation of CREB, its nuclear translocation and CRE‐regulated genes involved in production of Aβ and synaptic plasticity in opposite directions.
Noninvasive methodology for the sampling and extraction of DNA from free‐ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis)
Authors: GREEN MICHELLE L. , HERZING DENISE L. , BALDWIN JOHN D. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractGenetic sampling and molecular investigations are important parts of studying wild populations. However, collecting tissues from free‐ranging animals can be difficult or impractical. This study develops a sampling and extraction protocol for template DNA from faecal material collected in a marine environment from small cetaceans. DNA was extracted from faecal material of free‐ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and subsequently tested for its suitability in molecular investigations by amplifying both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. The resulting mitochondrial sequences were found to closely match known S. frontalis haplotypes. Three microsatellite loci were amplified and fall within the expected size range for cetaceans. Mother and calf families previously assigned by observation were genetically confirmed using both mitochondrial haplotype and allele sharing between the mother and offspring. The protocol effectively collects and extracts dolphin DNA from faecal samples and enables species identification as well as confirmation of genetic relatedness and should be considered as a noninvasive alternative to current protocols.
Isolation and characterization of eight polymorphic microsatellite loci for the endangered, endemic Chilean tree Gomortega keule (Gomortegaceae)
Authors: LANDER T. A. , BOSHIER D. H. , HARRIS S. A. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractQueule (Gomortega keule) is an endangered, Chilean tree in the endemic, monotypic family Gomortegaceae. Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized for this species. The number of alleles per locus ranged from four to 12 and the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.2 to 1.0. These microsatellite markers will be valuable tools for population genetics studies and conservation planning.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers in the endangered Nothotsuga longibracteata (Pinaceae)
Authors: QIU YINGJUN , KANG MING , NING ZULIN , ZENG SHAOHUA , HUANG HONGWEN 
Published: June 2007

AbstractTwelve polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from an AC‐enriched genomic library of Nothotsuga longibracteata. The average allele number of these microsatellites was 8.3 per locus, ranging from two to 13. The ranges of observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.03–0.97 and 0.09–0.88, respectively. These polymorphic markers provide useful tools for the study of evolutionary history and conservation genetics of N. longibracteata.
safum: statistical analysis of SSCP fingerprints using PCA projections, dendrograms and diversity estimators
Authors: ZEMB O. , HAEGEMAN B. , DELGENES J. P. , LEBARON P. , GODON J. J. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe program safum provides a smart interface to import, visualize and compare fingerprinting profiles, especially on capillary electrophoresis single strand conformation polymorphism data, in conjunction with basic statistical analysis tools. It includes principal component analysis, two‐ or three‐dimensional representations, dendrograms based on Euclidean distance, and easily exportable files for subsequent applications. safum is useful for the analysis of spatial or temporal sequences of microbial community fingerprints obtained with an ABI prism sequencer.
A THEORY OF UNWINDING OF CROSS‐SHAREHOLDING UNDER MANAGERIAL ENTRENCHMENT
Authors: Isagawa Nobuyuki 
Published: June 2007

AbstractIn this article I examine corporate strategies regarding cross‐shareholding and the unwinding of cross‐shareholding, and I present a rationale for corporate managers to unwind cross‐shareholding from the perspective of managerial entrenchment. Although cross‐shareholding enhances managerial entrenchment, the increased agency costs associated with managerial opportunism increase the incentives for a hostile takeover. To avoid a takeover, managers have to unwind cross‐shareholdings. The unwinding of cross‐shareholdings implies that managers will relinquish their entrenchment and thus will act to increase shareholders' wealth in the future. The model proposed here explains why cross‐shareholdings among Japanese firms declined during the 1990s, a decade during which the cost of takeovers decreased because of financial market deregulation.
Montesquieu and the Modern Experience
Authors: Manent Pierre 
Published: June 2007

The First Chapter of Book xx of L'esprzt Des Lois, entitled simply Du Commerce, begins by contrasting the Old and the New, that is virtue and moral purity on the one hand and commerce on the other:Commerce heals us of our critical prejudices and it is an almost general rule that wherever good mannen are to be found there we find commerce and that wherever there is commera, there are good manners ( . . .). Commerce has helped knowledge of the customs of all the nations to spread everywhere; they have been compared and the comparisons have been very rewardag. It can be said that the laws governing commerce improve customs, yet it can also be said that thew same laws can cause them to deteriorate. Commerce corrupts moral purity. This was Plato's complaint; but it polishes and softens behaviour, as we see daily.
Effects of fires on butterfly assemblages in lowland dipterocarp forest in East Kalimantan
Authors: HIROWATARI Toshiya , MAKIHARA Hiroshi ,   SUGIARTO
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe post‐fire butterfly fauna in lowland dipterocarp forest of the Bukit Soeharto Education Forest (BSEF), East Kalimantan, Indonesia, was assessed during the period November 1998–April 2000 by means of consecutive Malaise trap samples, with supplementary field observations for March–April 1999. A total of 514 butterflies belonging to 61 species and representing six families were caught in the traps. Melanitis leda (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae), Charaxes bernardus (Nymphalidae: Charaxinae), and Danaus genutia (Nymphalidae: Danainae) were the species most frequently caught (60, 52 and 47 individuals, respectively), representing 31% of the total. These three species are generalists and “disturbance indicators” for tropical rainforest, being characteristic of disturbed or secondary forests, being distributed widely, and having larvae that feed on a wide range of host plants. In contrast, other species, such as Trogonoptera brookiana and Troides amphrysus, were recorded before the fires but were not recorded again afterwards. The pre‐ and post‐fire butterfly fauna of East Kalimantan were compared on the basis of butterfly specimens deposited in the Tropical Rain Forest Research Center that were collected in and around the Bukit Soeharto Education Forest before the fires (1988–1995). On the basis of the post‐fire survey, based on Malaise trap samples and field observations, only 43% of the butterfly species (not including Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae) were confirmed to have persisted. The data suggest that refugia that are not affected by fire are necessary for the conservation of specialist butterflies, as well as many other forms of wildlife.
New subgenus of the genus Schizoprymnus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Japan, having a unique abdominal carapace structure
Authors: BELOKOBYLSKIJ Sergey A. , MAETO Kaoru 
Published: June 2007

AbstractA new subgenus of the genus Schizoprymnus Foerster is described and figured from Honshu, Japan. The subgenus, Ibarakius subgen. nov., comprises three species, S. (I.) gotoi sp. nov. (type species), S. (I.) kaizawus sp. nov., and S. (I.) honshuensis sp. nov. A pair of long, curved posteroventral processes on the carapace is unique to Ibarakius subgen. nov. The variability of frontal protuberances and sutures of the carapace in the brachistine genera Triaspis Haliday and Schizoprymnus Foerster is discussed.
Occurrence and density of Halobates micans (Hemiptera: Gerridae) in the eastern South Indian Ocean
Authors: IKAWA Terumi , ONODERA Shinobu , OKABE Hidehiko , HOSHIZAKI Sugihiko , CHENG Lanna 
Published: June 2007

AbstractTwo species of ocean skaters, Halobates germanus and Halobates micans, live in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean. From December 1992 to December 1993, Halobates was intensively sampled in the easternmost region of the South Indian Ocean (13–18.5°S, 114–121E°), from which there have been a small number of records of Halobates. No H. germanus was caught, but a total of 1190 H. micans were collected, with densities estimated at 13 900–28 100 individuals/km2. This suggests that H. micans lives in the study area at high densities comparable to those in the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. We also discuss the possible effects of ocean currents and winds on the geographic distributions of the two Halobates species in the eastern South Indian Ocean.
Low Density Lipoprotein Derivatization by Acetaldehyde Affects Lysine Residues and the B/E Receptor Binding Affinity
Authors: Kervinen Kari , Savolainen Markku J. , Tikkanen Matti J. , Kesälniemi Y. Antero 
Published: June 2007

Acetaldehyde (AcA), the first metabolite in ethanol oxidation, forms covalent adducts with the free amino groups of various proteins. in this study, we examined how acetaldehyde modification affects the chemical and biological properties of the atherogenic low density lipoprotein (LDL). AcA modification did not alter the protein end lipid composition of LDL, but the AcA concentration used in the incubation correlated strongly with the electrophoretic mobility of acetaidehyde‐treated LDL (AcA‐LDL) (r = 0.97, p<0.001) and the percentage of the free amino groups in AcA‐LDL (r = ‐0.90, p < 0.01). Amino acid analysis of AcA‐LDL showed that iysine was the predominant residue in LDL modified by AcA. Assays with monoclonal antibodies (MB47, 2b, 4G3, and C1.1) directed against different epitopes of the LDL apoprotein B suggested that AcA modification reduced the lmmu‐nological recognition of the LDL receptor binding region and its vicinity. Also, the binding affinity of AcA‐LDL to B/E receptors cor related negatively with the percentage of modified iysine residues in AcA‐LDL (r = ‐0.96, p < 0.001). The results suggest that AcA derivatizes the lysine residues of LDL, and thus decreases the B/E receptor binding affinity of LDL. However, major changes in LDL receptor binding were produced only with nonphysiologicaiiy high concentrations of AcA, and, therefore, the role of the present findings in vivo remains uncertain.Alcohol, Acetaldehyde, Lipoproteins, Proteins, Arteriosclerosis.